A.N.: Hey, guys! I'm back with more TGTBI (The Great Tale of Black Ivy). This chapter has been approved and improved by... my mom O_O. So thanks, mom, I love your guts. Like I said in the other chapter, I'll try to post this every Sunday. But will see what will happen. Anyway, I hope you'll like this story!
Disclaimer: If I own Pirate101, KingsIsle would make a web series of the game already! D:
About 15 years later...
Chapter One: A Pirate will be a Pirate
"Stop moaning, Wing Chun. We're almost there," I, Black Ivy, said, as I start hearing sounds from the back.
My crew and I were all in two different boxcars. There were six with me in total. Wing Chun was cornered by about a dozen of empty chests and was pressed against the wall. Wing Chun was a tall crane, much taller than I am, with golden feathers. He also had a pair of two light blue eyes. It must be painful in that tiny corner for him, but this will be all over soon.
I had on a long, dirty, old, brown robe with a hoodie that covered my face from eyes to nose. I had a tight grip on the reins that were attach to the "horse". Inside my sleeve was my pet chameleon. Of course, I know that people like me usually have a parrot. But… what kind of bird can throw its tongue at you from afar? His name is Samson and he's the best pet anyone could have. Also my weapons (a sword, a pistol, and a musket) fitted into my robe as well.
"You're right, Captain. I can see the abandoned palace from here," says Wing Chun.
Even though it did have cracks and crevices, it was still a lovely building. Guarding the door were two crab archers with harpoons on their shoulders. I looked on the side of the boxcar to see Louise Le Bisque, pushing the boxcar's side open slightly for me to see him.
Louise is a crab as well, but he's on my side. He has an orange shell and wears Valencian clothing. Like most crabs, he usually carries a harpoon, but he hid it back at my ship somewhere. I gave him the signal and he took out a trumpet. He played three different high notes that had got the crab guards' attention. They looked curiously at the boxcars as I made a turn to the right. I stopped the "horse". The second boxcar's side flew open to reveal Louise and Milo.
"Hear ye, hear ye," started Milo, "Come one and all! Mothers and fathers, children and elders, brothers and sisters! Come and sit with us; we have tales to tell…"
"What's going on here?! Explain yourselves!" said one of the crabs.
"Ah, why we're just simple story tellers," Louise explained to them, "And being a crab myself, I know most of us loves a good story," the crabs nodded in agreement. Louise continued, "We tell of stories from around the Spiral! With adventure and mystery…,"
"Woe and sorrow…," said Milo.
"Love and romance…," said Louise.
"Humor and…" Milo was then interrupted.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get your point!" A crab guard says with an angry tone. But they sit down and looked in a trance at Milo and Louise. "But please, we would love to hear one!"
"Oh, Ms. Bonnie," said Louise, "May you be such a dear and unhook the driver's boxcar from this one, please?" I feel the boxcar being unattached from the other so I went to the sides the building.
"Excuse me, where is your driver going," asked the other crab. I stopped moving, just to make sure Louise says something.
"Oh, uh, he's just going over there to feed the horse," said Louise, lying about me being a boy. "You know we've been traveling all day and the horse needs some rest and water… and such," he finished.
The crabs were quiet again and I went around a corner without them noticing. When I stopped the boxcar, I pulled off my robe to expose my pirate outfit and weapons. I placed my hat on my head; which had a long, green feather that went around it. Samson crawled up onto my shoulder. Then, I made a gesture for Wing Chun to get out of his small spot.
"Ok, guys. You can get out, now," I whispered to the "horse". Then it split into two halves, the head and the bottom, revealing one of my crewmates and my first-mate, Ratbeard and Shepherd. They were groaning so loud, I was worried that we were going to get caught.
Ratbeard has a scruffy beard and isn't the skinniest wharf rat around. But still he's pretty flexible. Shepherd is a dog with greyish fur. Plus, he is also my first best friend ever. In fact, he's more like an odd twin brother (He's furry and I'm not because I am a human) since we're the same age.
"Why did you have us both be the horse?!" Ratbeard complained, "I hated Shepherd's nose up my behind! Which is a little ironic since he's a dog…" he shot my first-mate with an accusing look, which made him angry.
"Look, for the hundredth time Ratbeard! That's a myth the cats spread around! I can't believe you listen to them!" said Shepherd.
"Sure… I believe you," Ratbeard said sarcastically, "I think you should have paired him up with Bonnie Anne. Haven't you seen the way he looks at her? Shepherd, I know you really like her, but a word of advice: Choose someone that's more in your level, alright?" Bonnie Anne is one of my other crew members, who is a humanoid fox. She uses a musket like me.
Even though Shepherd's cheeks were covered with fur, I could still see a little blush coming from them.
"I don't like her… well not in that way… but I still agree with being paired with Bonnie instead of Ratbeard. She's much smaller and skinnier than Ratbeard could ever be!" Shepherd explained harshly.
"Why you lil'…" Ratbeard raised his hand and made it into a fist.
"That's enough you two!" I told them. Their fight then became angry murmurs. "Now, let's be quiet and get down to real business, shall we? Wing Chun, may you do the honors?" I gestured my hands towards the wall behind me as I say this.
"Yes, Captain," he said, who got two coils of ropes from the boxcar. Then he started climbing up the wall. Thanks to the claws on his feet, he was able to climb up easily.
Once he got to the top, he nailed one of the ropes down and threw it to us. I was the first to go up there. Shepherd went up before Ratbeard because they complained about the whole "nose and behind" argument. I could easily see the glow of the gold from inside because the top was a giant widow dome. When both Shepherd and Ratbeard came up, I told Wing Chun to give them the other coil of rope. Then Wing Chun slide down with the rope that has already been nailed down. Since the widows were easy to open, I was able to lift one of them up.
I was mesmerized by the tons of gold in the building. The piles shined like the early morning sun. Not too far away from the piles, sleeping in his bed was a humanoid shark (known as a cutthroat) called Marcus. I don't know how, but he got the crabs to give him a place to stay. When Marcus and I were working together, we were supposed to split the gold we were both looking for: Half and Half. But then he took all the gold we found together, including mine, and made a break for it.
In this mission, though, I'm going to have my revenge…
Ratbeard threw the rope through the opened widow with Shepherd holding the end of it. It landed on the floor with quiet thud. Quiet enough to not awaken Marcus.
"Are you ready, Samson?" I ask my shoulder-riding companion.
He gave me multiple energetic nods. I remember I did once have a parrot, but it left me within two days after I first got it. That was because it didn't even have half the courage Samson had. He is so cocky and full of life… like my father was. That's how he even got his name: Samson.
I grabbed hold of the rope and slid down it. Like the rope, I landed on the ground with a quiet thud.
First of all, I should explain how this plan works. First, Wing Chun outside will grab one of the chests (which I've mentioned earlier) and tie it to the first rope. Then, Ratbeard and Shepherd will bring up the box, untie it, and tie it to the second rope. Once that's done, they will slowly lower it down to me. I'll put in as much gold as the chest can hold. Finally, the chest will be returned to the boxcar. This process will continue until all the gold is mine. The main goal is to not wake up Marcus. I want him up when I'm gone with all his pretty little pennies… and he will have no idea what happened to it! It was, indeed, the most perfect plan a pirate could ever make.
The crab guards outside were distracted by Milo and Louise's play or storytelling, whatever it is, so that gave us the advantage. We were done right before the clock struck midnight. The last chest that was used had very little gold in it; so I was able to put my feet in it to be hoisted back up. As I put my right foot in the chest, I turned and looked around the room. Not even a scrap of gold was on the floor, which made me impressed with myself… and my crew, too, of course.
I was ready to go back up when suddenly something caught my eye. It flickered like a firefly. The glowing object was also with Marcus so I got myself off of the chest and walked a little closer towards his bed. He has a golden hook for a hand that looks like a trident, but it's not very easy to move. Besides, that wasn't what I was looking at. I saw his arm rapped around something tightly, like a snake does to its prey. Once I got closer, I could clearly see it was a clawed glove completely covered in gold and various colors of gems. It was dazzling and quite expensive-looking. Bet Marcus couldn't image this being taken away from him,I thought, But that's all gonna change, though.
I looked at Ratbeard and Shepherd from above, who were shaking their heads rapidly. I decided to ignore them and do it my own way… Besides, I am the Captain, of course. I crept slowly towards Marcus's bed until I was beside him. All I needed to do was to find something that was the same size as the glove. I looked around the room but I couldn't see anything useful. Then my eyes turned directly to Samson. He was about the glove's size, so an idea hit me. Samson knew exactly what I was thinking… and his usual enthusiastic smile went down grimly.
"Don't worry, Samson," I tell my featherless friend, as I take him off my shoulder, "This is only until I find the perfect decoy."
As carefully and as slowly as I could be, I slipped the clawed glove out and replaced it with Samson. Marcus still snored loudly like in the beginning. After that, I looked around to see what I could find. Finally, I figuratively fell upon a purple vase with wavy green lines filled with flowers and water on a small stool near Marcus, which was about the size of the glove. I dumped out everything inside and stood by Marcus again. Like the gloves, I slipped Samson out and replaced him with the vase. Then I put Samson back on my shoulder again.
"Sorry about that, buddy. I'll get you something special after this," I apologized. Samson only nods.
With the clawed glove around my arm, I stepped back into the chest and was lifted up by Ratbeard and Shepherd. Somehow, when I nearly reach the top, Shepherd's fingers slipped and Samson, the chest, and I went crashing back down to the ground. Instead of landing with a quiet thud, we landed with a loud bang! Millions and millions of dust particles swam around my face. As they started to fade, I was expecting Marcus to be right in front of me. But, he continued sleeping soundly like nothing had happened.
I made a sigh of relief and said to Samson, in a quiet tone, "He's a hard sleeper, isn't he?" I was wrong about that when Marcus woke up after Samson sneezed quietly.
A.N.: Oh no, cliffhangers! Now we have to wait until next Sunday. Believe me, I don't wanna wait, either -_-. But for now, I'll see Ya'll in my writing.
Kittywizarrr OUT!