Ch.120: Fading Faith in the Captain! The Tale of Desert Jaime!

An hour into their return, the Desert Beasts were ordered to report to the Shadow King for a briefing on their attack. Of course, such a conference came with a knowing dread hanging over their heads. When they ordered that emergency escape from Zaros, the king will likely know of their results.

The whole crew gathered before the throne with their heads bowed, some biting their lips in fear of the Shadow King's evaluation. It felt worse with the judging eyes of his heralds, Nightmare, and that smug Watchog, Zaros, leering them down. Their auras filled the atmosphere with a suffocating tension, though they paled in comparison to the Shadow King's.

Speaking of whom, the Shadow King drummed his fingers on his armrest as he examined the state of his unwilling subjects. Various injuries treated with hastily applied bandages and some holding themselves up with canes or crutches. It seemed the only one who was unharmed was Ray, being as young as he was and not drawing attention to himself.

Arid's injuries in particular intrigued the king. The pirate captain had his right arm held in a sling, wrapped tightly in a cast. He sensed the aggression in the Darmanitan's aura. He was positively livid.

The possessed Scrafty's lips curled into a grin. Good.

"If I were to wager a guess," the Shadow King finally spoke, "you weren't successful in retrieving the keys currently in Team Ravenfield's possession."

Arid bared his teeth. "…No. We underestimated the strength of the tournament goers present at the party. A good chunk of my crew is badly injured."

"And…what happened to you?" the king asked.

"…I rather not speak of it," he growled.

The Shadow King sighed and pressed his fist to his cheek. "You all know I don't tolerate failure. If I see you getting out of line and proving yourselves to be unnecessarily fractious, I may be forced to…cut ties."

"We were merely underprepared," the pirate captain stated. "We went in blindly believing Ravenfield and his friends would be too intoxicated and exhausted to put up a fight."

"Or preoccupied," Malcolm mumbled irritably with that unfortunate display between Wes and Ella burned into his eyes.

"That mistake will not be made again," Arid reassured. "Team Ravenfield will not be so lucky in our next encounter."

"You see, you say that," Aeternus started saying, waving his hand around, "but it's like trusting a man heavily in debt to get the money he owes you tomorrow, even though we both know he's too poor to do such a thing." He grinned. "Kehehehehe, I speak from experience, of course. I think you know where I'm going with this little story."

Callista sighed, then glowered at the pirates. "If we knew you'd be this incompetent to stop six brats, we would've razed that city ourselves. Save us the trouble."

Nightmare sighed and bowed to his king. "This is entirely my doing, my king. I sought them out believing their services would be of use to you. I'm sorry for wasting your time." The pirates tensed up, wondering what the Shadow King would say or do in response.

Forgiveness didn't seem optional.

Though, surprisingly, the Shadow King didn't pose any hostile reactions, not even as he glared them down. "No need for apologies, Nightmare. I'm not convinced they've outlived their usefulness." He rose from his throne and approached Arid. "Arid of the Sand, you sense great potential in you."

Arid glared. "Is that so?"

"Despite your failures, this was merely the fault of numbers. You had so much to deal with at once." He crouched down and gently caressed the Darmanitan's face, like a spiritual figure to a follower. "Bounty hunters, veteran fighters, even my own subject; these obstacles could've very well been your undoing. And yet, you continued in your pursuit like a true follower of the darkness."

"I…did?"

The Shadow King smirked. "You've mastered that gauntlet of yours. You're truly skilled with it. Imagine how much more you can accomplish unlocking its secrets. The power to channel the desert through your hand. That is what you wield. You, my friend, are worthy to be my subject."

Arid narrowed his eyes, surprised by his seemingly kind words. "Th…Thank you?"

The Shadow King stepped away, turning his back to him. "You need a bit more molding, but I can see a gifted ally in you. Perhaps, one day, you will finally best Wes Ravenfield for good."

Arid grounded his teeth together in anger. "Ravenfield…"

The king chuckled. "We shouldn't hold back our desires. Reality can be so cruel, suppressing our deepest desires with their ethics. You truly want to defeat Ravenfield, even if it means to kill him."

"…I never really wanted to-"

"Captain Arid," the king interrupted, "a man as driven as yourself should be asking: if you sought to defeat a boy you hate so much, is there no reason why you wish not to kill him? That very boy has caused you so much grief and humiliation. Why deny the chance to end him?"

"…" Arid lowered his head, snarling through his teeth.

The Shadow King chuckled sinisterly and retook his place on his throne. "You are dismissed. I expect results when we send you after Ravenfield again. Which reminds me, where are they heading to now?"

"One of the shadows tagged their vehicle right as they left the city," Voss brought up. "It heard them mentioning the Swamp Zone. Somewhere in the center."

"The center of the Swamp Zone…" The Shadow King pressed his fist to his cheek, glaring. "That place, where I was held prisoner for centuries. That's where the Key of Life is."

"Apparently," Zaros agreed. "Perhaps we can strike the area while they are still on their way. We can take the key for ourselves and kill the mage."

"Ah, but it would be so much simpler to wait for them," the king countered. "After all, we need those keys if we want to find where the Idol of Origin is hidden."

Zaros chuckled. "Of course, Your Majesty."

Arid grunted and rose, barely keeping stable on one set of knuckles. "My crew and I will take our leave. We need our rest." He turned and carefully limped out the door with his crew in tow.

"By all means, Captain Arid," the Shadow King encouraged, pressing his fingertips together and smirking forebodingly at the closing door. "Take as much time as you need…"

"Man, that guy seriously creeps me out," Zerif groaned.

"Tell me about it," Tyrone mumbled. "I thought I was going to pass out this time."

"Do it on your own time, Ty," Rico mumbled, scratching behind his head. "Meeting with his demands, though? Yeesh, I can't stand that guy."

"Best to keep your comments to yourself," Arid grumbled at them. "We're in his good graces at the moment. For now, we need to play it cool."

"Play it cool?" Leigh repeated with the stink eye. "Tsk. We've been 'playing it cool' for months and we're still no closer to staging our betrayal."

"If we don't have a complete set of keys, it would be all for naught. We would be painting a target on our backs. Like I said, keep your cool and don't do anything that'll get us killed."

"Yeah! Listen to your captain!" Jeffery agreed with a sharp nod.

"Hey Jeff, you got a little something on your beak," Malcolm mocked. Jeffery shot him a glare.

Cheshire smirked. "At least I get to talk to those witches that work for Callista. I really like that Barrett fellow. He reminds me of myself."

"Those guys give me the creeps," Ray grumbled. "Between reanimating corpses and summoning weird dolls to do their bidding, I'd hate to see them in a fight."

"It doesn't matter," Arid huffed. "We're closer than ever to achieving that power for ourselves. We need to play this off just a bit longer and-"

"Actually…Captain?"

Arid and the crew stopped, then turned their eyes onto Indigo, who nervously stared at the floor. Her prosthetic claws wiggled and creak with light movements, almost like she was anxious to speak.

Arid narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Indigo bit her lip. "It's…just a silly thought, Captain, but…is this really worth it?"

"…What do you mean?"

"Well, I…uh…"

Arid approached her, making her feel small under his gaze. "We're persevered through their worst trials and combated our sworn enemy with newfound commitment. This is our chance to reclaim the skies in the name of Desert Beasts. That's what we want: recognition of those who casted us away."

Indigo clenched her eyes hut. "But…is all this worth it?"

"You dare question our captain?!" Jeffery squawked. "He has been nothing but generous to you lousy punks and you can't even accept his word without back sass?!"

"That's not what I meant!" Indigo yelled before turning her head away. "Ultimate power sounds tempting, sure, but this business with the Shadow King is eroding me. I'm stressed, anxious, scared, and always getting those judging stares like we might be expendable waste. This…This isn't what I signed up for when I came aboard your crew."

"…" Arid bared his teeth. "You've been seeing that Dewott, haven't you?"

Indigo's eyes widened. "H-How did you-?"

"I thought there was something fishy about you sneaking off in Gelid Peak. You're even saying the same shit he lectured to me." He glared judgingly. "You're not going AWOL on us, are you?"

Indigo gasped and backed away. "How can you even suggest-?!"

"I won't stand traitors aboard my crew," Arid growled, approaching her with a dark stare.

Indigo tripped over her feet and cowered before her captain, but Rico stepped between the two, glaring at the captain. "She's not a traitor, Captain. You know her better than that."

"She fails to understand the gravity of our situation," Arid said, pointing at the cowering Sneasel. "To even suggest abandoning our crew now would put her in jeopardy, along with the rest of us. If one seed goes bad, what's stopping the rest from following behind?"

Rico scowled. "Even if that were the case, there's weight to her words."

"What?"

"You can't honestly believe we're still not over this. You know how scared we are. You said it yourself, this is our only way to survive. If we turn our backs to them, they'll kill us." Rico clenched his eyes shut, shivering at the thought. "It was fine when we were safe in the skies and battling out for territory, but now we don't have that same freedom we lived for."

"And this is my fault?" Arid huffed. "You're lucky I even agreed to cooperate with those bastards, otherwise we wouldn't be hear having this conversation."

"Maybe so, but why should we suffer under someone who's ideals don't match up with our own?" Rico looked down, baring his teeth. "Captain, we never wanted this. We never did."

Arid growled. "Rico…"

Leigh, who was leaning against the wall, sighed and crossed her arms. "You're acting strange, Captain. I get you want the power to command the skies, but even you wouldn't risk this much on a chance. Besides, these guys want to exterminate all life. They don't care who lives or dies. It's like they're motivated purely on vengeance or something."

"This may be so we can get on their good side, but we never became pirates to slaughter people," Malcolm brought up. "Sure, beat some folks up and bleed them dry of wealth, but this is excessive."

Arid glowered. "Is this a mutiny?"

Banama glared. "More like an intervention." He stepped up to Arid and stamped his foot down. "I hold nothing but respect for you, Captain, but I'm with the crew on this one. You're finally feeling the weight of our situation and you've become motivated by power merely to live."

"That's not true," Arid fired back. "This is for all our safety and for our futures. Who cares if a few lives are taken along the way?"

"This is more than a few lives," Banama retorted. "Ironworks Kingdom lost hundreds of people when we invaded. That blood is on our hands now."

Zerif grunted and shared his piece. "We're in this business for the goods, not the lives. Sure, I wouldn't give a shit if I killed a few people, but all I want is my ale."

"Not to mention," Pain Train spoke up, "how do we know for sure these guys genuinely want our assistance? The Shadow King seems to be the only one who's impressed. I'm beginning to wonder if you care about our safety."

"Of course I do!" Arid yelled. "That's why I'm trying to keep our hinds safe! I can't just act flippantly with them and expect a free pass! We either cooperate or we die!"

Graham rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically. "I should've figured getting involved with you idiots would do me in one day. Once again, it's your own ineptitude that brings our misfortune."

"Ye stay out of this!" Julius hushed. "As far as we're concerned, ye're not a member of the crew."

Graham smirked. "Is that supposed to hurt my feelings? If I weren't basically being held hostage, I would've jumped ship a long time ago. You idiots wasted your days hunting some pointless dream while I'm standing high and might as per usual. Just look at your most recent failures."

"Graham…shut the hell up," Banama growled through his teeth while clutching his wrist. Red sparks flew off his hand, but he kept them down.

"Tch. I'm merely praising our captain for finally getting his head on straight. His own crew is expendable. He should be focusing on obtaining power for himself. He's in position to become like those heralds, after all."

"This isn't about the power!" Arid roared.

"You sure about that?" Graham taunted relentlessly. "A little birdie told me you weren't all too kind to one of your own, even as she was in the middle of a heart attack."

Arid's eyes widened. He looked upon one crewmate who was trying to stay out of the conversation. Ambrosine had her back turned to her crewmates, clutching her chest in fear of another heart attack. Tears slid down her cheeks.

"Ambrosine?"

The Steenee looked over her shoulder glumly, then sighed. "…And just when I was starting to believe there was something decent about you, Captain." She gripped her shirt. "But that action cemented my feelings about you. So desperate for power, my own health was irrelevant."

"That isn't true!" Arid shouted. "I was panicking and-!"

"Captain…just stop talking," Drake cut in. "There's no excuse to be made."

"I…"

Malcolm huffed. "Look, it's been a long day and we all need to cool off. And frankly, so do you." He brushed his shoulders off, then stomped around Arid with his gaze on the ground.

Arid blinked, then turned back to the rest of his crew. They looked away disappointedly and headed off through the hideout to leave the Darmanitan be. Ambrosine gave one last look back at Arid before turning and following Indigo to their room.

Arid was alone with Ray, Jeffery, and Lyra, with the silent Zangoose looking down at her feet glumly. Arid pinched between his eyes and sighed.

"Bah! Who needs them?" Jeffery shouted, breaking the mood. "They're all traitors anyway. You still have me, Captain! I would never question your-!"

BAM!

Lyra and Ray's eyes widened as the Chatot went splat against the wall. Jeffery held his stomach and fell onto the floor, groaning. They turned their eyes to the angry Darmanitan as he flicked his cloak and marched away.

"I need some fresh air," he grumbled.

The captain marched out from sight before the two pirates checked in on the injured Chatot. Jeffery rolled on the floor in pain. "Agh…what did I do?"

Ray sighed and delivered a gentle flick to the forehead. "Read the room for once in your life." He scooped Jeffery onto his back. "Guess the captain's finally slipping. Right, Lyra?" He looked up at the Zangoose, who stared down the corridor in contemplation. Ray sighed. "Never mind." He walked away with Jeffery grumbling along the way.

Lyra narrowed her eyes, sighed in silence, then followed the child.

Arid traveled through the stormy, dark vortex of land outside the castle before stepping through a tear in space. The gloomy world vanished behind him as he was transported into a field of grass stretching out for miles. Arid sighed and limped away from the tear before finding a nice spot to rest.

He lay on his back, gentle with his injured arm, and gazed up at the slow passing clouds. The breeze felt nice against his flaming brow, but it hardly fixed his mood.

Arid closed his eyes and grunted. "I'm not obsessed with power. I…haven't been obsessed with it in a long time."

He let the winds blow through his fur and kept his thoughts still in silence. Soon enough, they drifted to different times.

"Have I always been this…hostile?" He groaned and rubbed his face. "Did I seriously assault Ambrosine? Ugh…" He shook his head. "What does it matter? I had to do what I could to get those keys. When I see Ravenfield again, I'll be sure he can't escape from me. I won't let these failures repeat."

The Darmanitan paused in the middle of his thoughts, then glared at the clouds.

"I'm not obsessed with Ravenfield. There's just…something about that brat that rubs me the wrong way." He tucked his good arm behind his head. "No…no, that's not right. It's not that he annoys me. He…reminds me too much of someone else. Yeah, that's it."

He bared his teeth. "Guess the Shadow King and I have that in common, sort of. We have this…fixation with Ravenfields." He sighed and turned onto his side. "I don't know what his deal with them are, but what are the odds I would run into Specter's old playmate's son?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Life was simpler when he started out as a pirate.

"Hey, get back there with that!"

A young Darumaka dashed through the streets of a small village with a sack of coins and a loaf of bread in his hands. Hot on his tail was an angry Snorlax chasing him with a spatula. Despite his rotund size, he moved quick on his feet.

"Thieving little vermin!"

The Darumaka glared back at him before abruptly stopping. The Snorlax gasped and nearly tripped over himself as the child slid under his legs and took off running in the opposite direction. The Snorlax lost his balance and faceplanted with the ground.

"Agh! Get back here now!"

The Darumaka turned a corner and vanished within an alleyway. He slowed his pace to a steady walk, then stopped beside a barrel. He leaned up against it and took a quick breather.

"Tch. Don't oversell yourself. Your bread tastes like shit anyway," he muttered to himself before tearing a bite out of it. He chewed loudly, no decency or matters to his eating, then took a look at his other catch. "But the bits are a different story. Robbing that guy was a cinch." He tucked the sack inside his ragged jacket, then carried on through the alley with his terrible bread.

He pulled a few more bites off as he came onto a new street. He scanned the area for his new target, anyone who looked slow or stupid enough to rob, but also rich enough to make off with a good catch.

Not much to pick from, most middle class citizens, but he did spot a cloaked figure walking through the streets. He couldn't get an idea of the figure's class status, but the sack of jingling coins tied to his waist told him everything. The child smirked, tossed the remaining bread over his shoulder, then followed the stranger.

Forget that shitty bread. I might actually get a meal tonight. He withdrew a dagger behind his back and kept it hidden behind his arm. Just got to slash it off the belt without alerting him and I'll be eating well.

The Darumaka wasn't familiar to these parts, so no one suspected anything strange from the child, maybe even assuming he was with the cloaked figure with how close behind he was. The Darumaka drew closer and flicked the knife out, holding it out to the belt loop.

He got the curve the blade around the loop and went for the slashing motion when a hand popped from under the cloak and apprehended his wrist. The child's eyes widened as the knife slipped from his fingers. The man's grip tightened around his wrist before lifted him to eye level.

The child got a look under the hood and met with the eyes of an unamused Krokorok who looked to be in his late twenties/early thirties. He peered down on the child with a piercing glare, with one eye obscured behind an eyepatch.

"P-Pirate?" the child muttered nervously.

"Can I help ye?" the Krokorok asked in a raspy tone.

"Uh…I was just, uh…" The Darumaka looked around for an escape attempt. He considered screaming 'Kidnapper' and alerting the bystanders, or perhaps biting his arm. If he still had his dagger, he could-

"Don't even bother." The Darumaka's eyes widened in confusion as the pirate gave him the same unamused glare. "If ye so much as squeak and rile up the townsfolk, I'll kill ye. Bite me in the arm and I'll knee ye in the gut until yesterday's breakfast is out."

"H-How did you-?" the young thief chattered fearfully.

"I'll repeat meself. Can I help ye? Speak slowly, and this'll all be over before ye-" The pirate paused at the sound of stomach growling. However, it didn't come from his prisoner. He groaned and gripped his stomach. "Agh, so hungry…"

The Darumaka blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"I need to find a chef for me crew soon. This is gettin' me nowhere." He sighed, then glared at the stunned kid. "…How old are ye?"

"T-Ten?"

"Ye hungry?"

"…Huh? HUH?!"

"So, ye're name's Jamie?"

"Jaime. It's Jaime. As in 'Hi May!'"

"Since when does 'J' replace 'H'?"

"You don't live out in the Desert Zone, do you?"

"And yet I find ye in the Fire Zone, so we both have questions."

What started as a small, hostile confrontation turned into a casual lunch between an eccentric pirate and a child thief recovering from mood whiplash. He continued to stare in bafflement as the pirate sank his teeth into the meat platter shared between them. Jaime's portions were significantly smaller, but it was the best meal he had in weeks, so he wasn't complaining.

The pirate gobbled the last of his slice and shoveled berries into his mouth. "So, ye're clearly not lost, but ye aren't exactly found either. Wanderer seems like a stretch. Homeless?"

Jaime rolled his eyes. "More or less."

"Ye inferred ye're from the Desert Zone. Ye certainly traveled a long way for a runt. What parent lets their ten-year-old run around on their own unsupervised?"

Jaime scoffed. "I'm practically a teenager. Don't you dare mock me."

The pirate smirked. "Ye brats all look the same to me."

"You're hardly a decade older than me."

"Respect yer elders." The pirate swiped his ale off the table and chugged it down. "Anyway," he said as he wiped the froth off his snout, "Ye still haven't answered me question. Why are ye out here on yer own? Where the hell are yer parents?"

Jaime rolled his eyes. "Does it matter?"

"Do they know ye're out here?"

"I wouldn't make a big deal about it. My mom left my dad a few years ago. Too busy partying to give a shit about her kid, so why bother being a parent?"

"And…yer father?"

Jaime had a smirk that crossed between dark and annoyed. "Assuming no one's checked on him yet, still in his armchair with a knife in his neck."

"Yeesh."

"Don't sympathize with him. That greedy bastard didn't give a shit about me either, only when he could exploit me for money. Forcing me to do chores around the neighborhood and the only cut I get is the promise of dinner." Jaime shrugged nonchalantly. "So, I decided to stab his throat, take the money, and leave."

"That's cold, kid," the pirate responded, though he wasn't fazed by it. He even smirked. "Ye got a cold heart. I like that."

Jaime glared. "You still haven't explained who you are."

"That right?" The pirate leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "I suppose there's no harm in introducing meself. Ye may refer to me as Captain Specter, Phantom of the Skies."

"Never heard of you."

Specter chuckled. "I'm not surprised. See, I'm actually followin' in the footsteps of me grandfather. Well known pirate of the skies. Pillaged many villages and towns in his day. Good man, at least as good as a pirate can get."

Jaime raised his brow. "And you're telling me all this because…?"

"What? Think I'm afraid of what some brat will do?" Specter chuckled. "As far as these people are concerned, I haven't done anythin'."

"I wasn't going to snitch on you or anything." Jaime picked up his drink and took a brief sip before asking, "But why are you here? I didn't think pirate captains would do their own errands."

Specter sighed. "Well, me crew is small as of now. All I got are me helmsman/shipwright and a bunch of other weirdos. I'm still fairly new to the pirate life, but I intend to make a name for meself. Take after me grandfather and all that." Specter chugged down his ale.

Jaime leaned back and sighed. "Well, that sounds nice, I guess."

"Yep, goin' to live off the riches of the land and live a life of completely freedom." Specter smirked. "What about ye?"

Jaime blinked. "Me?"

"What's yer reason for bein' out here?"

Jaime glared. "I already told you, my father-"

"No, no, not that crap! I mean yer purpose!"

Jaime blinked again. "Purpose?"

Specter grinned. "A runt like ye has to want somethin' if he's willin' to brave the harsh lands of Mysto."

Jaime actually gave his question some thought, then turned away. "I…don't really have a purpose. I'm just getting by off minor thefts and stuff. Once I'm done here, I'll hitch a ride to the next town or village and repeat."

Specter shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. A kid like ye shouldn't be out on his own."

Jaime glared. "I'm not a child. I can take care of myself."

"Is that right?" Specter slammed his mug down and leaned over the table with a huge smirk. "Well, young man, how about I make a proposition for ye?"

"Come again?"

"Ye want a purpose? I'll give ye one." He poked Jaime in the nose and exclaimed, "Ye're joinin' me crew!"

"…HUH?!" Jaime recoiled in shock. "Excuse me?!"

"Ye heard me! Join me band of pirates as we take to the skies and show the world what we're made of!"

Jaime held his hands up in protest. "Whoa, whoa! Hold on a minute! I literally met you almost a half hour ago! I tried to rob you, in fact! Why are you asking me to join your crew?"

Specter smirked. "I'm a pirate, ye runt. Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to rob or kill me. Ye got spunk, something I could use on me crew."

Jaime bit his lip. "This seems…all too sudden. Look, I'm no saint, but being a pirate sounds…dangerous. I could get killed."

Specter chuckled. "Can't fault ye there. Rivalries between pirates can get messy. Fighting over territory and the title of King of the Skies leads to bloodshed, but some say it's worth it in the end. However, I'm only interested in one thin'." He peeled back his eyepatch, flashing the golden eye tucked underneath. "Absolute freedom from society."

Jaime eased his shoulders, now curious, and leaned in. "Absolute freedom?"

"No laws, no strife, no nothing. Sure, we would be targets to the most corrupt, but that's part of the charm. We get to cause mayhem and live out a live of gold, alcohol, and fun. That's time well spent in me book."

Jaime narrowed his eyes. "Is it really that great?"

"To tell ye the truth, it is. If ye want to make yer name known, ye need to seek the power to completely liberate yerself from all oppression. The life of a pirate is all about livin' a life of luxury and satisfaction. If it means puttin' up with some obstacles along the way, that's fine with me."

Jaime looked to the side. "Absolute freedom, huh?"

"Ye bet."

Jaime raised his brow suspiciously at the captain. "And…there's no catch to this?"

"None at all."

The Darumaka hummed it over to himself, then smirked. "Well, how can I say no? At least I'll get some decent food for a change."

"Heh, not until we find a cook, of course." Specter smirked and extended his hand. "Welcome aboard, Jaime."

Jaime shook his hand. "So, what's the name of your crew?"

"Ye can call us the Undying Apparitions."

"Prepare to fall by me sword, Garret Ravenfield!"

The Jolteon laughed as he hopped around on rock spires, dodging magic slashes from Specter. "Come on, Specs, you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!"

Specter smirked as his golden eye flashed. "That a fact?" He fired a beam from his sword's tip.

Garret dodged, but the beam curved slightly and obliterated the spire Garret was aiming to land on. He lost his footing and fell into the abyss of sharp spires. He stretched all his legs out and caught himself on some spires. He was mere inches from being impaled on small spires.

Specter channeled his sword's magic while shooting a glare at the higher reaches of the cave. "How are we on the treasure?!"

"Give us a second!" Zola replied as she and Jaime carefully navigated the ceiling. Slight tremors were enough to split the rock open. Jaime clung to Zola's back while she moved slowly to their prize: a ruby encrusted khopesh sword. Zola smirked. "Ooh, that looks nice."

"Just get me closer," fifteen-year-old Jaime grumbled.

"Sure, sure." Zola wrapped her tail around him and carefully lifted himself towards the khopesh.

Garret spotted them closing in on the sword right as Specter went for his attack. "Now take this! Mystical Slash!" His sword lit up with an intense magic, which Specter fired out at Garret.

"Area Denial." Garret summoned a white space above him resembling glass and stopped the energy slash in its place. It revved with momentum, but couldn't approach the space closer. "Warp Pad." He summoned a glyph and rocketed out of the pit.

Specter lit up his eye and tracked Garret's erratic movement. "Hollow Rest." He raised his sword, created a ring of smoke from the tip, and tossed it right in Garret's line of flight.

The ring solidified into magic and, as predicted, struck Garret around the neck. It latched onto him like a collar. "The hell-?"

Right as he got into reach of the khopesh, his paw passed through the hilt, spooking Zola and Jaime. Garret couldn't control his momentum and completely vanished within the ceiling.

Jaime whistled and said, "Cool spell." He glared back at the khopesh and grabbed the hilt. "Got it!"

"Good." Specter sheathed his sword. "Hurry at once. Ravenfield's too crafty to be stopped by a simple trick."

Once Jaime dislodged the sword, Zola flung Jaime into Specter, who caught and set him down. Zola was about to swung herself over when a yellow blur flew right out of the ceiling and headbutted her back. Zola went flying across the cave and slammed into a wall.

"Ugh…" Zola peeled off and fell onto the ground.

Specter clutched the khopesh protectively. "As I thought…"

Garret landed in front of Specter and smirked. "New spell, Specs? That one wasn't hard to dispel."

Specter hissed. "How were ye not crushed? Ye shouldn't have been able to overlap with solid ground."

"I study in Spatial Magic, genius. That's one of the first things you learn. Now, this one's a different story…" Garret spread his legs out and stiffened his posture as white magic crackled over his body.

Jaime glared. "What the hell…?"

"Jaime, get back to the ship with Zola," Specter ordered as he withdrew his sword. "Things are about to get intense."

"Wha-?" Jaime was able to say before Zola snatched his wrist and whisked him away. The Darumaka watched in awe as Garret unleashed a vast veil of magic from his body, blazing with raw intensity.

"Mystic Burst!"

Specter matched him with his sword lighting in spectral flame. "Flames of the Restless!"

They rammed into each other and struck with the intensity to shake the caverns. Zola and Jaime felt the raw shaking travel after them with stalactites raining over their heads. Jaime could see the mix of green and white magic flooding the end of the tunnel. He could feel each clash both fighters took at each other, a sharp rumbling in the pit of his stomach.

"Whoa…" Jaime awed.

"So, he got away?" Pelham asked as he looked over the captain's injuries.

Specter grunted as the Conkeldurr rubbed a soothing ointment on his back. "Agh! Damn Ravenfield, did he really need to drag me across the walls? I don't have magic to cover my back." Specter groaned and massaged his shoulder. "Yeah, he got away. At least we got the khopesh."

"This thing's supposed to be worth ten thousand bits, right?" Breok asked as he examined the blade.

"Twenty thousand, actually. And now it's in our hands." Specter laughed through his grin. "Ye can't win them all, Ravenfield." Specter sat up and stretched his arms. "Crew! This calls for a celebration! Let's get drunk!"

"I like the sound of that," Pelham said as he packed his medical kit away.

Zola cracked her knuckles. "I'll crack open a fresh barrel."

"And make us some of your world famous stew, Zola!" Breok exclaimed, earning a slap in the face by her tail.

"Don't hold your breath." She headed down to the cellar while the rest of the crew cheerfully marched into the dining hall.

Specter laughed as he rubbed his side. He prepared to join them, but stopped upon spotting Jaime looking over the side of the ship. He seemed to be watching the clouds gently moving past their ship as they were currently stationary. Specter threw his coat on and joined the Darumaka's side.

"Good work out there, kid," Specter praised. "Ye were a big help."

Jaime sighed. "Always happy to help."

"Somethin' buggin' ye?"

"Well…I'm not upset or anything, just…been doing a lot of thinking."

"Ah, that so?" Specter chuckled. "I know what ye're thinkin'."

"Really?" Jaime asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, and the answer is no. I'm not lettin' ye man the cannons if we get into an air fight."

Jaime snapped into an annoyed glare and bashed his captain hard on the head. "That's not what I meant, you scatterbrained pirate!"

"Gah! Still injured!"

Jaime sighed and peered over the ship again. "Well, the thing is, I don't feel like I'm pulling my own weight around here."

"Huh? What do ye mean? Ye're a valuable member of the crew."

Jaime crossed his arms onto the edge. "Sure, but…what good of a crewmate am I if I can't hold my own in a fight? There's no way I could take on someone like Ravenfield like you can. The others can fight on their own. Me? I'm only good for stealing."

Specter rolled his eye. "No one got good at fightin' in a day, squirt. Don't sell yerself short, either. We never needed ye to get into those kinds of fights, so why start now?"

"I want to be strong enough to hold my own in a fight, to truly experience the freedom of a pirate." Jaime sighed. "I could've gotten the khopesh on my own, but I wouldn't have made it without Zola's help. What good am I other than a thief with a pointy knife?"

Specter pressed his hand down on the teen's head. "Ye've been with me for a good five years, squirt. This kind of junk takes time to get the hang of. Ye need to find yer niche for battle. Did ye think I was a master with me sword when I first got it?"

"I'm guessing no?"

"Course not! It took time, but I knew the legendary Sword and Eye of Silence were the right weapons for me alone to wield. I knew it the second I first stole them that these were the weapons for me." Specter sighed, then leaned against the ship. "I don't see why ye're so beat up over being a weak link when ye're not."

Jaime narrowed his eyes. "Well, would it be wrong of me to…one day become my own captain?"

Specter raised his brow. "Come again?"

"Nothing against you, Captain, it's just…I don't know, I idolize you and your battles against Ravenfield. I wish I could fight like that, have my own archrival to battle. I want to have my own crew to pass your teachings down to." Jaime narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I just want to, one day, surpass you as a great pirate."

Specter blinked in surprise, then snickered, irking the Darumaka. "Heh, no, no, don't misinterpret me. I'm not laughin' at ye. It's just funny." The captain leaned forward and gazed at the clouds below. "I said the same thin' to me grandfather."

Jaime raised his brow. "Seriously?"

"Almost word for word. Not a lot of people know this, but me grandfather was one of the strongest pirates that sailed the skies. No one dared mess with him or his crew. Ye know why?"

"No."

"Ever heard of an infamous pirate crew known as the Golden Tooth Grins?"

Jaime closed his eyes and thought it over. "Um…I think once. I heard…in their last ever raid, they killed a rival crew's helmsman. Wrong place, wrong time, the documents said. I don't remember much else about them, or even which crew the helmsman belonged to."

"The Underworld Raiders."

A serious delivery from his captain sent spinetingling chills through the Darumaka. Instant vertigo warped his senses as he backed away from the edge, clutching his chest and feeling the sudden beating of his heart.

"The…THE Underworld R-Raiders?"

A dark, sad smirk stretched over the captain's face. "I was…maybe nine or ten when it happened. Me father disapproved of his father's lifestyle, but I was enamored by it. Wanted posters were me prized collection of him. Documents of his raids were keepsakes to brag about to the local children. I felt no shame admitting me granddad was the strongest pirate crew around. I idolized him and looked for every chance to go see him, even against me father's wishes."

Jaime blinked, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You…Your grandfather was the legendary captain who disappeared nearly twenty-five years ago?"

"That's right."

"…What happened, then?"

Specter closed his eye and sighed. "Let me tell ye, me granddad was a jovial man who could never stay mad at anyone. He felt no hostility, not even when shot through the shoulder by an officer. He just said 'Good job upholdin' the law. We need folk like ye to keep scumbags like me off the streets.' It was hard to hate him, even when he was a terror.

"That doesn't mean he didn't have his enemies, and the Golden Tooth Grins were no exception. A haggard bunch that were truly scum. Me grandfather didn't give two shits about who got in his way, but he was a man raised on chivalry. He never directly put women or children in danger, and he never fought back against an unarmed man. He destroyed, but he had standards."

"I thought pirates didn't care about the laws of the land," Jaime reminded. "Why care if lives are destroyed?"

"Pirates of the old days were like that, but me grandfather wanted to be better than that. He wasn't a good man, but he didn't have to be a bad one, either. The old beliefs that pirates were lecherous scumbags that killed innocents and abused women for their own sick desires were supposed to be a thing of the past. That's why me grandfather was remembered. Fear drove pirates to have some standards.

"The Golden Tooth Grins were those cases where pirates wanted to continue with the old ways, believing they are the center of the world. They hated me grandfather, so decided to stick it to him. Me grandfather's helmsman just happened to be in that very town that got raided. They recognized him…and killed him without a second thought."

Jaime flinched. "Dang."

Specter sighed. "Me grandfather showed pride in his crew and would always kvell in their honor. They were like family. And one of his rules was: ye don't mess with family."

"I'm…almost afraid to ask, but…what exactly did he do?"

Specter smirked. "Me grandfather didn't particularly care for that rantipole gang of hoodlums, but he never sought to start a war with them. However, the second word got back that he lost his helmsman, Hell broke loose." Specter sighed. "I should stress the Golden Tooth Grins weren't amateurs, either. They had the power to take on most anyone and an armada that put me grandfather's one ship to shame, so I can't blame them for a swollen ego.

"The Underworld Raiders…massacred their entire fleet."

Jaime's eyes boggled from his skull. "They did WHAT?!"

"It wasn't a small massacre, either. Their ships were torn to shreds and bodies were found impaled decoratively on the remains. It was a major wakeup call to everyone who saw some good in Gramps. Underneath that jovial exterior was the cruelest man in the skies.

"He tore their ships from the sky and sent them crashing into a gorge in the Earth Zone. That particular gorge was known as Red Death Gorge. That name had to come from somewhere. Can you guess why?"

Jaime felt weak and looked over the ship in case something surged up. "I'm good…"

Specter shrugged, then continued. "Me grandfather personally went after their captain. To the captain's credit, he got some pretty good shots off on Gramps, but it wasn't enough to save his life. Gramps made sure his last few moments were utter Hell. He wanted the Golden Tooth Grins' deaths to remind pirates everywhere that he will hunt them to the edge of the earth until justice is served. That's the reason why me father was so adamant against him. It wasn't just because he was a pirate. He knew Gramps his whole life. He knows just how cruel a man he can be."

Jaime gripped his shirt and sweated profusely. "D-Damn…"

Specter leaned back and stretched his arms. "That's actually why the Underworld Raiders had to disband. What they did was so gruesome that any semblance of freedom they had suddenly left them. Me dad took Gramps in with us due to his injuries. That's how I found out about the incident. He died four years later due to complications from his injuries."

Jaime narrowed his eyes. "I'm…sorry for your loss."

Specter shrugged. "It's no big deal. I wasn't really sad or anythin'."

"…Why did you tell me this?"

The captain chuckled. "Do ye know what lengths I would go to if one of me own were in danger?"

"No…"

"Can't say I have me gramps' explosive passion for the theatrics, but I like to think I would go the extra mile for me crew." Specter grinned at Jaime. "I'm tellin' ye this because it's a piece of wisdom ye should take with ye if ye want to be a captain of yer own crew someday."

"Really?"

Specter nodded. "The trust between a captain and his crew is the most important rule of being a pirate. Ye need to make the important sacrifices. Ye need to be strong for them, for their sake. If it's power ye seek, go the extra mile for it. But remember, power comes second to the happiness of one's crew, even if it means danger ahead."

Jaime frowned. "Is the crew's happiness that important to you?"

"Let me put it like this. I would do anythin' to see me crew smile. I need to remind them why I'm their captain and that I'll guide them to the true freedom they seek. A captain's priorities should always be their crew's happiness."

Jaime blinked, then looked over the side of the ship. "The crew's happiness…"

Arid covered his face and grumbled. "Some captain I turned out to be…" He sighed and looked back at the clouds. "I should've never left the crew. Over twenty years since I last saw the captain. I could've been there. Maybe they would still be around if I stayed."

He turned onto his side and closed his eyes. "I could really use your advice now, Captain. I…I don't know what to do anymore." He sighed through his nose. "What do I do now?"