Chapter 204: 204

Their vessel is much like the Queen Rose, long and elegant, three-masted in a schooner fashion. Intricate carvings of sea creatures line the toe rails and stanchions, and Cain can see that the deck full of Cannons on this vessel is likewise adorned. It's a full third larger than the Queen Rose, at roughly fifty five meters long and a deck taller.

Their newly acquired vessel only has the top deck available for defenses, where this one has a row of Cannons below that, behind hatches that can be sealed for heavy seas. Though the Queen Rose does have round port windows letting light into the lower deck, it would be much too close to the water for Cannons. 

It's also decidedly not pink. It's made of what Cain believes to be a form of black ironwood, not truly black, but a very dark brown, and then stained to make it inky dark. 

"State your business then piss off." The Wave Rider man at the other end of the gangplank greets them. 

"I've acquired the Queen Rose, and I would like to purchase some information on weather routing to Assah and how to make it less Pink," Cain says firmly and the Dark Elf begins to laugh. 

"What fool used Rose Oak to make a vessel I'll never know. Sure, it's strong and takes decades to begin to rot, but that doesn't make it a good idea. If you make it worth our time, I'll consider passing along your message." The First Mate, as Nila whispers that the man's position is, informs them. 

"I've got an Epic Quality shirt, with a bonus to never get wet or dirty. And a few gold coins for your troubles." Cain hopes that this form of bribery is correct, as in his experience people with a lot of money prefer interesting things. 

The shirt is one he acquired from the Seraphim Dungeon, called [Immaculate Vestments]. He's got another as well, they seem to have a fairly good drop rate. 

A Dark Elven woman with a black silk ribbon braided into her white hair slides down a line from the crow's nest to join them and the First Mate nods a greeting to her. 

"A shirt that is always clean and dry? Now you are a man that knows the way to a Sailor's heart. Come aboard with your navigator and I'll put on some tea."

The tea this captain has puts the Elven Tea from the Beginner Valley to shame. Smooth and slightly fruity, leaving a refreshed feeling, it has to be the high-end version of Elven Tea that the Landis Kingdom was embargoed from receiving. 

"Excellent cup, that is. Even better than what the Elves in Beginner Valley make." Cain commends his host. Like all Elves, she's rather short compared to Cain, but she's strong, her whole body toned by hard work.

She's younger looking than he expected of a Captain and her skin has a gray-blue tone instead of the usual dull gray to the deep black of Dark Elves. The First Mate had the same tone but with a darker skin, and Cain wonders if it's unique to the Wave Rider Clan or if that's what a suntan looks like on Dark Elves. 

"I do my best to be a good host. Now, tell me something. With a Wave Rider navigating, you don't need weather advice, so what did you need, other than a way to recolor your ship?"

Cain thinks a moment about how to answer that as the captain seems to look straight into his soul. That gaze of hers gives Cain the impression that lying to her is somewhere between pointless and idiotic. 

"I'm not sure how familiar you are with the Puppet Master class, but one of our class skills can Summon a clone of a person I've seen before. They don't have all their memories, only essential ones, but that includes skills and spells. I needed a wind mage and some skilled sailors to make our journey safer." Cain says with a shrug and the captain gives him a calculating look.

"We do need to know how to make the Queen Rose not pink though," Nila adds. 

"Not many stains will stick to that vessel for long. That's part of why nobody uses the wood for ships. It's a right pain to clean too, salt sticks to it unreasonably well." The Captain explains. 

"But I am interested in the skills of your summons. Can they run rigging? Haul sails? Keep night watches?"

"In theory, all of the above. If you'd like I could call a couple of clones of crew members and they could have a competition with their twins." Cain suggests. 

"That sounds entertaining. How about we give them a basic skills test? I've got a short run to do, they could run things while we go out and the real crew can bring us back."

"As long as we're back in reasonable order. I've still got friends at the Queen Rose after all." Cain agrees. 

"No worries, we're just going to a Wave Rider vessel that doesn't like dealing with humans to grab some cargo. It's only about twenty miles offshore."

At the speed of this large schooner that's about an hour each way, if Cain's guess is right. But the combination of sails and magic may surprise him. 

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"Gather up to ten essential crew members for the competition and I'll create their opponents. I could create more low-level assistants if they're needed to run the ship, but ten core sailors are my limit." Cain tells the Captain as they move back to the deck.

The captain nods and turns to address the crew. "As you all know, we've got a short run to do, picking up trade goods from the Dax'Arach, but our Guest here has challenged you a stinking lot to a competition to help pass the time. His summons will take us out with me at the helm, and you will bring us back. I expect you to win against a mere Summoned shadow of yourselves, is that understood?"

"Aye Captain." Comes the instant response. There is only eight other crew on board, all Dark Elves which Cain quickly inspects, before realizing he's gained an early advantage. Four of them are here as deckhands, under level 50 and all Warriors. 

As expected they've got a Wind Mage and the Captain is of the Wave Rider Class as well as Clan. But they've also got a War Shaman in the form of the First Mate and two Rogues that are both in First Advancement versions of their original Classes. 

Cain calls the Eight matching Supporters out and the captain starts barking orders to them, the deckhands immediately pull the dock lines and push the vessel away from the pier while the Rogues nimbly leap about the vessel pulling lines and raising sails. 

Five seconds after the first order is given, the sails are full and trimmed, with the wind mage creating a steady breeze and the First Mate carrying the vessel forward on the following wave. 

They can hear the cursing from the Port Authority about harbor speed and a no-wake zone, but that doesn't phase the captain, who is ordering additional sails to be hoisted, and an adjustment of the water magic. As expected, the clones respond instantly, doing what they were instructed to the best of their abilities. 

Forget being an entire hour to reach the other vessel, with this channeled form of the Tsunami spell moving the water underneath them and the wind mage, they're positively racing through the ocean towards their destination. If it weren't for the magic being used to create a following wind that's only twenty knots faster than the vessel is moving, none of them would even be able to stand up on deck.

Like trying to remain upright in a hurricane or standing on a fast-moving car, they'd be blown off their feet in seconds without something to hold on to. 

Using the enhanced senses granted to him by merging with the Oath Breakers, Cain can see a similar, but slightly larger black vessel of the Wave Rider design in their path, and he's becoming concerned that they won't be able to stop this insane ride in time. 

The captain knows what she's doing though, expertly ordering the modification of spells and the furling of sails to bring them to a gentle stop near the Dax'Arach, where the crew welcomes them with a heavy round of applause. 

"Got the crew fully trained for blockade running I see. Good work young Captain Selah." The other Captain, a leather-faced middle-aged man, large for a Dark Elf and almost blue instead of gray in the skin with what Cain is now certain is the way their species tans, welcomes them as their Captain Selah orders the clones to load the goods on board. 

The large crates are no problem for level 150 warriors and the job takes only a few seconds to complete. A single trip between vessels each. 

"Do tell me, what's the rush? Get run out of another port?" The weather-beaten Elf laughs.

"I found something interesting. This man is what they call a Puppet Master. He can clone a crew that obeys instantly, doesn't complain or second guess you, and doesn't get tired. It's amazing, the clone of my First Mate channeled Tsunami until it was almost out of mana and we reached you, without a single break or falter in the spell."

The other captain looks impressed. "No fluctuating, surging, or dropped waves? That's an incredible level of control. Is it perhaps just because the Summon doesn't feel the fatigue of continued spell casting or other distractions that they don't make mistakes? You came in at an incredible rate."

"As fast as I've ever had her going. And from the Pier at that. You've got to give them constant explicit directions though, they're capable, but lack the memories to anticipate requirements."

"If you keep them active long enough they might get better, recalling the ways they've done it since they were Summoned. They're supposedly as smart as the one they're clones of." Cain suggests. 

"Well, that explains the need for constant directions, they're all idiots." The older captain laughs, causing Selah and the First Mate to join in his mirth.

"Oh, I meant you too." Now it's the younger members' turn to laugh as if they weren't the brunt of the joke mere seconds ago. 

"Well, we should be off. I've got extra cleaning rotations to assign to the crew when they lose this challenge." Selah waves, before ordering the regular crew into action, executing a sweeping turn back towards the docks as the living crew struggles to outdo their clones. 

They're very good and require much less explicit directions and micromanagement but it's not quite as smooth and well-orchestrated as the runout. 

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