Chapter 6- Awake. Home sweet battlefield!
Rebecca jolted out of her bed throwing the sheets nearly across the room.
"You're awake" I gazed at her for a while,it was amazing how much better she seemed to be getting, I've never seen someone recover so fast from a sparkshooter wound especially from an armada officer.
"Daniel?" She didn't seem to know where she was as she looked around at the ship cabin which clearly wasn't hers as it was decorated and furnished with lavish marleybonian furniture.
"What are we doing on the United Allegiance?" she moved her legs to hang off the bed and sit up right on the corner to face me
After we left the pagoda in mooshu we found a dock and Amanda unbottled one of her old navy ships she inherited from her family
"We're heading back to Skull Island to make sure everything's alright" I helped her keep her balance as she seemed to be lightheaded
"Alright..? how long was I-"
"2 days." Amanda was standing in the doorway with a blank expression as she looked over us as if we were children even though she was the youngest of us
"Ugh.." Rebecca clenched her fists hard enough to hear the crackling sound of bones
"I can't believe i-" She lowered her head in shame so her face was invisible, hidden behind the red curtains of her hair
Amanda's gaze seemed even more focused now on Rebecca.
"Get some rest, you'll need it soon. Alura summoned you another rose weapon while you were out" Her demands faded as she walked further away down the hall and out to the deck.
Another 30 or so minutes passed as I explained all that happened since we escaped the armada ship to Rebecca who listened intently
"So we're heading to skull island expecting Rooke to not leave a trap?" Her expression almost looked as if she was disgusted with the idea.
"Well, We- I mean they thought of that already and when we get there Kevin will scope out the town before we dock"
"I don't like it.. but if Alura came up with the plan I trust her vision"
"So is Alura like, the leader?" I leaned forward in curiousness I don't know much about this team or whatever it is and i'd like to know who stands where
Rebecca looked at me and opened her mouth as if she was going to talk but she paused and looked at me for a moment.
"Alura's a witchdoctor." She stared at me in confusion
"And?" what did being a witchdoctor have to do with anything
"And so she can't be the leader, so.. I guess that makes you the leader now." she rested her palm firmly on her right cheek staring at me still in deep thought
All I could let out was a scoff followed by a faint "What"
"Well you are the privateer." she grinned as if she knew I had no idea what I had gotten myself into
"But i-"
A knock on the door in the well known rhythm 'one and-a two-and ..four one' nearly startled us as we'd been alone this whole time.
The door creaked open and Alura's wide eyed face popped in
"Becca girl!" She opened the door fully to enter and paced towards the bed
"I see the medicines be working wonders for you" she sat at the foot of Rebecca's bed and placed her hand gently on her leg
…
Another hour passed of sailing while me and Alura kept Rebecca company in the cabin
"So Amanda says you've summoned me a new rose weapon?" Rebecca asked Alura in a nervous tone as if she wanted no one else on the ship to hear
"Aye. It be waiting in me cabin down the hall, would you like me to get it?" Alura rose from the foot of the bed
Rebecca paused but Alura knew she was anxious
"Right. I be back." she gently shifted out of the room leaving us alone
"Hey Rebecca" I said snapping her out of more deep thought
"Yeah?"
"Whats a rose weapon? I mean, Avery gave me this sword and shield, and I've noticed all of your weapons are different than anything I've ever seen wondering the skyways" a question lingering in the back of my mind ever since Avery handed me my sword which I've been reluctant to use
"No one told you? Wow so much for the staying organized goal this year"
"Well.. I guess you could say our weapons aren't like others because they're the only ones in the spiral and they were specially made for us. They sort of enhance our already strong powers-"
"Wow, what do we need special weapons for?"
"You didn't let me finish! Our weapons aren't just special, Daniel. these weapons are incredibly dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. they were made in-"
"GUYS!" Kevin's boisterous voice echoed in the cabin loudly
"Get to the deck quick! Armada brigade!" just hearing the word Armada gave me chills, I still don't know how to fight something that doesn't die let alone isn't alive
Rebecca jumped out of bed and grabbed a plain spear from a closet across the room
"Guess ill have to do without a rose weapon, lets go grab your sword" She ran out the door leaving me alone
I glared at the sword laying against the wall in its scabbard next to the shield.
Am I really ready to fight? How powerful is this thing and how do I use it? What if I lose it?
The monitor relaying kevin's voice buzzed alive again "DANIEL GET YOUR BUTT TO THE DECK. NOW!" This time Amanda's voice commanded me causing my feet to throw me forward without thought and grab the shield leaving the sword.
…
Pushing the door to the outer deck wide open I was blinded by rays of sunlight
when my vision repaired I saw the others standing side by side near the ships horn
As I approached them the daunting sight of an armada fleet blocking the skull island docks came into view
"How the hell are we supposed to take out the whole armada fleet!" Kevin's jaw was dropped so low I was afraid it'd hit the ground.
"Uh, Alura, do you mind?" Rebecca asked eyes fixated on the fleet while the group watched alura intently
"Aye this be strong magic you ask for ill have to hold back and guard the ship after words and it take time" her sigh was deep and she seemed reluctant to do whatever she was about to do.
"Thats fine we'll have 4 rose weap-" Amanda did a double take at me and rebecca and fury entered her eyes.
"WHERE are your weapons!" She stomped her foot
"Alura hasn't gotten the chance to get mine yet!" Rebecca crossed her arms.
"And you?!" she closed her eyes and pinched the top of her nose
"I uh.." Great. it's my first mission on the team and I'm already embarrassing myself by just bringing my shield
"Amanda's sigh was even deeper and louder than Alura's"
"I guess you aren't completely useless" she muttered the words under her breath but I could still hear them.
They stung. Why am I so bad at this?
"The spell be ready" Alura whispered and began to hover higher and higher almost 8 feet in the air.
"Get ready guys!" Kevin stood on top of the ships horn watching in excitement
Alura slapped her hands together causing an echo and as she pulled her hands apart a glowing blue trident surrounded in currents of electricity formed.
she grabbed the trident with both hands and swung the blades overhead in a circular motion
Skull island was engulfed in dark storm clouds as it began to pour harder and harder and thunder began to boom louder and louder.
The winds howled and caused the sails of the armada fleet to vibrate violently leading to the ships drifting uncontrollably.
A good 20 ships began colliding into one another creating a large plethora of wreckage similar to flotsam.
"Open! Vortex of Poseidon!" Alura called out triggering a whirlpool to rage right below the wreckage swallowing the whole fleet in a matter of seconds.
"The way is cleared lets go!" Kevin threw a small black bead to his feet causing smoke to explode around him allowing him to vanish into thin air
"Rebecca if you'd please..." Amanda held her hand out eyes closed chin up
"Gotacha!" Rebecca looked excited as she took Amanda's hand
"I've always wanted to throw you overboard" Rebecca sneered
Amanda chuckled just before Rebecca could fling her towards the dock.
She flew through the air with grace and just before she could hit the ground she fired her rifle straight down allowing her to land softly
"Guess this means we're teaming up" Rebecca smiled at me holding my shield
"So how are we uh.." how the heck are we gonna get past that whirlpool I don't know how ill land like Amanda and I certainly don't know how to disappear like Kevin.
"Good question.." she held her chin and stared at the ground
"Yo Alura!" she shouted up at the still hovering Alura
"Ask me to teleport you, an I throw you into da skyway meself" she answered
"Worth a shot" Rebecca shrugged.
After a moment of thinking it was as if a light bulb went off in my head
"The cannons!" Rebecca glared at me as I said it for a second and a huge grin traveled across her cheeks
"You're brilliant!" She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the nearest cannon
"Wait how are we-"
"Come ooon! This will be so much fun!" she had already shoved me into the barrel of the cannon alongside herself
"here goes nothing!" before I could even think of protesting I heard the sound of the string being lit aflame
…
Meanwhile..
Rooke sat in his large armada arm chair with a map laid out in front of him on the table. He studied the skyway of skull island for any pirate hideouts he could snuff out to purge the world of pirates.
Just then his big metal door creaked open and a group of 5 entered the room
They were human, each one of them bearing the striking image of a pirate belonging to each pirate class. Except they didn't wear regular pirate clothes. Each of them was equipped in armada officers uniforms.
They knelled before Rooke
"How did the mission go?" Rooke asked without looking up still studying the map.
"Skull island is in shambles." the girl in the front spoke clearly the privateer
"There was no sign of the order of the rose on the island sir" the musketeer spoke
"Very disappointing.." he got up from his seat and began walking slowly towards the group from around his table
"The armada is paying you a fortune to rid the skyway of that retched order and you mean to tell me you couldn't find them so you just, GAVE UP?" his menacing voice pierced the silence in the room
"Clearly, it was a mistake hiring you... and you know the punishment for all pirates under armada law" his took hold of his giant battle axe.
The nervousness and dread of the pirates before him were clear as day as each of them trembled in fear
The door slammed open.
It was deacon with a missing arm
"THAT DAMN ORDER" he rushed in completely ignoring the group of pirates
"I see you've had a bad trip" Rooke joked
"That vile swashbuckler! Look what she did!" he pointed at the area where his arm used to be
"Just go fix yourself with spare parts deacon, bishop should have some" Rooke was audibly annoyed now
"yeah, yeah. I'm not just here to complain" he tossed a screen across the table to Rooke with a map of skull island and a blinking red dot
"Whats this?"
"i wouldn't have just let the girl escape." he said as if it was obvious
"i shot her with a tracking bullet. That's her location now." he sat on the other side of the table
"Well well well.." Rook glared at the group of five once more still on their knees
"Looks like you get to live today." the relief was visible
"head back to skull island and end this once and for all" Rooke commanded
the 5 shared a glance
"NOW!"
End Ch 6