"In that case, wake me when we get there." Klein stumbled to the side of the ship and slumped down to sit.
He downed half his bottle of rum with a burp then hunched over to pass out.
"Same old drunken Klein." Liz shook her head and crossed her arms.
"What do we do with him?" Asuna knew there were things on the ship to be done.
"Ah, yes. What do we do with a drunken sailor?" I set us on course and joined the others on the main deck.
Silica let out a cute gasp as she realized.
"What do we do with a drunken sailor? Early in the morning!" I began to sing.
"Way hay! Up she rises!" Kirito and Asuna clapped together from the sidelines.
Everyone joyfully danced about as we indulged in shanty song.
"Shave his belly with a rusty razor!" I exclaimed.
"Early in the morning!" Everyone cheered back.
"Way hay! Up she rises!" Liz shook her head as she reluctantly joined in.
"What do we do with a drunken sailor! What do we do with..." Klein raised his head and his cup quickly but started to snore as he hunched again.
"Put him in the brig until he's sober!" Sinon sang and led us all to repeat her in harmony.
I started a clap that everyone began to join.
"Early in the morning!" Everyone cheered.
"I second that." Liz laughed.
"Put him in the bed with the Captain's daugh-..." Kirito led the next part until he realized what it was.
I froze. Sinon stopped as she looked at me and the others were soon behind.
"I think that's a verse you sing when the Captain's not around." I chuckled and brushed it off.
A few of them let out relieved breaths after finding out I wasn't serious.
"We are with wind, Captain!" Leafa called cheerfully.
"Splendid. We should make land soon." I acknowledged.
"What's the plan when we get there?" Kirito inquired.
"Hopefully explore." I smirked back.
"Daddy! I mean- Captain! Off the starboard bow!" Called Athena from the lookout.
"What is it? More land?" I asked.
"No, it's... fog." Athena stuttered.
"Fog?" Asuna looked ahead.
That's when dense mist began to engulf our vessel. It blanketed the water below, making it look like we sailed upon the tops of delicate clouds. Everyone shifted their attention as we entered the shadow of a towering rock formation.
"Land, ho!" Lizbeth called out.
"That's no normal island..." Sinon tried to analyze the dark outline closer.
"It's a structure." Leafa was able to see.
"It is?" I was intrigued by the idea of other civilization.
"It looks rugged and torn apart..." Asuna stated.
The eerie silence began to grow louder as we slowed ourselves to make anchorage.
"I don't like this..." Sinon worried next to me.
"Nor do I." I kept my guard up.
That's when thunderous echoes enveloped the air ahead.
"Cannon fire!" Kirito warned.
Cannonballs fired towards our ship from different elevated positions on the island as we neared.
"Captain!" Leafa sought guidance.
"Hands to work! Everyone, make repairs and arm yourselves for battle! We're moving to port!" I ordered and got to work with everyone else.
Our hull started to be smacked with cannonballs as did one of our masts which cracked loudly from the impact.
"We're taking fire!" Klein yelled as he awoke from his drunken stooper.
"Silica, Leafa! Head down below deck and make sure we're not taking on water. Kirito! Keep an eye on the ship's orientation in relation to the island. Sinon, Asuna! Give me a status report on our current supplies and let me know what we need more of." I began sending everyone off in different directions.
"What about me?" Klein was lost.
"Klein! Man the cannons and if you have a clear shot, you take it!" I encouraged as I quickly pat him on the back.
"Daddy! What's happening?" Athena called from the lookout above.
"The adults have it handled, sweetheart! Just stay put!" I assured her.
"We're safely out of cannon range!" Kirito relayed.
"Good." Was my only reply.
"We're losing the front mast!" Klein yelled with a point as the front sails began to topple over.
I swiftly stormed over and grabbed the rope from its rungs, catching the front mast before it could fall upon the deck. I braced myself and pulled hard, engaging both my arms as I reeled the mast back upright.
"Help him!" Sinon saw me struggling as she returned to the top deck with Asuna.
"Just... plank, the mast!" I spoke thru my clenched teeth.
They both rushed and hammered a wooden board in place over the crack.
"Fixed!" Sinon called back to me.
I wrapped the rope securely to the ships rung and moved to the starboard side of the ship.
"We're here, Captain!" Kirito called as we came to a stop next to a decrepit dock.
Burning lanterns and protruding pikes scattered the landscape of the island. Menacing cannon towers and defensive wooden walls built by someone to defend the inner sanctum of whatever lay deeper within.
"Looks like we're in for a fight." I commented.
"Looks like it." Kirito agreed.
I stepped forward and hopped off the plank, landing hard on the dock as I drew my crystal sword.
"Then let's give 'em one." I said and the others landed at my sides with their own weapons ready.
"Aye!" They all called back.
I peeked back at them with a smirk and rushed ahead with a clear chuckle.
"Hey! Wait up!" Lizbeth chased.
"Last one there has to wash the deck!" Leafa enjoyed the friendly competition.
"Oh, you're on!" Kirito followed quickly.
"Hey! I don't wanna wash the deck!" Silica scurried off too.
Cat Sith, Sharp, Ice Queen: Sinon
Asuna and I looked at each other before baring competitive grins.
"I bet I could beat you with my Cat Sith speed." I boasted.
"Against the great Lightening Flash?" She smirked and cracked her fingers.
We both knelt and like bullets we were gone. I hopped up a small incline and gained some distance as I picked up my speed. With my heightened Cat Sith agility, I was able to hop, skip and jump my way ahead until I reunited with the others. They had all stopped in a doorway and I couldn't see what was ahead.
"What is it?" I tried to peek over everyone's shoulders.
Asuna quickly caught up next to me and began to pant uncontrollably. She followed it up with a fist to my arm and I rubbed it to numb the pain.
"You were supposed to run! Not leap! How am I expected to catch up when you can just-"
"Quiet." K said urgently.
That's when harrowing whispers swept the room before us.
"Leave here." The air hissed.
K stepped forward slightly and analyzed the room. All seemed fine until the thumping of footsteps began to grow.
"K!" Leafa worried as she pointed to glowing footprints on the ground.
They began to make a path towards K, each step getting more and more bright. A sudden scuff could be heard and that's when K held up his sword. A loud clash sparked from his blade to reveal a glowing transparent man who scowled in anger. The two pushed against each other as the aggressor got closer to K's face.
"Intruders shall die." The mysterious vision barked.
"As will yesterday's ghosts." K parried the block and followed up with a stab to the glowing man's gut.
He dissolved into smoke and more whispers began to spiral around us.
"What was that?" Silica worried.
"An apparition." Kirito noted.
"Fools..." A sadistic voice echoed.
A sudden swirl of energy appeared before everyone and it took the shape of one man in particular. We all sharply gasped.
"It... can't be..." Kirito shook his head in disbelief.
A gentle but evil chuckle came from the ghostly figure.
"It would seem it is." The entity who took a confident stance was none other... than King Oberon himself.
"But... you're supposed to be dead..." Asuna could barely speak.
"Only dead enough not to be in your presence... My Tatania." He sneered.
Asuna froze. He suddenly faded away and we all looked around as his laugh echoed.
"Oh, how I miss the feeling of your skin. At least I can still taste your scent." Oberon had appeared to pick up a lock of Asuna's hair and smell it.
"No!!" Asuna went to slap it away but there was nothing.
"Ahh, I still remember just how much pain I was in before you killed me, Kazuto." Oberon reappeared in front of everyone.
"I'll kill you again if you don't shut up!" Kirito shakily held his sword ready.
"At least psychological damage still works all the same." The Ghost of King Oberon laughed to the heavens.
That's when K sliced across his chest and the premonition faded into flakes. A lingering laugh still bounced it's way around the room but ultimately, the threat was gone.
"I hoped to never see him again..." Asuna wept.
"Likewise..." Kirito consoled her.
"He left a key." K picked up.
"A key?" I asked.
"Destroy it." Kirito ordered.
"No. It could go to something important." K refused.
"Whatever it is, I don't want to know." Asuna cried.
I just looked at the key in K's hands, then up to his eyes staring back at me.
"Then it will be my responsibility." K accepted and the key disintegrated into his inventory.
"Let's just finish this quest and get outta here." Liz suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Wait, wasn't there supposed to be treasure here?" Klein remembered.
"Yes." K fished out the paper from his inventory.
"Anything new?" Leafa wondered.
"A mental toll is a small price to pay, but the promise of gold is just at the bay." K read.
"That was it?" Liz asked.
"It would seem so." He lead the way back down towards the boat.
Once we got to the shoreline, K unrolled the paper again. He looked around but couldn't quite see it all.
"But where's the bay?" K asked himself as I walked up next to him.
"Don't you think it would be there? Where the rocks meet the water?" I pointed.
With that, a rock wall slid open and behind it were golden chests and trinkets of value. I sort of laughed in disbelief. K laughed too and put his arm around me as we gazed upon our fortune.
"Load it onto the boat! It's time to head home!" K cheered and held me close.