The Long Road of Adventure- Blue Storms and Black Sand

by Ian Rodgers

  As they worked on their plan, which was to swim over on a raft in the middle of the night, a certain halberdier was thinking too hard.

  “How did we beat the ship here?” Gaelin mused.

  “What’s that?” Lily called, looking up from where she was lashing a number of logs together with crude, fibrous rope made from palm tree guts.

  “I mean, it was three days or so before the airship appeared before us. How did the currents sweep us out to their base faster than they could fly here?”

  “I’m not sure. Vala, do you know?” the red-head inquired. Their Druidic companion shook her head from where she was working on fusing the logs together with magic.

  “I’m not well versed in matters of the ocean. Or water in general. You’d have to ask a Hydro-Druid, or a merfolk. They know more about the seas and oceans than anyone else.”

  “Hmm. What about you, Bigg Guy? Know anything about water besides the fact you get sick if you try to travel over it?” Gaelin asked.

  The Ursine shivered. “No. I cannot swim, and I cannot handle ships. That is as far as my knowledge about water goes.”

  “Why exactly do you care?” Lily asked after a moment.

  “Because if the currents really are that fast and powerful, and the obsidian reef so deadly, how did anyone find this place without an airship? And what are the odds we’d be washed up on this particular beach, which just so happens to belong to a pirate?”

  “The Divine Family watches over us,” Lily said firmly. Gaelin sighed, but accepted that answer. Vala merely rolled her eyes and Bigg Guy shrugged.

  Another few minutes passed before Lily spoke up again. “Actually, all this talk of currents and water has given me an idea.”

  She turned to Vala. “Do you think you could control a pocket of wind around us that would propel us forward while we’re on the raft?”

  “That might work. Using an Wind Burst or two could give us a decent amount of speed and thrust. But why would you want that?”

  “Just curious. Would it be possible to create a bubble of air around us so we could swim underwater but still breathe?”

  “No, that wouldn’t work,” Vala replied sadly. “It’s been attempted with people down in mines and lakes, and even if a bubble can be properly made to surround the head, the person eventually suffocates.”

  “Why?” Gaelin asked as Lily frowned.

  “Dunno. It should work in theory, since it’s a supply of fresh air. But, somehow, in the end, the person with the bubbled head dies. As such, most people go for the much more difficult, but also much safer, Fish Lungs spell with gives you the ability to temporarily breathe water like a fish. And before you ask, no I do not know that spell,” Vala said, halting Lily’s question before it could even leave her lips.

  “What is your idea, young lady?” Bigg Guy asked.

  Lily smiled. “I was thinking we could emulate a current with wind, then hover over the reef to escape if stealing from the pirates ends up being unfeasible.”

  Everyone looked at her with surprise and she pouted. “Just because I want glory doesn’t mean I would go against the odds to do it! Stealing from an infamous rogue like Bolos Stormbringer is already going to be tricky enough. I would cut our losses if necessary to save our lives. And then we’d need another escape route if the first option of ‘theft’ doesn’t pan out.”

  “There’s just one problem with your idea. I wouldn’t be able to keep that up for very long,” Vala pointed out.

  “Still, it’s better than my escape plan,” Gaelin claimed.

  “What was it?” Lily inquired.

  “Not telling. It was stupid. And it would just sound silly after yours,” he said, refusing to answer.

  “He wanted to find dolphins, tame them, and ride them to freedom,” Bigg Guy said sardonically, revealing Gaelin’s idea to the world. He shot the Ursine a look of betrayal while the two women let out hearty laughs at his expense.

  Gaelin sighed but couldn’t help the smile that came to him. Ah, well. It had been a silly idea after all. He joined their laughter.

  .

  Night had completely descended on the archipelago. Up above stars twinkled softly, while the huge moon’s glow showered the world in silver. Despite the serenity that pervaded the area there was a tension in the lean-to that served as the sleeping area for Lily and Vala.

  Neither was able to find any rest, Lily tossing and turning while Vala stared unblinkingly out of their tent and up at the stars.

  Finally, the red-head broke first.

  “Vala…”

  The Druid raised a hand, cutting off Lily’s words before it could begin.

  “What is a tree?” the earth elf asked, sitting up and staring at the palm trees that grew nearby.

  “Pardon?”

  “What we call a tree is simply the name for the composite floral entity made up of roots, trunk, bark, sap, branches, leaves, and occasionally flowers and fruit. A tree, like any living thing, is more than it seems. Because it is made up of more than just ‘tree-ness.’”

  Vala then looked at Lily with an unreadable expression. “My mentor told me that, when I was struggling with my own inner demons and grief. She then went on to tell me that even if one person is strong enough to break a mountain, the mountain is still stronger, because it is billions of pebbles stacked together, and in time it will become a mountain once more. And that is something a single person cannot do.”

  “Life is meant to be more than just one piece. Life is the sum of all parts. A tree is a tree because it has roots, branches, trunk, and so forth. If it lacked one of those things, it wouldn’t be a tree anymore. And an elf – or in your case, a human – is only as strong as the people around them, and the friends they keep.”

  Vala leaned back, staring up at the stars.

  “I had an older brother once. I loved him so much, and he loved me as well. But then one day, I lost my brother, and nearly drowned in misery as a result. But then, I met Bigg Guy, whom my brother died saving. And like that, I found a reason to keep going. A legacy. A memory. You’re the same as me in a way. But we’ve approached the problem from fundamentally different angles. You keep everyone at bay due to fear of losing anything more. I, on the other hand, grab onto everything I want to protect and keep them close.”

  “Do you forgive me, then?” Lily asked hesitantly. “For threatening you earlier?”

  “Only if you stop pushing us away,” the earth elf replied.

  Nothing more was said. Nothing more could be said. The stars and moon gleamed silver in the dark velvet of night. And that which was broken began to mend itself.

  Chapter 14: Sneaking in

  “Careful… careful… careful…”

  “We’re being careful!” Gaelin snapped, his voice quiet, and Vala recoiled, holding her hands out in front of her.

  “Alright, fine, you’re being careful!” she whispered back. The adventurer snorted and turned his attention back to Bigg Guy. The Ursine nodded, and shifted so Gaelin could get his grip back.

  The group was moving as stealthily as possible through the densely packed palm trees while carrying their homemade raft. It was crude, but durable, and would suffice for the purpose of paddling across the lagoon to one of the other islands.

  Carrying it was not easy. The raft was large, and even on its side took up considerable width. It had to be that big in order to fit four people, one of which being an eight-foot tall Ursine. And while palm wood was not as heavy as other kinds of trees, it was still a strain. Gaelin had been forced to Reinforce his body in order to carry it with Bigg Guy to the opposite end of their island.

  The only saving grace of the ordeal was the full moon. It was a risky idea to travel with the moon’s light, as it would also benefit anyone watching out for the quartet. But navigating the tightly packed palm trees and uneven geography of their black sand island needed light. So, the full moon was their only option.

  Four days had passed since they had spotted the airship. In that
time, they had managed to finish everything needed to get their raft functional. And, they had a lucky break. Two days ago, the Storm Caller had flown off, so now was the perfect time to sneak onto the central island while its master was absent. Assuming all went well, there would be at best a skeleton crew manning the base, so they could snoop around and plan their theft once Bolos returned.

  An ingenious plan, if Lily did say so herself.

  “Ok, lay it down there,” Gaelin instructed Bigg Guy as they emerged from the tree line. With exaggerated slowness and care, Bigg Guy first placed his side of the raft down on the sand, and Gaelin followed suit.

  “Phew! That thing was heavier than I thought it would be,” he complained, wiping a trickle of sweat off his forehead.

  “Imagine carrying that during the day with the sun beating down on you,” Lily stated. Everyone shivered at the thought.

  “If the sand and sun here is anything like it is in the desert, how in the Hells does anyone live in Saluda? And why?” Gaelin pondered out loud with a wince.

  “Are we done complaining? If so, then let’s get this into the water,” Vala urged, and with a grunt Bigg Guy began to shove the raft, still on its side, towards the lagoon. With a bit of help from Gaelin, they got it into the water, then flipped it right side up. It bobbed playfully in the still water,

  “All aboard the Wooden Duck, the finest raft this side of the pirate’s lagoon!” Gaelin announced with flourish.

  “Why thank you, good sir!” Vala said with a giggle as she got on. Lily did a mock curtsey in front of the halberdier with a giggle of her own before boarding next to Vala. Bigg Guy clambered up next, leaving Gaelin to push the boat further out before getting on himself.

  Then, he removed the halberd from his back and dipped it into the water, using it to steer the raft like one of the gondoliers he’d seen back in Riverfold.

  Under his breath he whispered apologies to Kardale for using his symbolic weapon in such a manner. Hopefully the God of Justice would forgive him for the misuse.

  ‘Splish. Splish. Splash.’ The raft slowly but steadily cut through the water as Gaelin carefully propelled it forward. At times Vala would send out a tiny gust of air to help push the raft out of a choppy patch, and thanks to Bigg Guy, as long as he didn’t move he was a perfect piece of ballast, and kept the raft from being dragged off by the currents.

  And Lily? Well, she provided morale support.

  “Come on, you can do it! Keep it up you guys!”

  “I will gladly ask Bigg Guy to toss you overboard if you don’t stop being so darn noisy and chipper,” Gaelin threatened, and the bearman in question huffed in agreement. Lily settled down for a bit after that.

  Of course, mere threats of getting wet and being forced to swim were no match for her eagerness and desire to help, and she was soon acting as a look out, directing the raft towards the best landing spot.

  “There, do you see it? There’s a sort of cove dead ahead! We can use it to hide the raft until we need it again!” Lily declared, pointing at a spot barely visible in the dark. Gaelin narrowed his eyes, and carefully led the raft into the small spot on the central island’s beach.

  It was an excellent spot: covered by some steep overhanging rocks, isolated on the far side, and possessing no earthly significance. Splashing in the shallows, they dragged the raft high into the tiny nook so it wouldn’t get swept out by the shifting tides. Losing the result of their hard work now would be disastrous. Not to mention annoying.

  “Now what?”

  “Now, we move,” Lily said in response to Gaelin’s question. “This cove will be our base if we cannot explore everything before dawn. Even if we do find anything, this place should still be the point where we rendezvous. We won’t be able to accomplish everything in just a day.”

  Everyone nodded, before treading softly towards the slope which would lead them up onto the island proper.

  Like the island they had washed up on, this one had black sand as well. It had far more than just palm trees, though. Bushes and shrubs dotted the scree, and Vala confirmed that they were fruit bearing plants.

  “Fascinating! They’re some kind of cross between a strawberry and a rhubarb,” Vala said excitedly as she peered down at one of the plants.

  “That does not sound appetizing,” Lily claimed. Gaelin and Bigg Guy nodded.

  “Remind me to grab one of them as a sample before we flee the island,” Vala said, totally ignoring the opinions of her friends. “The Emerald Conclave of Druids is always interested in new and unusual plant and animal specimens, and pay handsomely for them.”

  The talk of money brought smiles to the humans of the group, and they nodded eagerly. Having lost almost all of their money when the Blue Wave sank, both Lily and Gaelin knew they would need some funds when they did return to Orria. Selling funky bushes to Druids? An excellent way to make a bit of gold!

  “Admire the flora later, Vala,” Gaelin said, prying the earth elf from her study. With a sad sigh she relented and they set off deeper into the island’s interior.

  The deeper they went, the clearer it became that the island was inhabited. Paths were cut through winding foliage, and there was evidence of blades having been used to carve out this portion of the jungle.

  They started to walk uphill. From a distance, it hadn’t seemed like there was a hill on the island, but standing and walking on it revealed a hump of sorts that stood close to the center. There were a few paths that led up it, and the group were hopeful for an elevated view. They climbed it.

  It took three hours of following these paths up a slowly increasing incline before they spotted any actual buildings. There was a lookout tower at the very top of the hill, hidden amidst the palm trees. It was empty and run-down, thank the various benevolent deities. Standing next to the watch tower at the top of the hill they were able to look down at the hidden site belonging to Bolos Stormbringer.

  All the quartet could do was stare in disbelief at the pirate base below them.

  Before them was what could only be described as a fortress. The wooden structure sprawled over a quarter of the island. Even from the elevation they stood at, the four could not perceive the entirety of the building. Barracks and other buildings catering to the dwellers of the island surrounded the main castle-like structure as a barrier of sorts. Anyone who wanted to sneak in had to pass by dozens of pirates and their living space.

  Next to the fortress there was a wide, clear-cut section, a former swathe of jungle that was now the site for an open-air hangar that was where the airship likely docked. It was surrounded by a palisade wall and no gate, so anyone who wanted to reach that spot had to likely travel through the fortress itself, which was no doubt patrolled by armed pirates, or approach by air.

  “Sweet Cynthia!” Lily gasped as she looked over the base. “This isn’t a hideout, it’s a town! Look, they have shops!”

  “This is not normal,” Gaelin growled. “No way a pirate could have built up this kind of settlement in only a few years with just piracy!”

  “I admit, your conspiracy theory certainly seems to hold water now,” Vala said begrudgingly.

  “I smell steel and blood, but also smoke,” Bigg Guy said suddenly, sniffing the air.

  “Well, they’re pirates. Those scents would naturally linger around such people,” Vala said with a sad sigh.

  “No. The smell is strong. Fresh. And it is coming from the fortress.”

  Their gazes slid over towards the large structure, and a shiver of apprehension crawled down their spines. The Ursine’s nose was powerful, and had yet to fail them.

  “Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?” Gaelin asked. When everyone nodded, the D-ranker sighed. “We’re going to regret this aren’t we?”

  More nods. “Yet we’re still going to go through with this?” Again, a chorus of nods. “Son of a sword, fine! Let’s go sneak around a pirate base!”

  “That’s the spirit!” Lily said, clapping Gaelin on the back.

&
nbsp; “Any ideas for sneaking in?” Vala asked as she peered at the settlement. A few figures could be seen walking about. Only a handful of lamps provided any light down below, and they were cheap oil ones, not the fancier magic powered kinds that gave off brighter, more even lighting. As such there were large patches of shadows an enterprising individual could sneak through. Well, some individuals.

  “Bigg Guy, wait here, and keep an eye out. If necessary, set fire to this watch tower to distract the pirates if we need a way to avoid them,” Lily requested, and the Ursine nodded, aware he was too large and cumbersome to sneak through a human sized area.

  Down the hill the group, diminished from a quartet to a trio, slipped from shadow to shadow, keeping out of the moon or lamp light whenever possible.

  For some reason, their stealthy approach completely worked. Half of the pirates they snuck past were drunk, the rest were asleep. This was not the high stakes sneaking Lily had anticipated and worried about.

  “It’s probably because the captain isn’t here,” Gaelin whispered to Lily when she brought it up as they crept towards the fortress. “They don’t feel the need to be strict or anything with their patrols, or keep their guard up. And it makes sense; this archipelago is both unknown and naturally defensible.”

  “Why would Bolos not bring all the men with him, though? Isn’t he worried about revolts? From what I’ve heard, pirates are cutthroats who’d turn on their commanders given the chance for a bigger cut of the plunder. I’m surprised none of them are trying to take over the fortress in his absence,” Vala said.

  Pressed against the wall of said fortifications, the young princess shook her head.

  “I don’t know how many men are on this island, but you’d need a lot to properly defend and control a fort of this size. Plus, it’s wood. And the captain is the one riding a flying vessel equipped with magic cannons. I think any attempts at a coup would be put down swiftly and brutally.”