CHAPTER 5
Pretty soon several weeks had gone by. One had searched every town he came across, and while he didn't find Rottenbeard himself, he did learn more about the man. Most people he approached would tremble in fear at the mere mention of Rottenbeard's name, but there were a few who knew a fair bit about him. It turned out that almost every town that One visited had at some point been looted by Rottenbeard and his band of pirates. Many seaside towns had even withdrawn their boats from the waters, for fear of a run in with him. Things weren't looking good for this part of the ocean and it was all thanks to Rottenbeard.
When he wasn't in town, One spent hours at a time scanning the horizon with his spyglass until it got far too dark to see anything. He still could not find Rottenbeard, however. It was like he had just vanished.
As the end of the second week neared, One's hopes were beginning to fade. He didn't want to stop searching, but it looked as though Rottenbeard was long gone. The sea was vast, and he was only one man.
As the sun set for another day, and night began to fall, One prepared himself for a well deserved rest. During the past few weeks, he had been so focused on his search that he had actually forgotten to sleep on several occasions. It was all finally starting to catch up to him.
He yawned and stretched his arms out to the side, as he headed up on deck to lower the anchor for the night.
Suddenly, as One stepped out into the night air, a chill ran straight through his bones.
"What was that?" he wondered out loud. "I've never felt something like that before."
Just then a thick fog drifted in, completely surrounded his ship, as if it were swallowing it whole.
"Fog! Great, I must have drifted into a cold patch." concluded One, as he reached into his cabin for a lantern.
As soon as the lantern was lit, the surrounding area was bathed in a bright yellow light, illuminating a rather large silhouette in the water nearby.
One's heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped his lantern in surprise as he drifted closer.
Towering ominously above him was none other than Rottenbeard's pirate ship, completely lifeless in the fog.
"There you are Rottenbeard!" exclaimed One, feeling a sense of relief. "Weeks of searching and I end up finding you by accident."
One hung the lantern on a nearby pole, and hurried across the deck towards a large pile of rope.
He was far to excited to sleep now, and seemed to be filled with a newfound energy as he prepared to board the back of Rottenbeard's vessel.
"I wonder how long he's been hiding in here." thought One as he reached out and grabbed the loose end of rope in front of him.
There was a rather large hook tied to the end of it, which One quickly began swinging above his head. When it had gained enough momentum, he released his grip and watched as it soared through the air, straight towards Rottenbeard's ship. The hook latched itself onto a protruding windowsill, and One gave the rope a quick tug to make sure it was sturdy. When he was confident that it would support his weight, and he wouldn't fall into the murky water below, he began to climb his way to the other side. It didn't take long for One to reach Rottenbeard's ship, where he quickly and skillfully grabbed hold of the windowsill, and pulled himself inside.
- - - - - - - - - -
The floor creaked and moaned beneath One, as he stealthily crept across the room. It appeared that he had entered into someone's living quarters, only it didn't seem to be occupied at the moment. The bed was unmade, and some belongings had been strewn across the floor. He passed through several other rooms similar to the first, all of them being empty.
"Where is everyone? Did they abandon ship?" he wondered, while entering the next room.
Just then something swooped down from above, just barely missing One, and forcing him to duck.
"What was that?" he exclaimed, while frantically scanning for his attacker. He couldn't see a thing.
It suddenly appeared again, from the side this time. One leapt backwards and watched as it zipped by, then disappeared into the wall, leaving a trail of light behind it. He couldn't tell if it was the same one as before, or if a second had joined.
One backed up towards the center of the room, and stood ready for another attack,
This time, two figures emerged from opposite ends of the room and hurtled themselves at One. He waited as they neared, and just before impact, One bounded into the air out of their paths. As he suspected, they simply passed through one another, and disappeared into the opposing walls.
"Well done, laddie." sounded a disembodied voice, as One dropped back down to the ground, entering a crouch.
One searched the room for it's source, and suddenly spotted a glowing figure emerge through the floor. It looked like a pirate captain, but he was completely transparent, with a trail of smoke where his legs should have been.
"Ghosts." stated One, trying to keep his composure.
"That's right me bucko." the ghost captain replied. "Now tell me, what brings ye to me ship?"
One raised an eyebrow suspiciously, and stood up,
"Your ship? I though this was Rottenbeard's ship. I'm here to arrest him."
The room filled with eerie laughter, fading in and out, and echoing off of the walls.
One felt his throat go dry and he swallowed hard.
"Yer a barrel o' laughs you are, lad. I'm afraid yer to late though. Rottenbeard's mine now, so I suggest ye be leavin' if ya know what's good for ya."
The ghost captain turned around, and began to fade away as he descended back into the floor.
"No, I must see him!" One shouted to the vanishing captain, taking a step forward.
Suddenly several guns and cutlasses appeared, and floated across the room, pointing threateningly towards him.
One raised his hands in surrender. He wasn't sure exactly what was holding these weapons up, and he didn't really want to find out.
"I think you'd best be comin' with me." cackled the ghost captain, and headed towards the doorway.
- - - - - - - - - -
A gun prodded One in the back, urging him forward. He complied, and followed the ghost up a flight of stairs and then through a door to the deck outside.
"We've got another live one lads!" the ghost captain bellowed, as One was lead out into the open.
Out of nowhere, several dozen pirate ghosts began to materialize in various locations all across the deck.
"Yo ho!" they all shouted together.
One instantly spotted Rottenbeard and his crew tied to the center mast, looking completely warn out.
The owners of the floating weapons had now become visible, and continued to lead him at knife and gunpoint towards Rottenbeard.
"Shiver me timbers, it be you again!" shouted Rottenbeard when One arrived. "What in the briny deep are ye doin' here?"
"I came for the girl, my crystal, and to put you behind bars." replied One as the ghosts tied him to the back of the same mast. He couldn't see Rottenbeard anymore, but he could still hear him.
"Did you hear that me hearties?" laughed Rottenbeard. His crew joined in with his laughter, though it was obvious they weren't in the mood.
"No one can catch us, the greatest pirates that ever lived."
"Is that so?" countered One. "Then maybe you can explain why both times I've found you, you've been prisoners on your own ship."
Rottenbeard frowned for a moment, but then a grin crept onto his face.
"Arrr! Adventure, danger, it all comes with being a pirate, and I wouldn't have it any other way, matey."
One shook his head, and turned to Zigzag who was tied next to him.
"Who is that man?" he whispered pointing to the ghost captain, across the deck.
Zigzag leaned in, and whispered back.
"That there's Captain Blackjack, Rottenbeard's ol' cap'n."
"Zigzag, stop gabbin with that bilge-rat." Pinchpenny interrupted. "He be the enemy."
Zigzag waited for a moment and then continued anyways.
"Rottenbeard blew the man down over a single gold coin. Tossed him into the sea, and he never came up again.
Now he be back from Davy Jones locker, wantin'' back his coin me thinks."
"Rottenbeard, where be me gold coin ye backstabbin' scalleywag?" barked Blackjack as he floated angrily towards them.
"Up yer backside ye scurvy dog." Rottenbeard muttered back.
"Aye I see yer gonna be difficult." decided Blackjack, and turned to his to ghost crew. "Me thinks these rapscallions be needin' some time in the prison cells below, whaddaya think lads?"
HIs suggestion was met with nothing but haunting cheers, and Blackjack hovered down to be eye level with Rottenbeard.
"I think ye'd best be reconsiderin' tellin' me matey, or ye'll all be joinin' us in our underwater graves."
Suddenly everything went black.