Voyage of the Secret: Part 3

"Beat for it!!" Garin shouted, grabbing Mat by the arm and darting for a window, his crew followed his example, jumping through the windows as quick as a speeding Meerca. Scarblade roared in anger and his crew gave chase, drawing their weapons. Bomber even lit a small bomb and threw it at Garin and his fleeing crew, but it missed, thanks to Scarblade slapping her straight across the jaw.

"Hold the heavy fire, you fools!!" he barked. "Do whatever you like to the others, but take the boy alive!!"

"Congratulations, Mat!" Garin said as they ran. "You've officially gone and done it!"

"Aye, you've stirred up a hornet's nest now!!" Jacques agreed.

"Well what did you expect me to do!?" the young boy asked between breaths. "Just let him have the book?!"

"Fair enough, but now, whatever happens, you stick by us!" Garin said as he turned back to look at their pursuers, and Mat nodded.

"Keep going mates, we've almost lost them!" Garin shouted to his crew as they continued to run.

They eventually made their way into the village, blowing past tourists and traders, causing them to yelp in shock, and even gang way when Scarblade and his men ran by in hot pursuit. Garin and Jacques kept Mat close to them as they ran, knowing that he was now the key to this whole thing… but the information they had found was useless, and so would be Mat's life if Scarblade found out!

The crew eventually stopped for breath behind a large pile of hand woven baskets. Garin peeked around the baskets, staying low as he saw three of Scarblade's bruisers walk by and listening to his crew as they panted for lost air. Mat swallowed a bit from the dryness in his mouth, and put his hands to the sides of his head.

"Ugh, what was I thinking?!" he whispered to himself. Jacques patting him on the back.

"You used your head in a dire situation and used the only possible outcome you could think of," he said. "Believe me, it happens to all of us."

"But what if Scarblade catches us!?" Mat asked.

"That won't happen!" Garin said, turning back to look at them. "Get ready to move! We make for the ship!"

"But won't he expect that?" Talak asked.

"What choice do we have?" Garin asked in reply, and Talak bit his lip. "Our only chance for escape is to make it to the Black Pawkeet and hope that we aren't--"

"Spotted 'em!" came a loud shout. Garin jumped in shock, then felt a surge of pain in the back of his head as all began to spin into blackness…

                                                                        ***

Garin groaned in pain and his head rolled back. He tried to lift his hands to rub the sore spot, but tightly bound ropes holding his wrists together stopped him. He blinked his eyes open and looked around. He was in a warehouse of some kind, probably near the Trade Post, and his crew lay bound around him, Jacques at his side, looking at him in concern.

"You coming out of it?" he asked. Garin nodded.

"So much for escape," he sighed. "Where's Mat?"

"I'm right here…" Garin turned and found the boy sitting with his back to the same wall he was leaning against, head hung low and facing the ground.

"I'm sorry, everyone. This is all my fault!" he said, his voice cracking as he tried to hold back tears. Garin smiled and turned so he was on his knees and faced the boy.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" he said. "We've been in tighter spots!"

"Oi!" came a shout from Nathan the Blumaroo. "Stow that gab!"

Garin shot a glare at this pirate guarding them, then looked back at Mat, lowering his voice to try and continue comforting the boy, but his head snapped up as a door opened and Scarblade walked in. Garin bared his teeth, then looked at Mat quickly.

"Where's the medallion?" he asked. Mat sighed in sadness and jerked his head at Scarblade.

"He's got it…"

"That's enough friendly chatter you lot!" Scarblade said loudly, then stepped directly in front of Mat, causing the boy to cringe in fear and press himself against the wall more. Scarblade knelt in front of him and held the medallion in his face. Mat gulped fearfully, and Scarblade smirked at him. Mat suddenly glared at the pirate.

"What are you smirking at!?" he snapped, and Scarblade laughed at the boy's spirit.

"Why, I believe its you, boy!" he said, putting a claw to Mat's throat. "Now what does it say?"

"Leave him alone!" Garin shouted, pushing himself up with his knees and throwing himself into Scarblade as hard as he could, knocking the large Lupe to one side. Scarblade let out a yelp of shock as Garin landed on top of him, then snarled and hit him across the face with the back of his hand. Garin grunted in pain as the impact rolled him off of Scarblade, then he was picked up by the scruff of his shirt by two of Scarblade's crew. The evil pirate captain stood and brushed himself off.

"That's the final straw, you arrogant whelp!" he growled, and drew his cutlass.

"Don't!" Mat suddenly cried out. "Don't do it, I-I'll tell!"

Scarblade turned and eyed the boy, then snapped his fingers. His men dropped Garin down, causing him to fall onto his belly. Scarblade held the medallion up in Mat's face again and glared at the boy.

"Well?" he snarled, showing his sharp teeth. Mat swallowed the lump in his throat.

"W-Water and soot," he said, and Scarblade blinked.

"Eh?"

"I-I need water and soot, mixed together." Mat replied. "Th-That's how you read it, you rub it on, revealing hidden markings, then I can read it properly."

Scarblade narrowed his one eye at the trembling boy, then stood up and turned to some of his crew, motioning for them to follow, and bellowing orders at them to get fresh water and find some soot, setting the medallion down on a barrel lid as he left. Mat sighed in relief and sagged down the wall as Scarblade left the room, and Garin gave him a small smile. The kid had bought them some time… but how much time he couldn't say. He pulled himself up beside Mat and glanced slightly at some of the guards.

"You really think you'll be able to translate it once they get back?" Garin asked, trying to keep up the façade. Mat swallowed again.

"I-I sure hope…" the boy stopped short in his sentence, eyes fixating on his boots, and Jacques cleared his throat.

"So do I…" he said.

"…Guys…" Mat whispered, almost quieter than a breath. "…I think I can get a hand loose…"

Garin blinked and carefully looked at the guards, then at Jacques, who moved closer to Mat, peering behind the boy's back inconspicuously, and found that the boy's bonds were indeed loose, and most of his right hand was already free. Jacques gave half a wink to Garin, who kept an eye on the guards, who were too busy talking amongst themselves to notice.

"Go for it, kid!" Garin whispered.

Mat nodded and jerked his arm… and success! His hand was free! He kept his arm tucked behind him, watching the guards, then quickly reached down into his boot and pulled forth a knife that was no longer than three or four inches. He stuck his hands back behind him, then sneakily reached over and cut Garin loose… but he wasn't sneaky enough. One of the guards spotted him moving, and drew his sword with a yell. Mat cursed under his breath and handed the knife to Garin, then drew one of Jacques' blades out of its sheath.

"Cut the others loose, I'll hold them off!!" he shouted.

"What?!" Garin shouted, but the boy was already locked in battle with the guards… and handling himself quite well. Within moments, one guard was on the ground, followed by a second. The third was taken out by a pile of barrels Mat pushed down on him, and he took a pretty good bump to the head, laying still from then on, then moved his attention to the fourth and final guard. He may not have been strong, but he was quick!

"Wow, look at him go!" Jacques said as he rubbed his wrists.

"The kid's got guts, that's for sure!" Garin said with a laugh.

Mat sighed as the last guard fell and ran to the barrel and picked up the medallion, just as Scarblade came back through the doorway. Mat let out a gasp as jumped back as the angry pirate swung his cutlass at him.

"Get that scurvy brat!" he bellowed and his crew charged at Mat, but the freed members of Garin's crew, joined him. Garin tossed Mat's knife back to him, and the boy slipped it back into his boot, then smiled at Garin, who gave him a nod of obvious thanks, then turned to continue fighting their opponents, who were quickly dispatched. Garin's crew gave a triumphant shout, and Garin himself looked at Scarblade, who stood with his cutlass still drawn.

Scarblade snarled in annoyance at his now unconscious, and more than often useless, crew, then turned at Mat, who stood there, smirking with sword still in hand, arms behind his back in a childish, fake sheepish fashion.

"What are you smirking at boy?!" Scarblade barked, his eye flashing maliciously. Mat's smirk grew, then he raised his sword and sliced one of the ropes next to him, and suddenly, Scarblade felt something tighten around his ankle.

And before he knew it, he was being pulled up in midair as the net-full of crates fell and was soon hanging there, upside down, his hat drifting down in front of Mat, who picked it up and continued to smile.

"Why, I believe it's YOU, sir!" he said, at last answering Scarblade's question, which caused him to roar out in anger and curse repeatedly as he tried to free himself. Mat turned as an uproarious laughter erupted behind him, and he found Garin buckling over and laughing, similarly to the way the others were also laughing.

"Good one Mat!" Garin finally managed to regain himself and speak. Mat smiled and gave him a thumbs-up… not seeing one of Scarblade's crew stir behind him.

“Mat, behind you!” Jacques cried out to warn him. Mat turned and quickly caught the strike made at him by a Pirate Krawk’s hook. The Krawk growled, pushing all his weight against Mat’s arms, and forcing him to drop his sword to the ground.

They pushed apart for a few seconds, the Krawk made another swing with his hook and Mat stepping back to avoid it, only for the Krawk to charge again and nearly knock him to the ground. To save himself from being pinned down, Mat took hold of the Krawk’s arm and rolled back, kicking his feet under the Krawk’s middle and throwing him over him, and into a pile of barrels that stood just behind them.

As the Krawk flew over, he stretched out with his hook-less hand and made one last grab for Mat, claws snaring the red bandana he wore and tearing it away as he flew.

“Yeowch!!” Mat yowled as the bandana, and some hair, was ripped away his scalp harshly.

It all happened so quickly that by the time the others reached him to help, the Krawk had been dispatched into the barrel pile, and what they saw next as Mat stood up, left them all so flabbergasted that they couldn’t think of anything else. In fact, Garin’s jaw fell open as he exclaimed,

“You’re a GIRL!?”


To be continued…