The Raider

Chapter III

RECAP: 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."
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Have you ever had that feeling where you're so excited, your muscles just started to go ballistic? That's how I felt when the ships docked the next morning. I've heard that everything in a pirate's life was supposed to be tough. So far all that was tough was falling asleep. Either because I was so excited, or I was trying to get used to rum. Which I admit, was VERY hard. I was dressed in the traditional white, linen shirt and short boots and was just about to board, when I heard someone running up to me. It was Lucas.
"Hey, Dev!" He yelled, panting from his 30 meter run. "Long time, no see."
"Hey, Lucas." I said non-enthusiastically since I was still mad at him for signing up. "Where've you been?"
"Hanging out around here." I nodded and was about to ask him why he wanted to be a pirate, when something caught my eye. It was lying in the sand and looked to be an old music disc. Lucas noticed me and looked to see what I was looking at.
"You see that?" I asked as I knew that he obviously saw it. We walked down the gangplank and wandered over to the disc. I picked it up and turned it over lightly in my hand while reading the faded words along the middle. It read: T e in' C- The rest of the title was faded and replaced with the firm letters of JS. I shoved the thing in my pocket and we headed back.
"Weird thing to find on a beach." He said "Anyways, have you tried rum yet? I did, but it's so hard to realize a twelve year old boy is drinking alcohol."
I nodded again, boy this kid liked to talk. "But, a pirates supposed to like rum, it's mandatory. I packed 3 bottles."
"Ten." he replied "give or take a few days worth." When we reached the Leopard Shark's gangplank, Lucas jumped on deck and waved a solemn goodbye. As I waved back, I noticed the great Captain Raven of the Scarlet Diamond watching a young girl, about my age, with long, golden hair running down to her armpits, shuffle down the beach towards the King's Mark, that piece of crap everyone calls a 'ship'. It was painted red, white, and blue like the Union-Jack, and I think a statue of King Edward was on the bow which probably means that it was commandeered from the English. It also had multiple cannon holes in it so I'm kinda surprised that it hasn't sunk yet. And just my luck, I was recruited by the captain of it. Buck Grayson Jr. *scoff*
I climbed the ladder leading to the crows nest and nearly fell back down when a board snapped underneath my feet. I took a good look to the left and saw nothing but the beautiful sky, and the vast, blue sea. On the right, the bustling people on shore as it shrunk in the distance. I hadn't realized that we were leaving and hadn't yet met the crew. I figured that would be a good step. After climbing down the unpredictable rope ladder leading up to the crows nest, I awkwardly hobbled down to the crew's quarters, trying to imitate how everyone else stumbled over ropes and wood chips.
As I stepped down the wooden stairs, I noticed the walls damp and some places darker than the others. When I opened the door to the cabins I got no surprise. The place was flooded! Good thing they got Craig to be the swab and not me, he deserves it. I heard a few people about 17 years old sleeping in the hammocks and walked back up the stairs being careful not to wake them up.
The next floor up was where the kitchen and all galley was. I heard a loud clanging and a voice sounding frustrated coming from the kitchen. "I can't wait to see the kitchen." I thought to myself as I walked over and heard another clang and some more particularly nasty swearing. Opening the door, I felt a blast of heat and smelt something that consisted of sulphur mixed with the mouldy contents of some long-dead fish. Lunch.
"Hungry already?" I heard the cook, an Englishman probably scrawnier than Lucas with a burnt shirt and a very strong accent, ask while stirring the horrible soup in a huge metal cauldron that took up almost the entire kitchen.
"Uh, no, thanks. Just wondered what was happening." He lowered his eyelids slightly and lifted a frying pan up so I could see it.
"Very small kitchen." He said, scratching his beard. I could see he was busy so I started to leave, but he stopped me when he asked me to taste-test the soup AKA Stomach contents of 2 or 3 vultures.
I thought the smell was bad, but when I brought myself to agree, I gagged being even a few feet away from the pot. I looked in the cauldron and (believe it or not,) was a few chunks of rotting fish bones. He handed me the large stir spoon and I lifted it up to my mouth where the chunky components struggled down my throat. I coughed up almost half of what I just ate and tried to comment on the soup.
"Wow!" I said trying to sound like it was delicious. "That is a-mazing!" After a few coughs and stumbles, I managed to give a thumbs-up. He smiled nervously and gave a thumbs-up back as I crashed out the door. "By the way, I'm Devon Tanner. What's your name?" I asked after washing my mouth with a few pink and brown liquids I did not know the names to.
"Edward Teach." He replied.