Calmer of the Storm: Alright. So either no one's figured me out yet or no one is caring to guess. Haha. And I know you people are reading my story…I can see the stats. Anyways…not many chapters left. This one, then the next one (which is already written and has been for a while) and then an epilogue or something. MAYBE. It really depends on you guys.
~*~
Chapter Eleven: Poison
The day that followed was easier to get through than Hikari had originally anticipated. The fact that they were now quite near to the island had everyone focused in a way that she had not seen before. This sense of duty and achievement was not something that she had expected; she was beginning to wonder how they ever got anything done at all. But she realised that, when they all had a like-minded goal, they could work together fairly well. It also didn't hurt that there was a pot of gold at the end of all of this.
Having never been on a raid before, Hikari wasn't quite sure what to expect. She always wondered how such a large ship would be hidden; it was like on the other island where their coming had been anticipated. If the ship was seen, things could prove to be a little more difficult. But how could it not be seen? Perhaps that was just one of those things with being a pirate; one of those things she would never understand. Sure enough, however, the ship was expertly steered into a small alcove; one on the far side of the island and away from the village. Iori had briefed her on the surrounding area earlier in the morning, when the rest of the crew had been put to work. According to him most of the island was uninhabitable and the only real village that stood was closer to the coast on the other side. They would have to be wary of rogue homesteads on their way through, but the men had been confident that things would go well.
With the ship in place, the men poured into the rowboats and into the water. She had been packed away on the first ship with the clear instructions that she was to remain at Takeru's side at all times and was never to leave his sight. Turning back Hikari saw the multitude of Pirates that were clambering onto the boats; she didn't recall there having been this many before. Perhaps there were more places for a pirate to hide than she'd thought, especially out at sea.
Once in the water, the ships broke off into groups. The Cook was to lead the preliminary raid; he was a man who loved danger and those who went with him were men whose mental health was questionable. But they were men of brute strength and courage; they would serve as the decoy. When the local people were drawn out of their city, the other two groups would set in. The plan was seamless, barring any unforeseen hitches.
The girl's gaze drifted to the man who was at the bow of the boat. He stood facing the land, his figure rather imposing against the landscape. Just beyond the top of his collar she could see the tip of the scar he bore; the spot where it turned from its path up his arm to travel down and across his back. The sun lit his brilliant hair in an ethereal way, and standing there with his regal cloak he looked very much like a king on the seas. He was dressed much more finely than the rest of the crew, as always, as he was captain. Even in casual work he wore fine linens and jewel-encrusted collars. But today he was dressed as a true captain, though he lacked the stereotypical hat. Apparently, Iori had told her once, it had been too much for him.
The boat ride passed in general silence, though the feeling of anticipation was tangible in the air. Hikari didn't quite understand it; the way it looked, these men were heading to their deaths. How could they be excited about that? Then again, she supposed that she was also. But she hadn't been willing to remain behind in the ship. Yes, she had decided to put her love for the man standing on the bow behind her. But that didn't mean she didn't still care for him, and it certainly didn't mean she wouldn't fret for his life each second he was away.
As soon as the boat ran aground the men were out, and Hikari followed suit. The Captain hung back a little, placing himself at her side. "Follow closely." She knew that already, but this time he held something out for her. "Use it if we get into a skirmish. If things get bad, use it and run."
Reaching out she grabbed the pistol from him; she'd learned how to use one during her first year on the seas.
~*~
The trek towards the main village actually went rather uninhibited. The island was quiet; wild, but quiet. Every now and then they would pass by what seemed to be something like farmland, but the crew was stealthy enough that they all managed to sneak through without being noticed. There had been nothing in the way of warning signals from the other two groups, and there was no gunfire that rang in the distance. Things were moving smoothly.
By the time they reached the village, the sun had gone down. The plan was to get in and out quickly, for they still had to get back to the ship. It was the one drawback to the plan; the long trek back. But if things went well the pursuit would be minimal, with most of them tied up at the front gate. Takeru and his men were not needless killers, but detaining the locals was certainly not out of the question.
The village was bigger than Hikari had imagined, and it was centred around a particular looking stone structure. It was massive and hard to miss, almost like a mausoleum of sorts. The stone was ornately decorated and carved; she could see it from that far back. The girl could only imagine how impressive it was up close. However, they were not here to admire the architecture.
The night would have been peaceful, had it not been for the raid. The assault on the northern front of the village had already begun; gunshots marred the silence and the shouting was getting louder. Hikari tried not to think about what was going on; it was inevitable that there would be faces among the crew that she would never see again. The question was, who would it be?
"Iori's already inside. His team has already taken care of the perimeter guard. We should get in before they realise that this is not just a one-tiered assault." Captain Scar was out in full force now. He was the first to break from the cover of the bushes.
Apparently, however, the entire guard had not been taken care of. Takeru spun quickly as he heard the shouts of a man that was not his own, most likely to call reinforcements to the back. The man was dead before he could finish his rallying call; Scar was deathly fast with a gun. The other two were put down just as quickly, but they knew that taking this slowly was not an option.
Takeru moved his team through the village as though he had seen it before. Iori had led in a team of scouts and had discretely marked a trail for everyone else to follow. Hikari hadn't noticed it herself, until she saw that Takeru would pause only for a second at each crossroad, then upon apparently spotting something he would move decidedly in a single direction without ever having to direct any of his men elsewhere. He really had thought things through.
It was not long before the band of thieves reached a small entrance to the stone structure in the centre. There was no doubt that Iori was already inside, and that the treasure was also. Takeru went in first, for he was captain, and the rest filed into the tunnel after him. How Iori had found this place, Hikari would never know.
Again they weaved through pathways, these ones underground. It was after a few moments that they reached another door, and without much difficulty Takeru pried it open. On the other side was a sight to behold.
It was a circular room, based around an ornately decorated fountain that contained a natural spring. The water pooled in the centre and flowed effortlessly down through the middle of the room, dividing it in half, and out beneath the western wall. Upon closer inspection it would seem as though the pool went on forever; its pristine waters looked as though they had not been touched by anything in centuries.
The most spectacular thing, however, was the mountain of treasure that lined the northern wall. In older times it looked as though it might have been organised; the beginnings of order were well established around the outer walls of the room. But through time it seemed as though the treasure had just gotten too much, and the locals had not bothered to do anything with it. And so it merely accumulated in piles. It looked more like a pirate's horde than anything; so out of place in the neatly designed structure.
"Bounty from all the ships they've captured, no doubt. They never go out…others only come in." Takeru spoke finally, his eyes taking in the sights before him.
"Found a few things to support your theory, Captain. I'd recognise Brighton's stuff anywhere. Should have known that this is where he'd disappeared to. Guess this was his last voyage." It was Iori who had spoken, who suddenly appeared from the other side of a particularly large mountain of gold artefacts.
Scar smiled. "Well, this'll be just another thing that I best him on. Now, let's get this over with quickly. With this much to horde I doubt they'd mind if we reclaimed some pirate belongings."
And so they set out to work. They had little time, and it was a matter of quickly finding the things that would be of most value. Primarily the pirates searched for things that they fancied themselves; no sense in doing things for the sake of other people.
Hikari, however, merely picked up everything that was within her reach. Takeru hadn't been kidding when he said she could be a pack mule; she'd been given one of the biggest bags. It was a good thing she had been working on ships for some time now, or else her otherwise frail body would not have been able to handle it. But there was nothing here that she wanted, no matter how beautiful the jewellery was. When this was all over and she was with Willis again, she didn't want anything tangible to remind her of this experience. She expected that she would marry him, and there was no sense in leaving things that would only bring up the past. It wouldn't be fair to him to only ever be a replacement. Perhaps, if she truly left it all behind, she could find something within her to love him with. Something that had not already been stolen; by a pirate, no less.
The plan was moving along perfectly. No one had suspected that things could be happening elsewhere besides the front gates and had thus not caught them. Not a lot of time had passed, but Takeru had deemed the treasure to be enough. The trunks that they had brought had been filled, and if they got out as easily as they had gotten in they would be able to make their way to the ship without much worry about being laden down with too much stuff.
"Alright men, that should do it. We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome. But it's good to know that this is all here; we'll have to make a trip back someday." The grin on his face was echoed by the faces of the others, along with a few grunts of approval.
Though they were only beginning to exit the chamber, the pirates were on a high. They had pulled this off effortlessly; so much for the stories of no return! They attributed the smashing victory to their captain, and there would be a big celebration on the ship when they got back. Takeru knew he would need it; he would be able to drown out the thoughts of what was to come in a short while. Perhaps he could drink enough to put him out for a few days; it would be easier that way.
Takeru had been the first to head back through the tunnel, carrying only a small bag for himself. He was the captain, after all; he didn't have to do any of this work. He was merely a supervisor. Iori and Hikari would be the last ones through, though they still had yet to make it across the dividing stream.
Just as they were about to halfway between the stream and the mouth of the tunnel, a strange sound started to make its way through the chamber. Hikari couldn't be sure where it was coming from; it seemed to be everywhere. It was a strange rattling sound, as if someone had pulled out an instrument. But she didn't recall hearing anything of the sort before…perhaps she hadn't been paying close enough attention.
"Hey, Iori, do you hear-"
"Snakes!" Iori shouted, the fear evident across his face.
It wasn't that Hikari was afraid of snakes. Sure, she didn't like them, but she didn't run and scream with fear when she saw them. Being on a pirate ship, one saw enough disgusting little creatures that a few snakes would have no effect.
But this was not just 'a few snakes'. And they were not the kind that usually stowed away on ships, either. Where they had come from, Hikari had no idea. All she was aware of was that Iori had suddenly grabbed her arm and they were running towards the entrance.
The snakes were everywhere. They were pouring into the chamber as a rate that should not have been physically possible. It was as if they had stumbled across a nest and they were now seeking revenge. The sakes, all colours and sizes, appeared from every nook and cranny that was in the floor and walls. As they did so the rattling got louder, and Iori's pace more urgent.
"Get out as fast as you can…don't get near them! They are the island's namesake!" Iori shouted frantically, calling to those in front of him.
The men needed no prodding. Hikari dropped her back of loot simply because she was more afraid for her life than anything, but saw that no one else did. Were they so wrapped up in the idea of fortune that not even a speedy getaway could compare? Well, she supposed they were pirates. They could do whatever they wanted. This would not be her life for much longer.
The crew was lucky to get out of the chamber unscathed. They were not so quiet now, however, and once they reached the other side, there was a definite fear that they had been discovered. Takeru opened the door on the other end of the tunnel and looked around. He could still hear shouting and gunshots; that was a good sign. But it was considerably less than before, which told him that they had little time.
"Let's go. The others will be leaving soon too." They couldn't risk a signal, so they had merely set out a strict time frame.
They were almost out of the village when Takeru suddenly stopped. Just as he did so an arrow came from seemingly out of nowhere and landed in the very spot he would have been if he'd taken one more step. Even in the darkness he noticed that the arrowhead had been dipped in a liquid and there was no doubt in his mind that it was poison. The others stopped behind him.
"The snakes are smart, you know. Don't like people takin' their treasure. They told us you were here. Sneaky, but not always smart." A face appeared on the tops of one of the buildings, the body behind it crouched in an attack position.
Takeru knew he couldn't say anything, and suspected that they were surrounded. All he had to do now was get them out safely.
"Nowhere to go now. You stay here, just like all the others. They think they're smart too, but everyone's the same in the end. Stupid."
The Captain was tense, and the crew was awaiting his command. A single move from him and they would spring to action. It was at this point that all thoughts of treasure were all but banished from their minds; it was all about getting out alive now. No pirate was that stupid.
Takeru surveyed the area; the man that was speaking to them was not alone. He couldn't see the others, but he was well enough versed in the art of battle to know that one wouldn't taunt without reason. They were surrounded. But the forest was close; he doubted that anyone had gotten this far before. The man didn't seem overly phased by their intrusion, but he could hear the mirth in his voice that said they'd gotten far…but that they would get no father. Takeru would have to prove him wrong on that front as well.
"We will make this quick. Just-"
The man was cut short by a shot from Captain Scar's pistol, and the rest of the crew jumped to action. Iori and his team were long-range specialists, and immediately moved to pinpoint the rest of the warriors on the roof tops. It all happened so quickly that Hikari wasn't even sure what was going on. She had been in the middle of a fight with wild animals before, but never other people. As the battle raged around her she found herself not really knowing what to do. In all her time on a pirate ship she had managed to avoid such battles; she had never remained on a ship for as long as she had this one, for obvious reasons. The pistol in her hand was ready, but she was not certain that she could actually fire it at someone with the intent to kill. Aiming at empty bottles was a different thing entirely.
But she knew she had to do something. As it stood right now, she was exactly what Takeru had feared. Dead weight. They needed every man they could get, and she would do her best to measure up. So she fired her first shot in the direction of one of their attackers, hoping that maybe it wouldn't kill them. She didn't stick around long enough to find out.
Takeru was doing rather well, all things considered. He trusted his men, and he had to assume that Iori was going to take care of the archers that were positioned on the roof. He was working at making a clear path to the forest that would leave them with the least amount of followers, but once they were in the trees he hoped they would have an advantage. He could see some of the men still guarding their gold, but he didn't care. If that's what made them fight, then so be it. If this was the place for him to start losing crew members, at least he would get out alive. And that was all that mattered.
Except…not quite. There was at least one other life that he was worried about. His blue eyes were constantly searching the mayhem for her; he couldn't lose sight of her. If there was one person in this world that he would die for, it was her. In that moment Captain Scar had been momentarily pushed aside and Takeru had once again taken over. Whether this would truly be the death of him or not was yet to be seen.
Another shot rang out from Hikari's pistol, and she knew she was getting low on ammo. She hadn't been given extra rounds and she assumed that no one had thought a battle would rage on for this long. She was beginning to grow nervous; from what she could see, things were not changing. It meant that they weren't losing, but they weren't winning either. She shot at another before darting around the corner of one of the huts, taking the moment to catch her breath. They were closer to the forest, but what would they do when they got there? The battle was not yet over.
It was at that point that she saw movement above her, though she saw that the archer had not seen her yet. Word had spread through them to be wary of the arrows; they were laced with poison, likely from the snakes that had swarmed them earlier. The archer was alone, from what she could tell, but no one else had seen him. Raising her pistol she decided that this was the time; she would have to do it. He was aiming directly at Iori, and she wasn't going to let him die. The seconds that followed were long and agonising, but she made the decision to pull the trigger and closed her eyes.
The soft click of the empty barrel told her that there were no bullets left. Knowing that there was now no way to stop him, she ran out to warn the man who was his target.
"Iori! Above you!"
The man whipped around just in time to see that the archer had changed his targets and had let his arrow fly. Hikari was quite unaware of this until a few seconds later when she felt a severe pang in the right side of her middle back. The arrowhead tore through flesh and imbedded itself into muscle; it would not come out easily. She could not feel the effects of the poison, but she knew it was there, and this was enough to start a burning sensation.
With a shot of Iori's pistol the archer was dead, but Hikari had collapsed.
There was now nothing that could stop Captain Scar. The young man could only watch with horror as the events unfolded before him; he had drifted much too far from the girl to be of any help. But he knew that this was it; this was her death. She needed medical attention immediately, and the doctor was back on the ship. He would get her there. He would save her.
What happened next was a bit of a blur for them both. Adrenaline took a complete hold of him, and Hikari was in such a daze that she didn't even know which way was up. Perhaps it was an effect of the poison, or maybe it was just her body reacting to the shock of being hit. Their Captain's distress seemed to give the crew strength and they fought with newfound vigour. Takeru battled his way to the girl, now brandishing a sword as well as his pistol. It was only moments later but it felt like ages that she was in his arms and he had picked her up off the ground. Breaking the arrow so that it was not sticking out so much he decided that it was time to flee. He didn't care that Captain Scar might go down in history for being afraid; at least Hikari would live.
The crew saw their captain's actions and decided to follow suit. The retreat went surprisingly easy, almost as if the people of the village understood the gravity of the situation and were holding back. But that couldn't be; this was a village of people bent only on death.
Takeru didn't stick around to thank them, if it really was the case.
~*~
Back on the ship things had been quiet. The Cook and his crew had made it back, most of them only with minor injuries despite the major assault. One of the men had been poisoned by an arrow and had not survived the trip back to the ship, but his body had been weak to begin with. They would mourn his passing in the traditional pirate way.
When the Captain and those who were with him finally arrived, things started to change. The blond couldn't get there fast enough, and when he finally set foot on the deck he looked very much like a lost little boy and not at all like Captain Scar. He rushed her into the infirmary, gently placing her onto the table. The Doctor, who had been on the deck, came in behind him.
"Sh-she's been hit. An arrow…it got her." He stammered, panic gripping him in a way it never had before.
The look on the Doctor's face was not good; he had heard what had happened the other crew member. He felt that telling Takeru about this was not the best idea right now. He would do what he could, but he would promise nothing.
"Let's get the arrow out, at least. Then we'll see about that poison."
Takeru could barely watch as the arrow was wrenched from the girl's back; the blood poured from the newly opened wound as there was now nothing to obstruct its flow. He had seen blood before but the sight of hers made him sick and he almost wanted to leave. But he knew he couldn't; he had to be there for her.
It seemed like hours when the Doctor was finished sewing her up, and when he was finished he stepped back as if to admire his work. But the look on his face was grim.
"H-how is she? She's going to be alright…isn't she?" His voice was pleading and desperate.
The Doctor looked up to the man who had become his captain, and saw once more only the face of the boy that they had kidnapped for ransom all those years ago. There was no trace of Captain Scar left, but he knew that, after this was over, it would be the other way around. The boy would disappear forever.
Breathing in a deep sigh, he ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I'm sorry, lad. She ain't gonna live through the night."