by Kat Mandu
Chapter 14 Benedicta Bestia
“So, do you know of anyone else on the island we can recruit?” Richard asked, crossing his arms. He was watching over the growing group of people that were slowly putting up a makeshift wall. It was made up of tree trunks with the shaved down to a sharp point.
The setup of their camp had taken a lot of time, starting out with tents and logs and a lot of work. Tray and James had been invaluable when they had just started, creating a wall even before Richard had smuggled the proper supplies. Someway and somehow, they had gotten not only the wall going but a rather good-sized group of people. With everyone working around Richard, the wall was being raised. Richard frowned, mentally counting everyone around him. There was about twenty-five people; he frowned again. There wasn’t enough people to sail a ship but there were far too many to keep away from prying eyes.
“I need help, I need more people,” he groaned, reaching for an axe. His wrist reminded him immediately that he still couldn’t hold onto it. A quick glance around told him that Laurella had overheard him.
“I think I know of some that can, but I don’t think you’ll get much help from them. I know there are three Benedicta bestia,” Laurella commented.
“For real?” Richard whistled, looking at her with a very surprised expression. “The human-like race – are you kidding me?”
“Yes, they are the most secluded on the island. I don’t you will get anywhere with them,” she warned him.
“Anyone on this island wants to get off and we can use every person we can get a hold of. I’ll take Nathan and Kareem with me,” Richard said, shrugging off Laurella’s advice.
“They stick to the lagoon, fairly close to the center of the island but east of the castle,” she instructed. “Just be careful,” she added, glancing at him warily.
“Hey, if I die, you can just take over,” Richard casually said, shrugging once more. He turned towards where everyone was working on the wall. “Nathan, Kareem, I could use some help,” he called out.
“Why us?” Kareem asked casually. Nathan set down his tools, raising one eyebrow. It looked like they had just finished on their part of the wall.
“Cause I asked you. I need to take a quick trip around the island and you guys seem capable enough,” he admitted with a shrug. “In truth, I want to see if you are trustworthy,” he muttered to himself.
Nathan glanced at Kareem and inclined his head when the jaguar padded towards them. Richard eyed the jungle cat warily, eyes flitting quickly towards Kareem and Nathan.
“Sure, what are you doing?” Nathan asked casually.
“Going to find a trio of Benedicta bestia; see if we can’t add them to our little group,” he replied, heading for the gate. Nathan and Kareem shrugged but followed nonetheless. While waiting at the gate, Richard looked back over his shoulder to see Jill. Nathan watched the hinges while Richard pushed it open and then glanced up at him.
“I’ve got a heading and I figured you’re the best man for the job. Would you be willing to take point?” he asked, looking at Kareem. The man nodded right about the time the jaguar dashed off into the greenery before them.
Richard was pretty unsurprised at the silence permeating their group, especially as they approached the bog of fear that circled that castle. He kept his eyes on the canopy but the foliage barely let in sunlight. There was enough to see ahead of them but still plenty of shadows and darkness for creatures to hide in. Richard was still feeling high-strung and hoping his luck held out before he ran into anything that was under Brendan’s flag.
“So, what is your angle exactly?” Nathan asked. Richard glanced behind him to see the bearded man steadily keeping pace.
“The aim of most is to live life and I would prefer to live it off of this island. The more people that I have with me, the better ma chances. Especially since, right now, the best shot we have is the ship anchored not too far from the shore.
“And you think that this plan hasn’t been tried before?” he retorted with a frown.
“Ask Boss. I’ve already done a lot of damage to the ship when I rescued Madison and with just the three of us, we managed to take the ship,” he replied with a cocky smirk.
“Taking a ship and holding it are two different matters. You need a lot of people to even be able to sail a ship. Wait, I see; you don’t trust the men you sailed in with?” Nathan asked after a light bulb went off in his mind. His voice was one of indifference.
“Exactly, I need people who are all in the same boat as me and understand that they have a shot at escape if – and only if – they can work together,” Richard emphasized.
“So, who won last year’s Olympics’?” Kareem asked once the conversation has quieted.
“Printincia won with fourteen of the twenty-three events and Britania only took seven. Last year, some guy swept most of the running and the judges were talking about changing the rules to limit entries. I say it was worth it just to see the look on the Imperium judge’s face,” Richard chuckled.
“That’s pretty cool. What was the guy’s name?” he asked.
“No idea, sorry. I had ma mind on other things,” Richard replied, shrugging his shoulders.
“It’s understandable,” Kareem replied, shrugging as well. His shoulders seemed to slump just a little bit at not being able to find out.
“I hear there is this new sport catching on. It’s called soccer, if I remember right. It’s a lot less expensive then polo and less dangerous than jousting,” Richard explained.
“Sounds interesting. I found the lagoon,” Kareem stated. Nathan and Richard exchanged glances at the lack of water before them. “Sorry, when I close my left eye, I can see through the perspective of Cliff. He made it to the lagoon and is doubling back right now,” he explained.
“Well, that’s good to hear. Who’s Cliff?” Richard asked, glancing towards Nathan hopefully.
“The jaguar,” Kareem admitted.
“Crazy, can you do that with all animals?” Richard asked, looking at the beast master with intrigue.
“So far, yes, but Cliff is the only one that stays with me. I couldn’t get rid of him after I needed him.” Richard tensed for a brief moment when Cliff bounded through the foliage, a highly intelligent look in his eyes.
“I wonder why,” Richard commented.
“Can one ever be sure of the motives of others?” Nathan added.
“Agreed,” Richard seconded. They remained silent as a feeling of understanding washed over them. Not a word was spoken while they continued walking with Cliff prowling ahead and glancing back every now and then as if to say “hurry up”. Jill watched the cat nervously but kept close to Richard and didn’t bark.
Kareem led the way and soon the soft moist dirt turned into mud while they looked at the lagoon. Richard whistled, glancing around and noticing a few trees managing to grow in the water. It was perfectly still and appearing so much like glass, fish could be seen gliding smoothly through the water. Lily pads floated near the shore, congregating more on the far side. Richard glanced down to see minnows darting beneath the water and between reeds and plant roots.
“Split up, stay safe and stay within eye contact. It’s easier to negotiate when you don’t have a blade at your neck,” Richard advised.
“Sounds like fair advice,” Nathan said, resting his hand on his katana. Richard placed both hands in his pockets and began walking casually with Jill at his heels. He watched the water for a moment, his chest feeling light as he moved. He straightened when something long vanished just out of his sight.
Jill whimpered, sitting on her haunches and staring intently at the water. Richard followed her gaze and watched as the mud at the bottom of the lagoon began to move and fell apart, revealing two eyes and a long dark green snout. The creature shifted, revealing it’s immense body and a thick spiny tail. Limbs bigger than any sailor Richard had seen propelled the creature through the water. The crocodile stood to it’s hind feet, blocking out the sun when it stood to it’s fu
ll height. A shadow covered both Richard and Jill and the crocodile opened it’s jaws, only to snap them shut once more. It sent water flying over both of them, leaving Jill to quiver behind Richard’s legs.
“Good afternoon,” Richard said, taking a pipe from his coat and placing it in his mouth.
“I think you may be lost, human. You’re going to run or you’re going to die,” the crocodile threatened, snarling and showing just a bit of sharp teeth. Richard’s eyes watered when the crocodile’s breath wafted over him. He took out a match and struck one, lighting his pipe as he thought of what to say.
“Well then, I guess I am going to die. Unless you are willing to hear me out,” he said casually, glancing down while he puffed on his pipe. ‘What the hell AM I doing?’ he screamed to himself. He flicked his hand, quickly snuffing the match.
“I don’t play these games, human,” he said, snorting from his nostrils.
“Game? I come here to extend an olive branch and I get snapped at. Look, I am going to get straight to the point: I am putting together a crew. I need at least forty people to take a ship and get the hell out of here. I have half of that. I need anyone who is willing to pretend that they can get along for at least one ship ride in order to get our asses off this death trap. Now, can I get an answer?” Richard asked, crossing his arms. Smoke wafted from his pipe while he eyed the Benedicta bestia crocodile.
“Hmm, human isn’t scared and I am not too keen on killing. I want proof,” he said.
“I will sit here then and you can send someone off to the east and see that we’re putting up a wall. As a sort of gathering place. That should at least prove that I am trying,” he said, sitting down in the mud cross-legged.
“No needz,” a scratchy voice said. The crocodile turned his head to the left and, thanks to the shape of his head, could still see Richard from his other eye. Richard leaned to the side and saw a grey figure with a very feminine shape. She was moth-like, that was clear, with a pair of black pants that hung loosely on her waist despite the fact that she was crouching on a tree branch. A pair of grey moth wings flexed gently behind her; her chest and hands were wrapped tightly in some cloth and there was a piece of cloth covering the lower half of her face. Her eyes were large and black and, even from this distance, seemed very buggish. Two antennae curved up and behind from the top of her head. Richard squinted, focusing on her skin and realized that it was covered in a very fine layer of fur.
“That would be number two,” he murmured to himself, glancing behind to see Jill still shaking at the crocodile’s presence.
“Richard,” Kareem called while he and Nathan kept their eyes on the large crocodile creature.
“I am starting to regret my decision,” Nathan said, swallowing and tightening his grip on his blade.
“Hi guys, I found them,” Richard said cheerfully. Both of them shook their heads at the sheer audacity of the man who was sitting in the mud.
“Do you have a death wish?!” Kareem asked, leaning back and massaging his skull with two fingers. The crocodile man stared at him, tilting his reptilian head to the side and looking at Richard. “What the hell is going on?”
“I told you, I am here to recruit enough people to pilot a ship,” Richard replied, pulling his pipe from his mouth.
“Can’t you at least run away? I don’t want to hurt you,” he all but whimpered, his forehead scrunching together. “Come on, we don’t need people bothering us. Shoo.” Everyone’s jaw dropped when they realized that the crocodilian man had no intentions of doing anything more than standing there.
“You uzless,” the moth woman groaned, slapping her forehead and causing her antennae to vibrate.
“Well, can I have an answer to ma question?” Richard asked politely.
“No,” she replied sternly. Richard stood with a sigh, brushing the mud from his pants and glancing towards Nathan and Kareem.
“Well, let’s get going. No sense in wasting any more time,” he told them, shrugging as he walked off.
“Well, that’s that,” Nathan noted as they retraced their footsteps. Kareem frowned, glancing back towards the lagoon while they vanished into the woods. Richard glanced to the right and noted a winding stream beside them.
“We are still missing one. You don’t think….?” Kareem mentioned while Cliff leaped down next to him. Richard remained silent, smoke from his pipe trailing behind him. He had both hands behind his back, watching the water.
“So, what a waste of time. I have to wonder how they keep their reputation – since the crocodile man wasn’t so quick to follow through. I mean, most pirates who end up on this place don’t back down easily.” Nathan said.
“Most people – pirate or otherwise – don’t tangle with something that big,” Richard replied casually.
“Most sane people,” Nathan pointed out.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Richard retorted, spinning and walking backwards with a goofy smile on his face. Nathan watched him dubiously. “Anyways, I am going to check for fish or something.”
“Might as well bring back something,” Nathan admitted. “So, I have to ask: where have you been getting all of our equipment?”
“I stole it,” Richard replied casually.
“From where? We have axes, tents, food supplies and all sorts of things I haven’t seen in years. The main reason that we have so many people showing up is because the camp is supporting itself – how?” Nathan asked. He had crunched numbers and wasn’t really even coming up with anything, even in his own head.
“There are supplies on this island, if one is willing to take risks. And from what I have seen, nobody is willing to take them,” Richard replied. “Right now, what we are doing is risky but since there is a benefit that people can feel between their fingers, they ignore it.”
“I see. So, there is a place on this island that has supplies and is dangerous?” Nathan mused under his breath. Then his eyes went wide. “The castle,” he realized and Richard smirked.
“Aye, the castle,” he said, smirking. It faded when Nathan reached for his sword. Richard, fearing the worst, went for his own blade. Suddenly, fingers dug into his hair and a blade pressed into his neck.
“Nobody move,” a female said in a gravelly voice.
“That would be number three. And the reason the reputation has lasted so long,” Kareem noted, frowning. Richard felt something soft and wet push up against him.
“Is she wearing a shirt or anything?” Richard asked curiously. Nathan’s jaw dropped and he shook his head in disbelief.
“Yeah, no. And from what I can see, they look nice,” Kareem replied, grinning.
“Men,” she growled.
“Yeah? Well, I’m nae the one going around topless,” Richard commented. She pressed the knife a little closer to his neck.
“Now then, I want you to drop everything you have. And then, you are going to run very far away,” she demanded in a low voice.
“Okay,” Richard replied, moving slowly and drawing his sword before dropping it. “Should I start with ma coat next?” he asked, moving his hands as if to take off the coat.
“What are the rest of you waiting for?” she demanded. Richard wrapped his hands around Tooth and Claw, drawing the hammers back.
“What the fuck?” she asked as she noticed the pistols, refusing to move her knife.
“Like them?” Richard asked. “They are kind of like much smaller cannons. And I have both pointed at your hips. Now, you can still slit ma throat and kill, but can I ask a question?” he asked, but didn’t wait for permission. “Can your friends afford to take care of you? Because I know where I am pointed at won’t, in fact, kill you. However, that’s the point as it will make walking impossible until you heal. And that is, if you heal properly,” Richard said flatly.
“And you think you can shoot them off before I slit your throat?” she hissed into his ear.
“I would rather just walk away but I am nae going to be bullied by a thief,” Richard r
eplied.
“I am not a thief,” she growled back. Richard just rolled his eyes.
“Which is why you wanted all of our gear and wanted to throw us to the dogs; you know what, you’re right. You’re nae a thief; you’re a murderer. And what I am going to do is the same as if I stole everything from you and left you in the woods alone,” he said, jabbing her with a bit of malice. She slowly withdrew and Richard spun on his heels, bringing both pistols to bear.
“So, are you going to kill me?” she asked, a strong hint of resignation in her voice. Richard noted that she was wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts. She was even shorter on gear; she carried only a knife in her hand and the sheath on her belt. Her body was curved and covered with a thick layer of glossy brown fur and a tail that came down to about her knees. Her bosom was quite bountiful and clearly out for everyone to see. Her dark brown eyes narrowed over a little button nose.
Richard dropped his guns back into place and slipped his foot under his blade. With a flex of his foot, the blade was back in his hand and he slipped it back into it’s sheath.
“Nope, ma offer still stands and your winged friend already knows where we are. I think we are having bear tonight; you are welcome to join us,” he said, smiling and nodding to his companions before walking off. He glanced back at the otter woman who was still staring at them.
“Don’t tell me you’re attracted to that?” Nathan asked. Richard felt a prickling on his neck and he sighed.
“What can I say? I love me some big titties,” he said, chuckling to himself.
“Well, she was,” he paused to cough, “well endowed,” Nathan admitted. Kareem glanced between them with a raised eyebrow.
“You would, wouldn’t you?” he accused, and they both looked to Richard.
“Hey, I’ll try anything once,” Richard laughed, voice ringing out over the tree. “Although, I have a feeling it would be rather weird,” he admitted. He paused in his walking to actually ponder the idea.