by Ryan Gilbert
“I think the brig’ll do quite nicely for ye,” he said, reaching out to grab Thomas’s arm.
Before the Captain could touch him, Jones’s eyelids burst open. Yellow eyes stared back at Riggs, startling the pirate so much so that he jumped backward. As his eyes remained locked with his otherworldly crewmate, Riggs felt like he could not move any further. Something about Jones’s eyes had frozen the pirate in his tracks.
“Captain, look,” said Coral Jack, “Through the fog…”
Riggs and the crew watched as the bowsprit of a ship appeared, parting the fog to the side as it sailed toward the Red Sky. An aged copper angel hung from the front of the ship, sticking out from the rest of the vessel. As the sails came into view, the crew gasped as they watched the green veins in the fabric quickly become more clear. Jones slowly rotated his hand as the ship turned to the side. The hull and masts shimmered from red to green as the pirates’ view of the ship changed.
“It can’t be,” Julia gasped as she watched from behind Riggs.
Ororis took a step back, awestruck at what she saw.
“It’s… no… no, that’s impossible,” she muttered.
Even as his crew gawked at the ship, Riggs noticed Jones undergoing some changes as well. Dark green outlines appeared on his leather coat, which had now transformed into a pattern that resembled the skin of an alligator. Black, fingerless gloves appeared on his hands, well-worn from many battles. The hilt of the sword that hung at Jones’s side morphed to form a silver skull with its mouth hanging open in an eternal war cry.
As his transformation came to a close, Jones said, “Feast your eyes on my ship… the Flying Dutchman.”
Once Jones stopped speaking, the supernatural vessel came to a stop right next to the Red Sky. None of the pirates could believe it. Directly in front of them sat the terrifying ship that had haunted sailors’ nightmares for years. None of the pirates knew how to respond. Even the Captain did not know what to say.
When he finally mustered up the courage to speak, Riggs said, “So you’re the… the captain of the Flyin’ Dutchman?”
“Aye,” Jones said with a smile on his face.
He seemed to be enjoying watching Riggs squirm in discomfort.
“Is Thomas Jones really yer name?”
“Partially.”
Riggs cocked his head to the side.
“How’s that?”
Resting his hands on his belt, Jones said, “If I had told you my real name, then ye never would’ve believed me. In your world, I call myself David Thomas Jones… or the more familiar name of Davy Jones.”
Once that name rolled off his tongue, the crew of the Red Sky stumbled backward, suddenly afraid. The ones that were close to cover dove for it. Riggs, Julia, their friends, and Ororis were the only ones that did not move.
Daring to speak to the man of countless stories, Riggs said, “I want you to tell me somethin’, Jones.”
“Name it, Captain Riggs.”
“What do ye call yourself in YOUR world?”
Jones gave the pirate captain a sideways glance, as if to silently ask the Captain if he really wished to know. Riggs did not back down, standing steadfast in his resolve.
Looking at the small group of pirates still standing in front of him, Jones said, “I am Hades.”
The realization hit Riggs in full force. Something about the statement told him that Jones was not holding back. He could not tell what it was. It could have been the tone. It could have been Jones’s bluntness. Riggs had no idea. He just knew one thing.
Jones was telling the truth.
He really was Hades.
A terrified Sapphire asked, “So you’re really the god of death?”
“In a way.”
“Oh… alright…” the fairy said as she fainted, falling to the deck.
Riggs held his sword in front of him, pointing it at Hades. The rest of his friends followed their captain’s lead. The pirates ripped out their pistols and swords while the mermaids bore their fangs, ready for an attack.
However, there was not going to be an attack. Much to their surprise, Hades held up his hand, trying to calm the situation.
“Your weapons aren’t necessary. I’m not here to harm you,” he said with a quick laugh.
“Then what are you here for?” asked Riggs, not lowering his sword.
“The same as what I said before… to kill Henry Every.”
“Seems like a god shouldn’t have a problem with that.”
Hades pressed his fingers against his forehead, trying to explain the situation to the pirate. Even after revealing all of his secrets, he still needed the pirates on his side.
“Listen to me, Riggs. You may think that killing Every would be easy for me, but you’d be dead wrong. My powers in your world pale in comparison to the powers I can wield in the Underworld. In this mortal body, I need help.”
Walking straight over to the pirate captain, Hades said, “Think of it, Riggs. You can sail your ship on the same side as the ruler of death’s realm. People will fear you. The Red Sky will be infamous. All of it could happen if you just join me and bring an end to Henry Every.”
He extended a hand to the pirate, his hand reaching past the blade of Riggs’ sword.
“Make your choice.”
Riggs looked down at Hades’ awaiting hand and then gazed around the ship at his crew. His friends had calmed down a bit, slowly starting to lower their weapons. The rest of the men had started to creep out of their hiding spots.
As he glared into Hades’ yellow eyes, the Captain could see the look of a man resolved to do whatever it took to end the threat. If a powerful being like him could bring himself to ask a pirate for help, then perhaps a partnership was exactly what they needed.
This time, there would be no secrets… hopefully.
With a grin appearing on his face, Riggs grasped Hades’ hand and said, “Ye’ve got the Red Sky on your side.”
Before long, both the Red Sky and the Flying Dutchman were anchored just outside the port. The fog obscured their vision of the port, only allowing the smallest amount of light to reach the pirates’ eyes. The crew could already hear a commotion beginning somewhere in the town. They just could not see it.
“Any way that you could get rid o’ this blasted fog?” Riggs asked Hades.
“Unfortunately not. The fog is Every’s doing. If I force it to disperse, then he’ll know that I’m here.”
“What should we do then?”
With a sly smile, Hades replied, “We surprise him.”
Behind him, Riggs heard the sound of a longboat hitting the water. Hades was already sending his forces to the port.
Turning to Clint, Ripper, and a waking Sapphire, the Captain said, “Stay and keep watch of the Sky. If you see Every tryin’ to escape this port, blast ‘im to smithereens.”
As the crew hurried to prepare a longboat of their own, Hades said, “I take it that you and your friends will be joining me in my search.”
Riggs slid his coat over his shoulders and adjusted his scabbard. If the god of death was going to find Henry Every, then he would be right there at his side. He almost felt like it was his duty.
“I’m the one that brought that monster back to life. Of course I’ll be joinin’ ye.”
“As will I,” said Julia, stepping forward and holding tightly to Riggs’ hand.
“Count us in,” said Coral Jack and Valera.
“Likewise,” said Eli.
Ororis silently joined the group, stepping forward just as the longboat reached the surface of the water. With a flourish of his arm, Hades asked, “Shall we?”
They all joined him in climbing down to the longboat. Coral Jack and Eli were given the jobs of rowing while the rest of the group kept their eyes peeled for any of Every’s skeleton crewmembers.
As they got closer to the port, they heard the sounds of the commotion start to disappear. It was like whoever was out there was being silenced little by little. Hades laid a hand on his sword, prompt
ing Riggs to do the same. The tips of fangs soon appeared between the lips of the two mermaids. Everyone was preparing for the worst.
When they reached the docks, all was silent. They climbed out onto the dock, tying the longboat securely to a pylon. They did not even have to take a single step to see the trail of blood left behind by Every’s crew. Dead redcoats and dock hands lay on the boards of the dock, their body parts mangled beyond belief. Almost instantly, Julia felt her stomach wretch, forcing her to vomit into the water.
Riggs pulled out his sword, ready just in case Every had planned an ambush. With a nod of his head, he instructed the rest of the group to do the same. He strode forward, ready to fight, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Hades had not moved.
“What’re ye waitin’ for?” Riggs asked.
Hades just smiled, jerking his head towards the fog. Another longboat was just appearing.
“My crew,” he answered.
With each second that passed, the group could begin to make out the features of the creatures in the longboat. All of their dimly glowing white eyes stared straight ahead, only moving to observe the pirates when they were near. Hades’ crewmate at the front of the longboat looked like nothing more than skin and bones draped in a long cloak. Not a bit of skin was visible, not even his face. A scythe was strapped to his back as his hands remained clasped in front of him. Another one of the creatures seemed to have boils that covered his body, even as the chains that encircled his arms bit into his pale flesh. Yet another appeared to have large fishhooks that were stuck to his arms and chest, pushing through layers upon layers of skin. The largest of Hades’ group looked to have iron spikes protruding from his shoulders, his lips peeled back in an eternal smile.
The sight of Hades’ entourage was enough to make even Ororis quake in fear.
“What… are they?” the mermaid asked.
Hades replied, “They are my hunters… souls of the suicidal trying to earn their redemption.”
“Why do they look like that?” asked Coral Jack.
With a stern face, Hades answered, “Mortals can’t understand. This outward suffering is nothing compared to the pain they feel on the inside. These souls are in a state of constant torment, torn between Heaven and Hell.”
“I thought you ruled Hell,” said Riggs.
“Think of the Underworld as more of a purgatory.”
Once the longboat reached the dock, Hades stepped forward to welcome his crewmates. The skinny creature covered in cloth gracefully climbed out of the boat, almost gliding across thin air. As soon as he stepped on the dock, he bowed to his captain in a humble show of respect.
“Apologies, sir. We arrived as quickly as we could,” he said, his words and breath gently blowing the cloth covering his head. His voice sounded dry, like he had not drank anything for days.
Hades laid a hand on the creature’s shoulder, saying, “Ye have no need to apologize, Grimm. If I had needed you any earlier, I would’ve summoned you.”
Grimm stood up, letting his thin arms hang at his side.
“Understood.”
At that moment, a scream pierced through the unnatural silence. It was quickly silenced, instead replaced by a sickening gargling. The pirates watched as Grimm slowly turned his head toward the diminishing sound.
“Every?” he asked in a gravelly voice.
“Unfortunately so,” Hades replied.
Riggs was growing tired of waiting. If they wanted to stop the King of Pirates, then they needed to do it fast and quick.
“Come on. Let’s go and kill that bugger,” the Captain said, itching to end Henry Every.
Hades turned to his crew, speaking in hushed tones. Though they did not look like intelligent beings, they nodded their heads, pulling out their various weapons. Once Hades turned his back to them, they disappeared into the fog, heading in the direction of the scream.
“What did you tell them?” Riggs asked as the god of death led them down the dock.
“You’ll see,” Hades said with a smile.
Stepping over the mutilated corpses that littered the docks, the pirates followed Hades past ship after ship. When they passed some, they could see the spray of blood dripping down the hulls as a lifeless body floated in the water beneath their feet. Each step brought with it a new terror, masked by the magical fog.
“What should we be doing, Captain?” asked Eli.
“Keep yer eyes and ears open, mates. Ye never know when…”
“AAAUUUUUUGH!”
Another scream interrupted Riggs. Without waiting for Hades to quicken his pace, the pirate captain dashed ahead, his sword and pistol ready to end his enemy’s sorry existence.
CHAPTER NINE
The sailor crashed through a wooden barrel, his face bloodied and bruised from the bony knuckles of the skeleton crew. One punch after the other cracked across his jaw. He could barely stand. The skeletons dragged him back over to their fearsome leader, ready to beat more information out of him.
As the man was brought before him, Henry Every knelt down on his knees to look into his victim’s eyes. He brought his skinless hand to the man’s neck, sensitive to the splinters poking out of the sailor’s collarbone, able to feel each unshaven hair that still grew from the follicles of the bruised skin.
Tightening his grip on the sailor’s neck, Every said, “Listen carefully to me, peasant. I’m going to ask you one more time, and this time, you will answer me. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
When the man did not move, Every grabbed him by the top of his head and forced him to nod.
“Good. Now, tell me… where is she?”
The man coughed and choked, blood running from his broken nose. He had no strength left.
“I… I don’t…”
“Speak up, you pathetic man.”
“I don’t… know who you’re talking about,” the man wheezed.
Every let out a huff of air, the glowing orbs of his eyes glaring up at the foggy sky. He could not waste any more time.
“Acer Morte,” said Every.
Red lightning flowed straight from his hand into the doomed sailor. It buried itself in his chest as he shook in the pirate’s grasp. When he finally stopped moving, the air smelled of burnt flesh and hair. Every dropped the kneeling body to the ground as he stepped onto the gangplank of one of the ships docked at the port. He would just have to do things the hard way.
BANG
A shot hit Every in the back, bursting out of his chest. The skinless pirate let out a cry of pain, hunching his back to try to stop the burning sensation. Instantly, he brought his hand to his chest, pressing against the hole.
“Vulnus vita,” he quickly muttered.
With the hole stitching itself back together, Every turned around, wanting to see who would dare attack him. Just at the edge of the fog stood Captain Riggs, a smoking pistol still in his hands as he frantically reloaded. Right behind him, the rest of his group were just catching up to their captain.
“Ah, Captain Riggs. You are quite the glutton for punishment. Have you returned for another pitiful attempt to stop me?”
Cocking his pistol, Riggs took aim at Every once more.
“It won’t be so pitiful when I kill you.”
Before the pirate captain could shoot, Hades rushed forward, grabbing Riggs by the wrist. All that Every could do was laugh.
“I see you have brought Jones along as well. That will just make this even more rewarding,” the Arch Pirate chuckled.
As Riggs wrenched his hand free of Hades’ grip, he aimed his pistol straight at Every. With his finger on the trigger, the Captain wanted so much to just be able to shoot his enemy in the head.
But something stopped him.
Something he could only barely hear.
Riggs could hear the sound of a metal blade scraping across the cobblestone street. The clinking of chains rang in his ears, slowly getting closer.
Little by little, the members of Every’s skeleton crew started to hear t
he sounds as well. Their skulls whipped back and forth, trying to find where the ghastly noises were coming from. Judging by their shocked reactions, Every and his skeleton crew knew quite well what was coming.
With his confidence growing with each passing second, Riggs grinned as he said, “This time we brought some company.”
Grimm and the rest of Hades’ crew of nightmarish souls glided out of the fog, surrounding the skeleton crew. Every’s crew did not waver, holding tightly to their weapons. The Dutchman’s crew and the Red Sky’s crew readied their various weapons, prepared to fight.
With an echoing battle cry, the skeletons dashed at the group, swinging madly. Hades tried to rush past Every’s first mate, but Morrison was too quick. He clotheslined the god, catching him by surprise. At his side, Johnson was battling with Coral Jack and Valera. Try as she might, the mermaid could not bite through his bones no matter how hard she tried. Ororis, however, was having a bit more success with a different strategy. She flipped over another skeleton crewmate, keeping him off his balance with her quickness. The blades of the skeletons met scythes, hooks, and axes with each step that they advanced against the crew of the Flying Dutchman. Neither of the fearsome entities seemed like they would give up.
With the battle raging in front of him, Every bolted up the gangplank of one of the ships at the port. Ducking past several of the bony crewmates, Riggs rushed after him. He could not let his enemy escape again.
Leaping onto the deck of the ship, Riggs swung his sword at Every only to have the skinless bag of muscle tissue dodge to the side. Before the Captain could plant his feet, Every drove his knee into the pirate’s forehead, sending him reeling.
As he shook the blurriness out of his eyes, Riggs dove to the side, narrowly avoiding his enemy’s strike. With a blind swing, he caught Every in the shoulder, his blade cutting through fabric and bare muscle.
The pirate spun around, expecting to see Every in pain, unable to swing a sword. Instead, he had to quickly counter several strikes in rapid succession as Every hammered his offense at Riggs. Both men’s determination surprised the other.
Holding his sword in a defensive pose, Every said, “I must say, Captain, I do admire your resilience.”
