by Jeff Sproul
"Merfolk shaman?" asked Chaxin.
Jerem nodded and placed his own hand on the pommel of his sword. "Yeah," he murmured. "The real question, is if it's down in the ship, or back in the water. A quarter of the ship is still out there in the depths, and they'd be able to create a hole up into it. We won't know till we get down there, as it's too risky to tread out into the water to find out for ourselves."
"What if the merfolk come out and surround the ship while we're up here?" asked Chaxin.
"They either retreated to their caves and dwellings in the sea, or they're already in the ship and waiting. No reason for them to wait around and try and trap us now."
"I see," said Chaxin, who turned and peeked back down to see Kaiz ascending the rungs.
Chaxin took several steps away and looked around the deck of the ship. They were currently at the front of the ship, and across the deck were two sets of stairs that led up to a raised section.
"I don't see the navigator's wheel up there," Jerem said, apparently having already inspected the deck a bit more. "This ship is probably going to sit here for a long while and rot. No one in Kamber has the knowhow or recipes to build a ship like this, and I doubt they'd be able to repair one."
"Recipe?" asked Chaxin. "For a ship?"
Jerem nodded. "Recipes are blueprints for constructing things. There's recipes for ships, foods, buildings, all kinds of things. Sometimes they're cheap, other times expensive."
"So if someone had a recipe, they'd be able to figure out how to fix the ship?" asked Chaxin.
"Yeah, something like that," said Jerem. "Unless a constructor knew enough to do it from scratch. Usually repairs don't require recipes, but they can certainly help."
The more Chaxin spoke with Jerem, the more he found that he didn't mind the man. Jerem put on a strong exterior, but he was just like anyone else, in Chaxin's opinion.
"What's the situation?" came Kaiz's gruff voice as he pulled himself over the edge of the deck and stood, his spear jostling against his back.
"No movement, nothing out of the ordinary," said Jerem. He then pointed towards a set of double doors between the two stairways at the other end of the ship. "The door seems intact, not sure if it's locked, though."
"Well, if it's locked, then there might be survivors," said Kaiz. "I'm not sure if merfolk use or know how to use keys."
"The cargo hatch is over there," said Jerem, pointing to a large wooden hatch that looked as though it could lift up. It was centered at the middle of the deck, but there was heavy dark scarring and fractured wood all around it. Parts of it were cracked around the hinges. "But it doesn't look like we're getting any use out of it."
"The crane seems intact, but we'll have to do something about that hatchway when the caravan arrives," said Kaiz.
Jerem turned around and glanced over the edge, watching for several moments as Deloris ascended towards them, moving at a quick pace.
"Huh, I figured with all that armor, she'd be slower," said Jerem with lifted eyebrows, as he watched the armored woman rise faster than any of them had.
Kaiz chuckled. "She's got more strength than any of us. Little armor and a few rungs won't slow her down."
Upon the mention of strength, Chaxin looked over to Kaiz. He wanted to inquire further, but remembered how Kaiz had been so tight-lipped about asking about other people's stats.
"I can see why Bavol speaks of her with that strange jealous tone he sometimes gets," said Jerem, who stepped away from the edge.
"Bavol's a good man," said Kaiz. "But this isn't some sort of contest, it's survival, and Deloris is a survivor."
A few seconds later, a gauntlet reached for the deck as Deloris hoisted herself up. Despite her apparent strength and the ability to lift herself up along with all her armor, she still made a tremendous amount of noise.
"You'd think I'd invest in some silencer enchantments, huh?" said Deloris as she moved to stand. She pulled her sword back out; her shield had been secured on her arm the entire time.
"Maybe someone in Grittin will have one of those enchantments," said Kaiz.
"You're going to Grittin?" asked Jerem.
"We're all going to Grittin," said Deloris, who took the lead. Her head tilted from side to side as she surveyed the deck.
"Wait, so it's true? We're abandoning Kamber?" asked Jerem.
"That seems to be the council's consensus," said Deloris. "They've already spoken to one of Lord Karnith's advisors. That's why we're on this assignment in the first place. No one told you?"
"I'm always the last to hear of things," said Jerem with a sigh. "Kalo learned the details of this mission and then said we were moving out. I guess I was daydreaming on the way here and didn't think to ask much beyond the details of securing cargo on a ship at the beach." Jerem shook his head. "So I guess we're all relocating to Grittin then? Hopefully I'll be able to find work."
"Don't you worry a bit," said Kaiz. "If you can't make it as a guard in Grittin's army, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity as an adventurer in the region. Towns keep dropping left and right and the monsters keep growing in number."
"Alright, enough talk. We can sit around and chat when we've secured the cargo," said Deloris, as she took the lead and approached the door at the other side of the deck.
"Sorry," Kaiz murmured as he followed after her. He gripped his spear and held it at his side.
Chaxin wanted to ask him about the strange spear. He hadn't seen any others like it, and it was capable of launching some sort of ranged attack. Was it magic? Enchanted? Or just well crafted?
Deloris reached for the right side of the double door and pulled one of the steel handles. The door creaked open on old hinges.
"Not locked," said Jerem.
"Which means anything could be down there," said Deloris. She pulled the other door out as well, to allow as much daylight down into the ship as she could. She took a moment to reach for something on her belt. She fiddled with it and then held it on her shield arm.
Chaxin stepped to the side to get a good look at it, as light emanated from it. It appeared to be a small glass cylinder with a lid with holes at the top. There was a reservoir at the base and a flame was lit inside.
"You and your fancy lamp," Kaiz chuckled.
"I'm tired of torches," said Deloris as she held the lantern up. Its radiance cast down the stairway and into the deck below. The shadows danced as the flame flickered. "I'd rather not set the whole ship alight if I can help it." With slow and heavy footsteps, she descended the stairs.
"Jerem, you go next," said Kaiz. "I might have to resort to range with my spear, with how tight it looks down there. Chaxin, you follow him. Here, take this." Kaiz pulled a stick from his belt and handed it to Chaxin.
He took it into his left hand and looked it over. It had rune writing up the side, the same as what was on his chest. But the words on the stick read ''Fire_Ignite_Top_[x]." The words were underlined and connected to a square with an x.
"Just press the x there with your thumb," said Kaiz.
Chaxin cautiously held the torch away from him as he pressed his thumb to the x.
Nothing happened.
"Did you press it?" asked Kaiz, as Jerem was already heading down after Deloris.
"Yeah, I pressed it," said Chaxin, as he pushed his thumb to the spot again, harder this time.
"I know you're low level, but everyone has enough mana to ignite the command square," Kaiz grumbled.
"Um, I don't have any mana, according to the runes that are keeping the poison inside me at bay," said Chaxin.
"Huh?" Kaiz gave Chaxin a skeptical look. "Eh, no matter. Here," he said as he reached over and pressed his index finger to the square.
The top of the stick ignited with a flare. Chaxin jumped, unprepared for Kaiz suddenly engaging the torch's magic.
"There you go, now go on down there," said Kaiz, shaking his head.
Chaxin diverted his gaze from the intense reddish flame of the torch. He held it out and low
, as he pulled his sword from its sheath. He stepped slowly and carefully, heading down to the next deck where Deloris was already moving about and Jerem already had his sword unsheathed.
Once he was fully down the stairs, Kaiz followed.
"Over there will be the crew quarters," said Deloris, pointing to a narrow hallway lined with doors. "At the end should be the captain's quarters."
"We going to split up?" asked Jerem.
"I'd rather we didn't," said Deloris. "Kaiz and I aren't well suited for tight quarters combat. My armor gets in the way, and the crew quarters are small. Find the ship's manifest and just bring it back here, then we can continue down."
"Manifest?" asked Chaxin.
"It'll be a book," said Deloris. "It lists passengers, crew, and cargo. I want to know what we can expect down there, before we start searching." She turned and gestured to another stairwell that led one level down, deeper into the ship. "We'll wait here, go get the book and then we'll descend as a group."
"Alright," said Chaxin.
"Let's check the captain's quarters first," said Jerem, who stepped up to Chaxin. He reached out for the torch Chaxin was holding. "Lend me that light, so I can take point."
"Sure," said Chaxin as he handed off the torch. "I'll be right behind you."
Jerem nodded and turned, heading immediately down the hall with torch and sword in hand.
Chaxin followed after, watching as the torch illuminated the narrow hallway with intense crimson brightness. At times, Chaxin could swear it made it appear as though the walls themselves were bleeding, but it was just a trick on his weary eyes.
They passed sets of doors on each side. All of them were closed, and Jerem wasn't concerned with checking them.
"No reason for the manifest to be in any of the crew quarters," said Jerem in a quiet voice. "If it's not in the captain's quarters, we can check the others. Hopefully it's not damaged."
Chaxin glanced to the doors as they passed them. They'd passed by eight sets already, with four more sets ahead of them. The hall was longer than it had initially appeared. He looked over his shoulder, back at Deloris and Kaiz, who waited in the larger open area. They looked to be discussing something, but their voices were too quiet to hear.
"Let's see what we have," said Jerem as he maneuvered his sword in his hand so he could partially grab the doorknob to the door at the far end of the hall. His fingers wrapped around it and turned. His heart beat heavily in his chest. The knob clinked as it moved, but it wasn't locked. He pushed the door in gradually. The crimson glare of the torch ebbed into the room.
Chaxin held his sword at the ready. His own pulse was pounding in his ears. Why did he feel more nervous about this than when they'd faced off against that enormous cyclops? Was it because he knew what the threat was, as opposed to knowing nothing of their current circumstance?
"Spacious," Jerem murmured as he pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped inside. His attention flit around the room swiftly.
There was a bookshelf on the left. Muck-ridden windows were interspersed against the far wall. A sturdy wooden desk sat at the other end of the room. A ruffled black rug covered part of the floor.
The light glinted off something metallic on the floor, drawing Jerem's attention to it. He took a step forward, holding the torch out as he kept his sword on guard. The rug wasn't entirely just a rug. There was a body, covered in black pants and a black jacket.
"Is that the captain?" Chaxin whispered, having entered the room right behind Jerem.
The body had been hard to notice at first, given the way it was partially covered by the rug, as if the person had grappled with it.
"Is he alive?" asked Chaxin, as Jerem stepped closer.
"Doubtful," said Jerem as he knelt beside the fallen and sprawled figure. The person was lying on their stomach, their face hidden in the rug. Their long black hair glistened with the oils that had built up over time.
"Hello?" Jerem asked. He reached out and prodded the man's back with the pommel of his sword. "Sir?"
Chaxin sidestepped so he could watch, his attention on the supposed captain. After several long and silent seconds, he figured that the captain probably was dead. He glanced around the room for any hidden assailants. There was nothing of note behind the door, only a cabinet on the right side of the room, certainly not large enough to hide one of the hulking merfolk.
Jerem extended the torch out. "Here, take this back."
Chaxin stepped in and took the torch. Upon doing so, Jerem set his sword aside and grabbed the man's arm to pull him over onto his back.
"Over you go," Jerem grunted with the effort of moving him. The man had some muscle tone to his arms, and didn't appear to be on the frail side. Once he was turned over, they could both see the dark rings around his closed eyes. He was fair skinned, but perhaps a little pale, which made the crimson light of the torch all the more prominent on his sweaty skin.
Chaxin's gaze ran over the man's features and clothing. It didn't seem as though he was going to wake up. He kept the torch out, so that the entire room was cast in light. He moved around to the bookshelf, to see if the manifest was there. None of the books were marked. He sheathed his sword and grabbed a dark brown leather bound book, flipping it open. He scanned the words. It detailed a region called 'Jari.' With curiosity, Chaxin continued to read about what it had to say.
Jerem wasn't getting any response from the man. He then had the notion to check the man's actual life signs. He placed a hand on the man's chest, and then held his own breath as he waited.
There was no movement beneath his hand.
"He's definitely dead," said Jerem. "No heartbeat, no breath."
Chaxin looked up from the book and back to Jerem. "Are you certain?"
Jerem's hand pulled away and ruffled the man's shirt in the process.
Chaxin's brow furrowed. He stepped closer and held the torch above the man. "What's that on his chest? Those dark lines? Does he have runes on him?" he asked, thinking that perhaps the man was enchanted somehow, just as he was.
Jerem reached up and curled his fingers under the neckline of the man's shirt. He pulled it down with little effort.
Creeping up from further down the man's chest were thick black lines, just beneath his flesh. They trembled and pulsed beneath the light. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but the dark tendrils seemed to be ebbing out further, bit by bit.
"What's that? Is he poisoned?" asked Chaxin.
Jerem's eyes widened in an instant. "Oh no. He's diseased!"
The man's eyes shot open, revealing sunken black orbs within those dark sockets. There was no time to speak or react. The man's mouth opened as he grabbed Jerem's arms, pulling him down as he leaned up.
"Ah!" Jerem gasped, but it was too late. By the time he tried pushing the man off, those sickly yellow teeth were already digging into his shoulder with the force of a swinging blade.
Chapter 11: Cargo
Chaxin dropped the book and unsheathed his sword. He stared wide-eyed as Jerem grappled with the captain. His pained cries filled the room and pierced Chaxin's ears.
He drew his sword back as Jerem and the captain twisted and turned. He didn't want to hit Jerem, but the captain seemed unrelenting in his feral attack.
There was no time to consider his actions further. He focused on the captain and swung. His blade cut through the captain's jacket, into his back. The diseased man's grip lessened as Jerem managed to push him away.
Blood ran down the inside of Jerem's tunic. The thin leather vest hadn't protected him entirely from the captain's bite.
Chaxin pulled his blade back and swung down again, now that the captain wasn't attached to Jerem. The sword sliced through the air, catching the captain's skull. It lodged several inches deep and caused a simultaneous 'crack' to be heard.
The captain's sunken eyes were wide and feral. It reached and grasped at Jerem with its darkened fingertips, despite the blade lodged into part of its skull. The man's mouth was w
ide, his teeth stained with Jerem's blood.
In that instant, Chaxin thrust the blazing torch into the captain's mouth, stopping him from biting Jerem. Semi-rotted teeth gave way as the top of the torch smashed through them. With the burning end of the torch now residing in the captain's gullet, the fire scorched and burned him from the inside, blackening and charring the captain's skin. He flailed and swiped at Chaxin as Jerem scrambled away, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
With his sword still firm in the man's skull, and his other hand grasping the end of the torch, Chaxin kept the diseased man at bay, letting the fire wreak havoc inside him until the flesh of his neck melted away, and the diseased man's movements crept to a halt.
Chaxin released his hold on the torch as the captain slumped back to the floor, motionless. He pulled on his sword, and once freed, he drove it through one of the captain's eyes. It made a wet shlick as it went through, until it hit the inside of the man's skull.
After several more seconds of silence, Jerem spoke up with a ragged voice. "I think that might've got him."
Chaxin pulled his sword from the captain's eye socket. His hand was shaky as he stared at the gray and red ichor upon the blade. With wide eyes, he looked over to Jerem. "What… what the hell just happened?"
Jerem's chest rose and fell quickly, his hand resting upon the bite wound, which was still bleeding quite a bit. "He was diseased. It comes in many forms, but it can take over your will, if you're dead or dying. Makes you feral, monstrous." He winced and looked down at the wound, but it was at an angle so he couldn't see it directly. "Damn. Help me find something to wrap around this. Some strips of cloth or something. I've gotta stop the bleeding, else I'm gonna end up just like him."
"So he wasn't actually alive then?" Chaxin asked, as he wiped his blade on the captain's jacket. He set his blade down and pulled the still-burning torch from the captain's mouth. He held it out to Jerem. "Hold this while I check him," he said.
Jerem took the torch as Chaxin began searching through the dead man's pockets.