I groaned contentedly as I pushed myself up from the table, trying to ignore the annoyed and curious stares from the Grablon soldiers around me. The plates before me were cleaned so well they could almost be reused, and even the basket with bread, oh god, bread, was cleaned of crumbs. My stomach hadn't been this stuffed in a long time, and my skin was still glowing from the hot shower I had taken.

Of all the things in this world that reminded me of home, I was more than a little glad that it was showers. Hot showers!

All in all, I felt more alive than I had in a long time and ready to take on anything.

I pulled the straps of my new leather armor tighter, relishing the feel of it. It was clean, well-fitting, and with bands of some dull grey metal across it, and better than anything I had worn while in Kernstaltion. Ready, I turned to the two guards who stood behind me.

One of them, a burly fellow with a pointy little beard, grinned at me. The more I had eaten, the more he seemed to start warming up to me, and when I had cleaned the crumbs from the table beside my plate, he had given me a thumbs up.

"Finished, or would you like thirds?" he said.

I froze, cocking my head as I wondered if he was serious or not.

The second guard cursed and stepped forward. "No, you don't! I've had it with you, gluttons! I never thought I'd see the day that another showed up!" He pointed at the door, then at me.

"You need to leave before the ship sets sail without you, and I get to explain to the Gurossa why you aren't out of our hair yet."

I shrugged. My stomach might have exploded if I ate another bite anyway, although I wouldn't have minded giving it a shot. I shared a look of resignation with the burly guard and followed them through the spacious, high-ceilinged mess hall. The gazes of a few hundred guards followed us with curious looks until we exited. I wondered for a moment why so many were still out here in the dead of night.

The whole building was one neat, grey stone maze of orderly passages and staircases, and I decided to stop trying to find out how to get anywhere. Instead, I just followed the guards, basking in the afterglow of my shower and dinner. If only I could have slept, it would have been a perfect evening, I thought with a yawn.

Eventually, we exited into the open on a massive square ahead of what looked like the main entrance. Staring at the massive statues standing guard beside the four meter high, three meter wide entrance, I whistled. Definitely not the entrance I had entered from.

It was pitch dark outside, a thick covering of clouds blocking any light the stars or moons could have given. Only a few torches lit the main road the guards trudged to with me in tow.

We moved through the neat Grablon district until we reached the Elder Road again and followed that back to the massive main market. This time we moved away from the black paved road and onto a wide cobblestone one that led through a massive gate and a decrepit-looking shantytown.

The disorderly, one-story buildings were all unlit, and I wondered how the guards even knew where they were going. I had my night vision to guide me, but without that, I wouldn't have seen my hand in front of my face. The gloomy atmosphere, the murmuring of some people awake this late, and the cold air began to wake me from my contented haze. I realized the gravity of walking through a dangerous-looking shanty town with two unfamiliar guards in the dead of night.

"How far till we reach the docks," I asked, trying to keep my suddenly rising tension out of my voice.

"Don't worry. We will be there soon. Just through the poor district and into the sailor's district," the burly guard said, smiling at me reassuringly.

I didn't feel any malice from him, but I placed a second hand on the ax that lay across my shoulder. We continued for at least ten minutes, and all the cozy feelings from before had long since changed to wariness.

To my relief, we saw many torches ahead, and as we moved through a smaller gate, the buildings changed again. Although still one story, they seemed well made, and laughter and chatter replaced the previous sussurations. I could hear the soft sound of lapping water, and when we passed through another street, I suddenly gazed out across a wide river. A harbor lay to the right, and there were still people moving about even at this time.

Ships, bigger than I had expected, lay along the docks. Long and with a wide belly, they reminded me of the merchant's vessels in a naval game I had played years before. The only thing odd was that they were missing any rigging, sails, or small cross beams to lead to the rigging. Only the main mast was there, with a single cross that seemed far wider than it should be.

Most of the ships looked the same, fifteen or twenty meters long with a single mast and a spear at the prow instead of a figurehead.

Following the guards, I saw a few much larger vessels sticking high out of the black, almost mirror-like, quiet water. Only the occasional waves, slapping against their hulls showed the silence was deceiving. They had triangular crystals where I expected portholes, and two masts, one halfway down the ship, and another smaller one at the front.

How do these things even move? I thought, stepping from the cobblestone road onto the flat, paved main dock. White-edged lines, barely visible, sat like a barrier a meter in front of each of the walking planks that led to a ship.

Wait behind the line until it’s your turn? I thought, not sure if I should laugh or cry.

We were moving towards one of the larger vessels that lay moored at the dock's furthest end. Shadowy figures on the ships noticed our passing, and I spotted many gleaming eyes following us. Unlike the edge of the harbor district, there wasn't a single light here, and everything was shaded in a greyish tint by my night vision.

This close to the ships I saw that they were made of wood and frowned at the comparative extravagance. Even the smallest one was made of more wood than all of the wood I had seen in Sart combined. There was also an odd feeling of familiarity around the boat. It almost felt like the woodcarvings did after I placed a Vengeful Spirit in them, but not as violent and imposing.

The guards stopped, and the burly bearded one stepped forward. He looked at me with sincerity, with slightly gleaming eyes.

"Be careful with your words when on the ship. If you've never traveled like this, remember, on the ship, even the lowliest of the sailors has more say than you. Try and stay out of their way, as they are allowed to throw you overboard if they think you are a danger to the ship."

Wait, what? I was about to ask more when a soft whisper came from the boarding plank.

"What brings two city guards to my beautiful Foul Breath?"

At the end of the boarding plank stood a grablon woman with short hair that reached just below her ears. She wore tight clothes that revealed most of her lit figure and was barefoot. Palm length daggers lined her legs and arms, the short hilts placed in such a way that they wouldn't snag on anything.

"Captain," the grumpy guard said as he lowered his hands and made an odd gesture with both upper hands. I quickly looked to the burly guard, but he didn't copy the move, so I refrained as well.

The captain made a small gesture with one of her four hands, as if signaling the other he may speak.

"The Gurossa requests that you bring this one to Orlion as soon as possible," the guard said, pointing at me.

"Does she now?" the captain looked at me for a moment before raising an eyebrow towards the guards.

"And how does she propose to pay for the passage?"

"She said this one would cover his own passage."

I snapped my head up to stare at the guard. I would?

"He will? And how, pray tell, will he do that?" the captain asked, disbelief on her face.

"The Gurossa says he is capable of killing any demon threat you might encounter."

I was starting to get the feeling more was going on here than I had been told, and I wondered when the Gurossa had even told the guard this.

"A mercenary then? We have plenty of those, and none warrant a free trip to Orlion," the captain said as she began turning around as if to leave.

I was about to agree and make my own way when the guard continued, freezing me in my steps.

"He is the first Prime of a new deity."

I almost turned and shoved him in the water. The hell! I didn't want that to be known everywhere yet. It was bound to draw attention I didn't want or need… I stopped and blinked. Was that what the Gurossa was doing? Getting me into trouble in such a way that couldn't be led back to her? She hadn't seemed that vengeful.

"A new deity…interesting," the captain said slowly, and this time she inspected me very thoroughly, making me feel like I was being undressed and had my molars checked.

"Fine, Prime. You may come aboard, but I expect that you pull your own weight."

I looked at her, turned to the city, and frowned as I contemplated just walking. This whole thing smelled like a stupid hassle I had no interest in.

"If you are thinking about walking to Orlion, think again. The hell storms will begin within two days, and you would be trapped en-route, out in the open."

How convenient, I thought with a snort. I turned to the burly guard, who looked at me and shrugged sadly.

"She is right. The red tide will arrive soon, and that makes a ship the only way to get to and from Orlion."

My growing annoyance must have shown as the burly guard raised his hands in a calming gesture. "You could always just stay here until the red tide season is over? I can show you around the best restaurants!" as he spoke, the guard seemed to think it was a swimming idea. He gestured animatedly as he started talking about some restaurant that had the best buns in all of town.

"How long will it last?" I said, stopping him mid rampage.

"Huh?"

"How long does the red tide season last?"

"The red tide season? A month, sometimes five weeks."

I shook my head. That would take too long. I looked at the captain, who was staring at me with a knowing look as if I didn't have a chance to begin with. I grimaced. It felt like I was being shoved in a particular direction, and I was starting to get the feeling Rathica had something to do with it.

"Fine," I said, and the guards perked up. "I'll go with you on your boat," I continued giving a half-smile at the guard.

"I'd love to join you on your restaurant tour, but I need to do a job for a deity, and those don't like waiting."

The guard sighed, his shoulders sagging a bit, while the one beside him shook his head at the other's antics. He turned and walked away, leaving the burly guard to stare at me wistfully, making me wholly uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Well. If you ever come back, come find me in the barracks!" he said, then turned and trudged after the other one.

Somehow feeling like I had dodged a bullet, I turned and looked into the captain's eyes, half a meter from me. She had soundlessly moved across the walking plank, a magic feat if I had ever seen one, and stepped aside to give me free berth onto the plank.

"You may board the Foul Breath! Leave any fire and demonic artifacts behind, or suffer the consequences."

The way she spoke sounded like a well-oiled ritual, and I wondered what kind of demonic artifacts existed. Moving across the plank, I was about to step onto the deck when she scraped her throat.

Now what? I thought, turning around. She pointedly looked at my feet, and after a second, I realized what she wanted. I let out a deep and tired sigh and sat down to untie my newly acquired leather-strapped boots. Looking at my feet, I was glad I had cleaned them during the shower because they had been almost black with filth before.

Flexing my toes, I held my boots in one arm and jumped on the deck of the ship. As soon as I touched it, a bolt seemed to shoot through my body, my hairs rising up.

The ship was alive! Not animated like my Vengeful Spirit imbued wood carvings, but truly alive.

A soft, drawling voice spoke in my mind, similar to yet different from how Rathica spoke to me.

“Soooo, a not-grablon grablon? That's a first. You had better tell me everything after we get away from this smelly bed of mud and sand!"

A massive power surged behind the voice, like a coiled snake ready to strike. I swallowed my suddenly dry mouth and nodded. Sure, but I could really do with a rest. I haven't slept in days.

Hah! I haven't slept in decades. Stop trying to make me feel bad for you! But fine… go find a bunk, I'll guide you to a free one!

A portion of the deck began glowing softly, a band guiding me to a hatch a few meters away. Unsure what to do, I turned and gazed at the captain.

"If she tells you to do something, it's best to do so," the captain said, turning around and moving to the back of the ship. Her voice suddenly rang out, loud and powerful as if using a megaphone.

"We are leaving. Get your mangy carcasses above deck and ready yourselves!"

I blinked, wondering again how the ship was going to move.

Are you tired, or were you just lying? the voice hissed, and I felt a headache pop up.

Tired. I'll see how you move tomorrow, I said, quickly walking across the deck towards the hatch. My balance was off as I walked, the gentle swaying of the ship making me unsteady. A ladder moved down from the hatch, and as I swung down, my ax caught on the edge.

Ouch, you big fool! Mind where you put that ridiculous ornament!

I cursed, holding the ax closer to my body as I descended the ladder into the dark bowels of the ship. I noted that everything I saw seemed made of a single piece, not a single edge or line to be seen. The staircase seamlessly joined with the floor of the lower deck, and I didn't see any planks with creases, just a single smooth dark wooden surface.

Like what you see? the ship sounded smug.

I do. Did they carve you from a single piece of wood? I asked, deciding it would be better to have the ship like me. I wasn't some scorpion, and the ship no frog.

Carve? CARVE? I was grown, I'll have you know, as are all good ships. What do you take me for, some crafted piece of garbage?

As the ship began berating me like a toddler, I followed the glowing lines towards the back, my headache pounding, the good feeling after eating and showering a vague dream somewhere in the back of my mind.

This was going to be a long trip. I just knew it.