Journey to the Forgotten Island

Chapter 13 - Plotting

It was a shape he had never seen before in nature. Not even in the dense humidity of the Solapailtean jungle had he ever seen such an exotic and strange shape. The sketch of the leaf showed it to be long, with several rounded lobes and a short stock. Toma ran his finger down the scroll and saw it was a leaf from the oak tree – an impressive tree that ancient Vetustan settlers had noted in their travelogues, discovered by Liri and Penso.

As the arrival to the island approached, Toma was calling regular council with his men to prepare for their settlement. Toma was reading through the scrolls and books given to him by Liri and Penso, trying to learn as much as possible. Unfortunately, there was almost no information about the natives or the history of the island. The most useful information was that of local flora and fauna as well as the topography of the island.

Toma had learnt that the island had several plants and animals that did not exist in the Duro Empire. Oak, yew and maple were all strange trees with sketches of leaves and height, commonly found in the forests of Magoa, or Naxual as Penso had called it. There were said to be tall palm trees on the shores of Magoa, which would at least be a familiar sight. There were also sketches of different fruit and grains. Where the Duro empire subsisted on rice, wheat and potatoes – Magoa had several grains including oats and barley as well as a familiar varieties of wheat. There were also sketches of ferocious animals; wolves looked like a bigger variation of the Solapailtean coyote, a feared animal that the Duro army was beginning to use as the Sola rebels did. But more fearsome was the sketch of the bear, which could only be described as a larger and stronger cousin of the lions and pumas of the western deserts. All these exotic animals and plants were described in the Vetustan logs as harbouring magical properties – Toma could see why Liri had been suspicious of believing their reports. Surely not every being and plant on the island could be imbued with magic!

'Having studied the maps, I believe we should settle here,' said Esteban Busci, the Vulnirian prospector.

All the men, who stood around the table in the skipper's cabin on the quarterdeck, pouring over books and scrolls, turned to see Esteban's finger resting next to one of two rivers on the south coast of the island.

'Why there?' Toma asked.

'There are two rivers on the south of the island. One which comes down from the mountains through the interior of the island, another that meanders through a forest parallel to the eastern coast. The river from the mountains, which sits further west, will have a stronger current with a supply of fresh water. The estuary that goes through the forest is reported to have a weak, tidal current, with more salt water.'

Ami Conto frowned, 'Isn't a weak, tidal current better for sailing ships to the interior of the island?'

Esteban shook his head. 'No, it is the opposite. We need a strong and steady current to transport resources from the interior of the island to the periphery so that ships can transport them to the heart of the empire.'

Dini Erosi, the counter and keeper of coins, nodded in agreement. 'The extraction of resources to sell to the empire is what will propel us to the centre of the island, not the strength of the currents. Plus, the eastern river is too narrow and meandering.'

Toma nodded, convinced.

Ami nodded also, 'Very well. Skipper Jon says we expect to arrive in one or two days. The days of drift have made the day of arrival uncertaint. When we arrive, I suggest we steer clear from the abandoned Vetustan settlers. We do not yet know if they can be trusted.'

Toma laughed, 'I should hope they can be trusted – we left an interpreter from the Academy of Scholars of Mera with them! They are our only insight into the island.'