Advent of Eternity - Chapter 67 (Patreon)

A cheer rose from the crowd.

“Can I join your crew, Captain Thunder?” one man yelled from the front.

The large man glanced at him and laughed, a deep bassy noise that was more of a grunt. “I’ve got my men already. But, if you get something real good from this, maybe come find me and we can talk. Talent is to be rewarded, after all.”

“We’ll be watching,” a thin man with sharp eyes said from beside Thunder. “All of us. We’re always looking for talent to join our crews. Just try to survive Mount Bloodwater first.”

“And he does mean everyone,” someone else called from within the crowd. A man stepped out, striding to stand in front of the captains. Knell’s eyes narrowed. His voice sounded vaguely familiar, but his features were hooded. As the man turned, he caught a flicker of yellow-white beneath it.

“Shit,” Knell muttered. “Don’t tell me–”

“So you decided to show up after all,” Thunder said, baring his teeth in what could have been either a grin or a threat. “Where’s Captain Dread?”

“Hunting,” the man replied. “She’ll be here for when the mountain opens, don’t you worry.”

“And does she plan to compete for the great treasure?” Thunder asked, casually placing his hand on the hilt of a sword strapped to his waist.

“She’ll take whatever she pleases,” the cloaked man replied. “And you will not stop her. But – she has said that she cares not for the Boon of Selenia. You will not have to worry about her interfering in your goals.”

The twelve captains seemed to relax slightly.

“She is wise, then,” Thunder said. “Setting herself against all of us would have been incredibly foolish. But, if she enters as an ally, then we are all pleased to have her might on our side.”

“Quite,” the cloaked man said, sounding completely unimpressed.

Knell shifted, making sure he was completely hidden from the captains. “This is problematic.”

“That tall guy – was he the one with…” Cyll started.

“Hau, yes,” Knell said grimly. “I knew there was something off about her. She was far too confident. She’s part of Dread’s crew.”

“You think she’s Dread herself?” Cyll whispered.

Knell gave him a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s possible. I can’t imagine Dread is that unrecognizable, though. More likely she’s just a crewmate, but everyone on that crew is going to be an absolute menace. We cannot engage with her.”

“Trust me, I’d much rather it that way even if she wasn’t part of Dread’s people,” Stix muttered.

Knell poked his head back out, this time studying the other pirate captains. Thunder himself was either the weakest or the strongest of the lot – he’d have to study the man more to determine which. It was possible that they’d had their lowest member be the one to do all the talking, but he doubted it. Considering the boisterous nature of the pirates, Knell suspected it was the latter.

And where there was power, there was jealousy. Knell scoured the expressions of the other pirate lords, looking for any hint of distaste among them. He was thrilled to find two possible targets.

The first of which was the sharp-eyed man. He’d spoken out against Thunder already, which had given Knell a suspicion the two didn’t like each other much. The man was currently looking down his nose at the crowd, while most of the other pirate captains of note were watching Thunder speak.

Knell was far more pleased with his second discovery. Captain Sorfina’s jaw was slightly set. It was difficult to see from the distance he was at, but the expression reminded Knell of how she’d looked when Maya had barged into her office. The woman was displeased. He could use that.

“Now, I’d like a little silence,” Thunder said, raising a hand. The crowd stilled once more and he grinned. “Very good. We will be opening Mount Bloodwater shortly. Blackfoot’s treasures are waiting for our greedy little hands, but I’ll warn you now – step up and get cut down. We, the Twelve Captains and Dread, will be the ones to first enter. The rest of you can follow afterward. Captain Hawk will be keeping a very close eye on you to make sure nobody gets any ideas.”

The sharp-eyed man’s lips pulled back slightly. “I’m certain none of you would be foolish enough to try us.”

Mutters of agreement ran through the crowd, although Knell spotted more than a few angry looking pirates that looked like they’d love to try their hands. Still, no matter what anyone pretended, not a single person actually stepped up.

Thunder turned his back on the crowd and strode up to the base of the mountain. He looked up into the sky and raised a hand, grasping for the heavens. As his fingers curled inward, the smell of ozone filled the air.

“Then prepare yourselves, men of Blackfoot Bay! Tonight, we become kings!”

There was a brilliant crack and a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky above, slamming into his palm. Thunder caught it, spinning with the force of the energy, and hurled the bolt into the side of the mountain.

Stone exploded and one of the other captains snapped his fingers, forming a translucent barrier between Thunder and the rest of them. A rumble shook the earth and the ground beneath Thunder’s feet cracked.

He raised his hand once more and a second bolt of lightning fell from the sky, this one larger than the first. The ground shattered beneath him and Thunder roared, bringing the bolt crashing down on the same spot.

The mountain screamed. Red energy rose up from the stone, forming into a translucent shield. Cracks ran through it, flickering faintly.

“It’s time, Blackfoot!” Thunder yelled. “Return your treasure to the people! It is rightfully ours!”

A third bolt of lightning fell from the sky. Thunder vanished in a pillar of brilliant yellow energy. Knell clapped his hands over his ears moments before an earthshaking crash split the air. There was a rending screech and air rushed past Knell, sucked toward Thunder’s location.

Stone crumbled down from the mountain, thudding and splashing into the water around it. Knell opened his eyes, blinking the stars away. Thunder stood before a gaping pathway in the mountain. There was no sign of the red energy.

Cheers erupted from the crowd. Thunder turned back toward them, a huge grin on his face. He leaned against the rock, his chest heaving. The man was doing an admirable job of concealing his exhaustion, but Knell spotted his hidden panting and shaking legs. That attack had taken a lot out of him.