source, the only other light that enters the room is through very slight cracks in the galleon’s woodwork. In the evenings I am made to sit in complete darkness without food nor water. I know not how much time passed before I was first taken back to the upper deck of the vessel, however every time I am removed from the room a linen material is placed over my head to restrict my vision.
The first time I was taken from the cell I was placed in a chamber sat with Captain Rike to my left, the male who had pinned me with his foot was stood before us and within the room were many of the blue uniformed men.
“Tell me who you are.” He spoke at last, and although his accent was different it was understandable. The man removed his blue hat revealing a finely kept head of hair, joined by sideburns that lead down to a well kept beard, though I could not refrain from focusing more upon his moustache than anything else.
“Captain Rike, owner of Roselyn, and you are?” Immediately after Rike asked his question one of the vessel’s crew struck him with an open hand, the captain burst from his seat and grasped the male’s throat forcing him back into the line of men that surrounded us. I scarcely had a moment to react before the male with the moustache pulled a pistol upon Rike and he was pushed back into his seat by a number of men.
“I am Captain Ignavus,” he smiled, “and you are enemies of the Spanish navy. We searched the wreckages of your vessel for riches, yet there were none. Tell me, captain, what did you do with them?” Rike huffed with disgust at the male and looked up with a bitter scowl.
“Those treasures were cursed. I threw the chest over board before you bastards overcame us.” The men stared at each other whilst Rike spoke, however the moment he finished Ignavus burst into laughter.
“Those ingots were Spanish property, captain, you made the greatest mistake of your pathetic existence when you sunk our trade fleet and the galleons which kept them secure. Cursed.” Shaking his head the captain looked at his men with a smile on his face and I suddenly realised what he spoke of.
“We didn’t sink your fleet of trade ships, matey, your own did that.” He looked at me and then slowly moved the aim of his pistol to face me.
“We saved many of the survivor’s of the Martona, imbecile, you were reported long ago, to insult us by destroying a further two of our finest naval ships caused outrage in Spain. Tell us where the treasure is, Captain Rike, and your death will be swift.” My heart sunk as I heard the Spanish captain speak, the entirety of this situation had come upon us so quickly that I had not had the time to comprehend it. “How you crept up on us as you did was far more stupid than it was impressive. The hoard on those ships was more valuable than anything your kind could ever imagine. Now,” he turned the weapon back to face Rike, “you have one night to inform me of the whereabouts of my gold, or I promise you this, captain, you will know a death like none that you could ever wish upon your worst enemies.”
Ignavus gave more orders to his men and they roughly escorted Captain Rike from the chamber, though he did not have me removed. When the captain was gone the Spaniard put the pistol down upon a table and sat on the woodwork looking at me.
“You must be Harvey Sailor?” I nodded. The man clicked his fingers and one of his crew brought forward an enormous book that I immediately recognised to be one of Captain Rike’s vessel logs. “You wrote all of these books yourself, first mate?”
“Aye.” I nodded again, unwilling to make any sort of conversation with the captain.
“You have a very impressive skill with a pen. It seems there were some very special men amongst your crew. Your captain alone seems like a most impressive individual, it shall be a great shame to watch him die.”
“You don’t have to kill him.”
“Oh but I do, orders are orders. You however could possibly save your own life, and have some time with your captain before his head is placed upon a pole and paraded from Spanish harbour to Spanish harbour.” He reached once more for his gun and picking it up with his right hand rested the barrel facing down upon his knee. “I wish for you to re-write these logs with my own name instead of your captain’s. I will have them translated into Spanish and have some small details changed, in return, I promise you will leave this vessel with your life, and I will grant you a day with your captain to say your goodbyes.”
“How long will I have?” I asked, looking up at his smug face.
“I will give you a week to work on your writings, and if they are to a satisfying standard I will allow you more time to continue. You will see your captain in two days time, and that will be the last you see of him.” Upon hearing these words I looked down feeling ill at the knowledge that my captain’s life was so near to its end. “What do you say, Harvey?” Shaking my head, and with a heavy sigh of frustration, I had no other choice but to agree with the Spanish man’s offer. Although I had no intention of rewriting Captain Rike’s logs it was the only way I thought I would get to see him again.
I was given a large, untouched book, and a number of writing utensils and was escorted once again back to the festering prison cell aboard the galleon. This time the gap in the door’s woodwork was not covered over, and though it was bleak, a small amount of light allowed me some sustained time periods each day to begin working upon the last piece of writing I fear I shall ever have the pleasure of undertaking.
‘Twas some days ago now, that I began writing this final journal to chronicle the events of my captain’s life aboard his beloved princess. The Spanish coward did not keep to his word, for ‘twas yesterday I was taken from my chamber once more and dragged this time without a cover over my eyes up to the top deck of the vessel. Standing in chains amidst the grand gangways of the ship was Captain Rike. I was dragged myself to the doors of the chamber in which the captain of the vessel resided, there I was forced upon my knees and bound in chains. To my great surprise Achilles was being restrained to my right by a blue uniformed deckhand who yelled at the enormous dog attempting to keep him held in a single place, ‘twas not until this moment that I knew the dog was alive.
In front of Rike stood a great number of men, each holding pistols and rifles, aimed at my captain. Ignavus stood in front of them and stared at Rike with a grave focus, fiddling with his moustache.
“We know you destroyed our trade fleet, captain, now, this is your final chance.”
“It was not us!” I yelled out and was abruptly stricken by the rat who held me pinned in chains. The Spanish captain did not pay any attention to me.
“I can make this easy on you, and on your first mate, and on your dog.” He smirked before turning to look at me. “Did I not promise you a last day with your captain, Harvey?” I shook my head at the man as his gaze returned to Rike. “I have read much about you and your crew captain, you are not a silly man, come, all I want to know is where the treasures of the Martona are, and perhaps a confession of your treachery.” He took a stride towards my captain and with a mighty swing struck him across the face with the back of his hand. Rike did not react to the blow as it violently caused his head to turn, he merely spat on the surface of the vessel’s gangway before turning to look back at the Spaniard.
“Tell us of the treasure or my men will tear the skin from your body with pistol fire. You will be unrecognisable.” Rike stood in silence. The line of men held their pistols and rifles aimed at his head and body. “Well then, any last words?” Still playing with his moustache, Captain Ignavus turned to his left and waited for Rike to speak. I stared at the man who I looked to as a father. He took a deep breath, turning his head he looked at Achilles, the dog wheezed erratically and for a moment they gazed upon each other before Rike looked back towards the Spanish crew with his dark, despair filled eyes.
“Fire away.” He whispered. The Spanish captain released a heavy sigh of frustration. He stepped to the side of his crew and made a hand gesture, and with it the gunshots began, for what seemed an eternity the bullets hailed my great captain as he fell first to his knees, then backwards as the torrent of fire that tore hi
m apart forced him upon his back. He did not make a sound as he fell, he did not utter a single curse upon the men who took his life, they would never know who they had killed that day, nor what knowledge they had stripped from the earth with their actions.
The deckhand restraining Achilles released him and the poor beast ran to his owner, licking his lifeless face the dog whimpered before barking at the unresponsive corpse. The sight of this brought tears to my eyes for the animal did not understand his master’s fate, yet his unending loyalty would not allow him rest until he saw the captain call his name once more.
“Take that beast below and serve it to the crew.” As the bastard spoke I thrashed about in my chains in protest, Achilles struggled with great desperation to remain by his master’s side as one of the deckhands dragged him beneath the vessel’s orlop. I am sure the world will not see an animal as magnificent as he again.
“Take the first mate back to his cell, you have three days left, Harvey, then I will see your work.” I was lifted to my feet by the same man who held me on my knees and dragged back to my prison cell. As I have spent my days recounting my crew’s final moments upon this dreaded earth instead of erasing my captain’s name from
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