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The Depths of Madness 5 (Story)
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Post by
oneforthemoney
Ned woke the next morning feeling far better. Emotionally at least, his muscles on the other hand lent the feeling they had been twisted about to shape a pretzel, then snapped back to their original state. He was tempted to fall back asleep, those few moments of rest he may gain alluring and may well have done so had Beldrum not come to his bed and boxed his ears painfully, an impromptu alarm clock but doubtlessly effective.
“Wake up ye git.” Beldrum bellowed, yanking the youth up by the scruff of his neck when Ned failed to react rapidly enough. “I have little patience with ye if ye plan t’ just while away th’ bleedin’ day in bed.” The dwarf grumbled as he shoved the teen before the large table. The he plopped Ned down and pointed at a metal tray, a grilled gutted fish along with some cooked potatoes bathed in butter sitting atop it.
“What’s that for?” Ned asked hesitantly, indicating the less than impressive meal.
“This’s th’ captain’s breakfast. He takes it in ‘is cabin ‘nd I still hafta deal with lunch fer the crew. So guess what ye get t’do.” Beldrum declared, shoving the metal platter toward Ned, eliciting a slight screech of protest from the metal tray as it scraped across the wooden table.
Ned looked down at the presented food and grasped the metal handles sticking from the platters side. With a slight grunt he hefted it and turned towards the door of the galley, waddling awkwardly towards it and up the steps.
Once he was sure the teen was gone Beldrum sighed. “Idiot.” He muttered, though at Ned or himself even he was not certain. With a reluctant sigh the dwarf reached up and took the chalk next to the meal board, scratching out the name ‘Thrag’ with a single smooth motion.
When Ned reached the top of the stairs he froze, his joints seizing up at the electric charge that permeated the environ of the deck. Not dissimilar to the destructive energy of the storm, this one however had a more subtle overtone, a tenser feel rather like the hangman’s noose around ones neck than the explosive one akin to staring down the maw of a dragon experienced the prior eve. Ned couldn’t help but suck in a breath when realization hit him, recognizing the oh so familiar feel aboard as his hair stood on end.
The air was charged with fear.
The crew on deck were surly and sullenly silent. When they did speak it was curtly and laced with suspicion, eyes perpetually narrowed at each other as if waiting for them to mark themselves with hostility. Knives were displayed prominently in their belts, in positions both to show that they had them and to be drawn within a moment’s notice.
Ned glanced up to the where the captain’s cabin lay, the distance seeming a gauntlet of threat and menace for the poor youth. He grit his teeth however, one wrong move could set off the powder keg that was the mood aboard the vessel. Unbidden, the image of that glassy eyed stare of the human who had been killed during the duel flashed through his mind before Ned could bury it, the grim memory causing him to gulp audibly as he attempted to gather the courage to move forward.
Hesitantly, the teen glanced backwards to the stairs leading to the depth of the galley, the urge to merely flee back into the comforting dark embrace of his abode aboard the ship a strong temptation.
But he turned back to the deck, his chest puffing out in pride slightly when he recalled that Beldrum had entrusted to him this task. It was the first time the dwarf had willingly imparted an actual job that required Ned taking some responsibility for himself and his conduct, potatoes being not the most judgemental of audience.
The fact that the task was likely just busy work the dwarf had given Ned to garner for himself a moment of respite was being forcefully ignored, the youth needed some form of motivation after all.
That in mind Ned took a deep breath and took the first step towards the captain’s cabin.
The teen’s journey was composed of skittering about the deck, dodging about crew with as much speed as he dared with the plate precariously balanced in his hands. He felt a sudden kinship with the rats that frequented the galley from the lower decks at that moment, dodging Beldrum’s sharp eyed gaze as they endeavoured to try and reach the food sequestered away in sacks, barrels and cupboards as far from the entrance of the galley as feasible. Ned merely prayed to the Light his fate would not be as one of those rodents Beldrum would spot stealing across the floor of his kitchen, dispatching them with whatever was at hand as soon as he spotted their matted fur sneaking across the floor. The teen had seen the dwarf take one down with a cork once, firing it from a bottle like a rifle to crush the rodents skull like an egg.
Incidentally, Ned had begun to question the ‘meat’ in the stew Beldrum would make. A dish he solely served after one of the rodents met their end at his hands.
Ned lithely dodged around a burly sailor who abruptly crossed his path, nearly smacking into the man but just managing to elude his sight. In his defence he had been nearly at the door leading into the captain’s cabin when the fellow had approached and, as such, was not as careful as he likely should have been. The teen sighed in relief at the near miss and rapped his knuckles against the hard wood of the door.
()()()
The gentle thump of feet on the steps leading down to the galley drew the dwarf’s attention back to the entranceway, his eyes flicking away from the unidentifiable bubbling mixture on the stove in mild surprise. “That was quick, ye didn’t get co… Hookjaw?” Beldrum declared in surprise when he spotted the troll descending the steps. “Whad’ye want?”
“Just to talk mon.” Beldrum raised a brow at that. Hookjaw sounded so… tense. To be sure that was no surprise considering last night’s events, not to mention that the first mate had volunteered to stand watch, but the scarred troll never showed such weakness openly before.
“Aright then.” The dwarf answered, returning to stirring the pot though he kept his new companion ever in the corner of his eye. “Talk if ye want, I suppose I could listen.”
Hookjaw gave the cook a nod of thanks and shifted slightly from one foot to the other. “I… just wanna know if ya hear anyting from da crew.”
“… I hear lots from the crew, yer gonna have ta be more specific.” Beldrum challenged. Hookjaw shifted nervously again, prompting Beldrum to narrow his eyes further. He had a very bad feeling about the whole situation he was being pressed with.
“Da crew, I hear dem say da ship be cursed.” Hookjaw eventually admitted.
Beldrum immediately ceased his stirring, abandoning the pointless busywork to turn fully and face the troll head on.
“Is that so… And, why exactly do ye come ‘ere to talk ta me ‘bout this?” Beldrum asked in a steely tone. The old dwarf had been on many voyages, some he would rather not even try to recall. But the sheer fact that the crew was talking about curses already, and after only a few incidents of such negligible outcomes? Something wasn’t right. The pin had dropped when Hookjaw himself had come to Beldrum, asking him directly if he had heard anything. There was something wrong on board this ship, and the first mate knew something about it.
“Just wonderin if ya heard anyting specific mon.” Hookjaw replied. Beldrum scowled slightly at that. The troll was clearly trying to pump him for information, being evasive as a matter of course in order to avoid actually having to give up anything he knew.
“No.” Beldrum gruffly answered, turning his back to the troll and silently signalling the conversation was over. “I haven’t heard a thing.”
“Okay den, tanks anyway.” Hookjaw glumly responded, realizing he had been too aggressive in his query, or perhaps he had simply tried the interrogation game with a foe far more skilled then himself.
Beldrum listened to the troll’s footfalls as they slowly petered out, ascending the stairs once again to reach the deck. The dwarf sighed when he knew he was alone once again. “Things’re getting out of ‘and.” He muttered morosely to the stew.
The chopped up rat stirred within was far beyond answering him.
()()()
At the sound of knocking Karfiz started and glanced up in surprise to the door. Shocked back to reality he quickly pocketed the gem, hiding it from the prying eyes on the other side of the entrance. “Enter.” He called out gruffly.
Ned carefully eased the door of the captain cabins open, the tray of food held securely in his hands as he pried his way in with his hip. “I, um, have your breakfast sir- er, captain.” Ned quickly declared, holding the tray forward by way of a more complete explanation. Karfiz grunted in acknowledgement and jerked his head at the table before him.
“Stick it there kid.” He commanded, watching as the teen scurried to comply. Karfiz stared at the youth, his squinty eye calculating and making Ned shiver, the gaze lending him the impression of spiders crawling upon his skin with hundreds of hairy legs.
“I-if that’s all sir I’ll just be, um, going.” Ned suggested, edging towards the door hopefully. Karfiz narrowed his eye slowly at the teen and pointed to a seat opposite him.
“Siddown boyo, I wanna talk ta ya for a bit.” Though the captain spoke as though he were suggesting, his demanding gaze and forceful tone left no illusions that it was an order. Ned gulped nervously and took the proffered seat. Even though the captain was a little over half the teen’s height the goblin still wielded an air of authority, one that the human could not help but obey. The captain was a man used to being abided by after all, and on the Goblin’s Pride Karfiz represented judge, jury and, should the situation call for it, executioner.
“Now then sonny, I hear ya almost got swept over the side the other day.”
“Y-yes sir.” Ned responded, his features paling slightly at the statement. Karfiz let an unpleasant grin work past his neutral façade he had adopted till now. The first stage was complete, making the teen vulnerable before him and fully aware of his helplessness. He required for his inquest someone pliable, honest,
Innocent.
“But that isn’t ‘ear er there.” Karfiz dismissed casually, leaning back in his seat and giving Ned the impression he was not worth the goblins attention. “Just ‘ow ‘ave ya been enjoyin’ the stay on ma ship?” Karfiz asked mildly, though his gaze never lost its steely look, compelling Ned to answer like a hypnotist.
“O-oh I’ve b-been great. It’s been a real l-learning experience.” Ned quickly declared, his instincts screaming to appease the green skinned creature before him. He couldn’t help but find Karfiz comparable to a snake at the moment, waiting for him to say the wrong thing and be given the excuse to strike. It was disquieting, to say the least.
“I bet, I bet. So, what’d ya learn ‘bout the crew today?” Karfiz prompted. Ned shifted nervously in his seat at that, not certain exactly what Karfiz wanted to hear.
“I-I’m sorry sir?”
“Surely ya noticed it kid. Th’ crew’s diffrent today, I wanna know what ya think ‘bout it.” Karfiz explained, his voice almost playful thought he mirth failed to reach his eye. Ned glanced towards the door as if measuring the likelihood he could escape. So close, yet so far.
“W-well sir, I mean they s-seem a little… tense.” Ned cringed slightly as he spoke those words, praying that it was the answer that was expected or at least not unwanted.
The Light must have been shining on the teen that day because the captain nodded thoughtfully. “Aye, I noticed it too. Now, whaddya think the problem is?”
Ned blinked in surprise and rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. “W-well, I’m um, not sure…. I mean, I live in the galley so I don’t talk to the crew a whole lot.” Ned laughed awkwardly at the admission. His laughter petering out quite quickly once the teen noted how Karfiz narrowed his eye slightly at the words.
There was a drawn out silence for a moment until Karfiz sighed and gestured at the door. “Fine, good enough. Go on; get outta ‘ere.” The captain grudgingly declared. Ned hopped to his feet and scurried toward the door as quickly as he could; closing it softly once he was on the other side and leaving the goblin alone in his seat of power once again.
Post by
oneforthemoney
I was planning on submitting this tomorrow, but then everybody started and I thought 'may as well get in on this anyway'. So, tadah!
I tried to express the suspicion aboard as best I could, and I think it went over pretty well.
Post by
Morec0
And so the plot thickens
*dramatic music*
Awaiting the next part of the story.
Post by
oneforthemoney
I try to update every three days.
Post by
Morec0
I try to update every three days.
Than I shall sit and wait for three days!
Post by
kemppy
sit and wait and re-read what was writen, and hope that i may one day be as good (see i am #1 ass kiss :P)
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