text: Cassandra held fast to the deck railings as her ship, The Whale Chaser, tossed and turned on the roiling sea. She was soaked from head to toe, her hat having been lost to the wind. The tight bun her long dark hair was tied into threatened to follow. She was on the tall side, even for a man, which had caused troubles in the past, but it was a useful trait if a woman was to be captain. Easier to intimidate upstarts that way. Her face, its delicate features on the edge of being worn away by salt-laden winds, was twisted into a dour expression. They’d escaped the pirate ship that had been chasing them just barely. Just as the pirate was getting into range of their guns, they’d swung hard in the path of it. A risky move to be sure, but it allowed her men to fire a volley from the deck guns straight into the pirate vessel. Unfortunately, the captain of that ship must have been born with a vengeful soul. A volley rang out from the pirate vessel as it limped away, badly damaged. Enough holes had been put into her ship to be a problem, but a fixable one on an ordinary day. Curse her rotten luck that a storm had blown in from the south with nary a warning, not an hour after they’d been hit. What patch jobs had been managed were already leaking, and The Whale Chaser was taking on water faster than could be thrown back to the sea. She looked to her helmsman, who had been bound by rope to the helm to keep him steady as he, in turn, sought to keep the ship steady. His face was grim, and lines of concentration lined the man’s tanned and weathered face. She imagined her own face bore a similar look, though that of displeasure rather than concentration. She stamped down below to see how the crew was doing at keeping her ship afloat. What she saw filled her heart with dismay. The water was rapidly filling the lower decks as crewmen rushed around with anything that could hold water to try and throw it through the gaps normally reserved for the cannons. Now the only thing being fired out through those holes was seawater. She rolled up her sleeves and moved to grab a vessel herself when she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned to see a man in a long dark cloak. His hood obscured his face though she could see the light of a cigar from beneath it as smoke billowed out from under the hood. She could see the man was wearing a well-tailored but muted suit underneath. In fact, the more she looked at the man, it seemed his entire existence threatened to wash away with the tide that beat at her ship. “What do you want? If you aren’t going to help move water then throw yourself overboard so we sink slower.” she said viciously, not much in the mood for whatever this passenger had to say. “Oh, I will happily remove myself from your ship before it sinks my dear, however, I do have to ask. Do you want this boat to sink?” he said, the words lilted through the air, gently defying the roar of the waves and shouting of men. Her face, ever the reflection of her inner thoughts, twisted into a rage as she stomped towards the man. He retreated as she advanced, leading them back to the violent surface of the ship as she shouted, “Of course I don’t want this ship to sink! What captain would willingly throw away her ship, her crew, and her life? You tell me that stranger, now help or don’t!” she shouted at the man. They now stood on the rainswept deck as the ship continued to roll with the tide. She held onto a railing as the man stood square on the deck, seemingly unbothered by the violent shaking of the ship. Another cloud of smoke billowed out from under the hood, the cigar staying lit in defiance of the rain. “And what makes you think I don’t want to help,” he asked. His voice held a tinge of amusement. “After all I came here to offer you a deal my lovely captain. A bargain that would allow you to keep your ship from sinking, that being said you would have to offer me something in exchange.” She stared at the man, noticing how he seemed to ignore the roiling sea. How his words cut through the wind without him needing to shout. He stood amidst the storm, the rain striking him but leaving behind no wetness as smoke continued to coil from beneath his hood. And behind the dim light of the cigar, she could see the glow of two unnaturally yellow eyes gleaming with malevolent light. “What is your name sir,” Cassandra asked, shouting to keep her voice above the howling of the wind. “And be you man or devil, I have heard tell of such deals, and I would know who and what I am striking such a bargain with.” The man laughed, his mirth echoing across the deck. “My dear, you do amuse me, even in such dire straits you keep your wits about you. Truly I was right to come here for I have little use for those who cannot keep their heads. I can tell you I am neither man nor devil, though like the devil of your delightful fairy tales, I do strike bargains. Though I require nothing so tawdry as a soul.” he said. “Then what do you require of me, my good not-a-devil?” she asked impetuously. She did not have time for games. Whatever this thing, was it was clearly unnatural. And perhaps a defiance of nature is what she needed. If it could save her ship and crew, she had to at least hear it out. “I merely require the future of you and your crew, that will be my payment. Now no further questions, that is the deal. If you accept you and your crew will be saved and you may continue your voyage. If you do not or seek to ask another question I will abandon you and your crew to the fate that the sea had bequeathed you. Now what say you my dear?” he asked, his voice carrying the weight of one who knew he had power. She stared at him, her face flickering between rage and helplessness as emotions tore at her insides. “I accept your terms,” she said finally. The figure that was neither man nor devil dissolved into the wind, and she could hear incredulous shouts from belowdecks. She turned and went down the stairs to see the water retreating from the ship. She continued and watched as the planks grew into place and covered the gaps that once threatened her vessel. Her crew gave thanks to god, some falling to their knees to pray. She would allow them their misconception. It was less cruel than the truth. She closed her eyes and begged forgiveness for what she had done. She knew not what the future held, but it must be in that creature’s favor. She could only hope that it was also to the favor of her and her crew. She broke her reverie and opened her eyes. “That’s enough of that, miracle or no, there still be a storm on. All hands on deck, the lord helps those who help themselves and we’re to help ourselves out of this storm alive! Now heave to!” she shouted. A loud chorus of enthusiastic ‘Ayes’ fell upon her ears as she watched her crew spring back into action. She was not deserving of such loyalty, not after what she’d done. But she would take what was offered her as she always had.