A Red Sky Rising

by Ryan Gilbert

  Julia looked to the mermaid, then back to the island, and then begrudgingly let herself be led away from the rail. She could not deny that she felt a bit of weight lifted from her shoulders, but perhaps it would only serve to distract her from what she dreaded. She could only wait and see.

  For an hour, the pirates on the island ransacked the house, searching for any sign of its previous inhabitants. Riggs needed to know who Kidd was speaking of when he spoke of the grave of a true mariner. They tried to get Sapphire to talk, but she would not betray her father figure. She did not say a word. Ripper and Eli searched all throughout the first floor, finding nothing but dirt, dust, and some forgotten old coins. Coral Jack and Riggs had similar luck when they scoured the second floor of the house. They found nothing.

  The pirates regrouped in the kitchen as Sapphire watched from a corner, calmly drinking a glass of water. She seemed proud of herself as she listened to the pirates speak of how they had not found anything.

  “Are you ready to give up yet?” she teased.

  With a scowl, Riggs replied, “Ain’t nothin’ gonna make me give this up. You said ye knew where the treasure is hidden, and I’m gonna find it.”

  The fairy just giggled and resumed her drinking. In the meantime, the pirates took seats at a table to discuss what they could possibly be missing.

  “Where else could it possibly be? We’ve looked everywhere in this house and found nothing,” Eli complained.

  “Did ye try seeing if there were any spots under the floorboards?” asked Jack.

  “Tried that. There wasn’t anywhere to get underneath them.”

  “Let me at dem,” said Ripper, standing up from his chair.

  “Hold yer horses, mate. The floor’s not hollow, so you’d just be hurtin’ yourself,” said Coral Jack.

  “Any ideas, Captain?” asked Eli, turning to Riggs.

  Riggs didn’t answer, instead seeming to stare off into space.

  “Captain?” his crewmate asked again, shaking Riggs by his shoulder.

  Without saying a word, Riggs shushed Eli as he continued to stare. He was watching Sapphire as his fellow pirates were talking. Even as she was eating and drinking, she never actually focused on the crew’s conversation. Instead, she seemed more focused on something in the other room.

  Getting up from his chair, Riggs slowly made his way over to the fairy. The instant that he stood up, she focused her full attention on him. He knew for sure that she was hiding something now.

  “What’re ye lookin’ at?” he said, not expecting an answer.

  “Um… nothing,” she replied.

  The Captain raised his fingers to his eyes and said, “This is how I can tell you’re lyin’. Your eyes have betrayed ye, Sapphire.”

  The fairy took a gulp of air, surely panicking on the inside. Her wings fluttered a bit from her nervousness.

  Taking a place at her side, Riggs followed her gaze into the next room. There was nothing there that they had not searched already. Both he and Coral Jack had searched behind every painting and mirror, knocked on every part of the wall, and squashed every pillow just to make sure that there was not some sort of clue hidden there. He stepped into the room, pounding his boot against the ground. Coral Jack was right. It was solid earth underneath the floorboards.

  Where could it possibly be hidden? Who was this mariner? How did this room have any bit of importance? There were only some pieces of furniture, a wall with a window, and some dusty mirrors. The sudden silence from the end of the storm did not seem to help the situation, instead making the house seem eerie.

  Suddenly, a realization hit Riggs like a brick.

  Sapphire had not been looking at something in the room.

  She was looking at something outside the room.

  Gazing out the window, Riggs noticed something that he had not noticed before, something camouflaged by moss and overgrown grass. It looked like a stone, but it was not in a place one would expect a stone. It stuck out from the ground like a tiny monument, begging for someone’s attention.

  From the look on the fairy’s face and the stone’s odd placement, Riggs knew what it was. It was a grave.

  Once she noticed the greed seeping into the Captain’s eyes, Sapphire grabbed his arm and tried to keep him from leaving the building, but she was too small. Riggs just dragged her along behind him, her slippers not having much traction on the wooden floor.

  In a hurried voice, she spouted, “No, Riggs, you’re wrong about what you see. It’s just a regular grave, nothing special… please stop.”

  Not even bothering to listen to the fairy’s protests, Riggs kicked open the side door. Just as he was going to leave the house, Sapphire pulled out her wand, pointing it at the captain’s face. Ripper, Eli, and Coral Jack stopped in their tracks as she waved the weapon in their direction, keeping them at bay while she stopped Riggs.

  “Riggs, don’t make me do this. I made a promise.”

  “So did I,” said Riggs, glaring straight past the wand, “I made a promise to me crew that we would find this treasure.”

  Starting to fidget, the fairy said, “I… I can’t let you.”

  “Saph, either put that thing down or help me get that treasure. Doin’ this ain’t gonna help Kidd because nothin’s goin’ to stop me from gettin’ that treasure.”

  BANG

  CHAPTER NINE

  A shot planted itself in the door right in front of Riggs, just barely missing him. Instinctively, he leapt backwards into the house, nearly knocking a frightened Sapphire to the ground.

  BANG *crash*

  A window shattered, the shot blasting a tiny hole in the wall. Everyone dropped to the ground as the gunshots shattered the silence.

  BANG BANG

  One shot blew through Coral Jack’s forearm, tearing a hole in his sleeve and blasting through the other side. Eli slid underneath a table to shield himself and Ripper crawled away from the blasts.

  The barrage continued, raining bits of glass, dust, and wood pellets onto the pirates and the fairy. Sapphire screamed with each shot, Riggs shielding her from the open door. A blur of red appeared in the pirate’s peripheral vision, to which he drew his pistol and shot it. A British soldier fell to the ground as Riggs pushed Sapphire to the side and slammed the door shut, locking it from the inside.

  “What’s going on, Captain?” Eli shouted over the hail of musket fire.

  “Soldiers! They’re on the island.”

  The butt of a musket smashed through one of the windows as two soldiers tried to enter the house. Ripper and Riggs yanked the men through the opening, making short work of them with their swords. With the muskets, the two blasted away at anyone who dared get close to the building.

  As he was reloading, Riggs felt a large hand yank at his hair. He swung the musket like a club, cracking the attacking soldier in the jaw and knocking several teeth into the mud outside.

  “Saph, we could use some help here,” Coral Jack shouted from the other side of the room, elbowing a soldier with his bloodied arm.

  The fairy did not even seem to hear him. She curled up in the corner, covering her ears to try to shield herself from the gunshots. Every time there was a loud noise or something surprising, she would jump in terror.

  She was not going to be of any use to the pirates.

  Suddenly, just as quickly as it had begun, the attack stopped. No more gunshots. No more soldiers. No more noise. There was nothing except for the settling dust and the bloodstained glass that was scattered across the floor.

  Avoiding the windows, Riggs crawled over to Coral Jack who was clutching his arm as the sleeve of his shirt was stained red. The blood oozed from between his fingers as he gritted his teeth to try to stop the pain. Without wasting time, Riggs took out his flask and poured the alcohol onto his crewmate’s wound. Jack cried out and nearly smacked his captain across the face, but Riggs caught the boatswain’s fist in mid-swing. Seconds later, Jack’s arm was already wrapped in cloth to keep it from bleeding any more.
The pirate pounded his foot against the ground as the alcohol stung.

  Clasping Coral Jack’s hand, Riggs said, “Now listen to me, mate. I’m goin’ to see if there’s any more soldiers. Let Eli and Ripper take care o’ you while I do that, alright?”

  With gritted teeth, the boatswain nodded his head, his fingers unknowingly scratching the skin of Riggs’ palms as his captain let go. For all of their safety, Riggs needed to what awaited them outside the house.

  With pistols at the ready, Riggs made his way over to the nearest window. Slowly crawling to the side, he stood up and peeked out the window, only revealing himself as much as need be.

  Immediately, he saw a handful of troops awaiting orders from whoever was in charge. Their red coats made them stand out in stark contrast to the greens and browns of the nature around them. To his utter amazement, none of them had their muskets pointed at the house. They were now only observing it and making sure no one escaped.

  “Do not think I cannot see you, Captain Riggs. I know you are in there,” said a smarmy voice.

  Sighing, the Captain said, “Mr. Warner, how nice of ye to drop by. I’ve always wanted to hear your disgustin’, pathetic little voice again.”

  Riggs could hear Jonathan laugh, then say, “Please continue with the witty repartee, pirate. It will be so much more satisfying when you’re dead.”

  “Why are you here, Warner?” Riggs shouted, a pistol in each hand.

  Jonathan paused, Riggs assuming it was for dramatic effect in front of the soldiers. Warner was the kind of prideful bloke to act like that.

  “I am here to bring an end to your tyranny, Captain Riggs. I am going to bring your entire world down on top of your head.”

  “If yer so intent on doin’ that, then why not do it yourself? Who needs soldiers to come and face a pirate?”

  He could hear the anger and hatred in Jonathan’s voice beginning to grow. The more the Captain goaded him, the more upset the nobleman became. Riggs could turn the tides in his favor if he pushed Warner a bit further.

  Wisely, Jonathan changed the subject, saying, “Where is Miss Hamond? I demand to know where you have hidden her.”

  “Oh, I ain’t hidden her, mate. She’s waitin’ for me on the Red Sky, yearnin’ fer me to come back,” Riggs said, stretching out the last statement to infuriate Jonathan even more.

  “That’s a lie,” Warner said quickly, trying to keep his perfect image of Julia fresh in his mind.

  Riggs did not stop, saying, “Oh yes, can you imagine the love o’ yer life becomin’ the very thing that you’re tryin’ to destroy? It’s got to be absolutely devastatin’ for you.”

  “Stop speaking of her like that.”

  “Does it eat away at you inside? The fact that I can touch her sweet flesh and you’re left with a bunch of pompous nobodies.”

  “Shut up!”

  “You will die alone, Jonathan Warner. I promise you that.”

  “Enough!”

  Riggs’ words had struck a nerve. Looking out the window again, he saw some of the soldiers holding Jonathan back. If they had not, then he would have probably marched right up to the house and started trying to fight the pirates himself.

  “Let go of me, you imbeciles,” shouted Jonathan, desperately trying to pull away from his own troops.

  As none of the men were aiming at the building, Riggs stepped into the window, letting Jonathan see that he was not afraid of him. He still kept his pistols out, ready to shoot if any of the soldiers made a sudden move. None did.

  Out in the open, Riggs said, “I’ll make you a deal, Mr. Warner. Since I can see that you’re havin’ such a hard time controllin’ your anger, how about we have ourselves a lil’ duel?”

  Relaxing slightly, Jonathan asked, “What are the stakes?”

  With a grin, Riggs answered, “Our lives.”

  Ripper, Coral Jack, and Eli gasped.

  “Captain, what’re ye thinking?” asked Jack, his wound stopping its bleeding.

  “I’m gettin’ this runt out of my life once and for all,” Riggs said, not moving from his spot.

  “What do ye say, Mr. Warner? Do we have a deal?” he shouted to the barely-contained nobleman.

  Even though they were quite the distance away from each other, Riggs almost thought he saw Jonathan’s nostrils flare in anger. There was an unmistakable look of disgust on his rival’s face that could be recognized from any distance. Pulling his arm from a soldier’s hold, Jonathan straightened his jacket and stood tall.

  “Deal, pirate. Get your sorry ass out here now,” he growled.

  “With pleasure,” said Riggs, pulling out his sword.

  Ripper and Eli tried to stop their captain from leaving the house, but he would not hear any of it. He had made up his mind.

  “Captain, please reconsider. He’s got a whole squadron of soldiers ready to kill you,” said Eli.

  “Can ya at least let us help ya?” asked Ripper.

  “Help Coral Jack… and that’s an order.”

  “Captain, I really don’t need much help,” Jack protested, trying but failing to hide his pain.

  “You need more help than I do.”

  Turning to Eli and Ripper, Riggs said, “Watch the windows. If anyone other than me tries to get in, shoot ‘em on the spot.”

  Not allowing his crewmates to say anything more, Riggs walked over to the door, preparing himself to face his rival. Sapphire was standing there, simply watching as the chaos around her unfolded. As he approached her, Riggs pointed to her wand, which was stuck in her stone grip.

  “If he gets the upper hand, I want you to use this.”

  “But… but you told him it was a duel,” said the shocked fairy.

  Leaning closer to her, the Captain whispered, “I lied. If I don’t beat him, kill ‘im.”

  Wide-eyed, Sapphire nodded nervously, staring down at the wand. Giving her a pat on the shoulder, Riggs unlocked and opened the door, stepping out to confront his enemy.

  Jonathan stood in a patch of grass, far away from Riggs. Soldiers surrounded the dueling area, their muskets pointed to the sky. Shaking the butterflies out of his stomach, Riggs strode toward the circle, his grip on the sword tightening. No one, not even the soldiers, spoke one word. The pirate and the nobleman locked eyes as the tension built between them.

  Without breaking eye contact, Jonathan took off his coat, handing it to a nearby soldier. Riggs opted to leave his coat on. Warner scoffed at the decision.

  “You have entered my world now, Captain. You must take off your coat. It is one of the rules of dueling.”

  “Whose rule is that?” asked Riggs.

  *click*

  “It’s mine,” said Warner as the soldier next to Riggs leveled his gun at the pirate’s head.

  With a huff, Riggs took off his coat, laying it on the ground by the door to the house. Pulling the hair out of his face, he prepared his sword and started walking toward Jonathan, who was just now sliding some gloves over his hands. Two soldiers stepped into Riggs’ path, blocking him for the moment.

  His attention diverted for one second, Riggs said, “Oh, ye can’t be… WHOA!”

  He jumped backward as Warner’s sword swung through the small space between the soldiers, just barely missing the pirate. Quickly, the soldiers reclaimed their spots in the circle as Jonathan swung again at Riggs. This time, he blocked the swipe, kicking the nobleman in the kneecap.

  For a moment, it seemed like Jonathan would fall immediately, but he hopped to his feet, retreating away from Riggs.

  “Face me like a man, you coward,” the pirate shouted.

  Tenderly massaging his knee, Warner replied, “It would not be fair if I had to fight on one leg, now would it?”

  “Should’ve thought about that before ye agreed to this fight,” Riggs growled.

  In a sudden offensive move, Riggs ran at Jonathan, driving his feet into his rival’s chest and knocking him backward. Running into a soldier was the only way the nobleman stayed on his feet. W
arner tried to hit the pirate, but Riggs swatted the sword away, only to have to block it when Jonathan spun around and tried to attack from the other side. His skills had certainly improved since the first time the two had fought.

  With Jonathan actually starting to fight back, it forced Riggs to back away. His sword still flew wildly through the air, constantly switching between offense and defense. Warner brought his sword down with the Captain just barely blocking the blade in time to keep it from slicing into his head. In a split second, Riggs punched Jonathan in the gut, flipping him over onto the muddy ground.

  Just in the nick of time, the slippery nobleman rolled to the side, just narrowly avoiding Riggs’ weapon as it stabbed into the ground. Panicking a bit, he grabbed a musket from the nearest soldier and aimed it at the pirate, but he was not quick enough. Riggs grabbed the barrel before he could shoot, jamming the butt of the gun into Jonathan’s ribs. As soon as the musket was free from Warner’s grasp, Riggs wound up and swung it, clipping his enemy’s hand. As Riggs tossed the musket into the air, Jonathan caught it, only to be met with a punch to the face, inadvertently throwing the musket farther away. Blood started to run from Jonathan’s nose, dripping onto the wet grass.

  The Captain hurried back to his sword and ripped it out of the ground, holding Warner at the tip of his blade. The nobleman tried to scoot away, but Riggs just kept walking, the blade always just an inch from Warner’s neck.

  “Are ye ready to give up, Mr. Warner?” Riggs taunted.

  In a remarkable display of footwork, Jonathan caught Riggs by surprise, kicking the sword away from his face and grabbing a soldier’s sword. With a blind swing, he cut into the pirate’s side, the blade catching enough of Riggs’ body to draw blood.

  “Never, you bastard,” Warner cursed, spitting a glob of saliva and blood onto the ground.

  Riggs sliced his sword up in the air, knocking Jonathan’s blade away from him. With that small window of opportunity, he shoved Jonathan into the soldiers behind him, creating enough of a disruption for Riggs to gain the upper hand. He tackled his enemy through the circle of soldiers, knocking down some of the redcoats as well.