Guldivine found himself hung up on a sharp cluster of spired rocks out in the water. His makeshift raft had long since abandoned him, and as the night went into day, the storm continued onward, unweavering. He was weak and hungry and shivering cold. Off in the far distance he could see land, perhaps one of the Trade Islands he was sailing to. But the distance seemed to far to swim. "Not yet." He told himself over and over, half hoping he would recover from the fatigue.

In the dreamscape, Guldivine's mind floated around random details from the moments that led him here. He relived the duel inside of Darkwood Castle, against the King. He relived his sentancing and shame in front of all his peers and cityfolk. The way they spat at him as they carried him off in chains to the dungeons to rot for a while. He relived the conversations he had with the court Warlock Hayne, who would often come to visit him in the cold damp darkness, behind the king's back. Each moment of his demise feeling like one grand error after another to him. The weight of guilt that a man can suffer once the whole world convinces him of it stings the mind harder than anything.

After a time, Guldivine snapped back into consciousness. He still felt very feeble and hungry, but something had changed. The Sea was not as rough and the waves had died down. No one was coming to save him, and he would surely die on these rocks. His only chance was to try and swim to the land far off in the distance. It was surely a feeble effort, the journey would almost certainly kill him... But his time was growing shorter, and he was growing weaker.

"I have to do it." He told himself. "If not now, than never more."

"Dammit I HAVE to!"

Guldivine took three large breaths, and then he used his legs to kick himself off the rocks. He was swimming. Everything was sore, and his muscles felt weak and stretched, but he was swimming. He paddled and paddled, and soon he was away from the rock and headed towards the land. It didnt seem to be getting any closer though and Guldivine was growing discouraged. Soon he thought he would pass out again. He was exerting all of his energy into the push to continue, but he was slowing down, struggling to stay afloat. His mind rolled just as his fingers blindly grasped at something in the water... A wooden pole... Floating. Maybe debris from the ship... He wrapped his arms around it and fell into subconsious once more.

This time when he awoke, it happened slowly. He had been sleeping for perhaps an eternity, and hadnt expected on waking up. With his eyes shut, sounds of the real world came back to him one by one. First it was the sloshing of the water on sand, accompanied by the muffled bigger waves out in a surf. Then he heard birds, cawing at eachother every now and then. He felt the water, coming up, receding. . .

Guldivine opened his eyes and shielded them quickly from a blinding sun. As he suspected, he was washed ashore. It was a bright sunny day, hot even. He lifted his arm and brushed sand off his lips.

"Oye! He moved!" He heard an adolescent yell from down the beach. "He's alive!"

"I see, I see!" Answered an older voice.

Guldivine sat up and brushed more sand off of him. He was in rags now, and very unkempt.

There came footsteps and more shouting, but this time in his direction. "Mister! Are you alright!?"

A bearded man and his daughter were running towards him.

Guldivine held up one hand in a wave, and then they reached him and knelt down beside him.

"You washed ashore didn't you?" The father asked. Then he helped Guldivine lower his arm. "Easy, its alright, You're alive. Im sorry to say, you look like Hell buddy."

"Hey! Thats a bad word!" His daughter pouted. "Mommy says not to talk about Hell!"

Guldivine could not help but smile and laugh. "Heh, I bet I do."

"Well Praise Mardoc you survived!" The father said, then making a motion with his hands that Guldivine took as a religious sign. Mardoc? He filed the name into his immediate list.

"Where am I?" was all Guldivine could think to ask.

The man looked confused for a second. As if the question did not make sense. "You are on the Island of Mardoc my friend, of course! Did you try to leave? Perhaps its the will of Mardoc that you have come back to us. Or did you come from. . ." The man pointed out to the sea. "Did you come from beyond. Out there."

"I came from... Out there I guess. There was a storm. Our ship was..." Guldivine thought about his words a little more careful. He had been in many dangerous and unfamiliar situations in real life. He thought perhaps against mentioning the Dragon for now, at risk of not sounding completely insane. "Our ship sank in the storm... I hung onto parts of it and floated here."

"Then it is a miracle, my friend!" The father said, seemingly gleeful in his eyes. Guldivine wondered strangely about how devout these people were.

"I am very hungry." Guldivine changed the subject.

"Yes yes of course!" The father said. "Can you walk?"

"Not well." Guldivine admitted.

"We will help you. There is a village not far from here. Down the beach a while." The father said. "I can see that you are fed, and taken care of."

"That would be fine." Guldivine said.

"Are we taking him with us?" The little girl asked.

"Yes, dear. We are taking him back to the village." The father answered his daughter.

Guldivine was helped to his feet, and with the father's arms around a shoulder, they set off down the beach. As they walked, he learned that the father was named Ethan, and the daughter was Emma. He also learned that the nearby village was named Mendell, and that most of the people there worshipped Mardoc, including them. File those names away, Guldivine thought.

Mardoc... Mardoc! Everything was Mardoc here. The island was named after some diety that they prayed to and praised when things went well. Guldivine had never heard of 'Mardoc'. He only knew of the three celestials that common worlders prayed to... Sidisious, Ulmano, and Crait.

They arrived to the village... Mendell, and Ethan the good samaritan led him to a chapel. The Chapel of Mardoc, presumably. The town itself had quite a few stone buildings all cramped together down narrow brick streets. It led downhill towards a fishing dock, containing smaller boats. It certainly was not big enough to hold the ship that Guldivine had been traveling on.

Once at the chapel, Ethan wished to part ways. "They can help you here." He said at the doorstep.

"You are not coming in?" Guldivine asked suspiciously.

"I must get my daughter home." He said.

"Mommy's waiting!" Emma, the girl added.

"Thank you." Guldivine said to him, looking him in the eye and shaking his hand to let him know he genuinely meant it.

The large double doors to the chapel creaked open loudly as Guldivine entered. The inside was dark and smelled of incense. There were rows of pews and a stage for a priest. It seemed pretty typical to any chapel or temple or place of worship Guldivine had seen in the past, despite not being too religious himself.

There was a robed man lighting candles in the front who spotted Guldivine stumble in. He looked shocked and ran to Guldivine's aid, yelling for others. "Brothers help! A weary traveler has come to us!"

Before Guldivine could even introduce himself he was taken to the back rooms, fed a bowl of porrage, arranged clothes, the same robes the others wore. He was led by them to a private room and they shut him inside. It contained a bath. Guldivine took the hint and cleaned himself back to respectable conditions and donned the robes. When he was done, they led him back to the main chapel and set him in the front pew and told him to wait.

A man in a different garb came out and sat next to him. He had on normal clothes, a shirt and pants, a simple belt tying them together. He was a larger man but wore a trusting grin on his face. "I hope they didnt give you too much trouble." He said as he entered the room and sat down in the front pew a couple feet from Guldivine. "My name is Ong. And you are in my house."

Guldivine reached over and shook the man's hand out of formality. "Thank you... For the food. and the bath."

"Ah, That is what we do here." Ong said dismissing any thanks. "I can tell you are not from Mardoc originally. Tell me, who are you? How did you come here?"

Guldivine retold his story, including the storm, the ship sinking, and Ethan bringing him to the chapel in Mendell. He once again conveniantly left out the part about a dragon attack.

"Ah I see, Ethan is one of our parishaners." Ong said after the story. "He did right bringing you here. But say... You look like this is an uncomfortable setting."

"Im just not much for religion." Guldivine bluntly stated.

Ong laughed a hearty laugh that made Guldivine remember the ship captain Brack for a moment. Then Ong added, "How about drink? Is that something you dont fancy either?"

"Ive been known to visit establishments..."

"Good! Come with me, Lets say I buy us a round at the tavern and we discuss your future mister?"

"Guldivine." He told Ong. "Call me Guldivine."

"Right mister Guldivine. Follow me."

Ong led Guldivine out from the Chapel. Guldivine could see that it was turning to dusk outside. The day was ending. The streets were still full of people and the nearby tavern was no different. It was a cramped place sandwiched between two other buildings. Inside it was packed with patrons, and a musician in the corner playing piano. Ong practically shoved Guldivine in front of him, parting people along the way until he found a table in the corner. The table was empty but still full of other patrons drinks. He motioned for Guldivine to sit down and he did so, and Ong sat across from him with his back to the walls. He snapped his finger and a bar maid came over and started clearing the other glasses away, and then brought Guldivine and Ong two full mugs of ale. Guldivine had a taste, and the cold brew felt sensational to him.

"Mmmm this is just what I needed!" Guldivine exclaimed. "Good ale!"

"Yes, thats one damned thing we got right around here!" Ong said and then took down a third of his mug in one big swig.

"You don't seem like many priests that Ive ever enountered." Guldivine noticed out loud.

"No, I suppose not. My deity is merciful and dosnt get lost in formality. We can all relax and be thankful for that at least." Ong said. Then he took another swig and put the topic back onto Guldivine. "So where are you from Guldivine?"

"A place called Darkwood." Guldivine said.

"Ah yes, Darkwood. A Grand Kingdom to the south." Ong recalled.

"You've heard of it!?" Guldivine asked, surprised. "Ive never heard of this place, Mardoc. I cant ever recall seeing it on any maps."

"And yet here you are." Ong said, grinning. "As for my knowledge of the outside world, its only what little I can piece together from people who end up here, or from Mardoc himself."

They finished their drinks, and before they could even set them down, a bar maid was already approaching with two more. "Keep em coming." Ong told her with a wink. More patrons had entered, but curiously everyone was avoiding their table. Guldivine caught a few unsure glances... maybe at a stranger drinking with their priest.

Guldivine felt his thoughts loosen. He was tired, but the ale felt good. He wanted to know more about this curious land. "What even is Mardoc? You talk to him, You name your island after him."

"A dragon." Ong said matter of factly. "A powerful dragon god, red in scales. He is our protector and decider."

Guldivine gulped a little too suddenly causing himself to caugh on his ale. "Excuse me, You mean... A dragon? We were told in Darkwood that all the dragons were killed long ago."

"Yes well, you were told wrong." Ong said. "Mardoc is our dragon, who lives in his mountain in the center of this island, and watches over all of us, that we may do his bidding."

"Fascinating." Guldivine wondered. His head reeled. He knew more than just a little about monsters, and creatures of magic. He was certain there were no dragons left anywhere that anyone had ever seen for thousands of years. Until one showed up and attacked their ship. . .

"Actually I could use your help, newcomer." Ong said after their second ale. "Its a very important job, and I need volunteers."

"Oh?" Guldivine asked curiously. "Is there payment involved? Im afraid I lost everything, including my sword." Guldivine flashed back to sticking his Scimitar into the dragon's leg.

"Oh yes. There is payment indeed. Nothing too hard I promise." Ong said. "Ill explain it to you in the morning, alright?"

"Okay."

"Good, then for now enjoy the drink and I will take you back to the chapel and find you a room for rest." Ong explained.

Guldivine did enjoy the drink, and the company. Before he knew it, they had 10 mugs of ale and he was drunk considerably and very tired. Ong helped him find his way and he crashed into sleep, the world spinning.