The 1000 Gold Man

“We are so back!” I proudly puffed out my chest as I passed the bounty list to Elora.

“What do you mean by ‘back’?” Elora asked, as Túta snatched the paper from her.

“It’s like an expression. A bounty means we’ve finally made it as pirates.”

“I understand this is tied to your sense of value. Why the hell would we celebrate being hunted?” Túta argued as Pippa scooped it out of her hands.

She reached forward and pinched my ear. As she pulled me down to her, the twisting of my body caused me to wince. I hadn’t dared tell Túta I was still injured from my previous battle.

“I’m happy because it means we’ve made it as a crew. You should be thrilled.”

I rested my hand on Pippa’s head as Viola yanked it upwards out of her hands. Melody jumped up and down trying to glimpse the paper.

“Like hell we’d be. Isn’t that right, guys?” She turned to the others.

“I don’t mind,” Elora said, raising her hand while avoiding Túta’s piercing stare.

“That’s just one person,” Túta snapped.

“The Crimson Star Society finally acknowledges my great dark powers.” Pippa laughed as she covered her eye with her hand.

“See, Pippa gets it,” I commented, nodding my head.

“Don’t go fuelling her delusions!” Túta scolded once more.

Pippa tilted her head like she didn’t understand what Túta meant by delusions.

Viola shot Túta a frightening look, as if to warn her against breaking Pippa’s innocent beliefs.

“While I don’t mind having a bounty myself, I do wonder how they found all the information on us.” Viola redirected the conversation.

“That’s right! The only people who knew our crew were a few of the trusted palace folk and your former companions,” Túta murmured to herself.

It was a thought that had troubled me for some time, especially after learning Administrator S wasn’t the one who brainwashed Elder Rudolf.

“What if one of your classmates turned us in?” Túta looked me dead in the eyes.

Luckily, this was something I could easily explain away.

“It was probably Sir Branwell.” I waved dismissively.

Túta paused for a moment, as if to think, before sighing.

“You are probably right.”

“I mean, it’s not a bad thing having a bounty, but I can’t say I’m thrilled Melody has one.” Viola placed her hand on her younger sister’s head.

“Is that bad? But Mister Pirate said that it was proof we were a crew.” Melody sniffled, her teary eyes quaking as she earnestly gazed at her older sister. “Am I not part of the crew?”

“That’s not what…” Viola stumbled over her own words.

“How does it feel you’ve gotten a kid a bounty?” Túta scolded.

“Well, I guess it means we will just have to defeat everyone who comes for us.”

“Cap’n, I don’t think ya can promise that, you seem to get hurt more than any of us.” Mel laughed.

“Alright, I get it, I’m sorry. But it means we’re finally a crew. A family.”

Túta flicked my forehead.

“You idiot, we were always a crew.”

The rest of the crew laughed, except for one noticeable exception.

“Raizel… you’ve been awfully quiet.”

“A thousand gold… think of the treasure that could buy.”

She turned and looked me in the eye; a gleam sparkled in her eyes as she licked her lips.

“You’re not seriously going to cause my second mutiny, are you?”

It was at that moment… I knew… I had screwed up.

Several additional sets of bloodthirsty eyes locked onto me.

Elora silently wandered over to the wall and picked up her resting axes.

Mel gracefully retrieved her pistol.

Viola whispered something to Pippa before both pulled out their own weapons.

Túta’s face darkened as she clenched her hand into a fist.

“Shall we now finish dealing with that issue concerning the groping Captain?” Túta asked, her voice so cold it sent a chill down my spine.

“I apologised to Raizel already.” I glanced over at her for assistance.

“I may be a thief, but I’m not a liar. Don’t turn me into one now,” she replied. She smiled jovially, but I could make out the seriousness in her eyes.

“You don’t remember our lovely heart-to…” It only just dawned that time had been reset, so she wouldn’t remember.

“You mean our talk about stealing?”

I sighed.

“So did you or did you not apologise?”

“I never heard an apology,” Elora replied, pouting whilst simultaneously sharpening her axe.

“Guilty!” Pippa shouted, stamping her foot on the wooden floorboards.

They slowly stepped towards me.

I glanced around. Locking eyes with Melody.

“Melody… please.”

She replied with a smile as if she had finally figured something out.

“Bye, Mister Pirate, it was nice knowing you.”

Hearing my own words thrown back at me probably should have hurt, but I couldn’t help but be slightly proud.

I raised that girl right.

“Viola, restrain him, please,” Túta ordered, and Viola responded without any complaint. Wires lightly wrapped around my body.

Although they were not tightly wound, the slight pressure forced up some blood I had been trying to keep down.

“Hold it!” Túta placed her arm in front of Viola before strolling over to me.

She knelt down and poked me in the chest.

More blood was coughed up.

She sighed and jabbed a few more places on my chest.

“You’ve got a busted rib.”

“Only one?” I joked back.

“Surprisingly, I don’t know if I should be mad or impressed by the fact it’s only one.”

“Well, what are my chances of pulling through, doctor?”

“Not long once we are done with you.”

“Is Mister Pirate going to die?” Melody asked nervously, strutting towards Túta.

“No, he’ll be fine. But he needs rest.”

Rest is for the dead!” I declared, coughing up more blood as I raised a clenched fist.

Pippa applauded.

“It’s a thousand dead or alive,” Raizel joked.

“How about you don’t turn me in, and I’ll guarantee you twice as much.”

She paused as if giving it actual thought.

“Make it ten times as much in treasure.”

“Twenty, and that’s my final offer.”

“One hundred and we have a deal.”

“One hundred thousand gold! That’s ridiculous!” Túta screamed.

“Pfft, such figures are trivial compared to the might of my dark powers,” Pippa added.

I reached forward and shook Raizel’s hand. The moment her hands locked with mine, I yanked her into me. The action caught her by surprise.

I whispered in her ear.

“Sorry, my dear Raizel, but as Captain, I call the shots, and a thousand times the treasure it is.”

A sly smile crept up her face.

“I think I made the right call to join your crew,” she whispered back.

“I’ll drink to that,” Mel chimed in, having been the only one perceptive enough to read our lips.

“You two seem awfully close… Is that what happens when you fondle someone, Captain?” Túta asked, anger clearly visible on her face. She turned her head to Viola, who responded by cracking her wrists as the wires reappeared.

“Don’t worry, dear Túta, I’m already way ahead of you,” Viola replied with a dark smile. Without any other words, Elora and Mel both strolled up to me and forced me to my knees.

“Just not around his ribs,” Túta instructed.

Viola nodded as my arms were bound behind my back.

“You can sit here for a bit and reflect on your actions.”

“Which one are you referring to?”

“The fact that there isn’t just one thing should be telling in itself,” Mel laughed as she took another swig from her bottle.

“The groping incident,” Elora murmured, refusing to make eye contact with me.

“Your continued disregard for your own health,” Túta replied with a sigh.

“Getting a child a bounty,” Viola responded, leaning in and flicking my forehead.

“Fine, I understand. I will reflect on my actions,” I replied, resigning myself to my fate.

“Admitting you have a problem is the first step for change,” Raizel responded, nodding her head.

“I don’t think a klepto should be lecturing me about problems.”

Raizel only smiled, her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

“Well, in the meantime, while you reflect, I’ll take charge and plan where to head next,” Túta commanded.

“Can I know?”

“Nope, it’ll be a surprise,” she snapped back. With that last remark, she and the rest of the crew wandered out of the cabin.

I twisted my wrists; I could feel that the wires weren’t tightly bound. I’m sure they did it deliberately to allow me to slip out at any time. But I may as well deal with the punishment a little more.

I leaned back against the wall of the cabin.

“Yaharhar~ How weak a pirate captain you are.”

▪──── X ────▪

End of chapter 56