Commoner: A New Dawn

The Adventure Party arrived at the abandoned port. As expected, the place was lifeless. No workers, no ships, not even a whisper of the wind.

"This place is a scrapyard," Valeria scoffed, scanning the ruins. "I'd be surprised if even a mouse lived here-"

Thud.

Something dropped on her head.

"Ouch, what the-" She looked up and saw it: a rat. Her eyes widened in horror before she grabbed the rodent and hurled it into the distance.

"YOU DISGUSTING LITTLE THING!!"

Celeste ducked just in time as the rat soared past her.

"W-Woah! Easy! That thing could've hit me!"

While the two argued, Noir wandered the port in silence. Something about this place felt familiar yet distant, like a forgotten dream. His eyes fell on a battered ship near the shore. Its hull cracked but largely intact.

"Hey!" he called. "There's a ship over here! I think it's still seaworthy, might need some fixing, though."

Valeria's tantrum halted instantly.

"A ship? You actually found one?" She walked up to Noir, eyeing the vessel. "Well, I'll be damned… doesn't look half bad."

"Let's go check it out," Noir said, already heading toward it.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Celeste hurried after them.

As they approached the ship, the damage became more apparent, a sizable hole gaped along the hull. Valeria scowled.

"Damn it. We came all the way here for nothing. Stupid wreck!" She kicked a stone, sending it skittering across the port.

Celeste stepped forward, her hand hovering over the ship's frame. Her touch was gentle, reverent.

"No... we can still use this," she said softly.

Valeria raised an eyebrow. "Use this? It's a floating coffin. You suggesting we sail into the Mediterranean on a ship with a hole the size of my pride?"

Celeste shook her head. "Not as it is. But I can fix it. If we can gather enough wooden planks. I'll use my arcane energy to bind the materials and patch the damage."

Valeria folded her arms. "And where do you expect us to find planks? They don't grow on trees, y'know."

"We can salvage them," Celeste replied. "From the broken ships scattered around. There's plenty of debris."

Valeria sighed but turned away. "Fine. The sooner we start, the sooner we can leave this graveyard."

She paused and glanced over her shoulder.

"Hey, kid! You just gonna stand there like a pretty doll? Come help!"

Noir blinked before snapping into action.

The trio began combing the port for usable wood. Hours passed as they scavenged, cut, and hauled materials. When they finally gathered enough, Valeria collapsed onto a nearby rock.

"My back's crying. That took forever…"

By then, Celeste had already begun casting. She stood before the ship, her staff glowing with swirling energy.

"Mendirius Virelune," she chanted.

The wood rose slowly, drawn by magic. Planks floated to the ship and fused into place like puzzle pieces finding home. Noir watched in awe, this was the kind of magic he'd only seen once before, on the streets of a busy city, when he was still too young to understand its weight.

After what felt like an eternity, the ship was whole again. Weathered, yes, but sturdy. Seaworthy.

Celeste collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. "Phew… that took a lot more out of me than I expected…"

Valeria approached and offered her a hand. "Tired, huh? You just rebuilt a ship. Impressive." She helped her up with surprising gentleness.

"But we're not done yet. We still need to push this thing into the water."

"I'm fine," Celeste said, determined. "Let's finish this together."

Valeria joined Noir at the ship's stern.

"Alright, on three. One… two… three! Push!"

With a grunt of effort, the ship began to slide.

"Celeste! Now!" Valeria shouted.

Celeste raised her staff, her voice firm despite her exhaustion.

"Velaros Thalorien!"

The ship surged forward, guided by magic, until it finally splashed into the sea, floating, ready.

"We did it!" Celeste beamed, brushing sweat from her brow.

"We couldn't have done it without Miss Celeste," Noir said with a soft smile.

Celeste's cheeks turned a light shade of red. "I-It was nothing… just teamwork."

Valeria nodded. "Teamwork or not, we've got ourselves a ship."

She turned to the sea, eyes focused.

"With that done, it's time we sail across the Mediterranean."

Noir climbed aboard and stood at the bow, the wind tousling his hair.

"It's time to set sail. Toward a new dawn."

[—To Be Continued—]