by A F Stewart
Hugh’s ethereal form relaxed. “A talk, sir, I suppose.”
“Good lad. Back to the ship then shall we?” Rafe motioned with his hand.
Hugh nodded and the pair slowly ambled the length of the Abersythe docks to the Celestial Jewel.
“I DIDN’T BELIEVE YOU.” Hugh’s voice barely lifted, but Rafe heard the resignation in his words. The emotional resonance bounced around the captain’s quarters as Rafe watched him pace the room.
“I know. Very few souls do in the beginning.” Rafe said the words in a calm voice, although his patience slipped near the edge. He spent the last half hour dealing with Hugh’s unconstrained wallowing, but it seemed as if the boy was finally winding into acceptance.
“You hear stories, you know. About your ship. About what you do. But I never supposed they were true, not all of it. Every sailor knows your ship, but ghosts and the like, it didn’t seem real. A tall yarn spun to pass the time.”
Rafe smiled. He had heard the stories too, some accurate, some outlandish lies.
“I guess I didn’t want to believe. Or thought I didn’t need to. No sailor likes to dwell on dying.”
“Very few souls, sea or land, like to think on dying. Not until it happens. Then a soul has no choice.” Rafe’s voice was kind but firm. “Now you have to consider it. You have to acknowledge your existence and decide on its fate. On whether to stay or go. And whichever you choose, know your former life is over.”
“That’s the trouble. It doesn’t feel over.” Hugh’s voice sang in desperation and ache. “All I want to do is go home. Hold my wife in my arms and see her smile.” He sighed. “But that’s never going to happen again, is it?”
“No. Death, in whatever form, is a finality.”
“But if I could just see her, try and say goodbye...” He turned to Rafe. “If you could help, maybe we... we could...” The words slid out to sea as Rafe glared.
“It doesn’t work like that. For her, life will move on. If you try and remain with her, you will prolong the heartbreak.” Rafe’s voice softened, his tone trying to soothe the harsh certainty. “Your ship was reported lost. She will be mourning your death, Hugh. Let her mourn in peace.”
A shiver quaked through Hugh’s ghostly form. “I—I didn’t think—she knows I’m dead?”
Rafe nodded. “If she doesn’t, she will soon. As will your family. All notifications about lost ships went out hours ago.”
“Oh, poor Mary.” Hugh flopped down in a chair. “Then it’s—it’s done. I’m dead. I’m truly dead to everyone I knew.” He looked at Rafe, a thousand cares written in his eyes. “What am I to do? I don’t feel dead. I feel—feel the same as I always have. I still feel...alive, I suppose. How can I pass on like that?”
“It may take time. The heart doesn’t always let go of life easily. Some never do.” Rafe smiled. “But I believe you will be one to go on to the After World. Just stay on the ship. Give it time.”
“Time. I suppose that’s all I have left.” Hugh exhaled, a small grey mist stirring in the air. Then blurted, “What is it like, the After World?”
A strange, far-off look glazed against Rafe’s eyes. “It’s beautiful perfection. All emerald green and shades of blue with silver and amber light. The air smells of flowered perfume and salty brushed sea, the temperature is warm and a balmy breeze blows just enough. Everyone has a smile, and a laugh, and never a cross word. It’s all the comfort and peace a soul can want.”
Hugh sighed, a quick breath of longing. “It does sound like a lovely place.” And in a quiet whisper, “Almost too lovely to exist.”
Rafe ignored the comment, still reminiscing, “Aye, it was. And still is, I suppose. For a time it was my heart and home.”
“Was your home?” Hugh shot Rafe a surprised look. “Do you mean—You used to live there?”
“Aye, lad. I did. A long time ago.”
“Why did you leave?” Sudden vibrant curiosity scurried into Hugh’s face. “Do you miss it? You made it sound a paradise. Why would you leave such a wondrous place?”
“I left for good reason, and no, I don’t miss it. The sea is my home now. From the salt to the dark depths, from the monsters to the moon. And a far better one, than the place I came into being.”
Hugh frowned. “I don’t understand. How can you say that I’ll find peace, but then swear you’re happier here? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Gods and mortals have a different perspective, young man. Your kind enters into paradise. Mine...well, we’re a prickly sort, not prone to getting along. The place may be a paradise, but my kind is not.” He shot Hugh a wry smile. “But don’t you worry, humans don’t have dealings with them in the After World.”
“Is that why you left? Family squabbles?”
Rafe hesitated, considered not answering, but in the end replied, “I didn’t leave. I was cast out. Turned into a fallen deity. So, you see, my memories of the After World are tainted, I’m afraid.” Then Rafe grinned, trying to make light of his words.
But Hugh’s frown persisted. “A paradise you said, yet...What if I decide not to go? Stay on this side forever?” Hugh’s questions spun out of gossamer threads, the monster lurking under the surface.
Rafe shrugged. “Then you stay here. In the form you are, ghost to all save those on this ship, or in the temples. That’s your choice, Hugh, if you remain. Wander the land unseen, reside in a sanctuary, or join the crew of the Jewel.” Rafe tilted his head, studying Hugh’s expression. “Why would you be considering staying? I understand for a while, to sort things out, but why a permanent stay?”
Hugh remained silent for a moment, and then he sputtered, “I’m fearful.” His whisper barely rose above the sound of their breathing, but Rafe heard it.
“Why? What frightens you?”
Hugh cast his eyes downward. “Of being forgotten. Of being alone. What if no one remembers me? What if no one is waiting to greet me in the After World? I’ve had family that have passed, but why would they know me now? It’s been years.”
“Is that all?” Rafe clucked his tongue like a fisher’s wife. “Because the world beyond doesn’t work like that. Family is drawn to new arrivals. There will be someone there.”
Hugh raised his eyes, a shimmer of unshed tears lacing the rims. “But she won’t be.”
“Your wife?”
He nodded. “You said it. I’m dead to her. She’ll move on without me. It won’t matter if I wait for her. She won’t be waiting for me. She’ll have the life I’ve been denied. With someone else. We’ll never be together again.”
Rafe sighed. The young man saw too much for his own good, and not enough. “Things are more complicated than that, Hugh. Infinitely so in the After World. If you’re in her heart, she’ll remember you. You’ll see her again. Perhaps not as you once were, but you will see her.”
“It just isn’t fair. We should’ve had time. We should’ve had a life together.”
“That you should. And I have no true answer to your dilemma. Life doesn’t play fair, Hugh. Good men die sometimes. Good women are widowed. And everything continues. Whether there’s a pattern or a plan, I cannot say. I’ve never seen one. I just gather the scattered pieces.”
“Like me.”
“Like you.”
Hugh grumbled, “That’s what a life comes to then, a bit of sea salvage, jetsam?”
“Better than being eaten out of existence,” Rafe snapped back, letting his irritation show. Then he sighed. “It’s obvious you are still raw. Go back on deck. Get some fresh air. Think about what I’ve said.”
“Is that an order, sir?” Hugh sneered slightly to accompany the words.
Rafe’s patience finally cracked. “Would you prefer a boot up the backside?” Rafe took momentary satisfaction in Hugh’s shocked expression. “And yes, that’s an order. Get out of my sight before I do something I’ll regret.”
Hugh stood, head lowered, and left without another word, wandering back to the deck as ordered. He went to the rail and p
laced his hands on the recognizable surface. He could feel the rough wood of the rail under his fingers and hear the splash of the harbour tide as it caressed the ship. It seemed palpable. He felt alive no matter what anyone told him.
Yet, it wasn’t.
“It’s only an illusion. Only good aboard ship.” This small murmur of misery lifted on the breeze. Hugh sighed.
“Coin for your thought, and silver for the moon.” A small voice broke through his melancholy and Hugh whirled about in surprise. At the action, the speaker yelped and a frightened face ducked behind a raised arm.
Immediately contrite, Hugh spit out, “I’m sorry. You just startled me.”
The arm lowered and the timid face of Mouse peeped out, and then smiled. “Guess I’m the one who should be sorry then for spooking you first.” Mouse sidled in next to Hugh, leaning on the rail. “I came to say hello, you looked a bit sad.”
“Shouldn’t I be? Trapped on a strange ship, my berth gone to the bottom of the sea. Can’t say that makes a man cheery.”
“Wouldn’t think so. It’s not an easy thing dying. But it could be worse, you could be food for the monsters.” Mouse shivered. “Or lost in the world.”
“Would that be worse? Not existing or trying to reconnect? I’m not sure.”
Mouse shook his head, a squeak of protest darting into the morning air. “Then you’re daft. I know it’s hard, but I can’t imagine wanting to be monster chow instead.” The lad put a hand on Hugh’s arm. “Let it happen. It feels like you’re cooped up on the ship at first. It gets better, it does. Once you get used to things, you can go ashore with the crew. The ship’s magic, you see, seeps into the blood of the living crew that stays on board the Jewel for any length of time. They become able to see us spirits when they are off the ship.” Mouse smiled and then gave a faint sigh. “It’s a good life, and trust me, wandering out there alone is an awful thing.” Mouse waved his hand at the lively port. “Being invisible, them regular folk not seeing you, hearing you.” The boy shuddered. “I know. I was lost for a long time before the captain found me.”
Hugh started, the realization dawning this lad was like him. A shade, a ghost.
The boy smiled. “Yeah, we’re the same. I know how you feel. And you’ll find your way, whether you stay or cross over.”
A fleeting wry smile passed over Hugh’s face. “That’s the question, isn’t it? Staying or leaving to the next world.” He brushed a thumb over wooden rail. “Why did you stay here?”
Mouse blushed and scuffed his toe on the deck boards. “It may seem silly, but the crew’s my family. I ain’t never had one before. Not a proper one. Just me Da.” Mouse shivered, his hands tightening into fists. “He was bad, me Da. I’m afraid to cross. Afraid he’ll be there waiting. Captain says he won’t be, that men like him go somewhere else, but...” His face twisted to a mask of melancholy awash with a nightmare.
Hugh reached out instinctively and placed a hand on Mouse’s shoulder. For a moment, surprise jolted him. The contact felt solid like the flesh they once possessed. Then he remembered. On this ship the rules were different.
“How did you die?’ The words came from Hugh’s mouth before he thought. Regret came swiftly after, but Mouse didn’t seem to mind.
“I was a cabin boy on board the Sapphire Isle.”
Hugh blinked with a sharp intake of breath. It couldn’t be. Not that famous old wreck.
”I see you’ve heard of it.” Mouse grinned. “And yes, I’ve been here a while. Didn’t get salvaged though after death. My soul got swept in an undertow and back to land eventually. I barely saw the beasties. Captain said they took a lot of sailors that day.” Mouse sighed, and then ventured a question, “Do you remember the monsters?”
Hugh nodded. “Dark, dreadful shapes in the water. It’s the sounds I remember most, though. The howl of the wind and the screams. The horrid screams. They were my friends, my crewmates, but in the end, I couldn’t recognize the voices. I heard them die, and I didn’t know who.”
Mouse looked out over the port. “I’m glad I don’t remember that. I remember these horrible yowls and the darkness of the sea. And the fear. Then finding myself on shore. I thought I was safe. I was alive. Silly of me, right?”
Hugh closed his eyes for a moment. “No. Not silly at all.”
“Sometimes I wish the ship had found me that day.” Mouse turned his head and stared at Hugh, making him shiver with the intensity of the gaze. “Have you been surrounded by people, but still alone? Screaming to be heard, day after day, year after year? You come close to madness, you do. So alone that you want to die. Except you’re already dead.” He turned his face away. “The ship’s a better fate than that. Trust me.”
Hugh joined Mouse in the quiet contemplation of Abersythe harbour, his memories of his frustrating morning melding with the sinking of his ship. He began to consider that he may not have been as unlucky as he thought. That the Celestial Jewel might, after all, offer hope.
Chapter Six
Attacked
“THAT’S IT! GET THAT final crate loaded, and don’t forget that last keg of ale!” From the dock, Rafe shouted to the deckhand with a smile as he oversaw the loading of provisions and supplies aboard his ship. He spied Hugh and Mouse helping out on deck, and a glimmer of optimism for the new soul flickered.
At least he’s trying to fit in. That’s a start.
“Captain Morrow!” A hail broke off his musings, and Rafe turned to see the harbourmaster rushing towards him.
“Captain, a word if you please! It’s an urgent matter.” The short, slim gentleman darted with considerable swiftness dockside before halting beside Rafe. “Thank goodness I caught you still in the harbour.” Panting slightly, he craned his neck to look the captain eye to eye.
Rafe frowned. “Is there a problem? I know I’ve paid the harbour fees.”
“Oh, yes, indeed there’s a problem! A calamity, I’m afraid! I’ve received a dreadful missive from Llansfoot and the Temple of Star Reef!” A pained sigh escaped him. “They’ve sent word by spellcaster. There’s been an attack on the port and the temple!”
A chill infused Rafe’s blood. Only the worst news came by spellcaster. And if it involved the Temple... “An attack?” He barked the words out on a wave of his apprehension. “Tell me, what misfortune’s befallen Llansfoot?”
“Monsters.” The word split the foundation of the air between them. “The seas attacked in force at dawn. Creatures rising from depths to assail town and temple.”
“What? That’s impossible!” Shock jolted Rafe’s nerves as if lightning had struck him. “They can’t! They just can’t! Her beasts shouldn’t be able to stir without the turn of the moon let alone attack a town! No monster should be able...She’s bound by...Are you certain?” Rafe abruptly grasped at the hope of a mistake.
The harbourmaster nodded. “The message was clear. The beasts of the deep attacked in force.”
Rafe repressed a shiver. “Even if they rose without moon or storm, they search for shipwrecked souls. They’ve never harassed a settlement. It makes no sense. They only go after the dead.” Unexpected fear struck him as a hull on hidden shoals. “The temple. They went after the temple. To feed on all the souls waiting to cross.”
“Yes, Captain. I believe so. This is why I relayed the news to you with haste. It appears the rules have changed, my friend. From what I gathered, the worst assault came to those on Star Reef.” Another sigh preceded his next words. “You must sail to Llansfoot. They need you. They need their God of Souls.”
For an instant, in the turn of time, Rafe wanted to refuse: to climb aboard his ship and sail to the furthest point he could find. Something in his bone and blood shouted that this moment would be a turning, a watershed, and he ached to flee.
Yet, he never ran from a fight, nor the truth. Not once in all his long years.
So instead he replied, “I’ll set sail for the port as soon as we’re able.
The harbourmaster exhaled a final sigh and s
hook his hand. “Fair wind, Captain, and the best of luck. I fear you will need all that may be spared.”
A FEW HOURS SAILING put them in the vicinity of Llansfoot well past the midday sun, with truth and rumours sounding off the ship in a reverberating maelstrom. A mood of apprehension turned the crew into a jumpy lot full of frayed nerves and silence. Even Blackthorne seemed more taciturn and rigid than his usual want of disposition. And the captain, well...Grim only touched the edge of his disposition.
“Around the reef and we’ll see the Temple!” Rafe gave the shout and heard it echo into stillness, riding a frisson of disquiet that undulated across the crew. He turned his head, watching them at work.
They’re scared. Not that I blame them. The world’s not right here.
Rafe sighed deeply with worry. The temple at Star Reef was his shining star, the largest of the sanctuaries dedicated to his name. Hundreds of souls awaited there, attempting to resolve their issues and pass through to the After World.
How could she send them there? It isn’t possible. There are rules. Bindings. It must be a mistake. Yet...something’s wrong. Something’s shifted.
As much as he wanted to deny the impossible, he could sense a surfacing upheaval deep in the ancient marrow of his being. The closer they sailed, the more unease settled. With an imperceptible shudder, he turned back to stare at the sea as the Jewel rounded the last bend and the reef.
“By the depths! Look!”
The shout shattered the unnatural calm, but no one needed the goading. Moans and gasps rose on the wind as all eyes stared towards the shore. Where once outlying buildings stood, only wisps of dawdling smoke greeted them, ascending from charred remains and blackened earth strewn with broken shapes. Great chunks of stone, pieces of the shattered seawall, jumbled across the beach leaving huge gaps in the wall. Shadows and movement slid over the sand, and faint, heart-wrenching cries could be heard, conjuring despair as they softly mingled with the sea breeze. And as they sailed, further destruction came into view.
