The captain's cabin was laden with a sumptuous feast - strips of succulent bacon and freshly wilted spinach laid out on the table, teasing the nostrils of those gathered. The Quanas elf sat perched at the end, eschewing the meat in favor of the leafy greens. Beside the captain sat the leader of the knights, Dylan Branagh, his steely gaze scanning the room. Through the meal, Paliborn couldn't help but notice the intensity of Dylan's silence.
Captain Barb, in contrast, bubbled with cheer, and continued regaling them with tales of life on the sea. He eventually turned to Xian, beseeching her to reveal his fate. Though she insisted she was merely a star mapper, the captain's persistence eventually compelled Quanas to make a promise to read his fortune another time. As everyone knew, a Quanas elf never reneged on a vow, even if it cost them their life.
With a glass of wine in hand, the halfling, could no longer contain his curiosity. "There is a worldwide war out there. Why did you not join Illuen D'Harven, one of the three kings, Knight Branagh?" he asked.
Dylan leveled his gaze at the halfling, his blue eyes betraying nothing. "Commander-in-Chief D'Harven ordered us to remain on the island. Every assignment given to us is deemed crucial."
"Of course," Paliborn replied, "but why then did you choose to accompany us on this mission? As far as I know, Sandman hasn't made any specific requests of you."
"I made the request," interjected Captain Barbarossa.
Paliborn grinned with full of sarcasm. "Don't mock me, Barb. I know you delight in the company of knights as much as you do in wizards."
The captain sputtered and coughed. Dylan, however, remained unamused, his stern gaze unwavering. "Your lack of tact is quite palpable, master halfling," he said, taking a sip of wine.
"Perhaps," Paliborn conceded. "But I prefer to tread the paths that lead to my objectives. If you're here for your own purpose, I'd appreciate it if you shared it with us now. I'm the one who spearheaded the formation of this team, and I'll make the final decisions on this voyage. Let there be no confusion on this matter."
Then the halfling nodded thoughtfully, before turning to the captain with a steely determination in his gaze. "And mark my words, dear Barb, if they venture into the Sea of Death, we'll follow them. Wherever they go, we'll go." he said.
With that, the group fell into a tense silence, the weight of Paliborn's words lingering in the air like a heavy fog. For they all knew, the Sea of Death was not a place for the faint of heart, and the journey ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty. But one thing was certain - together, they would face it head-on.
Paliborn fixed his gaze once again on the leader of the knights, his piercing eyes probing for the truth.
"Let us steer our conversation back to the matter at hand, Knight Branagh. What brings you to this ship? I expect nothing less than total transparency."
The knight took a long swig from his goblet, and his weathered skin grew even redder under the halfling's scrutiny.
"Then let me explain, in all honesty. Our intelligence suggests that a mist elf or more was aboard a ship that set sail fifteen days ago. Our paths crossed with yours when we received reports of a black-haired woman and a young girl boarding the same vessel at the eleventh hour."
"Why not send a fleet of war galleons after them? As knights of the sea, you have at least ten ships in port," Paliborn inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"My father, Barrett Branagh, the leader of our order, did not deem the intel credible enough to warrant such action. But I, on the other hand, deemed it necessary to pursue," Dylan Branagh explained.
"I see," Paliborn replied.
"The Illinthia Knights have clashed with the mist elves in the past. These malevolent beings leave naught but death and destruction in their wake, Master Halfling. They are infernal creatures that must be purged from this realm." The young knight continued to explain his reasons.
"I am well aware of the nature of the mist elves, Knight Branagh," Paliborn retorted. "I caution you to not blindly walk into your own demise in the name of your holy oath."
"Enough, let's close this topic," interjected Captain Barbarossa, his cigar smoldering in his mouth as usual. The tense atmosphere needed relaxation. When no one spoke up, he puffed up his broad shoulders like a peacock and continued his speech, yawning backward.
"The good news is that we know the ship we're looking for. The bad news is that its captain, Barthalomeu, is as experienced as I am. While I can't fathom how he got involved with these bastards, probably some gambling debts, the ship we were looking for is called The Blackened. Lady Ala-Lanka did some preliminary research. Here you go, my lady."
The Quanas elf, who had been the quietest person during the meal, spoke in a melodious voice. "The locating spell I used worked somewhat. Thanks to Pal, we found some of Lena's personal belongings. The ship is sailing south through the Maze of Mists."
"Damn," yelled the captain.
"What happened, Barb?" asked the halfling.
"The second worst has happened. If there's one thing Captain Barth is better at than me, it's navigating the Maze of Mists. This is madness. The mists constantly change direction. Being caught is death."
"They can't stay there forever, can they?" remarked the knight.
"Sir Branagh is right. They will make landfall eventually," Paliborn agreed.
"But when? What if they have enough supplies?" the captain worried.
Paliborn thought for a moment. "Then we will follow, but from a distance. So which port are they closest to, Xian?"
"The nearest port is Wassel. It's like they're bowing in that vicinity. After some time, we will understand better. Ask me that question again then."
"We can't follow too closely. Our advantage is that they don't know we're after them. This will be a long hunt, folks. We'll wait patiently until our prey takes the bait. If they test our patience, we'll lure them into another region. We'll keep at it until our fish takes the bait," Paliborn said and stood up, pointing to the port of Wassel on the wall map. The determined look in his eyes was met with nods of agreement from the team.
The remote pursuit lasted over two months, until mid-spring. Occasionally, the Quanas elf continued to cast a locator spell until Lena's personal belongings were nearly depleted. Then one day, Paliborn told Xian to give up the close tracking spell. The halfling had made many friends on the ship but could not find a way to contact the Galanadel elf, who seemed to be constantly avoiding him. The halfling didn't understand why, but he respected the elf's decision.
Eventually, the team made a quick decision. They dropped off the five knights at Port Wassel and replenished their stock because the other ship wasn't heading further west. It was as if the Blackened was waiting for someone near Wassel. The knights agreed to be the bait of their trap. They expected the ship to arrive at the beginning of summer. The Blue Oyster routed a wide circle around the Wasted Bay of Wassel.
The Blackened headed for the port of Wassel. The Blue Oyster realized too late that their target had changed course. On the night they entered Wassel Bay, they didn't notice the ship anchored near the shore in a secret cove. They passed the Blackened at a distance.
Captain Barth silently watched them pass. He could see his old friend Barbarossa smoking a cigar at the helm, the scent of heavy tobacco wafting into his nose every time old Barb inhaled. He smiled, damning his curse and cursing the man who caused it separately. Barth, the cursed, waited quietly for the day of reckoning.