Pirate's Tail

Chapter Eight

The nasty winter weather continued the following day in Jayoria. The crew awoke and found the Visp covered by a blanket of snow, which caused all kinds of problems. The deck became slippery, and many of the lines and rigging of the Visp had become frozen in the weather. Ace assisted in helping the crew swab the poop deck clear of the wintery substance. In Ace's opinion the worst part about this wintery weather on a ship was the color his hands turned after working on the deck. It was just too cold for such activity.

The Visp pulled out of Jayoria Harbor and was greeted by a sea unlike any they had experienced thus far. While their departure of Menquin was blessed with calm seas, the departure of the Visp from Jayoria was the polar opposite. The winter storm had brought fierce winds with it and, as a result, the seas were tumultuous. The Visp was traveling fast with the wind at her back, and Ace felt like he was riding in an equestrian event. The Visp screamed over the tops of the cresting waves, similar to the way a horse would jump over a series of fallen logs. The waves were crashing their icy water on the top deck of the Visp, soaking all crew members present.

The only advantage the vessel had going for her was the fact that the snow had stopped. The skies were gray and bleak, but at least the powdery substance had ceased gracing the crew with its presence.

After the Visp got out of Jayoria the helmsman, under direction of Mr. Bahnhoff, turned the vessel southward. The winter storm gradually subsided as the day progressed. Around mid-day Mr. Bahnhoff approached Ace.

"The Captain has requested your presence, Mr. Lynx," Mr. Bahnhoff informed him.

Unaware of the reason, Ace took off to the Captain's cabin, still much aware of the movement of the Visp underneath his feet.

Ace entered the cabin. "Captain Alphs."

Captain Alphs was sitting at his desk, looking at something. "Ah, yes, Mr. Lynx. Have a seat." The Captain waved a hand, pointing at the empty chair across the desk.

Ace sat in the chair the Captain indicated.

"I've deemed you fit to be trusted, Mr. Lynx. We've left Jayoria, and you must be briefed about the remainder of our mission." Captain Alphs looked Ace hard in the eye. "What I'm about to tell you is purely confidential and necessary if you're to be serving on the F.S.M. Visp. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"As you might have picked up at the dinner in Jayoria, this ship and I played a role in ending the Great War for Menquin." The Captain paused for a moment. "When Menquin again became allies with Jayoria, we decided to punish the pirates who started such bloodshed for their benefit. I led the F.S.M. Visp on a mission that took us off the edge of the map. We ended up here." Captain Alphs pointed on the map sitting on the table between them. The area he was pointing to was indeed off the edge of the map. It was somewhere to the south of Jayoria.

"The Visp and a small fleet of Menquin vessels arrived at the pirate base, a grouping of islands south of Jayoria. We arrived and discovered just how weak the pirates were. While they had amassed a fortune plundering the ships of the world, they had nowhere to spend the money. There were local inhabitants on the islands that kept the pirates there alive. We demanded payment and because the pirates were hurting just about as much as everyone else in the Great War, they conceded. They gave us their crowned jewel." Captain Alphs' eyes lit up as he spoke. "It was a large Menquin carrack, filled to the brim with treasure they had accumulated throughout the war. We kept this treasure a secret from the Jayorians and sailed the vessel back to Menquin."