Greggan

After breakfast the young soldier brought clothes to the boys, nothing fancy just some worn britches and shirts. They were comfortable and clean, they each went to a different corner to change doing their best to give each other some privacy. Greggans body had marks that looked like burn scars all over, his face was still slightly swollen and his eye blacked. After they were clothed they were allowed to wash their faces with a bucket of water and a wash cloth, Greggan was made to wash last because of the amount of blood and mud and muk he had on him, so much so one of the other older boys helped him clean up. " i'm avery by the way, didn't get to speak earlier. That autumn witch scares the piss outta me. Im a bastard of Pesos, my father was some merchant and my mum worked in a tavern. My mum likes wine a bit too much and the merchant sold the stuff. Nine months later after he left port, here I am. My mother died of the plague a few years ago and iv been dodging the orphanage ever since, these lot got up with me on the road, they killed my friend Brandon before they set a bow at me. I decided not to die and they said i was their property." Greggan never even got a word in as Avery kept talking and talking. He didn't mind though at least he wasn't trying to kill him. Avery was of average size for his age of twelve, he was non magical with short blonde hair. He had freckles that covered his face and a slight lisp when he spoke, he had been traveling with a small group of boys trying to get to Aerios to maybe find work. He wanted to be a blacksmith and spoke of titan tree wood and elvish silk, even mammoth tusks had magical properties when used to make a sword.

The boys were left again shackled to the floor with pots on the floor to use when they had to make. " hey Autumn witch." The largest boy had a cruel sound in his voice, " when you gonna free us? You had alot to say about it last night."

Ertimus had been quiet all morning, he didn't say a word as he changed and ate. He focused his green eyes on the young soldier who took care of them. " when i make my move you will know." The big boy snickered, he assumed Ertimus was lying and just some street boy.

The large boy had begun throwing whatever small objects he could at Ertimus to taunt him. " i don't know what you hope to gain big fella, if he really is an autumn witch he could pull your skull out your ass." One of the other boys said, he too had kept his mouth shut all morning, " shut it, he aint no autumn witch noble. He's just a liar with a bastard name most likely just like the rest of us." He threw a small chunk of wood hitting Ertimus in the face.

Ertimus just smiled a wicked smile at the large boy, " what's your name big fella." A voice said coming down the steps. The large boy jumped not hearing the footsteps of the third soldier. It wasn't the man who brought Greggan or the young soldier, it was a burly bald man with scars on his face, he was missing some bottom teeth which made his grin even more menacing for some reason. " boy i asked you a question!" He crack the whip he was holding by the large boys face to give him another good jump, " Albert sir!" Tears had started to well up as he answered, " you seem to like to bully smaller boys don't ya."

"No sir, he claims to be a noble autumn witch! He says he can overtake the ship!"Ertimus's face changed, you could see the anger in his face. Albert had just ruined their chances to escape, at least he thought.

" boy are you a nutter? Autumn witches have hair like fire and eyes of blue ice!" He cracked hid whip this time leaving a gash on Alberts chest. He fell out of his chair screaming, the man used his whip on Albert several more times. The boy screamed as it tore through his clothes and flesh, by the tenth lashing Albert was cradling himself whimpering as his wounds bled freely on the floor. The man chuckled as he walked up the stairs his voice could be heard telling the young soldier to " go clean up the fat boy".

The rest of the day Albert stayed huddle against the wall sniffling, Ertimus had decided to kill Albert when he escaped, even though they didn't believe him he felt as though his honor and loyalty was not worth the air he was breathing.

That night Ertimus got the attention of the boys and told them that they had to wait until there was a storm before he could get them all free.

"Why not just use your magic to kill them all? Or control them? You can do magic right?"

"Of course i can do magic, that's not the issue. i don't know these northern waters and their are definitely monsters i don't think I could stop from hunting us, and let's not forget about the elves of the Ire who patrol these seas and will set on any ship who come to close to their waters. If I take the ship I have to know I can get us safely to the east." Ertimus just glared at Albert as he spoke, "I want to create a storm to sweep the ship into a mainland ship and let the port do the rest. No ports other than AridTown will suffer a slaver or a banner less ship of the pirates."

"Why a storm?" Greggan was bothered most by the storm, he already hated calm water, rough stormy seas were worse. He did not want to be thrown over board for the monsters of the sea to eat. Mermaids, watersteeds, and krakens lived in these waters, not to mention the million other dangers present in the water.

"In a storm i can manipulate these men to point us to the ire, then all we have to do is sail there and the elves will help us."

"Elves is your answer?" The boy from earlier who's name was Gregory Arid, he was a bastard orphan of Aridtown. He had a sharp mind and a handsome face, short black hair that would not be tamed.

"Yes, Elves hate trespassers but will not attack us if they see we are children,i'll make a distress call for them to board us and they'll escort us to whatever city we wish to go. My family are friends with many Elvish nobles and will happily help us."

"That plan is perfect, if you were smart enough not to talk about it later in the night." A voice said climbing down the stairs, it was the bald man again clutching his whip with a cruel smile on his face.

"I'v always wanted to kill an autumn witch." He said as he reared back his whip, "i guess todays my luck day."

Ertimus stood up and let his shackles fall to the floor. "And i'v always wanted to kill a Deadman."

Greggan chuckled a bit, Avery looked at him with a bit of disappointment in his eyes. " what it was funny." Erlem smiled and turned his attention back to Ertimus and the bald soldier.

He cracked his whip but failed to reach his mark instead catching Avery on the shoulder leaving a long gash bleeding on his shoulder. He yelped in pain as Ertimus hopped into a shadow then reappeared behind the bald man. He turned around and began to shout " aye we got a mage on board!" Ertimus cut him off at that as he caused large wooden spikes to form from the planks of the ship, he let out a scream as the forced their way into his body. By the end of it he looked like a pin cushion with large pool of blood oozing from the wounds. The other two men cam barreling down the stairs with swords in hand but Ertimus had already lept back into the shadows. The young soldier saw the wood spiked corpse of the bald soldier and vomited as soon as his eyes focused in on it.

"Fuck me, i would get myself an autumn witch." He readied his sword in front of himself, its titanwood blade stood resolved to protect its master.

"Boy this here is an Elvish broadsword that belonged to a reaver. It can repel magic! Slice through whatever you can throw." He laugh as the young soldier dodged a spike from the wall beside him. He rolled away from the man holding the titan sword. "Not that one Ertimus!" Greggan yelled, that soldier was not like the other two and didn't him to be killed, they may be able to use him.

Ertimus focused his attention on the sword wielding soldier, he hopped out of the shadows and rolled across the floor in front of the dead bald soldier and disappeared back into the shadows.

" your sword can't cut a shadow but mine can." A had came from behind wielding a dagger, the mans eyes screamed before he could utter a sound because the blade flashed as it ran across his throat. He gargled and spit up blood as it flowed down his front and the man fell forward dropping his sword( which was now covered in blood).

"Stop fighting and i'll let you live!" Ertimus said in the shadows, " there's no reason you should die here." The young soldier gripped his longsword with both hands " I'm already a deadman, its either victory or death for us and i don't plan on dying to a kid witch even if he is a damned Autumn witch!"

"A slaver with honor, what a fucking bit of irony."

Ertimus lept from behind him but the deadman was ready and met him with the but end of his sword, Ertimus's nose cracked and began to leak blood. Tears welled in his eyes as he fell back into the shadows. He dropped his sword and swiftly grabbed the titansword.

"Come out you fucking coward! I will avenge my brothers!"

Greggan felt his chains slip off with a loud thud onto the floor, the others chains also fell except for Alberts. The look on his face was as if he had been murdered already.

"Follow me" a strange voice said, it was scratchy and almost a whisper, " follow who?" Greggan did not see any one around them. " over here on the wall." Standing clear as day was a shadow that looked just like Ertimus. " his daemon!" Greggan gasped at first, he had never seen a daemon up close before. " i don't have time for you to gawk at me, follow."

He led the three boys that were unshackled along the back of the wall while Ertimus popped in and out of shadows leaving shallow cuts across the soldiers leather armors, the sound of metal clanging would sing when the dagger struck the blade.

Chunks of the dagger would fly as it hit, it wouldn't be too long before it would be unusable. Ertimus's dagger was made of magic and even it did not leave a nick on the blade of the titan sword.

Their battle raged on as the boys slipped away and up the stairs to the main deck of the ship, they all took a deep breath of the sea air and let the sun hit them on their faces.

" get in the bouie!" The daemon yelled as he took the form of a black cat and hopped inside a small boat that hung from the side of the ship.

They piled in as quickly as their bodies would carry them Greggan tripped as he climbed scraping his knee.