Release That Witch

"Hey ladies, want some fish soup?" Captain Jack poked his head into the cabin while wriggling the cigarette in his mouth. "A fortunate young man caught a huge tailless trout just now."     

"Thank you." Tilly Wimbledon nodded. "We'll be over shortly."     

"Fish soup again." Ashes sighed when the captain had disappeared from sight. "What's so good about this tasteless stuff?"     

"You can add some salt in it if you need." Breeze chuckled. "Pepper is also fine, although it's more expensive and Mr. Jack may disapprove."     

"Don't put anything, or you'll spoil the original taste of the broth and won't be able to tell the quality of the ingredients." Andrea elegantly ran a hand through her pale golden locks. "Lady Tilly, let's go to the captain's cabin."     

"I just want something hot," Shavi, who was the shortest among the group, muttered, "My toes are almost freezing."     

They walked up the stairs to the poop deck of the Charming Beauty. One-eyed Jack was standing by a porthole, observing the lines of the ship's white wake as they tumbled and scattered.     

"This bloody weather, why is it suddenly so cold?" He exhaled a puff of smoke. "Holy Three Gods above, it's only mid-autumn."     

"Perhaps the Gods are asleep?" Ashes shrugged her shoulders.     

"Phooey, don't say that when we're on the sea." Captain Jack snickered. "The Sea God is constantly watching over us." He made a blessing gesture at his chest. "Never mind, I shan't think about it anymore. Have some fish soup to warm your stomachs."     

In order to enjoy warm food in his own cabin, he had made a large opening in the floor, placed a brazier in its center, and filled its sides with sea sand. This had an insulation effect which prevented any accidental fire from igniting the entire ship.     

The large pot of fish soup placed on the brazier was bubbling and making a rumbling noise. A fragrance soon filled the room.     

The six people present took off their shoes, sat around the brazier, and buried their feet in the fine sand, so as to allow their toes to be in maximal contact with the sand and thereby enjoy the warmth provided by the heated charcoal.     

Tilly received a bowl of fish soup from the captain and gently blew against its steaming surface. Unlike the milky white broth made from blacktail fish, this soup was dark yellow in color, and a layer of oil which refracted a bright luster was visible on the surface.     

When she saw bits of green and white floating in the soup, she knew that the old captain had inserted a few precious ingredients. As the ship was frequently at sea for months at a time, the crew could rarely eat fresh vegetables and fruits. The captain had apparently used ice nitrite to preserve the freshness and tenderness of the scallions, whose fragrance neutralized the fish smell, and mixed together with shredded ginger and a small amount of ale, so that all that was left was a rich and mellow taste.     

Tilly slowly drank the fish soup. Every time she felt that it was going to scald her tongue, she would pause and take a couple of breaths. With every small sip, she could clearly feel that the soup was like a warm current which slid smoothly down her throat into her stomach, where it provided a nice comfort.     

The chill quickly went away, and she even felt her body begin to give out heat.     

"Try adding a little chili." Jack pointed at the spice jars that were placed beside the brazier. "That'll make the taste even more special. And, it's even more effective at dispelling the cold than wine."     

"Though I believe that food should be eaten in its original flavor, I have to say that these condiments perfectly complement the food and don't cause the soup to lose its flavor." Andrea commented.     

"Aren't you drinking it?" Tilly glanced at Ashes.     

The latter waved her hands. "Probably not. I simply can't stand the smell of fish."     

At first, Tilly was also unable to accept the Fjord people's penchant for eating fish. Every meal would consist of several varieties of fish, which could be grilled, steamed or fried. There were also special things such as fish jelly, fish sauce and caviar. After she forced herself to try eating fish at a few formal dinners, she realized that the taste was indeed not bad, and that after getting used to the fishy smell, it could further bring out the delicious taste of the fish. At present, she was also willing to try the more pungent varieties, such as dried fish, grilled cuttlefish, and even pan-fried surströmming.     

"Our dear young Madam Ashes here has had her taste for food spoiled by the terrible forms of cuisine in Border Town." Andrea chaffed while covering her mouth. "It's really a pity. The spices and table salt she would normally put in her food have made her unable to appreciate truly good food. Now, she doesn't even have the courage to try new food."     

"What're you saying?" Ashes glared at her.     

"Why, was I wrong?" Andrea giggled. "A little bit of smell fazes you. This shows that you're as wayward as a young girl. How can we count on you to step up when Lady Tilly needs you?"     

"I see... it seems to me that you're challenging me to a round." Ashes' tone suddenly became milder. "You'd better give up that thought. There's a scary type of weapon in Border Town which is much more powerful than your arrows. Even so, I defeated it in a competition. You're still many years of practice away from challenging my position as Lady Tilly's bodyguard..." She took a breath before continuing. "Or perhaps even a lifetime."     

"You..."     

Ashes began to grin. "You should also know that the cuisine invented by His Highness don't merely add spices and table salt. You'll understand when you try it. Before that, please don't spill your saliva on your clothes. Lady Tilly can't afford to lose face."     

"Nonsense, that would be you!"     

Tilly began to laugh involuntarily. As Sleeping Island's best combat witches, the two of them argued incessantly over who was better. Tilly considered both to be her best subordinates. She knew that when real danger arose, the two of them would unhesitatingly fight side by side and work together to construct an impregnable wall for Sleeping Island.     

The pair's argument caused the atmosphere in the room to liven up. As she observed the scene, Tilly could not help thinking about the five witches she had sent to Border Town, and whether they were still living well in her elder brother's territory.     

Right at this moment, the Charming Beauty began to shudder without warning.     

"Careful!" Ashes pulled Princess Tilly away as the pot on the brazier overturned. The spilled soup extinguished the charcoal fire, and chunks of fish fell all over the floor.     

They then heard a shrill whistle from outside the cabin.     

"Enemies! Enemies are attacking!"     

A sailor dashed into the captain's cabin and exclaimed in horror, "Captain, the mutant sea ghosts are here! And there're more than one!"     

"Sea ghosts... isn't that another name for the demonic beasts?" Tilly was bewildered. "How did they manage to come here?"     

The party ran out of the cabin, only to see more than a dozen fish-bodied crab-legged creatures on the deck. There were even more of them climbing up the sides of the ship. They were fast and agile; when they moved on all six legs, they resembled giant cockroaches. Their human-like arms, which they waved in the air on either side of their heads, were astonishingly strong and could easily break off a sailor's neck.     

"Since you aren't willing to fight, then let's have a contest." Andrea snapped her fingers, and momentarily, a beam of golden light emerged from her fingertips and formed into a bow which she held steadily in her hands. "Whoever kills more monsters shall be considered the more powerful between us."     

"Fine." Ashes pulled out that huge and strangely-shaped sword from behind her back. "I'm game."