The Telltaler

THAT DAY too, a few hours after the sun set on the western horizon. A trumpet sounded from the top of the biggest ship deck amid dozens of ships that packed the bay and the harbor. Blaring all over the city. Echoing in the hills that encircle the southern boundary, cradled the listener gallant-proudly.

After the echoes dies down, The giant sails spread quickly. Departure drum sounded. The shout of command chanted connected like a dropped row of cards. A thousand sailors swiftly release the anchor, bind the ropes, release the binds, spread the sail, run to their position.
Hundreds of soldiers stand on the deck, salute at the town dweller that crowded in the edge of the harbor, farewelling. The candles that lit by town dweller like thousands of fireflies on the top of harbor, increase the splendor to the movement of the biggest expedition that southern continent ever does.

The 40 ships depart altogether. Six ships pull the anchor from the harbor. Another thirty-four ships moved in the faraway bay, just look like a light flickering from the town.

Thirty-four ships that waiting in the bay consists of thirty warships with thousands of soldiers and dozens of cannon at the deck. And the remaining four functioned especially to transport the capital official, important persons, goods, gift, and other valuable things.

Six ships that pull the anchor from the harbor consists of five logistic ships that full of foods, blanket, freshwater, and other necessity on the way. And the other one is the biggest, fastest, and most magnificent ship with the greatest ammunition than the other 39 ships. The ship that will sail at the forefront of the groups, the ship where the leader of the fleet will manage all of the giant journeys to The Promised Land.

The ship that called: The Sky Sword.

With Admiral Ramirez on it.

The six ships move like a group of the elegant swan that comes out from the town harbor. The captain skillfully turns the rudder. All their needs have been fulfilled. All shortcomings have been fulfilled. New sailors with a robust body and strong energy have been joined.

Admiral Ramirez commands his sailor to send a flicker to the other thirty-four ships in the faraway bay. They will join at the end of the peninsula.

Their long journey will begin soon.

The order is carried out like a war command.

In just half an hour, those six ships have been joining the big groups in the middle of the bay. And soon like a city that floats in the vast ocean, a group of the explorer that headed to The Promised Land start their journey that they didn"t know when, where, and like what it ended. The journey that picks up death. All sailors, soldiers, and marines on the ship never care about the death symbol in five from six dice sides. They were full of confidence and pride. Even if they must die on that journey, then they will die in a brave journey. Die in the giant fleet that in history will be remembered as Floating City Fleet.

Die in the expedition that will found The Promised Land. All of the sailors and soldiers shouted at the night skies. Celebrate the departure of 40 ships fleet.

Only Jim sitting pensively in the small cabin in the hull of Sword Sky. He likes the other lowly sailor will be charge in preparing food, cleaning the ship, and wash the laundry, alloted in the narrowest room. The full moon light break through from the small circular window in the cabin, but Jim doesn"t want to see the beauty of the ocean at night. He was not interested even a little standing on the deck wave his hand like the others.

Jim doesn"t want look at, for the last time, the town he was born, the town he grow, the town where he found his lover, and lose his half-of-heart in the end. His Nayla.

Along with the distance Sky Sword split the ocean, his heart feels more hurt. That sadness becomes larger. And now his heart feels like uprooted. That sadness strike deeply. He maybe parted with Nayla"s tomb forever. Go far away.

Jim sobbing in the corner of the cabin bathed the soft moonlight. Don"t know why he could lose in this cruel fate. Don"t know why he at the ship that took him somewhere. Don"t know why this afternoon he decided to join, registered to become a sailor.

Obey the strange man words.

Part 2

THE JOURNEY quickly pa.s.sed day by day.

Night becomes day, day picks up night. Time string into a week, change into month unnoticed. Day-and-night make a turn without care about your feeling, sad or happy.

Jim is indeed uneducated, but that didn"t mean he was stupid. Jim counted quickly adapted with the new environment around him although with the burden of sadness that didn"t go away. Hanging in his eyes. That sadness still pierced his heart in the first weeks. Make he can"t do anything than shut himself in his small cabin. Fortunately, now he has a new activity and responsibility which more or less help him to forget his sadness.

Many times between his activity do the laundry for the soldier and senior sailor, cleaning the parts of the ship, brush the ship walls, prepare food, and other lowly sailor works, the sadness coming pound his heart. His Nayla"s face haunt on the surface of the plates, water puddle, food bowl, and the hatch walls. Then Jim will stopped. Sobbed. Sobbed restrained. His lowly sailor friends, at first two-three days, were very confused and didn"t understand look at his condition, even feels sad lowered their head heard heart-broken sob. Who wouldn"t be sad?

A week pa.s.sed they slowly getting used to it. Jim even gets a new nickname: The Crying Sailor. No one has intended ask why with considers Jim always silent and reluctant to explain why. Peoples just shook their heads, shrugged, then leave let Jim alone.

Time keeps racing. The fleet goes on days and nights.

Two months has been pa.s.sed, that sadness began to lessen. That strange old man is so far right, there many new things he faced now. Like or not help him make peace with his heart a lot. Half of his brain is full of his routine. Leaving a little time for loneliness and reminisce.

Then Sky Sword was hundreds of miles away from the edge of the southern continent, leave that most beautiful town. Leave his Nayla tomb. Keep heading south. Towards The Promised Land that never scribbed on any travel maps.

Part 3

JIM BEGAN to knows the fleet situation. Knows every valiant warship that sails in the left, right and behind The Sky Sword. The ship that have a name according to the engraving on the outer wall of the deck. The bravest and most respected warship was called: The Eye Brush. Suitable with two eyes that gazed sharply, painted so thrilling in the front of deck.

That ship is called the bravest and most respected because captained by The Legendary army leader who said by the sailors to be didn"t afraid to die. The Eagle Eyes. Just to Admiral Ramirez, The Eagle Eyes listen to the command.

The Sky Sword is almost twenty meters in length, fifty meters wide, with the length of steering rudder sixteen meters. Eight sails stretch like a giant on its deck. The sails if put together is more than enough to wrap Jim"s town park because it"s big.

Other thirty warship is no less than eighty meters in length, forty meters wide, armed with twenty cannon in every inch on its deck. Scary muzzle.

The logistic ships that filled by goods have a hundred meters in length, forty meters wide. Almost all the ship hull filled by travel goods, leave only a little room for sailors and soldiers.

The smallest ships are used by the official, merchandize storage, gifts, and other valuable things. It was seventy meters in length, and no less than thirty meters wide.

Once a month Admiral Ramirez instructed to anchor amid the quiet ocean, five logistic ships will distribute necessity for the next thirty days to the other thirty-three ship, with an exception for The Sky Sword that holds its necessity in its hull. The Floating City Fleet has been doing this four times in the ocean. As that long, they never docked in the next town.

Jim is getting busier. He never feel this busy in his life when he was a musician. So far he has never complained about his busy daily activities. He has more important things he must complain in the silent night. He wasn"t too care how long they will be docked in the next town.

According to some more experienced sailors, there"s news their fleet will be anch.o.r.ed at the town at the end of the northern continent two weeks later. Before they sails to the southern continent, entering boundless vast ocean which is very rarely sailed by sailors. Ocean that full of danger and mystery. Jim just stared blankly. He didn"t care.

Part 4

THERE ARE TWENTY thousand soldiers and five thousand sailors in the Floating City Fleet. This number doesn"t include twenty state officials, one hundred physicians, fifteen astrologers, hundreds of sailmakers, dozens of plants and animal experts, blacksmith, tailor, carpenter, merchant, and then translator that partake in that 40 ships fleet. And all of the state officials, soldiers, sailors and mariners is under one command: Admiral Ramirez.

Even in his sadness, Jim knows who is Admiral Ramirez. He has two meters in height. His waist size half a meter. Valiant man. His voice is grand, dignified, and calming. His gaze as sharp as a sword, although strangely you still feel comfortable look at him. He walks not too fast and not too slow. Always turning his body when turn his head. If you are in one room with him, you can"t take your eyes from him.

His face is full of charm.

The whole The Sword Sky crew put their trust in Admiral Ramirez. Also the other crew on the 39 other ships. If anyone wonders who will take them home safely from this endless journey, everyone will nod in agreement: Admiral Ramirez.

Jim never has a chance to talk with him directly. Only certain people can freely greet him, and it"s not included lowly sailor like him. Jim only had one-two chance at the dinner banquet, when he was in charge of serving food.

And it was mostly just until the entrance of the room. Look at Admiral"s face from afar. His friends were worried if The Crying Sailor will suddenly sobbing amid that exploration leader when serving the dinner. So, rather than make it more complicated, they just let Jim serve until the entrance of the room. The rest was taken care by other sailors.

One week before anch.o.r.ed at the last town at the end of the northern continent, all of the sailors and soldiers almost knew their respective positions and roles. Know each crew"s character and behavior. It was an important thing in this giant expedition that needs togetherness and cooperation all of its crew. Only Jim the sailor is still a mystery.

Now that wound only torn apart when night comes. That sadness just comes when silence hung on the dark ocean. When the other sailor falls asleep in the cabin. Once or twice, that sorrow silently penetrates his heart. Still with the same level as like when Jim look at her cheerful face smiling in the past (smiling alone), remember his Nayla frozen face in that morning (crying). Make Jim falling again, wailing weakly, face down on the bed.

Pate his roommate, only could pull his pillow and cover his ears tightly every time Jim do that ritual. Pate snorted in annoyance try to continue his sweet dreams that disturbed Jim" sob. As well as the other sailor in the other cabin which is in a 20-meter radius from them. It was the usual thing! That"s how The Crying Sailor behaved, swearing with resent.

Loneliness always invites the past. And that unpleasant past always brings fret to the heart. Unbearable fret that makes Jim sobbing. Not every night like before, but still painful to see it. Don"t know when this all will end.

Part 5

THE SKY SWORD and five logistic ships finally anch.o.r.ed at that town after six months and two weeks sails without stopping. They load tons of food ingredients, thousands of gallons of freshwater and the other journey necessity.

That town atmosphere is strange for Jim. He does not recognize it well. They wore different clothes, different languages and of course very different weather.

Further to the south, it will get hotter. Jim complained, swipe his sweaty cheek. He is carrying two wheat sacks in his shoulder. Pate that stands behind him grumbled. Told him to walk faster. Hurrying. The harbor"s pier road is hot. Burning Pate"s feet that was not wear anything.

Jim gladly wanted to lend his footwear. Pate just shook his head weakly. Reject it. He didn"t want to make Jim crying because his feet burned in the middle of the harbor that crowded by trader and merchant. It will attract attention, make them scolded for minutes by The Sky Sword senior sailor.

It"s been his the fifth time for Jim back and forth shouldering the wheat sacks from the harbor pier to The Sky Sword together with other lowly sailors when his step stopped by interesting scene. One child stumbled playing something with his fingers at the end of the harbor. Sitting alone, bare-chested.

Jim remembers his violin. He put down the sack just like that. Pate shouted at him to take the sack to the ship hull. The one he shouted at not listening, walk slowly approaching the children.

The instrument is simple, just a rough board. There is six-string tied tightly on the top of it. That child pulls the string randomly. Not swiped.

The children paused for a moment. Feels disturbed. Give a glance to Jim. Jim gulped. Stare blankly. The boy snorted, continue to pull his board with string, let him watch. The pity is his strumming more and more not like a song. Ringing loudly.

Pate shouted at Jim again from afar. Jim didn"t hear, he is busy watching the child hand"s movement in front of him. Pate grumbled for the umpteenth time. He didn"t want to make The Crying Sailor suddenly sulking sobbing only because of two sacks of wheat. Then with an annoyed snort, he helps to carry a sack of wheat that lying down to The Sky Sword.

The bare-chested children arrived at the end of the song - if it can be called a song, stop playing his instrument. Stopped just like that. Then stand up, step away from Jim, not even spare a glance at Jim that watching. Jim stare blankly. Nod a little. Suddenly pledge something in his heart.

Tonight he will play the same instrument. With a better song.

Part 6

"WHAT ARE you doing?" Pate asked probing at The Crying Sailor.

The one he asked turn his head. Smiling.

Pate was silent, stunned. Is it a smile? If it"s true, then it was the first smile that seen from Jim"s face since he joins six months ago.

Jim feels happy all day. His hand skillfully pull the string on top of the board. It was not a difficult thing to find a board and string in The Sky Sword cabins. And tonight, he could immediately make a musical instrument that he see this afternoon in the town harbor.

"I"m making a stringed board that can be pulled!" Jim said happily. Explaining. The sky outside decorated with a crescent moon. Stars spills make a thousand formation. The 40 ship fleets just spread its sail continuing the journey after anch.o.r.ed at the last harbor town at the end of the northern continent. Began to enter undiscovered southern continent waters. The view outside the ship is beautiful, the more they go south, the star formations become more captivating. But for Pate, he more stunned by the change in The Crying Sailor behavior in front of him.

"Stringed board that can be pulled?" Pate who rarely sees people playing music in his life asks confused.

Jim nod shortly, his hand skillfully continue his work. Pull the last string, tie the tip tightly at the end of the board. It"s done! Sigh cheerfully. Don"t know why after this afternoon his desire to play something like swipe the violin in the town like in the past comes unbearable. As a lowly sailor, He already has a lot of work. Do something new that he never imagined before. Jim tired do that all, moreover with hurt felling. But his heart suddenly feels happy after watching the children in the harbor.

He put the rough board in his lap, try to pull one string. His hand was still clumsy. The sound not much different than the bare-chested child in the afternoon. Jim smiling. He had been more accustomed to swiping. Never strumming.

Pate stares at him from the bed next to him. Curious about what will Jim do. Has this young man become crazy after his unreasonable sadness for a long time? Ah, At least The Crying Sailor didn"t show a crying symptom for now. Pate shrugged his shoulder while continuing to pay attention.

Jim pull the string again. The string tinkling more slowly, more controlled. The tone still not right. It sounds like a discordant tone in that time, Jim said in his heart. Ah! He didn"t sad to remember that moment. He was happy. Repeatedly, Jim adjust the strings on his board.

Pate leaning on the ship"s wall.

His tinkling string still sounded broken. Jim smiling, repeating, humming slowly. Try to adjust the tempo. Maybe need around thirty minutes when Jim finally gets used to pulling the strings in a long music tune. One-two minutes.

Pate was fascinated. He didn"t know what the song means. Odd. But sounds fun.

The night is getting late. The Sky Sword elegantly sailing split the waves with the other thirty-nine ships. Sail to the south. If you can see from the clump of cloud in the sky, then you can see in the biggest ship"s round window, there"s joy in one of its cabin. The string melodious sound sounds until twenty meters around them. Captivating. Unfortunately only two of them still awake.

Part 7

"WHAT ARE you doing?" Jim asking. It was Jim"s first question to Pate since he was on that ship. Morning has come. Jim wakes up with full of spirit. They sleep late last night. Singi many songs. Those songs. The songs that Jim usually plays with violin. Pate sang along, clapping his hand after Jim ends his song. Happy. Until fall asleep exhausted. This early morning, Jim and Pate hurriedly welcome their daily sailor works.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked again. Curious.

Pate that incised a sharp object in the ship"s wall turned his head. Smiling. Since last night, Pate has changed his evaluates to his roommate: Jim is no longer The Crying Sailor, Jim is a pleasant companion for him.

"I was marked how long I was on The Sky Sword. Look!" Pate"s hand points at the lines that incised in the wall. Lined up neatly. Forming a symbol.

Jim didn"t understand. He approached, sit on the Pate"s bed. His hand felt the incision.

"One day one mark... This symbol means five... I always incised it every time I wake up in the morning. Hoped we have returned home before this ship"s wall full of my incision..." Pate chuckled, store his sharp object under the bed. Pats his clothes.

"You can write?" Jim fascinated with the small incisions. Think something.

Pate laughed, "Am I really looks that black, dirty and stupid? But if it"s about writing and reading, don"t ask... I even could speak the southern people a little... Knows their words a little... Understand their habit a little... Even I know their stories a little..."

Jim"s hand still stroke the incision. "If you could writing and reading, why you just become a lowly sailor?" Jim look at Pate amazed. Just as amazed as Pate"s gaze in the last night when he plays the stringed board.

"Have I told you before, the officer that selecting the sailor when The Sky Sword stops in my town just divide the sailor cla.s.s based on face and physical, you know I"m a black man." Pate smirked a little, wave his hand. "But it"s not a big matter, friend. Not a problem if I was a lowly sailor or not. The important thing is I could join this Floating City Fleet..."

Jim looks at Pate for a long time. Didn"t understand, what the problem if Pate"s face and physical not like the other common people in the northern continent? Look back at the incision. Then grab Pate"s arm.

"Could you teach me?"

Part 8

ONE MONTH LATER was pa.s.sed by Jim in the situation he never found in his life before. A situation that Jim never imagined before even in his poor childhood dreams.

He feels his pa.s.sion comes back. Comes back with big enthusiasm. Pate teaches Jim about writing and reading. Vice versa, Jim teaches Pate to pull the string on the board.

The pity is Pate is not talented, just two weeks before he finally bored and feels he never could play the music instrument. Pate was happy enough to hear Jim play his stringed board after he teaches him to incise the letter and read a word. And also many knowledge.

Pate was lucky to have lived in the old church in his town. The church owner teaches him many things. Because the church owner is one of sage left in the northern continent, so even he just gets a third of his knowledge, Pate knowledge is vast.

When the night getting late, they usually moved to The Sky Sword"s deck to continue Jim"s lesson. In there, they can see the whole ocean. Just water, water, and water that they can see. It"s been a month, let alone the island, even seagull not seen so the lights from 40 ships fleet look like a floating city in the distant. Move on the dark ocean, full of dignity split the waves keep heading south.

When they are lucky, Jim and Pate can watch the giant whale swam near The Sky Sword. Date to slip between the fleet. The whales spurt water a dozens of meters. Jim and Pate clap their hand watched under the light of the moon and stars. Wave his hand gives praise. Same as when he watches the small "hero" in his town park long ago... except now no one that struggles and sulking, even the mother didn"t want to lose. Spurt the water higher.

Ah. What an impressive view.

"I never thought that being a sailor will be this fun..." Jim stared into the distance. His hand put down his paper and pen.

Pate that sits beside him makes a grin, laughing. "Because we just nine-month sailing. For you maybe feel fun. After six months, maybe your comment will change, my friend."

"I hope not." Jim smiling. Gaze at 39 ship"s masts behind The Sky Sword. He wants to forget many things which he has left behind. The new fun things like this help him a lot. Make peace. Jim picks his stringed board that lay in the deck. Put it to his lap. Take a breath slowly. Start pulling the string.

Although from last month Jim become more sociable with other sailors than before, smile a lot, and more cheerful, he was still called The Crying Sailor. Not a big problem, Jim just smiled as a response. It was fun back into daily life like in the past. And Jim doesn"t care with his new nickname. The Crying Sailor?

Ah, that name sounds quite pleasant and beautiful, Jim says inwardly.

The name gives a lot of meaning. He feels reborn. Jim gazes at the vast ocean while picking his string full of emotion.

Pate straightens his feet. Lying gaze at the sky.

The chipped moon decorates the sky. The stars look beautiful. The night breeze plays his hair. Swaying. The waves crashing quietly.

As quiet as Jim"s heart that reminisces that past. Looking at his Nayla"s cheerful face on the park bench. Began to infiltrate.

Jim hurriedly drove away that memory. Forget it.

What"s the point of reminiscing? That just makes his running-well days feel bitter again.

All of that has been left behind. Thousand miles behind.

Look! He was changed a lot. Learn a lot. And now, he was not his old self, uneducated Jim.