"Throughout the Ashen Roads are three jade objects sacred to our order: an urn, a gong, and a statue. Find and return them." Brother Xian Bhi said, and I heard Nikolai mutter, "Great, another fetch quest. What's next, twenty bear asses?"
"You may be forced to resort to violence to recover these items." Brother Xian Bhi continued, having not heard Nikolai's words. "We refuse to do so... which is why we have not recovered them. If you can bring those objects back to this place, I will lay upon you a blessing that will let you pass through the magic fog."
I nodded as I turned to leave the camp. "Let's go, you guys. We have some things to find."
In the sickbay of the Santo Oro, Rena smiled, despite the dreary fog hanging outside the open gun ports, covering the mouths of the six-pounders in tiny water droplets. She had just finished sewing the sleeve of a new black coat to the main body, and she laid down her needle and thread onto her lap.
Most, if not all sailors could mend their own clothes, but Rena was especially good at it, having been mending her clothes back in Scrimshaw. In fact, she was planning to sew an entire set of clothes for his birthday present, and she was about three-quarters of the way done.
She then grimaced as she saw that one button on the waistcoat, which was black with golden hems. The round piece of metal never did seem to stay on the fabric, and as she picked up the needle and thread again, a voice said, "Here, let me have that. I can do up a seam, you know."
Rena turned to look at Bonnie Anne, who was lying in the hammock next to her. She hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head firmly. "No thank you. I want to do this myself."
"You know, just because you're now the captain of your own ship doesn't mean you have to do everything yourself." Bonnie said, and Rena considered her words for a long moment. Then she slowly held out the waistcoat, needle, and thread to Bonnie, who took them and began to skillfully sew the button firmly back onto the fabric.
"Thanks, Annie." Rena said, and Bonnie smiled as she lied back down in her hammock. "No need to thank me. That's what friends are for, right?"
"You have returned the most sacred objects taken from our temple. We despise vengeance, but you have shown honor in your soul." Brother Xian Bhi said, and I could hear Emma struggling not to laugh as she elbowed me gently from behind. "Good thing he doesn't know us that well, eh, Matt?"