Free Nocturna League (Episode 1: The Witching Book) (Nautical Fantasy Short Story) by Kell Inkston

Nocturna League: The Witching Book
    By Kell Inkston
    Copyright 2015 by Kell Inkston
     
    “The Oceans are wide and are as varied as the people who drift upon them. You will experience everything and meet everyone. Such is the nature of the ocean, that chaos incarnate. Seawater is, in essence, the very blood of adventurers.”
    - unknown
     
    Chapter 1: The Duel and The Introductions
    “You ready this time, kid?” a hulking, grey-scaled shark man asks, wrapping his hands with athletic tape. A ragtag crowd cheers as they ready for “the daily whuppin’ ”, now a well-loved pastime of many upon the M.S. Nocturna.
    A bruised young lady, covered with a different sort of bandages and opposite to him on the deck, is already to her feet. The slipping squeak of black sea-boots upon metal rings as she takes stance. “You won’t catch me off this time!” she says with a smirk, extending her hands to grapple through her long pea-coat.
    There’s a silence as the shark man takes a deep breath, pulling the eldritch salt of the Eversea into his lungs. “Alright. On your guard, kid!”
    In a blink, the two rush at one another and the crowd goes wild. The blond youth, about eighteen, slides right past the shark man’s giant frame. Before he can turn, the agile lass latches up his back fin, and puts him in a headlock.
    “How about this! ” She exclaims, squeezing the shark man’s dense neck with every fiber of her strength.
    The shark man winces in surprise and then smiles. “Really, Colette?” He asks, raising a scaled brow and peering behind his shoulder with black eyes.
    She doesn’t stop squeezing. “Really, what ?”
    Her opponent stretches out his arms, yawns and then, amidst the cheering and laugher of the crowd, falls flat on his back with Colette underneath.
    “ Wh-What the hell? Cheater!” She shouts as she fails to push the massive shark man off her.
    He releases another mock yawn. “I dunno, kid. I just got real tired all of a sudden. Not sure if it’d be healthy to get up,” he says, winning agreements all around from the crowd.
    Colette punches into her opponent a few seconds more, and then he gets up, freeing her from his boulder-like weight. She takes a moment to breathe, which is more than enough time for her enemy. He sweeps his leg from under her, tripping her and sending her back to the cold, salty deck.
    “Looks like I win again!” The towering shark man guffaws as he crosses his arms. “You know, I really do admire your willingness to get trashed every day, but I think you should start with some easier opponents first,” he says with a shrug.
    Colette brings herself back to her feet with half the vigor from last time. “Forget it, Dunks. I started hard because that’s the quickest way to improve.”
    Dunklestein the Daring A.K.A. “Dunks” scoffs with a wide, sharp-toothed grin. “Sure, kid. Just keep in mind you could never choke me out the way you would a landy.”
    “Yeah? And why’s that?”
    Dunklestein points to his gills, and Colette draws back amidst the laughter of the crowd.
    “Wait, seriously? Doesn’t that only wo-”
    “Work in water?” Dunklestein interrupts, “Naw, that’s just a landy rumor. Seasorts are fish and man, so we can breathe in the air or in the drink.”
    Colette nods, averting her gaze. She takes in every word, but she refuses to look like she’s valuing correction. “Alright, Dunks, cool.”
    “Yeah, cool . Now you ready for another or are ya’ done?”
    She takes a breath, and stretches her limbs. “Another!”
    “Actually, I think that’s quite enough from you two,” a voice says, its owner descending the steps from the upper decks.
    Everyone hushes up and most of the crowd disperses to either get to work or hide in their quarters. Audible are prompt, measured steps from black sea-boots, these ones a few sizes larger than Colette’s. Before Colette and Dunklestein stand The Captain, Commander of the M.S. Nocturna, and unofficial best captain