Victor and the Sea Kings

The Fair Maiden bounced and rocked on the violent waves caused by the raging storm. A wicked, yet beautiful green light filled the sky as the lightning streaked through the night, followed by an angry rolling thunder that sounded as though it was ripping the wooden planks straight off the old ship’s frame. Victor and Elaina held each other tight as the storm kept them awake from the bed of the captain’s chambers. They never spoke, just lie there listening to the storm in fear of what other dangers it would bring. A storm brought on by magic had unlimited possibilities, and no one knew the dangers of magic better than Elaina, being particularly “crafty” herself, brewing potions, especially potions like, which she had predicted, brought this wretched storm upon them. Since man had begun to try to rid the lands of magic, the seas became host to the wars and creations of magical beings. The seas on this part of Nevaeh, had become particularly dangerous. The thought of being out here at all worried Elaina, the storm and the possible dangers it was brewing just made matters worse.

The storm raged on until early morning. As the storm subsided to a light drizzle, Victor, Elaine and the rest of crew came out to check the ship’s deck for damage from the storm.

“Hell of a storm, huh?” Gregory, the oldest of the ships small crew asked walking up to Victor

“Yea, wonder what kinda wonderful surprise we’re in for now. We’re in Fallneth waters now.” Victor replied, walking over to the rail of the ship deck, looking out across the foamy green water.

“You think the storm was magical?” Gisham, a small frail looking crew member asked as he inserted himself into the conversation.

Victor turned to Gisham still scanning the ship and the water for surprises and said “No, I don’t think it was magic, I know it was. I could feel it, I could feel it through Elaina, I can tell when her magical senses kick in.” Victors’ attention now focused on his beautiful wife, who stood in the center of the ship, hugging herself beside the main mast, staring off blankly into the still dark morning. Her dark brown hair softly blowing in the remaining breeze left by the storm.

The three men had started to fall back to their conversation but were interrupted by Elaine’s high pitch bone chilling scream. Victor turned back to Elaina and was immediately drawn to what had terrified her. Running at her from the bow of the ship was what appeared to be a shark like man; Victor had to take a second look out of disbelief.

“Sea Kings” Gregory yelled as the three men ran to Elaina, drawing their swords. The other three crew mates were already being chopped down by the large shark man running at them. By the time they had reached Elaina, a couple dozen more Sea Kings had climbed over the sides of the ship and surrounded the four, pointing swords, spears and various other Melee weapons at them. Victor eyes bounced from one Sea King to another; it was baffling how closely they resembled various species of shark except for manlike features: arms, legs, necks, shoulders, and even a head shape, like most types of beings. The arms and legs replaced the pectoral and pelvic fins but other than that, all the features of a shark were present along with the shark’s nasty traits. Fear overcame Victor, as it did the rest of them. Somehow, he still managed to find a way to be impressed with the magical creations that now stood snarling all around them.

A few of the Sea Kings stepped aside allowing a small gap in the circle that they had made around Victor’s crew. Through the gap stepped the largest of the crew, a massive ghost white man shark, resembling a Hammerhead shark. He walked straight up to Victor, the circle closing back behind him and snarled at Victor “the Fair Maiden belongs to me now” pressing the tip of his sword against Victor’s throat.

Victor wasn’t typically the type to just step aside and let someone take his things, especially his ship. However, being heavily outnumbered by the fierce looking shark me, he finally gave in and said, “One condition.”

“Yessss?” the head sea king growled at him.

“The crew and I go free with no harm, and you take the ship.”

“Very well, leave then before I change my mind.” the big hammerhead demanded, pointing at the old dingy lying beside the rail of the ship. Victor and his crew quickly got the boat over the side of the ship and climbed inside then were lowered into the water by the Sea Kings.

Victor and his crew rowed the small boat for about two days before arriving to the village of Tavrick, a small village on the southeastern coast of Fallneth, south of Afterglow swamp. They hid out on the coast for a few days before wondering into the village square. Gregory and Victor boasted of the tales of their adventures to all the towns folk and attempting to try to recruit some crew members, told of how they were plotting their revenge against the filthy Sea Kings that had stolen their ship. After the two finally gave up their recruiting attempts, Victor found Elaina in the square checking out some local produce.

“Ah, there you are” he said sneaking up behind her grabbing her by the waist.

“Did you to have fun?” she asked jokingly, turning into his arms. “Dear, you two need to be very careful, you are getting unwanted attention” she continued, directing his attention to two young women watching him from the alley. One with long dark wavy hair and a red cloak, the other in a bright blue cloak. Victor could just barely make out the red of her hair under the cloak’s hood.

“Well, it’s just a couple admirers, that is all; don’t be getting jealous, dear” he said with his sly charming smile, pulling Elaina in closer to him.

“No, they’re not just admirers, Vic, they have been following us since we left the coast. But what really worries me is that I can sense it on them.”

“Sense it?” he questioned looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him and continued, “you mean there?”

“Yes, there, like me they’re witches, Vic, and I don’t get the feeling that they’re happy we are here.”

“Do you think they’re the ones that brought the storm, the sea kings?” He asked clinching the gold and leather handle of the sword that hung from his waist.

“No. They’re not that powerful, not yet at least, but I feel it’s best we distance ourselves. I have an odd feeling about those two.”

Victor and Elaina finished up their conversation and Victor returned to the Gregory and Gisham. Elaina spent the rest of the day browsing the market booths in the town square. As the night began to grow dark, Elaina began walking down a back alley to slip out of town to the camp her group had made. She felt the eyes burning through her as someone sneaked up behind her. Feeling the presence growing behind her she stopped and turned around. The beautiful young woman in the red cloak stood behind, looking almost as shocked as Elaina was.

“What do you want? Why are you following me?” Elaine shot off angerly at the young woman.

“I’m Angelica, I want to help you.” the girl said staring at Elaina with a cold blank stare that, to Elaina, felt as though the girl’s eyes where driving daggers into her chest.

“Help me with what?” Elaina asked with curiosity. The girl smiled eerily at Elaina, then slowly put a balled fist up to her mouth and blew on her hand as she opened it. A strange purple dust flew from the girl’s hand into Elaina’s eyes forcing them shut. She could feel the magic of the dust take over her body as she crumbled to the ground, and everything went black.

Elaina woke sometime later with a cloth tied around her head over her mouth, preventing her from screaming, and her arms and legs tied together. She was on a cold damp floor in a dark space that she assumed, by the light coming from a distance, that she was in a cave and tied to what she made out to be a log. She tried to call out for Victor, but all that came out was a muffled grumble from behind the cloth.