Two suns hung high over Crunaboul, filling the vast world with vital energy. One of them stood straight above the flying continent Deaviny. The pious godspawn called it 'nen r'ouhva', meaning door to heaven when translated to the common language.
It overlooked the tiny creatures busying themselves all over the continent. One of the busiest places was Duabalis Harbor without a doubt.
This vast harbor, which was part of Duabalis City, facilitates trade for the entire Deavin Ocean, home of most nephilim.
When Silver Blade, Watchful Eye, Fortune, Balm, and Bloody Edge arrived they couldn't help but open their mouths in astonishment.
"Wow…"
Balm whispered, looking at the vast ocean, its shallow waves reflecting the sun. It pushed into a bay area, creating a natural harbor. The nephilim made use of this geography, developing the bay with broad stone piers and tall warehouses.
Two main roads allowed the transportation of wares towards Duabalis or even other ships.
At the mouth of the bay two massive towers overlooked the ocean, connected to Saltae, the giant wall surrounding the island. Waves brandished against the magical construct, spreading white foam sparkling under the sunlight.
"So impressive!", exclaimed Balm.
"Yes. Quickstep would have loved it.", agreed Silver Blade.
"Do you know the path?", asked Bloody Edge.
"According to Mirage we need to go all the way to the left."
Standing on the broad main street leading into the harbor the party members searched the piers with their eyes.
But before they could find their target, a commotion suddenly drew their attention. Waves rose and water splashed.
A painful roar shook the entire harbor. Looking towards the mouth of the bay one could only see a flash of light as a spear shot out of the tower and into the water.
Blood dyed the water red. A massive, scaly back broke through the water surface, urgently leaving the harbor area.
A few moments later a comparatively small but fast ship departed from the harbor chasing after the foolish creature stalking other ships. The vessel of war was only manned by a few nephilim soldiers but none of them showed even a hint of fear.
The few players present felt their legs tremble, discussing amongst themselves. Balm had to gulp heavily.
"What… was this?"
"Looks like some kind of sea monster.", said Silver Blade with a heavy voice.
"Do you think it's dangerous? Should we leave the harbor?"
"No need to worry.", stated Watchful Eye with a calm face.
Balm glanced at him skeptically.
"How can you keep calm like this?"
"As long as the natives don't panic, why would we?"
Balm raised her brows, studying the surroundings.
Watchful Eye was indeed right. None of the natives showed any fear towards the sea monster. Some more or less drunk sailors sitting in front of a crowded tavern even turned their chairs to watch the show, cheering the soldiers on.
After a while the soldiers were out of view and the commotion died down.
"Yes!"
Silver Blade and the others looked at Fortune who balled her fists, an excited smile on her face. They quickly understood.
"Did you get a good shot?"
"You can bet! This will be the opening for my next video!
Dear viewers, here we are! Duabalis Harbor! Ready for our next adventure. Will we be able to overcome the monsters lingering at sea? Find out!"
Bloody Edge's eyes twinkled. He saw his chance, speaking in a low, growling voice.
"Those beasts will flee in terror before my blade."
"Good, good.", nodded Fortune happily.
Silver Blade couldn't help but chuckle.
"Ok guys. It's time to go. Else we will never finish the quest."
"Right."
"Let's go."
The small party followed Silver Blade's lead, strolling along the main street. Gradually their minds, exhausted from all the leveling, rekindled their spirits. With smiles on their faces, they looked at the surrounding shops offering exotic spices, rare fabric, or exquisite equipment.
It took them a while to reach the left side of the U-formed harbor. The piers here where mostly smaller and used by merchants.
Nevertheless, the row of ships made for an impressive sight. Rolled up sails swayed in the wind. All sorts of flags were attached to them, showing the ships' origins, silently documenting long journeys.
Silver Blade let her eyes wander, looking for a ship with a purely blue flag. Finally, she stopped close to the harbor's end.
When the others noticed the place Silver Blade led them to, they showed puzzled expressions.
"Are you sure this is the right place?", asked Fortune carefully.
"Yes. Mirage told me it would be somewhat damaged…"
"Somewhat…"
The five people looked at the ship before them. It was a small vessel made of dark wood. A prominent magical cannon placed on the deck drew most attention.
Magic glimmered on its hull, emitting a threatening air. However right now the ship couldn't make even the smallest shrimp afraid.
Its hull was full of holes, its mast showing obvious cracks. The few crew members had various injuries. Some ran around with bandages around their heads.
A dwarf with a distressed expression ran up and down on the pier. His face was difficult to see between his large black captain's hat and his thick, unkempt beard. A black coat hung from his shoulders, torn in various places.
Silver Blade hesitated slightly before approaching the dwarf.
"Are you Captain Huber?"
"Hm? What?"
The dwarf snapped out of his thoughts, looking at Silver Blade. Deep eyes shaped by a tumultuous life studied the newcomers.
"Adventurers? Bad timing!"
"Did something happen to your ship?"
"No, that's how it always looks! Stupid question!"
The captain spoke in a rough voice, scoffing at Silver Blade. The female tank was surprised. Watchful Eye frowned heavily, staring at the dwarf.
"Watch your mouth when talking to the young lady!"
"Hm? Got something to say?! Whatever…"
Silver Blade coughed awkwardly, not taking the NPC's words to heart:
"Captain, we need to travel to Red'or Island. Is there a way we can help you with the repair?"
"You? Hmpf. My men know what they are doing. What could you…"
Suddenly the captain trailed of. An obvious struggle could be seen on his face. Gradually an ugly, strained smile formed, although it was mostly hidden by his beard.
"There is indeed something you could do."
"Just tell us."
"You see, we dwarves are the best craftsman in the world. Repairing this ship is easy as pie to me and my men. But…
I'm not the best when it comes to magic."
The dwarves voice turned awkward.
"You see. Since a few years ago these waters have been infested with sea monsters. Naturally our mighty dwarven fleets could bomb them into pieces in no time at all.
But for a small ship like mine, we can only use magic to confuse the beasts' senses.
Unfortunately, we still bumped into a monster, leaving our ship badly damaged.
If you could help me engrave a new magic circle to defend the ship, I will drive you wherever you want to go. Deal?"
[
[Step one: Find the blueprint for a new magic circle.]
[Hint: The local army knows how to deal with sea monsters.]
"It's a deal. We will be right back."
"Thanks…"
The captain murmured into his beard. He glanced to the side, seeing one of his men measuring a piece of wood.
"Sel! What are you doing? All wrong…"
Captain Huber threw his hands into the air, approached Sel, and took matters into his own hands.
The party looked at him strangely.
"Isn't he just repeating the same movements?", asked Balm with a confused expression.
"Yeah… whatever. Let's ignore that bad tempered dwarf."
"Sure."
"Are you talking about me?"
A familiar voice suddenly approached from behind. Silver Blade turned around with a welcoming smile.
"Braag! Don't worry. We were talking about your brethren over there."
"Hi, Braag."
"Welcome."
Silver Blade and her friends greeted their new acquaintance. It was no coincidence that he appeared here.
Knowing that Cyclone's guild needed manpower, she invited the dwarf for this quest in an attempt to form a closer bond. Fortunately, Braag was more than happy to accept.
"That's a relief. Is this dwarf the quest giver? Is he troubling you?"
"It's alright, we already got the quest. Here, let me share it."
Silver Blade quickly invited Braag into the party, sharing the quest. Now that everyone was up to speed the party didn't waste time. Leaving the pier, they took the road towards the other side of the bay.
But before they could reach there, a commotion attracted their attention. On an open space to the side a small crowd surrounded a provisional ring.
But what was surprising was the mix of bored sailors watching for some excitement and young girls staring with transfixed eyes, letting out anxious yelps from time to time.
The party observed for a few seconds before turning away. However, just as they were about to go a scream made Silver Blade stop in place.
"AH! Final Fend is so handsome! Villian, how dare you hit his face?!"