The Lost Phantom

[Tiberius Fireskull]

Sorry it took forever for me to write this chapter... been extremely busy, but here it is! Enjoy!

Chapter 2: A Ghostly Encounter

Smelly the dog barked as Davy, Sam, and Matt entered the shack. This shack was where Davy had met the two, about ten years ago. It was where they, along with Billy, had lived their lives before they met Davy, and started their adventure aboard the Shadow King. Smelly was Billy’s dog. He was one of those shaggy dogs that Navy jail keepers kept around, putting the keys for the cells around their necks. The dog was very affectionate, but was aggressive when his masters were in danger. During the battle with The Harkaway, his chest had been slashed by a skeleton. The wound had healed, but it left a large white scar beneath his fur. After Billy had gone, the dog went into a state of depression that lasted a few weeks. He had known Billy since he was a puppy, and losing his master after that much time was traumatizing for him. He finally adjusted, and chose Davy as his new master.

After they had finished their drinks, the group separated into two groups, the ladies going off to their place, a few minutes walk from Davy’s. This shack was his home on land. Whenever he arrived at Tortuga, he looked forward to seeing the little shack, with its simple design, small set of cozy beds, warm fireplace, and no-privacy privy. The three men walked in, shutting the door behind them. Matt went to greet the excited dog, and went in the back to go fetch him some meat.

Davy sat on a chair by the fireplace, and Sam sat next to him. Davy yawned.

“Big day,” Davy said quietly. “Let’s just rest up for the next few days. I told the crew to meet back at the Shadow King in three days. That should be plenty of time.”

“Aye,” Sam said. “We need the rest. I’m exhausted. I feel like I could sleep through the sound of a broadside.”

Davy chuckled. The two sat in silence. Smelly trotted over with a steak in his mouth. He sat next to Davy, chewing on it quietly. Matt came in a few moments later, and took a seat next to Sam.

“So Captain,” Matt said. Whenever he said ‘captain’, he always meant it jokingly. Him and Davy were on a first name basis, but he liked to call him that anyway. “What is our plan for our next voyage?”

“Not sure,” Davy said. “If I don’t think of something, we will probably end up plundering some merchant ships, or reminding the Navy to fear the Shadow King.”

“Hmm,” Matt said, not amused. He was someone that was always looking to try something different, and fun. Raiding Naval vessels did get boring after a while.

“Aww come on Matt!” Sam said, slapping him on the back. “It’s a new adventure every time!”

“Ehh,” Matt said. “I’ll bear with it. Maybe we could find a Navy fort to raid on some island in the middle of nowhere…”

Sam and Davy laughed.

“Well mates, it’s been a long day!” Davy exclaimed. “Time for me to get some shuteye.”

“G’night mate!” Sam said.

Davy climbed into his bed, pulled up the blanket, and shut his eyes. He fell asleep within seconds.

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Davy woke up in the middle of the night. Immediately he wondered how the hell he could wake up when he was so exhausted. He glanced out the window, to see the moon high in the sky, signifying that it was somewhere just past midnight.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He lit a candle, providing the shack with a dim light. His two friends and the dog were all sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by Davy’s waking, or the lighting of the candle. Davy yawned, and looked out the window again. But this time, the path that lead by their shack was not empty. Davy caught his breath. He couldn’t see the source, but just out of his view was something emanating a blue light. Davy rose an eyebrow, sliding out of bed. He quickly threw on some clothes, and slid on his boots. He thought for a moment, and then decided to strap on his sword. You never know who or what will wander Tortuga at night. After glancing back at his sleeping friends, he quietly opened the door, and slid through. The cold night air woke him up immediately. He didn’t expect it to be warm, but it was colder than it should be. Something was not right. He shut the door behind him, and walked down the path.

He had been walking for about a minute when he caught sight of the light again, but this time it seemed to be moving. It slid between a few trees, and disappeared. Davy bit his lip nervously, and began jogging towards the Wildwoods of Tortuga. His hand instinctively moved towards his sword. He walked through some trees, following the blue light in the distance. After a few minutes, he lost sight of it, but kept going in the general direction.

He drew his sword now, cutting through ferns that blocked his path. His sword was not any ordinary sword. He had put spells on it so that anything that it slashed would become poisoned with a powerful venom. It didn’t kill unless it got a lucky hit, but it caused excruciating pain. The ferns wilted as he cut through them. Davy took note of a swarm of bats flying overhead. Why did he get the feeling that they were not moving toward something, but moving away from something?

He shrugged off the thought, and continued through the bush. He finally came to a small clearing. Floating in the middle of the clearing, was a blue, misty orb.

Davy took up a fighting stance, holding out his sword. He didn’t know what this thing was, but it rang a bell in his head. He couldn’t remember; however, if it was friend or foe.

The orb began to change, and it was then that Davy remembered. Out of the orb, the form of a woman materialized. She was silhouette-like, but Davy could make out her features enough to recognize her. He lowered his sword.

“Joanna…?” Davy asked.

“Yes, Davy Fireskull. It is I,” the ghost said. When Davy had been stranded on Raven’s Cove, he had encountered a ghost that had tried to kill him, and almost succeeded. He managed to overpower the ghost with his mind, destroying the rage within it, and changing the ghost back to its original form. This ghost was the one that stood before him. But how could she be here? Ghosts were locked on Raven’s Cove, and weren’t able to leave it.

“How did you get here?” Davy asked, sheathing his sword. “I thought ghosts couldn’t leave Raven’s Cove.”

“They couldn’t before,” she said, in her misty, echoing voice. “They can now.”

“Care to explain?”

“I cannot stay for long…” she said nervously, nervousness appearing on her ghostly face. “I am assuming that you have heard those strange rumors? The ones about the dead coming back?”

Davy nodded.

“They are not rumors. They are real.”

“Continue,” Davy said, intrigued.

“Strange magic is at work in the Caribbean, Davy Fireskull. Dark magic. The dead are rising. They were restricted before, but they are slowly growing power. As does their patriarch. He will soon be at full power, and will rise again from his imprisonment, and will take revenge on the living.”

“Patriarch? Who?” Davy asked.

“I cannot stay any longer,” Joanna said. “Davy Fireskull, you must sail to Raven’s Cove as soon as possible. Your questions will be answered there, and you may find more than just the answers to your questions there. Hurry! Time is short!”

“Wait!” Davy said, running towards Joanna. But it was too late. By the time he had gotten to her, she had disappeared. He cursed, kicking the dirt at his feet. He stood in the clearing, taking in everything that had happened.

The dead are rising? Davy asked himself. How can this be? Why now? And who is this patriarch? Something is amiss… and what was she referring to as the other thing that I will find?

Davy gritted his teeth. He hated having unanswered questions.

I’ll just have to go there and find out, Davy thought. He headed back through the jungle. In ten minutes, he was coming back down the path to the shack. The sun wouldn’t rise for another few hours. He could still get a bit of sleep before he needed to wake up. He opened the door and snuck inside. Smelly was still sleeping in the corner, next to Sam, who was snoring deeply.

Davy looked at Matt, who had shifted positions. He opened an exhausted eye to look at Davy.

“Mate, where were you? It’s the middle of the night for God’s sake,” he grumbled. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Davy looked at him wide eyed. “You’d never guess…”

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Doez you feelz tehh suspense? I sure hope so... because I feel it myself. By the way, if you are reading this and you haven't read my former story, I would read it, because this one has a lot of reference to it.

Comments, praise, constructive criticism? Rum?