The next hour, Lucy and her friends perched toward a cliff over the beach facing the gulf. Nightfall arrived, but Byron said the shorelines were always safe from the nocturnal predators. Maybe they hated seawater, which explained why the slavers' settlement was on the beach.

Since Lucy didn't bring a spyglass, she had to rely on her normal eyes to observe the place. With Byron, he could see better than her eyes.

The camp was a forest of white tents across the beach with torch posts, lightning the whole site. All the cages were at the back, which Lucy assumed has the slaves. And the slavers left stacked wooden crates along the front. In the middle of the gulf was a giant armored ship with one smoking funnel, taller than the Iron Maiden. It floated near the enormous mountain that standing at the center of the gulf.

Lucy couldn't identify the ship from her position, but she assumed it was a Goliath vessel, one of WITC's fully armed frigate ships. Half cargo, half warship. It runs on steam and can travel without the wind. There were steamships, but only the wealthy colonies could afford them. Everyone has chosen sail ships because they were cheaper to buy and less complex to build. If pirates had steamships, they would be unstoppable and feared by the Navy. Even sea monsters would hide under the rock from them. With a lot of gold based on lives, the World Islander Trading Company could build plenty of steamships to travel around the world. Their ships were hard to raid unless they get lost at sea, vulnerable to whoever could find them. Pirates tried to gain the steamships, but every Goliath vessel has a bomb that could destroy the vessel if anyone tried to steal it. Not a single pirate has ever stolen a ship from the WITC.

"I can see the captives in the cages behind the camp." Byron pointed his finger toward the jungle at the back of the settlement. "There is little light there, but the guards are everywhere."

"I escaped from their ship too," Kiki mentioned, "there are more slaves aboard. Squawk! All have guns and cannons."

Tashina frowned. "Mi fear bombs wi harm di slaves eff mi chrow dem at di camp an ship." She snarled. "An swords aren't gud gainst guns."

"They have crates full of muskets and pistols," Byron mentioned. "The slaves can use them against their masters."

Lucy shook her head. "No, if we attack the camp first, their crew on the ship will know. They will send reinforcements to stop the revolt."

"Den wi cya send dem reinforcements' bodies inna di wata," said Tashina with a devilish grin.

"But Byron said there are hundreds of them. Even if we managed to stop their reinforcements, their ship will destroy the entire beach."

"How can you tell?" Byron asked.

Lucy stroked her long blonde hair. "I heard an incident at Mambella Island. At Slaver's Bay, a group of slaves broke out and started a riot. They slaughtered all their masters until a fleet of Goliaths bombed the entire bay. Nobody survived….."

"The captives could have been savages with blood thirst on their minds," Byron suggested.

Lucy let a grime look fall down her face. "No, it only shows how merciless the company is. If they can't control their merchandise, they will destroy it."

Tashina crossed her arms. "Suh wah wi fi duh tuh free di captives?"

Lucy glared at the camp and the ship. Her canine teeth touched her lower lip as her mind stirred with ideas. "We can rescue the slaves on the Goliath first. Then set off the bomb to destroy it."

"What if they send reinforcements from the camp?” Byron asked.

"How about this." Lucy picked at a stick and pointed it at the camp. "Two of us head to the camp…..” She moved her stick toward the ship. “While the other two of us head to the ship.”

She turned back toward her friends. “If we can free the slaves and ask them to fight back on both sides, the slavers will not stand a chance.”

Byron smiled. “A fantastic idea.”

“But if we split up, how will we choose who will go with who?” Kiki asked, waving her wings up.

Lucy observed her companions, wondering about Kiki’s question. Tashina was good with spells, but Lucy doesn’t know Byron and Kiki’s skills. Byron could be as tough as he appeared. Kiki, on the other hand, might be too weak to fight against the guards. Since the bird couldn’t fly, she might create too many problems. Sought as getting spotted by the guards, or making too much racket. But Kiki couldn't stay in the jungle by herself. Another predator would find her and eat her without warning. And Byron's village was too far for her to travel on foot. She was better off with Lucy and the others.

"Byron and I should head to the ship," Lucy suggested. "Kiki, you go with Tashina to the camp."

The parrot sighed. "Thank goodness….. Squawk! I didn't want to go back there, anyway."

"But mi wa fi guh wid Byron," Tashina moaned. "Mi spells cya protect him!"

Byron held up Tashina's hand, rubbing her palm as he grinned. "You don't need to protect me, Tashina. Because I am strong enough to protect you."

Tashina's face grew red in seductiveness. "Uoooooooooh,yuh kno ow tuh mek a uhman tun tuh hear. Heeheehee."

Lucy ran her hand down her face. "Can we focus here?"

Tashina glared at Lucy before she shrugged. "Mi accept but….." She shook her finger toward Lucy. "No smooching him! Mi job!"

Lucy glared back at her. "I never planned too."

"Wow! You sure are weird friends," said Kiki. "Squawk!"

Lucy turned to Kiki. "Do you know where a boat is?"

The bird shook her head. "I didn't use a boat. I just swam."

"Yuh cyaa fly, but yuh cya swim?" Tashina asked.

Kiki smiled. "Yeah, I know that is awkward. Squawk!"

"We don't need a boat," said Byron, "I know a way to reach the ship."

"Okay." Lucy smiled at her friends with determination. "Ready?"

Everyone nodded at her.

"Time to make the slavers pay."