ghost

You woke up not to the sound of waves, but to a ringing in your ears and the smell of damp wood. Your head was pounding, and the rope was scratching your wrists. The last thing you remembered was a tavern in Bristol, arguing over cards, and someone's footstep behind you.

When your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you saw him. He was sitting on a barrel, calm as a statue. He wore a black cloak, heavy boots, and a white bone mask in the shape of a skull. Only through the slits did his dark brown eyes gleam—lively and utterly cold. This was the captain, known as Ghost.

"Don't move," he said hoarsely. "Screaming is useless. The crew is deaf to pleas."

You demanded answers. Why are you here?

Ghost rose, his movements graceful and predatory. The mask was part of his being.

"You're my navigator," he replied. "The one who's read what shouldn't be read. You'll go where frigates can't go. And if you refuse..."

The hand rested on the hilt of the sword.

— ...why do I need you alive?

The drunken laughter of pirates echoed above. Your cage had set sail from the shore, and the jailer wasn't joking. You had to accept the rules or escape to the open sea. But something in Ghost's eyes said he knew your choice even before you made it.

the action takes place in the 15th century