It has been at least, what, two weeks since the storm? Days meander in to one another, at this stage. There is only so much a world of blue can entertain. In all these days, the most interesting thing even was a whale breaching in the far-off distance. I’ve spent most of my time alone, writing or thinking. That’s not to say I’ve been unsociable, having been careful to not devoid myself of social interaction. We’re running out of food, but Alexander constantly reassures us that the nets are keeping us going. Honestly? We’re barely catching enough fish to feed a ship of beggars, but at least it keeps the hunger at bay. Septimus has counter seventeen days so far, which is longer than I’d have ever imagined. Gods what I’d do for a roast.
I think things are slowly growing tense between certain crew members. I’ve never been one for fiction, but the romanticisation of a journey into the unknown is outrageous in novels! I can’t believe it! I find myself most at ease with Septimus. Oddly, I enjoy his silence. When I need jovial entertainment, mind you, neither Cedric nor Jaxon are far from reach. While at the bow of Jax’s Luck, with Septimus, I was sure I had heard a bit of a scuffle. It wound up being between my friend Jaxon, and the small woman, Adiella. I’m not any bit surprised, truth be told. I’m just glad it ended quickly.
Luckily, not long after the ‘incident’, yells began to come, from the Starboard side. Look at me! Learning the lingo, too! Eager to figure out what in the name of all that was quiet was going on. I tailed Septimus to discover that another net was beginning to be hauled up, and it was not light! It was only the one fish, but the air certainly buzzed with excitement. AT first, nobody was quite sure what it was. Mila, Jaxon, Hancock, and Flint did most of the work, as far as I saw. Jaxon working surprised me the most, as I had expected him to be taking it easy until we found land. While the fishers wrangled with the sea-beast, Septimus wandered off to fetch a sword, and made it back in time to see the fish be hauled over the railing. A mess of bodies hid the fish from my view at first, as there were people left right and centre trying to kill the damn thing! Mind you, the look of horror on Jaxon’s face when Flint missed the thing, and ended up tearing the net.
The Jaxfish, is what I’ve named this beast. From tip to tail, it was as long as I am tall, and looks to weigh upwards of thirty six lbs! The scales on this beast are something fantastic, a million different colours dancing and shining. I couldn’t help but start to feel a longing for my workshop, as these brilliant blues and greens made a mirror image of the gleaming gems I so often work with. I began to sketch the newfound animal, as Septimus took samples.
As if this weren’t enough excitement, a call of ‘Land!’ boomed from atop the Bird’s Nest. Commotion scurried across the deck faster than legs could carry. With screams of ‘land’ coming from all, the Captain began to issue orders, and the Jaxfish was left to be hauled below deck by myself. I hung it in the bowels of the ship, with great difficulty, mind you! With a quick nick to drain any blood, I began to skin a three centimeter by three centimeter patch.
It wasn’t long before we reached land. Sunny skies and pale beaches were our welcome. A dense forest quickly halted the spread of sand though, and obscured the rest of the land from our view.
Alexander gathered up a small crew to first touch land; Hancock, Mila, Illithior, Morna, Alexander, and I were the first to leave Jax’s Luck. The sheer excitement of the situation sent adrenaline flowing through my veins, replacing any blood. Of course, Alexander lead us, but I tailed the group with Mila, sketching as much as I could, as fast as I could. The dense forest was populated by ancient trees and deep rivers running rapidly. The thick, green canopy was broken by a harsh, stony mountain range. It was later on that I named these peaks ‘Alexander’s Waves’. It wasn’t until our return to the ship that we spotted something unusual. A huge structure hid under the water, a temple of sorts. I made a mental note of the thing, vowing to return later.
As the others began to set up and gather firewood, I settled down in the sand to begin writing. By the time I had a quill out, an explosion shook the ground, and a bright flash came from amongst the treeline. Jaxon’s streak of bad luck didn’t end on the ship, as he was unfortunately met with a Creeper. It was immediately clear that many of the creatures one may find in the Sorrowlands can also be found here. Although Jaxon had been attacked, he seemed well in the end. Undead and more roamed these lands, and they were clearly not ours.
We fought our way along the beach, establishing a foothold for the night. I use the term ‘we’ loosely, as I merely trailed behind, remaining in safety. I did take notes all the while. I made a vow, and I do not intend on breaking it. Aside from vicious beasts, the area seems to to have an unusually large population of Donkeys. Strange, but of no real concern. I began to wander slightly, but ultimately returned to the freshly built campfire, just in time for the rain to kick in. There, I proceeded to stand around like a child, as Jaxon did my fair share of work. I wasn’t entirely useless, but my excuse was I wasn’t brought along to build or fight. Once the rain had passed, Murdoc were as strong as they claimed, making short work of a gigantic tree, felling it rather rapidly.
Another few of the cheekier crew managed to burrow under a short and stumpy tree, which revealed a large opening underneath, and a place for shelter. The same was imitated further south, which provided a workspace for the scholars of the trip. I accompanied Septimus, and we were soon joined by on Eltsir.
Cedric is the child in my heart, and he seems to be getting more of a kick out of this than anyone else. Having slain slain one of those green beasts, he demanded I sketch it briefly, but I was far too tired, to be honest.
Come the morn, two expeditions set off. What happened next was a different story entirely.
My main task on this island was Cartography and sketching. I had company in the form of Murdoc’s expedition. However, that quickly went to the gutter. An outpost was set up near Mount Flint, the second largest mountain in Alexander’s Waves. Here, many fragments split off, and I began to adventure. I had company in the form of a new friend - Cedric Lydel. There is never a quiet moment with that man, let me tell you that! He was my drive and motivation, and pushed me forward every moment of every hour while we explored. My sides nearly split as we attempted to cross a small body of running water. Narrow, but deep, it blocked our path. I crossed the thing easily, but to my amusement, he missed the jump, plunging into the icy water!
The river had originated from an ice-covered fall from the tallest mountain. With a brief burst of wit, I decided to crown it the ‘Halfling’s Height’. This snow-covered peak was visible from almost everywhere on the island, only begin hidden by tall trees nearby.
Jax’s Luck came into sight, but our adventure did not end there. Cedric spotted a second temple, and took it upon us to be the first there. I was reluctant at first, but finally agreed. With very different intentions, Cedric lingered above water with me for a moment. The halfling managed to break a slab free from the roof, and dived in deep to explore. As Septimus was not with us, I decided to collect samples, for research later. I couldn’t resist the call of the unknown, and soon began to explore the flooded ruin, taking rocks here and there. Cedric did discover something of known value - a huge amount of gold! From one small venture, we both suddenly became very wealthy men.
I had returned to the surface before he, and what I saw chilled me to the core. Having surfaced through the small hole made earlier, I noticed several... things! ‘Things’ is the only word I could use to describe them, as they were fouler than anything I had ever seen before. Foul red beasts that patrolled the entrance. I yelled for Cedric, in fear that he was lost - or worse.
Panic quickly set in when he was nowhere to be found. This feeling fled as soon as it arrived, as I was quickly reassured by the sight of his small torso poking through the temple roof.
In a hurry, we began to flee. Beelining for the shore, we were soon attacked by a large, hideous beast - an illusion of some sort. By the time I made it ashore, there was a weakness in my bones, with the like I had never felt before. I lay in the sand, desperate to shake this feeling. When it had passed, I began to wander off, only to find Septimus returning from a similar venture. Having found a new source of bravery, I dove back in once more. Joined by Septimus, Hancock, Cedric and Alexander. The latter two remained outside, where the mirage had attacked once more. We, the other three, ventured inside to a temple unknown. There, we found the mirage - save for it was no illusion.
This is the reason I know my first two experiences were naught but tricks. The beast, in the flesh, was far more terrifying than anything I had seen before. It was here, that Septimus and Hancock slew that beast. I did play my own part, keeping the beast’s attention as long as I possibly could. The return trip was long an arduous, as the beast was hauled back to the Scholar’s quarters.
For almost the entire night, the three of us - Septimus, Eltsir, and myself - discussed this beast, the temple, and more.
Having formed a think-tank, of sorts, it was not air we were breathing that night, but ideas. As I sketched, and Septimus took endless samples, we all began to debate and discuss, until the sun was shining once more. With this quill, I spewed forth my memories, onto this book.
In Silas’ name, I record this for history not forget
@
Ddaug02 @
Spear @
Tayo @
Raith @
Kyle1322 @
Balatro @
Sushiship @
bettemus99 @
Eltsir
Thanks to the amazingly awesome @
Michcat for the amazing Jaxfish sketch! (IC name for the Dorado)
-K9