I practiced magic on the deck of the Sea Cruiser until my mana was gone. Water push and pull was different when you were subrged for a number of reasons. The first was directing what you were pushing and pulling. Contrary to my initial musings, it required more control than moving water around a bowl did. I had to focus on moving only a parcel of water within the ocean, not the whole ocean.
I discovered that manifesting and controlling my raw mana was much easier than it had been previously. Did that have to do with being in water? Or did the practice co more intuitively after Id had ti to internalize it?
Then there was the discovery that physics stuck its head into the magical world every now and again. Implied in the casting of a spell was that you were causing the effect, and that the effect didnt impact you. Maybe Renshaw would have disabused of that notion, but when I imagined myself casting water push, I imagined the water moving away from however far the spell could move it. I didnt imagine moving in the opposite direction! That would make magic even more chaotic than it already seed to be! I tried imagining the potential backlash of wielding spells like that. Forget spells that involved force, wouldnt any mage casting lightning be setting themselves up for electrocution? Mages should be invulnerable to the effects of their spell, shouldnt they?
Yet when I tried pushing water while swimming adrift, I surprised myself by pushing myself away just as much as Id pushed the water. It was all the more confusing because when Id been anchored to the deck I hadnt had any push-back at all. I used magic and the water moved. The magic moved the water, not I. I wasnt dealing with an opposite reaction.
I anchored myself in the rigging as an experint and had no pushback. I tried letting myself drift but kept a hand on the rigging. No pushback. I let go of the rigging and tried again. I pushed myself back into the rigging.
With enough experintation, I realized that if I secured myself to anything or felt gravity (like when I anchored myself) then physics let magic and do our thing. If I was suspended in the water, physics reared it head and said that a force between two unsecured objects (the water I was pushing and ) would move them apart at an equal speed.
Before I started complaining, I thought back to how useful mobility was in the sea. Anchoring myself let drop from wherever I was towards the sea floor. Pushing and pulling water werent nearly the sa, but they were more versatile, letting move suddenly in the opposite direction of my spell.
Nice.
I tried an experint where I swam upwards, anchored myself, and tried to do a push while I was in freefall. I wasnt good enough at manipulating mana to do it on the move like that; I was uncertain of what gallon-sized globule of water I was trying to move in this vast ocean. I had to switch back to drifting before I touched down, elsewise I could hurt myself from the fall. The more ti I gave myself to practice the spell, the further I would fall and the more risk I took. I only tried that experint once. More experintation could wait until I had the real spell and could just activate it or however you used spells once you knew them.
Once exhausted, I set up my little camp in the captains cabin, intending to sleep as I always did, only in a more secure spot. I discovered that sleeping aboard my own ship ca with its perks. While normally I pulled out an old quilt that Id bought in Andros for the express purpose of a blanket, it never shared the qualities of my curse. It behaved exactly as youd expect a sodden quilt in the harbor to behave. In my cabin, that sodden old quilt actually felt like a blanket!
Id noticed throughout the day that things were different aboard the ship when it was subrged. Not only did the inrushing water fail to make everything aboard a chaotic ss, it didnt treat the things aboard as water should. Id dropped a wooden fork from the galley; rather than drift to deck it had fell with a clatter.
It seed that so of the nuances of the ship were integral and didnt have to be paid for with XP. That was good, because as frugal as I was trying to be to save for my Raise Crew ability, I probably would have wasted so for a good nights sleep.
I woke in the morning more refreshed and alive than I had in weeks. I checked, and indeed had a well-rested buff. Boy, it had been awhile since Id had that!
Chipper as I was, I still peeked my head out of my cabin cautiously. I had no idea if my ship would alert for intruders, but I didnt want to open the door to surprise a predator.
No predators. That was always good.
I practiced magic again in the morning, looking to exhaust my mana and refill it when I set out. It was just before I bottod out that I got a notification.
Congratulations! You have learned the spell Water Push!
Haha! I had my own spell! All my practice the day before must have paid dividends, because Id learned a spell in only a matter of days (so of which I hadnt practiced at all). True, it was a beginners spell that my Heart at Sea perk certainly helped learn, but still. I was a proper mage now!
I tried doing a water push without manifesting my mana. It worked. I triggered the spell, the water that Id wanted to move did, and my mana dropped by only 2 points. It was a cheap spell, but then it didnt have much use for a normal mage.
Normal mages didnt live underwater.
I used the spell again, and again. I was going to try it in rapid succession, launching masses of water in every direction, when I beca aware that I couldnt. In the ti it took to process that feeling, it went away. I used the spell. I used it again. For a brief ti after each use, there was an internal clock on the spell, telling that I had to wait. I decided to ask Renshaw about it.
I was nearly bottod out as far as mana went, but all my spells hadnt used as much mana as I normally wasted with manifestations. More efficient, indeed.
In my excitent, I tried using my spell to push a mass of water 100 tis the size Id been practicing with. I succeeded in pushing the sa amount as always. Ah, that made sense. Id learned the basic spell, now it was ti to practice and upgrade it to sothing fearso.
I finished emptying my mana by practicing water pull, then used my compass to orient myself towards shore and started swimming. I could anchor myself and start walking, but that would entail hiking down into deeper waters and then back up later. Swimming was the shortest route, and I was strong enough at it that it was feasible (being able to breathe no matter what helped a lot).
It would probably take six days, but I could make it back.
It took five days, for which I was proud. I swam nearly the whole way, sinking to the ocean floor to sleep, rest, and scavenge.
Scavenging beca necessary. I ran out of food since I hadnt planned to be out as long as I was (or burning through as much energy as I had to). Id settled myself in to tightening my belt and pushing through when I realized I had another option. I nearly slapped my head because I hadnt thought of it the last ti Id been rushing towards shore for food.
There was life all around !
The depths of the water dictated what plant life grew and regulated what kind of species filled it. I could scavenge from the sea the sa way people could scavenge from the land as they travelled. At most depths there werent any edible plants, but I was still in coastal waters so I could swim over the deeper areas and farm the underwater gardens when they appeared. I didnt touch anything I didnt recognize and left even more behind because it needed to be cooked or prepared a certain way I wasnt that desperate yet but I scavenged a type of seaweed and a spongey plant that grew along rocky outcroppings like a head of cauliflower.
They were both just as appetizing as they sounded but getting food inside mattered.
I also caught a fish that had seed to lack a survival instinct. It had flitted about for awhile, curiously inspecting , but it didnt take a hint when I missed with my first sword strike. My second debilitated it, and by then it was too late. Sushi wasnt my favorite, but in Carr the Chortin didnt eat it any other way.
I also picked up so crustaceans, their scuttling escape maneuvers no match for soone who could sprint. They also tasted better cooked, better yet with seasonings I didnt have.
I saw predators on three different occasions. Twice they were sharks, though not the sa one that Id played with on the trip out. Id been harboring a secret hope that it would find again and Id start taming a pet, but no luck there and I didnt have ti to play with every ocean creature. When one of the sharks had moved from curious to aggressive Id used water push to punch it in the gills and dropped from where I was drifting to the sea floor. It didnt follow.
The third predator Id encountered was a sea serpent. It had claid a kill already, a large shark, and if it noticed it paid no mind. I wanted to kill it since it was still a juvenile and would net a good deal of XP, but I didnt attack. I wasnt prepared to, even with my unique underwater abilities it still had outclassed in speed and maneuverability. That left my weapons against its a corroded old sword and a handful of daggers against a maw of teeth and crushing coils. Id gambled on a lot of things in my life, but I knew when my luck stat was shaking its head, going, nothing I can do for you, bub.
If Id stopped to fight the serpent, I wouldnt have made it in the ti I did. I sighted land and realized I was several miles south of my target. I could pinpoint exactly where the sea cruiser was behind , between that and my compass I wasnt too far off course. Not bad. I adjusted my course and swam towards the harbor below the surface.
Before I got close, a ship ca up from behind . Partly because I was tired and partly because it seed like an amusing prank, I swam to et it as it passed and grabbed ahold of the rudder. Hanging on to it wasnt exactly the relief my tired muscles were going for, but I traveled much faster. I tried to keep my body as streamlined as possible.
The last few days were sothing I wasnt conditioned for, even if I was capable of it. I rested whenever I needed to, either treading water or laying down on the sea floor, but it was still more swimming than Id done in a long ti. I didnt see a bump to my endurance, but I was sure I was close. If I did a little more work Id probably raise it.
Id also received a few prompts over the last few days:
You have advanced to skill level 15 in Swimming! 4% breathing capacity, 4% water movent speed per level.
Congratulations! You have learned the spell Water Pull!
I expected to advance in swimming after how much of it I was doing and how close Id been to progressing. The breathing capacity didnt an much to anymore now that I could breathe water. The movent speed was all the better, though.
Learning the spell was also expected after Id picked up water push, but it had taken a few more practice sessions. Id moved on to trying to upgrade the spell by moving more water with my manifested mana but hadnt had any further progress.
When the ship I was trailing began its turn into port, I dropped off. Hitching a ride was well and good, but I worried that hanging onto the rudder would ss with their steering while they were trying to make careful corrections.
At the pylons of the pier, I checked that my appearance was in order: I was just a shirtless diver coming up from scavenging along the bottom with an adventuring bag. I popped to the surface and climbed up, my land tir starting to count down once again. People noticed , but they didnt point out or look at funny, so success!
It was early evening, the suns descent towards the horizon bringing an evening cool. It seed to have been a very hot day, but I hadnt noticed with where Id been. I let my clothes dry out as I walked. Id been conscious of how much ti I spent in the sea and tried to keep my hygiene up. Id noticed early on that I hadnt been as foul as Id expect given where Id been spending most of my ti, but still found so fresh water to clean up in now and again. Now I noticed more of an air about , like salt winds and brine. I wasnt offensive to myself, but Id wager other people would thank to clean up.
I decided to head straight to Smittys, despite my need for a bath. I didnt know how late hed be in, but Id just as soon free up the space in my bag.
The buxom girl who minded the counter was just heading out, but she directed to the back where Smitty was still working. When I found him in his office, the accountant was in his elent, surrounded by legal books, ledgers, letters, and a row of different writing implents. Ill give the miser one thing, he was dedicated. He looked up in annoyance at my intrusion, and the expression didnt disappear when he saw it was .
So, you havent run off. Forget where to find those ships, did ya?
I pulled a lump of ore from my bag and set it on the letter he was writing. Salvage from the Sea Cruiser. Shall I empty my bag here or do you have a spot for it?
The ore Id happened to pull out was gold ore, otherwise he probably wouldnt have forgiven for placing it as I did. He snatched it up and bounded out of his office, his annoyed deanor disappearing.
Follow !
The warehouse was considerably emptier than before. Either hed sold so stuff off or he had another storage facility. He led to a stack of sacks and asked if Id managed to keep the ores separated. I hadnt, which wasnt what he wanted to hear but had expected.
He helped dump the ores from my bag into the sacks, which I hadnt expected of him. He looked over the sacks of miscellaneous ores and tutted over paynt, which I did expect.
I cant know just what the value of what you brought back is until I get soone to sort it out and evaluate it.
Thats okay, I wouldnt want to rush it. Ill take 30% whenever youve sold it back.
He scooched so of the bags into a more orderly arrangent. Ill be able to get your money to you as soon as I have it appraised.
I sighed. Yeah, thats what I figured.
He arched an eyebrow at . Ill remind you that 30% is a generous offer, Mr. Seaborn.
Having him call Seaborn struck the wrong way, but I tried to ignore it. Theres a difference between 30% of the appraised value and 30% of what it actually sells for.
He waved my concerns away. If you waited until all your salvage had sold, youd be waiting a long ti. Ill have you paid within days. Besides, Im not in the business of marking up goods exorbitantly when Im hired for a recovery job. If I did it wouldnt be worth it for people to recover their goods. Why would they, if they could just buy it on the market for the sa price?
That all made sense, but I didnt trust him. I reminded myself not to be greedy, that I only needed money to fund my training. Fine, at least this should be easier to divide. I removed the pay chest from my bag, making sure the coins inside rattled about as I set it on the floor, leaking seawater.
You wouldnt have just happened to forget about that, would you?
If I did that, I said, nudging the chest with my toe, Your lesson on economics wouldnt have jarred my mory.
Smitty didnt say anything, he just examined the chest and let consider how petty I was being. He tapped the corroded lock a few tis. I dont suppose you found the key?
No.
Thats unfortunate. It probably wouldnt fit right anyway, with the corrosion and all.
I held out my hand. Give so lockpicks and Ill open it for free.
He considered . Anyone else he had pick the lock would see the money inside as well, which would be a security concern for him. He couldnt miscount how much the chest had if I was here, but then I didnt really think he was that crooked. Not by more than a few silvers, anyway.
He went to the front where the shop was and returned with a lockpicking set. I sat down in front of the lock, observing both it and the design of the lockpicks. I glanced up at Smitty, standing over . Im only level 2 in lockpicking. This will take a while. He didnt waste any ti getting back to his ledgers.
I felt out the pins of the lock for a half hour. Id thought that the lock was simply well designed, better than my skill could easily overco, but I eventually threw up my hands in disgust. It wasnt a matter of finding the right pins or applying the right amount of pressure the thing was far too corroded inside to operate!
I glanced around the warehouse until my eyes landed on a large prybar. I turned the chest so the crack of the lid was facing up and smashed the prybar down into it. The sa conditions that had rendered the lock unusable made cracking through the lid and popping it open easy. It took less than two minutes. Why had I fiddled with lockpicks for half an hour?
Smitty had co to check on when he heard the ruckus I was making but hadnt objected. Now, we both watched as the last of the seawater flowed out of the chest along with the coins. It wasnt a glittering chest of gold, every coin was tarnished by seawater. It was mostly silver, though there was a fair amount of copper and a few gold.
Smitty set to counting, setting stacks aside by order of value. I rubbed the tarnish off the worst coins and left them for him to count. I didnt want to intrude on his system or give him cause to double check my work. He tallied everything, made a note of how much was of each currency, and made so simple calculations which he then showed . I figure I owe you 7 gold, 42 silver and 73 coppers from this chest. Do you agree?
I followed his calculations and agreed. The chest had contained a total of about 25 gold. There was no appraised value V.S. market value on currency, so business was straightforward. I would have to polish up the coins a bit, though.
Do you have a preference in denominations? he asked. If soone didnt want to show gold, they could take more silver instead. If they didnt want to carry around all the silver it would take to make a gold, theyd take the higher value coin. Since I didnt have to worry about the weight or mass so much with my storage bag, I took most of my pay in silver with just a few gold. That seed to suit Smitty just fine.
Before you go, I ought to tell you: theres been two people that dropped in asking about you.
Really? I said, not sure if I should feign disinterest or not.
I dont make a habit of sharing details about my employees but seeing as I had no idea where you were or if you were even doing work for right then, I told them as much.
Any description?
He generically described two people that could have been anybody. They were human, so that was sothing, but then there werent many non-humans in Andros.
Listen, Smitty said, Ill tell you what I tell all my employees: so long as you do good work for , I dont care what other problems you have. I dont ask, you dont tell. Sothing slips and I may forget I heard. But you go about bringing trouble here and the guards will get their citizens report. Clear?
As crystal waters, I said. Before I head out, I wonder if theres sothing I might buy from you tonight.
The annoyed look was back on his face. You can spend your money on trinkets when we reopen tomorrow. I have better things to do!
How many harpoons would I have to buy to make it worth your while?
His interest was piqued, and he was no doubt wondering if he could keep his hands on more of the silver hed paid with. What exactly are you looking for?
Id thought about that sea serpent a lot on my return; the number of sharks Id seen as well. I needed to find sources of XP and wading into combat with my sword was far from ideal. I intended to find a weapons trainer, but I also needed ranged weapons for subrged work my knives werent up to the task I had in mind.
There were a number of innovative projectile weapons to work underwater. They were mostly variations of a crossbow storing a fixed amount of energy to sling a bolt or spear forward. Elastic bands were the most commonly used thods of slinging spears, but there were much more powerful (and expensive) magic equivalents that used mana to work. The trouble with these types of weapons was that they were primarily fishing tools. They filled their role well and I certainly didnt want to get hit by one of their projectiles but they werent exactly serpent killing tools.
What I thought of was to pick up so harpoons I could throw. A well-designed harpoon faced minimal resistance in the water, the trouble was the thrower. Given my unique circumstances, I believed I could make good use of it. Id be just as restricted as a normal man if I was adrift and not anchored, but with practice I could probably jump from one condition to the other long enough to throw a harpoon. More things to practice
Smitty rubbed his chin when I described what I was looking for. Then he led to a cluttered corner filled with miscellaneous tools. I wondered how in the world he kept everything straight in his head must be a professional perk of his.
He showed a stack of harpoons lashed together. They were well used but had a light layer of dust on them and spots of rust. There were other tools as well, tridents, bidents, slinging devices, etc. I pulled the knots tying the bundle of harpoons loose and quickly inspected several. I only had one level of spears gained from my ti aboard the Essential but I was well familiar with the care and maintenance of them.
There were no enchantnts or other damage-dealing effects to these tools, and their rated damage per strike was brought down by their condition. They were all about five feet long and thin; if theyd been better maintained Id have called them sleek. Because they were solid tal they still had a heft to them, but with my strength stat they were still lightweight. There was a wicked barb on the end, but the poor maintenance showed in the dull edges, broken barbs and tips. I imdiately set those aside along with the few that werent straight anymore and had 14 harpoons left. I pulled two more out that were too rusted for to deal with, leaving with an even dozen.
How much for these?
15 silver each.
That seed a bit high, but I was taking his best tools and didnt want to haggle too hard given that he was my employer and I was pulling him away from his after-hours work.
My eyes flicked over the trident. I imagined I could use it as a polearm; it would serve better for that purpose than a harpoon or spear. Sa price for the trident?
Smitty chewed his lip. 20 for the trident.
Do I get to keep the lockpicks? I asked. His eyes darted back to . While he was counting money hed forgotten that hed loaned the picks. Yes, that will include the picks.
I reached into my bag and removed the two gold I owed him. It was always convenient not having to break change. I put the harpoons into my bag and inspected the trident before doing the sa. The width of the trident forks just barely managed to fit through the mouth of my bag. I told Smitty Id be back after my next run and bid him farewell.
The sun had nearly set, and it was probably past polite visiting hours, but I still hurried over to Renshaws establishnt. I wasnt expecting to get a lesson in today, but I wanted to make sure I was on his calendar tomorrow. It was dusk when I arrived but Renshaw was sitting cross-legged in the grass in front of his house. I saw he had a student with him, deep in ditation, so I made to leave. Renshaw saw first and beckoned over.
He slapped my shoulder with a smile. I wondered if Id see you again. I was a bit disappointed when you didnt show up these last few days. You are easily the most interesting student I have right now.
He was speaking softly, but I still glanced over his shoulder at the young boy ditating with his eyes closed seemingly oblivious to us. Renshaw followed my eyes and shook his head.
A very promising student, but he has yet to awaken any abilities. Clear and level-headed, though. He could rank every person in my class by order of potential and Id agree with him. I appreciate brilliance wherever I see it, but especially so in soone so young.
I didnt an to interrupt your teaching; my job just took longer than expected and I wanted to make sure an appointnt with you tomorrow afternoon would work.
To my surprise, Renshaw actually insisted I co over earlier. Join for breakfast! Well see if we cant pinpoint the uniqueness behind your water magic. Ive been puzzling over it and have yet to find an answer. As a scholar, thats a challenge!
Im afraid that spending the day under your tutelage would wipe out most of my most recent paycheck.
Oh no, I wont charge you when Im learning sothing new myself. Join in the morning, sit through the class I have. No charge for that either, but I think it will do you good to watch their attempts at mana manipulation. Well have our session in the afternoon, normal ti, normal charge. Have you picked up push and pull yet?
As a matter of fact, I have. Ill have so questions for you tomorrow about them.
Good, good! I look forward to it. Stay safe!
I left Renshaws to find The Bronze Hook, a tavern Id heard of in town. Donovans Reef was an impressive establishnt and he kept order inside it, but it was also the area where an owl had spied on . Smitty had warned of people asking after , and that made wary. To my knowledge, no one had seen through my cover yet, and if I looked a bit shifty with my disappearances well, I was surely no worse than half the town.
Even if the people following were normal criminals, I still wanted to avoid them. My adventurer bag marked , and I lacked the typical team that accompanied one. Soone looking to shake down so silver might think it was worthwhile to follow my movents.
Should I assu the worst? If I did, the smart thing to do would be go down to the dock, claim a boat I could manage and get out of Tulisang. It didnt leave with good options, but avoiding exposure and capture was the priority.
If I ran at every warning sign, though, Id never establish the ans to defend myself before they cornered . They being half the world. Given enough ti, my secret would be exposed. What I had here was a trainer for my magical abilities, a list of ships to experint with, and a job/cover to keep it all running. Being spied on was unsettling, but it wasnt worth running yet.
I found The Bronze Hook by the docks. It wasnt nearly as nice or large as the Reef, but it was what I expected from a dockside tavern. There was a murmur of conversation coming from inside, but no music or sounds of brawling. I waited for a while in the shadows nearby, observing the front. When my stomach growled for real food instead of seaweed, I convinced myself I was just being paranoid and entered.
Conversation didnt die when I entered, but there was a drop-off as people noted my presence. There was plenty of lighting inside, but each lantern was subdued. The walls, tables and fixtures were clean but showed wear and patches from occasional damage. I made my way to the bar casually, my observation skill working overti. A lot of patrons here were tense. Others seed relaxed but werent. I wondered if I was the cause of it, but I spotted quite a few of the armbands Id noticed around town before. These ones were a dark green. I wondered at the significance once again, even as I mapped my exits.
The innkeep here followed the stereotypical lines; belly, apron, the works. He was still less welcoming than the intimidating-cut figure Donovan had been. I smiled extravagantly, like I could make up for his lack of enthusiasm.
Do you have anything on the stove?
Who are you here with? he replied.
Just dropping by for sothing simple to fill my belly.
We dont have anything.
I didnt protest, question him or point to the food that was sitting at the tables of other patrons. This place was a mbers only club at best. The presence here of whatever passed for an ard force in this quarter spelled trouble for , and I wanted out. I knuckled my brow, apologized for bothering him, and moved to a side door. There were two burly fellows loitering in the alley directly outside, surprised at my exit.
Evening boys, I said, walking straight past. I didnt look back, though I was listening. When I reached the street, I checked who was around. I saw nobody, but soone had stepped out the side door behind and was saying so words to the burly guys. I quickened my pace, checking behind . They were following.
As I approached the pier they started to close in, and I saw another figure appear further down the docks. Hed probably been sent to cut off.
I quick-stepped to the pier. They were running now, closing as fast as they could. I took the last steps of land I needed and dove into the sea.
I waited to see if any of them would try following . I doubted it, and my suspicions were confird. Whatever reason they had to chase , trying to find in the inky darkness of the waters wasnt worth it.
I debated just disappearing below. It was safest. However, if they were after because they suspected my identity, I didnt want to give them more cause to suspect . I swam to the next pier and surfaced loudly, splashing and gasping for breath. I looked over and saw that there were indeed figures standing on the dock, waiting and discussing their options. They saw . I took an exaggerated breath and went below again. This ti I stayed below. Theyd assu I swam away and surfaced sowhere they didnt see.
My thoughts were troubled as I found a spot to make camp. Where was the danger? What was the best option? If normal criminals were looking to mug , I could deal with that. Stuff like that happened in most ports, it was business as usual. If soone was after because I was the servant of Davy Jones, a fledgling power with quests of terror, then I should cut my losses and run. But where? Everyone would be on the lookout for .
My blanket wasnt as comfortable as it had been in my cabin. My worries hounded my thoughts until pure tiredness pulled to sleep, then they hounded my dreams.
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