Poseidon's Guide: The First Adventure // #Wattys2018

Chapter 7

Angelina lit some candles in a dark room with only Edward and Maryanne, beginning her story.

Many, many years ago there was a god named Tlaloc. He was worshipped by the Aztec people, until he betrayed them for the ultimate power. The Aztec gods couldn't stop him controlling the sea through force, it wasn't their place, but a power struggle began with both Poseidon and Neptune losing their control. A man by the name of Persei built a ship to travel to an island in the middle of the Atlantic sea, one lost to time and the sea, a place where Poseidon couldn't go to battle Tlaloc.

"Persei. You must guide me through the traps of the sea." Poseidon commanded. "Tlaloc has made it impossible to get to him."

Poseidon's orders fell upon treacherous ears. Persei built two ships, Poseidon's Guide and her sister, Neptune's Guide, to navigate the ocean. Persei betrayed the gods, seizing Neptune's ship and turning it to Neptune's Descent. Both of the ships were lost to the sea, their pieces used to build two new ships. You captain one. Poseidon and Neptune were stranded as the sea grew more violent. Tlaloc was using Persei to lure all who dared call themselves gods of the sea out, killing them.

He had an army of worshippers. The Aztec's called them the K'o'ox, meaning savages. They helped Tlaloc defeat every God or deity in his way. In the end, only Poseidon and Neptune survived the purge alongside a water nymph now imprisoned in mortal bones... Calypso. They all uses their powers to draw Tlaloc out in one last battle, killing him. But before his death, he imbued his sword with his power. The K'o'ox now protect that sword, it is immensely powerful.

"The sister ship has not been found and its best she never is. My grandfather found a cove out in the Atlantic sea with some inscriptions of this story." Angelina finished her story. "Before the K'o'ox killed him, he found their island!"

"So, presuming you're right... Which I won't say what I think... There is a sword with the power of what, thunder?" Edward inquired.

"Si."

Maryanne shook her head in disbelief, but wouldn't dare contradict Angelina's story, a first hand example of her fury had already been showcased to Edward. Maryanne scratched the back of her neck and sighed. "Ok, so crazy god battles aside, where is this island?" Maryanne asked.

"Haven't you been listening?! Eres una mujer estupida!" Angelina began mumbling to herself in Spanish. "We have to find the island to find the treasure, that's why I need your help!"

"Ok, we can help you Angelina... But what's in it for us?" Edward inquired greedily once again, not forgetting what a pirate really wants. Treasure.

"The sword, it is yours if we find it." Angelina answered. "I just wish to finish the expedition." "Expedition?" Edward asked.

Angelina gulped, wiping sweat from her brow. "Many years ago, my grandfather began to learn the secrets of this island, but his research was cut short when the worshippers of Tlaloc snuck onto this port and killed him with that very sword." Angelina explained, tears welling in her eyes. "I watched him get impaled with the black sword twenty years ago as thunder roared in the sky..."

"That's... Dark..." Edward signalled for Maryanne to wait outside with the rest of the crew for further orders. "So, shall we get off this port?"

"Not that easy. The people here think I'm cursed because of an... Unfortunate coincidence."

"What happened Angelina?"

"I said I wanted this man dead, the next day he fell from his roof and died..."

Edward groaned. "So how dead do they want you? Will they let me take you?"

"They won't let me leave the island with breath in my chest."

"So this really isn't gonna be easy... How good are you with a sword?"

Angelina flashed Edward a familiar cheeky smile, answering his question without words. Edward walked out of the villa with Angelina, meeting up with Maryanne and Billy. He hadn't come up with a plan, but should things come to worse he made sure that Angelina was armed with a sword and a pistol to defend herself. The villa was perched near the top of an ever winding hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Edward could see his ship in the dock, waiting. The remaining men that left the ship with him had returned to prepare the ship for a quick escape.

"So what's our plan? Cause I highly doubt we're all capable of sneaking Angelina to the ship unseen. Hell they may even be a bit suspicious of us..."

Angelina smiled cheekily, mirroring the very smile that made Edward so fond of Maryanne. "What if we fight?" She suggested excitedly. She had the enthusiasm of a fat man at a banquet, one who just couldn't wait to mow down the competition who stood between him and the buffet. "We all have weapons!" She drew her sword clumsily, Edward and Maryanne jumping back to avoid an accidental slitting of their throats.

"Not that easy lass! Put the sword away! Please!" Edward retorted seriously, holding himself back from Angelina's dangerously amateur sword manoeuvres. It was like a bee buzzing around and you had to just try and doge it. "We could think of something el-"

"BRUJA! THERE SHE IS!" A man announced through a thick Spanish accent. A roar rose from the port as Angelina's location became known to all who had ears.

"Fighting it is! Maryanne go!" Edward commanded.

Maryanne grabbed Angelina by the sleeve and ran down towards the docks, Edward stayed to draw his sword. He stabbed the first man through the chest with his sword before others arrived, wielding guitars or literally anything they could grasp and use against him. He dodged violent swings from the burly and drunk Spaniards, killing them easily with his more trained and precise movements. One man had a sword and became locked in a duel with Edward, but his untrained hand was cut off by Edward. He hurried down towards the port, meeting up with Maryanne and Angelina halfway down the hill where they were in the heat of battle.

Edward shot one man in the head with his pistol and watched as Angelina shoved her sword through one man, screaming and squirming as she did. Maryanne killed four Spaniards, Edward another five. They were slowly being overwhelmed, there was too many people for them to fend off. The trio ran onto the dock.

Edward turned and impaled another chaser, Maryanne copying. Edward swallowed the bile, and little amount of blood that resulted being punched in the face, down and faced Maryanne, sweating and panting. He grabbed her, pulled her close and forced his lips onto hers... Only to be interrupted by Maryanne herself with a slap and disapproving glare.

"Now isn't the time for this romantic shit Edward!" She shouted, dodging a wild swing from a drunk, "We're a little busy!"

Edward slashed the drunks chest, pulling Maryanne closer to him. "It seems like a pretty good time, kinda cliche but regardless!" He punched one Spaniard in the face, the same man being shot by Maryanne. "We know each other well enough!"

"Touché... But we're still being attacked!" She gave him that cheeky smiled she now shared with Angelina before killing two more men. Then she turned and this time it was her who slammed her lips upon his.

Angelina hurried over, separating them by standing in between them. "NO TIME FOR THIS! WE HAVE TO GO?" She pulled both of them apart.

All three climbed aboard the ship and began to sail out, the crew firing at those who dared peruse the ship. As they sailed out into the Atlantic Ocean, Angelina stood at the back of the ship. She looked out at her home growing smaller and smaller in the distance. Edward wanted to comfort her, or at least ask her more about herself but disregarded all thoughts other than his goal: treasure. Maryanne sat on the stairs leading up to the wheel, contemplating their shared moment of weakness. Edward and Maryanne both knew they shared the same feelings, but both wanted to set their minds elsewhere.