Jonathan had been through many strange events in a very short time.
He had been betrayed, killed and brought back to life. Not as a human being, but as an undead. But he had never felt so distanced from his humanity as he did now, crossing the sea on the back of the serpent, surrounded by his small army of monsters.
The reason was simple.
The relationship between humans and monsters was fixed, clear. They killed each other. Sometimes the humans won. Sometimes the monsters won. But in no case did they cooperate with each other.
There was no one in the world with a skill like Wake.
Nor was there anyone in the world who had tasted death and come back to tell the tale.
Except him. And the Count.
Jonathan ran a hand across his forehead, wiping away the sweat that beaded it. Though he was only struggling to hold on to the snake as he sped across the sea.
How much longer would they have to swim until they found dry land?
It's not as if he had to worry about drowning. In fact, he was half convinced that he didn't have to worry about dying at all, at least not until he had the Count in front of him again.
But he was an extremely impatient person.
Besides, he was worried that Leonard would escape him. If he could, he would make the snake go faster, even if it meant leaving the other monsters to their fate.
He had tried. But it seemed to be at its top speed.
Which was still impressive, but.... It's not going to stop me from worrying. Fortunately, Jonathan didn't have to worry for too long. He spotted a ship relatively close, heading in the opposite direction from him. A pirate ship, no doubt. His old self would have been able to identify who the crew belonged to from this distance.
He used to have a keen eyesight.
Sadly, that was one of the things he had lost in reviving.
It doesn't matter who it is, he thought. I have to at least try to get on that ship. And if they won't listen to reason....
I could make them.
Jonathan was just a pirate. Not some kind of knight or hero. He was used to killing people, whether they deserved it or not. You didn't have the luxury of thinking about such things when a sword was headed for your throat.
"Quickly!" Jonathan ordered.
As he had said, this seemed to be the snake's maximum speed. But Jonathan wasted oxygen on that order anyway. He was nervous.
They hadn't noticed him yet, but they would sooner or later.
And when they did, they wouldn't welcome him with open arms. They would try to run away from the strange guy riding a giant snake.
If things went wrong, what would he do?
A pirate's life was kill or be killed.
Crush or get crushed.
It was that simple, like the cycle of life in the forests and mountains, far from civilization. An aspect of life that could not be understood by normal people, but by people who were closer to animals.
Besides...
He was already dead. His "spirit" was still in this world only seeking revenge. So, no matter how many people he had to kill that had nothing to do with his revenge, he would do it without a second thought.
Jonathan frowned.
It's unfortunate, but that's how this works. They're pirates, famous or not. They knew what they were getting into.
Maybe that's why he didn't feel an ounce of guilt for all the people he had killed. Jonathan arrived at the side of the ship. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep his presence hidden until he was on the deck, along with the others. He was discovered right here, right now. And they were making a fuss.
"Damn it, what is that?"
"It's huge..."
"And there's a guy on top of it."
They came out of their stupor relatively quickly, going for weapons. To the cannons. Both on the upper deck and on the lower deck. The latter he couldn't see, of course, but the movement of the cannons themselves was enough. They might be an unknown crew, but they were well organised. He could tell because they had responded fairly quickly....
But, at the same time, if they were really that well organised, they would have spotted him long before he was practically on top of them. Jonathan raised his arms above his head. Of course, the sword was still in the sheath. Even a harmless movement with a sword in hand could and would be misinterpreted.
"Where is the captain of this ship? "Jonathan asked, keeping his hands in the air at all times. A clear message to anyone. He wouldn't mind forcing his way in, but he wished he didn't have to. He wasn't a hero, but he wasn't a monster who enjoyed carnage either. So hopefully he was a reasonable person. "I don't want to fight. Just passage. I am..."
"I've heard of you," a man suddenly said, pushing his way through the noisy crowd. Jonathan, the captain of the Red Eagle.
"That's right."
The murmuring began again, though now it was of a different nature.
"That Jonathan?"
"Many wonder if he is even human. Maybe he isn't after all."
"What happened to you?" The captain continued, looking at him in a way he didn't like in the least.
"That's none of your business. "It wasn't very diplomatic. But it was true.
"I suppose you'll say the same about these..." He cocked his head to one side. "Companions."
"No. I control them with one of my Personal Skills."
"A Swordsman with the power to control monsters? I've never heard of such an ability to begin with."
"So? What you have before your eyes isn't proof enough?"
"That's true."
"In any case, enough wasting time. Are you going to give me a hand or not?"
The captain, who hadn't even introduced himself, thought about it. But not too much."
"All right. Get in. But those creatures of yours are not invited."
The snake would destroy the ship if it got on top of him. The giant, more or less. Some of them might be able to get on, but then again, it was a joke. Jonathan didn't have the best sense of humour, perhaps, but it was clear.
He jumped from the snake's head to the deck.
Yes, in one leap, over the railing, landing on his knees.
It was possible not because of extraordinary physical skills. But because he first got the snake close enough to it, just by lifting its head. That was how close he had come before he was even noticed.
As the other captain returned his gaze, Jonathan wondered if that might have something to do with his rebirth.
If they might not be less sensitive to his presence because he wasn't even human anymore.
He shook his head slightly.
There was no point in thinking about such things. It would be like a fish looking up at the sky, wishing to fly. It was what it was. And no one could change it. Jonathan could only make the most of it. Besides, there was no indication that his new state worked that way. It was just his mind wandering. Had to focus.
"Are you sure about this, captain?"
"If I wasn't sure, I would have said attack instead of inviting him in. I'm not that stupid.
"That's not what I meant..." the crew member stammered, but the other captain, whose name he still didn't know, ignored that one and approached him with his hands behind his back.
"Let's talk in private. In my office."
Jonathan nodded.
Of course he would be suspicious because of the situation he had found him in, and he wouldn't help him just because. Pirates weren't known for their altruism. The other captain led the way, and Jonathan followed close behind. It wasn't a long walk. The office door closed behind them. No one else protested.
"Jonathan..."
"Before you ask me something, tell me your name."
"My name is not important, unlike yours. But as you wish. My name is David. Ask you for something? Yes, but not too much, only what's fair."
"I don't know you. I don't know what you consider fair."
David went around the table in his office, behind which were several large windows. From there Jonathan could see some of his monsters, struggling to keep up and follow the ship where he was.
"If you ended up alone in the middle of the sea, something happened. I'd bet you were betrayed by your own crew."
Jonathan frowned. Which was answer enough.
"So what if that's the case?"
"That in nearly two decades there's been peace on the Red Eagle, with you in command. So for them to stick a dagger in your back, they must have had a very good incentive."
Their lives. But of course, David thought it was a juicy bounty. Pirates. Of course, he wasn't interested in correcting him.
"And you want a share of that incentive, for helping me get back to the mainland?"
"Yes. Only what's fair, as I said."
Jonathan nodded his head.
"All right."
David grinned from ear to ear.
"A pleasure doing business with you. I hope it stays that way. Where to?"
Jonathan didn't have to think about it. He hadn't been crossing the sea on the snake with no particular destination in mind, just hoping to find dry land. He had thought about Leonard's next move. Jonathan decided that he should be his first target. If he couldn't take care of his old crew with these powers, then he had no chance of killing the Count, whether they were the same kind of being or not.
"Elesbury. Leonard wants to refuel as quickly as possible before moving on."
And he wouldn't necessarily be in a great hurry. Because he thought him dead.
"I'll go and report back to my men. We had another target in mind, but, whatever it is, this is juicier."
As he left, Jonathan smiled to himself.
How convinced he was.
What a fool.
He hadn't even fooled him. He had simply allowed himself to be deceived.
Jonathan had known something unconsciously since he was a little boy, which was partly why he had been able to get so far. That people were desperate to believe in something. Anything.
So often all it took was a little push.
——
Now that the negotiations were over so quickly and easily, Jonathan had nothing else to do but wait. He went on deck.
No one approached him or spoke. They only whispered from behind, when they thought he couldn't hear them.
As was to be expected.
But he didn't care. Jonathan crossed his arms over the railing and looked out to sea, simply waiting. The journey would be painfully long. Now that he had nothing to do, he would only be able to think about that son of a bitch.
Jonathan frowned, narrowing his eyes.
About what Leonard had done to him... and what he'd do to him so he'd pay. He'd go crazy for a couple of hours with nothing else to do but think. Had to concentrate on something else.
His little army of monsters.
It was as good an alternative as any. They were struggling to keep up with the ship. The snake was doing it with ease, if it weren't for him being here it could go even faster than the ship, perhaps, though not by much. The giant had no trouble either.
But with the others it was a different story.
The goblin, exhausted, ended up sinking underwater and drowning. Jonathan could bring him back to life a second time, he was pretty sure, pour the water out of his lungs and force him to continue.
But in the end decided to do nothing. Because it was too early for this information to come out. They might not realise it, but he felt it was too dangerous to risk it. It was one thing to control the monsters, somehow. But raising the dead?
The crew around him would go from strangers to enemies, and back to square one.
Well, once he killed them all.
He lost a couple more creatures in his small army. But it didn't matter. As long as the two giant monsters survived, he was fine with that. They would be his trump card against his old crew. He didn't have time to start from scratch gathering allies for his cause, or to level up and take care of everything himself. It would be up to those creatures, for the most part, when the time came.
Of course, if possible, Jonathan would like to do it with his own hands. But life was full of inconveniences like that. The longer he let Leonard and the rest live, the more trouble he would be in.
They were the only ones who knew he had died.
If they saw him around or heard about him again, the story that he had come back from the dead would spread. Of course, most people wouldn't believe a word of it. But what if it reached the Count's ears?
He really had no choice.
"How does it feel?"
Someone had approached him, after all. Although he had no idea what he meant.
Jonathan turned around, but left one of his hands on the railing, still. Maybe in case he pushed him, trying to throw him overboard. That would mean contradicting his captain's orders, but it wouldn't be surprising if one of them was hostile towards him. Because of his reputation. Or because of the monsters they had brought with them, because of the possibility that he might lose control or use them against the crew.
In any case, paranoia was common sense when surrounded by strangers.
"What?"
"Controlling a beast like that. I've been on a couple of ships before this one. Both ended up underwater, torn apart by seemingly unstoppable sea beasts."
I see.
"And you'd love to know what it's like to control one of them." It wasn't a question.
The snake wasn't a sea beast, he'd found it in the forest on that island. But of course, it made sense that he assumed it was some sort of sea creature because of how easily it could swim.
"Yeah. As a... sort of revenge. I made it out alive, though, and I didn't care much for those guys either."
Right.
Because it was really revenge for making him feel weak and powerless. For taking everything away from him and leaving him to pick up the pieces. But he couldn't say that out loud.
Jonathan decided to answer his question to get it over with. He could use the distraction, though.
"I don't feel anything."
"No? You must have had that skill for a long time, to have gotten used to it."
Seriously? If so, then he would have heard tales of the fearsome captain of the Red Eagle followed not only by heartless pirates, but real monsters as well. Everyone would have heard about it.
But of course, this sailor was too stupid to realise that.
Anyway, he would let him think what he wanted.
"Maybe."
He began to consider whether it was true. It had only been a few hours since he'd been born again, but already he felt...
The same as always.
——
The Red Eagle docked.
That was the name Jonathan had given it. Many people had laughed, at first. Nowadays nobody laughed when they heard that name. They moved out of the way, trembling.
He still thought of the ship as the Red Eagle and probably would for the rest of his life. Just because the ship had changed captain was no reason to change its name as well. In any case, they had finally reached Elesbury, the nearest town to that damned island. How long had it been since they had left it? How long had it been since they had buried Benjamin and left Jonathan in the darkness of the cave?
He had a feeling it had been a long, long time. But it was just a feeling. They would have gotten here faster if he had made up his mind to do what he had to do. Leonard had known from the beginning that Jonathan wouldn't back down, even if it was a senseless revenge on behalf of a family he no longer loved.
And yet he had tried to convince him to listen to the voice of reason until the very last moment. In subtle and not so subtle ways. So much so that Jonathan would have seen his betrayal coming, had it not been for the fact that it was him.
Poor sod, he thought.
Ah, Leonard almost wished he had done it from the start, because he'd had to taste this bitterness anyway. If he hadn't waited, he wouldn't have got the support of the whole crew. And they would have torn him to pieces right there as a traitor.
But at least then they would be together.
Almost was the key word. Just almost wished for it.
With his head elsewhere, Leonard descended into the harbour, leading what was now his crew. It didn't take long for the other pirates to notice that Jonathan was nowhere to be seen. Something had changed, and Leonard was at the centre of it. Along the way, he had been thinking about what story he should tell, naturally.
In the crowd, he spotted a man looking at him with a sardonic smile. As if to say: You're no different from the others, after all. A matter of greed. Maybe it was just his imagination.
In any case, Leonard gritted his teeth.
Betrayals are not at all uncommon among pirates, of course. But everyone will wonder why now, after all these years? I can't go that way.
Why not just tell the truth?
That it wasn't about a big haul or a better offer, that it hadn't been a matter of greed but of mere survival.
"I don't know why... "Leonard suddenly muttered. He only realised that he had said it aloud when one of his men answered him, however.
"Come again, captain?" It was Evan.
Called him Captain already, huh? Though he could tell he was forcing himself to do it. That it didn't come naturally to him, far from it. Even Leonard found it strange to hear the word captain and know that it referred to him, not Jonathan.
In any case.
There was something more important on his mind, now.
He stopped abruptly and turned around to look at the Red Eagle again, standing proudly in the harbour, her red sails, naturally, billowing in the wind.
"I have a bad feeling. We should... restock and get out of here quickly.
He couldn't say why, though. It didn't really make sense. Maybe it was just guilt, as much as he knew that "it" had been necessary for everyone's sake.
Yes. There was no one who would have loved Jonathan more than he did.
That was an immovable fact.
——
At last they reached Elesbury.
Leonard had to be here. It was only a guess as to what he would do in this situation, but not for nothing had he known him for so many years. If he wasn't here it would be because he had already left this place. But at least he would have been.
No, no, nothing like that. He would still be here. He had to be.
They all had to be.
They all had to die.
Jonathan didn't even wait for the ship to dock in the harbor. It was a wonder he'd waited that long in the first place. He had almost gone mad. Towards the end, he had done nothing but imagine himself strangling Leonard with his bare hands. Watching the life slowly drain out of him, from head to toe.
He swam to shore and climbed into the harbor unaided.
His new boots had filled with water, of course; they were not as good as his old equipment, but these had been devoured by the giant's poison.
What he had done drew stares, of course. And murmurs.
What a fuss there would have been if he hadn't hidden his little army nearby, but had marched with them.
"Hey! Where are you going? We had a deal."
David was worried that he would just run away. Of course he would react like that. Jonathan hadn't thought of that because of his impatience.
"And we still do. But there's something I have to take care of first.
Without further ado, he turned and ran.
Now to find that bastard.
But in the end they found him first.
"Captain... "He recognised that voice. Howard's. Someone who had been a good friend, like all the others, but was now nothing more than a filthy traitor. After all these years, had he deserved this treatment?
In any case, Jonathan turned around and there they all were. Howard had been the first to notice, he was pale as a ghost, he was afraid of him. And rightly so. The others were more or less the same, as expected. Only Leonard was different. He looked almost as if he had expected this. Of course, that was silly, he was probably so surprised that he had frozen, unable to react.
"I'm nothing to you," Jonathan said coldly. He thought it would be harder to give up the reins to his rage and thirst for revenge, once he had them in front of him, that he would at least have doubts. But that was not the case. They were really nothing. It was all over with the first shot. "You made a decision that has no turning back."
"How... How is that possible? I myself checked that... "Leonard stammered. Yes, he hadn't expected it, after all. It was more than clear.
Jonathan couldn't let him finish the sentence.
They were surrounded by other people. He didn't want her to talk any more. There was still time to bury them before the truth came out.
"You weren't wrong." Jonathan stretched his arms out to his sides, taking a few steps forward, towards his enemy. No hurry. As if he had all the time in the world. "But I'm back. And I will make you pay."
Not so long ago, Leonard had been like a brother to him. But there was no such thing as unconditional love. He should never have let his feelings blind him.
"Alone?" Leonard asked.
Ha. Funny he said that.
With a mental command, Jonathan made the snake emerge from the water. Since it could breathe underwater with no problem, to his amazement, he had been able to hide it much closer to him. To have it follow him, at least around the harbour. And, fortunately, he hadn't had to stray too far from his starting point.
"What a monster...!" a member of his former crew said. It was hard to make out voices amidst the commotion. Well, they didn't matter to him. He didn't care about them. They had all chosen to live as traitors.
Perhaps the right choice, because by being faithful Benjamin had only gotten himself killed.
But he didn't care about their motives.
What mattered was what they had done to him.
"Shit!"
"Is it possible that... he's controlling it?"
Of course, the screams weren't just coming from his former crew. No one had missed the snake's emergence. Many screamed, turning to run away, fleeing. Others reached for weapons, preparing for battle. Troublesome. But he could handle it.
"What is this?" Leonard pushed his way through the traitorous bunch, closing in on him.
And the snake, by extension. Jonathan had to admit he had guts. No, rather, that had never been in doubt.
What was this? He supposed he deserved to know the truth before he died.
He supposed knowing it would make it all the sweeter.
"I found what I was looking for. That's all."
Leonard's expression changed completely. He clicked his tongue.
He turned and ran. Didn't think he could win, even with the crew on his side, huh? It was a bit disappointing. But he should have expected it.
From the beginning, he had only had the courage to shoot him in the back.
Jonathan set out in pursuit.
One of the traitors stood in his way, or rather tried to. He remembered his name, he remembered everyone's name, though it wasn't worth it. That's why the betrayal hurt so much. If they had been practically strangers, this fire burning inside him wouldn't be so intense.
Even if that man came home, his mother wouldn't recognise him.
Because the snake devoured his face.
And then spat the rest of him into the water. The blood, like a carpet, spread out around the creature. It was grisly.
But Jonathan didn't stop, didn't look back. He pushed his way through those damned traitors.
After Leonard.
He was already here. Within his reach. He couldn't let him get away.
Elesbury, city of the dead, Part 1: END