Pirate's Tail

Chapter Ten

He stood at the top of the cliff, uncertain of what to do. The Visp was nowhere in sight. Ace weighed his options. He knew the island was inhabited by pirates and natives, but he was uncertain about the nature of these people. Should he surrender himself to these people and hope that they won't kill him? Or should he hunt to stay alive, build a raft, and try to sail away from this island?

Ace pondered these thoughts and descended from the cliff. By the time he'd reached the bottom, he'd come to a decision. He had no food, no knowledge of the local flora, and the only possible fresh water he saw on the island was the lake the pirates had their ships anchored in. He didn't know whether or not the lake was drinkable, and he knew he couldn't visit it without the pirates noting his presence. Reality sank in, and Ace realized that he'd never be able to sail from this island all the way back to Menquin on a handcrafted raft. That left him only one option--to surrender to the pirates.

He thought that at the very least he'd survive long enough to attempt to journey back to Menquin. It was a desperate plan, but Ace realized that he had no chance if he were to attempt to sail back on his own.

He walked along the beach contemplating the best way to present himself to the pirates. He couldn't decide if he should go directly to the pirates, or if perhaps he should try to befriend the natives first? But what if he couldn't find the natives, or they shot him dead before he could meet the pirates?

He walked around the base of a large sand dune as he mentally debated with himself and froze. There was movement in the sea in front of him. There was a darkly tanned man with dark hair wading through the water with nothing more than some basic cloths around his waist to cover himself. Wading, wasn't the best word, Ace decided. This man was moving with the grace and presence of an egret, hunting for its prey beneath the water. He had a line of square tattoos running down the left side of his torso, down his leg, and another tattoo on his right deltoid. He had a coconut rattle in one hand.

The man stopped abruptly and lowered the coconut rattle into the ocean. He violently shook the rattle, singing in a strange language in a low voice. As abruptly as he'd started rattling, he stopped, leaving only ripples and foam from the sea. He was still and silent, only his head moving about.

The Oraonic Ocean was still and unmoving until a dark fin broke through the surface about fifty yards from the man. The man took no note of this. The creature approached the man from his blindside and quickly closed the distance to the man. The shark charged at the man with such force that Ace was certain that the man would be bitten and killed. Ace opened his mouth to shout a warning, but before the words left his throat, in one fluid movement the man turned and leapt onto the back of the shark.

Worry eased into Ace's mind as the man and the shark disappeared beneath the waves. Should he attempt to help the man? He started to move toward the water until the man emerged soaking wet, with the shark firmly in his grip.

Wriggling around, the shark struggled to release itself from the man's grasp, but to no avail. The man had a strange calm about him as he skillfully held the shark with its head directed away from his body. The man leaned his head down to the shark and, much to Ace's surprise, puckered his lips and kissed the shark on its head. He put the shark back into the water and, with a fond tug at its tail, released the shark from his grasp. The shark took off like a torpedo into the ocean's waves.

Ace stood near the base of a large sand dune, as still as a statue. He was uncertain about the nature of these tribal people, but he certainly didn't want to frighten the man, who clearly thought he was alone. Ace cleared his throat and moved slowly, hoping that his actions wouldn't alarm the man.

The man's head snapped in Ace's direction, and his eyes focused. His forehead furrowed in confusion, and he opened his mouth. "Debooki na na!" the man said sincerely, in Ace's direction.