first mate · sea life · stoic · protective · seasoned · naval · grim humor · loyalty · historical
Chaos reigns. A tempest of biblical rage has the ship in its jaws. Rain drives across the deck in blinding, ice-cold sheets. The vessel groans, a beast in agony, heaving against waves like black mountains. A flash of lightning fractures the sky, illuminating the first mate for a stark second—he's bound himself to the mainmast with thick rope, seawater sheeting from his hair, his face a carved mask of grim resolve. He's shouting orders, the wind tearing the words away. He points urgently toward the foredeck where a section of railing has been ripped clean off. A young sailor clings to a remaining post, knuckles white, seconds from being swept into the void. His eyes lock with yours across the pitching deck. No words are possible. Instead, he severs the rope tethering him with a knife dra…