Wow, great chapters Davy, I was 4 chapters behind.lol Intense is exactly the right word for it. My heart broke for the mother and baby and Billy as well, he's so conflicted. Hoping he sees the light before it's all over with. Kudos Davy, excellent work. :mickeypiratezd4:

Time for another chapter! Don't expect another this week. I'll definitely try to finish the story over winter break. It shouldn't be hard, because it is almost done.


Chapter 29: Ruins

They had come too late. As The Shadow King neared Port Royal, they knew it. The smoke and rubble gave it away. The Shadow King sailed into the once magnificent harbor of Port Royal, now completely destroyed. The magnificent wooden wharf that had once stretched out into the harbor was gone. Some pieces of it floated around the ship as it sailed in, and a few parts of it still stood. Beyond the dock, the town was visible. It had been reduced to rubble. A few buildings still stood here and there, but even they had taken significant damage. The small bridge had been destroyed. The town, once magnificent, majestic, and beautiful was destroyed.

“I never thought I would see the day,” Sam breathed. “When Port Royal would be gone.”

“None of us did,” Zolina said. “Orders Davy?”

Davy stood, not taking any notice. All he could do was stare at the town that he had grown up in, the town that he had loved. His whole childhood was gone now. Nothing was left of it. His home had been destroyed, his family was dead. And then there was Billy. Davy had given up on him. At least that’s what he told himself. Part of him still loved his younger brother, but it was masked by hatred.

“Davy,” Sam said, shaking his friend. “Orders?”

Davy shook his head. “Yes, orders. There is a little stretch of dock still connected to land. Go ahead and find a spot to weigh anchor. Leave some to guard the ship. I want to send out some search parties to see if we can scavenge any supplies or information about what Jolly’s plans are.”

Sam redirected the orders, and the ship was docked. Three teams were made. Davy’s team consisted of himself, Sam, and three other able crewmates. Kate lead another, and the other was lead by Will.

“Kate, I want you to check the Northern part of the town,” Davy ordered. “Will, you check the central area, and my team will head to the eastern side.”

The two nodded, and began on their way. Only Davy knew the real reason why he wanted to go to the eastern side. That was where his home was, assuming it still stood. Davy and his team set off. His team consisted of Sam, and three other pirates by the names of Jim, Ben, Kat, and Smelly the dog. The five headed into the town.

“Ooh la la,” Kat said. “Must have been a gruesome fight. The town is a complete wreck. I knew skeletons were powerful, but who knew they could do this?”

“They’re probably still here too,” Davy said, putting his hand on his Assassin’s Cutlass. “They wouldn’t wreck an island for the hell of it. Jolly would have just invaded, destroying everything in his path so that he would eliminate any threats. He conquered the island, so he would leave troops behind to guard it, so watch your backs.”

The group walked through a small square. The cobblestone ground had been wrecked from cannon fire, stones laying everywhere. The Rowdy Rooster tavern, a tavern that Davy’s father had been fond of, was wrecked. One if its walls had been completely destroyed, exposing an interior that had probably been set on fire.

Davy shook his head. How could Jolly Roger be so merciless? He destroyed a town full of innocent people without good cause. Imagine how many families he had torn apart, how many survivors were hidden, starving in their homes. It was a horrible sight to see. They continued walking down the path, towards the ruined bridge.

“What exactly are we looking for Captain?” Jim asked.

“I don’t know,” Davy muttered. “Something. Anything. Any clue as to where Jolly Roger may strike next. We can’t let him attack another island. If he invades another island, then more innocent lives will be lost. We can’t allow this to happen. If we can find a clue, then perhaps we can get to his fleet before he invades.”

“Get to his fleet?!” Jim yelled out, startled. “That’s a death wish! We can’t take on that many skeleton ships! Its—”

He was interrupted by the sound of a sword drawing. Each of the Sorcerors grabbed their weapons, and turned around. Staring at them was a group of about a dozen patrolling skeletons. Their leader, a burly skeleton armed with a broadsword, growled, barked some orders in that strange language the undead use, and the boneheads charged.

“Attack!” Davy yelled, drawing his sword.

The five Sorcerors ran. They were outnumbered, but far from outmatched. Davy swung his venomous sword in the air, attacking, blocking, rolling, stabbing. He gave a skeleton a cut down the chest. The cut shouldn’t normally be deadly, but the venom reacted with bone, causing it to sizzle and vaporize. The skeleton yelled out in pain before crumpling to the floor.

Sam swung his deadly sword, cutting the undead to pieces. The undead were no match for him and his ferocious Tiger Shark Blade. Even the supposedly fearless undead cowered at the sight of it before it came down on their skulls. Smelly was barking at one of the skeletons, and pounced on him, the dog began biting the skeleton’s face, and killed it by breaking its neck. Then the dog ripped off one of its legs, and began gnawing on the bone.

It was looking like the Sorcerors would win the battle without any casualties. Then Davy turned to fight the leader of the group. Unfortunately, he was already occupied. He had attacked Jim off guard, and Jim wasn’t ready.

“No!” Davy cried out. He ran towards him, but it was too late, the skeleton smashed Jim’s sword aside and ran him through the stomach. Jim grunted before crumpling to the floor. Unfortunately for the skeleton, his fate was no better. As soon as he turned around, Davy beheaded him. His skull rolled across the ground, bumping into a crate before stopping. The rest of the skeletons were quickly finished off, and Davy ran towards Jim. He was already dead.

Davy stood up, looking away from the corpse.

“He didn’t have to die…” Davy muttered.

“Deaths are inevitable in a war,” Kat said.

Davy nodded, “Lets move. I want to leave this place soon.”

The Sorcerors continued their walk, and came to the destroyed bridge. With a running start, the remaining four were able to jump across it. Davy looked back at the bridge. As a child, he had used to play on it with Billy. Davy shed a tear. His home, the place of his childhood, was gone. He shook his head, and walked onward to his companions. They continued walking, until Smelly dropped his bone and started barking furiously. He ran to the other side of the crates, and they heard someone cry out in surprise. They ran to the other side of the stack, seeing what the dog was barking about. Laying there was a man.

The man was beat up. His long black coat was tattered, torn, and burnt. Two gashes ran across his chest in an X shape. There was a small gash on his head, and blood had caked in his hair, which was exposed, for his feathered hat lay to the side.

“A survivor!” Ben gasped.

“What’s your name mate?” Davy asked.

The man groaned. He seemed like he had just woken up from a long sleep. Chances are it was Davy and his group who had done that.

“My name is Roger Swordshot,” the man mumbled, putting his hand onto his head.

“What happened to you?” Kat said, kneeling down.

“Uhh…” the man groaned. He was clearly in pain. “I was fighting when the skeletons invaded day before last. Me and my crew were defending the bridge area, so that the skeletons couldn’t get past. We were doing a pretty good job of it too. Until the man arrived.”

“A man?” Davy said, leaning closer.

“Yes… I can’t remember if he said his name,” Roger said. “But he held two black blades. Light blades, but deadly. He was muscular and an extremely good fighter. Strangely enough, he seemed to be fighting for the skeletons, maybe even their leader, I think he… mate, you look like you just saw a ghost!”

Davy stared into empty space. Billy was here. It wasn’t Jolly who lead this attack. It was Billy. His brother caused all of this. His brother took these innocent lives, destroyed the town, destroyed his home.

How could he do such a thing?! Davy screamed inside his head.

Trying to hide his rage towards his brother and his actions, Davy said, “You say it was two days ago that the invasion happened?”

Roger nodded.

“Then we have no time to lose,” Davy said. “Do you know where they may be headed?”

“When the man that defeated me returned,” Roger said. “Jolly Roger had arrived. The battle had long ended by now. I was hiding underneath that bridge, eavesdropping on them. Jolly gave the man the next order. He said that together, the two of them would be leading an assault on the pirate haven of Tortuga. That’s where they would be headed next.”

“An invasion of Tortuga…” Davy breathed. “No time to lose! Let’s go mates!”

As much as Davy wanted to go to his home, he knew that there was no time. He would be able to return here. Hopefully. But he could not bring back lives. They had to stop Jolly Roger before he arrived at Tortuga. If Tortuga was destroyed, pirates would lose their home. Without Tortuga, they would be hunted down and killed easily. Jolly had to be stopped.

Davy and his group walked back to the ship, leaving Roger behind. He would be able to fend for himself for a little longer. After a little longer, they got back to The Shadow King. The other groups had already arrived. They were unable to find any clues, but were able to bring back some food and water that they had scavenged from some shops. Perhaps they were stealing from the survivors, but the Shadow Sorcerors would need it if they were going to have to get to Jolly Roger in time.

“Davy, what did you find?” Kate asked.

Davy explained to them about what happened. About the skeletons attacking them and Jim’s death, and then what Roger told them. Including the part about Billy causing all this. Kate didn’t say anything for a while, but eventually broke the silence.

“I’m sorry Davy,” she said. “Davy, listen. Billy is confused. If we just help him, maybe we can—”

“No!” Davy snapped. “Billy will pay for his crimes. I will kill him if I find him. I… I can’t forgive him anymore.”

Even though Davy said that, he didn’t mean it. Deep down, he knew that he could never kill his brother if he ever had the choice. He was his younger brother. He had to look out for him. Now that his parents were gone, there was nobody to protect him, nobody to guide him. Davy was at war with himself. He sighed, and stood.

“Alright mates!” he barked to his shipmates. “Set sail for Tortuga! Full colors! Voodoo boosting! We need to get there as soon as possible! Or you will never see your homes again!”

As he said that, he thought about himself, wondering if he would ever see his home again.

must.. have more chapter.. ahh!!!!!

hey davy, will i be in the next one?

Sorry SEAKING. Thats actually the last scene your in. :P

Aww man. but okay, i'll be waiting for the next chapter.

Well guys, I was able to sneak in another chapter today... I hope you enjoy it... And I hope you enjoy the anticipation of the next chapter that the ending of this one gives you hehe.


Chapter 30: Race Against Time

Jolly Roger most likely had a two day start on the Sorcerors, but that wouldn’t break their hopes. The Shadow King flew its full colors, and with the crew giving it an extra boost using their voodoo powers, The King was moving fast enough to make the sea gods stare in curiosity at them. Going at the pace of the skeleton ships, chances were that they would reach Tortuga in just over a week. This meant that The Shadow King needed to overtake them fast, or Tortuga would be lost.

Davy stood in the front of the ship for most of the day when he wasn’t directly on his duties, desperately waiting for some sign of the enemy. Strangely enough, he wasn’t scared. He had come to terms with his fear. He had to do this. For freedom, for himself, for his family, for his friends. If he died in the process, so be it. But he would not let Jolly get away. He would be punished for his wrongs.

On the second day of the voyage, Sam joined Davy. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, before Sam spoke.

“We’ve come a long way Davy,” Sam said.

“Indeed we have mate,” Davy said. “Let’s hope that our next fight is not our last one, eh?”

Sam chuckled and nodded. “It won’t be Davy. I’ll make you that promise. Nobody will be defeated other than Jolly.”

“And Billy,” Davy added quietly.

“Davy,” Sam said. “I know Billy just as well as you do. Perhaps better, considering I’ve lived with him since he arrived at Tortuga over ten years ago. Listen to me when I say this. He is just confused. He will come to. I assure you. He will see the truth in the end.”

“Sam, you don’t understand,” Davy said. “He destroyed Port Royal, he killed innocent people! I don’t care that he is my brother anymore! I have to defeat him if I meet him again!”

“I know you don’t mean that Davy,” Sam said softly.

Davy sighed. “Sam, I’m sorry. I’m confused myself. I just… I don’t know. Part of me knows he is the enemy now, but the other part says that he is still my brother, and that I love him. I just don’t know what side I am truly on.”

Davy looked Sam in the eye, and said, “Sam, thank you so much. For everything. We’re brothers. In all but blood. I’m very grateful for you, you know.”

Sam smiled, and the two of them grasped hands and embraced each other. The two friends stood apart then.

“I must be getting back to my duties,” Sam said.

“Aye,” Davy said. “I’ll see you towards dinner.”

Sam left, leaving Davy alone. Davy stood there for a few more minutes, admiring the sea. It was partially cloudy, and the sea was a bright, sparkling blue. It was beautiful. It reminded Davy that the world, as dark and cruel as it really was, could still be beautiful. That the world that had shown him almost no love, could still create something to admire. A small smile appeared on Davy’s lips, but faded quickly, and was replaced by his thoughts.

What do I do? he thought to himself. Billy is my brother… I can’t kill him. But I can’t let him go unpunished either. Even if he is confused and perhaps even somewhat innocent, he will try to kill me if I meet with him again. I’m so confused…

Davy stared at the ocean more. It helped to calm his agitated nerves. He was interrupted by the padding of paws and a bark. He turned around to see Smelly the dog standing before him, chewing on a piece of meat.

“Come on now you silly dog!” Davy said laughing. “You know that food is for the crew, not you!”

The dog responded with a bark, and sat down, staring at Davy, as if saying So? A dog has to eat too you know!

Davy chuckled and scratched the dog’s ears. Smelly held his tongue out, panting. He had probably had to run like mad to get that meat away from the crew. Smelly whimpered, and looked at Davy, then looking around. Davy knew what he was whining about.

“I know Smelly,” Davy said softly. “Billy is gone. I’m not sure if we will see him again either…”

Smelly whimpered and looked down at the ground. Davy knelt down and patted the dog’s back.

“It’s all right boy,” he said, trying to put on a smile. “Cheer up! Listen boy, I want you to go down and talk to the Kate. Ask her for a bone. Maybe that will cheer you up, aye?”

Smelly barked a few times, jumping around Davy. He grabbed the meat, ate the whole thing in one chomp, and ran off. Davy couldn’t help but laugh as he watched the canine run through a crowd of sailors, startling them.

“Good dog,” Davy said, chuckling, before walking off to help some of his crew.

~~~~~~~~~~


The next few days passed. Davy noticed that every day, the sea, once a brilliant blue, began to get darker and more choppy. The skies went from almost cloudless to almost a full overcast. The crew became uneasy. Everyone knew what this meant. They were heading into a storm. And they all knew that it wasn’t a natural one. They were approaching the undead fleet. It wouldn’t be long before they were on them.

This didn’t stop the faithful crew from doing their duties. They worked as hard as they could. Except they had all started carrying weapons in their belts, just in case something unexpected would happen.

On the fifth day of the voyage, it began to rain. It started as a misty drizzle, and then became a slow rain, and slowly progressed into a powerful shower by late evening. In no time, the crew working outside was drenched. Davy had them finish up their duties and come inside. It would do no good to have the crew soaking wet and cold before a battle. He would need his crew in top shape if they were to defeat Jolly Roger.

That night, Davy called a meeting with his officers, Matt, Sam, Will, Zolina, Kate, and Luckie. They all gathered in his warm cabin. Off in the corner, Smelly lay on a blanket laid out for him on the floor, snoozing.

“Alright mates, it’s almost time,” Davy said. “As we can see by the weather, we are approaching the fleet. I’m guessing that by tomorrow or the day after, we will be on them.”

“What’s your plan Davy?” Matt asked.

“Aye,” Luckie said. “We can’t jump in and start fighting. That’s a death wish.”

“Calm mates, calm,” Davy assured them. “I have most of this planned out.”

“What do you propose we do then Captain?” Sam asked.

“Once they are spotted, we will slow down,” Davy started. “This way, our gunners can fire easier. We will have a few of our gunners at the four triple guns in the front of our ship, down by the broadside guns. These guns can fire at the ships in the back of the fleet, and take care of them before we get to them.

“Once Jolly notices us, he himself on The Harkaway will come after us. I know this because he wants to sink us personally. We have caused him enough harm for him to want to deal the blows himself. We hopefully will not need to go through too much of his fleet before we begin fighting him. After that, it’s unpredictable. We will just have to fight to the death, and make sure we win.”

“And if this doesn’t work?” Zolina asked.

Davy gulped. “Then we will die.”

The group sat in silence for a few minutes, before Will stood up and spoke.

“Mates,” he said. “At this point, I don’t care if I die. I’ll tell you why. I have served under the best captain, and with the best crew. It has been an honor serving with you all. I have lived my life to the fullest, so if I die, I will meet death in the face! But we will not die! I’ll tell you why! I am serving under the best captain, and with the best crew! We will not fail, and we will send that scoundrel Jolly Roger to Davy Jones Locker! Now will you fight by my side? No fear? No mercy on those boneheads?”

Sam and Matt stood. “Aye!”

The three women stood and all together, said, “Aye!”

“Then it’s settled,” Davy said. “Soon, we will be confronting Jolly Roger and his undead fleet. This may be the last battle that we face together. There will be deaths, but in the end, we will win!”

“AYE!” The crew yelled.

“Now mates, get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow, and you need all the rest you can get.”

Davy watched as his new family walked out his door, running to get below decks to their quarters. Davy couldn’t help but cry a happy tear.

~~~~~~~~~~


The next day, it began to storm. The rain pelted down in massive sheets, soaking anyone on deck. Unfortunately, the crew had to do their duties out in it. The ship needed to be taken care of, or they would risk capsizing.

Davy stood by the wheel, watching his crew work, occasionally yelling out an order. He was dressed in black boots, dark black breeches, a dark black, and a dark black sleeveless tank, covered up by a silver vest with a beautiful design on the front. He didn’t feel cold, even though he had no sleeves. It was a warm rain, like it always was in the Caribbean. The storm steadily worsened throughout the day. Davy knew they were close. He could sense it.

Just then, his senses proved him correct. A massive flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a massive clap of thunder. The crew stopped what they were doing, and crowded around the front of the ship, Davy at the head of them, where they had a view of the sea ahead of them. It was very dark, even though it was only early afternoon. The overcast let no sunlight in, causing it to be dark and foggy.

Another bolt of lightning split the sky, lighting up the area ahead of them. The crew cried out in shock, because only a several kilometers ahead of them, was the skeleton fleet. The crew knew what to do. They hastily finished whatever they were doing, and ran towards their battle stations. Davy ran to the wheel of the ship, ordering the current wheelman to go below decks and tell the crew of the plan Davy had discussed to his friends last night.

Davy watched as another flash lit up the fleet. This time, it revealed even more undead ships, making the hairs on his neck stand. Davy took a deep breath, and grabbed hold of the wheel firmly. The battle was about to begin.

--------------------------

Yes my friends, the epic climax of my story is next. I promise to get it out whenever I get the chance. Hopefully Friday. Until then my friends!

O_O two hours of catching up and I have to wait for it? Davy? Really?

Hehe, I'm just kidding you buddy :P I'm glad I took my time to read this ._. I NEED THE NEXT CHAPTER! :P

0_0 you never fail to impress me.

Ok Pib, if you've waited this long, you can wait one more chapter for the epic climax right? Haha, don't worry. Its in the next chapter, I promise you guys.


Chapter 31: Into The Storm

Lighting struck around the Shadow King as she sailed towards the fleet. Rain pelted down in massive sheets, immediately soaking anyone who came outside. This limited the use of the main deck’s cannons, as the rain would soak most of the gunpowder that came up there into the pouring rain. Several of the fleet’s rear ships had turned around and were now coming towards the Shadow King. This was not what Davy had expected, and definitely not what he wanted.

“READY THE FRONT CANNONS!!!” Davy bellowed out. “PREPARE TO FIRE!!!”

Davy waited as the cannons were loaded. A few moments later, someone came up and told him that they were loaded.

“FIRE!!!” Davy commanded.

The cannons exploded once. Twice. Three times. The triple guns fired in quick succession, sending cannonballs flying towards the skeleton ships. His gunners had excellent aim. Almost all of the cannonballs slammed into one of the ships. The triple guns also had a much better strength of shot. The cannonballs fired much faster and dealt more damage when they landed. Davy watched as another round of cannonballs slammed into the skeleton ships. Rotten wood flew off of the ships. A third round was fired, dealing the most damage yet. Two of the five advancing ships had their gunpowder stash hit, igniting it and making the ship explode in a massive light show. They began to submerge, going down into the depths.

“KEEP FIRING MATES!” Davy roared. More shots were fired. Another ship went down after taking on too much water. Now the Shadow King was getting quite close to the undead ships. Davy had hoped they would have sunk by now, but they didn’t. There were still two left. They wouldn’t be able to sink them soon enough. The triple guns had already used up another round, and by the time they reloaded, it would be too late.

“God damn it,” Davy cursed. “Oh my God. If I live through this, I’ll give Zolina access to my entire rum stash until we make port again… This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. READY THE BROADSIDES!”

The crew below him obeyed, abandoning the triple guns and running to load the broadside guns. The Shadow King was getting close and closer to the two enemy ships. They didn’t have much time. All of the sudden, Sam came running up to Davy. His long black coat and the rest of his clothes were soaked, and the feather in his black hat drooped, saturated with rainwater.

“Davy!” Sam yelled. “What the hell are we doing!? Going between those ships!? You’re going to get us killed!”

“We’ll be dead anyway,” Davy said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

“Are you mad?!” he cried out. “Arg! This had better work!”

“I hope so! Now get down and make sure those broadsides are ready! Prepare to fire!”

Sam ran down the stairs below the decks, out of sight. Davy bit his lip as the two ships came upon him.

Just a little more, Davy thought to himself. The two ships were almost in position. Now Davy’s plan unfolded to the rest of the crew. Davy was going to sail the Shadow King in between the two undead ships, and fire a broadside at each one. If they weren’t defeated in the first broadside, they would be goners. The two ships were almost in position, and then…

“FIRE!!!” Davy bellowed at the top of his lungs. Boom! The cannons exploded, sending the projectiles directly for the unsuspecting skeletons. They had caught them off guard, which helped them. The one to the left exploded, its gunpowder stash being hit. The other one did not. It had been hit badly, and was taking on water. It wouldn’t last long, but it had time to fire one broadside before its decks went to the depths. The broadsides had fury cannonballs, the ghostly spectral ones. They slammed into the hull of the Shadow King, dealing it some great damage. Luckily for them, some of the cannons didn’t fire in time, so they weren’t hit with a full one. Nevertheless, it still ripped through a few parts of the hull, killing two men.

“Thank God that worked,” Will said, coming up to stand next to Davy, who was still sailing. “Now, what’s next?”

Davy held up his hand, pointing off into the distance.

“That,” he said. “The Harkaway…”

The Harkaway was easy to spot. It was much larger than the other skeleton ships, with taller and more terrifying masts. For a figurehead, it had a skeleton with glowing red eyes, two swords held in its bony hands. Instead of ten guns on each side like the other skeleton ships, The Harkaway had fifteen. Fifteen cannons that shot a deadly fury shot. Above the Harkaway was a massive thundercloud. It extended far past the ship, encircling everything around it. It was a massive thunderstorm. Lightning struck everywhere, and rain pelted furiously. It was a massive, supernatural thunderstorm.

Even though Davy had no spyglass, he could sense that Jolly Roger was on that ship. His evil presence emanated from it. And Billy was on there too. He could feel that in his soul. That brotherly attachment that he had to him, whether he liked it or not.

The two ships approached each other. The Harkaway and the Shadow King. Davy glanced up. They were well into The Harkaway’s storm cloud now. The rain had gone from warm to icy. It soaked through his clothes and chilled him to the bone. He would have shivered, but he was so nervous that he could do nothing but grip the steering wheel.

“Davy!” Sam said, running up to him. Matt and Zolina were by his side. “The Harkaway is almost on us! Orders?”

Davy stared at the incoming skeleton ship for a few moments, and then turned towards his crew.

“We’re going to board her,” he said. “Once we get close enough to fire, lets hit The Harkaway with our starboard broadside. I want to get on board that ship and deal with Jolly personally. Short and simple.”

Zolina nodded, “Very well then. Looks like one ship won’t be coming out alive. Lets pray that isn’t us.”

“It has been an honor serving with you all,” Davy said. “If we do die, then I want you to know that. Thank you. For everything.”

His friends nodded. Davy grabbed the wheel again. The Harkaway was getting closer. Skeleton ships nearby had parted, leaving the two ships to fight each other one on one.

“Here I come Jolly Roger,” Davy muttered. “You’d better be ready.”

~~~~~~~~~~


Billy watched as his brother’s ship approached The Harkaway. They were getting very close now. A battle was inevitable. Beside him, Jolly Roger put down his spyglass.

“Blast,” Jolly muttered. “Looks like that scoundrel Davy Fireskull got past our other ships. How did he do it? Doesn’t matter. We can kill him anyway…”

“Don’t underestimate them captain,” Billy said. “Davy’s more powerful than he seems. He has grown in strength recently, and is not the same as when you last saw him.”

“Are you implying that he is more powerful than me?” Jolly questioned.

“Not at all,” Billy stated. “I’m just warning you not to underestimate him.”

Jolly shrugged, and walked down the deck. It was storming heavily now. Lightning struck around him and rain pelted down on the ship. Jolly checked some of the ship, making sure everything was ready for the battle that was about to come.

“Billy,” Jolly said, turning back to face him. “Davy will board us. That is for certain. When he does, I want you to take care of him personally. Dispose of him. I have other things that I must do.”

He drew the Sword of Darkness, swinging it around. Its black blade sent a chill down Billy’s spine, and he had to turn away, so it wouldn’t drive him mad.

“Yes captain,” Billy stuttered. “I can kill him. Davy will be defeated.”

“Good boy.”

Billy leaned against the wall of the ship, taking a deep breath. He thought about what would happen if Davy was killed. If he went down, chances were the Shadow King would too, and that would mean that there would be nobody left who could stop Jolly. What would happen then? Tortuga would be invaded, and more innocents would be killed. Then onto another island, where more innocents would be slaughtered, babies would be orphaned. Billy thought about the mother and her baby that he had let die. If Jolly kept going, that would happen more often, on a larger scale. Could he stand by and let that happen?

I don’t know what to do! Billy screamed inside his head. I know that serving under Jolly will yield the most benefit to me, but is it the right choice for others? Can I stand by and let that happen again? Let an innocent die because of me?

Billy wanted to cry, but he knew if he did he would be beaten and Jolly would question him. He couldn’t know about what he thought. Billy couldn’t betray his new master, but if he didn’t…

“What do I do…” he muttered under his breath. It was too late to turn back now. Even if he turned, he would be an outcast to his former friends, to his family. He would be cast aside like garbage. Nobody would want him anymore. Jolly Roger was the only thing he had left. If he left him, he would have nothing, and would just be some piece of scum that nobody, not even pirates, would want. When he thought about it that way, he had no choice but to serve Jolly. But he didn’t have time to think on it any longer, because just then, he heard a skeleton yell out.

“ENEMY SHIP APPROACHING ON THE STARBOARD SIDE!!! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!!”

Jolly Roger walked up to the upper deck, and bellowed his orders. Billy drew his two swords, preparing for what may be the last battle of his life. It was too late to turn back now.

~~~~~~~~~~


“They’re here!!!” the lookout, Lizzy, yelled out.

“LOAD THE GUNS!!!” Davy commanded. He watched in terror and anticipation as The Harkaway approached them. It was too late to turn back. Next to the skeleton ship’s wheel, Davy could make out the dim form of Jolly Roger. In his hand was a long black sword. The Sword of Darkness. It would make Jolly all the more difficult to defeat. The Sword granted invincibility, extra strength. It made the user the ultimate foe. Davy had no idea how he would deal with him, but he would have to think of that later.

Smelly came up next to Davy, shivering in the rain, whimpering.

“It’s ok boy,” he muttered. “Listen Smelly. We are about to be boarded. I want you to go down under the deck and stay there. Stay below. Understand?”

Smelly gave a weak bark, and ran down the stairs, down below the ship.

Davy looked back at The Harkaway. The two ships were almost lined up. Just a few more meters…

“OPEN FIRE!!!” Davy yelled.

The Shadow King fired. Cannonballs flew out of its broadsides, flying towards The Harkaway. The battle between the two ships that would shake the Caribbean had begun.

O_O do me a favor, write the next chapter before you watch Inception tomorrow? PLEASE?!?!? :P Thank you very much. I might be coming out with my own story in a lil bit :D Now get to work and do good on your finals so you can write an epic chapie! :P Thats an order :D

I'll be watching Inception tonight, thank you very much. Finals are done, and I have the day off today. Whether or not I did good on them is yet to be seen. :O

Probably today I will get Mr. Chapter out.

Great chapters Davy! Can't wait for the next!

Great as usual. you never fail to impress me.

Hey guys, I'll be away from the internet for a while, so I won't be posting my story. I will however, be working on it. I have it in a word document (something around 168 pages...) so I can work on it there. When I get back, I will copy and paste it into here like I always do. Chances are I will post two or maybe even three chapters. Sorry to make you guys wait, but the anticipation will make the chapter seem all the better!

Until then!

Ok guys, I'm back, and just as I promised, I worked on my story, and I finished two chapters. Mates, this is the climax of the story. Get ready to have your breath taken away! Enjoy my friends, the epic climax of Shadows Rising!


Chapter 32: The Broadsides Fire

The cannonballs slammed into The Harkaway, but didn’t do much more than dent the ship. Davy didn’t expect them to. He knew The Harkaway was too strong to have her hull ripped to shreds by just a few broadsides. It would be a very long battle. This is one of the reasons that Davy wanted to board the enemy. It be faster if he got on board, defeated Jolly Roger, and got off. That would be assuming he was able to defeat him. Jolly was powerful. As strong as Davy was, he still wasn’t sure if he could beat the mighty leader of the undead army.

“HIT THE DECK!!!” Davy heard a man yell. Davy immediately jumped down as a spectral cannonball flew above him, slamming into the wall behind him. As the mystical cannonball flew over him, Davy could have sworn that he heard the sound of tortured souls, crying out for help, to free them from their prison. Davy shuddered, and then got back up. Sam ran up to him.

“Davy!” Sam said. “The enemy’s first broadside hit us! Almost every shot made its mark!”

“Damage report?” Davy asked.

“The hull of the Shadow King is too powerful to rip from just one broadside,” Sam said. “Minor damage for now. For the most part, our hull didn’t break, just a few dents.”

“That’s good to hear!!!” Davy yelled through a clap of thunder.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Luckie said, running up the stairs as fast as she could without slipping on the soaked wood. “Eventually the hull will break, and when that happens, well, things may get ugly. Uglier than they are right now.”

Davy nodded. “You’re right. Sam, take the wheel. Luckie, come with me. I want to go below decks and check on our broadsiders.”

Davy walked down the stairs of the ship, Luckie following, through the pouring rain, listening to the firing of cannons, the cries of pain from his crew, the sound of wood cracking. Then, the next thing he knew, he was flying through the air, and had landed flat on his back, the air knocked out of him.

Davy groaned, and tried to sit up. As soon as he did, he regretted it. His back was hurt from the fall, and he was dizzy. He fell back, eyes closed. He heard the sound of people running towards him. He opened his eyes, and saw Meg helping him up. He dizzily sat up, and shook his head.

“Ugh…” Davy groaned. “What happened?”

“A cannonball landed right by your feet,” Meg said, looking at Davy in concern. “You and Luckie went flying. You landed pretty hard from the looks of it. Are you all right?”

Davy nodded, “I think so… although my back is badly bruised.”

“Here, let me have a look at—”

“No!” Davy said. “Help the others first. I’ll be fine.”

“Davy, are you sure?”

“Positive. Now go!”

Meg obeyed. Davy got up slowly, wincing as his back screamed out in pain.

“Damn it,” Davy cursed. He made sure that all of him was intact, and that he still had his sword. He had long gotten rid of his staff. It was inconvenient to carry. Before they had spotted the fleet, he had put some spells on his cutlass so that it could channel his voodoo powers. Davy leaned against a nearby mast, regaining a bit of strength. He took a deep breath, and looked at the battle so far.

Davy smiled slightly. The hull panels on The Harkaway had begun to break, so soon the interior would be revealed, giving the Shadow King a huge advantage. They would be able to fire straight into the enemy, hopefully allowing them to hit the stash of gunpowder, which would annihilate The Harkaway, and Jolly Roger as well. Davy then peered onto The Harkaway herself. He could make out the form of Jolly Roger barking orders to his undead minions.

It won’t be very long before I will have to fight him, Davy thought nervously. Once and for all…

Davy tried not to think about it, but he knew that his fight with Jolly Roger was unavoidable, unless he wanted all his hard work to go to waste. He examined the area of his ship. The rain was falling harder than ever, and the cannons continued to fire. Davy felt the hair on his body prickle, and instinctively he rolled to the side, back screaming in agony.

Davy saw a flash of light, followed almost instantly by a massive bang, and a snapping sound. He looked up at the mast, wincing in pain from his back. A bolt of lightning from the storm had hit one of the Shadow King’s masts, the one that Davy had been leaning against. The mast had been completely fried from it. If Davy hadn’t moved, he wouldn’t be much different.

Davy remembered the job at hand, and ran down the stairs, biting his tongue from the pain in his back, and ended up next to his broadsiders. He could see that things were not going as well as he expected. Even though
The Harkaway’s hull was starting to break, the Shadow King’s had already broken. There was a large hole in the hull, just over one square meter in size.

“Davy!” Matt said, running up to him.

“Report?” Davy asked.

“Not sure what exactly to say,” Matt said carefully. “Our ships are pretty evenly matched. They have a slight upper hand, but not by too much. I’m guessing after one more full broadside we can make a small hole in her hull. Davy, broadsides won’t determine this battle. What will determine the battle is how well you and the boarding party fare.”

Davy nodded, “I see. I want to wait a little longer for the boarding though. I want to wait until we have done some more damage to the ship. Chances are that will take out some of the boneheads on board as well, giving us an easier job.”

“Understood,” Matt said. Then his eyes widened. “GET DOWN!”

Davy immediately hit the deck, as two fury cannonballs flew towards them. One of them smashed into the hull, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. The other flew inside of the hull, slamming into one of the back walls, and killing a man.

Davy and Matt stood up and examined the area quickly. Most of the crew in the area had survived the shots, except for the one near the back of the room and one other man, who had been stuck through the gut with a massive piece of wood. Davy ran to the man who was lying on the floor, motionless. He kneeled down beside him, checking his vital signs. It was too late. He was already dead.

He Davy shut his eyes tightly, holding back tears. What was the point of fighting if so many would die? He felt Matt put his hand on his shoulder.

“Davy,” Matt said softly, but load enough to be heard over the cannon fire and thunder. “People die in battles. It is inevitable. But we are fighting for a cause. For freedom. I know it’s hard on you, but you must accept it.”

“Aye,” Davy said. “I know.”

“Sir!” a man said to Matt. “Continue to fire at will?”

Matt looked away from Davy to respond. “No, fire at my command.”

“Wait,” Davy said, holding up his hand. “We won’t win with normal ammo.”

Davy walked towards the barrels of cannonballs, and held out his sword towards them. The sword glowed blue, and a light blue mist spread over the barrels, seeping into them, to get to the cannonballs. The glow stopped, and Davy sheathed his sword.

“What did you just do?” Matt asked.

“I amplified their power,” Davy said. “It may make me a bit weaker, but it is a sacrifice worth making. Now they are going to do much more damage to The Harkaway’s hull. Once you blow some more holes in that ship, I’ll order boarding.”

“Aye, aye Captain!” Matt said. “Alright mates! Fire!”

The cannons fired, flying into The Harkaway. One of them must have gotten a lucky shot, because rotten hull panels flew off of The Harkaway. Davy could see skeletons that were below decks firing broadsides fly everywhere.

“Nice shot!” Davy complemented. “Keep up the good work. I’m heading back up. I should get ready to board. It’s time that I fight Jolly Roger for the last time… and Billy as well…”

Matt gave Davy a look of sympathy. He knew it was hard for Davy, even though he tried to deny it. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he met up with Billy, but he hoped that he would be able to defeat him. Then Matt said, “Very well. Davy, I wish you the best of luck in fighting Jolly. You can defeat him. I have faith in you. If I don’t see you again, well, know that it has been more than an honor to serve under you.”

Davy couldn’t help but let a tear slide down his face. He nodded, and walked up the stairs. Instantly he was greeted by torrents of rain and the sound of thunder. The battle was not going well. Many of the railings that separated the decks had been destroyed. The deck was littered with holes from cannonball impact. Some were small, but there were several ones that were dangerously large. The sails of the Shadow King were covered with holes varying in size, and the upper part of one of the other masts had been hit with a chain shot, splintering the section of the mast, leaving it dangling to the side. Davy looked at The Harkaway, in the hope that it would be in worse shape. He was wrong.

The ship hadn’t taken any significant damage. Other than the one hole that had opened in it, there was almost no other damage. The masts were almost perfectly fine, except that one of the horizontal bars on one of them was broken. Railings had been broken, but not in the quantity of the Shadow King. Davy gulped as he realized that if he waited too long, the Shadow King may take critical damage before they even were able to board. He turned to head to the wheel, and saw Sam heading towards him.

His feathered hat was gone. There was a tear in his shirt, and his face was smeared with dirt and grime. He looked awful.

“Davy,” Sam said to him, panting. “I think it’s time to board.”

Davy nodded. “I agree. Will you come with me?”

“Do you want me to Davy?” Sam asked.

“Yes,” Davy said. “Sam, you’re my best friend. If I die, I want to die alongside my friend, not alone. Go down and tell our cannoneers to load grapple hooks. It’s time to board.”

Sam obeyed, and ran to the stairs. Davy watched him go, but a flash of lightning made him cover his eyes briefly. When he looked back up, he saw the top of Sam’s head disappearing down the stairs. Davy drew his sword, preparing to board The Harkaway, and face Jolly Roger once and for all. Davy walked to the wheel of the ship. Will was currently steering it.

“Can you continue steering her while The Harkaway is boarded?” Davy asked.

“Yes Captain,” Will said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.”

“Thank you Will,” Davy said. Then he added, “Will, thank you. Thank you for everything. From fighting alongside me in the Catacombs to performing your duties here. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Don’t mention it Davy,” Will said, smiling. “Now go! Looks like the grapple hooks are being fired!”

Davy nodded, and walked to the side of the ship, looking out at the enemy ship before him. The Harkaway fired another broadside at the Shadow King. Davy watched as the spectral cannonballs slammed into his ship, sending wood flying everywhere. He took a deep breath, and began walking down the stairs, onto the main deck. The hooks were dragging The Harkaway steadily closer. Once it was close enough, him and the boarding team would swing onboard with ropes hanging from the rigging.

He stopped and looked on board the enemy ship. Through the torrents of rain, he could make out the figure of Billy Fireskull and his two Grave Reapers. As much as Davy told himself he wouldn’t have to fight him, he knew he would need to if he wanted to get to Jolly Roger. Sam came up to him, and told him that the ship was now close enough to board. Time slowed down for Davy, as his life began go flash before his eyes. He remembered himself as a small boy, playing with his toy boat in the little river that ran by his house. Then when he was sailing away from The Eagle on the lifeboat as a small boy, crying out for his father. From his servitude aboard The Black Swan to the island where he found the Sword of Darkness, to Tortuga where he was reunited with Billy, to their voyages, to Raven’s Cove and the Catacombs and all the other adventures. Perhaps this would be the end. But if it was, he had lived his life, and if he died, he would die fighting. He would die knowing that he had fought until the end, and then there would be nothing to regret.

Davy clenched his sword, turned toward his crew, and spoke.

“Prepare to board me hearties! We fight to the death! For piracy! For our friends! For our families! FOR FREEDOM!!!”

---------------------------------------------------


Chapter 33: The Fall of a Hero

Davy swung on board The Harkaway, bracing himself for the battle that was about to come.

Possibly my last battle, he thought to himself nervously. He let go of the rope, drawing his sword while he did so, and brought his sword down on a skeleton as he landed. Davy quickly took in his surroundings. The Harkaway was a terrifying vessel. The dark, rotten wood gave Davy a feeling of dread, and the two main masts with their tattered and menacing sails didn’t help reduce that feeling. The ship was massive. There had to be at least fifty skeletons on board, probably more. Fifty skeletons that now had all of their swords drawn, advancing towards Davy and the rest of the boarding crew.

The boarding crew was far from enough, having about fifteen pirates boarding out of the forty or so of the total crew. Davy hoped that these pirates would be strong enough to take on this much of the crew.

Sam landed next to Davy, and said, “You ready for this mate?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be my friend,” Davy said. Then, to the whole boarding team, “CHARGE!!!”

The Sorcerors charged, showing no fear as they brought their swords down on the undead crew. Davy’s sword glistened as lighting struck above them. One slash from his Assassin’s Cutlass was deadly to the skeletons. They were able to survive many normal blows, but with the venom on it, the sword was able to send the undead back to the grave in a single good slash.

Davy slashed, ducked, rolled, stabbed, and did jumping slashes, defeating the undead all around him. But even with the massive numbers he was taking down, with every bonehead he took down, it seemed like two more would take its place. No matter, Davy could cut down anything that came his way.

He battled skeletons for what felt like hours, even though he knew it was probably less than an hour. He met up with Sam once again during that time. They fought back to back, an invincible duo that none could defeat. They got separated after a few minutes, but the fight continued.

Davy had just finished cutting down a dagger using skeleton, when he felt someone looking at him. He stood up, sword held outward, looking straight at his brother.

Billy was holding his two Grave Reapers at his sides, ready to strike at any moment. He stared directly at Davy, his eyes boring into his. Davy looked into his dark brown eyes, and for once, saw a new emotion. Fear. Billy was afraid. In his previous fights, he saw nothing but hatred, but now he could see that Billy was afraid. Why was that? Before Davy could ponder it more, Billy spoke.

“Davy,” he said. “It’s too late to surrender now. I’m going to have to destroy you. Jolly Roger won’t tolerate it if I let you escape again.”

Davy thought he heard his brother’s voice shaking, but he responded anyway. “I’ve made my choice brother. I will not let you live this time. As much as it pains me, I will have to kill you.”

“So be it,” Billy said, before leaping up, swords drawn, and bringing them down on Davy. The battle between the two brothers began.

~~~~~~~~~~


Davy blocked his strike, and sent another attack flying back, which Billy parried as well, and the two began to send blows flying at each other. Billy was extremely fast with his blades, but Davy’s defense could not be broken down.

Billy was filled with fear. He knew that if Davy got away, Jolly Roger would punish him severely. A fate worse than death for sure. That’s how Jolly always punished when it came to something severe. Then there was Davy. The way he had nearly killed him on Cuba worried him. What if he defeated him again? What if this time he didn’t spare him?

Billy used this fear to fuel strength. He unleashed a series of quick but powerful blows upon Davy. His brother struggled to block them, and Billy continued. Billy paused for a fraction of a second to lift his blades to bring them down on Davy, but Davy’s instincts were good. He quickly rolled to the side, and thrust out his sword. Billy, startled, barely had time to dodge the blow and return another.

The two continued their sword fight for almost a quarter of an hour, neither gaining any advantage. Billy started to wonder where Jolly Roger was. He didn’t see him on the deck of the ship, which surprised him. If Jolly was outside, then he could easily kill almost all of the pirates that had boarded.

Davy had some of his boarding team. Out of the fifteen or so that had boarded, there where probably about ten or so left, maybe less. Even though Davy’s men were outnumbered significantly, Billy had to give them credit. They fought valiantly, showing no fear. It made Billy sad. These were once his friends, his crew, his family. He was just going to stand by and watch them be slowly killed by the undead. Could he do that? Could he let more people die? More people that were once his friends? Billy was once again starting to question himself. But he couldn’t turn back now. His choice had been made, and he was going to face the consequences, whether good or bad.

He blocked another attack from Davy, and his brother continued to advance on him. Davy brought his sword down on Billy, but he blocked it. The two locked their swords, each trying to overpower the other. Billy, his two swords held parallel blocking Davy’s venomous cutlass, pushed against his brother’s strength. Billy was always the more powerful one, and he slowly pushed Davy back. Then he made the mistake of looking in his brother’s eyes. Billy all of the sudden realized that he was about to kill his brother, the last of his family, the one who had always been there for him. Everything that Billy had done flashed before him. Him shooting Sam and almost killing him, the buildings of Port Royal exploding, the invasion of skeletons flooding into the town, killing the innocent people, and the woman and her baby being murdered.

Billy’s force weakened, and Davy took that advantage. He slashed Billy across the arm, opening up another gash on it, a slash across his eye, and finally a cleave across his chest.

Billy stumbled back, grunting in pain, and fell over, onto the ground, dropping his swords.

~~~~~~~~~~


Davy walked up to his fallen brother. Billy looked up at him, his left eye completely shut and bloody where Davy had slashed it. His arm was held across the wound on his chest. Billy looked up at his older brother, his eyes full of an emotion. Not fear. Guilt.

“Davy,” Billy said, wincing with pain. “I’m… I’m—”

“Enough,” Davy said, holding up his sword, ready to stab Billy. “It’s too late now.”

He raised his sword, and held it hovering over Billy. Davy could see Billy bracing himself for the attack. For the attack that he deserved. He held his sword above him. It seemed like he was holding it forever. Then, Davy did the thing that he was hoping that he wouldn’t do. He dropped his sword.

“I… I can’t…” Davy said.

Billy looked up at his brother in shock. He looked like he was going to say something, but he didn’t get the chance.

“You’re weak Davy Fireskull,” Jolly Roger said.

Davy whirled around to see the leader of the undead army watching him and Billy in interest, a sinister smile upon his face. In his right hand, instead of his flintlock pistol blade combination that normally was there, was the Sword of Darkness. Davy knew better than to look at it. He remembered back to the mysterious island where he had made that mistake. The feeling of fear was horrible and overpowering.

A black glow seemed to emanate from Jolly Roger: the power of the Sword. Davy picked up his own sword, and held it out to his enemy.

“Jolly Roger,” Davy said. “Today is your judgment day. Today you will be punished, my parents will be avenged, and no more innocent lives will be destroyed at your hand.”

“We shall see Davy,” Jolly said, holding up the Sword of Darkness. “We shall see!”

Davy leaped towards Jolly Roger, bringing his sword down on him. Jolly blocked with his own, and from then, the two exchanged blows. Fast, slow, heavy, light, all powerful attacks. Davy’s skills had improved significantly, but Jolly was much more powerful with the Sword of Darkness. His attacks, even though they appeared to be light, were enough to split stone. Davy, even though his sword was unbreakable due to his voodoo tinkering, slowly grew weaker as he blocked each of the powerful attacks.

He’ll destroy me if I keep attempting to block his attacks, Davy thought to himself. I need a new tactic.

Davy leaped backward, avoiding another swing by Jolly Roger. Then, using voodoo, lit his sword on fire. The green fire blazed with unnatural heat. Davy cleaved his sword, sending an arc of green fire towards Jolly. It was useless. Jolly didn’t even need to do anything. Once the fire got within a few feet of him, it dissipated into nothingness. Jolly sneered, and slowly began advancing on Davy.

Davy’s eyes widened. In a desperate attempt, he began throwing more arcs of fire at him. The results were the same as the first. On the last fire arc, Jolly held out his hand, catching the green flame. He held his hand back, and then thrust it forward, sending a fireball at Davy. The fireball exploded a few feet away from Davy, sending him flying back. He landed hard on the stairs. He sat up, shaking his head to clear the stars in his vision. He stood, holding his sword.

The Sword has increased his power more than I had thought, Davy thought nervously. He stood up, but quickly ducked down to avoid a cannonball sent from the Shadow King. The cannonball slammed into the floor a few meters away from him, opening up a hole in the floor of The Harkaway. Davy stood back up, facing Jolly Roger.

“Honestly Davy,” Jolly taunted. “Even for a mortal such as yourself, I expected better. Come now, are you going to let me defeat you so easily?”

Before Davy could respond, Jolly lifted the Sword of Darkness. A black ball of dark voodoo charged at the tip, crackling with a white energy. Jolly roared, and sent the ball flying at Davy. It exploded right in front of him, sending him flying back into the wall behind the steering wheel of The Harkaway.

Davy’s body screamed in agony. The pain in his back had erupted again, worse than ever. His vision seemed to black out, even though he felt conscious. The horrible feeling was almost indescribable. It felt as if every wound he had ever gotten was hurting again, but even worse. Davy screamed out in pain as he slowly got up. He shakily held out his sword, and looked around him. His vision was still black around the edges, but he could see a little better. He looked onto the Shadow King. Skeletons had boarded it, and his crew didn’t look as if they could hold out much longer. He saw Smelly, the poor dog, had come back on deck to help the crew, his friends, his family. Davy saw him jump on a skeleton, only to have the skeleton slash his sword across him. Davy saw the dog fall back onto the deck of the ship, trying to get back up. Davy’s heart broke as he saw the skeleton advance on the dog, but thankfully, he saw someone come save the dog from its fate. Will Seaeagle cleaved open the bonehead’s skull, and then pick up the dog, and carried him out of sight. Davy looked back, to see Jolly Roger looking at him.

“Don’t you see Davy?” Jolly asked Davy. “It’s too late now. You’ve lost. Your crew will soon be dead, your ship will be sunk, and you will be destroyed.”

Davy lifted his sword, and looked at Jolly without a speck of fear. Davy knew he was going to die, but he wasn’t afraid at all. If he died, he would die fighting. He would die knowing that he had done the best he could, and that his parents would be proud of him for trying.

It doesn’t matter about the outcome, Davy’s father’s voice echoed in his head. It’s the fact that you tried, and that you did your best.

A tear came to Davy’s eye, and he lifted his sword, getting ready to fight the battle that could end his life.

“If I die, then so be it,” he said confidently, before swinging his sword, resisting the screams of agony from his body. Jolly blocked the attack, and returned the blow with another swing. Davy ducked and returned the blow. The two continued with the battle. Davy’s courage fueled him, allowing him to continue the fight.

~~~~~~~~~~


Billy’s body hurt in every way possible. He could feel the venom coursing through his veins. The pouring rain stung his wounds. If he didn’t somehow heal himself soon, it could be fatal. He sat up, and looked up the stairs at the fight between Jolly Roger, his captain, and Davy, his brother. Jolly had the upper hand, obviously. He was armed with a mystic sword that made the wielder almost invincible. Davy had a deadly sword, but it was nothing compared to Jolly. Billy watched as his brother, the last of his family, was slowly overpowered by Jolly.

Billy thought to himself about all that had happened. Not just aboard The Harkaway, but throughout his life. His life on Port Royal, when he was separated from his family on that night aboard The Eagle. Then to Tortuga, and his reuniting with Davy. When he was captured by Jolly and tortured. To when he decided to join him in the chance that he may be able to bring his parents back, to his battles with Davy, to the invasion of Port Royal. And the mother and her baby. The look on her face, her tear streaked face, as she looked at the undead about to kill her. How he was unable to save her and her baby in time.

Billy had let her die. If he didn’t do something now, more people would die. More mothers and children, more families would be torn apart because he failed to act.

But then, he thought about what would happen if he betrayed Jolly Roger. Davy and the Shadow King wouldn’t accept him again. Nobody would. He would be an outcast forever, cursed to live alone forever. Jolly Roger was all he had left. All of the sudden, he remembered back to when he had talked to his parent’s ghosts.

You will make the right choice in the end.

As a young child, he had always been told to help others before himself. At the time, that was limited to silly things such as allowing his friends to take food before he did at parties. It didn’t mean much back then, but now, Billy realized how important that really meant.

Billy struggled, but finally stood up, grabbing his two swords. He had made his decision.

~~~~~~~~~~


Davy was losing the fight. He knew he had lost already. Jolly cackled as he sent a final series of blows towards Davy. Jolly started with a deathly blow to him. Davy held his sword up to block it, but it was no use. Davy was weak, and as soon as the swords clashed, Davy’s arms gave out, and he dropped his weapon. Jolly finished with two quick slashes. One slashed across Davy’s right collar bone, and the other across his left arm.

“Ahh!” Davy screamed out in pain, before falling crippled to the floor. He could feel the wounds eating away at his body, his soul. He fought it, desperately trying not to die. Jolly did nothing but laugh.

“Ah Davy,” Jolly said laughing evilly. “I must say, you put up a good fight. You are a powerful pirate. I will give you that. Before you die, know that I hold you in the highest respect. Now, any last words?”

“Yes,” a voice said. “Get away from my brother.”

Jolly turned to the voice, but it was too late. Billy leaped at him, wincing in agony from the blows Davy had given him. He slashed at Jolly before he could respond. Jolly Roger cried out in surprise and pain as Billy slashed him across the chest. Before Jolly could respond, Billy tackled him as hard as he could, sending him flying back. Billy cried out in pain, showing to Davy that his wounds were deadly. Jolly flew backward, letting go of the Sword of Darkness.

“No!!!” Jolly cried out, reaching out for the Sword. The Sword of Darkness flew through the air, off the ship. There was a bright flash of lightning and a sound of thunder, and when they looked back, it was gone, into the sea. Almost instantly, Davy felt the feeling of his soul draining go away. The wounds still stung badly, but it didn’t feel as bad as it was before.

Billy roared in anger and exhilaration, throwing his two swords at Jolly. The two Grave Reapers span on their sides, each slashing Jolly across the chest. The skeleton leader fell back, twisting in pain.

Billy limped over to Davy.

“Davy!” Billy yelled through the thunderstorm. “You have to get out of here! The ship is going to blow any minute now! I can only hold off Jolly for so long! You need to go now!”

“No!” Davy said. “I… I can’t leave you!”

Billy didn’t listen. He held out his hands, blowing Davy back with a voodoo push. Davy flew backward, onto the main deck, where Sam grabbed hold of him.

“Davy, lets go!” Sam said, grabbing hold of a rope in one hand, Davy in the other.

“No! I can’t leave now! Billy! We have to get him off!”

“He’s made his choice!” Sam cried.

“No!!!” Davy yelled.

Jolly Roger was starting to get up now. He saw Davy getting ready to escape, and roared in rage. He began to advance, but Billy got in front of him and gave him a flying kick in the face, which must have hurt both of them. Billy looked back down at Davy.

“Davy,” he said, tears streaming down his face. “I’m so sorry.”

“Billy!!!” Davy screamed out, trying to escape from Sam’s iron grip. Too late. Sam swung off of The Harkaway, and back onto the Shadow King. Davy struggled, but stopped once they dropped onto the Shadow King. As soon as he hit the ground, he ran to the railing and stared back at Billy.

The Harkaway was in bad condition now. Its hull was ripped open in many places, and the masts were beginning to collapse. The Shadow King was no better. The Shadow King had already lost one of its main masts from the lightning bolt, but they had now lost another smaller one from an enemy cannonball. Both ships had taken heavy damage, but then, Davy saw why Billy wanted him off The Harkaway.

Looking through the holes in that had appeared in The Harkaway’s hull, he saw that the broadsides had been completely abandoned. Someone had gone in there and killed off all of the undead there. In the back, there was a massive stack of gunpowder barrels, crates, explosives, and anything flammable. There was a long trail of gunpowder on it, but it had been burned away. Advancing towards the pile was a flame, moving slowly along the gunpowder trail. The ship was about to blow.

Davy looked back at Billy, who was once again in battle with Jolly. Jolly, even without the Sword of Darkness, was extremely powerful still. Davy watched as he disarmed Billy, and sent him flying back against the wall.

Davy was speechless. Jolly advanced on Billy, getting ready to deal the final blow. Billy looked away from Jolly Roger, and stared straight into Davy’s eyes. Even though the two were far apart, they could read each other’s faces. Billy looked at Davy, showing one emotion. Guilt. A tear ran down Davy’s face, and he nodded sympathetically towards him.

“I forgive you,” Davy muttered, choking back a sob. A small smile appeared on Billy’s face. A smile of relief. And then, the explosives lit. The Harkaway, in an instant, exploded with a powerful bang that was louder than thunder. Rotten wood flew everywhere, and when the smoke and light cleared, what was left of The Harkaway was almost completely submerged, and there was no sign of Billy or Jolly Roger.

Davy’s eyes widened as he realized that Billy, his brother and the last of his family, was dead and gone. He walked through the crowd of rejoicing crew members as they watched the skeleton fleet become engulfed in green fog. When it cleared, the ships were gone. As Davy walked through the crowd, some patted him on the back, others congratulated him. He paid them no notice. His facial expression was blank and showed nothing. He opened the door to his cabin, and sat down on his bed, face in his hands, and cried.


-----------------------------

There you have it mates. Comments please. :)

Incredible, Davy. Just astounding.

And now, I may sound idiotic when I ask this, but is that the end of your story? Or is there an unforseen epilogue?

Jack my friend, you always sound idiotic. Lol, jk :P

No, it is not the end. I will have two or three more chapters before it is over.

Well Done!! I love this story!! you should be a writer or something!

- stutters stutters stutters *spamming* -

Great story

Now, I have a suggestion for the epic ending. A chapter called: "Day of The Apocalypse" Now that would be a fitting ending xD

Idk why but that just sounds good.

http://www.piratesonlineforums.com/p...g.php?id=23008

Mates, it is time for the story to come to a close. I give you my last chapter, and the epilogue. Read on my friends!


Chapter 34: Paying a Debt

The Shadow King began sailing again right before dawn of the next morning. Davy came out on deck to give his orders, still devastated by the loss of his brother.

“Do we have a heading Davy?” Sam asked Davy.

“Cuba,” he said. “I need to pay my debt to Tia Dalma.”

Sam nodded, and redirected his orders to the rest of the crew. They carried out their orders happily, knowing now that their original objective was completed, and that there was nothing more to fear. This adventure was over. More would come, that was for sure.

Cuba was about a two weeks travel, more than usual due to the Shadow King’s damage. It didn’t matter though, they were in no rush.

Davy sat in his quarters on the evening of the fifth day, recording the events of that day in his log. Memories of the battle with The Harkaway were still fresh, and they still pained him. He thought about what would have happened if he killed Billy. He wouldn’t be sitting here writing today. Everyone had good in them, no matter who they were.

He sighed, and laid back in his chair. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. The loss of Billy had traumatized him more than he expected. A knock on the door ended the silence in his quarters.

Davy sat up, saying, “Come in!”

The door opened, and Sam walked in. He was dressed in his black coat, which had been stitched up. He had a brown vest under it, with black breeches, black boots, and a new feathered black hat. He approached Davy and sat down on a chair across the desk from him.

“Ahoy Davy,” Sam said.

“Sam,” Davy said, trying to smile. “How can I help you?”

“I’m worried about you,” Sam said with a concerned tone to his voice. “You’ve been spending most of your time here in your quarters. Are you alright?”

Davy sighed, and put his hands on his thighs. “No Sam, I’m not alright. Ever since Billy… ever since he…”

Davy took control of himself before he choked up. “I loved him. No matter what I said about him, I loved him. He was my brother. Sam, when I was only ten, I was separated from him for ten years. Then, I finally reunite with him, and we are separated once again, this time forever. It’s… painful…”

“Davy, I think there is something I should tell you,” Sam said.

“Yes?”

“After Jolly Roger attacked you on The Harkaway, right after you defeated Billy, I was fighting. There was a skeleton that was too powerful for me. It was about to kill me, but it was struck down. I look up to see Billy standing there with his two swords, and the skeleton lifeless on the ground. At first I was ready to finish what you started, but then I realized it was him who saved me.

“I got up, holding my sword ready, just in case. He noticed that, and put down his swords, to show that he meant no harm. He told me what he was about to do. To sacrifice himself to right his wrongs. He said that he had, right before he got to me, called below decks to the skeletons operating the broadsides. They obeyed his command, which was to leave. He told me to go down and light the gunpowder, which I believe you saw. At first I didn’t want to do it because I knew it would kill him, but he told me it was the only way to destroy The Harkaway and Jolly Roger. I decided to obey.

“Before I left though, he stopped me. I looked into his eyes. They were sad, the eyes of a man who knew that he was about to die for a cause. He… he told me to deliver a message to you. He said, ‘I cannot describe how much I am sorry about what I have done. I love you, and don’t mourn my death. I died saving you, and the crew, and even though I am going to die, I will die feeling at peace with myself.’”

Davy looked off into the corner of the room, taking in everything Sam had said. He felt a tear come to his eye, and he didn’t try to hide it. He wasn’t sure if it was a sad tear, a happy tear, or something else. Billy had loved him, while he was sleeping on The Harkaway, during their battles, when he invaded Port Royal, and in his last moments. He thought about Port Royal, now a ruin. A town could be rebuilt, but a life couldn’t. He was gone, but Davy would follow what he said, and would stop mourning his death. He died a hero, and Davy would make sure his legacy lived on saying that.

“Thank you Sam,” Davy said. “How close are we to Cuba?”

“We are getting a good wind actually,” Sam said. “Maybe a little less than a week.”

Davy nodded. “Very well. Let’s go outside now. I have a crew that needs me.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The next week passed monotonously. They encountered no ships during their voyage, to Davy’s relief. After their battle with The Harkaway, they couldn’t take on another ship. Once they arrived at Cuba, they would see if they could get the ship some minor repairs in. They could probably pay for it using the loot raided from the EITC ship they had raided and the Navy ship that had been left for dead by Billy right before the invasion. Those times seemed so long ago.

On the sixth day after Sam and Davy had had that talk, Cuba was in sight. The island looked almost exactly like it had the previous time they had visited, when Sam was unconscious and dying.

“Sam,” Davy said, turning to his first mate. “I just want it to be you and me. I want to make this quick.”

Sam nodded. In just over an hour, the two boarded a dingy and began rowing into The Pantano River. The current was quiet today, so it didn’t take too much effort to row themselves. In no time, they were going through the deeper areas of the swamp, trees forming a living ceiling above them. Birds sang their eerie melodies, and alligators poked their heads out of the swamp. The two friends were quiet while they rowed. Finally, they rounded the corner and saw Tia Dalma’s lights flickering in the distance.

“There she is,” Davy said quietly.

“This may be a little awkward,” Sam said. “After all, this is the person who saved me from certain death…”

Davy chuckled softly, and continued rowing. In a few minutes, they got off the boat, and walked up to the door. Davy knocked nervously. Inside they heard the sound of someone getting up to answer it. The two shifted nervously, biting their lips as they waited for the strange woman to answer the door. Finally, it opened, revealing Tia Dalma. She hadn’t changed at all since they last saw her. She was wearing the same clothes, the same strange jewelry and makeup.

“Ahh,” she said smiling. “Davy Fireskull has returned, and with his friend who was on death’s doorstep when I last saw him.”

Davy nodded, “Hello Tia Dalma.”

“Please,” she said, beckoning inside. “Come in.”

Davy and Sam did just that, and sat themselves down on a pair of chairs. Tia Dalma did the same. Davy ducked his head as he realized that a snake was slithering right behind him. He switched chairs, not anxious to meet Tia’s reptilian pet. He looked back at Tia and she spoke.

“I am guessing that since you have come here, you have either defeated Jolly Roger, or you have given up?”

“He is dead,” Davy said.

“And may I add,” Sam said. “that we lost many good pirates in the process. Many of our friends and family.”

“Jolly Roger is not dead,” Tia said firmly.

“What?” Davy said, pounding a fist on the table. “He isn’t dead? Impossible! I saw his ship explode with him on it! He was in the center of the explosion! He is dead, I know it!”

Tia Dalma laughed. “You cannot kill what is already dead Davy Fireskull. You see, when Jolly Roger took the form that we all know him as, a skeletal monster, he, in a sense, became indestructible. He can have his body destroyed, and lose all strength and have his undead minions follow him, but he is not dead. His demonic soul still haunts us. It will be a while, years most likely, perhaps decades or centuries, but he will slowly gain power, until he has enough to reform his body, and return to this Earth.”

“Then all of my crew who gave their life to defeat him died in vain?” Davy said angrily.

“Of course not,” Tia said. “If not for them, Jolly would have taken the Caribbean for sure. They saved many lives. Next time Jolly rises, we will be ready, and perhaps we can find a way to defeat him forever.”

“Thank you Tia Dalma,” Sam said. “Now, I think that Davy and I must be going, now that we have paid our debt.”

“Very well then,” Tia Dalma said, escorting them out of the house. Right before she shut the door, Davy held up his hand.

“Tia Dalma, if I may ask,” Davy said. “Is there any way you can bring back a life? From someone that has died?”

“Ahh Davy,” Tia said laughing. “Are the dead truly ever gone?”

She shut the door, and latched it shut, signaling the end of the visit. Davy sighed sadly, and stepped into the boat. Him and Sam rowed down the river. In no time, the dingy arrived into the sea, and was hauled up by the crew of the Shadow King.

“It’s done,” Davy said as he was greeted by his friends. While they were gone, some of the crew had gone on shore and purchased some supplies to make quick repairs to the ship. About ten men were currently working on nailing in some boards as temporary repairs.

“What’s our heading?” Zolina asked Davy, as he walked up to her and the rest of his friends.

“Make a heading for Tortuga,” Davy said. “I think that our mates will be eager to return home after this adventure.”



Epilogue


It had been a two full days since the crew had left the Shadow King, and gone into the town on Tortuga. Davy had said a goodbye to each and every one of them, thanking them wholeheartedly for their good work, and for being the best crew he could have ever asked for. Last were his closest friends. It was extremely painful for Davy to say goodbye to them, and it was hard for them as well, but they put up with it. Several tears were shed, and friends embraced for what Davy thought could be the last time.

The Shadow King had arrived with a hero’s welcome. Apparently some pirate ships saw how the Shadow King took on The Harkaway and saved Tortuga from being raided. Almost every pirate in the town took that day to help repair the mighty Shadow King, the ship that had saved them all. Most of the crew had never been treated this way, so they took advantage of it. One of the local bartenders had brought a dozen barrels of rum, much to Zolina’s delight, to share. He said that if it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have his own neck, let alone the rum.

It was close to sunset now, and Davy stood by the Shadow King’s wheel, thinking about all that had happened to him that had brought him here. The Eagle being sunk almost ten years ago, and him being collected by the crew of the Black Swan. His first direct encounter with Jolly Roger, and to his adventures on the mysterious island where he found the Sword of Darkness. Then to reuniting with his brother, and meeting Sam and Matt. The first battle it had with Jolly Roger, and then being stranded on Raven’s Cove, and being attacked by the Rage Ghost, Joanna. The journey through the Catacombs, saving Sam’s life. The final battle with Jolly Roger where Billy had given his life to save them all. A tear came to Davy’s eye as he realized that now it was over, and he could perhaps live in peace for just a little while.

Davy held onto the Shadow King’s wheel, imagining himself sailing the magnificent ship once again, smiling at the thought of it.

But what is a ship without its crew? Davy asked himself. He thought about his crew. He had become so attached to them. He knew that no matter how many voyages he had with another crew, it could never replace the crew that had gone with him on this voyage. The Shadow Sorcerors. His crew.

He let go of the wheel, and walked to the railing of the ship. It looked over the dock, and beyond that was the rowdy town on Tortuga. He could hear people yelling from there, and once or twice he though he heard an explosion of some sort, from a small grenade or gun. He couldn’t help but chuckle. He looked behind him, towards the opening of the Tortuga harbor into the open sea. A pirate’s home. It seemed to call for him, begging him to come back.

Davy sat down, looking at the view of the sea, so calm and peaceful, little ripples rising and falling in it. Davy closed his eyes, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~


Davy was roused by the sound of voices on his ship. It was probably an hour before dawn. He drew his sword, wondering who the blazes was on his ship.

He leaped down the staircase, onto the main deck, yelling a loud battle cry, preparing to battle the crooks who were trying to steal his ship.

“Who dares to—” Davy didn’t finish. He dropped his sword, mouth gaping. Standing before him was a group of around thirty people. They all had the look of pirates, both men and women alike. A small group of them approached him. He knew the faces. Sam, Matt, Kate, Will, Zolina, and Meg.

“You came back,” Davy breathed.

“You didn’t expect us to leave you now did you?” Meg asked laughing.

“Honestly Davy,” Sam said. “Perhaps these past weeks, or months now that I think of it, have been tough, but once we are in this crew, we will not leave it. Davy, we are not just a crew, we are your friends.”

“Mates,” Davy said. “I… I don’t know what to say, other than thank you. Thank you so much.”

The crew yelled out in excitement, hands held high.

“Now I’m guessing you want some orders?” Davy teased.

The crew threw their hats up, yelling out in the affirmative. They laughed and screamed in happiness, as their captain, the only captain they would serve, said three words. Three words that any captain says to his crew as the first order of a voyage. Three words that Davy himself had said to them so long ago, when they were still all strangers to him, so long ago.

“Hoist the colors!”

---------------------------------


And thats it mates. The story comes to a close. :) I want to thank you all for supporting me all the way through this. I wouldn't have written without your support... now who wants a sequel?!

Great, great story! Great ideas... Great everything. A sequel would be nice...

WOOT! ;-; is it weird that I almost cried when Davy's brother went boom boom? ANYWHO, you shall make a sequel Davy, you WILL. O_O

I'm gonna create my story me too! Of course it won't be as long as yours Davy but at least a 500 words lol :P I'm gonna post it soon, when I'll be finished with the Introduction and then advance through it. And btw Davy I'm sorry I just read a small part of yer tale, though it was awesome! I don't know about the title yet. Probably it will have something with Hector!

I can't wait to read it Sam, you're the kind of person who could definitely write a good tale.

Rofl pib, its not weird! They were tears of joy because you thought you would be able to keep some meat for yourself! You wish.

Who doesn't wanna squeal????

You know if ye do do a sequal, mabye adding another GUY in would help but you need to find a good GUY who is also a PIRATE, mabye a PIRATE GUY but who knows :p

I'm sorry Pirate Guy, I have no idea what you mean. xD

Bloody.... I can't believe that it's over.

Davy, I must tell you, this story has been fantastic. From the beginning to the end, it has been compelling and thoughtful, rather than writing "And then we killed Neban. And then I stole his epic sword. And then..." From the imagery, to the character growth, to that final moment where Davy gets to lead his crew again... Mate, I can't tell you how touching this is, especially how much you focused on Billy and Davy's inner conflicts. I must admit, though it wasn't exactly fun to read, it was just good how you portrayed that. I anxiously await your sequel.

And Zo got her rum, right? ;)

Well of course that Zo gets her rum! :D

I agree. And maybe some PIE because after all, PIE IS BETTER :p

Excellent story Davy. Who knows what troubles your crew will get into later?

And the story always needs more insane. However, you should include somebody who is called Wackie. Naaah, just kidding. If Pie and Pirate Guy makes it in, well, Insane levels will reach their peaks!

Wow, Kudos Davy, loved it from beginning to end! I'm very much looking forward to a sequel. :)

And A sea king is a king of the sea, so a king of the sea is better!

I don't know if your the knid of PIRATE GUY who just doesn't notice when a GUY who is a PIRATE like me , PIRATE GUY , drops a hint.

Davy, as a fellow friend, I can say on my honor that you have some amazing talent. Over the past 2 days I've read these. From prologue to epilogue. And may I say that your imagination is like no other please copy these down in a word format or something and print it or email it to a publishing company because no joke, and seriously I'm not exaggerating here, you could get a deal with a publisher for this. It's pure gold. Err, doubloons. Hehe. Anyway mate, it's great to see you writing these, for I enjoy them a lot.

Thanks Hook, haha. I have heard from many people that I should publish this... I'm not sure. I'll consider it, but I think that its not exactly my kind of thing to do. I will consider it though, haha. If it ever gets sold in stores, that would be amazing.

Publish it!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thats all i have to say. You could take you family out to dinner every night, and buy us rum!!

I figure that I should share this bad news with you, my fans.

I was searching in my word documents for this story (I typed it in word and then pasted it here), and guess what? Its gone. Well, the full version at least. In word documents, it was something around 160 pages. The one that is there is 109 pages, ending at the chapter after Sam is healed by Tia in Chapter 24. That's about ten chapters GONE. I know that I saved everything, because I saved everything right before I posted it. I'll do some digging, but its just gone... *facedesk*

Davy isn't the full version here? why not just paste those chapter back into word documents from here...

I ended up doing that. Its because I format the paragraphs differently here (Here its an empty space between paragraphs, in word I just use tab). Its a pain to do that to fifty pages, but I did it anyway. Took me about an hour.

well at least you didn't actually loose those chapters...

Seriously, you should publish this. If you make a sequel, it will be awesome. This is like JACK Sparrow's experience in the SEA. His favorite bird is the EAGLE. But, he also saw a pirate named GASTRO who you should consider adding...

He made a sequel....

Oh... He did?

Yes.The Lost Phantom.

Oh... *whacks my head*

LOL omg long enough

Honestly i think this is great you should publish it. I thought i made a great story on my user page. PUBLISH IT !!!!!!!!!!! PLZ!!!