Limitless Seas, Book 2, page 27
His officers had all improved and gained levels in their shipboard duties. He could see that Shada had even gained a level in her shaman class, likely due to the action they saw during the trip to the Hypogean Realm, or perhaps her surgeon duties amounted to experience for both. Bug Bartholomew’s work on the guns had maxed out his ship’s engineer class, but his other classes were still a mystery. Larson also looked over the details on the Lost Soul.
Ship’s Complement for the Lost Soul:
Current Crew: 64/80. The average crew level is 3.
Specialized Crew: Many of your crew have acquired multiple specializations. Examine the Current Crew tab if you wish to see exact numbers. The most common specializations are marine, gunner, and damage control party member. There is no longer a limit to the number of crew with specializations or the number of specializations they may learn. Each additional specialization a crewman learns will take longer to acquire than the previous one.
Officers: 5/5
Tarley, level 2 privateer captain, level 3 first mate, unknown third class
Theodore Buxton, level 1 ensign, unknown second class
Samir, level 2 marine commander, level 3 dervish
Narbos, level 5 ship’s mage (necromancer)
Iazek, level 0 ship’s surgeon, level 2 druid
Passengers: 17/20. Several marines and their commanding officer from the town of Stratwall Harbor have been assigned to this vessel.
Provisions: The ship has a 37-day supply of food and a 40-day supply of fresh water.
Ship’s Armaments: The ship mounts 3 dual-armed ballistae and a single medium-sized catapult. Created and modified by your ship’s engineer specifically for this vessel, the weapons are rated as above average.
Crew Armaments: Average. Every member of the crew has a primary and secondary weapon of their preference.
Marine Armaments: Good. The best weapons have been assigned to sailors with marine specializations.
Crew Armor: Negligible. Your normal crew is largely unarmored.
Marine Armor: Above average. The sailors assigned as marines have access to the best armor available aboard the ship.
Average Crew Health: 100%. Your crew is healthy and ready for action.
Morale: 89%. Many new crew have been signed on, and while you have treated them fairly and paid them as promised, there is some concern over the difficulty of their current mission.
Much of the information for the Lost Soul mirrored that for the Sea Venom, but Larson expected that to change as he added ships to the fleet and they operated further from his direct command. Tarley had gained the privateer captain class, which should help him manage the ship efficiently. Theodore and Samir were as expected, but it was good to see they had both gained appropriate classes to match their roles aboard the Lost Soul. The gnoll druid, who was named Iazek, was filling the role of ship’s surgeon, but he hadn’t gained a level in that class yet. Narbos was a bit different. It listed him as a full level 5 ship’s mage with the necromancer class as a specialization. It looked like mages didn’t have to work on learning a new class and could instead come aboard at their full mage level.
Armor was going to be a weak point for a while. He wanted to equip his crew with the steelwood armor that Felicia had developed, but she was so busy with the new guns that she hadn’t even been able to complete his newest set. He would have to buy something in town the next time they arrived. The armor he could purchase wouldn’t be light and corrosion-free like the steelwood, but it might keep some of his crew alive long enough for him to get them fitted in something more appropriate.
Sarvo had given Larson a small case of healing potions, but there weren’t enough to pass around to all the crew. He had the officers take some and distribute what they could to some of the more experienced crew. If someone needed a potion, there should be one close by when the time came. While basic health potions were some of the most common elixirs, they weren’t exactly cheap, and keeping the ships well supplied with them was going to take a serious investment as they continued to expand their fleet.
When he had time, Larson worked with Bug Bartholomew on a way to holster his new pistols. It turned out that the best method was just to keep them charged and ready to fire while in his void storage. He could summon them at will, which might surprise an opponent when done at the right time. Reloading was going to be a problem; he would have to store one pistol to free up enough hands to reload the other. He presumed his first pair of arms would be busy with spear and shield in any fight where he was pulling out pistols, but they could also help reload if for some reason he wasn’t using them. Whatever the system did to his body enabled Larson to use four arms without them getting in the way of each other, for which he was very thankful.
Most of the Stratwall Harbor marines, including Lieutenant Skarn, were aboard the Lost Soul. He had kept a half dozen on the Sea Venom to supplement Ibn’s marines, but the plan was for the Venom to hammer the enemy from a distance. The four guns were spaced out so there were two on each side of the ship, and his crew trained relentlessly on shifting the guns from one side to the other. Even when they had the ship fully equipped, you never knew when a gun would be destroyed and you needed to shift another over to replace it.
The Sea Venom wasn’t designed for cannons, obviously, but it wasn’t too much trouble to rework areas where they could mount guns. Eventually, there would be eight guns on each side of the deck, with another bow chaser in the front and a gun mounted to the rear. A second gun deck could be built out if they found a way to remove the need for oars and rowing to propel the ship. Given Cassia’s ability to use Command the Currents, she might eventually eliminate the need for anything but the existing sails to propel the Sea Venom.
“My captain, I can sense your thoughts about me. Does this vessel’s form no longer meet your needs?” Cassia said. They had respected each other’s privacy, but thinking about the ship and accessing the system must have triggered her to listen in.
“I feel that we’re about to change the way battles are fought, and the ship’s guns will be the deciding factor in most fights, rendering the older siege engines obsolete,” Larson said.
“So will I become ‘obsolete’?” Cassia asked. He could hear sadness and a tinge of fear in her voice.
“Never. We may have to make some changes to the decks, but you’ll always be my flagship,” Larson promised. He meant it. Even if they crafted purpose-built ships of the line that carried hundreds of guns, the Sea Venom was his ship, and he would never part with her, especially now that Cassia and he were joined.
“If you wish me to change, all you need to do is ask. What do you wish me to become?” Cassia asked. Larson tried to send her images of ships he remembered from his old world. He saw ships with great masts full of sail and three decks full of guns much heavier than the twelve-pounders he was currently running with. There were more—great metal ships, modern ships—but his memory of those was nebulous.
“That’s what I envision. There’s more, but the types of ships I showed you will be the first step,” Larson said.
“Do not worry, my captain and mage. I can change to fit your dreams of gunfire and destruction. I am but an extension of your will, and what you have seen in the dreams of your mind we can make into reality. It will take time, though, and you will need to grow in power for me to grow and change as well.” Cassia sent him images of her own, images that showed the Sea Venom changing as he leveled up, growing and shifting a bit after each level until she began to match the image of the powerful ships he remembered.
“Then we shall both grow in power and change the Sea Venom into the most powerful ship to ever sail this world,” Larson promised.
“A question, my captain. Are the cannons, these guns, to be a part of me as well? Usually, the siege engines are simple things and I was able to integrate them into my design. These new weapons are . . . different, but I can try to make them one with the ship if you wish,” Cassia asked.
“What could you do if they were part of you?” Larson asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Assist my crew in aiming them, protect and repair the weapons that are damaged, and bond my magic to the dead chunks of iron they fling, causing even more destruction,” she replied, her voice growing almost bloodthirsty in his mind.
“If that is the case, then yes, make them part of the ship. If they become part of the ship, can I still remove them to shift them to another ship or even bring them ashore if we need the firepower?” Larson asked.
“Yes, I can release them anytime you wish, but they will lose all the enhancements I give them, making them the dead devices they are now. Once they are returned, I can quickly reintegrate them.”
“Very well. Do what you can for our guns, Cassia, and do it quickly. We’ll need them, and your help, very soon.”
Chapter 30
~
“Sail off the port bow!” Quix called out from the crow’s nest. They were only a day out from the pirate stronghold, and this was the first ship they had seen. This close to their target, it was likely a pirate vessel. The course Larson had set took them in a wide arc away from any of the well-traveled shipping lanes. He had hoped to make it to their goal without any warning, and the chase was on to see if they could catch the ship hovering near the edge of the horizon. Signals were sent to the Lost Soul, and already more canvas was going up as Tarley ran all the sail he could to increase their speed as they turned toward their prospective prey.
“Raise sail and man the oars,” Larson ordered.
The Sea Venom only had a single main mast, but a while back, they had added a bowsprit that held more sails and he had plans for a mizzenmast once they had more time in port. For now, he kept the team at the oars on standby; they would tire quickly, and he didn’t want to wear them out early in the fight if it was unnecessary. Instead, he could feel Cassia working harder, moving the sea around her to smooth and speed their passage while adjusting the incoming wind to fill the sails to their fullest. Larson could also channel his ability to help Cassia’s efforts, but he might need all his mana if this was a pirate and this encounter turned into a fight.
“They’re putting on sail and running,” Quix called down. Just because the other ship was running didn’t necessarily mean they were pirates. If this was an innocent merchantman, they would likely think that Larson’s ships were pirates and do everything they could to stay away. The other ship slowly came into view, and when Larson turned his spyglass on it, he could see the distinct lines of a small sloop. Fast, but was it faster than his ship?
Despite being able to rig more sail, the Lost Soul slowly fell behind the Sea Venom. The sloop was still quite a ways out, but even at this distance, he could see she wasn’t running any colors. Most ships would fly the colors of their home port, like the Stratwall Harbor flag both his vessels sported, but this one was hiding theirs, another indicator this might be one of the pirates they were after. Larson wanted to take this ship, or at least send it to the bottom of the sea. The last thing he wanted was for it to escape and spread word of their presence. He could handle several small sloops, but not half the pirate fleet if they were somehow warned and gathered together to stop him.
“I think we might be losing her,” Quix called down from the crow’s nest. All afternoon and into the evening, the halfling had kept at his post, only relinquishing it briefly to eat and relieve himself. Chases at sea developed slowly when the vessels were closely matched in speed. The afternoon had turned into evening, and now the other ship was slowly being hidden by the fading light.
“She’s heading where we’re going. Keep our course steady, and set a sharp watch tonight. Furl some of the sail and let the Lost Soul catch up to us,” Larson ordered. He hated to give up the chase, but they weren’t going to catch a ship they couldn’t see. He could just make out the lights of the Lost Soul, Tarley signaling that they were joining up again and would take up their position at the front of the formation. As night fell around them, Gilroy cooked up a meal that was one of the crew’s favorites: a rice and egg dish with spicy chicken that they all enjoyed, Larson included.
A cook was one of the people most in tune with the mood of the ship and one of the few that could heavily influence morale. Gilroy must have known everyone was disappointed that their prey had escaped, and by cooking one of their favorites, he helped alleviate some of that frustration. It had been a long day, and most of the crew began to finish up their tasks and head to the hammocks below.
“We’ll catch them tomorrow, Captain Larson. If not at sea, we’ll pin them into their harbor and blast them to pieces,” Ibn offered before turning in. Many of the crew mumbled their agreement. They would be ready and eager for a fight in the unlikely event the ship was still out there come morning. Larson took a few moments to lie down in his cabin as the night watch was set. He only needed a few seconds of “sleep” to feel fully rested.
He made his usual rounds, chatting with the sailors on watch. They had set an extra watch, which meant that instead of the usual two or three sailors prowling about, they had six and a marine at all times. It wasn’t much of a difference, but extra eyes were always needed when the enemy could be lurking about. Larson liked to use the quiet time to think about and plan what he wanted to accomplish. In the short term, he would build his fleet, making it the most potent force to combat piracy in the area. That plan would only last for as long as the pirates were a threat, and if he did his job, they wouldn’t be for much longer.
To prepare for a time of minimal piracy, he would need to see about using at least some of his ships for trade. Lucian had helped him in Stratwall Harbor, but the man didn’t know much beyond the goods he ordered to import for the store. Larson would have to make an effort to meet these importers and exporters and hopefully work with them as he learned the ins and outs of trade among the Free Isles. There was opportunity out there, and as much as his mind remembered about combat, it remembered just as much about growing a shipping empire.
“My captain, the enemy approaches. A spell shields them from view, but I can feel them closing to port. Beware!” Cassia shouted into his mind. Larson looked to port, and while it was dark out, there was more than enough moonlight to have spotted any ship closing in on them. Still, Cassia was part of him, and he trusted her instincts.
“General quarters, prepare to repel boarders on the port side!” Larson shouted, startling the watch on deck for a moment, but they soon began to take up the call and he heard movement below, telling him the crew was roused and arming themselves.
At that moment, several grapnels flew from seemingly nowhere and landed on the railing. Ropes attached to the grapnels pulled taut as, just off to port and only a few meters away, Larson could see another ship pulling itself alongside the Sea Venom, decks teeming with pirates. Knowing his crew needed more time to prepare and get organized on deck, Larson drew his weapons and charged toward the first of the boarding planks that was going across.
A shield was summoned into his left hand while the right wielded the familiar twin-pronged spear he had used for so long. For the first time in an actual battle, he drew the brace of pistols, aiming them with his lower arms as the shield came up to block various missile weapons that were already streaming toward him and the few crew on watch. Two of his crew, including the man that he had just been talking to, went down to the hail of fire. The pirates were using a hodgepodge of ranged weapons, including crossbows, throwing axes, and javelins.
Larson responded with thunder from his brace of pistols. The heavy shot blasted through the first pair of pirates trying to board. It gave him the time he needed to reach the boarding plank, and he used Shield Bash to knock off the next pirate to try the ramp. As he blocked the boarding ramp leading to the foredeck, he covered himself with the shield, using it to absorb most of the missiles now heading his way. The swarm of pirates moved toward the other two boarding ramps, the ones without four-armed naga captains defending them. At the middle ramp, the marine on duty, one of the gnolls, growled at the attackers, pushing him back from the ramp with wild slashes of his battleaxe.
The gnoll marine had a broken-off javelin sticking into one shoulder. The wound poured blood and left his arm hanging limp, but the marine wasn’t quitting; he still swiped at the attackers with the axe in his other hand. More of the crew were entering the fight from belowdecks, and a few that had been sleeping on deck roused themselves and gathered weapons, charging into the fray, but the pirates had the momentum as more and more of them gained a foothold on the Sea Venom.
Slow to rouse from a slumber, Bug Bartholomew roared in anger from the quarterdeck where he had been sleeping off the massive meal he had eaten earlier. Larson summoned a gallon of water over the head of a pirate crossing another of the boarding ramps. The sudden presence of a globe of water around his head made the man panic and miss his step, splashing into the water below. Larson didn’t have time to spare a glance downward but was certain the water around the two ships would soon be teeming with predators drawn by the scent of blood.
Unable to reload with a pistol in each hand, Larson sent one of the weapons into his void storage and started the reloading process on the other. He wanted to get stuck in the fight on the main deck, but his presence was the only thing holding back the tide of pirates waiting to cross over here on the raised foredeck. The boarding ramp on the quarterdeck was no longer a concern as Bug Bartholomew stepped into view. Grabbing the ramp with one hand, the ogre heaved it into the ocean below, and the two screaming pirates trying to cross it fell into the drink. More ramps went down amidships, allowing more pirates onto his ship.
Bartholomew’s head looked over at Larson. A drooling grin was plastered on the creature’s face as he raised his left arm. Whereas before the ogre had once mounted a portable ballista on the arm, Larson could see that his engineer had taken the liberty of replacing it with the ship’s four-pounder gun. Larson wasn’t exactly happy that the ogre had taken one of only five cannons in existence as his personal weapon, but as Bug Bartholomew raised the cannon and pointed it at the seething mass of pirates on the other ship, he figured the ogre was about to earn the right to keep it.
