a pearl story by a pirate

The year was something like 1673 or 1678. Ender the pirate was sitting at café Shi in the Ping port of China. He was listening to a person explain in revealing a shipping route. An exchange between Japan and Korea. Which covered the exchange of gold from Korea for pearls from a peninsula off the coast of Japan. The person giving the details was a Japanese thief known from a prior venture. Was he honest? His creative tale in ascribing the richest. Ender could have if he went in on the strategy. Only if the pirate would join in and capture even one of the prize ships being sent within the next month.

Ender smiled. The bandit had said something else in his intricate blueprint. That detail might have escaped in the detail. As a selling point. The thief mentioned the pearl. In detail. The background of the pearl to gain the infamous captain trust. And participation in the venture. A tale. A dragon’s tail, to be specific. A pearl of great value according to the Bible. Yet, Ender did not mention or pretend to be any more interested in the tale. Who pays attention to legends? Myths that are thrown around pirate bars in the middle of the night? When one takes bets on if one can do this is this or that is that.

The challenge on Ender’s mind was that legend. Specifically, the drunk who informed him that tale was long ago dead. His crew mates might have more of the legend? Or some acquaintance? Ender concentrated on the thief tale. Finally, the last sales position was produced, and the bandit asked are you in?

Ender considers for a moment, letting the silence in the place get a seizing of the crook’s dreams. Cafe Shi tea servers had retired from the area. When demanded and paid so that the conference was secret. In yet, Ender knew if the bandit was chatting to him. He had most likely communicated to other pirates. So within the moment Ender reached a decision.

The decision would make for a metamorphosis of the pirate Ender’s life. But would take him places no one would believe. He makes his reply with there being a settling in blood to be established. The crook was not ready for a blood contract. Even so, Ender was the first of an extensive list of pirates. That were required to capture the entire treasure fleet. The fleet being committed within a month to sail.

Ender went exploring for his ole drinking mates, crew mates, family, acquaintances. Anyone that might have picked up the tale of the pearl of great price stole. Not the biblical King James version. No. Like most stories. There are stories told outside of English that people hear and peaks one interest. This was a tale of a fellow recognized in Japan as Jesus. He had lived a long time ago and was a farmer. He had come from the middle eastern area to understand from the priests and creeds of the territory. Ender’s remembrance of the tale. It went along the lines that Christ had changed. That the Japanese lifestyle of cultural, and family respect shown, steeped in honor. That Christ had a change of heart. That the Christ of that world or worlds had abandoned Israel. How or why the tale by the drunk teller of the tale was often either confused or misspoke or? For worlds come laugh with me? Who had believed in parallel worlds?

Ender kept on looking for his ole drinking mates, fellow crew mates and family. Until he found a little boy that had been either a cousin or nephew of the drunk man who told the tale. Time had abused the poor lad beyond recognition. His stammering was almost too much of a turned off Ender. Almost. However, the kid later to be known as the Claw had away about him. And either he could lie through his teeth about the story or his uncle or cousin had told the kid the complete story. How this pearl of great value was a key to what one only could be considered a magical portal.

Why was Ender so keen on this? Part of his ole drinking buddy’s tale was that even parallel worlds not everything was the same. A man might find that which or was known in one world. In yet in another world was lost or forgotten about in another world. And since the key was worlds. Ender’s dream. The dream, was something much bigger. Than a treasure fleet of Japanese and Korean treasure ships.

Ender next stop upon hearing the complete story of the pearl of great value. A certain place, it was a small bookshop on Port Pings side street. The pirate searched within the stacks of scrolls, horse hides, some old books. Taking numerous literature works. And other forms of books until he had gathered a small collection of stories. What stories one might ask? What was real? Where that reality had been found. And what difficulties or stories involved in locating said objects? Like? Aldin’s carpet, Solomon’s ring, the gold hoard, treasures of gold. Stories of rubies, diamonds, and books. Books? Books that were said to contain lost knowledge of time. And places in which even their legends existed in yet their whereabouts were a mystery or known.

Enders plan was to swipe the pearl of great value. And with it take through space time and other worlds the very treasures that legends were made of. His plan was bold. His investigation at the bookstore had brought notice to him. However, Ender was a crazy pirate that often times did insane things. Like writing poetry. To and about kings, queens, and other people that at one time or another might have crossed his path. So even without much more then notice. Ender’s plan was developing faster. His crew he informed them of a specific treasure. That which he assured them would bring them their wildest dreams.

* * *

Getting the Black Skimmer ready for battle was somewhat of a challenge in Ping Port China. The trip out and holding area would need weeks of waiting. Waiting meant food and other support. Ender was up to that challenge by going into a little side business. Which turned into a small fortune. He had to open up on his kitchen which held a special cook to a local business. There the cook had made a small cookie like dough. And with another person considered, a seer of sorts. Whose insights were inserted into the cookie. As small rice paper written fortunes statements into the dough. Which was baked and cooked until a crisp hard like cookie? The special cook made hundreds of them. The seer more of a person with good hearing and knowledge about seasons. Well wrote out fortunes that were somewhat accurate and the people of Port Ping ate them up. In fact, they ate them. So much that Ender was considering turning a small bait and tackle shop into a cookie factory. However, the funds turned up for the food, and other items needed for his venture.

Ender with funding had to buy some explosives. Which were still under Chinese export control at that time? The cost was more than normal in yet the fortune from the fortune cookies made up the difference.

Ender and the future Claw would spend time together. Ender would ask the child with questions on the same story his relative had told him. While waiting Ender sent out the Claw to find out if there were more stories about his relative.

While waiting for the time to go out. We fit the Black Skimmer with an extra cannon. And more shot, along with a long gun that ran a good third of the upper deck. In the meantime Ender found an additional small crew to help with the future prize ship. The plan being to hit one of the treasure ship’s midsection, board it and sail it away with the additional crew. The thinking a quick blast with a long gun filled with shot to cut down the ship’s crew from a distance. This would allow the Black Skimmer to hide better during a fight.

The Black Skimmer fitted with a long gun. Supply onboard. Awaited a message from the crook that had set up the plan. At midnight in mid-May the message came. And Ender, crew and Black Skimmer sailed out of port to a slight island close to southern Korea. Meeting at the isle. There were seven other pirate ships. A total of eight pirate ships assembled. Versus according to reports 24 ships. 12 from Japan, 12 from Korea, both filled with solders and guards for the treasure exchange.

The crook introduction of all seven other pirate captains with Ender. The meeting took place on the small island. The plan reviewed and revised because of the lack of ships. Instead of taking on all the ships. The decision was to go for only the Japanese ships and to take them closer to Japan than Korea. So the island was to be used for the night. Then the ships would sail towards the Japanese port. Which was known to be the starting point of the treasure fleets departure point.

That night, Ender sat at a table talking with a boy whose name would be Claw about strange stories. The seer whose fortunes written on rice paper had become rather famous saw in a vision a scary story. His tale was so profound it changed the crew of 32 minds on what to do.

The seer against Ender was not that big of a deal. Ender only request was that they try to get at least one of the ships. The profound tale told by the seer. With Enders counter talk of one treasure ship might be worth all their troubles. The counter talk changed the crew’s mind on the seers tale and the decision was to go forth.

Since the seers tale had a profound impact on the crew and Ender. A sort of alternative plan was formed. Ender required each crew member for a sit down. And discussion on which ship the crew member should be on upon the taking of a treasure ship. When push comes to shove a select group of five were chosen to stay on the Black Skimmer. While the rest would crew the larger Japanese ship.

The seers vision made for the plan to work a question mark. Meaning the vision was of the majority of the crew eating each other. Since, starvation was something most agreed was not what they wanted. Ender planned around that by having the fishing nets brought out of storage and used. Ender revised plan of fishing including and informing each member to cut the net away from the ship. Once upon sighting the treasure fleet to cut the nets away and let them drop. However in the mean time to ensure everyone was feed. More than what they expected they would be fishing to keep themselves fit lean and well feed.

With that the Black Skimmer and seven other ships set up a sort shadow blockade off the coast of a Japanese port. Enders fishing net sort of made the whole group of ships acceptable. To the few passing other ships which passed during the waiting time.

* * *

The nights were calm. Until on the second week of waiting. When a storm blew in with no warning. The Japanese treasure fleet set sail straight right into the view of the storm. Probably trying to outrun it or save their ships from being battered against the shores. There were only nine ships that made it oout of the Japanese port. By the time each of the blockade fleet realized what was going on. During the storm there was only five pirate ships left two either sunk or blown away. The Black Skimmer moved on promptly with one of the more impressive ships. Evidently the crew had not all gotten onboard. Because the front long gun cut down those on top and the boarding party did not find any resistance.

The plan had worked. Well. Sort of. The storm continued. The boarding party on the Japanese ship included Ender. Who went directly to the treasure hold and liberated what looked like a pearl held between a staff. Upon touching the staff. Its guardian awoke. A white pearl colored dragon. The dragon slaughtered the boarding crew. While Ender made his escape with the pearl to the Black Skimmer. On the Black Skimmer, the seer and crew watched. As their dead crew mates seemed to become enchanted by the dragon. They started to rig the ship to come after the Black Skimmer. The storm was still blowing while all this took only a matter of twenty minutes all to unfold. Ender having made it back to the Skimmer reloaded the long gun and waited to fire at the Japanese treasure ship. The dragon onboard could be heard chanting some weird chant. A whisper heard over the storm. “May you never see your world’s shores again!” The wind with that whispered died out. Even so, the storm waves still splashed the other ships were nowhere to be seen. Just the Skimmer, fleeing in direction that the wind was blowing. While a dead treasure ship was being forced towards it. Then the wind came back. Blowing and tossing both ships around. From the deck of the Skimmer the crew watched the white dragon. The dragon looked like it was going to take a drink from the ocean leaning way overboard. Instead upon watching a realization the dragon was blowing a bubble. And with the bubble was coming up old dead ships. And to the surprise of all on the Black Skimmer, their crew were walking about preparing to fight.

The seer yelled hard to port. Which swung the whole ship around at a 180 degrees. While a crew member touched the long gun. Just at that moment as if planned firing the whole blast into the white dragon.

However, the 180 degree swing in the Skimmer put the ship right into the path of what the dragon had been doing. Which was a huge bubble. That brought together all the sunken ships, the treasure ship, and Black Skimmer into a whirl pool. Taking them all down and out towards the open ocean. The blast of the canon had hit the white dragon who fell overboard. The bubble however kept on swirling. The whirlpool and took all the ships, and bubble down into what could only be described as a funnel. That seemed to be running underneath the ocean. Pulling all the ships outward from between Korea and Japan into the Pacific ocean. And towards the Americas.

With white dragon gone the dead did not seem to be interested in the Black Skimmer. The Black Skimmer being provisioned with one month of food for 32 members. Which was down to seven now found that along with two weeks of fishing food for a few months. The pearl of great value was onboard. And the treaure ship of the Japanese was still floating near by with a complete dead past crew members in yet. They had no interest in the Black Skimmer. The funnel pushing the bubble keep a fast pace outpacing all the ocean life that swam by.

When the crew finally felt comfortable. An investigation of one of the smaller sunken ships was made. The dead or zombies did not seem to notice or care much what happened as long as their ship was sailing. Thus began the looting. Not of just one ship but of a whole underwater fleet of sunken ships and one treasure ship all manned with zombies.