Scarlet Minor and the Renegade

Introduction: The Seafarers Nook He sat near the window overlooking the sea in the north corner of his room, drinking a jug of black rum and observing the moonlight as it glazed over the horizon of the North Atlantic seaboard. The dogs wailing in the streets beneath his inn window brought memories of the little town that once had berthed the Atlantic’s most notorious pirates and slave-mongers. The town was located near the Strait of Gibraltar that separates Europe from Africa. In ancient times the region had been known as the Pillars of Hercules. Occasionally, in favorable winds, paid oarsmen ferried passengers the seven-mile distance to either side in less than an hour. The Nook was considered the berthing place for pirates because it provided access to both the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. Time ticked past the midnight hour as the sounds of drunkards and merry-makers drifted into the dark alleys of Buccaneers Bay. The light ocean breeze sprinkled a salty mist of fresh sea water on his face, summoning memories of his voyages as Captain of the Renegade. As the moonlight wandered into the darkness of the night, its dwindling light eclipsed the figure of a massive vessel drifting along the darkening horizon. The former captain gazed deep into the dusky night at the towering vessel as it gradually steered its course toward Buccaneers Bay. Abruptly he stood up in fright to look for the bangles of his seafarers’ “eyestar” (binoculars) to take a closer look as the vessel turned northward toward the Bay. His aging bones crackled and his old swing-arm chair squeaked. Trembling from the chilly breeze blowing into his cabin he felt a grip of fear on his body. Stubby fingers searched for the “eyestar”, while his feeble legs felt as if they were going to give way. The strong tides of the night blew the winds heavily against the side ridges of the old wooden inn and carried the smell of rum to his nostrils. Flashbacks to his days of valor as a pirate on the Atlantic waters began spurting through his brain. The aging man found the eyestar and took a view of the Bay to get a closer look at the approaching vessel. His brow was dampened by beads of sweat, and his piercing eyes reddened in fear when he saw the hoisted black flag with the crossed swords and a hanged man’s skull. Flames from the old lamps at the Bay revealed the shadows of ghostly-looking crewmen as the vessel drifted toward the docking bay. As the ship prepared to dock, the flag of crossed swords and skull was lowered and replaced with a banner bearing the name Admiral Bonior. The sounds of old sea-songs echoed through the blowing winds, sending chills of fear and misery through his infirm body. The nightmare he had dreaded for seventeen years in hiding had finally caught up with him. The child he had protected all this time had aged, and the time for the youth to fulfill his destiny had arrived when least expected. The Curse of Bodiaka had led the Renegade into Buccaneers Bay, and thus began the tale of the Renegade of the North Atlantic Curse.