- Pronouns
- They/Them
tomtomgags
Villager
Once there was a young sailor who served upon the sailing ship Galewind. Barely a man, many saw the young sailor as but a boy. But the Galewind was off from Storm’s Landing, carrying shipments to foreign shores. Her captain was eager, ol’ Dogheart was his name. Dogheart was a confident captain who led his ship with fairness and discipline. Many regarded him as a good man, and it was his good heart that led to his death.
For not all was well upon the seas. Galewind was a simple merchant ship with little in the way of protection. For she was a fast ship and could outrun many threats. But there was one threat she could not escape. For upon the horizon came a new ship, bearing no flag. She went with the wind, which suddenly blew against the Galewind. The Galewind saw the new ship, spotted by her navigator.
Ol’ Dogheart was worried. An unusual ship, bearing no flag, was a dreadful sign. It must have been pirates, and it was. Dogheart ordered the ship to tack to the wind, to escape as quickly as possible. But the wind was confounding and their maneuver accomplished little.
They were far from shore by this point upon their trip, with nothing but sea all around. The crew ran to and fro, doing their duties as Ol’ Dogheart barked orders.
“Make ready!” Cried the captain.
And so the crew did as ordered. They did everything they could but nothing granted them escape. The incoming ship was almost upon them. Still it bore no flag, and the navigator with his spyglass could tell from the look of them that they were no good. Ol’ Dogheart gave the order.
“Raise the white flag!” Cried the captain.
And so it was, the young sailor did as ordered and raised the white flag to issue their surrender. And shortly their rival’s ship pulled aside theirs. The opposing crew laid down boards and cut ropes and boarded the Galewind then and there. Ol’ Dogheart went to meet them, hands raised.
“We’ll give you your spoils, a portion of our cargo and the wealth from my own chest. Take it and leave our crew be.” Said the captain.
But the pirate captain came forward with a laugh, boasting a wide tri-corn cap with a white feather therein. He was none other than the dreaded Whitescar. He was named for the brutal white scar that went up the right side of his face, which gave him a cruel demeanor. And it was known in those waters that Whitescar was once a captain for Storm’s Landing, spurned in his time and made an outcast. Whitescar stepped up to good Ol’ Dogheart and he spoke to him.
“Hear you this, my friend! I shall take all your spoils, and all your lives. For I am Whitescar, and I leave no survivors of those who come out of Storm’s Landing. I’ll let you all line up and die in peace, but nary will I let a one of you survive.” Said Whitescar.
And then fear gripped Ol’ Dogheart and all the crew. For they knew they had met their end. But not a one of them was willing to go down peacefully like Whitescar offered. With a fury, Ol’ Dogheart grabbed Whitescar by the shoulders and threw him away. Then the old captain drew his cutlass. He let out a scream.
“All hands! To arms!” Shouted the captain.
To which Whitescar replied, “Very well, have it your way! Boys, kill’em all!”
And so the chaos of battle broke out there and then. And the young sailor found himself amidst it all without a weapon in his hand. In the heat of battle, Ol’ Dogheart came upon him after cutting down a pirate before him.
“Boy, you can still get out of here.” Said the captain, who grabbed the young man by the arm with force and dragged him across the deck. To a lifeboat they went, and there the old captain threw the young man. “Row away from here as quickly as you can! Save yourself!”
So the captain gave his orders, and before the young sailor could protest, the captain swung his cutlass and cut the ropes of the lifeboat. The small boat struck the water with a mighty crash which threatened to knock it over, with the young sailor in tow. But the rowboat settled, and the young sailor had no choice. He did as was ordered and rowed away. Yet he overheard the battle as he sailed away.
“Bah, Captain! I’ve got you now!” Cried the voice of Whitescar.
The young sailor could see Ol’ Dogheart on the edge of the ship, with cutlass and blade pointed arrayed against him. The old captain struck back, but the looming form of Whitescar came upon him and made a mighty blow. The captain was struck, and fell back. The old captain fell back over the railing of the ship, and crashed into the water. And the pirates threw up a cheer. The Galewind was theirs. The young sailor shuddered.
And away the young sailor went. The Galewind and the pirate ship fell from view on the horizon as he rowed and rowed, and rowed some more. And the sun began to sink. The young sailor’s stomach began to rumble, and he became aware of his reality. He knew not where he was. He was an inexperienced sailor, and could not figure out how to navigate on his own. He could not see the shore, and knew not his directions to find his bearing. He would starve out here. And so the stars came up.
There was, for awhile, silence upon the sea. Only the lapping of waves against his rowboat. And then a wind blew, and a voice carried on it.
“Boy, I see you lost upon my seas. I am the god of the winds over the water. Offer me all your riches, and I shall blow my wind for you.” Called the voice on the wind.
“You are Jax? God of the sea winds? Thank you for your offer, but I am in a row boat, your wind will do me no good!” Cried out the young sailor.
And then there came a shadow under the rowboat as though a great beast swam beneath. And around the rowboat came a bubbling. And from the bursting of those bubbles came a voice.
“Young man, lost upon my seas. I am the god of the tides and what lies under them. Offer me your face- eyes, nose, lips, even your ears. Then shall I send a beast to drag your ship to shore.” Called the voice from the water.
“You are Visage? God of the tides? I do not want to give up my face! I cannot accept your deal!” Cried the young sailor, now gripped in fear.
“Then you shall die, lost upon the water.” Said both of the voices, in rare agreement.
Then, under the stars, came another voice. A woman's voice from on high, “Young man, hear my voice. My blessing is already given to you- you need only look up. Look on high, into the skies. Look upon that bright star, there, and know it is the north star. That is all you need to navigate by, as all sailors have before you.”
“The north star? I am saved, for I know the shore is to the west of here! Thank you, but who are you?” Inquired the young sailor.
“I am the stars. Now go, and save yourself.” Said the voice.
Then the young sailor took up his oars, and turned his ship while navigating with the stars. And so, the winds and the tides were bested.
For not all was well upon the seas. Galewind was a simple merchant ship with little in the way of protection. For she was a fast ship and could outrun many threats. But there was one threat she could not escape. For upon the horizon came a new ship, bearing no flag. She went with the wind, which suddenly blew against the Galewind. The Galewind saw the new ship, spotted by her navigator.
Ol’ Dogheart was worried. An unusual ship, bearing no flag, was a dreadful sign. It must have been pirates, and it was. Dogheart ordered the ship to tack to the wind, to escape as quickly as possible. But the wind was confounding and their maneuver accomplished little.
They were far from shore by this point upon their trip, with nothing but sea all around. The crew ran to and fro, doing their duties as Ol’ Dogheart barked orders.
“Make ready!” Cried the captain.
And so the crew did as ordered. They did everything they could but nothing granted them escape. The incoming ship was almost upon them. Still it bore no flag, and the navigator with his spyglass could tell from the look of them that they were no good. Ol’ Dogheart gave the order.
“Raise the white flag!” Cried the captain.
And so it was, the young sailor did as ordered and raised the white flag to issue their surrender. And shortly their rival’s ship pulled aside theirs. The opposing crew laid down boards and cut ropes and boarded the Galewind then and there. Ol’ Dogheart went to meet them, hands raised.
“We’ll give you your spoils, a portion of our cargo and the wealth from my own chest. Take it and leave our crew be.” Said the captain.
But the pirate captain came forward with a laugh, boasting a wide tri-corn cap with a white feather therein. He was none other than the dreaded Whitescar. He was named for the brutal white scar that went up the right side of his face, which gave him a cruel demeanor. And it was known in those waters that Whitescar was once a captain for Storm’s Landing, spurned in his time and made an outcast. Whitescar stepped up to good Ol’ Dogheart and he spoke to him.
“Hear you this, my friend! I shall take all your spoils, and all your lives. For I am Whitescar, and I leave no survivors of those who come out of Storm’s Landing. I’ll let you all line up and die in peace, but nary will I let a one of you survive.” Said Whitescar.
And then fear gripped Ol’ Dogheart and all the crew. For they knew they had met their end. But not a one of them was willing to go down peacefully like Whitescar offered. With a fury, Ol’ Dogheart grabbed Whitescar by the shoulders and threw him away. Then the old captain drew his cutlass. He let out a scream.
“All hands! To arms!” Shouted the captain.
To which Whitescar replied, “Very well, have it your way! Boys, kill’em all!”
And so the chaos of battle broke out there and then. And the young sailor found himself amidst it all without a weapon in his hand. In the heat of battle, Ol’ Dogheart came upon him after cutting down a pirate before him.
“Boy, you can still get out of here.” Said the captain, who grabbed the young man by the arm with force and dragged him across the deck. To a lifeboat they went, and there the old captain threw the young man. “Row away from here as quickly as you can! Save yourself!”
So the captain gave his orders, and before the young sailor could protest, the captain swung his cutlass and cut the ropes of the lifeboat. The small boat struck the water with a mighty crash which threatened to knock it over, with the young sailor in tow. But the rowboat settled, and the young sailor had no choice. He did as was ordered and rowed away. Yet he overheard the battle as he sailed away.
“Bah, Captain! I’ve got you now!” Cried the voice of Whitescar.
The young sailor could see Ol’ Dogheart on the edge of the ship, with cutlass and blade pointed arrayed against him. The old captain struck back, but the looming form of Whitescar came upon him and made a mighty blow. The captain was struck, and fell back. The old captain fell back over the railing of the ship, and crashed into the water. And the pirates threw up a cheer. The Galewind was theirs. The young sailor shuddered.
And away the young sailor went. The Galewind and the pirate ship fell from view on the horizon as he rowed and rowed, and rowed some more. And the sun began to sink. The young sailor’s stomach began to rumble, and he became aware of his reality. He knew not where he was. He was an inexperienced sailor, and could not figure out how to navigate on his own. He could not see the shore, and knew not his directions to find his bearing. He would starve out here. And so the stars came up.
There was, for awhile, silence upon the sea. Only the lapping of waves against his rowboat. And then a wind blew, and a voice carried on it.
“Boy, I see you lost upon my seas. I am the god of the winds over the water. Offer me all your riches, and I shall blow my wind for you.” Called the voice on the wind.
“You are Jax? God of the sea winds? Thank you for your offer, but I am in a row boat, your wind will do me no good!” Cried out the young sailor.
And then there came a shadow under the rowboat as though a great beast swam beneath. And around the rowboat came a bubbling. And from the bursting of those bubbles came a voice.
“Young man, lost upon my seas. I am the god of the tides and what lies under them. Offer me your face- eyes, nose, lips, even your ears. Then shall I send a beast to drag your ship to shore.” Called the voice from the water.
“You are Visage? God of the tides? I do not want to give up my face! I cannot accept your deal!” Cried the young sailor, now gripped in fear.
“Then you shall die, lost upon the water.” Said both of the voices, in rare agreement.
Then, under the stars, came another voice. A woman's voice from on high, “Young man, hear my voice. My blessing is already given to you- you need only look up. Look on high, into the skies. Look upon that bright star, there, and know it is the north star. That is all you need to navigate by, as all sailors have before you.”
“The north star? I am saved, for I know the shore is to the west of here! Thank you, but who are you?” Inquired the young sailor.
“I am the stars. Now go, and save yourself.” Said the voice.
Then the young sailor took up his oars, and turned his ship while navigating with the stars. And so, the winds and the tides were bested.