Story One
The Sea Of Avaritias

The smell of salt filled the nostrils as the crashing of the sea met the shore. A large ship with the most ornate of figureheads shaped into a dragon bearing the crests of the merchant guild. The ship docks into the harbor of the city of Godo, a city worn to the bones by the sweeping currents of pestilence and disease. Those who can help allowing the innocent just to suffer with a loathing resentment growing toward the ones higher, sitting in their seats of gold. As they remain dispassionate to the suffering happening to the ones, they make money off of, as long as their coffers are full of gold, they pay no mind even if their actions kill all who are below them.

Even in this pit of despair hope is still there, its starts with an old man aged by years on sea exiting the ship with an undeniable authority as he commands his fellow peers to unload medicine and set up med bays. And as the sun sets on the sick ridden city the sound of metal clinking on the stone of the harbor as a man gilded in gold with the finest fabric and fur that a man can find in the 7 seas of sins of Bermuda with guards on either side of hem not even pays a glance to the sick and dying around hem as he walks up to the old man. "What's with this abomination in my presence" as he grabs a jar of medicine to take a look with disgust from this act of goodwill.

In response the old man retorts "ha you mean me helping your peers who are sick ridden if so fuck off" getting up in the man face emphasizing the fuck off. Ridden with disgust the gilded man speaks in a down looking tone "PEERS there nothing more than cows to milk money from."

"Well, there not cows there, people like me and you" as the old old man jams a finger in the man's chest. "How dare you" as the gilded man grabs the collar of the old man. "Do you not know who I am peasant I'm the god of this people" with a boastful laugh. "Ha you a god not in fucking century's you know why because you are just a pig of avarice."

As a voice from behind the old man "hey let go of Gramps if you know what's good for you" slowly waving his hand to bring attention to the man with weapons in hand ready to kill the gilded man. With a bit of a concern look on his face, the gilded man drops Gramps. "When you guy are done selling these medicines, bring me 60% cut for selling in my district." With a swift movement for his old age, Gramps heads to the med bay and continues helping to pass out medicine. "We aren't selling them, we are helping the ones who need it, since you are poisoning them with your greed." With disgust, the gilded man walks away with anger in his mind and steps.

With a genteel voice Gramps speaks to a boy a from before who is in his late teens to early adult warring fairly basic clothing with the only thing standing out from the rest of is attire is his deep dark reddish brown hair tide in a ponytail and the scar of the looks of lightening that goes from his shoulder to his hand. "John, how many times have I told you not to jump in like that." "Gramps, I know I know I could not stand there and let him treat you like that." As he continues, John walks over to the med bay and starts to help the sick. "Hey doc, how is it going." "Will other than being nick deep in work it's going good also how's your arm doing." as John moved his arm with a slight wince, "It's fine other than slight pain when I move it." John nodded, "Well that what happens when you break your arm but also can you chick with Bobey on how much stock we have left on the medicine." "Will do."

After many hours of helping the sick and running thing for others who feel like family after many years of selling on the sea. With the fall of night in the sky on this day ware the people gather with hope for a better tomorrow as many of them light candles in lanterns that flout into the sky, all this being seen by John siting on the crow's nest of the ship seeing the stars of hope in the sky.

As the sound of hope and prayers fills the air with a humming of singing from the citizens as the start of a new year with hope not despair, but not all stories have a good ending. As the deafening sound of clicking of metal boots comes off from the city as a group of soldiers in armor with a crest of the siren serpent, a group of mercenaries. But why are they here, and who sent them? As all the questions flowing through, but one thought going through his mind is, "I have to help."

With a quick motion, John jumps from the crow's nest and grabs a rope, sliding down to the docks, running as hard as he can, flying past all the other crew. Getting to center city, all he sees is fire as he runs in without a second thought trying to help those who are still there as the fire creeps up Johns charring his skin but despite the pain he keeps going even with the flesh burning he still keeps going helping people after people but as the fire keeps flaring up like the infernos of hell the pain starts to leave ware once charred flesh and skin are scales of a fiery red but as John helps the last a voice can be heard.

"I don't like it when my money it's not given to me," as the gilded man walk up to the tired and injured John. "Are you the one who called upon this fire?" With no emotion, just a loathing anger, grabbing the gilded man by the collar. "Your judgment is death for all the crimes that you have committed." The gilded man speaks, "I have done no crime, just milking money from my cattle, but you won't be able to do anything. I have the hole Siren Serpent they will gut you like the pest you are."

John lifts so all can see "they will all fall that same " with an unnatural motion John kills the gilded man with a stab to the hard with an covered in scales of red that is darker then the blood that covers it that same scales that the dragons and leviathan share but the last thing that the gilded man say is "don't forget you old man" as an deafening explosion can be heard ware the ship was docked.

John starts running with all his mite with the only thought of "Gramps please be ok " over and over and he get to the dock threes a group of by standers trying to tame the fire of the ship as bodies of the crew floating in the water same dead on the cold stone ground but no sign of Gramps see this John runs head first in to the fire to find Gramps dogging the falling bits of wood from the mast and the floors clasping in as he makes his way to the captains quarters ware Gramps is there laying of the floor in his final breath "Gramps you going to make it please don't die" as Gramps puts his hand on Johns face "John my son not of blood but my son none the lest but my time is up for me --"as John interrupts "no this is not the end for you we can figure something out" as Gramps pats John head "hey what did i say about interrupting me but i have one last thing your vary special person" one you are a Draconis but also the son of black bared" as Gramps last breath is breathed his hand falls from Johns head as John screams in anger but sadness as all the exhaustion from tonight hits John he falls over and pass out alloying the fire consume hem.

as a voice from a man can be heard "hey Kido there’s food on the table if you want some" as he leaves the door with a heavy heart to the kitchen ware a women is siting that table with food with the hope that some will eat it "is the kid coming out to eat or is he still in the guest room" the man responds with a nod "I'm worried that he might end it all if he stays in there" "he won't but it makes since that he does not want to talks or interact with any one he did hade his whole world burn up in flames two months ago".

as John sits there covered in scars and burns all over his arms and legs. ware there once was light in his eyes but all that is left is a just a husk of who he once was as a taping from his window can be herd John get up opens the window as a girl with bright red hair standing there on the railing of the window "so you are the one who help the city and the only survivor of the ship fire why you just setting in here and rotting like a corps" as she puts her hand out "want to do something" John takes her hand but does not know why he takes her hand as he feels compiled to.

Grabbing his hand, the girl pulls him out the window onto the roof of the series of buildings where you can still see buildings and road being repaired from fire. Pulling him along the roof, she asks, "What's your name?" and with a response with no life to it, as if his name burns his throat, "John. Why? stopping with the weight of pain in the soles of his feet as if there were iron, he says his name. "Why so down, man? But my name is Lulu."

as John takes a closer look, she has decent clothing for how this town is, but taking a look around, the city seems to not be in so much poverty and pain as kids running in the streets, flying kites with the largest of smiles, and where once the dying and sick spreading their sickness like a wild fire, as Lulu speak up seeing the eyes of a person who have lost all their will to live, "this place, from the 18 years of living here, this place has not once look like this. it was once where all buildings have some form of damage, there was always some once dying in an alley way, and people die to sickness, but you, you change everything by killing the asshole of a person with money, so thank you, John."

she grabs John hand and pull John through the city, bring him to the market where it bustling with music, joy and laughter, as Lulu is taking John to the many stands, grabbing many different food and treats, giving them to John, but as the night set, John stops Lulu. "Why... why are you doing this for me? i don't even know you, all I know is your name." "because John, you saved this place from a fate of darkness and peril."

as Lulu drags John to a cove off from the city where a boat is of descent size, larger than a five man ship but nowhere close to the size of a vessel compared to Gramps.

"Whose boat?" John asked with a hollow voice. "it is yours, John," as Lulu grabs John hand once again, bring him onto the ship of fine stature, but not of riches, but fine none the less, as he starts walking towards the captains quarters, which is small but good for a person to live there, as there there's a bed in a corner of the room and a wardrobe across the room from the bed, with a desk in the middle of the room and a series of bookshelf on one wall.

"Again, I ask, why... why do all this for me?" as John falls to the floor as tears. "Just why, why, why do I have to be the only one to live, why, and why do I get reward for all my suffering?" Lulu goes over to John and sits next to him. "I know how it is to lose family, I also don't have anyone else because of that man who would rather have money in his pocket then have people to lead, but you prevented that from ever happening ever again with others, so why set in sorrow and dwell on the past when you can take one step at a time to a because the ones we lost are still here in our hearts and how would they feel if you just sit there and rot a way in sorrow?"

as John wipes his tears away. "But still why help me?" as Lulu puts her hand on John's shoulder. "Because you help more than you know and you need to know that, now let's get you up and get this ship going," grabbing John off the ground and on to his feet. "But Lulu your home is here not on a ship," with a solemn tone she responds, "i don't have a home here hence why I'm going with you even if you don't like it."

speechless john keep looking around the ship going under the deck seeing a small place for string stuff and a cupel hinging cots for the crew "if you do stay is this ware you be sleeping" with a hint of hesitation "yes" "this is not good enough for my future crew " as John takes down the cots turning to Lulu "By any chance you have any shellits or did you send it all on get this" with a heavy heart Lulu show a empty money bag "ah" seeing this John puts back the cots "well then we will get some thing beater when we have some shellits... we heeding out at sunrise " with a voice that is heavy with a grayness.

Heading back towards the captains quarters heading to bed. as the night grows darker the image of Gramps standing there