”Blackbirds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven
“Halloween greetings Mistress Raven!” The two little Netsuke figurines came to life eager to confer onto the next project. Burt, shorter for Burnt, the Netsuke dragon added, “Traditionally these Fall festivals such this provides good Spirit Mana for Chi reading on Cursed objects such that we can sometimes discern a story behind it.”
“First things first boys.” Raven starts her computer then places a black enameled chest over on the oak table atop the dragon cloth.
“The Gothic Chest, looks like this is going to be a treat!” Exclaimed Jinjin, the Skeleton Netsuke.
Raven lifts the lid revealing the cursed silver under her safe keeping. She lifts out the Vampire Skeleton key sent by a distant admirer. “It’s blocked. I couldn’t get a ‘Chi Reading’ from this Skeleton key, can any of you two get a read it’s Chi?”
The two ancient wooden figures looked at each other, Burt was hesitant then spoke, “The curse is specific to you Mistress Raven. Who ever placed the curse on this silver key, knew of your existence, to why? It is not known yet.”
Jinjin chimed in, “There is another blood Chi in this key of a Soul fragment of a person that had been following you for about one hundred and seventy-one years, the soul of another pirate …also a Nightwalker.”
Piqued, Raven nodded, “Go on.”
“Very well Mistress Raven.” Replied both Netsukes.
1850, Eastern Baltic State, Mansion of Duke Warner Von Menenskook
Captain Mercanto was suddenly stirred back to consciousness shocked by the cold rancid water soaking into his shredded clothes. The dim lit chamber’s stone walls came back into focus, and the same gnarled faces of the underlings that shackled him there to begin with. His outstretched arms ached from his being bound at the wrists for what seemed countless days. Daniel gathered his unsteady feet beneath himself, that gave him temporary relief off the pain in his old joints.
, Her Home Page A rattling set of keys worked the lock of a heavy wooden door before swinging open echoed at the top of the stone steps. A large figure appeared and patiently made his way down, his manner of gentlemanly dress put him out of place in this dreary torture chamber. The figure paused at the bottom of the steps and indulged in a pinch of snuff before casting his eyes upon the helpless Captain.
“I have reconsidered your plea, as you put it. Very seldom a man who cast aside blatant warnings of approaching my abode armed with the knowledge of who I really am. He either has an eternal death wish or simply mad.” The Duke motioned the servants to unshackle Daniel’s bonds. The captain staggered to his knees, “I’d do anything to find her.” He uttered with newfound determination.
Decades ago, Daniel was but a mere young Boatswain of a troopship of an Elite Squadron that was ordered to recover an artifact called the Nemesis and destroy the Stormcrow and her pirate crew. He and many of the crew understood that their mission and methods were fraught with troublesome and barbaric practices but like many assignments before, their unnamed Pay Masters rewarded more than handsomely for their butchery and buy their public silence. Instead, they were defeated by their pirate foes and left castaway on the Island with only a slim hope of rescue, a better fate than many of their victims. The Stormcrow and her allies set sail with the prize Nemesis artifact but not without him seeing the Bloody Raven herself unmasked. It was but a momentary glimpse, a sight impressed in his heart forever.
Eventually, he was paid out handsomely by his Pay Masters and declined his Naval reenlistment to become a Privateer himself. He was never after treasure but that of his heart. His search for her had been fruitless for many decades, spurred on by personal accounts of the dark Pirate woman that never aged. Then a chance meeting of an aged crew member of the Stormcrow revealed her secret and he now understood why. His advancing years taking its toll, wondering if he will ever see her, meet her, to steal the unstealable, a kiss ... She was in Mexico around it's Independence, then in California with the gold rush before going eastward. Always a few steps ahead and never settling still for long.
A trail of clues has her back in Europe following the Hungarian revolution. The best evidence was that of a carnival sketch by a Parisian street artist of the Bloody Raven. In her trademark mask, she posed in an outlandish manner exposing her lower legs, this was gay Paris, but he had to have it making an offer the artist couldn’t refuse.
Still a few steps ahead of him, the trail led into Prussia, Austria and Italy then nothing. Except for a small East Baltic State he was warned to stay away.
“As do our Clan my dear Captain Mercanto. More than one hundred years ago she declined to join or clan. In fact, several covens and clans were very interested in enlisting her among their ranks, for her unique skills and perspective, but she’d rather wander as an untethered Independent despite my generous offers of security, power, and wealth. I have only heard recently that she had returned only to depart before I could dispatch a personal escort to welcome her.”
The Duke helped steady Daniel on his feet and continued, “My apologies for our rash treatment of you before I came to realize the potential of your valued service. I had to make sure that your feelings for her are were genuine.”
“Does not the noble blood of Machel the Despised flow through your clan?”
The Duke grimaced slightly at the Captain's unexpected verbal reposte, “Machel was sentimental, idealistic and a fool for letting her go untethered without a bond. But then again no one could have predicted the impact she had in our spirit world. You my friend or should I address you as …brother kindred…” the Duke’s grin grew broader as he pointed to a pair of puncture wounds on his neck, “With your unique motivation, you can help us find her.”
“What…what have you done to me?” Daniel touched at the tender wounds.
“I gave you what you need to rejuvenate your new extended life. You have already gone through the quickening, but your life is extended so long as you are in the service of my Clan. Consider it a small price to pay for, ‘I will do anything to find her.’ The Duke grasps the nearby metal hand mirror and holds it up to the old man's face. Daniel stares in disbelief at his younger face, his white scraggly beard and mustache are black and full. The wrinkles around his deep set eyes are gone. Even the knife scar above his jaw from a sword duel is gone. He removed his spectacles but still sees everything blurry.
"Regrettably vision improvement occurs with a small proportion of Kindred, as you may see that the spirit world has it's own sense of humor. So my brother, you are still blind as a bat."
This way you both may be together for a different eternity?”
The Duke turned towards a fiery cauldron glowing at the center of the chamber. He chanted something indiscernible as he unbuttoned his left sleeve and with his silver dagger drew it’s biting edge across the back of his forearm, his blood dripping upon the hairbrush. “This brush with her hair belongs to the Vampire woman you seek my Captain. And all I need for you is to find her, even if it takes centuries.” He places an object atop of the brush as it burned.
Daniel became alarmed as the servants held him fast, “You won’t harm her, would you? I can’t let you harm her!”
“That would depend on you or her. The word is cooperation my brother, your left palm out please.” The Duke spoke in a manner that he could not resist. His left hand extended out as one servant took the same dagger and bite across his palm, blood seeped from the wound and before he knew it the Duke retrieved the hot object from among of burning coals and placed it upon the fresh wound.
“Ahhh…,” His hand instinctively clenched the hot object as it hissed in his fist.
It didn’t hurt.
Peering into his palm is an ornate silver skeleton key.
The Duke appeared a bit surprised, then grinned, “Good, you voluntarily accepted. Otherwise, it would have hurt if you didn’t. Servants, please cleanup Captain Daniel Mercanto as my favored dinner guest for the next few days in leisure day attire and assign him my best guest room. There will be much to discuss."
Daniel holds the Vampire key in his fingers. He could almost feel it pulsing like his heart, "What am I to do with this?"
The Duke rebuttons his sleeve, "Why give it to her of course."
Always adding Silver and Crypto to my Stack for that rainy day or dark and story night!
🎃Trick or Treat! Thank you coming aboard this Halloween #piratesunday ☠️
Previous Gothic Styled Stacking posts
The spooky #piratesunday tag is the scurvy scheme of Captain
for #silvergoldstackers pirates to proudly showcase their shiny booty and plunder for all to see. Landlubbers arrrh… welcomed to participate and be a Pirate at heart so open yer treasure chests an’ show us what booty yea got!
References
🎃 Sources
, her home page
, His Hive Home Page 
“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin.”
