Isaias was jostled from his bunk by the first crash. He turned to his partner who had been reading a book. Marco looked as stunned as him to find himself on the floor. They rose and grabbed their guns filing out of the too-small room and running towards the sound of the crash. They were joined by Alejandro who was pale and sweaty.

“Ale? Do you have a fever?” Asked Marco scrunching his brows in worry.

“Yeah man, we’re probably heading into battle right now,” Isaias said.

Alejandro shrugged. “I drank the damn water but I haven’t succumbed to the poison yet. I feel weaker and I am slower but that’s about it.”

“And you’re running a small-grade fever,” muttered Marco as they ran into the ballroom where almost every Guerrero was laid out.

“So, what? We’re the only ones left to defend the boat now,” asked Alejandro as he took in the ballroom. Most Guerreros couldn’t get up at all, others were struggling to tie on their boots.

“Yup,” said Isaias as they ventured towards the outside and whatever was waiting for them. All eyes were on the four lounging pirates who were sitting on top of a table relaxing. They took them in. The biggest one reminded them of a bull with bulging muscles and a big physique. Next to him was a lethal puma. Smaller in size but no less dangerous and his skin was a glowing violet indicating Galatian origins.

Next to him was what seemed a female weasel swallowed by a tan coat. The bull-man had a vest of light metal. The puma wore a trench coat of the lightest violet almost white. Then there was what seemed to be the ringleader. He seemed the most ordinary dressed in a long-sleeved dark shirt and baggy pants. No coat. His copper hair set him apart from the others. He looked up and crystal blue eyes widened.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, brother. You left Gaia’s army and joined a terrestrial one. Tell me, do they know about you and how you seem to just scatter when things get rough?”

Marco clenched his fists and spoke. “Stephan I will not play your games today. What do you want?”

“You should know what I want mind reader. As for games? You’re about to play my favorite, Marco.”

“Stephan you talk big but you couldn’t even keep Edline safe.”

Stephan’s eyes narrowed. “Edline ran away a year ago and has been using her mind talents to stay hidden! I was the last to leave. A bit late I’m afraid, but I can answer that later. Where is the crystal?”

“Somewhere safe,” replied Marco.

“Nowhere is safe for that thing...now where is it”

Isaias growled. “Like we’re telling a pirate!” He yelled crossing his arms.

Stephan grinned. “Better than some mafia...hmm...you know where it is...it’s with your sister.”

“How! How did you…”

“Marco never told you about him? How he’s a half traveler and half elemental?” Stephan smirked as Marco turned his head. Isaias glanced at Marco but said nothing. “Figures, even now he keeps secrets. That’s how he is, you know. Until he abandons you ...”

“Enough! What I did on Gaia has no bearing here!”

“Oh? I think it does and I think it’s time you paid for it!”

“Bring it on punk!” Isaias said uncrossing his arms.

Marco pushed him back.” This is between my brother and me, Isaias. You concentrate on the bull and the puma and watch out, the puma is Galatian. No way of knowing what his gift could be.”

Isaias eyed the two males and nodded. Where is Alejandro?

Already in the crow’s nest getting ready to shoot the girl down, answered Marco as he eyed his brother who was smirking.

“Val! Cast the shield. There’s a sniper around somewhere,” ordered Stephan.

The bull guy raised his hand and everyone in the crew glowed violet for an instant before it faded.

“That should take care of any bullets,” muttered Stephan as he jumped off the table and faced Marco with a cocky grin.

Careful, Stephan. I’m not as weak as I once was.

Neither am I, Marco.

Marco’s eyes widened. “You heard us!”

“Not completely. I wasn’t concentrating on either of you but I heard some. We’ll have to see how strong you’ve gotten,” said Stephan as he raised his hand, and a ball of water coalesced in his hands.

Let’s see how fast you dodge,” he said, throwing the ball of water.

Marco let a little wind encircle him then he was gone in a teleport.

###

Zen stood still as the footsteps neared. She looked for someplace to hide, but the shelves were all packed together. She found one behind the last shelf in the corner. The lights! They are much too bright! They create shadows and will give me away! Zen tried to shimmy closer to the wall where her shadow was less noticeable. She looked on from the small space formed between the shelf and her hiding place. The footsteps became loud pounding in her ear then two Guerreros showed up. She sighed in relief but didn’t move.

“Come on Patricio! The faster we find that blasted diamond the faster we can get out of here!”

“Crystal, and patience, Geraldo! We don’t want to bring the wrong thing now, do we? It’s our heads on the line! The SMVK don’t kid around!”

Geraldo, who looked like a giant gerbil, gnashed his big teeth. “Do you think we’ll find it?”

“Yes, we’ll find it! Now, look!”

Geraldo busied himself checking the dimensional pockets on the shelf Zen was currently hiding behind. Please don’t spot me please don’t spot me!

She held her breath as the round male passed by her hiding spot to look at the necklace holder.

“Hey, I think I found it!”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Bring it over!”

Geraldo did and Patricio inspected the crystal, smiling at first then frowning. “It’s a masterful fake I’ll give them that. See here,” he points to the sides. “it's missing the inscription of the original crystal. This is jargon. A fake. Keep looking”

“How do you know so much about the crystal, Patricio?”

“My grandfather was the keeper of one for a bit before it was taken to the Galactic Council. I remember everything about it-from its color, its shape, to the inscription down its side.To the feeling of holding one. Keep looking!”

I have to escape here somehow! They’ll notice me soon enough. If I can just...Zen wiggled a bit while Geraldo and Patricio were busy on the other side of the room. Slowly she made her way out of her hiding hole but the ship began to lean on its side and she tumbled with it making a racket. Geraldo looked up and found himself staring at Zen legs akimbo on the floor.

“What? Who are you?” He asked getting his gun.

###

Isaias eyed the bull. He wasn’t moving and he was petting that enormous iguana! Gotta get me one of those! The fear factor is chilling! I never want to meet that thing in the dark.

He faced the puma who was eyeing him carefully. I need to find out what that violet shield was

Seeing nothing for it he pointed his gun and fired. The bullets stayed in midair before dropping. Cool! Now is that just guns or all metal?

He took out his chain whips and swung them. They stayed in the air. Ok! All metal! Good thing, not all my whips are metal then.

He took out two long leather whips, They split at the end into nine distinct tails. With the switch of a button, the metal hooks turned into wooden spikes catching Marek’s attention. He was giving the terrestrial time to prepare. He was hoping for a good fight.

Isaias took out a bottle of blue lotion and spread it on the spikes. That poor bastard has no idea what I’ve done! I do! This poison won’t affect humans but anything not human will feel the burn baby!

“Are you ready yet,” the puma sighed.

Isaias grinned and cracked his whips.

“Let’s go!” He cried.

###

Alejandro was setting up his Guardian at the crow’s nest. He shivered as a cool wind blew in from the sea. He knew it was his fever acting up but he had a job to do. He watched the fights from high up. Marco was so far dodging the brat and Isaias had the other guy on the run. He had to focus on the girl. If he could just take her out then the other two would have a chance. His Guardian was already on its tripod and he had activated the scope with a button. Now all he had to do was lay still and wait...great! Somewhere in between setup and waiting a violet shield appeared and he sighed. He was going to have to break that shield somehow. This was how he made lieutenant. There was no shield he couldn’t break. He just had to ‘cut’ the power supply to the shield which happened to be coming from the bull guy.

Alejandro closed his eyes and opened himself to a new world. The world of charges and electricity. He’d been able to do this since he was born. No rhyme or reason to it he just was. He opened his eyes glowed citrine yellow and searched for the charge that all shields contained. He found one inside the male and sighed. This would be more difficult. He closed his eyes and gave in to the pull of the energy. It wanted to lead him somewhere but right now he needed to lead it into the male. It flowed and ebbed its way down the crow’s nest and into the bull and Alejandro pulled.

Val gasped and felt something tickle his insides. When he went to check what it was he found his shield nullified. All his powers were nullified.

Alejandro took the shot.

“Kiera! Move!”Val cried moving faster than thought and tackling Kiera to the side. A bullet flew by just a hair’s breadth away from where Kiera had been standing. Alejandro cursed and took another shot.

Val carried Kierra to a table and dislodged it from its frame, using it as a shield for the hail of bullets.

“Val? What happened?” asked Kiera as she kneeled beside him.

“I don’t know, but I can’t use my abilities for a bit. I have no idea how it was done!”

Val and Kiera stayed kneeling behind that table until Val felt the bullets shift and he grabbed Kiera.

“Time to go.”

They ran with a hail of bullets right behind them.

###

Isaias swung the cat o nine tails and Marek dodged but was nicked by a spike, in the face. He began to feel a slight itching then a burn until he was crying out.

“What the hell is on those spikes,” he screamed trying to rub the blue poison off. It was only making it worse.

“A little something for non-terrestrials,” said Isaias as he swung low and nicked Marek’s knee. He fell and groaned trying to get his leg to work again but the poison not only burned, it numbed. Isaias cracked his whips and spun, sending all eighteen tails out at Marek. Some, he managed to dodge, but several made nasty gashes in his skin allowing more of the poison through.

“No more!” He cried writhing on the floor. He watched as Val and Kiera scampered about evading rapid fire. They had underestimated three guys and were now paying for it. He just hoped that Stephan was having a better time of it.

“Is that all you’re capable of brother?” Sneered Stephan as he threw another ball of water.

“Not even half,” muttered Marco as he gathered wind around him and sucked the water in before sending the small water spout back at Stephan who dodged.

“That’s better,” Stephan said as he collected more water.

Marco’s eyes glowed and the sky darkened. The wind picked up around him until the boat began to lean on its side. From the clouds sprung a funnel cloud. It struck the boat and began tearing up the deck and going after Stephan who was shocked. Marco definitely couldn’t do that before! All his water was useless and he had to throw himself overboard.

Marco stood panting. That was most of what he could do. Well, he could do a hurricane but that wasn’t needed to teach Stephan a lesson. A great shuddering and shaking overtook the boat and a massive wall of water arose from the ocean.

Maybe the hurricane was needed after all.

###

Zen stood righting her clothes and drawing attention to the crystal around her neck.

Patricio immediately took notice.

“What’s that you’re wearing?”

Zen smoothed out her shirt and pointed to her necklace. “This? Uncle gave it to me. It’s pretty, isn’t it??

“Yeah, pretty. Take it off!”

Zen sighed and raised her hands for the clutch to undo the necklace. She made a show of it. “It’s stuck,” she said shrugging.

Ok, Princess. You want to mess with the GC? Be my guest but don’t mess with us!”

“The GC?” She asked perplexed.

“The Intergalactic crystal belongs to them and is a forbidden object on Earth or any other planet. It strikes wars. Ya get that? Wars are fought for it. Is that something you want happening?”

Zen shook her head.

“Good, then give it here,” Patricio said waving a hand at her.

“How do I know that you won’t abuse it like others?” She asked.

“Look! The SMVK crew are known as bounty hunters that work within the laws of the council! They work strictly for the council!”

“The SMVK?”

“The pirate crew on your ship. They are in charge of searching for the crystal.”

“Then...” the boat began to shake and shudder beneath them.

Patricio grinned. “Looks like Stephan is getting into it with someone.”

Zen gasped. “Isaias! Marco! Alejandro! I’ve got to help them.” She ran for the door but the cocking of a gun stopped her.

“Not with that necklace, princess! Hand it over!”

Zen growled and zipped by the two, kicking the guns from their hands and clobbering the two idiots. She ran as fast as she could, past the ballroom and out to the deck. She slammed open the deck doors and ran out.

Isaias was fighting with the bull guy and man could the guy hit! He had to have at least a broken rib by now...maybe two. The Puma guy was a wimp and couldn’t take the solution, but this guy could, with a bit of twitching here and there. His powers hadn't returned yet, but they would so he fought with leather, and except for some extreme rope burn this guy shrugged every hit off like a fly! Isaias was in big trouble.

Marco stood watching the wave come at him with his little brother riding its crest. No way was he going to circumvent something that massive! The boat would be submerged

Alejandro was running away from the crazy witch that was following him. He didn’t have much energy left and was considering jumping overboard...if he could swim with a fever that was.

Zen busted out in the middle of it all. “Here! I have the crystal! Let them go!” She cried holding the crystal to the light.