by Kat Mandu
“That was two easy, Between Morgan and Amaro I know I am being played but fuck if I don’t know the end goal. Especially for Amaro,” He cursed, Tin ground a long metal pipe and took that for his new weapon.
Richard kept moving as he soon heard the sounds of fighting. “It’s never a dull day with you around,” Tin cracked as Richard just smirked and shook his head.
“Richard!” Boss cried out as Richard spotted him as he finished putting down another body James and Tray watched his back.
Richard heard the air whirling as he spun around to See Tin slam the metal pipe into a man’s ribcage, The sound of cracked bones echoed a bit as the body spun to the ground before curling up into a ball.
“This guy is supposed to be rich right?” Tin asked as he looked over at Richard, “You think he would at least give them a helmet or breastplate.”
“Blood magic something is up, the trap isn’t over yet, Fall Back!” Richard shouted at the top of his lungs when suddenly a series of explosions went off as the buildings started to crumble and fall, cutting off exits and creating, even more, dust in the air.
“I don’t think that’s really going to work,” Boss said looking at the rubble will it would slow them down it wasn’t impossible to escape.
Richard frowned as he looked over the area, realizing the space around them was in a rather decent circle. “Oder stands to fall back!” Richard shouted as everyone started to move away from the center, when suddenly He noticed something red, flow past him. He glanced as his eyes went wide blood seemed to be flowing around him to the center.
“That’s disgusting,” Tin said looking at the blood.
“Oh god he sent his minions he had left caused the explosion to get as much blood as possible, this fucker is up to something big,” Richard cursed as he followed the blood.
“I thought we were retreating?” Tin called,
“I would love to but the more people that end up dying is just going to make this worse, Charge in!” Richard shouted as Boss shrugged his shoulders and followed suit. Richard moved kicking up rubble and rock as he kept his eyes peeled. He made it over a hill before dropping back down as a bolt of magical energy shot where his head once was.
“by the gods,” Tin said as he ducked his head despite it being no wear to the bolt.
“Dandy,” Richard cursed as turned around to a hill of rubble and half-broken wall.
Boss followed the hill around as Tray and James trailed behind him. Richard waved his hand as Nathan, Kareem, Eagle Eye, Arvil, and Tobi gathered around.
“He’s firing of some nasty spells,” Arvil commented as a chunk of a wall soon was shattered into smaller chunks that rained down on him.
“You got anything that could nail him at this distance?” Richard asked hopefully.
“Nothing substantial at this range,” Arvil said with a shrug.
“I don’t know I think you could really mess up his hair,” Tobi said sarcastically. The sound of foot on rubble broke them out of their planning.
“We got company,” Nathan said as he brandished his Katana.
“About seven people rushed down as everyone was charged. Tobi Swung with his Claymore lopping off a man’s leg as Richard soon found himself with someone trying to shank him.
Quickly giving ground he watched as Boss carved up his attacker as more blood was starting to follow the rest to a central point. Richard’s attacker seemed just as hell bent as Richard grabbed the rope over his shoulder. He charged back tossing the rope at the attacker. He moved to stop it. Richard faked the man out looking to charge but with a well-placed foot he was braced behind the man and yanking onto the ropes he started the slow and painful process of strangling the man. Richard checked his rope pulling at some points the man tried in vain to cut his bonds.
Richard glanced over his shoulder to see more people flanking in from the side as Richard realized he didn’t have the time. He pulled out Claw and put a bullet in the main. Richard holstered it and reclaimed his rope as the body fell and more blood was released.
“I don’t think we have much of a choice but to play along,” Tobi said as he stuck his Claymore in the ground and drew two Sia as a less physically taxing weapon. Tin glanced at the sword “Help yourself,” He said as Tin took the sword up and swung that blade down cleaving a man in half.
“Brutal,” Richard commented,
“Nothing worse than knowing what the enemy is doing but not being able to do a damn thing to stop it,” Tobi commented, as a body jumped leaping at them both only for the sai to cut into his body as Tobi tossed the body farther away.
“Down,” Eagle Eye ordered as they both ducked as an arrow went over their heads. Richard gave him the thumbs up but he didn’t respond.
“How many bastards do they have?” Tray complained as his hook dug into to flesh as his short sword finished the job.
“A lot of people to desperate to realize he’s using them but not one of these guys seems to know the first thing about fighting,” Boss commented. Richard took the chance to reload tooth as he quickly went over the steps,”
“Can I try that out?” Tobi asked as he tossed one of the sai into another attackers chest.
“Sure,” Richard shrugged tossing him a tooth. “But Don’t shoot near anyone they don’t always fire straight.” He warned. Richard let Talon back out as the golden blade tasted more blood. He hesitated when a guard was suddenly falling at him as he blinked. The body fell onto Richard as tow more figures rushed down having used the body as cover, Boss moved in using his shielded shoulder to crash into both of them. Boss skidded to a stop as both fell to the ground. Tin spun around using the Claymore and just cutting both heads off leaving a Line on the ground that momentarily filled with blood.
“Hey!” Tray shouted, “I wouldn’t mind giving that a go,”
Nathan Pulled the Guard of Richard as He got a good look at the man the right side of his face looked like it a had been burned off as his left eye moved sluggishly. “We, promised reinforcement’s where is Morgan were is Cap?” He wheezed out searching but not really seeing Richard.
“Does anything to clean this guy up with?” Richard asked as he knelt down next to the guy.
“I just got the big fucking sword, fine,” Tray grumbled as he pulled off his back he had strapped over his shoulder. “Laurella made us work on patching people up just in case something put her down.” He explained.
“I kind of figured, thanks for the life story,” Boss commented, “Now stop talking, or I take the big sword.”
“Not cool,” Tray frowned looking away from his work.
Richard felt his right eyelid start twitching, “I am surrounded by children,” He thought to himself. He frowned as James cut down the latest attacker as they realized the area was going silent.
“I don’t like it when it gets quiet,” Boss admitted a hint of nervousness in his voice.
Richard took out a rag and cleaned off his blade as he held it up to spy over the shattered remains they were using as cover. “I don’t see him,” Richard admitted as he sheathed his sword and climbed up he glanced around not spotting anything that caught his eye.
“Well?” James asked,
“Well I have my head still on my shoulders,” Richard said glancing down as he stood up and glanced around. Taking out his pipe he slowly prepped and snapped a match. He paused before puffing the pipe putting it his mouth.
Boss joined him next standing up as well. “See anything?” he asked,
“No, that’s the problem a man that age shouldn’t be able to book It so easily, I think this may have been a distraction but for what I have no idea,”
Richard dropped down and headed to the last known location. “I got the guy wrapped up, not sure if he is going to live he lost a lot of blood,” Tray said as he stood up.
Nobody said anything as Richard paused. “Dandy, another one, does anyone have a torch?” He asked.
“I got one,” Tray said pulling one out. He tossed it to Richard, as
he caught it, Richard frowned as he lights it up. Richard paused looking down the stone stairs as he glanced back.
“I’ll go first,” Boss said walking forward and taking the torch Richard didn’t protest much as Boss led the way down. “Oh I think I am going to gag,” He paused it hit Richard as well, using the light,
“What kind of sick bastard,” Richard mouthed as he and Boss glanced around to see that the space at the bottom of the stairs was painted in blood.
Chapter 50 So Much For A Truce
“I get killing people we got to protect ourselves, and in some sick sadistic way I can understand wanting to be a pirate lord, but arts and crafts should not use body parts,” Richard frowned, as he looked at what was a half decomposed skull dangling from an arched ceiling.
“If he like the pirate lords gets his power from blood, I am guessing this him draining every drop he can get,” Boss said as he spotted hands arms, and even organs, he frowned at the realization he recognized what the organs looked like.
“I can see that having some weight to it, I can also see this dissuading others from entering. I got a feeling there is a reason this isn’t the main base of operations.” Richard theorized, “Okay boys cost is clear,” Richard called out as he and Boss made their way in, “Brace yourself it’s a little, corpse-y.” He added,
There is a slight decline, and a groove, this seems to be set up to bring all the blood,” Boss said realizing the angle, Richard bent his knees getting as close as possible,
“I am worried that whatever this groove is it may be part of something much worse,” Richard admitted as he ignored the mixed reactions of the rest of the crew behind him. “I have to admit when I first saw the paintings in blood I figured some nutjob was trying to recreate what we saw on the island, but knowing he has some magical knowledge, this just a lot more dangerous,” Richard admitted,
“Magic, I am not sure I am dealing with magic, I get the idea of power pulling something from nothing but are there any rules that are common knowledge?”
“Common rules most of it is legends it’s been a long time since magic has been in the hands of anyone outside of the Dragon Mage.” Richard admitted, “Well magic is weird the more you put into it the longer it lasts, the idea being magic is temporary with one exception, ruins magical engravings. Buildings, objects, heck even weapons, and in one case I city itself,” Richard said doing his best to recall the old legends revolving around the age of Mages until it ends with only the Dragon Mage seeing the end of the second mage war.
“Sounds crazy,” Boss admitted, “So he’s shown only to use energy so far needing blood for some end game we don’t know, so I can wager he’s not a very powerful magic user,”
“Yeah this, this level of preparation means he has at least one big move in him,” Richard pointed out as Boss nodded in agreement.
“So how does play into all this, I heard musing it was a sacrifice to some voodoo god or something,” Boss pointed out,
“I am thinking there may be more to it than that,” Richard said with a sigh, “If we get a chance I wouldn’t mind looking into that religion and see if that has weight to it. But for now, Richard picked up a rock and taking his rope and quickly tied the rock up.
“What are you doing?” Boss asked as Richard smirked at him. Taking the rock as he hefted it over his shoulder before tossing it down the hall, It went a fair distance for the size of the rock as Richard pulled it back. Boss gave him a confused look when a click went off and a massive fire went off burning the area above the rock Boss’s eyes went wide as he glanced at Richard.
“Booby traps,” Richard said with a frown. “We are going to have to take this slow and keep that in mind. He watched as the fire kept on flowing as the rest caught up to him. The smell of burning flesh started to stink up the place as bones started to break and fall to the ground.
“This is going to be fun,” Boss said as he crossed his arms. “The bastard is milking every second we are not breathing down his neck.”
“It’s a smart move, we pulled something similar did we not?” Richard asked with a grin as the fire finally cut out. “I wish we could bull rush this but we need to keep track of everything.
“I’ll get more stones,” Arvil said, “Let’s hope fire is the worst of it,”
“Well now you did it, you just had to say it,” Tobi complained as he threw his hands the air, “You fucking jinxed us,”
“He Richard I have an idea I am going to send a massive gust of wind to see If I can trip anything,” Arvil volunteered. Richard took a step to the side letting the man step past him. Everyone paused to watch never actually seeing.
He raised his hand as nothing seemed to happen, Richard felt everyone looking at him in confusion, when suddenly the sound of a howl hit their ears, and before one could question it a mass torrent of wind blasted past everyone taking a few by surprise as they started sliding, as the wind blitzed through the group. Richard grabbed onto the edge of walls feeling his fingers slide as the wind pressure seemed to increase, Boss dug his weapons into the side of the wall as he dug in his own heels.
“Is the wind getting stronger?” James asked who was using his hook as he leaned as close to the wall as Possible.
“He’s got the right idea, chief stop blocking the wind flow!” Tin called down as Boss glanced back. Everyone started to pick a side suck in their gut and tried to keep from catching the wind. The window blasted away the hanging organs and drove any blood that had not stained the ground they were standing on.
Arvil stood still unmoving as he kept his pose until finally, the wind started to die down. The man dropped to a knee breathing heavily. “You okay?” Tobi asked moving to the man first.
“Yeah, it just takes a lot out of me for those heavy gusts, I don’t know if it did much but it’s never a bad idea to use easier options before we go tossing a rock down a hall.” He apologized before standing back up a little shaky but still sturdy.
“Well, a shame it didn’t work it would have shaved off a lot of time,” Richard admit lamenting the fact that it didn’t as he dragged the rock. Back in it hit the old switch but no flames came out.
The Rock back in place the group moved up as far as they dared as Boss picked up the rock and tossed it, going a far farther distance than Richard’s initial throw. Richard mirroring his actions slowly pulled it back in as everyone waited on pins and needles. James tapped his foot fighting of impatience as Tin started to pace a bit given the small amount room he could.
Richard took a step back as Tobi took over looking for traps, as he inspected the wall. He frowned shaking her arms to a wave of the lactic acid that had built up. He didn’t like delegating but if he wanted to see everything to the end he needed to keep his energy.
“You know I think this is the first, actual job I have had to do, as a member of the crew,” Tobi joked as he hit another trap as the flames erupted again.
“I think we may have created a luxury cruise rather than a military vessel,” Boss pointed out looking at Richard, who was part laughing part choking as he tried to catch his breath.
“Maybe a self-cleaning ship was not the best idea,” Richard admitted,
“How you can all stay so flippant I will never understand,” James muttered, the area went quiet as everyone moved back into the reality of the citation.
Richard glanced back at the way they had come in, squinting at the opening. Richard tapped Eagle Eye on the shoulder and pointed it out. “Does that look like its closing?”
“Yes,” Eagle Eye said his eyes going wide as everyone stopped and glanced back in panic. Richard looked back and then forward.
“Okay, time to think, do I risk moving farther in? Or do I retreat and try again? Possible outcomes: Force my way forward likely hood of death High, traps more than likely, Retreats odds of survival high, odds of this getting dragged out Higher, odds of unseen plan success higher, odds of getting paid for fucking this up. Low,” Richard frowned as he weighted his options.
“Fall back or charge!” Richard declared, “I am moving forward.” Richard chopped off the end of the rope leaving the rock as he moved ward, He kept low not bothering to check who was moving with him as he rushed as fast as he could. He tried to recall the traps and their placement checking for a pattern but his mind was flooded with adrenaline and was taking in information but drawing no conclusions. He felt a plate give way under his foot as he kept going dogging a sudden torrent of flames.
“Copy me!” Boss shouted as Richard glanced back to see him weave around the trap as Tobi followed the motion to avoid it. Risking a blind charge no longer he faced forward as he could now hear the sound of stone grinding against stone.
“This is a really bad idea,” James warned from the back as Richard pushed past heading forward. Everyone followed suit as Richard slowly moved to a stop. Boss almost crashed into Richard at the sudden stop, as he almost fell trying to move around Richard, Tobi sadly wasn’t as fast on the Draw as he crashed into Richard sending them both to the ground.
“Why the heck did you stop?” Tobi asked as Richard Pushed him off and stood up. His eyes kept to the ground finding it so much more interesting than the brief flash he had seen of the room. “Oh god, I have seen some dark shit but what the fuck,” Tobi said as someone reached puking.
“Tray oh god,” James commented as Richard glanced back to see the older brother rub the younger’s back as Tray gagged as harsh hacks came from his lungs, before letting out more of his stomach’s contents.
“Nothing the Fox ever came up with this bad,” Boss finally said, “this is an indignity,” He commented as Richard felt numb, He glanced over at Boss who looked horrified, “It’s like he just rounded them up treated them like a commodity.”
“Yeah,” Richard agreed his voice faint as he lowered the torch to the ground cutting them off from the view as best he could. His feet splashed as he walked forward as his coat felt cold and sticky he was well aware of what was likely covering his coat hands and face.
