Id been ordered to get the domain ability, and not to invest in the Deaths Consorts upgrades. That did leave a window through which I could invest in my profession: skills and abilities that were tied directly to .
Improving the speed and maneuverability of my carrack were out of the question, as was directly investing in things like ship weapons or defenses. For the right price, the ship could be stocked with simple weapons that dealt cursed damage. For a heftier price, those weapons could be truly special. I couldnt get any of them.
Why? Id thought Jones was just angry with , but now I wondered if there was more to it than a simple trial-by-fire. Had he intended to supply with a better starting ship once Id gotten my professional skills upgraded? The thousands of XP I could sink upgrading a carrack into sothing decent would be wasted if I could just get a better ship, even with so of the XP transferring over.
Whatever Jones plans had been, I had fulfilled his first order and could circumnavigate the second. I took a look at what Id accumulated since emptying out my XP on my last ability.
Na
Donic Seaborn
Age
24
Race
Human (Cursed)
Profession
Captain of the Deep
Level
10
XP
142,803
Id accumulated 142,803 XP a significant chunk of which had been earned during this last battle. Now for the things I could spend it on.
Raise ship (II)
700,000
Raise a second ship under your command.
Raise crew (II)
100,000
Can raise departed spirits that have been gone longer. Allows for raised crew to be higher levels.
Summon crew
50,000
Spend mana to create a temporary magical construct to fill crew positions.
Hide true nature (II)
100,000
Increase the analyze threshold to penetrate your concealnt.
Uproot (II)
140,000
Increase your ti away from sea from 8 to 14 hours.
Vision (IV)
1,000
Increase vision distance in dark/murky waters by an additional 15 feet.
Domain (II)
200,000
Increase the area of your claid domain.
Remote operations
70,000
Control the depth of your ship at a distance of up to 1 mile. (Also acts as the limit for giving orders to summoned constructs.)
Stealth
100,000
Enable a low-level magical stealth field.
Aura
125,000
Increase the sphere of influence of your ship effects.
Cutting away all the ships options to just the things that could develop my profession was both relieving and frustrating. Relieving because it cut out the hundreds of tiny options tied to the ship. Frustrating because these abilities were so bloody expensive!
I could gather more information about so, such as the first and most expensive: the second level of Raise Ship. There were both hidden bonuses and strings attached. I could get a asure of XP for missions I tasked my second ship with. However, I needed to have a capable professional in charge of one of my ships, and I had to have at least a loyal relationship with that person.
Id spent a lot of ti looking at that one and trying to figure out if it could be a way around being stuck with the Deaths Consort, but besides the half-million boost to the initial ability price, I didnt have anyone with the criteria to take over the Consort for . Not to ntion Jones might have a say in how I conducted such business.
Other abilities were essentially useless to . While Uproot and Hide True Nature had been among the first abilities Id picked up, I rarely went ashore these days and everyone knew my real na, so having my true nature hidden didnt matter much. True, I had the Necklace of Persona that Id picked up on Gildra while my crew was deserting and it functioned well with my ability. The thing was, I wasnt trying to hide from anybody right now. The level of obscurity I had was enough to fool most.
After sorting through my options like a tight-fisted matron at a fish market, I decided to invest in stealth. Why do that when it only offered a low-level cloaking field and most our victims never saw us beneath the waves? Simple; there were still mages using magic to track us. It took ti and they were usually a step behind, but they could still follow. I hoped that this ability would interfere with that tracking. If not, maybe the upgraded versions could. They didnt have a read on Davy Jones, after all.
I spent the 100,000 points and imdiately activated it. I could toggle it on or off at will. The field extended to the edge of my ships sphere of influence, and I wondered whether trying to hide other things inside the area of effect would weaken the magic. Maybe it wouldnt; while the ability centered around hiding my ship, it was tied to after all. Other effects like a Fearful Mists spell were produced by the ship and fed of ambient mana, and so were off the table of options thanks to my inability to invest in my ship.
I decided that my new ability required testing. What better way to test than go into a high-traffic area and see if we were spotted?
We picked a port called Dumai, and arrived in late afternoon. We drifted offshore, and though I was interested to test the failure limitations on my new ability I didnt move straight into the busy shipping lanes. We kept the ship ready to run at the slightest sign of trouble since we were definitely in a much better position to create ambushes than survive similar attacks.
We sat and watched as ships passed a couple miles by us and just chilled. Our only excitent was when ships got close enough that they might see through our cloak and analyze us. If they did see through us, however, they didnt realize what we were since there was no panic or manned defenses. Since no harbor patrol or cutter ca to investigate, I gradually assud that no one saw through our cloaking field, either. rchant ships and transports might not react to discovering a cloaked ship, but they would report it and the local authorities or navy would investigate.
The sun set, and we ate our evening al of hardtack and dried at. This evening each man got so dried fruit as well, since wed liberated it from the stores of the warship before it had been ruined. Food aboard our ship didnt go bad in saltwater, but it would be bad if it got dunked before we claid it.
When night fell, I was still up keeping watch at the helm with the other designated crew. It took 45 seconds for the ship to subrge, in not much more ti the crew could be up and swarming the lines. However, as the only one who could control the depth of the ship I saw it as a responsibility to be present at the first hint of trouble. The ti it took for a watchstander to decide sothing was worth waking the Captain over might be the difference between a clean escape and dead crewn.
The night was clear, with perfect views of both Callis and Uropa. The reddish surface of Uropa and the white of Callis played with the shadows. The stars were bright enough to entrance even the non-elvish. The watch was as boring as it was peaceful.
So suddenly being aware of an intruder on the quarterdeck was startling. Not only their sudden appearance, but my complete certainty that they hadnt been there before they suddenly were.
I spun on the intruder, ready to draw blades and cast spells, and was again startled by what I found.
Thereyou are! Ca the girlish voice. You are so hard to pin down!
A wisp of a girl stood on my quarterdeck. She was wearing a blousy white shirt and dark pants with a rapier at her side. She wore a too-big tricorne hat and had blonde shoulder length hair blowing loose about her face. She looked like a city girl dressing up as a pirate and had a grin like shed trapped her beau into admitting his crush on her.
I glanced around for a flanking attack while the girl distracted , but there was no one. How did this girl get here, though? How did she suddenly appear?
She dipped in a short bow. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Seaborn! You can call g.
Is that your real na? I asked, still suspicious. Taking a closer look at her, I saw that she had so sort of armor beneath her blouse and her pants had the woven-in studs of cheap light armor. The pouch tied to her waist was that small bag of holding?
She grinned wider when I asked her na. If you cant read my stats, youll have to trust !
Her stats were indeed held tightly away from my analyze skill. Rembering so advice from the administrator, I used analyze together with observation. The more I knew about the girl, the less analyze had to fill in and the better chances I had. Donovan had done sothing similar back in Tulisang, taking a guess at what I was that allowed him to see through my protection.
This girl she was an adventurer. Not just any adventurer, though. Shed used a powerful magic or ability to surprise . The costu she was wearing wasnt just a disguise her balance told she truly had never been on a ship before but it was a blend of functionality and immaturity. She was young, but full of vinegar and spirit. Not a local, she looked like shed been pampered in her early life but lacked any regal-ness of nobility. She seed like she was playing a ga or having a fun adventure.
And with that, my analyze skill suddenly penetrated her hidden stats.
Na
agan Hill
Age
17
Race
Human
Profession
Jumper
Level
17
XP
58,000
Health
380
Mana
430
Stamina
120
Good grief, what kind of adventurer was this girl? At 17 years old, she had a higher level than and more XP. She also had a profession that Id never even heard of (what kind of profession was jumping?). What boggled my mind the most though were her stats. I couldnt read her exact allocation, but it looked like she had 43 intelligence, 38 constitution, and only 12 endurance! Ignoring that there was no way she should have had those kind of attributes at her level no matter what kind of training she got as an adventurer she should be massively imbalanced. I looked like a corpse and most people took a bad liking to imdiately because of my imbalanced charisma. She she just shouldnt exist!
Youre full of surprises, agan. I managed to say simply.
No fair, she muttered, her smile slipping.
A few of my crew had approached, hearing our exchange. I motioned them back but Will Thorpe slicked back his hair and stepped forward with a smile. Good evening miss, whats an adventurer like you doing on a moonlit vessel like this?
Shes not here for your charm, Will. I said drily. Everyone, search the rest of the deck. No one else surprises us.
The crew obeyed, Will giving just a disgruntled glare at interrupting his flirtations. Interestingly enough, agan smiled back at him as he left.
The lad raises a good point, agan, I said when we had space again. Just what are you doing here? Whats more, howd you get here?
Ive got professional abilities that helped get here, she said.
You jumped? I said, an incredulous note in my voice.
She smirked. Yep. Probably not what youre imagining, though. As for why Im here well, my team has been looking for you.
If youre hoping to collect a bounty, I said. Your stealthed friends had better be sure to get the first try.
Ooooh, quite the mini-boss, arent you?
Mini-boss? What? Maybe she was imbalanced and not quite right in the head. Youre not one to talk, short stuff.
Her cheeks flushed and she seed distinctly annoyed. That was uncalled for.
And this conversation is nonsensical, I said. Why shouldnt I subrge right now? Can you breathe underwater? Why hadnt I already subrged?
Please dont ruin my luck I spend so many points there, she had even more points in luck? Who did that? And it only seems to help occasionally! Like running into you tonight. Were here to help, not hunt you!
She blurted out the last sentence as the ship had started to sink on my command. I stopped. Help ?
My team was hired by a Count in Antarus who thinks that you might be key to who rules the seas in the next century, she said quickly. Hes a proponent of the legislation to not chase you.
? I said. Rule over the seas? Im confused and intrigued. Keep going.
There was always talk of whether or not you were actually a villain, agan explained. So many conflicting stories, from your old Captain and the hydra hunters, that administrator that lost his job
Lost his job? I interrupted.
Oh, maybe a bad choice of words. He was removed from his position for his opinions and his testimony about you, but he found a new position on the Counts team quickly enough.
I was relieved to hear that. My interactions with the man had been rather rcenary, but I couldnt help but like him.
So anyway, on top of all those stories, theres all those journals you had published. Wow! Depressing read, honestly. Bold of you to let the world know how much your crew hates you. Ouch. But the Count says they show a good man being forced into doing evil. So I have to ask, are you?
Hmph. What, you want a yes? If I was a good man Id have died on the bottom when Lawless Jack put there rather than take Jones deal. If I was a good man Id have owned up to my mistake and served Jones on the Perdition rather than kill. A good man? No, Im not one now, and Im not sure if I was. Neutral is the best I can hope for. As impartial as the sea but just as rciful.
She stayed quiet for several monts, chewing her lip. Honestly, that scares more than a villain saying hes going to conquer the world.
If the administrator is on your team, you should have a better picture than most of whats happening. And why my hands are tied. What do you want from ? Why this interest in what I can do? What kind of help might my efforts have produced? And how long could this conversation last before Davy Jones took an interest
Speak of the devil.
Jones presence filled my mind as he sat behind my eyes and watched what was going on. He wasnt just focused on this adventurer, though. He was focused on . Was I being a good little lieutenant or was I making traitorous, underhanded dealings?
agan didnt know this. She jabbered on.
The histories the Count has show that Davy Jones actually played a decisive role in breaking the naval monopoly of the last world war or the human/non-human war but with the news of this wars battles theres an opposite trend. Hes
Jones roar filled my head and made drop to my knees, my hands rushed to either clap my ears or pull my hair out, I wasnt sure which. All I knew was that Jones didnt want hearing what this adventurer had to say.
So freedom is the one thing you know you want? Then freedom is whats on the line here. Get rid of this instigator, or I swear youll be scrubbing the decks of the Perdition before the sun rises!
you have to fight! agan was saying. Shed backed away from . You have to fight his influence, Donic! Theres ways to free you, but you have to resist him!
You ca at the wrong ti, I said. There were things I could do, and things I couldnt. I wouldnt jeopardize my freedom any more than it was. A knife slipped into my hand and flicked through the air towards her. Despite having 130 more HP than , she blanched at the thrown blade.
Then she disappeared.
My knife sailed through the air where shed been and over the side of the ship. Using my domain ability, I sensed that she was suddenly on the main deck, behind the rush of sailors running towards the quarterdeck at my initial cry.
I cast water whip as I leaped onto the main deck, brushing past my startled crew. Jones was looking to see how I handled this. If I did anything but try my hardest, if I had any rcy, hed have none.
My boots thudded against the deck and the arms of my whip lashed out, knocking aside the coiled rope and barrels agan was hiding behind. She was so startled she splurted out the mana potion shed been drinking. Her eyes flickered up though and she disappeared again.
I turned, not needing my domain to follow where shed vanished to right where shed been looking, three-quarters up the rigging to the crows nest.
Kill her! I shouted to my confused crew. While they hesitated or drew their weapons, I reached into my bag for a short bow. A mont later I had an arrow nocked to the string and was sighting in on the small figure struggling to move up the rigging, lacking any skill in climbing. The string slipped from my fingers, fractions of a second later the arrow slipped from my bow, my aim unerring
And g had slipped, falling with her legs in the rigging. My arrow sailed where shed just been. I knocked another arrow as she pulled herself back up. Sight in, release she looked down and then frantically wriggled as vertigo, wobbly legs and the jouncing rigging from my crew clambering up from below all threatened to undo her. My arrow split the air by her cheek and pierced the brim of her tricorne, knocking it off her head. Her hand shot out blindly to retrieve her hat, and my attack seed to be the impetus she needed to keep pushing. She clapped the tricorne back on her head and scrambled upwards.
Imp! I yelled, adding a few choice curses to her ridiculous luck attribute. My archery skills were good, but there were too many variables still involved in my shots. I could empty a whole quiver and she might dodge each one completely unintentionally.
My water whip was still summoned, the cost of maintaining my half-dozen water arms around manageable with my mana regen alone. Id refined my skill with it to use it to grab and pull objects towards , but I had a sudden inspiration for a new technique.
With one arm I reached towards the rigging and pulled, lifting myself off the deck. I quickly used another to balance myself out, then two more in tandem to lash myself to the rigging further up and pull. I leaped past the startled cries of my crew whod followed my orders in pursuit of the girl. I practically flew up the rigging towards the crows nest, where the girl had just disappeared.
I pulled myself up and swung around the rigging, grabbing the edge of the crows nest and forcing myself into the air above it. My domain told she was still there.
While my montum carried into the air above the crows nest, g dropped the vial that had been filled with a mana regen potion. Then she leaped off the crows nest, looking towards the distant port. I lashed at her with my whips. Just before the tip of a watery coil lightened around her ankle she vanished, my whip latched onto nothing.
Shed jumped or portaled away. This ti domain told she wasnt on board my ship anymore or anywhere within my sphere of influence.
Id failed.
That realization hit about the sa ti the impetus from my montum into the air above the crows nest ran out, and I realized there was a flaw to my use of multiple water whips as transportation: I could only lash and pull with them. I couldnt firm them up to gently lower myself down with them.
With a curse I wind milled into the crows nest, earning a collection of bruises. I gathered myself and looked out over the water between my ship and the port where the adventurer had run, no doubt back to her waiting team.
Id failed.
Jones had set the mandate: kill the adventurer or lose my freedom. My entire gambit; the deal with Jones, the training, the sacrifice for my future crew, saving my crew, condemning my crew, killing so many people to placate Jones it was all over. I would beco just another soul trapped aboard the Perdition, a footnote in history about the lieutenant the world couldnt kill, but which couldnt asure up to Davy Jones standards.
Id lost the last bit of my freedom.
As the numbing thought threatened to overwhelm , I beca aware again that Jones was still monitoring . I thought I heard him murmur sothing about non-native ddlers before turning his attention back to . He considered harshly, and I waited for him to pass judgnt, strip of my attributes and profession, and drag below.
It seems you really do fight like the dickens to preserve your freedom. You caused this whole ss with your bleeding heart. You have until the sun sets tomorrow to prove to that youre worthy of the profession I gifted you.
He was gone. I scarcely breathed I had another chance! Hed seen my desperate effort to follow his command and given a second chance!
All hands! I bellowed, loud enough to rouse anyone who might still be sleeping. Man your stations!
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