“Oh, you’re up early today, aren’t you?” Tizare greeted her as Mariel approached him. The temperature was high despite the cool ocean breeze regularly blowing past them. The dockside was as usual filled with people going about their daily business. Fishers were busily advertising their freshly caught haul, while merchants and dockworkers bickered over transportation fees or the weight of the freight crates being loaded onto the myriad of ships moored along the wharfs.

“Huh? Tizare? Why are you wearing that mask?”

“Well… With the whole going on a ship, me and Saya will pose as your personal guards. It’ll make us less suspicious, if you can keep the act… With us being humans on the demon continent and all…”

She nodded. “Where are the others?”

“Yet to arrive… I was expecting you to be the tardy one but I take it you’re pretty excited about this trip?” He remarked while picking up the big rucksack on the ground next to him. He explained it contained food and other supplies in case of an emergency.

“We’ll be on a boat… What coul…” She began but was immediately cut off.

“That kind of talk usually invites disaster, so please… Oh? Morning Saya, you’re late!” They turned to greet Saya whom approached them with heavy, angry steps.

“What’s wrong?” Mariel asked.

“That guy over there.” She pointed to Tizare. “He hid my clothes!”

“I didn’t!” He tried to deny his guilt, but his voice cracked into laughter, his expression soon changed as Saya rushed up to him and planted her fist into his gut.

“Guuh!” He groaned as the hit made him stumble backwards in pain.

“You deserved that… Scumbag.”

“I am glad you all make so much noise… I don’t even need eyes to find you in this place… Good morning by the way.” Casindire arrived next to Mariel her voice tense with anticipation.

“Well now that we’re all here… The ship is docked over there, that big one at the end of the pier.”

They headed towards a big sailing vessel, docked at the very end where the water was deepest: A well-kept brig currently in the process of being loaded with cargo. Big crates and cages were being hauled aboard by hand through the concerted effort of half a dozen humans, all in chains.

“Slaves.” Mariel noted to the others.

“I can hear them… They’re complaining about the heat.” Casindire kept turning her head. “There’s also a lot of talking about shifting winds and currents?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” Tizare pushed a pouch of coins into Mariel’s hand. “Now be a good little madam important and get us aboard without incident.”

Nervously, Mariel took the lead. As she approached, the boat master appeared more and more imposing and frightening. By the time they reached him, her hands had turned sweaty.

“Hoy good people! Are you looking to move goods or yourselves?” The boat master, a grizzled old sailor wearing an equally grizzled uniform held out his big hand in greeting. Mariel took his hand and felt as if the bones in her hand were slowly being ground to dust from his mighty grip.

Upon being released, she tried to hide her pain and smiled.

“I seek passage to Adriested…” She began, making an artistic pause just as her voice was about to crack. “For myself, my two bodyguards and my servant.”

The boat master examined the others carefully. Spending an extra amount of time staring at Casindire, whom from his undeniably large presence caused her to shrink.

“I see… Your bodyguards are welcome aboard… But your servant isn’t… I won’t allow any humans aboard… They bring only misfortune and ill omens.” His harsh words made Casindire shrink further.

“I insist that she comes along.” Mariel began, but was immediately interrupted by the master whom leaned closer to her and placed his mighty arm around her.

“If you’re willing to provide a generous offering to Sroki, I’ll present it in return for safe passage, despite your obvious token of misfortune.” He then grinned, revealing a distinct pattern of missing teeth.

She was about to ask him about Sroki, but figured from the context that Sroki was a god or goddess.

“Yes… My lady. The sir is wise to give offerings to Skaldbar…”

The master snorted and set his sights on Casindire once more. “Make it triple… Now I have to pray for forgiveness for a blasphemer as well as safe passage…” He followed up his dramatic speech with a gesture of apology. “I’ll also have her locked in a cage.”

“C-ca…” Casindire’s outburst quietly petered out and she began to clamp up.

“Fine.” Mariel said, to the others’ visible surprise. “But I want the key, the right one. And that the cage is kept in my cabin.”

“In that case you’ll want the slaver’s cabin… That’ll cost you extra.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Agreed. Now allow us to board before I waste any more coins…” A hint of distaste coloured her words.

The boat master laughed roughly and graciously led them aboard the ship’s main deck, cluttered with crates, barrels and chests. The ship’s crew was busy organizing directing the cargo into the holds in the ship. The boat master led them down a set of stairs and pointed at a door at the end of the corridor.

“That’ll be your cabin lady…” He prepared to leave, but Mariel stopped him.

“The keys?”

Grumbling, he tossed her a set of keys on a ring. “The big one is for the door, the small one fits the cage. I advise you to keep your servant close at hand. That is… Unless you’d like her put to… Shall we say, comfortable use?” He then laughed and headed back up on deck.

They entered the cabin to find a cramped cabin, the air heavily laden by the smell of its former occupants. Despite its size, it was fully furnished with a small desk, a set of two cages sizeable for an adult to barely fit into sitting upright, a big wooden platform functioning as a bed and a small metal strongbox.

“This’ll be… Intimate.” Tizare smiled while nodding with marked approval.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be standing guard outside… Permanently, all in favour raise your hands!” Saya immediately called his presence to a vote, and he immediately got unanimously voted out.

“Darn…” Tizare, whom faked an expression of sadness headed outside, slamming the door for good measure.

“Ah… Mariel? Will you open a cage for me?” Casindire asked, her voice trembling.

“… I wasn’t serious, I’m not going to put you in a cage, no matter what.”

“Open one… Please.”

Baffled by this, Mariel unlocked one of the two cages and Casindire immediately crept inside one and shut the door on her own.

“Now lock me up… This whole idea is madness.” She took a deep breath and tried to bring forth her calmest voice. “Right now I’m more terrified of the people on this ship, than sinking or any other misfortune… So, please lock the door and let me have the key?”

“Just give it to her Mariel, it’ll do her good.” Saya interjected and Mariel passed along the key to Casindire whom immediately hugged it close to her chest.

“That’s nice… This feels perfectly safe. Nobody can get to me in here…” She hugged her knees and remained completely still.

“Let’s go up on deck and see when the ship weighs anchor.” Saya led Mariel outside and told her to lock the door securely behind her, before both turned towards the stairs leading up.

“Think she’ll be fine in there alone?” Mariel asked.

“Yes, it’s no doubt easier for her to concentrate on one small area… She’s probably overwhelmed, and being on a ship for the first time in her life probably doesn’t make it any easier… She’ll leave the cage on her own, I hope.”

Back on deck, they found that most of the crates and cargo had been safely stowed away in the ship’s hold, and the sailors were busy hoisting the sails and pulling in the mooring ropes. Soon the craft rocked slightly, and was underway, turning away from the harbour altering its course towards the open sea. Overhead the gulls kept pace with the ship, and occasionally sat down on the main mast arms to rest.

“This is nice…” Saya leaned against the railing, looking back at the town as it became smaller and smaller.

“I know, right? We’re lucky with both the weather and the wind, I guess we’re making good time.” Their enjoyment was cut short by an argument.

“No, I suggest you stop asking questions before you get hurt.” Tizare’s voice growled at the other one, a sailor.

“I can tell… You’re not one of us… Why’re you here?” The sailor retorted, his voice sounding strangely familiar.

“What’s the matter?” They approached, and immediately both parties turned to face them.

“It’s this one, he’s… Huh? Mariel?”

“Siravin?”

Immediately, Siravin broke out of his argument, and immediately came over and embraced Mariel, to her surprise.

“It’s you…”

“Um, Siravin, I’m glad to see you too, but I don’t think we… Know each other well enough for this kind of greeting.”

Immediately he let go of her and backed up. Tizare, whom had at first been surprised by the development, stepped in-between the others and Siravin in a protective stance.

“You know this… Demon, Mariel?” Saya whom had so far remained uninvolved, had decided to ask.

“He’s the guy I’ve been looking for… Tizare and Saya, this is Siravin… Siravin this here is Saya, and that’s Tizare.”

“Step away from him Mariel. I can tell… They’re nothing but bad news.”

“No! He’s not, you can trust him Siravin… He’s saved my life once already.”

“An elaborate scheme to make you trust him no doubt.” He retorted, snarling visibly.

“Will you listen to your ‘acquaintance’ you thick-skulled moron?” Tizare, clearly fed up rolled his eyes and sighed in resignation. A few moments passed in which the tension felt on the brink of boiling over. Eventually Siravin relented and though carrying a sour expression, he too relaxed his stance.

“Oh, they stopped bickering.” Saya, failed to hide her amusement, and made a snarky comment, while shaking her head at display.

“So, how did you get here?” Mariel and Siravin asked the other in unison. Immediately Siravin gestured for her to go first.

“I fell into the mountains close to the port… A whole lot of things happened, and I encountered these two. Oh, and we’re on this boat because a host of demon hunters have landed on this continent.”

Seeing that Siravin remained clueless, she explained to him the events preceding their reunion. From the first days in the mountains, falling ill and meeting many new people. She then went on to explain how she had encountered Tizare and Saya, and introduced Casindire to him, despite her not being present. A while later she ended her tale and asked him his version.

“I fell out of the sky into the sea and was plucked out by this vessel bound for the port we just sailed from. That’s really all there is to it.” He told her, keeping up his guard against Tizare whom was clearly smirking behind his mask.

“Hey! Break it up down there! Siravin! I need you to inspect the B cargo hold! The ship is leaning two degrees to port!” The boat master bellowed from the command deck.

“I’m on it!” He hollered back.

“I’ll visit you later.” He then left in a hurry.

“Mariel… You really… Really have a strange way of happening across the strangest of people…” Tizare put his arm around her shoulders while shaking his head.

“Like us you mean?” Saya interjected.

“Like us… And him… So, what’s the key here? He’s your friend? Partner?” He asked, intent leaking through his teeth.

“I know him, and he’s the apprentice to a friend of my family.”

“Awh… And here I was expecting some hot, delicious details…”

“Nothing like that, just know that he’ll be coming along when we disembark.”

“Good thing we won’t… Waaait… Oh no you don’t. We’re not bringing him along as well!”

“Yes we are… He’s coming along.”

“No, no way. He’s incredibly dangerous and a liability to our goal.”

“Why? Because he’s a demonkin?” Mariel put her hands on her hips and her expression soured. At the same time, Saya also put her dagger-like stare on Tizare.

“N-not at all, he’s just… Dangerous.”

“Okay, let’s vote, all in favour of taking him along, raise your hands.” Saya called another vote, and like the previous voting, ended in favour of the women, with one abstention.

“I’m never going to win, am I? I regret the whole voting idea…” Tizare resigned. “And why are you only taking Mariel’s side Saya?!”

“Guess.” She rolled her eyes and spat in the sea.

“Hey. maybe if you start suggesting something useful, or befriend Siravin, you’ll stand a chance.” Saya and Mariel exchanged some meaningful glances to his great dismay.