Merchant Crab

“Those bandits would have to be incredible swimmers or rowers to keep up with the Dame,” Captain Leander responded. “And even if they went out to the harbor and got on a ship to follow us, trust me, they don’t have the skills to navigate the canal at night. We’re safe.”

“For now, at least,” the crab added as he twisted his eyestalks back. “Ah, darn it, there’s a piece of gum stuck to my underside!”

As the ship neared the dock, Balthazar noticed a couple of human figures with torches approaching it.

“Crap! Are those town guards?!”

“Calm down,” the mayor’s right-hand man said. “They are my guys. They might be a minority now, but there are still a few good guards left in this city.”

The men on land helped dock the Dame and lower the gangway while Leander furled the sails.

As the crab’s group left the ship and walked the pier, Suze pointed up at a small house atop the winding road ahead of them. “What’s that place?”

“Leander’s little retreat,” said Olivia. “It’s his secret spot to take some time off and do some fishing. Nobody should find us here, and if they did, we’d see them coming from up there.”

“Hey, by the way,” Balthazar quietly said to the young woman. “Thanks for the rescue. Again.”

“You should thank the cap,” the mayor’s niece said. “By the time I finished telling him everything, he was already on his way out to the ship. Honestly, I think he was just excited to have an excuse to bring her out again on a daring escape mission. Retirement doesn’t suit him.”

The crab chuckled as they climbed the path up the hill. “Heh, still, just like earlier with the commander, you showed up just in time, so… appreciate it.”

Olivia nodded with a smirk. “I thought my aunt made a deal for you to solve this mess, but it seems like I’m the one who has to keep bailing you out from the ones you keep getting tangled up in, eh?”

The group had reached the old cabin’s door and Balthazar exhaled sharply.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to uphold my end of the bargain soon. I think I finally got enough to crack this case.”

The girl glanced down at his claws and her eyebrows rose slightly. “I believe you.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go on inside,” Captain Leander said as he caught up to them. “Just make sure to wipe your feet on the mat first. I dusted the floor just this morning.”

The cabin was small but cozy, with a fire pit already burning by a corner and a few salted fish sitting on a grill next to it, just waiting to be put to cook. With wooden walls all around, the many trophies, mounted fish, and even a few medals hanging from them told the story of a life full of achievements by the seasoned veteran. Even his wooden floors said a lot, with all the animal pelt rugs covering them. Thankfully Balthazar saw no mounted shells anywhere.

“Make yourselves at home and rest,” the man said. “After the day you all had, you must need it.”

“We can’t waste time, though,” Balthazar quickly said. “I know where the stolen mangoes are, as well as the one responsible for all of this. We must head there immediately.”

This book\'s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Must we, now?” the smiling captain said.

“Balthazar is right,” Olivia exclaimed. “If he knows where this… her that is controlling the bandits and turned the city guard is hiding then we have to… to act…”

A big, overpowering yawn forced its way through the girl’s words, making her involuntarily open her mouth and stretch her arms.

“You all need some rest, that’s what you need before anything else,” the old man said.

“But…” started the crab.

“All of you,” the other insisted, nodding to the sofa closest to the fire pit.

Balthazar looked in the direction he was pointing with his head and he saw Druma, Blue, and Suze already falling asleep near the warm glow of the flames, with the girl and the goblin both nestled up against the drake’s body.

The crab sighed. He didn’t have it in him to wake them up and say they had to go running out again.

Not because he cared, obviously.

They just might demand extra pay for overtime, and there was no way the merchant would risk that.

More importantly, the crab’s body was starting to ache with a fury now that he had stopped for a moment after the whirlwind that was his day.

“Alright, fine,” Balthazar said. “We rest for now, but tomorrow we set out to finish this.”

“Good,” said Leander. “It won’t be long before the sun is up anyway. I’ll set my men up around the area to make sure no one sneaks up on us, and then I’ll take the Dame to a hidden grotto nearby so that nobody spots it out there once morning comes.”

“I’ll go with you to help,” Olivia enthusiastically said, heading back to the door.

The captain opened his mouth to argue, but his face told that his wisdom knew better than to bother.

After the door closed behind them, the merchant found himself alone in the cabin, his three fellow troublemakers now fast asleep near the warmth of the burning logs.

Balthazar sat back against another sofa close to the fire. Some sleep sounded nice, but there was one more thing he needed to do.

Reaching into his Backpack of Holding, the crab retrieved the Scroll of Potential he had negotiated from the Thieves Guild master.

Now that we finally have a moment alone, let’s see what you’re hiding, little scroll.

He unfurled the piece of parchment with both pincers as a white glow grew over his eyes.

Please be something useful. I’m going to need all the help I can get tomorrow.

Lines and glyphs appeared across Balthazar’s eyes as words formed on his system screen.

[Revealing skill…]

[Copycrab]

[Skill - B tier]

[Requirements: 40 CHA, 15 INT]n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

[Cost: 10 mana]

[Be a little more like those around you. For 5 minutes, gain the properties of a unique trait from a nearby ally.]

[Would you like to learn this skill?]

[Yes] [No]

Huh… Interesting.

Staring at the flames of the fire pit through the letters in his eyes, the crab pondered the skill revealed to him.

I guess it could be useful. I’m just not sure how I’d use it right now. No reason not to take it, though.

With a flick, he confirmed the prompt and learned the skill, making the scroll glow more intensely before furling itself back and dropping to the floor, plain and unlit again.

Allies… Balthazar mused as he looked at the moon outside the cabin’s window.

I guess I’ve been amassing a collection of those lately, haven’t I?

As his eyes grew heavier, the crab recalled a time not so long ago when he would have disliked the mere presence of another being in the vicinity of his pond. And now there he was casually running around a city with a pack of misfits in tow, wheeling and dealing, causing trouble and interacting with all manner of strange new characters.

He was not just a long way from his home, he was also a long way from the anti-social crab he once was.

Even if he still found other people to be annoyances most of the time.

His body relaxed under the comforting warmth of the crackling fire nearby, and his gaze wandered to the sleepy heads on the other sofa.

I suppose some of them are alright. Sometimes.

A long sigh escaped the merchant as the dancing flames of the roasting pit lulled him to sleep.

Tomorrow we will rescue those poor, delicious mangoes from her evil clutches… Oh, the pies they will make… Hmm…

With a smile on his face, the crab drifted off into a slumber filled with dreams of pies and golden coins.