Chapter 16 Altain Governors Manor: “Hurry up you four,” shouted Mrs. Hansson. “They’re going to play flashback scenes for everyone that missed the beginning, and you better not be making a mess of my kitchen.” “Might be a little mess,” said Lord Lothan coming through door to the living room and carrying a large bowl of popcorn. “But it’s all his fault.” Lothan jerked his head back at Captain Sal. “Just a few dirty knives in the sink,” protested Sal, carrying a tray of buns, sandwich meat, cheese, and pickles. Gunther and Trey came through the door last, each carrying a tray with soda, water, tea, coffee, and a pot of hot water. “Did we miss anything?” asked Trey. “Not yet, they went to commercial,” said Mrs. Hansson. The men were just settling into their favorite chairs when the Captains of Nine broadcast returned on the television. *** Announcer #1: And we’re back with an unexpected special edition of the Captains of Nine. Announcer #2: That’s right, Tom, Ceri did his Captains of Nine six months ago and we weren’t expecting the next one for another two years when Laki turns 9. Announcer #1: And what a heart-pounding competition that was. When Ceri made his final charge for the beach through a hail of cannon fire, I got to tell you, I was on the edge of my seat. Announcer #2: We have the video now of the first engagement of the competition, and a rare engagement it was. Announcer #1: Master Chief Woods is from IPS, the International Protective Service, and will be playing the role of Captain of the Kings Men. Let’s watch the video. *** The screen changed to an aerial view in night vision of a river and the woods on both sides of the river. The camera panned along the river until a sailboat anchored next to the bank could be seen. “Where is he?” asked Gunther. “His uniform dissipates his body heat so night thermal vision doesn’t see him easily, he’s right there between those two trees,” explained Trey. The camera stopped and focused on two men standing on the bank of the river, then one man staggered back. “I counted five rounds center mass from five separate muskets fired in rapid succession,” said Trey. “Damn, this guy makes me look like an amateur,” said Gunther. Mrs. Hansson slammed her tea cup down. “He better not hit that boy with his sword.” The camera’s audio picked up Chief’s words. “There is no reason for you to miss the game because your brother is a fool, join the King’s men and you will yet sail to glory.” Mrs. Hansson fluttered her hands over her heart. “Oh dear, oh dear, that is so sweet, he showed mercy.” Mrs. Hansson leaned in a little closer to the television. “Isn’t that Jon? He’s such a darling boy.” *** The screen changed back to the announcers sitting at a table with the ocean framed in the background. Announcer #1: And there you have it, the first engagement goes to the Kings Men. Announcer #2: Next up is the video of our first sighting of the guest of honor. Announcer #1: A month ago, our very own Lord Baestar answered a distress call from a Lothan Federation Cargo Ship. Unfortunately, the ship sank before Lord Baestar could get to them, but despite being low on fuel and ordered to turn back, young Baestar pushed through the hurricane and located the survivors. Announcer #2: And with no regard for his own safety, young Baestar dived into the ocean and rescued none other than the 1st son of the Lothan Federation, Master Rinathian. Announcer #1: A truly inspiring story of courage, perseverance, and friendship. Announcer #2: Let’s watch the video. *** Rin knelt in the stern of a red sailboat with a chain conspicuously wrapped around his wrists. A Safety Officer’s motorboat came alongside and matched speed with the sailboat. “We’re getting a lot of calls from viewers,” shouted the Safety Officer. “Why does he have chains on his wrists?” Rin raised his chain-wrapped wrists to the Safety Officer. “Water,” begged Rin. Lord Tares was sitting on the opposite bench watching Rin and rolled his eyes. “He has two cases of bottled water sitting next to him, and we didn’t put the chains on him, he did that himself,” said Lord Tares into the camera the Safety Officer was holding. “He found that bit of chain in the anchor repair locker.” Rin gave the camera a woeful expression and tried rattling the chain for effect. The chain, not actually being secured to his wrists, slipped off and fell to the deck. Rin quickly picked the chain up and re-wrapped it around his wrists. “I’ve been kidnapped by pirates and clapped in irons,” said Rin, then added. “They beat me.” Lord Tares sighed. “Nobody has clapped him in irons, or beat him, the little ham is playing it up for the cameras. Bali and Ceri are down in the galley playing video games, he’s welcome to go join them, or get something to eat, or jump off the boat and swim in circles if he likes.” “Are you having fun, young man?” asked the Safety Officer. Rin nodded rapidly and gave the camera his best grin. “This is the best birthday party ever! But I hope they make the game harder or I’m going to whoop them so bad they won’t know what hit them.” The Safety Officer panned the camera back to Lord Tares for a response. “The game was designed for a nine-year old’s level. I agree I’m going to have to increase the difficulty level to match Rinathians’s age and unique skills.” “Does he have his panic button?” asked the Safety Officer. Rin turned and tipped his head to the side to show the Safety Officer he was wearing his earring panic button; it was fairly common that children of wealthy parents wore the standard panic button. “All the boys are also wearing a submersion monitor on their ankles,” added Lord Tares. “And the medical team?” asked the Safety Officer. Lord Tares pointed up. “We have a total of 5 sea planes. At least one plane will be in the air at all times. The others will go up as needed.” The chains fell off Rin’s wrists again, but the game with the chains was getting boring. He left them on the deck and grinned into the camera. “Who wants to see me beat up the pirates?” *** The television scene switched back to the two announcers. Announcer #1: And there you have it, Rinathian’s opening scene. Announcer #2: We have to go to commercial now, but when we come back, we’ll take a look at some of the responses coming from the Lothan Federation. *** Lord Lothan had a handful of popcorn and was smiling with pride at his son’s antics. “That’s my boy,” said Lothan. “The pirates just don’t know what’s coming.” “I think he’s a natural in front of the camera,” said Trey. “That boy is brilliant,” said Captain Sal. “The Tares Pirates are the home team and already have a built-in fan base. Rin was playing that to the Lothans and building his own fans.” “Sal played the part of the Kings Men when Bae did his Captains of Nine,” said Mrs. Hansson. Captain Sal leaned over the coffee table and started building a sandwich from the cold cuts. “That’s when we learned Bae has more courage than common sense. Instead of just making a run for the finish line, he kept turning back with Massi and attacking the Pirates.” “Where is the finish line?” asked Trey. “Whichever island they’re from,” explained Sal. “Altain is the furthest island away, so his game lasted ten days, but mainly because he was constantly on the attack. By the time he was ready for the final charge to the beach, Lord Tares was the only pirate boat left.” “Who sank the King’s ship?” asked Lothan. “Lord Tares got me during a night battle,” said Sal. “I never saw him coming.” *** Announcer #1: And we’re back with the Captains of Nine. This edition is honoring the Lothan Federations own 1st son on his upcoming eleventh birthday. Announcer #2: We have some video responses from the Lothan Federation. Let’s watch. *** The scene changed to a group of young girls around Rin’s age standing in what looked like a city park. The girls all shouted together, “We love you, Rinathian!” One of the girls in the front quickly added, “Marry me!” The scene shifted to another group of girls. The girls were gathered together in the middle of an indoor mall. The girls shouted together. “We love you, Rinathian.” The crowds of shoppers around the girls started cheering. Two of the bravest girls shouted. “You’re so cute!” The scene cut to a group of boys on an athletic field. The boys held a banner in front of them that read: The Captains of Nine – Lothan Federation for the Victory. The camera zoomed in on one of the boys. “All your pals from your school want you to know we’re rooting for you. You show them Tares what a Lothan is made of,” said the boy. The scene changed again, this time to a middle age couple standing in front of a brick colonial style home. The man spoke first. “We were at the grocery store when the announcement was made that Rinathian’s ship had sunk during a hurricane. There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire nation. Rinathian represents every son, every child, in our nation. It was like we had just lost our own son. And then a few hours later when we heard that a Tares rescue diver had found and rescued him, it was like a miracle. The Tares gave us our son back. And then of course as the story unfolded and we heard the rescue diver was a fourteen year old Naval Cadet, you could have knocked me over with a feather.” “We’ve been reading about the Tares,” said the woman. “It’s a fascinating country. We’re making plans to visit next summer.” “The game their playing is a little odd,” said the man. “But from what we’ve read, it’s a very important game in their country that honors their history and ancestors, and you have to respect other cultures. Play a strong game, Rinathian, show good Lothan sportsmanship, and whether you win or not, we are all standing with you.” *** The television switched back to the two announcers. Announcer #1: There you have it, Master Rinathian has a lot of support from the Lothan citizens. Announcer #2: And I’m certain he will make them proud. We have to cut to commercial now, but when we come back, we have a very special treat for you. Announcer #1: Lord Tares has graciously consented to allow our cameras to follow Master Rinathian into Castle Rock. Announcer #2: That’s right, Tom. This will be our first look inside the castle. Nobody outside the immediate royal family has ever seen the inside of the castle. We’ll be right back after these messages from our sponsors. *** Lord Lothan poked at the meat tray hoping to find enough for another sandwich. “From what the announcers are saying, this game has been around longer than sixteen years.” “The game has been around for seventy years,” said Sal. “The cousins have a version of the game also. Lord Tares’ brother has three children, but they’ve all done their Captains of Nine, and his sister has one girl that should be doing her Captains of Nine next year.” “So the Captains of Nine refers to their ninth birthday?” asked Lothan. Sal poured himself another cup of coffee. “No, it’s a reference to the nine captains that led the defense of the islands during the Great War when the Cistain Empire attempted to invade us.” “You know, those gunboats we have were given to us by the Lothan Federation a few weeks before the attack,” said Gunther. “Only nine of them survived out of the thirty boats you gave us.” “That was way before my time,” said Lothan. “But I know we gave a lot of our war reserves to smaller Houses for defense. I’m amazed the pristine condition you’ve kept them in.” *** The commercials ended and the announcers came back on the screen. Announcer #1: And we’re back. This next video we’re about to see was delivered to us from Lord Tares with specific instructions that nobody was to view it prior to broadcast. Announcer #2: So we’re all going to get our first view of the inside of the Tares Castle together. Let’s play the video. *** Rin got bored with the video games and went back up to the helm. He sat on the bench watching Kale sail the boat towards Castle Rock. Ceri and Bali were hogging the game controllers anyway. Kale was twenty-five and the oldest of Lord Tares’ sons. Rin liked Kale. Ceri too. But not so much Bali. Bali was bossy just because he was two years older than Rin. “I’ve been watching Captain Dan sail Bae’s yacht,” said Rin. “Have you been learning a lot?” asked Kale. “Yes, I know we’re beating a windward tack to starboard right now,” said Rin. “Very good, and why can’t I sail in a straight line?” asked Kale. “That would lock us in irons,” replied Rin. “That’s an older sailing term,” said Kale. “Captain Dan is giving you a good foundation in sailing.” Rin pointed at the mainsail. “It’s starting to flap a little on that corner.” “Do you want to take care of it?” asked Kale. Rin nodded his head and grabbed the winch handle from its stowed position. He inserted the handle into the winch and cranked clockwise until the slack in the sail tightened and the flapping stopped. “Good trim, well done,” Kale praised the boy. “Make sure you put the winch handle back where it belongs so we know where it is next time.” Rin grinned. “That’s what Captain Dan always says.” “You like Captain Dan,” said Kale. “Yeah, and Chief Woods too,” said Bae, planting his feet slightly apart to steady himself as he stood next to Kale. “Captain Dan teaches me about sailing, but he’s really strict.” “What’s Captain Dan strict about?” asked Kale as he maneuvered the boat to a better position in the wind. “Everrrrythinng.” Rin exaggerated the word for affect. “He made me scrub the deck for two hours just because I forgot to hook my safety harness to the jackline.” Kale gave Rin a light laugh. “Captains do things like that,” said Kale. “When I was a boy I was a little bit afraid of heights. Father would make me climb the mast every day until I got over my fear.” “I thought pirates were never scared,” said Rin. “You’re thinking of Bae,” said Kale. “That boy has more courage than common sense. I swear I don’t think I’ve ever seen him scared of anything.” “I have,” said Rin. “Oh, when was that?” asked Kale. “After we rescued him from those pirates on the beach, he…” Rin’s broke off his sentence and his eyes went to the camera mounted above the helm. “Is that thing on?” Kale followed Rin’s gaze and nodded. “Yes, it’s always recording, and usually broadcasting to the television station. But I understand your hesitation, you don’t want to embarrass your friend. We already know Bae broke down and cried after his rescue. Captain Sal has to report every detail of a major incident like that, and it went a long way to alleviating our concern about Bae. People that don’t have the ability to be afraid when it’s necessary are a danger to themselves and others.” “I shouldn’t have said anything,” said Rin, hanging his head in guilt. Kale put a hand on Rin’s shoulder. “Then let’s set the record straight.” Kale looked into the camera. “I guarantee you that Bae was not afraid of those pirates. What scared him and caused him to cry after he was rescued was that he had lost control of a situation and was reminded he’s vulnerable on land.” Rin looked up, squinted an eye, and cocked his head to the side. “Huh?” “He hasn’t told you the legend of the Baestars?” asked Kale. Rin shook his head. “We still have twenty minutes before we reach the castle, have a seat.” Kale waved a hand at the bench seat that surrounded the helm. “There were two migrations of the Tares people to these islands. The first migration was fifteen hundred years ago, that’s Bae’s bloodline. The second migration was six hundred years ago, and that’s my bloodline.” “Oh, you’re Bae’s half-brother,” said Rin. “No, we are full brothers, we just have different mothers,” explained Kale. Rin screwed his face up. “How’s that possible, if you have…” “Different cultures, little man, different cultures,” said Kale. “Oh, I apologize, I didn’t mean any offense,” said Rin. “My dad said other cultures do things different and we have to respect that.” “I took no offense,” said Kale. “But as long as our mothers are one of the princesses, we are full brothers, which is why Tath is our half-brother, his mother isn’t one of the princesses.” “Okay, I get it,” said Rin. “No you don’t, not yet,” said Kale. “Huh?” “If you pass the Captains of Nine, you’ll be not only a Lothan, but also a Tares,” said Kale. “That’s awesome, but… okay, I don’t understand,” said Rin. “Is your mother a princess?” asked Kale. “Yes… wait, are you saying if I win the Captains of Nine, I’ll be Bae’s half-brother?” Kale smiled. “You’ll be his full brother.” Rin cocked his head to the side, then giggled. “That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but I love it. You guys just make up your own rules, don’t you?” “Different cultures, little man,” said Kale. “So you’ll be my brother also?” asked Rin. “No, I’ll be your uncle,” said Kale. Rin rolled over on his side laughing. “I love your family. What about Lord Tares, is he my grandpa?” Kale scratched at his beard and grinned. “Oh, absolutely, he’ll love it.” “I heard that,” said Lord Tares coming up through the companion way and glaring at his eldest son. “If he calls me grandpa I’m making you both walk the plank.” Rin beat his feet against the bench laughing. “If we’re making up our own rules, then I have five dads; You, Captain Sal, Captain Dan, Chief Woods, and my real dad. Oh, and Bali wouldn’t let me have a turn with the game controller, so he’s going to be my sister.” “Sounds fair,” said Lord Tares taking the helm from Kale. “Tell me the Legend of Baestar now,” said Rin. Kale sat on the bench opposite Rin and stretched. Rin watched the boom swing over as Lord Tares tacked to a new course, then pulled his legs up to his chest and waited for the story. “First, you have to remember that when it all began, it was the dark ages,” said Kale. “Life was brutal and people superstitious. The first migration of the Tares were at sea for six months in long boats. They followed the brightest star in the night sky, the mariners star.” “That’s the Bae Star,” said Rin. Kale nodded. “Yes, the Bae Star. The journey was hard and many people died. The food and water had run out a week before the Bae Star led them to these islands. The Chiefs 5th son was born a few hours before they made landfall. It was considered an omen of good luck.” “And the baby was named Baestar,” said Rin. “You’ve heard this story before?” asked Kale. Rin smiled sheepishly. “Bae told me how the Baestars’ got their name, but that’s all.” “The Chief believed that the baby was born for a purpose. Once all his people were safely on land, he took the baby and walked out into the surf, and threw the baby into the ocean as a sacrifice of thanks to the Bae Star.” Rin’s jaw dropped open. “That’s horrible.” “Yes, it was, but it was the Dark Ages,” said Kale. “However, the Bae Star was as horrified by the sacrifice as you are now. The Bae Star bade the ocean to lift up the child and carry him back to shore. The Chief then heard a voice, the voice said: The Ocean shall never harm this child or any of his bloodline, he belongs to us now. And in fifteen hundred years, not a single Baestar has ever died at sea. They’ve had ships shot from under them, hurricanes dashed their ships against the rocks, but all have been returned to the shore unharmed. And that is the Legend of the Baestars.” “That’s an awesome story, but is it true, does the ocean really protect them?” asked Rin.” “I don’t know, we’re his brothers and even we can’t even explain some of the strange things that have happened to Bae at sea,” replied Kale. “The night Bae rescued you, he lost sight of the rescue tug. What did he do?” “He called the Bae Star for help, and then a sea monster came and took us to the ship.” “That was a whale,” corrected Kale. Rin rolled his eyes. “I know that now, but it is weird the whale showed up right after Bae asked the Bae Star for help.” “There are other incidents like that,” said Kale. “Captain Sal said he waited for the gunboat to arrive before rescuing Bae. He also said the tide had just reached Bae’s feet, and the gunboat Captain said he made record time getting to the atoll; the wind and current were with them the entire way. The ocean couldn’t help Bae until the tide had reached him, and that’s when the gunboat arrived and the rescue took place.” Rin nodded once. “I believe it.” “Some people say that if you tell someone long enough that they’re special, they start to believe it. Bae’s been told his whole life that the ocean is protecting him, so Bae never panics during an emergency. Remember this, it’s panic that kills you. No matter what happens, always stay calm.” “We’re here,” said Lord Lothan. Rin flipped around onto his knees to see better. Castle Rock was actually a large atoll with the castle built on a volcanic rock in the center of a deep lagoon. The atoll was surrounded by a coral reef that had a wall built completely around the island. Rin watched a large gate swing open to reveal a channel that led to the interior lagoon. The sailboat slipped into the channel. The walls to each side of the sailboat were at least seven stories tall. Rin could see windows, and doors, and balcony’s built into the wall. “It’s actually a city,” said Kale. “You can walk completely around the island without ever once stepping outside. The Tares Pirates lived here once, but now it’s just the caretakers. Rin looked over the side of the boat. The lagoon water was so clear he could see the bottom. “Seriously? You guys want me to escape from this,” said Rin. “This is a fortress.” “You’ll be fine,” said Lord Lothan. The sailboat glided across the lagoon and then into a tunnel under the castle. The tunnel was tall enough for a man-of-war to have fit inside. The tunnel opened to another lagoon, under the castle. The castle was built atop massive columns carved from the living rock. Rin’s eyes fell on nine large man-of-war galleons docked under the castle. His eyes widened at the sight. “Holy cow! Those are pirate ships!” shouted Rin. “Yes they are,” said Kale. “That’s The Broken King right there, and next to her is The Black Raven, The Silver Pearl, The Cry of Disgrace, The Black Death, The Terror, The Storm, The Revenge, and The Tainted. “You’re not really staying in a dungeon,” said Lord Tares. “You’ll sleep aboard The Broken King for the next three days with the boys and do maintenance on her. You’ll also take sailing classes, listen to the stories of our family’s history, see a reenactment show put on by the cousins, and of course have your birthday party. And then you’ll be ready to compete in the Captains of Nine.” “Oh my gosh, I really get to sleep on a real pirate ship?” shouted Rin. *** The television screen went back to the announcers, now standing and looking dazed. Shouting could be heard in the background. “Those ships sank eighty years ago.” “Someone find a historian, I want verification that those are the authentic ships of the Captains of Nine.” “Cut the broadcast, cut the broadcast.” *** “Are they real?” asked Lothan “Yes, you can always tell a replica,” said Gunther. “Those are authentic.” “The Broken King was the only one that survived the battle with the Cistain Empire, but she sank a few days later,” said Captain Sal. “Lord Tares must have spent a fortune bringing those ships up from the bottom of the ocean.” Lord Lothan stood. “No, Lord Tares didn’t finance the project to recover those ships. I think Governor Baestar did.”