Rune of Oldfyre

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I eventually 'got used' to the water (I threw up only once a day). When I wasn't looking over the side of the ship, the ocean did look nice, waves crashing over each other along with being the one of the bluest blues you've ever seen was truly beautiful.

Jumping, yeah I know there's an actual term for it get off it, were weird gray creatures. May noticed my curiosity with them.

"They're called dolphins." She said.

"Why do they jump around like that?" I asked.

"Their marking the ship for death." She said.

"I think you're fucking with me." I said.

"No, it's true," she began, "they're pack hunters. They jump around the ship to signify, to other dolphins, that this ship is marked for death. Eventually when there's enough, one will jump for, what it presumes to be, the throat."

"I still think you're fucking with me." I noted.

"Yes, I am." She agreed. "However, dolphins are assholes."

"How so?"

"For one, they rape people." She said, a bit too casually.

"I'm having trouble telling if you're fucking with me with this one." I said.

"Unfortunately, no. Be careful if you find yourself in the water or you'll end up feeling a slab of dolphin meat caressing your thigh." She said. "They'll finish without so much as a 'so long and thanks for all the fish'. And you'll find some part, in the recesses of your soul, has shattered within."

"Why do you know this." I asked.

"From my time as a prostitute hanging around the docks. You hear a lot of stories when your pinned to a wall by a sailer and surrounded by more paying costumers." She said.

"Is there something about the ocean that makes you say these things?" I asked. She'd been joking about these things a lot lately.

"Maybe, it's the knowledge that I could say these things without you running off." She suggested.

"You didn't have to worry about that on land." I said.

"Yeah, I know." She said. For a while we stared out at sea. I was having trouble get the image of her in a sailor orgy out of my head, and she knew it.

An hour or so later, the clouds had rolled in and were called below deck because of a possible storm. It happened, there was a roughening of weather and our ship was rocked. Were it not for the courage of the fearless crew, we would have been sunk.

"Molly, don't be worried." May said trying to calm the beast. We were below deck and it had become apparent that Molly heated the water far more than even I. Everyday he'd howl until we let him out on deck, which only placated him for a while before he would looked out and see only sea and not rolling hills of tasty cattle.

"Why'd you have to bring your massive dog?" Al asked.

"I wasn't going to leave him. Besides, who'd feed him?" I said.

"He'll just run out and find some cows or goats to eat." He said.

"And how long would it be before farmers complain about their livestock being eaten to the cupity watch? They'll find Molly and kill him, do you want that?" I said, I could feel my temper coming on. I was getting tired of Allister's attitude.

Before he could respond Anya interrupted. "Ladies, we're in a confined space. Tensions rise, but we have to be better then this. Al, get over their happiness; Ard, be more considerate around others, you and May aren't the only ones in the world. Now shake hands and make up."

I extended my hand as an olive branch. He relunctently took it.

"See, we're already becoming better people."

That dinner, tensions were still high. A crew member had argued with the Kraken to the point that the Kraken grabbed the man and just lobbed him off the side of the boat. It put a hamper on the morale of the ship. Another crewman tried to counteract this by describing the time he found himself in the belly of a giant whale with his life long nemesis. I was a bit incredulous, but it made for a good story and took the edge off nevertheless.

Dinner itself consisted of fish, more fish, and some fruit, because scurvy (something you never worry about until it happens). We drank what fresh water we had left. We had to make a stop soon or we'll run out.

That stop was in Malweed, a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. The moment we made land, I immediately hopped on Molly and ran, well he did. He ran until it started to get dark. When we returned, the town was silent. I noticed another ship out a small distance from the shore. The town was being raided by pirates. Shit, just our luck.

I quickly discovered that they were holding everyone in the tavern. I told Molly to stand watch. As I assessed the situation. There were about six of them, judging from the size of their dingy, four inside two out. I found an easy access to the roof and stalked the two patrolman for a moment.

When one of them went around a corner that the other didn't I slid to the ground and grabbed his neck. All he could make out was "hu-" before falling to the ground. I dragged him into the shadow. I then climbed back up to the roof and repeated the step once more.

When the yard was clear I found a rear entrance into the tavern basement. It was a wine cellar. I stalked about the barrels before finding the stairs up.

The kitchen had one guard watching over three hostages. Luckily this guys was to dumb to watch the stairs. I grabbed his ankle and pulled, causing him to slam face first into the hard wood floor. Before he could get himself free from my grasp I gave him a jolt.

I told the hostages to get outthrough the basement. I the, took a moment to pause and think of how badass I was being. After I stood in veneration for a moment, I silently opened the door and peered out. It was a hallway leading to the main bar room. I could see the remaining three pirates discussing something in a huddled circle.

They were distracted enough for me to slip silently among the crowd. I found the gang.

"Ardy where have you been?" Anya asked.

"Out with Molly, needed to feel land again." I said. "Are there only six of these guys?"

"I think so. How did you get in?" She asked.

"Well, there's only these three now." I said.

"Ardy, what did you do?" May worriedly asked.

"I pounced out of the darkness and rippedbtheir throats out." I said. She gave me a look of incredulity. "I snuck up behind them and gave them electro shock therapy."

"And now you're just another hostage." She pointed out.

"Not just any hostage." I said, reaching intyo my bag and pulling out a spell book. I opened it to a dogeared page and whispered some of the ancient words scrawled into it (I have yet to find a spell book written by a wizard with good penmanship).There was a brief flash of light and a high pitched ringing noise filling the air.

I'm a lightning caster, I cast lightning. I could master electricity if I actually worked towards that. I held a record in the north for longest continuous current of lightning cast (mainly because not many tried, they were competing for the record of longest-somthing-else in the north). I was pretty good with lightning, for a novice. So when I try to cast something else, say a ball of ethereal blinding, it has a good chance of fucking up.

As is what happened when I tried to cast said blinding ball. The spell is supposed to emit a tiny ball of immense light that blinds chosen targets. I did cast the orb, it had light, and it blinded. Unfortunately, it didn't get the whole "chosen targets" part of the deal. Everyone in the room was temporarily blinded. I was, however, graced with the luck of being the caster and receiving a minorly reduced effect. My eyes adjusted quickly, like walking from the darkness of night into a lit room, and I could see everyone stumbling about, some rubbing their eyes.

I ran up to the first to pirates I found and subdued them quickly. I couldn't find the third and final one. He was nowhere to be found inside. I glanced outside, nothing. I was turning back into the door when I something swing and hit the side of my face. I blacked out.