Era of a Red Sky

by Ryan Gilbert

  As he roamed the deck, he soaked in the sight of his ship illuminated by the light of the stars. The white glow cascaded over the bundles of red sails as they hung idle on the mast. It gave the Red Sky an almost silver appearance. Riggs ran his hand across the wood of the mast, taking in the beauty of the ship.

  The only things more dear to him than the ship were his friends and Julia.

  Quietly, the Captain started to hum the tune to a familiar song that he knew. It had been quite a while since he had sung it, but he still remembered every single word.

  “Give me the sea;

  Give me the wind.

  Give me a ship

  To plunder the land.

  Steal and lie;

  Steal and lie;

  There are no rules,

  But you will not die.

  Raise the skull and crossbones;

  Bring fear into a man’s soul.

  Shoot and loot, steal his gold;

  Send him down to the depths below.”

  “Bloody hell, Captain. Ain’t heard that one in a while,” laughed the voice of Coral Jack.

  A grin appeared on Riggs’ face once he heard his crewmate. He had come out on deck to think, but he still found that speaking with his crew lifted his spirits every once in a while. Shutting his thoughts away for the moment, Riggs began searching for where Jack’s voice had come from. Fortunately, it did not take long. The Captain found the boatswain lounging behind a cannon, accompanied by Ripper and Sapphire.

  “Are all of ye havin’ trouble sleepin’ too?” asked Riggs.

  Coral Jack and Ripper nodded their heads.

  “I hate it,” said Sapphire, pouting.

  Riggs cracked his knuckles as he propped himself against the cannon.

  “Aye, I know the feelin’,” he said, taking out a flask.

  Watching his captain drink a swig of rum, Ripper asked, “Do ya mind spreading de wealth?”

  Without even a second thought, the Captain tossed the flask to his friend. He knew the amount of stress that was resting on his crewmates’ shoulders. Rum was one of the few things that could serve as a remedy.

  After Ripper finished his share of the rum, he handed it to Sapphire. The fairy took one sip and grimaced.

  “How can you all stand that?” she rasped, her throat starting to burn.

  Jack took two gulps of the alcohol and said, “After years o’ drinking it, it’d be hard not to stand it.”

  The three pirates laughed as the fairy sat fanning her mouth as she tried to rid herself of the bitter taste. It felt good to be able to laugh about something.

  “How be your eye, man?” Ripper asked Jack.

  Scratching at the side of his face, the boatswain said, “Hurts to touch it… and it itches like a bite from an insect.”

  “I’d imagine it’s quite strange fightin’ now, what with you only havin’ one eye an’ all.”

  Coral Jack shrugged.

  “Least she didn’t get me left. That’s the shooting eye.”

  Snickering, Riggs said, “True, mate. Can’t have ye losin’ that.”

  As he put the flask away, the Captain asked, “How’s Val takin’ it?”

  For a moment, Jack was silent, fiddling with his fingers. It seemed like he did not want to talk about it.

  “Just tell me to drop it, and I will,” said Riggs, sensing the reluctance in his friend’s actions.

  Coral Jack shook his head.

  “No, don’t drop it, Captain. It’s just… it’s been hard. I love her to death, but Valera’s been letting her nerves get the better of her. Sometimes I wonder if she even lets me out of her sight.”

  He tapped his finger against the eye patch, looking up at his captain.

  “This right ‘ere has made her realize that I can still die… and I was pretty damn close to it too.”

  “She’s just lookin’ out fer ye, mate.”

  “I know,” said Jack, leaning his head back, “I just wish she didn’t have to worry.”

  “Dat’s de life of a pirate. Dere ain’t no coming back from dat,” said Ripper.

  The deck fell silent once again as the somber mood overtook the small group. It felt like the proverbial calm before the storm. However, this storm was much more devastating than anything nature could create.

  “Can I try that rum again?” asked Sapphire, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Have at it,” said Riggs, handing her the flask after he fished it out of his belt.

  The pirates watched as the fairy mentally prepared herself for the sting of the alcohol. It was an entertaining sight to behold. She pursed her lips, ready to drink.

  Once the rum hit the back of her throat again, a violent reaction rocked Sapphire’s body. She spewed the liquid out of her mouth, vomiting onto the deck.

  “You doin’ alright, Saph?” asked Riggs.

  “I didn’t think de alcohol was dat bad,” said Ripper, holding onto the fairy’s heaving shoulders.

  “It’s… it’s not that,” Sapphire groaned.

  Clenching her fists, the fairy gritted her teeth and cried out like she was in pain. Something was not right. Riggs quickly knelt down next to Sapphire, seizing her hands as she shut her eyelids tight.

  When she reopened them, the three pirates saw a familiar sight.

  Green glowing eyes.

  Before any of Sapphire’s friends could react, the possessed fairy leapt to her feet, tossing Riggs over the cannon. Coral Jack and Ripper scooted to the side, wary of what Sapphire was going to do next.

  Her green eyes darted to and fro, watching each of the pirates. Slowly, Ripper reached for his pistol.

  “There’s no need fer that, Ripper,” Riggs ordered.

  The master gunner started to protest, “But she’s…”

  “This has happened before,” said the Captain, motioning to his crewmate to calm down.

  Turning his attention to Sapphire, Riggs asked, “What do you want this time, Alystor?”

  The voice of the mysterious magic-user Wynona Alystor echoed from the fairy’s mouth, saying, “How touching, Captain Riggs. You actually do remember me.”

  “Just tell us what ye want.”

  The fairy crossed her arms and tapped at her chin like she was thinking of something. The Captain could tell that Alystor was just toying with them, even just by her mannerisms.

  “Well, I never did see any gratitude for helping you and your lot find Henry Every.”

  “I ain’t got the time for that, ye wench,” said Riggs, starting to lose his patience.

  “*tsk* *tsk* Captain, you really need to learn some manners… but I’ll let it go this time. What I have for you is far more important than a petty squabble over words.”

  “Then tell me what it is,” Riggs begged.

  Clasping the fairy’s hands behind her back and striking a rather authoritative pose, Wynona said, “It is information, Captain… information that you may very well need.”

  Once the fairy stopped speaking, the Captain waited for her to tell him what that information was. However, she remained silent.

  “Are you actually going to say anything, or are we going to have to wait?” asked Coral Jack, grabbing onto the rail and pulling himself to his feet.

  Wynona rolled Sapphire’s glowing green eyes and laughed, “Oh, that’s right. How silly of me.”

  Instantly, her demeanor changed, and she glared at Riggs with a serious look on her face.

  “You all must come to me. Only then can I show you what you need to survive.”

  Extending Sapphire’s hand to the pirate captain, Alystor asked, “Do we have a deal?”

  Begrudgingly, Riggs took hold of Sapphire’s hand and shook it.

  “Aye.”

  A smile appeared on the fairy’s face, illuminated by the green glow.

  “Good.”

  Alystor thrust Sapphire’s free hand into the air, blasting a green light into the sky. It swirled around in the air for several moments before it formed a weaving line across t
he ocean. It seemed like Alystor wanted them to follow the path that she had created for them. Riggs hoped it was a trail straight to where the strange magic-user lived, but deep down, he had his doubts.

  “How can I be sure this ain’t a trap?” asked Riggs, letting go of Sapphire’s hand.

  Still smiling, Wynona said, “You can’t. You just have to trust that your ship is the only one that can see that trail in the sky.”

  With a curtsy, she said, “I’ll be seeing you soon, Captain Riggs.”

  Sapphire’s body started to shake uncontrollably as her eyes flashed green one last time. As her eyes stopped glowing green and changed back to their original blue color, Sapphire let out a deep breath, like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She looked around at Riggs, Coral Jack, and Ripper, unsure of what had just happened.

  “If that’s what rum does to you, I don’t think I can stand any more of it,” she said.

  “Trust me, that’s not what happened,” said Riggs, his eyes fixed on the green trail.

  “Do ye want us to wake the rest o’ the crew, Captain?” asked Coral Jack.

  Without a bit of hesitation, Riggs nodded.

  “If she’s tellin’ the truth about havin’ information, then we’d be best to find her as quick as possible. Get the men to ready the ship. We head out at once.”

  He could hear the faint sound of water dripping down into the cell. His back was pressed against the cold, hard rocks that made up the wall. It was a very poor place to fall asleep, but he still found that he could.

  Matthew Hamond rested in the corner of the cell, the proud rank of commodore stripped away from him. He had been imprisoned in the cell ever since he had decided to turn his back on Admiral Carter. Every single day, he questioned whether he had made the right choice.

  He genuinely hoped that he had.

  For weeks upon weeks, he had held onto the hope that Julia and the Red Sky were far away from the reaches of the English Navy. Every single night, he prayed that his daughter was safe. It was a faint hope, but hope nonetheless. There were nights that he could not sleep, kept awake by the fear that the next person that was going to be dragged down the prison hall was going to be his child. He could not bear to see that.

  Rhythmic footsteps clomped down the hall, signaling the approach of several soldiers. Hamond did nothing to acknowledge their presence. He remained in the corner of the cell, propped against the wall.

  “Matthew Hamond?” asked one soldier, standing directly in front of the door.

  “Bug off,” said the former commodore, not even making eye contact with the soldier.

  Clearing his throat, the soldier said, “I thought you would like to know that you have a visitor.”

  The man’s statement was enough to catch Hamond’s attention.

  “A visitor? Who is it?” asked Matthew, silently hoping for it to be Catherine.

  Unfortunately, when the key turned in the lock and the door opened, Hamond’s desire was crushed. Glaring down at him with an unemotional, calculating gaze was Admiral Edward Carter.

  “Good afternoon, Matthew. How have you adjusted to your accommodations?” Carter asked.

  “To be honest, I would be doing much better if I had an actual bed.”

  “And other than that?”

  Hamond could not tell if the Admiral was feigning interest for the sake of small talk or if he was genuinely inquiring about his former officer’s adjustment to being treated as a criminal. It was one of the many times that Carter’s mysterious demeanor frustrated Matthew.

  “What is it that you want, sir?” he asked, “I know that you are here for something.”

  For a split second, Hamond could see a small smile appear on the Admiral’s face. He had seen through his superior’s guise. He knew it.

  “Quite the astute observation,” said Carter.

  Turning toward his prisoner, the Admiral said, “I have an offer for you. If you accept, then you earn your freedom. If you decline…”

  Carter pointed to the door of the cell.

  “… then I will make sure you receive the same punishment as a pirate. You will hang from the gallows, Hamond. I guarantee that.”

  The former commodore’s hand instinctively reached toward his neck. During his time in the Navy, he had seen many hangings. There were times that the prisoner would die instantly of a broken neck, and then there were others that hung from their neck for several agonizing minutes before finally dying. It was a horrible way to die.

  Matthew sighed, asking, “What are the terms?”

  Standing over his former officer with his hands clasped behind his back, Carter said, “I want you to help me capture the Red Sky.”

  The request actually forced Hamond to laugh. It was a request that he had heard from Carter before, and it had only ended in the Red Sky escaping again and again.

  “Have you forgotten how we arrived where we are now? I kept you from reaching those very same pirates.”

  “You need not remind me.”

  “Then why would you give me that choice again?”

  “Because this time, I am not asking a commodore. I am asking a man who is desperate to keep his family safe. You would have no control over anything… except what your daughter sees when she and the rest of those pirates encounter you. I need them to see a broken man, a man abandoned by the English Navy and desperate to save his family. You have helped them before, but I need them to want to help you. From there, it would be easy. All that you would have to do would be to lead them back to me.”

  “And what would you do if you were to capture them?” asked Hamond.

  Carter stood in front of his former comrade and rested his hand on the bars. The look on his face was that of a person looking down at a beggar.

  “I suppose I could try to argue for a lighter sentence for you and your daughter. You will just have to see if the courts accept it.”

  “What of the rest of the crew?”

  “They will hang like all other pirates,” said the Admiral. Hamond could detect a slight hint of sick pleasure in Carter’s words, sending a shiver down his spine.

  Slowly, Matthew stood, his body aching from the harsh accommodations of the prison. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his back like he had so many times before as a Navy officer and stared the Admiral in the face.

  “I’m not sure if you know this, sir, but I used to serve aboard the Red Sky when it was still called the Doomsday Angel. I knew what that ship could do, and I knew how dangerous it was.”

  Carter looked intently at him as he continued.

  “Now… I am certain it can do much worse,” said Hamond with a grin, “The things that I have seen aboard that ship border on the impossible. If you want to capture the Red Sky, then you will have to do it alone. I will not be a part of your vendetta.”

  To Hamond’s surprise, Carter did nothing… at first. The Admiral merely started to pace the cell, walking away from his prisoner only to immediately walk back. The former commodore could see a psychotic look in his superior’s eyes, the look of a man willing to do anything to accomplish what he wanted.

  “Hamond, you and I differ in how we see that ship. For you, it is your dear daughter’s home… a place where criminals can live above the law and hide from their punishment. I see it as it is… a vessel of destruction. I am sure you have seen what that ship has done since it has become corrupted by the pirates. It has brought death to many law-abiding citizens… citizens that you had sworn to protect.”

  Carter locked eyes with Matthew, intimidating his former officer.

  “I will see to it that they all hang,” snarled Carter with particular emphasis on his last word.

  Pivoting on his feet, the Admiral walked to the entrance of the cell and exited it. As Matthew started to sit back down, he expected to hear the sound of the door closing. It did not. Instead, he heard Carter speaking in a hushed tone to the soldiers. After he had finished, he motioned toward the prisoner and two of the soldiers stepped into the
cell.

  “Sir, what is the meaning of…”

  Before Hamond could say anything more, one of the soldiers launched his fist into the former commodore’s stomach, knocking the wind out of the weakened man. The weeks that he had spent in the cell had sapped him of his strength, leaving him outmatched by the men who he had once called comrades. Blow after blow rained down on Matthew as he collapsed on the floor. A rough kick to his head knocked something loose, sending a tooth rattling around in his mouth. As the blows slowed, the tooth fell to the cold floor in a puddle of saliva and blood.

  With Matthew lying crumpled on the floor, he peered up at the figure of Admiral Carter. A sinister look appeared on the man’s face, a horrid sign for any of his captives…

  … especially for traitorous captives.

  “Matthew, I gave you every chance to join me, and yet, you still throw my offer in my face. It is clear to me that you have fallen to the allure of piracy, and there is nothing I can do to bring you back to your Navy brethren.”

  Turning to the soldier at his side, Carter said, “See to it that every ship leaving this port knows that the former commodore, Matthew Hamond, is being held in Yorktown.”

  “Wh-what are you doing?” asked Hamond.

  Admiral Carter peered down at the beaten man. He no longer saw him as even a possible ally. He just saw him as a pawn.

  “I am bringing criminals to justice… whether you wish to help or not.”

  His calm look never left his face.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Red Sky sailed for days, following the green trail left in the sky by Alystor. Both day and night, it stayed bright, leading the pirates on a path that they hoped would bring them to the mistress of magic. Thankfully for them, they did not happen across any Navy vessels, nor did they encounter the Flying Dutchman. Every ship that they saw did not present any serious threat.

  That is, until one day.

  The pirates thought they were going to be attacked.

  Alystor’s path had led them straight through a formation of islands, almost like she was trying to make it as difficult for them as possible. The crew certainly thought she was. As the pirates looked around at the precarious path, their meager trust started to dwindle. It certainly did not help that they could see the sharp rocks in the water that the ship was just barely avoiding.