Life was strange since Rivin had disappeared and Calico Jack felt like he was barely existing. He yearned to search for the woman who is both his best friend and love but, with no trail to follow, it had been difficult to say the least. That didn’t keep him from wandering away from the Raiders, following his heart and paws in the endless, fruitless search for his other half. For indeed, Rivin was the other half to his soul and her absence had gutted him to the core.
The previous night had been strange, filled with quakes both minor and major and the sky had bled red upon the dawning of the sun. In the distance, tall, sinister spikes jut out of the ground, spearing the calm air and causing foreboding to sit heavily in Jack’s gut like a lead weight. Paws pull him toward the ominous sight, calling him toward the mournful moans of the wind or, perhaps, lost spirits that call from the afterlife.
Just as Calico Jack sets paw underneath the strange spires, a scent that is both familiar and warm tugs at his nose. He stops dead, thinking that perhaps it is a trick of his mind since he has been searching for her so long. Jolting forward, he careens toward the woman, racing around the spires until he spies that wonderful coat. Skidding to a stop near her, Jack searches her, looking for signs of injury as he whispers desperately, “Rivin?” Is this real or some fever dream?
Marauder
