Tales of the Caravan

by J. Avarez

  "He's changed a lot since he became captain, though," Poppy reached into one of Cookie's bags, and held up a green straw hat in front of her face. She stared between the spaces of the green straw and sighed. "I don't blame that girl for not wanting to talk about him, Mother told us he tried to kill her."

  “I don’t believe it,” said Holly, she snatched the hat from her sister, and happily wore it over her black hair. “Jayden’s a good guy. He’d always donate a share of his diamonds, and send food to the islands without. Reminds me of Bonny, actually. I can’t see him turning to a life of piracy.”

  “He shot her in the chest,” said Cookie incredulously, with a finger pointed to her breast. “I saw the wound! Trust me, I think you’re letting your feelings cloud your judgement.”

  “No I’m not,” replied Holly hotly. “You all are just starting out as a caravan. There’s a bunch you guys still don’t know. You probably haven't even awakened your Secretos yet. You're still rookies, trust me, this world is a lot bigger and a lot stranger than you think. A captain’s actions mean nothing without definition, there’s no telling what kind of game Jayden’s playing.”

  It was impossible to know what captains were thinking, especially those who walked the thin line between caravan and pirate. The bit of awakened Secretos particularly sparked Charlotte’s interest. Being one of the lucky few born with a Secreto, she had always kept an ear out for such fantastic stories. Whispers would often reach Port Ruby, tales of captains possessing stronger forms of their powers, able to slay the most fearsome monsters of the Nine Seas. Charlotte pushed the thought out of her mind, the topic after all was too advanced for them. Only an experienced captain could give her the answers she wanted.

  The girls soon reached Kyla by the port. The dragun was in deep slumber, with her blue slippery head resting comfortably upon the boardwalk. Gizmo paced around the main deck, with the map Sarah stole in his hands. The teddy bear grunted and folded the map, unable to decipher the Magi’s riddle. His brown diamond eye flashed with Cookie’s reflection. The freckled beauty walked onto the ship, with her first twenty shopping bags in hand.

  “Dang,” said Gizmo, as he pressed back his fuzzy ears. “Did the Chancellor give us an advance?”

  “No,” Charlotte leaned against the mast with her hands folded. “Cookie just figured she’d spend our diamonds early.”

  “Technically we raided the ship before you joined us, so I’m just spending my fare share,” Cookie stood triumphant, with her hands at her waist. “Besides, at least I spent it for the good of the caravan. In my book, that’s a great and productive day, right girls?”

  She turned toward the boarding ramp, her eyes followed Holly and Poppy as they stepped aboard with their share of bags.

  “Yup.” said Holly cheerfully, examining the fresh red paint on her nails.

  “Best day ever!” Poppy exclaimed, a sweet aroma filled her nose, as she took and sniffed a blue rose from her bag.

  “Guess we're killing pirates with nail polish.” Gizmo mumbled.

  Charlotte watched the oracle walk toward the front of the ship, with the parchment still clutched in his hand. She left the girls as they continued to unpack, and enjoy all that Cookie had splurged on. The front of the ship was calm. The gurgling waves pressed onto the boardwalk, and the sound of the sea breeze blew gently into her ears.

  “I'm glad you made it onboard, kid,” said Gizmo. “Sarah wouldn't have gotten far without you.”

  She looked down and saw Gizmo laying against Rocky. The grey wolf was fast asleep, with the oracle resting his head on Rocky’s furry belly.

  “Your names Gizmo, right?” Asked Charlotte.

  “Not unless I owe you something,” he replied, his mouth stretched into a smile. “What’s up?”

  It was strange for Charlotte to see Gizmo speak. His lips seemed sewn shut, but would open with every word, and showed strings lined like teeth across his mouth. She knew oracles to be the trapped spirits of former captains, perhaps this one would have an answer for her.

  “I was just curious,” said Charlotte. “Since you were once a captain, have you ever heard of an awakened Secreto?”

  Gizmo looked up from the Magi’s riddle, the coin for his right eye flashed from the moonlight.

  “Yeah, I've heard of em,” replied Gizmo. “Though it's rare to find, not many can do it. According to the atlas, out of the billion people in the world, only a thousand have Secretos, and only three have ever awakened them.”

  “Only three?” She felt her amber eyes widen behind her black glasses.

  “It's a hard thing to accomplish,” said Gizmo simply. “Some of the best captains I've faced had never done it. Still, I get why you're curious about it, your mother awakened her Secreto, didn't she?”

  “Yeah,” Charlotte darted her eyes toward the blue moon. “She passed her Secreto on to me, but she was killed long before I could ask her anything about it.”

  “What happened to her?” Asked Gizmo. “If you don’t mind.”

  A flash of memories swept through her head. She remembered running with her mother by the shore, baking cakes from their red brick stove, and falling asleep to her lullabies of the sea. She remember her kind face, her glasses and amber eyes, her straight brown hair. The image of her was then slashed in half, by a dark shadow with flames near its face.

  “Blackbeard,” her left eye twitched from her speaking the name. “She was in a caravan of her own, though they didn't respect her enough to be captain.”

  “Disgusting,” said Gizmo. “I treated lovers on my ship better than that,” Gizmo waited for a laugh, but never got it. “Sorry…go on.”

  Charlotte returned her gaze toward the night sky. The blue moon had fully emerged from behind the massive dark cloud, and its bright blue light tinted her face.

  “After she awakened her Secreto, they told me that she had become unhinged. She was practically convinced she was being followed, claimed that she’d seen something she shouldn't have.”

  “What did she see?”

  The eager oracle set the riddle aside and leaned forward, eager to hear the end of Charlotte’s tale.

  “I don’t know,” replied Charlotte. “But somehow her Secreto got Blackbeard’s attention. He raided my home island, spared the pirates, and slaughtered everyone else. My father managed to bribe the pirate that found us, and escaped to bring us here.”

  She stared toward One Blue, and could see the homes of Town Square in the distance. Her eyes darted back and forth, recalling a younger self, as she innocently asked her father…where’s mommy?

  “He told me Blackbeard killed her, but he never learned why.”

  Gizmo said nothing for a moment. The silence between them was intense, interrupted only by the girls giggling below the deck. The teddy bear thought of Charlotte’s tale and tried to process it the best he could. After she awakened her Secreto…she had become unhinged…claimed that she’d seen something she shouldn't…

  He recalled that Charlotte’s power to teleport was shared by her late mother. Every Secreto has a weakness. It was the phrase he embedded into all who served his caravan, to ease their minds when they faced men with the powers of a god. The weakness of teleporting, Gizmo reasoned, must be the places Charlotte couldn’t go. He remembered reading her bio in the atlas. It described her Secreto as the ability to teleport anywhere within eyesight.

  An awakened Secreto would be an enhanced version of that power. If Charlotte could teleport to places she can see…than awakened…she would be able to teleport to places she could not. What could her mother have seen to make her go insane? Gizmo thought.

  “I don't know what to say, kid,” the oracle placed the parchment on his lap and sighed. “Maybe we should just focus on solving the riddle, I don't think these girls can even…”

  His voice escaped him and vanished into nothing. What stood in front him was no longer a person. The sassy vice-captain was silenced, under the rays of blue li
ght from the night sky. Charlotte stood still with her stone face tilted up, and her blank gaze fixed upon the moon.

  Chapter 12 A Pirate's Play

  Calow made his grand entrance, but left Mia barely any time to speak with him. He had left to take over the lookout, and resume his cover as one of Blackbeard's men. He promised they'd speak again soon, it was a promise Mia held close to comfort her. There was so much she wanted to know. How did Calow manage to get onboard, was he working alone, and what was his plan of escape?

  She remained alone in her thoughts for a few hours. Lack of sleep had won her over, and she soon found herself wrapped under the covers of Blackbeard's bed. Past midnight the door to the cabin unlocked, and Mr. Green stepped inside. A dull blue tint from the moon shined behind him, and his black clothes were stained with ale.

  He drew power from his Secreto, with a swing of his hand, and pulled Mia from under the bed sheets. The young Royal fell hard on the wooden floor, and was covered with the fallen bedding. She emerged from the pile of cloth, with her eyes furiously focused on Mr. Green's face.

  "What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded.

  The captain's first mate said nothing at first. Mia then rose up to her feet and straightened her dress, her glare still aimed at Mr. Green. He returned her gaze with narrowed eyes, and ignored the drunken crew behind him, whom gathered at the main deck to sing songs of the sea.

  "The captain wants you to spread your legs." Said Mr. Green.

  "Excuse me?!" Said Mia, as she stepped back.

  The Royal swiftly grabbed the empty wine bottle on Blackbeard's desk, and held it like a small club, ready to strike the pirate if he dared to step closer.

  "That means to go for a walk," Mr. Green's Secreto pulled the bottle out of Mia's hand and into his own, which left her face red. "Lap the ship to stretch your legs and return here. No funny business, I'll be watching closely."

  Her endless hours of Royal etiquette quickly came to mind. As a child she was always taught to say please and thank you. Manners were, as her mother would often tell her, the one thing that separated the Royals from the commoners. Her hands clinched into two soft balls that could be called fists. Her anger traded manners for principle...she refused to thank her captors for anything.

  She bumped Mr. Green on her way out and made her way past the main deck. She was grateful the pirates were too drunk and occupied with their songs to pay her any attention. She moved toward the edge, which felt much cooler from the nightly breeze, and leaned against the rail to take in the view.

  She could see the dark ocean hundreds of feet below, and the blue moon shining brightly above her, between a pair of dark grey clouds.

  "Be careful." Mira sang.

  The black cat stood on one of the many wooden barrels that were scattered along the ship, some filled with gunpowder and others filled with precious rum.

  "Don't stare too close," she said. "You don't want to be another statue, do you?"

  "I rather be a statue than a prisoner," replied Mia, she heard the drunken cheers of the pirates and sighed. "I can't wait till I'm off this ship. I'm definitely buying myself a pistol after this."

  Mira smiled and leaped toward the floor, her paws landed silently onto the wooden boards.

  "Why buy a pistol?" Asked Mira, her furry smile seemed to stretch wider. "Especially when you have a big, strong Dragoon to protect you."

  Mia quickly knelt down toward the black cat, oblivious to the rum on the floor that slowly soaked into her white dress.

  "How do you know that?" She whispered.

  "Oh, I may have eavesdropped for a bit," replied Mira. "Two young hearts in the midst of a daring escape, how could I resist?"

  A loud gunshot echoed throughout the ship. The singing from the pirates had stopped, and instead was replaced with the sound of scurried feet.

  "Bring the girl to me, now!" Mr. Green roared.

  Though the main deck was a fair distance away on such a massive ship, Mia could still hear Mr. Green's command clearly. She felt as though her throat dried up, her palms moist with her own sweat. The image of Calow dead on the floor flashed through her mind, his chest marked with a gaping hole, and his heart clenched in Blackbeard's hand.

  "What did you tell them?" Mia demanded. "No one can know that Calow's here."

  "Oh honey, would you please relax," The black cat's eyes glowed like two yellow diamonds. "I'm here to help you."

  Boggy walked up the stairs and approached the front of the ship, his hand firmly around the grip of his pistol. Mia covered her mouth to hide her gasp. Misery and woe sunk in, with her body shaking horribly as she rose to her feet.

  "Is she up there?" Darlan shouted, his feet tapping impatiently against the wooden steps.

  Mia's eyes darted back and forth, as her confusion started to rise. Boggy was clearly drunk, one eye lower than the other, but was scanning the ship as if she were not standing directly in front of him.

  "No," replied Boggy. His face was just inches from Mia, and the scent of alcohol traveled uncomfortably up her nose. "That's strange, could've swore I heard two lasses speaking."

  "Voices from the rum in your stomach," Darlan shouted. "Come on, we have to find her before the captain finds out."

  Boggy stumbled away from Mia and joined Darlan down the steps. She stood flabbergasted and her wild eyes fell down toward the smiling black cat.

  "How did you...?"

  "I can hide us from the eyes of others," replied Mira, the black cat coolly began to walk toward the main deck. "Come, I'll take you to see your precious Calow."

  Mia hesitated for a moment, Mr. Green's roar still echoed inside her head. She didn't want to anger the pirates, especially Blackbeard, but she simply had to speak to Calow again. She followed Mira down a flight of stairs that sent them below the main deck. They entered the circular room she had seen before. A few guns were missing from the walls, but the ropes still dangled from the ceiling as usual.

  "Why are you helping me?" Asked Mia.

  "The boy has piqued my interest," replied Mira. "Infiltrating Blackbeard's ship, well, that takes more guts than a man can hold. I'm curious to know how he plans to save you."

  "And how do we know you won't run and tell Jayden?" Mia persisted, slowly following the cat into the room.

  "Dear, please," the black cat shook her head, and her eyes rolled away toward the door ahead. "Jayden is no friend of Blackbeard's, not in the slightest. His loyalty isn't with caravans or pirates...it lies elsewhere. Trust me, neither Jayden or I will get in your way."

  Mira continued past the center of the room and walked through a closed door on the other side. Mia approached the door and opened it with a shaky hand, terrified at the thought that she was being lured into a trap. The door creaked as it opened, and the Royal stepped slowly into the room. The small space was Blackbeard’s treasure room, and housed two wooden chests filled with gold diamonds. Mia was more dazzled by the floor, which was glossy and made of some sort of blue crystal.

  "It's sapphire, I think."

  His voice drew her eyes straight, and her heart jumped at the sight of him. The Dragoon had taken off his hood, and she could see the lines of muscle from the top of his shirt. The striations persisted through his black outfit, and she found her mind had wandered off, imagining what he looked like underneath...

  "Excuse you," said Mira. Her voice snapped Mia from her thoughts, however, she was grateful the black cat had her eyes toward Calow. "The young lady has been waiting for you to explain yourself! Is this a daring rescue, or are you only here for diamonds?"

  Calow laughed, a raspy laugh, but still Mia found it to be smooth to her ears.

  "Look kitty," replied Calow. "I appreciate you not telling the pirates about me, but I definitely don't trust you enough to stay."

  "She's fine," said Mia, stepping forward to stand beside the black cat. "Don't you worry, she helped me get here. If she wanted to betray us, she would have done it
already."

  "Her captain is also the reason you're here." His red eyes narrowed at the thought of Jayden.

  "We can squabble about the past later," Mira turned her yellow eyes out the room and back toward Calow. "You better hurry and speak. My Secreto is a bit exhausted right now. I'll only be able to hide one of you, and I can already sense them searching above us!"

  "Then I'll make it quick," said Calow. "My caravan is just a few miles north of here, Mia. As soon as sunrise hits, I'm busting you out and getting you off this ship."

  His confidence was a bit overwhelming, Mia had to admit that much to herself. To hear someone speak of defying Blackbeard just seemed like such an outlandish statement, like stating one could defeat the emperor, or survive the fire of a water dragon.