“The wealth of others does not impress me, unless they are going to bequeath some of it to me,” My-re of the Health Alteration Squad said.
Spymaster Timshard, better known as Timmy the Spy, blond head with a smattering of freckles across his face, went red with frustration.
My-re folded her arms across her chest as she looked down from the entryway and blocked his entrance to the orange painted ship the Nightie. Timshard stood on the boarding plank, as a line of fellow lord protectors were waiting to board to hunt for the Lake of Mist monster.
Timshard looked over his shoulder, as some protectors grumbled behind him and asked, “My aunt, Sheila Greywand, I assume you’ve heard of her?”
“Obviously, I’m a Lady Protector.”
“Yes, well, she had commissioned me to oversee your little operation here,” Timshard said gesturing to the Nightie.
“Lovely, we’d enjoy an emissary from Lady Greywand aboard. That’ll still be ten gold,” My-re said.
Timshard cleared his throat. “You see, the pay for a spymaster is modest.”
“So, now you’re poor. What was this about your fortune, grand influence, and high position on the Isle of the Eye a moment ago?” My-re asked.
Timshard looked down and began to murmur, “Uh, well...”
“Ten gold Timmy.”
Timshard grumbled under his breath, counted out a stack of ten gold coins, and handed it to My-re.
“Welcome aboard the Nightie. Refreshments will be served shortly after we get underway,” My-re smiled at the spymaster and let him pass.
Anusha of the Skull Squadron stable came up behind My-re and said to Timshard. “This way spymaster to your rowing seat.”
“What! You expect me to row?”
“Consider it part of your strength training for the arena,” Anusha said.
“But I don’t fight in the arena, besides my aunt…”
My-re tuned out the subsequent complains of Timshard and proceeded to collect the ten gold coin fee of the other lord protectors behind him.
After My-re ensured all forty passengers were aboard and sitting at their rowing stations below deck, Anusha took two large drum sticks and prepared to time out the rowing rhythm on two, large round drums. She announced from the front of the rowing station. “The instructions are simple Lords and Lady Protectors! Please ensure you are in rhythm with the drum’s beat and your fellow gladiators. We don’t want to go around in circles on the lake like last time now do we?”
As the beat commenced, My-re emerged from below and headed to the aft of the ship. There she saw the black and white furred Aruaki were-cat, Ssskah of the Castaways stable standing next to the captain of the ship, a man called Phetmolge. He was a mountain of a fellow at 7’ tall, but he more resembled a troll as his skin had a stony gray color and spotted here and there with what looked like pale green lichen. He had a long spear strapped to the back of his massive frame. If he struck something with it, it’s likely he would do unearthly damage. He gripped oversized spokes on an oversized wheel, which would take two normal people to manage.
“Is everyone tucked away?” Ssskah purred.
The ship lunged forward and My-re nodded, handing her two large sacks filled with gold from the boarding fee.
“What direction are we heading today?” My-re asked as she enjoyed the breeze blowing through her hair and tickled her widow’s peak.
Ssskah turned and breathed in several times. “There’s something on the wind. Let’s go south today.” She turned to Phetmolge, patted his arm, and pointed. He smoothly turned the wheel and the Nightie was on its way.
My-re said, “I’m going to go get the meals set up for our passengers.” She then glanced at the captain. “He doesn’t say much does he?”
“Strong silent type,” Ssskah responded.
* * *
Silence encompassed the Nightie as they drifted in the middle of the Lake of Mists that afternoon. Lord Protector lined all sections of the ship their eyes fixed out onto the misty lake. They all had a variety of heavy-duty fishing poles, spearing weapons, which included several constructed ballista for better range, and an extra fee. Captured sawfish on heavy lines trashed about far from the ship and used as bait to draw up the Lake of Mist’s monster. The passengers seemed optimistic as something was really riling them up.
My-re joined Ssskah and Phetmolge at the navigation wheel.
“The passengers are fed, fishing, and more than little tipsy. They’re mood is upbeat,” My-re whispered. She had learned from previous trips that talking in loud tones during fishing was not very well thanked.
The afternoon was quite as the hours passed and passengers drank their fill, complements of the Broken Sword Tavern. The muted sun dimly shown through the mist and began to descend. Ssskah nodded to My-re to announce it was time to head back to Willow Beach before dusk.
My-re strained from a seated position and stood, stretching the ache from her back. She drew in breath to speak.
From the crow nest, Anusha yelled, “In the distance! There’s something out there!”
Eyes turned high to the top of the ship, then out towards the bow of the Nightie. The waves slowly pushed the vessel forward. A crowd gathered at the railing, as My-re headed to the tip of the ship. Lord Protectors gathered around her.
Debris was floating on top of the water, but it wasn’t wood or any part of a ship. It was different. It was stringy and unidentifiable until My-re saw the remains of a fish tail as long has her body float by. Then she saw another, then another. The remains of large fish, all with vicious serrated teeth drifted by. The Nightie bow pushed through the guts and vestiges of numerous creatures. They numbered in the dozens. In moments, the fragments became thicker. The dead now likely in the hundreds.
The sawfish used as bait bolted to the aft of the ship and away from the carnage. My-re’s concern, other than the speed in which they fled, was that sawfish are highly territorial, ill tempered, and around nasty pieces of work that feared nothing, including humans. There was something terrifying them.
“Make way!” Timshard announced. “Greywand business here!” The spymaster pushed his way through the lord protectors and stood next to My-re surveying the carnage. After several heartbeats of silence, a thud hit the starboard side of the vessel causing it to lean for a moment. My-re latched onto the railing for support. Lord Protectors gripped their weapons, knuckles going white, and prepared themselves for battle.
A shredded caucus the length of the Nightie had hit the hull. It was missing the top portion of its head and half its tail with what appeared to be several gargantuan round bite marks in the middle. Bone and cartilage protruded from the gaping wounds.
My-re defensively folded her arms around herself tight as she looked on. When alive that behemoth could have easily rammed the Nightie and if not sink it immediately, cause severe damage. Something was slaughtering the most vicious apex water predators Alastari had ever produced. Sawfish with no fear, now knew fear. Whatever was in these waters were killing and eating the worst of the worst predators wholesale and unmolested. The real concern is if this creature deprived the lake of its natural prey it would turn to something more plentiful and helpless in the water…humans.
Timshard said quietly, “Turn this ship around, now. Under authority of Lady Greywand, no craft is to set sail on the Lake of Mists until further notice.”
Ssskah issued a low growl from her throat. “You can’t do that!”
My-re muttered, “I think he just did.”