A Wind In The Sail
He could feel the cold air whip across his face as they passed through the vast clouds. Water vapor chilled him before the sun bathed him with intense warmth. He moved to the railing of the airship and looked down towards the vast land below. Covered in thick woods with bursts of meadows here and there, lakes and waterfalls that held a few small villages on their shores.
“Capitan Roan, we are coming upon Lum Falls,” a woman called out from behind the wheel that was up a set of stairs towards the back of the ship. He turned and looked through the cloudy sky to see a large island floating with vast mountains and water flowing from it to the mainland below. He moved up the stairs and took the wheel from his first mate and with expert handling maneuvered the ship through the clouds and up to the island. As they got closer, the mountains on the north side of the island rose all around, and a large port town surrounded the crystal-blue lake which seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Endlessly it filled and emptied in a torrent on the south side of the island. He moved above and pushed a lever towards the front of the ship. In a sharp motion, the ship dove towards the water. A smile spread across his face as the adrenaline of making an entrance coursed through his veins and heightened his precision. While most of his crew enjoyed the rush, his first mate held white knuckled in the corner, throwing every curse she could at him. The air sliced past them as the mountains framed their view, and the lake grew larger by the second.
Not yet. His hand faintly gripped the lever.
Not yet.
It seemed every time they came to Lum Falls, the captain would play chicken with the lake. Would this be the day the lake won?
Not yet.
Now!
The captain pulled the lever as his vision filled with blue. The ship lurched up, and the bottom glided and slipped into the lake effortlessly. Like it had all been planned. The engine in the back spun in a new direction, and the flaps on the side of the ship closed as they dipped into the water and returned to the origins of what ships were made for.
He laughed. “Did you see the Celeste?” he turned to his first mate. She pried herself off the planks and, with shaky legs, her long bluish hair in a mess, moved towards his side, gripping the wheel.
“Must you play your silly games?” Celeste growled . “One day -“
“Yes, yes, one day we will plunge into the water and meet the great cultists of the oceanics themselves. One day, which” he cleared his throat “is not today. Take the wheel. Get ready.” He called to his crew. “We meet port soon, and we need to unload all the goods from Thuncil. Remember, blue x means they are fragile; they break easily if dropped. Use your heads and soft fingers.” The crew responded with a cheer, and as he descended to the deck, they applauded his descent and recalled the last time he had played the daring game. Their adrenaline rushing and moods lifted from staring death in the face. He riled them up and pushed past to his captain’s quarters. As the door closed, he let out a deep breath and slumped against the door. The crew moved among the deck, and he could hear the creaking of the wood as the ship moved about the water.
It had been a long journey to get here. An endless storm had followed them for miles, an air dragoon had almost melted the whole back of the ship, the Imperial Order had set up blockades that they avoided, and food and rum were down to their last crate. They might stay a while. In the center of the room was a large flat table with a Northric air map. The map was a three-dimensional hologram which was projected from a small set of three rings that wrapped around each other. It showed the land below, floating islands, and cloud types above. Above the clouds, it showed static. He moved and waved his hand through the image, and it reacted to his gesture. The land and airscape flew by him until he saw Lum Falls. The large island floating above an even larger lake. He spied something on the other side of the mountains, floating, attached to the side. It was a small island of sorts; water spewed a little from a pond that was probably in the middle of it, but with the dense pine that kept everything on the island invisible, he could not determine what was on it. Pines in this region? The island must have an atmosphere generator on it. His Northric map was different from most maps.
It updated.
Wherever the rings were, they sent out some sort of energy which would feedback into the map. This meant that it would see things that others would not, mysteries that showed up, or small islands that crept up or had been missed by the cartographers. It showed hard-reached spaces and under islands. While it offered details, it did not go too deep. Large structures, fauna, lakes and water, roads, and layouts of cities, but the context was not recorded. But it gave him enough detail to make decisions and inductions.
The Northric map was his most prized possession. It, mixed with his high intuition, made his ship a mystery among the air. He moved towards his bed, which lay beneath some bay-criscrossed windows. On the right was a small wooden dresser. He opened it and retrieved a blue box. The small, unknown island winked at him from the middle of the room, and he smiled, putting the blue box inside his large captain’s coat. He felt the ship start to slow down. They were docking. He moved back towards the door and flicked his right wrist towards the Northric map. It spun and then collapsed and, with a smooth but fast motion, latched onto his wrist, burning into his flesh and becoming one with him. Three rings wrapped around his right wrist in infinity once again. This time, burned black and red. They were bonded to him.
He made sure of that. A price paid. A heavy price.
The ship glided into port and with a fanfare of sailors and onlookers. Hoots and hollers came from the residents of Lum Falls that had witnessed the captain’s daring feat. He smiled and waved, shaking hands and clasping wrists, feeling the energy spread among the dock and into the town. He always had to make an entrance. Let’s spice up this life we live! He would yell in times of depression.
Lum Falls was large, spreading along the coast of the large lake, with another waterfall to its west which spewed from the incredible mountains that overlooked the town. Buildings of stone and wood with charming accents rose two to three stories and ran up a Main Street. Little alleys with houses and merchant houses spread out in all directions. It was a lush and beautiful town. The town sloped up the mountain in a mild climb and ran all the way to the base where the governor’s mansion and royals lived. Their houses built half in the mountain itself with some terraces that etched themselves into the rock face. There was a main square halfway up towards the mountain and many small coves of nature that presented themselves if you explored enough. Brightly covered banners hung from terraces and potted plants of lush green hung and draped all over. The water gave a tropical feel to the whole town and the sun always seemed to shine on them. This led the town of Lum Falls to prosper and become a lead trading port among the imperial islands.
“Careful with those blue crates, remember, fragile.” Captain Roan called out to his crew and the port staff that was helping out. He and Celeste moved to a small building in the middle of the dock. Inside it was musty, filled with eclectic goods from all over. Dust floated and created a small haze as the floorboards creaked over the water.
“Captain Roan, how good to see you. It’s been quite a while since we saw you in Lum Falls. Another spectacle, thought this time it might be the last.” A big man laughed and pulled up a chair to the table and set a large piece of paper down. He ushered them to take seats in front of him.
“The cultists haven’t got us yet.” He smiled a toothy grin. “Now let’s get this over with. What do you think?” He tapped on the large paper. “Pretty neat stuff, huh?”
The man looked over the paper slowly and looked up at him from time to time with a quizzical face.
The man sat back and brushed a hand through his thick black hair. “ Where did you get these?”
Captain Roan leaned back and crossed his legs. He looked over with his deep emerald eyes. “You wouldn’t want to know, my dear Rye. He and his crew were lucky this time. He turned an eye to Celeste, who stared steely-eyed at Rye. He would treat her to a good drink and meal while they were here. She had saved his life on multiple occasions in the last journey. As she always seemed to do.
Rye shook his head and returned to the list. “It will take a while to get the funds and sales for these items. Some of them are big-ticket items. You have enough here to dock forever, so I am not worried about the port fee. You are not looking to get out of here quickly, are you?”
Captain Roan put up his hands. “No, no, my crew needs some rest. If you could arrange that little villa on the west side of town for us. Like last time. They need some good old rest and relaxation for a bit. They deserve it.”
The man rose. “It shall be done.” Captain Roan rose with Celeste and shook his hand. “Give us an hour or so to get the villa ready. You bring a certain energy to the island, Captain Roan. Glad to see you again.”
Captain Roan smiled and nodded. “Thank you for the kind words and your continued support.
The goods were still being unloaded and itemized as they stepped into the fresh air and sunlight.
“The villa will be ready within an hour. We will discuss payment and rewards in a few days as everything needs to be taken care of. We will be here for a while. Get comfortable and regain your strength. Let the great waves of ocean and air bring you glory,” he called to his crew, and cheers erupted.
“Come on, let’s get a drink to celebrate,” he motioned at Celeste, and they descended into town.
A very special game introduced me to the world of ships that sailed the skies, going from floating island to floating island. That game was Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast. An incredible game that, in my eyes, was perfect. The characters were all charming, the world was vibrant, and you could explore to your heart’s content. My captain and crew would fit right into that world. Captain Roan is a mix between the character Gilder and Vyse from that game. Loyal, steadfast, and ready for adventure, but being suave and into the riches of the whole thing. His last name is from the character Roan from Grandia II. I was playing both games around the same time, and both role-playing games played a significant inspiration for my imagination. His first mate, Celeste, is a buttoned-up, all-business sort of girl. Fiercely loyal to the captain for reasons unexplained.
I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into the world of the skies. We will one day return to continue the tales. Like, what is the small island and the blue box? What price did Captain Roan pay for the Northric map?
Until then, Cheers~
Let the great waves of ocean and air bring you glory.
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