The Navigator

The sea was still, unnaturally still. The men aboard the St. Meridian rushed about preparing oars to start the ship in motion again. Christopher Holt captain of the St. Meridian shook his head, he'd given the orders and yet he knew it was likely futile. His steely blue eyes surveyed the depths with an expertise born of an entire life spent on the water. Unfortunately knew what was coming, He'd seen it once before. On that day he had watched the crew of the other ship do exactly as his crew did now. He had been the Scout for the St Meridian at the time watching from a great distance, it'd been many years since that day. But the Doldrums weren't something you forgot witnessing. He watched as the telltale signs began to form. First you notice the still water and the suspicious absence of the wind, the lifeblood of a ship. Next he knew that the water would start to bubble, He had watched this from over a mile away last time and hadn't seen the bubbling personally, however he had heard from the few survivors of other ships that had managed to escape that this was the next sign. Then there would be jets of water that would rip straight through wood and man alike. Then lastly whirlpools that could stop a fleeing ship in its tracks and would suck whatever was left deep into the crushing depths. He had watched the men all those years ago as they abandoned ship and tried to swim away only to be pulled back under. it seemed there was no escape. If The Doldrums wanted you they would take you. Captain Holt knew it might be too late, but he had something that the other ship all those years ago hadn't. Now where was that boy.
"Havercash, find the boy!" He shouted the command getting the attention of his first mate who had been directing the crew as oars fell into the water and started pushing the ship forward. Too slow, the crew was moving too slow. Captain Holt watched as bubbles started to form on the surface of the water. He cursed softly.
"Hurry man!" He called gripping the steering wheel more tightly the bubbles began to come faster and faster. He gripped the Compass pendant around his neck and sent up a prayer to the real Saint Meridian, his ships namesake. He wasn't sure if the saint would hear him but he figured it was worth a shot. He finished his prayer, for deliverance and if not then at least a quick death and a good resting place for the ship. The bubbles had begun to rock the boat, it was as if the whole patch of ocean were boiling though there was no steam and the flecks of water that were thrown unto the deck were cool to the touch.
"There you are" He said grabbing the young boy who ran up to the quarter deck where Captain holt stood at the steering column. He was a young lad, in his late teens or maybe his very early twenties. The boy wasn't much to look at by Caption Holts estimation. His long grey almost silver hair was pulled back in a tail. He was new to the crew, Their last Navigator had been pilfered by the royal fleet for his mandatory years of service to her majesty the queen. The St. Meridian had been without a Navigator for well over a year. And had just found this promising young prospect a month ago.
'Now we just have to hope he knows what he's doing' Captain Holt thought to himself.
"Can you muster up a wind for us boy?" He said aloud looking in the boys eyes, they seemed almost the same silver color as his hair. What a strange appearance the boy had, never mind that though, the bubbling ocean was now starting to release weak spouts of water. He saw uncertainty in the boys eyes, he hadn't answered, He was looking out at the boiling water. The poor lad had probably only heard the horror stories about the Doldrums. The stories that said it couldn't be beaten. It could be beaten though, Captain Holt had known men who had. Unfortunately even with a highly skilled navigator it would be near impossible. Let alone a scrawny boy with less than a few months experience on the crew. His hopes weren't high as the boy strutted a response.
"I...I...I can try" The boy said taking up his position on the raised platform towards the back of the quarterdeck tying a rope around his midriff to keep himself a little more stable as he stood and held the Navigation Compass that was tied around his neck. The boy cried out as a blast of water crashed through the air near the starboard side of the ship. Captain Holt held his breath and stood silently. He knew that their lives were in the hands of this poor youth. It probably wasn't fair to expect so much from him. Captain Holt however knew that life on the seas was very rarely fair and it certainly cared little for if you were prepared or not.
That being said he wouldn't leave this boy out to dry. He ran to the Navigation platform and climbed up onto it trying to block out the sound of more geysers blasting from the water like cannon fire. One of these geysers blasted the front of the ship and he heard the cries of men and of splintered wood as the ornate figure head of a sea serpent was snapped off the ship and thrown 60 feet into the air. 'That can't be a good omen.'
"Focus boy, We can beat this. Clear your head and let the compass guide you." He said placing his hand on the boys shoulder. He watched as the youth breathed in and close his eyes tightly, he could tell the boy was trying to block out the sounds of the geysers as another one blew from the water snapping through hull on the Starboard side with a sound like a thunder clap. Men and fragments of wood went flying through the air. The boat wouldn't last much longer like this. He turned his eyes back to the boy and was shocked. He still closed his eyes but there was an unnatural sense of calm around him as though he was at peace even in the midst of chaos. Captain Holt had watched Navigators work before but this was something else, the compass the boy had been holding up began to glow and to float just above his hand. A Compass and Needle of pure blue light appeared in front of the boy. The Needle started to spin like a clock in front of the boy. It hit a point on the diameter of the compass of light and flashed, The water that had been filling the ship through the hole formed by the latest geyser stopped suddenly. An after image hung in the air as Another needle appeared and began to spin rapidly until it locked into place as well, a different location on the compass of light. A breeze, no not just a breeze but a true gale of wind filled the sails of the ship. Another geyser, this time on the port side of the main deck. More men flew through the air, screams sounded. The gale lost its power as the young Navigator lost focus for a moment.
"Steady on lad, I can see the edge. We are almost free of this monster!" And indeed he could. the edge of the Doldrums where waves still formed outside the boiling water and geysers. It was still a half a mile or so out, but the boy had conjured up a good wind and they were moving quickly now. Another Compass point formed spinning directly to the point of the first where the after image still hung in the air, Another flash of blue light. The second hole in the ship stopped filling with water. The crew of the St meridian started to notice and stood in amazed silence as they watched the boy work. Captain Holt began to think this boy could really do it, really get them out of this. Three points was remarkable, especially for one so young and under the circumstances.
"You're doing it lad!" He let the excitement sound in his voice. He saw a smile pulling at the edge of the boys mouth.
Two more geysers hit in quick succession. The smile immediately disappeared as the boat pulled sharply to the starboard side. Water poured in through two fresh holes. One of the geysers had struck the the central mast and there was a hideous snapping noise as it tipped over crushing men and sections of the boat beneath it. Captain Holt watched as two more compass needles appeared and snapped into place the holes clogged but the ship had stopped moving again. The Young Navigator now held five Needles of light stretching out in front of him 4 of them pointed to the first position and clogging the holes in the ship. the fifth one was pointing at another spot on the radius of the compass. That fifth one now flickered and then disappeared. The wind died, the boat was no longer sinking but was also no longer moving.
"We've got to move lad, We're sitting ducks here!" Captain Holt's cried over the noise of shouting men and of the geysers in the water around them. He could see consternation on the young Navigators face, sweat ran down his face as another Needle formed. This needle spun even more rapidly around the radius of in front of him it slowed moving back and forth like an upside-down pendulum. The new needle of blue light snapped into place pointing directly up towards the sky, True North. The whole ethereal compass flashed a golden color. The ship started moving, no gale of wind propelled it this time, their main mast was down even if there had been a wind it wouldn't have helped much. No, Something else was driving it. Captain Holt starred at the boy in wonder, He had somehow managed to gain control of the water itself and was using it to push the ship forward. The boy opened his eyes and Captain Holt was shocked to see the determination in the usually timid boys eyes.  They were almost there, he could see the waves of the water outside the Doldrums. He could feel the breeze just ever so lightly, Freedom.
The ship lurched to a stop, causing both Captain Holt and his Navigator to be thrown hard into the front rail of the Navigation platform. The Needles of the compass that had been in front of the silver haired boy shattered flying out of position and disappearing. The ship immediately started to fill with water from the many holes in it. They looked back at what had stopped them from reaching their freedom when it was so close. A massive whirlpool spun rapidly behind them.
'Of course' Captain Holt thought, how could he have forgotten the last and often most deadly step in the Doldrums cruel ritual. The ship started pulling backwards into the void of crushing water. To his credit the young navigator pushed himself back up unto his feet swiftly and closed his eyes again. A Compass and Spindle formed but it hung limply, it spun up to a spot on the compass but then slid back down.
"Come on, Come on" the boy muttered just loud enough for the captain to hear. The boy focused even harder and the Needle flew around one more time Slamming into place at the top. True north again. The ship began straining against the whirlpool. It was no use however the boat was now filling with water from where they geysers had eviscerated it. The St meridian strained but made no more forward progress. The boy muttered a prayer and opened his eyes. Another spindle appeared and slammed into place at true north. Another spindle, another brief struggle and then it slammed into place as well. Every time the compass flashed a golden light. The boat started to move. Ever so slightly, but it was movement. The water seemed to be draining out of the bottom as well as they pressed forward, inch by agonizing inch.
The boy was resolute and stared forward with his silvery steel eyes. Captain holt was struck by something in that moment, this was probably the most talented Navigator he had ever seen. Not only had he been controlling five spindles before, but now he now was maintaining True North three times. His awe was short lived however as one of the Spindles shattered flying off wildly, the second one followed shortly after. The last spindle held but only for another few seconds as it cracked and flew wildly disappearing into thin air. The Boy slumped down only being held up by the rope he had tied around himself. Captain Holt got up to try to run his side but in that moment another geyser ripped through the boat tearing through the Navigation platform itself with the force of half a dozen cannonballs. The geyser sent the captain over the edge back onto the quarter deck where his first mate clung to the wheel trying unsuccessfully to keep some manner of control of the ship. When Captain Holt looked back to the Navigation platform, he knew they were doomed.
The young brilliant Navigator was gone. The platform in shambles and not even a hint of where the young boy had been. Even the railing where he had been tied was gone leaving a gaping hole where the platform had been. The ship was being pulled into the depths, it was mostly full of water anyway, there wasn't any coming back from this. 'That boy was truly a marvel, a shame he had to die like the rest of us on this all forsaken ship.' The captain thought.
Captain Holt muttered one more prayer, this time he opted to skip the part about deliverance. He figured there wasn't much point. He clung to the compass pendant around his neck as the ship groaned with one last effort and then the St meridian imploded.
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What was left of the ship and crew was pulled under the water rapidly, by the time the waves began again and the wind returned there was very little left of the it. A few broken boards, a serpent figure head, and a young silver haired boy with a compass around his neck.