by Ryan Gilbert
“How ‘bout burning de bones?”
“We’d need to get close to him to be able to do either of those, and who knows what he can do with those powers o’ his.”
“What about if we stole ‘is powers from ‘im?”
“That’s not how magic works, mate,” said Riggs.
“Are ye sure?”
Slapping his forehead, the Captain replied, “When we first encountered magic, it was when we took an enchanted emerald from a dead mermaid. We didn’t get the magic, so that plan won’t work.”
“But it did limit her powers, Captain,” Coral Jack pointed out.
“Aye, that be true, but we also stole it when she was dead. Every is a livin’ corpse right now, so gettin’ anywhere close to him’ll be like walkin’ to yer own death,” Riggs said.
As the crew continued to suggest plans, the Captain rested his elbow on the table and laid his chin in the palm of his hand. It was certainly going to be a long day.
Miles away from the port, Henry Every and his skeleton crew had finished hiding the Fancy. The resurrected captain had one goal and one goal only… to regain his human form.
As he and his frightful crew walked along the beach, they noticed a man sitting at the water’s edge. He looked to be mending some nets, not paying any attention to the crowd of dead men stalking him.
“Seize him,” Every ordered, motioning to Morrison and his first mate, Lewis Johnson.
The poor fisherman barely even knew what hit him.
Without any warning, the two skeletons grabbed him by the arms, tearing him away from his nets. As he started to struggle, Morrison and Johnson smashed him into the ground. When he saw the terrifying monsters in front of him, he let out a cry and froze in fear.
Before the fisherman could figure out what was happening, Every grabbed him by the collar and glared at him, saying, “Do you know who I am?”
The man shook his head as quickly as he could.
Sighing in disappointment, the skeleton captain said, “I am Henry Every, returned from the dead. I have need of your services, and it will be much better for you if you obey me.”
The man did not need any persuasion. He immediately nodded his head to show that he understood.
“Good. I need to find someone… a woman who has magical powers. Have you heard of her?”
“Y-yes, sir,” the fisherman replied, squirming in Every’s grip.
“Will you lead me to her?”
“Y-y-yes. She’s j-j-just along this path,” said the man, pointing towards a path leading into the forests at the edge of the beach.
With his bony hand, the King of Pirates pushed the frightened fisherman along the path, anxious to find the mystical woman. He needed to know if what he had heard all those years ago was true. If the stories were true, then he could finally regain his rightful place at the top of the food chain. If they were false, then there would just be one more body for his enemies to find.
The man led them through a twisted maze of trees with so many curves that one could easily get lost. It was almost too twisted for the Arch Pirate’s taste. As the minutes dragged on, he began to believe that the fisherman was not leading them anywhere. He was just looking for a way to escape.
Grabbing the terrified fisherman by the hair, Every asked, “How much further, you pathetic underling?”
The man yelled out in pain as the bony hands nearly ripped the hair from his scalp.
“It’s… it’s only a bit further,” he whimpered, clawing at the pirate’s bare bones.
Every cracked a joint in his neck, glaring down at his unwilling guide with his glowing eye sockets. The toothy smile of his skull sent waves of terror through the fisherman, frightening him so that he would say no more.
Bringing his skull within an inch of the man’s face, Every said with an echoing, raspy voice, “Show me.”
He rested his hand on the base of the man’s neck, letting himself be guided through the wilderness. He made sure that the man could not escape. If he tried, then he would have the honor of being the first death at the hands of the resurrected pirate captain.
For minutes, the man continued to seemingly stray randomly through the woods, not following any sort of path. As the time ticked away, Every grew more and more certain that his captive was leading them astray. The brush got thicker and the ground became covered with tangled vines and roots. The bones that made up Captain Every’s toes pressed unevenly against his boots, the living skeleton clomping through the dirt and grass.
Annoyed by the fisherman’s supposed lack of direction, Every tightened his grip on the back of the man’s neck, lifting him off the ground.
“I am going to ask one final time, maggot. Where… is… she?”
With the skeleton’s bones digging into his neck, the fisherman kicked his legs in the air, trying to get free.
He could not.
“Where is she?” Every asked again.
The man could not answer. He was trying to escape from the strong grip of the pirate’s hand.
Every shook his head in disappointment.
“Very well then,” he said, preparing to strangle his captive.
SHKOW
A blast of green light shot out of the bushes, latching onto Every’s bony hand. He tried to move it, but he could not. The green substance was restricting his movement.
Behind him, his skeleton crew ripped their weapons out of their scabbards, surrounding their captain to try to protect him. Their empty eye sockets searched the area, trying to find who had attacked their leader.
“Show yourself,” ordered Ben, another member of the skeleton crew.
To the crew’s surprise, a woman stepped through the brush, unafraid of what awaited her. She was barefoot, clad only in a dress covered in leaves and dirt. Her eyes flared green as energy surrounded her long fingers, the tips of which were blackened with soot. When she saw the skeleton crew, no reaction showed on her face. She merely gazed at them, staring deep into their minds.
With a swish of her hand, the woman forced Every to release the frightened fisherman, dropping the man to the ground. He gasped for breath at the pirate’s feet, rubbing at his neck to get the blood flowing.
“Captain Henry Every…” said the woman in a soothing, calm voice, “What business do you have with me?”
Stunned, Every asked, “How did you know I was searching for you?”
Smiling, the woman said, “You underestimate me, Captain Every.”
Her eyes flared green yet again, and she said, “I can see your innermost desires. I can search throughout your mind and unearth the darkest secrets that you could ever imagine. Wynona Alystor knows exactly what you want.”
“And what is that?” Every asked, testing the woman.
Wynona’s eyes locked with the glowing orbs in Every’s eye sockets. The pirate could almost feel her boring into his thoughts.
“You wish to become human again,” she said just seconds later.
If Every had any question as to the identity of the woman, then it had just been answered. Wynona Alystor was the woman that he had heard of all those years ago. Calmly, he directed his men to sheathe their weapons. They did not need them.
Confident, the captain asked, “Do you have the ability to grant my request?”
Instantly, Wynona gave the skeleton a quick, blunt answer.
“No.”
The fisherman coughed, wheezing at Every’s feet.
The King of Pirates asked, “Is that all you have to say to me, wench?”
“Yes.”
Every clenched his fists, trying to ignore the disrespect given to him by this mysterious woman.
“I swear to heaven above that you will help me,” he snarled, pointing one finger at Alystor.
Wynona did nothing except look at him.
Angry, Every reached down and latched onto the fisherman with both of his hands. Grabbing the back of the man’s head and his chin, the pirate snapped his captive’s neck, killing the poor man in
stantly. Wynona did not even bat an eye.
Taking a step closer to the skeleton crew, she said, “There is something you need to learn, Captain Every. My powers are not like your sword and crown there. My magic is different.”
Beckoning for Every and his skeleton crew to follow her, she continued, “I am not intimidated by death at your hands because you would just be destroying the one thing that you need to help you become human.”
Stopping in his tracks, Every said, “You just said that you could not turn me back.”
“Correct, Captain Every. Only YOU can do that. However, I never said that I would not help,” she said with a sneaky grin.
When the pirates stepped through the brush, they finally saw the house of Wynona Alystor. It had been so well camouflaged that they could not see it through all of the surrounding woods. The browns and the greens hid it well.
Leading Captain Every into her home, Wynona sat him down in a chair and sunk into the seat directly across from him. She leaned back in the ratty chair with a relaxed look on her face, staring intently at the eye sockets of Henry Every.
The Pirate King was anything but relaxed. The glowing orbs in his eye sockets darted around the room, observing the cluster of bottles and strange objects that cluttered the rooms. Books and maps were strewn randomly across the tables, making him wonder if Wynona had lost her mind.
“Are you going to help me?” he asked impatiently.
She shushed him, grabbing onto the bones of his hand. She did not once let go of his gaze.
“Look into my eyes, Captain,” she said.
Once he did, he felt mesmerized, like he could not look away. Her green eyes were almost hypnotizing.
Pressing his hand in between her own hands, Wynona replied, “I will help you, Captain Every… but I will not guarantee your survival.”
“If it means I can become human again, then I will gladly take that risk.”
Alystor nodded, saying, “Very well.”
With a green glow surrounding her fingers, she dug them in between the bones in Every’s wrist. Wisps of yellow and purple smoke gravitated towards her hands, melding with the green glow of her magic. She closed her eyes, basking in her own calmness.
“Henry Every… you wish to become human once more. To do that, you must complete several tasks, harkening back to when you walked this earth as a living creature.”
“What are the tasks?” he asked eagerly.
“You must sacrifice someone from your past who knows your secrets. Wash away those secrets by drinking the blood of a fellow conspirator. A blazing ship will bring you the ashes of your betrayer.”
She took a deep breath before she continued, prompting Every to grab onto her wrist to keep her talking. Her eyes burst open, green light flaring in each iris.
“Tell me what else there is!” the Captain shouted at Alystor.
“The final two will be your most difficult challenges in your time as a pirate, Captain Every,” Wynona said as her voice echoed throughout the room.
“I don’t give a damn, woman. Tell me!”
Taking another breath, Wynona continued, saying, “You must take the heart of she who bore your child.”
“I have a child?” asked a shocked Every.
Images instantly flitted through his mind, showing him just where to look and for whom to look. He saw a battered woman, scarred by her past and by a blade. He knew her face… and the crime that he had committed.
“Henry Every, your final task will be the most difficult of them all. It will require skill, cunning, and a thirst for blood unmatched by your previous self.”
“All of which I already possess. Just tell me,” he said, his grip getting stronger on Wynona’s wrist.
“Very well. You must kill the one who brought you back from the grave.”
“Name the poor soul.”
Wynona Alystor snatched Every’s gaze once again.
“Captain Robert Briggs.”
Still sitting in the tavern, Riggs had heard enough. The plans that his crewmates were suggesting were starting to become preposterous. He had had enough of just merely listening. With ridiculous ideas flowing from the pirates’ mouths like drool, Riggs needed a drink. He motioned for one of the barmaids to come to the table.
“What’ll you like, hon?” she asked in a cheery voice.
“I want some o’ the strongest rum ye’ve got, sweets,” he said, handing her some coins, “and please… make it quick.”
With an awkward curtsy, the girl hurried off to get him his drink.
Not even paying attention to the absurd suggestions of his crew, Riggs watched the barmaid make her way back into the kitchen. In his mind, nearly anything else would have been more fulfilling than listening to the rubbish entering his ears. He just wanted to shut it out of his mind.
Before his crewmembers could say anything more, Riggs slammed his fist against the table. Everyone fell silent, their eyes resting on their captain.
“Can we cut it out with the nonsensical bollocks and try to find out a way to kill this monster?” Riggs asked, begging his crew to try to actually think.
The table remained silent as the pirates tried to formulate an actual plan. It was eerily quiet as they all sat there, not a word leaving their mouths.
THUNK
A cup slammed down on the table, rum spilling over the side. A hand clamped down on the top of the cup, pushing it over to Riggs. The Captain reached over to take it, but he noticed that instead of the barmaid’s petite hand, it was a strong hand, covered with gold rings. Riggs followed the hand to an arm covered with the sleeve of a heavy leather coat. Looking up, he saw the face of a man, his dark brown hair well kept and his scruff trimmed. His dark blue eyes had a calm presence about them.
He did not look like he belonged.
“What do ye want, mate?” Riggs asked, skeptical of the man.
With a smile that showed a faint air of cockiness, the stranger said, “I heard ye talking about a monster… and how to kill it.”
“Aye, but it’s none o’ your business.”
“I disagree.”
Riggs slowly stood up from his chair, glaring directly at the stranger. Both pirates were nearly the same height as they locked eyes. The stranger may have been a few hairs taller, but Riggs was not going to let that get to him.
“Care to run that by me again, mate?”
Standing his ground, the man repeated what he had said earlier.
“I disagree, Captain Riggs.”
The man noticed the inquisitive look on Riggs’ face, continuing to talk.
“Thomas Jones, at yer service. I’ve been searching for monsters all over these seas. Few have escaped me, but many have fallen at my hand.”
Unsure as to whether he should believe Thomas, Riggs crossed his arms, asking, “What kind of monsters have ye faced?”
“Enough to know how to defeat the man you’re searching for,” answered Thomas.
Every noise at the table stopped. Men who were in the middle of drinking paused in the middle of a sip to hear what the Captain and this newcomer were talking about.
Pointing a finger at Jones, Riggs half-heartedly laughed and asked, “Do you really think ye know how to defeat Henry Every?”
“I guess ye’ll just have to trust me,” Thomas chuckled.
“Actually, no I…”
SKEEEEEeeeeeeee *pop* *pop* *skizzle*
In the distance, Riggs, Thomas, and the crew of the Red Sky could hear a sound like thunder, gradually getting closer. All of the pirates stood up from their seats and cautiously made their way to the entrance of the tavern, weaving in between the frightened patrons. Riggs pushed open the door and stepped out into the street to get a glimpse at what was coming.
He soon wished he had not.
Heading toward Rebelde was an armada of ships. Dozens of English flags flew high in the air, ready to destroy the skull and crossbones.
“Back to the Red Sky now!” Riggs shouted.
CHA
PTER FOUR
K-BOOM
K-BOOM K-BOOM
K-BOOM
Onboard the HMS Regality, Commodore Hamond watched as the Salvation led the charge on the pirate colony. Thankfully, in the excitement, he had been able to slow the Regality and avoid having to lead the attack. So far, Admiral Carter had not noticed.
He was far too preoccupied.
There were too many Navy ships for the outlaws to battle. All around Commodore Hamond, the soldiers were cheering, finally able to blast the dastardly pirates to the Hell from whence they came. They were just fulfilling their duty, protecting the Crown and that for which it stood. They knew of nothing else.
Admiral Carter and the Salvation sailed at the head of the armada, firing their cannons at the fleeing pirate ships. One by one, the other Navy ships started blasting away, demolishing the criminal scum. Few of the pirate ships made it out of the bay, but there was only one about which the Commodore was concerned.
The Red Sky.
Ordering his eager soldiers to slow the Regality even more, he let himself fall behind the Salvation. He did not want to take any part of the battle if he did not have to. It was going to be a massacre already.
“Orders, sir,” one of his officers requested.
“Fall back and try to stop those rapscallions from fleeing. We don’t want to lose any of those vile cretins.”
The soldier responded with a salute and rushed to fulfill his orders. The Commodore needed a good excuse for when Carter asked him why he was not participating. What better than to say that he was catching stragglers.
K-BOOM K-BOOM
Burning vessels and sinking pirate ships were already starting to fill the waters of Rebelde. The shrieks of the men melded with the blasts of the cannons, blanketing the entire scenario with a nightmarish tone. The Commodore could barely stand to watch.
K-BOOM
The blast of the cannon pulled Matthew Hamond back to reality. As the Commodore came back to his senses, he noticed that all of the other armada vessels had slowed… along with the Regality. There was no escaping it.
They were stuck in the fight.
Hamond rushed to his navigator, shouting, “What is the meaning of this? We need to stop those pirates from escaping.”