The ship sailed in nicely and the crew dropped the anchor and made sure the boat would stay in place by tying it down on a little pole connected to the dock. Guards at the dock pointed their guns at Yunga and the others, they all put their hands up.
“Where’s the princess?” A guard fiercely asked.
“She’s in the captain's cabin.” Yunga responded, tilting her head to point at it.
The guard got on the boat and walked into the captain’s cabin, flinging the door wide open. The guard screamed and charged in there, there was a loud thud and a grunt of pain from Shug. The guard had hit him over the head with the rifle, and was now screaming at Brentha to back up away from him, or as he put it, ‘criminal scum.’
Shug was forcibly pushed out the cabin with the rifle placed firmly on the center of his spine, as the guard kept telling him to move it. Shug had blood leaking from his forehead, where he was presumably hit by the guard with the but of the rifle.
Brentha soon walked out of the cabin and onto the dock, where she was greeted by one of the butlers of the castle. All of the dock workers bowed down as she walked forward and away from the boat and into the castle.
“Get going.” The guard demanded, as Yunga and all of the rest got off the boat and were escorted inside the castle and down the main hall and into the dining room where Drinter was sitting on his throne, waiting for the arrival of the crew.
“Ah, there you guys are. Just on time like I like it.” Drinter says as they all walk in. Brentha was sitting in a smaller throne right next to Drinter’s. “I thank you all for saving my daughter, you did a way better job than I thought.”
The crew really didn’t feel honored or even pleased with the thanks they got, because they knew what was going to happen next. The decision if they are released with all charges dropped or not.
“Now, you all may be waiting for this moment.” Drnter said, sitting himself up right in his chair. “You guys are wondering about the charges that have been brought against you, it is the reason why you guys are all here in the first place.”
“You’re going to drop all of the charges right?” Brentha said.
“Yes, I am a man of my word.”
The crew’s faces light up, and they start getting excited as they await with impatience as to what Drinter is going to say next, their focus taken away from everything else.
“Although that's what people say.” Drinter says and the uplifting spirits the crew had were immediately turned down into a much more gloomy mood. “You people may think that you’re just going to walk out here with all charges dropped by doing such a simple and easy quest. It’ll be preposterous, completely insane. my reputation and credibility will crumble right before me if I let you guys publicly go, even though the majority of people in this town would love to watch the life drain from your eyes.”
“So you’re not gonna give them their freedom!” Brentha slammed down on the armrests of the throne.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“That’s not fair!” Shug shouts, pointing at Drinter with anger burning inside him. “You gave your word! How could you do this!?” Shug was hit again on the head and he fumbled to the ground, blood still coming down from his head.
“Fucking knew it.” Yunga said. “I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”
“Fucking bullshit!” Hillanter yells. “If there were no guards protecting you I would cut your fucking head off!”
“I would like to see you try.” Drinter mockingly says. “Now back to your cell!” Drinter snapped his fingers and the guards put their guns on the back of the crew, one guard getting Shug up off the ground and pushing him forward.
“No! Let them go!” Brentha protested. “I’m not letting you get away with it again!”
“Now now Brentha.” Drinter said. “I know you don’t like what I’m doing, but whatever daddy says goes. No matter how many times you protest. Also, you’re in no position to talk to me right now, you’re in very big trouble for just leaving out of the blue like that.”
“Fuck you!”
“Ooo, daring aren’t we? I’ll have the guards take you up into your room, looks like you need to cool off, future queen.”
As the guards escort the crew out of the dining room, one other guard takes Brentha out of the room as well and up a spiral staircase that leads to her room, putting her in there and locking the door.
Brentha jumps onto the bed in her room and smothers her own face into her pillow and begins to sob. Hugging her pillow tightly onto her face as the wind blows in from the outside of her barred windows.
“Please! Please just let them go.” Brentha prayed.
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The whole crew was led into the cell they were held in when they first met, and they were in the same positions when they were first in there. Complete and deafening silence was lingering in the air as all of the crew was not in the mood to talk.
What am I going to do? Yunga kept thinking about how to get out of this desperate situation. She only wished that Brentha told them sooner so they would have more time to make a plan. If only she wasn’t injured she would’ve taken on all of the guards with ease, not even getting a single bruise or scratch throughout the whole ordeal. The only problem is not just moving, but to stick the landing, she needs both legs. If one of them is injured, she’ll be falling straight on her ass every time she uses her special ability.
Yunga had her rage built up and she wanted to punch something, someone, hell even the air. She wanted to scream her lungs out, making sure the people all over Mintlantica could hear her. The infamous Elantra Pirates bloodline ended with the daughter of the two main couple executed in the town square over some bread. Not only would that be the most embarrassing way to go out, but it’ll disappoint every single one of her ancestors, who were most likely looking down on her during these desperate times.
She looked at Shug, who was just a day ago, the hope they needed to get where they needed to. Even though he messed up once, he redeemed himself at the best time. He was looking out the bars of the dark prison cell and out into the hallway. He was completely silent and didn’t even say a single word, he’d given up. He had no point to come up with a plan, he was gonna die for a crime he didn’t even commit.
Zunci was sitting in the corner right by Yunga, but she was curled up in a ball facing the wall. She didn’t even say anything when the news broke that they’ll be executed and all of the work they did was completely useless.
Shanta was praying in a corner, she recited something in a language that Yunga didn’t understand nor could recognize.
Hillanter was sitting forward on the bed, with his arms dug into his chest and had a fierce and terrifying look on his face. He looked like he was deep in thought, probably also thinking of a plan as well.
Looks like no one is up to discussing a plan or even just a normal conversation with each other, Yunga said to herself. She wanted to speak up but she was hesitant to do so. She didn’t know what the response she’ll get if she even brought up the topic, will it be met with silence? Anger? But, the only way to be sure, is to just do it.
“Guys.” Yunga said softly at first but then raises her voice making sure they all can hear her. “Are we just gonna sit around and do nothing? Or are we just gonna accept our fate?” Silence, complete and utter silence. “Come on, we gotta do something.”
“Like what?” Hillanter said. “Come up with a plan to escape?”
“Exactly, if we’re just gonna die anyways, how about we go out trying at least.”
“That’s what I was thinking but, I realized, even if we did escape this prison, where will we even go next? Making out of the basement is already hard enough, so taking on the whole castle will even be harder.”
“That’s why we should come up with a plan.”
“We only have an hour or so, hell maybe even just thirty minutes.”
“Does anybody have any ideas?” No one else spoke up, even during Hillanter and Yunga’s brief discussion, they hadn't even turned to face them, it was like they were deaf. “Guess not.”
“I think I may have one.” Hillanter said. “It may be a little risky.”
“It’s better than nothing.”
“We cause an incident so a guard comes over here, one of us grabs him from the bar and take the keys from him and open the gate then-”
“It’ll never work.” Shug interrupted.
“Why?”
“That guard will shoot you faster than anything if you tried anything like that on him. Plus, you’re betting on the fact that only one guard will show up to settle an incident like the one you’re describing. They’ll most likely send three guards if we start something like that.”
“Well, I don’t see you coming up with anything better.”
“You’re right, because I have nothing good to come up with.”
“That’s good, because I can’t imagine a plan that you’d come up with that would be any good.”
“Fuck you Hillanter! I was the one that even got us the information to get us to the island in the first place!”
“You were also the one that put Brentha’s life on the line because you carelessly charged in!”
“I didn’t even know that was even the case! And besides, everything ended up fine.”
“You call our situation ‘just fine’.
“Well no, I’m just saying the most important thing is that Brentha did not fucking die.”
“She could’ve after when you charged in-”
“Just stop bringing it up I know! God, no wonder people don’t like your kind.”
Hillanter gets up from the bed. “You want to say that to my fucking face.”
“Do you want me to repeat for you? What? Did those big ass ears of yours not hear me?”
“You have no right-”
“I have all the rights to-”
“No you don’t you motherfucker!” Hillanter began charging.
“Oh no you’re gonna hit me again!? Is that how you deal with all of your problems!?”
“Stop!” Zunci got in between the two, who were now face to face. “You two need to settle your differences or just shut the fuck up! This is no time to be arguing.”
Hillanter and Shug backed away from each other and didn’t look at each other at all.
“Now, Shug does bring up a good point.” Yunga said. “But, I think I’ve come up with a way to counteract that.”
“Like how?” Zunci asked.
“I need to go into more detail, so everyone needs to hear me out.”
“I’m listening. Shug?”
“I’m all up for it.” Shug responded, turning to face Yunga.
“All ears.” Hillanter said.
“What’s there to lose?” Shanta said, still in her praying position.”
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Brentha was laying up, staring directly at her ceiling, her eyes still red from the sobbing she did earlier. It was quite peaceful from the week she had, being kidnapped and kept a prisoner.
The little peace she had was broken when Drinter opened the door and stepped inside, not even knocking on the door or anything, just walked in.
“Brentha.” Drinter said with a booming voice. “Time to witness the execution.”
“No!” Brentha screamed, getting up from the bed.
“Don’t give me attitude now, it’s something you’ll have to get used to if you want to be the future queen.”
“I don’t want to be the queen!”
“You only say that because of what happened to your mother. Trust me, that’ll never happen again. Come on now, it’s going to be in five minutes.”
“I’m not going.”
“Yes you are. Come here now!” Drinter started to yell.
“I’d rather jump from my window and crack my skull open.”
“I’m tired of this!” Drinter walked over and yanked Brentha’s arm and dragged her along as she yelped and screamed for help. “You’re gonna come with me, no matter if you like it or not!”
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“Help!” A cry was heard by one of the guards in the dungeon. He shrugged it off as one of the other people they were torturing that day, but then the cry was let out again. This time, he was able to pinpoint it down to being one of the holding cells. He got the attention of two other guards and they rushed over to the holding cell, where the crew is at.
“What’s the problem?” the guard asked.
“Shug just dropped dead!” Zunci shouted, pointing at Shug just laying face first on the ground, not moving whatsoever. The other members of the crew crowded around Shug’s body.
“Let me check.” The guard unlocked the cell door as the other two pointed their rifles at the crew, telling them to back up from the body.
The guard walked into the cell as the other two stayed outside the cell. He walked over to the body of Shug and went to check his pulse.
He was still breathing and he confirmed that Shug was not dead.
“He’s not dead, he probably just passed out.” The guard said.
Yunga was up against the wall, it was now the chance to execute the plan. She needed to use her special ability. Yunga braced her legs and then, she moved faster than the guards could blink. She moved directly at the two other guards who were outside the cell, through the open cell door. She had her arms extended out from her body, so as she moved towards them, she would knock them down.
She hit both of the guards, knocking them against the wall and making them drop their rifles. Yunga hit the wall that was directly across from the cell, she fell down to the ground. Due to her not being able to land perfectly using her special ability, she voluntarily took the fall from the wall as part of her plan, as Zunci ran out of the cell door, grabbed the rifle from the ground, and shot the two guards in the head.
The guard over Shug’s body raises his rifle, aiming directly at Zunci’s head. Shug sweeped the guard off his feet, making him fall on his back, knocking his head on the brick covered ground. Hillanter raised his foot and stomped on the guy's head so hard, he almost crushed his skull. To make sure he was really dead, Shanta grabbed the rifle and shot him.
Once the whole ordeal was done, they immediately moved on to the next stage of the plan. Getting more weapons. They remembered when they were walking into the dungeon, there was a weapons rack on one of the walls near the exit.
They exit the cell and run down the hall all the way to the exit of the dungeon. Shanta tossed Shug a rifle as they passed by other guards, gunning them down as they passed. They finally reached the weapons rack, where there are multiple melee weapons and no ranged weapons.
“Here!” Yunga tossed an axe over to Hillanter as she grabbed a sword. “Shanta, do you need anything?”
“No, I should be good.” Shanta said. “I am a mage after all.”
“Alright, get ready! We’re raiding the main part of the castle. This one is going to be tough.”
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Drinter was still dragging Brentha from her room and down the spiral staircase, she was still screaming for somebody to intervene. A guard came running up the stairs, running into Drinter, he was completely out of breath.
“What’s the matter?” Drinter asked, concerned and questioning why the guard was out of breath.
“Yunga and the others broke out!” The guard frantically said.
“No.”
“Yes! They’re killing anyone in their path!”
“Goddammit!” Drinter let go of Brentha. “Get Brentha back to her room and make sure she’s safe!”
“Yes sir!” The guard took the hand of Brentha and they ran up the stairs. Drinter stormed down the stairs and unsheathed his sword. “They should’ve just gone out the easy way.”
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Yunga and the others were running down the hallways of the castle, gunning and slashing down any guards that got in their way, painting the floors with blood. They got into the dining room where they knew where to go now.
Drinter came into the room, flying the doors off of their hinges, standing menacingly in full armor.
“You guys should’ve just stayed in your cell.” Drinter had his big sword out and pointed at the group.
“You should’ve just given us our freedom!” Yunga said as she tensed up, holding her sword in front of her.
“There’s no way we can take that guy on.” Shug whispered to Yunga.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep him distracted. You guys go on ahead to the boat.”
“Alright.”
“Well then Drinter. Let’s have a rematch shall we?”
Yunga charged forward at him with her special ability speed, pulling her sword back getting ready to swing. She swings her sword at Drinters waist. Drinter swung his sword in time, deflecting Yunga’s swing and she went flying behind him crashing into a wall. Drinter pulled his sword in the air about to swing down on Yunga, until Zunci took a great shot, hitting Drinters hand, making him cancel the swing, giving Yunga time to get up and move out of the way.
Zunci and the others head over to the exit to the dining room, motioning Yunga to come over as they now have a good time to escape the deadly fight that would ensue if they stayed in there longer.
Drinter grunts in pain as he charges after them, with his sword aimed up at the sky. Shug took a shot at his ankle, but it did nothing, the bullet being deflected off of his armor.
“Back up!” Shanta shouted, and the crew complied. Shant reaches her hand out and a bolt of lighting hits Drinter, shocking him with many volts of electricity. Due to the material that his armor is made out of, the sock affected him a lot more than it should’ve.
While Drinter was shocked, they all took the opportunity to leave to the dock, where their next target was to get the boat.
They reached the dock where all of the guards were waiting for them aiming their guns. Shanta takes point, blasting a huge gust of wind, blowing the guards off their feet.
Shug and Zunci take hot shots at the guards on the ground, taking them out one after one.
Yunga and Hillanter run up to the guards struggling to get to their feet and stab them on the ground, Hillanter decapitating some of the guards.
“Shanta now!” Yunga shouts as she finishes stabbing one of the last guards that were left.
“On it!” Shanta responds, as she kneels on the ground and a big red circle forms around her. A huge fireball appears above her and she shoots it at all of the ships that are docked at the port. Except for one. The one that they were using for their mission.
Yunga and Hillanter run over to the boat and hop on, getting the ship ready for their departure.
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Brentha looked out her window at all of the burning ships and was struck in awe as she saw the carnage unfold. She watched as the crew ran over to the boat and were now ready to sail off.
She noticed that all of the crew was on the ship, except for one.
Shug.
She looked around the burning harbor, scanning for Shug, wondering where he was. She thought that he died, and the crew just had to move on. She scanned the ship again making sure she was correct in the fact that she didn’t see Shug.
“Brentha!” A voice came yelling from directly underneath where her window was located. Shug was waving his hands up in the air and shouting to get Brentha’s attention.
“Brentha!” Shug continued shouting.
“Shug!” Zunci yelled from the boat. “We can’t get her! We gotta move!”
“No, I’m not gonna leave Brentha here!”
Brentha was hearing every single syllable of Shug’s words and began to tear up. She never had someone ever care about her this much, she’s been facing the fact that her dad never cared for her and only wanted her to take the place of her mother. On top of the fact that she never interacted with the person who was the same age as her.
“Brentha! Jump from the window! I’ll catch you!” Shug shouted.
This triggered something in Brentha, she started shaking on the bars, hoping to find a lost one. She did, at one of the center bars. She started to pull and pull hoping that the bar would fold under the pressure, but no matter how hard she pulled, she could never get it off.
Frantically, she started looking around the room for something to pull the bar off. SHe saw a little tool that she uses to clean her nails, it had a sharp little end so you could get some gunk that was under your fingernails.
She grabbed it and started stabbing the edges of the window to chip away so the bar could slip out. She never stabbed something so hard in her life, it looked like she was gonna break the tool.
After a good minute of stabbing over and over, she finally got a breakthrough and the bar was looser than ever. She grabbed onto them and pulled harder than she ever did before. The bar came flying off the window and she fell to the floor, launching the bar across the room and shattering a mirror.
She got up onto the windowsill and looked at the two-story drop and she felt a shiver of fear down her spine. But, when she saw Shug at the bottom, with his arms wide open awaiting for Brentha’s drop, she felt at ease.
She took a deep breath and jumped off the windowsill, soaring through the air and the wind blowing her hair up as she came barreling toward Shug.
Shug braced for impact as Brentha landed on him, and when she did, he wrapped her arms around her making sure the impact of the fall wouldn’t be as bad as her. He crashed into the ground and on his head, with Brentha on top of him, embracing him back.
Miraculously, they both were unharmed from the fall.
“Thank you!” Brentha cried.
“No problem.” Shug said.
They both got up and Shug led the way to the boat, holding Brenthas hand as they sprinted over to the ship and got on board.
Drinter came out of the castle to the carnage Yunga and the rest of the crew left behind as they set the sails on the remaining boat and raised the anchor. The ship began drifting away from the dock.
“Brentha!” Drinter screamed, running over to the boat trying to get there before they sailed off. “Don’t you think that you’re gonna get away!”
Brentha looked at her father and listened to the desperation in his voice. She cracked a smile as they got out of range from the castle to where Drinter could do nothing else but watch.
“Brentha!” Drinter kept screaming, until they got far away where they couldn’t hear him anymore and only the sound of the ocean could be heard. Drifting in the sea and on a way to start a new life. This will be a new chapter in her life, as a new member of what is soon to be, the new Elantra Pirates229Please respect copyright.PENANABCYlPYLUOo