CH - 14 [ Bear island ] part - 2

Halcen grabbed it too, and shook. "It's nice to officially meet you two."

They agreed.

"So… is there anything you guys need?"

"I think we'll be fine," Kazuki answered.

"Can we use the bunks instead of staying in here? There's no bedding," Bo asked.

"Yeah, go for it." Halcen shrugged, as if that would have been a problem. "Alright, well if that's all, then I'm gonna head back up. We need to figure out our next move."

Halcen headed back up to the deck, with Kazuki and Bo following. They had business to get sorted. "So there's a town around the other side of the island?"

"That's right," Grey answered.

"Alright, let's get over there. We need to get this ship taken care of."

So they pulled up the anchor, raised the sails, and began their slow crawl across the water around the island. It wasn't far to the other side, but Halcen was still worried about the Black Tail being on the water at all, no matter how shallow it was. A life on the ocean takes a lot of chances. And often, we're not treated fairly.

When finally they made it around to the far side of the island, they had to navigate through a narrow inlet to get to the docks. This place was not at all welcoming to larger ships. The inlet was barely large enough for the Black Tail to make it through, but Valentina was very good at her job. Halcen was again thankful for her.

Halcen set his eyes upon the village on the island, carved into the hillside. He was surprised they picked such a difficult to manage place to build their town, but the placing did make sense defensively. It was the easiest place in the island to defend. It must have been a bitch to put up though.

Halcen could feel the stagnation of the island as they pulled closer to the docks. The air got harsher… colder… irritating. There was something there, but Halcen couldn't figure out what. He had to dismiss it. They didn't have a choice but to continue.

It was true that their port wasn't meant for larger ships; the water was rather shallow. For this, and not much else, they were happy that the Black Tail was as small as it was. They were able to successfully pull up to the dock.

Kazuki jumped off immediately and roped the ship to the dock, Bo dropped the anchor, and the others all got busy getting their things together. Halcen departed from the Black Tail to go looking for anybody he could talk to about the island, trying to get a feel for their new environment. He ambled over the wooden dock walkway.

After a few moments, he found an older man in his forties, a bit pudgy with little hair left on his head. He was sitting alone on a bench; the only lifeform on the dock besides Halcen's crew. It drew and eerie picture with the morning fog rolling around. "Hello, sir," Halcen said.

"Well, look what we have here," the old man said, looking Halcen up and down. "Didn't expect any visitors today."

"Yeah, we weren't planning on making a stop here either. We're actually on our way to Loguetown, but-"

"Well then you better get on to Loguetown," the man said, almost apathetic.

Halcen's face twitched, infuriated. This fat old balding bastard is gonna get my foot up his ass. Then he took a deep breath. "We can't sail right now. Our ship is in disrepair. We needed to make an emergency pit stop to get it fixed."

"And you thought this would be the best place to do it?"

"It was the only island near at the time. That storm almost sank us."

"That would have been a better fate for you."

"Excuse me?"

"Listen kid," he said, cutting the crap. "We don't get many visitors here, for good reason. Most people just sail on by."

"And why's that?"

"This island, Bear Island, is cursed by the Bear God."

"Bear God?" Halcen asked in disbelief. "That's the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, I'd watch what you say about that around here. Some people take it pretty seriously."

"What about you?"

"Honestly? I haven't seen anything like it. I don't buy it. But this is my home, so I'm not just gonna run away. But I suggest you do. And take that pretty little thing with you." He motioned to Valentina.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"No. It's a warning. This isn't a vacation spot."

"Well we're not on vacation. Once we get our ship up and running, we'll get out of here."

The man shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, a bit saddened.

"We need supplies. Are there any shops around we can check out or a mill we can get wood from?"

"Oh, there's plenty here. Just don't be surprised if they don't want to sell to you. The folks here aren't real welcoming."

"Tell me about it," Halcen almost spat.

"You think I'm bad? HA! If you stick around, you'll see how bad it really gets."

"Alright, yeah. Thanks for the help." Halcen shook his head and turned back to the crew and headed their way. They had all gathered on the outside of the ship.

"So what's the jury?" Grey asked.

"This place is fucking weird," Halcen answered.

Rey chuckled.

"So what do you want to do?" Grey asked.

"Well, we kinda don't have a choice. We have to stay here and fix the ship. Bailu, how long is it gonna take?"

"At least a few days. It'd be a bit faster is Loyola was better. But she's gonna need a few days herself."

"Will extra hands help or do we have to have experience?"

"I could use extra hands, so long as they listen to exactly what I tell them."

"Alright, Bo, Kazuki. Can you guys help Bailu with this? Grey and I are gonna head into the town to see if we can find a place to get some supplies."

"Oh!" Valentina exclaimed. "I'll come with you!" She stepped up and off the ship. He long pink hair waved and her body bounced as she landed on the wood.

"Uhm… maybe you should stay here," Halcen suggested, gulping hard.

"I've been stuck on this ship for over a week. I want to stretch my legs."