It was a beautiful day in the South Eastern Sea, a beautiful blue sky and a calm gorgeous ocean. Many pirate ships were back on Pirate Island docked in Derzy harbor hiding from the law, all except the dashing Red Blur.
The Red Blur was undoubtedly one of the fastest if not the fastest ship in all of Oceanlandia, faster than any vessel flying the King's colors.
The Red Blur was navigating around Muso Island, at the helm was Atlas with Montague beside him, Karma was in bed sick, leaving the two men to govern the ship alone.
While they were sailing around Montague noticed a small encampment on the shore, the encampment was right next to an old dock, withering away from the elements.
"Look, Captain a camp." Montague said
"Looks like an old dock, wonder who's there." Atlas said
"Couldn't hurt to check it out."
Atlas docked the ship on the old crumbling dock and moored her on the old mooring. At the campsite, Atlas and Montague noticed a familiar smell, a smell familiar to all residents of Oceanlandia. The smell of Pocheso, a loaf of bread with a mixed assortment of meat, vegetable, and spices inside.
As they got closer to the campsite they noticed a plate of Pocheso right next to a fire, surrounding the fire was a tent. Atlas and Montague continued forward still to find a beautiful young woman in the tent.
"Why hello there." This woman said.
As the woman stepped out of the tent, Atlas and Montague were taken aback about how familiar she looked.
This young woman had light brown skin, sleek black hair in a pony-tail and green eyes.
"Have...have We met before?" Atlas asked the mysterious young woman
"You may not remember me, but we have met before Atlas." The woman answered.
"You know my name? Where have we met before?"
"Nevermind that, I kind of need you to do me a favor. I'll even pay you to do it."
"Okay what is it?"
"I'm a travelling merchant, I've been pretty much everywhere, and the ship that has carried me everywhere, was stolen from me."
"Stolen by pirates?"
"Pirates in greencoats if you know what I mean."
"Oh. It got confiscated by the Navy."
"Yes. My ship is an unarmed Pinnace, being held in Jushu harbor."
"I don't really think it's wise to deal with the navy when they're on such high alert."
"Better you than me."
As the woman said that, Atlas could see a fireball in the palm of her hand, brighter than the sun itself.
"You're a sorceress." Atlas exclaimed
"One powerful enough to reduce Jushu harbor to dust, I really don't want to do that though. I just need to get my ship and go." The woman said in reply
"Fine I'll get your ship, what's the name? And speaking of its name, what's your name?"
"Oh where are my manors, my name Melody and the name of my ship is the Hourglass."
"Weird name for a ship, but I guess we've delayed long enough. We'll return with your ship. Ms. Melody."
Atlas and Montague leave the campsite, and return to the Red Blur, they continue sailing down the Island of Muso to get to the Islands capital of Jushu where the harbor was nearly full. All around them were ships, of all kinds.
Schooners, Sloops, Cutters, and even a frigate, all seized by the navy that day. All the way back on the farside of the harbor they saw Melody's Pinnace.
Looking towards the city they could see Jushu, the city Karma, her older sister Christine, and Karma's twin brother Todd grew up in. The city had paved roads, with brick and wooden buildings throughout the city, towering over the city was an enormous castle made of stone.
The city was crowded with the wealthy and peasantry mixed in together walking the same streets, horse drawn carriages also filled the streets making it even more crowded.
The harbor was equally packed, with green coats standing guarding every inch of the harbor with low skilled harbor workers trying to do their jobs around them.
"You think we should wake Karma? She would love to see her hometown." Montague asked
"I doubt she'd want to see it under these circumstances. Let's just get the ship and go." Atlas replied
Atlas and Montague disembarked their vessel and walked along the docks bypassing a crowd of angry merchants yelling at the soldiers demanding their property back.
Atlas then came upon a face he knew very well, a baby faced white man, while bald this man and Atlas were both men in their early twenties. This man was none other than Sir Daniel Danvers, Baron of Punty (an island on the other side of Oceanlandia.)
"Atlas Sada and Montague Veraz, you two have some massive balls showing your faces here at this time." Danvers said
"Cut the shit, Hog." Montague commented
Hog was a derogatory term that many pirates in Oceanlandia used against the aristocracy. It meant to say that their greed knew no bounds.
"Look Danvers, there's a ship here that doesn't belong to you." Atlas said
"According to the law of Oceanlandia the navy has the right to commandeer any vessel and its cargo indefinitely." Danvers replied
"I think we have another one of Sekivo's flags aboard our ship, maybe you can fly it from your flagship since you're now engaging in piracy Danvers." Montague said
"Silence you!" Danvers shouted
"Danvers, we just need one ship in particular." Atlas pleaded
"I don't care, they're all now property of the high king." Danvers argued in reply.
Montague and Atlas decided not to waste their time arguing any further with Danvers and returned to the Red Blur.
"What now?" Montague asked
"I have a plan, not sure how it's gonna work, but it's a plan." Atlas answered
"What's the plan?"
"We stealth swim to the hourglass, take control, have Karma deploy a magic smoke screen, and we sail back to Melody with her ship intact."
"Seems like a good plan. Normally I'd suggest something more radical but we're clearly outnumbered and outgunned."
"Glad we're in agreement, I'll wake Karma."
Atlas woke up Karma telling her everything, Karma agreed to the plan, she stumbled over to the helm, with a handkerchief. She grabbed the wheel.
Atlas and Montague swan dived off the side of the ship, splashing into the cold salty ocean water. They both kept their heads below the surface holding their breath for as long as they could. They both went up to the surface for a quick breath of air before quickly diving back down.
When they made it to the Hourglass they climbed aboard the ship to find it was completely unguarded. They both went into the captain's quarters of the ship, to check and see if any guard was on board.
While inside Atlas discovered the ship's registration papers, while most of it looked normal there was one part that stuck out to him. Under country of registration it said Republic of Oceanlandia rather than Kingdom of Oceanlandia
"Montague take a look at this." Atlas said
"What?" Montague asked
"Look, it says Republic of Oceanlandia instead of Kingdom of Oceanlandia."
"Strange. But we need to get a move on. Karma won't wait on us forever."
"Right."
The two men exited the Captain's quarters and made their way to the helm. Atlas grabbed the wheel, he looked back towards the Red Blur where he could see Karma, he gave her the signal.
Karma concentrated what little energy she had left from the sickness to cast a smoke spell, a small ball of smoke conjured up into her palms and she raised her hands to the sky before quickly pointing them down to the sea. The smoke ball flew into the water at hyperspeed and exploded into a dense fog.
Up in the harbor tower the guard were perplexed
"What's happening?" One guard said
"Let's get down there." Another added
The merchants who were yelling at the guard began to attack them in the confusion, leading to a riot.
"They're rioting!" One of the officers yelled
"We've lost control!" Another shouted
Atlas and Montague put the Hourglass at full sail and sailed out of the harbor under the cover of the fog, with the Red Blur close behind them.
"It feels so weird piloting a vessel like this." Atlas said
"It feels weird being on a vessel like this." Montague added.
They eventually made their way back to the campsite to meet Melody. Melody was ecstatic to see the Hourglass again.
She practically screamed,
Atlas and Montague disembarked to meet her while Karma went back to bed.
"We got your ship back." Atlas said
"I can see, You've earned your pay." Melody replied as she gave Atlas a pouch of money.
"She handles like a dream, you're a lucky girl for having her." Atlas said in reference to the ship.
"I know, oh thank you daddy." Melody said before she hugged Atlas.
Atlas and Montague were completely thrown aback by this. In their confusion Melody walked out of their sight, when they turned around to see her she and the Hourglass were gone, vanished without a trace.