A gust of wind whips its way through the sails of the Ivory Marauder, rocking the ship to one side. It slowly tilts the other way, rebalancing. At the helm stands a small, human woman. She wears white serpent scale knight armor from the chest down. Locks of golden hair fall loosely out of a messy bun on the top of her head and into her face, covering her sea green eyes. A white captain's hat with a single black feather sticking out of the top sits upon her head. A coat of the same color drapes down from around her shoulders, shielding her from the cold, ocean winds. This coat is her status, her title, her name. Whitecoat.
"Captain!" Nickers, one of her loyal knights, rushes to Whitecoat's spot at the helm from the lower decks. "Quick! A message from the king!"
"Tomias?" She steps down, Nickers bowing to her as she sweeps past him and below deck, into a room with a sign hanging from it. The word Communications is painted across in red letters.
Surely enough, the transponder crystal is furiously blinking red. A large machine next to the transponder crystal is spitting out a scroll. At the bottom of the scroll, Whitecoat sees the royal insignia of the king. Whitcoat snatches it and begins to examine the contents:
King Tomias of Ardent
Monarch's Keep
To Captain Whitecoat,
Commander of the White Knights of Ardent
Captain Whitecoat,
I hope this missive finds you in good health and high spirits, for the gravity of its content demands your undivided attention and swift action. It is with a heavy heart that I must convey a matter of utmost urgency, a stain upon the honor of our beloved kingdom that cannot be ignored.
Regrettably, I bring forth news that First Knight Arathor, of Amacedia, has met an untimely demise within the confines of the Tower of Abell. The circumstances surrounding this tragedy are deeply troubling and demand the immediate intervention of the White Knights of Ardent, the stalwart defenders of our realm.
It has come to my attention, through reliable sources within our intelligence network, that the perpetrator responsible for this heinous act bears ties to our military, mentioning the White Knights of Ardent by name. The malevolent actor is said to have committed this act with intent, cunningly exploiting their position within the organization.
I beseech you, Captain Whitecoat, to launch a thorough investigation into this matter with the utmost discretion and diligence. The Tower of Abell must be cleansed of any traitorous elements, and those responsible for the murder of the First Knight must be brought to swift justice.
Furthermore, I entrust you with the task of fortifying the security measures within the White Knights of Ardent to prevent further compromise, as well as determining a suitable successor for the late Arathor. The honor and integrity of our esteemed order must be preserved at all costs.
May your courage guide you in the pursuit of truth and justice, Captain Whitecoat. The fate of Ardent rests upon your shoulders.
Yours in solemn duty,
King Tomias of Ardent
King of the Kingdom of Ardent
Whitecoat clenches her teeth and hovers over the scroll for a moment. One person comes to mind, the one person bold enough to kill a city official. Renald.
"Men!" She yells, stepping back onto the upper deck. "We have new orders!"
"Captain?" Nickers and the others gather around Whitecoat, awaiting their commands. "Where are we headed?"
"We set sail for the capital!" She closes her eyes and thinks about Renald. "We have to pay a visit to an old friend."
"We're going home, boys!" The crew celebrates, drinking and dancing, cheering at their captain's orders.
"Hoist the anchor!" Whitecoat returns to her position at the ship's helm. "Man the sails! We depart for Vertalara immediately!"
"Yes, Captain!" The crew salutes and prepares the ship for departure.
Even Whitecoat's happy to be heading home, after all, it's been almost a year. She can't shake the feeling that Renald is back to his old ways again, doing the same things that forced Whitecoat to strip him of his rank and title as a Knight. She takes a deep breath. Whether this murderer was Renald or someone else, they would find out soon enough.