Magic, Pirates, and The Woods

Chapter 3 :The Emerie

Fin's heavy steps marched up the bridge to the Emerie. The amber wood that made up the ship’s hull gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Streaks of the wood’s fiber resembled the color of honey. Making the ship seem as if it had been layered with fine streaks of gold.

The sturdy ship was the first of its kind, made from a native tree only found in The Woods. Imbued with magic and enhanced by the owner’s mana. This ship allowed Fin, Kalista, and the appointed soldiers of The Woods militia branch to scout and investigate the land of Sendia.

Kalista was the last to board the mighty ship. As she made the final step onto the deck, soldiers gave her a curt nod and began hoisting the bridge off of the mainland. She weaved through the busying members of the upper deck, narrowly avoiding the large cannons evenly spaced on the ships side. The vessel was home to 48 crew members, not including herself or Fin. With so many aboard, it was crucial that everyone worked in tandem. Especially since the captain refused to deal with anything besides perfection.

She continued to walk towards the quarterdeck where her husband stood with Cecile, his right hand. She stood just below his shoulders but was a stout woman nonetheless. Her hair smoothed back into a neat braid. She looked almost too lovely to be known as such a fearsome warrior. She listened intently as he discussed their next destination.

Kalista strode up to Fin and patiently waited for him to finish. She watched as he pointed to the island in the middle of the ocean. Nodding to Cecile, she then gave a quick salute and proceeded to relay the orders to the rest of the crew.

"Back home then?"

Kalista questioned as she peaked over Fin's arm and eyed the map in his hand. He glanced back at her and shifted his stance so that she could see the map. "Yes, as you can see, this expedition seems to have taken us much farther onto the mainland than I anticipated." He said while gesturing to the northeastern area of Sendia. "Judging by the weather conditions, I would estimate it will take us at least a fortnight to make the journey home." Kalista stared at the map and reached to walk her fingers from their approximate location to the island on the map. "Don't you think if I opened my flow of mana, we could make the trip in half the time?" She asked in a loving voice.

Fin looked down at her, quickly rolling up the map and sliding it into the canister that hung from his belt. "You know that isn't necessary." He replied in a brisk voice. "Besides, won't it be nice to spend a little extra time together before we have to attend to more business." He whispered suggestively as he turned to wrap her much smaller frame up into his arms. Kalista looked up at Fin through her thick lashes and gave him a smirk. "Why, of course, captain." She knew arguing would get her nowhere and angering Fin when they had so many days left to travel would make for quite an unpleasant voyage.

Appeased by her quick agreement, he leaned down to express his enthusiasm. Tangling one hand into her wavy black hair and sliding his other to her lower back. He kissed her neck as he squeezed her into the cold metal of his armor.

"Ahem," coughed Cecile "We are ready to depart on your orders sir." Fin looked up at his First Mate, irritation clear in his eyes. Loosening his hold on Kalista, she sighed and straightened her wrinkled tunic. "I'll wait for you in our quarters." She breathed out. Fin bowed his head to her in dismissal and returned his attention to Cecile. "Alright, let's head home."