The Sanguine and Blackbeard's Cutlass

The three natives before you are just the first of many obstacles in your way. Although they aren’t showing any signs of aggression, that could change. You’d prefer to be the one attacking when it comes to a “surprise attack.” Confident your crew knows your signal, you remove your tricorn and scratch the back of your head with your left hand. You give your hat a spin in your hand and place it back on your head.

After a silent count to five in your head, you draw your flintlocks and fire at the three figures. In unison behind you, the crew draws their weapons and fires. The leader spins his staff in front of him creating a magic barrier. Your projectiles don’t find their targets. Twin arrows fly on either side of you and slam into a couple of your crew members behind you. Their bodies hit the sand, then explode in flame as the magical energy within the arrow combusts.

You sprint towards the natives, drawing a third pistol from behind your hip and firing. Just before your third shot fires, Victoria finishes her dispel incantation. The barrier in front of the natives disappears and your bullet slams into the leader. He looks down towards the gaping hole in his chest, and looks up, confused at the events that just transpired.

Your sprint is disrupted for a slight second as you dive to your left to avoid an arrow. Landing in a roll, you raise your swords to attack and see the two archers dead on the ground. Several throwing knives lay buried in the neck of both.

“You couldn’t do that before I ran all this way?” you ask Freddy.
“Well, you need to burn off that rum somehow. Daily visits with the milkmaid just isn’t doing the trick,” he replies.

After the brief skirmish, three of your crew are dead. Witnessing the deadly potential of the natives, you and everyone else is left with the same thought: I hope we don’t have to face more than three at a time.

You have 1 choice: