The day after being given their assignment, Alvis, Floris, Flare, and Kathrina made their way through the city streets down to the docks where a vessel was waiting for them and preparing to set sail. The vessel was a Brig - a small two-masted ship which was usually meant for merchant runs, but could also be outfitted for military use. The one awaiting the four mages had more of a military role to play as opposed to that of a merchant ship.
The ship was outfitted with twenty-four cannons on the deck and had 16 men to crew her. The body was long and narrow, allowing it to move faster through the water than other ships. It was also low to the surface, making it hard to hit from a distance. She was painted dark blue to help it blend in the waters of the Northern Sea, and even the sails were made of a different fabric than most other ships, giving the sails a greyer color that would allow it to hide in fog more easily.
Typically, Brigs for the Fiorra Navy were meant more for cargo or troop transport because of their faster speed. They had enough guns to deal a fearsome blow to an unsuspecting ship but lacked the hull strength to withstand the returning broadside, meaning these vessels were really only good for hit and run tactics. With nine canons on one broadside, it would be able to at least do some damage before having to flee out of range of a bigger ship. And unlike a lot of other ships, Brigs also had two canons at the stern of the ship so it could fire on vessels that were faster while they flee.
Arriving at the docks, Alvis, Floris, and Kathrina looked at the ship they were about to board. Kathrina, who was well-traveled in Fiorra, didn't think much of it. It was just another ship. But for Floris and Alvis, it was a different story.
"What?! You got to be kidding me! We're taking this thing to the island?! The ship that took me and Floris across the lake was twice this thing's size!" Alvis nearly shouted.
Floris looked at Alvis for a brief second, but shrugged his shoulders and continued on without saying a word. It was out of his hands now and what they got was what they got. Arguing with Flare to get a different boat would have been a dead-end. As far as he was concerned, he just wanted to get their mission out of the way so they could get back on track with their training.
Kathrina stopped walking and looked over her shoulder to see Alvis and said, "That ship you two rode on before was probably just a sloop. They're common around Misty Lake for taking people from one end to the other or transporting cargo along short distances. This ship is nearly perfect for what we'll be doing anyway."
"What is this place we're going to?" Floris asked as he walked by Kathrina.
Kathrina turned around and started to walk beside Floris as she gave her answer, "It's an island that goes by a couple names. The Military calls it "Castle Hill Island" but it's also known as "Remnant Island". I looked up a book about it yesterday to see if I could learn anything about the place. It was once it's own little territory off the coast of Fiorra, but a massive hurricane came along and wiped out the populace, leaving only remnants of the people who once lived there behind. This happened centuries ago, but remnants of the town and the castle atop the cliffs of the island are still around. Which makes it the perfect hideout for bad guys like pirates or bandits, which Fiorra has its fair share of now with the military focusing more of its power on the wars at the Southern Border."
Floris looked at Kathrina as they continued walking and asked, "So... what is a hurricane, exactly?"
Kathrina lifted her gaze towards the sky and tapped her finger on her chin as she thought about her answer, "Mmmm... How do I put it? I guess the only way to describe it is to picture the worst storm you can imagine. With rain so heavy that it's blinding and really high-speed winds - winds powerful enough to knock down trees and structures." She looked at Floris as she continued, "However, this is where things get weird. Fiorra and the other northeastern countries on the Northern Continent typically don't get Hurricanes. The change in the atmosphere and the waters of the two changing seas is too drastic for a hurricane to sustain itself for long, but the one that destroyed the island we're going to... it must have had so much power behind it that it defied the laws of nature. It's kind of terrifying when you think about it."
"I'm guessing one of these remnants of the past is some sort of castle or palace? Hence the name?" Floris asked.
Kathrina nodded, "Yeah. There was an illustration in the book I read. It's a large fortress with towering fortifications and spires atop a steep cliff, making it the perfect place for canons to fire on ships if they get into range. This brig we're going on won't last long if we get spotted."
"Well, that's reassuring." Floris said, taking the first step into the ship. He looked around to get a feel for the atmosphere. This ship was more hectic and had more people than the last ship he and Alvis were on. Sailors were running from place to place to get the ship ready for sailing, making him unsure of where he would be out of the way. He looked towards the stern, or rear of the ship and spotted Flare talking with the captain of the vessel. He couldn't tell what they were talking about, but judging from the way the captain was motioning his arms, it seemed as if he were trying to explain something to Flare.
As Alvis made his first steps onto the ship, he stood next to Kathrina and looked around at everything that was happening. A look of disinterest slowly grew on his face as he got a feel for the atmosphere, and he spun around on the heel of his boot and started to make his way back down the ramp saying, "Uh-uh! Not interested in this one bit!"
"Oh no, ya don't!" Kathrina nearly shouted as she grabbed the back of Alvis' cloak, nearly choking him as she pulled him back aboard the ship, "You're not going anywhere, bub! You're the reason we're in this mess, to begin with!"
Alvis spun around and stood next to Kathrina as she released her grip on his cloak and looked straight ahead with an unamused look on his face, "But I hate ships." He said in a whiny voice.
Kathrina closed her eyes and lowered her head as she sighed, then looked at Alvis and said, "Look, we have Flare with us, meaning we'll likely get another lesson out of this trip. A few pirates against an Elemental Guard is like a sick and dying peasant taking on a dragon. The sooner we get there and wipe these guys out the sooner we come back."
"Oh, well, that's all fine and dandy, but it still doesn't change the fact that I hate ships." Alvis said.
Kathrina rolled her eyes and shook her head, "You're unbelievable, Alvis. Anyway, let's report in to Flare so he knows we're here."
Floris pointed to the stern of the ship, "He's talking with who I assume to the be captain of the ship."
"Well, let's go then." Kathrina said, leading the way across the ship to their teacher.
When they reached Flare, who had his back turned them as he talked with the captain, Alvis, Floris, and Kathrina were able to hear a bit of the conversation they were having.
"At any rate, when my superior told me what happened, I never imagined the Mages' Guild would be sending a few mages. It sounds like we might have actually lucked out a bit with our fleet's flagship being out of commission for a while." The captain said before glancing at the young mages standing behind Flare, "Wait... Your team is just a bunch of kids?!"
Flare looked over his shoulder to see his team waiting for his instructions, then looked at the captain again as he spoke, "These three are the ones who damaged the Reaper's Judgment. They were assigned this mission as a way of compensating for what they did."
"But they're still just a bunch of kids!" The captain nearly shouted, unable to believe what was standing in front of him.
"Very talented kids. These three have more promise than most other associates that I've seen, and I've had my fair share of them. Regardless of what you think of them, I'm their teacher and I'm an Elemental Guard. So you don't have much to worry about."
The captain's demeanor suddenly changed from having a hint of hostility to a more respectful and almost fearful attitude, "An... An Elemental Guard? I had no idea; please forgive my rudeness." He exhaled a little before he continued, "Well... Have your team go below deck for the time being. I don't want them in the way of my crew while we're casting off."
Flare nodded and turned to face his students, "Alright, you three heard him. Report below deck for now and I'll join you in a bit."
The three young mages nodded and made their way below deck to await their instructions.