Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.

I got another invite to Cafe Shi.. Two within a month. Kind of not the normal month i would say.  Seemed this was an perceptual invite.

The lady err dragon -- owner of Cafe Shi was leaving.  Now this was something. She has to my knowledge lived according to folks in the cafe for thousands of years. And that she was leaving? Made me worry about her health. She was lovely. And i despised death.  

To my relief or lack of intelligence upon entering there was Ender, Burton, and several of the other customers /authors/ poets / a few pirates / and other guests  that I had met over time.

She was dancing with Ender. Now this was wild to see. Why?  Magic  my eyes could not explain the fluid motion of her body transforming one moment from a solid lady to air to the next a dragon. Whose tail wound around Ender to the next wow. It was an amazing dance. And the music?

Let me be honest. I am partially blind and deaf. Needless to say the music and sight was more than overwhelming.

Then the audience joined in and it seemed she multiplied for each person to dance with her.  And?

Like magic I was too dancing with Cafe Shi proprietor.   And for the world of me? We were having a conversation not one that could be overheard. No. One on one between friends.

She told me of my tales she loved. And I told her of the food and conversations that I loved about her.

WE both were in love for a moment.

Then everyone was seated as if the dance had just happened in our heads.  And she was serving us one of the finest meals I have ever had in my life.

And there was silence lke everyone knew. And ending. Sad but true. 

Nuclear WAR, you inspire me to write.
How I hate the way you Famine and death,
Invading my mind day and through the night,
Always dreaming about the dead mcbeath.

Let me compare you to a library?
You are more murder, dying and bloody.
Snow chills the berries of January,
And wintertime has the lead time study.

How do I hate you? Let me count the ways.
I hate your malevolent Bombs and bombs.
How your nuclear missiles fills my days!
My hate for you is the explosion proms.

Now I must away with an evil heart,
Remember my red words whilst we're apart.

a different age

Ender was to meet the raiders in a Cafe Shi. In the port of Ping. The year was around 1680 something. To be honest. I sort of lost count of years. When you are into smuggling items. From Korea, to Japan, to China and elsewhere to avoid the cursed tariffs of empires and nations. Well, knowing the year means knowing what laws and regulations are being brought up. Why cause undo concern when any of the items meant the death penalty?

Cafe Shi was a tea shop with some of the best fine wines in all of small China. Small China goes between the port side of a town and well the town itself. The raiders had promised a chance at something big.

Being unemployable and unemployed at the present time. I thought it would be best to try something with a big prize.

In walks the Claw. I knew him when he was younger. That I had employed him to smuggle goods for a time made me smile.

The Claw was a legend these days. Sort of like I was a time ago. The Claw had taken possession of a fleet of trading ships. How? The rumor was he trapped them, boarded them, and slaughtered everyone on board. What a comic. The reality of the whole entire fleets crew. Well, they were all bribed. Because of the paymaster of. the owner of the fleet being a skinflint. Only paying less than going wages. The whole fleet’s crew absconded with the trading merchandise and ships.

The Claw was the one that thought up the plan. He even hired only those willing to go along with the plan to make sure no one got hurt but the corporations.

The deal happened, and they let the world know the Claw had slaughtered the whole crew. Which I heard had instead of returning to Europe went on a vacation to South America.

So the Claw spoke. His speech was interesting. The prize was something I had heard about a long time ago by another legend. Some sort of a jewel from a legendary myth country called Crimea. The jewel and other treasure were in the possession of a noble. How or why this noble had let the Claw know about the jewel was beyond me.

However, the jewel was some sort of a magical device that could do things to a man’s mind if the legend was truthful. So the plan was to raid a floating houseboat on an inland sea in central China.

The jewel kept there because of the guardian. Here the Claw must be joshing or joking, a guardian dragon. Now I knew dragons. I had fought one with the Claw when he was still young. To fight one on a house boat might be interesting.

I was to meet the raiders in a Cafe Shi. In the port of Ping. The year was around 1680 something. To be honest. I sort of lost count of years. When you are into smuggling items. From Korea, to Japan, to China and elsewhere to avoid cursed tariffs of empires and nations. Well, knowing the year means knowing what laws and regulations are being brought up. Why cause undo concern when any of the items meant the death penalty?

Meaning? A name is only as good as the next adventure and to live in a moment and die with merit or a wonderful story? What more I could ask for? We were not afraid of much. Maybe wizards of time or a woman with too much time on her hands.

So I shook my hand with the Claw who, when he noticed, laughed with me. And said it was great to be back in such low places. And that we should get some more wine and talk about old friends and places.

The conversation went like the Claw telling me this story.

There once was a great pirate before Romans, and they established many countries in Europe. He would raid an island where the treasures were according to myth from out of this world. The original Atlantis story claiming that they came from an unfamiliar world.

There the Atlantis lived afraid of this pirate until they built the Talons. A sort of statue that walked the island, protecting the island from pirates.

Well, that did not sit well with this pirate of legends. So in the middle of a flotilla of ships he disguised his ship and crew. The pirate went right with their great trade ships and out with. Well, according to the Claw, the crown jewel of some wizard of time or not.

The jewel was a portal stone or time stone. The Claw kept on excitedly how with the stone one could go places in time and what not.

Me? I had had a pearl once upon a tale. So I was interested, and so the plan was laid out.

The nobleman was to be called away to the capitol city by a bribe the Claw had provided an authority. Seems corruption is everywhere these days.

Once evidently the boat house's only protection was a dragon. Now, the last dragon that the Claw and I had encountered was a long time ago. That we accidently shot it with a cannon at point blank range as well. Complete happenstance and luck.

This time luck had to be just right. We set the date. The plan was laid that both smoke and other bombs. They would be used to enter the house boat. Blind the dragon. Then secure the jewel. A classic switch in a fast heist with a phony jewel to replace the real one. And out we go. With no pursuit. Because why waste a chance of someone coming back to steal something if nothing was stolen?

So there was me, Ender the pirate, the Claw, and my crew. My crew is not normal. Let us just say we are misfits from Christmas isle and let that make your imagination work.

My first mate looked like a squirrel and acted like one too. He was given the fake jewel and instructions on what room the jewel was in.

My cook sort of looked like a bear. And his sole job this time around was to throw smoke bombs as fast as he could. Given the signal once the first mate was in a position to enter the house boat.

Me and the Claw were to address the dragon personally. I thought this over in reflection and some plans are stupid. Only one reflected on them, but at the time of implementation. Life is merit or nothing else.

So the day came. The nobleman rode off to the capitol. We were in place. The first mate had climbed to a window just above the treasure room.

The signal went. The cook started throwing smoke bombs. Everything seemed to go great.

Just then the Claw and I meet a woman where I was expecting a dragon.

Now I had prepared live bombs for the occasion. There I was in a kind of pickle having a fuse lit in one hand with a bomb and well a woman. Who instead of crying or anything seemed to know the Claw.

And looking at the Claw? Well, I could see he knew her. The Claw was in love. Great.

Storming a houseboat with a dragon and some woman. And then the Claw starts talking, waving me away. No dragon appeared. I was wondering what or if the jewel was actually here.

Then the woman transformed into a white dragon. Wildly unexpected by me.

The dragon pounced on the Claw. Who only waved at me yet again. I wondered what to do. Throwing a live bomb at a friend is not something I would consider. Yet, the dragon was or looked like she would eat him.

The cook had stopped throwing smoke bombs. This indicated in the plan that my first mate was out.

So I tried to get the Claw away from her. But instead of letting me pull him away. He waved me goodbye. The lovesick fool was in love with a dragon.

So I got out of there. My first mate with the jewel in hand. So my first mate, Cook, and I went away. That was not the last I heard of the Claw. However, the jewel of time was something else to behold and what stories could be told.

As for the Claw? I heard that he and the dragon ran away together. Something dealing with her obligation of guarding the jewel was no longer valid with no jewel to guard. As for the nobleman? I keep tabs on his family for the jewel? However maybe the fake one is all they needed for they do not appear to be missing anything.

Well, being time traveling pirates is something to keep a journal on.

So there I was again entering Cafe Shi. The crowd was a bit lit. Lets be honest outside of the tea server and me the place was empty. Then walked in. Well. A lady in yet? I had my eye patch on and my other eye was a bit cloudy she reminded me of a dragon I once meet in another tale along long time ago. She sat in the center of the room. Evidently either she was her own security or she felt comfortable being who she was.

She spoke. The tea server ran to do her bidding. Myself? Let be honest a poor pirate sipping tea in China. Might as well watch a lovely lady drink tea. They paid big bucks for drinking tea in 1849 or so I heard. While she was waiting for her tea. She spotted me. That I was not obvious was clear. I think I took her breath away. Or maybe surprised her abit. In my humble opinion have that way with the opposite fair sex.

So we sat drinking tea. To break the silence I ordered my special. The tea server seemed hestiant to do what was normally done without question. Evidently the lady had put a change in the room and who she was? The tea server knew. And I? I am a pirate unless I am going about romance or something I like to drink alone and read my journal. Which I was doing and adding a bit of notes to my last tale. Ender the king of Pirate land. A tale and back again. Or how I escaped responsibility.

So there a pirate and a lady that resembled a dragon sat drinking tea, and special tea. Meaning? Mine was rum. It was kind of nice. In walked another person. This one I had not seen since my trip to watch the city of Bablyon fall in the year 2021 or 2022. Shameful. A Time wizard. He sat next to the lady and began a conversation without noticing me. The lady did not intrupt just smiled and sipped her tea.

The man was rather upset. Time, etc was twisted and the rules of the system of things broken. He asked if she knew who would do such a stupid thing? She indicated her head towards me. At the sight of me the Time wizard tried his magic. The nice thing about being part Talon by this time no magic of the later eras worked. Sure they can cut of my foot but that just undoes the twist of time.

His spell rebounded with a horrible after effect to the tea server. At this I stopped writing put down my pen and did what I do. The tea server who was losing her soul got up and thanked me and ran away.

The time wizard was trying again. I on the other hand was tired and did something he had never been trained in doing. Ages ago magic was real and now? The new time wizards might be powerful and dangerous. The mormon jedi try. However, reading a spell and knowing what it actually does because you have to let someone do it to you over and over again watching your body die and reanimate over and over again are two separate things. The wizard was trapped. How? Secrets are secret.

The lady begin to speak he is not responsible he is the reason though. The wizard face was caught in a mixture of terror and unwanted pain. WHAT?

I went back to my table and gathered my things. I left. The wizard would be freed in a matter of a few minutes. And I had nothing more to do with Cafe Shi from that time forward.

A jewel tale of a pirate

I was to meet the raiders in a Cafe Shi. In the port of Ping. The year was around 1680 something. To be honest. I sort of lost count of years. When you are into smuggling items. From Korea, to Japan, to China and elsewhere to avoid the cursed tariffs of empires and nations. Well, knowing the year means knowing what laws and regulations are being brought up. Why cause undo concern when any of the items meant the death penalty?

Cafe Shi was a tea shop with some of the best fine wines in all of small China. Small China a go between the port side of a town and well the town itself. The raiders had promised a chance at something big.

Being unemployable and unemployed at the present time. I thought it would be best to try something with a big prize.

In walks the Claw. I knew him when he was younger. That I had employed him to smuggle goods for a time made me smile.

The Claw was a legend these days. Sort of like I was a time ago. The Claw had taken possession of a fleet of trading ships. How? The rumor was he trapped them, boarded them, and slaughtered everyone on board. What a comic. The reality of the whole entire fleets crew. Well, they were all bribed. Because of the paymaster of. the owner of the fleet being a skinflint. Only paying less than going wages. The whole fleet’s crew absconded with the trading merchandise and ships.

The Claw was the one that thought up the plan. He even hired only those willing to go along with the plan to make sure no one got hurt but the corporations.

The deal happened, and they let the world know the Claw had slaughtered the whole crew. Which I heard had instead of returning to Europe went on a vacation to South America.

So the Claw spoke. His speech was interesting. The prize was something I had heard about a long time ago by another legend. Some sort of a jewel from a legendary myth country called Crimea. The jewel and other treasure were in the possession of a noble. How or why this noble had let the Claw know about the jewel was beyond me.

However, the jewel was some sort of a magical device that could do things to a man’s mind if the legend be truthful. So the plan was to raid a floating houseboat on an inland sea in central China.

The jewel kept there because of the guardian. Here the Claw must be joshing or joking, a guardian dragon. Now I knew dragons. I had fought one with the Claw when he was still young. To fight one on a house boat might be interesting.

I was to meet the raiders in a Cafe Shi. In the port of Ping. The year was around 1680 something. To be honest. I sort of lost count of years. When you are into smuggling items. From Korea, to Japan, to China and elsewhere to avoid cursed tariffs of empires and nations. Well, knowing the year means knowing what laws and regulations are being brought up. Why cause undo concern when any of the items meant the death penalty?

Meaning? A name is only as good as the next adventure and to live in a moment and die with merit or a wonderful story? What more I could ask for? We were not afraid of much. Maybe wizards of time or a woman with too much time on her hands.

So I shook my hand with the Claw who, when he noticed, laughed with me. And said it was great to be back in such low places. And that we should get some more wine and talk about old friends and places.

The conversation went like the Claw telling me this story.

There once was a great pirate before Romans, and they established any countries in Europe. He would raid an island where the treasures were according to myth from out of this world. The original Atlantis story claiming that they came from an unfamiliar world.

There the Atlantis lived afraid of this pirate until they built the Talons. A sort of statue that walked the island, protecting the island from pirates.

Well, that did not sit well with this pirate of legends. So in the middle of a flotilla of ships he disguised his ship and crew. The pirate went right with their great trade ships and out with. Well, according to the Claw, the crown jewel of some wizard of time or not.

The jewel was a portal stone or time stone. The Claw kept on excitedly how with the stone one could go places in time and what not.

Me? I had had a pearl once upon a tale. So I was interested, and so the plan was laid out.

The nobleman was to be called away to the capitol city by a bribe the Claw had provided an authority. Seems corruption was everywhere these days.

Once gone evidently the boat house only protection was a dragon. Now, the last dragon that the Claw and I had encountered was a long time ago. That we accidently shoot it with a cannon at point blank range was well. Complete happen stance and luck.

This time luck had to be just right. We set the date. The plan was laid that both smoke and other bombs. They would be used to enter the house boat. Blind the dragon. Then secure the jewel. A classic switch in a fast heist with a phony jewel to replace the real one. And out we go. With no pursuit. Because why waste a chance of someone coming back to steal something if nothing was stolen?

So there was me, Ender the pirate, the Claw, and my crew. My crew is not normal. Let us just say we are misfits from Christmas isle and let that make your imagination work.

My first mate looked like a squirrel and acted like one too. He was given the fake jewel and instructions on what room the jewel was in.

My cook sort of looked like a bear. And his sole job this time around was to throw smoke bombs as fast as he could. Given the signal once the first mate was in a position to enter the house boat.

Me and the Claw were to address the dragon personally. I thought this over in reflection and some plans are stupid. Only one reflected on them, but at the time of implementation. Life is merit or nothing else.

So the day came. The nobleman rode off to the capitol. We were in place. The first mate had climbed to a window just above the treasure room.

The signal went. The cook started throwing smoke bombs. Everything seemed to go great.

Just then the Claw and I meet a woman where I was expecting a dragon.

Now I had prepared live bombs for the occasion. There I was in a kind of pickle having a fuse lit in one hand with a bomb and well a woman. Who instead of crying or anything seemed to know the Claw.

And looking at the Claw? Well, I could see he knew her. The Claw was in love. Great.

Storming a houseboat with a dragon and some woman. And then the Claw starts talking, waving me away. No dragon appeared. I was wondering what or if the jewel was actually here.

Then the woman transformed into a white dragon. Wildly unexpected by me.

The dragon pounced on the Claw. Who only waved at me yet again. I wondered what to do. Throwing a live bomb at a friend is not something I would consider. In yet, the dragon was or looked like she would eat him.

The cook had stopped throwing smoke bombs. This indicated in the plan that my first mate was out.

So I tried to get the Claw away from her. But instead of letting me pull him away. He waved me goodbye. The love sick fool was in love with a dragon.

So I got out of there. My first mate with the jewel in hand. So my first mate, Cook, and I went away. That was not the last I heard of the Claw. However, the jewel of time was something else to behold and what stories could be told.

As for the Claw? I heard that he and the dragon ran away together. Something dealing with her obligation of guarding the jewel was no longer valid with no jewel to guard. As for the nobleman? I keep tabs on his family for the jewel? However maybe the fake one is all they needed for they do not appear to be missing anything.

Well, being time traveling pirates is something to keep a journal on.

The year was unbeknownst to me. Ender being a pirate for hire. My ship had been stuck somewhere via magic. Meaning a bottle, or so I was told. I was hiring out of a port where Cafe Shi had been transported to by some time wizard or other. Into café Shi walked a redheaded lady. All women to me, Ender the pirate, were ladies. Some for better, some for worse. She announced she needed some crew for her adventure. Her name is Reanna the Red.

Being a pirate, I had heard of this viking lady in a different age and era. However, being a time traveling pirate. This made this adventure something to look forward to in a past story that Ender had heard a long time ago. So when she was signing people up, I signed my name. Ender Talon.

So, all the other members that had signed up. Well, they had just put down their mark of an X or Y instead of a signature. Reanna the Red looks up from her scrolling and says something to affect a learned man, uh?

Being a pirate, I just smiled back. Missing a front tooth kind of usually shut people up because. Well, because I was a scary-looking person. Reanna the Red pointed to me and another scroll of parchment. Which I read out loud to her as she showed she wanted it.

It was in Latin. My Latin to be honest sucked in that time and age. They failed to space lettering, and punctuation was always a question in anyone’s mind. So I started the story. Wolf’s treasure was buried with him in a Forest Finns fae ring on a farm in Norway. At that point Reanna the Red shh Ender. That is good enough. You will do this adventure.

So the question of the adventure was answered: our group was off to find a dead man treasure at some farm. The number of people being signed up, and the type were big and fighters. This made Ender wonder about what type of farmer Reanna the Red the vikings were up against?

Reanna the Red after signing up close to fifty men. Then she bought the house a round and then ordered everyone onto her ship. She kept Ender Talon close by and her scroll.

The first night out on the ship was wild. The ship had pulled out of port with the wind at the sails and was pushing the ship along. When all of sudden dead calm. The ship came to a dead halt in the middle of the water. When in the middle there was no land in sight and the night sky was coming?

Reanne ordered the Red Order thirty men below and broke out the oars. The men going below screamed a bit. The twenty of us left above were kind of wondering what was going on. However, oars were pushed out, and the ship moved again.

After setting up a bit. Reanna the Red had me read her scroll. The story went along the lines of a Bard named Alford, who was a servant of the dead man. His poetry sucked to be honest, however it was more to the point. Where you find my bones you find my treasure. The problem with the rest of the story. As Ender told Reanna the Red was the treasure seemed more literary than gold.

Meaning? With ink and parchment in hand I write my gold. With this story is my treasure told. Ender tried to explain. That Alford was seemingly saying the spot or whatever it was. On the farm seemed to indicate the place would be a poem or something outside of gold.

Reanna the Red nodded her head and agreed. Reanna the Red sighed and said “It is the beginning of a great adventure Ender.” And with that she went off to bed. While the men at oars continued to oar. And no wind blew.

The ship reached a point in Northland, at which point Reanna the Red pulled out a map. All us twenty-two got on a march while Reanna the Red allowed the thirty below to sleep.

The trip carried the group across a bridge. That troll guarded. Their tax was too high. So the fight that followed was rather lame, to be honest. Two ole trolls fighting men with swords and axes. However, the trolls proved their skill. And brought down six men. Before falling under a combination of thrust from swords and men pounding them.

So, fourteen men, Ender and Reanna the Red continued along the map’s route to the farm. A bit up the road from the bridge among trees a band of merry men attacked with arrows. Before anyone knew what was going on. Taking two more men. Before the band disappeared into the forest.

Hence twelve men, Ender and Reanna the Red moved out of the forest into some farmland. Just about to the farm area marked with an X on the map. When another group vikings engaged Reanna the Red. The slaughter went back and forth. Reanna the Red fighting at the head of her group. The fierce fighting between similar equal numbers of men.

Just when all looked lost. Ender and Reanna the Red together engaged the leader of the other vikings. And within a few slashes and clashing of weapons brought an end to him. His head rolling down the hill. With that the other vikings broke and ran. Counting all the losses were six.

So with six vikings, Ender and Reanna the Red reach the farm. There the farmer home was burnt and the easy line from the back of the barn. Where we followed the route to the place marked on the map with an X. Ender and the six started digging. Digging about four feet down, they discovered a large stone with runs written on it. Ender translated again. “Here lays the hammer of the thunder god.”

Everyone was excited except Ender. Reading on for the rest of the runes said Prepare to fight for the hammer. A foot lower and they discovered skeletons.

Reanna the Red viking at heart. She kept everyone working as hard as the men on the oars, but this time with shovels digging into the night. Moving bones to one side. Where Ender kept on praying and placing the bones together for a thoughtful grave.

Around midnight, the six again hit upon another stone. This one was in Latin. Alford last will and testament. Which made Ender wonder how on earth if this was his last will and testament Reanna had gotten the scroll or the map.

The Latin words were an incantation or spell holding back something. What? The warning did not go that far or say what it was.

The pushing and pulling of the stone took around a few minutes after midnight. When all of a sudden Ender noticed the fae ring began to lit up. With the lighting of the ring the skeletons started to assembly themselves. To say that Ender and the six men were perturbed was to say much less than normal.

The year was something like 1673 or 1678. Ender the pirate was sitting at café Shi in the Ping port of China. He was listening to a person explain in revealing detail a shipping route. An exchange between Japan and Korea. Which covered the exchange of gold from Korea for pearls from a peninsula off the coast of Japan. The person giving the details was a Japanese thief known from a prior venture. Was he honest? His creative tale in ascribing the richest and treasure made that question mute. Ender could have if he went along with the scheme be rich for a time. Only if the pirate would join in and capture even one of the prize ships being sent within the next month.

The bandit crook pirate thief stopped his tale. Ender smiled. The bandit had said something else in his intricate tale of sorts, along with the blueprint of each ship being sent. That detail might have escaped in the detail to those listening. However, as a selling point, it was a major selling point. The thief mentioned the pearl. The background of the pearl story is told elsewhere, however, to gain the infamous captain Ender’s trust. And Enders participation in the venture the thief let slip that it was to be moved to Korea.

It was only a tale. A dragon’s tail, to be specific. A pearl of great value according to the Bible. Yet, Ender did not mention or pretend to be any more interested in the tale. Who pays attention to legends? Myths that are thrown around pirate bars in the middle of the night? When one takes bets on if one can do this is this or that is that.

The challenge on Ender’s mind was that legend. Specifically, the drunkard who while drunk sang a story to Ender. What a tale. That tale teller was long ago dead. His crew mates might have more of the legend? Or some acquaintance? Ender concentrated on the thief’s tale. Finally, the last sales point was produced or given, and the bandit asked was Ender in?

They had cleared the room. Ender considers for a moment, letting the silence in the place get a seizing of the crook’s dreams. Cafe Shi's tea servers had retired from the area. When demanded and paid so that the conference was secret. In yet, Ender knew if the bandit was chatting to him. He had most likely communicated to other pirates. So within the moment, Ender reached a decision.

The decision would make for a metamorphosis of the pirate Ender’s life. But would take him places no one would believe. He makes his reply with there being a settling in blood to be established. The crook was not ready for a blood contract. Ender was the first of an extensive list of pirates. That was required to capture the entire treasure fleet. The fleet being committed within a month to sail.

With provisions provided. Ender went exploring for his ole drinking mates, crew mates, family, acquaintances. Anyone that might have picked up the tale of the pearl of great price stole. Not the biblical King James version. No. Like most stories. There are stories told outside of English that people hear and peaks one interest. This was a tale of a fellow recognized in Japan as Jesus. He had lived a long time ago and was a farmer. He had come from the middle eastern area to understand from the priests and creeds of the territory. Ender’s remembrance of the tale. It went along the lines that Christ had changed. That the Japanese lifestyle of cultural and family respect shown steeped in honor. That Christ reconsidered shown. That the Christ of that world or worlds had abandoned Israel. How or why the tale by the drunk teller of the tale was often either confused or misspoke or? For worlds come laugh with me? Who had believed in parallel worlds?

None of those questions were on Ender’s mind. Ender kept on looking for his ole drinking mates, fellow crew mates and family. Until he found a little boy that had been a cousin or nephew of the drunk man who told the tale. Time had abused the poor lad beyond recognition. His stammering was almost too much of a turned off Ender. Almost. However, the kid later to be known as the Claw had away about him. And either he could lie through his teeth about the story or his uncle or cousin had told the kid the complete story. How this pearl of great value was a key to what one only could be considered a magical portal.

Why was Ender so keen on this? Part of his ole drinking buddy’s tale was that even parallel worlds not everything was the same. A man might find that which or was known in one world. Or yet in another world was lost or forgotten about in another world. And since the key was worlds. Ender’s dream. The dream was something much bigger. Then a treasure fleet of Japanese and Korean treasure ships.

After re-listening to the same tale repeatedly. Ender next stop upon hearing the complete story of the pearl of great value. A certain place, it was a small bookshop on Port Pings side street. The pirate searched within the stacks of scrolls, horse hides, some old books. Taking many literature works. And other forms of books until he had gathered a small collection of stories. What stories one might ask? What was real? Where that reality had been found. And what difficulties or stories involved in locating said objects? Like? Aldin’s carpet, Solomon’s ring, the gold hoard, treasures of gold. Stories of rubies, diamonds, and books. Books? Books that were said to contain lost knowledge of time. And places in which even their legends existed in yet their whereabouts were a mystery or known.

The plan was bold. Enders plan was to swipe the pearl of great value. And with it take through space time and other worlds the very treasures that legends were made of. His plan was bold. His investigation at the bookstore had brought notice to him. However, Ender was a crazy pirate that often did insane things. Like writing poetry. To and about kings, queens, and other people that at either might have crossed his path. So even with little more than notice. Ender’s plan was developing faster. His crew he informed them of a specific treasure. That which he assured them would bring them their wildest dreams.

* * *

Getting the Black Skimmer ready for battle was of a challenge in Ping Port China. The trip out and holding area would need weeks of waiting. Waiting meant food and other support. Ender was up to that challenge by going into a little side business. Which turned into a small fortune. He had to open up on his kitchen, which held a special cook to a local business. There the cook had made a small cookie like dough. And with another person considered a seer of sorts. They inserted whose insights into the cookie. A small rice paper written fortunes statements into the dough. Which was baked and cooked until a crisp hard like a cookie? The special cook made hundreds of them. The seer more of a person with good hearing and knowledge about seasons. Well wrote out fortunes that were accurate, and the people of Port Wing ate them up. In fact, they ate them. So much that Ender was considering turning a small bait and tackle shop into a cookie factory. However, the funds turned up for the food, and other items needed for his venture.

The fortune cookie dough or fortune was enough to outfit many a ship. Ender with funding had to buy some explosives. Which were still under Chinese export control? The cost was more than normal in yet the fortune from the fortune cookies made up the difference.

The time of waiting was longer than one month. Ender and the future Claw would spend time together. Ender would ask the child with questions on the same story his relative had told him. While waiting Ender sent out the Claw to find out if there were more stories about his relative.

While waiting for the time to go out. We fit the Black Skimmer with an extra cannon. And more shot, along with a long gun that ran a good third of the upper deck. In the meantime, Ender found an additional small crew to help with the future prize ship. The plan being to hit one of the treasure ship’s midsection, board it, and sail it away with the additional crew. The thinking a quick blast with a long gun filled with shot to cut down the ship’s crew from a distance. This would allow the Black Skimmer to hide better during a fight.

The Black Skimmer fitted with a long gun. Supply onboard. Awaited a message from the crook that had set up the plan. At midnight in mid-May the message came. And Ender, crew and Black Skimmer sailed out of port to a slight island close to southern Korea. Meeting at the isle. There were seven other pirate ships. Eight pirate ships assembled. Versus according to reports of 24 ships. 12 from Japan, 12 from Korea, both filled with solders and guards for the treasure exchange.

The crook introduction of all seven other pirate captains with Ender. The meeting took place on the small island. The plan reviewed and revised because of the lack of ships. Instead of taking on all the ships. The decision was to go for only the Japanese ships and to take them closer to Japan than Korea. So the island was to be used for the night. Then the ships would sail towards the Japanese port. Which was known to be the starting point of the treasure fleets departure point?

That night, Ender sat at a table talking with a boy whose name would be Claw about strange stories. The seer whose fortunes written on rice paper had become rather famous saw in a vision a scary story. His tale was so profound it changed the crew of 32 minds on what to do.

The seer against Ender was not that big of a deal. Ender only request was that they try to get at least one ship. The profound tale told by the seer. With Enders counter talk of one treasure ship might be worth all their troubles. The counter talk changed the crew’s mind on the seers tale and the decision was to go forth.

Since the seers tale had a profound impact on the crew and Ender. They formed an alternative plan. Ender required each crew member for a sit down. And discussion on which ship the crew member should be on upon the taking of a treasure ship. When push comes to shove a select group of five were chosen to stay on the Black Skimmer. While the rest would crew the larger Japanese ship.

The seer’s vision made for the plan to work a question mark. Meaning the vision was of most of the crew eating each other. Since starvation was something most agreed was not what they wanted. Ender planned around that by having the fishing nets brought out of storage and use. Ender revised plan of fishing, including and informing each member to cut the net away from the ship. Once upon sighting the treasure fleet to cut the nets away and let them drop. However, in the meantime, to ensure they fed everyone. More than what they expected they would fish to keep themselves fit lean and well feed.

Thus with that the Black Skimmer and seven other ships set up a shadow blockade off the coast of a Japanese port. Enders fishing net sort of made the entire group of ships acceptable. To the few passing other ships which passed during the waiting time.

* * *

The nights were calm. Until on the second week of waiting. When a storm blew in with no warning. The Japanese treasure fleet set sail straight right into the view of the storm. Probably trying to outrun it or save their ships from being battered against the shores. There were only nine ships that made it out to be of the Japanese port. Time passed, by the time each of the blockade fleet realized what was going on. During the storm there were only five pirate ships left, two either sunk or blown away. The Black Skimmer moved on promptly with one of the more impressive ships. Evidently the crew had not all gotten onboard. Because the front long gun cut down those on top and the boarding party did not find any resistance.

The plan had worked. Well. Sort of. The storm continued. The boarding party on the Japanese ship included Ender. Who went directly to the treasure hold and liberated what looked like a pearl held between a staff. Upon touching the staff. Its guardian awoke. A white pearl colored dragon. The dragon slaughtered the boarding crew. While Ender made his escape with the pearl to the Black Skimmer. On the Black Skimmer, the seer and crew watched. Then upon the dragon’s breath as their dead crew mates seemed to become enchanted by the dragon. They rigged the ship to come after the Black Skimmer. The storm was still blowing while all this took only a matter of twenty minutes all to unfold. Ender having made it back to the Skimmer reloaded the long gun and waited to fire at the Japanese treasure ship. The dragon onboard could be heard chanting some weird chant. A whisper heard over the storm. “May you never see your world’s shores again!” The wind with that whispered died out. The passed storm waves still splashed, the other ships were nowhere to be seen dragon. Just the Skimmer, fleeing in the direction that the wind was blowing. While a dead treasure ship was being forced towards it. Then the wind came back. Blowing and tossing both ships around. From the deck of the Skimmer, the crew watched the white dragon. The dragon looked like it was going to take a drink from the ocean leaning way overboard. Instead, upon watching a realization, the dragon was blowing a bubble. And with the bubble was coming up old dead ships. And to the surprise of all on the Black Skimmer, their crew were walking about preparing to fight.

The seer yelled hard to port. Which swung the entire ship around at a 180 degrees. While a crew member touched the long gun. Just at that moment, as if planned, firing the complete blast into the white dragon.

However, the 180 degree swing in the Skimmer put the ship right into the path of what the dragon had been doing. Which was an enormous bubble? That brought together all the sunken ships, the treasure ship, and Black Skimmer into a whirlpool. Taking them all down and out towards the open ocean. The blast of the canon had hit the white dragon who fell overboard. The bubble however kept on swirling. The whirlpool and took all the ships, and bubble down into what I could only describe as a funnel. That seemed to run underneath the ocean. Pulling all the ships outward from between Korea and Japan into the Pacific ocean. And towards the Americas.

With the white dragon gone, the dead did not seem to be interested in the Black Skimmer. The Black Skimmer being provisioned with one month of food for 32 members. Which was down to seven now found that along with two weeks of fishing food for a few months? The pearl of great value was onboard. And the treasure ship of the Japanese was still floating nearby with a complete dead past crew members in yet. They had no interest in the Black Skimmer. The funnel pushing the bubble keep a fast pace, outpacing all the ocean life that swam by.

When the crew finally felt comfortable. We made an investigation of one of the smaller sunken ships. The dead or zombies did not seem to notice or care much what happened as long as their ship was sailing. Thus began the looting. Not of just one ship but of a whole underwater fleet of sunken ships and one treasure ship all manned with zombies.

Peace Corps 97 Chuma Bolivia. That is when I walked over to the other reality.. Lost? I have been there. I am a lost time traveler to be honest. Don’t believe me? Ask my shrink. He will quietly agree with some of what I showed him. However, my most lost event is August 1997.I had been invited to two separate parties. One at the museum of Lake Titikaka, Bolivia. There I had one of the more memorable drinking contest with a colleague. We drank for a few days. I had been in Bolivia without a vacation for sometime so I had saved up a month of vacation.The party was with graduate students from an anthropology school from the states. That I sat with one person who had been there for three years and explained to him that his toy tops were stones used to crush spicy sauce was interesting. Why? If he ever went into Bolivia kitchen, he would have seen a Bolivian crushing chili and tomatoes and herbs together to make llajua sauce. A sauce in some areas that can be rather hot.After which?I went on a wild drive with a friend that just passed away in 2021.We drank some of the better wine from Chevisive and drove 110 miles to Chuma. The party started and someone there dressed me as a bear. I danced for two weeks. I ate at 50 or more homes. And I danced from 5 am until 3 am drinking Triago and singing. I danced as a bear, a slave, a slaver holder, and miner. It was a blast. Now as a time traveler what has this got to do with my story? People here say that party only last two or three days. I remember 14 days. Memories. Most people remember strange little unexpected things in their life. There are several weird stories I could tell. From fairies dancing across a mountain in Caracato, Bolivia. On that day I heard thunder for miles around. Or the lightning storm with faes dancing in the yard on a farm outside of Fallon, Montana. Likewise the time, the strange lights danced for hours on a hill top in Lame Deer, Montana. Or the time the tornado touched down right where I was in Ekalaka, Montana.I suppose the one that gets me most questionable in my mind is the faes of Chuma, Bolivia. I have told this story several times and people laugh and laugh. In yet, to me it is truthful as the weeks I spent there.I had gotten to spend a week elsewhere dancing as a bear on the altiplano with the colleague. The party was okay. Nothing awkward. I had met several anthropologists from a local museum. And solved two of their issues which they had been studying for a few years. How? I live.The first was a guy with several stones that looked like tops. The guy did not understand why they had so many of these stones. I was not really paying attention I said “oh you are into yakwa.” which is spelled in this reality llajua. It is a spicy sauce that country Bolivians put on everything. He looked at me. The stones are used to pound spices into sauce.I doubt I have made it back to my real reality since then. Meaning? Oh, look me up on prose. “A wondering mind through the Multiverse”. Once you party with me. I could very likely take you to worlds so close to yours that you would not know they were different until it is too late. That is to say. I might lose you and you? Well, if I have not made it home since 1997. I doubt you will make it home either. Just saying.You are not a time traveler.. I smile.. They call it Mandela effect here in this reality. In my reality? Secrets are held more closely than here. I was born on an earth considered being on the outer edge of Sagittarius arm. There the galaxy measurement on the internet was 377,000 light years across. No known black holes within the galaxy. Earth was on the outer edge of the Sagittarius arm. Earth was 6.5 billion years old and the next galaxy to hit was supposed due in 365,000 years.Am I making this up? I doubt it. My imagination was into other stories. Like? Oh, I once was someone else for a time. Seriously? Yes. But who cares. Who knows me these days? I doubt if that party had me stolen away to a completely different reality and spacetime. I mean how unlikely is a kid from Montana to end up in the country where Sundance and Che were murdered?Come now. A festival in Chuma and a time traveling Peace Corps member lost in Spacetime. That is the lost ness of this story.You must be a wino? No. I am a pirate. I drink rum. And that would bring up another story of being lost for a time.I was sitting at Cafe Shi. It is an tea shop that moves around a bit. I had found it in Bozeman, Montana a long time ago. Or if closed time curved loop reality exists just moments ago and this story along with reality is like "Time and Belief "nothing more than a memory of someone dead a lot longer than you want to know. What am I saying? Well, if I am a time traveler. You would be dead a long timea ago. And I? To be speaking to the dead. I am dead to welcome to my ghost story.I had entered Cafe Shi in Washington DC. Wait a moment I thought you said Bozeman, Montana was where Cafe Shi was? I said it moved around a lot. The owner is a lady of defined refined style and taste. Afterall she was once upon a time ruler of a province in China a lot longer ago than I realized when I bumped into her in 1993 in Bozeman. She was looking for something. And? I happened into her tea shop because I was hungry. And that began a story that no one would believe even if I was to write more about it. https://blog.reedsy.com/.../contests/93/submissions/66277/

Ender the pirate and I were visiting today.

"You ever do something real stupid? This conversation happening over tea at cafe shi; a tea party is so liberating at times; so I reply

"Why yes... just recently I sent an email that will cause problems... Ender stirring his tea

"Humor, an email a letter nothing kinky nothing a shade of grey would not cure?

Thinking... "No, I say "I was a good boy for a reason when I was a child...

“And now I am a good boy because I have children...

“So I guess what freaks me out the most is how close I was to becoming more evil

Ender just laughs for a moment:-- your nick names the ghost, big foot, etc through grade and high school years... and yet not even a good story?

"I guess I will have to wait till the end of life.... by then of course I suppose I will be afread of death sneaking up on me doing something stupid..

"so maybe I will just die with what little evil I have already done...

“Just a whist away from being mean…

“Ah says Ender “a true believer almost fooled by his own heart…

“Would you say your heart is evil?

Just at that moment a cannon ball flew through the room… not launched by a cannon, but by the bear of the black skimmer…

Ender was a bit perturbed. All he could find was his pirate dress, nothing of his college clothes or jacket. Washing up and not finding a razor. He looked into the mirror and realized he sort of reminded himself of a lost teddy bear.

Ender going down stairs he found that all his gear was spread out across six tables. Each book opened to something of interest and his pack with his college clothes and goblet was there along with a chest and what looked like a ship in a bottle.

He wondered exactly how long he had been there and what exactly he had done. For he remembered dancing, drinking, and some sort of drinking contest with the pirate shadow but after that. Well, awaking in the nude with three laughing ladies.

In walked the lady dragon swaying in such a sensual manner Ender was blushing. She said, “Ah, time traveler are your memories coming back?” Ender to be honest was sort of at a loss. Wonder exactly he had done.

She continued to talk. She said, “That was some week of a party. You out drinking the pirate shadow and winning his ship was something to see.” Ender went to look at the ship in a bottle and realized it was the Black Skimmer.

She said,”You do not remember do you?” Ender just looked around trying to figure out what to say or do. She indicated to sit and magically there was breakfast there. She said, “I concur with your agreement Ender.” This made Ender jump. Then his memory came back. A deal was a deal. He had invested his fortune in the cafe Shi with the understanding she would invest it and bring him riches. That was no problem. For he had nothing when the adventure began and if he lost everything so be it. But his memories also including that of Claw the pirate, Clinton R. Siegle, and well a third person he was trying to recall.

The dragon smiled and indicated a book. A journal of Clinton R. Siegle. Emder picked up the book and brought it to the breakfast table and began to read. https://theprose.com/.../journal-of-a-wondering-mind...

For some reason he could see a future where he had lived this life and made him wonder about life. He recalled the events as if they were happening to him right then and there. And in his reading to realize how old he claimed to be he wondered if he was insane.

The dragon lady laughed at the expression Ender had on his face. She said, “You do not recall everything, do you time travel?” Ender just looked at her. She continued by asking, “What is the first story of dragons do you recall because that part of the journal is missing?” Ender recalled that part of the journal but that was not the first time he had heard of dragons. He hesitated to tell the story. But since she asked.

Ender said, “I remember a time when I was born in 1963 not 1971 and I met my great grandfather Christopher Siegle a farmer, German Russian from Bavara who had the largest book I had ever seen when I was like four.” Ender thought how to continue. He remembered the stories his great grandfather had told him but how? He had died three years before he was born or at least in this reality.

The dragon lady watched waiting for his story.

Ender cleared his throat. “When I was born in another time. I met my great grandfather.” Stopping to think where to continue with this story. He went on the best he could. Ender said,”Our original last name has many spellings. Siegfried, Siguad, Siegle, Siegel, Seagel, and a few others. It all depended on the religion that we followed I suppose.” Thinking where to go with this story Ender pondered. Anyway, Peter von Siegle was a small nobleman in the 1700s who collected all the old stores of our various family names.” Thinking about the large book was something. He remembered the lettering all in high German. It was a reason his grandfather could not read it to him in his reality this time around Ender supposed. Ender continued, “Anyway when I was four, my great grandfather was drinking himself to death because of his losses throughout his life.” Thinking about how much he had lost Ender realized that communisms, Nazism, were the ban of humanity.

Ender said,”Anyway, I was usually in his home after Sunday school while my parents socialized in Fallon, Montana.https://www.tiny.cc/deadsunfall Thinking about what he had just read he realized who the shadow pirate was. It was a legend of course. Death was supposedly locked up in hell but his shadow had escaped once upon a time. A pirate or Peter Pan. Ender shrugged and continued, “Anyway, one day I found a huge book and opened in and tried to get my grandfather to read it to me. He said he could not and to ask his father. Now, Christopher was drinking at this time and speaking broken English and mostly Russian at this time.” Ender thought this was so long ago in a different life. Not this one for sure. He wondered if it was not a dream and all these dreams were just horrible endings.

Anyway, Ender continued, “Siegfried's story was written in some churches recording in Bavaria about how he became a knight in somewhere around the 1400s. The story went that he went into the forest seeking the dragon that had been eating the local animals and supposedly a maiden or two.”

Ender kind of looked at the dragon who for the fun of it licked her lips not in an I am going to eat you way but in a sensual way that women have about them. This kind of made Ender blushed. Ender continued, “Anyway Siegfield, had lost a pig and went searching for the pig in the forest.” Anyway the church records recorded this in high German which Christpher told me laughing. The tale in the church records went that the dragon was eating a goat lately stolen from some person, whose name was not recorded. And That Sir Sieggielf with a spear in an open field attacked the dragon. The battle went hard for Siegfried. His clothing torn to fragments, and he was bloody and smelly. Fiercely the fight went back and forth with him using a spear and the dragon fiercely burning down a structure was near the place of the battle.” Ender's recollection of this disturbed him because he could recall a laughter of such deep sadness.

Anyway, in the end the dragon was slain and Siegfried the pig farmer was knighted by the local noble and church wrote this down in their records someplace in forest which celebrates to this day his victory.

Ender laughed thinking more of the story. The lady dragon, not looking pleased, said, “And is there more?”

Ender smiled, and continued, “That is the official record of some churches in Germany. However, in family lore the story went a bit differently. The story went that Siegfried went into the forest for his pig. He had picked up a large pole because he had nothing else to herd it back with.

The family lore is less ferocious. Mr. Siegfried, a farmer not a fighter or knight at the time, went to find his lost hog. He had with a hiking stick to herd his hog back home. Now the swine had been eating mushrooms, or something of a quirk in the woodland and appropriately he went where he knew where they were hoping to find his hog. He found his hogs tracks and walked right into a shed in the middle of the forest. There was this giganti dragon eating his hog. Being quite mad. Because that was his hog. And not thinking., he swung his stick at the dragon seemingly causing a fire from the roasted hog to catch everything in the starting on fire. Now, the humor is wild here. The hog not evidently having been cut or slaughtered correctly blew up. Pig shit went everywhere hitting Mr. Siegfried and making a rather stinky mess of everything. Now the dragon seemed to have run straight into Mr. Siegfield's stick. Right into the dragon's eye." Hearing this the dragon lady hissed. Ender continued 'Supposedly killing it. That was family lore, being a somewhat curious child there were footnotes in high and in another language which I asked about. My great grandfather laughed.

The secret written there was that the dragon’s of Germany had made spell shapeshifts into humans. But to do so required the sacrifice of an eye of a dragon. Since, no one dragon wanted to hurt each other they decided on this dubious plan to force a human into doing it for them.

Thus, Sir Siegfried, was given the shedded scales of the dragon, and told on or in pain of death that he was to be the hero that saved Germany from the last dragon.

Anyway, my great grandfather laughed and said, “Sir Siegfried loved to drink after that and accidently told the truth once in the company of people he knew from the old days. Evidently one or two of them were dragons because he was murdered after that and family lore was hidden away in a journal.”

And with that Ender had finished the story and his breakfast.

Ender the pirate met Grace O malley in a pub outside of London in 1593. She was not a pirate at that time but a traveling lady of the night. She would mug her victims.. The problem being of course that most of the gents would go back for a second time around just to fool around.. https://www.ancient-origins.net/.../grace-o-malley-16th... Anyway some ohow the Cafe Shi had been transported outside of London and with it ender the pirate. His ship in a bottle was with him and he was taking on a new crew to sail the seven seas not the seven oceans oh please. Anyway, the cook of a bear was out with some sort of an illness maybe a tooth ache or something and Ms. OMalley could cook. She could cook this is that and that is this. Anyway Ender and her set off to plunder the Spanish Armada of treasures ships setting sail across in November from Cuba. The two of them got in a dispute of who would get a secret book taken form the Spnaish lords of the time. Lets be honest it was recipe book for brownies. Both were into the final bake off and using a bit of weed or this is this or that. It was sort of a challenge to see who could bake the best brownies. And those spaniards at the time specifically had a coco bean that made your mouth just water.

Ender the pirate was a free spirit. He was a bohemian in the since of a writer of prose that made little sense to those that read it and to those that cared about him; his reality never was totally confirmed as that of reality in the world around him. Meaning he tended to believe he was sailing the seven seas in the ocean breeze when hell was upon him. He learned from Job that this world was a toy for a mightiest of creators and why did the potter make the pot black because he could.. Now for those in today's world that means we are all but puppets on a string awaiting a time and place to show love and not judgment in hopes for a better beginning or ending than the last one. Sadness does tell that cycling seeds is what the soul of the creator or breath is about all. Either we are weeds to be burnt or sense... But enough philosophy ... to read is to have time to think.. To think is love thoughts and to love thoughts is to dream.. Reality is but an illusion for in my dream I believe I have a crew of a cat, raccoon, duck, bear on board the Black skimmer we crew out of the Far East usually from a cafe Shi where we have tea and bring about change in this wonderful world.

There once was a crew of pirates that lived at a tea shop outside of Ping China. They were mostly Brits and United Confidence pirates that had left the states for this or that reason. They all ended up in Cafe Shi at one point or time to tell their tale to the lone pirate there. He had a scare on his right leg that ran deep.. He would tell a tale of saving a pregnant woman with her two children from a shark, those in the know - knew he had been bitten by a vile-bacteria bug which had turned that portion of his ankle into a zombie material.. His left left leg was missing totally .. his story or tale there was he was walking down a valley to bury some gold when a pregnant woman with two kids were playing by a river.. Just then he saw a grizzly bear so up he pushed the women up the tree only to have the bear tear off his left leg.. again for those in the know he had lost his left leg to a later attack by a vile bacteria which turned his whole foot into a zombie flesh.. worst story I could think off but welcome to Cafe Shi which was closed due to the plague or was it smallpox? Anyways let the tales and rum drinking begin..along with songs and tales of piracy..

I have told the story already of how I found the bookstore in Bozeman, Montana in 1994 which was actual 1986? If you have not read that it is called Cafe Shi. I however kept finding the Magical Bookstore every so often in different locations throughout my life. And? Cafe Shi https://blog.reedsy.com/.../contests/101/submissions/75534/ #story