The Ash Chronicles: Compilation (Parts I to III)
It was a dreary day aboard the slaveship Killroy, as are most days aboard any slaveship. But this day was different somehow. The west wind blew strongly. Winter had arrived. A young grey otter was awakened abruptly from his dreams by the boom of a crashing wave. He was cold and wet from agonizing hours rowing in the massive ships lower chambers. He sat up, realising his feet were wet. This was unusual because the slave-performers quarters are above the usual slave stow which is at the very bottom of the ship, usually dry and some-what warm. At that moment a thin, scraggly mouse rushed in his chamber door splashing water everywhere. "C'mon Ash! We've got to get off this...Arghh!" Just then the mouse was impaled by a rats spear. "Melan! No!!" cried a strong badger, heaving into the room, he smashed the spear-wielding rat in one blow.
"Otter, we must abandon ship!" said the monstrous badger. "Why?" said Ash, open-eyed and alert. "This ship is sinking! She was hit by a huge wave, took the bow of the ship clear off into the ocean!". Ash immediately stood up. Looking at the dead rat and the fallen mouse, he mustered up his strength. "They'll pay for this one day..." At that moment a flank of slavebeasts ran by their door. "Come on, quick-like now! There's not much of this ship left to stand on, we're bailing out now!" The slavebeasts ran out of sight leaving Ash and the badger alone in the room. The badger boomed a loud grunt as he took down an approaching vermin. "I suggest we make haste to that island, it's not too far." said the badger, pointing across the stern to a seemingly small barren island about half a day's swim away. Ash thought a moment. "Come on, if you're coming."
Ash woke up feeling groggy and weak. The sun shone brightly and the wind blew softly. He sat up in a golden tan sand trying to remember the events of the previous night. He looked around. There was debris everywhere and all sorts of matter littered the shoreline of the seemingly deserted isle. Then it came to him - the huge wave, abandoning ship, the badger saving his life. He shed a tear as he stood up to asess the situation. Next to him lie the still form of his badger friend. "No...he can't be...". The form of the badger moved and then coughed. Ash quickly knelt down to his aid. "Friend! Are you OK? Speak to me!". The badger spat out some sea water as he winced. "Hello there otter...". Ash was relieved to see the creature in such health. "Sir, you saved my life. I don't even know your name." he gave his hand to the badger to help him up. The badger took his hand and struggled to his feet. "The name is Grimace. Grimace Maceflash from the isle of Salamandastron." They shook hands. "I'm Wrathtide Laguna. But my friends call me Ash the Otter because of the way I look." Grimace smiled. "Ash the Otter it is, friend. But now what?" Ash looked around at his surroundings. "I suggest we find some sort of cave to spend the night in. And we should set out to find some good dry timber for a fire. I'll go search for some grub so fill our stomachs". Grimace nodded and set off to find some firewood.
Morning came as a small fire dwindled on it's last hot embers. They had found a nice dry cave to settle in and had a good supply of firewood along with fairly good size pile of nuts and berries. Ash sat by the fire, poking at it with a small stick as Grimace stirred into conciousness. "Good morning my friend! I trust you slept well?" The badger wiped some sand off his ruffled fur. "Ah, better 'an good, otter. It's been awhile since I've been able to sleep without lead shackles around my arms and legs." Grimace rubbed his massive wrists, "Twas a great night for sleep!" Ash nodded in agreement "Aye, 'twas. Later, what d'ya say we comb out the island and see what we can find shelter wise. There may be other creatures here as well. I'm sure they would help us." Grimace gave a smile, "I'm sure there has to be better dwellings than this cave on this 'ere isle. At noon we set out!"
Noon came. The sun shone brightly in the sky and the tropical waves crashed along the coast of the island. The two friends, Ash the Otter and Grimace Maceflash, had set out to search the island, as a safety precaution each had crafted a makeshift spear out of driftwood and rock found on the tideline. They traveled for what seemed like hours through the sand, taking refuge underneath the shadows of overhanging palm trees, of which most of the west part of the island was covered. As the sun came to a rest on the calm sea, afternoon set in. Purple, red, orange, and yellow filled the sky in a tropical dance of colors. The two decided it would be best to have some lunch. Grimace put his haversack in the cooling sand and pulled out four large logs and a handful of kindling to start a fire. Ash, too, placed down a sack filled with fruits of all sorts. In no time they had a roaring fire and were enjoying warm bowls of carmelised fruit salad.
*Crack* came a nose from a few meters away. The two immediately stood, dropping their food and wielding their make-shift spears. Ash and Grimace silently footed over to the source of the noise. Croutching down, they observed the scene below them. Angry wet searats sat around a dwindling fire, no more than a few embers flickering in the dying daylight. To the left of the searats were a line of slaves chained together, all sleeping in the sand, no doubt survivors of the great Killroy wreck. The searats had managed to get away from the Killroy in a small escape boat, apparently taking the slaves with them. Ash whispered to Grimace, "We've got to do something! Those beasts won't last much longer without food and water, and I can only imagine how they're being treated by those corsair rats!" Grimace smirked at Ash and replied in a low whisper, "I think I have a plan!".
Mere moments later Grimace slipped down to where the searats gathered around their meek fire. Silently he crept up behind two, smashing their heads together knocking them out cold. Coming from the shadows, Ash quickly disposed of the other two with his makeshift spear and some small pebbles. Grimace looked at the forms of the slavebeasts, "Look at those beast's over there, still sound asleep. It must've been hard for them, both physically and mentally. C'mon, let's get them out of those shackles." Ash ran over and grabbed a set of keys from one of the fallen rats. Handing them to Grimace he said, "How many rats were there when we got here?" Grimace replied, "Four of them. Why?" Ash paused..."Well, there's only three of 'em over there!" The friends looked at each other, simultaneously saying, "Oh no!"
It was a dreary day aboard the slaveship Killroy, as are most days aboard any slaveship. But this day was different somehow. The west wind blew strongly. Winter had arrived. A young grey otter was awakened abruptly from his dreams by the boom of a crashing wave. He was cold and wet from agonizing hours rowing in the massive ships lower chambers. He sat up, realising his feet were wet. This was unusual because the slave-performers quarters are above the usual slave stow which is at the very bottom of the ship, usually dry and some-what warm. At that moment a thin, scraggly mouse rushed in his chamber door splashing water everywhere. "C'mon Ash! We've got to get off this...Arghh!" Just then the mouse was impaled by a rats spear. "Melan! No!!" cried a strong badger, heaving into the room, he smashed the spear-wielding rat in one blow.
"Otter, we must abandon ship!" said the monstrous badger. "Why?" said Ash, open-eyed and alert. "This ship is sinking! She was hit by a huge wave, took the bow of the ship clear off into the ocean!". Ash immediately stood up. Looking at the dead rat and the fallen mouse, he mustered up his strength. "They'll pay for this one day..." At that moment a flank of slavebeasts ran by their door. "Come on, quick-like now! There's not much of this ship left to stand on, we're bailing out now!" The slavebeasts ran out of sight leaving Ash and the badger alone in the room. The badger boomed a loud grunt as he took down an approaching vermin. "I suggest we make haste to that island, it's not too far." said the badger, pointing across the stern to a seemingly small barren island about half a day's swim away. Ash thought a moment. "Come on, if you're coming."
Ash woke up feeling groggy and weak. The sun shone brightly and the wind blew softly. He sat up in a golden tan sand trying to remember the events of the previous night. He looked around. There was debris everywhere and all sorts of matter littered the shoreline of the seemingly deserted isle. Then it came to him - the huge wave, abandoning ship, the badger saving his life. He shed a tear as he stood up to asess the situation. Next to him lie the still form of his badger friend. "No...he can't be...". The form of the badger moved and then coughed. Ash quickly knelt down to his aid. "Friend! Are you OK? Speak to me!". The badger spat out some sea water as he winced. "Hello there otter...". Ash was relieved to see the creature in such health. "Sir, you saved my life. I don't even know your name." he gave his hand to the badger to help him up. The badger took his hand and struggled to his feet. "The name is Grimace. Grimace Maceflash from the isle of Salamandastron." They shook hands. "I'm Wrathtide Laguna. But my friends call me Ash the Otter because of the way I look." Grimace smiled. "Ash the Otter it is, friend. But now what?" Ash looked around at his surroundings. "I suggest we find some sort of cave to spend the night in. And we should set out to find some good dry timber for a fire. I'll go search for some grub so fill our stomachs". Grimace nodded and set off to find some firewood.
Morning came as a small fire dwindled on it's last hot embers. They had found a nice dry cave to settle in and had a good supply of firewood along with fairly good size pile of nuts and berries. Ash sat by the fire, poking at it with a small stick as Grimace stirred into conciousness. "Good morning my friend! I trust you slept well?" The badger wiped some sand off his ruffled fur. "Ah, better 'an good, otter. It's been awhile since I've been able to sleep without lead shackles around my arms and legs." Grimace rubbed his massive wrists, "Twas a great night for sleep!" Ash nodded in agreement "Aye, 'twas. Later, what d'ya say we comb out the island and see what we can find shelter wise. There may be other creatures here as well. I'm sure they would help us." Grimace gave a smile, "I'm sure there has to be better dwellings than this cave on this 'ere isle. At noon we set out!"
Noon came. The sun shone brightly in the sky and the tropical waves crashed along the coast of the island. The two friends, Ash the Otter and Grimace Maceflash, had set out to search the island, as a safety precaution each had crafted a makeshift spear out of driftwood and rock found on the tideline. They traveled for what seemed like hours through the sand, taking refuge underneath the shadows of overhanging palm trees, of which most of the west part of the island was covered. As the sun came to a rest on the calm sea, afternoon set in. Purple, red, orange, and yellow filled the sky in a tropical dance of colors. The two decided it would be best to have some lunch. Grimace put his haversack in the cooling sand and pulled out four large logs and a handful of kindling to start a fire. Ash, too, placed down a sack filled with fruits of all sorts. In no time they had a roaring fire and were enjoying warm bowls of carmelised fruit salad.
*Crack* came a nose from a few meters away. The two immediately stood, dropping their food and wielding their make-shift spears. Ash and Grimace silently footed over to the source of the noise. Croutching down, they observed the scene below them. Angry wet searats sat around a dwindling fire, no more than a few embers flickering in the dying daylight. To the left of the searats were a line of slaves chained together, all sleeping in the sand, no doubt survivors of the great Killroy wreck. The searats had managed to get away from the Killroy in a small escape boat, apparently taking the slaves with them. Ash whispered to Grimace, "We've got to do something! Those beasts won't last much longer without food and water, and I can only imagine how they're being treated by those corsair rats!" Grimace smirked at Ash and replied in a low whisper, "I think I have a plan!".
Mere moments later Grimace slipped down to where the searats gathered around their meek fire. Silently he crept up behind two, smashing their heads together knocking them out cold. Coming from the shadows, Ash quickly disposed of the other two with his makeshift spear and some small pebbles. Grimace looked at the forms of the slavebeasts, "Look at those beast's over there, still sound asleep. It must've been hard for them, both physically and mentally. C'mon, let's get them out of those shackles." Ash ran over and grabbed a set of keys from one of the fallen rats. Handing them to Grimace he said, "How many rats were there when we got here?" Grimace replied, "Four of them. Why?" Ash paused..."Well, there's only three of 'em over there!" The friends looked at each other, simultaneously saying, "Oh no!"