Era of a Red Sky

by Ryan Gilbert

  Pointing to the woman, he continued, “This lovely mermaid is Ororis.”

  “Mermaid?” asked an incredulous Admiral.

  “You don’t believe in such creatures?” asked Hades.

  Carter shook his head.

  Turning to the woman, Hades ordered her, “Show the Admiral what you can do.”

  Ororis smirked, climbing onto the desk and sprawling out her legs. With a wave of her hand, her legs transformed into a black fin right in front of Carter’s eyes. For a man who was usually unfazed by much of what happened around him, Carter was genuinely surprised.

  “How did you even do that?” he asked.

  “Magic,” was her response, turning her fin back into legs and slowly sliding off the desk.

  Directing his question to Hades, Carter asked, “And who may I ask are the men behind you?”

  Without even turning back to acknowledge the group, the god of death said, “This is my crew… the crew of the Flying Dutchman.”

  “The Flying Dutchman? That is a ship that is only spoken about in myths,” laughed the Admiral.

  “A myth, ye say? Have ye not heard the stories that travel these waters?” asked Hades.

  “I have heard the stories. I just choose not to believe superstitious sailors, Captain Jones,” said Carter, a bit confused at how to address the god.

  Hades looked a bit perturbed, but he seemed to ignore it.

  “You would do well to listen, Admiral. Take a look out your window and you’ll see why.”

  At that, Carter was skeptical. If any threatening ship had even come close to Yorktown after the attack on the fort, then he would have heard the cannons of his own ships. As of that moment, he had heard nothing. He peered out the window, unsure of what to expect.

  Out on the water sat a large ship, glimmering red and green as rays of sunlight peeked out from between thick clouds. The sails had an otherworldly, green glow about them as the Flying Dutchman drifted in the water, surrounded by several Navy vessels. None of them had fired a single shot.

  Turning back to face Hades and his crew, an astonished Carter said, “How is that possible?”

  Ororis stepped forward, placing her hands on the desk in front of Carter. Her red eyes stared at him with a sensual gaze. He could feel something trying to penetrate his mind. Something about the mermaid seemed to be trying to force the Admiral’s eyes to follow every curve of her body. He could see everything that a man yearned to see. He could feel the lust building inside him, but he did not give in to it.

  “That is how it is possible,” said Ororis, “Do you feel a change coming over you now?”

  Carter shook his head. Whatever it was merely felt like an annoyance to him.

  “I felt nothing.”

  The mermaid smirked, not the reaction that the Navy officer was expecting. He had expected something more along the lines of disappointment. Instead, she seemed satisfied with what she saw.

  “You are a man with an iron will, Admiral Carter. I commend you for that. Most men would not be able to resist the urges I plant in their minds. You, however, just seem to brush them away like flies.”

  “I have been in the Navy all my life. Seduction and coercion mean nothing to me.”

  “Good,” said Ororis, “You will need that kind of will in this war.”

  Once he heard of war, Carter’s hand started to itch as he ever so slightly pressed his finger against the trigger of his weapon.

  “You do not seriously intend to start a war with the English Navy, do you?” asked the lieutenant, flabbergasted at the supposed declaration.

  Hades laughed, grabbing at his sides.

  “No, Admiral. I don’t want to fight you. We are both powerful men in our own ways. It would be foolish to fight.”

  Casting a glance at Hades, Carter asked, “For you or for me?”

  With a maniacal grin, the god replied, “I’ll leave that for you to decide.”

  The two men stared at each other, neither one giving an inch. Hades was right. Both were powerful men. Carter had the Navy behind him, and the god of death had the supernatural crew of the Dutchman at his back. If Hades had anything else up his sleeve, then the old, grizzled Navy officer would just have to keep an eye on him.

  Trying to bring the conversation back to the matters at hand, the Admiral asked, “This war… who is it that you would be battling?”

  Almost the instant that Carter stopped talking, Hades bashed his hand down on the desk and growled, “Captain Riggs and the Red Sky.”

  With a calm voice, the Admiral asked, “Well, it seems like we have a similar foe. What has Captain Riggs done to warrant your anger?”

  Hades brought a hand close to his deformed face. With the Admiral watching closely, flames started to crawl up the god’s hand, flickering at his fingertips as they lit up the side of his face. The officer could see the blackened musculature crisscrossing the side of Hades’ face. For once, Admiral Carter actually grimaced at the sight.

  “Riggs betrayed me, and this is my reminder o’ that. He would’ve taken advantage of my pain to seize power… even after I had trusted him.”

  Extinguishing the flames inside a clenched fist, Hades asked Carter, “What has he done to you?”

  “In case you had not noticed, just earlier today, Captain Riggs and his band of outlaws attacked this very fort and almost succeeded in freeing several rather important prisoners.”

  “Commodore Hamond and his wife?” asked Hades.

  “Indeed. How did you know?”

  “I rule the realm that you call Purgatory, Admiral. I know who lives and who dies.”

  Not about to ask how, Carter continued, “He also took my son away from me.”

  “Elijah?”

  “Yes… Elijah.”

  Right then, Hades decided to make his move.

  “I know that you’re a man of duty, Admiral. I know that you’ve been through a great deal, so I know you can stand the tests of war. I need a powerful ally to bring an end to the Red Sky once and for all.”

  Extending his hand to Admiral Carter, Hades asked, “Will ye join?”

  At that, Carter crossed his arms, looking down at the waiting hand of the god.

  “You are setting your goals far too low for a man of your power, Jones. I will join you but only on one condition. You will not just help me destroy the Red Sky… you will help me destroy all pirates.”

  When he finished his proposal, Carter waited for Hades to withdraw his hand, seeing if he had any objections. The god’s hand remained where it was, unwavering in the Admiral’s sight.

  “You have a deal, Admiral,” said Hades, “Now, shake.”

  Carter obliged, setting his pistol on the desk. He firmly grasped the god’s hand and shook. Hades pulled the Admiral a bit closer so that they were merely inches apart.

  “I will help you destroy the pirates, but I want the Red Sky for myself. I have sworn to make Riggs pay for what he did, and I will make good on that promise.”

  Nodding, Carter said, “Understood. The Red Sky is yours. My armada will take care of the rest.”

  If the Admiral had been paying attention, he would have noticed a devious smile spreading across Ororis’s lips. All of the pieces of her plan were coming together.

  The pirates had no chance.

  Many miles away from the fort, the Red Sky sailed across the sea as the sun set in the heavens. To the pirate crew, it seemed like the air felt heavy as the losses of earlier weighed upon their shoulders. Eli’s friends dealt with his death the hardest. Coral Jack and Ripper drank heavily, nearly passing out on deck and leaving Valera to deal with their antics. Clint never left his post at the wheel, trying to keep his wits about him as he kept the ship pointed out to the open sea. With everyone remaining relatively quiet, Sapphire flew up to the crow’s nest, clutched her knees to her chest, and kept carving away at the Gicmae wood. She could just barely distract herself.

  For Riggs and Julia, they were hit especially hard. They had to deal with th
ree deaths, all people who meant a lot to them. The Captain stood on the deck, trying to cope as he looked out over the sea. Julia had not left his quarters since he had brought her there. As the sun fell in the sky, Riggs could not help but feel that his hopes had fallen as well.

  Everything seemed to have gone wrong. He should have known better. He should have been more careful. Carter was not one to be underestimated, especially on his own terms. Riggs had led his friends into a trap, and now, Eli and the Hamonds had paid the ultimate price for it. They could not help him any more. He had lost a good friend and carpenter, and Julia had lost her family.

  That was a pain that he could not even imagine.

  Darkness covered the sea, save for the light of the moon and stars. The beautiful colors of the sunset were lost on the pirates. The dread that they felt drowned out any joy that they may have had.

  With the moonlight glistening off the waves, Riggs made his way to the bow of the ship. It was the one place where he actually felt calm. Hoisting himself onto the rail, he climbed out on the bowsprit, letting his legs dangle above the water as he rested against the rigging.

  He could feel the gentle breeze of the ocean blowing across his face, nearly calming him. The mist of the crashing waves sprayed his feet and legs, spattering against his trousers and his boots. Of the many times that Riggs had needed the sea to ease his mind, now was the most important. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as the ship sailed forward and the wind blew across his face.

  It was refreshing.

  As Riggs sat on the bowsprit, the song that had been stuck in his mind for years started to play its melodious tune. For once, the Captain did not want to sing. Something did not feel right about it. Regardless, the words kept prodding the pirate, urging him to let them loose. After a sigh escaped his mouth, Riggs obliged.

  “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,

  And you may 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.

  In the sails of Hades,

  Death has come for us all.

  A creature of evil,

  Ready to maim and maul.

  It is a sight never to behold.

  Away from the hangman’s noose we flew.

  We are stuck with no plan and no hope;

  Whatever shall we do?”

  He could hear his crew making their way down to where they usually slept. Clint was still at the helm, he assumed. Everyone else would need to rest if they were going to be alert at sunrise.

  “Is this where pirate captains go to rest?” asked a voice from behind him.

  Slowly opening his eyes, Riggs turned his head to see Julia standing at the rail. A nightgown covered her body, blowing wistfully in the wind. He could see that her hair had returned to its brown color, the black color washing out from their hasty swim to the ship after their plunge from the cliff. From what he could guess, she must have also been barefoot. Otherwise, he would have heard her.

  “No, love. This is where I come to clear me mind,” he replied.

  Using the ropes, he hauled himself to his feet, deftly climbing down off the bowsprit. He walked over to Julia, leaning against the rail beside her.

  “How’re you holdin’ up?” he asked.

  Letting out a deep breath, Julia said, “Not well… not well at all.”

  Riggs reached over, gently holding the girl’s hand in his own. He could see the pain in her eyes as she still struggled to hold back tears as she thought of her parents.

  “I’m sorry, Julia.”

  She sniffled, saying, “You don’t need to apologize. You did everything you could.”

  “I still have the feelin’ that I could’ve done better. I should’ve known Carter had somethin’ up his sleeve.”

  “There was no way for you to know that,” Julia protested.

  “I could’ve had more of the crew tag along. I could’ve broken out o’ the cell and killed the guards. I could’ve…”

  “Riggs…” Julia interrupted.

  The Captain ceased his muttering, turning to face the girl.

  “There was nothing you could’ve done,” she continued, “Looking back on it is not going to change anything.”

  With a half-hearted grin on his face, Riggs said, “Are you tryin’ to fool me… or yourself?”

  Julia fell silent, her eyes peering down at the water lapping at the front of the ship. Immediately, Riggs felt horrible.

  “I didn’t mean it to sound that way,” he said, hanging his head in shame.

  The girl remained silent for a moment, nodding her head in understanding.

  After a brief pause, she said, “I know… but you’re right.”

  Squeezing Riggs’ hand, Julia continued, “Every single second of the past couple hours has been chaos inside my head. I feel like I’ve gone over every single possible way that attack could have happened, and I still don’t feel one bit better.”

  “So the only way that ye could make yourself forget that was by tellin’ yourself that lookin’ back on it ain’t goin’ to change anythin’?” asked Riggs.

  The girl nodded in response, heaving her shoulders as she did so.

  “I know that feelin’ well.”

  Gazing out over the sea, Riggs brought Julia’s hand to his lips and planted a kiss on it. She could feel his unshaven scruff tickling the back of her hand.

  “Do you remember the year when you were stranded on Isla de Dolor?” Riggs asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes. I’ve tried to forget it, but it always seems to keep coming back.”

  Turning to face the girl, he said, “When I’d lost you, the pain I felt was damn near indescribable. It drove me to places that I never should o’ gone.”

  Julia placed a delicate hand on her lover’s cheek, saying, “But you’re here now… and that’s all that matters.”

  “Aye,” said the pirate, “but I ain’t never forgotten that feelin’.”

  As Julia stroked his cheek, Riggs brought one hand to her waist and rested his other hand on his sword. The moonlight hit the girl’s face at just the right angle, making her look even more like an angel. That tiny moment helped lift Riggs’ spirits at a time when he needed it most.

  “When I’d lost you, I was angry. I was angry at meself for not bein’ able to save you. As the days dragged on, I used that rage to fight. Every time I drew my sword, I could see meself on the deck of the Prize, havin’ to watch as you died right in front of me.”

  Riggs pulled Julia close to him as he stared deep into her eyes. Calmly, she draped her arms over her lover’s shoulders, returning his loving stare. They were both lost in their own world.

  Taking hold of one of Julia’s hands, Riggs brought it to his chest. She could feel his heart thumping inside his body.

  It beat only for her, and she knew it.

  “Julia, there are three things in this world I care about. A couple years ago, I would’ve said two… first, the ship and second, my friends. They’ve all been by my side for the best years of my life. The Red Sky used to be what I thought of when I heard of beauty.”

  With a grin on his face, Riggs continued, “Now, that’s all changed. When I think of beauty… and I mean true beauty, you’re all I see. Your heart is the only treasure I need, and I can’t bear not havin’ you here by my side.”

  Before the Captain could say anything further, Julia stood up on her toes and gave Riggs a nice, long kiss. It caught him by surprise, but as he felt her lips press against his, he slowly brought his hands to her back, holding her tight against his body. They would each be there for each other.

  Through the good.

  Through the bad.

  In the joyous times.

 
In the tough times.

  No matter what came their way, they would face it together.

  “I love you so much,” Riggs whispered in Julia’s ear.

  “I love you too,” she said, bringing both of her hands to her love’s face.

  As the most important person in his life stood in front of him, holding his head in her hands, Riggs felt like he was at a loss for words. He wanted to say something, but he was not sure if he could even speak. A knot had caught in his throat, but it was not from grief.

  It was nerves.

  Still holding Julia close, Riggs tried to force something… any word or statement out of his mouth. It was difficult, but he finally managed a few words.

  “Julia, I…”

  He had never felt this way before. What was stopping him?

  In confusion, the girl asked, “Yes, my love?”

  The pirate captain could only stammer.

  “I… I… um… would you…”

  All of a sudden, a bright light flashed across the sky. The two immediately cast their attention towards the shooting star, watching as the light slowly burnt out. It had been a while since either of them had seen an anomaly like that.

  “When I was young, my father used to tell me to make a wish when I saw a shooting star. Right now, I just hope to God that it comes true,” said Julia, watching as the light disappeared as it reached the horizon.

  With a slight grin on his face, Riggs mumbled under his breath, “I have a feelin’ that mine will.”

  Just as quickly as it had appeared, the shooting star was gone. Its absence left the two holding each other, unsure of how to continue.

  Casually wrapping her arms around Riggs’ neck, Julia asked, “Now, Riggs, what were you about to ask me?”

  Shrugging, he replied, “Oh, it’s nothin’.”

  Julia shot him a skeptical look, not sure if she believed him.

  “Are you sure, Captain Riggs?” she asked, teasing him a bit.

  “Aye, lass. I’m… I’m sure.”

  “If you say so…” she said, giving him a quick kiss, “Just promise me you won’t stay up much longer. I have a feeling that it’ll be very difficult for me to sleep… especially after today.”

  “Can’t promise much, sweets. I’ll be along in a bit,” he said, pulling her close to give her a kiss goodnight.