Captain Black Shadow

by Janina Franck

  Griffin sighed and stroked the kitten’s beautiful red fur once she let go. It reminded him of the sunsets he would see from his cove on long summer days.

  “How about Aestiva?”

  The kitten purred and closed its eyes blissfully. It was settled. While Griffin got her a bowl with water, Aestiva cleaned herself in case Griffin had missed anything.

  First, he had intended on locking Aestiva in the galley, but she meowed again, looking at him with her big, green, begging eyes, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, the kitten followed him outside. The other ship was floating in the distance while Skip was busy scrubbing the rails and deck of the Bat. He saluted Griffin playfully as he passed, but then raised his eyebrow at the feline following him. Aestiva never left Griffin’s side for even a moment.

  “I see you’ve got yourself a new little friend.” Ryo grinned when Griffin sat down in front of him in the mess hall. Aestiva jumped on the table in front of them.

  “Aestiva, get down from there,” Griffin said and patted on the bench next to him. The cat meowed and jumped down, then crawled onto Griffin’s lap and looked over the table from there.

  “She’s sweet,” Griffin said, stroking her head gently. She purred happily.

  “Is she gonna follow you everywhere?” Ryo asked. “Even to the bathroom?”

  “What? No!”

  “Is she gonna cuddle you when you sleep?” Ryo’s grin widened as he poked fun at Griffin.

  “Doessss sssshe have ssssharp teeth?” the Klabautermann asked, appearing behind the boy.

  Aestiva immediately bared her fangs, hissing at him, her fur pointing up on all sides until the Klabautermann had put some distance between himself and Griffin. She calmed down almost immediately.

  “Dat’s lookin’ like a dangerous one, don’t it?” Balthasar noted, sitting down beside him. Aestiva gave him a little growl as well.

  “She is pretty though,” Ryo added, admiring her fur. Aestiva looked at him and purred, but it turned into a hiss when he reached out to her.

  “Stop it, Stiva,” Griffin chided her, and indeed, she ceased instantly, looking up at him.

  “Mew?”

  “It sssseemsss sssshe’ssss ssssmarter than you’d exssspect,” the Klabautermann noted, and once again, the cat purred. Griffin frowned. She really did react to everything any of them said or did. Strange. But either way, it was time for him to get back to work.

  “Come on, Stiva, let’s get back to the galley,” he said, and she jumped from his lap, almost seeming to guide him the way back.

  The atmosphere at dinner was jovial, despite the events of the day.

  Griffin wondered how the others were able to be so calm about the fact that they had just blown out a couple of life-candles. But then again… They were pirates, weren’t they? Griffin forgot again and again. They just didn’t seem cruel or evil when they talked with each other or with him. Yet every time, the fact crawled back into his mind with claws, poison, and fangs, leaving him uneasy and fearful.

  Somehow, those thoughts never stayed for long, though. The crew was too nice for him to be suspicious of them for long. Especially since he had never seen them in the act of killing.

  After a while, Selene got up and received the undivided attention of the crew. Even Aestiva watched her curiously.

  “That was a good catch today,” she began as she looked every member of the crew directly in the eyes. “We’re now moving toward Port Garillya. I’m intending on taking from the Coinbaron what he took from us.”

  The crew cheered. Griffin looked around. He had heard of Port Garillya and the Coinbaron, the emperor’s Tax Dog, but why was everybody this ecstatic about attacking him? And what had he taken from them? They hardly had to pay taxes.

  Despite his confusion and curiosity, Griffin didn’t ask. Port Garillya was an important port city on one of the biggest islands in Jianlah. Griffin had never been there, but he’d always wished to see it one day with his own eyes. Now his wish was becoming reality, but the circumstances were very different from his previous expectations.

  The next few days were more or less pure routine. Griffin scrubbed the deck with Maco, stood guard and looked after the livestock with Skip, but most importantly, took care of his kitchen. Aestiva never left his side. Whenever Griffin didn’t have anything to do, he would stand on deck and look out over the sea, spend time in the mess playing cards or observing the crew, or sit in the library and read.

  On one of these occasions, he found Joe and Balthasar in the middle of an animated discussion of some play by a prestigious writer who had died almost eighty years ago. Griffin made sure not to disturb them, walking as quietly as he could, found himself a book to read and took a seat. It was only then that he noticed the dog sleeping in a corner. Griffin assumed it was Zero, which was confirmed by Aestiva approaching the dog unafraid and lying on top of him.

  As Griffin focused on the book, he couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between the librarian and the doctor. After a few moments, he came to the conclusion that he knew the play they were analyzing. His mother had forced it on him during his education.

  “The hourglass gotta be a symbol for eternity. Ye turn it ’round an’ it keeps goin’. Means that he wants that part of his life t’last forever, I’m tellin’ ya,” Balthasar argued. Joe shook his head.

  “I believe you to be mistaken, my friend. Certainly, it is not so. The hourglass is a symbol for his past. All the time he has lost seeking the answers.”

  “Actually, doesn’t it make more sense if it stands for the present?” proposed Griffin, speaking on impulse. “Time is constantly passing; every grain of sand is another moment lost. It’s like a race, a never-ending pressure. It means that time is fleeting, and you should always treasure the moment and use it to its full capacity because otherwise, it’s gone before you know it.”

  He had only reiterated what he had learned, but it caused both men to focus their attention on him. They reflected on his suggestion for a moment. Then Balthasar laughed, clapping Joe’s back.

  “Ye know, this lil’ boy here knows more ‘bout this stuff than us! Clever, dat one, I tell ye!”

  Joe nodded in agreement.

  “Quite so. Would you care to join us in our discussions, my dear?”

  “Maybe another time,” mumbled Griffin. He was embarrassed about the sudden attention, but it seemed to have earned him their respect and that was certainly a good thing. He left them to their discussion and turned his attention to other things.

  Most days, they played cards or seass in the mess after dinner. Seass was a strategy-based board game where one person played as the Marine Corps and the other as pirates. It heavily favored the side of the Marine Corps, but a good player could still win as a pirate. Griffin didn’t always join in. Sometimes he just sat there, listening to the conversations his new comrades had as they played. Usually, everything went smoothly in their games, but occasionally things could escalate, like the third night after the raid.

  “You’re a ssssssscallywagging cheater!” the Klabauter-mann exclaimed, after they had been playing cards for a while. Griffin was sitting at the edge of the bench, sipping away quietly at his grog, as the Klabautermann, Ryo, Skip, Zero and Joe played game after game. Grinning, Ryo raised his arms in defense.

  “Me? Cheat? Who do you think I am? A Marine soldier? You’re just sour because I won. I would never ever cheat you!”

  The Klabautermann glared at the giant as everyone around the table broke into laughter and started throwing jokes about the Marine around.

  “Zero, be a dear and shuffle the deck for our next game?” Joe asked the shapeshifter. Zero meekly took the cards and smiled at Joe. Their eyes were locked for a moment as Joe returned the smile. Griffin could see no trace of Zero’s usual shy nature. Instead, there was a fondness in the look that he hadn’t seen before. He supposed that they must be quite close.

  At the same time, he noticed how
Skip slipped Ryo some cards while Maco covered them from the Klabautermann’s view. Apparently, they were playing a double game. Ryo caught Griffin's look and winked conspiratorially.

  A little later, when all of them had a little more to drink, they all started debating noisily and not very articulately about who hated the people running the empire the most. From what Griffin could gather, Skip, Ryo and Zero hated different aspects of the Marine Corps the most, and Joe and the Klabautermann seemed to have a personal vendetta against the nobility. Maco usually kept quiet, but when confronted, shared Skip’s viewpoint on almost everything. Griffin was curious how they had accumulated so much hatred, but he didn’t dare ask. Perhaps some time in the future when he had gotten to know them a little better.

  Once they reached their loudest point with all of them yelling at the same time about different things, Griffin decided it would be a good idea to leave and get some sleep instead.

  These routines were only broken by Selene’s attempts at gaining Aestiva’s trust.

  Sometimes she would try to coax the kitten by offering her treats; other times, she attempted to play with her.

  One time she put down the leaf she had been tickling Aestiva with and asked Griffin, “Why do you not want to fight?”

  Griffin looked up, surprised, but serious.

  “It’s not the fighting I’ve got a problem with. It’s the killing,” he explained.

  Selene looked back with her unreadable eyes.

  “Why?”

  Stunned, Griffin shook his head. How could she even ask a question like that?

  “Because I don’t think I have the right to determine someone else’s life. What if that person has been good their whole lives and has just been at the wrong place at the wrong time? What if they have a family waiting for them at home? What then?”

  Selene stared into the air.

  “So what?”

  Griffin looked away.

  “Why are you so heartless? Were you always like this?”

  “Yes. I’m a pirate, don’t forget that.” With those words she left him to his thoughts again.

  He’d always presumed pirates to be evil. His whole life he’d been convinced they were nothing but savage murderers. But since he’d stepped on the Bat, his view of them had changed. Now it shocked him to see that the cruelty was still there.

  Of course, he’d known it, but he had suppressed the thoughts. He just only ever seemed to see the good in them when the crew was amongst themselves. Griffin was sure that they really were goodhearted people. But still they killed. Did killing mean they were evil to the bone?

  Before, the boy wouldn’t have hesitated to say exactly that, but that had been before he’d met Ryo, Skip and the others. And now? He didn’t know. He just couldn’t give an answer.

  CHAPTER 4

  "Quiet!” hissed Selene. “They mustn’t notice us! Klabautermann, when we’re in position, you fire a volley! Joe, Zero and Balthasar! You row to land now and infiltrate the baron’s palace! Everyone else in position! Griffin, you stay on board and take care of the ship. You may have to sail it to the bay I showed you on the map and hide, understood?”

  It was obvious that Selene was used to giving orders.

  Griffin gulped nervously. It was the middle of the night. Was it really fair to attack the people in their sleep? Garillya lay just beyond the next cliff.

  Griffin didn’t feel well knowing that he was on a pirate ship that was about to attack a heavily armed port. What if they fired back? He didn’t want to die yet! But he also didn’t want to be a coward, so he remained silent and would simply do what Selene told him.

  He still had no idea why they were attacking the Coinbaron. And he still hadn’t met Captain Black Shadow. Would he meet him today at the attack? He wouldn’t send his daughter alone into battle, right?

  Aestiva rubbed her head comfortingly against Griffin’s leg. Smiling, he leaned down and petted her. The kitten seemed to always know what he needed. When he looked up again, Port Garillya emerged from behind the cliff. Griffin’s breath caught in his throat for a moment when he saw the many flickering lights of the city. Built sloping down toward the water, Garillya’s different levels were clearly visible, from the poorer, darker areas to the imposing castle on top of the hill, where red and golden flags illuminated by torches marked the Coinbaron’s abode. All of Garillya’s lights were reflected in the water between gently swaying ships, giving the city an eerie glow. Griffin wondered if it would ever look this beautiful again after tonight.

  Tensely, Griffin watched everyone get into position. Most rowed to land heavily armed. Only he, the Klabautermann, Ayalon and Selene stayed on board. Then Selene swung herself onto the dragon’s back and both got ready to depart.

  Selene stared toward land and licked her lips absentmindedly. She seemed to be searching for something in the darkness. Eventually, she appeared to find it and gave a nod to the Klabautermann before Ayalon lifted off.

  The little blue man lit the first three cannons and reloaded them. Griffin covered his ears to keep out the exploding sound that signaled the imminent death of some innocent people. He kept watching with mixed feelings. The cannonballs hit the city and extinguished lights wherever they struck. Griffin almost thought he could hear the screaming of the surprised, terrified and dying people. He shuddered.

  Ayalon spewed fire and lit up the buildings that hadn’t been destroyed by the cannonballs. The fire’s light made the city gleam golden. In a grotesque way it was beautiful and Griffin watched Garillya turn into a heap of ashes, as if he were spellbound.

  After the Klabautermann fired another few cannons he turned to Griffin and asked, ‘Do you want a turn?’

  Griffin shook his head. No, he didn’t want any part in this butchery. Suddenly, he was very thankful to be part of the crew and not an enemy to them.

  The Klabautermann shrugged and reloaded. Then the first cannons were fired in Garillya. They missed by a long shot, but there was no question about what would happen next. Another volley landed a lot closer, only missing the Bat by a few feet.

  “Oh, rotten krakencrap,” Griffin mumbled, rushing to the wheel while the Klabautermann worked on the sail. Luckily, it wasn’t a clear night. Otherwise, they would have had problems with the wind, but this way they could gain distance easily.

  Sweat dripped off Griffin’s forehead. He didn’t want to die; he was far too young for that! He shouldn’t have run away from home. If he had just stayed there… Then he could have looked forward to an easy life as a shipwright, but now he’d be lucky to even survive.

  Griffin’s hands grew weak and moist as he maneuvered the ship toward the spot Selene had indicated earlier. His vision became hazy.

  A cannonball ripped through the main sail. The ship was still moving only thanks to the foresail.

  This is it then, Griffin thought cynically. I didn’t plan to die like this. I would have preferred to die of old age, sitting in a rocking chair by the sea on a calm summer night.

  Aestiva meowed near his leg and woke him from his desperation.

  Right. He had to persevere.

  For the sake of Selene, Ryo, Skip and the others.

  He expected the next volley, but it didn’t come.

  Instead, there were a couple of explosions in Garillya. Above them, Griffin saw a green lightning flash shoot fire. Ayalon. He must have destroyed the enemy cannons and catapults. Griffin watched his flight in terrified awe. The dragon dove down and disappeared from his view between some brightly burning buildings, but he rose again just a moment later, directing his flight toward the Bat. Griffin squinted to see better. Ayalon’s silhouette looked different. As the dragon approached the ship at high speed, Griffin alerted the Klabautermann. Ayalon landed carefully and Griffin rushed to his side. Ryo cowed on his back, hunched over. He looked barely conscious and as Griffin helped the Klabautermann heave the giant from the dragon’s back, he noticed large volumes of blood flowing freely dow
n his side.

  Ayalon lifted off hurriedly to return toward Garillya the second Ryo was off his back. The Klabautermann hastily cut open Ryo’s shirt and exposed the large wound. His entire left side was cut open. Still, he managed a smile as the Klabautermann cleaned it with some clean, wet cloth.

  “We… We did… it!” Ryo whispered. On the Klabautermann’s face something that could almost be called a smile appeared.

  Carefully, the little blue man and Griffin brought the giant to the infirmary and laid him on the bed. Griffin returned to deck to keep an eye on the situation while the Klabautermann tended to Ryo’s wounds.

  Garillya was ablaze. It was the only light that seemed to brighten the night. Gradually, the rest of the crew returned. Their injuries were only superficial, and they all brought treasures like jewels and goblets – or books, in Balthasar’s case – with them. Finally, Selene arrived with Ayalon. Her face expressed her satisfaction as she got off the dragon’s back. Unlike the other members of the crew, she carried only a single rolled-up piece of parchment.

  Joe hurried to the infirmary to look after Ryo. Balthasar and Skip took care of moving the ship while Ayalon circled overhead to keep lookout. Meanwhile, Maco and Zero worked on replacing the ripped mainsail. Griffin helped put it away but made a mental note to mend it soon, perhaps during his guard duty.

  While the crew sailed the ship to a quieter location, Griffin sat on deck shivering. He had volunteered to take over Ryo’s guard duty as well as his own. There was no way he could have slept in any case. Skip and Balthasar were still standing by the wheel, making sure the ship stayed on course. Everyone else had gone to sleep as far as Griffin knew. After a little while, he stood up, his legs still trembling, and joined them. He needed answers. He needed to know. He needed to find out if they were as horrible as people said – as remorseless and cruel. He needed to hear them say it, to know for sure they were not as friendly as they seemed.