Bounty Hunter Bash Sea Lock Final Part

 Kidnapped

They walked for the test of the day as they all carried a treasure chest between two each,  Kai and Gurter carried one Bounty Hunter Bash and Chashathrophogh carried one and Gerald and Cerpheres carried one. By the time they arrived at the shoreline it was well into the night. Which meant that they had to spend the night on the island. Kai and Chashathrophogh were sent one way to collect firewood as Gurter and Bash were sent another. During their journey Gurter walled up to Bash.

"You know you and your father?"

"Uncle."

"Your uncle, you're really good at this!"

"Yeah,  well it is someone part of our jobs but mainly his."

"And what are your jobs?"

"Well I'm a bounty hunter and my uncle is apparently a quester."

"Oh… So you're not that close?"

She looked down as she thought about that question.

"No. I guess not. Though I am learning to love him like I should. But it isn't normal. It's more like tough love."

Though I wish that I had a motherly kind of love right now…

She noted this.

"Tell me,  have you thought about doing this for the test of your life?"

"No. I just want to get the spell that binds my uncle and me broken. Then return to my life as a bounty hunter."

"But you're really, really good at this!" She said in a childlike tone.

She smiled as she shook her head.

"I know, but if I wanted to commit to this kind of thing, then I would have become a quester." She sighed. "Nah! I like to bring down people who think that justice is incapable of touching them."

"Why? That's so noble!"

She looked down and gave an apologetic smile.

"Not really. I mainly do it so that they know that it was me, a bastard princess that finally brought them down." She admitted.

Gurter smiled nervously.

"It seems that you're not as nice as you make yourself out to be."

"Wait, who said I was nice?"

She looked at her slightly uncertain about something.

"No one! I just got that impression."

She giggled slightly and Bash joined in as they collected the firewood.

"Come on,  we need to get back to camp."

She nodded and they made their way back with Bounty Hunter Bash leading the way. Cerpheres then lit a fire and started to play his violin,  giving off a cheerful melody. Then Gurter and Kai started preparing their meals and soon dished them out. As they ate Gerald pulled out a bottle of rum each.

"Why don't we make a toast to the treasure that we got?" He asked as he passed the bottles to each person.

"But I'm not sixteen yet!" Bash admitted. "I won't turn that age until at least another five months."

"Ah close enough,  plus what does it matter? There are some nations that allow you to drink when you're as young as twelve!"

She rolled her eyes as she saw his rosey cheeks.

Such a lightweight!

She took a sip with Chashathrophogh observing her carefully. The moment that she tasted the rum she spat it out. She had not tasted anything like it! She did not like the taste, it was weird and had a foul taste. She felt the taste cling to the back of her throat making her cough. At this Chashathrophogh laughed. They all looked at him. She had not heard him laugh like this before. It was lighthearted and warm in some strange way.

"What's wrong girl? Can't handle it!" He laughed.

She let out a groan out of annoyance.

"No, I don't like the taste, that's all!"

"Oh? Well I guess rum is the kind of drink that you get used to. I didn't like drinking it either. In fact I have a friend that helped me like it, but by gum! He could drink rum and beer like juice and faster too!"

"You know, I must admit that we're a bunch of weirdos! First Gerald, when I first met you I thought that you were a conman,  and I am so glad that I was not right! After all one could not ask for a better second in command! Second Gurter and Kai, when I met you two I thought that you were the rejects of pirates but you are the best cooks and cleaners we have! Cerpheres, when I met you I thought that you were nothing but a creep that needed a castration but you did your job and did it well in fact you have been the best entertainer that I have ever had! And Cari and Borevers, when I saw the two of you I thought of handing you over but once I knew that you were innocent I knew that choosing not to was the right thing to do. Yet I could never think that hiring you was the best idea that I ever had! And you have over performed your duties." He said as he clapped his hands.

Gerald chuckled as he gave him another bottle. Then he downed that and Bash gave him hers and he drank that too. That was when Cerpheres changed his tune. It was sweet and somber. It made her feel overwhelmingly sleepy. They found it was becoming more and more difficult to stay awake. Their eyelids became sticky and heavy as their eyes rolled back. Their minds became numb and their thoughts slipped away.

"It's alright. I'll be taking the first watch." Gerald said.

They nodes as their eyes closed. The next moment they woke up in a rocky cell. They spotted that the captain and several others were in the cell next to them. Even though his body was untouched his eyes were unfocused like he was in some type of trance. Yet he was sweating and his clothes were just hanging onto his body and the coat was half way down his upper arm.

They soon became alert and shot up to their feet. They then looked out through the bars and heard and saw none else. They looked at the gate. They used all their magic to will the gate to open. However the gate did not budge even an inch! They tried it again but nothing happened. Yet they could not help but feel the oppressing feeling every time they tried. It was like there was something blocking their magic.

"Goood morning sleeping beauties!" Purred Cerpheres.

"Are the guests of honour awake?"

"Yes Captain Gerald." He said with a mocking bow.

"Good."

"Wait what? 'Captain'?"

"Aye, I'm the great Captain Gerald of the Emerald Stealer! And this is my most trusted jester Cerpheres." Fraud said as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Never heard of you!"

"But I have. Though I did not recognise you as you've got way more wrinkles and your beard and hair are a bit gray and I must say well kept. Unlike the scruffy brown beard and hair that was all over the place. Was the priorate painted when you were in your late teens or early twenties?" She said with a hungry look in her eye. "I must say, you have a hefty bounty on your head!"

"Yeah I know! Speaking o' which,  Cerpheres start playing. I don't wanna take any chances!"

"Sure!"

He put his violin to his chin and started playing. Suddenly their bodies no longer listened to them and walked to the gate where Captain Gerald opened it. They then followed them to the decks,  where the passengers of the ship stood. It was all too clear that they had somehow gathered them all and they all had a strange trance. However the moment the pair saw them was the moment that they quickly figured out that they were all going to die. That was when Cerpheres changed his tune suddenly there were ropes around every single passenger. Yet they soon noticed that the ropes were not normal and they had been conjured up by magic and they were all made of metal. The ropes were so tight around their arena that none could move nor could anyone cut it. They tried to use all their magic to break the spells and ropes but they could not! They then looked at Cerpheres and, with a single smirk, tipped them off that he had something to do with it.

"Kai,  Gurter. Grab 'em." Captain Gerald commanded.

Gurter gripped her by the back of her neck and Kai gripped her uncle the same way as they too felt ropes around their bodies.

"Here comes the good par'!" He said with a wild smile.

"No. Please, no!"

"Hush, time for me to work my magic!"

Bounty Hunter Bash had a face covered with shock as Cerpheres changed his tune again. It was long and sorrowful. It was a tune that only the most skilled musicians could play. He played with such skill and delicacy that revealed that he was a very disciplined man. They had never heard anything like it! They were so entranced by the music that the moment they heard the first splash they almost jumped. They then looked back at the passengers as they jumped overboard, one after the other! They tried to dive over to him to make him stop but the rope around them was so heavy in fact that they fell right over! They tried to use their magic to stop him but they could not! They were peerless and they hated it. Bounty Hunter Bag tried to open her mouth but closed it the moment that she realised that it was completely useless. They were going to do this and see it all through to the bitter cruel end. The only thing that they would ever be able to do would be to plead for them to stop but that would do them more harm than good. By the time Cerpheres stopped playing all the passengers were dead.

"Well that was interesting. I would have thought that the girl would at least beg me to stop!" 

"What? So that I could be subjected to even more humiliation?"

Cerpheres chuckled as he came close to her and gently placed a hand on her cheek and gently lifted her head.

"It seems that you're very smart. Very smart indeed. It would have given me a great pleasure if you had!" He said with a wink.

"Cerpheres!"

"Sir?"

"Grab 'em and bring 'em here!"

He groaned playfully.

"Ohh? Can't I have a little… Fun with them?"

"Ye can 'ave ye fun with 'em later!"

"Promise?"

"Promise! Now do as I say!"

"Alright!" He sang as he picked them both up. Bash on the left and Chashathrophogh on his right. He carried them over to Captain Gerald.

"Tell me, why are ye two alive?"

"I breather know not care however I have the sneaking suspicion that you will tell us anyway!" Chashathrophogh sighed.

At this Captain Gerald burst out laughing and hit his shoulder repeatedly.

"Ye're a smart 'n' ye are! Well ye might as well put that brain o' yours to good user after all ye both seem at finding treasure. Ye two seem to be really good at finding treasure. 'N' ye both gonna help me find some more!"

"And if we don't?" Bash snapped.

Captain Gerald smirked.

"I will answer that once ye answer me this, why do ye think that rookie captain and his subpar crew are still alive?"

"To use as hostages?"

"Exactly!"

They raised both their eyebrows. Then Chashathrophogh let out that bone chilling laugh. Yet Captain Gerald and the test of his crew joined in and Cerpheres locked his lips as a hungry look entered his eyes.

"And why would I care? You know who I am and you should very well know what I am all about?"

"Yes we do. Which is why one of us killing them will not do! After all, I have watched the pair o' ye very closely and I know ye're weakness. No,  none o' us are gonna kill them,  I will make her do it!"

That was when he stopped laughing. His face became pale and he gave him a murderous look.

"Captain Gerald was it?"

"Yes?"

"It even one drop of unwanted blood touches her hands I will kill you!"