HOME | DD

Description

Chapter eleven: In the shadows

As soon as Lilith silently opened the door and entered in the shadows, she started imagining different scenarios: murderers, thieves on the ship, mutiny- but she didn’t imagine that. A dark, thin line was running through the corridor’s floor, its end not visible. From its smell, she had no doubt.
<> she murmured, nearly breathless. She turned back to glance at Keeo, near the door, thanks to her darkvision. <>. He heard her voice and looked for her, but couldn’t see anything- so she stepped out of the shadows for a fleeting moment, and waved at Keeo to invite him closer. After repeating the sentence, she took his hand to guide him in the darkness and reach the deck.
Apparently almost all the other travelers were sleeping in their cabins- she hoped they could awake and run, but the fear of finding some dead men, or even some assailants, scared her from opening the doors. “Who is making this? And why?”
<> she asked, but he shook his head while looking around. <>
<> someone asked- and both of them immediately froze. Something about that voice was familiar, but she didn’t want to risk. It was the man the one who slowly came closer showing his face openly, his bare hands in the air. <> he asked, lowering his voice to a subtle whisper. <>.
At last, Lilith relaxed, her grasp on Keeo’s hand softening again. <>
<> the man answered, lowering his hands. <>.
<>.
The man turned his back and went ahead, soon followed by his prisoner; Lilith and Keeo followed more silently and slowly. As soon as they approached the corridors right below the deck, they saw the first corpses: some of the crew, awaken by the noises; soon, the guards.
The cuts were rough, but lethal. <> Lilith whispered again. << Molfreid, please, take care of waking, or not waking the other travelers, and keep Keeo with you. I’m going up>>.
Her hand soon reached her bag and took out the small, white jewel received months earlier in the other dimension. <>.

On the deck, she saw many different men in the darkness- many of them had weapons, knives and swords, and a few of them were carrying big bags filled with tinkling goods.
“So they were pirates. But how did they get on board so silently?” their ship was attached to the pirates’ by small bridges, and she couldn’t help but thinking it was suspicious. “Maybe we’ll keep one as hostage”.
From the shadows, she took the white jewel to her lips and whispered softly his name: “Valm”; and as soon as she did, a semi-transparent figure slowly took shape before her. His body as clear as a ghost, the big, soft mane and his lion muzzle were all weakly glowing- but she knew he was almost invisible in the light.
<> she told him. The Hellcat, after a quick look around, turned his huge head towards her.
He couldn’t talk, but could speak with her through telepathy. “You only call me when you need something. How much time has passed since we saw each other last time? You’ve changed armor”.
“We’ll talk later, dear. But know I’m very happy to see you” she thought. The girl stretched her arms to cuddle the big lion on the mane, and although his annoyed expression, he let go some low purrs. “There are some pirates on this deck, and it’s my intention to send them away before something bad happens. Could you help me?”
“I will be invisible enough” he growled softly, then stepped out of the shadows, into the light of the pirates’ torches.
Completely unseen and unheard to the humans’ eyes and ears, the creature moved around them and started slashing the hair, pushing and scratching the assailants on the floor, injured. They soon started cursing and looking around, not understanding what was happening; in the meanwhile, Lilith jumped from a shadow to another to hit the men and listen to their conversations.
But their number soon lowered: some ran back on their ship, others jumped in the sea to escape from the invisible enemies. When the deck was all clear, Valm returned to Lilith, and together they quickly checked all the surroundings: the pirates were leaving, as well as the stolen treasures. The Captain was slaughtered in a corner.
“Here, there’s something down here. Smell it” Valm told her. She couldn’t smell as well as him, but getting closer and under the light of the few torches remained, she could see a hole in the wood, and some traces of powder around it.
<>.
Lilith raised her sight surprised, to see her young companion standing beside her: <>
The boy shrugged. <>.
But Lilith had no time to think- a burnt smell soon filled her nose, as well as Valm’s, whose tail started to twitch. << I think we should leave this place>> the girl urged, running to a side of the ship. She soon understood why the pirates were leaving so quickly. <> she exclaimed, making Valm return to his jewel. <>
The half-elf and boy, in their weakness, only managed to take away the ropes and free the yawl, but couldn’t move it down in the sea. Soon enough, Molfreid, Brughn and some other men ran out from the cabins on the deck; some panicking, some jumping in the sea, some helping out freeing boats. Molfreid spotted her and immediately ran to help.
<> Molfreid exclaimed, while bringing the small boat to a parapet. Brughn wasn’t tied anymore, and was helping actively; in some way, he understood some words of their discussion and nodded. Molfreid continued: <>.
<> Lilith said, watching the dark sea. <>
<> he started, but Lilith pushed him down and he could only finish his sentence with a squeal, then she turned back.
A big fire was now starting to shine from below, smoke rose in the air, and as soon as the yawl slipped in the water, some areas of the ship started collapsing and exploding. Brughn also dove down, so did Molfreid and some other members of the crew. In the end, Lilith also jumped, and just a few breathes away, the ship burst in thousands and thousands of burning needles.

It continues in chapter 12

Description

Chapter eleven: In the shadows

As soon as Lilith silently opened the door and entered in the shadows, she started imagining different scenarios: murderers, thieves on the ship, mutiny- but she didn’t imagine that. A dark, thin line was running through the corridor’s floor, its end not visible. From its smell, she had no doubt.
<> she murmured, nearly breathless. She turned back to glance at Keeo, near the door, thanks to her darkvision. <>. He heard her voice and looked for her, but couldn’t see anything- so she stepped out of the shadows for a fleeting moment, and waved at Keeo to invite him closer. After repeating the sentence, she took his hand to guide him in the darkness and reach the deck.
Apparently almost all the other travelers were sleeping in their cabins- she hoped they could awake and run, but the fear of finding some dead men, or even some assailants, scared her from opening the doors. “Who is making this? And why?”
<> she asked, but he shook his head while looking around. <>
<> someone asked- and both of them immediately froze. Something about that voice was familiar, but she didn’t want to risk. It was the man the one who slowly came closer showing his face openly, his bare hands in the air. <> he asked, lowering his voice to a subtle whisper. <>.
At last, Lilith relaxed, her grasp on Keeo’s hand softening again. <>
<> the man answered, lowering his hands. <>.
<>.
The man turned his back and went ahead, soon followed by his prisoner; Lilith and Keeo followed more silently and slowly. As soon as they approached the corridors right below the deck, they saw the first corpses: some of the crew, awaken by the noises; soon, the guards.
The cuts were rough, but lethal. <> Lilith whispered again. << Molfreid, please, take care of waking, or not waking the other travelers, and keep Keeo with you. I’m going up>>.
Her hand soon reached her bag and took out the small, white jewel received months earlier in the other dimension. <>.

On the deck, she saw many different men in the darkness- many of them had weapons, knives and swords, and a few of them were carrying big bags filled with tinkling goods.
“So they were pirates. But how did they get on board so silently?” their ship was attached to the pirates’ by small bridges, and she couldn’t help but thinking it was suspicious. “Maybe we’ll keep one as hostage”.
From the shadows, she took the white jewel to her lips and whispered softly his name: “Valm”; and as soon as she did, a semi-transparent figure slowly took shape before her. His body as clear as a ghost, the big, soft mane and his lion muzzle were all weakly glowing- but she knew he was almost invisible in the light.
<> she told him. The Hellcat, after a quick look around, turned his huge head towards her.
He couldn’t talk, but could speak with her through telepathy. “You only call me when you need something. How much time has passed since we saw each other last time? You’ve changed armor”.
“We’ll talk later, dear. But know I’m very happy to see you” she thought. The girl stretched her arms to cuddle the big lion on the mane, and although his annoyed expression, he let go some low purrs. “There are some pirates on this deck, and it’s my intention to send them away before something bad happens. Could you help me?”
“I will be invisible enough” he growled softly, then stepped out of the shadows, into the light of the pirates’ torches.
Completely unseen and unheard to the humans’ eyes and ears, the creature moved around them and started slashing the hair, pushing and scratching the assailants on the floor, injured. They soon started cursing and looking around, not understanding what was happening; in the meanwhile, Lilith jumped from a shadow to another to hit the men and listen to their conversations.
But their number soon lowered: some ran back on their ship, others jumped in the sea to escape from the invisible enemies. When the deck was all clear, Valm returned to Lilith, and together they quickly checked all the surroundings: the pirates were leaving, as well as the stolen treasures. The Captain was slaughtered in a corner.
“Here, there’s something down here. Smell it” Valm told her. She couldn’t smell as well as him, but getting closer and under the light of the few torches remained, she could see a hole in the wood, and some traces of powder around it.
<>.
Lilith raised her sight surprised, to see her young companion standing beside her: <>
The boy shrugged. <>.
But Lilith had no time to think- a burnt smell soon filled her nose, as well as Valm’s, whose tail started to twitch. << I think we should leave this place>> the girl urged, running to a side of the ship. She soon understood why the pirates were leaving so quickly. <> she exclaimed, making Valm return to his jewel. <>
The half-elf and boy, in their weakness, only managed to take away the ropes and free the yawl, but couldn’t move it down in the sea. Soon enough, Molfreid, Brughn and some other men ran out from the cabins on the deck; some panicking, some jumping in the sea, some helping out freeing boats. Molfreid spotted her and immediately ran to help.
<> Molfreid exclaimed, while bringing the small boat to a parapet. Brughn wasn’t tied anymore, and was helping actively; in some way, he understood some words of their discussion and nodded. Molfreid continued: <>.
<> Lilith said, watching the dark sea. <>
<> he started, but Lilith pushed him down and he could only finish his sentence with a squeal, then she turned back.
A big fire was now starting to shine from below, smoke rose in the air, and as soon as the yawl slipped in the water, some areas of the ship started collapsing and exploding. Brughn also dove down, so did Molfreid and some other members of the crew. In the end, Lilith also jumped, and just a few breathes away, the ship burst in thousands and thousands of burning needles.

It continues in chapter 12