"Just great..."

Edwin thought as he woke up to the sunlight, which was like a needle piercing the darkness and first and then a clear sight in his eyes. He stumbled up noticing that his staff was still with him and walked up to the deck with Ghyreian. The minotaur lead them to the captain as the ship crew seemed to have a lot of work to do at the moment...

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The minotaur wrenched open the door to the captain's cabin and bowed sneeringly. He shoved them before the captain's desk before closing the door behind him. The cabin was silent save for the constant rocking and heavy breathing of the minotaur captain.

Ghyreian found she did not have the strength in her legs to get back up, so stayed where she was glaring balefully at their captor.

Kourth looked up from the map he'd been reading. He bared his fangs in something similar to a grin. "Feeling disagreeable?"

In fact Ghyreian was feeling sick, so she decided it would be best for her to keep her mouth shut.

_________________

"Not really..."

Edwin said as he scrathed the back of his head and slightly grinned.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian took a huge gulp of air and felt slightly better.

"So... where is it you'll want to be going?" Kourth asked briskly.

"Southern Ergoth," she managed.

Kourth grinned even more broadly. "Not to visit your people, I gather?"

If looks could kill, Kourth would be dead right then and there. He turned away from Ghyreian, who was staring daggers at him, to Edwin. "And where's my payment, mage?"

_________________

Edwin tookout at least a quater of the bags containment and placed them on the table.

"These now and more later...."

Edwin said with a strict voice, he was a son of a merchant and wasn`t going to pay too much, but under these circumstances a little extra would probably have to be given.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

With a swiftness that belied his hulking appearance, Kourth issued a blow that sent Ghyreian sprawling and seized hold of the front of Edwin's robes. She looked up from her unseemly position - not that she could have cast any potent spells anyway. She was seriously beginning to feel the first effects of seasickness.

Kourth brought Edwin's face up close, grasping both of the Red Robe's hands in an iron grip.

"Allow me to refresh your mind, mage. You are on a ship crewed by my men, in the middle of the Straights of Schallsea with no land in sight. My men and I could stamp your petty witchcraft and grind it beneath our hooves. I'll be the one setting the conditions, and you'll be the one submitting. Got that?"

Ghyreian's hand was already moving for her spell components to rush to Edwin's aid, but the minotaur's fist shot out again and caught her under the chin. Her head snapped up and the impact sent her wheeling into the air. She slammed against the wall of the cabin and lay there, resisting the impulse to retch.

_________________

Edwin grinned slightly as the minotaur came close.

"You should really lean patience my friend, but since you can be quite intimidative you can have one quater and that I mean you`ll get a hole half now... the rest is to be negotiated later..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Kourth glared at Edwin, and for a frozen moment it seemed he would rip the mage's throat out with his bare hands. At length, to Ghyreian's surprise and consternation, he laughed. His rumbling laughter brought two more minotaurs to the cabin door. The crewmen flicked each other astonished looks, then stared at their captain.

Kourth snorted, clapping Edwin on the back so hard it almost bowled him over.

"You've got courage, mage, I'll give you that." He turned to glare at his crew. "Is there something the matter?"

The minotaur hurriedly shook their heads and exited without a word.

Kourth went back to his map-laden table and waved a hand dismissively. "To Ergoth it is. And now get the Abyss outta my cabin before I force ya into it." He grinned, but Ghyreian had no doubt it was no empty threat.

As soon as she got above deck, Ghyreian scrambled to the railing and coughed up the contents of her stomach into the churning waves below.

_________________

Edwin sat down against he railing and looked around the crew before taking his book from his belt, he began reading the spells, but looked at Ghyreian for a while and then turned away presenting his question.

"Where do we begin our search once we arrive at Ergoth?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

With an ashen face Ghyreian nodded, feeling thoroughly repulsed, and held up her hand at Edwin. After emptying all the contents in her stomach, she leaned back against the railing and groaned. She had never felt so miserable or wretched in her life. Wiping the fluid from her lips with a cloth she found in her robes, she said, "I don't know."

Not that she cared, anyway. The minotaur that passed her on deck flicked her highly amused looks and went away laughing about the weak stomachs of elves. She heard someone bellow over the roar of the waves that they had two more days before they reached Southern Ergoth, and her groan increased in both volume and enthusiasm.

_________________

Edwin couldn`t help laughing at the situation outloud, they were in the hands of a half animal crew whom seemed to have a short temper, Ghyreian wasn`t obviously enjoying the trip and they had no clue where to begin when they would get there.

The next hour passed with peaceful sailing as Edwin read his book.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The first day and night passed without incident. The next night a few hours before sighting land, a storm hit.

The minotaurs had given her a broth to ease her stomach. Ghyreian was sitting in the quarters she shared with Edwin, the heavy curtain drawn between their cots, and reading her spellbook. Heavy footsteps stomped down the stairs. Without warning of his approach the curtain was yanked aside and a minotaur's brutish face shoved in hers.

"Up, elf!" the minotaur snarled. He grasped her arm and dragged her to her feet.

Ghyreian calmly chanted a spell that burnt the brute's fur off his palm. The minotaur howled, released her, and wrung his hand like a wounded animal.

"Never touch me," she hissed, picking up her spellbook and safely stashing it away.

The man-bull glared daggers at her, then jerked his head at the door. "You're needed above deck, elf."

"What for?"

"Storm, elf. Your witchcraft'll be of some use to the captain."

_________________

Edwin was alraedy at the deck with his red robe wet and uncomfortable, he smiled as Ghyreian appeared to the deck and walked to her.

"A nice wake up I presume?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian answered with a sneer. She looked out to the distance, where the first of the roiling black clouds were already gathering. The day had been hot, stifling. Now she understood why. She clapsed her hands to the railing, steadying herself as the Platinum Dragon rocked. She was already feeling somewhat nauseous.

"All right, mages," Kourth's surly voice growled behind them. "What can you do to stop the storm?"

_________________

Edwin fell quiet looking at the Ghyreian, he hadn`t been asked such question before and it didn`t seem to belong into his skills, there was no way that he could just like that tame the forces of nature. Edwin coughed and elbowed Ghyreian slightly into the ribs.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian couldn't help but let escape an amused smile and elbow Edwin back. Kourth looked at Edwin, then at Ghyreian, then back at Edwin.

"Well?"

"Ah..."

"I've a storm on my heads and you're saying your tricks can't do nothing?" Kourth bellowed in a bestial rage. "What do I have you two around for, eh?"

"I doubt a lightning strike or a fire ball would do you any good in this situation," Ghyreian pointed out.

_________________