#River Elvania
The sank below the green plains lending the world into a temporary darkness. The bright light of the moon was also noticeably absent on this night. The only source of illumination was tiny lanterns which meant the river was especially dangerous on this night. Creeping up the river banks were a duo of pirate ships. One was the medieval galley the Lover's Light and the other was a beaten old trireme with tattered sails and chipped wood.
Captain Mankin and his first mate Raylin meet at the helm of the Lovers Light.
"Didn't think you'd see me again did ya." Aulgar said in a hardy tone.
"It's been a while, old friend." Mankin said as he shook his hand.
Aulga looked down onto the petty trireme and said.
"Not much more than a bundle of twigs."
"Hey, that ship has survived three hundred years of sailing in these waters." Raylin snapped back.
"She's survived three hundred years sailing on river water. She's in no way seaworthy."
"Smart eye lass. She's a riverboat by design. My great grandfather had her built to haul freight up the river."
"She could only survive in Elvania, Oceanlandia fisherman would've punched a whole in her."
"Enough!" Auglar shouted
Aulgar turned to Makin and asked
"What are we doing here?"
"Rumors are that the Elvanian navy used privateers to capture a Man O War from the Sannussian Navy. We fear they could reverse engineer it and begin to make their own." Mankin answered
"With modern sailing technology Aultral could become a serious threat to anyone who flies the black flag."
"Exactly, so I've called you here to help stop them. They're up this river."
"Explains the heavy presence of the imperials."
"Indeed."
Mankin and Raylin went back to their ship and both ships began to slowly navigate up the river. As they went they saw a merchant ship sailing on the opposite side that sailed past them. They came up to a small castle tower on the embankment of the river with a sentry standing guard.
"Shite, we won't be able to go any further with our ships." Aulgar said.
Aulga looked out over the bow with the spyglass to see a small stone fortress on the river bank with a massive ship docked next to it. She rushed frantically to her brother and whispered in his ear.
"I've spotted the ship."
"We'll need to go by boat." Aulgar replied.
Captain Mankin, Raylin, Aulga, and Aulgar all piled into a small rowboat and managed to navigate through the blind spots of the watchtower's sight.
They rowed up to the Man O War without attracting any attention. Aulga lunged into the water and swam up to the rudder of the ship and she placed a bomb. All without detection she swam back to the rowboat. Just as she reached it a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the air.
"Pirates!" Someone shouted.
At that very moment a light flashed onto their rowboat. A moment later a loud boom was heard and to everyone's surprise the rowboat exploded into splinter. Aulgar, Rayling, and Mankin were all dragged under with the force of the cannonball that punched through the boat.
Musket fire then came down like raindrops. Aulga divided below the waterline. She found her brother who was unconscious underwater and grabbed him. She used all of her strength to drag him to the surface. Just as they appeared above the water line a massive ship pulled up right next to them taking the brunt of the enemy fire.
A white man with few teeth in his smile and dirt covering his body reached out to her.
"I got ya Captain." The man said as he grabbed her Aulgar from her hands. It was the Lovers Light. The man tried to extend his hand to Aulga until she said.
"No! I have to save the others!"
She dived below the water muting the sounds of the battle going on on the surface. She managed to find Raylin who was lying unconscious on the riverbed she grabbed him and immediately swam to the surface. She handed him to the man reaching for them. Raylin was cold and not breathing but he had a faint heartbeat.
Aulga was about to take the dive again when a massive force threw her against the wooden hull of her ship. Nearly squishing her like a bug.
A massive fireball ripped the back portion of the Man O War in half and pieces of flaming wood rained down on the area. Aulga, now unconscious, began to slowly sink below the water until she was grabbed by the pirate.
When she came to, she was surrounded by her brother and Raylin.
"Oh thank the Gods you're alive." Aulgar said
"I couldn't save Mankin." She said
"It's okay." Aulgar said, embracing her.
Raylin looked out over the starboard stern gazing at the old Trireme that was now his to captain.
"It's yours now. Captain Raylin." Agar said in a somber tone.
"Aye, Captain Raylin. I think I could get used to being called that. I'll rename her, the Mankin. " Raylin replied.
"It's an honorable name." Aulga added.
"I can already hear the stories now. The stories of the fierce Captain Raylin and the Mankin. Raylin said"