The salty sea wind spat in my face, but not to spite me but to jovialy invite me to try to tame her wild ways. I was up to her challenge. Soon we will set sail to rape and plunder all the goods she has to offer. No ship will be safe from our scourge. The dawn shall borne us into the bossum of the waiting sea. The rising sun shall christen our un-godly voyage of plunder.

For now I sit in the pub making my own sea within my belly, a sea of rum. A true seaman must be one with the sea, on the outside and in the insides. As I slowly finish a cup a hand pounds itself flat on the table before me. It is the hand of an man with an uncombed white mop on his head and skin that hangs like sacs on his tried face. His ancient eyes stare into mine as he makes himself a seat at my table.

In a hoarse and sandy voice he bellows to me, "So your are the Quake Barbarossa who thinks himself king of the pirates?"

"Begone old man," I said to him, "I have no time for your rhetoric."

"Ah, but you wants to hear whats I have to say, young fool."

Who are you to call me a fool. I make sure you leave this tavern in a box!"

Calm your temper and listen. Tomorrow when your ship sets sail you won't be on it," he paused, broke a piece of my bread and continued while gnawing with his few remaining teeth into the stale roll, "In a town a few days south of here waits a group of men for you. They're looking for a man with no soul and a strong heart to do a dirty deed. Your own reputation sold you to them. All is left for you to do is collect."

"Listen, Old man, I'm not a child, I have no need or liken to fairy tales. I have seven seas to plunder."

"I tell you no tale, you shall have yourself a treasure that will never run dry if you pull off this job. These men who sent me gave me this to give to you to show that I's speaks the truth."

He slowly dug deep into his pocket and frooze. He then pulled out of his pocket ceremoniously a gold coin. That with a spanish brand on it. It sparkled like a divine jewel as he set in on the table before me.

"This dabloon is your's for the taking. You have heard what I haves to say. You cans take this coin and forgets what I says or you can gives this coin to the man who runs the dock and he will give you a one-man scooner."

"Surely old man this dabloon can't get me a one-man scooner. As I saud beforre I am not a man for fairy tales."

Aye, you're right normally this coin wouldn't but the dockmaster has already been attended to and awaits his last piece of payment."

Say, Old man, that this tale is ture,what will I do once I got this scooner. What then? Shall I sail until the divine hand of God puts me into port?"

"Don't be a fool, and patronize me." retorted the man within a heartbeat. For a second his blood boiled and his face flushed with anger, but he calmed down. He rested slowly back into his seat.

He hunched himself over the table and made with his hands as to point on an illusionary map written on the table. He then spoke, "You voyage has been sought to. The charts are marked and plotted. You'll find them in the cabin of the ship. Everything has been set for your safe arrival in Shark Harbour"

I knew Shark Harbour well. Every good captain knows of Shark Harbour. Thats were the seedy, slimy government types crawled about. If you looted some documents you could sell them there. It wasn't a place for a pirate; both the rum and the woman were expensive and both sour.

"Sorry old man but I have other bussiness."

"Other bussiness? What other bussiness can be greater then 30 pounds of gold upfront. And all the loot you can haul away?" He said with little feeling.

Then I said to him, "30 pounds you said? Good night sir, I will go against my own good judgement and do as you said. If its not worth the gold, it must be worth the adventure." With that I rose from the table and picked up the coin and retired to my room for the night.

This new day will bring adventure and danger. It will be a good day. I can already smell the blood. I slowly dragged myself out of my bed, got dress, paid the innkeeper and went on the docks. Now that I feet the planks creak beneaeth my feet and the the sound of waves lapping against the shore in my ears I am awake.

I approached the dockmaster, " I am here to get my scooner."

Slowly he raised his eyes without moving a muscle. He stopped with his eyes starring into mine. I slammed the dabloon before him and his mouthly creaked on his hard, rigid face. " You'll find the ship at the end of this pier." His hand dragged the coin to him and his eyes returned to the ledger in which his was writing. i walked down the dock to my destiny...