Beneath the Gold

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley.” Echoes of hushed voices muttering the same sentence could be heard throughout every corner of the miniscule countryside village. Yet, despite the apparent truth to this statement, the speculation that followed it was nothing more than idle gossip. Because, despite the value that people place on honesty and reasoning, it can be quite difficult to keep the fantastic details away from an equally fantastical and intriguing tale.

That’s not to say everybody believed in such stories. For it seemed unlikely that anyone would assume that the crew of the infamous Spector believed in the dragon as well as the cursed treasure that took a leading role in the dragon’s creation- in fact, some of the notoriously nosy townspeople (and let’s be honest, that includes nearly every single one of them) were hard at work in the rumor mill spinning gossip about the alleged interest the enigmatic captain had taken in finding and retrieving the treasure. In other words, the captain and his crew were looking for trouble (and no matter how much the townspeople denied it, they were keen to take a front row seat in the events that were bound to go down).

The Spector’s captain was somewhat of a local celebrity in the village, but not in the way some would love to meet their favorite singer or actor. Long story short, he was the subject of both admiration (mostly by the, as some would put it, impressionable and rebellious youth) and disgust. As scandalized onlookers caught sight of his long black boots (which were, in all honesty, quite ill-fitted for his short stature) stomping down the cobblestone alleyways to the local saloon, they glared- only to immediately look away as soon as he turned to meet their angry gaze with a sarcastic one of his own. Because despite appearances, no one wanted to make an enemy out of the captain and his crew.

The saloon was a local hot spot, with its walls practically bursting from the amount of bustle and energy packed within the tight walls of the place. The more optimistic types would describe it as a place of unity, with both law abiding citizens frequenting the location for friendly meet-ups as well as their not so favorable counterparts dealing in undisclosed business. The not so optimistic types would describe it as the perfect environment for some not so savory people, situations, and items. However, no matter what anyone thought of the saloon, they could all agree that it was the perfect place to gain information- whether or not the information was given knowingly and willingly is a whole other story.

Now, when gathering information it’s important to be discreet. That’s something all pirates know, and as such, they walked into the saloon with as much discretion as possible. It seemed to work, as the chatter in the room kept its volume and pace without even the slightest pause. Snippets of conversation could be heard clearly if one tuned into them fully.

“-some say it’s hidden on Carre Island-”

“-cursed, I tell you. The minute anyone touches that stash they’ll meet the same fate the dragon did.”

“Aye, think that pirate’ll test fate, eh?”

“-Stupid too, messing with things that don’t concern ‘em huh-”

Truly, some conversations can be so enlightening as long as one stops to listen in on them. On that day, the pirate and two of his closest crewmates discovered a lead on their newest obsession. They were going to find the so-called “cursed” treasure and claim it as their own. For surely no one could be so stupid as to beleive an old legend from centuries ago. No, they were going to find it, loot it, and become rich enough to buy an entire fleet of ships. Nothing could stand in their way.