A nephilim, a titan, and a goblin. None of them looked ordinary. The nephilim's wings were extremely vibrant. Even the black one didn't give off a sinister air. A black and white shield peeked out from behind the nephilim's back. He was like a guardian at night and day, extremely formidable.
Compared to him the goblin didn't appear powerful at all, carrying none of the air of a warrior. He was small even compared to others of his race, wearing large yellow trousers and a tattered brown hat. An immense shadow fell on the nephilim and the goblin. It was caused by the towering form of a titan.
Even when sitting the latter was as tall as an adult troll like Lekraxc or one hundred goblins stacked on top of each other. His body seemed to be created from a unique material. It resembled flesh and blood but with a metallic, golden lustre. His form was like a sculpted statue. If he were the height of a human many would praise his perfect figure. With just the right number of muscles and impeccable proportions.
Each of the three people on the painting were proudly holding a fish in their hands.
"So those are Inerwos, Zelgor, and…?"
The friends studied the painting, sinking deep into thought. Everyone had this strange feeling. This goblin, he seemed familiar. But where had they seen him before? Finally, it was Cyclone who remembered first:
"Wasn't that the goblin we had to free during my class quest?"
"Riiight. He was caught by some bandits."
"Oh, it's that boasting fisher. Now I remember."
One by one everyone's eyes lit up. They reminisced about that old quest. It was the first time that Liam bought rope ladders, and they learned about Radiant Shield's fear of heights.
"Ok, at least we know that goblin. This makes things easier. But how do we find him now? Do we have to return to that bandit camp?"
Just as Balm asked this, the party's quest upgraded. A large area was marked on the map, indicating for the friends to search there. It was somewhere in the western ocean, far from the place where the goblin, Ruxor, had been caught by bandits previously.
Still, the friends were somewhat curious what would have happened if they had gone back to the bandit camp. Liam explained that they would indeed find Ruxor caught in a cage, but the goblin wouldn't answer any of their questions pertaining to the current quest. Thus, they could only honestly follow their quest marker.
With a new target in mind the friends didn't stay much longer. They placated a few of their fans before returning to the novice village. One teleport later and they appeared in Heavenly Pearl City, the capital of the Xia Dynasty of the Western Ocean. Even in this serene city the atmosphere felt a little heated. Players were busying to fetch quests and the debates among scholars were fiercer than usual. The upcoming war was gradually affecting all of Crunaboul.
The friends had no time for leisure. They rushed towards the harbour and rented a boat for two gold. It was expensive but there was no helping it. If they had a definite target like an island in mind, they could find ways to get there without spending so much money. But forced to search blindly they had no other choice but to rent the expensive boat.
"I will be the captain!"
While Cyclone and Balm wore reluctant expressions, Quickstep was grinning brightly. She was the first to board and ran towards the tall steering wheel. The friends found it quite amusing to see such a side of her. They loosened the ropes and hissed the single sail, and the boat slowly left the harbour.
After a few minutes they were out on the ocean and the boat sped up. The clouds passed by and Heavenly Pearl City disappeared behind the horizon. Towards the other side black dots quickly enlarged in one's vision. This was the magic of travelling in a game. Quickstep gave the steering wheel a hearty slap and the boat drew a sharp curve towards the north.
"No... not…"
Cyclone could barely speak as her skin turned green and her head became dizzy. She leaned against the railing with closed eyes, telling herself that if Radiant Shield could combat his fear of heights, she could also overcome her seasickness. Alas, it would take more than one session to do so and as Cyclone felt her stomach churn it wouldn't take long until she would have to vomit.
Meanwhile Quickstep had the time of her life, joking and laughing with Silent Acacia and the others.
"That's the freedom of the ocean! Awesome! It's such a pity we can't experience that on Falva Star…"
"Who knows. The army is working on it, right? The beasts have already been repelled from the most important coasts. In a few years we might be able to sail the ocean.", answered Silver Blade. Silent Acacia didn't agree entirely:
"Yeah. But even then, we won't have old-school boats like this one. It won't feel like we are real sailors…"
"True. The feeling might not be the same. But isn't this exactly why Crunaboul is so great? Sometimes I find it really funny to watch videos of some role-players. They are even more dedicated than Radiant Shield and Bloody Edge. You know what sailors in those videos always do? They are singing sea shanties!", exclaimed Balm with a grin.
She was immediately hit with various reactions. From Quickstep's eyes lighting up, the others shrugging their shoulders, to Silver Blade waving her hands in rejection. Even Cyclone perked up. She raised her head with difficulty and said:
"Yes… singing is a good idea."
The blond mage glanced at Silver Blade as she said this. She was instantly hit with a killer gaze. She felt like laughing out loud but then her stomach churned, and Cyclone had to lean her body over the railing.
Everyone noticed Silver Blade's strange reaction. Quickstep looked over, saying:
"Those who don't want to sing don't need to. But the rest, chime in any time. One, two, three… What shall we do…"
Quickstep's voice sounded over the ocean. It was nice to listen to, easily good enough for some sea chanties. The others recognized the song and chimed in. The choir of six people was quickly formed. At first, they were a bit quiet but after a while they lost all reservations, singing heartily.
Meanwhile the boat never stopped racing over the Western Ocean. The friends swiftly approached the area marked on their map. They could see a few smaller islands from time to time. There were those occupied by various forces, both strong and weak. Some islands only carried a few fishing villages. Others were devoid of people. But this didn't mean they were barren. They could still carry treasures waiting for the destined adventurer to unveil them. However, none of these islands looked like they had traces of Ruxor the goblin.
"… and now it's time to say goodbye…"
The friends' voices still rang through the air. But suddenly Silver Blade frowned. She focused on her ears. Did she just imagine it? No, there was indeed one more voice joining in, right?
"Hey, guys. Be quiet for a moment please."
"Hm, why? Do you want to hear a different song?", asked Balm. The others were also confused but they knew Silver Blade wouldn't interrupt them without a reason. As they turned silent, they were surprised to hear a singular voice continue singing. It was extremely comfortable and soothing, inviting everyone to just stop and dream.
For a moment the friends all felt their thoughts trailing off. Even Liam couldn't resist it. Fortunately, they weren't caught in the magic for long. They woke up with goosebumps all over their skin.
"What was that just now?"
"A singing voice at sea, tempting sailors. Sounds familiar. It's a siren, isn't it?"
Right as Quickstep said this, the quest upgraded again.
"We are supposed to investigate the siren island? Don't tell me that goblin has been caught by sirens?"
"Are sirens dangerous?", asked Balm.
"Well, depends on the story. From what I know they usually tempt sailors, causing them to crash their ships into reefs. But I don't think they are like man-eating monsters, are they?"
Quickstep wasn't quite confident in her own explanation, looking at the others. But no one was more knowledgeable about sirens than her.
"Whatever. We are still in a game. If worst comes to worst, we just fight our way through!"
"Acacia is right. What are we worried about?"
The friends perked up, encouraging each other. Quickstep lightly nudged the steering wheel, directing the boat towards the source of the voice. It didn't take long for a solitary rock to come into few. There was a person sitting on it. Her lower body was submerged in the water, only showing her nearly bare upper body. With flawless skin, innocent eyes, and long, green hair, her appearance could seduce men and women alike.
"Is that a siren?"
Even Cyclone momentarily forgot her seasickness as she murmured this. Just then the siren's eyes fell on the boat. She showed an inviting smile before sliding off the rock and disappearing into the water.