Restoration - Dragons of Dragonvale Book Two (on hiatus for a little bit)

Chapter One

"Captain! There's something in the water!" The man with the telescope looked out over the dark water and noticed something floating there.

"What is it?" The Captain wrapped his coat around him tighter, desperately trying to block out the cold of the northern ocean winds.

"I believe it's a man! He's on what looks like some wooden planks!"

"Well, pull him in! Quickly! He might already be dead! It's absolutely freezing out here!"

"Aye, aye!" The first mate moved to have the men drop a skiff, having two men hop into it with a blanket and a rope in hand. They rowed out pulling the man into the skiff, flashing their lantern to the ship that he was still alive.

As they got him back onto the boat, the ship's doctor quickly took over. "He's suffering from hypothermia, Captain, we need to get him warmed up, slowly."

The Captain followed them into the doctor's quarters and watched the doctor do his best to revive the stranger from his comatose state. The man was shivering and his body jerking as it began to slowly regain its warmth.

A few hours later, just before sunrise, the man's temperature was finally steady and his eyes fluttered opened, his curly black hair damp and clinging to his face and forehead.

The doctor alerted the Captain that their patient was awake and he quickly walked over to the man laying on the cot.

"You dodged quite a bullet, my friend," said the Captain softly. "Who are you?"

"Where am I?"

"You're on my ship. I'm a mercenary of sorts. We're in the northern waters. You're lucky we found you. You almost froze to death. Where's your ship?"

"Destroyed," croaked the man.

"By who?"

"I don't know. We...docked at an island...the women...they attacked us...blasted our ship..."

The Captain looked confused. "Island? There's no island around here, my friend. My maps are all current and no island exists!"

The man closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's real. The woman I was with...tried to kill me..." His words trailed off into a coughing fit and the doctor advised the Captain that any more questions should wait till the man had recovered more.

"Just one more, Doctor. Son, where are you from? Who should we send a message to that you're alive?"

The Captain had to lean closer to hear the weak voice of the man but the words he spoke drove a stake of fear into his heart.

"I hail...from the kingdom of...King Zoilos."

* * *

It was evening when the ship pulled into the harbor. The men had dropped the anchor and lowered a skiff to the water. In it were the Captain, his first mate, the ship's doctor, and a few men the ship could spare to gather supplies while in port.

"Did you send the message, Kerth?" The Captain looked over his shoulder at the sunset on the horizon, something he loved watching every night without a storm.

"Aye, Captain, I did."

"Good. Let's get this over with."

The skiff was heavy with a tense silence, eyes scanning the various ships docked in the harbor. One in particular caught their eye and it made the men rowing the oars waver a bit in their rhythm.