Nyla hops out of her bed. It is just a few moments after sunrise, very uncharacteristically early for her. But there is a lot to be excited about! Today, is finally the day. The day she has been waiting for weeks, years really. Today she will finally embark on her journey to the big city on the main land; Astrafall.

The trading ship that will take her the first leg of her adventure, the Rust breaker, arrived here in Havenbrook a few days ago. Her self Curvus (the towns mechanic) and the strange folk that crash landed outside of town a couple of weeks ago, will sail along the crew, about a week or so south wards, crossing the northern sea, to the town of Polaris on the main continent.

There they will need to figure out the best mode of transport to get them to the capital. Nyla is hoping it will be an airship, that would be so cool. She has never seen one before, they tend to only fly above land. But Curvus already warned her it will be unlikely that they will have airships in Polaris. Apparently not enough people want to travel to and from there to justify running a route, at least that was the case a decade ago when last made the journey.

The strange folk apparently came from the stars and are hoping to find parts to repair their space ship in Astrafall. Curvus and their mechanic made a list of stuff they would need and he had made the journey before. When Nyla heard of the planned journey she insisted that she would come. It has been her dream to see the world outside Havenbrook.

While Nyla is throwing the last couple of things in her luggage. A enthusiastic rap on the door pulls her away from here thoughts.

"All packed up kiddo?" old Silas asks with a big grin, without greeting.

"Almost, just packing the last few things"

"Good, I want you to know that you have my full support, but you don't have to do this if you don't want to right"

"I know, but I want to, I want to see the mainland, I want to see the big city and I want to see an airship"

"Allright, just checking..." the old man drops a pause, his always jovial face turns serious for a moment.

"What's the matter, Silas?"

"It's just. I hope you come back. The world is a big place and I want for you to see it, of course, but I would also like for you to return. Brookhaven needs you, over the years the numbers have been dwindling, a lot of the citizens are getting older, and not many new ones are born. It would be a shame if you where to leave and find another place to live."

"Don't worry old man, I'll be back before you know it. It's just all the stories that I heard from the mainland. I have to see it for my self." She looks at the man, without the smile, his face looks twenty years older. When did that happen?

His face softens "Good, I always thought of you as becoming the leader of Havenbrook when I am gone. And it would be good for you to experience the outer world before you do. Very good indeed."

Nyla thinks to herself. Me? The leader of the town? I guess I have been helping Silas with a lot of his work lately, but I am not ready for that kind of responsibility! But she doesn't show it, she just smiles and acknowledge it with a small nod.

"I didn't want to spring these things on you like this, but it might be my last opportunity to do so. You'll be gone for a while and I am old man..."

"Your not that old. But thanks Silas that means a lot" she doesn't want to here it.

Together they walk to the harbor. Many of the towns people are already gathered around to the docks to say there farewell.

"I hope you have good journey Nyla!" Orion says as they approach the ship. "I am kinda jealous, tell me everything about the mainland creatures when you get back ok?"

The Rust breaker's little trading shop, that the crew ran from a side hatch in the hull of the ship, has been packed up and closed down for the journey.

The four new comers are already onboard too, standing on the deck, trying to not get in the way of the crew running around preparing for the departure.

After saying their goodbyes to the hundred or so people of Havenbrook Nyla and Curvus embark the ship via the gangway. On board they are greated by a big man with a gray mustache.

"Welcome aboard the Rust breaker, I believe we haven't been properly introduced yet, I am captain Swiftstrike, but you can call me Caelum, as long as things are going well" he says with a big friendly smile. "Let me show you your quarters"

They follow him as he continues. "We don't often have this many guest on board, we might have one or two on any given journey, but six, that's basically all she can handle! Normally I would offer separate rooms."

The captain shows them a small-ish room with a bunk bed, a desk and a round porthole window. "Thats Allright, I call top bed!" Exclaims Nyla.

"Sure, be my guests, when the ship wobbles and you roll out of bed it's a longer fall anyway." Curvus says.

"I'll try to keep her steady then and make sure that doesn't happen. Allright, you can leave your bags here, let's go to the top deck so you can see us leave port, we will do a proper tour once we are on our way." The captain interrupts.

The make their way to the top deck and find a good place to wave off the town.