Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

0144 Top Uncommon Item - Jet Wing!

The captain's cabin on Actaea was almost as wide as the ship's width.

Towards the stern, there were bolted windows, waves threatening to blast their way in through them.

The moment Kai entered, his gaze went to the dark sea, undulating like a black sheet of silk beyond the windowpanes.

He couldn't help but think that just two weeks before, he was as unfamiliar with the sea and ships as a maiden with blood before her first period.

Now, it had become a routine, and yet, the thrill persisted.

Against the wall, next to the window-lain stern wall of the ship, lay a bed as befitted the captain of a small trading vessel.

Not too extravagant, but adorned with colors bright enough to boast of the post and power.

In the middle of the room was a square table with two chairs, large enough for two men to sit and have dinner without their knees hammering at each other.

Meg was sitting on one chair with her back to the windows.

Their eyes matched.

-/Be seated,/- Kai said, seeing her getting up. -/Tomorrow, by dusk, we will have our first guests, if I am not wrong about it. Galleys are a luxury freeriders and traders can't afford. Nor I am expecting the Contestants to have them.

-/So large trading vessels, propelled by many sails and oars, these are our pursuers. Just fast enough to catch us in the long run. But why am I telling you all this? You told me you have served on ships before, right?/-

Meg still had her old appearance on her. Though she looked feeble and malnourished, her posture had an elegance that said otherwise.

"You are right, master," she told Kai, filling strong wine in a mug. "I did serve on a ship, but I never had Elementary Seamanship. As you must have guessed, my area of expertise lies in reconnaissance. So in sailing, I have only rudimentary knowledge. Still, it's enough to outsmart the mutinous crew working outside."

Petyr barred the cabin's door after coming in, and then, saying nothing, he disappeared.

Kai acted as if he had seen nothing. He approached the chair, pulled it out from under the table, and dragged it away to have more space.

The wine mug floated towards him as he sat down with his legs outstretched. He gulped down half the mug at once before the bitterness could even announce itself to his tongue.

He let the silence linger in the cabin, letting the wine dull the constant headache, as his face flushed red and pink.

-/Out with it,/- he ordered, massaging his temples with his thumb and middle and ring fingers. -/Take out the Item as well./-

"I was quite shocked myself, master," Meg began, smiling, and her hand flicking at the empty air. "No one came after me, opposite to what we had thought. That hired Contestants and priests of the Temple of Hastur are waiting for us on the 4th floor, I agree with the one-eyed hypocrite on this.

"But as you said, we have nothing to fear. The 4th floor is too big, if not as big as the 1st floor. Contestants, coming down from the 5th or 6th floors, wouldn't be too powerful for us to get caught by them. Those who would come down from 3rd-Set or above, are as good as dead.

"Chaos puts harsh limitations on the Contestants going down to the floors within the same Set, but even harsher on those who go down below their Sets."

These were Kai's thoughts as well. But he didn't mull over them for long.

Meg had taken out an exquisite bow and a palm-sized box that looked like a steel matchbox. Both lit up the greed in Kai's eyes like two inflamed wicks. The objects left Meg, as Kai let go of the wine mug, which floated by his side, and came to rest in his hands.