by Noah Layton
‘Are you sure? God knows what kind of monsters are lurking down there in the depths of the water, and I doubt that these are ones that you’ll be able to seduce.’
‘Probably not,’ she grinned, ‘but I can do a fine job of out-swimming them.’
Elera readied her hot, slender body like a professional diver’s, took a deep breath, and leaped into the air.
She moved expertly, descending sharply into a dive before slipping beneath the surface with a splash.
I searched about for her, trying not to imagine her being eaten by some gigantic hybrid shark.
But the moment I set eyes on her, that worry sank away – because in seconds she had raced fifty yards through the water beneath the surface like a cruise torpedo, disappearing into the distance.
There was a reason that she had survived for months underground while being hunted by feral sirens.
‘That will do for now, archer,’ the Captain called down to Lara. ‘We are on straight headings for a while. Although you could carry out another job for me if you were inclined.’
‘Name it,’ Lara replied.
‘Grab that bow of yours and keep an eye on the jungle.’
‘I thought you said there weren’t any dangers in the forest,’ I said up to him, raising my eyebrow.
‘I did, but there is a reason that these jungles are called wild. You never know what may be lurking out there. It does not hurt to be careful.’
‘I’ve got this,’ Lara winked to me, readying her bow and retrieving an arrow. ‘Go check on our stowaway.’
‘Stowaway?’ The Captain barked. ‘What the hell do you mean, stowaway?’
‘I’m pretty sure I mentioned this to you literally a few minutes ago.’
‘You did? Oh, excuse me, the morning drink is still wearing off. Who is she?’
‘Relax,’ I replied. ‘She’s… One of ours.’ That was a lie. ‘But I do have to ask, if you’re not cool about stowaways, how do you feel about, oh, I don’t know… Dumping bodies from the side of the ship?’
‘Just don’t do it near the fishing routes,’ he replied casually, looking at the curve of the river ahead. ‘These are somewhat pleasant passages, and the water does not need tainting. You can dump them near the Black Patch.’
That would work just fine.
I descended the steps into the hold, being careful not to step in the pools of blood at the foot of the steps, and searched about for the catgirl.
‘Hey, are you down here? It’s me.’
‘Who is me supposed to be?’ A voice spoke from the room at the back of the hold. The stowaway’s face slowly peaked around the edge of the doorframe and looked towards me with fearful green eyes. ‘I don’t even know who you are.’
‘It’s Jack. And that’s kind of rude for somebody whose life I just saved.’
‘Oh, no, I am sorry, I did not mean to say it like that. I just… I do not even know you and you chose to risk your life to protect mine. It is peculiar for a man to do such a thing.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t just going to leave you back there with those jerkoffs. Although it does beg the question – who are you?’
She eyed me suspiciously before slinking out gracefully from behind the door and standing there.
‘My name is Talia,’ she said apprehensively.
‘That’s a start,’ I replied. ‘Are you part of a tribe? Back at the cove you said that you didn’t have a family.’
‘No. I am a part of neither a tribe nor a family.’
‘So you just… run around by yourself? Out here?’
‘Not precisely. Some months ago I was a barmaid at an inn in the north-west. It supplied me with enough coin to find food. I had a remote home in the trees of the forest. Life was… Somewhat fine, until somebody received word of my existence.’
‘Your existence? What does that mean?’
‘My kind are quite uncommon.’
‘So that’s what that guard meant?’ I asked, nodding over to his corpse.
‘No. Naturally there are many men who seek out what is rare for their harems, including myself. We are not in abundance, therefore we are in demand. A trader said that to me once… But there are also those in the less civilised parts of the world who desire to capture us.’
My stomach felt tightened into a knot.
‘Jesus…’ I muttered. ‘I see why you were so eager to get away from these assholes. Now I feel even better that I killed them.’
‘Thank you for doing that. Most would have given me up to them. Perhaps you would have if you knew of my value.’
‘I’m not like that, believe me. I don’t do the slave-thing. In fact, I do the opposite of it. Still, somebody must have had the coin available if so many mercenaries were looking for you.’
‘His name is Garrison,’ Talia said. ‘The very same that the dead man told you of. His tribe is loyal and powerful. They deal in slaves at an outpost in the north.’
‘Close to where you use to work at the tavern?’
‘A few miles away.’
‘So you were hiding right under his nose for that long?’
‘Months, until somebody finally gave me up. I was careful to keep my features hidden, I kept to myself, but clearly it was not enough.’
‘Well, it doesn’t matter now. You’re here, and you’re safe.’
‘But who are you?’ She asked. ‘And where are you going?’
‘I’m a tribe master, and I’m heading back to my land with this new ship of mine.’
‘Oh… Well, I prefer to be alone,’ Talia said decidedly. ‘I don’t mix with other tribes.’
‘So you’re a lone wolf? Or… A lone cat, in this case.’
‘Pretty much.’
‘Well, it’s your call, but these guys seem to be putting a lot of effort into finding you, and I get the feeling that they’re not going to slow up their efforts any time soon. You really think that you can survive out there on your own?’
‘Hey, it is my decision. It’s my life.’
‘I get that, Talia, but you’re on board my ship, and now they’re going to be looking for me and my tribe.’ I ran my hands through my hair in despair, dragging back the skin on my face as I paced around the hold. ‘Christ, I knew this was too good to be true. I literally get a ship worth 20,000 gold pieces handed to me and now I can’t even sail it without being hunted down by a group of mercenaries.’
‘Don’t blame me for this. If you were in my shoes you would do the exact same thing. You said it yourself.’
I gritted my teeth, realising that that simple statement was true.
‘You’re… Probably right. But I still reserve the right to be quietly pissed off.’
‘That’s fair enough.’
‘So what are you going to do?’
‘Stick around here as far as you’ll take me downriver… Assuming you don’t decide to throw me overboard.’
‘Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.’ I looked over my shoulder and nodded at the corpses stacked in the shadows by the stairs. ‘Those guys, on the other hand…’
‘You plan to throw them overboard?’
‘What else would I do with them?’
‘True.’
A few minutes later I was dragging the first of three bodies across the deck, bringing a smear of blood with it. We had just reached the stretch of river that ran parallel to the Black Patch.
‘I hope you’re planning on grabbing a bucket and a mop to clean that gunk from my deck when you’re done,’ Captain Archie shouted down.
‘Your deck?’ I panted, heaving the body to the edge and kicking it off the side with a grunt. ‘What do you mean your deck?’
Splash.
‘I’m captain. My ship.’
‘So you see me dragging a body with an arrow sticking out of its face right in front of your eyes and the thing you’re more interested in is the blood staining the wood. Not where the body came from? No? You don’t care about it in the slightest?’
Captain Ar
chie just shrugged.
‘Feel like giving me a hand?’ I called over to Lara as she sat on the wooden barrier of the starboard side, surveying the embankment.
‘Me?’ She said with a flick of her purple hair and a warm smile. ‘I’m busy protecting the ship.’
‘Uh huh.’
I returned to the hold and grabbed the legs of the next body. The steps allowed for a little leverage and I was strong enough to heave them up on my own, but there was a reason these guys were mercenaries; pure brute strength.
Unfortunately for me, that came in the form of carrying a lot of extra baggage.
Eventually I heaved the second body up to the deck and dragged it in the same direction as the last, booting it off the edge with a firm shove of my foot.
Splash.
‘Hey, hey!’
The voice came from below. I rushed to the edge and peered over to see Elera climbing up the ladder.
‘How the hell did you get back so fast?’
‘I think that was actually pretty slow for my usual pace. I’ve been out of practice. Try not to throw another body at me, Tall-man.’
‘I can’t promise anything.’
I offered a hand as she reached the barrier and pulled her up, where she landed in my arms. Her water-stained blue skin felt warm and smooth at my touch as she brushed her hair behind her back.
‘Find anything?’
‘There is an estuary that moves east and then around to the south just half a mile ahead. My senses tell me that it should take us close to the land.’ She leaned past me and looked to the upper deck. ‘Captain Archie?’
‘Yes, nymph?’
‘There is a dock up ahead, just a few hundred yards away. I do not know if it poses a threat.’
‘Oh, that’s just a trading post. There are many of them scattered across the rivers.’
‘But there were no ships there.’
‘That’s how it’s done around these parts. You make a request, the order’s filled, and you arrange a pick-up time. Helps with overcrowding, and it’s much faster for everyone.’
‘Think we should check it out?’ Lara asked.
‘Couldn’t hurt to look,’ I replied. The mercenaries didn’t have a ship to bring them up to speed, so there was no way they would be able to get the jump on us.
The dock came into view a few minutes later. It stretched around a hundred yards along the riverbank, comprising three wooden bays that jutted out into the waters at dispersed intervals.
Beyond it, guarded by the jungle, small wooden buildings had been carved among the trees. There only ten or eleven of them, including a small tavern where a number of drinkers moved back and forth.
For the most part, though, the place looked pretty safe, just like Captain Archie had said.
Manoeuvring the sails, The Bastion drifted slowly towards the final bay with a combination of our efforts. I hopped down as we reached the dock, rope in hand, and secured the ship in place before returning aboard and heading below deck.
‘We’ve stopped at a trading post,’ I said finding the cat-eared woman sitting on the bottom step. ‘Jungle’s pretty thick here. If you want to jump ship, now would be a good time to do it.’
She thought for a moment, then nodded up to me firmly and ascended the steps before pausing and looking down at herself.
‘On second thought, this might just bring more attention my way.’
‘I thought you had a hood to cover your ears.’
‘I do, but look at my clothes. Someone like me wandering through the jungle in rags like this, it’d make me even more of an easy target.’
‘Let me see if I’ve got something else for you to wear.’
Elera was probably the best pick – she hated the burdensome nature of her outfit, even considering how loose-fitting it was.
When I asked her if I could have it, she practically threw the thing at me.
I returned to our guest with it and handed it down to her.
‘Hopefully this should do the trick.’
‘Yes, this should work just fine,’ she said as she examined it, before shooting a look up to me.
‘Would you mind?’
‘Mind what?’
‘If… I could get dressed without being ogled by a man I just met.’
‘Oh, right,’ I nodded, heading back up to the deck. ‘Just head out when you’re ready.’
Embarrassment didn’t often happen to me in Agraria all things considered, but back in the sunlight I actually did feel that way.
Captain Archie elected to stay at the helm, while I found Elera sunbathing on the stern in her underwear, her body still damp with water.
Her tight, slender figure looked incredible in the sun.
‘You coming with?’ I asked.
‘I think I shall remain aboard, Jack. The cove caters to all manner of travellers, but this outpost is far too close to my old home. I have no doubt there will be more than a few sailors who would recognise me for my devious ways, especially with so few garments to cover my body. This is how they will remember me.’
‘Good point,’ I remarked. ‘Keep an eye out.’
‘Always.’
I returned to the deck to meet Lara. Talia emerged from the hold for the first time since we had met, her frame covered by Elera’s baggy outfit. She had pulled the hood from her old outfit and wrapped it over her head, tucking the torn edges into the neckline of the cloak.
Her whole body was covered, save for her face. Only now, out in the sunlight, did I realize just how beautiful her face was; wide green eyes, the widest I had ever seen on a person, smooth skin that was scuffed with dirt marks, pursed lips and a small, delicate nose that pointed at the tip.
The three of us left the ship and headed up the dock, keeping a watchful eye out. I could count the figures in my line of sight on two hands – most were likely inside the nearby buildings.
A roughly-carved stone path curved into the forest, with squat houses cramped together either side, but as I passed each I saw a signpost that indicated they weren’t houses at all.
They all bore labels by their front doors; food, livestock, raw building materials, ores and treated metals…
Now I understood, just as Captain Archie had said. A tribe could make an order or fill one, depending on what was in demand in the area. It was a contract, in effect; supply meets demand, and vice versa.
I had no interest in purchasing goods, but supplying them was one thing I could get on board with. Not my crops and livestock; they would be in high demand amongst my own people for the upcoming colder season.
Ores, on the other hand, were something that I could start to acquire from the mine at my new land.
I was about to go inside when I turned to see Talia still with us.
‘So…’ I said awkwardly. ‘Are you going to get going?’
‘What?’
‘You said you didn’t want to come with me, and now’s your chance to get out of here. So…’
‘Oh, right, of course,’ she nodded, stepping away from us. ‘Umm… Thank you, I guess. For saving my life, for getting me out of there...’
‘Don’t mention it.’
With a warm smile and a nod she waved at us and turned off up the path. Lara and I watched her go until she was out of sight, then my purple-haired wife turned to me with a raised eyebrow.
‘That’s one of the weirder things that’s happened to us.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You don’t really buy her story, do you?’
‘Why wouldn’t I?’ I asked. ‘The goon said the same thing.’
‘Yeah, but she must’ve been pretty damn important for this Garrison guy to hire a whole group of mercs to go after her.’
‘I wouldn’t underestimate them either. You think she’ll be all right?’
‘Definitely, husband,’ Lara said with confidence.
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘Just a feeling.’
Lara ran a hand across my
jawline, feeling my rapidly growing stubble as she kissed me.
I led us inside the small building marked ores and treated metals. The single-room building comprised of a counter set against the back wall, manned by a dwarven trader.
‘Morning,’ I started, ‘I’m looking to fill some open orders for ore. What have you got?’
The dwarf retrieved a large, leather-bound ledger from beneath the counter and slammed it down on the top, spinning it around to face me and flicking to the most recent page.
I traced my finger along the scrawled entries. There was a plethora of orders for all types of ore. Back at the mine on my new land I had exhausted the trails of bluestone to fulfil the order with the sun-elves, but everything else I had left untouched.
It was time to get back there and start digging.
I thanked the dwarven trader, and Lara and I returned to the ship to set sail for our land. We untied the cleat from the dock and climbed aboard my new vessel, looking back up the path through the trees in search of Talia, but all I saw was the dense mystery of the forest that had consumed her.
Chapter Five
‘Things are about to get tight, people. Let’s make sure that we’re precise.’
Captain Archie barked orders at me and my wives as we worked together to command the ship ninety degrees to starboard. The estuary that led east and then to the south, straight in the direction of my land, was upon us, and it was a little narrower than the wide passages of the river that we had been used to.
Elera took another trip along the river to check on the route, and I was much more comforted in the thought of her safety considering I knew just how fast she could move in open water.
Elera returned from her journey along the estuary a short while later. To my relief she was unharmed, as was the forest quiet, but I still had to keep a watchful eye out for any stray wood-elves that may have found their way out here after their defeat at their land.
Most had been killed, but I knew that some would have wandered far from their home. Their kin dead and their home destroyed, they would be desperate.
We had to work together fast to keep The Bastion from smashing into the riverbank. I had been taking its speed for granted so far, but now that we had to manoeuvre it with more precision, one powerful gust through the sails on the sharp curve we were taking could have sent us crashing into land.