The Crusades of Captain Rye and his Renegades - Book One: Tyranny

Chapter 7: Captain Rye and the Ghosts of Past and Future

In a tiny town, distant and remote, there lived a young man, a sailor of sorts, and a rogue and a gentleman. This is perhaps how the tale of Captain Rye should have begun, but not all stories are the kind that neatly start at the beginning and stop when they come to the end. Some start somewhere in the middle, and unravel in all directions.

And some stories tell more stories. So does this become a story of spectres, spirits and shades. Of ghosts that remind us of who we were and how we came to be, and who we may come to be, for good or for ill.

He steps with a bounce from the gangplank, pack over shoulder, parchment in hand, followed by his white haired travel companion, the wanderer Robert Graymane. The cobblestone main road extends from the dock in what would have been the bustling market square of Brandish, had the hour of their arrival not been so late. The only bustle now involves the flow of alcohols to patrons in the taverns, which as luck would have it, is exactly what young Rye is looking for... there are those who would say, however, that luck had nothing to do with it at all.

With a smile of satisfaction and firm ground underfoot, Rye unrolls the parchment in the light of the dock lanterns and rereads its contents:

"I have secured a voyage from Flintabbatey's Fall to Brandish, in the territory of King Marko. It is a port town, and there you should find more opportunity on a wider array of ships looking for crew. I would suggest you look in to an interesting request I've come across aboard a privateer commissioned by one Robert the Gold, a viceroy of the King, who may be found at the King's Call Cantina. Greymane will travel with you and see to your safe arrival.

Good journey,

J.N."

A woodsman, Robert Graymane it can be said is knowledgeable in the ways of voyage, and a competent guide for wayward travelers. Familiar with the port town and its streets and businesses, the two are soon before the domed structure of the King's Call Cantina. An establishment of ill repute, the King's Call caters to all manner of clientele, from sailor to smuggler, politician to pirate. It is a venue of shady deals, opportunity and villainy. It is certainly not for the light of heart or those who shy from a little adventure.

In the still silence of the main street, the only sound murmurs from the doorway of the Cantina as a mix of voices and music. Greymane takes Rye's hand, and wishes him farewell, stating with a wink that he would never enter any tavern that would have him as a patron. Rye returns the smile as a stool crashes through one of the tiny windows looking out across the way. There is a scream and a din of voices and the music fades. Robert raises his eyebrows and whispers good luck and to be careful.

Our pirate to be, now a simple fisherman, slips the parchment into his pocket, his mind dwelling momentarily on the knife in his pack. He takes a deep breath and steps through the Cantina entrance, deciding that the only trouble he will find here is the trouble he brings with him. He walks down a narrow hall until the full interior opens before him, the excitement of a few moments ago already subsiding, and the music from the band picking back up into a lively tune.

Two large men stand over what appears to be a body amid the tables. The circular room is divided down the center by a long bar, behind which a portly barman moves slowly to and fro. There is suddenly the barking of a dog which brings the barman to life. "Hey, your dog, it'll have to wait outside! We don't serve their kind here!", he bellows. A ragged man stands and leads his dog out of the premises as another voice, that of one of the large men, rises above the rest. "So, who drew first, you or Candace?" He stands with his hands on his hips as he scrutinizes the corpse. The other man, bare-chested, sheaths his sword with contempt and answers, "I don't know, and I don't care." He turns and takes a seat in an alcoved booth at the back. The first of the two shrugs and drags the body past Rye and out the door.