Side Note
I wanted to just say a huge thank you to my amazing husband, Ryan, for helping me out with my story. He read it for me and helped me make a few changes so that it flowed better. You are the best, hun! Love you!
Back to my story
After a couple of uneventful days of sailing, Archie stood beside the wheel with Chester. Behind him was the hooded man, who had said nothing the entire trip. It made Chester uneasy having a silent man on his ship, but it made Archie happy he was there, so Chester kept his mouth shut. Archie walked into Chester’s map room, Chester at his heel.
Archie handed the orb to Chester, who lined it up on his digital map and clicked it on. They studied the map together, figuring out a route that kept them away from the planet Hugo. They argued about what route to take, but in the end, they agreed on a route that would still take them to Moonstone to catch the slingshot breeze to Sunstone.
Then a mighty yell was heard outside “Cap’n!”
Chester rushed out of the map room while Archie put the orb back into the pocket of his worn jacket. He followed his friend out of the room to see what was wrong.
“It seems there be an asteroid coming up our port side,” Chester told Archie as soon as he was close.
Archie eyed the asteroid for a moment and shook his head. “Aye! I see it. Steer clear just in case.”
Chester nodded in agreement. “Agreed.”
Archie stepped away from Chester and leaned his head in close to talk to the hooded man quietly. He handed the hooded figure the orb, and the man stashed it away in the folds of his robe. Chester eyed the two, but turned his attention back to the asteroid. In a blink of an eye, his man at the wheel jerked the wheel towards the asteroid instead of away.
“What be going on? Turn away, turn away,” he shouted as he grabbed for the wheel.
Sweet, enchanting singing voices reached his ears and Chester’s hand slipped away from the wheel, allowing his man to steer closer. Archie turned and caught the hooded man’s arm as they almost fall from the sudden turn. The singing voices grew louder and, as he had seen before, flashes of blues and greens filled his view.
“There be the sirens.”
He watched in horror as Chester and his men walked over to the side of the ship and reached out for the sirens. The hooded figure grabbed the spinning wheel and stopped The Blue Jackal from slamming into the asteroid. Archie walked over to Chester and patted his captain friend’s shoulder. “Thanks fer the ship, matey. We will take it from here.”
Chester pulled himself out of the trance and looked at Archie. “What ye be sayin’?”
“Me first mate and I needed a new ship,” Archie said.
The hooded figure pushed back the hood to reveal it was David, in the flesh. “I got away from the devil sirens. Cap’n and me came up with the plan to take another ship. Ye just entered The Salty Siren at the perfect time.”
Archie chuckled and looked at Chester. “Ye really think I would share me booty with ye and yer crew?” He laughed and pushed one of the crew members over the side into the arms of a waiting siren. Archie pressed a hand against Chester’s back as the man fought the siren’s song.
“Curse ye to Davy Jones!” Chester spat at Archie.
Archie laughed the words away and, in one swift push, sent Captain Diggins off the ship to join his crew with the sirens. After Archie tossed the last man over the side, he wiped his hands together. “They be gone, David. Let’s get movin’ to Sunstone and get yer and my booty.”
David grinned. “Aye, Cap’n. But I think I shall be travelin’ alone to get my booty.”
Archie turned to look at David in confusion, but before he could do anything, David jerked the wheel hard to the left. Archie lost his balance and fell overboard. He screamed curses as he fell through the space where he landed on the asteroid. The sirens giggled and sang songs at the man as he tried to escape them.
David turned the wheel, steering the ship away from the asteroid and the sirens quickly. He could hear his captain screaming for him to come back until there was only silence. “I’d wish thee well, Cap’n Dreadful, but…” David chuckled to himself as he pointed the ship towards the planet Moonstone in order to catch the slingshot breeze to Sunstone. “Far too many scallywags put thar faith in me.”