Short Stories

The Ballad of Captain Skully and the Tragedy of Valentine Island

Captain Deigo Daskul stood on the deck of his ship, The Black Rose, and stared out at the great ocean in front of him. A slight grin hung on his face, covered with stubble. He could be considered a handsome man, with dark tanned skin and a strong jawline. However, he never did attract many women, and for one simple reason: He was a pirate and a notorious one at that. Known for destroying British ships and slaughtering those who got in his way. He was dangerous, he was feared, he was-

"Captain!" the voice of the young man snapped Daskul out of his thoughts, but he knew exactly who it was.

"Si, Jonathan, can I do something for you?" the Spaniard asked his first mate, not taking his dark eyes off the horizon.

"Captain, there's a ship coming towards us!" Daskul's eyes lit up with interest, and he turned to his companion.

"Really now? Pray tell, did you see what the figurehead was?" He questioned, still in the same calm demeanor. Jonathan's face split into a grin.

"It was a redcoat captain!" The Daskul let out a roar of laughter. Only one ship on the sea had that figurehead, and it belonged to his nemesis, the British officer Captain Moore. As he passed Jonathan, he said

"And what's with this Captain business, amigo? You know you can call Skully!" Skully was a nickname Captain Deskul had gained from his crew, and he wore it with pride. Drawing his sword, he gathered the attention of his crew.

"C'mon lads! Let's show those Brits who the real kings of the sea are!"

Skully kicked the door to Moore's quarters down. Outside he heard cutlasses clash and the whoops of his men. They had managed to ambush Moore's men, so they had the advantage for a little while. Skully had heard Moore shout to his men to 'protect his prize'. Whatever this prize was, Skully wanted it. Not for the sake of greed, though. He just simply loved the idea of him sailing away from Moore left alone on a ship, being forced to watch his sworn enemy ride off with his treasure. So here he was, inside of the captain's quarters snooping around for the prize. As he pawed through drawers, he couldn't help but wonder what Moore's treasure could be. Gold? Jewels? Maybe some rare fancy spices the Brits seem to love so much? As he continued his raid, he heard a small whimper come from under the captain's bed. The Spaniard quickly crouched down and peered under the bed. What he saw surprised him. A beautiful young woman lay curled up underneath, crying slightly to herself.

"Hola," he whispered to her, trying not to scare the beautiful creature in front of him. The girl's head snapped over to him, eyes still closed, and she choked out a few words.

"Please Master! I'm sorry! I was just so scared," she cried in a musical voice. Confused and not wanting to draw the attention of Moore or his men, Skully began to quietly shush her.

"Shh Shh, it's ok, chica. I won't hurt you. I'm not your Master," he cooed gently, reaching out and taking her hand in his. The girl's eyes opened and she looked at him.

"You're a pirate!" She stuttered, quickly crawling out of her hiding spot and turning to face him. Skully put his hands in the air.

"Si, that is true. But I am also a man of honor. I won't hurt you," He said calmly. Now that she was out in better light, he could see her better. She was Spanish, like him, and wore a tattered blue dress. However, what stuck out most to him were the iron chains that hung around her wrists and neck.

"You're a slave," he said in surprise, which quickly shifted to anger. Despite being a pirate and a killer, Skully still had a moral code he followed to the letter. He doesn't kill if he doesn't have to, treats the crew with respect, and loathes slavery.