by Ryan Gilbert
The entire crowd of pirates stomped forward, their weapons at the ready. There was no way that the Captain and his crew could fight them all, not even with the help of the skeletons. With an annoyed sigh, Riggs planted his feet in the ground, preparing for the first blow.
SHAKOW
A blue beam of light blasted down from the sky, hitting the beach directly between the advancing pirates and the crews of the Sky and the Justice. Both groups stopped everything that they were doing, hastily backing away from the light.
Feet away from Riggs, Sapphire landed on the beach, her wand still glowing with blue light. She stumbled a little on the uneven surface, but she eventually slowed her momentum.
“Thanks for that, Saph,” said Riggs.
“Not a problem, Captain,” she said, seemingly proud of herself.
“What’s the meaning o’ this?” the crowd of angry pirates shouted, “Are ye really gonna let yerself be saved by a lil’ girl?”
Without hesitation, Riggs replied, “Aye.”
“All of you, be quiet!” shrieked the fairy.
Much to her surprise, all of the pirates fell silent. Even her own crewmates became quiet.
Turning to the angry crowd, Sapphire said, “Now listen to me very carefully. Whether you like it or not, my captain has more experience dealing with magic than any of you cowardly sacks of beetle dung. The man has a mermaid and a fairy as a part of his crew. How in the bloody hell can you argue with that?”
Sapphire spun around, walking down to the water’s edge. Mimicking her captain, she pointed to the Red Sky and the Blind Justice.
Speaking to the men, she asked, “Would you follow Sir Henry Morgan on a raid? Would you fight by John Cooke’s side if he asked? Wouldn’t you yearn to sail alongside Sir Francis Drake as he goes to battle?”
Some of the younger pirates looked around to their fellow outlaws with confused looks on their faces. They almost did not seem to know who the fairy was talking about.
However, while the younger men seemed clueless, the eyes of the older pirates gleamed with excitement. After some deliberation, they answered, “Aye.”
“Who’s she talking ‘bout?” asked one of the pirates.
A bearded, old codger replied, “She’s talking about some o’ the most notorious pirates to ever sail these seas… so ye’d better damn well listen.”
“Every single one of you wants to sail the seas as free men, don’t you?” asked the fairy, “All of you know the best course of action, but your pride won’t let you follow it. My captain may be a bit… unconventional… but he wants the same thing that you all want. He wants seas where pirates can sail free. Are you actually going to say that you would not give anything for that?”
Before the crowd of pirates could respond, Sapphire reached to her belt and pulled something out of a pouch.
“If any of you are having any doubts, then remember the names of those pirates that I mentioned. Keep them in your thoughts… because I have one thing that is more notorious than all of them.”
Sapphire tossed something into the water, something far too small for anyone to see. As Riggs watched what the fairy was doing, he thought he had a vague idea of what she was doing.
She let loose a beam of blue magic, colliding with the ocean. With a smile on her face, she turned to face the pirates. The amount of power on display was nearly terrifying for them, but it was surely inspiring.
As the blue magic started to fade, Sapphire lowered her wand to her side, still watching the crowd of men. A creaking sound started to echo over the sea, and the waters started to lap against something unseen. When Riggs saw a circle of light starting to shine out of the water, he knew exactly what his fairy friend was doing.
In a whirlwind of sparkles and fireworks, a ship grew out of the water, much to the utter surprise of nearly everyone on shore. Masts appeared out of thin air, ready to feel the air pushing against them once more. Colors started to seep across the ship in strips.
Dark green.
Bright red.
Muted blue.
Subtle cream.
The bottom half of the ship turned to a beautifully stained brown.
The forty-six cannons of the infamous ship poked through the opening portholes as Sapphire bowed to the pirates in a delightful display of showmanship. Every jaw had dropped. Even Riggs’ own crew was awestruck.
“Welcome back to the seas the Adventure Prize, the very vessel used by the pri…”
For a moment, Sapphire stopped herself.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “…the pirate, Captain William Kidd.”
None of the pirates could even say a word. A scant amount of them had ever seen Kidd’s ship in person, but nearly all of them had heard the tales told about the captain. Even the slightest mention of his treasure would be enough to have them drooling for a fortnight.
“Both me and the Prize will follow Captain Riggs into battle against our enemies. I know that is what Captain Kidd would have wanted. All I ask of you now is that you do the same.”
All around him, Riggs could see Sapphire’s words taking an effect. Slowly, the pirates were lowering their weapons and nodding their heads in agreement. With the notoriety of the Adventure Prize on their side, the crew of the Red Sky could finally convince these men to join them.
Moments later, a haggard pirate strode forward, heading straight towards Riggs. He was a burly man, nearly the size of Ripper and just as intimidating.
Standing tall, Riggs asked, “Will ye fight?”
The man took a second, glaring back at his fellow pirates before he said, without an ounce of doubt in his words, “Aye.”
“Fantastic,” said Riggs with a grin on his face.
Turning his attention to the whole crowd of pirates, the Captain shouted, “Pack up everythin’ on the beach and get aboard your ships. We have a war to fight.”
At that, a roar of approval echoed across the beach. The pirates hurried every which way, trying to pack up as much food and ammunition as they could.
At last, Riggs could say that they had a chance.
“Signal the Red Sky to send a longboat. We need to get aboard right now,” Riggs ordered his crewmates.
“On it, Captain,” said Coral Jack, rushing to grab a burning stick from a fire before it was doused with water.
“Captain!”
Riggs turned around to see Nathan Ward and his crewmates heading straight toward them through the dispersing crowd.
“What is it, Ward?”
Finally reaching the Captain, Nathan said, “Well, I was actually wondering if… if we could join your crew.”
Riggs could barely contain his surprise.
“My crew?”
“Aye,” said Ward, all of his crewmates nodding.
“If I recall, mate, our first interaction was a drunken brawl.”
“That it was, but I’m still asking,” said the rather persistent pirate, “Our captain committed suicide several weeks ago and we’ve been without a true leader ever since. At this moment, even though we’ve had our differences, I can’t see anyone better than you.”
Extending his hand to Riggs, Ward asked, “What do ye say, Captain?”
The young pirate let out a slight chuckle, grasping his new crewmate’s hand.
“Welcome to the crew of the Red Sky, Mr. Ward. Right now, I’d like about a quarter of your group to come aboard the Sky with me. You and the rest of ‘em can accompany Sapphire aboard the Prize.”
“Aye, Captain,” they all replied.
As the whole crew of the Red Sky waited for their respective longboats to reach the beach, Riggs felt Julia slide her hand into his. It was a reassuring feeling, like she had always believed in him.
Even without her saying it, he knew it was true.
He knew what he had to do.
Under his breath, he started to mutter the words to his song, a song that he had not sung in a long time.
“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;
It is to war that we must go.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Within several hours, a whole fleet of pirate ships was ready to sail. Each crew’s skull and crossbones flew high in the air as they let down their sails and hoisted the anchors from the depths. Every ship was stocked up on as much ammunition as they could find.
They were ready to fight.
At the head of the fleet sailed three ships. Sapphire maintained control over the Adventure Prize, now manned by most of Ward’s crew. Maggie Stephenson and her skeleton crew let the masts of the Blind Justice fill with the wind as they barely kept up with the other two leading ships. The Red Sky sailed at the front, with Clint at the helm as Riggs kept a steady eye on the horizon.
If the Flying Dutchman or any Navy ship appeared on the sea, he wanted to have plenty of time to prepare for attack.
“This brings back memories, now doesn’t it?”
Riggs lowered the spyglass that had been raised to his eye, seeing Julia standing right by his side.
“Memories in what way, sweetness?” he asked.
The girl leaned back against the rail as Riggs handed the spyglass to one of his crewmates. Even as they sailed toward what could be their final battle, Julia still looked just as beautiful as ever to Riggs.
“You can’t have seriously forgotten the last time we fought the Black Fog,” said Julia, “I remember how doubtful you were about it.”
“Aye, and with good reason. I was nothin’ like I am now.”
“In some ways, yes. In others, no,” she replied.
Reaching out and taking her lover’s hand, she continued, “Robert, you are one of the bravest men that I know, and I do not say that lightly. I have watched you grow from a mostly insane deck hand into a formidable pirate captain with a loyal crew.”
“Mostly loyal,” he said, correcting her.
“Everyone on this ship right now would fight to the death for you. I would call that loyal,” she said, “Either way, this whole situation brought me back to that moment, when we were racing to face Ororis and the Fog. The whole crew just seemed like it had given up.”
Peering up into Riggs’ eyes, Julia said, “Have a look around and see how your crew is acting now.”
The Captain did as Julia told him, looking around at all of his crew. From the faces that he could see, there was not a single one that looked downtrodden. All of the men looked eager. Coral Jack, Valera, and Ripper passed around a flask as they worked on some minor repairs for the ship. At the helm, Clint kept his hands steady on the wheel, cautiously consulting the maps that were laid at his side. Jasper and Morgan were helping to move cannons into place, surprisingly without long faces. Even Nathan seemed like he was looking forward to tangling with the Navy and the supernatural.
Once he had seen enough, Riggs turned his attention back to Julia, saying, “We’re all doin’ what we need to survive.”
“Well, here is a reason to survive.”
Julia pulled Riggs into a kiss, catching the pirate completely off-guard. As her lips locked with his, he could feel the gentle smoothness of her skin, the supple moistness of her mouth. A sudden tingling ran up his spine as his love kissed him passionately. The breeze of the sea blew through their hair, cooling their bodies with the exception of the warmth of their lips.
Very slowly, the girl pulled away, staring up into the pirate’s awestruck eyes. Riggs could feel his heart racing, but it was not just because of the kiss.
It was because of something much more important.
“You’ve always been my reason to survive,” said Riggs, taking Julia by the hands, “but there is just one thing I have to do first.”
Neither Riggs nor Julia noticed it, but everyone around them had started to slow their work, watching what was going on between the two lovers. Even Clint was watching from the helm.
Letting go of one of Julia’s hands, Riggs slid his own hand into one of the pockets of his coat, fumbling around for something. The girl had no idea what to even expect.
“I didn’t want to say this before, but when I was imprisoned with your mother and father, I had the opportunity to speak with the good Commodore about somethin’.”
With the widest grin on his face, Riggs said, “I think ye’ll be glad to know that I got his blessin’ to be able to do this.”
Taking one step back, he let go of Julia’s hand and took a tiny object out of his pocket. In an almost fluid motion, he sank to one knee, holding the object out for her to see. The instant that she saw it, her hands immediately went to her face as tears of happiness started to seep down her cheeks.
In Riggs’ hand was an ornate, silver ring. A purple amethyst gemstone sat suspended on the outside of the ring, shimmering in even the tiniest amount of light.
It was beautiful.
Unable to stop smiling, Riggs asked, “Julia Hamond, will you marry me?”
Taking a deep breath, Julia nodded her head, struggling to find the right words to say.
“Yes… yes, of course I will,” she cried.
Even as Julia let Riggs take her hand, he could feel her shaking with excitement. As carefully as he could, he slid the ring over her finger.
It fit just right.
Julia wiped her eyes, trying to stop herself from crying. She could hardly bear to look away from the ring, almost like she was afraid that it would disappear like a dream in the night. When she did manage to tear her gaze from the gemstone, it was only to stare directly into the eyes of the love of her life.
With a sheepish smile on his face, Riggs said, “Aw, now looky here. I can’t have ye cryin’ on…”
Without even waiting for him to stop talking, Julia leapt forward and kissed Riggs. She wrapped her arms tight around him as he did the same, bringing one hand to her cheek to cradle her head. He could still feel the wetness of her tears on her cheeks, but she was no longer crying. She was overjoyed.
All around them, the crew started clapping and cheering. Excitedly, their friends led the crew in a loud congratulations for the two lovers. Several years ago, neither Riggs nor Julia could have ever imagined that they would be standing on the deck of the Red Sky, celebrating such a joyous occasion.
“I love you, Robert,” said Julia, gently stroking Riggs’ cheek.
“And I love you, Julia,” he said, taking her hand in his.
As the two turned to face the still-cheering crew, Riggs held up a hand to try to get everybody to quiet down, but this was one time when he could not control what his crewmates did. They had all seen their captain and the commodore’s daughter go through some of the most difficult parts of life. This was their way of letting their leader and friend know that they cared.
When the ruckus cheering and congratulatory whistling had died down, Riggs jokingly said, “Alright, you’re all invited to the weddin’ party.”
That just made the crew laugh and cheer even more.
As the voices gradually started to quiet, Riggs motioned to Clint to come down from the helm. He needed him for something.
“What is it ye need, Captain?” asked the navigator.
“Well, mate, there’s one person I’m not seein’ on this ship,” said the pirate, sweeping his hand out over his crew.
“And… who might that be?”
“That’d be a cleric,” replied Riggs as he clapped his hand on Clint’s shoulder, “However, I believe there’s one rule aboard a ship that I’d like to exploit right now.”
As he led Julia to where Clint stood, Riggs said to his navigator, “Clint, you’ve been my friend for longer than anybody on this ship. You’re like a father to me. Would ye do me the honor of marryin’ us?”
<
br /> Clint Wayko looked flabbergasted.
“But Riggs, only the captain o’ the ship can do that.”
“Aye… Captain Wayko,” said Riggs with a grin, “Just make sure to give me my bloody ship back.”
Clint let out a chuckle, saying, “If ye insist, Riggs. Now forget about your ship for a minute and face your bride.”
With the whole crew watching, Riggs turned to face Julia. She seemed giddy with excitement as he stared down at her. Even as dozens of eyes bore down on the two lovers, they were both lost in each other’s eyes.
Clearing his throat, Clint said, “To all o’ you here, we be gathered today to witness something wonderful. We’re here to witness the end of a journey, a journey that started the instant these two young ‘uns met. Some o’ ye were there to witness it. Most o’ ye were not. To say they started on rocky terms would be… well, generous.”
In the cluster of crewmates, Coral Jack snickered, only to be silenced by a quick elbow to the gut from Ripper.
“Since then, I’ve seen ‘em grow together unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Riggs and Julia live for each other. They have something that not many pirates get to experience.”
Looking down at the bride and groom standing in front of him, Clint said, “They have love. And it’s not just any love like what ye’d find in the back rooms of Rebelde. This is true love.”
Riggs could see a glistening in Julia’s eyes that captivated him like nothing ever had. He could not stop smiling. It almost felt like every weight on his shoulders had been lifted. They were both feeling pure happiness.
Placing his hands on Riggs’ and Julia’s shoulders, Clint leaned down and muttered, “Not gonna lie… I don’t know exactly what to do, but I’ve got the gist of it.”
“Do what you need to do,” said Julia, dreamily staring into Riggs’ eyes.
“Ah… of course,” said Clint.
Turning his focus to the groom, he asked, “Robert Briggs, do ye take this woman to be yer wife?”
“I do,” Riggs replied, not once breaking eye contact with Julia.
“To keep and protect?”
“I do.”
“To serve and to watch over?”
“I do.”