Adrift

by Travis Smith

  He threw a hand high in the air and called to them, his wide, carefree grin lighting up his face once again. “Friends! How do? It’s me, John!”

  4

  Maria greeted John with a cheery enthusiasm. “Dear John!” she said, smiling and opening her arms for an embrace as he approached. “We’ve wondered if we’d cross paths again anytime soon.”

  “It appears our fates haven’t finished with us,” John agreed. “Robert,” he said, tipping a nod and clapping the burly man on the shoulder.

  The gruff Robert winked at John and smiled through his thick, substantial beard.

  “Looks like ye two’ve made quite nicely fer yerselves,” John observed.

  “Yes,” Maria replied, taking Robert’s hand in her own. “We’ve been searching for a fresh start for some time now. This island seemed to give you one, so we thought it would be as good a place as any to settle down and try to start a new life together.”

  John nodded, feeling uncomfortable and intrusive being here to ask for their help. Whether it was fate that brought him here or his own subconscious, he couldn’t handle turning face and venturing back out in the jungle alone to fight this battle by himself.

  “What’s the matter, dear boy? You look fit to faint,” Maria said.

  “I—” John stammered. “Well I b’lieve I came here to ask fer yer help.”

  “Of course, sweet boy!” Maria exclaimed reassuringly. She wrapped her arms around John in a tight embrace. “Anything for you. Don’t act as though you’re a burden on us.”

  Maria couldn’t have been much older than John himself, but she had a motherly quality about her. In their short time spent sharing stories, she had mentioned her previous husband, but never any children. John hadn’t thought to ask, but now he found it a shame that she didn’t have any children—at least not any children with her on her journey. She would have made an excellent mother.

  John smiled at her kindness and returned her hug with a half-hearted pat on the back. “You are truly too kind,” he replied. “The man I saved several days ago, he’s in trouble again.”

  Maria’s smile faltered, but her eyes remained soft and warm. “What sort of trouble this time?” she asked.

  John shook his head. “I’m not entirely certain. Another crew of men has come to take him away, I believe.”

  Robert’s face remained stony and unreadable, but the normally silent man voiced his opinion at once. “Why’d ye wanna risk yer life fer that ungrateful git again?”

  John forced a humorless laugh. “Right, he did leave in a bit of a hurry last time.”

  “I’ll say. The ruddy fool took our aid, stole our weapons, ’n’ made off bleedin’ in the night.”

  John nodded. He certainly couldn’t argue against this, and he desperately did not want to continue the conversation, but he felt he must. “Very true,” he agreed, looking back to Maria in hopes that she could step in and rescue him, but she said nothing. “The thing is … I believe the man may be more important than we know.”

  “He may once ’ave been importan’,” Robert grumbled, “but the days o’ kings are done. He ain’t no more important anymore than a grain o’ sand ’neath my feet. An’ he certainly don’ mean diddly to me ’n’ mine.” He put his arm around Maria’s shoulders with a sense of finality that brought a knot to John’s stomach. Maria looked to her lover uneasily, clearly torn between her faithfulness to his wishes and her own desires to help John.

  John, however, stood his ground a moment longer. “I spoke with Eugene, the old man. He’s the one who asked for my help, not The Stranger. He said the man’s on some sort of mission, like a divine quest.”

  Robert scoffed at this, but he said nothing.

  “Eugene spoke of him like he could change the world,” John continued. “Like I was his last hope to make it out of here alive. He’s got some sort of divine decree.”

  “An’ what makes ye think the old monkey don’ got coconuts fer brains?” Robert asked.

  John said nothing.

  “I supported the crown much’s any other man, ’n’ when it fell to The Baron, I’s just as torn up about it as ye, but I won’ risk my life fer a snobby forgotten prince too proud t’ shake my hand.”

  “I really believe there’s more to him than meets the eye,” John pressed. “The Baron hunted him and attempted to kill him. They took his family and left him for dead. I think any man’d be bitter. And even a grain o’ sand serves a purpose. That grain o’ sand beneath your boot is a part of something much bigger. It is a part of this island that’s brought me new life, that could bring new life to ye as well. I believe The Stranger, as you said, is as important as that grain of sand. He’s part of something much larger than us. Of course he’ll never be king, but after speaking with Eugene, I think he can change the course of history.”

  Robert stared at him in silence, and his impassive face worried John, but Maria had tears glistening in her eyes, and she turned to face her lover and put her hands on his cheeks. “Come, Robert,” she said, “we must help him while we’re still able. Isn’t this why we left Lexen? To try and make a difference?”

  “We left Lexen to start a new life ’n’ avoid gettin’ murdered in the streets.”

  “Yes, but what if we can change things, hon? What if we can help get things back to the way they used to be?”

  Robert closed his eyes and sighed, clearly outnumbered. “Ye’d risk yer life to save his?” he asked John.

  John paused, but only briefly. “If there’s even a slight chance I can help change things,” he replied, “then it’s worth the risk.”

  “An’ if ye help the git only to see him off to some swift, vengeful death? If ye lay down yer life to save that?”

  John swallowed hard, grappling with such a prospect in his own mind. “Well,” he shrugged, “at least I can say I tried my damnedest.”

  “We are with you!” Maria exclaimed at last, lifting the taxing weight of loneliness off of John’s shoulders. A lump rose in his throat, and he took Maria and Robert both in a clumsy embrace. That he should meet such wonderful people—so open and willing to risk their own lives for his foolish endeavors—that he should meet such people as soon as he had resigned to taking his own life … It must be a sign that hopeful tides were coming in. But the distant growl of the punisher warned him otherwise.

  “So what shall we do?” Maria asked, ignoring the low crashing in the distance. “How do we help him?”

  John shrugged again, smiling goofily. “I have no idea,” he laughed.

  Robert rolled his eyes closed and brought a hand to his forehead, but John was staring off into the distance. The beast in the jungle had begun stirring and clicking again.

  “Wait,” he said, his mouth hanging agape, “perhaps I do!”

  5

  The crew arrived far sooner than Eugene had warned John. He’d made his way to the eastern shore after leaving Robert and Maria. Here, John had set up camp and kept watch for incoming ships. Only two lonely nights passed before he saw the fancy Barony sails on the horizon. By the dawn following that second night, he returned to his camp, which was hidden in a small alcove of trees just off the shoreline, to spot the ship headed toward the island, fit to make land by midday.

  John rushed back to Maria and Robert’s cabin and knocked on the door. Maria answered the door with a smile. “Come in, John.”

  John shook his head and remained on the step. “Are you ready?”

  “Nearly so,” Maria responded, growing concerned. “What’s the matter?”

  “They’re here,” he said. “It’s time.

  “Oh, dear,” Maria said, turning back into her new home. “Hon, we have to go get ready! The men are arriving!”

  Robert called something muffled from inside the house, and Maria went inside to grab a sword and her proper clothes. Soon after, the two emerged, Maria clinging to Robert’s arm and rushing him out the door.

  “Already?” Robert asked, wiping his breakfast crumbs from his thi
ck beard.

  “Heroes never rest,” John said with a grin, clapping Robert on the back.

  6

  Maria and Robert went off into the jungle as John raced back toward the eastern shore. He arrived in time to gather a small canteen of water and some dried meats and catch his breath to watch the ship sail to shore. He nestled in a fair hiding spot not far from the shore as the men began lowering the sails and tossing out lines to anchor to the ancient, decrepit dock extending off the beach.

  Several men jumped from the ship to tie it to the pier while the rest lowered a large plank from the deck to the dock. Some time passed before a small group of four gruff, well-armed pirates stepped off the ship and began wandering into a vague trail not far from John’s position. The men were dressed in officers’ uniforms from Reprise, but it was clear they were no more than pirates.

  “Where the fuck’re we goin’?” one of the men asked.

  “I been ’ere ages ago wiv me ol’ cap’n! I’m tellin’ ye it’s this way!” a man in captain’s garb said, grumpily pushing his interrogative crewman off to the side.

  “Watch yer bloomin’ bumblin’, Jules, there’s likely snakes ’n’ spiders all in this bloody brush.”

  “Watch yer fuckin’ tongue, matey! I’m yer cap’n now, ’n’ ye can’t speak t’ me like we’re mates.”

  The other two men tittered and fell back to watch the former two continue arguing and stumbling through the thick forest ahead of them.

  John had perfected the art of hunting in the jungle, and a large part of that entailed learning to creep silent and undetected across any terrain. He followed a safe distance behind the party and tracked their sloppy progress toward Eugene’s cabin, sneaking regular glances back toward the shore to ensure that no one else came up and surprised him from behind.

  No one ever came, and the small group finally made it to Eugene’s cabin. Now was the moment of truth. John sat in the thickets surrounding the shack for what seemed a lifetime. What if the men simply slaughtered Eugene and The Stranger on sight? What if Maria and Robert didn’t show up as planned? John couldn’t take on all four men on his own. He had his blade on his hip, but they had four.

  John sat in agonizing silence and stillness, sweat pouring down his hot, nervous face, tickling its way down his bearded chin. The men were taking far too long inside, but Maria and Robert still weren’t there. He scanned the bushes surrounding the cabin, searching for any sign of movement.

  “Hey! Maria!” he chanced in an elevated whisper. If the men inside heard, all would be ruined, but his heart was pounding more painfully in his chest with every passing moment. “Robert!”

  There was no response.

  At long last, the men emerged from the cabin with The Stranger in tow. John saw the familiar sullen face of a man who had long since passed the end of his rope. That face was stubborn and bitter and cared not whether it lived or died, but luckily for The Stranger, John did care. Even if it meant giving his own life, he would do whatever it took to keep that ill-tempered stranger alive.

  The party began making their way back along the trail, and John glanced frantically around one last time, pleading with fate to bring Maria and Robert to his side in the next few moments.

  Fate did not respond, and when the party had left John’s line of sight, he was forced to pursue on his own.

  7

  John followed at a safe enough distance that he couldn’t make out much of what was being said, but the captain and two of the crewmen had fallen back behind The Stranger and were talking quietly amongst themselves. The scrawniest, most mangy of the crew was keeping a close eye on his prisoner, prodding him in the back menacingly with his sword. This last crewman eventually fell back to join his mates and left The Stranger unguarded a ways ahead. If there would be a chance, this was it. He threw one last glance back over his shoulder in a vain hope that he would see his friends in pursuit, but no one was in sight.

  John raced ahead as swiftly as he could while maintaining silence. He remained hidden amongst the trees, but he managed to pull himself alongside the five-man party.

  “Keep yer eye on the pris’ner, Skuttly! Look at ’im way up there!” John heard one of the men call as he looked around frantically for a sign that the time was right.

  He looked down and saw a couple jagged stones half-buried in the sand. He picked one up and tested its weight in his palm. The stone was small enough to throw accurately and heavy enough to sting.

  “Oh, that’ll be the day! Hang me off the crow’s nest by me toesies ’f I let that happen!” the other crewman cackled.

  John reared back and threw the stone at one man who appeared to be paying little attention to his surroundings.

  “Oof!” the man hollered. He fell to his knees, clawing at the back of his own head. “Ow! Ow! Oww!”

  “What fuckery is this?” the captain yelled. John saw him turn to The Stranger and growl threats, pointing his sword at the prisoner’s face.

  “I been stung!” the crewman yelled. “Ooh, blimey, be I dyin’?”

  John watched The Stranger as he looked left and right of the trail. At one point he looked directly at John, who fought a strong urge to begin flailing and signaling the man to break away and run. The captain grabbed his crewman’s head and yelled at his antics. Soon the man who had had his eye on the prisoner all along began slowly encroaching, never looking away from his captive.

  “Damn it,” John muttered. “Run, you fool, while you have the chance!”

  He had to stifle a laugh despite himself when he heard the third pirate chime in about bumbly bees not living in the jungle.

  The captain finally ordered The Stranger forward and John felt his hope sinking yet again. His accomplices were nowhere to be found, and his one spur-of-the-moment plan had failed him.

  At that instant, the punisher beast awoke in the distance, and a low rumble shook the island. The pirates all looked around nervously and began discussing what could produce such a sound. John smiled at their idiocy. The punisher beast must have sensed their darkness and awakened to vanquish them. Perhaps he wouldn’t need his accomplices after all.

  “What in the water-logged fuck was that?” one of the men asked.

  No one responded. Everyone sat in silence and listened as the beast’s clicking growl grew in intensity and approached their position.

  John ignored the beast and kept his eye on The Stranger, who continued to make no move at escape. The scrawny, skulking pirate with a chip on his shoulder still refused to take his eyes off the man.

  After a short discussion, the five men set off again toward the ship.

  John sighed and waited for the party to pass him so that he could fall in behind them once more.

  8

  As full darkness fell upon them completely, John took note that the men had begun to stumble slightly off the path back to their ship. They were turning in another direction, and John’s hope sprang forth anew.

  Before long, the crew stopped and began murmuring insults to one another.

  “We wouldn’ be lost if ye hadn’ insisted we turn left back yonder!” the captain snapped at one of his mates.

  “How come ye can’t find yer own boat?” the man asked, to which his captain whirled and went on a noisy, lengthy tirade.

  John fingered the couple remaining stones he had picked up and placed in his smock pocket. As the captain began ranting about being eaten by the giant, John quietly made his way back around to the side of the group. Surely if he gave The Stranger another opening, the man would take it. He had been so desperate to embark on his journey before that he’d stole away alone in the middle of the night, blood still flowing from his chest, fever still coursing through his veins.

  “Skuttly, what say ye?” the captain called to the man who wouldn’t let The Stranger off his sword’s tip.

  John eyeballed the oafish man he’d nailed before and waited for an opportunity to throw another rock. The captain and Skuttly exchanged murmurs for a few mome
nts before another outburst occurred.

  “You shut yer fuckin’ gob! Yer the one testin’ me!” the thin man screamed at his captive in outrage.

  His captain responded in kind, stepping forward, seizing the man by his neck and whispering harsh threats in his face.

  After more hushed arguing, The Stranger chimed in, but John couldn’t make out what he said.

  “Ye’ll get yer shot, ye prissy would-be king!” the furious crewman yelled in his face.

  His captain grabbed him again, said something else, and reached for his crewman’s sword. The other crewmembers began to laugh, and The Stranger muttered something else, making everyone laugh harder.

  John could no longer make out specifics from the conversations, but the lanky, mangy crewman kept slowly backing away and shaking his head. He’d seen enough. He reared back his fist and hurled another sharp stone at the pirate’s back.

  “Ow! Ow! Ow!” the man yelped, startling everyone in the crew. “The bees be back!” John giggled to himself as the man fell flat on the ground and began writhing in the dirt.

  “What in the furry fuck did I say ’bout yer hollerin’?” the captain screamed, turning on the poor man.

  As soon as this outburst occurred, the outcast crewman dropped to his hands and feet and hurtled himself into the dark jungle straight toward John’s position. John gasped and jumped back as the animalistic man careened right past him into the night. He looked up just in time to see The Stranger bolting in the complete opposite direction.

  “No!” he nearly screamed. The bastard had run the wrong direction, and the pirate captain was ordering one of his remaining men right toward John.