Try the new AI-powered Infinite Story.

Errant

You decide to trust him and reach for the little wooden tile. As your thumb comes in contact with the seemingly smooth surface, you feel a sudden prick and jerk your hand back. A small bead of blood wells up on the center of your thumb. You're about confront the man when you notice a glowing rune on the surface of the wood. After a moment the glow recedes and an image of your thumbprint delicately burned into the placard.

The man beside you smiles and puts a hand on your hammock. "And now you can do this." With your bag still on the swing, he grabs the edge of the bed and begins to spin the cloth around. You prepare yourself to catch your bag as it falls to the ground but find that as it spins, your items disappear completely. You stand there dumbfounded.

"And you spin it the other way to get it out again," He demonstrates and your pack returns. You take a moment to check it and everything is where you remember putting it. Dumbfounded you start spinning your bunk forward and back making the bag disappear and reappear until you're satisfied.

"But where does it go?" You ask

The man shrugs, "I'm no mage, but I've hear it goes into a little pocket dimension." He removes his hat to push back his hair. You see a little crescent scar on his forehead. "Pretty neat though. I'm Leo, by the way." He extends a cordial hand to you after replacing his hat.

"Faust," you say as you take his hand.

Not long after you get situated below deck the Captain calls everyone to the deck for a pre-journey meeting. They stand at the helm and address the entirety of the crew about the details of the voyage. Beside them stands their first mate, a tall and athletic woman with tanned skin and closely shaved head, and a pair that could only be described as bookish. They are a man and a woman, the man had meticulously combed auburn brown hair and a pair of half-circle glasses balanced on his nose while the woman had bright blond hair tucked away in a braid wrapped and pinned around her head.

The captain speaks of the research their patrons are seeking to do in the Sea of Pearls; though mostly in vague terms. They outline the need for various physical tasks that may be required as well as potential threats to be dealt with throughout the journey. After the speech the captain disappears in their quarters along with the bookish patrons leaving the first mate to bark orders.

Though you join this voyage less as a sailor and more as a mercenary, you are still expected to help with some of the labor that the ship requires. You find yourself often being paired with with Leo in various tasks as he too is a hired sword-arm. He has a sarcastic humor that makes working with him somewhat entertaining to say the least. Before long the sails are dropped and the ship departs from the docks into the open water.

You find yourself with a bit of free time come evening. You could pick up a bit of food in the mess, but a part of you would be happy to just lean over the railing and watch the waves pass by. Or maybe a drink would be nice, Leo did say some of the others brought their own vintages. What will you do?