Story by me.
Proof reading and editing by SeverinadeStrango.
Enjoy.
Ensign Emmett was uncomfortable in his position tied to the mast of the raft.
"Excuse me, young lady, but when are you going to let me go?" The otter asked.
"You, shut up. Bonnie, when do we reach Blood Shoals?" Isabel ordered, as she felt irritated by Emmett. At first she wanted to prove to him that she was right and then leave him on Blood Shoals, but now she just wanted him to be quiet.
"We should arrive in fifteen minutes, Captain." Bonnie answered as the others were sharpening their weapons.
"Okay, good. Egg Shen, keep an eye out for enemy ships, Marchioness, see if you spot Ratbeard's' ship." Isabel ordered as Lasko beamed.
"Ratbeard would be proud to see you act like a good leader." The rat pirate grinned as did the blond.
"Why would you care about what that traitor thinks of you?" The Otter Ensign wondered before Isabel slapped him harshly across the face.
"One: Don't talk about him like that in front of me and two: He's my dad!" The girl exclaimed.
"What?! But He doesn't even have a wife!" Emmett gasped. "I'm adopted - he, Lasko and his crew took care of me and raised me. So don't talk to him like you know him, otter!" Isabel growled.
"Listen, he would sell out his own mother if he had on-" Emmett tried to reason.
"Bonnie Anne, you have my permission to punch him in the spot where the sun don't shine if he keeps making me mad." Isabel ordered as the fox musketeer gave a salute.
"Yes ma'am. You better keep your mouth shut, Emmett." The sharpshooter warned as the Ensign gulped.
"Captain, no sign of Ratbeard's ship near this area. It is possible that he landed on Blood Shoals. We will reach that area soon." Egg Shen reported as the girl nodded.
"All right everyone, we are soon going to land, make sure that everyone is ready and be prepared for anything. Egg Shen, you're in charge of Emmett. Make sure he doesn't get away." The captain ordered her first mate.
"Yes ma'am, I'll make sure he stays close." Egg Shen bowed as he began untying him from the pole and tied him up again to Isabel's' wrist.
"Now once we find Ratbeard and prove you wrong-"
"You'll kill me." The otter shivered in fear that this would be her answer.
"No, but I will leave you on the island with the ship vendors." Isabel answered as she pointed to the two men on the beach.
"Captain, there are footprints that lead to the cave." Egg Shen reported as he pointed to Traitor's Cave.
"Alright, we'll head to the cave and find everyone. I'm sure Ratbeard would be so happy to find out that I'm okay." Isabel smiled as she and Lasko nodded in agreement.
"That old sea rat will jump with joy of having his daughter returned safely. But before we go in, I want to say how proud of you I am for being able to get this far in your quests. And I want to thank your crew for looking out for you." Lasko turned to the pirates.
"It's nothing, we should be thanking her." Bonnie Anne smiled as she and Egg Shen patted their captain's head.
"She has helped us so many times, we would be willing to do the same for her." Egg Shen explained as the crew soon entered Traitor's Cave. The place was crawling with bugs and a very odd smell. It gave Goldy shivers, and he hid in Izzy's shirt.
"What's that horrid smell?" The Marchioness wondered, as it was repulsive and rancid.
"I would know that smell anywhere. It's the smell of decay, of rotting flesh. It is the smell of corpses being feasted upon by flies as the flesh is soon falling-" Egg Shen explained.
"Okay Egg Shen, we get it. Dead things rotting! Don't have to explain any further." The fox woman pleaded as she covered her ears, for she and the others were turning green.
"I am sorry. I did not mean to disgust you." The goose student apologized as the smell got worse as they followed the footprints.
"What is this stench coming from? It's way too strong." Bonnie said as it smelled even more horrid.
"You don't think that they all-" Lasko began as they all looked at each other in panic.
They couldn't be, could they? In complete fear of what might await them, they all rushed up to the end of Traitor's Cave to see the most horrid thing that could ever be seen.
Jack, Manny, and Moe, lying on the table that held the food from a large feast, motionless and still. Their mouths were wide open and their eyes were dulled. They were all dead. But there was no sign of their captain, Isabel's adopted father.
"Moe... Jack... Manny... they're all gone…!" Isabel gasped as she fell to her knees in despair of their loss, tears blinding her eyes.
"Oh, Izzy, I'm so sorry." Lasko sighed with tears in his eyes as well as she began to sob.
"How did this happen? What evil creature would do this?" Egg Shen shook with his eyes widened in horror at these poor souls' demise. The Monquistador walked to the glass of Yum that wasn't spilled. She observed the glass to see that something was wrong with the drink. Marchioness sniffed it to be sure, and she was sadly correct.
"This Yum was tainted. This type of brew was mixed with a unique type of toxin from a Ghost fang, a rare spirit sky snake that's venom will promote instant death to any who drink it. They were all poisoned. By whom is a mystery. But there is no sign of Ratbeard in this area. So it is a possibility that he is alive." The privateer explained in detail.
"You're right, pirate." A ghostly voice answered as everyone looked around for the source.
The three ghosts of the late rat pirates soon appeared. "We were poisoned and Ratbeard is not here. For he has betrayed us and killed us all."