Dawn's Dusk on the High Seas

Ch.16

Rowing back to the Vitae, Colton stood with a guardian’s eye watching over the empty ship from the rail. Laura and Madilyn were likely in his bed.

“Colton! I have news for you my friend! About our abilities,” Jack greeted.

Colton looked intrigued, but remained solemn from the loss of some of his crew. He’d lost some good men that night. Jack sighed, and shifted into his shade form. The shadow darted from even the slightest patch of darkness into Colton’s own shadow. Rising from it, Colton slightly raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve seen you pop out of shadows before you know,” Colton grumbled.

“Yes, but you haven’t seen me become one have you? That’s not even the best part,” Jack cooed.

Shifting into his wraith form, Colton’s eyes widened in fear as the blood red eyes from under Jack’s cloak glared at him. Jack passed through him and left him shivering.

“Ha...ha...ha… I...told...you...that...I...had...some...news...for...you..,” Jack rasped, his voice like that of a dying man’s parched chuckle.

“What did it have to concern about mine?” Colton retorted.

“Lighten up. Heh. If you focus, you can gain the ability to change into what seems to be a pure form of your power as well as something else that aligns with your power,” Jack laughed.

Colton seemed peeved, but focussed on his power, and his body glowed until he became solid light. Jack had already shifted back, but tried to put a hand on his shoulder. It, somewhat worked. Jack’s hand passed through Colton, and it felt as if his hand had been in the sun for a while. Concentrating again, his light form shifted, wings seemed to sprout, and the next thing they knew, Colton had an angel’s wings and gold light radiated from his hands.

“I...I can see your feelings. And, disease. None of you have any, but there is a spot of cold over on the main deck. Although, Vivian, you scratched your hands when you were training. Here,” Colton began, waving a hand with light weaving from it onto Vivian’s hands.

They were instantly healed to as if they were never injured.

“Thank you, Colton!” she chirped, hugging him.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

They all walked into the Captain’s Quarters, Colton forgetting to shift, and when Laura looked at him, her jaw dropped.

“I can’t be dead yet!” she gasped.

Colton broke out laughing.

“I’ve just discovered some new abilities. And from what Jack says, you and Madilyn might have some too,” he sighed.

“I think I discovered one. When Madilyn woke crying, lightning shot from her hands, and when I thought of her stopping, it disappeared, and I snuffed the flames. I think I can adjust her powers,” Laura responded.

“Interesting. And how is little Madilyn growing? She seems to be a few months older by the looks of it,” Jack inquired.

“I wanted to ask you that. She actually looks to be about five months already! After only a few days, she whined, ‘mama’ when I put her down for her nap. And, it seems like she’s almost walking. What’s happening?!” Laura worried.

“I honestly don’t know. But if Colton doesn’t sense a sickness in her, I don’t see a true reason to be worried. Maybe it’s just part of having her powers,” Jack tried to assure.

“Jack’s right. I don’t sense any sort of wrongness with her. She’s perfectly healthy,” Colton agreed, his glowing eyes looking over his daughter.

“Well that takes care of one of my worries. But I’d still like to know,” Laura conceded.

“Perhaps only time can tell,” Jack added.

“In that case, I pray that it only helps her, and doesn’t end up bringing us sorrow,” Laura muttered.

Colton and Jack sighed. After Colton shifted into his human form, they simply decided to chat. As time passed, more of colton’s and Jack’s crew began to return to the ships, exhausted from a day’s work of marking and building. When they returned, they immediately started down to their hammocks. Although, there were some that decided to stay on the islands. They’d brought their hammocks with them. When Jack looked out over the treetops, he could see small plumes of smoke rising. With any hope, they’d found food. Their stores had become low, but thankfully thinking ahead, Jack had brought several amounts of seeds for agriculture. While he was a doctor, he’d picked up a few things on agriculture in his travels. Any of the crew that were still awake when Jack got to them, he asked if they’d seen anything like ruins or shrines. The answer was always the same:

“No.”

When the sun began to fall, Jack brought his wife and children back to The Jackal. They yawned, not fatigued, just unused to late hours. They retired to sleep, but the night still was not done for Jack. Shifting into his wraith form after writing a note saying that he’d be back soon, he phased through the door. Not a single sound was made, but a quickly fading frost slithered over the panes. It felt even more liberating than being the shade to be like that. Fatigue was nonexistent in this form, and nothing could hold him. But, it lacked what a human had. While not having flight and more abilities, his human form, for one, could feel. Every feeling that he received in wraith form was fleeting and dulled. Also, while he could become tangible, his form couldn’t touch unless he thought of it. Also, being in the dark allowed him to see through every shadow cast, and he felt more powerful than ever. In day, he felt normal. Then, he noticed something, he had been slightly hungry before the shift. Now, he couldn’t feel anything close to the feeling. What if, when he shifted, he became briefly dead? Shaking off the feeling, Jack flew back to the glen of his adopted family. Jewel had done what he’d said and kept all of them awake so that he could spend some time with them. Descending down into the trees, Jack became nothing more than a sliver of darkness. Slowly approaching, they looked around, whispering to each other and occasionally giggling, all while keeping an eye out for him. Changing into his shade form, Jack darted across the rocks into Jewel’s shadow. He rose along her shadowed back, morphing to fit her physique perfectly. It was quite fun how not one noticed him. The feeling of it was almost intoxicating. Melting off of her, Nerein yelped and pointed at him and caused Jewel to jump in fright. Jack’s voice made a wheezing chuckle before he melted into his normal form. But just before, he could hear Jewel’s heart beating at a frantic pace. All the mermaids relaxed while Jewel panted and put a hand over her heart.

“Don’t worry Jewel, and sorry if it was too frightening,” he whispered.

Jewel began to smile and take slower breaths. The rest of the mermaids slightly giggled.

“Don’t worry, Jack, it was fun after seeing it was you,” she replied.

“I did what you wanted me to do, and kept all of us awake. What did you want to tell us?” Jewel added.

“I just wanted to tell you stories. They’re best when it’s quiet and easy to listen. Not to mention, best when you don’t have to be anywhere,” Jack chuckled.

“What story are you going to tell us?” one asked.

“Tell us the story about you. About what you did before you came here,” another suggested.

“Tell us that one! Tell us that one!” another chirped.

Ideas flew from each of them before Jack quieted them.

“What story would you like me to tell? Choose amongst yourselves and whichever has the highest vote, I’ll tell a story about that,” he chuckled.

The mermaids chattered amongst themselves as Jack sat back on his elbows and smiled while gazing at his beautiful wife-daughters. Their skin and hair glistened in the moonlight from the shimmering water that lapped against their lithe bodies and calm shores. It was entertaining to watch them suggest ideas and change to ones they liked better. Until, finally, they all agreed on a singular one, to sate their curiosity.

“Tell us the story of what you were like before you came here! What did you do?” one answered.

Jack sighed and had a shadow bring a rock for him to lean against. Laying back, it propped him up just enough so that he felt like he was leaning back, but looked to sit upright.

“Once, many many years ago, a boy was born in a land named Ipswich, England. It was a town by the ocean, and imagine the town. Smoke billowing up from stacks of bricks, leading down into the brick buildings by the ocean. The cobble streets weren’t very clean, but neither was any other part of the town. The docks always stank of manure, sweat, and brine. A smell, that would take a time for me to get used to later on. Large galleons, brigs, and frigates were always docked, day and night, with a crowd always bustling in the gleaming or glaring sun. I was the boy, that grew up, not completely rich, not completely poor, but rich enough. I learned to read and write while skills were drilled into me constantly, but my uncle was a fighting man, and taught me well. I was pushed around as a youth, for my status, but I eventually could put a full grown man on the ground weeping without breaking a sweat. I was tough, but I didn’t like the feeling of hurting. So, I became one of the best at healing. I was a doctor. I was well working, and I had many talents. I could tailor, cook, bandage, fight, and survive. But, I relied too much on the baking business. Taxes heightened and heightened as our greedy, good-for-nothing king kept raising them, until I couldn’t keep my business open. I later had to fight to keep what earnings I had left. It was then, that I realized, that it felt so much better to fight and be paid for it. I joined a guild of assassins. I forget the reasoning why, but I immersed myself and quickly rose amongst their ranks. I was one of the best. No one was safe from me, as long as my clients paid the right price. Life was nice, until I met my soon to be wife. My client was jealous and wanted the man she was betrothed to, so paid a hefty amount to have her removed. I had plenty of chances to end her, but we fell in love. Instead, I saved her life by killing and looting the client. My guild wasn’t too happy for my actions, but forgave me as I lined their pockets in the client’s money. I married my wife, and found a life of piracy to go to after being expelled from the guild. I became a pirate, raiding, pillaging, looting, galore. It was fun, but incredibly dangerous. I wasn’t a merciless savage that would torture and maim, but rub me the wrong way, or anger me, and they didn’t like what I punished them with. But, they were fiercely loyal, and I brought out the brunt of my fury on those we raided. The ones that surrendered were allowed to remain unharmed, as long as they cooperated. But, every once in awhile, with the help of my powers, I’d cut down the worst of the men to make sure I was feared. And by golly I was. Sometimes, entire raids were completed, and no one even had to draw a sword. While life was good, I made many, many enemies. One, nearly had me. He kidnapped my wife and children away, tortured them, and then forced me to trade myself for them. They made it away safely, and I was to die. But, fate had other things in store for me, I removed my enemy, and made it away. Then, we prepared for coming here. Once we passed through the Siren’s Pass, we made our way here. Thus, first meeting Jewel and the rest of you later. The rest of the events, you know of,” Jack began.

The mermaids didn’t look in any fear at all from his murderous past. They looked instead, in eager interest as their minds wandered to creating his story within their imaginations. Some of the mermaids rubbed at their eyes before sinking into the water for rest. Jewel gave a wordless embrace goodnight before he returned to his wraith form. Immediately upon shifting, he felt the dreams churning and blossoming within the mermaids. What he discovered warmed his unbeating and ghostly heart. They were nowhere near afraid of him. But, they felt safe and protected when he was around. Even in his bone-chilling form, they felt secure to have him around. Jack’s blood red orbs for eyes became upside-down crescents in delight before he flew off to his ship. Jewel watched him leave with adoration and love lighting her eyes in the dark of the night.