Sailing Ether Tides

Sailing Ether Tides

Ch: 15 Crystal Blue Persuasion

Dawn was clear, cold, clammy and early, high up on the windward side of the island. Leafchaser and Jeskin woke, curled together in the astonishingly comfy bedding their mad new friends had gifted them, as a betrothal gift. She stretched languidly beside her border collie beau and nipped his ear gently, when her movements, combined with the scents of bacon and coffee still failed to wake him.

“Lazy pooch, bestir yourself; breakfast is the offing!”

He grumbled and let out a half hearted growl of mild discontent, when she flipped the blankets, letting in a chilly draft. “Leafy… I don’ wanna get up…”

He used his puppy dog eyes on her, it was super effective, as always. She swatted him across the nose a few times, faster than human eyes could follow, no claws, just a reminder that she was not his pet.

“Indolent whelp!” She murred in his ear, before slipping out of their tent with sinuous grace.

When she returned, two steaming mugs in her hands, her boy was sprawled out atop the bedding in what he imagined was his sexiest pose. Both arms behind his head and his legs flung out to their utter limits. Only his bushy, flag of a tail covered the good bits, the stress of not wagging it and ruining the pose was evident on his face, the silly mutt.

“So, hotstuff, what happens if I trip over your big old foot and spill this hotstuff all over your hotstuff?” She purred in delight, while hovering over his delicates.

“All right you two…” Tallum grumbled quietly. “We have company. He gestured over his massive shoulder, bringing their attention to a much smaller, but still very large man with brown hair and eyes, standing behind him, over at the camp stove.

“We met a few nights ago, briefly; I’m Ward, the kids’ uncle.” He smiled a grin so bright and weird, that they didn’t need to ask which kids he was uncling. “I won’t be hanging around long, gotta fly away before long.”

“Are you also a trader?” Jeskin asked, while struggling into his kilt.

“I’m a… cleric… as it were.” He murmured happily into his mug, while watching the two locals stretch and greet the morning together.

The giant smith giggled at that pronouncement, for some reason. “Cleric… good one Ward.”

“Hmph… I am a shepherd onto my flock, Tallum.” He sniffed with self satisfied and deeply hilarious dignity. Hilarious, because while he was huffing and puffing over his supposed dignity, he was donning a ridiculous leather cape fashioned to resemble bat wings.

“Dannyl will be here shortly, he was near the rim, high above us, on the leeward side. Toodles, kids.”

The odd fellow gave them a smile and a wiggle-fingered wave bye-bye that was deeply unserious, before he leapt off the escarpment they were encamped on, plunging head first toward the jungle, a two miles of very steep and jagged trail down the mountain.

Tallum’s massive hands clamped down on the horrified pair of local beastkin, holding them in place, as the man spread his bizarre cape and…

“Tallum, is that man really a cleric?” Leafy asked softly, as the dark figure slowly spiraled into the sky, riding an updraft from the mountainside, so far below.

“No, he’s a huge asshole… But he’s kin.” The giant grumbled.

#

Maya shook Amy and Rio awake, and got Benny moving with a soft call. Wilf was already making breakfast on the camp stove, while trying to satisfy Ivy’s anguished pleas for coffee. “Just a few more minutes… please, I can’t make it happen any faster!”

“Then you should have started earlier!” She sniffed and scolded the poor lad. Thus did most mornings start in the Ragamuffins’ encampment; Ivy always woke with immediate demands for coffee and wouldn’t relent until a steaming mug was in her hands.

The wry grin and twinkle in her eyes told the kids she was taking the proverbial piss, razzing them in the same way she constantly abused her good natured and placid husband. Tallum’s usual answer to her demands involved a lot of kissing, so Wilf concentrated on getting the coffee ready.

Their small encampment took up a lava chamber just off the main passageway, deeper into the mountain. A strand of braided silk rope encircled them, strung on a ring of elaborately decorated wooden stanchions. The thick, woven strand of monster silk was decorated with bells, packets containing mystic sutras and glyphs inscribed in rare inks and sealed with wax gleaned from exotic magical bee hives and intricately carved monster bone charms.

Crawling, scuttling and flying life surrounded the little group of adventurers, going about their mindless business. The profusion of insects and less readily identifiable creatures ignored the little group entirely, as if they could not even perceive the camp.

Lanterns on the poles carrying the rope illuminated the area; not brightly, perhaps as much light as both full moons gave off on a clear night. To many of the cave dwellers, it was a potent draw. The island’s giant skeeters found their way into the depths regularly, a few of the odd, moth winged horrors flitted about, circling the vermin wards, drawn by the light and breath of warm blooded mammals. The nasty shits were swiftly devoured by the local bats, batspiders, geckos, batgeckos and other, less pleasant things.

A Giant preying mantis snatched one out of the sir and devoured it, while perched atop one of the lanterns. Several sets of dusty moth wings littered the ground below her perch, along with an assortment of other chitinous remnants of her ongoing feast.

“Cave mantis…” Rio whispered softly. “Keep an eye out for an egg case, I’d like to collect some for the caves back home.” With great care, he lifted the wicker and paper globe lantern from its place on the fence post and set it on a nearby stone outcropping. “I’m gonna let her keep this lamp till we come back through.” He walked slowly, carrying it gingerly, with the insect still clinging onto the magical lamp.

“You just keep eating those nasty skeeters!” The tall young man smiled and cooed at the two foot long, bright blue and green, ravenous insect predator; even as it scuttled nervously on its perch, while being set gently on her new roost.

While the kids disassembled their camp, Ivy nursed her coffee and chatted amicably with herself, sitting on a nearby boulder of congealed lava.

“Dannyl? We’ll be glad to have him along, but this has been pretty straightforward so far. We found cave crawler signs, that’s what stirred up the batspiders.”

She paused and listened for a moment, before smiling to herself and nodding.

“We should be able to draw it out and smush it before noon. Tell Dan that he’d better hurry, if he wants a piece of the action… I think Maya just found its trail.”

#

Dannyl slipped through the dark tunnels, unseen by most of its denizens; mostly, the few who noticed him did their best to slip back into a crevice or hidey hole, until he passed. There were always a few idiots willing to try their luck against a single human in the caverns alone, in the dark.

That he didn’t fumble and grope his way in a desperate panic should have been a clue that he was not easy prey; as should the fact that he leapt from one outcropping to another, as if dancing to wild and chaotic music only he could hear.

He shook the wreckage and gore of a giant cave scorpion off his hatchet with a grimace of distaste, before tucking the five foot long, shiny black corpse away in some unseen storage space. “Kids are probably feeling snacky…” He murmured softly to himself, as he set off in pursuit of the wily teens.

The trail they left through the caverns was easy to follow, with markings in luminous paint and spelunking gear still strung over chasms and rifts along the way. Every intersection and turning had obvious and hidden signs left behind to direct a lost member. Lines drawn in chalk, splashes of bright paint, or lengths of colorful cordage indicated the path for the uninitiated.

Tucked in alcoves and behind outcroppings, tiny glyphs and sigils that gleamed softly under a whispered spell were left, in case of mischief with the visible markings. He smiled and nodded with approval as he whisked through the darkness, using occult senses most men would not have access to.

#

Amy dodged back, avoiding the monstrosity’s clumsy attack with ease… until that slow, lumbering appendage she had ducked under so carelessly smashed into the cavern wall… and carved out a massive wedge of tough, abrasive stone. Shards of jagged rock blasted its comrades behind it; tall pillars of crystal shards, conjoined and melded to create six huge almost humanoid constructs that glimmered and shone in the Adventurer’s lantern lights.

A loud, sharp high C shivered out into the cavern, emanating from the arm the monster had gouged the wall with, it rang like a struck bell, even as it lurched forward in another ungainly attack.

Amy called out over the high, bell-like ringing of the creature: “Wilf, gear change! Maya, Rio, get ready, we need the Klaus Nomi formation!” She fell back, as Frankie and Benny rushed forward.

Frankie’s mace and shield and Benny’s heavy maul rang off the being’s crude, inflexible legs, setting up a distracting and unpleasant disharmony, as its right arm analog kept ringing out. Left leg was a D natural, while the right leg was F sharp, descending. Both boys leapt and dodged around it, striking where they could and only managing to chip the tough, radiant monstrosity.

“Hurry up… they’re getting faster!” Frankie shouted, as a jagged crystal fist whipped by his nose with an inch to spare.

His words were lost in a sweet, whistling sound as Maya, Wilf and Rio rejoined the battle.

The two boys joined Frankie and Benny in tangling up the things; Wilf with his huge, asymmetrical warhammer, Rio with a steel headed mallet and a shield of odd design.

The Bloody Drum, Spiritual and Etheric enchantments. Unranked, unique shield. Drum class armor and percussion instrument.

When wielded by or near a source of etheric magic, bard may Entrain* other beings. Friendly or allied forces beings or entities may choose to resist. Resistant creatures, hostile beings or entities and neutral forces’ resistance will be based on opposed Will, Animus, Mind, Resilience, rank and skill level of the bard.

Effect: Party Rock Anthem; individuals afflicted/affected by this boon/curse find the musician compelling, charismatic and will enjoy bonuses to cooperative activities. Bonuses to instruction, recall, Agility, Stamina, Will, Animus, Might and proprioception. Afflicted/affected entities gain: Recover Mana over time, Recover Stamina over time, Recover Health over time, for the duration of the uninterrupted performance.

Effect: Dancing Fool; individuals afflicted by this curse find the musician distressing, terrifying, or annoying and will suffer penalties to cooperative activities. Penalties to instruction, recall, Agility, Stamina, Will, Animus, Might and proprioception. Afflicted also suffer: Drain Mana over time, Drain Stamina over time, Drain Health over time, for the duration of the uninterrupted performance.

*Entrainment: One of the principle laws of magic; forces which operate in Harmony, function with far greater efficiency and Synchrony. Disharmony and Arhythm create potential failure points and increase all energy and material costs.

Rio’s mallet spent almost as much time whacking the inside of his shield as it did cracking the arms and legs of the terrible construct creatures; he raised a slow, steady beat as he worked his foe around in circles.

Wilf dipped in, just on time with his big warhammer and sheared off the lead entity’s right leg at the hip with a deep, resonant chime, like the gong of a temple, lost in the depths of the earth. The lead monster slowly toppled to the cavern floor, still trying to swat, or at least land atop its fast moving foes.

As it hit the stone floor, it shattered into a forest of sharp crystal shards, each of which began scuttling back whence it came, somehow vibrating in a manner that caused the mass of broken pieces to shift and slide back down the passage, behind its slowly advancing comrades.

“We need to get it going, Amy… That thing is putting itself back together!” Frankie shouted, as he smashed the fingers off of a crude, reaching crystal claw, with the unpleasant sound of crystal windchimes left out in a gale.

The shattered being stumbled back into the fray, now comprised of a mad collection of jagged crystal shards, pointing off in every direction. As it walked, its feet set off horrid screeching sounds, the pointy fragments grated and scraped against the stone with every unsteady footfall of the enormous entity.

“Ready, Maya?” Amy asked softly, as her small, slim, dark haired comrade warmed up and stretched. She nodded silently, before the tiny girl took a running leap and began capering among the foes, wielding a long black staff with gusto.

As she spun, parried and struck; a doleful, low sound began, breathy and soft. Holes up and down the length of her seven foot iron staff began to whistle and moan, drowning out the noise and clatter of battle all around.

The Monkey Princess’ Flute, Spiritual and Etheric enchantments. Unranked, unique magical staff, musical instrument, weapon.

When wielded by or near a source of etheric magic, bard may Entrain* other beings. Friendly or allied forces beings or entities may choose to resist: Resistant, hostile or neutral forces, beings or entities’ resistance based on opposed Will, Animus, Mind, Resilience, rank and skill level of the bard.

Like her comrade’s shield, her flute played games, either cruel or kind, with her allies or foes. The strange music of her weapon settled in behind the obvious song her comrades sang and played, manipulating the foes all over the battlefield on a deep and primitive level, making their actions and reactions more predictable, less accurate and much less effective.

Rio’s drum was drawing her party into step, letting them switch foes, trade guardian or attacker roles seamlessly and boosted the whole team’s recovery and efficiency, drawing them into a seamless, elegant dance of mayhem and violence.

Wilf shattered one with a mighty blow of his hammer, right to the torso, only to have it scurry off and return a few short moments later, ready for more. Even shattering them into smaller fragments didn’t help, as they returned even pointier and pokier. What did help, was the music…

Maya was a dire and chilly, whispering wind… compared to Rio’s thudding, energetic heartbeat. Her staff clacked, chimed, whistled and moaned against, across and around the enemy, drawing their mindless aggression to her. She spun and danced among them constantly, entangling the lumbering forms with each other, making the fast moving, slippery girl the belle of the ball.

With slow and steady insistence, the kids began rapping, tapping and ringing their enemies with their weapons, making the strange crystal forms a part of their very special performance.

After ten long, exhausting minutes… that felt more like eight hours, all six of the massive beings were standing stock still in the center of the chamber, vibrating in several incompatible frequencies at once.

Each disparate crystalline structure that made up the creatures sang a different part of the impossibly complex harmony the kids had induced with magic, skill and brute force. Sparks of actinic white and startling, vibrant flashes of color washed over the things as the musicians kept them trapped in a cycle of endless key changes and jazz rock nonsense.

“Ok gang, let’s close this show on a big number!”

The band withdrew, pulling back from their foes, as Amy stood before them, her guitar slung low wailing her strange music into the cavern of sparkling lights and flashing rainbows.

At her throat she had tied a black silk band, embroidered with silver threads in a mind bending pattern. It began to glow softly, ominous even through the light display the golem beings were putting on. Rather than illuminating the area around her, the accessory seemed to draw light to itself, casting radiance on her, from an undefinable source beyond mortal ken.

The smiling bright eyed girl opened her perfect pink lips and let out a call that was rich, warm and vibrant, drawing the attention of all of those present, even the apparently mindless constructs. Their lumpy crystal ‘heads’ turned to focus on her as she began to sing.

Listen to me, baby, you got to understand,

You're old enough to learn the makings of a man…

Listen to me, baby, it's time to settle down,

Am I asking too much for you to stick around?

With little sign of what was happening, the crystal creatures began to sway along with her voice, as her crisply punctuated, almost cajoling, nonsense words spilled over them.

She carried on for a few more stanzas, until the chorus came around, with ear shattering violence.

Light-ning's strik-ing aga-ain!

Again, again, again…

Light-ning's strik-ing aga-ain!

Again, again, again…

With a soft *Clink* first one, then another of the towering constructs fell inert and crumbled to a heap of crystal shards.

#

Dannyl heard the music, shatteringly loud and jarring after so long, running through the silent caves. The small life all around vanished as he got closer, nothing with any kind of sense would approach that chaotic wailing dirge. He slashed a dire fly maggot in half with his hatchet as he leapt over the corpse of something wet and slimy… an acidic cave ooze most likely, since it had been sprinkled with a caustic mixture of salt, lye and wine barrel scrapings.

Yet another of his mad brother’s concoctions, formulated to combat noxious and slimy foes. The chalky white pellets could be crumbled over the victim, or hurled with slingshots at range, when facing a slime, snail or slug entity. The hard pebbles of alchemical salts would fizz, bubble and stink abominably on contact with slimes, while reducing them to harmless goo.

Slimes would regrow if simply smashed or hacked up. Often multiplying in the process… much as roundworms and groundworms did. Incautious monster slayers could and did leave trouble like that in their wake from time to time…

‘Not our kids…’ The stealthy warrior thought to himself, as the not too distant music reached an ear torturing, violent crescendo.

#

The kids were busy sweeping up and collecting the creature’s remains, stowing them in tough leather sacks, before tucking the sharp needles of shattered crystal into Wilf’s storage gift.

“Uncle Danny!” Amy shrieked with joy when he slipped out of the shadows and greeted the team. “Hey Ives… Hi kids.”

#