Just beneath the surface

A vendetta of Water and blood

The southern Atlantic sea had been kind to the crew, as the wind spoke of no disaster. Sailing behind them was the Richovachiari, the ship created to hoist the equipment for their underwater expeditions. It was rigid and heavy, but it could still keep up with the Invasor. Pedro was sent to commodore it, as his experience would be essential in the leadership of such a fresh crew. Their fear for pirate fleets still haunted them, mostly because of the ship they engaged with in the North. The images of the undead sailors still haunted Fernando's dreams. They would always shout the same phrases again and again; "we have not been put to rest yet!", "you are heartless to forget what happened!"

"You will soon remember it; your sin", they would echo. He still couldn't understand why the pirates would haunt him. He had no regrets killing them. The long journey towards Madagascar took about six months. Every now and then, they would stop on the African coast line to resupply. Oh one occasion, they stopped to make camp in a tribal territory, where the tribesmen immediately engaged with them in combat. Fernando knew that they could more than easily cut down their attackers with gunfire, but he knew that they would need to save their ammo, so they withdrew. He planned to head to the British East India Trading company after they would find the silt.

When they arrived, the island was quiet. It didn't seem to be inhabited by man. Lemurs ran about and birds chirped on the trees.

"Where is the deposit you spoke of?" Fernando asked.

"Follow me", Veronica replied, taking out a map and a compass.

"What's that Map about?" Fernando asked.

"It's the map Captain Balthazar made which depicts his discoveries and findings during his two year voyage after the two of you branched off", Veronica replied.

On the map were locations of gemstone deposits, hidden relics, and ruins that Balthazar found worthy of remembering.

"Lead the way then", Fernando said.

They headed through the forest to where Veronica said the deposit was.

"How sure are we that we can trust this girl? Jahmil asked. "This place is too quiet for comfort, and I feel ominous familiar mana trailing us", He continued.

"Don't tell me some of those tree-things followed us", Fernando said. He looked back, and once again saw nothing.

"It's not like I expect you to see it though", Jahmil remarked.

"There is nothing trailing us right now", Fernando said.

"It's quite distorted, but I know there's something there", Jahmil replied. It felt like a void connected to somewhere else, more like something allowing someone to see what they were doing.

"Well I don't know what she is up to, but with your power, we can stop her if she decides to do something nasty", Fernando said.

"Here we are", Veronica said. There was a dried up pond, filled with glittering sand. They immediately brought a sack of it back to the coast. They smelted it into glass, and formed a sheet. Jahmil took the glass and slammed it to a rock nearby. Indeed it was no ordinary sand. The glass remained perfectly intact, but the rock shattered.

"What is your real objective here?" Fernando asked.

"Like I said, to continue the work my father died doing, and to make sure it goes with no failure", Veronica replied.

"Alright then, we set sail for India. There we will perfect our machine of discovery", Fernando said.

Jahmil was quite convinced about Veronica's intentions, but not entirely. There really was faint mana in the air. He now remembered where he sensed it before. After getting in their boats after being chased by animals back at the sss, the same mana popped out of nowhere, and hovered above them. Only did it disappear when they reached the river mouth. He looked back in the direction of the mana, and suddenly, it disappeared, like it was trying to hide from Jahmil.

"You worry too much", Fernando said.

"You know, your powers are a good thing, but if you stress too much on it, you might end up wearing yourself down. Look at you, you're concentrating too much looking at thin air", he continued.

"Yeah yeah but we can't be too careful around these parts, not around her", Jahmil said.

"You still don't trust her?" Fernando asked.

"I don't feel any mana from her, but there's something else I can feel, and it's bad", Jahmil replied.

"We'll see about that soon, but for now lighten up. Enjoy your youth", Fernando said.

That night, the ship sailed as the cool night winds gracefully fluttered around the sails. Once again, the sea was dead calm. The stars wheeled overhead, as the moon began to brighten the dim of night. The crew had to use but little light, as any more and they would attract unwanted attention. Jahmil found it relaxing, and it has been long since he felt such solace. But, any moment it could transform from relaxing calm to calm before the storm, he thought. It had been months since he last slept, as the mana flowing through his body kept him from sleeping. Exhausted from the sweltering heat of the day, Fernando nudged the door to his cabin and rolled over to take a nap. He left Victor in charge of the wheel, while Randall supervised the sailors. What a day it was indeed, he thought. He fancied at his recent success, looking back on how much closer he now was to achieving his goal. More than halfway was good enough, and he knew that just as they pulled through the recent hurdles they faced, they would be able to face the obstacles that lie ahead. Jahmil suddenly jumped to his feet. From the deck. He could sense strange energy flowing through the ship. It wasn't the mana he felt earlier, but it seemed to have a large concentration of it heading towards Fernando's cabin. He quickly ran up, but he bumped into Veronica along the way.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I was looking for the bathroom", She asked.

"It's two rooms after the Captain's cabin", Jahmil replied.

"Thank you", Veronica said.

The energy he felt earlier disappeared.

"Did it slip away while I was distracted, or was I just imagining things?" He asked himself. Perhaps Fernando was right, he thought. Maybe he should lighten up a little. He decided to go back to the deck and meditated.

Knocking began on Fernando's door.

"Yes please come in", He said. He then felt something wrong. Why did he immediately allow the person in? He asked himself.

"Oh, it's you", he said.

"I have another request",Veronica said.

"What is it?" Fernando replied.

Once again, Jahmil felt the odd energy surge around the ship. It wasn't mana, not even evil mana; it was hatred brimming out of the opened lid. Veronica pulled the revolver out of its sling and pointed it at Fernando who was lying down on his bed.

"Don't move. If you do, this round goes straight into your head", she said.

"I mean, I'll kill you either ways, but there's something I need to tell you before that", she continued.

Jahmil rushed to Fernando's cabin once again.

"Why all of the sudden? Even if you kill me, what about the treasure? You won't be able to find it" Fernando said.

"Oh dear Captain Fernando, that's evidence of how single minded you are, rambling on and on about treasure. Do you think treasure is the only thing people care about? Do you think everybody is like you?" Veronica asked, tears flowing from her eyes radiating with intense bloodlust.

"What is the meaning of this! I knew you were up to something!" Jahmil exclaimed, as he pulled out his sword.

"Go on, kill me! But he does first! That heartless treasure seeking bastard!" Veronica exclaimed, as she pulled the trigger, releasing an obsidian bullet that pierced through the air. At that moment, it seemed to Fernando like everything came to a halt. Could it be that his life was really about to end? He asked himself. Everything began to come back, the phrase she uttered, resembled the eerie cries in his dream. Suddenly, Jahmil, with his lightning fast reaction speed and reflexes, shifted the g*n's trajectory before Veronica had even shot.

"Why do you defend a man like him! A heartless man who cares only about the treasure he seeks! When the task is done, or when things go south, he will abandon you!" Veronica shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Jahmil asked.

"Oh you don't know. Of course he wouldn't tell you. The reason why his brother died, the reason why his brother's entire crew perished, the reason why my father is no longer in this world, is because the great Fernando De Magillione abandoned them because things went south!" Veronica replied.

"You May have escaped from me now, but there were a hundred men on that ship, a hundred more families will know the truth, and as it always does, truth that could bring one's opponent down spreads like wildfire, and you will burn!" Veronica shouted, and ran out of the room, bumping into Andres on the way out.

"What in heaven happened? Why was there a gunshot?" Andres asked.

"It's nothing", Jahmil said as he quickly ran out and announced to the crew that a g*n was unknowingly loaded, and a round was accidentally fired. He then went back to the room and confronted Fernando.

"What did she mean? What haven't you told me? You owe me for saving your life", Jahmil said.

"I never told you why my brother died didn't I?" Fernando asked.

"Both of you have the right to know, he was your father, Andres", he continued.

"As young sailors, me and my brother dreamed to be the talk of the many, to be successful. To accomplish that, we swore an oath to travel the sea together. Our ships sailed alongside one another like towering hillsides. We both hungered for treasure, so upon hearing of Atlantis our hearts were filled with determination to find it. My brother was a kindhearted man, and he cared for his crew more than anyone or anything else. On our way to the pacific, a tribe told us of a goldfield somewhere further down South. My brother said it was dangerous, as the cold southern sea was rumoured to be a desolate desert of ice, only to lead you to the end of the world. Naive as he was, he said he wouldn't risk the safety of his crew, so he urged me to accompany him to the Philippines to give both our crews a well deserved rest. Together, not a single fleet could stand against the light of our two ships, and excellent marksmanship of our marines, Veronica's father being one of them. I however, disagreed, and with my pride on the line, I set sail south while my brother's ship sailed ahead. When we arrived on the location, inside the ice was gold, platinum, and coal; lots of them. I couldn't believe my eyes. We gathered so much that the bitter cold wasn't much of a hindrance. We filled the entirety of the ship's storage room. As we sailed back, hoping to catch up with my brother, we were shocked to see that his ship seemed to be sailing in the opposite direction. We then saw four other ships, one was already ablaze. You might get the story already. They were surrounded by pirates, bombarding them from all sides. My brother tried to escape, heading towards us, as he couldn't fend off four ships alone. If only I evened up the odds by joining the fray, my brother could have been sailing with us at this moment, but I was a fool. I feared the risk of losing the precious treasure, and turned back. We made haste, leaving my brother's battered ship behind, as it limped, succumbing to the firepower of the pirates. What made things worse was that I didn't even feel the slightest bit of remorse, even convinced of using their ship as a decoy. I was greedy, single minded, and heartless, and yes the girl was right", he explained.

"S-So, so it's your fault my father died?" Andres asked, as he clenched his fist.

"Please, I'm sorry, which is why I can't afford to give up or die now. If I die, and this voyage falls to a halt, there will be nothing for me to justify my actions", Fernando replied.

"Sir!" A sailor shouted. "The girl you took in is about to jump off the ship!".

Jahmil ran to the deck to At Least grab her before she would fall. Just as Veronica jumped off the ship, Jahmil turned the blade into a whip, and wrapped her in its coils. Slowly, he lifted her back aboard.

"Dear child, forgive me", Fernando said.

"I will not resist if you plan to kill me after this voyage, but so that your father and my brother's death won't be meaningless, we must finish why I started, and find Atlantis, Alive", he continued.

Veronica fell to the floor and cried.

"I- I was so happy that I'd get this chance to kill you! But I swear upon my life, your head will be severed from your shoulders when this is done!" Veronica shouted, and ran to the cabin.

"Let her be, I don't know how she knew about this, but I know it will take time to get over it", Fernando said.

"There's nothing to worry about ! Do what you must!" Fernando shouted.

A suicidal girl after a gunshot? Nothing to worry about? They asked themselves as they slowly went back to their post.

"The same goes for you Andres. Feel free to punish me when this is all over", Fernando said.

Jahmil went to the side of the ship, and noticed how the strange energy began to evaporate into the air. He looked at the star dotted sky, and let the quiet of the sea surround him.

When they arrived in India, they immediately went on and refurbished their diving bell. They also bought arms, mules, and wagons in preparation for the push to Mount Everest. Mining gear and light artillery were also going to be needed, in case the rumoured golem was true. Because they already encountered a multitude of otherworldly beings and creatures, it didn't much surprise them or give them second thoughts about the golem. They day came to put the diving bell to the test, now equipped with the new unbreakable glass. While half of the crew assisted in the testing, the other half began to work on the lens. Once again, Jahmil was hoisted into the water, and he slowly descended into the depths. Around him, gangs of Marlin chased the darting sardine as they formed a vortex of bodies.

"Sixty meters!" Pedro shouted.

The glass held, and Jahmil continued descending. He was slowly losing light, but he could tell that the bottom was not far away. He pulled the chain to be lifted up.

"Success!" He shouted when he arrived at the surface.

For Jahmil to be illuminated underwater, they prepared an enclosed glass lamp with Quezian flowers inside. Jahmil then prepared for the real deal, and concentrated, trying to locate mana underwater. It didn't take long before he pinpointed three large concentrations of mana. Immediately, they hoisted him down. Just before he reached the bottom, he signalled the crew above to stop the descent. He swam out with the lamp in hand, and goggles on his face.In the dim light, he could see multiple giant clams scattered across the coral bed. He quickly swam to the nearest one that had mana, and tried to open it, but the clam didn't budge. He was running out of air, but the clam hardly opened. He pulled with all his might, but when he did open it, he found out that the clam was empty. The pearl transferred to another clam, and Jahmil was out of breath. He swam back to the bell, and took a breath of air.

"What happened?" He asked himself.

He swam back out, this time, with his blade. He then changed its shape into a lance, swam to the clam, and smashed it into pieces. Once again, there was nothing inside. He swam back to the diving bell to get another gasp of air. He was frustrated. It seemed like the pearl was able to teleport from clam to clam. This time, Jahmil kept note of the positions of every clam within the area, and tried to Anticipate which clam the pearly would teleport to. He dashed out again, and swam to the clam, but before he even reached it, the pearl teleported. Jahmil then remembered the sensation he felt when Veronica nearly shot Fernando. Time seemed to have slowed down, and Jahmil could feel the movement of the pearl's mana dashing through that water. At the split second, he smashed the clam the pearl teleported to, and revealed it. He immediately grabbed it with an iron whip, securing it in its coils. He was running out of air, but his troubles just got worse. A shark swam towards the diving bell, only to turn around and swim towards Jahmil. With his blade occupied, and his breath about to run out, he panicked. He dropped the pearl to s***h the shark, but the pearl slipped his other hand and propelled away. Jahmil's body was getting numb with his lack of air, and his vision began to blur. Considering how the pearl had to slowly propel itself back to a pearl, it meant that it could only teleport if it was in a pearl. But then, he realised those insights were useless now; he ran out of air. All of the sudden, a bubble formed around his head.

"Not yet child", a voice said.

He gasped heavily, his chest burning from the lack of oxygen. Before the pearl managed to enter a clam, Jahmil immediately casted the iron whip and grapes the pearl, pulling it towards him as he swam back to the bell. Fernando and the others were worried, and terrified at the same time. There was no signal from Jahmil, and ten minutes had passed. Could something have happened down there? They asked themselves. Suddenly the bell rang, signalling them to pull Jahmil up. They were relieved, but it was a tense moment to find out if he had obtained the pearl or not. The iron whip burst out of the water, with the pearl tightly secured. Once again, the chapter of their voyage ended with cheers and laughter, knowing they needed only one more step, to uncovering the map.