City of IF

[Lebrenth]

Episode 6, I Wanna Hold Your Hand

“There’s no time!” Jenn yells at Ross.

“Let him go,” Thomas says. If he makes it, good, if he doesn’t, one less share of the treasure to go around. With general approval, they aren’t too likely to leave without him, so Ross adjusts his belt and dives in.

“Someone needs to check the bottom of the boat,” Jim says immediately after.

“I’ll do it,” Jenn says dismally. “I can hold my breath longer than any of you. Including him,” she says shooting a finger into the water toward Ross. She’s not dumb enough to swim into the dangerous current after an octopus in the dark, but with a leaking boat unable to depart to safety, there’s no choice but to take a chance.

Memories wash over her like seawater as she lowers herself into the water. Memories of a portcullis submerged in the water with just a small opening on the left side that might be large enough for a person. It wasn’t to escape a prison or to invade a castle, or even for money. It was a just a dare. They dared her to try to get into the fortress, and she was going to prove she could do it. As she feels across the keel of the ship, she remembers the way the portcullis felt, though the two are not similar. The keel is smooth wood and the bars of the portcullis were sharp iron. The search is slow… she’s finding scrapes, but not cracks or holes. Briefly she is distracted by her flashback, when she found the opening below the portcullis, and pulled herself through on her back. It was a tight fit, maybe too tight, but halfway through the portcullis shifted ever so slightly. She thought it would impale her, but instead it clamped down on her stomach. She wasn’t afraid, though she knew she would soon drown if she did not free herself. But she had to decide whether she would try to back out or take the greater risk of pulling her hips through. She did not have narrow hips, and it was already uncertain if she even could back out the easier side. Jenn shakes the distracting thoughts out of her head and goes up for a quick breath of air before continuing the search.

Deeper in the water, Ross has drawn his sword. The submerged door waves with the to and fro current. It was where the octopus grabbed him last time. He didn’t bother to tell anyone the size of the octopus, which Ross could only surmise from the little he saw, but he could still tell it was much larger than your average octopus. Its tentacle could reach 10 feet out of the door without stretching, the octopus must be enormous. But this time Ross is ready. He moves in from the side slowly, ready to stab the first thing he sees. He peers through the door, but there is no sign of it. He pulls himself in and tentacles slowly reach for him from behind. He feels the first tentacle attach to his arm and has only a second to grab onto the doorframe as two more grab him. The octopus was expecting him it seems and it swam around the ship to wait for him. Now it wraps four of its tentacles around the bowsprit while the other four immobilizes the prey and waits for it to drown. Ross looks into the monstrous eye of the octopus, trying to comprehend its malevolent intelligence. He exerts all of his strength on the doorframe, but the strength of a man, even one as impressive as Ross, is not even close to enough to match the giant coils that ensnare him.

Barely above the water, none of the treasure hunters know his peril, except that he must be running out of air. Jenn finds a long crack in the hull and feels the looseness of the board beside it. The treasure hunters are more concerned now about the fact they’re losing the battle to the flooding water. The chest with the cat in it has started floating, the water is so deep. In a few minutes the ship may sink altogether.

There is a cracking sound. Ross may not be able to beat the octopus’s strength, but the old bowsprit breaks off and the octopus loses the point it was anchored to. For half a moment the octopus is surprised and its tentacles rush to find more things to grab hold of. It is enough for Ross to tear his sword arm from the tentacle. He stabs ferociously to cut himself free. The octopus quickly releases its dangerous prey, shooting thick ink everywhere. When the water clears, the octopus is gone, obviously preferring food that won’t cut its tentacles off.

Ross returns to the ship with more injuries, and this time there is something stuck on his back. Ethan peels the tentacle off mercilessly.

“A souvenir?” he says. Ross hasn’t recovered enough to retaliate. It would be funnier if the boat wasn’t sinking. Jim slices open his waterskin and crams it in the crack. It isn’t great, but it slows the water a lot. The boat will definitely need to get to the harbor for repairs.

“Can we go yet?” Jenn asks Ross.

“No way, I have him on the ropes now,” he says and decides he’s recovered enough. He dives in again while the others continue to fight the water level and the rough waves. Fortunately they have a chance now that the crack is plugged.

The sunken ship is dark inside, but its treasure is not hidden. Amongst the discarded bones of previous divers, a rich green jade statuette of a Chinese-style dragon awaits. Bait for humans, Ross thinks to himself. It’s heavy, but moveable. He slowly swims back up to the boat, Thomas and Ethan help pull the statue in and then Ross. Ross is smiling.

“Now we can go,” he says. He didn’t kill the octopus, but he took its treasure and that’s got to piss it off.

“About time,” Jenn says. This time she doesn’t let Jim do all the work. It’s not like she doesn’t know about ropes and knots too. They depart from the shipwreck before they become a shipwreck themselves. The water level is slowly dropping, as is the strength of those scooping it out. But the wind is in favor of the crew for an hour, and just a bit off course for the rest of the way. Everyone is a soggy exhausted mess, but they pull around the southern lighthouse and drift into the Gadiri Harbor.

They can’t get off soon enough, and they’re happy to feel the solid dock under their feet.


Most of the crew rests for a few minutes while Jim talks to sailorly sorts to arrange for repairs. But after a few dark looks from certain passersby, they decide they better get the treasure to the Fabled Island Trading House immediately. It seems a few of people recognize the boat too, or at least think they do, and realize it suddenly has new owners.


Everyone leaves together with weapons drawn to claim the bounty for Sylvie and the Jade Statuette. They pass the armed mercenary guards and enter the large square red-brick building. Various stock of the trading house crowds the walls and few more mercenaries sit on benches against the wall, playing cards and muttering discontentedly.

“Excellent, well done,” says a man with a long ponytail. He has deep crow’s feet when he smiles and a small crescent-shaped scar between his eyebrows. “It’s been a while since we’ve had anything new come in.”

The mercenaries stop muttering and move in to see what was brought. The treasure hunters place the statuette, and the chest with the cat, on the counter.

“The Jade Dragon Statuette! That’s worth 270 F. And what’s in here?”

“That’s Sylvie, we’re claiming the reward for her next,” Thomas says.

“I’m authorized to pay you. I’ll take the cat and see that she’s brought to her owner. Does she still have the silver collar? You know that’s worth Fables too.”

Lebrenth opens the chest, and looks in the bag, the cat immediately jumps up with her teeth and claws bared, so Lebrenth quickly slams the chest closed.

“Yep, still has the collar. Altogether that will be 475 Fables.”

“The cost to repair the ship is 7 Fables,” Jim says. “Let’s deduct that from the bounty before we split it.”

“Sounds good,” Thomas says. “Is there a safe place to keep our Fables?”

“No worries,” Lebrenth says, “all of your Fables are safe, even from each other. What you need to worry about is where you’re going to search next. If I may offer some advice, I’d go ask the blind man for more clues to the treasures’ whereabouts while you’re here.”

“We also have a few other things we’d like to sell,” Thomas says, referring to the booty taken from the freebooters.

“Sorry, not interested.”

“We don’t want much for them.”

“I’m overstocked on everything. The only things I want are on this list,” Lebrenth emphasizes and points to a list of treasures (now with three of them crossed off). “Good luck.”

[Lebrenth]

Tell me when you've finished reading so I can send you your Fables. It wouldn't do to send them to you now because it would spoil the result of the story, wouldn't it?

[Jack_D.Mented]

That was cool.

I'm liking this.

Is it odd if I keep seein my character as Jason Statham (you know, the Transporter), as my character?

Let's talk to the blind dude.

[Lebrenth]

Jack_D.Mented wrote: That was cool.

I'm liking this.

Is it odd if I keep seein my character as Jason Statham (you know, the Transporter), as my character?

Let's talk to the blind dude.


I haven't visualized him as Jason Stratham (I imagine Ross is taller), but I bet he'll start looking like that in my head next time I write a chapter. I hope that's a good thing.

Also, talking to the blind dude is listed in FITH. Any time you are in Gadiri Harbor you can buy clues. It doesn't even have to go to the polls. The trick is who will pay for them. Anyway, if you do buy clues, you won't have to wait till the next chapter to read them. There's already a list of treasure clues in FITH and I'll just add the clues there as they are paid for.

If you want to buy clues, they're 3 for 5 Fables. Pick three treasures and I'll list the clues for them in FITH.

I'm so greedy! HAHAHAHAHA!


Oh, and I'm sending your Fables to you now, Jack.

[LordoftheNight]

Nice work Jack. One Statue for selling.

Getting hints off the old man seems a good idea. In actual poll options though, I think we should head NE, after the White Skipper Monkey - it seems the most obvious clue in terms of directions.

[Chinaren]

Huzzah! Money! We are rich! Rich I tells ya! Time for easy ale and strong women.

Anway, I say we ask around for the Heart of Akala, go for the biggie.

Either that or the Roc egg. I reckon I could put a bullet through a Roc eye from a good distance. Good eating on those too.

So off to old blindey, and perhaps the ale house.

[D-Lotus]

Good chapter.

The mondeys seem too dangerous. I think the lava fields are more promising, especially since there is a clue.

[Lebrenth]

All right, the poll is up. Sadly, no one has purchased any clues from the old blind man or else you'd have more to work with. And I was so careful to make sure that EVERY TREASURE had it's own purchaseable clue. Oh well.

[chiacutie]

voted to stay in gardiri harbor ;)

Everyone gets treasure then?

[D-Lotus]

Lebrenth wrote: All right, the poll is up. Sadly, no one has purchased any clues from the old blind man or else you'd have more to work with. And I was so careful to make sure that EVERY TREASURE had it's own purchaseable clue. Oh well.

Darn, I forgot! Is it still too late to purchase before we leave?

[Lebrenth]

Quote:
Darn, I forgot! Is it still too late to purchase before we leave?

Nope, there's still time. Anyone can purchase from FITH until the poll closes (which means I'm writing the next chapter). Go check out the new treasure clues in FITH! (Click the gold "F" at the beginning of the thread).

[Chinaren]

Connelly Fortress has two treasures it seems, we should be heading that way for efficiency says I.

[chiacutie]

well see once i get my 3 clues, maybe another has two as well

[Kalanna Rai]

Jack keeps seeing Ross as the transporter dude (the first movie was okay the second not so hot) but I keep seeing Jenn as Laura Croft (not the Angelina version either)...once again is that your doing Lebby?

Went for the fortress and YAY FABLEZ! I knew this was a good venture.

[Lebrenth]

Kalanna Rai wrote: Jack keeps seeing Ross as the transporter dude (the first movie was okay the second not so hot) but I keep seeing Jenn as Laura Croft (not the Angelina version either)...once again is that your doing Lebby?

Went for the fortress and YAY FABLEZ! I knew this was a good venture.

Actually, I see Jenn looking an awful lot like your avatar....

[Lebrenth]

Does anyone know why this thread just got stretched out? I just asked Kalanna Rai to change her sig, but her sig isn't stretching other threads, so I'm not sure what's going on!

If anyone's having a hard time reading the story, try doing the old copy and paste trick and reading it in notepad or something.

[LordoftheNight]

Not sure - it's not stretched for me. Sometimes it just is for no reason.

[chiacutie]

Lebrenth wrote: Kalanna Rai wrote: Jack keeps seeing Ross as the transporter dude (the first movie was okay the second not so hot) but I keep seeing Jenn as Laura Croft (not the Angelina version either)...once again is that your doing Lebby?

Went for the fortress and YAY FABLEZ! I knew this was a good venture.

Actually, I see Jenn looking an awful lot like your avatar....

I told her that her av reminded me of Angelina Jolie-also, there was another version? Hm, you learn something new every day.

Oh just give me any clues since 2 of mine couldnt be used. Surprise me.

[Lebrenth]

Quote: Oh just give me any clues since 2 of mine couldnt be used. Surprise me.

I've listed the extra clue now.

[D-Lotus]

Its a tie. Does that mean we do both?

[LordoftheNight]

Smudgey re-entered didn't he? Ask him for the deciding vote.

[Lebrenth]

Smudger's on it. What a nice guy.

I would like to announce that in the spirit of the season, I'm going to add 100 Fables of value to every treasure IF we can get two more IFians to sponsor a treasure hunter. It dismays me that the experiment for sponsoring characters hasn't really had a chance yet and two more participants would go a long way. I would be adding 1500 Fables worth of extra value, which I can easily afford and it would have given everyone about 30F more for the last treasure (which seems a worthier sum).

Just two! That's all I ask!

[Smudger]

Thank you for reminding me Lebby! Anyway go to Connelly fortress and get more treasure. And don't I get any money from treasure :-o ?

[Lebrenth]

Smudger wrote: Thank you for reminding me Lebby! Anyway go to Connelly fortress and get more treasure. And don't I get any money from treasure :-o ?

I haven't given Fables to anyone who hasn't commented since the last chapter, which includes Blue Duck and Hak. It's true that they don't have to participate to get rewards, but I would like a little P.M. or something to let me know they're there. Anyway, you've commented so I'll send yours :).

[Masterweaver]

WOW.

And again, a masterpeice has been born!

[Lebrenth]

Thanks! Glad you like it. I'm starting the next chapter soon.

[Idea master]

Is it far too late to get in on this? It seems like fun.

[Kalanna Rai]

I don't think you can add any new characters...well maybe you'll have to talk to Lebby for that. But you can sponsor other characters already in the game. You help buy gear, or clues, and you get a share of the wealth.

[Lebrenth]

Idea master wrote: Is it far too late to get in on this? It seems like fun.

You know how much I've hoped for that question?

Rai's got it right. To join the story, pick one of the treasure hunters to sponsor (I've listed them below). Then you are entitled to a vote and an equal share of the treasure. The character you choose is your representative, and his well-being is vital. If he dies (or otherwise removed from the story) you lose your vote and any future shares of the treasure. Cost to join is 70 Fables, paid to me. Click the Gold "F" at the top of the thread to go to the Trading House where you'll find a lot more information, including character lists, equipment lists, and treasures and treasure secrets....

But don't feel overwhelmed. Most of the work has been taken care of by the current treasure hunters. Just pick a treasure hunter to sponsor and donate 70 Fables, and you're in.

Thomas Newark, marksman
Chia Cutie, muse
Ross Miskin, pit fighter
Ethan Gerry, mythic creature hunter
Jennifer Stoaks, escape artist
Jim Cost, sailor
Aspi, spearwoman

[chiacutie]

i reccomend choosing me.

[Masterweaver]

I would perfer to have an original character.

[Lebrenth]

Masterweaver wrote: I would perfer to have an original character.

And I don't blame you for a second. But I'm afraid it isn't an option. Sorry.

[chiacutie]

Once again, I reccomend me ;)

[Masterweaver]

Is there any way you could make it an option?

[Lebrenth]

Masterweaver wrote: Is there any way you could make it an option?

Sure I could, I'm the author, but I have enough characters to write. Maybe if we didn't already have Thomas, Jeremy, Jim, Father Charles, Chia, Jenn, Juan, Aspi, Ethan, and Ross, I would be more willing, but it's a lot to write already. Sorry.