Seafarer Vol.1

The cool sea breeze blew in from the west further listing the capsized wreckage caught upon the jagged rocks surrounding the island. As the gale gained strength the poor unconscious mariner lying face down on its surface slid ever closer to the water. Listing heavily toward the isle, the incoming tide rolled the ship with a mighty wave and the sleeping seaman slipped silently into the water below.

Waking suddenly at the immersion into the tropical waters, the disoriented sailor flailed pitifully attempting to regain the surface against the crushing waves pinning him down. With effort born simply from the will to survive the crewman managed to take hold of the jagged rocks and pull himself out of the churning waters surrounding the small stoop.

He looked out at the wreckage of the ship floating in pieces in the inlet and the memories that led to the event came back to him in a rush. In the waters surrounding him the broken remains of the ship and its dead crew floated like driftwood crashing repeatedly into the jutting teeth of the Island. The seafarer removed his long tailed jacket and stretched his small gray wings to let them dry in the sun.

When his wings felt sufficiently dry enough for flight, he leaped into the sky and glides across the inlet toward the sandy beach. He landed softly on the beach near a large panel of the wooden ship, turning it over he saw the ships name neatly painted but covered in sand. The Gilded Lady had been a two masted sea vessel built for speed and exploration, the events of the previous night could never have been envisioned by the shipwright that built her.

The mariner looked away from the panel, scanning the wreckage for movement and finally setting his gaze on the horizon. The sudden storm that befell them the previous night left not a trace of its tail in the sky. Neither could he see the sails of the heavy warship that arrived in the storms wake to attack the Gilded Lady. It appeared that he somehow remained the sole survivor of the mournful encounter.

The events of the night became blurred as he remembered individual moments as if they stood still in time while he knew that so many things were happening around him. In his mind he could still see the the pink reflection of the setting sun on the calm waters around the ship. He could almost envision the sailors drinking and dancing on the deck as he played a merry tune on his bamboo panpipes. But, most of all he could still see the terror in the Captains eyes when as the sun drifted below the horizon a fog like he had never seen surrounded the small vessel. The sailor closed his eyes shaking his head with hope of forgetting the moments that followed. Undaunted the memories flooded through leaving only grief and terror in their wake. The Captain had cried out for the sails to be dropped, his voice drowned out by thunder that erupted from every direction. In the flashes of lightning he could still remember the crew staggering quickly to comply with the orders they were given. The storm that blew the thick fog around the ship suddenly calmed and in place of the rolling thunder a chorus of damned souls filled the air. Someone cried out Warship on our bow Captain!. Terrified by the voices filling the air, most of the crew hesitated. In the moments that followed the Warship passed slowly on the port side, the cannon fire echoing across the waters. The sound of breaking wood and splintering planks followed. He could remember the main mast being struck and how it sounded like a falling tree as it came crashing to the deck. Over it all he could remember the panicked screams of the crew, as they hurried to grab weapons expecting to be boarded.

Again the seafarer on the beach tried to stop thinking about what had happened. He opened his eyes and thought to busy himself with building a shelter in case the storm should return. He glanced further inland where game trails led through the light jungle into the raised part of the island. There could be a cave he surmised and decided he would scout the island before wasting time building a less fortified shelter. His memories again tried to invade his thoughts but he held them in check driven by the need to survive.