So here is revised chapter two. It is marvelous fantastic because it is really the first time Linebeck is in the story. I hope you enjoy it. I will continue writing for as long as I have the motivation to do so, so if you leave a review it might help fuel the flames :).
Chapter Two
"Linebeck…" Link half whispered, a smile spread wide across his face. The tall man stepped out of the shadow, hands on his hips and a grin poised beneath his small red nose. The man hadn't changed at all since the two had last seen him. His aqua green eyes, though droopy and underlined by large dark bags, still held a sarcastic spark.
The man stepped forward chuckling at the pairs matching awestruck expressions. "You two look like you've seen a ghost. It hasn't been that long since we last met has it?"
"Linebeck" Tetra snapped, hands on her hips. "It's been a whole year, what have you been doing this whole time?" She looked over at Link in disbelief.
"Has it been that long?" The man pondered looking up and stroking his small goatee. "I guess I've just been so caught up in my adventures I lost track of time."
"Adventures?" Tetra asked quizzically, "you never went into the temples with Link, you were too afraid, you always made up some problem you had to fix on the boat. I can't imagine you doing anything harrowing." She leaned forward challenging the sea worn man to retort.
"Oh really?" the captain smirked turning around and opening the door to the cabin, "well then there's something I want to show you, come in here," he motioned them forward as he walked down the stairs to the big room below. He walked over to a large box and started rummaging through it. Tetra looked over at Link, rolling her eyes. The captain had shown his bravery when he saved the two of them a year ago from the monstrous beast Bellum, but she was still unconvinced he had become a full blown, no fear adventurer.
Finally he turned around, a small gold, jewel encrusted box in the palm of his hand. "Don't believe I've seen adventure? Take a look at the newest addition to the Linebeck treasure." He opened the box revealing a small gold ring. Tetra let out a gasp at the sight of it, a large purple stone dominated most of the gold surface, sparkling in the light like a star. Around the rest of the ring, smaller blue stones twinkled, their shine only adding emphasis to the main gem.
"What is it?" Link asked turning from an awestruck Tetra to Linebeck who was smiling smugly.
"A regal ring," the she exclaimed shaking her head in disbelief. "Where did you get this? There are only four in the world, my crew and I have been searching for years and we haven't even caught a glimpse of one."
"Only four, in the whole world?" Link asked looking up at Linebeck in awe.
"Yup," he puffing up his chest, "and I Linebeck am the proud owner of one. That proof enough for you, miss pirate?" he smirked leaning over to look at the young girl.
"Where did you get this?" She asked again pulling her gaze away from the ring to look at him.
"Oh it really wasn't that hard," He said turning away from them nonchalantly, "I just raided the tomb of King Satzar."
'What?" Tetra gasped, her eyes wide with amazement. "Y-you? The Tomb of King Satzar?"
"Who's Ki-" Link started, beginning to feel like a bystander in their treasure based conversation, but was interrupted by Tetra, amazement still clear in her voice.
"But only seven people have made it out alive!" she looked back at the ring, a new respect for it gleaming in her eyes.
"I know!" Linebeck said practically jumping with excitement, then composing himself quickly. "I thought you, of all people could appreciate the extreme courage and bravery it takes to get out, seeing as you are one of the seven whose done it, little Missy" he finished smirking as he glanced over at Link who was now staring in awe at Tetra.
"You?" Link asked looking at his friend, "you're one of the seven?"
"Now eight!" Linebeck interjected pointing proudly at himself.
"It's nothing," Tetra said smiling, "I mean it wasn't that big of a deal, I only got some Goron amber, it's not like I got the regal ring!" she looked at Linebeck shaking her head as if unwilling to accept the once cowardly captain had done something so daring.
"Yes well, when you're as experienced as me, you're used to going to dangerous places and only returning with the most extravagant of treasures, in fact…"
"What's that on your hand?" Link asked not paying attention to Linebecks rant and pulling the sailors hand towards him instead. "This black mark, what is it?" Link pointed to a dark bruise colored mark on the palm of his hand. At first glance the mark looked like an eye with a roughly drawn line circling it, but upon further inspection tiny words in ancient Hylian could be seen. The words were so intricately woven together the eye seemed to have a fluid motion about it that made Link want to stare at it forever. He moved his head to look at the mark from a different angle, but the pupil seemed to follow him, staring at him no matter which way he looked at it.
"Right, that." Linebeck sighed pulling his hand away quickly from the curious boy. "That is the reason I came to see you two." The pair exchanged worried glances and turned their attention back to the worn captain. "You see, although I am an experienced adventurer, I was carless upon my exit of the dark tomb." He began to rub the mark on his hand, as though he wished to wipe it away with his thumb. "I could see the exit," he continued closing his eyes, "but I turned around to see if anything was pursuing me, it's at that moment that one of Satzar's shadow minions caught hold of my hand here. He plopped this mark on my palm and let go. I thought I'd been lucky and gotten out of that tomb scot free aside from a little unintended souvenir," he said looking at the mark on his hand, "but as I made my way back into the light of the outside world I heard ol' Satzar chanting up a storm. I couldn't understand most of it, but from the parts I did make out," he paused turning to look at the two, looks of concern clear on their faces. "Well, let's just say this is a doozy of a curse I've got here."
"Linebeck, you idiot!" Tetra shouted, "you should have known something like this would happen if you went in there, what were you thinking going in alone?" She turned to Link an exasperated look on her face.
"What's the curse Linebeck?" Link asked, attempting to regain some order and calm Tetra down. "What does it do? What did Satzar say?"
"Well, like I said, I didn't understand most of it, only a few words were in modern Hylian, but I caught a couple of things…" he said turning away from the two and looking at the mark.
"What did he say Linebeck?" Tetra said assertively, but with a twinge of concern waiting for his response.
"You know, just harmless stuff," he said waving his hand around as if to clear the importance of his words from the air, "weaken soul…mindless shadow minion. Nothing too big." He glanced sideways at Tetra, whose face was growing red.
"HARMLESS STUFF?" she shouted furious at the old captain who was now using his hands as shields to protect himself from her. "Linebeck this is no time to joke, from the sounds of it Satzar intends to turn you into one of his minions!"
"She's right," Link spoke up looking at Tetra then back at Linebeck who lowered his hands to return Link's gaze. "This is really serious; it sounds like this curse weakens you from your soul," he looked over at Tetra who nodded, hands on her hips still fuming at Linebeck, "And, honestly I don't really see any way that we can help you." Link added sadly, wanting nothing more than to do the exact opposite.
"You won't help me?" Linebeck asked looking desperately from Link to Tetra who shook her head.
"That's not what he said," she remarked looking towards Link, "he said he doesn't think we can. What could we do? You got yourself into this mess and it doesn't seem like there's any way out this time."
"Well, I see how it is; even after I let you two use my ship and drag me on your little adventure. You won't even hear me out and listen to my plan." He turned away from them arms folded and nose in the air.
"Fine," Tetra said, "we'll listen to this so called plan. What exactly did you have in mind?"
Well," he said looking over his shoulder at them, "I was thinking we could go back to the tomb and see was the old ghostie wants. See if there's anything I can do to get this little curse lifted off me. Anyone can be bought with the right price, and he's got plenty of shadow minions, let me tell you. I think he can afford to lose one."
"What?" Tetra shouted, "you think we'd go in there? After what happened to you?" she exclaimed jabbing her finger into the man's chest, "how could you ask us to do something like that?"
"Well I just thought that…" he said cowering with his hands in front of his face.
"You thought what?" Tetra yelled looming over the man, "you'd just endanger us as well as yourself for your own mistake!"
"Well..." he retorted attempting to push the girl away from him and regain his composure.
"Well…?" Tetra said stepping back from the man, "well what?"
"We'll do it!" Link said standing between the two his hands outstretched to keep them from fighting any more.
"What? Really?" the two shouted in unison Linebeck perking up, while Tetra shot him a look of disgust.
"I knew I could count of you kid!" Linebeck said punching Link playfully on the arm, "you always come through for ol' Linebeck!"
"You can't be serious Link!" Tetra moaned her hands on her hips, "we'll die in there, why do you think we're having this conversation in the first place, because Linebeck here thought it would be a great idea to go in there unprepared!"
"We won't die," Link, said turning to face both of them, "we've got two of the only eight people that have gotten out alive. I think that counts for something."
Beaming Linebeck turned to Tetra, "He's makin' a lot of sense to me, and don't worry, you two'll be just fine as long as I'm there. I've got experience enough for all of us."
"Really," Tetra retorted turning to the scruffy man, "So then why do you need us, if you've got so much experience why not go back in there alone?"
"Uh, you see," Linebeck, said pulling his red scarf away from his neck and turning to Link for an answer.
"We wouldn't want him to get too weakened by the curse before he can talk to Satzar, we have to help him through."
"That, is exactly what I was thinking," Linebeck said pushing his finger into the air, "that's why I need you two, this curse will be wearing me down."
Tetra sighed seeing it pointless to argue. "Fine, I'll tell my crew to wait on Mercay with our ship. We'll be taking yours Linebeck, since this is your expedition."
"It'll be just like old times, eh Kid?" He grinned turning to Link, "only I expect miss pirate over here will be a bit more talkative." He looked at Tetra who was scowling at him, "she was a lot less annoying when she was stone," he added grinning at Link who was trying to suppress a laugh.
"What?" Tetra shouted shooting Link, who was still chuckling, a cold glance. "Well fine then, if you two don't want me here you can just run along without me." She began walking towards the stairs in a huff, arms crossed.
"Tetra, come on" Link said a slight twinge of fear that she would actually not join them, "we're kidding, we want you to come." He took a step towards her as she turned to face them.
"Hey speak for yourself kid," Linebeck started but stopped abruptly when Link shot him a look. He looked from the Link to Tetra, the two looking at each other seemingly having a conversation with their eyes, and smiled. "I see what's going on here," he chuckled turning the pair's attention onto him.
"And what exactly is going on?" Tetra asked tapping her foot impatiently at the man.
"Oh don't tell me you can't feel this tension in the air," he said waving his hands around in the air. "I guess I have no choice but to let you come with us," he sighed looking at Tetra her angry gaze laced with a hint of curiosity, "I mean I just don't think I could bring myself to separate such an adorable pair." He grinned as the two looked at each other, both their faces bright red.
"P-pair? What is that supposed to mean old man?" Tetra stuttered glaring at him once more, shaking the embarrassment from her face.
"Oh never mind," Linebeck chuckled smirking at Link whose face was a deep shade of crimson. "Now get out of here you two; you're going to need your sleep. I'm planning on setting sail tomorrow at first sign of light." He waved them off, making his way towards the door to the captain's corridors at the back of the room.
"Whatever," Tetra muttered as she turned, arms folded and a cross look still on her face, to walk up the steps to the boats deck once more. Link glanced back at Linebeck once more, just as he was closing the door behind him, the surprise of seeing his friend so suddenly still lingering as they left.
"Well," Tetra said, turning to Link as they got on the deck of the ship, "I guess we better get some sleep. I can't believe how fast all of this happened, every days just an adventure with you eh Hero?" She smirked as they walked back to the pirate ship for the night.
"If you think I'm bad just wait" Link said smiling at the young pirate, "with Linebeck around trouble won't be far behind."