Wow! We're nearing the end! We're nearing the end! Enjoy!
Chapter 9: The Island of Blood
Over the next few days, Celeste's leg healed up enough to not really bother her anymore, and she could walk on her own. By late afternoon, they landed on the island. Jack had warned the crew to stay aboard the ship while he, Celeste, Angelina, and Audra go and scout the island a little; also in hopes that Celeste could isolate Santara long enough to fight and kill him.
The island of Isla de Sangre was seemingly a big shadow. A large mountain resided to one side of the island. It was easily one day's journey from one side to the other. Rain clouds hovered overhead, thunder sounded and lightning flashed. The flashes of the lightning illuminated the mountains of whose rocks and dirt seemed stained red, as if spilled with blood. Its peaks high, walls impassable, and rocks jagged and cruel. According to Jack, on the other side of the mountain was a large open cave where the pirates were most likely hiding out. There was also one other opening, which was on the side of the mountain that they were on. The island was centrally forested with red palm trees and had white beaches.
"Shh." Jack hushed them. They nodded in acknowledgement and followed him. All the passages in the cave were lined with torches along the walls. Thunder echoed through the halls, passages, and cave making for an, ominous, tense feeling.
They crept through a narrow passage and heard a noise: yelling. They ran back to the opening of the passage and looked around. They looked back at the Pearl and saw at least half of Santara's crew invading the Black Pearl. Five of them stood guarding the gangplank to prevent exit or entry to the ship, while the rest took the crew captive and made sure that no one left. Had Santara known they were coming? Was he trying to play with them? And delay the moment of their death until his convenience? Was he trying to make it a "perfect moment" for himself, no crew to help stop it? They weren't going to stick around to find out. They knew what outnumbered was when they saw it. They quickly moved down the corridor again until they came to a fairly large room with two ways to go.
Jack glanced at Celeste and noticed that she was wearing his jacket that he had lent her. She noticed him looking at her and nervously looked away. He smirked and leaned in close to her ear.
"Want some more o' me clothes, love?" he whispered. She got a half offended, half pouty look on her face and Jack smirked again. She slapped him hard across the face. It echoed through the rooms. Jack rubbed his cheek, but smiled. Celeste pouted. "Deja-bloody-vu." he mumbled. "This way." he ushered them in a whisper. Angelina and Audra still didn't know what caused that slapping noise, but they were too nervous to care. They all nodded and followed Jack down the tunnel to the right. They heard something. Footsteps? The lighting was more dim than in the previous, and it became hard to see. Jack cautiously continued down the tunnel, the others following him. Suddenly, all the lights blew out.
THWACK!
"OW!" Jack yelled.
"Arr!" it was a member of Santara's crew who had seemingly hit Jack on the head. Apparently more than one crew member was present, for many other yells followed. Someone came up behind Celeste and restrained her. The same happened to Angelina and Audra.
"Unhand me!" Celeste commanded. Angelina and Audra screamed. Torches were re-lit, and they beheld their captors. Four ugly pirates of Santara's crew. They struggled, but to no avail. The pirates bound their hands; two pirates were needed to detain Jack.
"Ol' Jack Sparrow, eh?" a pirate asked.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, actually." Jack corrected.
"Been a while!" the pirate replied.
"Aye." Jack sighed.
The pirates led Jack, Celeste, Angelina, and Audra through the tunnel and down a gray brick hall until they came to a long line of cells. There were at least five cells lined up on the left wall, and at the corridor were stairs going up. All but one of the cells were occupied by Santara's prisoners.
"Alrigh', in th' brig!" a pirate commanded.
"The lock's broken!" another pirate exclaimed, pulling the door open.
"Darn ol' cells!" the first pirate yelled.
"What're we gonna do?" the second pirate asked.
"Just' tie 'em up." the first pirate ordered.
"Aye, aye." the second pirate confirmed. "But we ain't got that much rope!"
"Clap those two in the irons on the all over there!" the second pirate obeyed the first. He chained up Angelina and Audra in iron cuffs. The cuffs were attached to the wall by a foot long chain that extended from where they were bolted in the rock. The first pirate cut Celeste and Jack's bonds (other pirates came over to help restrain them). They tied them up back to back and left them standing up; there was no way they could sit down or move very efficiently this way. The ropes had been wrapped around them both, starting at their upper arms, and stomach, then their elbows and waist, then twice around their forearms and hips, then around their wrists and upper thighs twice.
"'ow do we know they won' get out?" the second pirate asked the first.
"I don' think Jack 'n' th' wench'll be goin' anywhere." the first pirate answered.
"Hey! Don't call me that!" Celeste protested.
"Shut it!" the first pirate yelled, and backhanded Celeste in the face. She cried out. Jack struggled to keep them standing.
"You just 'it a lady!" Jack exclaimed. "'ow dare you?! Pirates 'ave manners too. It's scum like you who give pirates a bad name!"
Shut up, you!" the first pirate commanded.
"An' what if I won't?" Jack asked toughly. "What if I got a problem with you 'ittin' me girl 'ere?"
"Well, 'oos tied up, an' 'oos standin' 'ere with your weapons?" the pirate retorted.
"An' who's the coward?" Jack said angrily. "'ittin' woman. 'specially when she's tied up an' 'as no way to fight back." The first pirate then punched Jack in the stomach hard. Jack recoiled a little, but didn't surrender any sign of pain except a low, painful grunt right as he was punched. Celeste cringed at the sound of the blow Jack received.
"Jack, don't say anything else to provoke them!" Celeste whispered, grasping his hand (as well as she could, being all tied up). Jack sighed.
Suddenly, two more pirates ran in.
"Yer all needed back at the ship! Now! Git goin'!" one of the pirates called. All the pirates rushed out of the cell. The door was shut and they could hear pirates running away.
"You okay, Jack?" Celeste asked.
"Aye. I'm fine." he replied. "Are you alright, darling? 'e didn't 'urt you too bad, did 'e?"
"No, I'm okay." Celeste assured. "But what do we do now?" she asked, fearing the answer.
"Erm..." Jack pondered for a moment. "Can either one o' you slip one of your 'ands out o' the cuffs? If so, that could be our solution." Angelina and Audra tried their hardest to slip a hand free.
"Ouch!" Angelina cried. "No luck."
"I think I--" Audra struggled. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! Oh! I got it!" she got one hand free. "There's no way I can get the other, though. It's kind of swollen and sore from that pirates." (darn weak wrists in sword fights).
"Tha's alrigh'!" Jack assured. "'ere's our plan: we will try to get over to you. You will get the knife I keep at the back o' me belt for safe- keepin', an' then you'll cut us free. "Unfortunately, the pirates had taken their swords and guns, but missed Jack's knife.
"Alright, then... well..." Celeste hesitated. "How do we get over there?"
"Just... shuffle... savvy?"
"Okay, then... erm..." Celeste hesitated. "To the left." they then attempted to shuffle slowly, but... "No! My left! Ahhh!" they swayed from side to side for a second due to the misunderstanding. "Okay," Celeste started as they steadied themselves. "My left, your right. They slowly, but surely shuffled towards the wall where Angelina and Audra were chained. Eventually, they were about five or six feet from the wall when they encountered an unexpected rock sticking up from the floor.
"Augh!" Celeste cried.
"Arr!" Jack yelled. They tried to steady themselves, but to no avail. They fell over and hit the floor with a painful thud.
"Ow! Ohh, oh gosh!" Celeste moaned in pain. "Owww! Wh-what do we do now? We can't stand up." Celeste stared at Audra's feet, about five feet away.
"Er..." Jack hesitated. "We can still get over to the wall. Just try to, er, roll over, I suppose."
"Alright. Good plan. Okay." Celeste agreed. "One, two, three!" They did the best they could to sort of roll over so that Jack was facing the wall instead.
"Arrghhh!" Celeste groaned from the pain of Jack's weight. "Uhhhgh! OW! It hurts! It hurts!" she cried.
"I'm sorry, darling! Unavoidable!" Jack apologized.
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up and get the knife, Audra!" Celeste ordered. Audra reached out, stretching as much as the chain allowed.
"OW! OW! OW!" Audra cried in pain, but continued to reach out. "Is it under that cloth thing...?" Audra asked, referring to the red and white striped cloth wrapped around Jack's waist, his belt over that.
"It is not just a piece of cloth! It is--"
"Who cares?!" Celeste interrupted. "Just get the knife!"
"Woke up on the wrong side o' the bed, darling?" Jack asked.
"I just got captured by pirates, tied up and left to stand or die, fell over, causing lots and lots of pain, got smacked in the face by a mean pirate, and got rolled on by painful pirate weight! It hurts, Jack! It hurts a lot!" Celeste whined with frustration and pain.
"My condolences, love" Jack said. Audra kept trying to retrieve the knife. "Watch it, darling." Jack warned Audra blushed, but continued reaching for the knife.
"Got it!" Audra exclaimed and pulled out a pocket knife from the piece of cloth wrapped around Jack's waist. She pulled the blade out of the knife with one hand. "Okay, got it!"
"Great!" Celeste exclaimed. "Now, cut us free!" Audra stuck the knife under the rope next to Jack's arm, and slowly started to hack through it.
"OW!" Jack exclaimed. Audra had cut his arm a little.
"Sorry!" Audra apologized. She finally cut through the rope. Jack and Celeste squirmed to be free, and shook the ropes off. They got up, and Jack retrieved his knife.
"Yes! Great job! Thank you!" Celeste told Audra. "Okay, Jack and I will go and get the key, okay? We'll be back as soon as we can!"
"Okay." Audra replied. Angelina nodded.
Jack and Celeste slowly opened the cell door and peeked out. They saw no one. Their attention was drawn to something on the stone floor.
"What? Why are these here?" Celeste whispered, referring to both her swords and Jack's sword that had been strewn in the corner, by the stairs. "Had to keep our guns, didn't they?"
"Well, be thankful for what you 'ave, love." Jack whispered back to her, picking up his sword and sheathing it. She picked up and sheathed hers as well. They crept up a set of stairs and came to a large, long passage to their left that looked like a very old, large, wide, vast stairway. There were stalagmites sticking up from the floor on either side of the barely intact stairs. Some stalagmites stuck up three feet from the floor, some of them ten feet or more. Stalactites hung from the ceiling
"Are you alright, Jack?" Celeste asked caringly. "That guy hit you really hard."
"I'm fine." Jack replied. "Been through a lot worse 'n' 'at. But thanks for carin', love. Doesn't 'appen too often."
Suddenly, they heard voices from the corridor behind them.
"Uh, oh." Celeste mumbled, readying her swords. More voices came, but this
time, from the top of the old stairs. "Run up there, Jack, I'll take these guys."
"Are you sure you can handle yourself, darling?" Jack asked.
"If I can put up with you, I can handle anything." Celeste joked. Jack just looked at her. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I love being around you. Maybe it's because you drive me crazy." she smiled. "But, go! I'm me! I'll be fine! I can hold my own!"
"Alright." he turned around and ran up the stairs at top speed. Just then, two pirates emerged from the passage behind Celeste.
"Whaddo we got 'ere?" a pirate asked, unsheathing his sword.
"Me? Oh, I'm just an escapee passing though." she sarcastically replied.
"Well, we're gonna 'ave to take ye back to yer cell, poppet."
"Oh, okay. I'll just let you, then -- NOT!" Celeste added. "I just don't think so." The two pirates charged at her. She kicked one of them in the stomach and he, not expecting it, fell over and hit his head on a rock, knocking him unconscious (what a loser). She fenced with the other pirate, but quickly got him turned around, and conked him in the head with he tang of her sword; he fell unconscious.
"Phew! Well, that was fun!" Celeste said. Jack was still in the midst of slaying pirates. He'd killed one, but there were three left. Gosh, Jack really was amazing! Taking on four pirates at once!
Suddenly, Celeste heard voices again. She looked back and saw four pirates coming her way; they'd spotted her.
"Erm..." she stood for a second. "Uh uh!" she turned and ran up the stairs as fast as she could. One apparently very fast pirate caught up to her. She swung both her swords back behind her and slashed the pirate. She didn't look back to see if she'd hit him, but apparently she did because he fell over and down the stairs (she'd slashed his thigh, and he'd lost his footing, fell down the stairs, and got knocked out cold by a rock to the head). On this pirate's way down, he collided with another one who fell as well, and also passed out (bowling for pirates! Strike!). The other two pirates came up fast. She spotted a fairly skinny, tall, smooth stalagmite to the left of the stairs. She was nearly there. She planned to stop and fight, but...
"GAH!" she tripped. In an attempt to not fall over, she dropped both her swords and managed to stay up. She ran for the stalagmite as an idea popped in her head. She jumped for it, grabbed it, swung around, and kicked one of the nearing pirates in the face. As the pirate fell (soon to fall on a rock and pass out), she caught a glance of Jack still fighting.
She, weaponless, braved to continue fighting. She kicked the pirate's sword out of his hand, and before the sword hit the ground, she punched him in the face and knocked him out.
"Fear not!" yelled a nearing Jack, running. "I'm here now!" he yelled heroically. A moment of silence came as he beheld the unconscious pirates. "Oh..."
"Wow, my hero!" Celeste swooned sarcastically.
"A-aye... well, we must move on." Jack stated uneasily.
"Yes, we must move on, valiant heart." Celeste replied sarcastically. "For if you are not here to protect me, I fear what will become of me!" she rolled her eyes and walked on ahead, smiling.
"Well, I found the guards." Jack said, catching up to her. "I was about to search them for the key, but I--"
"Came to my rescue." she interrupted.
"I would've come sooner, but I was busy."
"I know." Celeste replied.
"You know, your fightin' style got a little messy back there, I noticed." Jack told her as she picked up her swords and sheathed them.
"Oh, bite me." Celeste sighed.
"'s 'at an invitation?" Jack smirked a half smile.
"You're disgusting." Celeste scoffed and slapped him in the face. Jack laughed.
They made their way to the top of the stairs, got the key, and hurried back down to the cell.
"We got it!" Celeste told Angelina and Audra. She dashed over and set them free.
"Ow!" Angelina whined. "My arms 'urt!"
"I'm sorry, but we have to go... now!" Celeste said. They left, headed up all the stairs that Celeste and Jack had previously encountered.
Then, finally, after many stairs, they came to a large, open cave. There was a large opening at the far side of it, overlooking the ocean. There were boxes, chests, and crates scattered and stacked all around.
"Where's Santara?" Celeste growled. "Where is that pig?"
"Someone mention me?" They turned around.
"Santara." Celeste growled once more.
"None other." Santara said. He whistled loudly, and ten of his men came. "I suggest ye surrender. Ye don' 'ave much of a chance." Celeste looked to Jack for guidance. He smiled and grasped his sword handle. "Not a good idea." Santara sneered. Celeste unsheathed her swords. "Yeah, righ'." Santara chuckled.
The pirates encircled them. Suddenly, two pirates lunged forward and grabbed Angelina and Audra. They screamed. Everything happened so fast. In an attempt to save Angelina and Audra, Celeste an Jack were hit over the head and knocked out cold.
Ooh! Drama! Arr! Swash, swash, buckle, buckle! Savvy?!
Chapter 9: The Island of Blood
Over the next few days, Celeste's leg healed up enough to not really bother her anymore, and she could walk on her own. By late afternoon, they landed on the island. Jack had warned the crew to stay aboard the ship while he, Celeste, Angelina, and Audra go and scout the island a little; also in hopes that Celeste could isolate Santara long enough to fight and kill him.
The island of Isla de Sangre was seemingly a big shadow. A large mountain resided to one side of the island. It was easily one day's journey from one side to the other. Rain clouds hovered overhead, thunder sounded and lightning flashed. The flashes of the lightning illuminated the mountains of whose rocks and dirt seemed stained red, as if spilled with blood. Its peaks high, walls impassable, and rocks jagged and cruel. According to Jack, on the other side of the mountain was a large open cave where the pirates were most likely hiding out. There was also one other opening, which was on the side of the mountain that they were on. The island was centrally forested with red palm trees and had white beaches.
"Shh." Jack hushed them. They nodded in acknowledgement and followed him. All the passages in the cave were lined with torches along the walls. Thunder echoed through the halls, passages, and cave making for an, ominous, tense feeling.
They crept through a narrow passage and heard a noise: yelling. They ran back to the opening of the passage and looked around. They looked back at the Pearl and saw at least half of Santara's crew invading the Black Pearl. Five of them stood guarding the gangplank to prevent exit or entry to the ship, while the rest took the crew captive and made sure that no one left. Had Santara known they were coming? Was he trying to play with them? And delay the moment of their death until his convenience? Was he trying to make it a "perfect moment" for himself, no crew to help stop it? They weren't going to stick around to find out. They knew what outnumbered was when they saw it. They quickly moved down the corridor again until they came to a fairly large room with two ways to go.
Jack glanced at Celeste and noticed that she was wearing his jacket that he had lent her. She noticed him looking at her and nervously looked away. He smirked and leaned in close to her ear.
"Want some more o' me clothes, love?" he whispered. She got a half offended, half pouty look on her face and Jack smirked again. She slapped him hard across the face. It echoed through the rooms. Jack rubbed his cheek, but smiled. Celeste pouted. "Deja-bloody-vu." he mumbled. "This way." he ushered them in a whisper. Angelina and Audra still didn't know what caused that slapping noise, but they were too nervous to care. They all nodded and followed Jack down the tunnel to the right. They heard something. Footsteps? The lighting was more dim than in the previous, and it became hard to see. Jack cautiously continued down the tunnel, the others following him. Suddenly, all the lights blew out.
THWACK!
"OW!" Jack yelled.
"Arr!" it was a member of Santara's crew who had seemingly hit Jack on the head. Apparently more than one crew member was present, for many other yells followed. Someone came up behind Celeste and restrained her. The same happened to Angelina and Audra.
"Unhand me!" Celeste commanded. Angelina and Audra screamed. Torches were re-lit, and they beheld their captors. Four ugly pirates of Santara's crew. They struggled, but to no avail. The pirates bound their hands; two pirates were needed to detain Jack.
"Ol' Jack Sparrow, eh?" a pirate asked.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, actually." Jack corrected.
"Been a while!" the pirate replied.
"Aye." Jack sighed.
The pirates led Jack, Celeste, Angelina, and Audra through the tunnel and down a gray brick hall until they came to a long line of cells. There were at least five cells lined up on the left wall, and at the corridor were stairs going up. All but one of the cells were occupied by Santara's prisoners.
"Alrigh', in th' brig!" a pirate commanded.
"The lock's broken!" another pirate exclaimed, pulling the door open.
"Darn ol' cells!" the first pirate yelled.
"What're we gonna do?" the second pirate asked.
"Just' tie 'em up." the first pirate ordered.
"Aye, aye." the second pirate confirmed. "But we ain't got that much rope!"
"Clap those two in the irons on the all over there!" the second pirate obeyed the first. He chained up Angelina and Audra in iron cuffs. The cuffs were attached to the wall by a foot long chain that extended from where they were bolted in the rock. The first pirate cut Celeste and Jack's bonds (other pirates came over to help restrain them). They tied them up back to back and left them standing up; there was no way they could sit down or move very efficiently this way. The ropes had been wrapped around them both, starting at their upper arms, and stomach, then their elbows and waist, then twice around their forearms and hips, then around their wrists and upper thighs twice.
"'ow do we know they won' get out?" the second pirate asked the first.
"I don' think Jack 'n' th' wench'll be goin' anywhere." the first pirate answered.
"Hey! Don't call me that!" Celeste protested.
"Shut it!" the first pirate yelled, and backhanded Celeste in the face. She cried out. Jack struggled to keep them standing.
"You just 'it a lady!" Jack exclaimed. "'ow dare you?! Pirates 'ave manners too. It's scum like you who give pirates a bad name!"
Shut up, you!" the first pirate commanded.
"An' what if I won't?" Jack asked toughly. "What if I got a problem with you 'ittin' me girl 'ere?"
"Well, 'oos tied up, an' 'oos standin' 'ere with your weapons?" the pirate retorted.
"An' who's the coward?" Jack said angrily. "'ittin' woman. 'specially when she's tied up an' 'as no way to fight back." The first pirate then punched Jack in the stomach hard. Jack recoiled a little, but didn't surrender any sign of pain except a low, painful grunt right as he was punched. Celeste cringed at the sound of the blow Jack received.
"Jack, don't say anything else to provoke them!" Celeste whispered, grasping his hand (as well as she could, being all tied up). Jack sighed.
Suddenly, two more pirates ran in.
"Yer all needed back at the ship! Now! Git goin'!" one of the pirates called. All the pirates rushed out of the cell. The door was shut and they could hear pirates running away.
"You okay, Jack?" Celeste asked.
"Aye. I'm fine." he replied. "Are you alright, darling? 'e didn't 'urt you too bad, did 'e?"
"No, I'm okay." Celeste assured. "But what do we do now?" she asked, fearing the answer.
"Erm..." Jack pondered for a moment. "Can either one o' you slip one of your 'ands out o' the cuffs? If so, that could be our solution." Angelina and Audra tried their hardest to slip a hand free.
"Ouch!" Angelina cried. "No luck."
"I think I--" Audra struggled. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! Oh! I got it!" she got one hand free. "There's no way I can get the other, though. It's kind of swollen and sore from that pirates." (darn weak wrists in sword fights).
"Tha's alrigh'!" Jack assured. "'ere's our plan: we will try to get over to you. You will get the knife I keep at the back o' me belt for safe- keepin', an' then you'll cut us free. "Unfortunately, the pirates had taken their swords and guns, but missed Jack's knife.
"Alright, then... well..." Celeste hesitated. "How do we get over there?"
"Just... shuffle... savvy?"
"Okay, then... erm..." Celeste hesitated. "To the left." they then attempted to shuffle slowly, but... "No! My left! Ahhh!" they swayed from side to side for a second due to the misunderstanding. "Okay," Celeste started as they steadied themselves. "My left, your right. They slowly, but surely shuffled towards the wall where Angelina and Audra were chained. Eventually, they were about five or six feet from the wall when they encountered an unexpected rock sticking up from the floor.
"Augh!" Celeste cried.
"Arr!" Jack yelled. They tried to steady themselves, but to no avail. They fell over and hit the floor with a painful thud.
"Ow! Ohh, oh gosh!" Celeste moaned in pain. "Owww! Wh-what do we do now? We can't stand up." Celeste stared at Audra's feet, about five feet away.
"Er..." Jack hesitated. "We can still get over to the wall. Just try to, er, roll over, I suppose."
"Alright. Good plan. Okay." Celeste agreed. "One, two, three!" They did the best they could to sort of roll over so that Jack was facing the wall instead.
"Arrghhh!" Celeste groaned from the pain of Jack's weight. "Uhhhgh! OW! It hurts! It hurts!" she cried.
"I'm sorry, darling! Unavoidable!" Jack apologized.
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up and get the knife, Audra!" Celeste ordered. Audra reached out, stretching as much as the chain allowed.
"OW! OW! OW!" Audra cried in pain, but continued to reach out. "Is it under that cloth thing...?" Audra asked, referring to the red and white striped cloth wrapped around Jack's waist, his belt over that.
"It is not just a piece of cloth! It is--"
"Who cares?!" Celeste interrupted. "Just get the knife!"
"Woke up on the wrong side o' the bed, darling?" Jack asked.
"I just got captured by pirates, tied up and left to stand or die, fell over, causing lots and lots of pain, got smacked in the face by a mean pirate, and got rolled on by painful pirate weight! It hurts, Jack! It hurts a lot!" Celeste whined with frustration and pain.
"My condolences, love" Jack said. Audra kept trying to retrieve the knife. "Watch it, darling." Jack warned Audra blushed, but continued reaching for the knife.
"Got it!" Audra exclaimed and pulled out a pocket knife from the piece of cloth wrapped around Jack's waist. She pulled the blade out of the knife with one hand. "Okay, got it!"
"Great!" Celeste exclaimed. "Now, cut us free!" Audra stuck the knife under the rope next to Jack's arm, and slowly started to hack through it.
"OW!" Jack exclaimed. Audra had cut his arm a little.
"Sorry!" Audra apologized. She finally cut through the rope. Jack and Celeste squirmed to be free, and shook the ropes off. They got up, and Jack retrieved his knife.
"Yes! Great job! Thank you!" Celeste told Audra. "Okay, Jack and I will go and get the key, okay? We'll be back as soon as we can!"
"Okay." Audra replied. Angelina nodded.
Jack and Celeste slowly opened the cell door and peeked out. They saw no one. Their attention was drawn to something on the stone floor.
"What? Why are these here?" Celeste whispered, referring to both her swords and Jack's sword that had been strewn in the corner, by the stairs. "Had to keep our guns, didn't they?"
"Well, be thankful for what you 'ave, love." Jack whispered back to her, picking up his sword and sheathing it. She picked up and sheathed hers as well. They crept up a set of stairs and came to a large, long passage to their left that looked like a very old, large, wide, vast stairway. There were stalagmites sticking up from the floor on either side of the barely intact stairs. Some stalagmites stuck up three feet from the floor, some of them ten feet or more. Stalactites hung from the ceiling
"Are you alright, Jack?" Celeste asked caringly. "That guy hit you really hard."
"I'm fine." Jack replied. "Been through a lot worse 'n' 'at. But thanks for carin', love. Doesn't 'appen too often."
Suddenly, they heard voices from the corridor behind them.
"Uh, oh." Celeste mumbled, readying her swords. More voices came, but this
time, from the top of the old stairs. "Run up there, Jack, I'll take these guys."
"Are you sure you can handle yourself, darling?" Jack asked.
"If I can put up with you, I can handle anything." Celeste joked. Jack just looked at her. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I love being around you. Maybe it's because you drive me crazy." she smiled. "But, go! I'm me! I'll be fine! I can hold my own!"
"Alright." he turned around and ran up the stairs at top speed. Just then, two pirates emerged from the passage behind Celeste.
"Whaddo we got 'ere?" a pirate asked, unsheathing his sword.
"Me? Oh, I'm just an escapee passing though." she sarcastically replied.
"Well, we're gonna 'ave to take ye back to yer cell, poppet."
"Oh, okay. I'll just let you, then -- NOT!" Celeste added. "I just don't think so." The two pirates charged at her. She kicked one of them in the stomach and he, not expecting it, fell over and hit his head on a rock, knocking him unconscious (what a loser). She fenced with the other pirate, but quickly got him turned around, and conked him in the head with he tang of her sword; he fell unconscious.
"Phew! Well, that was fun!" Celeste said. Jack was still in the midst of slaying pirates. He'd killed one, but there were three left. Gosh, Jack really was amazing! Taking on four pirates at once!
Suddenly, Celeste heard voices again. She looked back and saw four pirates coming her way; they'd spotted her.
"Erm..." she stood for a second. "Uh uh!" she turned and ran up the stairs as fast as she could. One apparently very fast pirate caught up to her. She swung both her swords back behind her and slashed the pirate. She didn't look back to see if she'd hit him, but apparently she did because he fell over and down the stairs (she'd slashed his thigh, and he'd lost his footing, fell down the stairs, and got knocked out cold by a rock to the head). On this pirate's way down, he collided with another one who fell as well, and also passed out (bowling for pirates! Strike!). The other two pirates came up fast. She spotted a fairly skinny, tall, smooth stalagmite to the left of the stairs. She was nearly there. She planned to stop and fight, but...
"GAH!" she tripped. In an attempt to not fall over, she dropped both her swords and managed to stay up. She ran for the stalagmite as an idea popped in her head. She jumped for it, grabbed it, swung around, and kicked one of the nearing pirates in the face. As the pirate fell (soon to fall on a rock and pass out), she caught a glance of Jack still fighting.
She, weaponless, braved to continue fighting. She kicked the pirate's sword out of his hand, and before the sword hit the ground, she punched him in the face and knocked him out.
"Fear not!" yelled a nearing Jack, running. "I'm here now!" he yelled heroically. A moment of silence came as he beheld the unconscious pirates. "Oh..."
"Wow, my hero!" Celeste swooned sarcastically.
"A-aye... well, we must move on." Jack stated uneasily.
"Yes, we must move on, valiant heart." Celeste replied sarcastically. "For if you are not here to protect me, I fear what will become of me!" she rolled her eyes and walked on ahead, smiling.
"Well, I found the guards." Jack said, catching up to her. "I was about to search them for the key, but I--"
"Came to my rescue." she interrupted.
"I would've come sooner, but I was busy."
"I know." Celeste replied.
"You know, your fightin' style got a little messy back there, I noticed." Jack told her as she picked up her swords and sheathed them.
"Oh, bite me." Celeste sighed.
"'s 'at an invitation?" Jack smirked a half smile.
"You're disgusting." Celeste scoffed and slapped him in the face. Jack laughed.
They made their way to the top of the stairs, got the key, and hurried back down to the cell.
"We got it!" Celeste told Angelina and Audra. She dashed over and set them free.
"Ow!" Angelina whined. "My arms 'urt!"
"I'm sorry, but we have to go... now!" Celeste said. They left, headed up all the stairs that Celeste and Jack had previously encountered.
Then, finally, after many stairs, they came to a large, open cave. There was a large opening at the far side of it, overlooking the ocean. There were boxes, chests, and crates scattered and stacked all around.
"Where's Santara?" Celeste growled. "Where is that pig?"
"Someone mention me?" They turned around.
"Santara." Celeste growled once more.
"None other." Santara said. He whistled loudly, and ten of his men came. "I suggest ye surrender. Ye don' 'ave much of a chance." Celeste looked to Jack for guidance. He smiled and grasped his sword handle. "Not a good idea." Santara sneered. Celeste unsheathed her swords. "Yeah, righ'." Santara chuckled.
The pirates encircled them. Suddenly, two pirates lunged forward and grabbed Angelina and Audra. They screamed. Everything happened so fast. In an attempt to save Angelina and Audra, Celeste an Jack were hit over the head and knocked out cold.
Ooh! Drama! Arr! Swash, swash, buckle, buckle! Savvy?!