The Engkanto Quartet: Voyage to the East

Goodbye, island of mischief

It took them over a month to have their ship repaired. It was mainly due to the lack of materials for building boats; secondly, no one was a shipwright. It was a sunny morning, and the breeze was blowing northeast. “It’s not a bad repair after all! It’s good enough for the Whaler to sail a quarter hundred leagues,” Isuk said. He’s proud of what they had accomplished in all those weeks of being stuck in Mischief Island. 

But everyone else was skeptical. The waves were huge, and the winds stronger near the Mainland. “We’d be lucky to get to Hooker’s Point with the Whaler still intact. But there will be islands to stop by for repairs,” Velmer said.

“Also, we don’t know what other misfortunes await us in the sea,” added Tikloi. 

Their location, the Mischief Island, was still over a hundred leagues away from their destination. They were near the northeastern tip of the Western Ocean trench line. It was way farther than their original route in the narrow strait between Marinduq and Mindor islands. 

Rakly and Ito piled some rocks one on top of another. They’re building a stone altar in the campsite as a marker and a remembrance of their stay. It might not be pleasant because they shipwrecked, but it had been a peaceful stop. They enjoyed the mysterious beauty and the plentiful bounty of the island. “The island will remember us always because we took care of it,” Rakly said.

“But always remember also that it took care of us first. We survive because it has provided us with everything we need — food, water, and shelter,” responded Ito.

“You’re right. Thank you for the reminder.”

Then the two climbed up the ship after inspecting the external hull and the outriggers. 

Isuk had gone to check their food supplies in the kitchen. The island had gifted them with sweet potatoes, yam, green bananas, coconuts, taro, smoked venison, smoked meat of wild boar, and dried fish. Also, there had been several bags of dried mushrooms — Ito’s favorite — and a bag of sun-dried fruits and wild grass that Tikloi made. In his estimate, they had enough food for more than a month. All earthen jars and barrels, including the bamboo containers he made, were filled with drinking water and palm wine. He also prepared dried wood and charcoal. “Everything is ready,” Isuk declared.

With Tikloi fixing the sails and Isuk on the wheel, everything was ready. “It’s time to set sail!” yelled Rakly.

They said goodbye to the island of mischief, and off they sailed, heading eastward. The sea was calm, and the breeze was gentle. They’re all looking ahead, watching the sun peep behind the clouds with its rays hitting the waters, driving the haze away. The blue and silver waves glittered, dancing on the horizon. 

The island and its rocky shores slowly disappeared behind them. But one question had bothered Rakly throughout their stay. They had not talked about it while on the island for weeks. “What happened to those shipwrecked on the island? There must be survivors,” he said.

“That’s the same question that kept playing on my mind, too,” Velmer replied. “We saw the amount of debris floating on the water and washed to the shore. But there was not a single survivor. If they died, we would have seen their bodies.” 

“Precisely,” joined Isuk. “Now that’s hair-raising.” 

“It could also be possible that Lor Gorgo’s monsters roamed on the island and had left before we got in,” Velmer said. 

“My hunch says the survivors did not reach the island. Something had taken them while still in the water,” Rakly said.  

While the weather was favorable that day, the thought of the possibility of the enemy’s ship stopping the Whaler in the open sea had preoccupied them. But Ito, who had surveyed the ocean from above, assured the company that there were no enemy ships nearby. “As far as I can see, the sea is clear of enemy ships,” declared Ito. “I’m your eyes from up above.”

“I wish you saw what was coming before we shipwrecked,” Isuk said. 

“I did, but you did not listen,” the Sarimanok clucked back. 

“We have high chances of eluding the enemy ships before they could spot us in the open sea,” mused Rakly.

However, the dwarf was cautious as he always had been. “I would say there’s a slim chance next to none,” he said. “Lor Gorgo has this uncanny ability to figure out where to find what he seeks. And it won’t be long until we get exposed. Our best chance is that, if I were correct, until now, he doesn’t know you. It’s not far from a wild guess that not one of his spies knows the target.” 

“At this speed, we don’t know how long we’ll be in the sea. Getting stuck on Mischief Island that long had helped us buy time, I think,” said Rakly. “Somehow, it helps delay our eventual capture.”

“No, there will be no capturing to happen,” Ito said. “Trust me on this. We can pull this through.”

“It’s easy for you to say because you can fly,” Isuk barked.

Velmer was the calming presence that steadied the conversation. “That might be the case, but I think otherwise. It has bought him time to figure us out and know where we are,” he replied to Rakly. “The closer we are to the Mainland, the more dangerous it will be. The risk is too high. But still, Hooker’s Point is the safest place to go if we’re from the open seas. That’s the last place the enemy will think about as our destination.”

There was anxiety in the air. But the company was already in the open seas. Ito was their lookout, perching on top of the mast. 

Isuk reached out to the storage and came back with palm wine. He gave each one a cup and poured tuba from an improvised bamboo container and dispenser. “Without wine, life is unimaginable. Let’s drink to life. We have more in the barrel that will last for a month. As long as we don’t get drunk all day every day.” 

“I bet that there will be more wine once we reach Hooker’s Point,” Velmer replied. “To life, success, and safety in this journey.”

Rakly, however, was deep in thought while holding the cup of wine. He turned to look to the east. Standing next to him was Tikloi, who silently poured another cup, fixing his gaze ahead. 

After the toast, no one said a word as they drank the wine. The silence lasted for more than half a day. Everyone understood the danger ahead as the dark clouds slowly covered the sky above them. 

It was already mid-afternoon. The ship continued moving forward even as Isuk was drunk while on the wheel. The wind was friendly, and their speed was neither slow nor fast. But they’re moving ahead. Three days and three nights, and they’re still in the sea, and there was no land in sight. 

On the third night, Rakly noticed something odd with their speed. It kept increasing. It was the same speed they had after leaving Kalanggaman. The ship was not shaking, as it was running smoothly. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Tikloi and Velmer were fast asleep, and Ito comfortably nestled in the crow’s nest. 

Rakly felt that something was pushing the ship from under the water, and he could not ignore it as the unusual speed bothered him. But he could not jump off the Whaler to find out what it was. Maybe it was a giant fish or a whale. But there was no sign it was a whale or a dolphin. 

Isuk, on the other hand, was glad about their speed. “We’re getting fast. We’ll reach Hooker’s Point in no time,” he said.  

“This is not normal. There’s a great danger ahead,” Rakly said. 

“And this is not new, either. Everything in this part of the world is not normal,” Isuk retorted.

Velmer and Tikloi, now awakened, had immediately realized something was strange. They noticed the increased speed. “What’s going on?” Tikloi asked.

“Something is pushing us,” Velmer answered. “It’s quite strong and fast.”

“Why are we moving north?” Isuk asked. 

“Get yourselves ready,” Rakly replied. “This is not a good sign.” He handed Velmer and Isuk their swords. “I trust my instincts. There’s a threat.” Then he crawled to the rear side. 

Tikloi evicted Ito and positioned himself in the crow’s nest. He took his bow and had an arrow aimed at the rear part of the ship. He was ready to release the shaft and let the arrow pierce through anything that would come out of the water. Unmindful about what was going on as he was still sleepy, the Sarimanok moved to the cabin and resumed his dream.

No one said a word as the tension grew in the air. Isuk had not come to his senses yet about what was going on. He tried to light a torch, but the dwarf stopped him, pulling him to the side to take cover. The night was not so dark with its cloudless sky. The stars were watching from above, guiding the sailors below.