Author's Note: Yay. Just a few more chapters left until this is complete. I intend to finish this story today. :)
Chapter 16: An Undisguised Faceoff
The Mariner was ready for the fray of pirates, a harpoon clasped tightly in his left hand. An hour before he had told Helen to go hide somewhere. She had been incredibly stubborn and so very persistent that she stayed and helped him fight off the abominations. The Mariner was stern and his behavior had shown undeniable strictness. As he told her, in a cold tone of voice, to go be safe somewhere and away from the area, he recalled the state he had found her in. Helen had been beaten beyond recognition. The Mariner loved her. He wasn't going to let her get hurt again. The male was going to fight them all off on his own and then find Enola. He had a really good feeling that she was among the filthy beasts atop the oversized ship.
Tightening his hold on the harpoon, the Mariner narrowed his eyes as the massive ship touched the sandy beach he was standing on. The Mariner still felt a little unsteady being on land, but he was starting to get used to it. Still, he preferred water over land any day. In a deep corner of his mind, he wondered if he would be able to fight as well as he could while on the water. He shook his head and held nothing but confidence for himself. He couldn't lose. He had to fight them all and save Enola. Enola was counting on him, he knew, and so was Helen.
Everything went silent.
The ship loomed over the Mariner like a dangerous monster about to consume him. The Mariner showed no fear whatsoever and prepared for the fight that was soon to come. Peering upwards, he could see a ladder being thrown over the side of the humongous ship. As soon as that was over, dozens and dozens of pirates began climbing down the ladder, various weapons in their hands. They were heavily armed and surely prepared as they took their positions upon the sandy beach, facing the Mariner. Once all of them had evacuated the ship, the leader, Captain Ringer, pushed himself up to the front of the large crowd, tugging a struggling Enola with him.
The Mariner's eyes narrowed even more when he caught sight of Enola. She was struggling furiously to get away from the monstrous captain, tears rolling down her cheeks. The Mariner could see pure hatred, unwanted fury, and undisguised anguish coloring the girl's features. It was as if something horrible had just occurred, as if she had just…lost someone. It was a very dark and terrible look for Enola and the Mariner had never seen anything like it on her face. Heck, he was surprised by how big she had gotten. She was no longer the small little girl he had once known. Now she was much bigger, a young and beautiful woman. A broken young woman. The Mariner knew that the boorish man holding her had something to do with the emotions he was witnessing on his friend's face.
"Let go of me!" Enola snarled, trying to get her wrist free. When that didn't work, she leaned forward and clamped her teeth down on the captain's harry arm, immediately drawing blood. Unfortunately, Captain Ringer did not feel a thing, and if he did, he didn't show it.
Cruelly, he turned his attention on her and that made Enola freeze in place, fear decorating her features. Enola was about to try and escape again, but the captain suddenly released her wrist and backhanded her hard, sending her to the ground. Enola crumpled into the sand, moaning in pain. Captain Ringer then kicked her in the stomach, causing her to gasp out wildly, clutching at her stomach in agony. The gorilla of a captain snorted like a pig and then spat on her, whirling around to look at the Mariner, grinning in dark glee.
Viewing what just happened, the Mariner was extremely tempted to just dart over to the ugly man and rip out his throat for what he did to poor Enola. However, he couldn't do that because of all the other pirates around. He'd have to get through them first before taking Captain Ringer's life.
"Ahoy," Captain Ringer spoke, that devilish grin never leaving his cracked and dry lips. Obviously he had no idea that Enola and the Mariner knew each other. "I be takin' this land 'ere," he announced to the Mariner. "Me and me crew. There be treasure 'ere somewhere and I intend to find it, ye hear?"
The Mariner remained silent.
Captain Ringer glared at him dangerously, taking a step forward. "If ye don't be gettin' outta me way then I'm afraid I'll have me crew tear ye limb from limb!"
"It's best if ye listen to the Captain Ringer," one of the pirates, Calypso, informed the Mariner. She was a woman and she was staring straight at him, unmoving.
The Mariner tilted his head to the side, his gaze never leaving Captain Ringer. His grip on his harpoon tightened even more and he just itched to slice it into the monster's throat and watch him bleed out for what he had done to Enola. Thinking of her, he lowered his eyesight and saw that she was still curled up in the sand, holding her stomach. There was a large and purple bruise forming on the whole left side of her face. It looked awful.
"There was another island you were all at," the Mariner talked loud enough for everyone there to hear. "You burned things. You tortured innocent people, killed them."
Captain Ringer actually looked surprised about this. "What? How do ye be knowin' that?"
"I was there," the Mariner answered coolly, giving him a dark look. "You took a friend of mine while you were at it and I intend to get her back."
Finally realizing, the devil put his gaze on Enola who was still on the ground. "Ahhhhh…" he breathed, spittle flying from his mouth. A nasty look jumped onto his features and he looked back at the Mariner. "Yer 'ere to get the lassie back, aye?"
"That's the plan," the Mariner responded nonchalantly.
"She's mine!" Captain Ringer hissed viciously, grabbing Enola by the arm and jerking her upright violently. "This lassie belongs te me and I'll do whatever I please with her!"
The Mariner bent low into a fighting stance, harpoon held out in front of him. "That's where you're wrong, captain."
"One man against dozens of men?" The captain cackled, shaking Enola crazily and making her to yelp in pain. "ATTACK!"
Roaring wordlessly in horrendous battle cries, the pirates all surged forward, weapons held high above their heads, ready to kill.
Without fear, the Mariner leapt into the fray of pirates with only one thing in mind.
Save Enola.
