The Other Tide

Chapter IX

The past few days have been nothing but open sea. The nights were long and...wet. It rained the whole time, making the men uneasy. Sariah stayed in the Captain's quarters as Cassian was too busy with things. He seemed stressed recently, causing her to worry. Her head jerked as the doors bursted wide open. A tired and wet looking Cassian walked in. The rain poured behind him, soon closing the doors. He took off his coat, hanging it up. She sat in his desk chair, watching him flop onto his bed. He laid on his back, laying his arm above his head. He closed his eyes, not saying a word. "Have you made any progress with searching for the first trial?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the desk. A small sigh escaped his lips. "Akira says he knows what he's doing, but I'm not sure with all this rain." He turned his head looking over at her. "Have you been holding down the fort?" He asked, jokingly. She rolled her eyes, slightly smiling. "There's not much to do when you're stuck here." She answered, resting her elbow on the surface. Her chin plopped down in her hand, sighing. "It's been a long week." He commented, sitting up. She looked over at him. "It's already been a week?" She raised an eyebrow, being sarcastic. He softly chuckled, shaking his head. She looked off to the side, another sigh escaping her lips. "I hope my father isn't terribly worried. I know that once he finds our course, he will follow us until his death." She looked worried, her eyebrows furrowing. "It's too dangerous for him." She whispered, fidgeting with the necklace. "If I know anything about you, it is that you're smart. I mean you have to get it from somewhere." Cassian looked at her, tilting his head slightly. She looked over at him, confused. He sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that, your dad is smart enough to come looking for you. If he is well educated about this treasure, he won't follow us. If he were to find us, that is." He tried to reassure her, offering a soft smile. Her heart fluttered at his smile, making her look away quickly. "Let's just hope we're good at covering our tracks."

Two days went by, the weather clearing up. The waters were still a little choppy, nothing the crew couldn't handle. Sariah sat up in the crow's nest, letting the wind blow in her face. Up ahead she saw dark clouds forming, the water turning dark. The wind started to pick up as they approached. She quickly climbed down, her boots hit the ground with a boom. The ship rocked violently. Sariah rushed to where Oxi, Mohan, Arien, Akira, and the Captain were gathered up on the quarter deck. "Have you seen the..storm approaching?" She asked, the wind picking up. The men turned their heads, looking at the water circling into a whirlpool. "Looks like we found our first trial." Akira said, tucking the journal into his satchel. "All hands on deck!" Mohan ordered, walking past Sariah. Oxi followed right behind, quickly returning to his station. Akira turned the wheel as the ship made a sharp turn. Cassian stepped closer to Sariah as the two watched. The water was drawing them in. "The current is too strong." Akira said, struggling to turn the wheel. "What if that's the point." Sariah said, taking the journal. "What if we have to be drawn in. It's like a portal." She pointed to a drawing on the map. "See. I saw this symbol when the map was revealed." Cassian looked over her shoulder, studying it. She turned it around, showing Akira. Akira looked ahead then back at the drawing. "A portal to what exactly?" He asked, seeming nervous. "To an upside down world where only the next trails exist." She closed the journal. "But it's just a theory."

The ship rocked again, creaking to high heavens. The ship turned again, they were fastly approaching this...portal. "Brace yourselves!" The Captain yelled. The sails raised, catching the wind. Sariah gripped the ledge, bracing herself. The ship tossed and turned, falling into the whirlpool. The ship turned on its side, going under the water. She gasped, her grips slipping as she started to slide to the edge. A hand grabbed her hand, grabbing her before she fell off the side. She looked up, her eyes meeting golden brown. He pulled her up, holding onto her waist. She grabbed onto the rope he was holding on. The ship completely flipped, submerging them underwater. The ship turned upside down, the crew swimming up to grab onto something. The current carried the ship back to the surface. Sariah gasped for air, standing on her hands and knees. She coughed, trying to get her breath back. "Are you okay?" Cassian asked, crouching down. She raised her hand up, stopping him from speaking. "I'm fine." Cassian helped her up, looking at the crew to make sure he had everyone accounted for. "Looks like you were right." Akira said, pointing to an island. "It seems we're not finished." Sariah looked ahead then back at the journal.