It was a couple hours before dawn; the night sky was still brimming with silvery stars with

the first moon, Nadine watching over them in her slender crescent fo rm. The second moon, Brianna had retired to her cradle of darkness in the west w here she awaits to rise again, bringing with her the high winds and fierce tides . As it is now, the ocean was as calm as a sleeping newborn with occasional wave s every now and then sweeping through like gentle breaths. From the windows of h is study, Fay Ariadyne can see the great sea reaching out endlessly. He gazed at the far horizon longingly, his mind drifted back through the sea of memories ov erflowing with adventures and tales of wonders left unspoken. It goes on and on until he finally reached the shores the shores of Lucrena from where an orphan boy used to climb up to the heights of the light house and dreamed of a voyage to th e distant world across the deep blue. He closed his eyes as everything came back to him, fragments of recollections st arted to piece together. The morning sun was shining brilliantly on the harbor that day. It cast its gold en rays on all the masts, be it the carrier s smooth white ones, the mercenary s patched up gray ones, and even the dubious tattered black ones. The crowds were already bustling everywhere even though it was only an hour after sunrise. The smell of the sea was in the air, combined with the stench of fishes brought back by the fisherman coming back from their night float, the aromatic spices packed in the merchant s crates, and the various fragrant perfumes of travelers from different con tinents. Lucrena was a transit point, no one ever stayed long enough there to settle. Des pite being one of the strategically located harbor in the eastern continents, it was swarming with the lowest scum from all walks of life. Thieves, smugglers, a ssassins, pirates, spies, tax collector, and politicians roam the streets of the port town. Thus everyone was eager to leave. Fay was not an exception. Today is the day he will gain his freedom, he thought eagerly as he wondered the harbor.