Dawn's Dusk on the High Seas
Chapter 17

Weeks passed, and all of the crews prospered. Shelters were built, farms were planted with the help of Alice, Vivian, and Christopher, the mermaids became much better in their human forms, and with the help of Alice, gained clothes to wear if they ever ventured to the other parts of the island. The crew’s jaws dropped to the dirt when Jack came walking out to the beach with all the mermaids crowding around him. A few immediately tried to put a move on some, but all were waved off, saying that they only wanted Jack. The crews slightly glared at him, but also gave him a devilish smile for their own way of congratulating him. The sword hilt had been melted and lost to the seas, at Jack’s order. Christopher carved out three caverns for each of the ships. Vivian and Alice used their abilities to move the boats into the caverns and once inside, Christopher sealed the caverns with large stones, but left a mechanism on each allowing the rocks to move away. But, tunnels into the rock allowed the crews to repair the ships and leave them almost pristine for when needed again. Jack, remained as sharp as ever, both mentally and physically. He never stopped practicing, but also taught his kids. They eventually could put some of the crewmates on the ground. Life was peaceful, life was good, and the plants grew with unnatural speed, quickly filling the storages that were dug, as well as everyone’s’ bellies. But, the plants weren’t the only things that grew quickly. Madilyn grew at an accelerated rate, and soon looked to be the same age as Vivian. Who, was eight by then. Laura and Colton dreaded that she might die out all too quickly, but something magnificent happened. On the next time they predicted she’d age even faster, nothing happened. It seemed that her abnormal growing had ceased. To her parents delight. She discovered her abilities and proved to be able to turn into a being of pure lightning, along with manipulate, create, and summon lightning. Laura soon had no need to limit her powers. Tidings were good, the weather always what was wanted, thanks to Vivian and Madilyn, and it seemed paradise. Until, a sight greeted a crewmate out gathering wood for the next night’s fire sent him running frantically. He was shouting all over the island as he ran.

“White sails! Hundreds of sails! All coming here!”

Jack immediately rushed to where the sails had been seen, spyglass in hand, and he paled. It was an armada. Hundreds of ships either bore the Union Jack of Britain, or the flag of Spain. There were more than two hundred ships out there. Most of them galleons. Ships made especially for carrying large amounts, or war. What would he do?! They were on the horizon, and would be at the island in at least a day. He ran back to each settlement, delivering the news to every crewmember, ordering them to go to another, before going to his family. Upon hearing, Alice’s features became lined in fear. And only a fear of that amount he’d seen once before. Because of Hamil. The crews and captains assembled on the beach, and there was nearly mass panic. Some were shouting to race for the boats. Some were shouting to fight. Others were speechless.

“Men! Death itself has pointed those ships at us, but we’re pirates! Gamblers, thieves, fighters, beggars and more. Sure, there are hundreds of soldiers on those ships, all intent to wipe us from the seas. But we all have one talent that not a single man on those boats have. We take risks that could mean certain death. We look Death in the eyes and tell him to go to Hell. We say ‘to Hell with it’ and do what we want! We’re pirates! Are we going to just run away from a fat man with a sagging arse and a big fleet?! No! We’re going to take the fight to him! He can sit back in his sniveling manor and just tell them to kill us! But he doesn’t know what he’s stirring up! If he expects us to just run like whimpering dogs, well, he can kiss my arse! We may not win the day, but we’ll sure take as many to Hell with us as we can! To the ships! And see you in Hell!” Jack roared.

The crew had gone silent to listen, and his speech filled them with bloodlust and pride. Christopher soon had removed the rocks and the ships were moved back into the water. At Jack’s behest, the mermaids took shelter under the waves on the opposite side of the island. It felt wonderful to have the winds and spray kiss his face on the deck of The Jackal again. They sailed out to the fleet. But, he had some words to exchange with the leader of the fleet. Shifting to his wraith form, he flew beneath the roiling waters to the flagship: Glory. Appearing next to the commander, he nearly died of fright.

“Commander, I have a few questions for you,” Jack hissed, shifting back to his human form.

“Bloody demon! You won’t get anything from me!” he shouted, drawing a pistol.

The thundering crack and wispy smoke came, but the bullet only splintered in wood. Jack had returned to wraith form.

“I wonder if you can live up to that. But, I’m curious, as well as patient. I wonder if I could just reach into your chest and grasp your heart in my hand. Perhaps, I could even show you it. But, not after having a symphony composed entirely of your screams. Tell me, commander, why are you here?” Jack spat.

The commander began to shiver before yelling for guards. But, his face fell to see them trying to no avail, to get in. Jack reached into his chest, and agony went coursing through every vein in his body. He screamed.

“I will ask again. Why are you here?” Jack cooed, twisting his hand and causing the commander to scream at a deafening pitch.

“The-the king of England sent us… He wants to make sure that we kill you and everyone that stands with you. So does the king of Spain for what you did to that fort,” the commander gasped.

“Hmm. Now, do you have any family at home? Any loved ones?” Jack inquired.

“N-no. None,” the commander whispered.

“Then, I give you leave to rest. As well as the crew of this ship,” Jack cackled, gripping his heart and stopping it.

The commander’s eyes became glassy as he sunk to the floor. It was a painless death. But, not a painless lead up. The soldiers on the ship were staring in pure terror at him as he suddenly shot towards them. His claws slashed through the chests of two before what looked like small scythes on chains wrapped around his arms appeared. He smiled without a mouth. The chains flew with blades singing a banshee’s wail through the air. Soldiers dropped to their knees, clutching their ears before a blade would come careening through a lethal point and ending their lives abruptly. Not a drop of blood was on the deck of Glory but corpses nonetheless. Few had time to even gaze at their horrific killer. Returning to The Jackal, Jack informed everyone of how there was now no chance of running, for they were the ones being hunted.

“Alice, Vivian, Christopher. What I’m going to ask of you, you may think I’m horrid, but I ask you. Let us use our powers to sink destroy this fleet. We can kill the soldiers on the boats and loot the ships, and some ships, destroy for the sake of it. But, I ask if you will too. I will not lie, you will be taking lives in the process, but you will also save your own,” Jack whispered, after gathering his family.

“I will, Papa. I’ll use them,” Christopher answered.

“Me too, Papa,” Vivian added.

Alice was silent for a moment before agreeing as well. Jack smiled in slight pride. Going through the same conversation with Colton, Laura, and Madilyn, they agreed as well.

“Men! I address you all with this message. I’m afraid you may not be able to draw much blood, but, I assure you, if all goes to plan, we’ll have enough to plunder for days!” Jack shouted.

The crews looked in confusion at him before Jack and his family assumed their pure forms. Then, Colton’s family. They began out towards the armada. Letting every drop of rage that ever festered within him boil to the surface, Jack changed again. Wings of fire the color of the darkest jet sprouted from the back of his wraith form. Everything below him had the life sucked from it. Then, he felt the power of Death itself. He was Death. Colton, on the other hand, also looked to gain his rage, but his wings seemed to melt into liquid gold and form feathers that looked to be the length of blades. He looked like an archangel. A spear of gold and glowing symbols appeared in his hands. Christopher rode a boulder over the waves while Alice became them. Vivian flew on gusts of air, while Madilyn danced over the peaks of waves and jumped from one to the next as fast as, well, lightning. And Laura flew through the air with Vivian on wings of fire. The cracks and booms of muskets and cannons thundered through the air, filling it with the thick gray smoke from gunpowder. Nothing that hit any of them hurt. Vivian, Madilyn, Laura, and Jack, simply couldn’t be hit. Christopher had bullets bouncing off him, Alice had them just zip through her, and none dared fire at Colton, thinking he was an angel from God. But, any fool that did and hit, he merely shrugged it off. His skin looked to be composed of nothing but the purest steel and light that glowed from the gaps. Meanwhile, The Jackal, Vitae, and Mortis, bounded across the waves with Alice and Vivian’s help. The crews practically snarling for blood. Then, their attacks began. It was utter chaos on the decks. The ships boarded unharmed from how all the canons had been sabotaged from Madilyn, she giggled as she watched the confusion of whenever a member touching part of the canon, got blasted back, thoroughly electrocuted. Then, names were shouted, and she went into a rage. Lightning flew from her fingertips jumping from every metal point on the boat and incinerating the crew to charred hunks of flesh. Vivian would race through, stirring up dust devils that flung soldiers about like leaves in a tornado while also sucking the breath from their lungs and peppering some with bolts of air that tore through them like butter. Also, for the sake of it, practiced her training and slew a few with her own sword. Christopher was much more destructive as he delivered punches and kicks that crumpled the bones of the receivers. And, if he felt like it, he sent a stone crashing down through the center of the boat. Alice was monstrous, determined never to get imprisoned again as she had tentacles of water whipping through boats, slashing open throats and chests with her hands, forcing blood to burst from every orifice on others or simply having the water rise up around the boat and crunch it as if the maw of a monster. Colton descended upon boats like falling stars as he ploughed into the main deck and began slashing through many with his spear. His wings were incredibly sharp as he cut masts, blades, and bodies with ease. The light of the very sun could crush boats at his will. Laura was like wildfire. Being too close, some had the skin melted right off their bones while others were turned to ash. Every step seared a footprint into the wood if it didn’t already begin to blaze. A hint of sick humor reached her, and she decided to dance like the flames in a hearth. She jumped, spun, twirled, and slaughtered as every move she made involved roasting men alive. Any that bothered to shoot at her had the bullets turn into superheated slag that had soldiers shrieking in agony if even a drop hit them. When she had finished her dance of hellfire, scorch marks formed a design in the wood that worked with the piles of ash or charred cadavers. When she found out what some had called Madilyn, the constant reds and golds of her body became turquoise and blue as she became enraged. For the pure thrill and vengeance of it, she released a torrent of flame that encased a brig and didn’t even leave enough to show what it had been. Not one had been able to even try and jump into the boiling water below. And Jack, the only sound on the boats he attacked were the screams of the dying and the unholy wails of his blades singing through the air and carving into enemies. Some, died from simply being too close to him. Others, died from being torn limb from limb or strangled from his shadows. All of them were utterly untouchable as they decimated the armada. The crews, were more of a cleanup crew as they cleared the smaller ships and looted. Only one small brig was left alive, sent by all of them back to where it came and to deliver a message.

“We’ve destroyed your armadas, and if you want to mess with us again, you and your kingdoms are next.”

Again, with Alice and Vivian using their abilities, they sent the brig flying through the waves in the direction of England. And, anchored out in the waters of the devil’s sea, were hundreds of empty ships, ripe for looting, soon to be looted, and the corpses of more than a thousand. Very few, were pirates. Everyone returned to their ships.

“Men! I have to congratulate every one of you. We’ve done what no one else in history has ever done! We’ve decimated the armadas of two of the most powerful countries, in the world! When that brig gets back, the royal coffers couldn’t even pay for one of us the bounty would be so high! And, do you see all those ships out there? They, as of now, are ours! Everything on them is ours for the taking! Clothes, food, gold, silver, anything on those is ours! We’re richer than the fat King of England! What do you say about that?!” Jack laughed.

The crews were jumping in glee. Barrels of rum that had been loaded were passed everywhere, many taking as many gulps as they pleased.

“Loot away! Bring everything back to the island! We’ll be living in comfort for life!” Jack continued.

As the crews rejoiced with drunken shanties and stumbling that they’d call dancing, Jack and Colton gathered their families.

“This was a day that will strike fear into the hearts of every empire in the world. Every one of them. You all did amazing. How did it feel to be practically limitless as we fought?” Jack began in the quiet of his cabin.

Several responses came, but all had one thing in common. It felt amazing.

“Jack, what you inspired us to, what do you think we’d be doing right now if we hadn’t gone on your crazy idea? Probably running another small raid on a schooner for all I can guess. And, once word gets out, we’ll be legends. Just think of it, Colton Daybreak and Jack Dusk, the most feared in all the seas,” Colton chuckled.

“Umm. I think it would be more along the lines of, ‘Jack Dusk and Colton Daybreak’. Because, of course, I seem to be the leader.” Jack snickered.

“Oh really? You’re the leader? How many times have I saved you? How many raids have I set up?” Colton returned, taking a swig from his bottle and sitting back in his chair.

“Oh, I believe you’ve saved me… what was it… twice? Three times? And about twelve, thirteen raids? Meanwhile, I’ve saved you how many times that you know of… twelve, thirteen times? And, I’ve planned, what… thirty, forty raids? Not to mention, I blew up the entire fort of Santa Ana. So, I think that that would be why,” Jack replied, sending Christopher to play with Madilyn while lifting Vivian onto his lap.

Colton snorted before taking another swig and belching. Vivian giggled a hint before hopping down and joining in her brother’s game. Jack continued to sit straight, but sipped a small amount from his glass of water.

“We’ve been over this a hundred times, and you always win. How long do you think it’ll be until I’m the leader?” Colton sighed, looking in remembrance to the countless times he brought up this conversation.

Laura and Alice spoke at a small table with two glasses of water, Jack never carried any alcohol in his cabin, he didn’t drink, unheeding to their husbands’ conversation.

“I’m not sure this is a game you can win. Although, it is quite fun to see how often you try. Maybe someday, but today is not likely that day,” Jack smirked, draining his glass.

Colton grumbled, but let out a slight laugh before trying to listen in on Laura’s conversation. It was just about what they’d done in their pure forms and what they could do. Alice was having the water in the cups slither out before making orbs float around in her palm. Laura snickered before creating a small flame in her hand and turning the water to steam. Alice laughed softly before changing the steam back into the orbs of water.

’What to do, what to do,” Jack muttered, looking out the windows to the numerous ships.

“Laura, if you wouldn’t mind, could you turn the rest of the cadavers on the other ships to ash too? To keep disease away? I could have Vivian blow the ashes out to sea,” he suggested.

“Oh? Sure. it won’t take that long anyway. All the bodies are already on fire since you asked. The boats are fine though, just a few scorches’ll be left. And… done. All that’s left is little Vivian’s job,” Laura responded, placing her elbows on the table and returning to her conversation.

Vivian then did hers once she was asked, and a large plume of ash and cinders began to fly up into the sky. Just remembering that the soldiers might have had clothes for use, Jack grimaced at his forgetfulness and looked through a shadow to see, in surprise, all the uniforms of the soldiers empty and unburnt on the deck of a ship. So Laura had a great amount of control over her power after all. Returning to where he sat now, Jack stood and went out to join his crew in looting some of the ships.

By the time night had fallen, twenty ships had been sacked of anything that wasn’t bolted down and had the loot brought ashore. There, it was evenly divided up, but jewels and precious metals went to whoever had found them. But, it could always be traded to another. And, a memorial service was held for the few that fell. Sadly, the voice of reason, Everin, was amongst those unlucky few. He’d taken two musket shots to the abdomen, along with a finishing stab by a blade through his chest. Although, even for such a painful death, his face remained calm and collected, as it usually was seen. His property was integrated into those closest, along with the others that died, but as with gaining territory, some was lost to all the others as the amount was kept equal. All that Everin owned was distributed, except for a few small items that were sent out to sea with him and the others that fell. It was a quiet day when the boat was sent, but it continued nonetheless. And, so it went for days as the ships were looted, and the rewards divided. What supplies was needed for maintaining the ships were taken from the ships that were the easiest to use, while some were looted to the bone, the carcasses left to rot at the bottom of the ocean. Paradise was great, except a small amount of crew became restless. Other, natural, desires became evident. The looks in their eyes when seeing the mermaids made it obvious at what they wanted. But, painfully kept themselves at bay, knowing if they did, one night of pleasure could turn into days of agony. Although, two, couldn’t control themselves. They singled two out that caught their fancy, but it didn’t last long. The two mermaids looked uneasy and frightened, while one tried to run, she was grabbed and slung to the ground. Before one could even take his trousers off, Jack had gutted his two crew like fishes. He later announced, obviously peeved at how he had to do that to his own crew, that the any move made towards the mermaids that could harm them or, like the two had done, rape them, he would be the judge, jury, and executioner. Once his address had finished, he showed the two that tried, their entrails hanging, and the two crew were scolded. They were the least liked of the crew. They were the ones that did their job, but whenever Jack wasn’t around, they were vulgar and insensitive. When drunk, those two qualities increased threefold. There was no memorial service for the two, just a quick cremation by Laura. She’d been outraged upon hearing and almost leapt at the chance to burn the cadavers. When Alice found out, she brought the ashes to the worst cesspool she could replace in the ocean. Once the two were done away with, Jack, Laura, Alice, Vivian, Christopher, Colton, and Madilyn had gone to comfort the two mermaids that had been advanced upon. All the other mermaids were there to learn and comfort as well. Jack had desperately hoped to avoid anything like this happening to the mermaids. They were his family, and if one was messed with, the assailant would earn a quick, and likely final, reprimand. By the looks of it, not a single mermaid even harbored a faint liking to anyone other than Colton or Jack’s family. They were trustful, but only found the crews as nice men. Nothing farther than that. And, as much as Jack hated to admit it, he liked it that way. So, he gathered the crews and gave them one of the fleet ships to sail back to Cuba for a few nights to enjoy a brothel. But, if even a snippet of information was uttered, they would have a blade across their throats before they could even blink. As well as whoever was listening. The crews shuddered and nodded. Their captain couldn’t have made his warning any clearer. But, a lighter warning was given. No one could come back with the crews except for lovers and children. But, none were allowed off the ship until Colton made sure none of them were sick. The second, they found reasonable. A brig named HMS Waterlight made its way out over the horizon at sundown. To be perfectly honest, Jack and Colton didn’t mind if they never came back. Their black flags had been folded and stored away, lest another foolhardy assault should come. Only Jack and Colton’s families remained. The islands were only slightly different than when the crews were with them. It was a bit quieter at night. Weeks passed, and life continued normally, until the Water Light came back. Half the crew had made up their minds and decided they liked where they landed better. But, the rest came back with their wives, children, and some lovers were brought with. That was when Colton began his job. Shifting into his angelic form, he went through each passenger and made sure all were disease free. Some, were sick but healed, and eventually let off the boat. Arriving on the island, Jack awaited them on the beach.

With a slight breeze rustling his robes, Jack rested his hands on the hilt of a sword that he’d thrust into the ground. It, of course, wasn’t his.

“Hello, new arrivals. I am Captain Jack Dusk. If you have heard of me, I am honored. If not, oh well. You will from those who brought you if they so choose. This patch of islands in an area that I will not allow named, is your new home. Whether you were slaves, tailors, bakers, tax collectors, courtesans, it doesn’t matter here. What does matter, is that mention of this place is forbidden to the outside world. Should a ship that is not recognized enter these waters, we will give one warning for it to hurry away from here, or we will sink it without hesitation. But, life here has advantages. For one, no taxes, kings, or governors breathing down your necks. Second, class doesn’t matter here. What matters, is how much you work and how you can behave around certain people. As you might have heard, there are mermaids inhabiting this island and I have adopted them into my family. Just to warn you, two of my former crew had attempted to rape two of them, and their punishments were harsh and final. As you will see, they no longer reside here. Only spread throughout the sea. And, in case you didn’t happen to understand, I will not tolerate even an ounce of mischief with my family that isn’t good hearted. Murder, of course, is prohibited. As well as stealing. We have plenty to eat, and much can be obtained through trading with others. Not to mention, those that left us, also gave up their territory on the islands. Thus, the land will be divided up amongst the rest of us. There is a glen up that cobbled path that only my or Colton’s family are allowed. The rest of you, follow the trail to my left if you ever wish to talk with me. Two other things. One, the glen is off limits to all except who I have named. Lastly, enjoy your time here. It’s a paradise,” Jack informed.

The new arrivals were cowed, and most knew of what had happened to the armada. The evidence of it was obvious. Jack gave a winning smile, before changing into his wraith form.

“Oh and, if you try to sneak anything that you don’t want known about that could threaten someone, I’ll know,” he rasped, before floating off into the trees, down the path to the glen.