IMPORTANT Author's Note: Well, important if you're reading this when it was posted. I cannot update anymore until Friday. I'm sorry, but I'm not in the city and not near a computer. I have to go across the country to watch my brother graduate from university (which, as you can imagine, I'm not looking forward too, it sounds very boring). I take great pride in the fact I post a chapter once a day, usually without fail, except when I stopped writing stories in the middle of my exams, and it's a shame I have to stop and utterly beyond my control. Of course, somebody smart may point out 'writing a chapter a day is what makes them so sucky because you don't have time to check them properly'. Well, that person probably would have a very good point, but I'm always so eager to continue the story I do it anyway. But I can't now. I might get back on Thursday, meaning I can resume updates on Friday, or it might not be until Friday I get back, at which point I'll have to delay updates until Saturday probably. Sorry about that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER 15

SALVAGE

Ship's Log 4: We've been hired for a fairly interesting sounding salvage op (ha, I'm actually beginning to sound like a captain). Apparently an elvaan warship was attacked and left deserted in the waters, the life boats haven't left but nobody seems to be alive on board. It's run aground not far from Seblina, and is being kept very quiet by local merchants. They want a ship to go out, salvage any equipment on the ship and give it to them so that they get quality merchandise cheap to sell on. The pay is surprisingly high despite this, that equipment must be worth something! Of course, this is strictly illegal salvage, so we need to be careful. If the authorities get wind of the condition of the damaged ship, then we could be caught and we're in severe trouble if that happens.

I mention jobs like this in the ship's log, so I wonder who I'm writing for. It's not to keep track of our tasks, my memory keeps track of that easily. And it's not for port officials clearly. So I've decided. Arcadia, this is for you. When we meet again, these logs will be able to tell you everything that happened to me.

The Destiny tore across the waves, bobbing up and down as Olose stood at the wheel, handling the ship with considerably increased skill. He had a grim look on his face, reflecting the thoughts of his crew.

"So, if this ship has no crew left, what happened to them?" It was Suse who voiced this thought, not figuring out that every crew member was currently considering it.
"Perhaps if they ran aground, they jumped the ship and fled?" Nadia suggested, despite knowing that it wasn't true.

"The life boats were said to still be on board." Phabrizoe pointed out. "Can't have."

"It seems to me that this question is the very rrrrreason we werrrre sent." Trevia voiced. "Considerrrrr, if somebody found the ship and managed to investigate it enough to know these details, why did they not take the goods on boarrrrd?"

"Maybe they were being nice!" Suse beamed. Trevia didn't dignify her with a response.

"You think we've been sent because we're the only ones gullible enough to go, Trevia?" Nadia asked. Trevia shrugged.

"I'm not one to make judgements on the Captain's decisions. The money is good, and the job should be simple. But it should be too simple, and that is the prrrroblem. Why are we the ones doing it instead of the crew that found it in the firrrrst place?" Trevia explained her concerns, and the others listened carefully.

"This salvage is strictly illegal." Phabrizoe pointed out. "They probably didn't want to risk getting caught." Suse felt her stomach knot at the thought she was going to get into trouble.

"Well, I don't want to get told off!" She yelped.

"You won't get told off." Phabrizoe groaned. "We'll be arrested. If we're lucky, we'll be thrown in jail to rot."

"And if we're unlucky?" Nadia asked, trying to hide her concern.

"We'll be hung as pirates." Phabrizoe stated. Suse let out a sob of panic, and Nadia shifted awkwardly on her feet. Trevia didn't move, or even blink. Clearly she wasn't paid to react.

"B-but we'll be fine, right?" Suse begged. "Right?" The others remained silent. "I mean, Olose is immortal right? So there's nothing they can do to us?"
"I hate to say it but she has a point." Nadia grumbled. "Olose is immortal, if we have to fight our way out, we can."

"They'll sink the ship." Phabrizoe explained. "We won't get far without a ship, and stealing a military vessel will be seen as an act of war. I don't think even Olose could survive going to war with a nation alone."

"Ahhhh!" Suse let out a slight scream. Phabrizoe sighed. He was only pointed out what he felt they needed to know.

It was late afternoon when Olose caught a glimpse of the huge elvaan battleship sat in the distance. It was huge, with a double deck of cannons and covered in a spectacular looking gold trim. It had three sets of sails, gigantic ones that still flickered in the wind despite the fact it had run aground on some jagged looking rocks. The front had dipped into the water, but apparently the rocks were so shallow it was still kept above the waves. It looked mighty, truly inspiring, and yet there wasn't a soul on board.

"Guys!" Olose cried. "Would you look at that!" The entire crew turned to look at the gigantic vessel that came close to dwarfing the Destiny as it approached.

"Watch for those rocks, Captain!" Phabrizoe warned.

"That ship must be capable of carrying nearly two hundred elvaans." Nadia gasped. "Who could have done this?"

"Or what." Trevia stated coldly. Olose sniggered to himself bizarrely. He could tell by her scent that even Trevia had become extremely frightened. Of course, she hid it under a steely gaze, unlike Suse, who was literally in tears of fear on the deck. Nadia paced uncomfortably and Phabrizoe seemed to be in deep thought.

"We're getting closer." Olose stated. "Prepare the anchor, we're going to board her by rowing boat."

The anchor was lowered, the sails raised and the boat lowered. Olose turned to his crew.

"Somebody needs to stay here with the ship." He stated.

"Me! Pick me!" Suse screamed.
"I'll do it." Nadia volunteered.

"I'm willing to stay behind." Phabrizoe said casually.

"I will stay here." Trevia stated. Olose rolled his eyes.

"Phabz, you're with the ship, since you're the most experienced." Olose decided, having realised none of his crew wanted to board the mysteriously wrecked vessel.

"Oh no!" Sobbed Suse.

"Oh, stop complaining." Snapped Nadia.

"Right. Everybody but Phabz on the boat." Olose climbed down to the rowing boat, now reinforced and much stronger. The others boarded it, and it wasn't long before they were rowing towards the mighty elvaan warship.

As they got closer they began to survey the damage much more closely. Olose observed how what he had once thought was another hole for a cannon was a gigantic hole ripped near the top of the ship's main body, one that led right through to the other side. Furthermore, the main cabin, a large ornate one with a huge glass window at the back, had collapsed as if put under a massive weight. A long line was cracked down the front of the ship, as if something long and hard had slammed against it. Trevia noticeably shivered.

"Captain, I advise we rrrrreturn." She stated.

"What? Why?" Olose asked. "I mean, whatever did this is long gone, and-"

"Please. Captain. I rrrrreally think we should go back." Her voice was cracking with fear, and her tail had frozen, an evident sign she was petrified.

"What's wrong? Is the little girl scared?" Nadia mocked. Suse looked up, for a moment thinking Nadia was talking about her.

"Be silent." Trevia snapped. "I know what did this. I believe this ship fell victim to a sea horror. I have no desire to become a victim of one. They say you cannot fight them. They say they consume you whole, keeping you alive as they leech off the liquids in yourrrrr body. They say that it can extend yourrrrr life, keeping you forrrrrrever rrrrrrrotting in theirrrrrr body as everrrrrry last drrrrrrop of life is squeezed from you. Yourrrrr skin drrrrries up, yourrrrrr orrrrrrgans pack up slowly, until just yourrrrr brrrrrrain in an encrusted skeleton is kept beating, the juices slowly being sucked from it as yourrrrr mind dies." Trevia paused for effect, trying to spook Olose. "They say-" She was cut off as Suse threw up over the side.

"Tone it down a bit, would you?" Olose requested. "Who says that anyway? Who could possibly know the digestive process of a sea horror without being digested? I think we can chalk those stories up to drunken sailors trying to sound spooky." Trevia shrunk back, embarrassed.

"I would still prefer not to engage one." She said, trying to hide the fact that her face had turned red.

"I guess everybody's afraid of something." Nadia shrugged. Suse wiped off her mouth and pulled herself back.

"Ew! Never tell a story like that again! Ever!" She whined. Trevia sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Look. I'm sure that even if a sea horror did attack then it's long gone." Olose decided. "We'll be perfectly safe." The rowing boat reached the mighty warship and Olose began to climb the rigging. "Trevia, if you're that scared, I'm sure us grown ups can handle it and you can head back to the ship and swap with Phabrizoe." Trevia angrily grabbed the rigging of the ship and began to climb.

"I'll be fine!" She snapped. "Rrrrrreally, Captain, you can be a bit disrrrrrrespectful." Trevia felt it was unprofessional to express such opinions, but she was both afraid and agitated.

"I know Trevia, but it's the best way to get this operation moving. We're here now. We've taken the job. Do you want the reputation as the crew who went running because we got scared on a job?" Olose asked.

"You have a point, Captain." Trevia grumbled. "I'm sorrrry. I got frrrrightened, as much as I hate to admit it. Stories and this atmosphere of death can have a strange effect on the mind."

"No need to overdo it, apology accepted." Olose told her.

"What about me?" Suse asked with fake enthusiasm. "Can I go back on the ship and swap with Phabrizoe?"
"No. Now come on!" The crew climbed the rigging, Suse struggling due to her distinct lack of strength and Nadia struggling due to her lack in having both arms, but they soon made the deck. A large hole sat in the middle of it, leading down deep below the ship. Olose peered down the hole. It had ripped right through the ship to the waters below. They could see the ocean flooding the lower decks, and yet the ship remained afloat. "Odd." Olose remarked.

Trevia peered down, feeling a chill run down her spine and up her tail. It twitched nervously. Suse came up beside her, being much shorter than the particularly tall mithra, and looked up at her for reinsurance.

"It's okay, isn't it?" Suse asked in a panic.

"Why is the ship afloat if the lowerrrrr decks are flooded?" Trevia asked, ignoring Suse. She thought she saw something move in the water below. Her eyes went wide. "The sea horror! It set a trrrrrap! It set a god dammed trrrrrap!" The ship began to shake and Olose ran to Trevia.

"What are you talking about?" He snapped.

"The sea horror! It's holding the ship afloat! Waiting for prrrrrey like us to come along!" Trevia explained as massive tentacles began to snake through the holes in the ship, one coming up to the deck. The mighty beast's head began to pull itself up to the main cabin, crushing it further as it sat there, its jaw snapping and its podgy eyes staring at them.

"Sweet Altana!" Olose gasped. Nadia was frozen in fear. Suse broke down into tears on the deck. Trevia drew her weapons, as did Olose. "I've heard of sea horror's, they aren't this big!" Olose protested.

"Sir, I'm looking at some fairly compelling evidence that says they are." Nadia managed to say, drawing her own sword.

"It's overgrown." Trevia calmly stated, snapping into her assassin mode. "It's beyond any normal sea horror."

"Get everybody out of here." Olose ordered as the tentacle began to squirm. "It's taking its time. It knows we can't escape. It gives you guys time to get out of here."

"What are you going to do?" Nadia asked.

"Just get to safe distance! It's going to have a hard time killing me, that it can be sure of." Olose spun his sword.

"Captain, we will not leave you to die." Trevia stated fiercely.

"Who's dieing?" Olose watched as the tentacle moved, slamming down at him. He dove aside. "Go! Now! That's an order!"

"Let's move!" Trevia ordered, obeying Olose instantly.

"I can't!" Sobbed Suse with fear. Trevia grabbed her and jumped to the rowing boat.

"Olose! I'm not leaving you!" Nadia screamed. "Come on!" Olose sighed, running at Nadia and kicking her overboard, causing her to splash down by the rowing boat. He turned back to face the sea horror, hearing Nadia cursing below.

It roared, as it had a habit of doing. The tentacle snaked for Olose, but he stabbed it, sending it back for a moment. The entire ship shuddered and lifted into the air as the sea horror hauled it towards its body. Olose lost his footing and fell.

The bow of the ship jutted into the air as the sea horror pulled the stern downwards towards its mouth. The tentacle quickly snapped around Olose and lifted him up. He felt it crushing his bones and grunted in pain. It brought him in towards the mouth of the beast, and Olose could tell that he couldn't escape the grip.

"I sure hope Trevia's wrong about that digestion thing." He muttered as the sea horror's beak snapped at him. He gulped.

He had a way out, but he couldn't predict the results. Not out on the water.

"Well pal, you've made a mistake." He began, deciding it was his only shot. "You picked a fight with me. Me on a special day. You see, I wanted this job to go quickly, I'm pushed for time today. Evening beckons and the full moon is rising in the sky. I can resist the transformation until it's fully in the air, but if I let go of that resistance-" Olose simply relaxed the conscious part of his mind that had been stopping his transformation. He had learnt years ago to hold it off, until the moon was at its strongest, at which point it was useless to resist. This time he let it go beforehand, and was unable to even finish his sentence. "YEEEEEEEEARGH!" He screamed, his body mutating and bursting with power as it became that of a half-wolf, half-man monster. He roared, thrusting outwards with such tremendous force he ripped out of the grip of the sea horror. It drew back the tentacle to attack again, but Olose, now in full werewolf form, leapt over it and tore into it with his teeth, ripping out a chunk of flesh. The sea horror howled as Olose pounded towards it, jumping upwards, landing on the beast's head and tearing into it with his claws, as if digging a tunnel in its skull. The sea horror slapped him with its tentacle, and hurled him from it.

Olose crashed down some distance from the horror, at the other end of the ship, which was still jutted in the air. The monster began to climb after him, shifting its weight along the boat. Another tentacle snapped down at Olose, and Olose dove at it, ripping it literally apart and chewing on the meat of the monster. The sea horror recoiled this, squeling, and began to shake the ship, trying to crush it. Olose leapt at it, and the creature knocking him away again.

Olose crashed against the rocks the ship was aground upon, causing them to crumble slightly. The sea horror heaved itself along, approaching the tiny werewolf form of Olose. It lifted itself off of the ship and snaked into the water. The ship began to sink rapidly as soon as the sea horror's grip had been unleashed.

There was a moment of peace before the sea horror burst from the water with a mighty roar, lifting itself up onto the rock after Olose. Olose howled back at the monster, but the sea horror seemed undeterred. Olose circled around a particularly large and jagged rock, a massive spike that took the centre of the rock formation. The sea horror lifted itself up over the large rock, ready to strike down at Olose. Olose leapt at one of the legs, biting into it and feeding on it as per his animal instincts. The sea horror wailed in pain, losing its hold on itself and it crashed down, impaling itself on the mighty spiked rock. It made no further noise, dead instantly.

The body of the monster could be clearly seen, it was so old barnacles grew on the mighty hulk. A creature that had existed for aeons, grown to such immense sizes and grown in intelligence enough to set a trap for the pathetic surface life forms had been slain. And by a simple wolf no less, that was now hungrily feasting on the tentacle.

The crew of the Destiny watched from a distance in awe.

"He's going to feel sick tomorrrrrrow if he eats that much." Suse pointed out. Phabrizoe grinned.

"At least he's confined on that rock and can't hurt us." The tarutaru said casually. "Guess we'll have to wait until he transforms again." Trevia looked as close to crying as anybody would ever see her.

"Therrrrre goes our payment." She said sorrowfully, and the others smiled slightly, realising her sorrowful expression was merely because the job now couldn't be accomplished.

"Can't win 'em all, I guess." Nadia shrugged. "At least we're still alive."

"And I think Olose will have had enough fish food to last him a lifetime." Trevia commented in a surprising moment of humour as she watched Olose's werewolf form feast on the flesh of the fallen beast.

A Less Important Author's Note: I know Suse went a bit too Vivlish in this chapter, throwing up and everything (which, if you're unaware, is what Vivli did all the time in the FFXI Chronicles due to being sea/airsick). Just so you know, I don't have a strange obsession with making my characters sick, but Vivli had to come across as vulnerable, so I made her airsick (I think it made her seem more fragile) and here I did it for the comedy, after Trevia's nasty description, I figured somebody like Suse probably would be sick. Hell, if I heard that, knowing it very well could be real, I'd be dammed queasy!