by Clark Bolton
It was shortly after that comment that the crew started calling to each other to come on deck. Most of the party was down in the hold discussing what to do and trying to sleep. The calls seemed not too urgent at first but then they realized that all crew members had now left the hold.
Autbek climbed out the hatch to see what the crew was up to, but all he could gather was they were concerned about the mist that was now just discernible off the port side. It looked quite thin as one could clearly see stars through it but the crew gave it a steady gaze as they prepared weapons.
“You’re luck is ending, mage!” The captain yelled to Autbek and then he turned back to ordering the crew to their stations. “Bring the starboard ballista to the port, and be quick about it!”
Autbek watched them move the huge crossbows that took two men to carry from one side of the ship to the other. Looking around with concern he tried to recall who was on deck of his party and who was below. “Murac, what should we do?”
Murac was talking with the crew but did hear his call. “Best stay there, O’t, looks like this mist is a common hiding place for pirates and the like. Or worst so they tell me!”
Not liking the sound of that he stepped back down into the hold to inform the girls to stay put and to have Haspeth and Castor prepare themselves for possible trouble.
“Looks like we need a battle-mage on deck,” Castor said dryly as he squeezed past Autbek.
“Yea.” Haspeth replied with no enthusiasm but followed anyway.
The captain then yelled for the helmsman to alter course, this gave Murac cause to come quickly over to have words with the captain. “Will you be coming back to this heading in time?”
The captain at first seemed not to hear him as he gazed toward the bow. “Not likely, could be a small patch though. But have a look first yourself; if that don’t freeze your prime-blood then you’re a fool!”
Murac and Autbek turned to the bow to see what he meant. There they could see a dark impenetrable mist now that let no starlight through.
The first mate came amid ship and began calling out orders. “Load the ballista, and get your hooks up! Back to back there in the crow’s nest!”
They watched the crew load, and prepare long spear like weapons with curved hooks on the ends like giant gaffs. They then went to assigned positions throughout the main deck. When the ship veered clear of the mist the crew cheered.
Murac looked concerned as he stared at the solid wall that was now on their starboard side. “Big, and the captain seems not too interested in going around it, or through it!”
Berdtom squeezed by Autbek to ask. “What then?”
“A lonely port maybe!”
“Huh?” Haspeth asked, confused now.
Berdtom walked to the captain. “Can you get us to our destination?”
“No, now get below!”
Murac stepped up. “What do you fear in there? We have mages and can fight ourselves if need be!”
“You’re daft fools, sea-sailor! You don’t know what’s in there, and be sure it ain’t what you paid me for!”
Berdtom also was not willing to let the captain get away with reneging on their deal. “Captain, the Un Sha paid you well for delivery of their scribes, this I know! They may wonder your resolve for future passengers if you turn so easily from mere fog! As Murac says, we have mages, six of them and he himself is a master swordsman.”
The captain stared coldly at Berdtom then looked to Murac and then to the others on deck. “Then this I demand, seabirds! You all stand in the bow so as you can hug whatever foul hell spawn comes to kiss ya!”
Murac stared right back. “We will do our part, and I will stand first in the bow!” With that he relieved one of the crew of their hook and proceeded to the bow followed by Berdtom.
Haspeth turned to whisper. “What does he mean by hell spawn?” When neither Autbek nor Castor gave him an answer he gulped and decided he best follow Murac.
Autbek watched Haspeth go and then decided he needed to stand behind his friends. “Castor, go get the dwarves and then come just forward of the mast to back us up. And tell the girls to stay here in the hatchway!” With that said he joined Haspeth on the steps leading to the bow.
Murac kneeled down behind the bow railing and positioned his hook out over the bow just as the ship turned back into the thick mist. “Back up a bit, Tom, I’ll need a lot of room to swing this thing!” Berdtom heeded the warning and backed up to join Autbek and Haspeth.
Several of the crew, including the first-mate came closer, apparently to gloat. “If it’s a Wyvern be sure to hook it, seabird! Ha-ha, the Captain will give you a fair bonus for its hide!” The crew could be heard to chuckle all around them.
The humor left them quickly though as the mist thickened to the point where they could not see more than a few feet beyond the ship. The stuff seemed to change color as it swirled past and even had an odd smell to it.
Many minutes past before the first creature emerged from the mist. It was smaller than a man, and was like a kind of flying lizard but before it could cause any panic Murac slammed it to the deck with one precise move of his hook.
“Arrrrghhh! Wyvern!” The crew yelled in genuine glee as they moved quickly to bash the creature with clubs until it stopped moving, and then they unceremoniously dumped it down a hatch. They thought much more of Murac now as they eagerly waited for him to snag another.
The two dwarves arrived from the hold just as the crew disposed of the wyvern. They and Castor stood near the mast, ready with their axes. At this point haunting noises could be heard coming from the mist. “Where have you taken us, Murac?” Luzac yelled out.
“Shortcut to hell, lads, now be alert; I hear more of them out there!”
Autbek turned to greet the dwarves with a nod just in time see Castor casting a spell toward Murac. Turning back he could now see three of the man, all in identical poses.
Murac looked at himself on the left and then the right. “Thanks kid, I think” He muttered.
Haspeth nodded his head slowly. “Nice!”
Autbek smiled in pride at the kid’s use of a mirror image spell. The images could do nothing physical, but could very well fool a wyvern.
The second Wyvern did not come alone, for it was followed closely by two others. The first was smaller than the one snagged by Murac, and it made the unfortunate choice of attacking one of the mirror images. The second was twice the size of Murac and took a hook to its left wing as it tried to sting Murac with its ray like tail, causing it to hit the deck hard with a great thud!
“Watch that tail!” The first-mate called out to Murac as he and a couple others tried to reach its head with clubs and swords.
Haspeth cast his first spell, his favorite. “PSSST! PSSST!” The missiles brought down the smaller one as it tried to sting one of Murac’s images. It flopped about for a while until one of the crew got a good blow in to the head.
The third wyvern was enormous with a wingspan of more than ten paces. It soared high over Murac’s other mirror image intent on striking one of the crew in the rigging, which it did. Grasping the Jeszak in its talons it tore the man from the rigging and headed for the mist.
“PSSST! PSSST! PSSST! PSSST! PSSST!”
Autbek shot no less than five enchanted missiles into its flesh but still it kept its hold on its victim, though it screamed horrendously. He was about to let loose a lightning bolt spell knowing he might also hit the Jeszak, when several ballista bolts tore through the creature. This all but killed it, but by then it was well over the starboard side and so when it let go of its prey the Jeszak quickly floated out of sight into the mist as the ship raced on.
“Man overboard!” Murac yelled, but not a single crewman echoed his call. “Captain! Man overboard!” But even the captain failed to act.
“He will be remembered!” The captain called out. “Now back to your posts!”
Berdtom and Autbek shared a shocked look for a moment as they returned to watching the b
ow. Other shapes could be seen passing the ship now but they apparently were headed for the nearly dead wyvern that could still be heard screaming.
The dwarves turned to the first-mate and demanded to know why they were not going after the fallen sailor. “Don’t you have no honor for your own kind!”
The first-mate looked with contempt at the dwarves. “Shut your hole dwarf! We would never find him, least not before the Wyverns did!”
Autbek felt compelled to do something, for it was he and his friends who had demanded that they continue on into the mist. “I can find him!”
Berdtom looked surprised. “Can you, O’t? How long will it take because by the sound of it those things are all around us.”
“I can use the locator device of Tenric’s; I’ve modified it so it can be used to find most anything we have a sample of!” He walked quickly toward the captain. “I can find him and quick!”
The captain could see half the crew staring at him now. “First-mate, you want to go in the skiff? We won’t wait long for ya!”
The first-mate looked genuinely scared for the first time. “Aye captain, he was a good sailor. If this mage and Murac goes, I’ll take um!”
With that said Autbek rushed to the hold to retrieve the locator he had stashed in his pack. He had to slip by Onaleen, who reached out to grasp him for a moment before letting him climb down. Quickly finding the locator he climbed up the steps and then quickly kissed her as he rushed by.
The captain smiled and laughed as he threw back his head. “Ha-ha! Then get me a new first-mate I shall. Launch the skiff!” This caused sailors to burst into action as they worked to ready the longboat that was stowed on deck.
The boat was maybe five paces long and two or three wide so it took nearly ten of them to hoist it over the port side. The first-mate leaped into it like a cat, as did two others of the crew, and then the first-mate looked to Murac, who promptly nodded and leaped in himself.
“Come on, O’t! Let’s get this over with!”
Autbek turned to look at the girls who still sat in the hatchway staring at him with tears in their eyes, particularly Onaleen. “No O’t! Can’t they turn the whole ship around?”
He looked to Murac who shook his head and hastened for him to climb in. “Have to go, Onaleen.” He then slowly climbed into the boat with help from Berdtom. As he did so Castor and Lita joined him. Smiling at them he turned to Haspeth. “Stay here, you're needed!”
Haspeth looked lost but managed to nod his head. “I will!”
The longboat was equipped with a small sail but the first-mate chose instead to put oars out. There were three sets of oars, all of which glowed softly as they slid them into position. Then they pushed away from the Bone-Cutter just as the captain gave the order for the crew to bring in the sails.
The first-mate took the tiller and snapped it sharply to the side sending the longboat spinning around. Those not rowing had to grasp for the rail to keep from being tossed to the deck.
“Row you comet-dung!” The first-mate yelled. The two crewmembers and Murac then proceeded to row as fast as they were able. “Now give me a heading, mage!”
Autbek looked at the locator then said to the first-mate. “I’ll need a drop of blood for this to work.”
The first-mate simply pointed at the crewman closest to Autbek. The man stopped rowing and produced a large knife and then quickly poked his arm as if used to doing such things. Gathering up the blood unto the near end of the locator, Autbek then held it as steady as he could as he cast the necessary spell to make it work.
“That way!” He pointed. The locator was not too good at determining how much up or down one should go, so he just had to hope they got close enough to see the sailor above or below them.
Castor had been moving about the boat tracing runes with his enchanted chalk as Autbek pointed out direction changes as they rowed. In a few moments he had a thick cloud of mist concealing them. “I can see out fine!” He told the others as he positioned himself in the bow.
Autbek desperately tried to determine how far back the sailor might be and how far they had come so far but found it nearly impossible. The first-mate was no help as he gave no sign as to whether or not he thought them close, as the others rowed and rowed.
Minutes passed and still Castor saw nothing as Autbek gave continuous course corrections to the first-mate. It became clear to them that there was a current or wind of some kind that caused the longboat to drift. This no doubt was making it hard to locate their target.
“There! That might be him!” Castor called out as he pointed forward and slightly up. However, they were not the first to discover the sailor. What at first looked to be cargo hovering near the Jeszak turned out to be huge beetles, one of which was attached to the sailors back. The fellow was struggling to dislodge it with a long knife, and so did not see them approach.
“Ahoy!” The first-mate yelled out as they shot toward the sailor.
Murac turned and then jumped up to rush toward the bow. “O’t, can you shoot that off him.”
Autbek was already casting the only spell he thought safe enough to risk. “PSSST!” One missile shot forward and struck the beetle attached to the sailors back sending it floating motionlessly away. The other beetles moved off as soon as the longboat approached.
Grabbing one of the long hooks stored in the boat, Murac reached it out to the sailor who quickly grabbed it. Once aboard the first-mate brought the longboat quickly around and tried to proceed back the way they had come.
Neither Castor nor Autbek could see any sign of the Bone-Cutter or any sign of what direction they had come. Thinking quickly Autbek asked the same sailor who had provided blood to before to donate more in hopes he could use the locator to find the ship.
“There! That way, I’m sure of it.” The first-mate turned the boat immediately in the direction Autbek pointed.
“Be silent!” Murac hissed as he nodded toward activity far off their starboard. There the remains of the large wyvern could be seen surrounded by smaller ones as well as beetles. All were feeding on it or squabbling with others.
Castor resumed the illusion of mist about them as they slipped quietly by. Once far clear of it the first-mate yelled again for them to row as hard as they could.
Autbek was concerned they were not moving fast enough so he took a chance and cast a levitation spell upon the longboat and then commanded it to move forward. To the surprise of everyone the boat lurched forward though at an awkward angle.
“Sorry! I’ll get it” Autbek explained as he sought to straighten out their trajectory.
“Enough! Keep the force mage, I’ll keep the helm!” Yelled the first-mate who began widely adjusting the tiller until the boat was traveling true to its heading.
Their speed was considerably faster now with Autbek’s spell in force combined with the oars. Only a few minutes passed before they saw signs of the ship.
“There’s the Bone-Cutter!” Castor yelled.
The first-mate made a slight course correction and in another few minutes they were alongside the ship. Long hooks reached out and pulled the longboat firmly against the ship, allowing the passengers to climb out.
Autbek stood on the deck to see if all were safe and was assured by Berdtom that they were. With a nod to Onaleen and the other girls he turned to see how the sailor they had rescued was fairing.
The beetle had torn him up pretty bad and he had to be carried into the hold. “Captain, do you have a skilled healer on board?” Autbek asked concerned the man was not going to make it despite their efforts.
The captain proclaimed he did not. “Nay, not a temple, mage, is the Bone-Cutter. He’ll have to do with a sailor’s stitching or not!”
“Onaleen, can you and Pemmesa help him?” The girls were already moving to assist.
“Yes!” They called back as they disappeared into the hold.
The Bone-Cutter moved on as soon as the longboat was stored and though they fended off a few more creatures wit
h the help of Haspeth and Murac, no large wyverns appeared. The end of the mist came suddenly after a few hours.
“Prepare for descent!” The captain shouted a few minutes after the mist cleared.
They all smiled at themselves in relief and with pride as they sat down on the bow steps and watched the crew prepare the ship. The sails were trimmed, cargo was stored and rigging was adjusted and secured by the crew. So far the descent seemed no different from the ships normal travels but then the lightning started.
“Bloody hell!” Haspeth exclaimed as they watched streaks of energy play across the ship’s sails and deck. This increased until they stood and considered going below but the crew seemed unconcerned or too busy to care.
They then saw blackness in the form of a great hole reaching up from below to swallow the ship. For an instant the only light was that from the lightning and then they saw the familiar stars of their world above them. At this point the winds became cold and fierce and the ship began to heave back and forth as if on a stormy sea.
Everything not tied down was flung about, including the party. The dwarves made the quick decision to lass themselves to the mast while the others simply found something solid to cling too.
“Get us down quick now helmsman or we’ll have no passengers or crew left!” The captain yelled out above the wind and thunder. “Passengers, prepare to jump ship!”
Autbek looked down over the railing and gasped as they still seemed an impossible distance above the ground. “We are too high!” He yelled to Murac and Berdtom.
Murac was less concerned. “We are dropping fast, best do as the captain says. Get your packs! You too dwarves!” Luzac and Negorch growled but did not object and so untied themselves and clawed their way to the hatch.
Below deck in the hold they found the girls sickened by the ship’s constant heaving but for the most part they had kept to their task of trying to heal the rescued sailor. The Jeszak looked better, Autbek decided, as the girls had bandaged him up and applied some of the herbs to his wounds that the viken had supplied them.