2:

            "Captain?"

            Vyse lifted his head from a book of atlases.  The pages had worked patterns into his cheek and his eye-patch was on crooked.

            He grinned sheepishly.  "Come in."

            The girl had her head down, concentrating on a platter of steaming food.  She crept into the Captain's Quarters and set the platter on Vyse's desk.

            "You never came down for supper, so Kirala thought that I should bring it to you."  She offered a timid smile.  "Are Fina and Aika with you?  We didn't see them at supper either."

            Vyse pushed the atlas book aside and pulled the platter towards him.  "It smells delicious, Urala.  Thank you."

            Urala blushed severely.  She tried to hide behind her shoulder length black hair.

            Vyse blew at the food on his fork before eating it.  Fish flavored with exotic Yafutoman spices that his tongue had not yet become accustomed to.  Tasty, if a bit hot.

            "I haven't seen those two all day, actually." he said after a gulp of water.  "I would have thought that they would have been busy with arrangements since Enrique and Moegi are coming to visit."

            "The Empress is coming?"  Urala's cheeks darkened further.  "No one told me.  I need to make preparations for a feast in her honor."  She clapped a hand to her mouth.  "In Enrique's honor as well.  If you'll excuse me..."

            Urala bowed deeply and headed for the door.

            With Urala gone, Vyse tugged his eye patch back into place.  After a few more bites of his meal, a quick hand through his hair and a glance to his wrinkled jacket, he was ready to face his crew.

            The young captain left his quarters and paused at on the balcony that overlooked the island.  Vyse inhaled the salty air, satisfied to the point that he was ready to burst.  Even as dusk approached, bathing the ground with the light of the two adjacent moons, the island was still bustling with activity.

            Kirala was below, busy barking orders at Marco who obliged, albeit sulking as he worked.  Vyse could hear the steady humming from Kalifa's tent, the fortune teller must have been lost deep in meditation.  Osman was screaming at koketa, her yelps of "Ruined shipment!" barely drowning out the birds' incessant "Looks tasty."  But what really put a smile on his face was the muted laughter and song resonating from the pub.  It truly was a beautiful place to live.  Crescent Isle, his isle.

            Vyse climbed down the lookout ladder and hopped off the last step to solid ground.  He walked over to Kirala and smiled.

            Kirala's face was soiled with a days worth of worth.  She dipped her head to the captain politely.  "Good evening, Captain." she said.  "Marco and I were just finishing up for the day."

            "Oh.  What are you two up to?"

            A pleased smile crept to Kirala's lips.  "It's a secret, Captain." she replied.  "Izmael and I have been planning it for weeks.  We're going to build you something that will make the floating gardens of Yafutoma pale in comparison."

            Vyse nodded.  "I can't wait."

            Kirala bowed and quietly slipped away, whispering to Marco.

            Osman waddled over in a huff.  The yellow taffeta strained over her bulk as her bosom heaved with exertion.  Vyse tried to keep a straight face as she began to rave.

            "Ruined!  All ruined!" she declared.

            "What's ruined?" Vyse asked.

            "Kabal skewers!" Osman exclaimed.  "I special ordered them from Nasr and those disgusting, degenerate fowl," she thrust an accusatory finger at the koketa.  "managed to escape their pens and devour my skewers." 

            "Is it okay that the koketa eat meat?" Vyse wondered aloud.

            "Never mind those demonic birds!" Osman wailed.  "Now I'm doomed to starve—I can't wait for another shipment."

            "There's a lot of fish and grain left and I know that Urala would be more than happy to cook for you." Vyse suggested.

            Osman laughed.  "Don't get me wrong, Captain." she said, batting her fan at the humid air.  "I love Yafutoman dishes as much as the next person, but having them day in and day out is just a bit wearing on a person don't you think?  Besides, Urala is a sweet girl and all, but are you sure she's really qualified to prepare dishes of such caliber…"

            "I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out, Osman." he assured her.  "I'll get back to you on it in the morning.  If you'll excuse me…" 

            Vyse backed away from Osman and headed towards the pub.  A lantern by the door stood out brightly against the dimming daylight.  Beyond the door, a boisterous chantey was nearing its end.  Vyse smiled and stepped into the pub.

            Urala was already busying herself with cooking for the next day's festivities.  Don was in his usual spot, milking a jack of loqua with a curious grin on his face.  Izmael and Brabham were joking amongst themselves while Domingo gloated in the corner.

            Pinta ran up to greet Vyse.  "Welcome, Captain!" he cried, waving a mug in the air.

            "Thanks, Pinta." Vyse replied.  He could feel the heat rise to his face, but as long as no one else noticed it, it would be okay.

            Vyse walked behind the bar and fished out a mug.  Urala immediately scurried to his side and tried to pry the mug from his hands.

            "Please, Captain.  Let me get that for you."  She whisked the mug from Vyse and filled it with loqua.

            "You didn't have to do that." Vyse protested.

            "It's my job, Captain." Urala replied.  She presented the mug to him with a curt nod.

            "Thanks."  Vyse sat down on a free stool by Don.

            "Evening, Captain." Don acknowledged him.

            "Hi, Don."  Vyse took a sip of his loqua.  Far too strong.  He set it down casually.  "Have you seen either Fina or Aika?"

            Don took a long swig from his mug.  "Nope.  I would have thought those two lovely ladies would be attached to each of your arms."

            Vyse laughed nervously.  He pretended to sip his loqua.  "I thought that I would find them in here."

            Don shrugged.  "I try not to pay attention to those two." he explained. "I'm too old to be wasting time fawning over uninterested women."

            "Thanks anyway."  Vyse pushed his mug aside as he stood up.

            "No problem, Captain." Don replied.  "Oh, I was wondering, maybe you could help me out."  He gave Vyse a peculiar look.

            "What do you need help with?" Vyse asked.

            "Well," Don seemed to be searching for the correct words.  "I'm older than you.  Granted, I spent a lot of my life wasting away in Esperanza, but I…  I was thinking about maybe becoming the captain of my own ship.  Sailing around the world myself.  Make something of myself."

            "That sounds great!"  Vyse cut Don off before he could ramble further.  "Do you need money for a ship?"

            "You'd help me out?"  Don shot him a swarthy grin.

            "Of course." Vyse said.  "We'll talk more about this tomorrow."

            Vyse left the tavern and walked towards the crew cabins.  It wasn't like Fina or Aika to stay holed up all day in their rooms, but they weren't anywhere else.  The captain was careful to step over any stray koketa as he made his way to the first room.

            Cupil popped up from under the space beneath the door.  He flew towards Vyse, chirping merrily.  The bizarre Silvite animal circled Vyse's head before zipping back towards the crack in the door.  The silver colored creature squirmed beneath the space before disappearing completely.

            Vyse knocked on the door and waited.  No answer.  He cracked the door open slowly, so as to not startle Fina if she was in there.

            Cupil whipped towards Vyse's face and morphed into an eye-patch for his other eye.  Vyse laughed and brushed Cupil off, who quickly ballooned into his true form.  The bulbous creature nuzzled its mouth into Vyse's cheek affectionately.

            Fina was nowhere in sight.  The thought of the Silvite girl being anywhere without her pet made his brows furrow.  Something wasn't right.

            A large sheet of paper rested on Fina's bed.  It was a mishmash of a drawing with Aika's heavy hand combined with Fina's delicate scrawling lines, but that was part of its charm.  Titled, "To Enrique and Moegi from All of Us," it was a picture of the entire crew of the Delphinus.  Vyse could pick out Aika from the exaggerated braids and Fina from the large eyes and Cupil; he knew which picture was Marco from the smattering of freckles and Meridia was twisted in an unusual dance pose.  Kirala had her hammer, Osman had her fan and glasses; Ilchymis had a vial of alchemist's potion and Khazim had an enormous cannon—they even remembered to include Pow.

            Vyse felt the heat rise in his ears as he spotted his depiction on the paper.  With all the others, the girls had split up who did who, but it seemed that they shared duties on his picture.  It was obvious to him that Fina had painstakingly drawn in his smile over light smudge marks where she had rubbed out all her prior attempts.  Aika had taken care of his eye-patch and hair, making him appear ridiculous.  Vyse laughed to himself as he rolled the drawing up and secured it with a nearby silk ribbon.
            No doubt the girls were going to try and get everyone to sign it.  If they weren't in Fina's room, then they had to be in Aika's.  Vyse crept from Fina's room.

            In front of Aika's door, Vyse raised his hand then thought better of it.  Aika was his best friend; she'd think he had gone crazy for knocking on her door.  Vyse opened the door and walked in.

            Before him, her green eyes dazed, Fina knelt in a pile of broken glass.  In her hands she cradled a damaged picture frame.  Vyse immediately grappled for his cutlass and eyed the room for anything suspicious.  Fina blinked and began to take notice of him.

            Fina raised the picture frame towards Vyse helplessly.  "She's gone."