The Tetua


The three amigos sat under cover of the mainsail, trying to keep away from the light drizzle of the early evening but reluctant to go indoors.

Jasmine lay on the deckboards between the two boys, gazing up at the sail flapping in the breeze. She turned to face Jacoby.

"Have you ever wonder what the worlds going to be like in a hundred years?"

"Not really. But I suppose though, it'll be a lot like this," he looked thoughtful for a moment, "We'll probably have faster ships though and the floods would probably have stopped since all the ice must have finished melting by then, right?"

She nodded absentmindedly and twisted her head to look at her other companion, "What do you think, Connor?"

He shrugged, "I've got absolutely, no idea. Why are you asking?"

"It's just strange thinking we'll never know, isn't it? Well, not unless we lived a really long time,"

"Yeah, it is a bit weird," Jacoby agreed, "But you know who will know? Those Vampirates. They live forever don't they? One hundred years must be nothing to them"

Connor groaned, "Can we please not talk about them right now? I've had enough about vampires as it is"

"Hey, at least Captain Li didn't send us on her tome mission, that she sent several other crew members on?"

He sat up, "What mission?" This was the first he ever heard of any mission. And what did 'tome' mean anyway?

"Haven't you heard? Cheng Li sent a bunch of the crew to go get some vampire books for her"

Connor laughed, "Your joking! Won't they come back with a bunch of nonsense? Were not seriously going to start a war by reading a bunch of fairytales."

"Maybe we could just throw the books at them, that would probably be even more useful" Jacoby agreed, they both burst out into a fresh round of laughter. Now Jasmine sat up and glared at them, "Don't be ridiculous. Cheng Li knows what she's doing. And anyway they're not fairytales. They're historical accounts hundreds of years old, she's even hired a translator."

The boys stopped laughing, "We're really doing this, aren't we? We're really starting a war with the undead"

Connor nodded gloom fully, before standing up, "I'll see you later"

"Connor, wait.."

"Connor!"

He ignored both their protests. He didn't want to hear about how the plans for a war were going. He'd leave that to the deputies. He made his way across the slippery deck and back inside, before descending the stairs to below deck level, where his cabin was located.
It was much more crowded indoors, then it had been out on deck, because of the rain. As he walked down the narrow corridor he passed a common room, many pirates lounged in there, a few were playing a game of cards. Connor had met some of them and they waved for him to join in their game. He waved back but didn't stop until he reached his cabin.

It was dark inside. The small porthole not letting in it's usual light because of the dark rain clouds covering the dark sky and blotting out the sun. The room was small but he didn't really mind, he'd been given his own cabin rather than having to share one like he had on the Diablo. A smaller room and bad lighting was a small price to pay for the privacy.

Connor slipped of his shoes then flopped onto the bunk and closed his eyes.

"Connor?" He opened his eyes at once and sat bolt upright, looking around the room. But even in the gloom he could see there was no one else there. I must have imagined it, Connor thought, probably to much stress.

"Connor," the voice repeated. It sounded familiar in a kind of vague way. At first he wondered if it was another crew member standing outside the cabin, but no, the voice had almost sounded like it had been coming from inside. He glanced round the cabin again. No one.

"Who's there?"

There was silence for a moment, then the voice asked, "Conner, can you here me?"

Was this a joke? He thought about throwing the door open to see if anyone was behind hiding outside but he didn't move. Realising that he' been right, the voice definitely had come from inside. But not from anywhere specific, it was more like it was the room itself that was speaking to him. Part of Connor was suddenly engulfed in fear as he realised this was something supernatural. But the other half recognised the voice and understood that it could not, and would not, hurt him. He nodded his head to show, yes, he had heard. But then added, "Yes, I can hear you". He wasn't sure if, like he, his supernatural companion could see him.

"Oh, darling. You sound so very far away…"

Darling? Surely that was a bit premature? But then again, the voice did sound familiar. He wondered briefly if it was Grace speaking to him, but no, although this was a girl's voice, it wasn't his sister.

"Who are you?"

There was along pause, and Connor got the feeling that the girl was right, they were a very long way from each other. But just as he thought to repeat his question, louder, the voice spoke again.

"Don't you recognise me?" she was clearly disappointed, "It's Sally"

Recognition and shock filled Connor, "Mother? How on earth…I though you said we couldn't be together?"

"I know what I said. Believe me…I know. I can't explain myself right now, but I need you to listen to me very carefully.

Connor nodded but then remembered it was unlikely she could see him, "Okay, I'm listening"

"Grace is in trouble,"

"Grace?! Where is she? What kind of trouble?!" he stood up and rushed towards the door.

"Connor wait!" He froze, his hand already on the door handle, "I don't have a lot of time left, but this is important. Grace is in trouble, but the thing is, she hasn't realised it herself yet"

"What do you mean?"

"Grace thinks she is doing the right thing, right now. But she hasn't, she's begun something terrible and one day it's going to all come crashing down on her"

"I don't understand," Connor said, he could here the desperation in his own voice.

"You don't need to. Just remember what I've said"

"What kind of trouble?" he repeated. He was shouting, although he didn't mean to, his voice raw with emotion, "How do I help her?!"

There was no answer.

"Sally?!"

But it was to late, his mother was gone.

"Hello?" The cabin door opened a crack and Jasmine poked her head into the room, "Is everything okay in here?"

"Yeah, everything fine, just fine" his voice sounded bitter even to his own ears. Jasmine opened the door fully and entered the room. She pulled him into a warm hug, "What's wrong Connor?"

He pushed her away, "Nothing"

"I heard you talking to someone"

"Just myself" more than anything he wanted to tell her the truth, wanted someone he could confide in. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. What would he say? I was speaking to the disembodied voice of my dead mother, who may or may not have something to do with the vampires, who was just telling me my psycho sister's in deadly peril?

"I head a you say a girl's name. Sally"

"Yes," he wasn't quite sure how to explain that one away.

"Is she a friend of yours?" Jasmine prompted.

He signed, "Not exactly"

She pulled him closer again, this time he didn't push her away, "It's okay, it's all going to be okay. I know how this vampire stuff is making you feel. And it's okay. You don't need to explain yourself to me."

He wrapped his arms round her, "Thanks"


I'm working on the next chapter right now, So I'll post it when it's done...
But (for anyone who reads this story) can you please lest me know what your opinions on Jasmine and Connor as a couple (and any suggestions on who you'd like to see Connor with) I've tried to keep their relashionship open to interpretation at the moment but I'd like to know what everything thinks/wants.