Inamorata's Fury: The Journal of Captain Grey

[Angelique]

Laying on the writing surface of a roll top bankers desk lays a rich blue leather bound book with the hammer and rose seal of Captain Phaen Ambyr Grey branded on its front; and who's pages are neatly cut but empty save the inscription on the first page wish reads:

*in the hand of Ian Xanthe*
This is not the end, nor is it the beginning of the end...
It is the end of the beginning.

Below the inscription in the soft left slant of Captain Grey reads:

I had a dream... Her name was Inamorata's Fury

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[Angelique]

Journal Entry: Day One

Today I made her mine...

The nightmares keep coming, he is after me, goading me this man in the shadows; I have no doubt now that in time he will find me... I won't be easy prey, he will have to sail to the ends of the dreaming to catch me, and the fucker better be prepared for a fight, I won't be subdued easily!

This morning after waking in the cold sweat of this dream I made up my mind, ferrying nobility and their shit, and hauling cargo is not what this ship was built for; The Fury can race the wind and its time to let her fly. I knew I had the strength to hold her on course but I could not fear any part of her. I tied my hair up and dressed in the shark-skins Ian bought me. I left my chamber driven to climb to the storm watch, to beat this fear of so many years... I remembered Mei's words, could hear them whispered in my ear as I stood staring up at the middle mast as the sun began to lighten the horizon,

"You've fallen once, now you know how it feels, there is nothing left to fear."

As I stood staring up the middle mast my quartermaster roused from her perch on the boom, she blinked then asked if there was something I needed. Without looking at her I replied softly,

"Yes, rouse the crew, tell them to ready the ship to sail, and if there are any passengers from our last route who haven't left yet, tell them they have until sunup to be off the ship or they will be stuck with us for a while..."

I smiled as she told me we've left no sailing plan with the Admiralty, looking directly into her eyes locking them in my gaze I told her frankly,

"That's never stopped this ship before!"

The Grump troll hesitated just a brief moment before tearing her eyes from mine and jumping from the boom, shouting to the crew. Within minutes there were men and woman moving on deck checking rigging as my cook poked me in the back with the dull curve of his cleaver.

"What's this I hear of us leaving port already?" the redcap asked his voice deep and abrasive like he'd been eating glass.

"We have supplies?" I asked before answering.

"Aye Captain, always; but..."

I cut him off telling him frankly his job was to feed the crew, mine was to sail the ship, if we had supplies then his job was prepared for. I could feel him question my decision as he raised his cleaver to tap me again and spun on him grabbing Nelly from his hand and pinning him to the ground, with the nearby crew watching wide eyed I spoke softly,

"If you don't want me to use this cleaver to remove that onyx from your thumb knuckle and have it added to mine... Don't question me again."

This fight had been brewing since I added the Redcap to the crew, and in time I knew it would end with an actual fight between us, but not today. The Redcap took Nelly back when I offered it to him after helping him up and grumbling under his breath he returned to his galley.

I could feel the wind stir as first light stretched across the horizon, Sol hadn't crested yet but soon dawn would announce a new day. I was still staring up the middle mast as I heard the click and tap of dress shoes make their way across the deck to the gangplank, I smiled again thinking of my crew. Twenty-four men and woman hand selected from the seamen of Port Westgate. My second mate and navigator walked up and flanked me silently.

"Once all passengers are off the ship, raise the gangplank Mr. Cadwallander," I told him gently.

He nodded and left me alone with Abayomi my Eshu navigator.

"Are you ready to test those ideas you had for mapping the dreaming seas?" I asked her softly.

"As ready as you are to sail the Fury into the unknown," she answered her accent adding to her noble grace.

I nodded to her and she left me to attend her charts and tools. Men and woman were standing in position around the deck as the gangplank lifted off dock thirteen and the goblin mechanism slid it into place on the ship. Once tucked away silence fell over the ship and all eyes turned to me.

My heart pounding in my chest I stepped forward and for the first time in eighteen years I took hold of the rigging on the middle mast and pulled myself up climbing to the boom. I kept my eyes on the storm watch not looking at anything else as my legs weakened and sweat started to bead on my forehead. My stomach knotting I forced my hand to reach higher into the rigging, forced my foot to the next notch in the rope ladder, moving slowly one hand then one foot at a time, the sky brightening as I slowly made my way up the middle mast to the place I fell from all those years ago. As I passed the mid point images of falling in the storm eighteen years ago started to flash in my minds eye. I could feel the winds, and rain on my skin as if it were yesterday but I kept moving hand over fist, inch by inch, I was going to make the storm watch before Sol crested the horizon.

I was not aware that my secret had been shared among the crew, I had only confided it to Adonal Cadwallander the Satyr who served as my second mate, in reality he acted as my first mate, but understood that the title was held by Archduke Ian Xanthe, should he be aboard The Fury. The Satyr and I had gotten to know each other well over the year that we had been running mundane routes to earn money, as we planned for the true purpose I had for The Fury, he was supportive of my desire to see places not yet recorded on any map, or ships log. On night after drinking too much I let slip in conversation my fear of heights, I told him the story of my falling from the storm watch of The Maiden of Jhelom, my fathers ship.

As I took hold of the watch, my fingers curling around the top of the mast, I pulled myself into position and as tears streamed down my face I saw for the first time the glory that was Inamorata's Fury, I could see her from bow to stern laid out below me. As I took in the sight, the deck exploded with cheers and whistles. Below me were the men and woman of the Freehold of Inamorata's Fury, men and woman who'd put their trust in me as their captain and dedicated themselves to the ships purpose. A crew celebrating their captains, conquering her fear and climbing to the storm watch, making the ship her own.

I yelled down from my position, "Mr. Cadwallander, please raise the anchor sir."

I heard his acknowledgment of the order and then shouts passed person to person as the order was executed. With the anchor chain clanking as the anchor was raised and secured I could feel an energy crackling like static among the crew. From my perch as the ship now free of her shackles listed in the current I called down.

"Mr. Cadwallander, please raise the main sail."

With motion like a choreographed dance, the crew fell into action and the sail began to raise up the middle mast. After a few minutes with a loud clap the wind filled the unfurled sails and Sol crested the horizon. My second mate at the helm steered The Fury for the gates to Port Westgate Harbor as I gave voice to our journey singing out across the water:

Trippin out
Spinning around
I'm underground
I fell down
Yeah I fell down

I'm freaking out, where am I now?
Upside down and I can't stop it now
Can't stop me now, oh oh

I..., I..., I'll get by
I..., I..., I'll survive
When the world's crashing down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me
I..., I..., I won't cry

I found myself in Wonderland
Got back on my feet, again
Is this real?
Is this pretend?
I'll take a stand until the end

I..., I..., I'll get by
I..., I..., I'll survive
When the world's crashing down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me
I..., I..., I won't cry

I..., I..., I'll get by
I..., I..., I'll survive
When the world's crashing down
When I fall and hit the ground
I will turn myself around
Don't you try to stop me
I..., I..., and I won't cry

The sound of my voice rang out loud on the water as The Fury glided further from the dock, in the distance I heard yells of men and saw people pointing to the closed gates. There was no stopping us this morning, Inamorata's Fury was headed out to sea. Minutes passed as I sang and I saw the frantic movement of men at the gates but they began to swing open. True to her reputation The Fury left Port Westgate on her own terms, the gate doors barely an arms length from the ship as we passed between them and headed towards Sol on the horizon, out into the dreaming sea.

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