A Witch
1259 Words
Shipboard Taylenel rested on the forecastle rail with Kontessa standing by as the sails were unfurled. The waves lapped at the sides of the ship. The sails filled with the wind as the ship moved forward. The crew ran here and there as the boatswain barked orders to tie off the lines and lower more canvas. The marines manned the rails with their brown Besses until they cleared the harbor entrance.
Forward she went, carving her way out of the harbor, cutting her way through the water. She reached open sea as the keel cleared the sandbank at the harbor entrance, and the figurehead, a stylized dragon with a wispy mustache, led the way.
The Victory sailed on.
The ship’s Captain came to the helm with the city guards Captain to confer with Kontessa.
“What is it we seek,” asked the ship's Captain. "Where is it we should seek it?”
“We’re not sure yet, Captain,” answered Kontessa. “Something dead or that which brings death. The crew of that ship was not killed by anything alive or holy. That which killed them brought only suffering if you would have seen it, you would understand. We must find and end that creature's existence."
“The fairy queen has never dealt with death, but I have seen death and torture,” Taylenel stated. “Perhaps my sword can be of use after all. I believe we will find this death bringer in a dark and hidden place.”
“Where do we start,” asked the Captain of the ship. “Should we start on the coast until nightfall?”
“That’s as good a place as any,” answered Kontessa.
The others left the green fairy and the demon standing there.
"I must thank you, Kontessa, for rescuing me from that accursed pool. I could have looked into it forever, the Queen thought.”
Kontessa smiled her ivory smile. “I think this thing wants to be caught, a challenge. I’ll bet you a hundred gold to your sword we find this thing in a fortnight.”
Taylenel answered. “My sword is not a wager.”
***
The Diggy appeared off the starboard side, and the alarm rang out as the sun rose toward noon. In the distance, something like a cloud or mist could be seen coming from the horizon. It came and fast.
“Bring her about,” barked the boatswain as the Captain ran from his cabin. The others came up from below. "Get the longboat in the water."
“What do we have,” asked the Captain.
“A Diggy, sir. With what may be a woman.”
Taylenel watched both the Diggy and the mist in the distance. Both came closer with every gust of wind. The longboat reached the Diggy as the fog came ever closer. The figure in the boat could now be seen clearly as a woman, passed out probably from dehydration and sunstroke, Taylenel thought.
The marines rowed the longboat pulling the smaller boat with them. The woman had been retrieved and wore what looked to be a satin dress.
“Where did she come from,” asked the Captain.
The mist grew darker and overcame the marines in the longboat as the woman was brought on deck.
From the mist, dark and forbidding now, came a ship. Masts torn, rigging a mess, lines fowled. The rails, covered with seaweed from the bottom of the sea, obviously where the vessel hailed from.
Taylenel grew cold and saw goosebumps on the demon’s flesh as well.
The ship drifted on the current, lazily and without purpose but not without intent. It seemed almost as if it were guided from the depths of hell.
“She’s still breathing,” said a marine, and the ship's doctor took her below. “Give her some blankets.”
The haunted vessel crushed the longboat against the Victory and splintered it. The oars fell in the water to drift about.
Taylenel flew over and landed on the rail of the ship from the mist. The demon, black-skinned, became all but invisible in the dark, and if it were not for the torches the marines held and the lamps the ship’s officers lit, the night would have been complete.
Kontessa climbed up on the rail with her cold iron sword and a torch in either hand. She jumped over to the other ship with the Captain of the guard close behind.
The helm sat in plain sight, abandoned. The three walked cautiously around the main deck only to find more seaweed. Then as if on some cue, the deck became covered in glyphs glowing red and green and many other hues.
From out of the aft cabin, through the door came a ghost, translucent and dressed in a blue uniform with gold buttons.
“He was an honorable man in life, but now I control his soul.” the voice came from the helm. “He will take your ships and their crew and bring death to all I choose. But first, you will give me back my daughter. The willful creature she is. Hardhead, and she has a goodness about her that I detest."
"I really don't think your daughter is coming back to you. She's under my protection now." Kontessa said and raised the torch over her head to see the voice's source, but it remained hidden. “You can’t go around killing people for any reason. Who are you? Show yourself, witch.”
The voice turned into a woman, old and bent. Her cackling voice rang out again. "You have come onto my ship, so you will all suffer the same." With that, she spoke a word. “Contased," and webs shot from her hands to engulf the Captain of the guard, pinning him against the bulkhead.
The ghost reached Kontessa and swung its cutlass only to be blocked by the demon’s longsword.
Taylenel flew at the witch, but she pointed a finger, "Gratel," she shouted, and a bolt of energy shot forward and struck the fairy knocking him to the deck, stunned.
Kontessa blocked another blow from the cutlass.
And then another, until she saw her opening.
She blocked a downward swing and brought it down and around to cut the ghost in half.
An unholy scream came from the being, followed by a deep soulful sigh. The ghost seemed peaceful as it evaporated.
“You have taken my ghost!” screamed the witch.
Taylenel came to his senses and crept forward as the witch turned her attention to Kontessa.
“Damn you,” she shouted. “Gratels,” and all five fingers of her left hand shot bolts of energy to strike the demon in the chest.
Taylenel flew upward to find the bare foot of the witch; the old woman fell asleep and then overboard.
***
The black-haired woman from the diggy stood on the dock freshly arrived ashore. The young Captain of the guard stood by her side. Taylenel and Kontessa watched the Victory sail off on another mission, this concerning some bandits along the coast the marines were to handle.
“I have some apartments you could live in,” Kontessa told the black-haired beauty. “Maybe we could work out some agreement.”
The Captain drew his sword. Placed it between the woman and Kontessa. “She’s mine, demon."
They all shared a laugh.
- Writer
