1.64

1.64: Interlude: Life on the Red Reaver (Pt. 2)

Day 5

Ash jumped when there was a knock at her door. Her heart hammered in her chest for a few seconds, until she recalled where she was and who might be knocking. Before she could speak, Fabian’s voice drifted through.

“Ash, come take a look!”

What now? 

“What is it?”

“You’re gonna want to see this. Come on. Meet me up on the deck.”

Ash groaned and rolled out of her bed, slowly making her way up the stairs. She scratched her arm and winced from her sore shoulders, which was only made worse by the cold breeze that met her when she stepped out on the deck.

Thankfully, it wasn’t enough to make her shiver. It would have, ages ago, but levels and stats made a lot of things easier to deal with. Ash glanced around–

–and saw the large pillar of light connecting the sea to the sky over the horizon.

Ash stilled. She had never seen the Pillars. 

“They say crossing by ship would take a week at most.”

Ash turned and found Fabian grinning at her before he turned back toward the golden light. If she lifted her hand and tried to measure the width of the pillar, it’d be around three inches. It was a lot further than it might seem, but Ash had done her homework.

“That implies a ship can make it to them.”

“That’s right.”

Both Ash and Fabian made a little jump when Captain Velistraine popped out of thin air behind them. She sat down on the ramp and looked toward the ray in the distance.

“The fact that we’re seeing it means we’re already too close. That’s why we were hired for this job, actually. They’re testing a new route. If the Mariners’ Guild can use this route instead of being forced around the Merfolk’s territory and have Stormfront continue to grow as it is, it might change a lot for these little islands.”

“It would help significantly in our efforts to repopulate the Reach, as well,” said Fabian.

The captain stayed quiet. There was something she wasn’t saying. Velistraine wasn’t being jovial or energetic about it. She was being factual, even. Which wasn’t something Ash was familiar with. 

Then Ash realized; she could just ask. She didn’t need to stress and ruminate over every little detail by herself. “You don’t think it’ll work?”

Velistraine didn’t answer for a moment. She slowly let down her hair–Ash noted that other than her missing hat, she was wearing her usual outfit, with her bone-sword on her hip. 

After a few seconds, only filled by the sound of waves and wind, the captain spoke. “Nah. I don’t think it’ll work. Stormfront might be fine for a while, but it takes one monster to take an interest in those shiny walls before it’ll all end in tragedy. These ships? They might be fine. They’ve had good enchanting work done. But what happens when something comes out of the deep and sees them?”

The captain sighed and rolled her shoulder. “The folk in power don’t like having to deal with people like me–the Privateers, the Explorers, the Wardens. They’re ready to throw their gold at anything that might allow them not to rely on us, but this isn’t that kind of world. Hell, we might have never gotten to this point if there were more people like us.” 

Ash stared at the captain, but Fabian spoke first. “You’re a Strivist.”

“Yup. And so are you. Otherwise, why would you join a Privateer’s ship? We need more people like me. We need to stop half-assing the Reach’s expedition and go straight for the Pillar. Take it for ourselves. But of course, no one really wants that. Because, who’s going to control it? Who’s going to benefit from it?”

Captain Velistraine shook her head, then grinned before jumping down. “Anyway. You kids should get some sleep,” she said as she stepped behind them. Then, putting a hand on each of their shoulders, she stared toward the Pillar in the distance. “Wouldn’t you like to see what it’s like from up-close? You might need to decide soon if you’re made for this kind of life or not. And oh–we’re hitting a magic storm soon. One of you should go tell Bonnie or Deacon.”

And with that, she left them in the quiet night. Ash turned instinctively, but the captain was gone.

Day 9. 

2 days after the escort mission was successfully completed. 

1 day after receiving the distress signal from Stormfront.

The crew were all up on the deck, weapons drawn. Tense.

The island came into sight all at once, and Ash’s stomach sank as she took in the swarm and the devastation it had brought to Stormfront.

The walls of the harbor were breached. A gash ran through them–and through the rest of the island–while countless crabs were crawling in and out of the harbor through the breach, carrying their loot to the one responsible.

Within the lagoon, facing the island and almost dwarfing its wall, sat a giant crab. It slowly lifted an enormous claw, picking up the bodies brought to it by its progeny.

The giant’s motion suddenly froze. It raised its second claw and slowly turned, and two black-eye stalks fell on the ship.

The air immediately grew heavy. It smelled of seaweed and salt.

The hair on the back of Ash’s neck stood up. One of the giant claws began moving, and Ash felt her limbs freeze before her old reflexes tried to take over, but there was nowhere to run. She was on a ship. Where would she go?

Before Ash could spiral any further, the voice of Captain Velistraine filled the air like the crack of thunder.

“Deck!”

Alina stomped and the deck immediately glowed gold. The enchanter shouted back, “Go!”

Ash turned to see Velistraine crouch, sword unsheathed. The world stilled for a moment, as if it was holding its breath, and then the captain jumped.

The deck dropped from under Ash’s feet.

Ash began to fall, watching with horror as the ship practically capsized. But before water could rush in–and before she fell overboard–Ray caught her by her arm. The first mate waited for the ship to stabilize before he let go. 

At which point he looked down at her nauseous face and smiled. “You’ll get used to it.”

Ash looked back toward the giant crab in time to see it point its claw at the falling red comet and slowly–inexorably–snip its claw.

The gesture made something in Ash’s soul tremble.

Out of the claw came a barely visible but unmistakable gray line that flew up to the captain in an instant.

Velistraine kicked the air, launching herself to the side and effortlessly dodging the attack.

Behind her, high in the sky, a giant cloud was parted. 

Captain Velistraine kicked the air a few more times, each step launching her further. The red glow surrounding her became difficult to look at. Something in it made Ash want to look away, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. 

This is what she wanted to become.

The crab lifted both arms, and this time, the same attack came at the captain in a flurry. Green line after green line shot at the captain–who finally got to the crab.

Captain Velistraine punched straight through the crab’s eye and out of its stomach.

The giant crab shuddered. One arm gingerly went down to its bleeding guts, while the second aimed at Velistraine, who stood on the water right below the giant. She shot up and punched through the carapace once more, this time exiting from right above the crab’s eyes.

The exchange lasted barely ten seconds. The crab was dead, while the Red Reaver continued to approach the island at full speed. In the distance, the captain had already left the giant crab and began decimating the smaller specimen.

Ash hoped there were shelters in Stormfront.

“Kids, you stay on the ship,” said Brumo, bone spear in hand. “Everyone else, we’ve got some cleanup to do. Let’s go.”

Most of the combat-capable crew jumped down as soon as they were within reach of the swarm, while Ash, Fabian, and a few others watched on.

After a few seconds, Fabian whispered, “It was so busy.”

Ash’s skin felt clammy, despite the morning sun.