Chapter 5 – Skeleton Crew

Ara pushed her fingers hard against her temples in a sorry attempt to sooth the headache that today had been so far as she found a seat on the railing of the deck. And perhaps also to try and make sure she wasn’t imagining the animated skeleton she had met below deck. The rest of the party did their best to rationalise the appearance. Cairngorm’s mind flooded with myths of reanimation and questioned the truth in their stories. Lily’s mouth fell unnaturally agape as she carefully swung a hand above the bony body in search of strings or some sign of puppetry. Mac wasn’t really sure what to do. She considered how much a talking skull would go for. Then the morality of selling a sentient skeleton. Then where morality had entered into the equation. She knew at least one person that would be interested, but the shit-list that person found herself on meant she wouldn’t be getting any handouts for a while. To say the least, she was spiralling in her own way.

                The group was soon snapped from their trance as the gravelly voice of the skeleton spoke up once more, ‘Good evening, friends of Ms. Satori! Welcome abord The Rune Carver! I, William “Bombardment” Bones, will be your quartermaster, keeper and head-cannoneer for… well up until we leave to find Madam Maria!’

                ‘Ara?’ Cairngorm’s eyes drifted to the hunched hunter who simply sighed.

                ‘What do you possibly think I could explain in this situation?’

                Ara’s rhetorical questioning was interrupted by Satori as she chimed in, ‘What else do you need to know? This is William, he’s a skeleton, and in return for helping him find his Mistress, he’s gonna show us around the Ship City so we can find the book. Billy, this is Cairngorm, Mac, Dr. Serious, and you met Ara earlier.’

                Before Lily had a moment to correct her name, Mac broke from her moral conundrum for a moment to question, ‘How is “William” shortened to “Billy”?

                ‘That’s your question?’ Lily had reached a limit she wasn’t aware she had after safely confirming that the walking, talking, bones without a bag was in fact not a silly trick.

                The decent from curiosity into disarray was swift with, strangely enough only Satori caught in a confusing moment of silence. I wish I could say that the shouting lasted an understandable amount of time, but you’d also be forgiven for assuming that the moment of disfunction ended from a lack of oxygen remaining on the planet. The scene now resembled that of the party’s close escape from the collapsing bridge, with heavy panting and a look of exhaustion across most people’s faces.

                ‘Okay. So, are we all good to go or does anyone else have their own monologue they’d like to perform over someone else?’ Satori stood with a strange authoritative stance as though she had just finished silently reprimanding this group of children.

                Silent agreements were formed as she nodded to each of them before turning her attention once more to Billy Bones, ‘So where to?’

                ‘Well, Ms. Satori, if what you told me is true, your group has been to two of the three ships, Madam Maria would be found. Here and The Hydra’s Kiss. The only other place she would frequent is Whisperer Lurtuk’s ship, just there.’ Billy stretched a humerus in the direction of a small seemingly rotted ship. The journey wasn’t far but would involve a fair share of backtracking.

                ‘Then what are we waiting for? That’s our next best chance at finding the book so let’s go!’ Satori pushed forward with Billy Bones in tow.

                The rest of the group remained stuck in a sense of astonishment. When they really considered the situation they were in, the less anything made sense, the more they understood the place around them. I mean, why wouldn’t there be an undead pirate in a city of ships hung by rope and planks of wood in a mountain range this far from any significant body of water? And why wouldn’t he agree to tour them around the place this easy? Honestly, it seemed like this was the group’s first adventure or something. And to be honest, Satori did a decent job of explaining the situation itself.

                While there was a general distrust between the group, with it only growing further with every new member that appeared, the day was growing darker and colder. They were on borrowed time as it was, and there was no sense in overstaying their welcome. Satori led the charge onward as she took her first tentative steps onto the bridge down from The Rune Carver before signalling to the rest of the party to follow.

                Next was Billy, taking his first steps off the ship since his reanimation so many years ago. There was a strange freedom that rattled in his ribcage, settled by his focus on locating his mistress. He was devotion incarnate and determined to prove it. Perhaps with a group by his side, a task such as this would prove simpler than he had first hoped.

                A moment after stepping off the ship, Billy’s entire skeletal structure disassembled at once. His bones, save for his skull, toppled one after another through the boards he had just stepped on gracelessly tumbling down into the snow-topped rocks below wherein they immediately disappeared from sight.

                Any semblance of confidence disappeared from Satori in less time that it took for Billy to lose his sea legs, as a deep cry of anguish rang from her lungs. She fell to her knees, rocking the bridge and sending the last fingerbone that still clutched onto the platform to join the rest of Billy’s bones.

                The rest of the party stood in a mix of shock from the events that had just transpired and from Satori’s quick formed connection with a skeleton whose name alliterized three times. Well perhaps that was actually quite in character.

                Just as the display of sorrow began to ramp up, a small rattle sounded from the skull that remained wedged between two boards of the bridge.

                ‘Shit.’

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

                ‘This fucking sucks!’ Billy, now just an increasingly annoyed skull, was firmly strapped to the waistbelt of Satori. After his body collapsed all that remained was a chattering, cursing skull was all that remained. A skull with a notable change in attitude. I mean, I almost understand it. I’d be pretty pissed if my hypothetical body suddenly revolted against its best interest and was firmly placed at the bottom of a group of strangers’ priorities.

                The string of complaints seemed endless and Satori found herself swearing off good deeds and feeling any form of guilt for a while. That was, after all, how she ended up carrying Billy’s head who made little effort to keep up any of his previous niceties.

                The group had retraced their steps, turning in the direction Billy had indicated towards the ship he referred to as the “Friend of the Deep”. They’d taken a brief second to try questioning their tour guide about the peculiar name. However, at that point in time, he had little to offer other than his own unfortunate stream of expletive consciousness. A brief, unspoken suggestion crossed the minds of each person subjected to the whines of the skeleton. The rest of his body was down in the chasm. Maybe it would be a favour to simply, reunite the skull with the rest of his bones. Maybe that would lay him to rest or something. There was zero evidence to support this, but sometimes hope is more important than facts.

                However, facts were something Ara depended on heavily. She was a proficient hunter. That was a fact. This group was certifiably insane and would likely get her injured worse than the bite of a wolf. That was another fact. This group also had a bad habit of picking up strays and not asking enough questions. That was an unfortunate fact that left her to her own suspicions.

                Ara had pushed up behind Lily as they progressed across yet another bridge, patting her shoulder to get her attention, ‘Again, you’re sure you haven’t spotted the book we’re looking for? Seems like you have been here a while after all.’

                ‘I’ve said already, I don’t know how long I’ve been here. The only book I’ve seen is the one that literally went down with the ship you found me on. Even then, it was only some kind of travel ledger. I don’t see why that would be important to any of you.’

                ‘You don’t seem to know a lot. That’s what you tell us anyway.’

                ‘Excuse me?’ Lily was taken aback for a moment. She knew she had been interrogated briefly upon first introductions, but this was something more than simple questioning. This was a declaration of distrust. A well founded one, in the eyes of Ara.

                Ara did not trust Lily, and Lily knew it. Either Lily truly had lost her memory, or she was a proficient liar. Both were dangerous. That was a fact. But knowing which one meant she could plan ahead.

                ‘Sorry. Just been a long day. Tensions are high.’ With another pat to the shoulder, Ara retreated a few steps, pulling her feathered cloak tighter around herself, eyes still trained on the back of Lily’s head.

                Lily gritted her teeth. She could feel it. She’d felt it since she first made it to stable land. To be fair, she wouldn’t trust her either. Maybe she didn’t. Memory is a funny thing. The past doesn’t read back like a book. It’s more like flipping through the pages and reading every other sentence. Except the ink in her book was smudged, and the words were more accusations than explanations. But at least an ink blot was a sign that at some point, someone wrote something. Her head tensed as she pushed away the confusion and pressed forward.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

                The ship they climbed towards was the smallest of the reigning trio they had been informed of. Its hull took on a sickly green hue, as though rot had seeped more thoroughly into the wood here than a corpse. Other than that, there remained two remarkable qualities. The sail of the main mast sat unfurled and tattered. Holes and tears patterned the blue cloth, save for the central emblem; a large, simple depiction of a brown turtle shell. Finally, upon the last moments of their approach, the party were made aware of a peculiar and intricate addition to the body of the ship. A large hollow metal protrusion spiralled from the back of the ship, twisting two, or three times over with its end pointing towards the ground.

                ‘Does the ship have some kind of trumpet?’ Cairngorm cocked his head to get a better look at the instrument.

                ‘Technically speaking it’s more like a horn. Or maybe an oversized bugle. No way you’re hitting any different notes on that thing. Pretty much used for signalling someone else.’ Satori turned to direct her lecture to the group behind her, as she was met with surprised looks and raised eyebrows.

                ‘Guys it really isn’t that complicated. You don’t have to be surprised any time I know something.’

                The eyebrows descended and a minor note of embarrassment waved over the party. They maybe could’ve done a better job at hiding their shock.

                Once more the group gathered on the deck of the ship. With each step taken, it felt as though the floorboards threatened to crash through, dragging the unfortunate step-taker with them. And judging by the integrity of the structure, falling through one floor meant falling through them all.

                Ara crouched down, grabbing the rope that affixed Billy to Satori’s hip, ‘Billy, were would the book be if it was here?’

                ‘Hold on- just, I feel sick. Lot of swinging around and-’

                ‘You don’t even have the parts to make you sick, answer the question.’

                ‘I’ll have you know that I get nauseous very easily when above deck and-’

                With a swift shake of the rope, Ara swung the skull around enough to interrupt the monologue before it had time to take off.

                ‘It has been a very long day, Billy. Answer the question.’

                ‘God! Fine! Probably the captain’s cabin. Not that much of a headscratcher, eh?’

                Ara released the rope before making her way to the cabin. Satori readjusted Billy to face away from her clothes, as a precaution against any potential magic vomit scenario.

                ‘Buy a girl dinner before you tug on her talking skull next time!’ Satori called after Ara, already giggling at what passed as her own humour.

                The first thing that the group noticed as they entered into the cabin was the air that embraced them like a damp blanket. The temperature was freezing and yet a rhythmic patter of water droplets echoed throughout the space. Small puddles pooled together beneath each step. The walls ran with streams of water like small rivers chasing themselves to the floor. In the corner of the room stood a small simple desk. The area lacked the ostentatious flair of The Hydra’s Kiss, as well as the esoteric simplicity of The Rune Carver. It was simply bare. Almost humble if not for the eery atmosphere accompanied by the drip that the mesmerized the group.

                Mac immediately set about checking the walls of the cabin, alongside Lily while Cairngorm and Ara moved towards the desk. While the walls were certainly imperfect, their wood swelled and wet to the touch, the pair found nothing outstanding. No secret nooks nor crannies to be found. Meanwhile, Ara began rifling through the stack of drenched papers on the desk, handing a few to Cairngorm, attempting to decipher the lettering, ultimately deciding it was best to hand him the full heap. Cairngorm accepted the soaked payload with a grimace as he began flipping carefully though each page, noting dates, amounts and names spanning years.

                ‘Guys, this is a trade ledger. Its got deals dating back, well since before Ship City was a thing.’

                ‘So, we’re stickin’ with “Ship City”? Because in my mind that was a one off, and everyone just kinda jumped on.’ Mac’s inquiry went unanswered as she and Lily closed in behind to peek at the documents.

                ‘Look, this dates trades to different guilds in Kathernus. Arcanist Expanse, Freeman Fellowship.’

                ‘Well, the Fellowship ain’t a surprise. They’re all crooks anyway. What could the Expanse want from pirates though?’ Mac pushed forward to get a better look at the running ink.

                ‘Wrong way. This says the Arcanist Expanse was supplying The Rune Carver with ammunition.’

                ‘But there weren’t any cannons onboard, so that can’t be true.’ Lily now stepped forward to assess the records. The situation had officially become an inadvertent game of pass-the-secret-documents.

                Ara turned to glance back at Satori who was staring off at the far wall, strangely focused on a series of scratches deeply imprinted into the wood. She stepped away from the de facto detectives and placed a hand on Satori’s shoulder.

                ‘What are you looking at?’

                Satori didn’t flinch. But she did turn her head to acknowledge Ara – her eyes still focused on the wall.

                ‘The message on the wall. You don’t see it?’

                Ara’s brow furrowed slightly as she strained her eyes to look for any decipherable wording, ‘I see… scratches on a wall. You sure you’re okay?’

                ‘No-wait yes. Yes, I’m fine. What do you mean you don’t see it, it’s right there!’

                The minor commotion was enough to break the meeting of the minds behind as they also turned to face the wall. Cairngorm stepped forward to assess the wall.

                ‘She’s right. The lines, here and here. They’re not just random scratches. It looks like-’

                ‘Infernal, yeah no I got that. Not just a pretty face.’

                Another stunned moment of silence hit the group, though this time, unnoticed by Satori whose lips were dancing along as she mouthed unpronounceable words.

                ‘Oh, right. Of course you know. Because of the, uh…’ Cairngorm made a faint gesture, mimicking the horns that sprouted from Satori’s own head.

                Horrified by the generalisation, Satori’s eyes ripped away from the wall to stare deep into Cairngorm, a vicious look of shame shooting from her black eyes.

                ‘So just because I look like a devil, that’s the reason I know what language this is?’

                Cairngorm’s stomach sank deep to somewhere he wasn’t sure it would rise from again. A sputtering of half formed apologies spilled from his mouth, swiftly abandoned in favour of a better worded one second later.

                ‘Ah, I’m fucking with you. I have no clue how I can read this.’

                A plan grossly formed in Cairngorm’s mind. Not one I wish to repeat, but you get the idea though. This level of being fucked with on a day like this was enough to drive someone to the brink. But he stowed that feeling for a later time. Simultaneously, an unprecedented crack formed in the stoic armour of Ara as a brief grin crept across her face.

                ‘I don’t know what it means though. It says “Men will die for a medal. We will live for Liberty.” Pretty metal.’

                ‘Very metal.’ Mac affirmed. ‘But still no book.’

                ‘And no Madam Maria.’ Billy rattled.

                The group swifty reemerged onto the deck. The wind had picked up slightly. The end of their fruitless expedition was in sight. Mac took to questioning Billy about alternative locations where important items may be stored, while the rest of the party collected themselves for the journey back down the mountain. Thankfully, despite the chill in the air, the sky remained relatively hopeful that they may avoid any snowfall on their descent.

                Mac took a moment to assess the situation. She didn’t need the book. Her cover only needed to last until she was able to get back into that morgue. Then she was done with this job and these people. She didn’t necessarily want this group to fail but ultimately that didn’t matter to her. She made her way to the edge of the deck to think in peace. Though before her internal discussion could continue, her eyes focused on something distant. A clearing, as though the top of a mountain had simply been sliced clean off. A small collection of trees spread themselves around the area. Not nearly enough to be a thicket or anything, but it looked nice. It was a brief moment of relief to break up a truly horrific day. She watched as the branches blew gently, and as some snow cascaded from their grasp. She watched as the small figure in between the trees swiftly retreated from sight. She watched as-

                Wait, what?

                ‘Guys! There’s something over there!’ She pointed out towards the mountain top clearing, and towards where the mysterious figure had vanished. ‘There’s someone else here.’

                ‘I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not.’ Ara hadn’t spotted the figure Mac was referring to but began surveying the area for a path there. ‘Regardless, we should check it out. Maybe they’ll be more useful than Billy No-Bones.’

                ‘That’s low.’

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

                The group was well versed in crossing rickety bridges by this point and swiftly made their way to what they hoped was their final destination in Ship City. I’ve never been a particularly hopeful type, but at this point even I was beginning to feel the frigid wind gnawing at my “nerves”. Besides, it’s hard not to root for them, right?

                The clearing was vast, with more space than any of the ships had afforded them previously. There was a sense of relief that came from being on solid, stable, real ground without a looming threat of imminent collapse. Then again, it was still a mountain so maybe that wasn’t necessarily true. Their approach was directed by Mac. The snow around them was untouched, and they made little effort to hide any heavy tracks left behind. Each step taken was accompanied by a heavy crunch like a bundle of twigs snapping in unison. There wasn’t so much a powdery consistency as much as it seemed like snow pretending to be ice. Warnings to watch each step taken were called down the chain of five, along with the occasional questioning of their current plan.

                ‘Mac? Are you sure you saw someone? And are you sure this can’t wait until we’ve rested for a bit?’ Satori was once again uncomfortable with her feet completely numb save for the aching in her heels and the chafing on her calves.

                ‘I know I saw something. The longer we take to try and catch up to it, the less chance we have to get any info on the book. If you want an hour to catch your breath, maybe you can spend it learning to play the violin with one hand.’

                ‘It was just a question. No need to be a dick.’

                As the group closed in on the centre of the clearing, each member crouched low to the ground, not exactly knowing what they were sneaking around but Ara had that look in her eye so they complied. The five huddled just over the ridge of a small embankment, partially covered the trunk of a felled tree. Peering over the edge, a few realisations were made by some while others looked to one-another for clarity. Mac simply sighed.

                ‘It’s a kobold.’

                Indicating towards the previously unidentified figure she had spotted, Mac pointed out a hunched bipedal form, no taller than a goblin, which was no taller than the average human child. White scales ran across the length of the kobold’s body covering a pair of lean, arms and legs and a rather stumpy tail that glided across the surface of the snow. The head of the creature was almost crocodilian, but with a much more condensed snout. Beady eyes peered around the area as a flared pair of nostrils sucked in small scents around.

                Just past the small reptilian creature, the party rested eyes on a collection of large clumps of ice, positioned on a blue, frozen lake like a crude imitation of the mountain range they found themselves on.

                Ara leaned close to Mac, speaking barely above a whisper, ‘You seem familiar with them. Can you talk to them?’

                ‘I’ve defiantly been talked at by em. They’re worse at listening than Satori is.’

                ‘Well,’ Satori stood to doff her makeshift cloak and detach Billy from her belt. The chill that spread through her bones was immediate, but first impressions were the most important, ‘I’m always up for a challenge. Get ready to watch a master at work.’

                Cairngorm protested in a way he thought someone should while Lily began shuffling back and shifting forward to the East of their current position.

                ‘Lily! Where are you going?’

                ‘To get at better vantage point. We should split in case things go sideways. Hit it from all sides.’

                Mac scoffed slightly, ‘When did you get so bloodthirsty? Besides, it’s one kobold on its own.’

                ‘What if it isn’t just one?’

                Ara spoke up while Mac caught up to the logic in Lily’s actions, ‘I’ll go with her.’

                ‘Yeah, good idea. Cairngorm?’

                ‘Yep.’

                While the remaining four split to flank the stranger, Satori prepared for the performance of a lifetime. Her stride was confident. Smile? Approachable, yet confident. Her eyes flashed from their usual inky pools to a brighter warm glow as simple honied words floated from her lips.

                ‘Hello there! I was wondering-’

                There was a loud crack, and a sharp impact. The group watched as Satori fell backwards against the snow, collapsing in a heap with flecks of crimson flying onto the snow around her. Time didn’t stop in this moment, rather blood pumped faster through frozen veins. Hours passed in seconds as everyone awaited the next verse in Satori’s story. And a sharp verse it was, as the sound of small gears churning hummed below the pitched cackles of the kobold stood not thirty feet from her.

                Satori slowly raised her violin-crossbow at just the right angle, firing off a bolt that pierced straight through the chest of the laughing lizard-thing, the momentum carried the creature back a few feet as the snow around it stained red. A further three kobolds emerged from their small underbrush places of hiding, while another swung itself down from the branch it had just launched a rock at Satori from.

                Sitting up in place, one hand covering the large gash on her head, Satori’s voice carried across the wind to the ears of everyone present and perhaps some that weren’t, ‘A fucking rock! Are you kidding me? Something threw a fucking rock at my fucking head, and got blood all the fuck over me!’

                The sound of Satori’s voice did more than pierce the ears of the remaining kobolds. It seeped deep into the mind like a poison worming its way through each blood vessel as every nerve burned. One of the attacking creatures keeled over grasping and scratching at its head in a futile attempt to claw the pain away. In an instant the group was in motion.

                Cairngorm dashed to Satori, tumbling to his knees and pressing a flat palm against the wound on her head – much to Satori’s discomfort. A deep violet light shone from his hand as he carefully pulled away to see the large cut slowly begin to stich itself together again, skin stretching tightening against itself like grasping hands latching to one another.

                ‘That’ll help the bleeding. Can’t do much for the headache.’ Cairngorm gave a quick nod to Satori before launching himself forward alongside Mac, Ara and a slightly more trepidatious Lily. Satori merely sat in her bloody snow for a moment longer before labouring to stand and marching forward at her own pace.

                While Cairngorm made his way towards Satori, Mac and Ara struggled through the frost towards the remaining attackers. The snow grabbed and worked hard against their movements. Typically light on their feet, the two struggled with each step, pushing further effort into each step. A rock that flew past their heads was a good enough sign to change strategy, as Ara loosened a bow from their back and Mac took cover behind the closest tree, dagger ready to fly in response.

Two arrows were fired by Ara. Into the tree where Satori’s pelter had hidden away once more, the first arrow sank deep into the trunk – the impact jolting the hidden creature enough to reveal itself for the second arrow to find its mark. The limp body fell with a heavy crack as the snow and ice below coldly welcomed the corpse. With a quick nod to Ara, Mac readied her own shot, shifting around the natural cover and sending a dagger spinning into the distance overhead her target.

                ‘I’m used to taller targets.’

                With a snap of her fingers, the dagger came soaring back into her palm. It was likely the best way to save face, but Mac couldn’t help but feel a minor sting of judgement. As she steeled herself, she caught one of the two remaining kobolds breaking away towards Lily faster than she could react knee deep in the snow.

                The creature was upon Lily in an instant, launching itself with snapping jaws and a crude sharpened stone jabbing forward. Lily barely caught onto the weapon and the throat of her assailant as it forced her backwards into the snow. Cries sounded out for her but went unheard as the clattering of jagged teeth rang out in front of her. More and more snow piled onto her face and into her eyes. Her arm tensed as her grip tightened around the throat of the kobold. Her arm swelled and felt as though it threatened to burst outward. She pulled her hand back on instinct and rammed it into the chest flailing atop her expecting the growing clack of vicious mismatched teeth to grow closer. Instead, a sickening crunch like that of a snail underfoot reverberated around the area, loud enough to count each rib that was shattered on impact as her attacker was suddenly flung feebly through the air.

                Lily sat up at once just in time to see the mangled aftermath cascade into the snow. Her chest was heaving, her hands shaking. She looked around wide eyed for the assistance of… whoever did that. Instead, she was met with bewildered stares from her four allies and the final kobold alike. Although perhaps bewilderment isn’t quite the correct word. There was a unanimous feeling that echoed in the glances she met, no matter how minor they were. She felt it herself to some degree. A spark of terror.

                How exciting.

                As the party snapped back into the present, Mac was the first to notice their final combatant swiftly turning tail. After dashing a fair distance, using their hands as well to bound through the heavy snow, the final kobold loosened a small instrument from the small ill-fashioned belt wrapped around its waist, raising it to their lips and sounding a short lived, loud note. Seconds after the note cried out, a slick thud pounded into the back of the would-be escapee’s skull as they too found themselves embraced by the frozen ground.

                Before anyone could think to leave a moment for silent contemplation, Cairngorm was making his way towards Lily.

Crouching by her side, he gave her a brief look over while asking, ‘Are you okay? Did it get you at all?’

                Lily stared with the blank look associated with the shattering of one’s reality. Then again, Lily had very little reality to draw upon. So, she simply shook her head before rising to her feet and making her way towards the large clumps of ice past the dispatched bodies of the creatures they had met only minutes ago. The others followed suit.

                As Satori passed the body of the runaway kobold, she paused to investigate the makeshift instrument it brandished.

                The rest gathered around the iced over, and curiously snow-free, space Lily had marched towards. Each person took their own time peeling their eyes away from Lily and instead selected a separate clump of ice to investigate.

                Wiping away at the frozen shell, Cairngorm was the first to peer into the ice. A small shape could be made out and his eyes shone with a rare moment of excitement,

                ‘Guys! I think I found it!’

                Immediately Mac and Ara turned to peer into the same block of ice. Sat static in the centre of a frozen lockbox, a tome about eight inches by six inches. Its cover ornately decorated with three intertwined triangles, surrounded by a variety of other miscellaneous objects.

                ‘Well, that’s great, but how the fuck do we get it out?’ Mac’s exasperation was poorly hidden, most likely through little effort.

                Satori approached from behind, the kobold’s instrument in hand.

                ‘Do you guys remember what I said about the horn on the ship?’

                The group thought back but before anyone had a chance to respond, Lily turned to speak up, ‘You said it was for signalling something.’

                ‘Yeah. And I don’t wanna alarm anyone, and you’ll forgive the little pun in there, but if that little bastard sounded this thing off…’

                ‘More of those things could have been alerted to us.’ Ara turned back towards the treeline, nocking an arrow as she spoke.

‘I’d like to open the floor again to ideas. How the fuck do we get the book out?’

                Though different words were spoken by each person present, the sentiment was the sentiment of the response was the same.

                Quickly.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

                You’d be forgiven thinking the violent turn of the weather was simply a brilliant emergence of pathetic fallacy. However, you would be wrong. Thunderous beats that battled against the wind like a clash of two monstrous beasts. A guttural rumble that shook the sky itself and quaked clouds that split like trees struck by lightning. The air itself froze in terror as snow clouded the emergence of something great and terrible. Something with sickly yellow eyes focused on a singular point in the distance. Something growing closer on white wings of iced rage. Something that will soon arrive at Plunderer’s Belt.