The mighty vessel, Sinclair.

“My late father passed onto me a mighty vessel. When I was but a wee lad, every evening my father would tell me stories. Wonderful tales of his ship and the adventures he had with it. Perhaps all those stories gave me a false sense of pride when the ship’s ownership landed in my hands.

It was a mighty vessel, emphasis on the ‘was’. Time was a cruel mistress and the poor ship couldn’t take the erosion of time. When I opened that dusty garage door, I saw in front of me the enormous vehicle in shambles. Old pieces of wood were rotting away, paint chipped and was extremely faded, even the metal gears inside controlling the steering had rusted nearly into a fine iron-oxide powder. The only thing that seemed relatively intact was the turquoise green steering wheel. Of course, it used to be made of golden brown copper, but all the years oxidized the outer layer into a faint pale green.

The might vessel Sinclair was in dire needs of repair. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the sheer amount of sentimental value I had for it, I might have just thrown it away and use its parts to make a new ship.

But this was my father’s prized possession, and now it’s mine as well. With all the money to my name, I brought Sinclair into the best shipyard in port. It wasn’t any old shipyard, it housed the best engineers the empire could muster. They specialize in nearly every vehicle. From land to sea to air, any method of travel you can imagine.

But to my surprise (and disappointment), they said that the mighty vessel Sinclair was just too damaged to repair to full operational standards. At best, it could be renovated into a nice looking museum piece. You can imagine my devastation…In the end, I took out the only thing I could…the turquoise green steering wheel.

Perhaps not even a week later, I found a use for the remains of the ship. My father left the ship to me so I could do what I wanted with it. I decided to give my father a Viking’s funeral.

By the shores of the great Carcian Sea, my father’s friends, crew, and relatives all gathered. I was in front of the crowd, wearing a full captain’s uniform. My father laid in an open casket on top of his beloved ship Sinclair.

Everyone said their farewells, and the boat was pushed near the water’s edge. With a torch in my hand, I lit the piece of cloth on the side of the ship. Three of his most trusted crew members pushed the ship off into the open waters. We stared at the view as the mighty Sinclair became a towering inferno floating on the water. It still sailed proudly, even whilst engulfed in flames.

It was not until the ship became nothing but a tiny speck upon the vast horizon did it finally vanish into the eternity. Tears were shed, and promises were made. “

______

“Years passed. Being the daydreamer that I am, I followed my father’s footsteps. The vast lands outside the Carcian border lie adventure and excitement. Using all the money I had to my name, I had the boys at shipyard make me a new vessel. I named it Sinclair Jr. after my father’s beloved ship.

It was a fine ship. A full 450ft in length. 4 large masts and a steam engine was installed with great care. My baby can get go over 60 knots easily. On the sea, it is an incredible galleon. On the land, it’s a wonderful caravan. In the water, it’s carried by the 4 sails. On land, the steam powered engine gets me over 60mph easily!

Yes, my lovely Sinclair Jr. was an amphibious vehicle. It can traverse over land and sea.

The ship was made out of laminated hardwood. Stainless steel was used for rebar and supports. I didn’t spare a single dime, all of it was poured into making this ship. It was made to stand the toughest terrain, the roughest seas, and the most dangerous of lands.

There were four floors to my galleon Sinclair. The top deck was one, where one can see the beautiful cosmos above during the night. It required constant cleaning, though, I do enjoy a clean deck.

The floor under the top deck was the living quarters. There were several rooms branching out from a central area. Inside the rooms, several bunk beds were installed later as my crew grew. I had several rooms built with window access in each one! The boys at the yard told me it was impractical but I say ‘HA’! I’m a romantic and I enjoy the view. Connecting the rooms was a dining area and parlor. The kitchen was also located there. As a person who enjoys fine dining, a well-stocked kitchen is a must! The kitchen has a direct access downstairs to the storage areas.

Underneath the living quarters was the storage area. This is where we store our goods to be traded, living supplies, and food stuff. Honestly to people like us who adventures and explore, money is always an issue. So during times of need, we act as a trading vessel. Our entire lower area was converted into a giant storage area. It’s been reinforced so it can survive even the most violent of collisions. Every time I go there I can see my money do its work. Expensive but durable building materials went into my beloved Sinclair Jr.”

“Ahem Captain?” My trusty first mate cut me off during my monolog. “I understand people are curious about us but do you really have to narrate your entire past?”

“Nonsense!” I replied with a toothy grin. “The history of my past is something I must share with everyone!”

My first mate shrugged and the rest of my crew seemed to sigh. Cheer up fellows, the story continues! The next part is about you guys.

______

“By my lonesome self, I sailed off from the shores of Carcia. Along the way, I met many friends and foes; people I can trust my life with and people I shall never be able to live under the same sky with.

The first person I could call my best friend was my first mate Egg.”

*cough* “That’s Melanzana, Captain.” Egg sighed. “When you introduce me, can you not use the nickname you gave me?”

I reluctantly nodded.

“Anyways, where was I? Oh right, Egg.”

I could feel my first mate giving me an evil glare.

“Egg here is my most trusted man. He is my brother and I would die for him!”

The glare vanished. I breathed a breath of relief. You do not understand how dangerous that glare felt. Egg here is a hulk of a man. He’s as wide as a tree and as strong as a bear. His shiny bald head was the beacon to the open seas and he often wears nothing but a tiny purple vest and baggy white trousers. He said it accentuates his manliness.

Just as I was about to continue with my monolog, the trumpets started playing.

“Shoot, I was just getting to the good parts.”

All the other millions of participants all looked toward the seat of honor. A strange ball of light floated towards it. It floated slightly above the chair.

“I-is he sitting down? I can’t tell…he lacks a butt.”

People were tense and excited.

Finally, the ball of light started speaking.

“[email protected]#$%^&^%$#@”

Our ears were ringing. The sound that emitted from the light nearly shattered our eardrums.

A winged man standing next to the ball of light cleared his throat.

“Ahem. What the Grand God is trying to say…Welcome mortals, to the race of gods! Today begins the race that will decide who shall join our ranks and become a god. Each and every participant is carrying a locked treasure chest. Inside the box lies an assortment of God cheeses.”

Everyone suddenly got rowdy. Whispers and gossip filled the entire valley.

“D-did they say God cheese? Is that’s what’s in these chests?!”

Some of the more ‘barbaric’ participants started to whack at their chests.

“Why won’t it open? OPEN UP ALREADY!”

“Hey Captain, since you’re so ‘knowledgeable’ about everything, what’s God cheese?”

My shiny headed first mate asked.

I coughed and cleared my dried throat.

“Ahem, of course, I know what God cheese is!”

I didn’t. But I had to bluff it anyways. My crew was looking at me with such expectation.

“Just say you don’t know Capt.” Egg said while rubbing his bald head. “We’re already used to your bragging getting us into trouble.”

My shoulders slumped down.

“*&@[email protected]^&%!$&^*@*”

Once again the sharp noise made everything stop in its tracks.

“Be quiet puny mortals, the Grand God is speaking now!” The winged man exclaimed then proceeded to continue translating.

“Your puny mortal strength will not be able to open a box made by the blacksmith God. You would need a key. A key that lies at the end of the race, should you survive long enough to reach there.” We could tell it was smirking but the ball of light didn’t have a facial expression. We just know.

“As you should know by now, God cheese is a delicacy treasured by Gods and mortals alike. Gods who consume it grow in power whilst mortals who consume enough of it can become gods. Of course, the amount required varies from person to person but inside each chest should be enough for one mortal to become a god. Remember the rules, anything goes. Kill, plunder, bribe, and blackmail to your heart's content. We gods aren’t your nannies, go wild and RACE!”

And with that, the ball of light grew a pair of legs and stood up.

“W-what?” A few people gasped. “He had legs all along?!”

The ball of light then slowly morphed into a more humanoid shape.

“LET THE RACE BEGIN!” It bellowed.

“W-wait, it could talk the entire time?! Why did he need a translator then?”

Before everyone could get over the shock, the Grand God lifted his hand and shot a large ball of light into the sky. It exploded and the words [BEGIN] appeared in bright neon colors.

“Captain,” My crew eagerly awaits my orders. “Let’s go?”

“Let’s.”

Looks like my monolog will have to wait until another day.