This is the final part of the three week challenge presented by Dreemport. Besides my introduction post this is the first time I publish a piece of fiction.
Part 1 and Part 2 were published during the last weeks.
I hope you enjoy this tale.😉
As the son of the local undertake, Hans Schreiner was not popular with the other children. He spent most of his time helping his father. For building coffins and digging graves no extensive education was needed and after only 2 years of school his father told him to stay home and learn his trade.
At the age of 16 his father passed away and he was digging on its own for the first time. While he was actually supposed to dig the next grave in line, for some strange, to him unknown reason, he dug at the spot of an old grave. According to the headstone almost 190 years old. No remains were supposed to be found after that much time but to his astonishment he found a big orb that seemed to be out of marble.
Hans took it home and hid it in a footlocker after filling up the hole in ground again. The next day he had forgotten all about it.
Daniel was pushed into a little dark room. The door was closed behind him. He tried to open it, pounded against it yelling “let me out!”
“Stop doing that.” Said a little grumbly voice in the dark.
Daniel stopped at once. Suddenly he was… at peace?
Did someone just speak? He turned around slowly. “Who is there?” he asked.
“I am here.” The voice replied. “Thank you for stopping that noise.”
“You’re welcome.” Daniel said, sounding almost like asking a question. “Greg?” he asked. After a moment he added “Lizzy?”
“Daniel, sit down. We don’t have much time.” The voice said. “While calming you I don’t have the energy to stay in contact with the Boss. You have to stay calm when I let go of you. Remember that.”
Daniel started to build up anxiety again. He felt his blood rushing through his head, his stomach felt like being filled with rocks.
“Remember to stay calm. Take a deep breath, sit down and stay that way. I will let go now.” The voice reminded him again.
Daniel took a deep breath, sat down and resisted the urge to start yelling again.
“I am Zaman Custos.” The voice said.
“I am…“ Daniel started saying, then he remembered. “Hey, how do you know my name?” He built up anxiety again.
“Stay calm. I will tell you.” Came the answer. “I know your name because I need you. The same way you need me to get back home.”
“You can get me home?”
“Yes. But you will have to do something for me.”
“What?”
“You have to kill the Boss.”
The feeling of having lost something came over Hans. He was not sure what exactly he had lost but he went looking. He searched his house from top to bottom. Finally, he saw the footlocker. It was covered in years of dust. When he opened it, he had found what he was looking for.
There was a marble orb with a crack in it. Did it just rock a little bit? Watching the marble rock different ways, he felt like in trance. Was the crack getting bigger? He wanted to measure it. When his hands touched the orb, he was thrown back across the room. A strange feeling of soberness affected him.
In a hunch he grabbed the old iron cage in the corner and put it over the orb. Careful not to touch the orb again, he tilted the footlocker over, so the orb would land in the cage and then he closed the cage.
The orb cracked open completely.
“You want me to do what?” Daniel asked shuddering.
“You need to kill the captain of this ship.” Zaman Custos explained calmly.
“No way.”
“He is the one that bound me.” Zaman Custos said. “I cannot help you if I am not free.” It spoke the last words building up a growl and a purple glowing figure started to shine in the dark room.
Daniel saw a little dragon sitting in a cage about 6 feet away from him. The dragon was maybe half as tall as he was.
Lost for words Daniel just stared at the dragon. Its eyes were closed, its expression suggested great concentration.
“Oh my…” Daniel uttered. “You are a dragon?”
“Yes. I am. And I can feel you do not belong into this time. If you kill the Boss, I am no longer bound. Then I can send you back to where you belong.”
“But how would I do that?” Daniel asked, astonished of himself asking the question. Did he just consider actually killing someone?
“I will arrange for a battle.” Zaman Custos said. “During that battle, while you bring the powder, the Boss will pass by you. Ask for a knife to open the bag and he will hand it to you.” Zaman Custos’s voice weakened. “When he hands you his knife, kill him.”
“But…” Daniel was stuck in thought. “But won’t the crew then kill me in revenge?”
“No. In that moment I will be set free. I will take control of the crew, calm them down, like I did with you before. They will not harm you, I will protect you.”
“But…” Daniel started again.
“No more time. He is back. I have no more strength to keep him out.” Zaman Custos said while its glow went dark again.
The door opened. Bright light entered the room again. Squinting, Daniel saw the boss.
As powder monkeys, the kids had to carry the gun powder bags from the lowest deck to the gun ports during battle. Outside of combat they served in the galley and were locked in the cabin during night time.
Horatio seemed to be excused from such duties. He only sat in the corner, said nothing and stared into another corner.
Greg and Lizzy decided not to ask Daniel any more questions. They were relieved to have help in the galley serving the crew and did not want to risk Daniel ending up like Horatio.
Daniel spent every second thinking about Zaman Custos words. Did he really talk to a dragon? Then again, was he actually in the year 1782, on a pirate ship?
It would take the pirate’s ship two days to get from the German north-west coast to the west coast of England.
“I think we’re heading for that small port north of Liverpool.” Greg said. “The course is right and they just started to change the camouflage again. Seems they’re going as carpet merchants this time.”
“No, I don’t think so. Maybe Ireland? The wind just turned east.” Lizzy said.
“All hands hoay” The Boss yelled. “Jones, get up there into the crow’s nest. Set sails for west.”
“Oh no.” Greg said. “You’re right. Whenever he sends Jones up there, we’re going into battle.”
Even though, there was no other ship in sight, the crew reacted as if it were.
An hour later, when Jones announced the sighting of a schooner, the Boss ordered “Battle stations!”
Greg and Lizzy grabbed Daniel. “Come on, we’ve got to run!” Greg said.
They got to the lower deck and showed Daniel the powder bags. “One bag per gun, the powder is just the right amount for one shot.” Lizzy explained. “Two bags are bound together so you can hang them around your neck or shoulder. Grab four bags and go!”
The weight of the powder bags cut into the skin of Daniels neck, the rope rubbing it sore. 8 guns per side needed to be supplied. Daniel stumbled a lot, Greg and Lizzy tried to help.
The Boss noticed it took longer each time to reload the guns.
“What’s going on down there? Why is it taking so long?” he asked.
“Them damn kids.” Perky yelled from down below. “That new landlubber has no sea legs”
“I’ll show him.” The Boss yelled in anger.
He went below deck and when he saw Daniel lying on the ground fumbling the rope of the powder bag he grabbed the bag, cut it open with his knife and poured the powder into the barrel.
“Sir, can I borrow that knife, please? I need to load three more guns.” Daniel asked. He wondered if he just decided to become a killer.
“Bloody hell, pick up some speed!” The Boss screamed and threw the knife so the blade got stuck in the wood.
Daniel grabbed the knife, loosened it from the floor board.
“Yes, sir.” Daniel answered.
He cut another bag, took a deep breath and then charged at the Boss thrusting the knife into his chest.
“Daniel” she called. “Daniel!” she grabbed him. “Hey, Daniel”
“AAaaahhh” Daniel sprang up, the pencil still in his hands and screamed at his mother.
“Daniel!” she sharply yelled.
Daniel stopped screaming and lowered his hands.
“See? That happens if you fall asleep over your notes. How often did I tell you to make your homework in the afternoon and not during nighttime when you should be sleeping?”
“What?”
“Now get ready, it’s already six thirty. Breakfast is ready in five minutes.”
She left the room.
Daniel sank back on his chair, with a deep breath and sigh he felt a wave of overwhelming relieve. He put the pencil back on the desk and saw the drawing of the dragon.
It was all a dream?
Not all of it. The grave is real, isn’t it? The headstone, from which the drawing came, is real. Or was it?
One day, Daniel would go back to the stone and start digging……
The End...(?)
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