CHAPTER 11

THE ETERNAL FLAME

Location: Crystal Caves Tunnel

Date: 17MAR21

Time: 1855 hours

I claw as hard and as fast as I can up the tunnel toward the light. The earth around me is shaking and the tunnel is collapsing. I can barely breathe as I am squeezed in between the rocks.

I close my eyes and crawl with every bit of strength left in me. I wriggle my body and shimmy as fast as I can, falling out of the tunnel onto the ground just as the tunnel caves in completely.

Brick and Lindy help me to my paws as I catch my breath and my bearings. I look up and see the sun setting behind them—its bottom half below the horizon.

“We did it,” I call out to the Pawtriots. “We beat Sea Wolf!”

“Negative, Rico,” Lindy says, pointing to the base of the abandoned church. “I really hope you’ve still got some fight left in you.”

“Hand over the sword,” Sea Wolf cries out as the Cutthroats form up along either side of him.

I’m physically drained and exhausted and so are the rest of the Pawtriots. I must never quit, I remind myself. I am a soldier and must see this mission through to the end.

“It’s over, Sea Wolf! The sun is setting. You’re out of time,” I holler back.

“A merry life and a long one shall be my motto! I’m taking that sword and all of your lives,” Sea Wolf calls out.

“Give me the sword, Rico,” M says to me.

“Why, so you can hand it over to him?” says Lindy.

“No, I’ll hold them off long enough for you to get your unit back on your boat,” says M.

“You won’t last a second against them,” I say. “They’ll take the sword and the curse will be broken. You’ll live forever.”

“At least I’ll live knowing that you’ve made it home,” says M.

I look up at Sea Wolf and then down at the sword.

“Negative, this is our fight, too,” I say.

“Not anymore!” M says as he quickly rips the sword away, sprinting toward the church.

I turn to the Pawtriots. “Hold off the Cutthroats. I’m going to help M!” I shout. I begin racing toward the church, following M as he quickly climbs up the rope toward the top of the tower.

“Stop him!” Sea Wolf howls, commanding the Cutthroats to go after M.

The Pawtriots don’t hesitate and in an instant, they’ve swarmed the Cutthroats, engaging them in fierce paw-to-paw combat.

While they are distracted, I race across the rubble to the base of the tower and grab onto the same rope I used earlier. I’m about half way up when I feel the rope tighten behind me.

I make it to the top of the church tower, but Sea Wolf is right on my tail. We race up the stairs to the next landing where M is holding the sword in his paw above the eternal flame.

“This ends now,” says M.

Suddenly Sea Wolf lunges at M who quickly ducks out of the way. Now Sea Wolf stands in between M and the eternal flame.

“My dear first mate, don’t be a fool. The sun is about to set! Join me and together we can have our freedom once more!” says Sea Wolf.

“No. You cannot be trusted,” says M.

“Don’t talk to me about trust, you backstabbing traitor!” shouts Sea Wolf.

“It’s been a pleasure, Rico,” M says, throwing the sword into the eternal flame.

I watch as it flies through the air, tumbling end over end. And just as it’s about to hit the flame, Sea Wolf snatches it out of midair and quickly places it into his sheath.

“Ha! Forever unreliable you shall always be, matey,” Sea Wolf says as he turns to face me. “You and your Pawtriots have failed. I am unstoppable and my destiny awaits!” howls Sea Wolf.

“But you’re wrong. This is your destiny,” says M, revealing a second, hidden sword.

M holds Sea Wolf’s real sword directly over the eternal flame.

“A real captain should know his real sword,” says M as he looks over at me and winks.

A look of panic washes over Sea Wolf’s face as he stares down at the sword in his sheath, realizing that it’s a decoy.

I look out to the horizon. The sun has completely set and a darkness falls over the sky. I watch as M drops the real sword into the eternal flame.

“Goodbye, Rico,” says M.

“Rest easy, friend,” I say to him. And as I utter those last words, M and Sea Wolf vanish before my eyes.