Immanuel strolled across the deck, having just cleared away the remains of three lycans and two vampires.
A gentle breeze blew as they skirted close to the shoreline. Syl navigated cautiously, wary of these by the sect controlled land.. They relied fully on wind power now.
Immanuel peered over the side, the crystal-clear water inviting him in. Taking off his clothes, he dove into the water. It was pleasantly warm, and to his astonishment, he tasted fresh water. ‘Does this make it a lake? Or a fresh water sea? What makes something a sea? How big it is?’
Enjoying the freedom, Immanuel swam and dived, his ability to hold his breath for extended periods making it feel like he was snorkeling. Below, the light faded into the deep blue, an eerie yet thrilling sight. He observed some fish, noting their relative normal appearance and vibrant colors, though none were particularly large.
Resurfacing, Immanuel noticed Zach the unclad wanderer, perched on the railing. He flashed back onto the deck.
"Planning to take a dive?" Immanuel inquired.
"No," Zach replied..
"It's pleasantly warm," Immanuel encouraged.
"I'd struggle to get back on board. The boat's moving too quickly," Zach replied softly, his gaze fixed on the water.
"We could secure a rope to the railing for you to hold and climb back up," Immanuel suggested.
"No," Zach repeated.
Immanuel then retrieved a decorative robe from storage, one he stole from the blue dome. The piece of clothing was light blue with golden specks, resembling a pre-styled toga. He draped it over himself and walked towards the bridge.
Inside, Syl sat in the captain’s chair.. She sipped one of the drinks. Joining her, Immanuel picked a drink for himself and settled in a nearby chair.
"Are you ready to see what we've stolen?" Immanuel asked.
"I'm still amazed we got away." Syl murmured softly.
He paused, considering her words. "Have you been with the sect for long?" he inquired.
"I was one of over a thousand people taken. Now, I'm the only one left" she stated, her matter-of-fact tone making the revelation even more chilling.
"My God," Immanuel uttered.
"Who is your God?" Syl asked, turning to look at him.
Ignoring her question about his faith, Immanuel shifted the topic. "How old were you when you were taken, and where did you live?"
"I was from the city, old enough to read and write, but not yet of age to have children," Syl replied.
"Were such abductions common?"
"Yes. There's trade between the sects and the city. Both sides benefit. Occasionally, the sects overstep, but even that's tolerated if they choose the right victims. The city is constantly teetering on the edge of overpopulation." Syl explained.
"That's appalling." Immanuel responded, taking a long drink.
Syl continued, "I was 'awakened,' as they call it, around the time I could bear children. I can’t have children now.”
She pulled a lever before continuing. “But nothing compares to the illness, the nausea."
She held his gaze silently until he shifted uncomfortably. Then, with a faint smile, she suggested, "Shall we check what we've acquired?"
"Yes, let's," Immanuel agreed.
Exiting, they saw Zach still standing naked on the railing, peering into the depths.
Syl asked, "Zacharastra, can you steer for a while?" Without a word, Zach hopped down and headed towards the bridge.
Descending through the double doors at the rear of the ship, Immanuel and Syl entered a spacious area beneath the top deck, resembling a canteen with large wooden tables and chairs. Surrounding them were boxes, which upon inspection, were filled with level 1 and 2 beast cores.
"Damn, this is a fortune," Immanuel exclaimed, a greedy smile on his lips..
"It seems someone was preparing for a significant expedition," Syl noted.
They continued exploring, following the main hallway accessible from the top deck. The corridor, wide enough for easy passage, had several doors on each side. Opening the first, they discovered a room with single beds. Opposite, another room mirrored the first, also filled with single beds.
The next door revealed a storeroom packed with green-tinted bottles with a dark liquid inside.
"Blood," Syl observed.
Further in the hallway they found more rooms with beds. Near the hatch to the top deck, a downward hatch led to the machine room. On the other side, the frontside of the ship two doors were present across from each other. The left door opened to a lavish bedroom with a sitting area, a closet and a cabinet. Darkened windows provided a view of the sea. A chest-like object sat on a dark wooden table.
Immanuel touched the soft bed and tried to open the chest. “This looks kingly.” He said softly looking around the room.
"I'll work on getting this open," Syl said, assessing the chest. She hefted it, noting its weight. They moved across the hallway to find a study room, devoid of books but lined with empty bookshelves. There was a big dark green desk in the middle of the room.
Returning to the hatch, they descended to the lower level, where the engine was located at the rear. The engine room, now quiet, housed an abundance of cores, primarily stage 1 and 2, with some crates of stage 3 cores. Syl inspected the engine, which had a metal opening, and saw it still contained many cores.
Sharing a smile with Immanuel, they retraced their steps to the hatch and crossed to the other side of the ship. They opened a door to the main storage area, finding it almost entirely vacant. It was a vast space, the lowest level within the hull of the ship.
"The storage space is unusually large," Immanuel observed. "It might be a dimensional space."
"That's a possibility," Syl mused, her voice echoing in the vast area.
Finding nothing in the storage they returned to the deck. Syl carried the locked chest they found in the bedroom. They found Zach at the helm, still unclothed, holding a drink.
"Here's the situation," Immanuel began, also taking a drink. "We've got plenty of beast cores, but no provisions. However, the water around us is fresh and drinkable." Still surprised by this discovery.
"Fresh?" Syl questioned.
"I mean fresh water, not salty," Immanuel clarified.
Syl frowned slightly. "Where I come from, most large bodies of water aren't fit for drinking." He added.
"Polluted, you mean?" she asked.
"Something like that," Immanuel replied. "But now we need to figure out our food supply."
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"Don't you have any?" Syl inquired.
"No, I gave the last of my food to Zach," Immanuel admitted.
Zach glanced up, his eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of the food situation.
"So, do we try fishing, or should we go ashore to hunt?" Immanuel asked.
"We could try attracting fish by releasing some blood into the water near the shore, or some parts of the witches and Lycans. Hunters sometimes do that. We might be able to shoot fish with crossbows," Syl suggested, though she sounded unsure.
"Why do you sound hesitant?" Immanuel asked.
"You never can tell what might be attracted by the bait," Zach interjected softly.
"That's why it's safer near the shallows," Syl added.
"Alright, Zach, let's head towards the shallows," Immanuel directed.
Zach, looking as if he was about to say something, but simply began steering the ship closer to the shoreline.
Syl approached Immanuel with a look of uncertainty. "Could I—"
"Have a drink? Of course. I wouldn't want you to feel nauseous. Is there a way to store it, like the blood we found?" Immanuel asked.
"I need some specific ingredients to do that. I'll do my best to find them," she replied, appearing somewhat downcast.
"Oh, I didn't mean it that way. I just thought it might be easier for you. It doesn't bother me. I actually kind of like the sensation," Immanuel said quickly, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Then, feeling a bit foolish, he extended his hand. Syl latched onto it, tickling him slightly with her tongue before biting down and drinking.
---
With the sails lowered, they positioned the ship over a visible but sufficiently deep seabed, ready to start the engines if anything too large approached.
On the main deck, Immanuel, Syl, and Zach each armed themselves with a crossbow, the distant shore lined with trees visible from their position.
"Does it matter whose blood we use?" Immanuel inquired.
"Yours or Zacharastra's," Syl responded. Immanuel glanced at Zach, who returned the look. Resigned, Immanuel conjured one of his small swords, gritting his teeth as he made a deep cut in his hand. Knowing the wound would heal quickly made it bearable. He extended his bleeding hand over the side, letting the blood stream into the water. Zach then took the sword and repeated the process.
As they stared into the water, smaller fish began to appear, attracted by the blood. They waited patiently, anticipating larger prey.
More small fish came.
---
"You guys aren't big on small talk, are you?" Immanuel remarked.
"Small talk?" Syl seemed puzzled, her hand shielding her face from the sun.
"Do you have trouble with sunlight?" Immanuel inquired.
Syl nodded. "It burns me easily. Your blood helps me heal, but it also means I use more of it."
"I think I can spare enough," Immanuel said, offering a reassuring smile.
At that moment, something larger appeared in the water, prompting Zach to fire his crossbow. Immanuel observed the arrow drifting in the water. In a flash, he retrieved the arrow and with another flash returned to the deck, dripping wet.
"The water changes the light coming in, somehow, so the fish are at a slightly different location than how it looks from here," he explained. "I'm not sure how to compensate for that. We'll need to experiment.”
Zach, wearing a strained expression, reloaded his crossbow and took aim once more. A shark, hunting the smaller fish, became his target. This time, his shot struck the shark. Syl smiled, picking up her crossbow as well. However, the injured shark quickly swam away, the arrow still lodged in its body.
"We need to aim for a lethal shot," Immanuel said. "Perhaps if you both shoot at a target, then I can flash to finish it off."
Zach again took the sword, slicing deep into his hand. Immanuel noted his ease with the pain. The blood attracted even more small fish. Standing ready were Syl and Zach with their crossbows, and Immanuel with his sword, now channelling energy into it, causing it to glow.
A larger fish, akin to a sizable catfish, appeared, but they waited for a bigger catch.
Immanuel grew restless, staring at the shoreline, not liking the vulnerability of being stationary for too long. He was aware that their position, following the coastline, could be easily tracked.
Then, another shark approached. "Let's target this one," Immanuel said. Syl readjusted her aim, but the shark was quick, biting and diving rapidly. As it reemerged, a larger, more menacing creature with knife-like protrusions on its head surged up, violently attacking the shark. The water churned with blood as the shark managed to escape, leaving a burst of water in its wake. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the larger beast vanished into the depths.
"Damn, this is harder than it looks," Immanuel exclaimed. Suddenly, the shark reemerged some distance away, shooting out of the water. Seizing the opportunity, Immanuel burst into action. As he leaped towards the shark, he flashed mid-air, landing atop the creature.
The moment he touched the shark, they plunged into the water. The shark escaped from beneath him, and the menacing knife-like creature reappeared, slashing Immanuel's side. He retaliated with his glowing sword, but the beast dodged skillfully and continued its pursuit of the shark. Immanuel watched them go floating in the water before flashing back to the boat.
"I should have thought that through," he said, noting his wound was already healing. Zach observed him with curiosity, while Syl looked almost tempted to lick his wound clean.
"Let's tie a rope around my waist. If I catch something, pull me back up," Immanuel suggested. Syl, tearing her gaze from the blood, went to one of the sails to retrieve a rope and began preparing it for Immanuel's plan.
Zach continued to slice himself, keeping a steady flow of blood in the water. As Syl secured the rope around Immanuel's waist, Zach fired his crossbow and immediately dove into the water, transforming mid-leap into his Lycan form. Immanuel rushed to the side of the ship just in time to see Zach, now resembling a diving bird of prey, snatching a large shark with his claws and biting fiercely into it. Immanuel followed suit, plunging into the water after them.
The shark, mortally wounded, dragged them deeper, but its life quickly ebbed away amidst a cloud of blood. Immanuel grasped Zach, feeling Syl begin to pull them back to the surface.
Deeper down, they caught sight of a colossal sea creature, a crab-like behemoth the size of a house, clutching half a shark in its claw and slowly bringing it to its mouth. Tentacles with eye-like protrusions swayed in the water, surveying all directions.
As Immanuel and Zach broke the surface, they noticed the giant crab advancing leisurely towards them.
Syl hauled them aboard. Zach, with his claws embedded in the shark's gills and teeth sunk into its flesh, finally released his prey onto the deck.
"There's a massive crab coming our way. We need to move," Immanuel urged. Syl sprinted to the bridge and fired up the engines. "Can you handle the sails?" she called out.
"No," Zach responded, heading towards the bridge as well.
Immanuel approached the main sail, hesitating over which rope to pull, when Syl emerged from the bridge. "Let's raise them together," she suggested.
Working in tandem, they managed to get all three sails billowing. They shouted to Zach to cut the engines, then turned their attention to the shark on deck.
"How should we prepare it?" Immanuel wondered.
"I can craft a bone oven from the remains of the dead witches, but we'll need wood for that," Syl replied.
"I don’t have any wood," Immanuel responded, summoning his pipe and herbs and beginning to stuff it.
"Why not eat it raw?" Syl suggested. Her index finger elongated into a sharp tool, and she began slicing the fish. Immanuel, meanwhile, pulled his table and chairs out of his storage.
Sitting on a chair, he lit his pipe and inhaled deeply, feeling a wave of contentment. The sparkling water and billowing sails contrasted sharply with his recent confinement and the intimidating presence of powerful warriors.
Syl turned, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the table. She laid slices of white fish meat on the table, and Immanuel started eating. The fish was bland but satisfying enough.
"I also have these," Immanuel said, summoning the elegant robes from the chimera. They were black with gold and purple accents. Syl's eyes widened in awe, but she hesitated to touch them, realizing her hands were covered in fish scales.
"They're mesmerizing," she remarked, captivated by the robes' vibrant colors, which seemed to possess a life of their own.
"You can have them, a gift," Immanuel offered. "It seems we'll be working together for a while." He said with a smile.
Syl looked at him incredulously. "No, I should be the one giving you a gift. I can't accept this!"
"My God Syl. I've never worn them, and they've just been sitting in my storage," Immanuel insisted. Syl appeared confused.
"Which god are you referring to?" she asked.
"What? No, it's just an expression. You'll accept them, or I'll leave them in your room. Speaking of rooms, which room is yours?" Immanuel asked, trying to redirect the conversation.
Syl mulled over his offer for a moment before responding. "I'll use them only if they enhance my ability to protect you. And as for the rooms, I'll take one of the rooms in the back."
"That means I can have the master bedroom?" Immanuel clarified.
"Of course," Syl agreed. After a brief pause and another glance at Immanuel, she picked up a large piece of fish and headed towards the bridge.
Zach emerged shortly after, morphed into his Lycan form. He voraciously tore into the fish, crunching bones and devouring the innards with evident relish.
Immanuel stood and walked to the rear of the ship, leaning on the railing and taking in the air. He noticed the absence of a salty scent, ‘that should have been a clear sign.’
As he contemplated their situation, he drew a deep breath from his pipe, the spicy aroma of the herbs filling his senses. 'We need a plan,' he thought to himself, considering their next steps.