A soft, golden glow silhouetted the man in the otherwise dark room. Quiet murmuring filled the bar as smokers, drunks, scum, and street garbage gossipped and haggled.

“What can I do for ya,” asked the silhouetted man with a deep, raspy voice. Smoke billowed around his head, giving him a gray halo.

“I need passage,” said the pirate.

“Where to?” The shadowed man shifted, moving closer to the pirate. A white smile could be seen shining through the silhouette. A dark hand tapped the end of a cigarette on an ash plate and sparks flew.

“To the edge of the world,” answered the pirate with a smile of his own.

The shadow boomed a laugh and all murmuring stopped in the bar. Lights flickered overhead and a glass shattered.

“You,” said the man. “Want passage to the end of the world?”

The room broke out in mocking laughter.

The pirate stiffened defensively and shifted in his seat. In a mildly annoyed voice, he answered, “no, the edge of the world.”

The silhouette coughed and the smell of vodka and tobacco filled the air. The pirate tried his best not to gag.

“Listen, lad,” the man said as if he was letting the pirate in on a secret you only learn after living eight hundred years. “They’re the same thing. Eh, eh. Don’t go yappin’ about yer Grammy or some tell in’ y’a stories of reaching the edge of the world, not fallin’ off, and then living to tell the tale. That’s lies and long tales, sonny.”

It was the pirate’s turn to laugh now. The room went silent again as he leaned back in his seat and took off his hat, revealing dirty black hair that hung in thick strands over his eyes. “Aye, long tales and lies. But it’s not my grandmother that saw the edge and lived to tell the tale. It was me.”

Augie Stern, a pirate at only nineteen, struck a match and brought the fire close to his face where the pupil of his right eye seemed to be bleeding golden blood. A cat hopped off of the boy’s shoulder and purred up against the man.

It was a silent standoff, neither moving. Finally, Augie said, “I have gold. And liquor.”

The man Reached out his hand, took the almost burnt out match from Augie’s finger and lit the candle on the table between them. The man previously shrouded in shadows was overweight and red. His teeth were yellow and rotting as he gave a wide, watery smile. His eyes were small and bloodshot. He took Augie’s hand and shook vigorously.

“Well then, lad. You shoulda lead with that. Captain Gawain Steeler at yer service.” The cat, started by the sudden movement, scurried back onto Augie’s shoulder and yawned. Its yellow eyes locked on Gawain's beady blue ones. “Do ya have a boat, lad?”

Augie looked away slightly, embarrassed. “Er, yes, captain.”

“Then let’s see ‘er!”

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The bar restarted its chattering and Augie found that it was much less intimidating without Gawain hidden. He even heard laughter. It made him frown.

Gawain followed Augie out of the bar and into the darkening evening. The town was rowdy near the only bar that was stationed on the island but otherwise completely silent. The two pirates walked to the water line where Augie’s boat sat bobbing on the water.

Gawain stared wide eyed at the ship. “And do ya have a crew, lad?”

Augie cleared his throat. “No, sir. But, er-”

“How can you not have a crew for a ship like this beauty? How did ya even get her, lad?”

“That’s what I was trying to say-”

“She’s truly a beauty.” Gawain walked closer to the beast of a ship. Three tall masts with billowing red sails. Gold highlights shown along the hull of the boat painting out a story that Gawain couldn’t see properly in the moonlight. The wood was a rich brown colour with not a barnacle to be seen sticking to the hull. A mermaid was carved onto the bow of the ship, as if she was singing, her hair blowing in the wind behind her.

“Captain,” said Augie forcefully, snapping Gawain out of his trance. “It sails just fine as a magic boat. That being said,” he continued when the captain’s jaw dropped. “I will be needing a crew.”

“A magic boat, you say… Well, I’ll be…” Gawain stared in turn at Augie and then at the young pirate’s boat.

“You’ll be left behind if you don’t get movin’, captain. I can get my own crew and some other map.” Augie looked tired and frustrated.

Gawain laughed. “Let an old man like myself oggle a little, lad. But right you are. I ‘ave a crew of my own we can use.” The man grunted and tugged his pants up higher (though it didn’t work very well thanks to his gut). “How many do ya think she’ll need?”

“No more than four, Captain.”

“Four…” This time, Gawain was able to snap himself out of his trance faster. “Alright, laddy. You’ve got a deal. A captain and a crew. Why you’d want to go to the edge of the world is any man’s guess, though.”

When the four crew men and the captain were all loaded onto the boat along with all their junk, the anchor was raised and they set away at speeds unusual for such low tides.

“Which way, captain?” Asked Augie, standing at the wheel.

“West,” said Gawain, waving his hand vaguely. He settled down on a stool that creaked dangerously under his weight, propped his feet up on the railing, and pulled his hat over his eyes. “Towards Landra.”

“Sir? Why towards Landra.”

“Are you the one with the map to the edge of the world in yer brain or am I, lad?” Gawain said, grunting.

“You, captain…” Augie said, uncertain.

“Aye. And this map says to head towards Landra. We’ll go from there.”

“Aye…” Augie answered, although he was pretty sure Gawain was already asleep.

Augie steered in silence for a while, the only sound being the creaking of the boat as it shifted its own sails.

“I don’t trust the old man,” whispered a voice.

“Why not?” Augie whispered back.

He twitched his hands slightly to the right and the sails caught more wind.

“This is not the way to the edge of the world.”

Augie popped his neck and rubbed his eyes. It was late, the sky a dark blue with nearly no twinkling lights.

Augie shifted. “But I don’t know how to get there, brother. And you can’t tell me.”

The cat on his shoulder dug in its claws and snuggled in closer to Augie’s neck.

“He will lead you astray.”

He petted the black cat between its ears and the cat purred.

“Then you’ll just have to convince him yourself, Ronan. He’s my last chance to find you.”

“Do what you must, brother. But be cautious.”

"I will do anything I can to save you, Ronan. Anything."