Mythran's Master Of All

“You might enjoy those more if you took your time.” Ren said and Princess looked at him with about half of the big bowl's fries sticking out of her mouth. “Don't get mad at me, it's just a suggestion.”

She tried to huff and a pile of fries popped out of her mouth and back into the bowl. Ren laughed as Princess tried her best to get those fries back into her mouth before chewing what she had first. He waited until she finished the fries and then she licked the bowl clean.

“You didn't have to lick it clean. I was going to wash it anyways.” Ren said, and laughed at her stern look. “I'm going topside for a while. Now that we're actually going out to sea, I'm going out to see where we're going.” Ren smiled. “That sounded weird, even to me.” He said and chuckled. “I'll see you later, Princess. Do you want to come, Ruck?”

Ruck shook back and forth in a 'no' gesture. “Okay. See you later.”

Ren went up on deck and used his water ring to rinse out the bowl over the side of the ship. I'll give it a proper washing the next time I'm in the kitchen. Ren thought as he looked at the open water. He wondered how far he had to go in the ship to get to the dwarven city, then decided to go for a walk around the deck of the ship. He stayed out of everyone's way, until he came to one dwarf that looked like he needed help to secure a loose rope. He was straining to hold it and tie the end at the same time. Ren grabbed on and held it taut, and the dwarf looked at him like he was crazy, shrugged and tied a knot on the end. The dwarf nodded and Ren nodded back, then kept walking around the deck. He didn't see the other 2 dwarves that had come over to help, standing there staring at him as he walked away. Ren came around the main cabin area and saw a group of dwarves standing in a circle near the back of the main deck. They were hollering and goading the 2 dwarves that they surrounded. Ren approached the group and could easily see. Ren was 4 foot 7 inches; he pretty much towered over nearly every dwarf on the ship, since they ranged from 3 feet 6 inches tall to 4 feet 3 inches tall. They were all talking at once, but Ren picked up details here and there. One of the dwarfs had dipped a mop into the other dwarf's bucket that was supposed to be only for brushes.

Ren shook his head slightly and walked on. He climbed the few stairs to the back deck where the steering wheel was. The dwarf holding the wheel had watched Ren as he approached and Ren nodded. The dwarf's eyes widened slightly and nodded back. Ren walked to the very back of the ship and stared at the coastline as it drifted away. He smiled at how wrong that statement was. It was Ren that was drifting away from everything that he knew.

I hope this was a good decision. Ren thought.

“Of course it was.” Teepo said and Ren looked down over the back of the ship. Teepo was clinging to the side of the large rudder.

What the hell are you doing down there? Ren thought, flabbergasted.

Teepo chittered in laughter. “Just checking everything out.”

Ren shook his head. Geez, Teepo! What if you fell off?

“You'd save me.” Teepo said and crawled back onto the side of the ship.

Ren looked at his friend and smiled. Yeah, if I couldn't just summon you, I'd get you out of there somehow.

Teepo crawled all the way up the side of the ship then up Ren's arm to perch on the shoulder.

Explored the rest of the ship, have you?

“I did. There's a lot of spaces I haven't been in yet, but I found out where they all are.”

Ren smiled and looked at the receding land. Tell me about it.

Teepo filled Ren in on all the rooms he'd found, how many dwarves were on the ship, where the captain's cabin was, how to get to the rowing deck, and the engine room.

Did you say engine room?

“Yeah. It's right next to where I just was. I heard the dwarf that was cleaning the rowing deck say that they needed to get the oars ready for when they next get to a dock.”

They don't use the oars all the time?

Teepo chittered in laughter. “Dwarves rowing all the time? No, they just do that around the dock.”

Why?

“Why row when you can just let the water move you?”

Okay, this I have to see. Ren thought.

“I can take you there.” Teepo offered.

No, I think I'll go through 'official channels' for this. The last thing I need is to be kicked off the ship, or worse, prosecuted for stealing secrets.

“Oh. That would be bad.” Teepo said.

Ren nodded and turned around to walk down the other side of the ship, but only took three steps and stopped short when another dwarf stood in front of him. He had a short mohawk of black hair and the sides of his head and chin were shaved clean, except for the part around his mouth. He had a big bushy mustache connected to a large tuft of beard on the end of the chin. He had a wicked tattoo of a snake that started at his temple, ran around his ear, down his neck and shoulder, and around his bicep. He was both muscular and stocky; and pretty much naked, except for a loincloth and leather pouches on the sides of his hips. He also wore boots with thick soles.

“Can I help you?” Ren asked.

The dwarf didn't say anything. Ren stepped to the side to try and go around him and the dwarf stepped to the side as well. The group of dwarves that he'd passed on the lower deck slowly surrounded them, and started goading them.

“Don't do this.” Ren warned him.

“Your on my nice clean deck.” The dwarf said.

Ren didn't look down, as it was an invitation to get punched. Plus, he'd walked all along one side of the ship and from what he'd seen, the deck was anything but clean.