by Ryan Gilbert
Standing up, she saw Garrett toss his helmsman to the side and try to steer the massive ship, but he was not quick enough.
*cr-crack* *snap* *crunch*
The HMS Magistrate jerked to a halt, stopping immediately. A sharp rock had punctured the hull and the ship could not move. The current kept pushing the Navy ship against the rock, holding it in place. It could not even sink.
It was then that the ropes pulled taut and the Red Sky stopped. Julia fell down the stairs, and Clint tumbled over the railing, landing on the hard deck. The stop was so sudden, in fact, that Valera was thrown into the water.
For a minute, the battle ceased. Nobody could do anything. They were all recovering from the Magistrate’s grounding.
Just seconds after she had fallen over the side, Valera sprung out of the water and rushed to Coral Jack. From the body language that Julia could see, the mermaid was extremely jittery. She was telling something to Jack, but the girl could not hear what it was.
Getting to her feet, Julia ran over to her and asked, “What is it, Valera? What’s got you spooked?”
HuuuuuunghSHREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAGH
Those who had survived the serpent encounter cringed. The creature did not sound like it was close, but it would surely see the glowing sails of the Magistrate. When that happened, nobody on the Red Sky wanted to be anywhere close to it.
“Do the same as last time. Douse any lantern, and extinguish any light that you can find. Hopefully, it’ll ignore us,” said Julia.
By now, the soldiers had regained their bearings, and the battle continued. As her friends fought the enemy, Julia wanted to find Garrett. She could not see him on the Magistrate’s deck. He was hiding.
Julia turned to Clint and said, “Don’t detach the ships until I get back. I’ve got to kill Garrett and put an end to this once and for all.”
“Just wait a minute… we’ll go with you,” he shouted as he held off a soldier.
“That’ll take too long. I’ve got to do this now,” she yelled.
Without another word, Julia grabbed a rope and swung over to the Magistrate. If she could defeat that murderer while he was stunned, it would be a much quicker end to the battle.
Clint tried to say something, but he was interrupted by a sword slice. If he wanted to do anything to help, it would be best if he stayed on the Red Sky.
Once Julia planted her feet on the deck of the HMS Magistrate, she could feel the evil powers running throughout the ship. Any of the honor that the ship had was gone. Even as a pirate, she felt sorry for her father. He would have had to watch his ship get taken over and converted into this spawn of hatred.
So far as she could see, there was nobody on the ship. Garrett had sent all of his men onto the Red Sky for their final stand. He knew that he was defeated. He just did not want to admit it.
Julia looked everywhere on the deck, sword at the ready. She looked behind the cannons. She searched on the helm. She even looked in the piles of rubble that had accumulated during the battle.
She could not find him.
Just as she was about to check the head officer’s quarters, she heard a noise coming from the steps to the lower decks. Cautiously, she made her way over to them.
“Lookin’ fer me,” came a menacing voice from below.
The girl pulled out her gun and pointed it into the darkness.
“I don’t think ye want to be doin’ ‘at. You see… I don’t think your father will appreciate it if I accidentally slit his throat.”
Garrett came out of the shadows, holding Commodore Hamond in front of him as a shield. The trident rested directly against her father’s neck.
“Now… if yer smart, ye’ll put the gun down.”
“And if I don’t?” asked Julia, not lowering the weapon.
“If ye don’t… then yer father ‘ere will be seagull food for the next week.”
“Don’t listen to him, Julia,” croaked her father.
Garrett continued to back ever so slowly to the head officer’s quarters. Julia followed, still aiming the gun at him.
Peering around him like he was paranoid, Garrett said, “For the last time, put the gun down or the ol’ man gets three spikes through his head!”
“I’m not putting this down until you’re dead, Garrett. You killed the man I love… and now you’re going to pay.”
He was silent, but he did not move. It was like he was just realizing the gravity of the situation. He knew he was outmatched. He knew that Julia and the crew would not stop fighting until he lay dead in front of them. Even the Commodore was not afraid of him anymore. With the ship on the verge of sinking and his minions slaughtered, Garrett was losing.
As Julia stepped closer, pistol aimed at the murderer’s head, the maniacal smile crept back onto his face.
“I guess both of you are goin’ to taste the power of the trident then,” he said, the trident beginning to glow in his hands.
*slam*
The doors to the head officer’s quarters flew open, and Garrett turned to face the noise. The next instant, Garrett was tackled to the ground, pushing the Commodore aside.
Julia ran to her father and helped him sit up while the stranger rolled around on the deck, beating Garrett with brute force. The trident skidded away from the two brawling pirates, far enough away that neither could reach it.
After her father was safely leaning against the mast, Julia rushed over, grabbed the trident, and directed it toward the two combatants.
“On your feet… both of you,” she ordered.
Garrett looked at her with disbelief. With the trident no longer in his possession, he seemed genuinely frightened.
“Stand up,” she said, thrusting the glowing trident in his direction.
Finally becoming obedient, he stood.
“Now you,” she said to the man behind Garrett.
He stood, shook his long, black hair out of his face and replied, “Miss me, love?”
Julia nearly dropped the trident. It was Riggs in the flesh. Even Garrett’s mouth hung open like he had just seen a ghost.
“H-how did you…”
“How’d I survive? Simple… with a lot o’ plannin’,” Riggs said with a grin.
“Whenever ye left the blacksmith’s shop, I got an iron chest piece and hid it under my shirt. That shot didn’t even break the skin. The only part I wasn’t expectin’ was his hook diggin’ into me shoulder like that.”
Now it was Garrett’s turn to be utterly confused.
“How did ye get on me ship then?” he asked, holding his hand and hook above his head.
“Thank Valera for that,” was all that Riggs would say.
The girl’s hands were trembling with excitement, but she had one last question to ask.
“Why didn’t you tell me this was your plan, Riggs? Me and the crew were devastated.”
Standing next to her, Riggs said, “I’m sorry… I truly am, but I needed Garrett to think I was dead. What better way to do that than to rely on your emotions.”
Carefully, Julia reached out to touch him, to show to herself that it was true. She needed to feel the touch of his skin to be absolutely sure. She wanted it to be true with all her heart and soul.
The tips of her fingers brushed against the scratchy beard. Pushing the hair away from his face, she felt the rough skin that she had come to love. Reaching up, he held her hand and kissed it, his warm lips calming her. He was really alive.
“Enough o’ this,” said Garrett, leaping forward.
Julia and Riggs pulled the trident away from their enemy, stopping him right in the midst of his attack. Before he could make another move, Riggs grabbed a sword from the ground and drove it through Garrett’s thigh. His traitorous crewmate cried out in pain and fell against a cannon, just barely keeping his balance.
“Care to put an end to this, Julia?” Riggs asked.
“With pleasure.”
SPLOOSH
The entire stern of the Magistrate jerked into the air, to
ssing Riggs, Julia, her father, and an injured Garrett to the bow of the ship. The trident caught underneath a cannon, ripping it out of Julia’s hand as she fell. Everyone onboard the Red Sky watched in horror as the entire Navy vessel tilted, its rudder reaching for the sky.
HuuunghSHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAGH
The serpent made its grand entrance, coiling around the ship and driving it even further into the rocks. The stern was so far out of the water that even trying to get the trident would be like scaling a wall.
Shaking the nearly vertical ship, the serpent tossed Riggs and Julia onto the bowsprit. They hung there for dear life, trying to keep from getting hit by the monster’s massive tail. Garrett was trying to pry the sword out of his leg, and the Commodore was looking for a way to get his daughter back to safety.
One by one, the ropes holding the ships together started snapping. There was too much tension from the sea creature’s attack.
Riggs looked up to see Garrett yank the sword out of his leg. His evil eyes full of greed, he started to climb up the deck as best he could. With adrenaline running through his veins, Riggs swung his leg up to the rail, hauling himself back onto the ship. He reached down, grabbed Julia’s hand, and pulled her up to his level. He shoved her next to her father just in time. The serpent’s tail snapped the bowsprit clean off the ship.
“Stay with yer father. I’ve got to get that trident before Garrett does,” said Riggs, panting.
Using the rail as a ladder, he started the climb.
The monster rocked the ship back and forth, making it hard for both him and Garrett to climb. On his way up, he tried to ignore the creature’s growling, but it just made him more mindful of the short time that they had. It seemed like the serpent was trying to find things to eat.
It bit down on the sail right above Riggs, thinking it was something edible. The crunching of the creature’s mouth brought horrid images to mind. Its forked tongue curled around the fabric, feeling to see if it was a familiar food. The creature whipped its head back and spat the sail to the side. Apparently, its stomach did not like inanimate objects.
A quarter of the ropes keeping the ships tethered together had broken.
Looking over to the other side of the ship, the Captain noticed Garrett shuffling up the side. He did not even acknowledge that there was a sea serpent trying to eat the ship. All he wanted was the power of a god again.
As the monster backed away from the glowing blue sails, Riggs hurried up his makeshift ladder. He was almost halfway to the trident, just a little behind Garrett. He could almost feel the power flowing through him at last. He could enact his revenge against the traitor for all that he had done to him and his friends.
The serpent roared again, smashing the masts aside with a single blow. They flew across the rocks, tearing into shreds and eventually being swept into the sea by the current.
Riggs doubled his pace just as the serpent tried to find its lunch on the Magistrate’s deck. It utterly ignored Julia and the Commodore. They were hidden by the snake’s own shadow. It slowly made its way up the deck, looking for anything in the light that moved.
By now, half of the ropes remained, and the rest were straining to stay together.
Stopping his climb, Riggs hung just below where the trident lay. He did not move a muscle as the serpent looked directly at him. Its red eyes were so close to his face that he could see the moisture forming at the edges of its eyelids. The breath of the monster blew against his face like a breeze that smelled of decay and disgust.
He heard one of the boards on Garrett’s side of the ship crack. The serpent jerked its head to the side, staring directly at the hook-handed pirate. He flailed to pull a pistol from his belt, but with the serpent’s swaying, it was hard for him to get a clear shot at defending himself.
The serpent smashed its head against the deck, but Garrett dodged it just in time. His hook caught on a split board, but he managed to avoid the serpent’s strike once again.
While the monster focused on Garrett, Riggs tried to reach the trident. He climbed around the cannon and tried to grab the weapon, but it was just too far, and the cannon was only being held in place by two thick strands of rope. He could not risk stepping onto it. As the serpent tried to attack Garrett again, the cannon shifted, nearly letting the trident drop.
Taking a deep breath, Riggs lightly stepped onto the unstable cannon.
The trident started to slide.
Without thinking, Riggs grabbed the trident and leapt back onto the rail, just as the cannon ripped free of its supports. It fell to the bow of the ship, just missing Julia and the Commodore. During its fall, it clipped the serpent’s tail, drawing the monster’s attention back to Riggs.
Only a fourth of the ropes were still intact, with the rest pulled taut as the wind filled the Red Sky’s sails.
The creature’s tongue flicked against Riggs. It squinted its eyes menacingly at the Captain, almost like it remembered him from their previous encounter. Opening its mouth, it prepared to eat him whole.
At the last possible second, Riggs dropped down a couple rungs on the makeshift ladder. As the creature bit down on empty air, the Captain thrust the trident upwards, stabbing the creature through its jaw.
HnghSHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
The snake cried out in pain as the three spikes cut through its slimy mouth.
As he forced the spikes further into the creature’s mouth, Riggs noticed something strange about the trident, something that had not been there before. There was a crack running down the center of the shaft. When it caught on the cannon, it must have been damaged.
The trident began to glow, but the creature ripped its head off of the spikes. Using its tongue, it grabbed Riggs by the leg and yanked him free of the ship.
Just then, the rest of the ropes snapped.
The surprise caused the serpent to constrict its body, nearly cracking the Magistrate in half. Everyone heard the crunch of rocks breaking apart beneath the ship. The wind pulled the Red Sky away from the rocks, severing any chance of Riggs, Julia, and her father getting away. The monster did not know what to do, but the twirling of its head wrenched the trident up and out of Riggs’ hands.
The glowing weapon caught the creature’s attention as it spun in the air. It did not know what to make of it, but its eyes followed the trident. No longer interested in Riggs, it tossed him against the deck, snagging his sleeve on a nail.
At the same time, Garrett was trying desperately to pry his hook loose.
Straight down the trident fell, flipping in the air. It fell directly towards Julia and her father, with Julia waiting to catch it.
Just as she grabbed the end of it, the serpent reared its head for its dinner, and Garrett started sliding down to the bow. Riggs tried to free himself, but could only watch the girl snatch Poseidon’s weapon.
With one half resting in Julia’s hand, gravity took the rest, bringing the trident crashing against the deck. Then something happened that neither Garrett nor Riggs had expected.
The trident smashed into pieces.
A blast of red light came from the bow of the sinking Magistrate, shocking the serpent into dropping the ship back into the water. As everyone tumbled backwards, the light turned white and seemed to attach itself to the actual ship. It covered the damaged bow of the ship like a slime, with bubbles appearing from nothing. Riggs, Garrett, Julia, and the Commodore stepped closer, trying to make out what it was, but it was mystery.
The serpent seemed intrigued by whatever the light happened to be. Its tongue licked its bleeding mouth like it was ready to gorge itself.
“No! Ye’ll not have my power!” shouted Garrett, rushing toward the light.
SHBOOOOOOM
Once he touched it, an explosion of white liquid shot across the entire ship and serpent. The shockwave blasted Riggs, Julia, and her father off of the ship, just barely missing the rocks.
The sea serpent squealed as the liquid burned its skin and drove it underwater. Riggs climbed
onto a rock and ripped his sword out of his scabbard, ready to defend himself, Julia, and the Commodore if the serpent showed itself again. Its tail thrashed in the water as Riggs helped the girl and her father onto the rocks. For a moment, the snake’s smoldering nostrils popped out of the sea. The hairs on the back of Riggs’ neck bristled. He was ready to fight. However, just as quickly as the snake had appeared, it retreated below the water, never to be seen again.
The trident was gone, completely destroyed. Any power that had been inside the weapon was now disintegrated into nothingness.
While the trident had been annihilated, it had decided to take the HMS Magistrate with it. The last bit of the ship was sinking down to the bottom of the ocean. As the water consumed the nameplate, Riggs saw the Commodore give a final salute to the ship on which he had served his best years.
As everything quieted down, Riggs looked around him, trying to see where Garrett had landed. In all of the excitement, he had not been able to see.
“Do ye see ‘im anywhere?” he asked.
“No… no, I don’t. With an explosion like that, he’s surely dead,” Julia replied.
“Wouldn’t be too sure of that, love.”
The waves had started to calm themselves. With the sea lapping at the edges of the rocks, the scene almost seemed peaceful.
Sliding her hand into his, Julia said, “How about we get back to your ship now?”
Turning around, he saw the Red Sky and a triumphant crew, cheering for their captain.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“All hail Captain Riggs, conqueror of death itself!” the crew shouted as Riggs climbed onto the deck.
The Captain laughed and bade the crew to calm down. He had an important task for them that would end this whole war with Garrett.
“Mates, I want all o’ ye to keep an eye on that coastline. The first man to spot Marcus Garrett gets thirteen doubloons from me own pocket.”
“Aye, Captain,” they exclaimed.
He dismissed the crew, and offered the Commodore his shoulder for balance. The man reluctantly accepted it. Together, Riggs and Julia helped her father into the captain’s quarters.