After a long wait that certainly didn't suit Wesley's lack of patience, the anticipated meeting with Captain Russel can finally commence. Prepare yourselves, as you'll now be introduced to the intimidating subordinates that serve the captain with loyalty and obedience. This chapter features a massive dialoque, possibly the longest so far. Will the captain and his subordinates be persuaded into assisting Wesley on his quest, or are they forced to find an alternative route across the sea? There's only one way to find out. Please enjoy this chapter, and be sure to leave a comment to let me know what you think ^.^

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Chapter 54 - The subordinates

The expected meeting was about to begin. My footsteps echoed throughout the dark corridors inside the ship as I was approaching the captain's cabin, this time with Russel by my side. A confident smile had appeared on my face, as I now wouldn't need to worry about the oversized buffoon guarding the door. My patience had finally paid off, and I sensed that my excitement had once again awakened. The captain walked right in front of me, and I watched the long white hair resting on his back. It seemed far more smooth and clean than you would expect of a pirate. As I was becoming mentally psyched for the approaching meeting, the conversation shared with Russel retreated to the back of my memory. Many questions were left unanswered, but we had much more important matters at hand. Once we made the cross around the corner, where the navigator claimed that the captain's cabin would be found, it didn't take long for me to track it down. Not only did the door to his cabin really stand out with ornamental carvings in the wood; there was also a large bloke guarding the door, just as I had been warned. Despite my confident thoughts about taking him on earlier, his exterior did leave me quite intimidated. He was a large and muscular sailor, a powerful bear with biceps that could bend iron like rubber. Next to Raksasha, I was quite convinced that he was the strongest individual on this vessel. And I suddenly found myself relieved that I decided to remain patient. He was standing next to the door with his strong arms crossed. A red bandanna was covering his head, tied with a knot on the back. He seemed to have a problem with keeping his sharp fangs hidden in his mouth. Once we appeared within his eyesight, his focus was instantly directed towards me. The obvious distrust made me shiver. I found myself hiding a little behind the captain, hoping that I would stay out of harm if only I made it clear that I was an ally of Russel. The white shirt worn by the bear seemed to be under a lot of pressure, keeping his muscular chest contained. My presence made him snort, causing his big snout to wiggle.

I watched as the captain approached the brute guarding the door, before giving him a silent order with his eye. The large sailor lowered his muscular arms and nodded once to confirm his obedience. He slowly stepped aside, offering us room to access the captain's cabin, before crossing his arms again. The captain walked past the large brute and entered his cabin, and I followed him a moment later. But once I walked past the oversized bear myself, I could sense his eyes following me, while tapping his fingers on his broad bicep. With no words spoken, he made it perfectly clear that I would only enter that room with the captain's permission. Once stepping inside the cabin, my eyes met the sight of a long wooden table with numerous cushioned chairs around it. A thin piece of cloth covered the table's board, and I noticed several bowls filled with various exotic fruit, possibly left as a gesture of hospitality. Gary apparently never left the room - he was standing in the far corner, gazing out of a shut window. I wanted to greet him, but the captain was quick to approach our hooded companion, possibly to resume the conversation they were having before. So I decided to just remain quiet and wait for the other participants supposed to show up. The captain certainly enjoyed a touch of luxury in his cabin, as I noticed he had his own desk in the far back of the cabin. An open book was left on the desk, and right next to it was a pen decorated with a quill, stuck in a small bottle of ink. Perhaps it was some sort of personal diary or journal.

After having waited for no more than a couple of minutes, our group was expanded as more people joined us in the captain's cabin. The first man to arrive was Newton, the slightly arrogant navigator wearing his elegant clothes. Our eyes met for a brief moment, but he didn't show any sign of recognition. I suspected that he would rather stay clear of my company. The following moment, a rather interesting woman entered the room. She was a captivating and gorgeous cougar, with a large golden ring in her left ear. Her white top revealed a lot of cleavage, and her legs were hidden by black tight pants. Like the captain, she also wore a tricorn hat, but somewhat less worn and with a golden trim. Complete with strapped leather boots, she seemed incredibly alluring and intimidating at the same time. But once I was met by her cold and stern gaze, I sensed the presence of a deadly viper, a relentless and unpredictable woman who would slit the throat of any fool underestimating her capabilities. My intuition told me that I had better keep a sharp eye on her and do my best to remain on her good side. Minor vibrations in the floor warned me about the next participant arriving, and as expected, Raksasha entered the door. She still seemed pretty woozy after having enjoyed the snooze, but I was glad to see that she was able to find her way on her own. Once these participants had arrived to join the meeting, the large sailor guarding the entrance stepped inside and shut the door. Of course, he was one of the captain's subordinates as well, as Newton informed me. Now that we were all assembled in the captain's cabin, I thought it was time to shake hands and introduce ourselves. But the captain and his terrifying subordinates had apparently decided to skip that part, as they all took a seat by the long wooden table shortly after entering the cabin. Raksasha and I did the same without asking questions, and Gary became the last man joining us at the table. After that, things turned pretty awkward.

Everyone just sat down and remained quiet for a moment, keeping our eyes focused on the strangers sitting across the table. We were checking eachother out, and from what I could tell, the subordinates weren't too excited about their first impression of me. I was convinced that my noble exterior made them associate me with an enforcer of the law, and thus, an obvious enemy of the pirates. The large sailor was resting his broad arms on the table and tapping his fingers on the wooden board impatiently. His focus seemed particularly directed towards Raksasha, as he probably saw her as a rival in terms of physical prowess. It was fairly clear that the female sailor had already grown bored in our company. She was sitting right across the table from where I was located, balancing a sharp dagger vertically on her finger, seemingly succeeding at doing so without putting too much effort into it. The disordered way she was sitting on her chair revealed the presence of a rather carefree attitude, but the captain didn't seem to expect polished manners from his subordinates. After a short while, the awkward silence was really gnawing on me, and I begun questioning what we were waiting for. I found myself contemplating how it would be wise to start a conversation with a group like this. Countless potential lines browsed through my head, but I couldn't find the courage to speak a single word. My lips motioned as I attempted to conquer my own insecurity, but it quickly became clear to me that someone else had to initiate this meeting. I eventually turned my head towards the captain sitting by the end of the table, to find out what was delaying him. He turned out to be occupied with dusting off his worn tricorn hat. Right after having put his hat back on and adjusted it, he finally spoke.

Russel : Excellent! Everyone has arrived, and right on time. Please, feel free to take what ye want from the bowls. The fruit are quite fresh and juicy. And of course, very nutritious.
Wesley : Thank you, captain. We appreciate your hospitality. May I suggest that you start out with introducing these, uh... interesting people that you have invited to the meeting?
Russel : Of course. They are my most trusted subordinates, and by far the most fierce fighters among my crew. The snazzy and fancy-looking fellow with the ponytail is Newton, the navigator aboard me ship.
Newton : You have a destination? Then leave the rest to me...
Russel : The astonishing lass sitting over there is Valeska, my faithful first mate and possibly the swiftest blade onboard. Don’t let her alluring exterior deceive ye, she is lethal and venomous like a black widow.
Valeska : If I catch you frowning at me, I’ll make a necklace out of your eyeballs. So you’d better not make yourself a target for my fury.
Russel : Uh...She’s more social after a few mugs of ale, trust me. The burly hunk sitting by the other end of the table is Barokko, a high ranked canonneer and arguably the strongest member of my crew.
Valeska : He also qualifies for the award as the most sluggish.
Barokko : Bah! Shut yer hole.
Valeska : Why don’t you make me, you oversized waste of breath!?
Newton : That’s enough, shimmer down. Anyhow, now that you know who we are, how about telling us a bit about yourselves?

The woman’s courage left me impressed, as I wouldn’t have expected her to pick a fight with that powerful sailor. But from what I could tell by the tone of their voices, this was not the first time that she had challenged him. Her fiery attitude was bound to get her into serious trouble someday. Newton’s question lingered for a moment, as we hadn’t planned out who should be introduced first. For unknown reasons, my eyes surveyed the room for a brief moment before becoming fixed on Valeska’s prominent bosom. It would be a lie if I claimed that I wasn’t curious, because none of the women within my kingdom dressed up so suggestively. Where I came from, you wouldn’t see a woman showing off her bosom so invitingly, unless she had eyed you out as a potential lover. But that was not exactly the case on this ship. Now that my eyes were already exploring her partly exposed bosom, I noticed that a white object was nestled between her breasts. It turned out to be the large tooth of a shark, attached to a string going around her neck as an amulet. I instantly found myself sympathizing with the unfortunate shark that came across this vile woman, during the progress of its own life. Valeska apparently sensed that I was staring at her, and as her sight was raised to meet my own, I quickly looked away. Being caught staring at her breasts were bound to make her exchange the tooth with one of my eyeballs. She send me a suspicious look. To act before things became awkward, I decided to become the first of us to introduce ourselves. I cleared my throat.

Wesley: I am Wesley Lightweaver, a royal guard of King Lionheart, dispatched on a quest from the great kingdom of Zalsaroth. On behalf of every surviving Zalsarian, I seek the power to vanquish the lich king before our earth succumbs to his malicious corruption.
Barokko: Futile efforts.
Raksasha: My name is Raksasha Arajah, a warrior from the deserts of Sanathir, sworn to assist Wesley in his quest.
Valeska: Isn’t she one of those barbarians?
Barokko: Seems like it.
Gary: I’m Gary Jenkins, a notorious thief of great renown, who used to serve as Russel’s navigator many years ago.
Wesley: So that is how you two know eachother.
Russel: Aye! Ol’ Jenkins served aboard me ship for nearly a decade, and guess what? He even saved this vermin’s hide once, back when we were chased across the sea by the French navy forces. They were right on the tail of our vessel and attempted to cut off our escape route, and then I failed to anticipate the approach of a cannonball coming in my direction. It was about to crash through the deck right where I was standing!
Gary: Yeah. Back then, he actually still had both his eyeballs. So you would’ve thought that he would’ve been paying more attention.
Russel: Ye should’ve seen that swift scoundrel, rushing across the deck to pull me out of harms way during the very last second, just before the cannonball blew up the deck of me vessel. What a thrilling experience, I tell ye! A geyser of chipped wood rose from the hole and scattered it all over the place. I still have a couple of scars from standing too close to it.
Gary: Repairing the hull of the ship almost robbed us for everything that we were able to plunder and pillage from the French colonies. But as the captain said himself, the adventure itself is the finest reward. Everything we plunder on the way should be considered nothing more than a bonus.
Russel: Cheers, mate!

Gary Jenkins - a hero among outlaws. Although heroic deeds are mostly associated with valor, I wasn’t certain how to cope with him having a title like that within this criminal environment. Back in Paravil, the king would have him face the gallows if anyone addressed him by that title.

Wesley: It’s kind of you to willingly share your experiences and tales from the past, but I believe there is a more urgent matter to discuss.
Russel: Arh yes, I was almost carried away. Please, speak yer mind.
Wesley: We’ve been told that several miles from the western coast, there’d be a cave shaped into a cliff which can only be accessed by sea. This cave contains a sacred relic that is vital for our desired victory against Lord Zervas. But I’ll admit that our source of information is mildly unreliable...
Barokko: Nonsense.
Valeska: A hollowed out cliff only several miles from the western shore? Nope, never heard of it. What about you, Newton?
Newton: I don’t know what to say. We’ve roamed these waters countless times and never found this cliff that he speaks of. So it'sconvenient to believe that they’ve been misled by a fraud.
Wesley: Hell no! I refuse to believe that we’ve come all this way for nothing. Please, think harder!
Newton: Alright. Tell us more about this valuable relic that you seek. If there is any other information that might help, then don’t hold back.
Wesley: Okay, listen up. We were told that this hidden cave would be the home of a legendary blade, that was once known as the “Heaven’s Divider”. It belonged to the courageous paladin by the name Panadeus, a warrior of light who was vanquished in his attempt to defeat the lich king. This blade is empowered by the holy blessing of Shévolyn herself, and holds the key to destroy Lord Zervas once and for all.
Russel: Shiver me timbers, lad! Ye be talking about the cursed sword found on Starlight Island. A fancy blade with shiny steel, adorned with a large transparent emerald. Aye, there be no mistaking. That must be it.
Wesley: So you have heard about it! Haven't you?

The captain's subordinates nodded quietly. A brief moment of silence invaded the cabin. It became clear to me that the mention of this blade left everyone concerned for unknown reasons. They appeared to be lost in thought. I grabbed this opportunity to reach out and take an apple from the bowl standing close to me. It was red and shiny, but not much larger than a plum. All this talking left my throat dry. So I took a bite and felt my tongue being bathed by the juice of the apple. It had a bittersweet flavor with an interesting touch that I could only associate with wine. There were many exotic fruit available that I had never seen before. But I wouldn't risk eating something that I didn't like and ending up insulting the captain's hospitality by gagging. Valeska spoke with a low voice.

Valeska: Every pirate knows about that sword...
Barokko: She ain't lying. But around these parts, sailors are more likely to recognize that blade by the name “The Untouchable”.
Newton: It’s the divine treasure that every man desires. But every pirate who values his own life, will know that he is better off staying far away from that sword. And I would recommend that you do the same.
Wesley: That sword is our only hope if we want to destroy Lord Zervas and emerge victorious from the coming war. It alone contains the power required to pierce the lich king’s barrier of immortality, so that we can put an end to his reigns of terror. The blood of our fallen stains the fields of Zalsaroth...and as a survivor of this horror, I intend to avenge those that have been slain. Please tell me, what is it about that sword that can intimidate a whole crew of bold pirates such as yourselves?
Russel: I told ye, the blade be cursed! Many pirates, adventurers and treasure hunters have attempted to claim the blade as their own. But no matter how big, strong or many they are... they all wind up dead.
Newton: Something lurks inside that cave. A fiendish entity, much too powerful for any mortal man to handle. Some believe that it’s a demonic phantom. It seems to be guarding this artifact, for reasons that none of us can fathom. But if you just let it be... it will remain in the cave and cause nobody harm. That is what everyone is hoping, at least.
Wesley: I understand why this cave makes you all tremble in fear. But no ghost or demonic entity can frighten me. I will acquire this sacred blade, even if it’ll be the last thing I ever do.
Russel: It be suicide, lad.
Newton: The captain is right. Are you aware that this foolhardy quest you are on might lead to your own demise?
Wesley: Yes. But if it is my destiny to be slain by this phantom, then so be it. The sacrifice of one life is a small price to pay for the chance of bringing salvation to thousands. My mind is set and no one can stop me.
Russel: Those eyes of yers are lit by sparkling flames of determination. I find that very inspiring, lad. Well then; is there anything left that ye would like to add, Wesley Lightweaver?
Wesley: No, captain. I believe this concludes our story.
Russel: In that case, I must ask ye all to step outside me cabin for a brief moment. Me subordinates and I will need to discuss this matter in privacy, to decide whether or not we have a role to play in this grand quest of yers. Just wait outside the door, it shan't take long.
Wesley: We'll be awaiting your response.

As the captain requested, we rose from our seats and left the room. Gary was the last man to leave the cabin, so he shut the door tight after having made his way outside. We waited. Eventually, about half an hour had passed by. My patience was once again wearing thin. Raksasha was leaning against the wall with her broad arms crossed and her eyes were closed. She wasn't sleeping, just resting. Gary was attempting to pass time by studying the various paintings lined along the wall. But the occasional sigh that he released confirmed that he was pretty much bored out of his mind. That applied to both of us. I was restlessly walking up and down the corridor at a very slow pace, resting both my arms on my back for comfort. A low grumble was heard underneath my breath. Even though the door was closed, voices could be heard from the other side. But my attempt to eavesdrop on their conversation was completely unsuccessful. The words were too unclear for me to understand, but I was able to identify the voices to figure out who was talking. Valeska's voice was raised often and dominated the conversation quite aggressively. This left me concerned and twice as anxious, as I could sense that we didn't have her vote in this matter. At this point, I was already starting to contemplate what other options we had available, in case the pirates couldn't be persuaded to assist us. But my mind was blank. It felt horrible to be at the mercy of a pirate's decision. Then the conversation inside the captain's cabin suddenly came to an end and everything went quiet for a moment. The door slowly opened. It was Newton. He beckoned us to come inside and return to our seats. They had finally come to a conclusion. Once I stepped back inside, the first thing that caught my attention was Valeska sending me a spiteful glance. Whatever was decided did certainly not please her. I was tempted to interpret that as a good omen. Raksasha, Gary and I returned to our seats by the table.

Wesley: Here we are. Have you reached a verdict, captain?
Russel: Aye. We've discussed the matter and reached an agreement.
Wesley: Go ahead.
Russel: To speak the truth, we pirates have a reputation to protect. As ye hopefully can imagine, we're not particularly interested in being mistaken for some kind of traveling service for adventurous landlubbers.
Wesley: What!? But...!
Barokko: Shut up and listen.
Russel: But after having made that point perfectly clear, let me remind ye that I still have a debt to settle with ol' Gary over there. So if ye insist on making yer way to that cursed island, then we'll take ye there. If I'm not mistaking, It should only delay our journey to Spain by half a day.
Newton: That is correct, captain.
Valeska: But there is one condition.
Wesley: I see. And what condition would that be?
Valeska: We'll take you to Starlight Island, but you'll have to explore it on your own. That cursed island is no place for a pirate...
Wesley: Those terms sounds acceptable to me. Gary, how do you feel about having your favor spend to benefit our quest?
Gary: I don't mind. Consider it a token of gratitude for keeping faith in me and not being deluded by those despicable rumors.
Wesley: Thank you, Gary.
Russel: Well, I'd say that settles it. Newton, Valeska and Barokko - order the crew to hoist the sail and prepare the vessel. Whip the slackers! There be no more time to lose. Mark our next destination - Starlight Island.

What a glorious conclusion to our long debate. Due to a heroic act performed by Gary in the past, the pirates were open for persuasion and have agreed to assist us in our quest. Our journey can now be resumed towards the mysterious Starlight Island, a place that strikes fear in the hearts of even the bravest of buccaneers. For once, it felt like Lady Luck was smiling to us. Now it was only a matter of time before the sacred blade would be within my line of sight. But despite of having been granted access to the cursed island, something made me feel disturbingly uneasy. After having analyzed my own stirred emotions, I came to the conclusion that it was not the phantom guarding the sword that was worrying me. At least not yet. There was something else. I had been hesitant regarding bringing this subject up with Gary and Raksasha, because I simply couldn't think up a genuine way to explain it. When I was standing by the rails of the ship and gazed towards the horizon, I sensed the presence of a malicious force of darkness lurking at sea. It was impossible for me to figure out who or what was emitting this dark energy, but my intuition told me that the carrier of such corruption would do anything possible to prevent us from reaching the "Heaven's Divider". We had to keep our eyes open and make haste, before this unknown entity would be able to catch up with us. The great menace of shadows...

...It was approaching.