[Captain,] Crystal said, her voice coming from the deck beneath Onestar, [I can see Maclear in the distance.]
"Thank you, Crystal. Meridian?"
Meridian made a small mark on a chart. "Two days."
"Crystal," Onestar started, "still no signs of any other ships?"
[None. I've seen no other ship in Wildspace since we've entered Omnispace.]
"What are you up to, Colicor?" Onestar pondered that thought as Ville climbed the last few steps to the bridge, a mug in his hand. Phantom looked over his shoulder to see him approach.
"What'cha doing up here, stranger?" Phantom asked. "I thought you'd still be downstairs at the party?"
"I thought the lady on the helm might like a drink," Ville said. "I heard that the helm can make one quite thirsty."
[Thank you, Ville.] Crystal took the mug and drank it's contents right down. [I was getting thirsty, probably from seeing everyone downstairs.]
"How is it downstairs, Ville?"
"Everyone seems to be relaxing, Onestar. Why don't you go ahead downstairs and join them? I can watch up here."
Onestar smiled. "Thanks, but I'm not in the mood for a party right now..."
[ONESTAR!] Crystal cried out, he voice echoing from the entire ship, [a shrikeship just appeared on our starboard bow!]
"Damn!" Onestar cursed, standing. Indeed, the rose crystal showed several Hammerships appearing. Phantom jumped from his seat, sword in hand.
"Crystal, call battle stations!" Onestar ordered.
[Ba-hack! COUGH!] Crystal began to cough and choke. She seemed have trouble catching her breath, coughing and choking. Onestar looked at the elven maid below in distress and leapt from command deck to the main deck below, his powers slowing his descent. By the time he reached the main deck, Crystal was unconscious and, as a result, the helm powered down. The ship began to stop.
Ville stood on the muster deck, looking down at Onestar. He removed the opaque orb from the pouch and threw it toward the deck. It shattered, sending a quickly-spreading cloud of thick smoke throughout the bridge. Phantom, Meridian and Delvin soon were overcome with smoke and collapsed. Onestar, swords in hand, choked as he looked up to Ville.
"Ville...HACK...what's..what's going...coughcoughcough...on?"
"Onestar. You bastard." Ville stepped down from the muster deck, walked over to Onestar and kicked the doubled over samurai square in the ribs. Behind them was a sickening thud as Normakon succumbed to the gas.
"I've had it up to HERE with you, Onestar!" Ville yelled as he kicked the samurai again. His eyes were filled with a reddish glow. "You and your tolerance for those non-human bastards. When will you learn that only humans deserve to soar the stars. Not Elves. Not Dwarves. Certainly not Illithids, Beholders or Neogi. Humans!"
Throughout the ship, the gas spread quickly. On each deck, crew members were falling from the choking gasses. In the rec room, the gathered party-goers were slumped over the pool table, the chairs, the bar. Karamon was slumped over the bar, already unconscious. Only Hall stood, gasping for air, leaning on the pool cue. Belieth lay at his feet, as did the others. The bard made his way to the door, having to move Illeria to open it.
Out in the hall wasn't much better. The pea-green smoke filled the corridors, making it hard to see even with infravision. Hall stumbled through up the corridor, using the cue for balance. It was getting harder and harder to see, but ahead, he could make out two images, both humanoid, one leaning over the other.
As he approached, he saw that it was Taraq, bent over Father Armas. It seemed the mul was unaffected by the gas. Hall choked, trying to gasp for clean air.
"Sir!" Taraq cried out as Hall stumbled forward. The gladiator caught the bard before he fell. Hall shook his hand, trying to tell Taraq he was all right. From above, the pair could hear a thumping sound. Before they could investigate it, however, a flash of light pierced the fog, coming from in front of them.
Leaning on Taraq for support, Hall made his way to the source of the light. It was Father Armas' quarters where the light appeared, surrounding the doorframe. Inside is where the crew let Eloiela and Li rest before sending them home for burial.
With a mighty kick, Taraq knocked the door in. The light flared, blinding the two for a moment, but as it subsided they could see a small man wearing dark robes lean over Eloiela's covered body. Waving a staff over her, she vanished from the room. He then turned to face the bard and gladiator, his eyes glowing bright red.
"Colicor!" Hall gasped.
"Correct as usual, you Cartanian swine!" Colicor cursed back, his voice only a loud whisper. "My agent has done what I asked him to do, distract you while I claim my prize. I think I shall take my leave of you now, but first, a farewell gift!"
As Colicor waved his staff in front of him, a dark beam leapt from the crystal, passing Taraq and Hall, headed out the door. Taraq leapt toward the magi, blade in hand, trying for the kill. He swung down hard on the magi, striking him with such force that the arm holding the staff came off. Colicor cried out in pain as his arm hit the floor. The magi faded as Taraq swung for his neck.
Hall stumbled back into the hall, trying to follow the dark streak. He saw it head for the upper deck, but could not follow it fast enough.
Back on the bridge, Ville was still fighting Onestar, but the samurai had regained his footing. The pair was locked together, wrestling and struggling. Onestar backhanded Ville across the face, knocking him away for a second, but Ville came back for more. They rolled across the deck, each trying to gain footing. Onestar butted Ville's head, stunning him. Ville closed his eyes in pain for a moment, staggering away and backing off. He opened his eyes and the glow had gone.
Onestar took the moment to grab his katana. Standing before Ville in the smoke-filled bridge, the samurai cleared his throat and focused his ki. Ville began to look confused.
"You have one second, Lavonius, to explain what the hell you think you are doing," Onestar cried, blade in hand.
"Onestar, I don't understand..." Behind Onestar, the dark bolt came up the steps. It parted, and began to move around the bridge, spinning a black web of magical energy. Onestar and Ville both ducked out of its way several times. Hall finally managed to reach the bridge, crawling up the last few steps.
The web covered the entire bridge, casting the fog into darkness. Finally, all the strands began to converge on its center, and once the last strand reached the center, all the energy contained within focused itself into one massive bolt, aimed straight at Ville.
Ville screamed as the dark energy struck. He was encased in a dark shroud for a few moments, screaming in agony. Onestar tried to reach Ville, but was forced back. Hall managed to crawl over toward Onestar, and the pair could do nothing but watch as Ville began to...change.
The chief of ship's operations fingers began to lengthen, his fingernails growing longer. On his forehead, a clear crystal seemingly grew out from under his skin, skin that was in itself beginning to turn chalk white. His eyes turned the color of blood, and his hair began to grow longer.
After what seemed like an eternity, the dark glow faded and Ville collapsed to the deck. As the samurai and bard made their way over to check on Ville, menacing laughter could be heard throughout the ship. A cold, evil laugh, that chilled all who gathered to the bone.
