Bounty Hunter Bash Pirate Lock Arc Part Eighteen

 Island Of Coral

When they woke the next morning none knew what happened, not even Chashathrophogh. With the body and blood cleaned up without a drop to be seen on either the place where Phydoc was killed or on his murderer who could know. Nor would anyone suspect or even question it. Yet they did notice his absence.

When they walked onto the deck they could see the island. It was an island made up of nothing but coral foundations. The coral was made up of every colour under the sun. With fields on the flattest arias and other plant life of all different colours wrapped around it. She could see a group of butterflies of all colours flapping around with birds also of all colours. Then they saw the group of houses and huts with stones and tiles made of the coral the same the island was made of.

"What a beautiful island!" Gasped Gurter.

"Yes it is…" Bash agreed.

They soon, for no reason other than the excitement of finally finishing this quest, giggled like children. Then they both breathed in deep as they soon could smell roses and honey. Thinking that they were smelling things they sniffed in some more noticing that they were not,  they sniffed in more. Wanting to enjoy more they sniffed and sniffed.

"You're not coming down with anything are you?" Chashathrophogh asked.

"No it's just there's a nice smell. Come on, sniff up!" Gurter exclaimed.

"What are you-" 

He soon caught a wif and knew what they were talking about.

"Oh!"

"What's wong?" Cerpheres purred. "I hope I don't need to get Phydoc, do I?"

"No. Is just I can smell roses and honey that's all. Speaking of which, did he give you a check up? You looked ill in the fight against the kraken and I fell back asleep before he told me he would."

He smiled, seemingly grateful.

"He did, and don't worry it's nothing."

"But you looked ill."

"I guess I was feeling exhausted. So that might have been it."

"Oh. Well don't push it in the future."

He let out a chuckle.

"I won't!"

"Hey ye lo' 'ere now!" Shouted Captain Gerald.

They all looked at him as his eyes were starting to become red.

"What is it?" Cerphetres purred.

"A le'a."

"And what does it say?" Kir asked.

"I-I-I c-c-can'!" He said, tears started to fall.

Cerpheres frowned.

"Why, what does it say?" Purred Cerpheres.

"'Ere ye-ye be'er off r-re-readin' i'!"

He looked down,  his eyes widened in shock as he looked up. He too started to tear up.

"Here,  you're better off reading this." He told him,  tripping to keep his voice calm.

Bash formed and reached out her hand and placed it on his arm,  helping him sit down.

"'To my dear crew,  you know how much you mean to me but over the course of my time here you have been the family I never had. You gave me all that I never had before,  as you know I'm an orphan and I was given over to a cruel alchemist. With you I was able to enjoy life and I loved spending my time with you and I am grateful and happy to have served you as physician. Yet I cannot ignore current events and they have gotten to me. I tried to keep my spirits up but as of late even that has been a challenge. I feel as if I am haunted by those that I have been unable to save,  yet I did not know how to open up about these things. You can blame the alchemist for that. So I am sorry,  I consuls not open up to you about these matters. I also knew that it was a matter of time until I too would succumb to the call of the grim rapper. So I drugged all of you, I am sorry about that, long enough to join my family to Jones Lock below. If you are reading this then that means that I am dead. It was a pleasure Phydoc Satiantor.'" He read as he looked up.

Captain Gerald looked down as tears came to his eyes. Shame was written on his old and tired face.

"I never knew bu' I shudder! I'm-I'm 'is Captain so I shudder known!"

Cerpheres smiled a sweet and sad smile as he placed a hand on his shoulder. He then stripped it as Gurter hugged him.

"Don't blame yourself my dear Captain." He purred.

"He's right, you're not a god, so how could you have known he was going to do that?" Said Kir.

"So please, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault." Cerpheres coed.

"Ye righ'. Le's jus' ge' this over with. We'll mourn for 'em, all o' 'em la'er. 'N' thank ye Cerph'! Ye've always bin a good crewma'e even though ye creepy."

He let out a chuckle.

"Don't thank me. The crew should always do that for their captain."

He then leaned in and smiled excitedly and his eyes were filled with charisma.

"So let's finish this in the name of the fallen!"

He sniffed.

"Yeah, yeah ye righ' le's!"

With their minds clear they all climbed into the boat and paddled to the island. They arrived at a beach that was made up of coral stones instead of sand. They pulled the boat up and onto the shore. They then walked to a lilac field.

"Cerph' could ye lead this 'n'."

He smiled deviously.

"Okay!"

"'N' don' make me regre' i'!"

"I won't!" He sang.

He then took out the last map.

"Ahh! Well we need to climb the Coral Cliff which is in front of us."

They nodded as they looked at the rocky surface. They chose their path and started climbing. As they grabbed each edge they first tested each one before putting their weight onto it. As they pulled themselves up, they were even more careful not to cut themselves. 

They then pulled themselves up higher and yet Gurter cut her fingers. Kir then outstretched his hand to help her up and she took it. She was able to get higher than him and she helped him up.

Chashathrophogh found himself looking all around for a place to reach out before Cerpheres outstretched his hand. Not wanting to take it he found a very sharp ledge and went to take it but he cut his fingers and then looked back at his hand and begrudgingly took it. He pulled him up. 

Yet as they climbed Captain Gerald felt his muscles start to ache. He was sweating heavier too. Old age had definitely caught up to him. After this he would go to Piréshiland to spend his days in rum. Yes, that was what he would do. Maybe spurn a good penny on some fine women as he enjoyed all his spoils. Let the others be led by Chashathrophogh or Bash; he could tell that either of them would make for a fine captain.

Then Bash noticed that she too was getting sweaty and with the smooth edges she started to slip. Yet she was able to get to the next and one after that and the one after that. Yet her fingers made the surface ever more slippery. So she found herself having to go faster and faster, yet she felt the coral cutting into her. Still she gritted her teeth and carried on and then with both the sweat and the blood it became impossible to hold on. Then she reached out and slipped. She then fell and Cerpheres outstretched his hand and she flew to him.

"There you go!"

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

He then threw her onto his back and they were able to climb onto the blue green field above. She slipped off and he held her hands and she felt a toothsome itching coming from her hands. When she looked down she noticed all her wounds were sealing up. She looked up at him astonished, yet he smirked as he placed his finger to his lips and winked.

Then Cerpheres waited for them all to finish getting up and then returned to the map. 

The rest looked up to see a set of double doors that were made of two large shells with many different colours. With bold colours at the bottom and fanning out and fading as they reached the top. They were wedged within the coral and had no doorknob or discernable opening point.

Bash looked around the edges of the coral and on the ground and spotted a flat aria in the coral. Upon a close look she spotted that there was an edge and a gap between the flat area and the coal on top. She then willed the coral to move out of the way and it revealed a coral orange box. When she opened the box she saw words engraved into the bottom. Yet the words were old and she could not understand them.

"What is it?" Kir asked.

"A box with ancient writing engraved." She said,  passing it to him.

"Give me that!" Chashathrophogh snapped as he snatched it out of his hands.

"You know what language that is?" Purred Cerpheres.

"I do. Most Questers do. It's an old firm of dark elvish, but it translates to;

"One is predator,

One is a queen or king,

One has beautiful hair,

One has a beautiful body,

One is missing the hair, 

On the female,

What is one?"

He then placed the box in the bag as the others frowned. They traced the words. Enlisting what they all meant.

As they did the words glowed and then faded. Then the four sides of the box and the lid lit up. They had to squint to see what was going on and soon the light faded and on the right side was a man on the left side was a wolf on the front was a dragon behind was a snake and on the lid was a lion.

"What's this?" Purred Cerpheres.

"Animals and we have to pick the one that the rifle describes." Chashathrophogh explained.

"Well let's go over the riddle. 'One is a predator.' This could describe all of them. 'One is a Queen or king'." Bash started.

"The word is sorigtor, which is a gender neutral term for true ruler." Chashathrophogh said.

She nodded.

"Right, well that rules out the snake. As the snake is no true ruler. Now the next is 'one has beautiful hair'. Which rules out the dragon. 'One has a beautiful body' again could mean any of them. 'One is missing hair on the female' this rules out the wolf. Yet even though men have beards and shave them off, so do some women who pluck those odd strands and both men and women have the same type of hair,  women tend to shave off the hair on their bodies, so that also rules out the man. So the only candidate is the lion." Kir said.

"Are you sure?" Asked Gurter.

"Yes."

So Chashathrophogh placed his hand on the lion and light came from inside and two shells appeared with a coral screw behind. They then logged up at the shells and noticed there were two holes in them. He picked them out and gave the box to Gurter before sliding them in the hole and screwed them in and then pulled. This led to the room ahead. 

Then a conspiracy of ravens and a murder of crows flew out.

They then turned back to the room and walked in. Then a flash of light rose up and flooded the room. The next moment, before they could even know what was going on, Bash and Gurter felt a pair of cuffs around their wrists. They let out a yell as they were pulled to the wall and then their backs slammed against the wall. Then the cuffs pulled their arms back and fixed them to the wall.

"Bash!"

"Gurter!"

That was when Chashathrophogh frowned as he felt something in his hand. His eyes lowered as the light faded to reveal there was a dagger in his hand. The blade was made of silver and the handle was made of coral red coral. He was momentarily confused, yes he had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on.

"What's going on?" Kir asked.

Cerpheres looked down at the box and picked it up. He frowned as he opened it. He then pulled out a scroll.

"What's this?" He purred.

He then handed it to Chashathrophogh. He looked down and his eyes widened in shock as he looked up at the two. Soon anger entered his eyes.

"No." He said as he looked at Bash.

"What? What does it say and why is my half sister and your niece pinned to that wall?"

"I have to kill one of them."

"What? Give me that!"

To his shock he saw that it was written in their native language.

🖤To Continue, 

A Woman Of Virgin

Must Die 🖤

🖤The One Who They Love

The Most Must Do It 🖤

They all looked at Chashathrophogh. Then they looked at the girls. He looked at blade and then at Bash and then at Gurter. Bash opened her mouth to speak but the found never left her lips. Them Gurter also opened her mouth yet she too was silenced. 

So none of us can say anything. Which means the one that set this up must have not wanted us to be able to sway the decision.

Feeling frustrated Bash closed her eyes and focused all her magic and will to break the cuffs open but morning budged. She tried to do this again and again but nothing worked. She then tried to focus on the chains but that too seemed to not work. Then Chashathrophogh did the same but with just as little results. They tried to do it at the same time yet nothing worked. It was all too clear that magic would not save them.

They then struggled against the cuffs but they became tighter and tighter around their wrists. Yet they continued anyway, hoping that if they continued that at least they would be able to live,  however they knew that that would have to go on without their hands for the rest of their lives. Yet then they heard a crunch they screamed out in pain and still no sound came from them. The pain flared up like a flame and they could no longer feel their hands. They stopped as they felt their bodies go limp.

Knowing that there were no other options, Chashathrophogh looked at the two again.

"Borevers! Or Chashathrophogh, whatever your name is. If you kill my half sister I swear that I will kill you right here and now!"

He let out a sigh out of pity as he smiled.

"Well best of fortune be with you,  after all you will need it!"

His face became pale white.

"What?"

"Chash' don' they're the kast o' me crew! I-I can' lose anymore! Please don'!"

Chashathrophogh looked at him dead in the eyes.

"Then get a new crew. Or too bad for you. I did warn you not to put any unwanted blood on my niece's hands."

Both Kir and Captain Gerald went as pale as paper. Meanwhile Cerpheres smirked as he looked there, completely stunned. He then threw the dagger at Gurter's head so that she would die quickly and as painlessly as she could.

"Why you!" Shouted Kir as he drew his sword.

He flicked it at him. Chashathrophogh ducked and flicked the glass side up and thrust the palm of his hand into his stomach. He flew back and he ran after him and Kir then drove his blade into Chashathrophogh's thigh as Chashathrophogh gripped him by his throat. He pulled it out and he gripped harder. He then went to stab him again but he caught the wrist and willed it to be set alight. Then he screamed out in pain and dropped the sword. He then kicked him again and again. This proved useless until he hit the man in the groin.

He dropped him and Kir immediately punched him to the right, then to the left. He repeated this again and again and again. Yet as he did years welled up in his eyes as he delivered punch after punch. Then his arms started to shake as he broke down in tears. Then he punched him down. He could no longer punch as his body was shaking so much.

"How very pitiful." He said, as he stood.

He looked up.

"You really were no match for me."

"O-oh! A-and wh-what wa-was th-that?"

"Compensation." He said before punching him in the throat and kicking him away.

He flew again and hit the wall behind. He was about to drop when he felt Chashathrophogh's fist in his abbs. He looked up as he saw a black ball in hood hands. He felt his life start to flash before him as it started to fade. With the last of his power he punched the black ball and with a flash, he died.

Chashathrophogh was shaking as he limped to Captain Gerald. He opened his mouth in protest. Yet Chashathrophogh looked at him sternly.

"Finish the rest of the quest or their deaths world me in vain."

He looked down and nodded.

They then turned to the set of doors behind and when Gurter's blood crossed beneath them,  they opened and Bash was freed from cuffs. She then climbed to her feet, ensuring that her hands did nothing as she did not want to deal any more damage. 

She looked at Cerpheres, who had a slight saddened look in his eyes as they walked through them.