THE ASC3NDANTS Awakening. (III) ✔[#Wattys2019]

Chapter (11)

Chapter 11 

"Get ready to land; the ship must be cleared of all weights in the next one hour." Captain Stanley called out while he left the wheel past Smarya who sat shivering in the dampness of the red blood stained deck in simple light attires. She watched him stole by this and that way while the men tied and untied several ropes all over the ship. She saw how often he was throwing glances in her direction until he came to a stop just in front of her.
"Someone find the pirate girl something warm and thicker to stay alive from the coldness."
The ship's chef was coming to meet the Black Project's captain with a large sweater tied around his waist. The moment he heard this, he thought it was directed to him. Immediately, he untied it from his waist and took it over to her.
All the same, Smarya realized something weird bothering the captain it could not be her looks because where he came from, it was without doubt a land rich with all sorts of fair ladies. Ladies of nobble status and decency! It were the stories many of the pirates her father sent out on raid told the others about women beyond the fog. Whatever bothered him would sure give her a hint about his major weakness. She was taught a man without a weakness has not been born yet.

"We must do everything as first as we can such that by midday we are back on board... is that clear men?"
The faster the better... however, we shall start the day by giving our most honorable Captain Horrace the best burial he deserves along with... these, your comrade we won't see again hereafter"
He spoke raising the little satchel one of the men hand him comprising of the little finger they had clipped from each of the dead crewmates. Yes." they nodded because they did feel him now.
An orange sun was already rising from the east giving the fog an appearance of clouds ascending but also hanging over the vast sea horizon like they !

The anchor was thrown down and two extra rowing boats lowered. The crew got to work immediately after. They had Capt. Horace's corpse lowered into the first boat and it was sailed to the shores while the rest landed in phases. Before they went ashore, clear instructions were given; in that the captain's body went first before anything else landed.
Some Holtem's crewmates would sail the body to the shore while a few of Stanley's men remained on board to organize the emptying of the ship for repair as well tending to the prisoner.
Later Captain Stanley stepped out of the boat. His dark leather boots sunk into the wet sands following the others. Sunk into the wet sands. He stood for a while and took a deep breath. Then raised his face towards the extensive green jungles. South of the shores where they landed, a marsh spread out following the edge of the forest and then inland as if there existed a river where it bent in wards so many years ago.
Several strange rocks rose out of the marshland here and there becoming a lot visible around the outer edges of the marshland and the forest line.
He passed his fingers through his dismantled sea salty hair and shut his eyes. Raised his face towards the sky to feel the breeze. He met the grand pirate and unlike the fairy tales, he was alive with a proof prisoner! He smiled to himself!

Well, once they had landed, the remaining of Capt., Horrace's loyal men immediately headed for the forest to collect wood and dry twigs they would use to erect some rather alter of honor.
And in less than an hour, they'd formed a fair stack of wood somewhere off the edge of the water and the captain's corpse lain on top. The rest set up camp and when they were done with raising the seashore camp, Next thing was to say 'goodbye' to their captain's soul in the best way they knew best how to.

Hence, they all including Stanley's men collected around the rectangular stack of wood. His men placed the body on top the stack of wood. Fuel was added poured around the wood and t.
His men began to recite a prayer he last heard them recite a week ago when they would penetrate the fog to be able to travel by its mysterious time disruption power. He knew a few words himself and spoke them out when he got to them. However, following this, there was a long moment of silence during which a few even shade tears.
Daiki, the ship's cook stepped forwards first. He slowly approached their captain's body holding something no one could see with both his hand and placed it on the corpse's chest. He steps back and immediately another man stepped up forwards.
Now everyone could see what it was the next man held in his hands. It was a little wooden curving the shape of a Japanese god. As he steps away, someone else took out their necklaces and placed it upon the corpse. Another removed their dagger, another their shirt and another, took the dagger and sliced a long dread off the back of their head and placed it over the captain's shoulder.
In simple terms, everyone had to show their level of respect and gratitude to the captain by offering something dear and precious from their personal belonging. In support of the respect, Stanley also reached into his pocket and too out a silver chain watch and without a word did the same.
It wasn't long when Smarya heard the men break start a loud Catholic hymn as a matter of fact that most of them where from Wales. The morning sea breeze into the coast's interior carried off the hymn and rose together with the grey smoke.
Later, Smarya is escorted off the ship in one of the boats wearing one of Daiki's extra size shirts and her own wet pair of quarter pants.
The rest set up camp by raising two tents while others went fishing and a few towards the jungle hoping to find some nuts or fruits.
Once the camp had been set, Stanley instructed Daiki, the ship's cook to light the fire and make tea for the others. Some stacks of wood had remained. At once Daiki got back in his line of duty without any complaint. He instructed that a few refreshments be brought ashore from the ship's stores for Daiki to prepare something before everyone.
"Listen, no one is to goes 300 yards beyond camp, cause I'm not I ready to lose any one else and remember the faster the better. Stand with me until I am done with this mission, before mid-night today! And I shall ensure each one's payment is doubled and losses compensated before sunset tomorrow"
Finally, he turned and saw Smarya led ashore in chains. And from the way Horrace's men treated her with such roughness required his intervention. He moved over to the boxes of food and took out a piece of bread; put it on a wooden plate. He also scooped some drinking water from a wooden barrel and started over to her where he had earlier instructed they place her. She sat alone in silence on a big rock while gazing out at the sea and hair blowing wildly in the sea breeze. Leaping from one to another, Stanley reached its side.
"Hey, do you mind helping me up?' He asked her with a little smile. At first, she ignored him. He remained silent and sure that she had heard him. She had a brown cloth over her shoulder and indeed looked funny in Daiki's shirt. He could not deny that the girl was the fairest he has seen to this day.
Finally, she turned and looked down at him. Her complexion was thrice fairer than all he has ever known! She held her arm out to him but he found himself in a lock he hadn't intended and unable to see that she offered to help him up.
"Oh thank you."' He told her but she didn't reply. She took them, placed everything at her side, and then sat quietly until he was also seated next to her but dumbfounded! There was no comparison between her character, bravery and beauty! Almost at once, she asked him.
"You need to refill because where we are headed, we don't know what to expect?"
She glanced at the plate and then at him. She ignores it and turns to face the sea again
"You may never get back out there again unless..."
"Where is Cobham-?" is all that came out of her.
"Why, the man has been long dead and everyone knows that you are the aggressors. That should have been my question to you Smarya..." The girl stared at him right in the eyes. Neither did he shy off to break the contact. All of a sudden, he felt like she was robbing him of his deepest secrets or something from her very gaze! He immediately broke the stare constantly blinking! All of a sudden, she turned and focused back at the sea. Her shinny soft black hair blew towards the coast like some desperate arms reaching out for something no one can see.
"Just don't say my name again..." She said in a cautioning tune.
"Then what should I call you... Pirate girl, just pirate gir-?"
She spun at him with a furious gaze and he jerked at that...
"Okay, okay, pirate Girl. You will need to eat this, may be now because it will be a while before our cook finishes preparing something warm and better?"
With her gaze still fixed hard and furious at him she told him. "How good a man are you sir?"
"Don't need judgement to know what sort of man I'm..." He said while holding out the piece of bread to her. With their eyes in contact again, her inner ability to understand beyond a common person's measure, could show her that her beauty had thrown him off guard! Was this her chance?
She glanced at the piece of bread in his hand and then at him again.
"How long will I be alive?"
"Until I hand you over..." he replied.
"Save me..." she spoke with a meaningful tone.
"Please eat this..." is all he could utter about now! He could not answer this question. She did not bother. Hence, after a long silence asked her again in a simpler manner.
"Will you eat this or not." She looked at the thing again and this time took it. She did not feel like taking it but she finally took it ignoring his admiration. She sniffled it and-
"-poisoned? No, -just good for now. Come on and take a bite" And to prove to her, he reached out. Took hold of her hand, broke off a piece and pushed it whole into his mouth. At first, she looked at him in wonder and finally taking a bite too. However, her gaze showed she did not like the taste of it from the way she took the water to clear her mouth.
She drunk more of the water to escort the second bite.