The Rookie Pirates (Parts 1-6)

26. Watercolour Mess

Alex sprinted through the never-ending maze of torch-lit tunnels within the temple. He had no idea how long he had been running for, but it felt like an eternity. If he didn't hurry up, he would be too late, and Jessica would be sacrificed.

Sweat started to dribble down the side of his face from anxiety spawning from the possibility that he might not make it in time. The salty taste on his lips sucked the moisture right out of his mouth and caused his breathing to become hitched and unbearable, but it didn't stop him. He kept on going.

He frowned when he heard the sound of running water, and he came to a skidding halt when he came across a river.

"Whoa!"

The tips of his boots were hanging off the edge when he finally came to a stop, and his body was leaning over the bank and down towards the water. He gritted his teeth and swung his arms in a anticlockwise rotation until he fell back onto the pavement.

He landed with a thud and sighed, rubbing the sweat from his brow.

"That was a close one."

He stood back up and looked at the river. It was manmade with a brick bank on either side of it. The water looked clear and fresh. As he looked down the river, he could see an exit, but it meant he would have to swim down it, as the pavement that ran alongside the river disappeared.

"What's a river doing running through a temple anyway?"

"Water that passes through the temple is considered blessed and is then distributed across the fields of Harvest Island. For those that can pay for it, that is. Otherwise, the farmers have to find other forms of watering their crops. Usually, the yield is not the same, and their crops die because our god does not like it when his water is not used." He laughed. "So, in the end, everyone pays."

Alex tensed and reached down for Akatenshi. It was the tattoo man.

This guy again. Doesn't he ever quit?

Alex could still feel his neck bleeding from the man's previous attack with the barbed wire.

"So you exploit money out of the people with the fear of God!" Alex dragged his red longsword out from its sheath. "It's reasons like this why I don't believe in the gods. Selfish bastards."

"Blasphemy!" The priest sneered towards him, an angry look in his dark eyes. "How can you speak with such vulgar language regarding the ones who created you?"

"They've never appealed to me." Alex merely shrugged.

He did not believe in any such deity, but he had no problems with other's beliefs as long as they did not interfere with his own. His captain was a strong believer in the goddess/sea witch Morgana. In fact, every night Levi prayed to her, and Tommy was a strong believer in the ancient gods. Alex thought well of them for having such strong beliefs, but after the life he'd lived, he'd lost sight of the gods.

The priest hissed and pulled his sleeves back. Black ink started to swirl around his skin until a sharp sword had formed on each arm. He raised his arms and stood in an attack stance.

"You have to believe in something that someone controls your destiny and fate!"

Alex unsheathed Akatenshi, his eyes never leaving the sword tattoos on the man's arms. Although they might look like tattoos, Alex was fully aware from past experience that those tattoos would be as sharp as his own sword.

"I create my own destiny."

The priest scoffed at his answer and attacked first, and Alex quickly defended himself. His sword and the man's arms clashed, sparks flying. The man was stronger than Alex had anticipated as he sent blow after blow. He seemed to know the way of the sword and easily deflected Alex's attacks.

Not long after, Alex could feel himself wearing out. Sweat was being produced all over his body, and he felt faint. This was the result of the injuries he had acquired during the fight with Madame Cheng. He was pushing himself too far even though he hadn't yet fully recovered. Despite this setback, Alex would not quit, and he continued to fight on. He would not lose.

However, it meant the tattoo man was at an advantage against his weakened state, and he sent an attack flying towards Alex's face, cutting his cheek.

Alex stumbled back, collapsing onto his hands and knees, about to pass out. He knew then that it wasn't just Madame Cheng's injuries that were affecting him. Something else was at play here: the snake bite from earlier.

"I'm surprised you're still alive. It's been longer than ten minutes, yet my venom attack from earlier has not yet killed you. What are you?"

Alex started coughing, his throat feeling sore and itchy. His hands curled around the edge of the brick river bank. He was thirsty and in need of some fresh water. Looking over the water's edge, he could see a slit on his cheek where blood had oozed out, and a single droplet fell into the river, dispersing like ink in water.

It was then he remembered.

"Hey, Blondie." Tommy called after him, Alex stopped and looked over his shoulder. "When the tattooed man wakes up, he's going to come after you. When he does, make sure you're wet. Ink and water don't mix!"

Alex smirked and cupped his hand into the water and sprayed it all over the priest. He hissed, and the tattoos on his arms started to drip down his skin and disperse into cloud-like shapes.

"Son of a bitch!" the Priest cursed.

"Such vulgar language!" Alex mocked and splashed more water at the priest.

With the priest distracted by trying to dry himself off so he could remake his tattoos, Alex took it as an opportunity to dip his sword into the water, making sure it was dripping.

He steadily stood back up, a smirk still playing on his face when the priest was once again ready to attack him.

"You can't win this. I can easily block your airways and suffocate you to death."

"Not if I get to you first." Alex crossed his sword in front of him, having thought of a new spirit attack.

"Watercolour Mess."

Sparks of vibrant watercolour droplets illuminated around Alex's sword as he sent his attack towards the tattoo man. The man stiffened as though petrified, and a second later his chest split open and blood splattered out from his body as he collapsed to the ground.

The blood splashed against Alex, or at least what he thought was blood. When he wiped the liquid off his face and looked down at his hand, he noticed it wasn't blood but ink.

He sheathed Akatenshi and looked down the river and towards the exit he could see. With no other way of finding his way out of the temple, Alex dove into the river and swam down the stream.

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