Black Gold

Shot 1

The moon rose high and began the ebb and fall of the sea. Her moonlight shone and glittered the sea with the reflection of the stars. A single boat was cast into the midst of the the horizon, lulled back and forth along the waves. In the quiet of the night, a man's silhouette was shaped into the dimness as he roped onboard a heavy set net with a bundle caught in. 

Gasping as he fought to bring the heavy object on board, another figure moved in the dark behind him holding up a bright lantern shining onto their catch. The figure was hunched with a face canvas full of wrinkles. 

"Is this it?" asked the old man with awe unable to keep the anticipation from his voice.

"Let's find out," rasped the younger man. He struggled briefly to untangle the cords. Under the net, a shape of a thick wooden chest could be made out with a metal key lock. 

"How exciting!" exclaimed the younger man with a twinkle in his eyes, "To think we found a treasure chest in the middle of the sea. Don't you feel a little bit like a pirate? How's that to check off your bucket list, old man?"

"Hurry and open it already," the old man shook the lantern towards the chest impatiently. He stood closer and hovered over the chest. "You never know when to get to work Hex."

Hex shook off the remark trying not to show annoyance. He took out a knife and tried to pry the keyhole without much success. The old man heaved, drew out a gun from the pocket of his jacket, and fired blindly towards the chest.

"Watch it old man!" Hex yelped. "These fingers are delegate ya know?" 

Shaking his head, Hex opened the chest and pulled it open. Each man held his breath as the content of the chest became visible. For as heavy of a chest it was, there wasn't much to its glory as presumed. A glass bottle full of shells of all sorts, a worn out one-way train ticket to the metropolis city Golem, a blacken pocket watch, a newspaper dating back to the first year of the great Emperor Kraiser the Wild a decade prior. The rest of the chest was filled with sand.

"That's it?!" The old man shoved Hex aside moving with dexterity surprising for his unknown age, "Where's the gold we were promised? The lost treasure of Harand of the West? Instead we find cheap trinkets from his pity visits around the continents?!" 

Infuriated, the old man kicked at the chest only to yell out in pain, clutching and hopping on one foot. Hex reached into the chest and slid the pocket watch into the sleeve of his jacket while the old man was distracted.

He turned to the old man. "What are we going to do about our payment? We can't scrap anything in here."

The old man laughed manically. He pointed the gun at Hex. "You'll find it on the other side." He fired and the sound of the gunshot echoed deafeningly across the surface of the sea. 

The old man stood over Hex and stood a little taller with the moon behind his back. A painful throb began in his left shoulder as a warm wet feeling began to soak his thick coat. Damn, Hex thought, I just bought it for a heck of deal. He pressed a shaking hand over the wound and winced in pain with a lightheadedness creeping in.

"I've got a bounty to collect on your head, bounty hunter," the old man confessed. "Ironic that a bounty hunter be hunted for a bounty of his own, eh? The look on Victor's face when I arrive with your head on the platter, oh would be so sweet."

Anger and fear consumed Hex. No way in hell was he returning back to that vileful man. Adrenaline rushed throughout his body and instinct kicked over. He shoved his good shoulder at the old man and both fell on the floor struggling to fight for the gun. Another gunshot rang out and shattered the hull of the boat unbalancing it. Water poured rapidly in, tipping the boat into the sea.  

The old man won the fight, kicked Hex in the chest and stood up trying to keep his balance.  Before he could cry for victory, the weight of both men and the chest could not hold the boat. It overturned taking them both into the sea. As weakened as Hex was, he flailed briefly in the water before breaking into the surface gasping for breath. He looked around for the old man, but couldn't find him. He kicked and swam the best he could away from the wreckage. When no sign of the old man appeared, he heaved a great shaky sigh, looked up at the stars in the sky, and floated on his back.

Great Mother of Gods, what a mess. Hex closed his eyes. He was so tired. His arm felt like it was on fire even when the rest of him was freezing cold in the water making his teeth chatter. He didn't know how long his drifted in and out of consciousness for. The sun finally woke and brought with it the vivid signs of life. The striking red overpowered the darkening secrets of the night.

The last thing Hex was aware of before he gave into the darkness of his soul was a high pitch whistle and bright amber eyes the color of the rising sun.