Chapter V: The dangers of a voyage at sea

[Capher]

Capher looked at Talia, looked down at the poor dangling dwarf, a thought briefly flashed through his mind; blood being spilt on the ocean waves as the sharks ripped and shredded their helpless victim.  He licked his lips absentmindedly.

Capher shook his head and said in a whisper. "What am I thinking about?  No matter what they may have done to us, to relish the killing of another person is not my nature.  What is happening to me?"

He looked at Talia with sadness in his eyes, climbed out of the window and up the rope.  He reached the top, climbed in the window and noticed the captain's dead body.  He looked inquiringly at Koldar.

Capher.

[Hajarian Ryelliin]

Hajarian had looked and waited to the oncoming events with passive interest, such things were not of importance to him. Sighing, he closed his eyes and clasped his arms behind his bag, lowering his head slightly as he entered into thought.

Thought that was quickly interupted by the scream of a falling... dwarf? The sorcerer humbly opened his gaze and turned to the window, catching sight of the dwarf dangling outside. A grin, followed by a short chuckle, emerged from his lips. Walking towards the window, following Capher's lead, he waited momentarily by the window as the man above ascended, and turned his grin to the dwarf.

"I hope, friend," the mage began, "that you had no part to in this little... how should we say... business... concerning our little group? It would be such a pity if we had to let the rope go. It's a nice rope." As he finished, the sorcerer began his climb, adding one more statement. "Watch out for rope burn," Mentally, he caused the heat of the rope to increase very slightly around the dwarf's hands, just enough for it to feel slightly uncomfortable, but not be painful at all, "...It sometimes stings."

[Koldar Mondrakken]

Koldar waits impatiently for the others to come up. As he listens to Terra's concerns he just shrugs his shoulders.

"That's the smaller problem. The other ranking officer is currently holding the rope for us. I think he'll be convinced by now thta it will be better to let us go as soon as possible - "

Noticing Capher's look he adds testy.

"I didn't kill that Captain. It was this Issa that claimed he suffered from an 'accident'! Between, where is she?"

Koldar Mondrakken, Knight of the Moonlight

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

All have climbed out of the window up the rope meanwhile. So Talia takes a last glance around the room. Nothing is left they could use in some way. Then she faces the inevitable and takes the rope with a tight grip and climbs up, avoiding to look down into the water. finally after some endlessly lasting seconds she reaches the opening, the window to what seems has been the captains cabin, though he looks quite dead. All others of her party are here.

„Maybe we get  this dwarf up?“ Talia asks they others. „ He will be very willingly now to help us, I assume!“she adds with a little smile.

***Astropic of the day***

[Capher]

"Issa! did you say Issa said she did this?" asked Capher to Koldar.  He went to the captain's body and examined it.  He found no defensive marks either upon his hands or arms.  He looked at the bloated condition, scratched his head, and then examined his more closely.  Finally he saw it, to small marks close together on one of his calves. Poison, like a snake bite he thought.  He straightened up when he heard Talia come in the room and ask to bring the dwarf up.

"Ah, let him dangle, Koldar let the rope down a bit lower and see if the sharks are hungry enough to jump up to him.  That would be fun." Capher's voice was deeper and darker and he had a glazed look in his eyes, but just for a brief moment, then they turned back to themselves.  "What did you say, Talia?" he asked in his normal calm voice.

Capher.

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

Talia looks suspiciously at Capher. Her mind is working hard.

Something is definitely wrong with him. Seems like there is another....another person in him which comes to the surface now and then. And more often in the last time. This last remark wasn‘t the strange, but friendly and nice old man she had met some days ago. Has he a split personality? And is this his alter ego? But how fits the demon into the picture Capher has changed to not an hour ago.

Talia wishes to examine the problem better and talk to Capher, but it seems not the right time. So she turns to the window to pull up the dwarf.
„Could anybody please help me to pull this dwarf up again?“

***Astropic of the day***

[Capher]

"Sure Talia, I will help you." Capher said,standing next to her, reaching out, taking ahold of the rope almost touching her hands, they hauled the now screaming dwarf up.

Capher.

[Terra Artemos]

Without a word Terra moves to help the others pull up the dwarf. Just before grabbing the rope Terra leans close to Capher, and speaks in a low private tone.

"I think we may need to have that talk sooner than I had planned."

Grabbing the rope in front of Talia and Capher, Terra begins pulling with all the strength she can without over exerting herself, remembering the sewer tunnels of Strata. Once they had pulled the dwarf up, Terra immediately dropped the rope grabbing the dwarf by the back of the shirt with on hand, and drawing her moonblade with the other. Placing the moonblade across the dwarves throat, Terra allows him no moment of relief from his ordeal.

Holding him tight, Terra speaks in a powerful, cool, level tone.

"Who are you?"

The dwarf tries to swallow the lump of fear in his throat, pressing it slightly against the blade, and producing a pearl of blood.

"I be the second in command of this ship."

"And acting captain of this ship?", Terra pressed immediately, indicating to the dead captains body.

"Aye", the dwarf simply replied, fear lumping up in his throat again. Not hearing any warmth or compassion in her voice the dwarf realizes that the woman that holds him could not care if he lived or died, as long as she gets what she wanted.

"You will take us to the nearest port north of the Gulf of Maraya. There we will depart without conflict, with all our possessions. Any attempt at taking us prisoner and your men start dieing.", with a more powerful tone she punctuates the statement, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND.".

The dwarf only replies with a cautious nod, so that he does not cut himself on the deadly blade at his neck.

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Terra Artemos Character Description

[Koldar Mondrakken]

When the three had pulled up the dwarf anyone watched Terra getting the dwarf to quickly agree to their terms now. None watched Capher seemed to stumble backwards maybe out of breath from exhaustion holding himself steady at a wall. From one second to the next his eyes open wider and sweat pearls tickled on his forehead and his breath grew more and more incoherent. Terra just ended her proposal when Koldar hears a rough cough followed by a hissing sound behind him.

Capher stumbled onto the floor his face drawing a fierce mask of madness as if his personality was completely switched

"Capher? Everything aright?" Koldar makes a step towards Capher but receives no answer beside some raspy breaths.  "Capher?"
Koldar does not know what to do but instinctively he readies his sword instead of coming any closer to their companion.

Not a second to earlier as suddenly and without warning shifted form an unearthern scream accompanying it. Koldar backed off from the creature that was facing him now. It was a Chasm Demon, but it was Capher!

"Death upon all of you! Death and  destruction!"

Koldar did not even know where this voice come from but in this moment the demon stormed forward. Koldar barely evaded him stumbling into the stunned rest of the group. In shock and horror he sees the demon readying to tear them apart with his claws but just as it reached out something else seemed to take over.

"Nooooo!" Like a maniac the demon races through the room, his arms holding his head. Every time it is getting closer to one of the companions something throws it backwards as some invisible struggle for the body continued.
In disbelief Koldar could only watch. Then with a last unearthern scream the demon throws itsself with power backwards through the door, smashing it  And disappeared.

Koldar slowly advances to the door to the corridor which now after the chaos in the room sounded far too quiet. He recognized that his legs are slightly shivering but he doesn't bother. This is not a moment of false pride. And if not the knees, the sweat on his skin was obvious enough. Slowly and with great caution he shoves himself through the door looking where the demon - where Capher has gone. While traces along the walls show the rough direction Koldar cannot see him anymore. Watching the corridor for any unpleasant surprises he mutters with the shock still recognizable in his voice.

"He is gone..."

Koldar Mondrakken, Knight of the Moonlight

[Avour]

Avour looks on turning pale. Totally and utterly confused at Caphers morphing for one, and then even more so that some one with such a nice feeling to them could turn in to something as scarey as she had just seen. When the initial shock of what had happened passed, she realised that she had scampered over to Talia and cowered behind her legs holding on to one of them for dear life. Wimpering silently she held Talia's leg.

Youd be lost if I wasnt here to annoy you - Little Sister speaking to Big Sister... (My sister talking to me)

[Terra Artemos]

Terra, seeing the approaching beast, quickly removes her moonblade from the dwarves throat, shoving him forward she raised the blade to strike at the threat. The dwarf not expecting such and action pitched forward to become sprolled on the floor.

Terra stood her ground against the beast that was, or had been Capher. It tried to aproach many times, but seemed to be driven back. Terra never wavered. She would give her life to stop the threat. She would have no other choice, there was no where to go. Finaly the tormented demon fled, and terra wispers after him, "Seek the point of light, Capher. Guard it. It will be your last refuge, and the base to launch the long war ahead of you.".

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Terra Artemos Character Description

[Koldar Mondrakken]

Koldar looks back into the room, at the obviously shaken companions. Then he watches the dwarf who had turnt from pale to ashgrey if this at all possible and obviously hardly capable of grasping what has happened in this room.

Quickly he moves over to him. "Okay, listen, Captain, I think you'll agree with me that it is in both our interest to get to land as quickly as possible. Let us forget about your former Captain trying to betray us, kill us or sell us on some slave market to Aeruilin. Your Captain is dead so you're now the one setting the course. You've a demon running freely through the quarters of your ship and you have us who will tear this whole ship apart if you try anything foolish. Thus I'd suggest that we all cooperate and try to get to a safe haven in one piece and not start quarrel with each other. In exchange for your cooperation we will try to help you get rid of this demon and we will not tell any offical source about the kind of business you seem to have pursued beside transporting cargo.
However, when our ways part I'll have some friends that will check on you and your crew later and when they find you still pursueing illegal business something worse than a Chasm demon will haunt you."

Koldar looks at the dwarf who comes back to his senses with his rational proclaimed words with every sentence and obviously considered any opportunity that'll lead himself and his ship out of this situation.

"Do we have an agreement here? Ceasefire to deal with that unnatural creature and anyone on his own when we reach port?"

From one of the pockets he picks one of the precious stones Capher gave him earlier. "Just that you don't think you'll risk bringing us to a port for nothing. Do you think you can arrange it that we talk with your men without anyone getting accidently killed? I guess we have more serious problems than a lack of service on this trip."

Koldar was not so blind to trust this dwarf but he was sure enough that the dwarf was just seeing a good way out of this mess as he revealed the precious stone to him. Now more eager to agree the dwarf nods slightly relieved.

"Aye, I'll talk with my mates. I think they'll be satisfied with the Captain's treasury being distributed among them. Afterall we're still only traders." The dwarf shrugs hoping for some sign of understanding.

Koldar recognizes that his stone disappears in the dwarf's pocket without any mentioning and decides that this is a good sign. The dwarf has enough to gain from this and too much to loose to risk to continue the fight, he'll be a rich Captain now, afterall.

"Of course." Koldar adds. "Will you lead the way? - Terra, watch our back!"

The dwarf turns pale again obviously wanting to protest but only a very determined smirk appears on Koldar's face. 'That we agree doesn't mean I trust you." was all it said. The dwarf sighs and nods his head again.

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

Talia is severely shocked. She had always hoped, that her trust in people just would not allow such things to happen. She had believed, that what ever for problems Capher had, he would overcome them.  That the good side would be the victorious side. And now that.

The frightened Avour searches for shelter behind her, cowering on the floor and holding on her leg.

Koldar has already drawn his sword, and Terra is standing firm and ready to defend them all till death. Or worse.

After endlessly stretching seconds the demon that was Capher throws himself through the door, and is gone. Talia hears Terra whispering: „Seek the point of light!“

Talia bends down to Avour and takes the frightened girl into her arms.

„He is gone now, Avour, he is gone. And let us keep in mind, that there was a force in this demon which kept him away from us. Otherwise we would not stand here unharmed.“

Koldar has gathered himself quicker than the rest of the group and deals with the dwarf, who finally agrees to help them.
Talia takes Avour hand and then  they leave the cabin of the former, now dead captain - to face what?

***Astropic of the day***

[Terra Artemos]

As the others begin to leave following the dwarf, Terra moves to do the same.  Lowering her moonblade and sliding it into the scabbard as she leaves, and quickly repositions her dagger for quick and easy access should they come under attack in the narrow corridors of the ship.

'I am grey. All but those like me see only darkness and light, they do not see the grey between them. In this greyness I dwell. I would not wish this fate on any other.'

Terra Artemos Character Description

[Ta'lia of the Seven Jewels]

Where do we go now? I hope the others have better ideas how to cope with the dwarves. We should look after our animals. And where is this woman dressed for a ball at the king? Darn, I want back onto firm land, preferably back into the desert! If Avour would like it there, she is used to trees and shaded areas.

Edited by: Talia Sturmwind  at: 6/5/03 8:00 am

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