I started by examining the main cabin but found it empty. Staring around the room, I sighed and left. Even if Eliandra brought back a ton of stuff, Lark was still going to be empty.

Outside, I scanned around the deck and stamped with my foot. A hollow sound came back, so there had to be something below.

Why are you kicking me? Lark asked, sounded slightly aggrieved.

"Not kicking! I'm trying to find out if you have a cargo hold," I retorted.

Of course I do! Look behind the mast. You can just ask instead of stomping around.

Grinning, I moved behind the mast. At first, I still didn't notice it; then, I spotted a small oval opening that led down to a shadowy area. Combined with the darkness of Lark, it was no wonder I'd never spotted it.

Sitting on the edge, I climbed down the steep ladder into a dark hold. It was roughly three meters high and narrow at the bottom. Empty storage areas lined the sides, and moving to the prow, it got so cramped I wondered if the previous owners were halflings or gnomes. Did they even have those here?

"Bah, that was fast," I grumbled, turning around and moving back. This was going to be a long wait.

There's one more room… Lark said, and he sounded excited.

"Where is it?" I asked, trying to imagine what I could have missed.

Go back to the ladder, and wait.

Confused but also intrigued, I moved to the ladder and looked around. Besides the seamless black wood that made up Lark, I saw nothing. I was about to ask Lark what I had to look for when a section of the wood beside the ladder rotated like the iris of Nana's old camera. An opening appeared that I might just fit through, although I might lose some skin.

"What's in there?" I asked.

I don't know masster. I only found its location and how to open it! Go look inside. I'm curious!

I blinked, staring into the darkness. Normally I could see through every darkness with Rathica's gift, but somehow the hole remained pitch black.

"You're sure there's nothing inside?" I asked, moving closer and waving my hand in front of the hole. I'm not sure what I expected, but nothing happened, and Lark sniffed dismissively, an odd sound to hear in your mind.

I stuck my hand inside, but nothing happened, and I shrugged and climbed inside. As soon as my head moved past the entrance, I could see something again. A small room, too low to stand in and seemingly empty, was all there was. Climbing inside, I felt let down. In lieu of some monster, I'd hoped for treasure or at least something interesting.

"There's nothing in here," I said to Lark.

Bah, Lark said, and I grinned. It was the first time I heard such utter disappointment in the demon ship's voice. Sitting quietly, I suddenly realized something. There wasn't any sound—nothing beyond the shuffling I made and my breathing. Closing my eyes, I tried to hear the waves' lapping against the hull and the distant sounds of the harbor. There was nothing.

Curious, I climbed back out, and immediately the sounds returned.

Oh, now that is interesting. Why would anybody need a soundproof, hidden room?

I couldn't come up with a solution, and after looking around the room another time, I moved back up to the deck, ready to wait for the rest to return.

As I sat with my back against the mast, the sun warming me up, I began dozing off.

", really unbelievably rude!" A loud voice shouted again, and I realized someone had been shouting for a while now. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I scrambled up and looked around.

Above me and looking down from the middle dock stood Worthood, decked out in a long brown robe, open on the front to showcase a leather jerkin that strained under the girth of his stomach. He wore a wide hood that created such a large shadowy patch below it that I wondered if it wasn't meant for someone to sit below on the beach.

"Finally, awake? As I was saying, how could you be this rude?" Worthook shouted, wagging a finger at me.

I stretched myself, and my back popped, as did all four of my elbow joints.

"Excuse me?" I said, having a reasonably good idea why he was here but deciding I didn't care for being woken up like this.

"Excuse you? Excuse you? You said you would come and tell me everything before leaving! If I hadn't put a tracking spell on you, you would have left just like that! Liar!"

I shook my head with a grin. My mood was great after a good night of 'rest' with Eliandra and this short nap, so I decided not to let the obnoxious guy ruin it. Besides, I hadn't leveled my Well-spoken stat in ages.

"Now, now, dear fellow! Hold your horses. There is no need to be this upset! I just hadn't gotten around to it yet, and was left here to guard this ship!"

Worthood blinked, sniffed, and put his thumbs behind the sides of his coat. It reminded me of some old movies I'd seen, and I had to clench my jaw to prevent myself from laughing.

"Right. Yes. Well, I guess that is… No, wait! Now hold on a minute! You can't expect me to just fall for such a ruse!"

This time I couldn't hold it in, and I snorted loudly.

"Bah. Think you can just get away with lying to Worthood? Fine! I'll just stay with you until you decide to tell me what I need to hear! How's that?"

Worthoods eyes gleamed, and before I realized what was happening, he hopped forward. It had to be a four-meter drop, but as soon as he jumped, his hands began flashing around, and he only fell a meter before his fall slowed. Then he floated down like a soap bubble until he landed on the deck.

"There! Now see how you get rid of me," he shouted before frowning and continuing in a mutter. "Well, until we reach the next accursed dock I guess, but still!"

Shaking my head, I sat back down. "You know what? Why don't you just sit down and tell me what you want to hear first? Information on Rathica or on the Corlons?"

Worthood seemed startled by my quick submission before dropping on the deck where he stood and pulling a notebook and quill from his jacket.

"Corlons," he shouted, staring at me as if I was going to run away at any moment.

I leaned back, thinking carefully about what I could tell him. After a second, I decided it didn't matter as long as I didn't teach him any spells or told him about the small book with 'practice' written on it. I was pretty sure that wasn't information meant to be handed out this freely.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

In the end, I shouldn't have bothered, as all Worthood was interested in were very specific spells, dealing with eternal life and history, neither of which I had any knowledge of.

"Bah. You know nothing of interest! I wish you were lying, but you're not," Worthood said, stuffing his quill back and slamming the book shut.

I was slightly confused that he didn't seem interested in any of the other spells I had alluded to knowing, and it must have shown.

"What? Think I care for silly little gestures to sprout green stuff? No! It is just as boring as what you told me about Rathica. And don't tell me that was the truth! I could tell you were holding back."

Worthood rose and glared at me for a moment before turning back to the dock. It was still almost three meters above us, but he moved to the side of the ship, moved his fingers in some flashy gesture, and floated back up. When he was on the dock, he turned to me and sniffed.

"Well, as you did tell me most of what you knew on Corlon's, I guess you kept your word. Next time you are in the city, come by, and I'll have the spell you were interested in."

Worthood made to leave, then turned and looked at me. "Wait, but only if you stay gone for at least a month or two! Don't come back tomorrow and expect me to have it!"

He turned again, taking two steps, before turning around again. "Oh! Suppose you do find a Corlon history book, or Ha'egwi'ol's Unpronounceable book on Undeading, I'll owe you!" He stared at me intensely, then turned while muttering so loud anybody could hear. "Not sure what I'd owe you..."

I gazed at the railing, half expecting him to run back with more things to shout, but his footsteps moved away until I couldn't hear them in the constant noise coming from the docks.

Massster, that thing was very dangerous, Lark whispered, making me realize I hadn't heard anything from him since Worthood came aboard.

"Thing? What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly getting a bad premonition.

He looked like you and Laurel, but he felt… horrible! Just like one of the elder serpents I used to hide from! Sharp like a fang and smelly like a long-dead fish!

Feeling my hairs rise, I thought back to my conversation with Worthood. All I could recall was a weird, perhaps slightly creepy pot-bellied man. Nothing that matched what Lark just told me, nor the feeling of absolute horror he was projecting with the words. Perhaps he was mistaken? Or something else was wrong?

Before I could figure it out, something crashed into the deck. Looking up, I saw a massive duffle bag laying in a heap on the deck, blankets and other things poking out from the partially opened flap.

"Look out below!" A loud shout came, and then Haltir came flailing through the air with his ax in one hand. He fell on top of the duffle bag, his leg up in an awkward position, and the ax blade came dangerously close to slamming into the deck.

"Are you crazy? What if you break your other leg?" I shouted, running over to see if the idiot was alright.

"I'm fine," Haltir grunted as he grabbed my arm and pulled himself from the bag.

"What's all this?" I asked, pointing at the body-sized duffle bag.

"Eliandra! Pah! Began asking if my leg was alright, and when I said it was just fine, she stuffed it in my arms and told me to drag it here," Haltir said, raising his leg as if to kick the bag. He held back, then walked towards the cabin. I only now saw he had a smaller bag slung along his waist.

"That's all you need?" I asked.

"All I really need is this," Haltir said as he patted the massive ax. "I'll make a spot in the cabin before-" he fell silent with one foot through the entrance. Then he turned and stared at me. "There is nothing here."

"That's what Eliandra went to get," I said, grabbing the bag and dragging it to the cabin. It was heavier than I had expected, and I experimentally lifted it with one hand. I could get it off the ground, but it'd be hell to carry for extended periods.

What the hell did she pack in here, I thought, dragging the bag in the hold and opening it. There were stacks of rugged sleeping bags and two tents with pots and pans stuffed in between. In the bottom of the bag were three tightly closed and wrapped packages. Hefting one, I whistled.

What’s in these things?

"Better get this stuff sorted before she gets back," Haltir said as he grabbed a few sleeping bags and began placing them around the cabin.

An hour later, I was standing at the prow. The railing was almost level with the dock now, and Haltir's snoring managed to reach all the way here. Did he snore this badly when we were traveling before? I thought, hoping it was a fluke.

Soft shouting came from the closest part of the city, coming closer. It wasn't the first time, and I barely noticed until a massive explosion made all the workers and laborers stop and look at the city. A trickle of smoke rose up from a crooked grey storehouse bordering the harbor street. The shouting became louder, and as the laborers began chattering, another explosion caused them to fall silent. The throng of people blocking our direct view of the streets, who had been looking at what was happening, began spreading out, running away. Within moments we had a clear view, and I saw two figures sprint through the street.

Eliandra? I thought. My mouth fell open as I recognized her. She was carrying two bags in front of her, running towards the docks like a madwoman. Laurel was beside her, all four arms wrapped around a massive bag, her head peeking around the side. They ran across the street bordering the harbor, making a beeline for us when a red ball streaked towards them. It only just missed Laurel, shooting past her and heading towards a merchant ship that lay a hundred meters further. Panicked sailors began screaming, and I saw a shimmering blue field appear moments before the ball burst against it, creating a roaring inferno of flame.

The ball and the fire seemed awfully familiar to me, and my eyes shot back to the street Eliandra had exited from. A massive, bare-chested man was running to it, a wad of flaming hair standing upright on his head.

Richal! I thought, feeling my anger rise. The last time I'd seen the Cinderage Prime was back in Ulderion's realm. He had been fighting with Barry and making it seem like the bear didn't have much over him in raw physical strength.

Richal slid to a halt, his hands spread, and although I couldn't see his fingers move, I knew they had to be as moments later, a ball of fire the size of a melon appeared between them. Moving like a pitcher, Richal hurled the ball after Eliandra. Like a rocket, the thing took off, a tail of smoke behind it as its speed increased exponentially. It was heading straight for Eliandra's back.

"Elli, watch out!" I shouted, pushing myself up the railing and scrambling up the now empty dock. How all the laborers had managed to disappear so fast was beyond me, but all I saw were crates and heavy bags strewn around.

Eliandra and Laurel made a sharp angle, and the fireball shot past them, heading straight for me. I only had the time to blink and drop to the ground before the thing rushed over me, a sundering heat on my back. Looking behind, I saw it streak towards the pirate vessel, pirates screaming as they began erecting a reddish barrier. They barely made it in time, but the barrier shattered when the ball hit it dead on.

I heard Eliandra scream something and turned to see her staring at me.

"Get Lark ready!"

I turned and jumped back on deck.

Lark, we're leaving!

Finally! The demon ship said. Get that annoying chain off me!

Realizing he was right, I ran to the prow seeing the chain was attached with a simple releasable hook. I waited for a wave to lift the ship then squeezed the two ends, yanking the chain between them and releasing it. The chain shot down, rattled a few times, and disappeared behind the hull. Turning, I sprinted to the stern right when Haltir came outside.

"What in the name of the Stone is going on?" he shouted as I released the second and last chain.

"We've got company, and they aren't welcome!" I shouted back. Lark was already drifting from the dock.

"Lark, stay here until Eliandra and Laurel are on board, then get us the hell out of here!"

I don't know what the hell is, but it's about time! Lark said.

Fast thudding came from the dock, and I saw Eliandra and Laurel were only ten meters away. Richal was close behind them, prepping another fireball. His eyes were burning with fire as he stared at me, a nasty smile on his lifts.

"You!" he screamed as he released the ball right when Eliandra and Laurel made a dive for the deck.

"Now Lark!" I roared.

The blue energy sail burst into being, the ever-present wind billowing it outwards slightly. I stumbled as we shot forward, the fireball flashing through the space we had been located moments before.

Lark began turning, and within moments we were dozens of meters from the dock, his ebony prow slamming through the waves, rocking everything.

"More fireballs!" Eliandra's scream came right when a ball nicked the edge of the sail.

That hurt, you ugly crab intestines! Lark screeched, and a shimmering blue barrier sprang up around us.

Before I could worry, my stomach went to my throat as Lark dove downwards. The water rushed up along the barrier, and moments later, we disappeared below the waves. Above us, a fireball colored the waves and foam red.

"Shit…" I muttered, turning to Eliandra. "Now, how are we going to explain your absence to Flowheart?"