Notlimah posts
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Chapter 167: A merchant has no country
“If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.”Thomas Aquinas.They gave one another a wide berth as they left the hall. Neither happy to leave until they knew that the other would be leaving at the same time but not willing to get any closer to one another than necessa...
Chapter 166: Clash of Captains
“The hallmark of a great captain is the ability to win the toss at the right time.”Richie BenaudThrough fate or fortune Captain Mercurio and Kashif had arrived on the same day. Like ships that pass in the night they had never arrived at the same time before and we had seen no need to inform them of our other dealin...
Chapter 165: Training Warm up
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.”The Rock“97, 98, 99, 100” I finished the last press-up. The morning’s warm-ups had grown a little excessive, but the stats, alongside my traits, meant that it was, in the end, just a war...
Concussion
So I am working on the next two chapters but slightly delayed by trip to A&E this week.Had a dizzy spell/fainted in bathroom and put a small hole in the back of my head when it hit the wall on my way down. Rather stupidly went into work afterwards and they took one look and drove me to A&EThey ran some tests which came...
Chapter 164: A year later
“It’s better to live as you will want to have lived, rather than spend your time worrying about the end. You are right here in your story. Don’t skip ahead.”S.D. SmithA year later, the benefit of training under three masters of their trade was shining through with my progress on my status. It had been a very bu...
Chapter 163: United Front
“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”J.K. RowlingI awoke to face a united front from my elders. The most surprising fact was that they were all there for breakfast when I entered the room. It was early was much earlier than they were usually up, but I guess they had got up to catch me...
Chapter 162: Ethical dilemmas
“If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.”Abraham LincolnEventually after much argument over costs, prices and quantities Captain Kashif and Aleera with the support of our advisors had reached an agreement and we were travelling back to his boat with wagons full of salt following behind us. A small box of pearls ...
Chapter 161: Equivalent exchange
“Humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.”Hiromu ArakawaCaptain Kashif had made a fine showing of his trade goods but we had already been forewarned. Namir had already described what we could expect to see based on his knowledge of t...
Chapter 160: Legalised Theft
“Slavery is theft – theft of a life, theft of work, theft of any property or produce, theft even of the children a slave might have borne.”Kevin BatesCaptain’s POVThe week had dragged on waiting for the Silverseas to open their home to petitions. Apparently, with the exception of a set of games held on the isla...
Chapter 159: Fight or flight
“Life is a long preparation for something that never happens.”W.B. YeatsOur baseline assessment went much the same as last time. It was kind of like going up a grade in school the new teacher wanted to make their own assessment. We worked our way through the skills of running, swimming, diving, climbing, riding, an...
Chapter 158: Disappointments
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”Martin Luther King. Jr.“We accept.”Two little words, but made a world of difference to our tutors both present and future.“In that case and to alleviate any worries your grandfather may have about my safety around the two scions. I would lik...
Chapter 157: Standoff
“Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.”Niccolò MachiavelliThey stood in a silent standoff,...
Chapter 156: A New arrival continued.
(added a little more to the chapter what do you think?)Aleera and I were at the town market when the bell suddenly rang. It took a second for us to understand what we were hearing. Although the plan for monster sightings had been posted in the market square it had not happened yet. Then we needed to remember which bell...
Chapter 155: New Arrival
“Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold.”Joseph ParryNew POVThis was the back end of beyond. He honestly didn’t know why he had decided to travel so far. If it had not been for Lady Acacia’s request and their history he certainly would have never even considered it. Crossing the so...
Chapter 154: Moving forward
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”Martin Luther King JRA week later, after the initial shock of the monster’s release from the depths of the Lodestone, life settled back to some new form of normalcy. As a...
Chapter 153: Life goes on
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”John C. MaxwellDay of departure - Clergy“Are you sure you will be alright with only Sir Manil to guard you?” Bishop Bailie worried as he said farewell to Archbishop Grigori.“Yes, we will be fine. It is the last stretch now of our circumnavigation.” He declined taki...
Not a chapter
Unfortunately, not a chapter, I seem to be having a bit of a relapse with the coughing after finally kicking it last week. Probably the stress of trying to organise Christmas and visiting family.But although I couldn't give you a chapter today as a present, I wanted to thank everyone for their support with Singer S...
Chapter 152: Sooner or later
“Sooner or later, everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.”Robert Louis Stevenson“Kai!” shouted mother after us. “Get back here.” She hollered as we continued to flee up the mountain.I ignored her as Arawn turned to me with a frown on his face. “Really?” he questioned. It was difficult to tell i...
Chapter 151: A lesson in forgiveness
“Forgiveness is not weak. It takes courage to face and overcome powerful emotions.”Desmond Tutu“How are you feeling old man?” I commiserated. We were all feeling a little raw after Arawn’s confession and I sat with him as he drank in the darkness. Our sensory skills allowed us to know where everything was eve...
Chapter 150: A lesson in lineage
"Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it."George Santayana“Well, how else do you think we arrived on the island?” He replied rhetorically.There was stunned silence as everyone digested his rhetorical question before father finally shouted, “By boat like any other normal pers...
Chapter 149: Fortification
“Add each day something to fortify you against poverty and death.”Seneca the elderWe had been working on improving our foundations, growing our wealth and building up a powerbase in terms of competing with the Nobility of Ponente. Our preparations and their necessity suddenly took on greater importance when we were...
Chapter 148: Home sweet home
“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.”Wendy WunderIt had been a long day. It was nice to finally be home or at least it had been before we outlined exactly what had transpired that day during what had supposed to have been a peaceful amble to the eastern ...
Chapter 147: New metiers for everyone
“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not of fighting the old, but building the new.”SocratesChange had come to the little Town of Wester in more ways than one. Barring our Silversea games which had been on our island and the bishop’s blessings which had filled the church I had never seen the entirety...
Covid delay
For the third time I have caught Covid this year (spring summer and winter) only this time wife and 1 year old son have it too.Basically I’m wiped and this is slowing down the writing process but once we get over it I will be taking some Christmas holiday anyway and will catch up to the number of posts promised for D...
Chapter 146: On our way home
“We make a lot of detours but we’re always heading for the same destination.”Paulo CoelhoEventually, we collected a mana core or gemstone from each of the monsters and were finally able to return home. Both Lady Acacia and Grandfather had been fairly gleeful in their collection and I was sure they had their uses....
Chapter 145: No longer hiding
“I’m tired of hiding in the shadows. It’s time to be free. It’s time to show the real me. If you don't like me, that's your opinion. I am unique. I am me.”MaskThe thrill of flying, the rush of a near-death experience, the relief of the monster’s demise, and the delight in a plan executed perfectly. ...
December posting schedule
Big thank you to everyone who has supported me during November.This is the schedule for December.Today's post will be posted as soon as I can get it finished. It is probably going to be tomorrow or Friday. Turns out cycling everywhere for a week because your car is broken takes a little more time to do.Friday 2nd S...
Chapter 144: A merry chase
“And I will lead them on a merry chase.”Inception/LooperI was flying! I’d managed to fall with style before but now I was no longer falling which was just a little bit important to me seeing as what was still chasing after me below. I had never managed this before but necessity is the mother of many successes. I ...
When running a little behind throw up some art.
So . . . the drive shaft snapped on me yesterday while driving. Luckily everyone was safe. The car is now at the garage but will be without one for the next week while it is hopefully fixed. This pushed back everything in my life by just a little bit. Recovery was supposed to be by 0955 but the recovery vehicle finally...
Chapter 143: Creatures of the deep
“You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone, You shall find what you seek and make it own,But despair for your life entombed within stoneAnd fail without friends,To fly home alone.”Percy Jackson“Can it not do anything now?” Aleera asked intrigued. Surprisingly, when she asked the youngest daughter from ...
