"What in the wide ocean is that?" Lady Ilelahne SiDabolo stared out at the low-slung ship rapidly approaching Armageddon Reef without sail or oars, and with a plume of smoke that on any other ship would indicate a fire out of control.

Aflia tipped her head and flexed her wings, "Has to be some sort of new method for moving over water. I wonder what the fire does...?"

"New or not, it shouldn't be able to move like that! No sails, no oars, yet it's moving faster than a man can run directly into the wind and tide alike! No ship I know of could do that!"

"Clearly, there is now one that can."

A short, stout figure stood at the prow of the ship, working a leaded line and checking for the depth of the water.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Oh, a dwarf." Lady SiDabolo shrugged, "I should have figured that they'd be the ones to come up with this... thing. Not a drop of magic among the lot of them, but some of the best tinkerers and forge-masters ever to walk this world."

Mul pointed to the one mast on the ship where the flag flew, "A Westmarch banner! I wonder who sponsored this ship..."

A man came on deck, checking with the dwarf at the prow. The nodded, agreeing on something, and heaved an anchor over the side as the ship glided smoothly to a stop. The smoke tapered off to the barest wisps.

Lady SiDabolo rubbed her chin, "An exile? Or a refugee, fleeing the close minded...? I would like to study that ship. How fast could it get to Chedal? Cross the sea from there to Altheim?"

Aflia shrugged, "not fast enough I'd wager. We'd still have to teleport if we wanted to get back to Trebor in time for the Midsummer festival."

"But is it important to get back that quickly?"

"It could be. I don't know..."