To Boldly Go
A Microfiction
Captain Colbert scowled as he surveyed the horizon. Salt crusted the rim of his spyglass, and his sun-scorched skin screamed against the contact.
Upon the deck below, his crew faithfully went about their duties. Had he water for tears, the captain would have cried with pride. Braver men had mutinied for less. These ones deserved the glory coming to them.
Undaunted sat at the mouth of the long hunted passageway, so close and yet still so far from victory. Their charge was simple, “carve the virgin oceans on the other side of the world in the name of the crown.”
The fickle winds that had so far carried them truly now showed their beguiling character. He would have thrown himself overboard to please Poseidon if he knew it also would not appease that trickster Hermes.
Decisions…
They still carried enough rations for the return trip. Arriving back hungry with empty holds would be better than never returning. Other journeys would follow this one
He bit his cracked lip and gazed over the horizon, as the unrelenting sun framed itself within the narrow passage.
But beyond that passage, in between the tantalizing promises of gold and silver, lay their paramount treasure…immortality.
It came then, the faintest whisper of a breeze as if the voice of god called across the glass-smooth sea.
Captain Colbert surveyed his crew, nodding.
He cracked a smile.
“As Pliny said, Fortes fortuna iuvat. Come about and haul canvas!”
As if howling their assent, the trade winds roared.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N:
In preparation for the next Writing Battle, I'm trying to do a weekly 250-word microfiction from me. Enjoy! Within this piece, there is a specific ironic element. Whoever can point it out in the comments first and correctly, I'll tip a dollar to.
If you've enjoyed this, please leave a like and an insight below. If you really enjoyed this, tips to fuel my coffee addiction are always appreciated. All formatting is designed for desktops. All my works can be found below:
About the Creator
Matthew J. Fromm
Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of arcane knowledge.
Here there be dragons, knights, castles, and quests (plus the occasional dose of absurdity).
I can be reached at [email protected]
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Matthew J. Fromm and writers in Fiction and other communities.
Throne of the Beast
“Lock and load.” Knight One’s command echoed through his helmet, drowning out the helo’s thumping engines. Knight Two sat across from him, his mechanical gloves thumbing the safety on his oversized auto shotgun clad in etched black metal. Knight Four scoffed silently, his face obscured by the jet-black helmet. An uncivilized weapon for an uncivilized man. There are already enough of those in this godless world. Two always seemed unsettling, like a big frothing dog in a constant internal struggle of, “Should I bite or hump my master?” It was no wonder Callsign General loved Two, even if Callsign Archbishop barely tolerated him. One was the Archbishop's girl.
By Matthew J. FrommExclusive • 2 years ago
The Shapeshifter in the Woods
The Shapeshifter in the Woods Malcom had lived beside the woods for twelve quiet years. They pressed close to his back fence, thick with old trees and darker rumours, yet nothing had ever crossed the line into his life. Not until the night he heard the dog.
By Marie381Uk 7 days ago in Fiction
Fair Exchange, No Robberies
Dark Memoirs - Index There are at least two kinds of people in the world: those who write this half-arsed kind of intro to a story that looks to separate the rare and the norm, and those who realise it's an overused framing device and don't.
By Paul Stewart7 days ago in Chapters
Comments (22)
I missed this, a lot of adventure in a few words and it fits with the challenge too
I loved the sense of adventure woven deftly throughout despite the immense decision hovering above the captain and crew. I think I could feel the winds at the end :)
One strategic application of Quick Edit, and you could be the first to enter the new challenge: https://shopping-feedback.today/challenges/overboard%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
I’m glad DJ got this because I tried and tried without luck and had to finally review the comments. Still would not have got this. Thanks for making me feel dumb 🤪 As for the story, damn fine especially considering it’s micro fiction. An absolute wonderful piece.
The story is good, would you like to stop by😊
Oh, enjoyed this and the ironic elements! Well done sir on another fine Top Story. I'm thinking of signing up for Writing Battle actually.
Truly an evocative and whimsical piece, excellent last line too!👏💕💝💕
I think for me the irony is that Poseidon and Hermes are mentioned, but that God whispers up the winds for the daunted aboard the Undaunted.. and then the daunted became undaunted through the power of God’s wind. Great job on this !
Congrats on to story… I sincerely enjoy your micro fictions Matt 😇🌟
Congrats on the TS.
Man! Another great story! If this is practice for ya, I feel sorry for the contenders entering the Writing Battle! Congrats Matt!!! PS: I have no clue about the Ironic element, lol. I read it 3 times and the only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with 'The fickle winds' paragraph. Might try again later. haha.
Such great imagery and descriptive detail! Congrats on TS!
well deserving of TS
Many congrats for win
Congrats on your top story.
This is outstanding! Crystal clear imagery! Exquisitely written character voice! I love a good puzzle so I looked for the bit of irony, don’t think I got it but did notice a bit of cosmic irony at play with the Latin descriptor of “bold” and the ship name “undaunted” while it seems they’re pretty dependent on signs from the gods and natural elements like the wind in their decision making
Congratulations 🎉
Love how descriptive this is. I can feel the sting of the salt-crusted spyglass on cracked skin, and feel the breeze. Well done..
What a wonderful micro! I Love how descriptive it is and you really capture the Captain's weighty decision.
Ahhh, I love the imagery and descriptions in this one, Matthew!! And the references to greek myth and the classic quest for immortality. Great micro!
The salt encrusted spyglass was my favourite, brought the image to life for me 😁
This line stuck with me: He bit his cracked lip. Sailors amaze me - surrounded by water is not my favorite; I like to see some land. You packed a lot into your micro and I enjoyed it.