"I'm not sure of Horace's intentions, but I'm sure you've heard Brannum is the 'Kingdom of Monsters'. He may have undead under his service," Hattori says with a shrug before addressing the other question. "Brassport remains free for now."
"Okay, you got a deal. We'll drop this stuff with Sloane and yer brutha can git us to the Rogue Isles. Is he in Brassport?"
"No, he's off the coast of Jin Zhao at the moment, hence the one day delay," Hattori says, scratching his belly. "But he owes me a favor and isn't doing anything important right now."
"So's he gunna meet us in Brassport?"
"No, we will meet him and he will take you to Brassport."
"Okay", Skaar grunts. "I hope your brutha's ship moves quick. I've got somewhere I need to be."
"Not at all, love." Corda replied after chasing down the rice with some fish. She puruses the items.
Corda finds that Hattori is being honest, the potion is a Potion of Cure Light Wounds and the herbs are typically used in antitoxins.
"He's telling the truth, a healing potion and herbs." Turning to the Hattori, "If it's you intention to take us along, could you send a sailor with my father's boat back to Zahvroma. You could pick up your sailor after we meet with your brother."
"As you wish," Hattori says, deep in thought. "Is that your village's vessel?"
"It's her pa's", Skaar explains. "It doesn't look like much but it got us this far."
"Must be a good vessel, then," the man says. "I'm sure you could use a rest after being on that for a few days. I'll have one of my men show you to a cabin down below."
"是非、部屋にこれらの人々を取る," he calls out the cabin door.
Skaar grunts in agreement and follows whatever crewman is assigned to show him the way.
"You comin' girl?" he asks while extending Corda a meaty hand.
Slightly blushing, she took the Orc's hand. "Of course, love."
The crewman leads to you to a small room with a full-sized bed, secured to the wall. He waits for you to enter, then closes the door behind you.
Looking at the room, Corda couldn't help but comment, "Hmm, cozy."
Skaar grunts and unfurls his bedroll.
"The bed's yours. Sorry in advance about the snorin'", he says as he drops his pack on the ground.
"Not yet, love. I'll be back in a moment." She then leaves the cabin to retrieve any gear she left on her father's boat, and to give it one more look before it went back home. After bringing back the rest of her gear, she then continued, "So I take it you're sleeping on the floor?"
Skaar nods.
"It's warm and dry in here. That's better than I'm used it", he finishes with a barking laugh.
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Corda pulls back her sleeve to her elbow and examined her arm. Pulling the sleeve back down, she turned to Skaar, "Need help with that harness?" She asked while looking at the damage done by the Oracle. "I can fix it."
Talia popped her head out of Corda's pack and said, "*bawk* Ten more days. *bawk* Ten more days. *bawk*" Then flew onto the Witch's shoulder.
"Ya, if you don't mind", Skaar says as he works to remove this armor. "You got magic for that?"
"What'chr bird goin' on about?"
Helping Skaar remove his armor, she replies, "Yes I do. As for what Talia's talking about, just a reminder to keep me on my path." The young witch lightly touched the scars on his massive chest, almost as if mesmorized by them. Shaking her head, Corda took the armor and layed it upon the bed. Saying the words, "Po hokorot," she slowly began to run hands along the damaged parts. Little by little, they were sealed. When finished, the young woman turned to Skaar and handed him back his armor, "There you go big boy, good as new."
Skaar growls in pleasure as Corda teases the flesh of his pectorals only to break away to work her spells.
"Thanks", he grunts with some frustration. "'At's a good trick."
"And quite handy for a fisherman and his daughter."
Turning her back to Skaar, she slowly begins to take her top off. Quickly looking over her shoulder, Corda said playfully, "No peeking." Once her top was off, she slid under the covers in the bed, turned on her side, propped her head up with one hand and asked, "What do you dream about?"
Skaar very clearly does peek and a subtle smirk spreads across his tusks at what he sees.
When Corda slips under her covers, the big Orc plops down on the furs of his own bedroll and tucks his newly mended armor alongside his pack.
”If I’m lucky, I don’t dream”, Skaar says. ”Dreamin’ is where your past catches up wit you.”
"What about you?"
Corda turned onto her back and replied, "Well, as you said, I've been couped up with my father my entire life. So I don't have much of a past to get caught up in." She turned her head, "Go to sleep now, I promise when you wake up, you'll feel better." Once again, she began to quietly sing an Orcish lullaby.
Awaking from a nice, relaxing sleep, Corda dressed herself quickly, then woke Skaar. After having breakfast with the captain, Talia on her shoulder the entire time, she went on deck to take in the sea breeze. Noticing the Orc brooding down the rail, the young witch walked towards him and asked, "How'd you sleep, love?"
”Good 'nuff”, Skaar grunts with an absent-minded tug at the choker around his neck.
”You know anything ‘bout this thing? It’s tough, whatever it is, I can’t get it to budge.”
"*Bawk* Leash of Fate. *Bawk*" The parrot chimed in.
"Oh hush Talia." Corda teased. Her familiar then took flight and flew around the ship, several times. "Don't mind her." Taking a closer look, "I don't have the spell to properly look at it, perhaps in tomorrow morning."
"Okay", Skaar grunts again. "I don't think it's goin' anywhere."
As you look off to the side, you see another ship on the port side. It also flies the green and white flags of the Jin Zhao Trading Company. Hattori approaches Skaar and Corda.
"My brother's ship," he says, beaming with pride. "Actually, it's mine but I let him think it's his."
Skaar chuckles and glances at Corda.
"Let's meet yer brutha."
Hattori's ship pulls alongside the other. "Kyoshiro! Get out here!"
A sleepy looking man, a little taller than Hattori, emerges from the ship's hold. "何それ?私は、私たちの酒の在庫を数えました."
"それを飲むようにもっと!" Hattori barks at the man, who is rubbing the back of his head. "Pay no attention to him, he's a lazy drunkard."
"これらの人々、兄弟は誰ですか?" the man called Kyoshiro asks.
"These are the people you're supposed to take to the Rogue Isles or did you ignore my message like you always do?" Hattori says, his face getting redder.
"それはそうでしょうか?"
"And stop talking Jinzhi in front of foreigners!"
"Sorry, brother."
"It's important that they get there quickly. Please don't let me down," Hattori says.
"I won't."
"You said that when we buried our father and he ended up going head-first into his grave!"
"あなたはそのを育て維持するつもりですか?" the man asks in a whiny tone.
"Until you do something that doesn't shame me. And what did I say about Jinzhi?"
"はい、はい. Well, come aboard. We've got some great rice wine!" Kyoshiro says with a wide grin, gesturing to you.
"You're not supposed to be drinking that!"
"But you said to be hospitable to guests always..."
"Not when it cuts into our profits."
Kyoshiro shrugs and sighs. He helps you cross the gangplank onto his ship. Hattori waves to you and his ship turns to depart.
"There's a private cabin below. It'll be about five days until we reach the Rogue Isles, so make yourself at home. I'll get the rice wine!"
Skaar frowns as the two traders chat back and forth leaving himself and Corda out of the loop. Regardless, this brother didn't seem like a threat and with a nod he bid Hattori and the survivors from the Oracle's island goodbye and good luck.
They'll be okay now. They're free to start again.
***
Skaar gestures for Corda to follow and heads below decks to the private cabin with his gear over one brawny shoulder.
A couple hours after getting settled, Kyoshiro invites you for lunch. It is similar to the lunch you had with Hattori save for the presence of some braised beef strips and noodles and much more wine.
"So, beyond my brother's request, why are you headed to such a dangerous place?" Kyoshiro asks, between slurps of his noodles.
Skaar pauses and gives the man a cautious glance between hearty mouthfuls of the savory red meat.
"I've got business to the north", he explains. "There's a battle comin' and I need to be a part of it."
"What'd you know 'bout Brassport? Yer brutha says its a city of monsters."
"You must be mistaken. Brassport is the last bastion of the civilization up there," Kyoshiro says, taking a big gulp of sake. "It's Brannum that's full of monsters. Brassport's nice, if you can handle yourself. Pickpockets, cutthroats, and people who'd sell their grandmother and aunt for some Oldlaw Whiskey roam the streets."
Skaar furrows his brow and messily slurps up more noodles.
"Uh, yeah. That one."
The big Orc paused to consider what he'd just been told. Another hive of scum and villainy. It couldn't be any worse than Cabernaum. But he'd been a different Orc back in Cabernaum. Would he be able to do what it takes now?
"Anyone in Brassport that can be trusted?" he grunts.