Read Online End Online: Volume 5 by D. Wolfin - Free Book Online

staring daggers at them.
    ***************************************************
    Mikhail the Stalwart, Moonkite and their party have been waiting
for us in front of the inn since sunrise as we had arranged. Due to the morning
commotion, however, the rest of us are slightly late in meeting them. Despite
this, they don’t seem to be displeased in the slightest and greet us as if they
didn’t even realize.
    “Good morning. Hmm, something seems strange,” Mikhail the
Stalwart says from beneath his visor while looking across our party.
    I can’t exactly blame him for thinking the scene is strange. My
chagrined expression. Fen standing extremely close to, but not touching, me.
Mason and Sir Laurence sporting mischievous expressions. Even a complete
stranger could tell something had happened.
    CaptainGordon clears his throat, and holds an upturned palm
toward each of our parties. “Now, per the agreement, tha’ be 600 gold each.”
    Moonkite hands over all the gold from her side, while we each
pitch in from our side to cover the cost. I pay for Fen as she is my companion
as has no gold, and Sir Laurence pays for Verde for some reason.
    “Aye, it be a pleasure doing business with ya. Now, if ye follow
me, I will lead ye to me ship.” The pirate waves his hand and motions for us to
follow as he begins to walk toward the eastern exit of the town.
    Most of the players here don’t know me, but a few call out to
CaptainGordon with mockery and laughter. Apparently, he is quite infamous in
this town. I wonder what his story is.
    We leave town and start walking through a thin forest with the
trees spaced so far apart that I am unsure whether it even deserves to be
called a forest at all. My cloak has the ability to regulate the temperature
around my body, but even that can only do so much. I still have light
perspiration covering my face from the stifling humidity.
    We slowly veer south and I think I spot a few markings on some
of the trees that CaptainGordon is using as a guide. After two straight hours
of walking, we reach a rather wide section of a river where a large number of
ships are anchored along the shore, each and every one of them bearing a
different pirate flag.
    There are several hundred players around as well, tending to the
boats, smithing weapons, or haggling over stolen goods. Off to my right, I see
the river narrows off to the north and south. I imagine that this river
connects to the ocean; there is no other reason for so many pirates to be
anchored here.
    “Welcome to ‘Smuggler’s Bay’, where all pirates from this ‘ere
area gather,” CaptainGordon lifts his chin and says proudly.
    “Umm, is it good to show us the location of this place?” I ask
him while still looking around at everything. “I mean, isn’t a location like
this supposed to be a secret?”
    “This close to that ‘ere town? Nay, it not be a secret. Most
players from the area know of this place. There be several other pirate bays as
well. As long as we don’t tie our ships up next to the merchant’s, they don’t
mind much. This be only a game.”
    I nod my head just to drop the subject, even though I still
don’t understand. We walk along the shore toward the north, where I assume
CaptainGordon’s ship is.
    “Gordon, headin’ out with a new crew? Make sure to catch some
big ones this time!” One pirate calls out, following up with booming laughter.
The captain only clicks his tongue, ignoring the comment and moving on.
    We eventually reach a ship anchored along the shore of the river
which I can only describe with a single word; strange.
    The boat is about thirty meters long and ten meters wide, not
the smallest boat in the immediate area, but also far from the largest ones
that seem to be almost twice its size. What is really eye catching about this
boat and makes it unique is all the tarnished grey-iron plates attached all
over the sides of the bow like patches. The hand railings around the deck of
the ship and even the two