Hey! Keep up, you freak and chatterboxes.
As I led the bunch of good-for-nothings through the mountain pass,
rabbit warrens,
beast tides,
and jungles, we finally arrived at the bustling beach—
"Hurry up with the moving, be careful. We need to save time." A fat man wearing a large "skull" felt hat, bare-chested, with a curved blade and a matchlock pistol tucked at his waist, shouted loudly:
"The next storm is coming! If we don't hurry, the ship will capsize, and none of us will make it!"
As soon as his voice fell,
a dozen burly men appeared simultaneously on the deck,
each one unshaven, with thick chest hair and unusually stout limbs.
"Why do these guys' outfits look so familiar... Feels like déjà vu, like swallows returning."
Hiding in the grass, I quietly whispered to the little demon.
Those men worked efficiently too; a dozen of them clattering and banging, using both hands and feet.
Using just a dozen or so sturdy young trees near the jungle edge, about ten meters from the beach, they set up seven or eight tents;
then, they erected a long shed, about ten meters long, in a half-cave on the cliffside, a few meters higher than the sand.
I gradually got a clearer look at the busy dozen:
Three were all dressed in faded red vests, with bronze skin, tricorn hats whose brims were already frayed, wide belts, two curved blades each, and small daggers hidden in their boot tops.
Four wore tattered blue sailor vests, blue headscarves paired with wide-brimmed hats, each with a telescope at their waist, gold earrings, silver rings, strange tattoos, a single curved blade, two rusted flintlock pistols, and boots almost as dark and stiff as everyone else's.
Five wore open, yellowish-white shirts, fishing hats; three had big beards, walked with wide, steady strides, and carried slender double-edged swords at their waists; one of them wore glasses.
Two had particularly "well-developed" pectoral muscles, looked delicate, had slender waistlines, and seemed to do the least work—mostly looking around and pointing. They wore tight black seven-tenths trousers, high boots hiding daggers, with short matchlock pistols and short staffs on their backs.
One was the loudly shouting fat guy in charge, described earlier; his image is pretty much the same, no need for more detail.
All these people looked familiar, especially.
When the last one came out... the atmosphere shifted a bit.
He was a bit rough, a bit dissolute, a bit dangerous, a bit ugly, a bit smelly, a bit short... even shorter than me!
Wore a long black coat that dragged on the ground;
large, eye-catching epaulets that hid his face;
a huge triangular skull "grimacing" hat that covered his head;
his eyes were unseen, their intensity unknown.
He brandished a short sword with such force it seemed like a spear—keeping all beings, human or animal, at bay within 15 centimeters.
A short gun on his back resembled a flintlock long gun.
One look and you knew he was an assassin—with that height and build, perfect for ambushing targets.
As this assassin descended from the deck,
his expression was natural, haughty; his steps weren't very steady, but light, as if the deck was always rocking.
Yet, his appearance
went unnoticed by everyone except me,
as if he silently hid within everyone's shadows.
Seeing this,
I knew I was right.
This kind of assassin, once the prey steps into his ambush zone—
swift, explosive, precise and ruthless—can take down the target in seconds!!
"Where's the captain? Any of you seen the captain?"
The fat man suddenly asked the blue-vested sailor beside him.
The guy in the first blue vest also looked blank: "I only saw the captain before boarding, haven't seen him since..."
Several other sailors behind him, also in ragged blue vests, gathered around, indicating "they'd only seen him when first boarding too..."
Hearing the commotion, the others put down their tasks and gathered together.
"D'you think the captain might still be sleeping?" Red Vest One suggested going back to the ship to check.
Red Vest Three retorted: "Oh, come off it! It's been a month since we boarded. Everyone only saw the captain when we got on, and never again after that... Something's not right here!"
Blue Vest Four asked in a low, serious voice: "You think... maybe the captain never boarded... We set sail in too much of a hurry and left him at the port?!"
Blue Vest Three waved his hand in objection: "I don't think that's likely. Our captain is famously known all around for loving sea voyages, being super reliable, a pro with three straight years of safe departures and returns. He wouldn't forget... to board."
Red Vest Two chimed in: "Could it be... do you think, maybe during the storm a few days ago... the captain got blown away?"
Suddenly, everyone fell silent...
After a moment,
"Well... I'll reserve judgment on that..." The fat man broke the silence.
Open Shirt One suddenly spoke up: "I actually think... the captain definitely boarded the ship!"
Open Shirt Three looked hesitant: "How can you be sure?!"
Open Shirt One's gaze suddenly turned sharp: "Don't forget why we're on this trip in the first place?"
The crowd erupted—
Right, who comes to this godforsaken uninhabited island for no reason...
This place is in the middle of nowhere, not connected to anything.
Isn't it just for...
Just as everyone fell silent again,
Busty One's teeth started chattering, eyes terrified, staring into the dense forest deep in the island...
Busty Two noticed Busty One's odd behavior and asked with concern: "What's wrong? See something?"
Hearing Busty Two, the others recovered from their silence and started chattering and arguing again.
Busty One, ignoring where everyone's curious gazes were focused...
Shakily voiced his suspicion: "Could he have been taken by this island's... legendary guardian spirit..."
The fat man shot a sharp glance at Busty One, who immediately clammed up, not daring to say more.
The fat man looked at the timid Busty One, spat, and said: "Right now, our main task is to find the captain first!"
Then, he pulled a tattered map from his chest and slowly unfolded it: "And then... we'll take all this stuff for ourselves... When that happens, the entire royal city... no! The whole kingdom will tremble!!"
Hearing the fat man's words, the others seemed pumped up, only remembering the second part of what he said, completely missing the first!
Hiding in the grass, I watched everything unfold with sorrow.
Unlike the others, who were cheering and celebrating over who-knows-what—
the assassin, who wasn't even knee-high to most of them,
was hopping anxiously from foot to foot.
I thought admiringly: "He's the only one still constantly concerned about the captain's whereabouts. Look how worried he is—he must care deeply about the captain's safety and whether he's stayed or gone..."
Just then, a series of strange, shrill roars came from the jungle deep within the island.
The sound was sharp, piercing, reeking of bestial bloodlust and wildness—
Accompanying the roar, the sound of beasts rushing through the undergrowth grew clearer.
On the shore,
the group paled in terror. As seasoned seafarers, they knew all too well what that roar meant!
But now—
The captain was missing! The camp wasn't fully set up! Their weapons weren't ready,
the defenses weren't built... and it, the island's guardian spirit, had appeared!
At that moment, a beast that looked part tiger, part lion suddenly burst into view—
The fat man yelled: "Defensive positions! Dodge the first attack!"
Understanding, everyone shouted in unison: "Got it!"
The moment the beast leaped, everyone scattered lightning-fast in all directions.
Suddenly, they saw the beast, right in the center of the group, snatch up something moving in its mouth.
The fat man, while scattering, already had his matchlock pistol in hand, aiming at the beast—
"Is anyone hurt?!"
The others also raised their weapons, ready to respond.
"No!"
At the same time,
from above everyone's heads, from the beast's mouth, came a all-too-familiar voice:
"Help me!"
When everyone saw what was in the beast's mouth, their faces turned from shock to horror!
"Captain—!!!"
Hearing this, I, hiding in the grass, was both shocked and horrified—!!!
"He's not an assassin... he's actually the captain???"