Angels of Today

Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Pirate Angel

Present Day

The Angels weren't always like this. Before they were all like normal people. But over time, more and more things they observed from humans triggered the feeling of emptiness. The feeling that they were immortal, unable to feel pain, desire, love. All except a few that is.

"Hoist the sail, you scalawags! How many times do I have to tell you!" Echo yelled down to the deck. She was balancing on the edge of the crows-nest, her wings spread out, the wind blowing her hair and going around her wings, it felt like heaven. Almost, anyway. Echo's real heaven was this ship. Her skeleton crew. And most importantly, her First-mate.

Wait, where is he, anyway?
"Cooper!" Echo yelled to one of the skeletons pulling up the anchor.

"Yes, Caption!" It said, sparing a moment to look up before the anchor slipped and It had to look back at its task.

"Where-in-Davy-jones-locker-is-First-mate-Tyler!" Echo yelled so fast the skeleton had to take a moment to figure out what she said.

"I believe he never got on the ship, caption." The skeleton said, "at least not today."

"WHAT?" Echo screamed, lifting into the air. The ship stopped suddenly and a wave rose on the side of the ship that went over and above the Angel. Her white eye pinned the whole skeleton crew under her gaze. "You mean..No one informed me of his absence!"

"I don't think anyone did, ca-"

"It was not a question!" Touching her bandaged eye, she gently landed on the deck. The wave disappeared and the sun started to shine a bit brighter on the ship. "Sorry for losing it," Echo said, still holding a hand over her left eye, "Just, next time tell me...Please."

"Yes, Caption." They all said together.

Echo smiled and walked into her cabin. Opened the window. And sat down in her chair. The leather cool and as smooth as marble. The wind mixed with the smell of saltwater was all Echo could think of. The gentle rocking of the ship and a few shouts here and there from the crew was just seemingly a normal day.

No, Not yet. It wasn't a normal day until she tracked down Ty.

That's what she has to do. She will track down Ty, and make him get on this ship. Run the crew for at least a day. Then return him home before Saturday. The dam land lobber isn't going to get away this time. For as long as she's Echo, Caption of The Winged Skeleton, he will not get away. Ever.

Echo jumped from her chair. Put on the black metal glove and grabbed her sword. She put on her hat and called over her immortal cockatoo, Squid. He landed on her shoulder and she was out the door.

"Make for home, skeletons. We're finding that boy." Echo said, walking up to the wheel. The skeletons scrambled to carry out orders from the Caption.

"Gown, get into the crows-nest and keep your eyes open. The last thing I need is a cannon blowing a hole in the side of my ship."

"Yes, Caption!" Gown said, then ran to scramble up the mast.

〰〰〰

The life boat was pulled onto the shore of Pirate Bank beach. Echo stepped out of the small boat, twisting her foot into the sand. The warmth from the sand could even be felt from inside her boot.

The soft white hot sand hadn't changed since she left. The rocks were still marking high and low tide. Crabs and small frogs were dotting the beach. A few clumps of seaweed were in between the rock lines. The cave was still ahead and the cliff was still looking dangerous as ever.

Tightening her grip on her sword, she started towards the cave- The exit to the beach, but was a hidden entrance on the other side.

"Watch the ship and get ready to head out on my command." Echo said, walking through the cave. She barely heard the skeletons answer before she walked through the thick vines.

The lush green of the forest was bright with life. The early morning sun reflected off each leaf and blade of grass. Echo only took notice in the bark of the trees, it reminded her of her ship. Her sweet ship. Innocent and delict, fragile and hard as stone all at once. If Echo didn't know any better, she'd think she was still on her ship. Sea legs, is what Ty call them anyway, were her worst enemy. She wasn't a land lobber, she was a pirate. A pirate caption if anything at all!
And this here, was mutiny. Ty was abandoning his post to stay on land. He promised he would be her first-mate.

Then it hit her, like a giant cannon ball to the face.
He'd rather run around like that human adventurer, Drake Gunner, exploring and defeating monsters. Finding treasure and temples. It's better then being on a ship full of skeletons with an angel caption.

Echo stopped running, which she hadn't noticed she was doing until now. Leaning against one of the millions of trees around, Echo sank to the ground. She rubbed her eye with the hand that didn't have the sword in it.
Apparently she had been crying as well. What else didn't she know? That her halo was gone?
She checked anyway to make sure it was still there. Folding her wings she stood back up.
"I guess I better head back... He's probably at his house already anyway.." Forcing her legs to move, she slowly but steadily moved back toward the cave.

Once there, Echo pulled back the vines. Then she heard it.

"Pirates don't cry, remember?" Came a male voice behind her.

Echo spun so fast the trees didn't stop spinning for awhile. When she could see straight again, she looked at the boy standing near the trees.
"Where in the world were you?" Echo said, trying not to break down. It wasn't just because she had found him after so long, but the marks on her face began to burn and her covered eye started feeling pain again.

"I was coming to the beach when I saw you on the ground. You walked away before I could catch up to you." The male said as he gave a half smile.

Echo didn't answer, her eye was pulsing with pain now. The pain was even worse then when her eye had been gouged from it's socket with her own sword, by a demon.

"Echo? Are you ok?" The boy asked, concerned.

Echo shook her head slightly, which she soon considered a mistake because it only made her nonexistent eye hurt worse. She clenched her hands into fists, closed her eye shut tight, and focused on the image of darkness. Nothing to focus on, just darkness. Echo dropped her sword as it felt like a spear had been lodged into her only eye and straight through her head.

The male grabbed her hands, pulling off the metal glove and setting it by the sword. He then sat down on the ground and gently pulled Echo down with him. Putting her on his leg and squeezing her hands in his.

"Echo, open your eye."

She didn't answer, nor open her eye.
"Echo." He said sternly, "if it's happening again, I can help. You know that. Now open your eye or it's plan B." He said.

"T-Ty..." She choked out through her tears, "it hurts w-worse this t-time.." Echo didn't open her eye, she just sat there. Enduring so much pain and still trying to be strong. Still be a Pirate.
More tears streamed down her face as the pain got worse.
The boy knew he had to help, or she would become an empty shell like the other Angels in town. He knew he had to distract her from the pain, and since she wouldn't open her eye... He was going to have to use plan B.

His lips were soft and warm. Almost like kissing a cloud after an electric storm. The tears soon stopped after Echo felt them. The pain slowly started to go away as well. She sat there frozen, he was her first-mate. Was it even ok to do this?

Then he pulled away. Giving her a big, lazy, lopsided smile. "I told you I was gonna have to use plan B." He said.

Echo blushed darkly from ear to ear. "Tyler! Don't do that again, not with out me knowing." She yelled, grabbed her glove and sword in one hand, and Ty's hand in the other. Echo pulled him up and started back toward the ship.
"Come on. You have a ship to help me man."