Chapter 28 - Sailing (Patreon)

They made camp in the cave. Rose elected to keep watch, just stating in a matter-of-fact method, "I don't need sleep."

Echo and Fumi slept peacefully and a few hours later had breakfast.

Rose didn't partake, stating, "I don't need to eat."

The two monsters began to jog as had been their routine over these days of travel, but Rose couldn't keep up. Instead, they moved at a leisurely pace, getting used to the vertigo of being sideways and upside down, and sparring along the roof of the long, cavernous tunnel.

They only stopped for short stints to collect some of the wild Deathvine that was growing in patches until they reached the end of the tunnel.

A set of carved stairs descended into crystal clear water as the waves lapped with a soft, soothing splash. No fish swam about in this darkened hollow, but Echo saw the ocean opening before him and grinned, looking at Fumi. “Finally, out of that cave.”

Rose began to walk into the water, descending below the surface and moving about on the bottom, fiddling with something. She came back up a few moments later, "It's stuck."

"What is?"

"The boats. We inverted and sank them so no one would find them. I'll need a hand."

Echo sighed and walked down, taking a deep breath before plunging into the water. The salt hurt his eyes and he had to wince. To his surprise, Rose was talking underwater to him - though her voice was slightly distorted, it was intelligible.

"It's over there, a chain you should be able to pull up."

Echo gestured to her and then pointed at his mouth.

"Ah, I don't need to breathe. Being undead has a host of benefits."

Echo nodded and then put his thumb down.

"Negative effects? There are some."

Echo reached down to where she had pointed and found a chain - easily eighteen centimeters across.

These are giant. This boat must be huge.

He pulled and made no headway.

Okay, magic it is.

"Transmute Substance – Pillar,” he let out some of his breath as a jut of rock slowly raised under the boat, lifting it to the surface. He swam back to the stairs where Fumi sat, dangling her feet in the water, and smiling gently.

Rose walked up next to them a moment after, "Once we get out of the cove, we can put up the mast."

The three set about preparing the ship; Echo pulled out some firewood from his pocket-dimension and transmuted it into a few buckets as they bailed out the water.

They got in and Rose took a large oar to the back to steer. Fumi and Echo socketed some oars and pulled them together in perfect sync, making their way to the bright sunlight that caused them to squint from so long indoors.

Rose yelled out over the sound of the whipping wind and lapping waves, "Welcome to Moonsorrow Bay! Home of brigands, outlaws, and pirates."

Echo stopped rowing for a few moments and looked around at the shore cliffs behind Rose. In between the rocks, scraggly plants grew barely clinging to life at the edge of The Dead Scar. But as he turned around, he saw the beauty of the bay.

It's more like an inland sea than a bay.

The waters were clear just like the prior ocean they had looked out upon, and the small scattering of islands that broke through the surf were covered with tropical plants. "Is the whole bay like this?"

Fumi nodded, "Mhmm. It's a tropical paradise. I’ve been here once.”

"Just like the Caribbean," Echo commented.

"Where?" Rose asked.

"Erm, a place where I came from. It's a tourist destination."

"Ah. Do you want to go to one? Pirate's Paradise isn't too far off. A handful of retired pirate lords make it decently safe. They charge exorbitantly.”

Echo looked at Fumi who shook her head. "Maybe another time. Let's get back and finish this quest."

Rose began steering them southward keeping within sight of The Kingdom of Cruxia's coast and instructed Echo how to raise the mast and sail. Soon they were under the power of the wind.

There was a counterclockwise breeze that ran along the exterior of Moonsorrow Bay and out towards The Trackless Sea. Caeli had put it in place to facilitate freedom of trade and prevent doldrums. But the predictable weather pattern also provided for easy pickings for piracy.

The trio relaxed as Rose simply piloted them along their course. They would have to travel for three days at their speed to reach their destination, and due to the constant flow of wind, they only needed Rose at the rudder. Since she didn't need to eat or sleep, she could keep them going through the night.

Echo took the chance to take off his boots and dangle his feet in the water along with Fumi, staring down at the tropical fish and coral underneath that skimmed by.

"It's pretty,” Fumi kicked as a small fish came up to test-nibble her feet only to swim off at the realization it was not food.

Echo nodded, "Not as pretty as you, but it is a nice change from the caves."

Fumi giggled and leaned against him as Rose spoke up, "We'll be leaving the safety of the coast soon and going into more open waters. Keep your eyes out for any ships. Rule number two of Moonsorrow Bay; don't trust any ship."

"...What is rule one?"

"Don't swim anywhere your feet cannot touch. Leviathans roam the whole of the bay, and they don't attack ships but will attack anything else they see as tasty."

Echo leaned back and stared up at the sky, "How deep does the bay go?"

Rose shrugged, "At the deepest point? Easily over three kilometers."

Fumi laid out on the deck and turned on her stomach to sunbathe. Echo decided to join her and followed along, pulling out some swimming attire he had prepared ahead of time, urging her to put it on so she wouldn't be completely indecent - for their companion's sake. Like two lizards they basked in the warmth of The Inferno.

He glanced over and smirked at the gorgeous woman beside him, and he caught her appraising glance as well. The same thought jolted through both of their minds.

Breed…

The instinct was stronger this time as if reinvigorated by their exposure to the light after so long in the dark.

Echo glanced back at Rose. The Lich Queen was staring at them.

Fumi gripped him and pulled him on top of her, kissing him passionately as her claws tore into the flesh on his back.

And he didn't care if they were being watched.

Rickard stomped through the city of Kaad. None were left in their state of undeath – rotten corpses were scattered all around.

Cowards. They fled before the Goddess’ wrath could come for them.

Except for a short creature. A Toskar. He picked her up by the skull and crushed it with a single, short squeeze, tossing it to the side.

In her name.

The divine power flowed off of him in waves as he ascended the stairs to the citadel.

He raised his hammer and with a mighty crack battered the doors into splinters. Ahead of him, a large puddle of water sat on an ornate rug.

“Where did you go?” He muttered.

His Goddess answered and a golden line directed him down a passage. He followed the lengthy tunnel until he met the ocean. The line continued into the water.

Rickard cursed, raising his holy symbol, and vanished once more in a pillar of light.

Hours passed in leisure as the trio sailed under the power of the brisk breeze. The Sun and Inferno began to go down as the orange-yellow glow glittered across the surface of the waves, casting the whole of the water's surface into a shimmering spectacle of sparkling radiance. It left Echo breathless for a moment; he couldn't think of anything on Earth to compare it to.

"It's gorgeous," Fumi whispered.

Echo put an arm around Fumi and watched the evening descend, just content and happy to be with her in this new world.

Rose came over and sat behind them on one of the overturned buckets. "I haven't seen this in centuries. I forgot how nice it is."

Echo glanced back at her and once again could see she was exceptionally beautiful in a regal fashion - distinguished and hawkish. Rose smiled and kept looking forward, "It's incredible, isn't it? Seeing the day end. Not just signaling the passage of time, but also a reminder that nothing lasts forever and to cherish what you have while you have it."

"You're a wise old lady," Fumi quipped.

Rose scoffed, "I'm not old…well, okay, a few thousand years old."

Echo chuckled, "You're right. Nothing lasts forever." He kissed Fumi and stared into her deep green eyes, losing himself in her presence. "But we will."

Rose sighed, "Ahh to be young and in love. And...violent, passionate love at that."

"...I'm over a thousand years old," Fumi said.

"I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about Echo. For the age aspect, at least."

Fumi switched to Gori/Japanese, "...You never told me how old you were when you died."

Echo responded in kind, "I was thirty-three. But time passed differently there - our years were longer. Here I would be…sixty?"

Rose cleared her throat, "Ahem. If you don't mind speaking Common, I'd appreciate it. I don't know Gori."

Fumi smiled and switched back to Common, "Since you asked nicely."

Echo reached into his pocket dimension, pulled out an expanse of tarp, and arranged a small lean-to from the mast to the side of the ship. He set up their cot as the two snuggled before drifting off to sleep.

"Incoming! Wake-"

CRACK!

An enormous impact rocked the boat as Echo and Fumi both jumped up. Rose was standing at the rear of the boat, and an enormous hole had just punched through the ship next to her. She quickly patched it over with ice.

Echo ran to the edge of the ship and instinctively ducked as a projectile shot past him, punching a hole through the canvas lean-to before crashing into the water. He looked out - immediately activating several abilities; Far Sight, Darkvision, Feral Instincts, Detect Magic, and Detect Ability.

A large ship was off the Port Quarter and gaining speed. He could see the two front-mounted ballistae being tended by crews of three.

"They're reloading!" He ran over to Rose who had a grim look of determination, "Do we have any weapons?"

She shook her head, "None. This was meant as an escape vessel. Don't you have ranged options?"

"Damnit. No. It didn't cross my mind." He had made a mistake that the most inexperienced Dungeons and Dragons player would have made. Not having ranged and melee options.

Fumi ran over with her blade unsheathed, pointing the instrument of death at the hostile ship, "Slicing Gale."

The hilt glowed the green of her mana before traveling up the blade. A rush of wind shot from her sword and the air rippled as a vortex appeared traveling in a straight line towards the ship's sails. Her spell hit and tore them to shreds.

Lots of options.

But Echo looked over at Rose. He wanted to know more about her capabilities.

"Rose, let me take the helm. See what you can do."

Rose smirked, "Ah, I get to prove my worth yet again." She traded spaces with Echo as she leaned out from the edge of the ship, holding up her stone scepter.

"It comes for us all eventually, Death Cloud." The blue-white glow around her scepter turned to an inky black smog which expanded and was left in a trail behind their small vessel. The cloud expanded and grew.

That's a big spell.

But Rose handled the massive expenditure of Quintessence with an icy cool demeanor, the use of her innate resource not even registering a physical reaction.

The hostile ship passed through the cloud, and Echo could make out several people on board falling over or their skin rotting where they stood.

Rose frowned, "That should have killed all of them. They must have a mage or cleric on board." She put her hand to her chin, "…Or they have high Magic Resistance."

Two more thunderous CRACKS struck out and the boat rocked from their impact, blowing new holes in the vessel.

Echo quickly channeled a spell, "Transmute Substance," fusing the new additions to their ship and plugging the holes. "We have to come up with something."

Fumi took up an in no kamae stance and let out an exhale, "Echo, how'd Ingrid say to make spells?"

"Tap into Quintessence. Think of the effect. Determine which affinity applies. Name the spell."

Fumi nodded and took several deep breaths.

Her Quintessence coalesced in her torso and began to consolidate and flow down her arms - just like she was casting a spell. But instead of flowing into her hands and forming a spell, the energy went into the blade of her katana.

What is she doing?

Her eyes flashed open, and she screamed in a warrior cry, "Rift Strike!"

An explosion of green coated with red sparks shot up into the sky from the tip of her blade, extending hundreds of meters into the heavens; a spatial projection of her blade forming in the air above.

"Hyyyaaaahhh!"

She swung downwards and the extremely long projection ponderously sliced downwards, neatly bisecting the ship trailing them. It stuck together for a few seconds before a massive SNAP noise echoed across the waves.

The ship split in twain and began to sink in two halves.

That was over five hundred meters away!

Echo left the rudder and caught Fumi as she fell unconscious in his arms.

"What was that?!" Rose yelled, taking the helm, and staring at Fumi.

"It looked like she…made a spell but didn't."

"What kind of monsters are you two?" she muttered.

Fumi's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at Echo, "...I'm tired."

He carried her back over to the cot and she immediately passed out, breathing gently. He set her blade aside and returned to Rose who was squinting back into the darkness.

"I think a Leviathan showed up. Bad luck for those brigands."

Echo looked where she was gazing and saw several undulating body segments that rose and fell in the water. Men and women of various races were swimming away from the wreckage, making their way as quickly as they could to the shore which was easily over a kilometer away.

The massive maw of the Leviathan poked up from the surf; a frilled head that hid gills, a jaw lined with thousands of razor-sharp teeth, and blue, slitted eyes covered with a film. It consumed the fleeing survivors before slinking beneath the waves.

He saw its eyes.

Black eyes.

One of Tiberius’ monsters.

Next Chapter