A human, a dwarf, and a goblin were on a boat. This wasn't the start of a joke, as they had no alcohol—and that would have ended badly. It wasn't for lack of trying but rather a lack of coins.
"I'd kill for a cold one right now," the dwarf muttered as he threw the fishing line back into the dark water. They were lucky to have a dwarf on board. Not many boats in the area did. The captain never understood why. Sure, they could be stubborn and hard to work with, but their raw strength made up for it when it came to pulling in a good catch. Their stubbornness didn't hurt either.
The moonlight shimmered over the dark water. The little rusty yellow boat swayed gently. The helm was at the front, and the bearded dwarf stood at the back, minding the fishing lines. In the middle of the boat sat an open crate with a few smaller fish. Most were gray, but a couple had vibrant colors. The dwarf reeled in the line, rebaited it with red worms and a sinker, and cast it back out. The bigger fish were deeper, but they couldn't risk going too far down—they didn't have the manpower for it.
The sky was cloudless, making it colder than they'd expected. Still, it might buy them a few more hours before a storm broke. Suddenly, there was a tug on the line. The dwarf stood with his legs apart, bracing himself.
"I've got something! Come here!" he called.
The captain jumped from his station and started pulling the line while the dwarf held it steady. After a few minutes of struggle, they hauled the fish on board. It was silvery with red markings on its sides. The captain handed it to the dwarf, who was ready with a small metal club. The dwarf added the catch to the crate with the others.
"This is a good one," the dwarf said.
"Finally, something decent. We'll need a few more like that," the captain replied.
"Captain Travis, what's the plan? Are we staying out another night?" the dwarf asked.
The captain knew they didn't have enough of a catch to sell and buy more power coils for another trip. "We just need a few more fish to sell at the harbor," he said.
"Well, you can tell the goblin downstairs," the dwarf grumbled.
Goblins liked dark, moist places, and this one was a talented mechanic. But they weren't fond of open water.
Travis didn't like being called "captain." Too many had died the last time he held that title. Still, he understood the importance of keeping this crew in line. He'd been captain of this little, ugly vessel for years. It wasn't like he hadn't lost a few good men overboard—or barred them from ever setting foot on the boat again.
Travis leaned into a metal tube on the left side of the helm.
"How much power do we have left? It's getting pretty dark up here."
After a few moments of silence and some banging from below, the goblin's voice crackled through the tube. "Not much, Captain. We'll need your catch to pay for the next outing. Doesn't look good. We might have to stay out longer. Tell that dwarf to spit on his hands and get something worthwhile."
"Okay, thanks. You're right. We'll stay the night. I'll tell him it's his last chance to get a decent catch tomorrow before we head back to land. I'm anchoring us here for the night."
Some murmuring came through the metal pipe, but the captain ignored it. The sooner he found a safe spot to anchor, the sooner he could get a few hours of sleep before his next shift.
The moonlight was just bright enough to reveal a rock jutting out of the water—a safe spot to avoid waves and the creatures that liked to feast on boats in the open water at night.
"Throw the anchor out," the captain ordered.
"Are you forgetting something?" the dwarf asked sarcastically.
"Would you mind lowering the anchor? Please?"
"Yes, Captain."
The anchor dropped like a stone. The captain took a moment to look up at the millions of stars shining like fireworms in the sky. He sometimes wondered what was up there and how the world below might look from above. He'd heard stories at the pub, but most of the storytellers had had too much to drink for him to take them seriously.
---
**The Next Day**
The captain found the dwarf half-asleep, leaning against the side of the boat before the shift change. Moonlight glinted off his bald head.
"You can go to bed now," the captain said. Without a word, the dwarf turned and sleepwalked down to the bunks. It was hard enough to understand him when he was awake—his beard covered his mouth most of the time.
Travis sipped his warm tea, made from flowers and dried herbs he'd gathered in the woods. He'd learned the recipe during his time in the army. It was possibly the most useful thing he'd taken from that chapter of his life—and the only thing he cared to remember.
"Hello, Travis," a soft female voice said beside him.
"Please don't scare me like that. What are you doing out of your… place?"
"Someone had to keep an eye out. The one you had up here slept through most of his shift. Don't worry, I stayed out of his way. Not sure how they'd react to having a ghost on board."
"I always thought you were a spirit."
"No, I'm a ghost. You're the only one who can see me on this boat. That's the difference."
"Ah, why are you here again?" The captain took another sip of his drink, feeling a twinge of guilt for using some of the power coil to heat it up. He hoped the goblin wouldn't notice. Though, knowing the goblin, he probably already had.
"You bought my ashes at a market in town a couple of months ago. These waters have spiritual powers that woke me up."
"So you *are* a spirit? And, in my defense, I was just buying a nice jar for my office. I didn't know a ghost came with it."
"No! A ghost! Can you get that through your thick skull?"
"How old are you again?"
"I died 700 years ago, and I look good for my age. I still can't believe you have a dwarf and a goblin on the same boat. That's suicidal, if you ask me."
"That war ended 200 years ago," the captain said. But she had a point—they didn't like each other and probably never would.
He took the last sip of his drink.
"You need another crew member," the ghost said.
"The last time you showed yourself to anyone on this crew, he jumped overboard. So keep away from them. I really liked that chef."
"I've said I'm sorry."
"I know. But I don't even have the funding for the next trip, let alone hiring an extra hand. The others will want to be paid soon, too."
---
**Later That Morning**
"Good morning, Steinn," the captain said with a smile.
"Morning, Captain. Anything last night?"
"Just a couple of small ones. We still need a few big ones before heading back to the dock. Where do you want to start today?"
As the sun rose, they spotted a few other boats that had the same idea of conserving their power coils by staying out overnight. Last week, they'd had to rescue another boat that had run out of power and been stranded. They didn't want to end up in the same situation—it wasn't a guaranteed safe journey home.
The crew moved to the outer hunting grounds for a riskier but potentially bigger catch. Before setting out, the captain had met a witch. He'd hoped she'd give him tips on where to find a good spot. His hand still bore the mark of the ritual, twisted and scarred from the blood he'd given her. Her eyes had turned dark as she said, "You'll get the best catch of your fishing career," before demanding payment and sending him on his way. That was the main reason he hadn't returned to town yet. His catch was out there, hiding beneath the waves.
The clouds darkened as the sun struggled to break through the horizon. The captain took his place at the helm, ready for the storm. They'd never been this far from land, in uncharted territory.
"We need to get back soon," the goblin's voice crackled through the metal pipe.
The captain knew he was right. The lives of his crew were more important than a good catch.
"Pull in your lines. We're heading back," the captain called to the dwarf.
"There's something in the water," the dwarf said.
He was right. Debris floated nearby—pieces of a boat and bodies.
"Stop the boat!" the captain ordered.
He grabbed his binoculars and scanned the area for survivors. His instinct to save lives kicked in. The dwarf was speechless.
The sun broke through the clouds, illuminating the scene. They didn't want to make too much noise and attract sea creatures. The blood in the water would draw them soon enough.
Among the debris was something golden. The dwarf threw a hook and pulled it closer. The captain, being lighter, jumped onto the floating wreckage. It was a girl with golden hair. He'd heard of refugees in these waters but had never seen one.
He lifted her to the dwarf, who laid her on the wet deck. She was unconscious, and the dwarf began to pray for her safe passage to the afterlife.
The captain knelt beside her and blew twice into her lungs. Nothing happened. He pressed on her chest, feeling her ribs crack under his weight. He blew again, and this time, she spat up water and opened her eyes.
"She's alive," the dwarf said.
"No thanks to you. Don't be afraid. You're safe now. What's your name, child?"
The girl looked scared and exhausted. She didn't speak, just closed her eyes again.
"Get a blanket and dry clothes. Put her in a bunk and monitor her for the next few hours," the captain ordered.
He returned to the helm and turned the boat toward the mainland. This was enough adventure for one trip.
---
**A Few Hours Later**
As they neared the town, the captain checked on the girl. She had a fever and might not make it to shore.
"We need to hand her over to the authorities when we get back," the dwarf said.
"They'll kill her—or worse. We should just throw her overboard. Let the sea monsters take her instead of the serpents on land."
"Do you know why we never see refugees? Because anyone hiding them or knowing about them gets taken away."
The captain knew he had a point but couldn't shake the feeling that the girl was important.
"Give me your knife," the captain said.
The dwarf handed over his fishing knife. The captain cut the girl's golden hair as short as he could without cutting her skin. He rubbed engine sludge into her hair, making her look like a dirty fisher.
"She's staying for now. She might be useful on board. And you're always saying we need extra hands."
"What if she isn't helpful, Captain?" the dwarf asked.
"Then we'll throw her into the deep, like I did with the last one," the captain said before returning to the helm.
The ghost was waiting for him.
"Is this your new crew member?"
"I guess so. Are you going to play nice?"
"I haven't crossed these waters in a few hundred years. Last time I was here, it was full of riches."
"You must be the only one who remembers the other side of the fog. They must be desperate to come here."
After a long pause, the captain asked, "What riches?"
"Ah, glowing rocks were all the rage when I was alive."
The captain just looked at her and steered the boat toward the distant lights of Koylon.