In his mind he heard the voice of Dal-Draydian, “Is this someone you know?”
“Yes, this is my girlfriend.”
“She is weak and not worthy of the Great Trillius. You will see. She will betray you.”
“No! She’s not like that.”
As Rozelle focused her attention to make their way toward the galleon, her eyes caught something. She tugged on Trillius and pointed.
He followed her leading and was shocked to see skeletons swimming to engage the kelpies. “Where did they come from?” he asked himself.
Dal-Draydian answered, “They are mindless creatures doing a menial task as commanded them.”
Trillius was not used to having someone respond to his thoughts, “Who commanded them?”
There was no answer and then Rozelle pulled on Trillius to follow her back to the ship.
“Captain, the kelpies are retreating!” Skath yelled.
Elsbeth saw the same thing and couldn’t understand why. She looked to the dwarves for some explanation. El’Korr threw his war hammer—it slammed into a nearby foe and then magically returned to his hand, ready to be thrown again. Crewmen slashed at the fleeing green creatures of the sea. The glistening kelpies webbed feet slapped against the wet deck before they dove back into their familiar ocean terrain, scattering.
Trillius and Rozelle burst through the wall of water and landed on the deck. The gnomes shouted in unison, “Undead!”
“Great, as if the kelpies were not enough,” Elsbeth thought before calling out, “Prepare to be boarded!”
Skath and Myers regrouped the crew to prepare for the next challenge. Anders continued to heal the wounded, applying bandages loaded with ointments and casting minor cure spells. Urlin placed himself strategically in the middle of the sailors to assist with his spell power, ready to blast anything that boarded with his force missiles.
Minutes passed, and the only sound aboard was the heavy breathing of exhausted fighters and the sloshing of bloody water. Anticipation of the new threat heightened. Blurred images swam on the outside of the magical barrier, but none entered onto the deck of the ship.
Suddenly, Xan and Lufra came through the wall of water dragging a large dark metal trunk. The nervous sailors, expecting the walking dead to board any second, jumped in surprise, but were quickly relieved to see Xan and Lufra instead.
Lufra, exhausted, said, “The crew of The Wave Rider are attacking the kelpies.”
“Undead crew,” Xan clarified, “thanks to Captain Yasooma’s sword and his kin who wields it.” The blade continued to glow in the hands of the young boy.
Elsbeth said, “Even beyond the grave, Captain Yasooma is full of surprises. Excellent work, Lufra.”
A Pinch of Luck suddenly lurched, and the ship swayed side to side under their feet. It felt as if the hold on the vessel had been released.
“We are rising,” Urlin said.
A cheer erupted amongst the crew.
El’Korr slapped Rondee’s shoulder and said, “You fought well, my friend.”
“Fiethnok chariots gomeck flew,” he responded.
El’Korr smiled, “Exactly.” He then glanced at Raina. Her eyes were still closed and he noticed blood trickling from her nose. Her hands, palms up, moved slowly; rising with the movement of the vessel.
The dwarven king approached her and spoke quietly, “Hang on, Raina. Bring us home.”
As A Pinch of Luck rose to the surface, the dark shadow of the ocean’s depth slowly faded as the light from above strengthened. All eyes remained focused upward, waiting to burst out of their liquid grave and to breathe fresh air once again.
The beacon of the blue sky broke as the tallest mast speared through the surface. Hands covered eyes from the bright light as the misty salt water fell from above and they heard the open ocean once again. The thunderous crash of the water hitting the hull of the ship brought warranted cheers from the crewmen.
“Sails up!” Elsbeth called.
Her voice snapped the men to action and each member responded with a renewed spring in their step, grateful to have survived such an unnatural excursion.
Raina collapsed as her protection spell ended, but El’Korr quickly caught her, helped her to sit upright on the deck, and congratulated his friend, “Good work, lass.”
As the injured crewmen were carried below to be tended to and the dead kelpies were being tossed overboard, the skeleton fighters from below, one by one, hoisted themselves up and over the railing. Their bones clacked and scratched against the hull. Crewmen yelled alerts and backed away as the bone-walkers gathered, and then waited.
Elsbeth called out, “Lufra!”
Xan and Lufra emerged from the cluster of weary shipmates, crowded together to see the remaining undead of Yasooma’s fallen men. Lufra unsheathed his still-glowing sword and held it high in the air as he stepped forward.
Elsbeth approached and stood by Lufra’s side. She leaned down and whispered into his ear, “You will need to release them. They have waited for you a very long time.”
Lufra remained focused on the skeletal crew, “But how? What do I say?”
“You will know.” She stepped back and looked at the gathered skeletons. These had been her shipmates, generations ago. “Rest in peace, my friends,” she thought to herself.
Lufra looked back at the heroes and then the former crew of Yasooma’s, unsure what to say or do. One of the undead spoke within his mind, “What are your orders, Captain?”
Lufra took a deep breath, exhaled, and responded out loud for all to hear, “You have one last voyage to make for me.”
“We are at your command.”
Lufra could feel the power of the blade he held begin to activate. He looked up and was suddenly staring at the same angelic being he saw within the tomb of Captain Yasooma. It hovered above him and the angel nodded toward Lufra. The young boy brought his head down slowly, stared at the skeletons, and watched the original facial features, clothing, weapons, and all their equipment materialize in an incorporeal illusion. There was a glow around them all.
Lufra turned back to the heroes and said, “Do you see them? They are glorious.”
They looked at one another, unsure of what Lufra was talking about. They only saw the bleached bones standing at attention, waiting for their final order.
A sudden surge of energy soared down the blade, through his arm, and nestled within his chest. Lufra shook his head slightly and then instantly he stood at attention, bringing the sword expertly down and then sheathing the weapon without looking.
“Men of The Wave Rider,” Lufra began in a stern, yet slightly wavering voice, “I can say that I have never worked with a more stalwart, remarkable crew than you. I was blessed to be your Captain. It is time for a final journey into the kingdom of light. There you will find rest. I release you all from my service. It has been an honor. Thank you, all of you.” Lufra pulled his sword out and one by one the skeletons approached, knelt down, and received their captain’s release. As each one was touched by the sword, bone turned to ash. The ocean breeze carried their remains out to sea. Lufra ushered out his duty with growing pride, releasing sailor after sailor, until the last one fizzled away.
Deckhands retrieved water in buckets to clean off the bloody remnants; green pieces of flesh, limbs, and gutted kelpies. Riggers climbed to release the sails. Elsbeth walked the deck as her men worked. She stared out into the open sea, thankful and amazed to no longer be carrying the fear that this place once held over her.
El’Korr and Rondee dragged the metal chest closer to Raina, who had not yet awakened. Her brother moved to her side.
El’Korr said, “Xan, cast a healing spell for Raina.”
“She is not injured, but instead drained of power. She needs rest.”
Trillius ventured forth, crying out, “I love treasure chests! They are my specialty. May I?”
“Good luck. There is no lock to open, at least none that I can see,” Lufra said.
“Oh dea
r child, your eyes are still innocent, and not able to see what the Great Trillius can see.”
The voice of Dal-Draydian proclaimed in his mind, “Well spoken. These fools need to understand your power. You know what to do now. Show them your greatness, my master.”
Trillius’ ego swelled as he listened to Dal-Draydian’s words. The spirit within the blue stone had shown him the magical glyph and translated the word of power to unlock it. He ran his stubby fingers around the edges playfully. The heroes, the captain, and her officers watched him closely. Trillius leaned in close and quietly recited in a tentative voice, “Serra. Tooma. Um, karta?”
A blaze of light burned around the lip of the container, revealing the seamed lid, and then it popped open with a loud hiss of pressurized air. Trillius sighed his relief and then swung back the cover to reveal the contents. Black felt lined the interior of the chest where three items rested on the lustrous fabric; a human fist sized, red gem with flames flickering inside was the most prominent object. Next, was a brown multi-faceted cut stone and the third was a rolled parchment emblazoned with Captain Yasooma’s family crest.
Raina shifted everyone’s attention toward her as she strained to speak, “The Fire Opal and the Earth Stone. Where is the pearl?”
“This was it, Raina. We hoped it was inside,” Xan answered. “Are you alright?”
Raina’s face contorted, still clearly exhausted from her spell, “We need to go back.”
The Sheldeen Mystic struggled in her tired state. El’Korr and Xan held her back.
“You need to rest, Raina,” Xan said.
“Give it to them, Master,” Dal-Draydian directed.
Trillius answered in his mind to the entity within the blue stone, “I have never given up treasure like this before. I am taking a big risk; are you sure about this?”
“I have shown you glimpses of what is out there, hidden for centuries across all the realm. I will take you personally to them all, one by one, until they are yours,” Dal-Draydian replied smoothly and confidently. “We need these peasants to trust you, and carry us back to land. Now do it.”
Raina fought through El’Korr and Xan and stood, groaning, “Elsbeth, we have to go back!”
“No, we don’t,” Trillius chimed happily, as he pulled the magnificent Pearl of the Deep from his robes. Everyone’s face lit up in a mixture of surprise and joy.
“Look at them, Trillius. They long to be like you. They are weak without you,” Dal-Draydian continued, massaging Trillius’ ego.
“How did you find it?” Raina inquired.
“Well, you see, I was forced to go off the ship due to the sheer numbers of those awful creatures storming the deck. I had no time to think.”
“Makes sense,” El’Korr interjected sarcastically.
“Very witty, I’m sure. As I was saying, I ended up hiding in a cave, and it turned out to be the place that the kelpies had the pearl. I swam out of there as fast as I could and Rozelle helped me find my way back.”
“We are very fortunate for your accidental discovery,” Raina said.
The gnome beamed, but inside, the thought of releasing his promised treasure burdened him. He asked in his thoughts, “Dal-Draydian, are you sure you will show me even greater wealth than this?”
His thought pattern was shattered when Rozelle asked, “How did you know what to say to open the chest?”
Dal-Draydian scoffed, “I told you she wouldn’t understand. She can’t accept who you are. She wants to change you.”
Trillius answered Rozelle, “It’s the dragon language, and it means ‘X marks the spot’.”
“Since when did you start speaking draconian?” she pressed further.
He sighed heavily before answering, “I’m the Great Trillius, remember?”
“I thought you were ‘Silly Samuel’?”
“There, you see?” The Dal-Draydian voice snapped, “She questions your every move. She wants to keep you from becoming even greater.”
“Can’t you appreciate what I’ve done here, Rozelle, for once? I mean, it was no small feat to go and fetch this pearl, and then come back and open this magically sealed chest.”
“Hey, why don’t you settle down,” El’Korr interjected.
“You are not my king, so don’t start telling me what to do!” Trillius barked.
El’Korr erupted into a hearty roarous laughter, but stopped abruptly when he saw in the corner of his eye, Rondee the Wild, clenching his fists as he stepped toward the disrespectful Trillius. El’Korr caught his arm and said, “Now, now, Protector, I don’t think that is necessary.” Rondee looked at his king with pleading eyes to let him carry out his desire, but relented when the gnome stormed off. Rozelle stood there in shock.
Trillius could feel the power of Dal-Draydian welling up inside of him. His mind continued to link with the entity,“Very good, Trillius. My power is growing in you and soon everyone will see how great you truly are.”
The night approached and the fighters had begun to settle. The crewmen rehashed the battle, mourned the twenty who had lost their lives, and tended to the many wounded. At sunset, Captain Elsbeth delivered a sermon for each of the deceased as their bodies slid from a tilted plank into the ocean with a splash.
Later that evening, Captain Elsbeth called for a meeting in her quarters with her officers and the adventurers. Trillius leaned his chair back against the wall, seeming uninterested in the conversation. Rozelle stared at Trillius across the room, growing in concern at his distance to her and the others.
Raina addressed the group, “Before we reach Pirate’s Belly, Captain, I will be teleporting our group to our next destination just as soon as my power returns.”
“What is the next destination?”
“A place called the Shield—it is a dwarven kingdom.”
“I’ve not heard of it before. King El’Korr, is this where you come from?” Elsbeth asked.
“Nay, the Shield harbors frost dwarves. We are not sure how they have fared over the centuries, but most likely they have buried themselves in the mountain, with the Horn Kings in control of the lands.”
“Raina, you have but three elements, the fourth is still unknown. How do you plan to move forward with destroying the Dragon Stones?” Elsbeth asked.
Raina replied, “There was a parchment inside the chest. I opened it and have studied it already, and found a sketch of some importance. It notes a place called the Kouzfhan within the Shield.”
El’Korr jumped in, “That is an ancient dwarven word, which translates to the Cleansing.”
Raina nodded and then continued, “Captain Yasooma listed the elements, and the proper locations to deposit them. The fourth is listed as—” Raina was interrupted by a smooth, hypnotic voice.
“The Sky Diamond.”
Everyone, startled, turned and saw Romann de Beaux in their midst. His red velvet jacket with gold buttons draped to his calves and covered most of his black leather pants. White frills sprouted from the long sleeves and he wore the same swashbuckler hat as before, the yellow plume prominently displayed. Elsbeth quickly stood.
“Your grace,” she said and bowed slightly.
“You may be seated, Captain. My ship was in the area. I hope I’m not intruding.”
“No, please. You are always welcome.”
“You know of the Sky Diamond?” Raina inquired.
“Yes, and I know of its location.”
El’Korr asked excitedly, “Where is it?”
“My dear dwarf, you should know this.”
“He is clueless, like always,” Trillius quipped from the rear of the room.
Romann de Beaux clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward the gnome. Trillius remained leaning in his chair with no evident concern on his face.
“How is my little snack doing these days?”
“My name is Trillius,” he snapped with confidence.
“My apologies. Your voyage has changed you it appears. Interesting. I sense…” Romann int
errupted his own sentence, narrowed his eyes and then turned back to address his remarks to the group, “The Sky Diamond is what gives the Shield its power. The frost dwarves use it to protect their kingdom. I trust this information is useful to your quest.”
“Very,” Raina responded, noting the vampire’s sudden shift away from Trillius, “and thank you.”
“My pleasure. I am very glad I could assist. Well, I must be on my way. Captain, I hope to see you soon, and Raina and Xan, you are always welcome at Pirate’s Belly.” Romann pulled his broad brimmed hat from his head, its yellow plume swaying as he swept it across his chest and bowed low to the gathered party. He then faded into a blurred mist, dispersing until completely vanished.
Conversations began with everyone, except Trillius, whose thoughts were focused on the inner voice of Dal-Draydian, which was filling his mind.
“The Vampire knew who I was, and it recognized my dominant strength. That is why it fled, and that is just a small taste of my power, Trillius. Our time of greatness is approaching.”
Romann de Beaux was settled in the cabin of The Rose, surrounded in total darkness.
“Daysho, can you hear me?” Romann said from inside his mind.
An echoed hollow response answered, “Yes.”
“The gnome, called Trillius, has the fifth stone.”
“I understand. Once I have what you want, then we can finish our dealings, as you have promised.”
“Just get me my prize, Daysho. I have never failed at my word, and I have lived a very long time. Tell that mage, Veric, they will be arriving at the Chamber of Cleansing tomorrow.”
“It will be done.”
Romann smiled and his fangs glowed in the darkness.
A shadowy figure sat upon the blue-ice throne, overlooking the vast hall of the Shield. At first, Dulgin could only understand the word heefa, or ‘help,’ in the common tongue, but now a flood of emotional telepathic sentences endlessly rang inside his mind.