<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16825" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kiet is on the second deck helping one of the
other sailors with a shipboard (pun intended) chore. All of a
sudden they hear the call of the lookout and the captain's commands, and
feel the ship heel about. They both look at each other wide-eyed,
knowing our cap'n is no coward, and share some choice words not usually
considered in good taste or suitable in the presence of ladies and
children. Then both Kiet and the sailor move...fast...because
the Cap'n is bellowing orders and neither he nor the first mate have any love
for slackers...besides...it seems to be in their best interests to
move.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kiet is dressed in work clothes, and has not more
than one dagger on his person. A quite unusual occurance, but normal
aboard ship. He wouldn't want to go overboard and have lots of metal
weighing him down, no matter how well he can swim. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Out the hatch and dog it down tight, then the
sailor goes off to his station, and Kiet moves forward, in the direction of the
pointing lookout. A Sea Dragon! Kiet had thought those to only be
myth and stories to scare new swabies. But now not only one, but
<EM>two</EM> bear down on the ship. Kiet is in awe of the circumstance,
and that there are not just one, but <EM>two! </EM>According to the
lookout they are black and grey...and this immediately starts the hair on Kiet's
neck to rising.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Those interested see Kiet obviously casting a spell
and speaking some quiet words. The crew is busy so they do not listen, but
very few of the passengers on board would understand the language spoken.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Once the spell is successfully cast, Kiet looks
about for his companions and says in Katai, "These are Chaos creatures...no
magic, but <EM>very</EM> strong. They might or might not want to harm the
ship, so we should not</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2> presume. One of
them might be able to smash this ship...Two of them WILL destroy it. I
never knew they really existed...I just thought they were fairy tales, pardon
the expression Fremea."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"When they get closer I'm going to fly out to meet
the one blocking our path to the south and offer him something to let us pass
unhindered, unless one of you has a better idea. Oh, and get Zhou up
here...if things go bad, someone be kind enough to fly him safely to
shore."</FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>