High Tide

High Tide • a short story

A cannon whizzed past, missing Char by a hair and crashing into the wooden railing behind him, splinters flying into the air and fluttering down onto the chaos of the deck. Bodies crashed into each other, swords impaling flesh and pistols being fired and frantically reloaded. Char had lost his knife long ago, probably still stuck in someone's chest. He gripped his sword tight. The familiar shape of the hilt laying comfortably in his hand, like a murderous extension of his arm. His sword dripped blood on the dark creaking wood of the deck, glinting crimson. Something moved in Char's peripheral vision and he spun around, just as someone charged at him. He ducked and swung his sword in a familiar movement, going in for the kill. The guy gurgled loudly and went limp against Char, falling down as he pulled his sword back out. He spluttered blood all over Char's blouse. Great. He groaned in frustration.

Nathan, the Second Mate, laughed loudly nearby. "As if you weren't already completely covered in blood!"

Char flipped him off before ducking more gunfire. How much gunpowder did these people have? You'd think they'd run out by now, Char certainly had.

Suddenly a large shadow darkened the sky. He looked up and cursed under his breath. Screams began filling the air and some pirates ran off, ready to jump ship. Swords clattered down as fights died down. There was a bigger treat at play now. Char searched the chaos and found the distinct dark braids and black leather of his captain. The shadow circled above their ship and he hurried towards his boss, heart thumping.

The Captain, always aware of his presence, swirled around. "Char, good. Collect our men and lead them to the bilge to carry out Plan C." He arched his head towards Nathan and made some gestures. Nathan nodded and was off. "Don't wait for me."

"But Cap-."

"No Char. We're sticking to the plan. No waiting for me." The captain looked at him with an intensity Char couldn't help but comply with.

With a defeated sigh Char answered, "Aye, Cap'n." He spun on his heel and started making his way across the deck to collect his crew mates, but a sudden burst of flames blocked his path, setting the ship alight. Large flames licked up the wooden beams and reached into the sails. He looked back at his Captain, but his gaze was transfixed on the creature above. Silently calculating his side of the plan. Char instinctively reached for his pistol, even though it was completely void of any gunpowder.

 A crash sounded loudly above him. The shadow clamped its large claws around the mast and landed ungracefully. Char could see the scales now. Bright orange glistened over the dark teal of the dragon's natural armor as the flames rose higher. A head bent down and he was met with large fire-y eyes, boring deep into his soul.

"Execute Plan C right bloody now!" His captain yelled as he charged towards the dragon.

Char didn't waste another second and made his way through the sea of flames, towards the Captain's cabin. He ripped open the door and rummaged through the desk drawers. Right away he found the key and horn. Bloody bingo. He darted through the tiny halls and down the multiple levels of the ship. He barked the Captain's orders wherever he could find his crewmates and before long they reached the bilge. The fire was creeping down the wooden vessel fast, giving the crew limited time to really second guess the plan. Char crouched down on the bottom of the ship and pressed the key into the lock of the hatch. He looked up at his friends - his family - and was met with a vast array of eyes, all possessing roughly the same emotion; fear.

"We'll survive this. Captain is good friends with them." Char made sure to look at everyone individually as he said this. "We need to keep calm and stay together. They won't hurt us."

He opened the hatch and gripped the horn tight. As he bent down, dipping his head underwater, he set the horn to his mouth and blew air into it as hard as he could. A symphonic sound escaped and traveled down into the depths. It rang clear for a moment until complete silence took its place. Char moved the horn away from his mouth and waited in anticipation.

The water rippled.

Just as he started going back up for air, he saw dark figures shooting up towards them. They gripped him and yanked him into the sea, holding onto him with a tight grip as they quickly sank lower, into the black waters. Green bioluminescent eyes looked him over as tails slapped against the current, going down, down, down. Char turned his head to see the ship surrounded by finned creatures, grabbing members of his crew one by one and dragging them into the deep, pulling the crew of The Roamer to either their doom or salvation. Char just hoped the Captain had made sure it was the latter.

Jonah.

"Jonah!"

Jonah looked up from his wooden toy and directed his attention to the house behind him. He could just see the open door behind the tree, which stood tall next to the creek he loved to play at. His trousers soggy from crouching down so close to the creek. A gust of wind detached some blossom petals and carried them down, landing softly around the ship, like lost cargo after a mutiny.

"Dinner!"

"Okay!" Jonah yelled. He dropped the ship, letting it splash in the water. It bounced a little before it drifted aimlessly, floating in silence. He pocketed the faded dragon plushie, which his mother had made for him at his birth. The head dipped down low from his pocket, neck weak from years of use. He stood up, brushing off blades of grass and bits of mud stuck to his knees and ran off towards his home.