Bey Javindar awoke to a ruckus. He had paid a pretty sum to Captain Wissam for use of his quarters, an oddly stately berth decorated with rare wood furnishings and silks. The room was beneath the Bey's station, but they proved adequate enough until his rest was disturbed from what sounded like laughter from above.
"Nahbob, where's my morning tea!" he demanded over the noise, his stomach growling was the only reply.
The nobleman grumbled as he slipped on his sandals and grumbled as he stumbled onto the deck to seek the source of the noise.
Javindar was greeted by the sight and the smell of the crew of the Mermaid's Tail. They were merrily laughing and singing as they engaged in what appeared to be some form of fishing ritual. A few of the sailors were balanced precariously on the rail of the ship, jabbing their spears occasionally into the water. Most seemed to catch nothing, but a few, including Giraffe woman did manage to retrieve several large orange fish in the process. Behind them were a couple of the older sailors as well as Lazy Eye and Nahbob, busy gutting and cleaning the orange fish that were caught. Lastly a great portly man wearing nothing but a soiled apron took the cleaned fish and rolled them in what looked like salt before packing them into a large barrel. A small mongoose waited at the edge of this whole operation, eagerly snatching stray pieces of fish that landed his way.
The Bey turned his nose away from him as he walked by. "Please don't be the cook, please don't be the cook, " he uttered to himself, though he was audible enough to let the fat man know his displeasure.
"Good morning lord Bey Prince Bey sir," said the portly man, unsure of how to address Javindar and deaf to his comments. "Care for some salted orange fish or would you like to wait for the fresh stuff later? It tastes quite nice both roasted or diced into a ceviche."
Between the unsteady rocking boat, the raw smell of fish guts, and the screeching of the waiting overhead sea gulls, it was a miracle that Javindar didn't lose the contents of his stomach.
"Nahbob, I'm shocked you are consorting with these sailors and engaging in their unclean ways. We do not demean ourselves in assisting in their tasks, that's what they are paid for. Giraffe…errr Whelp's actions I can understand, but I expect better from you," scolded Javindar as he towered over his servant.
"A thousand pardons sir," apologized Nahbob profusely as the smaller man bowed multiple times at Javindar's feet. "The vessel came across a school of fish, and the crew were just supplementing their food stores. They didn't count on three extra mouths to feed when we left port…"
"Feed? Need I remind you that I don't eat fish. It is considered unclean under holy Puranas' eyes," stated Javindar as the rest of the crew seemed to instinctively cower away from him.
The Bey smiled. Though these sailors were probably scrounged from the lowest castes, even they recognized his pure bred ideals.
"No its not," stated a strong feminine voice, disrupting Javindar's moment. Javindar looked and saw Giraffe woman hopping off the rail and landing before him before leaning against her spear. She was half naked, wearing nothing but a shorten blue sari that barely covered her lewd curves, leaving her long gangly legs and overly muscular arms for all to glare at. "Puranas has no laws against the consumption of fish. "
Javindar laughed at the deluded woman. "My dear Whelp, as a member of the highest caste and as a holy warrior of Vinraj, I think I would know what Puranas allows and doesn't allow."
Whelp shook her head."I think you are mistaken. That's just the perception but it's not true. Religious doctrine is fine, unless you are starving. I figure three in ten Vinraji are vegetarians and I highly doubt the rest of this land's people should be considered heretics. There is nothing against Puranas' holy texts that forbids the consumption of meat. Most of the islanders and coast dwellers consider fish as the 'fruits' of the sea. In fact, the men of the Khanate and those of the Northern Caliphate consume mostly meats. It's just dogma and moral superiority that make people of the so called higher castes cling to that belief. "
Javindar considered her words carefully. They almost made sense but he wasn't about to let her know that. Instead of continuing the argument he simply laughed again."My dear. We don't abstain from meat because we wish to feel superior, we abstain from meat because we are superior. Those that eat these unimaginatively named … err Orange fish, are just weak in their convictions. Only barbarians eat heavy Tamasic foods, and spicy Rajasic foods. If they were real men, they would be satisfied with ascending Sattivic grains and vegetables. "
"Tamasic, Rajasic, Sattivic, these words mean nothing to starving people. I think I'll side with the other seven in ten on this one. You can stick with your plain flat breads and lentils, I'll stick with spiced orange fish," smiled Whelp to a chorus of cheers from the sailors.
Javindar glared at this uncouth woman, he would raise his nose to her if he was taller, but Nahbob had not groomed his nose hairs yet today and he did not want to appear unkempt. "I am shocked that a servant of my beloved Mahadevi Sumpada would engage in such crude dietary practices. I'll inform her at once of your indiscretions upon our return."
Giraffe woman laughed at his threat. "First off, its Sadhivi Sampada. She dislikes it when people like you heap undeserved praise on her, and especially hates it when you get her name wrong all the time. You can save the pet names when you two get married, and even then I'm sure she would hate it. Secondly, while I was serving under the Western Holy Temple, I ate what the Sadhivis ate, but c'mon…we're in the middle of the ocean right now, and Captain Wissam didn't exactly pack any vegetarian meals. Given the choice of starving or completing our mission, I'm sure Samapada will understand. When in Thyatis you act like a Thyatian, you know."
"I don't think you know my future wife as well as you think Whelp," said Javindar in his most snide voice. "She's a noble, a princess, a holy woman of the highest order. I doubt she would 'understand' your 'momentary' lack of faith. " He said as he mimed quotations marks in the air.
"Are you absolutely 'sure' about this? " smirked Giraffe woman as she mimicked his quotations. "Everyone knows your 'Princesses'" history. She was sent away to the Western Realms and was lost to us after a particularly deadly Rakshasa raid. It wasn't till ten years later that her uncle Sardar Milan recovered her. What do you think she was eating all that time in the frozen wastes? Lichen stew? "
"Watch your tongue woman. Do not make light of Sumpada's hardships, and do not question her purity. I'm sure she did what all pious girls in her position would do, she abstained from digesting anything against Puranas' laws. I've been near her, and I did not smell the taint of meat from her gentle pores."
Giraffe woman cringed at the statement. "Smelling her gentle pores? Ewww. That went to a weird place really fast. Anyways, suit yourself. Go ahead and stick to your diet and starve. I don't care. I'll stick to the fish."
Bey Javindar mouth dropped slightly and turned to Nahbob, which nodded sheepishly in agreement. He then turned to the portly cook who simply grinned and offered him a salted fish half squeezed apart from his fat fingers.
"Lady Whelp is correct. I've check their provisions my lord, the grains and vegetables they possess are all considered Rajasic or were baked with animal lard. It will be a week until we reach the port of Aaslin to resupply," apologized Nahbob. "I've brought this up to Gola the cook, and he suggested some of the sea weed here is edible. Perhaps he can make a soup for you. I think that would be considered Sattivic."
The portly man in the apron nodded and gave the Bey a wide broken smile.
"This..this won't do," blurted Javindar, even as his stomach growled from all this talk of food. "I won't eat sea weed! I'll…I'll fast instead. A few days of meditative cleansing won't hurt me."
"I..I have half a bag of crackers my mother gave me before we were to boarded the Golden Eagle my lord," said Nahbob as he held out a small linen sack.
Javindar snatched the bag from his servant's hand, and quickly began cramming the crackers into his mouth.
"Err…help yourself my lord," sighed Nahbob. "I've eaten fish before. I'm sure eating it again won't make me anymore unclean."
Javindar snorted. The lower castes were always bending Puranas' laws. They weren't as devout as those in the higher castes.
As Javindar ate the last of the crackers, a heavenly sound seemed to pervade the deck of the Mermaid's Tail, drowning the crew's crude fishing song. The mongoose at the cook's side perked its ears before it fled below decks. At first, Javindar thought one of the female crew members or unbelievably Whelp had decided to change the melody, but he quickly dismissed that notion. Given her appearance and actions, he expected Whelp to bleat like water buffalo or perhaps howl like a jungle cat in heat. He imagined the crew covering their ears and leaping overboard to escape her horrific singing. The thought of the warrior woman singing amused Javindar, and he considered putting it in writing.
"Nahbob," ordered Javindar, grinning from ear to ear. "Fetch a quill and take dictation. I have a wonderful idea for a comedic play."
Javindar waited, impatiently tapping his toes, and saw that Nahbob was just standing there, with a blanker look than usual on his face. Before he could admonish his servant, one of the older crew members suddenly threw down his skinning knife, hopped on the rail, and plunged into the water.
Javindar watched in confusion as another man leaped overboard followed by yet another, all the while being surrounded by the strange heavenly music.
"Harpy!" shouted Captain Wissam, futilely attempting to shout over the song. Javindar glanced up, and saw a dark winged humanoid hidden amongst the seagulls singing her dire dirge.
Several of the crew, including Nahbob seemed to awake from their trance after the Captain's warning, while several more attempted to throw themselves over the rail. Even the cook Gola attempted to toss himself overboard, but Javindar instinctively grabbed the man's hairy back, yanking him backwards into the barrel of salted fish.
Gola seemed stunned at first, but quickly recovered his senses and scrambled below deck. Other members of the crew attempted to toss their spears at their aerial attacker, but the range of their weapons were too short.
"Nahbob! Fetch me Red Flight!" shouted Javindar as other members of the crew came to the same conclusion. Captain Wissam began distributing several old short bows from a side pouch on his belt and his crew began shooting at the Harpy. The Harpy weaved away from the bulk of the volley, but instead of retreating drew out her own bow and began shooting back at the crew.
An arrow struck down a nearby sailor, prompting Javindar to demean himself and grab the man's spear. It was fortunate that he did, as another arrow streaked towards him, but the Bey calmly remembered his martial training and simply swatted the missile to the side.
While Javindar waited for his bow, another sailor seemed to be seized in a trance and stumble towards the ship's railing. From the strain on the man's face, Javindar could see the man was struggling against the Harpy's control, but the creature's magic was too powerful. Javindar promptly solved the problem by sticking his spear before the man's feet, and tripping him hard to the deck.
"You can thank me later, " said the Bey as he spotted Nahbob finally making it back onto the deck with Red Flight his bow, one of the relics of Ghata.
Javindar snatched his weapon from Nahbob, extending his hand towards his servant awaiting an arrow. Nahbob sheepishly shrugged, before Javindar realized that his gold and ivory tipped arrows were still aboard the Golden Eagle.
"I brought your khanda as well sir," apologized Nahbob as Javindar threw his bow at him and snatched his serrated shark tooth blade. The Bey swung it a few times to test its balance and when satisfied his servant hadn't damaged his weapon, he turned towards his opponent.
"Bravery! Valor! Glory!" shouted Javindar as he raised his blade in a challenge against the Harpy. "Nahbob, flight," he ordered though he was loathed to do so. While his servant did possess magic to make him fly, Javindar was not comfortable in the air. Though he wasn't afraid of his opponent he knew his opponent would have the advantage in both magic and maneuverability in that situation. The Bey was brave, but not stupid.
Javindar felt his feet float off the ground, as Nahbob placed the enchantment on him. Screams and the thrashing of water yet again broke his concentration. Javindar looked overboard and saw a large green hump breaking the water near some splashing sailors. Javindar wasn't sure what it was before a large serpent head suddenly emerged, swallowing the hapless swimmer.
"Sea Serpent!" shouted Wissam.
Javindar grumbled, this would never have happened on the Golden Eagle. These creatures would never dare to challenge his War Kaylon.
"Do your energy bolt thing on that eel while I handle the Harpy," shouted Javindar as he assessed the situation and flew upwards. Though the serpent was probably more dangerous, removing its winged accomplice first was the best course of action.
As Javindar soared clumsily towards his foe, he saw the Harpy notice his approach. It fired several arrows at him. Most were deflected by his blade, but one slipped through his defense striking him in the leg. Such a minor wound would not stop the Bey's charge however. Just as was about to engage her though, the feral looking winged woman easily flew out of his reach and then turned her song against him. Javindar felt the creature's music surround him and then constricting him in bands of force. The Bey was tossed around in the air like a child's toy as his arms were pinned to his side. The Harpy gave a shrill shriek as she bared her fangs and claws and swooped towards her helpless victim.
Just as quickly as he was at the creature's mercy, the Bey found his arms freed. The Harpy was also surprised as she grasped as her throat, suddenly silent.
A silence spell? From Giraffe woman?
Javindar did not dwell on that question as he slashed the surprised creature's neck, scoring and raking its flesh with the sacred shark teeth of his holy Khanda. The Harpy's eyes rolled to the back of her head, as it spiralled lifelessly into the ocean.
As Javindar plucked the arrow from his leg, channeling his divine aura to heal the wound, he saw that the battle was far from over. The giant eel, or serpent, or whatever it was, rammed the Mermaid's Tail several times with its head. The Bey half expected the vessel to capsize but the crew rallied around a tall figure in a short blue sari, and began to stab the beast's head repeatedly with their spears. The monster reared its head up in pain, while giving a low echoing roar, before plunging into the ocean, to the cheers of the crew.
Though he was flying back to the ship, Javindar from his vantage point could still see that the monster was not done. Instead the great serpent was swimming under the vessel and switching its angle of attack.
"It's behind you! " yelled Javindar but it was too late.
Before they could react to his warning, the great serpent lunged once again from the water, snapping its great jaws around Giraffe woman, before pulling her into the ocean.
While Javindar had no great love for his beloved's unruly servant, even she did not deserve such a fate. Maybe a flogging, public humiliation, or sometime in some market square's stocks, but not eaten alive. Javindar, dove as best as he could towards the water, plunging into the water before stabbing it with his Khanda.
While his sword had pierced the armor and hide of Asuras, demons, and even a Thyatian knight, it bounced off feebly from the serpent's blubbery skin. He could channel his divine energy into the blade, but doubt it would affect this dumb beast. He realized despite his efforts, a piercing weapon like a spear would be more suited to fight the serpent.
Though he wasn't a great swimmer, he was apt enough. Javindar began to swim to the surface to request such a weapon, but stopped mid stroke when he saw Whelp still alive and struggling, wedged inside the creature's jaw. While he thought the monster's last attack sent the petulant woman deep inside the serpent's belly, the warrior woman had managed to brace the creature's powerful jaws with her fishing spear, barely staving off her doom.
Javindar hesitated, but then he knew what he had to do.
The Bey broke the surface of the water, but instead of requesting a spear he shouted to his servant instead. "Nahbob, enlarge!"
No sooner had he given the command, Nahbob weaved his magic and the Bey felt himself grow to the size of a giant. With his new strength and leverage, Javindar dove towards the serpent head, snatching its great jaw and prying Whelp free.
His victory was short lived though as the great serpent turned his attention towards him. While his strength was greater than the monster's jaw it was no match for its fully fury. Javindar struggled, as the massive beast's coils began wrapping around him, squeezing what little remained of his breath from his lungs.
The Bey punched and kicked the relentless serpent, but his weakened blows did little harm as the water cushioned his blows.
So is this how it ends? No Black scroll? I die rescuing an unworthy woman before I could complete Holy Sumpada's quest.
Javindar felt his body grow cold as the great serpent dragged him deeper into the depths. While a few sailors proved insufficient to feed the creature, Javindar guessed the serpent considered him a worthy main course. Javindar would have smirked when he realized he would shrink down in a couple minutes, leaving the creature yet again hungry. A minor victory, but a victory nonetheless.
As Javindar began to black out, his fading vision saw a figure swim downwards to the distracted creature's head. A merman? Or some other apparition of the Bey's air starved mind. Javindar's eye bulged as the figure then raised a glowing object above its head before bringing it crashing into the serpent's skull. The creature's entire body seemed jolted by the strike, releasing the Bey from its grasp.
Javindar was powerless at that point. He thought it funny that he was saved from being devoured only to die from drowning. It wasn't the death he had hoped for, but at least he died in battle with his convictions intact.
"Give them room to breathe!" shouted what sounded like Captain Wissam as Javindar hacked a gallon of water, and then a minnow, and then what seemed like another gallon of water from his lungs.
"Thank Puranas! " shouted Nahbob as the Bey's vision cleared. "My heroic lord is saved."
Javindar was disoriented, but saw that he was regular size again and on his side surrounded by a throng of worried sailors. Wissam was busy shooing them away while above him was Nahbob carefully massaging his back.
"Where's…where's the merman that…saved me," coughed Javindar as his strength returned.
Nahbob and Wissam looked at each other in confusion before the Captain laughed. "Merman? More like mermaid! " He said as he pointed to a coughing and hacking Whelp a few feet away from him, being licked back to life by a very concerned looking mongoose.
Javindar was shocked. There was no way he was rescued by…by…this wretched creature. He was a member of the first caste, while she was fourth at best. As the pair finished their round of coughing he locked eyes with his 'rescuer' and saw the exhaustion and weariness in her eyes.
He was filled with shame. Not for being rescued, but for seeing her caste instead of her courage.
She risked her life to rescue me, I should show more humility. I'm better than this petty arrogance. Her heroism should be rewarded. The Bey forced himself on one knee, with the help of Nahbob and began to stammer out some statement of appreciation.
"Th..Than…Th…" he stuttered but could not bring himself to say the simple words.
Before Javindar knew what happened Whelp leaned over and gently kissed him on the cheek. Javindar's eyes bulged as he felt her strangely soft and gentle lips on his skin. A few minutes ago, his first reaction would be to throw her back, and perhaps slap her back down into her station for daring to touch him in such a way, but now it was different. He wasn't sure if he was just too tired to resist her lewd and inappropriate advance, or if he actually enjoyed this strange sensation. No woman had ever kissed him, save for his mother and sisters and the Bey felt strangely uncomfortable.
"Thank you, noble Bey. I would have been lost if you did not dive after the serpent to save me," she said as she broke off her light kiss. Whelp was then helped onto her feet by Gola before being lead below decks with her mongoose scampering after her.
Javindar sat their stunned, partly from his near death experience, partly because of Whelp's unexpected show of affection.
"A thousand pardons, " said Nahbob as the crew began to repair the damaged ship and prepare for any more monster attacks. "I should have intervened before that ..that …woman touched her lips with you. If you want, I shall speak to her firmly and state the proper rules of conduct when interacting with a higher caste…."
Javindar shook his head and instead pointed at one of the spilled salted fish. The Bey looked at the fillet, his stomach empty and his heart filled with confusing emotions, and bit down on the fish.
"Hmm… this is not half bad," said the Bey as he savored the unexpected flavor of each bite.