Sneak Aboard The Ship.

"You sure about this? You will be all alone." Willow asked.

"No but its the only way to get me on board. With any luck the Prince will have thought of a way to sink the ship encase the Empire had tried to take it by ****." I shrugged.

"Very well. In you go." Willow nodded toward the barrel. I climbed in took off my sword and climbed in. The water was a little cold but not to bad.

"Good luck." Sura said closing it up and using a mallet to seal the top on and they paddled out into the water.

"Halt who goes there." I heard a voice say as we got close.

"I have a delivery." Willow yelled out. "It's elvish wine. The finest money can buy. A gift form the emperor to celebrate."

"Very well. Pull up along side." The man yelled back. I spent the next few minutes listening as the barrels where hoisted up on the ship. I had to hold my breath when the barrel I was in got turned on its side but managed to turn myself enough until it was put right side up.

"What is this." I heard a familiar voice say. The Prince. I had hoped it was a lie about him being alive but sadly it was not.

"Wine from the emperor." One of his crew said.

"Come on captain, tomorrow we will be able to head back home." Another replied. How they planed to get back home was beyond me but their had to be a way I didn't know about or could think of.

"Fine. But just one barrel. You can save the rest for the trip." The Prince replied and the men cheered. Luckily of the twelve they didn't pick the one I was in. Me and the rest of the barrels where lowered down into the hull. I waited for what seemed like forever until I heard no nose and kept an ear out a little longer to be sure. I finally popped the lid off and climbed out into darkness.

"Well that went better then I would have suspected." I joked under my breath. I was cold now but still alive. I fiddled around until I found a post but didn't find what I was looking for so i moved on blindly listening to the sounds of the men above and the light creaking of wood as the ship rocked. I finally found a lantern hanging from one of the post.

"Parvus ignis incendium." I smiled and lit the lantern and closed it up. I swung it around and saw the gold. "Damn. That's a lot of gold." I said. Bars and bars of it stacked up in several large stacks.

"Indeed." A voice said and I turned to see the Prince.

"What the fuck." I said grabbing my sword and slinging off the scabbard.

"You really think you could get aboard this ship and I I not sense you. I knew you where here the second you used magic." He smiled as his eyes chinned slightly like that of an animal in the dark.. "The Night mother has given me a great gift."

"I was hoping." I shrugged. "Don't suppose you can tell me how to sink this ship."

"Ah, the fail safe. No one knew about it but me." He said raising his own sword. "I am afraid you won't live long enough to find it. Even then how did you plan to make it off the ship alive?"

"Your not the only one who knows poisons." I smiled. I was sure that all of his men on board had had there fill by now. It was slow acting but deadly. "Care to pick up where we left off?" He came at me with a speed I had never seen as he sword swung through the air as if he was wielding a light dagger. It was all I could do to block as fast as he moved.

"Sonum impetus tempestatis" I said throwing up my hand. Things lying about the hull got picked up and flung around but he just stood there smiling as he had taken only a step back. "Your magic can not hurt me." He smiled. I pulled my dagger and flung it catching him in the eye. His neck snapped back then he slowly and he pulled the knife out. His eye slowly began to heal itself though far from perfectly. It looked more like the eye of an evil creature then human. "Nor can your weapons."

"Oh come on." I said in frustration.

"I should thank you. My goddess made me immortal. I doubt you however will be so lucky when I kill you." He smiled. "When I go to the capital I will find those you care about, I will **** them for my amusement, and then one by one I will kill them all and there is nothing you can do about it."

"Not if I kill you first." I said lunging at him in rage. He blocked with his sword and drove my dagger into my stomach. I staggered backwards as I grabbed the knife and pulled it out. I went back at him with the sword but he was to fast as my arm and sword hit the floor. He kicked me down sending me against the hull of the ship. I looked at my stump of a hand that had turned to wood as red sap seeped slowly from it.

"It is finished. Any last words." He smiled as he pointed his blade at me while kicking my arm and sword aside.