The Tale of Davy Fireskull

[Tiberius Fireskull]

Mates, it is time for the story to come to a close. I give you my last chapter, and the epilogue. Read on my friends!


Chapter 34: Paying a Debt

The Shadow King began sailing again right before dawn of the next morning. Davy came out on deck to give his orders, still devastated by the loss of his brother.

“Do we have a heading Davy?” Sam asked Davy.

“Cuba,” he said. “I need to pay my debt to Tia Dalma.”

Sam nodded, and redirected his orders to the rest of the crew. They carried out their orders happily, knowing now that their original objective was completed, and that there was nothing more to fear. This adventure was over. More would come, that was for sure.

Cuba was about a two weeks travel, more than usual due to the Shadow King’s damage. It didn’t matter though, they were in no rush.

Davy sat in his quarters on the evening of the fifth day, recording the events of that day in his log. Memories of the battle with The Harkaway were still fresh, and they still pained him. He thought about what would have happened if he killed Billy. He wouldn’t be sitting here writing today. Everyone had good in them, no matter who they were.

He sighed, and laid back in his chair. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. The loss of Billy had traumatized him more than he expected. A knock on the door ended the silence in his quarters.

Davy sat up, saying, “Come in!”

The door opened, and Sam walked in. He was dressed in his black coat, which had been stitched up. He had a brown vest under it, with black breeches, black boots, and a new feathered black hat. He approached Davy and sat down on a chair across the desk from him.

“Ahoy Davy,” Sam said.

“Sam,” Davy said, trying to smile. “How can I help you?”

“I’m worried about you,” Sam said with a concerned tone to his voice. “You’ve been spending most of your time here in your quarters. Are you alright?”

Davy sighed, and put his hands on his thighs. “No Sam, I’m not alright. Ever since Billy… ever since he…”

Davy took control of himself before he choked up. “I loved him. No matter what I said about him, I loved him. He was my brother. Sam, when I was only ten, I was separated from him for ten years. Then, I finally reunite with him, and we are separated once again, this time forever. It’s… painful…”

“Davy, I think there is something I should tell you,” Sam said.

“Yes?”

“After Jolly Roger attacked you on The Harkaway, right after you defeated Billy, I was fighting. There was a skeleton that was too powerful for me. It was about to kill me, but it was struck down. I look up to see Billy standing there with his two swords, and the skeleton lifeless on the ground. At first I was ready to finish what you started, but then I realized it was him who saved me.

“I got up, holding my sword ready, just in case. He noticed that, and put down his swords, to show that he meant no harm. He told me what he was about to do. To sacrifice himself to right his wrongs. He said that he had, right before he got to me, called below decks to the skeletons operating the broadsides. They obeyed his command, which was to leave. He told me to go down and light the gunpowder, which I believe you saw. At first I didn’t want to do it because I knew it would kill him, but he told me it was the only way to destroy The Harkaway and Jolly Roger. I decided to obey.

“Before I left though, he stopped me. I looked into his eyes. They were sad, the eyes of a man who knew that he was about to die for a cause. He… he told me to deliver a message to you. He said, ‘I cannot describe how much I am sorry about what I have done. I love you, and don’t mourn my death. I died saving you, and the crew, and even though I am going to die, I will die feeling at peace with myself.’”

Davy looked off into the corner of the room, taking in everything Sam had said. He felt a tear come to his eye, and he didn’t try to hide it. He wasn’t sure if it was a sad tear, a happy tear, or something else. Billy had loved him, while he was sleeping on The Harkaway, during their battles, when he invaded Port Royal, and in his last moments. He thought about Port Royal, now a ruin. A town could be rebuilt, but a life couldn’t. He was gone, but Davy would follow what he said, and would stop mourning his death. He died a hero, and Davy would make sure his legacy lived on saying that.

“Thank you Sam,” Davy said. “How close are we to Cuba?”

“We are getting a good wind actually,” Sam said. “Maybe a little less than a week.”

Davy nodded. “Very well. Let’s go outside now. I have a crew that needs me.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The next week passed monotonously. They encountered no ships during their voyage, to Davy’s relief. After their battle with The Harkaway, they couldn’t take on another ship. Once they arrived at Cuba, they would see if they could get the ship some minor repairs in. They could probably pay for it using the loot raided from the EITC ship they had raided and the Navy ship that had been left for dead by Billy right before the invasion. Those times seemed so long ago.

On the sixth day after Sam and Davy had had that talk, Cuba was in sight. The island looked almost exactly like it had the previous time they had visited, when Sam was unconscious and dying.

“Sam,” Davy said, turning to his first mate. “I just want it to be you and me. I want to make this quick.”

Sam nodded. In just over an hour, the two boarded a dingy and began rowing into The Pantano River. The current was quiet today, so it didn’t take too much effort to row themselves. In no time, they were going through the deeper areas of the swamp, trees forming a living ceiling above them. Birds sang their eerie melodies, and alligators poked their heads out of the swamp. The two friends were quiet while they rowed. Finally, they rounded the corner and saw Tia Dalma’s lights flickering in the distance.

“There she is,” Davy said quietly.

“This may be a little awkward,” Sam said. “After all, this is the person who saved me from certain death…”

Davy chuckled softly, and continued rowing. In a few minutes, they got off the boat, and walked up to the door. Davy knocked nervously. Inside they heard the sound of someone getting up to answer it. The two shifted nervously, biting their lips as they waited for the strange woman to answer the door. Finally, it opened, revealing Tia Dalma. She hadn’t changed at all since they last saw her. She was wearing the same clothes, the same strange jewelry and makeup.

“Ahh,” she said smiling. “Davy Fireskull has returned, and with his friend who was on death’s doorstep when I last saw him.”

Davy nodded, “Hello Tia Dalma.”

“Please,” she said, beckoning inside. “Come in.”

Davy and Sam did just that, and sat themselves down on a pair of chairs. Tia Dalma did the same. Davy ducked his head as he realized that a snake was slithering right behind him. He switched chairs, not anxious to meet Tia’s reptilian pet. He looked back at Tia and she spoke.

“I am guessing that since you have come here, you have either defeated Jolly Roger, or you have given up?”

“He is dead,” Davy said.

“And may I add,” Sam said. “that we lost many good pirates in the process. Many of our friends and family.”

“Jolly Roger is not dead,” Tia said firmly.

“What?” Davy said, pounding a fist on the table. “He isn’t dead? Impossible! I saw his ship explode with him on it! He was in the center of the explosion! He is dead, I know it!”

Tia Dalma laughed. “You cannot kill what is already dead Davy Fireskull. You see, when Jolly Roger took the form that we all know him as, a skeletal monster, he, in a sense, became indestructible. He can have his body destroyed, and lose all strength and have his undead minions follow him, but he is not dead. His demonic soul still haunts us. It will be a while, years most likely, perhaps decades or centuries, but he will slowly gain power, until he has enough to reform his body, and return to this Earth.”

“Then all of my crew who gave their life to defeat him died in vain?” Davy said angrily.

“Of course not,” Tia said. “If not for them, Jolly would have taken the Caribbean for sure. They saved many lives. Next time Jolly rises, we will be ready, and perhaps we can find a way to defeat him forever.”

“Thank you Tia Dalma,” Sam said. “Now, I think that Davy and I must be going, now that we have paid our debt.”

“Very well then,” Tia Dalma said, escorting them out of the house. Right before she shut the door, Davy held up his hand.

“Tia Dalma, if I may ask,” Davy said. “Is there any way you can bring back a life? From someone that has died?”

“Ahh Davy,” Tia said laughing. “Are the dead truly ever gone?”

She shut the door, and latched it shut, signaling the end of the visit. Davy sighed sadly, and stepped into the boat. Him and Sam rowed down the river. In no time, the dingy arrived into the sea, and was hauled up by the crew of the Shadow King.

“It’s done,” Davy said as he was greeted by his friends. While they were gone, some of the crew had gone on shore and purchased some supplies to make quick repairs to the ship. About ten men were currently working on nailing in some boards as temporary repairs.

“What’s our heading?” Zolina asked Davy, as he walked up to her and the rest of his friends.

“Make a heading for Tortuga,” Davy said. “I think that our mates will be eager to return home after this adventure.”



Epilogue


It had been a two full days since the crew had left the Shadow King, and gone into the town on Tortuga. Davy had said a goodbye to each and every one of them, thanking them wholeheartedly for their good work, and for being the best crew he could have ever asked for. Last were his closest friends. It was extremely painful for Davy to say goodbye to them, and it was hard for them as well, but they put up with it. Several tears were shed, and friends embraced for what Davy thought could be the last time.

The Shadow King had arrived with a hero’s welcome. Apparently some pirate ships saw how the Shadow King took on The Harkaway and saved Tortuga from being raided. Almost every pirate in the town took that day to help repair the mighty Shadow King, the ship that had saved them all. Most of the crew had never been treated this way, so they took advantage of it. One of the local bartenders had brought a dozen barrels of rum, much to Zolina’s delight, to share. He said that if it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have his own neck, let alone the rum.

It was close to sunset now, and Davy stood by the Shadow King’s wheel, thinking about all that had happened to him that had brought him here. The Eagle being sunk almost ten years ago, and him being collected by the crew of the Black Swan. His first direct encounter with Jolly Roger, and to his adventures on the mysterious island where he found the Sword of Darkness. Then to reuniting with his brother, and meeting Sam and Matt. The first battle it had with Jolly Roger, and then being stranded on Raven’s Cove, and being attacked by the Rage Ghost, Joanna. The journey through the Catacombs, saving Sam’s life. The final battle with Jolly Roger where Billy had given his life to save them all. A tear came to Davy’s eye as he realized that now it was over, and he could perhaps live in peace for just a little while.

Davy held onto the Shadow King’s wheel, imagining himself sailing the magnificent ship once again, smiling at the thought of it.

But what is a ship without its crew? Davy asked himself. He thought about his crew. He had become so attached to them. He knew that no matter how many voyages he had with another crew, it could never replace the crew that had gone with him on this voyage. The Shadow Sorcerors. His crew.

He let go of the wheel, and walked to the railing of the ship. It looked over the dock, and beyond that was the rowdy town on Tortuga. He could hear people yelling from there, and once or twice he though he heard an explosion of some sort, from a small grenade or gun. He couldn’t help but chuckle. He looked behind him, towards the opening of the Tortuga harbor into the open sea. A pirate’s home. It seemed to call for him, begging him to come back.

Davy sat down, looking at the view of the sea, so calm and peaceful, little ripples rising and falling in it. Davy closed his eyes, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~


Davy was roused by the sound of voices on his ship. It was probably an hour before dawn. He drew his sword, wondering who the blazes was on his ship.

He leaped down the staircase, onto the main deck, yelling a loud battle cry, preparing to battle the crooks who were trying to steal his ship.

“Who dares to—” Davy didn’t finish. He dropped his sword, mouth gaping. Standing before him was a group of around thirty people. They all had the look of pirates, both men and women alike. A small group of them approached him. He knew the faces. Sam, Matt, Kate, Will, Zolina, and Meg.

“You came back,” Davy breathed.

“You didn’t expect us to leave you now did you?” Meg asked laughing.

“Honestly Davy,” Sam said. “Perhaps these past weeks, or months now that I think of it, have been tough, but once we are in this crew, we will not leave it. Davy, we are not just a crew, we are your friends.”

“Mates,” Davy said. “I… I don’t know what to say, other than thank you. Thank you so much.”

The crew yelled out in excitement, hands held high.

“Now I’m guessing you want some orders?” Davy teased.

The crew threw their hats up, yelling out in the affirmative. They laughed and screamed in happiness, as their captain, the only captain they would serve, said three words. Three words that any captain says to his crew as the first order of a voyage. Three words that Davy himself had said to them so long ago, when they were still all strangers to him, so long ago.

“Hoist the colors!”

---------------------------------

THE END

And thats it mates. The story comes to a close. I want to thank you all for supporting me all the way through this. I wouldn't have written without your support... now who wants a sequel?!