for the swift ending i felt it would fit best if tit was forced like my situation thus allowing it to see abrupt and would leave the story with an ending that could be continued.
I also wrote a letter explaining the journal and adding a bit more context to the story.
after this i got a trusted friend to go over and spell and grammar check the story.
The NOTE:
To Whom It May Concern,
My Name is Harold Langdon I am researcher for the London Royal institute of science.
If you are reading this letter you are in the possession of my journal, at least what remains of it. Please treat it with care.
Within the pages of my journal are my personal notes of how a group of explorers and myself found the Vulpua people, strange and exotic creatures bearing resemblance to both man and beast.
My hope is that this journal is enough to encourage you to come see for yourself these amazing people and the beautiful yet dangerous world they live in.
Sincerely.
H. Langdon.
THE FULL STORY:
Mr First
Great adveture
by H. LanGdon
Day 1
Capetown
Arrival
I arrived in the city of Cape Town two days
ago from London after a long and torturous 6 Month at sea. My Time aboard the
Mariana was spent researching the claims I have been sent to investigate. Her Majesty’s
Royal institute on Science and Discovery has sent me to investigate claims of a
mysterious island, sailors have spotted along the Clippers route on their
journey to New Zealand. A few Captains have tried marking the location of the
island, yet the maps and information the Institute has received places this
island in a huge area of rough water between Cape Town and Australia. My
exploration team’s mission is to find this island. To map it and note any
significant discovery we find on the island. Tomorrow we leave for Port
Elizabeth. From there we will make preparations for our journey.
I,
Dr. Harold Langdon, shall find this island and be the first to claim it in the
name of her Majesty.
Day 4
Port elizabeth
We
have arrived in Port Elizabeth, a quaint colony that is home to a fair few
Lords and wealthy businessmen here on safari. Lord Arlington a fellow member
from the institute has invited me for a drink at the Hunting club. I asked if
they had heard rumour of the island, many though it was a myth made up by the
sailors who had spent far too many days at sea. Yet a Mr. Cecil John Rhodes, a
local business in the diamond trade has been kind enough to indulge my queries with
the information he himself has collected on the island. Mr. Rhodes has given us
access to all his company’s trade route maps and where his ships have spotted
the island over the last five years. His company’s maps are remarkable with
this information. I believe I have a much more accurate idea of where the
island is. This could significantly cut our travel time at sea searching for
the island.
Day 6
plotting a course
My team and I have spent the past two days
charting our course for the island. It will takes us about two month to reach
the area the island has been spotted, from there it is a guess as to how long
it will take to find the island. According to Mr. Rhode’s captains the sea
around the island is exceptionally rough and filled with jagged rocks that
makes traversing the waters far too dangerous. These claims have lead me to believe
the island to be an extinct volcano. This would explain Mr. Rhode’s interest in
the island. As an extinct volcano it is an easy place to find diamonds and
other valuable ores and stones. No matter his reasoning his help still holds
value.
Day 9
final prepArations
We have spent the past three day waiting
for our excursion ship to be loaded and stocked for the journey. I have moved
my quarters aboard the ship and begun to settle in for the long journey ahead.
Captain Mc Donald and I decided on the best possible route to the island. He is
still worried that the rough water around the island will be exceptionally
dangerous to traverse. I have assured him any damages to his ship will be
covered by the Institute.
Day 10
Setting sail
We set sail at first light, I have this
strange amalgamation of excitement and fear as I watch the port fade into the horizon
and all I can do now is look forward at the journey I have begun.
Day 17
Ocean magnificence
A few days have passed uneventfully. The
crew is largely accommodating and polite aside from one of the deck hands who
keeps making passes at me. One of the other crewmen has told me he's harmless
but he’ll keep a watch nonetheless which I appreciate.
Day 20
crew
The crew seem to share my fascination in
the island and what we might find, most dinners I have spent with the crew
listing to their story of faraway lands and the people and creature they have
seen, many have pondered what we will find in this new land. Their inquisitive
attitude has helped me to feel more at home among the crew.
Day 32
Stowaway
Last night the ship’s crew found a stowaway
hiding in the lower decks. The crew wanted to throw him overboard but Captain
Mc Donald has decided to throw the boy in the brig and interrogate him in the
morning. I wonder if the boy knew where we were heading.
Day 33
interrogation
The Captain has asked me to sit in on the
interrogation. He believes there might be a chance the boy is an escaping
prisoner or worse a spy for a foreign country.
The captain was a truly menacing force
standing over the boy. The captain’s interrogation was a lot more forceful than
anything I’ve ever seen. After beating the boy for a few minutes he begun to
ask the boy questions. The boy broke immediately and spilled is confession
through blood soaked teeth. His name is James, a sailor’s son abandoned at the
colony after his father’s ship sunk and his mother died of illness. All he
wants is to follow in his father’s footsteps and make a life of his own. I have
asked the captain to give James the benefit of the doubt and hire him aboard
the ship.
Day 47
James
It has been two weeks since James has
joined the crew. The captain has him working in the kitchen. The crew seem to
like him and a few have even been able to vouch for James as they had sailed
with his father years ago. Truly this is a boy born for a life at sea.
Day 59
arrival
Lady luck must truly be watching over us. Three
days ago we entered the region where the island had been seen. After three more
days sailing to the centre of the region we spotted land. It is our destination,
the Captain has confirmed it. We sailed as close to the island as we could before
we got too close to the jagged rocks that brake through the waves like
monuments warding off all visitors. The captain has decided to sail around the
island in search of a safe place to anchor.
Day 64
safe passage
The Capitan has spent the past five days
sailing around the island in search of a secure place to make anchor. I have dedicated this time to mapping as much
of the islands key features as possible. My initial hunch that the island is an
extinct volcano proved to be correct. The island is covered in dense vegetation
and the sounds of animals can be heard from the ship. We finally found a safe
place to anchor and approach the island. We will spend the night aboard the
ship and set off on the rowboats for the island tomorrow.
Day 65
camp
We arrived on the beach of the island and
begun to set up a camp from which we will start our exploration of the island.
It seems we will have to make our way up the edge of the crater that stands as
tall as a mountain. This volcano must have been gigantic while it was still
whole. A few men were able to kill a bore in the jungle. Although the crew is excited for the fresh
meat I am more enthralled by the fact that there are animals like bores living
on this remote island. My body fills with anticipation wondering what we will
find in the crater.
Day 66
Night of Unrest
Our first night on the island was spent celebrating
our arrival on the island. As festivities carried on I kept one ear to the
jungle listening to the all the different birds and trying my best to name the
most I was able. There were many I had never heard before. I will need to
document them all before we leave.
Day 67
Exploration begins
We have begun our exploration of the
island. I decided it would be wise to map the jungle at the base of the crater and
find a safe way to travel to the centre if the island. We discovered our first
danger lurking in the jungle, a species of flightless birds native to this
island that chased our exploration party back to camp only to be scared off by
a hail of musket fire. Standing taller than a horse with a razor sharp beak and
a lethal set of claws the crew have taken to calling them Razor beaks. Although
not overly creative I can’t deny it is an apt description.
Day 68
on guard
Due to the discovery of the Razor beaks, we
have had to increase the amount of torches and guards around the camp. The crew
has become very uneasy about what lies beyond the shadowy edge of the jungle. I
fear the crew have become more reluctant to explore further into the island and
this journey might be forced to a quick end.
Day 69
Exploration party
Our exploration party has grown in size
after the Razor Beak incident yesterday. The Captain has assigned us a group of
armed guards, the men seem less than eager about their new promotion.
Day 73
route to the center
After four days of carefully searching the
base of the crater we have found a safe route into the crater. We have begun to
make preparations for an excursion into the Heart of the island.
Day 76
expedition Party
We have organized a small party to travel
to the centre of the island. Captain Mc Donald and James will be accompanying the
research team and I along with a few heavily armed members of his crew.
Day 77
expedition
We left at first light this morning for the
centre of the island. It took us till mid-day to make it over the crater rim,
Captain Mc Donald has decided that we will make camp in a clearing at the base
of the crater. From the peak of the rim I was able to get a good idea of the
terrain. I have mapped a few key
locations to help keep us on course to centre of the island.
Day 78
River
After breaking down camp this morning we
set out for the first location on route to the centre, a river that flows into
a lake closer to the heart of the island. As we pushed along the river we
discovered a very unique species of plant. The plant grows a strange flower that
has a small barb that shoots out when it is touched. As a member of our crew
learnt the hard way luckily they aren’t poisonous. We made it to the lake as
the sun began to set, we will set camp here for the night and rotate around the
lake tomorrow then from there we will head to the mountain in the centre of the
island.
Day 79
Lake
Last night we heard many strange noises
coming from the jungle. The captain has begun to believe there is something. I suggested
it might be a Razor beak but he is convinced there is something else in the
trees.
We spent the day walking around the edge of
the lake, my team and I have manages to document a few sighting of other birds
on the island. Most were tropical birds native to a lot of the pacific islands.
Yet one specimen that stood out was an exceptionally large species of Parrot
with a wing span we estimate around five meters. The bird shares a similar size
to a Macaw yet it lacks the vibrant colours, having a very tan brown coat of
feathers with a maroon underbelly of feathers.
Day 80
alone
We have decided to keep camp at the lake
edge till tomorrow as the research team and I document the local vegetation and
fauna in the area.
Day 81
lost
I am lost.
Yesterday as my team was documenting the
local wildlife I foolishly followed a small flightless bird into the forest
hoping to sketch it. After losing the bird I tried to make my way back to camp
only to run into a Razor beak. The vile creature chased me deep into the jungle
away from camp. I managed to avoid it by climbing into the tree canopy. Yet as
sun begins to set, I am stuck sitting here waiting for the razor beak to lose
interest and leave.
It seems I am spending the night
here__________
Day 82
quila
After waking up in the tree I decided to
climb down and head back to camp as it seemed the Razor beak had moved on. Only
to discover that the creature had been sitting in wait nearby. As the beast
pounced on me a shadowy figure shot down from the trees knocking the giant bird
to the ground. Before I could even comprehend what had occurred the figure
grabbed me and pulled me above the tree canopy. In shock of the events that had
transpired I fainted.
Day 82
quilLa
When I came to I was lying in a hollowed
out log under an animal hide. I was in a strange structure that appeared to be made
of woven vines and flax with floorboards of thick bark. There was whispering
coming from the floor beneath me. As I tried to stand I realized the razor
beaks claw was able to cut a sizeable gash into my arm as I cried out in pain.
A beautiful woman came up to check on me. It took me a second glance to realize
had she had the ears, leg and tails of a fox. As I lay startled by her
appearance she knelt down and presented me with bowl filled with a green liquid
I believed she wanted me to drink it. I was hesitant at first but her smile
washed away any scepticism I had. The drink had a very herbal taste with sweet undertones.
She began to dress my wound using a huge leaf coated with a herbal paste. I
thanked her and she replied in English. Surprised that she spoke my language I began
bombarding her with questions. She silenced me by placing her hand on my mouth.
She replied “rest, we speak later”. After my wound was treated I started to
feel groggy. Soon after that I passed out.
Day 85
quilLa
I awoke this morning in the log bed
checking my wound, I was amazed to see it had already begun to heal quite
rapidly. The gash had closed up and left a nice scar. I decided to explore the
area to hopefully find that woman and get some answers. As I was searching
around the hut looking for a way out I found a door on the lower level. Opening
the door led onto a small platform that revealed the hut was actually built
around the top of a tree that stands around 50 feet tall. I started looking for
a way down when the woman returned. She greeted me with a smile and asked how
my wound was. I told her it was healing nicely and thanked her for the help.
She offered me some fruit to eat. It was becoming unbearably clear she was far
more comfortable in the current situation than I was. I decided to ask her a
few questions which she seemed more than happy to answer. From that conversation
I have gathered the following:
Her name is Quilla and she is from a race
of creatures called the Vulpua. The Vulpua are a race of sub humans that have
evolved features that resemble that of a Fox. This amazing adaptation seems to
have formed from the dangerous environment they live in. Quilla continued to
explain how her people lived in tribes scattered amongst the tree tops and
hunted and gathered from the tree canopy far above the dangers that lurked
below. She explained to me how she came to learn English. When she was a child
a strange man washed ashore and her tribe took him in. He taught a few of the
village members English to help communicate. The man went on to teach the tribe
many things and even took the chief’s daughter as his wife. The offspring of
that union is the current chief of the tribe. Quilla has decided to take me to the
village tomorrow and introduce me to the tribe. I have tried to explain to her
that I am not alone here and my crew will be looking for me. She said the chief
will decide what happens from here.
Day 86
The Tribe
We left early this morning for the tribe.
Quilla explained that this hut was merely a hunter’s cabin. It would take us
most of the day before we reached the village.
Quilla moved quickly across the trees traversing
from one to the next. I was not so elegant, taking my time slowly and carefully
moving from branch to branch. Quilla kept pushing me to catch up and telling me
to act on instinct instead of fear. After about an hour I started to overcome my
fear of falling and started trusting in the branches to hold me. Soon traversing
the tree line started to become second nature and I must say it was truly
invigorating.
By sunset we had travelled deep into the
heart of the jungle and Quilla had begun to move far more slowly. I thought
this was due to exhaustion but Quilla explained that the deeper into the jungle
we went the more danger there was. She spoke of a creature called the ligoni
that hunted and devoured anything in their path. Petrified by the thought of
something fiercer than the Razor beaks I decided it best to quietly follow her
lead. As night fell we reached a dense cluster of trees that had become overly
tangled together, the vines forming a barrier we could not pass through. Quilla
called me over to a huge tree that had a hole carved through it. This was the
entrance to her village. Inside the village were a group of much older and
larger trees that held together the village buildings and huts. As I looked
down I saw the village sat over a swamp. We made our way to the main hall where
we greeted the chief, a sizable young man who was excited to meet me. He
invited us to feast and I spent the night listing to stories of the chief’s
father and telling tales of the England.
Day 86
The Tribe
This Morning I met with the chief to ask if
I could return and fetch my crew or at the very least tell them I was still
alive. The chief has agreed to send an envoy to go collect my team, I have sent
along a note explaining the situation to the captain. Hopefully he will come.
In the meantime the chief has assigned Quilla to show me around the village and
I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of how these people live. Quilla
seemed happy about this arrangement. I feel that she has become very protective
although it appears to be less of an attraction to me and more that I’m the new
toy she doesn’t want to share. The rest of the afternoon was spent introducing
me to the village settling their curiosity. From there she took me to the village’s
medicine man who check up on my arm and rewrapped it in a new bandage. The Shaman
told me that if it had not been for Quilla I would have lost the arm.
Day 88
The Tribe
Quilla decided to start with clothing. She
believes my clothes only attract attention so she has taken me to the tailors
who made me swap out my ripped pants for a pair of Deerskin leather trousers
with a leather pouch, a loose fitting shirt made of some kind of woven plant
fibre and a pair bird feather armbands. After my wardrobe adjustment Quilla
showed me around the part of the village where they make their apparel and how
they are able to turn a type of bamboo into string that they weave into cloth.
I was fascinated by their method for tanning leather.
Day 87
The Tribe
Today Quilla is going to teach me how to
fish. Since their village is built over the trees of a swampy area of the
jungle the land below is submerged beneath a couple feet of water. We made our way down the village to the lower
levels where the villagers fish. There method entails swinging down with spears
and piercing the fish before climbing back up the vine with their haul. This
method seems to be quite effective as the fish is completely unsuspecting of
the spear until it is too late. Quilla showed me how it was done a few times
before handing me a vine and spear. Unfortunately I do not have the same
incredible eye sight as the Vulpua and this task seemed impossible to land. I
even slipped on the vine and plummeted into the water only to learn that the
other reason for them fishing this way was to avoid the crocodiles lurking in
the water below. After a hasty swim for the dock at the base of the tree I was
able to avoid becoming lunch for the prehistoric beast. Tomorrow I will try my
hand at actual hunting.
Day 90
The Tribe
Quilla woke me up this morning at first
light to go hunting. We gathered some supplies and joined up with the rest of
the hunting party which seemed to consist of the biggest and strongest men in
the tribe. I felt very much out of place but was determined to redeem myself
for yesterday’s fishing incident. One of the men handed me over a pair of
gauntlets which had sharp claws made of obsidian and a pair of knifes for my
belt. I was given a quick description on how their tribe hunts before we
departed. Their tactic is for the hunting party to track down an animal then a
few members of the party surround the target whilst two hunters position above
to pounce down on the creature, digging in the gauntlet claws before using
knives to kill the creature. This method does seem overly complicated to me but
I can see how it would play to the strengths of the Vulpua.
We waited for a few of the younger men to
join us before setting off on the hunt. I managed to keep up with the hunters
as we traversed through the jungle until one of the men spotted a boar. We
moved into position around the animal before the pack leader appointed me and Falgoa,
one of the young boys bought along for his first hunt, to move into position to
pounce. We arranged ourselves above the animal then, on the command of the pack
leader, we pounced. I managed to land on the boar’s back digging my claws into
his hide while Falgoa landed in front of the beast. He ended it by driving his
dagger deep into the boar’s heart.
A successful kill. As we returned to camp
Falgoa and I were celebrated for completing our first hunt.
Day 8
Crews arrival
The Crew arrived at the tribe today. What I
thought would be a joyful reunion turned into one of the worst moments in my
life. As the crew wandered into the village amazed by what they were seeing I
could tell something was amiss. Captain Mc Donald was not amongst the crew. I
saw James being carried in by one of the Valpua guards gravely injured. I
helped escort him to the Shaman who tended to his wounds. I asked James what
had happened. He told me that after my disappearance the crew searched for me through
the night. When they couldn’t find me they decided to wait at camp for two more
days before they would give up and head back to the ship, this being the
allotted time frame for our expedition. Unfortunately on the second night the
camp was attacked by a creature unlike any they had seen before. James
explained the creature thusly:
“It was like a moving shadow with glowing
yellow eyes. The creature stood on all fours and moved quickly through camp
ripping any crew members apart in its path. Before long the creature had killed
most of the captain’s crew. Captain Mc Donald and a few men started trying to
hunt the beast or at least scare it off. But it did not fear our guns like the
razor beaks. It just moved through the night just out of sight of our torched
light. Man after man disappeared into the darkness. Captain Mc Donald decided to
light the tents on fire to reveal the creature. As we lit the tents ablaze
Captain saw the creature and charged at it. It was too quick. The creature
turned to us and I tried to fight it off but…..”
James struggled to carry on after that.
One of the other members of my research
team would tell me later that James fended of the beast for a while trying to
protect them. He sustained the injuries in that fight and if it wasn’t for the
arrival of the guards sent to fetch them they would all have surely perished.
Day 8
Crews arrival
I spent most of the day at James’ side. I
can’t help but feel responsible for this. Quilla has been very supportive and
has been tending to the rest of the crew’s wounds. Luckily most of these are
minor. I asked the chief what kind of creature could have done this. According
to his guards it was a ligoni. These creature have set territories and don’t
take kindly to trespassers. The animal’s appearance is big in stature and
resembles something like a giant Black Panther with sabretooth tusks from the
chief’s description.
Day 8 +2 from last
Crews arrival
The team’s wounds have healed and many wish
to return home. The remaining members of my research team and crew have
informed me they wish to return home to see their families. It is clear to see
the toll this island has had on them. Unfortunately James is nowhere near ready
to move as he has just regained consciousness. I spoke to James about the crew’s
plight and he has decided he will stay on the island as he can’t ask the crew
to wait for him.
Day 8
Crews arrival
I have come to a decision. James and I will
remain on the island. We are going to send the crew back to the ship with
enough supplies to get them back home.
There is still so much I want to learn from
the Vulpua I can’t leave yet. I also feel Quilla would never forgive me if I
did. So I have spoken to the chief and he is more than happy for James and I to
stay. I have informed the crew of this. They are relieved to be heading home
but think my decision to stay is a reckless one.
Day 8
Crews arrival
We are seeing the crew off today. We
arrived at the base camp on the beach yesterday. Final arrangements for the
trip back have been made and the crew is ready to depart.
It seems time for me to say goodbye. I am entrusting
this journal to one of my research assistants to take back to England for me
and deliver it to the heads of the institute.
My hope is that this tale of wonder and
adventure along with all the research documentation my team has gathered will
help entice further exploration of the island. James and I will be waiting for
your return.
No comments:
Post a Comment