Nocturna League (Episode 1: The Witching Book) (Nautical Fantasy Short Story) (3 page)

Dunks chuckles, placing his webbed hand on his hips. “Kinda surprised you haven’t gotten used to it yet. You’ve been crewing with the Nocturna for a month now, you should have noticed that he cares more about his crew members than anything-- especially one that's a girl. I’m pretty sure he’s in his fifties; if he had a daughter she’d be about your age you know... I’m not that surprised at all that he’s pillowin’ ya’ around.”

Jim, catching his breath, nods at Colette. “He babies everyone on the ship. After he’s ‘authoritized’ them,” he says with a smirk.

Dunks and Colette both cringe at the thought of their first fight with The Captain; the second they went out of line, they were put back in their place to grumble all they wanted, but always follow orders no matter what.

Colette sighs. “Yeah… yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll get my chance and I’ll take it,” she adds, watching The Captain leap down from a tall window from the room now filled with moaning and cries of agony. Colette waves him over, and The Captain enters the alley, his arms still comically tied around him, though his boots are covered in blood.

He nods in recognition to everyone. “They were not particularly impressive, but they did seem to rally quickly. I feel this is not the first time someone has attempted to get the book.”

Dunklestein shakes his head and shrugs. “What next then, Captain? Surely the other crew members are in trouble too-the villagers might try to board the ship.”

The Captain nods as Colette cuts through his ropes, freeing him to scratch his bandaged chin. “Yes, and for that, you should be the one to go tell them.”

“B-but sir!”

“Do I hear a hint of subversion in your voice, Dunklestein the Daring?” The Captain leans in.

“N-no sir.” Dunks leans away and turns to go to the ship.

“Very good, rally up everyone on shore and have them leave port. The three of us will handle the book,” The Captain says with a nod, a straightening of the cap and a readjusting of the spectacles.

Dunklestein rushes off just as a curious villager approaches the inn wondering what all the commotion is about. From the nearby alley he’s grasped by a pair of bandaged, deft hands.

“Good day,” The Captain says.

The villager stutters and jolts, feeling the shifting, sand-like consistency of the Captain’s hands wrapping around his neck. “I-I don’t have any money! Children, run; tell your moth-”

“I will excuse your presumptuous nature, islander boy. My colleagues and I are searching for Vuuya, and you will lead us the way,” The Captain states, his usual tone of eccentric, almost friendly silliness darkened to a serious, grave voice.

The islander relaxes as The Captain’s grip loosens, and looks to the empty street for a moment as if watching something the others cannot see. “Oh, you’re those guys from last night? Well, I really
was
going to take you guys to her, just so you know. This way,” the masked man says, gesturing deeper into the alley.

Without an answer, the three remaining sailors follow the masked man through the alley and out the other end, leading to a deep gladed wood, only a rickety walkway of driftwood and fallen trees serving as their path above the beast-infested waters. The swamp is shallow enough to spot myriad sorts of strange, concealed wetland beasts, skimming the pine-tasting murk with silent, predatorial strokes.

Ten minutes of rushed movement leads the group to a sight that will be remembered in awe by all of them. Rising up from the brown waters is a great ziggurat constructed of wood, sticks, and plenteous foliage. There is a stairway of packed wicker that leads inside the wood-craft complex, and that is what they must ascend.

Just as they start up the stairs with careful steps, the townsperson takes the moment to pull his mask aside and look behind himself directly into The Captain's eyes-he’s quite handsome. “You’re… You’re not really going to take her away, are you? You just want a book, right?” He asks, his worn feet crossing the wicker bridge with certainty.

The Captain makes no movement aside from continuing up the steps. “That depends if she will give us what we want,” he says, the group reaching the entrance to the ziggurat. An eerie, colorful glow alights the hall, leading them into the wooden keep.

The four step on past a multitude of pitch black rooms, all the way to the end of the hall where a young man, looking about twenty-five, stands guard. In the scant light of the hall, the crew makes him out to be muscular, short, and equipped with a sword. He meets them just a meter from the large door at the end of the hall. “You wish to speak to Vuuya?” he asks, chewing over a small splinter of wood to clean his teeth.

The Captain nods. “That’s what we’re here for.”

“Fine; one at a time, no weapons,” the guard instructs, eying the older man that led them in.

The three in the group exchange a few glances, and The Captain hands his rifle over to Colette. “I’ll be the first, then.” The Captain follows the guard, leaving the other three to wait outside.

The guard leads The Captain through the door into a dark room. It is closed and barred behind him as the guard dismisses himself, leaving The Captain alone in the pitch blackness. Slowly, like a moon rising in the night, a great tome opens with the grace of a flower to illuminate the room.

Chapter 4: The Captain is Seduced by Thoughts of Home, and Colette Misses Terribly

A luscious, mature voice emanates from the pages of the book, stroking The Captain with soft, intelligent tones. “Well, another adventurer heard of the legend and wanted to see if it was all true?” the book speaks, illusions of flowers and nature overtaking the room.

The Captain, originally in an alert stance, takes a gentler composure. “That’s correct. Just what, or who, are you?”

A cheery laugh comes from the book, lighting up with each expulsion of magic breath. “I am Vuuya. A sorceress from an old time… And you, sir, you too seem like an older creature that has taken up a new life in modern times. By the looks of you I’d say you are at least… oh, three hundred?”

The Captain scoffs. “I hate to correct a… lady, but I’m not even sixty,” he says, standing about comfortably.

The voice in the book coos with intrigue. “Oh? But your body’s composition… and that uniform, I’ve seen that symbol before. The Nation of Lascardia hasn’t existed for a hundred years, if not more. Why do you think otherwise?”

The Captain places his hands in his pockets. “Again, you are misinformed. Lascardia is still as strong as it ever was. A matter of fact I was in Lascard Port just a few months ago.”

The book hums in thought. “How very intriguing. Well, I’ll be certain to write it down. Now, adventurer, what have you come for?”

The Captain lowers his head in thought, and then snaps back up. “I’ll be frank with you, miss. My crew and I have been charged with the recovery of a relic, it’s called ‘Vuuya’s Witching Book’. I presume, claiming to be Vuuya, and taking the form of a book, that it must be you.”

Vuuya laughs. “Well, yes, it would be me, or the book that contains me, that you’re looking for. I would certainly be happy to turn myself over to your capable arms, but I feel you are rather missing a considerable opportunity.”

“And what that might be, miss?”

“I can grant wishes. All the people in the town worship me for a reason, you know. Go on, name something,” she invites, the room brightening as flowers bloom at The Captain’s feet.

The Captain takes a short moment to scuff through one of the roses with his boot-his foot goes right through the illusion. “I am curious, just what are you capable of?”

“Anything your heart desires, young man.”

The Captain stares at the ground and takes a deep breath. “… Could you… No, it’s impossible.” He looks away, readjusting his glasses.

The voice of the book coos seductively. “Not at all, good sir. Go on, name it.”

The Captain takes a breath. “You wouldn’t be able to... Well, it has been a good while since I’ve tried wishes. Very well, could you …”

Minutes later, The Captain bursts from the room with his arms bent around the shoulders of invisible figures, one at each side. “Yes! It has been a long time since I’ve had a bowl of porridge! To the kitchen immedia-Oh, Miss Ketiere, Mr. Masthaven. What an unexpected surprise! How did you find this island? Could it be the two of you are now sailing together privately? How
scandalous
.” The Captain says with a tone neither of his sailors have heard him with before – fakeness, as if he’s experiencing a lie.

Colette looks to The Captain’s sides and squints. “Captain, you okay, sir?” She asks, the rifle hanging limply from her slender hands.

He laughs. “Okay? I’m feeling brilliant! I’m home!”

Colette and Jim exchange shocked, dumbfounded glances. “In all due respect sir, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Haha! Nothing, my dear! I have everything I need,” he looks to his left shoulder, “isn’t that right?” he asks to the invisible figure.

Jim just stares on as Colette waves her hands about her head in confusion. “What?! Captain, did you get the book?”

He tilts his head a bit to the side. “What book?”

“The book we came all this damn way for, sir! Vuuya’s witching book!”

“Ahh, well that shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” The Captain says as the guard and townsperson stand to the side with knowing smirks.

“Sir! We came here for the book! What happened in there?!”

The Captain bends his head forward in thought. “Oh…
oh!
Pardon me. Yes, Vuuya, I met her and she offered to grant my wish,” The Captain says, joyously shaking two invisible figures under his arms.

Colette stares at The Captain with a cross between confusion and disgust as Jim’s features slowly sharpen. “Sir,” she says, “There’s no one under your arms, sir! You’ve gone senile!”

The Captain checks both his arms again. “They seem quite real to me, Colette…Oh?” he turns to his left and raises his ear. “…No, worry not, my beloved. It’s obvious she’s just a bit off her nerves, probably from the salt sickness. Tell me Colette: are you, perhaps, salty?”

“S-What?!
The hell I am salty
! Turn around and get the book!”

“I see no need for that, my little croissant-the task is done; I am home. Please, just come with me and let’s share at the dinner table, this way!” The Captain gestures with a hand to follow him out of the ziggurat.

Colette strides right up and smacks him across the face, shocking the two villagers watching. “What’s your malfunction? I join this crazy ass ship with the pretense that you’d teach me to fight as well as you, to become an upstanding figure of command! And here you are playing house with imagina-”

“Colette,” Jim says softly to get her attention.

“-ary friends as if we didn’t have a job to do that everyone’s paychecks relied on. I don’t know why I-”

“Colette,” Jim says again.

“-I even care about any of that. It’s not like you pay me! I feel bad enough dragging Grancis all around this horrible ocean for my sake, but you’re proving to be a huge pain. And sir with all respect if you want t-”

“COLETTE!” Jim yells. Finally she swings around.

“What?!”

“I know how to fix this.”

“W-what?!”

Jim sighs, shakes his head. “He’s bewitched.”

“Nonsense! I’ve never been more lucid in all my life!” The Captain claims with a nervous laugh.

“If that’s so, then why does your home so closely resemble the layout of Vuuya’s home? Reach your hand out to the left,” Jim says to The Captain, who stops.

Very slowly, The Captain reaches to his side, and feels the wicker walls of Vuuya’s abode. “My… This is peculiar,” he says, feeling over the forest-bound materials. The guard gets uneasy, and takes to his feet.

“Yeah, that’s real, Captain. You need to open your eyes. Whatever place you think you are, do you remember a hallway that looks like this there?”

The Captain pauses. “… No, I don’t.”

“So then obviously your senses can be tricked, but Vuuya must still make an illusion out of something that’s real. Don’t delude yourself. The two below your arms are fakes!” Jim says with a certainty that makes the other two villagers uncomfortable.

The guard leans to his side and whispers “He’s lying. Our son is waiting for us to return just like every other day,” to some invisible person.

The Captain is still as he thinks in silence. “… But… but they look so real…”

Jim shakes his head, “No, they’re not. Tell me, Captain; when, in all of our adventures, has any ‘wish granting miracle’ given you what you asked for?”

The Captain sighs, and takes his arms off his invisible loved ones just as Jim coughs and puts his hand over his arm in pain. “You speak the truth, Jim… I’m sorry, I-”

“But… but that’s no reason not to believe they’re not real now!” Jim says with a wide grin and a crazed glare.

Colette snaps to Jim. “What are you say-oh, not now!”

Jim smiles, causing even more confused looks from the islanders. “That’s right, sweet buns. Thought I’d swing back around and make sure everything sucked. This one looked too fun,” Jim, or whatever is inside Jim, says casually.