Fighting Over Spilt Grain

A short tour of the docks – led by Reigen, who turned out to be Jensen’s First Mate – really drove home the direness of the situation in Lakeside. Apart from a few meager dockhouses, most of the buildings there were formerly used for storage, and would normally have been filled with sacks of grain and potatoes, dried meats and cheeses, and of course, fish. However, over half of them now stood empty, having been repurposed by the crew of the Halcyon into temporary lodgings, one of which they generously allowed us to use during our stay.

Once we bade Reigen farewell, we decided to split into two groups for the night, men in one room and women in another. Hastily-made partitions cordoned off the otherwise open floor plan into separate chambers, complete with beds and even washbasins. Rill was initially hesitant to leave my side, but even she could not resist when Nora practically dragged her away, ignoring her weak protests.

Regardless, sleeping in a bed was a pleasant change, and I awoke the next morning refreshed, noting that even Lassan and his group were in better spirits, the worried bags under his eyes having almost entirely disappeared. We discussed our plans over a meager breakfast of bread, rice, and fish with a strong, smoked flavor.

“To be honest, I’m not sure how much help we can be,” Lassan admitted, scratching his cheek, “After all, we’re city-goers by nature. Being on campaign like this is one thing, but we aren’t exactly master huntsmen.”

Rill, who was glowering at Nora for some reason while nibbling on a chunk of crusty bread, replied, “I’m not too sure what I can do, either. Still, I feel like we should at least try to help, after all they’ve done for us.”

Lassan nodded in agreement, and Tark suddenly suggested, “In that case, why don’t we see what we can glean from the townsfolk? Jensen said they didn’t seem to know anything useful, but it can’t hurt to double-check. Maybe we can learn something that they overlooked.”

We all stared at the normally stoic and unsociable man, and Nora said gently, “That’s not a bad idea, Tark, but if you don’t mind…Lassan and I will do the talking.”

The man grunted in assent, and I cut in, “Well then, sounds like it’s a plan. Rill and I will go survey the lake and see if we can find anything while you guys check the town for clues. We’ll meet up later this evening.”

With the matter settled, we all went our separate ways. I hope they’ll be alright, I thought to myself, the bandits here didn’t seem to recognize them without their armor, but that doesn’t mean they won’t eventually connect the dots. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to start something as retribution for yesterday.

Rill and I made our way to the shoreline, meandering across the docks while we looked out over the lapping waves. Rill’s eyes were sharp, and she meticulously scanned the weeds for any signs of a disturbance.

Watching her, I said, “Jensen said they’ve been here for a little over a month, right? I doubt there’ll be anything left by now.”

“You might be surprised,” Rill responded with a shrug, “everything leaves behind a trace of some kind.”

We spent hours searching the shoreline, eventually wandering out beyond the borders of the bay. Here, the bustle of the docks was left behind, and the breeze brought with it an odd scent that I could not identify, almost resembling the smell of fish, but also distinctly different, a cloying, musky odor that stuck in my nostrils. The sun was starting to set when we finally wandered back to town in defeat, having found absolutely nothing of worth in our endeavor.

We were nearly back to our lodging when the wind shifted, bringing with it the sound of shouting nearby, deeper into the town itself. I picked up my pace, gesturing for Rill to follow. “Sounds like something’s going down. Come on, let’s go check it out!”

Together, we jogged towards the sound, the agitated shouting growing louder with each step. We rounded a corner to find the cause of the disturbance, a group of about a dozen men arguing with each other, red-faced. I recognized several of the bandits that faced off with the townsfolk, as well as a few of the Halcyon’s crew in their striped attire, who seemed to be trying to intercede.

Nervin, the cocky man from before, stood at the front of his contingent, holding up a half-empty jute sack in his fist. He spat onto the ground, and threatened, “I don’t care if it was an accident or not; the grain’s been spilt, and someone’s gonna have to pay. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re damned-near starving out here thanks to the situation with the lake!”

The other bandits cheered their agreement, brandishing the clubs and spears they held, while the townsfolk balked. One of them, a taller, middle-aged man in drab colored clothing, held an arm out protectively in front of a young girl who was cowering behind him. “Come now, Nervin. She’s just a child!”

Nervin whistled, raking a hand through his scraggly black hair as he began to pace, gesturing with the sack he held, “Well, here’s the thing. I don’t give two spits!” As he stamped a violent foot into the dirt, two members of the Halcyon crew stepped forward, positioning themselves between the two men, likely intended as a show of strength. However, it seemed to have the unintended effect of sending the bandit into a rage, as he roared, “That’s it, screw all of this! Let’s teach ‘em a lesson, lads!”

Before anyone could react, he leapt forward, entirely bypassing the two crewmembers to deliver a crippling blow to the farmer, knocking him down to the ground and pummeling him into the dirt. The other bandits followed up, bashing their clubs into the sailors’ skulls hard enough to make them crumple despite their weak attempts to defend themselves.

A full-on scuffle broke out as the remainder of the men all joined in, rolling about in the street as they grappled with one another. Rill and I watched in stunned silence, wanting to help but unsure of how, exactly, to accomplish that. Luckily, the commotion was enough to attract Lassan and the others, who must have been on their way back to the docks. They all looked at the scene in confusion before jumping in, he and Tark grabbing Nervin by the arms and hoisting him off of the defenseless man, who had been beaten to a pulp. As they dragged the bandit away, Nora knelt down beside the bloodied fellow, immediately casting healing upon his motionless form.

The girl who had been silent earlier now bawled loudly, crying out, “Daddy!” as Nora struggled to hold her back from interfering. Then, a low-pitched bellow filled the air, rattling the nearby windows in their panes. We all took pause, even the men still wrestling in the dirt stopping to cast around a wary gaze. Almost too soft to make out, I heard a strange noise, like the sound of silk scraping against dry skin. Whatever it was, it was coming closer.

Moments later the sound stopped, and we all waited in uneasy silence, before the building beside us exploded outward, showering the tiny alleyway with chunks of stone and mortar. From the opening burst a creature the likes of which I had never seen before, the writhing mass of grey-furred tentacles almost impossible to properly discern in the fading twilight. One of the bandits let out a scream, and turned to flee, but before he took more than a step, an undulating tendril lashed out and impaled the man on the tip of a gleaming black, scythe-like talon.

The limb twitched, tossing the man’s limp body completely over the nearest building with ease, and suddenly, everyone was screaming. I turned towards the creature, stepping between it and Rill as another talon-tipped tentacle claimed the life of one of the villagers, too. I gritted my teeth, debating the best course of action. I could probably stop it, but if one of those claws got to Rill…

Heavy footsteps announced the arrival of none other than Jensen, shouldering a massive blade nearly as long as he was tall, that vaguely resembled a fillet knife. He had a challenging grin on his face as he pointed with his free hand and shouted, in a voice that was unnaturally loud, “Everyone get out of here! I’ll take it dow –”

He was cut off as one of the tentacles lashed out, aiming to impale him, too. But Jensen’s reflexes had been honed over years of fighting monsters at sea, and he was able to shift his strange sword in front of his body just before impact. There was a shower of glowing sparks as he was tossed into the wall of a nearby building hard enough to crack the stone, something I was sure that no normal person would be able to walk away from.

I can’t just stand here, I thought, finally rousing myself, and told Rill, “Run!”

Her face was pale and her eyes wide with fear, but my voice seemed to get through enough to spur her into action. She spared a glance towards the creature and nodded, immediately taking off deeper into town, without any argument. She might not be able to sense auras, but even she could tell that this creature was more than she could handle. I watched as Lassan and Tark shepherded the others out of the area, Nora hoisting her patient across her shoulders and covering him as best she could with her shield as she beat a hasty retreat.

I clenched my fist, drawing my wooden sword from my belt, and launched myself towards the beast. I caught the movement of a tentacle from the corner of my eye, and moved without thought, deftly deflecting the claw with a flourish of my blade. The impact spun me around in midair, and I was barely able to regain my footing before I drove my fist straight into the center of the writhing mass.

The dull thud of the impact echoed across the now-abandoned street, as my fist sunk into the strangely squishy flesh of the monster. It roared in defiance, but fell back a bit from the attack, and before I could pursue it further, Jensen appeared at my side.

He grinned darkly, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his lip with the back of a hand. “Not bad, kid. I knew there was something more to you than met the eye.”

“You’re alive?” I asked incredulously, and he barked a rough laugh.

“Bah! It’ll take more than that to kill the Fisherman King! Now come on; let’s turn this thing into calamari!”

He brandished his blade and leapt into the flurry of scythe-tipped appendages, not an ounce of fear evident upon him. He might have been more than a touch insane, but I had to admit that his fearlessness was contagious, and I had been right about his strength. I joined him, my sharp eyes tracing the paths of each bladed claw as it whizzed through the air towards me, deflecting each attack with my sword. The air was filled with clashes and clangs as we danced beneath the slowly spreading light of the moon overhead, and in spite of myself, a grin began to spread across my lips as the fight wore on.

My heart was pounding, the blood pumping in my ears as together, we gradually pushed the monster back towards the port. Occasionally I winced or Jensen grunted as a claw got past our defense, drawing a line of blood wherever it touched, but nothing too serious. I had had a few fights since reincarnating into this world, but this was the first time I had felt the thrill of battle, the adrenaline flowing through my veins. This rush! This…exhilaration! It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly alive!

At the water’s edge, the creature suddenly changed tactics, swinging at each of us simultaneously with all of its limbs. We each blocked the wall of furred flesh, but even so, were sent flying by the force of the attack. I hit the dirt and rolled head-over-heels, stumbling backwards onto my feet. Skidding to a halt, I prepared to launch a counterattack, but paused, instead.

The creature had disappeared, and all was silent, save for the sound of the waves gently smacking against the wooden planks of the dock.