Chapter 3

All Out.

Chapter 3:

 

Professor Franz looked on in bewilderment as Wade walked forward into the crowd of men and began giving out orders.

“Men I want full sail! Catch the wind and get us out of here, Muzii I want you and Salina up top and ready for anything that might come our way.”

The Professor stood to his feet as Muzii walked past him with and placed his hands on the ropes next to the professor. He started to climb up the ropes leading to the top of the ship at an alarming speed. He climbed up onto a small platform at the top of the ropes and began looking down at the docks, his strange eye gleaming in the sunlight as he scanned the area for soldiers. The as the rest of the crew ran up and down the deck, pulling on ropes and climbing up the masts like they were born to climb them. The red haired woman known as Salina climbed up to the crow’s nest and stood there holding a staff made of metal with what looks like inscriptions running down it. Wade started walking toward the back end of the ship when Prof. Franz walking after him.

“Wait where are we going? You haven’t told me anything about the job you were hired for or my involvement in it. I also wish to know more about how we got to this ship from the execution platform? And who was the wo-,” before the Professor could finish his sentence Wade turned to him and interrupted him.

“Professor as you can see I am in the process of making sure we leave Everport with our heads still attached to our bodies. I know you may think we are safe aboard my ship but as you can see by those soldiers gathering on the harbor we are far from that,” as Wade finished his sentence he pointed to the harbor and soldiers could be seen gathering on the dock, some were lined up and about to beginning firing at the Enigma while others were going around and acquisitioning ships from nearby captains to give pursuit. The Professor stared in terror of the site.

“How did they find us so fast? You brought us straight here from the execution platform,” said the Professor as he continued staring at the men.

“Well technically I took us from the execution platform to five thousand feet in the air, then underwater, and then aboard my ship,” Wade said as he patted the Professor on the back “They probably found us due to the fact that we are the only ship in the harbor flying a black flag,” Wade started to walk the Professor to other side of the ship “As you can see my friend we are extremely busy now so I cannot answer all of your questions,”  The sound of musket fire rang out from behind them as the soldiers began shooting at the ship. Several of the crew members fell on their bellies hoping to dodge the flurry of bullets flying by, one man fell over with blood dripping from his shoulder and crying out in pain.

“Ahh I’ve been hit captain,” said the man as he held his shoulder.

“Men make sure you get Matthew here to the fine doctor,” Wade said as he continued walking with the professor on the deck of the ship both crouching because of the musket fire. Eventually rain of bullets stop firing as the soldiers started reloading. One man walked out in front of the soldiers, he wore a bright red uniform with golden tassels hanging off his shoulders showing that he was a man of rank in the Island’s forces.

“Pirates surrender now, return both your Captain and Professor Franz to us at once and we won’t be forced to sink your ship,” the commander said as men around him had finished reloading. Along the dock the men had begun rolling out and loading cannon’s to fire at the Enigma. Wade and the rest of his crew stood and stared down at the cannon’s as Professor Franz prodded Wade nervously.

“Wade I do not think it would be wise to test this military commander. What do you think our next course of action should be?” said Professor Franz as stood next to Wade. Wade walked out past the professor to the stern of the boat where the Commander had a clear line of site to him.

“Ah I see you’ve chosen to turn yourself in then pirate?” Said the Commander as he smirked at Wade.

“Oi, What did you call us?” Said Wade looking at the Commander.

“What do you mean?” Replied the Commander

“Just now, what did you call us?” Wade answered.

“You mean Pirate?” he answered.

“Yes! That! See I take offense to that?” replied Wade to the commander

“Why” he replied

“I prefer Privateer” answered Wade with a smirk on his face. “Isn’t that right men? Are we not in service to fine people of Candent and to the crown?” The around Wade yelled out in agreement with their captain as the commander looked on in bewilderment.

“After all several of my men are born in this kingdom and they are loyal to their king. They seek to better themselves for the glory of Candent! They seek to make themselves rich for the glory of the crown, they just happen to also be stealing from it on the regular,” Wade said as he gave off his wide smile.

“You are nothing more than common rogues and thieves, not privateers. Surrender your ship or prepare to be fired on and boar…” before the commander could finish his sentence a shot rang out that silenced the whole harbor. The commander’s coat started to turn dark as blood spread out from the center of his chest. He gripped is chest as he fell to one knee and looked up to see Wade holding a pistol with smoking coming from the barrel.

“Ok we aren’t privateers, however we are not mere pirates my dear commander,” Wade lifted up his leg onto the railing running along the back of the Enigma.

“We are THE pirates, I am the son of Black Edward Hawkins and am much more than a pirate. I will show you and the rest of the world that we are in a league above any simply pirate,” Wade stepped back from the railing, turning around and started walking towards the ship’s deck.

“MEN!” Wade yelled as his foot touched the first step to the stairs leading down to the deck.

“RETURN FIRE!” At that moment the sound of muskets filled the air around the Enigma as round after round was fired toward the dock. The soldiers on the end of the dock started to run back or jumped into the water while the others began taking over and attempting to return fire as the Enigma continued to sail away. Professor Franz was quivering from his nerves. He had never been around gun fire as it was but this was too much for him to handle. He ran up to Wade trying his best to dodge the muskets.

“Are you mad? The have cannon’s out their trained on us? As soon as their men regroup we are going to be in splinters!”

As he said this a cannon shot fired off and just barely missed the enigma, water sprayed out all over the crew. Soon enough another cannon ball came flying through the air and landed on the opposite side of the Enigma spending a heavy mist of water in all directions as the men laid on the floor of the ship to take cover. Wade stood and whipped the water from his face.

“Salina are you ready?!” He yelled as he looked up towards the crow’s nest. Professor Franz looked up at the woman who had climbed up to the perch earlier to see that the staff she had with her had started to glow a bright yellow. The symbols that were on the staff had lighten up and appeared to be dancing with light. It was as if the whole staff had been engulfed with fire. Salina stood holding the staff with both hands as she looked down at Wade.

“Going to need about five more minutes Captain. Think you can hold them off?” Yelled Salina as Wade smirked.

“Gladly, Muzii come with me. We going ashore,” Muzii started to climb down from his perch and landed on the deck of them ship with a heavy thud as two more cannon balls flew through the air. This time one hit the hull of the back ship and men cried out as splitters filled the sky. Muzii walked toward Wade and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“I am with you Captain, the ship is taking too much damage for my liking,” Wade smirked and grabbed hold of his arm, an explosion of smoke shot out in all directions and the familiar sound of lightening cracked around the area that Wade and Muzii once were but were now gone. Professor Franz stared on in amazement at the site and felt that even though he had gone along with Wade through that black smoke, he would never get use to the site of it. The professor looked around to find where Wade and Muzii had disappeared to when he saw a plumb of black smoking coming from the Dock where one of the cannon’s sat.

Wade now had a had a pair of goggles over his eyes with a light blue stripe running through the middle of them, he held two swords in his hands and two pistols in his holster. While Muzii stood there the same as he looked beforehand, the only thing he ware were trousers and a pair of boots as he faced down the men staring at him to get back to the cannon.

“Muzii keep this cannon secure, I’ll go hold off the guys at the other one,” said Wade as Muzii nodded

“Aye, Captain,” After saying this Wade disappearing in a cloud of smoke and lightening as Muzii ran towards the soldiers. The soldier closest to him threw a punch which Muzii dodged with surprising swiftness he swung with his metal arm and hit the soldier in the jaw sending him flying into the water as a loud crack rung out from the soldiers jaw crumbling. More soldiers rushed towards him in a crowd, Muzii took a strange stance with his normal arm out front and his metal arm curled up to his side. His shoulder clicked almost as if something had just locked into place when one of the soldiers lunged at him with his sword. Muzii’s metal arm shot forward with the speed of a cannon ball as a loud crash shot off as if it was a gun rang from it. He punched the sword directly on the blade as it shattered and a wave of hot fire shot forward and burned the men in front of him. The men fell over in pain as the burned from the furious punch as Muzii pressed forward knocking them into the water.

As Muzii fought the soldiers the ones guarding the second cannon stared on in awe as when they saw a plume of smoke appear above their cannon with Wade sitting upon it when it cleared.

“You have to admit, he is extremely effective for a guy that doesn’t use a sword, or any weapon really to fight,” Wade stood and pointed one of his swords at the soldiers.

“I promise you I am even more so then he is,” Wade his appear into smoke as the words left his mouth and reappeared in front of the men and slashed at one of the soldiers cutting him down his chest as he disappear again this time behind the man and stabbing him through his back until his sword stuck out from his chest. One of the soldiers charged at Wade upon seeing one of his own being killed so brutally but Wade turned through him and threw his free sword at him and it landed square in the man’s chest. Before he could react smoke appeared before him and a hand grabbed the sword, Wade proceeded to rung the man threw as he looked him in the eyes as life left him.

The mean that were still on the main part of the dock started to swarm the cannon areas as Muzii and Wade took on man after man. Professor Franz looked on in at the sight in a state of complete awe. He had never seen men handle soldiers before with such tenacity. For one solitary second he thought he was not looking at men but instead monsters, monsters from another plan that had been sent here to make the men they were fighting suffer in ways they had not known. This thought was soon challenged when he saw four soldiers dive at Muzii at once and he went to his knees. Two of them held him down by his arms as the other two began kicking in his face with blood soon following after. However before the soldiers could start cutting into Muzii with their swords Wade appeared behind them and stabbed the ones that were restraining Muzii. Wade was however going tired and could not remove his swords before one soldier saw him and took aim at him with his musket. His shot dung into Wade’s shoulder and sent him stumbling back and fell on one knee holding his shoulder. Muzii stood and looked back at his captain.

“Captain we need to go,” Muzii said as he grabbed Wade’s swords from the Corpses of the men.

“Agreed my friend,” said Wade as he stood to his feet and grabbed onto Muzii right before they disappeared from the dock and reappeared on the Enigma. Wade fell over onto his knees as blood dripped down his arm. “Salina you good yet?!” He yelled as he breathed heavily and held onto his shoulder.

“Ready to go Captain, everyone hold onto something,” the men on the ship all rushed to grab onto either ropes, railing, or even the floor itself as Salina started chanting something when out the corner of his eye the Professor could see a ship heading their way at ramming speed. It would seem that the soldiers had finally gotten ahold of a ship and it was going to go right into them.

“Wade I don’t mean to trouble you but we have a ship heading our way!” yelled the professor as he held onto the railing of the ship.

“Professor please be quiet and have faith in our sorceress,” said Wade as he laid on the floor.

“Now if you’d excuse me I need to go back to bleeding out,” Wade continued to lay on the floor as the Professor continued to stare at the ship heading their way. That was when he heard a loud crack in front of the ship and could see the sky turn dark around them. Up above him Salina could be seen holding her staff in the air as lighting can down from the sky and struck it multiple times. Salina continued chanting loudly in a strange foreign language until she pointed her staff directly in front of the ship and a blast of energy came out and what happened next twisted Professor Franz’s very understanding of the world. A swirling mass of energy exploded before and began pulling in all that was around it, including the ship. Professor Franz held on for his life as wind swirled around him and pulled the Enigma towards the spiraling vortex. The front of the ship was consumed and slowly the whole ship was as well. Professor Franz closed his eyes as the vortex engulfed him and he felt as if the whole ship was suddenly sucked through the roughest storm he had ever experienced. It was tossed and rocked for what felt like a lifetime until it once again felt calm again.

Even though the ship had finally stopped moving the professor still held onto the railing with his eyes closed until he could hear the cheering of the men around him. He looked out of one eye and saw that it looked like what he had seen before with men standing around and cheering about something. He looked up at the crow’s nest and could see Salina on one knee breathing the heaviest he had ever seen anyone breathe. That is when the Professor noticed Wade being picked up off the ground by the crew mates. Half way through picking him up Wade pushed them aside and asserted that he could move on his own. He walked over to the Professor and patted him on the back.

“Looks like we got away Franz, though we were using an admittedly we used orthodox methods,” Wade sat down next to the Professor and point behind him.

“Can’t deny with the results though,” the Professor turned his head around and saw that the Island of Everport was now far behind them and was nothing more than a speck on the horizon. Professor Franz jumped to his feet and exclaimed with barely understandable language.

“HOW?! How did this happen? What is with that guys arm? Why are we so far away from the port? Am I going crazy? And who are you people? Are you pirates or are you something more than that? I need to know!” the Professor said as he began breathing heavily. Wade stood and placed his hand on the Professor’s shoulder.

“Well to answer your questions in order; or sorceress did it, his arm is made of metal, the portal did it, probably, we are the greatest pirates you’ve ever seen my good Professor, and you will know more soon enough my friend,” Wade patted the Professor on the back.

“But first, I need someone to take this bullet out my shoulder because I’m seriously thinking I’ve lost too much blood at this point.”

Wade walked off towards the lower deck of the ship but before he did he turned around to the Professor.

“However to answer the question that is bugging you most, everything we’ve done here today is thanks to Aether,” the Professor looked confused for a second

“So doesn’t that mean…” Wade interrupted the Professor before he could finish.

“Yes Professor, it was all thanks to magic