Will woke up the next day after getting on the boat with a bunk mate above him shaking him out of the hammock, why do they double bunk hammocks? I have no clue. Anyways, Will groggily got out of the hammock, having kept me on as he slept, something he and I never really noticed until the sailor who woke him up commented on it.
"Say, are you worried that someone will attack you in your sleep? Mighty insulting don't you think?" said the sailor, irate with Will. Will wasn't all that keen when woken up, able to start fighting? Sure. Having to explain shit? Nope. "No man, I wear it to keep a burn scar I have protected, I typically just sleep in inns and out alone in the forests so I never really thought about it." Will said half truthfully.
The sailor looked slightly apologetic about that "Oh then keep it on, I'll make sure no one says diddly about it then." He said. Will got up and dressed, he was given a sleeveless shirt as a warming gift from the crew, it apparently being the unofficial uniform of the ship during the day and humid nights if not just shirtless.
Will also found a razor near his sack, another gift, "why are these people giving me gifts?" Will thought to me. I mentally shrugged. "Hopefully it's not because it's just the benefits for a hard job" I thought to him ominously. He sighed, mentally nodding in agreement, I small metal disc he gave me an idea of last night. It apparently was a throwing weapon that he was also going to use as a mirror to shave the new stubble.
With that, Will was used as a gofer when not on break until departure, being shown the crudest of basics of saliorship. The days were uneventful for the majority of the ride. Then one day we found out just why there were so many steel pikes on the main deck, we were hoping it was just to show that they could deal with kelpies more than well enough.
~
A look out in the front of the river bout near the "bowsprit" yeowled something, rushing up, apparently everyone else understood what he meant. Rushing towards the pikes and some harpoons. Will was ordered to go down below, going past the passengers with the other sailors.
Jockung, the sailor that woke up Will, not a week and five days ago, passed him a small quarterstaff-like spear. Then popped open little slats in the hull, just wide enough for someone to push the staff through. "It must be the Kelpies," I told him, he nodded.
Just then, a large mouth jumped out of the water, Will jumped back. A very different reaction then what the other more experienced sailors did, leaning and with strong jabs of the spear. The guy on the opposite side of Will scored a hit, making the kelpie make a moan that sounded just horrid.
Will saw the longer pikes also try to gain purchese on the beast. Only two scrapped the skin further. Harpoons released their little package just as the kelpie tried to go under the water. The three that shot missed, something that Will would learn to loathe about. The kelpie's arms came out, a punch from one arm swayed the Attis to one side. Will flew back, the other sailors unfettered to the sway, doing some motion themselves to counter it
Will got up just to fly in the opposite direction, face first. SOmething I'd giggle like a schoolboy if the fact sunk in into just how that other sway occurred. Another kelpie was here, something the sailors responded by opening the other slats, someone grabbed a harpoon off a nearby rack and took a wild shot. Their luck was good, the beast screamed and tried to pull away.
The other sailors rushed to the thick rope and wrapped it around their hands, making a line to keep the beast from escaping. Jockung went to one of the other slits on the side, pulling Will with him to help. Two other sailors went on the other side. Just in time for a streak of bad luck. The kelpie's fists, powered by pain-infused rage, pounded on the ship's hull, the first bangs were no problem, only pushing everyone off guard, then the second Kelpie came out of the water and head banged where Will and Jockung were causing the wood the shatter. The best fell away, dazed.
The entrapped Kelpie then threw its arm once again against that one spot. It's other arm now held out by the other pole men. This didn't help Will much, the Kelpie's hand shaved off an entire inch of flesh off, crushing Jockung's lower leg into a disgusting blue bag of flesh. Jockung screamed and fell, more sailors from the top deck came down. Two took Jockung and the third took his place. Will didn't waste time watching this however, his spear went into the kelpie's flesh, right above the arm.
Then it made pained noises as they held it place and the guys on the top deck repeatedly stabbed the kelpie until it went unconscious, then everyone pulled it close, pulling out the weapons and gave it a killing blow to the head. It then just slipped into the water, floating back up as a carcass further downstream, spilling its ichor into the river.
Will then looked down, the wound just then fully registered to him, he screamed in pain as another sailor grabbed him by the shoulder and helped him to the ship's doctor, set next to Jockung and some passengers wounded in the frenzy.
YOU ARE READING
Isarnfur
Adventure-second draft- this is a story about a group of characters that hasn't been told often. Spirits stuck into armor. This is the story about Isarnfur, a spirit dedicated to manipulating Iron. He has been stuck in a piece of armor, and how he...
