My legs were tired and I was out of breath but I knew I had to continue. Somewhere on this damn island there had to be water... a river or a stream... anything!

It had been a number of weeks now since the Valtriani had been destroyed by that dreaded sea creature. Somehow I had managed to survive when the ship had sunk. I had clung on to passing bit of wood and had eventually managed to create an oar and begun to paddle. I though I was a gonner.

After several days of being lost at sea I came across a body in the water. At first I thought the woman was dead but soon fonud that she was still alive - but only just.

It was Tess Bail from the Kingston

I dragged her onto the wood and eventually, after hours and hours of drifting, we came across this island. This island. I had strong beliefs that this island is Devil Island - the one that is said to be mentioned in the Lost Map... the one that Darren Blank and Penny Dreadful had discussed whilst in our brig...

I had arrived at the north of the island and had discovered miles and miles of rock. Large, grey, sharp rocks. Year and years worth of erosion by the sea had created large craters in the rocks faces that gave them the impression of hideous skulls grinning at us.

Truely this was a worrying place.

Tes sBail had woken several hours ago and I had tied her hands. So far it seemed that she was no longer able to use her powers of electrcity, so I was safe... for now.
She had complained and moaned but still I dragged her with me.

There had to be water around here somewhere! Neadless to say - I would ekpp on searching until I found some...

"I can't walk any further!" I grumbled as Gregor tried to puch me on.
I refused and dropped to the floor. I could hardly walk.

When the Valtriani had sunk I had been knocked into the sea. I had sunk under the water and thought I was going to drown. As I sunk I saw the sea monster... it was horrific! It was battlnig with the sharks and was winning. The sharks were eventually forced to flee but before they left, one of them helped me up to the surface.
I floated for days until I lost consciousness. When I woke I was on this island with Gregor. He had not told me anyhting about this place - but seemed to know it from somehow. He seemed restless and agitated...

"I won't go on," I said, "you're just going to have to leave me! What good am I to you anyway? I'm only slowing you down."

For the past few hours I had eben trying to use the powers of elecricity that I had obtained when hit by lightning but so far I was having no success. I wondered if I had lost them for good..

I looked into the sky and saw a storm cloud approaching. Gregor saw it also and grumbled something to himself.

"You better find shelter," I said to him, "Leave me! You're more likely to survive on your own!"

"Stop yer wingin!" I scowled and pulled hard on the rope I had tied around Tess Bail's neck. She fell forward onto the sharp rocks.

"Yer comin' with me if yer like it or not!" I shouted, "I'm not lettin' a freak like you go free!"

Thunder roared and the rain came down. Water! I opened my mouth and drank the rain that fell from the sky but within seconds was forced to cough it back up again. The water was vile!

"Damn Devil Island!" I yelled, "All I wants is a drink!"

The rian was coming down even harder now and I knew that I had to find some sort of shelter. In one of the rock faces ahead there was a large alcove that we could sit in. It would protect us from the rain for a while.

I dragged Tess over to it and threw her into the far side. I then sat down and looked up at the rain. Then a smell came to my nostrils... like the smell of somehting burning. I looked around and, on the ground next to me, I saw ash and soot. There had been a fire burning here... there were still some glowing embers!

I reached into my boot and pulled out my dagger, gripping it tightly. Whoever had been here could return at any moment. Then they would have me to deal with! If it was someone that lived on the island then I would have to be ready. I remember hearing the stories... monsters live here. Vampires, werewolves, the undead... I would have to be careful.

I closed my eyes for a second and began to drift off. I was more tired then I realised. A sound woke me with a start. I stood up and backed to the wall next to Tess... someone was approaching...

"Gregor!" I yelled as I saw the pirate leaning against the rockface with Tess Bail, "I thought you were dead!"

I was so releived to see someone.. even if it was someone that I didn't trust!

When the Valtriani had sunk, I had swam as fast as I could. However the cold sea and the strong waves made me trie quickly and before long I was forced to stop. I thought my time had come... that I was going to drown out here.
Then, by pure luck, I had come across a small rowing boat. Onboard the boat was a man who was dying of hunger. I couldn't make out most of what he said to me but I did find out that he was Darren Blanks first mate on their ship, and that their ship had been destroyed!
Realising that this dying man would only hold me back, I threw him overboard.
Several days later I arrived at this island and had been along here ever since.

"What a stroke of luck that I would run into you!" I said to Gregor with a smile. I then looked about with concren. "We better be careful here," I said, "I have heard some strange noises. I think something else might live on this island... something dangerous!"

Jimmy O'Malley! Well... this was a turn out for the books! How could this snivelling little toerag survive?

"Of course there's something else living on this island," I yelled, "it's Devil Island! There's all sorts of evil living 'ere!"

I dragged O'Malley into the alcove.

"Now get that fire burnin' again coz it's bloody freezin!"

Across the island a loud voice boomed out, travelling with the wind. The voice said -

"Travellers from distant lands... the Queen has been expecting you! You will now face a series of challenges n order to proove yourselves worthy to meet with her!"

Then, as quickly as it had arrived, the voice stopped. Silence once again filled the air.

"W... what the hell was that?" I screamed, "Gregor... who is this Queen? What challenges are they talking about?"

I didn't like this. I got the terrible feeling that I was going to die...

The voice that spokes words rang in my ears. I wondered who or what this person could be... and what these challenges where that it spoke of.

I looked at Jimmy O'Malley who was panicking. I had to turn my eyes away from him for he made me sick. Here was the man responsible for me to be in this situation. Death would be too good a punishment for him.

Gregor was staying strangly quiet. I wondered what was wrong with him... what he was thinking about. I hated Gregor too but at least he never claimed to be anything other then a pirate...

From a distance I watched the three people as they stood in the alcove of the rock face.
They could not see me.

I watched them for some time as they seemed to squable amogst themselves. It was clear to me that these three people were not friends. Was the womans hands even tied?

From my hiding place I stayed, ready to make my move against them. I was the first challenge for these three. If they could get by me then they were one step closer to being accepted by the Queen.

I waited for my moment to make my move...

"Time we got moving," I said at last, stubbing out the fire with my foot. "There's somethin' about the air aronud 'ere that I just don't trust..."

As I pulled Tess to her feet I thought I saw something watching us from behind the rocks... I must have been mistaken. These rocks all look like skulls wathcing us anyway... must have got confused my them.

Still, as we began to walk further away from the coast I couldn't help feeling that we were being followed. Yet I could see nothing.

The strom lashed down on us but right now I did not care for the rain. I just wanted to get away from these rocks...