While reading: I recommend listening to "Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End - Maelstrom Battle tracks (1/5) and (5/5)" on YouTube. It is not required. When you see this symbol, (***) start to play the music. This is not my channel nor do I have rights to the soundtrack/movie but I think it adds a great atmosphere while reading. Enjoy!
The Heart of the Nile: The Great Storm
Its been five days since they set sail in the Mediterranean Sea. Any moment now they would begin to see the shapes of the Cyclades Islands off the southeastern boarder of Greece. It was within these islands where they believe the treasure was hidden. The sun was just beginning to set on the sea's horizon. The skies were becoming darker with clouds; no stars would be in the sky this night. The breeze was steadily growing stronger... a storm was on the wind.
The lord pharaoh, lady Kaede and the commanding officer Musa were currently sitting in the captain's quarters. They were going over the map again in hopes of uncovering the mystery before reaching the islands. On the map there were strange symbols that they had yet to understand. There were symbols that looked like water, mountains, birds, a gate, a compass and a circle. Lying the map flat between them they began to think once more.
The Riddle:
A god above sees man bellow, east to west you show.
A light against the shadows path, a central point you will cast.
Tides will change, storms may brew, but I always will be facing you.
Go North, let sails fly, it will be a dangerous ride,
Only the master will hear my cry.
Sesshomaru looked back at the symbols. "Water, mountains, birds, a gate, a compass and a circle… I wonder if these are the directions themselves... or what if they are land marks?… However, how would a bird and a circle be markers?" he thought to himself.
"Lady Kaede, my brother said you are from the island of Kythera. That is near here is it not?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Aye, it is. Just northwest of here. It be about two days sail on a good breeze. What be ye question my Lord? Have ye thought of something?" Kaede asked.
Pointing at the symbols on the map Sesshomaru replies, "I was just thinking what if these symbols were guide markers for the location. We are already in water so the next symbol would be mountains. With your knowledge of the area are there any islands you can think of that contains mountains or even better mountains with birds of significance?"
"Hmm… let thee think. Thy don't know of any mountains but if ye think about it, islands are submerged mountains! There be two islands with volcanoes. Maybe that is what ye symbols mean? They be the islands of Milos and Santorini." Kaede said.
"Sir, if we turn north east it should take us right in between those islands by midnight. We will need to be ready for rough waters though. The sandbars and tight channels cause dangerous undercurrents making sailing difficult. We will need to proceed from here on out with caution. The storm is almost upon us, Sir." Musa said.
"Hn, change course Musa and ready the men. We sail directly between those islands. Have the men reduce the sail, straighten the deck, 'batten down the hatches, secure the riggings and put out the fires in the galley." Sesshomaru commanded.
"Yes, Sir." Musa said as he bowed and left the captain's quarters.
Sesshomaru stood up from his chair and walked over to his window. He saw the sky was dark and heavy with storm in far off horizon. The air was damp and thick making it feel charged and heavy against the breeze. A flash of lightning struck the water and a distant roll of thunder sounded. This storm was going to be strong and deadly.
"It looks like the storm be here within the hour," Kaede said as she stood behind Pharaoh looking out the window.
"Hn," Sesshomaru hummed as he turned from the window and returned to his seat. Looking at the map on the table. He turned to Kaede and asks, "Once we come through these islands do you know what this bird symbol might be?"
"The only bird that comes to mind with any significance is a mythological monster. The Greeks talk about them in some of their stories. They call them the birds of paradise. They be demons that fly, bodies of birds with the torso of men. Thy remember when thee's parents used to tell thy sister and thee about them. They said they would come and get us in our sleep if we weren't good. Growing up in Kythera we have many stories of monsters and demons but thy never saw any in my youth," Kaede finished as she reclined in her chair across from Sesshomaru.
"Demon birds with the torsos of men... ridiculous, demons and monsters don't exist." Sesshomaru said to himself.
(*** Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End - Maelstrom Battle tracks (1/5) and (5/5) ***)
Thunder crashed outside as the men on deck began to shout orders over the storm. Heavy rain began to pour down upon the men making the deck of the galley ship slippery and difficult to see where they were going. The waves began to crash against the sides of the boat rocking it harshly back and forth.
"Stay in here where it is safe. This one is going to go and help his men" Sesshomaru commanded as he walked out into the storm. Closing the door behind him, he made his way over to the steps leading to the quarterdeck. As he climbed the stairs he saw a massive wave tower over the ship. It slammed onto the deck causing Sesshomaru to fall down the steps. As the wave receded he pulled himself up while hearing the cries of his men around the deck trying to keep the ship afloat. Turning quickly he makes his way to Musa and sees him hard at work steering through the crashing waves with the long paddle rudder.
"My Lord we cannot see through the storm! The clouds have hidden the stars and the thick rain against the night has made the islands disappear!" Musa shouted over the raging storm.
"Damn it…" Sesshomaru cursed in his head through clenched teeth. Another wave crashed over them almost pulling them overboard with it. The wind whipped the freezing rain against their faces making it feel like needles prickled against their skin.
"Hold true Musa! We did not come all this way to die. Stay the course, this one will look for a solution!" Sesshomaru commanded. His golden eyes were fierce and his face was set firmly. This was the "killing perfection" feared on the battlefield. His silver hair capped by his blue and gold *nemes headdress whipped about in the wind behind him. A loud crash of thunder was sounded quickly followed by lightning that temporarily blinded them. It was in that flash of light Sesshomaru saw how close to danger they really were.
Grabbing hold of one of the deck mates he yelled, "Tell the men bellow deck to row hard to starboard until this one gives them new orders! We are about to hit the rocks!" he commanded.
The deck mate's eyes grew large as he shook his head yes in reply and quickly scrambled bellow deck to the rowing fleet. Without them the boat would struggle steering and gaining speed against the waves. The rain continued to poor down upon the deck. The men were hard at work securing the ropes and tying them down. The men bellow deck rowed with all their might against the resistance of the waters. Sesshomaru watched and waited with every passing moment as they continued to move closer and closer to the rocks.
Just as they were about to hit the men bellow deck successfully pulled the boat away from the rocks. Missing them by mere feet. Wave after wave beat down upon them trying to take them down into a watery grave. Sesshomaru reached up and wiped the rain from his eyes just in time to see lightning strike the main mast. It caused a loud explosion sound and sent some of the masts wood to splinter across the deck. From that explosion the red and yellow-stripped sail began to catch fire. The strouds attached to the mast also began to catch fire causing them to snap and fall onto the deck bellow.
"Quick! Put out the fires and secure the mast! If it falls we will surely parish" Musa shouted to his men. They began trying to climb the mast to put out the fires but the wind and the waves kept pulling them down. Just when they thought the mast was going to snap a massive wave crashed over the deck putting the fire out. It was fortunate for the boat but unfortunately the force of the wave had pulled two over board; never to be seen again. As the storm continued to rage on they realized they were now in-between the two islands.
Sesshomaru looked up into the sky and noticed the moon peeping through the clouds. Thinking back to the riddle and the symbols in what to do next he thought of the last two verses.
Tides will change, storms may brew, but I always will be facing you.
Go North, let sails fly, it will be a dangerous ride,
but only the master will hear my cry.
Looking at the moon he remembers what Kaede said in the temple. The moon always takes the same path and never faces away. It was then he realized what he needed to do.
"The moon is my compass! Why didn't I think of this sooner!" he inwardly chastised himself. Quickly making his way back to Musa he gave him their new coordinates.
"Musa, look to the moon as your compass. Use it to head north in-between these two islands. That is your new course." Sesshomaru commanded.
"Yes Sir! I knew you would figure it out!" Musa shouted with a look of renewed hope and relief upon his face.
All of a sudden the ship began to lift up from the back. As the waters pulled the back of the boat forward against the rudder Musa and Sesshomaru looked behind them to see a massive wave at least ten times the size of the boat. It towered over them nearly three times the main mast's height.
"Oh shit…" Musa cursed.
"Quick release the sails! We must use the winds to lift us up and over top of the wave to ride it out!" Sesshomaru commanded.
Grabbing a stroud that was flying loose Sesshomaru swung down from the quarterdeck onto the main masts sail. He alongside with three other men quickly cut the ropes tying the sails closed. The battered sails whipped open catching the wind lifting them up and over the wave. The ship surfed the wave as if it were flying. Finally the wave broke bellow and with the sails now loose they were quickly moving through the stormy waters. The storm continued to pound into the boat. Waves crashed over the deck continually throwing the men about like rag dolls. Thunder and lightning were relentless in their wake. The darkness of the night showed no mercy or weakness in giving up anytime soon.
Just on the other side of the two islands the waters began to turn. It was hard to make out the water against the vast darkness of the night so they could not see the danger they were sailing into. The ship began to pull to the right against the waves. The sails rippled back and forth against the changing direction of the wind. The sounds of rushing water over a waterfall fill the air. The men hearing the sound and seeing the sails flutter in the opposite direction rushed over to the right side of the boat to see what was happening. It was then they realized they were being pulled into the beginning rings of death.
"Commander!" shouted one of the deck mates. "We are on the edge of a whirlpool!"
"We must ride the outer rings until we gain enough momentum to rip ourselves out! Men, I will need you to tell me how to go since I cannot see the waters and for someone to tell the men bellow deck what to do!" Musa shouted.
The men on deck who were watching the waters began to catch glimpses of the rings of the whirlpool as the moonlight peeked through the storm clouds. They continued to shout to Musa and the men bellow which way they needed to pull the boat in order to keep on the outer rim of the whirlpool. Once the boat seemed to be spinning fast enough and the sails were getting ready to catch the wind in the right direction, Musa changed the rudder in the opposite direction of the cycle making the boat shoot up into the air and out of the vortex. Throughout the night the storm continued to rage on. Now with the moon as their compass however, they were able to avoid the remaining sandbars and sea stacks.
As the morning sun began to rise in the distance the wind and the rain started to die out. The sun brought striking colors of red, yellow, orange, and gold that painted the sky. This bright contrast made the stormy waters and distant storm clouds rich in purples and blues. Five men had been lost in the storm. They were lucky. It saddened Sesshomaru though to see his men die, especially under his watch. As they continued to sail by midday they began to see the outlines of jagged rocks coming out of the water in the distance. What caught Sesshomaru's interest however, was not the rocks themselves but the sudden pull towards them he could not understand. Seeing Lady Kaede talking with Musa he made his way over to them.
"Musa, what is that up ahead?" Sesshomaru asked as he pointed towards the landmass.
"Nothing Sir, only random rocks. They are not even marked on any map to my knowledge. It's uninhabited. Why do you ask Sir?" Musa inquired.
"They are in the path of the treasure. I would like to check them out for possible leads. Keep the boat in route towards them," Sesshomaru commanded as he looked away from Musa to look upon the waters once more.
"Yes Sir," Musa said as he walked back to the rudder to direct the boat.
Sesshomaru walked over to the railing of the quarterdeck and eyed the rocks in the distance. They were dark silhouettes against the burning sun. They may have survived the storm, sandbars, jagged rocks and the maelstrom but the journey ahead still had much to offer. The closer they came to the rocks the stronger the pull became. Only time would tell what the rocks would bring to the lord pharaoh and his men.
[End of Chapter 4]
Authors Notes:
Nemes - a nemes is the royal head covering of the Pharaoh. It usually is a decorative striped cloth thats pleated on the sides and pinned with a cobra headband.