SOLO III
Demon World
Part 042
Guzzler rows up to the side of the ship.
"Aboard there!" he calls out and is answered in kind. There
are three other boats tied to this side of the ship. On the bow
of the ship is a carving of an octopus.
A rope ladder is rolled down. The ship is
small with one mast, but it looks lean and fast. The rigging and
rope ladders going up to the mast are full of mates. There are
lanterns hanging everywhere. Over the railing another crowd of
men are waiting. None are smiling.
Uncle casts spell sheild on Gail. He maintains
it, then casts it on Ada. Maintaining both he casts it on
himself. Maintaining all three spells Uncle begins climbing up
the ladder. Gail, and Ada are climbing up after him.. Once
Ada is on the ladder, Guzzler rows away. Not
even waiting for them to get all the way up.
Up on deck the crowd backs away. The aft area
has a raised deck just like the Profit, but the Triangle is
smaller. There are about fifteen men in the rigging overhead, and
thirty here on deck. They have cleared a path to the aft deck and
the steep ladder going up to it. Up on the aft deck are three
older women dressed in green sitting in large winged wicker
chairs. Each woman is flanked by a captain on their right and
another woman on their left.
Uncle leads Gail and Ada through the space left by
the crowd, up the ladder, to stand before the older women. They
have on emerald gowns of different styles and cuts. All modest in
their fashion but bespeckeled with tiny jeweled bottles dangling.
The women glitter in the lantern light. Uncle sits down on the
deck crosslegged with Gail standing behind him on his right and Ada
behind on his left. He doesn't say a word.
There is a breathless moment where no one says
anything. Everyone in the rigging is silent. All mates on
deck stop shuffling and stand still. And the older women size up
Uncle, Gail and Ada. Uncle Gail and Ada look back, calm, and
dispasionately.
aft
deck
___
___ ___/
\___ ___
___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___
/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\
\___/
\___/ C\___/W \___/ \___/
___/ C \___/W \___/OW
\___/ C\___/W \___
\___/OW
\___/ \___/ \___/OW \___/ \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/Unc\___/ \___/ \___/
m \___/
\___/Ada\___/Gai\___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
\___/___\___/___\---/___\___/___\___/
/---\
main
deck \---/ steep ladder
/---\
OW = older woman
C = Captain
W = woman
m = Mate
The older women are sitting and the people at their
sides are sitting. Uncle is sitting and Gail and Ada are standing
at his sides. It's as though by the simple act of sitting Uncle
has said he is equal to them. Even though they sit in large
wicker chairs with winged backs.
The older woman in the middle says "You will submit
to us."
"Yes." Uncle says.
The women at their sides relax a little at
this. The older woman on the right waves her hand, and a Mate
from each side of the deck approach Uncle. While they do the
middle one says "And you will give us a bit of your hair."
"Yes." Says Uncle.
The two mates stop next to Uncle and take him under
the arms. They intend to lift him to his feet first. Then
maybe they will take a lock of hair. Uncle's dragon says to Gail
and Ada's "Now."
aft
deck
___
___ ___/
\___ ___
___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___
/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\
\___/
\___/ C\___/W \___/ \___/
___/ C \___/W \___/OW
\___/ C\___/W \___
\___/OW
\___/ \___/ \___/OW \___/ \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
\___/
\___/ m \___/ m \___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/Unc\___/ \___/ \___/
m \___/
\___/Ada\___/Gai\___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
\___/___\___/___\---/___\___/___\___/
/---\
main
deck \---/ steep ladder
/---\
mate
mate
ST 13
ST 13
DX 13
DX 13
IQ
9 IQ 9
MA 10
MA 10
Gail
ST
9 Amulet Fireproof
DX 11 (16) Amulet DX+5
IQ
20 Amulet vs. Fire Elemental
MA 10
Wizard's Wrath
made to look like
sunlight
3 hours of work put in
it for 3D+6 damage
get 3 exp for the work,
and 1 for each point of damage done
get 13 exp if the mate
is killed for his DX
Ada
ST
8 kyanite gem 48 point ST battery
DX 14(18) kyanite gem DX+4
IQ
17 kyanite gem long-distance teleport
MA
10 Ear ring
long-distance telepathy, Fireproof, Invisibility
lightning
shot like a thunderclap
4 hours of work put in
it for 4D damage
get 4 exp for the work,
and 1 for each point of damage done
get 13 exp if the mate
is killed for his DX
Unless Gail or Ada critically fail to hit, both mates should be
struck dead instantly. The men in the rigging react by climbing a
little higher. All the mates on the main deck take a step back in
surprise. The mates lining the sides of the aft deck gape, stare,
gawk, and shake their heads. The three older women are up, out of
their seats, and the middle one cries out "You dare bring WEAPONS on
this vessel!" She points at Uncle. "Destroy them!"
The two standing older women, and the three asistant women all
fire magic fists at Gail and Ada. The center one shoots a
fireball at Uncle. They are massive spells, each one. About
a whole days worth of work put into them. Everything they've
got. Sweat breaks out on their brows.
All the missiles strike the spell sheilds that Uncle is
maintaining and disperse into nothing. They have no effect.
Uncle, Gail and Ada remain in their possitons totaly unaffected.
The center one stands with a non verbal growl. She
snatches one of the bottles off her dress and pulls the cork. It
emits a column of black smoke and a demon appears. It is wearing
an iron collar and appears bound to some kind of servitude. She
points and uncle and says "Kill him!" Instantly the demon
teleports in front of Uncle and tackles him onto his back.
aft
deck
___
___ ___/
\___ ___
___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___
/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\
\___/
\___/ C\___/W \___/ \___/
___/ C \___/W \___/OW
\___/ C\___/W \___
\___/OW
\___/ \___/ \___/OW \___/ \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
m \___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
\___/
\___/body___body\___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/dem\___/ \___/ \___/
m \___/
\___/Ada\Unc/Gai\___/ \___/ m \
___/
\___/ \___/ \___/ \___/
\___/
\___/___\___/___\---/___\___/___\___/
/---\
main
deck \---/ steep ladder
/---\
Without being told, Ada waves her hands over Uncle
and the Demon. She says "Pugare, Uncle" casting the cleansing
spell that will instantly kill it, but not Uncle because she named
him. She draws the strength from her kyanite gem thus making it
look effortless. She doesn't shed a drop of sweat. (Ada
gets 20 more exp for the work casting the spell, and 63 for killing the
demon.)
If successfull everyone on the ship gasps, then
starts to mutter among themselves. Even the women step back,
falling into their seats. They are totally stunned. They
have never seen anything like it.
Laying flat on his back, legs still crossed, the
demon evaporates off of Uncle. He sits up without using his
hands. Waiting for the women to say something, Uncle realizes
they are too shocked. So he does something to draw their
attention back to him. He holds up the dragon heart. Passes
his left hand over it, casting a simple illusion, so it glows a little
and starts beating as though it is still alive. Everyone on the
ship grows quite. They watch and listen to the thump thump.
Thump thump.
Instead of waiting for them to recover Uncle takes
the initiative and speaks. "I am Gigamax."
The center one blinks twice and sits forward.
She recognizes the name.
"Fear not."
Everyone looks doubtfull at this. Some think
about jumping overboard.
"I have returned."
Finally the center one comes to her senses and
rises, saying "I remember you. You made totems of power, and
taught the secret arts for gold. Before the demons came."
"Yes." Says Uncle. "And you have fallen
far since those days Julie. With this degenerate form of magic
you practice. One does not need a hair from someone's head to
control them. This is a lie started by the old ones to keep you
from using the magic on them. All it takes is the knowledge and
the will."
She raises her hands like she is going to protests,
or she doesn't want to hear it. "What do you want from us."
She can't even look at him.
Everyone on the ship has calmed down and is
listening attentively. Uncle speaks calmly and is heard by
all. "Why my dear lady, with all the cargo they carry, I want to
capture ships."
Every mate on the ship shouts with one voice.
A resounding "Yeah!" Shaking one fist in the air.
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