The captain returned to the ship before sunset, fury still burning visibly across his face.
The moment his boots touched the deck, every pirate and slave straightened instinctively, and nobody dared speak while he looked like this; even the sea itself seemed quieter around him.
He walked slowly across the wooden deck, staring toward the distant forest where the village was hidden beyond the trees.
One pirate approached carefully.
“Captain… we lost their trail near the eastern cliff path.”
The captain didn’t even look at him.
“Then find it again.” His voice remained calm, which somehow felt more dangerous than shouting.
Another pirate hesitated before asking, “Should we attack directly tonight?”
The captain finally stopped walking and slowly turned his single good eye toward him.
“You think villagers are stupid?”
The man immediately lowered his head.
“No, captain.”
“Good.” The captain spat over the railing before continuing, “They expect an attack from the shoreline.” A cruel smirk slowly appeared across his scarred face.
“So we won’t come from the shoreline.”
He ordered two pirates to remain hidden near the village and monitor every movement.
The men immediately disappeared into the forest carrying small spyglasses and knives, and only after they left did the captain turn toward the slaves chained near the lower deck.
“Move.”
Nobody reacted quickly enough.
The captain suddenly pulled out his pistol and fired beside one slave’s head, the deafening gunshot echoing across the sea as the terrified man collapsed screaming.
“I said MOVE!”
The slaves immediately scrambled upright in panic.
The captain pointed toward the ship’s storage areas.
“Bring every weapon out.”
Crates were dragged across the deck one by one, revealing rusted swords, spears, gunpowder barrels, rifles wrapped in cloth, heavy hooks, iron chains, and even strange metal harpoons meant for hunting creatures larger than men.
The slaves worked nonstop while pirates barked orders and kicked anyone who slowed down, and Vikram’s absence had clearly made the captain especially violent today.
One old slave stumbled while carrying ammunition and was instantly whipped hard enough to collapse.
“You think this is a vacation?” the captain roared before kicking him aside, causing the rest of the slaves to work even faster.
Then the real horror began.
Several slaves were ordered beneath the ship while others dragged massive wooden wheels from storage.
Huge iron bolts, chains, and support beams followed as the pirates began attaching giant reinforced wheels directly to the sides and underside of the vessel.
The slaves looked terrified because they already knew what was happening.
One younger slave quietly whispered to another, “He’s taking the ship through the jungle again…”
The second slave’s face immediately lost color.
“No…”
The captain overheard them and smiled slightly.
“Yes.” His smile looked monstrous beneath the orange sunset light.
“Tonight we hunt.”
Hours passed while the ship slowly transformed into something unnatural.
Wheels taller than men were fixed beneath the hull while thick rope systems connected across both sides, and heavy iron hooks locked into the wooden structure with loud metallic clanks.
The once-normal sea vessel was becoming a monstrous land machine.
The captain eventually walked alone toward the deepest chamber inside the ship.
The air there felt suffocatingly hot, with massive pipes covering the walls while steam hissed endlessly through metal vents.
At the center of the chamber stood a gigantic furnace-like engine glowing faint red from within.
Coal burned beneath iron chambers while strange symbols had been carved around the machine itself, and the captain stared at it silently before pulling a glass bottle from his coat.
Thick, dark liquid sloshed inside unnaturally.
Without hesitation, he smashed the bottle directly against the engine.
Steam exploded violently through the pipes, and the entire ship trembled hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling while slaves above cried out in fear as the wooden structure groaned like a waking beast.
The engine began making deep, rhythmic noises that almost resembled breathing.
THOOM.
THOOM.
THOOM.
The captain smiled while placing one hand against the hot metal surface.
“Wake up,” he whispered softly.
Above deck, the massive ship slowly creaked forward by itself despite being nowhere near the water.
Meanwhile, inside the forest near the village, nature itself had started noticing that something was wrong.
Dogs resting near the village entrances suddenly stood alert and growled toward the distant trees, while oxen tied beside carts stomped nervously against the dirt and birds resting upon rooftops flew away all at once.
The villagers immediately noticed.
One guard near the eastern watchtower frowned.
“Animals acting strange again.”
Another looked toward the darkening forest uneasily.
“Maybe a storm’s coming.”
But the dogs kept growling nonstop, their sounds deep, aggressive, and fearful.
Somewhere far beyond the trees came the faint sound of wood grinding against earth, slow and massive, yet whenever the villagers listened carefully, the noise disappeared beneath the wind.
Deep inside the jungle, dozens of chained slaves pulled enormous ropes across their shoulders while stumbling through mud and tangled roots.
The modified ship slowly moved between the trees like some gigantic predator crawling through the forest, steam hissing beneath the hull as its giant wheels crushed roots and stones beneath its impossible weight.
The slaves strained desperately against the ropes while pirates whipped them from behind.
“PULL!” one pirate screamed.
“FASTER!”
Another slave collapsed from exhaustion, and the captain calmly walked past him before firing a pistol into the man’s head without even slowing down.
The body rolled beneath the massive wheel with a sickening crunch.
“Anyone else tired?”
No one answered.
The remaining slaves immediately pulled harder, terrified of becoming the next corpse beneath the wheels.
Slowly and terrifyingly, the giant ship continued moving deeper through the jungle toward the village.
Night eventually settled completely over the island.
Inside the village, warm lantern lights glowed from wooden homes while guards kept watch at every entrance, and Vikram sat near one of the houses with his injured leg stretched carefully beside him.
The wound still hurt badly whenever he moved too much.
For the first time all day, however, things almost felt peaceful.
Then Seraphina approached carrying two wooden bowls carefully in her hands.
“I made dinner,” she announced softly.
Vikram blinked in surprise.
“You cooked?”
She nodded proudly before sitting beside him.
“One of the village aunties taught me.”
Vikram looked suspiciously into the bowl.
“That confidence worries me.”
Seraphina immediately frowned.
“Rude.”
He laughed quietly before taking the bowl from her.
For several seconds, everything seemed peaceful.
Then Vikram suddenly paused mid-bite.
Something tasted… wrong.
Very wrong.
Seraphina noticed immediately.
“What happened?”
Vikram looked at her carefully.
“Did you forget something?”
She blinked innocently.
“No?”
Vikram took another bite just to confirm, and realization hit both of them simultaneously.
Seraphina gasped softly.
“Salt.”
Vikram nodded slowly.
“Salt.”
Silence followed as Seraphina covered her face in absolute embarrassment.
“Oh no…”
Vikram tried not to laugh.
“It’s okay.”
“It tastes terrible!”
“I’ve eaten worse recently.”
“That does not help!”
She looked genuinely horrified at herself while Vikram struggled to contain his smile.
“It’s really not a big deal.”
Seraphina groaned dramatically and buried her face into her hands again.
“I can’t even cook properly.”
Vikram shrugged casually.
“Doesn’t matter.”
She slowly peeked at him through her fingers.
“You really wouldn’t mind having a wife who can’t cook?”
Vikram answered instantly without thinking.
“Yeah, obviously.”
Then his brain finally processed what she had actually asked.
Silence exploded between them.
Seraphina’s eyes widened completely while Vikram nearly choked on air.
“WAIT—”
Seraphina immediately stood up.
“I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING!”
Her entire face turned bright red before she hurried away, almost running.
Vikram remained frozen, still holding the bowl while his brain completely malfunctioned.
“I think you absolutely said something,” he muttered weakly to himself.
Far beyond the village lights, hidden deep within the forest darkness, the captain watched the settlement silently from atop the monstrous wheeled ship.
Steam hissed around him like breathing shadows as his single good eye remained fixed upon the distant village.
And slowly, inch by inch, the giant vessel continued crawling toward the sleeping settlement.