Chapter 3
The Sea of Ancient Tides
The sun was setting over the horizon at port Ostia, it casted a warm glow over the Mediterranean Sea. The port was bustling with activity, people trading for fish or other items that were found from other countries. Pots and vases from Alexandria were amongst the most traded items. I stood at a shaded part of the port looking out at a ship known as Oltre l'orizzonte or Beyond the Horizon, the ship was stunning. It had a gorgeous upper deck and massive white sails. The ship was painted dark brown and stood out perfectly against all the other boats at the port. I watched as the caption of Beyond the Horizon called for me. "Vermileya" she shouted, I looked so out of place next to her. It was boiling outside so I was dressed in a simple tan tunic with a leather satchel draped around my shoulder. With a deep breath I walked towards the ship, my plan was to sail the Mediterranean for a few more months. I had already been there for about 2 months. On my way to the ship I stopped to grab two apples, one for me and one for the captain. On the ship there were a total of ten people. Me, the captain named Eleni. A big guy named Sol'ar, Two identical twins named Kastor and Polydeuce, a middle aged lady named Edrice and her son named Marco. Lastly there were slaves that originated from the north. Honestly I couldn't care less about any of my crewmates except Eleni, I was absolutely infatuated with her. She had long curly black hair that flowed in the wind like flower petals, glowing tan skin, but the most beautiful thing about her in my opinion was her deep purple eyes. They were vibrant and fit her face perfectly. Every time I looked at her eyes I would fantasize about her. As the ship set sail I got a bit excited. The thought of exploring more of this world made my heart flutter in excitement, at that time In my life I would have loved to find new land not yet developed by a county and its lifestyle. On that island I hope to make a new county something completely different from normal. I was extremely determined to achieve this goal.
Days passed quickly as we sailed south, the wind carrying us towards the open sea. The wind made the massive white sails look absolutely beautiful, I looked down at the endless expanse of water and marveled at the sight. It was hot, really really hot. The sun beat down on my skin relentlessly, even in the shade I was still boiling. All I wanted to do was jump into the water to cool myself down, but Eleni said that if I did, she would leave me behind. Night was the best part of the trip, I would stare up at the dark sky and look at all the stars and constellations. The night sky was always so vibrant. Sometimes I would think about Eleni while I was looking at the stars, wondering what it would be like to hold her in my arms. Some nights all of the crew members, even the slaves would join together to sing and dance. Those nights were so festive and colorful, everyone on the ship was happy. One day we approached the island of Sicily. Looking up I saw my first glance at Mount Etna. We docked at the port of Catania and I eagerly hopped off the boat to explore the markets and temples, I was extremely surprised by the smell of exotic spices and the broad variety of cultures and languages. That day was one of my favorite things I did while sailing the mediterranean. After Sicily are ship said East towards the Greek islands I had heard many stories about their city states and their philosophers and poets, but the thing that I was interested in the most was their gods. As we approached the island of Delos i got hit with a sense of awe at the sheer beauty of the architecture. The white marble temple shone like beacons. When I got off they were the first place I went. I spent hours looking at the large statues of the gods and goddesses. My favorite one to look at was Athena, she captivated me with her wisdom in warfare. After the temple I went running around looking for philosophers to engage in lively debates about exploring and the meanings of life. That day I felt a deep sense of connection with the people of Greece and I vowed to come back later in my life. The Ship continued eastward through the narrow straits of the Dardanelles. I was struck by the stark difference between where I started and where I was now. At some point we stopped to explore the ancient ruins of a village or civilization, at this point we were somewhere in Asia. I looked down at the crumbled stone bricks, time was relentless and it didn't wait for anyone I thought as I looked up at Eleni. I turned around and looked at the broken down houses. From dawn to dusk I scanned the entire village to try and piece together the history of this village. When I got on the boat I was a little disheartened because this was the last part of my voyage on the Mediterranean Sea. I had come so far from when I started my journey back all the way on the mountain. My next adventure was in Egypt but I will tell you about that one later. In my opinion sailing the Mediterranean was one of the most enjoyable things in my lifetime so far. The glistening sea and the unique islands and cultures I got to experience were amazing. Sadly on the entire Mediterranean voyage I never got the courage to admit my feelings for Eleni. There was one more interesting thing that happened to me at the end of my sea adventure. But I will write about that later. I hope this letter finds you in good fortune my young friend.
Sincerely, Vermileya