Chapter 10

 

 The Skyrunner, The Blood Trader and The Black Heart were all anchored around the island being tossed back and forth between the towering waves. Skyler rocked back and forth in her hammock the stormy sea occasionally causing her to bump into the wall. She told Colton before night feel to drop both anchors as even then the sky told tales of a coming storm. A large wave rocked The Skyrunner to the left causing Skyler to slam against the wall. She groaned, rolled of her hammock, pushed open her cabin door and eminently a sideways rain drenched her. She spotted Colton standing on the bow of the ship; his hand was wrapped around a rope keeping him from toppling over the side. Skyler trudged forward against the rain towards Colton.

"What are you doing?" She shouted over the storm.

Colton turned around, "I can never sleep during storms!" he shouted.

Skyler climbed up next to him as he continued.

"You'd think by now I'd get used to it. What with bein' at sea practically me whole life but I just can't settle during a storm!"

"You get sea sick, mate?" Skyler asked.

Colton laughed over the pounding rain, "Of course not, Cap'n! It's just me shoulder! Me hammock is next to a wall in the sleeping deck and everytime a wave hits my shoulder earns another bruise!"

Skyler laughed, "I have the same problem, Master Colton! Why don't you and I see if we can't find some rope to solve our problem?"

Colton smiled as a bolt of lighting lit up the sky. "Aye Cap'n! I do believe we keep some extra rope I the brig!"

 

It was noisier down in the brig. The chains clacked and rolled around in the cells and the rain leaked from the ceiling making the ground very slippery. Colton and Skyler located the extra rope and where about to leave when a large wave rattled the ship sending everything hurling forwards. Skyler and Colton caught themselves before hitting the ground but from the back of the brig there was a large thump.

"It came from Jason's cell!" Skyler shouted and the two investigated.

When they got close to the back Colton tapped on Skylers shoulder, "Cap'n!" he said and pointed to the floor. Skyler looked down and saw that the rainwater was tented a strange shade of … red.

Skyler looked at Colton, "Blood!" she shouted.

The two ran to Jason's cell and saw that his body had been smashed into the right side of the cell when the ship had been knocked forward. His arms where still shackled but the entire floor was smeared with blood.

"It must be from his leg!" Skyler shouted. She grabbed the keys and quickly jumped inside the cell.

"Cap'n! It might be a trap!" Colton yelled.

Skyler turned Jason over; he was deathly pale.

Skyler felt a surge of panic run through her body, "Colton! Go wake up Ezra! Help him get down here!"

"Why Cap'n?"

"Because he can't die! If he dies his secret dies along with him! Just go! That's on order!"

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As Colton ran to get Ezra, Skyler dragged Jason to the middle of the cell and propped him up on the wall. The upper part of his leg where Skyler had stabbed him was bleeding profusely. Jason's brown hair was plastered to his forehead with rainwater and sweat, his face of a very unnatural shade of white and he was shivering.

"Jason!" Skyler shouted and slapped his face. "Jason! Wake up you filthy trader!"

A bolt of lighting lit up the sky that was followed by a booming clap of thunder and Jason awoke with a start.

His green eyes where feverish and his breathing came in quick gasps.

"Look at what you've done." He said weakly.

Skyler held back a sigh of relief, as she knew he was nowhere near from safe.

The Skurunner suddenly leveled and the rage outside became calmer, only a fine drizzle of rain was present.

"It's about time." Jason whispered.

Skyler heard the clacking of boots approaching brig and felt a wave of relief wash over her as Ezra walked into the brig.

She stood up and gave him a hug, "Are you alright?"

"Gently." Ezra said, "That hurts."

Skyler pulled away, "Sorry."

Ezra smiled, "I'm better than I was, thank ye Cap'n."

"I'm glad to see you're out and about." Jason said with fevered smile.

Ezra's smile disappeared as he walked over to Jason. He slowly got down on his knees with a grunt and inspected Jason's leg.

"His fever is from blood loss and from being in the rain,” he said to Skyler and Colton. "But he'll get over it."

"Oh, how glad I am that you didn't die, my dear doctor!" Jason said.

Ezra gave a mocking smile and lifted up his white shirt to reveal an ugly uneven gash held together by stitches.

"I had to give myself fifteen stitches." He grabbed a white rag from his pocket and began to tie Jason's leg, "But it looks like you'll need at lest twenty." Ezra tied the white rag and yanked it tight causing Jason gasped in pain.

"Oh, sorry." Ezra said mockingly. "I think those stitches can wait until the morning, what's one more night of suffering anyway?" Ezra smiled at Jason and walked out of the brig. Colton relocked the door and the three walked back up to the deck.

The night had calmed and now the moon shone through the clouds bathing the deck in rays of silver light.

"Strange tattoo he has." Ezra said suddenly.

Colton and Skyler turned to Ezra, "What?" Skyler asked

"Jason, has a strange tattoo on his arm. Haven't you seen it?"

The two looked at Ezra with no response.

"I take it by your silence you haven't." he said, "It's not really a tattoo it's like an image that was burned onto his skin."

"What did it look like?" Colton asked.

"It's a circle with an arrow pointing upwards to a letter "S". I assume it's pointing South."

"No," Skyler said, "It's not pointing south." She groaned and sat on the railing, "The letter "S" refers to Sacripant."

"Sacripant?" Ezra asked.

Skyler nodded, "Yes, Sacripant, Destan Sacripant."

"A man?" Colton asked.

"A very dangerous man." Skyler said.

"Destan Sacripant …" Ezra pondered over the name, "He's French."

Skyler nodded.

"I hate the French." Colton said with distaste.

"Why was his symbol burned into Jason's skin?" Ezra asked.

"Sacripant a French pirate who sells stolen secret maps and charts. No doubt Jason borrowed one to get to the Edge and when you borrow something of his he burns his sign onto your skin so you always know that you owe him a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Colton asked.

Skyler grimaced, "Anything he wants. Your boat, your crew … your life."

"How do you know so much about him?" Ezra asked.

Skyler shrugged, "I've meet 'em. So has Bragg."

Author's Note

ignore grammar