Transition

            John sat back in his wooden chair, the chair was sturdy, functional but also looked nice, with the smooth finish and rounded backing. John was wearing a button up white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a dark gray vest and matching pants and black dress shoes that had been scuffed. John pushed back a handful of thick black hair from his face as he stared awe struck by a beautiful woman singing a sad song. The woman had vibrant red hair, skin as pale as milk and a shimmering golden dress. Spotlights shined down on her and the shiny parts of the dress reflected light back out into the darkness of the crowd. She looked like an angel or an ascended being too pure for this world.

            John leaned back in his chair and let the music wash over him. John had a sad smile across his face as he enjoyed himself but couldn’t help but let the music effect his heart.

            Every note and word that escaped the songstress’ lips sounded like they came from the pain she felt deep in her soul. She sang with every once of her being and John felt it.

            The whole audience was struck silent by her powerful performance but it was John who was personally affected. He and the songstress were lovers and any pain she felt would echo in his heart as well. “Alyssa” John muttered as he leaned forward in his seat.

            The song played on, the band providing wings to let the songstress’ words soar The words and music touched the hearts of all who heard it and every night the club was packed with people who wanted to hear more.

            Then just as the song reached its high the songstress let loose with everything she had, she sang her heart and soul out and the crowd went wild. That moment cracked like lightning through the earth and then faded like a passing storm only the low rumblings of a distant thunder could be heard until it was over and sound gave way to silence.

            The audience was awed by the music and several seconds of silence lingered in the air before the people regained their senses and cheered like mad. The songstress bowed and gave a sweet smile. The curtains closed and everything stopped.

            John sat in his chair and tears began to trickle down his face. He slowly lifted his hand and gently placed it on the mouse on his computer desk. He moved the mouse over to the replay button and clicked it. The whole scene began to play again. John lifted his glass of whiskey and ice and took a long sip before setting it back down.

            The songstress, the club and the audience were all real and John was even there to experience it in person, but years had passed since that day and now the recording of that day was all John had left of his beautiful songstress Alyssa.

            The world moved on without the once beloved songstress but John still couldn’t. He listened to his love sing again and again as he played the video for the thousandth time. John sat back in his chair and let the music wash over him.

Assault on the Dark Spire part 2

         The Necromancer stood up as blood gushed from his wounds. The Ancient dark magic staff had expended all of its energy, but the evil staff had a mind of its own and was determined to retake as much energy as it could. The staff began to absorb the dark power of the Haunted forest, the cursed clearing, the undead minions and the Necromancer himself. Dark energy swirled around the Necromancer but he refused to give up the staff even though it was killing him. He held it tight against his body as the dark energy stripped the flesh and organs from his bones. The undead minions all collapsed to the ground and their souls were released into the air. The demons of the Haunted forest fled from this realm as they feared their energy would be drained from the mad Staff’s power.

            The Mayor could barely stand and had to watch the madness unfold as he struggled to his feet. When the energy and flashing light faded the Necromancer stood before the Mayor as a skeleton. The Skeleton was fused with the power of the staff. The Staff held his magic, his life force and his soul and the Necromancer held the Staff. It was even more important to him now than it had ever been.

            The mayor couldn’t fight and even if he could he didn’t know how to kill a skeleton wizard with so much power. The Mayor stood up defiantly. He didn’t think he could win, but he had to try. He had to fight, even with his last breath. “Foolish Mortal. I have been reborn. I am the most powerful undead wizard of all time. I have been reborn as a Lich and my power surpasses all. I have power over death itself!!” The Lich Shouted. At that moment Death appeared. The Grim reaper wore a black cloak and carried a scythe, he floated in front of the Lich and his cloak seemed to fade into the shadows. “As a mortal you tried to bend the laws of life and death to your will, you twisted the laws of reality to match your selfish desires. I cannot take mortals before their time so I had to sit and watch as you sinned against nature. But you are no longer mortal, you are an abomination that claims to have powers over me. Alright then Abomination, do your worst” Death said, its voice came from the air and not its skeletal mouth. Each word that Death spoke echoed and sent chills down The Mayor’s spine.

            The Lich wasted no time and held out his staff sending his strongest spell at the Grim Reaper “Lord of Death, you shall bow to me!” Shouted the Lich as the magic of the staff blasted the Grim Reaper and surrounded him. Death spun his scythe through the air and the magic spell dissipated. “Fool” Death said then in a blink was next to the Lich, then in another blink the Grim Reaper had slashed his Scythe through the Lich.

            The Lich was thrown back and damaged but was not destroyed. His life force was safe within the Staff. The Lich was quite possibly immortal, but he was not stronger than Death itself. The Grim Reaper summoned a dark portal below the Lich. Shadowy hands rose up from the portal and grabbed onto the Lich, dragging him down into the ground. The Lich screamed as the shadow hands pulled him into his dark prison deep down into the earth. The ground shook and the Lich slowly disappeared underground.

            “Thank so much” the Mayor said as his voice quaked with fear. He knew Death was a natural force and not a villain like the Lich, but it was still terrifying to be in its presence. Death nodded to the Mayor “You have also contributed to this victory young Mayor. You and John Baines” Said Death. “What will happen to the Necromancer? Or the Lich or whatever he calls himself” Asked the Mayor “He will be sealed underground for eternity. But I fear he will regain his power one day and return. He will return but will need to use all of his energy to do so. Only then will he be able to be destroyed once and for all. So I hope that there will be mortals as brave as you when that happens” Death explained.

            “I want to be there when he comes back. I will do anything to make sure the Necromancer doesn’t come back to destroy the world” The Mayor said. The Grim Reaper was surprised “it is within my power to do this but there is a price. You will be immortal, free from dying of old age, but you can still be killed by other means. Also you will only be immortal while standing on these Hallowed grounds. You may leave the forest to see your family, but as you reach the end of your life you must never leave the forest or you will die the second your foot touches the outside world” Death explained.

            The Mayor was overjoyed to have a chance to protect his people and the people of the world. “Thank you so much for this chance, I will not let it go to waste. I promise. But these grounds are not hallowed or holy, are they?” Asked the Mayor. “Yes, this was once the burial site of many heroes of the ages. This was the site for the heroes of not just the Autumn Forest but of many lands as well. The Necromancer corrupted that energy and turned it to dark energy. The land and forest will be forever scarred, the Haunted forest will be free from demons but the spirits and creatures of the night still lurk within. The land will remain blackened and twisted but the dark energy has been removed and sealed within the staff. This land is once again a holy land, the burial site of heroes and many dead who lost their lives to the Necromancer” Death Explained.

            “Speaking of Heroes” Death said. Then appeared next to John’s body. “Arise John Baines, you have not left his world yet” Death said. The mayor watched a ghost of John appear and step back into his body. John’s eyes opened and he slowly stood up. “John you have done well. I know you have heard what the Mayor has asked of me. I ask you now, do you wish to join him in guarding this land or will you move on to the afterlife?” Asked Death.

            “I wanted to be free for so long. Now I am free from the Necromancer’s curse and I feel as though a weight has been lifted. I would very much like to go to the afterlife, but I cannot rest as long as the threat of the Lich is still present” John said. “Very well John. I will make you immortal as long as you stay within this land. Magical weapons and spells can still kill you but you have nothing to fear from mortal weapons. Since you have already used up your lifespan you cannot ever leave this forest and if you do, you will die. When you and the Mayor die you will go to afterlife and welcomed as heroes” Death explained. John and the Mayor nodded to show they understood.

            “Before I leave, I will bestow one more gift” Said Death. The Grim Reaper floated over to the ground where the Lich was buried and stuck his finger into the ground, pulled it out then dropped a small seed into the earth and buried it. “This plant will sap the Lich’s power, delaying his return and making him more vulnerable. The plant will grow over the years and it will transform the dark magic of the Lich and the land into the holy energy this land once had. After a time the land might actually recover and become a place of beauty again. What the plant grows into is entirely up to you. It will take any form you wish. But protect it with your lives” Death said. Then before John or the Mayor could say anything, the Grim Reaper vanished.

            John walked over to the seed and looked down at it. “It can grow to anything? What should we grow it into?” Asked John. “I have always been fond of Halloween, the people in the Autumn forest never get into it as much as I do. Maybe we can grow it into a symbol of our victor, a symbol of a new holy land of the dead, a symbol for Halloween. What do you think, John?” The Mayor asked. “It sounds like you want to grow a Jack-o-lantern” John said with a sigh then smiled. His smile was determined but a little frightening “If we are going to live in this hallowed end of the world and grow a Jack-o-lantern as a symbol, then I guess you can call me Jack” Said Jack, his broad smile and wide eyes combined with the scars on his face really did make him look like a pumpkin that was carved on Halloween.

“Alright Jack, consider this your new life. And if we are going to start a new life and actually have to live here, we might as well make it more comfortable” the Mayor said. “What like build a house?” Asked Jack. “No, we build a town” Replied the Mayor.      

Assault on the Dark Spire part 1

            Permanent night blanketed Haunted forest, the trees were black like burnt wood, the branches were bare and instead of sap, they had green slime oozing from any opening. The haunted forest was very large and deep within the forest was a large clearing. The ground was full of rocks and gray dirt. Nothing grew in the Haunted forest and the clearing looked even more barren. The only thing in the clearing was the Necromancer, his evil minions and the Dark spire that stood at the center of it all. The feeling of dread would wash over all who looked upon the spire.

 John Bones and the Mayor of honeydew village finally reached the Necromancers spire within the Haunted forest. John stepped out from the black and twisted trees into a clearing of gray, dead soil and stepped into a gloomy green mist that lingered through the air.  The mayor followed John into the clearing and looked up at the evil spire that loomed over them.

            John was technically a minion of the Necromancer but the Mayor was an intruder to the land and soon alerted the other minions. As soon as the Mayor stepped foot into the clearing the ground began to shake. Undead minions crawled up from the ground, ghouls, skeletons and zombies clawed their way from the earth with their skeletal hands. Eerie howling could be heard in the air, distant and echoed. John unsheathed his sword and walked forward on the uneasy ground.  Undead that guard the spire shambled forward toward John and new undead continued to rise up from the earth. The Mayor held up his broad sword as he prepared to fight. His sword was made of silver and blessed by a priest. He had it forged so that he could slay the Necromancer.

            The Mayor was brave and determined but his resolve wavered in the face of so many enemies. John saw this “Do not waiver, victory is at hand!” John said then charged forward to meet the enemy. John ran as fast as he could, his feet slammed against the ground, if he had a heartbeat it would have been pounding out of his chest. Most of the undead were nothing more than skeletons and walking suits of armor, but some had partial human faces, newer undead still seemed like people. This made John think of himself, how he was no better than these shambling undead. He began to wonder how he retained so much of his independence when the others were mindless even when the Necromancer wasn’t present. John began to doubt himself and his mind became clouded.

            “John!” Shouted the Mayor. John looked up and realized he had reached the undead horde but was so distracted that he didn’t keep his guard up. An armored skeleton brought a sword down and slashed Johns arm. John escaped with only a cut on his arm thanks to the warning from the Mayor. John’s arm began to feel pain and green blood oozed from his wound. John realized that all of the undead must carry cursed blades. Which meant any undead carrying a blade of any kind could permanently kill John. John’s first thought was “That could be a way out” If he had a way to die then he would no longer be bound to his undead body and maybe he would find peace. This thought was quickly pushed out. If John died now he wouldn’t be able to take his revenge out on the Necromancer. Many would suffer at the hands of the dark wizard if he wasn’t stopped. John knew that he wouldn’t be able to face Captain Mohardy in the afterlife if John took the easy way out.

            The Mayor slashed undead as he ran forward to meet up with John. There were so many zombies, skeletons and undead knights that he couldn’t stand and fight each one without being overwhelmed. “We need to run to the spire” The Mayor called ahead.

            John was fighting two Skeleton knights, both with jagged broad swords and covered in armor. John found it difficult to dodge the attacks and find the weak points in his opponent’s armor. John ducked one sword slash then stabbed his sword upward as he stood back up. His sword stabbed into the helmet slots of the first undead knight. John pulled his sword out and the undead knight crumbled to the ground. The second knight swung it’s sword at John but just then the Mayor ran up and cut the skeletons head off. He slashed and perfectly hit the space between the Skeletons chest armor and the bottom of the helmet.

            John and the Mayor ran forward and reached the Spire gates. John touched the gate and the door opened. The tower reacted to dark magic and John used his curse to their advantage. John and the Mayor ran into the spire and closed the door behind them. The undead didn’t understand how to open the door and just stood next to the spire with vacant expressions.

            John and the Mayor ran up the stairs as fast as they could. The twisting staircase seemed to go on for miles. John did not tire but the Mayor was starting to fatigue. He was a muscular man and very fit but he had been running since they stepped foot in the clearing and now they had to run to the top of a giant spire. “Keep going, I will catch up” The Mayor said as he slowed. John continued to run forward. He knew he couldn’t face the Necromancer alone, but he couldn’t wait either. He was too determined to seek revenge and couldn’t bear waiting another moment.

            John reached the top of the spire and kicked open the door. The Necromancer turned with surprise but then smiled when he saw whom it was. “Ah my lovely Jack pumpkin head, pumpkin Jack. Jack-o-lantern Jack…well you get the idea. Your face is a disaster and that’s coming from a Necromancer who has seen all kinds of faces” The Necromancer said with a cocky smile. The Necromancer wore all black robes with a small symbol on his chest. The symbol was dark purple and looked like an eye with a cross through it. The Necromancer had long black hair and a trimmed goatee. He looked young for such a powerful wizard, late forties at most.

            The Necromancer lifted his hand up and stopped John just as he tried to pull his sword. “This is getting tiresome. I noticed you caused quite a disturbance on the ground. It was amusing but now it has become bothersome” Said the Necromancer. He closed his hand into a fist and John felt shooting pain through his body and crumpled to the ground. The Necromancer smiled but his victory was short lived as an axe came hurling through the air and hit the Necromancer in the chest. His eyes went wide and he stumbled backward. “W-who was that?” He muttered as blood dripped from his mouth. He pulled the axe from his chest and threw it to the ground. The Mayor stood in the doorway behind John. The Mayor was brandishing his silver sword and had a row of hand axes strapped to his belt. With the Necromancer distracted John was able to rise up and took his opportunity to strike.

            The Necromancer tried to stop John but was stabbed through the chest before he could react.  John pulled his sword out and glared at the Necromancer as he fell to the ground. “That was for the tradewind, its crew and anyone else you killed” John said.

            The Necromancer began to laugh and then stood back up. “I cannot be killed so easily” He said. Then held his hand out to summon the source of his powers, a magical staff of the undead. This ancient artifact boosted the Necromancers power from his average dark magic abilities to the skill of a one hundred year old wizard.

            The Necromancer shot a beam of dark energy from his staff. The beam cooked the air as it shot forward at the Mayor. John jumped in front of the blast and was struck in the chest. Green energy burst from John’s eyes and mouth then he went limp and hit the ground. The Mayor threw another axe then charged forward. The Necromancer blasted the axe mid air and then turned and shot at the Mayor again, but the Mayor was gone. “Where have you gone coward?” Shouted the evil wizard. The Mayor did not hid or run away but instead jumped straight into the air. The Mayor came down with his sword pointed at the Necromancer’s head. The Dark wizard held up his staff as a reflex to defend against the strike. The Mayor’s sword slashed and broke the ancient staff, releasing all of the magical energy at once. Dark energy exploded from the staff sending The Necromancer, the Mayor and John’s body to the ground below. The top of the spire was destroyed and it was a miracle that the Mayor even survived.

Death and Bones part 2

This is the continued story of John Baines. He was the character from last years stories "Tradewind embarks"

http://sjmstories.blogspot.com/2013/09/tradewind-embarks.html

And "Death and Bones part 1" http://sjmstories.blogspot.com/2013/10/death-and-bones-1-of-2.html

if you haven't read them yet, I suggest you read them to catch up with the story line.

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 John Bones, formerly John Baines, walked the desolate cursed land. A shadowy serpent had attacked his ship, the Tradewind, and all of his friends died in the wreck. John had died but was resurrected by the dark energy that flowed through the land. Almost fifty years had passed between the time the Tradewind sank and he woke up as an undead sailor. John didn’t even know where he was but had a strange sense that he knew where he was going. He felt like he was being pulled inland by an invisible force.

            John saw a large black spire in the distance. The spire towered over the cursed trees and the forest and John felt drawn to it. “That tower is an abomination. It an affront to me” Said the voice of Death, who was still following John. “Just take me already! I want to avenge my fallen brothers but being in this cursed state is a torment I cannot handle” John told Death. “If I could I would have years ago. The master of that tower is a necromancer who has cursed the land. He seeks to rule this land and all lands with his power over the dead. He traps souls in their bodies before they can pass on. Needless to say I am not pleased with him at all” Said the voice of Death.

            John mindlessly walked toward the spire and Death’s words fell away. John reached the great gate of the spire and the doors opened for him. John navigated through the spire as if he knew where to go. He reached the center room and began to walk up a spiral staircase that went all the way to the top of the tower. John walked up the stairs with ease, he didn’t feel tired or out of breath, he felt as though he could have walked forever. Finally John reached the top and opened a door that led back outside. John walked through the door and saw the Necromancer standing on a balcony watching the cursed land below. “Ahh my newest minion” The Necromancer said as he turned around. “My magic brought you here, as it does with all who die in my lands. Now let me take a look at you” Said the Necromancer. He looked hard at John and then began to smile. “you face looks just like a Jack-o-lantern. Did someone carve your face before you died?” The Necromancer said as he barely contained his laughter. “I will call you Jack, pumpkin Jack” Said the Necromancer. “My name is J-“ John began to say but the Necromancer lifted a finger and John lost the ability to speak. “J-is for Jack. As in Pumpkin Jack. The only way this would be more fitting is if…well I suppose your eyes DO glow” The Necromancer said then began to laugh.

            John reached for his sword as the rage boiled up inside. This dark wizard was responsible. The shadow creature that sank the Tradewind, John being reborn as an undead monster and probably the skeleton attack in the autumn forest were all linked to this evil man. On top of his sins, he dared to mock John in Death. John Bones pulled his sword from its holster and slashed at the Necromancer. The evil wizard was busy laughing and didn’t see his new subject reach for his sword. John’s blade was stopped at the very last second before it killed the Necromancer. John stood paralyzed, holding his sword against the Necromancers bleeding through. The sword cut the skin but did not do any serious damage. The Necromancer was no longer laughing, he had an awful scowl on his face as he held his hand up. The Necromancer held John in place with a wave of his hand. With another wave his hand the Necromancer sent John flying off the Spire.

            John was launched from the tower as if thrown by a large invisible hand. Fear and adrenaline pumped through John as he fell. He had been thrown from such a height he knew this was his end. Then just before John hit the ground he remembered he couldn’t die and met the ground with a sense of boredom and annoyance. “If that Necromancer can control my every action how am I supposed to get revenge?” John asked as his body lay sprawled out on the hard black dirt. “You find someone who is alive who also wants the Necromancer to die. This wont be difficult, his evil magic has been plaguing the lands for many years and all would like to see an end to his reign of terror. This desolate place used to be part of the Autumn land before the Necromancer arrived and began practicing his evil sorcery” Death explained.

            “Then I will leave and find a group of humans to help me!” John said as he was empowered by a new sense of hope. “You cannot leave the borders of the cursed land unless the Necromancer allows you to leave. Which he wont, not after you tried to kill him” Death explained. “Fine I will go to the edge of the land. I will do everything I can!” John said as he shambled along. His legs slowly snapped back into place and his broken arms straightened out. His body returned to its normal state as if he had never been thrown off of a spire.

            The cursed land stretched out for miles. The spire had a clearing around it, but anything beyond that clearing was thick with cursed dark trees. “This is the Haunted land. The necromancer’s evil tainted this autumn forest beyond repair. The dark magic has attracted so many demons and spirits it is now home to creatures worse than even the Necromancer. Luckily for you, you cannot die” Death told John as John entered the dense Haunted Forest.

            The Haunted forest lived up to its name, besides John there were many undead creatures wandering about. Mindless zombies, ghosts and nightmarish demons inhabited the forest. When dark magic infects a whole land it attracts other dark creatures. Most of the monsters in the Haunted forest didn’t even follow the Necromancer, they were just drawn to the darkness. The forest was filled with dead trees with black bark and no leaves. Some of the trees even had greenish ooze instead of sap. John shuddered to think what would come out if he chopped one of the trees down.

            While John was walking through the forest he heard roars and rustling in the trees ahead. He ran forward and saw a short muscular man fighting shadow beast with glowing orange eyes. John felt his rage grow when he saw the beast because he knew it was another servant of the Necromancer. John pulled his sword from its sheath and charged forward, slashing the head off of the shadow creature. The undead magic that kept John alive was also infused within his blade, the magic in his blade was able to kill minions of the Necromancer for good. John discovered his new ability when he slashed the shadow creature’s head off and it melted into the ground. Usually slashing any part of a shadow creature, even the head did little more than slow it down.

            The muscular man was relieved that the evil shadow was gone but turned his blade on John when he noticed John had glowing orange eyes. “I come in peace. I am cursed like this land but I do not protect the Necromancer” John said as he put his hands in the air. John couldn’t die so he wasn’t worried about fighting, but he did need the help of a mortal to slay the Necromancer.

            “Who are you if not a minion of the dark wizard?” Said the Muscular man. “I am John Baines…I was John Baines. I don’t know what to call myself now. Bones, Pumpkin Jack, Jack o lantern, dead sailor guy” John rattled off the names casually with a tired sigh. It only took a moment for the man to realize why John would refer to himself as a Jack-o-lantern of a pumpkin. John had glowing eyes and a face that looked like it had been carved up for Halloween. “I am Finnious Malcolm Honeydew. You can call me Malcolm, or just Mayor is fine” said the Muscular man. “Why Mayor?” asked John. “I used to be the Mayor of Honeyside, the port town in the autumn forest. When the Necromancer attacked Honeyside the villagers and I fought back, after we learned that the Necromancer’s skeletons couldn’t be killed we escaped the town for our lives and built a new town called Honeydew. I am the Mayor of Honeydew” the Mayor explained.

            “I was in Honeyside before I died, that was years ago. I am sorry, it looked like a beautiful place. If you have a new town, why risk the dangers of these woods?” Asked John. “I can’t sit around getting fat as the Mayor, not while that Necromancer is still alive. Until he is destroyed no one will be truly safe” Replied Mayor. “I want to see the Necromancer dead as well, but he can control me whenever he wants. So I need help to break his spell over me so I can kill him” John explained.

            “If I can find the source of the Necromancers power, maybe I can take it out and then you would be free” Explained the Mayor. “Good, I am glad I ran into you. Maybe together we actually have a chance to stop this maniac” John said

            John and Mayor made their way through the Haunted Forest back toward the Necromancer’s spire. John sought revenge and freedom while Mayor Honeydew risked his life for the good of the autumn forest and all that lived there.

Death and Bones (1 of 2)

            The Tradewind had departed from the shores of the autumn forest. The beautiful trees and cool, crisp air was as inviting as any of the Tradewind crew had seen. Unfortunately the new discovery was ruined by the sudden appearance of skeleton knights. The pirates turned traders walked into a town after it had been attacked, all the villagers had either run off or been dragged away and the Tradewind crew barely escaped with their lives.

            John Baines was checking the ship for damage and inspecting the crates of fruit they managed to salvage before the skeletons ran them off. His boots creaked on the wooden deck of the ship, the sound of waves was constant and soothing and even though they were no long on land, they still could smell the fresh air of the autumn forest as it mixed with the wind that came from the sea.

            After a few hours of inspection, John returned to the captain. Captain Mohardy sat on the upper deck by the help, peering out at the sea. “The ship is in good condition and we got a two crates of apples before our escape” John reported. Captain Mohardy smiled “Good work my boy, good work”

            The ship took almost no damage and the crew was able to salvage some of the delicious apples from the autumn forest. Mohardy was a tough sea captain, but he spent so much time with his crew and regarded them as family, so even though John delivered good news, the captain couldn’t hold his smile for too long. Before the crew escaped, the skeletons knights killed one of the sailors. John felt bad because he didn’t even know the guys name, but the captain was mourning as if he had lost a son. John left the captain in silence and went back to work.

            As the ship sailed through the water, the wood of the ship creaked and the waves splashed against the sides. Mr.Peeps shouted from the crows nest. The air had grown cold and brutal and a storm began to form. Mr. Peeps shouted again. “Something is headed straight for us!” He shouted

            The wind roared, the clouds grew dark and rain started to pour down on the ship. Mr. Peeps’ warnings were lost in the wind and the ship was hit by something big under the water. The Tradewind shook and some of the crew fell overboard. “All hands on deck!” Mohardy shouted. The crew tried to keep the Tradewind steady but they were all at the mercy of the storm. John held onto the rails as the ship was tossed around on the water. The storm was beating down all around them, then something in the water hit them again. The ship shook and the haul cracked open.

            Land could be seen up ahead. The grass was dead, the trees were black and leafless and the air was bone chilling and foul. With every guest of wind that blew the branches of the trees bent forward like the outward reaching arms of death. John had survived storms before, but he had never seen a land so dark and evil that it made him want to stay out in a storm. His will did not matter though, the will of nature took control and the ship continued to take a beating. Captain Mohardy was seen trying to fasten ropes around his crew. He could barely stand without being thrown, but still he tried to save as many people as he could. John let go of the railing and tried to help the captain. “Captain!” John shouted. But his voice was swallowed by the raging sound of the storm. John shambled across the deck and stabbed his sword into the deck to steady himself. Before he could reach the captain a giant monster rose up from the depths.

            The creature was a giant serpent, with black scales and glowing orange eyes. John was struck with fear, he had never seen a creature like this. Worse still was the serpents face. The scales and flesh was falling from its face and back. This sea snake was shedding its skin to reveal bone, not more skin. The undead sea snake reared back and then with lighting speed struck the side of the Tradewind. John was tossed overboard and before he hit the ice-cold water, he heard a loud cracking and snapping of wood and the screams of his crew as they plunged into the icy depths.

           

            John’s world was now that of silence and darkness. Then he could hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore. How he loved the crisp blue water as it splashed against the golden sandy beach of his homeland. He remembered joining Captain Mohardy’s crew as a boy. Mohardy was a retired pirate, looking for a crew of upstanding sailors. He was trying to leave his old life behind and to do this he needed an honest crew. John was a boy of sixteen who dreamed of sailing. Crew came and went as the years went on. Every year or so the captain would say “Tired of the life at sea yet?” and John would always respond “Never”

            John opened his eyes and saw dark blue water splashing against a shore of dead grass and gravel. The trees swayed in the freezing cold wind and any grass under John’s feet would be long dead. John stood up. He ran to the cursed shore and looked out into the sea. He was horrified to see the remains of the Tradewind sticking out of the water and clinging to jagged rocks that jutted out from the ocean depths. Seaweed and moss grew on the ship and the wood looked ancient. The raging storm and sea serpent destroyed the ship, but only time could age and weather the ship to this degree.

            John looked down and he saw a skeleton stuck on a rock under a foot of water. The bones looked old and the ocean had washed away any traces of a face. He felt his heart sink and sadness engulfed him. He stumbled through the water and grabbed the skeleton. Captain Mohardy’s hat floated up from under the skeletons head. John recoiled in terror and fell into the water.

            He stood up and climbed onto the shore. That’s when he saw a reflection of his face. His eyes glowed bright orange. Like a great burning Jack o Lantern, or like the sea serpent who attacked the Tradewind. John also had scars all over his face. The scars came from the time he spent on the bottom of the ocean as his face was sliced and bashed against jagged rocks. “Why didn’t I die? How much time has passed?” John muttered as he clutched his hand over his face.

            “You reached the shore. You are the unlucky one. You reached the shore just before you died. While the Tradewind crew was able to depart for the afterlife, you were cursed by the darkness of this land” Said a voice.

            “Who is that?!” John shouted. He pulled his sword from his sheath and raised it. his sword was jagged and bent. It was still sharp and could kill someone, but the jagged shape now reflected John’s cursed body. “I am death, who are you?” Said Death, who didn’t reveal itself, but its voice echoed. “I’m John…no, just call me Bones” John Bones said with a sneer.

            Without a word, John Bones climbed the gravel shore and headed back into land. Something or someone was responsible for this curse and responsible for the attack on the Tradewind. Whoever was responsible was going to pay. John was no longer the honorable sailor he once was. He had become a ghost pirate, a spirit of vengeance and the bringer of death.

Tradewind Embarks

John Baines was a sailor on the ship “Tradewind”. This ship was a trade ship as the name implied and was very fast as well. The crew of the Tradewind was growing restless because they had not seen port in a month. Captain Mohardy stood by the helm and kept checking his spyglass as he looked for land. A lookout stood vigilant in the crows nest, but the captain was getting as restless as the crew.

“Land!” Shouted Mr.Peeks. On the horizon was a land that was full of red and orange trees. It looked like a forest on fire and with every breeze the leaves swayed and it resembled dancing flames on a candle. The captain and crew were awestruck by this sight. They had never been through these seas and each sight was new and exciting. John leaned over the railing to get a better look. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The whole ride into port the crew stared in amazement at the strange red trees. The captain understood their fascination, but they would crash if the crew didn’t all do their jobs as they docked. “Alright men, ye can gawk later. All hands on deck. Get ready fer port!” Shouted the captain.

  The crew of the Tradewind landed in the port of Honeyside. A small town by located at the edge of the Autumn Forest. In this land it was autumn all the time. Farmers almost always had wonderful harvests, apples, honey and maple syrup were always fresh and apple trees and maple made up most of the forest. The sailors looked at the place in wonderment, or rather hadn’t stopped. John grabbed an apple from a tree and ate it, it was the best apple he had ever eaten. “Captain, before we leave, I bet if we pick all the apples we see, we could sell them for a huge profit with no cost” John said. Captain Mohardy smiled and patted John on the back. “That my boy, is why you have always been my favorite” He said in a gruff voice. “Come on lads! Lets see what other bounties this place has to offer.

The Tradewind was docked in port, but no one came to see the new arrivals and there were no other boats in port either. After the excitement of the new sights died down a little John began to notice the little things like the lack of humans or animals in the immediate area. “there has to be houses around here. Wouldn’t just build a dock in the middle of nowhere.” The captain said as the crew left the port and began walking down a dirt path that they hoped would lead to town.

The shake of trees and the sound of loud stomping startled the crew. Everyone drew their swords. The captain had two pistols and John had a handcrafted longsword. Not something a sailor normally carries around.

The village of Honeside came into view. the streets were empty and no one could be seen in the houses. “I don’t like this” one of the men said. Then soldiers in black armor stepped into view. they were coming from the surrounding forest and there numbers kept growing. “Ok lads, I say we make a hasty retreat. Three of you lads, John and I will back out slowly and try to buy the rest of you time to get the boat ready and maybe fill a box or two of those apples if you can manage” The captain said as everyone slowly backed up. “What about the village?” John asked. “They be dead boy, we are but simple sailors, not the navy. So unless you want to join the poor sods in their graves, I suggest you follow my plan” Captain Mohardy said.

Most of the crew ran back to the boat as fast as they could. The armored soldiers had noticed the sailors and were advancing. “Are you ready for this?” Asked the captain, the remaining crew nodded and had their weapons ready. Captain Mohardy fired both off both of his pistols at the closest soldier. One of the sailors also took a shot, then everyone switched to their swords. The bullets hit the first soldier and made him stagger. Two bounced off and one got into the neck opening between the helmet and the chest piece, but the soldier didn’t fall over. The Captain and remaining crew kept backing up and the soldiers advanced. When the first wave of black armored figures were close enough John lunged forward with his sword and stabbed his sword right through the eye hole of one of the soldiers helmets. This made the soldier stumble but not fall. “what are these things?” John removed his blade and gave the creature a kick. The force rattled the soldier and made its helmet fall off. The soldier’s head was just a bare skull under the helmet. “Skeletons, w-walking dead?” one of the crew said. “stick to the plan!” The captain replied.

A cool breeze blew through the autumn forest, birds chirped and the sun was shining. On any other day this would have been a beautiful sight, but the sound of swords clashing and screams disrupted an otherwise nice day. “Try to knock off their heads” John shouted as he gave a skeleton a clean slice. He chopped its head off, sending the skull tumbling through the air. Without the head the rest of the body mysteriously puffed into purple smoke and the black armor clattered to the ground. “Ya know I might have made this place one of my regular trade routes if it didn’t have skeleton monsters in it” The captain said. John smiled “you are getting picky in your old age” John replied.

The sailors fought and continued to back up as the skeleton soldiers advanced. Every minute more of the creatures were jumping into battle. The skeletons were slow, but their blades were sharp and it wasn’t easy getting around their armor. One of the crew stabbed through the neck opening in the armor, the sword got stuck in the armor as it clattered to the ground. The sailor went to retrieve his sword but was stabbed in the back by a skeleton. John tried to go help his crew mate but the captain stopped him. “Can’t risk it. Too many mate” He said.

Finally they reached the shore. The ship was ready to go and the crew even managed to get a few apples into crates. Swarms of skeletons rushed the port, so the captain and crew decided to make a mad dash to the boat. A loud bang sounded out as a cannon from the Tradewind fired out. The cannonball struck the land and skeletons flew everywhere. The captain ran on board and started yelling orders. John helped the remaining crew on and then jumped on at the last minute just as the Tradewind was setting off. Skeletons tried to cling to the side of the ship but were quickly scrapped off by the crew. They slashed with their swords and fired shots from their guns until the last skeleton was left far behind.

“That was fun…where next captain?” John Baines asked. “Aye, somewhere a little more lively perhaps” The captain replied.