When Erik opened his eyes again, his head felt like it was exploding, he was still in the captain's cabin. The sun was shining through the windows. Strangely, he felt warm. Something very warm was attached to him. It was the captain. They had slept hugged.

 

Erik paused, they still had their clothes on. Well part of them at least... Still, she wasn't that ugly, looking at her face one could see some nice things after all. She wasn't a monster either, unlike him. After all, he was a monster that went around drinking and pillaging...

 

​"What are you looking at Erik?" the captain asked, still in the covers, “Are you falling in love?" She came nearer to him, “you know when you are drunk, you are so sweet."

"What do you mean?!? How much have I drunk?"

"A lot. Drinking always gives me nightmares, but today it didn’t." the captain looked at Erik “Oh I forgot, my name is Iliac, a pleasure to meet you.” she extended her hand toward him.

Erik’s face was blank, believing, hoping this to be a dream. A weird pipe dream induced by some shaman. Iliac passed her hand through Erik’s hair.

“What are you doing?”

"Nothing." she said, smiling, "Oh come here, I like to play you know". She hugged Erik, who became red like a tomato.

Someone, at last, came into the room.

 

"Captain, there is a weir- am I interrupting something?"

"No, nothing, tell me what you wanted to say."

"We are docking at port, but there is a problem. There are a bunch of, ehm, heretics, not wanting our ship to dock."

"Heretics?"

"One of them has a goat skull as a helmet"

"Ah, understandable. Let me handle it. Erik, come with me."

"We demand you give us a part of your cargo," said one.

"This isn’t supposed to be a free port,” added another. “Either you pay, or we will assault the ship." The surrounding heathen agreed with a nod.

"Oh, why is that ?" said the captain, a bit drunk

"Ah, you are the captain," he said "you have to...” he looked at her puzzled” Have you been drinking? Are you drunk?"

"Hmm"​ answered the captain still drunk

"I don't want to know.” he looked at the man next to her, “Is that your slave ?"

"NO!!" cried Erik.

"Oh, Erik, is that you?”

“Oxley?!”

“Yeah. I am glad to see you alive and well. I see that you have gone up in the world, that is one hell of a ship. "

“But we-” a guard tried to say before he was immediately stopped by Marcus, “Captain Erik, do you know those guys?”

“Yes…we are friends.”

The two of them stood watching each other. Then they waved to each other.

“I thought you were zealots, of some sort. I now see that I was wrong."

And so saying, the other crew went their way.

 

"I don't know how to feel about this," said the priest, "I don't know."

“Me either,” said Erik

"Look at the bright side," said the little girl. "We are safe, or nearly safe. Now let us pray."

"Praying is useless, the true god Oxrhjreythjre will save us all!"

"Wait, what was that?"

"It's me, Willish the raider,” said a small man appearing out of nowhere,“ I am a merchant.”

All looked at him confused

“I am also a raider. I came here to give you some gold if you will let us use your ship to... building some things, and collect some other things. All sorts of things. I like things, it's a habit of mine. Good old mommy liked things, too." The man looked like a brown monkey, slightly smoked, with a silly smell of various substances coming off of him. "So, is it a deal?”

"No-" was saying, Erik

"Sure." interrupted the captain, "How much?"

"A lot."

"Good."

 

......

 

"Sorry for asking, Captain, but where are we going, exactly ?"

"I need to strike a deal here, you stay put, Ok?"

That made him feel something that he hadn't felt in a long time. "Ok," he said, lowering his voice.

"Are you two together?" asked the little girl

"I have no ide- No, no, what I am saying..."

The girl and priest nodded to each other. Erik had a crush on the Captain. “Things happen. You plan a long voyage and the next thing you know the priest has slept with three boys to cleanse their sins. Things happen. Remember that. “ Marcus said.

“Has that actually happened?”

“It happened... to a friend.”

“Ah,” said Erik, perplexed at the state of the church.

 

​

Maybe he is just using me, after all, he just wants me as a seafarer. Maybe I shouldn't be so worried. The crow appeared, and the air became heavier. "If you sleep with Iliac, I will be on board with the decision."

Erik gave him a look of personal and existential confusion.

"What? She seems nice, plus you are feeling better after sleeping with her and not worrying so much."

"Are we sure that you are the same crow that was talking about hell and damnation a few days ago ?"

"Yes. It’s just that wine and ink put me in a good mood."

"Ok," said Erik, not wishing to understand any further what was going on.

 

​

 

"When the Captain returned, he waved a hand at her, and she waved back. "So Erik, I bought this little thing for you, it should be sweet, tell me if you liked it.” It was a strange brown thing that looked like a stone.

Erik ate it and liked it, the sweet and strange brown rock quickly dissolving on his tongue. He smiled at Iliac and she laughed. Erik looked at her confused. "Your teeth have brown pieces now."

"They do?"

"Yes," they laughed. "It was good. How much did it cost ?"

"Not much Erik."

They smiled at each other. The guards were confused and a bit happy.

So Erik and Iliac walked together, nearly holding hands. “Erik, could you please come with me? I need a...extra guard,” she said, blushing a bit.

 

​

For all his experience, there was one thing that he didn't understand. Women. He could never tell what they were thinking. It was for this reason that he had promised himself that he would build a family with a man and not a woman.

 

He paused

 

But you know, promises can be broken after all. He should be focusing on his escape. Instead, he was thinking about Iliac and how to make her happy. Love was giving him a headache.

 

​

And so the days passed by without as much as a wrinkle. Maybe he had finally reached happiness?​ The Captain told him all about how she felt ugly and out of place. Erik told her how he felt like an outsider since the mark was given to him. Both outsiders, both with strange stories to tell.

He hoped that things would continue this way. But happiness is only a momentary stop in a long series of tragedies.

 

 

Upon sighting the first signs of glaciers, Erik had felt something terrible. A few seconds passed, and the ship halted. A horrible sound of creaking and splintering wood. Erik raised his head, but it was too late. The main hull of the ship was severely damaged, and the ship was going to sink. He made the decision he had to make, took a few things and went on board. He should have jumped. This is what he should have done. He started doubting himself. “Erik, this is not the time for doubts” his demon took possession of him.

 

When he opened up his eyes again he had reached a cold beach, he didn't know how much time had passed. He was bleeding. He felt cold, extremely cold. It was morning and the sun was rising. If he didn't find some way to warm himself soon, he would be a dead man. He set out into the island. Looking for a fire, maybe a blanket, or a Captain. Maybe his happiness wasn't over. “No,” he thought. It was long gone, all that was left to him was to seek redemption and the old gods.