(Continued)
A vision took him- suddenly he was in the midst of a deadly fight- Alliance leader Furia and was that a skeleton? adorned with king's clothing, pearls and rubies and a crown made of solid gold exchanged a flurry of blows, locked in combat that would bring any ordinary fighter to their knees and then the grave. Meridian's attention was drawn away, to a map case hanging on a dusty, cobweb-covered throne... It was ancient, cracked and weathered by salt and sea. Meridian felt a powerful tug on his very soul- that map meant something was changing.
Another flash, and suddenly Meridian was standing at the bottom of the sea. This vision was different though. He could feel the bone-crushing pressure of hundreds of thousands of gallons of seawater above him, feel the flesh-ripping bite of extreme cold, feel his life's breath robbed from his lungs as icy seawater filled them in. From deep within the ocean gloom, something was glowing and pulsing. Tiny vibrations, like that of a faraway song, floated through the depths. A voice echoed in his mind, twisting through his bones, ancient and alien.
"The tides are changing again... The Sea watches all, Little Ghost."
And just like that, the pressure dissipated and Meri was back in the council room. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out any noise around him. That second vision. It had been different. Horribly different. Never had a vision felt so real, so like he was going to die. Never had anything spoken to him like that. The map both scared him and drew him in. Curiosity won out over fear, and Meridian unrolled the map onto the table. It was beautiful.
The map was old, older than anything Meri had worked with, and that was saying something; he'd tracked down the Treasure of Tentra Mortath, and those maps he had used had been newer than this. It was written in a strange script, not quite numbered code, not quite language. The artistry itself was impressive, otherworldly even. The ink was vibrant, despite its age, and it wasn't bleeding. The painting strokes were steady and clean, and every lettering was clear and legible.
The actual contents of it, however, were puzzling. The map depicted lots of open water, with no reference to large land masses. There was simply an island with a long river running through it. Meri could make out each individual tree, rock, and tiny bird on it. A mountain rose in the center of the island, and there the river split, forming a sort of moat. Meri traced his fingers around the masterful drawing, fascinated by the detail of the piece.
His gaze wandered to the script again. It was simple, structured sort of like a ballad; five verses with four lines each. Meri squinted at it, frowning, and to his amazement, he could make out what it read. It was almost as if the shapes and symbols had rearranged themselves to Meri's sight;
The Fates pull death from the depths of their deck of cards:
An age-old alliance smashed to flaming shards,
A masked and gilded snake lying hidden in fire's heart,
An ancient goddess's secret held within a star chart.
To protect the way of the pirate's existence,
A misfit crew, numbered four, must set sail into the distance
To a fractured island of a backward tide
Where desire and the compass of morality collide:
Beware the one who is not what she might seem,
For only three beating hearts shall be discovered on the team;
Take care of the one walking away in disgrace
With a storm trailing behind her and a thirst for vicious chase;
Keep thy secrets close and thy hands away,
from the ghost with the gloves and someone to save;
Steer clear of the lone rock, 'fore the sands of time sweep thou in,
a beacon of pain and lonliness, wearing and weathering thou thin.
When flames flood over land and ghosts wander over waters,
When songs echo over oceans from the Siren's daughters,
False traitors must do what has never been done before:
Break the avenging angel's chains, or bring the world to war.
An age-old alliance smashed to flaming shards,
A masked and gilded snake lying hidden in fire's heart,
An ancient goddess's secret held within a star chart.
To protect the way of the pirate's existence,
A misfit crew, numbered four, must set sail into the distance
To a fractured island of a backward tide
Where desire and the compass of morality collide:
Beware the one who is not what she might seem,
For only three beating hearts shall be discovered on the team;
Take care of the one walking away in disgrace
With a storm trailing behind her and a thirst for vicious chase;
Keep thy secrets close and thy hands away,
from the ghost with the gloves and someone to save;
Steer clear of the lone rock, 'fore the sands of time sweep thou in,
a beacon of pain and lonliness, wearing and weathering thou thin.
When flames flood over land and ghosts wander over waters,
When songs echo over oceans from the Siren's daughters,
False traitors must do what has never been done before:
Break the avenging angel's chains, or bring the world to war.
He sat down in awe for a moment, stuck between confusion and excitement. How had he solved it so quickly? Meri phased back into reality for a moment, still processing the breakthrough he had just made.
He looked up to Furia to announce his accomplishment when a huge, explosive sound echoed across the room and everything went black.
Wordcount: 1177/2500 Words
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Points: 1282
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