by Kat Mandu
“Let me deflate that ego of yours,” he growled threateningly. The two closed in on each other. Eagle was fingering his newly acquired weapon – an iron tomahawk. Richard sighed, pushing both hands in front of the other. Their fury quickly turned on him.
“Eagle, since you are so quick to point out your strengths, scout out the area ahead. We should be close to the altar. Stefano, into the trees; I don’t want anyone but him coming and going in the area. Am I clear?” Richard asked.
“Crystal,” Stefano grunted while Richard turned his gaze on the more tanned individual. Eagle Eye pushed against Richard’s hand but he wasn’t being allowed to move. He glanced around and realized that everyone was giving him a calm look.
“Agreed,” he replied. “But keep that assassin away from me,” he growled, glaring at Stefano.
“Dandy,” Richard breathed, allowing the pair to split up.
“Well, that’s not going to end well,” Madison commented, looking at Richard.
“I don’t care, so long as it doesn’t end well until after we are all off this damn island,” Richard grunted. He wasn’t really concerned with petty moral arguments while they had more pressing matters to deal with. “Take five, everyone. Get some food in your stomach. We have to get moving on the double as soon as we can, clear?” Richard asked but nobody responded. “Clear?” he shouted, causing everyone to jump.
“Yes, sir!” was the response, including a faint one from above.
The day passed easily and Eagle found a good sized hill, giving them a good view of the altar. “It’s not used, but so far we have to see if there is any activity,” Eagle admitted.
“They could be fixing up the ship, planning on taking it around instead of walking like we did. All things considered, it would be a better option,” Boss pointed out.
“True, but that’s perfectly acceptable. We set up camp here for now. I plan on doing some rounds; anyone who is good with traps, start setting them up. I want this place as secured as possible.
“Give me an hour and this place with be a nightmare. Just keep to the path and you will be fine, clear?” Stefano said, rubbing his hands together. Richard turned away and looked at Eagle.
“You got….,” Richard started.
“Yes, I’ve got first watch.”
“That will work. Boss, head back and let everyone know where we are. Now that we’ve got a base camp set up, bring Kareem back with one of you. One of you can stay but I need at least one to help him get here,” Richard said.
“Why him?” Madison inquired.
“Because he wants to make use of the animals natural sight at nightfall. Speaking of which, why did you leave Jill back at camp?” Boss asked casually.
“Oh, she is never far behind. She’s like ma guardian angel,” Richard replied. A bark drew everyone’s attention and they glanced up. The dog in question was standing on a rather thick tree branch above them, tail wagging casually.
“That is a queer dog,” Eagle Eye commented, looking very freaked out considering that dogs did not make a habit of hanging around in tree tops.
“How in the world did that bitch get up there?” Boss asked, looking at Richard.
“I stopped questioning things a long time ago,” Richard said with a shrug. “So get moving. I’ve got night watch and I need ma sleep. Jill, get down here,” he ordered and the dog leaned over the branch, glancing down at him. She suddenly vanished from sight before Richard pulled out an axe.
“Okay, time to get started,” he added. Boss shrugged and headed back down. The day moved as slowly as the large branches that fell to the ground. Between the three of them and the constant hunting, it didn’t take long to find skulls and old bones.
“So, what is the point of this?” Stefano asked.
“Scare tactics,” Richard explained, handing one of the bones to Jill. She bit down on it, leaving teeth marks in the brittle tissue when she set it down. She glanced at it curiously after the single bite while Richard wrapped one of the bodies in vines to hold it loosely to a smaller tree. “These logs will keep everyone on edge. The fake camps are there to scare them, which is why we are scattering human remains around. Doubt and fear of this area will make everyone jumpy and skittish once everything is set up. Let’s just say that this will make it every man for himself,” he added with a cocky grin. A glance at the sky told him that the sun was beginning to set.
“I see, perhaps I should consider understanding this. Where did you come by this idea?” Stefano asked.
“Scary stories of barbarians leaving human skulls and all kinds of shit like that around. It’s common talk in pubs. Native colonials would scalp a man and then keep the hair as trophies. That’s actually used by the Franks but the people we are dealing with either won’t know or won’t care,” Richard described, using a nail to press a knot of hair into place.
“So, they will have to come in from that direction en masse or else things are going to be slowed down,” Eagle Eye observed. “If we are going to do that, we are going to need a lot more people.”
“I have a plan, but I don’t have time just yet. This is in case they move faster than anticipated,” Richard said. “Anyways, it’s been a long day and we should head back. Would you kindly lead the way?” The three of them had little trouble finding the camp and getting to sleep that evening, despite everything that surrounded them was from the hard work of falling branches and setting up fake camps and burials.
“Richard,” a voice said some time later and he felt a sharp foot dig into his side. Richard jumped with a start and Jill began to growl.
“Easy girl, just want to wake him up is all,” Kareem said, holding his hand up.
“Jill, behave,” Richard ordered, stroking her ears. She began to wag her tail, completely forgetting the beast master. “Good to see you. I was hoping you may have some friends that could help us out.”
“Well, the jaguar would be able to help but he is my only companion as of now. I could see if I can find another creature in the area that may be able to help,” he suggested, taking out his instrument. He strummed it and the leaves swayed before the cat in question vanished into the foliage.
“Warn him about the traps,” Richard said.
“I already have,” he replied with a smile and tossed a peach at Richard. He caught it completely by instinct. “Nice catch,” he complemented. Richard glanced over to see that Eagle was asleep; he stood up on the hill and looked over the area in the cool night air. He held the peach to his lips, looking over the trees. They looked rather normal compared to the east end of the island.
“What are you doing here exactly?” Richard asked, looking over at him.
“I was born here,” he admitted. Richard was about to take a bite but paused and looked at him.
“Really now, could I get some clarification?”
“Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much,” Kareem started and held his palms very close together as if talking to a child. Richard looked at him with a raised eyebrow before his sudden burst of laughter cut the man off.
“I know how that works, but I’ve got a feeling your mom got stuck on this island and ended up giving birth to you here?” Richard asked.
“More or less, a bit more detail than that but my mom and dad were smuggled onto a ship to get out of our homeland. They never said why but it doesn’t matter. But supplies on the ship were running low and they were, well, extra weight,” he said with a simple shrug.
“So they abandoned your parents here?” Richard asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, but they didn’t mind too much. Even with everything going on in the latter years. But all good things come to an end, both eventually faded, leaving me all alone,” he said with a shrug.
“Well, that is interesting. Planning on leaving if you can?” Richard asked. Kareem nodded and looked at Richard.
“Just so long as they got no issues of a jungle cat coming along,” he replied, folding his hands together.
“I couldn�
�t care less, so long as it doesn’t eat anything important,” Richard said and bit into the peach. He suddenly noticed that he wasn’t the only thing snacking on it. “Well, would you look at that? A fruit bat, though the coloring is a bit odd,” Richard said, pulling his peach away to see a yellow striped black bat eating on the fruit.
“Hmmm, well this little girl could prove very useful,” Kareem said, looking down at the bat. He held up his musical instrument and after a few strums, the bat went back to eating.
“She doesn’t seem to care too much,” Richard commented, setting the fruit down so he wouldn’t bother the bat.
“Give it some time. You can’t always have instantaneous results,” he noted, laying down on the ground and closing his eyes. Richard kept his stance and rested his right fist on his waist, letting the other hand hang. He didn’t really expect to see anything at this time until he felt a sudden tugging on the underarm of his coat. He arched an eyebrow, noticing that his coat had now become a perch for the nocturnal animal. The bat had curled it’s wings around itself and it’s ears perked downward. Richard smirked at the animal but didn’t move so he didn’t disturb it.
“Well, it’s good to have some company while standing watch,” he chuckled.
“Yum, yum! Eat’em up!” a voice cawed out causing Richard to spin around and see the aggravating macaw again.
“I could use that as well,” Kareem noted.
“Like hell you will. Give me a crossbow or something; I’ve found my next target practice,” Richard snarled, looking around for a projectile. “Aha!” he said, suddenly remembering his firearms. Stefano and Kareem immediately stepped up to restrain him.
“Kill joys,” he frowned, holstering the weapon once more and glaring at the scarlet bird as it flew off.
Chapter 18 Look What I Found
Richard rubbed tiredly at his eyes, grumbling about how these all-nighters were going to be murder on him. He stretched and yawned, running his hands over his forehead while trying to stir his thoughts. There was a flapping of wings and he quickly realized that he had a bat flying around his head.
“Flutter, what in the world?” Richard asked, fighting back the urge to swat it away. He got his hand partially raised before the bat latched onto his index finger. Then, before he could do anything, it took off again. “Kareem, I’ve got work to do. You may want to wake up,” he said, lightly kicking the dark skinned man before trudging off after the bat. “This had best nae be a wild goose chase….” Richard trailed off when a spear whizzed by his head.
“Die!” a voice screamed. Richard drew his cutlass just in time to block the blow from an axe. His attacker’s body fell on him and he lost sight of the axe. His mind raced, unsure of where the weapon was. In a split second decision, he pulled Claw with his right hand and what sounded like a muffled canon echoed in the distance. Richard kicked the corpse off and processed what happened as Kareem woke up. As he was reloading the pistol, he spotted four men that seemed to be huddled over something not far away. At the commotion, they began to hurry towards him.
“Richard, I have your back!” Kareem shouted, appearing next to Richard as the four men rushed forwards. Each person was just as ratty as the last but three of them suddenly dropped. Richard and Kareem exchanged confused glances for a brief moment.
“I’ve got nothing,” Kareem offered with a shrug. Richard glanced up to see the flapping coat tails of the assassin disappearing through the trees.
“I’ve got an idea,” Richard ordered. “Aim for his leg, I want a messenger!” he said while the last man turned to run away. He didn’t get far before he dropped as well, legs crumpling beneath him.
“Why in the world – ahh,” Kareem said, trailing off and nodding his head in realization. Stefano dropped from the trees and began to pull a bunch of needles from the fallen bodies.
“Can you restrain him real quick? I’ve got something I want to investigate,” Richard asked, heading towards the general area where he had original spotted the four men. He leaned over, expecting some kind of body but found nothing of the sort. “Well, that was anticlimactic. I was expecting something besides grass,” he said, standing back to his feet. The bat fluttered back around Richard’s head once more. “What in the world?” he asked, clenching his fingers and fighting the instinct to slap it away.
Richard took a step back and the bat quickly vanished into the tall grass surrounding the area. A shot of rainbow light hit his face, obscuring his vision. When he moved his foot to step out of the light, it vanished. Richard bent down and pushed the grass apart.
“Well then, nice to see you again,” Richard said with a smile. With a level of care he would not normally use, he reached down and gently nudged the creature onto his palm with his fingers. “Well, Spark, I,” he stopped, realizing that the fairy was out cold. “Well, now I feel like an idiot,” he said with a sigh, scooping up the tiny fairy. He needed some place for her and so settled for sliding Spark into an inside pocket of his coat.
“Richard, did you find anything?” Kareem asked when Richard returned.
“Ask me later; I think we need to talk with our cannibal. He’s nae doing a lot of screaming, don’t tell me you killed him,” Richard asked, forcing a look of concern on his while he changed the subject.
“Well, he seems to have any feeling of pain. He crawled a good distance, even with one bad leg,” Kareem replied. “He doesn’t seem to talk more than a hiss, if you could call it that.” Richard nodded at this and then motioned towards the man. Kareem and Stefano grabbed him under the arms and hauled him to his feet.
“Flesh, let me have your flesh,” the man hissed in a low, cracked voice.
“Why in the world are you interested in eating people? There is plenty of food on this island,” Richard asked.
“Ash, ash and burns, it burns. Only flesh satisfies us, but does nothing!” he croaked out. “I can’t help it, need it so badly but it, I can’t!” he wheezed out, trying to bite his way free and squirming in his binds. “This island, it hurts! It does not feed us, kill me. Some of them like it, but I don’t. They let it grow on them but I can’t!” he cried out, tears beginning to stream from his eyes. “I can’t, I don’t want to kill anyone but I need to eat. Could you give me a little morsel of your flesh?” he snapped, lunging towards Richard.
“What in the world is wrong with him? I swear, this whole island is messed up,” Stefano said, staring at the man in disgust.
“Do you know about the Pirate Lord that is in the area?” Richard asked.
“Yes, oh yes. We have been waiting for another one; they always come and soon, we shall make a meal of his crew. Maybe I should wear face paint – it works so well for the others. They put on the paint and they don’t have to think about it. If I don’t think about it, maybe I can eat! Enough to fill my belly, yes, haha! I shall eat, I will live!” he cried out before going limp in Kareem and Stefano’s grip. “I don’t want to cry anymore,” he said in an almost child-like voice.
Richard pulled out the other pistol, aimed right between the cannibal’s eyes and pulled the trigger. Kareem and Stefano jumped back, dropping the body to the ground. Richard shook his head, digging through his inner coat pockets for gunpowder.
“As if I didn’t need a bigger reason to want off this island,” he grumbled, reloading the weapon.
“Was that necessary? I thought you wanted to send a message,” Kareem demanded, looking at him warily. Richard holstered the weapon and they seemed to relax a bit.
“I got what I wanted and I am nae sure how reliable a messenger he would be. Besides, the man was clearly suffering and I put an end to it. Maybe the next captive will be a bit more functional,” Richard replied simply. Before they could argue further, Richard stalked off towards camp.
“Ah, Boss, time to switch out. I think I am going to head back to base; I need to get some extra supplies. If you would just keep an eye on the area and if things get too crowded, feel free to head back,” Richard said.
“
This is getting crazy! We’ve been running all over the place, can’t we just act? I mean, I could go for a straight fight over all this running around,” Kareem said, outraged at the lack of direct confrontation.
“I am nae risking any more lives than I need to. After all, this is just vengeance. Your life is worth a bit more than ma vengeance,” Richard replied, slapping Kareem on the back. He placed his thumb and forefinger very close together. “Well, just a bit,” he admitted, giving him one last pat. “Besides, if the two kill each other off, less work for me. I just love it when things fall into place like this,” he said cheerfully.
“Knowing that, I can’t help but wonder what you consider failure,” Boss mused with a grunt.
“Well, it involves me dead, followed shortly by panic,” Richard replied. “Now then, shall we be on our way?” he asked, causing her to roll her eyes.
“You seem rather cheerful,” Boss pointed out, frowning at him. “Did something happen?”
“I just got out of a fight,” Richard replied, shrugging.
“Of course,” Boss replied, glancing over at Kareem. “I don’t think you will have to worry about a fight for long. We are running out of time as it is, so something has to be done soon enough.”
“Right, all this waiting around is getting to me. I just wanted to get this done and over with,” Kareem admitted. Nobody replied but instead kept quiet.
“Not knowing is never fun. I am heading back to get the last pieces that I need for my plan. Don’t worry about clearing things, just keep your head down. I’ll send someone because I am going to need help bringing back everything that I need for the final part. Stay safe,” Richard commented, giving the group a two finger salute before heading off.
As Richard walked along, he made sure not to set off any traps and kept an eye out for the parrot all the same. He was reloading his firearms when he started to feel something jostling in his coat. “Keep calm, I don’t need any trouble and neither do you. Just wait until we are alone,” he whispered into his coat.
