Piper managed to keep her head above the slow-swelling waves—barely. To one side, the flank of the ship loomed, slick and black and sliding past, and in short moments it had left her behind in the endless expanse of reflected night. She watched it pull away, feeling tiny against her new predicament, and swallowed seawater and panic. Her limbs felt strangely heavy in the salted sea and fluttered awkwardly to keep her buoyant.
But she hadn’t drowned, and that was a plus.
Taking charge of her rising fear, she drew a careful breath through wet lips and settled to some sort of rhythm in her treading. The screen bobbed next to her left ear, still proudly proclaiming her latest reward.
“Thanks for taking your time!” she gasped, splashing a clumsy jet of water at it.
It flashed in moody response but grudgingly offered new information.
----------------------------------------
New Quest: { Girl Overboard }
The Sea of Storms is a dangerous place. Get to shore as fast as possible.
* Objective: Find an unlikely ally 0/1.
* Reward: { Deeps Crystal }
----------------------------------------
After a short moment, additional text scrolled in—was she imagining it, or did the inanimate screen seem just a little bit smug…?
----------------------------------------
* Bonus objective: Don’t get eaten 0/1.
* Reward: { Iridescent Scale }
----------------------------------------
Don’t get… WHAT?!
A cold clamminess seeped through her skin, and she craned her neck to scout the undulating surface, though nothing moved save the sigh of the sea. As she tried not to think about the impossible depths below, the screen disappeared, and she yelped.
“Wait! You”—gasp—“bastard bloody thing!”—splutter —“Come back!”
But the magenta glow stayed stubbornly absent, and she was on her own. She hesitated for a long moment, in case it returned, but it did not. Resigned, she angled her body and paddled forward puppy-style, doing her best to avoid unnecessary splashing. Far away, visible each time the waves lifted her bobbing body, she could see the first glow of dawn against the horizon—and the receding silhouette of the ship against it. There was no other way to pinpoint a direction, so she doggedly paddled after it, hoping to reach something solid before she was discovered by the beasts of the sea.
The first whack thrust her clear out of the water, sending her flailing against the unforgiving sky. She tumbled back to hit the surface hard, and then the second blow rammed her down beneath the dark waves. The breath exploded out of her lungs, and then something had hold of her. A thick, serpentine coil snaked around her entire body, crushing her, and she thrashed in desperate silence as she tried to hold onto the last sip of air left in her throat. The coil adjusted its grip and she managed to slip an arm free before it tightened again, snatching at the rusted knife tucked into her boot. She stabbed wildly, drawing black, oily blood from between halcyon scales, and the thing released her. Clawing to the surface, she choked in a quick gasp, but then the beast was back to catch her leg between viperish fangs. The teeth sank deep as it pulled her under, and as the surface receded above, she was quickly beset by a strange numbness. Warmth spread upward from her leg—poison, came the slurred realisation.
This is it. This is how I die.
It warped her vision, paralysing her muscles and numbing her thoughts, making her see things that weren’t there. She could even hear some kind of soft, melancholic lament, like angels singing. The melody was muted, though, as if muffled by tears, or her fuzzy ears… or something. She couldn’t seem to concentrate, anymore. A vague, distant pain plagued her from somewhere in the region of her impaled leg, and the shimmering, scaly coil was back, winding around her in lazy arcs. She looked down in mild surprise, but couldn’t seem to summon the will to fight it. It squeezed the last breath from her lungs, fogging her mind towards blissful abandon. At the bounds of her blurry sight, a face loomed with leering teeth and forking tongue, and she spared a momentary thought that that was not what she expected an angel to look like. But she didn’t have time to ponder further. Her mind dimmed.
A hard jolt jerked her back to sentience—the beast, spasming. She sucked in a surprised mouthful of water as the coil released her and fell away, and she choked, drowning. But something was there, a hand-space away, staring at her with soulful eyes. She was startled to stillness, taking in the strange, beautiful face, wild, sea-green hair, and swirling pearlescent tail. But lack of air failed her, and she convulsed; the creature surged forward to cup her head and parted her lips with a skilful tongue. Suddenly, Piper’s dilemma seemed distant, suspended on a moment of charmed disbelief, but then the kisser released her, leaving a small pebble in her mouth. Piper rolled her tongue around the hard, tasteless object as the creature watched her with bright intelligence.
“Hold the crystal in your mouth. Breathe.”
Piper stared, perplexed by the soundless words echoing in her mind. The creature repeated the instruction, and, closing her eyes in silent prayer, Piper tucked the pebble against the roof of her mouth with her tongue and inhaled seawater.
It hit her like a hurricane—oxygen! She was delirious with it—the rush of sustenance pouring through her lungs—and she sucked in great gulps of water as if it were sweet summer air. Watching her, the creature smiled—more angelic than any celestial being Piper could have imagined—and Piper grinned back around her miraculous pebble.
The screen flashed up between them, though the pretty sea creature did not seem to notice, and Piper spared a quick peek at the information it offered.
----------------------------------------
Quest: { Girl Overboard }
* Objective Complete: Find an unlikely ally 1/1
* Befriended { Stormsea Siren }
* { Deeps Crystal } received
* { Deeps Crystal } auto-equipped
NEW ITEM: { Deeps Crystal } Enables user to breathe underwater whilst equipped.
* Quest Complete.
* 20 { Coin } added to inventory
* Bonus Objective Complete: Don’t get eaten 1/1
* { Iridescent Scale } received
----------------------------------------
Siren. Well, that explained the creature’s shiny, silk-finned tail beneath an almost-human torso and face. Piper glanced down—far below, to the oily stain clouding the water—and caught sight of a slack coil drifting towards oblivion. If her new ally was a siren, then what the hell was that thing?
Obligingly, the screen flashed.
----------------------------------------
* Creature: { Lesser Jormung } Sea Serpent endemic to the Sea of Storms. Mildly neurotoxic venom assists preferred kill method of constriction.
----------------------------------------
Oh. Well, okay then—that pretty much summed up her experience with the thing, she supposed. With a shudder at her harrowing escape, she turned her attention back to the siren to say thank you, but only a stream of bubbles escaped her as she opened her mouth. Just in time, she clamped it shut again to avoid losing her miracle rock, and the siren’s face crinkled with amusement.
“Think AT me.”
Piper’s brow creased with concentration until her face purpled, and the siren reached out to cup her cheeks with cool fingers. The creature shook her head, grinning.
“No need to shout. I can hear you, Piper, and you are welcome.”
“Oh.” Piper blushed. “Sorry.”
“All is well. I am called Salla. What are you doing in the Sea of Storms?”
“I jumped off a ship. This thing”—Piper gestured to the nearby screen—“told me to.”
“What thing?”
“… You don’t see this?”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Piper waved her hand at her near-constant companion, and the siren frowned in puzzlement.
“I see your hand.”
Huh. That was an interesting revelation—but not one Piper needed to worry about now. For the screen had flashed, with a similar urgency to when it had warned her to get off the ship.
----------------------------------------
New Quest: { Safe Harbour }
Denizens of the deep do not sleep. The spilled blood summons them. Get to shore before the behemoths arise.
* Objective: Reach the shore 0/1.
* Reward: { Firestone }
----------------------------------------
Well, shit. She’d had enough sea monsters for one day, thanks very much.
“Um… d’you think you could help me, you know, get back to land?”
Salla smiled and stretched out her hand. When Piper reached for it, the siren pulled her into strong arms and cradled her like a child. Piper blushed but did not protest.
“Do not lose the crystal.”
“No fear of that.”
With a powerful flick of her tail, Salla propelled them forward at a blistering pace, and Piper flung her arms around the siren’s strong, slim shoulders to hang on for dear life. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as though the water’s resistance might pop her eyeballs out, but after a time she judged them secure enough and risked a peek. There wasn’t much to see—the night still clung to the depths despite the wash of dawn across the horizon above—but at last, the siren breached the surface and colour flooded the atmosphere. In the distance, the sky burned red and indigo and gold, immeasurably spectacular after the abyss of the dark ocean.
Salla sighed. “Nothing quite compares to an upworld sunrise.”
Piper whole-heartedly agreed—but mostly because the brightening daybreak illuminated a stretch of solid land ahead. Salla cruised towards it, until the water was shallow enough for Piper’s toes to touch the sand, and then released her. Pale against the sunrise, the screen flashed up.
----------------------------------------
* { Deeps Crystal } unequipped.
Quest: { Safe Harbour }
* Objective Complete: Reach the shore 1/1
* { Firestone } received
NEW ITEM: { Firestone } A charmed piece of anerradite crystal, used to kindle campfires.
* Quest Complete.
* 25 { Coin } added to inventory
----------------------------------------
Piper breathed a small sigh of relief—if the quest was complete, then hopefully that meant the deep-sea beasts were behind her. With a grateful smile, she turned to the siren.
“Thank you, Salla. I owe you my life twice over.”
Salla waved her gratitude away. “Saving pretty maidens is what we do.”
“But… I thought sirens drowned unwitting sailors?”
“That, too.” The siren smiled, slow and feral. “Men are delicious.”
Piper quirked a brow, perplexed, but decided not to dissect her good fortune. Salla popped a cheeky kiss on her surprised lips, graced her a jaunty wink, and disappeared beneath the waves. Bemused, Piper pressed numb fingers against her mouth and stared at the last glistening droplets as they splash back against the sea. At last, she shook herself, set her feet against the reassuring feel of sand beneath, and trudged up onto the beach. Hugging her arms around herself, she realised for the first time just how cold she was, and shivered against the chill snap of morning air. Her legs felt leaden as they carried her, and her left side dragged as her shredded calf muscle protested. Amidst another sharp stab of pain, she paused, wondering how to pull out some more of the andothyst salve, and as she did so, the screen popped up to display her inventory. Grateful, she tapped the healing balm image and made good use of it as the tub solidified in her hand.
----------------------------------------
* Used: { Andothyst Salve }
* Uses remaining: 1/3
----------------------------------------
The jagged bite was rather a bit more than ‘superficial’, but the salve helped to dull the worst of the throbbing. Walking still hurt, but movement provided a little warmth, so she kept going. To her left, the sea kept rhythmic accompaniment against the damp sand, and on her right, the sun finally crested the horizon, though its stark rays held little heat. Where the beach met the edge of the first patchy vegetation, snow lay in powdery splatters between gnarled roots, and Piper wondered if she might have avoided being eaten only to freeze to death. She drew away from the sea, into the edge of the sparse trees, but retreated again as she caught sight of a gigantic paw print pressed into a deeper drift. Back in the open, the wind cut at her, driving the cold into her bones, and she stumbled more and more often as her injured leg failed her. At last, the screen helpfully offered:
----------------------------------------
New Quest: { Dig In }
The elements of Andoherra are oft more dangerous than any beast. Seek shelter, warmth, and rest.
* Primary Objective: Find the cave 0/1
* Reward: { Lumostone }
* Secondary Objective: Collect { Driftwood } 0/10
* Reward: { Old Cloak }
----------------------------------------
Cave? That sounded like a FANTASTIC idea. She lifted her chin with an effort, swinging her gaze across her surroundings for somewhere likely to host such a haven. Spotting a bluff at the far end of the beach, she limped on, each step taking more effort than she thought humanly possible. As she passed by a large, weathered stick, a notification popped up:
----------------------------------------
* Take: { Driftwood }?
----------------------------------------
“Um… yes?”
The stick vanished, and, astonished, she cast about for it.
----------------------------------------
* Collected: { Driftwood } 1/10
----------------------------------------
The screen proudly displayed a miniature version of it, tucked safely in her inventory.
“Fab,” Piper said, pleased that she didn’t have to physically carry it.
She still wasn’t sure what kind of sorcery could possibly be responsible for the glowing screen that followed her everywhere, but she certainly appreciated the convenience of an ‘inventory’ to store all her things. At this particular point, weak with cold, exhaustion and blood loss, she was surprised she had the energy to carry the clothes she was wearing, never mind anything else.
Slowly, she picked her way towards the cliff at the end of the beach, collecting driftwood along the way wherever she came across it. By the time she reached the towering massif and spotted the small aperture tucked between a copse of sparse bushes, she’d found nine out of the ten she’d been assigned to fetch. Biting her lip, she hesitated at the mouth of the cave, wondering if she should comb about for the last piece of wood to complete her quest. She wavered, favouring her injured leg, and decided she’d have a look inside the cave first. To be honest, she was eager to get out of the biting wind.
A light coating of snow lay silent across the scree at the entrance, and, suspicious, she cast about its pristine surface for any sign of tracks. Finding none, she proceeded with more confidence, pushing through the clutching branches and into the dry interior beyond. As the wind suddenly abated, she sighed with relief.
----------------------------------------
Quest: { Dig In }
* Primary Objective Complete: Find the cave 1/1
* { Lumostone } received
----------------------------------------
A small, yellowish crystal materialized in her hand, and she held it up to inspect it.
----------------------------------------
* Item: { Lumostone } A charmed piece of anerradite crystal, used to shed light.
* Use: { Lumostone }?
----------------------------------------
Subconsciously, Piper nodded, and was pleasantly surprised when the crystal began to glow in her hand. Apparently, even thinking yes was enough for the screen to respond. She held the stone high, cupping her hand around the back to keep the illumination falling forward instead of into her eyes, and looked around. The cave wasn’t very big – hardly a shallow dent in the side of the cliff, really – but it was perfect for her purposes. And, bonus, there were no passageways leading off into the dark that could possibly hide hungry monsters. Off to one side, a small trickle of water seeped into a tiny pool in the sand, and she hurried to slake her thirst. As she wiped moisture from her chin, she smiled as she spotted one last piece of wood, half-buried beside the puddle, and she bent to retrieve it.
----------------------------------------
Quest: { Dig In }
* Secondary Objective Complete: Collect { Driftwood } 10/10
* { Old Cloak } received
* { Old Cloak } auto-equipped
* Quest Complete.
* 25 { Coin } added to inventory
----------------------------------------
As the thick, tattered cloak materialized around her, she tugged it closed across her chest and snuggled for an indulgent moment – it was too big and smelled slightly musty, but it was warm. Relieved, she moved deeper into the cave, crossing the firm sand of its floor to tuck herself into a nook at the back – the place she reasoned she’d feel safest. A shadowy aperture caught her eye, and she held the lumostone out to brighten it. It was a small niche, almost like a shelf, about the length of a tall man and approximately her waist height above the floor. It was fairly narrow and was topped with a tatty, straw-stuffed leather pad, and there was no doubt what it was – it bore a striking resemblance to her bunk back at the hippalectryon farm, albeit extremely old and frayed, and also carved out of stone instead of tacked together with flimsy pine.
A slow, broad smile spread across Piper’s lips at the thought of resting up in an actual bed – and it widened as she caught sight of a small trunk half-hidden on a tiny shelf at the far end. As she leaned over to grab it, the screen flashed a query.
----------------------------------------
* Loot: { Chest } ?
----------------------------------------
“Hell yeah!” she grinned, and the heavy lid clicked open of its own accord.
----------------------------------------
* 2 { Andothyst Salve } added to inventory
* 5 { Coin } added to inventory
* { Dented Flask } added to inventory
* { Rusty Axe } added to inventory
* { Dried Fruit } added to inventory
----------------------------------------
Dried fruit? THAT made her mouth water – she pulled them out of her inventory and wolfed the entire lot in the space of three heartbeats. Temporarily sated, she turned back to her inventory and spotted the firestone.
“Ah, I’d forgotten about that,” she mused, reaching for it. With the screen’s helpful prompting, she soon managed to ignite it beneath two of the driftwood pieces, and the cheerful blaze danced homely shadows across the walls. Remembering nights spent on the range on the hippalectryon round-ups, she banked it carefully to smoulder through the night and turned at last for the ancient bed.
She hoisted herself up and collapsed onto it, and didn't even mind the lumps and straw that poked at her through the old leather. Safe, for now, she promptly fell fast asleep.