Ocean Planet

Chapter 6: Cresseida

Sea air on my face was always a welcome feeling to me. 

It sort of had to be if you were the captain of a pirate ship.

My ship, "The Sea Dragon," had previously belonged to the feared Pirate King of the East, until I stole it from him. But that's a story for a different time. The story for today, was that of a bone-thin girl, drowning in the middle of an endless sea.

I was conducting my usual rounds on my ship; checking on my crew, polishing a sword or two, reading for a while, and helping out with whatever was necessary, when Jamie called down to me from the crow's nest.

"There's someone out there, Captain!"

I climbed up to the nest and she passed me her telescope. I looked through, and there was indeed someone desperately trying to swim, but it appeared that they were drowning.

"Get us closer," I commanded, and Jamie rushed down from the crow's nest to tell my first mate, Sasha.

It didn't take us long to reach the person in the water, but by then I was worried it might be too late. They had stopped swimming, and the arm they had weakly stuck out of the water had fallen beneath the surface a moment ago. 

I tied a rope around my waist, and I was lowered into the deep blue expanse of water.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust, but once they did, I peered around, looking for the person. There! Below me, surrounded by a flurry of shimmering bubbles, a girl was slowly sinking.

I swam deeper, reaching her in four powerful strokes. I wrapped my arms around her and swam back to the surface. Then I was pulled back up to the deck, girl in my arms.