by Ryan Gilbert
“Get up,” said Every.
Summoning every ounce of courage that she could muster, Maggie said, “O-or what?”
The Arch Pirate cocked his head to the side, baffled by the resilience of his blind daughter.
“You dare to question your father, girl?”
He stepped over to her side and brought his hand up high in the air, ready to slap the poor girl. She needed to learn her place. She needed to be punished. With a ferocity matching that of his earlier years, Every brought his hand down, beating his palm against Maggie’s head. She crumpled on the ground, her cheek immediately showing a red imprint of Every’s hand.
Eager to teach the girl a lesson, he knelt down and grabbed her by the hair, wrenching her head up so that her gray eyes were staring up at the skeleton crew. As he looked around, Every could see that even his own crew was intimidated by his actions. Snarling in Maggie’s ear, he knew that it gave him power.
While the tears of pain flowed from the girl’s eyes, Every growled, “Do you want to see what you have to fear, wench? Do you want to see?”
Without waiting for a response, he hauled her to her feet and pressed his fingers roughly against her eyes.
“Fac videre his oculis!”
Every’s fingers began to glow with a yellow light, shining down on Maggie’s eyes. The light soon became so bright that, if the skeletons had eyeballs, they would have been rendered temporarily blind.
After a quick flash of light, Maggie pushed Every’s hand away. She could feel a tingling in her eyes, like someone was scratching the insides of her eye sockets. That discomfort soon changed to extreme pain as she felt like needles were being driven into her corneas. Maggie let out a loud cry, shutting her eyelids tight, trying to stop the pain.
It did not work.
The black depths of her blindness suddenly changed to white for an abrupt second, flashing back and forth between white and black. It hurt even to see as the pattern felt like it was burning her brain. The girl could feel her heart pounding faster and faster and faster.
It seemed like the pain would never end.
Then, just as she thought it could not get any worse, the sharp feeling in her eyes stopped.
There was nothing more. No more pain.
She had no idea what to expect once she opened her eyes.
Cautiously, she felt her eyelids slide open. At once, she noticed that something had changed.
Directly in front of her, she could see pulsating blue lines running across what seemed like a flat surface. Overcome with surprise, she looked down, seeing blue lines running up and down her arms… her own arms. After years, she was finally able to see herself. There were no colors other than the blue, but she could see the shape of her arms, even down the tiny details like her fingernails. While it did not help her forget the pain that she had just endured, she felt happy, finally able to see again.
When she looked up, she realized exactly why Every had given her sight.
It was not to help her.
It was to terrify her.
The presence of the skeleton crew forced a wave of terror to run through her body. She could not even bring herself to scream. She was speechless. As the blue lines flowed over the bones of the crew, Maggie felt Every grab her by the nape of her neck, dragging her across the deck. As she heard the echoing laughs of the skeletons enter her ears, she could see the blue lines intensify in her vision, almost like her sight was dependent on sound. She could barely bring herself to look up at the skeletons, but she felt like her eyes were glued to the terrifying images standing mere feet from her.
“This is why you should fear me, girl,” Every growled.
Just as she managed to get her feet underneath her, she felt her pirate father shift his weight and spin her around, pushing her toward the stairs leading to the helm. As quickly as she could, she reached out with her arms, seizing hold of the railings. If Every had done that minutes earlier, then Maggie would have been nursing a broken nose for sure. With her new vision, that was no longer a problem.
Before the girl could react further, Every kicked her in the back, driving her into the stairs. Not even allowing her a moment to catch her breath, he slung her into the hold of the skeletons, watching as the horror spread across her precious face.
“Lock her back in the brig… and do not be gentle.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Morrison, his fingers latching onto the girl’s shoulders.
The skeletons cackled as they forced the girl below deck, her screams reaching Every’s waiting ears. His only reaction was an evil, despicable smile.
“Man overboard.”
Eli awoke with a start just as a rope whipped across his shoulders. Purely by instinct, he grabbed onto it, not even sure of what was happening. In an instant, he was pulled out of the water, swinging onto the waiting deck of a Navy vessel.
As he dropped onto the wooden boards of the deck, several of the sailors helped him to get to a seated position. It was not the kind of welcome that the pirate was expecting.
“Are you alright, citizen?” one of the sailors asked.
“Citizen?” asked Eli, still puzzled.
Before he could say anything more, the carpenter heard a voice emanating from his pocket.
“Go along with it,” said Sapphire, peeking up at Eli.
Wasting no time, he said, “Ah, yes… pardon me, it’s been a while since I’ve been called that.”
“No worries, sir,” said the sailor, stepping aside to let a man who Eli presumed to be the doctor take a look at him.
Once he tried to move, the pain hit him with its full force. His head was pounding like a drum, the back of his skull hurting the most. Every had certainly done a number on him. With each touch of the doctor’s hand, more pain shot through his body.
“Ow!” he shouted as the doctor pulled his coat away from the cut running across his chest and arms.
In between spurts of irritation and pain, Eli said, “I don’t suppose any of you gents could tell me the name of this vessel.”
“Actually… I could,” said a familiar voice.
Commodore Hamond stepped through the crowd of sailors, watching as they tended to the pirate’s wounds. Eli tried to read Hamond’s expression, but there was no way to read it. It was blank, like he had just rescued any other captive.
“You’re onboard the HMS Regality, my friend.”
“Good to hear,” said Eli.
So long as it was not his father’s ship, he actually had a chance to survive. Stubbornly, he tried to get to his knees, but the sailors held him down.
“Sir, you’re not fit to be moving in the state you’re in. Those wounds could get even worse,” urged the doctor.
“Bugger it. I’ve got work to do,” Eli said gruffly, barely able to get to his feet. Every muscle in his body ached and hurt, weary from his beatdown at the hands of the King of Pirates.
He took a step forward, his knee buckling almost immediately. Eli landed hard on his kneecap, gritting his teeth as he struggled to get up.
Just as he was about to push off of his leg and try again, he saw a hand directly in front of him. Commodore Hamond was reaching out to him, extending a hand like one would to a comrade.
“It seems to me like you might need some help, lad,” said the Commodore.
Looking up at the man’s hand, Eli bit his tongue and grasped Hamond’s palm. With a strong grip, the Commodore helped Eli to his feet, draping the carpenter’s arm over his shoulder.
“Come with me. The deck is no place for a wounded man,” Hamond said, surprisingly gracious.
Briefly turning to his soldiers, he ordered, “Follow those pirate ships. We must bring an end to them all before the day is over.”
After giving quick salutes, the sailors rushed back to their jobs. As gently as he could, Commodore Hamond helped Eli walk into the head officer’s quarters. He carefully eased the pirate into a chair and then hurriedly locked the door. The look on his face changed from a dull lack of
emotion to a surprising influx of relief.
“You said that you had work to do, Mr. Carter. What is it?”
A smile formed on Eli’s face as he watched the Commodore’s façade drop.
“Almost thought that you didn’t recognize me.”
“Unlikely. I know a crewmate of Riggs when I see one… even when your face is bruised.”
Feeling his swollen jaw, Eli said, “I did take quite a beating, didn’t I?”
“I would assume so, but only you would know. Now tell me, what was the work you had to take care of?”
Wincing as he adjusted his position in the chair, Eli said, “Henry Every is holding my former fiancée captive. She’s being held onboard the Fancy right now.”
Commodore Hamond held up a finger, stopping Eli for a second.
“Let me get this straight. You’re talking about THE Henry Every? One of the most notorious pirates to ever sail these seas?”
“Aye. He’s alive… and leading a whole crew of skeletons.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Hamond asked, “Are we battling a creature like Jonathan Warner again?”
“Much worse, Commodore. Much… much worse.”
Hamond brought his hand to his chin and started to scratch at the tiny bit of scruff growing there. He needed to think of something.
“We’re stuck in a dilemma, Eli. Your father wants to wipe all pirates from the face of this earth, and he is not above using drastic measures. I have seen some horrible things from that man, and I cannot let that happen to Julia… or anyone that sails under the Red Sky’s flag.”
“We need to stop Every, Commodore.”
“I am fully aware of that, Mr. Carter. The only problem is what happens after we stop him. This armada will crush your crewmates and whoever is sailing on that other ship.”
For a moment, Eli was silent, doing some thinking of his own. They needed a way to stop Every, and they needed to stop Admiral Carter from killing everyone that they held dear.
“Commodore… do you trust me?”
“I’ve never been more sure than now.”
Gingerly bending his arm, Eli pulled at his coat pocket and said, “Saph, show yourself.”
The fairy flew out of the carpenter’s pocket, growing to her full size in a flash of blue. Periodically forgetting about her friend’s injuries, she leaned against his shoulder until he let out a hiss of pain. She jumped in surprise, backing away from him a couple feet as Eli calmed himself.
“As much as I hate to say it, we need to let the Riggs handle Every. There is no way that this ship can catch the Sky or the Fancy. The best we can do is stop my father.”
Gesturing towards the fairy, Eli continued, “That’s where Sapphire comes in.”
Commodore Hamond looked at the young fairy with a sideways stare. He did not seem impressed.
“What is she going to do?”
“She’s one of our secret weapons. With her magic, we can bring an end to my father’s tyrannical reign over these seas.”
Eli reached back and pulled Sapphire to his side.
“Because of her, we’re all going to live.”
The Red Sky was now just behind the Flying Dutchman as the two ships pursued Every towards the cluster of islands. The Fancy was minutes away from entering uncharted areas for the pirates.
But that was not enough to deter Riggs.
He wanted to bring an end to the madness once and for all.
“Full speed ahead, ye lazy gits.”
“Aye, Captain,” said Clint, keeping a steady hand on the wheel.
Just as the Red Sky gained on the Fancy, the Dutchman cut in front of it, blocking the pirates from seeing Every’s vessel. Clint clutched the wheel and threw it to the side, nearly knocking some of the crew to the ground with the sudden tilting of the ship.
“What the hell are ye doin’, mate?” Riggs shouted, grabbing onto the rail.
“I’m trying not to crash into Hades’ bloody ship,” Clint yelled in frustration.
“Get around that heap o’ flotsam,” Riggs barked, his voice seething with anger, “I want Every.”
As Riggs hurried to the stairs, he was soon face to face with Hades himself. The god seemed on edge, something that the pirate captain was not accustomed to seeing. He seemed like he wanted to say something.
“Captain Riggs, ye can’t face that monster. Ye have to leave him to me,” said Hades.
“And why should I do that? You ain’t been able to stop ‘im yet.”
“I will, Riggs.”
“Really? What makes ye think that? From what I’ve seen, ye’ve failed just as many times as I have,” the Captain said, brushing past Hades.
Before Riggs could get to the stairs, the god of death seized his coat sleeve, pulling him around. The pirate took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from launching his fist into Hades’ face.
“There’s another reason why you can’t fight Every, Riggs.”
Unconsciously resting his hand on his sword, Riggs said, “Do tell.”
Neither of them even noticed some members of the crew gathering around them. The tension between the two men was high, high enough for them to solely focus on each other.
As Hades’ silence grew deafening, he looked past Riggs, into the small crowd of pirates surrounding them. The red eyes of Ororis stared back at him, reassuring him. He could feel an attachment growing between himself and the mermaid, something he had not felt for a long time. He knew that he needed to say something.
“Riggs… Henry Every needs to kill you.”
“What? What do you mean?” asked the Captain.
“It’s the last step of his transformation. In order to fully harness his powers and resurrect himself, he needs to kill the person who awakened him.”
Pointing his finger at Riggs, Hades continued, “That person is you.”
Much to the god’s surprise, the pirate captain remained silent, pondering the situation in his mind. It was instead Julia who spoke.
“Why did you not tell us this before?” she asked Hades, a bit shocked.
“I didn’t want to frighten anyone. There was no way for me to predict how ye would react… how anyone would react. A panicked ship of pirates was the last thing I needed.”
Riggs still remained silent.
Coral Jack stepped up to Hades and said, “Do ye really think we’d panic? We’ve fought against several o’ these monsters and we’ve beaten ‘em. How is Every any different?”
“With the exception of Ororis, neither of yer foes were experienced with magic. Every has years of death and destruction under his belt. He even found a way to evade me in me own realm. Does that seem like a formidable foe to you?”
“Perhaps… but did you forget that we were also the ones to destroy Poseidon’s magic?” asked Coral Jack.
“Pure luck,” was Hades’ retort.
“That’s a lie!” Jack exclaimed as tempers rose.
“Stop.”
All eyes turned to Riggs. As everything was about to come to blows, he spoke in a calmed voice with a great deal of reason behind it. Everyone else around him started to calm down as well, following the Captain’s lead.
“Jack, much as I hate to admit it, we do have a reason to panic. Hades is right. Every has experience sailin’ these waters and plannin’ attacks that none of us could even come close to. We should be afraid… but we ain’t.”
Speaking to his crew, Riggs said, “We ain’t afraid because we have lived our lives runnin’ away from everyone who wants us dead. Our lives are a constant pursuit. We are chasin’ our freedom while our enemies try to catch us.”
Riggs turned to Hades and said, “I’m not backin’ down from Every or anybody that might come after ‘im. If ye want to fight at my side, then either help me or stand aside. We don’t have time to waste.”
Hades glared at Riggs, staring deep into the pirate captain’s eyes.
“The last person who asked me to make that decision cost me my chance at eternal happin
ess. Don’t ask me to make that same choice again.”
Interjecting, Riggs said, “Oh, I am askin’. One way or another, me and my crew will defeat Every… with or without your help.”
Hades did not answer at first. He looked around him, meeting each one of the pirates’ eyes. Inside each of them, he could see a fire burning, a passion unlike any being he had ever seen. Riggs was right. These men had spent most of their lives running from their enemies. In a situation like this, they were not weary. They would not back down.
The pirates of the Red Sky were a ragtag crew, but they were still formidable adversaries.
“Well then… looks like I’ll be fighting alongside you, Captain Riggs,” said Hades, bowing his head to the pirate captain.
“We’ll be standin’ over that mongrel’s dead body by sundown,” Riggs said with a grin.
Closing his eyes, Hades took control of his ship as the pirates watched. The Flying Dutchman moved to the side, allowing the Red Sky to come alongside it as it entered the cluster of islands. Checking his pistol, Riggs let out a deep breath.
There was no turning back now.
An eerie silence came over the waters, even as the two ships cut through the waves. Every pirate knew the sound. It was the calm before the storm. Quietly, Riggs murmured a song to himself, his friends gradually joining him.
“Give me the sea;
Give me the wind.
Give me a ship
To plunder the land.
Steal and lie;
Steal and lie;
There are no rules,
But you will not die.
Raise the skull and crossbones;
Bring fear into a man’s soul.
Shoot and loot, steal his gold;
Send him down to the depths below.
Death and magic we can’t fear.
Fight for those that we hold dear.
Before us is a memory.
We will kill Henry Every.”
Deep down in the brig of the Fancy, Maggie clutched at her head. She was still haunted by what she had seen. Every’s crew was a crew of monsters, dead beings that could not possibly exist. To be given a semblance of her sight and be forced to see such creatures was something that she could not have imagined. For as long as she could, she kept her eyes shut tight, not wanting to see anything.
