Tales of Malteria: Cove of Ten Winds (Part 2)

Deliza's eyes creak open slowly with her head pounding before he she sees the Cleric of the crew Joshua. He is leaned over her she can barely make out what he says but knows hes at work healing her. Her head rolls to one side too heavy to hold up any longer she sees the ship in ruin against the shore and bodies everywhere. Her eyes close once more, head still quaking.

She awakes hours later, its afternoon now, Joshua sits beside her; he is deep in prayer clutching the twin fish medallion between his fingers. Weakly she utters "J..Joshua..Is everyone?..." trailing off before she can complete her inquiry, Joshua darts his eyes over to her quickly and his lips carve a somber smile on his face as he speaks "Sadly Lady Pentigrast, only about 15 of the crew are left...Deedjra took some men to the wood line to scout out the locals and possible bring help back. Cirilla and Freya are tending to the wounded as best they can with my herbs and potions. Jarl is helping bury the dead...And I and just trying to keep people calm" his face turns stone with each word as if the tragic fate of the crew was a curse upon him. Deliza sets up and rests her hand on his shoulder "Joshua you aren't to blame for this-" the young man bolts up from his seat knocking her hand to the side with a tears streaming down his face shouting "Of course I'm to blame you heard the clergy before we left, they said "to sail the worlds river with a heretic is to sail to utter doom" So of course this is my fault I'm a Orc loving whoreson!" he goes to open his mouth again, but before he can Deliza knocks him to the ground with a punch and kicks him in the side before in a voice with bitter might that could sour a mans soul she declares "Whoreson you be true as the day is long! But you fucking some Orcs and worshiping some damn Thunder Fish! Is not what brought us here! Now as sure as I am that my voice has killed some of the wounded quiet yours before you raise the dead!" she punctuates her words with a stiff wrested slap to Joshua's face. The cleric nods and crawls to his feet in silence.



Joshua, Cleric of the Twin Fish. Heretic.

Deliza turns to the crew watching her on in dower awe, she barks "Jarl! Status!" a grumbling can be heard from a pit near a stone further towards inland as a Halfling trudges forth "Foks it look lik' ? I'm ways' dip in crumen! Gots Dam Clods O'blood sticking twixt meh toes's! An now sum' fire 'aired Noble is holler' at sum per O'Orc foker!" Deliza stares on at the Halfling for a moment, Her face churning out a small smile before chirping back "Shame to see the crash did nothing to improve your language however I mus thank you for tending to the dead. I would hate to set up camp and have ferals come for us." the Halfling spits before nodding and walking off to continue the grim work. A soft hand sets upon Delizas shoulder turning she sees Cirilla. "Ms. Pentigrast...I..." Deliza shakes her head before bringing the woman close to her and hugging her tight, whispering in her ear as she does so "No...I know you can only say so much Cirilla...bound by the fates in what you can say..You are not to blame...if only i could have brought myself to speak with Joshua this way.." Cirilla wipes a tear from the now crying Delizas face "Now, Now Captain...Crying will ruin morale. Beside Joshua...will be ok, but perhaps an apology would help" Deliza smiles and nods.

By late afternoon a heavy fog as beset the whole island, the iridescent glow of the torches from the ominous site of the beaches pirate ship city being the only prevailing light aside from the camp fire. Freya sits comforting a wounded crew mate. She looks upon Cirilla with a hateful glare. She thinks for a moment to say something but as she goes to she stares at a large shadow against the fog heading their way. "We have company!" Those that can jump to the ready Deliza standing closest to the coming shadow "Looks like a few men" she says "Blades in palm" she orders softly to the few sailors. After a moment a few people break through the fog slowly all of them dressed in the rags befitting scalawags and pirates, only five come through but the largest shadow comes last. Standing the height of a small house a person man or woman unclear. Dressed in clothes fitting a admiral of some navy unknown to history, the persons left arm is several times larger than it right, muscles seemingly ripping the forms skin apart, sinew and bone showing where it should not. In that arms hand it clutches a large canon ball. From behind greasy matted hair so long it completely hides their face pierce eyes of a deep ocher yellow looking right through all that stand before it freezing everyone there as if with a spell. From a large toothy mouth words gurgle forth though the mouth does not move "Deliza Pentigrast?" It asks. Deliza's gut lurches as this twisted visage of a person says her name "Aye.." She lets meekly slip out. The figures mouth contorts into a painful smirk as it gurgles "Capn' wants to see you, come" The creature turns and walks off in to the fog the five ragged people wait as Deliza wakes from her frightful paralyzes "Cirilla, Jarl..come, I'll not go alone...Freya Joshua guard the men. Should we not return in two days time...Survive." Her crew nods as they heed the order. The three walk through fog following the lumbering creature, the glow of the city growing with the fear of things to come.