The Rookie Pirates (Parts 1-6)

27. The Sacrifice

Meanwhile, on the streets outside the temple, Levi and Oberon had already taken down an onslaught of temple guards, but they still kept on coming no matter what they did. The moon had nearly turned entirely red. He wouldn't have enough time left to save both Jessica and Miss Piggy.

He breathed in heavily, and the green fairy landed on his shoulder. They were surrounded, the guards circling around them and closing in on the pair of them. But he wouldn't quit, his fists were still balled and ready to fight.

A cheer erupted from the festive crowd. The mayor had approached the altar, followed by four temple priests carrying a cage with Miss Piggy locked up inside.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He spoke through a radio transmitter, and his voice boomed out across the festival through speakers placed everywhere. "We apologise for the commotion, but it seems the temple guards have the situation under control. So continue to enjoy tonight's activities and the event you have all been waiting for: the sacrifice."

The priests lifted the cage up into the air, and the crowd cheered.

"The sacrifice is an important part of our history and culture. After all, it's performed in thanks to our harvest god. Without such an event and your offerings, our yield would not be as bountiful..."

The mayor continued on with his speech, the crowd mesmerised by his every word.

Levi's stared directly towards Miss Piggy. He would not let her die. She was Alex's friend; therefore, she was also his. Extremely angry, he punched a guard to the floor while Oberon continued to sting guards, who quickly slumped to the ground.

Levi looked back towards the pig while he still fought with the guards. The priest had now taken Miss Piggy out from her cage and was strapping her down to the stone altar. She squirmed in an attempt to escape but failed. For a second the pig looked over in Levi's direction, and their eyes locked. They were the colour of honey.

Levi's hands curled tightly against his thighs, his smile now a tense line turned down in the corners. His head was bowed forward ever so slightly, shrouding his features in complete darkness.

Altogether, his appearance was intimidating, and his aura gave off a dark and powerful wrath, filled with an uncontrollable hostility that was about to burst at any second.

Suddenly, his head shot up, his eyes wide and angry.

"JESS!" he shouted as loud as he could. "I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

He charged towards the temple guards, sending them flying up into the air when he collided into them, like pins in a bowling alley.

Everyone seemed to have noticed the change in the situation. Mirella gave up on her disguise as a dancer and started using her poisoned knives against the guards, while Penny took out her pink bow and fired arrows at anyone who had the cowardice to attack Mirella while her back was turned. The two of them together helped clear a path for Levi.

The mayor gritted his teeth. He didn't know how that idiotic captain worked it out, but he had found out Jessica was the sacrificial pig. The determined look on the Mad Man's face said it all. Levi would not stop until he had his friend back.

If the mayor didn't act quickly, there would be no sacrifice, and his yearly heist would be ruined. The moon hadn't fully turned red yet, but he had no choice. The High Priest hadn't returned to begin the ceremony, so the mayor would have to do it himself for the sake of the island and the money it gained from the festival. Without the sacrifice, there would be no festival to the heist.

The mayor snatched the knife from one of the priests and lifted the steel blade high above the pig tied to the altar. The glint of the sharp knife reflected in the animal's eyes, and she immediately started to squeal.

Levi's heart thudded as he listened to the cries of Jessica penetrating his heart. He ran up the stone steps towards the altar, taking them two at the time. His fist was angrily pulled back behind him and ready to aim at the mayor. However, the mayor was already bringing the knife down towards Jessica, and Levi knew he wouldn't make it in time. He didn't have enough energy left to use his super speed.

"Penny!" Levi cried.

From the rooftops overlooking the entire scene, Penny immediately understood what her captain was asking of her and without a second thought, she pulled back the string on her pink bow and aimed it towards the mayor. The pink arrow soared across the sky with such speed that it was nothing more than a blur and collided with the steel blade, sending it flying out of the mayor's hand.

The blade spun high into the air and landed straight in the mayor's foot. He howled in pain, his scream echoing throughout the festival and causing everyone to fall silent as they watched the commotion unfold before them. Some people were confused, while others were excited by the whole event.

Seething, the mayor prepared himself to retaliate, ready to turn himself into some vicious creature. However, before he had a chance, Levi's fist collided with his face, immediately knocking him unconscious and sending him slumping onto the floor in a heap.

With the mayor now unconscious, he no longer had control of his cursed soul, and the entire crowd gasped as the sacrificial pig reverted back into the beautiful red-haired girl who had won the beauty contest.

Jessica looked dazed and confused as she lay on the altar table in only her long-sleeved black bikini. A pounding headache pulsed through her head like someone had shaken her about. She looked around her, blinking a couple of times.

How did she end up here?

The last thing she remembered was shaking Dom's hand after she won the beauty contest. She looked around her, feeling exposed and self-conscious when she noticed everyone was staring at her. She attempted to move, only to find herself strapped down, and she soon started to panic.

What was going on? Why was she strapped to the altar table of the temple under the red moon?

She panicked some more when she realised that she was about to be sacrificed. She pulled on the straps she was tied to, eventually freeing one hand and untying the rest before she slowly sat up.

"Jess!"

She was immediately engulfed in a breath-stealing hug from Levi. His arms wrapping tightly around her body, squeezing her to death, but she didn't care. She felt safe in his embrace and she started to relax, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

A memory suddenly flashed before her of Levi punching Dom. She hugged Levi back, squeezing him as tightly as she could and crying into his shoulder.

"Levi, you saved me!"

Outside of the temple, Alex hauled himself up onto the dry bank after swimming along the temple river. Without thinking further, he sprinted around the stone brick temple and made his way back to the front entrance.

His breathing was ragged, and he was soaked through with a mixture of water and sweat. If he didn't hurry up, Jessica would be dead by the time he arrived. He rounded the corner of the temple and skidded to a halt. He was too late; Levi had already saved Jessica.

His heart thudded as he watched Levi and Jessica embracing each other in a hug. His throat had turned dry and itchy for some reason, and he felt an annoyed feeling in the pit of his stomach, weighing him down.

His face wrinkled into a deep frown.

Why did he feel so annoyed? He wasn't too sure what it was he felt right at that second.

Alex was glad that Jessica was alright. In fact, he was relieved that she was okay. So why did he still feel that strange sensation in his stomach? It didn't make sense, but he knew it had something to do with Levi saving Jessica.

His head shot over in the direction of the crowd. They looked upset that all this time, their animal sacrifices had been humans. They were beyond upset; they were angry and about to start a riot with the priests who had tricked them. This would not end well.