by Ryan Gilbert
“Thank you,” was her reply as she reluctantly broke away from her lover. Riggs watched as she silently made her way back to his cabin, pausing twice to wish Sapphire and Clint goodnight with a wave of her hand. As soon as the door swung shut behind her, the Captain let out a deep sigh.
It was not the time.
Even as he leaned against the rail and peered up at the red sails of the ship, Riggs could not feel any weight hanging over his eyelids. He did not seem to be tired.
His adrenaline was pumping.
His heart was racing.
Ororis was out there somewhere, and none of them knew where. With Hades at her side, she could attack from any angle, but he and his crew would put up their best fight. Oh, how Riggs regretted not killing the mermaid when he had first had the chance.
It was only a matter of time before the Red Sky encountered the Flying Dutchman.
The Captain let his hand fall to his side and brush against his sword… the sword which held the power to release the god of death from the mermaid’s seduction. If it was a battle they wanted, then a battle they would get.
He was ready for it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
*thump* *thump* *thump*
“Captain, wake up!”
The sudden noise roused Riggs from his slumber, sending him tumbling to the floor in a heap. He had no idea what time he had retired to his cabin, but he knew that it had been late. He remembered slumping over in the bed and immediately being lost in his dreams. Everything after that was just blissful rest.
“Captain!” shouted Clint.
“Oi, shut yer yap. I’m comin’,” said Riggs.
Stumbling to his feet, the Captain straightened his coat and grabbed his weapons, readying them as he shook the sleep out of his eyes.
“Wh-what’s happening?” asked a waking Julia.
“Ain’t the slightest. Best you’d be gettin’ up though,” Riggs replied.
“Just give me a moment.”
As Julia stretched out the kinks in her body, Riggs made his way to the door as even more frantic knocking ensued. With his senses gradually coming back to him, he soon realized that it could have actually been something important.
Swinging open the door, he was greeted by the panicked faces of Clint, Coral Jack, and Sapphire. In the fairy’s hand, she clutched what looked to be a fully carved wand. Whether it could actually do anything was anyone’s guess.
“Bollocks, Captain. What took ye so long?” asked Clint.
“I was just wakin’ up, mate. Now what is it that was so important for ye to wake me up?”
Clint and Jack pointed to the bow of the ship, leading their captain to the rail. The navigator handed him a spyglass so that he could see what awaited them.
Peering through the glass, Riggs could see storm clouds starting to form in front of the ship. Lightning was already crackling inside the clouds, snaking its way across the sky and reaching towards the Red Sky. A thick fog covered the sea underneath the storm, turning the atmosphere eerie in a matter of seconds. Searching for any possible ships, Riggs quickly scanned the area that he could actually see.
So far, there were no ships. No Navy vessel or pirate vessel would dare to sail through a fog that thick. Even if they did, that would just make them sitting ducks for the Red Sky to destroy.
Handing the spyglass back to Clint, Riggs said, “I didn’t see nothin’.”
Nervously gesturing with his hands, Clint said, “But Captain, none of us here feel… um… comfortable with that storm being this close. What if it becomes a hurricane?”
Riggs looked back at the lightning flashes and then back at Clint.
“A hurricane? That pathetic storm? Ye’ve got to be jokin’,” he laughed.
Stepping away from the rail, the Captain tried to put the ridiculous thought out of his head. While the storm was definitely eerie, there was no chance that it would become a problem.
As Riggs turned to head to the helm, he noticed Sapphire flicking her wand in the air. Thus far, it did not seem like the Gicmae wood was doing anything.
“Any luck, Saph?” he asked.
The fairy looked up at her captain with a dejected face.
“Nothing yet.”
“Just keep workin’ at it,” said Riggs, trying to reassure the fairy.
“What was all of the commotion about?” asked Julia, having just stepped out of the cabin.
Rolling his eyes, Riggs answered, “Clint and Jack were afraid of a little storm.”
He was expecting something like a slight chuckle to escape the girl, but what seemed to be written on her face portrayed anything but cheerfulness. The look that came over her gave the Captain a sense of dread.
“What is it?” he asked.
With a shaking hand, the girl pointed to something that was behind Riggs. He could not even imagine what awaited him once he turned around.
One careful step at a time, he turned around, first catching sight of the terror and horror on Clint and Coral Jack’s faces. He could see his navigator crossing himself in a feeble attempt to save his soul. Jack was fumbling to load his pistol. Behind him, he could hear Sapphire yelling furiously at her new wand, trying to get it to work. Once he had fully turned, he could feel a chill run down his spine.
Out of the fog sailed a ship, a ship with sails that glowed with green veins. Red and green shimmered as the bow cut through the waters, heading straight for the port side of the Red Sky. The weathered copper figurehead of an angel glared at the pirates with all of the supernatural fury of its captain.
The Flying Dutchman had found them at last.
“Hard to starboard!” Riggs shouted, “Ready the cannons and try to get as much wind in those sails as ye can.”
Immediately, the crew rushed to their posts. Some men had to wrench themselves away from the sight of the terrifying ship, frozen in their tracks if they caught sight of it. Their crewmates rushed past, urging them to hurry. Only then were they thankfully brought back to their senses.
Clint and Riggs rushed to the helm with the navigator reaching the wheel first. As he spun the wheel to starboard as fast as he could, Riggs helped speed up the pace.
BWOOM
A cannonball splashed into the water about a dozen yards away from the Sky. Thankfully, the Dutchman was not close enough to actually reach them, but the supernatural ship was still far too close for Riggs’ comfort.
BWOOM
Another attack seemed to reach even closer to the pirate vessel.
“We are still the fastest ship on the seas, right?” Riggs asked in a panic.
“If the Dutchman was a normal ship, I’d have an answer for you,” Clint shot back.
BWOOM
The cannonballs were getting even closer. Trying to avoid the onslaught, Clint spun the wheel to and fro. It just barely kept the Red Sky out of range.
Leaning over the rail overlooking the main deck, Riggs shouted, “Get some more wind in those sails.”
“We’re trying, Captain.”
“Try harder,” was the Captain’s response.
Lightning lit up the blood red sails as Riggs looked to the sky. It was then that he saw something rather strange.
It was the clouds.
They were rushing past the ship, crossing paths with the direction that the pirates were headed. The appearance of the Dutchman had actually frightened Riggs and his crew into sailing perpendicular to the wind.
To get away, they would have to turn the ship.
BWOOM
Another cannonball struck the water right behind the Red Sky. If they waited much longer, then Hades would surely catch them.
Peering back at the gaining ship, Riggs could tell that if he turned his ship, he would be opening himself up for an attack. An entire side of the Red Sky would be vulnerable.
It was then that a grin appeared on the Captain’s face.
He had a plan.
“Run out the cannons,” he yelled to Ripper as he grabbed the wheel from Clint.
BWOOM
The attack grazed the side of the stern, but it barely registered with Riggs. As soon as he heard a splash, he spun the wheel to port as fast as he could.
“What’re ye doing?” Clint shrieked in horror.
“I’m givin’ our old friend a surprise,” said Riggs, gritting his teeth.
The Captain glanced up at the sails, watching them fill with wind as he brought the ship parallel to the gusts of air. However, even then, he still did not stop turning the ship. From their position in the water, they had a brief couple of seconds where the Dutchman did not have a clear shot at them…
… but they had a clear shot at it.
“Fire!” Riggs shouted.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
The attack pounded against the Dutchman, catching all of its fearsome souls off guard. The wooden planks splintered in a strange display of shimmering colors. They would have mesmerized the pirates had the fear of death not been looming over their heads.
BWOOM
BWOOM
Two shots blasted against the Red Sky, tearing through some of the rail and ripping a hole in the port side of the ship. Luckily, that was all that managed to hit the ship as the Dutchman quickly sailed past.
Watching as the supernatural vessel spun to chase the pirate ship, Riggs changed direction, yanking the wheel back so that they were now aligned with the wind. With that added boost, he could feel the ship lurch forward as the wind filled the fabric of the sails.
Even as he turned back to watch the Flying Dutchman turn to chase his ship, Riggs could see that they had gained considerable space between the two ships. With the wind on their side, there was no chance that Hades and Ororis could catch them.
At least, he hoped there was no chance.
Thunder rumbled overhead, mixing with the sound of the Dutchman’s cannons trying to reach the Red Sky. None of the cannonballs even seemed like they were close now. Relaxing a tiny bit at the wheel, Riggs let the breeze hit his face as he let out a sigh of relief.
It was a bit premature.
A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, just barely missing the pirate captain. Another bolt pelted the deck, catching one crewmate in the back and sending him into uncontrollable convulsions. One barely missed Morgan and Jasper as they leapt behind a barrel to avoid it.
Crouched by the side of the wheel, Riggs still tried to direct the ship away from Hades and the Dutchman. He could hear the splashes of the cannonballs getting farther and farther away, but the lightning strikes were still pounding the deck in unpredictable patterns.
It was then that Riggs noticed something.
Directly in front of the ship, he could see a break in the clouds. The sun was starting to peek through, the yellow light shining down and reflecting on the ocean below it. If Hades was using his powers to control the storm, the only way to escape him was to escape the storm.
With the wind on their side, all they needed to do was avoid the lightning bolts as best as they could.
Again looking back at the Dutchman, Riggs could feel his confidence growing. He was leaving the god of death in his wake. A mere human was beating Hades. So far as he knew, no human had ever before escaped from a god.
“We’re losing them,” Julia shouted in elation from the rail.
With each second, the lightning strikes became less and less frequent. Riggs could not tell why, but he did not care, just so long as they stopped. After nearly half of a minute with no sign of lightning attacks, the crew let out a cheer, hurrying out from their hiding spots.
They were so close to the break in the clouds that Riggs could almost feel the sun on his face. Only a few more moments remained before the Red Sky completely outran the Flying Dutchman.
Turning back to face the shrinking image of the supernatural ship, Riggs gave a mocking salute, laughing as he said, “So long, ye freaks. Looks like you’ll have to wait to see us again.”
HuunghSHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAGH
Riggs and his friends froze where they were. They knew what that sound signaled, and it was not anything good.
“There’s no bloody way…” said Riggs, his eyes darting back and forth.
“No… no no no,” Julia muttered, latching onto Riggs’ arm.
Coral Jack and Clint ripped their swords out of their scabbards, readying for a fight. Ripper hurriedly shouted orders to the gunners. Valera prepared to let out her screech if she had the opportunity. Nearly everyone else on the ship had no idea what they had just heard.
On the main deck, Sapphire asked Clint, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing yer going to want to see, lass.”
“What do you mean? I can handle it,” said the fairy.
At that moment, something burst out of the water behind them. The head of a dragon reached to the heavens, a red spinal fin with brown spikes sticking out of the creature’s back. Black scales shimmered in the scarce light from the sun, drawing the crew’s attention from the dark green underbelly. Whipping its head to face the deck, the sea serpent opened its mouth wide, revealing its large, sharp teeth and red eyes.
“Still think you can handle it?” Clint stammered as Sapphire watched at a complete loss for words.
As the sea serpent glared down at him and his crew, Riggs could see quite a bit of discoloration on the creature’s head, like it had been burned. He could remember the moment that Poseidon’s trident had broken and exploded in a ball of destructive magic.
The look in the creature’s eyes proved it.
This was the same sea serpent.
“Bollocks.”
The Captain pulled out his sword, but he did not even have a chance to use it before the monster attacked. The serpent thrust its head forward, nearly devouring Riggs in one bite. Luckily for the pirate, he leapt out of the way just in time.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH
Without warning, Valera let out an ear-splitting screech, sending all of the pirates on the main deck to their knees.
The serpent did not take kindly to the attack either. It writhed in agony, its head bashing against the stern.
With his ears firmly covered, Coral Jack shouted, “Keep it up, Val. Ye’ve got to keep it at bay.”
The mermaid would have nodded if she had heard him.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-GUH
The serpent’s tail flew out of the water, hitting Valera straight in the back. The force of the attack was enough to knock her completely off her feet and into the air. Coral Jack and the rest of the crew could do nothing but watch as the mermaid tumbled over the side of the ship, splashing down into the water below.
“That ain’t good. That ain’t good at all,” muttered Riggs in panic, holding his sword at the ready.
The serpent glared down at the pirates, almost like a response to the Captain.
HuunghSHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAGH
K-FWUMP
The entire ship rocked as the predator bashed its belly against the hull. Several of the crew lost their footing and their balance, falling over on the deck.
They were easy prey.
Even as their fellow crewmembers held their weapons, ready to fight, those unfortunate souls felt the serpent’s teeth bite deep into their bodies, killing them in mere moments. There was nothing anyone could do but swing their swords and hope for the best.
Still at the helm, Riggs tried to think of something that he could do. He had fought the serpent before and won. Now, he had to find a new way to do it, especially with the ship bathed in adequate light for the serpent to see.
Hastily, Riggs pulled Julia over to the wheel.
“Whatever happens, keep the ship pointed straight ahead. We need to get away from the Dutchman, and I’m not lettin’ this serpent stop that.”
“What’re you going to do?” asked the girl, grasping the wheel with both hands.
Quickly, Riggs pointed down to the deck where Coral Jack and Sapphire were trying to avoid the thrashing
head of the monster. For a brief second, Julia saw three distinct scars underneath the serpent’s chin.
“That’s where it’s weak… its underside. When I cut into it with the trident, that monster was in terrible pain. My best bet is to try me hand with a sword.”
“Just please try not to get killed,” begged Julia.
“Aye… I promise ye that,” said Riggs, turning around and rushing down the stairs.
Almost as soon as he reached the main deck, he had to duck. The serpent sent a crewmember flying over his captain’s head, rendering him unconscious as he smashed against the rail. With his sword held in front of him, Riggs dropped to the ground, sliding over to where Coral Jack and Sapphire were hiding behind the mast.
“I thought we’d killed this thing already,” the boatswain muttered.
“I’d thought the same,” Riggs replied.
“Could someone just please tell me what that thing is?” asked Sapphire in a hurried voice.
“In a second,” said Riggs.
Turning his attention to the stairs to the lower decks, the Captain could see Ripper poking his head out from the top of the stairs. It looked like he was surveying the serpent, trying to pinpoint a weakness.
“Ripper,” Riggs shouted, catching the Jamaican’s attention, “Fire the cannons.”
“Aye, Captain,” said the master gunner, disappearing below deck.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
A whole barrage of cannonballs shot out of the cannons, with a couple of them striking the serpent with glancing blows. The monster let out a high-pitched scream and thrashed about in the water.
Turning back to Sapphire, Riggs said, “I’ve told ye about Poseidon’s trident and Marcus Garrett, right?”
The fairy nodded earnestly.
“Well, that monster is somethin’ we encountered way back then. It nearly killed us all. The trident was destroyed, and we had thought we’d killed that monster. Apparently not.”
SHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Lifting its head to the sky, the serpent let out a shrill roar, its red eyes glaring at the crew of the Red Sky. As suddenly as it had appeared, the predator plunged beneath the surface of the water, clearly angry at its prey.