The Falcon's Ship (Ricky Maze)

by **Seran** on September 20th, 2014, 5:04 am

Seran blinked and he saw the waters begin to sink back. He had a twisting feeling in his gut which intensified when he watched Ricky collapse backward into the boat in exhaustion. The poor man looked pale and even a stranger to magic could tell he was utterly drained. Ricky shook and sweat glistened on his forehead, and from what Seran could see it seemed that his eyes were out of focus. "Lad.... take de oars... git us t' shore." Then Ricky turned to lean over the side, and it was unclear as to whether he was nauseous or simply dead. A grave expression fell over Seran's face, as he hoped it was the former.

The Kelvic got to his feet and pressed two fingers to Ricky's neck, a trick learned from his dad for when a fellow sailor falls unconscious from heat or exhaustion. A slow tick passed then another, and Seran swallowed. He almost jumped when he felt the light pulse against his fingertips. "You're alive you bastard!" Seran exclaimed, a wild grin on his face. He felt as though a new vigour coursed through his veins, knowing that Ricky had tried his damnedest to get them to shore. Seran knew his father would expect nothing less from him. He picked up the length of rope he'd used to lash himself to the mast and stepped back to the tiller. Tying a hasty bowline to it to hold the steering in place, he then ran the rope back around the mast and knotted that as well. It'll just have to be enough, I need to get to work!

Seran dug himself in as best as one can when sailing. He braced both feet on either side of the boat and set the oars into place. He flexed his hands, dreading the forthcoming endeavour. He realized a slight warm up could be helpful and so he stretched his arms hastily and cracked his back. You're procrastinating. "Yeah, I kind of am." He replied to himself, before sitting down proper and taking both oars in hand. Seran was not large, and he was not prideful of his muscles, but as he took in deep breaths and gave one last flex, he knew that his and Ricky's life depended on him. He would not fail them both.

As luck would have it, the wind seemed to have died down if only a little. So while Seran still had to work against the current, maybe Laviku really had heard his prayer. Regardless, there were no gods to help him now. The Kelvic splayed out the oars and grunted as he pushed forward, before sucking in a breath. Seran exhaled while bringing the oars back, and then splayed them out once more. It took Seran several strokes and more than a few chimes to find a comfortable rhythm. Even so, the Kelvic felt the burning in his shoulders growing with every push. Seran tried to think of something else, like the different ships at the docks or what he'd had for supper the previous night. What had he eaten? Irrelevant, he felt an ache in his back now. The relentless tugging and pushing of the oars mirrored the motion of the tide and this brought Seran's mind back into vivid focus. A glance to Ricky showed that he was still in a daze and Seran cursed. Not only had the gods abandoned him, but so had his own petching first mate!

It could have been ticks, chimes or shyke even a bell later when Seran felt a warm wetness on his arm. Great, my wrist's opened up again. It was when he felt a similar wetness on his left hand that he gave himself pause to check. Lifting his hands from the oars, he saw that both of his palms were raw and bloody. "Can't get the boat all messy," Seran mumbled, and he dunked both hands over the side to clean them of blood. "PETCH!" Searing lines of fire ran up Seran's arms and tears gathered in his eyes. It was with great speed that the man flung his hands from the water and shook them. The stinging only intensified, and Seran ground his teeth in pain. However from this pain Seran drew yet more strength, and he roared angrily. Envisioning a blazing fire residing in his chest, the Kelvic took hold of both oars again and ignoring the stinging he rowed again. His whole body glistened in sweat, tears ran down his cheeks and his hands were stained with blood. "I must look like a bloody mess..." Seran growled through his teeth. The falcon failed to notice that if he had looked forward, he would be able to make out the tiny outlines of craftsmen still cursing at the sea.

Lungs, burning. Arms, heavy. Eyes, drooping. Heart, fluttering.

Seran felt short of breath, he couldn't feel his hands anymore. His shoulders were tingling and he felt dizzy. There was a faint clamour in his ears. Dark shapes hovered about his eyes. I won't give up. Not now, not ever. He tried to push, but he met unfailing resistance. When Seran tried to draw back, his hands slipped from the oars and he tumbled back into the boat. I. Can't. Move. It's all over... A growing haze closed in on Seran and he felt the sun glaring down at him and a massive shape loomed over him. "What the shyke...?"

by **Ricky Maze** on September 25th, 2014, 11:50 pm

He needed time to think, he needed time to recollect himself. He just, he... he needed time! No matter how much Ricky wanted to do more to get them back home, he needed time to rest so that he wouldn't push himself further into the unknown. That sweet tantalizing feeling for more ceased to go away as he still felt shivers all along his spine, he literally felt like he was dissolving into liquid himself as the water threatened to swallow him whole. But that had to be a part of his imagination, as he'd merely fallen to stare at the surface of the ocean, all while the boat seemed to continuously move at what felt like a sluggish pace to Ricky. The howls of the beast he heard were far but he could still feel its presence there, the signal of insanity that proved he was still on the verge of losing it failed to go away, as it wanted to torment the father even more after he got the hint that he'd reached his limit.

"......." He remained silent and almost motionless, save for the quakes in his limbs as shivers rattled his entire body, he felt as though the center of his soul was about to give way to some greater force, and for the first time he finally got to taste real fear in knowing that he'd overgiven. Don't t'ink on it! Don't dwell! He commanded himself as the thoughts and fears merged as one, it was then he took distract himself as he sought to regain the composure he'd lost before. "Water.... cool. Wet. Salty." He started simply with observations that relied on his senses, used them to recollect his world he nearly lost control of. "Essence. Element. Calm. Serene. Beautiful... Abundant." His body started to ease as the shivers began to wore off finally, the dear need to clutch his body to keep it whole no longer necessary as he felt his mind begin to regain composure.

"Its de element o' grace an' beauty, an' brings about a change t' all it flows over. It can help heal and soothe, wash and purify many t'ings, an' has de power t' clease de world." Was he being literal or philosophical? He still felt numb at the outer edge of his skin and his mind tingled at the outer layers, at this point he was unsure what he was thinking or how he felt really. "Water... water, water, water. Land." His eyelids opened wider as he remembered where they were exactly, as he could no longer hear the faint sounds of what he believed was Seran working the oars. The whole time he'd been lost in his own mind he had only heard ringing, as any outside noises came in low dull sounds that were hardly registered before he came to. Now though, he was awake. Awake and himself once more, though not completely. Still even if he felt loopy after his short nap, Ricky proceeded to stand as he moved over to where Seran was.

The boy had fallen over out of his own exhaustion, and they had only several miles to cover before they were about to hit the city. "Rest easy lad, Oi'll git us dere fer sure." He murmured as he sat between the oars and grasped them firmly, his arms and legs both felt like rubber at this point, but they were almost back home and he knew he had to finish the job. With all his might Ricky pushed forward to make the oar's pull them closer to shore, pushed downward to raise them out of the water as he pivoted the handles toward his body, and the repeated the previous action once more to drive them a little bit more closer to shore. Each time he pulled the handles of the oars he took in a deep breath, and exhaled every time he pushed them away from his body to maximize the effort. He could feel the strain hit his arms and shoulders then, the combination of mental exertion and physical prowess definitely not a good one to have.

There wasn't much space left though and even if he felt exhaustion begin to settle in, he knew he could push a little further before he was completely done. Unlike magic it wouldn't cost him his mind or body to force himself to row, it would only put a strain on his health just a bit before they reached the shore. The shouts of angry men was in the distance and they grew louder and louder, some were still angry while others cheered at the return of the boat. Either way Ricky didn't give up the paddling until he knew they were at shore, and that was when the oars finally hit the bedside sand underneath the surface. Finally. They'd reached the shore it seems, and now they could finally ditch this boat.

by **Seran** on October 27th, 2014, 3:50 am

Seran squinted, seeing Ricky's face above him shrouded in sunlight. "We made it?" He whispered breathlessly, his mouth dry. "I...can't thank you enough Ricky." Seran mustered enough energy to sit up and he almost cried as he saw the waves lapping against the beach. Looking back, he could see darkening storm clouds looming towards shore. They had almost gotten lost in that. A sudden and unexpected fear washed over him, suffusing the Kelvic's limbs with a cold energy. He pulled himself over the railing and flopped onto the sand. Rolling over, he coughed and wheezed.

A thought came to Seran then, a memory. He remembered some days when he wondered whether his father would come back to dry land. There were long hours when he worried that his only family would never come back. One day, Edward had found him curled up in a corner, crying and bawling. When Seran had finally come around and confessed his worries, Edward had chuckled and sat down on his great big weathered arm chair. Seran had still been small enough to sit on his father's lap and so Edward had sat him down and told him about the beauty of the sea. He waxed poetic -or as poetic as a sailor can be- about the waves, the wind and the wild foam-crested whitecaps on such days. Truly, Seran became enamoured with the idea of the sailing. Of course, then Edward began to tell tales of all those who'd died at sea from the storms, disasters and other horrors that lurked in the depths. Seran listened to his father for the rest of that evening, and several more all of which ended with him drifting off to sleep.

After three nights or so, Edward shook him gently as he was falling asleep and asked in a whisper, "Seran, my son, what do you think of the sea now?" Even in the haze of semi-consciousness, he managed to whisper in reply. "Father, the sea is beautiful but also very dangerous. To be honest, if I died witnessing the wild beauty of the rising tide and rolling waves, it would not be a terrible way to die. You've made me love the ocean more but father, I was never worried about the water. I was worried about...about..you..." It didn't take much longer for him to sink into sleep but in the last moment or so, he thought he heard quiet sobbing somewhere far away.

"It would not be a terrible way to die..." Seran muttered, his sense of the present returning. He glanced over at Flyleaf and marvelled at the beautiful vessel. He half-heartedly reached out towards the watercraft and then let his hand drop. A distant multitude of thumps was growing louder. Oh dear, that would be the artisans from the shipyard, wouldn't it? "Ricky, I really do love that ship! I don't suppose there's anyway I could keep it?" Seran called out as loud as he could. Perhaps Seran was grasping at shadows. Why would the craftsmen let him have such a fine vessel? Still, he reflected more and more on his time with his father and he knew that his place was on the water. He'd almost singlehandedly rowed his way back to shore after all! "Such wild beauty..." Seran muttered, a tear running down his sandy cheek.

by **Ricky Maze** on October 29th, 2014, 2:06 am

Granted there was a mix of approval as well as insults to the boy who made off with the boat, there was a sure enough positive air that hung about the crowd of shipwrights that crowded around them. Ricky had been given an extra hand off the boat since he proved to be weak in the knees from exhaustion, and in turn they helped brought out the smaller boy as he proved to look more in need of medical attention. Now given that there was no doubt a bit of a fuss from much angrier shipwrights, they were willing to comprise with Ricky's own decision that Seran would only be given a warning. However, there was a condition involved that made the reasoning for acceptance a little more tolerable, and it was for that reason Ricky was left to see that the boy knew where he stood as of now.

As the guard managed to be able to walk again, only with lesser than usual sturdy balance in his demeanor, Seran managed to come to enough to be able to ask such a silly question. It was one that made Ricky chuckle deep down, though to his great regret he would in fact have to disappoint the poor kid. "Sorry lad, ain't gonna 'appen." He spoke as sincerely as he could, but still the weight of exhaustion hinted in his tone in doing so. "It belongs t' de Sailor's Guild, an' if ye 're wantin' somet'in like dat, t'en ye'll 'ave t' see 'bout byin' it. Dere is one ot'er t'ing as well..." He sighed as it took him a moment to bear giving his news. "While de shipwrights 're willin' t' let ye go wit' a warnin', t'ey 'ave asked me t' make sure ye don't come back 'ere unless it be specific business wit' de Sailor's Guild. Ot'er wise ye'll be asked t' leave."

He realized that it was probably time for him to report back to the head quarters, no doubt he'd have to fill a long report about this, and in turn make sure that he got it to one of his superiors before he would end home. It led him to a sigh as he knew the paperwork could take a while, it wasn't necessarily problematic on his part but the effort was just tedious most of the time. Either way he had done his part in helping everyone out, and he was by far ready to go home. "Ye've got a couple o' men takin' ye t' de Infirmary, so rest easy lad and know dat ye did good helpin' me out t'day. And also, if ye ever need assistance from de Wave Guard, come find me an' Oi'll see what Oi can do." He encouraged before he allowed the two men to continue carrying him off. He stood there and watched for a while before he went to recollect his things, the jacket and the sword being held on his left arm as he decided it pointless to put the two back on.

Now that his part in all this was done he figured it was time to go, and so Ricky left the area to report back to head quarters. After his report had been given they allowed him to leave early and head on home, to be able to rest and call it a day with his family that waited there.

by **Seran** on November 1st, 2014, 1:09 am

90th of Summer, 514 AV 17th Bell

Seran's head fell but he hadn't really expected Ricky to say yes. Still, he hoped that whoever did acquire the boat would take good care of it. He tilted his head back to look one last time at Flyleaf. She was very beautiful, he couldn't deny that. A sigh deflated him completely, and then he inhaled sharply when Ricky began to say something more. "While de shipwrights 're willin' t' let ye go wit' a warnin', t'ey 'ave asked me t' make sure ye don't come back 'ere unless it be specific business wit' de Sailor's Guild. Ot'er wise ye'll be asked t' leave." That, even more than giving away Flyleaf took away the wind from Seran's sails.

Ricky looked exhausted, and he had not the energy to disguise the fact that he was weary. Seran felt a pang of guilt for having caused the Wave Guard such discomfort. He had been so brave and selfless, and he'd shown himself to be a competent Reimancer. Reimancy... That could be pretty useful. Ricky's voice pulled him back to reality. "Ye've got a couple o' men takin' ye t' de Infirmary, so rest easy lad and know dat ye did good helpin' me out t'day. And also, if ye ever need assistance from de Wave Guard, come find me an' Oi'll see what Oi can do." "I will Ricky," and with that the men began to escort him away from the docks. "I'm sorry Wave Guard!" Seran called back, and the last thing he saw was the blue silhouette of a brave man against the fluttering background of a noble green sail.

"That'll be me someday. That's going to be me, I swear to Laviku." Seran murmured, and he breathed in the salty breeze. One idea had clearly formed in his mind, one goal. A new goal. Seran, as soon as he was able, would seek his fortune as a seafarer in the paths of his father and his father before him. And someday, he knew in his bones that he would fly alongside the eagles of Wind Reach. All that grew far away though, as his last wisp of consciousness crumbled.

4 bells later...

The Kelvic strolled out of the infirmary and slipped into an alleyway. Bundling up his clothes he changed into his falcon form and flew up towards the peaks of Zastoska. He felt a grumbling in his stomach, and he let loose a fierce cry. Banking right over Zeltiva's roofs, Seran saw with his sharp eyesight the broad shoulders of Ricky limping home. Seran uttered a silent oath to himself. One day my friend, I will repay my debt to you. And he rose on a thermal air current, wind ruffling his feathers.

In the wild beauty of the sea
There is both wonder and danger

by **Perplexity** on November 5th, 2014, 4:28 pm

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Seran :

Ricky :

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Completed The Falcon's Ship (Ricky Maze)