Arthur, sat in his large old fashioned chair and cleared his throat as a loud bang sounded on the other side of a closed door. “Come in!” Arthur spoke in a harsh but kind voice.

“Sir, we have news from Isabella, your daughter.” A rough looking soldier spoke.

“What’s the news?” Arthur spoke as he sat up straightening his collar on his shirt.

The soldier walked to the desk that was between them. He shakily pulled out a crumpled up letter that he held within his pocket and slid it across the desk to Arthur. “I haven’t read it sir.” The man spoke. He bowed his head as a show of respect, turned on one heel after another and left the room with a steady stride.

Arthur stared heavily at the letter that resided on his desk. His heart pounded heavy in his chest. His throat felt dry and his eyes retained the tears that wanted to escape. I can not cry. He thought to himself. It may not have happened yet. He told himself.

However, he knew deep down that a letter from his dear Isabella meant that she had passed. As the day that she left for the sea she told him, “If you ever hear from me father, a letter will appear at your doorstep. Telling my tales of the seven seas.”

With that in mind, he knew he had lost his only child. However, with a slight pull of hope, he carefully removed the rose designed wax seal, a clear tale of his daughter as she always loved roses.

With a long and resigning sigh he removed each flap of paper carefully. As he tried not to tear the paper. As he wanted to read every word his daughter had left him to read.

Dear Father,

If this letter finds you it means there is some terrible news that you must learn. Yes, I have gone to the sea in the sky and I am sorry for my early departure from this world.

The life on the sea father, was everything I had ever dreamed it would be. Let me try to paint you a story of some of my adventures at sea.

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“Morning Caption Isabella!” A man named Boris spoke. Boris Boatswain her third mate. He was a rough looking gnome with a beard that stretched a mile. His eyes wore that of stress and awareness as he held his position with pride and took it to heart.

“Good morning Boris! What are the reports for today?” She asked as her black knee length boots with two inch heels clicked against the wooded deck of the ship. She pulled her jet black hair back in a high pony tail as the wind was strong. She tucked any remaining hairs behind her elven ears.

“The sea is rough today. The white caps rise high against the vessel.” Boris spoke.

Isabella nodded, “Perhaps we should remain stationary today. We wouldn’t want to risk tipping the ship.”

“But don’t we need to reach Black Heart by nightfall?” Boris asked her. Black Heart was an island covered is an island overgrown by vegetation. As the forest took over the island, the area grew dark as hardly any sun could penetrate through the tops of the thousands of trees on the island. The island was inhabited by people, which was shown by the impressive overgrowth.

“It would be best if we did. However, the safety of my crew is my top priority.” Isabella as she held her crew close to her. As most of her crew had been with her since she left home.

Boris nodded, “Very well.” Boris responded, “Well, what do we do in the meantime?”

“Drop the anchors, keep an eye out. Swells as strong as these mean one of two things. Mother nature on this island is a harsh one or a winged Serpent from the elemental planes are responsible.”

“You think if that is the case we will be attacked?”

“Possibly.” Isabella spoke as she made her way over to the edge of the ship. She looked over the rail of the deck and looked east to west. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to perceive if anything was approaching the ship as the wind guests seemed almost unnatural.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“There.” She pointed out to the west as an unnatural wave as a horn shaped cap peaked over the waves of the sea. She turned and faced Boris and the rest of the crew that was handling their own tasks. She cleared her throat loudly before giving orders. The clearing of her throat pulled her crew's attention. She walked from the edge of the ship to the middle of her ship. She stood tall and firm as she addressed her whole crew, “Be ready. Attack coming from the west. Likely a wind Serpent from the elemental planes.”

“What are the plans for attack?” Harth, a human male spoke. He was the gunner for my ship.

“Load the cannons on the left side. Have the others trained fire a few rounds. Those who have bows and magic, get on top deck. I will be on the main deck here.” Isabella spoke firmly.

Once the last of her words left her lips, everyone immediately went into action. Harth ordered his three helpers to help load the cannons and get ready to fire them. Four others went up top and readied magical and non magical attacks. Boris stood by Isabella as he never wanted her to fight alone.

She gave a gentle smile down and quickly looked over the rail out to sea where she was slowly walking back to. She grabbed a staff that was tied to her side and looked down at Boris, “Ready for a fight Boris?” She asked the gnome. He nodded as he grabbed a bow that was strapped to his back. Each of her crew had a bow and a sword fit to their own ability and height. She gave a quick nod to the rest of the crew and spoke one word that started the chaos, “Now!”

The cone that moved through the water at this point was one hundred feet away from the ship. As it approached more and more of the Serpent appeared. It was a bluish grey in color and its cone was white like a cloud. As it neared the ship a glint of its eye appeared above the wave. An eye that held a milky white color with a depth perception that revealed its true nature.

As it rose above the water six attacks from the top deck fired at once. Four arrows from two people as they were able to shoot twice. Half hit. Then the magic attacks came in from the other two people. Both dealing damage but not as much as they had hoped. As one utilized fire. Which only dealt half damage in water. And the other, utilized a magical dart spell cast at a high level, immediately impacting the creature.

The hits made the creature loose focus for a split second which is what Isabella needed to perform her high level spell. A spell that sent a wave of pain through a creatures body. A spell that caused a creature to tense up in its place and not be able to move. A spell that would allow them to attack it freely for a few seconds without it moving.

Isabella tapped her staff against her ship and spoke a word as a wave of magic escaped the staff and impacted the designated creature, “Πόνος.” She watched as the creature struggled against her ninth level spell. The body of the creature twitched as it tried to fight it off, eventually giving into the magic.

“Cannons! Now!” Isabella shouted as she remained her focus on the stunned creature.

“Eye!” Her Harth spoke as he ordered the three men that are with him to fire. All four canons that are located on the left side hit. Dealing significant damage to the creature.

“Reload and fire again!” Isabella spoke. She turned her attention to the four on the top deck, “Fire!” She shouted.

All four fired. The two that shot arrows hit on all but one attack. Dealing even more damage to the beast. The two magic casters utilized the magic missile spell at high level. Taking more out of the creature.

Now it was Isabella to go once more. She turned and looked at the creature. A creature with a gapping whole in its top side. A creature that was holding on by strings it seemed. Disintegrating the creature would be too great. However, I must protect my crew. I must know the Serpent is dead. She tapped her staff once more and spoke the word, “Aposyntheto.” A wave of magic escaped her staff and hit the creature. As the creature had already been stunned and damage taken, the spell was too strong for the creature to push back.

In an instant the creature started to turn to ash before the crew. As the creature turned to ash, the wind remained strong but Isabella could feel the shift. She knew that the wind would eventually die down over time now.

Once the creature had fully turned to ash, the crew cheered. “Well done everyone!” Isabella spoke, “Let us all share a glass of wine in celebration of our victory. Tomorrow we will hit the shore of Black Heart Island.”

“Eye!” They all shouted as they agreed.

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That day father, we were victorious. That was one of the many victories we had the privilege of achieving. The Serpent didn’t stand a chance against the training I received from the High Wizard Council. A training I am grateful that you allowed me to achieve.

Arthur stopped reading the letter. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on the edge of his desk as a way to help his hands stop shaking. “Control Arthur.” He told himself. “Control.” He whispered one more time. He felt his eyes swell with tears as he thought over the first part of the letter he just read as this letter contained multiple pages of adventures his daughter had at sea. Adventures he dreaded reading but he needed to know that he wanted to know what his daughter’s life was like out on the sea. As he had hoped to learn why she was so set on leaving the life of a princess for the open sea.