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Dead Man's Chest -- Spooky Pirate Fun -- COMPLETE! Nov 3/06
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<blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 2819065" data-attributes="member: 812"><p>The desperate panting of the horses; the shattering clatter of the wagon wheels on the loose shale of the roadway; Black's voice calling out to the team, urging them on; these sounds filled Dras' ears as she watched two simultaneous perils: the stomach-churning drop-off to their left, and the implacable form of Monsignor Domino, driving his team with demonic fervour as his wagon slowly gained on theirs.</p><p></p><p>The two wagons careened up the narrow mountain road that led over the spine of the island of Aruba, away from the horrors of the old Van Meertens estate and the crumbling ruins of Bushiribana. The road twisted and clung to the steep cliffside up a long rain-cut valley lined with scrub trees and clinging vines. Far, far below the glimmer of a stream reflected the last rays of the dying sun.</p><p></p><p>Their wagon lurched and Dras clutched at her seat, trying not to scream as she watched the lead horse skitter on its hooves, scrambling to stay clear of the fearful drop. Wheels skidded and rattled as they plunged forward.</p><p></p><p>"Can't we go faster? He's getting closer."</p><p></p><p>Black shook his head, too intent on controlling the team, the horses terrified out of their wits, to answer. Dras leaned over and pawed at the Englishman's clothes.</p><p></p><p>"Here now. What's the idea?"</p><p></p><p>Dras cackled as she drew one of Black's grenadoes from a pocket. She leapt down into the bed of the wagon, where Ana was getting a groggy Quinn settled, and lit the fuse with a flourish.</p><p></p><p>The wagon crashed over a rock, nearly sending everyone flying. Ana grabbed hold of Quinn who grabbed hold of the side wall of the wagon bed. Black clung to the reins. Dras grabbed the seat behind her.</p><p></p><p>And dropped the lit grenadoe, which rolled about on the floor of the wagon.</p><p></p><p>She, Ana and Quinn all just stared at the deadly device, too horrified to move. The wheels hit another rock and the smoking missile bounced out of the wagon and onto the road behind them, exploding just past Monsignor Domino's thundering vehicle. The three friends kept staring for some time.</p><p></p><p>Black shouted back at them.</p><p></p><p>"That was a good shot! Try another one!"</p><p></p><p>Dras looked over at Ana.</p><p></p><p>"Why don't YOU try the next one?"</p><p></p><p>The island girl nodded and stood to join Black on the board up front. As she did so, Domino gestured with his staff.</p><p></p><p>Dras watched in shock as a sickening black ray shot from Domino's staff and struck Ana between her shoulder blades. The girl cried out and collapsed over Quinn, who responded with an angry curse and yanked one of his pistols free. The gunshot could scarcely be heard over the deafening thunder of the wagons, but Domino ducked aside and Quinn cackled.</p><p></p><p>"He's mortal enough, look at him duck. Black, keep 'er steady and we'll soon have him."</p><p></p><p>Black up front paid little attention to his friends as he hauled on the reins and shouted at the team. The road wound in and out along the ridges of the cliffside and the wagon skidded back and forth across the narrow surface. Rocks and pebbles kicked up by the horses or shot outwards by the wagon wheels plunged into the abyss alongside them, constant reminders of the fate that would befall them if one horse put a hoof wrong.</p><p></p><p>As was always his way, however, part of Black's mind remained completely detached from his circumstance, and studied the strangest aspects of his surroundings. He didn't really know much about the construction of wagons, he realized, and considered the way in which the team was attached to the box itself. The horses were lashed to cross-poles which attached to a single shaft that attached to the wagon with a pin.</p><p></p><p>A single pin.</p><p></p><p>Black stared at that pin so hard he nearly drove them straight off the cliff, but at the last minute he pulled the team hard to the right, shouting for Dras.</p><p></p><p>"Dras, lad! Look there, that pin. See it? There must be something like it on the Monsignor's wagon."</p><p></p><p>"Yes, I'm sure there is."</p><p></p><p>Dras fired both pistols to little effect. Ana had recovered a bit and was reloading madly. Black continued shouting and gesticulating.</p><p></p><p>"If you could get onto his wagon, you could yank that pin and he'd have no horses."</p><p></p><p>"That's true."</p><p></p><p>They rattled on for a few more heartbeats. It occurred to Dras to wonder why Black was bringing all this up.</p><p></p><p>"Wait a minute, are you serious?"</p><p></p><p>Shale splintered and the sheer cliff beside them roared past, echoing back the plunging hooves of the horses. The wagon lurched and slid. Domino continued to close with them.</p><p></p><p>"You're not serious?"</p><p></p><p>"You're a nimble lad. You can do it."</p><p></p><p>"I'm glad you're so confident."</p><p></p><p>Another blast from Domino's staff sizzled past Dras and struck Black. The Englishman cried out and fell sideways. Only a desperate lunge by Dras kept the unfortunate captain from tumbling onto the road and under the wheels of the wagons.</p><p></p><p>With a curse, Dras pitched Black's semi-conscious form into the wagon bed. Domino's wagon thundered closer as theirs slowed, the horses no longer driven to exhaustion. Domino was upon them, his dark face lit up with a fiendish grin.</p><p></p><p>Dras made a decision.</p><p></p><p>"Quinn! Take the reins!"</p><p></p><p>The Irishman clambered up onto the board and yelled at the horses. Domino was nearly alongside. He raised his staff again, but this time lost control of his wagon. Dras watched, praying for an end to this, as one wheel spun out in space, but the horses drove forward and for a second the two wagons hurtled along side-by-side, Domino on the outside, glaring at them all.</p><p></p><p>At Quinn's shout and the slap of the reins, their horses pulled forward a little. Dras decided to try Black's mad idea. With a quick prayer to whoever might be listening, she leapt up onto the wagon side and threw herself into space.</p><p></p><p>Ana, dazed and only partially aware of what was happening, saw her friend fly from the wagon and shouted out, pulling herself upright only to find Domino's hand reaching out at her. Ana threw herself back and snatched up a loaded pistol. The gun went off and the ball slammed into Domino's shoulder, yanking him backwards and out of sight.</p><p></p><p>Ana stared for a second, hoping she'd shot the sinister vodoun right off the wagon, but he reappeared, snarling with rage. Once again his staff lowered at her.</p><p></p><p>Quinn knew even less about driving a team than Black had, and simply swore endlessly at the horses, slapping them again and again. He thought of trying to force Domino's wagon off the road, but had too little faith in his ability to do so without sending both wagons to their doom. He contented himself with shrieking at the horses.</p><p></p><p>Dras soared, weightless, for less than second, watching the road hurtle by beneath her outstretched form, before crashing in a tangle of limbs and reins and madly pounding hooves amid the team pulling Domino's wagon.</p><p></p><p>There wasn't any pin. Apparently this wagon was made under different principles. Dras swore and risked a look behind her. Domino hadn't even seen her, so intent was he on using his magic staff. Dras yanked on the traces holding the team to the wagon but they refused to give. What she needed was a knife of some kind, to cut the leather straps holding the horses to the wagon.</p><p></p><p>The razor blade Johann had been using to cut himself slipped into her hand. Without thinking at all about the meaning of that, Dras slashed at the traces just as she heard Domino bellow.</p><p></p><p>As she cut the last of the straps, it occurred to Dras to wonder what would happen to her at this point.</p><p></p><p>Ana steeled herself for that shriveling, wasting touch of Domino's spell. She scrambled for another loaded gun, knowing she was too late, but determined to die with a weapon in her hand.</p><p></p><p>The weakening blast didn't come. Ana opened her eyes and found Domino further away than he'd been before. And departing rapidly. As she watched, his hands flew up and he and his wagon soared away from her in a gentle arc, sailing down into the canyon and darkness. His four horses still galloped along the road, but his wagon had failed to negotiate a corner and now plunged straight down out of sight.</p><p></p><p>"Quinn! Quinn! It's okay, he's gone, he fell. Quinn, we're safe! We're okay!"</p><p></p><p>Dras, clinging to the traces behind Domino's team and being dragged none too gently along the roughly-cut road called out to them.</p><p></p><p>"I'm not okay."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="barsoomcore, post: 2819065, member: 812"] The desperate panting of the horses; the shattering clatter of the wagon wheels on the loose shale of the roadway; Black's voice calling out to the team, urging them on; these sounds filled Dras' ears as she watched two simultaneous perils: the stomach-churning drop-off to their left, and the implacable form of Monsignor Domino, driving his team with demonic fervour as his wagon slowly gained on theirs. The two wagons careened up the narrow mountain road that led over the spine of the island of Aruba, away from the horrors of the old Van Meertens estate and the crumbling ruins of Bushiribana. The road twisted and clung to the steep cliffside up a long rain-cut valley lined with scrub trees and clinging vines. Far, far below the glimmer of a stream reflected the last rays of the dying sun. Their wagon lurched and Dras clutched at her seat, trying not to scream as she watched the lead horse skitter on its hooves, scrambling to stay clear of the fearful drop. Wheels skidded and rattled as they plunged forward. "Can't we go faster? He's getting closer." Black shook his head, too intent on controlling the team, the horses terrified out of their wits, to answer. Dras leaned over and pawed at the Englishman's clothes. "Here now. What's the idea?" Dras cackled as she drew one of Black's grenadoes from a pocket. She leapt down into the bed of the wagon, where Ana was getting a groggy Quinn settled, and lit the fuse with a flourish. The wagon crashed over a rock, nearly sending everyone flying. Ana grabbed hold of Quinn who grabbed hold of the side wall of the wagon bed. Black clung to the reins. Dras grabbed the seat behind her. And dropped the lit grenadoe, which rolled about on the floor of the wagon. She, Ana and Quinn all just stared at the deadly device, too horrified to move. The wheels hit another rock and the smoking missile bounced out of the wagon and onto the road behind them, exploding just past Monsignor Domino's thundering vehicle. The three friends kept staring for some time. Black shouted back at them. "That was a good shot! Try another one!" Dras looked over at Ana. "Why don't YOU try the next one?" The island girl nodded and stood to join Black on the board up front. As she did so, Domino gestured with his staff. Dras watched in shock as a sickening black ray shot from Domino's staff and struck Ana between her shoulder blades. The girl cried out and collapsed over Quinn, who responded with an angry curse and yanked one of his pistols free. The gunshot could scarcely be heard over the deafening thunder of the wagons, but Domino ducked aside and Quinn cackled. "He's mortal enough, look at him duck. Black, keep 'er steady and we'll soon have him." Black up front paid little attention to his friends as he hauled on the reins and shouted at the team. The road wound in and out along the ridges of the cliffside and the wagon skidded back and forth across the narrow surface. Rocks and pebbles kicked up by the horses or shot outwards by the wagon wheels plunged into the abyss alongside them, constant reminders of the fate that would befall them if one horse put a hoof wrong. As was always his way, however, part of Black's mind remained completely detached from his circumstance, and studied the strangest aspects of his surroundings. He didn't really know much about the construction of wagons, he realized, and considered the way in which the team was attached to the box itself. The horses were lashed to cross-poles which attached to a single shaft that attached to the wagon with a pin. A single pin. Black stared at that pin so hard he nearly drove them straight off the cliff, but at the last minute he pulled the team hard to the right, shouting for Dras. "Dras, lad! Look there, that pin. See it? There must be something like it on the Monsignor's wagon." "Yes, I'm sure there is." Dras fired both pistols to little effect. Ana had recovered a bit and was reloading madly. Black continued shouting and gesticulating. "If you could get onto his wagon, you could yank that pin and he'd have no horses." "That's true." They rattled on for a few more heartbeats. It occurred to Dras to wonder why Black was bringing all this up. "Wait a minute, are you serious?" Shale splintered and the sheer cliff beside them roared past, echoing back the plunging hooves of the horses. The wagon lurched and slid. Domino continued to close with them. "You're not serious?" "You're a nimble lad. You can do it." "I'm glad you're so confident." Another blast from Domino's staff sizzled past Dras and struck Black. The Englishman cried out and fell sideways. Only a desperate lunge by Dras kept the unfortunate captain from tumbling onto the road and under the wheels of the wagons. With a curse, Dras pitched Black's semi-conscious form into the wagon bed. Domino's wagon thundered closer as theirs slowed, the horses no longer driven to exhaustion. Domino was upon them, his dark face lit up with a fiendish grin. Dras made a decision. "Quinn! Take the reins!" The Irishman clambered up onto the board and yelled at the horses. Domino was nearly alongside. He raised his staff again, but this time lost control of his wagon. Dras watched, praying for an end to this, as one wheel spun out in space, but the horses drove forward and for a second the two wagons hurtled along side-by-side, Domino on the outside, glaring at them all. At Quinn's shout and the slap of the reins, their horses pulled forward a little. Dras decided to try Black's mad idea. With a quick prayer to whoever might be listening, she leapt up onto the wagon side and threw herself into space. Ana, dazed and only partially aware of what was happening, saw her friend fly from the wagon and shouted out, pulling herself upright only to find Domino's hand reaching out at her. Ana threw herself back and snatched up a loaded pistol. The gun went off and the ball slammed into Domino's shoulder, yanking him backwards and out of sight. Ana stared for a second, hoping she'd shot the sinister vodoun right off the wagon, but he reappeared, snarling with rage. Once again his staff lowered at her. Quinn knew even less about driving a team than Black had, and simply swore endlessly at the horses, slapping them again and again. He thought of trying to force Domino's wagon off the road, but had too little faith in his ability to do so without sending both wagons to their doom. He contented himself with shrieking at the horses. Dras soared, weightless, for less than second, watching the road hurtle by beneath her outstretched form, before crashing in a tangle of limbs and reins and madly pounding hooves amid the team pulling Domino's wagon. There wasn't any pin. Apparently this wagon was made under different principles. Dras swore and risked a look behind her. Domino hadn't even seen her, so intent was he on using his magic staff. Dras yanked on the traces holding the team to the wagon but they refused to give. What she needed was a knife of some kind, to cut the leather straps holding the horses to the wagon. The razor blade Johann had been using to cut himself slipped into her hand. Without thinking at all about the meaning of that, Dras slashed at the traces just as she heard Domino bellow. As she cut the last of the straps, it occurred to Dras to wonder what would happen to her at this point. Ana steeled herself for that shriveling, wasting touch of Domino's spell. She scrambled for another loaded gun, knowing she was too late, but determined to die with a weapon in her hand. The weakening blast didn't come. Ana opened her eyes and found Domino further away than he'd been before. And departing rapidly. As she watched, his hands flew up and he and his wagon soared away from her in a gentle arc, sailing down into the canyon and darkness. His four horses still galloped along the road, but his wagon had failed to negotiate a corner and now plunged straight down out of sight. "Quinn! Quinn! It's okay, he's gone, he fell. Quinn, we're safe! We're okay!" Dras, clinging to the traces behind Domino's team and being dragged none too gently along the roughly-cut road called out to them. "I'm not okay." [/QUOTE]
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