TEGSF Part 4
Part 4: In which Germany gets a boat
With his fate decreed, Germany walked to the Temple of England to request safe passage upon the stormy waters he would be bound to encounter upon his journey to the ends of the earth, for indeed it is there one might find an entrance to where only the dead live. As Germany enters the grand Temple of England he brought with him a sheep, purchased in exchange for a panda, to sacrifice to the testy god of the seas and the remaining eleven pandas graced upon him by the Oracle of China slung in a bag upon his broad back.
The Head Priest of the Temple, Australia, gathered the sheep in preparation for the sacrifice. And so the beast was sacrificed, the entrails strewn across the stone alter, and bones heaped upon the stone among the rivulets of blood. The Head Priest passed the choice cuts to young Sealand, the young priest in training, who stumbled off excitedly, for a sacrifice to the gods meant the temple would eat well that night. As the bones burnt, and the entrails shriveled in the heat, in the presence of the Head Priest and the god, the warrior Germany made his request:
"Great god of the sea, England, the Great Ancient Rome has set upon me a quest to retrieve the sacred white flag of surrender that once belonged to the greatly beloved golden son of Mt. Roma, Italy, now stolen from beneath his very nose. I made the journey from my beloved homeland upon the direction of the bright-eyed goddess Hungary to the Oracle of China, who bade me sail to the end of the world so I may traverse through the paths of the Underworld and reach the other side. I humbly request of you for a boat as I have no skills with the ocean, and protection from the raging seas."
His request made, Germany retreated from the great alter in wait, for the temperamental god could just as easily deign to ignore his request as grant it. The Head Priest merely looked on, his burly frame imposing, as a koala clambered over his shoulder to drop onto the floor.
"I dunno mate, he'll answer if he wants to."
"I'll answer this time. And Australia, remove your koala, you ponce. It's desecrating my alter!"
So spoke the hooded man, a round black patch shielding an eye from view while the remaining emerald eye, as turbulent as the seas he commanded, glittered at Germany from over the still smoking ashes that had once been flesh and bone. The god then spoke, and in his voice were crashing waves, and churning seas. Such was the power of a god's voice:
"A ship, you say? I'll give you a ship of gleaming gold, the hull pristine, her sails wide and black. So swift a ship that none has seen upon the waters of the mortal man."
So spoke England, god of the seas, for it was his son America, demigod son of England and the mortal woman Seychelles, who had possession of the sacred white flag of surrender belonging to Italy, golden son of Ancient Rome. And so, to protect his beloved offspring from his own incompetence, stormy eyed England would send this warrior to retrieve the cursed sacred flag in order to divert the evil eye Ancient Rome had cast upon his golden haired boy.
"Protection, I cannot give you, for Ancient Rome's power is vast, and punishment severe for those who would get in his way. The ship is all I can spare you, mortal. Go, now, to the shore and you will find her there."
With that final command, stormy eyed England departed. Once more did Germany bow in thanks, and he swiftly departed as commanded to the shore where he found a ship of great beauty, her prow strong and proud. And so, as he gazed upon the swiftest ship on the seas, Germany called her "Gilbird".
Notes:
(1) England's refused to be anything but mysterious and hooded while I was writing, but he's normally in pirate regalia which is hinted by the eyepatch.
(2) If it's not clear, England gave Germany a pirate ship.
Part 3 * Part 5