Galen Vesa

It appears I am very much alive. For now. Kind of. Being tied with chain and locked inside a chest did not bode well for my long-term happiness. Correction, a chest full of water. Sea water if I were to go by the salty taste.

Roomie? Erta? Are you there?

I closed my eyes and bounced off a barrier erected between our minds. An alien barrier. I know the feeling of her magic and this one did not have that familiar tang of her.

A burst of eerie black light came from the manacles secured around my wrists. The culprit behind the sudden lack of an irritated dragon spewing blasphemies inside my head. And probably the source of even more annoyance since I couldn’t even feel the raging mana within me. Now that I think of it, it has gotten so quiet in here.

Hello?

Not even Logic to complain of my tardiness. Well, my shrink would call that a success but for some reason I did not considered myself cured at all. On the contrary. I… felt alone.

How did this happen? I have no clue whatsoever. Last I remember, somebody made an imprint of my face in their brass knuckles. I think I heard his wrist snap when he hit me. And then nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And now I’m in a box. Or a chest. Sleeping with the fishes. With my ass bare. I do see a pattern there. I pattern I don’t want to follow. But I will worry about that later, now, I think I should find a way to dry land. Since I were already within her domain, I called upon the Water’s name.

Nothing. Nothing but the eerie glow answered my call.

I tried once more. Then another. Then I called upon the other two. I even called upon the wind.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

So, this is what hopeless looks like. Options, do I have any? Do nothing and wait until whatever keeps me alive runs out? Not the best of choices. What else can I do? Calling for help failed. My movements are restricted. Punching and kicking the walls does not appear to affect them. Puny arms suck at hitting stuff. Should I panic? And what would that give me? What else can I do? I could bite through the chain. Well, no. I couldn’t. My jaw lacked enough strength to do so but still my teeth left few marks on the chain.

I wonder. The Earth blessings made me quite resilient. From what Erta said, my skin is tougher than her scales were. She also said her claws could easily cut diamonds… Back at the guild I did manage to scratch glass with my nails. I had to be careful with any glass they gave me. Perhaps wood wouldn’t give me that much trouble?

A quick test on the nearest wall confirmed that my nails left deep groves in wood in their wake. Splendid, but what does it give me? I could scratch myself out, Andy Dufresne style. Or maybe not. Perhaps there is a faster way out?

Around my bent knees I could feel an iron plate the size of my palm. It had two suspicious, flat bolt heads poking out of it. The mounting plate of the hasp this chest was locked with? That I could use to my advantage. Or so I deluded myself, digging around it with my nails. The wood chipped and splintered letting the grove grow. All it took were five million scratches. Give or take. I didn’t count from the start.

After that the plate popped out and the lid became loose. Yay me. I celebrated the fact by opening it with my foot and dangling my limbs out. My spine crackled in a funny way as I untangled myself for the first time in who knows how long. Human bodies are not design for that kind of abuse. Thankfully this one was. I still don’t know what to think about the scarlet witch. Without her, I wouldn’t be here. I would most likely end up in some literal shit hole with my throat cut. So, perhaps a thank you note was in order. On the other hand, she sliced off my banana which is a big no-no. Not to mention her countless victims. I wonder, not a body or bones in sight. Did all the crew escaped whatever happened to this ship? Unlikely. Probably something came and cleaned up afterwards. I better not stick around.

So, now what? Out and up? That would be a start and since someone had already went through the trouble of blowing up half the ship, I could just go out through that giant gush torn in the ship’s side. This left me with only one direction to take. Up. But that didn’t happen. Even my improved buoyancy could not handle the chain wrapped around my body. The manacles and the collar they’re connected to doesn’t really help either. How do they even work? There are no visible seems on them and I can’t find any locks. The ever-present magic again? Wish I could use something that convenient. No such luck. Maybe they had some sort of flotation devices? For the sorry sobs like me with less magically inclined nature. I’ve scrambled through the ruined deck in search of such thing, but my efforts turned out fruitless. Guess lifejackets weren’t all the rage in these parts.

Can’t go up so perhaps I should just go and walk to the land? Nope. Away with the movie logic. The spirit compass I had didn’t work anyway. Whatever blocked my connection with the spirit queens, messed it up as well. Without a proper guidance I would be walking in circles or most likely, go in the opposite direction. Up remained the most viable solution. As soon as I find a way to ditch all that additional weight. But I couldn’t find any. Not a file in sight and the few axes I found turned useless. Swinging an ax underwater does not work. Although I found something else that looked promising. Four wooden barrels bundled in a cargo net, floated above my head. If I could get those out of the cargo hold without compromising their seal, perhaps they would float me to the surface? The net could hold my weight with no trouble, and I found plenty of rope to secure myself to it but... Just how on earth do I pull it out from beneath the cargo deck? The answer to that came in a form of several pulleys I salvaged from what remained of the ship’s mast and sails. I rigged it as best as I could around the collapsed cannon that fell out of the ship. It looked heavy enough and I couldn’t find anything better to attach the pulley to. Then I had to scramble back into the ship. Swimming with my arms cuffed and chained together had never been my forte.

The pulley rattled and squeaked, muffled by water but the barrels inch by inch, crept towards the hole in the broadside. With only one go at this insane idea, I secured myself to the net with a separate piece of rope. My luck in this world had been obviously spent on my pillows so any precaution I could take seemed like a good idea.

I’m stuck on a sunken, medieval ship. In a fantasy world of swords and sorcery. Oh, right. Thanks to the water queen I can now breath underwater even without mana. Who am I kidding? One rope won’t be enough. I tied one more to the chain binding me and to the net holding the barrels. Why does it still seem like a bad idea? Regardless, like a surgeon careful not to nick an aorta, I eased the barrels out through the hole. It went easier than I thought it would. Unfortunately, the moment the barrels were rid of the barrier the cargo hold deck provided, they shoot up to the surface, oblivious of my efforts. The rope slithered through my palms and out of the pulleys and up we went. The barrels racing towards the surface, dragging me with them. One of the two lines I tied, snapped when the barrels yanked me. Yup, I knew it. Those pillows sucked out all my luck.

That and similar jabber went through my mind as I ascended. Pondering. Have I not forgotten about something important?

My insides made a strange gurgling noise. Oh. I remember now. Decompression.

All the fluids and gases within my body suddenly wanted to equalize pressure, using any opening available. Not the fondest memory I got so far. Thankfully a short one since my body decided to faint near the surface.

Sunlight filtered through the water awoke me next morning. Or noon. Or whatever. I do want a clock. For a corporate slave such as myself, life without a clock is not life. Yup a clock. I am getting myself a clock if I make it out of this mess.

Roomie?

Nothing. The poor broken dolt still must cope by himself. I am starting to talk to myself, aren’t I? That’s what I get for living with a constant chatter in my noggin. Gods, it hasn’t been this empty in years. Best I fix this before I go even crazier.

And then the barrels went thwonk! Behind my back, a ship crept up to the barrels that now bounced cheerfully against its broadside. A ship. There sure were people on it. Just… I’m not sure if I want to meet those people. I think I have been blown up enough times already. Perhaps I could hide somewhere under its hull? Hitch a ride on the anchor or something? Wait until they reach some port and slip away unnoticed?

And the barrels went up, out of the water, pulling me along. Oh. Bummer. I think.

My butt slapped against the deck faster than I could say splat. Much to the terror of the gathered sailors. Fascinating. I have never seen a bunch of men run away from a naked woman. A naked woman flashing her bits at them. I’ve readjusted my legs, bringing my knees together and hugged my pillows. That should help them focus on thinking.

Several of the men following a superstition or some obscure religion, begun flapping their arms in many fancy hand constellations and chanting something that sounded like gibberish to my ears. Others, more down to earth, pulled out weapons and - roll the drumrolls - aimed the pointy bits at me. So original.

“Jonson! What in seven hells is going on down there!”

“Sir! Lads just pulled a frozen corpse out of water!”

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From where I sat, I couldn’t see who spoke, but their voices were getting closer.

“Me balls! She ain’t no stiff popsicle skip! She moves!”

“Nonsense!”

I turned my head and looked him in the eye. One eye. One lonely eye set in a scar riddled face. At about the same time, something shattered upon the deck and obnoxious smell of cheap liquor arrived in my nostrils. Also, his brave crew took two steps back.

And they stared. They stared for quite a while. Well, I could sit here all day and let them stare but that had no purpose.

“Oh great sailors you have my deepest…”

“Silence daemon!”

Captain’s sudden roar surprised him even more that is did surprise me. He ripped his shirt open, grabbed a medallion that dangled there and aiming it at me continued his tirade.

“Begone! In the name of the holy Barla and her seven tits, begone! I order you daemon vacate my ship!”

The coin shaped pedant did sport a rather curious depiction of a deity with seven pillows and… many bananas.

“I am no daemon…”

“Begone! Vile creature, begone!”

Out of his pocket he pulled a silver fork covered in holly scriptures. Or fancy squiggles. My gift for languages could not decipher those. The crew followed his example and suddenly I found myself surrounded with a forest of holly relics and talismans. Some not entirely holly if I were to go by the odd, unpleasant smell coming from them and the vibration of the bracelet stuck on my wrist. The only other time it did something like that was when a customer brought a suspicious item and Altina identified it as cursed.

“As I Said I am not…”

The cook came running and dunk at me a whole bag of salt. When even that did not make me scream or sizzle, the crew stepped back to regroup and think of a new strategy.

“…it doesn’t work skip. We tried all. Maybe, maybe she ain’t one of those… ya know them daemons?”

“Then what is she?! We pulled her out of the waves, alive! In this weather? On the open sea?”

Oh. The weather. I have not noticed how cold I become. My hairs were riddled with frozen crystals and contrary to the sailors, my breath did not turn to steam when I exhaled. Also, their garb seemed rather heavy and padded. Some even had ragged furs cast around them. Oopsie.

“And the chain! Skip look at the chains! I had never seen one like this! Why would she be bound like this.”

“Ay! Look at it how thick it is! She must be a powerful one! That’s why it doesn’t work! We need…”

I cleared my throat to get their attention before they could come up with something ridiculous. Like trying to cleanse me away with fire. I went with the, hopefully, most believable story.

“Gentlemen. As I said I am not a daemon. I’m a… “

I am soo going to regret this.

“…I’m a mermaid and I would be obliged to repay you in kind if you were as much as wiling to help me. ”

Silence. More staring. Eventually some whispering. Then more staring and more whispering. After what seemed an hour the captain came to me with somewhat renowned courage.

“Well…. You see lassie… you are a fair one and all… and not that we don’t trust you but… but… the sea is wide and… and dangerous and… and them daemons are a cunning bunch. Me and my men need to stay vigilant and… and…”

“Why doesn’t she have a tail”

“If she’s a merfolk she should have one!”

“Ay! Where is her tail?!”

“Ay, skipper! Ay! Ask her!”

The men chanted as one. Their captain turned to me rather pale and swallow with difficulty, not wiling to breach such personal topic. I gave them my best fake sigh I could.

“Just get me some rum and I’ll tell you.”

A bottle and a cup quickly appeared before me. With years of practice, the captain filled my cup and handed it to me, careful as not to touch me. I emptied it with one swig, earning some nods of approval then begun my story.

“You see, we hardly ever go near the surface. We don’t meddle with up top as well as we don’t like people meddling with us. Every once in a while, there comes some drunken bastard of a bard and spins a story about mermaids doing this or that. Our flesh or blood granting this or curing that. All bollocks!”

Suddenly my cup became full again, so I emptied it once more.

“and then people start raking through the seas with their nets and shooting harpoons at each wave hoping to get one of us! How insulting! One cannot even swim in peace without minding the fishhooks! And don’t even get me started on what a pain in the tail it is to pull one out!”

Another swig. This time they joined me as new bottles begun circulating.

“And all that crap about singing?! Do you know how high expectation people have when they meet you?! Oh fair maiden of the sea, let us hear your enchanting song! Enchant my ass! I can’t sing for the life of mine! Hardly any mermaid can. We can hum all fine, but it is impossible to sing underwater! You’d need to spend countless hours on the surface just to practice that. And what for? It’s completely useless skill underwater!”

“But… But… weren’t you people supposed to… like charm unsuspecting men…”

A teenage boy stuttered among the gathered people. His hopes crushed.

“There are easier ways to get laid and, no offence, you humans drown too easily. Also,

doing the whole legs business just for a quickie in the sand is too bothersome.”

“But you have legs…”

I paused for a better effect then emptied my cup and continued.

“And I have my vices.”

Add a sigh to get them in the mood.

“There once was this young, handsome and,”

I showed them a length between my index fingers.

“… well build man.”

Some of them nod with approval, some squinted with jealousy.

“He happened to be a prince. A prince that liked to swim in the sea and sun himself on the nearby rocks. And I happened to be bored enough at that time to go surfing the waves. Fate wanted I saw him standing to attention and… got charmed enough to measure his performance.”

Laughing among the crew, more rum in my cup.

“One thing led to another. He charmed me with his words and his stamina. I ditched my tail so we could try a different angle. After a while he asked me to live with him in his castle. I agreed. Fancy dresses, expensive jewelry and parties to the break of dawn kept me entertained. I could live like that. I even considered the proposal he’d been making time and time again.”

Another thoughtful sip.

“All was fine until one day when I discovered he’d been plowing half the castle behind my back. Whores, maids, visitors, goats. Whoever would be at hand when he felt the need. Even the gardener. I suddenly realized while the poor man been walking funny all this time. And I wished to have nothing of that. I wanted to go back home but he captured me and…”

I showed them my wrist.

“Put this dam curse on me. I cannot change back into my original form. “

The aaah of understanding and a new bottle went through the crowd.

“He kept me under key and used whenever he felt like it. Instead of the newlyweds chambers I ended up in a dungeon. And I would rot there for the rest of my life had it not been for the gardener. He brought me an ancient artefact that could teleport the user to wherever one wished. Or so the wench he bought it from told him. The long story short, I used it and It brought me here, wherever this here is. It might have also blown up the place when I left. Those portals are such unstable creations. ”

“Thus, here I am. At the mercy of you gentlemen. You may not be able to break those chains but please, I beg of you, deliver me to Fenira and I shall repay you in gold for your service.”

Can’t say what they thought of my take on the little mermaid fairytale but at the very least the pointy thingies were off my face and back where they belonged.

“A, well… That is a touching story lassie but… we are simple men and…”

After a quick conference with his officers, the captain once more faced me. Though his eyes had trouble focusing on my face.

“…well… Fenira… that is one far away port… and…”

“We don’t do credit!”

“Ay! You wanna sail? You pay! Infront! Gold!”

“Ay!”

The crew voiced what the captain could not.

“You see lassie, what those gentlemen are saying is, well… you don’t have any gold on you, do you? No? We are at least three moons away from that port. We have no reason nor ability to go there. I will not risk my ship or my crew for such voyage. Forgive me lassie but I just cannot.”

He doused his sorrows with a long gulp of rum, nearly emptying the bottle he held. Behind him, a solitary sail in state of disrepair fluttered in the wind. Odd. By no means this seemed to be a small ship but So far, I could only see one mast standing and the people gathered here could not be all that manned it. Could they?

“May I inquire what happened to your ship and your crew?

“Sea happened lassie. Sea happened. Cursed be the day I agreed to that’s man offer. Sure way to bring gold home. And investment he said. And what do I have to show for it? A ship that may not make it to any port and fifty souls left of a hundred and sixty I took on board.”

His eyes were tired.

“Be you a daemon lassie or not, I cannot fulfil your wish. Neither can I spare you any of our meager resources…”

He kept on talking but I did not listen. My eyes were focused on the one I hoped to never see again. The odd one stuck her tongue at me, leaning against one of the sailors. The man sweat profusely, even though some of his companions shivered in the wind. Black smoke seemed to be coming off his frame, but nobody noticed. I blinked and the odd one vanished the way she appeared, yet the smoke remained. Was that her doing or had she simply brought him to my attention?

“Lassie?”

The silver bracelet stuck on my wrist came to life with warm bright light and a pleasant hum that spread through my body, ignoring whatever seal my shackles placed on me. I remembered that song my lips sang for me as I locked the gate. It danced in my mind, getting louder and louder.

And the man felt it too. Each word that rang in my mind burned him with undying fire. Pushing people away from his path. He rushed at me, howling in a way even a mad beast would find frightening.

But he never reached me. In a flash of light my odd bracelet detached itself from my body and rushed to intercept the man. Where a moment ago a glowing piece of metal shined in the air, now a familiar staff hovered between me and the insane sailor. Unmoved, the Lantern stood between me and the foaming man while the crew run in terror. I reached out with my arm and the staff floated into my palm. With my hand locked around its shaft, I found strength I had not just a moment ago.

Using the Lantern as a support, I rose from the deck and faced the man engulfed in dark, reeking smoke. The creature howled while the staff made me remember. It felt as if something… no. Someone soft brushed her arm against mine. That presence? How come… Dosie. Her last words came to my lips.

“Mother of the holy light hear your children cry, for I am a lantern for your light to shine in the darkest day in the deadliest night. O mother, your light brings peace, conquers night, defeats death. O mother protect thy in your light… cleanse gloom from their bedeviled hearts.”

A bubble of light formed at the tip of my staff then quickly grew to engulf the entire ship. And it burned. Brighter than day, the light bleached the entire ship white and burned. Burned cleansing away dark shadows that spread all over the ship. The man standing before me fell to his knees and retched. Black putrid smoke came out of his mouth and vanished, burned away by the light. Many more people aside him shared his fate while the cursed idols I’ve seen before, burst into flames and disintegrated. Even the captain went to his knees and keck. And the light burned.

Below.

A though came to me as if the staff had a mind of its own. Unwilling, I let myself be guided and descended below deck. Here the light burned as well but even with greater intensity. Along the corridor, many people convulsed while shadows left them. Careful as not to step on anyone, I moved towards the door the light seemed to focus the most. Before I could reach the latch, the door exploded, sending splinters everywhere while among that cloud of shrapnel, a dark creature jumped at me. Not even its ash reached me as the light burned it mid-air before it came any closer.

Here.

An ominous purple stone lied amongst the remains a of a fallen person, spilling black smoke in attempt to save itself. And I knew what to do. I felt what was requested of me. I raised the lantern and let it fell upon the stone. The stone shrieked as it shuttered into dust and burned away in the light.

With the deed done, the strength left me and with it my consciousness.