Bounty Hunter Bash Pirate Lock Arc Part One

 The Quest Of The Pieces Of Eight

They were woken up by a splash of ice cold water. The shock of impact whipped their minds awake and sharp as a sword. They looked around as their minds got their bearings as they left their dreams and into the rocking cell that was reality.

"Gooood moooorning sleeping beauties!" Sang Cerpheres. "I hope that you had a great dream!"

The two jumped up and their eyes darted to the man. He was dressed differently now. He wore a purple leather coat with a large collar that folded over with golden buttons in the shape of coins. Underneath was a white blouse with a frilly collar held together by a golden lace. Around his neck was a white scarf with a broach made of black diamond in the shape of a spider with coral in the shape of a star on the lower half of the spider over the scarf and held the coat collar together at the front. He wore ink blue baggy trousers that would look black but shone blue in the light. This was held up by a thick black belt with a gold buckle in the top, over his stomach. On his left he wore a gold earpiece that sat on the side of his ear stemming from below the tip of the ear to the top of ear lobe. Hanging from it were four thin and small gold chains and at the end were the symbols of the heart, the diamond, the clubs and the spade. His hair was brushed back with a slight bump at the front with six strands falling like claws above his eyebrow. 

"Cerpheres?"

"Yeah?" He purred.

"What are you doing here?"

"The Captain wants you! Come on!" He sang.

They rolled their eyes yet they walked towards him despite wanting to punch him in the face. That was when he pulled out a dagger. Its blade was silver with a beauty that could only come from a metal made from the shed scales of a silver dragon and the hilt was decorated with spider lilies. He then pointed it at Bash's neck.

"Sorry, Captain's orders!"

Chashathrophogh nodded, concealing his emotions, turned and walked to the stairs.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"Who me?" He sang.

Who else?

He smirked with a surpassed eagerness in his eyes.

"I like to observe great people. The more interesting the person, the more I like to observe them!" He sang as he started to blush. "And I heard Captain was quite interesting."

Yet then the smile dropped.

"Though he has become boring as of late."

Chashathrophogh and Bash looked at him as he looked at them with a predator eyeing up his next prey. Suddenly they felt like they were uncomfortably naked in front of him. He smirked at them as they felt like thorns were digging into their flesh and they started to breathe slowly and silently. Yet suddenly they had a strange feeling that it would not be easy getting rid of him. They could feel their guts screaming at them to get away from him,  but they knew that they could not.

"What? You worried?"

"Would you mind it if you let l my niece go?"

He looked down at her and she looked up at him. Her stomach felt tense as it dropped.

"No!"

They soon came to the door.

"So don't disappoint me! And don't be boring!"

"Why?" Bash asked.

He giggled playfully.

"You will know if that time comes!" He said as he opened the door. "They're here!"

"Ahhh! There's our guests o' honour! C'min! C'min!"

He gestured for them to enter. They saw Gurter and Kia sitting around a rectangular table. The room looked different now, it was covered in all the treasure. Next to them were Jeff and Jax with Verety in between them. He had a red apple wedged into his mouth with bruised cheeks and rope around his hands and ankles. On the table were eight scrolls.

"Will you tell us why you want us?"

"Borevers, Cari Scars, well, ya see these maps?"

"Yes."

"Well, they're the maps written by Prince Captain Lockheartsmith 'imself! 'N' each map leads to a piece o' eight!"

Both Chashathrophogh and Bash burst out laughing.

"What? Are you serious? You do realise that that's just a pirate fairy tale?" Mocked Chashathrophogh.

"Cerpheres?"

"Alright!"

He smirked as he looked at Chashathrophogh and took out his violin. He tucked it under his chin and put the bow on the strings then started playing. He played a smoother and shooting melody. Soon Bash felt her body move on its own. That was when she felt something in her hand. She did not have to look down to see what it was, she already knew. Soon her stomach dropped and her heart was in her ears as she quickly figured out what he saw about to make her do. She walked over to Verety.

"Stop it!"

"No, do not even date!"

"Sorry Captain's orders!" He sang as he kept on playing.

Her hand raised higher and higher. She felt like time was slowing down as the blade reached his neck.

"Alright! Alright! You made your point! Just stop it!"

"No I ain't! I c'n see i' in ya eyes!"

"Captain Gerald if you do this then I will kill you all!"

Then Bash had to close her eyes as she felt her hand move. She did not want to see this, she did not want to see her kill another person. Even if it was not her fault. She felt the torturous dread as she greats Cerpheres change his tube. Then felt her hand and the blade slice through his throat. This was shortly followed by the blood. Yet the music still played. She opened her eyes to see that the cut was too shallow. Yet this moment of relief did not last long as the blade struck again and the cut was deeper. She let out a scream as the blood flowed and he was soon drowning in his own blood. She could only watch in horror. She felt herself shaking as she knew that it was already too late to save him.

She looked at Cerpheres with an ice cold rage. She knew that in her heart of hearts, she no longer cared if the man had a price on his head, she would kill him. She knew that she wanted to collect this man's head even if it was free. She had never experienced such rage and sorrow. Yet she knew that she could not satisfy her bloodlust yet. She knew that if she did not do as she was told then he would make her kill more.

Yet there was something that Chashathrophogh noticed that he did not like. As he looked at him with that same rage, he saw the smile on his face. He knew that his niece would try to kill him with that look. Yet what disgusted him the most was that smirk, he soon could tell that if she should act upon her bloodlust then this man would like it.

"Ya learn' ya lesson?"

"Yes Sir."

"Ya gonna apologise?" He asked with a dangerous tone. "Or am I gonna 'ave ta send another in?"

"No. Sorry. I am sure that there might be some truth to the fairy tale,  but I would highly recommend not to get your hopes up." 

"Well I'm no' doing i' fa the treasure nah that's fa m'crew. Anyway, these maps lead to each o' the pieces tha' name up all the pieces o' eight. I' is said tha' together they bring untold riches 'n' go to the sea death god's country and come back alive."

"And my dear Captain wants you to decode them."

"Let me guess, it's because we are the only ones that could decode them?"

"Yes."

"And you know that they were written by the Prince Captain because he was the only one that collected them and went to the country and came back?" 

"Yes, it is!" Cerpheres sang slowly like a purring cat.

"Ye 'n' if ya figured tha' ou' ya won't take tha' long ta do i'!"

"What? Do you really think that we can decode all these maps?"

"Ye'! Ye' I do!"

"Why?"

"Ye smart."

"And how do you know that they are genuine anyway?"

"'Cause Cerpheres gave 'em ta me 'n' this!" He said presenting a chain with a Royal purple garnet in the shape of a teardrop on.

"Is that-"

"Ye'! It's pre'y I know. The penden' o' the Prince Captian 'imself! Here girl. Ye can 'ave i'! Too girly fe me!" He said, giving it to her.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed as she put it around her neck.

"That really suits you!" Cerpheres purred.

She had to bury her rage and cringe.

"You really think so?"

"Yes. Oh and I am so sorry for forcing you to do that. Your uncle was misbehaving, see?"

"Yes. I do."

He then put an arm around them both.

"But if you're good, if you're really good you might like it here!"

I highly doubt that! They both thought.

Captain Gerald cleared his throat.

"Now gather the maps,  Cerpheres!"

"What?"

"'Ow many times do I have te tell ye te stop looking a' me like that!"

"I'm not!"

His face dropped as he looked at the two.

"By the way, can I watch them?"

He shrugged.

"Do wha' ye wan'!" He said with a slightly shaky voice as he walked to the door. 

He then paused.

"In fact,  Cerpheres… I'm putting ya in charge o' 'em! Seen as ya line 'em so much!"

He smiled wider. He tightened his grip around them and drew then in closer and kissed them both on the cheek. They both clenched their fists. It took them all that they had not to punch him and ease their anger and frustration.

"'N' ya 'ave one well ta decode 'em! If they fail ge' the girl ta kill another! Ya go' tha'?"

"Yes Sir!" They said with gritted teeth.

They tried to take a step away from the man but he kept them firmly in place.

"Ah, ah, ahh! I'm in charge of you! I don't want you to slip away do I? Come on!" He sang.

He then took the maps and ushered them along. They were soon back in their cell with a table with a humming Cerpheres, swinging the keys like he was swinging a knife.