Chapter 7 – Cave of the Deaf
Meanwhile, in a cave a great distance away from the Peregrine, a large group of brown-skinned pirates sat hidden inside, preparing their boats for what their leader, a certain self-styled king who called himself “Datu Bangsawan” called the “heroic defense of the Negrense people from the eastern invaders.” Their spy, a former landowner named Don Napoleon, had set a trap for the Russian fleet that was sailing into Negros to recapture stolen Spanish gold and silver – which, according to the pirates – was theirs to begin with, but was taken from they by the Spanish in what Bangsawan called the “great rape of Negros.”
Soon the pirates could see Rodion and his strike fleet entered the cave – unwary and unsuspicious – perfect targets for an ambush. Bangsawan had his smaller and more agile boats hidden behind the rocks, and three hundred pairs of eyes watched the war frigate and the fleet behind it as it entered the darkness of the cave that was called lungib sang bungol – or in English, “the cave of the deaf.” It was so called because the rocks of the cave had very strange acoustics, making any sound made in the cave seeming to come from somewhere else.
“I don’t like it in here.” Natasha said, looking out towards the pitch-black darkness that lay ahead. “This place gives me the creeps.”
“Nothing to fear, mon ami.” said Nicolette, stepping out to the bow of the ship wearing night vision goggles. “No man is going to sneak up on me in this cave…” she said, the lenses of the goggles automatically zooming in and out.
Kazansky walked up behind them, and showed the Scorpion his rifle.
“Captain Blanchfleur – do you know anything about the—“
“Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947?” she interrupted, “Why naturellement, major. I’ve had experience with just about all of the fire arms known to modern man. Let me have a look see.” she said.
“Comrade major.” Natasha said, walking up to him, “my sidearm has run out of ammunition.”
“Well I have a problem with my own weapon, lieutenant. Although I doubt that there are any more 9mm cartridges on board, you could try asking Kyurdin.” Kazansky said, frowning.
“That creep?” said Natasha, wrinkling her nose. “I’d rather sleep with her! She said, pointing her thumb at the Scorpion.”
“Je vous demande pardon.” said Nicolette, disassembling the rifle. “Fish taco gives me the allergy, and sausages make me throw up. Go figure.”
Just then, a voice could be heard from the roof of the cave. It was rich and heavy, but spoke in another language:
“Kung sin-o da sa inyo ang gusto mag-kaon sang bala halin sa sulpak ko, sige ka da! Sulod ka lang sa lungib namon! Kung gusto mo, puli na lang kamo kag ma lagsanay lang kita sa dagat!”
“What was that?” Kazansky sad, looking up at the stalactite where the voice had come from.
“Well, I’m very sure it’s not a ghost, major.” said the Scorpion, looking up at the stalactite. “There’s no one up there – the sound’s deflecting from the walls of the cave! It’ll be impossible to trace the location of wherever the shots are coming from when they start shooting!”
“Comrade Major – I have a sinking feeling that we’re being watched…” Natasha said, peering out into the blackness.
Nicolette joined her in looking. Now she could see them – light green in the darkness, wielding all sorts of weapons from Muslim krises to model 1700 Spanish infantry muskets.
The enemy was silent – the whole lot of them staring at the oncoming vessel, with blood thirst in their eyes and tension in their hearts.
“You see them?” Kazansky whispered to the Scorpion.
“Oui, major. There appear to be several hundred of them behind those rocks there in the distance. Engagement would be foolhardy – nobody here except me can see them.”
“You’re forgetting that I hold the Eye of Belshazzar.” said a voice softly in the background.
“We don’t need you here! Go away!” whispered Nicolette.
Charnaiz crept out to them, holding Char Milvian in his hand, the blue iris glowing dimly. He looked into the Eye, and he saw several figures creeping around the vessel, piling up what looked like gunpowder on the other side – then the image vanished.
“Oh shit.” he said.
“What is it?” asked Kazansky.
“They’re going to sink us with a gunpowder barricade, up ahead.”
“Where? I don’t see it.” said the Scorpion.
“It’s some distance from here, I reckon.” Charnaiz said, peeking out over the railing.
“Why aren’t they shooting yet?” asked Natasha.
“I don’t know – they seem to be waiting for something.” said Charnaiz. “Something that we don’t know about.”
The sound of water could be heard from the ceiling – something like bodies emerging from the water.
“This could be bad.” said Natasha.
Suddenly they heard footsteps on wood, and then speech, seemingly from everywhere around them.
“They’re on the boat.” murmured Kazansky. “Nicolette – have you repaired my rifle?”
“You broke both your hammer springs! How did you do that?”
“I did what? Huh. I’ll have to use my sidearm then.”
“What about me?” asked Natasha.
“Run and hide.” replied Kazansky.
“With all due respect, comrade major – up yours.”
“There are some muskets down below in the armory, gentlemen.” said Charnaiz. “Natasha, arm yourself; Captain, watch your ammunition; Major Kazansky – don’t get killed. Hehehe.”
“Yeah – I’ll have to be around to protect you, right, your majesty? Hehehe.”
Suddenly, the sound of musket fire exploded in the cave. Marines rushed out to the railings of the Peregrine, as did the personnel of the other five ships. They could see nothing in the darkness, and they were picked off one by one by Bangsawan’s veteran snipers.
Little boats with outriggers on the sides then rowed up to the larger warships and began to reveal small clay pots. Don Napoleon, who was watching all of this, knew that it was now time to make his grand exit. Running from his cabin, he jumped over the side of the Peregrine’s railings and made his way to the banks.
Those little pots weren’t so frightening at first – but when they were being used – well, that was a different story altogether.
The pirates proceeded to smash the clay pots against the hulls of the warships – and lo and behold – fire! The pots contained some flammable material, possibly related to Greek fire, which exploded on impact!
Now all six of the ships were in peril of sinking – and Admiral Rodion had ran out of ideas.
“All hands abandon ship!” he shouted. Marines jumped from the ships, making splashing sounds all through the cave – which were followed by gunshots and screaming. Alexei approached his ancestor and yelled,
“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t die like this – against a little group of undisciplined pirates!”
“And who are you to say that I can’t?”
“I’m your great great great great grandson!”
“Don’t give me that horse piss, man!”
“Your father was a great Cossack! I’m sure he didn’t want you to waste your warrior skills at sea where you didn’t fit in!”
“How… how did you know my father?”
“I told you already! I—“
There was little time for chit-chat. The ship was turning to its side in the cave, and gravity was becoming everyone’s enemy. Charnaiz was trying as best as he could to fly down and collect as many people as he could, but he couldn’t save everyone. Valeri, Shruiken, Natasha and Kyurdin were hiding from the pirates on the bank of the river – but the Scorpion was nowhere to be found.
“Where could that bitch be?” Charnaiz murmured, flying through the torrents of gunfire and flame. He then decided to fly behind a rock on top of an elevation to look over the battle below. He was interrupted by a voice behind him:
“Psst. ‘migo.”
He turned to see a pirate holding a club – by then it was too late – he had been knocked unconscious.
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