The Engkanto Quartet: Voyage to the East

Stand-off

The rain had stopped. Masinloc was a small, pea-shaped island with patches of white sandy beaches. There were no trees that grew on the isle. Only the shrubs and the mossy rocks made it green. Some parts were only bare rocks with a rough surface, especially near the island’s mouth on the right that served as a passageway to the inner lagoon. For many years, it had become the haven of pirates as it used to be a safe stop for notorious swashbucklers and rebels. They would camp here and make it their base for months before moving on to their next destination. Since the defeat of the strongest and the most notorious pirate group by the mermen, no one dared to visit the island.  

“We’re doomed,” cried Isuk. As he looked around, he could only shiver at the sight of a solitary isle with nowhere to hide. “We can’t get away from here, but we can’t stay either. I don’t want to have this choice. It’s killing me.”

As they approached the opening of the island’s lagoon, a merman came close to the ship and dove underneath, destroying the rudder. Isuk thought the merfolks tried to sink the Whaler. He ran to the wheel, but he could not maneuver it. He lamented, “We spent weeks repairing this ship on Mischief Island only to be rendered completely useless by these mermen,” he said. 

Behind them, on the right side, was the silhouette of an enormous rock arc against the pale eastern sky. Rakly and Tikloi had always been on hold, ready to defend and ready to attack with weapons in their hands. The Sarimanok was perching near the wheel. He was bugging Isuk, nagging him to come out and fight. “Don’t worry, I got you covered from above,” Ito said. 

“Oh, yeah, I’ll get knocked down, and you’re still fluttering above,” barked Isuk. 

But Velmer was adamant in his belief that dialogue was a better option. “If we could talk and negotiate with them, maybe we can avoid a fight,” he said. 

“But we have nothing to negotiate since they’re not talking. We can only defend ourselves and fight,” Rakly replied. 

“We can’t talk too harshly of them,” the Sarimanok chimed in. “It will be more difficult to talk peace with a disgruntled being.”

When the leader of the mermen reappeared, Velmer said to him, “We’re here to talk,” raising his voice that by the noise of the rolling waves drowned. The waves kept pounding the rough and sharp surface of the rocks by the shore, creating cottony foam. The merman did not answer. “We do not want to fight,” the dwarf continued, and he revealed information about himself that he thought would help establish a conversation. “The mermaids and Engkanto are friends. We’ve been allies for countless years. I am Velmer, and we are on the way to Engkanto.” 

Again, the merman did not respond. The no response of the mermen prompted Velmer to resign from the hopes of talking with them. It was a useless idea to speak with a party that he wanted to dialogue with—creatures that refused to open a conversation. “What’s wrong with these folks?” Isuk asked. He was exasperated.

“I have an idea,” Ito spread his wings. “Talk to them in their tongue.”

With Isuk losing control of the wheel, suddenly, a loud bang shook everyone on the ship. The Whaler stopped as it hit aground on a rock that protruded from the floor like a solitary post. The boat sat atop the rock. But they’re still far from landing on either a rocky or a sandy beach.

The slimy mermen surrounded the ship. Velmer stood up at once. For the last time, he pleaded, “We do not wish to fight. We’re sailing to the Mainland, back home. We are not your enemy. We are ordinary people.” 

Still, there was not an iota of a response. 

The mermen were looking at each other as if they’re baffled, whispering to each other. Then finally, the leader had resurfaced. “Who are you? And why are you here?” he asked in a different language with a hoarse voice. It was an ancient language that Velmer knew when he was a boy.

The Sarimanok was right, after all. It was an issue of language. The mermen did not understand the common language that the crew of the ship used.  

“As you can see, this boat is for fishing. I am from the Mainland, and we’re lost in the sea. We were shipwrecked on Mischief Island. These are my friends,” the dwarf replied in the merman’s language.

“We are looking for travelers from an island in the Far West. Are you from that place?”

“I am from the Mainland, from Engkanto. And they are my companions.”

“And why should I keep you alive?” the merfolk said, with an air of arrogance.

“Because we only want to go home. We’ve been seasick.”

“No one who has come to this place came out alive. We cannot let you go. I don’t know what you have with you that you looked suspicious. I do not trust you.” 

“If you do not trust us, at least have mercy on us. We do not seek violence. We are ordinary people, humble fishermen, who happened to get lost at sea.”

The merfolk leader signaled the other mermen to get ready for a simultaneous attack. “Two warriors onboard and a chicken, we don’t take chances.”

“What did he say? And what did you tell him?” Isuk asked. 

“He said you’re a chicken,” Velmer replied. He’s speaking in an ancient language that only a few people are using. I didn’t expect they’re still using it. It was already buried in the pages of history two centuries ago.” explained the dwarf. “These people don’t listen to reason. We can’t argue with them. They’re determined to kill us.”

“I’m not the chicken; Ito is,” defended Isuk.

Rakly, who was impatient with the conversation between the dwarf and the mermen, asked, “What shall we do now?” 

“Hold your ground. We will fight,” was the reply of Velmer.

The stand-off between the two parties had continued for several hours more until the miracle of low time saved the Engkanteans. As the waters subsided, the ship got stuck on top of a rock near the groove. But there was no way for the crew to escape. The water was infested with merfolks waiting for them to come down. 

While the tide was low, the mermen could not climb the rock to reach the ship. They did not anticipate that it would happen, that the low tide would turn against them by saving the enemies, the strangers. To the mermen, the ship’s crew were pirates with something to hide.  

Rakly and the company were in a dilemma. If they would jump into the sea, the mermen could beat them in the water with ease. If they stayed on the ship, they could only last before the high tide. So, either choice, their defeat was a certainty. Rakly and Tikloi stood on their ground and were more than ready to fight. The sea creatures patiently waited for the high tide while those on board the ship had a sigh of relief as the low tide helped them buy some time. 

Isuk quickly prepared some food. He distributed cured venison to the crewmembers, except for the Sarimanok, who was content and happy with the dried mushrooms. “We can’t fight with our stomachs empty,” he said. 

The team had a quick meal while standing on board and keeping themselves alert. 

When the seawater had receded, they’re over a meter above sea level. The mermen kept their distance from the rock where the ship was. They moved to the deeper parts of the sea. Velmer had given up the hope of reasoning with the mermen.

“We will not allow you to leave this place,” the leader of the merman finally said after a couple of hours of silence. “It’s a matter of prolonging your agony.”

The dwarf did not reply. But he signaled Tikloi to release an arrow anytime, although the latter had already readied his swords. There was confusion among the crew.  

Meanwhile, Rakly had a plan in mind. And that was to use the low tide as a chance to escape to the island. But the dwarf would object to the idea as seawater was all around. The water below them was not shallow. It would take time to swim to the island, which would put them at a disadvantage. Tikloi, however, had this to say, “We’ll wait for them here. If they’re going to destroy the ship, we’re still on top of the rock, and we can fight. If they’re going to climb up, we’ll meet them and beat them. So, brace yourselves. It will be fun.”

The stand-off had extended for a few hours until the sea changed tides.