Chapter 2 Part 4: Very Holy Ship Salvage

Soon the rest of the acolytes were climbing the ropes albeit at a more controlled and labored speed. Not every mage needed to climb a rope on a daily basis, and the difference in fitness showed much to their chagrin and harassment from their fellows at the top of the ropes.

The Arch Paladin forced himself to stay on the ground with a troop of acolytes. His students needed the experience of clearing vessels without smashing them, and a good leader knew when to be sure he did not risk himself too thoroughly or put himself in a position to be unable to direct the action. So he waited as his position demanded even if his bones ached to learn the mystery of the craft and the wonders of its design. He would know all soon enough.

A feminine cry made Xavos lift an eyebrow. Captives then. Not all too surprising. Hopefully no injuries had been made upon their discovery. Goblins weren’t known for being kind to their prizes, and a wounded cornered beast had a habit of lashing out.

Momentarily the original three scout acolytes popped out of the doorway with a squirming woman dressed in tight leathers and covered in grease and oil. An engineer of some kind then. This seemed more and more like an occupied ship. Good to know goblins still couldn't craft a hut without it collapsing to a light sneeze three miles away. The vicious things didn’t need any more advantages in battle.

Another cry went up as the acolytes repelled down to the ground with their flailing charge. Yissgull dropped her at his teacher’s feet with a salute before dodging a most uncivilized kick for his groin from his charge. Feisty as her black hair was dark. Yissgull hid his mirth on his ruddy face as he stepped out of range. The man had grown into his role as Victorian Scout, and as a result number one on their list for becoming Ranger Sergeant when he made full Paladin. Pity the last of the Paladin Rangers had perished defeating the undead bone dragon on the mounts of Gorth just before their final stand upon the shining seas. Their training will be far more difficult now.

“Young maid,” began Xavos only to be interrupted in a rude but not unexpected fashion.

“Whose a maid ya shinny scarlet brute?!” The maiden stood with matted hair and piercing blue grey eyes. Xavos assumed he was the brute as his armor was scarlet indeed. Though there was a fair amount of gold not to mention his white cape that was significantly soiled after the previous events. Details hardly mattered when one was agitated after all.

“Pardon my lady, a figure of speech. Is this thy vessel or the craft of the vile apes who imprisoned you aboard?” Xavos was fairly certain he knew the answer, but confirmation couldn’t hurt.

“Now, these blokes may have been deserven of all what you boys done, but there's no need to be all rude about their race red boy,” the woman said with a wag of her finger like the Arch Paladin of Man was an over zealous school boy who had been too colorful with his language at a jousting tournament. Ignorance of the Paladins seemed to have stretched to humanity as well as goblins. Just how long had they been caught in that stasis field?

“Lady, I do not give mind to ones so vile, however I would know if this is thy vessel or the craft of the inner…” Xavos paused as he halted himself from insulting the races of the underworld. With a hidden sigh he continued in the hopes the woman would become more talkative without being beaten to a pulp by Antain for insulting his Arch Paladin,” inner terrain brethren.”

“Not my ship bossman, but I keep her flying for her captain if he’s still up there and all.”

Xavos turned to his scouts in question at the response. Yissgull shook his head, and pointed at the goblin bodies then to his mouth. Ah, the rest of the crew had been male and thus only good for a good meal and torture. Typical goblin filth.

Xavos was about to steer the conversation away from a delicate subject that might make the girl hysterical when a bamboo shoot sprung up from the ground and pointed at the Arch Paladin. Out from the empty tunnel of the plant echoed the voice of Bolane the Chief Page. The sound of the page’s shout coming from the plant was loud enough for all to hear much to the clear shock of the disheveled maiden engineer.

“My Arch Paladin! We have located the Ark of Xarmon, and she is beset by a fleet of goblins on the waves!” Upon hearing this Xavos felt out with his mind to the fortress. Once in contact with her stoic flow of energy the Paladin followed her magical tethers through the second heaven then back to the realm of the living, and the oceans far below. There indeed Xavos found the ark of Xarmon that Bolane had steered the isle’s spiritual tethers out to find. The Ark still sat seemingly unmoved from when she was caught in the stasis field with the Paladin’s flying castle.

There were a host of goblins of the same make as the ones they had dispatched swarming onto the decks of the lumbering ship. This was no coincidence. Somehow a dark party had known they would be freed from their stasis and had dispatched these barberous cannibals and headhunters to slaughter them while they still slept.

Without another word Xavos grabbed for Troll Cleaver, and went to make the cross for his portal only to be shocked to find a dark energy blocking his attempt. There was a mage of some power aboard those ships, or at least a talisman of great import which would have a will of its own to block the Arch Paladin’s spell. Though if their magic stores weren’t so depleted the curse would hardly have been enough to counter the Paladin’s island and magic. However, they only had energy for one more jump, and they would need to pick their move with care.

They could not risk stranding themselves by depleting the stores in a wizard’s duel victorious or not. Xavos bit his lip before looking up at the flying ship that could easily house himself, and a troop three times the size of his acolytes. The Lord worked in mysterious ways as Brother Jolun had always told him.

“Lady, can you maintain, and fly this vessel?”

“Of course I can fly her big boss.” The maiden said while poking the bamboo shoot that had grown before her eyes. Magic must have become more scarce as well or at least manipulation of botany. Fascinating.

“Bolane, prepare what weapons will not deplete our stores for a jump to land. I and the rest of the Acolytes will be taking the flying vessel to the aid of the Sea Dwarves.”

“Be cautious my Arch Paladin, these are strange affairs that none of us can predict.”

“Hey! Who said I was flying you anywhere big boss? Oi!” The woman bellowed as Xavos threw her over his shoulder, and jumped twenty feet up to the flying ship his acolytes close behind on the ropes. Every second more meant more of the dwarves of the deep waters would perish. The Arch Paladin would just have to deal with this uncouth stubborn mule dressed as a woman in transit to the aid of the ark. Xavos could be very persuasive when he put his mind to it. Even with mule women. Though he supposed at some point he would need to learn her name since the Paladin had already decided her services were necessary. Willing or not.