We have been sailing for so long, Zenkhald thought mournfully, still sitting at the enormous height.
It was uncomfortable down below: thick black smoke constantly billowed from the huge funnel, covering the deck in soot. The wind was very weak, the sails hung uselessly on the yards, and the ship was running purely on coal, shuddering from the operation of the engine.
Suddenly he heard screams. Zenkhald looked down and saw several sailors dragging one resisting poor fellow. They roughly tied him to the thick wooden pillar of the mast and began to beat him with a whip. The one administering the punishnt—the boatswain—shouted for the whole ship to hear: "THAT WILL TEACH YOU!" It turned out this sailor had been secretly stealing provisions from the storage.
Zenkhald watched this cruelty without much interest, but with growing sadness. I don't really like it here, he reasoned to himself. You can't eat normally. And the food here is sohow... The at is incredibly hard, like a shoe sole, and unbearably salty. Sad. I don't like any of this. Everyone around is so angry, dissatisfied, shouting at each other.
His thoughts were interrupted by so burly man in an oiled shirt who climbed up to him. "Co on, you'll help us," he ordered. And why is he bossing around? Zenkhald thought lazily. But he was even more too lazy to argue than to walk, so he climbed down after him.
They returned to the hellish heat of the boiler room again. Zenkhald saw exhausted people almost walking into the fire itself to throw heavy coal in there. As soon as he entered, five grimy stokers stared at him. They looked at each other. "Co on, kid, throw so for us," one of them said, wiping sweat with a dirty rag. Soone else added even more rudely: "Co on, grab a shovel, we're off." Without waiting for an answer, the sailors simply dropped their tools and went sowhere deep into the hold—to rest and play dice, passing off their shift. And what's the big deal if it's so easy for him.
Zenkhald didn't even take an iron shovel. He sat on the dirty floor, crossed his legs, and with the help of telekinesis began to smoothly toss pieces of coal right into the furnaces, maintaining the heat. I want to eat... the mage thought plaintively, listening to the roar of the flas. I want it terribly.
He probably sat like that for a whole nine hours. There were no windows or clocks in the boiler room, only eternal fire. His eyes began to stick together. I want to sleep...
Through his slumber, he saw Aurora approaching him. She stopped and looked at him. A powerful mage, capable of destroying an army, sat in the dirt on the floor and did nial labor for free. Absolute, cold disgust could be read in her gaze.
"What are you doing?" she asked in an icy tone. Not waiting for an answer: "You are pathetic."
Zenkhald raised his eyes to her. In his head, her words reflected completely differently. The word "pathetic" sounded to him like "pity".
"You... feel pity for ?" he was genuinely surprised.
She continued to look at him with her heavy, piercing gaze, not believing her ears.
"Thank you," Zenkhald told her quietly, smiling a little. "You are probably the only one on this whole ship who is like that..."
Aurora's face instantly twisted from indescribable anger. She turned around maliciously and, without saying a word, swiftly walked away.
Zenkhald followed her with a puzzled look. A piece of coal smoothly flew through the air into the firebox. "I don't understand her," he pronounced aloud, settling more comfortably on the cold iron.
Two days passed. Life on the ship turned out to be quite a gloomy thing.
During this ti, five more sailors were tied to the mast pillar and flogged with a whip. The local ship's healer understood absolutely nothing about dicine—for any illness, he simply let people sleep, and one man, who never regained consciousness, the sailors simply wrapped in cloth and threw overboard without further ado. A tailwind blew for only one day, and then the sails sagged again, and the ship dragged along the water exclusively on coal.
When I once again climbed down from the mast to take a walk, the stokers again tried to pass off the work.
"Hey, kid, get to the fireboxes, cover for us," one of them threw out, wiping black sweat.
"I'm too lazy," I answered honestly, preparing to walk past.
That sa stoker took a step forward. His heavy, dirty hand fell on my shoulder and squeezed forcefully.
"What's your problem?" he drew out threateningly, looming over . "Do you need to be forced the hard way?"
I looked at his rough hand, and then slowly raised my gaze to him. "I understand everything, you are stupid, but still..." I pronounced calmly. "I ignite coal in the blink of an eye. Do you think it will be hard for to ignite a person?"
I looked into his eyes. For about twenty seconds he looked back at , and his face slowly turned white under the layer of black soot. His hand slipped off my shoulder on its own. He began to slowly back away until he pressed his back into the iron bulkhead, and quietly, with just his lips, began to pray.
I left them there and went back upstairs, to my mast.
Every day, closer to noon, the captain rolled a barrel out onto the deck and gave all the sailors a portion of rum mixed with stale water—I think it was called grog. I tried it. Such sour stuff! I have no idea how they even drink it.
My mood was completely ruined.
The only person on this whole floating piece of wood who I could talk to normally was Aurora. I don't know why, but all the people here are incredibly two-faced. Everyone except her. Behind fake smiles, these ones constantly hide sothing else: greed, fear, anger. Aurora, however, is honest. If she wants to kill , she says so. No lies.
The captain was also starting to get terribly annoying. "I AM GOD ON THIS VESSEL!" he shouted hysterically every ti soone dared to argue with him, waving his arms in front of the downtrodden crew.
His first mate, Cherek, is also a strange type. Looks at the captain, nods, says one thing, but completely different things can be read in his eyes. As if he's waiting for the right mont.
I sighed, turning my face to the weak wind. Maybe it's all about isolation? We are locked on this piece of wood in the middle of endless water, and that's why I perceive everything this way? It's probably just the confined space doing this. But I am frankly bored here. And sad.
At night, the ship lived its own life. The deck was illuminated only by dim oil lanterns. I simply wandered aimlessly around the ship.
Passing by the galley, I heard muffled voices. I stopped and rged with the shadow. Below, in the semi-darkness, stood First Mate Cherek. Several sailors—the very newcors the captain had hired right before sailing—had gathered in a semicircle around him.
"Hm, novices..." Cherek spoke quietly but insinuatingly. "Aren't you tired of this attitude yet? The captain treats you like animals. Ties you to a pillar, beats you with whips."
The sailors exchanged gloomy looks. "And what makes you think he even has any money left to settle up with you upon arrival?" the first mate continued to add fuel to the fire. "He blew all his money on buying coal in Mount Slick! He has nothing to pay you with."
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The people around began to whisper discontentedly, actively nodding and agreeing with his every word. I stood in the shadows and just listened.
Suddenly one of the sailors spoke up doubtfully: "And what if we... what if we get attacked? Pirates or so other sea peril?"
Cherek waved his hand dismissively: "Pirates have been gone for a long ti, the navy hung them all ages ago. And even if there were any—no ordinary sailing ship will ever catch us in its life. We're running on steam!"
At that mont, that sa burly stoker whom I had scared earlier in the day stepped forward. "A-and... what about the mages?" the big guy asked. Fear still seeped through his voice.
Cherek fell silent for a second. He scratched his chin where a beard usually grows, which he didn't have.
"That's the problem," the first mate pronounced thoughtfully. "Those two... we have to be careful with them. Tomorrow I will talk to them. We'll see whose side they choose."
He smirked in the dark: "And if those mages say 'no' or start resisting... I'll just slip so poison into their food. Nothing to worry about. It's a sure thing."
I quietly stepped back from the boat, turned around, and headed back to my mast. What the hell is even going on here? A riot? A mutiny? I mused lazily, climbing the rope ladder into the night sky.
Having settled comfortably right under the stars, I yawned and closed my eyes. Yeah... whatever. That's their problem. If they want to cut each other—let them. As long as they don't stop from sleeping.
The next day the weather turned terribly bad. The sky was completely gray. The first mate and the captain of the vessel on the deck were clearly preparing frantically for sothing.
I went down below, to Aurora. She was just sitting to the side and, it seems, practicing her breathing. I sat down right next to her.
"The weather is turning bad," I began.
"Obviously," she responded coldly, not even opening her eyes.
"Even though you and I are resistant to poisons, they want to throw us off the ship," I continued in a mundane tone. "Just warning you."
Aurora sharply opened her eyes and looked at with irritation.
"Do you think I'm an idiot or sothing? Think I didn't figure it out? Or do you think I can't defend myself?"
"No, no, I'm just saying," I raised my hands placatingly.
Then I shifted my gaze to the dark, restless waves overboard.
"Hm... And down there, soone has been watching us for a long ti. Since yesterday. A monster, maybe, an underwater one?—it's the one that ruined the weather."
An hour later, I distinctly felt the vessel list heavily. "Aurora, let's go to the deck. A monster is going to co out now, I want to look at it," I called. Surprisingly, she silently got up and followed . I was even happy.
We went topside. The captain had ten sailors with bound hands kneeling and was nervously muttering: "Don't worry..." At that mont, a huge monster with one giant eye began to rise from the water. It seed to consist entirely of thick vile sli, and not of flesh.
The captain shouted: "OH GREAT GOD OF THE SEA! PLEASE, LET US PASS, AS BEFORE! TEN FOR PASSAGE! THIS IS AN OFFERING FOR YOUR SAKE!"
Click. Bang! A shot rang out. The first mate shot the captain right in the back. He collapsed dead on the deck, and Cherek imdiately yelled into the water: "GREAT GOD OF WATER AND LIFE! I OFFER YOU ELEVEN! TAKE THEM!" Three more sailors fell imdiately—the mutineers promptly slit their throats.
A slimy limb, resembling a huge tube, stretched out from the monster and began sucking in the victims with a loud squelch. Then this mass enveloped the mainmast. Crack! The monster simply tore it out by the roots and tossed it aside. Its vile suction tube reached toward , noisily sucking in air.
Whoosh!—I let out a short stream of fire. The monster imdiately squealed piercingly.
The first mate looked at us in surprise, and then smiled joyfully. Right, there are mages on the ship! They will be able to destroy it!
"Zenkhald!" he rushed toward and Aurora. "Destroy this monster!"
I looked at him lazily. "Kinda don't want to. I'm too lazy."
"WHAT?!"
"I don't understand why I should help you," I shrugged. "Why do I need you?"
"BUT YOU ANGERED THE MONSTER!" Cherek yelled.
Crunch!—part of the mast collapsed, breaking the first mate's arm. The huge carcass of the monster began to heave right onto the ship, causing the deck to crack, and the sides began to break and list.
I looked back at Aurora. She was already in full swing killing people running around in panic, completely indiscriminately.
"Aha-ha-ha-ha!" she laughed ringingly. And why is she so cheerful? I feel cheerful too for so reason.
I grabbed Aurora by the scruff of the neck and jumped from the collapsing vessel right into a lifeboat bobbing on the water.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she barked.
BOOM! The monster's huge maw completely swallowed the remains of the ship at that very mont.
"You're welco," I answered politely.
Hm, looks like the monster decided to eat us too. It surfaced again, opening its huge maw studded with thousands of small teeth. Aurora jumped up, braced her feet against the bottom of the lifeboat, and threw her hands forward. Such a powerful gust of fire burst from her palms that from the recoil, the lifeboat imdiately capsized along with us.
Glug-glug-glug... We found ourselves in the water. Aurora imdiately used water magic to toss herself upwards, and continued fighting the monster on the surface. Wow, and underwater it's much bigger... About forty ters, no less, I thought. She'll be ssing with it until evening this way. Fine. I extended my hand and twirled my fingers. A small vortex began to form in the water. I sharply lowered its temperature, and the icy whirlpool flew straight into the monster. As soon as it touched the slimy skin, the creature began to rapidly crystallize—freeze.
After five minutes, the creature was already significantly covered with a thick crust of ice. True, the monster's actual head was down below, underwater, while Aurora on the surface was furiously fighting its... I don't know, ass, probably? I had just pulled my head out of the water when—
BANG! Aurora's fist slamd into the piece of flesh on the surface with such force that it simply blew into shreds. What power the Demon of Oblivion has, I marveled. She punched a hole, climbed right inside the carcass, and went to destroy it from the inside. About ten minutes later, the monster finally stopped moving.
Aurora swam out of the ss and began looking around. I was so glad she was looking for ! I surfaced right next to her.
"Glug-glug-glug," I tried to speak underwater. "Glug-glug-glug," she answered the sa way. Realizing that sound doesn't work in water, she grabbed by the collar and yanked to the surface. "A-a-a-ah!" she greedily inhaled air.
We righted the lifeboat and climbed inside. The bad weather imdiately began to clear up. Aurora sat down and began blowing a warm wind spell on herself, drying her clothes.
"And ?" I squeezed out plaintively, shivering. She silently directed a stream of wind at . Icy cold.
"Ughhh... thanks," I shivered. She rely glared at witheringly.
"Which way is the New Continent?" she asked dryly.
"Over there!" I pointed a finger confidently. She started using magic to push the boat in the indicated direction. "...is where we sailed from," I thoughtfully finished my thought. Aurora slowly turned her head. A desire to kill could be read in her eyes.
"And the New Continent is over there," I guiltily pointed in a completely different direction. She ground her teeth and turned the boat around.
"Listen," I began placatingly. "I understand we have a very long way to sail. On your water magic alone, we won't get far. Let's, before it's too late, take a piece of cloth from the mast from the wreckage? We'll make a sail, it will be much easier that way."
She froze, pondering my words. And got even angrier—it seems, exclusively because I said sothing absolutely sensible. I sighed. I wonder, does she even have any other spectrum of emotions?
We jumped into the water to search among the floating wreckage for at least so food or useful things.
Hm, and there floats the captain's coat. Not the one he was wearing on deck, but another, spare one. I fumbled through the pockets and felt a stack of thick papers inside. They were a bit wet, but I took them with anyway. Fine, I'll read them—maybe there's so interesting fairy tale there, I thought.
I climbed back into the lifeboat. Soon Aurora surfaced too. She dragged a decent piece of thick cloth with her, deftly tied it to a long piece of wood, secured this structure in the boat, and began blowing wind on it. We finally started sailing at a normal speed.
While she worked as the sail, I opened the envelope. The papers were damp, the ink had run in places, so it was impossible to make out the text properly. The only thing that clearly caught my eye was a large headline: "NEW ECONOMIC PLAN". Next ca so boring descriptions about a new thod of processing coal, incomprehensible blueprints of a strange engine, and concepts of so new weapon. On one of the pages it was written about Mount Slick: that they intentionally inflate prices, hide sothing important, and all that sort of thing.
In short, so nonsense. Incredibly boring. Not a single normal story.
I sighed disappointedly, crumpled these papers, and simply tossed them overboard. The white lump bobbed on the waves and slowly began to sink to the bottom.
After a certain amount of ti.
"You're sailing the wrong way," I said.
"What do you an the wrong way?" she started. "You pointed there yourself!"
"I POINTED THERE. But you deviated from the course. The water carries you there, the wind blows there, and it seems to you that we are sailing correctly."
She stared intently at the horizon for about five minutes and, finally, blurted out:
"There isn't a single point of reference here that I could navigate by! How do you even know which way to go?"
"Hm, I don't know," I shrugged. "Just know it's that way. Well, we were kind of sailing that way."
I lay down on the bottom of the lifeboat and looked at the night sky.
"If we were smart, we would probably sail by the stars or the moon. But, alas, you are not smart."
"AND YOU ARE SMART, ARE YOU?!" she flared up.
"I might be smart. Though I'm not sure anymore."
I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep. This is quite a long journey, it seems.
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