A/N: Un-edited chapter. Haven't heard from my Beta in a while, hope she alright
The Crimson Dawn, Part II (Final part)
The triple cannons blasted into life as they enemy vessels came into range, one to the stern and two double canons roared as a second vessel came along side. Orders were bellowed by the first and second mates and the crew members off shift threw themselves from their hammocks, mess hall and relaxation up the ladders and onto the deck. The captain stood calm and in control at the helm staring down the snapping flags of two pirate ships. One ship had the traditional flag of a skull and crossed bones against a black sail and the other had a curved white blade against a deep blue.
Turning to his second he ordered the opening of the Dragons Breath hatches, the first mate flinched and then turned and roared instructions. Suddenly a sailor appeared silently at his side, his age not betrayed by his bearing, and stood tall surveying the chaos about to commence. Between the blasts of cannons and yells of crew a clinking was heard. From within an opening hatch, in even pockets of deck, a small tripod rose. It was connected to a small tube and had what appeared to be a catch at the end, it was blackened, like that of ash. Less busy crew members rushed to each point and a rushing sound could be heard, the crew lifted a latch and a spark ignited at the tubes entrance.
Suddenly there was a gushing sound and oil erupted from the tube and into the fire, the crew of the alongside vessel cried and fell back as an explosion of furious fire ripped across the side of their ship and flames licked at the wood. Suddenly water erupted from the churning sea holding the ships and reared up to douse the fire. The sailor standing next to the captain snarled and raised his hand, the enemy mage visibly gulped.
Sailors rushed from their newly acquired positions in front of the "Dragons Breath" to gather arms and planks and grappling hooks. The other crew were still firing rounds against the vessel at the stern and some were unleashing volley after volley of poison tipped arrows across the narrowing distance. The ear screamed as cannon balls the size of a child's head ripped into the ship, there was yelling as a second round of firing began and the sailor next to the captain turned and pointed, screaming a word at the approaching cannon balls. The balls slowed as though stuck in mud before stopping and spinning in the air, at a flick of the sailor mages wrist they turned and launched themselves back at their ship
Returning his attention back to the enemy mage a soft red magic swirled around him and reached out tendrils to the enemy mage whose own brown magic hurriedly cloaked him. Sailors from the other ship saw his power and his disabling of their mage and rushed past the crew towards him, crude daggers and knives raised. The Captain leaned down, easily lifting the battle axe hidden next to his legs and bellowed a challenge as he straightened. The charging sailor's eyes flickered and fear flashed through them before arrogance overcame them, they were many, and he was one. The crew of the Sun chasing the enemy crew returned their attention to boarding the enemy vessel and killing the sailors, their mage was safe, so long as their captain stood.
Stepping forward the captain swung the axe over the shocked sailors arm and straight into his unprotected head. The man's eyes filled with pain and then the momentum of the swing took him sailing through the air; he landed on the other side of the ship with a thump and lay still. By the time his comrades recognised his death, the giant was upon them, expertly twirling his seemingly light battle axe through their defences and into their soft bodies.
The captain of the Sun was left alone after that, no sailor dared approach him. Reaching into his tunic the captain withdrew a bundle and placed it on the railing in front of him, pausing only to slam his axe down on the head of an unsuspecting enemy sailor as he rose to stab the mage. Flicking open the bundle the captain withdrew a curved blade; it glittered and gleamed in the sun. He grasped the blade in the middle, it curved around his hand and it looked as though it were a small bow in his hand. Stretching his hand back he took aim and threw the blade forward, it spun through the air and cut easily through the neck of an enemy soldier about to fire an arrow. The captain's arm snapped up and he caught the blade as it came back to him, clean and ready to kill.
Returning his attention back to the status of his ship and crew the Captain surveyed the damage. Dead and dying sailors, his own and the enemy's littered the ship's deck and blood was slowly staining the wood. Long cords from the enemy vessel were looped around the masts and were dug into the deck. He frowned in annoyance and looked to the boat port-side, it was fairing much worse. The "Dragons Breath" flame cannon had done its job, the hull and railing of the ship were blackened and smoking and rigging was broken and hanging from the mast, their sails had long slits in them and their sailors were being quickly dispatched, though a group surrounded the mage determinedly. Looking to the stern the captain grunted, the ship with the flag of a white blade against blue had turned and was limping away, the risk of taking the barely hobbled Sun too much.
Suddenly the brown magic veiling the enemy magician faltered and the red magic surrounded him in an embrace. Red magic swirled around before snapping back as brown magic punched through a hole and the red magic fled with it, a crimson train, towards the fleeing vessel. The Red Sun's mage blanched and fell back to be caught by the captain unconscious, his gift drained. The sailors guarding the brown magic mage flinched as he died and then swift met their own appointments with the death god. The sailors of the Sun cheered as they realised they had fought the enemy off and had captured another ship.
The first mate came and stood next to the captain and looked towards the fleeing ship, uneasy about the brown magic and the red that had fled to the ship. Their unease was answered as the ship, well out of cannon range, turned and movement was seen on deck. "It's not yet over," the first mate roared and the crew stopped their celebrations and turned to the surviving enemy vessel.
Suddenly the vessel rocked back against the waves and a roaring could be heard, a massive ball of flame cloaking a huge cannon sped toward them. The crew stayed silent as wind lashed against the rigging and against eh sails, there was no escape, they could only wait and hope they didn't die. Instead of hitting them, the magic drive cannon flame ball smashed into the mast of the captured ship before turning slighting and slamming into the deck, near the Sun and sinking through into the depths. The enemy ship creaked and groaned and then the mast, slowly tilted and fell, like a great tree towards the Sun.
Yelling, the crew on the Sun encouraged their comrades to abandon the captured ship and rendezvous on their own. The crew scrambled away from the falling mast and launched themselves across the small gap between the ships, hoping to free their ship from the other before it was too late. Now the captain realised the purpose of the cords, they couldn't hope to cut them away before the mast fell, this must have been the plan originally.
The rigging screamed and snapped as the mast fell, unable to hold the weight and the crew scattered away, some leaping into the turmoil that was the ocean and others searching for escape inside the ship. The captain stood at the helm and watched, unafraid as the mast fell towards the suns deck. It ripped through the sails and crashed through the cross section of the mast, sailors cried as the rigging lashed back and flung them through the sky. Suddenly the air stilled and thickened, the mast halted, inches above the Suns deck. Turning the crew looked in awe and fear at the single figure that had come up from the hatch. Her hair danced as though in the wind and her clothes rippled, purple fire covered her from head to toe and she was trembling with the strain of holding the mast.
She focused her amethyst eyes on the mast and it quivered before slowly straightening until it was once again where it belonged, then it fell in the opposite direction from the Sun, and slowly began to sink. The sea boiled as the mast hit the seas surface and slowly the waters rose, up around the two hobbled vessels. Wind lashed the surface of the sea towards the now swiftly move waves. Slowly they grew, rearing towards the clear sky until it was blocked from view; all that could be seen was the twister of water stretching above the vessels that were safe in the eye.
Then the girl pointed towards where the enemy ship was last seen and the waterspout moved, across the churning sea. As the wall of water gained ground the crews awe turned to fear, though no one dared to speak least they break the spell. When it reached the vessels it parted, as though curtains had been opened, and then closed once away from the ships.
It faded not in its purpose as it cut through the waves and fell upon the fleeing vessel with vengeance. Screams couldn't be heard through the groans and creaks of a ship being ripped into pieces by tooth and claw of water.
The ocean returned to its slumbering state almost immediately after the waterspout had destroyed the ship and had dispersed. Slowly the windless ring surrounding the sun and the semi sunk ship wisped away and a breeze picked up. Breaking the silence the captain ordered clean up after disentanglement from the sinking vessel. The crew were slow to move almost as though they were sleep walking, casting glances of fear and awe at the girl mage as they kept their distance from her.
Taking a deep breath Alanna sighed, suddenly tired and swayed on her feet. She was exhausted, her gift drained and her energy depleted, her eye lids flickered and she looked up and over to where the captain stood. She blinked in surprise and then regretted it as her eyes fought to shut. Opening them she looked at the giant captain and fear flooded her as a veil of ink crossed into her vision. She never felt herself falling and hitting the bloody deck, all she was concerned about was the vision that would haunt her dreams.
The captain stood proudly at the helm of a ship of ebony, ebony so glassy your refection could be seen and a whisper of breeze ran tendrils through a sail of blood. In terror she clawed against the shades of sleep smouldering her, she needed to flee, she was aboard the Red Sun.
Alanna slept for five days and five nights after saving the Red Sun, on the sixth morning she had awaken. That was three days before, now she stood on the bowsprit wind brushing her face as she allowed the suns first rays to kiss her face. She was waiting, as she had done since she had first found herself aboard the vessel, for a decision regarding her future. Once she had woken from her coma like state the sailor guarding her had swiftly fled the room in terror, screaming for the captain.
The captain had come within moments, flanked by his first and second mates and a man Alanna recognised as the sailor she had taken the singing dagger from. She looked for it now and he nodded, "It's been locked somewhere safe."
Alanna blinked, she hadn't spoken had she? "We have to decide what to do with you, child," the sailor continued and Alanna looked at him. He was old; probably the oldest sailor on the ship and his eyes had the timeless look about them she recognised in the most accomplished of mages. His build was wiry but he had muscle, though much less than that of the younger sailors next to him. Listening to him Alanna looked to his companions; the first mate had wrapped fabric around his forehead, a vain attempt to help heal a large gash above his brow. The second mate was well over six foot, several inches taller than the first mate, though even he was small compared to the captain.
Alanna stared at him in shock, he was truly a giant, and he would put even Raoul to shame. His brown hair was almost black and was long, in comparison his facial hair was none existent. Black eyes looked on in amusement as he was recognised and then he spoke.
"Alanna, "Blair rumbled, "What an unusual creature you are." Alanna glared at him and crossed her arms. "Firstly you appear out of know where, many leagues from the nearest habitual land, carried safely across shark infested waters, through the biggest storm I have ever seen. Then you cut down members of my crew in moments, even with the use of a Tah-," he cleared his throat and glanced to the Sailor Mage before continuing, "even with the use of an enchanted dagger, that once it has sung to you ,you are its prisoner until you die, that is no mean feat. And then you appear out of nowhere during a battle and not only halt a falling mast, you create a water tornado to destroy the remaining ship." Captain Blair shook his head in amusement.
"You can't imagine my predicament. After your actions last week my crew have demanded your immediate death. I am, however, cautious to choose such a path. You are only alive after so much for a reason, Lyn here," he gestured to the Mage, "tells me you had the most magic he has ever seen when you arrived. Now he tells me it is gone and your magic amount will return to almost normal in the next few days." Lyn nodded and leaned against the wall.
"Whoever is protecting you will no doubt be angered at your death, and I need not create needless enemies of unknown power. But surely you will be missed, and soon they will search for you. That could prove difficult, though not impossible, and they would naturally question your treatment once you were found." Blair stopped talking and scratched his head. "As of now, my options are to kill you and feed your corpse to the sharks or sell you the moment we make next port and rid myself of everything you bring."
Alanna turned white, she didn't want to die but she didn't fancy her chances on board the Red Sun with the crew wanting her dead. "We will have decided within the next few days and will let you know. Until then you are free to leave your room and go up on deck, please don't cause any trouble, I would hate to have to manacle you."
The first and second mates left followed by Lyn who looked back at Alanna. "And don't worry," the Captain of the Red Sun added "My crew won't bother you." He looked like he wanted to say more but held his tongue and left.
She had been told yesterday that the decision on her life would be made today and so she had spent the remaining night at the bowsprit among the stars reflected upon the smooth surface of the ocean until the night had begun to flee. She felt movement behind her and turned expecting to see chains in the hands of the crew brave enough to come near her. Instead Captain Blair stood next to Lyn looking embarrassed. "Lyn here has argued for your life." The mage nodded and looked Alanna in the eye.
"I am old, child," he rasped, "old enough to be at the end of life. I had a student, the sailor that had the unfortunate experience of getting on your bad side". Alanna was suddenly reminded of the sailor that she had stabbed in the chest. She flushed and looked down.
"No matter, I have not many years left and am in the need of a student. One not terrified to be aboard the Red Sun." Alanna's head jerked up and she made to interrupt, "But I-"
"No, "Lyn cut her off, "You are not afraid, not as most are. I think that is because you didn't know you were aboard this vessel before you got to know some of us. "Alanna fell silent and examined her feet.
"We could kill you," Captain Blair said, " though I would rather not as you did save many lives and killed the cowards responsible , we could sell you when we port next and get profit, we could let you go for free..." Blair's eye twitched at the word free," but letting you go free goes against our principles or you could stay and be Lyn's apprentice for upwards of five years-,"
"Lon enough for me to train you in all I know, though I think I can train you faster as your gift is already very impressive and you seem to have some training," Lyn cut in.
The captain glared at his mage and continued, "And then time for you to find and train a new suitable apprentice. Or you could stay with us until your death..."
Alanna looked up and glanced between the mage and the captain in rage. "So those are my only choices? She asked, "Stay with you and train, be killed or be sold?" Her voice rose to squeak at the end and the Captain stifled a laugh, oh her tiger-kitten fury. It would truly be a waste to kill her.
"Yes," the Captain answered, "After you have trained a new willing apprentice you will be free to go. We will drop you off anywhere near our course and you will never see us again. You will be paid, "the Captain continued, "along with food, shelter, protection, training, a bed and whatever else you will need. We take care of our own." The Captain emphasised.
Alanna looked him straight in the eyes and snarled. "I want a contract signed in blood." This time the Captain couldn't contain his laughter and his boomingly laugh carried across the sea.
"Child, I do not think you are in a position to make such demands," he gasped when he could speak, "my word is my law. I will not break a promise, not even before death."
Alanna glared at him, "Fine, "she snapped, "Ill train under Lyn until I know everything and then I will train someone else until they know everything I know. Then you will let me off."
The Captain nodded, 'Though I will need a blood promise from you and an oath upon your Gods that you will not jump ship at the first docking."
Alanna glared at him and drew herself up, which wasn't very high considering the towering height of the captain and hissed, "No. I will not make a blood promise or swear before Mithros and the Great Goddess. My word will be my bond."
Captain Blair looked at her in amusement before he realised she wasn't joking, and then his face turned blank. Lyn nodded and smiled, "This one is different. She is telling the truth; until she has trained a student she will not leave service. Her pride and honour will not allow it." Bowing slightly Lyn turned and walked back into the hatch leaving Alanna with the Captain. He came and stood next to her facing the rising sun and took a deep breath of sea air.
"It will be a glorious day, "he stated as he gazed into the rising red sun.
"What makes you say that?" Alanna asked, sure that not even the Captain of the Red Sun could predict the days ahead.
"That, "he jerked his head towards the dawn. Alanna looked at the rising sun, noting the stains of red it was beaming across the lightening sky.
"What?" she asked, still not understanding.
Blair sighed, "The crimson dawn." Alanna looked at him and then back at the sun and nodded. The dawn was truly crimson, as though the sun was red for the briefest of moments in its life.
Sighing Alanna turned and walked down onto the deck, "You need a new name "she called over her shoulder as she passed the Captain. He was stunned, "What?"
"The Red Sun, it doesn't sound scary. It's your reputation that makes it sound scary," she said as she made her way down the deck.
"Oh really," The Captains tone made her stop and turn to him.
"Yes," she answered, "It doesn't even sound scary."
Captain Blair frowned, "And what do you suggest?" He hissed.
Alanna thought about it for a moment and then she saw the crimson halo backing Blair and she nodded, "That, "she flicked her finger towards him and then disappeared down the hatch.
Captain Blair looked around him in puzzlement, and then he felt the warmth of the sun's rays at a greater power than before. Turning he gazed straight at the bloodiest dawn he had ever seen. A true crimson dawn.
Crimson Dawn, he rolled the words around in his head and then he smiled, a sight that was rarely seen gracing the strong features of the Captain. Yes, she would fit in well on board the most feared outlaw ship in the seas, the Red Sun. No, he corrected himself, The Crimson Dawn.
Author's Note:
At the beginning of the last chapter, The Crimson Dawn Part I, the description was "On the morning of the fourth day, a ship with sails as pale as the full moon and a hull of blackest coal sailed through the mist. "
That is incorrect, apologises to all (and thanks to Niger Unda for pointing this out) the correct description is "On the morning of the fourth day, a ship with sails as crimson as blood moon and a hull of blackest coal sailed through the mist."
ZuliaGirl: As you were the only one to even try to guess, you can PM me at any time for a Spoiler, providing you don't tell anyone :p
Jewel: ... don't rejoice to soon. Alanna isnt out of the woods yet...
COTB: Why thank you! Hopefully this chapter is better
Cheers, CDL