The LoST 17

The Lone Shadow Templar

17: Diverted

I couldn’t breathe. Every cell in my lungs was shriveling up; every nerve in my body was telling me to scream. But I was screaming, as my body was forced underneath the water by the broken cannon, its black steel starting to blend in with the abyss. The light above faded and I was surrounded by an infinite black, losing all sense of direction. I could feel my mind drift, my soul leaving my chest, clawing its way out of my heart.

And then I saw it, an angel diving into the water. As it reached out for me, its radiant presence overwhelming me, my lungs released its last bit of oxygen. Sea water engulfed me. I felt his hand grasp on my forearm, but my hands were already gone, unresponsive. Blackness took me.

…

…

Sometimes when you dream, you know it. You are able to control what happens, to feel whatever you want to feel. In this dream, you are the master, you are the one holding all of the cards. Then, there is the sister dream, the evil twin. The one where you’re almost certain you’re awake in a surrealistic nightmare. In this one, you are the slave being played like a puppet. There is no happiness, no hint of joy. Lady luck had been sold out to the wrong man. In this dream, you are in a world of sin, you are alone.

I was alone.

…

…

Suddenly, a bright light enveloped my eyes. Millions of things were happening at once in my brain, but as the light dimmed and the world came back to focus, I realized I was on my back, looking up into many filthy foreign faces. My chest was throbbing like mad. Then, another impact upon my ribs and I felt it all come back up. Rolling over onto my side, I spewed out a stream of sea water, coughing and choking as my esophagus burned.

I heard people speaking in a foreign dialect as my body was picked up onto my feet. The thump of footsteps slowly approached, and a hand forced my head to look up.

“So, what have we here?”

“Who… are you,” I rasped, still choking. The sea breeze sent a shiver down my wet back.

“Never me mind that, lassy, who… are you?” His eyes scanned me up and down, a curious expression on his face. “Where did you come from, and what is your name?”

“Who… wants… to know?” I gasped.

“Yer a hard woman to talk to, missy,” He said exasperatedly. The man walked closer. As he approached, I noticed he was wearing a pirates outfit, tattered and sea washed. A few feathers attached to his triangular pirates hat fluttered in the breeze. ‘We have ways of making people talk to the captain of the ship,” he whispered in my ear.

“Go to hell,” I retorted with a snap.

“That I be, lass, that I be, now…” he turned around, “We’ve sent your ship running with her tail between her legs, so your friends must presume you dead.” He paused, then turned back to face me, “Now men of other morals may have their way with ye, but no. On my ship, there is a way we run things.” His hand suddenly grabbed me by the collar, “Ye play, ye pay.” He winked at me.

I was thrown down into the bulkhead of the pirate ship, my entire body aching. We were in the captain’s quarters. His bed was to my left, hidden by some hanging royal looking sheets that he no doubt pillaged from a port. In front of me was his desk, covered in maps and papers all laying in disarray. Numerous trinkets rested on the shelves behind. The captain sauntered in after his men. He was aging; wrinkles were already prominent on his face. Though his dreadlocks were all a mess as they hung down under his hat, his goatee was cleanly shaven. “Leave us,” the captain ordered his crew. They acknowledged and turned around, shutting the wooden doors and latching them shut.

“Comfortable?” He asked as he sat down at his desk. From his sleeve he produced an apple.

“Very,” I replied quietly, my eyes fixated on his.

“Good now,” he took a bite, “There’s only one option fer you, and that’s to serve on my ship,” He stated bluntly.

“And if I refuse?” I spat.

“Seeing as how you already owe yer life to me, and that all of yer belongings are on the ocean floor, yer not in the position to bargain.” He said with a smirk.

My pupils dilated. All of my weapons were buried in beneath the ocean, crushed underneath millions of tons of pressure. My MK-9, my grenades, but above all else, my sisters S-36… I could not even imagine what she was thinking as she looked down upon me from the heavens. The only thing I had left was the EMP watch, which would be of no use in a world bereft of electricity.

“Do we have an understanding, miss…” He waited for my name.

I sighed and decided it was not worth it to make any enemy of a captain. “Natalie.”

“That’s better, Natalie,” He replied as he took another bite of his apple, “I am Captain Bentley and this is my ship, The Lady Zay.” He stood up and strode over to me. I backed up slowly as he advanced. For some reason, I could not feel him with my mind. Perhaps I could only see into people who had souls…

“Your outfit, tis intriguing,” he exclaimed as he paced around me. I looked down and realized my combat environmental suit was from the 3000’s. We had to be stuck in the 1500’s at most.

“It’s from a far away land, way east from here,” I replied, hoping he would buy my bluff.

To my despair, his black eyes lit up, “Well isn’t that something! We’re heading that way now in fact, in search for the mystical treasures of Guthix. Since yer from there, ye shall guide us!”

Bewildered, I thought for a split second, then realized there was nothing to think about. I was completely lost in this world; I would have to make everything up on the spot and hope they didn’t find out. Deception was something I was so good at, but that was before. It was a whole new game. Like he said, ye play, ye pay.

“Alright,” I replied quietly.

“Excuse me, cur?” He asked, holding his hand to his ear as if expecting something.

“I mean… Aye, Captain!” I shouted. To my relief, he laughed heartily and kicked open the door leading onto the balcony looking over the main deck. A blast of warm, moist air hit my face like a freight train.

“Gather round ye cur,” he roared and his crew assembled below him. “Today we make a fine new addition to our crew,” he grabbed my arm and pushed me to the forefront, “Meet Natalie, our newest navigator. She’s from the far east lands that we be going to. If any of ya scalawags dare lay one finger on her, he’ll be strapped to the mast upside down until his blood drains from his eyes!” His crew was silent. “Well what are ye waiting for ye sea rats, GET TO WORK! FULL CANVAS!”

The wind picked up, blowing my blonde hair wildly behind me. The roaring sea bashed upon the sturdy wooden hull of the Lady Zay as she sliced through the choppy oceans, sending sprays of sea water so high it reached the deck. The sun was setting, casting a brilliant hue of red orange behind me. Wispy cirrus clouds lingered high in the stratosphere, joyously grasping the last of the red rays. We plowed on, leaving the light behind us, sailing into the unknown darkness of the open ocean, towards the world’s end.