The Time Sail

Nautical conflict

For fourteen days and fourteen nights, the ship made its way towards Mexico. Victor spent most of his time charting their route but when he wasn't in his quarters he spent time looking out at sea. The ocean was an amazing tropical blue and the waves were something of a beauty to watch as the boat continued. 

The nights were heavy. Many people were overcome with seasickness but it was a gentle ride for the most part of it. 

There was one night, on the second Monday of the trip where he got a sudden conflicting series of thoughts. The Ecuadorian Jewel. Should he study it? Should he hide it? The jewel had been fairly unprotected, so surely it's power was quite minimalistic? But nonetheless, he spent countless hours that night, detailing on a piece of parchment the fine examination he had undergone. The jewel seemed to glow in the dark. What was even more strange was that the jewel was able to absorb light. That was nothing compared to the final and most terrifyingly brilliant aspect of the jewel. It could duplicate things. Victor hadn't tried that power out much but he had ended up using it on his finger by accident. The crew spent a laborious three hours trying to remove it with the jewel, which it did eventually.

Victor passed through the bedroom door and into his chamber. His fourposter bed lay in the corner, untouched. "Perhaps I should lock it down?" He said and walked over to the desk drawer, opening it slowly and pressing the small hand-sized jewel inside. Outside of his window, the sea stirred and the moon bathed the water in an eery glow. "Day twelve of sailing to Mexico. Perhaps Longhurst was right. There was a distinctive shape following us on the horizon yesterday. Vincent claimed it was a Spanish boat. I think not. I think perhaps this is the calling of the Ecuadorian Jewel. As mentioned, it has strange abilities. I detailed them in my last journal. I think we shall have to keep an eye on this shape. We do not want the jewel in the wrong hands." Spoke Victor aloud as he wrote. Closing his journal, he moved slowly over to his cupboard, retrieving a sword as red as the sunset. It glinted in the candlelight. "The Crimson Cutlass." He spoke. His injuries hadn't faded yet and he was still sore from Ecuador. "Croantinumla" Victor spoke in a single word. In an instant, the sword lit up and shone in the room, illuminating every detail. His scars suddenly began to vanish and he felt better instantly. In fact, he felt even better than before any of his accidents. Once the cutlass was finished it began to dull and the blade suddenly rusted. "Two years until you shall be used again," Victor spoke and returned it to his cupboard before stepping back and admiring the room. 

He was a collector, of some sorts. There were trinkets and items he had gathered over the past but none so great as the Crimson Cutlass or the Ecuadorian Jewel. His first had been a necklace belonging to Countess Averfoire in the land of France. Her necklace had controlled birds to a limit of certain tasks. Victor passed his hand over the intricate golden chain. It was still as brilliant as he remembered it. 

His second item had been the Ring of Blood, an amazing result forged by the brilliant minds in Egypt. He had sailed to Alexandria for the ring that could stop the shedding of blood once every decade. He still had four years until he could use it again. 

The trickiest one he had stolen would have been the London Eyescope. Back when he had first been recruiting, Victor had come to London in search of members and had stumbled across Sir Philip Smith, an inventor who had created a telescope so powerful it could read the fine print of a newspaper from the other side of a football pitch. The telescope looked rather battered now that he paid attention to it. 

The last and most mysterious item he had come across was a box made of led. Never had he attempted to open it because never had it budged. He had tried the theory that it was solid but every time he shook it something rattled inside. The box was about the size of an average hand. Victor took it up to his eyes and peered closely at it. There was a distinct break where the box was sealed. That's when the idea struck. He would use the Crimson Cutlass, strongest blade known to man. 

Having only picked it up recently, Victor had not tried it on the box. Grabbing the handgrip, he aimed the tip of the sword and slashed. There was a deafening scraping noise about as fast as someone might blink and the top lid of the box cascaded off to the side. His mind was buzzing. Perhaps he might get a look at what was inside? Just as he went to step over and peer into the box, the ship rocked dangerously. "We're under attack, sir!" Bellowed Vincent. 

Victor's heart was racing. He grabbed three items from his cupboard and opened the bedroom door into the main deck. There was a sudden blast and the complete destruction of wooden planks. He swivelled up to see Katia steering the boat. It was safe. "Man the cannons then!" He yelled and stepped down where there was a collection of rope. Victor stretched out one hand and threw it as high as he could up towards the masts. It flew over one of the bulky logs that held the mast in place before returning by his side. It was safely over and in a loop. Victor then began to climb.

His fingers and palms burned. His heart was beating so fast he thought it would burst out of his chest.  Sweat began to collect on his forehead but he kept going. Eventually, he reached the topmast where a single circular balcony stood. Hauling himself over the railing, Victor then grabbed the London Eyescope and scouted out the ship attacking him. It had been the shape on the horizon. As far as he could see there were torches. Stupid people. If he could only knock down the torches and the ship would burn. Cannonballs were too inaccurate. he didn't want to waste them if they were going to miss. Victor searched his pockets for any trinkets he might have. The necklace of Count Averfoire wouldn't work. There weren't enough birds and he couldn't risk the animals getting shot. The ring wouldn't work for a whole host of reasons. He couldn't use the Jewel of Ecuador because the light was needed to burn it. He couldn't use the Crimson Cutlass either. 

Hopelessness began to overcome him. What if they sunk? "Sir?" Yelled Longhurst. Victor looked below. Longhurst, a tall beefy man with a goatee, pointed to what looked like a crossbow. In a single movement, Longhurst lobbed it up and Victor caught it with the tip of his finger. The arrow could travel further if instead, it was a sword! Victor retrieved the Cutlass and began to rub the jewel over the red blade. More and more cutlasses began to appear and some even overflowed down onto the deck. "It's raining knives!" Screamed Gerrald and hid under a crate. He stopped and returned the jewel, attaching the sword to the crossbow. It wouldn't work unless...the crossbow was able to carry further. But how? Victor's mind was panicking but he tried to remain calm. He could try and use a bird? No that would never work! As he spoke more cannonballs crashed into the boat. Victor also found out that the only true Crimson Cutlass could repair the boat. This was not going to end well unless he came up with an idea to save them all. "Forget the blades." He said aloud and kicked them off. They pierced the deck. "Sir Whaddaya doing?" Bellowed Longhurst angrily.

"Don't worry. I'll save us." The led box was brought out. He pushed off the lid and gazed inside. What was inside was ridiculous. "A pebble!" He yelled. 

'What's going on up there?" Yelled Longhurst. Victor retrieved it from the box and threw the remains into the sea. It clunked noisily. "Fire the cannonballs instead of yelling at me!" Shouted Victor and began to inspect the pebble. What could it do? He'd have to find out. 

Just as he began a quick test, the mast came down in a flurry and he accidentally...swallowed the pebble. He was now scared for his life as his fingers clutched the railing and hoped for a painless landing. In reality, the mast came down in a blast and he was sent overboard with all of his items, hitting the sea with a loud smack. Darkness appeared at the edges of his vision. All that he could see as he turned and faced the boat was the end mast doused in red fiery flames. East Explorer had sunk...

Image credit to thommas68. If you enjoyed this chapter look out for the next one. It's even better!