The Long Road of Adventure- Blue Storms and Black Sand

by Ian Rodgers

“At least the overcoat looks nice. And it fits slightly better,” Gaelin said, fiddling with the buttons of the coat. It was more of a thin black shirt meant to go over the white undershirt, and could be left open or closed depending on one’s preference. It had little to no defensive qualities, but would dry quickly and was light, so swimming in it was possible. Both of which were important for a pirate.

  “All in all, it’s very basic, but because of that the pirate’s uniform is very uniform,” Gaelin said. Lily groaned at the pun, and the disguised halberdier responded with a cheeky grin.

  “And now, for the finishing touch!” Vala said, stepping forward. She held out a bandana to Gaelin who took it and gave the strip of cloth a curious look.

  “Your hair and eye colors are pretty boring and common. In fact, half of the human pirates down there have brown hair,” the earth elf said, ignoring the wince from Gaelin when he heard her biting comment about his looks.

  “But that’s a good thing for sneaking around. But, the real problem is your face. They will recognize a new person, so we have to find a way to cover that up. Hence, the bandana. You can wear it over your mouth, which will help hide you from prying eyes. Just looking at your eyes alone won’t let them figure out you’re not a pirate.”

  “That’s a brilliant idea!” Gaelin said happily, tying the rag around his mouth. Instantly, Gaelin transformed into a masked bandit. With the pirate’s garb on alongside the bandana, he looked dangerous and wild, especially with his messy hair.

  Lily nodded in approval. “Not bad! If I didn’t know who you were beforehand I’d think you were an actual pirate!”

  Bigg Guy gave a grunt of agreement. “Indeed. It’s also good the clothes were recently cleaned, so they don’t have another person’s scent on them. That will help me identify you.”

  “And now, it’s time for part two of our daring plan to sneak into the fort!” Lily exclaimed. She pointed dramatically towards the exit. “To the hill!”

  .

  “All clear?” Lily’s voice, muffled by planks of wood, inquired. There was a note of impatience in her voice, but Vala shushed her.

  “So far, so good,” Gaelin whispered back as he peered around a corner of a building. A few feet away there were massive scorch marks all over an alleyway and the walls of two buildings it sandwiched. It was where the pile of burning laundry had been, and it was all taken care of. There was a strong smoky smell in the air, and it gave off an eerie odor as it floated into the dusk.

  It was past six in the evening, and the sun was starting to descend, casting long shadows that aided in the group’s ability to sneak around. Right now, Gaelin was waiting for the bell that signaled the day’s end. At that point, the pirates rounded up the slaves while also moving food and supplies in and out of the fortress. That latter point was the key to Lily’s plan.

  After a few tense minutes of waiting, the bell rang through the compound, and Gaelin grinned. Pirates started to move about, and men with collars were herded toward their barrack.

  “Alright, time to go,” Gaelin muttered. Behind him, his companions settled down. He stepped out from behind the building he’d been hiding around, and swaggered out. He then immediately turned around and made it look like he’d been coming from the opposite direction the whole time.

  “Hey, what are these things doing out here?” Gaelin said loudly. A few pirates nearby looked over and approached.

  “What is it?” one of the pirates, a battered, weathered looking middle aged man, demanded as he approached. The rest of the pirates said nothing, deferring to the older member of their group. He moved with confidence and authority, and Gaelin quickly bent his head in a subservient pose as he recognized him as one of the gang bosses that ran the compound in the absence of the captain.

  “I found these crates over here, just lying around,” the disguised halberdier claimed, pointing at a bunch of wooden containers. The older pirate looked over them, eyes narrowed as he examined the half dozen boxes.

  “What’s in ‘em?” he inquired, and Gaelin moved over to one, popping it open.

  “Coal,” he said, reaching in and holding out one of the black stones. “The slaves must have moved them away from the fire earlier.”

  “And they forgot to move them away afterwards, no doubt,” the pirate boss snarled. “First the fire, now they’re misplacing supplies? Idiots.”

  He gestured to the men, and flagged down a few more pirates. “Take this into the fort. Since the crates are already open they can just be used in the forge tomorrow instead of shoved into storage.”

  The pirates nodded and rushed over, grabbing the crates and moving them. Gaelin helped, carrying the boxes towards the fort.

  Gaelin held his breath as he slipped into the entrance of the fortress, and took surreptitious glances around at the layout. He followed the rest of the group carrying the containers into a storage room that was down a slight incline. It wasn’t an actual set of stairs, more like a ramp. It led to a wide chamber with several other crates, all of which likely contained coal or iron sand.

  As the other pirates put the crates down wherever they’d fit, Gaelin cautiously stayed back, waiting for them to leave. No one noticed him loitering in the shadows. They were too busy chatting about loot and rum and other pirate-y things. He then hunkered down in the corner, waiting.

  There was no door to the storage room, so if anyone walked in they’d see if anything had been moved. It also meant that Gaelin could hear if anyone was approaching, though, as the footsteps echoed loudly.

  For what seemed like an hour he waited, before deciding it was safe to move after hearing a far-off ‘thud’ reverberate down the hall.

  The gate was closed, and there were no more pirates around, as they all cleared out of the fortress at night. The D-ranked adventurer stood up and walked over to the crates.

  “Coast is clear!” Gaelin said, rapping on the lids of three of the large crates. After a moment the tops burst off, and three figures came tumbling out, with rocks wrapped in palm leaves accompanying them in a cascade.

  “Ah! Ow, ow, cramp!” Lily gasped, massaging her legs.

  “Let’s never do that again,” Vala whimpered as she tried to rub feeling back into her stiff limbs.

  “Agreed,” Bigg Guy growled. There was a haunted look in his eyes, and he gave the crate he’d been in an evil look.

  Gaelin smiled apologetically and began to move the dummy crates away towards a spot he’d noticed for discarding other empty containers. He swept away the palm leaves and rocks into the furthest corner of the room, hiding them behind other wooden boxes.

  Afterwards, he popped the lid of a fourth crate and reached into the coal. He removed his halberd, which had been papered in leaves to prevent it getting dirty. Gaelin smiled, a knot of tension in his stomach uncoiling as he felt the familiar, comfortable weight in his hands once more. All the concerns and worries he’d felt since sneaking in melted away as he gripped his weapon.

  “As amazing as your idea was to replace the coal with rocks so the pirates wouldn’t notice that much of a change in weight, Vala, I do not want to have to go through that ever again, even if they are cushioned with leaves,” Lily complained, finally able to stand again. “I can still feel the way they pressed against my back and butt.”

  “Yeah, but it’s better than sand or coconuts, right?” Vala said weakly.

  “Only just,” the red-head said darkly.

  “Well, we’re here now,” Gaelin said. “And it’s a good thing we stole some of the coal crates earlier as well as empty ones, or this wouldn’t have worked.”

  “What do we do now?” Bigg Guy asked as he brushed specks of dirt out of his fur.

  “Now? Now we sneak,” Lily said with a sinister smirk. “We find all the dirt we can on Bolos. All of his contacts, informants, and business partners. We find out where he keeps his treasure, and figure out where he keeps the instruction manual for his airship. We find the keys to the slave’s collars. And then?”

/>   She raised a fist, a vindictive fire in her eyes. “We rob the bastards blind, stealing everything we can and fleeing with the airship and his slaves. He won’t know what hit him!”

  Her eagerness for revenge was echoed by her companions.

  “For the Blue Wave and her crew,” Gaelin swore, bumping his fist against Lily’s.

  “For all the people he has harmed,” Vala agreed, adding her own fist.

  “For our safety and his suffering,” Bigg Guy snarled, his own massive paw dwarfing the other three.

  “Now, let’s get to work,” Lily sneered.

  Chapter 15: Twisted metal

  “If Bolos is anything like the nobles I used to know, his office and personal quarters are probably at the very top, likely in one of the towers, or a spot with a good view of the island,” Lily said as they crept through the lower floors. “People who think they are important love looking down on others, and I have a feeling that this pirate captain believes he is better than the rest of his crew, and acts accordingly.”

  “Then why are we still down here?” Gaelin inquired, carefully checking the interior of a room as they passed. Nothing inside except benches and a few shelves stocked with odds and ends. A lounge, perhaps?

  “Because, Gaelin, just because we know where it is, doesn’t mean it will be easy to get in,” Lily said with a touch of exasperation. “Magical defenses, mundane traps, Hells, even a sturdy lock would be enough to keep us out. So, what we need right now is some kind of layout. Like a floorplan, or blueprints. Anything to help us navigate.”

  “I can take care of the magical side of things,” Vala volunteered. The red-head nodded thankfully at her.

  “That’s good. But we can be sure Bolos has magic protecting his stuff of a higher grade than you can handle. Still, anything below Level Four we can count on you for, Vala,” the princess said.

  “I smell fire, and hear metal,” Bigg Guy suddenly stated, stopping in the middle of the hall. Everyone turned to him, while Gaelin slowly closed the door he had just opened.

  “No! Keep it open!” the Ursine exclaimed, and the adventurer nodded, swinging the door back open. Bigg Guy took a few sniffs, and he turned to the room that had been revealed. A store room of some kind, with farming and construction tools in need of repair lined up on benches.

  “Through here!” he claimed, and bent down so he could enter the room. He then hurried over to the door that was on the opposite end, and opened it, taking another few sniffs.

  “One more room,” Bigg Guy claimed. The others shared a look, confused by the bearman’s actions, but decided to trust his nose and followed behind. He led them through the room he’d just opened, which looked to be an armory filled with low quality weapons and armor, and down a corridor before stopping in front of another door.

  This one was different from all the rest, however, in that it was made entirely of iron. From behind it, a sound of clanking and banging echoed forth, the sound finally reaching the group.

  “I’ll go first,” Gaelin said softly, stepping in front of Bigg Guy. “If they’re pirates, they won’t attack me on sight since I’m still in their uniform. If they’re slaves, well, hopefully the collar will keep them from attacking me.”

  The rest nodded, and he took a breath and reached out for the doorknob. The door wasn’t locked, much to his surprise, and it opened surprisingly smoothly for something so heavy. It opened inward, so anyone on the other side could not hide behind it.

  What he found on the other side caused his eyes to widen in shock.

  It was a blacksmith’s workshop, only built into a basement made of stone. There were all the usual things, like a forge, billows, anvil, and quenching tub, but there were several things that made his skin crawl.

  Blood stains caked a corner of the room where a large and complex magical array had been set up, carved into the very flagstones of the floor. A bench stood nearby the array, covered in enchanting and engraving tools, with a number of small, familiar looking daggers laid upon it.

  The whole place with lit only by the fire of the forge, which oddly produced no smoke despite clearly being lit. Gaelin could feel the heat, after all. The shadows it created made the room exude an air of menace and mystery.

  “Are you just gonna stand there like a simpleton, or are you gonna do something?”

  Gaelin jerked in surprise, looking around for the source of the voice while keeping most of his body obscured by the doorframe.

  His eyes alighted on a squat, stout figure sitting behind the anvil, and he realized that there was a dwarf hammering away at a cherry red piece of steel. The shadows the fire cast had obscured him, and the figure was almost skin and bones, further reducing his presence.

  Gaelin squinted, and spotted a collar on the dwarf’s neck. He cast a glance back at the rest of the group, who merely shrugged.

  He stepped fully into the room, halberd held close, but ready to spring into action if the need for it arose.

  The dwarf’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

  “What do you mean?” Gaelin asked slowly. The dwarf pointed with his hammer at the polearm at Gaelin’s side.

  “That’s not yours. No pirate would be able to wield it. Nor would they be able to claim it from its master.”

  “You have sharp eyes,” Gaelin said, tightening his grip on the weapon. “Tomas Nierz gave it to me years ago.”

  “How did someone like you end up amidst Bolos’ troop? Traitor, perhaps? Betrayed your oaths, fake Paladin?” the blacksmith sneered.

  Gaelin flushed with anger and took a step forward, and it was only Lily darting forward and grabbing his shoulder that he calmed down.

  “Stop it!” Lily commanded. “Calm down, you idiot!”

  Vala and Bigg Guy ambled over, their cover blown by the princess, and joined the two humans in the forge. Well, Vala did. As a furry creature, Bigg Guy stayed in the doorframe in order to keep out of the heat. He was already panting like a dog thanks to the flames.

  The dwarf’s eyes had widened when Lily ran in, and they almost fell out of his head when he saw the green-haired earth elf join. When caught a glimpse of an Ursine standing in the doorway that was the final straw for his sanity.

  “What in the Empty Pits is going on?” he exclaimed.

  The group shared a look, and then Lily stepped forward. “It’s a long story.”

  As she explained their circumstances and their plans to escape, the dwarf’s expression constantly shifted. Incredulity, amusement, shock, and, above all else, awe.

  When all was said and done the dwarf let out a heavy sigh, overwhelmed by the tale.

  “I deeply apologize for my words,” he said, bowing his head towards Gaelin. Mollified, the halberdier waved off the apology.

  “It’s fine. I can understand why you would be leery of someone in a pirate’s outfit carrying the World Paladin’s weapon. Though I am surprised you recognized it.”

  “Hard not to. Among weapon smiths, divine weapons like that are legendary. Their craft may look mundane, but the more the wielder bonds with it, and the stronger their connection to divinity, the more the weapon shows off their true power and appearance,” the dwarf said. “I remember seeing it in Tomas Nierz’s hands once, many years ago. It was, well, ‘sublime’ would be the best way to describe it.”

  He pointed at the bladed part. “I can tell you’re not completely in tune with it. You’ve unlocked two features, so far. A little bit more and you might get a third.”

  “You can know all that just by looking?” Vala asked, impressed.

  “Of course, I can! I am Rongold Heavyflint, a certified Weaponsmith Master of the Dwarven Clanholds!” the dwarf proudly proclaimed. “Seeing through the existence of weapons is a trifling act for me!”

  Vala snorted, then waved her hands when everyone looked at her. “Sorry, sorry! Didn’t mean to laugh!”

  “What’s so funny, then?” Lily asked, and she folded her arms.

  “It’s just his name!” the Druid said w
ith a snicker. The dwarf scowled. Lily gestured for the earth elf to continue explaining.

  “‘Rongold’ is the dwarfish equivalent of ‘Bob’ or ‘Joe’ as a name! It just doesn’t fit all the splendor and dignity that a master class artisan is supposed to have!” Vala said, controlling her mirth.

  The smith frowned despondently. “I was hoping you wouldn’t know that. It’s bad enough that that Bolos bastard keeps mocking me for the name. Now the first non-pirates I’ve seen in years also know about it!”

  The quartet’s mood darkened at the mention of the pirate captain.

  “Speaking of him, what in the Hells is he making you do?” Lily demanded, gesturing towards the bloody magical array.

  The smith looked ashamed and nervous at the question. Before he could answer, Gaelin spoke up.

  “Bolos is making Dancing Blades, isn’t he?” Everyone turned to the D-ranker, who had a dark frown on his face. “I recognize the shape and design. They’re the same as the Dancing Daggers he used against us on the Blue Wave, and the same ones that were being sold in that shop in Riverfold.”

  “But, but that’s impossible!” Lily shouted. “The secrets of their creation were lost when Val’Narash fell!”

  Gaelin shot her a look. “That wouldn’t stop ambitious or reckless people from trying to replicate it. And it seems one such person found a way. Albeit a blood-stained one.”

  “The answer is complicated,” Rongold said, cutting into the conversation. “Yes, they are Dancing Blades. But they are not Val’Narashi Dancing Blades.”

  He shifted on his stool as he settled into story time. “I don’t know everything, but what I do know is a mage found something in some ruins in Val’Narash. He made a journal, and then left the continent. His ship was attacked. A young, ambitious pirate killed him when the ship was raided and discovered the journal and the secrets within. Years later, that same pirate was a newly minted captain and kidnapped me from my own ship.”

  “And that was Bolos, wasn’t it,” Gaelin said. When Rongold nodded the halberdier became thoughtful. “And that means whatever was in the journal was the secret to creating Dancing weapons?”