The Sin of Innocence 6

Axel fell with his stomach and face on the ground. He felt his head spinning and his vision became blurry.

"Damn it…" Axel thought. "I let my guard down!"

He gathered his willpower to stay conscious. He rolled and faced back to see his attacker while holding onto his cutlass.

As he turned back, doubt swarmed his heart, for it was not the bandit; It was the man, the merchant Axel was escorting.

“Are… Are my eyes playing tricks on me?” Axel thought as he wiped his eyes.

The merchant sneered maliciously while holding a small hammer. One bandit ambled to the man, but instead of running, the man was calm as the bandit patted his shoulder.

"Are you okay, boss?" the bandit asked as he talked to an old friend.

"Yes, I'm fine. This lad was helping us to move our loots undetected! We should thank him for his hard work for us, the Umbreal Mortem!"

His voice and persona changed from a polite and pathetic person into an insane maniac.

"Boss…? Umbreal Mortem…?!” Axel thought as he clenched his fists. “Damn it…! It was all a facade to trick me..."

The man, the leader of the Umbreal Mortem, put the hammer inside his pocket and handed Axel’s sling bag to one of them.

Axel tried to move away, but a bandit flipped Axel's body by kicking his rib. He fell with his face on the ground, losing his grip on the cutlass.

The leader stood in front of Axel and kicked his cutlass away. He lifted Axel's head, using only the tip of his right feet while giggling like a maniac.

"Where are ye goin', son?" he asked.

"Bastard...!" Axel murmured in rage.

“Oh-! So scary!” he said sarcastically. “I'll give ye a chance to choose your own death. Consider it as an honor from me for helping us."

“Silence, you murderer!!!” Axel blurted as he couldn’t curb his anger any longer. “Don't you—!”

The man pulled his right foot, dropping Axel's face to the ground. The Umbreal Mortem laughed after hearing Axel's response. One of them stepped over and pressed his leg on Axel's back to prevent him from moving.

"Aww come on!” the leader said. “Why did they always say the same? Those families from before said the same thing too!"

Axel’s eyes opened wide as he punched the ground.

"You… Do you have a heart?!” Axel asked. “Don’t you realize how young the girl was?!”

“Sadly, that’s none of my business, son.”

“I'll never forgive a person like you!”

"What are you going to do? Attack us?"

“Damn!” Axel thought. “I can do naught!”

The leader stared at Axel's pockets. Axel’s pockets were full of something, presumably valuable items.

"Hey, let's search for his goodies!" the leader ordered.

Umbreal Mortem tied Axel's hands on his back and blindfolded him. Axel struggled, but the leader kicked him until he stopped. They searched for valuables, but they found none.

“Thrash, thrash, another trash…” the leader commented as he pulled everything from Axel’s pocket and threw everything he considered as trash. “My… You sure have many valuables, do you?”

The men returned to their boss after finding nothing valuable inside Axel’s sling bag.

"We found nothing valuable, boss."

"Well, at least we moved and secured away our sweet loots."

Axel was hiding something underneath his right shoulder. A small pouch of coins. They were no ordinary coins; they were his grandfather's final gift which Axel considered more valuable than any other treasures.

Axel squirmed, trying to hide the pouch, but the leader noticed Axel’s struggle and stomped his right shoulder.

“Hey, calm down, boy—” The leader noticed something as he stepped on Axel's shoulder. “—Wait, hey…” He knelt and observed.

“Please…” Axel thought. “Don’t—!”

"Oh, what's this?" the leader said as he pushed Axel’s body and found the pouch. ”So you are hidin’ this from us, son? Better luck next time… Or next life!”

“Don’t touch that—!!!” Axel shouted aloud as he lifted his head, but a bandit stepped on his back.

“Silence!” the bandit said. “Don’t scream in front of our boss!”

“Agh—!” Axel coughed twice.

The leader poured the coins into his hand. He looked at the amount and frowned, disappointed.

“That’s all?! A slight amount of coins! This is worthless!” he commented as he threw the coins in front of Axel.

“Bastard!” Axel shouted, causing the bandit to move, and pressed Axel's head to the ground with his feet.

“Did ye just say anything?” the leader said. “Come on, speak!"

“Give them back…” Axel muttered in pain. “Give those coins back!"

The leader signaled the bandit to remove his feet. The bandit did so, and the leader picked the coins into his right hand and clenched them. He lifted Axel’s head by pulling his hair.

“You want it?” he asked. “It's yours, son!"

He punched Axel’s face repeatedly with his right fist, clenching onto the coins. It wasn't to hurt Axel as he didn't use even a quarter of his strength. Even if it felt like simple slaps, Axel felt great heartache as if his heart was being punctured with needles each time he received a hit.

Axel tried to release the bindings using raw strength, but he wasn’t strong enough. After hitting Axel’s face several times, the leader stopped.

"This is getting boring real fast," the leader commented as he threw the coins to Axel's face.

The leader stomped on the coins several times before spitting on it. Axel couldn't see what he did, but he knew what the leader was doing.

“Let’s leave this lad!” the leader said to his men. “Have all of you taken everything from our base?”

“We have, boss.”

“Wait boss,” another bandit said. “We can’t leave this lad alive. He had seen your face. We can’t risk it.”

The leader thought for a second.

“Fine,” he said. “I guess we have to kill all eye-witnesses.”

The leader saw Axel’s holstered dagger and took it. A sinister idea crossed into his mind.

"Ah! Why don't ye die by your own weapon?!”

The leader lifted the dagger with his right hand and aimed at Axel's nape.

"Sleep tight!" the leader said as he was about to pierce Axel's nape.

“I’m sorry, gramps…” Axel thought in regret. “I—!”

Out of blue, someone fired three shots far from them. Two shots hit and killed a bandit near Axel while one damaged the leader’s right hand, dropping the dagger. The leader saw blood gushing out from his hand and screamed in pain and horror.

"Argh! Bastard!!!"

“Huh?” Axel thought. “What’s happening?”

He held his wounded hand and cried in pain.

“Who shot me?!” he whimpered aloud. “WHO IN THE HELL SHOT ME?!!!"

A man, pointing a gun, was standing under the trees far from them. Smoke was coming from the muzzle, signifying that he fired the shots.

Shadows obscured his face because the canopy blocked the light. Some footsteps were rushing towards the mysterious man.

“Who?” Axel thought as glimmers of hope flowed into his mind. “Does anyone come to rescue me?”

Axel couldn't see, but he heard Umbreal Mortem's men readied their weapons as they put their loots on the ground.

"What are we goin' to do, boss?!" a bandit asked as he got close to the leader and applied a clean rag to stop the bleeding.

"It must be a bystander!" the leader said, "There's no way in hell I'm letting them go for this shot!"

Four more people arrived near the mysterious person. Shadows obscured their faces.

The leader drew his flintlock and pointed at the man who shot him. Anger was exploding in his heart. He tried to be asserting, but he kept whimpering from the pain.

"Who... Who are you?!!!" the leader asked aloud.

A man stepped forward from the shadow as he answered with a rough voice of an early 40s man.

“Who, you ask? *ahem*. We’re one and only Abyss Walker.”

Axel recognized the voice. It’s Captain Goldteeth.

“C-Captain?!” Axel thought.

The leader opened his eyes wide in shock as he clenched his teeth. He recognized the name of Abyss Walker.

"Abyss... Abyss Walker?!" the leader muttered as he trembled with visible fear.

"What's wrong, boss?"

"Our fortune turned sour…! The sea vigilante is here!"

"W-What now… Boss?"

Captain Goldteeth pointed his cutlass to the leader as he mocked the leader.

"Oh? Are ye goin' to piss yerself here and now?"

The fear from the leader's face turned into a malicious grin. He whistled with an erratic tone, like a code. It echoed throughout the forest.

Captain Goldteeth glanced at his surroundings and saw birds flying away in a hurry.

"What? You're callin' birds?" he mocked.

From behind Abyss Walker, 10 more men of Umbreal Mortem rushed out from the woods and surrounded them.

"Yes, yes!” the leader replied. “These are the birds, the vultures who will feast upon your corpses!"

The backup men drew their weapons, prepared to shed some blood.

"Abyss Walker or everything…!” the leader thought. “I'll take them on for her sake!”

"How do ye like that?!” the leader asked. “17 against 5!"

Captain Goldteeth rolled his eyes and clapped.

"Oh boy! I never thought it would be more interesting!"

The smile of winning from the leader faded as the rest of Abyss Walker rushed to the scene, appearing behind the backup men.

"How about 21 against 17?" Captain Goldteeth asked, knowing that he had the upper hand.

The leader clenched his fists. His body was sweating as he bit his lower lip.

“W-What should I do?!” the leader thought, knowing that the situation wasn't in his favor. “Think Vissionir, think!”

"Hey!" the leader shouted, trying to reason with Abyss Walker, "We have no business against ye, Abyss Walker! We only have a business against this boy! Why didn't we just let it all pass?!"

Captain Goldteeth thought for a second.

“Ye are goddamn right,” he said.

“Then we have no business, right?”

"No business ye say? Capturing one of ours is one hell big crime to us!"

"This pathetic lad is Abyss Walker?!"

"Yeah! That pathetic boy is one of us!"

"Damn! I never expected that!” the leader thought. “This boy might have seen my face but… I have to cut my losses!”

The leader removed Axel’s bindings except for the arms.

“Here!” the leader said. “Take him and consider our business done!"

He kicked Axel on his back, pushing him away from Umbreal Mortem. Fleton got closer to Axel while still pointing his flintlock on the leader. He secured Axel and brought him under the three behind the crew.

"My, look how much they did to you," he said as he looked at Axel.

"They are Umbreal Mortem, those evil criminals... If only I could—!"

Fleton patted Axel's head.

"Okay, okay. Calm yourself. We'll handle these. You go get some rest."

Fleton whispered to Captain Goldteeth.

"They're Umbreal Mortem."

"Ye don't say! Umbreal Mortem... Right in front of us?!" Captain Goldteeth said as he opened his eyes wide, thrilled. "Two birds in one stone!"

“He's all yours!” the leader shouted. “We have no business against ye any longer!"

"No business? Ye made me drink salt-water, ye bastard son of a whore!"

“What do you mean?!”

“Your damned shop sold salt-water!”

"So, what do ye want for it?! I got barrels of rum to spare then!"

"Give it to me and maybe I'll consider us even!"

Umbreal Mortem's men went inside the store and took two barrels. They rolled the barrels to Abyss Walker.

“So, are we even yet?” the leader asked. “We'll be goin' without bloodshed!"

"I'm sorry, we hunt bounties, and guess what? Yer group name is in the list so Ye have a business against us!"

The leader stomped his leg on the ground, angry.

"Bastard!", the leader barked. "You had no thought of leaving us from the start, don't ya?!"

“Ye’re damn correct!” the captain confirmed.

"What's your order, boss?" one bandit asked.

"We have to kill these bastards! Either we kill them or they kill us!"

"B-But we are outnumbered, boss!"

"I'm not blind nor stupid!"

Umbreal Mortem raised their weapons and marched forward. Abyss Walker prepared their weapons and stayed still, ready to fight. Both groups soon fought to their death.

Umbreal Mortem was a group perfect in stealth attack and assassination, while Abyss Walker was perfect in group brawl and full assault, making Abyss Walker kept cornering Umbreal Mortem.

The leader didn't participate in combat. He just looked for an opportunity to win the situation. Umbreal Mortem's men soon knew that they would lose. One of them tried to flee, only to be shot by the leader himself.

"Coward bastard! Anyone who ran away would end up like him!" the leader threatened.

Captain Goldteeth could understand the leader, but killing his men for that, he couldn't tolerate it.

"He has gone nuts. He shot his men!" he thought.

Captain Goldteeth pushed away his target as his target was now the leader himself. The leader drew his flintlock and aimed at Captain Goldteeth.

"Eat this!" he said aloud as he pulled the trigger, but the aim was poor because of his wound. It didn't even hit the captain.

"Are ye blind? What are ye doin'?" the captain taunted.

The leader grinned.

"I shot right where I wanted to!" he said as he fired another shot, hitting the barrel behind the captain.

The liquid inside the barrels leaked, but it was not alcohol or rum, it's gasoline. The gasoline spread on the ground where they were all standing.

"Blimey! I should never trust this bastard! He made me drink salt-water and now what?! He soaked my clothes with gasoline!"

Fleton rushed to the nearest tree and climbed like a monkey to get a better aim.

"Welcome to hell!" the leader declared aloud as he ignited a Molotov on his left hand.

"This bastard is goin’ to burn us all!" Captain Goldteeth shouted.

Fleton aimed at the leader.

"Yes, for you!”

He shot it right at the bottle and the Molotov exploded right on the leader's face as soon as he threw it. The fire spread on his face, burning the left side of his face.

The leader then knelt, writhing in pain as he aimed his flintlock once more to retaliate, but his grip soon released because of the pain from his injuries.

Captain Goldteeth rushed and punched him in the face, knocking him down flat with his back on the ground. Umbreal Mortem was no more because some either ran away or killed.

Realizing that he had nothing else with him, the leader tried to crawl away, only to be kicked by the captain.

“I… I can’t die yet!” he thought.

He looked at the captain and pleaded pathetically.

"Please! Don't kill me! I beg you for your mercy!"

The captain kicked his left hand, dropping his face on the ground.

"I see no need to give a bast'rd any mercy. Especially fo' a person like ye who made me drink damned saltwat'r! Beg forgiveness for the man ye killed yerself!"

The leader raised his face, still begging.

"I-I have a daughter! I have to free her! I have to—!"

The captain lifted his face by pulling his hair.

"Cool storytelling, bastard. How 'bout this?! Why don't ye both go to Davy Jones' Locker together?" the captain offered as he lifted his cutlass, aiming at the leader's neck preparing to remove the leader's head from his body.

"Stop!" Axel shouted as he limped towards them. Axel heard their conversations.

Captain Goldteeth looked at Axel with a dissatisfied face while Fleton ran to Axel, trying to help him.

"Goddamn it, lad! You're still injured! Go back to the tree!" Fleton said as he helped Axel.

Axel brushed Fleton off and stood facing both the captain and the leader.

"Let him speak," he demanded.

"We don't have time to play around, Lil Axey!" the captain said.

"It's his last words. Let's honor anything he will say."

The captain looked away as he clenched his fists.

"Tch! Five minutes!"

Captain Goldteeth backed away a few steps behind. Axel sat on the ground, facing the leader.

"The story about your daughter. Is it true?” Axel asked.

"I-It is... I wasn't lying about my daughter. I have to do this... I have to rob and kill so I can get enough coins."

Tears fell from his eyes. They were genuine tears of sadness and sorrow.

"I have to do this... Before I gathered some bandits and burglars to form what people call Umbreal Mortem, I was a mere merchant living with my daughter and my wife."

He wiped his tears as he tried his best to speak.

"One day, strings of misfortune happened to our life. My wife... She..."

The leader looked like he was going to break in any second. He felt an agonizing pain in his chest as he recalled his beloved wife. He wanted to explain, but he dropped his face on the ground, as his heart ached.

"She passed away because of sickness... I couldn't heal her in time because my business went downhill sharply. I went bankrupt, and she passed away..."

Axel could sympathize with that feeling. He could feel the heartache the leader suffered.

"That's your reason to rob and kill?"

"I borrowed money... My daughter... She shared the same illness as her... I can't... I can't afford to lose her too! I couldn't let Aurellia die!

"She is the only thing left for me to live... I can't live without her... So... I borrowed money... An enormous sum of them... I used the money to heal my daughter and reopened my business... I thought... I have regained my happiness...

"It was short-lived. I shouldn't have done this... I shouldn't have done this!!!"

The leader screamed in agony as he emptied his lung in despair. He started whimpering, and he scratched his hairs enough to draw blood.

"I... I couldn't repay him in time... They took Aurellia... They took her away! The last chance to redeem her... I have to do this... I have to take her back from Ricardo Laspreyes"

Captain Goldteeth clenched his fist in rage. He rushed to the leader and held his collar, screaming.

"Where's he? Where's that bastard—?!"

Fleton tried to pull the captain away.

"Calm down! I know ye hate hearing—!"

Fleton then punched the captain again, releasing his grip. The leader fell, but Axel held his body and lowered him down.

"Do you have any regrets?" Axel asked.

"With all of my heart... When I raided those families. When I see their daughters, I remember mine… I have decided this would be the last… I’ll leave the island and try to pay the amount..."

“Are you ready to accept the consequences of your actions?”

“As long as she’s saved… I’m ready… I’m ready to be punished because of my sins…”

"Then... Go... Save her and accept your punishments!"

The leader looked at Axel with a despair-painted face.

"How? Could I—?!"

Captain Goldteeth pushed Axel away as he prepared the cutlass to behead the leader.

"Outta my way!" he ordered.

Axel refused as he stood in front of the leader with his arms stretched to the side.

"Don't."

Axel's request displeased the captain. He clenched his fist and berated him while staring deep into Axel's eyes.

"What did ye just say?! I'm yer captain, Lil Axey! Ye can't command me!"

Axel stared back with the same eyes the captain gave him.

"Please, d-don't kill him—!"

"Are ye insane?!"

"Let's... Let's just leave him and hope that he gets his daughter back soon."

"Step aside, I say! Trust no cutthroats words!"

As they were arguing, the leader reached into his pocket, trying to draw something out.