Limitless Seas 2, Chapter 11.

Chapter 11.

After resting for a bit, Larson’s mana returned to full and the voice in his head didn’t return, but there was still something resisting the spell, causing it to pull more mana than usual. He gave up on it, for the time being, there was no reason to speed their passage, and the travel time would give them to put the new crew through their paces. Not needing sleep, Larson made the rounds, getting to know the new sailors as they rotated through the night watches. Most had some knowledge of sailing, but they had a long way to go before he would consider them skilled.

When morning broke, the entire ship got to work. Larson had the crew run various drills, everything from damage control to maneuvering the ship’s boats. He had one boat tow targets for them to practice both their siege weapons and the new heavy crossbows. Quix, the halfling marine returned to his crow's nest perch, this time bringing his regular crossbow and one of the new heavy models. The archer was deadly with either, but his diminutive size made it difficult and time-consuming to load the larger weapon. The extra range the new weapon provided, especially given the height he was firing from, was worth the extra effort and Larson decided to let him keep both weapons, despite their current lack of gear.

Shada and Ibn took care of combat drills, with Shada forming a shield wall unit, and Ibn training those that had a different fighting style. The gnolls proved surprisingly disciplined in combat, and Ghonen was a natural leader. They stunk at any shipboard duties, but he had hope that they would improve over time. For now, it was worth it to keep them just for their fighting potential. They were stronger than a normal human and once the regular meals returned them to their normal weight, they would have enough heft to hold the line.

“It’s a mess, but given time, we’ll have them become more of danger to the enemy than to themselves,” Ibn advised during a break.

“Yes, I was just noticing the gnolls were doing well at fighting. I would have thought they would be more savage and less disciplined,” Larson told the leader of his marines.

“Yes, they are doing well now, but don’t be surprised if they lose control in the heat of battle, they can be goaded into rash action fairly easily and any experienced enemy commander will know that. Still, they are powerful, and we’ll be glad to have them with us if our destination gives us the fight we expect,” Ibn said.

“Our course is laid in, and the seas are calm. Let’s use it to our advantage. Once you’ve got them handling the basics, work on boarding operations. It’ll be a good training scenario for both crews,” Larson ordered. Ibn liked the idea but waited until the afternoon to start them on boarding a hostile vessel. For now, they rotated through the shipboard drills and combat drills in equal measure. Those who showed more potential for fighting, like the gnolls, were given additional time with combat training while most of the others focused on their shipboard duties.

“You’ve got them hard at, don’t ya?” Sergeant Wrend said. He had his soldiers up before most of the crew had been roused, running them through exercises and drills before seeing to their gear, keeping out of Larson’s hair once the bulk of the crew went to work.

“They’re coming along, about half my crew are new recruits and I don’t have to tell you how that goes,” Larson admitted, knowing that any sergeant had dealt with more than their share of unruly or just plain stupid recruits.

“You want to see how they do against the real thing? My boys can arrange a little skirmish if you’d like. Just blunted weapons, but a few hard blows from even a blunted weapon can be a good lesson on making sure you don’t get hit,” Wrend offered. It was a good idea, a chance to test themselves against trained soldiers, but he wanted to make sure there weren’t any “accidental” serious injuries. Larson needed every able body he had and couldn’t afford to send half his crew to the sick bay.

“Sure, as long as you don’t put anyone out of action, we’ll give it a go,” Larson said.

“Fine, my boys will even strip off their armor, shields, and blunt weapons only. Pick out any twenty of yours and let’s get to it,” Wrend said.

Ibn was excited at the chance to test his crew against the Imperium soldiers, placing himself, his marines, and Larson among those involved in the exercise. They had plenty of wooden weapons, as the officers had recognized that training would be a large focus with this many recruits on the voyage. To round out his twenty, Ibn selected a good mix of the crew, not cherry-picking just those who could fight, though he did hedge his bet a bit by including all the gnolls.

Wrend’s soldiers stripped off the heavy steel armor they wore, keeping just a simple tunic to fight in. The large, rectangular curved shields they carried were more than able to provide cover. Wrend turned down the offer of wooden weapons, apparently, this Imperium knew the value of training, and part of the soldiers’ standard kit included thick leather covers to use on their swords to prevent lethal injuries during sparring.

“Let’s get started, and how about something realistic? My crew will defend the quarterdeck and you win if one of your soldiers makes it to the sailor manning the ship’s wheel. If you take a blow that might be lethal, you drop down and offer no resistance,” Larson suggested.

“Good enough, we’re ready when you are,” Wrend replied. Larson’s crew took their positions, blocking the two stairwells that led to the raised quarterdeck. Ibn divided their forces, and depending on which stairwell the attackers chose, the other group would try to attack them from the rear.

“Go!” Larson shouted out. The Imperium soldiers formed a curved line, pushing slowly in formation toward the stairwell that Larson was guarding. He had the gnolls and a few crewmen to round out his defenders, and felt they were a good match for the ten soldiers plus Sergeant Wrend that they were facing.

The two sides came together quickly, the soldiers keeping their formation and blocking any attacks with their shields. Larson activated shield bash at the soldier in front of him, the ability pushing him forward to strike the designated target. The bash worked as intended, the soldier catching the blow on his shield, preventing any injury, but knocking him to the ground with the force of the blow. The remaining crew not involved in the fight had gathered around to watch, cheering their captain.

Unfortunately for Larson, the soldiers were unfazed by the attack, smoothly shifting over to cover the hole in their line. Pain flared on his ribs, despite the armor he wore as the soldiers that had been to the sides of his target thrust forward, landing hits even as they sealed the breach in the line. Larson was hard-pressed, he felt he was stronger than any of the soldiers, but each time he moved to strike he received two blows in return for any of his own that he landed. He was soon out of the fight and the rest of his forces weren’t doing so hot either. Ghonen and a pair of gnolls were still standing, but in just the time since he had been taken out of the fight, the soldiers had knocked down and taken out most of his forces.

They were impressive to watch, shifting their line to face Ibn’s counterattack even as they kept up the pressure on Larson and his remaining fighters. Ibn had downed one of the soldiers but was now facing Wrend who was more than holding his own against Larson’s First Fang of the Serpent. Larson watched as Ibn deflected Wrend’s thrust, his other wooden scimitar flashing out to take down a soldier trying to attack from the side. A second strike dropped another of the soldiers, that attack finally turning the tide of battle in their favor as the Imperium soldiers no longer had the numbers to keep their formation. Larson’s crew swarmed into the gaps in the line, using their superior numbers to overwhelm Wrend’s troops.

“Hold, Larson, the fight’s over, we win,” Wrend said with a stupid grin plastered on his face. He was the last Imperium soldier standing, confusing Larson as to why he thought it was a victory. Looking over his shoulder where Wrend was gesturing, Larson could see that one of the soldiers had broken through the chaos of battle and was standing with his covered blade against the throat of the sailor manning the wheel.

“Nice trick, but in a real fight, we’d have cut you all down,” Larson argued.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t the challenge, was it, we was just supposed to take out that guy, and we did. Ignominia isn’t afraid to take casualties, as long as we accomplish the mission. I should also mention that even if you did manage to finish us off, most of your crew would have joined us in death,” Wrend said, gesturing toward the “casualties” strewn about the deck. Only Ibn, Ghonen, two marines, and a pair of sailors were still in the fight after finishing off the soldiers.

“I stand corrected, well fought, Wrend, your soldiers are skilled and deadly,” Larson admitted. He hated losing but tried to be a gracious loser when it happened.

“Your boys didn’t do too bad themselves, considering they were going up against veteran soldiers with multiple battles under their belts. Given time, you’ll get this lot trained up good and proper, you will. If you’d like, we’ll be happy to show them a few tricks. It’s not like we’ve got much else to do,” Wrend offered.

“Thank you, get with Ibn and have him integrate your soldiers into the training roster. If you want, we can even have them go through some of the crew drills to give them a taste of what a sailor's work is like,” Larson said. Wrend agreed and Larson was happy to have the soldiers helping with the training. The trip wasn’t going to be a long one, but Larson wanted to maximize whatever he could get out of it, and that included improving the skills of his crew.

In between training sessions, Larson checked on his personal information, his experience bar had jumped to 71% and he was getting closer and closer to level four. Fighting as well as overcoming challenges seemed to bump it up, but the system that guided this world didn’t give him an exact breakdown. Larson figured the increase was a combination of fighting the thugs, his dealings with Lord Buxton and Wrend, as well as recruiting new crewmembers and preparing his ships for sea. From what he understood, the higher his level, the longer it would take to reach the next one.

The rest of their day went quickly, with the crew working hard to train at all the various tasks they were responsible for. By the time the sun had set, everyone was worn out and ready for a good meal and some sleep. Larson once again slept for only a few seconds, spending more time with the sailors on night watch as he made his rounds. The seas were smooth and calm, with a light breeze that readily filled their sails. In the dark, signal lights let him know where the Lost Soul was, making it easy enough to maintain their formation. He had decided on keeping the Lost Soul slightly ahead of the Sea Venom, the bulkier ship perhaps hiding his presence if greedy pirates spotted a single, juicy target. With the oars manned the Sea Venom could put on a strong burst of speed, closing on any ship looking to take the Lost Soul as a prize.

With his mana full, Larson tried Command the Currents once more, noting the same resistance. This time he cut it off immediately concerned about what was happening to him. He didn’t feel any different, but the spell wasn’t working as it should have, something was dampening its power. The voice in his head returned, once again a faint whisper that this time, gave Larson a clue to what was causing the mana loss.

“Who are you that teases with power and then takes it away? Your mana doesn’t taste as I remember, but I still need it. Please do not withhold from me,” the strange voice pleaded. It was fading again, but this time, he detected a feminine lilt to the voice.

“Who are you,” Larson replied, finding that when he spoke to this being, the worlds remained in his mind, and he instinctively didn’t say them aloud.

“My mind had faded, but your power has awoken me once again. It has been long since I’ve been near a sea mage, too long,” the voice said, the whisper growing into a normal voice.

“I do possess some ability with water magic, but I’ve never heard of a sea mage. Who are you, where are you?” Larson asked. He should have felt concerned over a voice in his head, but something told him this creature, whatever or whoever it was, meant him no harm. Confusion and loss filled him as the being’s emotions flowed into Larson.

“I am Cassia, Hammer of the Seas, and for a thousand years, my kind ruled the waves, bonded to our mage and our vessel. Now, I no longer sense my sisters, and you’re the first mage of your kind to come near me in centuries,” the voice called Cassia said to him, its confidence growing the longer it spoke and Larson could feel it begin to awaken, remembering its past.

“Okay, we know who you are, now how about what you are?” Larson asked.

“I was broken, lost, and cast aside, now; I once more ride the seas. Your vessel has accepted me, and I hope you shall as well,” Cassia said. Just below the surface, the shark-headed ram glowed briefly, the bronze-colored metal giving off a small flash of water mana before going dark once more.

“So, you’re the ram we purchased and mounted on the Sea Venom. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of your kind, and I’m a little concerned over what your intentions are?” Larson asked, not sure he liked having part of his ship speak to him.

“I am, for now, merely what you said, a ram at the bow of your ship. That is what I am now, but I could be so much more, if you’d let me,” Cassia said.

“What exactly are you offering, and what will it cost me?” Larson asked. Images from Cassia flooded his mind. He saw the ram forged on the shore of a forgotten land, a place of powerful mages and artificers that held the might of the seas in their grasp. The empire that had created her rode the waves with rams such as Cassia mounted to their ships, no, not just connected to the ship, they were the ship.

Larson watched as Cassia and her kind battled various foes, from Makon to the great leviathans that still lurked below. They were victorious, claiming a wide swath of the sea as their own, their power unstoppable until a great disaster struck. This great empire, the name of which Cassia no longer could recall, was stricken by foul magic, their enemies combining their might to drag the island nation into the deeps. The ships that survived the ordeal turned to trade, mercenary work, or piracy. The mage Cassia was partnered with was an older man, a human. Old age claimed the captain, and with his death, Cassia was cut off from her mana, losing the connection to her ship and diminishing over time.

Cassia felt her sisters die off, one by one, as their ships were destroyed, or they succumbed to madness over the lack of mana when their mages perished. When she felt the tendrils of madness reach out to her, Cassia sought to retain who she was, closing herself off from the world around her and shepherding the last of her mana to keep her mind sharp for as long as she could. With her focus turned inward, Cassia was only vaguely aware of her ram being cut from the remains of her ship, passing from several owners before ending up in the collection of dockmaster Khonas, forgotten and dwindling until it felt Larson. As the memories wound down, a system prompt appeared, delivering Cassia’s offer.

You have encountered the ancient artifact Cassia, Hammer of the Seas. You possess the two things this artifact needs for survival, water-based magic, and command of a vessel of war. Should you choose to bond with this being, power will be granted to you, but at a cost. Due to its emaciated condition, Cassia has regressed to a level 0 entity and requires a constant flow of mana to regain her power. As she feeds on your mana pool, Cassia will gain experience, eventually matching, but never exceeding your level. Being bonded to Cassia will reduce the overall experience you gain by 10%.

Initially, 90% of your mana will be reserved for feeding the artifact. As it repairs and restores itself, less will be required of you. Be warned, even when fully restored, Cassia will always need a portion of your mana, and you will never have a full mana pool again. Any items boosting your mana pool and mana regeneration rate, from potions to magical gear and abilities, will have their benefits reduced based on the percentage of your mana that Cassia requires.

Despite the drawbacks of being bonded to Cassia, she offers unique and powerful benefits to her captain.

1. Ship Meld. Cassia will slowly infuse your vessel, granting her control over the ship and improving its abilities as you both level. At the current level of 0, Cassia will be able to monitor the ship for any damage or inefficiencies.

2. Ability Sharing. At higher levels, Cassia will share some of your powers, and in return, you will share some of hers. Cassia has been around for centuries and has gathered an impressive array of abilities, level her up to unlock new options.

3. Unknown, locked ability. Conditions for unlocking this ability have not been met.

Do you wish to bond with the entity known as Cassia, Hammer of the Seas? Y/N?

It was quite a lot to digest, the ram he had purchased on a whim had turned out to be a powerful artifact, a living being in its own right. Bonding with it had a high cost, but it also offered benefits and teased at greater power that might become available to him at higher levels. In addition to possible upgrades at higher levels, Cassia’s demand on his mana pool would wane over time, making the drawback much less onerous. It was a gamble, but one that he felt had more upside potential than risk, like an investment made in his old world, giving up something now in return for much more at a later date.

You have chosen to bond with the entity known as Cassia, Hammer of the Seas. Your mana pool has been reduced to 10% of its normal maximum.

The entity known as Cassia, Hammer of the Seas is now Cassia, The Sea Venom.

Ship Integration: 1%. Cassia will slowly integrate herself into the ship, her being eventually permeating every surface. Initial integration is a dangerous process, use the utmost caution if you or any of your crew are aboard while the process begins.

Ability Sharing has been activated, the following ability has been unlocked for your use.

1. Hammer of the Seas. Cassia had drunk deeply of your mana pool, but in return, shares some of the power she once possessed. Hammer of the Seas allows all your melee attacks to ignore 10% of an opponent’s armor, whether it be gear-based, or naturally occurring. This ability scales with Cassia’s level.

Ability sharing has activated, Cassia has copied and molded one of your abilities for her own use.

2. Calm the Currents. Cassia can now constantly channel this ability through the ship itself to speed its passage and improve its stability. At her current level of 0, this ability provides a 5% boost to ship stability in all weather conditions. This ability improves and scales with Cassia’s level.

Larson wobbled on his tail as a jolt of power flashed through the Sea Venom as Cassia bonded to it. The crew called out in alarm, and Larson wasn’t sure whether to tell them to stand down or if Cassia had somehow lost control of the bonding process. Newly laid planks groaned, and old ones cracked under the onslaught, causing Larson to order the crew to ready the ship’s boats in case they needed to abandon ship. The moment of Cassia’s bonding just might also be the moment of the Sea Venom’s demise.