Chapter 3 At Sea
Max
July 22nd, 2017
9:58 AM
Mediterranean Islands
Mediterranean Sea
I stopped the boat a quarter mile to the small islands where the Time Shards was being treasured. The small land wasn't as big as I expected, but I know Meridian Prime would be even bigger. If what Clotho said back in that chamber was true, here's hoping the Caulfield cousins weren't lost at sea.
"Huh," said Alex. "Somehow I imagined it…bigger."
"Yeah," I said. "Well, we're definitely in the right place. I'll find us a spot to set ashore."
I drove the boat further into the land to find a place to park it ashore. I may have never driven a boat before, but I was learning faster than learning what John Lennon said about what happens in life while your busy making other plans.
"Well, I mean…at least there's an island, right?" Alex thought.
"At least there's an island," I repeated. "Just keep an eye out for anything man-made."
"Ah-ah, you mean knight made."
"Ha, sure."
"So, maybe Meridian Prime is more of a small beachside shack."
"Yeah, maybe it's a treehouse."
"Or maybe Arthur spent his entire fortune setting up this shard hunt…and ran out of money to actually build Meridian Prime."
I see a small bit of land I can dock the boat and I do so under Alex's approval. I park the boat near the sand, and we hop out to investigate for clues. I spot a wooden cross with a pile of sand that looked like it was burying something or someone. It was a burial of some sort and it was the first thing we spotted on this bit of land.
"Wonder what this guy's story was?" I wondered.
"Well, dead men tell no tales," replied Alex. "Hey, check out that cave."
We walk to the small cave shaded from the sunlight and there's nothing but ancient junk inside. Looked to be something old expeditioners used to settle inside. Ezra's party perhaps.
"Supplies," I said. "From an earlier expedition."
"Huh," said Alex. "Okay."
Both of us poke around and I see an old letter lying around on a wooden barrel. I pick it up and read it to see it was from Ezra Prescott's son. The one who was killed in an automobile collision like William was.
"EPJ?" I thought. "Holy wowser, Alex! This was written by Ezra's son, Ezra Jr."
"Well, makes sense," said Alex. "His son went on the same crusade his father did. Must be following the same clues as us."
Alex and I return to the boat and I drive it around the land we walked to find further clues that either link to Arthur's ruins, Ezra's or son's journey, or the Time Shard. It was on the island somewhere and we wouldn't leave the island without it.
"Y'know, crazy worldwide shard hunt aside," said Alex. "Ezra had the right idea."
"What's that?" I asked.
"Lived by his own rules. Traveled the world. Made his victory his way."
"Sure. Apart from the huge bounty on his head."
"Come on. It all depends on how his story ends, right? Who knows? Maybe, in the end, it was all worth it."
I drive along another small bit of land to see the remains of a crashed sea ship that had gone under water. It's sail-posts had been sticking out over the surface and Alex spotted it at first sight.
"Max, over there!" Alex pointed. "It's a ship! Or what's left of one."
I dock on the small island with the downed ship and the two of us hop out for another quick stop. We snoop around some more old supply used by old expeditioners. Then I found another old letter inside an old satchel.
Written once again by Ezra Prescott Jr. Did Ezra's son even try finding a way to send these letters in his time? Perhaps a seagull could've delivered them as a pigeon would in WWI or an owl would in the Harry Potter universe? If they were ever delivered, they wouldn't still be here.
"You…do you think he found the shard?" Alex wondered.
"Well, he would've become pretty damn famous if he did," I replied. "So, I doubt it."
"I hope you're right."
"The grave we found was one of their crew."
The two of us are back on the boat. Driving it back to the bigger islands for our investigation. This was becoming one of the imaginary treasure hunts I used to have with Chloe playing pirates in our youth. Never did I think I'd be doing one literally once in a lifetime.
"It's a strange feeling," said Alex. "Like we're on the verge of something really great and I'm…I'm excited and terrified all at once. You have any idea what I'm talking about?"
I park the boat next to the shore of the bigger lands and we hop out again. Imagine the two of us as castaways stranded on this small island like Tom Hanks in his movie about it. Makes me wonder what Meridian Prime is really like on its own land.
"It might not be Meridian Prime," said Alex. "Sure, is gorgeous here, though."
"No argument there," I said.
"Max, up there!"
Alex pointed at a strange little tower above the trees that looked man-made enough for us to check and that's what we did.
"Well, that definitely qualifies as man-made," I said.
"Ah, ah," said Alex. "Knight-made. Let's find a way up to that tower."
"Yeah."
While traveling to the tower, we find a skeletal corpse tied to a wooden post as if the deceased being was executed on the spot. I familiarize myself with the corpse when I take the first glimpse.
"Whoa," I said. "It's the crazy guy from EJ's crew. They just left him here.
That's not cool."
We continue our way to the tower, and I find something on the ground covered in leaves. I uncover what's covered and see a door of some kind that looks like it opens a passage to someplace. I ask where.
"Huh," I said. "It's a door of some kind. Cover a…chamber?"
"A massive chamber," said Alex. "For storing a Time Shard?"
"No way. Not by the god of time himself. Wherever Chronos put the shard's gonna be the most elaborate place we've seen yet. And it would be well protected too."
"That makes sense."
There were a small staircase and a little rope bridge to get to the tower. We walk up the stairs and across the bridge and the tower is before our eyes.
"Looks like an old lookout tower," said Alex. "Let's see if we can spot something from up there."
The two of us step inside the tower and see a ladder to climb up on. We climb the ladder and reach the top floor. Spotting something on the walls that looks like it could be pressed. A dusted tile with an arrow pointing up on it like a compass. Whatever it means.
"This looks promising," said Alex.
I brush off the dust to authenticate what we'd seen.
"Some kind of symbol," I said.
"Looks like a compass arrow," said Alex.
Without thinking twice, Alex presses the symbol with her hand and the walls open and window. Showing us where the so-called compass arrow was pointing in the direction outside.
"Wowser," I said. "How did you know to do that?"
"Well," said Alex. "If there's one thing I've learned from you, press everything."
I chuckled.
"Down there," pointed Alex. "The same symbol."
There was another symbol located next to our boat from where we spotted on the tower. They really must be compass arrows or some kind of trail marker to take us to our main objective.
"It's another arrow," I said.
"Let's go find out where it's pointing, huh?" Alex asked. "C'mon, boat's right below us."
"Yup."