Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 57

His Legacy
Good Hope School, Hon, Rayna - 14
As I watched the last boxes of silk and gold load up the boat, I let out a sigh of relief knowing that I’ll be
sailing again. The sea was my true home, one I never had since my family left me to fend for myself at the age of 12.
“Jake you coming?” I twisted my head to see Youngjia beckoning me to hurry on board before the ship
departs. I stuffed the last of my food into my mouth and scrambled on board, hearing the sounds of family bid their
loved ones goodbye. I wished I had that.
I watched the mainland shrink smaller and smaller as we journeyed forward, bits and fragments of our last trip
came to me. We sailed all the way to Arabia. Can you believe that? It was a great trip the Arabians accepted our
offerings of peace and our homeland made a new relationship. The emperor even crowned us the great explorers of the
sea and sent us on a new mission. Leading us to another long journey of sailing and I loved every single part of it, well
maybe not every part of it. Not when the captain asked me to sweep the deck or assign me to toilet duty. I swear the
captain has it in for me sometimes, always asking me to do things or calling me aside to tell me some new information
about sailing.
Captain Wu, one of the most formidable captains known. He’s that kind of man that’s really strict but you
know he only has your best interests in mind. Everyone on the ship respects him and in my own weird way I do too.
He taught me everything I knew about being a sailor now, I owe everything to him, literally
Captain, he has this odd treasure chest that he keeps with him all the time. No one really knows what’s in it
which was part of the reason why no one has dared touch it but I have never seen that chest 5 inches away from the
captain.
“Captain called a meeting!”
“Captain called a meeting!”
“Captain called a meeting!”
Being torn away from my thoughts in bed, I shrugged on my coat and headed down to the common room for
the meeting.
“The voyage this time held a special meaning,” the captain was not one to beat around the bush, “I’m sure
you’ve all heard about the legend of Harrizona,” murmurs of agreement ran around the room.
The folklore of Harizonna was a well-known one. Legend has it that during the Warring States period a
group of people escaped from the mainland and found Harizonna. Described as heaven on earth, Harizonna soon
disappeared off the surface of the earth. Many have went on journeys attempting to find this “paradise” but almost none
returned and those who do come back empty handed and a crazed mind. Despite this, it’s every sailor’s dream to
succeed in finding it, mine too.
“The emperor sent us to find the city of Harizonna and we are not to disappoint.”
“Dismissed”
Hushed chatters broke out in the room as everyone filed out to resume their duties, mine was to rest.
“Jake, you’re on mapping duty”, no worse words could have come out of the captain’s mouth, I hated
mapping, I would have taken toilet duty any day instead. Of course the captain knew this and called me out in front of
everyone. I trudged to the map room, giving everyone who was laughing at my expense a somewhat murderous glare.
Days, weeks, months pass by like this, the usual duties on board or the sudden ones assigned by the captain to
humour him, I suppose. There were the usual weird rumours spreading on the ship. One claimed that the captain was
looking sick. Can you believe that? The captain? Sick?
And there were the occasional attacks from pirates or whatnot trying to steal from us. Nothing huge.
On the 68th day on the ship, I was fixing up some tweaks in the maintenance room, another tedious task that
was assigned to yours truly by the captain when Zhunia and Binfang, two of my cabin mates, rushed in to the room and
dragged me out, literally. What I could pick up from their gibberish like murmuring was “Captain’s calling you...last
words...quick” and all I thought about what other surprise the captain could throw at me again.
As we arrived the captain’s quarters I immediately sensed something was wrong, there’s this unruly feeling
lodged into my gut as I twisted the doorknob open and I was greeted with a sight I imagined possible.
Captain Wu, the almighty all-powerful Captain Wu, laying down looking green and pale on the bed and I
knew this was way more than whatever illness that have befallen him before. My feet seemed to be glued to the floor
until I finally realized he was bidding me forward. Jiangsu, the first mate, shook my shoulders and I dragged my feet
forward, kneeling in front of the man who I considered to be my mentor and somewhat of a fatherly figure of mine
since I never had one.
“Jake,” he stretched out a hand to reach for my shoulder, “I didn’t know how to tell you.” He was grasping
my hand at this point. “Listen you are my son, my erzi . I’m sorry I never told you, I only thought of training you to