Mako's story

...Mako’s story
...The tale of how I came to be in the Redlands.
...As told by Mako.

A while ago, before Mako tired of city life, I was getting soused at a local public house, The Crimson Pagoda, in the port city of Ran Jang, on the coast of Chin. One of Mako’s drinking companions, a sly fellow named LoPan, boasted that he had just perfected a brand new potion recipe he called ‘potion of undead control’.

Mako being extremely intoxicated tersely said “I know a bit of magic, and I do not believe you. Undead have no minds to control.”

LoPan took great offence at this and challenged Mako to try it out himself. In fact he insisted that I do it that very moment, and led Mako out, and down the street to the docks.

“Where are we going?” Mako asked.

“The ‘Sunrise’ is in port, you ignorant sot. There we will find plenty of undead, on which to test my potion.”

We approached the docks, taking cover once they were close to the plague-infested, shunned ship. There LoPan gave Mako a flask of the, as yet untested, potion of undead control. Mako took a large swig of the foul tasting brew, and staggered towards the guards at the ramp leading up to The Sunrise. It was then that I heard a soft chuckling coming from behind me. Shocked I noticed bits of my flesh peeling off and falling to the cobbles at my feet. Then the skeletal guards moved forward and seized me. I tried to scream, but only raspy mumblings came out. Still being drunk I put up little resistance. I was thrown in through a hatch into a holding bay below deck, where I hit my head, and fell unconscious.

Upon waking, a couple hours later, Mako noticed two things. One, the ship he was in was assail, and two, I was a zombie, amongst other zombies, skeletons, ghasts, and ghouls in the hold of the most foul smelling and hideously creepy ship I’d ever been on.

Then I noticed something else, the potion was starting to wear off. Some of the ‘crew’ around me were glaring and sniffing hungrily at me. I checked my pocket, the flask was still there, if only…

...there was another swallow in it, I wasted no time downing the last of the ‘potion of undead transformation’ potion. The slavering undead went back to their own business.

Mako shuffled up deck. It was still dark, the crew was busy stowing gear, and netting things down. I heard shouting, and turning back looked up to see the captain bellowing to make fast for submersion.

Submersion, what the fuck was that!

I was filled with a great panic. I then noticed the captain, The Dread Pirate Captain Zakhi, was giving me the ‘fish-eye’. Double-panic set in, if I could manage to run, I would be in bed in fifteen seconds, but as (ill) luck would have it, there was no time to do anything. Captain Zakhi shouted “NOW!”, and the ship and all on it tilted forward at a disturbing angle and velocity, and plunged below the ocean’s surface. Is there such a thing as triple-panic?

Mako would have been holding my breath, if the potion hadn’t done it for me. I wasn’t wet, but was completely under water. The ship ‘bumped’ a whale out of its way. It drove through a large school of sea-dwelling mammals, pulling a few carcasses in its wake. As I clutched a railing for support, I noticed the crew was going about its normal business, battening and lashing. To-ing and fro-ing. Madness!

And dark, it was black. The only light a lantern at the wheelhouse, and it barely shed any light, illuminating only the terrifying visage of the Captain as he stared ahead.

Then Mako noticed a dim but growing light ahead. As the ship got closer I thought we were headed towards a great, out-of-focus mirror. We were going to crash into it! As the ship hit it, it the ship broke the surface, into the open air. Vertigo hit, then the ship lunged forward crashing into the sea in a flume of water.

It was night, full-mooned and calm. The ship continued on with no wind, sails un-filled. There was another ship on the horizon. The other ship was pointed away. Anchored. Waiting. As we got closer I could make it out better. “Bloody Cutlass” was painted in golden letters on the board nailed to the back of the ship.

The Sunrise slowed and pulled up alongside the new ship. A man swung over, landing on the Sunrises’ top deck, and said “Zak, I believe we have business to discuss.”

“Aye, we do. But a-fore that, a little matter… a little stow-away matter.” That said, Mako was seized, lifted, and hurled over the side of the ship. Thrown toward the other ships’ side. Where I hit the side and fell flailing into the ocean.

“He’s not one of mine, he’s yours.” Zakhi hissed.

“You sure?”, but seeing the look in Zakhi’s eyes, he knew, and shouted “Haul 'it' up, boys.” The two went below deck.

A hook bit into Mako’s side, and I was pulled up, and locked in a holding cell, where I passed out.
Upon waking the first thing I noticed was that I was ‘human’ again, and hungry, and hung-over. Mako waited till someone came past my cell to ask what was to come of me. And was told I’d have to ask Captain Shanahan.

A few minutes later a cleric came to me, said some magic words and I was healed, and sober. Twenty minutes later I was brought topside to meet the Captain.

Captain Shanahan said “I don’t know who you are, nor do I care. I don’t know what magics got you onboard The Sunrise, again, nor do I care. You are still a stowaway, and will be treated as such. In payment of your bread and water you will write a statement of how you came to be in this situation. Then you will be freed in the first friendly port we come to. I wish you well. Take him away, give him a pen and parchment.”

Mako was returned to his cell. Where-in I have written this missive. But someday I will find that son-of-a-she-dog sorcerer known as LoPan.

And on that day Mako will kill him.

Mako.