The Vengeful Tide-Ch. 19 (Patreon)

Greeting all my wonderful patrons! I hope you've all been having a great April. Anyway, I know this came about 2-3 days late. I had some issues to take care of, but I have the perfect apology to everyone which will be uploaded right after this chapter.  One, I'm skipping the teaser. Second, well... you'll see.

Again, thank you all for supporting. All of you old and new!

WttW

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My eyes widened. I tried to process the words my mother just gave me.

The first island sank?! That should have been impossible! The only way the islands would sink was if someone made it to the final island of the five. Had the light teleported Maeloson, Diane, Goron, or even Liara to that island?

Wait, that didn’t make sense. If the first island sank, then how did my mother get to the second island? The only way to get from one island to the next was through the teleportation gates arrays lined at the very bottom of each island.

“Mom, where are you now?” I asked.

“We’re sailing for the second island I assume. Why?”  she asked.

I frowned. “Sailing to the islands should be impossible. They were designed that only a mage at the level of the alchemist break through the magic field surrounding them,” I responded.

“Well, we’re sailing to it now. Are you on that island? I want to punch your teeth in pretty damn bad right now, Sir!” My mother answered.

I contemplated my mother’s words for a second. A thousand questions raced through my mind.l I finally had to inhale, hold my breath, and then exhale slowly.

First things first, I gave my mother an account of our situation. She also gave me an account of hers. So far, Ellen and everyone else were safe. My mother and Ellen assumed command of the ship in my stead. The first island sank beneath the waves. Now, the ship was on course for the second island. Again, this shouldn’t have been possible!

Though the Isles of Delverhold were close to each other, it wasn’t a simple matter to sail from one island to the next. Just like the first island, runes on stones barred entry to the other island. Each set of runes was more powerful than the last. If the first island sank then that meant someone made it to the fifth island. To access the fifth island without going through the gates would require a mage on par with the alchemist himself.

I knew Liara and I were capable of such a thing, but I desired to go through each island at a time. The treasures to be held in them were not to be ignored. We barely scratched the surface of the first island. Now, it was gone.

“Describe the second island to me, Mom. Give me as many details as you can,” I said slowly.

I heard no response for a little while. Thankfully, she answered soon.

“I can’t make out all the shit, but it looks like the first island. Lots of trees, and metal structures. There’s a tall tower in the distance. It’s spiky. It’s pretty dark outside so I can’t make it out, but I see something beneath it covered by the overgrowth. There’s also a very tall mountain behind the tower,” she claimed.

Worry filled me. “How is the crew feeling?” I asked.

"Disheartened, I'd say," she replied.

"Were they always like this?" I asked. I was even more concerned.

“No, actually. They've been quiet, but they actually just started feeling this way,” she said.

“Mom, listen to me! Stop the ship! Weigh the anchor where you are! Do set foot on the island yet!” I exclaimed.

“Eric, what’s the…,”

“Now, mother!” I thundered.

I waited for a few minutes. She returned.

“Alright, I’ve stopped the ship. Got Ellen’s ass on me and told everyone to stop what they were doing. Eric, what’s the problem?”

My mind was a rush of thoughts. I tried to keep myself calm. “Listen mother, I don’t have a lot of mana right now. Just know that approaching that island will be the death of every male on that ship. Just follow my instructions for now. In my room, there should be a book in the lower right drawer of my table. Gather all the mages on the boat. Have them draw the teleportation array on page 126. Tell them to pour all their mana into it. It’ll stay charged until I need it,” I said.

“Aye, but what do you need it for?” she asked.

“I’ll explain it later. Just make it and keep it powered. I still haven’t found Maeloson and the others. When I’ve found them I’ll teleport us out. My room should have enough of my magic aura to locate it,” I replied.

“Alright,” she answered back.

“Good. I’ll see you soon. Remember, mother, a good slut,” I said. I then released the spell before she could offer me a reply.

I finally allowed myself to fall back to the drapes Aesteal and I used for sheets. The cackling of warm fire pits made me sleepy. Perhaps our earlier bout of sexual intimacy had a hand in that as well. Either way, I was comforted by the fact that my mother and the ship were safe. That said, I was still worried about what it meant for the first island to sink, but there wasn’t much I could do about it now.

Aesteal rubbed my chest with her slender hands. She looked up at me. “What do we do now?” she asked.

I smiled. “Rest for now. You nearly died out in that cold. We’ll stay here for a little while and investigate this castle. I’ll offer ya the details when we awaken again,” I told her.

This tenacious elf slowly nodded. She then buried her head in my neck. The crackle of the fire and the cold howls of wind were a serene lullaby. They almost whisked me away to the Land of Dreams again, but Aesteal’s voice broke my exhaustion.

“The Fgg’rial Oracle came to our sect in the night. I was called from my chambers by the elders. I was taken to meet the oracle. I had never seen her before, but tales state that an oracle communes with the will of the spirits daily. In exchange for devotion of body and spirit, the spirits grant the oracle a vast lifespan, great wisdom, and visions of the future,” she replied tiredly.

I tried not to fall asleep. It was hard not to do so. Her melodic voice worked well with the atmosphere around us. It felt like I was being given a bedtime story.

My hands massaged her back while she pulled herself closer to me.

“I was called from my quarters.  Sisters washed my body and combed my hair. To meet the Oracle is to be blessed with a great honor. Not many were so privileged as I was. I was dressed in white robes and a thin veil. The oracle spoke to me. First, she told me of my commendable efforts in protecting the Fgg’rial Kingdom and the bloodline of the king. I spoke not a word. To do so is forbidden before the Oracle,” she paused again.

She didn’t continue and I thought she had gone to sleep, but she caressed my arms. “She thanked the spirits for this divine vision. She told me to not be troubled. I would become one with Fäēgahar. His divine essence would fill me and I would become part of His Will given flesh. When mine eyes shall fall upon his breath that moves the oceans and seas. It was those words that kept me strong during my years of slavery with Maeloson. It was why when you appeared before us, your might over the flowing oceans prevalent, I thought the vision fulfilled. Now, I might laugh that Fäēgahar would be a pirate,” she finished tiredly.

I chuckled. “Sorry for shattering your expectations,” I replied just as tiredly.

Her head wiggled against mine. “I’m not, Sir,” she answered.

It wasn’t long before I heard her quiet breaths. I soon fell asleep as well. This time, there was no vision and no voices. There was only this proud, sexy elf on my chest with my arm wrapped around her frame.

When I opened my eyes again, I felt refreshed. I didn’t know how much time passed. My mana still hadn’t fully recovered, but it was more than enough to get by. With any luck, the time we spent in this castle would provide me more mana.

The howling outside hadn’t stopped. The room was a bit colder. Once my eyes blew the sands of sleep away, I understood why. The fire pits had gotten low. A cold breeze blew beneath the closed door. No doubt the windows I opened outside were the cause.

My clothes dried from the fires. I got dressed. While I clothed myself, I thought about what else I’d wear. These clothes were nice, but if we greeted the frozen tundra in them we’d be right back here. We’d be shivering our asses off very much like yesterday.

I grumbled. My throat was dry. How I desired a pitcher of ale or water to quench my thirst. Unfortunately, I would have to press on without those luxuries. I didn’t bother waking up Aesteal. I rather desired to keep her closer to flames to rid her of her frostbite. I expended a bit of my mana to cast a healing spell on her. It wouldn’t do much for illnesses but it was all I could do at the moment.

I brushed a piece of her hair away before I pulled more blankets over her. I rekindled the fire pits and quietly closed the door behind me.

Now that my mana was steady, I surveyed this frozen castle. I hadn’t been here before. In my haste for survival, there were many things I must have missed while I walked this frozen land. Even with my captain’s robe, I was provided with very little warmth. With enough time, I might experience the freezing cold once again.

I walked into another room and cracked the wood of a chair. I went back into the room where Aesteal laid and lit the wood with the fire. Aye, I could have used a fire spell, but that would consume too much mana from extended use.

I held the fire close to me. I walked out and explored the halls. If I had to guess, then I bet this was where the Alchemist forged Ỳrmïndle’s club. It must have been the alchemist’s home for this island while he conducted his experiments. He probably abandoned it when his experiments either failed or he got bored. There was much to be found here if I was willing to look.

I turned down a corner. My steps marched down a series of hallways and corridors. Most rooms were locked behind magic too time-consuming to break. I decided to leave them alone for another time, if there even was another time. The news of the first island sinking into the sea remained fresh in my mind.

My journey through the corridors took me up a flight of stairs. A carpet made of black material lined their steps. I walked up them. The sounds of the howling winds were a constant reminder of my predicament. Though I wanted to get out of here, I knew not how. I fainted in the ice during my first time here. Something brought me to the exit. I had no idea where the exit was nor how long it would take to get there. Well, I could do a random teleport again, but so far those hadn’t worked out so well. Besides, there were still plenty of resources to loot. I was still a pirate after all.

I might have lost the first island, but so help me the next island would not be so lucky!

Well, I say that, but circumstances have gotten out of my control quite a bit. Then again, I ought to be used to that. Very little fun can be had in a thoroughly planned out adventure.

Anyway, my travels took me to the second floor. It was much colder than the last floor. On the other hand, it was also more elegant. Fancy chandeliers decorated the ceiling, crystal embedded in their frames. They seemed to be made from some kind of fancy ore. They looked shiny and I wanted to plunder them.

It took a bit of effort to do. Whatever the ore that made the chandeliers was, it was tougher than my cutlass. It took more than a few swings to bring them down, but they fell with a satisfying crash. They gleamed beautifully in my eyes. I stored them away in an empty storage scroll. I continued to do this while I went further down the hall.

My pillaging came to a stop when I noticed a lone door down a separate corridor. It was slightly ajar. I cautiously walked over to it. I scanned for traps, but I found none. That was another thing that threw me off about this castle. I hadn’t detected one magic or physical trap since I got here. A place like this, where the Alchemist worked on a legendary weapon should have some kind of defense.

“It could also be because he never thought anyone else would make it here. Ỳrmïndle be a fuckin’ pain on his own. What more do ya need?” I thought to myself.

I approached the door and grabbed the door handle. I pushed it open. Inside was a large study room. As one might expect from a fucker like this, more bookshelves a plenty. They surrounded a table with all that shit any magic scientist would love to have. Glass tubes, piles of notes and books, and the skulls of dead animals on the table.

Should I have been surprised? Probably not.

I walked into the room. It was very cold. Well, colder than it was back in the corridor. The reason for that laid to my left. There was an open window. The currents looked torn. It was a shame. I bet they could have fetched a good price.

I closed the window and walked over to the table. My stick was running out so I broke the leg of another chair and lit that one. I stamped out the flame of my previous one before I looked at the notes. Now that Liara wasn’t here, I was a little more confident to read some of these texts.

“Wrong! It’s all wrong! Chrashaline grass, tears of moonlight, aquadivian runestraw! None of them work. So close…I am so close! CLOSE! The Will of the Realms in the palm of my hand. It keeps failing… it never ceases… still it yearns for more! So many days without rest. So close. CLOSE! ...dragon phosphate…calcium colgoriate… the pill’s mana veins continue to pulse and deflate. Synthesis…incomplete. Hypothesis rendered null.”

I read one of the notes on the paper. My eyes then turned to the pills in a jar. I picked up the jar. The pills rolled around. They were rather beautifully crafted mana pills. The veins along their bodies didn’t appear to be anything special though. I wondered if these were what his failures on the notes talked about. To even use something like dragon phosphate, a very rare herb found in dragon liars, was to work on something extraordinary. The knowledge of Liara helped me know this.

What would he use dragon phosphate for? That type of material was usually forged into luxurious items that only the most powerful noble families can afford.

Supposedly, dragon phosphate, if tempered well, could reverse the age of the body by over twenty years. It also strengthens a person’s lifeforce. Even a pinch of dragon’s phosphate  caused wars when it was exposed. It wasn’t something to be used half-heartedly. Then again, I suppose a legendary alchemist like this one would have his one personal stash of the stuff and where he could get it.

On the first island, notes suggested the Alchemist was working on Rune Keys, powerful artifacts capable of sealing spirits into people. Now he was working on pills with dragon phosphate. I dare not comprehend such a man’s mind for too long. After all, this was the same type of man who transferred his madness into a plant. I know not too many individuals who would do such a thing.

Curious, I opened the jar. An aroma stung my nose with such strength that my eyes watered. I placed the jar down and covered my nose. It smelled like I got blasted in the face by fried onions.

Once I got used to the smell, I placed my hand in the jar. Surprisingly, it was warm inside. I pulled out one of the pills. Once the smell of fried onions left my nose, I picked up on another stench. It was a rich, fragrant smell like a fine dish prepared by a cook. I didn’t know how pills like these could maintain such an aroma for over thousands of years. Nevertheless, here they were. They smelled amazing.

That said, Liara knew over 500,000 different types of pills. Only 50 of those pills were accessible to me now from her memories. If Liara discovered Delverhold back in my old life then there was no way she didn’t find these pills. Yet, for myself, I don’t know what they were supposed to do. They looked like Gofrien pills, which were said to allow one to walk the divine realm for twelve hours. However, these were much richer.

I turned to the notes again. They offered me nothing of worth. “Fucking old bastard! Write easier next time. How am I supposed to steal your shit if I can’t understand what it does?” I thought.

Well, now that I thought about it, that question wasn’t so hard to answer. I stored the pills in the scroll. Then, I piled all the books in as well. Fuck it. I’d figure it out later. I wasn’t just going to let this stuff go to waste.

I left the room and continued my walk through the castle. I stood in many rooms and stored many books and papers. I noticed that aside from the pills, I didn’t see anything magic-related. I must have walked through many halls for about an hour. The coolness of my breath weighed on me. I was still cold. Nothing I found would help Aesteal and I traverse this frozen domain. I actually feared that I might have to go without the rest of the treasures here. I couldn’t very well collect shit if I froze to death.

While I contemplated my predicament, the air around me suddenly changed. It became warm, very warm. It became so warm I wondered if I was even in a castle surrounded by freezing weather. When I walked back, the cold struck me again. Confused, I turned around again. I stretched out my arm. The warmth surrounded my arm while the rest of my body remained cold.

Slowly, I stepped to the other half of the hallway. The warmth enveloped me. It was like a thousand fire pits brushing my body all at once. I spotted several doors in the hallway and chose the one closest to me. Even the doorknob was warm.

I opened the door and stepped inside. Once I was inside, my eyes widened. “Hehehe…hahahahaHAHahAHAhaHAHa!” I cackled like a man drunk off his ass.

I laughed and laughed. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Finally, it started to make sense to me. The fucker didn’t build this castle to study ice magic. He built it to study the proficiencies of fire magic under its worst conditions. I shook my head. Who would think to even do this?

The room I stepped into would have been a fire mage’s paradise. It was a massive library filled with countless bookshelves of neatly organized books. The floor level held about ten more bookshelves. The upper levels held even more shelves than that. Access to them was granted by a wooden ladder. Outside a large window, I saw the storm rage outside, but inside was the warmest I felt in a long time.

I turned to my left. I noticed some type of hooded robe. It was colored like fine onyx. When I grabbed it, it was soft to the touch. It was also warm as well. I felt the swirling magical arrays littering its body. Seals of fire decorated its frame and I knew that this robe was probably one that the alchemist used during his studies here.

I dared not wait. Once I scanned it for any unnatural arrays, I ran back to where Aesteal laid. Fortunately, she was already up. She questioned where I went, but I put that aside for the moment. I quickly wrapped her with the robe. Her stunned gaze pleased me.

“It’s warm,” she said.

“Aye, that it is. Come now. This castle was more fruitful than I thought it might be,” I said. I grabbed her hand and brought her back to the Fire Library. That’s what I called it for now.

I sat Aesteal on one of the chairs near a table. “How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Better,” she replied.

“Enough to continue the journey?”

“Yes, sir! I once had to battle a Skalvarian Toothworm with a high fever. I’ll manage as I am now,” she spoke.

I wanted to believe that, but the Isles of Delverhold were not to be undertaken in a weakened state. If it became worse, I would just teleport her back to the ship once the array was created.

I took a seat next to her. “We’ll need to get a robe for you if we’re to venture back outside. Your troll howls in the distance like a Dwn Wolf. Perhaps this place has another teleportation array like the last one?” she asked.

“I be doubtin’ that, Aesteal. Haven’t felt the push and pull of magic since we first came in here. It was weird because this should’ve been the place where the Alchemist made Ỳrmïndle’s weapon. Instead, he was experimenting on powers of fire magic in the worst environment for them,” I said.

Aesteal shook her head. “Why would that need to happen? Wouldn’t better results come if it were practiced under its best environment?” she questioned.

As I looked around the room, I chuckled. “Aye, Aesteal. It might appear that way to regular people, but not to a madman. What better way to push the powers of fire against the forces which can naturally repel its ferocity? Wouldn’t that make it stronger under the forces it excels in?” I asked her.

My wonderful elf slowly nodded. “I take it you’re going to store all of these books?” she asked. The smile on her face made me smile back.

“Dare you to even ask the question, Aesteal?” I shot back.

Aesteal shook her head at me as I turned to the sources of knowledge before me. Of course, I didn’t have the time to read them all so I stored them in the scroll as well. Aye, this was going to be quite the collection when I freed myself of these lands.

“Should there be a fire spell with the might to defeat a troll?” she asked.

“It’ll be more than any fire spell to combat Ỳrmïndle. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something here that won’t increase our chances should we run into him,” I said as I opened one of the books and began reading through it.

For the next few hours, while Aesteal warmed up, I spent some time reading these ancient texts and tomes of fire. Some were beyond my understanding, but I persisted. I was rather surprised that Aesteal studied some of them on her own. Whatever she was reading must have surprised her because she kept staring at her body. The magic she’d gathered would flow into her fingertips. She’d fake firing the bow, but I could see the spirits of fire around her. When she fired, tiny huffs of flickering flames left her fingers.

While she did this, I climbed the ladder to the second story of the library. I read some more, but there was one book in particular that interested me. It had no title. When I touched its spine, it was hot. I flipped through the pages, but they were blank. In the center of the book, there laid a red crystal in a small groove.

Curious, I grabbed the crystal by its edges and held it up to my eyes. It was a beautiful crystal. It was the type of crystal that adorned a king’s scepter to compensate for his tiny cock.

Even without Liara’s memories, I know this to be a Dragon Scale Crystal. It’s nothing too extravagant. Eating one is said to strengthen fire magic. They can be bought and sold for about 5,000 silvers. Given that this was a place to study fire magic, I can’t say I’m surprised to see it here.

I placed it in my pocket and sealed up the book. I then cleaned out all of the books in the library of the second floor. In this room, I saw nothing else worth taking so I returned to Aesteal. She smiled at me and stood to her feet.

“No other robe?” she asked.

“Unfortunately not. Let’s get…,”

I stopped. No, I missed something. This room was important. Very important. Why would the alchemist practice fire magic here if all that was here was books and notes?

I stared down at the wooden floor. It creaked strangely. I grabbed my cutlass and slashed the wood. I then tore up the floor beneath my feet. All that was left for me was a floor of stone. My mouth thinned in frustration. Something was wrong. I could feel it. Even if Liara’s experiences didn’t tell me, I would have known it for myself.

I ripped up more boards. I actually decided to store those as well. The wood would sell for a good price. Petty I know, but I’m a pirate. There shall never be enough coin.

As I tore apart the floor, I was finally rewarded with some dried lines of blood. I followed the lines, tearing up the floor as I did so. My journey led me to a grand seal in the middle of the floor. Much like the one back in the tower on the first island, it was crafted in dried blood. At its center laid an open groove… like that of a crystal.

“What is this?” Aesteal asked.

Being me, I smirked. “Let’s find out,” I said.

I took the red crystal out of my pocket. As I thought, it fit. Actually, for a minor crystal like this, it fit too perfectly.

Once the crystal was in, Aesteal and I didn’t even have time to think, breathe, or blink. One second we were in the alchemist’s fire library and the next we were someplace else. We stood in front of a large door. It looked like it hadn’t been touched for centuries. We could no longer hear the sounds of the cold outside, if we were even in that domain anymore.

“Great power lies beyond this door,” Aesteal said.

I nodded. “Aye. I feel it too. Rather surprised there’re no traps here,” I responded.

“I dare not take the chance though,” she replied as she grabbed her bow.

Seas, I adored this elf.

I pushed open the doors. Their rusty frames broke off their hinges and crashed to the ground. We then watched them slide down a flight of stairs into the darkness. A shuddering clang and crash they made before they finally reached the bottom.

“Sir, did all your adventures in your other life lead you into dark, suspicious, foreboding places?” Aesteal asked.

Despite the danger, I chuckled. “Come on, Aesteal, didn’t your secret order make you spy on places like this?” I asked as I began to descend the steps.

I heard nothing behind me but her steps. The smile on my face widened.

Our descent of the steps wasn’t very long. I noticed I was no longer cold. Granted, I wasn’t exactly warm either. Since it was dark, I tripped over a few steps sometimes. The desire to save my mana constantly weighed on me. I had done what I could over the voyage to increase my mana capacity. Unfortunately, it’d be many years before I had the reserves that Liara had. I dare say her own have increased during our stay here. Not even I knew how powerful she’d become when we left.

Aesteal and I made it to the bottom of the steps. As soon as I touched the bottom, fire sticks on the wall flared. Though a tad unnerved, I had no reason to be. That type of thing was a convenience that many mages employed. When you leave, they turn off. When you enter, they turn on. I knew many poor fuckers on Draegnar who could use that type of spell.

Aesteal and I were brought to another alchemist laboratory. I wanted to grumble. Just how many did the fucker have that I didn’t know about?

We stepped inside. This study wasn’t as spectacular as the others. There were only one or two bookcases filled with only a handful of books. The rest of the space was filled with potions and vials of ingredients that would take an entire day to explain. Some were common ingredients like herb grass. Others were rare like faded rune stones. Some were legendary like infernal diamonds and blood ruby tears. These items that no sane man would think to bring together were all in one spot.

On the side of a wall laid a massive sheet of paper detailing a demonic seal. When I stared at it, I recognized it. I figured it was demonic because the text, though ancient, was backwards. For some reason, demons enjoy writing backwards. Liara’s mind told me it was to get mortal to read the texts they ‘randomly’ drop. When properly read, the demon was conjured.

I shall not endeavor to read it. Instead, I picked out a few choice words from it. Words like bones, blood, sacrifice, and atonement were listed there. There were a few smaller papers overlapping it with the alchemist’s notes. I didn’t read them and I advised Aesteal to do the same. I didn’t think she even needed to be told. She avoided that piece of paper like it was her worst enemy. She might have even tried to burn it if I let her.

On a far off table, I saw a sword. It’s body is blue with a shade of white. It looked like it had been forged with divine ice. Even the handle looked forged in cloth, steel, and cold. It was like the very icy domain of Ỳrmïndle breathed over it. Its sheath laid next to it. So was there a notebook on the table. I opened it.

“Confounded blade spirits! Dare they mock me forevermore? Shall I forever be granted sight of this disgrace before me? To find harmony between the passion of fire and the resolve of ice might be too mighty for any mortal! ‘Tis quite the conundrum. Shall I mark this to be a failure as well? Tch! So many wasted efforts! Dare I return to the kingdom and they mock me for mine craftsmanship? Perhaps I shall endeavor upon another matter. Clearly, the potential of the blade is limited only by its creator. Once again the laws set by gods and the divine withhold the knowledge set upon me. What year is it? What was I doing? Bah, why bother with a blade? I shall not wield it. 345 A.D.W, month of Cyr, another failure. What was I doing again?”

There were more notes, but I didn’t bother reading. Instead, I looked at the blade placed on its shoddy pedestal. Stupidly, even I will admit, I grabbed its hilt.

Intense cold rushed through my body. For a second, I thought I might have frozen to death. The cool wind chilled my hair. It was different from water, but it felt rather pleasant all the same. The crashing waves of the sea frozen like the upper lands of Fgg’rial stood before me.

I stood atop a mountain of ice. I stared down at the frozen tundra that laid before me. When I had my powers, I had dreams of drowning, swimming in the depths of my kingdom. Now, that water was cold, so cold it hurt. Yet, it felt good. The cool breeze wrapped around me like a warm coat. Aye, that didn’t make much sense even to me, but it’s what I’ll go with.

There was a lingering fire within all of this cold. It protected me from being frozen to my very bones. It sustained me. Like a dying fire, it raged against the cold. It kept my veins from turning to frozen sticks. Perhaps that fire was the thing which kept me alive against all this cold.

I picked up the sword and placed it in its sheath. Even with the sheath, I wasn’t saved from this bizarre feeling of hot and cold magic. They were not perfectly unified. In fact, I somehow felt they were battling each other trying to overtake me. Yet, they strangely worked together to not overwhelm me. Of course, the ice was much more powerful, but the warm beat of the fire wasn’t lost.

Between my cutlass and the rapier I’d just picked up, my waist wasn’t so accommodating. I was going to get rid of the cutlass, or at least sell it for scrap metal. Imagine my surprise when I looked down and saw the frozen remains of my cutlass on the ground. It’d been shattered into too many pieces to count.

I stared back at the rapier on my waist. Clearly, the Alchemist wasn’t one for a lack of ideas.

Aesteal stared at me curiously. I shrugged my shoulders at her and then proceeded to take everything from the lab. Yes, even the demon seal on the paper. I figured Liara might be intrigued by it.

As I wrapped up our findings, the building suddenly shook.

“Sir, I think we have a problem,” Aesteal said with a shudder.

I turned my eyes to a glass cup I missed. The building shook again. This time it was even stronger. The cup rolled off the side of the table and broke into many shards on the hard floor.

Another shake disturbed the room. It was methodic, rhythmic, and precise. It wasn’t random. It sounded like a thunderburst and trembled the ground like an earthquake. I quickly realized it as the sound… of footsteps.

Very, very, very large footsteps.

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUURRRRRR!”

“Aye, Aesteal. We be fit to endure a rather small problem,” I said as the voice of Ỳrmïndle reached our ears.

Well, that certainly told me whether we were still in the castle or not.

I grabbed Aesteal and made a run for the stairs. The castle walls cracked and rumbled. Stone tore to pieces. I covered Aesteal’s body with my own as rocks fell on top of us. Once the shaking stopped, we continued running. I gasped as a spear of ice jutted from the side of the wall. It struck the side of my face. The steps beneath our feet threatened to give way as more shards pierced through any corner of the castle they could find.

Dammit Ỳrmïndle, you really could be a fuckin prick when you had to be. How I’d love to turn your giant ass into a fur rug that could line my whole house 50 times over!

We arrived back to the spot we’d been teleported to. A pillar of ice blasted up from below and speared through the castle walls. I didn’t know what was happening, but clearly, Ỳrmïndle discovered us somehow. It could have been the rapier I picked up, but I had no idea why.

I didn’t have time to plot a course. I just told Aesteal which direction we would go with my head. She agreed and we ran down a corridor. Thankfully, there were no other rooms down here. My natural greediness as a pirate might have intervened. Aye, what can you do?

We ran and ran. The building got more and more unstable as we journeyed. Between the falling stones and crushed ice magic, it didn’t take long before Aesteal and I found our path blocked. I released a Draegnarian curse. A tremor roared behind us. We turned and noticed our other route had been blocked.

Aesteal acted quickly. I watched her grab her bow, but she had no arrows.

“Qwerin bowae flaeren eraen. Hueraen!” Aesteal proclaimed proudly.

The tips of her fingers were coated with fire magic. An arrow formed in her bow of pure fire and wind. She pulled back the string and released it. The flaming arrow crashed into the debris and blew it away with surprising force. Our path was clear.

I stared at her bow. “Were ya always capable of that?” I asked.

“No, Sir. It is the bow. It creates an arrow of any element I wish should I have the mana for it,” Aesteal explained.

I hummed. I recalled that bow being the one Aesteal retrieved from the Sea of Greed. There weren’t too many bows like it that I could remember. Then again, it was the Sea of Greed. Not even I could count how many wonderful treasures were down there.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t awe my elf anymore. We kept running. We found a flight of stairs. Relieved, we made our way upwards. The castle was coming down on top of us.

Fortunately, we found a window that led out into the cold. Aesteal looked at me with concern, but I didn’t hesitate. I took my rapier and slashed the window. The glass broke effortlessly and the feel of cold air brushed against my face. Nevertheless, I jumped out the window and she followed me.

The winds were fast and cold enough on their own. As we fell into the snow, they seemed so much faster and colder.

“ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHH!”

Ỳrmindle’s voice ruptured in my ears as the frost covered our bodies. I turned my head and I gasped. The entire castle had been destroyed by shards and pillars of gigantic ice. Towering over it, Ỳrmïndle stood. His giant club, Ňiriën, laid in his right hand. His red eyes turned from the castle to us. How I wonder what we must have looked like in his eyes.

As I stood to my feet, the knowledge that soon some of my worst fears would be upon us, I paused. The harsh winds blew against my face while snow and ice stuck to me. Yet, I wasn’t cold. Well it was difficult to explain. I was cold, but I also wasn’t. I was aware of the freezing temperatures, but they didn’t hinder me. They flowed through my body, touching every corner of me, but not condemning me to an icy fate. Though I wouldn’t be very warm, I knew I didn’t have to fear for my life from the elements.

Though I say that, I would have preferred the elements to Ỳrmïndle. I didn’t think about the hows or the whys. I just grabbed Aesteal and we ran for our lives. Aesteal released an arrow of fire at the giant troll-like beast, but it froze before it even got halfway to him.

“Don’t ya bother with offensive spells, Aesteal! This be his domain! ‘Twould take a strong fire spell to resist the cold here,” I told her as we ran.

“GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAUUUUUUR!” Ỳrmïndle roared before the earth shook like it was struck by the weight of a million cannons. A hail of ice shards ruptured from the ground behind us. Like a trail of frozen devastation, the shards crashed towards us.

I grabbed her arm. “Sæń,” I chanted.

My feet touched the snow. The spell I chanted blasted us away from Ỳrmïndle and his club, The wind rushed in our faces. Aesteal’s cape from the fallen castle flapped in my ears. She quickly got the idea and added her own spell. I let go of her arm and we ran together.

Ỳrmïndle’s footsteps thundered behind us. As if to personify his anger, the cold winter storms blew stronger than before. So strong were they that they pushed us back. A booming crash was heard behind us. We turned around and what I can only describe as a tsunami of pure snow threatened to overwhelm us. Its size was so massive that I need not fear its cold touch. Its weight would crush us long before any cold set in.

As it appeared over us, I thought of every curse in my head. We entered the forests and I touched the ground. “Dŋœ,” I chanted.

A magic array of brown light appeared on the ground. A slab of earth about half the size of the castle sprouted from the ground. The snow crashed against the wall. I knew it wouldn’t hold, but it would have to do. We jumped to the trees. While I wasn’t as adept at jumping on branches like Aesteal was, I’ve done it before. The snow wave bashed into the trees behind us. They were ripped from the ground like grass in the wind.

We kept jumping, but as the natural debris slammed into each we ran out of places to jump. As we fell back into the snow, our legs were instantly frozen by ice magic. Ỳrmïndle, you were beginning to piss me off just a tad.

I pulled out my rapier. I then stabbed it into the block of ice covering my legs. Ỳrmïndle roared in our faces as the harsh winds flowed around us. Though I desired not to, I was prepared to make another random teleport. I didn’t desire it, but I began to think I wouldn’t have much of a choice.

While I contemplated this thought, I bore witness to something amazing. The ice slowly detached from my body. Aesteal watched in awe as my rapier sealed up the frozen magic that kept us bound. I looked at my blade. Harsh cold energy swirled around it like a fraction of the storm that raged around us. It pulsed with so much cold, but that cold did not threaten me. It worked with me, fused with my body, and energized my mana veins.

“GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRR!”

I heard Ỳrmïndle roar. Aesteal and I looked up. His mighty club was about to crash on top of us. Death would be waiting for us if I didn’t move. I thought myself mad when I grabbed my rapier and prepared to counter him. The cold steel of my rapier clashed with his club.

Between Ỳrmïndle and I, powerful, ancient ice magic exploded from our bodies. Our weapons thundered as the skies grew grey. The winds picked up and snow-covered lands cracked beneath our feet. I heard Aesteal groan as her cape flapped in the unyielding winds. The air was so strong it pushed her back from us. Her arms covered her face as hundreds of ice shards blasted from the ground.

Ỳrmïndle screamed at me, his breath rancid. Yet, I was strangely unperturbed. His deafening wails only served to let me know of his frustrations. Most likely the behemoth hadn’t expected to deal with someone like me.

That said, Ỳrmïndle still had greater strength than me. He swung his club. I was effortlessly lifted off the ground and flew through the air. I didn’t land very far as my boots skidded in the snow. I stared at my rapier. Truly, that alchemist was a crazy son of a bitch.

“Aesteal, move!” I commanded.

She turned to look at me as I stabbed my blade into the cold ground. She quickly ran to me while Ỳrmïndle bellowed. As he roared, I thought of something impossible. I could fight him. I could combat him. Perhaps not now, but soon... I could beat him!

I ripped my rapier out of the ground. The magic in my blade sucked away my mana. The snow I blasted from the ground formed a massive dragon of white frost. Its quaking roar gave Aesteal awe. Its head crashed into Ỳrmïndle. Like the big ape he was, he roared back at it. He punched his chest and grabbed the dragon by its throat.

“By the Great Spirits! What’s happening?” Aesteal asked.

“For the first time in his life, Ỳrmïndle’s throne is being challenged. The fucker probably can’t even comprehend it. He’s always been number one. He’s the ‘god’ of these lands beneath these parts of the cave. Wouldn’t you be upset if the kingdom you ruled your whole life was threatened by upstarts who only came here yesterday?” I asked.

Aesteal slowly nodded before we heard another thunderous crash. Ỳrmïndle’s club struck the dragon and it flew into the air. It then exploded in a wave of snow and ice. They formed thousands of frozen needles. Like rain, they began falling upon us.

My wonderful elf grabbed her bow while I clenched my rapier. Liara’s knowledge of ice magic fueled my blade. I swung my sword in circles.

“Friejae!” I chanted.

A dome of snow pulled itself up and covered us. The hail of cold needles crashed against it. However, the defensive magic barrier held strong.

Once the hail stopped, I pulled down the dome. We widened our eyes when we saw Ỳrmïndle’s club overhead. The white magics of frost covered my rapier and I challenged him again.

My blade, his club, both crashed into each other as thunder rolled across the open fields. I don’t know how a rapier this small could aid me in matching Ỳrmïndle’s divine strength, but I wasn’t gonna complain.

“Sauqron awsaemel flaeryis uren! Rama’raie!” Aesteal casted.

I briefly turned my attention to her as she drew back her bow. A mass of lightning formed at her fingertips. She pulled the lightning arrow back and then fired it. I watched the lightning sail through the air. It grew bigger and bigger as the bolts in the clouds struck it. It looked positively divine as it struck Ỳrmïndle’s red eye. The troll roared in pain and swung his club in a great frenzy. He bashed the ground, trees, mountains, and hills. Explosive ice shards brought untold destruction to wherever he swung. He truly was a natural disaster given blood and fur.

That said, Aesteal and I mounted our offense. With great speed-cast magic, she showed me the great feats of a Fgg’rial elven warrior. When Ỳrmïndle slammed his club down. She quickly jumped in it. Her movements were swift as she readied another elemental arrow.

Not one to let my Bonded take all the glory. I backed her up.

“Horiqae!” I hollered.

My mana drained again. I panted. Such spells were not very easy on the body. A myriad of ice arrays appeared in the air. From them was released a mighty hail of ice shards as large as a low mountain. They crashed into Ỳrmïndle’s body.

“ARRRRRRRRRRROOOOOGUGGUGUGUUUUUU!” He wailed.

He rolled his arm back. With it, his club as well. Aesteal shifted and tried to steady her balance, but I could see the fucker wasn’t making it easy on her. I feared for her and quickly stabbed the ground again.

“Aojiken: Clamiarita!”

I chanted another spell. This time the snow and ice launched into the air. As strong as Dwarven steel, they formed chains. Five of them wrapped around Ỳrmïndle’s arms. One wrapped around his neck. The chains pulled him down, but even I had to admit that I knew not many who could resist them like he did. Not even the Ice Chains of Sckrthir couldn’t stop him.

I heard an explosion. I looked up and saw Aesteal fire arrow after arrow. Lightning, wind, earth, she fired all three of them in rapid succession. I doubt those arrows did too much, but she could at least boast that she’d taken the eye of Ỳrmïndle of Delverhold. Truly, whatever elvish sect she’d been a part of, she deserved her rank as its strongest warrior.

“Dramaen!” Aesteal called as she fired an earth arrow. It cracked on the frozen beast’s face.

Suddenly Ỳrmïndle growled. He slammed his club on the floor. A whirling tornado of snow and frost appeared instantly. It’s winds were so great, Aesteal was pulled away from the troll and flew through the air. I quickly moved. I stabbed my rapier into the ground and slapped my hands together.

“Aojiken: Creanniama!” I chanted.

A rope of snow grabbed Aesteal by her legs and slowly pulled her down next to me. I wish I had the time to welcome her. As soon as she landed, I felt my world explode in a rapture of unending cold as Ỳrmïndle’s club bashed into my body. Thankfully, my rapier absorbed the magical properties of Ỳrmïndle’s blow. My clothes were also covered in runes meant for absorbing harsh blows. While his strike hurt like a bitch, it wouldn’t kill me!

It did, however, send me flying. I heard Aesteal scream my name as I crashed through a tree. Even with the runes sewn into my clothes dampening the blow, it still caused me great pain. I crashed through the cold snow. Stones scraped my skin before I rolled myself to a stop. I growled.

“Aesteal, look out!” I warned.

She turned around and saw Ỳrmïndle’s working eye bearing down upon her. She held up her bow and pulled back the string.

“Furia: Phoen’kila Washvera!” She cried as I saw a fire arrow form between her fingers. Was my elf going mad? I already told her that simple fire spells wouldn’t work against in the freezing cold against Ỳrmïndle.

She released the arrow. Suddenly, my worries were all put to rest. The fire grew bigger and bigger before it formed wings and two tails. It screeched like a great phoenix. Sure it was buffeted by the cold, but its majestic flames couldn’t be easily doused. I then felt Aesteal’s aura. I saw her wobble. How much mana had she poured into that arrow?

Unfortunately, fear rushed through my body when I saw Ỳrmïndle open his mouth. The ice, snow, and freezing winds quickly joined together there. Ferocious ice magic flourished through his body. I knew what was coming for I laid eyes on it before. If Aesteal was hit by what would come next, then nothing would save her from the hell she would experience.

Acting quickly, I grabbed my rapier.

“Sæǹ,” I chanted.

I blasted off with such speed that I heard the ground tremble behind me. As Ỳrmïndle towered over my wonderful Bonded, he released a blast of pure, ancient ice magic. The phoenix arrow continued to sore, but what good does a mortal spell have against a beast like this?

The arrow clashed with the fire phoenix. The bird was effortlessly torn in two. My Fgg’rial elf widened her eyes in fear. No Ỳrmïndle, not even Zeus dares take what’s mine from me without my permission! An overgrown carpet such as you was no different!

I stood in front of Aesteal. I didn’t think about my next course of action. I just acted. I pulled my rapier against my chest and the cold blast of dark blue ice magic collided with my blade. I gasped as the rapier transferred the mana from Ỳrmïndle’s blast into my own body. It refilled my spent stores of mana. No, it did more than that. It almost overwhelmed me. It gave me so much I thought I might freeze from the inside out. It was so cold and so overpowering that I thought my hair turned into frozen icicles.

I placed both hands on my rapier. Though my blade absorbed the magic within the blast, the force pushed Aesteal and I back.. So strong was it that I actually had to use a wind spell just to keep us from flying into the snow mountains behind us.

I tilted my sword and the blast curved into the distance. The ground shook with more force than I’d ever felt in both my lives. Then a pillar of snow and ice towered into the sky and parted the clouds. The lightning wrapped around in such a wondrous display of destructive beauty that I wondered who could survive such a blast of magic with this blade in my hand.

“Sir, your hands!” Aesteal said.

I looked down at my fingers. They’d been frozen by the onslaught of magic I endured. Unfortunately, we couldn’t rest. Ỳrmïndle held up his club. In a circular motion, he began swirling it around. Wind, snow, and ice moved to his command like he was the child of Zeus himself. Thunder struck the ground around us while I panted and chuckled.

“So powerful,” I thought. How I would have loved to battle Ỳrmïndle with my powers over the sea.  Perhaps that day might come upon us, but it definitely wasn’t now.

I inhaled and exhaled. “Aesteal, you should move back,” I said.

“If I am to be buried in ice and snow, then it shall be by your side, Sir!” she said, her fingers coiling around her bow.

Though I knew that was empty bravado, it strangely made me happy. Now I remember when I first met her back in the prison cells of the Lindengar Estate. She and Maeloson, both had guts for elves.

“RAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!” Ỳrmïndle roared at the top of his lungs. His club was lit with numerous blue runes. The swirling mass of wind and ice he formed covered his club. I chuckled nervously. The fucker was gonna literally drop a freezing storm on top of us.

I looked back at her. She smiled. Seas, when did that smile start to calm me so well?

I turned back. I help up my rapier. “Fq’alrun! Edgavurim! Cloashirium! Fal’unrun: Osquria!” I chanted as the mana drained from my body almost instantly. So heavy was the cost of this spell that had it not been for Aesteal, I might have dropped to my knees and passed out.

The rapier from the alchemist’s castle glowed in an ethereal blue light. Ỳrmïndle’s club clashed with my rapier. The next thing I knew, my ears rocked as an explosion of cold devastated our frozen battlefield. I heard Ỳrmïndle’s roars, but everything was so loud and bright that I couldn’t focus on it. I remembered pain as Aesteal and I hugged each other. I could only briefly open my eyes to see that the explosion between Ỳrmïndle and I had launched us quite a ways from the battlefield. I could still see his towering form, but the giant laid in the far distance.

My body hurt everywhere. I actually think I broke my shoulder. I held Aesteal in my non-broken arm. My mana had been thoroughly exhausted once again. Fuck it. If I get out of this, it’s mana training for the next few fucking weeks!

As we laid in the snow, Aesteal caressed my arms. “Your cold, Sir,” she said.

My eyes focused and I stiffened when I saw the blood running down the side of her head. I breathed cold air from my lips. “Really? Cause you’re quite warm,” I said.

My bonded elf laughed. We laid in silence for a moment before we heard rumbling footsteps. “He’s coming,” she said. I slowly nodded as I moved a piece of her silver hair away.

“Aye. He’s a tough bitch,” I said.

Aesteal rubbed her head on my neck. She then looked into my eyes. We shared a kiss as the footsteps grew louder. Honestly, couldn’t even get one damn second of privacy. Perhaps now, I might understand that I have become enraptured with this elf. A word like Trust was too simple to use for how I felt right now.

Ỳrmïndle held his club over us. He then swung it down mercilessly. Aesteal closed her eyes. Aye, to meet Death a second time. Only now, I meet it with a calm smile. I slowly closed my eyes. When I did I thought it was the cold, but I was sure I felt a hand on top of my head. It ruffled my hair and then it was gone.

“Eric! Eric! Don’t you dare die on me you son of a bitch!”

Death never could be peaceful, could it?

I slowly opened my eyes. I was no longer cold. In fact, snow felt rather… hard. When my eyes opened, I noticed the white snow had turned brown. It also turned into wood. It had a small table near the bed with clean sheets and a desk filled with drawers. It also had my sexy, slutty mother and fiery quartermaster.

My eyes shot open. I quickly recognized where I was. This was my room. I was back aboard my ship with Aesteal in my arms. My mother, Ellen, and a few others looked over us. I was at a complete loss for words.

I turned my gaze towards Aesteal. Her forehead was bleeding badly. Her robe was covered in snow and shards of ice. The same was no different from my attire. It didn’t take long for her to open her eyes as well. Though I’m sure I held the same bewilderment on my face, I couldn’t not chuckle at her expression.

I slowly leaned up. My body didn’t agree with my decision to do so. It was filled with intense pain. My body burned like I was being set on fire. I wondered if this was the cause of me using so many spells in rapid succession. To expend and renew mana in such ways, especially with no prior practice, was to invite great strain on the body.

I groaned. “You lot gonna stare or are we gonna get some help?” I asked.

My mother moved first. She helped me stand to my feet while Ellen helped Aesteal. I asked my mother to take me to my chair. During the short trip, I struggled to stay conscious. “Eric, what the fuck happened to you?” she asked me.

I chuckled. “Nearly got eaten alive by demonic worms, met a firebird demon, and nearly froze to death in cold tundra. Almost died to a giant fur rug with a club too,” I said with a pained laugh.

Ellen snorted. “What god did you piss off to make you so unlucky?” she asked.

“Probably all of them,” I croaked out as my mother slowly set me in my chair.

Relieved, I used my good arm to open one of my drawers. It was filled with mana potions. I took one and felt my mana fill up again. So strained were the veins, they burned inside me. Yet, I took the pain.

Once my mana was restored, I turned. “Ellen, put Aesteal on my bed,” I said.

Surprisingly, my Quartermaster did so without complaint. With her help, Aesteal limped to the bed. She then laid on it. My breath was heavy. I could already feel myself slipping.

“Mother, grab my arm. Hold it tight!” I exclaimed.

She grabbed my arm. I was a little surprised at her strength. She definitely felt stronger over the few days I hadn’t seen her. I turned to the wall and sucked in my breath.

“FUCK!” I growled as I slammed my dislocated shoulder into the wall as hard as I could. My shoulder snapped back into place. I then touched it with my other hand.

“Rhae,” I chanted.

Once again, my mana veins burned, but the pain in my shoulder grew dim. Green healing magic restored me and fixed me up. I then stumbled my way to my bed. I touched Aesteal’s forehead and cast the same spell. Her wounds cleared up and she sighed in relief. Unfortunately, the last thing I heard was the sounds of my mother as I lost consciousness.

The next time I woke up, I heard the calm sounds of the sea. I was in my bed alone. The sounds of men working outside my door pierced through my room. I leaned up. My body no longer felt sore, but it didn’t exactly feel comfortable either.

I forced myself out of my bed. I walked to the door and pushed it open. The rising sun hit my face and the smell of saltwater stung my nose. It felt like such a long time since I’d been back on my own ship.

“Captain!” someone hollered over the sea air.

Everyone stopped working. They looked at me while I scratched my hair. I walked further on the deck of my ship. “Alright! I ain’t dead! Go back to what you were doing!” I said.

I got a few pats on my back for my troubles. I also noticed a few of the men and women exchange coin between themselves. Clearly, my demise was made into a game of sorts.

I sucked my teeth. I should have gotten in on that. Anyway, I noticed Ellen jotting something down on a notepad. I walked over to her. She looked at me. “Welcome back to the land of mortals and men, you shitsta… mmmmmmppPPPH!”

I cut Ellen off when I kissed her. I missed her lips. They tasted just as rough and wild as I remembered and liked. She squirmed for a moment, but I couldn’t mistake the way her tongue caressed mine. Her hot breath against mine, her hands rubbed my arms. I heard the crew give their compliments to us.

We slowly parted and I smirked. “Have your nights been filled with dreams of me?” I asked.

She growled, a blush on her face. “Aye, only nightmares, Sir!” she replied as she turned her head away.

I smiled at her. I pulled her chin up with my thumb and kissed her again. I would never tire of this developed intimacy we had. Clearly, the voyage had made Ellen less spiteful towards me. Aye, she still had a fierce tongue, but I hoped she’d never lose that. It was one of the things which made her all the more desirable to me.

Oh, did someone just lick my lips? Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

Ellen and I parted with a wet smack of our lips. I brushed a piece of her blonde hair from her shoulder. “Why the hell do you do that?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I enjoy your hair. Reminds me of a sea of gold,” I replied.

Once I was satisfied with embarrassing my stubborn Quartermaster, I looked around. “Where are my mother and Aesteal? I have something to discuss with you three,” I said.

Ellen snorted. “Probably below deck sleeping. Your mother checked on you almost every hour for three days. I actually had to make a fuckin’ schedule for checking up on you just so she wouldn’t break her damn legs walking up the steps. As for the elf, she’s still sleeping,” she replied.

The revelation that I’d been asleep for three days surprised me. When I thought about it, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. The strain on me from that battle with Ỳrmïndle still lingered. Then I had to heal myself and Aesteal. I should have counted my blessings that the mana veins didn’t rupture. Hell, if that happened then I wouldn’t be using any of those spells of Liara again.

I was a bit worried for Aesteal. How could she sleep for three days and not wake up once? I briefly searched out her aura. It didn’t take long for me to find it. It also didn’t take long for it to mix with my own. It seemed she was fine.

I breathed then looked out over my ship. I stared at the second island. It was actually as my mother described. Even more than that, it was exactly like the second island in my memories. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite so simple a matter to dock on its shores. The reason for that laid beneath the waters. I don’t think my mother and Ellen realized just how lucky they’d been.

I pushed away from the railing and walked down to the lower decks. I peered into my mother’s room. She slept peacefully. I decided not to disturb her. I kissed her forehead and then left.

With my mother and Aesteal asleep, I decided to head to the lower areas. It didn’t take me long to meet up with Alteria. As always, she sat beside the treasure room, a book in her hands. I noticed three bodies laid on the floor in front of her, each of them out of breath. I also noticed some dented cutlasses in their hands. I quickly remembered it was the three I punished from the first island. Clearly, Lady Knight trained them well. Either that, or she just liked to torment them.

The Balamar knight glanced at me from her book. “You have a knack for making people think you’re dead. That’s the second time,” she replied.

I shrugged. “Glad you were keeping count. Anyway, I need you so come with me,” I said.

I think Alteria was about to make some kind of remark. She didn’t follow through with it when she saw my face. Instead, she closed her book and stood to her feet. I then asked for her to follow me.

We walked together. I took us down another flight of steps until we came to the very bottom of the ship. I opened one of the rooms and noticed Nz’ia on the floor. His spear laid in front of him and he sat on his knees with his eyes closed. His animal-like ears twitched so I assume he heard me come in. His fur tail moved back and forth.

“Oh! If it ain’t our dear Captain! Survived the Realm of Hades, did ya?” came a voice I was expecting, yet loathed nonetheless.

I looked up and on one of the bunkbeds laid Astell. If there was any joy for me in seeing him, then it was that he looked quite nervous knowing I was alive. Aye, Boreli must have hoped to all the gods on the divine plane that I’d been left to suffer in Haganthar. I was awarded that hope being crushed.

“What’s with him?” I asked, pointing to Nz’ia.

Astell shrugged. “Dunno. He spoke some gibberish or whatever language his kind speaks. Guy’s been sitting like that for the past five hours,” he told me.

I stared back at the Xhaluter. “Fine. Tell him to come to me when he’s done… whatever he’s doing,” I said.

Boreli smiled. “Aye, aye Captain!” He replied with more exuberance than I liked.

I turned around. I tried to mask the scowl on my face, but Alteria must have seen it. An observant woman like her wouldn’t dare miss such a thing. Even now, those words caused me to remember the time of my betrayal at the hands of my ship. With my powers gone, I remembered every blow Boreli laid on my body. Each strike was a reminder. It reminded me that no matter how far you might go to claim the world, there will always be someone who looked to take it from you. Whether near or far, if you can’t hold your place in this world, then you can only establish the places of others.

I walked away and Lady Knight continued behind me. She kept silent as we made it above deck. I called for Ellen and the three of us entered my quarters. I pulled up a few chairs for them to sit. I placed a bottle of whiskey on the table. Quite the thing I found in C’ula.

“This isn’t going to be a great talk, is it?” Ellen asked.

Had it been any other situation, I might have laughed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for now. “Depends on what ya mean by ‘great’,” I replied as I poured them their cups. I then poured my own.

Sothshore grumbled before she picked up the cup and drank it. Alteria messed with her own cup. She made it rotate on its circular bottom with her finger. “So what’s the problem?” she asked.

I tapped my finger on the table for a moment. The Balamar knight might not know it, but that question was more loaded than five cannons set to fire. Such a simple, yet oddly complex question it was.

“Before that, tell me what happened on the first island. My mother told me it sank. How did it happen?” I questioned.

The two ladies looked at each other. Ellen leaned forward. “A lot of hell happened to it. I took some of the crew with me to tear down the trees. I already know plenty of buyers that would pay for the stuff. While we were working, the island shook like it was bombarded by cannons. I saw a pillar of stone erupt from the ground. It was a large thing, longer than any tree, and wider than any hill. Inscribed on it was some ancient shit I couldn’t translate. The text began to light up and the stone fired a blast of magic out into the sea,” she said.

Alteria took over. “While the men worked the ground, the water quickly started to rise. Lightning and thunder rolled across the sky. The clouds parted and a pillar of light magic, the likes of which not even I’ve seen, crashed into the stone pillar. I ordered everyone back to the ship. Your mother and Ellen came running with their respective teams. Dare you not underestimate how much your mother cares for you, Drakclaw. She actually tried to go back for you as the water rose past the beach and overtook the trees,” Lady Knight told me.

I smiled, happy that my mother might risk her life just for my benefit. Perhaps this was the life I understood how much she loved me. I knew I didn’t feel such love in my past life, but I felt it in droves now.

“Depressed she was too. Wouldn’t even eat or drink anything. Everyone waited for your return, thinking you might burst out of the water like the ‘Son of Poseidon’ that you are. Since few of us became aware of your…problem, we feared the worst. When you didn’t return, I took command. The waves were strong, but we managed to sail and count our treasures. After a day, your mother and I worked together. The waves carried us to the second island. We were about to dock until your mother spoke of you. We thought her insane from sorrow, but she started spouting magic shit I knew only you or that Witch would know. Now we’re here,” Ellen finished.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and drank from my cup. “Did you get a good look at the text on the stone?” I asked.

“Can’t say we did. The matter of self-preservation was pretty strong,” my Quartermaster replied. When I looked at her, she squirmed. Clearly, someone had gotten feistier while I was gone. I would have to correct that later.

I leaned back in my chair. I thought about what they said. Like I thought, the islands changed from my previous life, and not in ways that I thought. I already knew I was partially to blame for them. Not only were the actions I’d taken different from my previous life, I also tampered with the islands more than before. We bypassed the route I was going to take. By Liara activating the seal back in the tower, the nature of the islands must have shifted.

If Maeloson, Goron, Diane, those two lackeys I gave her, or Liara, herself, were on that last island, that was a problem. Now that the first island sank, it wouldn’t be long before the water rose on the second. That also led into the next issue.

This island’s guardian.

I remember her well. An’raie, the Lonely Wail.

I cleared my thoughts and leaned forward. “Alright, here’s where we be standing right now. Aesteal and I were, I assume, on the third island. Liara, Diane, Goron, and the two I lent the Witch. There were fought demonic worms and a beast named Ỳrmïndle, the Frost Troll of Delverhold. He wields a legendary frozen club. We fought him and let me tell ya, even now, I don’t know how we survived. Shoulder still fucking hurts like hell, but that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that we’re going to have to conquer the islands fast. That also means dealing with their guardians,” I spoke.

Ellen groaned to herself. She drank her cup in a hurry before she poured another. I didn’t blame her. “Have no worries. We’re still going to collect treasure, but our pace can’t be as slow as I had planned earlier,” I then warned.

“How long can we spend on the second island?” Ellen asked.

“Shot in the dark, I’d say two to three days. It would have been a day longer, but I needed you to stop before we reached this island’s guardian. Plus, Aesteal and I were unconscious for three more days. She isn’t on the island like Th’am was. She lays beneath the tide of the sandy shores. A swimming maiden filled with great sorrow, rage, and unease lurks below. Should we not be prepared, she’ll take all the men and women on this ship for her own. She is An’raie, the Lonely Wail,” I spoke.

The room became rather tense as Ellen and Alteria stared at me. “What must we do?” Lady Knight asked.

“Fortunately, the ship stopped before the island. An’raie will know when we pass through its magic barrier. That actually grants us some time to prepare. Unlike Th’am, An’raie wasn’t formed from the Alchemist channeling his loneliness into an inanimate object. An’raie was…,”

I stopped when there came a knock on my door. I got up and opened it. The tall, muscular figure of Nz’ia stood before him. His eyes stared down at me with that warrior’s gaze I’ve come to know. I ushered him inside. Instead of a seat, he leaned against the wall. I quickly brought him up to speed on where we stood and the story I was about to tell.

“An’raie was a spirit, a ghost woman to be precise that the Alchemist met. He ran into a problem. The fucker felt pretty damn lonely. No woman or man was there to warm his bed. Aye, he tried to make a companion for himself. All his attempts ended in failure. However, his studies brought him into the realm of necromancy. He summoned a nameless ghost woman. She was beautiful. He bound her warped soul to his. Surprisingly, she wasn’t against it. In fact, she welcomed it. Aye, the lass was a witch also in the study of necromancy. However, she was a hated witch, forever alone and mocked by the nearby village she resided in. In time, she discovered her own way to immortality, she released her spirit from her body. However, she could not interact with man nor beast again. She could only wander the void in emptiness until the Alchemist summoned her,” I paused for a moment.

The three listened well.

“For a time, both were comfortable with this. However, An’raie noticed that when she’d been bound to the Alchemist, she shared in all of his mortal desires. Food, water, sex, and love. The Alchemist loved his work, maddening though it was. She in turn found that love fueled her and she came to love him as well. They spoke of many things, she told him things she would not tell anyone else. All her spells and formulas, she taught them to him. She was happy. Then, she told him what she felt. Can ye imagine his reaction?” I asked.

Ellen snorted. “I assume he didn’t craft her a body and fuck her in it, did he?” she asked.

While erotic in an oddly fucked up, but funny way, I shook my head.

“That he didn’t, Ellen. The Alchemist hated her. He spoke to her for her knowledge. He desired her company so he could make use of her. He desired someone to warm his bed so he could theorize the functions between body heat and the fires of the divine plane. She could provide only one of those things. Once that was done, he unbound himself from her and cast her away. However, he made a mistake. She could feel his disappointment, his anger, and his loathing. They magnified her own at her betrayal. Her loneliness grew into a horrific wail. The village who despised her, her centuries of loneliness, the man who used her, they all fueled her rage. She attacked him, but he had what he wanted. She couldn’t match him. So…he imprisoned her in the second island’s waters. Men who are lonely, she appears before them and takes them away to do what she will with them, torture them in place for the man she can’t reach,” I finished.

The room was silent for a while. “So now we’re fighting a century-old bitch with abandonment issues?” Ellen asked.

Alteria snickered. We looked at her with amusement. The knight widened her eyes as if she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have. Lady Knight placed a hand over her mouth while she tried to control her laughter. As a knight, she must’ve thought it rude to make fun of the dead.

“Excuse me,” she said as she cleared her throat.

I placed my cup on the table. “Well, yes and no. I’ll go over the finer details later, but I’m hoping I can strike a deal with that old bitch,” I replied.

The three looked at me strangely. “Were you always this insane when you worked for me?” Ellen asked.

I grinned. “Call me what you will, but it’s a gamble I’m willing to risk. However, if it goes south then I’ll have to trouble our knight for her assistance,” I answered back.

Alteria folded her arms. Her gaze pierced into mine. “And what would my role play in all this?” she questioned.

I turned back to Nz’ia. “Imbue this guy with your family’s light magic. A Xhaluter with the powers of a Balamar knight will at least grant her a brief match. That should be enough time for the ship to get to the island. There, the island’s natural magic will keep her at bay. That said, I be hoping it will not come to that,” I spoke.

Nz’ia and Alteria nodded while I sighed. “You still haven’t told us what we’re going to be doing for you to even strike a deal with her,” Ellen said.

The smile on my face widened. Ellen’s frown deepened. I could easily read her thoughts.

“I’m not gonna fuckin’ like this, am I?”

I pictured those exact words in my head. I decided to indulge them in what I had planned.

With my business with them concluded, I quickly decided to get to work. Though I worried for Aesteal, I hoped she would stay unconscious. An’raie wouldn’t have interest in an unconscious person. That said, I would have measures in place in case she tried to get clever. A witch like her, while not as crafty as Liara, couldn’t be underestimated.

I secluded myself in my room with Kavtha’s Urn. I worked hard in my pursuits of alchemy. The scrolls and materials I’d collected were very useful. I worked at my desk. I grounded materials and poured them into Kavtha’s Urn. Silk Skin, Crimson Grass Roots, Essence of Gkerim, Bleeded River Tears, and so much more filled its stomach.

As I worked, my body burned. The aftereffects of my battle with that shit-eating giant continued to weigh on me. I ached. I drew runes in the air with magic on the tip of my finger. My breath became heavy. I allowed for no interruptions. I asked not for lunch. I asked not for dinner. I knew if my mother or Ellen saw me, they might tell me to stop. If I stopped, then that’d be one less day we’d have to explore the island.

So far, once again, the Isles of Delverhold made me stumble. Perhaps, no matter how many lives I should lead, they always would. However, I could combat them this time! I did not have to wait for death like before.

The urn bubbled from the ingredients. I wiped sweat from my brow. I continued referencing the thousands of materials in my head courtesy of Liara. Each seemed to meld together. I jotted them down in my notepad while I monitored the urn.

I added the next ingredients. I poured ten drops of female virgin’s blood in the urn. I then poured ten drops of male virgin blood. The urn took on a dark violet color. I then placed the runes I drew in the air into the urn. One by one, a total of ten runes fell into the urn. I churned the liquid as they fell in place. Their mystic properties would spread through the already agitated mixture, settling it and making it ready for use.

I placed my head near the liquid and smelled its aroma. One sniff and my cock was hard. It felt like Liara’s embraced me once again. My mind was filled with thoughts of great passion. The smell tickled my brain and filled my eyes. My mind was in a wonderful haze. The urge to grab hold of my cock and stroke it was maddening.

I saw the illusion of myself going to my bed. I would stroke my cock in wonder of the beauty of my mother, Ellen, Diane, Liara, Aesteal, and the other women I fancied on the ship. I would fire my load into the air before doing it all over again.

I tore away from the urn and panted. Seas, it was more potent due to the nature of the urn! Even I had almost fallen into its clutches. Still, that was good. Nay, it was perfect. It had to be that way.

I worked into the night and by the time I was done, I gave praise to my own mental fortitude. To be so close to the urn for so long, inhaling its richness, would have dropped lesser men. I placed the lid on top of the pot and sat in my chair.

Thirty minutes passed me by. I know because I counted them. It was the only way to keep the lust in my body under control.  I needed to divert my attentions elsewhere lest I suddenly attack the first woman who entered my quarters.

A knock came to my door. I already knew who it was. I had tasked them to come around this time. “Come in,” I said breathlessly.

My lips were hot and I could hear my chest pounding against my chest. Had my cock been outlined like a blade, I’m sure it would have pierced my pants.

The door opened. I lifted up my head. In my lust-filled haze, I took in the stunningly beautiful forms of my mother and Ellen. They walked into my room and closed the door. They stepped further in until they were at my side. Whether by the mixture I’d crafted which filled my nose, or my natural desire for them, I never felt a stronger attraction to these two dangerous women.

Unfortunately, my male instincts won out for the moment. I stood to my feet and took my mother in my arms. I then kissed her. Whether she chastised me, expressed shock, or even enjoyed it, I don’t know. All I knew was that I did. Her precious lips on mine, only mine. I was the only man that could kiss them.

I think my mother enjoyed this because she started to kiss me fervently. Her tongue clashed with mine. The taste of her forbidden lips drove me wild. Her hands touched my arms and her mouth eagerly attacked mine. My fingers tickled her waist. We partook of each other like starved lovers.

Suddenly, I remembered myself. I pulled myself away from my mother and panted as I leaned against the desk. She was also out of breath as she stared at me with wide eyes. Her face was flushed beneath the light of my candles.

I looked at Ellen. On the surface, she seemed unconcerned, but I didn’t mistake that rising fire in her eye. She liked what she saw.

My composure laid in pieces. My lust burned strong. It wouldn’t be long before I lost myself, but I tried to keep myself as strong as I could. “Sorry about that, mother. I be a tad… influenced right now. Tell me, did Ellen talk to you about today?” I asked, short of breath.

My mother was a bit stronger mentally than I was at the moment. She quickly nodded. “Aye. You’re gonna contact the second guardian of the island. What has that go to do with…,” she paused when visibly shivered.

“For centuries, An’raie’s been left to wander in her own vain pursuits of immortality. Those c-c-centuries deadened her emotions. Then, she felt a rush of them all at once when she was bonded to the Alchemist. When he betrayed her, the p-p-pain intensified her loneliness. She preys on the unsatisfied, the frustrated, the angry, the sad, and the helpless,” I said before my lips trembled.

I clenched my sweat-soaked shirt. “Look, I ain’t got much time before I go crazy. I’ve mixed up a strong aphrodisiac with spiritual properties. It won’t enrapture her, but it will intrigue her and make her desire to peruse the ship when we cross the b-b-b-barrier. Both of you, get to the bed,” I said slowly.

My mother and Ellen obeyed. They sat on the bed while I stood in front of them. “Tonight, I’m not gonna fuck you both. I’m not gonna tease ya like we usually do. I’m going to make love to you both,” I said which surprised them both.

To their confusion, I nodded. “Aye, I’m gonna treat you fine sluts like I see you. The finest queens of the sea meant to be taken care of, treasured, adored, and satisfied. As a true man loves and tends to his wife, so too will I t-tend to you both. We’ll do whatever will satisfy you both, but you can’t make me cum, got it?” I asked.

“Why the fuck not?” Ellen asked.

I smirked. “Because, Ellen, ask any man and the loneliest he’ll ever feel whether by life, by love, or by death, is when he feels unsatisfied, used, and discarded,” I answered as I removed a bit of lid from the urn. Small huffs of violet mist entered the room. It wouldn’t be long before the entire ship sounded like a sex-crazed orgy. Perhaps it was adequate that I start it off.

I approached the bed.

Since I had recently partaken of my mother, I moved to Ellen first. I wasted no time. I was too aroused. The flames of lust captured me in their embrace from the aphrodisiac I’d created. When I touched her skin, my body was set on fire. She stared at me, frozen and unsure. It wasn’t like her.

“You’re beautiful, Ellen Sothshore. Very beautiful,” I said. I complimented her with all the honesty I hoped to convey. Aye, she was beautiful. So beautiful.

How I never tire of her flustered face. A rough, strong, unbendable woman like her must not have received so many compliments outside of usual flattery from her clients. I was sure many men thought the same, but not so many had the balls to proclaim it to her.

“Shut the fuck up and kiss me already,” she fired back, but I heard the rising need in her voice.

I obliged. I eyed my mother as my lips touched Ellen’s. I kissed her slowly, tenderly, lovingly. I didn’t try to overpower her. I kissed her as if she were my greatest lover. To my surprise, she reciprocated. Ours was not a duel, but a warm meeting of our tongues and lips. It felt wonderful to kiss her. My cock certainly thought so.

Sothshore lifted her arms and snaked them behind my neck. One hand on my hair, the other on my neck, she pulled me further in. I enjoyed the way her tongue slathered my teeth while my lips suckled on it.

“Mmmmmmmm,” she moaned, obviously pleased with this slow pace.

Her fingers combed my hair. My hands cupped her face. One of her legs brushed against my erection. Even with my pants on, that simple touch fired me up in ways I couldn’t describe. She did this a few times as we continued to kiss until I broke away. A trail of saliva broke from us.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. She tried to remain tough, but I’ve sailed with Ellen for weeks now. I knew she must have enjoyed that.

I then turned to my mother. Like Ellen previously, she’d observed us. Her nipples pierced her white shirt. She watched her son in an intimate, yet passionate embrace with one of the leading rulers of Draegnar’s underground. Definitely not something most mothers ought to see, but I think she and I were way past that point.

I faced her. “You’re beautiful as well, mother! I’m going to kiss you again,” I told her. There was some odd thrill for myself in telling her what would happen. If she could stop it she would, but I knew she wouldn’t.

“You’re going to kiss your own mother, Eric? I don’t remember raising such an immoral bastard,” my mother said, but she sighed as I touched her cheek.

“I make my own morals, mother,” I returned.

I pulled my mom to me. She was prepared for my kiss this time. Though I was filled with lust, the application of that lust steadied my mind. I sought to love, not dominate. My mother swooned in my embrace as we kissed again. Her wonderful auburn hair filled my hands while her fingers clawed at my chest. Her chest mashed against mine.

“Haaaaaaa… ooooooooh, Eric,” my mother moaned softly as her tongue rolled against mine. Her lips were soft like pillows and tasted like fruit. Her tongue sucked on mine. One of her hands trailed up my chest and landed on my cheek. The smack of our lips was evident.

I shared a forbidden love, an immoral love, yet a strong love with her. This woman who birthed me, cared for me, taught me, became the woman I would return those things to. She deserved to be satisfied for all the sacrifices and lessons she’d beaten into me. As the man in her life, I would make her happy. I would make her happier than Leah. I would provide for her stronger than Leah. I would give her a love grander than Leah’s.

I pulled back from my mother. I then kissed Ellen again. I moved between the both of them, kissing them and loving them. Indeed it might be weird for a pirate such as I, but this was a treasure to me. I wished to convey that to them. Despite how I might act, or how much I enjoy teasing them, I do love them. Ellen, my fantasy since I was a lad. My mother, a beauty I’d carved for myself from her illness. Both of them, I adored.

Ellen was the first to take things to the next step. While I kissed my mother, Ellen briefly cut us off to lift my t-shirt over my head. Once that was cast aside, I shivered when she licked my chest. The harshness of the sea, my sword duels with Alteria, and my fights with my crew tempered my body. Not too much muscle, but my physique was strengthening.

Sothshore licked my chest while my mother and I continued to make love with our mouths. My mother’s hands roamed my arms and shoulders. Ellen gently kissed my stomach. She then sucked on my right nipple. I thought my cock might explode. I wondered if I had to remind them that I wasn’t supposed to cum. I actually wondered if my body would have moved my lips to anyway.

My hands found Ellen’s breasts. She groaned against my chest while I fondled her breasts through her clothes. Her nipples pressed against my fingers. I teased them while my mouth nibbled on my mother’s lower lips.

“Mmmmmmmmnh! Oooooooooh!” My mother exhaled.

We broke our lips again. Her eyes were filled with lust for me. There was no doubt mine filled up the same way for her. However, I turned back to Ellen. I pulled her from my chest and kissed her. I unbuttoned her shirt and her breasts laid before me.

I cupped them in my hands. “Nnnnnnnngh!” Ellen groaned in my mouth.

The mist filled up our room. We took a moment to open the windows. After all, there was still an objective behind all of this. The mist would seem into the water where our guest would be observing.

I moved back to Ellen. “You’ve got perfect tits, Ellen. Any man would be lucky to hold them,” I said.

“Enough with the flattery. I’d sooner kill myself than let anyone aside from you see me like this,” she growled, but with no fire.

I chuckled and bent my head down to suck on her tits. “Aaaaaaah! Fuck that feels good,” she responded. My mouth latched onto her left nipple. I sucked and pulled it. It tasted of sweat and smelled of a real woman. How I enjoyed it.

I felt the bed creak. My pants were grabbed. The belt had come undone. Since I was still pleasuring my quartermaster, there could be only one other person to do this to me. My darling mother had grown eager.

My cock met the cold air. While Ellen pushed me further into her breast, my mother wrapped her warm hands around my cock. My slit was already producing fluids. I worried this added stimulation might not help me. Again, I didn’t need to worry. My mother rubbed my crown and tested my balls. She didn’t go fast. She just went slow as if mesmerized by the sight of her son’s phallic muscle.

“Nnnnnaaaaaaah! Oooooooooh yes! Suck my tits! Fuuuuuck!” Ellen exclaimed.

I was happy to oblige. Hell, I needed to do it just to get my mind off the pleasure firing into my brain from my mother’s handjob. She still went slow, but her slow was so wonderful. Her hands felt so soft. She began running her tongue along my sack. She sucked one of my balls while I worked on Ellen.

“Mmmmmm! Getting your mother to suck your balls and give you a handjob! You’re a dirty son!” my mother taunted. My cock lurched up from her words, but I continued as if I hadn’t heard her.

After an extended time on Ellen’s tits, I moved down her chest and her stomach. I grabbed her pants. She leaned up and allowed me to pull them off completely. I was greeted with the sight of her pussy, wet and just waiting to be satisfied.

“I guess this son of a bitch turns you on, Ellen,” I remarked.

“F-Fuck… off,” she sighed.

Given the awkward angle, I laid my full body on the bed. My mother rejoined us there and resumed pleasuring my cock. Meanwhile, Ellen knelt over my face and sat down on top of me. I was given a full, unperturbed view of her dripping snatch. It was positively soaked with her juices. Feeling thirsty, I didn’t want to latch my tongue onto her pussy!

“Mmmmmmmmnnnnn! Yessssss! oooooooooooooooOoOoooh!” Ellen groaned.

I stopped for a moment to smirk but quickly continued my ministrations. I rolled my tongue over her cunt. I lapped up her musk like a mutt with his water bowl. Her hands on my chest, she rocked her hips on my face. I grabbed her hips to hold her still, but her pussy still moved rapidly over my tongue.

I wasn’t on the giving end, however. I was also receiving pleasure from my mother sucking my cock. Her hot mouth and tongue coiled around my shaft like a Sandora viper. She bobbed her head up and down. My cock was coated in her spit and the sounds of pleasure rolled through my room. I was also sure I started hearing some sounds from outside. Clearly, the mist was starting to work its way through the rest of my ship.

I shiver ran through my body and through my tongue. My mother worked her magic over me and my tongue felt the ending vibrations. Those vibrations ran through Ellen’s body. I sucked on her outer lips. My tongue flicked her clit which made her scream. I might have teased her for it, but that wasn’t my focus for today.

“Ooooooooooooh! Nnnhahaaaaaaa! Fuck! I’m gonna cum!” Ellen cursed as she rode my face faster. I straightened my tongue and pierced her cunt. I drove it as far up as it would go. Her cunt clung to my tongue. Like a vice, she wouldn’t let go. Her warm, velvety pussy splashed the results of her orgasm on my face. It was hot and sticky like a summer’s beer. Tasty all the same though.

With Ellen temporarily satisfied, I shifted my gaze back to my mother. She slurped up my cock eagerly. There was great need in her movements. One of her hands rubbed her pussy vigorously while she tended her to cock that she half-helped to create. Her tongue would pierce my open slit while her hands gently clawed at my length.

“Mmmmm, yessss! Suck your son’s cock, mother!” I groaned.

She didn’t refuse me. Instead, she worked her handjob a little faster. Even with all the lust that permeated the air, my mother never lost herself. She didn’t go too hard to allow me to cum. If ever I was close, she would ease back.

“You perverted, son of a bitch. To make your mother stroke and suck your long, hard, m-manly cock!” she gulped before she continued. She pinched one of her nipples and squirmed her cheeks over my dick. It felt absolutely wonderful.

My mother continued to blow me for a few more minutes. Since the objective wasn’t for me to cum, she slowly stopped and popped me out. “You eye his cock any harder, it’s gonna burst into flames, Ellen! Do you want my son to fuck you that badly?” my mother asked.

Ellen growled. “Don’t make me shoot you, Ira! Just switch with me!” she ordered.

“Tell me you want to fuck my son’s hard cock! Tell me you want to cum while he grabs your hips and makes love to you! Maybe then I’ll move!” My mother teased.

“Ira…,” Sothshore growled.

“Maybe I’ll sit on it first! Keep it all to myself, Ellen! Unless ya give me reason to think otherwise,” my mother retorted.

I just sat under Ellen, soaking in her musky scent. I didn’t tell her I saw her cunt quiver with need. She already knew it.

“I want your son to fuck me with his hard cock! Happy now?” my quartermaster asked.

I felt my mom’s hands release my cock. The cold air blew against me. “It’ll do,” she answered.

My mother and Ellen switched places. Ellen stroked and licked my cock a few times while my mother started at me. Her pussy was completely drenched in its own fluids. It was like a never ending fountain for a starving man. I found it rather surreal that my cock had pushed into that place numerous times over this voyage. Yet still, it looked beautiful, succulent, tempting. Never did I think I might come to know my mother’s body so well.

I grabbed my mother’s hips and pulled her down on my face. “Ooooooooooooooh! Ooooooo gods, Eric! Your tongue feels goood!” she moaned.

Just like with Ellen, I took care of my mother’s needs. I listened to her voice and struck at her most vulnerable spots. Her fingers raced through my hair. There were squishy noises and smacking sounds between her wonderful crevice and my scraping lips.

Then, I felt the air get blown out of me. I nearly came. Something hot, tight, and sleek gripped my cock like no mouth could have done. I knew it could only be Ellen’s pussy. “Mmmmmmmh!” I groaned into my mother’s snatch as Ellen sank herself down until our pelvises met each other.

“Fuuuuuuck! This is a great cock! MmmmmmnnhhhhhhHHHH!” Elllen cried.

I think she came again from the way she gripped me. Each curve of her pussy massaged my cock with a tantalizing shiver. I wasn’t sure because she was so wet already from her last orgasm. However, it didn’t take her long to start moving again, her voice rushing through my room with equal vigor..

My quarters echoed with the sounds of slaps and slurping noises. The aphrodisiac from Kavtha’s Urn fueled our desires and the desires of those on the ship. I figured it was a good thing I allowed Aesteal her rest with a rune to blot out the noise. Otherwise, she might find herself awoken by the numerous sounds of pleasure from men and women.

“Aahaaaahhhhh! Yesssssss, Eric! Lick my cunt! Make me cum!!!” My mother wailed while Ellen grunted and groaned. I grabbed the latter’s hips and started to thrust my hips upwards.

“Nhgggggggh! Oooooooooooooh dammit! Huuuuuuugugugugugh! Harder, you s-s-son of a bitch!” Ellen pleaded.

I obeyed. It wasn’t long before she came on my cock again. While she rested, I continued my work on my mother. I vigorously rubbed her sensitive nub and spread open her lips. “Ooooooooh your tongue! Tongue fuck me, Eric! Oooooooh god, I’m gonna cum! I’m gonna fucking cum for your tongue fucking me! Nhgghghhhaaaaaaa!” she cried.

I felt delirious. The intense pleasure rocking through my body from my cock and my tongue was nigh maddening. I think Ellen and my mother forgot the objective because they were really trying to get me to cum. It was either that or they were trying to fuck me as hard and fast as they wanted. Either way, my control was tested to its utmost. I supposed I should’ve been glad I wasn’t doing this with Liara. I wouldn’t have stood a chance of not pouring streams of semen into her snatch!

As the minutes rolled by, I lost count of how many orgasms I gave Ellen and my mother. I was now fucking my beautiful mother, her legs on my shoulders while I pinned her to the bed. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she kissed me. “Oooooooh fuuuuuuuck! Your cock! Fuck me with your cock, Eric! Fuck your mother with this great cock of yours!” she begged.

I had to constantly shift between hard, fast, and slow. My brain was on fire. Varying degrees of pleasure rushed from inside me. The aphrodisiac and the combined lust rolled into my body. Despite the love I felt, I knew I was going to suffer the bluest of balls for this! My balls ached for release, my cock felt trapped, conflicted between its role of granting pleasure or breeding these holes before it. A myriad of stars filled my mind.

I moved onto Ellen next. Her hands on the wall, I grabbed her hips and slammed my pelvis into her ass. My cock was thoroughly drenched from their respective climaxes. Sothshore uttered every curse word she could think of, but she pleaded for more. I loved her body as she wanted. She leaned back and kissed me. “Mmmmmmmm! Mwuaaahahaaaaaaa! For a piece of shit, you really know how to use… that thing!” she praised as she tickled my hair.

I lost track of the time. I don’t know how many orgasms they had. All I knew was that I fell back to the bed, frustrated and exhausted. They fell to the bed with me and sighed happily. Well, at least someone would go to sleep happy tonight.

They both kissed me. “You sure this is a good idea?” Ellen asked.

I smirked. ‘It better be or you two will be mother’s before tomorrow’s over,” I returned.

“You’re a real horny piece of shit,” my mother said.

“Aye, indeed I am,” I said as the orgy outside persisted. However, with time, that too started to fade away into satisfied sighs.

Some time passed, but I couldn’t sleep. I was too aroused. The lust in my body hadn’t subsided. Rather my body wore it like a damn pair of sleek clothes. It, along with the aphrodisiac, kept my cock hard. If this didn’t peak that guardian's curiosity, then I’d just have to face her like normal. Granted, without my powers, that would be difficult.

I slithered out of the bed and walked over to my desk. I sat in the chair and took a few calming breaths. Once my mind was settled, I gently placed my palms together.

“Inwe: Couqua,” I chanted to myself.

I felt my mind pull itself from its mortal shell. My spirit flew outwards from my body. I observed my transparent form. Even though I disconnected from my body, I still felt a bit of strain from the mana usage. It would also keep ticking down. I’d have to hurry with another objective.

My spirit flew out of the ship and into the air. I passed the barrier without consequence. From the way the water rumbled, I knew An’raie was aware of me. Surprisingly, she didn’t stop me. I thought she would and I would have to spend a bit of time outrunning her. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

I floated to the second island and looked around. As my mother said, it was very similar to the first island. It was indeed the second island from when I’d been here last. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop to take in all the sights. I’d do so when we landed there. For now, I had to move.

I slipped into the ground and flew downwards. Even now, I groaned. The further I got from my body, the harder this spell would be to maintain. Fortunately, I was rewarded for my descent. I floated down from the ceiling and into a forgotten chamber. It was filled with all kinds of precious jewels, gold, and other treasures.

I didn’t find anyone there so I moved on. I searched for the missing people of my ship but to no avail did I find any of them. I fear the worst for Maeloson and Diane. Though strong and capable on their own, I wondered if they could survive Delverhold.

As I passed through many passages and tunnels, I felt a sudden influx of magic to my right. I floated off that way. I flew down a long hallway lined with lit torches of white fire. As I flew down, I was surprised to find I was feeling pressure, great pressure, unimaginable pressure.

Once I exited the hallway, I was stunned by what I saw. I remembered this room. It was the chamber which led to the next island. However, instead of looking decrepit, ruined, and old, it looked almost brand new. Flaming torches lit up as far as the eye could see. A spiraling staircase descended to the very bottom. There I spotted two figures.

Hopeful, I dropped down. My feet hovered over the ground and I looked forward. By a pirate’s great coin purse, I found good and bad fortune. To explain both at the same time, I only recognized one of the figures. I could easily tell by his silver hair and the bow on his back.

It was Maeloson.

The other figure was covered by a robe with a very deep hood. I couldn’t see inside, but I figured the person was old. The arched back, the wooden cane, the stench, yeah I think I was staring at an old bastard. However, that made me anxious.

Why? Why was someone else here? I’ve been to Delverhold before. There shouldn’t have been anyone alive on the island. The Alchemist should have been the only living ‘person’ on it and he was dead. I knew because I’d seen his bones myself.

Was this another thing that distorted the structure of the islands from my past life? Was someone living here that shouldn’t have been? It was certainly possible, but that only made me concerned. What other person could survive here?!

I was about ten feet away from Maeloson before the robed figure turned his head. I thought it impossible, but I could tell he saw me. He was staring right at me. Where else would he be looking?!

“DO NOT INTERFERE, BOY! THE TIME OF THE ỦNTUAL IS AT HAND!” A raspy, elderly, deadly voice shouted within the depths of my mind. I clutched my head and shut my eyes as intense pain fired through me.

A sharp pain came for me next, right in my incorporeal frame. When I opened my eyes, I looked at Maeloson. His eyes burned with green fire. His bow seemed formed in the flames of Haganthar. Solid black like ink, a devilish insignia laid on its upper limb, glowing with demonic magics. The string seemed burned in green flames just like his eyes. The grip had the mouth of a viper, forked tongue and all.

I looked down and I saw a green arrow pierced through my spirit’s chest. Whatever mana I had to power the spell, I didn’t have it anymore. If a spirit could cough up blood, I’m sure I would have. As I fell to my knees, I glared at my male elf. Runes seared into his skin before he turned around. That was all I got before the spell ended. I was launched away from the room. I flew back the way I came by no control of my own.

My spirit slammed back into my motionless body on the ship. I slipped out of my chair in utter shock. I gripped my throat as I struggled to breathe. My eyes were instantly overcome with darkness.

As I fell to the floor, I fainted.