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Splintered Light Chapter 7.1: Salvage Rights and Salvage Wrongs

When Viktor first saw the shallows in the middle of the otherwise deep ocean he thought perhaps that he was looking at some trick of the light. He spent several moments searching for clouds that could have been casting a shadow across the water, and rubbing at his face to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. As a minute passed, then two, he became increasingly aware that what he had seen was indeed something worth reporting, and that's when he called upon Nikolay de Sandoval.

Between the two of them they had been able to determine that there was definitely something there. Viktor had motioned to the Bosun, but the Prong Horn was otherwise engaged in conversation. Between the Hare and the Husky they came to the conclusion that whatever it was needed to be declared. They conferred one more time, agreeing that it looked like a shallow spot with a reef or a sand bar essentially in the middle of nowhere so Viktor used the most general declaration he could think of. "SHOAL! PORT BOW!"

It was a generic warning, and Viktor realized that he'd have a report to give, especially when almost everyone on deck stared up at him. He was already on his way down to speak with the officers when Nikolay added to the report, shouting down at the deck from overhead "LANGAN ON THE BOTTOM!"

While Viktor hadn't been especially sure of anything beyond shallows he had to admit that, as they drew closer he could see what it was the Husky had seen: the uneven seabed beneath the waves definitely had something sticking up out of it and considering how straight and angular it was, the Hare had a feeling that Nikolay wasn't far off base. What it meant, however, was that the Husky was expected to also descend and give a report, meaning there were only 2 of the requested 4 look-outs still doing their job.

It was the first thing Viktor addressed when he was met at the bottom of the mast by the Captain and First Mate. "Captain, Nikolay's coming down and that means we're only at half staff for lookouts."

The Tiger waved away the concern. "Tell me about the shoal."

The Hare nodded and did just that. "Hard to tell exactly, sir. There's a section of shallow water ahead. Shouldn't cause us a problem but it'd be easier to tell if we were closer."

By the time Viktor's report was given Nikolay had touched down on deck. The Husky gave the closed-fisted Soyrian salute and spoke up to the Tiger, addressing him with a Soyrian title. "Kapitan."

Alistair let it slide. "What's this about langan? Sunken goods? Water logged wreckage? What's down there, Mr. Nikolay?"

The Husky provided a very brief explanation. "I do not know, Kapitan... but there IS something down there."

Captain Alistair, as usual, was quick to come up with a plan. "Mr. Viktor, have the rigging crew trim the sails; I want a slow approach so we can weigh anchor without running aground if a closer inspection turns up trouble."

The Hare nodded. "Aye sir."

There was nothing more to be said as the Captain headed toward the Foreman and Bosun, both of whom were waiting nearby. Viktor was ready to go do the Captain's bidding but Ash-Moon called to him first. "What did you see?"

The Jackal was wearing trousers, which was a big change from his recent tribal garb, but he still had on his fur paint. Despite all of the hearsay making its way around the ship Viktor honestly didn't give a damn; he reported to the First Mate. "There's a shallow spot up ahead... maybe two hundred meters across."

Ash-Moon's attention went from the Hare to the Husky. "Something down there?"

Viktor and Nikolay had briefly discussed whether or not to bring up the possibility of a wreck but that was before the Dog had called out to announce it. They exchanged glances and the Hare shrugged, indicating that reporting on it was entirely up to Nikolay. He did. "Aye, sir. Looked like a ship wreck."

The First Mate continued to ask questions that they couldn't fully answer. By the third one Viktor reached out and laid a paw on Nikolay's shoulder. The Husky turned to face him and he addressed his fellow Soyrian in their native language. "Do not give false reports."

Nikolay frowned. "I'm not."

The Hare clarified. "You're guessing on a lot of this. We can only say what we know for certain."

The Husky nodded. "Yes, sir. He asked for what I thought, so I was telling him."

Viktor waved away the excuse. "I will handle this."

Ash-Moon stood by passively waiting for them to finish their discussion in Soyrian. The Hare turned to him and offered the final portion of the report. "The water's still deep enough... we shouldn't hit... touch and go at the worst."

The vessel had slowed during their talk and eventually it came to a stop. The First Mate waved them away, dismissing them. Rather than return to the rigging, Viktor motioned for Nikolay to do so. "Give the orders."

He didn't have to say anything else; the Husky headed off obediently. By the time Viktor was free from discussion there were many more crewmen on deck. Several talks had started up and the news of 'something up ahead' had spread around to everyone present. Tobias Severna, the homebody-brother of the ship's Bosun lingered near the edge, speaking with the First Mate. They talked in the Tribal tongue, making it impossible for anyone to understand until a few words came up about gold; it caught quite a bit of attention.

In a matter of moments a number of crewmen were leaning over the railing, shouting to one another that there was definitely something down there and the exclamations escalated in volume and outrageous guesses as to what it might be. Right about the time one of the sailors shouted something about the lost treasure of some obscure Wyranese Baron Someone-Von-Something-Or-Other the Captain called the crew to order with a loudly shouted "BELAY THE YAMMERING!"

Everyone fell silent while the officers moved through the crowd, ushering sailors back to their posts before arriving at the edge. One by one they glanced down and, one by one they affirmed that it may be worth taking a look. Viktor remained off to the side as the decisions was made. Eventually the talk circled around to exactly who it was who should dive down. Unsurprisingly it was the adventurous Bosun who volunteered. "I'm a solid swimmer, sir. I've done plenty of diving and I'm sure I--"

The Captain shot down the idea immediately. "I need you up here to help keep order, Mr. Severna."

Not to be outdone, the other Severna brother surprisingly offered his services next. "A diving rig is a fairly complex device, Captain. If I could offer my services, perhaps I--"

Alistair apparently didn't like that offer any more than the first Prong Horn. "We have no diving rig, Master Severna-- just a pump."

As if rehearsed, the Wave Rider's chief engineer walked up on deck with the enormous double-lever air system in his talons; his new assistant following along behind him with over a hundred feet of rubber hose spilling over his arms. Once they got to where Chief Veridius wanted everything he set the machine down. "Right here's fine, Mr. Rusck."

The Dog began untangling himself from the rubber hose, which he tried to set down on the deck three times before managing to escape it. "Yes, sir."

Even as the machine was being prepared there was still a discussion as to who should go. The ship's Reverend came up for the task since he was a Sea Otter and knew how to swim; over half the crew didn't so such a trait would surely be helpful, right? Wrong. Alistair shook his head at the proposal. "No... Reverend Fischer is needed on board. Besides, the man going overboard only needs to be able to sink. When he's ready to come back up we can retrieve him via the breathing tube."

Viktor nodded to Ash-Moon, who was standing beside him. The Jackal snorted. "I would go, but the captain wants me on the ship."

There was a moment of silence among the crew as someone was picked from the line up and Viktor turned to see if he could get a peek at whomever that turned out to be. It took some time for the crowd to clear enough for him to catch sight of a Marmot being fitted with a weight belt. The Hare was honestly surprised. "Mr. Fritz just came out of lock up."

Ash-Moon snorted and walked away. "This is his chance to prove his worth."

Viktor remained off to the side, not exactly having a good feeling when it came to sending an injured sailor overboard but it wasn't his place to question the captain. Ash-Moon had a point though; Mr. Fritz was guilty of attacking a fellow crewman and injuring the ship's translator. There was the possibility that whatever task awaited him beneath the waves was dangerous, and so it only made sense that he risk his life as an opportunity to redeem himself.

The crewmen around the Marmot helped him step out of his breeches as he held the weighted belt up, and then he doffed his tunic, leaving him standing in just his skivvies; it wasn't like he'd need much underwater and it'd be better for him to come back to dry clothes. Once Mr. Fritz was suitably dressed for the journey, Somus Veridius brought the final piece of his attire: the helmet.

The metal and glass headpiece was heavy and unwieldy, but it provided a firm base to which the breathing hose could be connected... and added some more weight to the Marmot to make the descent faster. Mr. Fritz couldn't speak or hear through the closed helmet and so the ship's engineer explained things to him before it was put in place onto the Marmot. "As soon as I close and seal the helmet I will have two crewmen man the bellows. I want you to take a big breath when you hear the air flowing and give me a thumbs up if all is well. After we send you overboard we will give you free reign on the hose. If, for any reason you have to come back up I want you to tug on it twice. Do you understand?"

The Marmot didn't look very confident but his tone was even when he replied "Aye."

Chief Veridius and Mr. Rusk worked together to get the helmet into place and then each tightened a rubber fastener. The Dragon looked back to Mr. Vopello and Mr. Brown, a Fox and a Wolf who were standing beside the air apparatus. Upon his nod, both took turns pulling their lever up then pushing it down. Their rhythm was counterpoint so that when one was up the other was down, and vice versa. All checked out well when Mr. Fritz held up a thumb and Chief Veridius attached a metal cable to the helmet-- a safety line just in case.

Captain Jacksoni had two other sailors escort Mr. Fritz to a section of railing that swung open, providing the Marmot a plunge straight down into the water. The Tiger nodded to them and approached Viktor, turning back around once he was beside the Hare to give the order to the crew supporting the diver. "Man overboard."

Each repeated the statement as the gave the Marmot a shove. "Man overboard!"

The men standing watch at the railing each had a paw on the rubber hose that trailed between the two of them and down into the water. Viktor kept an eye on the proceedings until he realized that the Tiger's eyes were on him. He turned to address Captain Jacksoni. "Sir?"

Alistair motioned upward with his muzzle. "I want you on the rigging watching from above, Viktor. If there's any sign of trouble we need to know about it."

The Hare was already part way up the mast before he shouted down "Aye, sir!"

There was a lot of talk below Viktor as he watched the lone silhouette of Mr. Fritz descend closer toward the waiting black shape beneath the waves. The crew continued talking below him; initially it was casual conversation such as a guess that the Marmot was particularly uncomfortable with a recent wound subjected to salt water, or idle bets as to whether or not Mr. Fritz would lose his nerve and start yanking on the air hose in a desperate attempt to be drawn back up to the surface. From there it didn't take much to start a discussion on just what they might find if he did make it all the way down to the ship.

The first guess was pretty basic. "What if it's a pirate ship down there?"

The retort was matter of fact. "Well, then maybe it'll be full o' pirate booty and the captain'll give us each a share."

Another guess was thrown out into the group. It sounded to Viktor like it might have been from Mr. Flax, the Bear Cat who usually worked toward the front of the ship. "Might be a merchantman... lots of traders trade with the Jiuyani Isles all year round, even during the storm season... it mighta been blown off course and sunk."

Mr Brown, the ship's chief flagger replied to the Bear Cat in Lehsunian, a language they both knew since it was their native nation. Several other crewmembers near them objected, but the guesses kept coming regardless. Grant, a Serval who spent his time split between deck and rigging had just finished his shift as look out and so he had gathered with the rest of the crew on deck. It was Mr. Grant's voice who carried the most conviction as he expressed his guess. "I bet it's an exploration vessel that went somewhere it shouldn't and found some kind of cursed artifact. They were on their way back, and the ship sunk mysteriously, killing all souls aboard."

Any further comment from the feline was silenced when he was smacked soundly on the back of the head by Mr. Zuider. "Belay that, Mr. Grant. I won't have that kinda talk on deck. Say somethin' like that again, even in jest and I'll have you syphoning out the bilge for the rest of the trip."

The Serval rubbed the back of his head, moving out of striking distance from the Goat. "Aye, sir."

Technically Mr. Grant was used by both the deck crew and the riggers so Mr. Zuider didn't have the power to make such a decision but Viktor was content to let him have his win... after all, the Goat was right; those kinds of comments, even in jest were bad for morale. Unfortunately, the next one to come didn't help matters at all.

Mr Vopello, hard at work on his side of the air machine took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out. The Fox's usually well groomed fur was puffed out and his eyes were wide open. Although he continued to work his assigned lever he also spoke up in a quiet tone that somehow managed to reach the Hare even where he was perched up in the rigging. It was also easily audible to the gathered crew. "Mr. Fritz is in grave danger."

Despite Viktor's focus being on the Fox, the shape of a large sea creature moving beneath the water down below was unmistakable. He cried out just as Nikolay did the same. "USO!"

The call of an Unidentified Submerged Object was enough to get more sailors to the rails. Cries of alarm and concern for their overboard shipmate drowned out almost everything else until Mr. Zuider's voice shouted over them at easily twice the volume. "STOW IT! ALL OF YOU! Next one of you to speak gets the cat!"

Silence prevailed for all of four seconds; it all came to an end the moment a frenzied yanking caused the air hose to twitch in the paws of the crewmen manning the railing. The Captain called out immediately. "Pull him up! Now!"

The crewmen nearest the railing immediately grabbed at the air hose and the braided metal safety line. The sailor on the right tightened his grip up the hose to hold the diver in place while the one on the left eased the cord into a winch and hit the lever to engage the device; Mr. Fritz's downward motion halted as the break was applied. Both of the workers then went to the winch and began turning the crank to reel him in. They worked quickly, spinning the bar that began to draw the Marmot toward the surface... until it stopped.

There was a moment of confusion as the two tried to continue turning the crank but it didn't budge. Mr. Zuider approached them. "Get it moving... now."

The sailor on the left put all his weight against the turn crank. "It's... it's stuck, sir. He might be caught on something?"

Mr. Vopello stopped working his side of the bellows, and reached down to pick up a card that had apparently fallen out of the satchel at his side. Looking down at it, he stood back up, face ashen. "He's not caught ON something... he's caught BY something."

The ship shook in the water and Viktor heard the sound of metal snapping. The seas surged all around them as the Wave Rider righted itself... and a huge blast of bubbles rose up from below. Suddenly free of whatever was snagged, the air tube blasted out of the water, propelled by the air that escaped its shorn end. The cable lashed back on deck a moment later, slashing a deep groove in the wood with its sundered end.

Numerous shouts arose from the crewmen on deck. Some ran for harpoons while others crowded the railing in an attempt to see what was happening in the water below. Those going for weapons cried out that a large sea creature was attacking and the seamen attempting to capture a glimpse of whatever occupied the water beneath them were calling for intervention, each trying to see if they could spot Mr. Fritz.

One of the few people on deck that didn't seem out of his mind was Ash-Moon, who remained off to the side of the majority of sailors, carefully looking down into the waves. Viktor scanned the water from his vantage for several moments, peering down to see if his altitude provided a better view. It did... but only enough to just barely make out a shape cleaving effortless through the water; unless he was mistaken it had to be easily a third the side of the Wave Rider!

Ash-Moon's candid discussion with the Captain directly beneath Viktor's position caught his attention when the first mate declared "There's no blood in the water, Rohn."

Was it too late to save Mr. Fritz? Considering all of the problems caused by the Marmot, would the Tiger even care to? Despite weighing options in his mind over the course of a few seconds, Viktor was forced to go with the flow when it came to the events that happened next... mostly because it had nothing to do with the Captain's wishes, which had yet to be spoken.