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J U L I A NX| | XD R A G O N
| Master Gunner |
| #B02E04 |
| Master Gunner |
| #B02E04 |
The winds grew more violent around him as the Dragon tried his best to keep a firm control on the ship. He wasn’t as skilled as Nameless in the ways of maneuvering, nor was he an expert navigator, but he was strong, and had a sense of where they were going from before the storm hit. Water splashed up onto the deck and he leaned on the helm to push into the wind in order to continue heading in the right direction. He wished the storm hit at a more opportune time. After days on the boat with uncertain knowledge about Vale and their destination, everyone seemed more on edge than usual. Julian didn’t blame them, it was normal to become agitated after days of uncertainty, he had certainly been there before, but now was not the time for anger or hesitation.
Of course, the weather waits for no man, and there was nothing much he could do. From below him on deck, the crew was still bustling about, and others had gone below “WAVE! BRACE Y-" came a shout from below, and Julian could do nothing but try and steady the ship as a giant wave crashed onto the deck. He wasn’t worried, the crew was tied off, or at least he wasn’t worried until he watched Bill get torn off the side of the deck into the churning ocean beside the ship.
”Man overboard! Man overboard!” cried Mead, panicking on deck.
”Bill ya fucken fool!” Julian searched around wildly for someone to take over the helm while still holding on. ”Ale! ALE! C’mon lad take over this steering!” Anyone who know the ship well could do it, and he handed off the helm to the first crewperson who arrived. Jules sprinted down onto the deck and grabbed a rope to secure around his waist. He grabbed Rum by the shoulder and dragged him over to the edge, searching down into the water for the body of the boatswain.
"There!” Shouted Rum, pointing into the water, and Jules followed his arm to see the left side of Bill tossing around in the ocean.
”Right then,” Jules gripped Rum’s arm again, keeping his sight on Bill to ensure he didn’t lose the man in the waves. ”Hold onto the end o’ this rope, and tie off too, ta make sure ya don’t get washed away. You keep yer eyes on me, and when I start wavin’, you help me pull that bastard back up here.” Rum nodded and the two men prepared themselves, ensuring the knots were tight and that Rum had a good grip on the rope. The preparation took maybe half a minute, and already Bill was rapidly drifting away from the boat. ”Here we go then!” He dove off the boat and felt the rope pull after him.
It was cold. Julian considered himself to be a decent swimmer, he wouldn’t have joined a sailing crew if he wasn’t at least decent. But these waters were treacherous, and the sea shifted him to and fro, towards and away from his goal of grabbing Bill and hoisting him onboard. He swam as hard as he could, but with the rocking boat and churning water. By the time he reached Bill, he was panting with effort and his limbs had gone numb. Bill was unconscious and his lips were blue, and Julian pulled him by the arm to his chest and tugged on the rope, waving with a numb arm up to Rum, who he hoped was still watching from the deck, which he could barely see in the wind and rain. He tried to shout but found he couldn’t after the intense lung work he had to do to make it far enough out, and he instead panted louder.
For a moment, he thought that maybe this was the last moment he would ever have, surrounded by the violent and bitter mistress that is the sea. He clenched Bill with one arm and tried to use the other to swim closer to the boat, moving away from them and pulling the rope taut around his midsection. This was it.
A tug came from the other end of the rope. Rum, with a rush of strength, was pulling them back up. Julian scrambled to find footing on the side of the ship, and the two men managed to heave the extra weight back on deck, tying Bill off immediately so he wouldn’t be thrown over again. Julian lay beside him and spit out water.
”Well done Rum, well done. Go get someone to help, wouldya?” he wheezed, before lying his cheek on the damp deck and passing out cold.
Of course, the weather waits for no man, and there was nothing much he could do. From below him on deck, the crew was still bustling about, and others had gone below “WAVE! BRACE Y-" came a shout from below, and Julian could do nothing but try and steady the ship as a giant wave crashed onto the deck. He wasn’t worried, the crew was tied off, or at least he wasn’t worried until he watched Bill get torn off the side of the deck into the churning ocean beside the ship.
”Man overboard! Man overboard!” cried Mead, panicking on deck.
”Bill ya fucken fool!” Julian searched around wildly for someone to take over the helm while still holding on. ”Ale! ALE! C’mon lad take over this steering!” Anyone who know the ship well could do it, and he handed off the helm to the first crewperson who arrived. Jules sprinted down onto the deck and grabbed a rope to secure around his waist. He grabbed Rum by the shoulder and dragged him over to the edge, searching down into the water for the body of the boatswain.
"There!” Shouted Rum, pointing into the water, and Jules followed his arm to see the left side of Bill tossing around in the ocean.
”Right then,” Jules gripped Rum’s arm again, keeping his sight on Bill to ensure he didn’t lose the man in the waves. ”Hold onto the end o’ this rope, and tie off too, ta make sure ya don’t get washed away. You keep yer eyes on me, and when I start wavin’, you help me pull that bastard back up here.” Rum nodded and the two men prepared themselves, ensuring the knots were tight and that Rum had a good grip on the rope. The preparation took maybe half a minute, and already Bill was rapidly drifting away from the boat. ”Here we go then!” He dove off the boat and felt the rope pull after him.
It was cold. Julian considered himself to be a decent swimmer, he wouldn’t have joined a sailing crew if he wasn’t at least decent. But these waters were treacherous, and the sea shifted him to and fro, towards and away from his goal of grabbing Bill and hoisting him onboard. He swam as hard as he could, but with the rocking boat and churning water. By the time he reached Bill, he was panting with effort and his limbs had gone numb. Bill was unconscious and his lips were blue, and Julian pulled him by the arm to his chest and tugged on the rope, waving with a numb arm up to Rum, who he hoped was still watching from the deck, which he could barely see in the wind and rain. He tried to shout but found he couldn’t after the intense lung work he had to do to make it far enough out, and he instead panted louder.
For a moment, he thought that maybe this was the last moment he would ever have, surrounded by the violent and bitter mistress that is the sea. He clenched Bill with one arm and tried to use the other to swim closer to the boat, moving away from them and pulling the rope taut around his midsection. This was it.
A tug came from the other end of the rope. Rum, with a rush of strength, was pulling them back up. Julian scrambled to find footing on the side of the ship, and the two men managed to heave the extra weight back on deck, tying Bill off immediately so he wouldn’t be thrown over again. Julian lay beside him and spit out water.
”Well done Rum, well done. Go get someone to help, wouldya?” he wheezed, before lying his cheek on the damp deck and passing out cold.