Captain Black Shadow

by Janina Franck

  The young man was rather gallant in his movements, but it was obvious to Griffin that this guy was out for only one thing. His friend didn’t even try to hide his lust and stared blatantly at Griffin’s fake fabric-filled breasts. Griffin wasn’t sure what he was more appalled by: the lies that had been spread or their behavior toward women. Yet he bit his lip to prevent himself from saying something out of line. Finally, he understood where the terrible stories came from. It wasn’t all because of what the pirates did, but also what was spread by people like these guys.

  He now also understood what Skip had meant by calling this the safest place for a pirate. These soldiers were completely relaxed and not wearing any weapons apart from an ornamental sword, which even Griffin could tell would not hold up in a real fight. They presumed that no pirate would ever dare to infiltrate this port. Everything they said was solely used to impress women. The boy felt immensely uncomfortable. Despite seemingly his most attractive body parts not being real, the soldier’s leering made him feel like he was a piece of flesh served on an elegant platter. The soldier lifted a hand to his mouth to wipe away some drool. Griffin stepped back, disgusted and disturbed. Were all young women treated this way in the bigger cities? The other guy now stepped in, placed his hand against the wall next to Griffin, leaned in to be closer to his face and whispered, “What do you say you and I go somewhere a little more… private?”

  He gave Griffin what was probably supposed to be a seductive smile. His breath reeked of booze and he smelled like he hadn’t showered in weeks. Griffin’s gaze darted from side to side, searching for a means of swift escape. His hands clutched his skirt. Why, just why, had he dressed like a girl today?

  His voice pitched as high as the boy could manage, he looked to the ground and declared, “I am on my way to my fiancé, please leave me alone.”

  The soldier laughed.

  “Oh, your voice is so cute. Are you sure you’re not a siren?”

  “Let me go! I need to go to my fiancé.”

  “Your fiancé, hmm? I bet he’s not as good-looking as me. What do you say, you ditch him and see where this ship sails, huh?”

  He just would not stop. Griffin shifted to the side, desperately looking for an opening to make a run for it. He decided he truly hated being a girl if it meant being treated this way.

  “No,” he said firmly, still trying to sound like a girl. “Just leave me alone.”

  “Aw,” the other guy chuckled.

  “Just give me a chance,” the persistent man continued. “C’mon, you know you want to have an adventure. Well I’m right here, just go for it. Your fiancé never has to know.”

  Griffin realized this man would never take “no” for an answer. It was as though a woman’s “no” merely acted as an invitation for negotiation.

  “Oi, leave that poor girl alone, you no-good lazy butts!”

  Griffin saw an elderly man walk toward them from one of the stands, gesturing wildly in the air with a brush, his wife standing with arms crossed behind him menacingly holding a heavy pan. As the two Marine soldiers received a lecture about good behavior and how to treat women properly from the man, Griffin slipped away, nodding gratefully to the woman, who gave him warm smile in response.

  Griffin was able to disappear quickly. The throng on the streets was good for something after all. As soon as he had finished with the rest of his purchases, he rushed back to Ayalon and by late afternoon, they were back on the ship.

  He left the bags with Balthasar and then, without another word, went to his cabin, where Aestiva was impatiently waiting for him. He sat in his hammock with her in his arm and petted her absentmindedly while he thought of his parents.

  After he had sat there for a while, he decided with a sigh to get changed out of his costume. He didn’t want Ryo or Skip to see him like this if he could help it. He should also take back over from Skip in the kitchen.

  Griffin left the dress with Joe and then rushed to the galley with Aestiva on his tail. Balthasar and Skip were already waiting for him. Balthasar handed Griffin the materials for the repairs that had been left in his room with the other purchases and said, “Skip’s cooking ‘til the ship’s fix’d. Ye’re the shipwright ‘ere.”

  He patted the boy’s shoulder and disappeared through the door.

  Griffin gave Skip a nod and decided to begin working on the rudder right away. He joined Maco at the helm and explained to the troll what he was about to do.

  “How can I help?” Maco asked, letting Griffin take the wheel. Maco was strong and had a steady hand, which had often been useful in the past. The ship was well kept thanks to him, and there was only a small number of repairs that Griffin had needed to re-work to improve.

  Griffin had heard stories about times when it had been a sport to hunt trolls. People had believed that they were wild beasts that would kidnap young children and eat them. There was some truth behind it, but not like people thought. Griffin had learned that trolls who were emotionally stressed would howl to relieve themselves. But sometimes that didn’t work, and their minds would temporarily be taken over by basic animalistic instincts. Then the trolls would rampage and attack anything in their way for days. But as far as Griffin knew, that was something that rarely happened, and someone would have to go very far to drive a troll to that point. In reality, trolls were usually calm and good-natured creatures. It was strange how wrong one’s impression of a creature could be just by looking at them.

  It didn’t take long for Maco and Griffin to finally finish with the last of the repairs on the ship. It was just before dusk, so they went to dinner to hear Selene’s next plans. Skip had cooked, and Griffin had to admit that it was edible, although a little bland and Ryo’s “help” was evident.

  Griffin could hear the Klabautermann grumble, “I hope Griffin will cook ssssssoon again. Hisss food issss sssso mutssssh better…”

  Griffin felt proud. He was happy that his food was liked. He felt needed and in his opinion that was one of the most fundamental feelings required to be really happy. At home, he had never gotten that feeling.

  Ryo nudged him in the ribs.

  “Heard they put you in a dress, eh? Joe mentioned you were a ‘lady of radiance and grace.’” He grinned impishly. Griffin sighed. He should have known that word of his attire would reach his friends. Skip also joined in with the lighthearted teasing and after that had gone on for a while, Selene got up and cleared her throat. Everyone stopped speaking.

  “The next step to reach our goal lies on the Falicia Islands. We need to find part of an old technology that will help us pass the Veil. We will depart at dawn. It should take us less than nine days to reach the Rock-vortex fields. It will be dangerous. I’m sure I don’t have to tell anyone here how treacherous the vortices are; only a handful of ships have ever managed to get through them.” A smirk crossed her face. “Does anyone want to be left somewhere for the time being and be collected on our way back?”

  Laughter echoed through the room. Selene smiled, satisfied. “That’s what I thought. Alright. Starting tomorrow, we sail west!”

  CHAPTER 8

  Once again, a night without sleep. Griffin rubbed his eyes and shuffled to the galley to prepare breakfast. The past few nights he had had tremendous difficulty sleeping. Even though he was awake now, he felt as though he were dreaming. Everything appeared hazy and surreal. He lacked energy and strength. He couldn’t even think straight anymore. He had cut his fingers several times the day before and smashed several plates and jugs. If Ryo hadn’t noticed his state and helped out, it might have been even more. A few times, Griffin had almost fallen over, but every time, Aestiva had nipped at him and brought him back to reality.

  It was Selene’s fault. Every time he closed his eyes, she appeared in his mind. The way she acted around him didn’t help. She ignored him most of the time and when she did speak to him, it was just to give orders. On top of that, he was afraid of the upcoming journey.

  He h
ad heard many stories about the Rock-vortex fields. It was a stretch of sea that was sprinkled with many sharp underwater rocks, which could cause ships to get stuck or even sink, and the remaining space was taken up by vortices that dragged them to the ocean floor. Not many ships survived the turbulent crossing. What were the chances that they would? And even if they should make it through, the Falicians were waiting for them. Selene didn’t have to be afraid of being captured, but for the men, the future looked bleak. The Falicians welcomed women on their islands but considered strange men to be less than vermin.

  Griffin sighed. There was no point in pondering these things. As much as he was afraid, he knew he wouldn’t leave the Bat. What would he do on his own? He would only worry about his friends. He might be a coward, but he wouldn’t abandon them. After all, they were all he had left in the world since he had decided not to return to his parents.

  “Ye look tired,” Balthasar noted when Griffin brought breakfast to the canteen. Griffin nodded. He felt too weak to answer.

  “We’re arrivin‘ t’morrow at the Vortex-fields. Maybe ye should rest a bit.”

  Griffin shook his head. There was much work, and he didn’t want to be a burden. Everyone had things they needed to do; he couldn’t have one of them take over in the kitchen for him.

  “Maybe I could help,” Zero suggested. Griffin jumped. He hadn’t even noticed the man’s presence. The shapeshifter smiled shyly. “I don’t know how to cook, but if you tell me what to do, it should be okay.”

  Griffin looked at him in surprise.

  “Uh, okay, but are you sure?”

  Zero nodded and looked to the ground as if it were the most interesting thing he had seen all day.

  “I’ll leave ye to it, then,” Balthasar said, strolling off. Zero and Griffin hesitated for a moment, but they set themselves in motion almost simultaneously. In the galley, Griffin asked Zero to boil some water while he went to the back to get some ingredients. When he returned, Zero had somehow managed to flood the floor, but at least water was in a pot on the lit stove.

  “I tripped,” Zero admitted as he tried to wipe the floor. “Sometimes I get my shapes mixed up.”

  He sounded embarrassed and Griffin thought that the man’s pale complexion had a rosier tint than usual.

  “Do you mean something like wanting to turn into a fish but really becoming a bird?” Griffin asked.

  Zero shook his head.

  “More like thinking I have eight arms when I’m in a shape that only has two.”

  Griffin reflected on this for a moment as he began chopping vegetables.

  “What does it feel like to be an octopus?” he asked.

  A plopping sound made him turn back around to Zero. Instead of the man, a small octopus sat in the puddle. Then it used its arms to walk over to a jar. It unscrewed the top somehow, though Griffin couldn’t quite explain to himself how, and squeezed itself through the opening, which was half the size of its head. After it had fit its entire body inside, it came out again and morphed back into human shape. Griffin observed all of this in astonished silence.

  “It feels freeing,” Zero noted after a moment. “There is no skeleton to give you limitations.”

  “Does it hurt? The change, I mean.”

  Griffin hoped that his questions weren’t too personal, but he was curious, and he couldn’t think of anything else to chat about.

  “No. It’s just a little tingly. It feels like moving when your foot is asleep.”

  “I see.”

  They worked in silence for a little while.

  “When the water is boiling, can you drop these in there?” Griffin pointed at the chopped vegetables. Zero nodded. Griffin collected spices from around the galley and began preparing the meat.

  “So, how long have you been a pirate?” Griffin asked.

  “A while,” Zero answered. “I lost my sense of time when I was a captive, before I joined them. I never got it back.”

  Griffin looked up, shocked. “Selene and the others held you prisoner?”

  Zero observed Griffin with a strange expression on his face and stopped working.

  “Of course not! The Marine did.”

  “Hey, buddy! Wake up!”

  Someone shook Griffin’s shoulder. Groggy, the boy opened his eyes slowly. He yawned.

  “What’s up, Ryo?”

  The giant grinned.

  “Today’s the day! We’re going through the Rock-vortex fields!”

  Instantly, Griffin was wide awake. Rock-vortex fields. A phrase invoking fear in his very soul. A term he connected to death and inevitable doom. Was there even a way to get out of this adventure whole? He sighed, accepting his fate.

  He followed Ryo to deck, where the others waited with grinning faces, but their eyes were serious. It was astonishing how relaxed they could be in a moment such as this. But then again… They were pirates after all. Danger was one of the only constants in their lives.

  Aestiva rubbed her head against his leg. He picked her up.

  “On a day like this, the deck isn’t a good place for kittens like you,” he explained.

  The cat mewed and tapped his nose with her paw. Griffin smiled.

  “Will you stay in the galley until it’s safe again? I promise to get you out as soon as the danger’s passed.”

  Aestiva purred.

  Griffin carried her there and put out some water for her. Then he returned to his friends.

  The Klabautermann grinned at him through sharp teeth.

  “It’sssss going to be fun today, don’t you sssssink?” he asked.

  Griffin gave him an uncertain smile.

  “Sure…” he mumbled. Then he looked at him closer. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked. What’s your name, actually?”

  The Klabautermann made a clicking sound. “You couldn’t pronounsssssssssssse it anyway, ssssso it issss easssier if you don’t know,” he hissed, walking over to Selene and Ayalon.

  Griffin sighed again. He climbed into the crow’s nest and attempted to make out the vortices and the rocks.

  There. In the distance, the dark, almost black rocks jutted menacingly out of the water. They seemed like omens or warnings of the horrible death traps behind and between them. Their black edges reminded Griffin of broken glass, just as sharp and vicious. Like all of Jianlah’s citizens, he knew that many more of these rocks lay just beneath the surface. There were stories about careless ships whose hulls were completely slashed open by those rocks. Griffin could see some shipwrecks. Like ghost ships they hung, rotting between the rocks.

  Griffin wondered if their crews had starved to death or if they had somehow managed to get to safety. Had they been rescued, only to be sucked in by a vortex anyway?

  This endeavor was dangerous. Almost impossible. Even if one escaped the razor-sharp rocks, there were still the vortices, each of which spread over a vast distance. It was said that as soon as a ship was in the grip of a maelstrom, there was no force in the world that could save it.

  Griffin hoped the map they had taken from the Coinbaron showed a safe path through these fields. And that Selene had a back-up plan that would guarantee their safety.

  His stomach was doing cartwheels. In his head one thought chased another. He didn’t want to be in this situation. He wished like never before that he was elsewhere, but at the same time he didn’t. His place was beside his friends. But why did they have to go through with this deadly quest?

  Griffin had wished for an adventure. Now he had it. In future, he ought to be more careful with his wishes.

  Slowly, with weak limbs, Griffin climbed back down. He approached Balthasar.

  “What’s the plan?” he asked.

  Balthasar laughed.

  “Our lil Selene thought o‘somethin‘ nifty.” He pointed toward the bow, where Selene was showing Ayalon the map they had taken from the Coinbaron. Griffin thought he could make out a route traced on it. At the same time, the Kla
bautermann was fixing straps to the dragon.

  “What’s that?” Griffin asked.

  Balthasar grinned. “They’re tyin’ Ayalon to the ship. If we get inna maelstrom, he can pull us out.”

  Griffin was impressed. That was an ingenious plan!

  “An’ Zero can help if he cannae do it alone.”

  Balthasar beamed at Griffin, full of optimism. Griffin nodded, feeling a little relieved. There was a plan. A plan that could actually work. But then there was still the problem of the invisible rocks just beneath the surface.

  As if Balthasar had heard his thoughts he added, “The water’s so clear here that ye can see all o’ the rocks from the crow’s nest, just in case they ain’t all on the map. Ye’re job today.”

  Griffin looked up in surprise.

  “Me? But wouldn’t Skip be a better choice?”

  Balthasar let out a roaring laugh.

  “Skip’s a dunce when it comes to seein‘ somethin‘ that ain’t alcohol. An’ I need ‘im somewhere else.”

  Griffin gulped.

  “How about Joe?” he suggested instead.

  Balthasar shook his head.

  “Climb up already, the rocks ain’t far away. Selene’s orders.”

  With those words, the librarian left Griffin standing there and went to Selene’s side.

  Griffin gnawed on his lower lip. How could Balthasar give him a task like that? He had just shoved the responsibility for all their lives onto him. The tiniest mistake and they’d sink!

  How could Selene seriously believe that he, Griffin, could be capable of giving directions that precise? But in the end, he could do nothing but his best. At least they would be following the map, so he was only important if the landscape had altered since it was drawn.

  He sighed but gave into his fate. Sullenly, he climbed back into the crow’s nest. The rocks came closer.