story Gullivers Last Travel pt1

[Boss_Hoss1]

Ive been horribly sick this past month or two, so Ive been working on something the medicine dropped into my head while I was too out of it to write RP posts. I hope you all enjoy this;

Gulliver's Last Travel

Chapter 1

By Boss Hoss

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"I, Doctor Lemuel Horatio Gulliver, write this now from yet again another mysterious spot no man can find on any chart or globe. If any Yahoo... human man reads these words now, know you there is no going home.

Unlike many of my other disastrous travels through the passes held by Djinn into a more mysterious Middle and Far East, or the strange green Witchfire mist of the West Indies out toward Bermuda, which a more learned sailor suggests is what took me to Liliput.

Nay, not even like the time the sea again went strange near the place Asia and the Americas nearly touch, sending me to the land of giants; Brobdinag, I now had both the desire and the belief I could ever return to a place I had been. ~A place where the seas had also raged with storm and green fire while I was held by my mutinous crew, passing from the South Seas bound for the Indian Ocean.

My family had insisted my first, and now it would seem only, visit to that land of fair and graceful people who lived in eternal harmony was to be my last trip ever away from home.

So I had once sworn to my wife, Elanore, my son, Alexander, and my daughter, Elisabeth. Never more would I roam, nor seek out the perfect people, perfect despite the fact they walk on four hooves...

The land of the Houyhnhms.

Fate had other plans for my vow, yet still held me to it in a strange way none could anticipate.

Hark! Read ye now, the tales of Gulliver's last travel..."

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[Boss_Hoss1]

Captain's logbook, H.M.S. Alicorn

August 15, 1720 ~Anno Domini

Waves boomed and crashed against our merchantman vessel, the Alicorn.

The ship heaved and tossed as the two horses in our hold screamed that they were feeling quite seasick.

Fortunately, I was the only one to understand their pitiable cries for it was quite physically impossible to relieve their queasiness by vomiting. I could only help them by feeding them peppermint in small amounts, and naught else until this monstrous storm is over.

Like the hurrucan' that had wrecked me onto Lilliput, and the typhoon storm that my last ship had survived before my mutinous crew had marooned me on fair Houyhnhm lands, this storm had an eye of calm seas that would be upon us soon.

The Japanese Sages we had visited two days before warned us what this month brings to the Dragon's Sea, Southeast of Japan. What they spoke of is the peculiar, rare typhoon they call a Kamakaze' storm, or, "the divine wind"!

What they described, down to the location it would haunt in this near miss of Japan, matched the storm that had sent my last ship to pass near the land of the Hoyinnums! My personal salvation seemed at hand!

Now if only my ship would hold out long enough to save us all in getting there...

"FATHER! The Crew! They are taking to the boats!"

Quickly answering the shout from above, I scrambled up the ship's ladder to the main deck and drew my cutlass. "What is this madness!"

I had found my son staying out of reach of their blades as the crew wrestled the ship's only boat to the gunwales, and two were rigging it to be lowered.

Grimly, the crew set themselves to defend the two rigging the boat, while the first mate glared at me "The madness is in stayin’ aboard, Cap'n! See?! The sails are tatters! The rigging a'dangle! We be enterin' the calm o' th' storm, sar! And we will leave while the gettin' is good!

Th' lookout has spotted green Witchfire in the coming wall o'storm. We will not spend another moment with a madman who courts death with a typhoon from Hades!"

Alexander turned to look at me beseechingly. I set my mouth in a taut line for a moment before taking a step toward the mutineers. Then I pointed with my cutlass to the storm above "You dull-witted louts! Look! Look above and behind, you will see the same green lightning is forming. If you leave now, if you Yahoos arent' swamped and drowned like rats, there is no telling where you will find yourselves! Have you not read my books?

-The ones that paid for this voyage to save my life? I would not have begun this journey if I thought any but myself was in mortal peril!"

First Mate Higgins laughed mirthlessly as the boat was swung overboard "Only I and th' navigator can read, sar! We think yer th' biggest liar there ever was!"

With that, the crew piled into the longboat with what supplies they had grabbed. First Mate Higgins gave a mocking bow and jumped into the boat "Fare thee well, "Captain"! Say hello t'the Devil fer us!"

Immediately, the fools cast off in the bobbing swells, heading away from the Alicorn as fast as they could row. I waved my cutlass at them angrily "You foolish sots! You Yahoos are going to die!"

Alexander put a hand on my shoulder. His touch made me shiver involuntarily before I could stop it. I have made great progress in not seeing and reacting to my own family as Yahoos in five years, but I still have far to go before I stop reacting like that at all to the people I should love above all others. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Father! Without a crew, we must use every second we have in the running of this ship before we pass out of this storm eye!"

He cast a worried glance at me "Do we have time before your next bout?"

Sighing, I sheathed my cutlass. "I hope so, Alex, I certainly hope so..."

To change the subject, I nodded to the Quarter deck where the wheel stood. "I see the ship's wheel is tied off already. Go put out the bowsprit sail. It should give us enough speed and control to get us into the storm without losing the sail.

In the meantime, I shall get your mother and your sister. Every hand we can get is needed if we are to survive this."

Alexander nodded and saluted "Aye, Father!" and ran across the deck, up onto the forecastle to rig a small sail

Meanwhile, I raced into the sterncastle cabin to get the rest of my family and bring them on deck. It was a desperate time but at least they had picked up some of the skills in knot tying to keep from being bored stiff.

My wife was already standing, holding our daughter against the tossing of the storm. She had already dressed them both for the storm outside, reminding me again one of the things I loved about her was her almost Houyhnhnm sense of practicality. "Lemuel! What is happening? Are we sinking?"

Quick as a flash, I went to them and held them for a moment. My relief holding my ingrained reaction at bay for the nonce. Much as I had wished they had not insisted on accompanying me on my final voyage, it did wonders for my courage and resolve that these people could love a miserable yahoo enough to face peril at my side. "Eleanore, 'Lizabeth, My darlings... The crew has abandoned us to our fate. We all must go on deck and do what we can to survive. We must shore up the rigging as best we can before we hit the storm wall."

Elisabeth hugged me fiercely "Oh, Father! Do you think we shall make it?"

My heart swelled as I kissed her forehead tenderly "My daughter, if you believe in me, We shall."

With time against us, I shepherded them out and we all set to running the ship, 6 sets of hands short of the minimum the ship needed. At least the Dutch build deucedly good ships...

A small eternity later, the crackling of green, fiery lightning was more evident in the storm as the eye was passing us by. We began to notice an eerie St. Elmo's fire forming on the masts, rigging, and rails. Not blue as is commonly seen, but a bilious, glowing green that was quickly spreading over the ship from the bow.

Elisabeth shrieked at the eerie light crackling 'round her while Alexander took the wheel on my command.

It was coming, like I had experienced before. I had to appear calm for my family. I hauled on the rigging to trim the lone sail for the storm wall we were entering. It was difficult to shout over the rising wind. "Be prepared my darlings! It is happening! Now you shall see what I have been through all too often! It will be quite rough! Now we put our lives in the hands of the Almighty and pray for mercy..."

The ship suddenly lurched to Port as the storm hit us in its fury the moment we pierced the wall. It bounced and rocked on the waves as the rain hit us as a physical force.

Still, the green Witchfire did not abate in the storm's fury, but increased until I was sure I could read in the dark of the storm.

A cry came from below < Water! Water in the ship! >

It was with mixed feelings I heard the cry of my horses. While I could now get the women off the deck, the fact we were taking on water was far from comforting.

Still, if it gets my wife and daughter away from being swept overboard... I grabbed my wife's shoulder "Elanore! Take Elisabeth and man the pumps! We're taking on water!"

Relief swept over me as the ladies went below and I set about the tasks keeping us moving forward.

Unfortunately, the constant battering of spray and the sheets of rain kept me from noticing the first sign of another attack of my illness, the chills, as I was soaked to the bone. Sudden dizziness and nausea struck me as my hands went numb.

Instantly, Alexander was at my side, having tied the wheel again. I had not even been aware I had fallen to the deck.

"Father! Is it another bout?"

At a dazed jerk of my head in the affirmative, he swiftly tied me to the mast so I would not be swept overboard and raced back to the wheel.

As I lay there helpless, fading in and out of consciousness, the dancing green light spread over every surface and grew brighter. My mind was reeling with a buzzing hum in my head, drowning out even the sounds of the storm for me.

Suddenly, there was a brief sensation of falling, a great slap of the hull on water, and I knew no more...