Sidestory:
A Gift to Posteriry
by Woodknot
The old captain sighed as he folded the ship’s flag; a maroon eyed Jolly Rodger on a jet-black field. He placed it neatly on top of the rest of the thing and locked the big wood and brass trunk. The men would get it to his son. It was their duty. He picked up his dress coat off his bed and slowly put it on. He put the shiny gold buttons through their holes and smiled. He had the coat made during a stop in Spain. What a trip! He studied his quarters. The room was in perfect order. A dog on the deck started to bark. He always knew this day would come. He could run no longer.
Now he felt it. The captain turned to face the one who had been hunting him since the first time he set foot on a ship. Every time it lunged for him, he had evaded it. Still the creature had hunted him in vain. Yet, it had found him again. He sat down in a wooden chair and looked up at the figure he knew so well.
“You’ve found me again,” the wily old captain said as he leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. “You are my friend and my foe. I have given many to you but you still follow me. I am tired of this!” the captain’s eyes glowed with passion. “I will make you a deal,” he paused and glanced at the looming form. “I have never been beaten at chess. You, however, would make a worthy opponent. I propose that if I win, you shall bless my descendents and me. If you win, I will go with you. However, if it is a draw I will go with you and you will still bless my posterity. Agree?”
The dark form hesitated and then slowly went to the chessboard setting out on the table. The captain moved his chair to the chessboard. The match began. A knight took a queen and a bishop took the knight. Traps were set but never a checkmate called. At last no pieces were left but the two kings. Neither player could gain an advantage and a draw was called.
The white haired captain leaned back and rubbed his scarlet eyes. He shoed away a red eyed rat who had watched the match and muttered under his breath.
“You will keep our bargain?”
The form nodded.
“Then I will go with you,” the weather captain said as he lay down on his great bed. “I am weary. I choose rest.”
Leah wiped the sweat and looked at the clean basement around her. Well, as clean as a basement can get any way. She leaned against the cool concrete wall and listened. Her parents were still out at the movies. She took the worn baseball out of her pocket and got into a catchers crouch.
“The picture launches a fastball inside as the runner sprints for second. Strike 3 is called and the catcher make the throw to second off her knees!” Leah rocket the ball to the far wall.
THWAP!
“And the ball goes through the concrete wall?”
Leah rushed to the far wall to examine the hole the baseball had made. The wall wasn’t really concrete and only about an inch thick. She rapped her knuckles against the wall and a very hollow sound was returned.
“How come I never noticed that before?”
She peered through the hole into the dark space. Something was in there. Leah went to the tool rack and pulled down the 20-pound sledgehammer. She strode back to the faux wall, pulled back the hammer, and let a rip. The wall smashed and with two more good hits was almost entirely gone.
The dust settled and what Leah saw was indeed peculiar. A large black rat with red eyes and only one ear was sitting on an old brass and wood trunk. Was the rat coughing?
“Great job. What are you trying to do kill me?” the rat sneered.
Wow. The heat was really starting to get to her. If only she could remember where the rat poison was. She would have to disinfect that nice trunk. Rats have tons of nasty germs.
“Listen to me! This trunk is your inheritance. You have been chosen. I have something for you,” the rat pulled out a black handkerchief out of seemingly thin air and beckoned to Leah. “Take this.”
Might as well she thought. Maybe if she obeyed he’d go away. She stepped over the rubble and picked up the black handkerchief. As soon as she touched it the cloth blazed with a red light and maroon eyed Jolly Rodger appeared.
“Haha! I knew you were the one,” the rat puffed in triumph.
“One what?”
“The descendent to be given the power of Sailor Azrael, Archangelus senshi of death.”
Leah stared at the rat.
“Hold the handkerchief up and say, “Azrael Archangelus Power, Make-up!””
Leah did as the rat said. She was surrounded by darkness as cool maroon swirled around her and settled. When she looked up she could feel the power pulsing in her veins.
“I am your guardian, Odilo. Your mission is to stay alive and fight your enemies the Graikos, Romanus, and Grigori. This is your mission.”
The door slammed shut upstairs and Leah’s fuku melted away. She folded the flag diagonally and tied her hair back with it. She looked down at Odilo. She had a feeling that her life would be very interesting from now on. Leah ran up the stairs to help her mom and dad.
The black rat chuckled as he heard the girl tell her parents about the false wall and the old trunk, but no mention of her powers or him. “A blessing well received,” the rat said turning to the trunk, “and a promise still kept. Rest in peace dear captain, rest in peace.”