Gold, Gold

Long ago when huge wooden ships sailed the sea and thieving pirates collected their bounty. There sailed a great ship called the Blackhorn run by the notorious Captain Cutthroat. The captain was very misguided and greedy. He believed that the only way to true happiness was to acquire all the gold he could get his filthy hands on. Now all pirates steal gold, yet all knew that no pirate should allocate that much gold, for it will drive any sane person mad. Captain Cutthroat knew this motto, but he wouldn't let a dumb theory prevent him from obtaining those precious metals. He couldn't care less for he wanted that gold, no he needed it, so there was certainly no stopping him. He would sail vast seas during terrible storms and on scorching hot days. He went through every jungle, cave, and mountain to collect the gold, cursed or not.

It came to a point that some of the crew of the Blackhorn began to despise the captain’s actions. So, down in the belly of the ship a few of them got together to figure out a solution, to their so-called problem. "So, lads what you say shall be done of the captain?" Asked Ricks, a large man with a bald head and snake tattoos. "I'm not sure...but something sure needs to be dun. I'm not appreciating being led to me death." Sated Edgar, a ruff man with a brown beard and a hook for his left hand. "I say we take off with the Blackhorn and leave him stranded!" Suggested the lookout man Wormwood. "I'd say throw him with the fishes, we could sure use a good meal," said the cook. "Shan’t we be considerate he is our captain after all. The man gave us all a living." Winston shyly said as he stood nervously in the corner. As he said that all eyes turned to him in a queer fashion. "I'd say, why'd we need to be nice to him. The man brought us through chasm’s, dark caves, dense jungles, and not to mention the terrible storms we had to traverse. Why be nice to him eh... he did nonthin for us!" Ricks announced the last part to the room, which got everyone rowelled up as they cheered, “Yaa" in unison. After which, they all clanked their mugs and swallowed a mouthful of ale. "For Pete's sake!" Winston yelled. Everyone stared in his direction; the cook giving him a look as if saying to leave it alone. "Are you all forgetting the code..." "the code? What about the code, boy? Are you suggesting...", Wormwood interrupted? "I'm not suggesting anything. I was just saying if we shall follow the code then thinking these horrible plans to endure on the captain, ain't right. We shall let mother nature take her course and let nature bestow its punishment to him." Winston finished his proposition and waited to hear their response. Whispered remarks and silent chatter filled the room as the men rationalized the lad's position. “You are suggesting karma?” Asked Sherly. “He’s proposing voodoo! I’m not getting tied up in that,” Millard said frankly. “No, no karma’s not evil. It has nothing to do with voodoo you simpleton,” argued the cook. “Sure, it does my grandpap met a traveling fortune teller that said it was true that karma is evil, “said Mitchell, the cook answering back with “surely that’s not the case.” Finally, Lyle a pot-belled man with orange sideburns and a grey cap spoke up. "I say he's right; not about that silly karma stuff you all are babbling on about, but about the code. The code is the code and if we had none, we'd only be dirty pirates with no morals. But that ain't our way, no. Judge for yourselves what type of pirate you like to be. I personally want to be moral. If anyone else agrees then shall we not do as the lad says and let mother nature do her bidding?" More chatter was heard as some agreed and others debated. Wormwood spoke, "those that agree, say, aye..." "aye!" Everyone said and took a swig of ale once more. Ricks folded his arms and looked to the captain’s quarters. "Well then, we let mother nature do her bidding."

Once every two weeks the captains of other ships get together at Nerve’s Port to discuss problems, assign new treasure spots, and trade. In the meeting room, there was a table to the side adorned with figurines and a large globe. Another wall had a map on it and a bookshelf full of books. To the back of the room, a small bar stood near to the lit fireplace. The rest of the room was filled with the large round table that housed another map and markers. It’s here that the captains sat. Attending the meeting was Captain Hert of the White-Ram, Captain Olmsgi of the Timberwolf, Captain Tent of the Bluelily, and finally Captain Ventra of the Red-Bat. The only one that seemed to be missing from the table was none other than Captain Cutthroat. Which was fortunate for the others as Cuttroat’s actions were being speculated by the group. “This is getting too far he’s already made it to the Silent Cove, the Leaky Bay, the White Wolf River, and the Dark Maelstrom!” Stated the distraught Captain Hert. Whom of which adorned a large green waistcoat, a bear pellet, a black captain’s hat, and a bushy black beard. “It has gotten too much!” Captain Tent who had a beige collared overcoat, a small black cape, a trimmed brown mustache, and a feathered captain’s hat thought out loud, “I’m just surprised to see the lengths he’s willing to go to obtain gold. I personally would not set foot in the Dark Maelstrom, that place is much too wild.” “I agree, he’s defiantly pushing his crew. I wouldn’t think that’s a good idea, it could lead to mutiny,” added Captain Ventra. She had on a black waistcoat with red trim over a red buttoned vest, a black captain’s hat with a red plume, and her dark brown hair was tied in a braid. “We certainly should do something though, he’s going against the code, and I shall quote, ‘No one pirate shall be overburden with riches for he shall go mad,” explained Olmsgi. Hert brushed him off “yes, yes we all heard it before,” Ventra interrupted “but it seems Cutthorat forgot.” Olmsgi continued, “I guess that’s true. It’ll certainly give reason to his obsession. But he’s going against the code another way.” Tent perked up as he heard this “ah, and how so,” he inquired. “Well, he’s playing with the lives of his crew. ‘And no captain should jeopardize his crew for his own gain,’ as the code states.” “Yes, we know; how interesting,” Tent thought. Ventra piped up, “then we better stop him. Shall we discuss a course of action? I say crown judgment.” “Whoa, a crown judgment. Certainly not! That’s much too versatile we need to be more discreet…” Tent stopped to think and of an idea and continued, “hmm, we can always prevent him from moving his ship. It’ll stop him dead in his tracks.” Olmsgi questioned, “and how do you suppose we do that, huh?” Tent speculated, he seemed he was about to say something then stopped. Finally, he whispered, “well I didn’t think of that minor detail.” Hert rubbed his chin and proposed his idea, “well, how about we report him to the imperials, they’ll surely put Cutthroat in his place. Now isn’t that a great idea!” Once again Olmsgi shook his head and countered that idea. “Yes, very great indeed, but tell me how you would propose we tell the imperial when were wanted as well, hmm?” Hert looked baffled and angrily asked as he hit the table with his fist, “well Olmsgi if you have a better idea then spit it out!” Tent spoke up, “Hert, we don’t need that here…,” “I know, but he keeps pushing down our bloody ideas!” Hert interrupted, which was followed by Ventra saying, “it’s certainly complexing why you are expressing dislike for our ides, yet you have suggested none of your own. So, what’s your idea then Olmsgi?” All three of the captains looked at Olmsgi who was dressed in a navy overcoat adorned with gray fur, a white collared shirt, and a white captain’s hat with a blue feather. Olmsgi scanned the faces of the other members, got up from his chair, and left the room. Whilst mumbling, “let mother nature take her course,” and just like that he was gone. Leaving the others looking confused, “well, who in the blazers knows what he meant?” Tent asked; Ventra just shook her head, “I’m as clueless as you.” Hert added, “I have no idea, no idea at all.”

Meanwhile, on yet another treasure hunt the Blackhorn found itself in the most terrible storm by far. The crew was terrified, Sherly yelled, “we're gonna die,” “we should have done something sooner,” Wormwood called out. “I love my mom,” wailed Millard. “I told ya, this has gone too far,” sated Ricks. “I want out of here,” Winston exclaimed, “I rightfully agree. Let’s get out of here,” Lyle yelled. The wind and rain were so loud it was hard for the crew to hear one another or even the captain for that matter. But none of them had to be told twice they all were thinking the same thing; they got to get off the ship. The entire crew hoped in the rowboats and lowered down to the crashing waves below. Captain Cutthroat cried out to them, “stop! What you all be doing?” Although no one could hear him for the storm carried out his cries. Either way, the crew scarred for their lives set out in the rowboats, surprisingly once they rowed away the storm stopped. “What’s this,” asked the chef. “How odd the storm stooped,” stated Edgar. “But look, the storm is still over the ship,” noted Winston. All of them looked yonder and saw for themselves the sight. Blue skies were overhead of them while over the Blackhorn a dark cloud could be seen. It was a strange sight, and the pirates were shocked even confused. “I don’t get it. What happened? Asked Ricks, “I’d say, we're here and there's a storm over there. It just makes no sense,” Lyle explained. One pirate, Mitchell, was sure he knew the answer, “It’d be that karma. Or what you said mother nature doing here biding.”

Inadeptly, it was, karma taking its course. You see, for Cutthroat the storm continued as he tried to steer his ship. A large gust of wind knocked him over the railing and into the dark cold ocean. Cutthroat thought to himself, ‘this is it, this is the end,’ he nearly drowned. Consequently, he found himself being pulled out of the water onto a bed of sand. As he gasped for air and spat out seawater, he hears someone speak. “The storm was your punishment for being too greedy. Greedy pirates aren't abnormal, but you have gone too far Captain Cutthroat. Your greed has clouded your vision and caused you to make poor choices that put you and your crew in danger. This won’t happen again if you stick to your fair share and leave greed no place in your mind.” Although he wanted to thank the man, it was too foggy to see who it was, and they seemed to be gone instantaneously. Scarred for his life Captain Cutthroat did as the voice has instructed. He even renamed his ship to the Whitehorn to further himself from his greedy past. So, Cutthroat learned to step carefully and keep to the code, as any pirate was a morally lost pirate without it. The Whitehorn continued to sail the vast sea and collect bounty as thieving pirates do, back in those days.

The End.