Chapter II: Disembark

As the sun rose above the horizon, the mood lightened from palpable dread to more or less somber calm. Even the mists seemed less foreboding.

Lendrig’s Hollow rested at the center of a large bay. As they sailed onwards, the fog seemed to slowly surround them from either side of the bay. In retellings, Selene felt an apt description might be:

The mists lapped lazily at the water’s edge, like an ancient predator glutted and satisfied after a long night’s feast.

But the great hero, Selene Bryseis, knew no fear. She faced the void and fog, with a merry band of heroes, ready to brave a land few had seen and fewer left alive.

A small smile touched her lips as her tail bobbed slightly under her cloak at the thought. It was a few hours before anything of note would occur.

The ship sailed ever closer to the shore.

Further into the bay, it became clear that the mists did in fact stretch far beyond the shore line, creating a wall of fog. The hair on the back of Selene’s neck stood on end as she stared at the strange site. Looking around, she realized the wall seemed to stretch from end to end of the bay. Looking back, she saw the way behind them was shut by fog as well. As if the mists were in fact the predator she described, and they had stumbled into the beast’s maw. Helpless and past the point of no return, the jaws now snapped shut. Trapping them in eternal darkness.

Well...not darkness. More like eternal gray...ness. Selene thought as fog swallowed everything in sight.

There was little fanfare from the rest of the crew, which meant this was to be expected. Selene couldn’t help but wonder if this was perhaps the reason why the captain had stopped for the night. Getting stranded here in the dark may very well be a death sentence.

For a moment, the ship floated in a grey void. Strangely, the mists never intruded on the space surrounding the ship, leaving a kind of bubble where all inside it could clearly be seen, but everything past it was lost in that endless void.

Thankfully this void eventually gave way as silhouettes came into view.

At first, they were vague and indistinct. Selene thought they might be ships or rocks in the bay, but that was quickly proven false as the silhouettes seemed to grow in height as they approached. Slowly, they came to tower above the meager vessel. In the mist it was hard to say, but they seemed to reach into the sky endlessly. Finally, when it seemed to breach the “bubble” surrounding the ship, the objects came into clear view.

Before them stood a massive gate. Ornate, but worn from time. The gate seemed large enough to fit ships far greater than the Admare. While it was certainly impressive, its primary function was clearly security. The bars holding it all up were made of thick, blackened metal that sunk deep into the depths of the murky sea below. It was an artifact from an age long past, one buried in myth. They stood before the gate to Lendrig’s Hollow.

As the ship neared the entrance, the gate jerked into motion. With a loud screech, the gate opened.

“Damn these gates, give me the creeps.” Selene heard one of the crew mutter.

“Yah,” said another, “like starin’ at da gates to hell or sumthin’.”

The tension returned to the crew as everyone’s faces turned grim. All except Selene, who could barely contain the excitement as her tail swished from side to side.

Past the gate, the air seemed clearer, as if the mists stood as but another barrier to entry. Not to say visibility was great, but the mist no longer stood as a wall around the ship. However, as the mists around them faded, light seemed to dwindle. It seemed the mists now bared down overhead, blocking the much of the sun’s rays.

For a time, their voyage continued in almost total darkness. Slowly, a strange green glow grew in the distance, piercing the dark. It was algae, and it seemed to be growing at the base of docks and the hulls of ships.

The water was surprisingly clear here, revealing the seabed under a verdant glow. Small shadows of fish swam about the algae, almost attracted to it like moths to a flame. The light provided past the surface was more ambient than illuminating. The residents therefore had gathered a portion and strung it up across the dockyard, allowing a firm enough grasp on the area.

Argent eyed the docks warily. Hamish made a few brief signs with his hands and bowed his head. Ari shivered.

Selene was enraptured.

This world was so alien to the one she knew. The dockyard, or what was left of it, was a massive, dilapidated ruin. The sheer scope of the place was lost in the darkness, but Selene noted the algae’s light beneath the surface seemed to stretch across for miles on either side.

Enough space to fit the docks back home twice over, at least.

A single dock seemed to be in use, housing a motley assortment of fishing vessels. Each one seemed an assorted mismatch of simplistic wood and salvaged scrap from the docks. Their prows were covered in the same strange algae growing from the docks.

A small group of fisherman were hustling about on the deck. The same strange glowing algae hung from their fishing nets as lures. Their lanterns seemed to be stuffed with it too, giving off the same green glow. The dim lights cast odd, foreboding shadows across their stern faces.

A few of the fisherman, stopped to gawk when they saw The Admare approach. Older fisherman among them seemed to recognize the vessel and paid it no mind.

Considering how few dared travel here, The Admare was likely an unusual sight.

An unease crept over Selene as the fisherman returned to their duties. It was unusually quiet for this time of day. There were no merchant cries echoing through the clamour of crowds or even the quiet din of townsfolk going about their day.

All that met them were hushed whispers, the creak of wooden ships, and calm waters lapping against the docks.

Words unbidden flowed into her mind, likely half remembered from old tales shared by tavern folk or traveling minstrel one forgotten night:

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The Old Grandeur lost…

All that remained…decayed refuse and carrion.

Nothing but a husk…hollowed by scavengers picking at scraps.

She could not recall their origins, but it seemed a fitting description.

Still, Selene tried to keep things positive. She was finally here, after all. Here at the start of her adventure.

True, everything here is dark and kinda creepy, but that just means there will be danger and risk. Can’t have a good adventure without risk and peril, right?

Selene decided to leave the question unanswered as they were shuffled below deck to wait for the crew to finish the docking process.

The time spent waiting for the crew to finish docking felt far longer than usual. Everyone, including Selene, now seemed to share in the same sentiment of unease.

The party sat in silence, Hamish sat beside her as they waited.

“You having second thoughts, friend?” He whispered to her, “Not too late to change mind, you know.”

Selene did not respond right away. For a moment, she honestly considered the question. Could she leave so easily? Abandon everything that brought her here? Give up before the adventure even started? Determination swelled in her chest as she gave her answer.

“Nope, just wondering what would happen if you ate that algae,” She said, then turned to him and smirked, “A giant, glowing half orc would be quite the sight.”

Hamish guffawed, “Haha! Yes, would be quite the sight. Might be good surprise at parties.”

Ari giggled behind her hand, while a small smile played at Argent’s lips.

“Too bad we’re already here,” Ari said in between giggles, “I bet you would have helped us get through that fog if you were glowing.”

Hamish chuckled, “Yes! Strap me to front of ship. I will glow us the way!”

Everyone laughed at the image, and the mood brightened considerably.

By the time docking was finished and she was back on deck, Selene’s excitement had returned with a renewed vigor.

Captain Renik waited by the plank off the ship, taking the final payments from his travellers.

Selene was the last in line. Renik eyed her, his hand outstretched.

She cleared her throat, then handed him the rest of his payment, “Here you are, captain, I believe that is everything.” She then added quietly in the hopes no one else heard her, “Thanks for putting up with me these past few months.”

Renik nodded as he quickly counted out her payment. Despite the months on the boat, Renik and Selene never really talked, so with the transaction completed, all Renik had to say was, “Take care of yerself, horngirl.”

“You too.” She gave her hat a small tug in acknowledgment, then turned with a dramatic flourish to join her group leaving the docks.

Before she got far, Renik called after her, “Wait!”

Selene stopped and turned, confused.

Renik scratched the back of his head, not meeting her gaze, “We be leavin’ two days from now, that’s how long yeh have to change your mind. I can drop yeh off at the next port free of charge, if yeh wan’.”

She stopped in her tracks. Over the months of this voyage, Selene had learned little about their captain, but she knew he was not the kind of man to give up anything for free. She turned back to face him, head tilted, “Why?”

He shrugged, “Don’t feel right, leavin’ folk here.” His gaze finally turned to her as he added, “Wanta make sure yeh really want it.”

Selene nodded in understanding. “I appreciate your offer, but I’m not leaving,” She said, then stood up straight and declared, “I have my own adventure to finish.”

Renik met her gaze for a moment, then sighed, “Suit yerself. Offer stands ‘til we leave.”

He gave her a quick wave before turning away, while Selene hurried to catch up with her merry band.

“Did captain have final word, Selene?” Hamish asked as they walked down the docks in single file. There were few on the docks at this hour, but they were thin and clearly worn from years of use.

Selene shrugged, “He just wanted us to know when they’re leaving in case we change our minds.”

Hamish nodded, but did not say more. The quiet seemed to be getting to him somewhat. Fog hung thick over the city proper, as it did the dock.

The odd feeling she had upon arrival was more palpable here. This place might have once rivaled, maybe even surpassed, Izan’larai in scope and splendor, but left to time’s demise, it had withered. People were moving quietly and with purpose about the area, but the streets, and even the alleys, were massive. A small populace dwarfed by the dead city surrounding them. The juxtaposition unsettled Selene for a reason she did not entirely understand.

Even with all that space, everyone seemed to give each other a wide berth. Any kind of close contact was carefully avoided. More of the algae was used for lighting, stretched across thin fishing lines above the streets in use, leaving abandoned sections buried in shadow.

Selene found greater comfort focusing more on the people that passed than the city itself.

Dozens of Malenai passed by as they stood passively on the side of the street.

Selene knew the stories of her people, but still there were so many here. Half the people here were Malenai, passing by them in these fog covered streets.

Haven’t seen this many of us since...in a long time, I guess.

She recalled vaguely dozens of odd colors, shapes and sizes that marked the Malenai Quarter back home. The Scourge had supposedly affected countless families differently, and it made them all unique and strange in their own way.

Her father had once joked, "The only shared thing among our people is we all stick out, no matter where we are."

True, all Malenai consistently had odd skin pigments, horns and a tail, but countless variance between two of their kind was commonplace. Some had light blue skin, with horns like coral from a reef, others had horns carved from granite and skin a gravel gray. As she watched them pass her by, though, a realization dawned on her.

Strange, Selene couldn’t help but note, None of them look like...

“Selene!” She was suddenly pulled from her thoughts as Argent called her to the group. “No time for sight seeing, we need to find a place to stay for the night.”

Selene cocked an eyebrow, “We do? Seems a little early for that.”

The sun was nowhere to be seen, but she was fairly certain it was only around midday at best.

Hamish shook his head, “No, my friend. Lodging very important once you arrive in new place.”

Ari nodded, “Especially here in Syndramire. Days here are hard to track, and nights are extremely dangerous. Even the city may not be safe if we don’t find shelter before the mists roll in again.”

“I believe I know a place we can stay, but I won’t know for certain until we ask around,” Argent said, quickly taking charge of the situation, “I suggest we find what goes for a social gathering in these parts and ask around.”

“What, like a tavern?” Selene asked.

Hamish’s eyes lit up at the word. Ari acted disinterested to the idea but her pointed ears twitched slightly as she looked to see how Argent responded.

He thought a moment, then nodded, “Not the worst place to start. A place like this is bound to have a few to keep people sane. We’ll need to ask around for one.”

“Wait,” Selene said, “didn’t you say you’ve been here before?”

Argent paused, looking behind the group, then nodded, “Yes, but it has been…a long time. I have a feeling much has changed since then.”

At that moment, Argent stepped in front of a dwarf attempting to walk past them.

“‘scuse me,” the dwarf murmured as he tried to circle around Argent.

A large hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. The dwarf’s sunken eyes grew to the size of saucers as he stared up at Hamish’s jovial toothy grin. “Apologies, friend. Do not mean to frighten, but we need assistance.”

The dwarf turned to stare at each of them, his eyes a pallid grey. The dwarf spoke as if he was still half asleep, “You folk aren’t from around here.”

Hamish nodded, “Yes, we are travellers. You may call me Brother Hamish. What is your name?”

The dwarf struggled a moment, as if it was hard to concentrate, “Uh…Bregun.”

“Bregun, would you mind telling friends and I where we might find tavern?”

The dwarf relaxed visibly at the mention of the tavern, “Silver Maré is up that way aways. Can’t miss it, just follow the lights.”

“What do you mean?” Selene asked.

The dwarf jumped, as if he didn’t see her before. He stared at her a moment, as if again trying to collect his thoughts, then he pointed to one of the lines of algae hanging above the street, “The lights all lead to safe buildings. Just follow them until you find the sign for the tavern. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get going.”

Before they could ask for clarification, he turned around and dashed down the street.

They all watched him scurry off in confused silence.

“He seemed nice,” Ari said, “just a little…”

“Out of his mind?” Argent said dryly.

Ari nodded, “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Silence followed.

“So…are we going to that tavern he mentioned?” Selene asked.

Argent didn’t say anything, but nodded.