Chapter 18: Trouble on the High Seas

Where he slumbers…

Four drow line up kneeling in front of the dark throne made up of skulls and metal. Each shaking with sweat. Blood dripping from various wounds and deep gashes. The putrid smell of rotting corpses thick in the air. Hopelessness, pain.

"I have a request." The ominous voice says. Shadows cover his face, only the small-light orbs of his eyes evident.

"Ye-ee-ss?" one drow female stuttered.

"A party of nuisances boarded a vessel to Osirion," The tyrant leans forward, uncovering his face in the moonlight that penetrates through a gaping hole in the roof. His skeletal features are veiled in a raggedy crimson cloak. Black smoke comes off his shoulders and head. It reaches the drow and they cough and gag. "Make sure they don't make it."

Wheezing, the female drow chokes, "Yes, my lord."

The tyrant motions for them to exit. As they gather themselves up and scurry from the room, he blinks in front of the youngest drow, a male who seems to have the gravest of wounds. The tyrant smiles and pulls back the bloodied cloth that sticks to the open gash on the man's neck.

The drow inhales sharply only to regret it as the stench-soaked air burns his throat. "I'd hurry if I were you. That wound looks serious." The tyrant looks over to a small group of undead minions in the corner feeding on the corpse of one of their unlucky comrades. He moves out of the way and laughs wholeheartedly. Menace and malice echo against the heavy stone walls.

Eris

Eris stretches her naked body languidly across Kith's bare chest. She could faintly hear the clinking of the sails outside their port windows. The lull of the ship soothed them to sleep last night, with the help of vigorous exercise. His pale green skin was marred by a six-inch gash across his abdomen. His skin is soft and warm, with hard muscles underneath. She runs her hands across the wound lightly. Kith's stomach quivers at her touch, and she smiles at the response.

"The big bad orc is ticklish?" Eris says straddling him. " What can I do with this information?!" Eris feels sexy and in control in this position. He can also take full advantage of the view she offers him.

Kith holds his hands up in mock surrender, and Eris's smile widens.

"You would betray my weakness?" He says in pretend anger. "Do you know what I do to traitorous little tarts like you?"

Eris leans down to lick along his lip. "Why don't you show me." She whispers on his lips.

Kith laughs softly. Quickly twisting to pin Eris to the bed. The movement caused her breasts to sway. He captures one of them in his mouth, and a moan escapes Eris's lips.

It is sometime later when they both emerge to grab food in the galley.

Eris still had no idea what was going on between them.

Whether this was just some passing thing for Kith or if he was looking for a more long-term relationship. All she knew was that every night she's spent with him was incredible. She was also too tired to think about anything or anyone else. So no terrible nightmares.

Kith makes a plate for him and her, and she sits down next to Kosh. Kosh is voraciously eating his food. "Hungry?"

Kosh grunts and continues to eat.

"He's been moody like this all morning," Flig says, sitting down across from them. Okami settles down near him under the table.

"Everything okay, Kosh?" Eri asks.

Kosh didn't lift his head. "Fine."

A gnomish sailor, Mili, peeks her head in the galley. Kosh stuttered around her all night while they boarded and got situated in their rooms. Kosh stiffens next to her. "Harrin needs you guys up top." She says in a cute, cheery voice.

Flig, Kith, and Eris stuff their remaining food down and make their way on deck. Eris and Okami race up the stairs, Okami winning. She leans down, struggling to catch her breath, then laughs at the red wolf, who circles her, barely panting.

Kith wraps his arm around her waist to whisper in Eris's ear. "And here I thought you only panted that hard for me." He kisses her on the head and moves to join Harrin. Eris' breath caught and Aluuna comes to loop her arm in Eris'. Aluuna looks at her knowingly and they join the rest of the group.

KITH

"What did you need us for?" Kith asks with a grunt. All he had wanted to do was grab food for him and Eris, and ride his way to Osirion with them tucked away in their room. He thinks Harrin and his team are okay people. Especially Aluuna, who healed and took care of Kosh. Multiple people move about the topside of the boat, singing sea songs and laughing amongst themselves.

They all keel forward as something big slams into the side of the ship.

A scream tears out, and they see Mili fall from the top of the sails into the water. Rushing to the side, they all look over the side to see a shiver of different-sized sharks.

All hands were scurrying about. "We're takin' water!" A man shouts to the Captain at the helm.

A flash of gnome catches the corner of his eye as Kosh jumps in the shark-filled waters.

"KOSH!" Aluuna and Eris' scream.

"Damn it!" Kith grunts and dives in after him. Kith hits the freezing water and the breath is knocked out of him for a moment. A sudden surge of panic races over him as his eyes gains some clarity. All he sees are teeth as a shark quickly moves in to take a bite of him. He quickly unsheathes his Falchion.

In an instant, the shark is pushed away from him. Kith looks around to see two water creatures nearby. He nods to them and swims to the surface. The moment his face touches air he breaths in deep. His eyes are blurry and burning. He looks to his left and sees Kosh swimming over to Mili. A shark swimming closer and closer to them. The frigid waters of the Inner Sea cause Kith's muscles to be stiff. He pushes against the soreness and swims as fast as he can towards his friend. Kith grabs the tail of the shark and pulls hard. The beast is strong and flicks his tail turning towards him. The beast torpedo's towards him and Kith lunges his sword forward. The shark is thusly skewered on the sword. The other sharks are now being pushed and pulled in different directions by the helpful water creatures. Kith reaches Kosh and Mili. And they start to swim over to the ship. Aluuna and Eris are yelling down at them. The water starts to lap harshly and swirl whipping them around. The water creatures swim over to them and touch each of their faces creating some type of air pocket.

They swim off just as the water starts to pull them downwards. Kith isn't able to maintain focus as he is pulled down quickly. The pressure makes his head pound and his ears pop. Blackness begins to take over him, as he slowly loses conscience. Eris.

Slowly, Kith's eyes open a chill overtakes him. He moves his arms from under him to push himself up off the ground. They protest his movement. A faint howling of wind blows and the dripping of water is heard nearby. It is light enough for him to see his surroundings. He can see Kosh laying a few feet away. He is on top of what looked like Mili.

He gathers his strength and gets to his feet. Damn, if he is going to let something like this take him out.

"Kosh!" he says leaning down to flip him off Mili.

Coughing up water, Kosh struggles to stand up. "Well, that wasn't fun."

Kosh draws his attention towards Mili. "She isn't breathing." For the next 5 minutes, Kosh keeps trying to breathe life into her, before getting an unsteady heartbeat.

Kith hears light footsteps drawing closer. It sounds like a dozen people are approaching. He readies his weapon. He could use a good fight now that he is back on land. His anger rose to a new peak. Seething, his hand grips the hilt of his sword tightly. "Kith," a familiar voice rings out.

Squinting his eyes, he tries to make out the figure. "Aluuna?"

Light emanates from her. The whole place lights up and he can see their whole group plus some of the sailors on the boat. Kith scans for Eris but, stops at Harrin who has a body flung over his shoulder. Kith dashes at her. Harrin gently lies her on the floor. Aluuna sets to work on Eris. "We didn't have time to check on her," Harrin says holding back his anger as well. Kith would have smiled at that. A kindred spirit. "Something is coming," Harrin says as he readies his blade. Kith and Harrin stand back to back and a rush of Humanoids, Serpent folk, and Drow rush the room and encircle them.

"Where's Flig and Okami," Kith says over his back to Harrin.

"We got separated," he says with a sneer.

"So just us, huh?"

Harrin chuckles. "Ready to have some fun?"

Kith looks down at Eris who is still not responding to Aluuna. "Hell yeah."