Salvaging and Seeking

[Mida Hansin]

Being an active member of the underworld was fun most days. However, ever since she first stepped foot on a seafaring vessel. Mida felt the best at sea. If the ground wasn't moving it felt wrong. This time she needed something valuable enough to grant herself a boon. While demon pacts had a lot of possibilities. Her soul was too valuable to be in anyone's hands, but her own. Rumors abound in this of a special item from another realm. It was said to be feared my demons and devils alike. It may just be a fictional story, but she needed to get her feet wet any way. "Captain have all your crew arrived?"

"Aye Miss Hansin, their ready to serve with skill and resolve!" The smuggler was enthusiastic about helping the renown Pirate Queen herself. It didn't hurt that her pay would clear his gambling debts.

"Fine then raise anchor, I've little time to waste." This fool's luck was some of the worst. However, he was at least competent as a sailor.

"Aye, alright you rascals! Raise anchor and open the sails before the wind direction changes!"

Mida may have been a passenger for this trip, but she itched to do something. She became an unofficial advisor for all the rookie sailors. She showed them better knots than the basics and gave them tips on efficiency. About midday she smelled a storm on the air. Some quick calculations told her it would hit around dusk. "Captain, prepare to drop anchor in about four hours' time a big one's coming."

The veteran sailor looked ahead and saw some barely visible clouds in the distance. They didn't look worrisome to him, but she was the boss. "Aye, Miss Hansin!"

When the predicted time came, he was surprised. Just as she said the dark clouds and heavy winds came to swallow his ship. Thankfully, her early warning allowed them to weather it without any problems. They set out for the second day of their journey just before dawn. Around late morning several large sections of strange coral floated on the surface. "I've never seen anything like that before."

She felt the rage in her mind before she saw its source. She knew this feeling, yet it differed slightly. As the crew watched the strange material began to merge. In moments a massive creature of dark coral hovered above the waves. It was about half the size of the boat. Just under what appeared to be the monsters head she found it. That section of horn that spued pure shadow magic.

"Alright sea dogs, to arms!" The crew drew their metal weapons and shouted to bolster themselves.

"That should be enough." Mida raised her hands as nearly twenty swords, axes and hammers lifted into the air. The crew was stunned as they were disarmed in such a way. A few weapons were sheathed in shadow as she launched them at the creature. The howl of pain was so soul wrenching that several would remember this noise for the rest of their lives. As the beast shattered the wizard drew in the residual dark magic so it would not reform again. After dropping the weapons on the deck. She cradled a strange broken great sword. It was now about the size of a dirk. The hilt was marked with a black wolf's head. She had found it. If Gethe ever crossed her. His doom would be eminent. She laughed boisterously in that moment. "Captain set sail for Fellsguard!"