The Oracle of Trickery [Kid x Reader x Killer]

11. Golden Ticket

For the next few minutes the ship approached the harbour, no one said anything. We were too busy watching how the sun, which had just started to illuminate the city a few seconds ago, was now setting, making it night-time once more. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. And, obviously, that knife was Eustass screaming bloody murder:

"What the fuck has just happened?". He looked angry with the sky. I shrugged, even though he wasn't talking to me nor looking at me. "Nevermind...". He muttered. "We have to focus on making those scumbags pay". He put on his belt with a gun and was going to jump from the ship, but Killer stopped him.

"Wait, Kid. We don't know what or who is on this island. Don't roll the dice; it's better if we keep a low profile. If you find them and it's safe, you can go ahead and burn the whole island if you want to. But not before that". The seriousness with which he said it made me shiver. I hoped it wasn't necessary to burn down an island (where innocent civilians lived) for a vengeance. Kid listened to Killer as if he was his personal counsellor. Thank goodness someone thought for him.

The port was deserted, safe for three empty sailing boats and the ship in which Patty and her workers had gone.

"How did they get faster than us here?" Toba said to himself, without expecting an answer.

There was a stone path that led to the town. Before entering, there was a big iron gate wide opened. On top of the gate was a sign with gothic letters that said:

[ Welcome to Apricus ]

We anchored and left the Victoria Punk. Kid led the group of pirates that followed him, forming a line with a few small groups on both sides of the queue, destroying the symmetry. If Killer was planning to stay under the radar with that many people and their...looks... He was too optimistic. I was curious to know how the island was, so I approached the start of the line, near Kid, Killer, Heat and Wire. I received a sideways glance from the captain, but I pretended not to have noticed.

A tunnel of musty branches loomed over us while we walked on that rocky path. If it had been silent, the route through that tenebrous groove would have seemed taken out of a horror book. But to make matters worse, not far from here, there was playing some carnival music. Or maybe circus music. I wasn't sure; I had never gone to neither of them.

Crossing the gate and entering the town, we were surprised to see the streets were empty. Not even a soul was roaming around. But a turmoil of people could be heard not far.

"Maybe they're all gathered for a festivity?"

"We'll have to go and take a look". Kid said with a threatening smile. He was probably already thinking about a thousand ways to get revenge on the Ice Nine inside his head. It would be horrible to be his psychologist.

Turning around the corner, a wide road (bigger than three meters of width) appeared. A black chariot, as if in a parade, was getting closer, surrounded by two masses of people dressed in strange gowns and masks. Even weirder than the ones our crew were wearing, I'm not gonna lie.