Tale of a Helmsman

Gabranth had ever since childhood been fascinated by the great big blue sky. His father, a traveling merchant, was often absent from the household on the little fringe farming island that Gabranth called home. But when his father came home he would have exotic presents like silk kites and wooden ship models. He would also tell stories of the great Casscadian cities and the storms he had bested with his expert piloting skills. When Gabranth was nine years old he found a stranded ship laying on the plains. A small sloop of war with expert wood workings that made it in part resemble a dragon with a carved head and spread out side sails, though the sails were now torn and there was a big gaping hole in its side. Gabranth was immediately in love with the abandoned and damaged ship and swore he would rebuild it and pilot it someday.   He begged his father to become an apprentice and surely on his eleventh birthday Gabranth was sailing the skies with his father’s crew. He learned to climb ropes and standard safety procedures. He learned how to care for the heart tree of a ship and the solar sails. He watched his father negotiate with pirates and how a captain dealt with his losses.   One night a storm was suddenly upon them. The sky spirit of the area was thrashing around in a violent rampage striking the ships in the sky with lightning strike after lightning strike. The ship caught on fire and began to spin as it could not withstand the harsh winds. Gabranth got onboard an emergency vessel and watched as his father was hit by a strike of lightning and hurduled out into the abyss as the ship tumbled.   It was a hard and heavy journey back home. After a few years of helping out on the family farm he decided to take on the project of his life. He was finally ready to take on that sloop in the plains he had found when he was nine. He worked day and night on that sloop and became somewhat of a local celebrity. People came by offering their expertise and materials for the ship. It did not take long before Gabranth was standing on the ship scrubbing it down before getting it out for its first test run. The Goldfish was ready to set sail.   The whole town and come to watch Gabranth take off with the Goldfish. The skies were clear with a gentle breeze perfect for sailing. Family and friends cheered him on as the Goldfish left port and headed up into the sky.   “Can you see me now father!” Gabranth shouted out into the air in jubilation. He had just at the age of sixteen built and was piloting his own ship.   But the happiness was not to last. The ship was going through some heavy turbulence and Gabranth could not get control over the elevation. Panicked, he tried to perform an emergency landing on the flat plains. He survived but the Goldfish was once again back where it had started. Gabranth cursed the skies.   “You win! If you truly hate me so much I’ll never sail again!” he cried to the air and went straight home to avoid the festive townsfolk. They would only look at Gabranth with pity.   Days went by and the people who had helped out on the Goldfish came to Gabranth to try and get him back to his enthusiastic and hard working self. “The heart tree just didn't have enough time to grow into the ship”, “maybe we should have gone and prayed at the shrine before heading out”, “it had some construction errors, we can build her up again and make her better” they told Gabranth. But he would not listen. He was too convinced that he was a failure and a truly cursed man for the weather spirits to take away what he held dear.   A small band of adventurers had found themselves on the farming island after they had been attacked by pirates. They had no helmsman who knew about boats or could sail so they were desperate to find someone to join their crew. The innkeeper told them of Gabranth. Young, filled with spirit and had built his own ship though he was just sixteen. Intrigued they went looking for Gabranth but he told them he was cursed and that they needed to find someone else. Maybe wait for a merchant ship or for the harvest when there should be lots of opportunities to get off this island and head for the big cities.   Days passed. The adventurers did try a couple of times to convince Gabranth to change his mind, as did his friends and family who had taken care of the Goldfish and begun repairing the damages. Truth be told the Goldfish was not hit that hard and was sitting in the hangar once again sails ready. The same could not be said for it’s captain though. He slaved away at the field working hard to forget his childhood dreams.   While out eating with his family at the town’s inn a sudden storm much like the one Gabranth experienced the day his father died came over the island. Thunder and lightning with tornadoes and rain.   Gabranth was fuming with anger and he rushed outside to the port.   “My father was not enough huh!? Came to take my whole damn home too!!?” he wailed at the sky. In the flashes of lightning he could barely make out the shape of the sky spirit. A long feathered serpent twitching and screeching as if in enormous pain. Gabranth laughed madly as he hugged the railing for dear life.   “Gabranth! Gabranth!” A woman's voice called out to him barely audible in the storm.   The boy looked over and saw the island's cleric. She was the one in charge of communicating with the spirits of the earth and sky on behalf of the people to keep the lands fertile and safe. Gabrnarth could not understand what Cleric could want with him, cursed and useless as he was.   A powerful gust swept the woman off her feet and she fell hard on the laid stone road. Gabranth rushed to her aid and helped the elderly woman in her drench feathered ceremonial wear into the inn.   “What were you doing out there you stupid boy!” The woman wheezed.   “I could say the same to you old hag! I was cursing the spirits and my life, that's what I was doing.”   The inn was silent. Gabranth had not noticed how many people were in there at that moment. Family, friends, the forgine adventures, they were all there and looking at him. He felt so ashamed and small he looked down on the floor, water dripping from his fringe and nose.   “I apologise to the fair cleric. I should not have said that.” He mumbled. The half deaf woman could not make out his words but understood their meaning nonetheless.   “Well you can make good to me and yourself by giving us a helping hand. The sky spirit is hurt and in a frenzy. I need to get up to it so I can heal the spirit. But we have no one who can pilot a ship, especially not in this storm. Think you could help me young man?”   Gabranth was staring dumbstruck by the request.   “No-no-no. You got the wrong guy. I’m not a helmsman. Besides, I don’t have a ship or a crew!”   “The Goldfish is a fine ship. She is waiting for you in the hangar.” The old and tired mechanic called out.   “We can be your crew. We have done a bit of sailing in our days. Besides, there's a day that needs saving!” the unofficial leader of the adventuring crew bellowed out over the tables.   Gabranth wanted to tell them all no. To say it was impossible for him to fly the skies. That he was cursed and damned and good for nothing. But looking over everyones hopeful faces and that reassuring smile on his mother’s face, Gabranth could only shake his head. He pushed all of his self deprecation behind so that he could at least try to save his home. More important than his dreams and sadness were the people who cared about him, and now it was time for Gabranth to act like an adult and start caring about others in turn.   “Very well then. Come on crew. To the Goldfish.”   The cleric left instructions to the townspeople to pray and ceremonially sacrifice water to give her the strength to heal the spirit while the adventurers got dressed and gathered their gear. Gabranth received a thousand hugs and kisses from his mother.   “You have grown up so much. Looks just like your old-man you do.” She cried and hugged him.   “Mom stop it. Everyone is watching.” Gabranth blushed and tried to push off his mother. He received a final kiss and then was let go only to be asked to take a round around the tavern to shake hands with everyone for good luck. Once everyone was finished Gabranth and his crew headed out to meet with the spirit.