The world rolled past the humongous hull of the ship. She was impressive, a First-Rate Ship of the line with a crew of eight-hundred and seventy-two men and nineteen Boys First, Second, and Third Class. Twelve sails, one-hundred guns, and the Naria flag proudly mounted at the back of the ship. Everyone was in love with the ship, she was the first of her kind in the Naria Navy. What did the Commodore call her? Ah. He called her the Pride and Joy of the Navy, a ship built for fighting brutes and pirates. She was undefeatable, no pirate who encountered The Infinity ever walked as a free man again. She was a warship, and she was bloody good as well.
The Infinity was returning from a battle with some pirates who'd taken over a Naval frigate. Unfortunately, some of her coffins had been filled, and the crew had bid goodbye to some valuable members. Of course, there were pirate casualties and prisoners too. Luckily, there weren't too many Navy injuries as the crew had been filled with officers of the highest skill. They were the ones who survived when others didn't.
Also, their Captain played a part. He knew each person's skill and knew where they'd be best. He turned cooks into soldiers, plumbers into Ship's Master, and Boys Third Class into Midshipmen. The Captain knew how to unleash everyone's full potential, creating a crew from vastly different backgrounds, probably the only crew in the fleet who didn't care about Class divides. The Commodore didn't like that aspect too much, but it wasn't the Commodore's ship to command, it was the Captain's. Well, technically the Commodore commanded the Captain, but who cares? The Captain certainly forgot about that from time to time.
The Captain stood proudly outside his quarters, watching as the crew on the top deck of his ship bustled about. After a long month at sea, The Infinity would be docking. It had only taken so long because the pirates had kept the crew on their toes. But finally, the deed was done. Naria's Navy had been victorious.
The blueish waves had been relentless, rocking the ship at night and almost sweeping men overboard. Thankfully, there had been a slim amount of casualties from the weather. Finally, after docking at small towns on the coasts of unknown countries, they would be docking at the mainland.
News had reached the Captain that there was some big task waiting for him on the mainland. He wouldn't admit it, but he was nervous. News was never announced. He'd just turn up one day, have some shore leave, and get back on the open waters with a new mission. Now… now he wouldn't be staying as long. He'd probably spend a night or two on the mainland, tops. He'd talked it over with his crew, as they were a democracy, and they'd all agreed that they needed at least a night on dry land.
The Captain straightened his blue tailcoat. The mainland was visible now, especially the port. There were tall, industrial buildings looming in the distance, towering over anyone and everyone there. He couldn't really see them because they were so far away, but the Captain knew that each one would have Naria's flag flying from it, pledging allegiance to King Olivier, showing patriotism. The Captain couldn't really shun those who had the flag flying from their buildings because he had his flag flying from the back of his boat at all times, making him a moving target for pirates.
His lieutenant was barking orders at members of the crew. "Climb the rigging!" and, "Make sure those sails are catching the wind!" and a, "If you do that again, I'll personally make sure that you whip out your oar and start rowing!". The Captain smiled, Aki was a good lieutenant. If they both were pirates, Aki would technically be called 'First Mate'. The Captain had made that slip-up a few times.
The Captain turned on his heels and headed back into his quarters, everything seemed to be in order on his ship, and he had a report to finish before they got back to the mainland. He'd been procrastinating it since he'd caught the pirates. But, now he really needed to get it done.
Monday, 24th June,
The brutes have been subdued and are currently residing in our brigg until we reach the port. They've been putting up a fight ever since we saw them over by Wales, terrorising a poor fisherman. We'd been sailing for a month by that time, so one might think that it was fair that we caught them.
The battle hadn't exactly gone as one would have planned. Twenty-four members of the HMS Infinity had been injured or killed by the brutes. Fortunately, the Pyrate crew stood no chance. We've captured their Captain and their First Mate, so unless the rest of the crew rises from the dead, we've got a one-up on the disease that is pyracy. That being said, it's an infectious disease that spreads like American wildfire. Every day, experienced sailors are turning to piracy. I know you may be aware of one's disposition, but one does truly believe that Naria Navy do something to combat this.
During the battle, the brutes took my lieutenant as prisoner, holding him for ransom. Fortunately for us, he managed to fight his way out and defeat those who held him. You also know my opinion on this subject, but one would like to recommend Lieutenant Akim Brinah for the position of Captain for the next vacancy. Perhaps one's continuing recommendations will continue to influence your decisions, for one is the most respectable Captain in your fleet and knows that you value one's opinion. So, know of my Lieutenant's bravery, and one hopes that you think on this more.
One must be going now. One has to prepare the HMS Infinity for the docking.
Regards,
Captain Charles FitzRobert
The Captain stood and tucked his chair in. It had taken him quite a while to come up with those pompous words—high-class society was not his mother tongue. In all honesty, Narian wasn't even his native language. He'd grown up speaking Krylarian, a language from the country Kryl. For example, he didn't grow up saying, 'At once, Commodore.' He grew up saying, 'Kwìnyèt, Commodore'. Instead of saying, 'Follow that ship! Don't let them leave our sight!', he would say, 'Pàkwèlèn kyòkwòlò! Tlyòkèlyès sàkwekàny!' You get the picture. Anyway, he thought that he'd adapted and learned the language of the high-class society of Naria pretty well. Even his Commodore thought so.
He straightened his tailcoat and approached the door. They would inevitably be much closer to the mainland than he'd thought, he knew that. Charles had a way of losing track of time while he was by himself, it was a nasty habit, especially since he was the Captain of a ship. He opened the door, and jumped back a little when there was a person on the other side, their hand hovering in a fist where the door used to be.
"Midshipman Tobias! I didn't expect you." Charles put his hand over his chest, his heart rate was through the roof.
"Captain!" The Midshipman saluted. "Fàpyekwekàk sòlòmìk kìlèzèk." Midshipman Tobias Ivanov used to be a Boy First Class. He'd originally been a refugee from Kryl, so even though his Narian was up-to-scratch, Tobias preferred to speak in Krylarian to those he knew could understand him. What he had said was that they were approaching the dock.
"Màralè. Xalèkèf zòbòk tèn kwejekèf Sòlòmìkàzà tènsòlòmìk lènìzèf kwàlèvèzyakòmàz?" Charles asked. He had asked Midshipman Tobias if he wanted to say a quick prayer to their god, Solomikos, before they arrived at the dock.
Tobias nodded and stepped aside to allow Charles onto the deck.
"Sòlòmìk, pòzyefarès sìyakòmàz, (Solomik, protector of the seas,
Nekrekwadzevès efyeklopyamìk, Master of the winds and tides,
Sàkowèvès sìyakowakòmàz Guide us safely to our destination,
Kwalevès jilamìkàz emekòmìk." And bless us with your divine favour.)
It was customary for Krylans to say a prayer to the God of the Sea, Solomikos, before departing on a journey or entering a new port, asking for his protection and guidance. So far, Solomikos had never failed Charles. The prayer acknowledges Solomikos's power over the sea and his ability to control the winds and tides, and asks for his blessing on the voyage.
"Emek kwàlèz sàkowèvès zàkofès jilamìkàz tènlèn sòlòmìkìn, Captain." Midshipman saluted again, wishing good luck for the short remainder of the voyage.
Charles nodded and raised his hand, letting the Midshipman get back to his duties. It was a busy ship, after all, and it couldn't spare any man being from his post. Tobias was a good Midshipman, despite what others thought about Krylans. He worked hard to disprove stereotypes, just as Charles had done. In a way, although it brought an embarrassed colour to his cheeks, you could say that Charles was Tobias's idol.
One of the men shouted something and now Charles's attention was brought back to the land of the living. Aki was busy barking orders, but Charles stared ahead. The Naria flags that he had thought about earlier were finally visible, as was the smog. A thick blanket of grey coating the city, the air poisoned.
He walked down the steps and joined Aki at the front of the ship.
"Whereabouts will you be staying?" Charles asked, readjusting his naval hat. His first order of business was seeing the Commodore, and it was best to keep up appearances.
"With my wife and children, of course. I've not seen them in months." Aki smiled.
"Ah," Charles breathed. He forgot that Aki had a family and that he probably wouldn't be sleeping in inns and taverns for the majority of his shore leave. "That's good. Your girls will be excited to see you." He smiled.
"Hopefully…" Aki sighed. "What about you, Captain? Where will you be staying?"
Charles tensed a bit. He hadn't thought about the question being posed to him. It was a small thing sure, but if he said the wrong thing then Aki would open his doors to him and practically beg him to stay with him. He couldn't impose on that quality time. "With my sister." He didn't have a sister.
"You have a sister?" Aki raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I have a sister." Charles laughed and jabbed his Lieutenant in the side with his elbow.
"Not even going to lie, I thought you'd abandoned your family in Kryl." Aki returned his gaze back to the sea.
"I'm not a monster, Tim." Charles's tone dropped. Abandoned was a strong word, perhaps it was even the right word.
"Never said you were, Captain." The Lieutenant nodded. "That Tobias, he'll be initiated during his shore leave?"
Charles nodded. "Yes, I imagine he will be. A lot has changed during our month away."
The boat docked and the boarding plank dropped with a BANG! Charles, being the Captain, was the first to leave the ship. Dry land was unnatural after all his time out at sea. It was too still. Charles adjusted his hat again. The city was greyer than out at sea, but it would do.
As he passed navy men hauling boxes and crates onto considerably smaller ships, some men would tip their hats at him or just watch him as he went past. How could an immigrant get this far? Nevermind that, how could an immigrant from Kryl get this far? Krylans were Midshipmen, ordinary members of the crew, never Captain of the biggest, best, Naval warship against Pirates.
He brushed dust off of his shoulder. Charles didn't really need to look where he was going because he knew the route by heart. Other than the taverns and inns, the Navy command centre was the only place he went. It was expected that Charles would have some family, so the Navy hadn't made some quarters for him. After all, why would you run somewhere if you didn't have family there?
Charles pushed open the door to the building and walked up to the desk. A woman with blonde curls and sharply angled black glasses. She was typing one of those new typewriter-things that were imported from the Americas. Once she noticed that there was someone else in the room with her, she looked up and plastered a rather fake smile on her face.
"Good afternoon, Captain FitzRobert. I'm afraid the Commodore is in a meeting right now," She said. Her tone was insufferable, like she was trying too hard to appear happy. "I'd be happy to let you wait here until he's finished."
Charles nodded, not wanting to say anything to the receptionist as she clicked the keys on her typewriter. He couldn't imagine she was typing anything rather important, that was left for the secretaries in the back offices. So what on Earth could she be typing that was so important?
"Your ship's nice." She lifted her gaze from her work to Charles momentarily. This was probably an attempt at small talk to ease the tension in the room as he paced it.
"Thanks… Is that a typewriter? I didn't know we had those," Charles remarked. He was lying. They implemented them the day he left for his last mission.
"I don't expect that you'd have known, no." She scrunched up her face. "Kryl is rather backwards, no?"
He blinked at her. Did she just say what he thought she did? "I beg your pardon?" He asked.
"Kryl. It's a country full of pirates and savages. You were lucky to get out and become a distinguished gentleman." She nodded at him. "Good on you as well."
"I'm sorry?" He couldn't quite comprehend what she was saying. Did she just insult his entire country? She did, didn't she? Why was everyone so prejudiced against Kryl? Just as many pirates came from Naria as they did Kryl. What was so different about Kryl that made these people adopt such a nationalist mindset?
"Oh, it's no bother. I'd rather you than that barely civilised Midshipman Tobias. He's one of them that refuses to better himself, y'know? But you, well you're practically native." She smiled and shook her head slightly. "I don't have the faintest idea why you continue to surround yourself with people like that. I'm just glad there ain't any Krylan staff in this here building, I'll tell you that!" She laughed.
"What's wrong with Midshipman Tobias's use of our language? It's just a language." He didn't really know what to say. What could he say? It wasn't his first time encountering this type of conversation, but it certainly wasn't pleasant.
"He's just a bit… y'know." She bared her teeth and made herself look like a monster.
Charles narrowed his eyebrows at her. Who was she to talk about one of his crew like that? "He's one of the sweetest people I know, sweeter than you, that's for sure. Who're you to talk about people like that, as far as I know, the people of Kryl are more civilised than you or anyone in your goddamn building."
She tilted her head and sighed. "You're getting a bit worked up, Captain. Maybe you need to stay longer, interact with more civilised people."
Charles raised his hand and turned to leave. "Don't you dare fuckin' tell me what I need to do."
He strode towards the main door and put his hand on the doorknob. He'd visit the Commodore later when she wasn't on shift.
"Captain!" A man's voice rang out behind him. "Why're you leaving so early, mate?"
Charles's hand withdrew from the doorknob and he relaxed a little. His Commodore had finally finished his meeting and he could get out of this reception. Charles turned around to face the man. He was in his thirties, young for a Commodore, and his blond hair was neatly trimmed. Some mistook the Commodore for being Charles's father. Charles always responded to that with, If only I were so lucky. He wore the same blue tailcoat as Charles, only the Commodore's was embellished with a few more medals.
The Commodore guided Charles to his office and invited him to sit down. It was late afternoon and Charles had barely eaten anything, so he was thankful for the seat. "I understand you captured a few high-profile brutes?" He asked, smiling at Charles's accomplishment.
"The capture isn't solely my victory, Commodore, it's my crew's. I shouldn't be held responsible for achievements that aren't my own." Charles tried not to be insubordinate while explaining this. He'd grown used to a month on the ship, speaking with slang and getting rid of 'insubordination'.
"I'll keep that in mind. Do you have your report?" He held out his hand, and a folded-up piece of parchment was placed into it. "I understand a boy from your ship has qualified to be a Midshipman, you must be proud, especially considering he's one of your own." He smiled. There was no malicious intent like the receptionist.
"Tobias is an exceptional boy. I am proud, yes, but not surprised." Charles chuckled to himself.
"Well, it certainly takes me back to those two months that you were a Boy Second Class on my ship." The Commodore relaxed in his chair. "Nobody said that you would ever qualify because of your status, but here you are, top of the fleet!" He clapped his hands together. "How's the ship?"
Charles looked out of the window to his left. He could see the front of the HMS Infinity from there. "She's been through many-a-storm, but there's little-to-no repairs needed. She's a sturdy ship."
The Commodore sighed. "Built to last, that girl. Well, I've got a new mission for you."
"No, 'if you choose to accept it' this time?" Charles laughed.
"You don't really have a choice, mate. Comes straight from the crown." The Commodore nodded to show that he was serious.
"From the crown?" Charles repeated. He was never requested specifically, especially never from the King.
The Commodore nodded again. "King Olivier himself. He was sent news saying that the Duchess of Achea has been kidnapped and held for ransom by pirates." His voice sounded rather solemn. "Well, the request was passed to the Piracy division, and obviously your reputation precedes you." Charles listened attentively for the rest of the speech that he knew the Commodore was going to make. "She was on her way to a conference here in the mainland, I'm also told she was going to attend a ball. Anyway, she was travelling by fishing boat as to appear inconspicuous, but some high-profile pirates were tipped off by god-knows-who, and most of the crew were slaughtered. The Duchess and a fisherman were kidnapped and are being held for ransom. We can't guarantee that those pirates will deliver on their end of the bargain, and King Olivier has specifically requested that we use force to retrieve her."
Charles blinked at the Commodore. "Andrei, I'm gonna speak freely. They kidnapped the Duchess and Olivier wants to do nothing before going to force? Surely they'd just hurt her when we got there?"
"I don't know. Your orders don't come from me. The Crown has given you two days before you have to get on the open waters and find her again. The pirates are aboard The Spoiler, so we can only guess that it's-"
"Jack?" Charles pinched his nose bridge. The past has a way of running up behind you and grabbing you by the throat.
"Mhm."
"I can't refuse this, can I?"
"Not really… I'm truly sorry."