The port of Svartik faded into the distance, and the familiar, yet foreboding landscape of the darklands enveloped him once more. The water here, flowing at a speedy current, turned into a deep blue, a stark contrast to the dirtier, greener water around the port bay area where the water was still. It was also a mark that he was nearing the Dolkenrif, a treacherous reef filled with stalagmite-like coral formations that jutted out of the water, sharp as daggers and long as spears. Only iron-clad boats, like the StormFisker, stood a chance of making it through without being torn apart. Legends spoke of stone-shaping mermaids who guarded the reef, using their powers to manipulate the coral and capture unwary sailors.

Time to see what the fish have created for a maze this time, Aufhocker thought to himself. He had gone through here before, but the coral was never the same. Aufhocker's eyes darted around, searching for a somewhat open path through the maze of coral. "That's it," he muttered to himself, gripping the helm tightly. "Not gonna get a better chance than that, I fear."

He carefully maneuvered the StormFisker, the iron hull scraping against the coral with a grating sound that hurt the ears and surely alerted anything nearby. He kept his gaze fixed on the water, looking for the slightest change in the current that might indicate the presence of stalking mermaids.

Suddenly, a ripple in the water caught his attention. With barely the time to react, a figure burst from the surface—a mermaid, its eyes glowing a lantern-like green, its scales a blue-greyish hue, with gripping witch-like hands and shark-like rows of teeth. It screamed out some horrid hex, and a coral stalagmite shot out towards Aufhocker, hitting the top side of the boat's bow and destroying the wooden panel.

"Shit," Aufhocker let out quickly as he tried to find his balance. "How about I poison your water in return, you filthy fish," he said, grabbing a large bottle of his own produced venom from his backpack and throwing it toward a stalagmite near the mermaid. As it cracked on the rock-like coral and flowed into the water, it immediately started foaming and bubbling while making snapping sounds, spreading quickly.

"Have fun swimming," Aufhocker said mockingly.

The mermaid, caught in the venomous substance, let out a shriek of pain but, instead of fleeing, turned and rushed towards the boat in desperation.

"Oh no," Aufhocker said as he quickly grabbed his boathook. The mermaid jumped up and into the boat, flailing its claw-like hands around in pain. But with her limited reach and mobility, she posed no real threat anymore. Aufhocker, grabbing tightly onto his boathook, swung it sideways towards the head of the mermaid, the side hook hitting the skull and puncturing it. The flailing arms went down, and the lantern-like light of its green eyes dulled and faded out. As its lifeless body fell, it made a thunk sound hitting the wooden floor.

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With one foot on her head, Aufhocker ripped out the boathook with some difficulty, it came out covered in a slime-like blood. "Blegh," Aufhocker remarked at the sight, going on to put it into the water to clean it. "Well, at least I won the fight proper, probably gets me quite a bit of experience," he said to himself. "But there is nothing of worth these mermaids have that I know of, perhaps some alchemists would know what to take from it, but I don't, and I'm not going to carry this corpse around either," he thought as he picked up the dead mermaid and threw it out of the boat. Its corpse slithered back into the depths from whence it came.

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With the immediate threat neutralized and any other stalking mermaids likely terrified, Aufhocker focused back on navigating through the remaining coral formations. The StormFisker scraped and groaned against the coral, but the iron-clad hull held strong. The treacherous reef slowly gave way to open water, the deep blue expanse spreading out before him, marking the end of the Dolkenrif. His shoulders lowered, and he took a deep breath, knowing this area was mostly safe. As he looked upon the sky, he decided to spend the night here, lest he risk traversing the whirlpools of the Schuimruggen at fading light.

He threw a small anchor overboard, feeling the reassuring tug as it caught hold. Lowering the sail, he made sure the StormFisker was securely moored, the iron-clad hull gently rocking in the calm waters. He pulled out a small covering from the stowage and draped it over the top of his boat, creating a makeshift shelter from the rain. To ensure his safety, he set up a trap crossbow at the door to the stowage, the trigger rigged to fire at any unwelcome intruder.

Satisfied with his preparations, Aufhocker settled into the stowage next to his crates of ashen-steel. From his pack, he retrieved a small pouch of smoked bat wings and a bag of cave carrots and black mushrooms, delicacies for a Skjulrtekr like himself. He carefully laid out the bat wings on a small plate, their crispy texture and smoky aroma filling the air. Then he went on to make a cold stew from the cave carrots and black mushrooms, breaking and milling them fine in a wooden bowl and then adding some water. The stew was thick and savory with the spices playing in the mouth, while the bat wings gave a crunchy, coaly taste and the small bones made snapping sounds as he bit into them. It was a meal he could only enjoy in this form. Indeed, it was alien-like experience for any player of Breccia at first that they could enjoy this, but soon their race became their second nature.

With his hunger sated, Aufhocker leaned back against the crates, feeling the comforting presence of his precious cargo. He took a moment to check the trap crossbow one last time, then pulled a rough woolen blanket over himself. The rhythmic lapping of the water against the hull and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures lulled him into a sense of security.

As the night deepened and Aufhocker drifted into a fast sleep, his thoughts meandered through the labyrinthine pathways of his mind, contemplating the waters ahead, the contract, and his elusive employers. The StormFisker bobbed quietly on the open water, a lone vessel in the vast expanse, sheltering its captain through the dark night.

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