Jenn didn’t know. She just didn’t know. Her mind was a complete haze these days. Somehow, someway, they’d finally made it to Hoggensforth. She didn’t know how she’d survived. She and Gastropé had taken turns trying to manipulate the wind to their advantage. They’d had some success, particularly at night where they’d made great speed for some reason; it had only taken them three days rather than five or six from the time they started until they reach Hoggensforth. Thus they were only about a day behind schedule. Not that she had a schedule, but behind the time they’d planned to be there.
When they weren’t directing the wind, they were taking turns watching the demon. Mainly her and Gastropé. She couldn’t trust Rupert with the demon. He talked with it too much. The fiend would probably pervert or consume the poor lad’s soul if the two were left alone. In addition, Rupert wouldn’t be able to do much should the demon try anything. Not that she or Gastropé could do much, but...Edwyrd had taken turns as well. He didn’t seem too concerned about the demon, but he took turns to keep her happy. Maelen took a couple, but he kept insisting he could keep an eye on it from anywhere on the ship. Maybe he could, but Jenn wasn’t comfortable with this, so she often sat his shifts as well.
Because of this, Jenn was about ready to drop. She’d hardly slept, and what little sleep she’d gotten had been plagued by pirate nightmares. When she got this tired, things started looking different. For one thing, it must have been her imagination, but it seemed the crew gave Edwyrd a really wide berth. They kept their distance, and were always extremely diffident and respectful towards him. To Jenn’s sleep fogged brain, it seemed they showed more respect to Edwyrd than the captain. She couldn’t quite figure out why. The captain didn’t seem to object, in fact, if anything, he was the worst of the lot in this regard.
The really strange thing was that she wasn’t sure which the crew were more nervous of, Edwyrd or the demon. The demon they just tried to ignore, especially after Edwyrd promised them he wouldn’t let the demon hurt them. As if the boy, for that’s all he was, certainly no older than Jenn, could do anything to stop a demon. Jenn shook her head, was the entire world insane? Or was it her? Actually, the real piece that boggled her mind came a few moments ago as they were getting off the ship.
The ship’s master had come up to Edwyrd and handed him a small bag, claiming that he was returning their cabin deposit. Their cabin deposit? Jenn didn’t see in the bag, but it looked to her as if they were getting a refund. While Jenn had to admit they’d saved the ship from the pirates, the ship had been damaged anyway. The ship’s captain was a merchant. Who ever heard of a merchant giving money back? The whole concept was absurd.
To be honest, they should have been paid as guards for the trip. Especially considering the fact that without them the ship would have been lost. That, however had not been the agreement. They’d foolishly agreed to pay for passage, rather than be paid for it. Before, the captain had been more than happy to take their money, and their protection. Why would he have a change of heart? Did he suddenly find honesty? It just didn’t make sense. Unless he was afraid of insulting someone he feared? Could Edwyrd have so intimidated them that they felt it safest to pay him what they legitimately should have owed?
Jenn walked down the dock, having just departed the ship with her companions. She was beginning to come up with too many questions and too few answers. In her rather sleepy state, it took her a moment to notice all the people scurrying quickly off the dock as they proceeded down it. Why would they be doing that? She glanced behind her.
Curses! She’d completely forgotten about the demon. How could she be so careless? No wonder people were in a hurry to get out of there way. The multi-limbed nightmare was flying slowly down the dock behind her, Gastropé and Rupert. Behind the demon walked Edwyrd, and behind him, Maelen. The thing was certainly frightening enough. It was bigger than an average sized man, and had those humming bird wings, and four arms and four legs, but other than that, looked somewhat, vaguely, human. Splotchy greenish but, humanoid. Well, and it had two large sets of male equipment dangling below it, between each set of legs.
In her cobwebbed mind she had to laugh. If people thought that little thing was scary, they should just be glad she wasn’t still toting that fourth order demon around. The whole city would be empty by this point if it were here. Actually, Jenn knew she had to be getting numb. The little demon, first or second order, didn’t even bother her anymore. She’d been getting used to it, if annoyed by its rather crazy prattle. Finally, after living in constant fear with that fourth order for so many days, this demon was an ember compared to that bonfire of terror. All other terrors seemed inconsequential. She’d seen the Abyss itself, and lived.
Fiernon watched as the party with the wizards and the demon departed the smuggler’s ship. He memorized their faces. Memorized them so he could accurately give their description to his superiors. Memorized them so that justice might be served. There was no question in Fiernon’s mind that it had been this party of maleficious sodomizers and vile reprobates that had heinously and most foully murdered 34 officers of Oorstemothian Constabulary along with a Protectator and his very own beloved mentor, the Vice-Constable Pyromancer Trelgon. No question that these maggots of corruption and putrificence had been responsible for the destruction of sacred public Oorstemothian property in the form of the consecrated Protectorate Vessel Dielsmoth.
No, there was no question in Fiernon’s mind. He remembered their faces well enough from the vessel. Remembered well the unlawful transgressions they’d performed upon his personage with their foul spells. Remembered well their unlawful and unjustifiable defiance of Oorstemothian law, their very refusal to submit to the due process of law. While true, Asmeth and his crew of smugglers would pay dearly for their transgressions. He’d see to that tonight when he put flame to their vessel while they slept. It was undeniably true, that the full might of the Oorstemoth Constabulary would be brought to bear against these vile, murdering, demon worshipping scumdregs from the pits of depravious lust and degradation, who even now surely deceived themselves into believing that they were escaping the hand of justice unscathed.
Fiernon shivered slightly as he stared after the transgressors. He seemed to have caught a cold in his long trek from the burning ship. All that cold saltwater had done him little good. Exposing a Constabulary Officer to Life Threatening Conditions, however, was a relatively minor capital offense these pusillanimous, philandering sadist exiles from the Abyss would have to deal with, compared to their other crimes. A clipped smile of chilled enjoyment played across Fiernon’s face as he contemplated the justice these reprobationary microcephalic miscreants would receive. Yes, justice would be served, he would see to that.
Finally, they’d reached land; it had been a bizarre, cramped slow trip after the battle. If he wandered around the ship too much, Maelen would want to talk shop. He could stay in the cabin, Tizzy and Rupert spent the day on top talking; but it was cramped. Given that he didn’t sleep, all he could do was lay there. He did go up on deck a bit at night, but Tizzy would then start babbling along.
He settled for lying in his bunk for long periods day and night trying to analyze what he’d done during the battle, turning to flame and then back. He tried practicing summoning flames and controlling their nature so they either did or did not burn things as he willed. He’d had to figure that out ad hoc during battle; now he needed to figure out what he’d done and how to control it.