Justin Somper

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean

Connor stared out into the darkening sky, trying desperately to see the other ship again. The Vampirate ship. The ship that carried Grace.
  "It isn't coming back," Cheng Li said.
  "How do you know?"
  "Because, there is no Vampirate ship."
  "But -"
  "Stop." She raised her hand. "And please don't sing me that shanty again. That's all it is - an old shanty. A song your father sang, for reasons I cannot fathom, to send you and your sister to sleep. The idea that such a ship could exist is nothing but preposterous. I'm afraid your sister is gone. It's a terrible blow, I know. But that's the truth. You must face facts, boy."
  But there had been a ship. He could see it again - inside his head, crystal clear. Turning in the ocean. Again, he saw the eyes of the beautiful figurehead and the glimmering sails that seemed to rise and fall like wings as the ship sailed away.
  Connor glanced back over his shoulder and watched Cheng Li dispensing orders to some of the pirates. With her back turned towards him, he could see that as well as the cutlass on her hip, she had two further weapons slung over her back. Though sheathed in twin leather scabbards, he had no doubt that the blades inside were as sharp and lethal as her tongue.
  "Make way for the captain." It began as a murmur, but the noise soon began to build.
  Cheng Li was adamant that he'd imagined the ship. He'd only just met her but he could see that once her mind was made up, that was the end of the matter. But maybe there were others on the ship who would believe his story - the captain, for instance.
  "Make way for the captain. Make way."
  Cheng Li broke off her conversation and strode back to Connor. She looked rather irritated. Connor felt his own heart beating. In fear? In anticipation? What kind of man must it take to command a mob of pirates?
  Suddenly, Connor saw Bartholomew and Cate striding towards him. Following in their wake, staggering slightly, was a man of indeterminate age with long tousled hair and small, circular blue glasses. He wore a long sky-blue velvet coat over two silver holsters containing daggers, and his tall leather boots, as pointed as knives, jangled with silver spurs. The captain was laughing and appeared to be engaged in quick-fire repartee with various of the pirates. He seemed to be firing insults over his shoulder, but with a broad smile that caused his skin to crinkle on either side of his glasses. Leaving waves of laughter behind him, the captain finally swaggered towards him. Connor could see that this man was loved and respected by his crew.
  "Here he is, Captain," said Bartholomew, before stepping to one side with Cate.
  "Well, well, well," said the captain, lifting his glasses. "What have we here? Been fishing, Mistress Li?"
  The captain walked around Connor, without saying anything. Connor marvelled at the many colours in his hair. At first, he had thought it was simply different shades of brown, but no, there was grey in there - or rather silver, and then, as the light caught a fresh angle, green too - like strands of seaweed. Amongst the distorted rainbow were two - no three - dreadlocks, bound with seashells. It was an unusual look, but he carried it off with manly ease. For all his finery, and somewhat erratic way of moving, you could tell that the captain had physical strength, not to mention the charisma of a natural leader.
  The captain stopped in front of Connor, surveying his wet clothes. A bejewelled hand rubbed his stubbly jaw.
  "Hmm, you're fresh from the ocean, by my reckoning, but you're not a saltwater fish."
  He lifted his glasses and for the first time his gaze bore direct into Connor's face. The captain's eyes were large and flecked with as many shades as his hair. His stare was mesmerising.
  "What's your name, kid?"
  "Connor, Connor Tempest."
  "Tempest, eh?" he chuckled. "That's very good! Connor Tempest, brought to us in a storm."
  He reached out a hand. His fingers were laden with so many glistening sapphires it was a wonder he could lift them. "Molucco Wrathe, Captain of this rabble. Welcome to my command, Connor Tempest."
  Connor shook his head. The captain grasped him in a firm handshake.
  "Thank you, um... Mr Wrathe."
  "That's Captain Wrathe," he said, but with a smile. "Now, tell me, Connor Tempest, how you come to be here?"
  Connor glanced at Cheng Li. Her face was set in an expression somewhere between boredom and impatience. Her arms were folded tightly and the twin holsters on her back were raised like dark wings, poised for flight.
  "Oh, I know Mistress Li brought you aboard. But before that. What were you doing so far out in these treacherous waters?"
  "We were caught in the storm. Me and my sister. Grace - we're twins. We came from Crescent Moon Bay..."
  As Connor talked, he tried to keep Captain Wrathe's gaze, but was distracted by the man's hair. The wind was blowing it about and a long dark lock was now hanging down over one eye.
  "You're not much of a storyteller, are you, boy?"
  Connor opened his mouth to continue but as he did so, the lock of hair turned and moved back across Captain Wrathe's forehead. And then Connor realised. It wasn't a lock of hair at all. It was a small snake.
  "What's up? Cat got your tongue, kid?"
  "I'm sorry, Captain Wrathe, but I think you have a... a snake in your hair."
  There was no doubt about it. The creature had almost escaped from the tangle of hair and seashells and was easing its way down past the captain's ear.
  "Aha," said Captain Wrathe, smiling. "Hello Scrimshaw, have you come to say hello to Mister Tempest?"
  He raised his hand and the snake slipped onto it, curling itself fondly about his wrist, like a living bangle. Connor watched, fascinated, as Captain Wrathe held out his arm in front of his, so that Scrimshaw could come nearer. The snake raised itself to look Connor in the eye. Connor wasn't sure what he was supposed to do in response.
  "Say hello to the deputy captain, boy!" Molucco Wrathe chuckled.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean © Justin Somper, 2005. Published by Simon & Schuster