Chapter 3: Silver Isle, Floating Market

Zale is shown a northward path that winds further up into the hills. The uphill climb is treacherous - loose gravel makes for precarious footing, and what solid stones and roots that might have provided good handholds are coated a thin film of slime that smells of rotten fish. Thankfully, the sea breeze affords a respite from the stink as Zale approaches the hill's crest.

The hill ends at a limestone cliff that drops down to the sea. Zale can hear the crashing of waves below. The Coven's ramshackle hut sits on the very edge and looks almost as if it will tip over at any moment.

As Zale watches, a door opens, spilling light across the yard, and the hut disgorges three grotesque figures with disfigured faces, slimy hair, and dressed in filthy rags. One appears to have fish-like scales covering pale skin stretched across its emaciated frame. Another stands nearly 8 feet tall despite being hunchbacked. The third cackles as it runs a gnarled claw lightly across the cheek of the human infant sleeping in the crook of her arm. The trio walks to the cliff's edge and seem to step right off and disappear from sight!

What do you do, Zale?

Using the sparse vegetation for cover, Zale is able to creep up to the hut. The fire in the hearth is burning low - it doesn't look like the hags plan to return any time soon. Glancing towards the cliff's edge you see there is a cleft in the rock wide enough to step down into. Further investigation reveals steps carved into the stone leading down towards the sea.

Zale hears a low moan followed by a bestial growl. Zale stays hidden by lying flat on his stomach. By the light of the three risen moons he sees a hulking figure loping up the path and moving towards the hut.

What do you do, Zale? It's not very late in the evening. Is anyone else doing anything besides resting?

The impoverished hillfolk share dried fish and a thin, tasteless soup if you would rather eat that instead of your rations.

Jineer's stories go over well, but the piss-poor hillfolk have no coins to pay.

The creature does enter the hut and moments later starts trashing it. Zale can hear furniture being smashed with animal savagery. There is a momentary pause when all that can be heard is unintelligible muttering, and this is when Zale peeks in through the grimy window.

The figure's back is turned, but it's unmistakable. It's Captain Valrkas.

Before Zale can react, the minotaur is wracked by painful spasms and involuntarily transforms into a hideous minotaur-wereshark hybrid, with cloven hoofed lower limbs, rough grayish skin across his broad torso, curved horns protruding from a fearsome shark's head! With a bellow of rage, Valrakas reduces a heavy trestle table to kindling, then crashes through the hut's seaward wall and leaps off the cliff!

The waves are too noisy to make out a splash, and it's too dark, despite the full moons, for Zale to tell if there's anyone in the water far below. The hut sags forlornly. All is quiet.

Shite.