a header image, saying BNTarwarn. there's also a sketch of the God of Creation instead of the character in the main banner

🌊 Stories from the Sailing Winds

About

A story collection for series of adventures/shenanigans involving Cairn and Velin, a wizard teacher and their apprentice, set within the Zenith Ocean in the Lands of Equinox.

Most of their adventures include the crew travelling around between islands in the Zenith Ocean, taking on jobs to help others out, especially when it comes to magic. A lot of time it involves Cairn being contacted to sort out magic-related issues, or contacted to help a group of people with their magic studies.

infodump / spitballing

Gallery

Most of the gallery will be pretty much "Cairn and Velin hanging out together :)"

Cairn
Cairn and Velin

Snippets

The Pendant

Velin gives Cairn a magic pendant they created.

Takes place sometime before the Starless Town events. Written sometime during 2024 January.

Inside their shared room, Cairn was busy going through their journal entries, while Velin was tinkering with their tools. They didn't talk much, but at least, having other person's silent presence as you worked on your own thing was comforting, in a way. At times, Cairn could feel a sharp shift in the temperature from where Velin was working at, and they'd turn back and see Velin with at least two magic circles hovering by their hands, as they carefully carved each material they collected.

It was nice, spending time with their apprentice like this. But now that they had some work to do the next day, Cairn knew to remind Velin to go to sleep and get proper rest anytime soon. They just needed to make notes of magic they had learned recently, and then...

A tap on Cairn's shoulder.

With how Cairn snapped their neck back at them, before slowly realizing that it was their student, Velin uttered, "Sorry."

"What's up?"

"I've made something." Velin lifted their fist to Cairn, before revealing a pendant in their palm.

One may pass it off as an ordinary pendant, but upon closer inspection, it was an amber gemstone tied and wrapped in ornate knots. Within the gemstone, it appeared to glow softly.

Velin tapped their own pendant hanging from their neck, and the one on their palm glowed even brighter.

"It even works the other way round too. Try tapping the gem," Velin instructed.

Had Velin learn how to make magics react in such a way? Or did they utilize how magics resonated in the air? It didn't appear to be an invention that involved resonating with another realm, either. But they'd have a better guess when they touch the pendant.

Upon touch, they felt a warmth glowing on their gloved fingertip, and the pendant on Velin's neck glowed. Must've been Velin finding a way to resonate with the magic energy in the air.

"Did your pendant look different?" Cairn asked.

"I just adjusted it, and made another one for you. We could use this to communicate when we're far away, well, like knowing whether the other is alive, or something like that. What'd you think?"

Cairn smiled and nodded approvingly, then Velin's eyes sparkled. Seemed like something they're very proud of.

"Do you plan to make more of these?"

"Well, no. Not really. It's more of a small project I've been trying out in my free time." Velin twirled the string holding the pendant on their neck. "I still need to test it out in longer distances and all that..."

"It's got potential."

"Yeah."

Sure, Cairn wasn't the one who taught Velin about crafting magic tools. But seeing the passion in the way they presented the pendant, Cairn couldn't help but to feel proud of them.

"cairn frantically checks on velin"

Once Velin came back from an unspecified dangerous event, they saw Cairn worrying about them this much for the first time.

I don't really have a set timeframe for this story? You can consider this to be an indulgent drabble (since I got inspired by a Tumblr post mentioning a trope where a character goes "ARE YOU HURT"). Written sometime during 2024 February.

It was the first time Velin had seen Cairn panicking this much, with the way they frantically checked for any scars or injuries on them, their hands roaming wildly.

Velin did make it out painlessly, didn't they...?

Cairn looked straight at them and asked, barely suppressing panic in their voice. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"No?"

It was certainly mortifying to see Cairn's worry practically written all over their face. They were indeed, lucky, to get through that. It could've been fatal, and Cairn knew that well, too.

"Anything else? Like any problems, anything that feels off, any issues..."

"N-no... I'm fine, really."

Then Cairn's movements began to calm, and settle itself down, followed by a sigh. "Ah, I see..."

Cairn really did worry about them, didn't they?

With the adrenaline rush dying down, Velin leaned over towards Cairn and rested themself on them, face plopped on their shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Worry lingered in Cairn's voice.

"I'm just tired, don't worry..."

"Oh."

Taking in the scent and warmth from Cairn's clothes, at least they could finally feel at ease. They're now home. They're now back home, with Cairn.