Chapter 1
I wake up, alone, on an empty, desolate island. There is heavy thunder and wind, and I squint my eyes to try to make out what happened. Vague memories of being in the cold, icy sea are all I can remember. Coughing out seawater, I find the strength to stand up, focusing in front of me.
Realizing I’m hungry, I notice several fruits nearby. The area seems untouched by human life, and I decide to eat some food and rest for a while, hoping to recollect my thoughts. After scavenging around, I find a pool of freshwater and crack open some coconuts, falling asleep quickly.
I jolt awake to a loud rustling noise behind me. I freeze, expecting the worst. A dark-haired figure comes out, holding a small bow. I try to hide, but he quickly sees me, pointing the bow in my direction. I put my hands up, dropping my scavenged supplies, hoping for mercy.
His eyes open wide in shock, “Telmo?” he asks, “I’ve been looking for you!”
I have no idea who this man is, and how he knows my name. He asks me to follow him to a camp, and I decide to go, planning to run away later.
He says his name is Morden, and he was with me on a trip, hunting for sea monsters. The shark they were hunting crashed onto their ship, cracking the hull in two. I had fallen into the water, and Morden had swam off, thinking I was gone. He also mentioned another man, Tucker, who was commanding the ship. He was nowhere to be found while it was going down, leaving Morden alone to swim to a nearby island.
By the time he’s done explaining, the sun has set and the thunder has subsided a little. I stay at the camp for some time, while Morden cooks a small rabbit he had hunted before he found me. I sleep under a crude shelter, made only of a few pieces of wood.
I wake up early, and there’s no trace of Morden anywhere. Deciding to explore a bit, and fueled by last night’s dinner, I walk out to explore the island. He was probably out hunting again or looking for other people. My thin, ripped clothing doesn’t protect me well from the cold, so I go deeper into the woods, hoping to be shielded from the harsh winds.
I go around the camp, slowly walking in bigger and bigger circles so as not to get lost. The forest we are in is very dense, and this small island doesn’t seem to have much other vegetation or life. The only sound here aside from my footsteps is the gentle lapping of the water against the beach. I walk deeper into the trees, and notice that the ground here is uneven.
I look down and feel like someone has dug there. I grab a stick and start digging in the center. After a few minutes, I get down a few inches. A rotten smell makes its way out of the hole I made, and I stop digging. Disgusted, I cover it and make a mental note to return, heading back to the camp. I don’t want Morden to find me here alone.
Back at camp, Morden is back with a small bird and is cooking it over the campfire. Upon my arrival, he looks up and motions for me to sit. I head over, mouth watering at the sight of more cooked meat. Morden seems excited, and I ask why.
“I found some abandoned rowboats to the east. I could use them to get back to civilization.”
It’s strange that he’s only thinking about himself now. Earlier he was so glad to see me. While Morden is cooking, I decide to make a map with some of the paper he lent me. I go around to the beach, and true to his word, to the east I can see two rowboats there, in seemingly good condition.
I wonder how two perfectly good rowboats just conveniently appeared. I start walking along the island perimeter, taking in its beauty and mapping it along the way. After I’m done, I go back to the camp to eat. I will have to leave the island with him, but first I need to investigate the hole. It might tell me more about this place.
Chapter 2
Back at the dig site, I try looking around for clues of why the creature was buried there. Perhaps it was something illegal. Or maybe it was just prey. I start digging again, intent on trying to find out what animal it is, but there is one problem. The animal was gone. I looked everywhere. There were tracks that looked like someone had come here recently and moved it. This meant we weren’t alone. I followed the tracks all the way to the beach, where they faded out into the open sea. I brushed away my footprints with a leaf and headed back to camp, but as I was walking, I caught a glimpse of something shiny on the ground. It was a flat, rectangular piece of metal. I put it in my pocket, hurrying back so Morden wouldn’t notice my absence.
As I arrive at camp, I see Morden packing things up, getting ready to leave. I head over and help him, following his directions. We head over to the rowboats and get in separate ones. “If you row to the east, you should be able to find a small town by the name of Timber peaks.” He says, pointing in the direction opposite of the setting sun. “I have some business to take care of.” As he heads off, I start rowing towards the opposite direction, making sure to chart my surroundings on my map. On my way there, I see several small ships, laden with cargo and passengers. Steering around the stone spires, I reach the island just as night falls. If this really is the place Morden asked me to go, it didn’t really seem like a city.
I get off my ship and take in my surroundings. It’s a small, wooden man made island, nestled in the center of the spires. The only boats I can see are longboats and rowboats like mine, as well as a small, deserted sailboat. Looking around, I notice that there aren’t any people in sight, except for an elderly woman hiding under a ramp toward the town square. As I approach her, I hear screams in the distance, as well as the sound of people running across the planks. “Go hide!” the lady whispers as I get near. “The Jaw Pirates are attacking!” Instead of hiding, I go further ahead, looking for signs of these pirates. I need to save these people. Morden gave me a dagger before we left, I could do something. I go toward the sound of the pirates, and take out the dagger.
I spot the first pirate attacking a house, trying to break open the door. They’re wearing thin leather armor, using iron cutlasses to try to break open the door. I throw my dagger towards him, but miss, hitting the door instead, diverting the pirate’s attention. As he turns around, I try to run around and hide, but more have arrived, blocking my path. I realize that I have no way of escaping, and no weapon. The only way I could fend them all off at once is to try to use my magic. As I hold up my hands in front of me, the pirates look confused. Suddenly, a blue, transparent circle appears in front of my hands, bearing the symbol of a lightning bolt. As I charge it up, the pirates get close enough to attack me, yelling and brandishing their weapons menacingly. The first pirate is particularly close, about to swing his weapon. I release all my energy, and a concentrated bolt of lightning flies out of the circle, shocking him.
As he falls to the ground, paralyzed, the other pirates look at him and run away. I chase after them, sending small spheres of lightning onto their backs. Their armor protects them, however, and they get onboard the sailboat and head off. I continue firing at them, stopping only once they disappear from sight. As I head back towards the town square, I notice people coming out of their houses, looking at the damage. It seems that I came right when the attack started, and thankfully there were no casualties. Many people come to thank me for my help, giving me money and food. I hear someone calling to me from a small tavern nearby, and head over. It was the same old lady that was hiding under the ramp. I go inside, and find her with a warm cup of coffee and some food. She thanks me for saving them and gives me a free room for the night, explaining that the Mayor had been out hunting and will return tomorrow. She said he would like to meet me. With all that rowing, plus fighting the pirates, my body is drained. I decide to rest for the night, willing to meet the Mayor in the morning.
Chapter 3
I awaken to the smell of coffee, and change into the new clothes I received yesterday. Before heading down, I hide the dagger in my back pocket, and leave everything else at the tavern. There is a chilly breeze outside, but thankfully my new clothes are thick, protecting me from the cold. I walk around, taking in my surroundings. The town is deeply connected with the spires, and the waters are shallow. There is practically no greenery, and everything is bland and tasteless. One of the biggest spires is completely covered in wood and surrounded by wooden platforms and steps. They seem to lead all the way to the top, where a complex system of pulleys and cranes are moving around. There are pathways connecting the spires to each other, allowing the people to move about freely. The town has multiple levels, each connected by a system of confusing staircases and ladders. I go to the tallest spire, intending to ask about the Mayor.