The pirate leader, the burly man with a scar across his cheek, was named Captain Blackbeak. He was a ruthless and cunning pirate who had been terrorizing the seas for years.
Minor, still holding the crystal orb, looked around at the pirates surrounding him. "Wait, Captain Blackbeak," he said. "Let's talk about this. We're not looking for trouble, but we're not going to back down either."
Captain Blackbeak sneered at Minor. "You're not in a position to negotiate, matey," he said. "You're lucky we're even talking to you."
Minor held up the crystal orb. "This is what I've been searching for," he said. "I'm willing to share it with you, if you're willing to share the treasure with me."
Captain Blackbeak raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think we'd be willing to share?" he asked.
Minor shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm willing to try. We're not looking for a fight, and I think we could come to a mutually beneficial agreement."
Captain Blackbeak looked at his men, then back at Minor. "Alright, matey," he said. "We'll listen to your proposal. But if you're trying to trick us, you'll be walking the plank."
Minor nodded, relieved that Captain Blackbeak was willing to listen. He began to explain his proposal, hoping that it would be enough to persuade the pirates to work with him.
Meanwhile, Ann and Ethan were fighting off a group of pirates who had chased after them. They were outnumbered and outgunned, but they were determined to keep fighting.
"We need to get out of here!" Ann shouted, dodging a sword attack.
"We can't take them all on!" Ethan replied, parrying a blow.
Just as they were starting to get overwhelmed, they heard a loud commotion coming from the other side of the cave. It sounded like Minor was negotiating with the pirates.
"Come on!" Ann exclaimed, grabbing Ethan's arm. "We have to help Minor!"
Ethan nodded, and together they charged towards the sound of Minor's voice...
As the pirates retreated back to their ship, Minor quickly ushered Ann back to the cave. "Let's get out of here, now," he said, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of the pirates returning.
Once they were safely inside the cave, Minor turned to Ann and scolded her. "What were you thinking, coming out here without me?" he demanded. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"
Ann looked down at her feet, her eyes welling up with tears. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Minor sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look, I know you're scared, but we can't let our guard down around here. We have to be careful."
Ann nodded, her eyes still shining with tears. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry."
The two of them sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the sound of dripping water echoing off the cave walls.
The next morning, Minor woke up to find that Ann was gone. He sat up, his heart racing with panic. "Ann?" he called out, but there was no response.
He got to his feet and frantically searched the cave, but there was no sign of Ann anywhere. He called out her name again, but again, there was no response.
Minor's heart sank as he realized that Ann had left him behind. He was alone, with no idea where she had gone or if she was even safe.
He quickly gathered his belongings and set off to find her, but as he emerged from the cave, he saw that Ann was nowhere to be found. He scanned the horizon, his eyes searching for any sign of her, but she was gone.
Minor's heart felt heavy with worry and fear. He had to find Ann, but he had no idea where to start. He took a deep breath and began to make his way through the forest, calling out her name as he went.
"Ann! Ann!" he called out, his voice echoing through the trees.
But there was no response.