I’m not usually so happy to have my face in the sand. However, compared to the relentless ocean, the touch of solid ground is a welcome change.
The seas ferocity is part of why I love her so much. Of course, she hasn’t noticed my advances, and continues to be stone cold and indifferent. She can be quite a bitch sometimes - another reason she’s the one for me.
Getting my bearings, I looked around at the remaining crew in the dim dawn light seeping through the cave opening to our underground hideout. Sett was already getting to his feet. I met his eyes.
“It was that sea-witch! I knew we could not trust her. I told you, captain! And look what happened! No ship, no loot, we are well and truly fucked.”
“I don’t think it was her, Rohoyo.” he said calmly.
Incredulous. I hoped I hadn’t backed the wrong horse. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Before I could retort, Hafdan called to us from down the passageway leading further into the base.
“Fred and Amos are dead.”
Those are our hobgoblin allies. They don’t speak much common, but they’re strong. They wouldn’t have gone down without a fight. The half-orc came stomping back into view, followed by Julez the surgeon. They must have gone exploring while I lay on the sand.
“Stab wounds. The loading bay is a wreck, definitely a fight in there.” said Hafdan.
“Rival gang? Or did the guard find us while we were away?” Sett asked.
The surgeon answered, “There are burns around the wound, as if the blade was wrapped in fire! I don’t know of any rival gangs with that kind of thing, and the guard certainly doesn’t.”
Sett considered this for a moment. He’s strong, I’ll give him that, but his breath was heavy, his arms sagging by his side.
“We’ll take the jolly boat… south. There’s a small mining town where we can rest up. We can’t fight like this.”
The jolly boat is the name of our smaller backup ship. Well, it’s more of a boat. It stays moored in the cove most of the time, but it’s good we kept it around. I didn’t feel like swimming out. Across the azure sea and wise man once told me “A good thief always has many escape routes ready.” And what are pirates but a more esteemed sort of thief?
When we finally arrived at the small village on a small beach our arms were well and truly demolished. It was a town, but not bustling. We found shelter in the guards quarters. They were happy enough to accommodate us, though some of them gave Sett frightened looks. If they knew him, they were too scared to act on it.
We stayed there for three days. The first two I spent eavesdropping. Gathering information. I’ve quite a memory on me, when I’m not drinking. To be fair, that isn’t often, but my recent brush with death and current brush with poverty had made me quite sober. A shame, but good for listening.
The town was called Copperlin. Guards in the town were worried about the high number of dwarves, who they say have been sabotaging fishing boats. Threatening to overthrow them. There was also mention of dark elves from the south doing business with the dwarves.
I was following this conversation, listening in from behind, when in the distance a shape caught my eye. Down on the beach, where we had left our boat overturned, a thin figure with long hair stood with one claw-like hand on the hull.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. It couldn’t be her. But it was.
The sea-witch had found us.
I ran to find Sett, lounging in our quarters.
“Captain! The sea-witch, she’s here!”
Sett looked at me slowly. He did not seem worried. This puzzled me.
“Her name is Ianthe, Rohoyo. Not sea-witch.”
“I don’t know how she found us… let alone how she escaped. I assume some foul sorcery is at work— wait…” I asked the question, my voice flat.
“Captain, why do you know her name.”
He replied with a stare.
“Have you been talking to it!?” I hissed.
Sett blinked. “I have, and she’s really not the devil you make her out to be.”
That settles it. I did back the wrong horse.
“But how did she find us?” I hissed accusingly.
Sett pondered this for a moment. “She’s a very good swimmer.”
“Has she been following us since the boat went down!?”
“Seems so.” Setts contentment with this fact annoyed me. He knew it annoyed me.
I peered out the small square window onto the beach, where the sea-witch was sitting. She was staring out at the water. A chill went down my spine.
“Captain. I cannot condone this.”
Sett leaned back in his hammock, closing his eyes. I tapped my foot impatiently, then went and found some dried meat and came back, sitting at one of the small chairs the guards used on breaks.
“Well, if she didnt sink the ship, then what did?”
Eyes still closed, Sett answered.
“Don’t know, don’t really care. What matters is getting our base back, and she can help with that. End of story.”
I blame the exhaustion on not having a retort. I spent the third day getting drunk with Hafdan in the tavern to rectify the problem. That and keeping eyes on the sea witch.
When we left Copperlin the sea witch came with us, but not by boat. As we loaded up and rowed out, she slipped into the water and vanished under the waves, swimming alongside our boat. I spent the entire trip expecting another giant golden hand to come drag us under, finishing the job it had started across the waves. By some miracle, nothing like that happened, and we arrived at our cave in one piece.
Nature had been busy while we were away. The cavern stunk of rotting meat, and what was left of Fred and Amos were being picked at by giant crabs. I missed most of the fight, I spent my time staring at the ink-black water, waiting for the sea witch to emerge. She’s too comfortable in the water, it’s not natural.
The crabs dispatched, we continued through the hidden cavern chamber of our base.
Our base, it may be prudent to mention, is a large house on a rocky bluff, largely believed to be haunted. The haunted part is on purpose - it keeps most weary travelers away from our smuggling operation. The house however, is misdirection. Behind a secret door in the basement lies a series of small caverns that connect to the ocean. This is where we rest when in between acts of piracy. Zekia had some misgivings about its effectiveness. I tried to assure her that it works most of the time - and it does - but I suppose it does have its gaps in security.
As we explored the lower chambers, we found several bodies of our crew that had been stationed here. Some had been flattened, almost deflated looking. I shudder to think what sort of thing found them.
We found the secret door to the tunnels smashed in. Whoever had come here hadn’t had any trouble with the lock. The basement was trashed, same as the rest of the base. Ransacked, desecrated. Our sleeping quarters had been thoroughly looted, though they left Hafdans notes behind. Whoever came through was evidently not of a scholarly persuasion.
We found another secret door in the basement as well. Something we had as of yet overlooked. This did not help Zekia’s view of us as incompetent pirates. Behind the door were bones - living bones! Skeletons standing upright attacking with sword and club. I missed most of the fight, keeping my attention on the sea witch.
I cornered her, as the rest of the crew ran in to fight. Crossbow drawn for defence, I spat words at her.
“You may have the captain under your spell, witch, but some of us are not so easily fooled.”
He dark hair now parted, I saw the black beady eyes underneath, he warped face and bloody fangs. Well, that’s what I expected to see. To my relief (dissapointment?) I saw nothing but the bedraggled face of a prisoner who had been near-starved and forced to swim to survive. She looks at me confused, a soft voice escaping her forked tongue.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
It was too human a response from one so vile. It put me on edge. Before I could reply I heard a crashing noise from within the room, and the cry of Hafdan and Julez.
I happen to be quite medically skilled when the need arises, so I broke my gaze with the sea witch (no doubt before she was about to lay a curse on me) and rushed inside. Zekia was standing amidst a sizeable pile of fish bones, a small leather bag in her hand. Hafdan and Julez were facedown, bleeding out from various cuts and a thousand little fish bone punctures.
After bandaging their wounds we inspected the hidden room they’d stumbled upon. Some sort of alchemical lab, hidden right beneath our noses.
That wasn’t the only threat in the house. Though we never found our attackers, I had a close brush with a rot grub which attacked my from within the armor of a fallen adventurer. I found a bottle of Prince Unicorn under a shelf though, which I took for myself.
The library and studies upstairs were a wreck. Well, more of a wreck than usual. We took the chance to take a small rest, which I have spent writing these pages. The captain has said any treasure we find goes straight to buying us a new ship. Though I do love treasure, I agree with him. Being home is nice but already I miss the open seas. Waves, wind, sunshine, plunder.
I hear noises, someone has found something in the kitchen. With any luck it’s more mead.