Sailor's Isle returned to relative normalcy surprisingly quickly after the Shattering. One of the perks of being an independent island was that the residents simply talked amongst themselves and came to a conclusion. Blue Rogues would act as Blue Rogues, fighting oppression, helping fellow sailors, and living wild and free.
In the interest of upholding that way of life, Captain Dyne and his crew finished construction on the Albatross II. Based on the design of his old Albatross, she was a medium-sized Airship, with 3 masts adorned with wide white sails, 2 sets of wings near the bottom for maneuverability, and 5 cannons on each side. Small enough to fit inside the secret base on Sailor's Isle, large enough to go toe to toe with Valuan Empire airships. For her maiden voyage, they sailed in a wide arc, poking around the massive landmasses that now surrounded them and starting to redraw their maps. Despite the change in scenery, everything felt like it was going back to normal... except for one thing.
His son wasn't here to see it.
As if picking up on his melancholic mood, the rest of the crew quickly cleared out, though his Vice Captain was kind enough to invite him to the pub when he was done 'thinking,' to celebrate getting his wings back. Dyne brushed them all off and stared at the crow's nest atop the highest mast. The one his son usually occupied.
Vyse could be anywhere by now, literally anywhere. Could the Shattering have sent him to some strange faraway land? Was he okay, was Aika still with him, did he have a ship or was he stranded? The crow's nest, of course, had no answers to give him. "When did I get so old?"
"I'd say your first mistake was getting married and having a kid." Said the teasing voice of Gilder The Unfettered. Dyne had been so caught up in his ruminations that he didn't notice the younger man's approach. "But I imagine nearly getting axed by Valua lost you a few years too. I thought I was the only one who could pull a disappearing act on Valua, so color me impressed, Dyne of the Blue Storm."
"I'm surprised that you found us so quickly Guilder. Figured it would be weeks before another Blue Rogue showed up." Dyne greeted. "Out of curiosity, how did you find us?"
"Luck mostly. We figured the floating islands were more likely to be from 'our' corner of the globe, so we've been bouncing between those for a while. I spied Pirate Isle through my spyglass, and here we are. Sorry to trouble you but the boys and I have been going stir crazy on the ship. Also... Things have changed. A lot. So I wanted to talk, Blue Rogue to Blue Rogue." The silly tilt left Gilder's voice. He sounded about as lost as Dyne felt.
Dyne sighed. Gilder may have been a bit of a laid-back and lackadaisical man, hence his title as 'The Unfettered,' but he was a good man at heart. "Sorry to disappoint, but I don't know much more than you. We've started drawing a new map and poking around nearby landmasses. Some settlements seem fine, others seem like Valua all over again. Once we know what we're dealing with it will likely be business as usual."
Gilder hummed. "Well, I see no reason not to 'liberate' the valuables of tyrants. But I guess we should know who we're dealing with first. Oh, while we're at it. This is a little out of date but I thought you'd like to see it." Gilder reached into one of his pockets and produced a rolled-up paper, which he presented to Dyne.
It was a list of Valuan's most wanted. Beside each pirate's name was a number of skulls, representing how dangerous they were to Valua and the weight of their bounty. At the very top, 'Gilder the Unfettered'☠️☠️☠️☠️. A single step below that, 'Dyne of the Blue Storm' ☠️☠️☠️.
"I was a bit worried when you vanished from the wanted list," Gilder admitted. "When I saw you back near the top the boys and I had a party in your honor, to celebrate."
"Why do I get the feeling that if I died, you'd have a party to honor my memory?" Dyne shot back dryly. Gilder chuckled but didn't deny the accusation. Below himself and Gilder were more of the usual suspects, Calamity Clara, Zivilyn Bane... And then Dyne saw it. Right below the 2 skull bounties and at the very top of the 1 Skull bounties
'Vyse The Determined' ☠️
A profound sense of pride mixed with sadness warred in Dyne's chest. The hand holding the paper shook so badly that Gilder quickly snatched it back "What's wrong Dyne? I thought you'd be proud."
"I am proud. My boy has grown into a fine young man. He has loyal friends, a stubborn streak a mile wide, all the skills he needs to be a sterling swashbuckler, and his own bounty. But I can't help but worry about him, and feel like he's left me behind. All those milestones and accomplishments I wanted to be there for are happening continents away, and there's nothing I can do but miss them."
"Hey, you said it yourself Dyne. He has all the skills he needs to succeed. The skills that you taught him. Vyse wouldn't know how to handle a ship if you hadn't let him handle the wheel from time to time. Even if he's a young man now, he's still your son. Maybe you won't get to see all his victories and triumphs, but that just means he'll have to tell you about them himself." Gilder winked. "Preferably over a nice glass of Loqua."
Dyne sighed again, feeling slightly calmer. "Gilder, may I ask you a favor? If Vyse is ever in trouble and you have the opportunity. Can I ask you to help him?"
"I'll help him. But not because you asked me. I'll help him because I'm a Blue Rogue, and we help our fellow Rogues out whenever we can. That goes for you to too Mr 'Blue Storm'"
"I'll try to keep that in mind, Unfettered." The two captains shared a chuckle together.
"Well, that's enough emotional crap for one day. Got any good stories to share? I heard through the grapevine you've got a new ship."
"The Albatross II. Same design as my old bird, but with a few upgrades. We stole a military-grade engine off a Valuan vessel. But that's not all. We found a smuggler with a Magic Cannon...-"
The rest of the night would be spent in the bar, sharing stories and drinking deeply from mugs of Loqua. The worries about Vyse were forgotten, as a warm feeling settled in Dyne's chest.
'Son, wherever you are. I want you to know I'm proud of you.'
Despite being a relatively minor character I love Dyne dearly because he's a JRPG dad who doesn't die, and on top of that his introduction is gunning down an enemy soldier about to attack Vyse with a hell of a one-liner. "I think you miscounted, there's only 4 of you." One of many reasons I love the heck out of Skies of Arcadia
