She screamed, crying out for him. His body tumbled down without resistance into the pit, right under the gaze of a being she had considered sacred. Her lover did not manage to rise to his feet as the queen of the hive leaned closer, lowering a few of her uncountable sharp appendages to brush him.

No one ever dared near the mother of the brood. In their admiring reverence, they still knew of the danger she could pose. When collecting the carapaces that the drones shed, they always made sure to give something in return.

She had always served the hive. In the many years in which she had brought water into the hollows, she never imagined this. Two generations of chieftains had gone by since such a sentence had been called for. Their heretic crime was unforgivable in the eyes of the tribe.

The queen had not fed on more than amber and dust scarabs for a whole century. But it remembered all too well the way humans tasted. The brood was one of the most direct creations of their bringer, and now she would finally see how bloody the instincts they mirrored really were.

She tried to get free, not for her life, but for his. The guards did not let her, keeping her arms pinned in their firm hold. Impotent tears fell from her eyes while the sounds flowed up; the grand shadow of that beast concealed the brutality of its hunger.

There was nothing she could do, no matter how much she wished for it. She could only growl defiantly when the chief directed his condescending glare to her, both proud in their thoughts and stances. He had all the power, however.

He stepped closer and leaned to her eye level. His next words were spiteful, shaming, and taunting. And yet, she did not regret what she did. This man had sworn her brother was worthy; he compelled him into the fire, to then insult his devotion by considering an outsider more virtuous.

She would also walk into the flames willingly. All that she wanted was to prove him wrong, demonstrate that it was his sightless leadership that kept their deity from sensing their efforts. Her whole lineage was strong, and her brother was no oddity in his might.

In the eyes of their leader, she was nothing but another worthless servant, a peon. If her sort did not show strength in their enforced deprivation and famine, it meant they did not have inherent potential. He made sure to speak such notions aloud, for all his entourage to hear. With one last scoff, he gave her his back, pointing at the edge of the circular path where they stood. The guards forced her forward, making her lean towards the slope, holding her there until the final word was given.

She huffed, intensifying her efforts, yanking. As her hair was pulled at, she surrendered with a pained shriek, something that made the chief smirk. He limped closer, looming to curse her one more time. A vindictive whisper would have been the last she would have heard, if not for the faint thud that echoed suddenly behind them.

The chief blinked, hearing a metallic clanking. As he turned, time seemed to freeze. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar round device rolling down from the upper shadowed path, glinting almost as much as the amber that crowded the huge hollow. He recognized immediately the fuse, and the way it was being consumed by a small ember. By the time he yelled in alarm, it had tumbled and stopped by their side, seconds away from blowing.

She flinched, confused by that trinket and the way her people reacted upon its sudden appearance. The chief had refused to let her know that their martyr had escaped, and she was not present to see the ritual fail, so she had no idea what was happening.

The chief yelled loudly, fast to point at the ball in alarm. With his intense demand, a guard panicked as much, if not more. The order was to get rid of the explosive, send it away before it could blow on them; and so, it was done. Those old eyes dimmed, as he saw the soldier kick at the bomb, sending it away as asked. It was an instinctive reaction, panicked and without thought. Its outcome would be far worse than them suffering the blast, because the ball rolled down the pit, towards the huge nest of amber, where the queen rested.

She gasped, for all happened quickly. The guards had let her go when the trinket stopped at their feet, and as it was sent down, the chief jumped down after it with a loud cry, overcoming his horrified shock.

There was only one second of delay before chaos consumed the hive. The smoke bomb tumbled down to the bottom of the pit, where the queen stirred and creaked to inspect it. A man leaped willfully towards both threats, wishing to stop one. Meanwhile, two shadows bolted above through the arcs, having cast the catalyst of their reprisal.

With one last faint hiss, the fuse was consumed in its entirety. The pit was engulfed by a flaming light; the sparks that would have released the smoke clashed with some amber instead, starting a huge, wild inferno. Chief and queen were hit squarely by the blast and ignition, for both had been reaching out to the smoking trinket, either in desperation or curiosity. The animal regretted doing so as it burned, while the man mourned his failure in agony.

The tribesmen above screamed and stumbled back, because the whole hollow shook. Fire crawled rapidly onto the walls and inclines, consuming the amalgamations of amber and any drones that climbed on them. Rocks and sticky threads fell loudly from above, wrecking the earth that had taken centuries to carve.

She panted and coughed, hit as well by the rush of smoke that surged from the pit. If they were not blinded by the blast of dusty gunpowder, they would be stunned by the intense light of the fire. It did not help that they were used to the dense darkness of their underground den.

As the guards scattered to dodge the flames that soared, she kicked herself free, doing her best to run off without falling into the hole. A few soldiers did, be it in their daze or when pushed by some drones that descended the walls towards their queen.

She could not see, much less hear anything past the loud screeches that the queen was letting out, but she ran as fast as possible towards the upper path. It was not easy to maneuver through them at the moment, but she knew the layout of the caverns like her own hands. Of all, she was the one who most wished to leave the hollow, not as mournful as her kin.

Anyone who managed to see past the smoke and blinding lights soon made a deadly choice. Instead of fleeing towards the slopes that led to the arcs and exit, they tried to get closer to the fire, unwary of the fact that it could not possibly be extinguished. They wished to save the queen, who was thrashing wildly below, causing more rumbles by slamming its slender limbs on the walls.

The deafening howls were infernal, almost as haunting as the way in which the amber melted over its exoskeleton. Flesh and chitin began to bristle, scorched by the burning golden flow. Once dressed in shining glimmers, now it looked like a dark demon tearing out from hell itself. It called for her drones, only to see them rush into the growing blaze and burn as well, covered in amber. The increasing agony of its spawn set her into a frenzy, much more dangerous than the fire that engulfed it.

The tribesmen had stayed to cry by the edge and soon regretted it. The flames had not managed to reach the upper path yet, but when the queen roared and slammed its limbs down, they did. Some finally decided to run towards the exit, which had not been set alight due to leniency. There was another rumble, then a ripping creak. The beast yanked itself away from the wall where it was tied, tearing off her long thorax in the process. It fell loudly between the flames, to then begin to charge against the walls of the pit. Although it had ripped itself away from its endless twitching abdomen and was burning bright, it climbed strongly and fiercely.

Above, the one that had been intended to be killed passed the arcs, coughing as she emerged out of the growing gusts of smoke. The fire was chasing fast, emanating a light that illuminated most of the caverns. Her senses were so dazed that she failed to notice the two figures creeping in the closest pathway.

As soon as she stumbled out, a choice was made. One of the figures dashed, reassured by the fact that she had been the first to escape from the hollow. Two strong hands slammed on her, to then pull her off the ground in a swift and calculated snatch.

Barbara got out from her hiding spot too, exchanging a strong nod with Olve when he threw the girl onto his shoulder. He ignored the way in which the girl began to punch and kick loudly in his hold, calling to the pirate hurriedly.

“Got her! Where to now?!”

If the circumstances were not extremely urgent, Barbara would have barked that this had been his idea. Still, she was quick to glare at the hollow and assess how its occupants were rushing for the exit, much like the flames.

“Out, and fast!” Both gasped and stumbled a little; even the girl faltered when a huge rumble shook the entire hive. “Shit, that thing is-!”

There was no time to cry out in worry. Olve bolted into a startled sprint, moving away as a huge scythe tore through one of the hollow’s encasing walls, flinging scorched debris all around in the process. Barbara backpedaled and followed fast, dodging the tribesmen that fled through the arcs in a terrified rush.

The caverns had been filled with a subtle intermittent creaking, yet now it was assaulted by a cacophony of melting gold, agonized screeches, scared yells, and an endless hateful wail. Drones began to swarm towards their queen when she tore her way out of her nest, cutting through anything in her way, be it fire, stone, or flesh.

Barbara had seen how much amber had been piled in that pit, and she could not believe that it had not managed to end that monstrosity. Now it was rampaging its way towards the heights of the caverns, exactly where they had wanted to flee while the tribe panicked.

“I told you we would both regret this! We should have burned the amber by the arcs, trapped them, and let them sort it all while getting the hell away! But no, we had to fetch this brat!”

Olve looked back at Barbara, huffing while he endured their yells and jabs to keep running.

“The results would have been the same, just delayed by one more death!”

“And we should have chosen that postponement! Now we-“

They stopped in their tracks, seeing a drone burst suddenly from the ground. The girl almost fell to the ground when Olve threw himself aside, dodging by inches the charge of the huge ant. Barbara snarled and let herself drop back onto the ground, not having space to evade such a rush.

She closed her eyes, seeing the huge beast run over her, strongly and desperately. The ground rumbled while it slammed its appendages, headed for the hollow. Each thud made her wince, believing she would be trampled. It was when she stopped sensing its shadow over her that she deflated and looked.

Olve sighed with as much relief, both seeing that she had not been crushed under the insect. Barbara was quick to jump to her feet again, with a hand over her racing heart.

“T-this, wouldn’t have happened if…” She wheezed and whispered to herself, too short of breath to curse him. “Mother of all seas, I should have left.”

The servant had been startled by her sudden kidnapping; due to the chaos around her and the way she had been pulled and carried, she did not have a chance to assess her new circumstances. When he dodged that drone, he had to readjust his grip, causing her to catch a glimpse of his face.

Both outlanders flinched, seeing her gasp and exclaim loudly, stopping punching to point fiercely instead. They understood nothing about what she was yelling, only that she was shouting some sort of unbelieving angry question.

Olve did not want to get hit again, and he knew that she would resume her kicking soon, so he quickly dropped her. He kept a gentle but firm hold on her shoulders to prevent her from running, and he opened his mouth to try to explain. Before he could argue their past and current fray, however, Barbara dashed and slammed a hand around her jaw, pulling to make her look at her.

“Alright, listen up, you scrawny imp. My patience is at its limits, and if you want to survive this fire and my fist, you better behave!” The girl cowered visibly, and not due to the hellish wails or rumbling of fallen debris around them; as the smoke of the inferno poured into every path, Barbara’s gaze seemed much more feral than the one of the queen.  “This idiot wants you alive, and I’ll only follow along if you help us get up THERE!”

Barbara pointed strongly upwards, at the mouth of the caverns. The native needed to squint to spot it past the dust and fierce reflections of the fire on amber, but realization seemed to cross her. She let out a strange word, pointing a little more hesitantly at it, like if she was questioning their intentions. That was when Olve interjected nervously, pointing to it too, as well as himself.

“Look, you surely know your way around the hive!” He made sure to put emphasis on his expressions and gestures, knowing there was a language barrier. “We got you OUT of that hollow; we dropped that thing! You tried to poison my food, so you owe me! Guide us there, quickly!”

The girl tensed, her expression hinting clear awareness of his aim and attitude; she was fast to begin looking around herself and up, nodding and articulating contemplative words, which Olve found reassuring. Neither paid much attention to how Barbara looked at the two, awfully deadpanned.

“She WHAT now?” She gasped, because the girl pulled at Olve with a determined resigned snarl, beginning to run and guide them towards a secluded path that led to an outer cavity. “Wait! What the hell did you just say?!”

She ran after them, confused to no end. He refused to acknowledge her question, and the girl did not understand her. The three rushed into that path and cavity, moving further away from the chaos that was building up in the core of the caverns.

There was no chief to oversee the inferno that struck the tribe; he laid dead in a pit, scorched and trampled by the very thing he wished to protect obsessively. That beast had climbed onto some cliffs, spreading the fire that burnt over it in its rampage.

It kept roaring, opening its six bloodied pincers wide, revealing its bloodthirsty eyes and maws. At its feet laid multiple corpses, of natives it chased in vindictive anger. Wherever it crawled, the flames would follow, turning the surrounding amber into a boiling stream of gold.

Drones kept trying to get to it. As an animal, it was not easy for it to become aware of that notion, but it was only a matter of time. When the hundredth drone dropped dead through the inferno, its whole body shivered, twitching in mournful fury.

The patrol that had been standing at the mouth of the caverns was long gone. They had run down the path to come to the rescue, unaware that they would need to fight for survival themselves. The most devout had gathered deeper into the hive, trying to rile up some dust scarabs to tie a few drones away from the fire.

Olve flinched and let out a loud yelp when he followed the girl into the cavity she guided them to. He almost fell back, scared by the two long pincers that came to view near him. When he stumbled back, the girl turned and scoffed, seeing him cower from an insect she knew to be harmless.

Barbara glared down at him as much, quick to pick up on how the scarab was simply pacing nervously, big but innocuous. Both women hinted pure annoyance for him, and they never doubted to bark at him. He only understood one of them.

“Get up, idiot.” The pirate hummed in interest, seeing the girl near the insect after grabbing some rope. The cavity was full of baskets, tools, and trinkets. It was clear that she worked here, taking care of these beasts they used as cattle. “She might be useful after all.”

Olve trembled, seeing the native hop onto the long grey shell of the insect, yanking at the rope that she tied around its long pincers. The loudness of the screams and rumbles was growing outside, yet he was more unnerved by the implication of their stares.

“Oh no, we aren’t-“

He got slapped, not too hard, but rough enough to make him reconsider.

“Get on the damn scarab before I tie you to it and drag you behind!” Barbara growled, unbelieving of Olve’s apprehension, considering what lurked outside. He luckily snapped out of it, rubbing his cheek and stepping closer to the animal. A shiver ran down his back when he set a hand onto its shell. He hoped on before he could be smacked again. Holding on was quite uncomfortable, because he needed to lay his hands on the shell and ignore the way the pirate slammed hers on his shoulders, riding behind him. “Make it move, brat! Now!”

Barbara did not only have insults for Olve, even if only he understood them. The girl obeyed, hitting the reigns to force the scarab into a march. It trudged slowly at first, awfully so.

“How is this any better than us running towards the-?”

Olve shut up with another yelp, because the scarab suddenly lunged into a fast rush that made him falter. He only avoided falling off thanks to Barbara’s fierce hold behind him. He soon shook his head with a serious frown, focusing on holding onto the native to ensure they would all travel safely. She was yelling and hitting the reigns with great determination, almost as decided as the pirate was.

The scarab was directed through uncountable dark paths, in which she did not doubt to trample the decorations and trinkets she once had respected greatly. They passed some tribesmen and drones too, but none did anything to stop them, too busy fleeing or rushing deeper towards the core.

Their unchallenged escape did not last too long. There was a louder wail, much more feral, uncanny. As they climbed towards the upper slopes that led to the mouth, the drones that crawled around twitched suddenly, reacting to that call. The girl paled, and it did not fail to make their hopeful spirits fade.

“What-“

That attempted question was answered quickly. All screamed when a drone dropped from the ceiling, aiming its pincers at their necks. It was thanks to the scarab’s speed that it missed. Olve let out a prayer, because he dared look back; he was able to see most of the caverns from the path they were on, and the sight was right out of hell itself. The fire had climbed all the way to the top of the hive, right behind the huge monstrosity that arched on some cliffs. It was opening its maws wide, sending a call that made uncountable drones swarm down from their holes, unto any human they could find.

They had sparked the anger of the ants, forcing whoever remained to flee to the inner temples or mouth. The tribe was no longer trying to put out the inferno, realizing all too late that they were now prey. Soldiers still kept trying to follow the guidance of their fallen chief and fought to gain control, fanatic in life and in death. It was clear that they had torn the hierarchy of the den to its very core. And they were not free from its repercussions, not yet. Perhaps they could escape the tribe’s wrath, but not the one of its symbols and idols. 

“Faster!” Barbara demanded, seeing the queen descend from the cliffs as well, headed to the mouth like them. “Make it run faster!”

The girl shouted back at her, growling as much. He was far too fixated on that monstrosity to plea as well, even if he maybe should. That thing was breaking apart its own den, rampaging over every cavity and path, sending its burning brood onto any unfortunate soul it could set eyes on. It was charging towards them, faster than the scarab.

Their yells and expletives died out eventually, silenced by the loud roar that echoed behind them. The queen did not take long to spot them rushing up to the mouth, finally brushed by the sunlight that gleamed into the caverns. It doubled its efforts, leaping out of the flames it dragged behind like a shining dress.

It was charging right for them, wishing to tear them apart with its six jagged pincers. Its haunting visage was open wide, every second closer. Those limbs were faster and stronger than the ones of the brood. They would soon be minced if the gods did not grant them luck.

Barbara huffed and pushed past Olve on the shell, reaching for the reigns. She stole them from the girl’s grasp, spotting something far more urgent than the proximity of the queen. As she yanked fiercely and forced the scarab to bolt to a side abruptly, the other two scrambled and gasped. A huge shard of amber struck the path a second after, right where they had been headed. They were lucky she spotted it breaking above.

The pirate forced the insect to steer and run around the shattered golden debris, not very concerned by how the other two almost fell off. There was no time for much consideration, not when the beast bit the air behind them. Amber and pincers made contact, not yet intertwined by approaching flames. Barbara glared at the mouth, now near, to then glance back with a calculative scowl. She stood tall and balanced herself on the shell, giving one single warning before letting go of the ropes she stole.

“Leap!”

And with that word, she did. Her jump caused the scarab to go stray, now headed for a golden wall. The queen was climbing those shards and crawling towards them… and the fire soon licked the huge pile of amber, almost as big as the beast. All understood the danger it implied.

Olve jumped an instant before the hellish burst sparked, pulling the girl off the scarab with him, urgently. All became a blur as soon as they rolled on the ground. Their mount hit a wall indeed, just as the amber below the queen released a fierce stream of flames; more shards began to fall due to the collision, only increasing the intensity of the chemical reaction.

The drones that had been swarming close by were pushed back, some crushed by flaming falling debris. Meanwhile, the queen was concealed in a flaming surge that was almost as big as the one in the pit, blinding. The force of the eruption was so fierce that their smaller bodies were sent forth, as she predicted.

The three screamed while they tumbled and rolled out of the caverns, brushed by embers and debris. Although the hissing of fire was still fierce, they stopped hearing the screeches of those beasts, replaced by the subtle murmur of a waterflow.

Barbara tried to raise her gaze from the ground, dazed. She was the first to try to sit up, seeing a blur of green, blue, and yellow. A small chuckle escaped her, for she knew that those shadows were the dense jungle and the end of the channel, overseen by the sun she had missed so dearly.

It took her a minute to stand, taking then another moment to breathe deeply. Smoke rushed into her lungs, mixed with the pure air of the island. Her vision cleared, yet she could barely see; there was too much debris and dust, brought on by the blast.

The mouth of the caverns looked as voracious as the maws of that monstrosity, like a dragon releasing fire. Luckily, the flames could not reach the jungle and spread further. There was no amber outside, and the entrance laid at the bottom of some tall cliffs, where sand prevented all fire from growing.

She spotted them in between the debris, thrown on the ground. There were some flaming golden shards near them, so she invoked all her strength and limped to them. As she kicked a stone away from his torso, his bright eyes began to open.

Olve sat up with a long groan, blinking and wincing when dust brushed his eyes. He recovered quickly, sending Barbara a stunned glance that was answered with a tired glare.

“Where is she?”

His honest sympathy never failed to baffle her. This time, instead of scorning it, she acknowledged it.

“She’s fine.” She leaned her head, seeing her gobble to her feet a little distance away, growling something that had to be a curse. “I think.”

He began to become more aware of his surroundings, overcoming his own daze. The fact that some drones were charging out of the mouth startled him, but he quickly saw why Barbara was not as alarmed. They were dying, struck by a direct ignition; like the ones that had been near the pit, they squirmed and twitched a few times, to then drop down into a blistering golden and black mass.

The swarm was scattering in the caverns, unable to creep out and reach them. They could not see the queen through the thick smoke and flames, so they took their time on the shore of the channel, trying to steady their breaths.

Olve brushed his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He had a few burns and cuts, but he was still alive. As he glanced at the few sun rays that reached him from above, he huffed something he felt sure of.

“Thank you… Barbara.”

The pirate raised an eyebrow down at him, hearing her name be spoken so gratefully. She opened her mouth to feign scorn, bothered by his meaningful and relieved stare, but she was not able to acknowledge his gratitude. He shouldn’t thank her yet. Both tensed and flinched, feeling the sand tremble below them. Even the nearby water seemed to ripple, struck by a fierce quake. He swallowed, while she instinctively reached for a knife she no longer had.

They recognized all too well the growl that began to echo from the mouth, growing louder with each second they stood there in horrified alarm. The girl let out a fearful exclamation and sprinted off fast towards the jungle, knowing what awoke in the blaze.

Olve and Barbara moved back too, but much more slowly and dazedly. They trembled as multiple limbs emerged from the flames and darkness, to stab deep into the sand. They yanked to drag out the rest of the beast, which greeted the open air with a voracious, wrathful roar. The pincers creaked sickeningly when they parted from its face, ripped due to the force of the howl and the burning they endured.

Neither could look away from it while it dragged itself out of the caverns, closer. Perhaps they could have fled, but it would have only won them time; although wounded and slow, it was faster than them. They did not have that scarab anymore, for they used it to intensify the blast with its crash.

They were cornered. The cliffs loomed at their sides, the channel that traversed the island flowed behind them, and in front of them laid the monster that wished to tear them apart while it burned to dust. Its chitin was as black as night now, with no trace of the gold that had dressed it. Still alive, and adamant about killing.

“Olve.” He snapped slightly out of his terror, hearing her mutter his name for the first time. She was pale, yet past her fear, there was pure frustrated anger. “Got to say this before I die… go to hell.”

She was gripping the necklace in her pocket. He was as terrified of the pincers that were lowering towards them, yet he managed an apologetic, stammered answer.

“Y-you kind of got me out of it. A-almost.”

Both closed their eyes and braced themselves, too battered to try to run. They waited for the snap of those pincers around their fragile bodies, knowing there was no chance of them traversing the shores of the channel to reach the ostra or a boat.

They believed that their defiant rush was over. That was why they gasped and jolted when they heard the loud rumble. It was not a snap, and even if it brought a ripping sound, there was no pain. They did fall to the ground, however, struck by yet another rumble.

Barbara caught herself with her hands, wide-eyed, recognizing immediately the sound that blasted from behind them. On the other hand, Olve focused on the way the monster tumbled back, struck by a sudden force that came from nowhere.

The pirate stood tall and grinned smugly, turning to face the channel again. Her surprised green eyes filled with pride as she distinguished a bowsprit tearing through the mists of smoke. Multiple big sails loomed over the distant waters, nearing at rapid speed.

Olve sat there, watching yet another cannonball hit the queen, sinking another shell on its scorched thorax. It tried to stand tall, yet it failed in its efforts, breaking apart due to its previous injuries and the current barrage of gunfire.

La ostra tore through the waters and gusts of smoke, revealing its approach through the channel. Its crew was gathered on the masts and by the railings on deck, holding all the guns they had available in their cargo. A loud call came from the crow’s nest, from a one-eyed woman that held a long rifle. 

“Haste to take cover, captn!”

It was both a threat and a warning. Barbara knew that Dolores was one of the bluntest crewmates in her ship, so she quickly dashed to Olve and yanked him to his feet. It only took a second for another cannonball to surge near the sand where they stood, aimed directly at the limbs of the beast. The shots were a gamble, which the captain found worth taking. Sand turned into glass when the shot made collision, stopping the queen from dragging itself closer. Its head slammed down onto the ground, where it kept twisting to try to gain ground, desperate in its rage.

Barbara was now cackling, shaking her head while she dragged a baffled Olve behind her. She ran up to the edge of the water, sinking a little as she shouted to her comrades.

“Stupidas, you had the perfect chance to get rid of me, and you let it pass!”

A figure jumped onto the nearest railing and glared down at her, yelling back accusingly.

“Had to get back at you for stealing my ammo!” Olivia smirked angrily, pointing down at them in a scorning manner. “We’ll hang you later, once we see what spoils you have managed! For now, hold your captive still!”

Olve blinked, not liking to be called a detainee; sadly, judging by how Barbara held him sternly, maybe he was. The threat of her second in command bothered him greatly, because she had been the one to take him out of his captain’s cabin at gunpoint. 

“What are you doing?! Haven’t you heard her?! They’ll throw a mutiny once-“

Barbara rolled her eyes and gave him a shove, releasing him when she saw a figure jump off from one of the ratlines. In just a second, Maria swung by on a rope and snatched him away towards the ship, prompting him to huff and yell in surprise.

Olivia had grabbed a rope as well, and Barbara took a firm stance once she saw her lean on the railing. The brunette jumped off like Maria did, and as her captain leaped over the water, she caught her in her arms. Both women glared at each other, angry and relieved at once. Time flew by slowly as they swung back to the ship, concealed by smoke and the shadows of the sails.

“Leave me again, and I’ll strand you on an island far worse than this one.”

Barbara grinned, unbothered by such threats. She taunted Olivia, leaning closer in her arms while the wind brushed their long hair.

“I don’t fear you, so I don’t think an isle full of cannibals will scare me much, dear.”

Both huffed when they hit the hull, slamming their feet against it. They promptly began to climb it, dragging themselves to the deck. When they set foot on it, Olivia was quick to push her off and walk to a cannon with a scoff, something that Barbara disregarded with a smug smile.

The captain took a deep breath, entranced by the familiar smell of gunpowder, rum, and salty tides. She opened her eyes to the sight of Olve struggling under the hold of five of her underlings, who were pointing at him zealously with flint guns and daggers.

“Now, girls, I worked hard to fetch him alive out of there. Don’t maim him… much.”

Olve glared at her, scoffing warily.

“Make them let go.”

He expected what she did next, but it still hurt. She leaned her head slowly, to then smirk at him.

“No, I don’t think so.” His gaze darkened when she gave him her back, taunting. “You owe me a lot, and you have a nice price on your head. You’ll wait patiently in the brig while I arrange your ransom and the appraisal of this fine necklace here.”

Maria beamed, seeing Barbara twirl the royal necklace out of a pocket. She exclaimed while Olve growled angrily.

“You really got it back!”

That prompted his anger.

“No, she got it before-!”

Olve’s petty retort was silenced when Barbara stepped closer and punched him in the gut. With a snap of her fingers, a cloth was procured; before he could recover and finish a groan, he was gagged.

“There, nice and quiet.” She turned around again, setting eyes on the beast that squirmed helplessly under constant gunfire. “Was honestly getting tired of your incessant complaints. And speaking of ceaseless…”

She ignored how he snarled while being taken away into the brig, glaring instead at the monster that roared by the shore. One of her mates brought her another jacket and a cutlass, which she was quick to put on and wield. As she stood tall near the railing, she pointed the blade with a sneer. The shooting ceased for a moment… but only to allow her to dictate her will. She did so fiercely, vindictively.

“Fire!”

Cannonballs blasted again from her ship, ripping into shreds the creature that had deterred her from reaching her objective. She smiled darkly, enjoying greatly the way in which it was torn, reduced to pieces much smaller than her vessel. As the last standing menace of the tribe fell, she pondered the weight of the necklace in her free hand and the fate of the one that had stolen it from her.