Story 1
The Unknown Archipelago
Battered by the waves, the boat fought for its survival against the enraged sea and storm. Digging your claws into the helm, you navigated the turbulent water towards the only chance of survival - a distant light of a lighthouse. You weren’t alone in this. Kerlie, your childhood friend and companion on this fishing trip, held tightly a sheet, trying to keep the sail low and from unfurling fully, which could potentially top the boat. A wave crashed into the boat, sending salty water straight on Kerlie, who coughed surprised. Besides the thunderstorms and violent waves, all the sheets on the boat were vibrating, making a myriad of clicking sounds. The hull creaked loudly, almost as if screaming from the pain. Your apparel was drenched, cold to the touch from all the water. Eventually you notice a fog rolling in. You felt panic settling within you, as fog obscure your view. One wrong turn, one rock could end your chances at survival.
“Keep it together! We can make it!”
Hearing the voice of your friend, you take a quick deep breath and regain composure. They were right, there is a chance. The waves weakened and steering the boat became easier. And the light was still there. Just follow the light!
Eventually, a lighthouse came into your view. Soon the black cliff which the building was situated on and the treetops. You broke through the fog, and headed towards a nearby beach. You feel a sign of relief as the danger of the storm starts to pass. You still hear the thunder roar in the distance. You glance at Kerlie, who seems to relax just a little more too. You use a small mechanism, you recently commissioned to be installed in your boat, to lock the helm and head to the deck.
“It looks like we’ve made it. Great job as always.” Kerlie said, seeing you grab the sheet they were holding.
Together you lower the sail fully and tie it with strong rope. After that is done, you take a look around. The storm has caused a lot of damage to your boat. It seems you will have to fix it before you can swim out again. Not that you want to do it anytime soon - it doesn’t seem like the storm is gonna pass anytime soon. Kerlie looked at their hands.
“Do you have first aid?”
You check with them to see what’s wrong. Their hands are red, swollen and you can see cuts - presumably from the sheet they were holding. This wasn’t the first time it happened. You always insisted Kerlie wore gloves during your trips to make sure they don’t hurt their hands. And they keep forgetting, and so, you scold them lightly.
“I know, I know. I will remember next time.”
They smiled and you shook your head. They will forget again. Suddenly you heard a loud crash and you both fell onto the deck, as your boat hit something and shook violently. You remember you are still sailing, you quickly check to see what happened. Waves pushed you straight to the shallow beach waters and you hit a rock formation. You groan unhappy. More repairs to be made. But you reached shallow waters, so you were pretty safe. You help Kerlie up and explain your plan. They nod and you both get to work.
After an hour of hard work, you successfully moved your boat onto the beach. As you feared, the hull was damaged and your vehicle was slowly gaining water. If you left it in the water, it would probably eventually just sink. Both of you sit down under a nearby tree observing the boat. You were safe, mostly unhurt and without any clue where you were. The weather was slowly improving with heavy rain turning into a drizzle and the winds calming down. You looked at the distant lighthouse, its light gently illuminating the dark sky.
“So…” Kerlie spoke up. “Since we are here, let’s look around. If there is a lighthouse, then someone lives here. Let’s see if they can help us.”
You nod in agreement and you both get up.
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The first stop on your expedition was the lighthouse itself. Someone probably lives there, since the light needs to be maintained in order to function properly. Using your trusty knife and with Kerlie’s earth magic, you make your way through vegetation and up the cliff to the lighthouse. Once you arrive, you notice it’s pretty old and the ivy is climbing the side of the buildings. There are no windows and the door is made out of stone. There is no doorknob. Only a heptagonal indentation. Kerlie tried to shape a rock to match the slot, but the door remained shut. You even search around, thinking maybe the key is laying somewhere nearby, but no luck. Perhaps no one lives here and to protect the lighthouse, the owner created this magical mechanism to open the door only for himself. Which means the key is with them.
After no luck and the tower you head out with Kerlie to explore different parts of the island. Unfortunately despite extensive search, you find no signs of civilization - even the ruins of one. While travelling you find a big lake and a river leading into the swamp. You manage to find some food in the form of wild berries, fruit bearing trees and some unfortunate bugs. However, there seem to be very few bigger lifeforms. No birds, rodents or bigger animals. The waters however seem to be abundant with fish. It might be a good idea to catch one or two for dinner.
Returning to the boat, you sit under the tree and contemplate your options. You could set up camp near the lighthouse in hopes the owner eventually will appear. Setting a camp in the jungle doesn’t sound like a bad idea either. You could easily find food and materials for the boat repairs this way. There is always the option of setting camp near the boat, this will make all the repairs much faster and all the still salvageable equipment was close by. As you think about options, Kerlie speaks up.
“Well, since we are stuck here until we fix the boat, why don’t we document the aquatic life of this island?” they said. “Might as well, right? What if we discover a new species and we get to name it? That would be exciting!”
You smile amused. Kerlie always could find a silver lining even in the darkest hours. They had a point. It would take you a while to collect materials and repair the boat even with their help. Kerlie wanted to discover a new species of aquatic life form ever since they were a hatchling. This is why they became marine biologists in the first place. You agree to the plan.
“Alright! So you go out and catch some fish and I will take care of the camp. Just… Where are we setting it up?”
