Advent of Eternity - Chapter 70 (Edited) (Patreon)

Hawk’s eyes narrowed and he exchanged a glance with his man.

“I can’t believe it,” the crewmate said. “Captain, would they really…”

“Why are you even telling me this?” Hawk asked, suspicion in his eyes.

“Well, Captain, we were hoping we could join your crew,” Knell hedged. Stix and Cyll nodded empathetically. “You know, if we were useful…”

Hawk considered him for a moment, but his own suspicions were clearly already in line with what Knell was telling him.

“Damn it all,” Hawk cursed. “I knew it. Let’s go, Jack.”

“Wait, the crew isn’t with us,” Jack said. “Can we really fight them? What if the other pirates join against us?”

“They won’t,” Hawk said, a cold grin stretching across his gaunt features. “I’ve got some cards of my own, Jack.”

He turned toward Knell’s group. “You three – you’re coming with us. Running all the way over here to warn me was pretty bold of you. I can use crew like you, presuming you aren’t lying to my face. Not a word from any of you when we get there, by the way. I’ve got ways to figure out if anyone is double-crossing me, and I don’t want you ruining them.”

The Captain spun, striding down the hall. Knell and the others followed after him. They made good time, and it took more than a fair bit of effort for Knell to keep up with them. He hid his hobble as best he could, trying to pass it off as a wound from the fight, but he doubt it would hold up under much scrutiny.

The sound of conversation echoed through the halls, growing closer as Hawk strode toward the other Captains. Stix clenched her daggers nervously, while Cyll was struggling to hide his excited grin.

They would through the corridor, the bodies of statues and pirates littering the ground around them, and came up to a door that hung askew. It had been scorched and warped from magic, and revealed the massive room behind it.

An enormous pile of gold glistened, rising up nearly two stories high. Weapons and artifacts littered the room, thrown around like worthless garbage. Swords inlaid with brilliant gems hung from the walls, and at the front of the pile was a large dais.

It was built from obsidian and purple stone, with jagged spikes rising up all around it. Three pillars rose from the dais, each branching out and holding a single object. Atop the center was a glowing blue orb, while a small ship in a green glass bottle rested on the second and a key sat on the third. A shimmering aura covered the dais, walling it off.

Scattered around the room, examining the treasure lying everywhere, were the other captains of Blackfoot Bay. Hawk stepped through the door, his features twisted in rage, and his crewmate followed him. Knell considered trying to hang back, but he disregarded the idea. Hawk would notice, and that might turn the man against him.

He and his crew followed the captain in, and the gazes of all the other people in the room immediately turned toward them.

“Hawk,” Thunder said, setting down a glimmering sword and turning toward him, anger creasing his features. “What are you doing here? We told you that we’d save you your share. You’re supposed to be guarding our backs!”

“I was, but another situation came up. We won’t have any interruptions, don’t worry,” Hawk said. “I just wanted to check how things were going, after all.”

“And who are the people you’ve brought along with you?” Thunder asked with a frown.

“Prospective crewmembers,” Hawk said, his eyes sweeping over the room. “So, how’s the loot divvying going?”

“Hawk, now isn’t the time,” Thunder said. “Go back and guard the entrance.”

“I told you, it’s safe,” Hawk repeated. “Why are you so insistent on getting me out?”

“I’m not!” Thunder snapped. “We all have roles to play, and that was yours.”

“Actually, I don’t see why he can’t stay,” another captain said. “Who’s going to try to interrupt us? The way is clear.”

Thunder gritted his teeth. Knell tried to keep the smile from crossing his face. Thunder actually was nervous. He’d figured the pirates would try to cheat each other – they were pirates after all – but judging by how badly Thunder wanted Hawk out, perhaps the scam was even bigger than he’d expected.

“There are enough treasures for all of you here, right?” Knell asked innocently, making his voice higher pitched to sound younger. “You should all just work together.”

“See? Listen to the random kid you brought in,” Thunder said, rolling his eyes. “Even he has more sense than you.”

“Perhaps so,” Hawk said, glaring at Knell. “I just wanted to confirm that I had first right to the second strongest treasure we find, since my crew is the largest out of all of us and I spent the most money getting here.”

Thunder’s eye twitched.

“Wait, what?” a female captain asked. “I was promised that one.”

“A miscommunication,” Thunder said, waving his hand dismissively. “That treasure belongs to Hawk. Captain Melly, I don’t know which of my subordinates told you that false information, but I’ll ensure you’re properly compensated. It was vital that none of us speak of exactly what we’re getting from Mount Bloodwater so that outside forces didn’t try to interfere. If others knew just how much wealth was stored here, we would have had a much harder time getting it.”

“Hold on,” yet another captain said. “I think we should go through the loot we were promised. You’re the one that organized all of us and brought us here, so you should know. I’d hate to find out there were any more… miscommunications.”

Knell’s face didn’t twitch, but he was roaring with laughter on the inside. The pirates were falling apart on their own. He didn’t even have to do much, but a little push wouldn’t hurt.

“What are you talking about?” Thunder asked, narrowing his eyes. “Have you all lost your minds? We can figure this out once we get the treasure. There’s no reason to waste time like this. Who knows how long we have before the mountain collapses. It won’t last forever after I broke it open, you know.”

“He’s right,” Sorfina said. “We need to get the loot now.”

Suspicion creased Hawk’s face as Sorfina rose to Thunder’s defense.

“You know, I’ve got a witness that has absolutely no reason to lie saying that he overheard men discussing cheating me out of my fair share of loot,” Hawk continued. “And who could have imagined who it was? I honestly thought they were making things up to get my attention, but now I’m starting to think they might have been telling the truth. At the very least, I think Melly is right. Why don’t you share exactly who gets what treasure?”

Hawk gestured back at Knell and the others. Knell kept his gaze at the ground, trying to come off as subservient, but watched Maya and Sorfina’s expressions out of the corner of his eye.

There was suspicion, but nothing more in them. He had to stifle a laugh. That was the benefit of his scar – people were so used to seeing it that, without it, he was like a different person. His new shoulder guard and clothes probably did a fair bit to help as well. People only saw what they expected to see, after all.

The pirates needed one little push to descend into chaos. Knell lowered a finger behind his back, where Stix could see it. She stepped up to stand directly behind him.

It was time to begin. Everyone’s attention was on Hawk and Thunder, so he had room to work. Knell’s face didn’t twitch as he cast Haste, shattering the barrier of the spell and overloading it on Stix. As the pirates argued, she slid into the shadows and blurred, vanishing.

He’d given her a set of instructions on the ship before they’d disembarked for this exact scenario, and now it was a simple matter of –

Coins clattered. Everyone spun as one of the Captains swore, patting at his jacket. “Someone stole my damn locket!”

“What in the Sixteen Seas is going on? First misallocated treasure, now thieves?” Hawk demanded. “What game are you playing, Thunder?”

“There!” The man yelled, pointing a finger at a diamond locket resting at Sorfina’s feet. “You took my locket, Sorfina? Are you really that desperate?”