"Look over there!” In excitement a middle-aged man yelled, turning his head back. With his finger he pointed toward a bigger island in midst of several smaller ones. “You see that, brother?” The corners of his lips raised as he looked to that island.
“It's a bloody, deserted, flying island!” It seemed like he could hardly hold back, and the temptation grew with every step they approached the island.
Scrap metal scattered around the island had served as a small defensive measure. No one would be able to sneak up there successfully.
As he looked at the island, his shoulder-long, black hair flew in his face due to the wind. Licking his lips he slowly rubbed his hands, as if he couldn’t wait in anticipation to get his hands on this treasure. The brown eyes glowed in joy, fixated themselves on the island in its entirety and showed the only expression this man currently felt; Greed.
“Focus! You moron!” Another man screamed to him through the air while he operated the airship they were standing on. As well as his brother he had shoulder-long, black hair, but unlike his brother’s greedy brown eyes, his own were blue.
“The airship doesn’t operate itself!”, he gave a snarl remark as he kept their course towards the island. With a few operations on some levers the airship started to sink down a little and with reduced speed they approached the discovered treasure.
Both gave the impression of poor, neglected men, as their clothes were slightly tattered. Their simple blue denim vests combined with pilot helmets and black trousers were clearly old and had seen better days.
Although they called their vehicle a ship, it didn't really look like a proper, seaworthy ship. Only the fact that it had a deck and that there was still storage space below that, made their flight vehicle look like a ship. The entire hull of the aircraft was made of metal, which had rusted up here and there.
While metallic, balloon-shaped containers with gas, which were fastened to the deck with metal rods, kept the ship flying, the locomotion was realized by means of some propellers, which were located at the stern and sides of the ship.
The length could be about 7 meters with a width of 4 meters. Not much space but in connection with the storage space, which was used as a cabin and storage, it was definitely more than enough for 2 people.
“Let’s check it out.” The helmsman began landing their airship. A few levers were operated and the rudder turned, causing the airship to slowly lose altitude as it hovered over the island.
“It really seems deserted.” The brown eyed man marveled as he felt a lump in this throat and his fingers itching like he couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Which idiot would give up such a treasure willingly, Jax?” Tightly grabbing the railing of their ship he looked into his brothers face to make sure it really wasn’t a dream.
Focusing on landing the aircraft, Jax ignored his brother’s question and let his gaze sweep over the island for a good landing spot. It wasn't an exceptionally large island, but despite the surrounding scrap pile walls, they still had plenty of opportunity to land
As far as Jax could tell, the island consisted of a tower, which ended in a lookout on the top with the spotlight being currently switched off, at the far end of the island. There was bigger, metallic building to the right and a smaller, wooden building to the left side of the tower with the left side’s building having a small window in the wall.
Also there were propellers attached to the sides and behind the tower, which were there to move the island. Surrounded was this island by metallic scrap piles even though the quality wasn’t best and it seemed like someone just used metallic structures as chairs, tables and other stuff and melted them somewhat together.
The place in front of the tower was filled with heaps of scrap pieces which prevented him from landing directly in front of the tower fearing that it would damage the aircraft.
As soon as Jax had landed the aircraft in front of the scrap pieces, both of them left the deck and drew their rustic guns as they started to watch out for a possible ambush. But even though they extensively looked around outside the buildings, they could not find anyone who posed a threat to them.
“Why do you think the island was left?” Dax asked his brother in amazement while they approached the lighthouse.
“Who knows, Dax? Maybe the owner was a huntsman and was raided by other pirates.” Jax guessed as he still looked around just before he corrected his guess. “Maybe not. Even if they didn’t obtain the island, they probably would have demolished it more.”
“Maybe he was attacked and abducted by a flying-type monster. Or fell from his island in midst of a battle.” Jax guessed out on a whim. Both came to conclusion that the previous owner of the island shouldn’t be around anymore.
“Anyway.” Jax stopped the guessing as it didn’t really bothered him. If the owner wasn’t around, it meant easy loot for them.
“Let’s see, what the previous owner has stored. Would be a shame to let it waste here, wouldn’t it?” A Hunch of sarcasm was in his voice as he asked, faking as if he was really concerned about the possible goods which could be stored here.
In front of the lighthouse they separated to take care of the buildings next to it. Jax gave some hand signs indicating that he would go for the house on the right side and that his brother should take care of the left building.
As Jax cautiously entered the building on the right side, the corners of his lip sank down and he let this shoulders sink. The joy which swept across his face before was now gone; Unfortunately for him, he had hit the island's engine room. The machines kept making noises and never stopped working. Countless pipes were interconnected and some went through the walls and the floor. Jax could hear hot steam pumping through the pipes. Empty-handed and disappointed he went back to the lighthouse and could see that his brother was just coming, too.
“I hit the machine room.” The pleased tone in his voice from a few moments before had fully disappeared.
“I got a shelter, but there wasn’t anything special.” Dax also stated in a depressed tone. Both of them seemed to have bad luck.
“Well then” Turning to the lighthouse, Jax gathered another last potion of hope which was heard in his voice. “Let us see, if there are any goodies in there.”
Dax put his gun away and used both hands to open the metallic double-door of the lighthouse while his brother was aiming at the opening door with his gun.
In a split second, his eyes widened. The previously drooping shoulders straightened up and the mouth couldn't be closed due to amazement. What he saw was like a feast for his eyes as they looked at a lot of storage boxes.
“Maybe we should just take this island?” Dax suggested with enthusiasm in his voice while he couldn’t keep his fingers still, eager to examine the storage boxes.
“It’s definitely better than that damn airship!” With a wide opened mouth he let his gaze sweep from left to right, still amazed.
“I know how you feel, Dax.”, Jax said after clearing his throat as he looked at their loot. “I’d like to, but it’s too dangerous.”, he added reluctant. “If you aren’t a hella lucky bastard, you’ll become some damn monsters food”, he also explained in a serious tone.
“We’ll take some boxes and leave this island. Booze and food preferably!”, Jax demanded now more in joy, feeling happy that the landing was a success in the end.
They put their pistols back in their gun holders on their belts and began opening the storage boxes which were mostly made of wood. With every box they opened, they were less able to keep their good mood in check. There was definitely enough food for them for a few days and even if they had not found any valuable items such as weapons, their raid was still crowned with success.
“Hahaha. HELL YEAH.” Dax screamed in joy after he opened another box. “Hey Jax, come over and take a look!” He called his older brother with a happiness that he wouldn’t be able to suppress.
“Have found something interesting, haven’t you, Dax?” Wandering to the box, mentioned by his brother, with high expectations, Jax laughed.
Only for a second he looked at the contents of the storage box and yet it was enough to make him open his eyes wide.
“We have a damn stroke of luck” Bursting out in laugh he looked at his brother and at the storage box - the box was full of alcohol bottles and especially it looked like good, rare alcohol, too.
“Whoever owned that island was a lucky damn bastard. That’s awesome stuff he has in there.”, Jax rejoiced.
Plunging their arms into the box, hey were about to grab a bottle each when suddenly a noise coming from another box alarmed them.
“What was that?” Looking at each other with eyes wide open as well as their mouth, the brothers asked simultaneously
Immediately both of them turned and picked up their pistols as they approached the box, which was a little bigger than the others - just over 2 meters long and 1 meter in width and depth.
Jax nodded his head in gesture for his little brother to open the box and Dax took small steps as he approached the box and reached for the lid.
Dax reached out for the lid of the box and tried to lift it with one hand but it he wasn’t able to open it since it seemed to be locked. After putting his gun back to his belt he grabbed the lid with both hands and pulled it. Unlike the first try the lid now opened without problems and he took a step back as he almost fell due to his heavy momentum.
After he got rid of the lid he peeked inside the box just to raise his eyes wide open in the next moment due to his puzzlement. As soon as his brain was able to realize what he was looking at in the box in front of him, he wanted to open his mouth to shout.
‘BANG!’
A loud noise was heard just before Dax fell back like a lifeless doll and hitting the floor. A pool of blood formed around his head and polluted the floor around him.
Smoke rose from the box that had cost his brother his life.
DAX!” With eyes wide open and tension in his mouth Jax shouted his brother’s name as he saw his body lying on the ground. Motionless he starred at Dax, realizing that the person he shared almost an entire life with had been shot into his forehead.
Immediately after realizing what had happened he wanted to rush to his brother but before he even could react, a man got up from the box and shot Jax into his arm with which he was holding his gun.
~~~~~~~~~~
‘You try to save your friend, eh? Too bad, he is already dead.’ Again I hold my gun up to his head in case he is trying to fight back. ‘Probably you should care about yourself more?’
“Dammit! You bastard!”, he just screamed and pressed his hand on the wound to prevent blood loss.
‘Bastard is it? After his attempt to steal from me he dares to call me a bastard? Haaa, why are pirate’s in the borderlands this dumb? Anyway, I guess it’s time to teach him a lesson.’
“The name’s Zackley, not bastard, kiddo.”, I just divulged. ‘Not that this information would do him any good. Dead men tell no tale after all and he doesn’t even have to think about getting off alive.’
‘Seems like one shot in his arm wasn’t enough. I will finish him off for sure, but for now he will see a nice show.’ With slow movements I step out of the box and walk towards this pirate scumbag to make him meet his end.
“And THIS”, I open my speech in a theatrical manner while I spread my arms like welcoming a bunch of people to an event, “Is MY place, you’ve come to!”
A sinister smile creeps up my lips as I again point the gun up to the his head. Confusion and fear is clearly to be seen in his face and there was no blame to it. Who wouldn’t be frightened when threatened by a gun to ones head?
“Welcome!”, I continue, “to my borderland, ye ass-hats!” After proper greeting him I point the gun at his mouth and pull the trigger.
*BANG!*
The bullet leaves my revolver and flies right into the mouth of the visible pale pirate.
