Short chapter to tide ya'll over until the next, more exciting installment of The Soulforged!
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Yea, I puked. As the darkness of night descended upon the boat I was hunched over the rail letting my lunch be accepted by the sea. I hate boats. Gods know I wouldn't have been on one if Kaorin didn't have to go and get herself lost with a stranger. Leslie tried to comfort my ailing stomach by patting me on the back. Yea, like that's gonna help. Sess was too busy running back and forth across the deck yelling out points of interest. Lobo clomped happily after him, without a care in the world.
"Wow! Ya see that? That's Mount Zhayolm! And that! That's Kinneil Isle! Some people say there's ruins buried under the ocean"
He continued to blabber as I raised my head back over the railing and sat on the wet wooden deck, exhausted.
"Feeling better?", Leslie said to me with a smile.
"Sorta...I'd feel even better if he'd shut up.", I murmured, indicating Sess, the tourguide maniac.
Leslie nodded and walked over to the ever moving Sess with a normal pace. Her white garments fluttered in the wind as she clocked him in the back of the head with her fist.
"OW! What's the big deal, Les?", Sess objected, rubbing his wounded cranium.
"You were not being very polite to our guest.", she said bluntly and turned to gaze across the ocean.
Sess let out a huff and crossed his arms as he plopped himself on the deck. Lobo clanked down next to him.
"Always ruining my fun...", he grumbled.
Leslie sat down next to me. She looked radiant in the dimming twilight. Her eyes illuminated by the red sun.
"How long has this girl been your friend?", she asked politely.
"Her name is Kaorin. I met her...not too long ago. We became quick friends though. Doing everything together.", yea, I lied. "Oh that's nice!", Leslie giggled. "Kaorin is a cute name. I wish my name was as cute as hers"
Oppertunity knocked. "Oh, I think Leslie is a very cute name to fit a very cute girl.", man I'm swift.
"Well, thank you Mr. Prior"
She seemed happy about that. Maybe it's my lucky day.
"Hey, I heard that. Don't be hittin' on Les. Her boyfriend will beat ya up.", Sess interjected, still staring crossarmed into the sea.
"Gerry would not beat up Mr. Prior! I wouldn't let him"
Well that was nice to hear. Regardless of her having a boyfriend or not. At least she thought I was cool.
"Yea, like a feral beast like Gerry isn't going to tear him limb from limb.", Sess chuckled.
"He's a beastMASTER. Not a beast.", Leslie pointed out.
"Yea, whatever ya say.", Sess waved off her explanation and continued to glance into the waves.
"Stupid puppetmaster doesn't know anything about a real job...", Leslie mumbled.
"What job would that be?" , I asked, stupid as ever.
"Well, I'm a white mage. I have a lot of responsibility. One needs to be attentive and trustworthy to be a white mage. It isn't easy.", she seemed quite proud of her accomplishments.
"Ah...", I said into the air. Sess seemed to be getting anxious. He had stopped his staring and was now pacing the deck with Lobo plodding along idly behind him.
"How much longer!" ,Sess screamed to the boat capitan a few feet above us at the wheel.
"Ten minutes at most. Hold yer horses!", the gruff man responded.
"Piss!", Sess cursed. He seemed to be in quite the hurry. Was he bored? I shrugged it off. It wasn't the most exciting boat ride, but it wasn't that bad.
Suddenly the dar sky seemed to get even darker. A mist came from thin air and settled across the already soaked deck wood. Screeching calls of a terrifying nature filled the air. The ocean too had changed. Rocks filled the pass. Amongst these rocks were the skeletal frames of ships. Giant ships marooned on the reef. Ghosts of their former selves only a few shreds let one know they were once whole at all.
I saw Leslie shiver. Even the formerly happy-go-lucky Sess seemed to be humbled by the sheer eeriness of the scene. I felt a shiver roll down my own spine. I hoped the ten minutes would pass very, very quickly.
They did, luckily for me. The small town of Nashmau came into view as if it were birthed from the mist itself. The small town was seemingly trapped between islets of pure rock. It looked like it was crushed. Surviving by the bare bones. As the ship pulled up to the dock I could see into the town proper. Damn place looked deserted. The mist and eerie coldness of the place certainly didn't make it any more inviting.
Stepping off the boat with my two new companions,I didn't feel any safer. My mistake, three companions. Can't forget good ol' Lobo. In Nashmau it really did seem like something was going to pop out from around the corner and eat you. I constantly was looking over my shoulder for dangers.
"Yoouuu huumanns cooome fooor trreeassuurreee?", came a high-pitched, slow voice from somewhere below my line of sight.
As I nearly peed myself, I looked towards my feet. Standing only about as high as my waist was the only thing I had seen so far that I could deem 'cute'. I was a creature with a pale, furry, mouse-like face. It's long snout protruded from between two large, cerulean eyes. Whiskers trembled at the edge of it's nose.
"No, no...treasure. I'm looking for a girl.", I told the odd being.
"Ohh...giirrll. Tsotseroon seee huummann girrll gooo with maaann into swwammppy. Tsotseroon teell giirrll that swammpyy daanngerouss, but shhee noo listen to Tsotseroon.", the mouse-like creature told me as he addressed me with a clawed finger.
"Yea...what direction did she go in?", I wanted to end this conversation, but I was in no rush to be rude.
"Theeyy gooo noortthh. Toowards Aiiryypaago.", he flicked a slender finger over his shoulder and pointed at an open gate a level above us.
"Thanks, bro.", I said to the little thing and hurried off.
"Caayyddarrvva daanngeroouuss. Mannny laammiia inn Cayyddarrvva.", came the ever weakening reply from behind me as I rejoined Sess and Leslie who seemed to be haggling with a mouse-creature merchant.
"Ten gil at most. That's my final offer!", Sess was bargaining.
"Teennn clink-clink? Okkaayy. Heerree.", said the little, brown clothed creature as he slid a few pieces of parchment into Sess' hand. Sess in turn handed the being a few pieces of coinage.
"Got maps of the whole damn area.", Sess beamed, holding up the leaves of paper.
"Little thingy said Kaorin went into Caydarva or somethin' like that.", I said to them.
"She went into Caedarva Mire? Shit, dude. That place is dangerous.", Sess said, wide-eyed.
"What's so bad about it?", I asked innocently.
"Wanna find out?", grinned Sess. "We've come this far. Can't stop now"
I easily agreed. Leslie had stayed quiet although it was obvious that this place disturbed her. I was confident, I was ready to face anything in that damn swamp. Well, almost anything.
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There ya go. Cute little Quiqirn and all that stuff. Shool approaching. After it starts it might disrupt my writing schedule D! I'll try my best though.
-peace-
