Close Nemesis

PROLOGUE

LYGOR:

Tomorrow will bring about a new dawn. Or at least, that's what I hope.

It's the end of the day, and while the sun of Islatopia glistens happily in the rosy, pink sky above the island, it'll soon set. Regardless, my pirate crew stands upon the sandy shore with great confidence, staring out into the horizon of the golden-brown rum ocean.

My pirates and I are Islatopians, a one-eyed species with flexible wooden skin and bristly metallic hair. Ten years ago, we were exiled to this backwater planet for the rambunctious disorder we caused as pirates. We are frequently delivered food by the government of the nearby moon of Kiral, which rises in the north almost daily—a beautiful white and mud-grey world full of snowy, maze-like ravines. Within these ravines, there are small settlements carved into the rocky cliffs. I've never seen these settlements, nor do I care to ever visit them.

I grasp tightly onto the rubber wrappings of my hilt. My sword's sharp blade is made from brendozollig, a burgundy coloured metal found only in the caves of Magameci Isle. There used to be some Islatopian writing carved upon the blade, but now, it has since faded.

The tip of my sword's blade lodges itself deep into the orange petal dust that decorates the sandy islands of Islatopia. In the distance, I watch as the latest shipment of supply barrels drop from the sky. We tried to escape once by raft, but we were caught and sent back to the island. Now, we're trapped here. Without my treasured pirate ship the Void's Marauder, we're going nowhere.

Not that I really want to, anyway. I've been thinking during the ten years we've been exiled here. Mostly about my life as a pirate. I wanted to be a pirate when I was younger. I looked up to my dad a lot. But now, I'm starting to rethink my life as a pirate. As much as I love the exhilarating thrill of adventure, I hate plundering villages and I especially don't like making innocents upset.  What is the alternative, though? To become a pirate hunter? Many of the pirates I've met are cruel, but the majority are just lost souls me, seeking purpose in this vast and chaotic galaxy.

While I continue watching the barrels drop from the sky, wedged in deep rumination, a dark spot comes into view over the horizon. As the spot grows larger, I start to realise that it's a silhouette of some dude with a curved beak. Is this some sort of omen? A reaper of death?

Then, something bizarre happens. The reaper abruptly falls towards the rum ocean. Before he can land in the alcoholic waters, a pillar of concrete rises from the sea, and their feet land safely upon it.

The pillar then lowers back down into the ocean, and the figure wades through the shallow rum towards the shore. Once the figure reaches the petal dust covered shore, I make clearer notice of the details of the figure's glossy black costume. Shiny gold lines the edges of his suit, reflecting the blushing sky above. At first glance, their glowing burgundy eyes make the figure seem more robotic, but I know that is far from the truth. Their eyes crackle with static, and without a second thought, I back myself away.

This figure is much worse than any reaper from ancient folklore. This dude is the epitome of evil. I can feel it radiating off his glowing red lenses.

As the figure stares down at me, I whimper, not knowing whether they are going to kill me or no. But he raises his palm to silence me, and I step backwards, slowly lowering my guard. Finally, he begins to speak.

"Rumour has it that you've been back to your old tricks again, Captain Lygor," he greets in a soft, staticky voice that causes my spine to tremble.

He sounds eerily like a robot, but do robots have superpowers like him?

"There was an attack on a shipment transport a few days ago, and there are rumours that you were responsible. I am here to put an end to your crimes!"

"It was probably Maxarcell's crew," my first mate Idaj explains in calm monotone. "They were also exiled with us, but they won't hesitate to slaughter anyone in their path. We are nowhere near as barbaric as them."