"I hope your shortcut is good, Mister Alarad! We have to somehow make up for the time lost in this dump!" it resounded from the helm down to the main deck of the "Queen of Waves".
Oh I definitely won't miss that voice when we get to Port na Cruinne, thought the elf, who turned around annoyed, pulled his coat a bit more and shouted as well, "I can assure you that my information comes from a Confidential source, Captain Tane!"
Behind the wheel, Finwe Alarad saw only the exaggeratedly large tricorn hat with the equally exaggeratedly large swan feather of Captain Tane. At the beginning of their voyage, he had asked the experienced sailor why his hat was so large. The latter had merely laughed and said, "For the same reason that dwarves like to wield oversized axes." Finwe had not understood this innuendo, if it was one.
They had been at sea for about half a year now and were due to reach their destination in the dwarves' homeland in three weeks. Before that, however, they had to head for Shodon, a fishing and trading village in the Catches. However, they were several days behind schedule, as their quartermaster had gambled away their ship in a drunken stupor during their last shore leave, and they had to reclaim it in a lengthy procedure. Since then, an Attomorian merchant was the new quartermaster for a short time.
Fortunately, Finwe had received a tip from his business partner Olweneg Faewen a few weeks earlier to get through the trappings of another stopover more quickly.
At first, Finwe and Olweneg were bitter enemies, constantly trying to put the other out of business, even using dirty means. But as time went by, they learned that it was more beneficial to work together than against each other.
So it was that at a meeting about two weeks earlier, Olweneg gave Finwe a map showing a path that would guide them safely through the dangerous reefs and rocks of the catches.
While leaning on the railing at the bow of the ship, Finwe gazed at the rough and steep cliffs on either side of the ship that had accompanied them for the past day. From this spot last night, he had seen a swarm of pink glowing jellyfish next to the ship. But now his eyes wandered up the cliffs. That must be at least 40, no 50 meters. Whoever is shipwrecked here is truly lost. Again he pulled his coat tighter. And then this cold. One would think that in the middle of Quintus it would be at least SOMEWHAT warmer.
After a while, he turned and walked past the three huge main masts toward the fourth at the stern of the ship and climbed the steps to the helm, where he nodded to the captain, who handed the helm to his helmsman and walked with Finwe to a table on which a map of the infamous bay was spread out. Marked in red ink were dangerous spots and the route they had gotten from Finwe's partner.
"Now let's hope that this path is correct. Because if it gets as foggy as it did last night, this map is the only thing that can save this ship and the 153 souls on board from a cold and wet death," said the weather-beaten man in the big hat.
"I hope so, because after all, I can't swim. But I trust my business partner. Besides, wasn't it you who told me at the beginning of this voyage not to paint the devil on the wall? That was the same man who calls himself the best captain of the western continent," Finwe replied somewhat provocatively.
Tane nodded somewhat absently and said, "I stand by that too.... Oh I just need some warmth. I just can't stand such cold in the long run!"
"I wouldn't mind a hot bath or drink right now either," Finwe agreed, "But for today, I can only dream of it, because I think I'll go lie down for a bit."
"Aye. See you tomorrow then," Tane nodded.
The two said their goodbyes and Finwe went below deck to the cabin he shared with another elven merchant from Hato. Since he was used to the constant movement of the ship by now, he also quickly fell asleep.
He didn't know how long he had been asleep when he was thrown out of his hammock. Disoriented, he heard first the ship's bell and then the shouts of the crew. Only when he sat up did he realize that water was standing several inches in space and seemingly flowing in from the passageway.
Gripped by fear, he ran out into the corridor and onto the main deck. On the way, he noticed the ship rapidly leaning more and more to starboard. Crew members with buckets came toward him and overtook him, and things were shouted toward him, though he did not hear them.
He began to climb the steps to the main deck when he lost his footing on the wet wood and hit chin first. He tasted blood as he got back up.
Once on the deck, he could make out the gruff voice of Tane barking orders from the clutter of voices.
"I don't care if you have buckets, make sure the water stays OUTSIDE the ship! Use what we have to plug these cracks, you useless dogs! Where is that... ALARAD! Get your ass over here now!"
For a split second Finwe thought about just going back below deck, but then he headed toward the raging captain.
It was only along the way that he realized two things. First, he could barely make out the bow of the ship because of a thick fog hanging over the water, and second, much of the port side of the ship was already no longer above water.
When Finwe turned back to Tane, he saw that he had come toward him with his fist in front. He couldn't react fast enough, felt a dull pain in his right cheek, and saw asterisks for a moment.
"I trusted you, you damn pointed ear! This is all your fault! When I'm done with you, even your mother won't let you...", Tane yelled in his ear, but was interrupted by an enormous jolt that went through the entire ship and nearly brought them both to the ground.
Finwe ran in the direction of the ever-sinking side of the ship and heard Tane roar up behind him. When he was already standing up to his ankles in the ice-cold water, he was jumped from behind and wrestled to the ground. As he went down he could have sworn he saw a glow in the water.
Lying on the ground, Finwe felt himself being pulled further into the water by his legs. He tried to fight it, but it seemed to do nothing. He managed to turn onto his back and saw that Tane was just getting to his feet from his attack.
He cried out as he realized it was part of the charge that was mercilessly pulling him further and further into the icy ocean. Panicked, he tried to free himself from the rope that had wrapped around his leg and shouted, "Help! Can't anyone help me!"
He turned back to Tane and saw that he had turned away and was walking toward the helm.
"Tane! Help me like this! I didn't know anything about this, I swear!" roared Finwe so loudly that his voice broke.
Tane stopped short and replied over his shoulder, "Too late Mr. Alarad! You got us in here and now you get to be the first to pay the prize!"
As Tane looked directly at him, Finwe involuntarily flinched. There was a wide grin on the captain's face and an unnatural white light shimmered in his eyes.
Again Finwe cried out, but no one on board seemed to hear or pay attention to him, and as he was pulled further and further off the ship and into deeper water another terrible thought came to him: I can't swim!
He tried to struggle against the rope on his leg, but it was futile. When he reached the railing, he clung to the wood with all his strength and managed to stay afloat a little longer.
While holding on to the railing he noticed how the ship was tilting more and more to one side and he knew it was only a matter of time before it tilted completely and more and more cargo and crew went overboard.
The tugging on his leg became stronger and stronger and Finwe's fingers slipped further and further from the wood. Just before he completely lost his grip and was pulled into the unknown depths he said softly, "Curse you Olweneg and everyone on board! Shall we haunt these waters until you have paid for this!"
As he finished the sentence, he lost his footing and sank completely underwater. The weight on his leg pulled him mercilessly ever and ever deeper. When Finwe looked up at the ship one last time, he saw the same glow he had seen before under the ship, now above the water.
As he wondered what this glow was Finwe's lungs began to fill with ice-cold seawater and soon it became dark around him and this darkness was to last a very long time for him.
