A canopy of dark clouds filled the night sky, flickering with the crack of lightning. Sheets of rain and sleet battered against the deck, yet the men stood still at the railing, gazing across the rolling sea.
Captain Arven stood at the prowess, the wrinkles around his eyes twitching as he squinted. Despite his many years, it was rare for him to come across a shipwreck. Especially one at the edge of the world.
A league away, a foreign ship sat adrift, with jagged stones pierced through its storage hold. The icy waters beat against its hull, while the frigid wind tore at the tattered sails. A heavy fog clung to its deck, hiding most of the damage, and the abyss that laid beyond.
Try as the Captain might, he found his gaze kept returning to the ships strange figurehead. A foul beast, carved with scales and fur, rising from a den of stone.
His first mate shifted from foot to foot, the sea frost crunching beneath his boots.
"Do you see what I mean, Captain? Have you ever witnessed such a horrid creature?" Elwen asked, tightening his jacket. "Its unnatural... And I need not mention the stones plunged through the ship, do I? F9r that to happen, the ship would have had to come from the abyss itself."
Captain Arven's knuckles whitened as he gripped the railing, but he shook his head. "Come now, Ellen. You're allowing your worries to run wild. You know as well I that nothing lies beyond the fog. How would a ship have sailed from there?"
"Perhaps you have a point..." Elwen said. He bit his chapped lips. "What would you have us do?"
The captain scratched the grey stubble growing along his chin, and eyed the ship with a wary gaze. "For now, we'll change course, and check for survivors. If there are any, I want to know who they are, and what they're doing out here. If not, we'll gather what we can and burn the ship."
Elwen frowned. "Are you certain that's wise? What if there's a-"
Arven arched his brow, and Elwen lowered his head.
"Aye, Captain. I'll get the men set on course."
Arven stood back as Elwen called out the new orders to the crew, and the ship tilted, carving its way through the waves. Overhead, the storm raged on, brightening for a brief second with a bolt of lightning, before falling dark again as the roar of thunder echoed off the sea.
As they neared the wreckage, splinters of wood and loose debris knocked against the bow. The waves rose and fell with eerie shadows as the men swung their lanterns out, hoping not to need the piles of ropes and ladders set at their feet.
Those with more experience took it upon themselves to grab hooks and bring out the gangplank, each one awaiting the signal to board. Elwen held up his hand and glanced at Captain Arven. When he gave a slight nod, the first mate waved his hand, and the hooks were cast, arcing over the sea.
Each man held his breath as the first few lines splashed into the waves, falling just short. Then, a series of thumps resounded as the rest clattered onto the ship's deck, before snapping taut as they caught on the stairs and railings.
Arven descended to the main deck as the two ships were pulled together. Elwen followed behind, fidgeting with the threads on his sleeves. He jumped as the gangplank thumped, bridging the gap, and glanced around.
"Captain. Are you certain we should do this? Surely, if there had been survivors, we would have heard them by now."
Arven rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "They could be injured, and unable to call out. There's only one way to be certain. If you'd prefer, you can remain here and keep an eye out for anyone we might have missed."
Elwen rubbed his palms while furrowing his brow. After a moment, he glanced at Arven's sword, before shaking his head. "No… No, I think I'll go with you."
"Very well. Choose eight of the men, then, and follow me," Arven said. The gangplank creaked beneath his boots. "And have them bring the cloth wraps. I don't know what we'll find over there, but I'd like to be prepared."
The knotted plank wobbled as Arven crossed over, the seawater splashing his legs. The pale light of his lantern cast the ship with a sick glow, worsened by the squeal of rusted hooks and pulleys. Several icicles fell as he grabbed a rope to step down, shattering as they hit the deck.
"Hello? Is anyone there? We're a merchant ship under the employment of the Faldersel harbor officials." Arven swung his lantern, watching the shifting shadows. "Hello?"
Silence answered his call as he scanned the debris strewn across the deck, and the strange figurehead, whose beady gaze seemed to follow him. He scowled, and took a few steps forward, only to pause as something cracked beneath his boot.
Beneath his foot were the remains of a stone rat, snapped in two and chiseled from an unfamiliar black stone. Arven picked up the front half, amazed at the detail put into its whiskers and crooked teeth.
'Perhaps they're a cargo ship, transporting sculpted goods,' Arven thought. Frowning, he tossed the rat aside as Elwen and a quarter of his crew climbed onto the ship, quietly mumbling amongst themselves.
"Have you found anyone yet?" Elwen asked, peering up and down the ship.
"No, but it's clear it hasn't been long since they ran ashore," Arven said. He kicked over a crate, spilling withered apples across the snowy deck. "I'd say it's been about a week, at most, so there may still be people aboard. I want everyone to start searching the ship, and let me know if you find anyone or anything. Elwen, you're to accompany me to the captain's quarters."
"Aye, Captain," Elwen said. He trailed behind as Arven ducked beneath a fallen mast, and made his way across the deck.
As they approached the stern, Arven studied the unusual vessel. The dark wood planks were cut from a tree he didn't recognize, and the craftsmanship far surpassed any he had seen before, even on the vessels used by nobility.
"There's something off about this ship, Captain," Elwen said, keeping close behind. As they climbed the staircase to the quarter deck, he gestured towards the wheel. "Like those, there, along the base of the pedestal. Don't those look like runes to you?"
Arven knelt beside the wheel, and brushed away the snow. The symbols hidden beneath were strange and twisted, carved from a language he didn't recognize. His fingers tingled as he stood.
"You're right," Arven said. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he eyed the door leading towards the captain's quarters. A broken lantern hung above it, encrusted in ice. "Stay on guard. I expect we'll find something in there."
"Don't you think we should leave?" Elwen asked. He stood fixed beside the stairs. "What if the ship belongs to the Ashfolk or the Urcrest. They'd tear us apart if they caught us."
"The Ashfolk have never come this far from their mountains, and the Urcrest fear the water. The Halls of Osyras would fall before they step foot on a ship," Arven said. He frowned. "Besides, we still need to figure out what happened here. I'll need to write a report when we reach Telmuth."
Elwen rubbed his arm as he lowered his gaze. "As you wish, Captain."
Arven gave a slight nod, then handed his lantern to Elwen, and approached the door. After checking the edges for any locks, he gave it a slight push, but it refused to budge.
"Perhaps you need to put more strength into it," Elwen said, raising the lantern.
"Perhaps…" Arven frowned, and gripped the bronze handle. Leaning back, he rammed his shoulder into the wood, and broke the seal with a crack. As it open, a foul odor spilled from the room, reeking of death.
"Bloody Hells, what is that?" Elwen asked, reeling back. He covered his nose with his jacket, and swung the lantern around, illuminating the ruined quarters.
Tattered parchment and faded scrolls littered the scarred floor, while jagged gashes split the walls and ceiling. A cracked glass window adorned the far back wall, overlooking the wild sea. Shards of glass crinkled beneath Arven's boots as he made his way through the room, ignoring the rancid smell. Elwen lingered outside, still covering his face.
"Captain, I don't think this ship wrecked naturally."
"Nor do I," Arven said, stopping before a desk fastened to the center of the floor. The fetid corpse of a man slumped in the seat behind it. A shard of stone pierced his sunken chest. "I fear we may have stumbled across something we shouldn't have. Elwen, bring me the lantern."
As Elwen trudged over, the light caught on a charcoal map, stuck to the wood. Arven frowned, and peeled it away, avoiding the dried blotches staining the edges. His wrinkles deepened as he flipped it over, and held it closer to the lantern. The map outlined a foreign world, vastly different from the one he knew, including its own sea routes, landscapes, and kingdoms.
"Say, do you recognize any of these lands?"