Morn listened attentively, as Oscairo showed no signs of giving Morn an opportunity to reply.
"First, I have a warning for you. Leviathans are often hunted by great island officials. Or at least, they were in my day. When you return to civilization, be careful who you reveal your powers to. When you do show them, be prepared to kill. Another thing, be careful when you use your powers. If you leave your Vaihniir mark, officials will begin to put together a file on you. They will record your Vaihniir's smell, markings, and colour, and will hunt you restlessly. That being said, if you make a point of hunting criminals and levjottun, the authorities may take interest in you and hire you on as an Ocean Crawler. Then, you could hunt all you want. If an Ocean Crawler commits a crime, they can always pay off the city bailiff so long as it wasn't too egregious."
Morn considered this carefully. After thinking about it for a short time, he felt that becoming an Ocean Crawler wouldn't be such a bad deal. Of course, he'd only consider it if he was caught, otherwise he would rather maintain independence.
After finishing his warning, Oscairo reached into the air, a ripple formed as his hand sunk into nothingness, disappearing from view. A moment later, his hand re-emerged holding a black wooden mask. With a slight look of reluctance, he passed the mask to Morn.
Curious, Morn accepted the object, turning it over in his hands as he evaluated it. The mask was mostly plain aside from two elaborate crescent shaped eye slits on the mask and a small hole where the mouth would be. The backside of the mask was more detailed, dotted with hundreds if not thousands of miniature runes. After several more moments, he recognized the wood to be stormwood, the same material used for his prosthetic. Looking up at Oscairo, he raised an eyebrow.
"What is this?" Morn asked.
Oscairo smiled.
"That is your ticket out of here, and your way to communicate with me once you're gone. The mask is an artefact I commissioned from a master searune-smith from Moin back in my glory days. I later outgrew its function when I obtained a similar replacement, but I left this with my Avatar…"
Oscairo winced as he spoke.
"... To use once I decided to leave this island. Of course, I haven't been able to make any use of it due to being trapped and all. But now, since you're not me and can leave this prison, it'll be best used by you."
Morn stared at Oscairo, confused.
"Okay, so it's an artefact. That's great but… what does it do? How do I use it?"
Oscairo grinned and motioned for Morn to put the mask on. Once he did so, Oscairo began an explanation.
"Once you wear the mask, direct your Vaihniir through the mouth hole. Make sure you're looking at the water before you do!"
Excited to see the effects of the pirate's artefact, Morn did as instructed. Black fog with the scent of petrichor billowed from the mouth hole. As his Vaihniir passed through the mouth, it seemed to leave his control. The fog flowed into the water, dyeing it pitch black. After a moment, the water shook and erupted in a burst of mist. After a moment, the mist parted, revealing a small black sailboat, large enough for a crew of ten or so people.
Hidden by the mask, Morn's mouth opened wide in shock. After a moment, he tore his eyes away from the beautiful ship and removed the mask, looking at Oscairo with wide eyes.
"It's amazing! A- a portable ship? How expensive was this?!"
At Morn's shock Oscairo laughed at first, but his expression quickly fell as he seemed to recall the price the artefact had cost. After a moment, he recovered from his gloom and nodded.
"It is quite amazing, isn't it! Even after decades of practising searunes, I have yet to create anything with such an impressive effect. The artisan was truly a master of his craft. Anyhow, that mask can summon this ship at any time, though it will only appear if there is enough water. The ship can be modified while summoned, and it won't disappear until you wear the mask again and will for it to disappear. For now, just leave it, you'll be sailing it out of here after all."
Oscairo walked closer to the ship, smiling as he looked up at it, as if recalling fond memories. He then turned to Morn once again.
"The ship will be able to mostly sail itself, so long as you mark your destination on the map in the captain's quarters. For more advanced movements like manoeuvres in naval combat, it must be steered manually. I recommend putting together a trustworthy crew once you've returned to the All Sea. A little advice, those whose lives you've saved will be the most trustworthy. Now, for my last gift."
Morn took note of Oscairo's advice, Morn began to imagine what his crew would be like. His straying thoughts quickly focused once again as Oscairo handed him a small red notebook the size of his palm.
"This will be our means of communication, it is an artefact I recently perfected. If you write in the notebook, the message will appear in the matching notebook- one I have in my possession. Like this, we will be able to communicate once you have departed. Additionally, I can project my power through this notebook a limited amount of times, three at most, perhaps only two. If you are in a desperate situation, you can write asking for help."
Morn tucked the notebook into one of his pouches, making sure it could be easily accessed. If he needed to ask for help suddenly, he didn't want to be fumbling through his backpack for the notebook. He couldn't stop an adversary, saying 'Hold on, I need to write for help quickly, let me open my bag.'
After securing the notebook, he bowed deeply towards Oscairo.
"Thank you, Oscairo. I appreciate all the help you've given me, I will try my best to return the favour in the coming years."
Although he had only met Oscairo the day before, he already found himself trusting the pirate. Whether it was the deal they had made, or that Oscairo had cured his hallucinations, he did not know. Perhaps it was simply because he had no one else left to trust. Regardless, Morn felt indebted to the pirate.
Oscairo nodded appreciatively.
"I've placed my hopes in you for the next while, don't disappoint. Now it's best you be off, the currents will shift soon and move the islands. We will drift close to a cursed region, it's better if we don't. I recommend heading to Palk. Though I once ruled the place, I no longer feel an attachment to it. In several centuries, I'm sure my subordinates ran the place to the ground."
Oscairo paused for a moment, letting out a disdainful sigh.
" I can imagine it must only be filled with scum who commit heinous crimes. Before, I tried to make being a pirate about freedom and adventure, about travel and romance, yet my 11 marauders always had different ideas. I wouldn't feel any loss if you tried your luck hunting in Palk. There would be plenty of Leviathans, most likely some that share similar abilities."
Morn considered the idea of hunting in Palk, finding it appealing. This way, he could try out his Vaihn spell on criminals. He wouldn't feel too much guilt hunting pirates, and he could also turn in their heads for bounties when he eventually travelled somewhere else. Who knows, he may also find some decent pirates that he could recruit into his crew. The more he considered it, the more certain he became. After leaving, he would travel to Palk. With this in mind, he recalled the matter of an alias.
"Oscairo, what should I call myself? I need an alias for the foreseeable future, do you have any ideas?"
Oscairo stroked his moustache for a moment, pondering the matter. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and spoke excitedly.
"Your powers are related to hallucinations, like mine! If you behave as I did in my youth, you will likely be the source of many horror stories. Additionally, your Vaihniir scent is petrichor, the smell of rain. I recommend the name 'Rain', as once your horror stories spread, rainfall might spread terror through those you hunt, as they await the arrival of Rain. In a way, terror towards a being is a kind of faith. As for why this is important, it's easier to understand if you discover it yourself."
Oscairo then waved towards the ship. A small dock appeared on the beach, leading to a ladder on the side of the ship.
"It's time for you to set off, Morn- Or I suppose I should say, Captain Rain. I've already stocked the ship with food and other necessities, enough for several weeks. Goodbye, my new friend, I wish you luck- may the stars align and the currents be in your favour."