Limitless Seas, Chapter 6.

Chapter 6. 

“Stay your blades, who exactly are you people?” A short gnome asked as Larson approached. The merchants and his prisoners had finished off the pirates, but both sides still held their weapons up, unsure if the other side was friend or foe. 

“I’m Captain Larson and we were being held prisoner on our ship by these pirates. During the fight we freed ourselves and took back the vessel,” Larson said. 

“This is your ship, and the pirates took it from you? I doubt you have any documentation showing you owned it prior to the pirates,” the gnome said, rudely not even offering her name. 

“It’s ours, we earned it with every stroke of the oars we were chained to, and with every lash endured, our claim grew. I may not have papers, but this ship is ours through our blood and toil. Who exactly are you to question my word after we helped you?” Larson said, getting angry at this point. 

“I’m Helia, captain of the Sea Jumper. You could say that we also have a claim on the aptly named Gull Dropping seeing as how we’ve also spilt blood to defeat her crew,” Helia added. Larson found it easy to hold his anger in check. He was mad, but it was a cold anger, one he would use to fuel his mind, not cloud it. The madder he got, the more devious he would become. It was likely something he had brought over from his old life, whatever that might have been. 

“You can claim anything you want, we hold the ship and with the losses both of us have taken, I don’t think you’ll want to fight over it, A fight you would likely lose,” Larson threatened. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure how a fight would go between them. He had only fifteen or so prisoners still alive, no, he shouldn’t think of them as prisoners, they were now his crew. He had fifteen crew and the merchants had about twenty that were still alive, three of the survivors were the impressive mercenary fighters that had given the pirates so much trouble. 

“Aye, I doubt a fight would favor any side, most likely leaving the victor adrift without enough bodies to crew their ship. Take your tub and leave, Larson, but all bets are off in the future,” Helia warned. 

“Back aboard crew, we’ve got some work to do before we can get underway,” Larson ordered. The former prisoners looked at him, unsure what to do. 

“You heard the captain, snap to it. Gather the prisoners and our fallen,” Nogreb called out. The orc made a show of dragging one of the fallen prisoners back, stacking any weapons he could reach on top of the body. The others followed his lead, taking the pick of the pirate weapons. Somewhere along the way, Nogreb had grabbed five pirates as prisoners, Larson wasn’t too sure if that was a good idea, but he wasn’t going to stop and argue at this point.  

“Those belong to us,” one of the mercenaries said, indicating Larson’s spear and shield. 

“Not anymore, they don’t,” Larson said, turning his back on the mercenary and slithering his way back aboard the Gull Dropping. 

Once across, he ordered the planks to be removed along with any lines still connecting the two ships together. The Sea Jumper pushed off and raised sail, slowly pulling away from them. As the ship gained distance from them, Larson heard a loud clack and then the mast of his ship cracked, collapsing onto the deck. On the bow of the Sea Jumper, the mercenary who had demanded Larson return his weapons stood beside the ballista. Captain Helia stood next to the mercenary laughing at Larson and his crew. 

“I can’t do anything for him,” Shada said, pulling his focus back to the shattered mast. It had landed on one of his crew, killing the man instantly. 

“Sir, what do we do now?” One of the sailors asked. He thought of them as that now, his sailors, not prisoners, they were his crew. 

“We need to head to the nearest port,” another said. 

“I can tell you one thing, I’m not going to be bent over an oar this time, no way, I’ll man the rudder or something else but I’ll not go back into that hold,” an older orc added. 

“Stop!” Larson shouted. “First off, we need to get this ship in order. Tarley, you take six men and clear the decks of our dead, gather anything that might be useful, clothing weapons food, fresh water, anything. Shada, see to the wounded, you’re now the ship’s surgeon. Grab an assistant from the crew if you need help. Nogreb, take the rest of the crew and check the ship starting with the lower deck. We need an inventory of the supplies we have to work with. Make sure you keep a pair of crew guarding the prisoners. Toss them to the sharks if they give you any trouble,” Larson ordered. 

“Wait just a minute, who says you’re the captain. We just all got free and I want a say in who leads the ship. In fact, I don’t want to be a sailor I want to go back home,” one of the men whined. 

“That is a good question, let’s settle this right now so we can get back to work without any grumbling. I’m an experienced captain, I killed Karth, and I don’t see anyone else stepping up to get things organized. Any objections?” Larson stated. 

“I support Larson, he’s done right be me and all of you so far. We wouldn’t have survived the fight without him,” Tarley said. Larson nodded his thanks. Tarley had been the one to pick the locks to free them, but the man did pump up his own deeds. 

“He killed Karth, and led the fight against our captors, he has my support,” Nogreb said. 

“Most of you weren’t sailors when you were taken prisoner, half of you were drunks or worse when you got crimped. Larson has proven he can lead, and he knows his way around a ship. He’s our best shot at making it to port alive. I say we support him as captain,” Shada added. 

“Who said you get a vote? You aren’t much better than the pirates, living here above the stink and healing their booboo’s. Who knows what other services you were providing to Ikar’re and his boys?” The older orc who had complained earlier said, a look of disdain on his face as he glared at Shada. This one was a problem, a problem he needed to take care of right now. Larson moved right up to the surly old orc, returning his glare. 

“I think you owe the lady an apology, many of us would have died in that fight without her healing magic. She didn’t choose her lot aboard ship, she was prisoner the same as the rest of us,” Larson growled. 

“I’ll do no such thing! She could have freed us, done something to help, but no, the whole time aboard she only came into our hold once or twice when Karth had beaten a man too badly. She was one of them and should be tied up on deck with the rest,” the old orc said, gesturing toward the other prisoners. 

“I’ll give you one more chance to apologize, things have been difficult for us all, and I think you should step back and cool off before you speak again,” Larson advised. 

“No, you should step back, we’re not going to take any bullying from you, snake man,” the orc said, spittle flying as his green face tinted red with anger. 

“What’s your name orc?” Larson asked calmly. 

“Why do you care about my name all of a sudden? If you have to know, my name is Krixdon. Why do you get to declare yourself captain? There has to be someone better qualified to lead us than some bloodthirsty snake,” Krixdon argued to the gathered crew. Larson lashed out with his tail, grabbing Krixdon by the throat, squeezing until the orc started to gag. 

“I’ll answer your questions Krixdon. First, I declared myself captain based on my actions. Nobody else stepped up to command when we were freed. If there was anyone else qualified to lead, they would have made themselves known before the battle was won, not after. To your other question, why did I ask your name? Well, if I have to kill a man to make a point, I like to know his name first. I warned you to apologize to Shada and I warned you to think before you spoke. You ignored both of my warnings and will have to face the consequences of your action,” Larson spotted Krixdon’s hand moving and shifted his grip on the orc, releasing his neck and encircling his arms, forcing them to his sides. A dull thump rang out as the dagger Krixdon was trying to draw dropped to the deck. Larson dragged the orc over to the railing and with a heave, he tossed Krixdon over the side. As he flew down to the hungry sharks, the orc let out a horrified scream. Larson felt the scream really reinforced the lesson he had just given. He was the captain of this vessel.  

“Now, as for the rest of you. I’ll not harm anyone who wishes to dispute my claim as captain. As long as you’re respectful, I’ll listen to what you have to say,” uncomfortable silence reigned on the deck. 

“I don’t want to be a sailor, I’ve got a family back in port at Rockwell Wharf,” one of the men spoke up, looking nervously at Larson. 

“Good, I’ll not force anyone to serve aboard ship if they don’t want to. For now, we need all hands, but once we get to port, everyone will have a chance to leave if they wish. Until then, everyone will work because if everyone doesn’t pull their weight, we won’t make it to Rockwell Wharf or any other port,” Larson said. 

“Then you got my support, sir, so long as I can cut loose once we’re in port,” the man said. 

“Aye, you and all the crew have my word on that. For now, we’ll try to make it to the nearest friendly port and at that point we can pick up a cargo or make other plans. I’ll have Tarley as my First Mate; he knows the sea and has proven himself. Nogreb will be the Bosun, and Shada will be our ship’s surgeon. These three will be my ship’s officers. Other ranks will be filled out as we travel and granted based on merit to those who wish to stay aboard. Officers, you have your orders. I expect an update in thirty minutes, until then, I’ll be in the captain’s cabin, looking for charts so we can plot our course,” Larson said. The ship was his, at least for now. A notification popped up, startling him as he entered the captain’s cabin. 

Congratulations, you have reached Level 1. 

Class Unlocked: Ship’s Captain. Through your own efforts, you have taken the helm of the vessel Gull Dropping and have acquired the class of Ship’s Captain. As a captain, you will be responsible for your vessel and crew. This class will evolve as you level, eventually unlocking a specialization. Do you wish to become a ship’s captain? Y/N? Should you decline, another class will open itself up to you at a later time and you will be required to relinquish control of the Gull Dropping once you arrive at a friendly port. 

There was no way Larson was going to decline becoming the captain after all the work he had put in. This new life was strange, yet intriguing at the same time. The system had given him the concept of a class and he knew his body and abilities would change based on the chosen class. What these changes encompassed wouldn’t always be known, so there was some risk involved in the decisions he made. He couldn’t recall much of his old life, but from what he could gather, there were no guarantees as to the outcome of the decisions he made there, either. Larson confirmed that he wanted the class of Ship’s Captain, and new notifications appeared. 

Baseline knowledge will be imparted to you, allowing you to function competently in your chosen profession. 

Larson could feel his body change and improve as the system granted him new power as the effects of leveling took hold. He looked same as far as he could tell, but could tell he was stronger, sharper of mind, and more agile. Also, he felt a tingle in his head as knowledge of handling a ship was granted to him. It felt like something he should already know, but the gaps in his knowledge were filled in. As he adjusted to his newly upgraded mind and body, more information appeared, including the information on armor types he had bypassed earlier. 

You have unlocked the class ability, Weather Eye. As you level, additional options and decisions will be presented. 

Weather Eye: The Weather Eye ability allows the captain to judge weather and sea conditions more accurately. You can eke out extra speed when needed by catching an elusive breeze or helpful current. 

You have unlocked the ability to wear armor and use a shield. The ship’s captain class can wear up to medium armor, anything heavier will interfere with your abilities as the encumbrance of heavy armor distracts you from various tasks. 

You have access to your first combat ability based on your weapon proficiencies and previous combat preferences. Combat abilities scale with your level, improving and changing over time. Choose one of the following. 

1. Rapid Strikes. Unleash two blows at your target, both strikes will be more accurate and deal more damage than a normal attack. The Rapid Strikes ability can be used 1/day. 

2. Shield Bash. Lash out with your shield, damaging and potentially stunning your foe. Shield Bash can be used 2/day. 

3. Long Reach. When equipped with a polearm, this strike will double the reach of your weapon as well as improve the chance to hit. Long Reach can be used 1/day. 

His brief experience in the combat of this new world told him that all three of these choices could be useful. Reach hadn’t been much of problem for him since most opponents were using swords and the like while he used polearms. Shield bash could be good, and he liked the combination of spear and shield to fight with. He also liked the idea of hitting a foe twice with rapid strikes but having two charges a day for the shield bash pushed him in that direction.  

You have chosen Shield Bash as your combat ability. 

The sea naga have an innate ability to wield either water, air, dark, mind, or nature magic. Choose a racial magic affinity. 

Water: As a creature of the sea, you will be able to control water in all its forms. Blast your enemy with ice, grant your ship favorable currents, or create fresh water for a thirsty crew. A water mage is only limited by his imagination and mana pool. 

Air: Fill your sails with wind, knock an opponent to the ground, or ride upon the breeze. Air magic offers a versatile mix of offensive, defensive, and utility spells. While not excelling at any one thing, the air mage can fill several roles in a pinch. 

Dark: The naga were once considered an evil race and while they now embrace all alignments, a small part of their dark past can still be tapped for power. Death, decay, and control over the things that swim and crawl in the dark are the hallmarks of a dark mage. 

Mind: Naga are known to charm their prey and you have a bit of that power inside you. Confuse your foes, cause fear, and influence those around you with the power of your mind.  

Nature: In tune with land and sea, the water naga are capable of using the power of nature to protect, mend, and even summon defenders to serve for a time. 

Larson wasn’t too sure about magic, it was something new to him, even if the system had granted him some knowledge of how it worked in this world. Still, he would need all the power he could muster if he wanted to survive and thrive. All the options were tempting, except for perhaps the dark magic. One though, one called louder that the others. Just as it had called to him when he chose his new body.

You have chosen Water Magic as your racial magic affinity. Based on your class and race, the following spells and abilities are unlocked. As you level, additional options will become available and your existing spells will be enhanced. 

Command the Currents. You can use your power to control the seas around your vessel, speeding your passage or calming high seas. This spell will slowly drain your mana and some degree of concentration is required. 

Imbue Weapon. Enhance your weapon with water magic, adding piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage to your next attack.  

Create Water. Create up to one gallon of fresh or salt water each day. This is an innate power and doesn’t require any mana. 

All three spells could be useful, but he would have to practice if he wanted to get the most out of them. Pulling his view back into reality, Larson looked around the so-called captain’s cabin. The cabin had been placed in a small area underneath the raised quarterdeck and only a pair of small portholes allowed some fresh air and light into the compartment. While the place was clean enough, it was showing its age. He had no idea how old the Gull Dropping was, but it surely had seen a lot of water under its keel. 

A hammock was strung from the top of the compartment, secured by a pair of bolts. He had suspected something grand based on the previous occupants’ demeanor, but other than the hammock, a small desk, chair, and storage trunk rounded out the compartment’s contents. Looking through the desk, Larson tried to find charts of the area as well as a sextant or some other navigational tool. He found charts for the immediate area, an area far from any friendly port, which Larson suspected made it a good hunting ground for pirates. This part of the sea was dotted with small islands and the mainland was far to the north. 

There would be little chance of patrols from any of the nearby powers this far off the beaten path. Of course, the only traders likely to use the out of the way routes were those that were up to something shady or had been pushed out of the normal ports by fierce competition. The charts that Captain Ikar’re had were poor copies. Larson could tell much of the information was missing, but there was enough for him to find the nearest friendly port, near being a relative term given that the Gull Dropping wasn’t going to set any speed records. He could only hope the supplies on board would hold out long enough for them to make it to a safe harbor. 

Without a map of the world, Larson could only guess at what else was out there. His chart with the most information showed an archipelago to the east named the Free Isles. There were several large islands and scores of smaller ones. Based on the lack of detail, Larson had to assume there were more islands that were not documented on his map. Finding his current position, the closest port was a place called Stratwall Harbor. There were no indications of the port’s size, facilities, or anything else. It was as good a place as any, so Larson began charting the course needed to get there at the best possible speed. He had expected to need some type of navigational tools, but somehow, he just knew where their position was and could tell direction at a glance, a very welcome benefit of his new class.