Chapter One
I take pen in hand to write this
rambling tale of strange doings and
intrigue in the desolate backlands of
Hivernia, that strange and lonesome
island that I now call home. Many years
have passed since that fateful night the
terrible storm threw me from the raging
sea onto the shore of the island. I had
started out on what should have been a
normal voyage from Beliugas to Pertaskas,
on board a nice compact cruise ship.
However, after eight days had passed a
sudden storm started brewing, and before
anyone could react, reached hurricane
force. The ship had been buffeted about
for several hours until it started to
come apart. As more and more of the ship
fell into the sea, it became clear that
it was going to sink, and that time was
not too far off. Most of the crew had
already left in the few lifeboats that
were on the ship, so making my way to
the deck I looked around for some means
of escape.
Just as I appeared on deck, the last of
the lifeboats disappeared over the side.
Rushing over to the side I looked down;
just then a tremendous wave lifted the
small boat high into the air and then
dropped it down into a trough, falling
in over the helpless humans and the
boat, tearing it apart and sending all
to the bottom of the sea. As the ship
swayed back and forth I staggered about,
looking frantically for something that I
could use to keep me afloat when I had
no choice but to abandon ship.
I finally stumbled over some timbers in
a corner on the deck. I grabbed some of
the rope that was coiled nearby and
began lashing several of them together,
making crude sort of raft. When I had
come up on deck I had brought a small
bag with a jug of water, some cheese,
and half a loaf of bread that had been
left over from the dinner the night
before. Armed with my meager supplies I
secured myself to the raft and waited
for the end of the ship. I had not long
to wait. With a tremendous jar another
of those gigantic waves struck the ship,
sending water pouring over the sides and
then as the ship started to sink the
water carried the raft and me along with
it over the side of the ship and down
into the raging waters waiting below.
Upon striking the water I hit my head on
one of the timbers and blacked out, for
how long I do not know. I only know that
when I awoke the storm was spent, and
the raft was drifting gently on the
surface of the sea. Having no compass
and no maps, I had no idea where I was
at, or how long the raft had been moving
on the water while I was unconscious.
Standing up as best I could on the
rickety raft, I shaded my brow with my
hand and looked about me. Over to my
left I could the outline of what
appeared to be trees, so returning to a
sitting position I began using my hands
to try to paddle the raft in the
direction of the trees.
It was hard work and took me some time,
but I finally was able to see the trees
from the raft. Soon I was close enough
to slide off the raft into the water and
drag it up on land. Taking a few steps I
collapsed to the sand, utterly spent
from my endeavor.
After several minutes I rolled over and
stared up at the sky, noticing how blue
and cloudless it was-a far cry from the
way it had been last night! I then sat
up on my knees and looked around. The
beach stretched for about a hundred
yards in either direction before curving
out of sight, with a large clump of
trees at both ends. About fifty feet in
front of me the trees started, palm
trees that were growing quite thick and
tall with dense underbrush mixed in with
them.
Struggling to my feet I mentally flipped
a coin and started walking to my left
along the beach. As I slogged along I
soon realized that something was
missing. Pausing, I concentrated for a
few minutes and then it came to me-there
were no birds! Usually there were gulls
and other birds on the water, and along
the shores, but for some reason there
were none. Puzzling over this I
continued walking along.
I was getting closer to the clump of
trees that obscured the shore as it
curved inland from where I had landed,
and suddenly the trees started to shake.
The shaking grew greater and there was
now a noise that became audible, a low,
stomping sort of sound, as if several
hundred men were jumping up and down at
the same time on the sand.
Unsure of what this might portend, I
stopped and waited. Out there on the
beach, no cover of any kind, I knew that
if anyone or anything came out of the
trees that I had no chance of hiding.
However, the shakings and noises came to
an abrupt halt. Puzzled, I crept closer
to the trees, wondering what was going
to happen next.
Suddenly there was a thrashing and
crackling noise, then out of the brush
flew what seemed to be a giant Toucan
bird. Flapping its wings and squawking,
it sailed off over my head inland, going
higher and higher until it disappeared
behind a cloud.
Picking myself up off the ground where I
had fallen on my backside when the bird
startled me, I dusted off my pants and
continued on my way. As I rounded the
corner of the stand of trees, I looked
down and saw some curious carvings in
the stones that were visible at the
water’s edge.
Bending down, I could see that there was
a carving that looked something like a
bird, and next to it one that resembled
a ram leaping over a rock. The next
carving had been eroded by the elements
so much that I could not make it out; it
seemed to be a tree, or perhaps a horse?
I could not tell at all. Shrugging my
shoulders I stood up and continued on my
way.
As I continued to walk along the shore I
could see that there were carvings
beneath the surface of the water.
However these carvings were so worn that
they were indistinguishable.
-to be continued- |