The deep shimmering water of the ocean illuminated blue by the afternoon sun's rays splashed up in cascading waves against the hull of the grand wooden ship upon them while the great white sails of the enormous vessel stood puffed out against the billowing cool wind of the coaxing air. On board the ship the sounds of many men with their raucous laughter and boisterous singing could be heard carrying on along with the roar of the tides. And it was in the midst of such a scene that Jack Dawson, a young voyager on board, was occupied in.

Jack smiled effectively as he danced from foot to foot on the deck and turned himself around to the tune of the melodious Irish instruments being played around him and others involved with him. Jack was a twenty-one year old sea drifter with barely a penny to his name. He had been so since from the time he was fifteen when the lives of his parents were claimed in the fire that overtook the farm they lived on which was now a half a world away from where he was now. Though Jack loved and exalted in his new life of everyday discovery and adventure and felt he would not trade it for anything in the world, unlike the unfortunate folks left on the land far behind him who had traded him their wares for traveling on the ship he was now on in the game of gambling he and they had been in.

Jack's untidy sand colored hair fell across his sky blue eyes as the instruments music let up and he completed the last steps in his autonomous jig. Then he bowed amidst the applause and laughter of the others crowded around him.

"I must admit that you have a true talent for what you do, my friend," complimented one of the other men around him.

Jack smiled modestly and replied, "Well, there is a bit of the Irish in me as well."

It was just then that they all heard the bellow come from the lookout perched with the crows nest high above them as he called out, "Land ho!"

Then everyone turned their attention towards the far bow area of the ship where, not too far in the distance they could see a large hunk of very green land rising up on the horizon. It was none other than the shore of the Kingdom of Titania.

Then Jack, along with some of the other men, went down to his cabin to collect his belongings he had with him and prepare to go ashore. All the belongings he had with him were not much, though they included his most prized possession which was a large book of drawings he had done of the people he had met and the places he had been to on his previous travels. It was his hope that this new place he was about to come to would provide him with more of these.

Then at the sound of a whistle heard from above, he hurried up to the deck again. He stood in the long procession of people gathered at the side of the ship as they disembarked in an orderly fashion down from the gangplank and stepped onto the docks, then onto the rich prosperous soil of the new land.

Jack stepped forward on the land and towards the local town's village, carrying all he owned in the hefty sack over his shoulder. Soon he found himself coming upon this place and he observed everything and everyone that came across his path.

He saw rows of houses among other buildings, around which he saw many men and women coming back and forth from with some carrying goods with them. Many of these people were in much hurry and didn't glance his way as they hurried by. He began to wonder if he could get the attention of someone to ask about where he might stay.

He watched as a short woman with long brown hair wearing a faded blue dress and apron hurried by him as she carried a tray full of bread rolls. Then as a tall man with a black beard passed him by while dragging a large brown pig on a rope alongside him. He stopped as he entered the middle of the village and glanced around him, and was somewhat startled when suddenly he heard someone speak to him from beside him.

"Good afternoon," said a high pitched voice belonging to a young man with a heavy accent. "May I help you?"

Jack turned swiftly to the man who had spoken to him. He was stocky and rather muscular and had thick black hair and had an unshaven face that seemed to bring out the glimmer in his warm and friendly chestnut colored eyes. He was wearing heavy working clothes with black smudges on them and was holding onto a wheelbarrow next to him.

"Oh! Hello there!" said Jack. "I'm Jack Dawson and I'm a newcomer to this Kingdom. I may need to know my way around here and where I might stay the night if you'd be so kind as to show me."

The other man smiled with tremendous warmth and replied, "Of course I will. My name is Fabrizio De Rossi, and I'm fairly new around here myself. I come here over from Italia only a year ago."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Jack as he shook the man's hand, and noticed as he did so that he also had faint black smudges around his fingers.

"You're a blacksmith, aren't you," Jack said observantly.

"Yes, I am," replied Fabrizio still smiling. "And I am just on my way to the castle to make delivery of my wares for the King's knights. There is big tournament coming up soon. Come with me, I'll show you around here as we go."

Then Jack followed alongside Fabrizio the blacksmith as they went forward into the town. They soon crossed over a stone bridge over a long flowing river and entered into another area of the village. It was somewhat less busy around it.

"Right here," Fabrizio said as he got Jack's attention, "is the Cathedral for Jacobans."

He pointed to their left and Jack saw an enormous, and very imposing and rather intimidating building.

"And I take it that Jacoban is your religion around here?" Jack inquired.

"Well," Fabrizio replied frowning a bit, "It is for some of us, but not for me. My own faith lies with the Peterans around here."

"And why is that, and who are the Peterans?" inquired Jack.

"The Peterans," Fabrizio explained, "are the followers of much nicer kind of faith in The Watcher than that of the Jacobans. You see, the Jacobans have very strict... and very scary rules to them. And their priest is always putting up new proclamations to scare more of us into converting to them. While the Peterans, who I belong to, practice a much kinder and more gentle faith that is based directly on the intentions of The Watcher. And it is that we show kindness, compassion, and mercy to all who come our way, which I practice on a daily basis."

"I see," said Jack. It was not uncommon for him to find in many of the kingdoms he visited that there was a conflict between two or more religions in it. And it was for this reason he was at a loss as to what particular faith he belonged to. He had heard some say that The Watcher had a predetermined duty for everyone under It to follow and there were dire consequences if they strayed from it. And also that he had heard The Watcher wanted only to guide them through their lives and help them to make the right decisions wherever they went.

"And right here," Fabrizio said getting Jack's attention again, "is the clinic where Helga Dahl is our practicing physician. You can always go to her if you are in need of her services. She is just the best healer of our ills... and also the nicest and cleverest."

As Jack looked toward Fabrizio as he pointed out the clinic to him he couldn't help noticing a hint of longing in his eyes and also a touch of whist in his voice. And he had seen these things enough to recognize their meanings behind them.

"You must... really like Helga... don't you?" he asked casually.

"Well... yes... I do," replied Fabrizio softly. "I'd only ever want her to like me to."

"Then why don't you tell her that you do?" asked Jack.

Fabrizio was silent for a few moments before he sighed and his shoulders slumped slightly and he replied, "I just don't know how yet."

Jack might have inquired further, but just then Fabrizio abruptly changed the subject and pointed out another new location to him.

"And way up there," he said, "lies the Forest of Yond. I've heard many legends regarding it. Some say it holds many secrets, and even some hidden treasures. Though no one has ever been bold enough to venture far enough into it to find out for certain. As there are also many wild and dangerous beasts that roam within it, and it is most terrifying after dark also."

They walked onward without much more discussion and Fabrizio pointed out more landmarks and workplaces to him, including a tavern at which he could spend a night or two.

Jack followed Fabrizio further on as they went up the path to the castle at which he would make his delivery. When they came in sight of it over the hilltops, Jack could not take his gaze off of it for it was the biggest and stateliest of castles he had ever seen. It wasn't gray or beige but a pure snowy white with tall and straight towers and turrets rising it seemed to the sky with bright blue flags waving in the wind.

When they got to the grounds of the castle they found a group of villagers gathered around in a half circle as they were listening to a lively tune being played on the lute of a bard. His song ended just as Jack and Fabrizio approached him. Then as the villagers applauded and doused him with coins or other tokens before going on their way he turned towards them and spoke to them in a broad Irish brogue.

"How do you do, Fabri? I see you've got a new friend with you today."

"How do you do, Tommy?" replied Fabrizio cheerily. "And, yes, this is a new friend. Jack Dawson, he has just come here. Jack, this is Tommy Ryan, and he is a traveling bard who just came here a few weeks ago."

"How do you do, Jack?" said Tommy congenially. "I hope you enjoy your stay around here. I sure am. Only there are some things and some folks you got to steer clear from. Such as some of the King's knights who take their jobs so seriously they have little if any sense of humor, in particular this one who is called Sir Caledon. He is so full of fire it's a wonder he... Jack?"

Jack had only faintly heard the last half of Tommy's speech as he had happened to glance upward when he had seen a lone figure coming out onto a castle terrace across them to their left. And though it was both a far and high distance away he could still keenly make out the appearance of the figure of a young girl or woman with long flowing fiery red hair that draped down her waist. She was wearing a long and low cut green gown that set off her fiery hair elegantly. On top of her head he caught the glimpse of a small sized gold crown that sparkled in the light from above them. For a moment he thought he saw her look down towards him and then turn away just as suddenly. But he could not take his gaze away from her until she slowly turned around and stepped back into the interiors of the castle.

Jack blinked and shook his head slightly as he turned back to his companions again looking so dumbfounded.

"You'd best forget her me friend," said Tommy with a sympathetic smile. "You have as much chance of getting next to the likes of her as of angels flying out of your arse."

Jack stared at Tommy in confusion and Fabrizio laughed and explained, "He means to say that she up there is a princess to this Kingdom and so you have no chance of being next to her."

Jack was silent. He knew they were both right. He would likely never see anymore of this princess again either. Then as he tried to put the image of her out of his mind he found it too hard to do. She seemed as engraved into it as one of the images he sketched on paper.