The Raider

Chapter II

--------------------FLASHBACK--------------
A group of about 50 people or so gathered around a pirate ship anchored on the secret Gidsberry beach on the north-western part of the island. Inigo walked up to the crowd and started listening to the bald pirate that was speaking to the group. Devon is still sleeping. He thought. I guess I have some time to listen before he wakes up and starts looking for me. The place smelt like a horde of rats came and had a drinking contest in the middle of the beach.
"Listen up!" The speaker yelled. "I ain't gonna be standin' here all day, so ye all shut yer traps and give an ear! Captain Raven of the Scarlet Diamond will now announce the list results!" A very tall man wearing a long, leather jacket and tall, black boots stepped up. He had a black, well-groomed beard running to his chest. His head was topped with a wide hat and monkey skulls hanging from the brims. "Now, as Smooth said, I will be announcing the results." His voice was low and calm, not at all like Smooth's. Inigo concluded that this was Captain Raven of the Scarlet Diamond.-Whatever that was. "Each crew has three new recruits. One from Wednesday, two from Yesterday." He said. "Each are children at ages twelve to fourteen and have successfully signed their name before today. If the candidate fails to board the ship before the week is over, he or she will not be recruited." He turned his head and Smooth gave him another slip of parchment. "The names for the Scarlet Diamond are: Hank Multoy as the swab, Elizabeth Welchor as the crow, and Jack Raven as the deuce." Inigo listened for several minutes for Devon's name and finally heard that he had been recruited as the crow for the King's Mark (another name that meant nothing to him) along with Craig-the tanner's son, and Rachel-Jack's sister. It was when he was leaving that Raven mentioned some names that he thought would NOT be named. "On the Leopard shark: Lucas Smith as the swab, Corrine Marten as the crow, and Joshua Stagger as the deuce." Inigo gasped and picked up his pace, galloping back to his house. He hurried his way behind a wall and picked up a crowbar. Rushing back to the door, he hid behind his raincoat and held the crowbar close to his face. He didn't want any nosy pirates looking for anything relating to Stagger or his crew. He tried to remember who was put with Joshua, and remembered that Lucas, Devon's best friend, was hired as the swab. Whatever that job was, it didn't sound very fun. Inigo looked through the window and saw Captain Raven lifting a gun above his head. BANG!! He fired at a seagull, without looking, that came crashing down to the beach and landed right in front of Smooth who didn't even flinch. (Tells you how strict he is.) Inigo turned around and kept waiting, scared.
-----------------FLASHBACK END--------------
"What do you mean Lucas signed up!?" I still couldn't believe that I was on the third worst ship, with the most boring job ever. "And who the heck is Joshua Stagger!?" I was practically shaking Inigo when I asked these, and when he finally came back into reality, he said
"Gareth Jusags was the youngest pirate to ever sail on a ship." I wondered who he was talking about. "He was 4 years old when he became a pirate, and was captured by Captain Raven. He was forced to work as a swab, but he was too small to work and had multiple beatings and whippings. He also was learning to shoot a pistol by firing at an innocent child, but the captain's wife got in the way. Gareth shot her and the captain was so angry, that he roped Gareth to the bow to give him a keelhaul." A keelhaul is the most treacherous punishment that a pirate could give. They would rope them to the bow and the victim would either drown, or get shredded. I stopped listening because no one has ever survived a keelhaul. But Inigo went on. "Captain Raven was punished by Davy Jones with the fact that he could never fire any sort of artillery again. But after 3 days of Gareth being strung up, the ropes broke and he was hurled into the ocean. He woke up on a beach and lived there for 6 years eating crabs and wild berries. At age 10, he managed to build a raft, sail to Spain and collect a crew. My father was one of those people. After being on that Island for forever, Gareth made a new name for himself. Joshua Stagger. Everyone thought that young Gareth Jusags died except for my father. He knew that Gareth was alive and he gave me Gareth's pistol. A pistol given to him by Davy Jones himself!" He handed me a small pistol with multiple holes and a bent barrel. "Now I need you to keep it safe and if Stagger finds you with it..." he paused, "...may the wind be on your side."