Tales of the Caravan

by J. Avarez

  "Did he hurt you?" Asked Jayden.

  "Why do you care?" Replied Mia. "The reason I'm here is because of you. You're a lying pirate, I can't believe I was too blind to see it."

  "I have a deal with Blackbeard, Mia," said Jayden. "My intention wasn't to hurt you. We need your Secreto. Lying was the only way I could get close enough to you."

  "So everything you told me was a lie?"

  "Yes." He replied, simply.

  She blinked. She could barely believe how calm he looked, how confident he was with what he had done. He had told her he loved her, many, many times. He had sacrificed his time and wealth to impress her. She had even been prepared to give her virginity to him. She just couldn't understand...

  "How could you say that so easily?" She looked at him in disgust. "What kind of monster could say such a thing, have you never felt love before?"

  "I've only ever loved one person, and I shot her in the chest," he replied. "You call me a monster. Well, I won't make any excuses for what I am. I've made tough choices, but if you knew what I knew than you'd understand. This world, Mia...it's so much bigger than you know."

  "I don't believe you," she said, her anger forced her eyes to glaze. "I won't ever believe a word out of your mouth again."

  "You can believe whatever you want," said Jayden. "I know I'm telling the truth. We're trying to save people, not hurt them. That's your father's job."

  "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

  "Nothing."

  Jayden left without another word, and ignored Mia's attempts to argue with him. He locked the door behind him and left her alone again. Her eyes darted as she sat trying to make sense of Jayden's words. She couldn't believe or trust anyone on this ship, she was certain of it. She collapsed into the bed again and fell asleep...she hoped that somehow it was all a dream.

  When morning came, Blackbeard sent one of his men to bring Mia to him. The door swung opened and a scrawny pirate entered the den. Mia had already awoken, and sat at the captain's desk reading his atlas. The fresh source of light stirred Mia to eagerly turn in her seat.

  At the door was a pirate, who looked kind enough. His blue eyes were under a mop of orange hair, and he bowed as he approached the Royal.

  "Good morning, my lady," said the pirate, with a kind smile. "I've come to escort you."

  "And what's your name?" Asked Mia.

  "Darlan is the name," he took her hand and kissed it gently. "The captain would like you to join us for the feast."

  "Does he really," her eyebrows both rose together. "I thought your captain didn't like Royals?"

  "Aye. The captain has issues with the mainland, that be true," Darlan moved toward the door and held it open for Mia. "But, he's found a path that can mend our bridges."

  She was grateful to at least be treated kindly. She had been terrified the moment she arrived on Blackbeard's ship. Brutal beatings and violent killings were all staples on any pirate ship. It seemed that Mia was important to Blackbeard, and she would use that one card to play her way back home.

  Mia stepped out of Blackbeard's den and followed Darlan to the main deck. About forty feet above her was a blanket of black, she had almost forgotten they were beneath a war balloon. To her right she saw the blue sea miles below them, and not a patch of land out on the horizon.

  "I've never seen a ship fly like this before." Said Mia, in awe.

  "The captain bought this beauty at the Black Market," said Darlan. "It cost him nearly all his diamonds, if I remember right. They told him it was a prototype from the empire."

  "If the empire can make ships like this, then it's news to us," Mia stepped onto the deck and saw a streak of red light soar past her face. She yelled and stepped back into Darlan's chest. Two pirates fought near the rail of the ship, both with eyes that glowed brightly beneath the shade. "My god, what the hell is the fighting about?"

  "We have six Secretos onboard, my lady," Darlan explained. "The captain thinks it best to keep those men sharp."

  "So it is true," she reached with her left hand, and felt the blue diamonds around her neck. "This collar is blocking me off from my power."

  "Aye, that be true," said Darlan. "Blue diamonds are a Secreto's only weakness. There incredibly rare, no one is even sure where they come from. But don't worry, we'll have it off ya soon enough."

  The large dining hall beneath the main deck had one long wooden table, which could seat the two hundred men in Blackbeard's crew. The men all had plates filled with pieces of chicken and boiled potatoes. All of them had one hand on a fork and the other on a tankard of wine. Down at the end of the table, she saw the captain lock eyes with her, his hand gestured toward the seat to his left.

  The pirates eyed Mia as she walked toward their captain. Some blew kisses, while others merely stared with their mouths open.

  "Sit straight, the lot of you," Blackbeard barked. "Act like you have sense, we have a Royal with us. This is Mia Rose, daughter to the Caravan Chancellor."

  The pirates muttered to one another as she sat in her seat. Across from her she saw Jayden, his face just as tired as it had been last night.

  "Well ya came at the right time," said one of the pirates. "We were just talking about our best time with a lover."

  "Boggy!" Darlan shouted. "Don't talk about such things in front of the lady."

  "Why not?" Boggy argued. "We've been sailing for months, and have barely gotten a sight of a woman. It be no trouble to have a reminder."

  "Well I hate to disappoint you," said Mia, as she cut through a boiled potato. "But I've never been with a lover. I think their repulsive and immoral."

  "Ah, ya shouldn't say that," Darlan defended. "Some of them are actually kind and beautiful people. Who's that one from Crescent Island?"

  "Cookie." Said Jayden, his face looked dull as he cut through his chicken.

  "Cookie!" The pirates cheered loudly.

  "Now that be a tall goddess," Boggy nodded. "I won't tell a lie to ya my brothers...I cried tears of joy when she disrobed."

  "Aye, I've heard stories," said Blackbeard, his booming voice forced Mia to jump in her seat. "I'm told her hand has been proposed for marriage a thousand times."

  "I took the ring from my wife to give to her," said another pirate, he looked down at his empty tankard and sighed. "No luck though."

  "Pitiful," Mia turned to the other pirates in disgust. "And how many of you have been with this one woman?"

  In seconds, nearly all hands rose into the air. Pirates, cooks, and even a few women that mopped the floor...only Jayden and Blackbeard remained with their hands down. The pirates all looked at each other and exploded with laughter, Mia watched them all with low eyes.

  "Pirates." She muttered, her blonde hair shook with her head.

  "Enough of that, I think ya can learn from the lady," said Darlan, he banged his fork against the tankard to silence the others. He turned to Mia and gave her a kind smile. "You are a Royal, after all. Do it be true that ya tears are made of diamonds?"

  "Don't be stupid," said Boggy wiping his eyes from the laughter. "She's not a god. Don't be believing all that ya hear, ya sound like your skull is full of worms."

  "That was a flattering thought," Mia looked at Darlan. Her mouth stretched into a smile, for the first time since she had been forced onto the ship. "But no, we cry salty tears like anyone else."

  "Not that there’s much to be crying about," said Jayden. "The Royals have never felt fear like us."

  "What you call yesterday, I wonder," Mia retorted. "Or do you think we enjoy the sound of gunfire?"

  She waited for Jayden to say something, but the former captain shifted his eyes back toward his plate.

  "He meant no disrespect, my lady," said Darlan. "It just be hard for a pirate these days, the Nine Seas have gotten worse as of late."

  "Well I'm sorry," she gave Darlan a look of pity. "But that's the life you chose."

  "The pirate’s life is never cho
sen," said Blackbeard. "It be doing the choosing. From a child ya have the blood of thieving in your veins. You’re born to be a sheep or a rebel. There isn’t another way around it."

  "And you think that makes it right?" Asked Mia. "You killed people yesterday and here you all are, laughing and drinking, as if nothing ever happened."

  "Aye, we make no pleas of it," replied Blackbeard. "Sometimes justice be a cruel dish to serve."

  "Justice?" Mia laughed, softly.

  Blackbeard raised his tankard, his green eyes lowered to a squint. "Did I say something amusing?"

  She shook her head and returned to her plate. "I just find it funny to hear a pirate speak of justice."

  "Life is full of paradox," the captain took a sip of wine and slammed his tankard down. "Look at me, the ruthless Blackbeard, known to eat and feed the hearts of men to his crew," his voice had gotten harsh, which moved his men to silence. "But a former priest, a lover of books, and a code against the rape of women. Heh, there be caravan captains who couldn't say the same under truth's tonic."

  The pirates muttered and nodded to their captain words, even Mia found it hard to argue with him.

  "We had no choice yesterday, Ms. Rose," Darlan protested. "We have to break the curse, don't we?"

  "What curse?" Her eyes darted between Jayden and Blackbeard.

  "The curse of the blue moon." Replied Jayden.

  She remembered the rumors she heard back at court. People being turned to stone in the night, it was all so strange for Mia. A blue moon in the sky, a flying ship, and pirates with manners...the world had gotten so much stranger in just a day.

  "You remind me of my daughter, young rose," said Blackbeard, his smile made his massive body seem less intimidating. "She had a fiery spirit like yours, always clawing against what the world wanted her to be. It's why I intend to bring you back safely to your father. I wouldn't inflict that kind of pain to another man, not willingly. The pain of losing your daughter...it's like walking without a heart."

  "What happened to her?" Mia's voice had become soft, she could see the grief upon the captain’s face.

  Blackbeard tilted his head to the left and Mia's eyes followed. She noticed a statue standing next to the wall behind the captain. The screech of wood grinding against wood filled the quiet room, Mia pushed her wooden chair back and rose to her feet. She approached the statue till she was face to face with it.

  The young woman looked to be her age. Mia placed a hand on her face, the stone felt unnaturally smooth against her fingers. She noticed the woman's eyes were tilted upward, probably toward the moon that cursed her.

  "The curse has already begun," said Blackbeard, with a low growl. "Every night, the moon will choose those who see it and turn them to stone forever."

  "Who would release a curse like this?" Asked Mia, softly.

  "A former pirate." Said Darlan.

  "A lady of the evening, you mean." Boggy looked at Jayden and laughed, the crew happily joined in.

  Mia looked at Jayden and, to her dismay, felt the tightness in her chest again. "You mean...?"

  "Yeah," replied Jayden. "The girl I shot...she's the one who released the curse," his silver eyes met hers, with a look anger drawn upon his face. "Sarah Dreamstead."

  Chapter 8 Buried Secrets

  "She's a liar!" Shouted Gizmo.

  "What are you talking about?" Asked Cookie.

  "These guns from the market ain't fire pistols," Gizmo dropped a few guns on the floor and picked one up. He aimed for the wall and fired a bullet. "See? No fire, just regular bullets."

  They were both in Cookie's room, where she had invited Gizmo to stay the night. Though yesterday had been chaotic, she found time to shop and relieve her stress. Her bed was covered with fresh, red sheets and she had found red curtains for her windows. It had only been a night, but her room already smelled of roses as she did, even from outside of her door.

  Cookie took the free time to get dressed for their postponed meeting with the Chancellor. Sarah and Charlotte decided to have a separate meeting in her den, a meeting Cookie wanted no part in.

  "How you think Sarah and Charlotte are doing?" Asked Cookie.

  She had just finished getting dressed, her clothes more suited for battle, upon Sarah's request. She had on a full body, black leather suit, the cost had stripped them off most of the diamonds they looted from the pirate ship. Cookie was pleased though, the suit felt comfortable and looked great with her red hair. She leaned toward her mirror and reached for a stick of red lipstick. Though she liked her captain, she wouldn't allow Sarah to strip her of all her femininity.

  "Hard to say what's going on, ain't it?" said Gizmo. He took a small pistol from the floor, its size was more suitable for the teddy bear. He strapped the gun onto the brown belt tied to his waist. "I mean, I don't think the kid expected her next recruit to want her title."

  "I hope they work something out," she pressed her lips together to even the red on them. "I really like her, and her Secreto is really amazing."

  "We just got to worry about the Chancellor," said Gizmo. "Losing his daughter will cloud his judgment for sure."

  "I know," said Cookie, with a frown. "I can't imagine how he must feel. Blackbeard was just as scary as everyone makes him out to be."

  "The strongest pirate in the world," Gizmo nodded. "You don't get that title without having some weight on your balls. Anyway, let's go get the others. Our meeting is coming up."

  Cookie strapped one of the pistols to her side and left with him to Sarah's den. She stepped onto the main deck and closed her eyes, her freckled nose took in a deep breath of air. The sky had a few clouds, but otherwise it was beautiful sunny day. She felt calm, and enjoyed the scent of seawater, but her nose caught a harsh whiff of smoke.

  She looked toward the boardwalk, and saw one of the houses struck by Blackbeard's attack. The pink townhouse had collapsed from the inside, and a stream of smoke still rose from the rubble. Cookie walked toward the rail of the ship to get a better look, but heard a loud slam.

  Charlotte had swung the captain's door open and stormed out the den. Sarah stepped out after her, her eyebrows and teeth were both clenched.

  "Where do you think you're going?" Sarah demanded.

  "Away from you," Charlotte clenched her fist and continued toward the ramp. "Before I knock you in your face."

  Cookie approached Charlotte and grabbed her gently. Charlotte snapped her head up at Cookie, almost prepared to shout at her. Her kind face and blue eyes lightened Charlotte's face, she quickly looked away to hide her blushed cheeks.

  "What's going on?" Asked Cookie, her face looking quite concerned. "It's not good for us to fight."

  "Well, maybe we should let them fight a bit." Gizmo suggested. He smiled widely and tapped his fingers deviously together.

  "I'm not trying to fight her," said Sarah, with her finger pointed toward Charlotte. "But she needs to understand how it's going to go on this ship. You can be second in command, but I'm the captain."

  "You don't even have a Secreto," Charlotte retorted. "How do you think you can be a captain, you're not even the strongest person on this ship?"

  Rocky walked out of Sarah's den and stood by her side. Kyla also rose from her bucket of fish and let out low cry. Charlotte's eyes darted between the two creatures and found Sarah's green gaze. The silence between them unnerved Cookie, who could only hear the muffled voices of those on the boardwalk.

  "I was strong enough to make it here," said Sarah, her voice was as cold as her glare. "I was strong enough to get a dragun, and a friend to join me. What have you done? I heard from the others in town, they denied you because you couldn't get anyone to join your crew. Don't ever look down on me because of what I don't have. Your Secreto is what's strong, Charlotte, not you."

  Her eyes widened, Sarah regretted her last words as soon as she spoke them.

  Charlotte shook her head slightly and gave Sarah tired look. "I'm glad you were
honest."

  "I didn't mean that," Sarah's eyes followed Charlotte as she walked toward the boarding ramp. "I'm sorry, I was just angry!"

  Charlotte ignored her and stepped off the ship, Cookie followed close behind her.

  "Charlotte," she shouted. She chased Charlotte and stopped her by the boardwalk. "Hey! Wait up, don't leave. Talk to me."

  She grabbed Charlotte's shoulders and spun her around. The tactician adjusted her glasses with a finger and gazed at the boardwalk floor.

  "I can't sail with her," said Charlotte. "She's a bitch, and I don't play well with others, especially if I'm sober! I knew this was a mistake."