The journey to the Tongue of the Ocean was tense, but uneventful. Neither side of the crew made any further moves to harm the other. Roger kept his eyes peeled for recruits to his cause, and approached several other sailors, to include Averill Ethel from Cloudstrand, Iwaki Yorikazu from Sobetsu, Aldwin "Fishy" Smith from Waveward, and Shandy Gail of Lost Hills.
Meanwhile, Merrick kept a watchful gaze upon the doings of Roger and his ilk. Gilb and Samuel reported to him often, the things they heard. He felt like he was well informed on the traitors among his crew. What to do about them though, he hadn''t decided. He needed them to man the ship through the Tongue of the Ocean. He needed them to trek across Mao Shar and retrieve the Light of the Sea. They were also a liability. They could strike at any moment, leaving him and his loyal pirates high and dry. At worst, they would take the ship and kill him and any pirates still loyal to him. At best, they would resist his efforts at every turn and make it harder to retrieve the Light.
The heat on deck was intense. The tropical sun shone bright and hot as the Tiderunner made for the Tongue of the Ocean. Merrick checked and rechecked his charts. He had never been to Mao Shar, but he had been to the Shark Islands several times. He was known to the Rakahanga Tribe there, and would sometimes hide out when the Cerulean Sea was hot with the long arm of the law. Not many naval or even merchant vessels plied these waters. The occasional slaver might be found down here, looking for Carcharians to take back to Azon or Venia, but the Shark-Folk were not to be trifled with lightly. Those slavers made for great cannon practice. Merrick and the Tiderunner had sunk a few in their day. This made the Tiderunner a welcome sight in the Shark Islands.
It wouldn''t be long now, before the ship made landfall in Mao Shar. They just had to navigate the Tongue. This was a notoriously difficult stretch of ocean to pass. The swells could be unpredictable, and rogue waves of immense height could sometimes take a ship to the bottom. Not only that, but the charts and maps were incomplete here. Shallow shoals, atolls, and reefs were hidden between the deep channels. The sailing here was technical, and took great skill. Merrick, was an experienced captain, and his crew tried and true. Despite the mutiny brewing.
When the seas were calm, the heat was intense. Often when the heat rose, the wind died. This caused many ships to flounder about in the waves, waiting for a good wind to pick up. This was the Tiderunner''s current problem. The wind was dying down, and the heat was going up.
"Mr. Gilb, keep a sharp eye on that horizon. We need to spot any sign of a breeze or a change in the weather. Report anything that looks promising!" Merrick said.
"Aye, Captain! I’ll not let a ripple pass unnoticed." Mr. Gilb replied.
"Roger, get the longboats ready. If we can’t sail, we’ll row. We’re not sitting ducks out here. Ready the men for a bit of muscle work!" Merrick commanded. Roger gave him a quick look, but obeyed.
"Aye, Captain! You heard ''im, lads! Lower the longboats and prepare to row! We’ll make headway one way or another!" He directed the sailors. The crew groaned collectively at the thought of manually rowing. When the wind was dead, and the ship needed to keep going, they would lower the two longboats on the Tiderunner and row the ship from the smaller boats. It was backbreaking labor, and it only kept the ship slugging along. It was still better than roasting on deck in the doldrums.
"And keep those spirits up! A song or two wouldn’t go amiss. We’ve a treasure ahead, and doldrums or no, we’ll make it. Sing out, and let’s make the waves echo with our defiance!" Merrick shouted, trying to keep the men in high spirits.
The pirates began singing a shanty:
"Row, ye brave, and row with might,
Through the doldrums, day and night,
For the ship’s bound to sail,
With the wind or without fail."
"That’s the spirit! Keep at it, lads! Every stroke gets us closer to that breeze!" Shouted Merrick. He smiled as a semblance of normalcy returned to his crew. He quite missed the days before there were mutinous thoughts poisoning his crew.
After hours of toiling in the hot sun, the heat began to die down, and the breeze once more picked up.
"Hold fast, lads! Feel that? The wind’s picking up! Belay the oars, raise the longboats, and ready the sails!" Merrick shouted as the wind returned.
"You heard the Captain! Stow the oars and prepare to catch the wind!" Samuel echoed.
The crew quickly set to work, raising the longboats, stowing the oars, and readying the sails. The sound of men working brought feelings of calm excitement to Merrick. They were not long for Mao Shar now. The breeze was stronger now.
"Lively now, lads! Trim those sails and let’s fly like a seabird on the wing!" Samuel shouted over the din of the work and the luffing of the sails.
The ship was now entering the Tongue of the Ocean. Already, Merrick could see small islands in the distance through his spyglass. A few more days, and they would be in Mao Shar.
"Alright, lads, we’re approachin'' the Tongue of the Ocean. Keep those eyes sharp and your wits sharper. The Shark Islands are no place for the faint-hearted." Merrick warned the crew. Many ships have sunk in this part of the ocean. The seafloor was littered with wrecks.
"Aye, Cap’n! Look alive, lads! We’re in for a tricky bit of navigatin''. Mind those reefs and keep a weather eye out for submerged rocks!" Samuel reaffirmed.
"Steerin'' steady, Cap’n. Course laid in true. But these waters... they’ve a mind of their own." Gilb added. He had a look of stern determination on his face as he gripped the wheel tightly.
"That they do, Mr. Gilb. That they do. Mr. Thatcher, get the lead line ready. We’ll need to sound the depths as we go. Last thing we need is to run aground on a hidden shoal."
"Aye, Cap’n! Lead line’s ready. We’ll keep a close watch on the soundings." Jacob Thatcher replied, hauling a large coil of rope.
"By the powers, these waters’ll eat a ship whole if ye ain’t careful. Keep yer ears open and your hands steady, gents. No tellin'' what’s lurkin'' beneath." Jeb remarked, as he helped haul lines.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"True enough, Jeb. The Carcharia aren’t known for their hospitality, neither. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for any unwelcome guests." Merrick instructed. The crew was familiar with Carcharia. Despite the Tiderunner''s welcome presence in the Shark Islands, not all of the tribes liked humans. Many of the smaller tributary tribes would happily attack a ship and eat her sailors, no matter the ship''s purpose.
"Lookout, keep your eyes peeled for breakers! We need to spot those shallows before they spot us." Samuel shouted to the crow''s nest. Finn O''Malley responded with a quick "Aye!" and raised his spyglass to the horizon.
The whole crew was ready to change course, and ready the ship for emergency maneuvers if required. Any moment the sounding could show shallow waters. The ship was hurtling fast down the channel now. Gulls laughed in the air above the deck, seeming to mock the sailors on board, and their feeble attempts to master nature. One sailor pitched an empty bottle at the birds.
"To hell with ye flyin'' rats!" He shouted. The crew laughed heartily.
"Easy does it, lads. We’re not in the clear yet. Mr. Gilb, keep her steady as she goes. Follow that channel like it’s the last drink in a dry port." Merrick reminded the crew.
Aye, Cap’n. Steady as she goes. We’ll thread this needle yet." Mr. Gilb replied.
"Soundings show shallow waters ahead, Cap’n. We’ll need to steer clear of that reef." Jacob Thatcher shouted.
"Mr. Gilb, adjust our heading two points to port. Let’s give that reef a wide berth." Merrick commanded. He was confident, and charismatic. The crew seemed very much to hang on his every order. Not a sign of resistance from the mutineers reared its ugly head.
Two points to port, aye, Cap’n. Adjustin'' course." Mr. Gilb replied, turning the wheel a few pegs to Port.
"And mind the rudder, Mr. Gilb. These currents’ll play tricks on you if you’re not careful." Merrick warned. Mr. Gilb nodded several times. He was visibly fighting with the wheel.
"Good man. And remember, lads, we’ve got a prize waiting on the other side of these islands. The Light of the Sea is within our grasp. We just need to get there in one piece." Merrick shouted to the crew, hoping to capitalize on their seeming excitement.
"Aye, Cap’n, and we’ll do just that. By thunder, there’s no wave or rock that’ll stop us. Gentlemen o'' fortune, we are, and fortune favors the bold." The old cook responded. The crew gave a hearty cheer at his words.
The sailing was tense, and the ship had several close calls, but after a few hours, she was clear of the Tongue of the Ocean. The crew relaxed as the wind was steady, and the weather fair. It was late afternoon by the time they were fully in the waters of the Shark Islands. The ship was sailing smoothly, and the crew could see many small islands, cays, and atolls. Sometimes, smoke rose from those islands, indicating a Carcharian village.
The Tiderunner did not move through the Shark Islands unnoticed.
"Cap''n! Carcharia in the water off the starboard bow! Swimming fast toward us!" shouted Finn.
"Hold steady, lads. We’ve got company. Let’s see what these shark-folk have to say for themselves. Stay your blades and pistols, for now!" Merrick ordered. The Carcharians were not always ruthless bloodthirsty monsters, and Merrick knew better than to antagonize them without cause. He wanted to see if this particular tribe was friendly or not. Perhaps they could help him with the Light of the Sea.
The Carcharians made it to the Tiderunner and effortlessly climbed aboard. Most were larger than the pirates, but some of the shark-folk were human sized or even shorter. They were a motley bunch. Their appearances ranged from Mako sharks, Tiger sharks, Hammerheads, and more exotic species, such as Zebra sharks. Merrick thought they looked like those sharks, just with arms and legs, and standing upright. They wore simple clothing and armor made from special seaweed fabric, bones, and shells. They all had spears or tridents made from driftwood and shark''s teeth. Some had large paddle-like clubs studded with teeth.
Their leader was a tall Tiger shark looking creature. His snout was crisscrossed with scars, and his stripes were starkly dark compared to the gray of the rest of his body. He wore a necklace of shark''s teeth around his broad neck. His black eyes glinted with predatory intelligence.
"I am Torga, Chieftain of the Ta''u Tribe. You sail through our waters. what are you doing here, land-dwellers?"
"Ah, Chieftain Torga, a pleasure. We’re but humble traders and explorers, seeking to exchange goods and information. In particular, we’ve heard tales of the Light of the Sea and the island of Mao Shar. We wish to learn more of these things." Merrick said with a flourishing bow.
"The Light of the Sea is a dangerous quest, Captain. Mao Shar is treacherous, and many have perished seeking its secrets. Why do you pursue such peril?" Torga replied coolly.
"Dangerous, yes, but what treasure worth having isn’t? We’re a bold crew, and the promise of the Light is too grand to ignore. Perhaps we might exchange some fine goods for the knowledge you hold?" Merrick responded with a sly grin.
"Your goods matter little if they lead you to your doom. Mao Shar is a place of death. We, the Ta''u, avoid it. But tell me, Captain, why are you truly here?" The Carcharian was perceptive. More than Merrick had initially thought.
"Straight to the point, eh? Very well. We seek the Light of the Sea not just for its value, but to aid in our struggle against a foe most dire. Have you heard of Davy Jones?" Merrick asked.
The gathered Carcharians murmured under their breath at the mention of Davy Jones.
"Davy Jones... the Ghost of the Depths. We know of him. He is a curse upon the seas. Why do you speak of him?" Torga said with a grave tone in his voice. It was clear to Merrick that the Ta''u Tribe had some encounter with Davy Jones.
"Because, Chieftain, Davy Jones hunts us. We’ve had a close encounter with him, and we aim to end his reign of terror. The Light of the Sea may be our only hope to vanquish this ghostly fiend. We need your help to reach Mao Shar, and in return, we offer goods and a promise to rid the seas of this spectral scourge." Merrick replied.
"You speak boldly, Captain. The Ghost of the Depths is a formidable foe. Many have tried and failed to end his curse. Yet, if you seek to bring an end to his terror, we will aid you, but know this: the Ta''u will not set fin on Mao Shar or venture too close. We will guide you, but the final steps are yours alone." Torga said, nodding over his shoulder to his assembled tribe mates.
"Fair enough, Chieftain. We’re prepared to face whatever dangers await. In exchange for your guidance, we offer these goods: fine silks, spices, and weapons of Azonian make. What say you?" Merrick offered. He wanted to swindle the Shark-Folk, but he knew better than to lie, cheat, or steal from them. A pirate he may be, but he was no fool. The Carcharia were well known for biting people in half for a mere insult.
A few of the pirates rushed up from below deck, carrying a box containing some silks, spices, and cutlasses. Torga and the rest of the Ta''u tribe peered at the offerings.
"These are worthy offerings. We accept your trade. We will guide you to the edge of Mao Shar." Torga said, as one of his tribe members lifted the crate that took two pirates to haul. "We leave at dawn. Prepare your ship, Captain Draven. The waters around Mao Shar are treacherous, and the dangers are many. May your courage be true."
Torga turned to go, and before any of the Tiderunner''s crew knew it, the shark-folk had disappeared beneath the waves.
"Alright lads, we''ve got mooring to do. Mr. Gib, guide us to that islet over there. We''ll drop anchor and wait the night out. When the Ta''u are ready, we will make sail for Mao Shar." Merrick flourished his hands wildly, excitement filling his voice. They were almost there. Almost had the Light of the Sea in the cargo hold, but Mao Shar was sounding dangerous. He couldn''t get too excited. He felt that sense of dread induced euphoria again. His compass had been pointing to Mao Shar the whole time, and it continued to now.
The ship dropped anchor just off the island. Some pirates went ashore to make a camp. Soon a roaring bonfire was raging, and pirates were singing and dancing, and drinking rum. Tomorrow, their fortunes were going to change. Some thought by the Light of the Sea. Others, by a new Captain...