Madina (Realm)/Library/book2
The Great Kraken
You open the book and blow the dust off, the original writers name isn't legible any longer but you read that Abbot the Acelet is trying to save as much of the pages as he can.
It lurks in the deepest of the big blue, it sleeps in the most remote parts. It rests there were not even the light dares to shine, even if it could. This is a story that once happened, a long time ago. You don’t have to believe it friend, it is just a sailor story. Still, you would be wise to read and follow my advice. I was Lieutenant and 4th officer of the frigate ‘Reckless Lady’. It was a fine ship of the trade guard class. With its 3 masts it belonged to one of the best in the new fleet. We were on guard duty with 2 other frigates and 7 trade ships. Normally I was the second officer of the ship and followed command of my captain Hode James Samuel Highland or better know as ‘Pooch’ under the crew. The Captain was an old man, not even a real officer as the spoiled brats at the academy would call it. He was one of the ranks, made his first voyage as a ship boy when he was 11 years. Home and sea sick for the first 4 months of the journey, probably the worst ship boy the fleet ever had. After he got used to the sea and aged he climbed ranks fast, real fast. He was a midshipman at the age of 20 and after the required 4 years of midshipman service he would have past the officer exams without any problems. Except that he wasn’t of rich or noble birth so he served for 22 years as a midshipman and he was the best the navy ever had. Aged 42 he saved the life of a Rear Admiral in some battle with another foreign trading corporation. Took out 7 men who surrounded him on an previously proclaimed ‘lost’ ship. Most of the crew were already starting to abandon the decks. But not old Pooch no, after the he took out the 5th man with his bare fist, he broke the 6th one's neck with a wooden plank. His hands now cut all open, every single finger broken Hode killed the last 7th person. Nobody knows how, some say he just kicked him over the side with his boot. Other claim he lunged at his neck and bit his throat right open. It doesn’t really matter, the Admiral returned the favour and within 3 days of returning on land Pooch was made a Captain and got command of his own ship. That ship served him for a long time. 2 Years ago he received ‘the lady’ or ‘Sally’ and the 2 years we have been serving together I can say Hode James Samuel Highland is the best captain I ever served with even with his age of 63. Such a same a good man like him died in such a bad way.
Since we were guarding the small trade fleet, Commodore Hekfar with his personal lapdog Commander Richsna chose the ‘Reckless Lady’ as the flagship of the small fleet. I hoped the had chosen 1 of the other 2 frigates because the were both a pain in the backside. The crew hated them and they hated the crew, but the hated old Pooch even more because he came from the ranks. The only found out after we were on the big blue for 2 months when Pooch in a drunken mood tolled his personal history at dinner. I’m glad he tolled them, they now both dine separate from us but I think they would have thrown him overboard if they could. After the 127th day we the lookout claimed the have seen a small flag on, I made a note in the ships log. When I the same lookout saw a mast of the ship on the 132nd day we fastened our ropes and tried to catch as much wind as we good. I notified the other captains of the fleet but Commodore Hekfar didn’t really care about it. He was only concerning of getting the fleet at the trade post, take the goods from there and return home. Day 187 we reached the trading post which was flourishing beyond imagination. We started the return home at day 190, 3 hours after the last trade ship was fully loaded with fresh goods and 4 days sooner then the official resting period of the crew.
It all started on the 201st day of our travel we saw 4 large ship, cruiser class. I can’t remember of which corporation they were but I knew these ships were specially made for ramming. The battle was fierce and we were able to safe all 7 trade ships. One full cargo if those ships could pay for the entire small fleet and we had 7 of those cargo’s to guard. The other 2 frigates of our side were lost but we honoured the ships name ……….‘Reckless Lady’
We rammed the biggest of the cruisers in its flank were defiantly damaged our front but we didn’t take too much water. We though with this action the cruiser with soon sink, but it didn’t its crew started the board us and were outnumbered 4 to 1. Commodore Hekfar took a risk and we lost.
The rest of the pages aren't readable any longer, you ask the library personnel who are even more lazy then the writers in Madina if they have another copy. They tell you on is not available at the moment but do will do their best to get a new and better copy as this original one is clearly not usable any longer. Or ask Abbot, the name mentioned on the writer's page. When you want to close the book and put it back on the upper shelf a notes slips out from between one of the pages. You must have missed it the first time and you start to read
Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumber'd and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
When you return a few days later you see an old man placing back a book at the upper shelf. When he sees you, he runs off. You try to follow the old man but lose him in the crowds of the Madina market. Back in the Library you see the new book next to 'The Great Kraken'. It has no title but it starts where the first book ended
