I felt a tingle run down my spine. Seemingly, our talk was over. Captain Takeda appeared unexpectedly behind me in a sharp burst, put me down on one knee and, pushing down the back of my head, forced me to bow it.
“Such is my will!” the fearsome ruler of Fradia decreed. “You are the first person in this world to undergo induction and become a monster hunter in several centuries! A great responsibility has been placed on your shoulders! Time does not wait! Tomorrow you shall depart on a perilous journey to the Dark Continent, where you are destined to revive the order of monster hunters and return it to its former greatness! Do not be afraid! You will be sent with a company of trusted soldiers from my personal guard headed by Captain Takeda himself.”
When the King left the study with Magister Sato, the captain easily lifted me to my feet all at once. A cold sweat covered my back. My brain refused to believe what was happening. I don’t want to take part in this madness and I will not do so! I am not duty-bound to obey this King! I am a Tarian! At the end of the day, my King is Stephane the Third!
As if overhearing my thoughts, Takeda said with mockery in his voice:
“Keep it together. Everything is gonna be fine.”
And then, his wide palm placed on my shoulder, he quietly added something that made all the hair on my body stand on end:
“And don’t you worry about your little gremlin buddy. He’ll be here awaiting your return.”
Chapter 22
WE PICKED a “great” day to depart – all damp and overcast. The sea looked like a wild animal that had just caught scent of approaching prey. It stormed the impregnable rocky coastline with a fury. The cold wind froze the marrow and carried with it an unpleasant saline aroma of rotten seaweed and saltwater.
The Shark, a double-masted schooner belonging to the explorers’ guild was positively bustling. Cheerless seamen were loading bags, packs of food and clothing, rolling on wooden barrels of fresh water, hauling bundles of short spears and arrows.
I could sense their discontent. They were angry. I only heard snippets, but I gathered that the crew considered setting sail on the eve of the stormy season akin to suicide. They were constantly glaring at Captain Takeda and his two soldiers. I also got my share of the dismay.
Watching the hustle and bustle on the schooner, out of the corner of my eye, I was also taking in the captain’s underlings. Their levels – over forty. Rapacious ugly mugs. Good and simultaneously inconspicuous equipment. Their constitutions and habits were very reminiscent of their commander’s. Seems Takeda enjoys the respect of his subordinates.
Yesterday the King mentioned a company of soldiers so, when I saw just two of them this morning, I was quite surprised. The captain later explained to me that more soldiers would just mean more unwanted attention. The mages had spies everywhere.
Even then, I marveled aloud at the lack of logic in those words. More attention? Wasn’t a captain known to be a particularly close associate of the King a notable enough figure? Takeda was probably under surveillance day and night. To which he calmly answered that his Majesty was personally monitoring that and sending any other commander would have been a huge risk.
Takeda’s voice distracted me from the dismal thoughts:
“The time has come...”
I turned absentmindedly and answered him with a nod.
They’d finished loading the Shark. The lifeboats had been raised and tied down. The crew was already on board. The gray-bearded captain of the schooner, his legs splayed wide, was standing on the bow of the vessel. Keeping a watchful eye on his crew, he occasionally issued terse orders. As soon as the anchor was up and the sails raised, the gradually strengthening wind pulled the schooner out to open sea.
I glanced sadly at the distant outline of Ironville. It hit me deep down. I was leaving my friend behind. My soul felt heavy and miserable. Running away wouldn’t solve anything now. Only the gods know where Mee is being kept.
But there was another thing lurking in my soul, too. The Steel King, without himself suspecting it, had given me an idea. I had to forget who I was. Enough hiding and running! Egbert mentioned an ancient power? Okay then. I guess I should go track it down. Otherwise nobody will ever reckon with me.
* * *
The black waves of the Dead Ocean frightened me with their ravening temperament. After ten days underway, I had formed the firm impression of my own helplessness and insignificance. The ocean amazed me with its vast size and power!
The wind carried the Shark forward, filling its sails. The icy saline water splashing up from the foamy wave crests seared my face with cold.
Strange as it was, the sailors’ mood had changed markedly and for the better. As it turned out, they considered this kind of weather a good omen. And, based on their conversations, we had seemingly avoided a serious storm. The inclement weather had passed us by.
I had yet to get used to the constant rocking. I was seasick all the time. It seems I’m not fated to get used to the ocean just yet.
I watched the seamen with envy. They didn’t seem to notice the tossing. Takeda and his soldiers either.
Every day I grew to hate the fish-and-salt-stinking schooner more and more along with the haughtily grinning seamen, icy wind and black ocean.
I wanted to simply close my eyes and lose myself in a long, wakeless dream. I tried not to look at food. The Potions of Satiety were my salvation. This journey had forever killed any desire I might have had to travel on water.
In the intervals between my spells of nausea and headache, I thought about how this ocean did not live up to its name. These waters were simply teeming with life. From time to time, I noticed vast schools of huge high-level fish swimming parallel to our ship. The ocean lived a life all its own and changed according to its own laws.
I also noticed one important detail – none of the fearsome sea creatures appeared to notice our schooner. I’d have to share my observations with Takeda...
By the end of the tenth day, I could make out the outlines of the first little islands on the distant horizon. A few particularly compassionate sailors noticed my suffering and reassured me that we would reach an island soon where I could take a break. To say I was desperately awaiting that meager scrap of dry land would be an understatement.
The schooner unhurriedly entered a small bay and the icy wind fell quiet. The gently sloping shore made for an easy landing. As soon as the bottom of the dinghy started to rustle on sand, I jumped out onto dry land first of all and, after a few clumsy steps, collapsed to the ground while the crew looked on laughing.
I was still nauseous. My head hurt. It seemed the earth was dropping out from under me. But I was happy!
While the sailors unloaded everything we’d need to spend the night, Takeda’s soldiers disappeared into the trees of the nearby woods. I wanted to summon Gorgie so he could also take a walk but, remembering the captain’s admonishments, was wary of showing my animal to strangers.
The sailors looked very comfortable walking around the island, which I took to mean they frequently used it to stop and refill their fresh water.
The scouts came back a few minutes later and told us about an unfortunate discovery. A hundred yards from shore, they had found several human skeletons.
“The bones are not scattered,” reported Rob, one of Takeda’s soldiers. “That means there are no large animals here.”
“Based on what’s left of their clothing, they were stripped before being killed,” Art wedged in. “It was a long time ago.”
“Well?” Takeda asked the schooner captain standing next to him. “Any ideas?”
He stroked his gray beard, shook his head and said:
“What ideas could I have? We’re on one of the hundreds of islands in the Dead Ocean. There is no rule of law here. It could have been anyone.”
“How did they die?” Takeda turned to the scouts.
“Their heads were all bashed in,” Art answered. “Two of them have fractured limbs. And the fifth has no skull at
all.”
“I see,” Takeda muttered. “Anything else?”
“Nope,” Rob confirmed. “Island’s empty.”
Takeda turned to the captain and said:
“Then let’s get set up to spend the night and keep our heads on a swivel.”
To my great fortune, the night passed calmly and, once morning of the next day arrived, we got back underway.
* * *
The last two weeks of our voyage weren’t as challenging as the previous ones. Not because the wind had gone down or the waves for that matter. No. The elements still showed no mercy. It’s just that we had started coming across more and more islands and, sometimes, we landed on them to spend the night and rest. I think that’s exactly what saved me from vomiting up my own guts once and for all.
The farther we went, the more dangerous the sea creatures looked. By the way, I found out why they weren’t noticing our schooner. They simply couldn’t see it. Takeda explained to me that the captain had a powerful amulet that hid our ship from sea monsters. Only then did I realize the true value of this vessel and its captain. I could only imagine how much he charged for this little “joyride.”
A shout of glee from one of the sailors pulled me out of my thoughts:
“Land ho! Land ho!”
Shaking with excitement, I jumped over to the railing. Right in our path, I could make out the contours of a coastline through humid gray haze. Over the course of the trip, I had grown so accustomed to the monotonous seascapes that the appearance of a dark strip of land on the horizon came as an unexpected surprise. The people latched into the side of the ship and craned their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the distant shore.
Much to my own surprise, I started laughing nervously.
“What are you so happy about?” Takeda asked, standing next to me.
“I’ve heard so many scary stories about these lands!” I answered. “So many legends and tall tales. And there it is – the Dark Continent! The very concentration of evil and darkness! But I never thought the goddess Fortuna would bring me to this gods-forsaken place.”
The captain just snickered indistinctly in response.
“Although, if I think back on the last six months of my life, it’s only logical I would have ended up here.”
Now that for some reason amused Takeda. He laughed his fill and, slapping me on the shoulder, said:
“Following that logic, I’m afraid to even imagine where you’ll be taken next!”
After the captain finished laughing, I asked:
“Where exactly are we?”
Takeda, in an elevated mood, started to explain:
“This is the west coast of the Dark Continent. It’s the most untamed, and so the safest for us. Due to your low characteristics, from this distance you cannot yet see it, but there is a narrow isthmus just over there. It is at the mouth of the river Morta, which flows out of Narrow Lake. They say the foxfolk dwell on the shores of that lake.”
Hearing about the clever ghost’s kin made me frown. Takeda, knowing my relationship with foxfolk, chuckled understandingly.
“And what’s there?” I asked, pointing east.
“The eastern bank of that river is the starting point for a forest known as the Bonewood. And to its west is the Plain of the Three Winds. At one time, the entire west coast was settled by humans. At the very least, so the legends say.”
“So what is there now?”
“Wild, unpeopled places inhabited by dark creatures. The favored haunts of the explorers, as a matter of fact. That is precisely where those foolhardy desperados risk their lives in search of ancient artifacts.”
“And where are we headed?”
I ask the same question for the umpteenth time. And every time it remains unanswered.
And this time was no different. Takeda evasively stated:
“Don’t you worry, you’ll find out soon enough. Although I can tell you now, actually.”
I perked up my ears right away.
“In accordance with the plan,” the captain said. “The four of us will take one of the dinghies up the river Morta to the main village of the explorers. And from there...”
He fell silent for a moment. He looked around, considered it and, a second later, said:
“You know, Eric, how about we talk about that after we leave the ship. I promise I’ll tell you everything. But for now, there’s an important matter that needs attending.”
After he said that, Takeda turned and headed toward the captain of the Shark. He was standing on the bridge and snapping out orders to the sailors, who were scurrying all around.
The schooner was racing toward the shore with a happy air, as if skipping from the top of one wave to the next. The crew was preparing to make land. Empty fresh-water barrels were being rolled over to the sides. Oblong cases holding tents followed them, then boxes of tools and weaponry. Based on the quickly growing pile, the crew of the Shark was planning to stay on shore until the end of the stormy season.
A few minutes later, the schooner reached the isthmus and entered a small bay. The captain ordered the crew to drop anchor and start lowering the dinghies.
And that was right when it all happened...
Takeda, standing next to the ship captain and calmly talking with him about something, suddenly struck out with his right hand. At first, I couldn’t tell what I’d seen. As a matter of fact, the hand movement was so lightning fast that, if I hadn’t been looking at Takeda’s shoulder, I would have missed it completely.
The gray-bearded captain of the Shark had seemingly not noticed a thing. Furthermore, a moment later, he was behaving very strangely. His legs started to buckle. His head tilted to the side. If not for Takeda holding him up by the elbows, the captain would have fallen overboard.
I bolted off to help but froze in place. A crimson spot was spreading across the gray-bearded captain’s wide chest from the heart area. His lifeless eyes rolled back. His head and arms hung limp.
A muted cry of pain to the right snapped me out of it. I turned around sharply. It was one of the sailors. He was clumsily clutching his chest, as the bloodied tip of a sword poked out of it. Behind him was Rob, and I saw nothing but cold composure in his predatorily squinting eyes. Then he disappeared into thin air and, from somewhere to my left, I heard more cries of pain from unsuspecting sailors.
Captain Takeda and his soldiers acted with lightning speed and extreme cruelty. I was shocked by the swiftness and coordination. The sailors didn’t stand a single chance against warriors such as them. Seemingly, they didn’t even realize they were being killed.
A few minutes later, it was all over. The crew of the Shark ceased to exist.
Chapter 23
THE WHOLE TIME Takeda and his warriors searched the schooner, then every corpse on it, I was watching their every move. I felt like a mute audience member having snuck behind the curtains of a gore theater.
I was so shaken up by the recent tragedy that I couldn’t squeeze out a single word. Just a few minutes prior, all these people were overjoyed and celebrating the fact the ocean had taken mercy on us. Risking their lives, they’d left their families, obeying an order from their ruler and set off on a perilous voyage during the height of the stormy season. And they’d survived!
My wandering gaze paused on the slim figure of Timmy, a seventeen-year-old boy who’d spent four years plying the seas on the Shark as a cabin boy. He was planning to sign on as a sailor next year. He’d helped me most of all on this trip. He used to tell me captivating tales about the ocean.
The kid was lying face down like a lifeless doll, his thin arms splayed out helplessly to the side. A spot of reddish blood was spreading around his head. I shuddered, remembering the cabin boy’s tales of his youngest sister, who awaited his return impatiently after every voyage. He always brought her exotic items from the distant lands he visited. This time, he was planning to bring her a shell from the coast of the Dark Continent. The boy rolled his eyes back dreamily when he imagi
ned the way his Lina would jump for joy. She always told him how her friends looked stunned and practically started foaming at the mouth.
I realized the dreadful truth with excruciating clarity – Timmy won’t be going back home to his little sister, won’t be giving her a shell, and won’t be squeezing her tight ever again.
While Rob and Art loaded a rotund dinghy full of bags of supplies in a business-like manner, Takeda went down into the hold. He was gone a few minutes and, when he came back, he issued a brusque command:
“Let’s get out of here!”
Art and Rob sat at the oars and Takeda stood behind them, staring into the rapidly approaching shoreline. I sat at the bow of the boat and sulkily watched the Shark go down in the distance. As if swallowed up by a giant monster, it gradually sunk beneath the waves. By the way, speaking of monsters. Something indescribable was happening around the sinking ship. Beasts of every shape and size were just feasting. The sailors’ bodies were being torn to pieces. The bloody crimson water was positively teeming, attracting all kinds of new monsters. And based on the way nobody noticed us, I came to the simple conclusion that Takeda had taken the schooner captain’s amulet.
The Dark Continent (Underdog Book #3): LitRPG Series Page 21