A Dragon’s Tale Chapter 6.c

Not long after his conversation with Beth, the smell of food convinced Ethan to leave the captain's cabin with her in tow.  On the weather deck, Alana was tending a small charcoal fire that was burning on a shallow iron bowl.  The fire bowl hung from a wide tripod that protected the wooden decking from the fire.  Suspended above it was a small iron pot full of boiling water.  Judging from the smell, there was also some kind of pork in the pot.  Next to the fire was a small open keg of pickles and another of sauerkraut.

Anthiel and the two crewmen were sitting on the deck near the pot eating breakfast.

"Look who finally decided to get out of bed."  Anthiel called.  "The sun rose almost an hour ago."

"I had a weird night."  Ethan said as he grabbed a plate, used a long fork to pull a chunk of meat out of the pot, and put a few pickles on his plate.

"How so?"  Alana asked.

Ethan told them about his strange experience.  Anthiel perked up when he mentioned how the whole world seemed to have a purple cast in it, especially when he mentioned touching her shoulder.

"I remember that."  Anthiel said.  "I could feel that something had affected me, but I couldn't tell what it was."

"That was me."  He said.  "So, what happened?"

"That sounds like Astral Projection."  Beth offered.

"What's that?"

"It's separating your magical essence or spirit from your body and moving around outside your body."  Anthiel answered.  "It's very advanced magic, and you did it by accident?"

"Maybe?"  Ethan said.  He took a bite of the meat and found that it was good, if rather salty.  It certainly wasn't five-star dining, but it didn't taste bad either.  The pickles were about the same level of culinary sophistication.

"So, what else do we know about astral projection?"  Ethan asked.

"That's about all I know."  Anthiel said.

Everyone else voiced a similar opinion.

"Okay, then let's move on to the other thing that happened last night."  Ethan said.  "I just wanted to say that you all did fantastic against those pirates.  I thought we were done for, but you all did amazing."

"Not as amazing as you."  One of the crewmen said.  He was built like a linebacker and his hair was bleached sandy blond by the sun.  His neck and arms were covered with tattoos, most of which had a nautical theme.  Yet despite his bulky size, this sailor clearly knew how to handle himself.

"You did eliminate the last three pirates in a competent manner."  The other crewman said.  He wasn't nearly as big, but looked tough and was built more like an Olympic gymnast than anything else.  He had dark hair and moved with a precision and grace that was frankly disturbing.  Plus, he was absent-mindedly twirling a razor-sharp knife in his fingers.

Ethan had initially assumed that Lord Borden had just picked two random crewmen to help sail the Argo.  After seeing these men up close -- and in action last night -- he wasn't so sure.

"So, what happened?"  Anthiel asked Ethan.

"Honestly, I don't know."  Ethan said.  "The dragon kind of took over.  I remember it, but it's sort of fuzzy."

"You should've given the dragon control before they landed."  The blond crewman said.  "We would've mopped them up in half the time."

"Raklan."  Anthiel said to the blond pirate.  "I'm not sure that would've been a good thing."

"Why not?" said Raklan, the blond crewman who was built like a linebacker.

"Dragons are notoriously unpredictable."  The dark-haired crewman said.  He was soft-spoken, but every word was clear and deliberate.  "Yes, he might have killed the pirates faster, but he also might have turned on us."

"But you wouldn't have a problem with that, would you Serif?"  Raklan said.

"I don't know what you mean."  The dark-haired crewman -- Serif -- replied.

"Please."  Raklan said with his mouth full.  "I mean, how many dragons have you--"

Anthiel cleared her throat loudly and Raklan fell silent.

"There's one more thing we should probably talk about."  Alana said after looking at Raklan curiously for several seconds.

"Rachel."  Ethan said.  "Yeah, I know.  Thoughts anyone?"

"You mean that skinny little redhead tied up in storage?"  Raklan asked with a mouth full of food.  "She's a trouble.  Toss her over the side and be done with it."

"I was hoping for a suggestion that didn't involve murder."  Ethan said.

"What murder?"  Raklan replied.  "She tried to kill you, so you try to kill her.  Self-defense right?"

Serif sighed.  "I believe my brutish friend is trying to say he values his life more than that of a stranger."

"A stranger who tried to kill you both."  Raklan added while shoveling another large mouthful into his already overstuffed mouth.

"Yeah, but Beth said she's wearing a will-breaker ring."  Ethan countered.  "If so, I'm not sure she's responsible for her actions."

"If she is wearing one, then someone else made her do what she did."  Beth nodded.

Raklan turned to the dark-haired crewman.  "How about you Serif?  What's the best way to handle a will-breaker ring?"

"Don't put one on."  Serif replied before taking a measured bite of his pork steak.  He had cut it into squares that were impressively close to identical.

"Oh, come on Serif."  Raklan said.  "You have to know more than that given your experience."

"I have fought them on occasion."  Serif replied when he finished chewing.

Raklan rolled his eyes and said something under his breath. Ethan thought he'd said something about using them, but wasn't sure.

"Can we take the ring off without hurting her?" he asked.

"Tough to say."  Anthiel replied.  "If they're on long enough, then taking them off will outright kill the person."

"Beth said the same thing."  Ethan added

"So basically."  Alana said.  "We either risk her life by taking off the ring or condemn her to a life of slavery."

"If it were me, I know what I'd pick."  Ethan said.  "I'd rather die than be forced to do someone else's bidding for the rest of my life."

Everyone else agreed except Raklan.  "I'd take life; you can always escape if you're alive, but you can't do nothing if you're dead."

Everyone ignored him.

"So, we're agreed then, we'll take the ring off of her?"  Ethan asked.

Everyone but Raklan nodded; he was too busy stuffing his face with pickles to answer verbally, but the look on his face made his opinion clear enough.

"Better sooner than later."  Anthiel said.

Ethan nodded, wolfed down the last bite of salt pork, and stood up.

"Serif, Raklan; you're on watch duty."  Anthiel turned to Ethan.  "Lead on."

Ethan led Anthiel, Alana, and Beth below the main deck to the storage area of the lower deck.  The stairs between the main weather deck and the lower deck were located directly under the stairs from the weather deck up to the quarterdeck.  The Argo's lower deck was fairly dark since most of the light came from small round windows cut into the side of the hull.

The main storage area was in the stern, right under the captain's cabin.  Rachel had been hogtied, blindfolded and gagged.  She was clearly not happy and was struggling with her ropes in vain.  Her wrists and ankles had been rubbed raw and there were traces of blood on the ropes.

Ethan looked at Anthiel.

"She's a mage."  Anthiel explained.  "It was either this or drug her senseless so she didn't burn the ship down because we don't have the proper equipment to restrain a magic user."

"Rachel, this is Ethan."  He said to the redhead.  "Someone put a will-breaker ring on your finger and we're going to take it off."

For a moment, Rachel relaxed and a smile started to cross her face, then her ring glowed dimly and she started thrashing harder than ever and she tried to speak.  He couldn't tell what she was trying to say, but it didn't sound fit for polite company.

"I think that means she wants it off."  Alana said.

"Anthiel, Beth, and I will hold her, can you get the ring off?"  Ethan asked Alana, who nodded.

Despite the fact that Rachel was hogtied and blindfolded, she fought so hard that it took the three of them almost a minute to get her still enough that Alana could start working the ring off Rachel's finger.  Ethan half expected Rachel to conjure a fireball, but she didn't.  He hoped that was because she was resisting the ring's influence.

"What's the holdup?"  Ethan asked after nearly a full minute of Alana struggling to get the ring off Rachel's finger.

"The ring is almost stuck and I don't want to break her finger."  Alana said.

"Break it."  A soft voice said from behind Ethan.

Ethan turned to see Serif standing there; he had arrived without a single sound to announce his presence.

"Break her finger if you need to."  Serif repeated.  "If the ring is starting to bind to her flesh, then the enchantment is nearly complete.  Fingers will mend, the ring's influence won't unless you get it off now."

Alana struggle for another few seconds, then Ethan heard a soft crack.  Rachel screamed in pain, but Alana finally pulled the ring off her finger.  Despite the pain Rachel was obviously in, she smiled and relaxed.  They stopped holding her down and Ethan pulled the blindfold and gag off.

"Thank you."  Rachel said.  "I was...  was... w..."

Her eyes rolled back in her sockets and she collapsed and lay completely still.  Ethan could feel something pass through the air between Rachel and the ring, and he saw a faint green light for a moment.  It was vibrant and powerful, but also carried a biting edge that seemed to sting the air.

"The ring has a ripper spell."  Anthiel muttered, then waved her hand slowly over Rachel's limp body.  "She's not breathing."

Everyone looked somber for a moment.

"We tried."  Alana said, but she was biting her lip.

"Don't give up yet."  Ethan said.  "Serif, can you cut these ropes."

Serif seemed to glide over to Rachel so quickly and gracefully it was disconcerting.  In mere moments he produced a razor-sharp knife, rolled Rachel onto her stomach, and sliced all of Rachel's ropes without leaving so much as a scratch.  Ethan rolled Rachel onto her back and started CPR, which was more difficult thanks to his dragon's mouth, but he managed.

After a tense fifteen seconds, Rachel coughed and started breathing again.  Her breathing was weak and shallow, but she was breathing.  She was still unconscious though. Ethan turned around to discover everyone was staring at him.

"That was amazing."  Alana said. "I've never seen anything like that."

"I've never read about anything like that."  Beth added.

"It's called CPR, and I'll teach you all later."  Ethan said.  "Right now, is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know."  Anthiel said.  "I'm not a medic or trained in healing magic, but I know a ripper spell when I see one."

"Ripper spell?"  Ethan asked.

"It tears the mana -- or in this case deep mana -- from a victim."  Beth said.  "It's essentially a magical kill spell if it hits at full power."

"Alana is right."  Anthiel touched Rachel again and concentrated.  "She is extremely low on deep mana."

"Will she live?"  Ethan asked.

"Not without more."  Anthiel shook her head.  "I'm surprised she's still breathing with how depleted she is.  She must have a powerful will to live."

"She needs more deep mana?"  Ethan said with a groan; the last thing he wanted to bond with yet another woman.  "Any volunteers?"

No one did.

"Is there any way I can do it without bonding with her?"  he asked.

"Bonds don't form unless it's mutual."  Alana said.  "She would need to share her deep mana with you while your deep mana is still inside her for a bond to form.  Yours should be gone in a week or less.  And even then, you don't have to accept it; you can resist or even block it."

"Okay."  Ethan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why would you help her?"  Serif asked looking confused and genuinely curious.  "This woman tried to kill you twice, but you are risking your life to help her; why?"

"It's the right thing to do."  Ethan replied.  "Besides, I've done this before so I think I'll be okay."

Serif nodded, though he didn't seem to understand the answer fully.

Ethan turned to Alana and Beth.  "Could you two help me replenish my deep mana after I give some to her?"

They both hesitated, looked at each other, then nodded.

"Then I suppose there's no time like the present."  He said, and then he got to work.

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