Alcander's Fantastic Voyage Part 9

Pirates!

What in Heracles's name are pirates doing this close to Point of Origin?

We were nearly within sight of the city when they came out of a river mouth and attacked our ship. It was full of some manner of cargo my father hoped to sell at the port. I suspect he hoped to at least make enough profit to pay for my transport.

I was asleep when the pirates attacked, or they surely would not have been successful. By the time I awoke, it was to find myself tied up on the pirate's ship, back to back with the captain of my own vessel. It seems the rest of the crew had been released, but the captain was considered worth a ransom and they took me for some manner of rare and valuable slave.

I thought that perhaps I could break through my bonds and over power the pirates, but the captain told me to wait. The cargo my father had given them was a hold full of wine. The pirates wouldn't be able to resist it for long, and then we could escape.

The pirate ship came to rest in some sort of strange forest up the river. They must have hoped to hide out there for a bit. They ignored us, not giving us food or water, but I saw one of them puzzling over my bone club.

As the day drew towards dusk, someone tapped some of the wine, and I knew my moment would draw near. The captain at my back had managed to undo our knots, having a proper sailor's knowledge of the thing, and it was only a question of waiting for the right chance.

What we had not relied on was a drunken pirate's idea of a good time. Several of the pirates decided that it would be humorous to throw the captain at them and see what would happen. In their advanced state of drunkenness, they didn't even notice that he was untied. They moved quickly, though, and the captain was over before I could stop them.

I acted then, of course. I attacked the man who had my club, and took it from him by force. I took off over the side of the boat, hoping to rescue the captain.

It was too late. There was nothing left of him but a bloody patch on the water. But the great lizards seemed sated on him, and left me alone.

Then the drums began.

The pirates took off. One of them threw my lantern at me, laughing and saying that I wouldn't need it for long. I tried to swim after them, to have revenge, but the ship was faster.

The drums came close to the river, then followed the boat. Whoever had the drums, they did not see me. I found a place to hide between some trees, and waited for the dawn.

Now the dawn has come. I have survived the night, and there is a temple nearby. I will head that way, and see what evil is at the source of the night drums.