Closed Shipwrecked Survivors [Kel, Tydus, Callispa, Nerida Tempest]

[Kel Tempest]

Day 8 of Spring in the Year 514 AV

“Ty! Have you seen the spare sail? I need to make sure it is in working order.”


Kel yelled at his newly acquired roommate. The Svefra had been taught since the day he was born that making sure after every long voyage that everything was in tip top shape. He had heard too many stories where sailors had ventured out before checking over their gear to have it destroyed and be stranded. As reckless as he was known to be, he would never do anything to endanger his ship.


He had just made it into Riverfall and needed to check over all of his equipment. It had been a long journey and a few of the storms had done some damage. He wasn’t sure of the extent of it yet but time would tell as he had the chance to look it over. It only needed a little fixing up here and there. Lucky for him, it was still seaworthy.


Kel strode across the deck towards the cabin. He opened the door and stepped inside. A bed sat bolted to the floor in the far corner and two hammocks were strung up. Kel moved towards the chest that sat directly across from the door. Opening it up, he rummaged through until he found the tightly bound sail. He pulled it out.


Kel carried the large bundle of fabric and took it outside into the sunlight. Kel felt the familiar lull of the ship bobbing on the water’s surface. He rarely noticed it, it became an extension of his body, unless he had been on land for an extended amount of time. But even then, he quickly adapted.
The Svefra fumbled with the knotted string. When it came undone, Kel gently began unfurling the thick fabric until the massive clothe was completely laid out. He then began going over every inch of the spare sail. A small snag caught his eye and he ran a hand over it. His finger wiggled through on the other side.


“This is a SPARE for Laviku’s sake, how did this even happen?!” Kel growled and threw his hands up in the air. He stomped over to the portside and rested his palms against the gunwale, staring out to sea.


“So far I found two worn through ropes, a busted harness and now this blasted sail.” He glared across the waves, towards the mouth of the bay. He had been docked for longer than he had liked. True, it had only been a day, but he didn’t like inactivity. He got restless.


An idea sprung into his mind and Kel spun on his heels, snapping his fingers in the air, a look of triumph on his face. “Aha! I have a plan to get us some free supplies.” He began pacing excitedly, his earlier irritation forgotten. “Here’s what we do. We sail out to the wreckage, you know, the one that was destroyed and had everyone you know killed, and we loot it.” He continued pacing, rubbing his jawline, oblivious to the fact that his words were probing at fresh, bleeding wounds.


“Yes…yes…hopefully most of the ship is still intact…maybe the sharks ate most of the bodies…I really don’t want to push past all the bloated corpses…” Kel shuddered at the thought and blanched.


He looked up at Tydus, eager to get a move on, “So, what’da think? Ready to get some sailin' in?”

[Tydus Tempest]

The words that Kel said meant nothing to him in the wake of what he said after, his eyes widening as he lay upon the deck of Laviku's Wrath. The young man had been murmuring a quiet prayer to Laviku, the God of the Sea acting as his crutch in the time of misery that had passed.

The burns and quiet seduction of rum were also assisting, breaths layered with the stench of the alcohol escaping his lungs, yet the Tempest scion was not drunk. It was simply the result of washing down food with liquor. It felt like every breath was followed by a drink, yet, it wasn't. It wasn't enough to drown out the anger, at himself.

The grief, for the Lia and the deceased members of the Tempest pod, was inconsolable. It bored a hole in the mind, tore the mind asunder as Tydus flashed back to the Lia's death, it was... crippling. Tydus was, at this moment, little more than a puppet, true happiness crumbled apart just as the Pod itself. He dealt with it, more than anything, by pushing it deeper into his psyche and ignoring it.

But this, he could not ignore. As Kel referred to the bloated corpses of his podmates, stated his hope that the sharks consumed the bodies of the fifty and one corpses that likely littered the wreckage surrounding the Waverunner's Fist... Something in Tydus snapped in that instant. He stood up from his place on the floorboards of Laviku's Wrath, his right hand curled into a fist as his features contorted in anger, the Tempest scion approaching his Greytide brother and grabbing him by the shirt with his left hand.

His right fist sailed, Tydus leaning all of his weight into the punch with the intent of causing as much pain to his Greytide brother as possible. To reap vengeance for the gaping wound the words left in his heart. If the blow connected, Tydus would look over at his brother, scowling at him as his next words escaped from his lips in an infuriated snarl, "Don't... STOP. We need to go, I agree. But, Kel... Just shut the petch up. Or I'll keep hitting you..." A single tear fled from Laviku-blessed eyes, red spidering along the surface of his eyeballs, "And I won't stop..."

- Tydus Tempest

[Kel Tempest]

Day 8 of Spring in the Year 514 AV

He should have seen that one coming. But he was too absorbed in his planning to realize his unfiltered mouth had spouted off such offensive words to his grieving podmate. Kel wouldn’t have given a rats arse had his pod died. They had done nothing but earn his spite in his eyes. He left as soon as he was able to get his own ship out.


Tydus’ fist drove itself directly into his right eye. The force of the blow caused Kel to reel backwards, in shock and pain. He stood right beside the gunwale and the punch almost knocked him over into the sea. The back of his thighs smashed into the wooden wall and his body hung suspended over the edge of the ship.


He pin wheeled his arms dangerously, trying to keep from falling in.
He caught his balance and clasped a hand over his damaged eye. “What the petch Ty…” He winced as he felt his face start to swell. “What was that fo-“


He was about to finish that sentence when his previous words floated back to him. He froze and gaped at Tydus. “Oh.” He looked up at the sky and fidgeted. “Yeah. So I deserved that...”


Kel grimaced as his face throbbed. The Svefra climbed over the gunwale and jumped onto the pier. He grabbed ahold of the wood that jutted up on both sides of the dock and wrapped his legs around it. He leaned back, flexing his abdomen and leaning backwards until his head almost touching the water. Kel stuck his hand in the water and opened his mind up.


He felt the water explode into life as the sea creatures responded to the Svefra’s touch. He felt around until he found a small fish swimming idly by. He called to it and it responded immediately. A few ticks passed. Suddenly the fish swam right to his hand and he closed his fingers over it. Kel grunted and jerked his torso back up and grabbed the pier with his hand. He swung back onto his feet, fish wiggling furiously in his hand.


Kel held the fish in front of him and mumbled a quick prayer to Laviku, thanking him for the sacrifice the fish was going to make. He pulled out a small knife and stabbed the fish through the head, between the eyes, instantly killing it. The black haired Svefra kissed the side of the fish gently and placed it against his swollen eye, relishing the cold, scaly touch against his inflamed skin.


Kel sighed as it cooled his face and jumped back onto the boat. “Alright, now that we have THAT out of the way…shall we make way?” Kel looked down at the unfurled sail that was draped across the boat. “Though you’re going to have to fold that back up.” He pointed towards the fish, smirking. “You know, I got my face smashed in and all. Gotta keep the swelling down.”


The Svefra wandered back towards the stern but stopped and turned, “Oh yeah, and when you finish, check the main sail and unfurl them. We’re headin’ out.” He continued to the back of the Laviku’s Wrath, checking to make sure the ropes were secured to the boom. The last thing he needed was for the lines connected to the steering wheel to be frayed and to lose mobility in the middle of the sea. Kel set the fish down on the railing and leaped up beside it, balancing on it. Years of practice had left him at ease in precarious positions.


He grabbed ahold of the boom and he felt for the small ties, holding the sail bundled together to keep from catching the wind. He edged across the railing, loosening the sails. He finally managed to untie the last one and he jumped off the railing on to the deck. He quickly hurried to the wheel and spun it so the wind wouldn’t catch the sail. It sat there listlessly and he nodded to himself in approval.


“Alright, Ty. I think we are ready to go as soon as you released the main sail…” A thought struck him. “Wait no! Imbecile!” He cursed himself. “We need to release the petching ship from the pier…”


Kel ran over to the pier and hurriedly untied themselves from the dock. The boat began bobbing up and down more noticeably now that it wasn’t tied down. He tossed the rope back into the boat and hurried back over to the wheel before the wind shifted. He snatched up the fish and placed it against his bruised eye.


“Alright, Tempest remains, here we come!”

[Tydus Tempest]

A single punch did nothing to calm the Tempest down, adrenaline coursing excitement and a touch of fear through his veins as his heart pulsed in his chest. Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump thump. It grew faster rather than calming, the Tempest-born's blood coursing through his body, clouding his thoughts as fight-or-flight response was achieved. It was only the fact that Kel had leaned over the ship and into a water, a maneuver that Tydus himself had done many times in order to reach for a meal or give a sacrifice to great Laviku, that stopped him from wailing on the brother further.

Words sailed into his ears, misunderstood and ignored as fists clenched against his waist, the Tempext allowing pain to bite back the adrenal response and replace it with pain. He was successful, to an extent. Still, his heart rampaged within his ribcage, still the grief and rage sailed through his mind haphazardly as a casinor through high tides, but he paid it little mind. A deep breath filled his lungs, the salty scent bringing Laviku into his thoughts, the Tempest asking for guidance in these times so filled with strife as the sacrifice was made. His body still shook from the strength of his anger, his mind numbing from the thoughtlessness of his sinking into rage.

He did not apologize to Kel, nor would he, though he felt an odd tingle of excitement as the ship was released from its restraints to the dock, Tydus moving forward to lightly press his foot to the wooden pillar of the pier and push off, chuckling weakly to himself. He had ignored Kel's order to fold the sails on the floor, but heeded the other, moving towards the back end of the sail and pulling it towards the mast. Fingers worked into looking a thick rope into the loops within the sail, tying a taut bowline knot before moving to the front of the ship.

The Tempest made it a point not to speak to his brother until they were far off of shore, unwilling to explode again without a reason to. Rather, he tied the front end of the sail to the bow before sitting himself at the front of the ship, lying down on the floor so that if Kel, who would be steering the ship this day, decided to turn the boom suddenly, the Tempest scion would not be smashed by it and knocked off of the boat. It was a rather painful experience. Rather, the Tempest inched forward, reaching for the bottle of wine he had bought for himself several days before, hoping that it was still full enough to keep him company as he called out to Kel, "Aye, lad. We're ready to sail whenever you are. Let her fly."

He thought about how hard he had just punched Kel in the face for a moment, his right hand rising to that it was just in front of his face. Even chimes later, he could see the fingers twitching from the pain of the action, their ability to be manipulated correctly put into question for, at the very least, a little while. Looks like I'll be drinking the wine with the left hand today. He chuckled weakly before opening the bottle and raising it to his lips, allowing a long gulp to flow down his throat, and with it, the rage could begin to subside.

- Tydus Tempest

[Kel Tempest]

Day 8 of Spring in the Year 514 AV

Kel waited as the main sail was hoisted into the air and secure to the mast. He stood off to the side of the wheel, one hand on a peg, the other holding the fish against his eye. He let go and let it spin until the sails filled with wind. He ducked under the boom as it swung around and snatched ahold of the wheel, stopping it.


The Laviku’s Wrath shot forward and jerked the ship away from the dock. Kel pulled the fish away from his eye and squinted, trying to see through the swollen skin. He adjusted the wheel and the ship slowly turned, slipping in between two fishermen’s’ boats. Kel breathed in the salty air and a wave of contentment settling over him. It felt good to be heading out for open waters again. It had been too long since he had gripped the wheel and felt the thrum of the wind in the sails.


The wind continued to thrust the ship from behind, allowing the Svefra to relax for a moment and look out across the bay. The docks disappeared behind them, all that could be seen was the massive waterfall that crashed into the bay below and the faint outline of the massive city structures. The boat cruised across the flat bay, making good time.


Jenkins wandered across the decks and tangled himself around the black haired Svefra’s feet. Kel grinned down at his tavan friend. “Jenkins you sly dog, where have you been all morning? I got punched in the eye and you didn’t even defend me!” The sea otter chittered at him loudly. Kel scoffed. “Please, as if that’s an excuse.” He scowled but threw him the dead fish in his hand.


The sea otter caught it on his belly and sank its teeth into the soft flesh, humming contently. Kel stooped down and briefly petted the otter’s face, fondly. Jenkins paused in his feast and rubbed his face against the extended hand. The two had been on a crazy journey together, both surviving the ups and downs of their adventures. As much as they bickered and irritated one another, they had stayed by each other’s side through the thick and thin. They were as close as any two brothers could be. Kel would never trade that for anything in the world.


Kel shook his head, shaking the thoughts of the past away. They neared the mouth of the bay. The sail began to list as the wind changed direction, coming at them from in front of the boat and Kel snatched at a looped rope that hung from the railing behind it. He looped it over one of the pegs, keeping the boom from swinging around and knocking him off the boat. He stepped over to the sheet and untied the line. Kel yanked on it, before retying it so that the sail would catch the wind better.


The Svefra stepped back over to the wheel and pulled the looped rope off. He spun the wheel and the boat slowly turned as it caught a small amount of wind. Finally, the sail caught the wind and jerked forward. Kel began the upward battle against the air currents. He allowed the boat to gain speed before pulling hard on the wheel to alternate the course. The boom swung and he ducked. The boat began travelling in the opposite direction, against the wind.


The Svefra continued changing the direction of the boat, tacking. It was a continual dance between him, the wind and the boom as he fought against the elements. Finally after half a bell, the winds changed and pushed from behind the boat. Kel sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.


He grabbed the looped rope again and threw it over the peg, keeping their course steady. He spun a chair he had sitting propped up on the side and crashed onto it. He tilted it backwards and rested his feet on the gunwale, chair balancing on its two legs. Kel interlocked his fingers behind his head and relaxed for a moment.


“Alright Ty, get yer’ lazy bump up off the ground. Where’s this…wreck at?”

NoteHeads up for the grader, the story line is splitting into two sections: Kel and Tydus; Callispa and Nerida. Kel and Tydus are going to rescue the two women. Just giving you a heads up so you don't get confused xD

[Nerida Tempest]

8th of Spring, year 514 A.V | Fratava | Common

Out in the ocean, where the shipwreck of the Waverunner's Fist remained, the air was hot and rather unpleasant, courtesy of the blazing sun up above. This wasn't the first time the conditions had been this way, and Nerida had found a great solution to counter this occurrence; swimming. Swimming with Rasia, her tavan, was one of the only, well, good things she could still do out here, in the middle of nowhere. As an added bonus, she could take the opportunity to get fish for Calli and her to eat.

With one hand on Rasia's back, together they swam through the water, various schools of fish moving around them without a care, courtesy of her gnosis. Looking around, she saw one brilliantly coloured fish lagging behind it's school, probably in the later stages of it's life. Reaching out with her mind and hand, she called to it, met with an immediate response as it turned at once, making it's way through the water to her hand.

Gently holding it in her hands, she followed Rasia back up to the surface of the sea, breaking through the water next to the ship with a small splash. Treading water where she was, her hair soaked and dark, she called out to the other human occupant of the ship, hoping she was already awake.

"Calli! How d'you feel about eating fish first thing in the morning?"

[Callipsia Tempest]

The sun woke her to Laviku's devotions.

Callipsia lay spead out on the remains of the ship, close to the remains of the mast. Back near the hull, a pile of bodies was assembled - mostly picked apart skeletons at this point, still wearing their clothes and their hair. There was a point, where that phased her - where looking at those bodies every morning would make the girl lose her breakfast to the sea, and beg forgiveness from Laviku for her pollution. As a single seagull landed on the pile to search for a meager picking of decayed flesh at what was once a feast that many flocked to. Callipsia once chased them away in anger, only for them to return apathetically a chime later. Now she let them come, simply turning away as they began the symbiotic process of turning her loved ones into excrement.

As the sun rose on her face, the girl at first curled in, away from the sounds of the waves, curling into her ragged, dirty clothing like a babe hiding from it's mother's calls. But as the waves grew stronger, even one as bitter as Calli could not ignore the call of her Father. Groaning, she rose and stretched her arms, lifting off her shirt in the process. She liked to complete her morning prayers to Laviku as he brought her into the world - it helped her feel whole in a time when so much of her was taken.

Looking over the vast, perfect blue that only the Great Father could create, Callipsia raised her hands above her head and dived into the waters around, letting her luminescent blond waves dance and move with the sun. Raising, she exhaled relaxedly and let her naked body buoyantly rise to the surface, eyes closed to bear the sunlight easier. She played with the Otani, but touched none, feeling their metaphysical presence and letting that wash over her.

"Great Laviku, My Father of Fathers," she whispered to herself with closed eyes, kicking her feet to push herself away from the splintered debris. "Thank you for this day on the ocean once more. Thank you for sparing the life of my sister and I, and bringing us our daily water and food. We owe you our salvation, we owe you our blood." Her words were solemn, but melodic. As a wave came, she was submerged, and held her breath, swimming herself to the surface, and closer to the wreck, before resuming her prayer position.

"Great Laviku, My Father of Fathers," Callipsia repeated as a piece of kelp wafted over her tummy. "I beg of you once more, send a boat of seafarers this way soon. We are born of the sea, we will live by the sea, and if we must, we shall die by the sea, but Lakivu - " Her prayer was interrupted as her stomach grumbled. She was tempted to use her gnosis to call for an Otani immediately, but withheld herself. Half sighing, half shivering, she added with a slight hint of defeat, "But Great Father of the Sea, we cannot survive like this much longer. Your daughters have lost their pod, and with no pod, we cannot live. I beg you - Father - send us a sign, that we are in your good graces."

Offering a relieved sigh at the completion of the prayer, the girl dunked her head in the water and sucked in the sea water, feeling the morning hydration rush into her body.

"Calli! How d'you feel about eating fish first thing in the morning?"

The girl raised her head and smiled at her pod-sister's return, nodding gratefully. "Better than a-a hungry belly, no?" She managed to put out as she swam over a breaching wave. Quietly, she took the fish from her sister and whispered a prayer to Laviku for his blessings for his bounty this morning, before handing it back to the sister.

"How was your morning, sister?" Calli asked with a touch of humor as she found piece of wood to climb onto the deck from the water. "I woke up and saw the sun. It was very exciting." With a touch of seriousness, she flopped onto the study end of the deck, and looked at her sister's equally blue eyes. "Any sign of sailors?"

[Tydus Tempest]

The anger began to fade as the ship began to set sail, the ebb and flow of the sea against the Svefra's back as he lay against the deck an almost soothing lullaby. Tydus' eyes flung open as the pair sailed straight between two boats, chuckling at the maneuver before his eyes closed again. His thoughts sailed from his mind, his hand rising as he uttered a prayer to Laviku,

"Laviku... All Father and Lord of The Svefra, the Seas, and the creatures within, bless this journey with the songs of triumph, allow us a bounty to recover from the shipwreck, so that what was once used by my brethren can now be used to rebuild... There are no women in our new Pod, but please, bless us and guide us towards one."

The words were spoken clearly, Tydus reveling in the ability to converse with his God, honoured and humbled to be a child of the Sea. He smiled to himself as he considered the words again in his mind, Tydus synchronizing his breath with the crashing of the tides against the hull as the boat sailed forward. The Tempest scion heard the sounds of the otter that was Kel's Tavan, though Vesh did not come to him. The penguin was likely asleep. The penguin was still attempting, in its three years, to stand through the adaptions that its kind had developed through generations upon generations of life in the arctic waters of Desperation Bay.

Vesh spent an average of 12 hours a day asleep because of it, but in the time, he had noticed its plumage shrinking to become better suited to the warmer waters and weather of the new environment that the Tavan was in. Tydus cast his thoughts away from the Tavan as he listened to his podbrother, chuckling quietly to himself before he stood up from his spot on the deck.

He rose quickly, though he used his hands to prop himself to his feet rather than rise up violently with the use of his abdomen, wanting to shake the ship as little as possible as he cast his gaze about in search of the Sloop. He found his quarry in the distance, the young man looking back to the shore, knowing by what his podmates had told him several weeks before, that the ocean was, in Riverfall, on the western side, the coastline traveling north and southward. It was a very minor detail in terms of geography, but even now, he kept a hold of it, wishing to preserve any amount of his pod's knowledge that he could.

The Svefra noted that, by having the shore on his left shoulder, the duo was now traveling North, his gaze flung about before he found the ruin masts of the Waverunner's Fist in the distance. The ship was torn into several pieces from ballista fire, though it had not yet sunk into the sea. He wondered why, but perhaps it was the way it had been torn...

Does a ship's wreckage retain its buoyancy? Or are the pieces small enough to stay afloat? Wood must be quite a bit lighter than water.

The Svefra allowed a soft 'hm' to escape him before he turned to face Kel, "Due north, podbrother! The wreckage is North from here. We've perhaps gone just a bit too far west. Either way, turn and you'll see the wreckage in the distance."

Despite the knowledge that the corpses of his brethren were possibly littered about the vessel they were to approach, the Svefra found a tinge of excitement among the grief and anxiety about the incoming 'expedition' of theirs. Laviku was, hopefully, with them this day. He always was.

He clenched his fists upon the bulwark of the Laviku's Wrath, closing his eyes before he reached into the sea, his fingers caressed by Laviku's blood as Tydus closed his eyes. With the loss of one sense, the more powerful 'ocean's sense became more easily managed, the Svefra locating a fish, slightly larger than the sacrifice that Kel had offered to Laviku and was now desecrating by placing it upon his face. He plunged his other hand into the ocean as scales brushed against his fingertips, the Svefra pulling the fish out of the water, willing it to remain still among the agony of its separation from the sea.

The Svefra held the fish down with his left hand, his right reaching to the sash at his waist, pressing to the scabbard that held Lia Tatianna's cutlass in place before unsheathing the blade. He then looked down at the fish, reassuring it with a gentle 'hush' before he murmured in prayer,

"We offer this sacrifice to you, Laviku, Master of the Sea, so that you may look upon us and smile."

The Svefra then impaled the fish with his cutlass, first through the sides, feeling the crunch as bones were shattered by the stabbing motion, before he gutted the fish entirely. He raised the fish over his head, its blood trickling down his arm in no less than three distinct lines before he tossed it back into the sea, completing his offering before he turned to Kel,

"Let's do this."

[Kel Tempest]

Day 8 of Spring in the Year 514 AV

Sailing always seemed to take a toll on the black haired Svefra. He may have grown up on the sea his entire life but he was never really taught anything but the mere basics of sailing. He was taught at a young age how to sail if the wind blew against you and how to keep the ship moving forward but that was as far as his learning went.


While the Greytide pod was mostly fishermen and sailors, their past came from a pod of pirates and adventurers. While Kel knew them, he only saw his podmates wielding fishing lines and grappling poles. But before he was born, they were a part of the Tempest pod. They were racketeers and scalawags wielding cutlasses and grappling hooks.


Lia Christella knew that Kel had the blood of an adventurer in him. The blood of the Tempests roared in his veins. He just didn’t know it and she wasn’t about to tell him. But that also meant he was no end of trouble to the pod. One day she found him fighting off imaginary opponents with a grappling pole while he was supposed to be cleaning the fishing equipment and realized it was time to start training him in the ways of combat. It would keep him busy and out of her hair.


So his combat training began. It left him barely able to crawl into his hammock at the end of the day. Sailing wasn’t an option for him. There weren’t enough hours in the day. When Kel left the Greytide pod to find Tydus, it was the first time he had sailed on his own. It was almost a disaster. But he managed to make his way to Riverfall in one piece.


Since then, his sailing ability had improved slightly. But he was more comfortable jumping from vessel to vessel wielding his trident, fighting boarders. He was shook from his reveries as Tydus pointed to the northern side of the sea. The faint outline of a mast could be seen poking out from the horizon against the stark blue contrast of the sky.


Kel checked to make sure he had everything in place. His kukri was sheathed at his lower back, held in place by his black sash. His trident was propped up beside the wheel, waiting to be snatched up and wielded like the glorious weapon it was.


The Svefra gripped the pegs on the wheel and swung the ship around. He ducked under the boom was it altered its course in the wind, overhead. The wood creaked and groaned as it shifted. He braced himself as the boat rocked in the water, the swells of the sea lifting the boat in the air and setting it gently back down. It felt good to be out on the seas again.


He held the wheel in place as the bow of the Laviku’s Wrath pointed towards the mere outline of the shipwreck. The sails billowed as they caught the breath of Zulrav and the boat moved swiftly through the water. Jenkins chittered at Kel as he lounged on the roof of the cabin, a few feet away from him. He chuckled.


“C’mon Jenkins, you can’t swim out there. You’d get left behind. You wouldn’t even know where to go.” The sea otter chattered at him and Kel rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know Ty JUST pointed it out. You can’t swim as fast as the ship sails and knowing you, you’d probably get eaten by a whale.”


The boat rocked side to side as the waves rolled lazily. The sea was a continual body of motion. The Svefra were lucky to never have to deal with motion sickness like the rest of the land born. Kel stood off to the side of the wheel, it gave him a better vantage point so he was able to see around the main sail. The ocean sprayed up over him as the water hit the hull. He felt the mist settled on his bare skin.


It was almost a full bell before the remains of the Wavestrider came into view. He gripped the wooden wheel with one hand and stared at the slowly approaching wreck. The water seemed to calm as the destroyed vessel loomed closer. He felt the ship start to slow as the wind died. He felt the wind change directions against his back and looked up, seeing the sail list. Kel pulled the wheel a few pegs portside. The boom shifted slightly so that it rested almost directly beside his head. He had to remember not to bang his head against it when he moved. The wind filled the sail again and it pushed the boat forward.


Debris from the wreck floated on the ocean surface. Bits of wood, cloth and unrecognizable objects bobbed on the sea around the destruction. Kel felt his face pale as he took in the carnage. To think that such a fine vessel could be so utterly decimated sent a chill down his spine. Kel spoke in a low tone, knowing he didn’t need to say anything but desperately needing to fill the silence.


“Ty…I think we’re here…”

[Nerida Tempest]

8th of Spring, year 514 A.V | Fratava | Common

Nerida waited as her sister took the fish from her, staying quiet through the blessing and taking it back with a nod. "Of course," She responded with a grin, pausing to kick through the water to get closer to the deck. Gently laying the fish on the wood out of harms way, she rather ungracefully clambered up onto the wood from the sea, dripping the water in copious amounts onto the already saturated wood.

"My morning was simply splendid, Calli!" She said, lacing her words with a similar amount of humor. "I woke up and started swimming, which sounds far more excitin' then your day." As she spoke Neri gave her sister a small smile, easing out of her half-crouched position onto the rough planks below. Gently holding the fish she had taken from the sea, she settled into a relatively comfortable position, dangling her legs in the water comfortably. Rasia had not decided to join her on the ship yet, still visible darting in and out of the waves nearby, enjoying the cool sea water.

Coiling her hair up, she began to wring out the water that had been absorbed during her swim, attempting to direct the expelled water back into the ocean whence it came. "No, unfortunately," She responded, growing more serious. She wriggled over a little, hair flung over her back carelessly, seeking more room to stretch out her legs. "Though, I think I that-" Nerida broke off as she spotted a slowly approaching figure on the horizon, the blurred shape gradually coming into view.

"Calli, over there," She said quietly, inclining her head at the dark shape approaching the shipwreck. In the water adjacent to her, Rasia surfaced, giving a quiet but urgent bark. It was evident that the approaching vessel was headed straight for the two's makeshift home, and they had no way of telling whether they were friendly or meant harm. In fact, the more she looked at the incoming ship, the more she felt something familiar back in the mind, the same sense she got whenever she was near- No, it was too absurd. Besides, it might just be sailors also bearing a mark of Laviku, which in no way meant they would be fellow Svefra.