Chapter 18: Trouble on the High Seas

Where evil slumbers…

Four drow line up kneeling in front of the throne. Each shaking and sweating. Blood dripping from various wounds and deep gashes. The putrid smell of rotting corpses was thick in the air: hopelessness, pain.

"I have a request." The ominous voice speaks; shadows cover his face, only the tiny 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, his face now uncovered by the moonlight that pierces through a gaping hole in the roof. His body was cloaked 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 to land."

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

The tyrant motions for them to leave as they gather themselves up and scurry from the room; he blinks in front of the youngest drow, a male with the gravest of wounds. The tyrant smiles and pulls back the bloodied cloth that sticks to the gash. The drow inhales sharply, only to regret 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 echoed 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. A six-inch gash across his abdomen marred his pale green skin. His skin is soft and warm, with stiff muscles underneath. She ran her hands across the wound lightly. Kith's stomach quivered at her touch, and a smile touched Eris' lips.

"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 while he can take advantage of the view she offers him.

Kith holds his hands up in mock surrender, and Eris' 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 bottom lip. "Why don't you show me." She whispers against the tasty morsel.

Kith quickly twists and pins Eris to the bed. The movement caused her breasts to sway. He captures one of them in his mouth, and a moan escapes Eris' lips.

Sometime later, 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, faze for Kith or if he was looking for a more longtime relationship. All she knew was that every night she'd spent with him was terrific. She also was too tired to think about anything or anyone else.

Kith makes a plate for him and her as she sits beside Kosh. Kosh was voraciously eating his food. "I see you got your appetite back."

Kosh grunts.

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

"Everything okay, Kosh?"

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

A gnomish sailor, Mili, peeks her head in the galley. She is short and cute. 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."

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

Kith wraps his arm around her waist to whisper in Eris' 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 came to loop her arm in Eris'. She looks at her knowingly, and they join the rest of the group.

KITH

"What did you need us for?" Kith asks with a grunt.

He thought Harrin and his team were 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 ship's side.

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

All hands were scurrying about. "We're taking 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 has pushed aside. 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 is 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 possible toward 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 sword skewers the shark. The other sharks are now being pushed and pulled in different directions by the helpful water creatures. Kith reaches Kosh and Mili, and they 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 creature swims over to them and touches each of their faces creating some 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 consciousness. Eris.

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

He gathered his strength and got to his feet. Damn, if he was going to let something like this take him out.

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

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

He drew his attention toward Mili. "She isn't breathing." For the next 5 minutes, Kosh kept trying to breathe life into her.

Kith heard light footsteps drawing closer. It sounded like a dozen people were approaching. He readies his weapon. He could use a good fight now that he was back on land. His anger rose to a new peak. Seething, his hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "Kith," a familiar voice rang out.

Squinting his eyes, he tried to make out the shapes. "Aluuna?"

The light emanated, the whole place lit up, and he could see their entire group and some 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. 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 looked down at Eris, who was still not moving. "Hell yeah."