Chapter Four: Loss

The lagoon that led to his home on Tara Island prevented Rovan and the crew of the Elysium from getting too close to shore. Rovan rowed a long boat to shore with Olafur as he wasn't going to wait for the others. Rovan had made the journey a million times before but never under dire circumstances.

There was no sign of Sultan Graeo'gi's ships in sight, and Rovan hoped that was a sign of things to come. They wouldn't linger to evacuate his family. The sooner they get back to Ishvaran waters, the better.

Olafur and Rovan rowed as fast as they could through the channel leading into the lagoon from the open ocean. They passed by where Rovan had been teaching his kids to dive for pearls, and a lump filled Rovan's throat.

For the first time in months, Rovan saw his home just off the beach. The sight of it alone brought tears and hope to his eyes. As they rowed closer, Rovan heard the sounds of familiar birds, and memories of his children swimming and his wife barbecuing on the beach came flooding back.

Rovan saw his family's fishing boat lying on the shore. It was flipped over and looked like it hadn't moved for a while. An uneasy feeling started to overtake Rovan. When he saw the shores of Tara and his home, he thought he'd have leaped from the boat and swam to shore with haste. Now that he was here, he feared what he'd see.

Olafur and Rovan reached the shore, and Rovan jumped out of the boat to the sand. He ran over to the door of his home and inspected it. The door hadn't been opened for some time. Rovan took a big gulp as his suspicion had turned to full-on worry.

Where was his family? Why are they not running out of the house to greet him? Rovan told himself that they might have been taken prisoner or worse. It was thinking about the worst that was making him sick to his stomach.

"Will you do me a favor?" Rovan asked Olafur.

"Sure, whatever you want," Olafur said.

"Will you look inside my home? I can't seem to move my feet inside the door."

Olafur looked slightly confused but did as he asked. Rovan watched Olafur open the door and heard him shout a greeting. Rovan didn't hear a response back. All the taste had left Rovan's mouth, and it was severely dried out now.

Rovan saw Olafur pause as he stepped inside. He heard Olafur cough and gag a little. He stepped back out of the doorway. Olafur looked back at Rovan with a look that drained the blood from Rovan's body.

"What is it?" Rovan asked, barely able to get the words out.

"I….I should signal for some of the crew to come ashore. I think….I think you should wait outside for a minute."

"What's wrong? What don't you want me to see?" Rovan said, stepping towards his home.

"Nothing. I think you should wait. It's been a long journey. Let me call some of the others." Olafur said, now trying to block Rovan's path inside.

"Let me through," Rovan said calmly. Olafur shook his head in defiance. Rovan put his hands on Olafur to push him out of the way, but Olafur held his ground. "LET ME THROUGH," Rovan painly shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I can't."

Rovan shoved Olafur to the ground and stepped inside his home. The sight of blood on the floor made him instantly nauseated. Rovan saw his mother-in-law lying on the kitchen floor with her throat slit. All of Rovan's hopes and world were shattered.

Rovan could smell rotting flesh and the buzz of flies flying about as they were feasting on dead flesh. Rovan stepped further into his home and saw his brother-in-law lying next to his sister-in-law; they were also dead. From Rovan's experience in war, he thought they must be about four or five days old. Rovan didn't see his wife and kids with them and thought they might have escaped whoever did this. He'd check the bedrooms to be sure.

He looked in his children's bedrooms first but didn't see them, and his hopes brightened. Then he saw his daughter Bita's clothes on the floor and picked them up to smell. Tears were streaming as he recognized the familiar fragrance of his daughter, Bita.

Rovan moved to his bedroom as the last place to check; it was more out of due diligence. He almost had himself convinced that they survived. As soon as he opened his bedroom door, he could tell by the odor that he was wrong.

Rovan looked in disbelief as he saw his children lying in his dead wife's arms. They were huddled together on the bed, and it looked like someone had staged them there for him to see.

They all looked to have been stabbed in the abdomen. Their blood stained the sheet and bed. Rovan walked over to touch them but hesitated as it would make it real and not some nightmare to wake from.

As soon as Rovan touched the skin of his daughter Bita, the tears and pain overwhelmed him. He began to wail uncontrollably. Olafur ran into the room, but when he saw why Rovan was crying, he quickly turned away and left.

Bita was on his wife Amaya's right, and Javad, his son, was on her left. His Wife Amaya was holding them both tight even in death.

Rovan wanted to die; he didn't want to live in a world without them. Life had lost all meaning. Whoever did this had killed a part of him forever. Rovan knew he'd never be whole again.

A million regrets raced through his mind. Rovan retraced his decisions and blamed himself endlessly for failing to protect his family. Rovan placed himself on the bed between Amaya and Javad. He held on to the lifeless body of his wife and began to rock and wail.

——-

Rovan woke up to the sounds of voices outside his home. The stench and reality that he was still lying with his dead wife and children hit him. He had so hoped to wake to something different.

Olafur came to the doorway.

"Master, the crew and I buried the other bodies," Olafur informed him.

"And now you'd like to bury my family," Rovan said morbidly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Go ahead while I have the strength to say the words. Be done with it."

Rovan watched in numb paralysis as they came one by one to take his children and wife away from him. He wouldn't get up from the bed; his feet wouldn't let him. It was like he entered a trance-like world between dream and reality.

"Master, we'd like to hold a ceremony. Do you feel ready?"

"No, but if you'll help me to my feet. I don't seem to have any strength. If I can stand, I just might remember how to move my feet," Rovan said.

All the crew they could spare, including Captain Dantes, had come for the ceremony. Dantes had led in the words. After Dantes a short reading of some verses, Olafur put some Hibiscus flowers on each grave. Rovan was given the final words and laying of flowers. He waited until it was only him and Olafur, though.

Rovan placed Maile leis on each of the graves. These fragrant leis were made from the Maile vine. A Maile lei is a traditional funeral lei that symbolizes the eternal.

Rovan quoted a traditional prayer phrase. "Do not stand and weep over my grave. It is not where I sleep, and I am not there. I am not there because I did not die. I will be forever in the wind, rain, and bird song you hear for the remainder of your days. Until the day you can join me and be as one with the Source of All Things."

Rovan then whispered words of love to his children and wife. He did not weep as he stood numb above them. He couldn't manage the words to say goodbye, so he just turned and started to walk away.

"What do you want us to do with the house?" Olafur asked Rovan.

"Burn it. Burn it all for all I care. I'll do it for you."

Rovan lit a torch and threw it on the roof. It took a moment to catch, but it soon caught the roof on fire. It became engulfed in fire before long. Rovan just sat and stared.

"Captain Dantes, some of the Sultan's troops spotted on the road, marching this way!" an Elysium crewman shouted, snapping Rovan from his stupor.

"It looks to be Dagrim Kvore leading the forces."

"Dagrim Kvore? Who is that?" Rovan asked.

"They say he's the greatest swordsman in the world. I would have thought them right until I saw you fight." Captain Dantes said.

"Does he have the power to connect?"

"I couldn't say, but he's no one to be trifled with. We need to go back to the ship immediately, or we might never leave this Island," Captain Dantes said.

"It will take a while to load all the men into the long boats and ready the ship for departure. Olafur and I will take a small group and hold them off for as long as we can to give you some time," Rovan said, coming back to focus. Rovan also thought he might have a chance for revenge.

Rovan and Olafur stood in wait on the road as they watched a considerable force marching towards them. Rovan saw the leader of this band in the front and knew it was this Dagrim Kvore that they spoke of. He knew it because of the arrogance and cruelty with which this leader walked.

Dagrim looked like a warrior. Rovan recognized skill and mastery when he saw it. A fierce gaze rested on Dagrim's face as the Sultan's Army surrounded him. Dagrim's hair was traditionally pulled back and tied off, and Rovan spotted a sword with the O element in Dagrim's hand. Rovan would enjoy taking his head.

Captain Dantes and the crew were nearing the Elysium. They had yet to haul any of the long boats up. Rovan didn't care if he survived. He wanted to kill these men he suspected of murdering his family. Rovan would happily die. He would make sure he lasted until Olafur and the others could escape.

The Army of the Sultan marched until they were close to speaking distance. Dagrim stepped forward, knowing he had superior numbers. They were not in a hurry.

"I am Dagrim Kvore. We are here on behalf of the Great Sultan Geao'gi, who has charged you with treason. You can surrender like men of honor or be destroyed like the pigs you are."

"All I need to know is if you know anything about what happened to the people who dwelled in this house?" Rovan quizzed.

"If it is blame you are asking about, you will find it lies on your shoulders."

"Did you kill my family?" Rovan angrily accused.

"I killed your family. The Sultan ordered it." Dagrim said in his Gaffarian accent.

"You always do what you're told?" Rovan mocked.

"I do."

"Then I command you and your men to die by my sword."

Olafur watched as his Master squared off with Dagrim Kvore. If Dagrim's reputation lived up to its name, it would be a mighty duel.

Olafur assumed the rest of the Sultan's overwhelming forces were standing by and watching, either because of orders or because they were curious to see who would win the duel. It didn't matter, as it was buying more time for the crew of the Elysium to load and prepare to sail.

Olafur saw the last of the long boats being raised. He knew it would be difficult to get his Master into their long boat. Olafur used the moment to face their boat in the water, ready to be rowed toward the ship.

Olafur knew his Master would not leave until he avenged his family and killed as many of these soldiers as he could. Olafur would have to drag Rovan away if he had to. Olafur was waiting for a signal from Captain Dantes that they were ready to sail.

When two Masters meet, there is always a cautionary opening to their fight. They both know that there will be no room for error. Olafur worried that his Master might let his anger lead him to error. Olafur had never seen his Master meet a foe he couldn't defeat, but something told him this would be different.

Olafur saw Rovan make the first move, but his Master's sword was blocked. The two fighters stepped back cautiously from each other. Olafur sensed they were feeling each other's strengths and weaknesses as each would strike only to be countered. It was like watching the slow build-up of a storm on the oceans.

They would both erupt at some point in a flash, be blocked, and then it would be over. They'd wait for the next opportune moment to try again.

Rovan's home was still blazing, and there was an intense heat behind them.

"I was told you were skilled swordsmen. I'm glad not to be disappointed." Dagrim told Rovan.

"I wish I could be as respectful, but I know what you do with your sword. A demon from the bowels of Hell must have forged your soul and sword." Rovan said, in no mood for flattery.

"It wasn't personal. I am bound to the will of my Master, as your apprentice is to yours." Dagrim defended himself.

"You lie, even to yourself. Your words are poison. I hope you choke on them."

The fight drifted towards the beach and off the road. Rovan and Dagrim made calculated moves with their feet as they slowly shuffled through the sand. Olafur was now standing in the water, ready to grab his Master.

The soldiers with Dagrim Kvore seemed to be more enthralled with watching the fight to concern themselves with the ship. They might have also known something that Olafur didn't. There was still a good chance many ships would be lying in wait for them.

Captain Dantes gave the signal that Olafur was waiting for, but Rovan was still locking swords with Dagrim. He would have to wait for the right moment to interrupt them.

Rovan and Dagrim's fight was moving to the water's edge, but neither was gaining an advantage. They were equal in skill and power.

Water sprayed up as their feet moved quickly through the shallow water, and their swords met briefly again.

Olafur sunk into his connection with the O element and focused. He pulled out his sword and sent an energy blast at Dagrim to force him into a defensive position. He then sent rapid follow-up blasts that Dagrim blocked with an energy shield, allowing Olafur to run in and grab Rovan.

Olafur forced Rovan towards the waiting longboat. At first, Rovan resisted until Olafur told him that he'd be killing the men on the ship. Rovan snapped back to his wits and swam quickly with Olafur to the longboat.

As soon as Olafur intervened, the rest of the Sultan's forces began to move in. Dagrim was firing energy blasts at them in the long boat, but Rovan was in the back to protect them while Olafur rowed. They glided through the waves in the lagoon with a dramatic haste back to the Elysium.

Their long boat was hoisted up to the main deck as the anchor had been pulled up. Captain Dantes set a Northeast course to head past Jagvir Island and back to Ishavara, but they quickly encountered two battleships. This forced them to move deeper into Anahiti and possibly into more enemy ships.

Changing the course due West and off the northern coast of Tara, Dantes would try to lose the pursuing ship in the Rock Islands. They were a series of limestone and coral uprises that formed a beautiful lagoon but made it challenging to navigate through shallow waters. It looked like a green-covered rock maze. Dantes was waging a bet his crew could navigate better than anyone. He hoped he was proven right.

As soon as they had gotten on board, Rovan went to his cabin. Olafur didn't blame him for wanting to be alone. Olafur took Rovan's usual spot at the bow of the ship. Olafur would help to be one of the many eyes looking for deep enough water to pass through the treacherous labyrinth in the Rock Islands.

The key would be to get the perusing ships to follow rather than circumnavigate the whole of the Rock Islands.

Once you enter the maze of rocks, you feel like you're passing giant green mushrooms or sponges floating in the turquoise sea. Ground doves, scrub fowl, and many songbirds have nests in these little oases on the sea. The birds serenade and whiz past your boat with curious glances. Fish congregate in giant balls in the deeper pools but remain unfazed as you glide over them. It seems all too serene a setting when, if they are captured, they'll probably be put to death. Crashing or getting stuck will amount to the same.

They had succeeded in luring the pursuing ships to follow them; now, it was a matter of making less mistakes than your foe.

Unfortunately, you pass the many shipwrecks in the area that didn't make it. The wrecks haven't sunken; they are the skeletons of ships stuck in their shallow graves. Sailors of the past who tragically misjudged the depth of the water and were forced to abandon their vessels forever.

The crew of the Elysium had fanned out on all sides so that every vital inch could be monitored as they passed through the narrow channels. The men in the crow's nest had the best vantage point but couldn't see everything. Calls would ring out, declaring left or right. Longboats had been put out to row ahead, as well as a sea anchor to help reduce speed for better steering.

The longboats were also tied to tow ropes. The sharp turns in the channels required as much help as possible to keep enough momentum moving forward, but not so much that turns became impossible. Once a big ship got stuck, reversing out would be extremely difficult.

The Rock Islands were massive enough to hide the ship as the channels weaved in and out. If the Sultan's ship got stuck, they'd never know it. They must all keep a sharp focus at all times on what they were doing and forget their enemy for now.

The crew gave each other nervous glances as they could feel the ship dragging. They kept from panicking into further error as they held their breaths, waiting to see if the vessel would slip by or get stuck. The longboats paddled hard as the ropes tying them to the ship stretched to their limits.

They squeezed past one obstacle into another. Olafur's brow was sweating heavily, and he was stressed whenever he felt the slightest tug on the ship. Drifting into the sandbanks would be harmful, but there would be no recourse if the ship smashed into the giant rocks.

Due to the ship's increased pressure on the channels, the undercurrent flow beneath the ship vibrates. This naturally causes the bow to drift to the left. There is the natural current, and one that the ship generates from displacement and shallow sea squat. The helm crew steers as much on feel as sight.

They could see the open ocean again and thought they would only need to make a few turns to be clear. Once again, they felt the ship slowing and dragging, but it didn't quite make it this time- the boat slowed to a crawl.

Olafur saw Rovan come up from below and seemed to know what was happening as he called for Olafur.

"You and I will use our power to free the ship," Rovan commanded.

Olafur and Rovan shimmied down the rope ladder and into the shoulder-height water. They took out the swords and started channeling a wind together that pushed on the sails. The longboats rowed hard in the front, and the ship was building momentum. Then, it lodged free again. Rovan and Olafur swam to the long boats following from behind and climbed in.

The Elysium was out into the open ocean again without sight of the enemy, but they were still in the heart of Anahitiian waters and not out of danger yet.

If they sailed North, they'd have to pass by the main chain of islands by Gaffar and the Sultan. If they sailed West and swung around Zehra, it would make it a longer journey but triple the odds of finding enemy vessels.

Most of the crew, including Olafur, were from Zehra, so they would be expected to travel that way. They took the North route, the most direct path to Hanwi and friendly waters. It wouldn't be as expected and less likely for an ambush. Ishvara and Uncle Loean felt further away by the minute.