The Rookie Pirates (Parts 1-6)

07. An Exchange of Rum

A crude smile spread across Kirk's face as he slit the throat of the last remaining sailor in the bar. The lifeless body slumped to the floor, and the pirates cheered in victory. Even Elena, who had stood behind the bar during the entirety of the fight, nonchalantly cleaning glasses like any other day at work, smirked at their victory.

"You better clean that mess up, Captain Ruben Kirk." She raised a brow at him.

"Don't go dampening my victory now..."

Slam!

Both Kirk and Elena jumped back from the sudden appearance of a small chest landing between them with a loud crash.

"It's all yours!" Jessica dropped the chained key, and it clattered onto the surface of the bar next to the chest. "I don't want a single ounce of it," she spat.

"I don't want it if it's worthless," Kirk complained.

"It's worth over 400 million joules, maybe more."

"Eh?!" Kirk's jaw flew open.

Why was it now worth twenty times more than its original price? Not that he was complaining.

"Then why don't you want to split it with me fifty-fifty?"

However, Jessica had already disappeared, having taken the stairs to her spot on the roof. Kirk frowned, wondering why she was upset. Shouldn't she be happy after such a victory?

Kirk grumbled under his breath and called Cain over to open the small chest infused with sea crystals, a teal-coloured gem found at the bottom of the oceans and every cursed soul's weakness. Therefore, Kirk couldn't touch the chest without it hurting him.

Cain flipped the lid open, and hues of gold, yellow, and honey blinded him.

"Honey gold," Cain whistled. "I thought it was just a myth."

The two pirates gawped down at the small chest, still not quite believing what they were seeing. They would be celebrating tonight.

Elena chuckled at their reactions and started to explain to them the significance of honey gold.

"It's a very rare ore. Nobody knew it existed until seven years ago when the government of the United Islands came across it. It's rarer than your average gold and is found only on Hive Island," Elena explained.

"Cain, place it in our safe on the ship," Kirk ordered. "Keep the key on you at all times."

Cain nodded and slammed the chest shut, locking it and placing the key around his neck. He tucked the chest under his arm and left the premises of the tavern.

The captain shouted at his crew to clean the bar and to get rid of the dead bodies. "Once finished, you can celebrate however you like."

They cheered.

Kirk shot his eyes in the direction of the stairs, annoyed with the girl. He didn't understand one thing: the gold in the chest had the same shade of honey hues as Jessica's bracelet, so why had this gold made her upset when she wore it herself?

The rest of the day the pirates celebrated in their victory and their newfound wealth. However, Jessica didn't show her face, not even once.

From the thatched roof she sat on with her knees hugged to her chest, Jessica sighed as she reminisced about her past. It was a mixture of happiness and joyful memories, but that all changed when she turned ten years old, and everything became dark and complicated. She wiped away the tears and looked up to the sky, trying to forget about her past and instead looked to her future.

It was a beautiful evening; the crescent moon shone brightly and reflected off the surface of the ocean. Kirk's pirate ship bobbed up and down to the waves; the naval vessel was now on fire.