A Red Sky Is Upon Us

by Ryan Gilbert

  Scared half to death, Julia asked, “But… what’s that have to do with the emerald?”

  “Legend has it… that when Ororis tried to destroy all those who sailed the sea, she didn’t have enough power. Her curse nearly killed her, but she survived… but only because of somethin’ very similar to that there emerald.”

  “I still don’t quite get it.”

  Petey sighed and said, “None o’ the other crewmembers believe me when I say this.”

  He continued, “Hundreds of years ago, there were men and women who roamed the world… but they weren’t normal. They had magical powers. Whether they were given those powers by the gods or whether they were simply born with ‘em, no pirate knows… very few even care ‘bout it anymore. When these… people, I guess ye’d call ‘em… found out they were dying, most o’ them decided to let their powers die with ‘em. A select few did not. They wanted to live forever… but when they tried to save their power, they succeeded… at the cost of their own lives.”

  Julia let her fingers run across the edges of the emerald as she listened intently to the pirate’s story.

  “I’m willin’ to bet that what you have there is one of the objects filled with that magic… perhaps even the magic that Ororis seeks.”

  Julia’s fingers stopped.

  She looked down at the necklace and back up at Petey’s wrinkled face. She did not want to believe that such things existed. Magic? It was a child’s tale, told by drunken sailors to scare each other. That was what her father had said. Then again, Julia had seen a mermaid, another thing her father told her was not real.

  “I can see why the crew doesn’t believe you, Pete.”

  “But it’s true, Ms. Hamond… legends have to be proven false, otherwise there’s some truth to ‘em. All of ye on the island saw Ororis with yer own eyes, didn’t ye?”

  “We did… and she seemed pretty powerful,” said Julia, remembering the gigantic, red beam of light blasting into the sky, “But surely there’s another explanation other than magic.”

  The look on Petey’s face said otherwise.

  “Isn’t there?” asked Julia.

  “Trust me, Ms. Hamond… that emerald is the reason we need to get as far away from her as possible.”

  BOOM *splash*

  It sounded like a cannonball had just missed the ship.

  “A ship’s gaining on us… and it don’t look friendly,” someone yelled.

  Both Riggs and Julia got to the wheel at the same time. Julia hastily hid the necklace under the collar of her dress while Riggs tried to make sense of what was going on. Nobody had foreseen this happening to them. They had gotten away. The Captain tried to get a good look at the ship that was following them. Clint paused at the wheel to take a quick glance. When the clouds parted and the moon shone bright, the silhouette of the Black Fog stood out in great detail.

  “Oh… my… God… we’re doomed,” said the frightened navigator.

  BOOM

  Another cannonball flew past the ship. Riggs shoved Clint aside and took the wheel. He was not going to let the Red Sky get torn apart without fighting or fleeing. Julia crouched down next to the wheel, trying to shield herself as best she could.

  “Ready the cannons!” Riggs screamed to his crew.

  BOOM

  He spun the wheel, narrowly missing a cannonball.

  BOOM

  Another shot past, taking with it a chunk of the rail.

  By now, the wind had picked up and the Red Sky sped forward, but the Black Fog was gaining fast. Its sails were already full of a favorable wind while the fleeing pirates tried hard to get the wind into the sails, and only succeeded a little. Soon, Riggs could almost hear the sound of their pursuers over the sound of the waves breaking against the ship’s bow.

  Shots rang out as the men on the Black Fog started to blast at the crew with their pistols. As a crewmember ran up the steps to the wheel, one of the shots hit him and he fell head over heels down the stairs.

  One shot buried itself in the wood of the wheel, startling Riggs and causing him to take cover. Without a hand to guide it, the ship slowed and spun whatever way the wind took it.

  BOOM

  The cannons resumed once more, blasting away at the Red Sky. One cannonball smashed through a lantern, spilling glass and oil over the side of the ship. Another blasted through another section of rail, sending it and several crewmembers splashing into the water.

  The crew of the Red Sky tried to fight back, but the Black Fog was too strategic. It stayed just behind the pirate’s ship, weaving back and forth to keep itself protected.

  BOOM

  BOOM

  After several more cannon blasts, hooks were thrown onto the Red Sky and the ships were hauled closer together.

  Eli shouted, “Should we fire now, Captain?”

  Riggs yelled back, “No! If they have powder kegs on that thing, you’d blow us all up.”

  The crew of the Red Sky fought their hardest against the attackers. The Fog’s crew leapt out of the darkness, catching most of the pirates by surprise. From what the pirates could see, their attackers were clothed in garments and armor from various different time periods. Were they the ghosts from Isla de Dolor? There was not enough time to find out as the crew fought for their lives. Ripper shot at the men as they tried to board, but his guns were knocked out of his hands before he could reload them. Coral Jack was flailing his sword around, holding back two men at once, but only for a couple moments. Eli and Doc were trying to stop the men from advancing any further, but they were soon knocked to the ground.

  Riggs stabbed one man in the gut and kicked him down the stairs, stopping the frontal assault. Without any notice, he felt arms grab him and cold steel pressed against his neck. He tried to break loose, but he could not maneuver his sword at all. The Red Sky was defenseless.

  As he stood there, Riggs could see Julia and his crew, all with swords to their throats and guns to their heads. Reluctantly, Riggs dropped his sword to the ground. Any kind of attack would result in someone dying.

  Everyone was forced to the main deck. Their attackers were rough and barbaric, not hesitant to throw them on the ground or shove them to their knees.

  One of the men strode up to Riggs and said, “So… this is what yer idea of an escape is?”

  Before he could respond, Riggs was flat on the deck after a massive punch to the nose. Through a blurred gaze, he saw Julia being held on her knees, unable to help him, though she was definitely trying.

  The men of the Black Fog broke out in fits of laughter and began to beat their helpless prisoners. Riggs was still reeling from the punch, but when he saw one of the attackers about to hit Julia, he leapt to his feet and grabbed the man’s arm.

  “No one… lays a hand on her,” he growled.

  *click*

  The man had his gun trained on Riggs’ head in less than a second.

  “Um… parlay?”

  The man looked around to his crewmates. As they showed signs of relenting their attacks, albeit unwillingly, the man scowled and lowered his gun.

  “Yer comin’ wit’ me, scum,” he barked.

  The Captain was dragged off of his ship and onto the Black Fog without any further altercations. Riggs tried to observe his surroundings as he was rather forcefully escorted to the captain’s cabin. The ship looked larger than the Red Sky in every way possible. It had more cannons. It had larger sails. It could certainly carry more people.

  The immaculately carved doors to the captain’s cabin opened to greet Riggs, and then they were closed to trap him. There was barely any light in the room. Only the light of the moon shone through the glass windows.

  Near the back of the cabin, Riggs saw the shadow of a female figure. In the moonlight, he could see the red and black hair falling over her shoulders.

  “Ororis, I assume?” he asked, trying not to show his fear.

  With a flick of her finger, the candles and lanterns in the room burst to life, basking her pale skin in
orange light. Her red eyes bore deep into Riggs’ soul as he stood there. A buttoned shirt now covered the skulls on her chest and black boots clung to her slender legs.

  “Captain Riggs… I see you’ve heard of me.”

  “Aye.”

  “Then you know that this… cessation of battle… is merely a gift from me. Sit down.”

  “I’d rather stand.”

  Smiling so that the tips of her fangs gleamed in the light, she responded, “As you wish, Captain.”

  His hand instinctively went to his side, but his sword was not there. He shuffled his feet a little, trying to relieve his tension.

  “Are you frightened by me, Captain Riggs?”

  As a bead of sweat ran down his neck, Riggs answered, “I think ye know the answer to that already.”

  Running her finger across her near-white cheeks, she asked, “And what is it that scares you? Is it my teeth that have ripped out the throats of many men? Is it my influence over easily-seduced sailors? Or is it… my unlimited power?”

  With a mere gesture, purple mist shot out of her hand and surrounded Riggs. He tried to move away from it, but it encircled him and forced him closer to the mermaid.

  “You have something that I want, Captain… and I’m not going to stop until I get it.”

  The mist then formed a noose around his neck and yanked him off the ground. Desperately, he tried to claw his fingers beneath the noose, but it was already too tight. Ororis casually kicked a chair underneath him, toying with him as he gasped for breath during the sudden reprieve.

  “I think you know what I want.”

  “And what makes ye… *wheeze*… think that I’d… *cough*… just give it to you?”

  Ororis smiled devilishly, then slapped Riggs across the face. If he was not going to comply, then she would relish in belittling him.

  She cackled and said, “You delusional, little, insignificant pirate… you actually think you can resist?”

  The noose tightened once more, hauling Riggs off his feet. The mist bit into his skin, just like a real rope would. He could not breathe.

  Just as he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, it released him completely. He fell to the floor in a crumpled mess, trying to force air back into his lungs.

  Ororis grabbed the helpless pirate by the hair and pushed him against the wall. He was too weak to do anything at the moment.

  “What I am looking for is an emerald. I know you have it… and you will give it to me now.”

  Riggs coughed and sputtered.

  “What was that, Captain? I couldn’t hear you.”

  Rubbing his throat, Riggs had to think of a plan. He had to get away from Ororis. He had to get off the ship. So many things were running through his mind, it was hard to process them.

  “What’s in it… *cough*… for me?” he asked, trying to buy some time to think.

  Ororis strode over to him and said, “What’s in it for you? Your reward will be the same as this crew. You’ll be immortal, free to roam my seas for eternity.”

  Immortality? Roaming the seas forever? Notoriety? Riggs felt a part of him leap at the proposition. Those were things that he wished would happen. Was that not the reason that he had led the mutiny to take over the Red Sky?

  Instantly, his heart suppressed his greed and reminded him of what he really wanted. The burning sensation in his chest was not because of everlasting life or eternal reign of the seas. It was because of the Red Sky and his crew. It was because of Julia. It was because of love.

  Ororis was standing inches from his face, her pale nose nearly touching his.

  “What do you say, pirate?” she hissed, baring her fangs through her red smile.

  Shrugging his shoulders, Riggs said, “That’s a mighty fine offer there, but…”

  A little befuddled by the response, Ororis asked, “But what?”

  “… I prefer the life of a pirate, not a slave.”

  BOOM

  A cannon suddenly went off, blasting a hole in the Black Fog. People were yelling as they tried to figure out what was happening. Ororis was distracted for a second as she looked to the cabin doors and saw the shadows of her men rushing around outside. That second was all that Riggs needed.

  Kicking the mermaid away from him, he ran as fast as he could toward the doors. Ororis was too quick. She leapt onto his back and dragged him to the ground. He could hear her heavy breathing as she prepared to sink her teeth into his neck.

  Rolling over, he flipped her off of his back and stumbled to his feet. Grabbing a bottle from a nearby table, he whipped it at her head, but she quickly dodged it.

  “You know that’s a waste o’ good rum,” he said as he slipped behind the cabin’s large desk.

  Ororis hissed as she circled the desk, always staying directly opposite of Riggs.

  “You were a fool to reject my proposal, Captain.”

  Like a cat, she crawled onto the table. Riggs was stuck between her and the large glass window that covered the back of the cabin. The flash of cannons lit up the window with flashes of light.

  “Now I will take the emerald for myself.”

  Lightning shot out of her hand, but Riggs grabbed a chair and managed to shield himself from the onslaught.

  When he dropped the chair to the ground, he could see that the mermaid was getting increasingly frustrated.

  “Well… enough playing around… this time, you will die.”

  Thrusting her hands toward Riggs, Ororis shouted, “Acer Morte!”

  Red sparks fell from her fingers. Riggs ducked behind the desk, waiting for something to happen. After a few seconds, when nothing happened, he stood up.

  Ororis was really angry now. She leapt at the Captain, but he caught her in mid-air. She tried to scrape and claw at him, baring her fangs and hissing as he lifted her higher in the air. With all of the strength he could muster, Riggs tossed her against the window, her body shattering the glass and falling to the ocean below. As the cannons flashed, he could see her legs turn back into her black fin as she fell into the water.

  Dashing onto the main deck of the Black Fog, Riggs could see the place was in turmoil. Grabbing a passing sailor’s sword, Riggs joined in the fight. His crew had gotten free and were holding their own against Ororis’s men. He saw Coral Jack and Ripper tossing their attackers over the rail. Clint was at the helm, trying to pull away from the ship.

  Ducking under a blade, Riggs swung his sword and cut the man in the stomach. Another sailor tried to tackle the Captain’s legs, but Riggs jumped onto a cannon, letting the man smash his head into the iron. One tossed a cleaver at Riggs, but the pirate deflected it with his sword, indirectly cutting a rope attached to the cannon.

  Riggs tried to keep his balance as the cannon swung to the right, smacking a sailor in the face and destroying a portion of the rail. Multiple other men rushed at the cannon, finally realizing that their leader was not there to help them.

  Grabbing the unconscious sailor’s gun, Riggs held it to the cannon, pulled the trigger, and let the spark light the fuse. The Black Fog’s crew dove out of the way as the cannonball smashed through the deck and obliterated the wheel. The ship’s rudder swung freely, unable to be controlled.

  Dodging swords to get to the rail, Riggs tried to get his navigator’s attention, but Clint was a bit busy holding off his own opponent. Cornered, the Captain shouted and waved his arms as his blade smashed against steel.

  Sticking his sword through the attacking sailor, he noticed Julia hiding by the wheel of the Red Sky. After a couple seconds, she noticed Riggs trying to hold off the Fog’s men.

  In between cannon blasts, he yelled, “Hard to starboard!”

  Panicked, she vigorously nodded her head and yanked the wheel to the side, turning the ship away from the Black Fog. The gangplanks fell to the water below and the hooks holding the ships together ripped out of the wood. The back of the Red Sky nearly smashed into the deck of the Black Fog, driving many of the sailors away from Riggs.

 
After a running start, Riggs leapt off the rail just as the back of his ship passed in front of him. For a couple seconds, he flew through the air as guns and cannons exploded all around him. Shielding his face, he smashed through the window to his cabin, stumbling and rolling across the floor.

  Riggs lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Everything was happening so fast that it was hard to process. When he thought that everything was over, he stood up on wobbly legs.

  Nearing the hole, he looked back to the Black Fog, sailing aimlessly as the crew struggled to mend the damages. He smiled to himself as the distance between the two ships grew.

  SCREEEEEECH

  Riggs grabbed his ears. In a second, time seemed to slow as Ororis flew out of the water, trying again to capture the emerald. Instinctively, the Captain snatched a knife from the table next to him and tossed it straight at the mermaid.

  In the moonlight, Riggs saw her eyes widen and her scream end as the knife sank into her shoulder. She crashed into the back of the ship, falling into the water for the final time.

  Rid of the mermaid, Riggs pushed open the doors to his cabin. His crew had managed to rid the ship of all of the attackers, their dead bodies strewn all over the deck. Doc was already hard at work nursing the pirates’ wounds.

  Surveying the deck, Riggs could see about a fourth of his crew lying dead on the ground. The ship itself needed some tending to as well. The Black Fog’s cannons had done their job almost too well. Splintered wood covered the entire deck.

  Clint rushed up to him, embraced him, and exclaimed, “Captain, we thought we’d lost ye there.”

  “You almost did, Clint. How’d ye manage to fire the cannons?”

  “Petey did, the old chap. The Fog’s men never found ‘im ‘til it was too late.”

  Once his friend released his embrace, Riggs was bombarded with questions from the rest of the crew.

  “How are we supposed to survive another attack like that?”

  “What should we do with the bodies?”

  “Do ye think ‘ey’d come back?”

  “What is dere dat we can do? We can’t survive if dat mermaid keeps comin’ after us.”