Dawn's Dusk on the High Seas

A rotting and broken ship sailed silently over the calm waters. Not even making a wave or ripple. Not a single light was lit on it, yet it sailed straight for The Jackal. Coming to rest on The Jackal’s starboard side. All of the crew were sleeping soundly in their hammocks while Jack, Alice, Vivian and Christopher rested in their quarters. A sudden feeling of wrongness woke Alice. She couldn’t shake the feeling of dread and something that shouldn’t be was near. Maybe she just needed some fresh air. Laura was also woken by the same feeling, but believed it only to be side effects of being in labor. She turned back over with her child and returned to her slumber. Short as it would soon be. While Alice slowly eased the door open, she felt as if in a daze. Her movements felt lightened like in a dream. Stepping out, whispers of wind caressed her face as she took deep breaths. Then, a point pressed itself against her back, and a hand clamped over her mouth and nose.

“Make a sound and you won’t see the sun,” a gravelly voice hissed.

She slowly nodded, and the hand lowered, but not the blade. Another man walked out, a bejewelled sword decorated with screaming skulls on the hilt glinted in the faint moonlight.

“Where are the Eyes of Poseidon?” he rasped quietly.

Alice caught a whiff of his breath and nearly gagged. It smelt like a corpse that rotted in the sun had just been soaked in brine.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

The blade pressed a bit harder into her back, and the man with the sword said, “I can feel their essence within you. I know that you know where they are. Get those kids. Maybe they’ll talk. Or, they’ll get her to.”

Three more men slipped inside. Moments later, what sounded like a loud crash echoed, and the ringing of clashing blades sang. One man was blasted through the opening and hit the railing. One came out with her children while the sounds of fighting still sounded inside.

Feeling Laura wake made Jack alert, but he pretended not to stir. A weight lifted off the bed, and the silhouette of Alice revealed that she was going to the door. With the barest creak, they opened, and he watched her slip outside. Likely for some fresh air. Moments went by, and then, three men seemed to ease in, looking at Vivian and Christopher, curled up beneath their blankets. Shadows shrouded him from their sight, but he silently stalked off the bed and retrieved his weapons belt. Producing his daggers, Jack snook up behind one before making sure it wasn’t his crew. They weren’t his or Colton’s. Two reached for his kids before he plunged his dagger through the man’s neck. What surprised him, though, was that the man did not bleed, or even fall. Bringing the blade back, Jack blocked a swing from the man that should have died without a sound. Their metal rang, and Christopher and Vivian started up, but were grabbed. They fought furiously against who grabbed them, but it was in vain. Knocking the sword out of the first man’s hand, Jack delivered a kick that sent him flying through the door before going after the other two. One pushed Vivian into his partner, where he grabbed her before running headlong at Jack. A few agile movements left the man ramming his head into the wall.

“PAPA!” Vivian shrieked as the third made his way out the door with her and Christopher.

Jack managed a quick glance at her tear and terror stricken face before he had to return to looking at his attacker to stop a punch with a blade in his palm. Managing a slash into the third’s throat, Jack only let his eyes widen slightly as he saw dust pour out instead of blood.

“Cairn! Forget about him!” another gruff voice ordered.

The third leered before shoving Jack and making his way out onto the deck. Jack raced out after to find Alice on her knees with a bejewelled blade resting on the nape of her neck. Vivian and Christopher were held by their hair with knives at their throats.

“Now. Where are the Eyes of Poseidon?!” the one that looked to be captain asked.

He was garbed in a decaying uniform of an English Admiral. The clothing had several tears and dark splotches covering it, and rotting flesh and missing areas of skin marred the captain’s face and hands.

“Captain Fourdrinier,” Jack whispered, every one of the journal’s descriptions flashing through his mind.

The captain that sold his soul to Satan in exchange for a way at immortality with his crew. The sword that rested on his wife’s neck was that salvation.

“You know me? That doesn’t matter. Where are the Eyes?! Fail to give them to me and this harlot’s head will roll in front of these dear children. Still don’t give it to me? I’ll kill… hmm… the boy next. Then finally, the girl. But first, tell them everything’s going to be alright. Even when it won’t be, tell them. Lie,” Fourdrinier sneered.

Jack looked to his children and attempted to speak. His mouth was dry.

“Vivian... Christopher… I want you to close your eyes. It’s going to be alright. Okay? Just… close your eyes if things start to turn bad,” Jack soothed as much as he could.

Vivian and Christopher had tears streaming down their cheeks. Fourdrinier was smiling in delight.

“I have them, yes. But I want to make a trade. You can’t take the gems unless they’re given to you. So, let’s make a deal. I give you the Eyes in exchange for everyone on these three boats’ lives. Once you have them, you have to leave and never come back here. Make the rest of the seas run red, but you have to stay away from here,” Jack begged.

Fourdrinier’s dead and milky white eyes flared in rage before he raised his blade. He swung downwards, and Vivian screamed before the sword suddenly stopped. It seemed to be stuck in mid air. The waters around the ship began to thrash violently before gigantic hunks of stone rose into the air around them from the depths. Fourdrinier let go of his sword, and it floated in the air. He was wild eyed at what was happening, before shadow slithered up his children’s throats and blasted outwards, throwing the knives away from their necks before turning and hurling the two men onto the rotting ship.

“Destroy the blade! Vivian! Christopher! Destroy the sword!” Jack shouted as he attacked Fourdrinier.

Acting without thinking, Vivian made the air lift the sword into the air before the floating rocks began slamming into it, denting and chipping the metal. Every time the rocks crashed into it, Fourdrinier let out a cry of agony before Jack would deal another blow. The crew from the rotting ship spilled onto The Jackal, but fell writhing in agony each the the sword was struck. Awoken by the noise, Jack’s crew rushed onto the deck and began to fight furiously against the invaders. The screams of dying also woke Colton’s crew, and they soon entered the fray as well.

“Defend my children and wife! They’re the key to victory!” Jack roared to his crew.

A large group of the crew formed a wall around them as they fought the attackers, and whenever one fell, another took their place. While not being able to be killed, the seemingly undead attackers could however be cut apart. Eventually, Colton’s other crew had woken and entered the battle. The deck was bedecked in bodies, dust, and blood. The rocks continued to bash away at the sword, as well as water, that Alice brought up to begin slashing at the sword. What was left of the cursed sword, was a battered hunk of metal that only faintly resembled a blade. Finally, a strike from water split the blade in two. An earsplitting screech sounded from it, and the undead crew’s cries joined it. They made final efforts to kill, but their bodies began to deteriorate into piles of dust, their weapons as well. The few that were injured in the last ditch attempts to kill weren’t wounded severely. Fatigue and exhaustion finally caught up with Alice, Vivian, and Christopher. They fell to their hands and knees, and took several quick, but deep breaths. The broken sword clattered on the deck, and Jack wrapped the hilt in a piece of torn cloth he found on the deck, while throwing the blade as far as possible with a shadow flinging it to the horizon. He’d have Laura melt the hilt before throwing it to the other horizon on the other side of the islands. A phantom wind blew the dust from all the undead off into the water before the disintegrating ship turned to dust as well. Not a trace was left of the undead, aside from the blood and corpses of the fallen crew that they’d killed. The group of crew that shielded Alice, Christopher, and Vivian stepped aside as Jack rushed to his family and they embraced. Christopher and Vivian were clinging to him with tears still running down their cheeks while Alice covered her children as she hugged Jack for comfort as well.

“They’re gone. They’re gone,” Jack whispered.

He wasn’t sure if he was assuring his family, or himself.

’Who...What were they?” Vivian whimpered.

“Zombies. They’re finally dead though. Thanks to you and Christopher, you saved your mother, and, with your mother’s help, practically saved me and the crews,” Jack replied before cherishing the moment a second longer.

Standing, Jack looked to the survivors. There were many, but there were still those that died, those that were injured, and those that now could only be made comfortable.

“Men, what has happened here tonight, few will ever be able to explain. But, do you all know the legend of Captain Fourdrinier? We have just slain the most feared legend in the seven seas! While the only proof of this will be our memories and scars, let us never forget those that fell today. Let us take a moment of silence for them, and wish them endless oceans to sail,” Jack shouted, earning cheers before becoming solemn, along with the crew as they all put fist over their hearts and gazed at the wood beneath their feet.

The ships were as silent as the grave. Not even the water made a sound. It was as still and smooth as glass.

“As much as it pains me so, lower those that are dead into a lifeboat. We will not be able to bury them without risk of disease. Those that are on death’s door, let us wait with them, or if they so wish, end their suffering. When all dead are gone, we must wash the decks. I will set the boat out to sea,” Jack added.

The crews followed their orders, respectfully lowering their deceased crewmates into a lifeboat while comforting the dying. There were only four. Two wished for a swift death. The other two wished to die asleep. Their last wishes were granted. Within ten minutes, the last to had rasped their goodbyes before closing their eyes for the last time. Once the last corpse had been rested in the lifeboat, it was lowered into the calm waters, and given a light push by the shadows under the water. It steadily crept away, only causing a small ripple in the water, before the crew turned to washing the deck. Hoping to divert their grief to busying themselves with work. With so many working, the deck was clean in fifteen minutes.

“Thank you, men of the Vitae, Mortis, and, The Jackal. Go and try to gain rest. We will pay our respects to our fallen comrades tomorrow. Let their souls be carried by angels,” he ended.

The crews remained silent as they returned to their hammocks and informing Colton that the storm had passed. He, had stayed in his cabin to defend Laura and Madilyn. They, luckily had not seen any bloodshed. When the danger had passed, Colton had Laura return to sleep, while he kept watch over them. Jack, meanwhile, sat with his children and wife on his bed, all of them staying close, until finally nodding off.