Utterly Mad

Dreams again. He was leaving. Her father. He had decided to take a trade cog to Zantia to try and secure a place for them there. "It's alright dear." he said, pushing her hair back out of her eyes. "You're a grown woman now, you can take care of things as well as I. You've got Stams gift, listen to him. He is a harsh taskmaster, but he will teach you well if you listen. Make me proud." He turned away then. A terrible feeling came to Nora, "Father I..." He had turned back to her and lifted his eyebrow as if to ask what the delay was about. "I... Nothing. I love you. Have a safe trip." "I love you too." he replied. What happened later that year would bring her back to that night she had lain awake thinking of the far away sunken city. The cog had made it safely to the Zantian coast, but the civil war had suddenly re-erupted and her father was loaded onto a refugee ship. Stam claimed to have witnessed the bombarding of many ships by Sceasian cannon that day, but as far as he knew, her fathers ship had not been one of them. The refugee ships were not equipped with proper navigation equipment though and with the guide ship sunk, it most certainly had been lost at sea. She had read many of her great grandfathers notes about the wondrous heirloom that granted great sight. Many of the stories were embellished heavily, but still, Nora had dreamed of getting her hands on them. With them she would search for her father, and find him wherever he had turned up.