Shipboard Abbey

By: RebekahWSD

Some people have a knack for finding strange things. Strange things always seem to find Zane Legends. And sometimes these strange things were strange people with strange problems.

“I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Legends, but I don't know who else to turn to!” the distraught sister said, habit disheveled, heavy circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. Zane reached a hand over, taking the nun's hand in his, patting it gently.

“Don't worry. I'm here to help. Now what's the issue?” he said politely as she sniffled, pulling a handkerchief from her habit, dabbing it at her eyes.

“I've been tasked with transporting an ancient relic of the order from our convent to our sister convent across the sea. It's been said the bones are haunted by the spirit of their former owner, but they've never done anything like this!” she said gasping before sniffling again. Zane gave her a moment to compose herself before she continued.

“Ever since I got onto this ship, things have just gone so wrong! First all my things were rummaged through. Odd, but maybe the cleaners lost something. But then there's been the voices crying about past atrocities that the church has committed. And now there's blood covering the walls, claiming the bones must be returned to their true resting place, and I just don't know what to do!” she said, hiding her face in her hands, handkerchief balled up in her hands.

Zane pondered, trying to remember if there had been any reports of ghosts on the ship. The more likely answer, of course, was of a more mundane solution.

“...are you sure it's not a member of that...oh what's the name of the violently anti Church group going around again...” he said, trying to remember.

She gasped, hand over her heart as she made the sign of the Lord. “You don't really think it's them, do you?”

Zane frowned, idly eating a small biscuit he pulled from his pocket, pondering the likelihood. The group was more overtly violently than subtle like this. Although, perhaps they saw an opportunity to mess with an innocent sister, and took it. It would be too dangerous to kill a single, unarmed sister on a ship. They would be found. Messing with one, however....

“I think it's a possibility,” he said as he finished off the third biscuit, wiping his hands off.

“Stay here, and I'll go check your room out, okay?” he said, blinking as she shook her head vehemently.

“No. I'll go with you,” she said, face set in a grim line. “If it is them, I want to confront them,” she said as she straightened her habit out.

Zane sighed, but nodded. He did not wish to argue with a sister. They were not as docile as some people liked to think they were.

They both walked back to her room in the much wealthier part of the ship. As they walked, they listened to the ship creaking before Zane finally spoke again. “So is the relic safe?” he said quietly. He had never seen a relic before, he was unsure.

She pursed her lips before nodding quietly. “Always,” she said, barely whispering as she touched her neck, pulling out a small phylactery on a necklace. He looked at before she put it away.

“Smaller than I thought,” he said as they slowed to a crawl, noticing the door to her room was open.

“They all...” she said before falling silent, noticing the door was open also, face turning dark.

Zane frowned, pulling out the small nightstick he carried on him, holding a hand out for her to stay back as he inched forward, listening into the room.

“She has to have it somewhere! Damned nuns. Have you found anything?” a voice said quietly, the answer too quiet to be heard. “Shit. I think there's someone outside the room,” the voice said suddenly before Zane stood in front of the doorway, glaring at the two intruders.

“I don't think you should...” he said before suddenly he was pushed out of the way as the sister appeared behind him, howling so loud she spooked all three of them. “Oh sausages!” he squeaked.

“In the name of all that is holy, I will smite you for daring to intrude into a sister's private domicile!” she shouted before she started swinging at them, knocking both intruders down quickly. Zane's head spun at how fast she was, and how good she seemed to be at tying knots. “Go get the constables on the ship Mr. Legends, please don't stand there like that.”

Zane rubbed his head, mumbling under his breath as he went to get the police.

“Should have known she just needed me to be a meat shield, in case...”

His mind wandered as he thought about meat, apologizing to the sister as he grabbed a sandwich before going back to get the constables. Surely she had everything tied up just fine he thought as he munched the sandwich.

The rest of the trip was quiet, the two perpetrators held safely within the ships brig, and Zane recompensed slightly by the church for his help in capturing the two.