Natural Magic

Chapter 38 - Assault

The two rolled about, knocking into walls, the desk, and the storage in the room. Trevor watched, frozen, fearing he might break the dwarf’s concentration if he made himself known.

Avoiding life-threatening slashes from the merfolk, he administered with a butcher’s efficiency various holds on the merfolk, taxing the creature’s strength, wits, and physical elasticity. It sustained multiple blows to the head throughout the struggle.

Only when it was limp as a fish did Trevor come out, hoping the dwarf would be too exhausted to be angry.

“Lad!” he said with relief, kneeling by the unconscious merfolk. “I thought the worst when this thing was in here instead’a you.”

He was too astounded at what he had witnessed to speak.

“C’mon,” Cookie continued, hefting his opponent onto his shoulders, “these things are all over the ship. They came in with the tide, under cover a’night.” He walked to the door.

“Prob’ly would’ve cut us all in our sleep if we hadn't been loadin' up.”

The two stepped out onto the deck, which was in a state of bedlam. More merfolk were crawling about, most being chased by sword-wielding crewmen. They were quick on their hands, Trevor saw. He watched one stay step for step ahead of a crewmate as it fled for the side of the ship.

“Slipp’ry devils. They keep jumping overboard, but then we find’em somewhere else.” The dwarf swung the merfolk he had been hefting off his shoulders and began tying it up with a length of rope. “Don’ want this one gettin’ away. There must be a swarm of them just under the water where we can’t reach’em.”

“We could boil the harbor,” Trevor mused. “I don’t know where they came from, but hot water might drive them away. We’ve got a lot of sulfur, and I saw the saltpeter below decks. If we had some charcoal powder, it might be sufficient to heat the water if we put it out on a barrel raft.”

Cookie had stopped fiddling with the merfolk and was staring at Trevor.

“What?”

Cookie looked pensive and glanced around conspiratorially. “Where did you learn of that, lad?”

“I really liked setting stuff on fire on the farm. To channel it into something constructive, my mother made me keep a journal. Lots of stuff burns, but not many people pay attention to the details.”

“You best be keepin’ this to yerself. But aye, your plan might work. It’ll do a lot more than heat the water, though, like you propose. We dwarves have some experience in the matter.”

Trevor got up to go below decks, but Cookie stopped him. “In the mess, lad.”

“In the mess? What’s there?”

“What yer talkin’ about is dwarf mining powder. As a matter of fact, I’d been making some with the sulfur they’ve been bringing aboard.”

When the coast was clear, and no merfolk to catch them off guard, they broke for the kitchens. The dining area was empty.

“I think we kept’em out-“ Cookie started, but was tackled from behind by two merfolk springing from the dark. The three struggled on the ground as the dwarf conjured a cloud of curses. Trevor stood in shock, his hands on his head in panic.

“Get’tem off me!” the dwarf raged. He was keeping their claws out of his vital places, but only barely.

Trevor looked around. Seeing nothing else, he tried to pick up a chair.

“C’mon lad! We’re on a ship, remember?” the dwarf said petulantly as he redirected a sharp rock from his beard. “Get some real hardware!”

Trevor vanished into the depths of the kitchen while Cookie struggled in vain to get his legs beneath him without a merfolk unseaming his stomach. They grabbed at his clothes and scratched with their claws and stone daggers.