1718

The ship and her crew were docked off the inner shore of Ocracoke Island, just off the North Carolina coast. The crew was having an amazing night as their captain had been entertaining their guests, crew from the Adventure. Blackbeard's crew had taken reduction from the attacks and ambushes from a Naval First Lieutenant that went by the name of Robert Maynard. Or as the captain liked to refer to him as "a damned sorry, black-spotted, ballast pig."

The Queen Anne's Revenge had run aground on a sandbar in the Beaufort Inlet, cracking her main-mast and severely damaging many of her timbers. A sloop commanded by Israel Hands, second in command to Blackbeard, of Adventure also ran aground, and both vessels appeared to be damaged beyond repair, leaving only Revenge and the captured Spanish sloop they had managed to attain.

Blackbeard had at some staged learned of the offer of a royal pardon. The pardon was open to all pirates who surrendered on or before September 5th, 1718, but contained a caveat stipulating that immunity was offered only against crimes committed before January 5th. Although in theory this left him and another friend of his, Bonnet, at risk of being hanged for their actions at Charleston Bar, most authorities could waive such conditions. Teach thought that Governor Charles Eden was a man he could trust, but to make sure, he waited to see what would happen to another captain.

Bonnet left immediately on a small sailing boat for Bath Town, surrendered, and received his pardon. He then traveled back to the Inlet to collect the Revenge and the remainder of his crew. Unfortunately for him, Blackbeard had stripped the vessel of its valuables and provisions, and had marooned its crew; Bonnet had set out for revenge but was unable to find him. He and his crew returned to piracy and were captured on September 27th, 1718 at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. All but four were tried and hanged in Charleston.

Before Teach sailed northward on his remaining sloop to Ocracoke Inlet, he marooned about twenty-five men on a small, sand island about a league from the mainland. Antonio and Gilbert had breathed the biggest breath of relief when it wasn't either of them to be marooned. They didn't question it, either. Unsure of what the captain was planning, they had asked no questions or took place in gossip that spread across the ship. Apparently it saved them a great deal of trouble with Teach.

When the two had learned about their captain surrendering, it came as quite a shock. Never had they thought the infamous Edward Teach would surrender to anyone. Not in his lifetime or anyone else's. Teach had been given official title to his remaining sloop, which he renamed Adventure. By the end of August, he had returned to piracy. When the announcement was made, Gilbert had cheered, startling everyone, shouting, "No that there be the captain we all know and… well… work for!"

Blackbeard had given a questioning glance to the albino but spoke no word to him. He had figured in the years he knew the Prussian, it was better just to go with what he said instead of spending precious time on the strange man's odd words and phrases.

Blackbeard's favorite anchorage, Ocracoke Inlet, was the perfect vantage point from which to view ships travelling between the various settlements of northeast Carolina. It was there that he first spotted the approaching ship of Charles Vane, another English pirate. Teach and Vane spent several nights on the southern tip of Ocracoke Island, accompanied by such notorious figures as Israel Hands, Robert Deal, and Calico Jack.

On the evening of November 21st, the crew was anchored on the inner shore of Ocracoke Island. Blackbeard had not sent out a lookout, seeing as he wouldn't need one on that night, and was busy entertaining their new guests. Telling stories of great pillaging victories while music and song filled the air from those with instruments, handmade or otherwise. Antonio and Gilbert were dancing arm in arm, although it looked more like jumping around in a circle over and over. Laughter and merriment lightened the air around the pirates. What a great evening it was. Wondrous for sure. After Blackbeard's crew had its reduction, things were tough but tonight was a time to relax and be happy.

At daybreak, Blackbeard had been getting the crew ready for sailing early that day. Antonio had, once again, shirked his duty to watch the sunrise across the water. Pinks and reds filtered through the sky, staining the tranquil waters with their hues. The salty wind gusted at his messy hair. Even though he had not drunk much the night before, he still had a minor hangover resulting in a soft headache.

Squinting his eyes, the Spaniard could've sworn he spotted something across the way. A few minutes later, when the sun was slightly higher, his eyes were confirmed. Two small crafts were in the channel heading their way. "Captain! Captain, I think we may have a problem!" exclaimed Antonio, gaining the attention of his captain.

When Blackbeard followed out to where Antonio was pointing, he was shocked for a moment though the expression was quickly changed to a challenging tone. The captain had called for the guns to be readied and fired as soon as the sloops got in range of the Adventure. The boats retreated shortly after to a larger vessel. Antonio couldn't make out the name of the ship, but it was definitely a Royal Navy ship. Most likely, Robert Maynard, a short-term enemy of Blackbeard's, was commanding the ship.

Blackbeard hurriedly cut the anchor cable to the vessel. He ordered for his crew to hoist the sails and the Adventure maneuvered to point her starboard guns toward the sloops, which were now slowly closing the gap once again. Another ship moved to the port side of Maynard's, showing off the Union flag that was unfurled high in the air.

The Adventure quickly turned toward the beach, heading for a narrow channel. It was uncertain whether or not this was the best idea Blackbeard had, but for the moment, it was his only chance of escape. The two ships, their names now visible and shining brilliantly in gold letters Jane and Ranger, tailed them easily.

The three ships exchanged small-arms fire, Antonio nearly taking a bullet to the neck, feeling it graze past his skin as the Adventure came to a screeching halt. His blood had frozen in his veins with the feeling biting at his neck. He hadn't even realized he had fallen to the ship's deck, which would explain why his headache suddenly emitted more pain along with his arm.

Someone quickly snatched him up onto his bare feet, shouting something at him. Blurred vision and a ringing in his ears was all he was able to make out. He saw two flashes of red blur across his eyes and then the ship vibrated, black blocks flying across his vision. Slowly, all of it started to come back to him. Gilbert was still yelling out his name, shaking him. Blood trickled down from underneath his bandana and also stained a good portion of his shirt, although he did not seem injured. Shouting came next, then the shots and blasts from the arms and the cannons below deck.

"ANTONIO!" Gilbert screamed at the top of his lungs, just to be heard over the guns firing.

This snapped the Spaniard completely back from his daze. His eyes turned to saucers at the blood on Gilbert's shirt. "You're bleeding!"

Looking down at his shirt, Gilbert pressed his hand quickly to the stain. "Actually, methinks that was just the guy that got slammed by the cannon ball next to me." How Gilbert seemed completely unfazed by that fact was beyond Antonio's knowledge, and Gilbert wouldn't let him ponder it either. "The Adventure's run aground. The jib sheet was cut and we lost entire control of her. We've been firing at the other two and they've taken heavy damaged." With a quick glance to the side, Gilbert's words were confirmed. The broadside was devastating indeed for the two ships that also seemed to be grounded from the time. He had wondered for a moment if they had won the battle. The battle then became a race to see who could float their ship first.

Blackbeard watched as the vessels closed, and ordered his men to be ready. Their plan was to board the Jade and kill every naval soldier on that ship. Once the two vessels contacted one another, the Adventure's grappling hooks hit their target and several grenades broke across the sloop's deck, spilling shrapnel and smoke all over. As the smoke cleared, Blackbeard led his men aboard. He was optimistic from the sight of Maynard's empty ship.

Antonio all of a sudden heard numerous shouting and more pistol fire come from the hold as more of Maynard's men ambushed the pirates. The crew was surprised at the attack, thinking they had won the victory that day and were taken aback at the assault. The pirates rallied and the two groups fought across the deck.

The wood was slick with beneath Antonio's feet. Quickly daring a glance, he noted how blood splatter all across the deck. Looking up just in time to parry a soldier's cutlass with his own, he realized that the broadside had done more damage than he first thought.

After killing his first soldier, Antonio right away when against another. This soldier was dripping wet and must've been thrown overboard from a blast. He saw the soldier reaching for a flintlock holstered in his side. Antonio mimicked the idea and went for his own, though when he reached for it, the other soldier had been faster, drawing and pointing the pistol straight for Antonio's head. "Burn in hell, pirate," he sneered and pulled the trigger. Antonio flinched as the frizzen snapped against the flint, feeling for the pain and the shower of sparks to fly out of the barrel. What Antonio heard, though, was a clunk and saw several droplets of water fly out the barrel.

His heart flared with optimism as he pulled out his own pistol and boasted, "Look who's talking," before shooting the man in the chest, dropping to the ground.

"There ya go, Antonio!" Gilbert called as he smacked the butt of his pistol against a soldier's head, knocking him out and giving another solid whack to finish the job. "Show these filthy, weak-kneed swine who's boss!"

Blackbeard and Maynard fought strong completely isolated in their own battle. They had both drawn their flintlocks and fired at each other before disposing of them afterwards. Teach drew his cutlass and managed to break Maynard's sword in a hefty swing. Against superior training and a slight advantage in numbers, the pirates were pushed back toward the bow, allowing the Navy crew to completely surround Maynard and Teach.

Antonio knew the fight was lost. Blocking one final blow and twisting the cutlass out of the soldier's hand, he dropped his own and held his hands up to his chest. "You can arrest me now. I surrender."

Gilbert was a fighter by heart, but even he knew when to quit. He dropped his sword and pistol and surrendered as well. Not long after, the captain fell with a deadly wound to the neck. The rest of the crew submitted to arrest. There were only sixteen of them left. They wouldn't stand a chance even if they kept fighting.

Antonio side-glanced at Gilbert and matter-of-factly said with a chuckle, "We're going to be hanged, aren't we?"

"Most likely. Damn it all!" He slapped his hat against the boat before returning it upon his head. "I was looking forward to seeing my brother again."

Antonio sighed as one of the soldiers chained his hands up. "At least I was able to fall in love again."

Gilbert's face twisted in a pondering yet confused way. As they were being led to some smaller crafts that were tied on the ships and good for usable transport, Gilbert took a moment to compliment what his friend. "Fall in love? Ya've hardly even spoken to a woman since he brought ya on the ship!"

"But 'tis the sea that I fell in love with."

He lifted a brow at the other man's words. "Did that smack to the head do something to yer head, mate?"

Antonio shrugged without a care. "If I'm going to die soon, I might as well take in her beauty while I still have the chance."

Gilbert laughed at the thought. "Die? It's only been the second chapter. Only the yellow-bellied die in the second chapter!"

Stunned at the Prussian's speech, Antonio scooted away from him ever so slightly. Antonio always wondered and often questioned the sanity of the pirate sitting next to him. Now, it was at a new level. Talking like their life was some kind of silly story. Concerned with what Gilbert would say next, he just braced himself that he wouldn't start talking to things that weren't there or saying that the moon was made of cheese.


Yes, because only Gilbert is awesome enough to break fourth walls.

I know I haven't been caught up on keeping a schedule with updates, but with life, it's a little difficult. :/