The east wind howled and blew continuously, pushing the dilapidated longship towards the unknown west. In this early summer of June, the Azores High from the North Atlantic creates a strong pressure difference on the surrounding American continent. A hurricane rises from the sea, spinning strong winds and heavy rain toward the land in the direction of pressure.
As the long boat goes all the way west, we can see flying seabirds, but rarely see swimming fish. The sea is a blue desert. The closer it is to the deep sea and the further away from the continent and ocean currents, the more so. Fortunately, the kingdom's last exploratory longship only stood on the edge of the desert, took two cautious steps, and then quickly sailed towards the fertile offshore sea.
"Four days of storm...six days of drifting...it's been ten days! The ship hasn't stopped yet...why hasn't it docked yet..."
Chihuaco, an old militiaman, lay in the bow of the boat, so hungry that he had no strength to stand. The food on the ship was only enough for three days. After everyone survived the storm, they faced the torment of hunger. The warriors cut the leather armor into small strips and distributed them to everyone on the boat. The sailors threw sisal nets and hung them at the stern of the ship, trying to catch something.
Chihuaco, an old militiaman, chewed the skin for three days. It was so hard and astringent that his teeth almost broke. It wasn't until the fourth day that the fishing net caught two fish and made a pot of fish soup. Twenty-one people shared it, and each of them only took two sips, which at least made his stomach feel better.
"There are more birds in the sky, and the fishing nets can also catch fish... This is a good sign. The great Lord God is protecting us on the sea!"
Mecat, the divine priest, sat on the side of the boat, his lips so dry that they were chapped.
There are now only twenty-one people left on the ship, eight fewer than when they first broke out. Five of the seriously wounded died of their injuries, and the remaining three were swept away by the storm. He had the dead bodies piled in the cabin as a precaution... Fortunately, four days ago, the sailors finally caught fish.
"Mecat, those two children...are they okay?"
"They... are a little weak. The little boy Tidan is a little seasick and has been unable to eat. Of course, there is nothing to eat...The little girl Tidan is okay, but she is a little frightened and can't speak..."
"The two children are too young...if they float down any further...they will die..."
"Um…"
Priest Mecat nodded and said nothing. How long it will continue to float is not decided by the people on the boat. And if it floats any longer, everyone will die sooner or later.
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"The problem now is that there is almost no water... If I had known it, we would have received more rain in the days of the storm... God bless us! Let it rain again!"
“The Lord God bless you!…”
The old militiaman licked his lips and prayed sincerely. He stared at the same tattered front and rear sails, feeling the rocking motion of the ship as it continued to move forward, and asked softly.
"Mecat, the wind has been blowing, and the ship has been moving forward. There is sea everywhere, and you can't see anything. This drifting for a day and a night is at least worth walking for six or seven days... We drifted for ten days, after all. How far have you traveled and where have you ended up?”
"Who knows..."
Mercat shook his head, his eyes also filled with confusion.
"The sea breeze will not tire us. Wherever it takes us, we have to go... After all, everyone has no strength and can't row the boat at all..."
"Then where exactly are we going?"
"Towards the west. In the past few days, sometimes it's been to the north, and sometimes it's been to the south. However, it should be more northerly... As for the days of storms, I can't tell the difference at all..."
"Mecat, don't you know how to look at stars? Take a good look at where we are..."
"Captain Qi, I took a look last night...it was around 23 degrees north latitude, maybe 22 degrees, maybe 24 degrees..."
"Beiwei? 23? Degree?... You speak human language! Have we passed the coast of the Totonac people?..."
"Uh... we've passed it a long time ago! I guess we've even passed the coast of the ancient feathered serpent city. Now we must have reached the territory of the Huastec people, and we've passed the Crow City... And if I drift down further... I'll I no longer know…"
"The Huastecs..."
Chihuaco, the old militiaman, squinted his eyes and looked at the scary blue sky and the scary blue sea. There is nothing in the depths of the sea, just like the terrible black abyss in mythology. The feeling of sailing in the deep sea is like walking on the edge of a cliff, with a feeling of emptiness in my heart that I will fall at any time. This feeling of suffering is completely different from offshore sailing. As the captain of the fleet, the responsibilities he shouldered brought another unbearable burden, and there were only twenty-one people left...
"Damn it! This blind guy! Sigh!..."
After a while, the old militiaman spat hard. However, he was so thirsty that he couldn't even spit out the saliva.
"Witness the Lord God! If I can get ashore this time, I will return to the village... Even if you beat me to death, I will never go to sea again! Even if I die, I cannot die in the sea!..."
Hearing this, Mecat, who was leaning against him, raised his head and glanced at the old militiaman who was trying to curse. Then, he turned his head, and for some reason, raised the corners of his mouth and smiled silently.
"You blind man!...Don't worry! With the blessing of the Lord God, we will be back soon!..."
As the sun rises and sets, the sea remains unchanged and vast. The calm sea, azure and sparkling, is extremely beautiful. As the long boat sailed, the blue sea surface became more light green, and there were also more floating algae.
The old militiamen had a hunch that land was about to appear. This is certainly not because of the "blessing of the Lord God" that Priest Mekart repeatedly chanted. It was because the seabirds in the sky had directly dropped the thin water on his head.
"Damn it! This blind bird!..."
The old militiaman cursed a few times feebly, then stretched out his hand to wipe the bird water from his forehead. He looked at the red shadows flying in the sky and asked doubtfully.
"What kind of bird is this pink bird?"
"Hmm...this long neck, it should be an egret, right? But the wings are red, like roses, so beautiful..."
Priest Mecat raised his head, looked at the beautiful red bird for a while, and said with a smile.
"Such a beautiful bird must be the messenger of the Lord God! She is here to tell us that land is coming!"
In fact, this is a beautiful roseate spoonbill, which looks like a rose blooming in the sky. It only feeds in shallow water and on the coast. And its appearance really means that land is close at hand.
The sunset on this day was golden, reflecting the glow of the sky. The golden sea extends into the distance, like a river of clouds falling on the human world, heading towards the other shore that the soul longs for. And beautiful roses are flying and blooming in the sky. Then, a dull black line appeared at the end of the west. The scout mountain bird on the boat was shocked for a moment, and then shouted its name in surprise.
"Land! Land! Land appears!"
Land appeared, and after thirteen days of wandering, the other shore finally arrived.
