Huddled together towards the stern of the boat, nobody said a thing as the docks of Cypherport slowly grew smaller. Remaining still and silent, all but holding their breaths as the currents of the river slowly drew them away, their hearts pounded in their chests as they waited in tense anticipation for anything to happen. Nika had her sniper rifle unpacked and ready to use, but none of the shrinking figures walking along the waterfront seemed to pay them any heed as they drew further and further away.
The bustling cacophony of Cypherport slowly faded, giving way to the subtle creaking of the wooden hull and gently lapping of the water, and soon even the lights of the town began to fade away.
Seconds stretched into minutes as the boat glided silently away, its movements slow and deliberate as the crew of River Giants made subtle adjustments to steer them on the best course downstream. With each passing moment, Jack felt a sense of relief wash over him, their anxiety giving way to cautious optimism as he began to believe that they had actually evaded detection.
As the lights of Cypherport disappeared behind the treeline, Jack turned his head to look at the others, only to find that he could only barely see their silhouettes, very faintly highlighted by the lights of the ever-vanishing town. Looking up, he saw no moon or stars that he might have expected to see from Earth, or the ever-shining lights of the city at home, but instead there was just nothing, as the huge solar plate slowly moved above them in orbit, blocking everything from view, leaving them all in total darkness.
The complete absence of light felt strange and unnatural to Jack, who hurried to put on his Shades of Seeing, even as the others began to stir and allow themselves to relax.
“I think we got away…” Nika finally whispered. “Chiyo? Sephy? I can’t see shit.”
“Nothing electronic around, apart from us,” Sephy whispered back.
We got away. Chiyo confirmed shakily.
“By the gods…” Alora breathed a sigh of relief.
“Dante, are you alright?” Jack asked the ‘dog’, giving them a gentle pat as they shakily looked up at him from where they were curled up.
“Woof!” The dog quietly barked to confirm, sensing that it wasn’t a time to be loud.
“Reckon we could get away with a light?” Nika called out.
“I’d wait for a few minutes unless you really need it, lass!” Captain Ripples-On-Salt calmly whispered back. “My crew knows these waters well enough to get us well away, if that’s alright?”
“Very well, I don’t think anything is urgent,” Alora acquiesced.
“How the hell did they know we’d be there?” Jack asked, voicing the unspoken concerns of everyone there now that the adrenaline had worn off.
“Did Mr Johnson set us up for this shit?” Sephy asked pointedly. “He was the only one that could have known, right?”
“Not necessarily.” Nika pointed out. “Anyone at the Corvin distribution centre could have tipped them off - you saw how quickly they found us last time!”
The Order of the Infernal Harmony are notorious for their network of informants, Chiyo told them. They’ve also made it easy for people to contact them with any tips they have, and pay them generously.
“Isn’t it kinda weird they partnered with that crazy asshole though?” Sephy asked, before shrugging. “Okay, they clearly needed the extra muscle, but it looked to me like that guy was calling a lot of shots…”
That’s a very good point, Sephy, Chiyo agreed, looking towards the Skritta as if something clicked in place. It was the same thing when The Redeemer came for us down the motorway. He was the one that came on a gunship, and I don’t remember any other shot-callers.
“Most of those assholes at the motorway looked like run-of-the-mill mercs,” Nika pointed out. “Maybe the Regulators thought putting the word out would let people do the dirty work for them. There were definitely a few of them with The Redeemer, though he was definitely in charge.”
“Wasn’t he an ex-member of the Church of Siros or something?” Jack asked.
“Yep! That’s why I scanned him, they’re gonna want to know!” The Kizun told him, and though none of the others could physically see it, Jack saw the wide grin on her face. “Gods! If we make it through this in one piece we won’t need to work for a long while!”
Don’t jinx it! Chiyo warned. And yes, though I don’t know the details, he left the Church of Siros relatively recently, and while he could have joined the Order of the Infernal Harmony, it’s a strange matchup. I assumed it was some kind of partnership.
“What? To kill me?” Jack asked, holding one of his wrists with the other to try and calm down the familiar shakes from plaguing him. “I remember when I first saw him on TV, he seemed to call out everyone.”
“And likely focused on you after you shot down his gunship,” Alora spoke up. “But I agree, it’s very strange, though I doubt we’ll discover the full answers.”
“Hey, at least you got him good.” Nika patted Jack on the back.
“He wasn’t the only one though,” Jack retorted, trying and failing to hide the fear in his voice. “You finished off the martial artist, but there were others…”
“I think we killed most of them,” Sephy reassured Jack. “Once I got their slicer I flipped the turrets. Anyone previously marked as ‘friendly’ that wasn’t near anyone else would have been blasted. But fucking hell, that Vivren was scary!”
“Yeah I met her.” Jack shuddered, remembering the terrifying visage. “She hit me and Dante with some kind of Cruciatus Curse bullshit. I was able to shake it off, but Dante was suffering before I smacked the bitch. Did you kill her?”
“No.” Sephy shook her head. “She tried to take me out when I was on the balcony, but I got past her to get out and kill the slicer. Did anyone else get her on your way out?”
“I was the last one out and she was still alive,” Nika confirmed. “Pretty sure I saw a Vecqen still up as well, maintaining a forcefield.”
Damn it! I faced her, she was very powerful! Chiyo cursed. Not someone I ever want to face again. Her name was Slarah.
“Sorry Chiyo, I never saw her,” Jack apologised at potentially leaving a loose end. “Pretty sure they called the bitch with the spiked flail ‘Lictor.’”
“That’s not her name, that’s a title,” Alora whispered.
“Guess we sorta know who the leader of the Order of the Cumguzzling Dickwads is then.” Sephy sighed.
“Jack, what was this ‘Crusi…Crus….” Alora asked, before Jack realised what she meant.
“Sorry, Earth reference.” He chuckled despite the situation. “Some kind of torture spell.”
“Just as I thought.” He saw Alora nod in vindication. “Jack, do you remember the last lesson we had with Sister Jieta?
“Yeah, with evil gods right?” Jack confirmed. “Wait, you think she’s with that pain god? The one with the weird name? Ban…Baaa?”
“Bal-Xuthuul” Alora corrected him. “Must have been. The Church of Siros have a burning hatred for the Tyrant of Torment, it would make sense why they’re after The Redeemer with such fervor if he’s working with a Xuthite Cleric…”
“Pretty sure the Church of Siros has a reputation for hating everything and everyone that isn’t them or doesn’t comply with their puritan beliefs,” Sephy pointed out.
“It’s not quite as bad as that.” Alora argued. “But in this case, I can’t really blame them. A cleric that powerful and the leader of a Regulator Order must have been someone they’re aware of.”
“Guess we’ll find out when we let them know about The Redeemer.” Nika shrugged. “But as much as I hate loose ends, I don’t think we left many standing. We definitely managed to turn that around. It could have been much worse!”
“Yeah…” Jack agreed with a nervous sigh.
I found out that the Order of the Infernal Harmony only has about 50 members, Chiyo pointed out. With most of their strength being their informants…
“You think we wiped them out?” Nika asked with a grin.
We certainly decimated them to at least two officers, one being the leader, Chiyo reasoned. They would need major resources in order to rebuild and retrain their numbers, and considering the Lictor’s choice of faith, as well as her choice of company, that may be impossible for them.
“They had resources to come after us to begin with,” Jack pointed out, sounding worried. “Do they have a hideout or something we can blow up to make sure they don’t come back?”
“I think if their base of operations was known, they would have been targeted long before you even arrived here!” Alora giggled, as the tension in the air continued to fall.
“You say that…” Sephy spoke up, and Jack could almost hear the smile on the Skritta’s face. “But you forget that I got their slicer!”
“You got his data!” Nika exclaimed.
“Yup!” Sephy cackled. “Gives me something to do for the journey!”
“About that…” Jack began, as the group fell silent again. “What do we even do now? Is the job still on? Can we trust these guys?”
I believe we can - based on what they said before we were ambushed, I think they were fooled by the Regulators. Chiyo told the rest of the group. If they knew who we’d be meeting they could scam them into believing we were late. Based on what we researched at the library, Giant species aren’t always exactly the strongest of mind, and their auras indicate as such.
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“I agree,” Alora added. “And the job’s still on. The only other option is to trek back to Naganai on foot or look for whatever transport the Regulators arrived on, but that leaves us with a failed job and a potentially angry Corvin Enterprises”
“Fair enough.” Jack nodded. “I guess we were pretty locked in when we boarded the shuttle anyway, and even if the Regulators do know where we are, they don’t have the means to come after us, right?”
“Right.” Nika nodded, giving Jack a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she did. “You’re taking it better than expected.”
“I guess I’m just getting used to this kind of shit.” Jack chuckled humorlessly. “Somehow getting used to surviving it too!”
“Alright, that should be enough!” Captain Ripples-On-Salt spoke up at a more relaxed volume so everybody could hear him. “Crew, let’s set up the lights for night travel!”
“Aye, captain!” A small chorus spoke up quietly as the group propped themselves up into a more comfortable sitting position while the crew of River Giants gently paced around the boat, lighting a series of lanterns, braziers and candles strategically placed around the ship, the flickers of light dancing like fireflies in the wind, and there was just enough of a glow for them to see immediately around them, though Jack noticed several metal stands with what looked like spotlights around the boat that weren't being lit.
“We won’t need the main lights just yet while we’re in these calm waters,” the captain told them as though he knew what Jack was thinking. “Just enough for us to be comfortable.”
“Is there anywhere we can set up camp?” Alora asked.
“Sure! This way!” The captain exclaimed gregariously as he led the way, with the group tentatively following, still not fully trusting him.
As the lights were being lit all along the boat, Jack could see that it was a surprisingly rustic-looking thing, crafted from weathered wood and reinforced with metal bands to withstand the rigours of river travel. Considering the technological wonders of the city, it threw him for a loop that they were travelling on such a primitive vessel by comparison.
Despite this though, the boat seemed to have an undeniable charm about it, with its huge rough-hewn planks bearing the weathered scars of many journeys, so he hoped that meant it would be reliable enough for their journey.
The main deck of the huge boat at the bow was spacious and open, providing more than enough room for the River Giants to move about freely as they navigated about the ship to carry out their duties, with thick ropes and sturdy pulleys crisscrossing all about to allow the crew to manoeuvre the ship with relative ease, though Jack doubted that even he had the combined size and strength to manipulate them without causing himself injury. He even saw a thick mast to allow the crew to hoist sails, though it was currently rolled up for now.
To Jack, the boat seemed deceptively simple in design compared to anything else he had seen so far, even on Earth, with an emphasis on rugged functionality and practicality that complimented the sheer size of the vessel, rather than any complicated components or electronics that could fail. It made sense to him in a way. He doubted that the concept of an ‘SOS’ was common in these parts, so anyone working remotely would need to be as self-sufficient as they could manage.
They were led to the large building nearer to the stern, and were surprised to see how cosy it looked when they stepped inside, with several colourful woven tapestries and rugs adorning the wooden surfaces that gave the area a more ‘homely feel’, along with several giant sized armchairs, sofas and tables that all looked individually handmade. A large, freshly lit hearth occupied one corner of what Jack assumed was the ‘common room’, with its crackling flames casting a warm glow across the room.
“We’ve got an empty cabin below decks your group can use if you find that acceptable,” The captain told them as several of them moved closer to the fire. “We have pipes transferring some of the heat from the hearth around the quarters, but that will take a while. I can ask our quartermaster to fetch some blankets if you wish?”
“That’s quite alright, thank you.” Alora politely refused.
“Below decks? Nothing above?” Nika asked, sounding apprehensive.
“I’m sorry lass, on and above decks are rooms and facilities for the on-duty crew.” Captain Ripples-On-Salt sounded genuinely apologetic. “Helps keep everybody that’s not working out of the way!”
Nika quickly glanced to Chiyo, who met the Kizun’s gaze and nodded in confirmation.
“Very well then,” Alora spoke up. “Please, lead on!”
Descending the wide and sturdy single flight of stairs at the very back of the common room, the group found themselves in a dimly lit corridor lined with wooden doors, presumably each being a different cabin. The air was thick with the scent of damp and old wood, mingling with the faint aroma of oil and tar. Someone had already been down here to light the lanterns mounted on hooks along the walls, or perhaps they were already like this beforehand considering the size of the vessel, with the flickering flames casting dancing shadows along the wooden walls.
The floor beneath their feet was uneven and worn, with grooves and cracks worn into the planks from what Jack assumed were many years of use. As they walked along with the River Giant captain taking the lead, timbers creaked and groaned, echoing through the corridor and not exactly giving Jack any confidence in the durability of the vessel.
Finally they reached what was to be their cabin, taking a right turn and looping back around to a simple door with a brass handle tucked away at the end of the corridor.
“Alright…” The Captain began. “While I would not presume to order you about, especially after what just happened, I would highly recommend you remain below decks for now. I’ll have one of the crew notify you when it’s safer for you to be up and about. Most of the officers are asleep right now, but I’ll be sure to introduce you in the morning.”
“It will be as you say, Captain.” Alora nodded. “In that case we’ll take our rest now and leave you to do your duties.”
“Thank you, lass.” Captain Ripples-On-Salt smiled warmly. “My apologies for our tardiness, but we shall speak again with clearer heads in the morning. For now I’m going to resume my duties and make sure we make good progress. There’s a latrine marked on the door next to you if you need it.”
“Good night, Captain.” Alora smiled back as she led the group into the cabin and closed the door behind her.
As the group waited for a few moments, listening to the sounds of the captain departing, they looked around at their cabin. For the River Giants that worked on the boat it would have been considered modest, but for them it was quite specious, with a giant-sized straw mat tucked in one of the corners, a basic giant-sized wooden table and chair against the opposite wall, and a padded chair in another corner. A simple spare room that didn’t see much use.
It wasn’t much, but it would do.
“At least it has a roof.” Sephy sighed, shucking off her pack.
“Could be worse.” Alora agreed. “Could you…”
“Yeah, give it a few minutes and I’ll sneak around and plant a few micro-sensors around the ship.” Sephy nodded before pointing to the left-side wall. “Pretty sure on the other side of the wall is the river, so I guess we blow it up and escape through there if we really need to.”
“Would we even be able to swim in our armour carrying our stuff?” Jack asked doubtfully.
“Should have tested that at the Aquaplex!” Nika chuckled.
“Or the hot tub we have and still haven’t used!” Sephy lamented.
“That can be something we can look forward to for when we get back.” Alora told them with a smile. “And I’m sure we can think of other things we can do when we return! We can afford to go wild after all this is over, though we won’t be on a Run again for a while if we can help it.”
We may finish this with more money than we’ve ever had before! Chiyo agreed. But to answer your question, Jack, I have something that can stop us from drowning.
“The currents might fuck us though,” Nika pointed out, before suddenly realising something. “Damn! Should have brought some inflatables! We used them at the Aquaplex often enough!”
“Could have worked as beds too!” Jack realised with a snort of amusement.
“Maybe next time,” Alora agreed before quickly moving on, looking at her friends. “However, speaking of things we do and don’t have, we need to take a stock on inventory.”
“Did anyone bring any spare clothes?” Sephy asked. “Jack, you looked fucked!”
“I’m fine…” Jack began, before taking a good look down to his chest, taking a moment to realise that his Clan Bharzum armour was clearly visible even though he wore his clothes over them. He quickly shucked off his pack and cringed at the way the contents rattled, carefully placing it on the ground.
His black trenchcoat had been absolutely destroyed during the fight, barely scraps of ripped, charred dark fabric remaining around his back and shoulders. His tacticool trousers and dark tshirt had also taken some damage, with so many multiple holes and gashes ripped into them, the slightest breeze would turn them to ribbons.
At least his boots survived…
If it’s any consolation, Jack, those clothes were kinda bad anyway, Chiyo quipped, causing the group to break out in chuckles.
“They were tactical!” Jack retorted, trying his best to play along and smile. “What was wrong with them?”
“You literally stole them from Lost Property!” Alora pointed out. “How many decades were they there in the Prefect’s Lockup waiting to be picked up by you?”
“Well damn, looks like we’re going to have to go back there for replacements!” Jack joked with a grin, knowing the fashion-talk was winding the Eladrie up. “I remember seeing a bright orange Hawaiian shirt that I regret not taking with me!”
“Just buy new clothes!” Alora retorted with exasperation. “Or better yet, let me or Vanya buy them on your behalf so you don’t make a horrible mistake!”
“What horrible mistake? They were perfectly fine!” Jack argued, watching the others dying with silent laughter at the unusually heated Alora. “All black so I can be sneaky and lots of pockets for…stuff! It worked at the Shaskasaki warehouse!”
“You can still look good and be sneaky!” Alora pointed out.
“Why do I need to look good if I don’t want to be seen?!” Jack asked with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah, I’m gonna go plant the sensors now and get it over and done with!” Sephy grinned as she strode over to the door while activating her camouflaging coat. “No offence, Jack, but my wardrobe kicks your ass in the sneaky department!”
“That’s a fair point!” Jack chuckled, the conversation dying down once again as Sephy left. Deciding not to put it off any longer, Jack carefully unzipped his pack and began to take things out to check for damage, though fortunately it didn’t look as bad as he initially feared. Unfurling his hammock he could see a few char marks and holes, but he figured it was still usable, just not as a shelter. He did curse as he pulled out two drink cans they’d ‘acquired’ from the Corvin Enterprises shuttle ride, their contents spilling out all over his hands.
“Could have been worse.” Nika shrugged as she licked some burst drink powder off her finger. “Our clothes and packs have taken a few hits but not as bad as you. If you go through your stuff and see what’s crushed and busted, we can pick out what’s edible and use it now.”
“Mainly some biscuits and busted crisp packets.” Jack shrugged. “Definitely a good idea splurging out on a good pack, though I might need a new one after this.”
It still looks usable, Chiyo pointed out. Hessia can probably fix it when we get back, but in the meantime, could you use the remains of your clothes to keep your stuff dry?
“Yeah I probably could.” Jack nodded at the good idea. “But my hands are super sticky, the Captain said there was a latrine right?”
“I would hope there’s a way to wash your hands!” Alora shuddered.
There’s probably a bowl, Chiyo giggled. If not, just come back here and I’ll fix it!
Chuckling slightly, Jack got up and quickly exited the room without a word. The moment the door closed, the mask of casual happiness and pretending that everything was fine immediately dropped.
Saying nothing Jack rushed to the washroom as quietly as he could and shut the door behind him. Barely taking a moment to splash his hands in the giant-sized basin of water he quickly sat down as his legs matched the trembling of his hands that grew in intensity with each passing moment.
Clutching his palms tightly together in a vain attempt to control his shaking, he shuddered, bringing his head to his knees tightly in fear as he began violently hyperventilating, his breath coming out in short ragged gasps as his chest tightened, constricting his lungs, and the tears fell freely down his cheeks despite fighting hard to hold them back.
As flashes of the past hour came back to him over and over again, Jack rocked back and forth, holding himself tightly into a ball with trembling hands as he fought to try and think of something else as the sound of his heart thundered loudly in his ears, completely drowning out the sounds of the boat as he struggled to hold on, grappling with the overwhelming sense of dread that threatened to consume him whole.
‘Come on. You can’t lose it now! The others need you!’ Jack reminded himself, shutting his eyes tight as his vision began to blur and fought to pull himself back together. With a deep shuddering breath he tried to focus all of his remaining willpower on the sounds of the calm water lapping at the sides of the boat as his breathing slowly but surely became easier and he no longer felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Whatever was happening, it was only temporary.
He’d be fine.