by Domino Finn
"We're fightin' 'em off," called out the captain. "Keep it up an' continue full speed ahead!"
Men on the other side screamed in alarm as a few mobs reached the handrail. Izzy rushed to their aid. Meanwhile, Kyle braced his double crossbow at an oncoming wave. He let loose a custom glass bolt filled with oily fluid. It hit the face of a muscular merman and exploded. The Cutter shook as fire washed over the hull.
Critical Hit!
Fire weakness!
[Kyle] dealt 101 damage to [Undine]
[Undine] is defeated
27 XP awarded
The crispy remains toppled to the sea, leaving black scorches on the boat.
"Watch the area o' effect!" berated Errol. He leaned over the side and assessed the damage. Flames clung to the hardened hull of the Cutter.
"But—"
"I'll not be havin' fire aboard me vessel. Do it again, an' ye be goin' overboard."
Although the attack had startled the group of undine, the Cutter was now on fire. Errol sprinted to the helm and screamed, "Hard t' port, men! Buckle down!"
Select crew members broke off the defense and manned the sails as Errol spun the wheel. The entire ship lurched sideways with impressive response. Kyle tumbled ass over tea kettle as the entire deck sloped toward our handrail. The port hull sank into the sea. No match for the salt water, the flames immediately sizzled out. The fire was quenched.
The downside to the extreme maneuver was that it left us gripping the handrail ten feet above the water surface. Undine burst from the ocean, flew over our heads, and landed directly on the sloped deck above us. Errol's eyes widened at his miscalculation. He immediately righted the wheel, but the damage was done.
Mob and human alike steadied themselves as the Cutter leveled out. The portside hull lifted from the ocean, no longer aflame but now littered with a tapestry of mermaids, hanging like barnacles.
"This has gotta be worth a pirate ditty," I muttered.
Errol shook his head firmly. "Nah, ain't bleak enough."
"No worries," I spat. "This is gonna get worse before it gets better."
Kyle swapped out his crossbow for a sword. Errol and I waved our long weapons outward as we squared off against the undine already on deck.
1250 Reel Fishing
Claws raked a nearby pirate. True to Errol's word, the man's belly split open. The blow wasn't immediately lethal, but it carried a healthy DoT. Worse, the pain nearly immobilized the man. He dropped his pike and flailed on the deck. A glittering fish tail twitched in satisfaction.
"Man the rails!" ordered Errol. "The rails!" He shoved his men to the port side as a legion of undine threatened to board his vessel.
The ones already on deck were determined to subvert the effort. They focused on the distracted defenders.
I triggered dash and sped into the fray, slicing two mermaids and sending a warning to the others. Kyle joined my side and Errol flanked the enemies. We were gonna buy the crew time, and if the undine didn't like it, they'd need to do something about it.
Serpentine fish tails slithered across the deck. They came at us whole hog. I waited for one to wind up an attack and activated my crossblock. I turned the easy parry into a spinning blow and answered with a body strike.
Combo!
You dealt 39 damage to [Undine]
Errol had saved a flashier move for a group of three. Thinking they'd easily overwhelm him en masse, they closed in.
[Errol] used Thousand Blades
His giant pike blurred into a cone before him, one blade transformed to a thousand, shredding all unfortunate souls caught in the high-level skill.
"Ouch!" yipped Kyle. He spun to the deck hard and threw up his guard.
I lunged past him and swiped low. The dragonspear bowled into the attacking mermaid's body. Glistening scales slipped on the wet deck and she toppled over. I took advantage of the stun notification and impaled the beast.
Critical hit!
You dealt 62 damage to [Undine]
[Undine] is defeated
27 XP awarded
"It burns!" screamed Kyle. He produced a health flask.
"Fight through it," I urged.
He chugged the potion before I could further object. His wound disappeared and his face sagged in relief.
I spun to the remaining threats. Two more undine on deck, but the real trouble was the number overtaking the railing. "Izzy, we need crowd control!"
The pixie swung her winter staff and clotheslined a merman scaling the opposite railing. As he tumbled off the ship, she hurried to our wall. "Everyone behind me!" She pitched down her legendary staff and a rune overlaid the deck beneath her.
I recognized the attack and dragged the pirates behind her. Two had already succumbed to their wounds. The undine were spilling over the sidewalls.
Sleet storm activated a full blizzard in the blink of an eye. Gale-force winds launched the enemies off the slippery deck. Chunks of hail took care of the more stubborn guests. The sea creatures may have been resistant to cold, but this was a legendary once-a-day spell that dished plenty of force in addition to damage. The XP from fallen enemies piled in.
I didn't rest on my laurels. We still had two undine on deck and safely behind the blizzard. I defended Izzy's back. Errol engaged one enemy but the other merman eyed me sharply. Midnight-blue features twisted at the sight of his fallen men. The crown of coral on his head hinted at his station.
"You'll pay for this," he spat. Shoulder muscles rippled as he seemed to grow larger.
[Prince Navoo]
Undine Lord
500 Health
I was taken aback by the surprising notification. We weren't prepared to fight a mini-boss. We still had our hands full with the scrubs. I waited for my dash to recharge, but Navoo struck first—quick, like a snake.
Instead of attempting a conventional block, I squared the spear to his chest and braced the handle. It took all of the lunging prince's strength to keep from impaling himself. Strong hands snatched the length of spear as the point punctured his thick skin. His momentum carried him forward, but my boots couldn't hold on the slick deck. Despite my best efforts, his strength outmatched mine and I was on my heels.
As we both sped toward the handrail, I watched the timer on my dash. Four seconds. Three seconds. I readied for the skill that would reverse the merman's charge.
Then I noticed the prince's mistake and forgot about my dash.
Navoo spat screaming death as he shoved me toward the edge. At the last second, I dropped the dragonspear's handle and planted it against the base of the railing. Finally the unstoppable force met the immovable object. Instead of going against the undine's charge, I pulled the tip of the spear into the air, yanking it vertically and lifting the enemy off the ground. I chuckled as the lofty prince launched far over my head.
"Ha! Now THAT is worth a song."
"Mmm," hedged Errol, "methinks not. 'Twas an act o' cowardice more than bravery."
I spread my arms in disbelief as a rocket of dark blue sailed deep into the ocean. That had been clever, not cowardly. Prince Navoo was still alive, unfortunately, but the thirty undine scaling the hull were a more pressing priority.
"Unfurl the turbo sail!" commanded Errol. He had just cut down the remaining merman and didn't like the assessment of the battlefield. While the starboard hull appeared under control, we didn't have enough men to defend the port.
Crew members broke away to follow the captain's orders. Kyle swapped back to his crossbow, this time loading it with corrosive bolts. They worked well to harry the climbers. They wouldn't kill anyone but the heavy damage over time was a welcome distraction.
Our frost mage was struck with a genius idea. She ran the length of the ship and iced the top of the hull. Several overeager mermaids failed to slow their advance. Claws scratched away loose ice and they lost their grips and fell.
The next wave of mobs was smarter. They chipped at the ice before advancing. Izzy's barrier was a welcome reprieve, but
it wasn't a long-term solution. Even with the scurvy pirates swinging their pikes, we'd soon be overwhelmed again.
"One more minute for the turbo sail," announced Grug.
I didn't know what he was working on, but I knew we didn't have that kind of time. I hissed and eyed the surroundings, finally finding a way to put my traversal skills to use in defending the ship. I grabbed a rope hanging off the mast and looped it around my forearm, making sure to eyeball an appropriate length of slack. Then I sprinted to the fore of the Cutter and hopped on the handrail.
"What are you doing?" cried Izzy in alarm.
I smiled. "Something I've always wanted to do." Still carefully balanced, I raised the dragonspear overhead and let loose my inner pirate. "Come on, ye scallywags! I'll not allow a single serpent on this ship or I'll give up a year's worth of grog!"
The crew watched me uncertainly.
I blinked and added, "Ar!"
They cheered and I dropped off the side of the boat and toward the ocean. As the rope went taut on my arm, I swung with the line, planted my boots against the outer hull, and got the perfect chance to use a new skill.
Undine eyes widened as I activated wall run and charged past them along the length of the Cutter. The dragonspear plucked mob after mob away. I swept through their ranks, thinning their numbers and causing chaos. The undine above me found themselves flanked. The ones below reached up to strike. It was a glorious move that caught them totally unawares, but as I neared the middle of the vessel I found my charge slowing. The enemies moved in.
Still pushing wall run to its limits, I reeled the spear in and simultaneously triggered dash and tornado spin. I twisted on the rope like a circular saw, shooting through and dislodging anything that came near me.
Crown Unlocked: Tasmanian Devil
Take out a line of enemies with a charging spin attack.
1000 XP awarded
The rope took me upward at the end of the ship and my boots triumphantly returned to the handrail. I took great pleasure admiring my swath of destruction. The undine had barely known what hit them. Unfortunately, Errol had missed the whole thing.
"Brace yerselves!" warned the captain. "Turbo sail ahoy!"
"That doesn't even make sense," I complained.
A huge orange sail unfurled, displaying a sigil of a red arrow.
"Uh-oh." I dove to the deck and grabbed something solid.
Buffeting wind immediately caught the sail and the Cutter lurched forward. Practiced as they were, even a few crew members slipped. Izzy gripped Kyle's arm as the brewmaster tumbled once more.
"I'm getting real sick of sea travel," said our heavily armored roommate.
"Not a fan of the great outdoors?" teased Izzy.
In reply, Kyle puked a gout of green bile. At the exact same moment, the Cutter engaged into turbo and doubled its already impressive speed. Kyle's puke streamed through the air like a bullet-time contrail from the Matrix. I dove under as the projectile sped past my face. We were flying so fast the discharge never even hit the deck. My eyes followed it behind us as it splashed into the sea and on several unlucky mermaids.
They were lucky compared to the undine attached to the hull. As the boat partially lifted to skim the water, the straggling enemies screeched as the ultra-speed ripped them away. They sailed through the air and tumbled haplessly into our volatile wake.
The wind flapped against my stupid grin. "I could get used to this."
The warp drive lasted for a full minute before expiring. The orange sail rolled up and the hovering Cutter sliced the water as its momentum slowed. The vessel settled lower into the sea, and the drag felt like time slowing down. Errol, however, had no time to waste.
"Land ho!" he shouted, spinning the ship's wheel. "Man yer battle stations! We're breachin' the Spires!"
A mass of red rock stretched to the sky above. The Cutter bowed to the side as Errol hurried to avoid grounding it. We narrowly avoided total wreckage. As soon as we were level again, Errol jerked the ship the other direction.
I watched in awe as we entered a field of gargantuan columns. Water crashed against their jagged edges, beautiful and unrelenting at the same time. It made a great metaphor for the sea as a whole. I let the crew do their work as I appreciated the sight. A haunting beauty overtook me, and in the recesses of my mind I could hear a captivating song.
A maiden's voice carried over the waves. Innocence and peace washed through my being. Men and women bustled all around me, but I only concerned myself with the wonder of it all.
This was a good place. I wondered what it was like to live out here on the spires. And who was the woman with the sultry voice?
When I stepped toward the railing, strong hands clapped my shoulders.
"Fool!" snapped Errol. "We strayed into siren territory quicker than I thought. Ye need t' wax up!"
He stuffed goop in my ears and everything went dull. The wisping of the breeze, the crashing of the waves, and the barks of the men. More importantly, the lulling melody was also silenced. I shook the lethargy from my head and appraised the deck.
Izzy and Kyle were similarly puzzled but safe. The rest of the crew stood with weapons ready. I started to ask a question. When my voice came out muffled and unnoticed, I switched to party chat.
Talon: Okay, what's next?
Errol: Now comes the true test...
The captain confidently strode back to the helm of the ship.
Errol: The Spires be the territory o' the sirens.
1260 Let's Sing
The silence was jarring. If the siren's song was a dreamscape, the absence of it was otherworldly. The Cutter drifted between the spires at a slow clip, flaccid sails struggling to catch more than a whisper of wind. I paced the length of the deck gripping my spear and checking the hull.
Errol: Worry not 'bout the undine. Sirens be close cousins but not nearly so vicious. They kill by makin' you tired o' life.
Talon: And we're safe as long as we don't hear their song?
Errol: Aye, safe enough.
Kyle: That doesn't sound so bad.
Izzy and I fired a look of warning at him. You'd think by now the man would learn to stop jinxing us like that. He shrugged.
We waited as the ship strayed forward on calm water. My eyes jumped from spire to spire. We were in a forest of them, and they were much more daunting up close. Between their density and our ponderous speed, we were gonna be here a while.
Izzy: Look!
She pointed ahead to an especially wide spire. While the bulk of it stretched upward, the land mass widened at the base. Pale naked women salted the low ground. The group came in all sizes, with a dizzying mix of lady legs, bird legs, and fish tails.
Kyle: All these eligible ladies, all trying to kill us. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm sick of boobs. Ooh, check out that one. She's hot!
I chuckled. The gaggle of women were intent on us but resigned to relaxing on the coastline. Some played harps, others kissed each other and winked. It was a teenager's wet dream. I didn't see a real danger to the crew, though.
One of the pirates stripped down to his loincloth.
Grom: Nice knowin' ya, mates!
I lunged to grab him but he pounced off the boat. The squirrelly pirate was too fast. He splashed down below.
Talon: Man overboard!
The crew laughed.
Grug: Don't mind Grom. We always lose him in the Spires.
By the time Grom resurfaced for air, three sirens converged on him. One of the women lowered her head underwater. He plucked the wax from his ears and gave in to supreme pleasure. A siren rubbed his back while another pulled his face into her floating bosom. All the while, their lips moved in unison to an unheard song.
Kyle: Okay, I know I've said this before, but that REALLY doesn't look so bad.
I wordlessly pointed to an alcove away from the rocky beach. A humanoid skeleton lay there like a warning. My eyes lit up as something sparkled between the ivory remains. I'd seen one of those be
fore.
Talon: That's a bone pearl.
I leaned over the handrail. Babes and boobs were one thing, but in this world loot was the greatest temptation.
Izzy: You sure?
Talon: That's definitely a bone pearl. Same as the one we gifted back to the Wild King.
Izzy: It's better to leave it.
Talon: We might not see another pearl for a month.
Izzy: There are twenty naked ladies between it and you.
Talon: Are you trying to convince me to stay or go?
She visibly grumbled. I checked on Grom. He was merrily swaying in the water as a woman straddled him and two more held him up. His face went under the surface here and there and no one appeared too concerned either way. They never prevented him from coming up for air.
Talon: Admiral, you're sure the sirens don't actively kill people?
Errol: Sure as me sword be sharp. Ye'll die o' pleasure 'fore they lay a hand t' harm ye."
The Cutter lulled and drifted into the shallows, stalling all progress.
Talon: We're not doing anything else here. I have to go for it.
Izzy: Talon, don't!
I grabbed my trusty swinging rope and scaled over the railing. The weight of every siren's gaze was immediately on my back. Was I making a mistake?