The Whale that Swallowed the Sea

Chapter Four: The Ghost

When The Dagenhart was far out at sea, leaving the backwater, dead-end town of Caston far behind them, Marinus felt free finally being able to see nothing else around him that would hinder his quest. He could finally focus on finding new information on and the location of the giant whale. It mattered not where they were heading; any place away from Caston was a place welcome to Marinus.

"Hey Marinus!" Azeria said, suddenly popping up from the deck to join him on the bridge. "The Dagenhart sails great! Doesn't she?"

Marinus sighed, remembering that he wasn't quite as alone as he would have liked to have been. "Yes..." He said simply, his signature scowl returning once again.

"So where are we headed to first?" She asked excitedly. "Beay? Froston? Alandria? Oh I know! The Bangle Islands – they are notoriously ridden with pirates that could know something about secret under-the-law dealings!"

Marinus sighed in annoyance. "We aren't going to any of those places." He said.

"Then...where are we heading to...?" Azeria asked, confused.

"Where ever the wind takes us." Marinus answered.

"So...?" Azeria pressed.

"The first place we see." Marinus snapped, becoming irritated with her constant questions.

"Alright! That sounds like it will be a fun adventure!" Azeria said with an excited smile, looking out at the sand-sea, quiet for a few blissful moments, but only a few. "Hey Marinus? Do you know any sailing songs we could–"

"That's it!" He interjected suddenly. "Why don't you go and check out the rest of the sand-ship? Like...the kitchen and cabins and stuff?"

Azeria's eyes sparkled. "Oh yeah! I want to see what my new room will look like!" She then ran down to the deck and then entered through the door that led down into the lower hold.

Marinus sighed in relief at being left alone in some peace in quiet – at least until Azeria discovered that the cabins were not as luxurious as she was probably imaging them to be.

As he continued to steer the ship with nothing but the wind to disturb him, Marinus was almost beginning to wonder what had happened to Azeria, that is, until he heard her shriek rise up from below deck. The sudden scream made him jump, and then he checked to make sure their heading was clear before he left the bridge and quickly headed down to the lower hold to see what had happened.

He hurried down the hall, passing the kitchen and coming to where he saw one of the cabin doors left open. As he rushed through, Azeria was rushing out and the two collided heavily into each other with Azeria falling on top of Marinus in the hallway.

Marinus groaned with pain as he rubbed the back of his head that had smacked into the cabin door across the hallway. Azeria was scrambling to her feet, looking shaken, but realizing Marinus was there.

"Oh my gosh – I am so sorry Marinus!" She said hastily.

"Why were you screaming?" He growled as he got to his feet more slowly. "If this is just about a cockroach or a rat–"

"No!" Azeria cried. "It was a ghost – I saw a ghost!"

Now Marinus wished it was just a rat.

"A ghost...?" He said skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes! It must have been one of the ghosts the shipwright had mentioned that lives on The Dagenhart!" Azeria shrilled. "And it is in that cabin right now!"