(continued from Traveller ship)

Emmsi and I entered the pirate ship with great caution. I had my knife ready and Emmsi held a long metal pole. We both hoped that no pirates remained onboard.
Moanna had run off and she could possibly be onboard this ship - although why she would come on here I had no idea!

As we walked down a long rickety corridor I looked at the pictures that were hung on the wall. They all showed scenes of war and bloodthirstiness. The main focus of most of pictures was Captain Korg!

The infamous Captain Korg - leader of hundreds of Pirate ships - was thought to be dead for years and all of his ship said to be destroyed. The fact that we now stood on one of them brought great doubt to my mind. Was Korg even really dead?

There was something wrong with this ship. We could feel it as we walked - we could smell it in the air. what had happened to the crew? Captain Arvin had said that the ship attacked the station but they had managed to stop them. How had they stopped them?

We turned a corner into a large room and saw where the smell was coming from - a huge pile of bodies lay in the centre of the room. We froze with shock. The bodies were all of pirates! They all had no marking on their skin - what had killed them? Their faces were horrific to look upon. Their eyes almost popping out of their heads and their mouths were wide open with a look of terror. Something... unnatural had killed them that was fo sure. I hoped that whatever had killed them was not still onboard.

Then we heard a noise behind us! I looked to Emmsi who turned to see what had made the noise...

The smell from the boides was unbearable. I put my hand to my mouth to stop myself gagging.

As we stopped to look at the boides we heard a noise behind us.

"What was that?" I whispered to Tess.

"I don't know" she replied, "but I don't think it will be good."

"Turn around slowly, on the count of three" I whispered to Tess "And get your knife ready!"

She nodded, so I said quietly "1... 2... 3..."

We turned round, both with our weapons raised.

"Oh!"

I reared up slowly behind the two women. They both turned around and saw me - a huge shadow that loomed over them.
I smiled a cruel smile and laughed out loud!

I had felt their presence in the docking bay and had decided to risk leaving the safety of the interior of the station and come outdoors. No doubt these fools would try and open the main doors and free their companions that were inside. Plus - two more souls for me to devour!

"Welcome to Salt Station ladies!" I said in a loud, booming voice, "I see you have met the dead pirates - what fools for thinking they could take this station for their own!"

I saw how frightened they were and decided that it would be too easy just to kill them! I wanted some fun!
I looked to the pile of dead pirates and an idea formed in my mind. I closed my eyes.

"Rise... rise those that are dead and killed by my darkness," I whispered, "rise and take revenge on those that are still living!"

I cast my hands into the air and my eyes flashed red. uddenly the pile of dead pirates began to move - they began to wake! One by one they rose to their dead feet and raised their cutlasses, swords and daggers! They looked to me for a moment with respect in their eyes and then urned to the women.

They began to advance towards them...

I was shocked and frightened to see the big shadow behind us, I was beginning to wish we hadn't turned around!! I looked at Tess and could tell she thought the same. The shadow's laugh was bone chilling.

"Tess, what do we do know?" I asked as the shadow made the dead pirates rise and advnace towards us, backing us into a corner.

"There's only one thing we can do," I said to Emmsi as I looked at both the shadow and the walking corpse with horror.

"RUN!"

I grabbed Emmsi's hand and we ran! We ran out of the room, but becasue the shadow was blocking the exit of the ship we were running deeper into the ships belly!
I looked back and saw the dead pirates following us at great speed!

We rushed down the corridor and entered another room - it was the captains office. We closed the door and pushed the desk in front of it. Hopefully it would but us a little time to think of a plan...

The living corpses of the pirates hammered at the door but found they couldn't break through.

I decided it was time I took matters into my own hands and finished this!

I slunk to the ground and changed shape. Then I slowly moved to the door and began to slip my way under it.
Fully emerging on the other side I reared up to my full height.
The two woman stood with looks of horror on their faces - staring at me!

The time for the kill had arrived...

I put my hand over my eyes and held on to Emmsi as we awaited death.

The shadow advanced. It stretched out long arms to devour us and steal our souls.

'This is it!' I thought to myself, 'death!'

Then suddenly a bright white light filled the room. I looked up in shock and saw the shadow stagger back. I looked into the source of the light and I smiled.
It was my brother - Tyler! He had returned to help me!

Tyler moved forward with the grace on an angel and fired a beem of white light from his hands at the shadow. The shadow shrunk back and eventually was forced to leave the room and the ship!
The dead pirates fell to the floor - dead once again!

I looked up at Tyler and smiled. Tyler you saved us!" I said as I rushed over to him.

"I cannot stay long," he said, "I am trapped here at Salt Station. My spirit has not been allowed to go to the heavens but to stay here forever! Only when the evil on this station is destroyed shall I be free!"

"What can I do?" I asked - I had felt that something was wrong with him for some time.

"You must help the rest of the crew," he continued, "The young man on the Traveller - Max Decker - he can help you! He can open a door to the station and help our crew get out!"

Tyler began to fade. "Will I see you again?" I asked shouting. I did not get a responce as he had already faded away.

I turned to Emmsi - my eyes full of tears. "We have to get back to the Traveller" I said.

"I agree, come on!"

I had to drag Tess with me as she was upset at seeing her brother again, so I had to be strong for both of us, even though I was in shock at what had just happened.

We found our way back out of the priate ship, past the bodies of the pirates that had just fallen where they were after what Tyler had done. Once back on the deck we left the ship, and I hoped we wouldn't have to return to it again. We crossed the docking bay and reentered the Traveller, we needed to find Helen and Max again.

I wondered if she had found out what she needed to from Max, and where Monanna had gone to.