38 The Ship (pt5)
While he was saying that, something etched at the edge of my vision
A shadow, or more like a fog going closer to the ship... I tried to feign ignorance at first but something just isnt right
"Umm... I was familiar to them..." With my uneasyness I hinted Sir Edward to stop... then I etch my eyes and stare at it
"Hmm? Is something the matter? you look serious"
"A fog... Its unusually getting closer"
"Fog? its night, do you mean something like a premonition?"
"N-no, its just... unusual but, was it actually a thing? there's literally a fog"... I said hesitant, trying to know more about it... "Can I ask you about it?"
"I'm not sure that I know, but can you even see on the night?"
"I can but..." its getting closer, it unusual for a fog to follow behind a ship like this, also its unusual for it not even disperse for this long
We are indeed by the course of the wind, but something like this is unlikely... if it's a storm I could understand but if the water is calm like this, it's just strange...
Sigh...
It's just something, but I'll stake my everything on it
<Magic Eyes>
A small shade of blue illuminates everything on my vision, first I look up my hands to confirm it as I remain my calmness... there's nothing as usual
Then I looked back on the Fog...
"Hmm?"
Mana... Dense Mana... it's like a fog of mana... and there are few dots of darker mana aswell and then one bigger that's on an even darker shade
Mana... Darker shade... The fog?... err... when did I know of this?... Game?... Novels?
I knit my brows...
"Ship... its most likely a ship... using magic to hide on a fog" I said hurriedly
"Ship!? what ship? wait... Erin call your sister and check it..."
Erin quickly nodded and slid down the stairs, then took something like a flash light and waved at the top post, light pointed at him back, so he ran on the otherside of the ship and pointed at one spot...
I was bewildered as I thought it was Mayrine he's talking about
The light ran across it and encountered a visible fog...
"What... a fog!?"
"They are using magic, it's most likely a hiding one"
"Are you for real?" he grabbed my shoulder and look at me, then he sighed loudly before grabbing a rope that was connected somewhere
He pulled it and a Bell sound rang around, I stiffened out by the sudden sound but then multiple hurried sounds ran across the ship...
From the Deck I saw the Middle part of the ship open and few people went up from there... then a few people from under us...
One man appeared from the stairs and ask
"Is something the matter?"
"You see the light? be prepared from that direction, get a few archers to set and nock some arrows and wait for the next signal...
No commercial and Merchant ship would close their lights... Send a warning light"
"Aye Sir" the man went down and get to the people below and soon after, they went to a formation
Erin went back to us on the deck
Archers also seems to be set up...
A brighter light above the ship was lit up a few times...
But nothing happens...
Sir Edward released a 'Hmm'
I activated <Magic Eyes> once again...
I hastily grab Erin's hands trying to take the lighting thing... but I only found a stick... no... was it a wand?... I confusingly look at the thing in his hands...
"L-Light?" I hurriedly said
"Eh? oh... Here" Erin took the Wand and murmurs something, but I didn't hear it as I was tensed up
The wand lit up, and the deck lightens up, I hastily pointed the wand and the light at one area... still holding Erin's hand that is bound to it
.
It barely hit it but the light was still visible to the eye
"There"
Sir Edward Sigh abit, and "Archers point your bow on that direction and fire"
The place I pointed out was closer but a distance away from the earlier fog... its also a similar fog as usual
Arrows flew by that wave, and multiple sounds of hitting was heard...
"It hits?...so it's a ship?... Seriously?" Sir Edward muttered... "Ready the next wave and wait for my signal" he shouted at the people below
"You two get back to the Cabin, its not safe here. What ever the purpose of that ship, it wasnt a friendly and its most likely a hostile"
He pushed us down the stairs and Erin pulled me back into the room...
As we left the Deck, the people there got tensed up...
Edward pulled something from under the railings, lift it, and hang it on the roof
A make shift walls...
In the age of Archery, this was the basic form of defence, it also served the purpose of the roof, this method rised just recently and it's the first time it's been used
***
The fog visibly dissipate under the light of the top post...
Slowly revealing a ship made of Dark Oak
The Oak type of wood was notably used for ship making, however it is known that the other variant, Dark Oak has different procedure on procurement... ending on it being sold on higher price
Such ships were rare amongst even the well off Merchant ships
For long distance ships they are simply a waste as it was unethical due to high dangers given by the sea
This ship was mostly only ever seen on domestic trading...
"Tskk, why is such ship even here on a foreign trade route" He muttered under his breath
"Last round of Warning Light" he shouted at his mens waving at the top post "Prepare in case its hostile, setup the barricade"
But no reply came from the other ship...
"Then its on..." he said before leaving a bitter smile... "Take it down" he commanded his people as he steered the wheel inclining more to the path of the wind, for more speed
Warning lights: Amongst the Merchant guild members since Heroic Era, Warning lights were an ironclad rule, no one is to indiscriminately attack anyone without sending a warning signal, it requires basic use of light magic tools or magic, its also a signal for non-hostile approach
Even sea comercial services were part of this rule, its a thing even to the basic form of fishing vessels up to the private ships...
Its a must to respond to the warning
Also, ships are less regulated at this era, as there are only few limited ports so ships mainly use this way to differentiate between hostile
***
The deck was on a state of tension, and far away from it was Xylene and Erin heading inside the room
For once she got to feel this certain feeling of uneasiness
"Here, get in, we should be safe here..." Erin said as he pulled me inside the room where I am earlier
"Erin? what is it?" A faint voice of Mayrine suddenly sounded in front of us
"Ships, its most likely a hostle-" As Erin was talking, the ship shook rather suddenly and a lot of noises of clattering rebounded from the ceiling. She cant explain what it was, but she has a hint of something hitting above
Something hit back and most likely that they are engaging by now
"Its actually hostile. We are told to stay here inside, you better do so aswell"
"Okay, then how about Xylene, why is she with you?"
"We met above and while at it she met father"
The tension even reached their positions, she knows that even the two in front of her must be feeling it too
For unexpected reason, she felt her eyes rather heavy...
She was feeling sleepy, but its not funny enough at this situation
She think for a bit more as her eyes were rather falling. She remembers the last event that happen before
It was when she used her magic. She had learned to trust her magic, she knew it wasn't actually easy given that it wasn't even a comical type where she could just shout a word and shit happens by themselves. This one was something you make from nothing and its definitely not easy to just trust something that you cant be sure off to happen perfectly
But this time she got the courage to do so in order to survive
She mustered her courage and heaved a final sigh before planning to dash back into the deck when unexpectedly a hand reached out fron her back at pull her backwards
She lost her momentum and didn't even manage to catch a breath when she was dragged back inside the room and was thrown off into the bed
She was unexpecting and didn't even managed to put resistance. Given by the shock she felt, she lost the grip into her remaining consciousness and weakly fall into the bed
Weakly managing her closing eyes she saw the two looking at her heaved a sigh, and soon after that she felt a hand covered her vision and soon after she has fallen into sleep
"She's unexpectedly shy but she still has a side like this..." Erin said
"Ah well, it definitely has something to do on how she was raised"
"Dont you think she's really young?"
"Heeh, beats me... but I'm still concerned about how she was before we found her"
...
"Umm... sis, why are you getting closer to me?"
"Hmm? nothing... I just woke up earlier and I need to sleep~"
"Err that doesn't answer my question at all"
"Dont you wanna be my pillow today?~~"
"Get off, stay away from me!"
