Continuing the novella for my fantasy game world, we hear about Edric's father, Algar Algarson, and how he became bound to a demon ...
Chapter 2
The sea was the closest thing Algar Algarson had for a religion. For generations, the sea had been his family's entire source of livelihood and also their greatest source of danger or grief.
This meant that as well as being supremely respectful of the sea and all of its dangers, he also had a highly developed sense of its moods and synchronicities, bordering on superstition.
Today, all his intuitions and senses were telling him something was off.
He should have been happy, optimistic even. Unusually for spring, the sky was clear blue, the air was crisp, and the ocean was calmer than usual.
A good day to be out on the water, then. If that was so, where were all the sea birds?
“You think too much”, he reprimanded himself.
His small crew were busying themselves as was routine.
Besides his beloved wife and his infant son, his boat-mates were more than employees or colleagues, they were his family.
“Good catch today, Skip”, his first mate called out as he approached, drying his hands on his jersey.
“I am glad to hear, Harley, we have been due some good fortune!”. He and Harlis Drake had been working together for as long as he could remember. They even both helped the adults as kids when his father captained the boat.
Their brief conversation was abruptly interrupted by shouting from Bosun and the deckhands. They were not usually so excitable.
“It’s not a body, he is alive!” Bosun yelled, “Get us over there now!”
Algar jogged skillfully over and under ropes to get closer to the action. “What’s happening?” he exclaimed, but at the same moment he could see for himself.
A man, half-drowned, was bobbing alongside the boat while clinging to a leather sack of some kind and a large panel of wood.
Again, Algar could not shake the feeling that something was very wrong, but he could also not leave the man here to drown.
“You, get down there and help him so we can haul him up. He’s too weak to climb”.
He added, just for himself, “Perhaps he can explain how he is out here alone, adrift on the sea, right where we could find him. Even this close to shore, he is incredibly fortunate to be spotted by anyone”.
What is the suspicious half-drowned man holding in his leather bag? Looking forward to reading more about him as the story continues!
Good job! Keep going!