Part IV: The Flint Brothers

33. The Sea Serpent

It was a gloomy day. The sky was dull and murky, covering the oceans of Aqua in a blanket of darkness. The rain thrashed down, soaking anything in its sights, and drenched the Flint Pirates as they ran across the deck.

Wet crimson hair clung to Pirate Lord Zachary Flint's face, who stood halfway up the rigging of his ship. He curled his left hand tightly around the ropes for balance as the vessel rocked from side to side from the pursing storm, and his right hand held a brass spyglass up to his eye, searching for an island over the stormy horizon.

The sudden strike of a bolt zigzagged its way down to the seas below, lighting the sky in brilliant hues of white and yellow that made Zach's shadow dance with energy on the deck below. Seconds later, the rumble of a monster echoed loudly like a colossal creature had been awoken from its long slumber and was ready to wreak havoc across the world once again.

"The gods are angry." His first mate, Bart Roberts, climbed the rigging to join him, his grey-brown hair whipping around his old face. "I've never seen such vicious waves before. I wonder what has Poseidon so mad!" he shouted over the sound of the waves crashing against the hull.

Zach did not answer him; his attention was still on the horizon, looking for Hive Island that should be close by. The island was home to his seventeen-year-old daughter, Azalea Flint, whom he had not seen since she was ten years old.

Since coming across honey gold, a rare ore found only on Hive Island with the government's stamp branded on to it, Zach knew something was amiss and went in search of the island he'd once called his second home. He was twenty-nine years old the last he stepped foot on the island and wondered what could have happened during his seven-year absence.

He hoped his daughter was safe from harm. He would not be able to live with himself if something bad were to have happened to her.

"Ship - port side!" Samantha Bellamy cried from the crows nest.

Zach took the spyglass away from his eye and clambered up the rigging to Sam, who pointed an outstretched finger at the port side of the vessel. Looking through his spyglass once again, Zach saw the approaching vessel.

However, the ship was still too far to see whether or not it was a friend or foe. Just to be sure, he whistled, a loud, echoing screech that had all the crew crying in agony and covering their ears, everyone except the captain's most trusted friends. Bart Roberts, Samantha Bellamy, and Dick Hawkins were the only ones who could withstand his loud whistle.

"Is calling Linda a good idea?" Hawkins shouted from the helm.

"Yes." Zach's bronze eyes never left the approaching vessel. "We don't have time to start a fight, Linda will rid us of them in an instant."

A few seconds later, a dark shadow loomed beneath the ship, and the seas calmed as though the waves were scared of the dark patch of water.

Zach swung down from the rigging and onto the deck below and approached the railing of his ship. A steady look was evident in his bronze eyes, and his hand held tightly on to the hilt of his cutlass, reminding the shadow that he was still the boss.

The shadow had been in the Flint family for many generations, and only those with Flint blood could tame it. It was for this reason why naval ships and rookie pirates dared not approach the Flint Pirates, fearing the sea monster that always followed them.

However, at times Zach's pet could be unpredictable and attack even its owner, which was why the captain was always cautious of Linda and only ever used her for special occasions. The shadow loved to listen to his younger brother more than him. Linda adored his younger brother, which annoyed Zach to an extent. He never understood why the creature loved his little brother more than him.

The shadow darkened but the monster dared not surface; she could feel the wrath of her master, looming above on the decking of its ship.

"No survivors!" Zach ordered and pointed towards the approaching vessel, which he could now tell was a pirate ship.

He did not recognise the pirate flag as an allied friend. It had a white skull on black sails with gear trains as its crossbones. It could only be a foe.

The monster did as instructed, and the dark shadow disappeared from beneath the ship. Zach eagerly awaited for the show to begin. Hawkins and Sam were already betting amongst themselves, deciding how long the unlucky vessel would last against the sea monster.

☠️

Captain Ruben Kirk's ship rocked violently in the pursuing storm. The hot-headed pirate sat at his desk in his quarters and grumbled when his candle was knocked over and hot wax spilt over his map. He ran a hand through his crimson red hair, knocking his steampunk goggles off the top of his head in the process.

The storm they were passing through was no ordinary storm; it was the start of a magnetic storm which would only grow in size. Luckily, his ship was only on the edge of it, and the storm was heading in the opposite direction of the route they were taking. Still, it had messed with the little electricity they had on the ship, and so had resulted in the use of candles. The storm had also messed with the magnetism in Kirk's compass, resulting in the use of old sea charts that were outdated and useless, making the captain more frustrated by the second as he tried to work out where they were.

A loud rapping came from his chamber door. He picked his goggles up and angrily opened the door to his quarters and scowled deeply towards his first mate, Cain Reed. His friend was drenched through with sea water, and his blonde hair stuck to his face.

"What?" Kirk growled. "I told you not to disturb me unless it was important. I'm busy!"

"Approaching vessel. It's the Flint Pirates. We have to turn and go. They're too powerful for us," Cain said, attempting to persuade his captain.

However, unbeknownst to Cain, the Flint Pirates were who Kirk was looking for, and a smile spread across the red-haired captain's usually-moody face.

Kirk barged past Cain, knocking him over in the process, and stepped out onto the quarter deck. His eyes scanned the horizon until he spotted the enemy's ship. His smile broadened. It was indeed the Flint Pirates; he could tell from the pirate flag of a snake head on red sails.

"Captain!" Morgan shouted from the main deck. "There's something coming!"

Kirk followed his line of direction until he saw the fast-approaching dark shadow. The captain's smile returned in full force. He had not seen the shadow in a very long time.

"It's just Flint's sea monster. Nothing to worry about!" he shouted airily over the roar of the crashing waves against the hull.

"Nothing to worry about?" they all chorused in outrage at his blunt statement, and they started to scatter around the deck in a mad panic.

Flint's sea monster was the deadliest creature in the seas, more so than the legendary Kraken. Unlike the Kraken, Flint's sea monster could be controlled to target certain ships. Nobody had ever survived one of the sea monster's attacks.

Kirk scowled at his screaming crew of cowards and shook his head in disgust. For once, he had to agree with Little Red. His crew was a bunch of washed-up pansies.

"Enough!" he bellowed, loud enough for his crew to stop screaming in terror and freeze to the deck. "If one more person dares to scream, they might as well jump off this ship right now. I will not crew a ship full of cowards! I am your captain, so trust me when I tell you there is nothing to worry about!"

Kirk grabbed his metal surfboard from the side, and he jumped onto it mid-air and surfed the air currents, using his cursed soul of telekinesis to guide the board up into the sky.

"Cain!" he shouted down at his first mate. "Keep the ship heading towards Flint's!"

"But..."

"That's an order!" Kirk glared at him with his dark amber eyes, which were now alight with a sparking fire.

"Yes, captain!" Cain ran over and took control of the helm.

Kirk hovered above the shadow and the monster burst out from the sea, water spraying everywhere. It's mouth opened wide and snapped shut, almost catching Kirk and ripping the end of his steampunk coat.

Kirk nervously laughed as he made the board rise higher into the air and wiped the sweat from his brow. The snake didn't recognise him, but then, it had been ten years. He hovered back down around the head of the monster until he made eye contact with her and smiled.

The monster was a colossal sized snake with sharp, saber-shaped fangs with acidic venom dripping from them. She had turbid green scales and yellow, venom-like eyes that glared towards him with a deep hatred. She hissed, and a pink forked tongue darted out from her mouth.

All of a sudden, she shot forward, aiming towards Kirk's ship and ready to attack. The crew's eyes were wide in terror.

When Kirk placed his forefinger and thumb in his mouth and whistled, a deafening screech that had the majority of the crew covering their bleeding ears and screaming in pain. The snake stopped mid-attack and swivelled her head back around to look at Kirk.

"Hello, Linda." He smirked.

The ginormous snake now looked happier, its yellow eyes gleaming with delight as it shot towards Kirk, and to everyone's surprise, nuzzled up to him.

"Now you recognise me." Kirk laughed and stroked the scales between her eyes. "Has big brother Zach not been treating you well?"

The snake pouted and nuzzled under Kirk's arms, wanting more attention.

"You're a good girl, yes you are!"

At the helm, Cain's mouth flung wide open, utterly speechless as he watched his captain cuddle up to the giant snake like it was his pet labrador. Cain had never seen him act so soft or happy before, not even with Jessica. No words but a stuttering mumble came gasping from his mouth.

"Shut your trap holes, the lot of you!" Kirk scowled down at their gaping faces. "I'm going to have a word with my brother."

"Brother?" Cain questioned, outraged.

Kirk flashed him a menacing grin and tugged on a strand of his crimson red hair. "I'm surprised my hair didn't give me away. I'm Zachary Flint's younger brother, Ruben Kirk Flint."

He said nothing more as he shot off through the air on his silver board towards Flint's ship, leaving the rest of his crew flabbergasted by such a reveal.