“Ok are we truly this unlucky.” They found the second of potentially 4 ships. It was slightly larger with more people. But the quality of combatants was less. This one seemed to be more of a quantity over quality vessel. At first Xane was confused why they were even split up. They can’t track the eye without the Lord so why even attempt such a feat.

Then he remembered what else the boon said. Less easily lost in the Ocean of stars. So were they getting lost. From books he read about the place when he was bored it didn’t say anything about a confusing or maze-like quality. Though people did say they found themselves preferring to leave quickly. Xane asked Lyenn for more.

“Well I’m not sure. I haven’t been in this area that much. Vir calls it his domain so us ocean gods kinda just let him have it. Though I’m pretty sure when night falls it is pitch black and nearly impossible to see. But you already know that.”

Xane did but couldn’t think why this would be a problem. “Does this darkness not allow lights?”

She went on. “Ohhh yeah you probably don’t know. But pitch black here means no lights can affect that area except some pretty strong stuff. Pitch black is a name for magical darkness that consumes light. The caves you first found me in wasn’t true pitch black. But that was because it wasn’t in full strength. If that monstrosity wanted to, it could have.”

This was important information to know. Since the night was slowly creeping on them. It was already dark with an ever present ambient light. But slowly he saw a wall of darkness start to close on their position as the sun went down. “Brace for pitch black.” Xane yelled, pointing towards the darkness.”

It didn’t take long for the wave to slam into them. Yet it didn’t feel awful. Just a slight pressure. Everything went black.

Xane was stumbling around not able to see. He could hear normally and used that to find Calrin. Who was right next to him at the helm. They had put the sails up and dropped anchor so they wouldn’t crash. That could ruin the entire mission.

He called out to everyone. “Let’s head inside. Might as well have walls around us.” Staying out was a dumb idea. This was when the biggest monsters came out. They used echolocation and similar sensory abilities to bypass the weakness of the night time here.

Xane didn’t want to gamble with the boon just not working on something being high enough level to break through its protections. Nothing could stop that might. At least nothing on the Sierra’s Song could.

Luckily how the darkness worked was a pervasive field. Yet it couldn’t reach everywhere. Down below the strength was diminished allowing slight sight in the darkness. Xane took out a multitude of his crafted runed lights. He activated 15 in total.

Even with that it was barely enough. “Have any more of those?” Pyn asked. “Don’t very much care for all this.”

“Shut it you don’t get anything pirate.” Hatchet replied.

“Calm down. No need for that.” Xane tried. “I have a good amount but still would rather not spend them willy nilly.”

“Willy what?” Pyn said, perplexed. Xane could see him rubbing his small stache. “I knew a captain named Willy. You woul-”

Xane interrupted, “It's a saying where I come from.”

“And where is that? I can’t quite place your way of speaking. And you clearly learned those languages through a knowledge orb.” Pyn went on.

“Not important. Now I’m tired. Scream if you are dying.” Xane hadn’t slept in nearly 3 days. He could last that long if he wasn’t exerting himself. But the constant vigilance and fighting was wearing on him. In more ways than one. He was mentally exhausted.

He wished he was in Von’s shoes right now. Peacefully sailing in the safer waters in Zakor. Simple cargo runs. Xane fell on his bed. It had nice soft silks he bought in the market. It wasn’t cheap but it was worth it.

Von was not having a good time. Why did he have to open his big mouth? It was supposed to be easy. Just don’t talk. Pretend to be mute. Do simple shipment runs. Earn money.

That didn’t go as planned. He just couldn’t help it. Von was a captain at heart. He loved the water and the ships that sailed them. Xane had bought him a pretty common item called a knowledge orb. It had the common language that most spoke.

Now that he could understand the people of this world he wished he hadn’t. This world was as backwater as it got. They sailed wrong. Their ships were outdated beyond belief. And more importantly. The Captain of this vessel was a complete moron.

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The captain's name was Redrit. Von assumed last name. He was some highly decorated moron. Von again had to assume that since he had a last name he was some noble. Xane told him last names weren’t as common as on earth. And if he was a noble he might have been given this position by his parents.

This wasn’t the true problem. Von could handle idiots. It’s when the ship is attacked and said idiot takes out a weird medallion, crushes it and just disappears, is it a problem. Von was left with a motley crew of 8 elves and one other human-like species..

The other was a tall broad foul smelling man. But he was built as an ox. Truly built like an ox. He had the horns and everything. If Von was back on earth he wouldn’t have believed he was looking at a minotaur. But for all that he was kind. At least more than the elves were. Truly Von didn’t know why they let him join them with how little they interacted with him. His name was Red Horn. Something about goring something that dyed his horns red. It looked like it was a spattering of blood. Probably was.

The attack came out of nowhere. It was a bunch of fish people diving from the water and boarding the ship. They had nets and tridents. It was as if this fight scene was stripped straight out of a movie.

One of the elves was taken overboard as the net collapsed around her. She screamed, a splash cutting her off abruptly.

Others were faster. All including Von had swords strapped to their hip. Von for one hated it. That didn’t stop him from taking the sword out, readying it. He must have looked stupid with his awful stance. How he knew was simple. The fish person started to laugh. It was more of a gargle. But the sharp piranha teeth made it not a funny moment.

Von tried one more time to do the thing Xane told him about. He looked at the creature in hopes that some information would pop up. Nothing. Lyenn had told them that there was something called affinities. And that Von must not have the affinity for ocular skills.

Von’s staring must have made the thing mad as it gurgled/growled at him and lunged. Von wasn’t fast enough nor skilled enough to block the blow. Luckily there was a massive brute to help out. Red Horn slammed into the attacker right as the barnacle encrusted blade was about to slash across Von’s chest.

Von felt blood start to seep but a quick check should that it was superficial damage. Von tried to help. Red Horn though didn't need it as he started to pull the fish man apart. The comparatively weaker foe became two pieces as his head was pulled from his body.

“Got you Won.” Red Horn said his breath somehow stronger than the scent of the salt air and the iron blood.

“Thank you. And for the last time it's Von. With a V.”

“That’s what I said.” The confused minotaur said. “Wait, you can talk?”

Shit. Von had written down most things. It wasn’t that Red Horn was dumb. He just didn’t understand what he did or said was incorrect. Or refused to correct it. Von saw intelligence in those eyes. “ Yes I’ve been lying about that. Now let's not die.”

Red Horn looked at Von warely for another moment. He must have decided Von was chill or was waiting for a better time. Vonn was still more support than anything else. Calling out danger and the like. He lost his blade as he blocked a strike. The sheer force was enough to wrench it from his grip.

This time an elf with a crossbow made a bolt form for the fishmans head and it fell to the ground. From what Von learned it didn’t really matter how strong or how much health you had. Damage to the head was hard to live from.

After that Von focuses more on dodging and getting the forces together. The people he had been sailing with for the past 16 days were confused on why he was talking and how. The reason for the farce was that it took time for the knowledge orb to fully work. But the ship was leaving before it would. And admitting that one didn’t know common was fine. But not knowing any spoken language was risky. And so the lie was born.

Now that he was getting glances of suspicion he couldn't hold back. Why not go all the way. He reached down for his gun. To remember he didn’t have it. Ran out of bullets and he gave it to Von. He instead took out his knife. He did have knife training. His life before needing it. Sadly it didn’t translate towards sword fighting.

Von was more comfortable with this fighting style. His blade meeting oddly thick and scaly skin. He still didn’t enjoy it. The reason he took this ship in particular was that it was supposed to be on the safest route in the area. An attack every year or so.

Von was caught off guard as a net encompassed him. It came from overboard and perfectly caught him. As quick as it came Von was dragged over the edge. Today was truly a bad day.

Xane woke up to it still being dark out. The reason he woke up was that the entire ship was being violently shaken. And that he was now on the wall instead of his bed. A bunch of blankets and pillows next to him. He had woken up the moment he felt the sense of danger. Yet he couldn’t have expected to be walking on the wall.

Again the ship was turned and he was on the ceiling. What the hell is happening. Is the ship upside down. Am I still dreaming?

“You aren’t dreaming. This is real. You are on the ceiling.” to calmly replied Lyenn. She had been quiet after the talk with the priest. Only talking as if she wasn’t truly paying attention.

“Nice of you to pop in.” Xane said this as the ship was right side up again. It slammed into the water buoying about. He used this opportunity to run out of his room to find the others.

Xane used 4 of his glowing runned to light up his way. It was less darkness than before but still was hard to see. The ship though wasn’t big and easy to get around it. What he saw shocked him.

Calrin was laying on the ground a spike the size of an arm sticking out of his stomach. Pyn was dragging him away from the open door where an arm and clawed hand groped around inside. It stretched like it was made of elastic trying to get to the two. He couldn’t see Huntress and feared the worst.

“Don’t just stand there, help.” Pyn yelled, pulling Xane from his thoughts. Running over Xane could see many smaller looking spikes like quills in multiple places on Pyn. He looked as if he was about to fall asleep at any moment. Holding on by sheer force of will.

“What is happening? Where is Huntress and Hatchet?” Xane asked rapidly. He needed to know. It was at this moment he truly knew how much he cared for them.

“Huntress is over there.” He said pointing at one of the room doors. “I already got her to safety as Calrin tried to fight it off. As I went to help him he was downed with this spike in him. I started to pull him to safety when I too got struck. It keeps giving me a stacking debuff. The anti poisons aren’t working as well as they should be. Had to take an anti sleep potion. Even now-” He stopped talking, wavering.

Xane ushered him to the room with Huntress. Hatchet was in there yelling at Huntress to wake up. “If you don’t wake up I will chop your hand off. I’ll go for your favorite first.” When he noticed Xane he talked to him instead. “I don’t know what the hell is happening but you have to help. I can sense her falling deeper and deeper into unconsciousness. Not the sleep kind.”