Chapter 31: Titanic Tension

For the party, it is the thirteenth day of the thirteenth month. The pressure has begun to mount.

“Everyone, equip weapons and armor! We prepared for this!” Bolato ordered, with everyone scrambling around the room.

“Florato! Here’s the dagger.” Skaldi tossed the jar of the substance to the actress, who caught it with her forearms. Her forehead wrinkled a little bit but she shook her head and continued. Florato went upstairs and put on an outfit befitting her new role. Amir and Valiato soon came into the deck, the two groggy but intent on doing their part.

Skaldi grabbed blankets while Bolato carried crates and put them in front of the centuries. Skaldi put a finger to his lips and shushed the mermaid. He then threw the blanket over top of him, concealing him. Giving a thumbs up to Bolato, Skaldi jumped up the stairs. A dull quake struck his head, making him stumble on the way out.

“Damn it.” Skaldi cursed. He massaged his wound with his thumb and continued until he got to the side of the ship. Vega soon followed.

“Ya ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.” The redhead and scarecrow climbed over the side and clung to the ship’s rigging. From there, they could see the outline of the galley.

The Barbed Lass, similar to its name, was a modest war vessel. Lacquered red planks and copper nails burned in the midnight sea, making its image resemble a dying fire. Oars were spoons dipped into the sea and an ram reinforced with the shells of centuries. Atop it was a corvus, the boarding device so many Iozian ships have since antiquity.

Bright turquoise colored sails and a crew of twenty, Skaldi and Vega knew it would be a threatening mission to disable it. For now, all they could was hope that Florato was as good an actor as she claimed to be.

“~Are you ready Florato?~” Amir prompted, putting the last pieces of the plan together.

“~Ready. I think…~” Florato conceded, making a vain attempt to summon some extra courage. Amir patted on her shoulder as he hid his scarred eye.

The side of the galley was ten feet above the Pinnace, along with two well armored Tripolians. From what the three could see, their eyes were unused to being open so late. Florato also saw that the rowers started to get up, most heaving in air and yawning.

“~Praise the Emperor. How is your night?~” The officer in orange trousers greeted them warmly. Valiato and Florato waved gingerly, for the teen had never heard the Tripolian accent aside from Amir, and Florato because the garment covered all parts of her except her face. Additionally, the green makeup on her face irradiated her nose, prompting her to sneeze. Amir bent forward, gesturing for the two to come down.

“~Praise the Emperor. Good sir. What brings you to the Thakian Sea?~” Amir groggily spoke, his eyes begging to return to rest.

“~Orders of the Patriarch Ani Arma. And under the command of Galataii son Runtaii. What about you, good sir? You and your family seem to be doing good for yourself.” Both of the officers climbed down the ship's rigging and landed onto the main deck of the Pinnace. As Florato went for her dagger, three more soldiers arrived on top of the Barbed Lass. She put her hand back to her hip, as beads of sweat formed on her skin.

“~Well, I am glad to see more fellow Tripolians.~” Amir lied as easily as he breathed. Technically he doesn’t breathe that well… you get what I mean!

“~Same here. If you wouldn’t mind, do you have fruit? Some of our men have come down with a sickness.~”

“~What type?~” Amir immediately pulled out his journal, not realizing what he had done.

“~Oh. Uh… some kind of bleeding gums type of thing? Are you a doctor?~” The officer asked while scratching his head. Florato nudged Amir to stop what he was doing but he didn’t seem to notice.

“~We all have to be in times like this.~” Amir snickered.

“~Ain’t that the truth!~” The officer and his fellow men laughed a little bit, easing Florato’s heart.

“~Bleeding gums. Must be scurvy. You’re lucky you got here. Come with me.~” Amir waved the officer over, and awkwardly shuffled over to him. Again, the size difference between Amir and the officer was almost comical. Soon the two walked into the lower deck as the two girls were left alone.

The second officer, wearing more silver than any other protective metal, eyed the two up and down. He was far younger than the first, about the age a man gets a complete beard. Florato went to sit with Valiato on the steps to the ship wheel.

“~Lady, how have you been with your husband?~”

“~Ten years, give or take.~” Florato’s acting came in handy when making accents on the fly, as she showed no signs of being Iozian. Valiato gave a thumbs up to her quickly enough so that the Tripolians wouldn’t notice.

“~Ten years? And she is?~” The officer pointed to Valiato, who stood out as she had peach skin compared to Florato’s caramel and Amir’s red adobe.

“~Fourteen sir!~” Valiato answered the question herself, and with a kiddy smile. That gave Florato and the Officer some pause.

“~Hmm. Apologies miss, but is she your daughter?~” The officer came closer, spear in his fist grip. Florato opened her mouth to speak, but took a moment to look at Valiato. Her eyes full of brown energy gazed up at her. She had only known this kid for only a couple months, but she had grown a great fondness for her. Was she really going to confirm it, even if for an act?

“~Yes. Yes, she is my daughter.~” Florato improv’s skills fired, as she crafted a story for the circumstance. Her brow lifted high, as if her character told this story far too many times for their patience. “~I understand, the skin and hair aren’t quite the same. It is a shame, but my husband is infertile.~”

“~Wow.~” The officer and the soldiers shifted in their feet, embarrassed that they had seemingly pressed too far into another’s life. Florato sighed in relief, glad that the Tripolians bought her act. “~Wow! I am so sorry lady, I didn’t mean to-~”

“~Fine. It’s fine sir. You meant no harm by it.~”

“~Plus, it is pretty funny sometimes to say that I’m an orphan.~” Valiato added onto the soldiers' guilt with most of them groaning in regret.

“~Shoot! Really? Damn! Dearest apologies, you ladies…~” The officer bowed, showing that truly regretted his question. Valiato leaned onto Florato’s shoulder and the actress scratched the head of the teen, causing her to giggle.

“~Accepted. Now, what are the other reasons why you are here?~” Florato understood that she could gain critical information as a result of the officer’s guilt.

“~Yes! Uh… well we’re here to collect mermaids. We’ve been working with some Iozian bandits for the last couple of months. They aren’t smart, but they’re useful tools.~”

“~Indeed.~” Valiato chuckled, as she recorded the conversation in her mind. None of the soldiers urged him to stop, as from their view the family of three wouldn’t intervene in Tripolian interests.

“~Master Runtaii is paying quite the price for mermaid parts. A thousand coins for hands, Five thousand for heads. Ten thousands for live ones, you know.~”

“~Mermaids? I thought they were a myth in these parts.~” Florato’s spoke in a way that prompted the officer to tell more details.

“~That’s what we thought too. Supposedly most are hiding in the deep, but we managed to score a whole school. They’re in our bottom most deck actually.~” The hair of the elf and the scarecrow were visible to Florato.

“~Aside from mermaids, we’re planning to meet up with some of our men at Tuivi’s Rest. You’ve been there, yes?~” Skaldi and Vega, hidden by the morning dark, climbed on the Barbed Lass.

“~Y-yes. Yes I have. About, half a day from here?~” Florato knew she was a sentence away from hearing key secrets.

“~Quite. And don’t tell anyone you heard this but-~”

“~Alright men! We’re ready to head out!~” Both Amir and the first officer stepped out from the storage deck. Florato’s eyes widened, knowing that the two still needed time to accomplish their plan.

“~Are you sure you don’t want some tea while you're here?~” Florato offered, with nervousness in her voice. Amir turned to her all confused. Florato pointed with her head and eyes to the two on the ship, which caused Amir to realize his role again.

“~Yes! Yes, would you like some tea on this frigid night?” Amir and Florato ran in front of the officers, stopping them from climbing back onto their ship.

“~Well, I wouldn’t want to take up more of your time and you have already provided us with the fruit we so-~”

“~Hold on a minute. Something’s not right about this…~” The second officer hushed the first, as his eyes narrowed on the two. Amir and Florato took glances at each other, wondering how to cease his suspicions.

“~What do you mean?~” Florato nervously laughed as she questioned.

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“~...Tall and old.~” The officer walked closer, as he set his target on Amir. The Tripol backed up to the side of the pinnace.

“~What?~” The first officer didn’t understand what the second was getting at, along with the soldiers above them. With his back against the wall, Amir prepared to draw his dagger. But the officer quickly grabbed and lifted up his turban, seeing all of his face.

“~A left eye that is scarred...~” Amir pupils shook, understanding the implications of his approach.

“~Wears green makeup on his face…~” The huge Tripol coughed, sealing his fate.

“~And is an asthmatic…~” The officer stopped as he had confirmed his suspicions. Florato closed her eyes as Amir stanced up, ready to fight,

“~...You’re Ari Amir. Everyone! Ari Amir is alive!~” As the officer revealed his findings, all the Tripolians cheered, half amazed and half grateful. All of them tossed away their weapons and swarmed Amir for a massive group hug!

“~...what?~” Florato was left dumbfounded, since she expected a fight, not a celebration.

“~Rejoice at all around us! Ari Amir has been found!~”

“Hey Skaldi?” Vega asked, looking down at the many soldiers cheering and carrying Amir high above them.

“Yes Vega?” The elf whispered, very much confused by what he was seeing.

“Do ya have any idea of what they’re saying?”

“No clue.”

“Okay. Well, let’s go do our job-job.” Vega responded, pulling on Skaldi’s sleeve. Currently on the main deck were around two soldiers who stayed only to make sure the anchor was set and seemed to be too tired to join in the crowd on the Pinnace. One on the wheel, the other sitting beside the chain connecting the anchor to the ship.

A single flickering candle that led into the lower decks was the only light near the two. Skaldi kneeled onto the ground and peered his head past the corner, gauging whether or not the soldiers would notice. The man on the wheel had his back turned to them and the man by the anchor had closed his eyes for the past minute.

“Go. Go.” Skaldi told, as the two speedily moved around the corner and got past the entrance into the lower deck.

Descending the stairs, the two looked on the left and right corners to see what room this was. Two rows of hammocks on each side, with rowers and bandits in them, dozing off this night’s work. All were fast asleep. Tables and chairs were nailed to the ground and holes for bowls were carved into the furniture.

Most of the men were dressed with two belts at the waist while the Iozian sailor bandits wore bright dyed shirts and pants. Their eyes were shut tight, like a closed clam shell. Skaldi and Vega crouched along the floor, their steps silenced by the sloshing waves of the outside.

On the other side of the room were stairs to the third deck. When Vega went to leave, she noticed Skaldi used this opportunity to loot the quarters. Purposely tied sacks on his chest and back, the redhead went to town on the positions of the crew.

“Trophy time!” Skaldi murmured to himself. Vega didn’t want to disrupt his stealing, so scanned the third deck alone.

With each step, Vega could feel the air of the sea get thinner and thinner here, along with the candles. Poles and walls held up this deck, with bundles full of supplies filled this room like fish in a barrel. Rope hung on walls, quivers packed full of arrows stacked onto shelves, and spear and bow slept together in weapon racks.

“Ohhh.” She whispered, recognising some of the alcohol stored in a net. ‘Desert Mirage’ was crudely written on the bottle, a poor translation of the alcohol’s actual name. Vega had a small bit of knowledge of the brand from the book she read back in Core Civitus. Apparently, this alcohol was used to cure wounds and create fires.

Also it could be drunk. So Vega took it.

Salted fish and smoked meat formed the diet for the men on the Barbed Lass. Pickled vegetables were running low and a quarter of the storage space was empty.

“Huh. May-maybe the bad guys are saving space for a delivery. What fun.”

“What’s fun?” Skaldi alerted Vega, as the jingle jangle of the items he pilfered signaled his presence.

“Nothing much. Why did you grab the stuff-stuff now? Aren’t the dudes gonna hear us now.”

“They’re gonna hear us eventually. That’s part of the plan, remember?” Skaldi nudged Vega with her shoulder.

“Oh right. Well, let’s keep on going-going.” Both could hear a lot of thrashing beneath them, as well as the splashing of water. Now going to the last most deck, the pair weren’t ready for the work ahead of them.

Scales, coral colors spread across the entire room, as well as nearly fifty mermaids crammed together, in a makeshift tub that had barely enough water for them.

Skaldi felt horrible.

Vega felt amazed.

“Hello! How is everybody doing?”

All of the mermaids stared at the hay girl, both in disbelief and suspense. Also because they couldn’t understand her.

“Right. Uhh. ~Hello! We’re here to bust ya guys out. But please be quiet. Me and my friend need to talk for a moment. Please don’t go anywhere!~” Vega turned around and put an arm around Skaldi’s shoulder.

“How the fuck are we going to do this?” Vega said without a smile.

“No clue! I thought it was going to be five, maybe ten at most.”

“We need to get them out of there but we need to give them water so them won’t-won’t thrash around.” Vega glanced back, very much pleased by the sight, but not knowing how to complete it. Skaldi’s hand went to his tool belt, grabbing the jar full of Fishermen’s Tongue.

“You have your pickaxe on you?” Skaldi walked around Vega, trying to find it. Vega raised to his face causing him to fall back.

“Never go anywhere without it! Except the bathroom.”

“Okay. Think you can poke a hole in the ship quickly?” Skali picked himself up and pointed at the room’s wall.

“No can do. Ships gets thicker at the bottom and swinging for that long will alert us.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Skaldi put his hands on his hips, half impressed.

“Lived in a coastal village for most of my life-life. Wouldn’t have Bolato told you something like that?” Vega mimicked his stance, except for her left hand which held the pickaxe.

“He doesn’t talk much about his time in the navy. We’re getting off track! Can you break through the upper floor fast enough.” Skaldi clasped his hands together and pleaded with his voice. Vega rubbed her bandaged for a moment and her smile returned.

“Sure can.”

“Good! Now there still is a problem. How are we gonna transport all the mermaids to the hole in the wall?”

“Could you carry them?” Vega shrugged, of which Skaldi groaned.

“But I’m too wea… no. Let’s do it.”

“Let’s do it-it?”

“Let’s do it!” Hyping each other up, the two raced off to storage room. The moment he found three pots dropped off his bags full of loot. He remembered months ago how he was barely strong enough to carry pots full of wine.

“Haha. Skaldi what have you gotten yourself into.” He said to his heart. Tying the pots on his back, he rushed back to the room full of mermaids. He laced the mouth of the pots with Fishermen’s Tongue and poured enough water so that it would reach the necks of the mermaids.

“Come over here. Come on.” Skaldi spoke like he was speaking to a dog. Despite his attempt, plenty of the mermaids backed away from him, very much frightened by what he was doing. An adolescent mermaid saw his hand coming closer, decided it would be a great idea to bite him.

“Ouch! Stop it!” As the teeth snuck into him, Skaldi could feel his veins were being afflicted with a sense of lethargy and numbness. “Shit. I forgot they had venom. Wait! Why aren’t I dead already?” The elf’s realization made him stop struggling, which calmed down the adolescent mermaid.

It now knew that the hay girl and the redhead were trying to save them. Lifting his jaws from Skaldi's hand, the adolescent spoke in a simple sorry tone.

“~Sorry mister. We’re just scared.~” The elf put a hand on the mermaid’s shoulder and looked like he was going to say a wise piece of advice.

“Kid. I have no fucking clue what you are saying. Just get in the fucking jar.” Skaldi said in an equally soft and apologetic tone. He moved the pot to the front of the mermaid face, which prompted the adolescent to shove its head into the pot of water. Skaldi took his shot to command the rest.

“See this?” He raised his jar of Fishermen’s Tongue. “Fish drugs.” Skaldi pantomimed that it would make them feel good so long as they put their heads into the pots. The mermaids glanced at each for a couple of moments and nodded in unison.

“Hey Skaldi!” Vega yelled from the top of the stairs. “Everything good?”

“Well I got hurt again and people keep making my life harder…so just a normal day for me.”

“Man, that's crazy! Anyways, I made the opening! Let’s do this!” Vega hopped down onto the floor and swiftly picked the adolescent. Skaldi repeated the process, putting the substance and water together, with Vega bringing back the pots. Each time she picked up one, and each time she shoved a mermaid through the hole she made.

Incredibly, no sailors woke up. In combination with being so fucking exhausted along with the crowd of soldiers cheering for Amir, their clattering about had gone unnoticed. For now…

Only seventeen mermaids left to rescue, Vega moved and carried like a lion and remained remarkably motivated. Well, it would be hard for her to get tired since she has nothing to tire. However, Skaldi’s insecurity crawled back into his mouth, like a prickly bile. Like a parasite burrowing in his tongue, his insecurity made his necessary work feel insignificant.

“I’ll carry them.” Skaldi handed a pot to Vega, lifting it shakily with two hands.

“What do I do?”

“Put water and spread the substance on the front.” Skaldi cracked his neck and bounced on one foot. The few hairs on him rose high into goosebumps. He had to prove himself.

“Okie dokie!” Vega saluted and copied Skaldi’s process of preparing the mermaids. Key differences being that she talked to them as she shoved their heads into the pots. The elf threw back his volcano curled hair and squatted down to pick up the mermaid. Underestimating his abilities, when he put the mermaid on his back he rose too fast and nearly tripped over.

“Holy shit!” Skaldi exclaimed with a bolt of energy. He ran up the stairs, with heavy stomps and thuds. Soon he realized that his entire body had already started to ache and his lungs were burning.

“Shit!” The redhead cursed to the ground, no longer maintaining stealth. He leaned onto the wall for support and managed to get to the hole in the ship. Turning the mermaid so that they would fall butt first into the sea, Skaldi slotted the mermaid into the hole. When they didn’t immediately fall out, Skaldi took to kicking the shit out of the person he was saving. What courage and heroism!

“...enough…” Skaldi fell and felt like a downed animal, exhausted and every body part heavy. The elf believed when he checked his skin there would be bruises all over. His self directed anger transformed into disbelief, as the severity and amount of bruises from what he could see were miniscule.

He checked himself again, and again. Same result. Same truth. He wasn’t the same elf struggling to lift alcohol for his own gain. He was new, better, and maybe even a little stronger if he chose to believe it.

Of course he was an absolute mess, but he was taking actions to clean himself up.

“...enough… I’m enough.” Skaldi hugged his chest and smiled a face full of scars. A facefull of hope and drive.

“Yeah… I think… we should both carry…” Skaldi shoveled stale air into his system and held himself by putting his hands on his knees.

“Ya sure?” Vega asked.

“...yes…”

“Ya really sure?” Kaliba asked just to fuck with him.

“Yes! Now let’s do it!”

The two made short work of the rest of the mermaids, with only one remaining. With a pot firmly on its head, the elf and scarecrow lifted the mermaid together simultaneously.

“See Skaldi? We can do anything so long as we work togethe-”

“Shut the fuck up.” Skaldi, although happy with himself, wasn’t in the state of mind for happy good lucky messages.

“~Hello? Who’s there?~”

Skaldi and Vega’s heads creaked to the steps towards the sleeping quarters, seeing a bronze armored man colored by the dark purple lights of a dying candle. With a yellow owl helmet, parts of both yellow feather and redAgain, they simultaneously dropped the mermaid on the ground as it thrashed along the floor.

“Don’t move.” Vega said into Skaldi’s ear.

“What?”

“Don’t move. Their vision is based on movement.” Skaldi narrowed his eye and two fingers went to his belt of daggers. He hoped that Vega alone would be distracting enough for the soldier.

“~Wait a minute…~” Putting his right arm behind him, the soldier prepared to draw out his weapon.

“Ready Vega?” Skaldi spoke with a hint of cunning malice. Vega’s brow raised, amazed by Skaldi’s enthusiasm.

“Ready for anything.” Big toothy grins shined, giving the soldier clear sight. Clear targets. Clear victims.

The scarecrow and elf wouldn’t let that happen. Not without a fight.

Three,

Two,

One,

“Go!”