The Rookie Pirates (Parts 1-6)

34. The Flint Family Promise

Zach's heart stopped when he heard the screeching whistle he had made earlier over the waves of the ocean. This whistle was ten times louder and more dominant than his, which wasn't possible. Only a member of his family could make such a powerful noise.

"Captain, did they just-?" Bart was speechless.

Everyone on deck had frozen in fear, having heard the whistle, and waited for the captain's response.

"They did!" Zach's teeth clenched, and he drew out his red-bladed cutlass when the snake came hurtling back towards the ship.

He effortlessly climbed up the rigging and prepared himself for an attack. However, none came, and the snake stayed below the surface of the water.

"You need to start treating Linda with more care."

Zach swung around. "Death trap!" He sent his spirit attack hurtling through the air and towards the newcomer, who easily deflected it with his metal board and sent it flying towards the foremast.

The mast sparked with a deadly red energy, followed by a loud, agonising creak. It started to splinter and toppled over, crashing onto the deck below with a loud thud.

"That's no way to greet your little brother."

Zach looked up, frowning, only for a big grin to form on his lips when he finally worked out it was his little brother stood upside down on a hovering metal board with his arms folded across his chest.

"Ruben?"

"Hey, Zach," Kirk greeted with the same grin.

His little brother's crimson red hair was sticking out in all directions, and the steampunk goggles Zach once gave to him as a gift were about to slide off his head. Zach hardly recognised him. The last time they saw each other, Kirk was still a child, and now he was a fully grown adult in his mid-twenties.

"It's been a while, huh?" Zach sheathed his red-bladed cutlass in the black sash tied around his waist.

Kirk frowned, offended, and turned himself the right way up and sat cross-legged on his floating metal board.

"Is that all you have to say? 'It's been a while, huh?'" he mocked, impersonating his brother, right down to the shoulder shrug and the airy look in his amber eyes. "I haven't seen you since I was nine, seventeen years ago!"

It was reasons like this that made Kirk hate his older brother, but no matter how much he envied and hated his brother or wanted to surpass him one day, he was still his family, and he would always love him - not that he would ever admit it.

Zach had completely ignored him and continued to grin like the big idiot he was at heart.

"You can't sneak up on me like that, Ruben. My death trap could have killed you in an instant. You were lucky you had something reflective on you!"

Zach patted the hilt of his cutlass, is bronze eyes finally landing on his floating brother. He blinked a couple of times before realising that he was indeed floating mid-air on a metal surfboard.

"When did you become a cursed soul?" Zach spat in surprise, his eyes wide open with awe as his mouth gaped open.

It was Kirk's turn to grin as he landed on the deck and stood his surfboard upright against the mainmast.

"I was about ten years old. It just happened." He shrugged like it was no big deal. "I can move non-living objects."

Kirk demonstrated by making a cannonball fly up from the deck and explode mid-air. The sudden bang had all of Zach's crew on their feet and their pistols aimed at Kirk.