Dare Quest - The Chinese Pirate Read online

The Chinese Pirate

  Dare Quest

  By Brian Smith

  Copyright 2014

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Glossary

  cutlass - navy sword

  gormless - stupid, brainless

  junk - Chinese sailing ship

  phoenix - mythical bird that burns to ashes and then comes back to life again and rises from its own ashes

  Welcome to a new world...

  Did you think you’ve seen all the dangers that there are? That’s what Edward and Anthony thought too! They have to face fresh challenges and dangers as they leave behind their home and those they love. Why? Because Anthony has given Edward a DARE!

  Will Edward rise up to the challenge on this quest? Little does he know, but he will also make new friends and allies. And there are some surprising enemies waiting to ruin him. Can you guess who they are...?

  Read on to see how your heroes fare.

  A pirate junk in the South China Sea

  A map of Hong Kong and the surrounding islands with their pirate infested waters. Can you see the skull and bones symbol? On the left of it is the little island where the pirates keep their treasure.

  I Dare You

  Edward was lying on the sofa watching his younger brother Anthony play with their Thomas train set. He was feeling bored and didn’t know what to do with himself. There was a pile of library books in his room that he had read through and which held no more appeal. He was in no mood to play with the railway and had no ideas what else he could do, so he did the only thing that came to his mind: tease his younger brother. Either he tried to distract Anthony’s attention from Thomas by saying silly things such as “There’s an evil doctor cockroach on your back” or “Ting, ling, bling, Thomas is a silly thing” and when Anthony got distracted and complained loudly Edward giggled happily. And when Anthony turned his back to Edward things got even worse. Edward lowered his foot from the sofa and overturned the railway track, making the new bridge that Thomas was crossing at that very moment collapse. Anthony’s howls of protest had no effect. Quite the contrary. Edward began to enjoy himself. Finally Anthony had had enough. A thought came to his mind and he turned and looked at Edward with a mischievous grin on his face and a glint in his eye.

  “No! Don’t do it Anthony!” Edward yelled, but it was too late.

  “I dare you fight a pirate,” Anthony said.

  “Oh no!” Edward called and buried his face in his hands. “What have you done?”

  But Anthony already couldn’t hear those last words. There was a whirling of stars around the two boys. They were lifted up into the air and hurled through darkness. Then as suddenly as it had begun the whirl stopped and the stars vanished. Instead of being on the sofa and the carpet with the train set on it they were lying on a beach. Small waves lazily rolled onto the sand making a gentle swoosh sound. A seagull flew overhead in a clear blue sky from where a fierce tropical sun burned down on them. The sea was calm and bluish green and behind them was the lush green vegetation that can only be found in those tropical climates that never know the sight of snow and those cold icy winds that blow the leaves of trees every autumn in other parts of the world.

  “Now what have you done?” Edward said crossly. “Fight a pirate! How can I fight a pirate?”

  Anthony grinned. “Serves you right, and if you don’t do it we can’t go home, so you’d better find a pirate quickly.”

  It was part of the magic. How or why it worked they didn’t know, but if one of them made a dare to the other they were both instantly taken to the right place where they went on a quest to fulfil the dare. Only then were they taken back to their own home in the same magical way.

  Edward sighed feeling nervous. “But why a pirate? We’ve never done anything so dangerous before. How can I fight a pirate. He might kill me.”

  It was a point Anthony had not thought of before.

  “I’m sorry,” he said looking rather crestfallen. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Well, sorry’s no good now. You have to think before you talk. Anyway, it’s no good sitting around here. Let’s go and see where we are.”

  They walked along the sandy beach for a few minutes till they came to a small path that led through the dense undergrowth. They turned onto the path wondering where it would take them. Anthony was walking ahead when he suddenly stopped and yelled.

  “Argh! A spider! It’s a huge spider!”

  Inches away from his face was a web that went from one side of the path to the other and right in the middle was an enormous spider. With its legs extended it was as big as Anthony’s face. Anthony froze in terror, unable to move.

  Edward pulled him back gently.

  “It’s just a spider,” he said. It won’t hurt you, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  Edward looked around and then picked up a long stick he saw on the ground. Holding the stick at arm’s length he carefully tore the web off on one side and then moved it along with the spider to the other side of the path. The way was clear.

  “Wow, you’re so brave Edward!” Anthony said admiringly.

  Edward smiled. “That’s all right. I just wish the pirate was just as easy to deal with.”

  Now Edward led the way and Anthony followed behind. It was a narrow path and on both sides bushes and trees towered over the two boys. Sometimes a small slit in the rooftop vegetation admitted a little sunlight, but mostly they were in the shade and they were grateful for it. For where the sun shone it was as hot as an oven.

  “Can you smell something?” Anthony asked.

  Edward stopped and sniffed. “It smells like smoke. I hope there isn’t a forest fire or we could be burned alive.”

  Anthony clutched his brother’s arm. “Let’s go back to the beach. I don’t want the fire.”

  Suddenly they heard screams coming through the jungle.

  “Help, help!” a man yelled at the top of his voice.

  Edward and Anthony looked at each other for a moment and then rushed forward. Moments later the jungle receded and the path came out onto open ground. There was a little village, a mere hamlet of maybe half a dozen houses. In front of a burning house a man was kneeling on the ground with his hands raised up in the air.

  “Please, I beg you please give her back to me. Please, she’s my only child!”

  Rising up into the air was a blood red dragon and in its talons it held a crying girl.

  When the man spotted Edward and Anthony he turned to them.

  “Please help me,” he cried. “The evil dragon has kidnapped my daughter. She’s all I have in the world. You must help me get her back!”

  The Dragon

  No one else in the hamlet dared come out of their house though Edward did spot a few frightened faces peering through windows.

  Meanwhile the dragon flew towards a distant mountain that rose up sharply from the surrounding jungle-covered plains and hills. High up where the mountain disappeared into a cloud the dragon vanished too and with it the poor helpless girl in its diabolical clutches.

  “You must help me!” the man implored Edward and clutched Edward’s shirt.

  Edward turned away from the mountain to look at the man. He was clearly Chinese and had long black hair hanging down his back that was tied up into a queue, his swarthy face showed that he spent much of his time in the sunshine, and the poor clothes he wore indicated the poverty that the people in the hamlet lived in.

  “But what can we do?” Anthony asked.
“We don’t know how to fight a dragon, and anyway, we’re here to fight a pirate.”

  “A pirate?” the man asked. “You’re here to fight a pirate? Oh what luck to have such brave lads at hand in my hour of need. Bring me my daughter back and I’ll show you where you can find a pirate.”

  He stood up and chuckled. “Come, there is something I will give you to help on your mission against the dragon.”

  The boys followed him into the house. After being in the bright sunshine the interior looked dark and gloomy and for a few moments Edward and Anthony could see nothing. Then they saw the man rummaging through the contents of a wooden box. When he found what he was looking for he turned to the boys with a satisfied smile on his face. In his hands he held two amulets in the shape of a large bird. He held them out.

  “Wear these around your necks and if there is ever a time of great need, if the danger is so great that you are in fear of your lives, these will protect you. Always wear them and never ever take them off for whatever reason. Now go, go and save my daughter before it is too late.”

  Edward looked at the poor man with determination.

  “We will bring your daughter back,” he said fearlessly. “And you be ready to uphold your part of the bargain. I must find a pirate.”

  The man laughed. “Never you fear! A pirate is easily found here.”

  He gave them two flasks filled with water and some dry bread and meat on their way and the two boys set off.

  They walked out of the hamlet and towards the high mountain where they’d last seen the dragon. They walked for several hours through the burning sun and soon their water was all gone.

  “We’ll never make it like this,” Anthony said.

  “So let’s find some more water. There must be streams or ponds around here somewhere.”

  “But where?”

  “The plants look green enough,” Edward said. “They wouldn’t be so green without water. Let’s look for some low ground, a hollow or dell, maybe a long bright green line of vegetation on the ground that indicates running water.”

  “I can see something.”

  “Where?”

  Anthony excitedly pointed at some trees. “Look there,” he said. I can see something right in front of the trees.”

  It was a bright green line of fresh grass! They quickly walked there and saw a little brook with fresh clear water slowly flowing.

  Edward happily took the flask and stepped forward to fill it with water when he heard a loud hissing sound in the grass. A cobra reared up its head. It extended its hood and hissed menacingly at Edward.

  Edward was petrified seeing the serpent so close. It was within striking distance. If it lurched forward and buried its long fangs into him it could inject enough venom to kill him within a short time.

  But Anthony was thirsty. Furious at seeing the way to the water blocked he jumped up and down and stamped his feet angrily. The snake couldn’t hear his shouting, snakes don’t have ears, but it felt the strong vibrations in the ground. Fooled into believing that a large creature was approaching the snake quickly lowered its head and rushed into the undergrowth to hide.

  Edward breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew, that was close. Good you thought of stamping your feet to scare the snake off.”

  Anthony smiled. “That’s what brothers are for.” He took his flask and filled it with water. Then he drank greedily.

  When they had both drunk their fill Edward looked around. The sun was already low on the horizon. Dusk was coming soon and after that darkness.

  “It’s too late to get up the mountain today,” he said. “We’d better find a place to spend the night.”

  Anthony felt something on his leg and smacked it. There was a dead mosquito and some bright red blood.

  “Mosquitoes!” he said. “I hate mosquitoes. We need to get away from them.”

  Edward sighed. “They’re going to be everywhere soon. They’ll be biting us all night long and by tomorrow we’ll be itchy all over.”

  “Stop!” Anthony shouted and held his ears shut. “I don’t want to hear it. Don’t tell me this, just take me somewhere safe for the night.”

  “Can you see anywhere safe?” Edward asked with a certain amount of malicious pleasure. While he did not like the idea of getting bitten himself the thought of Anthony’s discomfort gave him a little pleasure. He had not forgotten Anthony’s dare to fight a pirate.

  Anthony shook his head. “Let’s walk on. Maybe we’ll find a hut or something.”

  They went on towards the mountain. The foot of the mountain was already being enveloped in dusk, only higher up was the rocky hillside bathed in a fiery red of the evening sun.

  “Look at that,” Anthony said and pointed to a dark place.

  “Looks like a cave,” Edward said. “Maybe we’re in luck after all.”

  A short way up the hillside was a cave. Not just a tiny hole sort of cave that is only good for rabbits and the like. It was a proper cave. The boys had to stoop to enter it, but inside it was high enough for them to stand in.

  “Quickly Anthony, let’s collect some sticks and wood.”

  “What for?”

  “We’ll make a fire in the cave entrance. It’ll keep out the mosquitoes and any other animals.”

  “What animals?”

  “I don’t know. Wild dogs, pigs, snakes, anything. Do you just want to stand here and wait till they come in or will you help me gather firewood?”

  That quickly made up Anthony’s mind and he eagerly helped Edward to gather as many sticks and pieces of broken wood as he could find.

  They piled up the brushwood in the cave and then made another, smaller pile in the entrance. By then it was almost completely dark in the cave and even at the entrance there was barely enough light to see the pile of wood. Edward took a lighter from his pocket and lit some dry leaves under the sticks. The little flame burned a few seconds before going out again. He tried several times till at last the fire took hold and some little twigs began to burn. He slowly added more dry twigs to the growing fire and soon a reassuringly bright and hot fire closed the entrance to the outside world.

  “Well, nothing’s coming through here as long as we keep the fire burning,” Edward said.

  Anthony felt relieved and looked around the cave. It was the first time there was enough light to see everything. He walked deeper into the cave but after a few yards came to a rock wall.

  “It’s not very big,” he said.

  “All the better, at least we know we’re alone in here then.”

  Hungry and tired they sat down to a meal of dried meat and water. After they had eaten they quickly fell asleep.

  A Discovery

  Anthony suddenly woke up. His side was aching from lying on the hard floor. It was dark. What about the fire? He quickly sat up, his heart pounding. There was still a faint glow of timbers where the fire had been. He quickly added a few twigs and dry wood and gently blew. A little flame flickered and then took hold of the wood. He kept adding more until a nice strong fire was burning again. Then he looked for his brother. Edward was sleeping soundly on the hard floor. Anthony knew this never bothered his brother who sometimes even rolled out of bed at night to lie on the stone floor of his room. Anthony felt tired but the ground was too hard to lie on and besides he was worried the fire might go out again, so he settled down for a long night near the fire. From time to time he added some wood to the fire to keep the reassuring blaze going strongly. After an hour or more Anthony began to feel very bored. He stood up and walked around the cave. After walking up and down the confined space a number of times his foot suddenly struck something, something that was not as hard as all the stones lying about. He bent down to touch the object. It was a shoe. He felt along the shoe and where empty shoes normally have an opening there was some cloth and something hard in it. A trouser leg with a real leg in it. Frightened he looked around to see Edward lying in a different part of the cave. He screamed in terror.

  Edward jumped up with
his brother still yelling.

  “What is it, Anthony? Why are you screaming?”

  “A foot. There’s a foot here.”

  “Wait.”

  Edward quickly piled up some more wood on the fire, the last of the wood, in fact, and when the flames rose higher and shed more light into the cave he slowly walked to Anthony. He stooped and examined the shoe. It was a strange shoe like the kind he had seen in old story books, black leather with a heel and a silver buckle. The leg to which the shoe was attached disappeared into a pile of loose rubble and earth.

  “Let’s clear all this away and see who it is,” Edward said bravely.

  “Yuck! I don’t want to dig here. He’s dead.”

  “I know, but this is the dragon’s mountain. Maybe we’ll discover some important clues. Or have you got any idea how to fight a dragon and rescue the girl just so we’ll be told where to find a pirate whom I’ll have to fight after that? Have you thought about all that at all?”

  Anthony considered the question for a moment and then shook his head. Daring Edward to fight a pirate had seemed a very funny idea at first, but now that he thought about it he had no idea whatsoever how to go about fighting a pirate let alone a dragon.

  “So you don’t know,” Edward said. “Now there’s another fine mess you’ve got me into. The least you can do is help me now. Find something to dig and let’s see if we can discover anything.

  There were no digging tools in the cave, not even a piece of wood so they had to use their bare hands to move the stones and earth. Luckily there wasn’t too much to move and after about half an hour they had finished.

  The dead man was dressed like a sailor. He had carroty hair and a huge beard. A pipe poked out of one pocket and there was a leather bag hanging over one shoulder. Edward gingerly took hold of the bag and pulled it open. There were a few things and a thin book in it. He took the book out and read: