The Curse

Chapter 4 - Grave Bank

Grave Bank

POV: Anthony, the Unknown

I'd never been on a mission before, but if all missions started with a voracious sea creature attacking the ship & almost killing the entire crew, then this pirate life was way more exciting then anyone had ever written about.

Everyone talks about how disgusting & rude pirates are, but no, they are heroes, at least in their own partially evil ways.

As I walked off the ship, I looked around the environment and saw the overgrown shrubbery of the brooding area. The fog was very heavy, I could only see a couple of feet in front of me.

This was Grave Bank, home to the Ursa tribe & Warrior King Balor, but apparently, they all died in some freak accident over in the Inner Namasha Circle.

This just meant it'd be all the easier to retrieve the Black Magic Arch from the Ursa village. I looked around and watched as Kane helped Mystique & Genomia off the boat. Then, Stepstool came rushing down with Aero on his back.

This was the group that would make for an amazing mission crew - we'd get that map no problem. Or so, we thought. The woods of Grave Bank seemed desolate, the Ursa tribe hadn't been here to tend to their woodlands.

The Ursa tribe were known for their amazing wood making skills.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to depart into Grave Bank. It'll be an easy move, go into the Ursa village, retrieve the Black Magic Arch & return to the ship." Genomia smiles, sheathing her sword and walking forward.

Stepstool and Aero were already way ahead of us, and Kane & Mystique seemed to be doing their own thing. I was the odd one out, while Kane & Mystique weren't pirates, they were adventurers. But that was exactly what I was not - I was a poor thief boy.

I had no weapons, and I had no fighting experience. I just knew that I was tired of my normal life & being a pirate seemed way more fun than being a normal townsperson.

The woods of Grave Bank called out to me, I heard the haunting echoes of the fallen soldiers who had fallen in the Inner Namasha Circle. The trees seemed so hurt, in pain. They missed their fellow brethren and that's when I made it up in my mind - the trees hosted the dead souls of the Ursa.

The voices grew louder & louder in my head until I heard the painful shriek of someone's voice. It sounded like Genomia. I saw it then, Genomia had a knife in her stomach, blood splattering out of her mouth. I couldn't even force the screams to come out of my mouth.

All I saw was the horrifying sight of Genomia, as she coughed up blood. My body was frozen, stuck, I couldn't move, but at the same time, I felt a strange lift in my body, every couple of seconds. I wanted to cry but I couldn't, and as Genomia fell to the ground and closed her eyes, I realized I stood useless & allowed our captain to die.

"Anthony!" A shriek only capable of Aero came from behind me. That's when I regained control of my body & motor function and turned around to see Aero, Stepstool & Genomia. I turned around to see the treebank, and I heard the faint echoes.

"How are you alive?" I asked, looking at Genomia. "You were just on the ground, with the knife in yo-"

"He must've stepped in a hallucinogen. Aero, Stepstool, can you two assess this situation?" Genomia looked towards the two other pirates, as they nodded. Then, she went off.