Undying Will

The land on either side curved outward, with sandy outcrops flagging around. To the left a collection of thick and verdant trees tufted around, though scanty in number, still gave a feeling of freshness and abundance.

To the right was more highpoint like structure, the sand spread all dune like with a collection of black hardy rocks jutting out copiously. the land overall lifted pretty high, with a treacherous maw like rock structure baying out towards the sea.

A breath of relief shot through my body the ship came to a halt, the landing barely touching at the wooden outcrop that poked out of the sandy port of the otherwise barren island.

The sphinx still stared at us in curiosity, a cursory growl guzzling out of its fanged maw as it neared us.

I was the first off the boat, following me closely were Fawkes and Barts. Fawkes shot me a curiosity steeped glance as he motioned towards the ma.s.sive yet tame beast.

"What"s a sphinx?" he asked softly. "A native creature to a scanty few islands on the new world. they"re pretty tame and harmless, most use them as a type of cattle." I answered dryly as I made my way forward. The fresh countryside winds caressing gently against my cheek, as the fresh scent of moist gra.s.s a.s.sailed my nostrils.

"So where are we?" he asked simply, at this point the rest of the crew had gotten off with Terrick being the only one to stick close to the deck. The group pooled behind me, waiting for my introduction attentively.

"I can"t really tell, to be honest. Needs to be either Sphinx, yes that"s the actual name of the place, Feather tuft island, or Gypte island…. Can"t really tell which though." I answered calmly as I turned around.

As the crew nodded I looked over at Terrick seriously. "Take care of the ship, when the away winds come then you can get the ship to a more protected alcove. I would tell you to get it to that outcrop-" here I pointed to the right, "but staring the ship in this kind of dead wind is almost impossible.

Sorren. You stay back too. You"re injured and I don"t think we want to bring you into the thicket of things, instead why don"t you investigate the area. Check out weather that place-" and again here I motioned to the scary rock outcrop. " can act as a useful docking spot."

Sorren nodded grimly. He may have recovered somewhat, but I didn"t wish to risk the chance that the handicap of taking him would provide. Immediately he took off, silently moving on the sandy beach, as small foot holes formed in his wake.

"Barts, you Scipio and Rein need to stick with us. Either me, Fawkes or Angella need to be around you at all times." I instructed grimly before turning to the two most reliable members of my crew.

"At any other time I would suggest splitting up, but this is unknown territory and you never split the party, so.." with a shrug I moved forward.

As we walked on the sandy beach I could not help but marvel at the level of security and peace that the island offered, so far at least.

At the very end of the beach a swath of gra.s.s began to grow, steadily growing bigger until they reached our knees, as far as the eye could see the gra.s.s grew all around. At the very end of the green path however, a thicket of trees grew. Bounding the humungous monolith as if in a ring like formation.

The gra.s.s seemed to have been grown artificially, for there was no way that they could grow so orderly or so neatly unless they had been cultivated to do so.

Fawkes groaned as we entered the moist gra.s.s, his eyes carefully trailed against the surroundings. The sphinx had slipped into the thicket quite sneakily. Its tail swaying fastidiously as it ran through the dark confines of the branching trees.

"Ugh what sort of annoying landscape is this.?" I muttered to myself as I walked on..

********************************

Marco sighed as he waved his foot around. The world seemed to go to war against itself around him, yet he seemed not even to notice. A bottle of alcohol sat in his hands as he leaned against the walls of the dimly lit tavern.

His orange hair seemed to wave around, all pineapple like as he took a deep sip of the bitter draught.

"G.o.d d.a.m.nit Thatch! That"s my drink!!" a random pirate roared as he drove his elbow into the sn.i.g.g.e.ring sword wielder. His long and afro like hair waved around as he fell off his seat, the bottle of alcohol still in his hand.

"a.s.shole, you want a piece of me?!!" He roared out as he got to his feet, before s.n.a.t.c.hing at his angry crewmate. With a mighty heave he judo flipped him off his chair before smiling in satisfaction.

Unfortunately however the erstwhile untouched alcohol bottle now lay broken, shattered from its contact with the ground.

With a mighty swing, the self satisfied whitebeard pirate was tossed out as a cussing and angry mook took his place.

"a.s.shole don"t waste alcohol!"

And thus devolved the fight that shattered the tavern to bits. Tables fractured under the intense brawl, the tavern chairs had long vanished as food was tossed all around, the crew"s penchant for the preservation of alcohol obviously not extending to the field of the product of sustenance.

As the fight increased in its intensity, Marco"s fellow commander began to enjoy himself more and more, occasionally coating his ginger fists in Haki before resting them in the faces of his comrades.

With a sudden wail, an unfortunate fool flew towards the brooding phoenix. With an equally loud thud the afore mentioned sad existence fell upon the alcohol bottle that Marco had been nursing.

Then began the true pandemonium.

"That does it! Thaaaaaaatchhhhhh!!" he roared as blue flames rose around his feet, before he rocketed towards the grinning swordsman. Punching out with each breath as he sidestepped past the unnamed drunk sod that in his stupor believed himself capable of taking on the first commander of the whitebeard pirates himself.

As all this got underway, a crying bar tender crawled beneath the counter. "Everytime these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds come here, every f.u.c.king time! Why does this have to happen to my bar..?"