It was a warm autumn day, the seas were lightly choppy but the tropical southern ocean was a twinkling vista of azure and sapphire stars. A merchant vessel, the Fat Lady, was making her way from Orilla to Zanzibaar, her holds loaded with terracotta, when, just west of Zaphar isle, something stirred in the oceans.

A golden shoal surrounded the heavily-laden boat; the light chop turned to white froth as slender, streamlined fins broke the surface.

"Strike the sails!" barked the captain. "Turn her into the wind! We'll wait this one out, lads." The Fat Lady ceased her progress towards the Baarian harbour and the crew mustered upon the rail to watch the strange whirl about their hull.

Entranced by the shimmering, ethereal colours, not a man was prepared when the first sheilei leapt from the water beyond the starboard rail. With an impressive speed, the opulent fish hurtled high into the air, beyond even the mast's reach, before arcing to dive into the depths past the port lantern. The rest of the shoal followed suit, any rhyme or reason for this strange act unknown to the men aboard who were quickly being drenched in the briny rain cast off the aerobatic fish.

The strange show lasted almost an hour, the fish dwindling in size as the heirarchy of the shoal determined their place in the order. Only as large as the average skiff, the last sheilei made its leap, and fell short. The great fish quickly snarled in the rigging of the vessel, its panicked thrashing splintering spars, shredding sails, and tearing the mast loose of its moorings deep in the dark hull.

The reverie shattered, the crew scurried, each aiming to escape the falling rigging and to secure the Fat Lady, who wallowed all the more as she swiftly took on water.

Many upon Sapience blinked as they witnessed the sinking of the Fat Lady and the death of her crew. Some took to ships of their own, looking for answers, for tokens, for a wreck to perhaps search or salvage. Some scoured the beaches, hoping for the same.

Simmons, the lighthouse keeper in Sea Lion Cove, was the first to note a figure in the water, and kindly offered his dutiful home to Casov, the mariner, the lone survivor of the Fat Lady.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Summary:
A flying sheilei's clumsy attempt at aerobatics sinks the merchant vessel, the Fat Lady. Casov, the lone survivor, now resides with Simmons in Sea Lion Cove, and will pay any who bring him evidence of a seamonster's slaying.



Penned by My hand on the 25th of Phaestian, in the year 703 AF.