“When is the last time you ate young man? You look famished? All bones and no meat, you should take better care of yourself. How are you going to get a pretty wife if you can’t even provide for yourself Gabriel?” Lady Deidra’s concerned words reminded him of a pigeon’s incessant cooing. One of the side effects of becoming old and being lonely.

He locked his private thoughts behind the charming facade he wore for any client, “No need to worry yourself over my well-being, I simply skipped breakfast today, not wanting to keep you apart from your mementos any longer than you’ve already suffered m’lady,” the smile he gave her was spun of golden thread.

Ignoring Gabe’s attempt to refocus the conversation, she went right back on her assault, “Young man!” she seemed genuinely astonished, “Did your mother not raise you right? Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! I’ll have something prepared for you before you make yourself sick.”

“That’s really not necessary,” but it was too late, she was already scurrying towards the kitchen. He groaned as he rested his forehead between his thumb and forefinger.

“You always had a way with women Gabe. I wonder if this one won’t want to keep you all for herself.”

Sparing his partner an acknowledging glance he snorted, “Many, much more... insistent... than her have tried my dear Sephara, and yet, here I am.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t dare to hope then?”

This time he fully turned back towards here to deliver his reply to her jab, “My dear, you should always have hope. Just don’t expect it to come true,” he said with a wink.

-o0o-

It took the better part of the morning and forcing down some form of overly cardboard-like porridge, but eventually Gabe and Sephara left Lady Deidra’s home minus a set of ornamental statuettes, family heirlooms, that had recently been stolen from her. There was nothing better than the feel of money in your hands after a job was finished. To celebrate he tossed the pouch into the air a few times just so he could feel the full weight of the coins smack against his hand.

Coral’s harbour was like many cities on the continent filled with abandoned and rotting sea ships. A few, were still well kept, though most were fishing vessels. The advent of airships and been the death of sea transport, and that death was still fresh enough to see. Sea ports had already been built by cities near water, so most had simply refitted them to handle airships and saved the expense of having to build new warehouses. Cities farther inland weren’t so fortunate. Ghost towns were frequent. They were towns that were too poor to afford to build ports for airships saw a mass exodus of their populations, another relic of a not so distant past.

Death was balanced by birth. Cities swelled in numbers as air travel made transport easier and faster, and some would say, safer, although the last was a great point of contention. No one aboard a falling airship would agree.

Captain Gabriel Solomon breathed the sweet, fresh air. In this new world he was a pioneer – Captain of the Requiem Dawn, leader of its crew, and private businessman. He had founded the Skysail Treasure Co. with dreams of fortune. As he and his First Mate, Sephara Na, approached their home he read the sign the always from the side of the ship while they were docked.

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WELCOME TO THE SKYSAIL TREASURE CO.

The Skysail Treasure Co. is the only, and therefore premiere, Treasure Company in these lands. Our ships locate, transport, and recover treasure anywhere and everywhere. If:

• You know the whereabouts or can provide accurate and valuable information about a treasure, see our representatives about entering into a contract with our company. We’ll front the costs and provide all the manpower and equipment necessary while you sit back, relax, and enjoy your commission.
• You have lost, misplaced, or had treasure stolen from you, we can recover it.
• You have treasure you need to ship; we can provide safe and speedy delivery to any location.

Unique to the Skysail Treasure Co. is the opportunity for every employee to be an equal shareholder. Joining one of our crews means becoming an equal stakeholder in any enterprises your ship undertakes. The rewards are big, but so are the dangers. Speak to a representative if you are interested to see what positions are currently available.

Our Basic Rules of Flying:

1. Try to stay in the middle of the sky. Do not go near the edges. Edges of the sky can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees, and the infinite beyond. It is much more difficult to fly there.
2. A good landing is one you can walk away from. A great landing is one in which you can use the ship again.
3. The only time an airship has too much rum on board is when it is on fire.
4. Arguing with a Sky Captain is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. After a while you realize the pig likes it.
5. There are NO atheists on turbulent airships.

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“Well it’s still mostly true,” he thought out loud.

“Brooding about your unfulfilled dreams again Gabe?” Sephara mused as she passed him and went up the gangplank.

“No, just my unfulfilled pockets my dear.”

“Don’t be so glum. We just finished a job.”

“Right,” he replied, looking down at the pouch. “Keep ten for resupplying the ship and give the rest to the crew. Once the ship’s clean they’re free for the rest of the day. Tell them not to spend it all on whores and booze though,” he threw it at her.

“Aye sir,” she smiled and snatched the pouch out the air. After a year this was still the only ship his company owned. The jobs had been small, and mostly boring, but had kept them in the sky and free, which was, he supposed, a treasure in its own way.

“Capn’,” a young girl’s voice called from above. “That bloke Tanner came by bout an hour back. Reckon he wants ta talk ta ya bout a job.”

“Oh, what makes you say that?” he asked.

“Said he wanted ta talk ta ya bout a job.” Gabe rolled his eyes. Good help could be hard to fine.

“Ah, I see,” he said with a patronizing smile, “Thank you for telling me. I’ll go see him right away.”

He turned to leave but was stopped abruptly by the girl’s next sentence, “He mentioned somethin’ bout somethin’ called Shandalaar? Dunno what that is. Said ya know what he meant by it though.”

In the back of his head he could hear her footsteps fade away across the ship, but he was frozen in place, unable to move at the utterance of a single name...

“Shandalaar...” he whispered to no one but the wind. His sight returned to what was immediately in front of him, and he began his hustled walk through the city of Coral to Tanner’s Lair.