“Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

It had been several days, and Vendak settled into what he considered to be his best life. The majority of the time he soaked up the sunlight like a terrifying sponge, or had one-sided conversations with Mara and a few others. Ven was a man of ritual, and each day he made his way to a few select beastfolk. He listened to their stories, or sat with them while they worked. Ven learned more about this world and slowly gained a sense of community again.

Ven and Mara stood by the railing as Mara attempted to catch a fish. Ven didn't bother with a fishing pole of his own. He was a better hunter with his hands. Instead, his focus was on his companion.

"My brother and I spent most of our lives traveling the open road," Mara flicked her line through the water, hands in a relaxed grip. "Guild work is hard, but it's fulfilling to help the people and maintain the peace." She frowned. "Although, getting captured by an Ori raiding party was never a part of our plans!" Mara jerked, a nibble on the baited hook.

Ven had learned a bit about these Ori, and found their way of life repugnant. This stupidly oversized ship was only a "small" transport, built to follow after the Ori raiders. They waited until the targeted town, or city, was sacked and then moved in. The "cargo vessel" crammed in as many warm bodies as possible, then the crew turned around and sailed home. Once they reached the Ori homeland, their cargo fueled the fires of the Ori slave trade.

"I wish Brull and I were strong enough to make a difference." The rode in her hand danced, back and forth. "The Earth-Deities at the top won't do anything to help." The fish failed to take hold, and Mara sat back, eyes set on the waves below. "Whole populations can fall into slavery, and they won't make a move."

Her animated tail thumped against the deck, and the planks creaked under the strain.

"Even the mysterious Goddess of the Sea pretty much lets the world burn." Mara lamented, her eyes narrowed as a sudden bite pulled her forward, taught line stretched to its limit.

"I bet if they got together, those old monsters could find a way to break the enslavement magic of the True Gods." She paused, giving a mighty heave as she reeled in her catch. "Instead, an uncountable number of people will never be free."

The fishing line sang, a high-pitched protest. Mara ground her teeth and held the rode firm.

"If you hadn't stopped us from reaching the Ori mainland, we would've gotten branded ourselves and..." Mara muttered, her words changing into a yell as the line snapped. She launched backward, a mess of twine and fur, while Ven frowned at her words.

My Empire had criminal slaves, even Earth's modern countries used the prison population as cheap labor. These Ori took the concept to a new extreme. From what I can tell, they fill all the lesser jobs with slaves.

Only high-ranked members of their military and practitioners of the Imperial Church had any real responsibilities. The rest lived lives of decadence and excess.

I'm more concerned with the enslavement rune Mara mentioned.

There were rumors that the despotic Ori had semi-divine slaves under their control, bound by the runic magic of the 'True Gods.'

I'd rather die, permanently if necessary, than be enslaved.

He was helpless enough with his current forced revival. The thought that, one day, his system would reveal a sinister purpose hovered over him. It lived like a worm in his mind, and had only grown since his first rebirth. He helped Mara to her feet, an assistant as she disentangled her limbs.

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I'll need to be more cautious in the future, as much as I can anyway.

His past experiences had made him cynical about playing the hero, but he still had bottom lines he refused to compromise.

"Thanks, Ven," Mara said, still embattled with the stubborn twine. "Most of the fish around here are beyond us. Brull and I are only peak Martial Masters."

Her words grew quiet, more reflective.

"We always avoided the open ocean in the past..."

Mara snapped out of whatever memory had trapped her, and a bright smile returned to her face like the sun.

"Unless you've got a ship like this one, you need to be at least at the Nirvana tier before heading out here."

Ven patted Mara's furry head in response to her thanks, and looked out into the clear blue waters.

I think that smile of yours is a mask, little cat. I recognize one of my own.

Other than what he'd learned about the Ori, Vendak also gained some knowledge about the world. The people here were not much better off than in his last life, and tragedies like this blood steeped ship were common

Mara keeps mentioning these Earth Deities. Maybe once I'm strong enough I can force some answers out of them.

His vision tinted a bit red, and he took a deep breath, one that forced his anger to recede. The red tide faded back into its familiar place, just below the surface and never out of touch.

This place is filled with resources, and with such bounty, no one should be forced into such situations.

Ven stretched out his back, and placed his concerns over hidden powers and divine beings into the back of his mind. He waved a bit at Mara, then pointed towards the ocean.

"Oh, you're going in?" Her smiling mask flashed, her real grin revealed for a moment before it vanished, a hint of dawn on a cloudy day. "Alright, make sure you catch a big one for supper!" She placed her fishing gear aside, "I'll head over to the kitchen and let them know that fresh meat is on the way."

A glare flashed between her and the disobedient string. She sighed and left it entangled, a mess for the future.

"Maybe I'll pop in and let the Royals know as well, I love seeing their faces pale whenever I mention you."

The real smile returned once more, this time with a vindictive twist that drew a cool hand down Ven's spine.

"Stealing the Captain's cabin away from the twins really left an impression on them, they keep pestering old Otto, trying to get him to deal with you." She shook her head, laughing as she walked toward the hold.

Mara sure gets a kick out of using me to torment the dragon-kin.

He'd left the prince and princes alone, other than his minor theft. Their guardians were not so lucky. By Mara's words, Ven was a "Semi-Divine" and stood equal to the twin's father, so he had no fear of the group at all. He used the trio as continued practice and mastered a toss that only penetrated a single wall.

I've thrown that big guy so many times now, I bet I could use him as a ranged weapon.

This was not only fun, but he no longer worried about accidentally murdering his opponents.

Vendak looked up into the sky. The white orb baked him in its delicious warmth, and the ocean breeze danced, feather-like, across his face. His hair, braided by Mara into a single long rope, twitched as he tilted his head back and sucked in a deep rush of afternoon air.

The sea is beginning to smell like home.

This nose was far more sensitive than his old one, hundreds of unique odors threaded and twined, a complex world Ven had never known. The cook fires of the galley reeked of an acrid smoky tang, a barbeque that never ended. It contrasted sharply with the scent of fish and salt, the rotted aftertaste of the ocean around him, and the sweat of the crew.

I can even smell individual people now, Mara, Brull, Otto...

The cat-kin twins were the most recognizable. The pair smelled almost identical, something unusual, at least from his limited experience.

Whatever, maybe all beastfolk siblings smell identical? He straightened his back, placed his hands on the rail ahead, and plunged over the side of the ship. Time to catch some big ass fish! Ven cut a smooth arc as he slid into the water's surface like a sharp blade.

Around him, a huge school of yellow-green fish scattered away, as if they faced their most fearsome predator. Over the past few days, he had gained a taste for the big, tuna-like fish, ever since he'd used them to test if he could eat.

If he caught their scent, Ven would dive into the waters and seize a few for the kitchen staff. Ever since they found out I love fish they really pulled out the stops. His nights were filled with dish after dish, and as long as he caught more, it was endless.

The fishing also seems to have helped me in other ways. The stored foods were not very palatable and Ven always made sure to catch enough for the whole ship to enjoy.

Everyone seems to be warming up to me, all because of some fish.

He saved their lives but food won them over in the end. Maybe I really have found my people... In fairness, this was not very difficult since every fish he came across was big enough to feed a village.

Ven snatched out with casual grace, his sharp talons plunged deep into the skulls of two semi-truck-sized fish, their weight a small burden for the energy that coursed through him.

I need to learn more about my origins, this body is way too weird.

So much power, in such a slender body. His legs drove behind him, the water turned to foam, and he lept back on board carrying the two impaled fish.

In a flash, Ven was surrounded by a group of cheering young beastfolk. He shook himself and drenched the laughing children with a healthy dose of seawater. The two fish dropped to the deck, and the young ones dragged it towards the kitchen, working as a team to shift the oversized fish.

The people of this world are very strong, these kids could beat any human of Earth.

Ven let his shadowy aura finish drying and cleaning his body. He wasn't quite certain about the process, but if he focused, the energy from the water and other grime on his body would be pulled away. It would flake off like a fine mist. Even the salt eventually turned to a fine grey powder that disappeared in the wind.

If I can make it work in combat, or even on stuff besides drying myself... If he could speed the process up significantly, he might reduce anything he touched into strange silvery ash.

" Greetings Ven! A good haul today I see," a gruff voice sounded out. "We'll still have most of the preserved food on board left over, what with the number of fish you and Mara have been catching every day."

Ven turned, his masked face lit with an easy grin.