Samsara & The Privateer

His Quartermaster seemed to be on the brink of death and it would not have been long before he ended up a salty corpse, one that the Captain would have to eat to stay alive. He stared out at the ocean waves, in the moonshine he saw something coming, waves gently crashed as he watched in awe. A haunting three masted ship sailed towards them, her scarlet flag was a beacon of hope for the Captain. She sailed silently, and ethereally. He woke his emaciated Quartermaster to show him what was coming and was euphoric when he acknowledged the ship proving that he was not hallucinating. The ship came to a gentle halt, waiting for them, the Captain and his Quartermaster dragged themselves into the warm ocean water and used most of their energy to swim towards the mystical ship, her name was carved into the dark oak wood, Samsara. They looked up at the bowsprit carving of a Siren but neither of them had ever seen one of that nature. Her teeth were carved to look like a sea monsters, jagged and interlocking, her arms stretch out from what looked like raven wings. The Jacobs ladder dropped down and they mustered everything they had to climb aboard the ship. Their brine soaked clothes clung to their bodies as they dropped onto the immaculately clean deck. The Captain staggered to his feet and wondered why no one had come to their aid, there was pure silence aboard his mysterious saviour. He began to search the ship, he staggered down some wooden stairs into the Captain's Quarters.

He grinned examining a purple sapphire that lay upon a piece of silk, an array of weapons lay scattered on some damask to the right of a wooden cabinet. He opened the cabinet to find a pair of linen breeches amongst other items, the clothing he found was flamboyant and expensive and there was a selection to choose from. Jewels, gold escudos and pieces of eight lay scattered within the Quarters, he had stumbled across a treasure cove. He looked at a map that was drawn on papyrus, it showed an island with black mountains and the coordinates to get to it.

He realised he was on a pirate ship but wondered where everyone was, maybe they had met the same fate as his crew. His Quartermaster had explained the odious torture he witnessed their crew endure before he escaped. While he explored the Quarters he wondered if maybe he was saved by the Gods of the sea, after all he did ask for help. He continued his inspection and found a large book with the name Samsara written on the front lying next to a lit candle. He opened the book and flipped through the pages, it was a log book. He noticed the writing was in Portuguese, he had seen the language being written by one of his now deceased crew, he could not make head or tail of it. What he could understand were the dates and there was something most peculiar, every nine years there was a line drawn through the previous crew and then it started afresh once again. Maybe I'm not reading it correctly he thought before looking at a pair of short leather boots, he closed the ship's log and he removed his ruined boots of the same style, he then continued to remove his clothing. A long scar ran from the base of his spine around to his left nipple, he parted the hair on his chest admiring the scar in an oversized mirror, a reminder of being victorious in battle and that he was not easily defeated. He dressed in the breeches and slipped on an embroidered calico waistcoat, the boots fitted as if they were made for him.

He looked to the wooden floor, three frown lines ruffled on his forehead and his grey eyes focused and singled out a lighter coloured plank. It creaked when he pushed his new boot down on it, the Captain went down on his knees and lifted the plank. His fascination peaked with the discovery of a leather-bound book concealed within the secret compartment. He reached into the hiding place and retrieved the book. He unwrapped the leather strap and admired the jewels encrusted in the eyes of the ravens on the front. He pulled the candle forward from the cluttered desk for more light and sat cross legged on the floor. The ship rocked fiercely on opening the book, he turned to the first page, his excitement and curiosity began to escalate. The book was a manual, that of a magician or a witch on conjuring and capturing demons, denizens of darkness richly explained that only one's nightmarish imagination could dream up.