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Into the Moral Darkness: (Now a Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3694014" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Once Ischarus and Charis managed to climb up the heavy anchor rope, they quickly took an inventory of the ocean worthy ship and stuck close to the outside rail. There was enough moonlight and starlight available that the rail provided a thin area of shadow in which they could crouch. Their movement along the rail was slow, but as wet as they were they were grateful for the need to move slowly and steadily.</p><p></p><p>They could tell from when they were in the water that this ship was a frigate. A second fighting deck rose above the first, and its sidewalls had been reinforced against the ramming tactics of the western pirates. On their way up the anchor rope they discovered several plugs in the mid-ship sidewall that could be removed. Spikes would be fastened through the holes made by removing the plugs. These spikes ensured that any ship which attempted to ram it would have its own hull punctured badly. Many of the punctures would be above the waterline, but in rough seas they would be deadly enough.</p><p></p><p>The top deck was nearly empty, and this was no surprise for an anchored ship with a posted dock guard. Two additional guards stood near the archway that led to the steps below deck. Neither of these guards wore the clerical robes of the men they had seen walking with Allyssa earlier. Their simple leather told Ischarus and Charis that they were simple sailors pulling a duty shift in port.</p><p></p><p>The guards still wore their eye patches; it hadn’t been so long since the sun had been lighting the sky. Ischarus spoke quietly to Charis. <span style="color: Lightblue">“Those eye patches might give them an edge in the dark light. If they slide them over so that they cover the exposed eye, the eye that is covered now will already have perfect night vision.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis smiled. <span style="color: Orange">“Good thing that our dragon heritage enables us to have better than average vision in poorly lit conditions, then.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus spoke as though he was in thought. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Yeah, but we don’t know about them. They could have a lineage like ours or from an elf. Then they would then have the same benefit. At least we know that they don’t have the subterranean vision that enables them to see perfectly in the dark. If they had that, they wouldn’t need the eye patches at all.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis continued to whisper in Ischarus’ direction. <span style="color: Orange">“What are we going to do about them?”</span> She nodded in the direction of the two guards. <span style="color: Orange">“Too much noise and we alert the dock guard. Or worse, too much noise and we alert Allyssa and her associates.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled. <span style="color: LightBlue">“I wouldn’t worry about Allyssa below. This is a big ship, and I can’t imagine that they’ll be meeting right under the staircase. The creaking of the wood, the narrow passageway below, and the many storage areas below will mask the sounds of battle. As for the dock guard, hopefully Rhema can continue to handle him.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guards suddenly looked in their direction, causing Ischarus and Charis to freeze in the shadow of the ship’s rail. They had talked enough, and it almost led to giving up their cover. Ischarus quickly looked at the shadows lying across the ship. There was no means of getting to the stairway without stepping into the moonlight. They could crawl a bit closer, but eventually they would need to leave the cover of the railing.</p><p></p><p>He turned to Charis once the guards had lost interest in their direction. When she drew near to him he whispered. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Take a good long look in the direction of the guards. I’m going to make it difficult on them and us in a few seconds.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis immediately glanced in the direction of the staircase and counted strides. She knew it would only be about five running strides to meet them in combat. She listened to the steady barrage of waves lapping at the ship’s hull and used one to disguise her response. <span style="color: Orange">“Fine.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus lifted his right hand and pointed towards the guards. He was careful to keep his arm tight against his body and in the shadows. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Ehoim nuan Egro.”</span> An eerie vapor centered on the staircase began to lift off of the deck. Within seconds both of the guards were covered in the thick mist.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus heard Charis chanting once the mist rose up from the deck. <span style="color: Orange">“Meion Shintar.”</span> She could feel the magic flow through her chest and arms. Her strength increased, and she could feel her ability to give a precise blow with her pick augment as well. She stood and began to lightly charge into the mist. She quickly felt her way through the mist in her mind rather than trust her eyes.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus was not about to be outdone in the magical realm. He cast his own spell, although the subject of his spell was his sword. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Thin Zecka Egro.”</span> Thin sparks of electricity shot from the fingers of his left hand and into the steel blade. The long sword danced with bright energy as Ischarus followed Charis into the thick vapor. He assumed that Charis would strike a blow against the guard on the left, so in his mind he imagined a path that would allow him to converge on the rightmost guard.</p><p></p><p>The guards immediately drew their swords at the appearance of the magical mist. The guard on the right spoke quickly. <span style="color: Red">“Is this ship haunted? First we hear ghostly whispering from the rails and now the mist.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard on the left offered a more rational thought. <span style="color: Red">“Calm yourself, Jehoi. I’d rather face an odd mist caused by the winds along the harbor than the wrath of Tindrahk below. Stay steady. The mist will pass eventually. There is enough wind to keep it from lingering.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard’s speech masked the delicate footsteps of Charis and Ischarus until it was too late. As if they were specters emerging from another dimension, Charis and Ischarus broke through the mist on target. Rall, the guard on the left, was caught unprepared. His sword offered up no protection as he watched Charis materialize before him. He saw her muscular arms swing the pick and drive it deep into his side. He let out a cry, which Charis quickly muffled with her left hand.</p><p></p><p>Jehoi heard the sound of Charis’ pick solidly strike his companion and nearly dropped his sword. To his own amazement, a man strode out of the mist towards him with a ghostly blue sword. The sword danced with energy as if it had a life of its own. The mist reflected the blue energy dancing along Ischarus’ sword back onto his face. Ischarus seemed to glow as if he were an apparition.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ sword sliced through the fog before Jehoi could raise a defense. The blade dug into Jehoi’s arm as the blue electricity jumped from the blade into Jehoi. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he jumped backwards from the shock. A loud electrical snap echoed across the harbor for several seconds as the discharge left the blade and entered Jehoi.</p><p></p><p>Charis managed to land another swing as Rall struggled against Charis’ left hand. His nose was free, so he was in little danger of suffocation. Charis used her position to bring the end of her pick upward into his torso. The blow was designed to puncture his gut and leave his heart and lungs unharmed. The force of the blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and he crumpled to the deck.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus emerged through the mist just in time to see him fall. <span style="color: LightBlue">“He’s still alive?”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis shook her head confidently. <span style="color: Orange">“Oh yeah. He’s still alive. He’ll recover in a few minutes or so, although the wound to his midsection will likely hurt for a while. What about yours?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled. <span style="color: LightBlue">“I think that the guard I struck would’ve wet himself if we would have left him alone in the mist long enough. He was already terrified. He went down easily enough. I’m pretty sure he’s down and out, but not dead.”</span> He closed his eyes for a moment and released the magical control that he held over the mist. As quickly as the mist had come, it vanished by rising into the air.</p><p></p><p>The two guards were easily bound and gagged in their unconscious state. Charis and Ischarus carried their bodies to the rail near the anchor rope that they had used to gain entrance to the frigate. They pulled the unconscious men away from the stairway in case they revived before Charis and Ischarus were finished below deck.</p><p></p><p>Charis reached out and touched the wound on Rall’s abdomen. <span style="color: Orange">“Should I heal him?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked at Rall for several seconds. He had seen Charis heal wounds enough to know that healing him would likely revive him immediately. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Is he in danger of dying in the next hour?”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis shook her head. <span style="color: Orange">“No. He might die in a few days if he doesn’t get it treated. Infection will inevitably set in. But the wound itself won’t be enough to kill him, at least not tonight.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned back to the staircase. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Then leave him. We’ll have to come back this way, anyway. If you want to heal him on our way out, that’s fine with me.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis nodded. <span style="color: Orange">“Well, let’s hope that things go well below. Shall we?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Yeah. Let’s head below deck. And be careful. There might be guards below deck, too. We’ll be entering the stairs blind, and most ships don’t give the staircase much protection. If there are guards below, we’ll have to think fast.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis grinned. <span style="color: Orange">“Quickly and quietly, then?”</span></p><p></p><p>As the two approached the staircase, Rhema sat below the dock guard, still acting as though under the influence of ale. She was still concentrating on making sure the dock guard’s senses were under her subjective control. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“That was a brief crack of thunder. It doesn’t feel much like rain, though. You guys get surprise storms from the ocean here?”</span></p><p></p><p>The dock guard turned back to the woman at his feet and smiled. <span style="color: Lime">“We do get some storms, but the weather isn’t right for that. It must have been something weird in the sky. In the summers we get what I call heat lightning. But it isn’t hot enough for that tonight.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema shrugged her shoulders and feigned almost falling off of the edge of the dock once more. As the guard put out his left hand to catch her shoulder and steady her body, Rhema spoke. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Oh well. So long as it doesn’t rain. This is the only pair of dry clothes I have. I’d hate to have to sleep in wet clothes tonight on the boat. Once I find it, that is. I do hope it hasn’t left the harbor without me.”</span></p><p></p><p>The guard smiled, his thoughts taking him elsewhere in his mind. <span style="color: Lime">“Well, it doesn’t feel like rain. It must have just been a rogue lightning strike.”</span></p><p></p><p>Of course, Rhema knew that the noise of electricity was much to quiet to be a lightning strike. But her control over the guard’s sense confused his perception. He was none the wiser about the battle that had taken place on board.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Once Ischarus and Charis managed to climb up the heavy anchor rope, they quickly took an inventory of the ocean worthy ship and stuck close to the outside rail. There was enough moonlight and starlight available that the rail provided a thin area of shadow in which they could crouch. Their movement along the rail was slow, but as wet as they were they were grateful for the need to move slowly and steadily.</p><p></p><p>They could tell from when they were in the water that this ship was a frigate. A second fighting deck rose above the first, and its sidewalls had been reinforced against the ramming tactics of the western pirates. On their way up the anchor rope they discovered several plugs in the mid-ship sidewall that could be removed. Spikes would be fastened through the holes made by removing the plugs. These spikes ensured that any ship which attempted to ram it would have its own hull punctured badly. Many of the punctures would be above the waterline, but in rough seas they would be deadly enough.</p><p></p><p>The top deck was nearly empty, and this was no surprise for an anchored ship with a posted dock guard. Two additional guards stood near the archway that led to the steps below deck. Neither of these guards wore the clerical robes of the men they had seen walking with Allyssa earlier. Their simple leather told Ischarus and Charis that they were simple sailors pulling a duty shift in port.</p><p></p><p>The guards still wore their eye patches; it hadn’t been so long since the sun had been lighting the sky. Ischarus spoke quietly to Charis. “Those eye patches might give them an edge in the dark light. If they slide them over so that they cover the exposed eye, the eye that is covered now will already have perfect night vision.”</p><p></p><p>Charis smiled. “Good thing that our dragon heritage enables us to have better than average vision in poorly lit conditions, then.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus spoke as though he was in thought. “Yeah, but we don’t know about them. They could have a lineage like ours or from an elf. Then they would then have the same benefit. At least we know that they don’t have the subterranean vision that enables them to see perfectly in the dark. If they had that, they wouldn’t need the eye patches at all.”</p><p></p><p>Charis continued to whisper in Ischarus’ direction. “What are we going to do about them?” She nodded in the direction of the two guards. “Too much noise and we alert the dock guard. Or worse, too much noise and we alert Allyssa and her associates.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about Allyssa below. This is a big ship, and I can’t imagine that they’ll be meeting right under the staircase. The creaking of the wood, the narrow passageway below, and the many storage areas below will mask the sounds of battle. As for the dock guard, hopefully Rhema can continue to handle him.”</p><p></p><p>The guards suddenly looked in their direction, causing Ischarus and Charis to freeze in the shadow of the ship’s rail. They had talked enough, and it almost led to giving up their cover. Ischarus quickly looked at the shadows lying across the ship. There was no means of getting to the stairway without stepping into the moonlight. They could crawl a bit closer, but eventually they would need to leave the cover of the railing.</p><p></p><p>He turned to Charis once the guards had lost interest in their direction. When she drew near to him he whispered. “Take a good long look in the direction of the guards. I’m going to make it difficult on them and us in a few seconds.”</p><p></p><p>Charis immediately glanced in the direction of the staircase and counted strides. She knew it would only be about five running strides to meet them in combat. She listened to the steady barrage of waves lapping at the ship’s hull and used one to disguise her response. “Fine.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus lifted his right hand and pointed towards the guards. He was careful to keep his arm tight against his body and in the shadows. “Ehoim nuan Egro.” An eerie vapor centered on the staircase began to lift off of the deck. Within seconds both of the guards were covered in the thick mist.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus heard Charis chanting once the mist rose up from the deck. “Meion Shintar.” She could feel the magic flow through her chest and arms. Her strength increased, and she could feel her ability to give a precise blow with her pick augment as well. She stood and began to lightly charge into the mist. She quickly felt her way through the mist in her mind rather than trust her eyes.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus was not about to be outdone in the magical realm. He cast his own spell, although the subject of his spell was his sword. “Thin Zecka Egro.” Thin sparks of electricity shot from the fingers of his left hand and into the steel blade. The long sword danced with bright energy as Ischarus followed Charis into the thick vapor. He assumed that Charis would strike a blow against the guard on the left, so in his mind he imagined a path that would allow him to converge on the rightmost guard.</p><p></p><p>The guards immediately drew their swords at the appearance of the magical mist. The guard on the right spoke quickly. “Is this ship haunted? First we hear ghostly whispering from the rails and now the mist.”</p><p></p><p>The guard on the left offered a more rational thought. “Calm yourself, Jehoi. I’d rather face an odd mist caused by the winds along the harbor than the wrath of Tindrahk below. Stay steady. The mist will pass eventually. There is enough wind to keep it from lingering.”</p><p></p><p>The guard’s speech masked the delicate footsteps of Charis and Ischarus until it was too late. As if they were specters emerging from another dimension, Charis and Ischarus broke through the mist on target. Rall, the guard on the left, was caught unprepared. His sword offered up no protection as he watched Charis materialize before him. He saw her muscular arms swing the pick and drive it deep into his side. He let out a cry, which Charis quickly muffled with her left hand.</p><p></p><p>Jehoi heard the sound of Charis’ pick solidly strike his companion and nearly dropped his sword. To his own amazement, a man strode out of the mist towards him with a ghostly blue sword. The sword danced with energy as if it had a life of its own. The mist reflected the blue energy dancing along Ischarus’ sword back onto his face. Ischarus seemed to glow as if he were an apparition.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ sword sliced through the fog before Jehoi could raise a defense. The blade dug into Jehoi’s arm as the blue electricity jumped from the blade into Jehoi. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he jumped backwards from the shock. A loud electrical snap echoed across the harbor for several seconds as the discharge left the blade and entered Jehoi.</p><p></p><p>Charis managed to land another swing as Rall struggled against Charis’ left hand. His nose was free, so he was in little danger of suffocation. Charis used her position to bring the end of her pick upward into his torso. The blow was designed to puncture his gut and leave his heart and lungs unharmed. The force of the blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and he crumpled to the deck.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus emerged through the mist just in time to see him fall. “He’s still alive?”</p><p></p><p>Charis shook her head confidently. “Oh yeah. He’s still alive. He’ll recover in a few minutes or so, although the wound to his midsection will likely hurt for a while. What about yours?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled. “I think that the guard I struck would’ve wet himself if we would have left him alone in the mist long enough. He was already terrified. He went down easily enough. I’m pretty sure he’s down and out, but not dead.” He closed his eyes for a moment and released the magical control that he held over the mist. As quickly as the mist had come, it vanished by rising into the air.</p><p></p><p>The two guards were easily bound and gagged in their unconscious state. Charis and Ischarus carried their bodies to the rail near the anchor rope that they had used to gain entrance to the frigate. They pulled the unconscious men away from the stairway in case they revived before Charis and Ischarus were finished below deck.</p><p></p><p>Charis reached out and touched the wound on Rall’s abdomen. “Should I heal him?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked at Rall for several seconds. He had seen Charis heal wounds enough to know that healing him would likely revive him immediately. “Is he in danger of dying in the next hour?”</p><p></p><p>Charis shook her head. “No. He might die in a few days if he doesn’t get it treated. Infection will inevitably set in. But the wound itself won’t be enough to kill him, at least not tonight.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned back to the staircase. “Then leave him. We’ll have to come back this way, anyway. If you want to heal him on our way out, that’s fine with me.”</p><p></p><p>Charis nodded. “Well, let’s hope that things go well below. Shall we?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded. “Yeah. Let’s head below deck. And be careful. There might be guards below deck, too. We’ll be entering the stairs blind, and most ships don’t give the staircase much protection. If there are guards below, we’ll have to think fast.”</p><p></p><p>Charis grinned. “Quickly and quietly, then?”</p><p></p><p>As the two approached the staircase, Rhema sat below the dock guard, still acting as though under the influence of ale. She was still concentrating on making sure the dock guard’s senses were under her subjective control. “That was a brief crack of thunder. It doesn’t feel much like rain, though. You guys get surprise storms from the ocean here?”</p><p></p><p>The dock guard turned back to the woman at his feet and smiled. “We do get some storms, but the weather isn’t right for that. It must have been something weird in the sky. In the summers we get what I call heat lightning. But it isn’t hot enough for that tonight.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema shrugged her shoulders and feigned almost falling off of the edge of the dock once more. As the guard put out his left hand to catch her shoulder and steady her body, Rhema spoke. “Oh well. So long as it doesn’t rain. This is the only pair of dry clothes I have. I’d hate to have to sleep in wet clothes tonight on the boat. Once I find it, that is. I do hope it hasn’t left the harbor without me.”</p><p></p><p>The guard smiled, his thoughts taking him elsewhere in his mind. “Well, it doesn’t feel like rain. It must have just been a rogue lightning strike.”</p><p></p><p>Of course, Rhema knew that the noise of electricity was much to quiet to be a lightning strike. But her control over the guard’s sense confused his perception. He was none the wiser about the battle that had taken place on board.</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3694014, member: 35788"] Once Ischarus and Charis managed to climb up the heavy anchor rope, they quickly took an inventory of the ocean worthy ship and stuck close to the outside rail. There was enough moonlight and starlight available that the rail provided a thin area of shadow in which they could crouch. Their movement along the rail was slow, but as wet as they were they were grateful for the need to move slowly and steadily. They could tell from when they were in the water that this ship was a frigate. A second fighting deck rose above the first, and its sidewalls had been reinforced against the ramming tactics of the western pirates. On their way up the anchor rope they discovered several plugs in the mid-ship sidewall that could be removed. Spikes would be fastened through the holes made by removing the plugs. These spikes ensured that any ship which attempted to ram it would have its own hull punctured badly. Many of the punctures would be above the waterline, but in rough seas they would be deadly enough. The top deck was nearly empty, and this was no surprise for an anchored ship with a posted dock guard. Two additional guards stood near the archway that led to the steps below deck. Neither of these guards wore the clerical robes of the men they had seen walking with Allyssa earlier. Their simple leather told Ischarus and Charis that they were simple sailors pulling a duty shift in port. The guards still wore their eye patches; it hadn’t been so long since the sun had been lighting the sky. Ischarus spoke quietly to Charis. [Color=Lightblue]“Those eye patches might give them an edge in the dark light. If they slide them over so that they cover the exposed eye, the eye that is covered now will already have perfect night vision.”[/Color] Charis smiled. [Color=Orange]“Good thing that our dragon heritage enables us to have better than average vision in poorly lit conditions, then.”[/Color] Ischarus spoke as though he was in thought. [Color=LightBlue]“Yeah, but we don’t know about them. They could have a lineage like ours or from an elf. Then they would then have the same benefit. At least we know that they don’t have the subterranean vision that enables them to see perfectly in the dark. If they had that, they wouldn’t need the eye patches at all.”[/Color] Charis continued to whisper in Ischarus’ direction. [Color=Orange]“What are we going to do about them?”[/Color] She nodded in the direction of the two guards. [Color=Orange]“Too much noise and we alert the dock guard. Or worse, too much noise and we alert Allyssa and her associates.”[/Color] Ischarus smiled. [Color=LightBlue]“I wouldn’t worry about Allyssa below. This is a big ship, and I can’t imagine that they’ll be meeting right under the staircase. The creaking of the wood, the narrow passageway below, and the many storage areas below will mask the sounds of battle. As for the dock guard, hopefully Rhema can continue to handle him.”[/Color] The guards suddenly looked in their direction, causing Ischarus and Charis to freeze in the shadow of the ship’s rail. They had talked enough, and it almost led to giving up their cover. Ischarus quickly looked at the shadows lying across the ship. There was no means of getting to the stairway without stepping into the moonlight. They could crawl a bit closer, but eventually they would need to leave the cover of the railing. He turned to Charis once the guards had lost interest in their direction. When she drew near to him he whispered. [Color=LightBlue]“Take a good long look in the direction of the guards. I’m going to make it difficult on them and us in a few seconds.”[/Color] Charis immediately glanced in the direction of the staircase and counted strides. She knew it would only be about five running strides to meet them in combat. She listened to the steady barrage of waves lapping at the ship’s hull and used one to disguise her response. [Color=Orange]“Fine.”[/Color] Ischarus lifted his right hand and pointed towards the guards. He was careful to keep his arm tight against his body and in the shadows. [Color=LightBlue]“Ehoim nuan Egro.”[/Color] An eerie vapor centered on the staircase began to lift off of the deck. Within seconds both of the guards were covered in the thick mist. Ischarus heard Charis chanting once the mist rose up from the deck. [Color=Orange]“Meion Shintar.”[/Color] She could feel the magic flow through her chest and arms. Her strength increased, and she could feel her ability to give a precise blow with her pick augment as well. She stood and began to lightly charge into the mist. She quickly felt her way through the mist in her mind rather than trust her eyes. Ischarus was not about to be outdone in the magical realm. He cast his own spell, although the subject of his spell was his sword. [Color=LightBlue]“Thin Zecka Egro.”[/Color] Thin sparks of electricity shot from the fingers of his left hand and into the steel blade. The long sword danced with bright energy as Ischarus followed Charis into the thick vapor. He assumed that Charis would strike a blow against the guard on the left, so in his mind he imagined a path that would allow him to converge on the rightmost guard. The guards immediately drew their swords at the appearance of the magical mist. The guard on the right spoke quickly. [Color=Red]“Is this ship haunted? First we hear ghostly whispering from the rails and now the mist.”[/Color] The guard on the left offered a more rational thought. [Color=Red]“Calm yourself, Jehoi. I’d rather face an odd mist caused by the winds along the harbor than the wrath of Tindrahk below. Stay steady. The mist will pass eventually. There is enough wind to keep it from lingering.”[/Color] The guard’s speech masked the delicate footsteps of Charis and Ischarus until it was too late. As if they were specters emerging from another dimension, Charis and Ischarus broke through the mist on target. Rall, the guard on the left, was caught unprepared. His sword offered up no protection as he watched Charis materialize before him. He saw her muscular arms swing the pick and drive it deep into his side. He let out a cry, which Charis quickly muffled with her left hand. Jehoi heard the sound of Charis’ pick solidly strike his companion and nearly dropped his sword. To his own amazement, a man strode out of the mist towards him with a ghostly blue sword. The sword danced with energy as if it had a life of its own. The mist reflected the blue energy dancing along Ischarus’ sword back onto his face. Ischarus seemed to glow as if he were an apparition. Ischarus’ sword sliced through the fog before Jehoi could raise a defense. The blade dug into Jehoi’s arm as the blue electricity jumped from the blade into Jehoi. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he jumped backwards from the shock. A loud electrical snap echoed across the harbor for several seconds as the discharge left the blade and entered Jehoi. Charis managed to land another swing as Rall struggled against Charis’ left hand. His nose was free, so he was in little danger of suffocation. Charis used her position to bring the end of her pick upward into his torso. The blow was designed to puncture his gut and leave his heart and lungs unharmed. The force of the blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and he crumpled to the deck. Ischarus emerged through the mist just in time to see him fall. [Color=LightBlue]“He’s still alive?”[/Color] Charis shook her head confidently. [Color=Orange]“Oh yeah. He’s still alive. He’ll recover in a few minutes or so, although the wound to his midsection will likely hurt for a while. What about yours?”[/Color] Ischarus smiled. [Color=LightBlue]“I think that the guard I struck would’ve wet himself if we would have left him alone in the mist long enough. He was already terrified. He went down easily enough. I’m pretty sure he’s down and out, but not dead.”[/Color] He closed his eyes for a moment and released the magical control that he held over the mist. As quickly as the mist had come, it vanished by rising into the air. The two guards were easily bound and gagged in their unconscious state. Charis and Ischarus carried their bodies to the rail near the anchor rope that they had used to gain entrance to the frigate. They pulled the unconscious men away from the stairway in case they revived before Charis and Ischarus were finished below deck. Charis reached out and touched the wound on Rall’s abdomen. [Color=Orange]“Should I heal him?”[/Color] Ischarus looked at Rall for several seconds. He had seen Charis heal wounds enough to know that healing him would likely revive him immediately. [Color=LightBlue]“Is he in danger of dying in the next hour?”[/Color] Charis shook her head. [Color=Orange]“No. He might die in a few days if he doesn’t get it treated. Infection will inevitably set in. But the wound itself won’t be enough to kill him, at least not tonight.”[/Color] Ischarus turned back to the staircase. [Color=LightBlue]“Then leave him. We’ll have to come back this way, anyway. If you want to heal him on our way out, that’s fine with me.”[/Color] Charis nodded. [Color=Orange]“Well, let’s hope that things go well below. Shall we?”[/Color] Ischarus nodded. [Color=LightBlue]“Yeah. Let’s head below deck. And be careful. There might be guards below deck, too. We’ll be entering the stairs blind, and most ships don’t give the staircase much protection. If there are guards below, we’ll have to think fast.”[/Color] Charis grinned. [Color=Orange]“Quickly and quietly, then?”[/Color] As the two approached the staircase, Rhema sat below the dock guard, still acting as though under the influence of ale. She was still concentrating on making sure the dock guard’s senses were under her subjective control. [Color=PaleGreen]“That was a brief crack of thunder. It doesn’t feel much like rain, though. You guys get surprise storms from the ocean here?”[/Color] The dock guard turned back to the woman at his feet and smiled. [Color=Lime]“We do get some storms, but the weather isn’t right for that. It must have been something weird in the sky. In the summers we get what I call heat lightning. But it isn’t hot enough for that tonight.”[/Color] Rhema shrugged her shoulders and feigned almost falling off of the edge of the dock once more. As the guard put out his left hand to catch her shoulder and steady her body, Rhema spoke. [Color=PaleGreen]“Oh well. So long as it doesn’t rain. This is the only pair of dry clothes I have. I’d hate to have to sleep in wet clothes tonight on the boat. Once I find it, that is. I do hope it hasn’t left the harbor without me.”[/Color] The guard smiled, his thoughts taking him elsewhere in his mind. [Color=Lime]“Well, it doesn’t feel like rain. It must have just been a rogue lightning strike.”[/Color] Of course, Rhema knew that the noise of electricity was much to quiet to be a lightning strike. But her control over the guard’s sense confused his perception. He was none the wiser about the battle that had taken place on board. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Once Ischarus and Charis managed to climb up the heavy anchor rope, they quickly took an inventory of the ocean worthy ship and stuck close to the outside rail. There was enough moonlight and starlight available that the rail provided a thin area of shadow in which they could crouch. Their movement along the rail was slow, but as wet as they were they were grateful for the need to move slowly and steadily. They could tell from when they were in the water that this ship was a frigate. A second fighting deck rose above the first, and its sidewalls had been reinforced against the ramming tactics of the western pirates. On their way up the anchor rope they discovered several plugs in the mid-ship sidewall that could be removed. Spikes would be fastened through the holes made by removing the plugs. These spikes ensured that any ship which attempted to ram it would have its own hull punctured badly. Many of the punctures would be above the waterline, but in rough seas they would be deadly enough. The top deck was nearly empty, and this was no surprise for an anchored ship with a posted dock guard. Two additional guards stood near the archway that led to the steps below deck. Neither of these guards wore the clerical robes of the men they had seen walking with Allyssa earlier. Their simple leather told Ischarus and Charis that they were simple sailors pulling a duty shift in port. The guards still wore their eye patches; it hadn’t been so long since the sun had been lighting the sky. Ischarus spoke quietly to Charis. “Those eye patches might give them an edge in the dark light. If they slide them over so that they cover the exposed eye, the eye that is covered now will already have perfect night vision.” Charis smiled. “Good thing that our dragon heritage enables us to have better than average vision in poorly lit conditions, then.” Ischarus spoke as though he was in thought. “Yeah, but we don’t know about them. They could have a lineage like ours or from an elf. Then they would then have the same benefit. At least we know that they don’t have the subterranean vision that enables them to see perfectly in the dark. If they had that, they wouldn’t need the eye patches at all.” Charis continued to whisper in Ischarus’ direction. “What are we going to do about them?” She nodded in the direction of the two guards. “Too much noise and we alert the dock guard. Or worse, too much noise and we alert Allyssa and her associates.” Ischarus smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about Allyssa below. This is a big ship, and I can’t imagine that they’ll be meeting right under the staircase. The creaking of the wood, the narrow passageway below, and the many storage areas below will mask the sounds of battle. As for the dock guard, hopefully Rhema can continue to handle him.” The guards suddenly looked in their direction, causing Ischarus and Charis to freeze in the shadow of the ship’s rail. They had talked enough, and it almost led to giving up their cover. Ischarus quickly looked at the shadows lying across the ship. There was no means of getting to the stairway without stepping into the moonlight. They could crawl a bit closer, but eventually they would need to leave the cover of the railing. He turned to Charis once the guards had lost interest in their direction. When she drew near to him he whispered. “Take a good long look in the direction of the guards. I’m going to make it difficult on them and us in a few seconds.” Charis immediately glanced in the direction of the staircase and counted strides. She knew it would only be about five running strides to meet them in combat. She listened to the steady barrage of waves lapping at the ship’s hull and used one to disguise her response. “Fine.” Ischarus lifted his right hand and pointed towards the guards. He was careful to keep his arm tight against his body and in the shadows. “Ehoim nuan Egro.” An eerie vapor centered on the staircase began to lift off of the deck. Within seconds both of the guards were covered in the thick mist. Ischarus heard Charis chanting once the mist rose up from the deck. “Meion Shintar.” She could feel the magic flow through her chest and arms. Her strength increased, and she could feel her ability to give a precise blow with her pick augment as well. She stood and began to lightly charge into the mist. She quickly felt her way through the mist in her mind rather than trust her eyes. Ischarus was not about to be outdone in the magical realm. He cast his own spell, although the subject of his spell was his sword. “Thin Zecka Egro.” Thin sparks of electricity shot from the fingers of his left hand and into the steel blade. The long sword danced with bright energy as Ischarus followed Charis into the thick vapor. He assumed that Charis would strike a blow against the guard on the left, so in his mind he imagined a path that would allow him to converge on the rightmost guard. The guards immediately drew their swords at the appearance of the magical mist. The guard on the right spoke quickly. “Is this ship haunted? First we hear ghostly whispering from the rails and now the mist.” The guard on the left offered a more rational thought. “Calm yourself, Jehoi. I’d rather face an odd mist caused by the winds along the harbor than the wrath of Tindrahk below. Stay steady. The mist will pass eventually. There is enough wind to keep it from lingering.” The guard’s speech masked the delicate footsteps of Charis and Ischarus until it was too late. As if they were specters emerging from another dimension, Charis and Ischarus broke through the mist on target. Rall, the guard on the left, was caught unprepared. His sword offered up no protection as he watched Charis materialize before him. He saw her muscular arms swing the pick and drive it deep into his side. He let out a cry, which Charis quickly muffled with her left hand. Jehoi heard the sound of Charis’ pick solidly strike his companion and nearly dropped his sword. To his own amazement, a man strode out of the mist towards him with a ghostly blue sword. The sword danced with energy as if it had a life of its own. The mist reflected the blue energy dancing along Ischarus’ sword back onto his face. Ischarus seemed to glow as if he were an apparition. Ischarus’ sword sliced through the fog before Jehoi could raise a defense. The blade dug into Jehoi’s arm as the blue electricity jumped from the blade into Jehoi. The guard’s eyes opened wide as he jumped backwards from the shock. A loud electrical snap echoed across the harbor for several seconds as the discharge left the blade and entered Jehoi. Charis managed to land another swing as Rall struggled against Charis’ left hand. His nose was free, so he was in little danger of suffocation. Charis used her position to bring the end of her pick upward into his torso. The blow was designed to puncture his gut and leave his heart and lungs unharmed. The force of the blow was enough to knock the wind out of him and he crumpled to the deck. Ischarus emerged through the mist just in time to see him fall. “He’s still alive?” Charis shook her head confidently. “Oh yeah. He’s still alive. He’ll recover in a few minutes or so, although the wound to his midsection will likely hurt for a while. What about yours?” Ischarus smiled. “I think that the guard I struck would’ve wet himself if we would have left him alone in the mist long enough. He was already terrified. He went down easily enough. I’m pretty sure he’s down and out, but not dead.” He closed his eyes for a moment and released the magical control that he held over the mist. As quickly as the mist had come, it vanished by rising into the air. The two guards were easily bound and gagged in their unconscious state. Charis and Ischarus carried their bodies to the rail near the anchor rope that they had used to gain entrance to the frigate. They pulled the unconscious men away from the stairway in case they revived before Charis and Ischarus were finished below deck. Charis reached out and touched the wound on Rall’s abdomen. “Should I heal him?” Ischarus looked at Rall for several seconds. He had seen Charis heal wounds enough to know that healing him would likely revive him immediately. “Is he in danger of dying in the next hour?” Charis shook her head. “No. He might die in a few days if he doesn’t get it treated. Infection will inevitably set in. But the wound itself won’t be enough to kill him, at least not tonight.” Ischarus turned back to the staircase. “Then leave him. We’ll have to come back this way, anyway. If you want to heal him on our way out, that’s fine with me.” Charis nodded. “Well, let’s hope that things go well below. Shall we?” Ischarus nodded. “Yeah. Let’s head below deck. And be careful. There might be guards below deck, too. We’ll be entering the stairs blind, and most ships don’t give the staircase much protection. If there are guards below, we’ll have to think fast.” Charis grinned. “Quickly and quietly, then?” As the two approached the staircase, Rhema sat below the dock guard, still acting as though under the influence of ale. She was still concentrating on making sure the dock guard’s senses were under her subjective control. “That was a brief crack of thunder. It doesn’t feel much like rain, though. You guys get surprise storms from the ocean here?” The dock guard turned back to the woman at his feet and smiled. “We do get some storms, but the weather isn’t right for that. It must have been something weird in the sky. In the summers we get what I call heat lightning. But it isn’t hot enough for that tonight.” Rhema shrugged her shoulders and feigned almost falling off of the edge of the dock once more. As the guard put out his left hand to catch her shoulder and steady her body, Rhema spoke. “Oh well. So long as it doesn’t rain. This is the only pair of dry clothes I have. I’d hate to have to sleep in wet clothes tonight on the boat. Once I find it, that is. I do hope it hasn’t left the harbor without me.” The guard smiled, his thoughts taking him elsewhere in his mind. “Well, it doesn’t feel like rain. It must have just been a rogue lightning strike.” Of course, Rhema knew that the noise of electricity was much to quiet to be a lightning strike. But her control over the guard’s sense confused his perception. He was none the wiser about the battle that had taken place on board. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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