All men have masters — those who believe they don’t are lying only to themselves.
By comparison to myself, my master was a giant. Almost seven feet tall I have heard, and he’s won many battles and become a master over the sea. Despite all the lands that he had either befriended or conquered, my master’s homeland was under a great siege from a foe who had been fighting them since anyone could remember.
There was some fear that if any more warriors left the homeland, then it might fall victim to the invaders.
In fear of losing the sea that he had come to love dearly, my master chose to take his three greatest ships across the largest of the known oceans in the hope that he might discover a power strong enough to beat his enemies completely.
An old seaman’s tale spoke of a people who lived on the other side of the vast ocean who held a weapon so powerful that it could strike an entire army down in one blow. Although, how my master heard of such a story was beyond me, given that no one in living memory had ever crossed the ocean and having done so, returned again.
It was for this purpose that my master led just three ships across the ocean, further from my master’s homeland than any of his people had ever traveled. They carried gifts to bring friendship to any civilizations he should meet. And many soldiers to enforce it with powerful weapons.
After nearly three months at sea we landed at the inlet of a strange new land.
Sam skimmed the next few entries, which broadly related to replenishing their food supplies, water, and maintenance of the three ships, until he found what he was after.
After nearly a week of sailing north along the foreign shores, I stood on top of the crow’s nest and stared at the monstrosity in the distance. It was a pyramid made of solid rock construction, and looked like a fortress that had proven its ability to defend itself for thousands of years.
It was so tall that, despite its base being at the level of the bay, the highest point was even higher than myself, who was perched at the very top of the two-hundred-foot mast.
At the pyramid’s crest, I could see a number of men surrounding something that stood at their center and reflected golden rays of sunlight, so powerful that the entire point appeared to glow with gold.
I gave my report to a messenger half way down the mast, who then relayed it on to my master waiting at the bottom for the first report.
My master appeared confident and in his normally commanding presence, despite the pyramid being just as terrifying as he’d described it.
His calmness changed to urgency when he noted the message regarding the golden cylindrical device.
“Hard to starboard! All ships, hard to starboard.”
Even at the top of the mast I heard my master bellow the order.
The signal flag was raised and all three ships turned in unison.
Half way through their turn, it happened.
Still aloft in the crow’s nest I had the clearest view of the battle.
A flash of lightning struck the ship ahead of me as though the Gods had struck it down. The heat was so powerful that it blew a hole in the front section of the ship the size of a house.
The ship’s commander immediately ordered the catapults, which had already been armed prior to rounding the peninsula, to fire. He even managed to get more than twenty off before he realized what was happening.
The hole in the front of his ship was so large that he was swamped within minutes. Before our ship even managed to complete the turn, the other was on its way to the sea beneath. The next shot struck the ship to his rear and this time its commander did not attempt to return fire but instead focused entirely on keeping his ship afloat. It was a futile attempt and within forty seconds the second ship was on its way to the bottom.
Below, I saw that my master had taken as much of an evasive position as could be expected under attack from such superior weaponry.
He rounded the second sinking ship.
I could do nothing but watch as my master made the painful decision to keep going and let the crew of the second ship drown. By the time the second ship was destroyed, the enemies had taken their Godforsaken weapon and aimed it at my master’s ship.
It struck no more than a few feet behind our stern.
The water, more than twenty feet of it, turned to steam, but our ship carried on. As we rounded the peninsula again, a second bolt of energy was released.
This time it made contact with the most aft of the masts.
It was disintegrated instantly, the charred remains of its scout falling onto the deck below — and then we were round the peninsula and safe from its violent rays.
I quickly climbed down the mast in time to hear my master give the command to take the ship due east, away from the violent reach of such a catastrophic weapon.
I have watched my master after many battles over the years, but this one seemed different. There had never been one like this, in which more than two thousand men were lost before the battle even started.
But his ship, thankfully, had survived.
“Rat Catcher — this has been a good day!” my master said.
“Yes, it has, Master,” I dutifully agreed, although I had no idea what my master was talking about, after watching two thirds of his fleet die within the space of twenty minutes before any of the ships were even within range to return a single attack.
“Do you know what makes today so very special?” my master asked.
“No, master. I do not.”
“That weapon we saw is more powerful than any possessed by all of our enemies and friends alike. Of the entire realm wherein we live, I doubt we would find another like it were we to sail for the rest of our lives and well into the next.”
“Nor have I, Master,” I agreed.
“And that’s why, Rat Catcher — we are going to steal it.”
It had taken hours for my master to explain how we were going to capture such a powerful weapon, but by the time he had finished I knew exactly what must be done. Regardless of the risk, I would happily take the chance with my own life — because my master had asked.
I followed my master and four other men around the ancient path that cut across the peninsula. The jagged path was cut deep into the rocky mountain. My master moved fast along the dangerous ledge.
To the left, where the mountain could be seen high above, a small pocket of dense vegetation appeared unnatural as it struggled to maintain its grip on the rock.
My master smiled as he looked upon it and said, “Ah, here it is.”
“Here what is, Master?” I replied.
“What I’ve been looking for.”
My master grinned, mischievously, as though he were playing a game, reached behind the tree, and pulled hard on something. The sound of wheels and pulleys turning could be heard from somewhere inside the mountain, but nothing else happened.