Children of the Ocean

Sweet Sorrow

The sheer vastness of the ocean would make finding something there hard if you didn't know where to look. And if you can breathe underwater that makes it even less difficult. So the person who skulked across the ocean floor, who had both these advantages, was not troubled. She found herself at the bottom of a large cliff face the place she had been looking for. 

   "Codium had better have been right about this," she thought to herself. "Can't get him to check again since he got blown up." Recalling a news story she had seen. She examined the rocks until she found an opening and squeezed herself through it. She wriggled her way through a tunnel full of water undeterred and soon she emerged at the other side. Swimming up the Nightmare Witch soon broke the surface of the water. Now on the other side of the cliff face she was a huge cavern that had been undisturbed for a very long time. But attention was not drawn by the size of the cavern, the stale air filter through the smallest of cracks or by the jagged rocks above and below but by the large object floating in the centre. It wouldn't be until closer inspection that you would realize it was a ship as it was entirely covered by a strange fiery golden orange crystal. The witch smirked beneath her mask because this crystal covered ship was what she had been looking for. 

Using her magic she propelled herself out of the water and on to the ship's deck. She wondered where to begin but then noticed that the door to the captain's cabin was still open despite being encrusted with crystals. Inside was large mound of crystal more opaque than the rest she ignored this and looked elsewhere and found a large chest. The Nightmare Witch blasted it with magic causing the crystal to crack. But the cracks spread all over and part of the large mound broke off. There was a sound like a wheezing. 

   "Air at last," said a voice from the crystal. "How long have I slept?" The witch was taken aback by this. 

   "Hmm this could be trouble," she thought. The crystal mound shattered revealing the figure within. The gruffest looking woman you had ever seen. Dressed in large red coat with black boots and a large hat, it was a look that could only be described as pirate. Her long black hair was tied in a long braid and her scarred face was quite aged. She drew her sword and pointed it at the witch who noticed the holster belt across her chest with six pistols in it. 

   "And who are you supposed to be masked one?" said the pirate as smoke began to emanate from bunches on her hair making her seem somewhat ethereal. 

   "My name is Coral-Red," said the witch with a bow. "But you can call me the Nightmare Witch." 

   "Hmph sounds like a self indulgent title. "Maybe just a little, but it's an appropriate one I assure you captain...?" 

   "Commodore," corrected the pirate. "Commodore Blackbraid." There was a pause before the witch, still with blade pointed at her let out a laugh. 

   "What? Blackbraid? Get real. I know this is her ship but how are you her? She lived in the eighteenth century." The pirate just glared at the witch and she realized she was telling the truth. "Well well, this is a turn up for the books. The infamous Edwina Teach, better known as Blackbraid the most feared pirate on all the sea. Though it was mostly bluster I hear." Blackbraid drove her sword into the witch who vanished and reappeared standing next to her. "Hmm maybe not." 

   "And you're actually a witch not just some child trying to sound scary." 

   "What can I say? I have a knack for trickery." The Nightmare Sword appeared in her hand. 

   "The Nightmare Sword? One of the most accursed swords in all the world. Never thought I'd see it with my own eyes. But I have questions for you, one how did you get into this cave? And two what do you want?"