We The Kings (bxb completed)

Chapter 23

The pirates were brutal. They held me over Samuel's head as a constant threat, prepared to kill me at any time, waiting for Samuel to give in.

They started beating him in front of me instead of taking him below deck. When I'd close my eyes to avoid watching the abuse, they'd hold them open for me.

"So what do you say? Can your squire take a round?" Skull Beard's sword danced over my neck.

"No. Leave him out of this." Samuel said, coughing up a small puddle of blood onto the deck. He tried to push himself up, but his weak body collapsed.

"If you insist." The captain shrugged turned the Samuel. He gave him a swift  kick to him, right onto his ribs. Samuel gasped for air.

"Don't get blood on my fucking clean deck! Somebody clean this up!"  The captain yelled, giving another through kick to his ribs. I couldn't watch the pain he was going through any longer.

"Stop! It's my turn. You can use me as your punch bag!" I shouted.

"Please..Don't." Samuel grunted on the floor. He was flopping around the deck like a fish out of water.

"You know what? Yes. The squire is right. Switch them. This should be fun." He gritted his dirty smile.

"No..Leave him." Samuel wheezed, gasping for any air his lungs would accept. They tied him to the wooden base. He resisted, but he was too weak to fight. They brought me to the captain.

"What's your name, Squire?"

"Lee. My name is Lee."

He pushed me down and stepped on my back with his buckled shoe.

"Not much of a fighter, are you? You're weak." He spat on me.

I closed my eyes tightly. I told myself the pain would stop. He destroyed me, like he was raiding a village. The beating he had given me felt like days. My consciousness was slipping in and out, and every moment I was awake felt like I was dying. I'd hear Samuel cry out, along with several blows to my head, face, and body. Samuel's pleads hurt. I didn't want to hear it. It almost made it hurt more. I wondered if it was the same for him.

The captain and his mates kicked me, slapped me, and cut me. A twisted ankle and a couple scrapes was nothing compared to the pain they inflicted. When they were done with me they tied me back to the beam next to Samuel. Both of our energies were down. My legs felt numb.

"I'll make them pay. They can't do this to us. I'll never let them get away with it! They can't get away with hurting you like that. I promise I'll kill them." Samuel said.

"Your threats tire me." Said the Captain.

"Captain, you're needed below deck." One of the fellow pirates called for him. He left us.

"Keep an eye on them." He instructed to the others before disappearing down.

What do we do? Wait for the ransom? I don't know if I'll last." I said in a hushed tone. I felt blood and sweat drip down my face. My mouth tasted like metal.

"There won't be a payout." Whisperer Samuel.

"What? How do you know that?"

"I just do. We have to get away. Trust me. I'll figure it out. Hang in there. Can't have you die on me now." He said.

I did as he said. We both took another hit before the captain and a majority of his crew went to bed.

We were guarded all night. The captain woke early with the sun.

"No news on a ransom yet. One more day and the real fun begins. I got these special tools here I've been saving up for a special occasion." He opened a chest of different knives, screws, and spikes. I felt nauseous.

"What are you even doing this for? Because you got banished?" I said.

"This boy really doesn't know ANYTHING does he? Tell him, Samuel. Explain to them, your majesty. Of why I'm so angry? Why I want to torture you?"

Samuel sighed.

"Yes, they were banished. But they came back! What other choice did we have!" Samuel said.

"TELL HIM, YOU BASTARD!" Yelled the Captain in Samuel's face. His spit splattered into Samuel's face.

"They came back. They came to our port. We had no choice. They couldn't keep stealing our stuff and hurting our people!"

"SAY IT NOW OR THE SQUIRE GETS IT!" He pulled out a dagger and pressed it against my throat. I panicked and gasped for air.

"We killed them, alright! We ambushed their ship on my father's orders, and killed most of his crew. I was sent by my father to lead the attack."

"YOU'RE FORGETTING SOMETHING!" The Captain pressed the knife against my throat closer, I could feel the blade about to slice my skin.

"I killed his wife!"

The Captain released my neck.

"Yes. You did. You killed my wife! I wasn't on the ship, I didn't get back until the middle of the slaughter. I got away with some of my crew. We rebuilt. Replaced a lot of people. My wife though, she can't be replaced. And I will do whatever I can to avenge her. If your advisors don't write back tomorrow at sunrise, I'm going to drill screws into your brain! Both of yours!"

He stormed off.

"Samuel. Did you really?" I looked over at him.

"Yes. I did. I'm not proud of it. It was two years ago. I thought it was the right thing. My father thought it was the right thing, I followed through with his orders. They knew the terms of their banishment. I thought I was just enforcing the law."

"You we're doing what you thought was right. I understand." I said.

"Thank you, Prin-Lee. Thank you Lee."

The light left the sky. Thick, grey clouds formed into the evening sky. It looked like smoke.

"Storm's coming." Samuel pointed out.

"That's not good, what are they going to do?"

"Bad for them, good for us. We only have one shot at this."

"At what?" I asked.

He looked at me, and I knew. Escaping. He was going to try to escape. I didn't know what he planned to do. Fear took over me. If this planned failed, we'd be dead for sure. There would be no second chances.

"Storms a brewin! Take your positions everyone!" The pirate Captain commanded up by the wheel. The boat began to shake as the waves got harsher. The clouds hovered over the ship.

"See over there?" Samuel whispered, turning his head to the end of the boat.

"Yeah?"

"Under that tarp is most likely an emergency boat. Get in it and get as far away from here as you can. Get the last part of the dragon, got it?"

"But what about you?" I said.

"I'm going to try to come with, but if I can't you need to finish things. Just please take care of my kingdom if I die." He said.

"You can't talk like that, Samuel. I'm not leaving by myself." I said.

"You have to. Mavis needs you home."

Samuel wiggled a small, sharp knife from his sleeve. Where did he get that? It was tiny. The boat jerked back and fourth, tossing some of the crew mates around the ship. The sky started to cry, we heard the thunder crack. I felt the rope drop and loosen.

"Now run!" Said Samuel, freeing me. That's when all hell broke loose, and the world turned upside down.