by David Talon
I was slowly nodding as I said, “And no one ever knew she cried. Your words give me comfort.”
“I thought they might. Now,” her voice becoming matter-of-fact, “eat up what is in the pot and take the captain’s advice.”
“Yes Mother Jade,” I said with a wry smile. I found a wooden spoon and ladled out half the porridge into a wooden bowl and mixed in the salt pork, and then the raisins into the second, while Star made a small air-golem and dipped me a tankard of Sweetwater, which I drank right off. Then I let the little ones draw enough strength so they could play and turned them loose, climbing up the stairs to the deck above. I saw Jade was right, the crew taking their time going through massive chests filled with shining gold Reales down to tiny Artifact boxes containing a few gold rings, along with more mundane items like bolts of red and green cloth and a set of clay pipes. So I stretched out inside the grey-wood shelter over the captain’s cabin and let the ocean’s endless murmur lull me to sleep.
In time I dreamt I was back on Big Bluff Island...except this time we were at war. Shadowmen firing large muskets or using infernal devices made of iron and Artifact were defending against Artifact golems, hundreds of them, while human soldiers marched behind them bearing Artifact muskets and swords. They were led by dragons, real dragons, except they weren’t anything like the mythical dragons I read about in stories. One was small but shone with a brilliant white light, another looked like an orange and black striped beast, while another was a creature wrapped in fire and smoke, and above them all was a dragon with skin that shone like a green jewel. Leading the dragons was a black monster, a dragon as large as the mighty golem I’d seen inside of Big Bluff, and as it roared defiance a gigantic three-headed Cerberus rose up on the crest of Big Bluff hill and roared in response.
Suddenly the roar became words as my shoulder was shaken. “Hoy, Tomas; wake up.”
My eyes snapped open. “What, what is it...Jeremiah?”
My best friend shook his head, trying to look stern but failing as he knelt beside me. “There he is, the bold Dragon pirate Tomas Rios, snoring mightily on the deck of his ship. You aren’t going to do your legend any favors if you sleep right through your adventures, you know.”
I rubbed grit from my eyes as I looked at him. “Bloody bones, you aren’t making any sense.”
Master Khan squatted down in front of the entrance to the small shelter. “The gold has been given out to the crew, and thus the wine shoppes of Tortuga have been busy, yes? Many tales are being told about the attack upon a galleon full of Shadowmen, and the crew is speaking highly of your bravery leading the attack.”
I gaped at Master Khan, suddenly feeling like a young boy being pulled out to sea by an ocean current too strong to fight against as Jeremiah clapped me on the shoulder and backed out of the shelter. “Stop worrying: we’ll use it to our advantage when we begin recruiting. Right now the three of us have to get cleaned up for the betrothal ceremony.”
There was a look on Jeremiah’s face like he was holding back laughter, and I gave him a suspicious look. “Is there something about this ceremony you’re not telling me?”
Jeremiah grinned. “Only that most of Tortuga town’s people are coming to see it.”
Master Khan gave my friend a disapproving look. “The Mulatto is using Whistling John’s share to pay for your betrothal party, and others of the crew have contributed as well. Each share was unusually large, yes? So the festival will be able to host everyone who wishes to come.”
“Tortuga’s always looking for a reason to hold a festival,” Jeremiah remarked, “especially when the rum’s free. Now come on; everything begins at sunset, and we’ve got to be ready.” I crawled out of the shelter and followed them to the rope ladder, where we stripped out of our clothes and climbed down the ladder into the salt water. The sea was warm as a bath, and Master Khan passed me a chunk of soap which I used before passing it to Jeremiah, the sun behind us sinking slowly behind the hills of Tortuga as we climbed back up again and rinsed in a barrel of fresh water.
Master Khan got dressed again in leather trousers and his painted vest before handing me and Jeremiah new clothes, Jeremiah getting a white ruffled shirt and blue trousers, along with a purple sash he seemed pleased with. I was dressed in white, from my trousers and shirt with whalebone buttons, each one carved by hand into an intricate shape, to the white sash he wrapped around my waist. Then he tied a white cloth bandanna around my head. “This is a tradition of your mother’s people,” Master Khan said as he adjusted the cloth where it rested on my forehead. “The Bo were very close to the ancient Atlantians, yes? Captain Black believes their ceremony is the closest thing to the one your mother’s people once used, since the Bo take most of their rituals from the ancient Dragons, so to honor Long-Mu he has decided to use the Bo’s betrothal ceremony tonight.”
I froze. “Captain Black’s the one conducting the ceremony?”
“He was quite insistent,” Master Khan said with a smile as he stepped back. “There are more rituals to observe, so follow me, yes?” I shared a look with Jeremiah, who seemed just as mystified as I was, and we padded barefoot after Master Khan, the three of us reaching the main hold and starting down the ladder. The main hold was a cavernous empty space smelling of wood, spice, and metal, the only thing inside it the enormous dragon-golem, which raised its head as we reached the bottom.
The dragon-golem was sitting like a dog on its belly waiting for its master, the ghostfire in its eyes like twin candle flames of blue fire as Jade spoke from inside it. “Tomas, one of my sisters is with us to help in the ceremony. Her name is Storm.”
Jeremiah looked as surprised as I was. “The same Storm who used to serve Francis Drake?”
From the empty air beside the dragon-golem’s head, the voice of an older woman said, “One and the same. I serve Captain Black now, since he’s one of the strongest Dragons in the New World, and he has a message for me to pass on to you. It’s not enough to have you lead the fight against Olde Roger as you are; you have to become a legend in order to rally men to our cause, and that legend begins tonight.”
The knot of fear returned as I looked at the dragon-golem and said, “Legend? Jade, what’s she talking about?”
“You led the crew of the Blackjack Davy to a great victory over Captain Thorne,” Jade replied. “Men will remember this, as they will remember the victories to come.”
I was shaking my head. “Jade, if anyone deserves the credit, it’s Captain Hawkins. If he hadn’t planned it out, we never would’ve stood a chance.”
“I agree,” Jade replied, “just as the Davy would have been overwhelmed had Shadow-viper and I not planned Captain Cholula’s timely intervention. Tomas,” her voice becoming gentle, “men do not remember who plans attacks, only who leads them, and they will remember that, when they had lost all hope, you were the one who led them to victory.”
“With a lot of help from your brothers-in-arms,” Jeremiah said, “and don’t think we aren’t going to let you forget it.”
I shared a grin with my friend as Storm’s voice said, “Captain Black is almost at Holystone beach with your betrothed, as well as everyone in Tortuga able to be there. The ceremony is about to commence.”
“The Atlantians,” Jade said, “like the Bo who share their rituals, were a sensual people who did not have marriage as mankind does, one woman and one man bound together for life. But they did have a ceremony where two people would commit to each other for a period of time, with certain liberties spelled out during the ceremony.” Without explaining what she meant her voice became brisk. “Khan and Jeremiah are acting as your First-Brothers, so their part of the ritual is to scout the way and make sure all is safe then stand with you as protection.” Her voice became amused. “Evidently, this was to keep the groom from being challenged by someone who wanted to stand in his place, which is not a problem for the Bo since they never fight among themselves. But they preserved the t
radition just the same.”
The air swirled, picking up dust and a few missed coins as our hair was blown back from the large whirlwind before us. Then it vanished with a pop, replaced by a great air-golem of a white horse with its mane and ankles as frothy as sea-foam. Jeremiah looked up at a horse taller than any we’d ever seen and said, “You don’t expect us to ride that, do you?”
The horse cocked its head as Storm’s voice came from it. “I expect you to climb on my back. Once you’re on, I’ll hang onto you both and carry you across.” Jeremiah looked as dubious as I would’ve been in his place, but the air-golem horse dropped down to its knees and he climbed on behind Master Khan, who somehow seemed to belong on a horse’s back. As the horse climbed back up to its feet, something like straps folded themselves over both men’s legs. The horse reared, and a moment later galloped up the ladder, Master Khan looking delighted and Jeremiah terrified as it reached the deck and galloped off in the direction of the shore.
Apprehension stabbed me in the bowels as I looked at the dragon-golem. “So...what am I supposed to do?”
“Use the scales to climb up,” Jade answered. “They are flexible plates with round edges, and when you reach the top you will see a large scale molded like a saddle.”
Gingerly at first, I began climbing up the golem’s shoulder until I reached the spot just behind its shoulder blades, where the raised back plates turned out to be a saddle, just like she’d said. I raised myself up then slid my legs into holes designed to hold me in place, my entire lower torso protected on all sides. There was even a handle built into the front part of the saddle for me to hold onto if I wanted. “This isn’t the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever sat in, but I suppose I’ll get used to it. Was this golem like a warhorse?”
“Perhaps,” Jade answered, “but tonight we shall use it to make a grand appearance.”
I took a deep breath. “Do I need to know anything about the ceremony ahead of time? You know, memorize words or do something specific?”
“Captain Black will talk you through anything you need to do. Are you ready?”
“As ready as I can be, I guess.”
Jade’s voice became quiet, and I realized she wasn’t speaking to me but to someone else. “It begins here, my love, whether it be the death of all or the beginning of something new, the time of waiting is over. It begins here.”
The dragon-golem rose to its feet, and I clung to the handle as it reared back and leaped through the hatch, landing on the deck with a loud thump. Jade only paused a moment then ran down the length of the ship, avoiding hanging ropes and spars as it’s claws clicked on the grey-wood deck, until we reached the bow with the figurehead of the mermaid beneath. The dragon-golem didn’t hesitate but leaped into the air so I could only see the stars beginning to appear in the evening sky for a moment, before we landed in the water with a splash and I saw the beach.
A huge crowd was waiting. People were carrying fire burning torches as well as dragon-globes, so I could see the men dressed in flamboyant clothes as well as the simple clothes of a tradesman, while the women all seemed to be wearing dresses. In front of them were soldiers wearing Artifact coat-of-plate armor. In front and to the left of the soldiers were Captain Cholula’s men while to the right were Captain Hawkins and the crew from the Davy. Standing between them and in front of me was a black haired man with a thick beard halfway down his chest. He was dressed in dark trousers and a ruffled shirt, his captain’s coat red as blood with its gold buttons glittering in the light of the brightfire torches set up around him in a semi-circle. His boots went up to his knees.
Master Khan was facing Redbeard, who was dressed in tartan, while Jeremiah faced Sally, who wore a blue dress leaving much of her exposed to the breeze coming off the ocean behind me. Between them and behind the black haired man was a slender figure in white robes wearing a white veil over her face. As we splashed our way towards the shore everyone turned to look, several women screaming as some men went for their weapons or loudly cursed, but the black haired man merely smiled as the dragon-golem stopped on the sand made smooth by the ocean’s caress, and sank down to a crouch again.
I climbed out of the saddle and, instead of climbing down, leaped off the golem to the sand below. I landed on my feet in a crouch and rose up, the pleased look on Jeremiah’s face letting me know I’d done something right as I walked up towards the others, who were waiting. As I stopped between my friend and Master Khan I remembered something Belle-M’ere had said about always being courteous if you didn’t know what else to do, so I gave the black haired man the best bow I could before straightening back up again. “Captain Black, I presume, sir?”
He gave me a courteous half-bow in return, but I noticed his eyes never looked away as he straightened up himself. “Guilty as charged, Tomas... or should I call you ‘Tomas the Bold’, as I understand some now say?” I shrugged and beneath his finely combed beard, Captain Black smiled. “I know you wanted your betrothal to be just you and Pepper, and I wish I could have given you what you both wanted.” The smile left his face. “But there’s no way I can do that now. I’ve known for some time what Olde Roger’s intentions are, but it’s hard to get men to see past the tips of their own noses sometimes, especially pirates. But glory now, the chance to have your name live on beyond your death, that’s something pirates do pay attention to, especially if there’s a chance you will be rich as a lord at the end of the adventure. I’ve needed someone who could lead them to that glory and it seems Providence has delivered you to me just in time.” He stared at me for a moment. “I wish with all my heart you were a true Dragon like your mother was, but regardless, we will fight this war until either we are dead or Olde Roger is.”
The crowd behind the soldiers was beginning to get restless, and Captain Black whispered in Sally’s ear. She put her fingers to her lips and gave a piercing whistle, all of us close by putting our hands over our ears as the crowd went still. Captain Black turned and faced them. “We have gathered here to witness the betrothal between Tomas the Bold and Pepper, daughter to the infamous pirate, ‘Red-Hand’ Meg, whom some of you still remember. No doubt you wonder why I have gone to such lengths to make this ceremony so formal, so let me explain.
“We like to believe we drown our old lives when we come to the New World from the Olde, but our old lives will often come back to haunt us in unexpected ways. Dragons live longer than ordinary men, if we don’t get ourselves killed, and eighty years ago I fought alongside the Chinese Dragon Long-Mu when she saved the arses of Pope Paul’s naval alliance from destruction. When the battle was over I begged her to let me join her crew, and to everyone’s surprise, including my own, she said yes.” He glanced over at Captain Hawkins. “I was not there when Captain Drake and his men sailed in, but I was with her when court politics forced Long-Mu to flee for her life,” he pointed at me, “carrying her son within her womb. The day after she gave birth aboard her ship I was sent to St. Augustine to scout for a wet nurse to keep the babe, and Fate was kind for I found one...Johanna Rios.”
He seemed to sigh. “It was only to be for a short time, but Olde Roger caught up with us before Captain Drake, and none of those who survived ever spoke of the child, for fear Olde Roger’s spies would discover who and where he was.” His voice grew louder. “But now the time has come to break that silence. In ancient times a man’s family fought alongside him in times of war, and any who swear a Dragon-oath with Tomas this night becomes his brother. But mark my words,” Captain Black’s voice growing sharp, “any who swear tonight will see this through until the end, be it bitter or sweet, for the oath you will swear shall not release you until either Olde Roger is dead or you are.” Everyone remained silent as he looked around. “Who among those gathered here will swear?”
Jeremiah stepped in front of him. “Maybe I can get Tomas to start fighting alongside me instead of taking off like a ball out of a pistol.”
“Good luck,” Captain Black mu
rmured before raising his voice again. “Clasp the other’s forearm.” We did so and I drew a deep breath as large claws painlessly penetrated my abdomen. “Jade will seal the oath. Do you both swear to become a brother to the other, to fight against the enemies of your new family, no matter whom, until death parts you or the world ends?”
“I swear it,” I said.
“I swear it as well,” Jeremiah said.
We embraced then he let me go as Master Khan took his place. “I will take my place as a Son of Tengri and fulfill the oath I should have sworn to Long-Mu so many years ago.”
I held out my arm. “Only if you’ll do it as my brother; I won’t swear this oath any other way.”
He clasped my forearm. “As your brother then.” Captain Black said the words and we swore the Dragon-oath together.
Mr. Smith walked up beside me next, and I felt some of the tension in my shoulders ease itself out as I said in a quiet voice, “I know you said you’d swear the oath, but you don’t know how glad I am to see you anyway.”
He chuckled in his deep rumble. “I can imagine.” Then he put his mouth next to my ear, so I’d be the only one to hear his words. “Do you know why I decided to swear an oath to become your brother?”
“It’s not because of Olde Roger?”
He shook his head. “Because back in St. Augustine you treated Jeremiah as a brother and not as a piece of property, that’s why.”
