Scalvoris Town Beaches
17th Saun, 717
17th Saun, 717
“And you're sure that you saw them here?”
The light of the sun never faded during Saun, but that didn't mean that the people of Scalvoris never slept. Generally speaking Tio didn't like the increase in light at the time of day when he prefered to be working, after all his line of work was so much easier under the cover of the dark, but there were times when he had to admit it could be useful.
Today was one of those times.
He and a gang of four other men, all the rough, thuggish looking kind you'd expect to find in the shadier corners of a tavern, had come to a patch of beach a good two hour's walk away from the edge of Scalvoris Town. One of them, the biggest of the five and the one with the most scars across their face, was blindfolded and sat far away from the sea holding four thick ropes, whilst the other four stood barefoot at the shoreline with the other ends of the ropes wrapped around their waists and harpoons in their hands. There was a palpable tension in the air as they all scanned the ocean before them for something, just as they had been for a good half a break now.
“I'm certain. Blighters almost drowned me here a couple a’ trials ago.” One of the other men, the wariest of the group, replied grimly. “They'll show up-... hang on, there they are!”
All eyes turned to the water as an orb of light flickered to life beneath the water, flittering around playfully as if inviting them to come closer. Something about the light instantly drew Tio’s eyes towards it, luring his attention with a gentle but ever-increasing pull, but just as he began to lose himself in the light a sharp pull around the waist brought him back to reality.
“Look away blondie! A few steps further and you'll be close enough for them to attack you!” The gruff voice of the blindfolded man behind him growled reproachfully. It was only then that Tio realised his feet felt wet, and looked down to see that he'd taken a couple of steps forward into the sea without even realising it! Damn these creatures were scary; they'd tricked him into walking towards their trap and hadn't even known it! He stepped back in line with the other men, all of whom had their eyes firmly shut or were pointedly looking elsewhere, and forced his gaze down firmly to his feet.
The water around the front of his feet grew brighter and brighter, and a quick look upwards confirmed that a number of other lights had also sprang up in the water and danced around together like a shower of sparks. He sensed slow movement from the men besides him, and shut his eyes as he raised the first of his harpoons to throw.
“NOW!” The man besides him yelled!
With a snap Tio opened his eyes and threw his harpoon towards the light nearest to him, wincing as the harpoon missed its target and splashed into the water besides it uselessly at the same time the other men’s harpoons hit their marks. The lights flicked off in an instant and Tio caught a glimpse of shadows under the water darting away in panic, but had no time to consider them as he blindly threw his other harpoons as rapidly as he could. In just a few seconds the creatures were gone, swimming away into the deeper water further than any of them could throw their harpoons, but the tinge of red in the water proved that not all of the targets had gotten away.
The four rope-bound men waded into the water and collected their scattered harpoons, giving a shout of victory as they raised the one's that'd found their marks into the air. Impaled on the tips of some of them were long eel-like creatures that the locals called Siren Lights, creatures feared for the hypnotic power of the light they produced.
“Mac an’ me got three, an’ Pete got four. How many did you hit Tio?” The man beside him asked as the group came back shore and piled their harpoons together on the beach. Before he could answer however the others spotted that his hands were empty and frowned. “Nothing? You didn't hit any of them?”
“Sorry, I'm neither a good fisher nor a good thrower. I was never going to be any good at this part.” Tio replied apologetically, shooting them what he hoped was a disarming grin. “But hey, it was my idea to use the blindfold and ropes to protect us from being ensnared by the lights! Surely that earns me my cut.”
The man frowned. “I suppose. Alright then, ten between the five of us makes two each.” He handed the smallest of the Siren Lights he was holding over to him. “What do you want them for anyway? If you're looking to sell them I know a good guy to take them to.”
Tio smirked as he turned to leave. “No that's okay, I have something else in mind for these little beauties. Thanks again for the help buddy, let's do this again some other time.”
The light of the sun never faded during Saun, but that didn't mean that the people of Scalvoris never slept. Generally speaking Tio didn't like the increase in light at the time of day when he prefered to be working, after all his line of work was so much easier under the cover of the dark, but there were times when he had to admit it could be useful.
Today was one of those times.
He and a gang of four other men, all the rough, thuggish looking kind you'd expect to find in the shadier corners of a tavern, had come to a patch of beach a good two hour's walk away from the edge of Scalvoris Town. One of them, the biggest of the five and the one with the most scars across their face, was blindfolded and sat far away from the sea holding four thick ropes, whilst the other four stood barefoot at the shoreline with the other ends of the ropes wrapped around their waists and harpoons in their hands. There was a palpable tension in the air as they all scanned the ocean before them for something, just as they had been for a good half a break now.
“I'm certain. Blighters almost drowned me here a couple a’ trials ago.” One of the other men, the wariest of the group, replied grimly. “They'll show up-... hang on, there they are!”
All eyes turned to the water as an orb of light flickered to life beneath the water, flittering around playfully as if inviting them to come closer. Something about the light instantly drew Tio’s eyes towards it, luring his attention with a gentle but ever-increasing pull, but just as he began to lose himself in the light a sharp pull around the waist brought him back to reality.
“Look away blondie! A few steps further and you'll be close enough for them to attack you!” The gruff voice of the blindfolded man behind him growled reproachfully. It was only then that Tio realised his feet felt wet, and looked down to see that he'd taken a couple of steps forward into the sea without even realising it! Damn these creatures were scary; they'd tricked him into walking towards their trap and hadn't even known it! He stepped back in line with the other men, all of whom had their eyes firmly shut or were pointedly looking elsewhere, and forced his gaze down firmly to his feet.
The water around the front of his feet grew brighter and brighter, and a quick look upwards confirmed that a number of other lights had also sprang up in the water and danced around together like a shower of sparks. He sensed slow movement from the men besides him, and shut his eyes as he raised the first of his harpoons to throw.
“NOW!” The man besides him yelled!
With a snap Tio opened his eyes and threw his harpoon towards the light nearest to him, wincing as the harpoon missed its target and splashed into the water besides it uselessly at the same time the other men’s harpoons hit their marks. The lights flicked off in an instant and Tio caught a glimpse of shadows under the water darting away in panic, but had no time to consider them as he blindly threw his other harpoons as rapidly as he could. In just a few seconds the creatures were gone, swimming away into the deeper water further than any of them could throw their harpoons, but the tinge of red in the water proved that not all of the targets had gotten away.
The four rope-bound men waded into the water and collected their scattered harpoons, giving a shout of victory as they raised the one's that'd found their marks into the air. Impaled on the tips of some of them were long eel-like creatures that the locals called Siren Lights, creatures feared for the hypnotic power of the light they produced.
“Mac an’ me got three, an’ Pete got four. How many did you hit Tio?” The man beside him asked as the group came back shore and piled their harpoons together on the beach. Before he could answer however the others spotted that his hands were empty and frowned. “Nothing? You didn't hit any of them?”
“Sorry, I'm neither a good fisher nor a good thrower. I was never going to be any good at this part.” Tio replied apologetically, shooting them what he hoped was a disarming grin. “But hey, it was my idea to use the blindfold and ropes to protect us from being ensnared by the lights! Surely that earns me my cut.”
The man frowned. “I suppose. Alright then, ten between the five of us makes two each.” He handed the smallest of the Siren Lights he was holding over to him. “What do you want them for anyway? If you're looking to sell them I know a good guy to take them to.”
Tio smirked as he turned to leave. “No that's okay, I have something else in mind for these little beauties. Thanks again for the help buddy, let's do this again some other time.”
