Closed Discovery and Adventure

[Mak'Viri]

75th Day of Winter, 512 Just After Sunset Zeltiva Docks Continued from here The journey with Darcy through the streets of Zeltiva from the Quill's Rest was a quiet one, though the air between them had a sort of magnetic charge as their anticipation for the coming events heightened with each footstep closer to the pier. Mak'Viri clutched her cloak to her and looked around the docks. Dappled now in silver moonlight, the grey stone of the city seemed to glimmer incandescently. It painted a gorgeous picture, this nightfall scenery. She imagined that, were she able to, she would paint this, too, one day. The chirping of crickets broke the gentle silence, and as the staccato beat of their footsteps neared the docks, the wind rustled the folds of the anchored ships' sails, the waves lapped gently upon the shore, and the quiet of the night had settled around the sleepy city. Here now on the wharf that creaked beneath their feet, and Mak'Viri moved closer to Darcy as they looked around. Her cloak swirled behind her like a ghost in the shadows. She looked upward at the star-encrusted sky to the bright, nearly full moon. It bathed the waters in light brighter than that of a torch or lantern. Mak'Viri smiled. Looking back down a little to peer at Darcy's shadowed face, she asked quietly, ”Which ship belongs to your friend?” They had already stopped to find the man at the World's End Grotto and attained permission to use the ship with the condition that they restock whatever they used when they returned. As Mak'Viri had that money, she had agreed to this condition for both of them. The promise of an adventure lingered in the air, exciting and electric, dancing between them. Mak'Viri, restless from being in Zeltiva for far longer than she had anticipated, was more than eager to explore, even if it was only nearby. She honestly couldn't wait to explore some new place. And as that anticipation tingled on her tongue, Mak'Viri found her gaze wandering to the horizon, wondering what could lay beyond it for them to find.

[Darcy Silverwood]

Darcy felt the cold, undeniable wind thrust itself upon his face, flickering his hair softly around his eyes. The smell of the salty sea was so strong that he could almost taste it. He felt a rush of adrenaline pulse within his veins, their inevitable journey beckoning, the waves themselves calling out to be tested in the bitter, cold but somehow beautiful weather - the icy, empty atmosphere giving a serene vibe to the surroundings around them.

He couldn't help but find his warm eyes gaze upon Mak'Viri, a slight surge of admiration prominently rising, growing in fact, like the most beautiful flower for the Konti. He felt like he had spent most of his life just hiding away in Zeltiva, with nobody to share his many great talents with. Here was his chance, if only to break away for a short while, away from the many faces and colours in which he was so accustomed to. Darcy was anything but excited, after writing about the sea earlier that day, he couldn't help but feel that this was the next thing in which he needed to do, to experience the waves themselves and cruise through the oceans of shimmering blues and greens, making time stop if only for a short while as the breathtaking scenery would steal their breath and minds away from any troubles or previous thoughts which may have plagued their minds, for Darcy had many. Despite this, he tried very hard to conceal the many skeletons which resided in his deep, dark closet, only trying to concentrate on the many happy memories he had of sailing around with his father as a boy.

He paced gently against the docks, the wood creaking ever so slightly as his footsteps echoed against the dampened wood. He studied the grand ships with fascination, the odd commercial and fishing vessel lined up against the vast, grand beauties. His footsteps slowed down to a miraculous tiptoe as he approached the one in which his friend owned. "This one," he felt his finger point towards the ship, which had the initials 'AS' carved delicately against its hull, wooden carvings of angels, fish and beckoning waves adorning the ship, a cascade of colours which ranged from crimson, gold and royal blue featuring some of the designs in which his father had so carefully put together. The cream sail billowed in the wind, creating a gentle ripple within the fine fabric, the light colours creating a beautiful contrast against the darkened sky. The open sail also indicated to Darcy that the ship had been manned recently, probably by his friend.

He turned his head to quickly glance upon Mak'Viri, keen to see her face before they departed. "Are you ready?" he asked softly, a quizzical expression upon his face as he carefully placed his fingers upon her hair, moving a few loose strands away from her face which were being gently menaced by the cold, winter air. "Hopefully we will find something of interest," and with that he laughed and strode closer to the ship, smiling as he did so. "Ready when you are, dearest Mak'Viri."

[Mak'Viri]

Mak'Viri followed Darcy obediently as they walked across the wharf in search of the ship they would be sailing on. They slowed to a stop in front of one that, in the semi-opaque silver light, appeared at first as a largely decorative ship, the gleaming gold a flashing white in the moonlight, the crimson an oxford blue and the royal blue deepened and greyed to an ebony clay color. The carvings were etched deeply and carefully, their numerous depictions in sharp relief to that of the wood in which they were skillfully laid. It was a ship to be admired, that much was certain. There were many intricate carvings, some of angels, some of fish, others of the waves of the sea. Each were made very well, and were very beautiful to look at. The angels wore flowing robes, their wings, much like an Akvatari's, were outstretched and they seemed to glide over the waves like the wind. The fish were many and varied, beneath the wave lines of the ocean, they swam in groups, some monstrous and terrifying, others beautiful and dazzling. In the light, Mak'Viri couldn't tell if they were painted individually or not, but the carvings were exquisite. They had shape and texture, not just lines. Mak'Viri studied it for a moment, just as Darcy seemed to, before she turned to face him as he spoke. There was a moment in the stillness of their gazes directed at one another, a moment that Mak'Viri couldn't quite explain as Darcy's larger hand came to brush away her hair from her face, and a look that seemed to enter his eyes she couldn't name or place. This moment would linger in her mind. Later in the spring, when Mak'Viri would travel the world in earnest, far from the grey stone and sickened city, she would remember this moment and look back upon it with equal amounts of warmth and confusion. And then it was gone, and Darcy moved away, laughter and lighthearted words on his tongue as he prepared to board the ship. Mak'Viri couldn't help but blink in bewilderment a moment, before returning to the more familiar cheer that predominantly displayed beneath her brow. ”I'm definitely ready!” She said with returning and renewed vigor as she approached as well. ”What do you think we'll find?” She asked with wonderment. ”A pirate's treasure? A sea monster? A haunted island? A ghost ship?” She suggested as she moved a large plank to the ledge of the ship and set it down so they could cross from the pier to it.

[Darcy Silverwood]

His brief display of affection towards Mak'Viri garnered Darcy more thoughts, thoughts of how long this whole experience would last. It did actually occur to Darcy that his time with Mak'Viri could be very limited, her keen sense to travel and explore all in which the world had to offer piercing and painfully clear to the young man. Even though they had only met this very day, the thought of Mak'Viri leaving him left him slightly speechless, forever having to know about the impending wait of being left alone in Zeltiva again with hardly any friends and with the fact that he was almost a mockery to his father's history with that of the towns' people, not even receiving credit for being a sailor himself within his spare time. He felt his chest expand with the deepened breaths in which he was now taking to steady himself, to calm his mind which was troubled with these thoughts.

He hoped that this journey would bring happy memories for them both and hopefully make their bond stronger, the thought of somehow finding a way in which he could write to Mak'Viri when the time came in which she had to leave entering his mind and giving him hope that they would never lose touch. He felt a special connection with Mak'Viri, maybe one day he'd be able to tell her if it wasn't for his shyness. He felt both of his cheeks light up, a pale pink colour on display as he raised his hand to cough, the cold weather starting to enter his lungs with his heightened breathing.

The plank was placed and Mak'Viri's funny but cute comments made Darcy chuckle. "We could find anything... I hope we do find something interesting - it would be pretty awesome!" He looked up at the sky, a few stars were now coming out to play, glistening down upon them. I found Mak'Viri... what could I possibly find that would even come close? He strode over the plank, walking over to a particular section of the ship. It was of decent size, not too big to require more people to help operate it, hence why his friend obtained it for personal use.

The ship was in fact a Cog, a small ship which made it possible for the two of them to journey together. Darcy's friend (who was called George) actually owned much bigger ships which Darcy's father Augustus had created, much grander in stature but the only problem was, they required much more people to handle them. The ship was decorated beautifully for its size, making it stand out to the eye, making up for its lack of anything too spectacular. The ship was crafted from old oak, the elegant feel and look of the ship was truly deceiving as to its strength and durability.

Darcy knew that what was considered to be this small venture, this journey to find islands, well... it could actually take up a few days, depending on how keen Mak'Viri was to learn more about sailing. Ready to lecture, Darcy gazed at her before explaining more about their situation.

"By the way, I should have mentioned to you Mak'Viri that true sailors need four hour breaks from actually sailing the ship itself. What this means, is that before we can find any beautiful islands or ghost ships, I must teach you how to sail with it being only the two of us. We can either sail west or east along the shore or venture light waters until you feel confident enough to venture whilst at the helm, that way we can sail further out, enabling us to travel far enough from Zeltiva to find whatever this experience will entail for us."