Chapter 2: An Ocean Voyage

It was the first day of our voyage when I found out that traveling the oceans was not exactly safe. The sailors always carried wicked curved swords in their waist sashes. I thought it was because of me, but as we began moving they immediately started ignoring me. No matter what they were doing, some of their attention was always on the sea around us.

I learned the reason shortly after we reached deep water. I was by the side rail watching the sea when a large fish broke the surface. I did not think anything of it since it did not come all the way out of the water but the sailors nearby drifted away from me quickly. The fish was about fifteen feet long with a wide head and lots of teeth. It was only a few minutes later that it leaped. It came out of the water headed straight at me.

I have been training all my life. Traps and suddenly attacks were something I lived with. I spun and crouched as the long dagger from my right thigh slipped into my hand. My left hand smashed up to grab the fish behind its head in the gill slots. I spun again, my dagger striking straight through the side of its head before it even landed on the deck.

I jerked the dagger out and spun it in my hand so that the blade was down. The fish was flopping around as I brought the dagger down behind the head and into its spine. I yanked the blade free and released the gills before stepping back to watch the fish go through its death throes. A crowd of crewmen started gathering around the fish and the big first mate pushed his way into the center.

He looked from the fish to me and grinned, “Well, you have talent.”

He slapped one of the crew on the shoulder, “Cut it up and get it down to the cook.”

He glanced at me and turned back to the sailor, “Give the stones to the captain with Mister Lan’s complements.”

He turned and pushed his way back through the crowd while I stared after him and then looked out at the sea as it rushed past. I spent the rest of the day wandering around the ship, staying next to the rail while watching the sea. I saw a few more of the large fish the crew called criskin, but none attacked. The large meal of fish steaks was something I never dreamed of. In the desert, things that attacked you were poisonous to eat.

It was two days later that the crew started a game. They opened part of the side rail and one man was dropped into the sea. The rest would wait and then pull him out. Another man would wait at the side of the ship, ready to dive away to safety. I was on the other side of the ship watching. Even though the sailors were playing a baiting game it was me that the leviathan came for.

There was a sudden break in the water behind me as it came almost all the way out of the sea. I rolled and spun as this huge forty foot sea monster crashed down on the deck. I had pulled a short sword that was hilt down on my back and took two large running steps before leaping. I came down just behind the head, my sword led the way as it easily slipped through the tough skin. I yanked it back and forth even as I was thrown off the creature.

I rolled when I landed and spun to face the creature. It was thrashing around in its death throes as the crew closed on it. The big first mate lunged, stabbing a javelin into the side. The javelin was not necessary the leviathan thrashed around some more and finally stopped moving.

I walked forward and leaped up on top of it and pulled my sword out before dropping back to the deck. The whole crew was watching as I carefully cleaned the blade. When I finished, I looked at the first mate, “How many of these were you planning to play with?”

The crew laughed and the first mate grinned, “We will look for another one in a few days.”

I shook my head and looked at the monster lying on the deck, “At least I hope its edible.”

Everyone laughed as I headed to the prow to clean my sword. While I sat, I watched the crew cutting up the huge beast and could only think that the sea was very like the desert in some ways but unlike it in others. It was only two days later that a serous attack was made on the ship. It was pre dawn and I was on deck practicing when I saw the other ship slipping out of the semi dark heading right for us.

It was lower and looked much faster as it closed. I looked at the first officer on the wheel to see him reaching for the alarm bell. I slipped into the shadows by a mast and waited with both short swords drawn.

As the other ship tossed grapples over the side and men began climbing over, the crew of my ship rushed out onto the deck. I moved forward striking and blocking before they even knew I was there. I did not even bother staying on the ship as I vaulted over the rail onto the enemy ship. I struck those around me and started towards their captain and the helmsman.

I think the shocking danger I presented sank in as I cut a huge man’s throat and used him as a shield. I let him fall and stabbed a thin pocked face man before I stabbed a thick bearded man and left my sword stuck in his chest. My hand dropped, flicked and then snapped out. The silver throwing spike slammed into the captain’s throat as he yelled for his men. I shifted and cut down another man as he leaped from the ships deck above.

I yanked my sword out of the man’s chest as my other sword swept across the throat of a man that had slipped on the bloody deck. By now the pirates were back on their ship as I cut through two more to reach the helmsman. I sliced down across the wheel and turned to catch a blade aimed for my back. The helmsman screamed behind me as I thrust into the other man’s gut.

I shifted to hold both swords in one hand and threw a spike across the deck and into a man that was trying to cut the rope holding the ships together. I threw three more before the pirates all seemed to give up as the crew of my ship began to throw sea javelins down into them. The helmsman was on his knees behind me holding the spurting stump of arm. As men began jumping down onto the deck the captain waved down at me.

I nodded and moved around retrieving my throwing spikes before climbing back onto my ship. I nodded to the captain and first officer before moving to the prow. I sat and cleaned my weapons before finally going to my cabin to find a basin to wash my body in. When I was clean, I dressed in clean clothing and went back on deck. I stood with the captain by the wheel as the first mate stripped the other ship of anything of value.

When they were done and had taking every weapon from the other ship they cut it loose. I watched as it drifted behind us and the few crew aboard it managed to raise a sail. It turned away and slowly sped back the way we had come. The captain grinned at me as his helmsman took the wheel, “You are lucky assassin. At this rate you will make all of us rich.”

I bowed slightly and moved down onto the main deck. It was a week before we sighted land. During the week I had killed two more of the criskin, the last one had been almost twenty feet long. The crew seemed to be betting everyday on whether I would be attacked, on how big the fish would be and on if I survived. Land turned out to be a large island where the captain would get fresh water, sell the valuables from the other ship and get any news about our planned path to Amgree.

I stayed aboard ship and let the captain and crew handle everything. I still had two Siren stones which were blood red. I spent the day carefully cutting and polishing the stones. When the crew came aboard later that night they were drunk. The captain seemed sober as he walked quietly aboard and moved to the stern of the ship.

He glanced at me in the shadows, “The rest of the way is perilous assassin. They say there have been leviathan bigger than ships and several ships have been destroyed. Even the criskin have more courage.”

I waited and he turned to look at me, “Either you will bring us great luck or great misery.”