S1E6 - An Unlikely Conversation
“An Unlikely Conversation…”
The waves rocked the bow like a whales deep heartbeat. Benedict smiled looking out across the white crested waves as they cut a swath through the cerulean and azure ocean. The smell of kelp and sand days behind was replaced with a familiar charcoal and iron as he bent the 3 inch o ring into place on the anchor. Jolith. The pewter and onyx haired Minotaur looked on with interest as his skillfully drove the hammer in steady blows driving it to it proper form.
“There’s a grace in what you do, Benedict.” He said gripping one hand on his notched saber. “Thank you”. The words seemed to push the 7 foot giant into a state of peace. The scars on his face softened and the veins on his muzzle relaxed a bit.
“ the thanks is ours Jolith.” Benedict firmly pilled the glowing iron from the coals to place around the horn of the anvil. “My family is grateful for the passage to Bellz”
Jolith nodded. He raised a hand to a female Minotaur who nodded back. She was on the other side of the wide deck next to the beige clad Zane. His dark cloak being left below in the sun, and looking across the waves to the west.
“Kiri. Do you think we all have a place here in this world?”
“ of course. “ she stood straight and her eyes smiled. “We all have our place. The water is life.” She grinned putting her hand on his shoulder. “ but battle.” She smiled. “Battle too is life my friend.” She paused” is it not the same for you? To meet an enemy is one thing but to clash steel together in combat.” She took in a deep breath and gripped the axe at her side. “ that is when you know a man.”
He looked at her. “ just a man? What about you?” She laughed “ what of me my friend? Is it because I am female or a minotaur that you question?” Her eyes softened. “Man, Minotaur, Orc, even the halfling. Do we not all revere the sea? The sea is a battle upon itself, the oldest of battles am I right” Zane nodded. She smiled and drew closer, he could see the bay colored fur around her muzzle brush gently in the salty warm air. “Zane, The storm on the sea isn’t good or bad. We just know, that with it we travel, but against it will bring tragedy.”
He looked confused. She smiled again. “Not all is as it seems mr shieldheart. Nor is its intention as clear as we wish it to be. Ride your waves. Don’t just fight them when they seem to oppose you. *laugh* This! This will keep you from drowning! “
Zane smiled. Clapping her sinued and taught cannonball like shoulder in a broad smile he looked to the rigging above. Full sails whipped above him in the noonday sun providing some shade.
Zorin looked to the rigging as well standing to the rear and port end of the ship his arms aching from restocking the 6 foot long harpoons by the ballista. Each was fletched with a triad of stiff leather fins, tarred with a dark pitch that once cool and dry could withstand the water spray or impact. Last night the bindings must have broke loose in the afternoon squall, sending the steel tipped bolts, sprawling. there wasn’t that much cleanup he noted this was the last of it.
He looked to the ships armament the ballista. 2 8’ crossbow erected at the rear or aft defense with 2 more fore or front on either side of the bow. All 4 corners. Were set. “Excellent” he hoped it wouldn’t come to it but he had used these to repel boarders or even once a huge sea serpent threatened to capsize The Mako. The last ship he served on. The truth was that was the inspiration behind Cordelia’s ivory dragon he Carved until 4 weeks ago he had no idea what a dragon really looked like, he had a memory of a painting mixed with the reptilian face of that 80’ serpent. That was what he had assumed they looked like.
The skeletal visage of the black dragon. The blue with its swept thin horns. He paused “Fury” he thought of the huge red dragon his father had partnered with. “A partner? Hahaha. ” He still nervously pondered. Was he jealous? Jealous fury had access to that respect he dreamed about? That he hoped his father still retained a level of humanity beneath it all? He shook his head. “Only partner he has is in death itself.”
As he felt the taught fibers of the thick hempen cable of the ballistas bowstring he noted the panels of yew with a core of ash making up the arms. An 8 spoked hand crank could be used by one person in a pinch but would take a lot of strength. He looked out across the waves. “Elloveve”.he thought of her on the rooftop firing arrow after arrow as he an Cordelia ran from the Orcs rushing the courtyard. He saw Fury facing her,and her proud defiant face. He thought of himself younger, asking her. “Well, *nervous chuckle* where are we going to go now?”
BLAM, the deck of the ship rocked heavily enough to jar loose a barrel rolling across the deck. Shouts began to come from the crew. BLAM this time it was much harder and definitely came from underneath. Zorin ran to the port side seeing a huge dark shape much like an egg but a size similar to the ship itself pass under the hull. The deck groaned and heaved starboard The captain appeared from the rear door to his quarters and ran up the stairs to Zorin. Sophie followed from the mainmast.
“What do you see lad?” Fear raked Zorin as he realized with much certainty. “Whale?” Sophie said as much as questioned next to him. “Good guess but no,… that was a Dragon Turtle.”
The captain stamped and clapped his hands. “Bah! Of all the rotten luck. Those things are greedy and if they sense the gold on that little necklace of yours even they won’t stop until it gets it for its rotten nest in the deep.” He looked to Jolith and pointed above. Jolith turned to Zane. “Full sails brother.” Zane nodded and ran across the slick deck to the mainmast. He was skilled at climbing bounding up the iron rings to the first an largest sails. These were already dropping from the 2 shirtless deep toned sailors straddling the long arm. the wind was filling them the mast groaning under the strain. He spun to keep going his foot gripping the first iron rung and then the next hands reaching for the rungs above to the next sail. BLAM,
The shock hit the ship full force rocking everything starboard. “Stand back!” Benedict had long since extigushed the coals of the forge but his heart fell when the door flew open spilling the remnants of warm black ash to the deck. No fire followed “thank you knightlord for your mercy”.
He looked up and saw his brother 40 feet in the air from the swaying deck. He was untying the upper sails freeing them. They flared below him as they took flight. Zane swung back to the mainmast with a cats grace descending quickly.
Cordelia ran up to Benedict “it’s a huge dragon turtle! She was both terrified and excited at the same time. Benedict’s heart dropped as he remembered the red eyes of the swords pommel, the pommel of the sword that killed his adopted father Erebus.
BLAM they sprawled to keep their footing. He looked to Zane, He had barely reached the lowest sails when he saw him lose his grip and plummet 20 feet to the hard deck with a thump.
“Zane!” His brothers form was still on the deck as he ran to his side.
RAWR! The huge maw of the dragon turtle came up and over the top of the deck, the swell of rotten fish and hot steam overwhelmed him. It drew in a deep breath but it roared in pain as a 6 foot pole stuck out of the nape of its thick leathery neck at the base of the jagged shell. Benedict was horrified, frozen in place alone in the center of the deck mere feet from the appetite of this enormous monster. While standing in front and protecting his brother he weighed his options. “Zane oh boy.”
He looked back at Cordelia. Her eyes were enormous “talk to him.” He was dumbfounded.
“What?” He swore she had just mouthed out for him to talk to it. He turned as the huge maw dropped down to his level on the deck. it’s huge dark blue eyes peering into his souls being. Its lips pulled back revealing the rows of jagged teeth when “wait! What do you want?”
The dragon turtles dark green face turned “HELP ME”
Time stopped.
Zorin froze behind the ballista. Cordelias face was contorted with a confused smile. Sophie buried her face in her hands. Captain dropped the pipe from the corner of his mouth.
“What… are you doing?” Benedict kicked zane before he ruined one of the most amazing and precarious conversations of their lives.
“How can we help you?”
“The hurt.” It motioned at the harpoon in its neck. “Please help.” It lowered itself onto the deck when Benedict cautiously approached it, past the giant maw now relaxed, past the blue eye looking at him pleading. He gripped the 2 inch thick pole and pulled sharply and quickly successfully freeing it from its neck with a groan.
“ ahhhh thank you my friend.” Zorin looked at Sophie sheepishly shrugging feeling a great bit of guilt.
“Why are you here”. Benedict questioned
“Elves. Sea elves stole something from me and I thought you might be with them.”
“We know of no sea elves”
“Thank you my friend. Please if you hear of a onyx conch shell please come back to this spot and tell me.”
Benedict nodded. The huge beast slid off the deck into the water returning the ship to right itself on the sea.
The dinner table was eerily silent that night. No one could truly understand what had just taken place and it was easier to ignore He insanity. They stared blankly into the shallow wooden bowls cradling a few stewed potatoes, and a chunk of fatty salted pork. Using a stale roll to mop up the starchy brine, they then chased it with bitter flat ale. Or water if you were in Benedict’s place.
The stale air was moist and dank in the mess below deck. The myriad of smells from the cooking, a thyme and lemon scent was welcome amongst the strong musk and salt their bodies smelt of after the day. Adding to it was the captains pipe smoke.
“We have 6 days until we make it to Bellz. Provided the wind stays favorable you will be ready to start your new lives.” The captain nodded at Zorin. “Thanks again lad.”
“Thank you, captain Triscuit.” Zorin smiled and went back to his potatoes. Noting they tasted sweeter for some reason. 3 days and they land in the great and rich country of Bellz. Cordelia knew the most about the clerics known as the librarians of the Ivory Library. She said there would be a price to use and research the knowledge they protected. “It’s said if you need to know something, They know that very thing. There’s little that is not known by the librarians.” She had paused on the deck of the ship he remembered. Clutching the ivory statue he had made her. He noticed the face fading a bit worn where her thumb caressed it. Worriedly. “I will approach them and request entrance as I’m the only one versed in the arcane ways.” She turned to him “ We will get our answers.”
He chewed slowly as he looked from the table to the corner of the room where Sophie sat with a limp Zane cradled in her arms. He chuckled inside. They both claimed to not be hungry and it was the first time since the first embrace over a month ago that they were really seen together.
“I’m dying Sophie.”
Sophie was mopping his cut and bruised brow with a cool herbal mint smelling rag. “Zane…”
“really I feel like everything is growing cold and dark…”.
She smiled and shook her head gently “just… Shut up”.
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