A Red Sky Is Upon Us

by Ryan Gilbert

  “All cannons fire!” Riggs ordered.

  BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

  The cannonballs blasted through about half of the ghosts’ formation, leaving the rest for the crew to fight. Most of the pirates were fortunate enough to be able to defend against the ghosts, but some felt the ghostly blades pierce their bodies. The ghosts flew around the ship, killing everyone who they caught unprepared. Riggs and Julia stood back to back, keeping watch for the flying ghouls and defending themselves when need be. The rest of the crew soon adopted this method, trying to keep the ghosts from catching them by surprise.

  SSSHHHHBOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

  A red beam of light shot into the sky, straight from the middle of Isla de Dolor. Lightning surrounded the beam, and the nearby clouds were sucked into the light. The fires that were spreading across the island lit up the smoke and clouds as the flames flew around the red beam.

  All of the ghosts stopped in midair. Even the ghosts who were in the midst of a fight stopped. The pirates held their swords in front of them, waiting for another attack. To their astonishment, the ghosts turned around and flew back to the island without another swing of a sword.

  Dashing to the wheel, Riggs ordered Clint to sail the ship away from the island as fast as he could. The wind filled the canvas and the Red Sky launched forward. All he wanted was to get away from there. Anxiously looking behind him, he could no longer see the red beam. It had disappeared. Isla de Dolor was covered with smoke, fog, and fire as the pirates sailed away from the cursed island.

  Rushing up the steps, Eli asked, “What in the bloody hell was that?”

  Pulling Clint to his place at the wheel, Riggs ran to the rail of the ship and peered over the edge, not hearing his crewmate’s question.

  “What happened on that island?” asked Doc.

  The Captain continued to roam the rail and watch the sea, as the water raged beneath them.

  Irritated by Riggs’ behavior, Eli grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him so that he could look the Captain in the face. What he saw was a look of sheer terror and absolute fear on Riggs’ face. He had never seen Riggs look so mortified in his entire time with the crew.

  “My God, Riggs… what’d you see?” asked Eli as he saw his Captain’s expression.

  Riggs only said one word, “Ororis.”

  Clint’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and Petey One-Eye’s bearded jaw nearly hit the deck.

  “Yer not serious…”

  Riggs’ expression did not change.

  “Ye are serious.”

  Following Riggs to the main deck, Petey continued, “Captain, Ororis was the worst danger on the seven seas, even more ‘n the English Navy. If ye really saw what ye think ye saw, then we’re all in deep trouble.”

  Clint chimed in, “And not to mention, we have a female on the ship… again… as if we didn’t have enough problems.”

  Standing next to the treasure chest, Riggs said, “For the last time, Julia is not a problem. I care ‘bout her.”

  “But Captain…”

  “Don’t ‘but Captain’ me. I’ve got all that I’ve ever wanted right here… and it’s not just the treasure, you little weasels. I’ve got a crew that I can call my family. I’ve got a ship of my own. I’ve even got someone that I genuinely care about.”

  Over in the corner, Julia heard what Riggs said, and she was touched by it. She had learned from her father that stressful times brought out people’s real thoughts and emotions. There was little doubt that Riggs actually loved her. Perhaps she was even starting to love him.

  Placing his boot on the treasure chest, he continued, “I mutinied for the notoriety and fame of this crew. I’ve fought for this ship and will continue to fight for it. Until now, I’ve only put value in what I could touch.”

  Some of the pirates laughed and nodded their heads.

  “Well, I was wrong.”

  Kicking the chest over, Riggs watched the jewels and gold spill onto the deck at his crew’s feet. He could see the greed in their eyes as the rubies and gems caught their gaze.

  “Feast your eyes on this treasure, these things you can touch and feel. It makes us rich. But, the last couple days have tested me and made me question myself. Is this the only treasure?”

  The crew looked around at each other. Most of them nodded.

  “Hell no, gents.”

  Glancing back at Julia, he continued, “There’s another kind of treasure, but it’s not an object. It’s inside you. I’ve learned that this is love, a feelin’ that can overpower anybody, even a scoundrel like me.”

  The crew remained silent, all eyes fixed on Riggs and all ears listening to his every word.

  Sifting through the spilled jewels and coins, the Captain said, “This treasure will help us become notorious, but this…”

  He pointed to his heart.

  “…this will help us truly live. This gives us the strength to do what others can’t. From now on, we’re not ordinary pirates. We’re the pirates of the Red Sky.”

  A cocky grin returning to his face, Riggs ordered, “Stow the treasure with the cargo. Mr. Wayko, set us on a path to Rebelde. We need to get as far away from that sea witch as possible if we wanna live another day.”

  Quick as rabbits, the crew stowed the treasure in the hold and began the long expedition back to Rebelde. The crew’s emotions quickly changed from joy to horror to overwhelming pride and then back to fear. Some of the crew felt like they were invincible while the others dreaded even laying eyes on Ororis and her seductive charm. Then again, who would want to?

  Riggs roamed the deck, always keeping a watch out for the next attack. He knew it would come. Nobody, especially not the most powerful mermaid in all of history, would let their treasure be taken without a fight. Whether it was ghosts, sea creatures, or even the magic of a mermaid, Riggs knew that the Red Sky was ready for it. He could feel it in his bones.

  “That was a very honorable thing you did there, Riggs.”

  He had been so deep in thought that he had not heard Julia approach. She joined him at the rail and stared out over the vast sea.

  “Was nothin’.”

  “Riggs, you’ve just shown me that pirates can be decent human beings. A month ago, I wouldn’t have ever thought that possible.”

  “I’m full ‘o surprises. Ye just need to get to know me better.”

  “Never judge a book by its cover… or a pirate by his looks…”

  She laid her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating. It was pounding rapidly, but with each second that her hand stayed where it was, it calmed and slowed.

  “… only by his heart.”

  Riggs wrapped his hand around hers, raised it to his lips, and kissed it softly. Julia was surprised at the amount of restraint that he displayed.

  Letting go of her hand, he said, “Julia, I… I…”

  He struggled to spit out the words. They did not want to form themselves.

  “Yes?” she asked, never having seen the pirate captain at a loss for words.

  “I… I think… you should get some rest. After what happened today, it’s somethin’ we all need.”

  “Oh… okay. I’ll see you in a couple hours then.”

  As soon as Julia was safely below deck, Riggs pounded his fist against the wooden rail. She knew that he fancied her. It was obvious. How hard was it to say three little words? Was it a sign that he could actually truly love someone? Maybe this whole love thing was not as easy as he thought it was.

  Back on Isla de Dolor, the fires were still raging across the island. Smoke mixed with fog and mist, blanketing the ground. The thunder and lightning were becoming infrequent, as if the storm was lessening. Regardless of the reason, the ghosts knew that something was not right. They were flying through the air, unsure of what to do. Their purpose was unclear to them now, since they had let the pirates get away with the treasure. That had been their one duty, and they had failed.

  The ghosts convened on the beach to discuss what to d
o about the island. Some wanted to leave it. Others wanted to stay. Even more wanted to try to find a way to become mortal again. Nearly all of them wanted to be able to feel like they did when they were alive.

  “Surely, with the mermaid alive, we can make ‘er tell us where she keeps ‘er magic. She’s gotta get that power from somewhere.”

  “No, you fool. With that light show, she’s def’nitely weak.”

  “There’s no way that she has all of her powers back. She could’ve destroyed those thieves without our help then. I’ve seen ‘er destroy whole fleets of ships. Those pirates should’ve been easy.”

  “Should’ve been? I saw ye get knocked on yer arse a couple times.”

  “ENOUGH!”

  The last voice echoed across the beach. The tide suddenly rose and the wind picked up, extinguishing all of the fires on the island. The ghosts were terrified.

  Out from the trees ran a gushing stream of water. It flew through the air with a gracefulness that carried with it the terror of a hundred generations of sailors. The water crashed to the ground and wove its way through the sand, mingling with the sea water. Purple and red sparks began to shoot out of the water, forcing the ghosts back. Mist from the water swirled around in a tiny tornado as a shadow began to form inside the cloud of sparks and water.

  The light grew brighter and brighter until the ghosts could handle it no more. They cried out as it burned their dead eyes and white skin. Then the ball of light burst outward, showering the beach with ashes and droplets of water.

  As the ghosts slowly opened their hurting eyes, they saw the nightmare of every sailor, living or dead.

  Ororis was lying on the beach, letting the sea water flow over her black fins. Her long black hair blew in the breeze, a breeze that she had not felt for nearly a hundred years. The wetness of the water hitting her scales and skin was almost like a new feeling to her.

  Once the ghouls realized who they were staring at, they quickly pointed their swords at her. Nothing could harm them. What did they have to lose?

  “On your… fin, wench.”

  Ororis did nothing. She just sat there, basking in the darkness.

  “Now listen ‘ere. We know yer weak, so ye better do as we say or we’ll kill ye.”

  She turned her head so the ghosts could see her red eyes pitifully staring at them.

  “You’re right. I am weak…”

  She raised a pale arm as if to ask one of the ghouls to help her stand. Sensing that there was no longer any danger, one of the ghosts moved forward to hoist her to a standing position.

  The second his smoking hand met her white skin, the ghost was shocked by a steady stream of lightning running through his entire being. The smoke dispersed and the ghost became a living being once again, only to be completely destroyed. The others watched as their companion was reduced to a pile of bones and ashes as Ororis utterly crushed his essence.

  “… but not helpless.”

  With a wave of her hand, she transformed her black fin into legs, clothed in tight, black pants, and got to her feet. The ghosts dropped to their knees in fear as she approached them.

  “What is this pathetic group of creatures that I see before me?”

  “We’re yer guardians, brought here after we died to protect ye and yer treasure.”

  Grabbing the ghost by the throat, she hissed, “And how did that fare for you? Did the pirates that stole my emerald just slip right under your noses?”

  Choking, the ghost could say nothing. He was startled that she could actually harm him. Before, he could feel, but not hurt. Her touch was like poison, seeping into his soul.

  “You will get that emerald back,” she spat, pushing the ghost to the ground.

  “Wait a bloody minute… what about the other treasure? The gold… the silver… the rubies?”

  Ororis tossed her head back and laughed.

  “You actually think I care about such trifling things? Material goods have no meaning to me. That emerald bears the key to great power, the likes of which no sailor has ever seen.”

  “And what makes you think we’ll get it for you?”

  The mermaid shook her head in disappointment and said the words “Malecte Anima.”

  In an instant, all of the ghosts started to feel a pain inside their smoke-covered chests. It felt as if a sword had just been driven through their hearts. Many of the ghosts fell to the ground, coughing blood onto the sand. Trying to claw away the pain, they did not notice the color coming back to their skin. Try as they might, they could not get the pain to stop. Rather, it got worse. The glowing in their eyes faded until the natural color shone through. They screamed out as their bodies reformed into skin, bones, and muscle tissue. No longer did smoke and fog emanate from their bodies. Soon, the pain subsided. The ghosts were mortal once more.

  “What have you done to us?”

  With a sinister grin, Ororis answered, “I’ve made you human again… somewhat. You will serve me… and you will bring me that emerald. When you do, I’ll make you… immortal.”

  Smiles appeared on the faces of all of the men. Ororis could tell that they were enchanted by the offer.

  “What are your orders, ma’am?”

  “I want that emerald back by any means necessary. We’re going to pursue those pirates and get it. Understand?”

  “How are we going to pursue ‘em? We don’t ‘ave a ship.”

  Ororis did not want to wait for another question from her supposed guardians. They needed to learn to trust in her power. Walking out into the water, she raised her hands to the sky and shouted, “Resusci Navi.”

  The water began to churn and bubble as the mermaid’s spell worked its magic. A mountain of sand arose from beneath the waves, wood poking out of the edges. As the water and sand fell to the ground, the mast of the buried ship became visible in all of its glory. The gray and green sails blended into the sky behind it as the ship rose from its watery grave. Sand poured off of the deck and out of the portholes, revealing the Black Fog, once the most feared ship of the sea.

  Under her breath, Ororis mockingly said, “For once, Amos, you prove to be of some use.”

  The men, now the mermaid’s crew, looked on the ship with awe. It was far more intimidating as it floated in the black water. Some of the men eagerly swam out to touch the boat to see if it was actually real. Some of the men stood stupefied because they had lost their lives to that ship. A few even dropped to their knees and prayed to their gods.

  Ororis looked upon the ship with cunning hatred and satisfaction. It had been the reason that she had been left to die in that cave. Captain Amos Marstow had broken free of her seduction and had found a way to fight back against her, even going so far as to sink his own ship. For her, taking the Black Fog was a measure of payback against her dead, backstabbing lover.

  “Make ready to sail. In a day’s time, that emerald shall be in my possession and those pirates’ blood shall run through my fingers.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Finally, everyone had calmed down on board the Red Sky. Nothing seemed to be following them. The wind had died down, so even the sea seemed at rest. Riggs had some of the crew cleaning the ship of the empty bottles that were strewn everywhere. For the amount of effort that they put into getting away from Isla de Dolor, they sort of expected some more trouble. The whole crew, with the exception of Clint, was completely confident that it was a clean getaway. Clint was always letting his superstitions get the better of him.

  Julia had been sitting, staring at the treasure for at least an hour, just contemplating her situation. She no longer saw herself as a captive, but she did not want to be a part of the crew. She could already feel her father’s teachings slipping away, but she could never see herself being a part of the crew.

  Reaching into the pocket of her dress, she felt the jewels and gold rub against her skin. She could not deny that it was an interesting feeling… finding something valuable and getting to keep it. The only things that she had ever found in Yorkt
own were a couple spoons that needed a good washing.

  She felt the chain of the emerald necklace wrap around her fingers. Taking it out of her pocket, Julia held it up to the lantern and let the room fill with the reflections of the green gem.

  “Mighty fine piece you have there, missy.”

  Julia smiled to herself and said, “Petey, why is it that you always seem to sneak up on me?”

  “I don’t rightly know, Ms. Hamond. I guess it’s just in me nature.”

  Julia giggled a little and gestured for the old man to have a seat. He graciously accepted.

  “So tell me… where’d ye get that?”

  Placing it around her neck, she said, “I got it back on the island.”

  “Aye, I figured that. Do ye know what it is?”

  “Honestly… I have no clue. I just know it’s an emerald of some sort.”

  “Did you notice anything strange on the island?” asked the old man.

  “Nothing at first, but it all started going crazy when we found the cave.”

  “Cave?”

  “Yes, the cave,” Julia replied, “It was where we found the treasure.”

  Pointing to the emerald, Petey asked, “And that’s where that came from as well?”

  “Yes, and it was glowing when Riggs picked it up…”

  Julia would have continued, but Petey’s one eye opened wide and his face froze in a frightened expression.

  “Ms. Hamond… I’d be very careful o’ what ye do with that necklace.”

  “Why?”

  “Have ye ever heard of the mermaid Ororis?”

  “No.”

  “Best I better tell ye then. No one knows how she became the way she was. Blimey, no one even knows how she came to be. Ororis was… and possible now still is… the most evil being to live in this world. She attacked me father’s ship… was never the same man again… fearful o’ the sea an’ all. She has powers unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Old sailors used to tell me that she was the most beautiful creature they had ever seen… right before she would send a hurricane to sink their vessels to the depths of the ocean.”