“Take us around her again.” Burdette looked at me askance, but did as I ordered, despite it being our third time circumnavigating the whaling ship. I’d made an excuse about cowing them into submission – a valid one, it seemed, as the frenetic motion on deck had died down into quiet, fearful stares at our ship – but my real goal was time. Time to think.
There was one option I could think of that I thought I could pull off to complete Jones mission and avoid killing my old crewmates. It all depended on Captain Coe’s role in this hunt.
“Take us in on her port side,” I said quietly to Burdette as we turned. “Don’t hit the whaler, but make it as close as you could manage.” Burdette just grunted. With his skill level I expected we’d be inches away and didn’t even bother with the gangplank.
“Zander, Hrothgar, Krantoron and Phillip! You’re with me on the boarding team. Step lively!”
Hrothgar and Phillip responded with the trained professionalism of fighters who knew what they were doing and had spent time in a chain of command. Krantoron was hesitant, the big Minotaur looking around hesitantly since he wasn’t a primary fighter. I didn’t need him for that, though. I just wanted him to look imposing. Zander responded to my order like an eager dog straining at its chain to catch a rat. If the man wasn’t my best fighter, I wouldn’t have picked him for something that I hoped ended peacefully. Any real fighters on the Essential would recognize his threat, though, and that should dissuade anyone from setting the match to the dry old ship that represented this situation.
I straightened my coat, checking my weapons as I did so. My bag of holding was readily accessible and filled with my other weapons.
Why did I keep feeling that this was going to end very badly?
Burdette brought us in as close as I’d expected. As the deck of the Death’s Consort was above that of the Essential, I submerged the ship just enough to make up the difference.
A simple step from one gunwale to the other, then I dropped back to the deck of the old whaler.
It felt like coming home.
The gazes of the crew were anything but welcoming, and I was mildly surprised at how many I didn’t recognize. Coe must have a mostly new crew for this venture – a quick analyze showed that most were indeed new sailing hands.
My analysis of the crew was just to distract me from the man front and center at my arrival. My old Captain.
“Hello Coe,” I said. “Did you miss me?”
Whatever Coe had expected me to say, it wasn’t that. He opened his mouth once, closed it, and then mimed stroking his own beard as he nodded significantly towards me.
“I see you’ve grown it out.”
The absurdity of the comment nearly made me laugh, but I contained myself. There were dark shadows under Coe’s eyes, but that wasn’t strictly new. The older man often burned the candle at both ends, and at a job that was stressful enough without taking on legendary hunts. The crew shifted uneasily, but their glances at the Captain’s non-aggressive posture kept them restrained. More than one glanced into the thick fog surrounding us like they expected monsters to be sneaking up on them. Idly, I wondered if they thought I had caused the fog myself.
After several seconds of silence, Coe felt the need to say something more. “We all heard that the Wind Runner had been lost. Word spread that the princess and a few others had made it to shore, but I never knew if you were one.”
“I wasn’t. The Wind Runner was lost. So was I.”
The friendly light in Coe’s eyes died and he looked over my shoulder at the Death’s Consort. “Aye. I see that. Is …” Coe hesitated. “Is he there?”
“Jones? No. He has business elsewhere.” Coe seemed to give a quiet sigh of relief before I went on. “As I’m sure you noticed from analyzing my ship, I am in command.”
“Yes, though we didn’t scarcely believe it to be true! Of all the unexpected miracles …”
“I’m not your miracle, Coe, and you know it.” I said quietly. I didn’t mean for my tone to be quite that menacing, but I wasn’t going to dial it back now. Everything depended on the full cooperation of the whole crew. “I’m here because I’m Jones’ new lieutenant, and he’s sent me to save Vassaevi.”
The hope that Coe had been stubbornly clinging to left him like a fickle breeze quitting the sails, and he deflated. Not for long, though. The old man was hardy, and toughest whenever he looked the threat straight in the eye.
“It saddens me to hear, Domenic. Your story is one so tragic it ought to fit in a ballad. But,” Coe’s voice lost the familiarity we’d had and hardened into the tone of a Captain. “While I am Captain of this ship, I’ll not let you conscript even one soul of my crew into your own!”
“I’m not here for your crew, Coe.” I said. “I’m here for the mages that are drowning Vassaevi.”
Coe’s face became angry. “Those men are my passengers, Domenic. They’re under my protection! You can’t have them either!”
So he had just been hired to ferry the mages while they did their business. Good, he’d be less invested and more willing to give it up. “Coe, bring the mages on deck and their response will decide your fate.” I knew charisma was my lowest stat, but I leaned on it and my experience with the Captain and hoped he made the right move. “Refuse me, and I’ll drag the Essential to the bottom with all hands.” I made sure he understood that I wasn’t bluffing, either. And the only way to do that with Coe was to truly be willing to follow through on my threat.
Coe glanced at my ship and at the imposing team I’d brought onboard, but the weight of his gaze rested longest on me. “You’d do this to your old crew?”
“Don’t question me again, Captain.” I said. “You know me. Make the smart move.” There, I’d all but told him!
He nodded slowly. “Hawkins, go ask the mages to come up.”
I started as someone I’d missed ducked away and darted below. Hawkins … the last time I’d seen the man he’d been drunk off his rocker, praising me over and over for saving his life. Judging by how he’d avoided my eyes, he wasn’t taking my new role too well.
I glanced around, trying to stop myself from feeling guilty. “Fink,” I said, nodding to the big harpooner that was Coe’s first mate. “Been awhile.”
Fink didn’t respond, just strangled the haft of the harpoon he was holding. I guess he wasn’t taking my new role too well either.
C’mon, guys, what did you expect? Think that I’d welcome you aboard and give you a tour of the deep?
I didn’t try making any more small talk. We waited until Hawkins returned – still avoiding my eyes – followed by three mages.
The first was the clear leader of the trio, dressed in expensive robes that boosted his wisdom and intelligence attributes. I could tell that he was also the one actively maintaining the spell that was keeping the hydra contained below.
The second was dressed similarly, though he had lower natural attributes. He was assisting the third, who was an oddity that drew my attention. He was dressed in plain garb covered with stains, but while most his stats were all places at 20, his intelligence and wisdom attributes were over twice that.
I tensed, conscious of how powerful this mage could be, but he stared vacantly at the horizon.
Marcus had mentioned people like this while warning about attribute imbalance. This man had deliberately imbalanced himself and lost his mind – or perhaps developed the capacity to think so deeply as to mean pretty much the same thing. He was a ‘battery’ or someone with enviable mana capabilities even if he lacked the consciousness to use them without guidance.
The leader glanced at Coe before looking at me defiantly. “Well, boy, what is it you want?”
“You will cease your spell holding Vassaevi and leave, never to pick up your pursuit again.”
“The spell is not something that can just be ended, amateur.”
The mage had to have a reason to be provoking me. He probably had a spell covering that reflected damage, hoping I’d give a powerful strike and cripple myself.
I began summoning water in a pool around me and moving it with water whip. The crew murmured and backed away at my display of 6 arms – costing me almost a fifth of my mana but worth it. The mage sneered at me. He knew exactly what spells I was using.
Flick, flick, flick, flick!
You have received 2 damage from water whip!
You have received 2 damage from water whip!
You have received 2 damage from water whip!
You have dealt 2 damage to Human Mage!
My arms all targeted the mage, only with incredibly light strikes. The fourth whip to hit broke through the mages protection and inflicted damage, causing him to wince. His spell would have reflected a large amount with each strike – probably more than I could manage to deliver – but the weakness of such shields was their vulnerability to swarm attacks. My light strikes made his impressive ability useless.
Light snaps at the other two mages showed that they didn’t have the same protection.
“Now,” I said. “I’ve seen focused magic like yours before. Quite frankly I don’t care about what you say you can’t do. I can tell you’re powering it, and if you say you can do nothing then I’ll kill you and see if that works.”
The mage grimaced, his act gone. “If I release the beast now it’ll surface and kill us all. If it doesn’t the king will when he finds out we failed.”
I pulled out my trident, resting the butt of the weapon on the deck. “And how would you measure your odds with me?”
The mage took in the imposing figure I cut, with my appearance, half dozen water whips awaiting my mental commands, and unusual weapon in hand, all framed by a cursed ship in the thickest fog.
I couldn’t imagine he was opening his mouth to do anything but surrender, but then the ‘battery’ mage woke up.
“So!” he said overly loudly, like a simpleton. “A cursed human but not undead! I have just the thing to take care of you!”
He brought his empty hand back like he was going to hurl a spear. Zander twitched is focus away from the lead mage and raised his own spear, but I’d already pulled one of my hidden blades and flicked it the short distance. Lots of practice and 10 levels in small blades lodged my throwing knife in his throat. He choked on whatever casting he’d intended and collapsed with a gurgle, the younger mage crying “noooo!”
The lead mage also readied his own spell to retaliate, but I stopped him and the readying crew with a barked command. I pointed at the older man, choking with HP’s rapidly falling.
“Save him if you have the means, but if he tries to strike at me again it’ll be the lives of all three of you!”
The mage didn’t hesitate, rushing to the older man and removing my knife. He put his hands over the spurting blood and they started glowing. Powerful healing magic put a strain on the man’s mana resources, and it was with satisfaction that I saw him forced to release Vassaevi in order to manage it.
As the old man stirred, the leader gave a quiet order to the young assistant, who hesitated but conducted his own casting. A moment later the old man was in a deep sleep.
The leader stood. “Well, it’s done. Assuming we don’t die in the next few seconds, it’ll be hours before I can do the casting of the spell again and I doubt Vassaevi will still be close enough for it to work. You’ve gotten what you wanted.”
I nodded. “Give me your word that the hunt won’t resume, and I’ll let you leave with your lives.”
“I can’t speak on behalf of the king or the other mages!”
“Then give me your word that you won’t resume the hunt, and you’ll do everything in your power to dissuade others.”
The man nodded. “Agreed.”
“Swear it.”
The man closed his eyes and shivered. Then he repeated the words. Apparently he spoke for the old man, but the young mage had to repeat the oath for himself. I received the notification of their oaths to me and nodded.
“Men, return to the ship!” Most my boarding party eagerly returned to the ship, happy to be nearly done with their mission. Zander had to tear himself away – obviously disappointed he hadn’t taken the chance to spear someone. I remained alone. Once my crew had stepped over, I had my ship begin to sink.
Coe and I shared an expression, which I voiced. “I have too much respect for you, Captain. It hurts me to say I hope we don’t meet again.”
Coe nodded. “Captain.”
I stepped over the side and dropped to the water and down to the deck of my descending ship. Vassaevi had fled, wanting no part of whatever had contained it. That surely said something for the age and condition of the beast, as the Vassaevi of stories would have avenged itself.
“So, is that it, Captain?” Phillip said. The implication was clear: are we free?
“We descend a bit further,” I said. “Mr. Burdette, I’m going to be in my cabin. I feel that Jones knows what happened and wants to communicate with me.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” Burdette replied. All eyes were on me. I swallowed. The moment of truth was coming soon, where I’d find out whether I really could decide to just release my crewmen.
But first, I needed to address the growing presence in my mind that I recognized as Jones’. That shouldn’t take too long. I’d freed the old hydra and turned the mages back. My charisma had come through for me and Coe had cooperated!
I close my cabin door behind me. Scarcely had my hand left the latch before Jones thundered through my mental barriers.
Davy Jones has engaged your mental capacities!
You cannot resist your master’s mental effects!
“What have you done?” Jones roared inside my skull. My muscles seized and I was hurled to the floor, immobile. “I gave you a task with a clear objective, and you deliberately undercut it!”
“Vassaevi is free!” I grunted through clenched teeth. “The mages have sworn not to resume the hunt!”
“Do you think those magickers don’t have ways around that simple oath?” Jones demanded. “You had them where you wanted, and you let them go! You struck one down, and allowed the other to heal him!”
Pain lanced through my whole body, and I writhed on the floor, howling wordlessly.
“Not just the mages, you parlayed with your old Captain, all with the express purpose of undermining my intent that you kill or conscript them all! And you were proud of your accomplishment? How do you feel about your Charisma now, boy?”
You have been stripped of 1 Charisma.
I screamed in renewed pain as I felt the loss of an attribute. The savage fire dancing across my nerves was joined by a tightening of my skin across my body. I had to do something!
“It was … a plan!” I managed to shove the words through my teeth. “I needed to progress … ungh … my questlines!”
Jones saw through my bald-faced lie in an instant. “You dare try to trick me?’
You have been stripped of 1 Charisma.
“I didn’t order you to advance those questlines!” Jones continued. “I ordered you to kill those hunting the old snake!”
“Orders were … to stop the hunters …” I said. “I stopped them!”
Jones clearly didn’t care about me splitting hairs over my instructions.
You have been stripped of 1 Charisma.
You have been stripped of 1 Charisma.
When the pain receded it left me gasping on the floor, and I realized I didn’t know how long it had been since Jones last spoke. I knew that pain seemed to last much longer than time really passed, but it must have been an hour of torture!
“Do I have your attention now?” Jones growled quietly.
“Yes,” I whimpered.
“I made an investment in you, and it’s yet to pay off. So now I want you to sail to the Broken Isles. I want you to attack, raid, and destroy until you’ve gotten over this squeamishness of yours.” I felt Jones orders sinking into me with the same finality that his last orders had. “You understand – you are not to leave the isles until you’re willing to slay whomever it is necessary to slay. Then I’ll have real use for you.”
“They’ll track me down,” I said, my voice raw and foreign to my ears. Was that blood I felt lining my throat? “I’ve been followed before, and if I have to stay in one area …”
“Deal with whoever challenges you.” Jones said. “If you can’t manage that then I’ll be rid of your weakness that way.”
Ever since I’d been cursed, it had been the world hunting down Jones and me – mostly trying to use me as a way to foil Jones. Now Jones was making it very clear I was on my own.
It was me against the world.
“Don’t disappoint me a third time …” Jones warned as I felt his presence leave.
Suddenly the door to my cabin crashed open. Burdette entered with a cry of success, apparently having spent some time and effort in the attempt. His cry strangled off as he saw me on the floor and he recoiled, swearing.
“What is it?” I rasped, my throat still raw from screaming. “Report!”
Burdette straightened and closed the door again – to the dismayed shouts of others – but his eyes didn’t leave my face. “Sir … it’s been over half an hour since you entered your cabin. We heard … we heard your screams, sir. As soon as you went in it seemed you were screaming, and you hardly stopped! We tried to break the door down, but it was impenetrable! Bosun Willy and Abner said it was like all the wood of your cabin had turned to mithril. We tried, sir, we did!”
Why was Burdette so afraid? He’d been deferential towards me – intimidated, perhaps – but never frightened. Not like this. “What’s going on, Mr. Burdette?”
He seemed to understand my question, and gestured to the small mirror in the cabin. I looked, and froze.
Whereas I’d been proud of my appearance before, now I looked ghastly. My skin looked gray and stretched over my face like it was pulled tight around a skeleton. My beard that I’d been so proud of growing now looked like it clung to my face as though I’d been entombed with it in a watery grave for centuries. Rather than improve my appearance, my fine clothes seemed to be dragged down in quality as they hung on me, fitting me as well as a suit fit a shark.
I pulled off my coat and stripped to my waist. The scars I’d gotten from the lightning had been fading, but now they looked like ugly purple worms crawling under my skin. The mess of scars on my back from lashes looked even worse.
I was hideous to my own eyes. Cadaverous.
Name
Domenic Seaborn
…
Strength
Agility
Dexterity
Constitution
Endurance
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma
*
Luck
Skills
Seamanship 19
Swimming 16
Sea Legs 15
Rowing 8
Carpentry 3
Fishing 8
Singing 2
Cooking 2
Analyze 8
Observation 10
Climbing 11
First Aid 2
Lock Picking 4
Stealth 7
Leadership 6
Trade 1
Traps 10
Dirty fighting 4
Artillery 2
Unarmed combat 8
Swordsmanship 8
Small blades 10
Spears 8
Axes 7
Light armor 4
Archery 4
Magic
Air magic
Water magic
Ocean magic
Mental magic
Achievements
Lifesaving VII
Trickster
Perks
Adaptable
Heart at Sea