Chapter 14
The party must've been in full swing for about another few hours, and it was definitely the 'AM' hours when it finally finished and most retired, but myself and Reaver who stayed on deck.
"It's a gorgeous night, my Queen." He said as he looked up to the sky above the water, the stars shining out as the moonlight shadowed the deck.
"Since when did you care for natures aesthetics?" I ask him as I glance over to him and he smirks.
"Since I was a lad." He looked over. "Over 200 years ago."
I'm still to an extent taken a-back by Reaver's old age; it's very astounding to think. You can tell from his slightly dated speech that he's struggled to keep up with the times of this day and age, but he's been doing well. He is the main man of industrialisation in Albion, and yet, he's a pirate on a ship he's owned for over 100 years and yet…he still was as agile as a young man.
"And it's never been boring?" I asked him in genuine curiosity.
"If it was I wouldn't be gazing so." He said as he looked up as the water nearly silently lapped up against the side of the ship. Just then as we were relaxed, a ship began to loom in the darkness over to the right side of the ship.
"You must be joking." Reaver said in a disgruntled tone as he looked over in the direction of the ship that was approaching ours, but he squinted in an odd way.
"What's wrong?" I asked, bracing myself for the possible attack that was about to occur.
"Can't you see?" He then pointed out towards the other deck. "There's no-one on board."
As I squinted too, I saw that what he was said was truth and that there really wasn't anyone on board.
"Maybe their hiding for attack?" I asked uncertainly and he shook his head.
"I would say that was right but…all the sails are slashed. We must be getting close." He said as he took a step back, watching as the lifeless ship floated past us both.
"Getting…close?" I ask as I couldn't seem to take my eyes off the empty ship.
"Do you remember how I said that not a lot of us would survive this voyage? Well, this is why." He said with a deep gulp, and I stood there stricken.
"I didn't think you were being serious. Where is this place we're going?" I ask, now getting desperate for some legitimate answers, and he looks over to me.
"I'm not sure; I've never known to be honest. They say that your ship has to be pretty lost to find the place and well, I think we've succeeded. "
"You mean we've been lost this whole time?"
"Yes, but not anymore." He said almost silently as the ship passed us by and he looked over to me,
"You're sleeping in my cabin tonight." He said in a firm voice which almost made me jump.
"Why would I-…"
"This place I've heard can…show you things, drive a man insane. It may be like that wretched 'Darkness' you fought all those years ago, but run by the long dead pirate king." He said as he bit his lip.
"I thought you were the pirate king?"
"I only am because I killed for the title, but, he came back in the form of a spirit one day and he still has thing I want."
"This is horrifically dangerous."
"Which makes it more fun, no?"
"I guess so." I say in a low tone as I look to him properly, and he wasn't even looking at me, he was staring off into the distance looking rather frightened to be fair.
"Now, we must retire, alright?" He says to me as he turns to face me with a concerned look, reaching a hand out towards me, edging me on to take a hold of it, and I do. He gives the ship a once over one last time, scanning his eyes around the empty deck that held no-body but us and he made a 'tsk' noise, as if still feeling extremely disgruntled. Turning back, he walked across the deck with me and lead me into his cabin, locking the door and putting a chair up against it as he did so, staring at the door as if to say 'I hope it holds'.
"I've never seen you look so concerned." I said to him as I made my way towards his dressing table, sitting and looking at the arrangements of things on it, some even looking a bit odd. There were containers with what seemed to be makeup scattered on his desk as well as what seemed to be blood stains. I decided not to ask.
"These doors aren't as sturdy as they used to be." He said in a very low tone as he glanced over to me before properly turning and making his way over to me, leaning on his table and looking at the roof.
"Is it really as dangerous as you make it out to be?" I asked in a sheepish way. I knew for a fact that it was indeed very serious, if it wasn't Reaver would've already brushed it off and not have cared. Yet, even though Reaver is very good at masking any emotions inside of his being, I can see the fear in his eyes as if it is eating away at him, as if he's seen it before or has heard the folk tales that most likely go along with it.
"It's more dangerous." He glanced over to me. "That's why I'm taking precaution."
I thought for a minute to myself and I remembered back to my experiences with the darkness is Aurora and in Albion, and it made me quiver just to recall the events. Those times were horrific as could be and they haunted me for months, the images it gave me and the monsters that lay within. Yet, if I remember correctly, at that point in time Reaver was busy with the Shadow Court, explained in a letter he left for me in the castle stating 'when I get back I hope not to find you all dead' or something along those lines, something dark I'm sure. That makes me wonder if he'd ever actually experience the darkness first hand or anything like it, apart from the Shadow Court. Perhaps that's why he's frightened.
"That door won't stop the Darkness if that's exactly what it is." I said honestly to him to give him a better idea, and he frowned.
"Yes of course, I know that. It'll just keep out those blasted men."
"'Blasted men'?"
"His pirates." He said in almost a growl to me, gritting his teeth harshly as he looked back to the roof of the cabin.
"Shouldn't we have our men awake and ready for attack?" I asked him and he shook his head quickly.
"No, they're all dead you see, they're in the spiritual state of their lifetime because, well, I killed them all after I took on that pirate king. Your mother even managed to plunder his spirit and by Avo I was so impressed I grasped your mother and-"
"Reaver! The story?" I say to put him back on the rails of what he was supposed to be saying.
"Ah yes, of course. Well, that pirate has come back once more but his ship still has things I wish as it was stolen from Bloodstone bay by his crew again. You see, the pirate crew are, shall I say, dim. They don't like to struggle with doors or walls so they go for easier targets, so we should be safe yet the visions and voices that we will hear due to the powers they hold shall be horrific."
As he explained more and more, I grew more frightened for the night ahead.
"Yet, what easier targets could they go for and why exactly?" I ask as he looks back to me.
"The cargo-holds of course. Once they kill everyone in there they will think the whole ship is plundered, especially due to the amount of numbers done there! Thus, myself, you and the other professional pirates locked in their rooms will be safe and will be able to advance towards the bay where he lives."
My heart sank.
"I'm not letting you just throw away servants lives like that! I'm not letting Emily just die like that!"
"But if we don't give those spirits some decoys we will both die." He said as he stood from the desk and towered above me as I sat, folding his arms across his chest.
"You should've thought about that before you brought me then. They're not dying tonight."
"Well some of them have to!"
He kept countering me, putting me on the spot. What am I to do about this? I do not wish to die yet, it is not my time yet and nor is it Reaver's and it is most definitely not Emily's time either. Yet, as for the servants, what of them?
Just then, white suddenly flashed around the room brightly and seemingly stopped time, Reaver frozen in place, his expression of angst stuck as the room turned an odd, muted grey colour just as Theresa, my mentor, appeared in front of me, dressed in all red as usual.
"Hello hero." She said in her low monotone as she bowed her head down, looking to the floor as she stood, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Theresa, what am I to do?" I ask her as I stand from my chair and move towards her.
"The situation you are in is dire, it is true, but you must not let the servants of this ship die." She said as she lifted her head, her white, blind eyes looking to me.
"Then what shall we do?" I ask, feeling fear as I knew the night-time was close by.
"I have an idea. When the pirates do arrive, get out of this room and face them, but make sure Reaver can watch. You will have his gun and you shall shoot yourself on deck." She said calmly, as if it was an everyday occurrence and I gasped.
"Is it my fate to die now?" I asked in a sad tone as I saw a smile appear on her face.
"No hero, you are not to die yet. I shall bestow upon you a special potion that will make it unable to harm you. The reason to do this is because the pirates who try to plunder you will see it as a cowards ship with no interesting battles, which shall turn them away." She said to me as she put her hand out, Reaver's gun, the Dragonstomper, appearing in her hand and I moved towards her to pick it up.
"Are you sure it'll work?" I ask as I tuck it into my pocket and she gives a laugh.
"I can see the future. I know so." She said as she took a step back as I did the same, walking back to the chair and sitting down.
"Alright hero, I must go back now. Good luck, you shall succeed."
"Yet why must you want Reaver to see?" I asked her confused.
"He will tell you things that will alter your future." She said as she looked back down to the floor.
Just then, the room flashed back to normal and she was gone.
"I do not care what friends you may have we must do something!" Reaver continued to ramble, completely oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place. I nodded to everything, calm now that my plan was in place, yet scared. I've never...shot myself before.
As I looked over to Reaver's table again, I noticed a bottle that wasn't there before, Reaver not seeing as his back was turned. I quickly took the lid off and I drank what was within and it made my blue veins appear for a second like a deep heartbeat all over my body, and I could feel the power. Reaver seemingly noticed the colour change momentarily and it looked as if he was going to say something before he went quiet.
Night-time fell quicker than I felt it should've and before I knew it Reaver was pacing, awaiting the first sound of attack. Then, it sounded, a gunshot in the distance and I took this as my signal. I jumped from the seat and ran towards the door, throwing the chair out of the way and opening it to see a ghostly ship appear just by this ship. Reaver called after me, before covering his mouth and ducking into the doorway.
"Oh my, pirates!" I yelled out, specifically trying to grab the attention of the other crew, using a false terrified voice and as I said it, I heard low laughter.
"A maid? Where is your captain girl?!" I heard being shouted at me in a deep, heavily pirate accented voice.
"The captain is dead! Everyone is very dead!" I said a fake, weak crying voice as if a maid terror stricken.
"Dead? You are the only one left?" They ask as they all begin to chuckle, shouting from the other ship.
"Yes, and I am defenceless!" I shout out to them just as they seemed to want to move in, and I drew my gun quickly. I drew it up to my head, shaking hard. I was terrified. Then, bang. I shot myself in the head.
I fell to the floor hard, but I did not feel any pain, which was such a relief. When I fell, I was left facing towards Reaver's bedrooms doorway and he was standing there, his hand gripped over his mouth as his eyes were open wide, looking as if he could scream.
"Coward. The ships already been plundered. Onwards!" I heard in a low accented voice as the ship seemingly pulled away. Reaver waited a minute and then spirited over to me and took me into his arms. I decided to have a bit of fun and try to find out what Theresa meant by he'd tell me things.
"My lady! Come now do not die right now! There is so much to do!" He shouted at me in a panic, and I just lay back faking my death. If I was a regular being, I would be very dead by now anyway.
"My lady! There is so much to do for us! We have a life to lead with each other…I-I mean a life to lead by each other's side!" He exclaimed at me as I rolled my eyes back and I could feel my wounds already healing and closing.
"My dear no…I feel for you, I-…" He said as he looked as if he was crying. I couldn't put on the façade for any longer, I had learned what I need to know.
"Are you telling me you're in love with me?" I said back to him, opening my eyes as I smirked almost evilly at him as a frown phased his face.
"You deceiving, ignorant…" His voice trailed off a little. "I'm glad you're okay." He said, probably now fully aware that I had just saved the ship and the rest of the crew from a bloody fate.
"Did you forget for a minute that I was a hero?" I asked as he continued to hold onto me, still apparently shaken from the fright I'd given him from my faked death.
"I did, you fooled me. I commend you for that." He said as he picked me up into his arms and I smirked.
"And, what was that? You feel for me, huh? Well, how interesting!" I say in a way to poke at his weak moment, and he actually smiled down to me, not at all lie how I imagined his response.
"Perhaps I do, it is true. Just…don't scare me like that again." He said in a low tone as he held me close to his body in a warm embrace.
He was happy I was alive, and he seemingly didn't want to let me go. I wouldn't believe it if he'd never told me, Reaver…cares for me. How very interesting.