Chabonne- Part 2

The fluty was a large thirty-three-meter vessel weighing approximately two hundred tons. Like most ships of the time at the bow, a large wooden carved figure of a woman stood out. It was Hecate. Also known as Persia, a daughter of titans. It was a well-crafted image that drew attention among travelers.

The body of a beautiful woman with three heads, wearing a tiara with a crescent moon on her forehead, torch in her hands, and serpents wrapped around her neck. Hecate's power extends from the infernal land and the sea. The oldest legends said that she was a goddess who prowled the land in the nights of the new night and in the sea they had their loves. In any case, sailors used to ask for good crossings on trips, knowing that they were benevolent with humans, always giving thanks to those who asked.

Older stories still reported that she created a haven among mortals for herself. A powerful land, dominated by magic and creatures incredible and extraordinary that humans have never known. It was one of the ancient legends surrounding the old colony of Garonne. In the beginning, power was unique. The people lived in peace. But human ambition can never be ignored. Even among creatures endowed with magic, man's ambition and thirst for power found an echo to cause and bring destruction to the balance of nature.

The unique power was broken and two distinct and rival species suffered a bloody war for centuries. Hecate had raised wolves and sorcerers. They said that before the great rebellion, the people were a single clan. Recognized by the brand of the New moon. The powers of the lady of enchantment were inherited by her descendants.

They also said that Hecate's daughter had the power to turn men into animals. Circe had become a goddess of the New Moon, or Black Moon, and was generally related to death, witchcraft, curses, revenge, and black magic. So the wolves had come. As a goddess of enchantments, it was believed that although Hecate wandered during the night on Earth, always accompanied by his spirits and ghosts, passing in the sunset to collect the dead of that day.

They said that as Moiras wove, measured, and cut the threads of a mortal's life and only Hecate would have the power to interfere in the threads of destiny. The powerful goddess had control over the secret forces of nature., Being a goddess of sorcerers. A lady of the visible and the invisible. Observe past, present, and future and wait until the right moment when the decision of the direction to be taken is decided. She doesn't choose the path, we choose it.

Her grace is wisdom and profound insight over illusions. She taught men to be fair and tolerant of those who are less fortunate. Its name means distant. But she is always present in times of need. It always helps to find a new path through new beginnings, despite the confusion of ideas and uncertainties when faced as inevitable changes in life. Richard always appreciated the beautiful thoughtful image when he stopped on the ship's deck. A vessel was sailing with the square sails on its three tall open masts.

It was a fast vessel and major modifications had been made to the installation of a rotating cannon shaft with firepower that could be handled easily both up and down, in addition to the traditional eighty guns.

The fluty had raised anchors and sailed on the open sea since nightfall. Except that throughout the day, Richard had dedicated himself to the fluty wheel satisfied to feel the wood under his feet. The movement of the deck was intense as the animated buccaneers pulled cables and the strong wind sank the sails. He expected a smooth trip, as the winds were still favorable with the autumn that was ending.

In any case, the trip had no long-term forecast, as the vessel would be responsible for keeping Ravlen's waters safe from smugglers. Most sea voyages at that time were terrible. Richard was used to witnessing absurd situations of crews on ships unable to keep men on board. In general, travel was dangerous and uncomfortable.

It was very common for crews to die on voyages, not only from pirate attacks but also from the disease. He had already seen ships with lower roofs, where people slept to become stuffy, damp, and hot basements. In general, the accommodations were horrible, and the food was even worse. Caravels, for example, never brought enough food. There was a bad smell on board due to poor hygiene.

It was an environment of the struggle for survival and the riots so common were brutally suppressed by officers with swords, daggers, and pistols. The lack of hygiene, health, and food conditions brought dangerous diseases. Sometimes, a small indisposition could be fatal with the bleeding applied. He had also seen many men die with rotting gums and drooping teeth. The amount of food was poor and reduced.

Provisions include biscuits, cod, lentils, sugar, and flour, as well as wine and water that is almost always contaminated. They were ships typically used by witch hunters. Usually, when these crews arrived on dry land, it was the terror of a village. Men wasted money on women, games, and drinks.

In Chabone there were brothels, bars, inns, and craft houses where watches, compasses, or weapons were repaired. They were short-term stops, just long enough to supply fresh water, make minor repairs, buy gunpowder, wood, and food. There were also outbreaks of the Black Death as they always called it with the arrival of spring. The precarious living conditions on these vessels sometimes posed greater dangers. The terrible disease of pustular bubbles could lead to the death of a healthy man in three days.

There was no cure, anyone who had contact with them was contaminated. The Plague had hit Garonne indiscriminately in the fields and cities for two years, poor and rich, men, women, adults, and children suffered from advances from a disease so deadly and contagious that it seemed to penetrate the bones. A person for three days had vomited blood before finally dying. Mass graves were opened. It had been so much affliction and misery that the local authorities had maintained the ports that brought ships under surveillance.

The newly arrived travelers carried such a virulent disease in their bones that anyone who just spoke to them could be affected by similar symptoms and would soon succumb without hope of avoiding death.

The dead numbers were left in mass graves, as the local cemeteries were unable to hold so many individual graves. The limits of the Scarlet lands exhibited sentries that prevented the approach of travelers who could bring disease. In any case, wolves did not seem to show vulnerability to diseases like the others that humans brought.

Gaia Negra started to pick up speed; Richard's satisfaction could have been complete without the eyes of indignant amethysts. The girl had not gladly accepted his answer. Of course, I wouldn't bring Faith on board on a trip. He would look for Kassuim as soon as the ship reached Chabone, although he had decided not to tell Morgan about what happened.

There was still Bloody Pirate. The Unicorn was a fast ship, but its captain, Jackie, was engaged in piracy activities. Perhaps Jackie would help him with the task of locating a small fugitive.

Willian's childhood friend to despair devoted himself to piracy in the same way that he embraced life on the high seas. Richard remembered the orphan boy's arrival at the castle. Jackie had grown up among the wolves shortly after their parents died. He also knew about his friend's attachment to the supposed younger brother. Hell! Jackie had always kept the unfortunate farce that Kassuim was a little boy.

This would bring new complications. Ah, Morgan had left his mark on Kassuim, or rather Cassie. Jackie was not a wolf, he had little tolerance for their traditions after the murder of his parents at the hands of sorcerers. There was still a friendship between Jackie and Morgan. Jackie always accompanied Morgan and Michael on disastrous adventures, forming an insuperable group with Faith to find trouble and confusion. Faith! He didn't want to think about Faith. She used to think of Faith as a spoiled and whimsical girl.

The boys always ended up doing all their wills. An unexpected fate put him in front of a young woman of unusual and remarkable beauty. God! Why think about Faith? The decision of the Council of Elders to marry her to Kaios had surprised him most who could have liked it. Richard would have loved to have taken the opportunity to teach Kaios good manners. This was not a family girl so reprehensible. The idea that Faith could soon marry Kaios or was displeased.

Richard would never have expected the frustration and anger he felt at the realization of Lord Kaios's intentions. He wondered if he was still lucid. Just before leaving, a long conversation with Willian had left him even more astonished. He had simply unceremoniously demanded that the eldest daughter's unhappy marriage contract be canceled if he wanted help in trying to find Kassuim. William could find a reliable and worthy suitor. Anyway, Faith was still too young to worry about marriage and children.

The thought of it infuriated him even more. It was another damn temptation. His life was Gaia Negra. Why did Faith suddenly seem to plummet into her life like a fierce hurricane? Slightly irritated hand the helm to the helmsman. I needed to forget a girl. As soon as he found Kassuim, his life would return to normal. And when she returned to Scarlet, the unpleasant fascination that Faith seems to have awakened in him would be just a memory. Soon his life would return to the usual tranquility.

Distracted, he walked in search of his cabin. The sterncastle was carefully crafted with decorative windows and lanterns. He opened the door, choking off a bad mood at the thought of the girl. His box was exactly as he had left it the night before. On the table, there were still maps, nautical charts, the astrolabe, and the quadrant. The spyglass and logbook left on an armchair continued exactly as he had left. Only a closer look was able to detect that someone had touched his belongings.

Your weapons ... The irritation was completely absorbed by the bad mood. He always kept pistols carefully and spare ammunition. One of his pistols was missing. A second, longer look captured the lack of organization in the sword collection. The rapier, rapier, and saber were out of position. The possessive look went to a favorite sword, a scimitar. A single-edged curve was extremely sharp and agile as well as being forged with better quality steel. His spring-loaded triple dagger was not there. The object had a spring mechanism that could open two more sharp and piercing surfaces.

Another weapon from his collection was lying on the floor. It was a weapon composed of a solid metal sphere with spikes, hanging from a chain on a cable. His chain mail was lying on the bed. The musket, a tow chuck, and a forked stick were left unattended among his books. Like flintstones, the pieces of steel that made the sparks when scraped with a sharp point were scattered in total disorganization.

Someone had entered his cabin and tampered with his belongings. Richard bent down to pick up the flint when a low noise reached his ears from behind the door that closed the closet. Probably a thief looking for valuable objects that can be sold. He left the stones lying and his hand went to the belt for the pistol.

The unfortunate he would spend two days in the wavering basket in cold weather to learn not to tamper with what did not belong to him. In silence and anger, Richard grabbed the door handle and pulled the shape unexpectedly. It was a riot of hair, blanket, and weapons that fell on him, with pale legs and boots. His surprise was followed by a torrent of plagues in fluent French that made him roll his eyes in disbelief.

-Faith?

The voice was loud and annoyed when she saw the girl lying on the floor awkwardly. Even more incredulous, Richard shook his head. Faith was lying on the floor of her cabin, carrying with her the rest of the objects left on her bed.

Rick sighed in annoyance. After Cassie… All he didn't want to hear about was problems with women anymore. But maybe some distraction...