Looking over the cargo manifest, the first mate saw that there was an enormous amount of crystals on board. The last he had heard, this was a diplomatic mission to provide a local Sahagin tribe with aid and supplies. He imagined supplies meant food, potions, textiles, things of that nature. He never imagined crystals, let alone in the number they carried.
"Captain," the first mate said, as the man happened to walk by. "We're on a diplomatic mission to the Sahagin, yes?"
"Aye," the captain said in his loud, booming voice.
"And we're bringing them crystals?" The first mate asked.
"Beastmen craft goods too," the captain said with a smile.
"And you're not concerned they'll try to summon--" The first mate stopped. He knew he was on a touchy subject with the captain.
"Leviathan." The captain said.
"Aye," the first mate said. "Leviathan."
"I'm just fillin' a billet set forth by th'Maelstrom," the captain said. "I'm sure the Admiralty has a good reason for trustin' th'Sahagin with all these crystals. Even so, all we did was what we were assigned t'do. We did our duty right an' square, an' should these fishbacks bring back th'Lord of the Whorl, it ain't us in the wrong."
"Right," the first mate said, sounding relieved.
The men heaved crates full of crystals to the Sahagin, who hissed at them what could have been praise or threat, maybe both. They seemed grateful, but there was no real way of knowing. Even then the beastmen were capable of a certain amount of cunning.
When the crystals had been delivered, and the men working to bring the ship home, the first mate looked through all the necessary paperwork, but no billet for a ship full of crystals did he ever see.
"Captain," the first mate said, as the man happened to walk by. "We're on a diplomatic mission to the Sahagin, yes?"
"Aye," the captain said in his loud, booming voice.
"And we're bringing them crystals?" The first mate asked.
"Beastmen craft goods too," the captain said with a smile.
"And you're not concerned they'll try to summon--" The first mate stopped. He knew he was on a touchy subject with the captain.
"Leviathan." The captain said.
"Aye," the first mate said. "Leviathan."
"I'm just fillin' a billet set forth by th'Maelstrom," the captain said. "I'm sure the Admiralty has a good reason for trustin' th'Sahagin with all these crystals. Even so, all we did was what we were assigned t'do. We did our duty right an' square, an' should these fishbacks bring back th'Lord of the Whorl, it ain't us in the wrong."
"Right," the first mate said, sounding relieved.
The men heaved crates full of crystals to the Sahagin, who hissed at them what could have been praise or threat, maybe both. They seemed grateful, but there was no real way of knowing. Even then the beastmen were capable of a certain amount of cunning.
When the crystals had been delivered, and the men working to bring the ship home, the first mate looked through all the necessary paperwork, but no billet for a ship full of crystals did he ever see.
![[Image: BZneHYK.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/BZneHYK.jpg)
No Gods and Precious Few Heroes
