Dungeon Sniper

We ate early supper in the afternoon at the dining area on the bottom level of Doby Mick II. Queeqa was a better cook than advertised, and both Elysia and I were impressed by what he could do with simple fish and broiled seaweed. Elysia, a vegetarian, only ate and absolutely loved the chewy, and slightly slimy, flavored seaweed, something she tried for the first time as there was no sea in Level One.

"Queeqa, this is amazing," I complimented, and much to my surprise, Queeqa smiled and nodded back meekly.

The other members of the crew except for Captain Baha were all there, eating in silence. They were eating the same delicious meal as Elysia and I, but there was no joy in their faces, but only tension and the uniform, disgruntled look. Hermana, who had returned from a heated argument with the old captain, looked the worst. Murderous, her eyes were.

Queeqa even served us the after-meal tea. The members took turns to wash the dishes, and tonight was Paterpen the Dwarf's turn. He needed a stool to stand on and reach the sink, but he seemed used to the inconvenience.

"That reminds me, y'all need some new clothes."

Liamesh snapped his fingers and left the dining area, only to come back a few minutes later with plainclothes whose only merits were that they looked comfortable and easily dryable.

"I think we're good with what we have on," I declined politely. Elysia and I were still wearing the stealth suits from Level Two, namely the memorabilia of Benedikt the Benevolent. Besides, the suits were completely water-proof, albeit a little too revealing on the outlines.

"Yeah, no. You look like freaks wearing those fake diver suits. Besides, our long-time bachelor Cap has been ogling at Pretty Ellie all afternoon."

"I have not," said Shef coolly as he sipped at the tea.

"Shef, you dog," chuckled Paterpen with his back turned away from everyone.

"L.u.s.t is the last need Elves have and want in their lives. Elysia knows what I'm talking about," said Shef, not losing his cool. Respect.

"But seriously, it's actually you, Beta, and your little twig that sticks out on the fabric."

"You mean a trunk," I retorted bravely... while crossing my leg to hide the enormous, and I meant humongous, bulge in between.

"Hermana, you've been eyeing Beta's private area all day long. Tell me, is it a twig or a trunk?"

Liamesh asked casually, and Hermana started and spat out the tea from her mouth.

"I definitely have not!" protested Hermana, coughing hysterically.

"Hermana, you dog," cackled Paterpen at the sink.

"Human females do have urges, but usually around the point of their first phase of menopause. It's a little bit early for our young scribe to let l.u.s.t take over her senses—"

"Shut up, Shef!"

"... On the other hand, as evidenced by the ubiquitous outburst of emotions the past few weeks, it is probable that prolonged stays out on the sea may have affected Hermana's hormones and hastened the aging of the body—"

Hermana threw her teacup at Shef, who deftly ducked and evaded it, with his mouth still moving and words flowing from within.

Then I realized whom Shef reminded me of. A certain loquacious, knowledgeable... never-shutting-up Elf. A good man. A good friend.

Smiling at having found a fond resemblance, I turned to Elysia, expecting her to be looking at Shef with similar eyes as mine.

Elysia was indeed staring at Shef, but not with the warmth, but suspicion.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing."

Elysia blinked and attempted a smile.

"Probably nothing."

The crew was still teasing Hermana, who was now blushing and trying her best not to make eye contact with me.

"Something wrong with Shef?" I asked in a whisper.

"No. Not with him necessarily, but the way he's—"

Elysia closed her mouth abruptly. Shef was watching us intently, his pointy Elven ears keen to our words. I smiled back awkwardly while Elysia sipped at her tea nonchalantly.

Hermana, a young, pretty-in-her-own-nerdy-way Human girl, might have been glancing at my body once or twice. Combine with her unnecessarily violent reaction, that was believable. But I doubted Shef had any interest in Elysia. So I was left clueless as to why Elysia looked at Shef as she did. And I did not press the matter, laughing along with the crew and reveling at the rowdy scene at the diner.

That was another mistake that would come to haunt us later, big time.

.

.

.

"So you heard. The last voyage, they said, eh?"

Captain Baha summoned Elysia and me to his cabin later in the evening. When we entered his office-cabin, he was enjoying his lonesome dinner: a bowl of fish soup and a dish of steamed seaweed that had gone cold. The old captain slurped and gobbled it mechanically as he gestured that we sat down. With half of the food left, he put aside the dishes and asked what we had heard from the rest of the Sea Cranes crew.

"All I want to know is what's going to happen to us once this 'last voyage' is over," I said, standing tall.

"What do you think is going to happen? That I'm going to keep you as my personal slaves for the rest of my life?"

"That's not unlikely, is it?"

"You're obviously mistaken about the slavery system in Octoportum, or any other island in the Kingdom of Trios. Slave trading is legal, but slaves are not regarded as tools or lesser lives as in the past. King Laikaan made sure of that."

"Why didn't he just abolish slavery outright?"

"Because it is an industry of its own and a deterrent of a bigger, more heinous crime. Ban slavery and you will get pirates trafficking not the alive but the dead. They would kill rather than kidnap out on the open sea. A systemized, marketized slavery is a means to put a stop to all of that."

"That sounds like an excuse."

"It's just history, and I'm explaining this to you only because you are not from here. No one in this Level old enough to read has any problem with the slave-run economy we have around here."

"So what you're telling us is to be good slaves and work for the rest of our lives?"

"Who said anything about working for the rest of your lives? Tell me, boy, have I or any of the crew treated you like slaves ever since you stepped onto this ship? Have any of us treated you cruelly or unjustly?"

"Maybe you're all going soft because it's our first day."

"Yeah? What's the point with that? Wouldn't you rather beat up and tame your slaves right on the first day? But we didn't, nor will we ever. If none of the crew has told you yet, let me officially announce that you, each of you, are one of us now. At least, for the next few weeks."

Captain Baha smirked, but more at himself than at us.

"After the upcoming and supposedly last voyage of this ship, we will no longer have to live as slaves. Is that correct?" asked Elysia, not missing a thing.

"As long as you don't end up getting caught by the pirates in the open sea," answered the captain gruffly.

"Why would you buy slaves to work for you? Why couldn't you just hire normal sailors like normal captains?"

"You obviously don't know how the salvage business works, do you?"

"No, I don't."

Captain Baha smirked again, this time definitely at me. Just me.

"Listen, boy. Sea Cranes were once the most respectable salvager team in the kingdom. We salvaged everything. Sh.i.p.s, treasures, underwater architecture... good old times."

"And then you messed up by obsessing with this other sunken ship," I blurted.

"Obsessed? If that's the word around with my own guys, I can only imagine what the entire town's been calling me behind my back," chuckled the captain, his eyes flashing eerily.

Crazy, probably, and those eyes showed it, but I kept my mouth shut.

"... I had to get you, or just one of you initially, because the other available sailors in town refused to work with me. Is it tough for me to admit that my leadership is not wanted? Of course. But I have a goal, a mission, and pride only gets in the way of achieving it."

So he went to the slave market. Now I understood the curious eyes and murmurs surrounding Captain Baha. They were not just curious, but derisive, mocking.

"This is my last run indeed. I'm going to retire, and I don't need any Transcendent slaves with me when I'm fishing on this ship all by myself, free from gossips and scrutiny."

"What gossips and scrutiny?" I asked flatly.

"Not important," said the captain curtly.

The cabin fell silent. Captain Baha lit up a pipe and soon the small space began to smell like a curious, bittersweet herb.

"What are you smoking there?"

"Expensive. Don't tell Hermana about this. She sounded crazy enough when she found out that I'd gone all-in with the Elf girl here."

"Yeah. Why did you go all-in on us? By the looks of it, you guys are pretty short on money."

"First, I got you for free, so don't make it sound like I wanted to spend a single trio on you."

"That hurts."

"Like I care. Second, I spent all that money because I needed a new Elf navigator. Someone with keen eyes to look for the precise patterns among the stars."

Captain Baha pointed to the ceiling as he puffed the pipe deliciously.

Elysia and I, on the other hand, exchanged nervous glances.

"Uh, Cap?"

"Don't shorten it. You only call rookie captains 'Cap.' Address me as Call me 'Captain.'"

"Yeah, Captain, there's a problem. Where Elysia comes from, there's no star in the sky."

What was going to happen now? Were we going to be brought back to the Reptil pirates for refunds? Right. A refund, because I was dealt free of charge.

But Captain Baha's response surprised, and relieved me.

"I know that. Anyone old enough to read Liakaan's autobiography knows pretty much everything about Level One, although it hasn't been updated in the last fifty years."

"So you're okay that Elysia is pretty new to the whole stargazing job?"

"It's all about finding patterns and reading the right paths. If I needed a star idolizer, I would have hired any Reptilina and her fifty Orbs connected to different channels and programs."

I was dying to know what other programs the Orb offered, but this was hardly the time to ask such a question.

"Looks like you've got a job, Ellie."

I turned to Elysia and saw that she had that serious face I had seen at the diner a few hours ago.

"If that's all, you may leave now," said Captain Baha, waving his lit pipe lazily.

"Wait, there's something else."

"Make it quick."

"You're going after a sunken ship, Doby Mick I, right?"

"There will be a proper briefing in the morning, before we set for the sail."

"Right. It's about the Gate sunk with it. I—we may want to pass through it once this 'last voyage' is over."

Captain Baha blinked and smoked in silence for a few seconds.

"That's up to you. I won't be stopping you if that's what you're worried about."

"Great."

"If you can open it, that is. It's called the Forevershut Gate for a reason, boy."

"Yeah? What's the story?"

"Ask someone else. Now leave."

Captain Baha wave his hand irritably, and Elysia and I set to leave as ordered.

"You, Elf girl, wake up an extra hour early. I'll teach you how to look for early morning stars. Your lesson starts tomorrow."

Elysia nodded grudgingly as I looked between her and the captain.

"Anything else for me, Captain?" I asked expectantly.

"What?"

"Do you want me to do something, anything, to prepare before the sail...?"

Captain Baha blinked at me.

"I don't know. Get grab a broom or something."

So it was official: I was the janitor of the Sea Cranes.