text: [Themes: historical, anti-hero]
  
  "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.
  
  > surrender the blade and accept his power
  "I surrender the blade to you. Bestow upon me your power," you say with the cutlass outstretched.
  
  "Heh, I've got to admit, I thought you would try to keep it for yourself. You truly are worthy of my power," Xolotl answers. "Place the cutlass in the circle where I first appeared to you."
  
  Xolotl raises his arms up to the air drawing upon his supernatural power. Dark storm clouds begin to circle above you in the air. The bright sunlight turns dark as if night had suddenly come. A blinding light fires from the sky directly to the circle's center. A pillar of flame fires from the clouds followed by several lightning strikes. Pain pierces your chest as the cutlass begins to crack from the elemental burst. The cutlass begins to emit a low light from within that increasingly grows larger. As the cutlass' light grows to crescendo, you feel the energy drawing you in. It's as if your soul is ripped from your body. You feel your life force drawn into the cutlass...then, suddenly, it stops. The cutlass bursts into countless pieces in front of you.
  
  Dark energy swirls at Xolotl's claws creating a vortex of supernatural power. His arms outstretch firing a beam of the energy into your chest. It's painful at first, but then gradually subsides. The energy raises your body into the air several feet before finally the beam stops. You find yourself one knee on the ground with your arm rested on the other.
  
  "How do you feel, my champion?" Xolotl asks.
  
  You rise and look up towards Xolotl. Your eyes flash pure black before returning to ocean blue. You say nothing, but offer a toothy grin.
  
  "A good of an answer as any," Xolotl says. "Leave this place. Go wreak havoc in the Caribbean. Now that Quetzalcoatl no longer keeps me at bay, I can unlock the true power of the island. I will call upon you if needed."
  
  With a nod, you leave Xolotl and journey through the jungle towards The Sanguine. The island recognizes your power, and none of the previous dangers approach you.
  
  Weeks later you arrive back to Rogers' estate. His man, Dampier, eagerly met you at the docks and ushered you directly to Woodes Rogers even though you'd be at sea and wouldn't have a chance to rest before the meeting. Back in the place Woodes Rogers hired you for the job, he addresses you.
  
  "So? Where is it?" he asks getting straight to the point visibly excited.
  
  "Gone," you answer.
  
  The smile drains from his face. "Gone? What do you mean 'gone'? I paid you well more than you deserve up front and I demand you tell me what's happened."
  
  "I destroyed it. Well, Xolotl destroyed it, but you get the point. It's forever gone."
  
  "You damned pirate! I will burn you for this. I'm putting a price so massive on your head that every boat in the Caribbean will be after you. Even fucking fishermen will try to stab you in the dark--" he starts.
  
  You hold up your hand silencing Rogers mid-speech then curl your hand into a fist. Dark tendrils fire from your hand grasping around Rogers' face. Each tendril finds an entrance place in Rogers' eyes, nose, and ears. Dampier attempts to help his employer, but you stop him mid-lunge. Rearing upward for a split-second, you fire a blast of lightning from your mouth imitating Xolotl. The jolt burns directly through Dampier's chest and leaves the smell of smoke behind.
  
  "You listen to me," you say. "The blade is gone because I wanted it gone. In exchange for your down payment, I'll give you something even greater. Your life...on the condition you win governorship. Don't worry, I'll help you secure office, but once you do, I have a few changes I want you to make."
  
  "What...happened...on...that island," Rogers manages to ask.
  
  "I will tell you in due time. For your sake, I suggest you get to work...Governor," you growl.
  
  With your help, Woodes Rogers is elected governor over the Bahamas. You helped "convince" England to provide Rogers with a King's Pardon, a document which allowed government officials to erase piracy crimes. You had big plans for the Caribbean, and needed to quiet the constant skirmishing between the law and the lawless. Rogers as your puppet, you slowly begin to accrue loyal agents all over the Caribbean. Your conquest over the Caribbean is only just beginning.