The Pirate's Legacy: New Beginnings

Chapter 24: The Mermaid's Riddle

"You'll be fine, Em," the first mate assured her. He helped her step into the longboat that she would share with the captain. "I'll still be here when you come back with the Mermaid's Tear."

Joshua appeared next to him as the boats were lowered into the water. "Sure, ye'll still be here, but will she come back?" he muttered.

The limestone cliffs jutted and crossed each other, making the passage narrower than expected. The three boats had to maneuver carefully through, one at a time. With Em sitting awkwardly next to him, Dread Robin sat in the first boat directing action to the other two boats. A wide opening greeted them from the other side of the passage. Except for that opening, they were closed in from all sides by the jagged walls.

The clear blue water made it very easy to spot the cave. At the captain's command, the Leadsman took out a long string with a lead nugget attached to one end. The man dropped the nugget into the water and slowly measured out the distance between the surface of the water and the entrance of the cave. Nearly fifteen fathoms was the distance with which the Leadsman came up. Godsworth was selected to swim down to the entrance of the cave to see if it were possible to make it with one breath. To everyone's relief, the stout pirate was able to float before the cave entrance and come back up without much trouble.

Then Dread Robin ordered the men to leave all their weapons but their cutlasses in the boats. The pirates tied empty burlap sacks around their waists. After a count of three, they all dove down into the cold water. The cave led into a large underwater tunnel that curved up deeper into the surrounding cliffs. The glow of the blue water helped light their way through. When they broke the surface again, they found another long tunnel stretched before them.

Everyone tried to squint through the pervading darkness that filled the passage. "How're wi 'sposed to get through this, Cap'n?" they complained. The only light that was provided was the one from the water behind them.

Roger seized a man nearest to him, Briggen. Without warning, he threw the man into the tunnel.

Cries of alarm and surprise went up as two balls of fire erupted from either side of Briggen on the tunnel's walls. Yet he was still alive and visibly shaking all the way down to his boots in front of them. Spinning around for a better look, they saw that the fire was coming from braziers embedded into the rock walls. Instinctively looking past their trembling comrade, there were empty braziers lined on either side of the passageway.

Roger stepped past Briggen and watched as the next pair of braziers he walked past lit up as well. He looked over his shoulder at everyone behind him. "Let's go."

When they came upon a fork in the tunnel, Roger took Em, Godsworth, Briggen, and three other men with him through the left passageway. The rest took the right. It became clear to Em's small group, with the horrifying sounds of the other party's screams echoing distantly behind them, that they had chosen the correct way.

"W-wot ye think 'appened to 'em?" asked Nonoi, a pirate with hair down to his elbows and tattoos all over his face, as everyone cast frightened looks over their shoulders and at each other.

Dread Robin's pace hadn't slowed down like the rest of them. "Dead," he said without looking back.

They came upon a door made entirely of white marble. Intricate patterns pertaining to the waves of the sea were carved onto the entranceway. Large statues of six fierce merpeople wearing armor lined both of its sides, three on each side. Upon a closer look of the statues, they all had sapphire gems for eyes. Their eyes looked hollow under the flicker of the burning braziers. Their warrior-like expressions, combined with the flickering flames from the braziers that danced shadows over their beautiful features, made for a very intimidating scene. Yet what finally caught everyone's attention was a figure entirely made of jade stone in the center of the marble door. It was a mermaid with her arms stretched out on either side of her so that they were shoulder-height. Her hands were held palms up and cupped, giving the impression of a balance scale. Underneath her was an inscription chiseled in the stone.