Greggan

Greggan had found it hard to sleep over the past week after Ertimus fed big boy to the follow mammoth shark, He'd close his eyes and see the monster sharks bottomless maw filled with sharp dagger sized teeth dripping with saltwater and flesh and blood and stinking of death. He'd see the fat boys craven face as the large shadow circled below him before shooting out of the water to swallow him whole. He had woken up to pools of sweat across his brow even with the cool night air blowing across the deck of the ship. Ertimus was up at the helm searching the horizon in from of him while keeping a safe distance from the harbor eastside.

It may be Merrimore but their were still unsavory ship captains who may think it an easy score to lay siege to their ship and Ertimus was a talented witch for sure but he was just a boy with a small handful of younger boys to hold it. He just decided to play it safe and stay in between the borders of denizens bay and the dark dangerous waters that held the kraken.

They had tied their main sails to make their ship less noticeable from the shoreline which had made them move at a creeping pace, taking days to round the bend and leave the bay entirely and hit the cooler waters where the sea monsters did not like to tread and where they could get aid from the eastern Liege lord to return them home.

Greggan wasn't sure if he wanted to go to Ertimus's family home, what if they decided Greggan would make a good slave over a ward, what if they refuse him altogether. He had decided to tuck those thoughts away for a future time, right now he had a few weeks maybe months even on the ship with his new friends before he really had to worry.

The salty wind left a chill in the air that Greggan wasn't too fond of. Lately the nights had begun to get colder, something he wasn't terribly used to. La'velle stayed relatively hot all year round, only having a few short months where the weather was sort of cool. They called those months weak summers.

The east knew no winters just as the rest of Thre'a, but it did have months where the leaves would change colors and air get cold enough to leave your breathe hanging in the air after it was release. Greggan wasn't dressed for the cold, he had no shoes the slavers saw to that, his shirt was tattered with the sleeves ripped out, his woolen pants had been worn at the cuffs to a point Greggan decided to cut them into crude shorts. The rest of the boys were dressed similarly, except Ertimus, his magic kept his clothes clean and mended, he offered to magic them some clean new clothes but the boys were not so keen on magic clothes.

He decided to go below deck, the other boys were scared to go down there, but not Greggan, he decided to curl up under an empty turnip sack, it was much warmer there with the wind not blowing across him. It had been a strange few months for Greggan, he was fortunate to have chased that cat, he hadn't thought about it much since La'velle had been destroyed.

He had a birthday pass while they were on the ship and Ertimus and the boys gave him a great party with sweets from the stores and Ertimus promised him a horse when they made their way to his castle. "My father is the most powerful Magelord in the south east, he says we only bent the knee to the Holstins out of tradition. I think he plans on becoming a Liege lord of the south very soon. Magelords are more powerful than liege lords, magic makes the difference." Ertimus had told him, he was very proud, spoke as a highborn would yet there was also a softness to him. He had killed four people when they first started their voyage and yet here he was.

"A great lord has many faces, at least thats what my father is always telling me, he must be a devil to his enemies, a father to those who depend on him. I once saw my father behead a man for pissing on his banners and then build a new orphanage because he felt his old one was not good enough for the orphans of Windsal." Ertimus had liked to use his father as examples, after he fed Big boy to the Mammoth shark even his first mate stayed clear of him out of fear.

Greggan wasn't afraid, Big boy was a craven coward who would have gotten them all killed at some point, even Greggan at seven could see that much as true. The others were soft hearted he would tell himself, never probably seen death or heard its screams. But Greggan had, he heard the thousands of screams of death when La'velle was destroyed, he smelled the charred flesh as the arcane energy ripped flesh from bone, and he knew cruelty from the slavers who captured him and broke his nose.

Ertimus mended it but there was still a small dent from the break. His hair had begun to get a bit shaggy and matted in some areas since it hadn't been tended to since La'velle. He even had grown a bit since then, his shorts gapped high above his knees.

The boat rocked gently as it relied on its smallest sails to take them forward, the vessel wanted oarsmen but all they had was small boys. Ertimus wasn't powerful enough to use magic to move the oars either, he could however use the wind element to send the wind they needed to even move the vessel. Greggan wished he had magic sometimes, he wasn't a very large boy nor was he well with steel or arrows. He was brave and agile, with a healthy dose of curiosity. He was a La'velle orphaned bastard, low in value to just about everyone.

He did have a secret, the day he went with the scouts back to the recently destroyed city when he was forced to face the wraiths who were arcane embodied he was able to kill one just with his touch. afterwards he felt strong, he didn't need to stop when his company did, he felt as though he could have walked the long road in its entirety before needing sleep.

He often though about that, did that make him a mage? Maybe he did have magic in his blood after all, even though the magestrate said he was just commonfolk with no magical abilities. His mother was common enough, a girl of sixteen who worked the night pleasuring men and women alike, whomever had the coin.

He missed his mother, a whore she might have been but she was also kind, and would often hold him when he slept and stroke his hair and sing him old songs of southern knights waging war against awful orcs and the warlocks of the old east. He would drift off to sleep to dream of himself in great armor that shone bright against the sunlight, a longsword at his hip and a great warhorse underneath him. His shield would hold his houses sigil, which would change in each dream, He carried a long silver lance whose point was like a needle aiming for his foes hearts.

Great dreams of honor and valor, Greggan La'velle knighted and given his own sir-name and castle for is deeds of great bravery. Greggan drifted off to sleep as the boat rocked, his turnip sack itching but warm.

The morning came swiftly and the sun sent light rushing through the portholes and cracks in the wood, gulls screamed overhead, " gulls, iv had so many turnips and parsnips i would love a taste of seagull right about now." Greggan said as he scratched his head and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "No doubt we will be breaking our fast with some turnips and onions cooked in sea water. At least there will be some wine" Turnips, onions and potatoes were the only provisions left on the boat, they had feasted all the salted meets, carrots and green beans away their first week on the boat, and big boy ate through the bread and apples and peaches when he held up in the store.

One of the boys suggested they fished for their supper until Ertimus reminded them of the mammoth shark that was no doubt still following them. Greggan heard a terrible sqwaking sound as he climbed the wooden steps from the stores to the deck, as he came to the top he saw the other two boys with seagulls grasped in each hand, and there were a few more writhing and sqwaking on the deck. " Greggan! Meat!" Avery said grinning, he was breaking the neck of one of the birds as he called, " Go grab that lot over there and bring them here."

Greggan ran to the deck and picked up the birds, more gently than the other did and gained a nice bite from one of the less wounded birds. Greggan snapped its neck and decided perhaps a little less tenderness would be better. He tossed his four birds over to Avery who threw Greggan one of the dead birds for feathering. " Today we break our fast with some fowl and turnips, if we have any left I'll make a stew.

Avery had taken over the cooking since the other two boys were far too young to man the stoves without setting the whole ship ablaze, first mate and ship cook. Ertimus had promised Avery a lordship for his loyalty and bravery, which made Avery act even more Lordly, his voice now had authority when he spoke and the two little ones left followed his commands without hesitation.

Ertimus spent most of his time at the helm, refusing to even sleep at times, Avery would have to argue with him just to get him to nap a few hours each day. "if we are beset again and im asleep what good will come of it!" slamming his fists against the post of the rear sail, "what good are you if you are so exhausted you can barely stand! magic makes a difference but not if its master can't think through the fog to use it!"

This morning Avery had caught Ertimus half asleep at the helm nearly falling to the floor. Ertimus had surrendered the fight and agreed to sleep after they broke their fast.

There was scarce any fresh water left but there was still plenty of wine and beer, good vintages too, wasted on a few children. Avery enjoyed the blood red wines with sweet cherry after tones, Greggan didn't care for wine or beer, he'd rather warm milk or spiced honey water but the sweet wine was all they had outside of some bitter black salt water.

Avery collected all the naked birds and slit open their stomachs and removed the innards, saving the hearts for a stew. He rubbed the skins with olive oil and wine and shoved spikes through them to roast them over the stove. he caught the fat in a pan underneath to which he mixed with onions and black cracked pepper to which he would pour the contents over the eight small seagulls as they roasted and catch the drippings.

The smells carried over the ship making the boys mouths water as they waited. Some grubby seagulls were a much needed moral booster, they still had Merrimore at their backs and in sight, they couldn't wait to get away from the mage city so they could open their sails and move more swiftly.

Avery served the birds to the boys, each getting two whole seagulls to themselves and some parsnips that had been seasoned with the gull renderings. The whine was sweet but went well with the birds, to which they drank perhaps more than necessary to wash it all down. Faces flushed and stomachs full the boys went about their work on the ship as Avery sent Ertimus below to rest.

Greggan had drawn deck duty, he had to scrub the deck clean with a big bristle brush and a bucket of lye soap. He didn't mind the work as all the other boys but Ertimus were also working away on the boat. Avery at the helm holding their course, and the other lad was cleaning the kitchens after breakfast. He let the sun hit his back and warm him as he listened to the seagulls complain overhead, they were less likely to come close to the boys after the small massacre that had befell them.

Greggan scrubbed the deck through the morning until he his stomach once again rumbled for food and his lips parched in need of drink. His arms were aching and his back sore but the deck shone as well a wooden floor could. He stood up and stretched his legs and back to loosen up his appendages, cracking his knuckles. His neck was also stiff so he rolled his head around on his shoulders in hopes it would loosen again. He had some new blisters on his hands as well as some splinters but he was no worse for wear.

He climbed the steps up the the helm where Avery stood performing his duty as first mate, his right hand clasped the pommel of a sword he had taken out of the store room, he had found it in a barrel along with a few others. Greggan had his eye on one himself, but he and the other boy was not permitted steel since they were so young. "don't worry boys, we will teach you about swords, without proper training they are as dangerous to you as you are with them." Avery had assured them.

There were broom handles they would use as swords to practice with, Avery would teach them some silly steps and would have them dance around like fools waving their sticks, even Eertimus would chuckle as he watched.

" The swords you two will carry are not like the standard longsword or broadsword, those are eastern weapons, made for speed. They're like sewing needles trying to sew death, and the enemy is the cloth to which you sew." Greggan didn't want to use the girl swords as he called them. He wanted a mans weapon like Ertimus and Avery. He felt a fool as he twirled around the deck with his stick.

Avery was no swordsman either, he had only ever held the sword he found on the ship so this was mostly just boys playing at soldiers and pirates but it made them feel better to think they could use a sword if needed. They weren't even really sure if Ertimus could use the weapon he had strapped to his hip, as mages were not known for their swordsmanship.

"slavers roamed the cold waters as did pirates and elves, let us hope that we don't end up worse than when we started" Avery said as he swung his broomstick sword at Greggan as he tried to dodge the strike, a hard crack on his head had meant he missed his mark and was now for all purposes dead.

He took a seat and it was now the other boys turn to fight Avery, he was much better than Greggan, though it did not matter as they were all terrible compared to someone with real sword training, but Ertimus had magic and magic made all the difference. He could kill most normal men, sink large ships and many other things, but on the off chance Ertimus was struck down by an eastern pirate mage or something else the boys needed to be able to defend themselves as best they could.

Ertimus showed himself right before lunch, groggy and hungry. Turnips and seagull heart stew seasoned with onions and a little ginger filled their bellies, Greggan tried not to think about the meat in the stew less he wanted it to end up on the newly scrubbed deck of the ship.

after they ate Ertimus took his place at the helm and Avery had been given crow duty, so he climbed high into the rigging as the two younger boys were aloud to keep playing swordsman. Ertimus was always kind to the two younger boys and even Avery, usually the hardest tasks were given to them while the cleaning and what not was given to the smaller boys, and they never had to work after lunch.

"I'm afraid we will need to port soon." Ertimus said as he rubbed the remainder of the days sleep out of his eyes. His Daemon fluttering as a humming bird around his head, " the weather is getting too cold on the water, and without proper attire my crew and I wont make it to Aerios,"

" Just use magic and make some arcane clothing for them, it'll be better and more versitile anyway" Ertimus blushed as his Daemon spoke, " That's girl magic, i never bothered with it."

The Daemon laughed tauntingly at him, " then you're a bigger fool than I thought you to be, and still a child leading children."

His face no longer blushed but was beginning to show signs of anger, " I wont be insulted by my own daemon! I command this vessel and i say we make port for supplies." The hummingbird was now a fox cowering at his owners feet, " pardon me my lord, I only seek to give you council, i did not mean for my council to insult you."

"yes you did, but I guess i deserve it sometimes." Ertimus felt the anger leave is face, he knew his daemon was right, either way i cant create arcane clothing so we will have to stop unless you can make some garbs out of shadows to warm the crew when we hit the cold currents that ride passed Aerios."

The fox was now a large grey hound who was nuzzling Ertimus's hand with his snout, Ertimus rubbed its nose as it spoke, " If I could i would have done so at your request. Even if you port what can you possibly have to buy anything with, a little mage-lordling with no gold in his pockets is just a boy to most."

Ertimus smiled, " this ship was a sellsword ship, but it wasn't just bringing us to the eastern lands for sale, they were carrying steel as well, i found crates of armors and barrels filled with swords axes and hammers. We sell the steel and re-provision the ship."

Ertimus had found the stash of weapons by accident, he thought there may be more after they found the barrel full of light skinny swords down below so he took up searching the ship, then the crates. false bottoms on most of the crates would reveal more weapons, enough to arm a small host of a few hundred men.

" is it wise to remove these weapons from our use? the eastern waters may be cold and without the behemoth shark but there are other dangers. The goblin isles rests in these waters as do many pirates." Ertimus just shook his head, they were four small boys if some pirate decided to seige the ship and his magic couldn't stop it then they were lost anyway. " we are just children, if my magic wont save us then we are at their mercy."

He could tell his words did not sit well with his Daemon but it had decided not to push any further, There was a small port along the north-east coast, small but there was a market that was bustling with patrons and merchants. It was about a days sail from their current location if they released the main sails. "go retrieve Avery, I will need to prepare him to keep command while i'm in the market."

Greggan had been leaning over the side railings watching the ship cut through the waves, he watched groups of schooling fish jump out of the water as they passed through them. "maybe I could catch some of these fish for supper tonight." He was not eager for left over heart stew or more turnips and parsnips. He also didn't want to eat any more seagulls. Their meat was stringy and bland at best where there were meat to be had on the bones.