Chapter 4

I stirred awake hearing some noise from the deck so I got up and put on some more modest clothing and walked outside to the deck to see the crew members drinking and dancing.

I walked up to the wheel where the captain stands and asked him what is happening.

“Ah, nothing much just the crew celebrating the first voyage in a few years.” Replied the captain with a kind smile on his face. 

“Why first in years hasn’t the crew been active?” I questioned.

“Eh well you know a voyage is a bit special if not for this being a secret from the crown and council this would have had hundreds of knights parading around announcing the first voyage to new lands in years and the entire vessel guarded by soldiers and those powerful Automatons not to mention it would be a fleet of Galleons, Brigs, frigates, Man’O’Wars and such but we only have a arguably Giant Ship of the line and few thousand crew members. There is also the fact that for anything else this vessel is considered massively undermanned but getting any more people would have been a massive undertaking and would have risked the crown learning of this.” He stated matter-of-factly 

“There is also the fact that this is the first time the Ship is being used since becoming steam-powered.” Added on the second mate 

“Hmm, well I’m going back to the room to sleep wake me if anything happens,” I said before returning to the luxurious suite and going back to sleep.

After a few months of travel it came time to start heading east and I decided to come out of my room for the first time in over a month.

“Bloody hell it’s cold out here!” I muttered as I came above deck 

“Ah welcome back to the land of the living came to get some fresh air?” Asked the captain with amusement at my reaction to the cold.

“Not really although I will admit the air is nice out here, colder than even the Solstice though.” I replied as I stretched causing multiple cracking sounds to be heard.

I walked over to the stern of the ship as I watched the ice slowly moving through the water and small creatures swimming about causing a unconscious sigh to leave my mouth and a memory to appear in my mind.

“ahgrr” I muffled as I clutched my head in hand as a headache washed over me alongside these unknown memories and after about five minutes the pain subsided and I acted like nothing had happened as all of the crew and captain were busy preparing to turn east.

I walked back to my room and grabbed an instrument that I had learn as part of my education and went back to the stern and started to play a light melody.

After a few hours of playing and walking about I returned below deck and decided to put my mind to the peculiar memories that appeared in my mind however no matter how much I ruminated on them nothing came to mind.

After another two months of travel we arrived at the location and took anything of value we could find with us. We found many things of value but also some of peril, Beasts akin to those that roam the seas had made the land their home and so I alongside the best fighters of the crew went to eliminate a few of them and although I did little else but distract them we killed them all and gathered their bodies as they have massive value hidden within them.

After doing all that we spent about a month loading everything onto the ship and once that was done departed back.

“Oi yer lazy bastards shouted the captain at some of the crew who were sitting down as the others were boarding and carrying some of the findings.

“Captain! Send some of the metal items and documents down to me.” I shouted to him over all the noise of preparing to ready the sails and such.

“Alright kid!” Shouted the captain with a smirk on his face.

I went below deck and started to unroll some of the documents that had been brought with me to help uncover any interesting information especially with the linage names in some text.

After a few more weeks of travel and me painstakingly translating some of the documents albeit heavily broken and many incorrect points that have almost certainly appeared I decided to sleep as the mental drain of translating them is quite tiring.

I stirred awake and immediately became alert as sounds of fighting could be heard from above.

I quickly put on some clothing suited to the cold air and grabbed my rapier, before quietly creeping out of my room and taking some cautious looks about before locking my door and heading above deck.

“What in the Gods is happening!” I shouted as I came above and found the crew fighting with pirates and saw the captain being pushed towards me.

“A pirate vessel saw us and decided to attack us!” Shouted the captain back in unnatural seriousness.

I drew my blade and took stance before thrusting my blade to the unsuspecting pirates killing a few and helping the crew in small ways. After killing a small but substantial number of the pirates helping the crew finish more of them off a number of pirates besieged me to stop me from interfering in the other pirates battles I used my training to hold them back a small amount however due to being both surrounded and weaker than them I sustained a few small injuries.

Thankfully some of the other crew noticed this and saved me after dealing with the pirates fighting them. 

“Thanks for that!” I shouted to the random crew members who saved me.

After another twenty or so minutes of fighting the majority of the pirates were either killed or captured. 

“Men board their ship and grab anything of value then sink it!” Roared the Captain as the crew started to loot the ship.