5 - Smooth Sailing

The next day, the Tide Dancer fought off another attack, this time from a pair of quick, heavily-crewed ships. The pirate cutters used a similar tactic of concealment to get close, this time a magical bank of thick fog instead of darkness at night. Once again, the Tide Dancer had someone able to sense the approaching threat in time to prepare for the attack. Like Hah'roo with the wind, Cendi could hear the waves talking, and the sea spoke of vessels rushing through the mists toward her.

Joe was called up onto deck, but for the second time in as many days, he never got a chance to make a weapon block or attack. The crew made sure nothing intercepted their healer while Joe patched up those wounded by the raiders.

Tragically, one crew member was lost. An elf named Ah'yenna, or Riot as she was dubbed by the crew, was cut clean in half by a sea troll marauder. Joe did all he could, but there was just too much damage for him to fix. Kneeling amidst the blood and gore, Joe was devastated. He was not a bloodthirsty man, yet he had to admit seeing the green, axe-wielding brute cut into chunks in retaliation didn't bother him nearly as much as it once might have.

They held a sea burial for her, and as sad as her crewmates were over her loss, there was a lightness to their recollections and conversations. Against two-to-one odds, the ship had survived and lost only a single sailor. A great deal of that success had to do with him and his gifts. Even Inches was begrudgingly complimentary of Joe's ability to restore the wounded.

They made sure Joe knew he was more welcome aboard with them. Both he and Hah'roo received loot shares from the defeated pirates. She received a dirk with a sharpening enchantment on it, in case she needed a close-quarters weapon. They gave Joe a curse-based wand since he had a good class for it.

[Rod of Oneirism] (Charging - Uncommon) Fire a ray using your Perception attribute. A target struck must withstand your Spirit or suffer distracting hallucinations for 1 minute. This wand has 6 charges, which can be recharged with personal mana. Range: Medium {Curse}

He was pretty stoked to have a second method to start his [Hex-Wrecker] combo, but he was still leaning toward sticking to his plans about getting off in Fort Coral. Many of the crew who knew his story also understood. They knew all about the reluctance of getting tied down to someplace. A ship bore a type of freedom, but it was a regimented one. He would be on duty for the foreseeable future. Joe had never had an apartment on his own. Never got to live the life after college that he had planned. He liked the idea of traveling, but he was unsure if he wanted that travel to be his job quite yet.

That being said, Joe was not ruling out joining the crew of the Tide Dancer, either. He'd get a chance to see more of the world: visit the Small Kingdoms and the Great Delta of Narzan in the north. Maybe head further south to see the oasis cities in the Voiceless Dunes below the Hornwood. Cazmaloq, the dragon-inhabited island nation, sounded amazing, though a bit terrifying too.

He knew that life did not follow plans, but even so, after defeating the Night Skinner, Joe had made one. He'd give Fort Coral a few months before he'd consider signing on with Captain Ego and the rest. First off, though, he'd give himself a chance to do some adventuring, join a guild, train, and grow. And above all, just live.

Four days later, he finally got a good look at his destination. They had been sailing southwest after rounding the Horn, unmolested again by pirates once they put two days between themselves and Defiance. As the ship entered a large bay, Joe could see the small city covering a steep slope rising up from the shore. High walls separated the coast from the main city. Given that Joe could easily see the terracotta roofs and many upper floors over the fortifications, it was clear that the interior of the fort was much higher up than the shoreline. A trio of lighthouses flashed their warnings and indicated the path through rocks and reefs.

The city had leaned into their natural defences, yet had somehow managed to stay welcoming from where Joe stood. A long sandy strand divided the waterfront in two: one side looked like it was for fishing boats, whereas the Tide Dancer headed around the peninsula toward the larger piers.

On that spit, Joe could see people enjoying the beach with fishing rods, kites, and blankets. He had not seen people enjoying leisure time yet in Illumaria, and the idea was instantly appealing. That would be something for later. Joe had been cooped up in hospitals, then pursued around Duskrug, and then ship-bound. He really wanted to stretch his legs, just for fun. Go for a good, long hike. Maybe even try to find a simple quest or task to tackle.

He also wanted to find a library and figure out more about this world. There was clearly more to learn about the fey and the prophetic marks. Well, there was more to learn about everything here, but since his fate seemed to be tied to those two fairly heavily, they were a good place to start.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Study could wait, though. The first order of business was to let the wildness run free for a bit. It had been quiet for much of the twelve-day voyage, but these last couple of days, Joe could feel it getting antsy.

There were several strips of cultivated land around Fort Coral, which would not be something to hike through. Yet, surrounding these plots were swaths of lush forests. The vegetation had changed from the pine and oak-like trees he was familiar with to more tropical species. Here, the leaves of the trees were much broader, and the underbrush was thick. It gave off a Caribbean-like vibe. Even inside the city, he could see the fans of palms and other broad-leaved plants growing between the buildings.

The port held far fewer ships than either Peregrine Harbor or Defiance. Here, there were only four large mercantile vessels. The Tide Dancer would make it five. That is not to say the rest of the seafront was quiet. Joe could see plenty of fishing vessels plying the waters of Coral Bay.

Hah'roo glided up the stairs onto the bow deck with him. As she stepped into the wind, she unconsciously stopped, as she always did. The galeling seemed to greet the blowing air around her instinctively. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, raising her arms slightly. Her long blue locks fluttered away from the pure white skin of her body. Joe imagined this pose of hers was akin to that hug you always gave an old friend whenever you saw them again. To Hah'roo, the wind was not just something that had to do with the climate. It was a living spirit, both elemental and ancestral.

When she finished her communion, she stepped up to lean on the railing next to Joe.

"Shouldn't be long now," he said. "We should dock within the hour. So what are your plans when we get there?"

"Nothing," she stated in her whispery voice as she also leaned onto her elbows.

"Really? No plans at all?" Joe prodded, surprised. Hah'roo often seemed so organized.

"You misinterpret me, Joe. It is not that I have no plans, but that I plan to do nothing." She looked over and saw the stunned look on his face. With a smile and a breathy laugh, she added, "I have been going from one contract to the next for months. I have fought battles both with and without you. Tracked fugitives, including yourself. I am overdue for a good week of nothing but some time on that beautiful soft beach, a warm breeze, and maybe a good book."

"But we just got here?" Joe stammered. "Don't you want to go explore?"

"At some point, yes. At the moment, no. Fort Coral is not going anywhere."

Not at all expecting this, he countered in an incredulous voice, "I have done all the lying around I can stand for years. I am not going to park myself on a beach and sunbathe."

"And I do not expect you to. I am merely stating what I plan to do." Hah'roo stood up straight from the railing and looked Joe in the eyes. "You need some time as well on your own. You have been getting restless and irritable these last two days. I sense you feel confined. Now is your chance to be free. You should go out and let loose. Develop your new skills."

"That sort of was my plan, but I had thought we'd start off doing something together while I got my bearings."

"And I think this is a perfect chance for you to step out of the comfortable nest you have lived in. You learn how to fly by making a leap, not staying in the safety of the known."

Joe met her eyes and saw no criticism or judgment. Hah'roo was just being her straightforward self. It was true that he was more ready to disconnect from others, but to be honest, he was having a few doubts. His world had been very small during his sickness. As much as he wanted solitude back then, his existence had not extended much beyond a hospital bed for quite a while.

Since he had been transported into Illuminaria, he had had a guide in the form of one person or another. If Hah'roo left him to his own devices here in Fort Coral, Joe would really be on his own in a great big world for the first time in who knows how long. For a brief second, Joe felt a bit of trepidation, only to have that feeling washed away by a flood of excitement.

"You know what? You're right. What am I thinking? This is going to be fun."

Over the next half hour, they talked and watched the town come clearly into focus. The crew hauled in the lines to use the wind to slow the ship before reefing the green canvas sails. As the Tide Dancer drifted almost to a stop, a couple of longboats pulled up alongside the vessel and threw up a pair of ropes, one on either side of the bow.

Joe caught the one on his side since it happened to fly right to him. He looked across the deck and saw Wakely lashing the port side line to a cleat. Joe copied the act with his rope. A moment later, the lines grew taunt, and the tow boats drew the ship toward the dock.

As they closed the distance, Joe could not stop himself from thinking about what they had discussed. He finally broke down and asked the white-skinned woman beside him the question that had been driving his curiosity nuts.

"Can you even get a tan?"

"A what?"

"You know darkened skin. Sunbathing causes the body to produce melanin, which makes the skin darker to protect itself," he blurted. "Do galelings have melanin? I mean, with skin that white, I can't imagine you have much, if any. Does your skin ever get darker?"

Hah'roo stared at Joe like he was a lunatic for a moment. "Why would my skin change color?"

"I don't know. That's just how it works where I come from. Also, I was going to talk to you about sunscreen. Nobody with your complexion should bake themselves on a beach. That's how you get skin melanomas."

Hah'roo patted him on the shoulder exaggeratedly, like she was inulging a child. "You go find yourself something to do, Joe. My skin and I will be just fine on the beach."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.