Amarant Under Siege [Chapter 1/4]

Chapter One:

Jobs came by rarely these days. Of course, it might have something to do with a certain thief messing up his professional career and saddling him with a warrant for his arrest.

As an abnormal human being, Amarant scared most people he came across. His blue skin in addition to his large arms, violently red hair all naturally curled and abundant, red chin-strap beard, and a glare that could paralyze any foe, Amarant’s warrant seemed plausible to many citizens.

Not only that, but his betrayal of Brahne to save a mere child might have given him some pull with the ladies, but much less with clients looking for obedient mercenaries for hire. It was hard to get the job when he disobeyed the mission objective just because it didn’t work with his moral code.

Thankfully he found a job protecting a precious diamond relic to Treno. Or...  better to say the job found him.

A merchant approached him talking about all the problems with pirates on the open seas and skies and how his cargo was constantly being stolen. He would pay handsomely to anyone who would guard a special item for him. The other cargo, such as silks and food, paled in comparison with the price of such an artefact.

Amarant needed to travel by sea, protect and bring the relic to the merchant, and get paid for his hard work.

There would be a crew and they would take care of everything else.


Easy.

Amarant agreed to take the job. Not too many prospects for him to consider, plus, he could take a few pirates. He wasn’t overly prideful of his own skills, but he knew he could handle. Besides, he could finally fix his reputation among the community. If he succeeded, he’d be back in good standing, or on his way to it anyway.

With the agreement of half up front and half on completion, Amarant took the job.

He traveled to Alexandria, where the ship would dock and leave for Treno carrying a good ten or so people. It wasn’t a particularly expensive or luxurious ship, but it looked sturdy.

Amarant paused, glancing over his shoulder to see his client running toward him package in hand.

“Guard this with your life. It’s very important.” The merchant smiled, handing it off to him. “I’m trusting you to take care of this. A big… scary guy like you should be able to handle all the monsters of the sea.”

Amarant nodded soberly. “Worry not. I’ll bring this relic safe to Treno.”

The merchant smiled and nodded. “Don’t forget to take it to the Weapons Shop. I feel this is all in good hands.”

Amarant nodded curtly and headed toward the ship. He boarded it, long bulging arms swinging at his side like clubs as he walked. He paused at the bow, looking up at the sky. The sun shining up above, the seagulls called as they soared over, and the sky was a nice clear blue. A surge of energy filled Amarant. This was going to be a good voyage. The world, by Amarant’s standards, would be made right. He would fix all the trouble the monkey put him in.

The boat wasn’t large. Its only design was to ship cargo back and forth, but couldn’t handle any battle capabilities. No cannons, no guns, no… anything. Amarant wondered if the crew could even wield a blade. There was only the cargo hold below and a small wooden cabin around the engine and helm.

He made his way down to the lower cabin while the ship’s crew ran around readying for the voyage. Amarant’s piercing blue eyes peeked out from under his large coiled hair as he searched the cargo room. No windows, just boxes and more boxes. He noted the few spaces where he could see the walls were d-rings used to strap in cargo for the long haul. Quite a few were already in use. His eyes raised up to see the large beams, noting they were sturdy, thankfully.

Amarant thumped his way over to the other side of the room. He placed the box down and pried the box open with his massive hands. It popped open without damaging the box or the relic inside. Peeking inside, Amarant raised an eyebrow at how the diamond glimmered in the light from the swinging overhead lamp. He appreciated the beauty of the relic, closed the box, and tapped the nail back in with his thumb.

He nodded his head thoughtfully, positioning the box between some of the other cargo to keep it still before he sat down, folding his arms and staring at the door.