Silent Raider

The ship creaked and rocked to the side. Sler flew out of his hammock and impacted the floor. “Ughh, what the hell?” he grunted as the ship rocked suddenly to the other side. Thunder roared, and rain continued to bash on its wooden deck. “A FEW MORE AND WE’LL FLIP!” shouted a man from the top deck. Sler managed to catch his breath at last – they were caught in a storm. He threw on his boots and ran up the stairs, struggling not to get sent flying again.

As he made it to the deck, he could see the crew of the Night Dweller desperately throwing weight overboard, tossing cannons and sandbags alike. “Capt’n!” he shouted, but the captain, who stood by the helm, ignored him. “Get to it, lad!” shouted a rowdy man behind him. He turned around to see the 1st mate, Greg, before him. “Aye aye!” screamed Sler as he rushed to the nearest crewmember who was struggling to pull the sails up.

Together, they managed to hoist the sails and tie the ropes when another thunderclap momentarily deafened them. Lightning flashed, and in its brief illumination, Sler could see a shape. “Dearest mother of the sea… did you see that?” inquired a sailor beside him. “I… I think I did. What the hell was that?” In the lightning flash or on the distant horizon, they saw a shape as huge as a mountain, with two tails and wings large enough to cover a city each.

They weren’t the only ones who saw it. As the commotion and shouting came to a sudden stop, the entire crew stood dumbfounded, glaring at the dark horizon in the middle of the storm. The ship continued to rock and twist, each creak sounding more painful than the previous one. Barely holding together, the hull withstood the violence of the ocean as it unleashed its wrath upon the vessel.

“It won’t hold…” mumbled the captain under his breath as he snapped back. “Turn 20 degrees north-bound; follow the currents, or they’ll tear us apart!” The helmsman beside him turned the wheel. “Aye aye, captain, but the currents are heading…” The captain nodded. “Yes… towards that thing…” The ship creaked as it turned to follow the currents. The crew could feel the vessel accelerating as the currents took it on a ride. Still bobbing and twisting occasionally, they could only hold on for their lives.

Another thunderclap, followed by bright lightning, brought the giant shape closer to visibility. The captain stared at the shape in awe, thinking to himself, ‘We’re done for.’ “ARM THE BOW CANNONS!” he shouted. “NIGHT DWELLER DOES NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT!” After a brief silence, the crew roared to life, and soon after, so did the cannons. Night Dweller, a heavy gunship, boasted 6 cannons facing the front.

Thunderous explosions were followed by a deep, earth-shaking roar. He jumped from his bunk, startled from the nightmare he had just experienced. Afterward, he went out of his quarters and onto the deck. Leaning on the railing, he looked down at the vast ocean several hundred meters beneath them; the sight was as mesmerizing as ever. He glanced over his shoulder at the clock, which read 9:37. Smiling, he thought, ‘Nice, got another hour to myself.’

The cook stumbled out the door, drunk out of his mind, as he usually was. “Ahoy, Chi…aaptain!” Ethan glanced over his shoulder at the cook. “How much did you have?” The cook shrugged. “Not’nuff! Shecond, I’ll grab ya a black one!” Ethan grinned. “Make it extra strong, and try not to spill it.” A few minutes later, the cook’s assistant re-emerged with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. Ethan enjoyed it along with the morning breeze and the heart-pounding sight.

The time had come. A head popped out from the bridge up top. “Ahoy, Captain, the First Mate is ready to pass the command to you.” Ethan nodded, “Aye.” He walked up the stairs and onto the bridge. “I assume command, First Mate; get some rest.” He smiled at his friend, who yawned sleepily. “Aye aye, Cap; smooth winds.” The command was passed over. After a briefing from the crew, they swapped with the next shift, and the flight resumed.

Later that afternoon, the Silent Raider was due for refueling. They had approached the land and had a couple of options. There was a nearby hunter vessel that might have had spare fuel, or they could have opted to land at one of the two nearby villages. One in the mountains, a trickier landing but a larger village with more information, or a smaller one just up ahead on the horizon. What shall they pick?

****Audience Input*****

Leona Lucifra: Well, I would say a larger village has a higher probability to have skilled massagers…

Saira Malaguld: Mountain village!

Atheris Hispida: I’d go for the mountain village, sounds like it has better things to offer.

**********

Onward they flew, and soon the time for docking came. They descended. Winds buffeted the Silent Raider, but the hum of its engines and the stability of its propellers easily countered them. Descending into the canyon, they navigated the narrow entry into the city of Harva. A few hours passed, with the ship undergoing maintenance, inspection, and refueling. Half the crew slept while a few, along with the captain, ventured out for intel.

Harva was a large hub where dragon hunters frequently stopped, and there was no better place to gather intel than the One Hoof Tavern. Ethan leaned on the bar counter. “Say, keep…” he glanced at the map behind the bar. “Heard of the anomaly in the southwest across the sea?” The barkeeper glanced at him. “Maybe…” Ethan placed a few metallic bars on the counter and slid them forward. “The never-ending rain?”

The barkeeper glanced at a passed-out, scrawny man at the end of the bar. “Lad here was part of the Night Dwellers, a pirate crew that boldly tried to cross the sea,” he said in a hushed tone so only Ethan could hear. “Mmhh, and the rest?” “Taken by the sea, I reckon,” he replied and shrugged. “Rumors have it that a dragon conquered those lands and is causing a never-ending storm to drown the island.”

The barkeeper shrugged and took the money that Ethan had placed on the counter. “Try to have a chat with the lad, but don’t pressure him. Since we found him, he’s been quite odd, to say the least.” Ethan nodded. “Well, trauma would do that.” He sat near the passed-out young man and gently nudged his shoulder. “Hey, lad?” The man slowly opened his eyes, and after brief introductions, Ethan asked him to tell the story of their crew.

The young man told the tale of the Night Dweller and her crew, of the night when a massive dragon tore their vessel to shreds. He recounted how he found himself adrift on a plank in the middle of a storm. “And the creature?” the listener inquired. The young man explained that it had two tails and a storm seemed to center around it. Ethan took some notes. “Never heard of one controlling the weather before…” “Neither did we,” the young man replied. “Take me along,” he requested.

“Why would you desire to see that again?” The man turned to face the bottle. “It’s been a few months, some don’t believe my story, and I start to doubt it myself… Maybe it was just a storm and fear that made me see the dragon? I mean, you said it yourself… Weather-controlling dragons don’t exist; they… shouldn’t exist.” Ethan nodded. “Aye, we were sent to investigate the weather phenomenon, not to hunt any dragons, in fact. Information on dragons in this region is unconfirmed.”

The younger man nodded slowly. “And if it is a dragon?” Ethan shrugged. “The guild won’t send a vessel unless scouts confirm it. Silent Raider is a scout vessel; we’re not here to hunt, as I said. If a dragon exists, we investigate and return the information to the guild.” “Allow me to come aboard your vessel. I… need to know.” Ethan nodded. “Alright, but an airship is quite different from a sea-faring vessel you might be used to.”

As the sun began to set, the inspection concluded and the refueling process finished. Ethan returned to the ship, accompanied by a new comrade. Together, they took flight and set course for the island with the weather phenomenon. Night fell, the full moon guiding their smooth journey thus far.

The night was peaceful, and they were about half a day’s journey away from the island. Clouds were gathering around them, and the first hints of rain began to fall. They descended to a safer height, the engines hummed rhythmically, and no signs of danger existed thus far. Ethan stood on deck, looking out onto the horizon, the vastness getting enveloped by the clouds. Should they descend and await the break of dawn before continuing? Or force through?

****Audience Input*****

Leona Lucifra: I say they wait…

Rapu RiverstoneSagittarius: Mmm

Atheris Hispida: They probably don’t want to risk falling out of the sky, so waiting sounds safe

**********

“Land,” ordered Ethan in a calm and collected tone as he walked back into the bridge. “Aye aye!” responded the helmsman, who instantly moved the lever down, and the vessel began a controlled, gentle descent. “50… 40… 30…” counted down the helmsman, watching the altitude gauge closely. The counting slowed as sudden wind jerked the ship and caused the crew to stumble. “Leveling, 30 stable, crosswind gusts.” “Turn her 40 into a crosswind and continue.” “Aye aye,” he replied and did as instructed.

“20…15…10…” The countdown continued when a sudden whirr caught their attention. “Left overheating, losing rotations, engine failure!” The sirens wailed to life. “BRACE!” shouted Ethan into the intercom as the ship spiraled out of control, plummeting down towards the great darkness of the night sea.

The sudden impact sent the crew plummeting about; the vessel creaked as if screaming from the pain of the impact, but the hull held strong. Ethan climbed back up to his feet and glanced around the bridge, where the first mate, a navigator, and the helmsman were scrambling back up to their feet. None seemed badly injured, so he let out a sigh of relief before reaching for the intercom. “Crew on deck, injured to medbay,” but he couldn’t hear the intercom’s echo – it was offline.

He stood on the wet deck of the Silent Raider. Behind him, by the bow of the ship, a couple of engineers were shining lights at the failed engine from which a pillow of smoke emerged. The crew was intact, as was the ship, except for the failed engine, the cause of which remained unknown. Ethan ordered them to anchor down for the night due to the currents seemingly pulling them deeper into the storm. The crew anchored and rested, awaiting the morning to perform the repairs.

In the midst of the night, a shout awoke them from their slumber. Ethan ran to the deck where the shout seemingly originated, only to discover a distant splash in the great vastness of darkness. Few realize how bone-chilling the void at night on the sea is. He could feel the ship struggling against the currents, as they desperately attempted to pull her along, but the anchor maintained her position.

He watched the great darkness before him, unable to make anything out. “Cap? What was that?” Ethan turned around, and his eyes instantly filled with terror. He reached for his first mate’s hand, but it was too late. Something had grabbed him and took flight, disappearing into the night’s darkness. As soon as the echo of his shout ceased, only the faint sounds of gentle rain remained to fill the void of silence.

Ethan stood dumbfounded for a brief moment before finally catching himself and sprinting to the nearest bell to sound the alarm. He slapped the bell with his fist, and amidst its ringing, a predatory screech could be heard. He dashed down the stairs to the decks below, heading for the crew quarters. On the stairs, he slipped and tumbled down; when he reopened his eyes after the fall, nothing but darkness lay before him.

The ship’s power went out, plunging it into pitch black darkness, reminiscent of navigating a deep cave without light. He could just barely make out the vague outlines of windows, though hardly any light came through. The ship was silent, punctuated only by occasional, terrified screams from the crew, which fell silent as suddenly as they arose. He snuck through in search of anyone, but the bunks were empty.

Behind him, he heard movement, at first hopeful for someone from his crew. However, the hope soon dissipated when he realized the sound of footsteps wasn’t that of boot-clad feet but rather the clanking of claws on the wooden floor. He fell silent, sitting down behind the counter in an attempt to hide and let it pass, whatever was hunting on his ship. Clenching his fist, he listened as the sounds drew ever closer.

They stopped just on the other side. He knew whatever it may have been, it could likely see better than him. Although non-human, he sat in silence, hopeful it would leave; hopeful it wouldn’t notice. Despite this hope, his fist trembled from anger.

Lightning flashed outside, and the light broke through the windows. In the sudden flash, he could see it before him: the face of a girl. Scales decorated her cheeks and chin, her eyes white as the first snow. Staring right at him, she then smiled. Blood dripped off her fangs as she silently examined the man before her. Chills ran down his spine. He knew the thing before him was pure evil, that he was looking death in the face, but his body froze in place.

There was no escaping his fate. Darkness took over his vision once more. The last thing he remembered was a hiss in his ear, ‘sleeeeeeeeeeps’, and a stinging pain in his neck. He awoke to something pecking at his arm, the sun shining through his eyelids. Slowly opening his eyes and blinking, he realized that he was alive and that something was eating his arm. Panicking, he screamed and kicked at a dodo.

He crawled away slightly and glanced around, observing a pack of four dodos pecking at the skin of his arm. “Where? Huh? How?” he gasped, shielding the sun with his hand to see more clearly. Finding himself on a beach of an island, he noted the dodos watching him curiously. Eventually, they determined he wasn’t dead and, somewhat disappointed, headed into the forest. This left the stranded man alone on the beach.

He scrambled back to his feet and followed the dodos from afar, soon discovering a single building, a farm, and a man working the fields. Upon talking with the man for a short while, he learned that occasionally, a dragonoid would bring people to this island, seemingly wishing them no ill will. However, should any try to escape, they would meet their demise. On this island, they would live in peace, working the fields and breeding animals to feed the dragonoid that brought them there.

Years passed, and on the island, surrounded by the storm, Ethan learned to live in peace. He had food and safety, even made friends with the locals who were abducted as he was. Though to this day he knew not what happened to his crew, nor did anybody else know what happened to them all, or where he was. The dragonoid seemed to control the storm dragon that served as the guard of her personal haven where she resided. One day, however, she took flight and never returned.