Anticipation

The next few days go by quickly, preparing for your departure. Ferra never leaves your side, and you wouldn’t want her to. In private moments, she is showing more and more emotion and affection, but only for you. And you feel like you’ve found a piece of yourself you didn’t know you were missing, and it’s wonderful.

You get a tour of the boat you’ll be taking, one your father helped design. With free movement between the portals, he was able to bring in shipbuilders who knew their craft. Thus, the Horizon is built, a lean, two masted vessel. The shipwrights claim it will be able to outrun most dangers, and with its magical enhancements that it’s more durable than a ship twice it’s size.

You also meet the crew, two dozen young men who have come from the new world seeking adventure and fortune. They have been undergoing training, in handling a ship, fighting, and learning to cope without technology. Despite the intensive schedule, a few of them have still managed to attract a monster girl, and these new additions are welcomed into the crew, though not without a little jealousy.

Their captain is something else altogether. Also a new world transplant, he’s an older man, in his late fifties, but hale and hearty nonetheless. Formerly of a new world naval career, he came through looking for ‘one last hurrah’. His name is Benjamin, but insists on ‘Ben’, or ‘Captain Ben’. Highly intelligent, and quite personable, you get along with him quite well.

You train as well, although your attempts to train using Caliburn are stymied when the potent blade destroys any target dummy you use it on. You resign yourself to training with mundane weapons, and Ferra helps you by going easy on you, meaning you last almost a minute before she has you flat on your back, smiling down at you.

She makes it up to you at night, of course.

The day of your departure arrives almost too soon, and you become quite excited to begin your adventure. A good ship, a loyal crew, and an experienced captain. A grand journey ahead of you. A strong blade at your hip, and a beautiful, powerful woman at your side.