The ocean was wide open in front of him. All his eyes could see up to far was water everywhere. The colour of the ocean and the sky matched but differed in shade due to the sun. His eyes couldn't decide if the ocean and sky met or separated at the far end.
The air was salty and humid, making him sweat more than usual. But, the best parts about being on a pirate ship was the food and the alcohol. There was nothing as great as eating roasted meat on the ship. The whole ship smelled of cheap-ass beer and sweat. The crew members of the ship were working as the ship sailed against the water. Teenage boys and men lodged in the lower part of the ship, whereas the Captain lodged in the suite just below the deck.
The Captain of the Blue Diamond- Shrarka was looking over the map as he discussed the route of the ship with his assistant. Shrarka was a forty-year old pirate who had lost his best pirate ship- The Silver Beauty in a battle with the smugglers. He used to be one of the best pirates but, after his defeat he no longer held the Pirate Pride. Blue Diamond was his second prized position after The Silver Beauty which he mourned about. The only business Shrarka did now was the import and export of the sandalwood. Smuggling of people in and out of the country was also done but, he had left that a longtime ago.
Saraj looked up at him as he drank some beer from his flask. Shrarka had aged more than his age. Shrarka hadn't once scolded or abused anyone on the deck and that surprised Saraj. The pirates were mostly famous for their insults and abuses. Even if Shrarka was a humble person, it didn't mean that everyone else on board was the same. Saraj had been the victim of abuses and catcalls the moment he boarded the ship; whether it be from the fellow on-board passengers or the crew members. They had called him too pretty to be a man and some had even tried grabbing his manhood just to confirm his gender. Saraj was pissed but, couldn't do anything about it as he was undercover here as a peasant's orphan. He could have them executed and hanged to death but, right now he was as miserable as a woman in a brothel.
But, some of the people were kind enough to help him out of the misery and gave him some beer and food. One of them was Kapil and he had helped Saraj many times like giving him one of his blankets and food. Kapil was a Mahikan resident and always used to travel with Shrarka everywhere. He admired Shrarka as his own father and even Saraj saw the resemblance.
Kapil had been living with Shrarka since the day he became orphan. It was quite tragic for him but, Shrarka had been kind enough to give him a roof over his head. That was the start of his devotion towards the old pirate.
Saraj sat along the side of the deck catching a break from his duty of wiping the floors. He watched as his fellow young men were doing their duties and the older men were making a joke out of it. As his gaze followed the stairs leading to the lower deck, Kapil stumbled out on the deck as he tried to balance the sack on his back and not spill its contents. The deck was as usual wet and slippery because of the constant waves.
Kapil was a thin, twenty-two-year-old man with medium height. Saraj was quite tall in comparison to the other men because of swimming regularly. He was a bit skinny but, had quite the strength. He could easily lift the sacks of food and coals. But, being the thinnest on board led to being bullied the most. That still didn't hinder his spirits and humbleness. He would politely ignore them all and carry on with his duties.
Saraj gulped the final contents of his beer as Kapil sat beside him breathing heavily. Saraj sat the flask aside as he asked Kapil, "Done with the shelfing?" he nodded in response, "Do you have some beer with you?" he asked him. Kapil nodded and removed the flask attached to his belt. He handed him the flask and starred at the sea. Saraj took a sip of the warm beer before scrunching his nose at the taste. A chubby old man grunted beside them and their attention turned towards him. He was an old fragile man who cursed everyone and everything in existence.
He had intrigued Saraj the moment he had seen him. He looked like someone who had had a lot of experiences in his lifetime and would give him some real wise truths and advices rather than the made up lies. So, Saraj shifted his posture towards him and offered him his beer. "Dada, some beer?"
Dada looked at him and snorted," What do you want, pretty boy? My cock?" he laughed to himself before taking the flask. "Nothing. Just wanted to talk." Saraj shrugged at him. Dada just drank the beer with no care in the world. No one dared to disturb him so, Saraj just sat there waiting for him to finish. Saraj looked at Kapil and he just shrugged in return. They both sat patiently in the wavering ship as Dada threw the flask away after finishing it.
"You want something from me, don't you? Huh, pretty boy?" Dada looked at him with a toothy grin and Saraj knew that there was no way he could fool him like everyone else. Feeling nervous, he cleared his throat before speaking," I just wanted to learn some things from you."
At his answer, Dada slapped his hand over his knee before laughing out loud," Karil your friend here thinks he's smart, isn't he?" Kapil fisted his hands together to compose himself,"It's Kapil." Saraj placed his hand over Kapil's to calm down from doing something. Kapil drew out a breath before nodding at Saraj. Saraj looked back at Dada to find him staring at the ocean.
"Dada, how long have you been a pirate?" Saraj asked trying his luck.
"Why do you ask, boy? It isn't going to get you anywhere," Dada looked back at him, before knocking a finger against his temple," Only not ending up dead will help you." He sighed at them as if they were making wrong decisions by being on the ship.
Saraj was confused at his reply, but his subconscious knew what it was all about. He tried his luck again and said," Do you know Joaquin, Dada?" he shifted uncomfortably waiting for his response. Dada shrugged at him," Yes, what about him?"
"I heard that no one has ever seen him. No one knows his identity. Have you?"
"Joaquin is a low-level human being who only loves gold and nothing else. That's all you need to know. He is a cunning man and you need to be wary of him. He can manipulate your mind in ways unexpected and fuck you up, pretty boy." Dada spat at him in anger and Saraj was stunned to see such emotions from a man who was always calm.
Saraj was about to ask more questions to Dada but, Kapil stopped him. He looked back at him in a questioning manner and Kapil just shook his head. Dada looked absolutely disheartened and this caused Saraj's heart to burn. He was back in his own world and Saraj couldn't for the life of his disturb him. So, he and Kapil got up from their seats and made their way to the lower deck. As he was about to place his foot on the staircase, Saraj looked back at Dada one last time and saw a tear running down his cheeks. Dada immediately wiped it and took a sip of his beer.
~~~
Saraj hadn't seen Dada much around on the deck since their last encounter. He knew there was some relationship between Dada and Joaquin but, he didn't dare ask him. Kapil had told him to leave him alone.
It would be just a few hours before they would reach Parka shore and enter Mahikan territory. Saraj had been waiting for this day since the last two weeks. He had to find out what was going on here to solve his mermaid mystery.
The fog cleared in front of him and he saw the greenery and forest Mahika was famous for. It was the greenest kingdom in Jagadyoni. It was famous for it's herbs and woods. Sandalwood was the most precious wood in Mahika. It also had the most dangerous tribal group- Vashukas. They were famous for killing traitors and people with their bare hands and poisonous weapons.
They were famous for killing traitors and people with their bare hands and poisonous weapons
Saraj smiled in delight and looked at Kapil standing next to him. Kapil had offered him to stay with him till his trip finished. Saraj had been grateful and offered some gold but, Kapil had declined it. Kapil lived in a small hut just outside the tribal locality. He worked as a local craftsman under a renowned businessman. He told Saraj that he would help him and get a job at the business.
Saraj looked at the sight of the beach and sighed in relief- At least, I can swim here. The beach was abandoned except some men who were waiting for the arrival of the ship. Saraj knew there was no going back from here- all he had to do was try to stay alive. It was the most important thing and keep following Jalashar's motto-
Clashes of waves depict our true nature.
He repeated the motto under his breath as he stepped down from the ladder. His feet touched the warm sand of the Mahikan beach and it struck a nerve in his heart. He looked up at the tall trees and grass covered mountains and instantly knew that his trip would not be a waste of time.
~~~
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