Daniel caught on quickly to being helpful around the ship. Like an obedient dog he helped cook and clean when it was needed. Stocked up supplies and learned he was around the ship. Though he was accused of being a yes man all his life, his diligence to be part of the crew was due to an extraordinary thirst for knowledge.

The crew itself seemed intimidating at first, but once Daniel was brought into the circle, he’s learned that their hard exteriors were actually quite thin.

Kale, being the eccentric pirate that he was, never looked to build a crew of delinquents. He was much rather interested in personal tastes and interests. Did a pirate like stories more than rum? Would they have taken painting and music over a whore house? Chances are the unlikely answer would be found on this boat.

Daniel learned of this when the ship began its weekly ‘game night.’ Since the ships first moments at sea, the previous Captain Kale was far too easily bored by the long hours in-between destinations. There was music, there was drinking, but a lot of that became uninteresting after the 7th night in a row.

To combat this boredom, he stole from a small island villa off the coast of South America. As the ship docked for the evening to stock up, he befriended a small boy that wanted so eagerly to challenge him to a board game. The boy exclaimed that he was so good at it, and was always beating friends and family.

Kale took him up on the offer and they spent that evening rolling dice and moving pieces around the board. One after another Kale kept winning, and with each game the poor boy became more and more upset. after their fifth game, the boy threw his hands down on the table and shouted at Kale, calling him a dirty pirate cheater, and wishing that he never showed his face to the island.

Kale just smiled and sat up slowly packing away the game, and explained to the boy that the only reason he ever won is because people always let him. He walked away with the game in his hands, leaving the boy in tears.

Kale always figured it was for the better, because the board game was a lot more complex than the child could ever understand.

So Kale took pride in this new form of entertainment for his ship, and always made an effort to let his crew participate to help keep their spirits alive. With each town they went to, another game was added to the ship and eventually game night became what it was today.

The deck was crowded with all members of the crew, poker and chess amongst games of chutes and ladders. It wasn’t anything he’s ever pictured would happen on such a ship, so his curiosity peaked tenfold.

Perhaps the most crowded area was around two men that were playing a card game, that was conceived on the ship. It’s popularity among the crew was from it’s imagination and involvement of magic.

“What the’ell Mate, you can’t do that.”

“Says you, It’s a legitimate card to use!”

“bollocks it is!”

The two rather large men were bickering over their decks all night. What makes the game so popular in the first place, is that a lot of the crew make the cards themselves, and they use the game night as a means to test their decks and see how they work.

“Lookit, this card ‘ere. It can only be used once, you can’t tap it out and use it again. that’s an illegal move.”

“How is it illegal? I have it back it my hands, I have enough mana to play it again. It’s totally legitimate.”

“You’re full of shite, mate!”

The crowd on either side of the men mumbled their opinions both for or against.

“Sure, yeah. It’s back in yer ‘ands but you’ve already exhausted the bloody thing. You shouldn’t be able to use it again.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s feckin’ ex’austed!” The burly man on the right, throws his cards down on the table. “You’ve been pulling this shit all night.”

“I’m just trying to add to the feckin thing.”

“yeh, well them’some really shady cards mate.” They stared each other down. If there is enough passion to make it right, card games can get the worst out of people. “Well, that’s just something we’ll ‘ave to work o–”

It happened so quickly and quietly. The burly man on the right became quiet, as if he was shut off. his rolled to the back of his head, he plopped to his knees than through the table in-front of him. The crew was shrouded in silence, and all gazed at the arrow that was suddenly in the back of his head.

“WE’VE GOT COMPANY!” was shouted from atop the crows nest, pointing to the left of the boat. A another ship was headed straight for them. The flag atop, and the sails were covered in military colours. The crew knew that this wasn’t good, and only had one course of action.

“Get on the attack, men!” Shouted one of the pirates, and they all scattered to many positions. Daniel was moving himself out of the way of people with a sudden purpose. In their instinct, they shifted the sail, positioned cannons, and steered toward their enemy.

Malenka storms out of her cabin, puzzled but ready to command. “Somebody fill me in!”

Daniel knew this was not his strength, but he also knew that this might be his fate. In his panic of thinking he might die here, he only instinct was to find his uncle. So he ran below the deck and searched room for their coffins. wading through men running back and forth supplying themselves with weapons and ammo.

He could feel the ship shaking with the patter of feet and cannonballs attempting to strike them, balancing himself with the rocking back-and-forth. as he turned to face the next room in front of him, there was a split second that was host to multiple emotions.

One, the relief that this was the room he was looking for. Rows of coffins stacked ontop of each other like a perfectly organized inventory. Two, the sudden feeling of distraught as a cannonball connected with that side of the boat, ripping it open, and caskets flying out from the impact.

Three. The feeling that he too, was about to die.

The boat continued to be ripped to shreds, but he could hear that the crew had no intention of backing down. The noise of battle was too much for him, his mind became a blur. Another cannon ball struck the side of the ship, and he fell out, into the ocean.

For that moment he was underwater and totally disconnected. He looked around, but could not see anything through the darkness. The closest he could have ever been to getting to his uncle and it was once again taken away from him.

He slowly floated back up to the water’s surface. See the gunfire and explosions of both ships. Bobbing his head up and breathing for air, he grabs ahold of some wreckage drifting by. His breathing was heavy and panicked.

He felt very weak.