Free Nocturna League (Episode 2: The Mist Hour) by Kell Inkston

the one who started all of this? The one
who did the kidnappings, paid off the Ganastere guard?”
    Itrim nods with a perplexed look on
his features. “Yeah. It was me. I just wanted my dad to be proud of
me- but he’s been dead for years now. I could’ve moved on. Really,
we couldn’t have gotten the other pair of gauntlets if you hadn’t
come around- the guard I paid couldn’t sneak around and extract the
password from the head of the Ganasteres like that. I guess it’s
best that you were here for this. Provided me with… closure, I
guess.”
    Colette smiles. “Well, a new chapter
of your life will begin once we get on the Nocturna,” she says,
stepping out of the woods and into the town; people are still
partying.
    Itrim smiles back. “Alright… I’d like
that. Thank you.”
    “ Sure thing… Oh, and
Itrim?”
    “ Yes?”
    They connect gazes- her expression is
dead serious. “That girl you kidnapped on my ship; her name’s
Grancis, and she’s my best friend. If you touch her again I’ll do
more than shoot you in the stomach.”
    Itrim is a little short on breath for
the rest of the trip to the docks. They use Itrim’s fishing
sailboat, and the strange wind blows them all the way to the
Nocturna, kilometers off shore. Itrim said that he never had seen
such helpful winds.

    Chapter 9: Jim is Almost Let
Out of The Brig “or” Colette and Grancis Have a Fine Reunion “or”
The Captain and Jobber Collete Enjoy a Grandiose Exchange of
Philosophy and Tactics

    Colette and Itrim are hoisted up by
some of the crew members onto the deck of The Dark Lady Nocturna,
and at once everyone spots The Captain’s hat upon her
head.
    “ Ey, Kipper,” Dunklestein
addresses.
    Colette turns Itrim over into Dunk’s
arms. “This man’s wounded. He wants to join the crew,” she says
with a no-nonsense expression.
    “ Why you got Cap’s cap on?
You stole it?”
    Colette winces and recalls that the
others don’t know. “The Captain’s dead, Dunklestein. He put me in
charge. Now you will respect my authority as the new captain, or
this port is where we’ll leave you.”
    Dunklestein looks confused. “Wh-what?
The Captain’s dead? But I ju-”
    “ Colette!” a purely
feminine, entirely gentle voice calls from the cracked kitchen
door.
    “ Gran!” Colette rushes over
and embraces her good friend, the two meeting each other half way.
A grumbling Dunklestein takes the wounded man to the infirmary as
Colette speaks up with her friend in her arms. “I thought you… I
thought I’d lose you! When you got kidnapped I just…” Colette wipes
her eyes with her coat-sleeve.
    “ I’m okay- The Captain came
into where I was held and he rescued me. Then he sent me back on
the ship with Boris. He turned around because he said he had to
help you take care of something,” Grancis says with a
smile.
    Colette squints an eye in suspicion.
“Wait, so he said he wanted to help me with something?” She asks as
a pair of long, red crustacean whiskers poke out from the kitchen
door.
    “ Mhmm! Then he went on up a
trail into the wo-”
    “ I SEE THAT THE COLETTE
MEAT IS OF THE RETURNING!” Boris proclaims as he bursts out from
the door. In a second’s time, Boris breaks the five meter distance
and embraces Colette richly, crushingly, and
compassionately.
    “ I- guh!
Uh . Nice to see you too… Boris,” Colette
says, feeling her spine threatened by the massive strength of
twenty hardened men.
    “ S-senior chef Boris!
Please don’t break her! I need her unbroken!” Grancis weakly
protests, pushing against Boris’ executional embrace.
    “ I AM OF THE SORRY. I AM
SIMPLY OF THE EMOTIONAL SEEING YOU BACK NOT OF THE DEAD.” Boris
releases Colette, and she takes in a deep breath to make up for
oxygen lost.
    “ Thanks, Boris. Now get
back to work. I’m hungry… and sleepy- and, well, this day’s been
pretty rough for me in general.”
    Boris nods his head to the side a bit,
receiving an order from Colette, but he loves