《Growing Puppets》Chapter 24 - News (Part 2)

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The galley left the shores before the sun rose, in the twilight. The ship was manned by slaves, all elves, only the captain and vice-captain were humans, and of course their guest Eugene.

"How'll you get back?" Asked Eugene.

"Oh, we'll get a ride with the trading ships." Said the vice-captain.

"So you'll leave ship there."

"Yep, the princess is paying for it."

"Oh, Clementine..." He said with familiarity.

"Yep."

They watched the sunrise in silence.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Asked the vice-captain.

"Yes, very."

"You don't get a sight like this being in the land all the time."

Watching it rise from the sea was indeed something else, admitted Eugene.

"Come on lets go in. Calkut was a big shot cook, worked for fancy restaurant, we got him cooking our breakfast."

It would be a week before they reached Corom and till then he hadn't much too do and he helped out with the rowing. The slaves cheered him on, he became kind of a favorite with them.

It became a routine that he worked with the slaves and ate with the captains.

"Are they all from Tengai?" He asked one supper.

"No, I thought most were from Nolybab." Said the vice-captain.

"I talked to some of them from Tengai."

"What did they say?" Asked the captain.

"Nothing much, they thanked me, the princess, and you guys."

"Hmm..." They said, and ate the food.

"How did they get all the way to Iacta?" He asked as a passing thought.

"Maybe the Congon Heroes or some other slave traders brought them. The problem is the king doesn't care."

"Who Drasil?"

"No, their king Kai or something or another."

"Even the royals make deals with the traders." Added the captain.

The nights passed and they arrived at Corom on a clear afternoon. The port island, the land of seagulls. They still had miles to go and he said good bye and waved them off. He waited there for a week before a boat came from Clocroc to gather supplies, one of Krank's men.

He lived in a dingy little in for the week where the landlady kept telling him he 'better not bring any whores into my house.' 'I can smell booze on your breath.' 'I don't want you drinking when you're living with in my house.' 'No drinking! No smoking! I don't like the smell.'

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The women was insane and he didn't know why he stayed there for the whole week. And he didn't think much about it when he first went there, all he wanted was a night’s sleep. The breakfast was fine until he didn't finish the peas, and there it began - nice enough in a way, all she said was 'a big man like you needs to eat. You can't be wasting food.' And he ate it and then she went insane. Holy Christ, the woman had ideas about men.

It got bad enough that even though he had paid for the week he slept on a bench the last two nights. 'Where were you, out all night?' She asked, when he went to get his things.

And he would have missed the boat's arrival too with all this swirling around in his head if it wasn't for the bartender.

The bartender told him of the ship's arrival. He was a stout and stupid fellow, all he could do was laugh and say 'that's women for ya.' When he heard Eugene was looking for Krank he advised: "You look like you can handle your own but all them are nuts, just a warning."

"Thanks." He said, "I'll keep that in mind."

MightyX walked around the docks till he saw the pirate flag. It was a demon's red skull. The man giving the commands was an old man with a gray beard, his men were caring goods into the ship. He was chewing on tobacco and kept trying to spit on some seagulls head that had gathered near him. Spit, spit, spit, all over the boards, worse than seagull shit. There was some of it crusted on his beard.

When he saw MightyX the old man puffed out his chest to match, but it was no contest, MightyX stood a foot over him. The old man seemed ready to fight, and his men watched.

"You from Krank's crew?"

"That I am. What is it to you?"

"I need to see him."

"So you want to see my captain, hey? But that ain't so easy. Not anyone can become a member of the Demon fleet." You could hear the pride in his voice.

"Well, I need to see him, and I'm coming with you."

The old man unsheathe and swung his sword in an instant. MightyX caught the blade in his hand.

"Well, alright." Said the old man, "Only the captain will be able to deal with you." He withdrew his sword and sheathed his sword.

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"What the hell you fuckers looking at!? Get back to work!" He shouted at his men.

The old man didn't try anything after that, but it was the fearlessness of the old man that was commendable.

Eugene could hear the hammer and nails as they got closer to Clocroc, and see the great construction project going on, on the island.

"What's your captain doing?" Asked Eugene when he saw it.

"Ask the captain yourself." Said the old man with a grin.

There were men there to meet them and as soon as they docked the old man said to one of the men waiting below.

"This guy wants to see captain."

They looked Eugene over and one of them said: "Alright, follow me."

And he followed him through the forest to a little hut. Near the hut you could only see women, all of them part of the harem.

While MightyX was taking in the view, the one who led him said something to one of the women. She ran into the hut, and after a few minutes out came a demon with red wings, red eyes, red horns, a red tail, and etc.

"Oh, mighty," he said surprised, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too."

"Yeah, yeah, same... come in. We'll have a party tonight... in your honor."

"In my honor..."

"Yeah man we should celebrate."

"Tinkula's dead."

"Tinkula... who's that?"

"The player in Tengai."

"PvP! Fuck. You serious?"

"Can we talk in private?"

"Oh, yeah sure." He looked around at the scantily clad women. "Give us some privacy."

So the discussion commenced and Krank agreed to go with him to Tengai.

"What about Zero and the others?" He asked having decided to depart the day after.

"Can't get in touch."

"What about heading to Jak and asking Al for help."

"Never met him."

"This is player business, he's bound to be worried too."

"Alright if you think he'll help."

"It's been a while since I've been to Jak."

"I haven't been there before."

"Then this is a good time to go."

There was a party in the evening that went on till dawn. There was a great slumber and on the 2nd night they set sail.

"By the way what's this all about?" Eugene asked pointing to a man carrying lumber.

"You noticed." He said with a smile.

"Yes, yes I noticed." Eugene said thinking: how do you not notice.

"We're going to build a pirate town where all the pirates from around the world can come. Casions, contests, it'll be the place to be if you're a pirate."

"Hmm..."

It began to rain on the 4th day of their journey. The ship began to shake, the sea tremored and everyone stood silent for moments and watched the giant waves come ready to sink the ship. The ship was in a panic, the old man was shouting orders here and there, getting them all in line.

"I never go anywhere without Kolbain." Said Krank in the middle of it all. The old man was a born general, you can't make them.

It was luck, all luck that they weren't down under. But the way the old man did it makes you think it was all him. Then it came, and all his shouting and commanding wouldn't do a dime.

It emerged out of the storm with a wave. A titanic, its mast broken and thrown across the ocean they were headed for collision.

"Strong Force." Shouted MightX which jolted his muscles and strengthened them.

[Demon Wings] thought Krank which extended his wings. One punched which send shock waves and the other summoned the wind which slowed the titian and moved it along with them.

The storm was trying to bash their ships together.

But they bared the storm out and it cleared and rays of light were came through the clouds. In the storm they had thought it was some ghost ship but they could now see that it was not old enough. And a man on board the ship waving to them. They waved back, and the man went on waving. The old man joined them in waving to the man and he went on waving. "Hello!" Shouted Krank, and beat his wings to rise up to him. It was a dead beastman dangling on a rope off a broken pole. Like a puppet he was tied around the arm, the rope circled around the neck and torso, and he was leaning over the ship's rail.

"The man's dead!" He shouted down, and the old man ceased his waving.

They left the titan roam along with the current and headed north.

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