Deep Sea Chapter 18

18.

The Surface

Senior Sergeant Hamley looked from his position on the walls. The waves were hitting it high at over twenty feet. Most of the fishing boats are back but there were some probably holed up on the other side of the island. He had on his thick seal skin frock with the hoodie but he doubted it will help him much out there. The storm was picking up speed from Force Five to Seven soon. The rain was plastering his face like constant slaps on the cheeks.

“Darn!’ On such days he would be holed up in the tavern with a warm brandy or that throat searing whiskey but not that day. He reached for the flask inside his frock.

“Thank God for Walker is with me.” Hamley raised the flask to gulp down a few shots of the favorite drink. He then capped it and looked at the bay. It was then he saw the ship sailing in ever slowly.

So the frigging battle was to begin even in the frigid weather; cursed the Senior Sergeant. He then lighted up the pile of woods and hay beneath the extended cover. It was the signal that the others were waiting for.

Sergeant Major was standing next to the twelve pounders waiting for the signal. He was to take the first shot and then the others will follow suit. He saw the signal and then turned to the gun crew.

“Well, load the gun now.” Sergeant Major was all spick and span then. The man carried the cannonball and placed it into the barrel. Another crew opened the breech lock and loaded in the gun powder. He then stood clear while the gun was aimed. The Sergeant Major had insisted on lighting the wick on the breech. He puffed at the rolled-up cigar and then lowered it on the wick. The flame burned down the wick to the gunpowder. Once the gun powder ignited there, the force of the blast propelled the cannonball towards the bay. If there was a word for precision, then the compliment would go for the crew. It was elementary for they have been practicing the range for some time.  

The Flaming Dragon Five was a fighting boat. It was a double mast far eastern design seafaring ship with it wide upper deck of over a fifty feet and lengthen over a hundred and fifty feet with a draft line of twenty feet. The hull had a horseshoe-shaped stern supporting the high poop deck. The bottom is the flat designed with no keel but the large rudder at the stern prevented the boat from slipping sideways. The rudder needed two crews to handle during the high waves. At the stern rear of the ship was the poop deck which measured only twenty-five feet which housed the Captain cabin. Beneath of the deck were its lower double decks where the crews held their places in between the twenty guns there. On the aft of the ship was the double cannon there which housed between the figures of the upright dragon. The double cannon there was placed beneath the dragon spews its fire at the enemies.

The cannon shot from the gun that was lighted by the Sergeant Major broke the dragon’ jaw.

“Steer to Port and return fire.” Captain Kuan Tai gave the command. The tall lanky man stood high on the raised deck. He was dressed in the uniform of a Sea Captain with the fine silk tunic that reached below his thighs and the balloon pants tucked into the knee-high felt boots. On his tunic were the fine stitcheries that depict the flaming dragon in its flight across the sea waves. On his waist belt was the long sword favored by the higher-ranking officers.

Just then his portside ten guns roared out, the Flaming Dragon Five was hit by two more cannonballs. It hit at the mast poles to bring it down and stop the ship sailing but they missed and hit on the upper deck.

“They got our position. Fireback to deter them.” The Sea Flaming Five shots impacted the walls but no real damage was incurred.

“Fire the next round.” Captain Kuan was not impressed by the shots. “Elevate the guns.”

The salvo of the ship was taking its hit on the sentries there. It was not their fault but no one trained ever felt safe in such a moment. Sergeant Major called on the cannons to re-align the gun direction. The enemy ship was doing evasive maneuvers on the bay. More shots were exchanged but the ship was not making any attempt to land.

The landing was on the other side of the island under the cover of the storm. Captain Moong Tien was the first to step off the first troopship. His two hundred men of the fighting Company Warrior Ten rushed up the shores to the upper grounds. The men formed into ten groups of twenty men each and headed for Small Jaws.

The second troopship landed on the opposite side of the island. It was commanded by Captain Wah Loong. Unlike the other captain, he was short and pudgy but he had a firm hand on his sword-fighting technique. His two hundred troops made for Big Jaws.  

“Fire at the mast.” The Sergeant Major called out. “Stop their frigging moves.”

The Sergeant Major looked to the line-up of cannons. Those darned sailors were not great gunners after all. Curse at their trainers for giving them stationary targets. He was to sigh when the cheer went up.

“We got the mainmast.” The crews on the cannons fifty feet away called out. “She is not going to make it.”

Maybe it was the stroke of luck or pure coincidence, the subsequent shots hit the stern rudder. The ship was afloat in the bay.

“Fire at the damned ship.” The Sergeant Major commanded the gun crews. “You got your mark now.”

The cannons roared and their hit was more precise. It was how they were trained.

Captain Kuan Tai pulled himself with the assistance of the broken rails. That last shot that took his ship rudder also tore a hole in his deck. He was upset at the setback. His guns were useless with the ship afloat and unable to sail. He looked to the walls and saw the flash of the cannons. He saw the cannonballs hit the decks with precisions. The enemies need not make adjustments in the storm they knew their ranges.

“Abandon the ship.” Captain Kuan Tai called out. His task was to distract the cannons and it was done. He drew out his sword and stood there. The next salvo tore into the hull and then the sides gave way to the surging seawater.  The storm brought the rain and it was to him a blessing from the Gods. They were crying on his defeat. Soon, he fell into the seawater. It was cold but the rain could not reach him. He swam upwards to the surface and took his deep breath. He saw the ship tilting to the stern and then it was being swallowed by the sea. His crews were in the water. There were some who were bleeding.

“No….” Captain Kuan Tai cried out. The blood had attracted the predators. They were feeding on the crews. He knew it was too late to shout. The bite took off his left thigh leaving him the exposed bone.

“Blood…”  That was his last words.

Corporal Jones looked up at the dark skies. The wind was blistering while the rain was in his words; ‘oh fy duw’. He loved the rain for it was like this in his home there. He had the machine guns posted on the ridges overlooking the plains near the shores. His Lordship may be a turd sometimes but he does surprise the Corporal with his strategy.

“With the troopships, I think they want to invade the island. Now, where would they do that?” Lord Henry had thought deep on that. “I told no one ….”

Lord Henry had paused then. He looked at the Sergeant Major.

“Andre….” His Lordship cried out. “I was a fool.”

A fool his Lordship was but as a strategist, he was no fool. He had Corporal Jones led the twenty men there with the ten machine guns. They had the sealskin covered them on the heads and the guns but the wind was strong. The rain splattered like the spits of Neptune.

“I see them.” Corporal Jones called out. He pointed to the scouts that were seen on the plains there. Captain Moong Tien was in the lead. He had drawn out his sword with his right hand while his left hand shielded his eyes from the blistering rain. Captain Moong Tien’s men carried with them their sword and shields instead of the rifles. The ground was wet and soggy with the rain. He slipped twice and cursed at it. He preferred to fight the solid ground of the plain where great armies have battled. He lifted out his left leg from the soft ground to take the next step when he saw the flashes at the distance. He had mistaken them for torches that the enemies carried.

“Charge!” Captain Moong Tien called out. His men heed his command and rushed at the ridge. They have faced the volley of arrows with their wooden shields as their protection. It would have stopped the arrows but at the metal leaded projectiles, the shields broke into pieces. Once the shield defenses were removed, the metal projectiles tore into the soft flesh of the warriors. They went down not with a piercing wound but their wounds were gaping cut as if they were slashed by the swords.

“Down….” Captain Moong Tien called out to his men but the rain drowned his voice. He saw them struggling up for their positions to seek the enemies but with the rain their visibility was poor. They went down in the hail of fire. Men standing up to see their flesh being cut open before their eyes. They tried to run but the projectiles tore into their bodies. They were soon down to half their numbers and were crawling in the grass there.

Captain Moong Tien tried to rally his men but they were already retreating. He stood up to show his courage and was struck down by the projectiles.

“This is not war. This is …” The machine gunner next to Corporal Jones released the trigger. The gun barrel was steaming hot despite the rain.

“Aye, its murder but thankful you are not seeing the blood from here.” Corporal Jones called out while his left hand held the Celtic Cross hunger over his neck. “Bless me and forgive me for my sins.”  

The Depth

Captain Liao shuddered at the third slam by the serpent. He kept his vigil on the viewer but with the dimmed lights he can’t make out much of the view outside. The serpent was wounded and that was dangerous. Any hunter will know that it’s dangerous to leave a wounded predator out in the wilds. It can’t hunt as before and eventually, it will seek the slowest prey that is Man. He had instructed the crews to shoot their harpoons on only confirmed sights.

He saw it then.

The serpent was wounded but it was not the same. The new one had a longer body and was more deadly. It was longer than the Sea Dragon One. He saw it turned and then came at them. Its jaw was opened wide. He had seen such move from the deadly land serpents. It was striking at the ship.

“Steered port and let off those harpoons.” Captain Liao called out. The aft harpoons were shot but the serpent was still coming. He saw the serpent disappeared from his viewer. He rushed to the portside and pulled the sailor away. He leaned down to look at the viewer there. The harpoons were shot out then but the serpent was still heading at the ship. He gripped the rails there and waited for the impact.

It did not happen.

 The Serpent had veered off to the top.

Captain Arthur saw his two released harpoons from the aft hurt the serpent at the side. He had earlier seen the other ship and its danger. He had to assist. It was the conduct of the mariners.

“Fire two aft harpoons.” Captain Arthur called out. The gunners at the aft pull the lever which will pump the pressure air into the breech to release the harpoons. It streaked across the currents and hit the serpent on the side. It was not the intended serpent. It was the earlier wounded one that had come in between the ship and the other serpent.

The smaller serpent screeched out in pain when the heavier harpoons cut into the scales and then the flesh below. It screeched out again in pain and then soared to the surface. The other larger one turned to chase after the bleeding serpent. It was to protect the younger ones from the other predators. The sharks were approaching the two serpents from all sides. It was expected for the blood trail was too deep to be ignored.

The serpents were swift swimmers and soon reached above the canyon. They swam fast towards the open sea but there was a swarm of predators out there. The large serpent snapped at the swarming predators. It bit at the fifty footer shark at the tail fin to slow it down. It also gave the swarm of predators another target. The huge serpent then tore into another and then used its larger body to push the others of the younger serpent.

The younger serpent was spent in its strength to swim and was diving into the depths. The huge one knew that it was the true nature of the serpents. They will die with dignity at the depths where the other predators fear to tread. The younger serpent felt its energy spent but the huge one assisted it in the dive. It nudges and pushed the younger one down. It went down into the darker depths and then there was the light. It was not the light of the sun but of the luminous shades of the breeds there. The creature there had evolved in their own ways to deal with the missing element of light. They have developed the ability to use their chemical composition within their bodies to produce the missing element.

The young dying serpent reached the place where it will sacrifice itself to the new growing ones. In the pit of serpents down below, there were two growing ones that needed nutrients. It was the ultimate sacrifice to feed the pit than to be fed by the other predators.

The huge serpent swam in a circle over the pit where the feeding was ongoing. The serpent sacrifice will feed the two young ones for weeks. It does not need the feeds from inside the huge serpent anymore. Nevertheless, it regurgitated the excess feed out into the pit. It then swam away to the mound at the side of the serpent pit. It coiled up there and watched the young serpents. If there was a way to express its sympathy from the dying serpent was to lay off its head on the mound of bones that was once its birthing serpent. It died after it was speared by the hunters during its hunt. With that old serpent dead, the young ones were fewer. Since then, the serpent population had dwindled. The younger ones soon found themselves prey to the huge sharks. Only one had survived to challenge the sharks. It finds its existent was soon to be over with the hunters and their harpoons hurting it.