The ride to Nurfemder Port was hell.
Bumps, jolts, sudden stops that never happened, and the occasional whiplash from sharp turns—yeah, that guy didn't believe in slowing down or mercy. I clutched the edge of my seat, feeling the storm brewing in my stomach.
"The guy didn't stop for nothing. I might vomit," I said, gritting my teeth, half-hoping speaking it aloud would settle the nausea.
Shalap didn't look any better. He had that hollow-eyed, half-dead stare like he had already thrown up somewhere in his mind. Sinus just sat there, silent but pale, his fingers digging into his pants.
At least all our luggage was secured in my bag—the one that increased in size. Yeah, I started using it again. No regrets. It fit everything pretty well, and honestly, in this hellish ride, it was a miracle none of it flew out.
When we finally stumbled out onto the cracked stone of Nurfemder Port, the salt-laced air hit me like a slap. Sinus stretched his arms, rolled his shoulders once, and turned to face us.
"I'll go talk to the people about the ships that have left and their destinations. We can ask for extra details too, and anything that seems suspicious, note it down and we will investigate it, alright?"
"Yea sure," I replied without thinking, my brain still trying to reboot from the ride.
Shalap and I stuck together, weaving through the scattering crowd under the rusted steel arches of the port. Ships moored in uneven lines, their flags whipping in the ocean wind. The scent of diesel, fish, and wet ropes hung thick.
I approached a group near a cargo crate—dock workers, judging by their soot-stained gloves.
"Hey, have you seen any ships pass by lately? Anything suspicious?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
One of them, a thickset guy with a cigarette tucked behind his ear, squinted at me like I was speaking another language.
"Nah, ships come and go. Same old. Fishin' boats, some merchants. No funny business," he grunted.
Useless.
I nodded and moved on.
At a stall selling rusted ship parts, an old woman was sorting bolts into jars. I leaned closer.
"Any ships that looked... off? Weird crew, strange cargo?" I asked.
She looked up with watery eyes and smiled, showing three teeth.
"Ah, you young folks always worry too much. Everything's normal. Just last week, my grandson left on a ship. Good boy, smart boy."
Not what I asked.
"Thanks," I said, forcing a polite smile, and kept moving.
Shalap had wandered a few steps away, talking to a man patching a fishing net. I caught snippets.
"—no, just merchants mostly. Some tourists. Nothing strange. Except maybe the prices!" the man chuckled dryly.
Another dead end.
I rubbed my temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Sinus talking to a group near the pier office, gesturing sharply. He worked fast, methodical. Meanwhile, Shalap and I were stuck gathering a pile of nothing.
Still, it wasn't a waste. Sometimes nothing was a clue too.
I tightened the straps on my bag and pressed on.
This is gonna take a while.