The High Seas
Chapter 38: The High Seas
James swam as far as he could away from the island in a dead reckoning direction. For hours he pushed on through the darkness and freezing waters with only his right arm to help pull through the surf. His body was shutting down, he could feel it. His movements became sluggish, it was a huge effort just to breathe. Hypothermia was setting in. Still, he pushed on. He kept going when his extremities went numb. He kept going when his limbs turned stiff. He kept going even as he began to slip beneath the waves.
Finally, he bumped into a small piece of driftwood. He reached out and clung to it like it was his only hope for salvation. In the back of his mind, he knew done. He was alone and adrift in some unknown ocean with no land in sight. On top of that, the sea was so cold that he estimated he would probably have only a few minutes of consciousness left. Maybe half an hour of life. So there he floated, his right arm slung over the driftwood to keep him afloat, his left still strapped to his chest, the hand absently clutching the gem that still hung from his neck....
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An inky plane as black as pitch yet no where near as tangible. A swelling pulse of clouded malevolence surging all around him. James became aware of feet that were not his, hands that did not belong to him a body that was not his own. And yet it was his. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. The place certainly felt familiar to him. Then all at once, his surroundings pulsed a dark blood red, shrieking gore-crows swarmed from all sides and he knew.
He threw up his hands to ward off their attacks, but none ever came. Instead, they began to cluster and swirl to what he guessed to be the floor. They merged and melded into the single small form that forever haunted his dreams. The child. Again, the boy stared at him with a lifeless eye and a broken face. James just stared back, still unsure of what to do.
"You're back." He said. "Why can't you just leave me alone!?"
The child did not respond. Suddenly a searing pain lanced up James' forearm. He gripped it and clenched his teeth as an ugly scar grew and pulsated on it.
"Just leave me alone and get out of my head! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
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Rocking, gentle rocking. The creak of wood rubbing together. The slosh of waves against the hull of a ship as it carved its way through the water. James opened his eyes. Above him was a thick wooden ceiling. He was laying in a hammock. His left arm began to itch so he reached over to scratch it, but stopped when he saw that the manacle had been removed and the dirty bandages had been replaced with bright white clean ones.
He sat up and looked around to see that he was in a small cell with thick iron bars on three sides, the back wall was curved and made of solid beams. From the sounds, smell of salt and the rocking of the room, James guessed himself to be on a small ship somewhere out in the open sea. James eased himself out of the hammock and dropped to the deck.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" He called. "Hello!"
Somewhere, a door opened and slammed shut. Uneven steps accompanied by the solid thunk of wood on wood slowly approached.
"Aye, so you return to the land of the living, pulled from icy embrace of Pony Jones' locker." A rough gravely voice born of the sea echoed from the shadows.
From down the passageway a peg legged pony strode. He sported a frizzled salt and pepper beard with a matching mane. Atop his head rested a large elegant hat. His ears were pierced with several gold ear rings. Strapped to his side was a sharp menacing cutlass. His coat was a dappled white and brown.
"Who are you?" James asked him.
"Ho, now why would I be goin' tellin' a stranger that without knowin' his intentions?"
"It would be a place to start."
"That it would, aye. So why don't we start with you?"
"Fair enough. I'm James. I just need to get back home."
"And where'd that be, James?"
"Equestria."
"Any port in particular?"
"Just drop me off anywhere, I'll be fine from there. Now, any chance I can get your name?"
"That depends. What be your profession? Your trade?"
James thought quickly. He had no idea where he was in the world. He was with an unknown number of individuals. Plus he had no idea what they did. However, he DID know that he was on a ship traveling across the sea. He thought back to his training at its earliest. He thought back to boot.
"I'm a sailor."
"A sailor, you say? Then you won't mind demonstrating a few things for me. Here," the swarthy pony tossed in a few lengths of rope and a sack of potatoes, "why don't ya secure that. To the overhead."
James picked up the rope and searched for a spot to start. In approximately the center of the overhead was an iron ring. James reached up and tied a bowline knot around it. He did the same with one of the iron bars that constituted his cell. Then he tied off the overhead line to a ring set in the sack's opening. He followed through with the other, creating two points of contact to prevent the potatoes from swinging about.
"Aye, that be good. Ok, we'll take you back, but ye must earn your keep 'round my ship lest we toss ye back from whence you came. I be Captain Easton and this here's my vessel, the Luna's Revenge. The next port be more than a few days away."
The Captain pulled out a key and released his prisoner. James stepped out and joined Captain Easton as he walked down the P-Way.
"'Tis a pleasure to meet your acquaintance James. If ye don't mind me askin', from what land do ye sail from? I've ne'er seen a manner of being quite like yourself."
"I uh, come from America."
"America? Can't say I've ever been to such a place in all the seas."
"Yeah... it's kind of out there."
"Then what, pray tell, be you doin' 'round these here parts?"
"My ship was on an expedition when we were attacked. I was imprisoned on an island until I escaped."
Captain Easton stopped in his tracks.
"An island ye say... Did this island happen to have a large covered harbor?"
"You mean like a cavern?"
"Aye."
"Why?"
"'Twas our home, our own port in the storm. 'Til those heathens came and TOOK IT FROM US!" Captain Easton bellowed.
"Captain?"
"Ah, my apologies lad. We lost many a good stallion that day."
James was led up to the weather deck and the cold ocean air.. All around, ponies were scrubbing the deck and rigging lines. From somewhere cheerful accordion music flowed.
"Go find the Bo'son, he'll give ye your assignment." Easton ordered.
"Aye Captain."
James left the salty sea captain and walked about the deck. He wandered around until a shout caught his attention.
"You there! Biped!"
James stopped and turned to a green pegasus, "Are you the Bo'son?"
"Ye be correct! Now stop lollygaggin' about and get to work riggin' th' sails!"
"Aye aye!"
James swung up onto net that was lashed to the deck and the top of the main mast. Up on the cross bar, he started to reef the main sail to help better catch the wind. As he edged his way towards the crow's nest.
"You the new guy we picked up?"
"Huh?"
James looked up to see a blonde coated earth pony with a black mane and an eye patch over his left eye.
"The name's Han Ken. My friends usually call me Hank or just Ken." He offered a hoof to shake.
James took it in his hand and gave a firm shake, "James."
"A pleasure, I'm sure. I'm the ship's lookout, why don't you join me?"
"Alright, just hold on a sec."
James finished his task before making his way back to the nest an hurdling over the railing.
"So Ken, what's this ship all about?" He asked.
"You don't know?"
"No."
"We're pirates."
"Really?"
"Sure as the north wind blows."
"Huh. So you steal goods from merchant ships?"
"How else would a pirate make his living? Course, now a days it's hard, what with most countries ferrying most of their valuables via airship. We used to have one ourselves, but those violent savages took it for themselves when they raided our refuge." Ken explained to the human.
"That so?"
"Oh sure, the skipper was furious. Captured a few of them in the escape, he did. Though he slew the lot of them in a fit of rage."
"Harsh."
James spent the next few days rigging lines and swabbing the deck. He even spent some time working down in the galley. He earned his his keep and even got his pistol back once the Captain felt he could trust the human and his strange gadgets. He even gave James his own cutlass. James was grateful for it and immediately took a liking to the versatile weapon. Every day he would practice sparing with it against Ken. He became quite proficient with it and earned a spot as one of the ship's Masters at Arms, helping keep the peace among the crew.
One foggy night he was standing watch on the port side of the bow, gazing into bleary darkness. His thoughts began to wander and he soon found himself thinking of his new home. What his friends were doing. What Dash was doing. He'd probably get a beating when he got back. James laughed at the thought. Then his mind went to darker areas. His one sided conversations with Kraster. The points he had made.
"I know that stare."
James looked over his shoulder to see Captain Easton walking up.
"Aye, that'd be the gaze of true fighter, a killer even." The skipper continued, "that's the stare of somepony that has seen more of his fair share of death. You're not the simple sailor ye claim to be."
*sigh* "Yes Captain. I'm afraid that's correct."
"Buck up lad. We all have our ghosts. The best we can do is make our peace with them." The old sailor said solemnly.
"What if you did something so horrible, that even under given circumstances you find it utterly inexcusable?"
"Lad, ye must not try to rationalize it. Death is an irrational thing. I've found that as long as ye do it for the right reasons; defense of yourself, of others, then it's not somethin' ye should be beatin' yourself up over. Killing for the sake of killing or for the sake of greed or lust, aye, detestable those acts would be. Ne'er ye shall be sorry for doing what must be done."
"Thanks Cap, I'll keep your words in mind."
"'Twas my pleasure. All tortured souls deserve some manner of--"
A blindingly bright light suddenly shined down upon their vessel from above, sending both of them diving for cover. Black ropes whipped down to the deck, quickly followed by several ponies in dark dress and armor. Captain Easton galloped over to the ship's bell and began to sound the alarm.
"To arms, to arms, get up ye lazy sea rats! We be needin' to repel boarders!
Ken was one of the first to emerge from below decks, sword at the ready. He was soon followed by a gang of the ship's crew who immediately engaged the intruders. James was stupefied, rooted in place, until he was rushed by one of the masked assailants. James drew his cutlass and began to block blow after blow. The fighter lashed out with several quick strokes of a short sword and began pushing James back towards the edge of the deck.
They fought for a few minutes until James saw an opening and swung his sword low, bashing the stallion in the foreleg. The blade bounced off fine armor, but it still swept the support of the limb out from under his opponent. James immediately brought the blade to the stallion's neck and removed the mask. Flash blinked at him.
"Flash!?"
"James!?"
"What are YOU doing here!?" They both exclaimed in unison.
"We've spent the last few weeks looking for you!" Flash yelled.
"I escaped not too long ago. I'll go into details later, but first we have to stop this fight."
James helped up his friend and strode to the middle of the deck.
"ALL OF YOU STAND DOWN! This is Commander James Kaughn of the RSTG, lower your weapons!" The human roared.
All the fighting stopped almost instantly, the combatants standing around in stunned silence.
"What manner of trickery be this!?" Captain Easton demanded.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I didn't think you'd--"
"What, ye didn't think I'd like knowin' we had a dog of the crown in our midst? Did ye set this all up, tryin' to catch an old stallion off guard?"
Ken quickly came to the human's defense, "Captain, he's been nothing but helpful to us. I don't think--"
"Shut your muzzle or I'll have lashes awarded to ye!"
James started to speak again, "Captain, you have my apologies, this is not what I intended. It's true I was captured and escaped from that island. Right now, there are many innocent souls in danger and I need to get back to my superiors. I'm going to order my soldiers off and go. You'll never have to see us again."
The ship captain glared at James with narrowed eyes filled with the hate that can only be forged by a broken trust, "Fine, then go. But if I ever see ye again, it won't be under a white flag, that ye can be sure about. Cryin' shame, it is, ye be a capable sailor."
"Thank you sir. I'm sorry we have to part ways like this."
Down from the heavens, the Clipper descended and came along side the large sailboat. Some of the deck ponies ran a brow over to the open side door, allowing James, Flash and the rest of the assault squad to cross. Inside the cabin, Feather and Sparks were waiting, looks of disbelief upon their faces.
"The hay have you been!?" The engineer asked in shock.
"Long story. Right now, we need to get back to Canterlot as fast as possible."
"I hear ya boss, it's good to have you back!" Myst yelled from the cockpit.
"On top of things, like always. Glad to see you Myst." James replied.
After the last operative crossed, the brow was pulled back onto the Luna's Revenge. James looked down at the ship as they pulled away, her wrathful Captain never taking his eyes from the human.
"They should all be locked up." Sparks said at his side.
James watched the ship receding into the distance as Myst fed power to the engine.
"They aren't that bad. Besides, we may need their help in the future."
"What? Why?"
"I'll fill you all in soon. I'll tell you what though, the future doesn't look too good for us."
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12:45 at night school tomaro trying to get to sleep ha its for the weak. Also first
well.... buck...
Ohhhhh, dis gunna be good.
Interesting chapter
Well, looks like a raid on the cave... I hope they get there in time to find the giant crystal bombs.
I can't believe I missed the last chapter. Oh well, between that and this chapter we have a lot of interesting things going on, and I am very much looking forwards to seeing where it goes and how James will get the...good...captain to play nice with him later.
James is back with his men and future seems dark and dangerous.
This story is getting better by each chapter!
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Looks interesting, I'll add it to my "Read Later" list. Commenting just to change the number of comments there are.
Broken trust?... No...no, that be a grave misunderstandin', but a pirate captain will always be stubborn when it comes to 'es crew and ship.
Tis' a shameful thing to be cast away like yer nothin' just because of a little scuffle.
Was about to go to sleep then I noticed this story got another chapter...argh!
You post chapters so late on school days ;-;
i.qkme.me/36hi5i.jpg to the mods with you
1251959
Lucky bastard....
AWESOME. nuff said
Oh... I thought he would go all Rambo with diamond necklace and somehow find an M-60 along the way.
1358031 yes i would love to see tht
dam nice
I thought the necklace would teleport him or something! But aww...
Damn that was a good surprise of a reunion. Didn't see it coming. Great job.
While I do like the story, Im getting sick of these plot holes. James mastered sword play in only a few days? BS! Why were the fixers out there? Hopefully you'll say why soon but seems odd. But more importantly, how did Flash not recognize James as the only human known to the fixers at that time?
If the Pirates had been attacked by a standard patrol then that might have worked because the low rank royal guard 'might' not recognize James in the middle of a raid.
Why didn't he ask the pirates for the location of the island? It makes no sense at all!