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Immortal (Pirates Book 1) - Kindle edition by Rachel Henry. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Immortal (Pirates Book 1).
I am finally a published author! Go download my book!
jack! jack sparrow! marty! cotton! anybody?
[insp]
Chapter 5: The Truth
I lay under Eduard’s new bed in the Captain’s quarters. Eduard had stuffed several blankets and pillows there and occasionally brought me food from the galley, so it was fairly comfortable. I was picking at some grapes he had given me when I heard some of the crew members talking outside the door.
“I can’t believe my son is dead.” It was Israel. “And they had just made him Captain, too. Where’s the world coming to when a captain is killed by his own crew?”
“I don’t know, Israel,” Philip replied.
I gasped. Son? But Jeremiah the second was my father. Unless…
I waited until everyone was asleep with their drunkenness to crawl from my hiding place. I found my way to Israel’s quarters in the dark and gently shook him awake. Startled, he scrambled backward against the wall. “G-ghost!” he stammered.
“No, Israel. It’s really me, Soren,” I said. I offered him my hand. “See?”
His hand shook as he reached out to touch mine. “Oh! Soren!” He moved forward and embraced me tightly.
“Israel?” I said when we finally let go. “I overheard you talking…about your son…?”
“Oh,” Israel sighed, “You heard that?”
I nodded. “Does that mean that…well…?”
“Yes,“ he said, "I’m your father. But it’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time,” I said.
Israel
I sighed, and began my story…
"When Jeremiah the second became captain over his father’s crew, he had an older step-brother whom he asked to be his first mate. I was that brother. The life turned out to be a glamorous one. Full of adventure.
"One day, we went to a village in the Middle East. Our men went crazy with drunkenness. They stole, not only treasures, but they killed men and raped and kidnapped women. After such a terrible act, Jeremiah was afraid that the remaining men would attack us. We quickly fled with our treasures.
"Jeremiah forced the men to marry the women they had raped. He didn’t condone rape, you know. But there was one woman whom nobody would claim. I told Jeremiah that I would take care of her. He agreed.
"Her name was Leah. She was beautiful. She had deep, dark perfect skin. Her hair was long and wavy and black. Her eyes were dark brown. Her figure was perfect. Her teeth were perfect. She was perfect. Well, in all but one matter…
"You see, at first, she refused to talk to me. She was angry that she had been kidnapped and forced to marry a man she didn’t trust. Her friends had been raped, and she was afraid that I would try to rape her, or that someone else would. I tried to be a gentleman, but it was hard. She didn’t trust me at all. I found that, despite her stubbornness, I was falling in love with her.
"She tried to make the best of her situation, though. She was kind to everyone. She tried to make the other women feel better. She kept telling them that God was watching over them. Even though I knew she hated the way that she lived, she always tried to see the bright side. When I asked her about her God, she told me. She explained that her God loved and protected His people. She told me that she stayed in good spirits because her God was watching over her.
"After nearly a year, I told her I loved her. She admitted to having the same feelings. We consummated our love, and a few weeks later, she was pregnant. A man from Germany took care of the women while we were treasure hunting. His name was Soren. Leah told me how kind he was to them. She told me that before she had admitted her love for me, he was the only one she really trusted.
"One day, Soren was killed. One of the women, crazy with hallucinations due to an illness, strangled him when he tried to calm her down. Leah was devastated. When it came close to the time for her to give birth, she had grown ill. We weren’t sure how to help her. When she had you, she gave up the last of her strength. She died. I decided to name you after the man whom Leah trusted most.
"Before you were one year old, I told Jeremiah that I wanted you to be Captain one day. Jeremiah made me a deal. You would be put in line to be Captain if I gave you to him and claimed you to be his son. I agreed… And that’s why you grew up thinking Jeremiah was your father…”
Soren
I had been silent through his whole story. I focused on studying his face, memorizing his story, pausing only once to sit down when I found myself getting lightheaded from standing so straight so long.
When he finished, I thawed. I leaned back with a long, slow breath, and ran my fingers through my hair. We were both quiet for a long time. If I listened really hard, I could hear our breathing, but other than that, the only sound was that of drunken snores coming from the rooms around us.
“Where did my last name come from?” I asked finally.
“Jeremiah thought it was best that no one suspect that I was your father. He thought that they may get jealous and try to kill you. We came up with the last name together.” I nodded, thoughtful. “Soren?” I looked up again. “How are you still alive?”
“The treasure I found was cursed. I think that’s why grandfather hid it so well. He didn’t want anyone else to suffer.”
“Suffer? Suffer what?” Israel asked. I looked down at my hands. “Soren? You didn’t kill the others, did you?” I shook my head, still refusing to look up at him. “So who – what – did?”
I finally looked up at him. “I don’t know,” I said.
I climbed into the small escape boat. Eduard climbed in after me. He handed me a blanket, and I laid down on the bottom, the blanket over me. Eduard rowed as quietly as he could through the water. I could hear the waves rolling over themselves and flowing down with a rush of sand onto the dry land.
The little boat slid up on the sand. Eduard laid the oars down next to me and, after a pause, moved the blanket. I sat up. Eduard handed me a satchel. “Take this with you, Father,” He said quietly.
I set the bag down and gathered my son into my arms. We sat there for a long time. Finally, I let him go. “Good luck,” We said at the same time. Eduard started laughing. I smirked at him. I got out of the boat and watched him row away…
I’m going to post 2 chapters tonight to make up for lost time. Sorry guys. Been busy.
Chapter 4: The Amulet of Leviathan
They walked into a large room. Corner to corner, the room was exactly like every pirate’s greatest dream: filled with every jewel and every currency known to man! Soren never could have imagined such a sight. He and his men ran to gather the treasure, filling their satchels to the brim.
As he reached for a pile of emeralds as big as his hand, Soren froze, spotting something he wanted even more. A wooden chest in the middle of the room was surrounded by skeletons, all reaching for something on top of the chest. The treasure that they were reaching for was an amulet made of gold. The gold chain held a thick gold medallion, depicting a coiled dragon painted black, its only visible eye a shining red ruby.
The dragon called to Soren, captivating him, and drawing him in. Soren moved forward, zombie-like in his movement, his mouth hanging slightly open. When he reached it, he quickly lifted it up into his hands and held it up to the light. The dragon’s big jaws seemed to be grinning at him.
Soren glanced around warily. The dragon’s enchanting red eye seduced him into thinking that maybe his brothers would want the amulet. He put it around his neck. As soon as the medallion touched his chest, there was a collective gasp from his men, and something heavy fell into the treasure.
Soren went on the defensive. This was his amulet. No one would take it from him - not even his own brother. He glanced around him again. Chad lay limply in a nearby pile of shillings, his eyes wide open. Chin laid face-down in a pile of gold. All around him, the others were in similar states. They didn’t seem to be breathing, and those whose faces were turned toward him had their eyes wide open. Soren ran to each of them, checking their pulses. They were all dead. “No!” he screamed, “No! How could this happen! What did I do wrong?” The cave answered him back with an echo: “Wrong, wrong, wrong….” Soren covered his face with his hands and began to sob. Then, Leon’s skin stopped glowing, and Soren was in the dark.
After a moment, he was able to calm himself. He decided it was time to leave. He wondered if he would have to deal with the booby traps on the way out, and figured it would be best to just teleport back to the village, since he wouldn’t have to worry about leaving his brothers behind. He closed his eyes a moment and pictured the village as he leaned against the chest he had taken the amulet from.
When he opened his eyes again, he was at the village entrance, still sitting on the chest. He stood up and walked through the village, dragging the chest behind him. All of the tribesmen who saw him gasped and backed away. He made his way to the chief. “I tried to warn you, Soren,” the chief said quietly.
Soren dropped the heavy chest and turned toward the chief. “Yes…. But I don’t understand. Why? Why are all of my brothers dead?”
The chief pointed to Soren’s chest. “You bear the Amulet of Leviathan.”
“The what?” Soren asked. The chief came forward and touched the amulet.
"The Amulet of Leviathan.“ he repeated. “My father told me that when he wore it, all of his brothers died.”
Do you mean to tell me that when I go back to the ship, all of my brothers will be dead?! Soren thought, looking at the chief in horror.
"Not necessarily,“ the chief said, answering Soren’s unspoken question. He looked up at Soren. "My father and his brothers left two of their brothers and many sisters behind in the village. They are still alive. Maybe the ones you left behind are safe.”
Soren nodded. “Well…Thank you for helping me…I guess….”
Soren found that, as the chief had said, his remaining brothers were still safe and sound on the ship. They helped him to haul the treasure he brought on deck. “Where are the others?” Danang asked. Soren shook his head sadly.
"You left them?!“ Julian cried.
"They were killed,” Soren corrected, “I could do nothing to save them.” Julian glared at him a moment, then stormed to the other side of the deck, mumbling something about abilities being unfairly distributed. No one else asked any more questions, but some of them looked at Soren with suspicion in their eyes.
Soren set out the treasure, and they divided it all up equally, leaving only the necklaces for the women.
Then Soren gathered the women on the deck, most of the men having gone down below to the mess hall. He led Rayne forward. “You can have anything you see here,” Soren said, motioning toward the many necklaces. She looked around at them. Gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, diamonds…all beautiful. But after Rayne had looked at them all, she looked at Soren, and her eyes shone. She pointed at the amulet around his neck.
“I want that one,” she said. Soren grabbed the amulet, his heart pounding.
“Th-this one?” he asked. She smiled, nodding. Soren took the amulet off, and she came forward. His hands shook as he put it around her neck. He hesitated to let it go. Before he did, the women all gasped, and fell down. Soren looked back at them.
I gasped and snatched the necklace back from Rayne. “Soren, what…?” She looked around at her friends, her sisters, and gasped at the sight. She ran to check their pulses. Soren began to gasp for breath. This can’t be happening! Not again! he thought.
Rayne looked at Soren with fear. “What have you done?” she cried.
Tears streaked down Soren’s cheeks. Why didn’t he leave the stupid amulet on the stupid island? “Soren!” Julian yelled. Rayne and Soren turned toward him. Julian was at the head of a group of the men. They all had looks of anger or confusion on their faces. “First you go to Cain Island and leave our brothers to die, and then you come back only to kill our women? What kind of a captain are you!” Julian yelled. “And you!” He stormed forward and grabbed Rayne’s arm. She gasped. “You must be his accomplice! You are the only one left alive!”
“No, Julian! I promise you –” Rayne cried.
“Kill her!” Julian said.
“No!” Soren yelled.
Julian turned to him. “I will deal with the captain.”
My brothers gathered around Rayne and Soren. They pushed them to the deck and held them down. The men beat Rayne, and she screamed in horror. Then, she was silent…
Soren held the amulet tightly in his hand, and did not struggle. “Do you have any last words, captain?” Julian asked.
“No,” Soren said. The tears continued to stream down his face. “I am not a captain worthy of my father’s name.”
“Well said,” Julian agreed.
Soren closed his eyes, ready for death to come. Julian grabbed Soren’s sword from its hilt and thrust the blade into the same wound Elijah had given him before his death. He twisted the blade in Soren’s abdomen. Soren gasped in pain. His heart pounded in his ears. He couldn’t even hear himself scream. The pain was unlike any other he had ever experienced. Finally, the darkness overcame him…
“Now that you’ve killed our captain,” Israel asked, “who do you expect to lead us, Julian?” His face was red with anger, his hands clenched into fists.
Julian turned to face Israel. Up to this point, Israel had been up on the poop deck for his watch. When he heard Rayne screaming, he had come running, but this was a big ship, and by the time he had reached them, Soren had already been stabbed, and was on the road to the afterlife.
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to vote on a new captain, won’t we?” Julian said with a smirk.
"You’re such a bastard,“ Israel said, "You’ve been planning this all along. Ever since you learned that we use monarchy, you’ve been trying to get the captain to change to a democracy. You want to be captain, don’t you?”
"Of course I do,“ Julian said. He turned to the rest of the crew. "We all do, don’t we?” The crew murmured amongst themselves. “So! Who will challenge me as captain?”
"I will!“ Eduard, Soren’s oldest son, stepped forward. Julian laughed. Eduard glared at him. "I am next in line to be captain. Maybe you think you’ll be a better captain because you’re older, but I think you’re wrong.”
Julian smirked. “Very well. Prove it.” He drew his sword. Eduard drew his sword as well. The crew backed up to give them room, and the two began to dual. Though young, Eduard was an excellent swordsman. His father had taught him well. He was also very good at predicting what his opponent would do next. Some had said that this was his special ability.
It seemed that the whole crew was rooting for Eduard. No one wanted to see him hurt. There was cheering and yelling. Names were called.
Eduard managed to block every strike Julian sent his way. Julian began to get tired. Finally, Eduard knocked the sword from Julian’s hand, chopping off his arm just below the wrist. Julian howled, dropping to his knees. The crew went wild.
"Now that you have defeated me, what do you plan to do?“ Julian asked. He held his arm as blood poured from it onto the deck.
"Let’s allow the crew to decide,” Eduard said. He turned to the others. “Who do you want to be your captain? Me? Or Julian?” The crew cheered. “The crew has spoken,” Eduard said to Julian.
Soren’s eyes fluttered open. He was lying on the deck in a puddle of his own blood. The hilt of a sword protruded from his abdomen, but he felt no pain. He grabbed the hilt and pulled out the sword. He could feel it slip easily through his back and out. He waited a full hour for death to come, but it never did.
Soren got tired of waiting. He sat up. The deck had been cleared of the scene of his destruction. The only evidence left was him, the sword, and his blood. There was a quiet gasp behind me. “Father?“ Eduard asked, "You’re still alive?” Eduard ran to his side and looked up at him.
Soren opened his mouth, expecting his voice to come out hoarse and pain-ridden. “Apparently so, yes,” he said. His voice was fine, and so was he. He stood up with ease. “I feel fine, actually. I’m not sure… what it means…”
“What’s that?” Eduard pointed to the amulet, still clutched tightly in Soren’s hand. He looked down at it. The amulet, like his clothes and the deck, was bloody, but it was still as beautiful as ever.
“It’s…just an amulet,” Soren said. He walked to the edge of the deck and tossed it into the water.
“Father, what did you do that for?” Eduard asked.
“Because, Eduard, gold isn’t everything,” Soren replied. Eduard looked at him and nodded.
Soren took the sword’s sheath from the sling on his back and handed it to him. “I won’t need this anymore,” he said.
“But, Father, what will you do?” Eduard said. “The crew thinks you’re dead. If they find out you’re not, they’ll make sure to put you out of your misery.”
"I would go back to Cain,” Soren replied, “but I can only teleport so far, and I see that we have already shoved off.”
"Father…I just don’t get it.“ Eduard said. "Why are you still alive?”
"Eduard!“ Danang called. They could hear his heavy footsteps against the deck as he walked in their direction.
"Coming, Danang! I’m coming!” Eduard called back. Eduard began to fidget. He was panicking. Soren wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Eduard!“ Danang called. "You are taking too long! A captain must always be punctual!”
"I’m coming!“ Eduard glanced over his shoulder.
"We’ll talk later,” Soren whispered.
"You can hide in my cabin until we dock,“ Eduard whispered.
"Eduard! I hear your voice! I am not waiting any longer! I am coming to get you!” Danang hollered.
"I’m coming! I’m coming!“ Eduard gave Soren a pleading look. Soren nodded, and teleported to his cabin.
Danang reached Eduard at the edge of the ship. "Who were you talking to Captain? Yourself?”
"Um…yes. Myself.“ Eduard said. Danang glared at him. He knew Eduard was lying….
//
Not gonna be able to post tonight. I have an interview tomorrow and I have to get settled down for bed. But I will post the next chapter tomorrow after the interview. :)
Chapter 3: The Cave
The tribesmen took Soren and his men to a jungle path that had been made many years ago but had not been used since. It was so overgrown that Soren had to follow the tribesmen very closely so that he would not be led astray by the path’s many twists and turns. Vines stretched out to them, hanging from the trees, trying desperately to reach them. The air was humid and musty. Soren untied his bandana from around his head, no longer having a need for it, and stuffed it into his pocket.
The path came to an end at the mouth of a cave. The tribesmen hooted and grunted, pointing at it with their spears. “They can’t go any further than this,” Chad interpreted, “The treasure is in the cave, though.” Soren nodded. Chad thanked the men, and they hurried towards their village, looking back with fear in their eyes.
Soren led the way into the cave drawing his sword. The cave was dark and dank. Water dripped from the ceiling somewhere deep inside. Ivan moved to Soren’s side, taking a candle from his cloak. He pinched the candle wick between his thumb and forefinger for a moment, lighting the candle.
As the pirates walked through the cave, it was so silent that every footstep echoed. Soren could see that up ahead, there were several directions that they could go. They could easily get lost, for there was no way of knowing which way was the right way.
“Which way, Captain?” Alejandro asked.
Soren stared at the three tunnels before him. He crouched down, holding his sword in front of him. “Make sure to duck, at least.” he said. The crew looked at each other in confusion. Soren swung his sword, and it connected with a CRACK! against the wall. Suddenly, a high-pitched screeching came from inside the cave. A wave of startled bats flew from the cave and pirates all ducked to avoid them.
Just as the bats used echolocation to find their way out of the cave, Soren listened to the echoes of their screeches. By the time the bats had dispersed, Soren knew exactly which tunnel to take. “This way!” he said, leading the others forward.
They walked in through the furthest right tunnel. Soren’s foot caught a very thin string, which opened the floor directly in front of him. Neither Soren nor Ivan had been prepared for this and they fell into a pit lined with spikes. Soren’s saving grace was his teleporting ability, which landed him safely on the other side. Ivan, however, was not so lucky.
A cry, a smack, the clatter of the candle stick, and Ivan’s body lay next to a skeleton who had met the same fate. A large metal spike protruded from his back, and blood stained his cloak around it.
The remaining crew members gasped. “Ivan!” Henry howled. Soren stared down at Ivan - or, what remained of Ivan - and gulped. That could have been me, he thought.
“Captain?” Angus whimpered. “A-are you sh-sh-sure about us gettin’ this, uh…tr- treasure?”
Soren took one last look at Ivan. Yeah. Am I sure? What if…. No. I can’t. I have to see this through. Soren stood up straight and looked back at his men. “Men!” he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat before continuing. “What are we? Are we men? Are we pirates? Where’s your sense of adventure? Your sense of danger? Do you want this treasure, or don’t you?”
"Well, of course we do, but –”
Soren cut Drake off. “Then what are you over there screechin’ like banshees for? Get a move-on!” he yelled.
The crew hesitated, looking back and forth between Ivan’s body and Soren’s face. Chad drew his sword and used it to catapult himself over the pit to the other side. “I’m with ya, Cap'n.” he said with a smile. Soren smiled back. After a moment’s hesitation, the rest of the crew followed Chad’s example.
"Good men!“ Soren cheered. “Now let’s move out! But … more slowly this time, ey?”
The crew nodded.
"Oh, but Soren?“ Chin asked.
"What is it, Chin?” Soren asked.
“Once we move away from the cave entrance, we won’t be able to see where we’re going,” Chin said.
"He’s got a point, sir,“ David murmured.
Soren thought a moment. "John!” he said, “You have incredible speed. Run back to the ship and bring back Leon. He will help to guide us in the dark.”
"Yes, sir!“ John said. He zoomed off.
I wonder why I didn’t think of Leon before, Soren thought. Father always used to bring Leon on missions such as this. He would never have made such a mistake.
Just then, John arrived with Leon. "Leon. Make your light shine, so that we may be able to find our way.” Soren ordered. Leon’s skin glowed a pale yellow color that lit up the tunnel. Soren led the crew forward.
He tapped his sword against the ground in front of him. Angus jumped at the sound, and Soren rolled his eyes. For such a skilled swordsman, he thought, he sure does get scared easily.
A few feet ahead, there was a pile of crushed bones. “Get to the edges!” Soren yelled, his voice echoing throughout the cave, “Hurry!” He had no way of knowing which side was safe, because he saw only the one pile of bones in the middle. Soren pressed against the left cave wall. Half of his crew followed suit. The other half got on the right side.
Soren cautiously inched forward, tapping his sword at the ground in front of him. The tip of the sword caught yet another trap, as he knew it would. Soren heard a loud CLICK! and the pirates braced themselves against the walls. Soren held his breath.
A boulder - almost as large as the tunnel itself - came barreling through. Soren pressed himself closer to the wall, squeezing his eyes shut. A rush of wind brushed by him and he heard screams, groans, and the cracking of bones. He opened his eyes. All of the crew members who had gone to the right side were all crushed to death.
"Nooo!“ Alejandro wailed.
"My god,” Soren whispered.
"Cap'n?“ Drake asked.
"Ah…aye?” Soren stammered.
"I don’t like this, Soren.“
Soren swallowed hard. "Drake,” he said, “if you like treasure, I suggest you grin and bear it. Or will you have to be marooned in order to remember that as a pirate we are to do as our captain says?”
"No.“
"Then shut your trap, and keep it moving.” Soren whispered. Drake gulped, nodded, and followed Soren as he continued forward.
Soren had taken only a few steps before the next trap was set off. He stepped on a stone that fell away when he put his weight on it. He froze. Drake didn’t notice, however, and kept walking. “No! Stop!” Soren called out, but it was too late. Drake’s foot went straight through the floor, and he tripped. The rest of his body crashed through, and the blackness swallowed him up. His scream echoed through the labyrinth until he finally hit the bottom.
Soren had been frozen, as the others were, as they listened to Drake fall. I could have saved him…. Soren thought.
"Do we go on, Cap'n?“ Chad asked.
Soren glanced at him. "Um…yes.” He turned to Jean. “You control rocks, so hold them up. Keep us from falling.”
"Yes, sir,“ Jean replied.
Soren and his crew cautiously walked through the last of the tunnel. Up ahead, something shiny was reflecting off of Leon’s light. He smirked. "We’re almost there men!” he said cheerfully.
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, something flew toward him from the left. “Duck!” he yelled. He dropped to his stomach just as a huge ax sliced above him.
There was a grunt to his right, and what used to be a large black hat with a white feather in it fell from his head in shreds. Soren looked to his right to find yet another of his crew members dead. The ax had gone straight through David’s body, splitting him entirely in half. Blood was pooling below his feet.
Soren whimpered. He glanced around. How many of his brothers had he killed already? With only Chad, Leon, John, Chin, Alejandro, Jean, and those still on the ship left, twelve of his brothers were dead.
But he couldn’t turn back. He had promised treasure, and treasure he would provide. “Let’s go!” he ordered.
Chapter 2: Cain Island
After several nights of refusing the women that came to my door, Cedric decided that I had mourned long enough. He came to my room without knocking and ripped the blanket off of me. “Cedric!’ I yelled. “What the -”
“Get up, Soren!” he said. “You’ve been mourning for over a week! The crew is getting bored, and the women are getting anxious! We need to do something!”
I sat up. Looked around. “You‘re…right…” I said. “I can’t call myself a captain if I won’t even leave my quarters. Tell the crew…to set course for Cain Island.”
“Cain? Are you sure?”
“Do you want to do something, or not!” I snapped.
“Well, sure, but -”
“Go!” I yelled. Cedric hurried out.
Cedric did have reason to be afraid. Cain Island was known for its dangers as well as it was known for its treasures. Cannibal savages, shark-infested waters, deadly heat…it was the reason my grandfather had hid the greatest of his treasures there. I planned to go in, and come out alive…with at least a billion gold deplumes. Not to mention the unknown amount of precious gems and jewelry. I would choose my new bride, and I would find the most gorgeous necklace with which to grace her beautiful neck.
I got up, splashed some water on my face, took a swig of bourbon, and made my way out to the stairs. I took them two at a time. When I reached the women’s quarters, they all crowded around me. “Hello, Soren.” “Hello, Captain.” “Good morning.” “How are you?” “Are you feeling better?” “Can I get you something?” …
Rayne
“Ladies! Ladies!” Soren said, holding his hands up. We took a few steps back to give him some breathing room. He smiled at us. We quieted down. “We’re going to Cain Island.” he said. We gasped and took a few steps further, looking at him as if he were crazy. Why would he want to go to Cain? I thought, It’s too dangerous! I gulped. “There’s nothing to fear.” he assured us. “Do you not remember that it was my grandfather that hid the treasure there in the first place? Do you not think that I am strong enough - clever enough, powerful enough - to come out alive? Do you not have faith in my abilities?”
He glanced around at them. I was so afraid for him. What if he dies? What would we do? I felt tears welling up in my eyes. “Rayne?” he asked. My head snapped up. “Do you so doubt me?” He took a step closer to me, and I quickly took two steps back. My tears spilled over onto my cheeks. I was shaking my head. Soren smiled gently. “No?” he asked.
“I fear… you may not come home…” I whispered timidly. I bowed my head, and braced myself. My words had been too defiant to speak to the captain. I knew he would slap me. Bruises and burn marks marred my skin. I knew pain oh too well. I had spoken too many a defiant word to know the difference. Soren lifted my chin gently. I felt myself trembling with fear. Soren pulled me close and embraced me. I heard a jealous huff behind me, but Soren ignored it. He let go of me and smiled sweetly. “I’ll show you. I will come back.“ he said. “And I will bring something for you home with me.” He kissed me on the lips. I was so surprised, I almost gasped aloud. Then Soren left us.
Soren
When we landed Cain Island, I chose the group of men I wanted to come with me. They all brought their swords, ropes, daggers, and bandanas. We took a row boat to the shore and tied it to a tree to keep it from floating away.
Immediately when our boat was securely tied, I heard the call of a tribesman to his tribe. The sound was close - closer than we had been ready for. He must have been very quiet before. None of the crew members panicked. My father had taught us all better than that. They looked to me for instructions. Before I could give any, we were surrounded by a group of scantily dressed men. All of them looked very fierce and very hungry.
I drew my sword and attacked them. The crew followed suit. The tribesmen proved very skilled indeed. Three of my men fell at their hands within moments. I teleported to the outside of the circle they had us trapped in. One of the tribesmen stopped fighting, and pointed at me, hooting, and grunting in his unfamiliar tongue. The other men stopped as well and did the same. I stood frozen with surprise. One of my crew members, Maverick, took the opportunity to slice a throat or two. “No! Stop!” I ordered him. He stopped immediately. The tribesmen stopped hooting and “oohed” and ahhed” instead.
Then the biggest tribesman - with the most markings on his body - pointed at me and said a word that I didn’t understand. The others repeated it. I looked to Chad, the most multilingual among us, for a translation. “I believe he said ‘moving-god,’ sir.” Chad said. I looked back at the tribesmen.
“Oh, no, no, no. I’m not a god.” I laughed. Chad translated. The man shook his head, pointed at me, and said the word again. It seemed that, after that, the conversation was over. The tribesmen gathered me up and began to carry me away, the rest of them threatening my crew with spears to follow. “Chad?” I called out. “What are they doing?”
“They’re taking you back to their tribe to meet their chief, Soren.” Chad called out over their heads. “What shall we do, sir?”
I sighed. “I guess…let them. Maybe we can convince them to tell us where the treasure is.” I said. The crew agreed. One of the tribesmen yelled something.
“He said to be quiet,” Chad told us. He chuckled.
They brought us to the village. As we walked through, women, children, and elders looked at us with curiosity and hunger. I saw at least four lick their lips. The chief was a big, muscular man with markings from head to toe and huge gold hoop earrings. I eyed the earrings with lust. I knew my crew was doing the same. The bigger tribesman introduced me, using the same word as before. The chief said something. The tribesman turned to me and said something in an awed voiced.
I turned to Chad. Chad said something to the tribesmen. The chief said something back, and then Chad came to my side. “They want you to demonstrate your powers for Chief Makuhan. If you don’t, then Weetwikki will be punished.” he whispered in my ear. I nodded. I teleported next to the chief, then back to my spot next to Chad. The chief laughed. Weetwikki sighed with relief. The chief said something to Weetwikki, who bowed and took several steps back.
Then the chief said something to me. “He said that you are the moving-god. They are pleased that you have come to them bearing…gifts.” Chad gulped.
“No. you are my helpers. Tell them you’re my helpers.” I said. I furrowed my brow at the chief to let him know I was not pleased. Chad nodded, and he quickly translated. The chief, though disappointed, grunted something to the tribesmen aiming spears at my crew. The tribesmen quickly obeyed, moving away.
There the chief said something to me. Chad translated. “He said, ‘Then why have you come, oh great one? We are saddened by the sight of your helpers, for we are starving, and the blood in their veins smells as heavenly as you, yourself.’”
I sighed in frustration. I did my best to make it seem as if I were angry. “Tell him I am very upset that he would assume that I did not come to help him. Tell him that as the moving-god, I have come to move them to a better way of life. A life where they will not always be starving and will no longer have to kill their own people for food.”
Chad repeated what I had said in their tongue. I turned to Tye. “Bring forth a few bags of wheat and apple seeds.” I told him. He obeyed, and three bags of wheat appeared. The chief raised his eyebrows. The other tribesmen began to chatter. The chief called out, and held up a hand. The people stopped talking. The chief asked me a question.
“He said, ‘What is this you have brought?”
“Tell him that it’s a new source of food.” Chad translated. The people began chattering again. The chief smiled. “We’ll show you.” I told them.
I led the group to a clearing outside the camp. Tye handed me a seed, and I planted it. I called Kayo. “Water the plants, please.” I said. Kayo raised his hand, and water splashed onto the ground. The tribe “oohed” and “ahhed.” Then I called forth Mako, his brother, who caused the plant to grow very quickly and to bear fruit. The tribe “oohed” again. “See, Chief Makuhan?” I said. “If you plant the seed, after several weeks, it will bear fruit to feed your tribe.” Chad translated again as I teleported to the top of the tree. I chose the juiciest-looking apple, teleported back, and handed it to the chief. He took a bite. Then he smiled widely, hooting and grunting. The tribe cheered.
After planting and growing a few more trees, we moved further from the camp. The tribe followed. I taught them to do the same with the wheat, cut it, and grind it. Once it was ground, I taught them to make it into bread. I taught them to make an oven out of rocks, mix the batter in bowls, and set a fire beneath the oven to make the bread.
Once there was enough food to feed them for quite a while, they invited us to a feast. They tried to offer us a meat that was still bloody…. I stood to my feet and yelled at the chief. “How dare you! After I spent all that time trying to teach you a new way - the RIGHT way! - you still turn around and do this!” Chad translated. The chief fell to his knees before me.
Chad spoke. “He says, ‘Please, moving-god! Forgive me! I know now I must be punished for what I have done!’”
“You have spoken well!” I yelled. I drew my sword and beheaded him. Then I turned to Chad. “Ask them who the successor is.” I told him. When Chad asked, they brought forth a very young man, barely older than thirteen. By the time I saw him, I had calmed down. Chad told me this was the chief’s only son, and that the woman behind him was his mother.
When I realized how young he was, and that the woman was crying, I felt terrible for what I had done. I had done exactly what Elijah had done to me. I knew I had to do something to make up for it. “You are the chief now, young man.” I said gently. “Teach your people well. Teach them to grow their food, to kill only animals, and to cook their meat before they eat it.” Chad translated.
“Yes, moving-god. I will do as you ask.” the boy said, speaking in English. So the boy had known all along what we were saying. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. I felt that, despite what I had done to his father, we shared a special connection. “It’s alright, Soren. I do not blame you. And I know that you were only trying to help my tribe. Thank you. We are more civilized now, thanks to you.” the boy told me. I looked at him in surprise.
“How did you…” I stammered.
“I, like you, am an Enhanced One. A telepath. I knew your plan all along. And I thank you for it. My father was foolish. My mother will be sad that you killed him, but, in time, she will heal.” We shook hands. I smiled. “Before you go…” The boy stooped down to remove the gold earrings from his father’s body. “We can lead you through a safe way to get to the treasure. But you won’t be as happy as you think when you find it.” The boy refused to offer any other explanation, but called forth two men to lead us to the treasure. We thanked him, and went with the men.
In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, Jessica Parker Kennedy reveals what “going to Westminster” actually means. Spoiler: you won’t even have to go to England.
Chapter 1: Your History Lesson for Today
The year of 1722, Soren had just recently turned twenty-three. His life was, quite literally, a fairytale. He was rich, young, happy, and…a pirate. He lived on a huge sailing ship - the fastest ship on the seven seas (probably because of all the Enhanced Ones controlling it, but the other ships didn’t have to know that) - and his brothers all took very good care of him. Even though, at that time, he had had a great woman at his side, he didn’t hesitate to add a few more on the other side. He could get any girl he wanted - even if she didn’t want him back. He also had three sons, two of which were from his wife.
Oh, yes. Soren was living the life…How was he to know that all that could change in an instant?
One day, one of Soren’s eldest brothers, Elijah, discovered that he was next in line to receive captainship after their father. After his discovery, he began to plot an assassination on the captain and claim the “throne.” Soren was on his way to the top deck to speak with his Father when he noticed that Elijah and the captain were talking. He stopped and politely waited for them to finish their conversation. Suddenly, Elijah drew his sword and struck their Father down. The Captain was left in a puddle of blood. Soren gasped and turned away from the scene. It was only to Elijah’s advantage that he had sentry duty that night. He met no opposition when he tossed the Captain’s body overboard and mopped up the blood.
The next day, as Elijah was telling the crew that our Captain was dead, Soren accused him of their father’s murder. Danang, one of their brothers from Africa who was especially good at deciphering lies, immediately began to investigate. He ordered them both into his office separately to be interviewed.
Elijah sat down in a rickety old wooden chair. Danang frowned at him under his thick, bushy eyebrows. Danang had smooth, dark skin. His eyes were a light milky brown. His wide lips stretched tightly over his face, a tiny crack beginning to form in the center. He picked up a mug of rum and gulped loudly. “So…you kill you father, huh, Elijah?” he finally asked in his thick African accent.
"Of course not.“ Elijah said. “Why would I do something like that?”
"Aren’t you supposed to be next Captain?“ Danang asked.
Elijah raised his eyebrows. "Really?” he asked. “I didn’t know that.”
"Yes you dit. You tell Keith yesterday. He tell me. What you expect? I stupit?“
"No. I don’t think you’re stupid. I just…I expect you’re mistaken. You believe Soren? He’s a kid. He couldn’t -”
"Soren smart kid.” Danang looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I believe him ‘cause he not lie to me ever. You on the other hand…”
"I lie sometimes. But who doesn’t? That doesn’t mean I killed my own father.“
Danang sighed. "I’m sorry, Elijah…”
"You need to talk to Soren first. Then you’ll know I’m not lying. His story doesn’t make any sense. Father is a better swordsman than I am. How could I possibly kill him?“
"Fine. I will talk to Soren. Then we’ll all talk together.”
Elijah stood up. He found Soren in the chow hall, spooning curds into his mouth. “Soren. Danang wants to talk to you.” Elijah told Soren. Soren glared up at him. He leaned close, gripping Soren’s shoulder with his fingernails, and whispered into his ear. “I don’t know what it is that you saw -”
"I saw everything.” Soren said, his voice raspy with anger.
"Whatever.“ Elijah waved dismissively. "If you say anything to Danang, you’ll be sorry, little brother. I promise you that. I don’t care if you are Daddy’s little favorite. I’ll do everything in my power to make your life a living Hell.”
"I’m not afraid of you, Elijah.“ Soren snapped.
"Maybe not…” Elijah said. “But who do you know that is?” With that, he let go of him and walked away…
Soren
My wife Aloisia was terrified of Elijah. They used to spend a lot of time together, and Elijah would abuse her. Elijah was a very cruel man. He used to beat Aloisia and play evil, dirty sex games with her which she did not enjoy. When he asked her to marry him, she refused. He wanted to kill her – to throw her overboard. Father refused him because he knew that I was in love with her. Now that Aloisia and I were married, I had to constantly watch out for her to protect her from Elijah.
For a moment, I was struck with worry. I looked across the room as the women were walking into the chow hall. Aloisia was in line holding a bowl. She glanced in my direction and smiled brightly. I smiled back. I had been protecting her for this long. We had been married for three years. What does Elijah think he’s gonna do? Kidnap her? I rolled my eyes at the thought. I’m not afraid of you, Elijah….
I told Danang everything. When I was done with the tale, Danang called Elijah and several more of our brothers into his office for the trial. After hearing both of our stories a second time, but before an audience, Danang found Elijah guilty, and, therefore, unable to carry out his responsibility to proceed as captain.
To kill the ship’s captain was a great offense. The only thing worse was for the captain himself to abandon his crew. The penalty for both was death. Elijah made a break for it. He leaped for the wall and clung to it, quickly scaling the wall, breathing heavily in his panic.
“Get him!“ Danang cried, leaping to his feet, “He’s trying to get away!” The men all drew their swords and chased him out the door. Dietrich raced to Elijah’s side and knocked him off the wall. Elijah drew his sword, and the two began to battle. Elijah’s reflexes were faster than most. Dietrich tried to keep up with him, and even struck him a few times, but he failed miserably. After only a few moments, and before any of the others could reach him, Dietrich was no more - only a lifeless body and a pool of blood.
Elijah took off again. He leaped from wall to wall, steadily heading for the top deck. The women came upstairs to see what was going on. I teleported ahead of Elijah just as some of the women came to the door. Elijah grabbed Aloisia and held a dagger at her throat. “Let me pass!” he ordered.
“Damn you, Elijah,” I growled. “Damn you to Hell!” Elijah sneered, pressing the dagger into the throat. She whimpered as blood ran down, pooling in the hollow in her neck. “Do not fear, Aloisia,” I whispered gently. She pressed her lips together. I moved aside and let Elijah pass. Still holding Aloisia tightly, he hurried upstairs to the deck. The other women gasped in surprise. “Go back downstairs!” I ordered. They obeyed as the rest of the brothers finally caught up.
My brothers and I hurried to the top deck. By the time we got there, Elijah had stopped to wait for them. He stood of the edge of the deck over one of the escape boats. He still held on the Aloisia. “Soren!” she cried in desperation.
“I am here, my Aloise!” I assured her.
“For you, dear brother!” Elijah yelled. He slit the dagger across Aloisia’s jugular vein and let her go. She gagged before falling on to the deck. With that, Elijah leaped over the side of the boat. His sudden weight upon the escape boat sent it into the water, and he was soon quickly making his way away from the ship.
I teleported to Aloisia’s side and quickly assessed her physical state. She gasped for breath with a gurgled rasp. She would die soon. There was nothing I could do that would save her. Emil came to his side, holding their father’s pure gold Captain’s sword. He offered it to me. “Soren?” he said gently. “You are next in line.” I looked up at him, then down at the sword.
I took it from him and stood to my feet. “Thank you, Emil.” I said. I leaped overboard after Elijah and teleported mid-air onto his boat. My brothers watched us from a distance.
Of course, Elijah wasn’t in the least bit surprised to see me. He had just killed my wife, our brother, and our father. Elijah knew me to be vengeful. He raised his sword in time to block mine. We dueled. The tiny boat rocked back and forth with our weight. Strike, blow, block parry…I missed a block, and Elijah struck me deep in the abdomen. I stumbled backward, losing my balance. Before I could fall overboard, however, I teleported behind Elijah and shoved my sword into his heart.
It was so very silent. I felt I could hear it when his heart beat its very last. I retrieved my sword from the bloody gash in his back and kicked his body into the dark waters. I watched, without emotion, as his body drifted slowly down into his watery grave. I knelt on the deck and gripped the edge. My stomach heaved, and my meal from earlier was lost to the ocean.
I teleported, with the row boat, back to my ship. The crew was cheering, but I didn’t feel like celebrating. I leaped from the escape boat and ran to my Aloisia. I cradled her still body in my arms and bowed my head. When they realized this, my brothers fell silent. They quickly left me to mourn as tears began to wet my cheeks.
A few hours later, I was still beside my dearest. I no longer cried, but I had not moved. My eldest son, Eduard, had sought me out. “Father?” he asked.
“Yes, my son?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Is that mother?” he asked. I nodded sadly. “Is Brother Elijah dead?”
“Yes, my son.”
“Did you kill him?”
I was silent for a while. Then, “Yes.” I whispered.
“Are you the captain now, then?” Eduard whispered, matching my tone.
“Yes…” I dropped my head into my hands and sobbed. Eduard bowed his head, feeling empathy.
“I’m sorry, Father…” he said quietly before slipping away.
Preface: Jeremiah
The years between 1690 and 1730 has, to this day, been dubbed “The Golden age of Piracy.” It was during this time that a notorious man named Jeremiah thrived. He had a crew of strong and loyal men and women whom he called his children. This pirate family was a family of smugglers, pillagers, thieves, murderers, treasure hunters, adventurers, and some, even lovers. And all of them loved their adoptive father, Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was born and raised in Spain, but his crew hailed from all four corners of the Earth. They all spoke different languages, but they also spoke one common language - English. All new crew members were taught to speak English as a second language, and all children born into Jeremiah’s world were taught to speak at least two languages besides English.
Jeremiah was the most notorious name on the Earth. He raised his family at sea until, when he died at the age of 86, his oldest son took his place.
It was at the age of thirteen, however, that Jeremiah’s son discovered that he had a special gift. His gift allowed him to hear the thoughts of those around him. As he traveled the world, he found that he was not the only one with a special gift. Many people had found that they were enhanced beings. So that’s what they decided to call themselves. The Enhanced Ones….
Pirates
Book 1: Immortal
By: Rachel Henry
The most successful pirate in history was a Chinese prostitute. Cheng I Sao commanded 80,000 sailors and a fleet bigger than most country’s navies, which is why the government had to give up and offer her a truce. She retired with her loot, opened a gambling house, and later died, peacefully, a 69-year-old grandmother. Source
