• Characters
    -Conrad-sailor
    -Acayla-winged girl
    -Drake-sailor brother of Conrad
    -Thedric- pirate lord
    -Ivan- first mate


    Chapter 1

    Conrad is tall like his brother though he is stronger and readier for the world. He has bright medium length blond hair, light skin, and eyes such a deep blue they are easily mistaken for black. He wears simple worn peasant clothes and a carefully guarded face hiding his intelligence. When you look closely you see he is younger then he looks, though he is not a boy he is not yet a man either. He is the kind of person you look to and see something you did not want to, he and his brother have had difficult lives and unfortunately they are going to get any easier.

    Conrad stares at the Santa Marie; admitting it is as majestic as the man who gave him the job said. The sails are crisp and stark white as they billow in the harbor winds over the newly polished deck. The Santa Marie is a fine ship and Conrad sighs knowing full well that soon he will be the one polishing that deck and cleaning those sails. The ship is to set off soon and he is going to be on it when it leave from this city.

    Ramsey is not Conrad’s home island, just another place between voyages.


    "Hurry up Conrad, it’s time to go. Give me a hand with this box.” Conrad’s brother, Drake, walks up to him carrying a box filled high with yellow ripe bananas. The sweet bananas are to help them and their fellow shipmates avoid disease and starvation during their voyage.

    Conrad grabs one side and Drake grabs the other as they start up the gangplank. As soon as Conrad sets foot on deck, he feels at home. After living in the streets with Drake his whole life he recently found that he only feels safe on the sea. The box lands with a thump in the darkness below deck. The brothers watch as the last few boxes are tossed down in a similar fashion, all filled with food, wine and cheap clothing. These will be sold at ports for a cheap profit.

    "What are you kiddies doing? There be no lolling about on my ship!" The Captain booms while walking up behind them. The Captain is a huge man, being able to lift a cannon bare handed and being able to eat a small cow for dinner is no easy feet but he can do it. He is a quick-tempered man, however, and is often seen yelling or beating anyone who gets in his way.

    "Yes sir, right away." Conrad saves Drake by answering quickly. They are both unsure how to deal with The Captain, this is their first time being on the Santa Marie or even hearing of Captain James Thedric.

    Drake runs up a ladder to start doing his job as a sail master, he has to clean, maintain, roll and unroll the sails. He likes it on the sails because he can see for miles and he says the wind tastes good up there. Conrad is a cabin boy; he takes care of cargo, and runs errands throughout the ship. He often has to do the unpleasant jobs like hauling toilet buckets and cleaning beds as well. He climbs down the ladder to the rolling bottom as commands are being shouted above, Conrad can only hear about half as he starts lashing the barrels and carts together.

    The ship rocks harshly as the ship begins its voyage, pushing away from the dock.

    The voyage is setting out from Ramsey to the Unnamed Island, where the Others reside, then to the capital of Rience, Ellery. Ellery is a well-known and much used port. Sailors from all over Rience come and go there.

    "Lazy scum, Go tie up that s**t over there... NOW” The first mate Ivan follows up his statement with a slap of his whip, tasting blood, Conrad scampers to the barrels and ties them as quickly as possible. Ivan is not a big man at all, he is lean as a stick, but he is cruel. He will strike his whip at any man who slacks off for even a minute. Conrad and Drake realized Ivan's cruelty after being badly beaten for dropping a chest filled with goblets and glass ornaments the day before. They had went to bed with stinging wounds as the salty air found its into their cuts. Ivan snorts with disgust before ordering, "Go up and swab the deck scum."


    The voyage is quick, being a little less then a week. The weather is sunny and fair all through the days, but because of Ivan, the journey is not as nice as it could have been. Ivan's cruel words and sharp whip seem to only lash at Drake and Conrad and more then once they had been blamed for other sailor’s mistakes.

    The Captain comes to Conrad only once, on the last day, to say "Boy, I need someone to come to town with me and help bring merchandise back. I will pay one gold coin if you do." Conrad is unable to refuse for he and drake need every bronze.

    As the Unnamed island comes into sight Conrad sees that It is not an island but actually a giant crater. The crater is filled with rainwater from a lapse of many years, It is rumored that the rock by which the crater was created is now a cursed island. The island can be seen in the very center of the lake.

    All Conrad can see from the bow of the ship is trees; it looks as if the entire island is covered. Conrad had heard stories about the residents of the island all his life, but he did not want to believe them. The Unnamed is where the Others lived. The Others had been sent to the island many years ago because of what they were...Different. It is said that some can do wonderful things like fly and breathe under water. Others are witches and warlocks but then there are some that can talk to animals and say that the animals talk back. There are also humans living on the island who supposedly worshipe the Others. These humans are all said to be murderers and crooks.

    The ship is heading to The Unnamed’s safest port, Anode, which the government owns and the residents never stray from their city walls.

    "Hiya Conrad! I wish I could go ashore too but captain says I have to stay." Drake runs up yelling.

    "Ugh, you think I want to go ashore? Do you remember the stories we’ve heard? There are monsters here, the Others." Conrad said fidgeting.

    "Forget that! I just want to see those elf women, I hear they walk around completely nude!" Drake, though he is tall and muscular, has an innocent and naive mind set. Hearing about indecent women had sparked interest in him.

    "I just want to avoid this experience; I have no idea what I am supposed to do." Conrad complains.

    "Captain will tell you! Awe crap, Ivan’s coming. Grab you stuff before we land." Drake runs up the nearest rope ladder and Conrad follows his brother's example and hops below deck. He starts packing his meager belongings so they will not be stolen will he is on shore. Although he trust the other men with his life that does not mean that they would not steal the few coins he and Drake own. There is not much, one gold coin, two silver and several bronze but Conrad and Drake are poor in contrast to the rest of humanity.

    "Scum, we’ve landed. Get your mangy a** up here, Captain wants to speak with you." Ivan smiles showing his yellow, rotting teeth and Conrad runs up the ladder back into the blinding white sunlight.