The Tidal Cave

     She gasped, a sudden shock coursed through her as the ground beneath her vanished. She felt her heart jump to her throat and the rest of her body trembled. The tunnel came to an end, leading into darkness, the sensation of falling overtook her, her body flailing helplessly in the void. Then, almost as soon as the fall began, it ended. Her nerves stretched and her body froze as a cold spell enveloped her again when she plunged into water. Bubbles burst out of her mouth, her vision faded before her eyes, ears ringing as the icy water seeped in. Pain seared through her; all her limbs fell limp. The blinding darkness clouded her vision as she sank. Her lungs burned, desperate for air. Her head throbbed, her mind raced, she was going to fade into the darkest depths of the cave, enshrouded in darkness, hidden away from the world, never to be found again, not even by her family and friends, no matter how hard they would search, her ultimate fate nothing more than a complete mystery to all, but herself.

     No…

     Slowly, her eyes slid open. Where there was darkness was now coated in a faint blue glow. A moment of confusion settled in her mind, then she looked down. It was her necklace, light emitted from the small sapphire that adorned the frame. Its very sight caused all despair to vanish from the edges of her mind. Her limbs suddenly twitched. Despite the pain in her bruised limbs, she forced herself to move, almost as if it were out of pure instinct. Then, with a more forceful swing of her arms, she began to rise. She kicked her legs, propelling herself upward. She did so again and again, with each swing she rose higher and higher, the pitch black darkness above soon gave way to tiny specs of light in the distance that came closer and closer.

     Finally, with one final kick, she burst out of the surface of the water, breathing in the damp air in one huge gasp, followed up by slow, collective breaths as the pain in her lungs subsided.

     Her blurry vision cleared in an instant. She took a moment to observe her surroundings. She was in a deep, dark lake. But it was not the same one she and her friends just passed minutes before, this chamber was wider, the current had dragged her deeper into the cave. Darkness shrouded every corner. She could hear rushing water somewhere in the distance, echoing across the vast chamber she had now found herself in. It was like being stranded in the open sea in the dead of night, no sign of land anywhere in sight and no way of knowing which way led to land or further out to sea. Her body struggled to stay afloat as her energy waned by the minute, threatening to drag her under once more.

     Suddenly, her thoughts came to a stop. Her eyes bolted wide; a frail gasp escaped her throat at a sudden realization.

     Where’s Wiley?

     She looked around, frantically scanning the water. Right in the nick of time her eyes caught a hint of what appeared to be a green-tinted clump of fur bobbing close by, moments before it vanished below the surface.

     Clara gasped. Thinking quickly, she took a deep breath and dived. Her eyes stung once more as water seeped in. Moments later, there he was, belly up, his eyes closed and mouth ajar, descending, making no attempt to escape the grasp of the blinding darkness and the unfathomable depths. Clara kicked her legs and flailed her arms, racing to reach her friend before he vanished from sight and reach. Deeper and deeper he sank. She swam faster, her ears rang, and her eyes burned as she struggled against the pressure the deeper she dived. As much as her limbs wanted her to betray her will, she did not relent.

     Wiluite came closer and closer. Clara extended her arm; he was just within her reach. But darkness enshrouded the young Kyrii, dragging him down where light could no longer reach. First his legs vanished, then his body and arms until finally he slipped from sight. She grabbed at the darkness, trying to free him from its grip. She kicked, propelling herself down into the darkest depths. She was running out of time. Her vision went dark. She reached out, clutching at nothing. She could feel the darkness around her, the water getting colder the deeper she waded.

     Her hand grasped something, a thick clump of mane. She lurched back her arms, pulling Wiluite towards her. Grabbing him to her waist, she swam back up. She kicked and flailed her arms more wildly than before, fighting to reach the surface in time. Bubbles spewed from her mouth, forcing her to gulp down water as her lungs vied for any semblance of air. The darkness faded and she could hear the muffled sound of water up above grow louder and louder. Her hands flailed about more frantically than ever. Soon enough she gripped rough stone. Using what little of her strength remained, she pulled herself up, gasping as she broke the surface of the water. She clambered atop the stone, coming to a stop when she was safely on solid ground. She relinquished her grip, exhausted from all the effort, pain searing through her body. Tears swelled in her eyes, streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath. Her breath came out in short rasps, coughing out globs of water.

     For a long while, there was nothing but silence, save for the sound of rushing water and muffled rain battering the world above.

     Then her eyes bolted open. She turned over to her side. Wiluite lay still beside her. Ignoring the pain, she forced her weak limbs to move, crawling over to the Kyrii. He was bruised all over, patches of his fur were red and scratched, but to her relief, there were no signs of serious injury to be seen. But that feeling quickly dissipated when she realized he wasn’t breathing. She lay one ear over his chest. Her eyes widened, she had to act quickly: She placed both hands over each other, positioned them square on Wiluite’s chest, then with one quick motion, pressed down, then relinquished, paused for half a second, then repeated.

     After several moments, Wiluite coughed, sputtering water, a weak gasp left his throat. He stirred, his chest rose and fell, slowly. Clara clutched her heart, letting out a sigh of relief.

     “Ugh…my head…where…?” a sudden raspy voice broke the silence, “w—what happened? Why is everything so dark?” as he forced his heavy eyes open, he found himself staring into two large glinting sapphire eyes, “C-Clara? Am…am I dead?” he barely finished his sentence before the Acara threw her arms around him.

     “Wiley! I’m so glad you’re okay!”

     His eyes bolted wider than ever, caught off guard at the sudden embrace. His face went red and his heart skipped a beat. Yeah, I’m definitely still alive.

     “You had me worried, I really thought you were—” Clara stopped, she couldn’t bring herself to utter that last word.

     Wiluite lifted himself up, giving his friend a sly grin, “Ha! It’s gonna take much more than just a bumpy ride on a few rocks to take me do—Ow!” he winced, grasping his side. He slumped back to the ground.

     “Take it easy. You got thrown around like a ragdoll pretty bad back there.”

     “I told you, I’m tougher than you think! The rocks barely made a dent on m—Ack!” Wiluite’s body jerked as he tried to sit up again, his arm returned to his side.

     “Wiley, please, just lay down for a bit.”

     “Alright, f—fine.” He reclined on the ground, “so, where the heck are we?”

     “Deep inside the cave. We’ve been trapped here for a while.”

     He stared at her, looking around in confusion.

     “Trapped? Wh—what do you mean trapped?”

     “I mean,” Clara pointed to the crevice they had fallen from, a steady stream poured down into the lake, “there’s no climbing out the way we came.”

     Wiluite took one look at the cliff and scoffed, “Pfft, are you kidding? That’s totally climbable!”

     Without hesitation, he stood up and made a dash for the wall. Before Clara could protest, he clambered atop the rocks, swift as a Xweetok. It would be a simple matter of jumping and grabbing a foot and handhold on the protruding ledges that dotted the cliff wall. Higher and higher he climbed, the ledge coming closer and closer within reach.

     Suddenly, his hand slipped on the mossy rock. He gasped. He dug his claws into the wall, skidding against the waterlogged rough stone, trying to halt his fall to no avail. He lost his grip and plummeted, crashing to the lake below, barely missing the stalagmites.

     “WILEY!”

     Wiluite burst out of the water, sputtering and coughing as he climbed onto the outcrop where his friend waited to pull him up.

     “Are you okay?”

     ” Yeah, I think so.” he uttered, sitting up. He took a moment to catch his breath, then made a dash again for the cliff wall.

     “Wait, Wiley don’t—!”

     “I was so close that time, I need to try again!”

     “Wiley, there’s no way—”

     “Don’t tell me it’s impossible!” he snapped back, “we have to try!”

     Clara could only watch as her friend tried again and again to scale the cliff, only to fall back into the water each time, not once getting any closer to the top than before. After one too many tries, Wiluite clambered back onto the rocky shore. He stared back at the cliff, glaring at it as one would to an archenemy. Then a thought came to him, My pack! A grin stretched across his face, he swung his pack off his shoulders and rummaged through it. His smugness faded within moments. He peeled the compartment wide open and peeked inside, reaching in once again. He turned it upside down, shaking it violently, only to confirm what had been clearer than the water around him, it was hollow, picked clean. He dropped the pack to the floor, landing with a wet thud. The Kyrii just lay there, dumbfounded at first, then shocked and finally, furious.

     “Fyora, curse it all!” he shouted, gritting his teeth, punching the ground, his voice echoed off every surface in the cave, “it wasn’t supposed to rain today! I double-checked the weather report and everything! Now we’re trapped down here in this dark, flooded cave with no supplies and no way of escape!” He stopped for a moment, staring down at his bruised hands, “sure, shift the blame around all you want, but who’s bright idea was it to come to this cave in the first place, huh? Mine, that’s who! Yeah, let’s go check out this deep, dark cave in the middle of the woods, where no one can find us if we get lost or trapped! Smart move, Wiley! You stupid, stupid little—!”

     “Wiley, it’s not your fault.”

     Wiluite stopped, glancing at the Acara sitting beside him. He turned away, his head sank to his chest.

     “No, this is all my fault! This trip was my idea! Now look where we are, we’re trapped down here with no way out, all thanks to me! And worse, I dragged you into this too, and if that wasn’t enough, your brothers are gonna kill me when they hear about this! We’ll never be friends again after today, I just know it!”

     He eyed a small pebble on the ground next to him, seething anger burned through him.

     “What in Darigan’s name was I thinking coming to this stupid cave?!”

     He smacked the small rock off the ground, sending it flying across the lake, skipping twice off the surface before submerging. Frustration, anger and guilt all coursed through him. He suddenly froze when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

     “Wiley, please, don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know. It’s not your fault the weather report was wrong or that we’re trapped down here. Sometimes, these things happen that are beyond your control no matter what you do. Besides, we’re not hopelessly trapped. Zemia got out, remember? She’s going to find help. We’ll be out of here in no time. After all, while we’re here, we can try and look for the lost treasure on our way out, right?”

     Wiluite just stared back at her. He opened his mouth to protest, but the sight of his friend’s reassuring expression and the sound of her soft voice pulled him out of his malaise.

     “You’re…you’re right. No point arguing about it now. What’s happened, happened. What matters now,” Wiluite sat up, rising to his feet, “is finding a way out of here! And maybe find that lost treasure while we’re at it, that is, if it really exists—Urgh!” he grasped his side again, slumping back down to the floor, “right after I rest a little.”

     Clara smiled. She stared back out into the darkness beyond, at the endless swarm of shadows looming over the underground lake. Looking down at the pitch-black waters before her, the tiny waves lapped gently over the edge of the rock they were stranded on. For a long while, she and her friend sat there, cold in the dark. There was silence, save for the sound of dripping water up above. The question was, how were they supposed to get out of here? There was no way back up with the strong currents that now flooded the tunnels leading out the way they came and there was no telling if the chamber they were now stuck in had any other exits and even so, wouldn’t they just lead deeper into the caves and, more likely than not, lead into a dead end? She sank her head below her folded arms and hunched legs, staring aimlessly.

     Suddenly, something glinted in the darkness, a faint light flashed off the corner of her eyes. Clara perked up, raising her head. She leaned forward, her eyes wide open, attentive, staring into the dark void ahead.

     There was nothing. Just vast pitch-black emptiness.

     Clara hunched down again, shrugging it off. It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her, as spending so much time in the darkness would do.

     Another flicker.

     She raised her head again and squinted her eyes, focusing on the very spot where the light had gleamed. Sure enough, there was another glint, far across the other side of the dark lake. She leaned forward, keeping her sight on the spot, hoping it wasn’t another trick of the light.

     Then, there it was. She could make out a small opening in the wall, its presence only given away by a mysterious glow from within the crevice. Her eyes widened.

     “Wiley! Wiley, look!”

     The Kyrii stirred, “Wh—what?”

     “See that? There’s a light over there!”

     Wiluite’s eyes widened, he sat upright at once, “Where?”

     She pointed at the darkness ahead. Wiluite sat up, squinting his eyes. In the distance was a large, flat rock far out in the lake leading to a sizeable crack in the wall. Another passage.

     Wiluite stood up, “Well, what do you know, we may not be stuck down here after all!” he swung his waterlogged pack over his shoulder.

     Without wasting a moment, he dashed towards the murky waters, coming to a stop right at the edge of the small rocky island. He looked over his shoulder.

     “Well? You coming, or what?”

     Clara stood up and took off running towards the middle of the lake and leapt right in. She braced herself, an icy spell coursed through her whole body once more. She pulled herself across, struggling to keep her head above the frigid water. She heard a splash from behind as Wiluite jumped in after her. Within seconds she felt her toes and fingers go numb, the loss of feeling soon spreading to her feet, hands, legs, arms and body. She could feel her strength waning, with every stroke her arms felt heavier and heavier. Despite it all, she pressed on, spreading her arms apart and kicking her legs, the outcrop coming closer and closer. Before long, her hands grasped the edge and she pulled herself up. With her feet planted firmly on the ground, she looked back for Wiluite. He clambered onto the shore, shivering, teeth chattering. He got down on all fours and shook himself head to toe, casting water everywhere. Clara shielded herself as droplets splashed in her direction.

     When the pair collected themselves, they came across the natural archway. The entrance was thin, almost like a crack in the wall, cold air breezed through it, the pass narrow and winding, barely large enough for an Acara and Kyrii to fit through. The mysterious glow was now clearer from up close. Pale light shined through the thin crevasse, lighting up the area around it as well as the passage beyond.

     “Where is that glow coming from?” Wiluite asked.

     Clara shrugged, “Could be anything.”

     “Where do you think this leads?”

     “Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

     She walked up to the crack. Angling herself against the thin gap, she slid her way through. It was a narrow fit; her body hugged both sides of the walls, a slight pressure on her back as she moved through the cramped, narrow tunnel. It wasn’t long before she reached the other side, she breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped out of the confined passage.

     “Lucky you’re so skinny.” Wiluite’s voice echoed from the other side.

     Clara frowned, rolling her eyes with an annoyed groan.

     It was now Wiluite’s turn. He aligned himself against the irregular space and slid his way in. It was not as easy for him, as he was not as slim as his friend. His body felt the pinch and pressure of the narrow walls, his back especially. At one point he got stuck and had to wriggle his way through. When he finally made it to the other side he stumbled, falling to his knees with a groan.

     “You alright?”

     “Yeah, was just a tight squeeze is all. No permanent damage.”

     As her companion dusted himself off, Clara took a moment to examine their new surroundings. The light shining from her necklace revealed they were standing in an almost circular chamber, much smaller than the ones before. A shallow pool coated the floor, as some water from the lake managed to seep its way into the room. Directly in front of them was a pile of rocks stacked on top of each other, a cave-in. It was wide and high, the tower of rubble reached to the ceiling. A faint whitish-blue glow emitted from a few thin gaps between the stones. Upon closer inspection, she could tell that it wasn’t a natural cave-in so to speak, but rather handmade, as she noticed some conspicuous black markings on the floor, she quickly realised were scorch marks along with splintered wood around the rocks. She walked up to the rubble and crouched down to get a better look. It was quite obvious that this was the work of explosives, but one thing wasn’t clear, who did this and why? She turned her gaze upwards. At the very top was an empty space between the rubble, where she could see through to the tunnel beyond. It was then something caught her eye; bright golden light shined through a small hole in the ceiling. Sunlight!

     She gasped. Hope suddenly came racing back to the front of her mind. Could this be a way out?

     “Oh, great! Just what we needed! A dead-end!” Wiluite broke the silence. He walked up beside Clara. He crossed his arms and stamped his foot on the ground in frustration.

     “Not quite, there’s a way through up there.” Clara pointed to the gap at the peak of the cave-in.

     “Oh…well, what are we waiting for?”

     Wiluite ran up to the rubble and started his ascent, leaping across the rocks, jumping from side to side. Pebbles and loose stones crumbled, rolling off the sides as his feet made contact.

     "Be careful, those rocks aren't stable!” Clara warned.

     "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!”

     Just then, there was a loud crack. Wiluite gasped, he froze in place, clutching the sides of the rock, his eyes wide, fur on the back of his neck standing, holding on for dear life. Moments passed. There was silence. He breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing his grip.

     There was another crack. He twitched. The rock trembled beneath him. He leapt off the loose rock seconds before it came tumbling down, he flew through the air, landing on all fours on the floor below with a thud. He gritted his teeth and his muscles twitched, pain momentarily seared through his wrists and feet. The boulder bounced off the rocks as it rolled down the stone hill. Clara gasped; it was heading straight for her! She dodged out of the way just in the nick of time as it came down on the spot where she stood moments ago, crashing into the wall behind her with a deafening boom, the impact shook the cavern, making a crack in the limestone.

     “Aw, crud! Clara, are you okay?” Wiluite called out from the other side of the cave-in.

     “I’m fine!”

     “Oh, thank Fyora!” He breathed a sigh of relief, clutching his heart.

     Taking one look at the pile of rubble from bottom to top, Clara grabbed a handhold on the rocks and slowly made her way up. She was careful where she placed her feet, making sure the footholds were stable, dust and pebbles rolled off the stone as she climbed. Soon enough she clambered atop the stones and stood at the very edge. She leaned over to see Wiluite waving to her from the ground below. When she made her way down to the other side, her Kyrii friend came rushing up to her.

     “I’m so, so sorry about that boulder! I didn’t mean to nearly crush you!”

     “Don’t worry about it Wiley, I’m okay.”

     “But I could’ve killed you!”

     “Really, I’m alright. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

     Wiluite just stared back at her for a moment before speaking up again, “Alright, I’m just relieved you’re okay. So, what’s with the glow down here anyw—”

     He cut himself off as he turned around. His eyes suddenly widened, much wider than they’ve ever been, he stood frozen in place, his jaw agape in disbelief. Clara too stood there, in surprise and awe. Directly in front of them was the source of the glow, a large pile of shiny trinkets of various sizes and colours; copper, bronze, ruby, emerald, sapphire, iron, silver and gold were strewn around the far end of the chamber, all stacked together in a small makeshift mountain, the sunlight shining upon it from above casting a beautiful glimmer on the cavern walls. Locked in a trance, Wiluite walked towards the treasure, its alluring vivid glow stark against the muted colours of the limestone rocks.

     “No, no way! I can’t believe it! This has got to be a dream!”

     He truly could not believe his eyes. A strong rush of euphoria coursed through him like never before. After chasing what he had thought to have been nothing more than a myth, was right in front of him. He lunged, almost diving into the pile, his hands dug into the mountain of loot; dubloons, gems, medallions, neopoints, silverware and other priceless jewels, all scooped up in his arms, throwing them into his pack, snatching up everything in sight. Clara watched, letting out a whispered sigh.

     “It’s really here! It wasn’t a myth after all! And it’s mine! This treasure is all m—”

     Wiluite paused, he turned to find Clara staring him down, her arms crossed.

     “Uh…ours! It’s all ours! Come on, Clara, take some! Don’t let me hog it all.” He said, letting out a nervous chuckle.

     She joined him by the treasure, shifting through the mound, picking up a few dubloons, neopoints, gems and a couple other items she considered valuable.

     “Aw, man! Look at all this! This has got to be like, years worth of loot! Imagine how much these could go for! Our families could both be richer than the kings of Meridell and Brightvale combined! Geez, should’ve brought a bigger pack, this is starting to get heavy!”

     Clara paid little attention to his words, lazily pushing aside goblets and other trinkets she had no interest in taking. As his pack got ever heavier, Wiluite dug through the pile, the mound shrinking with each depleted dubloon, neopoint, gem and trinket.

     “You know, we are so keeping all the points and dubloons, of course, but we can sell like, half of the silverware, most of these goblets, all of these jewels and this big, rusty Crokabek mask—GAH!”

     Wiluite screamed and threw himself off, backing away from the mountain of treasure. Clara turned to him with a jump, the unexpected shout caught her off guard. She saw her friend backed up against the cave-in, his eyes frozen in shock, trembling, jaw agape in terror. He lifted one arm, pointing at the mound.

     Clara’s eyes followed his arm all the way back to the treasure. She let out a faint gasp at what had scared her friend so much. She stood up and backed away from the pile, slowly. What lay in front of them was the skull of an Eyrie, poking out from within the heap of treasure like a serpent in a burrow.

     She looked towards Wiluite, who slowly turned to meet her gaze. The only response he gave her was a terrified look on his face with chattering, clenched teeth.

     She turned her gaze back. What happened next, she couldn’t tell was out of instinct or curiosity, but despite her fright, she stepped forward. Her Kyrii companion watched as she moved closer to the treasure, a look of mixed confusion and worry shaped his face.

     “Clara? Wh—where…what are you…?”

     She began digging around the skull, casting aside all the dubloons, neopoints and other trinkets in its way, revealing a whole skeleton under all that treasure.

     “You’re not seriously doing what I think you’re doing?”

     She ignored him and knelt down beside the remains. The skeleton showed more than just hints of decay due to exposure to the elements and the dampness of the cave. Its color was many shades of dark brown, green and grey. Though the exact age was impossible for her to decipher, she could approximate that the skeleton was quite old, much older than both of them, from another time and place in history. It wore a tattered, grimy tricorn hat, with a torn and faded dark red long coat and vest, shredded white shirt and deteriorated boots. She also noticed several cracks on the skull and all over several bones in the body. A few bones, particularly the arms and legs, were fractured or crumbled to little more than fragments. On his right arm was a rusted old cutlass, decorated with three jewels, ruby, emerald and sapphire, that lined the hilt and guard. Then came the last vital detail; the Eyrie only had one wing, which stuck out from one side of the pile of dubloons, while the other was nowhere to be seen.

     “Is…is that who I think it is?” Wiluite uttered, standing beside Clara.

     “Without a doubt.” Clara replied, standing up, taking a few steps back.

     “Wow, to think I…we…came down here and found his hidden treasure. I didn’t think we’d actually find the pirate himself in the flesh…or rather, bones too.”

     She just stared at him, eyebrow raised.

     “So, that’s what happened to him then? This cave isn’t just his treasure’s hiding place, but also his—hey, what’s that behind him?”

     Clara turned, facing the skeleton again. Something caught her eye. Behind Alabaster’s remains she could make out what appeared to be wooden panels just barely hidden under the dubloons.

     Wiluite gaped in awe, another shiver of excitement ran through him, “It’s a treasure chest! There’s gotta be something even more valuable in there than all the treasure out here! This is it! We’ve hit the jackpot!”

     Before Clara could say a word, Wiluite clambered on top of the mound, clearing away the coins and trinkets surrounding it, revealing the large chest underneath. The chest was closed shut, an iron padlock the only obstacle between him and the secret within.

     “Locked, of course. Too bad I lost my trusty lock picks in my bag. But I bet…”

     Wiluite stepped off, standing in front of Alabaster’s skeleton.

     “What are you doing?” Clara asked.

     “A smart pirate captain’s always got one on him, even to the end. Sorry, cap’, I’m sure you’d understand.”

     Without hesitation, Wiluite searched through the coat pockets, many of which were empty and full of dust and grime or were ripped to little more than threads. Clara watched with a hint of disgust and annoyance. Geez, ever heard of respect for those long gone? Eventually, he found something, metallic to the touch. He pulled back his hand, revealing a small rusty iron key tucked within. He turned it in the lock and the lid opened with a click. As soon as he flung it open, water poured out of the chest, soaking his feet. Clara stepped back a little as a thin sheet of water spread all across the room.

     He reached inside, with a grimace, he lifted up a cloth-wrapped bundle and swiftly unwrapped it, only to be suddenly blinded by a flash of light, as the sunlight above shined down onto the mysterious object. When his eyes adjusted, his face lit up with a broad smile, only for it to fade seconds later. In his hands was a waterlogged book, it’s binding coated in leather hide with a metal insignia of an Eyrie embedded into the center of the cover.

     “A book?” There was no attempt at hiding the disappointment in his voice.

     “Not just any book, it’s a journal! Can I see?”

     “Yeah, sure.”

     Clara flipped it open. The journal was in quite poor condition; the pages were worn, yellowed with age and crumbled as easily as napkins. The writing itself was faded and smudged beyond recognition, save for a select few pages which were just barely clear enough for her to comprehend. She squinted her eyes as she tried to study the handwriting.

     “All that treasure and he only hides his little diary in the chest? What’s with that?” Wiluite muttered under his breath, collecting more and more treasure into his heavy knapsack.

     It didn’t take her long to make out the scribbles and smudges. One entry read:

     Curses! Curse that false pirate king and all his crew to the deepest, darkest depths! How dare he backstab me by raiding me hideout aft’ we worked out an alliance! When I had risked me life to save the life o' his crewmate, no less! The ornery cutthroat promised we’d rule the seas together as long as I gave me share o' the loot aft’ every raid, among other codswallop! Nay, I should have seen it fer what it were bein', a lie! A ruse to lower me guard and strike when me back were bein' turned!

     To think he stooped so low to hire mercenaries from other lands to fight his battles for him, that mangy cur! He sent those assassins aft’ me, I be knowin' it! Those curs hidin’ in the shadow o' night, sneakin' into me crew’s quarters, slippin’ some kind o' heavy sleeping powder into their grog like cowards instead of facing them in battle crossin’ blades like real fighters! Not to say they’d stand a chance against me crew with our cutlasses and firelocks and their little digging tools they call swords and those wee star-shaped toys they call ‘throwing stars’ or some rubbish!

     And they had the gall to set fire to the powder kegs and blast me Howling Horus and most o' me loot to smithereens! The treasures they destroyed! If only they knew what I been through to steal half o’ them! Years o' plunderin', raidin' and lootin'! All fer naught! I should've had him tied to the mast right then and there and been done with it! But alas, it were bein' I who fell fer his offer, who took the bait and let that scurvy wretch walk o'er me. He saw me for bein' weak and he took advantage. But I won’t fall fer that rubbish e'er again! The blasted scoundrel may have destroyed me flagship, burnin' it to nothin’ more than timber and ash, but I will return! I will build a better, bigger and stronger ship, given time! Just he wait, that slimy sea rat! This is not the last the world will see of ol’ Alabaster!

     She flipped a few pages, a later entry read:

     At long last! After weeks o' sailin' on that dinghy me first mate called a fishin' boat, survivin' on little more than hardtack and water from the sea itself, we’ve made it ashore! I’ve only heard tales o' the many lands o' this world beyond. And now I get to see it with me own two eyes! A whole new world to wander, to seek out all its riches, and perhaps a new world to fear the name Alabaster…

     She skipped past to a later entry:

     After days o' searchin' I have found it! The perfect hidin' spot fer what’s left o' me loot! A hollow cave in a remote part o' the forest, hidden well behind a vast waterfall, far enough away from Krawk Island that no lubber would think to look! Not only that, the cave goes down deep into the earth and there be underground lakes within! Could this spot be any more perfect? Now to set up, we’re going to need materials. I’ll get me crew to take what they can from the neighbourin' villages, plunder a few caravans…

     She turned several pages more, stopping at the last page. The writing was little more than scribbles, as if it were being written with a weak, shaky hand:

     So, it has come to this then? My crew all but mutinied and tried to take me hard-earned loot with them! Treacherous little mongrels! After all we’ve been through and this be how they repay their Cap'n! Well, I’ve repaid their insubordination, so it’s done and dusted. And yet, the fight has left me grievously wounded, me crew set off the powder kegs we had and brought the roof o' the cave down upon us. I tried to shift the rocks, but one came loose. I had no time to get away before it came down upon me, takin' both me legs and arm. Now here I be, me strength all but drained, in me soon to be final restin' place. Here, along with me treasure. It be not long now, before I become just another tale o' the high seas a landlubber tells to frighten their little scallawags. But I be not afraid, oh no, quite the contrary. I’ve left me mark on this world, none shall forget the exploits o' I, Clevant Alabaster the One-Winged!

     As fer ye, false pirate king, I be knowin' ye be readin' this right this moment. Nay doubt ye’ve come to take back yer cut o' the deal that ye believe is all rightfully yours as accords to yer bogus agreement, have ye not? Well, I hope ye’re satisfied with the loot I left behind fer ye, for it is all yours for the taking. That be, if the cave don’t get to ye first. Be tellin' me, how be the skies out there? I hear there be much rainfall aroun' these parts and the lake and the cave meld quite well together. I’m sure ye be knowin' what I mean at this very moment, if ye’ve come this far. Be a right shame if the loot ye worked so hard to find is all meaningless in the bitter end, no? I call it, a veritable king’s ransom.

     I be seein' ya soon, ye scurvy cur.

     Clara slammed the book shut. A sudden feeling of dread sparked within her. She stood there, the words flashing in her mind. That last entry, his message to the pirate king, he said the cave and the lake meld well together, what is he talking ab—wait, that doesn’t mean what I think it means, does it? I have a bad feeling about this…

     “Alright, that’s all of it!” Wiluite broke the silence, swinging his pack over his shoulder, “we got what we came for and then some! Now, part two of the plan, let’s find our way out of here! So, how are we doing that exactly?”

     Clara looked up, pointing at the hole in the ceiling, where shafts of sunlight shined through, “Guess that’s our ticket.”

     “Oh…okay, well that begs the question, how in the heck are we supposed to get up there?! No way we can climb up to it, nor can we even jump that high! Unless you have a Faerie or Darigan morphing potion, which we clearly don’t, I don’t see how we’re gonna get out that way! We’re practically stuck down he—!”

     Clara held up a hand in front of his face, “Wait! Wiley, do you hear that?”

     He went silent. The faint sound of rushing water echoed throughout the cave. It grew louder by the second. Clara gulped. The kids turned and stared at the collapsed tunnel behind them. Water poured through the many gaps in the stones like a breaking dam into the chamber, loose pebbles tumbled down, water pooled everywhere, flooding the entire room in seconds.

     “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

     To be continued…