The crew of the Esmeraldas' Triumph sat in the galley of their ship telling ghost stories to pass the stormy night. " Okay Elanna, you've been around for a few years, you have seen some weird things" said Samantha Martell.
Elanna Dulann scowled, Elves lived significantly longer than human, " Well at least I haven't been around as long as Tanis" said Elanna, Dwarves lived even longer than Rlves, " okay, I can think of one, it was back when I was working with my aunt who owned a mineral spa in the Ironwood Forest. I use to get the short straw and I worked at night. The first two nights I worked I kept hearing splashing in the spas, so I would go look and I would see nothing. After the second time I heard the splashes I went and asked my aunt. She told me that a woman drowned in the women's spa years ago, but she didn't tell me much else. The next night I heard the splashing again, this time I ran to the spa. I saw wet footprints leading from the spa out the door. I felt something on my shoulder, cold and wet. I turned and I saw a girl, I couldn't see her face all I saw was this mass of wet black hair and her ears. She was all blue; her hand was so icy cold."
Suddenly a clap of thunder shook the entire ship, Audrey and Alexis leapt into each other's arms, meowing in fear, and Sam almost dropped the coffee pot. " Thank you for the interest story" said Tanis.
" Now it is your turn" said Elanna, " bet you have some great ghost stories to go with the war stories."
Tanis nodded and stroked his beard, " Probably 30 years ago now, I was part of a detail that was sent way off the beaten path down to this little fort to guard the flank of the Army of Gesrahm. It was I and about ten kids, probably had seen a tenth of a battle between all of them. We made it to this little pile of timbers in the middle of nowhere with no problem. We setup in the little fort, first night we had this kid on guard duty. We were asleep not ten minutes when he freaks out and starts raising the alarm. We rush out ready for battle; all we find is darkness and this kid rusting his armour. He kept saying over and over that he was seeing torches out in the forest just beyond our position in the direction that the enemy shouldn't have been. So I took two of the less jumpy kids out and we swept the forest and found no tracks, no torches, just the forest. We posted somebody else that night and slept quietly. Next night the kid wanted to go on night duty again to redeem himself in the eyes of his mates. I agreed and he went on duty at nightfall. We didn't hear a peep all night.
" We find him next morning, thought he was asleep. One of the guys went to wake him. He was stone cold dead. The nine guys just about went insane. They grabbed their weapons and began to sweep the forest; if we had enough fuel they would have burned down the entire forest. They didn't find anything out there but were convinced the enemy killed him. But the kid didn't have a mark on him, he just stopped living.
" That night we put a new guy on. He raised the alarm in the middle of the night; he saw torches in the forest. Now we started to worry, I sent a messenger to inform the main force that we were in trouble. We kept that man inside the fort the next night but that morning he was still dead.
" Our messenger never made it, we stopped night guard duty but the men kept seeing the torches and kept dying. Finally I knew I was next, now I have no trouble picking a fight with anybody on any day, but when I can't see my enemy I ain't going to let them sneak up on me and kill me. I took off; I found my way back to the army. Of course then they tell me that the fort was once on the ground of a cult that would carry their sacrifices off into the woods. To this day I still have trouble going into a forest at night."
The crew shivered, even Elsenor's wings shivered and she looked away, goose bumps all over her lavender skin. " You never saw the torches?" asked Sam.
" Nope, probably did want to sacrifice a Dwarf" said Tanis, " hell already has too many of us."
" Probably though a Dwarf would make only half a sacrifice to their god" joked Audrey.
" How bout you Elsenor?" asked Gabriel, " any good ghosts stories? Bet those palaces you lived in probably were full of ghosts."
" No" said Elsenor, " we Faeries usually die quiet dignified deaths at ripe old ages."
" How bout during your travels in exile?" asked Tanis.
" Well, there was one time" said Elsenor, " it was right after I was rather rudely removed from my proper place as Queen of Duweladelfina. I had been on the run for sometime, my funds were running short and I trapped in the Heaven Spire Mountains during the fall just in time for the first two foot snow fall of the season. Luckily for me I stumbled into a mansion by a beautiful mountain lake. The merchant that owned the mansion was a beautiful host; he took me in and let me stay free of charge."
" The horror was that they didn't have an extensive wine cellar" joked Sebastian.
The group laughed, even Elsenor smirked, " No, in fact he was quiet the coinsure, it was where I was staying. There was a door at the end of hall that had a large lock on it. Every night after the household had gone to sleep I would see the merchant walk down the hall and check the door to make sure it was locked. Well after a few nights worth of this I asked. Well my kind and generous host became very angry with me and told me to stay away from that door. I took my best diplomatic skills and a couple of jewels to let me stay until the spring thaw. But the door just kept calling to me, I just had to know. So finally one night after the merchant had checked the door I snuck out to see inside. I managed to get through the lock with a little magic and found the most amazingly decorated series of rooms. It was lavished with gold and expensive hand carving decorations everywhere. I was astonished by the pure beauty of this place, the entire room danced for me in the light of my candles. While I was marveling at the pure beauty of the place I noticed someone standing in the far room looking at me. I turned and looked at her, she wore a heavy black veil and turned and walked out of my sight. I decided that enough was enough and locked the door and went back to the safety of my room.
" Days passed and I couldn't stop thinking about the beauty of those rooms, they reminded me of my palaces and the joy I felt as queen. So finally a week or so later I went back and again felt the joy, but this time I didn't see the woman. After a couple of hours it was nearing dawn and I decided to return to my room. I started to leave when I saw her, she was standing where I had seen her before. I turned to look at her and I saw her lift the veil from her face, but when the veil cleared I saw that she had no head. To that point had never been scared in my entire life but when I saw that she had no head I became filled with terror. I let out a scream and slammed the door and locked it two my last two lock spell scrolls.
" The next morning the merchant and his wife found me passed out by the door. To my surprise neither were all that shocked that I had gone into the room, they all do, he said, but most never make it out. They proceeded to tell me that what I had just seen was the previous owner's daughter, who was one of the Touched" said Elsenor.
The mere mention of the Touched sent shivers down everybody, even Gabriel and Tanis' spines. " You actually saw one of the Touched?" asked Sebastian.
" They told me that in a moment of weakness the previous owner had his daughter executed in the hopes of stopping the influence being Touched had on the family. The merchant said that when they bought the mansion they only paid 15 Cartars for the entire house furnishings and all because the entire family went insane shortly after. They told me they kept those rooms like that and had the magical door installed to keep her put. Once and awhile on cold moonless nights just before I go to sleep I see her standing over me, that empty veil staring down at me."
A loud thunderous ringing of the bell echoed through the galley making everyone jump in fright. Everyone turned and heard the bell that was attached to the docking ramp. " Who is out there on a night like this" meowed Audrey in terror.
" Gods they have to be insane to venture out in a storm like this" said Elanna.
The bell rang again, nobody moved, " Isn't somebody going to see who it is?" asked Sam.
Everyone looked over at Gabriel who was closest to the door. " Go on" said Elanna.
Gabriel swallowed and started for the porthole. He looked out and saw a figure wrapped in a black cloak and a black wide brimmed hat with a floppy point that hung to one side. " I think we have a guest" said Gabriel.
Gabriel turned back to look again and found the entire crew surrounding him trying to look out the same porthole. The figure stood motionless by the gangplank, rain lashing the long black cloak. " Should we see what he wants?" asked Elsenor.
" It might be a job" said Tanis, desperately hopping up and down trying to get a better look.
" Our funds are getting low" said Elanna, " we're eight, I think we can handle one person."
" Okay, then you go down to see what they want" said Sebastian, offering Elanna her cloak.
" Me? Well... ah... I thought we could go together" said Elanna, offering Sebastian his cloak.
" All right" said Sebastian, " but after you."
" We'll all go" said Gabriel, pushing both of them towards the door.

The three emerged from the interior of the ship and made their way down the gangplank to the mysterious figure. " Can we help you?" asked Sebastian, wrapped in his cloak but still getting soaked.
" I require passage over the Zenar Mountains" the figure said in a soft tone.
" Where to over the Zenar Mountains?" asked Sebastian.
" Yumaria" said the figure, " this will be sufficient for me, my things and no questions."
From underneath the cloak a gloved hand dropped a small leather pouch in Sebastian's hands. Sebastian opened the pouch and found 4 Blood Heart gems inside. The amount was a lot more than Sebastian was expecting which meant that either she was up to no good or on the run from no good people, or possibly both. None of which would stop from Sebastian from accepting such a fine price. " Certainly" he said, " my associate Gabriel Vallic will show you to our finest guest cabin."
" Certainly" said Gabriel, " this way."
The figure picked up his trunk and carried it up the gangplank. Gabriel led the figure across the deck and to the hatchway closest to the bow of the ship. " I never caught the name" said Gabriel.
" I know" said the figure.
Gabriel quickly shut up and led the dripping wet figure to the front of the ship were the luxury guest quarters were. " If you need anything feel free to ask" said Gabriel.
The door closed and Gabriel beat a hasty retreat back to the galley at the opposite end of the ship. He found the entire crew gathered around the door peering down the length of the ship to the guest quarter's door at the far end. " What was he like?" asked Audrey.
" Creepy" said Gabriel, " wonder what he is up to?"
" With payment like that" said Elanna, " I don't even want to guess, let's just get him over the Zenar Mountains into Yumeria as fast as we can."
" Why does he get those big spacious quarters?" asked Elsenor, " you told me the only guest quarters you had was that little closet I'm living in."
" Those are our freeloading guest quarters" said Tanis, " he get the luxury guest quarters on account that he paid us."
" Let's get ready to leave" said Elanna, " I don't want him on the ship anymore than we possibly have to."
" Agreed" said Audrey and Alexis, " we'll have the Rune Stones ready in two minutes."
Audrey and Alexis both raced down into the bottom of the ship and hurried began their rune ceremonies.
The Esmeraldas' Triumph lifted into the air, the sails slowly extending outward. The stiff wind caught the sails and the vessel was quickly propelled from Westfall west towards the Zenar Mountains.
" Did you see those jewels" purred Alexis, " those were so beautiful."
" I wonder if he has any more that he would care to share with us?" suggested Audrey, slowly smiling, showing her fangs.
" We should look into this" said Alexis, " everybody, no matter how creepy, has to sleep."
" Agreed" said Audrey.

Elanna and Gabriel peeked down the hall at the closed door. " You think this is a good idea?" asked Elanna.
" Payment was too good" said Gabriel, " he is running from somebody really important."
" How long until we get to Yumeria?" asked Elanna.
" If this storm actually breaks, three to four days" said Gabriel, " if it keeps raining a week."
" Lucky us" said Elanna.
" I have a course to plot" said Gabriel, " don't let your curiosity get the better of you, the less we know about our guest the better."
Gabriel walked into his quarters and closed the door. Elanna walked down the hall, deciding on taking the long way to her quarters, just to make sure. As she neared the guest quarters door her ears began to twitch. Elanna carefully tip-toed over to the door and put her ear against it.
Wood on the Esmeraldas' Triumph was extremely thick making it very difficult for Elanna to make out what the voices were saying but she could hear two voices. Two voices? Thought Elanna, does he have two heads? she also smelled something very unusual slowly wafting underneath the door. She heard the sound of boots moving towards the door. Elanna quickly tip-toed into the storage closet and closed the door to the storage closet just in time to see the door to the guest room slowly open. Elanna watched through the eyehole as the man, his face still hidden by his hat, looked into the hall then slowly closing the door again. She let off a small sigh of relief and quickly exited the storage closet and made her way towards her quarters at an increased pace, wanting to escape the hallway before anything else happened.
The guest room door opened again and the figure slowly watched the elf girl leave. " Think she suspects anything?" asked the second voice.
" I doubt it" said the figure, " the less they know the safer they will be, enough people have already died for this secret."
" The journey isn't over yet" said the second voice, " they are still after us, maybe warning them isn't such a bad idea."
" I don't trust mercenaries, no matter how honorable their reputations come" said the figure, " let's just hope we shook their tail in Westfall."
" I doubt we did" said the second voice.
" Me too" said the figure, " we better sleep light until we make it over the mountains."
" Agreed" said the second voice.
The door slowly closed and the lock clicked, echoing through the empty hall.