Alterra Worldbuilding Journal: An Enchanted Evening
Your party has been traveling by airship for ten hours, and so far it’s been smooth sailing. Normally the four of you wouldn’t be able to afford tickets for a luxury vessel like this, but you were able to work out a bargain with Captain Valen, the owner. You and your allies would be allowed to travel for a fraction of the cost, in exchange for helping the crew and defending the ship from airborne threats like dragons and air elementals.
Hopefully small air elementals, you think to yourself as you look down over the railing.
Not that the threat of falling is really an issue. Everyone on board, even the crew, was issued a swan-shaped ring when they boarded the airship. The ring will cause them to float to the ground as gently as a feather if they fall overboard, and even float on water indefinitely in case of a water landing. Too bad you have to return it when your party arrives at your destination, you remind yourself.
Thinking of your destination turns your thoughts inward. There’s no guarantee that Academie Arcana will provide any real leads for the mystery that’s already taken you across multiple continents. But at this point you’re convinced that the Academie is your only hope of getting any answers at all.
A chill gust of wind from the north makes you shiver, and you spin around in alarm for the eighth time in the last hour. Like the other seven times, it was nothing but a normal gust of wind. But that’s no guarantee for the ninth time.
You turn the swan ring on your finger and look to the other three corners of the ship where your companions are stationed on lookout. If they were attacked by an air elemental, the ring could put you in just as much danger of being blown into the stratosphere as anything else. The thought makes you grip the rope next to you with white knuckles.
A warm breeze behind you brushes across your cheek, causing your neck and shoulders to relax. And then you hear a deep, breathy voice in your ear.
“It seems tragic that a face like yours should wear an expression like that on an evening as lovely as this.”
Your heart skips a beat. The voice came from behind you. There shouldn’t be anything behind you except the railing of the ship and some clouds.
You turn around, though not as quickly as you did just a moment ago. There, standing on the railing of the airship, leaning casually against a rope, is a devastatingly attractive djinn.
It takes several seconds for your brain to wrap itself around the figure before you, starting your gaze low and working your way up.
Shiny black boots that go halfway up the calf, with striped pants tucked into them. A leather belt around the waist secures a cutlass to one hip and a spyglass to the other. A ruffled white shirt that’s mostly covered by the long red coat with gold trim that seems to billow gently in the wind.
And above the collar is a face of such confidence and mirth that you swear that in contrast it makes it seem as if everyone else you’ve ever met had something to hide. And this is the first time you’ve seen the face of any person who has nothing at all to hide. No doubt, no shame, no hesitancy.
And surrounding that magnificent magenta face is shoulder length hair that seems to burn like an orange fire as it dances in front of the setting sun and the airship full of sky pirates rising up from below...
Wait. What was that last part?
Oh dragon snot. You shake your head back to your senses. Where in the wide world did THEY come from?!
“Greetings to you all, my esteemed guests!” the djinn calls out as every conversation on deck goes silent. “For those of you not aware, my name is Captain Cinder. But since we’re all friends here, you may call me ‘Captain’ or ‘CC,’ if you wish. I am accustomed to keeping things familiar, so I hope you’ll choose whatever makes you most comfortable.”
Captain Cinder gives you a wink before walking past you, strolling into the center of the crowd of passengers. As Cinder’s airship rises level with yours, several members of their crew step casually across planks, with swords sheathed at their hips and relaxed smiles at their lips.
“Now I know what you’re all thinking,” the Captain continues. “You’re thinking, ‘That can’t really be THE Capatain Cinder, can it? I heard Captain Cinder was a handsome swashbuckler of a man with a voice like honey and a gaze that makes every young adolescent’s heart melt!’”
Switching to a deeper voice and different accent, the Captain goes on. “‘I heard Cinder was a rogue temptress with charms that could beguile even the most hardened mercenary or miserly merchant!’”
Shifting to the comically high pitched voice of a child, “I heard Captain CC has been the bestest pirate in the whole entire world for over 600 years! And that’s even older than my grandpa over there!’” At this last comment, Captain Cinder points to a white-haired moon elf in the corner and a chuckle begins to spread through the crowd.
“Well as you can plainly see,” says the Captain, returning to their original baritone voice, “you’re ALL right!” At this, the chuckling on board ignites into a burst of laughter from both passengers and crew.
“Ah what an enchanting occasion it is when two vessels of mutual affection should pass each other in a chance encounter such as this, among these golden clouds and ruby sunsets.”
“But speaking of gold and rubies, I now must lean upon this mutual affection of ours and speak of sparkling matters. Donations, to be precise! Gifts given by you out of your admiration and adoration, and accepted by me and my crew out of our gracious and grateful hearts. Here come the boxes, friends!”
You watch, dumbfounded, as the passengers on board happily deposit money purses and heirlooms into the open treasure chests the pirate crew carry politely to each person.
Occasionally you see Captain Cinder personally address one of the passengers. Wealthy women blush and smile flirtatiously as they remove their jewelry for the Captain. Noblemen make a show of removing more and more wealth from hidden compartments of their coats, as Cinder gives a look of feigned shock and an impressed gasp at each new gift. Despite the raid (or perhaps because of it) everyone seems to be in the best mood they’ve felt since the trip began.
In all the excitement, you can’t see your three companions at the other corners of the ship, but you’re sure they’re fine. Everyone seems fine! Even an air elemental would probably decide to join the party if it came along.
Finally, far too soon, the sun begins to dip below the horizon, and Captain Cinder begins to offer sweet farewells. They give their final goodbye to you, their first hello.
Captain Cinder leans in close. “I can see you have little to offer as a donation, but perhaps you would prefer to give me a different kind of gift?” Your heart skips another beat as they continue in a whisper, “My ship can deliver you anywhere you choose. And in the meantime we can enjoy some privacy to become better acquainted.”
You can feel every eye on board boring into you with envy at the intimate attention, but you’re not thinking about them. You’re thinking about your beloved back home and what might happen if you gave in to such an offer.
“No thank you,” you say quietly. You can manage to say nothing else. To your relief, the Captain gives you another warm, genuine smile.
“I see. It takes a very special kind of love to resist a spell of Charming as strong as mine. And it takes a very special kind of person to treasure that love so faithfully.” The Captain reaches inside their inner coat pocket and retrieves a crimson gem.
“This ruby is very special too. In its center it contains a spark of red dragon fire. But it can only be seen by one whose love burns as intensely as yours.”
The Captain’s smile becomes sad, but no less charming. “Once, a very long time ago, that ruby shone as brightly as a torch for me. Now it only flickers like a candle on its last bit of wick. I’d like you to have it.” You find yourself completely speechless as Captain Cinder places the jewel in your hand and gently closes your fingers around it.
After all of the pirates have returned to their ship and the planks have been raised, the Captain calls out to you one last time. “May the Elements protect you until you can deliver that gift to your own beloved! Farewell my friends!!” And then the ship sails through the air speedily away.
As the last of the daylight fades away over the horizon, a chill wind blows from the North again, and the resulting shiver causes many to shake their heads and gather their senses, though the effects of the spell still linger faintly.
“Captain...” you whisper to yourself. Then your eyes widen. “Captain!” you shout. Captain Valen, your captain, the captain of the ship you and your companions are aboard right now, the captain who hired you specifically to protect his ship from threats. How could you have failed him like that?!
You run across the deck of the ship, halting breathlessly when you find him. Your three companions are there too, looking as embarrassed and ashamed as you surely feel. But at least none of THEM were guarding the corner of the ship where the pirates actually boarded from.
All of you try to stammer your apologies at once. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know how we could’ve possible just stood there while-” But Captain Valen cuts all of you off with a wave of his hand.
“Relax,” he says. “Captain Cinder is a local legend in these parts, and with good reason. In all honesty, most of the wealthiest passengers on board booked this trip in the hopes that we’d be boarded.” Valen then adds with a wink, “Though I’d never tell Cinder or their crew that. They’d be furious if they thought they’d become predictable.”
“Then you’re not angry with us for not stopping them?” you ask.
“I’d have been flabbergasted if you did!” replies Valen. “I’ve been boarded by those pirates more times than I can count, and I’ve never had a member of my crew come anywhere close to stopping them. Why should I expect any differently from you four?”
“Though I’ll admit, THAT is new,” he says, pointing at the ruby still clutched in your hand. “That’s quite the valuable keepsake you’ve got there. How about a trade?”
“What?” you ask, taken by surprise.
“I’d be willing to let you keep that enchanted swan ring you’re wearing in exchange for the jewel,” he offers. “They’re not cheap, I can tell you. It will take me three months to earn back enough to replace it. But I think it’s a fair trade. Never fear drowning or heights for the rest of your life! What do you say?”
You look at the ring on your hand and consider the offer. You’ve always been a pretty strong swimmer, and the hights don’t really seem so bad anymore.
“No thank you,” you say for the second time that day.
Once you’re alone again, you gaze at the ruby in your hand and the scarlet light glowing inside like an ember. You sigh happily as you imagine delivering it safely to your own private treasure box back home. The only true love you’ll ever need.
