Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  The captain of the small fishing boat was standing at the top of the boarding ramp. Fishermen and fisherwomen were standing along the shore, waiting for their catch.

  Kastor approached the boarding ramp and said: “Captain, we’d like to pay for transport to another island with a major seaport.”

  “I’m taking these fishermen to Hedraltic Island tomorrow. You can ride along for two (2) gold coins,” the captain said.

  “I’m afraid I have to overpay you a bit. The smallest coin I can pay is platinum,” Kastor said. He reached into a pocket of his robes, pulled out one (1) platinum coin, walked up the ramp and handed it to the captain, who met him halfway down.

  “Welcome aboard. We can leave right away. I’ll come back for them,” the captain said.

  “Actually, my friend and I can wait until tomorrow. We’d just like to rest for now. There’s no need to inconvenience anyone,” Kastor said.

  “You can rest in that cabin,” the captain said. He led them toward a small cabin at one end of the ship.

  Erikkos and Kastor entered the cabin and sat down on the beds.

  Kastor reached into a pocket and pulled out the amethyst he obtained on Zerekamis Island. He stared into it for two (2) minutes and felt considerable pain.

  “You can do what you want. I’m not doing that again unless I have no other choice,” Erikkos said.

  “For now, there’s no need. If you can’t handle pain – or if you fear injury – you are limiting your options. Fortunately, I am not bothered by the discomfort,” Kastor said.

  “I need to sleep,” Erikkos said.

  “We both need to renew ourselves,” Kastor said. They both rested for the night. The ship set sail, but neither of them was disturbed from their sleep by the ocean journey.

  ~~~

  The My Soul to Sin was adrift on the Zovvin Ocean and Tristan stood on its deck, using his signaling crystal to flash light in various directions. He caught sight of a fleet of ships and they arrived within the hour, pulling alongside.

  Tomiko, Genevieve, Nina, Gabrielle Ramalaxis, Stephan, Carter, Yared and the Chronicler Silvius came out on deck and joined Tristan as he stepped onto the extended boarding ramp of the other vessel. They walked onto the deck and were met by a man in his sixties who had a short, graying beard and mustache. He said to them: “Welcome aboard the Seasonable Profits. I am Captain Vanadour. We need to get going and keep on schedule. We’re heading to Hedraltic Island in the Gradaken Ocean. You can pay for transport to anywhere from that island.”

  “Thank you for rescuing us, Captain Vanadour. I am Tomiko, this is my crew. Our ship, the Escapade, was destroyed,” Tomiko said.

  “Sorry to hear that. That cabin over there is vacant. I need to get back on schedule,” Captain Vanadour said and he pointed in the direction of a cabin. He then walked across the deck of the Seasonable Profits and returned to the wheelhouse.

  ~~~

  Tomiko, Genevieve, Tristan, Nina, Gabrielle Ramalaxis, Stephan, Carter, Yared and the Chronicler Silvius walked across the deck and entered the vacant cabin.

  “It’s not much to look at, and the captain didn’t even invite us to dinner,” Nina said.

  “He’s a busy man. I can’t blame him for wanting to get back to work. We’re not exactly well-to-do, and we lost our ship,” Tomiko said.

  “For a fleeting moment, we were ready to retire,” Nina said.

  “Life can change fast,” Genevieve said.

  “Very fast,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  “We’re not on that cursed ship anymore. That’s an improvement,” Carter said.

  “We still need to make money and pay our debts, Carter,” Nina said.

  “The captain seemed distracted. All he cared about was taking this fleet of ships to Hedraltic Island to trade brick and sandstone for food crops to resell,” Yared said.

  “What an exciting man. I can’t help but want to get to know him better. And then…we can have candlelight dinners…followed by steamy nights of passion. Not,” Nina said.

  “Enough sarcasm, Nina. You’re missing the point. When Tomiko told Captain Vanadour that our ship was destroyed, he didn’t ask about the ship we were rescued from, which obviously wasn’t destroyed. He wasn’t even thinking about it,” Yared said.

  “You think there is something more to this, Yared? Maybe Nina is right – Vanadour is all business, and he rescued us because we sent a distress signal and that’s the law of the sea. He fulfilled his obligation to protect our lives, but he needs to get back on his business schedule. Hedraltic Island is in the Provincial Isles and has a very busy port. We’ll find a ship going wherever we like from there,” Tomiko said.

  “He’s cold inside. All he can think about is business and pricing and risks. He’s a Medathero drinker. His head was full of schedules, pricing calculations, crop yields, navigator salaries, ship maintenance costs and insurance premiums. There wasn’t a personal thought in his head,” Yared said.

  “You mean he has no family?” Tomiko asked.

  “Right. No friends. Nothing. He exists to make a profit. That’s all that life is to him,” Yared said.

  “You’re the telepath. Is this mindset truly rare?” Tomiko asked.

  “Yes. He didn’t give even a passing thought to Nina. Most men at least think of her for a moment,” Yared said.

  “Is that true? You too, Yared? Tell me more!” Nina said.

  “I’ll leave it at that. Captain Vanadour just didn’t strike me as ordinary. He’s emotionally disconnected from everyone,” Yared said.

  “What does he plan to do with his profits?” Nina asked.

  “Just save them,” Yared said.

  “For what? A mansion?” Nina asked.

  “Just to invest at interest to make even more profit,” Yared said.

  “Money for the sake of money makes little sense and serves no purpose unless you’re protecting against big financial risks. Even bankers – who love money – love what it can buy and plan on retiring,” Tomiko said.

  “His plans are just to make money. He’s already sixty-three (63) years old, and has no retirement plans, although he could afford to stop working even now,” Yared said.

  “That is kind of weird. Life is short,” Nina said.

  “His private life is really none of our business. He treated us fairly,” Genevieve said.

  “I’d like to know who we’re traveling with,” Tomiko said.

  “I agree. What if he’s a killer? Or maybe he plans to sell us all into slavery. Maybe Yared didn’t read the captain’s mind long enough to get the whole story,” Nina said.

  “We’ve been through a lot of difficulties of the worst kind. Maybe life has a way of balancing that out. Some people and things in life are plain, smooth and uninteresting. This captain could be an example. I think we could all use a little less excitement,” Tristan said.

  “You don’t like excitement, Tristan?” Nina asked.

  “Would you rather this captain had some evil intentions toward us? Would that make your life more exciting and satisfying? Maybe smooth is better than rough for a while,” Tristan said.

  “You’re actually making sense, Tristan. My own life has been a bit too exciting, for much too long,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  “A little music could calm our nerves. If everyone’s in the mood for something smooth, I’ve got a lot of smooth tunes,” Stephan said.

  “Maybe later, Stephan. Now I’m too busy,” Nina said.

  “Too busy for music? How?” Stephan asked.

  “I’m imagining the worst. Maybe the captain is a slave trader. I’m picturing myself being tied up and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It’s scary…and a little bit kinky at the same time,” Nina said.

  “That is not funny, Nina. Not in the least. Many women in Waderav suffer that and even worse. My own life wasn’t as violent, but it was nearly as insulting. My mother insisted that a woman had to be beautiful. She believed that physical beauty was where a female’s value came f
rom, so she made me drink the Trerada waters. Then she sent me to a ball to compete with other girls and find a husband. I did, and he cheated on me with all his servant girls,” Genevieve said.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to get you mad,” Nina said.

  “I think we all need some rest,” Tomiko said.

  Carter drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to connect to the spirit world. He concentrated and searched the area around them. “Good. We can rest. They didn’t follow us from the cursed ship,” he said.

  “Good. Let’s get that rest,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  The Chronicler Silvius recorded this conversation – and the details of their rescue – into his book.

  ~~~

  Captain Vanadour entered the wheelhouse of the Seasonable Profits and said: “Breixo, the rescue is complete. Get us to Hedraltic Island.”

  Breixo drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. He concentrated to learn their paths and positions and thereby charted the rest of the course. He took the ship’s wheel and sailed the vessel southwest across the Zovvin Ocean, toward the Way of Raza’Deptorum land bridge. The forty (40) other ships in the fleet followed.

  “How many pirates did you rescue?” Breixo asked as he steered the ship.

  “No pirates at all, Breixo. Your anxiety is winning again. You’re assuming that everyone is a pirate. You won’t be able to do business if you think that way,” Captain Vanadour said.

  “What was their story?” Breixo asked.

  “Their ship – the Escapade – was destroyed,” Captain Vanadour said.

  “Then what ship were they on? It didn’t look destroyed to me. Even the sails looked to be in good shape. I could see it as we approached,” Breixo said.

  “I didn’t ask. We have to keep on schedule. That doesn’t leave much time for pleasantries or personal introductions,” Captain Vanadour said.

  “Then you don’t know their secret intentions. They could still be pirates, using new tactics. They move from ship to ship, plundering the wealth, and then sending out distress signals to lure their next victim,” Breixo said.

  “Where do these pirates store the stolen treasure? In their pockets? And why didn’t they just sail away in the ship they were on, if it wasn’t damaged?” Captain Vanadour asked.

  “They may have stolen a few precious gems, then decided to wait for a better ship worth stealing,” Breixo said.

  “Where do you get these ideas, Breixo?” Captain Vanadour asked.

  “I read a lot of books when we stop in Emeth,” Breixo said.

  “You’re reading the wrong books. Focus on navigation,” Captain Vanadour said.

  Breixo sailed the Seasonable Profits as far as the Way of Raza’Deptorum land bridge. At that point, he pulled levers to pivot the masts and the sails to the sides of the ship and elevated the vessel to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. He steered the ship southwestward over the land bridge and returned it to sea level in the Gradaken Ocean. The forty (40) other ships in the fleet followed. From there, he sailed the vessel southeastward toward the Provincial Isles. Breixo put the ship on course to approach the island group from the west, and then steered it toward the south central region, where he docked it at Hedraltic Island, alongside the forty (40) other ships in the fleet. Breixo pulled levers to drop the anchor and extend the boarding ramp.

  “We’re at the Port of Hedraltic Island, one (1) day ahead of schedule, Captain,” Breixo said.

  “Let me go out and arrange the trades and coordinate the loading and unloading,” Captain Vanadour said. He exited the wheelhouse to direct his crew to move the cargo.

  ~~~

  Kastor and Erikkos awoke and went out on deck. The fishing boat was docked at a busy port and the captain said: “We’ve arrived at the Port of Hedraltic Island. I trust you can find whatever you need here.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Kastor said. He and Erikkos walked down the boarding ramp and entered the port.

  “We need another ship. What are we looking for?” Erikkos asked.

  “That!” Kastor said, pointing to a large cargo ship with six (6) pairs of double-masted, pivoting sails. It was just one (1) among forty-one (41) identical vessels.

  “The ship’s cargo is being unloaded and other crates are being brought on board,” Erikkos said.

  “Yes. That’s exactly what we want. In the chaos of business, the captain and crew will be distracted. I will keep my eyes on them,” Kastor said. Erikkos followed Kastor as he walked toward the boarding ramp.

  Kastor looked at the markings on the large cargo ship and then stepped onto the boarding ramp. Erikkos followed him as he climbed up onto the deck.

  A woman in her fifties – who had knives strapped onto her wrists and a head of short, blonde-gray hair – approached them and said: “This is the Fertile Fields Sixteen. I’m Captain Eulalia. You don’t have permission to come aboard!”

  Kastor focused his vision, which was endowed with the power of the amethyst. His eyes turned violet and he looked Captain Eulalia directly in her eyes.

  “Captain, I am the shipping inspector for the Port of Hedraltic Island. Order your crew to finish their work and then notify me. I will review the cargo after it is loaded. This is a surprise inspection. Do not mention my arrival to anyone or this vessel and its cargo will be impounded for violations of trading laws and conspiracy to commit those violations,” Kastor said.

  “Yes, inspector,” Captain Eulalia said. She was unable to refuse the commands she was given.

  “Show us to a private cabin. We will wait there until you notify us that the cargo has been loaded. Do not delay,” Kastor said.

  Captain Eulalia led Kastor and Erikkos to a private cabin, which they closed and locked.

  Six (6) hours later, a knock came at the cabin door. Kastor unlocked and opened it. Captain Eulalia was there and said: “All the cargo is loaded. I’m ready for the inspection.”

  “It’s time to get to work,” Kastor said. He and Erikkos exited the cabin.

  “The cargo is all below deck. I’ll have the crew open the crates. We have wheat, rice and barley, as well as corn and flaxseed,” Captain Eulalia said.

  “First, I want you to take us to the wheelhouse,” Kastor said.

  “Yes, inspector,” Captain Eulalia said. She walked across the deck toward the wheelhouse, followed by Kastor and Erikkos.

  Once they entered the wheelhouse, Kastor said: “Captain, chart a course to western Waderav.”

  “Yes, inspector,” Captain Eulalia said. She drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. The fifty-three (53) year old woman concentrated to learn their paths and positions and thereby charted a course. Captain Eulalia pulled levers to retract the boarding ramp and raise the anchor. She then steered the Fertile Fields Sixteen out of port and sailed it eastward across the Gradaken Ocean.

  ~~~

  On board the Seasonable Profits, Tomiko and his crew awakened in their cabin.

  Nina looked out the cabin window and said: “They’re loading cargo. I guess we’re at Hedraltic Island.”

  “We should go into port and find another ship, so we can travel back to Emeth,” Tomiko said.

  “Or we could stay here and find real jobs. It’s a busy port,” Nina said.

  “The Provincial Isles are a favorite place to work. Navigators do well here, but there aren’t many job openings. Farmers are always in demand, though,” Tomiko said.

  “Sorry. I drink the wrong water for that kind of job,” Nina said.

  “You have the wrong attitude for that kind of job. It’s backbreaking,” Yared said.

  “I can work hard. I could even be a farmer’s wife,” Nina said.

  “Settle down if you like, Nina. We may all need to consider a new line of work. Our ship is gone. And we still owe Alistair his percen
tage,” Tomiko said.

  “Staying here is sounding better all the time,” Nina said.

  “I need to go back to Emeth. I still have research to do,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  “So do I. Also, I’m the one who signed the agreement with Alistair. I can’t walk away from that. We’re going to have to work out a new business arrangement,” Tomiko said.

  “I’m going with you,” Tristan said.

  “Then I am, too,” Genevieve said.

  “So am I,” Carter said.

  “I’ll keep working with you,” Yared said.

  “I’ll keep going with the rest of you. We’re family. We have to stay in harmony,” Stephan said.

  “You want to deal with Alistair? I don’t trust anything he says,” Nina said.

  “Alistair is unusual in how he does business and he certainly has a strange personality. Still, he’s not fierce and unforgiving, like a commodities trader or a banker. And he’s not like a robber baron from Waderav. We can work out a deal,” Tomiko said.

  “We should find out where this ship is going. If Captain Vanadour is going to Emeth, we can just pay him to take us, rather than finding another ship. He seems to be committed to staying on schedule with his shipping business. I think we can trust him for that much,” Genevieve said.

  “That’s reasonable, as long as his prices are,” Tomiko said.

  “Let me talk to him. I want to find out more about our captain,” Yared said.

  “You do that, Yared. Let’s see what kind of sleazy secrets you can dig up on Captain Boring,” Nina said.

  “Don’t assume too much, Nina. Even I don’t know what to expect,” Yared said. He drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his vial and was energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy. He opened the cabin door and went out on deck. The Chronicler Silvius followed Yared. Nina remained inside the cabin and closed the door after they left.

  ~~~

  Yared walked across the deck of the Seasonable Profits and looked for Captain Vanadour. He caught sight of the captain as he returned to the wheelhouse and followed him. Silvius followed both of them.

  “Yes, can I help you?” Captain Vanadour asked.