The world is so thirsty. It cries out for the sweet nectar which will quench it's thirst for all time. But who? Who could possibly fill the thirst of the world?
Zane Ifrin
Ace of Hearts
Clouds, plump and full, drifting along in the sky. Wind, whipping about violently, the force threatening to destroy reality itself. Then, darkness, pure and true. Suddenly, the darkness is vanquished and Zane is bombarded with pure sunlight. Blinking with pure annoyance, he began to rub his eyes, trying to convince himself that he was still asleep. Perched upon his knee, a colorful parrot stared at him, it's head cocked to the side. He smirked, his companion most likely the reason that he had been awakened during the daytime. He reached out to the avian, the bird allowing him to pat it's head gently. Ruffling the feathers atop it's crown, he began to smile, the simple act being a nice diversion for the moment. After a few moments, he retrieved a cracker from his breast pocket holding it before the parrot, immediately catching it's attention. "Here little Tabris. Tabris want the cracker?" He tossed the cracker of the edge of the railing, causing it to descend to the deck below. The parrot, apparently named Tabris, soared after it, the daily habit of doing so causing him to be accustomed to such an erratic flight parent. With his parrot off of his knee, Zane shifted from his awkward position in the crow's nest, his knees having been dangling over the sides, along with his arms.
He rolled backwards, tucking in his knees and placing all of his weight on his shoulders. With a light kick, he sprung up into the air, adjusting his body while airborne to be feet down. With precise aiming, he landed on the railing of the crow's nest, his feet touching down first, followed by his hands gripping the rail for support. Placing a hand above his brow, he began to survey the ocean surrounding his ship. As expected, they had sailed through the night and had closed some of the distance separating them from the mainland. Already he could see the green associated with fertile land. However he was certain it was still quite off, and there would be no point in giving the crew a false sense of security. With a sigh he stepped onto the crow's nest, bending down to retrieve his hat. Securing it on his head, he popped his neck, relaxing his muscles. Taking one last look at the horizon, he gave a faint glimmer of another smile, right before jumping over the edge. Grasping the edge of the railing, he swung himself onto the mast, immediately throwing his feet on the wooden surface. He surfed down the mast, spiraling like a whirlpool as he descended. Nearing the bottom of the mast, his surf became a sprint and right as he was nearing the end, he jumped forward, which essentially was down, doing a handstand, before flipping forward onto his feet.
Not five feet away, his crew mate looked upon the spectacle with amusement, having been used to such displays from the captain. "Showoff." The crew mate, after making the utterance returned to mopping the deck more so annoyed with the task at hand than anything else. Zane strode past him, patting his back as he did so."Try cheering up Caleb. You only do this maybe one week out of the year. Don't let it darken your mood." Giving his short glimpse of wisdom, Zane disappeared into his quarters to resume his nap. After all a cranky, sleep deprived captain was not something any ship needed, least of all The Red Queen.
It will be I. I a mere urchin of the sea. It will be I that drowns the world in red so as to quench it's thirst of thirsts. For who else to spread the red, but the ace of hearts.
