Chapter 14 Conquest of Chimera

Chapter 14

Conquest of Chimera

 

     The Great Forest Sea was as much a safe harbor at it was a large expanse of saltwater. The Narrows was its gateway to the Deeps, Chimera’s open ocean. Captain Marks had never really explored it, especially it western waters. Sating his curiosity was not worth his crew or his ship. Moreover, the Narrows held their own mysteries, more than enough to whet the Captain’s appetite for the unknown. 

  The black necklace of small islands linking the unexplored western continent and the heavily populated eastern woodlands stretched out before them, dotting the horizon like the spines of a slumbering sea serpent. The waves slapped against it shear fortress- like shores as if were trying to wake the sleeping beast. The rock walls however were as dead as they were vertical. They would never move. The beast would never wake, not this beast anyway.

        Shoulder to shoulder they stood half expecting and half hoping the Narrows to suddenly sink and bring a sudden halt to their dangerous endeavor. Of course, just the opposite happened. The stiff breeze that had driven the Captain’s Sweet Lady all too quickly toward their dark destination only made the island chain explode into view.

     “I don’t see any trees, just black walls.” Kian said.

  “Deense forest blankets most ah de’ inlands,” The Captain said, “but they be of no concern to us. There,” he pointed to the largest northern most island, “Older’s Bed. A maze ah caverns snakes ‘neath its craggy brow there we row.  We’ll be ne needin’ to drop anchor soon. Brue see to it. Henry you stay here, in me’ stead, keep me Lady off de’ rocks and outta the shallows.”

  With that, he pointed to Malcom and Petra. They promptly headed to the ships’ starboard and readied a small flat- bottomed rowboat, lashed to the side of the ship.

  Upon climbing onto boat, Kia’s hand slipped on the rough seat plank when the ship swayed in the wind. Warm dampness smeared across her fingers and palm, blood? Thinking just that, but feeling no pain she quickly took her seat to steady her body then jerked her hand up expecting see a deep gash. There was no wound.

  “You all right,” Kian asked.

  She gave him an odd look then showed him her hand.

 “What is that smut?” He asked turning toward the Captain as he took his place by Kia.

 The Captain wiped his mouth smoothing down his beard as it danced with breeze, took his seat facing them, but said nothing only licked his fingers and stroked the sagging gray plank straining beneath his weight. “Dis boat was cleaned,” He said looking down at his fur- fringed hand, “Proper cleaned,” clearly he was talking to himself, he shook his head and wiped Kia’s seat.

  “This makes no sense,” he said holding up his perfectly clean hand. “Touch it again,” he said looking at Kia, “you too lad.”

  They did then both held up black smeared hands.

  Captain Marks grunted, “lower de boat, now!”

   “Aye Captain,” Brue said as Malcom and Conner grasped the winch wheel and slowly lowered the boat in to the choppy white caps.

   He said not another word until he had rowed them thirty yards away from the ship, which did not take long. Captain Marks was as strong as he was big.

  “The two ah you, must know this,” he finally said. “Me vessel carries more than trade goods. De’ crew knows it, now ye must know it, tis a death barge. That plank ‘neath ya is where the diein’ sit on their way to the Narrows, blackness, death rollin’ off them all de way. But we scrub it all de way down to da the new wood. What defiles yer fingers should not be dare!” 

   They just looked at him. “What does it mean?” Kian asked.

  “Dunno, Kian, ‘cept,” He looked over his shoulder toward the black rock jutting out of the horizon like charcoal spear tip, “’cept death touches ye, reaches out for ye. Or,” he bowed his head, “Comes from you like the diein’. But yer not dying; then could ye be death itself?” the wind whipped the last six words away before they could hear.

   The fear they saw in the Captains face as he muscled the boat through the churning sea stilled their tongues and cast an oppressive chill over them. But that would not last long.

   Kia rubbed her fingers against her thumb trying to roll the black from her skin then leaned over reaching down toward the racing waters to wash them when she saw a familiar blue blur streaking with them just beneath the water. “Penelope!” she yelled a bit more loudly than she realized. 

   Even the Captain smiled a little. “Aye de merfolk guide us to safe waters, tis dare domain an’ they be quite generous with dare knowledge ah de sea. Penny and her people have saved me vessel and her crew many ah’ time.” He said as they watched the daring child dart ahead of them then break the surface like a dancing dolphin.

   “You are going to the Narrows.” She yelled just before she slipped below the waves and resurfaced at the back boat. Her fingers tightly hooked on sun- bleached wood, she fluttered her tail fin gently pushing the boat forward as she smiled up at them.

  Kia clenched her hands around the plank, hiding their black stains from the child’s ever-inquisitive eyes.  

  “Yes,” Kia answered, “can you come with us?”

  The child shook her head, her features screwed tight with disgust, “never but I will help you get there.”

  “Ay lass,” Said the Captain, “that be much appreciated.”

   Suddenly Penelope’s features slackened as her eyes watered, “you’re dying?”

   Kia almost reached toward her, but thought better of it, “Oh no Penny, we’re fine, no need to cry.”

   She nodded and turned toward Kian, “you killed death, I forgot.”

  “No Penny,” he said his thick brown hair whipping in the breeze, “We are just looking for answers, that’s all; I can’t kill death no one can.”

  Penny nodded then reared up high enough to see how near they were to the Island. “Please be careful. I can go no further. I will wait nearby, just in case. Please don’t make me wait too long. Please let me see you soon.”

   “Aye Penny, Aye.”

   With that, she dropped out of sight as the Captain strained against the rough surf crashing against the rock wall rushing at them. A few carefully timed jerks on the oars and they suddenly found themselves careening around black corner and into total darkness.

   “Whoa,” Kian said, “How’d you do that?”

   “Twern’t me Kian, just read the waves and tickled the surf, the current did de rest,” he said as he back paddled, sniffed the air and brought them to wobbly stop.”

  There be a torch by your left foot Kian, unwrap it, find the oily end and strike it against the ceiling.

  “What ceiling,” Kian asked fumbling in total darkness as he looked for the torch.

  “Tis just above yer haid, so don’t stand.”

  Suddenly bright yellow fire burst before their eyes and they found themselves floating in an onyx vault.      

Their eyes slowly adjusted and Kian could see the Captain tying the boat off to an outcropping of the rock jutting up from a narrow ledge gently tapping the left side of the boat.

   “This be the Death Trail, hand me de torch watch ye step and keep close, the trail will git ye lost, if ye hain’t learn’t its lies.”

 Bending low, they watch the Captain slither out of the boat with shocking flexibility. “Sometimes me size be a greet asset, sometimes not, come on childrin’ de darkness beekons.” He said as hunched his way forward.

  Holding hands, they carefully disembarked and managed to find stable footing on the two-foot ledge. The Captain glanced behind him. Certain his charges were shadowing him he proceeded to carve out a cavity of flickering yellow light as he led them toward the dead and dying.