The Key: Sails and Tide

Chapter 14: Broken Rebellion - 001

     Drinking the warmth of the morning, the man allowed the sweet breeze of the day run through bare part his vested tunic provided.
  Rather than sitting all day in the Captains quarters with Elreal and Jerther, he preferred remaining down with other sailors. Those moments gave him chance to devoid his soul of the endless sorrows of his past, while hearing the tales and blabs of crew men. 

   Silly men.

  Unlike Jerther and Dierl, Zarehdden commonly known to all the Ghost' crew as Zar, had purely volunteered to join Elreal on his mindless quest, holding at heart no promised reward from the Wolf Captain.

   The reason to this was simple; he was indeed seeking chance to run father away from his past. Sailing unto the strange land Aphrida seemed yet a means to begin a new life in a strange world.

   From upon the entire Dynasty, the stories of the strange Southern world flew around Provinces. Elreal was in fact giving the whole crew to see if these stories told after all were reality.

  Eminently, the soldier approved rallying around the crew as means to keep ears down. He had made it his duty to observe the mariners and report their feelings, both good and bad back to Elreal.
   Call him a spy, it was his way of ensuring no more nonsense as a revolt or rebellion ensued again.

  But unlike Elreal' sickening first moment as Captain of the Ghost, after of course his declivity in glory by Goor's defeat - the crew now seemed much to approbate his person, and in fact would build fealty, even after hearing his truths of his vowed quest - a mystery one.

     a wider number of the crew, better said!

   Elreal' refusal to show power and crush Ander's rebellion even with the better men and better chance, told a different tale. It spelt clearly concern, rather than fear of Ander. And unlike what Ander and his company thought of Elreal, these men would yet see a different virtue: compassion, regard and loyalty even to few bounded allies.

  Zar smiled to himself as he considered the whole drama. It had been their politics to lure the affection and trust of all shipmates to their side, for they needed all the men they could get for Elreals mysterious quest.

  Foolish Ander, his ambition and rage had provided them the platform to this accomplishment.

  It was yet a good thing Elreal this time had the sheer opportunity of witnessing this truth of the crew's new perception of him, himself.

  The Captain was amidst the shipmen, dishing out food to starving mariners himself.
  Ever since Ander' crusade, their ration had been cut. But everyone understood yet the reason for this, and yet following Elreal's many promises, they were most ready to bare with the situation of things.

  Bloody politician!

  If it weren't Elreals mysterious quest, Zar couldn't think of any other profession that could fit the man, save the political leader he was now.

    "Eat what you can, we are still lost in the waters, but Dakara brings good tidings." Elreal spoke to the meal gorging crew, while he picked up few sun flower seed from the crust of his bread and served the bird on Zar's shoulders.

  The hawk had been a companion to Zar long before any of them. The creature was keen, expedient and proficient in its duty. It was the pure reason it managed to be the only true friend to the complicated Zar.

  Once more the red tailed hawk had proven most reliable in another task. Bringing back the fresh twig after its flying expedition spelt perfectly land was far no more.

The sheer news of land brought an encompassing gladness that dared incite them to forget what true treat marched on for them.

  It had been more than seven days Ander had taken Dierl and his men hostage and proclaimed siege on a whole deck. His actions were a sheer show of rebellion, even though he had dared not to begin any other attack in the vessel.

  Keeping two of his closest friends hostage, gave Elreal the heart hunt, yet he would not be tempted to show weakness in the mad man's schemes, least it be known to everyone his true weakness - a family he never had.

  Fate was testing his patience, but for how long he couldn't tell.

  The reality of it all was the young Captain had only but a thread of patience left.  Neglecting what the collateral damage be in the end, Elreal was determined in heart to rain fire and hails on Ander and his crusaders, of course upon depletion of his patience.

  "Captain, its been over seven days and we haven't gone down to check the propulsion paddles. Our pace is dragging in this waters." Eric, no less a popular figure in the vessel spoke to Elreal.
  The beads he had worn on beards and braided hair gave him the dramatic view,  once in harmony with his worried countenance.
  The Western man had served on the Ghost longer than he could remember. The floating body had been his home for eternity, and regardless of who claimed the Captains cabin, his loyalty was to the vessel more than it was to the wheeling man

  "Our brothers are in claws of a man we out man and out power. But he may yet be a lunatic as Goor, if not worst." Elreal suddenly began.
 His words were as an echo, proclaiming now to the queued shipmen.

  "A good Captain would marshal his crew, charge on and cut down those bloody rebels from the foundations of the earth - cut em in parts and toss the salt sea, make seafood for bloody fishes, irrespective of bitter loss. Aye, a good Captain would return this vessel to a running beast. " He sighed with a pause, while gazing at anxious crew.

  "We've lost almost half the shipmen that made crew to this vessel. We are yet recovered from Goor' blow and in need of more men to fill empty duty slots." Elreal began a pace through the standing men.
 
   "But a better Captain would do more." He sighed alas.  "A better Captain would see to freedom of all captive brothers. We've lost too much compatriots, we would not loose more on meaningless account as Anders rebellion. But in due time I swear you, Ander and his cohort would be brought to justice. " Elreal proclaimed now with a resonating roar that would actuate chant from fascinated seamen.

  Howbeit, the fated clamor of praise was brought to precipitous end, by the ludicrous noise. 
   The sharp thud of steel and firm wood in collision, began sequence to the absurdity. The crack of expelling latch pursued from the hatch that bridged the lower deck and upper. And in a moment, the hatch that'd been sealed for days by Anders own bidding had suddenly flung open.

    Ander!  The wolf Captain breathed.