Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

Out of the Depths (Pt.2)

The stench below decks was no longer tolerable and he could feel himself on the verge of retching. The only place where the smell was mildly tolerable was on deck, where the wind helped to dissipate the vile odour. Above deck, the night sky completely engulfed the ship. You could not tell if you were looking five miles or five metres, it was just blackness. Only the waves reminded you that something was actually out there. It was peaceful under the stars and Mutt was sleeping peacefully by the bow of the ship. Nathaniel was glad that the giant was able to sleep when he could not. At the stern of the ship the first mate was at the wheel and sat on the deck timbers behind him were two of the other crew members, who appeared to be engaged in some kind of game.

Nathaniel stood at the side of the ship, appearing to be minding his own business, whilst in reality watching this game with intrigue. There was little else to do at sea so it was unsurprising that sailors resorted to playing games in their free time. The premise of the game seemed simple; you threw what looked like a collection of finger bones onto the deck and by some understanding of their value, you collected points. The greater number of points would win some bones from the opponent. The overall winner would be the one who eventually held all the bones. It was hard to tell, however, how the score was determined. He moved a little closer, now more obviously observing the game. The bones passed back and and forth between the players, round after round. The person who seemed to be winning and on top could easily be on the back foot a few rounds later.

The two sailors seemed to be enjoying themselves so much that Nathaniel was enraptured and completely absorbed in the game. Finally one of the sailors cheered, threw their hands into the air and clapped, indicating they had won the game. "I'd like to play," Nathaniel blurted. Both men turned an eyed him suspiciously. "Would you teach me?" he asked, more tentatively. They looked back to each other for a moment then turned back to Nathaniel and nodded. He took a seat, cross legged, on the deck next to them. The man who'd won scattered all the bones onto the deck, mixed them up and then split them into two equal piles of fifteen. Nathaniel took the pile nearest to him and carefully observed the small bones. Each one had a different symbol crudely carved into it, presumably denoting its value.

"This is a game of chance," explained the other sailor, who was not playing. "There are five pieces, each with a different action," he continued, pointing to carvings on the bones, then proceeded to explain each one. One had an 'X' carved onto it which denoted a 'hit'. Another had an 'O' which symbolised a 'block', to block a 'hit'. Next was a three pronged 'V' which looked like a bird foot. This was a 'reflect', which was like a 'block' but returned the 'hit'. The next was an 'I' known as a 'strike', which was basically a 'hit' that could be blocked but not reflected, but also negated a 'hit'. The final one was three adjacent, diagonal lines. This was called a 'steal' and when played, could swap out one of your opponents bones, of your choice, for each one you played. The explanation helped a little but he could tell that only playing it would truly cement his understanding. "To start you put all your bones into the cup, then shake 'em up and pull out five at random, to throw down."

They each threw down their five bones and for the first round they explained how to tot up the points. Beginner's luck perhaps, but Nathaniel won three bones from his opponent and only lost one. As the rounds continued, he found he picked up the rules quite easily and did not need prompting to count up his points. The bones passed back and forth for a few rounds and subconsciously Nathaniel found himself resting his hand on his medallion. The next ten rounds went entirely in his favour, leaving his opponent with only two bones left. When he won the game the sailors looked in disbelief that he had been so lucky. It dawned on him though that perhaps his medallion had something to do with it. "Of course we can make it more interesting by playing for something of value. We usually gamble a day's grog ration," his opponent explained as he collected up the bones. "Another game?" Nathaniel asked, looking at the other sailor.