B2 Chapter 13: Not Even a Bottle of Rum (Patreon)

The pirates shoved me into a dark, empty room in the recesses of the ship. I stumbled in and fell to all fours. Surprised that neither my acrobatics skill or Nights Eye came to save me. Their loss was a chilling realization of how vulnerable I now was. These weren’t just optional abilities or techniques that I would occasionally call on like Savage Rupture. They had become a part of my core senses. It’d felt like I’d gone from twenty twenty vision to being short sighted in an instant.

I heard the door lock behind me before I could get to my feet. One of the pirates ordered the other named Sam to remain behind and watch the door. Not that it would change anything with these suppression cuffs on.

I yanked at the chains. They rattled but wouldn’t give. The metal was like steel or something stronger. Whatever they were, I wasn’t breaking out of them.

The pirate who stood watch outside heard my struggles and laughed. “Bang all you like. It won’t make a difference when we get to town and turn in your bounty.”

“What if I could pay you more?” I asked. I couldn’t, but a bluff was worth trying.

Sam snorted. “You’ve got fifty thousand hidden in your pants?”

“Fifty?! The bounty said I was worth thirty.”

“I added twenty for the extra risk it would cost me to spring you loose.”

“Okay, fine.”

“And I suppose all I have to do is unlock your cuffs so that you can access your inventory?”

He laughed again when I didn’t respond. He was right. There was no way to pay him without putting himself at enormous risk. He’d known that the whole time, but he’d chose to string me along to help pass the time. I swallowed my anger and decided there was another way I could use him via information.

“Do you know who put the bounty on me?” I asked.

“Nah. Must be someone important though, if they’ve got thirty large ones lying around to spend.”

So thirty thousand was a lot of money for this floor. At least that was something, though I still hadn’t the faintest idea who’d want me captured. Every enemy I could think of was dead, so that only left somebody new. The gods had fostered a competitive spirit between us tower climbers, so it was likely that one of them saw me as a threat. Maybe Jason? He was the most standoffish at the party. If the portal had dropped him near this so-called town, then he could have done it. Which means I’m dead if the Black Corsairs hand me over.

In the dark, my fingers searched the cuffs until they found the keyhole. The captain likely has the key but every lock can be picked if one has the right tool and enough patience. With the town being at least two days sail away, I had plenty of the latter.

I went back down and crawled in the dark on all fours. My hands searching for something, anything, that could work as a tool. I reached one wall and moved along it until I brushed against something that felt like a person’s leg.

Is that a dead body?

A hand lashed out and clamped itself around my throat. I let out a shocked gasp before my airway closed up. My fists pounded uselessly against the enormous hand that gripped me. This thing’s strength was implacable, even though it also wore chains that I suspected were another set of suppression cuffs.

The doorway opened and light shone back into the room. The pirate outside must have heard me choking and came to check on me.

He cursed and strode into the room while reaching into his belt. The being attacking me was still mostly hidden in shadow, though I could now tell that it was a large, bearded man.

The pirate pointed his revolver at the bearded man, but his grip on my throat didn’t waver. “We need him alive, but not you. You’re still breathing incase you’re worth anything once we dock. Now put him down.”

The pirate could see by my tomato colored face that his words had no effect. He sighed and pulled back the hammer on his revolver. This produced a sound. An unmistakable mechanical sound that caused the bearded man’s head to shift a fraction. He took in the scene in front of him and then released me.

I fell down wheezing and scrambled away to the other corner of the room before he changed his mind.

The pirate uncocked the hammer and lowered his gun. “Good, but remember, I won’t hesitate if you try this again,” he warned before closing the door on us.

With the only light source gone, there was a tense moment of silence.

“Sorry,” the bearded man mumbled.

Wait a minute, I know that voice.

“Roland?”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you attack me?”

“Who’s me?” he asked, confused.

“It’s Lucas. Remember the party? We crashed together in a spaceship?”

How does he not remember any of this?

“You were the tan one who sat next to me?”

“No, that was Jason. I was the other one. You know, the one driving the ship.”

“Ah yes, the one who smelled of blood. I remember. Sorry again for before. Sometimes I attack people while still asleep. When that happens, danger is the only thing that wakes me up.”

I don’t know where to even start with that. Moving on to more pertinent questions, I asked, “how did you get here?”

“When I went through the space door, I suddenly fell into the water. This ship was nearby and with nothing else around, I swam to it. Once aboard, I demanded that they take me back to the forest, but they refused. I tried to make them but I then I got hit with some form of magic,” he spat like it was a dirty word before continuing. “They subdued me, put me in irons, and I’ve been down here since. I think they plan to sell me once we get to this town of theirs.”

“Yeah, they have something similar in mind for me,” I said before lowering my voice. “How about we rush that pirate holding us and take his gun? Once we get free of these suppression cuffs, the two of us could take over the ship.”

“And then sail back to the forest?” he asked in a hopeful tone.

“Sure,” I lied.

Man, this guy’s really not all there.

We decided, and by that I mean I decided, that the best course of action was to repeat what had happened before. Reluctantly, I let him choke me again and after a few startled gasps; the pirate opened the door. Once Roland let go of me, the plan was to rush him as soon as he got close enough.

He stood in the doorway with a lantern in one hand and the gun in another.

“You know, I can shoot the mountain man in the head and you in the leg before either of you makes it across the room.”

Roland let go of me. Even he realized that the plan was doomed from the start. “I am not a mountain man,” he said indignantly.

“You heard us?” I asked in disbelief, wondering if he had some sort of skill related to perception.

Sam laughed. “No, I just knew that you wouldn’t be stupid enough to get attacked by accident twice, and this one is too dumb to come up with a plan. It was obvious that you two were working together.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re too smart to be a pirate?”

“No, but it's nice of you to say,” he grinned, before closing the door again.

He could be another shapeshifter. I’m not sure if the gods were allowed to come here themselves, but they could definitely send representatives on their behalf. He could also be an alien working a job undercover like the merchants were in the last town. Regardless, it didn’t matter now.

With our plan ruined, the two of us returned to silence until I heard Roland’s snoring. Other than being away from his forest, he didn’t seem too bothered about his situation and further attempts at conversation with him only prompted grunts or one word answers, so I gave up and let him sleep.

The light from the pirate’s visits had shown me that, except for Roland and myself, the room was empty. There was nothing for me to use as a weapon or a lockpick. The only thing I had that showed a sliver of promise was the blood cache bracer I was still wearing. I guess they figured there was no need since I wouldn’t have access to any magic or abilities while wearing the cuffs, but they were wrong. I could feel a connection to the blood, though it was so faint that it was easy to overlook. But it was there. I focused on that blood connection for hours, unable to make it grow stronger and unable to put my awareness on anything else. That was until the roaring explosions.

“What is it?” asked Roland.

“A battle,” I replied while making myself as small as I could.

A cannonball smashed through the wall to my left and out the other side, leaving me in a state of frozen terror. Anyone getting hit by one of those is going to be reduced to a meat pulp. My mind kept asking itself whether cannonballs could hit the same exact spot twice. Like, was it safer to be where a cannonball had already hit, or was it more dangerous?

I couldn’t come up with an answer and braced myself when more gunpowder exploded above. It seems that the Black Corsairs were returning fire.

Curious, I looked through the hole and caught a glimpse of the attacking ship. Its main sail proudly displayed an image of a golden snake eating its own tail.

The Golden Serpents. They’re attacking this ship for being in their territory. Not that I care or that it matters. If one pirate captain has my wanted poster, then the other likely does as well.

“Move aside,” said Roland. “I will make the hole bigger so that we can swim away.”

The thought of what swam in those waters caused my terror to return.

“We’re in the middle of an ocean!” I rationalized. “There’s nowhere to swim to.”

He ignored me and started ripping away small chunks of wood around the hole. It was tough work and even with all his strength, he struggled to make progress. It was only when the door swung open a third time that he stopped. The pirate Sam was there. His cheery demeanor replaced with a grim one.

“Come on. The captain wants you both on deck,” he said, waving his gun around in a way that suggested he wouldn’t take no for an answer.