Chapter 204. Sea of Mist
Charles passed through the dimly lit corridor to reach the spot above the Narwhale's water hold. Twisting open the wooden lid, he shone the flashlight within.
As the captain, this was one of his daily inspection tasks: to ensure that their freshwater supply was untampered.
Just as he was about to seal the hold again, he felt a sudden prying gaze from the circular porthole next to him. Charles showed no traces of panic. He slowly fitted the lid back into place and pretended to leave. However, the moment he stood up, the flesh revolver was already in his grasp.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired a series of gunshots. The sound of shattering glass from the porthole broke the silence. At the same time, a green, webbed hand was torn asunder by the bullets. Charles rushed to the window to discover nothing but a mutilated half-palm and repulsive purple blood left by the intruder.
"Have these strange creatures started to emerge now that we have left the safe route?" Charles muttered to himself.
Suddenly, Charles felt a presence behind him. He swiftly whirled around and aimed his gun at the figure.
"Stand down! State your role and name!"
"Dipp. Position: Boatswain. Duty: Guide sailors in the maintenance, repair and handling of the anchor, ropes, and equipment. Lead sailors in tasks such as painting, rigging, and high-altitude work," Dipp reported with a haggard expression as he stood in place.
Feeling relieved, Charles lowered his weapon and approached the young lad. "What are you doing here? Weren't you told to rest?"
"Captain, I'm fine. It's just a little cold. But with your scarf, I feel much better now," Dipp answered. Clad in a thick layer of clothes, he slightly adjusted the gray scarf around his neck.
"That's good to hear. You had us worried." Charles let out a sigh of relief. A few days ago, when Dipp's health deteriorated and he fell unconscious, Charles had thought he was going to lose his boatswain.
"Captain, you can rearrange the helming shifts. I'm ready to take the wheel again," Dipp stated.
"Don't concern yourself over it. You've just recovered and should rest more. Bandages, and I can manage it," Charles said as he gave a reassuring pat on Dipp's shoulder before ascending the ladder.
Within the pilothouse, a sailor was steering with visible anxiety. Meanwhile, Bandages silently observed the dark waters under the searchlight.
"It's my shift now. Go and take a break," Charles said as he patted his first mate's shoulder.
With a silent nod, Bandages pushed over the door and passed by Dipp on his way out.
With a jovial grin on his face, Dipp entered the pilothouse and snatched the wheel from the sailor.
"Captain," Dipp began. "I'm really fine. See, I've completely recovered." He then expertly checked the various instruments before him to prove his capability to helm.
Charles sighed. He knew the young lad was never one to stay still. He pulled up a stool and sat down. "Okay, you can take a four-hour shift for today. If you feel any sign of discomfort, tell me immediately."
"Okay. No worries. Lying in bed every day and only being able to stare at Doctor's wrinkled face is driving me crazy," Dipp complained with a nonchalant attitude.
"Your spirited nature really never changes. Perhaps you should settle down with a woman and have children to tame that personality of yours," Charles remarked.
Dipp let out a sheepish chuckle in response.
"Have you still been dreaming about your mother lately?" Charles asked.
Dipp paused for a brief moment before he answered, "No. She seems to have not appeared in my dreams for some time."
"That's good. Random existences that appear in dreams usually don't bring good news. Perhaps that might be what caused your illness."
"But Captain, the warmth I felt in that dream was so real. It really reminded me of my mother," Dipp said, his eyes shining with a hint of longing.
Their conversation flowed naturally, and soon, the topic shifted to the Land of Light that Charles was seeking.
Charles told him about the various wonders of modern civilization while Dipp listened intently. As the conversation deepened, Charles couldn't tell whether he was speaking to Dipp or musing aloud to himself.
"Captain, I heard from Doctor that you don't have much time left?" Dipp suddenly interrupted Charles' story.
Charles left out a soft chuckle. "Ah, yes. He did mention I wouldn't make it past forty. Wait, what age am I turning this year?"
A trace of dilemma flickered across Dipp's face. "Captain, then shouldn't we prioritize finding a cure for you? You need to live on to be able to find the Land of Light you speak of." Charles shook his head. "I don't have time for that. To me, searching for the exit to the surface takes priority. And...Don't be so pessimistic. Perhaps I might die at sea even before I reach forty."
Uncharacteristically, Dipp remained silent. His eyes were fixed intently on the outside through the glass as his hands clutched the steering wheel tightly.
Screech!
The stool scraped against the floor with a jarring noise. Charles stood in astonishment at the sight before him. Under the illumination of the searchlights, tendrils of mist wrapped themselves around the ship and thickened with each passing moment.
They had arrived at the Sea of Mist.
The sound of crystallization echoed as frost formed on the outside of the glass; the temperature plummeted abruptly.
In the face of this exhilarating news, the crew's faces lit up in excitement. Life at sea was oppressive and uncomfortable, but having reached the Sea of Mist meant that they weren't far from the return trip home
However, their excitement only lasted till the fifth day. And after that, a sense of unease took over.
Only an inky dark expanse greeted them at the supposed coordinates of the Shattered Heart Isles. The Narwhale had lost its target.
In his bat form, Audric swooped into the pilot house. He landed before Charles and reverted to his human guise. "Captain, I've scoured the area. There's no sign of an island. It's probably not a map error."
Charles's expression darkened.
Damn it, was that map fake? Charles pondered.
He swiftly replayed his interactions with Gavin in his mind but deemed it highly unlikely that the boy had any malicious intent.
If Gavin had wanted to harm him, there would have been no need to provide him with the wrong map. With ample supplies on board for the Narwhale to make the return trip to the previous island, doing so would accomplish nothing apart from wasting Charles' time.
He felt that the boy wouldn't risk his life just to pull a prank on him.
Where did it go wrong?
Charles' brows furrowed together as various speculations surfaced in his head. However, there was no clear theory that stood out.
Just as Charles was lost in thoughts and feeling perplexed, Bandages next to him pointed at a circular frame on a nearby device. Inside it was a compass. "Captain... something's... wrong with that..."
Charles darted over and pried out the compass with his Dark Blade. His pupils contracted in fear as he spotted the small magnet tucked at the edge.
The compass had been tampered with a magnet; their ship had veered off-course to an unknown location.
Clutching the compass tightly, Charles instructed Dipp in a grave tone, "Notify everyone to gather. There's a saboteur onboard!"
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