Forged Destiny [Book 2: Ch. 3]

There was a sloshing sound as the ship pushed through another wave, followed by a creak of rope and wood stretching. It was the same noise that had accompanies us for days, and while normally it made me feel ill, the fog had taken away a lot of the motion sickness. It was almost soothing, really. With the soft sounds, the cool fog against his cheek and the gentle sway of the ship, I found my eyes drifting shut against my will.

A wooden crack from nearby made me blink, however. It sounded like it had come from the fog itself. I shook my head and stood up, immediately feeling dizzy and lethargic as I did. "What was that?" I mumbled, then looking to the sailor I'd been speaking to. He was slumped over the rail, snoring lightly. "Hey, wake up." I reached over to grab his shoulder and jostle him awake.

"Uh… what?" The man rubbed his eyes. "I fall asleep? Cap'n will have my ass for that… strange…"

"I heard a noise," I whispered, "Out there."

The sailor frowned and reached down to his belt. A thick, bronze lantern hung there and he sparked it to life by rubbing a metal dagger against a grainy protrusion inside the lantern. The wick took quickly and a dull glow emanated as the man leaned out over the edge, dispelling the fog around him.

An arrow sprouted from his neck – and he toppled over the edge and into the waves with a loud splash.

My body refused to move. My brain refused to comprehend it. It wasn't until a whistling sound hit my ears, and something sharp ricocheted off my breastplate, that I ducked down and rushed away from the rail. My heart beat in my chest but I didn't dare stop moving.

The staccato sound of arrows piercing the deck behind me praised the decision. The deck was almost deserted, figures strewn out on the floor, and my heart froze as I saw a red shape among them. Ruby was face down in a puddle of red. "No," I gasped and rushed over to her. "Ruby!"

"Whuzzat?" the girl mumbled, silver eyes rimmed with red as she yawned. "Jaune? Are we there yet?"

My breath caught in my throat. Of course, the puddle was her own cloak, but… she'd been asleep too? My eyes widened as I looked about and noticed that the bodies around us weren't dead, but deep asleep.

—Forged Destiny [Book 2: Ch. 3]