"What's that noise? Where's all the fighting?"
White smoke. That was all I saw when the screaming ceased. I... I knew it. I failed. Both as a first mate and a person. I... truly was nothing. Useless. Mad. I deserved to die. I... I just... did.
But wait: that voice... A white figure appeared right in front of me. A saint? There could be no one to save me now, so they probably came a bit too late. But they started angling in on me, closer and closer:
"Billy! What happened to you? Need any help, b-"
"No! Stay back, stay back, stay back!"
Tears were rolling down my cheeks, from both sides. The person reeled back, aghast. I... I've always been a crazy guy, haven't I? That was when I heard them talk to ... that... b-bastard.
"Flint? Care to explain what the hell happened here?"
"Oh, uh, it's just your "friend" tried to tell me he could rule a lot higher than me, so I had to teach him a lesson."
The person turned around. The newcomer's clothes were dead familiar to me, all aged, but still retaining that blue-blood vibe to them. If only I could tell him the truth! Had I felt better, I would have pumped that stupid bastard of a captain into the ground right there, right now! But there was nothing I could do. Were I a better person, none of that would have happened then. Had I had a voice, I would have screamed at him for help, but... no...
"You do realize he was your first mate, right? That isn't a very fair way to treat him. You even treated me better."
"Oh, and why are you rooting for him all of a sudden? Motherly, are we-" Just then I saw a knife at the bastard's throat.
"Just who are you calling a "mother", stupid?" - he still managed to keep his calm under the pressure. If I were like him, if I could turn a blind eye to the situation, none of that would happen. But I wasn't like him.
"Are you siding with him???" - the bastard got his own knife out in turn. Things were going to escalate very quickly if I didn't take any action.
"Just so you knew," - the man flipped his pitch-black bob to the side with his free hand, - "your map and your treasures are definitely in the right hands now.They are never coming back, heheh. Never."
Everything made sense now. This man was here to try and protect my weak soul, something I couldn't do myself, but screw this! If he can handle things with only one leg, then I can, too!
"He's right!"
"Back from the dead, are we?" Flint stares at me, like an eagle at a mouse, who has almost escaped his plight, but he doesn't find anyone to support his claims.
"Yes, we are!" I jump into position, right next to Silver, who is sharpening his sword on a nearby belt. "And we'll always be here, like true friends are!" "Oh, look who's talkin', traitor!" Flint flings the sword he's been holding, and it lands right between me and my comrade. "I should've never trusted neither you or your bestie-bestie!"
"Well, let's let the swords do the talking, then." Silver admires his own sword for a moment, before saying something shocking, even to me: "Don't show trust, when you've never had it." "What. Did. You. Just. SAY?!" Flint almost hits Johnny across the shoulder, when I cut across: "Had you had it, you wouldn't have killed everyone for some stupid piece of pa-khah!" He grabs me by the neck, it being minutes before I lose any will to live.
"Hands off of him, now." Silver carries his sword across the ghost's back, "Or you'll see how a real order is carried out right there. You seem to be more like a rascal and madman now, don't you?"
Flint's hand finally releases my neck. I land with a coughing fit engulfing me. For a moment it feels like I'm actually out of air. I am frickin' terrified. Am I gonna die? Again? Please, no. I don't wanna... I don't wanna-
"Gih... hih... hyeaaAAAAAAAAAHHCHOO!" - I have no idea how, but I find myself on the ceiling after that one. It's dark up there... save for some white particles. I move in on them. Closer. Even more- Wait. Are those... chains?
I can still hear the debate proceeding on the ground. Everything is a bit fuzzy... save for those... chains.
"He's too childish to engage in fights like these!" "Talk about massacring six people being a pretty mature act to do!"
"Well, talk about my ceiling-" "YOUR CEILING?!" - Whoa. Never heard Johnny roar like that, - "This is David Yannovich Cherkassky's realm, you hear me?! D.Y. Cherkassky!"
I turn my eyes back on the chains. They are dissolving with every sentence we say, with every blow we make. And in these chains-
"Jim!"
"Huh?" - the boy turns his head to me, - "Mr Bones? Wait, had Flint trapped you, too?"
"No time to explain, we need to get outta here!" With a bit of concentration, I try to burn the chains away into nothingness. It's tough, I can hardly feel my fingers, but the debate down there helps me out:
"Standing up for yourself is at times the only thing a sane person can do!"
"Well, if you never cared about the opponent's age and posi-" "Shut your dirty mouth! It doesn't matter how old the person is, for even a kid can be your friend at times of need." - Aww. That was very sweet of Johnny to say about Jim. He's been nice to both of us so far, so, fair game, my friend, fair game.
"Well, if you consider this loudmouth and boor your buddy, then try me, ex-quartermaster!"
There are zaps from down there, as Johnny tries to avoid Flint's raging fireballs. Wait... fireballs?!
"What is going on down there?" Jim brings me back for a moment.
"Oh, um, er... " - it takes me time to say this nicely, "Let's just say Flint's finally gone bonkers." "Baqarah?"
"...what?"
"I didn't know he was Muslim."
"No, it's not tha-" - right there the final chord is broken and the boy is almost sent flying to the ground. With a bit of luck, I fly up to him just in time, as we land, hand in hand, for more support... and right into the fire.
"I'm coming, Johnny, I'm coming!" - I immediately turn on the biggest shield I can muster to get everyone sans Flint into safety. A purple aura covers the field once again, concealing my allies from the enemy's blows. Jim starts tending to Silver's wounds (luckily, not too serious for him), my cat almost scratches my shoulder, climbing back up (ow-ow-ow, bad boy-bad boy- bad boy!), but Flint is determined to get us out of it by exhaustion, as he makes the shield grow smaller and smaller, while circling us around, that jerk!
"Come on out, my little mice! Time for dinner!" - and he laughs, like a maniac he's always been.
With the shield growing smaller, we have barely enough time to hold back the siege for long. We just have to wait for David, we just have to wait for- huh?
Suddenly, the fire ceases to exist. The room is just as clear as before. Everything is back in order, even the first-thrown spear. What is going on? Oh my god... the world is spinning right in front of me one more time... everything lost its color... please, help... somebody... please...
"Billy, what the heck?!"
"Mr Bones, are you alright?"
"SHOOT 'IM!"