Sinbad the Salty

As he stood alone, Sinbad felt the wind as it raced through his hair, a peaceful feeling, despite it causing his loose clothing to billow and throw volumes of salt into his mouth and eyes -- though they were closed.

"Sinbad!" Lucy called out.

Sinbad did not hear her, or simply chose not to, as he was much more interested in what he was doing; something which was both idiotic and dangerous.

Sinbad had decided to take a new approach to sailing.

You see -- where Sinbad is from, there is less so a concept of "Man and Vessel" -- and more so a concept of "Sailing". This distinction is left rather unclear to Lucy and the remainder of the crew, and yet, what has been made abundantly clear is that Sinbad intends to learn to sail the same way as those whom he grew up sailing with.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, this could be a risky endeavor, for both captain and crew, however, Sinbad found it to be necessary. If he were to continue to improve as a captain, it would require taking risks.

"Sinbad!" Lucy called out again. She shouted something else but this time Sinbad truly didn't hear it.

The ability to read his ship was the defining feature of any captain within Sinbad's caliber. Sinbad's connection to his vessel was so keen that his ability to control it had become second nature. Navigating the waters required not a second of thought. The trouble with such a connection, however, was that the lines between his mind and the ship's would -- not infrequently -- blur.

Sinbad wondered what it was Lucy could be so upset about. They were making great time. By his estimates, he had already shortened their travel by a day and a half, meaning that their journey could be reduced by as much as a fortnight if they were to keep their pace for its duration.

"Sinbad, a whale!" Lucy's shrieked. Her final, desperate plea for Sinbad's attention managed to snap him back into reality.

"Shit." He cursed under his breath.

'This is not good,' he thought to himself. Leaping down from his perch on the mast - the one holding their mainsail - Sinbad began to hatch a plan.

Sinbad landed on the deck hard enough to split the boards beneath him.

'All hands on deck!' He shouted, unbothered by the fall he just survived.