Chapter 29: Spectre
"HELP!"
"IT HURTS!"
"WHERE IS PALOS' ARMY?"
"DOOM HAS COME TO US ALL"
These voices are haunting me right now.
I can't get rid of them
I can't stop them
What is needed to escape this reality?
I am on the way to Port Harib for a boat.
This port is quite loud. Fishmongers, Blacksmiths, sailors and porters.
They are working in a rush.
"Welcome to Harib, this is where fresh air and sea dogs gather. What brings you here, fellow merchant?"
"I am looking for a boat, a good one preferably."
"With the two of you? Perhaps, you should get a sailboat. Any of you control the wind?"
"That would be me mainly. Alira will guard me meanwhile"
"So you let the girl protect you, merchant. That is quite expected"
"I trained her. I am her master"
"I bet on math and calculation."
"Nope, spear combat"
"For real?"
"Yes"
"Alright, your name? I have to register every boat for the account" He takes me to the counter of the dock and takes a pen.
"Jehidas"
"That would be 320000 Quinks"
"Alright"
"Say, your name sounds familiar… Are you that notorious
"I hate that nickname, you know"
"Okay then… I get why I feel so threatened now" he is shivering.
The sea dog takes me to the sail boat we purchased. To be honest, it looks fine but I may need supplies on it. I should leave my wagon at the carpenter's shop and the rest of the supplies go on this boat.
****
"How far do we have to sail? I am getting bored" as she stares at the ocean
"Well, I am bad with navigation, I am not used to at the sea"
"Then why can't we hire at least a sea dog or someone who knows the sea?"
"Firstly, I don't want to bother protecting him. Secondly, I need to investigate without having to explain things to people that I don't want to"
"Fine. Should I do the thing?"
"No. I don't want you to get unfortunate unnecessarily"
"How long do we have to sail?"
"Hours?"
"I am gonna spear fishing with that trident"
"Alright, get to it"
****
"Are we there yet?"
"Almost exact location. As far as I can feel it"
"Did you hear that?"
"Yes, the song"
"It must be close"
"I assume so. Drop the anchor I guess"
Anchored and secured. We wait for the night fall as we clean up some fishes that Alira caught earlier. We shouldn't light up a fire here so we take our dried supply out. Bread and jerky for Alira. For me, it is a bag of wine. She knows me so she doesn't have to worry about my starvation.
As the night falls, We light up the lamp. Under glimmering light and shattering waves, we sharpen our weapons and prepare some scrolls.
"This should be it. Two teleportation scrolls and some silent scrolls"
"Okay, Jehidas old man. How long do we have to wait?"
"I don't know but the song is still echoing"
"So...What now?"
"Wait for the ghost town before leaving at dawn. Sounds good?"
"Better than stuck here with fishes "
We wait on the boat until…
Something is appearing. It seems bright and vague.
It is the town.
I am home.
I can't believe it.
This is…
"JEHIDAS! WAKE UP FROM THE DREAM! THERE IS NO TOWN! GHOSTS ARE TRYING TO TRAP US BY SINKING THIS BOAT!"
What?
There is no town at all.
The boat is coming to those rocks. I need to kill these ghosts even if I don't die but I will be trapped for eternity,
I raise my dagger. I try to look for the ghosts.
How can ghosts guide this boat to a certain crash?
They can possess objects. I need to cut their souls.
"Hey you foul ghosts! You died more than 800 years ago. I was one of you, a survivor of the iron sheep invasion. Who dares to stand up against me?"
A moment of silent
"Hahak. I am the head of these ghosts. You seek a trouble, strange creature. I know you are not human or any living I know. And yet you claim yourself as a survivor of the invasion that was more than 800 years ago? How blatant lie you are"
"I am Jarek, a son of Marikas Laurus"
"You dare to use the name of our lord? How blasphemous. All of you, seize him"
As I expect, they will try to rush and possess me.
Little did they know. I was a drake lord, a dwarven hunter and a jester. Try to take over a body like this would be futile
"How so? This is nonsense" the head ghost is surprised
"Well, I am a sandfolk and I can consume those souls. These souls are just merely a meal for a giant like me. I was hoping for a soul that is worth among them but I guess yours is just pathetic as them"
The boat is not heading to the rock
"You, you monster"
"Monster? You murdered people to feast on their power and yet, you are just letting someone live after hearing our song"
"The song? You know the song?"
"I told you, I am Jarek. I guess this should be your end"
****
I consumed his soul. It is worth just a meal to regain my energy.
Alira rests there with her spear. The sun is rising and we are still in the middle of the ocean.
I think we need to head back port Harib
But the memory of happiness, it is still there. The time when the town is in laughter and joy…
Doesn't matter, the Palos are dead already
****
"How was the sail?" the sea dog ties the rope
"Boring" Alira pouts
"Well, it has been fun to look around in the body of the big blue right?"
"So you didn't go to that cursed site yesterday? Good for you. Usually, every year there are two or three vessels that never come back. Some come back with terror on their face. I have been working with vessels for years. I have to say that you are very very lucky to be back without being curious about that thing in the middle of the sea"
"Those are just baseless rumors. We sailed to somewhere near sea rocks"
"Which one?" his face looks pale
"The serpent"
"Thanks gods. You didn't go to the turtle one"
"Turtle?"
"Those rocks are near the rumored ghost town"
"Maybe next time, I will go there"
"Curse you"
"I still own the boat. Better keep it nice or refund me"
"Come back soon then"
****
"So what is next?" Alira sharpens her spear
"I don't know. After all, there is something wrong with that ghost town from the beginning"
"What?"
"They don't know me as if they only know my father but not me"
"So?"
"I think they are brainwashed by some kind of advanced arcane magic"
"Why would someone do that?"
"To forget something..."
"Maybe you are just another victim of war and you don't remember thing clearly"
"I am sure of everything. I know what I see"
"..."
"Killing someone is not about stabbing him to death. It is about making people forget about him"
"Don't be so deep with your narrow mind"
"Then I should have let you walk all the way back to Nakitel alone?"
"I take back what I just said"
****
Nakitel, at last. After few days on the road, I need to get back home and drop dead immediately.
I need a very long break.
But...
"Hey there, do you know the owner of this shop?"
"Who are you?"
"Fourth prince, Aceros Nortus"
I am ready to draw my dagger out
"Easy there, I know you are on guard about someone sitting here with a glass sword right?" the prince tries to calm me
"Why are you here, your highness?"
"Someone called Jehidas and I heard he lives here. I am waiting for him and have some good clashes."
I take a step forward and try to gouge his eyes out. But he parries it with the hilt of his dagger. I have to stumble back.
"So so so. You are the infamous Jehidas"
"Your highness, as expected of your judgement."
I pull out my gun and shoot him. Once again, he parries it but this time, his glass sword guides the bullet to the ground.
"Is that some kind of special sword?"
"No, it is just an ordinary glass sword. But with my skill, I can guide my foe's strikes to useless paths"
"Interesting skills"
I reload my gun and dash toward him with my dagger. His guiding skill is just unbelievable. It seems that he is almost getting hit but actually, the strike is too soft or misplaced.
One five two four three.
I have to dodge those ripostes. I can't just dodge or get too back away.
If you can't hit him normally, then hit him surprisingly.
I need to hit him right on his back.
Damn it, Alira. Why are you taking so long before getting home?
I fall down on my back. His momentum is too forward. His back is exposed, gun is ready.
BANG!
CLOANG!
The glass sword broke?
"I lost. See you next time." The prince drops the sword and walks away...