Black White and Shades of Greyy

by ElissaBeth Frear

  “I WILL SEE YOU DESTROYED, HORATIO WASHBURN! MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THAT.” she yelled down just before muttering more.

  The incantation she muttered could not be heard, but the effects were devastating. Only a few of the words could be heard above the wicked waves. The next moment her hands came together in a rolling fulguration of electric energy. The blue flame that roared down the cliff face engulfed both ships in a blinding light searing the sails and tossing the ships about like little toys.

  A great explosion erupted across the deck of the “Avenger” splintering beams, rails and mast pieces everywhere. “Vharcan”, who was slightly behind took less damage but no less devastating to the ears of the crew. Breathing heavily and more disheveled than before she watched across the bow as the Navy Captain and Lieutenant scrambled to keep afloat. Greyylene took the opportunity to maneuver them out of the Navy grasp; gazing back one last time with a defiant look in her eye the Pirate captain gave a saucy wink and a mocking salute to the Navy commander as they disappeared into the horizon.

  Chapter 102

  Standing in a corner out of the way and in the shadows Sir Gilead watched the altercation with a deep sense of dread. He knew this meeting was only the beginning of a long run between the young Navy Officer and his new found nemesis Captain Greyylene. The two would be intertwined in fate as they would soon need to battle a common enemy. How their stories would unfold was a matter for Time to decide, and he hoped he would remain firmly cast in the middle to keep close eye on all that transpired.

  Repairs were definitely needed and a new plan was required for Greyylene to return in order to retrieve her stowed booty. Neither crew looked twice on the other but merely made note that there would come another time they would indeed face each other again in the heat of an ocean battle. This marked the day where Pirates and Navy had become open enemies, no longer playing cat and mouse games with each other, but committed to outdoing the other as frequently as possible.

  Greyylene took to the lower decks as soon as they were out of sight of the Navy vessel. Her task was to inspect the damage caused not only by the sharp turn avoiding the sea rats, but also to see what the blue flames had done. Surface damage was fairly obvious and superficial, but the weakening of the hull gave her a cause to pause. When they reached their port a more thorough examination would be in order.

  She had finished the tour of the top two decks and was heading to the hold when a strange whistle was heard in the crew section. Sitting on a rack was a small sailor with long braids and tattoos on everything showing playing with a large piece of rock. The stone he held was so dark that it almost looked like a shadow. As he was holding it and tossing it about the rock had taken a blue hue to the edges and was releasing a shrill whistle like a boiling tea pot.

  Before she had a chance to take the stone the sailor dropped it and let out a squeal. Marginally surprised at the little girl exclamation from the hardened sailor all attention was focused on the piece of cradle rock sitting on the floor. The blue had grown darker and showed veins in the deep ebony surface. It had also started to smolder and smoke as if ready to burst into flame. The moments watching for continued reaction seemed an eternity, the fate of the crew hinged on the whim of some mineral smuggled aboard by an idiot sailor!

  Finally the smoldering subsided and the task of deciding what to do came down to a final vote. The Captain was all for throwing the damned thing overboard. Several of the crew was interested in allowing the local magic man to examine and study it. The quarter master took the final tally and the majority decided to keep the stone locked away safely until they reached Kerrs. With that done, Greyylene reluctantly folded the object in an empty barley bag and took it to her cabin to be placed in the chest with the stash of Savage Ale.

  Chapter 103

  Course change lay in and the sails full the “Vharcan” sailed fast as the waves and wind would carry her to the Island of Port Redgrave and the rest of the Pirate clan. Her expediency was heightened by the ‘threat’ sitting looking so innocently menacing next to her prized Ale. The Captain would be more than happy to be rid of that hunk of malevolence as quickly as possible.

  She was well aware that there was something horribly wrong with that thing. Every time she passed it her teeth would ring and buzz, the hair on the back of her neck would stand on edge and the bottoms of her feet would tingle as if walking in a briar patch. The crew began to feel its ominous aura as well, and the closer they got to Port the greater the tension grew.

  A day and half after the confrontation with the Navy and the strange Arch Mage Port Redgrave was finally in sight. The call of “Land Hooo” sent a relieved sigh across the whole deck. As soon as they were moored the crew disembarked so fast some thought the ship was on fire.

  Greyylene and Kegan were the last off the ship, Kegan carting the chest from Greyy’s office. They went straight to Kerrs’ without any of the usual introductions and fan fairs setting the chest at his feet. Ignoring the glares and leering from other sailors Greyy knelt at the box and placed her hand on the top of the chest giving it a little push and twist to unlock the mechanism that held the lid tight.

  When she opened the case a blue haze filled the space. Her first thought was that it had contaminated her Ale and she was horrified. Only after that did she begin to wonder what the haze had done to the People!

  Taking out bottles of the Savage Ale she examined them closely to see what fiendish magic this rock had done. The bottles closest to the stone had indeed been altered, to what extent she was unwilling to experiment.

  Setting aside the tainted bottles to dispose of later, she then retrieved the bag with the cradle rock sample. She handed the bag to Kegan, who in turn was to take it to Kerrs. Kegan was as superstitious as any sailor and knew this was a horrible omen, so held the bag at arm’s length and muttered warding spells and incantations the whole way over to where the leader of the Pirates sat.

  Chapter 104

  Sir Gilead had tried to make as quiet and subtle appearance as possible, but it became clear that he would soon need to be summoned, at least that was his hope. His curiosity had become overwhelming and he wandered closer to where the Pirates were meeting.

  Gazing at the package even Kerrs became troubled and jumped back so fast he tipped his stool. When the bag was opened and the offending item was revealed he hollered for the Monk to be brought in immediately and began making religious signs and chants. As Gil entered the room the pendant around his neck began to change colors. He nodded to Greyylene as he crossed to where the others sat. The looks on the Pirate faces bore a stark contrast to the Monk’s calm demeanor.

  Without saying anything to anyone Sir Gilead sat on a low bench next to the fire where the others had been gathered and examined the dark stone. Bowing his head and closing his eyes as if in some deep meditation to a Higher Power lightly whispering words of power, he held the stone in both hands. Remaining in that state and repeating the words over and over, the audience watched in fascinated silence waiting to see what would happen next.

  Shortly the blue veins in the dark rock began to glow again and the pendant around Sir Gilead’s neck turned frightening shades of black, silver and gray. The air around him became charged with an energy that could almost be seen, and the rock and pendant almost seemed to be battling with one another. His words became louder and the silver glow on his pendant began to dominate the air and engulf both the Monk and the rock. Then in an anticlimactic puff of fizzled smoke the dark stone in his hands lost its glow and became nothing more than a pebble on the beach.

  His eyes still closed and breathing rather heavily the Monk laid the impotent hunk of earth on the ground at his feet. Kerrs nodded to another crewmate to bring a mug of rum to the Monk, and as he took it Sir Gil began a story that kept all mesmerized.

  Chapter 105

  “Many years earlier there was a great ruler in the land. He was a lord of Washburn Manor and those who worked his lands adored him
and his family. He was kind and benevolent, patient with the serfs around him and generous to those in need. He would allow strangers access and welcomed all with open hospitality.

  One cold and stormy night a slight frail girl passed the gates to the town outside Washburn Manor. She found refuge in a local inn and there met one of the Washburn sons. After hearing her tale of woe he took pity on her and brought her back to the Manor. He did not realize that she was a sorceress in training. Her magic and power were great, but her pride had been the reason for her banishment.

  When they arrived at the young man’s home she was introduced to the lord and lady of the house. The girl was named Minerva and she immediately found herself smitten with lord Washburn. She vowed in her heart that night she would not die before she took him for her own. So deep was her lust that she never saw the bond of love and devotion that her object shared with his wife alone.

  Days meandered past and Minerva’s lust became stronger and more destructive, along with her magic. On a moonless night the sorceress summoned dark forces to work an evil plot on the wife of her desire. She would kill the wife and use her blood in a potion that would cause lord Washburn to look on her with the same love and passion he gazed upon his wife. What the witch had not noticed was that lady Washburn was with child and her husband had become so doting on her that they were rarely apart.

  Frustrated and enraged Minerva returned to her chambers to devise a new plan. Her desire was to also bear a child to lord Washburn and the off spring of such a union would disgrace him in front of his adoring wife. She would be forced to choose her affections.

  This plan also was destined to fail in grand misery. The tie and bond between the couple was so strong, and so complete that even the clever disguise the witch used was not enough to fool him. He recognized her for who and what she had become and immediately banished her from the kingdom. On leaving she made a blood oath that she would not rest until all the Washburn Men were destroyed!

  Years later the brothers of lord and lady Washburn not only lived, but thrived. Her oath was left dangling in the air weak and useless, until she discovered an island dominated with a powerful earth essence of ageless evil. She had discovered an outcropping of Cradle Rock, a most awesome source for channeling sinister powers. She had studied the ancient catacombs and caves discovering a deep chamber with words scrawled in an ancient language on the sides of the wall. Deciphering and harnessing the text consumed her, as the rocks around her ate at her body and soul. Soon she had discovered the key to unlocking the codes.”

  Pausing from the story, Sir Gilead looked up and again caught the eye of Greyylene. Holding her gaze he continued.

  “The first of the Washburn males to find injury was the oldest son who had joined the Royal Militia. He was sent on an errand for the State to hunt a couple of dangerous fugitives who had been running through the lands raining down terror on all they passed. It turned out the couple in question was of Elf heritage and found them in an ambush at a local pub. The couple was killed, and it was believed that the Commander of the Militia was also.”

  With that last statement he broke his gaze from the Captain and took a long guzzle from his mug. Setting aside his mug and wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve the Monk continued the story.

  “The Island Minerva found refuge was soon to be named Minerva’s Cradle, due to the crescent shape and her penchant for hunting young children to offer in her evil rites. She would cross the shallows between the mainland and her island to steal children of the villages. That would soon be known as the Melancholy Straights.”

  Once again Sir Gil looked at the rock then back to Greyylene. His eyes grew sad again.

  “It would seem, Captain Greyy, that you have discovered not only Minerva’s hide out but also the current leader of Washburn Manor.” he said before taking another long gulp of his rum.

  Chapter 106

  While Sir Gilead was sitting regaling the others of the crew with his tale two of the most restless pirates in the band of outlaws wandered off to find their own amusement. Kegan and Buddy stole away somewhat quietly and found the bottles of corrupted Ale that Greyylene had set aside earlier.

  They figured the bottles were meant to be wasted in a horrible display of “alcohol abuse” and dumped, so the two renegades devised another alternative. Rather than dumping the soiled rot gut they would drink it, discarding the contents and satisfying their thirst at the same time. They had no way of realizing what a fiendish combination the magic of the Savages and the magic of the Cradle Rock would create.

  Only a few bottles split between the two and the seasoned sailors were well past pickled as they staggered back to the camp. Their jolly show of inebriated inhibitions cast the others into a stunned silence as the two danced about and joked with each other completely oblivious of their impending plight.

  The bottles they held were being shaken mixing the contents to a volatile fizzle. As they continued to drink a long inky black line traced through their veins from their necks down their arms and coursed through them in a slow toxic path that the others could watch.

  Kegan was the first to notice the line tracing across his bare skin when he went to take a long pull from the open bottle. The sight on his hand and arm startled him into terrified sobriety. Throwing the bottle as far as he could it landed with a mild explosion of blue flames and billowing smoke killing several small animals and a few crabs that had been too close. Buds, however, found the scene rather hilarious and continued to drink from his bottle.

  Sir Gilead jumped to assist the two sailors, but was still weakened from the power drain he used to defuse the larger rock. The pendant around his neck began to glow a terrifying bronze as he approached them. As Sir Gil reached for Kegan’s hand a surge of electric energy blasted from the Monk’s hand into the Pirate’s. Kegan stumbled over a nearby log and ended up sitting in the sand shaking a bit more than he would care to admit. Buddy was driven to an insane rage at the approach of the Monk and turned running into the woods, a trail of inky ale following him.

  He had far too much of a head start to follow with any hope of catching up so the crews watched the fleeting form of the Pirate. Those from “Vharcan” were unnerved by what had happened, but those who followed Kerrs were intrigued. Some of the crew were already plotting a way to return to where the Monk had said the rocks could be found hoping to bring back more in order to entertain and amuse themselves.

  Chapter 107

  Several days passed after the incident with the two sailors. Greyylene had disposed of the rest of the contaminated Ale and stored her Savage Ale more carefully back at her cabin on board the “Vharcan”. Kegan was more distant and quiet than normal and Buddy had wandered so far off no one knew where he was.

  Late on a night full of stars and a full moon Buddy came back to the camp carting a bag full of bounty. He sought Kegan first, needing the strength of the giant to assist in carting his bag up the stairs of their make shift pub. Once on the roof Buddy revealed his errand of the last few days.

  He had rowed back to the island of Minerva in a small dingy and collected more of the dark stones. The Ale had been such a big rush for him he was determined to create more on his own. His only catch was he did not have the same knowledge that Kegan did in making the original Ale, nor did he know the proper words to use in order to play with the cradle rocks.

  Reluctant to assist in something that was obviously volatile as the Cradle Rock, Kegan tried to remove himself from the situation as quickly as possible. The weakness of every Pirate or Sailor is their penchant for a hearty drink. It didn’t take too much more convincing for the two to once again be elbow deep in drunken idiocy.

  Buddy had found something close to plans for a distillery in which to make moonshine. He adopted the little bit that he knew of the Savage Ale, which was next to nothing short of it being ale, and tinkered modifications that he felt would be appropriate. After a few hours of setting the ingredients into
motion he added a piece of Cradle Rock to a glass vial. The rock immediately began to bubble and fizz violently threatening to explode.

  Carefully they backed away and waited for the impending explosion. Having nothing happen Buddy cautiously as a runaway freight wagon stepped toward the still and tweaked the contraption some more.

  “Careful, Buddy, that’s a might nasty thing there ye got.” warned Kegan.

  “I know what I’m doin!” snapped back Buddy just before the bubbling fizzle erupted again in a loud boom and a billowing cloud of blue flame and smoke.

  “Oh Yeah you know what you’re doing.” Kegan retorted after they had discovered themselves still in one piece.

  Apparently he did have some degree of knowledge because the liquid that was produced looked something close to ingestible. Buddy poured a short mug of the new brew and immediately coughed like a greenhorn at his first pub.

  “Oh yeah, this is the good stuff.” he rasped out between coughing fits.

  Chapter 108

  The explosion brought everyone on a run to the pub, and when it was discovered the madness behind the mayhem a festive party ensued. Kerrs was thrilled to have something new that belonged only to His crew! Not even the Navy Dogs would want to touch this stuff. Buddy was instructed to repeat the process as often as it was necessary and use whatever means necessary to keep the Island flowing in this new Cradle Rock Ale!

  The discovery of the simple nondescript, harmless looking, dark rocks that held such a terrible power were an overwhelming sadness that could not be easily undone. They held a curse that none could have foreseen. It seemed that any who were in proximity would become highly unstable and belligerent just like the rocks themselves. Noble creatures big and small, aggressive or peaceful would turn vicious and unmanageable when the infection took them. As Sir Gilead had discovered it was the Magic that coursed through the stones that gave them the power to creep from one living being to another.