Brian Pratt - Warrior priest of Dmon-Li

Illan steps up to the door with them right behind and pushes it open. Inside, they find a man sitting behind a desk covered in a disorganized pile of papers. He looks up from where he’s making notations on one of them and a smile breaks across his face when he sees who it is.

Getting up, he says, “Illan! What brings you back here?” Moving around the desk, he gives Illan a big hug, careful not to get the ink on his fingers on the back of Illan’s shirt.

“Marko,” he says, returning the hug, “didn’t know you were the new Dockmaster.”

Releasing him, Marko says, “Have been for a year now, ever since Yeurn got married to that woman from the City.” Stepping back two steps, he continues, “It’s good to see you again.”

“I’m afraid I can’t stay long,” he explains. “We have need to reach the other side of the Sea and were hoping to be able to get someone to take us.”

His smile fades somewhat as he says, “Nothing serious I hope? The Empire isn’t on its way here is it?”

Shaking his head, he says, “Nothing like that. Our forces still have them on the other side of the Etterling River.”

“That’s good news,” he says with relief. “We haven’t had much news lately about the war. Just what the refugees tell us as they pass through.”

Gesturing to the ships at the dock outside, he asks, “Which one of those would be our best bet?”

“You might try the Sea Strider, it’s the one all the way at the end,” he says. “Derrin Nellix is the captain, and he’s leaving shortly for the far side. Don’t know if he’ll take on passengers, but you can try.”

“Okay, we’ll do that, thank you,” he says as he holds out his hand to his friend.

Taking the hand, Marko shakes it vigorously and says, “You’re welcome. If you’ll be staying in town, I’d love it if you could come and have dinner with me and Pauline.”

“We’ll see,” he replies. “Probably have to dine with my family first, though. They’d never let me hear about it if I didn’t.”

Marko laughs at that. “I think you’re right. Well, good luck.”

Illan nods his head and then turns to leave. James and Jiron back out, giving him room to pass through the door.

“Why didn’t you tell him about Lord Pytherian’s letter?” James asks. “Wouldn’t that have expedited it better?”

“Why use it if we don’t have to?” he asks. “Besides, he’s not the one we have to convince.”

Returning to where the others are waiting, he says, “Might be in luck, you just wait here while we go down to the ship to arrange things.”

“Alright,” Uther says for everyone. He gets down off his horse, the others following suit. “If we’re to wait longer, I’m not going to do it on horseback.”

“You got that right, man” agrees Jorry.

Illan leaves them behind as he, James and Jiron walk down to the end of the docks where sailors are busy transferring cargo from several wagons onto the ship resting against the dock.

Coming to the wagons, he catches the attention of one of the seaman returning from the ship for another box and asks, “Is Captain Nellix on board?”

The sailor doesn’t even pause as he replies, “Yes he is.” Grabbing another box, he starts to return to the gangplank.

“Can we speak with him?” Illan asks the sailor.

“I’ll ask him,” he says just before reaching the gangplank.

They watch as several other sailors leave the ship as they continue the transferring of cargo. The sailor they’d talked to returns to the top of the gangplank and begins walking down it to the dock. When he comes to where they’re standing, he says, “The captain said for you to go ahead and come aboard. You’ll find him at the cargo hatch going over the bills of lading.”

“Thank you,” Illan says.

He just nods and grunts before taking another box off the wagon.

Illan glances at James and asks, “Shall we?”

James nods and then follows Illan as he moves toward the gangplank. They pause at the bottom while two sailors leave the ship before walking up it to the ship’s deck.

They see a man, obviously the captain in question, standing at the cargo hold hatch going over the bill of lading just as the sailor had told them. He glances over to them as they begin walking over to him. “Yes?” he asks. “You wanted to see me?”

“We were hoping to book passage for us and our friends over to the other side of the Sea,” Illan explains.

“Don’t take on passengers,” the captain says. “They just get in the way.” A sailor comes on board with a box and pauses a moment while the captain checks it off. He gives the sailor a nod who then carries it on down into the hold.

“But our need is great,” insists Illan, “and we’d be willing to pay.”

“Don’t care,” he says. “I hate having people on board. Now, if you’ll get off my ship, I have work to do before we sail.”

“But,” James begins, “we have a…”

Illan shakes his head and waves for him to stop.

Confused, but willing to follow his lead, James doesn’t finish.

“Let’s go,” he says to them as he makes for the gangplank.

James and Jiron follow right behind. When they’re off the ship and have moved a short ways past the wagons, they stop. “Why didn’t you want me to mention the letter?” asks James.

“That would’ve seemed to be the smart thing to do,” adds Jiron.

“I don’t think it would’ve made any difference,” he explains. “We should try the other two ships and find out if they’ll be more agreeable.”

“Alright,” James says as he glances to Jiron who just shrugs.

The next ship they come to is a single masted vessel and looks to be deserted. The gangplank is up so Illan hollers, “Hello ship!”

When there’s no answer, he hollers again, “Hello ship!”

They wait a minute but no reply is forthcoming. He turns to the others and indicating the last ship says, “One more to try.” Moving down to the other end of the docks, they come to a twin masted vessel where several sailors are sitting around on deck, looking bored.

“Hello the ship!” Illan hollers.

One of the sailors looks over the rail and asks, “Yeah?”

“Request permission to come aboard and talk with the captain,” he says.

“Captain’s not here,” the sailor tells him.

“Where could I find him?” he asks.

“City jail I’d imagine,” the sailor replies.

“Jail?” asks Illan. “What’s he doing there?”

“Cooling his heals for a few days,” the sailor explains. Several other sailors come over and join him at the rail.

One of them says, “He got in a fight with the wrong man and was arrested. They said he’d be in there several more days.”

“Thank you,” Illan says to them. Turning away from the ship, he begins making his way back to where Uther and the others are waiting. “This is perfect!” he exclaims.

“What is?” Jiron asks.

“Don’t you see?” he says. “Though the letter from Lord Pytherian wouldn’t have much pull with a ship’s captain, it will have with a magistrate. And if we use it to get the captain out of jail, then I would think he’d be happy to take us across the Sea.”

Nodding, James says, “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

When they get back to the others, Illan explains to them what they’re planning on doing. “In the meantime, while we’re getting the captain out of jail, the rest of you go and find something to eat.”

Miko perks up at that, the mention of food always does.

“Go down the street until you come to the blacksmith,” he tells them. “Then turn down the road to the right. You shouldn’t have far to go before you come to the Flying Fish. The owner is a lady by the name of Mari, and the food there is very good. At least it was last time I was in town.”