Author's note:
Hiyya people, welcome to the Flame of the Ocean! Now, I originally wrote this story in Hungarian, but I have decided to finally translate it down to English by myself, so some mistakes are bound to show up here and there. Please, do not be afraid to point them out, I'd really like to be able to eliminate these problems in the future! :3
I first started this story as a sort of practice session to hone my writing skills, so early on I had absolutely no idea of what to expect from the plot, hence the short Episode One. Just went along with the flow of the narrative, until I eventually managed to build up a working storyline after the events of Episode 2.
Hope you'll enjoy it!

The Flame of the Ocean

Episode 1

The Call of the Ocean

"Tales and stories have always been loyal partners of humanity throughout history. Legends and myths were passed on, songs and chants of angelic choirs warmed the hearts of people, and the quiet whispering of gossips and rumors flew along with the wind. Just like hasty flames, these works, which have immortalized these events, spread across the world on a daring quest to consume most of this earthly soil. Thousands of men and women love to read such fables, but how must it feel like to be actually part of one? Wonder if those, whom such anecdotes are conjured of, ever thought, that odes will be telling their heroic deeds to the ears of the next generation?"

A story just like this was about to unfold its entangled threads, whose hero was a young woman, or more likely just a mere girl, as it was only eighteen years ago when she first saw of this world. Not a special person, not by a long shot. Her father was a simple blacksmith, while her mother was working at the local tavern. She has had an older brother, but sadly, he was forced to flee the country he called his home. A few years back, he was caught in a shady conflict with the empire that have held together the whole continent since age untold, and so in order to escape the merciless nature of death, he had no other choice, but to take a boat and leave for the wild archipelagos.

The rich landmasses of the Meridian Ocean have always been resistant to the greedy hunger of this iron fist, and so the lawless nature of these calm waters proved to be the perfect shield for anyone who sought the freedom of the endless blue skies.

At the end of a long and busy day, news came to the family at sunset, informing them that someone issued a major bounty on the head of their one and only son. After the brief shock, her parents immediately ordered Ágnes to go and find her dear brother at all costs and bring him back to the safety of the warm hearth at last, before it would be too late to act. She did not have any questions or qualms, neither doubts nor hesitation. The life of her brother was at stake here, she understood that much, and was ready to give in all the strength she could offer to complete the task that was set out for her.

When the sun once again rose above the horizon, she put on her favorite clothes - a red shirt with red pants, which had numerous patches on it already -, and set out for the big world, but not before biding farewell to her loving family. Her first stop was the neighboring port, where she had high hopes for finding a suitable transport to the archipelagos.

The city was bursting with life. Hundreds of people walked the dusty roads, some of them were carrying bags and even large wooden boxes on their shoulders, working like ants to have at least a bit of a coin on the table. Loud echoes of clattering hooves filled the air as carriages rushed through the streets, all while keen-eyed seagulls cried out along with the bells of the harbor, composing an unforgettable symphony that no orchestra could ever emulate. The scent of salty water have enveloped the very being of the girl, and she had a strange feeling, that if she boards one of these ships right now, she will never be able to wash off this uncanny smell from her body. She felt so that she will never be able to let go of the sea ever again... and that neither will the sea let go of her...

Nevertheless, she pushed aside these wavering thoughts that were distracting her, and continued on. Dust and mud have crawled up on her smooth, bare feet, as she ran through the docks looking for a bulletin board or an advertisement, something that would lead her to a suitable vessel, but all of her efforts were in vain. There was a whole armada of ships floating helplessly on the playful waves, but none of them fulfilled the desire of her young heart. Only a small merchant brig was available, about to transport some valuable goods to the Onyx Archipelago. A fine choice, if not for one major problem... Say what you will, the merchants are unlike your common ferries, they do not transport people. But what else choice was available for her to choose from? Without any other options left to be considered, Ágnes took a few steps towards an unusually bulky man, who was seemingly ordering everyone around, and tried to apply for a one-way trip to the ocean. The captain was more than surprised of the sudden encounter, but he had still denied the girl's senseless request. Ágnes received this with harsh, mixed feelings of loss and anger. She kept on asking him again and again, but eventually it all came down to desperate begging. Even so, the captain was adamant not to allow lazy kids to step on board.

Of course, she could always turn her back on them, leave and try to find some other way to the ocean, but at that time, the chance for this possibility was still unclear for her, shrouded in the haze of doubt. Unforeseen, Ágnes' mind was engulfed by a sudden outburst of fury and rage. How will she be able to complete any of her goals in life, if she were to fail right at the start? She turned around and stepped to a small crate in an attempt to lift it. She wanted to prove to the man in front of her, that she is not helpless, a spoiled child no longer, but a valuable and hard-working person, who could help around the ship over the course of their travel. The captain got curious - and slightly amused -, as he watched Ágnes' desperate struggle against the wooden crate... which despite its seemingly low volume was filled to the brim with heavy clothing ready to be sold at the end of the route. He saw the determination in her eyes, the lonely teardrop of desperation, which has escaped onto the surface, yet against all seriousness, he let out a small, almost unnoticeable chuckle upon seeing the girl's futile attempts in even budging the crate.

"Get on board!" called to her at last with his deep, yet warm, fatherly voice. He was still not in favor of the idea of bringing her along, but judging by her actions, whatever her motives may be; her wish is indeed genuine. "The route will be a week long, food and drink bare minimal, daily fifteen coins payment, if you do valid work. Will you accept it?"

Out of pure surprise, the girl did not even understand at first what the aging has man said. When she at last came to the realization of the fact that she was accepted, she just smiled at her new captain and wiped off the sparkling teardrops from her beautiful face. After that, it did not even take half an hour for the ship to finally be done loading and raise the anchor from the depths of crowded bay. Ágnes stood on the stern of the ship, staring at the slowly fading town behind them. The winds played with her crimson red hair, as she once again bid farewell to her parents, this time only in her thoughts. The journey will be long and time is of the essence. The chance of finding her brother decreased with each day, she knew that, making this seemingly already impossible task even harder to accomplish.

"The Meridian Ocean..." she mumbled to herself in a quiet tone, so that no one else would hear it, and then smiled upon the clouds. "I am coming for you, you dummy!"