Book IV: Chapter 1 | Ad Liminum

"We've been at sea for nearly 20 days, and yet we have barely met anyone. Is this world empty?" 

Pliny and Alexander are standing alongside an itinerary and a map that they've made. The map is annotated with several locations and with coordinate lines drawn to represent the latitudinal lines.

Alexander, like the rest of the Elves, has changed on their long voyage. The sun has tanned them. They have become more weathered, more seasoned, their faces dried by the sea and the spray. Were it not for the ears poking out of their helmets, which on the tops have turned bright red from the sun, Pliny could squint his eyes and almost see the olive-skinned sailors and women of his home in Naples.

"Everything to the north of us is a deserted waste, and then the island immediately next to us is just as dead as our own."

"Indeed, Alexander, and it seems that the crew may start to get—"

"Do you believe the crew is tiring of sailing? They have not yet, but in time, we will start to wonder if this is our life, to just live on the open sea. I think for some, this would be ideal. I know Arachne and Pollux seem to have taken a liking to the open ocean. I can't say the same for Barbara, though."

Barbara, standing next to the deck, is trying her best to pay attention, and while her seasickness has been overcome somewhat, she still gets easily uncomfortable when the ship rocks too much.

Pliny says, "It's not our intention to remain at sea forever. We will settle for a new city. So here's what we will do."

Barbara asks, "Can we just go back and pick one of the city areas near us? Maybe that large island across from us has valuable— we can set up a camp and build there."

"No, no, no. We need to be deliberate in our choice of city, and founding the place we settle, the place Pompanius establishes his gods, needs to be the place that we finally build our new capital. I propose we continue to travel south, past the large island, and check an area that seems to be forming either a large chain of islands or a gulf."

"What are you looking for, Pliny?"

"I'm looking for people, fellow civilized peoples that we can trade with, that we can buy supplies from, people that know where iron is mined. If we settle in a new place without these, we have no idea what monsters are, and we will be in the same technological situation as we were on the island without heads."

It was a bit of a point of humiliation for Barbara on the island; she was used to being the star pupil, the ideal Roman and daughter of Pliny. However, life at sea has inhibited many of her more awkwardly useful traits, and her star has become eclipsed by others such as Arachne and Pollux. Even Castor seemed hardier at sea than she did. None of them faulted her for this, of course, but they just didn't call on her as much.

And so, in the meeting, Barbara excused herself and went to the corner, looking out at the ocean. She was trying not to get sick. <Blocking>As she's looking past the endless horizon, she sees something.</Blocking> She tries to hone her distance at the white speck reflecting off of the sun.

"Oh, look, look over there!" she cries out.

Pliny turns, runs to the bow, and also tries to look at the white speck. "I can't see this far. What is it?"

Alexander looks to where Barbara is pointing. "I can't tell at this distance, but it almost looks like— could it be a boat? Could it be another ship?" Alexander says, with excitement.

"Should we sail towards it?"

Pliny is thinking to himself. "Aeneas, go to the mast."

Aeneas climbs to the top of the mast to get a better look out.

"Report anything you see as the ship becomes clearer."

"Yes, yes, sir," is his reply.

Pliny goes to Pompanianus. "I want you to assemble the elves and be ready for a possible boarding action."

Barbara returns, "Boarding action? Why?"

Pliny explains, "We have no reason to believe that they're friendly, and if they are friendly, we will remind them that we are strong. And if they are not friendly, then they will learn the hard way that we will not be either. Now, Barbara, go below decks and grab the anchors and let's set up the meat cranes into proper boarding anchors."

Pompanianus pulls out his whistle and blows it. "Ship sighted! Prepare for battle!" Elves quickly prepare to suit up in armor and weapons, unaware of what might happen next.

Aeneas climbs down the mast. "I saw them, Father. The ship is now in the distance, but the silhouette of a ship could now be visible, even if the people on it could not."

"The ship seemed to be white and light green, with a strange bulge in the front of the bow that, as of now, could not be seen like a sphere sticking out of it."

"Good, describe it to me."

"It's smaller than this ship, and it seems to be powered by not quite rowers, but something like rowers."

"Okay, did you see any of the other crew?"

"Only flickers of them. They seem active. They are running around the ship, and they seem to be steering towards us."

Pompanianus interjects, "Ships steering toward you are rarely friendly unless they signal first. I've seen no signal from them."

"Then they will be friendly, or we will teach them to be friendly. Did you get an idea of how many crew members are on board?"

"It couldn't be more than eight or ten. The ship is too small, though I don't know how many are below deck."

"Did they look armed?"

"I saw metal glinting from the sun, so I would assume they'd have weapons."

Pompanianus chuckles. "Well, my friend, it looks like you got your old job back.”