text: [Themes: historical]
  
  Just as the island's invisibility had to be dispelled, perhaps the barrier had to be as well. You pull the Quetzalcoatl headdress from your pack and place it on. Instantly, you're able to cross the barrier onto the altar's steps. Just in time for Blackbeard to sink the knife into Procter.
  
  "Teach, you're a dead man!" you shout.
  
  "Ha-ha-ha, right you are," he shouts back with a smile.
  
  You rip the head covering off and toss it to your allies behind you. You continue your rush towards Blackbeard. Your blade meets the obsidian dagger with a piercing screech. You thrust your blade expertly forward using feints to catch Blackbeard unaware. Almost with ease, he parries each strike. Even though you have the obvious reach advantage, Blackbeard masterfully blocks each of your swings.
  
  Attempting to break his defense, you fire a bolt of lightning from your other hand. The electric energy hits Blackbeard's chest and disappears in a wisp of smoke. He grins and reflects the energy back to you knocking you off your feet and down a few steps.
  
  Jack and William join the fray rushing past your fallen body. You try to get up, but the jolt left your muscles spasming. William lets loose a series of uppercuts and forward thrusts while Jack circles around to flank. Same as your attack, Blackbeard's defense is impenetrable. Suddenly, Blackbeard draws a pistol from his chest and fires it directly into William's forehead. William's head snaps back in the impact and his body falls to the floor. The move angers Jack and he aggressively attacks from Blackbeard's flank. Without even moving his head, Blackbeard drops the pistol, grabs another, and fires it into Jack's gut. Jack's body hits the floor mid-charge, the momentum slides his body forward a few feet.
  
  Finally able to move, you rise to your feet. The bodies of your crew, your friends, lie scattered around you. Their blood pools and drips down the steps of the altar creating a red waterfall. Blackbeard stands at the top of the stairs waiting for you. Behind you, Victoria is stuck outside the barrier. Jack or William, whoever was last inside, didn't throw the headdress far enough. It's on the ground just within the invisible barrier. Victoria can't get in.
  
  Your eyes meeting Blackbeard's, you slowly traverse the steps up. He stands unmoving without emotion. You stand before him, the guardian of Quetzalcoatl's blade. The cutlass remains on the sword stand on the altar. Realizing your magic is ineffective, you attack once more with expertly guided strikes and combinations.
  
  "Not many make it this far, I'll give you that," he says knocking your sword aside. "Perhaps you were meant to wield the blade. Perhaps if another guardian stood in your way you'd succeed. I don't plan on harboring my soul in the cutlass anytime soon."
  
  "And I don't plan on dying anytime soon," you reply with another series of strikes.
  
  Tired of the game, Blackbeard parries your blade aside and knocks you back against the altar. His dagger pierces into your chest.
  
  "And look how close you'd gotten," he mocks as you lean against the altar clutching your wound.
  
  Suddenly a sword tip appears at his chest releasing a small whiff of smoke. Jack collapses behind Blackbeard, his final amount of energy placed into thrusting his sword forward. In Blackbeard's distracted state, you reach for the cutlass on the altar, screaming in pain. As soon as your hand clasps around the hilt, your vision flashes a supernatural green. Strength pours into your limbs like you've never felt before. The wound from Blackbeard's mends itself closed. It's almost as if you're weightless; the energy flowing through your body feels limitless. With your new found strength you swing the blade down cutting Blackbeard from neck to hip. His body slides downward at the cut and then explodes into dark energy. Black smoke from his body surround you with a piercing scream. Then it pours itself into the cutlass in a rush of air.
  
  Blackbeard is dead and the cutlass is yours. You return to Victoria holding the blade.
  
  "We did it," you say showing her the cutlass.
  
  "Not yet," she answers. "Xolotl needs it destroyed."
  
  "So that's how you gained access to the temple," you ponder. "The 'power' Xolotl is offering sounds too good to be true."
  
  "Sounds better than being eternally bound to Quetzalcoatl...or following a captain into ruin."
  
  "What's that supposed to mean," you say narrowing your eyes.
  
  "It means I don't think you're fit to lead anymore," Victoria says. "It means I won't continue to follow you while our crew gets destroyed in the process. We've fallen on hard times, and it's a captain's duty to protect and prosper the crew."
  
  "What do you think this job is for!" you reply. "The Sanguine is now the most destructive force in the Caribbean. We can do what we please. The Spanish, French, not even the English can face us in open water now."
  
  "We may have the ship, but we no longer have the crew," Victoria says gesturing towards the fallen bodies. "I will rebuild The Sanguine's crew...as captain." Victoria's palm ignites with flame. "I'll be taking that cutlass now."
  
  > Refuse
  "I'm sorry, V, but I've fought too hard to simply give the cutlass away. Our friends would have died for nothing if we give it away now," you say.
  
  "Another poor decision from the 'captain'," Victoria says firing the spell from her hand.
  
  You instinctively draw the cutlass up to block the attack. The bolt hits the blade and is dispelled upon impact. Victoria gives a surprised look and then fires another. Reactively, you dodge to the left. Though you may possess a magic dispelling blade, you're certainly not used to using it. The blast hits the wall behind where you stood and explodes in a cluster of flame and stone.
  
  "V, I don't want to fight. Stop, and we can forget about this whole thing," you say.
  
  "It's too late for that. Xolotl expects me to follow through. The Sanguine is in need of a new captain."
  
  Angered at the mention of your ship you reply, "There's no way in hell I'd let a mutinous first mate take command of The Sanguine. She deserves better."
  
  Victoria continues to fire towards you. This time you raise the cutlass defensively. Like someone whispered in your ear, you know exactly what to do. Right when the spell hit the blade, you imagine returning the firebolt back towards Victoria. The bolt, along with the previous, projects from the cutlass in Victoria's direction. You've seen her absorb magical attacks before, but this one catches her unaware. The blast explodes at Victoria's chest blasting her backward. After the smoke clears, all that remains is a charred body with few strands of purple hair left. You have possession of the blade, but all your closest friends are dead. You exit the temple, blade in hand.
  
  A lightning strike greets you as you exit onto the temple's steps. Xolotl appears growling with his palm outstretched.
  
  "It seems my faith in you was well placed. Hand me the blade. You do not yet have the power to destroy it," he says.
  
  > use the cutlass on Xolotl
  "The blade is mine. I'll never give it over," you say.
  
  "Ha-ha, and before you said it was for your employer," Xolotl replies. "Funny how possession of power changes things. I bet you're second-guessing that decision now that you've felt what the blade offers.
  
  "I admit, it is something else...something I'd rather not give away, especially when the reward is questionable," you answer.
  
  Xolotl roars in rage. "Questionable! I offer you the power to be the most powerful man in the Caribbean and you call it questionable? You aren't worthy of my gift."
  
  "So be it," you answer raising the cutlass.
  
  Xolotl charges forward swiping his massive claws forward. Fueled by the blade's energy, you easily dodge the reckless assault. Time feels to have slowed down as you can see Xolotl's movements almost before he makes them. It's as if fighting an opponent underwater except you're still moving at full speed. Xolotl tries to stomp his massive feet on top of you, which you easily side step and counter with several deep cuts.
  
  Xolotl begins to rear his head gathering focus. A blast of lightning fires from his mouth toward you. Trusting in the cutlass, you allow it to absorb the blast. Acquainted with the power, you silently tell it to return the shock. Blue tendrils release from the point of the blade striking Xolotl in the eye. Xolotl screams as he falls to the ground clutching at the hole where his eye once resided.
  
  You walk to the beast writhing on the ground and lift the cutlass.
  
  "Look at you," you start. "What fool would surrender Quetzalcoatl's blade for your 'power'?"
  
  Your sword, the resting place of Quetzalcoatl, removes Xolotl's head with a single blow.
  
  The rest of the crew waiting on board The Sanguine are relieved at your return, but the moment is tainted with the death of the others. You preserve Victoria's memory, and don't tell the crew of her mutinous attack. Weeks later you dock in Nassau. Woodes Rogers' man, Dampier, meets you as soon as you lay anchor.
  
  "Let's go. My master expects you at his estate," he says without a greeting.
  
  "Right now? We've been at sea for awhile and the rum stores ran low," you answer.
  
  Not willing to budge, you finally agree and follow Dampier to Roger's estate...on the condition he provide you with a bottle upon arrival. Woodes Rogers meets you in the same room as before. The scarred face has a giant grin on his face.
  
  "Is that it?" he asks pointing at your hip.
  
  The gold-spiraled hilt reflects the bright-lit room like gold pieces under the sea. You unsheathe the blade for a closer look. The removal from the scabbard sounds similar to chimes on a windy day. Once more in your hand, you feel the limitless energy the blade feeds into the wielder. Almost as if a whisper, a voice, not your own, speaks in your head: Think what we could accomplish together...
  
  "Captain? Hand it over." Rogers says narrowing his eyes. Behind you, Dampier's hand grips around the hilt at his hip.
  
  > complete the job
  Shaking your head in attempt to silence the voice, you hold the cutlass out for Rogers to take. Before your arm even gets fully outstretched, he snatches it from your grip. A wide smile appears at his scarred face as he feels the power flow through his body.
  
  "It's everything I imagined it to be," he says swinging it around a few times. Dampier's grip releases from his sword. "I must admit, it would take a lot of willpower to surrender this power. I'm sure you felt it too."
  
  "Yeah, I felt it. Too much responsibility if you ask me," you say. "Besides, I have a newly outfitted ship that requires my attention."
  
  "You're a good man, captain," Rogers says offering his hand out.
  
  You shake it and reply, "No I'm not, but I appreciate the sentiment."
  
  Taking your promised bottle, you leave to The Sanguine. At least you try to. A searing pain rips through your head stops you from leaving the estate. The pain drops you to the ground. Your world and vision turns white hot as you roll on the ground clutching your head. You awake in an unfamiliar bed with a doctor hunched over you. He notices your eyes opening and quickly rushes out of the room slamming the door behind him. Hushed voices and footsteps project in the room through the closed door. Suddenly, it swings open and Woodes Rogers enters.
  
  "What do you know of the guardian?" he asks.
  
  "I know I likely can't leave your side," you answer remembering Blackbeard's words.
  
  "You are bound to me now, Captain. Together we will rid the Caribbean of pirate scum."
  
  "Great..." you reply in full-realization you're at his mercy.
  
  Rogers offers a hand. "Come, we have much work to do."