As the sea of meat remains thrashed against the sides of the Singlier and the Rhytidome, Oak’s crew worked to remove the rotting animal parts from the sides. The smell lingered, and crewmen kept passing out as they peeled more and more pieces. Boso would help crewmen back to their feet, and for those who couldn’t stand back up, Tiko would come in with volatile salts to wake them back up.
Captain Oak and Ash sat in the captain's quarters, with parchment spread across the table depicting the territory of Gulliver’s rule and the western islands of the Martean Sea.
“How could you have made an alliance with that pig?” Ash exclaimed, she took off her hat to fan away the smell.
“Look, we only have a temporary alliance. Besides, we got rid of his son, and we can continue to find the Blue Crab.” Oak explained, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Where is my bottle of gin? I need to drink away the smell.”
“Temporary or not, once others see that putrid hog skull on our ship, we won’t be able to trade at Parley Cay.”
“We might not be able to trade, but we can use the leverage to be more aggressive to get what we need. So, it will stain our reputation for a little bit, but once this is over we can rebuild the relationships again. Besides, think of all the treasures on these western islands.”
Oak stood up and walked over to a shelf that had bottles of other liquids. He took a swig of its contents and choked it down. His face scrunched as he stuck out his tongue.
He continued, “Gulliver never had his crew go that far out, so he doesn’t know what treasures are out there. We get first grabs on whatever we can take. Bring them back to Parley Cay, and make many people happy.”
“You always know my weak point, Oak.” Ash sat down to look at the parchment. “Last time I heard there was a ghost ship on that side of the sea. Sailing with a storm as its guide. O, the riches that could be on that ship.”
“One adventure at a time Ash.” Oak tossed on his satchel and added in another bottle filled with sand.
“What are you going to do with that?” Ash asked.
“Ol’Randy, might be able to help us.” Oak answered.
“With a bottle of sand? Please, amuse me.” Ash threw her legs up on the table.
“He likes strange things. Last time I talked to him he wanted sand from the Dressera coast, and in return he would give me a map he has from the western islands. Now, how honest and true this map might be could be completely false, but I want to be prepared.”
“Why didn’t you tell this earlier?”
“What good is a map to us, if we have no way to get there without Gulliver’s fleet giving us problems.” Oak walked to the door and sighed.
As Oak opened the door out to the main deck, he saw his crew struggling to keep it together. Tiko tried to wake many passed out members of the Rhytidome. Oak looked up at the Singlier, sailing beside the Rhytidome as if it was a parent walking their child through the town.
Two of Gulliver’s men were hanging on the front of the Rhytidome affixing the Skull to the bow. The once elegant figurehead of a tree, now held a hog skull in its branches.
“Hurry up men!” Gilsom yelled, from the top of the Singlier.
“We’re trying,” said one of Gulliver’s men.
“Try faster.” Gilsom replied, he looked to find Captain Oak staring at the Singlier. “Captain Oak! Captain Gulliver demanded that Stur be brought along on your trip.”
Gilsom pointed to a grizzly older man sitting on a barrel to the side of the main mast of the Rhytidome.
“Why might he be coming along?” Oak asked.
“He's the only one to come out of the attacks from the west.” Gilsom squealed.
Oak paid no attention to Stur, and headed to the helm, moving the fatigued crewmen out of the way.
“As soon as your men are done defiling my figurehead,” Oak stared towards the bow, “We can part.”
A few moments passed, and the two men affixing the skull climbed back up to the Singlier. The two ships parted, and the Rhytidome made course to Parley Cay.
Parley Cay was a beautiful island, hidden behind treelines of palms that mimicked the sea itself with their leaves, was the meeting spot for all different pirates of the sea. One rule was made for this cay; Steel stays sheathed on Parley Cay. This rule was to make sure that even the most heated of pirate rivalries would be cooled down on these shores. For if any blood would be spilt on Parley Cay, that pirate and his or her crew would be an enemy to all pirates, but it wouldn’t last long since most of them would be dead before making sail.
Oak stayed at the helm and maneuvered the Rhytidome to a spot that was close enough to the island that the crew could all board off and walk in these shallow waters.
For most crewmen who find themselves here, they could be seen drinking and making laughs at the Seven Chairs, the tavern that serves all, big or small, but for most captains, quartermasters, first mates, and other major roles on their respective ships were there to trade, gather supplies, or find new crews to help on their many adventures.
As Oak and his crew trudged along the shallow waters, many of the other pirates stopped to stare at the Rhytidome and the hog skull placed on her bow.
“What are you doing sailing for Gulliver?” One man shouted to Oak.
“It’s temporary,” Oak responded, not looking at the man.
Oak turned to Ash and said, “Try to keep the crew's morale up. We don’t want to escalate any problems and see anyone strike another out of rage. Fill their drinks and make them merry, that's the best we can do for them right now.”
“Ey, captain. Please do hurry, though. I don’t want to carry Boso back again after his last ‘drink to forget’ trip here.” Ash said, as she looked back to Boso and the few deckhands around him who made their way in the direction of the Seven Chairs at a brisk pace.
“Don’t worry, I just need that map, and I promised a new cannon for Khayri.”
“Captain, you are going to blow what little wealth we have left on that kid? We have cannons.”
“He’s done well for us, and a new cannon will boost his morale too. The two weeks on our ship, he has seen our gunner blown to bits, took immediate action on ordering the other monkeys, and saved us from both the nasty Royal Guard and helped me on the ship without a second thought. The kid gets a new cannon.” Oak started to curve off in the opposite direct from his crew. “Besides, I didn’t say what kind of cannon I would get him.” Oak winked at Ash.
Khayri’s head raised, trying to see over the crowd of his crewmates. His face was in disbelief as they kept walking to the Seven Chairs.
“Don’t worry, kid, our captain isn’t that much of an ass,” Boso said as he swung his arm around Khayri’s head.
Oak headed into the wall of palm trees. As Oak went deeper into the trees, he would find himself having to push overgrown leaves to traverse. Oak thought to himself, Ol’Randy why do you have to live in so inconvenient places? Finally, Oak made it to a clearing where a single shack stood on the far end of the clearing.
Before Oak took his next step, he looked at the ground to see the footsteps that led to the shack. Oak carefully followed the same patterns of the footsteps to the shack.
“Ol’Randy! Why do you need to be so complicated? You are safe out here!” Oak shouted, as he made sure not to miss a step in the footstep pattern.
Silence.
Oak took a moment, “Ol’Randy?”
Silence.
Oak made it to the door of the small shack.
“You're usually not this quiet when I come by. What’s going on?”
Oak knocked on the door on all of its corners first, then the center. Lastly, he kicked the door, but before he could finish the code, the door swung open, and an old man grabbed Oak by the strap of his satchel.
“Quickly, before they see you,” Ol’Randy said.
“Before who?” Oak questioned.
“The birds.”
“Ol’Randy, how many times have I told you, the birds don’t want your stuff.”
“No, this is a different bird. This one won't stop staring at my house, look.” Ol’Randy walked over to a boarded-up window with a small slit that had a piece of glass that acted like a stationary spy glass.
Oak looked through the glass and saw a large bird standing on the top of the other end of the clearing. It stared right back at Oak as if it knew it was being watched.