#8. SKULLER I
The fog of Baken Bay crept around them like the breath of a wraith. It brought with it a chill that left Skuller and his crew shivering in the night, the only thing providing light a small tin lamp suspended above their raft on a rope.
Skuller turned to his first mate, Ollo. “Snuff the lamp.” Ollo nodded, pulling the lamp down and extinguishing it, plunging them all into darkness. Skuller turned to the woman in front of him, Tasha. She was laying on her front, a rifle sighted in front of her. “When you can see the dock master, hit him,” he said. He didn’t need a response to know she would follow through.
Skuller sat back, the well oiled machine of their band gliding through the water with ease. A greyish figure began to form out of the mist, and as soon as his red salt lamp came into view, there was a quiet pop and the man collapsed.
When they were within range of the dock, Skuller jumped up and onto it, tossing a rope form the moors as he passed it, rushing to the fallen dock master.
He was quietly sleeping, knocked into a deep slumber by the enchanted pellets in the rifle. He quickly tied the man’s hands and feet together, then stuffed a cloth into his mouth. After searching through the man’s pockets, he found what he needed.
A golden key ring.
He looked again to the dock master, felt glad he didn’t have to kill him. Back in his early days… he may not have been so considerate. But now, wizened by years of tireless effort, he grew to know that life, even those of the adversary, is sacred.
His crew quietly slipped down the docks, their goal the pile of crates near the back of the stronghold looming before them. It materialized out of the fog like a headsman ready to collect his due. Each of them knew the risk of being caught, yet they all skulked confidently through the darkness.
Skuller was last, following up in the formation. Tasha led the six of them. Gnarl and Barl flanked her, followed by Ollo and Brigs. Skuller tied up the diamond, keeping an eye on their surroundings.
Tasha looked back, using hand-language to speak. “Four Guards. Group Split, Three Left, Three Right.” She shook her rifle, emphasizing non-violence.
They all understood. They split up and followed her plan, her mind most tactical of all of theirs. She led a group, and Skuller came up to lead the other. They subdued the guards surrounding the crates easily enough, and soon they were the only ones standing still conscious.
But… there was less than they had anticipated. They had been told that they would need to bring with them a few Bottomless Bags, yet what was here could barely fill one. Each of them showed clear confusion, Tasha swearing at the realization.
Skuller looked around, alarmed. For a tense moment, they all searched for unseen assailants, ready to ambush them and capture them. Yet, the longer they looked, the more they realized that this place kind of looked run down. That no attackers were coming.
Skuller shook his head, motioning to the crates. “Let’s grab what is here and get out.”
It did not take them long to fill up and return to their skiff.
* * * * *
“Barely a quarter! Not even enough to cover the fetch fee.” Tasha slammed her fist onto the table’s surface, causing everyone’s drinks to tip. Skuller caught his glass, looking at her annoyed.
They sat within the Mead Hall of The Cove. It was a small place for a hideout, yet they could fit at least 9 separate buildings inside the sea grotto. It was a veritable town in there.
Skuller was looking at Tasha. Despite her skill and abilities, she sometimes erred too close to his realm of decision making, speaking like she was the leader of the crew. Of course, that wasn’t the case.
He decided it was time to remind her.
“You know, we could just give your cut to the fetch if you won’t stop your complaining,” he said nonchalantly. He took a long swig of his glass, her face growing still, then slowly hot with rage. He shrugged. “Or, if you want to act like an adult, you can listen to what I have to say.”
She tried to retort, but he cut her off with a slam of his hand onto the table. “Did you find us this job? Have you found us any job? Have you ferried anything to the fetch before?” There was a long pause, each of the answers a clear no, yet the anger grew only more pronounced on her features. Skuller continued talking. “Tasha, you are unparalleled with a rifle, and you have a great mind for tactics, but you don’t even know what the fetch fee is going to be.”
He looked to the others, their faces showing different levels of discomfort or amusement. “We each will get a payout with what we pulled, but the plans to improve the Cove will have to wait. After we get the money, I want to know why this happened.”
Tasha scoffed. “A bad lead obviously.”
Ollo shook his head. “Skuller said it came from Yussuf. Has he ever lead us wrong?” They all shook their heads.
Gnarl, absentmindedly scribbling down on a page, suddenly looked up. “Leyline closures?” he asked. Barl nodded enthusiastically. “Must have disrupted travel.”
Brigs shook her head. “But our Leyline isn’t closed… right?”
They all looked between themselves. It had been 1 month since the closure of the Leylines to the 3 lost realms, and their neighbor had recently also been closed.
Could they have been cut off?
Skuller looked between them all, a serious look on his face. “Our fetch will trade for information, but he gives me news for free because of our history. I will ask him during the exchange.”
Skuller left the room, coming to stand outside on the balcony. He looked over the cove, the collection of ramshackle wooden buildings. It was wonderful, a thing he and a few others had built from the ground up. Well… rebuilt from the ground up after killing the pirates there.
Skuller’s younger days were much different from the ones he lived in now.
He pondered the Leylines. He had never gone through them, never would have a need, yet they were the heart of his Realm, Djirama. Without them, his realm would wither away, forced to face starvation and a life without Arkanite. The stronghold that they had just pilfered, it was a mainland center for logistics for the Palace of Tytanis. If they Leyline had been closed, it would result in the stronghold being meekly provisioned.
He sighed, allowed himself the relief of worrying about it the following day. For now, he would go in, get drunk with his crew, and celebrate another job well done.
IF YOU ENJOYED, CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING
redmysterium
A DARKER ENERGY 