Chapter 24: Tracking Magic

Bayou

“A shadow that steals souls.” I brought back the conversation from yesterday.

We walked down the path, after leaving Shawn in charge of fixing up the ship and stocking up. We landed about an hour ago.

“Exactly how?” I asked her.

“By using your darkest fear and paralyzing anyone with it, he or she won’t have time to defend because you will only feel fear to do anything.”

I felt Crystal shiver at her words.

“Did you encounter it before? You sound like you did,” Max asked her. Belle shook her head.

“No, but my old crew members have most died or quit after.”

We went quiet after that, but something caught my eyes, a swift movement, hiding behind a tree.

Is it the same person that has been following us from two weeks ago? I moved my hand, grasping the handle of my pistol.

“Captain something wrong?” I heard Belle ask. I didn’t move and an idea popped into my mind.

“Love, come here,” I asked, but no one came, I turned and arched a brow at Crystal, she glanced at me then at Belle.

“Oh me?” Crystal points at herself. I raised my hands up and gesture.

“Who else would I ask for?”

“I don’t know, Belle? You do call her love as well,” she said with a mellow voice. I lowered my hands down and then pointed at Belle.

“Aye, I call every female love, alright then, I only use it when I need something, I just call you love, and for Belle, just Captain Belle, is that good enough?” I asked her. Crystal blinked and Belle stared at me as though I had just grown a second head.

“What?”

“You are impossible!” Both girls said at the same time. Max came up to me and patted my shoulder.

“You need to learn more about females, just don’t, especially in front of your wife, if you want to live tomorrow,” he shook his head in shame. Now confused about what just happen, Crystal shook her head.

“Don’t even bother with him Max. I don’t care if he calls the Queen, love.”

“We haven’t had a queen since she died six years ago,” I told her. Both girls sighed shaking their heads.

“What is it?” she walked up to me while Max walked away and Belle followed him. I cleared my throat.

“I need you to do something for me, since I don’t have my powers, which I actually miss, you have to do it for me, now close your eyes,” I told her. She eyed me for a brief second.

“Why?” she asked suspiciously. I waved my hand in front of her face.

“Trust me, I will be a perfect gentleman, alright?” I assured her.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she forced a smile at me, but then sighed and nodded.

I won’t do anything to you.

I waved my hand in front of her face to make sure that she has her eyes close. I smiled, satisfied that she listened to me.

“Stretch your hand, and feel at ease,” I told her. She did. I glanced at her small hand and I took a hold of it.

“Now let the magic flow around you and gather it on your hands when you do, I’ll take over,” she nodded, and the first four tries she didn’t quite get it. I understood her because it was the same with me when I first got them. She sighed in irritation.

“I can’t do it.”

“Just breath love,” I told her gently. She took a deep breath and this time a white aura light appeared in her hand. I blinked, surprised by the color.

Mine was red, interesting. Then I took hold of the magic and wrapped it around my wrist, she opened her eyes and stared at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Tracking magic. If anything happens to you or to me, we can find each other by feeling each other, it only works if we are in the same place, no matter how far apart. Let say if I’m in another island and you are here, it will still work.”

“Oh? Then why are you doing this?” She asked.

I shrugged at her.

“Just bored.” I lied, watching the magic disappear, then her eyes widened.

“Oh, can we do that with Max and Belle? Can we?” she asked like a small child pleading her father, shrugging my arm.

“You can, but is only a two-person thing, and that is a great idea.” I smiled at her. She blushed and hid her face with her bushy hair.

“I like them, and I’m scared that something bad will happen.” she admitted.

“Aren’t you are warming up to the pirate family. I do too, love, let’s go and tell them,” she nodded, and started to walk ahead, my smile dropped and I took out my pistol and shot right in front of the tree in front of me, making a small hole. I heard Crystal yelp.

“Why did you do that?” She asked, grasping her chest. I shrugged and turned to walk next to her.

“We have large snakes sneaking around, a warning shot will warn them off.” Crystal looked up at me.

“Snakes huh?”

“Large ugly snakes, one bite can kill you,” I warned her, she moved closer to me, and rubbed her hands together.

I scared her. Not liking that.

“Don’t worry love, I will protect you,” I told her.

“Oh, I feel so much safer, thank you, Captain,” she grumbled, and that actually made me laugh.

She glanced up at me, and something in her features changed.

“Aye love, even though one day I might betray you, for now, rest assured I can protect you, even if it costs me my own life.”

“Don’t say that, remember if you die, I die,” her voice dropped.

“Oh right, forgot that detail.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling like an idiot.

“Are you two are going to flirt all day? Come on, we don’t have all day to watch you two.” Belle yelled out, as soon we reached them. Max and Belle weren’t walking any longer, they were standing in front of a small town, similar to the other island, but the markets were more like houses. Everyone looked busy.

“We weren’t flirting, and where are we?” Crystal asked, fighting off her blush, and looking around the scenery. The town itself gave a sense of gloominess and depression. Everyone had a gloomy expression without life. The streets were made out of the purest marble, and the center of the town as a strange statue, a girl, a girl that was holding what seemed a map. She has long hair and two pitch black holes for eyes.

“That’s a creepy statue.” I heard Crystal say, looking at it. I moved closer and looked down to see the fountain filled with green water.

“This changed,” Belle said, leaning forward. Max gave her a strange look.

“How exactly did it look before?” I asked her.

“This statue wasn’t here before, and the water was blue, this use to be, for lack of a better term, a cheerful town, besides the shadow part.”

“Exactly what is the shadow?” Max asked her. Belle just shrugged at him.

“Don’t know, but I heard they are worse than the Under Hunters and the king guardsmen, is just a shadow that the king is supposed to control it, well, the rumors have it, no one knows for sure.” I actually rolled my eyes at Belle’s explanation.

“I wouldn’t even be surprised.”

“Does he want to play a God or something?” Crystal asked.

“Apparently so, he does have dominion in every island on demand,” she told us. I sighed and kept my eyes on the statue.

“He’s an evil bastard that like to control every single hair on every living person,” Max said, crossing his arms.

“So you’ve been here before, where do we go and what do we do?” I asked Belle.

“There’s a tavern nearby, and I know some people,”

“Good, now show us your people.” I swayed my hand. She nodded, but Crystal clapped her hands catching everyone’s attention.

“Crystal?” Max asked, watching her take his hand. I crossed my hands, and she turned to grab Belle’s.

“If you give me permission, can I place a tracking magic around both of you, just in case we get separated, Captain Bayou said that it works.” She looked excited to do this, Max and Belle looked straight at each other.

“Err, I have no problem with it, but I doubt Max will like the idea and...”

“Do it, Bayou and I use to do it all the time in the past when we went in dangerous battles or missions. We can’t afford to be separated,” he told her. I moved up to them and smiled.

“Then let’s do this, close your eyes,” I told him. Max arched a brow.

“We don’t...”

“Close your eyes,” I ordered. Max gave me a death glare, but I ignored it.

“Now, what I taught you, love,” Crystal nodded, and grabbed both of their wrists, and placed them very close. She timidly smiled at this, and this time she let her power flow out of her and I took the white magic and wrapped it around their wrists. She glanced at me, but her smile was over, and her cheeks turned red.

She needs to smile more, I like when her eyes sparkle, I thought, then I sighed.

“Oh, I forgot how does this work?” Crystal asked after we let go of their wrist, and both of them opened their eyes. Belle smiled at Crystal then at me.

“Thank you,” Belle says to me.

I pointed at Crystal.

“Was my witch’s idea, and it works by feeling. You will feel a tug in your heart, and you just know, that’s all. The magic only last twenty-four hours,” I added. Belle and Crystal nodded and Max turned to leave.

“Let’s go before anything happens.”