At the first bell of the morning rang, the sun rose from the faraway horizon. Before that, Lascze and his two boys left the shop. A violet morning hue had dyed the stone city within the vast sea. The waterways of the city rippled as tints of morning magenta painted them. The two moons dipped at the black border of the western horizon, sinking to the Endless Ocean past the eastern continent.

They were at the mostly empty port of Alfonis, one of Aquinox’s many ports. A familiar group is waiting for them. A crocodilian [Tidal Spearmaster], a snapper [Coral Mage], a monkfish [Gunmonk], and a barracuda [Spellscribe Halberdier] Coastwalker Seafolk is waiting for them, weapons and gear strapped on their Bags of Holding on their backs. Behind them is the gangplank that connects the dock to the large wooden ship with the flags of Aquinox, Lainia, and other flags, including the ship’s other flags.

“Lascze.” Sek the crocodilian Seafolk hugged Lascze.

“Sek, take good care of them, alright?” Lascze asked.

“We will.” Kel the Monkfish Coastwalker reassured.

“Of course, we will.” Ulron the Snapper Coastwalker [Coral Mage] smiled.

“The waves will be in our favor.” Thel the Barracuda Coastwalker [Spellscribe Halberdier] smiled toothily.

The two boys embraced their godfather tenderly and tightly. They came to his shop as strangers, now they will leave Aquinox as adopted brothers. The salty breeze of the sea, the crashing of waves, and the murmurs of the docks made the moment somewhat more meaningful.

“Waves keep you two safe,” Lascze uttered a saying, bidding them farewell as he released his arms around them.

“Thank you.” Vitelli expressed his gratitude.

“For everything.” Lewis continued.

Lascze wiped his eyes with his arm. “You two are grown up now. You can take care of yourselves. I wish that you don’t have to leave for your safety.”

“Ten minutes ‘till the end of boarding!” Someone on the Kraken’s Snack shouted.

“Let’s go.” Sek tugged their shoulders.

“Be sure to write letters okay? Also, don’t forget to “

“Don’t worry about them.” Sek patted Lascze’s shoulder, interrupting his worrying. “They can handle themselves, right?”

Lascze sighed in relief. “Alright.”

As they walked on the gangplank, the boys looked back at their godfather who is waving goodbye on the docks. They are on the deck of a large ship that is larger than a four-story building, complete with three sails and four giant oars. There are a lot of people, mostly those who are rich enough to ride ships like this, who are bringing their luggage towards the inside of the rooms of the ship.

Before the gangplank was stowed away, a person jumped from the docks impossibly high and landed on the deck. It was a Beastkin wearing a simple cotton shirt with a brown leather vest and cotton shorts, with an antelope’s head and body except for the feet, which is more reptilian compared to the rest of his humanoid body.

“Oops, I almost missed the ship.” The Beastkin uttered, as his feet made cracks in the deck.

The Human [Captain], a portly man with grey hair and a square mustache dressed in sailor captain’s garb, approached him as he heard the commotion.

“You’re paying extra for dealing damage to the ship!” The [Captain] demanded.

“Catch!” He tossed a gold coin in the air. The portly [Captain] has his eyes focused on the coin tumbling in the air, before reflexively catching it.

“Keep the change.” The Beastkin walked away, heading towards the inside of the ship, leaving the [Captain] speechless.

“He must be arrogant or actually important if he acts like that,” Kel commented.

Later they walked on the stairs leading to the saloon. It seems like that the inside is quite wide compared to the exterior on the ship. On each side, there are doors to the shared cabins, and in front of them are the officer’s quarters. They opened their assigned cabin and they saw was a small room with four beds and a porthole that let the rising sun in.

“Pull anchor! Set sail!” The [Captain] ordered.

After a long while, the ship finally sailed, as the waters gently rocked the ship. The two boys looked towards the docks of Aquinox, gradually getting smaller. From leagues and leagues away, beyond the landmass that is the Republic of Aurum, they can see the black border of the horizon of the world. From the horizon, the sun rose northeast, as the two moons were swallowed by the black border.

Lewis never thought it too deeply, but he found the horizons of the world weird. Innately, he had the notion that the horizon should be slightly curved, not completely flat. He can’t wrap his head that the fact that he can see a black border swallowing the horizon, and no one is saying something about it. But then, he noticed the shadows of the water. He looked up and he saw floating islands, some the size of countries.

“Weird.” Lewis mouthed.

“Weird?” Vitelli asked.

“The horizon.”

“What about it?”

“It’s flat.”

“You’re not making sense,” Vitelli stated.

“Never mind, you’re right.” Lewis wondered why he made a big deal about it.

The city-state of Aquinox faded away until it was a dot on the horizon. Now, all they see is a vast sea. Further ahead of the seemingly infinite horizon is a sea of crimson. A hue is as deep as blood. Lewis and Vitelli can see ominous shapes swimming directly below the red waters.

“The Warring Waters.” Ulron mouthed.

“Warring Waters?” Lewis asked him.

“It’s a sea infamous for the number of naval wars that took place a century ago. The number of ships that were sunk was in the thousands. Legends say that the waters turned red because of the thousands of corpses at the bottom of the sea.”

“Wouldn’t that mean more undead?” Vitelli chimed in.

“Yes,” Ulron answered. “When I was studying in the magical academy of Lenite, back in the Lainian Empire, we studied about it. Apparently, it is a well of death magic, which can make even the greatest of sea monsters turn into undead.”

“Undead, huh.” Lewis mouthed. “Brings back bad memories.”

“Mhm.” Vitelli agreed.

“So, how long is the trip?” Lewis asked.

“Three days at the most. It may change with storms and sea monsters prowling about.” Thel answered. “We’ll stop at the port of Iainio a day and a half from now.”

“Well, let’s play cards.” Sek brought a deck of playing cards from his bag. A deck of playing cards with symbols of swords, spears, wands, and shields, and numbers from 1-5 at their corners.

“We’re betting?” Lewis smiled.

“No, we’re not betting.” Vitelli made an effort to curb Lewis’ gambling addiction.

“It will be fun though,” Thel smirked. “What’s a fun game without risks?”

“See?” Lewis crossed his arms proudly.

Vitelli sighed in resignation. “Well, at least we’re not playing with total strangers.”

“I won’t partake in gambling.” Kel refused.

Throughout the day, they played cards. Lewis won ten games out of all of them. All of them forked over a part of their budget to Lewis. But it's all in good fun since he will return the cash the next day since they aren’t spending any cash anytime soon until they arrive at the port.

Night comes and the waters were rougher than in the morning. The two moons, Lune and Arte. The larger blue moon and the small yellow moon, respectively, are among an artwork of kaleidoscopic stars in the canvas of night, making the waves shimmer with their light. It is a bright night with little to no clouds or fog, perfect for navigating. Despite the rougher waters, the ship sailed smoothly, cutting through the waves.

“I’ll take watch.” Sek sat on the floor. “I’ll wake you up when the crew needs our help.”

The rest of the party members lie on their respective beds, while Lewis and Vitelli were on the same bed. Each of the four beds can barely fit two people. The ship continued to sail within the night. The armed [Sailors] were patrolling the deck, watching the sky, sea, and under the waves. One of the sailors, a Dog Beastkin, heard a squishy, slimy sound, with the creaking of wood. With the [Sailor]’s lantern, he shone a light.

And what he saw was an enormous bright yellow sea slug.

“Sea Slug!” The [Sailor] yelled in warning, pointing his wand towards the enormous slimy creature.

With already a bound spell within the wand, the wand, willed by the user, cast [Magic Missile]. With an arrow of magic, he blasted off the sea slug’s head. The [Sailor] looked over the railing and saw a bunch of them climbing up the ship’s starboard, slowly tilting the ship. The other [Sailors] and the Human [Captain], swords, wands, and maces were drawn, arrived at the scene.

“[Captain]!” The [Sailor] shouted.

“I know! [Ship: Walls of Impalement]!”

The Sea Slugs on the side of the ship were impaled by jagged spears of wood on the starboard, making them fall back where they came from. Splashes echoed through the quiet night, broken by the scuffles of fighting.

“We need to speed up the ship.” The [Ship Captain] stated. “Sailors, prepare to speed up. Adjust sails! [Smoother Sailing], [Sailbound Wind].”

The sails picked up captured wind, bound to their sails, as their cruise in the ocean became much smoother than before, almost gliding on the waves. They sailed faster before, outrunning the possible threat of any sea monster in the depths. As the Skills ran out, the [Captain] decided that it is safe, after monitoring the waters with a Skill.

Soon, the sun rose from the northeast, and the two moons sunk on the southwest. Clouds drifted on the sky, tumbling in the air. Flying whales ate these clouds, swallowing them whole. Small sky islands drifted higher up, some connected by vines. The waters are calm for now.

Vitelli woke up earlier than Lewis, or even all of them. The early morning shone through the porthole. Quietly, he opened the door and walked above deck. As soon as he was above deck, a fresh salty gust washed over him. The cold oceanic breeze was strangely refreshing to Vitelli. Of course, he was familiar with the sensations of the ocean, living in Aquinox for all his life. Yet, the breeze in the middle of the ocean feels different. He sat on the bow of the ship, sitting on the edge in a precarious position.

It was nice and quiet. He liked being alone sometimes. He stared at the calm ocean; its deep blue expanse seemed to stare back. So many things can swim underneath the waves without anything noticing.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder.

It was the Monkfish Coastwalker, Kel.

“Can I sit beside you?” He asked.

Vitelli nodded. The large Seafolk sat beside him.

“Quite a nice view, isn’t it?” The [Gunmonk] asked.

“Yes.” Vitelli mouthed.

“It reminds me of the monastery.” Kel reminisced. “It had a similar view.”

Vitelli said nothing.

“I saw many sights, but no sights can contend with the sight from my home.” Kel continued.

“Home…” Vitelli was reminded of his old home. “Before I met Lewis, I lived in the canals, or at the ports. It was the same view.” He uttered blankly, staring at the near-infinite horizon. He can see the shores of easter continent leagues and leagues away among the ocean.

After that, they sat quietly as the sky grew blue. Wordlessly, they had an understanding. A familiarity only to the silent or outspoken, to those who speak less and listen more. To feel everything within a moment with only the meditative noise of the surroundings; simple, aimless noise without intent, without meaning, yet meaningful.

“Breakfast.” Lewis handed them dried sausage and bread. “Also [Captain] says that do not sit too close on the bow.”

They ate breakfast as they walked on the deck. The rest of the party leaned on the railings of the starboard, staring at the distance. They were watching dolphins jumping and twirling out of the water, as the crew fed them fish.

“Why are the sailors feeding them? Should they save their rations?” Lewis asked with curiosity.

“[Sailor]’s tradition,” Sek answered. “Dolphins are sailor-friends. They can retrieve treasure, and rescue [Sailors] that fell from their ships. Us Seafolk, well, those in the Deeplands, train dolphins for scouting in wars.”

“Only fools and shorefolk hunt them.” Thel continued. “Those guys saved my life more than I can count when I was a [Soldier].”

With them comes a red dolphin-like creature with an extremely bulbous head slowly rising to the surface. The head seemed to suck the air on the surface with its numerous orifices. Their head floated like buoys as the rest of the body is still on the water.

“What are those?” Vitelli asked.

“Buoyfish,” Thel answered. “That means something big is coming.”

As on cue, a giant fish leaped from the depths. Its whiskers resembled fins. It was a strange, almost triangular fish of white, yellow, and black stripes; an angelfish crossed with a sunfish the size of a whale, with brilliant strand-like tails entwined with tendrils that shines in the sunlight. It landed, showering the ship with water. The dolphins and the buoyfish scrambled.

“We are blessed by the waves!” One of the [Sailor]’s rejoiced.

“What?” Lewis and Vitelli uttered.

“Sunbeam Deicthys.” Sek mouthed. “We’re lucky today.”

“A friend of ships indeed!” The [Ship Captain] waved towards the Deicthys. “Two sailorfriends in a row!”

The big eyes stared at the ship as it dipped under the waves, its brilliant scales and tails glimmering in the sunlight.

“Feed ‘im shrimps!” The [Ship Captain] ordered. Two [Sailors] quickly dumped a bucket of shrimps on it, slowly falling to the depths. Its tendrils scooped up the shrimp in the water. Lewis waved at the magnificent creature, and it seemed to wave back with one of his tendrils, staring at him. It was a smart creature after all, and it can even understand language to an extent.

“He shall protect us until we get to port, hopefully.” The [Ship Captain] murmured.

Indeed, the Deicthys swam alongside the ship. It made the trip safer, warding off sea monsters with its light magic on its body. Earlier, it even warded off a Sea Serpent looming below them with a flash of its light magic. Later the [Sailors] drunk more than usual, while rationing their alcohol. Night had come yet again. The Sunbeam Deicthys decided to swim away from them, unfortunately, since its light would be a target in the night instead of a deterrent from larger sea monsters. It dimmed itself, diving further down towards the depths.

Unluckily, a rogue storm has come to ravage the waves. Torrential rains of water and hail damaged the ship, little by little, even with the [Ship Captain]’s [Ship: Greater Durability] holding the ship together. A large armored fish, as large as the ship itself almost destroyed the boat as it leaped out of the water.

Lewis, Vitelli, and the rest of the Tides of Sobek were bracing themselves within the storm. Lewis and Vitelli were terrified, for they never experienced a storm’s wrath on a ship. Nevertheless, the oldest member of the party, Sek, the party’s leader, comforted them. The ship creaked and leaned from side to side, despite the Skills of the [Ship Captain]. If the [Captain] was a [Storm Captain], he may fare better within this torrential storm.

The [Captain] within his officer’s quarters looked at the enchanted map which had cost an arm and a leg. The storm was interfering with the magical map, making it harder for the enchanted map to pinpoint their current location. Nevertheless, the [Captain] continued giving orders to his [Sailors], keeping the ship afloat.

After that hectic night, the storm had cleared. Clouds made way for a brightening sky. Vitelli, Lewis, and Sek haven’t had any sleep during the storm. The others we’re well-rested, however, since it's not their first time sleeping in a ship under a storm. As the waves calmed down, the two slept, and Sek rested.

Bells later, in the noon, the landmass of Grecia is insight. It was a series of kingdoms under the Grecian banner, now it is simply a landmass divided by two great empires, Lainia and Rominia, who were under one banner millennia ago. Now, they are heading towards the port of Iainio, a port filled with ships, people, and buildings.

And so the Kraken’s Snack sailed, full speed ahead to the port.