“Do we have a sight on them yet?” Captain Creep of the Bone Hand yelled up to his spotter perched on top of the main mast. The ship was a small cutter, but one of the fastest ships in the Death’s Hood. Creep was proud of his ship and he looked up at the spotter in anticipation through the eye holes of his mask, made from skull fragments glued to a fish net. He never took the mask off, wearing it like armor and using it to intimidate his crew.
“They’re just on the horizon, Captain!” The spotter yelled down at him. Captain Creep smiled, showing his rotting teeth below his mask. His torn and dirty cloak flowed behind him as his ship cut through the water.
“Perfect,” The captain whispered. A figure came up from behind him, a young man wearing only trousers dyed a bright red.
“What’s the plan, Captain?” The young man said, his shoulder length brown hair waving in the wind.
“The same plan as always, Ash.” Captain Creep turned to Ash and flashed him another smile. “The other ship gets in close, we move in from the other side, and you light up the ship from Stern to Prow.”
“We aren’t pillaging?” Ash asked, gazing at the ship in the distance.
“Not this time,” Creep chuckled, “We got a ton of silver for this job. It’s a find and destroy.”
“Aren’t you curious about what’s in the hold?” Ash frowned.
“No.” Creep turned to face the prow. “If we bugger this up, we’ll be tortured and thrown into the ocean. I’m not taking any chances with this one.”
“That’s too bad,” Ash said rubbing a hand against the stubble on his face. He took his index finger and scraped it hard against his stubble. A burst of flame ignited at the tip of his finger, and he stared at the dancing fire for a moment. “I wonder what makes these people a target.”
“I don’t know,” Captain Creep took the wheel from his first mate. His tattered cloak billowed in the wind as he steered his fast cutter. “But I’m going to spend a lot of money when we get back.”
Bella held Phylla’s long and shiny red hair back as she heaved her lunch of salted pork over the side of the ship. The sun was hot today and Bella had to wipe the sweat from her eyes with her elbow as she helped Phylla steady herself over the rail. Felix was nearby, leaning against the railing and watching the show.
“Stop staring, what’s wrong with you?” Phylla managed to yell at Felix before she went back to her business over the side of the railing.
“Just making sure there’s no blood in your vomit,” Felix said cheerfully, “If the Captain tried to poison us, I’d like to be the first to know.” Phylla and Bella looked at Felix incredulously.
“Why would the captain try to poison us!?” Bella looked worried.
“I don’t know,” Felix shrugged, “I’m just giving her something to think about while she’s doing her business.”
“I hate you.” Phylla muttered. Felix just smiled.
Resh came up from below deck just then, a half-eaten apple in his hands. He took a bite out of it then as he walked towards Felix and the rest. His black coat billowed in the wind. Land could be seen far to larboard, a thin line on the horizon.
“I’m bored already, and it’s only been a night.” Resh admitted to the rest. “Where’s Grey?”
“Up there,” Felix nodded his head up towards the crow’s nest on the main mast. Grey could be seen up top, gazing out across the sea.
“That’s a good idea.” Resh said, finishing and then throwing his apple core out to sea, then making his way to the rigging. The other’s watched as he climbed unsteadily, the ship swaying to and fro in the sea. Resh missed his footing a couple of times as he climbed, but he managed to hold on. Grinning widely, he got to the crow’s nest up top and hopped in next to Grey.
“Hey, Commander!” Grey smiled back at him. “Isn’t this great!?”
“Yeah! You can see far, can’t you?” Resh looked down and gulped. The crow’s nest swayed a bit more than the ship and the Commander looked a little nervous as he hung on to the side with a white knuckle grip.
“Oh yeah!” Grey smiled and tossed his head back, letting his hair flow through the wind. “What brings you up here?”
“I’m bored down there,” Resh said, looking down and then quickly backing up as far as he could without releasing his iron grip on the side planking. Somehow the height of the main mast seemed twice as long from up here. “There’s only so much cleaning you can do on a small ship like this.”
“You think this ship is small?” Grey smiled and pointed out behind them. “Take a look at those two!”
Resh followed Grey’s gaze to the wide ocean behind them. Sure enough he spotted two small ships in the distance. They were about half the size of the ship Resh and his fellow Paladins were on now, but what really made them stand out was the bright red sails they bore. Resh had rarely seen sails other than the standard white, which he supposed was due to the fact that dying sails red would be a lot of work due to the large surface area of the cloth.
“Have you sailed much in your life, Commander?” Grey asked after a moment.
“No, I like to keep my legs on solid ground.” Resh smiled, “But I don’t mind a nice ride on one of these death traps every once in a while. It’s quicker than travelling by road.”
“Safer too,” Grey said.
“How do you figure?”
“Well, there’s always bandits and troublemakers on the road. Wild beasts, too. It’s easy to run into them. If you can pick up a sword, you can be a bandit. But if you want to pillage and wreak havoc on the seas, you have to have a boat. To have a boat, you need money. That’s why the sea is full of traders, not bandits.”
“There’s still pirate’s, in fact there’s a pirate band around here called Death’s Hood. I’ve heard lots of stories about them.” Resh said as he gazed at the small ships in the distance.
“They must have a benefactor then.” Grey said, “It’s hard to find a ship for free.”
“Unless you steal it,” Resh looked at Grey and half smiled. “All you need is one ship and you can then make a fleet, over time.”
They were both silent for a bit after that. Resh enjoyed the wind against his face and adjusted to the sway of the ship. He closed his eyes and listened to the wind and the creak of the sails pulling against the mast. This was something he had never experienced before. He had been on boats before, but he had never climbed up into the lookout and just enjoyed the view. Some time passed of Resh simply enjoying the moment, until a gust of wind shook him from his thoughts.
“Hey, Commander.” Grey said, “Those ships are definitely catching up to us.” Resh peered out to sea and he saw that Grey was right, the two small ships had closed quite a bit of distance between them.
“Yeah, your right.” Resh said. “I’m going to go let the captain know. Maybe he knows who they are.” Resh gingerly climbed out of the crow’s nest and carefully climbed down the rigging. Phylla had finished her business with the sea and was sitting down with her back to the wooden rail of the boat.
“Bella,” Resh addressed the healer. She was standing over poor Phylla, looking worried and without a thought of how to help. Her healing would not have worked on Phylla, if she cast a healing spell it would only last a moment and then Phylla would just be sea sick again. “Go down to the kitchen, below decks and ask the cook for some Endoroot. Bring some to Phylla and have her eat a little bit of it. It should help her.”
“Yes, Commander.” Bella jumped at the chance to help and she ran below deck.
Resh walked briskly over to the captain’s quarters and knocked on the closed door. Over the roar of the sea around them he heard the captain call for him to come in. Resh entered the spacious quarters and found the captain at his desk in the middle of the room, looking over a map of the coastline.
“What is it?” Captain Blake asked without looking up from the table.
“We have some ships closing from behind, very fast.” Resh said. The captain looked up from his map. “They have peculiar red sails. Do you know anything about that?”
“Unfortunately, I do.” Blake rushed to his feet and brushed past Resh in a panic. Resh followed the captain out onto the deck and they both made their way up to the poop deck. Blake took out an extendable spyglass and peered at the approaching ships. He swore under his breath. “Get ready for a fight.” With that, the captain started barking orders to his crew to ready weapons and wake his first mate, leaving Resh on the poop deck.
Resh took one more look at the ships and then went for his team. He found Felix and Bella with Phylla where he had seen them last. Bella was feeding Phylla the Endoroot he had suggested.
“Get ready for battle,” Resh told them, “We have some ships coming upon us and apparently they aren’t friendly.”
“I’ll suit up,” Felix said, getting up from his sitting position.
“No,” Resh caught his arm, “If you’re thrown overboard with armor, you’ll just sink. Grab a bow from the ship quartermaster, this will be a ranged affair.”
“Grab one for me,” Phylla croaked from the deck.
“I think you should sit this one out, Phylla.” Resh said, “Bella, help her below decks and keep her steady, it might get rocky.”
“Yes sir.” Bella responded.
“No!” Phylla said, attempting to get herself to her feet. “I’m not going to cower below decks.”
“I didn’t say ‘cower,’ Phylla.” Resh’s tone was very serious now. “You’re in a weakened state and I’m not putting you at risk of being thrown overboard. You’re going below decks and securing yourself in the cabin until the fight is over. That’s an order.”
Phylla glared at him, but didn’t argue further. Bella helped her to her feet and they went off.
“Grab a bow and a quiver for me.”Resh told Felix as he left for the supplies. Resh then ran downstairs, past Bella and Phylla to the cabin. Inside he went for Grey’s gear and grabbed his bow and quiver, wrapped in a secure leather case. He slung it over his back and rushed out again as Bella helped Phylla through the door to the cabin.
Running back onto the deck, Resh grabbed the rigging and started climbing back up to the crow’s nest. Beneath him the ship was erupting into a tumult of battle readiness. It seemed like the whole crew was on deck, grabbing weapons and preparing for battle. Resh reached the nest and climbed in carefully.
“I see that the ships are a potential problem?” Grey said, looking down at the deck.
“Yeah, I figured you’d need this.” Resh handed the bow over to Grey.
“Thanks, commander.” Grey took it and started getting ready. “It’s a tough shot from here though, lots of wind.”
“Pick your shot’s carefully, but be careful. Anything can happen.” Resh saluted Grey with fist to his chest and swung himself over the side of the nest. Carefully he made his way down the rigging to a waiting Felix.
“Here’s your bow,” Felix said as he handed Resh a bow and quiver.
“You gave me the bad one, didn’t you?” Resh joked.
“Of course, I need a promotion.” Felix joked back, smiling. It took some time for the ships to catch up but they eventually pulled far to either side of Captain Blake’s ship.
“What are they waiting for?” Felix asked.
“I don’t know,” Resh responded as he looked curiously towards the first mate, Conner. The man was strapping his feet onto the deck using metal braces attached to the main mast.
“They’re coming in!” Grey yelled over the sound of the ocean from up above. Captain Blake, at the wheel of the ship, waved to him and braced his feet, glaring at the incoming ships.
The ship on Resh and Felix’s side was coming in decidedly faster. Soon Resh was able to make out the people on board, armed with bows and grapples. They stared back at him with grim and determined faces. They wore haggard clothes and tattoos covered their bodies. Closer and closer they came, Resh’s adrenaline was kicking in as he prepared for a nasty skirmish. He felt the blood rushing through his body and the energy flowing through him.
Soon the ship was within range and Resh nocked an arrow and drew his bow as others on his ship fired their own arrows. Felix fired too, much too fast at aiming, and his shot landed harmlessly on the deck of the approaching ship. Resh took his time, aiming at a man twirling a grapple in the air and getting ready to toss it. Resh judged the distance and wind resistance between him and his target and then found the sweet spot, releasing his arrow and letting it fly across the short expanse between the ships to ‘thunk’ hard into his target’s chest. The raider didn’t make a sound as he was thrown back and landed hard onto the deck of the enemy ship, writhing in pain.
An arrow whizzed past Resh’s torso as he plucked another arrow from his provided quiver and took aim for another poor soul. A grapple landed on Resh’s right and a crewmember nearby rushed to sever it with an axe before they could completely pull alongside the ship. Resh targeted a man with a bow and sent an arrow straight into his face.
Suddenly there was loud sound like a wave crashing against a beach from behind and a wave of heat struck Resh from behind. He staggered against the rail of the ship as arrows flew at him, looking behind to see a wall of flame consuming the other side of the ship.
Captain Blake swore as the heat hit him. He knew the other ship had come in faster than the other in order to divert his crew’s attention. The one that came in last was going to be the real threat, but he had no idea they had a Mage aboard their ship. Before he knew it, a man came forward and spewed fire onto the Captain’s ship like a fountain spraying water. The whole side of the ship was now engulfed in flames.
He knew this wasn’t the end of his ship, however. Captain Blake grimaced at the flames roaring at him but his eyes were determined. He had a mage of his own. His eye’s darted to Conner, standing in his brace at the mast of the ship. Conner had his eye’s closed and was gesturing with both hands. As he did so, a wave crashed against the side of the ship and rose to extinguish the flames entirely and then crash upon the deck, soaking all those on board. The wave hit Connor hard, but the brace kept him steady and on his feet. Captain Blake worked furiously at the wheel to correct their heading on the high seas.
The other ship immediately came back in and the mage aboard shot his hands forward. Flames spewed again at the Captain’s ship but this time Conner was ready and he rose a wall of water to intercept the flames. There was a loud hissing noise as the fire hit the wall of water and mist exploded into the air as the two forces of magic collided.
Conner sent another wave outward, colossally high, to engulf where the other ship was last seen to be. It was out of Captain Blake’s sight, due to the mist, but he heard the sound of splintering wood and seaman’s cries. Conner wheeled his torso in the brace and waved his arms upward. The ship that had latched onto them as a diversion, slowly rose into the sky. The water below the two ships swelled to unimaginable heights and Captain Blake had to turn the wheel and the ship away in order to keep the ship from rolling in the high sea.
“Cut the ropes!” Captain Blake cried as the strain from the grapples started audibly cracking the rail on the left side of the ship. It was easier said than done as the angle of the deck steepened from the immense height of the wave. Crew scrambled to follow the captain’s orders and the last rope was hacked away. The Captain’s ship immediately pulled away and raced down the steep incline of the wave, leaving the pirate ship with its panicking crew to disappear in the mist behind them. As the angle of the sea levelled out and the ship began to slow, the Captain heard the loud crashing of the sea and the cracking of wood from behind.
Later, safely in their quarters aboard the ship, Resh and his squad were enjoying a post battle meal of hot porridge and bread. Felix had explained what had transpired on the deck to the ladies who had missed the fun.
“It was a bouncy ride.” Bella was saying. “I had looked out the porthole and all I could see was mist.”
“Yeah, who knew that we had our own mage aboard?” Felix laughed. “Did you know Commander?”
“No,” Resh shook his head, he and Felix were shirtless and sitting on the wooden floor. They’re clothes were soaked from the wave that had crashed against the deck during the battle. They let their pants drip dry, but they had hung they’re shirts on the rafters in the room. “I’ve never travelled with Captain Blake before. I’ve only helped him with the thieves and brigands within the city.”
“Well, I feel safer knowing we have him aboard.” Bella said. The others nodded.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t of more help, Commander.” Phylla said as she lay in the bed. She looked a little better, less green, but she had a disappointed look upon her face. “I should have been up there with you.”
“Its okay, Phylla.” Resh said between scoops of porridge. “You wouldn’t have been much help anyway, in your current state.”
“I know.” Phylla sulked. Her bowl of porridge sat untouched on the end table next to the bed.
“Don’t worry,” Bella rubbed her back as she sat next to Phylla. “I’ll be right here next to you until you get better.” Phylla groaned audibly. Resh and Felix shared an amused look.
“Where’s Grey?” Felix asked.
“Still in the crow’s nest. I brought him some food, but he said he’ll be staying the night up there.” Resh answered.
“Not a very talkative guy, is he?” Felix said.
“Nope, but he means well.” Resh said, “He’s a strong Paladin. You all are.” The others looked at each other surprised, caught unprepared by the sudden compliment.
“We all survived our first battle,” Resh said, and he lifted his bowl of porridge in a toast. The others grinned and lifted their own bowls, Bella lifted her own and Phylla’s, to clink together in a salute.
Nine long days passed without any port landing or anything remotely interesting happening. They passed by some ports, but none of them were destinations that the captain needed to anchor at. Resh was very antsy to make shore, he needed to stretch his legs and walk again, so he was relieved to hear that they were making it into a port town today.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Resh watched at the bow of the ship as they steered toward a ramshackle assortment of houses and villas. The docks were full of workers loading and unloading goods from merchant ships. They worked to and from large wooden warehouses beyond the piers, the wooden structures of the town climbing up behind the warehouses cresting onto a hill on which the town was built. A great wooden wall surrounded the city on land, with battlements and wooden towers adorning it at even intervals.
As the ship pulled up to the pier, the rest of the company of Paladin’s joined Resh at the bow. It didn’t seem to be a very friendly city, workers looked grim and shuffled around without any merriment at all. Resh wondered whether he should bother getting off the ship or not.
“Friendly bunch, huh.” Felix said aloud.
“Yeah,” Resh said sarcastically. The ship had run out Za and this made his mood bitter and jaded, “I wonder if it would be better to make a headquarters here instead of up north.” Just then, the captain strolled up to the company.
“You’re landing for a bit, huh?” Blake grinned at them.
“Yeah, ten days at sea is more than enough for me. I’ll take as much land as I can get before we head out again.” Resh
smiled back at the Captain.
“Alright, some of my lads want a bit of fun over at the tavern so we’ll take a break here for a little bit. Just be back before sunset, we head out again before the light of day dies again.”
“Got it,” Resh nodded. After the ship was tied into place and the gangplank set down with an unceremonious crash, the Paladin company stepped off the ship with wobbly and uncertain legs. They made their way down the piers and past the warehouses, climbing into the city itself. The mood inside the city wasn’t much better than the mood on the piers. Old women glared at the group, and many strayed away from them on the street.
“What’s wrong with these people?” Phylla asked as they passed yet another glaring couple.
“They’re afraid.” Resh said, “Something is making them fearful.”
“Like what?” Felix asked this time.
“I don’t know,” Resh thought for a moment. “Maybe I’ll head over to the town hall and find out what I can about this.”
“I’ll go with you,” Grey said immediately.
“We need some good food for the ship,” Bella said in her lighthearted voice. “Phylla, let’s go to the markets and see what kind of treats we can get.” Phylla rolled her eyes and Bella frowned. “I took care of you while you’ve been sick all this time on that boat. You’d better come!”
“Fine.” Phylla sighed and went to follow Bella, who was already skipping off towards the market.
“I’m gonna go with them,” Felix tilted his head towards the ladies and grinned before trotting off after them.
“Alright, let’s go.” Resh said, starting towards the city center. Grey followed close behind.
“What could make a town as big as this so fearful?” Grey asked.
“I don’t know.” Resh shook his head, “I haven’t been this far north in a while. Who knows what is going on in these parts?”
“Hopefully we’ll find out.” Grey said.
“Yeah, the more we know of what we are getting into, the better.” Resh led them both down a few side streets, following the signs to the town hall. They finally entered a city square filled with travellers and stalls selling goods and food. On the north side of the square sat a large wooden building with the sign “Fernhall Town Hall,” written above the second story balcony.
The two men crossed the busy market and entered the large building. Inside, the building wasn’t too lavish. Simple wooden benches lined the walls and local art hung from the walls. The man at the desk looked up from his documents when they entered.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” The secretary said in a ruffled voice. “What can I do for you today?” The man seemed to take special note of the weapons that the Paladin’s carried.
“Good afternoon,” Resh said pleasantly, “I am Paladin Resh and this is my fellow Paladin Grey. We are here to speak with the town mayor.”
“Paladins you say?” The secretary’s eyebrows raised quite high and he stood from his desk. “Very well, I will see if he is available to see you. One moment.” With that the secretary left them in the main hall to wait. It was only a few minutes later when the secretary appeared again and ushered them into the adjacent hallway where they both were led through a door to a dimly lit room.
Sitting inside the room, in a comfy chair behind a large wooden desk, was a thin, aging man with skin as pale as the moon and eyes as cold blue as the ice in the north. The door shut behind the two Paladins and the man in the chair righted himself to better address them.
“Good afternoon,” The man said in a gravelly voice, “Welcome to Fernhall.” As he finished addressing them, he smiled brightly, revealing long fangs protruding from his upper jaw.
Bella, Phylla, and Felix found the markets very soon, following the noise and smells of the mass of wares on sale. They saw weird looking fish with seven sets of fins, they tasted a sample of delicious Moonberry Pie (Bella bought two whole pies), some Za for the commander, and they bought some Butter Bread, a savoury bread that was very delicious.
Bella was having a blast, talking and laughing with buyers and sellers in the market. Phylla had been in a foul mood to start, but Bella’s mood rubbed off on her soon enough and she settled to be mildly amused at the antics around her. Felix looked at the weapon and armour traders, but didn’t buy anything.
“This bread is going to be soooo good over the next few days!” Bella mused to nobody in particular as the group walked back through the cobbled streets to the docks.
“You bought five loaves!” Phylla scolded.
“Yeah?” Bella looked taken back and confused by the comment, “One for each of us!”
“I’m not going to eat a whole loaf of that before it goes stale.” Phylla said, “We’ve got food on the ship too, you know.”
“I know,” Bella smiled sheepishly, “But we need good food. Food good for the soul.”
Just then, a shadow dashed from a nearby alley and knocked into Bella, tripping her up and spilling her bag onto the dirt road. Phylla got a good look at the small child as he greedily snatched two loaves of bread and took off into an alley.
“Take care of Bella!” Phylla yelled behind her to Felix as she chased the thief into the alley. She saw him up ahead, rocking side to side as he ran with two loaves of bread that looked oversized in his skinny arms. The agile kid slid through a whole in a wooden fence and disappeared behind it into a yard on the left. Phylla jumped onto the fence and quickly climbed over it, landing softly on the other side.
She saw a shadow dip past a house on the right and she moved fast to catch up. Darting through yards and alleyways, she chased the ever fleeting shadow for many minutes before losing him completely in a dark alleyway. There was a fork in the alley and she didn’t know which way to go. Right or left? Listening very carefully, she heard an odd sound from the right. She stalked through the alleyway filled with garbage and old debris. Soon she found a hole in one of the structures, covered by a rag.
It might have been damage from a storm that caused the hole in the wall, but the structure looked abandoned so it looked like it had never been repaired. Phylla peeked her head into the hole and found a small room lit by a single, dying candle. There, huddled into the heat of the candle lay a fuzzy white haired cat, surrounded by little newborn kittens crying about in their high pitched voices. The boy was there with them, breaking up the bread he had stolen and feeding it to the mother cat little by little. The dirty and ragged boy had a look of complete and utter bliss as he fed the cat, he never even noticed Phylla sticking her head in hole.
Phylla watched the family for a moment before pulling her head out of the hole. She stood for another moment before pulling out some of the money she had on her. She placed a large stack of coins just inside the hole and covered it back up with the rag. Then Phylla turned around and walked out of the alley, searching for her way back to her friends.
Grey drew a knife from his sleeve, but Resh put an arm out to stop and calm him. Resh looked curiously at the man in the chair. He had heard of beings like this, ones pale and fanged.
“You’re a Blood Drinker, I see.” Resh stated simply.
“Ah, yes.” The man in the chair said. “And you are a Water Drinker, I see.” The man seemed quite amused and not at all shocked at their reaction.
“Who are you?” Resh asked.
“I am the governor of this town, Merlak Shorn.” Merlak introduced himself. “You are Paladin, or at least you claim to be.”
“I am Paladin Resh, this is Paladin Grey.” Resh motioned to Grey, who was calm again but still bared his blade. “A Blood Drinker governs this town?”
“Yes, but before you ask. No, I do not drink human blood, and yes, I do keep the fact that I am a Blood Drinker a secret from the common inhabitants.” Merlak leaned back in his chair comfortably. “And before you display any grievances towards those facts, I must say that I have been governing this town for nearly forty years now and it has become quite prosperous and healthier because of it.”
“They don’t seem too happy, though.” Grey stated aloud.
“No, and why should they be?” Merlak spread his hands wide. “We, like many other towns and cities in the region, are plagued by the evil that is Sheerhune.”
“What is this Sheerhune?” Resh asked.
“Whenever the world becomes threatened by something, it’s due to magic.” Merlak clasped his hands together. “I have lived a great many of years on the blood of animals, and yes I do mean human animals as well.” He winked at Grey but Grey was not amused. “I have seen many power struggles and destruction caused by mages and their power. It happens all the time, and that is what is happening now in the north. The thing that is different about this situation, is that this struggle for power is a subtle thing, brought about by the whisper of a name. Sheerhune.”
“You still haven’t told me what it is.” Resh was annoyed.
“That’s because I do not know.” Merlak spread his hands wide again. “Strange creatures are showing up all around the north. Twisted and unnatural things that feed on life like I feed on blood. Some of the major warlords of the region have sent warriors and even mages into the wilds to scout and find out what this is. Only a few have come back, and they tell of a dark mage that purposely lets them leave the site where all their comrades have been slaughtered, to spread the word of Sheerhune, and the doom of the living in the north. That is one story, there are many others, but they all have the same name to them. Sheerhune. This is why my people are frightened. They sense danger and ill fortune in the future, and I fear they are not wrong.”
“Is this why you saw us today on such short notice?” Resh asked. “To tell us of this?”
“Well yes, I am a busy man after all.” Merlak smiled.
“It’s all a very interesting story, but I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.” Resh said.
“Very well, go up north. See for yourself.” Merlak shrugged, “Just be sure to bring as many of your Paladin as you can.”
“We will be fine.” Resh said, “But be warned, if we find that this is a lie and that you are up to no good here in this
town, we will come back and expel you.”
“Do as you will, Paladin Resh.” Merkal grinned at him, baring his fangs. “You will find the truth in the northern wildlands.”
Resh and Grey walked back through the sullen town to the ship they came in on. When they got back on deck, they found Felix, Bella, and Phylla coming up from the hold.
“Hey guys,” Felix greeted Grey and Resh. “So what did you find out about the city? What’s their problem?”
“Well…” Resh waited for the girls to join in the huddle on the deck. He told them all about Merkal, the rumours of strange twisted creatures wandering the wildlands, and of the warlords troops being wiped out by someone named Sheerhune.
“Well that’s just rumours,” Phylla was quick to dismiss the story. “This Blood Drinker is probably making an excuse to us Paladin because he doesn’t want any trouble from us. I say we go in there and end his miserable existence.”
“You may be right,” Resh said hesitantly, “But we have our orders to continue north and set up a base in Brink. That’s what our priority is. Once we do that, we’ll have time to recruit and chase around bad guys with abandon.”
“What if we do run into creatures out their?” Bella asked, sounding a little frightened.
“Then we’ll smash them to bits!” Felix roared, slapping Greys back and making Greys eyes bug out. “Right Grey?”
“Sure, Felix” Grey said rubbing his neck.
“We ran into a pick pocket on the streets,” Felix announced to Resh. “Phylla let him get away.”
“He was a fast little bugger,” Phylla said, looking down.
“That’s alright, I’m sure we’ll run into more.” Resh clapped her on the back, “We all get slow in our old age.”
“What!?” Phylla gave Resh a look of outrage.
“It’s okay, Phylla,” Resh spread his arms wide with a big grin, “You can’t fight the passage of time.”
“You know, if you weren’t my commanding officer I’d punch you right in the face.” Phylla said with fire in her eyes.
“Go ahead, I have reflexes like a –“ Phylla’s fist made solid contact on the right side of Resh’s jaw, knocking him on his bum. Phylla turned around and walked stiffly below deck, leaving a dazed Resh and a slack jawed crew behind.
“Ouch,” Felix stifled a laugh, “You okay, Commander?”
“Yeah, it’s going to be painful to chew for a few days though,” Resh sounded sullen, “She’s got a mean hook, but at least now I know she can fight.” Grey laughed aloud.
“It’s okay, Commander.” Bella bent down and put a hand on his shoulder. “I bought some Za at the market today.
Want me to make some for you?”
“I love you!” Resh embraced Bella’s legs in a bear hug, nearly tipping her over. Felix thought he saw a tear come out of the Commander’s eye then.
“I bore of this waiting!” Relvanna spat at the shadowy figures in the dark room that served as the council. Her shaved head gleamed in the torchlight, showing off the complex design of tattoos that adorned her skull. Her dark eyes darted about to see who would challenge her, standing out from the dark eye shadow that contrasted with her fair complexion. Shifting in impatience, her dark red robes fluttered in the draft that flowed through the room.
It was a small cavern, in which a large table stood alone with the dark figures standing at its jagged edge. The table itself was carved into designs of horror and despair. Every time Relvanna came to council, she would look into the table and find some new image to behold. It inspired them, the council. They would draw the ambition from the table, and speak the dark words that would become reality.
“Do you?” A voice hissed from the other side of the table. A tall man dressed in a black hooded shirt, covered with a dark red breastplate, waved his hand at her. The pool of dark water, set in the middle of the table rippled just a bit, curiously. His dark eyes were set in a long and grim face, pale from years behind a hood. “You dare to question the Council of Sheerhune?”
“I do, Vapor.” Relvanna sneered, “Someone at this table needs to have a spine. It certainly isn’t you.”
“Enough!” Roared a deep and rumbling voice. It came from a man at the head of the table. He was a small and frail person, not old but looking sickly. It was his eyes that gave away any ounce of power left within the body. They were the color of blood, dark red globes in the sockets. No white pierced the void of darkness within his eyes. His voice was deep and baritone, off putting to anyone hearing it from such a small and tiny man.
The council was quiet then, even the ever flamboyant Relvanna stood still and silent. This man was the leader of the council. Not their master, but the most respected and feared of the dark figures in that cave. The man had a presence about him that unnerved people and put them off their guard. He took full advantage of this until they wilted and decayed to complete nothingness.
“If you are bored, Relvanna, then take some of your pets and show the port city of Fernhall that they are not protected behind their walls. Show them that our reach is infinite, and that they are safe nowhere from us.” The man said in his rumbling voice.
“Vivicus,” Vapor piped in, addressing the man with the rumbling voice, “Should we not send more than that? I doubt that Relvanna can handle an entire walled city with a couple of Soulsworn.”
“I did not say to lay waste to the town.” Vivicus swung his head to Vapor and Vapor cringed. “I said to terrorize it. Show the people fear and despair.” Vivicus clasped his hands behind his back. “We cannot take a city with our current strength. We can only harry caravans and defend our citadel. If we can strike fear into the hearts of our prey, it will make it easier to make them serve us. When we do eventually take over that pitiful town, they will be too afraid to fight, and they will be easy for us to herd and turn. Relvanna will have much fun with that, I can imagine.”
“Yes!” Relvanna’s wide grin reached ear to ear. “I will take my most prized creations and make the city fear Sheerhune more than death itself.”
“Good,” Vivicus smiled, turning his head up to gaze at the rest of the table. There were many at the table that had not spoken, but he was not worried. He knew he controlled them all, and that the farce of a council was now his to command. They feared him, and for good reason. He had lived many more lifetimes than the eldest of them, and he would live many more in the luxury of his awaiting dark empire.