Pirates and the Golden Treasure ch.04

    ♪Captain Betty,

      she’s our hero, gonna take our enemies down to zero…

     Oh Captain Betty, Captain Betty, oh yeah…♪

   

    “Singing?” queries Scrags as he strains his ears to better hear what the line of people down the cliff are saying.

 

    In Rhulan’s palm is a clear sphere, in which she can see a zoomed in image of the people, well one person and a handful of small creatures, most looking like biped mice and one cat with a large mustache. Hollia looks over to Scrags to get him to look, but says nothing as he has pulled out an expanding telescope from one of his coat pockets. A thief isn’t known for using magic, tools tend to draw less attention from magical sensors.

 

    “Betty?” says Scrags, “sounds like that is our enemy, sending that little reaper thing after us.”

 

   Scrags rises to take action only to get yanked back to the ground and shushed by Rhulan, “shhh, you can’t be serious. Think about it, some little ghost, reaper, what ever, attacks us, it makes a point to say a name, but doesn’t say it in conjunction with referring to its employer. No, and then we see this odd person followed by other small creatures. None of which seem to know we’re here. Or any one is here for that matter, if they did I seriously doubt they would be singing like that.”

 

   “It could be a trap to throw us off.” He offers.

 

   “No,” she says shaking her head, “I have lived too long, and been on too many adventures to fall for this trick…again. No this looks like the type of deal where someone sends something that looks like it might be part of another’s group after one group of adventurers. Usually because they themselves have something going on that has to do with the other group. This would be that whole map and getting in the way of this Betty person meeting the oracle remark. I don’t think that thing expected us to live, it used a Death Arc, essentially an instant kill spell for most people.”

 

    “Except you,” he says tipping his head and hand out as though complimenting her.

 

   “Yeah, sure,” she says while thinking, “Although I expected that spell to deflect and redirect back at it, not get absorbed…”

 

   “In any case,” she says aloud, “what this means is that we then have at least two if not three other groups here to deal with. That Cata and her crew, this Betty person, whom I am assuming is the woman in orange down there, given that she is the only she that I can tell is a she at least, and looks to be the captain in the lead of the others down there singing, and who ever sent that tiny reaper.”

 

    “Miss Rhulan?” asks Hollia, “What do we do then?”

 

   Rhulan rises with a smile on her face, “Time to learn to fly, focus on the area ahead of those people. LinLin, if you circle around your mom when she flies you’ll give her a boost making it easier.” LinLin cocks her head to the side and then looks up at Hollia, flying into the air and staring to circle around her like an orbiting ring. Hollia starts to float, feeling her own inner power synching up with LinLin’s power.

 

    “and you Scrags,” she says before he can ask, “Will be following me.”

   

“Etherial Wind

     Sylph of travel,

     Hermes’ Sandles

    Orb of the guide

   Grasp, encase, and bring this one to follow me”

 

    Scrags finds himself encased in a blue bubble, he can feel wind gently blowing around inside like several small fans blowing at once.  He is nearly thrown to his butt when the bubble raises off the ground, he’s not even certain how his feet are being kept straight.

 

    As Hollia floats as well she asks, “Miss Rhulan, couldn’t you also use that Air Bubble Follower to take me as well?”

 

   Rhulan gives her a quizzical look, “Yes, yes I could, but you need the practice. Besides synching up with your familiar like this, an opportunity for flying down from a high cliff doesn’t come up often. Maybe we could have practiced this by jumping off the air dock at Stratalia, but, eh, less distraction here from pointing and screaming students.”

 

   Hollia notices that while listening, keeping her face on Rhulan, she has with out thinking already gone over the side and started to float down. With the cliff side trees, and Rhulan gently floating side ways she didn’t notice that she was following her with no more effort than walking side by side down a hallway talking.

 

    As they fly down ahead of the grassy opening the colorful pirate’s group is cutting across, they are of course noticed by them. They simply stop allowing the flying people to come down before them on the path.

 

   Scrags is ready for a fight pulling out his daggers, Hollia stands back staff drawn again with LinLin floating just behind her head. Rhulan however puts out her hand, telling them to keep back and withdraw their weapons.

 

    With a smile Rhulan steps forward…and waves, “Hello there. What brings you folks to these parts?”

 

   “Oh my….locals?” says Betty with her hand to her face in an over-exaggerated expression of surprise.

 

   “There is no reason to fear.” She says with a broad smile.

 

   “Why would we be afraid?” asks Rhulan.

 

   “Huh?...oh, that’s right,” she says slamming her fist into her palm.

 

   “I am…” she looks around the ground frantic, two of the black mice like creatures scramble about looking through the grass. They come back carrying a large stone between them, dropping it at Betty’s feet.

 

   She poses her right foot on the rock, knee bent, her right arm and fist over her chest, and looking to the sky, “I am Captain Betty? The leader of the infamous pirate gang…the Adorables!”

 

   The mice creatures begin to jump up and down and shout out in applause, the cat just nods his head in approval.

 

   Betty points to the sky, “We have stolen the treasures of gods! We have taken the gems of Angels, and we have taken the jewels of demons. We are the bane of many worlds.”

 

   She stops for a moment with, “uuuhhh, but I mean…you folks don’t need to fear me.”

 

    She steps off the rock, her hand behind her head and her tongue sticking out in an odd expression, “Silly me, I said don’t fear us, then I say we are feared by all sorts of things your local superstitions probably make you think are all like crazy powerful.”

 

   “We we’re just flying you know?” says Rhulan.

 

   “huh?” she puts cocks her head up, “oooooohhhhh…yeah. My bad,”

 

   She scratches her cheek, “Uh, I’m confused, what’s that mean?”

 

  *sigh* “It means we aren’t afraid of all those things, and besides we’re not locals.”

 

   “Oh really?” she says, “you’re also not from this planet?”

 

   “What?” says Rhulan, “No, er, yes, I mean we ARE from this planet. But not from this Island, that’s…weird.”

 

   “Woops.” says Betty with a broad smile, “well cat’s out of the bag.”

 

   “Captain Betty,” says the cat, “No offense but you did already say you we are the bane of many worlds and robbed from deities, heavenly messengers, and demonic creatures.”

 

   “Oh…right.” She says, “So, yeah this is Other World, it’s just, I mean.”

 

   She waves her hand dismissively at Rhulan, “Sorry, its just our scans didn’t pick up much radio or anything from this world. We figured it was all like primitive and junk.”

 

    Rhulan shrugs, “No harm no foul,” she says, “The people here like to keep things simple. So what brings you people to this un-inhabited region?”

 

    With out a second thought Betty says, “We’re treasure hunting!”

 

    She produces a map whose fake torn edges betray that it’s not natural as they are clearly manufactured, a plastic sheet. The fact that Betty clicks on it changing the image to show the island of Los Rodos convinces Rhulan as to what it is, “A digital map?” she asks.

 

   “Wow!” says Betty, “I really pegged you people wrong, yeah, but umm, not digital.” She scratches her head just below her hat, not really getting through her hair, clearly just another odd exaggerated show of emotion.

 

   “Its…I…I have no idea.” She shrugs her shoulders as her crew all fall to the ground for no reason before getting back up.

 

   About twenty feet behind Rhulan, Scrags is thinking, “These people are crazy.”

 

    “Oh my,” Betty says, “I am being so rude.” She bows down low to Rhulan and her companions behind her, pretending to tip her hat but not really removing it, “My apologies, I am Captain Betty, these are some of my crew, the Adorables, and like I said we are on a treasure hunt….did I say all that already…I…forget.”

 

    “Yes, but thanks for being polite.” says Rhulan not wanting this conversation to loop its self.

 

    “Moving forward,” she says, “So far I get who you are, who they are, and why you’re here. But why would you be on Los Rodos looking for treasure?”

 

    “Oh,” says Betty, “I was getting to that, the guy who gave me this map said there was a golden treasure on this island worth so much that it would change my life forever.”

 

   “I see,” says Rhulan thinking about this, “Well Captain Betty, we are adventurers. We are familiar with the local dangers, if you like we could help you find this treasure. Personally we’re here looking for a mystical oracle.”

 

 

    “oooh,” says Betty, “sounds fancy and fun. Treasure and a fancy, secret, mystical, hidden away far from civilization, oh so creepy, secluded, uh, oracle.”

 

   Betty holds out her hand, “Sure the more the merrier, yeah lets team up.”

 

   She stops and holds out her finger, “However, first things first, I have to ask a few questions.”

 

   “Questions?” asks Rhulan.

 

   The cat pulls out a parchment that he hands to Betty.

 

   “Yeah,” she says, “Just in case I do something stupid again like team up with some scary succubus or something.” She shudders, apparently having done something like that at some point, “This is a lie detector paper, so first are you really evil doers who will stab us in the back the first chance you get?”

 

   Hollia genuinely looks offended, Scrags is looking around trying to figure out why, how, and what the hell, Rhulan just shrugs, “no.”

 

  “Okay,” says Betty studying the paper, “you pass.” With a broad smile she folds up the paper, tossing it over her shoulder where the cat snatches it out

of the air and somehow puts the paper as tall as he is inside his coat pocket.

 

  Walking up the others Betty bows again, “Greetings new treasure hunting adventurer pals, as you heard I am Captain Betty, the famous worlds hopping pirate, so who are you friends…was that rude, sorry, I mean..”

 

   “It’s really no problem Miss, Captain Betty.” says Hollia, “I am Hollia, I am a white magician, this is LinLin my familiar, and this man over here is our thief Scrags.”

 

   Scrags drops his head, “you really shouldn’t go telling people I’m a thief.”

 

   “But,” says Betty, “You are magical adventurers right? So that means a white magician, a cute animal like side kick, a thief, and…” she looks at Rhulan, “you must be the offensive magic user.”

 

   She claps her hands together, “What fun! I heard this Aesperia place was all magical, swords and sorcery kinda place. What luck to get a real local adventurer team to help us. You really are a perfect team, but, aren’t you also supposed to have like a swordsman or something too?”

 

   Rhulan smiles but before she can speak Hollia perks up, “Yeah, we should Miss Betty, but we just got started being adventurers, in fact this is my first official adventurer.”

 

   “Ooooh,” says Betty excited, “Goody, I came in right at the start, what luck. Well no swordsman, but two magic users, one assist, one offense, and a thief, plus me.” She smiles broadly and pulls out her weird pistol with its musket like barrel, “I am a gunner. Who needs some strapping man with a big sword?” she stops for a moment thinking before speaking, “well, if you’re just staring out, first adventure, the hero guy with the sword can come in later…”

 

   Rhulan shakes her head thinking, “Maybe I should have just flown ahead of them to the center lake. This girl, yes I am certain now, she may look like a woman, but she is clearly young, or at least young at heart, just out looking for fun. At any rate having some pirates around may come in handy, besides…”

 

   “Miss Betty, Captain Betty.” says Rhulan with a wide smile, “Seeing as you saw fit to give us a lie detecting test, It is only fair that we do the same for you before we officially team up.”

 

   “Sure,” she says shrugging.

 

   Rhulan pulls from the shadows of her cap a small clear ball, “This, is a lie detector, if you lie it turns red, tell the truth it turns blue, tell a half truth and it turns green.”

 

   “Okay,” says Betty smiling and shaking her head as though getting ready to play a sports game.

 

   “First question,” says Rhulan, “Do you know a creature that goes by the name Adorable Death Bringer?”

 

 

   Betty looks genuinely stunned, her crew are clearly nervous, “How do you know about ADB?”

 

   “I’ll take that as a yes.” says Rhulan even though the crystal turned green.

 

   “Does this creature work for you?”

 

   “Sometimes,” says Betty honestly, “but we haven’t seen her for a while, the last time I saw her she was working for the Thing Named Jim.”

 

   The crystal turns blue.

 

   “Okay, do you know any reason this Adorable Death Bringer would attack us?”

 

   Betty shrugs, “I don’t see any reason…unless her current contract ordered her too…”

 

   Betty gets an odd serious expression on her face, “I see.”

 

   Her expression returns to its overly happy state, “Now we really need to stick together, yeppers, I think Jimmy is up to something. But don’t worry we’ll protect you.”

 

   The crystal turns green, under Betty’s exterior expression Rhulan can see a nervous look in Betty’s eyes. She honestly doesn’t know why the very person who clearly gave her the map would then send this other thing, a mercenary as far as Rhulan can determine, here.

 

   “I don’t need to dig,” says Rhulan, “your past is your past and my past is my past. All I need to know is that we can help each other out, look for treasure, and we each know things about dangers the other doesn’t”

 

    “That is correct.” says the cat, “Our Captain already accepted your offer of help, but I take it you wanted to accept us in return. A strange local custom bu…”

 

   “Enough,” says Betty, “you’re being rude to our new friends, yep you get your oracle, we get our treasure, you guide us through the local monsters and terrain, we deal with ADB if she shows up again.”

 

   With a bright smile, as though she honestly forgot her last thought she points to the woods, “Onward to adventure.”

 

   The pirates follow behind Rhulan’s group as they lead the way, Scrags whispers to Rhulan, “we don’t know the way.”

 

   “Yes we do,” she says, “I know exactly where the oracle is. I made this island off limits back in my day for a reason. Now be silent okay, I figured these people had some not so friendly connection with our little assailant, best to keep them close by; they might just know something we don’t about how to deal with it. Besides, trust me, if the oracle decides she doesn’t want any company we’re going to need more targets for her to aim at, and if you tell Hollia I said that…” she looks back to see Hollia talking with Betty, mostly about how cute LinLin is, “if you tell Hollia I even implied we might use these people as decoys I will send you flying clean off of Aesperia. Got me?” her eyes told Scrags to just nod and keep walking.