A sea voyage can be exhilarating for the adventurous soul. Seeing new lands and experiencing different cultures changes one’s perspective and breaks a closed mindset, allowing growth to occur. Sea voyages are far from safe though as many dangers are present on such a journey. A storm can spontaneously appear, stressing the wooden vessel to its limits and testing the skill and mettle of its crew. The rudder can break or the sail can tear as well, further expanding on the broad repertoire of the crews’ skill. Then the last, but not least common problem are pirates.

Two weeks had passed since they left the great city of Athens. At the start of the journey, Aleks kept to himself, lost in his own world of misery, reliving the horror that had happened, over and over again. Eventually, after a week of him moping around, Takashi and Luke finally convinced him to take part in the activities on board. Although scrubbing the deck,helping the cook and keeping watch was not the most joyous work to do, it kept him busy.

In the third week, his master convinced him to start training in martial arts again. On the bow of the ship, with the sun setting and changing the sky from blue to a pink hue they gathered. The rest of the crew glanced at them every now and then. With slow and controlled movement they started. To their audience, it looked like a slow and peculiar dance. Going through the motions, Aleks could feel the rage inside his heart subside as he lost himself in the familiar movements he learnt all those years ago. 

Coming to his senses, the pink twilight had turned into an orange dusk with waves gently lapping against the hull of the ship as it sailed through the water. Letting out a large breath, he breathed in the fresh air that one could only find on the ocean. For the first time since leaving Athens, Aleks felt alive again. Even though he lost his mother and got exiled, he had this feeling inside his chest that if his mother could speak to him again, he knew she would tell him to live his life fully. But first, she would need to rest in peace. His resolve hardened and at the same time, changed fundamentally. The fiery anger that supported his resolve had turned into steel, no longer consuming him as the fire did, but hardening his will.

Sensing the change, Takashi stopped his kata and smiled at him.” I’m glad to have you back Aleks-san.”

Turning to face his master, Aleks bowed.” Apologies for causing you and everyone else concern.” 

His master nodded satisfactorily and then took a teaching pose.” In boiling water, potato and egg lie. Egg become hard and potato become soft.” he said pausing and then looking Aleks in the eyes.” You are boiled egg, you become hard, not like mushy potato.” he nods with wisdom.

“Master, I respectfully decline. I would rather be steel, forged in the flames of tragedy and life and ready to strike my opponents.”

Stunned by his words, Takashi looked at him. His student had really grown, physically and mentally. Hiding his surprised expression he dons one of calm. “Idiot, you cannot eat steel! Egg is far better. Now do one hundred knuckle push-ups.”

A genuine smile blossomed on Aleks’ face. It felt like forever since he trained with his master. At least one thing will never change, his master’s love for food. He dropped onto the deck and started with the push-ups. A few moments later he is joined by Luke.

“Since we are going to be out in the wild, uncivilised by Greek culture, I might as well learn how to fight,” he said.

They get into the exercise when Aleks is once again surprised when other people join in. Next to them, Thanos, Ikaros, Nike and the rest, get on their knuckles.

Thanos joined next to Aleks, and then said.“When Lucius called us we came, when we heard your story, we stayed. When we saw you kneeling on the ground . . .” he paused, making eye contact with the rest of the men,” We resolved in our hearts to follow you in your quest for justice.”

Aleks stared at them, not knowing what to say. After a moment, he eventually replied.”Thank you. . . you are honourable men and I am glad that you stand with me.”

The men grin at him and then start with the push-ups. They easily go through the exercise as they are well built and fit. Years of training in the Papadakis household and following their leader into skirmishes against the enemies of Greece made them valuable companions. Luke, on the other hand, was struggling. Sweat rolled down his body, making the deck wetter than the ocean ever could.

“It seems that my dojo has grown to nine,” Takashi announced.

“Master, this is not a dojo, it’s a ship,” Aleks replied, rousing a bout of laughter from his fellow students.

“I see that these few weeks of lazing about has left your mouth unchecked,” Takashi smirked, staring down at Aleks in a way that can only be described as sadistic. “ Students, another hundred push-ups.” 

Luke’s face paled considerably before glaring daggers at Aleks. The following day all of them would be stiff when they continued their training.

Another week passed as they threw themselves fully into training. Takashi was harder on them than a taskmaster on his slaves, making them do all kinds of peculiar training while making sure that they cleaned the ship, gaining favour from the crew and its captain. When they were finished cleaning the ship, one would be hard-pressed to find a vessel cleaner than theirs.

Most of the crew were impressed by them, even going so far as to befriend the land dwellers. But there were some that formed their own small groups, now and then staring at Aleks and his companions with malice in their eyes. Being on a ship for weeks made it difficult for him and his companions not to notice it. Some of his companions, Horus and Charon, attempted to find out the reason for their clear dislike, but when they questioned them, they shrugged it off saying they were overthinking it.

After a month at sea towards Britannica, they finally made it to their halfway mark, the pillars of Heracles. On their left the mount Abyla loomed in the distance, dwarfing everything else that could be seen in the distance. On their right sat the rock of Calpe, a huge monolithic limestone that juts out of the ocean, reaching a whopping 426 meters in height. It is said that the great Heracles, during his completion of the twelve labours, narrowed this stretch to stop some of the great sea monsters of the Atlantic to enter into the Mediterranean. A great tale to hear next to one’s hearth at their home, but something completely different to experience in the flesh. The amount of strength Heracles possessed, awed the men onboard.

They anchored at a port situated behind the great rock of Calpe, stocking up on much-needed food and water. To sail from the pillars of Heracles to Britannica required tradewinds. Thus they had to wait at the port before they could continue on their journey. Exploring the port town, Aleks and his companions grew closer, forming bonds of trust and friendship. Master Takashi made a point of it to taste all the types of exotic food that the town could offer and naturally, made use of Heracles’ efforts and had his students climb the great Calpe, twice a day. The monkeys on the great rock made it their sole purpose in life to pester them, throwing rocks at their heads and attempting to steal their waterskins. 

Time passed by quickly and a few weeks later, the wind picked up, marking the continuation of their voyage. When they returned to the ship, they had gained a new crew member, a cook from one of the surrounding villages. Confused by the sudden need for a new cook, Aleks enquired as to the reason. The cook they had, went missing a week ago. After searching for a few days the captain assumed that the man was either killed in a tavern fight, eloped or decided that his voyage ended right there. A common habit that some of the sailors had.

Sailing out of the docks, they passed a few other ships, waving at them. The day quickly passed as they caught the wind in their sails, leaving behind their home of a few weeks. Looking back they could see the light glinting off the great Calpe, once again filling them with awe and leaving them with new memories of their climbing and fighting with the monkeys. In the distance, one of the ships exited the dock, catching the same wind that they did.

“Looks like we have some company for the next part of our voyage, I wonder where they are going.” one of the sailors murmured. Like most of the crew, he was brown from working in the sun every day. He had a few scars across his face and a tattoo of an anchor on his forearm. 

“Which ports could they possibly go to?” Aleks asked the sailor.

The sailor looked at him with a thoughtful expression and then replied.” There are some towns along the coast of Lusitania as the Romans call it. Then after that lies Francia, there be some pirates so we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled. After that its open waters till we reach Britannica.”

Thanking him, Aleks walked away from the experienced sailor and joined his comrades as they got ready for their daily torture session with master Takashi. A few hours later they ended their training session leaving their bodies dripping with sweat. With a bow they started with their scrubbing work, removing any evidence of torture that occurred. After they were done, they rested on the deck when a delicious smell originating from the ships’ gulley made their bellies rumble in protest. 

Damon, one of the new students and also one of the exiled, suddenly rolled with laughter, pointing at master Takashi. The wise master stood in a trancelike state, his mouth open with drool dripping onto the deck as his nose twitched sensing the aroma. His students only shook their heads, their master really liked his food. 

Queueing up for the night’s dinner, they saw the new cooks’ food; a  creamy seafood pot seasoned with exotic spices. When they all got their bowls filled with dinner, they dug in. In only a few moments the bowls looked like the deck, squeaky clean. Everyone queued up for seconds, plastering a smile on the cooks’ face as he joyfully filled up their bowls. He had made more than enough. Reaching behind him while grabbing the next bowl, he paused. Turning around he noticed an entire pot of seafood missing. Flabbergasted he searched for it, only to hear laughing from the group of students. Their master had pilfered it. Having heard of this eccentric Asian man, the cook could only grumble as he took another pot.

As everyone enjoyed their meal, the cook came up with two of the wine vats.” Tonight’s dinner will go down a lot better with some good wine.” he announced. The sailors, of course, didn’t need to be invited twice as they brought their cups to him, letting it fill with wine.

With a low voice, Aleks asked Luke.”Is that not the wine that we’re supposed to sell?”

“Yes. . . this new cook made delicious food, but he is overstepping his bounds,” Luke replied. Pausing, he looked at their group. “ Horus, Kastor, can you secure the wine vats and make sure that they don’t take more of it.”

With a grunt of approval, they stood up, walked over and grabbed the wine vats from the cook. “Although we like you, Cook, this is not yours to give.” Kastor said in a gruff voice. The man paled and nodded, stepping back.

To the dismay of the sailors, they returned the vats under the deck where they belong. As they returned Kastor walked up to Luke.”One of the vats is completely empty, the other one has been opened but I resealed it and put a mark of a sword on it.”

“My thanks, Kastor,” Luke replied.

With the jolly atmosphere broken, the men readied to sleep for the night. The cook gave the companions a hateful look when he thought they weren’t looking. The dusk had turned to twilight as the full moon shone down in all its magnificence. Laying down, Aleks couldn’t help but think back on his life in Athens and his mother. He had started healing and in their journey so far, he had already seen so many new sights, there were so many stories he wanted to tell his mother. . . With a sigh, he stood up and climbed the ladder to the deck. The night was quiet except for the loud snores that came from below deck and surprisingly from their watchman at the top of the mast.

Grabbing an orange from one of the fruit barrels, Aleks threw it at the sleeping man, hitting him squarely on the head. The sailor that had watch duty should never sleep, as they are the one who warns them of any danger. Frowning, he noticed that the man hadn’t woken up.

Ascending the mast had become a lot easier since they had to climb Calpe every day, and in record time Aleks stood over the sleeping sailor, ready to slap some sense in him. Grabbing his shirt, he shook him roughly. Confusion appeared on his face as the man still wouldn’t wake up. Looking out over the waters the moonlight illuminated the ship that had followed them from Calpe. Normally it would not cause any concern for him, except for the fact that they were rowing towards them, and some of its sailors were standing on the prow with weapons in hand.

“Well they don’t look friendly,” Aleks muttered to the sleeping watchman.