Fantastic Tales from the realm

Chapter XIII

Salt sheilas and sore dealers

'I could've sworn they were willing to buy!' declared Rice bitterly as the party strode away from the side room attached to the Raedra's hull where they had attempted to barter away with much intensity against the sages wishes the ship they'd sailed in on.

'You thought some poor thieves would buy a ship like her?' Ugaburk asked with a harsh laugh 'What world do you live in son?'

'I thought they had more money than they were letting on,' he said genuinely disheartened and bewildered.

'How long have you been at the thieving game?' Kalwala asked, confusion pulsing across her eyes at the human's bizarre assumptions.

'Oh... only a few years. I don't have many particularly useful skills beyond the underhanded y'see,' he said with nervous, bitter tension as he walked with his newfound acquaintances. Around them, the sun shone overhead, its lowering orange hue slicing across the coast, casting the seafoam in a luminous halo of skyborne energy.

Kalwala studied the muddied human as they walked, eyes searching, her fingers hitched in her belt as she walked 'Say, where're you staying?'

'The Raedra Hotel though I have the sneaking suspicion the ship's company might have a problem with me,' he said with a twisting grin.

'Then stay with us for this evening we're just off port and the mores the merrier,'

'You've no master at arms, aboard, do you?' he said jokingly.

'Alas no, neither a captain's daughter either,' Faehana said with a note of anger at the near loss of his ship and the existence of Gerald. Unseen by the oblivious wizard was the pulse of fury and anger that raced across the human rogue's face at the mention of the casual use of "the captain's daughter" the infamous nickname for a cat o'nine tails, a whip used exclusively for corporal punishment.

'Well, I'll take you up on that!' rice said enthusiastically to Kalwala before the group made their return to their ship.

++++

It was late evening when the party had finally made it back aboard their ship, the deep blue glow of the moon lifting the ocean seemingly around them as waves rocked back and forth and seafoam leapt onto shore. The four of them had been arguing over the necessity of naming the ship they'd attained when they'd finally made it back aboard. Stepping onto the amidship the party began to make their way aft towards the galley as they heard incoherent screaming and violent pitching from below.

'If that bloody scum of a wizard is up to something, I will drown him m'self!' Faehana cursed as the answer to their questions stepped up onto the weather deck 'Sea Devils!' Faehana bellowed as he ducked back, firebolts from fingertips as deep green aquatic terrors, teeth-gnashing, and tridents readied barrelled across the weather deck. Infernal teeth flashed from lips as Kalwala drew her and leapt in to the melee, flashes of steel and clangs of iron followed as her flurries were expertly met with her opponent's trident. Quickly following behind her was Ugaburk with a grunt and a prayer as he unloosed his greatsword and shield from his back, shield swinging across and his greatsword following through with a wet crunch. Stepping into the chaos through the window provided Rice slipped in, kitchen knife and knuckle dusters striking with a street brawlers brutality. The vicious melee raged with furore, swords clashed, fire flew, and monsters roared while Gerald sat aside, fire on fingertips, alchemical vile above the flame. Amidst the melee, a distinct crack-shatter of glass screeched across the weather deck followed by the distinct crackle-growl of fire. At this, the entire exchange froze into half strikes and missed openings as all aboard the weather deck turned towards the origination of the fire, Gerald, his aged, over-bloated academics build at the heart of a ring of fire, replacement vile in hand and flame in the other as he resumed his production process once again. As the frozen melee languidly stirred into full motion rice's knuckle dusters found their mark coming up into his sea devil's jaw. A vicious flash of fury raged across Rice as he glared into the Sahuagin's eyes, the creature slumping as he did. As he stood there raging into the eyes of the dead a sea devil unbeknownst to him leapt onto the weather deck, trident at the ready and expertly threw his trident. The spear flew true, its tines piercing the thick ornate robes of Faehana. A bellow of pain reported back, and the entire party froze for an instant before Ugaburk sprung into action. Ploughing his shield through a devil as he pivoted back towards the quarter-deck, he began to issue orders, greatsword in hand.

'Kalwala! Get the chemist to port! Rice! Protect the wizard! Clear me a space both of you!' the pair leapt into action, rice hurling his kitchen knife into the throat of an oncoming sea devil, Kalwala flowing between devils, roundel flashing as she pivoted, slid, and rolled towards Gerald. As Kalwala made her way, Gerald in tow to port Ugaburk continued to hold the prow from the devils advance before he heard the hoarse shout of ready from across the weather deck. Pivoting 180 degrees Ugaburk gritted his teeth and barrelled across the deck. His greatsword swinging in broad strokes as his shield arm battered away foes. He was a living typhoon, unstoppable. Undeniable as his crimson armour flashed across the weather deck in a surprising hurricane of trained violence. In a snap of motion, Ugaburk pivoted back around as his heels found firm perch on the deck and drew his ploughing advance to a firm halt. 'Jump!' the half-orc ordered, sea devils pouring across the weather deck towards the party as each of them surged overboard and began to fiercely swim to shore. The Sahuagin more interested in ransacking the abandoned ship almost instantly abandoned the pursuit and the party made it ashore. Soaking wet and double their loadbearing weight they each collapsed onto the beach.