Chapter 127 A Challenge (1/2)
Rassa woke the next morning with a smile on his face. The hunt the night before had been much easier than on the ship, and it had been satisfactory in ridding his mouth of the taste of skewers. No matter how good they tasted to Jorl, Aegin and Ebony, to him they were no better than dirt, something that irked him tremendously. Seeing the enjoyment on their faces really made him miss human food, if only to be able to taste it the same as them. Alas, it seemed that his taste buds were now only attuned to blood, blood and more blood.
It was perhaps an hour after dawn when Rassa awoke. Now that the ship was docked, he wasn't technically obligated to perform any duties beyond keeping the ship clean and performing his watch according to the schedule. Today however, Rassa was free to explore Rouke, something he was looking forward to. He had yet to really explore any land, and the prospect of such a venture made him surprisingly happy.
After dressing, Rassa ventured above decks in preparation to explore the Port in the daylight.
”Rassa,” the call came from the Quarter Deck, and Rassa looked over in surprise. Jeremiah awaited him at the top of the stairs, and looked as if he had been waiting there for some time.
Rassa only hesitated a moment however before approaching his Captain.
”Yes, Captain?” asked Rassa, thinking that the Captain had a task for him to perform before he went off an explored.
If Rassa had known what the Captain was going to say that morning, perhaps he would have made an effort to awaken earlier in order to avoid him. But one cannot avoid the inevitable forever.
”Come in to my office, I have something to discuss with you,” Jeremiah stated, and Rassa followed without complaint.
Jeremiah's office was at the rear of the quarter deck. At first glance it did not appear very large from the outside. Upon entrance however, Rassa found that the far wall had a row of windows that sat behind a wooden writing desk. Either side wall was lined with book shelves covered in diamond shaped slots that held scrolls of various kinds. Rassa would bet on most of them being maps though. The centre of the room was dominated by a table about 4 times larger than the little writing desk, with maps and official looking documents spread across it as if left over from a discussion Rassa had not been privy to. On top of the table also sat a wooden chest which looked somewhat out of place compared to all the charts and maps.
This chest was clearly the object of Rassa's visit to the Captain's office as Jeremiah walked straight for it.
”I have a task for you, Rassa,” Jeremiah began, ”And I'll be first to admit it is a test of sorts”.
”A test, Captain?” asked Rassa.
Jeremiah looked over his shoulder at Rassa, his eyes stating clearly that he wouldn't put up with any sort of act.
”What is it you need?” Rassa rephrased.
Jeremiah turned back to the chest and opened it, stepping aside to show the contents to Rassa, ”Have you ever heard of Vanguard?”
Rassa took a step forward, though he did not need to. With a quick glance at the daggers he immediately recognised the crystals locked into the end of their hilts. Just like the one that the Ridge Man had had with his whip. An Elemental Crystal.
”Once,” Rassa said. Looking at the serious expression of the Captain, there was not talking his way out or around whatever the situation was, ”It was not pleasant”.
Jeremiah's eyebrow rose, ”So you know its capabilities?”
”The Crystal's stored energy is expelled through the weapon upon being triggered,” Rassa replied.
”Stored energy?” asked Jeremiah, ”Admittedly you seem to know more than what I do”.
Rassa sighed, ”I'm going to assume that these daggers expel lightning?”
Jeremiah nodded, ”Quite devestatingly. Evanine Crystals have shown a property we haven't before known”.
”Where I come from,” Rassa said, ”We call them Elemental Crystals”.
Jeremiah's eyes narrowed, ”Where you come from?”