Chapter 49 A disarming time.

The morning brings an unhappy captain. The slow progress of the voyage, and the near constant battles are starting to bother the crew, and Captain Gayle isn't too happy about the rumors going around. Either some larger force is trying to stop us from getting to Dragon Island, or worse, someone on the ship is asking for these things to attack us. Both theories are absolutely preposterous, the mere thought that someone could control both a group of storm giants and a Kraken on a whole different plane is laughable. And for some nefarious being to send all that this way, they would have had to know we were going before we even started on the voyage. It must be either immensely bad luck, or the area around the Island really were this dangerous. Geno thinks we should be there soon, maybe one or two more days. We will just have to take whatever comes as we reach it.
Gathered in the galley of the ship, we had been eating breakfast when the captain had approached us to discuss the problem. Now that they had left, we looked at each other. Everyone shrugged. It could have been some unknown enemy we had. Hells. It could have been Asmodeus. But nothing we could do about that right now. Stormy stopped by for just the moment needed to drop some fruit off for Spike. A small wink is shared between the earth genasi and Melfina before he leaves for his next watch. I'm not sure what that was all about, but something must have been shared between them.
Deciding what needed to be done next, Melfina had to check in with Lenny in lake town. We also had the scroll Marda had appeared with to look at, see what we could do with it. As Melfina prepared her spell to communicate with Lenny, the rest of us went over the information on the scroll we had. With some of the spell complete, it was possible that some in the group could cast it, but we had agreed it woud be better to learn more of it. We don't want to bind the wrong soul after all. With one of us touching it, and others ready to aid the person touching it, we should be able to learn more. By the time Melfina had talked with Lenny, we had made a plan.
Lenny didn't have much to report. The sanctum did have some old soulstones, but they seemed to be full. Shivering when I thought about that, I would hate to be trapped in a soul stone for eons to pass around me. The information about dragon Island was about the same. Not much is known about it besides what we already know. Goblin trade routes were just started about a hundred years ago, and most of the traders were not allowed out of the general port area. Judging from what Geno and the captain were estimating, we were about a day from our destination.
Gathering in the cabin that Melfina and Marda shared, we went over the plan as Marda carefully found the framed scroll in her pack. I was going to touch the scroll. Geno is using a long pole to hold the frame and pull it away from me if I can't handle it. Yun was ready to pull me off the scroll if I wasn't able to do so myself. Melfina was going to Heal me should I need it, Marda was going to write down anything we could translate. As the only one that could read it, I was hoping I could read it while the words appeared. Yes, I was nervous. While Spike is stopped from licking the wooden frame of the scroll, I reach out with my left arm. This is a terrible idea.
The pain is encompassing at first. It felt as if Death was slowly drawing up my arm threatening to swallow up my entire body. Breathing faster, my arm has locked up, the muscles simply not responding to my efforts. Forcing myself to concentrate on the task at hand, the pain stopped about halfway up my arm as I read. 'A substance of great worth it must be.' As Geno hols the frame in place, I rip my arm free and start gasping for breath. I hadn't realized I had been holding it. The Skin churning sensation of my muscles knitting back together tells me that Melfina has healed me with her magic, and I flex my jaw open and closed. I had clenched it shut so hard it was hurting. I knew that Melfina could keep me alive, but I wasn't sure how much more I wanted to put into this. With our streak of finding things wanting to kill us, I didn't want to weaken anyone too much.
Turning to Geno, I asked him if he would be able to fix my right arm. I had wondered what would happen if I had touched the picture with my Right arm, and I didn't want to damage it out right if it could be helped. If it was damaged, would Geno be able to fix it to keep me going. As he had never really looked at it, he had me take it off so he could examine it.
Unrolling a tool kit, he starts taking measurements with various instruments, tapping it with a small hammer, even pulling out a small jewelers lens to examine the finger joints. A small frown started to cover his face the more he looked at it, until finally he was done nearly ten minutes in.
“It reeks of necromancy,” the goblin states, handing it back. “It is utterly covered in the stuff. I sense that the user could somehow siphon energy out of a target, and absorb it into themselves. You could essentially give yourself a vampiric touch, and further more, if you were to put enough energy into it, you could simply kill something outright. There also seems to be some sort of personality in the arm, but I don't know what that could be. There is a point that it could take damage and I wouldn't be able to fix it, but I'm not sure how much that would be. Sorry Druss.”
Having no interest in doing any of that, I put my right arm back on, worried about whatever this sentience could be. In over 20 years of using it, I have never noticed anything about the arm. It always felt smooth, always responded just like having a real arm. Reaction time had always been lightning quick. Maybe that was it? Either way, I haven't really been able to damage it myself, I should be able to use it.
Reaching out with my Right hand this time, the fingertips almost touch the frame before they suddenly stop. “What do you think you are doing? Doing touch that again! Are you crazy.”
The others are looking at me puzzled, urging me on, showing me they are ready. “Did anyone else hear that?” I ask them. When they shake their heads no, I realize with pure dread that this new voice must be something only I can hear. “guys I am hearing a voice in my head. I instantly didn't like this.
“What's wrong? I've always been here, drifting in my own eternity, then you had to just come and wake me up. Why did you do that, then try to hurt me.”
The voice was asking me questions, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Undoing the straps, I try to take it off again, only for it to lock in place, stopping me from doing so. “Don't try to take me off,” the voice started again. “ I have your memories now. You try to take me off again, I'll strangle you. I can puppet you, and torment your family. I'm sure your daughter would like that wouldn't she?”
Instant terror took hold of me, and I had to think of a way to get this arm off of me. Thinking of the ritual I had bound myslef to the great axe, I thought it may just work. Looking to the others, I say aloud, “I need you to watch over me for an hour, and make sure my arm doesn't do anything.” I was panicking. I don't know what they would be able to do, but I needed it off now. I sat down where I was standing, not even bothering to make a comfortable spot. I tried to control my breathing, but I was finding it hard.
“Are you really willing to loose what boons you have from Daja with that axe?” Whatever spirit that inhabited my arm kept talking, trying to distract me. “How is old Daja anyway? She and I were working on prosthetics together a long time ago. Now she seems to have achieved Diety status huh? Ha! If you knew simpletons knew what she had done you might not be worshiping her much anymore. She was a great lover though, but I had better sometimes. But then she Stuck me in this arm, and Claimed it all for herself, punishing me once she became a God.” The voice had definitely pronounced the word dripping with maliciousness, and had kept going in that tone. I had to drown it out, concentrating on the arm, and connecting with it on a different level. I had forged knives with it, and I pulled a memory doing just that, concentrating on the motions of the arm.
Heat the steel until yellow. The strength in the arm helped hold the steel in the tongs without tiring. With this one I had been able to effectivley lock the tongs on the metal if I needed to. Flatten the blade. The vibrations of the hammer were dampened by the arm, which never got tired. I had never had to stop and rub my hand after a long day. Not my right hand anyway.
IT was getting hard to concentrate as the voice was still prattling on, saying I will loose all my abilities and we could come to an agreement. Nothing that had threatened my family and friends is worth compromising with. Thankfully, Yun had come up with something.
“Sleep!” the command had been pushed out with a magical force behind it, and my arm simply went limp. As rapidly as possible, I tore my right arm off, not caring if I damaged the straps that normally ensured it staying in place. Throwing it down on the deck in front of me, it felt dirty now. Soiled or like a rabid animal. As I continued on trying to concentrate, the arm started to twitch a little, then, gripping the boards and bending at the elbow, it started to slowly crawl away. As Geno tries to hold it down, and Yun entangles it with summoned vines, it flails around trying to break free. I need to stop it, I can't let it hurt anyone. I'll do anything.
Summoning the Greataxe, I grab it awkwardly with my left hand. The weight isn't too much for one hand, but swinging it is another matter. Turning it around, I swing the hammer side down with all my might. I cracks into the arm, denting the floor underneath, and marring the material. I can feel the hammer blow in my core, and it is pure agony “Help me!” I all but cry out. I almost cant do it again, but it needs to be done, and I bring my hammer down again, this time doing more damage. I feel that all the strength has fallen from me, and I don't think it's anything to do with the voice. Marda swept up with her Adamantine short sword.
I looked down at the remains of my Arm. Marda had definitely finished what I had started. Where two crude, off balance hammer blows still marred the surfaces of the casing, Marda's new short sword had simple cleaved the casing away, letting all the springs and cogs come tumbling out. It now resembled something from Bellia's workbench more than an arm. Glancing around, a dark figure now loomed in a corner, not moving or doing anything. Looking to Melfina. “Get rid of it in anyway you can.” I suddenly was weary from life and I didn't have the spirit left to help others. Leaving the cabin, I let the door close behind me. Something was wrong with my breathing, it didn't feel like I had full control. I will have to figure out how to do most things with One arm again. I mean, that shouldn't be much of a problem since I took it off at night anyway, but... I was over this. I had long ago come to term with having one arm, and I had max helping me. Leona was watching out for me too. I got over this problem. Maybe Geno can whip me up something over night. Or would that be asking too much. I didn't realize how heavy my axe was before. Everything is going to be heavier again. I awkwardly hurl the axe across the deck where it lands near the water ration. Maybe I over reacted. No. That thing had threatened my family, and showed control over it's self. It would have been fully capable of turning against me. What if at a critical moment my arm suddenly locked up so I couldn't save my family, or my friends. What if now without it I can't reach them in time? Have I lost my control with my divine gifts? Will I be able to work and support my family still? Is the deck moving under me? I need to breathe. Grounding. I need to ground myself. Smell. I can smell the sausage from breakfast. The galley master must be adding it to the soup. Reaching out, I grab one of the coarse ropes used in the rigging. I can feel the fibers, rough and tightly wound together. I hold onto the rope as I was getting slightly dizzy anyway. I need to Breathe. Slow. Think about the rope. Feel the sun. smell the soup being made. Process the emotions. I've been here before. I can do it again. Things will be ok. Right?
I don't know how long I was standing there. My mind may have stopped processing things for some time as Marda is carrying a now intact arm again, and the sun has moved quite a bit in the sky. Melfina was behind Marda, and was preparing to cast a spell.
“I am casting a spell to detect evil on it to make sure nothing more is there. The being that was there had been a necromancer in ages past, and had dealings with Daja at that time. We have sent the spirit to Masika in Laketown.” Finishing her spell, she smiled a bit. “No evil or divine. Just a regular arm.”
Putting it back on, I could tell that it had been fixed by an expert, as everything was working again, but it was... different. Clumsy. No longer truly a part of me, I know had to tell it what to do, as if it could no longer... read my mind. I shivered at that, which is something I don't do that much. It will still work just fine, but it may take time to get used to the new condition again.
“is it really wise to send a necromancer to the last place that had an undead problem?” I ask trying to bring some levity to the situation. It didn't come out great.
“Leaving things the way you found them.” quips Geno. He hadn't been there at that time.
“By the way,” Melfina starts, maybe a little sheepishly. It was hard to tell. “We might be able to just Heal the scroll, instead of sacrificing our life to it.”
We all just looked at each other. “I am going to go spend time with my family. You know where to find me should you need me.” I said. Honestly, I hoped they didn't need me today.
The rest of the day was spent watching To'Li play on the ship. I had tried to summon my divine energy with my arm again, and found that I was unable. I could still summon my axe, but I now had to use it to use the boons Daja had granted to me. I would have to find someway to commune with her soon. I felt strangely disconnected to that whole situation.
Before going to sleep that night, the Captain had told us we may be landing durring the night, but wasn't really sure. As I had been having such a terrible time with the ship landings and takeoffs, I figured the best thing to do was not be one the ship at all. Not really sure how the pillow fort worked at all, I had noticed that there was no rocking motion inside it even if we were on the ship. So, getting To'Li to put up the fort, Bellia and I simply slept inside with her that night, and had no problems. Waking up had been pleasant as well, simply because I could stare at my wife curled safely around my daughter, who had attempted to spread out on top of her mother, and the two of them had simply tangled themselves together. I think I had heard Melfina yelling something into the tent at some point like “Get it up Druss!” but since I had no idea what that meant, I simply stayed put. I didn't want to fight monsters today. I didn't want this blissful moment to end, but it turns out something was going on, as Max poked his head in.
Grabbing my gear, I got out of the tent, and on Deck in time to see Melfina collecting blood from some huge sort of fish tied to the side of the boat. A blood soaked figure stands atop the fish as well, but I can't make out the features. They were covered from head to toe in blood and gore, standing over a hole in the top of the fish. It looks as if something with large claws had ripped it's way through the top of the creature, coming out right next to some sort of stalk protruding from the head. Looking for the bloody figure again, it has vanished, the spectere once again silently watching over us.
Examining the large fish closer, I can see that some harvesting has begun of the meat and the scales. Picking up some of the larger scales, I found that they were stronger than they looked. I could already see ways I could incorperate this into some nice armor. Maybe that would be a good way to commune. It would be nice to make something again. A good lesson for Leona as well, adapting new materials to suit your needs. The biggest problem would be finding a shop that would let us work on our own projects. Since we should be at our destination soon, I can only take a deep breathe and see what can be found when we get there.