From Navy Cabin Boy to Pirate King - Nivek Renezalg (comprehension books .TXT) 📗

From Navy Cabin boy To Pirate King

“Have you heard the tale heard on a windy gale, of the boy called “Henry The Dagger”. They say he be the King of Pirates. They say he started out as a lonely cabin boy, tucked away on a War Galleon. From dawn to dusk, he worked tirelessly for no pay. He swabbed the deck, and he cleaned the mast. He swept the rum hold, and he polished the soldiers weapons. He was the best cabin boy a ship could have, aye. But this didn’t matter. The crew disliked him, the soldiers downright hated him. The Captain didn’t even know him! But even through this he worked hard, hoping to go home someday. I wasn’t there when his Galleon was attacked. Nor was I there when the battle began. I wasn’t there to see the moment, the very moment when he raised a sword. The moment he looked up the stairs to the main deck. The moment he ran up those stairs to the battle at hand. But if I had been there, I would have swelled up with pride. A pirate came towards him. He parried, blocking the blow. He swung the blade swiftly, cutting the Pirate down. The pirate fell to the ground, with a commanding thud. The boy looked at his cutlass, and went on to the next pirate. He defended his ship with such compassion, that one could say that he was risking his life for just one pebble on a mountain. But to him, this ship was much more. His father had commanded this ship before he was born. He had fought for it with his life. As Henry looked around, he saw the pirate captain. He charged the pirate captain, hoping to catch him unaware. But the pirate captain saw it coming. He parried with such force, he almost knocked Henry over. An epic battle took place there, aye. The pirate captain, known as Hector, fought will all his might. Captain Hector was good alright, but so was Henry. The cutlass in Henry’s hand was like an extension of his hand. It was like he was cutting the air! After the battle had raged for quit awhile, the captain put his hand up. “You have skill me boy, how about you join me crew?” The crew gathered round. The lad looked around. He looked at the captain and said “aye, ill join yer crew” the crew looked to the captain. The captain smiled and nodded. The crew roared with acceptance. “if you don’t sink this ship, ill go with you.” The captain turned and said “ I wont sink the ship, but im not taking it with us either.” As the crew sailed away, the boy looked back on the ship that had been his home for so many years. But all that was about to change, as he was to be known as Henry The Dagger.”
-Nivek Renezalg


Chapter 2
The Lair.

The boy had spent 3 weeks on the Pirate Ship, so he was starting to get used to the Pirates Code. He didn't want to be a pirate, but for now he had no choice. It wasn't till the 5'th week that he was taken to the Pirates lair. As he sat in the dinghy, he found himself thinking back to the battle aboard "The Fuego". As he stepped out of the dingy, he was happy to back on land. He looked around, and saw nothing but sand and water in one direction and jungle in the other. " What are we doing here?" Henry asked. Hector replied saying with a devilish grin "...delivering the blood." Henry didn't know what that meant. And he had a feeling that he didn't want to know. Hector started off towards a rock cliff. Henry followed, wondering what Hector had meant. When they got 100 yards from the rock cliff, the crew stopped. Henry would have kept walking if Hector hadn't put out his hand to stop him. Henry looked up at Hector. Hector said " We've delivered the blood. The crew took out their daggers and cut their hands just enough that drops of blood flowed from the wound. They then put their hands on the rock cliff. Hector took Henry's hand and slit his hand. Henry gasped from the pain. Hector then clasped his hand and pointed to the rock cliff. Henry walked over and put his hand on the rock. The rock cliff started to shake, as a segment of it started to lower into the ground. The crew members started to walk into the cave. Henry just stood there, shocked at what he had just witnessed. He had convinced himself that magic wasn't real, but what he just saw said otherwise. Hector pushed Henry forward. As Henry walked through the winding tunnels, he pondered how the pirates had come across this island. As he turned the corner, he saw an opening in the cave wall. A pirate lit a string of rope. As the fire burned down the rope, it lit the lanterns that were tied to it. The light bounced off the cave walls illuminating the cavern. As Henry looked down over the ledge of the cliff, he saw a little gathering of water around some stone. On the stone, there were two skeletons. One was lying on the ground with his arm extended towards the water, impaled by a sword. The other was sitting down, leaning on a column of stone with a pistol in his hand. Henry wondered what he had done with the pistol. He looked at the impaled skeleton and saw that a few feet away was a crab with a hole in it. " Get moving" said a tall pirate said giving Henry a push. As Henry looked back at the cavern, he saw a message in the sand. "Through the hourglass of time, be the key to the fortune of Davy." Henry kept walking, knowing that if he stopped one more time, he might not leave that cave alive. They reached another cavern. But this cavern was nothing like the other one. It was at least 10 times the size of the other one. It was littered with gold and jewels, guns and swords, and food and rum. It also had a opening in the side of it that lead out to the open ocean. He hadn't noticed this opening when they first reached the island because the fog was so thick. Awakening from his shocked trance, he explored the cavern. He found Captain Hector and said " Why have you brought me here? I am not a pirate. I am no use to you." The captain just smiled and said " Well then, do you want me to kill ye right now?" pulling his sword from its sheath. Henry pulled out his sword and got into a fighting stance. " Do ye really think ye can beat me?" said Hector. He slashed his sword. Henry's sword snapped into two pieces. The power of the attack knocked Henry off his feet. Hector pointed his sword at Henry's throat " The punishment of losing a fight is death." said Hector. He pulled his pistol and fired it. Henry flinched, expecting to feel the sting of death. But nothing happened. Henry opened his eyes.... and saw that the pistol was not aimed at him. Hector had fired at another crew member. The pirate fell backwards into the water. Henry looked at Hector. As Hector helped him up, he said "You will man the main sail. Here is yer sword and pistol. Keep them clean and ready for battle." The notorious captain turned and walked away. As Henry looked at Hector, he already had a goal for his life. To escape from the life of a pirate and to kill Captain Hector. He thought up a new name. A name that meant that he was willing to do anything to get his way. He was no longer Henry Smithes. He was Henry The Dagger.


Chapter 3
What Hell looks like.

It was a couple days after I first entered the lair that I noticed something. Inside the cavern was a lake that was connected to the sea. But that wasn't the thing that had me baffled. In the middle of the lake, there was a dark spot. The water was crystal clear. so if you looked down at the water, you could see the bottom of the ocean. But when you looked into the dark spot, all you could see was pitch black. I often found myself wondering why this was. One day I found out. We had returned from a battle out on sea. The crew were singing and dancing because we had all returned safely. I was leaning over the edge of the ship looking at the black spot. All of a sudden, a drunken crew member stumbled backward. He hit my head with his elbow, and I fell forwards. Captain Hector must of seen me fall into the water, because he started to call out orders. I gasped for air. But it was in vain. I started to sink. When I was underwater, I turned to see nothing at the bottom of the ocean. I started to sink faster, and faster, and faster yet. I blacked out from lack of oxygen. When I woke up, I saw fire. I stood up and looked around. "Welcome" I heard a voice say. The same word repeated in whispers. "Where am I?" I yelled out. "Hell" the whispers chimed in. "That cant be!" I said fearfully. I looked around for a way out."There's no way out. Your trapped.... forever." the voices said. I saw a shadowy figure in the distance. I started to walk towards it. "There is one way out." boomed a voice."You must pour your blood out before me." the voice said wickedly. The figure pointed to a knife. I put my hands in my pocket. I pulled out something. It was a bible. I looked at the figure. " you have no power over me!" I showed the bible to the figure. The figure crouched, and hissed in hate." I'm going to be alright." I thought. But then my head started to spin. I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything! I lost consciousness. I awoke on deck of the ship." He's coming too sir!" said the first mate. Captain Hector walked over to me. "Welcome back from hell me lad". As I stood up I said "I'm glad I made it too Captain." As I looked around, trying to find the drunk crew member. "Wheres the scoundrel who pushed me overboard?" The captain chuckled." He has a meeting with the Devil."


Chapter 4
First Blood

I was pampered for the next couple of days. But I was soon cleaning the masts again. The following weeks were pretty much the same. I would row out to the middle of the lake and looked overboard. The hole had started to disappear. The last day we were