Chapter Thirteen: Hart

Crystal

Oh, how right Captain Bayou was.

The sun was already on the horizon, but the rain hadn’t stopped at all. Captain Bayou was ready to collapse, and we hide behind a fallen log that was near his ship. Never in my life have I wished to be on his ship as I did right then.

“They still around.” I groaned watching Captain Jones mates rampaging Captain Bayou’s ship. I glanced at Captain Bayou, watching, sorrow pass his eyes.

“My poor Hart is being violated.” he groaned.

“Your poor Hart?” That’s the second time he mentions that name.

“My ship, who else? Her name is Hart.” he said, looking at me like I was a fool for asking such a thing.

“Since when is a ship a love or have a name?” I asked confused. Captain Bayou shrugged at me.

“It’s a pirate thing, she’s my first love, bought her a few years ago, with my own money.” he informed me. I rolled my eyes.

“That’s sad, it’s a ship, not a woman, it can be your home, but not your love. Please find yourself a woman. Also, your own money? I highly doubt that.” I told him. He gave me a long stare.

“Aye, I’m a pirate, what woman wants to spend the rest of her day with a bloodthirsty pirate? So I’m happy as I am. How about you, why are you still single?” he suddenly asked. I looked down at my hands and rubbed my aching eyes. I already felt like I was ready to collapse.

“I don’t like men. I don’t believe in love and plus...” My eyes were full of sadness.

“What love?”

“I’m not.” I shivered, from my old memories, which I didn’t dare to even speak of. Captain Bayou frowned, then coughed out.

“You are not what, love?” he asked, now curious about what I wanted to say. I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the ship.

“Nothing.”

He won’t care, no one sees me as a woman, not even him.

That pained me, for a reason I couldn’t quite place. I shouldn’t have even cared.

I rolled my fingers together, and from my far right, I spotted something, or rather someone. Max and Shawn walked slowly toward Captain Jones.

“Max! Shawn?” I gasped out, placing my hand on the log. Captain Bayou moved away from the tree to take a peek next to me.

“What the hell is he doing?” he growled.

“Trying to have a cup of tea with Captain Jones, what does it look like, he’s trying to get back your ship, I think.” I answered him, while Captain Bayou gripped his hands until his knuckles were white. I bit my lower lip.

We need to do something, if not he’ll get sicker. Max is putting his life on the line for him. I was thinking hard, trying to remember something I had read in a book, when a sudden idea popped into my head.

“I have another idea,” I told him. Captain Bayou turned to face me.

“You sure are sharp, I’m still mad at you for taking my pistol, though.”

“It gave us time. Punish me later. Don’t complain, the plan is that if we can sneak around while Max and Shawn have them distracted, then we can get your ship back. It’s our only chance.”

“Alright, but we do it my way!”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me around the tree, he waved his hand, and a strange light appeared in front of us, making Captain Bayou grunt even more.

“What did you do?” I asked. He ignored me, and we ran, we ran as fast as we could and finally we reached his ship. Without a word, we mounted the stairs miraculously undetected.

“What did you do?” I asked again.

“Invisibility for a brief second, just hurry.”

We reached the deck. Stopping, Captain Bayou reached out and grasped one of the pirate’s swords. The pirate shook his head and stared straight at Captain Bayou.

“He’llo there mate, looking for us?” Captain Bayou smiled, using his accent very thickly, the pirate moved to grab his sword.

“Looking for this mate?” He flashed the sword at the pirate.

“How the hell did you get that?” Captain Bayou shrugged.

“Magic,” he answered him.

The next thing I knew, Captain Bayou had used the back side of the sword to hit the pirate’s face and knock him out cold.

“By stealing it, what else you stupid pirate,” he answered him. He turned to me and smirked.

“See, no killing.” He waved his hand pointing at the unconscious pirate.

“I can see, should I be proud?” I asked, biting my inner cheek trying desperately not to smile at him. He looked like a child, that just had caught fish for the first time with his father.

He looks innocent.

“Aye, my little witch, it’s a proud moment for me, I feel better. Now I’m getting back my Ship. I’m THE CAPTAIN OF THIS SHIP AND I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” he shouted, heading up toward his wheel. I actually giggled, covering my mouth.

He’s very strange. But I felt happy that we had regained his ship.

Bayou

“One more time, that’s all.” I closed my eyes. Then I lifted my arm up, and brought back Max and Shawn, throwing out the unwanted crew mates of Captain Jones.

“OI, CAPTAIN JONES, NEXT TIME BE WITTIER YOU STUPID BASTARD!” I screamed, rolling my wheel, and using my little powers, I sped up my ship.

“I AIN’T THE ONLY ONE AFTER YOUR FILTHY HEAD, WE SHALL MEET AGAIN, DON’T WORRY. I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING, AND TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS YOU GIT, YOU WILL DIE!” Captain Jones shouted. Max and Crystal ran toward me, and I smiled at them.

“At least we...” but my words were cut off when Max ran up to me and before I knew it, his fist met my face. I bounced back, hitting the wheel.

“Stupid, didn’t I forbid you to not kill or use your powers. You son of a B...” he was about to kick me, when Crystal rushed toward me, and placed herself in front, stretching her arms out.

“No, Max, I hate violence, no more, please,” she begged. Max stopped, and stared at her.

“Crystal?” I rubbed my aching cheek and stood up.

“Is okay love, I’m used to it, this is normal,” I told her. Crystal lowered her arms, and suddenly she buckled down, without thinking I moved rapidly and grasped her waist so she wouldn’t fall on the floor.

“Love?” I asked worriedly. She glanced up at me and shook her head.

“Do I need to get used to this? I hate violence. I really do.” She closed her eyes, then a sudden pulse rushed over me.

“Max, she needs,” but my words were cut off.

“Ah!”

“Bayou? Bayou! Damn it.” Max shouted, as everything around me started to fade. Before I knew it, I had fallen down, Crystal lying next to me.

Blood, I could smell the stench of blood, surrounding me, my body burnt so vehemently that it ached to even breath. His dark eyes bore into me, as I kept my face frozen, trying to no show no emotion.

“This is how you repay the king? Fine.” A dark smile passed his thin lips as he pointed his pistol straight at me.

“This isn’t a joke kid, magic exists in these lands, and I will obtain power over all the lands. For your family’s crime, you will have to pay.” Then he opened fire, the bullet piercing right into my stomach. My eyes shot open wide, the pain spread rapidly. I couldn’t even hold it in, I fell onto my knees.

“That’s more like it, kneel to me, now be a good little boy and start to kill for me. When we meet again, I want to see with my own eyes how you die, you will pay for your family’s sins.” His voice was drenched with evil, my body ached so much, then a piercing scream escaped my lips as a bolt of lightning struck me down.

“Now my puppet, nothing will get you out of this mess, there’s no way out. I do advise you, get yourself a witch, you sure as hell will need it.”