Probably Not the Pirates Code (2/2)

And Renny, Threadbare thought, but he stayed silent. It looks like they hadn't noticed the little fox golem, had written him off as a toy.

They weren't used to Cylvania's golems, that was clear enough. He filed it away under something to think over later.

“We were actually thinking of giving this room to you while you're... staying with us,” Stormanorm continued. “But now we're shipwrecked, so I'm searching it for useful stuff those ass... uh, honored guests might have left behind.”

Threadbare considered the door, then nodded. “I'll help you look.”

“Sure, come on in.”

The room was curved on one end, walls coming to a point on the opposite side from the door. It was wide but not particularly long, and he rather thought that it was a bit small for five people. But then two of them were halvens, so that was something perhaps?

The signs of the prior occupants were everywhere. Fine sheets had been hung to curtain off sections of the room, and a chamberpot nearby had spilled a bit during the crash. It probably smelled quite bad to anyone who was breathing. A table, bolted to the floor, was a centerpiece to the room, and the remnants of a meal were strewn about it. Beyond, curtains that were tilted open due to the angle of the ship on the ledge showed bunks set into the walls, and bedding that was hanging off of the wood and leather strapwork that stood in for mattresses.

“I'm not seeing a lot from here,” Threadbare said, and made his way back behind the curtain.

“I picked things over pretty well already. That and I don't think they left too much. Ah... I'll go ahead and clean up the chamber pot so you don't run into the mess by accident. These things are supposed to seal if they tilt, but they've never worked properly. So hopefully we'll find a better batch to steal at some point.”

“I'll let you know if I find anything,” Threadbare replied, poking back around the little living area that had probably accommodated the halvens.

There wasn't much to it. Two bunks. A few shelves, that were quite empty. A clothes mannequin that Threadbare thought could serve as an animi if it came down to it, and a stain on the floor from some prior meal that trailed underneath the lower bunk.

Since Stormanorm was being nice about cleaning the chamberpot, Threadbare rather thought the least he could do was clean this one, so he went back, got a spare sponge and bucket from the distracted beastkin, and set to work.

It was quite a long stain. Spilled wine or something of the sort, and it stretched all the way to the back wall. It was very tight under the bunk, barely tall enough for him to stand upright. He had to leave the bucket outside as he worked, returning for water whenever the sponge got dry.

Then his hat caught on the wood above him, and he glanced up, trying to work it free without ripping.

It had caught on a splintery line, carved into the frame of the bunk, he saw. A line that met several other lines, to form the shape of a bear's face.

And next to them were tiny, carved words.

READ + REMEMBER, they said.

Further down was a series of symbols. But they didn't make much sense at first glance.

RDBOSS + BY 4 CL

2WIZ REV

9ROG

KNIROG

KINGROG

It was a secret message, and there was no doubt that it had been left for him. But what did it mean?