We The Kings: Book Two

Chapter 53

The pirate Skullbeard jerked up from his position and sat up.

"Who dares intrude." He said, lighting out a light hiccup after.

"What did you do with the king of Dewsbury?" I tightened my grip on my sword.

"We didn't do a damn thing to that fucking lard." Skullbeard gritted his teeth.

"Where is he then? Where is everyone?" I said.

"No idea. We came to raid the village, but no one was here. Not even in the castle. This is our castle now."

"It's not. It belongs to the king of Dewsbury. You need to leave here and return to the sea." I demanded.

Captain Skullbeard seemed to unphased by my demands.

"You look familiar." He said, squinting his eyes as he studied me.

"You kidnapped me. Held me for ransom." I said.

"You got to be more specific. We never stop doing that! Ahah!" He laughed.

"King Zander Bray of Lafayette. I was with King Samuel Skyes of The Mullis Islands."

He flicked his eyebrows down. His casual demeanor had faded to something harsher.

"You two. You two escaped! No one escapes Captain Skull beard! I should have skinned you both when I had the chance."

I thought about all the things that never would have happened if the pirates had killed both of us. We would have never freed the dragon. I would have never loved Samuel in the way that I did. My parents would still be alive. Lafayette would still stand.

"You should have killed is when you had the chance. Would've made everything easier." I said.

He stood up off the throne and tossed his empty chalice to the side.

"No one gets away from Captain-. Hick! Captain Skunk Beard!" His unsteady hand explored the sheath of his sword before pulling it out.

He charged at us, his run was wobbly and unsteady.

"Men! We have intruders!" He yelled. The fiddle stopped. Several other men joined him from a room behind the throne. Most of them were even unsteadier than him.

"Did you expect to come to Dewsbury to fight drunk pirates?" Orion said.

"I shouldn't be surprised at the shit we've run into."

They attacked us with poor precision. They loosely swung around their swords and daggers, which felt more of a safety hazard to them than us. Galen pushed several pirates down despite being weaponless. Captain skull beard pushed his sword against mine. I raised it to block him. Orion kicked him from behind.

"Leave our captain!" A pirate swong at Orion and missed, almost hitting his captain.

"Watch where your swinging that thing, fool!" Skullbeard hissed at his cremate.

It almost felt too easy. They were well beyond a couple drinks. It seemed like they had drank the entirety of the castle.

It only took a few more swings and pushes to ensure all of the pirates on the ground. We may have been outnumbered, but our sobriety gave us a high advantage.

Orion and I kept the pile of pirates together at sword point. Galen rushed to the dungeon of the castle in search of chains or rope.

"Let us go! Feel my wrath!" Captain Skullbeard roared at us.

A crew mate next to him let out a hearty hack, followed by a gag. Alcohol and fluids spilled out of his mouth and down his shirt.

"Get away from me, you disgusting pile! This is ridiculous!"