The Oarsmen brought her alongside, one thing that the living members of the crew can notice, are they’re no longer transparent, they are fully solid now that they’re right next to the boat. One reaches out and raps on the Hull, “Prep the cables! Bring her up”
Lines drop over the side, then a ladder, the Oarsmen get into the preparations of hooking up the boat to be brought up.
Inside, Tharos hears the knock, and starts to sneak in the direction of the deck. He pauses on reaching the Deck. The ship is swarmed with naval personel! Where did they come from?
Honoured dead, seeking passage to the afterlife? Asks the hard voice
You know what for once I agree with him says the soft
One of the Sailors leans over the Railing, “Any of you expecting a priest?”
Oh, absolutely fantastic. Dolphus groaned internally as the sailors became opaque. The boat is haunted. Wonderful. Fantastic. Why didn’t the explosion just kill me and save me from this horrible existence of having to deal with magic and all its complications?
Dolphus shook his head. No, stupid… Then I wouldn’t have found her. I would’ve died in complete emptiness, but somehow now I think I can tolerate this nonsense for the time being. Obviously she’ll understand; she would know how to cope with something like this.
The noise brought Dolphus out of his reverie. Remember, a Gorov must control the room. The first greeting must be his and the last council must be his.
“We’re expecting one eventually.” Dolphus replied. “So far he appears to be running late.” I wonder if he’s on the pier by now, feeling guilty about how he just missed the ride. Deserved; magic is stupid and I hate it.
Alexis watched Nico and Dolphus as they approached Their vessel, there was no reason for this other than to keep her attention from the strange looks she had been getting from Rook. What was his problem anyway? Perhaps he was jealous of her position as Caelin- no that couldn’t be possible, she hadn’t directly stated she was the ship’s Caelin. It had to be something else, it was more likely that he wasn’t jealous, but weary of her background in the military. The only question is what event caused for that mistrust.
“I’m well aware,” Alexis shouted up before turning to address the group. “Alright everyone, feel free to look around the ship and get a feel for your respective stations before we head off. This will be the only chance you’ll have before we’re working in full swing.” She gave one last glance towards Nico and Dolphus before ascending onto the deck.
I will greatly enjoy picturing throwing you overboard in the middle of the night.
Alexis had addressed the priest first, which completely killed the opportunity to further control the the scene. But that wasn’t bad, was it? If she wanted to speak first, she should definitely have the opportunity to do so.
But before Dolphus had any further opportunity to dwell on the notion, Alexis had addressed the entire party - the first words she had spoken to him in any capacity. He kept his eyes focused on hers, listening to every detail, seeming somewhat disappointed that the entirety of her declaration was ‘go have a look around’.
And then she had stepped off the boat and onto the ship - why the naming designation? Perhaps he had better not ask this crowd for the answer; they may take grave offense to the question or an accidental mislabeling of the ship as a boat. Dolphus didn’t have much experience determining the temperament of magic ghost sailors, and this voyage might not be the best place to begin research.
After stepping off the boat, Dolphus reached in between the segments of his wing and retrieved a very compressed black rectangle, which could only be determined as a coat by the collar visible on one of its two faces. It had been modified by himself to completely remove the left sleeve, with a hole large enough to admit, say, a certain wing… Although folded it was impossible to see the hole or much of anything outside of the collar.
With that in hand, Dolphus made directly for the captain’s quarters. In his mind, it was the likeliest place that cartography would be done, and ensuring it was well-stocked with equipment was essential. Not to mention it would likely be the quietest place in the whole vessel, and Dolphus greatly preferred the quiet.
As Dolphus walked he may have noticed the extremely different layout when compared to civilian ships he’d served on, in fact there didn’t even seem to be a Captain’s quarters. There was a crew bearthing, which was full of ghosts, then 12 identical cabins. Eventually one of the doors he passed had a sign with fresh painted Letters that read “Chart Deck”
Tharos looks around at the others, he does a few double takes as he thinks he recognizes people.
A group of the ghosts gathered around, and began to play some kind of Dice Game, with a cup.
Dolphus looked around at the layout with an expression of horror at how whoever built this had massacred the sacred code of ship construction. This thing makes absolutely no sense. I hope this Chart Deck has enough natural light to see things during the day.
The cabins lining the sides of the deck gave the approach to the Chart Deck at the very end an ominous feel, as well as the fresh paint which identified it as such. If there’s a bogeyman inside here waiting to claw my throat out, I’m blaming Mariner.
Slowly, he opened the door to the room labeled Chart Deck.
Nico hadn’t expected what being back on a ship would evoke in him. The last time he’d been on a ship … An ironic figurehead, a betrayal, a heartbreak.
“Remember, Markl. You, you specifically, will take many lives. Never give up the opportunity to save one.”
The words thundered through his head. He’d followed his teacher’s words so well, so so well, until that one. He wanted to be sick. He placed his hand gingerly on the rail of the ship, and then swung his legs over to land on the deck. He shuddered.
Guilt, was what he felt. She hadn’t deserved to die.
Yes she did yes she did yes she did she was a monster just like the rest yes she did-
He wanted to head immediately for the prow, but he resisted the urge. He turned to one of the crew.
The ghost looks up, rather surprised, “Uhhh, we have Weapons storage on the bottom deck, but usually we keep our weapons on hand” he shrugs, “keeps em accessable”
Inside is rows of shelves, holding rolls of both Transparent and Rough Finish Vellum, a large globe depicting the world as known dominates the center, off to the side are tables, at one such table, an Old man sits, carefully making additions to a map.
Dolphus started slightly upon seeing the old man. The rest of the room had hidden him from notice until his eyes fell directly upon him, and even now his work was practically silent in its application. I had no idea they already possessed a cartographer… Why would they hire myself with comparatively little experience if they already had someone so learned?
Straightening himself, Dolphus softly knocked twice on the woodwork of the doorway, hoping to get the attention of the old man without alarming him.
As the old man looks up, he turns transparent. Dolphus is temporarily granted a View of the wall behind, “Ah you must be the Cartographer, come in, come in.” He smiles, a warm and genuine smile. “You are taking over my great work, my service is at an end, but for my replacement I’ve prepared my life’s work, as a parting gift. If you have any questions feel free to ask.” He folds his hands below his chin and looks politely at Dolphus.
Nico’s mouth tightened into a sharp line. Either this crew and its ship were woefully unaware and inexperienced in terms of protocol, or this ship possessed less discipline than he had expected from such a self-proclaimed “famed” proprieter.
“Many thanks.” He smiled as he spoke, though he couldn’t keep a hint of ice from seeping into his gaze. He moved away from the ghost, towards where he could get belowdecks and to the purported armory.
So he, too, is a ghost. A dead magic ghost sailor person.
Are there any real people on this ship?!
It was possible to watch the process of emotions causing Dolphus’ face to slowly fall. The shock, the realization of what that meant, the questions that arose from that, the filtering of those questions into the one, poignant response that seemed to encapsulate the whole of his musings.
He’s done. What little color there was seemed to drain from Dolphus’ face. Who knows how long he was a normal person before he became a stupid dead magic ghost, but that extended period is over. His life’s work… His entire life’s work is done and being handed over to me.
But why does that have to end? Is there a temporary lease on how long someone becomes a dead magic ghost? Perhaps there is a contract signed, that becomes invalidated after a certain period? But why would the period end so conveniently after I’ve arrived?
And what happens to a dead magic ghost after they’re, well… No longer a magic ghost? Do they go to the afterlife? Has this man been trapped in limbo on this ship, in this crew, waiting to get out? Or has he been enjoying his time here, and is resigning from his existence simply because another cartographer showed up?
Dolphus’ eyes traveled over the entire room, but now they settled back on the man, water slightly beginning to build beneath their lids. So many questions were forming in his mind, questions about how this all operated, and whether or not he was doing the man a favor or a disservice by taking over his post. “I don’t…”
“Why? Why am I…?”
There seemed to be more to the question, but Dolphus couldn’t get it past his throat.
His path, would take him down past the bearthing deck and rowing deck. Then through the ammunition storage, where row upon row of Bolts sat bundled together for easy carrying. To the weapons storage. Racks of spears lined the walls, extra swords in racks closer to the center, near the back, a care and maintenance station, where another Ghost Sailor sat sharpening his sword.
He tested it on a scrap of parchment, the cut was neat and uniform. “ah” he says, “Too sharp again”
“Go on son, it’s ok, I’ve been around a looooong time, I can answer almost any question”
“You’ve done this a long time.” He replied, blinking to force the water back down. “I’ve barely even been alive for fourteen years. I know the importance and severity of the mission of this expedition, but I took the offer to join on the assumption that there was no cartographer on board.”
“So why me? You are undoubtedly more experienced and knowledgeable on the subject and you have a great many more years to your name; why am I the inheritor of your life and your craft?”
His words were trying desperately to remain complex and elegant and hide how much his voice was trembling.
The old man beamed at him. “One hundred and Sixty years. I was supposed to be done by now, but when Tharwin told me there was a Cartographer in his prospects. Well I decided to stay on to ensure they had as many resources as I could gather”
He stood and walked over to be closer to the door. Leaning against the Hull. “I served 60 years as a Mortal. Then when I died, I volunteered to remain in service in this form. To secure passage for myself and my Family to the afterlife.” He sighed in content, “Now, after you’re settled, I will go to join them in paradise. A long service, but worth it. For if anyone deserves paradise, it’s my family”
Dolphus silently stood, his mind racing through every implication and outcome of this decision. There were too many. Why had this fellow stayed on for a hundred years after he had died? Why had his family been unable to enjoy paradise without him present? How was magic holding his soul to this mortal plane? Why did he have to take over this position, this century and a half legacy being dropped into his lap for a position he couldn’t even begin to care about?
This was an unexpected and sudden weight, a responsibility Dolphus was painfully unfamiliar with. Balancing the finances of the poor and destroying the most financially viable among them was the Gorov trade; honoring and maintaining the work of a hundred years’ diligence for no reward and with the greatest expectation placed upon the fulfillment of such a trade was not.
Dolphus clutched his cane sharply. “I have to go.” He blurted out before swiftly walking at as fast a pace he could manage back down the hall and rounding the hollow by the stairs, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down it until he was nestled on the floor, his one arm clutching his knees, water filling in his eyes.
I can’t do this. I can’t do any of this. It’s too much.
Andreas’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. He approached the ghost with a genuine grin. After years of constant bitterness, such an expression appeared uncanny on his face — his skin was akin to a heavy downpour, weighing down his smile some, but not quite enough to conquer it. Not quite enough to conquer pure modest human joy.
He swings his arms behind his back, not wanting to address such matters here and now.
“Tharos, my old chap. It warms my blackened heart to see you after all of these years”
The Fishing supply shop was around a ten minute walk. The supplies inside ranged from Angling, all the way up to large nets and Tackle for dedicated fishing vessels.
“Good day!” The shop keeper said good naturedly
“My, my, my, Rook Andreas, as I live and Breathe! How’re you… Uh captain?..” He looked unsure as to what to call him now, “Haven’t seen you since…” He turned awkward again, and gestured towards Rook’s “hands”
“Ah well it’s good to see you anyway! I always thought you were a great captain, no matter what the First Mate said”