Chapter 134
High as the Stars
Chance of Mutiny: 05%
It was the middle of the night when my fleet slipped over the lime-green legendary smack. The jellyfish glowed so brightly and there were so many, every hull and goblin chin and sail was highlighted in an equally lime-green glow. As far as an enlarged eye in a monoscope could see, the sea was filled with the legendary jellyfish. The sea was the calmest I’d ever seen it, and not a single goblin croaked or blew a nose or burped.
The only sound was that of our nets cutting the water into squares. We hauled up lime-green glowing jellyfish all night, and we made our bellies even bigger! Crumbs of glowing green were smeared around the lips and chin of every single goblin. We couldn’t wipe the glow off. They were so crunchy and so sweet and berry-tart. They tasted like sparks, if sparks could be sweet.
In the early morning, we were still hauling jellyfish and stuffing them into barrels filled with water. The cargo hold glowed with rippling lime-green light.
On deck, Remember-not was on the raised deck at the prow. She was the only goblin without a smear of lime-green on her face, and she squatted beneath her upraised telescope. She’d been there all night, only shifting to shake out her arms or to rub her neck.
“What a ship, Admiral! What a ship!” said Pinky-chew.
“I used to salivate at the mention of being on an orc ship” I said. “Now two of them could fit in mine!”
“I thought my new galleon was sturdy, but this…”
I stomped as hard as I could. “Sturdy, sturdy!”
“I’ve leveled up, you know.”
Pinky-chew pulled a short length of rope taut before her. She inhaled and blew sharply across the rope. Her breath hit the rope like a thin blade. The fibers snapped in a clean cut.
“Wow, what a weapon!” I said.
“I want to help you level up. I mean, look at this!” She gestured to the Hand-O’War. She gestured at the space of it. “What a safe ship for the goblins. The risk of drowning has to be much smaller on your fleet. That’s why I want to do everything I can to help you level up. I don’t want anymore goblins to drown. If I can help you level up by leveling up myself, then I’ll work extra hard.”
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“You can’t overwork yourself. I don’t want to be like Gloom-glower.”
Pinky-chew nodded like she understood me. It was nice to feel understood.
Mesmerized by the legendary smack, we leaned on the taffrail together and gazed at the bobbing jellyfish. We looked at the stars too. It seemed like some of them twinkled green.
Suddenly, one point of light exploded in a bright flash. A ring of colors expanded from it and looped over us and the horizon.
Remember-not fell on her butt. “I did it! Wow, it took all night, but I did it! I observed my first star!”
[Your stargazer has advanced along the Night-wise constellation.]
[Impact damage is reduced by 2% on all ships.]
[Complete constellation to unlock full buff.]
“You're one of the best, Remember-not!” I said. “Don’t forget your smack! Here, eat. They’re so good!”
Remember-not laid back like she had been put through hard labor all week. She eased onto her back with a heavy sigh. It also seemed like a sort of satisfied sigh. Even when she was out from under her telescope, her eyes were on the stars. She brought a chunk of lime-green light to her mouth, and her teeth stained green. Green oozed down her chin and dripped onto her dress.
All my snots were enjoying themselves! Many goblins had snuck onto the raised beds where they napped against the giant onions with glowing green bites in them. The brightest glow emanated from Boggo and Ella’s crow’s nest. It was almost blinding to look at.
I couldn’t tear my eyes from the crow’s nest. It was so much higher than ever before. The mast was almost three times taller! It was the tallest one I’d ever seen, even among the human ships at Laven-how-fish.
The last time I climbed something that high was in Hawkin’s woods. I stepped onto the first rope rung of the shroud and grappled my way up it to the mast. Peg by peg, I climbed the mast. When I lifted a hand from one peg to the other, I left a glowing palm print of lime-green.
Wow, what a day and a day. All my snots were happy. They were well fed, and they got to witness the legendary lime-smack. We had all the ptooey beer we could want, and there was no way we could run out of gigantic onions and garlics. I think they liked meeting new goblins and dropping off goblins and hiring new goblins. I think deep down, goblins liked goblins. I did. I love them!
The wind was rough at the very top of the mast. It slapped the mast and pushed my hair and flapped my ears.
I saw my entire fleet below me. My goblins looked so small, like they were the size of a toenail! There were the new galleons and the new ketches and the new sloop. I couldn’t believe how small a sloop actually was. It didn’t matter! More room for goblins to feel at home was my dream! How much room could I make? How much more could my ships evolve?
I gazed up at the stars. By Peg-tooth, how did they not seem any closer? Speaking of Peg-tooth…I wondered if I could…Would it be all right if my dream was to have a home where every single goblin in the world could come to? Where there wouldn’t be a Gloom-glower fleet or a Gone-hand fleet or a What-ever fleet? We could all sail together forever?
I listened to the silent stars.
I reached as high as I could and caught only a fistful of air. The wind blew hard and I wobbled, and then tightly hugged the mast.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! That was a close one.”
When the wind calmed, I glanced at the stars. Then I peered down at my Hand-O’War.
“Well, I guess the only way left is down.”
One black boot and one green hand at a time, I began my descent.