Year 4 SuaChie Calendar, New Valley City District.
The late afternoon sun reflected on the waters of the Suaza River, a shimmering surface that made me squint.
I found myself in a borrowed boat, trembling intensely.
Young Chuta, the very Son of Heaven, was traveling in our vessel. It was said that his wisdom was a divine gift, and that his presence brought prosperity. Today, he instilled fear within me. A contingent of his warriors, imposing with their gleaming weapons, occupied most of the available space.
The captain, a robust man with scars from past battles, managed the sails of this 'sailboat' —one of Young Chuta's innovative creations, notably wider and faster than our usual canoes— with a confidence I yearned for.
We were heading upstream, shortening the route towards one of the recently erected Cities.
Everything was proceeding without incident, excessively well for my unease, until a metallic creak interrupted the quiet.
"The anchor! The sail's anchor has broken!" exclaimed the captain, his voice laced with panic.
My eyes flew open. The wind lashed the sail uncontrollably, and the boat began to spin, helplessly dragged by the current. Ahead of us, the river narrowed, the water churning furiously: the rapids.
"Abandon the vessel! Everyone into the water! We cannot control it precisely! We will perish in the rapids!" ordered the captain, his voice now a desperate shout.
My heart pounded fiercely against my ribs. My hands trembled so much I could barely cling to the edge of the boat. Abandoning the vessel in the rapids was madness, but remaining aboard seemed an inescapable death sentence. Fear immobilized me.
Then, amidst the chaos, I heard a serene voice, that of Young Chuta.
"There is no need for panic. A solution must exist."
His voice acted as a relief, an anchor in the tempest of my terror. Young Chuta. The one who had brought prosperity, the one who had managed to unite the people.
If he did not surrender, how could I? Fear persisted, a cold knot in my stomach, but an idea, a reckless notion that my father, a river fisherman, had taught me, began to form in my mind.
"Captain!" I shouted, my voice surprisingly firm despite the trembling in my knees. "We can use the oars to control the rudder! And the sail can serve as a brake!"
The captain looked at me, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You? A mere fisherman! What do you know of these vessels? It's folly! We have no time for experiments!"
But Chuta, who had been observing me, raised a hand.
"Captain, allow him to try," said Young Chuta as he looked steadily into my eyes.
The determination in Young Chuta's gaze was unyielding. The captain, reluctantly, nodded. My hands, though still trembling, gripped the oar. It was as if the river itself was calling to me. The fear had not dissipated, but now, a strange calm enveloped me. It was the river, my true home.
"Oars in the water! Force to port! Now to starboard!" my orders burst forth with a clarity I did not recognize.
I moved across the boat with an agility I didn't know I possessed, my eyes fixed on the currents, anticipating every whirlpool, every submerged rock.
The vessel, previously uncontrollable, began to respond. It wasn't perfect; impacts against the rocks made the wood vibrate, and water splashed over us. But we were moving forward.
With a maneuver I had never witnessed or executed, I turned the boat at the last instant, using the broken sail as an improvised parachute to mitigate the onslaught of the last waterfall. The vessel shook violently, but we managed to exit the rapids, gliding into calmer waters.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Young Chuta approached me, accompanied by a priest, his clear eyes fixed on mine.
"Sogeking. That was an… unusual maneuver. And effective. Tell me, is this the first time you navigate a vessel of this kind?"
My cheeks flushed.
"Yes, Young Chuta. I am just a fisherman. My boats are small, for one person. But… the river, I know it well. And the wind… sometimes it whispers to me."
Chuta smiled, a smile that infused me with a sense of inner warmth.
"I understand. You possess great skill, Sogeking. A gift. Do not waste it. Go to Central Mountain City. There, in the Explorer Division, you will be able to learn to master that gift. You will be able to navigate the largest ships; explore the endless lakes and the oceans we do not yet know. Go, Sogeking. The sea awaits you."
Fear still coursed through me, but Chuta's words ignited a spark in my chest.
The sea.
The idea was terrifying, but at the same time, strangely exhilarating.
3 months later.
The atmosphere in the study hall of the Explorer Division was dense, laden with the scent of paper and frustration. Dozens of men and women, some young like me, others with graying hair, leaned over maps and tables, murmuring about currents, winds, and constellations. I, myself, was among them, my head resting in the palm of my hand, struggling to keep my eyes open.
The instructor, a corpulent man with a monotonous voice, pointed to an intricate diagram of knots and rigging.
"And this is how the main sail's anchor is secured for strong winds…"
A yawn escaped me.
Knots! Theory!
My mind refused to absorb so much dry information.
The experience of that day on the river, the exhilaration of perceiving the boat as an extension of my being, remained indelibly etched in my memory. The wind on my face, the roar of the water, the wood creaking beneath my feet… That was truly sailing. This, on the contrary, was an affliction. I could not bear it any longer.
The next day, I went in search of Young Chuta. I found him in one of the courtyards of the Simte Academy, surrounded by priests and dignitaries, debating about what appeared to be the layout of a city. I approached, my heart pounding forcefully in my chest. The usual fear of addressing such prominent figures resurfaced, but the frustration with the theoretical lessons was more intense.
"Young Chuta," I expressed, my voice barely a whisper, but he turned, his clear eyes meeting mine. The others stepped aside, showing deference.
"Sogeking. How are your studies progressing?" he inquired with a kind smile.
"They are… complex, Young Chuta. There is an abundance of theory. I… I yearn for water. I need to navigate. Could you grant me permission to return to a vessel? Even a small one. I feel that only in that way can I truly learn." The words burst forth precipitously.
Chuta observed me for a moment, his smile widening. "I understand. Practice proves to be an excellent teacher for some. Very well, Sogeking. I will allow you to navigate. But under one condition."
My heart skipped a beat. "Which one, Young Chuta?"
"You will not go alone. A member of the Explorer Division will accompany you. Someone with full mastery of navigation and cartography. He will be your assistant, your mentor in the oceans you do not yet know. He will impart to you what texts cannot, and you will show him what instinct can achieve."
The notion of an 'assistant' made me hesitate for a moment. Someone supervising me? But then, the image of the sea, of the wind in my sails, dispelled any reservations. It didn't matter who it was. I just wanted to return to the water.
"Yes, Young Chuta! I accept! I will do whatever is necessary!" Emotion overwhelmed me. The tedium of the study hall vanished like fog before the sun. The sea called me again.
6 months later, Year 5 of the SuaChie Calendar.
6 months passed, and each day in Central Mountain City felt like an eternity. But Chuta's promise was a guiding light. Finally, the directive arrived. My destination: North Sea City, at the mouth of the mighty Suaza River. The place where the river met the unknown.
When I arrived, the air was different. Salty. And the sound… a ceaseless roar that both drew me and terrified me in equal measure. I walked through the port, my eyes scanning the vastness that Chuta had promised. And then I saw it.
The East Ocean. It was not like the river, nor like the lakes I knew. It was an unlimited expanse of blue, a horizon that faded into infinity, where the sky and the water merged into an indistinct line. My heart contracted with fear, a primal, profound fear, before such immensity. But at the same time, an irresistible fascination drew me towards it. It was the place where the wind truly manifested itself, where the currents narrated tales of distant lands.
And there, at the main dock, was the vessel. It was not a boat, not even one of the sailing ships that had seemed colossal to me. It was a mass of wood, with masts that scraped the sky and folded sails that resembled clouds. The first vessel of its kind, I was informed. It had taken months to build, every plank, every rope, was a testament to Chuta's ingenuity and the kingdom's artisans. Its name, engraved on the bow, was illegible to me, but its presence was majestic.
I approached, my hands gliding over the smooth wood. I felt the vibration of its structure, the promise of its voyage. And I knew I could pilot it. Fear was still present, a constant companion, but my intuition, my connection with the aquatic element, indicated that this giant was an extension of myself, waiting to be tamed.
"Young Sogeking," the voice of my assistant, a serious and laconic man from the Explorer Division, pulled me from my reverie. "It's time for the trials. Several kilometers from the coast, to feel the currents."
"I will do it," I declared, my voice more resolute than I anticipated. My assistant looked at me, surprised. "I have inspected the vessel. I feel I can direct it."
He nodded, an unusual smile appearing on his lips.
"Then, Captain. Take us to sea."
Captain. The word sounded peculiar, but it imbued me with determination that stifled the fear.
With the crew at their stations, the sails unfurled with a crack that resonated like thunder. The vessel glided smoothly through the water, leaving the river mouth behind.
The East Ocean welcomed us with a persistent breeze. We sought favorable currents, my eyes observing the surface, my body feeling every variation in the vessel's balance.
Everything was proceeding as planned, until the sky, previously clear, darkened in an instant. The wind howled, and the waves, previously gentle, rose like mountains. A completely unexpected situation, a challenge that the academy's texts could never have taught.
Fear returned, icy and sharp. But there was no time for hesitation. My orders burst quickly, clearly, almost instinctively. "Secure the sails! Bear south! Keep the bow against the largest waves!"
My assistant, with his expertise in charts and winds, provided support, his eyes fixed on mine, trusting my instinct.
The storm lashed us with fury, but the ship, that mountain of wood, resisted. We fought against the sea, not with brute force, but with the cunning of the wind and the understanding of the waves.
Hours later, exhausted but unharmed, the ship glided back into calm. The sun, emerging from between the clouds, illuminated the silhouette of North Sea City. We returned. Completely safe.
Fear continued to be a part of me, I knew it well. But now, every time I gazed at the East Ocean, I no longer saw just terrifying immensity. I perceived a challenge. And in the depths of my being, I knew I was destined to face it.
2 years later, Year 7 of the SuaChie Calendar.
The salty wind lashed my face as the King of Snipers, my ship, cut through the waves of the East Ocean.
Two years. Two years since that wooden giant had obeyed me in that storm, and now, I was captain of a larger ship.
We had just returned from the longest expedition the Suaza Kingdom had ever undertaken.
We sailed through all the islands of the Inner Sea and had reached so far north that the land felt different, a place that was not an island, but a land like our Kingdom. Every mile traveled, every sunrise over the water, was a triumph, a historical milestone for our newly expanded kingdom.
Fear, my old companion, was still there, a distant murmur in my chest, but the immensity of the ocean silenced it.
At sea, there was no room for cowardice.
Only for skill and instinct.
And I, Sogeking, possessed both.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
Sogeking gives us a new perspective on the kingdom's development. It also gives us a glimpse into the new adventures that await the Kingdom.
Unnecessary Fact of the Day: Between 1497 and 1498, Vasco da Gama of the Kingdom of Portugal reached India by sea, establishing the first direct sea route between Europe and Asia, which revolutionized the spice trade. Should Chuta travel to India via the Pacific?
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Read my other novels.
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future.
#The Walking Dead: Emily's Metamorphosis from Visions of Future Saga.
You can find them on my profile.]