The tree’s leaves swayed lazily in the blueing dawn. The sun had just begun to peek from its shelter beyond the horizon and provide a diverse feel of eagerness to those traversing life, and dismay to others. Zolton slumbered, kicked back against a tree with his feet raised on a big stone. A soft, tickly thing brushed against his left ear. It took a minute, but eventually it awoke him, with the aid of the sun’s shine beaming onto his face.

He turned to face the evildoer who dared to disturb his rest, to be met face-to-feather of a gull. It was a peculiar bird. Instead of being patterned with the common gray, black, and white underbelly, its entire bodily pigment was blank like a sheet of paper. From its legs to its beak, the bird had the complexion of a cloud, although one with a sharp eye could notice the beak had a very faint pink to it. The only vivid color on the bird came from its eyes - a salmon color of the eyes.

Zolton stared at it for a bit with uncertainty. It ain’t bothering me… anymore. Should I bother it?

A door slam and a, “Yo!” echoed throughout the little plot. The seagull, startled, fled away hastily towards the east. Valin shielded his eyes as he stepped to Zolton, still resting nonchalantly, but now fixated on the fluttering bird. Valin handed Zolton a cold, clear mug. “I went for some coconuts last night. It’s the water, they weren’t ripe all the way, but I think it should be fine.”

Zolton looked into the cup with concern. “Not like I would know what it should taste like, these don’t grow on Auxuth. Also, what’s this white shit in it?”

“That’s the pulp,” Valin chuckled, “Couldn’t be bothered to take it out.”

Zolton hesitated for a moment before slowly raising the beverage to his lips. “Taste’s good. I ‘preciate it.”

Valin paused for a moment. “I-uh, sorry you couldn’t sleep inside the place…”

“All good, I didn’t want to be ducking the entire time I was in there anyways… nor did I want to fall through your floor. It was pretty nice being out here, honestly. Surprisingly cool for a tropical place. Met a bird.”

Valin snickered. “You met a bird?”

“Yeah it was here, then you came out here yelling first thing in the morning and scared the poor bastard away. Was a neat little guy.”

“It didn’t flee from you?”

Zolton stood up and dusted himself off. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was blind or at least had poor eyesight. I think it was an albino. Surprising to see that it was able to live this long. Then again, I could just be wrong, not a zoologist. But there it went, flying away. Since we’re on the topic, what do you plan to do now?”

Valin shrugged. “Not sure… Definitely won’t be living here, though… I might end up doing something that no one would like if I stay here alone, especially considering just how much I love it here. I could go back to Auxuth and work for the shipwright again but… I don’t think I want to see the same place every day where Justean was…”

“I getcha. Maybe some other islands? Not sure I know where any are, but… I’m sure we’d eventually find or crash into one.”

Valin tittered. “Yeah, I definitely need life to give me a second middle finger… Justean and I have been saving galleons, potentially being able to build a new house. Even combined I’m not so sure that we have enough. I don’t know what I’m going to do, man.”

“Yeah, life is pretty shitty. Why not move into a little kingdom? They’d probably charge a price for somewhere to stay, but not too much. You’d probably just have to solidify your place with labor.”

“A kingdom? Oh yeah, I want some son of a bitch born into power who’s never interacted with those who aren’t of similar or higher status telling me how to live and what’s best for me.”

Zolton was visibly irritated, although slightly. “You want to be the first recruit of my crew in-progress, then?”

“With what? I don’t have magic, no skills… Just a guy that used to work on a machine for log-”

“You can quit with all the ‘woe is me’ shit! I know you're getting pummeled right now by a bunch of shit, but pissing and moaning isn’t going to do any good for you. I’m trying to help out but you really just aren’t…” Zolton huffed. He noticed Valin’s shameful silence and continued. “I didn’t mean to blow up like that, but I’m simply trying to help you move forward. I don’t want to know my friend is just sitting around miserable not knowing what to do with himself, and I doubt his family would either.”

Valin stood with crossed arms. He was contemptuous for a moment, but his face soon slipped into emptiness. “I--I know. You’re right. Being a baby about it isn’t going to help me with anything. I just… I don’t want to live life doing nothing with myself again. And I know that I’m not fit for a life of pirating... You seem eager and determined to do it, and sure it can be exhilarating but there will often be times where your decisions mean life or death.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Zolton cut eyes at Valin. “So what is the path that you wish to take? You haven’t answered that. Do you really not know or are you afraid to reveal something?”

Valin sighed and plopped onto the dirt to a seated position. He stroked his face a single time and pressured his forehead with his fingers as if relieving a headache. “I, kind of… I want to join them,” he mumbled.

Zolton leaned in. “Run that back one more time? If you don’t mind.”

Valin hesitated to look up for a moment. Eventually, courage flowed through his blood and he locked his eyes onto Zolton. “I want to join them. The Gr-Grand Navy. It’s the best chance I have to make something out of myself.”

Zolton straightened his posture and looked down as if a hawk tracking a rodent. “Were you afraid, Valin?”

Valin paused with worry for a moment. Worry quickly advanced into utter fear as the weight of the giant’s menacing gaze crushed him. His throat flooded with dense anxiety as he attempted to respond. “N-no… No! No I’m not scar--I wasn’t scared. I mean… I-I am. I was very afraid to say that and you looking at me like that isn’t helping at all.”

“Really?” Zolton frowned, “A ‘friend’ that makes those he considers to be his own afraid? Doesn’t sound like a person that can really be considered a ‘friend’ now does it? I apologize for that…”

Valin grabbed his chest and almost fell unconscious in relief. Zolton grew greater sadness at this observation. “My hate is for the Grand Navy, not you, Val. Sorry for nearly making you shit yourself. I am not living your life, you are, of course. Do what you believe is best for you. Wouldn’t make much of any sense to have bad blood with a friend.”

“Well don’t go making me feel like shit now, asshole!” Valin jested, “But seriously, thanks. Hearing that takes a lot of bricks off my back.”

Zolton turned his sight to the coast where the gunboat bumped with the waves, docked. “So, when? When are you ready?”

Valin shrugged. “Why not now? Not like I have anything left to do… I know Old Man back at his shipwright is probably confused as to where his workers are, but in all honesty I’m glad to not be there anymore. A very boring job… might as well jump into something greater than an elderly man’s ship store as soon as possible… although that last part is probably just a personal preference.”

“Well let's get going. Don’t wanna keep you her-”

“Now hold on, Zolt. We should probably do something about the ship. Don’t want to just sail in there with it looking like one of the GN’s ships. There should be some paint in the shed.”

Valin and Zolton picked up three buckets - two on Zolton and a single one with Val. After pushing through the thick forest separating the coast from the decrepit once again, they went to work on covering up the color scheme of the Grand Navy. When they had concluded their cover-up, the day had changed from the growing blue into its sluggish orange-pink tinge. The gunboat was given a new coat of the standard brown ship paint job with black railing. The sail had been replaced with a stormy gray instead of the institutional white.

Valin was first into the ship and Zolton it off before using his water mind to jump in before it drifted too far off. Valin offered for Zolton to pilot, which he declined with, “I will not willingly take myself to satan’s ass,” and went to stare into the water. Most of the trip was in silence since Zolton gave more attention to the sea than Valin. Only near the end of their sails were words uttered. “Is a mermaid trying to woo you?” Valin mocked, “What the hell have you been looking at all this time?”

Zolton heard Valin, but it took a while for him to break the mesmerization of the sea. “I haven’t seen this before. Apparently it’s a lot deeper than I thought.”

Valin became visibly confused. “The water? But we sailed last night.”

“Yeah, we did. But I didn’t want to disregard you and what… happened, just to look at some water.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. You haven’t really looked at the sea during the day either, huh? Well, you’ll have plenty of time to do that soon.”

Coming to an easy stop, the gunboat drifted between two barnacle-ridden docks running out to the sea from the outpost. The other side had a few dozen ships owned and painted the colors of the Grandy Navy. It was a single, quiet tower with a light set on top of it, although it was not yet activated. A rock formation circled it, but water inside the rocks formed a moat between the tower and its natural border. It was painted a simple color scheme of blue and black joint parts or edges with the majority of the walls being white. Valin stopped to face Zolton and provide him a salute. Zolton just returned a weak wave.

“You’re acting like the only way we’ll see each other after this is through memory. Get going,” he smirked.

Valin trailed up the stone path amongst the large ridged gray stones before crossing a bridge over the moat and disappearing into the tower. There was a wanted board outside the front metal door, but Zolton decided against moving closer to view it. At the back of the tower, a second bridge sloped upwards to the stones at the back, which were elevated much higher. Zolton eyed it and noticed a familiar face crossing the bridge into the tower.

After some time, Valin was seen crossing the bridge wearing a white tee and tactical brown pants. Alongside him was the familiar man with two other recognizable soldiers. Eventually, the four disappeared as they descended the other side of the boulders to the ships. With this sight, much of Zolton’s worries went to slumber.

Lead ‘em well, Calway. Guess ship’s mine now.

There was still a bit of time left in the day. Zolton set the boat to the north and just let it sail as he went to stare at the water. But unlike last night, the winds were wide awake and made attempts to take his boat elsewhere, forcing him to return to the wheel. The sun had begun its break on this side of it all and temporarily handed over its position to the moon. The day began to toll the sailor, poking at him numerous times with drowsiness in attempts to send him into rest. Should’ve asked Val where the closest island was before he left… maybe how to sail, too. Tired as shit right n--now… Oh, quit ya bitchin’ it isn’t going to help anythin-

A tremendous flash lit up the skies, sea, and cracked like vengeful thunder, all in less than a second. It quickly reduced into a deep indigo light, rapidly dimming. Just before the light dissipated, a silhouette of land in the distance was revealed. I don’t know if that was luck or what, Zolton thought as he observed the clear sky, No way it can be all storming right now… There ain’t a cloud in the air. Was it really her back at the house? Is it her now? What it wasn’t Justean at all… Maybe it’s Zaltanya… you don’t owe me anything, ma… but whoever it was, thanks for showing me the way.