1
It was still late in the morning when Captain Amadeus had just finished his breakfast of cooked fish and fresh fruit straight from the larder and was sailing his ship, The Crimson Siren, across The Frozen Wastes. From the position of the sun, it appeared to be around 10 in the morning. It was very close to the time that The Queen would be roaming the fields, but Amadeus and each of his crew members knew that no one wanted to encounter The Queen. Many on Amadeus’ crew were opposed to his decision to sail through The Frozen Wastes at this time, but Amadeus assured them that they would be safe by his word as Captain of the ship. The cargo on his ship was very rare and special, given to them by a very wealthy tradesman who wanted it delivered across the ocean to a client who had been very anxious to get his hands on it. The goods he was delivering had somewhat of a time limit however, at least that’s what the tradesman told him in the letter. But the tradesman also mentioned that he was willing to pay double the worth of all the cargo combined, more than Amadeus had ever made in his entire lifetime, even after he split it with the crew. If he cut through The Frozen Wastes, he would make it to his destination with a little bit of time to spare.
When he arrived back at his hometown of Signia, a town recently absorbed into the Coalition of Eastern Colonies, he planned to treat himself and his family to luxuries they could only dream of. Their dream of moving to the Grand Capital would finally be realized after today. No longer would they have to settle for common marketplace foodstuffs consisting of fish and low quality fruits and vegetables from neighboring towns. They could escape the oppression of the Eastern Colonies that aimed to bleed dry everything around it under the guise of being a country that cared about its people. Most importantly, Amadeus could no longer live in fear of the target painted on his back by those who would see him dead. With every one of his ventures the list grew longer and longer. Most saw him as a threat to their own businesses. Amadeus always took the hardest jobs and managed to come out still kicking every time. Often, other people saw him as the best option for getting something done, leaving other pirates starving for money. In the Grand Capital however, he could make a name for himself and earn money without the danger of encroaching upon the footsteps of others.
Multiple wards were placed on his ship by mages from the college that Amadeus promised his father he would attend one day, thus boosting his confidence in its success even more. They worked to cloak his ship from The Queen’s sight, thus guaranteeing them safe travel across The Frozen Wastes. The only real threat was the chunks of ice ranging from big to massive that could easily sink their ship. The danger of this led to a fresh breath of relief within Amadeus as he realized how he had unknowingly prepared for this when he first had his ship built. It took a bit of haggling and a couple of promises, but he was able to get his ship made from steelwood, meaning that the small to medium sized chunks of ice would prove no challenge to the hardiness of his ship.
Yet, despite all the preparations, he was still on edge. He picked up the mug of beer that he had next to him and took another swig to calm the nerves. Occasionally, some of his crew would remind him that drinking would only serve to make him colder, and each time he reminded them of what they were more likely to die from out here. The one amongst them that would do this the most was his brother, Richard Amadeus, the navigator of the ship. He was the shortest and the youngest of his family. He didn’t have nearly the bulk that was seen amongst his two older brothers. He had a slim build and a baby face despite being in his mid-twenties. In his younger years, bullies stayed away from him for fear of incurring the wrath of his brothers. But that didn’t allow him to escape from the teasing of said brothers. The most common jab against Richard was the fact that he was the only one in the family with blonde hair while everyone else had black hair, which led to the nickname of Night Light. As much as he would have loved to have left him at home to avoid the constant bellyaching he was the most important member of the crew. What Richard lacked in bulk, he made up for with his superior navigation skills. He had sailed these waters before, albeit at night when The Queen was said to not make any appearances.
And then there was his older brother, Alfred Amadeus, the Quartermaster who had no trouble gathering the best crew that he knew would be absolutely loyal, lest they have to deal with him. He was always the biggest and the strongest of the family, and the best looking. Despite this he was the only one who could never grow hair of any kind on his face, but he didn’t let this get him down as he often gained the attraction of women regardless, which often made Amadeus and Richard jealous of him. Along with this he had a talent for fighting other people. Before their dad died, he had taught him how to be a boxer like himself, which Alfred used to do before he became a pirate. He even managed to beat some of the toughest men in Signia, earning him somewhat of a reputation among fans of the practice. Because of this, Amadeus knew that he wouldn’t have any problems with the crew.
The knowledge of both his brothers being on board both warmed his heart and terrified it all the same. The lives of his dear brothers were essentially in his hands, and he intended on keeping them safe. Among his brothers he was always seen as the most responsible, at least by their mother. Their father would agree indefinitely. His older brother constantly got into fights with those that he felt disrespected him, and his younger brother was too sly and crafty for his own good. The words of his mother to all three of them when they were just but young children still rang in his ears. “One day the both of you (pointing at Richard and Alfred) are gonna get into some trouble you won’t be able to get out of and Joseph is gonna hafta bail you out!”. Amadeus chuckled to himself about the irony of those words. His greed blinded him when he accepted this job, completely oblivious of the danger he was putting on himself. And now it seemed like his brothers had to bail him out this time and risk their lives for his sake. At least they’d be getting paid for it big time. If it hadn’t been for Amadeus’s desperate situation, he would’ve been suspicious of a job that would suddenly give them more money than what he could make in his entire lifetime.
The silence of a completely mute top deck didn’t help the constant feeling of impending doom. Along with the wards that made his ship invisible, a small magic totem had been placed below deck on the ship. Because of this anything within a certain area would make no noise whatsoever. Amadeus didn’t understand it entirely, but it seems that the totem projects an invisible dome around the ship using certain magics. Something as simple as your feet stepping against the wood of the ship or the opening of a door would simply make no sound as if you were deaf. Yet, as much as he appreciated the safety, the silence felt worse than anything he could encounter out here. He had been so used to the many noises of a busy ship with it being increased to an even greater amount when the ship was docked at a port. To Amadeus, for the life of a ship captain, these sounds were essential. They were something that he never knew he would miss so much; and felt like he took for granted. Even during the night, he would enjoy the sound of fresh water hitting the boat or the flapping of the sails in the wind, but all that had been cancelled out. “Curse those mages at the college, curse that pompous fool of a tradesman, curse the Queen, curse all of this!” Amadeus thought to himself. “What I wouldn’t give for some solace from my own mind!” He looked around at all the people on his crew, some were moving around, carrying things, or making sure everything was set right and was in proper order, but others were simply sitting around, waiting for something to happen. Those in groups had resorted to using writing as a means of communication, at least those who could read and write. The sea shanties that Amadeus was so used to singing and hearing were simply nonexistent. Amadeus knew that they all only joined for the better than usual pay they were promised because no experienced pirate would ever go on a voyage such as this.
Suddenly, a hand appeared on his shoulder, startling him, and breaking him away from his thoughts. It was his older brother Alfred, who he didn’t hear come up the stairs next to him, and who wore a warm smile on his face. All Amadeus could do was frown and turn his attention back to the Frozen Wastes before him. Without any kind of noise, there was no use trying to communicate how he felt. A few minutes later, he felt the same hand again. Amadeus turned to see his brothe, except this time, he had a piece of parchment and a quill with a jar of ink resting on the railing. While Alfred scribbled on the parchment, he looked back to the jar every few seconds to make sure that it didn’t fall over. Surprisingly, ink was somewhat of a fancy commodity within their hometown, so they treated it like every drop was their last. When Alfred was finished, he gave the paper to Amadeus to read.
“Richard says we should be halfway through the Frozen Wastes. We should arrive at the Capital Port by nightfall”.
Amadeus returned the kindness with a weak smile then turned his attention back to the ocean before him. Immediately, Alfred gave him a worried look. As mean and tough as a person as he was, he knew his brother’s mannerisms and the emotions tied to them near perfectly. Joseph Amadeus, or Amadeus as he was often called, was never one to be silent, something he had inherited from their mother. Alfred had enough examples of it to last two lifetimes, and frankly, the silence of the ship was a welcome change of pace. When Amadeus grew quiet, something was up. Usually, Amadeus\ was the life of the ship when he was docked at a port. Always being the one to start the sea shanties and getting every crew member in on the song. Seeing him without a pint of rum in his hand was a rare occurrence. Even while he was at sea, he made sure to have a good time. He didn’t drink, but he supplemented it with good jokes and stories. If he couldn’t take part in a good song, he’d be sure to hum it to himself as he directed the boat. But this was different. Alfred knew exactly what was bothering him. And with no noise, there was nothing stopping Amadeus from focusing too much on his inner thoughts. He stared off into the sky, trying to think of some way to help his younger brother. That’s when an idea suddenly came to him. Quickly, he scribbled down a message and handed it to him.
“Hey, let me take over the wheel for a while, you go get some rest. Come nightfall, we can turn the totem off and you can have your sound back. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Richard has made this trip plenty of times during the night.”
When Amadeus looked to Alfred, he saw yet another warm smile
There was a minute of silence between them. Amadeus weighed the options he had in his mind. He knew Alfred wasn’t the best when it came to sailing the boat, and the last thing he needed on his mind was how he was going to pay for boat repairs after they would have to inevitably turn back. Along with this was the possible danger he would put everyone in, all because he just wanted a little noise. In his mind, it was too much risk for something so small. However, the desire to return his thoughts to the sea was a very enticing one. After a good amount of sleep, the sounds of the ocean would be a nice welcome back into the world. He looked to his brother again, who simply stood there, waiting for an answer, that warm smile still on his face. Finally, after another couple of moments, he made up his mind and scribbled his answer down onto the parchment. When his brother read it, his smile grew bigger, and he took his place before the ship’s wheel. He gave his bother a hug and a reassuring look, but Amadeus only gave a stern look in return.
“Any damages to the ship are coming outta your pay!” he scribbled down onto the parchment before making his way down to the captain’s quarters.
Much to Amadeus’ dismay, sleep did not come easily for him. His thoughts still encompassed a large majority of his brain space. Half was focused on if what he was doing was right. Putting the responsibility of the safety of the crew onto his brother. To him, it reeked of cowardice. He had half a mind to run back up there and forcibly take the wheel from him for the rest of the voyage. The other half was focused on his ability as a captain to lead his crew to victory. He had only accepted this job because the pay was so exorbitant; he’d placed this burden onto his own family and beyond that people he didn’t even know. People his brother hired who were just looking for their next payday. It made him feel awful inside. He sat up on his bed, looking around for the keg he always kept in his room. He looked in the spot where it usually was, only to see an empty space. “Curse my damned brothers” he thought to himself. “How dare they take my rum!” That’s when a thought came to his mind that distressed him. He dashed over to the chest that held his belongings. Beneath his clothes, his books, and a doll that his niece had given him, was his last bottle of Stardust that he saved for a special occasion. It was rum that was infused with magic to make it much more potent. The process of making Stardust is difficult, often demanding a high price per bottle. But Amadeus was lucky enough to be rewarded with a crate of it for a difficult job.
“Well, now’s a good a time as ever” Amadeus thought to himself as he popped the cork of the top.
With one swig he downed the bottle and finished with a burp. The rum felt warm travelling down his throat into his stomach, and he began to feel the effects of it almost immediately. He laid back down on his bed and prepared to go to sleep, his thoughts greatly dulled by the rum.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
…
When Amadeus awoke, his mind, thoughts, and senses were still hazy, and everything was in a blur. It was as if everything he saw was melded together. He slowly made his way towards the chest and searched through it for the biscuits that came with the bottle of Stardust. The person who had given it to him had said that they were for removing the aftereffects, and they were just as hard to make as the bottle of Stardust. When Amadeus had eaten it, despite the fact that the biscuits had grown a little stale, he could feel the aftereffects of his late-night drinking going away from him. When he finally regained his senses, the first thing that he heard was the mystical sounds of the ocean that he had waited too long to hear. He dashed over to his window and looked out at the sea before him. The combination of the smell of saltwater and the sounds of water hitting the boat allowed him to be overjoyed. Just then, he heard a familiar tune being played on the top deck. It was the sea shanty that he knew the most and he was already beginning to hum it the second he heard it. Just as excitedly, he made his way over to the door, but before he could go through, another sound popped up. It wasn’t too faint to be ignored but also wasn’t too loud to overtake his own thoughts. It didn’t seem to come from anywhere and it sounded like a voice.
“Oh! You’re finally awake. Something was blocking me from entering your mind, but no matter. I’ve finally made my way into your head” said the voice.
“What! Who’s there!” Amadeus shouted in his mind.
“That is not what’s important here Captain Amadeus. What’s more important is how you came into my fields so suddenly. You appeared as if out of nowhere”.
Suddenly, Amadeus felt as if he had been hit in the stomach and he was about to vomit. His worst fears were coming to life as he realized who it was that had invaded his mind. Weakly, he replied, “H-How do you know my name? A-are you the Queen?”
“Your memories, I’ve read some of them. I know who you are. I know what you and others like you call me. If you’d allow me so, I’d like to read the rest of your memories. Do it and I may not kill you for trespassing in my domain”.
“I don’t think I have much of a choice anyway. Go ahead”.
It took a few minutes for the Queen to read through the rest of Amadeus’ memories. Meanwhile, Amadeus laid in his bed, hoping that the terrible feeling in his stomach would subside soon.
“Hmm, I see that it was your desire for money that led you to pass through my domain. And you did so with the help of magic that allowed you to escape my gaze undetected.”
“Yeah, we- I did. I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble. I just wanted a good payday, enough to live the rest of my life comfortably. Please, let us pass. We mean you no harm”.
“Oh, no I won’t kill you. From your memories you’re the most interesting human I’ve met in my lifetime”.
“W-What?”
“Need I explain? You’re the most famous pirate ever known. You’ve escaped from numerous near-death situations on your adventures all the while making away with lots of those gold coins that you humans use as currency. I ask that you listen to what I have to say”.
“If I do will you let us pass?”
“I’ll consider it”.
“Then yes, I’ll listen through my thoughts I guess”
“No, that won’t be enough. I want to hear this for myself. I shall come to show myself to you. You should feel lucky, no human passing through here has ever seen me in person”.
“Wait, what!”
Before Amadeus could get any kind of reply, the voice was gone. Amadeus hurried to the top deck, ignoring all the sounds of the crew expressing their joy to hm that the sound was back. He even ignored Alfred who tried to inform him that they were almost to the Capital Port. When Amadeus got to the top deck he dashed towards the front of it, just in time to see a massive torrent of water shoot up before the boat. Sizable waves caused the ship to rock and Amadeus had to grab onto something to not fall to the floor. Behind the torrent of water was an even more massive aquamarine colored snake-like sea serpent, her scales shining in the moon light. Amadeus looked up to a head that had to have been as tall as the towers in the Grand Capital, buildings that could reached heights of 250 feet. Immediately the crew went into a panic. Amadeus could easily hear Alfred in the back shouting at the crew to grab the cannon balls, ready the harpoons, and lower the anchor. Upon hearing this a terrible thought came to his mind and he ran up towards Amadeus. He grabbed his arm, causing him to turn towards him.
“Alfred, You have to command the crew to hold their fire!,” he shouted over the chorus of chaos that was going on near them.
Alfred gave him a confused look at shouted,” What? What do you mean?”
“You have to tell them to hold their fire!,” he shouted again, but with more emphasis.
“Are you crazy Amadeus! There’s the Queen right in front of us and you want the crew to hold fire?!”
“You have to trust me! The Queen, she spoke to me this morning! She was in my mind! She wants to talk to me!”
“The only thing I trust right now is my eyes. And they tell me that we’re about to die if we don’t do something right now!”
Alfred manages to pull himself away and started down the stairs until Amadeus grabbed him again.
“Listen to me! IF you DO do something then we’re all going to die! You have to tell the crew to hold fire!”
“And then what? What sort of plan do you have here Amadeus that isn’t better than just blasting the damn thing?!”
“The Queen, she has some sort of magic powers! She can speak to people in their minds! She spoke to me last night! You have to trust me!”
“Amadeus, how can I trust something so ridic- “. Suddenly, for Alfred and Amadeus, all other sounds were deafened and a voice began to grow in volume at the back of their minds. It was the same voice that Amadeus knew, it was the Queen.
“Do not fire upon me. I mean you no harm. I only wish to speak to your captain. Please, do not fire upon me. I don’t wish to hurt you.” Just as the voice had come into their minds, the voice left suddenly and allowed all other sounds to return to normal. Amadeus looked to Alfred who had suddenly gone pale from what just happened. Alfred looked to Amadeus who simply nodded in agreement of what he had to do. Alfred immediately whipped around and began shouting at the crew to hold their fire. He threatened them by saying that he’d throw anyone overboard himself who disobeyed his commands. After all that was said and done, Amadeus returned to his side and watched him move closer to the bow of the ship. There was murmuring among the crewmembers as to what was going on. Some thought that Amadeus and Alfred were crazy, others voiced their regrets about this job, but Amadeus ignored them all. Anxiety had wrapped itself over every inch of Amadeus’ body, leaving him no time to think about what others could be saying. Alfred himself was in the same situation, and he didn’t even try to reprimand the crewmembers because of it. Suddenly, the door to Richard’s room had swung open and out walked Richard himself, rubbing his eyes and saying groggily, “Hey, what’s going on? I’m trying to sl- “. When he laid his eyes upon the Queen, he was ready to scream in terror until he was silenced by Alfred, who put a finger to his lips.
“I’ll explain later,” he whispered.
When Amadeus finally got to the bow of the ship the Queen lowered her head to be at level with him. The Queen opened her mouth to speak and inside Amadeus could see her pearly white fangs that looked to be almost three times his height.
“Are you Captain Amadeus?” asked the Queen. Amadeus nodded nervously. At the sound of her voice the crew immediately retreated back inside in fear. The only ones left on the deck were Amadeus, Alfred, and Richard. Amadeus looked back to his brothers, both of which looked about as nervous as he was. “Your memories have told me so much about you. The most feared and respected pirate in all the world. People come to you to hire you because of how successful you are. I’ve listened to many travelers who come through my domain on their ships, some I kill, some I don’t, but all of them share the same tales and legends of the world’s most notorious pirate”.
After listening to her speak, Amadeus was able to regain his composure. He didn’t know if his nervousness had finally left him or if it was all the praise he was getting. “What do you want from me?” he asked.
“It’s simple. I want your services”.
The simple request managed to make Amadeus flinch in confusion. He looked back to his brothers to see that they felt the same way. “You want what now?”
“Did you not hear me? I want your services.”
Upon hearing it again Amadeus didn’t become any less confused. Instead, he asked, “What could I possibly do for you?”
“You and your kind can’t tell, but I am dying. Dying from a sickness I cannot cure. It’s a sickness that has killed many of my kind to the point where I am the only one left. I must make sure that my kind lives on. And to do that I need your help,”
“And why would I help you? You’ve killed so many of my kind. Maybe it’d be better if your kind did die off!” Amadeus said with a mixture of confidence and anger.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I’ve done to your kind. But I do expect you to help me.”
“Expect? I’m sorry your highness but I don’t take kindly to those who invade my mind and slaughter my people! Even if you were to kill me now, you’d be killing your only chance at life!” Amadeus turned his back on the Queen and was about to tell Alfred to raise the anchor when the Queen said:
“You should do well to remember that I know who you are Amadeus. I’ve read your mind, your memories. I know everything about you. Even things that you’d rather keep a secret. Even from your own family. And if you have any wits about you. You’ll agree to help me”.
The Queen’s words forced Amadeus to stop right in his tracks. He didn’t dare look towards his brothers for fear that their looks towards him alone would be asking for clarification. For a minute or two, he thought about his next actions carefully. He knew what was at stake at this point. It would be much better for him if his brothers were left in the dark, but then he’d be asking them to risk their lives to bail him out again. Amadeus knew that he couldn’t keep pondering about this forever though. He would have to decide eventually. Or else he, his brothers, and every man on this crew would simply be another snack for the Queen. With a snapshot decision, he made up his mind. He whipped ack around to the Queen and said, “Wh-what do you want me to do?”
“Finally made up your mind then hm? Good. What I want you to do is find a herb, a very rare and potent one. It’s found southwest of here, on an ancient island abandoned and lost to time, found by no human for over one thousand years”.
“How am I supposed to find something that no one has ever found?” Amadeus questioned.
“It has never been found because I have made sure that it has never been found! Surrounding the island are walls of impenetrable, ice. I will lower the walls for you, and you will brave the island and find what I need”.
“Fine. I’ll do what you ask. Just so long as you allow me to pass”. Once again Amadeus turned to leave, only to be interrupted by the Queen again.
“Oh, and if you decide to ignore my request after I have been so kind to you, I will hunt you down Captain Amadeus. I may be dying but I will live long enough to make sure you and those you care about die screaming in agony!” After that threat the Queen disappeared into the water, causing another torrent to shoot up into the air and more waves that caused the boat to shake violently. Amadeus fell to his knees, not from the shaking of the boat but of the dire situation he had just put himself in. The anxiety of it all caused him to vomit on the floor. His brothers rushed to his side and helped him up. Amadeus began apologizing profusely over and over again to his brothers, breaking the silence between them, tears flooding form his eyes. His brother’s said nothing, instead staying by his side as they walked him to his room.
Upon entering his room Amadeus sat upon his bed, staring at the floor because he could not muster up the courage to look his brothers in the eye. Silence once again pervaded the room until it was broken after a few minutes by Richard who, after he had sat on the bed next to Amadeus, said, “You know, dad would be really proud of you. You accepted her request and saved all of us. If it weren’t for you, we’d all be dead right about now”. Amadeus knew his brother was trying to help, but in reality it made things worse. But Amadeus knew that he couldn’t be mad at him in the slightest. He was in the same boat trying to do the same thing. He knew that if it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t have been in the Frozen Wastes to begin with. His desire to lead him and his family to a better life ultimately resulted in locking him and his brothers into an inescapable position for the second time. Amadeus may have been able to escape death once again, but at the moment he greatly wished that he hadn’t.