Dead Man's Chest - Part One

Hurricane force winds, reaching upwards of seventy knots, hurled walls of water against the Sangue-Padre. Waves nearly three and four stories slammed into the hull of the ship like battering rams, sending the crew sliding wildly across deck.  The strongest and most experienced of the crew was on deck, securing anything and everything that might go flying and do even more damage to the sea. Despite being midday, the sky was as dark as if it were midnight, the sun hiding behind a curtain of angry black clouds. Wooden beams creaked furiously as pirates ran back and forth, trying to secure the barrels and masts.
Captain Lady Riddle stood near the helm, instructing various members of the crew as rain plastered her dark hair to her head. She looked to Mouse, the ship’s navigator, and shouted for the young pirate to take the ship towards calmer waters.
Sarah Grace stepped up onto deck, letting out a surprised squeak when a rush of freezing seawater as high as her chest swept across the deck and slid her back against the rail. When the water receded, she ran to find Riddle or Angel. Looking towards the helm, she saw Riddle talking with Erik.
Grace hurried over to her captain. “Ballast is secure. The rest of the crew is in their quarters.” She reported.
“Find Aslansa, help him secure the rigging.” She ordered.
Grace gave a nod and vaulted back down the railing, landing harder than intended and scanned the ship for the demon. She saw him just a heartbeat before everybody was thrown sideways and a wall of water sailed across the deck, taking Grace and every other pirate with it. The pirates were hurled into the railing, wood creaking and cracking beneath the sudden weight but holding. When the ship rolled back the other way, they all went sliding away from the rail again. Strong hands took hold of Grace’s arms and helped her to her feet. Looking up, she saw Aslansa’s face right there, giving her a once over. “You hurt?” He asked, having to shout over the wind.
“I’m fine.” It was a lie, and a quite obvious one if he read her face at all. When they were thrown, she’d smacked chest-first into the railing. No doubt she’d have beautiful black bruises later. She’d worry about that later. Right now, though, they had a job to do. “We need to get the rigging tied down.”
They turned and made for the main mast but as they drew nearer to the hatch that led below deck, a figure appeared. In the darkness, it took Grace a moment to realize that it was Infinity - one of the youngest pirates aboard. She was shaking and made a bee-line for Grace and Aslansa. “That last wave, it- Some of the others are hurt!” She said.
Sarah Grace looked to Aslansa. “Take care of the rigging. I’m going to tell Riddle we need Frederic.”
Grace, with infinity by her side, turned back towards where she’d left Riddle. Halfway across the deck someone began shouting. “GET DOWN! GET DOWN!”
Without hesitating, without thinking, every soul dropped and hit the deck, pulling anybody near them down at the same time, grabbing hold of either some nearby structure or another body. Grace wrapped her hand in Infinity’s shirt and threw her arm out, curling her fingers around an iron ring in the deck. A moment later and a wave unlike any before crashed into the boat like they’d run full-steam ahead into a mountain. Even before what seemed live half the sea was dumped on deck, the sudden jerk flung everybody sideways, eliciting a sharp cry from Grace as not only her own weight but the weight of Infinity nearly ripped her fingers from around the ring.
Then came the water. Seawater came over the side of the ship, throwing the entire vessel nearly onto its port side. A second later, it rocked onto its starboard side. The water and weight made it impossible to keep a hold of the ring and both Sarah Grace and Infinity were swept back towards the railing. This time, however, water curled beneath them, lifting both girls up and over the side, throwing them into the freezing sea.
They landed in the water and were torn apart. Grace’s world was flipped all around. Running out of air, she turned this way and that, searching for the surface. Finally, her face broke the surface. Coughing and sputtering, she shouted for Infinity. Panic began to build within the elf until the younger pirate responded, hacking out a weak “I’m here” from a few feet away.
Grace and Infinity both swam towards each other and they grabbed hold of each other desperately as more and more waves battered them. “Are you hurt?” Grace shouted over the roar of the waves. When the fourteen year old replied that she was fine Grace turned back and looked for the ship – it was a dozen or so yards off, and getting further away. “We’re here!” Infinity screamed, her brown eyes wide and scared.
Shouting erupted from the ship and people rushed to the starboard side of the ship – searching the dark waters for the girls. But with Grace’s light blonde hair and Infinity’s own dark hair, finding two tiny bobbers among the whitewash and near-black sea was impossible.
A wave crashed over the two girls, driving them under the surface. Grace’s hold of the young pirate slipped and they were separated again. When she broke surface again, she called for Infinity and heard a weak reply.
Once she was back to Infinity’s side, Grace took tight hold of Infinity’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Her energy surged and the pendant at her throat pulsed with light. Infinity asked something, her voice a muffled hum of words. Pain splintered across her skin, emanating from the spot beneath her pendant. With a shout, Grace threw a hand in the air and Infinity watched as tiny sparks of flame came to life at the older girl’s fingertips.
Grace jerked, half curling into the fetal position and her face contorted painfully half a second before her hand was encircled with flame, coming to life like a tiny explosion. With a cry, the flame formed a ball and shot up from her hand and straight into the air like a flare. The shouting from the ship intensified. Immediately, the light from Grace’s pendant died, a hairline crack flicking across the surface of the opal, and she sagged in the water, with Infinity nearly going under to keep her fellow pirate afloat.
A second later, two winged figures lifted off from the ship – Irish with her long gold wings and Zane with his black wings. They flew straight to both girls and dropped low enough to get hold of them without getting caught in the waves themselves. Zane took Grace from Infinity, hooking his elbows beneath her armpits and bringing his wings down in powerful strokes, lifting her into the air and back towards the ship while Irish helped Infinity.
Zane lowered Grace down as soon as they were clear of the railing, letting the pirate sink to the ground for a moment before dropping by her side. “Grace, wake up. Come on, Gracie.” The winged pirate urged, patting her cheeks gently.
The elf’s eyes fluttered open as Irish set Infinity down on the deck ten lighted down herself. Riddle and Angel both rushed forward, Riddle going to infinity and Angel to Grace.
“Grace, how are you feeling?” Angel asked.
“Very tired.” Grace replied, shivering as her head fell against Zane’s shoulder.
“Aisuru, take them down to Frederic. Have him check them out and then take them to get some rest.” Riddle said. “Infinity, Zane, Aslansa, help Angel and I secure the rest of the deck.”
Aisuru gave Zane a nod and stepped forward. Grace looked up and smiled sleepily when the assassin looped his arms under her arms and knees, lifting her carefully up from deck. “Can you walk?” He asked, looking to Infinity.
“Yes, thank you.” She replied and started on ahead of them.
As he started for the staircase himself, Aisuru looked down at Grace, his pupilless eyes somehow managing to look tired. “This be th' second time ye’ve gone overboard, Grace. We might stop lettin' ye on deck durin' storms if ye can’t stay on th' ship.”
Shivering, Grace looked up at him with a small smile. “You know you need my help.”
Aisuru rolled his eyes and took Grace below deck, down to the medic bay where Frederic worked to help treat the other crew members who’d been injured. Aisuru took Grace to an empty cot and sat her down carefully. “We need te get ye out of these clothes.” He said, reaching over to pull a curtain closed
“I’m a big girl, Aisuru. I can undress myself.” When Grace sat up and made to pull her shirt over her head, she let out a sharp gasp and dropped her arms.
Aisuru sighed and stepped forward. “Arms up.”
Grumbling, Grace lifted her arms and Aisuru tugged her outer shirt up and off, setting it down on the ground. Beneath that, the elven pirate wore a thin undershirt. Gently, Aisuru helped her out of her undershirt exposing the dark bruises on her stomach. “What happened to ye on deck? What’d ye hit?”
“We were thrown against the rail.” Grace replied, straightening the binder she wore.
Aisuru helped her out of her trousers and left, promising to return with warmer clothes. While he was gone, Grace laid back on the bed until Frederic came in. Sometime while the doctor was assessing her injuries, Grace fell asleep.
At some point, the seas calmed and Aisuru returned to help Sarah Grace into dry clothes. After speaking with Frederic, Aisuru lifted Grace up off the bed as easily as an adult lifts a toddler and brought her through the ship, back to her own cabin. Stepping inside her room, Aisuru set her down and she immediately curled up onto her side, tucking her face in the crook of her arm. Aisuru pulled a blanket over her and took a seat at her desk. Crossing one leg over the other, he pulled a notebook from his pocket and settled down to read.