Rise from the Depths: Shackles of Qahara

Chapter 6: A Deadly Joke on Deck

"No time to zone out, you idiot! Move, or we're gonna be roasted jerky!" Jack screamed, his voice nearly drowned out by the roar of explosions echoing from the Ogre patrol ship.

Caver didn’t answer. He immediately grabbed Karla by the waist with one hand, while the other gripped the grimy rucksack filled with emergency supplies. Cold sweat mixed with ice trickled down his temples. Behind them, the black smoke that had been just thin wisps was now transforming into tall, faceless figures—shadow soldiers from the Blood Pulse ritual.

"Leo! Jump first!" Caver ordered.

Leo, the former royal knight who now looked just as disheveled as the rest of them, performed a somersault over the ruined dock railing. His body landed on a pile of ropes on the deck of The Iron Crab.

"Caver, hurry up! The gap is getting wider!" Leo shouted, reaching out a hand.

Jack’s large iron ship began to pull away, its steam engine let out a low roar, breaking the ice on the surface of the dark Qahara sea. Caver took a running start. He could feel a piercing chill from behind—it wasn't from the weather, but from the pure Agrasuuman energy locking onto their presence.

"Hold on tight, Karla," Caver whispered hoarsely.

Karla could only nod weakly. Her face was as pale as paper. She squeezed her eyes shut as Caver exploded with power from his leg muscles, leaping across the five-meter gap over the sea.

THUD!

They landed hard on the slippery iron deck. Caver shielded Karla’s head with his scarred arms. A second later, the spot where they had been standing on the dock exploded from black energy arrows fired by the shadows.

"Ha! Suck it, you punks!" Jack laughed hysterically from behind his massive helm. "Welcome to The Iron Crab, bro! Don't expect a free breakfast here, alright!"

The ship surged forward, slicing through the frozen waves and leaving the port of Moar behind, which was now turning into a sea of black fire. Caver tried to stand, but his legs were shaking. His adrenaline began to drop, leaving behind an incredible soreness in all his joints.

"Are we... are we safe?" Karla murmured. Her voice was tiny, almost like a hiss of wind.

"Yeah, we’re safe. For now," Caver answered, trying to catch his breath.

However, as Caver released his hold, Karla buckled. Her body slid down to the deck. Caver caught her quickly, but he was shocked when he touched her skin. She felt burning hot, a stark contrast to the surrounding temperature which was well below zero.

"Karla? Hey, Karla! You hear me, right?" Caver patted his wife’s cheeks in a panic.

Karla’s lips were turning blue. Her breaths were short and heavy. Around her wrists, silver veins glowed faintly, indicating an unstable flow of mana.

"Hey, you crazy Captain! What the hell is wrong with my wife?!" Caver shouted toward Jack, who was still busy spinning the wheel with his ridiculous flair.

Jack glanced back briefly, his smirk vanishing when he saw Karla’s condition. He gave a short whistle, then pointed toward the hatch door in the middle of the deck. "Mana burn, man. Because she forced that Elfen magic while the portal was being locked by Agrasuuman. Get her inside, hurry, before her lungs freeze."

Leo helped Caver carry Karla down the steep ladder into the belly of the ship. The smell of oil, damp wood, and rum mixed together there. In the cramped common room, they laid Karla down on a long wooden table covered in a tattered cloth.

"Damn, her body is scorching," Leo complained as he felt Karla’s forehead. "If we leave her like this, her magic essence could shatter, Caver. She could die."

Caver clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "I need medicine. Anything. Where is that bastard Jack keeping the supplies?!"

"Take it easy, dammit. I haven't even offered yet, and you're already trying to rob me," Jack quipped, suddenly standing in the doorway, carrying a rusted metal box.

Jack walked closer with a casual swagger, then sat in the chair across from Karla with his feet up on the table. "Listen, Caver. I might have helped you back at the docks, but on this ship, there's no such thing as 'friends.' Only 'business partners.'"

"Quit the bullshit, Jack. She's dying!" Caver took a step forward, an intimidating aura radiating from his massive frame.

Jack laughed instead, showing off a row of uneven teeth. "I have Liquid Elf Crystal; it's the only way to stabilize her leaking mana. But this thing is worth more than your head if I sold it to Agrasuuman. So, I need some entertainment as payment."

Caver snorted harshly. "You want money? Jewelry? Just name it, and I'll find it for you as soon as we land."

"No, I don't need your spare change. I'm bored," Jack said, twirling a small bottle filled with a clear blue liquid. "My entertainment is simple. Tell me the most ridiculous thing you ever did to those Ogres while you were a slave in the mines. If the story isn't funny, your woman is history."

Caver fell silent. His eyes went from the blue bottle to Karla, who was groaning in pain. His anger reached a boiling point. He felt like crushing Jack’s head against the table right then and there. But he knew that without this madman's help, they would die in the middle of this frozen sea.

"Are you serious? You're asking for jokes in a situation like this?" Leo added, his own frustration boiling over, his hand already gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"Relax, Mr. Former Knight," Jack cut him off calmly. "This is a mental test. Caver, if you really are that predicted rebel leader, you have to be able to stay calm under ridiculous pressure. So, go on. Make me laugh, monkey."

Caver took a deep breath. He tried to steady his heartbeat. He looked at Karla, who was starting to mutter incoherently.

"Back then... on the third floor of the Moar mines," Caver began in a low, gravelly voice. "There was an Ogre foreman named Gromp. He was massive, but his brain was the size of a pea."

Jack leaned back, looking intrigued. "Go on."

"I intentionally smeared mine-cart grease inside his spare underwear while he was bathing. He put them on without realizing it before the morning roll call in front of hundreds of slaves," Caver continued, his eyes fixed sharply on Jack. "The moment he shouted to give an order, the grease made his crotch burn like it was on fire with magic. He ran all over the mine clutching his balls, crashing into support pillars until they collapsed, and finally face-planted into a pile of horse manure while screaming 'Mommy!' in Ogre."

Silence filled the room for a moment. Caver kept a deadpan face, while Leo struggled to hold back laughter, his face turning bright red.

Jack was quiet for a second, then suddenly exploded into a laughter so loud he almost fell off his chair. "Holy shit! Are you serious?! Damn, I can just picture Gromp’s face! That classic stupid Ogre look when they panic!"

Jack wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, then casually tossed the blue bottle toward Caver. Caver caught it with perfect reflexes.

"You’ve got a dark sense of humor; I like that," Jack said, standing up. "Force-feed her half of it, and use the other half for your own wounds. That’s top-shelf stuff."

Without wasting time, Caver immediately poured the liquid down Karla’s throat. The effect was instant. The silver glow on Karla’s wrists faded, and her breathing steadied. Her burning skin gradually cooled down.

Caver let out a long sigh of relief. He slumped down onto the floor next to the table where Karla lay.

"Why are you helping us, Jack?" Caver asked suddenly, his voice no longer as harsh as before. "I know you’re not just some pirate passing by looking for a laugh. The way you navigate this ship... that’s no amateur technique."

Jack, who was about to leave the room, paused. He didn't turn around. The light from the hanging lamp cast a long shadow across his back.

"Do you really want to know, or are you just testing an assumption?" Jack asked back, his tone turning dead serious, a far cry from his previous flippancy.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't wait for you to fall asleep and take over this ship," Caver challenged.

Jack gave a short chuckle. "If you try to kill me, this ship will scuttle itself in thirty seconds. The control system is locked to my heartbeat, pal. The Iron Crab isn't just a ship; it’s an artifact left over from the 'Silver Chain' resistance that was crushed ten years ago."

Leo flinched at the name. "The Silver Chain? The underground organization that almost overthrew Qahara’s caste system?"

"Exactly," Jack replied, finally turning around and crossing his arms. "I was just a kid shining shoes at their headquarters back then. But now, I’m what’s left of those who still remember what it feels like to be free. Agrasuuman destroyed everything; he used black magic to turn my friends into soulless shadows."

Jack stepped closer to Caver and leaned in slightly. "I saw what you did at the mine earlier through my telescope. You’re not just some runaway slave, Caver. You’re the provocateur we’ve been looking for. Someone brave enough to get their hands dirty for something bigger than their own safety."

"So you’re part of this rebellion plan too?" Caver narrowed his eyes.

"Let’s just say I’m a 'procurement agent' for you guys," Jack smirked. "I work for people who want to see Agrasuuman’s head on a pike. And one of my bosses said that if a big guy carrying an Elven girl and a traitorous knight made it out of Moar, I should give them a lift. The price has been paid in advance, so as for that riddle... that was purely for my own personal entertainment."

Caver snorted, though a shred of respect began to take root in his heart. "Who is this 'boss' you’re talking about?"

"You’ll find out soon enough. For now, you’d better get some rest. We’ll be passing through the most dangerous part of the Qahara Sea before morning. If things start shaking, don't panic. It’s just an iceberg... or maybe something hungry."

"What do you mean—"

Suddenly, a massive *THUD* echoed from beneath the ship. The entire vessel jolted violently, causing the hanging lamp above them to shatter into pieces.

Caver immediately grabbed the table to keep from being thrown, while Leo quickly steadied Karla’s body.

"Well... looks like dinner’s being served early!" Jack yelled as he ran toward the deck stairs. "Everyone up! We’ve got a big problem!"

Caver ran after Jack onto the deck. The cold air outside slapped him in the face instantly. But it wasn't the temperature that froze him; it was what he saw surrounding the ship.

The once-calm sea was now swirling with whirlpools that seemed to boil with a dark purple light. From within the vortex, a giant tentacle as thick as a banyan tree trunk emerged, its surface covered in black thorns dripping with corrosive slime.

The tentacle whipped toward the deck, smashing one of the secondary masts into splinters.

"Holy hell! What kind of crazy octopus is that?!" shouted Leo, who had just appeared on deck, supporting Karla, who was starting to wake up but remained weak.

"That’s no ordinary octopus, my friends!" Jack shouted from behind the helm, his hands skillfully operating steam levers that blasted fire from the sides of the ship. "That’s a Deep-Sea Stalker, Agrasuuman’s favorite pet, recently modified with dark magic! It’s not looking for a normal meal; it’s hunting the Elven energy inside your woman, Caver!"

From the depths of the sea, a single blood-red eye the size of a wagon wheel opened right in front of the hull. The monster’s gaze locked directly onto Karla.

Caver gripped his mining axe tightly, his eyes blazing with pure determination. "Jack! Get this ship out of here, or at least keep it steady for a second!"

"I can't, man! The engine is pinned by tentacles underneath!" Jack answered frantically. "You have to make that monster let go of its grip, or we're all going down right now!"

Another tentacle shot toward them, aiming right for where Karla was. Caver lunged, positioning himself in front of Karla.

"Over here, you damn giant squid!" Caver roared, swinging his axe with full force, driven by years of rage from being treated like a slave.

CRASH!

The metal of the axe met the monster's toughened hide, creating sparks of dark energy that singed the hair on Caver's arms.