I decided to clean up the prologue a bit (I kinda stunned myself when I reread it a second time) and go ahead and finish it since I felt I hadn't delivered a prologue that fit the story. If you've read it before, please reread it to see if you prefer the changes.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SPYRO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Prologue: Surprise at Sea
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The salty spray of water splashed across the face of the young cabin boy as he gazed about the ship, his interest fully on the men preparing the ship for conflict. At the helm near the stern of the ship, the First Mate shouted orders to the men on deck and also yelled up to the men in the rigging as they worked to unfurl the sails. The young boy heard his name and turned to face the Quartermaster who smiled at him.
"Willy, head to the grand cabin and inform the Captain we have a ship in our sights."
Willy nodded excitedly and rushed across the deck and all but vaulted down the hatch to the second deck. Then, passing by several of the officer's cabins, he reached the Captain's cabin in the very end of the ship and knocked three times as was the custom. A mild bass voice boomed from behind the glass inlaid oak doors.
"Yes? What is it?" Willy smiled and opened one of the doors to peer in.
"You're needed on deck Cap'n. Quartermaster says there's a ship in our sights." The Captain, a large, broad shouldered man turned and gave the boy a smile.
"I'll be along shortly. Now then, man your post." Willy nodded, closed the door and left, leaving the Captain to his thoughts as he proceeded to don his coat.
Jacob Edwards was a sea captain unlike most in his profession. While most Captain's preferred to flash around their prizes and heroics, he was generally mild and never wore any true finery, unless you count the silver device with a red cross that he always used to secure his gun belts to his overcoat.
He was also a man that, despite an overall jovial and carefree attitude, he preferred to dress somberly. He donned his favorite breeches, shirt, vest, and then his coat, all of which was dyed midnight black with accents of red and silver marking it. He also grabbed his hat, placed it atop his unkempt mess of windblown black hair, and then nodded to himself in the mirror.
Around his waist, Jacob fastened a broad studded leather belt which held not only the scabbard for his saber, but also a short boarding axe, and a dagger, as well as holsters for a brace of pistols. Then, over his coat, he pulled the twin belt on and fastened it together with the device. Each belt had a pouch that sat under his arms holding ammunition and also held two holsters for another brace of pistols.
Now, it was true that the old mainstay of the navy, the single shot rifle and pistols of old had been abandoned in favor or new revolver-style weapons. Still, Jacob had been taught by the legendary Captain Whitbach that it was always better to have more than just a single brace of pistols.
As he fastened the revolvers into their holsters, he heard the drums upon the deck as the beat to quarters resounded above and he flung open the doors with a smile and accended to the deck. As he came up on deck, men gave him a respectful nod and some even saluted him even though that truthfully was not warranted but still appreciated.
Captain Jacob Edwards, like his mentor, Captain Alfred 'Whiteback' Whitbach, were privateers employed by Her Majesty, Queen Isabella de Gracy, ruling monarch of the small recently independant nation of Altisia. The mission of Captain Edwards and his ship, the fast clipper Maelstrom, to capture and/or sink any and all vessels flying the colors and ensigns of Emperor Augustus Maximillian Rodriguez Torune, ruler of the aggressive Torunese Empire.
The majority of his crew had sailed with him since his Father had lived. Some of the older men remembered when he was young and a cabin boy himself and never held their tongues when they felt he was going to make a mistake. Some of the newer faces were members of the Royal Marines, a new military branch created by Her Majesty to protect ships that flew her colors in the event of boarding another ship or in the (unlikely) event that the ship itself was boarded.
Jacob reached the wheel and took the spyglass from the Quartermaster and focused on the ship that, true to Willy's words, was almost dead ahead of them. The nameplate on the stern read 'Cruel Fate' and Jacob could see the men on deck were rushing about frantically. Then, he noticed the shape of the hull, the masts, and the emblems in her sails and scowled.
Of all the nations of the world, the Torunese Empire was the only nation that practiced slavery. The Imperial Slave Fleet would send ships to these far flung ports loaded with gold and other riches, representatives would disembark, explore areas like slums, orphanages, and similar places, and then, through crooked buisnessmen, would purchase these people and then load them onto the slave ship, chained, and return to the Empire where auctions would be held, awarding the slave on the block to the highest bidder.
It didn't matter: male or female, young or old, black or white, or anything else. If there was a profit to be made, the practice would continue.
The Maelstrom's First Mate and Quartermaster both had been on the block once during their lives and still bore the scars of their mistreatment. They themselves had been rescued by Jacob's Father back when he was more pirate than privateer. They had earned their keep about the ship and proved capable hands and now they were Jacob's best advisors on how to proceed. Seeing Jacob's scowl, the Quartermaster, Victor Finch, turned to him.
"What's wrong Captain?" Jacob pointed to the ship.
"She's a Torunese slaver. Judging by the activity on her deck, she has to be at least half full of people." The First Mate, Makal Tering, scowled as well.
"We can't open fire on her for risk of injuring those trapped aboard. We need a different plan." Jacob nodded and then glanced to the sails and smiled.
"A slave ship has a top speed of sixteen knots in good weather, right?" Both men nodded. Jacob then pointed to the slaver.
"The Maelstrom is the fastest ship in the Altisian Navy running at almost twenty knots in good weather. We can outrun them easily." Jacob looked over the forward railing to the Commander of the Marines who saw his glance and saluted.
"The vessel ahead is a slaver Commander Wallace, have the men prepare to board. We'll come alongside her, tie off on her, board and take her." Commander Wallace nodded, snapped a salute and then began barking orders to the Marines and the sailors also on defence detail which (since they weren't using their cannons) included the entire gun crew on the deck.
Jacob took his place at the helm and called for attention from his crew.
"Gentlemen, we are going after a slave ship. This ship, like all slavers, flies the banner of the Torunese Empire. As you all know, our Letter of Marque from our beloved Queen states that we have permission to engage, capture, and loot any vessel that flies those colors. However, I feel that Her Majesty would not like it too much if we brought a vessel, designed from the keel up to traffic human cargo, into one of her ports." There was a chorus of 'no' and 'nay' from the crew and he nodded.
"Which is why, once we have the people being held captive safely aboard, as well as whatever cargo and valuables may be in her hold transferred to ours, and the crew of the slaver in the brig, we shall scuttle the ship. As much as I abhor the idea of tainting the ocean with such a filthy wreck, regretably, it must be done. Now then, I say we get to it, capture that ship, and set the mother of all fires under Emperor Maximillian's big, fat ass!"
The cheers of approval turned into a roar as Jacob adjusted the wheel so that the Maelstrom was just a little off center of the slave ship and the crew unfurled the ship's secret weapons. Twin sets of special booms extended out over the sea from special grooves on the main and mizzen masts. Crews then manned these booms and raised more sails which, with the wind at their backs, belled out immediately.
The ship lurched forward with the wind and plowed through the tranquil sea, closing rapidly on the ship. Behind the helm, a drum roll sounded and Jacob spared a glance backwards to see the flag of Altisia. The green, blue, and white tricolor with a gold shield and red cross rose to its position and fluttered bravely in the wind. Atop the masts, the green and white flag marking the ship as a privateer and a red banner marking her warship status fluttered free as well.
The Maelstrom was a marvel of shipbuilding. Unlike his Father's ship, Typhoon, Jacob had used a good portion of his commission payment to have the ship built to his exact specifications. She was a clipper by design, meant for merchant trading, but she had been modified extensively. Firstly, she was sat higher than a normal clipper by virtue of an second gun deck, which, combined with the standard weapons, brought her broadside firepower to 50 guns (25 to a side), rivaling a frigate. She was also fitted with a ram under the bow and had six chase cannons in the forecastle and on the stern had four pursuit cannons behind the wheel.
She also had special ducts that allowed burning pitch to be poured out into the sea as a deterrant from pursuit in case the cannons didn't send a clear enough message. All in all, she was heavier than a normal clipper and more like a heavy frigate but with the extra tall masts and extra sails, easily kept her top speed.
In Jacob's opinion, only Captain Whitbach's ship, a fast frigate known as Theresa's Vengeance, could match them in both speed and firepower. As he spared a glance to the deck, the Marines and sailors were being armed with an assortment of weapons.
For close range melees, sabers, cutlasses, axes, and belaying pins were the norm. Handguns were mainly .40 caliber Naval revolvers but a few still had their single shot 'blunderbuss' pistols used during their pirate days. Long ranged weapons consisted of .58 caliber trapdoor single shot rifles, .40 caliber revolving carbines, and even a few of the rare new-fangled .38 caliber 'bolt-action' rifles that, though an eyesore with a vertical 'gravity clip', were surprisingly effective. Just at that moment though, Jacob, thanks to his keen eyesight, spotted something.
Several hatches, painted black against the hull to make them indistinguishable, opened and gun muzzles appeared and he cursed.
"They have pursuit cannons! Brace for attack!" He turned the wheel hard to get out from behind the ship as the enemy cannons fired. Thankfully the Maelstrom responded as beautifully as always thanks to her large rudder and dodge the hastily aimed volley. Then, with a quick reversal of the wheel, the ship was back on intercept course.
Finally, Jacob grinned as he saw their distance and knew they were within range.
"Load the grapple guns!"
Immediately, three short, squat, smallish cannons placed along the deck were loaded, and a large grappling iron was shoved into the muzzle and then waited.
The grapple gun, another invention by Jacob's Father, fired a small charge that send a grappling hook and cable up and over the hostile ship, locked onto the other side, and then the cable which was threaded through a system of pulleys, was reeled in, thus pulling the capturing ship closer and within boarding distance of the enemy ship.
At a nod from Jacob, the cannons were fired, the hooks and cables arcing majestically through the air before slamming down on the other side of the slave ship. Seeing this, the crew immediately began cranking the cables in, the Maelstrom slowly gliding across the waves to her target. Jacob could see men frantically trying to either cut the cables or load the few cannons that were on deck and then he glanced to Makal.
"Any slaves on the ship would be below, right?" Makal nodded.
"Aye Captain. The bastards would never allow a slave on deck unless he or she was to be punished or executed." Jacob nodded and then turned to the gun crews who were waiting anxiously and then had an idea.
"Lads, we're almost in range. Man your guns and load with grape shot! Aim high though, we're going to rake the deck and the rigging." This was echoed along the deck and the gun crews wenth to their deck guns and loaded the required charge and cannister of small .40 caliber balls known to all as 'grape shot'.
The effect of a cannon firing grape shot was akin to a blunderbuss or shotgun going off. Multiple pellets, being sprayed in a large area, had the effect of ripping men and equipment to shreds. Jacob recalled that once in his ife he had seen a man take on the full brunt of a grape shot round.
It hadn't been pretty.
As he saw the slave ship crew struggling with slow match to light the six cannons aimed at them, he gave the order, and the twelve guns along the top deck fired.
Six cannons raked the deck, breaking bannisters and sending crewmen flying backwards. The other six guns fired upwards into the masts and rigging, shredding the sails and sending men falling from their perches. Though only half a broadside, the cannon smoke created a billowing cloud that wafted over the decks of both ships, hiding the Maelstrom as she was pulled closer to her stunned prey.
No sooner had the crew of the slave ship recovered than the Maelstrom collided with a thunderous BANG that send them sprawling along the deck again. Those that managed to regain or maintain their footing found and array of rifles and pistols leveled at them. A few managed to draw their weapons but the Marines weapons spoke first, rifles and pistols cracking off as one and spraying those stil standing with shot and with a mighty roar, Commander Wallace and his men leapt across from the Maelstrom to the slave ship.
The melee was swift and not as bloody as Jacob had feared, with only eight of the slavers being killed and the rest meekly surrendering. As he boarded the ship though, a loud roar from the wheel caught his attention just in time to dodge a hastily swung sword and time enough to draw his axe and swing it downward, shattering the sword and on the backswing clocked the man with the blunt edge of the weapon. He then reached around and drew one of his revolvers and aimed it down at the man and then glanced to the wheel and back to the man. His eyes grew hard at the disgraceful attack and his voice took a hard edge.
"You're the Captain of this vessel?" The man gave a gasp through the pain of his headache and nodded sullenly. Jacob grimaced at the man's lack of honor but then remembered what sort of ship this was and sighed.
(Of course a slaver wouldn't act within the codes of honor true naval Captains were obliged to.)
Jacob turned to Wallace and gave him a nod and the Captain of the slave ship, as well as the surviving crew, plus wounded, were taken off their ship and escorted to the brig of the Maelstrom. He turned to his men and chuckled.
"Wonder if they'll see the world differently now that they're the ones behind bars." A few men laughed but others shook their heads at that and they split up proceeding to search the ship.
Jacob and his group went down into the hold and immediately were almost overcome by the stench that wafted up from the hold. The combination of sweat, dirt, and other things was almost overwhelming. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it firmly over his mouth and nose as he entered the main hold and was horrified by what he saw.
People everywhere. Chained to the deck, chained to the hull, even a few chained to the supports in the middle of the hold. As one the faces turned to look upon his with resignation, although some with anger, others with hope. Those were the adults. The children though, all they showed was fear.
Jacob gazed upon the people and gave them a reassuring nod before turning to one of the men who had accompanied him.
"Find the keys and started letting these people out." He turned to face the people.
"I am Captain Jacob Edwards of the Maelstrom. I am a privateer in the service of Altisia. As of this moment, you are all free." The people went wide-eyed with disbelief and the children started gazing at him with curiousity rather than fear and then spotted the sailor from earlier returning with the keys. As he approached and started undoing their shackles, they started cheering loudly.
Jacob managed to calm them down long enough though to explain everything.
"You will all be taken aboard the Maelstrom, given food and water, and then we shall be sailing for Altisia. Because of the type of vessel this is, and the shape it's in, it will have to be scuttled. For now, please follow these men, they will get you aboard ship and see that you all are fed, given water, and we'll find a place for you to sleep." One of the children raised her hand.
"What about the slavers?" Jacob smiled.
"They're getting to know what life is like from the other side of iron bars. They are being held in the brig and will stand trial for their crimes upon our return to port." At that moment though, one of Wallace's junior Marines came running down the hold, an excited look on his face. He saluted Jacob as he regained his breath and nodded.
"Commander needs to see you sir! We found something truly remarkable."
Jacob turned to the men and gave them a nod and left them to follow the Marine along the corridor to a seperate hold. As he entered a small room, he saw the Marines stationed over four corpses that had apparently been guarding whatever was here and then saw Wallace and followed his glance to a pedistal that had been fastly secured. For the first time in his memory, Jacob's jaw dropped.
There, on the pedistal, was an egg.
The egg was magnificent to see. It was just a little larger than a cannonball and colored blue like the sea but with turquoise 'sea foam' patterning and very light grey streaks resembling clouds along the shell.
Cautiously, one of the men reached forward to touch the egg and gasped at both the size of it and also at how hard the shell was. Wallace gave a glance to Jacob.
"Ever seen anything like that before?" Jacob shook his head and muttered.
"Only in the stories my Father told me when I was little. Only one possible creature can lay eggs like that. A dragon." The men blanched and one of the Marines drew a sword, ready to destroy it but Jacob held his hand up.
"In the stories he told me there are bad dragons but also good ones. It depends on how they are raised and what they experience. This one is still in the egg, it's defenceless." The Marine slowly nodded his understanding and sheathed the sword. Wallace still looked unconvinced.
"So then what? We just wrap this egg up in swaddling clothes like a baby and bring it back aboard the ship?" Jacob looked to the Marine commander and smiled.
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Besides, you know how fiercely a parent will protect their young. These slavers didn't just go to an den of dragons and nip an egg, no, they would have had a fight on their hands, likely someone else did, and they spent a good portion of their funds buying this egg from whoever stole it. I'll not abandon something just because I don't understand it. This is a perfect opportunity to learn about an entirely new race that lives in thos world." The same Marine who had gotten Jacob spoke up.
"Where do you think it's from?" Jacob shrugged.
"Best guess is somewhere in the Uncharted Seas, inside the Loop." The Marines shuddered and made religious gestures as if to ward off misfortune and evil.
The Loop was a natural ocean current that encircled an area known as the Uncharted Seas. It ran almost right next to the Blue Current which most merchant vessels traveled but the southern half was known to get thick cloud banks around this time of year, making navigation extremely difficult. Ships losing their way and sailing into the Loop would vanish without a trace and then reappear seven years later with not a soul on board, and in varying degrees of damage.
If they ever reappeared at all.
There was only one way to escape the Loop and that was to follow it a ways and then do whatever it took to steer west into the Golden Current. Once in that current, you either sailed to one of the ports lining the Desert Republic of Senüa and cross the Serapis Canal, or you had a long laborious trip back north into the Red Current.
Such ships that reappeared were known as 'Ghost Ships' because they answered to no man's hand but rather just sped along with the current. Just three days ago, a lookout on the Maelstrom had spotted the drifting remains of the Calpernian merchant Albatross which had vanished some twenty six years ago and was still drifting to this day, unmanned, and alone.
Aware that his guess had frozen the men in place out of fear, Jacob gave a grunt and stepped towards the egg and placed a hand on it, preparing to wrap it up in some cloth nearby when he heard something peculiar. He removed his hand from where it was and saw that there was a crack, no larger than a fingernail, marring the perfect surface. He wordlessly glanced to Wallace who froze at the sound and then paled as the sound echoed again. Jacob glanced back to the egg and saw the crack widen before glancing back.
"It's hatching..."
Quicker than the eye could blink, a small piece of eggshell shot away from the side and the tip of a small snout poked out from the side. Slowly, it took some breaths, and then the sound continued. Jacob, curious, gave a light tap to the side closest to where the crack was. The creature inside the egg stopped, and then echoed the tap where Jacob had made it. The crack from the small piece widened, and then a large piece fell off and, to his astonishment, a long, whip-like tail tumbled out of the hole.
The tail, like the egg, was blue but the underside was turquoise and had several small light grey 'diamonds' going up the tail. It was no longer than a writing quill but seemed extremely flexible. At the end of the tail appeared to be a small gold trident that waved back and forth in and excited manner. Slowly, more pieces fell through until finally, the side of the egg broke away and Jacob acted without thinking and caught the little dragon as it fell out of the egg. He was stunned as his mind started again and he realized what he held.
Uncoiled, it was no longer than his forearm and he could see the diamond shaped pattern from the tail continueing up the back until stopping at the base of the neck and instead formed a 'collar' or grey around the neck. Each of the four feet had four small claws, atop the dragon's head was also four small nubs that were possibly horns. The little one lifted its head up, it's jaws parted revealing several small pearly white teeth. Then, it opened its eyes, and turned its head.
It's gaze rested on Jacob, the one who was holding it.
Instantly, the eyes took on an expressiveness that could not be accurately described. There seemed to be a glow within the little one's eyes as it glanced at his face. Slowly, the dragon climbed up his sleeve, up to his shoulder, took a steady, long breath, and then relaxed upon his shoulder with a sigh of contentment. He glanced at the dragon and then to the Marines. Wallace was giving him a ghost of a smile before sending the other Marines away.
"You know, some creatures in this world, they open their eyes and imprint the first thing they see as 'Mother' or 'Father'. I think you just became a Dad, Captain." Jacob eyed the little dragon on his shoulder and smiled.
"I think you're right. So then, every child needs a name." Wallace nodded.
"What are you thinking?" Jacob smiled.
"Sylvaria." Wallace grunted.
"The Sylvarian Stream? The nickname of the Glacial Current?" Jacob nodded.
"That's the one. Judging by her form, the little dragon must be female and so, a female name is called for." Wallace shrugged but then turned to leave. Jacob glanced to Sylvaria who was open-eyed and gazing at him with curiousity but then suddenly he heard a small rumble from her and he smiled.
"Let's go home Sylvaria, and then we'll see about getting you something to eat."