Captain Black Shadow

by Janina Franck

  Griffin’s tears kept flowing, despite the onions being long gone from his vicinity. He never would have imagined that this was the story behind the legendary Black Shadow’s reincarnation.

  Silence hung over the men like the veil of the past. Eventually, Aestiva broke it. She meowed demandingly and looked at the humans reproachfully.

  Ryo laughed. “I think that kitten is trying to tell us that we shouldn’t be so glum. She might be right! I’ll go and relieve Maco at the wheel.”

  Griffin stayed behind with Aestiva.

  “Selene…” he mumbled, unsure of what he ought to feel. Aestiva stroked his legs with a purr. The boy sighed. At the end of the day, there was no point in feeling low about the past.

  Someone took the potato he was peeling into oblivion out of his hands. Skip. Griffin had almost forgotten about him.

  Skip smiled. “Maybe I should take care of this part.”

  Griffin stepped to the side and watched his friend peel and cut the potatoes. Skip’s movements were precise and practiced. Griffin could tell that he’d probably had to do it many times before.

  Skip noticed Griffin’s glance and interpreted it correctly.

  “I used to help out the old cook, and then Ryo,” he explained.

  Griffin nodded and then watched Aestiva as she made herself comfortable in a corner.

  “What happened to him?” he asked after a moment.

  “Who?”

  “The old cook. Did he…?”

  “Oh no, he just stopped pirating is all.”

  Skip laughed quietly to himself, thinking of his previous companion.

  Griffin looked up, surprised.

  “He just… stopped? Just like that? Why? How?”

  Skip put down the potato and knife, then looked at Griffin.

  “He wanted to have a normal life. He’s been with us ever since I can remember; he was a friend of Karim and Balthasar’s. One day, during a raid, he met a girl, and Selene could see that she was pure, so she stayed alive. Myles couldn’t get her out of his head, and somehow, fate had it that they met again during another raid. That time he took her on board with us.”

  “Like you did with me?” Griffin interjected. Skip nodded.

  “Like I did with you.” He paused, looking away. “In any case, they spent time together and actually came to like each other a lot – she was a quite nice lady – and they fell in love and wanted to start a life together. So, we dropped them off at an island with a small town on it and that’s where they’ve been living since. So that’s what happened to good old Myles. He got himself a family. Last I heard of him, he had a little baby girl he named after Selene’s mother.”

  Skip grinned. Griffin felt a little relieved at the story’s ending. The fact that the members of the crew could choose anytime to renounce pirating and become good honest people of Jianlah was immensely comforting. After all, it applied to him as well.

  “So why did you take me on board?” he asked, curiously.

  A strange expression flashed across Skip’s face, but it was gone in an instant. Griffin supposed he had imagined it.

  “Well, as I said before, you seemed like a decent sort. And you said you could cook and repair ships. So you’d be useful and, considering your entire situation of stowing away on a ship, it proved that you had guts and the lust for adventure and it just seemed to fit, you know? Anyway, I gotta go, talk to you later!” Skip seemed almost rushed. Then he dashed out of the room, trying not to look at Griffin as he passed him.

  Griffin shrugged at the strange behavior and turned to finish the dinner preparations.

  “I thank you all,” Selene announced. “You helped to avenge my parents. I appreciate that.”

  “Rubbish, I say!” Joe shouted. “We all sought vengeance!”

  Selene smiled. “I know. But I am grateful nevertheless.”

  Balthasar coughed politely and stood next to Selene. “Also, we found somthin’!”

  He pulled a rolled-up parchment out of his jacket and held it aloft triumphantly. “Who of ye has ev’r wish’d t’see the other side of the Veil?”

  Silence filled the room.

  Everyone stared incredulously at the two.

  “By veil you wouldn’t mean…” Zero began before trailing off.

  Maco finished the thought, “Weh imperfiouf Veil, do you?”

  No eyes left Selene. She nodded slowly and smiled.

  “We can make it,” she declared.

  “Where’s the catch?” Ryo asked. Relaxed, he leaned back.

  “Catch?” Griffin echoed.

  Ryo nodded.

  “Yeah, bud, adventures like that always have a catch. It couldn’t possibly be as easy as having a map. If it were, then they’d be doing it all the time.”

  Griffin looked back to Selene, who was smiling at Ryo.

  “You’re correct, my friend.”

  She paused dramatically, her expression serious, scrutinizing her crew with an iron gaze.

  “It’ll be dangerous.” She waited a moment to let her words sink in. “We might all die.”

  Another pause. Nobody moved a muscle. Eventually, Ayalon grunted as he struggled to keep from laughing.

  Skip dared a bold grin and said, “Selene, by now, you should really know that we don’t get scared because of a little danger. We’re pirates, or did you forget?”

  Selene smiled again. “How could I?”

  It seemed decided. Everyone present was determined to go through this adventure together. Griffin was the only one unsure. His stomach tightened at the idea; he didn’t know if he could do it. He didn’t want to die. He was no hero. And technically, not a pirate, either. Or at least not the right kind of person for it. What if they were attacked? How was he supposed to defend himself? He couldn’t even fight! He’d proven that to himself and his father too many times. All he could do was cook, clean and repair ships. But on the other hand… An adventure like this would make anyone tremble with anticipation. Besides, what little island boy had never wished to see what was behind the Veil? He had the chance. Should he take it? Would the others understand if he didn’t? He wasn’t sure.

  Griffin was aware of a humming background noise. He vaguely realized it was Selene explaining the details of their journey, something about needing to get an amulet and a compass, but he was too caught up in his own desperate thoughts to listen.

  Eventually, Aestiva bit his finger. Griffin suppressed a pained noise and shot the kitten an angry look.

  “What was that for?” he whispered, irritated. Aestiva turned her head away and flicked her tail at him.

  Griffin looked around and noticed that all discussions and explanations had stopped. Everyone was back to their usual tasks. Only Selene remained, sitting across from him, watching him with her indecipherable expression.

  “You don’t want to come,” she recognized. Griffin was too surprised to answer. “I can see it. You’re afraid.”

  Griffin shook his head violently. “No, no, why would you think that?” he said, doing his best to convince her. The knowledge that she was right gnawed at him. He was afraid. That was what he was: a coward. And not one who could pretend not to be, not someone who was able to fight against it or even knew how to.

  Selene sighed and got up. She walked to the door, where she turned around again.

  “You’re a bad liar. You’re too honest. Too pure.” With those words, she disappeared. Griffin stroked Aestiva’s head absentmindedly and mumbled, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  That night, Griffin lay awake in his hammock, tossing and turning to no end. Aestiva had moved to the pile of clothes on the floor early on in the night to sleep undisturbed.

  After Griffin had stared into the darkness for an eternity, he gave up on sleep and decided to get up. With a sigh, he pulled a shirt over his head and tiptoed out of the cabin. Just because he had trouble sleeping didn’t mean he had to disturb his friends, although he was certain
that even cannon fire hitting the ship would barely wake them up. Aestiva’s ears twitched at the slight sound, and before he had even left the room, she was walking by his side.

  He figured a little fresh air would do him good. As he stepped on deck, he nodded to the Klabautermann, who was resting against the wheel, and let his gaze wander over the ship and the sea. He could barely recognize the kobold in the darkness. Only the light of the stars lit up the night a little.

  Griffin decided to climb up to the crow’s nest so he could think without being disturbed.

  The boy lifted Aestiva to his shoulder, where she held herself with practice while he climbed up the netting. As usual, there was a blanket tied to the mast at the top so they didn’t have to freeze in the chilly night air.

  Griffin observed the kitten. Her fur blended in so well at night. It was as if at night all colors disappeared and left behind were only black, white, and grey. It was a little like the world, he supposed. People seemed to always talk in black and white. As if they saw the world at night, only seeing those binary distinctions and using them to determine what was good and what was evil. But they forgot about grey.

  Griffin began petting Aestiva. She seemed pleased. Even at night, there was no real black or white, was there? In the end, it was only shades of grey, lighter and darker shades of grey. But nothing was ever pure black or white. Just like the crew. They were grey, not black. His parents were grey, not white. And this adventure… This adventure was purple. It could be neither black, nor white, nor grey, as there was nothing to judge it by. And that was what scared him, Griffin realized.

  “What do you think I should do Stiva?” he asked quietly. The cat opened her eyes and meowed. Her look was answer enough.

  “You’re right.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t just give up and run away like a coward.”

  Aestiva purred in agreement.

  “But it’s so hard…” the boy mumbled. Aestiva cuddled up closer to him and purred more aggressively.

  Sometimes she seemed almost like a human, Griffin noticed.

  He smiled as she wiggled her nose at him and closed her eyes blissfully under his soft strokes. Feeling her silky fur and having her near him made him feel safe and cared for.

  He leaned back and closed his eyes too, feeling Aestiva’s soft purr resonating on his chest.

  “Where will this journey lead us…?”

  CHAPTER 5

  "We’re headed north-northwest,” Selene shouted.

  Griffin blinked sluggishly. Aestiva licked his face with her rough tongue. He gently pushed her aside and got up to stretch his aching back. He was still in the crow’s nest, where he had fallen asleep. He blearily rubbed his eyes and leaned over the edge to see the deck.

  Selene was in the process of giving instructions to Maco, who was standing at the helm. Skip was scrubbing the deck, and Balthasar was fishing.

  Right now, the ship was barely moving, but they would pick up speed once they opened the main sail. Where were they going? He was pretty sure that Selene had mentioned something about that the previous day, but he had been too distracted to notice.

  Griffin sighed. It was probably about time to prepare breakfast. He lifted Aestiva to his shoulder and climbed back on deck. She clung to his shirt with her claws to make sure she didn’t fall off, but it didn’t really hurt, so Griffin didn’t mind.

  On his way to the galley, he nodded to Balthasar, who heaved a big fish out of the water. Ryo was already inside, chewing on a crust of bread. The giant grinned cheekily at Griffin.

  “I was looking for you, bud. Where were you?” he asked.

  Griffin smiled.

  “Crow’s nest.” Without another word, he began to prepare food. After a while, he asked, “Why were you looking for me?”

  ‘I was curious about what you think about our next destination.’

  Griffin shrugged. “You mean the Veil? Dunno.”

  Ryo shook his head energetically. “No, no, it’s not about that! I meant the Falicia Islands.”

  Griffin spun around, quick as lightning. His expression was as shocked as that of an ant who had just realized that it was sitting on an apple that was about to be eaten.

  “Falicia Islands?” he echoed, just to make sure he had heard correctly. He had read about them. The remote islands were one of the last places that withstood the power of the empire and refused to acknowledge it, governed instead by a tribe of female warriors. There were even some stories that it was a stronghold for pirates. Griffin had never given it much thought before, but now he wondered if they might be true.

  Ryo smirked and nodded. “Weren’t listening yesterday, eh? But yes. Falicia Islands. The Isles on which the tastiest fruits grow, and not only on trees!”

  Griffin nodded. “Yes, I have heard. The melons there are supposed to be very juicy…” he mumbled.

  Ryo gave him an incredulous look, which was normally reserved for idiots, while Aestiva nipped at Griffin’s ear and jumped from his shoulder.

  Griffin got the uncomfortable feeling that those two had seen something different in Ryo’s words than he had. He didn’t like it. Quickly, he turned back to breakfast preparation.

  Shaking his head, Ryo continued. “In any case, since ya missed it, we need some kind of amulet from the Falician queen.”

  Griffin stopped again and looked over his shoulder. He was as pale as a peace flag and his eyes were wide open with horror. His breath raced in time with his heartbeat.

  “You don’t mean we have to steal it from the Falicians, do you? They hate men! They’ll turn us into slaves, make us into their playthings or kill us!”

  Ryo chuckled. “Well, I don’t have too much against becoming a plaything…” he joked.

  “This isn’t funny!”

  Ryo lifted his hands. “Okay, okay, I surrender!”

  Griffin looked at him, annoyed.

  Aestiva interrupted with a loud meow, shooting Griffin an accusatory look. He understood, filled her bowl with water, and turned back to the breakfast to finish it up.

  Ryo helped him silently. He had been around helping him a lot recently. Probably because he couldn’t do much else since his injury hadn’t fully healed yet. Despite Joe’s insistence, no one was able to keep the him in bed resting, so having him help in the kitchen would do the least amount of damage. He wasn’t even allowed to climb up to the crow’s nest. Eventually, Griffin sighed. Ryo glanced at him quizzically.

  “I don’t even know why I’m here, or why I’m joining this adventure…” Griffin explained.

  Ryo nodded knowingly. “Yeah, bud, we’ve all been there. But we wouldn’t be pirates to this day if we weren’t searching for danger,” he philosophized.

  Griffin sighed again. “That may well be, but I don’t look for danger. I’d rather be in safety on a ship in the middle of the ocean with no other ships in sight. A rebel maybe, but probably not a pirate.”

  Ryo laughed. “But that’s what pirates really are! We’re rebels! We fight against what’s happening in Jianlah!”

  “By killing people?”

  Ryo remained silent for a moment, but then he shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. We fight for a better world, for the good people. That’s why we spare them. And trust me, I know what it’s like on the other side.”

  Griffin kept his remaining thoughts to himself and decided instead to bring the food to the mess. How could Ryo be so confident about their cause? Griffin didn’t know what to think. He grew more certain every day that his new companions weren’t evil; it was just that they looked at the world in a way that didn’t exactly match how others did. The majority would therefore say they were wrong. But Griffin could see the logic in Ryo’s explanation. They were fighting against those who had wronged them and done terrible things to people who didn’t deserve it. Ryo believed in his words, just like everyone else on the ship. It wasn’t easy to accept, but Griffin didn’t have many other options. All he could do was either come
along or let himself be left on the next island. He didn’t know exactly why, but he still had the ominous feeling that he was safer on the Bat than… well…. not on the Bat.

  Probably because, as long as he was on the black ship and part of its crew, the possibility of being attacked by her was almost non-existent. It could also have something to do with the feeling that all of his crewmates had experienced terrible things before they had become pirates. Somehow it seemed like all their hatred and vengeful thoughts were directed at the government and the Marine. They had to have reasons, even if Griffin didn’t know them yet.

  In the mess hungry mouths were already waiting to be filled. The view reminded Griffin of carp near the water’s surface. Not the most flattering comparison, but the most fitting.

  After dishing out the meal, he decided to sit with Maco and watch the crew in silence.

  “Hey, that’sssss mine,” the Klabautermann yelled.

  “Well, you didn’t eat fast enough. Mine now,” Ryo countered.

  “It wassss on my plate!”

  “As I said, didn’t eat fast enough. Tough luck.”

  “Do that again and I sssswear you’ll lose your hand to my teeth!”

  “For that, you’d have to catch me first.”

  “Boys,” Selene interjected. She looked at them sharply, but not unkindly. “There’s more than enough for everyone. No need for yelling, threats or stealing.”

  The two men looked dejectedly down at their plates as she walked past them to leave. Griffin thought they looked like they had been reprimanded by a parent.

  Maco leaned over to Skip and whispered something into his ear. Skip burst into laughter but tried to hold it back by stuffing his face with food. The result was that half of that food ended up on Zero’s plate, directly across from him. While Joe busied himself by cleaning it off, Zero asked, “What was so funny?”

  Skip merely pointed over to the Klabautermann and Ryo. Balthasar had taken over for Selene after she had left, and was now trying to get the two men to make up and stop arguing. Ryo pretended to go along with it but kept sneakily transferring food from the Klabautermann’s plate to his own. Somehow neither Balthasar nor the Klabautermann noticed. Griffin smiled. Ryo was good at sleight of hand. He never noticed it happening unless it was pointed out to him. Maco, on the other hand, had seen it immediately.