After they got their gear, they’d packed away everything they might need, had a light dinner and headed to bed.
Petor quickly washed, Desari had every room outfitted with a bathroom thankfully and got dressed in his new gear, pants, shirt, gambeson, boots, leg and arm bracers, then scarf folded into a hood over his shoulders and back. Breastplate over that with some of the scarf and the hood poking through.
Petor checked his gear over again, his old armor had started to feel light with his core increases. The Dimantium felt comfortable—solid. He turned and shifted in his armor, the weight where it should be, nothing pinching or shifting uncomfortably.
He adjusted his scarf/hood. The material a deep green. Though this will make it so I don’t catch an arrow to the head.
He pinched the material, feeling it stiffen under his finger’s pressure.
It didn’t move as he shifted his head around and he could see out from under it without the edges covering his sight.
He tucked the hood back and ran his hand over his belt as he headed for the door.
He stepped out into Desari’s upper corridor. Mya was still moving around in her room. Valter’s door was closed but Petor didn’t sense him there.
The smell of tea drifted up from the kitchen. Petor followed it, his weight causing the stairs to creaked but hold. Desari read a book as she sipped her tea. Valter looked out the window of the garden, peeling his eyes from it to raise a cup in salute to Petor.
Petor ducked his head back in greeting. Desari glanced up and he gave her a tight lipped smile, making a route through the kitchen to the prepared tea.
Both of them were adorned in their full gear. Valter’s helmet serving as an armrest on the table.
Petor poured out tea and added honey, Mya’s steps almost a dance as she descended the stairs.
A bell rang, signalling someone at the front gate. Petor looked at Desari and Valter, none of them sure what it was for.
“That’s for me!” Mya yelled, her steps carrying her to the front door. “Petor give me a hand!”
Petor swirled his tea and took two large mouthfuls, putting it on the table beside Valter.
“The hells she got now.” He hurried out the kitchen, down the corridor and through the still open door.
A cart stood at the entrance to Desari’s home. Mya opened it to reveal a man on the other side, he looked through the gate, gauging where to put the boxes undoubtedly.
Petor’s steps carried him up to Mya.
“Are you sure?” The man asked.
“No worries, I got my mule—uh associate here,” Mya clapped Petor on the shoulder.
“What are you volunteering me for?” Petor glanced down the street. Train of carts extending down it.
Mya pulled him down to whisper in his ear. “No one else has the storage room and you haven’t been using all of yours. These are the goods I went and purchased to sell in the Water Plane.”
Petor looked up and down them all.
“Great.”
“Well get to it,” Mya patted him on the shoulder.
“All of these?” Petor asked the man.
“Uhh, yes.”
Petor grunted and stepped up to the first cart, taking in everything that was inside it, then quickly moving down the train as the drivers and the laborers watched everything disappear into his storage device.
He reached the limit and injected mana into it. As Mya and Desari had helpfully explained, the space expanded, but required a constant upkeep of mana to be pushed beyond what it could passively hold.
Some people on the street were talking to one another as he quickly cleared off the remaining carts. Well with us leaving for a bit, hopefully they’ll forget about this.
Petor stalked back to Mya who signed off on several documents.
“Safe travels!” Mya said and turned to the house, meeting up with Petor. The gate closed behind them.
“You don’t have any room?” Petor asked.
“Not much.”
It was a good thing that he regularly portioned off part of his mana recovery to the others. Still losing that capacity was a silent weight straining his channels.
Petor let out a grumble.
“You and Valter could have a whole conversation in grunts now,” Mya said with a sunny disposition at odds with the early hour and Petor’s flat stare.
She laughed it off as Desari and Valter walked out the front of the house.
“Shall we be off?” Desari asked as she shut the door.
My tea. He’d barely had time to taste it and Desari made the best. As suited an alchemist capable of making Epic grade potions.
Valter put his helmet on and headed for where their mounts waited.
“Sure,” Petor slumped his head in defeat and trudged into the square garden. Their mounts stood still, as they fitted them with blankets and saddles.
Petor fed Mirradon an apple patting her and checking her hooves.
“Alright, girl, see you in a bit.” Petor stroked her from her forehead to her nose and stored her away, it would be like no time had passed for her when she came out.
The others stored their mounts.
“You know, I think they’re getting stronger too,” Petor said.
“I would agree,” Valter said.
“Their soul bound to us and Rezzie came back from the dead. So could be something Limos did?” Desari asked.
“Don’t you and your elementals get stronger because of the contract you made?” Mya asked.
“Yeah, you think that there is something similar going on?” Desari asked.
Mya shrugged. “I know that Limos is damned powerful and I don’t think its beyond him to alter our mounts or our contract with them in someway to increase their power.” Mya shrugged. “It feels near identical to the binding between Mesurial and myself was before. Shall we head to the chasm?”
Desari pulled out the planar gem, everyone moving close to her.
The planar gem flared with light in world of colors, then into only shades of black and white, before snapping back into colors. The planar gem’s glow was less than it had been before.
Petor looked around. They stood in the stables of the inn they’d stayed in during negotiations with the Nether Chasm’s leadership.
Petor pulled up his hood, Desari doing the same, and drawing her face covering up.
Mya led them out of the stables, several people stopped and stared as she walked to the inn and through the main doors to the reception desk. “Hello, The Four Horsemen, we’re supposed to help with a trade?”
The man at the desk didn’t know what to do when his manager stepped forward, coming to the rescue.
“I’ll pass on the message, if you would like to make yourselves comfortable. Would you like a refreshment?”
“Tea please,” Petor said. He’d get some at least! Needed more than sleep in his veins to get the day started.
“Of course,” the manager smiled and looked at the others.
“Same please,” Mya smiled.
The manager bowed her head.
They moved across to a set of chairs and settled in. Tea arrived within a few minutes. Petor was endlessly and perhaps childlishly amused drinking his tea while wearing his hood as it obscured his face in shadow.
Just the void drinking over here.
He cleared his throat to cover over the snort that snuck up on him. Merchants and traders moved through the space. A few coming back in looking worse for the wears of a long night unslept.
They cast gazes at the group and hurried on, talking to one another in rushed whispers.
The door opened to a guard officer coming in, his head swivelled to the horsemen as Petor drank all but the last touch of water in his tea.
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“Horsemen?”
“That’s us,” Mya said.
“We’re to transport you,” He held out a hand to the door.
They moved towards it, he quickly moved ahead of them. Three transports awaited them. Two carrying four of the large powered guardians, the middle a travelling carriage.
A guard opened up the door, Mya jumped up first, followed by Desari, Petor and Valter.
The door closed the guard officer letting out a whistle. In seconds they were moving.
“Not messing around,” Mya said.
“Must’ve got this moving as soon as they knew we were here. Had them ready and waiting,” Valter said. “The guards were sweating, no matter how they present it.”
The carriage moved through the streets, people making way. Lifts were cleared ahead of them as they descended through the forges into the chasm.
It wasn’t long before they passed through the checkpoint leading to the convergence point.
The carriages came to a stop next to the rift showing the Nether Forge’s headquarters in the water plane on the other side.
“Netherforge Master Peck sends her regards and wishes you well on your travels.” The officer saluted in the nether forge manner.
“Give her our thanks. We’ll be back this way soon,” Mya said.
They walked up to the rift and through it to the other side.
“Hmm, no welcome party, a lady is bound to be hurt,” Mya said as they strode through the Anvil Spike.
“Last time we came through we were sneaking and then captured their manager,” Petor said.
“And knocked out most of them with gas,” Valter said.
Petor pointed and nodded in open agreement.
People moved out of their way as they walked through the place.
“Still feels like they’re a little skittish,” Desari said.
“Well you’re used to hiding in the shadows, you don’t want anyone to know of th deeds that you’re up to though we’ve been doing things in the open for a while.” Mya said.
“And they’ve been keeping an eye on us since they learned about us,” Desari looked rather ‘stabby’ at the statement.
“Hard to keep the lid on anything. We got through their camp, then talked right to their leader and brokered a deal that’s paying them massive dividends. Then we disappeared, blew up a volcano, usurped two groups and then created Trinity out of it that’s also opened up possible trade with them.” Petor sucked in a breath. “Not exactly low-key.”
Desari shifted her shoulders in a distinctly uncomfortable way.
“Wonder if they know about what happened in misty cove too?” Mya said. “They’ve been trading with people in the water plane and I don’t think that people escaping a convergence point city is exactly normal.”
“They haven’t seen your—well they’re about to see Mesurial and there’s not many ships like here,” Desari’s shoudlers slumped in defeat.
“Look we’ll go to another nice quiet world where they don’t know about us and then you can be all sneaky shadow stabby,” Petor patted her on the shoulder.
She gave him a look that would have made a viper pee a bit.
Petor grinned and patted again. Danger, fun.
Desari rolled her eyes.
Crates of all different descriptions moved on carts, in and out of rooms.
“Lots of trade going on,” Mya studied it all, seeing something only she understood. “though I’d expect more.”
“Well if they’re having ships raided as they leave the island anyone coming here is risking it,” Petor said.
Mya’s face darkened as they reached the exit to the island’s headquarters. “Fucking pirates.”
“This is going to be so much fun. Really need to make plants that can work in the sea though,” Petor grimaced.
A nervous looking Vedran stood at the door, he stood straighter at their approach. Behind him was three of the mana powered carts that they’d hitched a ride underneath into the headquarters last time.
These ones had been scrubbed free of dust, though the signs of wear and tear was visible.
“Horsemen,” The man bowed his head.
“Fucking Limos,” Mya muttered.
The man’s face turned a lighter shade of red.
“How you doing?” Petor asked, reaching out with his hand and a smile. Why am I the diplomatic one?
The man flinched and then slowly took his hand.
Petor shook it firmly.
“Uh, we’re supposed to take you to the docks?”
“Sure, lead on, cleaned up the carts, nice work,” Petor said.
The others trudged behind.
“The wares, they down at the dock?” Mya asked as they reached the carts.
“They are,” The man bobbed his head.
Each of them got up onto the front of a cart, their drivers looking as worried as their leader. Petor stayed with him as he took the lead cart.
Petor leaned back into his seat, shifting his breastplate around to get comfortable.
The cart surged forward moving for the road exiting the headquarters compound. It had expanded collection and sorting areas becoming more defined, machinery sorting through what came in.
The other three were locked into their own thoughts, each worried about their people. Faster we can get this done the better.
He was going to have to keep up the light jokey attitude to defuse the tensions between them all. He noticed the increased trails that peeled off from the main road, mines cutting into the island around them.
Petor let his mind float, bouncing with the cart as they passed other carts carrying materials. The drivers waving in greeting to one another. They passed two convoys of carts moving down the road as well. Notes of surprise coming from those drivers, till they saw the carts.
“Lot less dust than you get in Vedra,” Petor said.
“Few drivers taken to not wearing goggles,” The man chuckled and then seized up realizing who he was talking to.
“Could never get the damn dust out of my clothes, or my nose,” Petor grimaced.
“Every driver in the Chasm is trying to get a job out here now.” The driver pointed to a section of unused road, workers clearing the ground, flattening and laying track. “Not long till we start to get the cart lines in though.”
Petor spotted water through the rocks. He squinted, trying to remember the layout of the island. A small inlet cut deep into the island. The rocks cleared to show it. A road ran along it, docks jutted out at the deepest parts of the inlet.
Just three ships were in port, some buildings were set up opposite the main road. Several plots had been flattened out, with signs of growing crops. More were being setup.
There were signs of preparations for more docks, but there wasn’t any workers to be found.
They had the capacity for thirty ships. Their goods were sure to interest many buyers.
So few trying to exploit the new wealth. This didn’t talk of just a few raids, it was systematic and crippling.
Sure Nether Forge Chasm could just trade in Vedra. Though there was a clear market just infront of them that they couldn’t touch.
They carried down the main road to the port, crates of carved stone were lined up on a dock they were aiming for with loading crews standing at the ready. Not a ship lay on either side of the dock.
The cart came to a stop as the crews perked up.
“We were told to have the wares here and ready to load,” The Driver said, leading into question.
“Perfect, should get things loaded up and on the way in short order.” Petor dropped from the cart and moved to meet up with the others, Desari, Valter and himself stood back from the water as Mya walked to the edge.
She took out the bottled Mesurial and tossed it out into the water.
Her bow pierced the water, erupting out of it like a ship cresting a storm wave. Water poured off of her sides as her full length was revealed.
Everyone stopped to watched as the water surged around her, lapping at the dock. Her bulk shadowed the loading crew backing up, heads craned upwards.
Ropes shot out and looped around the tie offs and secured themselves.
Cranes unfolded themselves and swung over the side of the ship, lowering their nets.
“Lets get loaded up! The sun’s burning and the wind’s pulling!” Mya yelled.
Valter tapped Petor’s arm and pointed at a gangway. Petor nodded, moving over with him to move it into place.
The loader’s leaders started yelling their people into motion. One moved up to Mya, bowing his head and holding out a chalk board. Mya bent her head to him, reading and talking to him.
Valter and Petor got the gangway into place, locking it down.
Petor went up it, pushing the last plank into place against Mesurial’s hull. He jumped over and secured it with ropes, it would bob up and down but not come free.
“Petor open up the holds!” Mya yelled up.
“Aye!” Petor grabbed the hatches that kept the lower decks sealed, each weighing several men, he picked them up with one hand, opening them as the wood of the gangway creaked with footsteps.
Petor dropped into the holds, opening the successive hatches, securing the timber coverings to the side.
By the time he made his way back up, the loading crews were rotating the first crane load over the upper hatches.
Others rushed down, ready to receive them.
Mya stood off to the side organizing what was sheer chaos to Petor.
“Check all the guns, make sure they’re ready but stowed.” She cast out among a litany of orders.
“Gotcha.”
He moved along the cannons, checking each of them, quietly charging them up with mana as needed, going down the port side and then down all the floors, weaving through the loaders before he did the starboard side and back up.
Twin barrels were on either side of Desari, the wind moving with her hands as it gathered up the liquid in a mist, covering the sails. The deck rippled under the barrels, moving them in-line with her.
Valter climbed up the gangway.
“She’s looking good,” Valter said.
“Very well,” Mya said.
Petor looked over the side of the ship. The pile of crates had rapidly diminished. Looking forward to getting our extra wares out of my storage device.
Cranes worked back and forth, crews loading and unloading the netting. Within each Petor could sense the mana hungry enchantments.
“Valter, Petor, second deck rear, fill it up,” Mya said.
Petor weaved across the now familiar deck and down into the ship’s hold via a set of steps, another one down and he tracked to the empty hold.
“Crates here, bolts in the webbing?” Petor asked Valter’s opinion.
“Works.”
Petor dumped the crates, Valter grabbed onto them, stacking them and storing them to the side. Petor took out the bolts of cloth and secured them in the webbing, up high and away from the deck.
“More crates!” Valter said.
Petor dumped more, his mana usage falling away like a physical weight as they filled the hold.
The noises in the ship started to fade away as they finished up. Their goods filling the space, ropes and webbing secured everything to the floors, walls and ceiling.
Petor and Valter retraced their steps up to the main deck.
Hatches took two men to secure back into place, the crews quickly leaving the ship.
Desari finished off with her spells, the sails coated in potion. She tipped one barrel’s contents into the other before hammering the lid back into place.
Mya talked to their leader some more, signing off on a piece of paper as the last of their crew departed.
She undid the last plank of the gangway and the leader pulled it back before hurrying down to the dock.
“Alright, lets get on the seas!” Mya stalked across the deck, climbing up the sheer steps to the poop deck.
“Petor up high! Valter on the bow! Desari, how’s that potion?” Mya asked, reaching the helm.
“Its infused into all the sails we should be good to go.”
“Lets see if we can’t get some wind in these sails!” Mya said.
Mana flared throughout Mesurial, anchor chain clanked back aboard, pulling the ship away rom the dock as the ropes securing the ship released.
Not wasting anytime. Petor hurried up the rigging, what had been daunting was easy now.
Wooden blocks and ropes shifted and whirred, the sails descending. The wind was filled with the scent of freshly fallen rain.
Petor grinned as he picked up the pace. The sails caught the wind, snapping in the wind as they continued to unfurl.
The anchors settled in place as sail filled Mesurial’s masts, drawing her forward.
Petor settled into the crows nest.
“Row for me you blackhearts! For tomorrow you’ll have new crew!” Mya’s voice was infused with power.
The sail was trimmed full of wind without the snap of loss. Mesurial gained speed, easily three times the size of the second largest ship as she cut through the water.
She was sleek and deadly, an indomitable force as Mesurial brough her around the dock’s final edge and angled her for the open seas.
The sail’s adjusted to capture the most wind.
Petor glanced back at Desari and Mya, their eyes purple and white respectively as they called upon their powers to carry them forward.
Mya had the conch they got from Krinta to her lips letting out a deep bassy note.
Mesurial and the water around them shuddered with it before they were dragged forward by the water.
Petor breathed in the fresh air. People on the docks and in the small port town rushed out to see Mesurial as she departed the inlet and headed seaward.
Twin towers guarded the inlet, the stone and weapons within heavily enchanted. Guards watched them as they passed. Petor gave them a single wave and drew out his spyglass, looking at the horizon.
The wind picked up as they exited the inlet, the ship cut through the waves as Desari, Mya and Mesurial stretched their new limits.
Mesurial’s timbers creaked with the forces, Petor couldn’t help but grin.
“Just stretching your water legs huh gal?” He patted the top of the mast he leaned against. His mirth straightened his lips as he kept surveying the horizon. Now they just had to get their weapons to Coral Bastion.
And find out what’s stopped the other ships for reaching it.