Captain Black Shadow

by Janina Franck

  Griffin felt sticky all over, with the taste of caramel in his mouth. He joined his friends, taking a closer look at the devastation.

  “Where are we?” he asked, still feeling a little numb.

  “Gyan,” Selene replied. Griffin couldn’t help but stare.

  “How did you–?”

  “Ference.”

  Of course. Griffin should have figured as much. Ference seemed to know about everything. And this was his home island; if anyone would know about a passage this extraordinary, it would be Robert Ference. The same Robert Ference who had been captured alongside the Bat and their friends. They had to find them, to rescue them. Griffin felt adrenaline shoot through his body. Had Joe and Ayalon found a captain and ship yet? Were they nearby? Someone had to find them before they set off back to that cursed island to collect them.

  As if Selene had read his thoughts, she ordered, “Griffin, go to the village, that way” – she pointed – “and ask around for Ayalon and Joe. Let them know we’re here and ready.”

  He nodded and raced down in the direction Selene had signaled, followed by Aestiva. He didn’t take any note of his surroundings.

  It didn’t take him long to locate the docks. He ran around them aimlessly, hoping to run into someone to ask. Eventually, a boy working on a fishing boat took pity on him. He remembered the nobleman with the dragon well and was able to direct Griffin toward the inn Joe was staying at.

  Griffin thanked him and was off again, running through the village. He crashed into Joe, who was coming out the door of the inn, and explained the situation, panting all the while.

  “Relay to our companions that we shall depart early tomorrow so it would be advisable to be present on the ship by tonight. We shall be traveling on the Robin IV.”

  With this information, Griffin returned to the others, and that night, they all found themselves on board the small vessel. It was a merchant’s ship, smaller than most, but bigger than ordinary fishing boats. Griffin had been appointed to the job of cabin and kitchen boy. He mostly had to scrub the deck and to take on odd jobs whenever he wasn’t helping Ryo with the food. The captain and his first mate were agreeable people, both with families on Gyan.

  Selene was acting as Joe’s daughter to make her presence believable. Under their pretense, Griffin had no business even looking at her, though he nevertheless could not help but stare when he saw her arrive on deck wearing a fine dress. Being used to seeing her in a shirt and leather trousers, something other than practical attire looked alien on her. She looked gorgeous, even though she shot Griffin a glare that froze his blood.

  Joe the Nobleman needed to travel to Port Quienlav for business reasons and was bringing his daughter with him on the trip to teach her a little about the world. Griffin imagined she hated every second of this, but he knew she would endure it for the sake of their friends. They had no other option.

  They sailed quickly. The wind was favorable and the sea calm. The captain said that if they were lucky, they would make it to Port Quienlav in less than a week.

  It was early in the morning, just before sunrise, and Griffin was busying himself scrubbing the deck.

  “You should hold on to these for the time being,” a voice said quietly behind him. Selene. Griffin kept scrubbing without showing any sign of having heard her. He merely changed his direction and scrubbed around her, allowing her to slip something into his pocket.

  Selene returned below deck, and a little later, Griffin joined Ryo in the galley to prepare breakfast. Only then did he dare to take a look at what Selene had given him. It was the compass and her pendant. But why?

  How could she entrust him with something this im-portant? They were the keys to leaving Jianlah. Once they had freed their friends, of course. He must not lose them. He put the pendant around his neck and left the compass in his pocket. Whatever happened, he didn’t want to leave the two treasures unattended anywhere.

  Griffin thought about their destination. Port Quienlav. The capital. The most important port in all of Jianlah. The headquarters of the Marine Corps were located there. Unlike Marcatia, it was always heavily guarded. Especially now that they had captured a large group of pirates. They had to assume others would come to free them.

  It was a place where executions took place and where people who enjoyed them came to watch. It was the one place Griffin had never wished to go, not even before his time under Captain Black Shadow.

  Two days later, they stopped at a port to stock up on provisions. It was busy. Lots of ships were exchanging cargo. Masses of people were rushing around, all with the air of having urgent business to attend to.

  The crew had been given the name of an inn where they would stay for the night since the captain of the Robin IV had to take care of some things in town. Griffin headed straight there, once he finished with his duties on the ship. He didn’t feel like looking around. Arriving at the inn, he found that his friends felt similarly. They were occupying various tables near the bar already. Empty glasses were already piling up in front of everyone, including Selene. Only Ayalon was missing. He was confined to the ship since, as a dragon, he was considered animal cargo by the Jian people, and therefore not allowed to roam free. Aestiva was stuck to Griffin as usual, but even she was in low spirits. Their friends were in imminent danger – there was no time to lose. But there was nothing they could do. If they were lucky, they should be able to proceed the next day.

  Ryo waved Griffin over, and one by one, everyone else joined too, even Joe and Selene. They needed each other. They were family. In this crew, Griffin had found brothers, cousins, uncles… And somehow, despite all his dislike for the old man, Griffin even considered Ference part of this family, he realized now. Ference was like the grumpy, old, knowledgeable grandfather Griffin had never had.

  They all threw back one drink after another. It didn’t become any more enjoyable. Eventually, Selene got to her feet, leaning on the table. Even though she had drunk as much as the rest of them, she didn’t sway or slur her words.

  “Listen up, guys. We can do it, you hear me? We’ll get them back. And then we’re hightailing it out of this forsaken place. We’ll find a world no one can follow us to, one that isn’t tainted as much as this one. And we’ll be back together. All of us. You got it?” She glared at them. “So stop moping around! What would Skip say if he could see you like this? Or Balthasar? Or Zero? Or the Klabautermann?” She paused. “So we’re going to play cards now, and we’re going to smile, for their sake, you got it? It’s far from over!”

  Then she sat down again, her arms crossed, almost pouting.

  As strange as it was, it worked. Ryo borrowed some cards from the bar and they began playing. Griffin noticed the bartender whispering with one of the barmaids, glancing in their direction several times with concerned expressions on their faces. They were being too loud. Or at least, that was what he thought until he noticed a poster on the wall. Ryo saw it, too.

  “Ey, Griff’n,” he babbled. “Dey’ve gota pict’rof you! Ain’ dat funny!”

  Then he giggled a little and took another drink. Griffin, on the other hand, felt himself sobering up rapidly.

  “Guys,” he whispered. “I think we should leave!”

  No one reacted. Griffin looked around, eyeing the other people in the bar cautiously. Then he edged nearer Selene.

  “Selene! We’ve got a problem, we have to go! Now!” he insisted. She looked at him with her big, green eyes. Oh, they were so big and pretty… Griffin lost himself in them and forgot he was talking. Only when she asked, “What is it?” could he tear himself away, and he remembered the issue at hand. He wasn’t as sober as he thought; the alcohol still had a hold on him.

  “They know my face! They’re going to add gold and reward together! We have to leave!”

  Selene’s face showed signs of concern. She, too, looked around.

  “We can’t all leave at once; that’ll make it worse. I’ll tell Joe and Maco to leave firs
t.”

  But they didn’t even make it to the door. Just before they reached it, it burst open and several Marine Corps soldiers entered, armed to the teeth.

  “Nobody move! The inn is surrounded!”

  Upon a gesture from the bartender, Griffin and his friends were encircled. Everyone dropped into a fighting stance. Ryo was about to leap onto the nearest soldier, but Selene put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Griffin understood. They were surrounded. There were probably more soldiers around than they could handle. If they fought, they were likely to be killed on the spot, losing all hope of rescuing their friends. But if they got captured, then they would have time until the trial to try to come up with another plan.

  The soldiers separated them all and clapped them into chains. Aestiva hissed at anyone who came too close to Griffin until he asked her to stop. They were marched out of the building and back to the harbor. There, they stopped, facing an imposing, beautiful ship. Its name gleamed in cursive bronze letters at the front: Gryphon.

  A man stood at the railing, looking down to them. As they approached, he came running down the gangway. Griffin barely recognized him. He had aged so much.

  “Take those chains off, that’s my son!” the man shouted to the nearest soldier, who hastened to follow the order. Griffin tried to say something, anything – they couldn’t just take his friends away and let him go – but Selene shook her head.

  His heart and mind in disarray, he watched as his friends, his companions, his family, were led into the belly of the ship while his father embraced him, crying tears of joy.

  The world had gone wrong somewhere.

  CHAPTER 19

  "Oh, Griffin, you must eat something, my dear! You have gotten so thin since… They must have done awful things to you. I’m so glad you’re back and alive and well now! It’s been such a long time. I can’t even imagine all the horrors you must have lived through, my strong, brave, sweet boy!”

  Marielle Symes hadn’t ceased fussing over her son since Joshua had led Griffin to the inn where they were staying. Griffin still hadn’t woken from his stupor. This could not be happening. It had to be a dream, a nightmare!

  He vaguely processed his father telling him how they had found out about his disappearance. How they had hoped to get a message to Captain Morris, asking to send him back, before anything went wrong. How devastated and frightened they had been when they had heard of the slaughter on the Crow. How they’d never lost hope and prayed that his heart had been pure enough to be spared by the fearsome Captain Black Shadow. How his father had built a ship in his son’s name and given it to the Marine Corps for the sole purpose of finding him. How they had heard Robert Ference – a scholar in the Marine’s service who had disappeared some twenty years ago – had been spotted in the captivity of pirates. How they had been followed and trapped. And now, how glad they both were that Griffin, as well as Mr. Ference, had been saved from their cruelty at last.

  Griffin couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. His parents had gotten it all wrong. They were so wrong! It was his fault his friends were in this mess now. It was his fault they might die.

  His parents interpreted his tears as returning memories of all the horrible things the pirates had done to him. They kept telling him he could tell them everything, just let it out and they would do their best to ensure that the pirates received the punishment they deserved.

  “No,” Griffin managed to croak. “They’re my friends! Don’t–”

  But he couldn’t finish. Marielle pressed him tightly against her, as if she never wanted to let him go again. Griffin was sure he felt his ribs cracking. Joshua shook his head, saddened. It was obvious, Griffin saw; his father thought he was delirious, not in his right mind. He thought that all the suffering his son had gone through had broken him, creating a tear in his mind that may not be treatable. He only saw one solution: kill those responsible.

  Aestiva understood. She hadn’t left Griffin’s side. She was only a cat, after all. Marielle had immediately taken a liking to the pretty little feline. Aestiva, on the other hand, hadn’t quite decided how she felt about her Griffin’s parents, so she kept her distance from them. Right now, she was sitting on Griffin’s lap, rubbing her head against his arm, sending him the feeling of comfort.

  Joshua was telling Marielle about the dragon that had been staying in the belly of the merchant’s ship the pirates had infiltrated, and how it was servant to Black Shadow himself! They had taken it onto the Gryphon, which would set out to Port Quienlav the next day.

  “I have to meet with the general before they depart, but I’ll be back soon,” Joshua assured them as he left the building.

  While he was gone, Marielle asked Griffin questions about his time away. He told her. He told her most of it. Not everything; there were certain things she didn’t need to know. But the rough story. He just couldn’t hold it in. And maybe, just maybe, she would understand. Or at least not stop him from doing what he knew he needed to do.

  “Dear, are you sure the tree was running?” She asked, concern clouding her features. “And your cat can speak in emotions? I’m sure everything was terribly exciting, but surely you must see that it all sounds somewhat fantastical?”

  Of course. What had he expected? Tiredly, he looked her in the eyes.

  “Didn’t you believe all those tales you used to tell me? Why can’t you believe me now?”

  Marielle faltered. Griffin could see her thinking and questioning herself. Yet before she could respond, the door opened, and his father entered.

  Griffin sighed and stood up. “Look. I’ve seen a lot of things over the last few months. I’ve experienced things I never thought I would. I’ve grown. And I want to go to Port Quienlav. I need to be there. You do understand that, don’t you?”

  His parents shared an uncertain look. Griffin could tell their thoughts by their expressions: Can he really take it? Would it be okay? Maybe he needs more time?

  Griffin didn’t want to lose his opportunity right away, so he added, “Don’t give me an answer just yet. Think over it for now. It’s just that… I’d like to be there.”

  Resignation had taken over. There wasn’t anything he could do. He was powerless. But if he could at least be there, in Port Quienlav, he might find an opportunity, a chance to do… something!

  His parents left him so they could discuss matters privately and to give him a chance to realize this was reality. That he was “saved,” Griffin thought bitterly.

  But maybe that was exactly what needed to happen. Perhaps he ought to play the saved victim. Perhaps he would have more influence if they thought him sane and wishing for revenge, rather than believing him to be crazy and ungrateful.

  At least he had Selene’s pendant and the compass. She had made a wise decision in giving them to him. Had she foreseen something like this happening? That he would end up the only one not in captivity, the only one who could be certain to keep it safe?

  Griffin could feel his head getting heavy. He couldn’t believe he was thinking of sleep, but it seemed that he needed it. The two of them, cat and boy, curled up together to sleep, as they had done since the day Selene had first entrusted Aestiva to Griffin.

  A soft touch on his shoulder woke him up.

  “Griffin. Griffin, dear.”

  His mother’s voice.

  Oh, how Griffin wished he could forever stay asleep. Never wake up to the pain of reality. But reality took its grip on him, and with soft words and gentle gestures, it gave him torment and suffering from which it seemed impossible to escape.

  Griffin sat up, careful not to disturb Aestiva.

  “What is it?” he mumbled.

  Marielle smiled at him.

  “A letter came from the capital. Admiral Philnys is inviting you to dinner, to honor you as a survivor of Black Shadow, and as someone who helped catch him and his crew!”

  Griffin couldn’t believe his ears. The world was twisted, wrong. All of this s
eemed like some horrible joke. Tiredly, he observed his mother’s face. Marielle Symes had aged, like his father. The lines on her face had deepened in her pain. There were strands of grey in her hair now. Her eyes were more watery and they appeared to have lost the wonder they had harbored before.

  “I’m sorry, Ma,” Griffin whispered, barely audible.

  Marielle smiled and kissed his forehead.

  “It’s alright, my dear,” she said. “Now I have you back, after all. But about Quienlav, do you really want to go?”

  Griffin nodded. He had to. As ridiculous as the notion seemed, going to a “victory celebration” was the only way to get closer to his friends. What else was there to do?

  His mother ushered him to get ready; a ship was already waiting for them.

  Just as passive as he had been since this reunion with his parents, Griffin followed them on board. He remained emotionless for the entire journey. He stayed in his cabin, locking himself inside. He ate little, slept little. He felt barely alive. His sole comfort was Aestiva’s presence. He hardly noticed when people were talking to him. He suspected it was being put down to the “terrible torture” he had endured for the past year.

  One day, his father came to inform him that they were arriving. He led him on deck to watch the spectacle and get a first impression of Port Quienlav. It was a fortress. Two years ago, Griffin might have found it impressive, and maybe even beautiful, with the way the golden light from the setting sun hit the walls, towers and roofs, but now… now he saw nothing but a prison. A place where people, his friends, were brought to die. A place of execution.

  As they entered the port, Griffin recognized the Gryphon near the center. How ironic that a ship named after him and built by his parents had ended his freedom and that of the people he cherished. And now he would be celebrated. Praised, for bringing evil people to justice. But what was evil? Yes, he knew they had done bad things. They had killed people who had never done anything to them. But in a war, didn’t the same thing always happen? His friends had declared war on this entire world. The system had done them wrong and in response they had fought. They weren’t bad or evil people. They had just rebelled against those in power in the only way that was available to them. They had done bad things to bad people. And just then… they had been so close to leaving this place and these people behind forever. They could have started new lives in another world or died in the attempt. Now, they would never have the chance. And all because of Griffin.