77 — THE FIRST RELIC
"Land ahoy!" shouted the voice of young Lunara, excited, followed by the sound of the bell.
At dawn on the fourth day of the voyage, Captain Kaire left his cabin at the sound of the bell ringing. He was soon greeted by the deck ensign and noticed Seiya behind the helm in his handsome shiny uniform; with the swiftness of a bird, Lunara appeared among them.
"Are you going to throw up on my deck, Seiya?"
"No, Sir, Captain, No!"
"We'll see about that."
He quickly crossed the quarterdeck and headed for the forecastle to lean over the rail, where June and Geist were already looking curiously out to sea. The captain said good morning to them and also put his face out of the boat so that he could glimpse, on the horizon, the great strip of land of the African coast.
"We're approaching the Suez Canal, Captain." said Geist. "We will be able to leave the Aegean Sea and reach the Indian Ocean through the Dead Sea."
"Yes, you are right as always, my dear first mate, but this time we will not cross the Canal."
"What?" June asked, confused, and saw that Captain Meko was smiling.
He strode back across the deck to the quarterdeck and put his hand on Seiya's shoulder.
"What do you think about putting this ship in the air?"
It was the first time in many days that June had seen a hint of a smile on Geist's face, and even Seiya let out an expression of someone who was about to experience something incredible. He locked the helm and walked away giving way to Captain Kaire, but Meko looked deep into his helmsman's eyes and offered him:
"I want the first fly to be yours, Seiya."
And then what was excitement turned to dread in the boy. He took the helm again, unlocked the helm, lifted a box to the side revealing a beautifully carved lever. He swallowed hard and felt a little dizzy with worry. The Captain's thunderous voice rang out to everyone on the vessel.
"All hands on deck!" he ordered, making sure everyone was in the gallery, while the commanding officers were each in their predetermined place.
"Helmsman, you will put this ship in the clouds at my command!"
Seiya locked the helm and put his hand on the lever beside him, trembling.
"Prepare for takeoff procedure, Ensign Lunara!" shouted the Captain.
"Yes sir!" she replied, aligning the angle of all the sails downwind.
The Galleon immediately picked up speed and Geist again ordered across the deck for everyone to straighten up.
"Ready, Ensign!" Captain Kaire warned. "Seiya, at my command, make this ship fly."
"At your command, Captain."
Captain Kaire leaned on the railing directly in front of Seiya and the Bronze Saint watched every inch of his body; he had his fist clenched at the side of his head and Seiya was just waiting for the signal. When at last the Captain pointed to the bow of the ship and exclaimed:
"Gllide, Pegasus!"
Seiya pulled the lever little by little, as he had done in training, but, even gently, everyone felt subtly unbalanced, because the Galleon was really taking off little by little from the waters of the Aegean Sea. They all felt a cold chill in their stomachs, like someone going quickly up a ramp; Lunara screamed with joy as she felt the wind getting stronger and stronger on her child's face. The sails swelled and it wasn't long before they were, in fact, taking flight, leaving the turbulent oceans behind to sail the white sea of cotton clouds.
Captain Kaire looked happily at Seiya. They were finally ready to set sail between the Seven Seas.
The Galleon tore the horizon above the sea of clouds.
Seiya still retained command of his direction, but now he could also control the vessel's altitude, although he didn't need to make major corrections as he magically glided through the air. They were all mesmerized by the beautiful sight that was the sea of clouds, as well as the African continent appearing here and there between some white formations that melted in the sky below them.
"Lock the helm, helmsman." shouted the Captain as the vessel reached cruising altitude. "Report to the cabin."
They left their posts and headed inside Captain Kaire's cabin, where a dark map layed on an enormous table. It was one of the pages of the enormous Nautical Chart that accurately marked the location of the divine places they would have to visit to seal Poseidon's Relics of the Seas.
When they all entered, they soon sat down, with the Captain at the end of the table so he could see everyone. At first, he looked at his crew and smiled broadly that morning.
"It's good to see you all up." he finally said. "Thank your medical officer, who hardly slept so you could be okay. Great job, June."
Seiya smiled briefly at her when he noticed the Captain's gaze on his.
"Any news from Greece, first-mate?"
"Yes, Captain. Today in the first hour of sunshine, I managed to get in touch with the Sanctuary and they confirmed that the Foundation frigate arrived safely. The kids are all fine."
"Excellent." he said.
"June told us what happened on the Island, Captain Kaire." Seiya began, taking the floor. "We should expect more trouble going forward, so I don't think you and June should go on these missions alone. More than navigating, we are all capable of fighting."
Captain Kaire smiled and looked at June, who had been so worried about these young kids. And on the one hand, he was right: maybe they were lucky that there was only one stray guardian. What could have happened if more Marinas were lurking?
"You're right, Pegasus." he agreed. "I'll prepare a larger group next time."
"And about this evil merman," Lunara commented. "Do you think we'll meet others like him on our travels?"
"I find it very difficult." said Geist, well-versed and well-read. "Telkhines are profound and extremely individualistic creatures."
"What I found strange was that he really seemed to be acting alone." confirmed the Captain. "If Poseidon is truly rising, I would expect a more coordinated attack, but what we saw was a former Poseidon Marina isolated on a desert island living on the vitality of defenseless children."
"He didn't look like the warrior of an Order that's about to arise." June commented.
"We'll be alert." said the Captain, waving at Lunara. "Tell me about our destination."
The little girl pulled out a large book she was carrying and announced.
"We are getting close. It's in the Maldives." she said excitedly, her other book in her hand was none other than a detailed Atlas. "Lots of wonderful beaches and a kick-ass sunshine. I can't wait!"
"We're not on vacation, navigator." warned Geist.
"What do we know about the Maldives, first-mate?"
"It is an archipelago of more than a thousand islands in the Indian Ocean. But only two hundred or more are actually inhabited. Its capital is Malé and, as our esteemed navigator rightly said, it is a very famous tourist spot among the richest for having paradisiacal beaches."
"They are beautiful!" Lunara commented, opening another book and showing the images to Seiya.
"The beaches are really beautiful, Immediate Geist." commented Captain Kaire, for the book was passed from hand to hand. "Are you sure we don't have time for a rest in these crystal clear waters?"
Lunara pleaded, but Geist remained resolute.
"Not a second, Captain." she said, and the young girl collapsed beside her.
"Very well." Meko agreed, ending the meeting with a mocking smile on her face, but Lunara asked again to speak between them.
"Captain, according to the Nautical Chart, the Sea Relic is not on any of the mapped islands of the Maldives. It seems to be in the middle of the ocean."
Everyone there looked at each other until Captain Kaire finally stood up to compare the studies of the little girl next to Geist. She was right: the Crater Saint's marking was clearly on the high seas when transposing the Nautical Chart with the map. The Captain spoke again.
"Let's put this boat in the water and find this Relic of the Sea. Lunara, Geist, go to the hull basket and calibrate the Nautical Chart. June, I need you on the comm so everyone is at their posts."
"Right, Captain!"
Everyone got up to leave.
"Seiya, can you stay a moment, please?"
He looked around at everyone, as if he was about to take a huge scold. He saw each one leave the Captain's cabin and only he was seated, dejected in front of Meko Kaire.
"Do you really feel better, Seiya?" he asked.
"Yes, Captain. Thanks to June's care, I am now fully recovered."
"Good to know." Kaire confirmed, but then spoke seriously. "Seiya, I wanted to tell you that it is a great honor to have your help in this mission. There are no words to describe the miracles you have performed in the name of Athena."
Meko got up and sat closer to Seiya.
"But June informed me that, before we left, you were actually ready to go after your sister in Athens, is that true?"
"Yes, Captain." Seiya confirmed.
"Seiya, as I said, I feel very honored to have you on our boat; I have been friends with Marin for many years and I know how much she cared for you. So I tell you that it would equally be an enormous honor to have this ship turn around and take you to Athens so you can go after your sister, or take you on whatever mission is on your heart. There is nothing wrong with that."
"Don't worry, Captain." Seiya said gravely. "It's true that I miss my sister terribly, and I always have. But I have always fought and I will continue to fight, for I am an Athena Saint."
Seiya then stood up and Meko saw an extremely brave boy in front of him. But still a boy.
"I'm sorry, but I was hoping you'd give me a little more credit as I'm not a kid anymore. This mission is very important." he said taking out the envelope in which he received the official summoning to be on that crew, still with a beautiful red seal with the Nike Victory crest. "We need to seal Poseidon and fulfill Saori's… I mean, Athena's designs. And we'll be able to Seal the Relics of the Seas, I'm sure of it."
And with that determined young boy before him, Meko was sure of that too. The Captain stood up and placed a huge hand on his shoulder, really proud of being able to fight alongside Pegasus Seiya. The Captain then invited the boy to observe the distant ocean below through his cabin window.
"I can understand your feelings, Seiya, and I can also tell you that your sister is always with you."
Seiya looked at him curiously.
"You know, they call me Moses at the Sanctuary, but my real name is Meko. Meko Kaire. I come from a people of the sea far away from here, a people of travelers and wayfarers of the ocean and the stars. And it is not uncommon for us to be far from our family, sometimes separated by many leagues and even islands. But still we are always together wherever we are and wherever we may go."
The Captain then looked back at Seiya with a smile on his face.
"I'm sure it's the same with your sister as well. Somewhere out there, she is also thinking about you."
Seiya looked at that sea of clouds, the distant ocean below and, maybe it was silly, but he reflected that perhaps that was the first time he thought about the possibility that Seika was also thinking about him at that moment. Well, if that were the case, they were really together at that moment.
He thanked the Captain with a huge smile and returned to the helm of the boat, while Meko Kaire also thought about his family, far away.
Seiya started a slight descent with the boat so that they blended into the clouds. Lunara and Geist entered the inner galleries, went down two floors to where the habitations were, as well as the supply gallery. In the heart of the ship, directly in front of the mainmast, which was huge, they opened a hatch and went inside the mast. A narrow space that could hold just two people.
Geist triggered any device above their heads and the mainmast sank a few feet into the ship so that they found themselves inside a crow's nest, but instead of the highest point on the vessel, they were now a few feet below the hull. From there they could clearly see the sea of clouds below them. Gradually, they noticed how the ship slowly descended below the cloud line, where they could see the wonderful Indian Ocean dotted with islands.
Lunara opened the Nautical Chart and compared it to the atolls and archipelagos she could see in the Ocean, so she could orient herself. She was trying to find which of those islands, or rather between which of them, was that mysterious place. For just as she verified through her World Atlas, the Ocean also showed her that the Relic of the Sea really seemed to be in an empty space in the ocean, far from two distinct islands that Lunara made a point of remembering.
"Done." she announced.
Geist verified her observations and confirmed them. They left the basket and returned to the deck.
"Very well, Seiya. Let's get this boat back where it belongs. Back to the sea."
Everyone straightened up, Lunara flew across the deck unfurling the sails, Seiya got ready with the lever waiting for his Captain's command to start the procedure for the first time. Kaire slapped Seiya twice on the shoulder and made his voice ring throughout the ship.
— To the sea!
Deep as thunder, his voice only ceased to rumble when the ship effectively swung a few degrees off its bank and aimed for the ocean. In a very subtle and light way, so that it wouldn't be a vertiginous fall and freeze everyone's stomach. Seiya really had become an expert helmsman, that was the truth.
Athena's Galleon glided along the water until Seiya finally made it touch the sea floor of the Indian Ocean, splitting its waters in half and causing everyone to slightly lose their balance as they returned to the sea.
"Nice landing, Pegasus. Ensign Lunara, unfurl the sails and meet us at the forecastle." but by then she was already flying across the deck, opening them according to descent procedures; the Captain then ordered Geist to follow him.
The trio descended from the quarterdeck to the main deck, crossed the length of the ship and climbed into the small forecastle, looking out over the ocean that they were already making way through.
"There's nothing between those two islands, Captain." Lunara commented through her golden spyglass.
"What the hell." he contemplated, the empty ocean before him. "What do you think of that, Immediate Geist?"
"Perhaps the most excellent Crater Saint has miscalculated?"
"That would be a disaster, wouldn't it?" he asked.
"Certainly it would, Captain." she agreed.
"Unless…" he pondered, scratching his chin. "Unless the Relic is on one of those islands by proximity."
"Or under the sea." Lunara said, to their surprise. "Huh, doesn't Poseidon live underwater?"
Geist and Captain Kaire looked at each other, surprised but seriously considering the possibility, which would make their challenge even more difficult. They returned to the quarterdeck and the captain asked Seiya to dock near the island on the left, but the helmsman interfered.
"Captain, I thought the Relic was between them the island."
"Do you see anything between the islands, Pegasus?" asked the Captain. "There is a possibility that the Relic is under the sea, we need to dock and investigate.
"Captain, you can't see anything between the two islands, but I can feel it."
Meko looked at Seiya and then at the wheel in his hand. And then back to Seiya, who nodded at him; Pegasus explained to him that, as they approached between those two islands, he could clearly feel by the way he steered the vessel that there was something ahead of them, for the emptiness of the ocean gave him a different sensation while he handled the helm. Meko smiled back at him.
"Steady as she goes, Pegasus." said the Captain, taking his side. "Good job, Seiya."
And he left his side to join Geist and Lunara in the forecastle again, where they watched the Galleon advance forward into a void that lay between two islands. The vessel moved slowly and won some leagues under the watchful eyes of the Captain, his mate and the navigator, when finally something incredible happened.
The air in front of them seemed to pulse with a blue glow that spread across the sky, describing the shape of a very high and extensive dome. And little by little a piece of rock began to appear in front of them that certainly did not exist before, at first just a coconut tree in the middle of the ocean, but little by little the rock grew deeper and deeper, so that in a few seconds they were in front of a small but mighty island, where coconut trees swayed and a mighty rock rose many meters high.
"It was hidden." Lunara marveled.
"It's like Sanctuary's protective circle." commented Captain Kaire. "Poseidon has his tricks too."
"Look, Captain." Geist mentioned as he showed him that there was an entourage apparently on standby at a pretty harbor on the island.
"I think we're expected." guessed Captain Kaire.
Together they returned to the quarterdeck again; the Captain ordered the anchor to be dropped and the auxiliary boat ready.
"Geist, Lunara, prepare the shuttle boat. Seiya, excellent navigation, boy." he looked at a young sailor from Rodório and added: "Ensign, you have command."
Seiya saw how the girl opened a huge smile, after all it was a huge responsibility to captain the Galleon in the absence of its captain, even if he was anchored. He then descended from the quarterdeck to the deck to take his place on the small craft.
The auxiliary boat was quickly covering the distance between the anchored Galleon and that beautiful harbor where some vessels were also moored and where they could see a dozen people dressed in white armor, with large fabrics on their arms and legs and a silver spear in their hands. It really looked like an entourage that knew perfectly well that it would be visited, it was as if Athena's crew were really awaited.
Captain Kaire deftly pulled the vessel near a harbor bridge and a sailor from that island, wearing baggy pants and a white coat, helped stabilize the boat and tie it to a nearby stump. Meko jumped into the harbor wearing his Cetus Cloth, and helped Geist and Seiya onto solid ground; Lunara jumped very deftly between them, with a huge smile on her face looking at the white armor of those guards.
A voice rang out ahead of them in an unfamiliar language and the white guard straightened up, for among them a man in a handsome sari appeared. He bowed and scratched a common language to everyone there.
"Welcome to the Gan Temple." he said respectfully. "We were waiting for your arrival. My name is Abdulmalik, servant of Celmira."
"I am Captain Meko Kaire, Silver Saint of Cetus, servant of Athena. These are Pegasus Seiya, Argo Geist and this is Ensign Lunara.
"From Jamiel." she corrected. "Jamiel Lunara."
"Ensign Jamiel Lunara." Meko smiled at a calm Abdulmalik.
"Welcome. Please follow me." he asked.
Athena's four envoys followed Abdulmalik through the white guard of what were undoubtedly men and women of war, but Meko sensed no threat as he crossed the corridor they guarded. They climbed some stairs to distance themselves from the harbor and then found themselves inside the rock that rose into a beautiful temple carved with so much detail that they you would have to stop and look inch by inch to guess all the mosaic and intricate shapes there were. It was incredible work and rich in detail.
The colors inside the chamber were of the most varied and brilliant, jewels glittered on the walls, gold adorned facades and silver filigrees were scattered throughout the temple. Exactly in the center was a tall woman clad in a beautiful dress, her hair snow-white and flowing to the left in a beautiful mohawk. She had her back to them and the servant Abdulmalik knelt down and disappeared from the crew's sight, down a side ladder.
"Saints of Athena." said the magical voice of that woman. "I was waiting for you. I know what you're here for and there's no time to waste."
Seiya saw how Captain Kaire and Geist looked at each other, suspicious, but chose to answer the call of that huge woman, since they were in her Temple. She guided them in silence past that beautiful temple until they were outside again, where the Indian Ocean sun shone. On a stone path they came to a small altar, a small Hindu shrine in which a golden thurible smoked thick blue smoke. Behind the table on which the thurible smoked was a handsome panel inscribed with an embossed trident.
"This is the Relic of the Sea." she introduced, opening the lid of the beautiful thurible from which the smoke was pouring out.
Indeed, everyone could feel a subtle disconcerting presence; Seiya remembered the moments when he felt Saori's divine cosmos manifest and, although it wasn't the same sensation, it was as if it was of the same nature. Although much, much weaker, almost imperceptible. But without a doubt there.
"Will you allow us to inspect the Relic?" asked the Captain, to which Celmira just got out of the way so they could make the necessary checks. "Lunara."
The little one came forward with countless instruments to measure and observe more closely; she sniffed the bluish smoke and, with the help of instruments that looked like magic, made some notes in her own little notebook before attesting: it was indeed one of the Relics of the Seas.
"Geist." asked Kaire, and she came forward with the golden cylinder in which she carried the Seal of Athena.
Celmira moved away to stand beside Kaire; Geist took out the papyrus of Athena which immediately resounded with that beautiful thurible; it straightened up in the air and practically floated above the thurible and gracefully slipped into the vessel. And as soon as a golden glow spread over the sacred utensil, the smoke that had previously overflowed stopped smoking.
"It's done." Geist announced to a delighted Captain Kaire, but the moment was cut short by the priestess's gravelly voice.
"They say by the islands that the Great Catastrophe is approaching." said Celmira's beautiful voice. "Among our people, the end of the world is described as the day when the seas would swallow the islands we live on."
"When did all this start?" asked Captain Kaire to the beautiful Celmira who was, without exaggeration, as tall as he was.
"A few weeks ago, at the same time that the sea became more turbulent."
"How did you know we would come?" Seiya asked attentively.
"The People of the Seas are waiting for you." she said. "This is not the Time of Poseidon, and as much as we are allies with the Greek Sea God, this is not His time."
"What is the Time of Poseidon?" asked Seiya, legitimately confused, as that was said between them on the boat, as was also often repeated by the Crater Saint, but without further details.
"The time of his emergence."
Celmira looked at them and her dark, painted eyes were as if they were looking at a divine figure. Her melodious voice told them:
"It is said in history that once the Earthshaker Poseidon took control of the oceans, he decided to peacefully coexist among the ancient civilizations of the seas. We would be honored to keep his Relic on the surface, which are part of his enormous power, and in return our Temples would be safe in the Land of Athena." she said, and her voice seemed to evoke time immemorial. "You will agree, young Athena Saint, that the secret about the Time of its emergence is something that the Seven Civilizations will not share as easily. I can only tell you that this one we live in is not the Time of Poseidon, it is not in accordance with the alignments of the ocean waves and the seals need to be redone."
"You said your Temples would be kept safe, yet you're afraid of the end-times." Kaire commented to her.
"It's what happens when Poseidon resurfaces out of his time. And so it needs to be sealed." she said.
"Why is this happening?" asked Geist at last. "Why are the Seals losing their strength before their time? Nothing in the stars suggests anything like that."
"This is the Sky of Athena and the Stars are her words." said Celmira, very respectfully. "But if you want to understand the God of the Seas, you'll have to look at the Stars of the Deep. Look for the movement of the waters. The moods of the oceans."
"You won't tell us." concluded Kaire.
Celmira limited herself to smiling at the noble Captain. And then her huge arm invited them to return to the Temple, which they promptly obeyed. Back at it, the servant Abdulmalik was there again on the other side of the chamber, waiting for them to escort them back to the harbor.
"Have a good trip, Saints of Athena. The Giraavaru people wish you success in your endeavor, but I also make this warning: not all people of the seas will be cordial like the one who received you now. Get ready, because the mysteries of the oceans are deeper than an island that cannot be seen by the naked eye."
"I also doubt we'll have a more cordial reception than that, ma'am."
They said good-bye, for Celmira waved to Abdulmalik in the back of the chamber and he escorted them back to the harbor, still flanked by the white guards, to the tender. Seiya tried to look them all in the eye and, in effect, gave them a grimace before boarding to see if they broke their immovable posture. They didn't. And he looked to the side hoping to exchange any kind of comment with Shun, but he found Lunara's crazy smile, which he found funny, but not sweet like his friend's.
"Captain's log, day five of voyage. The Crater Saint's Nautical Chart looks really accurate and we were able to Seal the first Relic of the Seas, at Gan Temple in the Maldives. The first one is sealed and now we have another six to fulfill our mission. The route will now head south and into the frigid Antarctic Ocean. June was pleased that we didn't have to fight to accomplish this first mission. My first mate found it easy. I found it too easy."
ABOUT THE CHAPTER: I tried to start this adventure with a relatively easy Relic precisely to leave the captain with a bad feeling about this. =) I chose the Maldives because I would like a mysterious region with a strong history of navigation and experience in the seas and it seemed to me that the Giravaaru people had a very nice history and a nice symbolism too. As for the beginning of the chapter, I loved creating the scene of them taking off (using a very famous BGM Title of the Series, lol) and also better demonstrating what each one's function inside the ship is. Also important is the conversation between Meko and Seiya about duties and family.
NEXT CHAPTER: THE APPLE OF EDEN
The strange paradise of the South.