Holloween Blog Fest: Superstitions and Men

Holloween Blog Fest !
Three weeks had passed on the ocean it seemed like three years. The scenery never changed and even I was about to question if we were actually moving. Kozak and Raddect stayed on the bow as they where a little too tall to go below deck without destroying the walls and doorways. Croff was always sitting in front of a stump that was carved into a game board of sorts. He would spend hours laying pieces onto the board then rearranging them.

After about a week at sea I approached Croff and asked him what he was doing. This might have been a mistake, yet I did ask the question. Croff explained the game of stones and the strategy of the game to create area by creating life or taking life out of the stones. The rules were simple enough to the game of stones and now daily I awake and join him in a few games. It took about two weeks to understand what Croff was saying about the flowing of stones and there relation to life and our feelings. Needless to say he is a good teacher and I was a fairly good student I learned pretty quickly.

It was the evening of the fall festival as me a Croff where sitting on the stern of the boat in the mid game of a fierce battle of wits. My play style was referred to as fire as it spread across the board attempting to burn up all the living space. Croffs play style was water and it flowed purely across the board. Croff would always point out arrogant moves by some proverb or insightful fire extinguishing remark. But on this game he stated something at the beginning of the game that made this game probably the best game we played against each other, or should I say the most balanced.

“Coridan while you play stones today use your style to its fullest fuel the blue flames inside your style with sharp bursts of flames instead of trying to fuel a wild red fire you can’t control.” Croff said in a very sincere tone knowing that he had gotten the point across clearly.

This was such an amazing game I was finally making the dwarf think with each play I would make. Let it be known with his wisdom of the game and experience each play he made kept me looking for a balancing move.

It was when Croff played a Defensive attack on one of my strongest groups when we both noticed that thick fog we where rolling into. The ship started to hustle and bustle with the ship hands lighting lanterns and tightening up the rope from the ballasts. The Captain strung together both ships with thick elfish woven rope to keep us from getting separated from the other ship.

The fog was getting dense making it hard to see more then two feet in front of me. To make matters worse the night had crept in making the sea darker then any cave I had ever been in.  The boat was calm as it moved through the dark waters towards the Younfeelpe Island. All you could hear was the waves crashing off the haul of the boat until one of the deck hands screamed in panic “help!” With his screaming came the sound of something plunging into the water.

I turned to the direction of the noise. The only thing I could make out was what appeared to be glowing yellow eyes. Then the wailing started. The sound was worse then a banshee’s scream. I quickly asked Croff “what’s that wailing?”

As I was awaiting the answer from Croff you could hear the panic aboard the ship. The crew was running around blindly in the fog trying to find safety below deck.  Every so often the screams of pain would be louder then the wailing this only made matters worse. “Myth says the keeper of those that die at sea gets revenge for those who had been wronged by someone on another ship that crosses her path.” Croff said quietly.  An hour had to have passed and there was still the wailing and crying for help. This had to be getting on Croff’s nerves as he was helpless to move in this fog.

“Bah, most myths are made up from delusional men trying to rationalize a tragedy.” I said as I was getting frustrated with the whole situation. I started to cast a flame arrow towards the wailing that was killing my ears and causing such a fuss. Croff promptly deterred me as we where still on a wooden ship it might sink us.

Croff and I could here the clatter of hoof steps was getting closer to us as we heard the crashing of the board and the stones hit the deck of the ship. Before us laid Raddect unconscious, with four wounds on his face. Now I was mad, the game was just getting good. What ever is out there was going to pay.

Croff started a divination to put those that are lingering in death to rest. This had no effect on the wailing, it might have even made it worse. As the chant ended a huge crash shuck the ship and Kozak roared in pain. Then another crash and another roar of pain but this time it was not Kozak it was more feministic. Kozak screamed “Uah Hu nowz me gotz joo.” As the sound of his ax hitting the ships deck and wrestling across the ship incurred. This lasted for a good twenty minutes both Kozak and this other entity could be made out in the struggle.

Then all was silent. To silent. No more wailing and the wrestling had stopped. “Kozak! Are you all right?” Croff said with concern in his voice. Impatiently Croff yelled again “Kozak answer me!”  More silence as time seemed to start passing slower. Had Kozak won the fight, had what ever was out there after Kozak and won?  

“Damn it Kozak, Answer!” I Screamed. I was beginning to get worried we had lost our tank before we even made it to the damn island. Not the way this needed to start off. Raddect down and Kozak out there would be no way we could finish this journey.

Morning approached as the sun started to crest over the horizon. With the daylight the fog started to lift. Croff franticly started towards the bow of the ship to check on Kozak. I wasn’t too far behind. As we came around the captain’s tower we could see Kozak laying on his side with his back to us. “Nooooo!!!!” Croff yelled out as he ran towards Kozak.

I quickly Grabbed Croff, “Wait, WHAT is that around his arm. See it right there?  What ever that is might still be alive. Let’s act cautiously, let me go around first for I can blast what ever it might be.”

“Coridan, Kozak is still breathing look! I have to get to him.” Croff said determined. Before I could reason with him he was already running towards Kozak with both hands glowing. At this point what ever was in Kozak’s arms started to wiggle.

“Croff Watch Out! It Moving!” I shouted.

“I Can See that!” Croff stated as a tail swiped at Croffs feet. Amazingly he jumped then tumbled towards Kozak placing both hands on Kozaks back.

Kozak Quickly rolled up to his bottom and in his arms was a Giant Swamp Rat. As he started to lecture Sam-u-ell “Now how did youz get out  yur  cage? Danke Croffz I hope Sam-u-el was not much problems for youz. Ill mak shur he stays in da cage from now on. Aint dat right Sam-u-el?”

Kozak had no idea what that rat had caused to all of us on this ship last night. I wanted to murder him and that rat. Croff chimed in at the right moment with “That’s your pet Koz? Hahahahahaha.”

“Shut up Croff it’s not funny.” I said as I walked back to the back of the ship to pick up all of the stones that Raddect had knocked over. “Hey don’t forget Raddect played with Sam also Croff!.”

Holloween Blog Fest !