Tidal Wave

I : A Storm is Brewing.

Waves lapped at the wooden sides of the Albatross as it drifted through the water. The sun glinted off of Alphonse's metal body, reflecting across the deck. Ollie sat by Drey, listening closely to the stories he was telling about the Black Rose with wide, curious eyes and an expression of awe on his face. Below, in the captain's quarters, three people sat, laughing about the game of cards they played. A young man with brown hair threw down his cards.

"I win!" He exclaimed, crossing his arms and looking smugly at the other two.

"Chip, that's not how you play this game." Said the young woman with orange hair.

"Well then how do you play, huh? Your sorry ass didn't explain," Chip replied, looking at her.

"Oh! So these are not edible?" Both people looked at their teal-skinned companion, who held several cards in his mouth, biting into them with sharp, shark-like teeth.

"Gill! No! Spit them out!" Jay yelped, before trying and failing to stifle a laugh and doubling over.

"Buddy. Pal. Why would you eat the goddamn cards," Chip said, confused. He held his hands out in an exasperated gesture.

"They contained moisture! Moisture, Chip! Why wouldn't I eat the cards?" Gill answered. He continued to chew, his tail thumping cheerfully on the floor behind him as his fins twitched. He grinned.

"Both of you are idiots," hissed Jay through fits of laughter. Tears pricked her eyes as she gasped for air, holding her stomach. Chip stood up and went over to shake Gillion, trying to tear the cards away from his fishy friend. Gillion resisted, continuing to eat the cards on the grounds that they were "snack flavored and full of moisture". Eventually, Chip got ahold of the cards. Gillion sighed, before looking directly at him.

"It was not your destiny to have those cards."

Chip shivered visibly.

"I'm going up. You keep being fishy, Gill." He said, turning around and running up the stairs two at a time.

"I'm also gonna head to the top deck. You coming?" Jay took a deep breath, brushing dust off her pants as she stood up.

"Yes!" Came the reply, as Gillion stood up as well. He only barely avoided knocking his coral on the wooden ceiling as he began following Jay up the stairs. As he looked at the low ceiling from a few steps up, he felt a slight prick in his left wrist. Glancing down, Gillion saw the crescent moon embedded in his skin. Was it that big before? Shaking his head, he continued up the stairs onto the bright top deck.

Squinting against the warm sunlight, Jay extended the spyglass and looked through it.

"How's the weather going to be today?" She asked. It gave a quick response, dark clouds covering the glass. She looked up at the clear sky. "Weird," was her only remark.

"Chip! Any ideas where we should go next? We don't really have an objective right now!"

"Not really! Anything interesting in the North Sea?" He called in reply.

Jay shrugged, looking around through the spyglass in hopes of seeing anything that might be nearby. By her count, they had left Allport about five days previously.

"Alphonse! Any ideas as to where to go?" She asked. The warforged turned to her.

"None come to mind Cap'n," Alphonse responded, in his usual metallic southern voice. Jay sighed.