The Devil's Dreams: A Boy and his Shadow

[steveflam]

Juergin says nothing and begins his way towards the wreckages which he gauged at around fifteen minutes away. He takes his time. He drags the tarp if he can so it weighs less than if he had folded it.

[ewancummins]

a short while later...

The moonlight shows the rotting hulk of a galleon mired in the clinging weeds, just a little distance ahead. Shadowy figures move about on the tilted, broken upper deck of the vessel. The strains of an ill-tuned fiddle rise from someplace in the hold.

Juergin's friend whispers from his hiding place under the tarp-
''Pirates.... They may have things we need...

[steveflam]

Juergin clenches his fists. "Pirates, those sons of bitches....." he curses under his breath. His heart races, the thought of exacting revenge on maybe even the same pirates responsible for his father's death! Taking a deep breath, he relaxes. "All right, my new friend. It's dark and they can't see much. I am young, but do know that in the early early hours of the morning these idiots will be lackadaisical and not on alert at all."

His fist pumps in the air in victory. "We'll get close enough not to be seen. If they're there, that means there's means of transportation. Means of escape from here. Let's get closer and rest then make a move in the wee hours of the morning." The lad removes a dagger and holds it in his hands. Now the long wait begins. Waiting for the wee hours.

[ewancummins]

several hours later...

The eastern sky is hazy with a soft pre-dawn glimmer.

The rotting hulk of the ship is quiet now, and Juergin sees no activity on deck or in the tangled, tattered rigging.

[steveflam]

Juergin whispers to the thing. "Let's go now. You will check out the ship for the supplies I will need and if anyone is awake. Just cause I don't see anything doesn't mean noone is awake. If they got onto the ship, their ship can not be that far. I guess that means that their is some type of small rowing boat near them." As they walk towards the pirates, Juergin rattles off his list of supplies he thinks he'll need. He is also taking his time so as not to make any noise to waken the pirates. [In other words he is taking twenty to make sure]

[ewancummins]

Juergin and his unseen friend creep towards the weed-entnagled, rotting hulk.

After what seems to the boy like a very long time slithering through the seaweed, he has reached the side of the vessel. Juergin spots a large crack in the hull just a few feet above the 'island's' green surface. It's big enough to admit a slender lad like him.

A shadow shifts in the moonlight, moving quickly along the side of the ship. It vanishes, seemingly swallowed by the crack in the timbers.

All is still and silent for a little while, and then a whispering voice sounds in Juergin's ear-

''The pirates are asleep, boy- all but one. He gaurds the door to the hold where his fellows sleep. They have many things, boy- food, fresh water, rope- and a small boat. All this is kept in the hold. "

Juergin cannot see his friend; only his friend's shadow on the side of the ship. The figure cast by moonlight is manlike in from, but hunched and squat.

[steveflam]

"Can you help me distract the man that is awake? I've never killed a person before. I may have to do just that to the filthy pirate. Help me get rid of the wakened one. We can't wake the others, though. Then, we'll get supplies and take the boat back to the mainland."

[ewancummins]

''Yes, I can help you."

[steveflam]

" Okay, let's do this, then." Juergin moves up the the ship and attempts to climb up onto as silently as possible. Once topside, he'll whisper. "I'll let you go first, then. I'll need some kind of signal."

[ewancummins]

''I will crawl ahead, and you must come along in my wake. You will hear my voice again, and that will be our time to strike."
Juergin does not actually see his friend move ahead of him, but he does feel alone on the deck.

After waiting a short while, Juergin advances with all the stealth he can manage.

The boy locates a short wooden stairway with a hatch at the bottom. Pushing through the creaking, warped door, he enters the gloomy space of the lower deck. Here, the only light comes from a lantern hanging from the ceiling at the end of the short, narrow hall. The hall ends in a door guarded by a burly lout who holds a cutlass in his big right hand.

The shadow of the guard, cast on the closed door, changes shape. A short, malformed shadow emerges from the guard's elongated silhouette. The shadow-thing grows larger. It reaches out and claws at the lantern hanging from the ceiling. The light grows dim for a moment. The guard, perhaps sensing something is wrong, turns round to check the lantern. The monstrous shadow melts away even as the man turns his back on Juergin.

A faint voice reaches the boy's ears-

''Now."

[ewancummins]

Juergin creeps up and stabs the pirate in the back. The boy stabs the pirate twice more before the man's body hits the ground. The only sound the pirate makes is a soft gurgle, and then he is silent. Blood slowly pools around the body.

[steveflam]

Juergin moves as quietly as he can. "Lead me to the supplies. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to.""

The boys heart is beating fast and he has a strange feeling after having killed the pirate.

[ewancummins]

The shadow whispers-

''The boy will have to be silent as a shadow. The pirates sleep with their supplies. They must not waken...make sure of it, one way, or the other."

[steveflam]

OOC: Juergin will take 20 if he has to. I don't weant him going on a killing spree either


IC: "No problem. Let's go get my supplies and get out of here."

[ewancummins]

Juergin sneaks into the hold, where a dozen filthy, ragged men sleep in hammocks. The only light in the hold comes through a grill in the ceiling. The stale air reeks of sweat, seaweed, vile grog, and old fish. None of the men wear armor, but all sleep with weapons neat them; rusty cutlasses, cudgels, dirks, and so on.

The boy moves very quietly among the sleeping men, and pilfers the sacks and chests of supplies that are stacked haphazardly about the hold.
His pack is about half full of waterskins, bottle, and biscuits when a man to his left suddenly wakens.


''Unhhh....ehhhhh- who? '
The man, still half -asleep, clumsily reaches for Juergin...