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The OP MC 8 Chapter 6
🕑 Added 2021-07-31 14:00:05 +0000 UTCI made a new save point when the harbor of Nanau was nothing more than a black line on the horizon, and then I went to inspect the ship to see if anything had changed since the last time I’d sailed with the crew of The Quest. The men were busy all around me, but I left them to their devices while I went below deck. I found Evangeline and Caelia in the captain’s chambers, and the two women shone brilliant smiles in my direction as soon as I entered the room.
“Wait, what’s going on, Bash?” Eva asked as her smile turned into a worried frown. “You’ve got that look on your face that says you know something we don’t.”
“It’s like you can read my mind,” I laughed.
“She’s not wrong,” Caelia said. “Out with it.”
“Another adventure awaits us, ladies,” I said. “Are you ready for some pirate killing fun?”
“Isn’t that why we left Nanau?” Eva looked confused.
“Yes, but now we have some time to prepare,” I explained. “I just wanted to check in with the two of you to see how you’re feeling about the quest. I didn’t even think to ask if you wanted to stay in the city.”
“We go where you go, Bash,” Eva insisted with a stubborn lift of her chin. “Besides, you’ll need all the extra hands you can get.”
“If you say so,” I teased.
Still, I cast Caelia a worried look since the dark-skinned goddess had spent the majority of our previous voyage sicker than a dog, but she seemed to be in good spirits, and her face wasn’t as pale as it had been during our first journey across the Eastern Ocean.
“You always make everything fun, Bash,” Eva informed me with a wink.
“I just hope I don’t get in the way too much,” Caelia said as she chewed on her lower lip. “I’m the weakest fighter on the ship.”
There was also the possibility both Caelia and Eva were carrying my children in their wombs, so the idea of them fighting didn’t sit right with me, but I wasn’t about to stand in their way if they wanted to contribute to the pirate annihilation.
Women got crazy when you told them what to do, after all.
“You won’t have to worry about a thing, my love, you’re never in the way,” I assured her. “But we can do some training while we sail if you wish.”
“Oh, yes!” Caelia grinned and visibly brightened. “That would be lovely, Bash, thank you so much.”
“I just want you to feel confident in your own abilities,” I said. “Being scared is more dangerous since it will lead to you making rash decisions in the moment.”
“Yes, Bash!” Caelia and Eva nodded in agreement, and I made a mental note to add Sarosh to my list of fighting trainees.
The priestess was raised as a pacifist, but if she was going to be traveling with me, then she’d need to be able to hold her own as well. There wasn’t room for anyone unable to carry their own weight when we were sailing toward a war with pirates whose numbers were far greater than our own. While I was a god, I still didn’t want to be playing daddy for all my companions.
We went into the dining hall next, and the cook, Patsy Millet, was stirring a giant pot of something savory smelling when we arrived. The large woman whistled under her breath while she ladled heaps of soup into several wooden bowls, but I cleared my throat, and she turned to us with a startled expression.
“Good morning,” I said with my most charming smile. “Any chance we could talk you out of some of that soup?”
“This is stew,” Patsy corrected as she wrinkled her bulbous nose.
“Whatever it is,” I chuckled. “Can we have some?”
“Right away, Red Hands,” Patsy replied with a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Anything for the bane of pirates everywhere.”
I chuckled at her flattery, but I was careful not to be too friendly. I didn’t want Patsy Millet to think I had a crush.
My stomach growled, and the cook laughed before she returned to her giant, steaming pot. Then she took the bowls she’d begun to ladle stew into, and she finished filling them before she set the dishes down in front of us with minimal flair.
“Eat up,” Patsy commanded, and she crossed her arms over her ample bosom. “There’s children in the Kotar Desert who would kill for this meal.”
I began to shovel the steaming stew into my mouth, but I had to do the breathing technique where I hung my mouth half open to cool off the chunk of meat in between my teeth. The women were more dainty with their morsels, and they gnawed off small pieces of the stew meat before blowing delicately into their steaming bowls.
“You two can make anything look sexy,” I complimented as I reached for my next bite. “Remind me to eat you with the same level of thoroughness later.”
“You always do,” Eva breathed.
After we finished our small meal, the three of us went in search of our other traveling companions, and we found the pair of Arajians on the upper deck gazing off the prow. Captain Black-eye stood near the helm, but the helmsman, Trevin, stood next to the captain while he gripped the wheel with white-knuckled intensity.
I’d spent the previous voyage from Sorreyal to the Zaborial Isles getting to know the crewmembers of The Quest, so returning to the ship felt like a homecoming, and I was eager to do some celebrating with the men later that night.
Caelia, Eva, and I crossed the distance to where Risthan and Sarosh stood at the rail, and the metallic-haired pair turned toward us as we approached them. The priestess’s face wore a serene mask, but I could see the tension held in her shoulders. For his part, Risthan seemed to be more at ease, and he clasped my forearm with a friendly smile.
“This is a nice ship,” the Arajian commented as his navy eyes flicked about the vessel. “How did you manage to commision them so quickly?”
“I am familiar with this ship and its crew,” I explained. “They’re the ones who brought us here from Mistvale Keep, and we had plenty of time to get to know each other during that trip, so the captain checked in with me when he returned to Nanau.”
The ocean breeze tossed my hair, and goosebumps erupted along the nape of my neck. I gazed out at the horizon and squinted into the wind, but I didn’t see any storm clouds in the sky.
“The crew have been so welcoming,” Sarosh informed me. “They have given me accommodations with the crew.”
“Good.” I nodded. “How long will it take us to reach Arajah?”
Risthan and Sarosh exchanged a look as though they were trying to decide how much to tell me, and I swallowed down my sigh of frustration.
Soon, they would learn they could trust me with all the details about their homeland, but in the meantime, I summoned all my patience.
“We will have to know some details about Arajah if I’m to help them,” I pointed out. “We can’t just keep sailing blindly to the east and hope for the best.”
“You must understand.” Risthan shook his head. “To divulge the location of Arajah beckons a fate worse than death.”
“How did the God of the Purge find it?” I arched one eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest.
“That is unclear,” Sarosh said. “But he is no longer a threat, thanks to you. The less people who know about Arajah, the better.”
“So, marauding pirates coming for monthly sacrifices can know where it is, but the god trying to help save your land can’t?” I chuckled. “This is just a tad too ridiculous for me to accept. If you want my help, then I need all the information. Final warning.”
Risthan and Sarosh exchanged a wide eyed look, but then the silver-haired priestess sighed in surrender.
“Alright, Bash, you’re right.” Sarosh nodded decisively, but then she turned to Risthan and pleaded with him with her eyes. “Please allow this. It is for the good of Arajah.”
“Very well,” the older man allowed. “I will help however I can. Arajah is two weeks' travel from Nanau at full sail.”
“That’s more like it.” I grinned. “I’ll have you work with Kipper, the ship’s navigator, to get more precise bearings, but in the meantime, would the two of you want to join me and the girls for some weapon’s training?”
Sarosh inhaled sharply, and Risthan instinctively reached for his dagger, but to my utter surprise, they both nodded in agreement.
“That is a good idea, Bash,” Sarosh said. “I do not wish to be a liability during this mission.”
“Bash is a great teacher,” Eva said in a proud tone. “You’ll all be in top shape before we reach the next island.”
“I am eager to learn as well,” Caelia added.
“Oh?” I laughed as I wrapped my arms around the two women’s shoulders. “How about right now?”
I heard nothing but agreement out of my companions, so I fetched my gear and weapons before returning to the upper deck. Then we claimed a small section of planking for ourselves to spread out in, and we got to work. I started with some basic drills, swinging swords in various ways until the arms were exhausted, but I also put in some gym-style activities in there to build their strength and endurance up.
Evangeline used perfect form, so I often pointed to her as an example of the right way to do something, but secretly, I was learning a lot from the professionally trained noblewoman, too.
We were all tired, sore, and sweaty by the time we called it a night, and the sun was inching toward the western edge of the Eastern Ocean as we trotted down the steps below deck. Half the crew were in the dining hall when we arrived, but they all scooted down to give us space to join them. More stew was pressed into our hands, and mugs of ale slid across the wooden surface of the table into my waiting palm.
Evangeline, Caelia, Sarosh, and Risthan drank some of the fruit juice we’d brought with us from the Zaborian city, but I was more than happy to empty my stein in a few deep gulps, and before I’d even slammed it onto the table, another full one was in my grasp.
“The crew of The Quest certainly know how to make a god happy,” I said before I belched loudly, but the noise was received with a loud chorus of approval from the crew around us.
“I think you fit in with them perfectly,” Caelia teased.
“It is difficult to believe you’d never stepped foot on a vessel like this before,” Eva said.
“I get comfortable quickly,” I reminded my women and companions. “There’s not much that catches me off guard anymore.”
“So, you were not always so all knowing and godly?” Risthan’s voice was full of curiosity. “How did you come to this world? Are there more gods like you?”
“Easy there, buckeroo,” I laughed. “Maybe I want to keep a few things close to the chest, too.”
“My apologies, Great One,” Risthan said as he dropped his eyes. “I didn’t mean to offend.”
“Oh, I’m far from offended,” I assured him.
“Bash is very difficult to upset,” Eva added.
“He really is,” Sarosh agreed.
I chuckled in amusement while my companions began to discuss the finer points of my character, but a little while later, we were all full and satisfied. I was ready to crawl into the massive bed in the captain’s chamber to snuggle up against my beautiful babes, but I wanted to make sure Sarosh and Risthan were comfortable first.
“I think I will retire for the evening,” the silver-haired priestess said.
“That is a good idea,” I agreed.
“Can we train again in the morning?” Risthan asked in a hopeful tone.
“Abso-fucking-lutely, my friend.” I grinned. “We’ll make those pirates quake in their boots by the time we reach Arajah.”
“All I have ever wanted was for my people to live in peace and happiness far away from the troubles of society,” Risthan said as his voice turned somber. “The God of the Purge promised me the ability to do so from the afterlife, but a part of me never truly believed him. I follow action, and your actions have already proven you to be twice the god he was.”
“That means a lot to me.” Emotion filled my chest, but I swallowed it thickly down.
Then we all made our way to bed, and I sighed with contentment when I finally got to lay down beside my two gorgeous women, but I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. My dreams were full of people from Earth fucking up my medieval fantasy world, and I growled with anger as I attempted to remove all the gods out of my way.
I awoke with a start, and for a moment, I was still stuck in my dream, so it took me a moment to register the terrified look on Caelia’s face as it hovered above me.
“What’s wrong?” I frowned as I slowly blinked the sleep from my eyes.
“Bash,” Caelia gasped. “Pirates are attacking the ship! I can hear fighting above deck.”
I strained my ears, and sure enough, I heard the sound of metal striking metal as the crewmembers of The Quest fought off the midnight attackers, so I instantly began to push myself up from the bed. It sounded like Captain Black-eye had his work cut out for him, and it would be up to me to save the day once again.
Those fuckers couldn’t even wait until I’d gotten one night’s rest before they laid into us?
“I have to help them,” I said, but then Evangeline placed a hand upon my bare shoulder.
“Bash, be careful,” my wife murmured, and there was just enough light in the room for me to see the look of worry on her beautiful face.
My wife’s concern warmed my heart, but she should know by now that I wouldn’t let anything stand between me and victory.
In fact, I could just reset and get the jump on the pirates like I had in the past, so that’s exactly what I did.
Chime.
The structures of Nanau slid out of view on the horizon behind us as the prow of The Quest pointed toward the east, and I inhaled the fresh ocean air before I went in search of the captain. I knew exactly where to find him, though, so I headed straight for the helm, and I gave him a tight-lipped smile in greeting.
“We’ve got problems ahead of us tonight,” I informed the captain in a grim tone. “Pirates will attack us in the middle of the night, but we still have time to pull the switch maneuver on them.”
“You know I trust you with all our lives,” Black-eye replied, but he couldn’t hide the anger that flashed across his face. “We will do whatever it takes.”
“So, we get to kill some pirates soon?” Trevin cast us a sideways glance full of curiosity and bloodlust, and I chuckled to myself.
It was good to be among the men of The Quest again, and I looked forward to watching them mop the deck with the assholes who thought they’d get the jump on us. Black-eye’s feelings were reciprocated, and I trusted the crewmembers not only with my life, but with the lives of the people I cared about, too.
I rounded up my companions and quickly explained the situation to them, and to their credit, there was only minimal worry visible in their eyes. Finding out about an upcoming attack hours ahead of time was a little different than waking up to a battle, though, so I didn’t fault them for their previous fear.
“Are we going to ambush them like you did last time?” Eva asked as her eyes twinkled with excitement.
“I have a few ideas up my sleeve,” I said in a mysterious voice.
“We eagerly await your command, Bash,” Caelia said with a bow of her head. “Although, I am not sure how much assistance I can provide. I am not the strongest fighter.”
“These could be the same pirates terrorizing Arajah,” Sarosh noted. “I’d like to see for myself if they have any relics or treasure from my homeland.”
“So you can keep it for yourself?” Risthan accused with a sideways glare at my priestess. “No, I will be the one to return any possessions to their rightful owners, but the pirates around Arajah have been primarily trading in slaves in recent years, and we must make sure there are none of our people on board.”
“I’ll make sure it’s empty before I sink it,” I promised. “But no one is stealing any treasure. I’ll let the gold sink with the ship if I have to, but you two need to get along. You’re on the same side, aren’t you?”
Each of the Arajians turned to scrutinize the other as though they were still deciphering the true nature of their fellow expat, and I rolled my eyes at their stubbornness. If only I could spam respawns to get them to get along, but they would only forget everything they’d learned each run through when I reset.
“My goal is the safety of Arajah,” Risthan said with a stubborn lift of his chin. “It always has been, and it always will be.”
“We have the same goals, my friend,” Sarosh said as she spread her hands in a peaceful gesture. “Let us put this animosity aside and focus on the task at hand. I will not rest until Arajah is safe in the hands of her people once more.”
“While I remain skeptical of your true motivations,” Risthan allowed as he tilted his head. “Your words do much to soothe my worries. Our homeland needs all the help we can get, and the God of Time is the best option available, so I will trust in you to see us through this night.”
“We will see Arajah thrive again, my friend,” Sarosh said, and she took the silver-haired man’s hands in her grasp before she squeezed them warmly. “We will keep the ghosts at bay.”
The word “ghosts” sent my mind down a rabbit hole of thoughts, and an idea struck me.
“We could make The Quest look like a ghost ship,” I said out loud as the thoughts solidified.
“If what you say is true, and the pirates will attack in the middle of the night,” Caelia said. “Then we have plenty of time to do whatever we need to before they arrive.”
“What are you thinking, Bash?” Eva asked, and my wife fingered the blades strapped to her thigh absently like a loving mother caressing a babe’s head.
“We drift until they board us,” I said as the thoughts continued to tumble out of me. “The crew can hide in various places around the ship, but when the pirates hop onto the deck, they’ll be expecting a fight.”
“When they don’t find one waiting for them…” Caelia tapped a finger against her chin. “They’ll be thrown off their guard.”
“Yes!” I laughed. “Some of us can hang off the sides from ropes, and once most of the pirates are on The Quest, we’ll swim over to take their ship from under their noses.”
Eva and Caelia’s eyes were bright with enthusiasm, but the two Arajians seemed less convinced. Then I remembered they were pacifists by nature, so they were probably concerned about their role in the upcoming fight.
“We will spend today training,” I said in a decisive tone, and I watched as their expressions softened with relief. “I’ve fought against pirates before, and so has Eva, so we’ll work together to help you three get ready.”
“Thank you, Bash,” Caelia breathed.
“That would be for the best,” Risthan agreed.
“We have much to learn from you, Great One.” Sarosh folded her hands inside her robe and gave me a stiff backed bow.
I went in search of Black-eye to explain my plan for the pirate attack. The tall, dark-haired man had been accepting of my ideas in the past, so I was confident he’d be on board as soon as he heard my thoughts.
The captain and Jags, the first mate, were standing at the prow with magnifying lenses when I emerged from the lower deck, and I quickly crossed the distance to them as quietly as I could. I gazed out over their shoulder in silence for a long moment, but neither man seemed aware of my presence.
“Whatcha looking at?” I asked right in their ears, and both older men jumped so high they nearly fell over the rails. I laughed as I steadied them both with a hand to their shoulders, and they shot me playful glares as they righted themselves.
“Scanning for ships,” Black-eye informed me as he handed me the glass lens. “I don’t believe they could find us out of nowhere. I think they must have been tailing us for a while.”
“Shouldn’t we be looking out the back of the ship, then?” I questioned as I looked through the glass at the western horizon.
The sun was bright in my eyes, but I squinted until small details on the ocean’s surface came into focus. The water spout of some sort of mammal and the flash of colorful fish graced my vision, but I didn’t see any sails or ships, so I swung the glass to the east where the sky was darker. There were a few rocky islands in the distance, and vessels could hide partially behind them, but nothing was visible from my vantage point.
“Thought maybe there would be more than one,” Jags informed me.
I handed the glass back to the captain as I nodded. “Makes sense.”
“What else can you tell us about the attack?” The captain frowned as his gaze returned to the horizon. “How many ships? How many men?”
I wished I’d gone out to get a good look before I reset, but I’d have the answers soon enough, and if I had to reset again, then I would.
“My sight is imperfect,” I said in a vague tone. “I just know they are coming tonight.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re with us again,” Black-eye said with a sideways smirk. “Even knowing that much is an advantage that could save lives.”
“We lost two crew in a fight against the fuckers before we returned to the port of Nanau.” Jags spat off the side of the ship. “Poor lads held their own as long as they could, but we were taken by surprise.”
“You were missed, Red Hands,” the captain said.
“I won’t let anyone die on my watch,” I promised. “Let’s give these pirates the fight of their lives, and one by one, we’ll rid the Eastern Ocean of them.”
I proceeded to explain my ghost ship idea, and the two men eagerly absorbed every detail as they nodded their heads in agreement. Once we had everything hammered out, we rushed into action to prepare the crew before the pirates arrived.
Then I gathered up my weapons and gear, and I brought everything back to the upper deck where I’d claimed a small section for our training regimen. I worked with the Arajians and my dark-skinned goddess until we were all exhausted, but I wanted them to have as much muscle memory as possible.
Once again, I wished I could help my companions advance with my abilities, but I was the only one with unlimited potential, and I just had to get used to the idea.
After we trained, my companions and I enjoyed a hearty meal in the dining hall, but I was eager to get on to the fight. I needed to be at full strength, though, so I ate heavily.
Night fell like a harbinger of violence, and the silence accompanying it was eerie, but we were all in position for the pirates’ arrival. No one on board uttered a word, and I was proud of how unified everyone had become against the common foe. Risthan and Sarosh stood on either side of Evangeline and Caelia, and I took the middle spot while the five of us gazed out over the rail in search of sails.
Then I spotted the skull and crossbones sigil painted on black, and in the shadows of darkness, it seemed as though the skull floated toward us through the clouds. The crew of The Quest leapt into action, and I climbed over the edge of the rail onto the rope ladder slung over the ship’s hull.
It was ghost time.
I lowered myself to the edge of the water, but the waves slapped against my entire body nonetheless. Caelia, Sarosh, and Risthan, while not skilled at fighting just yet, informed me they were strong swimmers, so they came down the ladder with me. Evangeline would act as our rear guard just in case we were detected on our way to the pirates’ ship, but I wanted my group to be the first to set foot on the enemy vessel.
If there was treasure on board, I would be the first to know about it.
The commotion began a short while later, and the pirates cheered as they drew closer and found the upper deck abandoned. I heard the swoosh of men swinging across the gap on ropes, and then came the heavy thud of their feet as they landed on the wooden planks.
I held my breath and waited for an impossibly long second before I nodded to my companions, and then we began our descent into the waves. I kicked off from the ladder into the water, and I propelled myself forward as silently as I could as I kept a close eye on the rails of The Quest above me.
The others followed suit, but Evangeline stayed on the bottom rung of the ladder. When we passed beneath the prow of the ship, I dipped below the waves and blinked my eyes open. The salt water stung my pupils, and everything was dark, but I could see the shadow of the pirate’s ship ahead of us.
I was glad it wasn’t a super long distance away because I wouldn’t be able to hold my breath for much longer than I already had to.
Then I came up for air along the edge of the pirate’s ship, and I gripped the wooden exterior as I kicked my feet to bob my body up and down in the waves. The others appeared from beneath the water’s surface a moment later, and I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Wooo!” a gruff voice called as a pirate suddenly swung over our heads to land on the deck of The Quest.
I held a finger over my lips to signal for total silence as I listened for any more pirates on the enemy vessel. I didn’t hear anything else coming from our target for several long moments, so at long last, I began to move toward the rope dangling over the edge of the hull.
The rope was slick and wet in my hands, and my grip slid down it several times before I got a good hold, but then I began my ascent. I placed my feet against the hull and braced my body weight, but I twisted the rope around my fists to prevent it from slipping again.
“Ouch!” Caelia hissed in pain behind me as she slid down a few inches.
“I’ll lower a ladder or something,” I whispered as loudly as I dared. “Don’t push yourself.”
Risthan took the dark-skinned goddess’s spot on the rope, and Caelia swirled her arms in the waves to keep herself positioned up against the hull of the ship. The silver-haired older man quickly began to cover the distance between us, though, so I returned my attention to climbing over the rails.
When I could poke my head over the edge, I checked the ship for enemies, but the planks were completely empty.
Everything was going according to plan.
I swung over, and I immediately turned to help Risthan climb over as well, but then I scanned the surrounding area for any signs of a ladder. I spotted a pile of boards attached to ropes near one of the masts, so I quickly fetched it and tossed it over the side of the ship. Caelia and Sarosh rose over the edge a few moments later, and my group of companions was complete once more. Then we gazed around at the empty deck in search of an entrance to the lower part of the ship.
“Over there!” Sarosh said in a loud whisper as she pointed toward the helm.
Behind the large wheel was a black door with a glass window.
“Maybe that’s the captain’s quarters,” I mused as we all rushed toward the portal.
“Or maybe it’s just storage,” Eva said. “If there’s something to find, we’ll find it.”
“I know we will.” I grinned.
And I had a save point ready just in case I needed more time.
The door opened with a twist of the handle, and the five of us dipped inside the candlelit interior. The air was stale and stank of sweat and beer, but I was quickly distracted from the odor of the room by the sight before me.
A massive bed occupied one wall beneath a wide, narrow window, but sitting where the light shone directly on it was an open chest full of glittering gold.
“We found the treasure,” I pointed out.
“Stolen gold.” Risthan spat. “We should let it sink with the ship.”
“What if we used it to help your people?” I arched one eyebrow. “It wouldn’t hurt anyone but the pirates if we took it.”
“You do what you want with the tainted coins,” the Arajian said, and he turned back toward the door. “The real treasure are the slaves likely chained below deck.”
“If they’re here, we’ll free them,” I promised with a nod, but then I turned back to the gold.
How was I supposed to get that back to my ship?
I decided that would have to be a problem for later, and I followed the silver-haired older man out the portal to the upper deck. Risthan glanced around for a moment before he spotted a trap door on the floor of the middle deck, and the three of us climbed down the short set of steps after him.
A creaking sound filled the air, but the distant sound of happy pirates exploring the apparently empty ship blocked out the noise of the trap door. A watcher on The Quest would alert Black-eye to our descent below deck on the pirate’s vessel, and then the crew would ambush their enemies from every pocket of their home.
The pirates wouldn’t see it coming.
The lower deck wasn’t illuminated, so I quickly summoned a small flame to the palm of my hand, and I held it aloft to light the way for the others. Then I peered around with curiosity at the storage hold, but it didn’t take me long to spot the bare human backs behind a line of bars.
Slaves.
The people were so dirty, it was difficult to tell what color hair they had, but they had paler skin without the blue tint of the Zaborians, so it was safe to assume they were from Arajah or another island.
“Are you okay?” I asked in the common tongue, and several pairs of eyes immediately snapped onto my face. “We’re here to save you.”
Risthan and Sarosh came forward, and the two of them began to speak rapidly in a language that sounded like whistling. A moment later, the prisoners stepped back away from the bars and looked at me expectantly.
Shit.
How was I supposed to break through iron bars?
I thought over my repertoire of weapons and magical items, but I didn’t have everything I owned with me at the time. I’d left a great deal of it back in Bastianville when I’d left for the coast, but soon such things would no longer be an issue. I could flash back to my armory in town before fast travelling back to my quest whenever I needed to.
I just had to get home first.
Then an idea struck me, and I began to make the guttural sounds of power that summoned my small plant familiar. I was kind of surprised it was coming out of the wood, but the vine grew from the cracks in the wooden planks, and I smiled warmly at it as I pictured what I wanted it to do.
Bust the lock. Bust the lock. Bust the lock.
The plant seemed to sense my desires, and it inched slowly toward the metal lock holding the door to the cage closed. Everyone watched in silence with their eyes full of awe, but then the first leaf slipped inside the lock. Clicking sounds and grinding gears announced some sort of action going on, but I was just as lost as the others as to how exactly it all happened.
I’d just had a feeling my plant would understand.
A few moments later, a loud click echoed through the lower deck, and the door to the cage swung open.
“Thank you,” I said to my plant as it began to shrink back into its sprout size, but then I gestured for the prisoners to follow me. “Come on, we have to get out of here before the pirates try to come back to their own ship.”
Risthan and Sarosh led the prisoners up to the higher level, but Caelia stayed with me below deck.
“Now, we set fire to the ship,” I said. “And grab the chest of gold on the way out.”
“How will you get it back across the water?” the shopkeeper asked with a thoughtful frown. “It would be too heavy to swim with. You would surely be pulled beneath the waves for good.”
“I’ll swing it across on a rope.” I shrugged. “But this way, it won’t affect our budget at all to go help the people of Arajah.”
“Plus, the pirates will have that much less assets to work with,” Caelia added with an agreeable nod.
Then the dark-skinned goddess grabbed a barrel, and she lifted it up in an amazing show of strength only to smash it to the floor. The wood splintered, and ale was splashed everywhere.
I aimed my flame in the direction of the broken barrel, and I shot a jet of fire straight into the mess Caelia had made. The heat made the shopkeeper take a few steps back, but I made sure my aim was perfect, and she wasn’t injured by the blast.
The flames ate at the poured liquid, but it was too damp for the fire to take root, so I jerked my chin toward another barrel, and Caelia immediately picked up on my meaning. She smashed the wood into a hundred splinters, but inside this one was ears of dried corn. My fire spell licked up the dry tinder and took hold right away, and the heat grew almost unbearable a moment later.
“Let’s get out of here,” I suggested.
“You took the words straight from my lips,” my dark-skinned lover replied.
The two of us followed the path the others had taken, but I detoured toward the captain’s quarters to fetch my chest of gold. Caelia came with me, and her eyes twinkled with mischief as we hauled the heavy box to the rails.
The sound of fighting greeted my ears, and for a moment, I had a flashback to the moment I’d woken up in the middle of the attack, but I reminded myself that was a different run through. The crewmembers of The Quest could hold their own for a few more moments, and I had work to do still.
I poured out fire everywhere in my wake, and the flames were licking at the door frame to the captain’s quarters as we reached the edge of the ship. The vessel wouldn’t survive much longer without repair, and the pirates were too occupied by the crewmembers to prevent their ship from sinking.
I’d made a difference this time, and it was the pirate’s turn to be scared.
I grabbed one of the ropes hanging from the mast, and I handed it to Caelia with an apologetic smile.
“You go over first, and I’ll swing the chest to you.” I tied the rope around her waist, and Caelia nodded in understanding.
“I’ll do my best, Bash, same as always.” Caelia’s sweet smile lifted my heart.
“You’re awesome.” I grinned.
The deck of The Quest appeared to be empty, but I could hear fighting coming from below the wooden planks, so I knew the pirates had figured out the ship wasn’t deserted.
I needed to get over there and kill every single last pirate on board.
Caelia climbed onto the top of the rail, and she flashed me a brave smile before she pushed herself off the edge and swung over to The Quest. I wasted no time in fetching the rope once she landed and threw it back, and I tied it around the chest so it would keep the lid locked closed. Then I waited for Caelia’s nod of readiness before I sent all the gold swinging across to the other vessel.
The mast of the pirate’s ship creaked from the weight of the chest, and the entire floor shifted sideways beneath my feet as the vessel bobbed on a large wave. I adjusted my stance and leaned into the sensation, but I still slid toward the rail.
The chest swung upward over the rails of The Quest, but Caelia jumped to get a good grip on the handles, and the heavy chest sank to the wooden planks of our ship.
“Untie it!” I urged.
Caelia nodded, but instead of reaching for the knot I’d hitched into the rope, she pulled a dagger from her waist to slash it in two. One of the pirate ship’s masts suddenly snapped straight off as flames began to lick at the sails, but the ship careened from side to side as it rebalanced in the waves.
Flames were eating away at the floor in either direction at this point, though, so I needed to get back to The Quest to finish this little pirate killing adventure on a good note. I grabbed a rope and swung across without hesitation, but I still breathed a sigh of relief when my feet hit the wooden planks at Caelia’s side.
We had the gold, and the pirate’s ship was going up in flames.
The God of Time always won.
“Let’s get below deck and kill the rest of these fuckers,” I suggested with a malicious gleam in my eyes, and then I grabbed one of the handles of the chest while Caelia grabbed the other side.
“After you,” Caelia said, but she pulled her sword out with her free hand.
One of my panabas was in my grip an instant later, and I twirled it around to find the perfect balance as I crossed the ship toward the door to the lower deck. I was prepared for the shadows this time, and it only took me a moment to adjust my eyes to the lack of light.
Before I was fully accustomed to the darkness, however, the door to the dining hall snapped open, and a pirate flew out the portal to slam into the opposite wall.
I lunged forward and jabbed my panabas into his gut, but I made sure to twist my blade in his stomach as I withdrew.
These assholes deserved a painful death.
Caelia and I hid the chest of gold in a utility closet tucked under the stairs to the lower level, but I’d find a better place for it later.
Then I jumped into the fight occuring in the dining hall, but it seemed like the crewmembers had things under control anyway. I decapitated a pirate standing with his back to the door, but this alerted the man in front of him, who spun with a sword swinging at my head.
I ducked and twirled my panabas at his feet in a blur of motion, and he fell in a spray of blood as his boots launched in opposite directions.
“You made a mess all over my floor!” Patsy’s voice cut through the din of swords hitting swords, and I peered through the mass of paired off sailors versus pirates to see the cook with a mop in one hand.
Was she crazy?
I chuckled to myself, but I didn’t let her admonishment keep me from aiding the rest of the crewmembers in the dining hall with their opponents. I didn’t care about playing fair when it came to pirates since I knew they would use every single dirty trick in the book to get the advantage, so I attacked them from behind without remorse.
Three more pirates fell to my panabas, and then the room was clear.
“How many have died?” I asked Kipper as he flicked his thin rapier clean.
“We’ve killed most of the pirates already,” the navigator informed me. “Culver had some he was still playing with in the medical bay.”
“Let him have his fun,” I laughed. “I suppose I’m off to hunt the rest down, then.”
“Aye, Aye, Red Hands.” Kipper smirked. “I’m right behind you.”
“No, you are not, young man!” Patsy growled as she shoved the mop handle into the navigator’s hands. “You’re cleaning up this mess before you leave this room.”
Kipper sighed, but he didn’t argue, and I was laughing as Caelia and I left the dining hall.
We went into the captain’s quarters where Black-eye danced on the bed between a small horde of pirates, and the captain cackled as he jabbed his sword into gaps wherever he could find them.
“You take the left,” I instructed Caelia. “I’ll be right by your side.”
I stayed a pace behind the dark-skinned goddess as she darted forward to slash her sword across the back of one of the pirate’s legs, and her target stumbled as he turned to face his new opponent.
Caelia parried the blow of his sword, and my chest puffed out with pride, but then he twirled his blade around in his grasp to aim it at her throat.
“Ahh!” Caelia screamed and jumped back in alarm, but I was right there to fill the gap.
I swung my panabas, caught the pirate’s curved blade on the weapon I gripped in my left hand, and then slid the other into his chest. I watched with glee while his eyes bulged, and blood instantly began to dribble from his lips. The life faded in his gaze, and I shoved him into a neighboring pirate stabbing at Black-eye’s feet.
Caelia and I picked off the rest of Black-eye’s enemies, but when the last pirate lay dead on the floor of his chambers, the captain glared at me like I’d just popped his balloon.
“I was having fun with them!” the captain complained.
“Yeah, well, I’d like to sleep in here eventually,” I said.
Black-eye tossed back his head and laughed. “Fine, fine. The God of Time has spoken.”
“I like it better when you call me Red Hands,” I teased.
“It’s still an apt name,” the captain said as he jerked his chin toward my bloody hands. “You seem to enjoy bathing in pirate blood.”
“It’s a hobby of mine,” I chuckled.
The three of us finished combing through the rest of the ship, but it seemed like the crewmembers were mostly just fucking with the pirates by that point, and no one seemed eager for assistance. The pirates were bottlenecked in unfamiliar areas where the crewmembers lived and breathed on the daily, so my friends had the advantage of home turf.
I was crossing the deck in search of any escapees, and I spotted a pirate running for the rails.
Little did the pirates know, there wasn’t a ship for them to return to.
The realization dawned on the pirate at that exact moment, and he skidded to a halt at the rail of The Quest as he stared into the burning ruin of their ship. It was simple enough for me to walk up behind him and slide my weapons through his spine.
Then I grabbed his body and tossed it into the waves, and I dusted my hands off on my pants as I watched his corpse sink into the water.
It was like taking out the trash.
We cleared the entire ship room by room, and I received a few grunts of disappointment when I killed the crewmembers’ new toys, but the faster we got rid of all the thieving bastards the better.
Finally, I stood on the blood stained upper deck as I watched the last sail on the pirates’ ship go up in flames. The area around our two ships was illuminated by the blaze, but the reflection on the waves made the water look slick like oil. I gritted my teeth as I pictured doing the same exact thing to every pirate ship in the Eastern Ocean, and my gut filled with determination.
Red Hands would strike again and again until the seas were free from tyranny.
