Fantasy &nbsp; Skyworld: Age of Sail

Selee-01 · May 18, 2021

welian

Rage

Addam Kirtle

Addam really wasn’t prepared for any of this. He didn’t know what he’d expected when Sal’d dragged him along, but it wasn’t a woman prepared to slice him open right here.

The Brokers.

That resonated with Addam somehow. He didn’t like it. He also didn’t like how Sal called him Mateo, and when he was referred to as Sal’s son, well, he was not particularly pleased. But there was something vaguely... familial, about it.

Then Sal called him “dumber than a sack of shit”.

Inwardly, Addam was violently cursing Sal in a variety of inventive and frankly bizarre ways, involving an invocation of hatred upon his feet and a declaration of war even unto his clipped hairs. Not that he fully understood them, but in all honesty Addam had merely picked them up from a variety of victims from his thieving days.

As Sal continued to bluster his way through the whole mess, Addam blinked against the rain, mind awhirl with far too many thoughts and panic.

Then the woman lunged forwards, sword flashing, and Addam moved.

Addam saw the world run slowly, every raindrop crystal-clear against the night. He turned and rammed Sal, sending both of them flying just beneath the woman’s blade as it slid through the air, but not before it took off a hank of Addam’s hair.

And then a gunshot rang out, shattering the tip of the sword above them. The bulk of Tavish had never been more welcome to Addam, who grinned briefly.

Addam quickly got to his feet, dragging Sal along as he tried to avoid the woman and get to the ship.

welian · May 19, 2021

Salvador Hierro

Overview

Location	The Docks of Doom
Tags	Selee-01 Archie Rage Saturn_moon
OOC	COME BACK INEJ HE'S SORRY

Sal shouted a battle cry, or something he imagined was a battle cry. It was more of a terrified scream. So much had happened in such a short span of time. The bounty hunter charged, Addam shoved, Tavish shot – heavens only knew how or when Tavish got there, or if he even knew what Sal and Addam had been up to.

Heavens knew it took everything Sal had not to piss himself on the spot.

He scrambled to his feet, panicking – but this time, he trusted the brat, and ran with him. Tavish could deal with the crazy woman. Not that Sal didn’t like them crazy, but this was too much trouble!

“Ad – Mat! Mateo,” Sal hissed at the boy. “It’s moving. The ship is moving, there’s no way we’re going to get there in time! Look! The ship is leaving, she’s gone and ditched us!”

The Maiden's Revenge was slowly moving beneath the horizon as Inej took the ship to safety beneath the island. Oh, poor Sal. He should have stayed in the church. He should have prayed. He shouldn't have left the ship. There was so much Sal shouldn't have done, and only on nights like these where he was facing death did he consider that he might have made a few mistakes along the way.

Firelie · May 19, 2021

Historia Vinheima

Historia was poised calmly at the entrance to the helm when she noticed the gnawing of invasive thought ripping through her feeble perceptions. She turned to face the deck and blinked at the torrent of rain. Her breath caught and whispers of something more caught on the dry kindling of her vacant mind. Once more she blinked and for just a moment she saw what she knew was the truth. Dark dounpour turned to sloshing crimson and a sweet smell of iron filled her nose. Her gaze turned distant as she focused on something invisible to her fellow crewmates. A tower of crimson. Thin and monstrous. Sinewy tissue reached up towards the sky then outward. Blood colored tendrils shot across the reddened skies like a macabre nerve system, all spasming wildly as the dounpour continued. A horrible feeling welled up within Historia. She suddenly realized how pointless it all was. These people, this boat even her own flesh. Dread quickly turned to rage as a desire to fulfill overpowered the dread of inaction. For but a moment her head snapped to Inej as the woman barked out an order lost upon Historia's blood filled ears. An intense look came over Historia's otherwise plain expression. The only thing she could hear was her heartbeat.

Ba-Dump... Ba-Dump... Ba-Dump...

It was a sound lacking grace. You are slow and utterly disgusting. You know it. You are a failure. A disgraceful package of flesh and blood. The truth brings you power, but what good is power if it is left to sully and rot.

Ba-Dump.. Ba-Dump.. Ba-Dump..

It would only take a moment. A single chant and a single conviction. They were all filth, compared to you. Pointless little bags of conciousness, chaining themselves down in the comfort of mundane. Rise above it. Serve your purpose.

Ba-Dump. Ba-Dump. Ba-Dump.

ymg' ahor nafl mgah.

BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP, BA-DUMP.

YMG' AHOR NAFL MGAH.

Historia blinked.

The rain once more was clear water, the temple was gone, and the feelings of disgust abated. The crew around her had just started to run about as they recieved and enacted their orders. Historia's hand had gripped around the hilt of her sheathed saber, the only sign other than the sudden surge of emotion in her gaze that signified the horrors she faced in her mind. She took a moment to collect herself. As he heartbeat slowed, she recalled Inej's orders. Something about supplies? Cannons? It did not really matter, but Historia took to it with a puppeted hurriedness. She willed her body below deck and ordered a portion of the crew that followed after her command to tie down their cargo, then pointed the remaining men and women to the staarboard cannons. While she herself couldn't be much help with the heavy guns, she could very well keep the chaos in check. "You heard your orders!" She barked, mostly so her voice would stand out above the chaos of imminent combat. "Prepare for retaliation, do not engage unless engaged upon!" Then she heard another batch of orders from a far more experienced gunner behind her. She made her way beside him in all the commotion. "It is not often that I am made to manage the weaponry, so I will be following your example, Iskander. They will be on our port side when we cross paths. Orders are to only fire if fired upon." She said in her usual calm and collected tone, speaking loud enough that Iskander could hear her over the commotion. After informing the gunner of the situation, she moved back to her station as the men previously on cargo duty finished up and moved to help out with cannons.

Historia could feel her heart in her throat as the two ships crossed, though it was not in fear of the health of those on the Maiden's Revenge. Historia waited in silent, hidden anticipation, hoping to herself that the other ship actually WOULD fire. She craved excitement, and more than that she craved an opportunity to exercise the teachings of The Temple Unceasing. As such, she was wholly dissapointed as they freely passed under cloud cover and continued their retreat to a nearby cave. She let out an annoyed sigh and turned to making sure the cargo was correctly secured.

Weazel @CINDERWHOISTILLCANTPING
---

The canvas has smeared with the coming rain. To most it was simply ruined. White space mixed with black and grey was born, a boring and meaningless jumble of what was once meaningful and special. Though Addam could see more than that. Crude red lines created art once more. The grey hazieness was broken by red into a sernade of shapes. Five humanoid figures and one crude building. Three of the five stood beside the building, one figure taller than the other, and one significantly shorter than the rest. two stood side by side, hands linked, and the third stood behind the shortest, positioned like a hazy shadow. Another figure stood across from the three, and the fifth, a behemoth in stature, stood to the side of it all.

Selee-01

II-CinderRadcliff-II · May 19, 2021

Cinder Radcliff - Master Carpenter

Location: Maidens Revenge

As the ship dipped below the island the sunlight gradually faded away to reveal the void below the solid ground the port sat upon, the candle light in the lanterns providing the only light available. Dead vines and roots were all one could see outside the occasional shimmer of unmined ore or the deposits of Cobalt, but no noticeable caves were in sight with the limited view the lanterns provided. Cinder was reasonably doubtful they'd find anything beneath, but this was no place to voice his opinion. Not yet at least. As he looked around he spotted a glimmer that seemed peculiar, carefully extending his safety harness and grabbing a lantern with a directional mirror installed - pointing it towards the glimmering source to reveal an indent in the island. As they slowly approached it the indent transformed into a sprawling cavern, mushrooms and moss alike growing as the ore deposits within defused the light from the lantern throughout the cavern.
"Inej! I believe we found it!" Cinder yelled up towards the Helm, shining the lantern in the direction it was. It was big enough for the ship by a longshot, starting at a 60 degree incline before it became a 5-10 degree slope further in. Ideal for hiding away an entire ship. He then carefully walked back to the mast and grabbed onto the railing, keeping the lantern shining in the direction of the cavern.

Firelie

TEMPLATE © BOKEH

Weazel · May 19, 2021

Iskandar El-Amin
Aboard the Maiden’s Revenge

It wasn’t long before he could hear the sound of the ship groaning above him, as the wind caught the open sails and pulled them away from the port. This wasn’t the greatest weather for sailing in, but the half-gnoll appreciated that desperate times called for desperate measures. Still, there were a million ways that this could go wrong, and several times he caught himself holding his breath as he went about his work. Thankfully, Historia eventually joined him on the gun deck, which distracted him from his racing thoughts.

She had left the gun deck under his care momentarily while she took some of her men down to secure the cargo in the hold. He appreciated her forethought, that wasn’t something he had even considered. Upon her return, she relayed her own orders to the men under her command, and appraised him of the situation. They’d come up on the enemy ship on the port side, going out as they came in. That meant in the event of a confrontation his guns were up first. Good, that gave Historia’s side some extra time to prepare. She may not have much experience with the guns, but she was good at giving orders. She was the surgeon’s mate, and she had that authoritative tone of voice that Isk, at least, associated with doctors.

“Aye,” he said, “My thoughts are, we load the guns with chain, and try to damage their mast and rigging should they make an attempt on us. We may not be able to sink a ship of her size, but we might just be able to disable it and get away before her friends are on us.”

Hopefully, their smaller size would give them the edge in speed and maneuverability. Of course, that was assuming they weren’t immediately blasted out of the sky. Once she’d gone to her side of the ship, he stepped up to one of the portside gun ports and peered out at the approaching ship once again. It wasn’t often he had the opportunity to see a ship-of-the-line so up close and personal, especially not such a cutting edge model as the Realizzatore. It was beautiful and terrifying all at once, he couldn’t help but tense up as they passed the wall of guns on her side.

It seemed like they might just get away with it. The Realizzatore fell away behind them, and before too long he felt the ship shift beneath them as Inej engaged the altitude controls. Now far behind them, the Ridolfite capital ship seemed to slowly creep up and out of view as the Revenge sank down towards the underside of the island. Seemed they were out of immediate danger, though they’d have to take care of the wind and hanging roots and rock outcroppings, the last thing they wanted was to damage the sails and get stuck down here.

“Keep ready men, just in case they decide to follow us down here,” he ordered. As he turned away from the gun port, he caught sight of Historia returning to the hold, presumably to double check the job she’d done down there earlier. That was probably alright, he could give the orders by himself in a pinch while she returned to her station, if need be. He thought she sounded a little irritated, anyway, the last thing she probably needed was him calling after her. Isk was a firm believer in going along to get along. Besides, if the rest of the crew liked him, they were probably more likely to see his refusal to show skin as a harmless eccentricity of his religion and not an honest attempt to hide things from them. He didn’t like lying to everyone like this, but it was simply something he needed to do to survive.

He climbed halfway up the stairs to the main deck, enough to poke his head out and get a good look at their surroundings. His head wrap billowed in the wind, but the half-gnoll had been sailing long enough to know how and where to pin it in place to prevent anything slipping off. He was at no risk of being exposed by the breeze. He could see Inej up at the helm, and there was Cinder holding on to the railing. He’d heard the man shout about finding a cavern for the Revenge to hide in as the half-gnoll climbed the stairs. But, wait a minute, where were Sal and Addam? They didn’t come down below to man the guns, so if they weren’t up here either then… Uh oh.

Saturn_moon · May 20, 2021

INEJ BAYAUT
On board the Maiden's Revenge

As the Maiden's Revenge wrestled with the wind, Inej did her best to keep the ship on course and more importantly upright. Over the maddening howling, she could still hear the ship creaking and groaning around them and the worry that one of their masts might snap and come crashing down grew with every minute spent exposed to the weather. The sky had darkened to pitch and they were relying on a single lantern to light their way. Anything brighter might catch the attention of any lurking navy ships.

Inej didn't believe in hope. All it did was provide a false sense of security and made people complacent, but someone from her distant past once told her that for many, hope was the wind that came from nowhere to fill their sails and carry them home. As they slogged on for the better part of the hour, staring up at the underside of the island, she felt the crew's hope that they would ever find this forsaken cave grow weary, their mood sinking like a boulder in the ocean. Perhaps there was no cave after all. No safe space to seek refuge... Doubt started to creep in only to have her ego slam the door in its face. She had been one of the best navigators in the entire Zhao navy and studied the maps personally. If they indicated a cave under this island she was damn well going to find it or she'll carve one out herself.

Moments later she heard Cinder's voice rising above the cacophony and excited cheers erupt from those stationed at the bow. Finally. Inej thought with the barest hint of a smile. It was by no means a large cave and based on her approximation it was going to be a very tight fit for the Maiden, but it would have to do. It did however offer one small comfort. The Realizzatore had zero chances of getting in. Carefully, Inej guided the ship into the cave and was entirely caught off guard by what laid inside. Mixed in with the clusters of wild mushrooms and moss were colonies of bioluminescent glowworms that lit up the cave with a soft blue glow. Quiet fell across the ship, the kind of quiet that only reverence for beautiful things could bring about.

Drifting further and further in they eventually reached what seemed to be a dead end. Curiously, there looked to be a makeshift dock carved into the side of the cave and upon closer inspection they found remnants of broken wooden crates crammed into the back alongside a semi-hidden tunnel entrance. Inej had guessed that this had once been used as a secret port for smugglers to move illegal goods (and possibly people) to and from the island.

"We should be safe for now." She called out as the crew set about lowering the sails and docking the ship. Her voice echoed faintly in the space making it seem louder than it actually was. "I'm going to need four volunteers to get word on our new location to the rest of the crew... and find the impertinent low life that is Sal and Addam." The last line dripped with all the bitterness she could muster. "The tunnels should lead you above ground, just northeast of the main city. Also, see if any of the moss and mushrooms can be foraged for food or medicine, but leave the glowworms alone. Everyone else, get dry and rest up if you can."

Inej descended from the helm and paced the deck checking for damages. Passing by the entrance to the lower rooms she spotted their gunner poking his head out with a look of concern on his face. Inej raised a brow questioningly. "Not a fan of the tight, dark spaces, Iskandar?"

Firelie
Mentions:

Weazel · May 20, 2021

Iskandar El-Amin
Aboard the Maiden’s Revenge

He was in time to see the approach and entry into the cave. Not to toot his own horn or anything, but his eyesight was pretty good, all things considered, a benefit of his gnollish heritage. So by the dim light of the lantern, he was able to see a fair deal of their immediate surroundings, and the slightest hint of blue glow as they entered the cave. Of course, this didn’t meant he was any less impressed when the was lit up by glowworms, presumably surprised by the Revenge’s sudden appearance. Also surprising was the presence of the rotted dock, a hint of the island’s past, when things like pirates and smugglers had to operate literally underground. He wondered just how bustling this second port might’ve been, once upon a time. Hopefully the presence of the dock down here meant it was just as easy to get ships out of the cave as it was to get them in. If they got the ship trapped down here they'd never hear the end of it!

He was brought out of his thoughts with a start when Inej suddenly called out to him. It was astounding how perceptive she was, able to read his emotions from all the way up at the helm, with his face covered no less. Then again, gut feelings and the ability to feel things out were key aspects of navigator magic, it was how they piloted ships from island to island. Maybe figuring out people was much the same to them? Still, she wasn’t one hundred percent correct in her guess; dark, enclosed areas didn’t bother him any, the ship by itself could get plenty dark and tight to begin with.

“Just worried about our missing hands, ma’am,” he called back to her, “Addam is young, and Sal is… Sal. I can’t shake the feeling they may have gotten themselves into some terrible trouble.”

He climbed the rest of the way up the stairs so he could get a better look at their surroundings. He couldn’t help but wonder just what the sailors of yore may have left behind here. He was sorely tempted to join the surface going crew just so he could see for himself what this cave had to offer. Plus, he was worried about the others, stuck topside with the Ridolfite navy, not knowing where to run. But, no, he couldn’t do that, he had work onboard that needed attending to. He would have to trust the other remaining crewmen to find their missing mates and return safely.

“By your leave, ma’am, I’ll need a few men to help me unload and clean the cannons. The last thing we want is an accidental discharge while we’re sheltering down here,” he said, apologetically. It wasn’t the most glamorous task, but it was a necessary one all the same. He’d probably gotten a little ahead of himself by having them all loaded to begin with, but the excitement of the moment had gotten away from him. At least it would keep him busy for a while while the rest of the crew was rounded up.

II-CinderRadcliff-II · May 23, 2021

Cinder Radcliff - Master Carpenter

Location: Maiden's Revenge

As the Maiden's Revenge slowly floated into the tight squeeze of a cavern, Cinder unhooked his safety harness and hurried to his room on the ship. The room was neatly organized and well kept, the walls lined with rows upon rows of tools with a refined steel axe nearly a quarter of his weight and half of his height hanging on the ceiling above the door frame; easy access in case of emergencies such as this. His hands took hold of the smooth spruce wood handle before looking elsewhere in the room, taking off his armor and donning a new change of clothes that more resembled a lumberjack. The armor was nice most of the time, but he needed to keep a much lower profile than before if he wished to enter town again so soon. It meant that he was more vulnerable though, so it was a bit of a gambit - but one that could easily pay off if he played his cards right. Before he left his room he put the wood sculpted statue on the bed, alongside grabbing some bandages and wrapping them around his hands and wrist to help improve his grip on the axe handle. His shoes stomped lightly through the halls of the ship as he made his way back to the deck, gaining speed and going into a run before popping back above into view of the crew. He had made it back in time for Inej to check on who wanted to go above and search for the others, a smirk on his face as he strode over. If and when his identity was revealed, he was going to start slaughtering the guards if they forced his hand, and he wasn't known for holding himself back during combat.
"Count me in, I can serve as a distraction if need be." Cinder volunteered with confidence radiating from him. A man of such strength would be enough to counter most opposition that they encountered, though going on a stealth mission would help prevent Mercer and Tavish from laying onto them later if they regrouped. "That said, I assume you have a plan for how we reach the others without being noticed?"

TEMPLATE © BOKEH

MrReaves · May 24, 2021

Smiles cursed herself first and foremost when the shot rang out through the meadhall, tensing her frame in a catlike manner, ready to lash out if needed. As she turned to see the source, she knew she should have been alert enough to notice a full squadron of Altersdale guards step in, no matter how many drinks she’d downed by now and despite the distraction of a riveting game of cards. How could she have lost her touch in this manner? In her teenagedom, an oversight of this degree would have ended her life. This one might still, of course.

The green-garbed peacekeepers had that callous look on all their faces, of men well acquainted with blood being spilled in the name of whomever paid their wages, be it of the guilty or the innocent. The leader, who had wasted his round into the ceiling, read his decree off of a parchment, requesting the company of only the crew of the Maiden’s Revenge. Smiles’ addled mind was abound with wild guesses as to why - but her greatest worry, after their own safety, was that of Mercer. The captain would never have made land if he expected a trap, so had he, too, been taken hostage somewhere?

Much to her surprise, the first sounds of protest came from the Sheng who seemed to have featured in Archibald’s past. One hand on his curved blade, he openly questioned the guards’ motive. Smiles couldn’t say that made her trust the man- far from it- but if they were seconds from a fight, it would be good to have the other pirates in the hall on their side. Even the drunk merchant whom they’d just robbed eagerly decried the leader. You didn’t make a life on Altersdale if you had a love for authority, she supposed.

When the muskets were leveled at the crowd, Smiles nearly kicked into gear, aiming to find cover first and then rapidly jumping the tables to make a feral pounce on the guards before they could switch to their pistols. Almira’s whispers stopped her just in time. She was right, of course. If guards and pirates came to blows, island-wide pandemonium would follow, and surely no one really wanted that- least of all the guards. Someone would try to talk their way through.

And someone did. Once again taking Smiles aback, it turned out the man Steel had been chatting with throughout their cardgame had not just a pretty face (at a guess), but a lead pair, too; he walked up to the head guard with not a hint of hesitation, and berated him for threatening violence- throwing the weight of his family name around, which even Smiles had at least heard vague mention of. Interestingly, a timid-looking girl in traditional Furoshi dress stood at his back the whole way.

Steel soon joined in on the fun, unable to resist throwing in his own snide commentary. He was right, though- better if cooler heads prevailed, and they went along to see what this was really about. She doubted they were going to see the island’s leader for a medal-pinning ceremony, but if anything they’d have a fighting chance without the guns levelled straight at them. A chance they’d been afforded by Tavish leaving, he’d probably have opted for the thrill of the fight as much as she wanted to.

“Basically, we’ll play nice if you play nice, kameraden.” Smiles added with feigned confidence, throwing in a little Aeternian lingo for good measure, lifting her tankard with one hand while the other stayed near her blade.

Firelie · May 26, 2021

Historia Vinheima

The wave of anticipation and adrenaline had only just worn off when the ship pulled into the cozy little cave. She had just finished her check on the supplies, and was just about to head up when there was a twinge of a whisper at the back of her mind. She raised an eyebrow and stopped in her tracks, she had just been called. She reached back at the nape of her neck, and felt at the scar there that was hidden under a veil of pink hair. A shock of pain assaulted the mark, though Historia did not react. She had done this hundreds of times before, after all. She removed her hand and gazed at her palm, a spot of fresh blood covered the surface. Historia hummed thoughtfully and changed course, heading now for her bunk.

The bunks were entirely empty, since the crew was far too busy with getting the ship docked. Historia walked silently to her bunk and reached for the cloth wrapped Frangiclave. She held the longsword in both hands and gingerly unwrapped it from the cloth. Letting the wrapping fall to the ground, Historia took a moment to admire the sacred blade. The hilt was ornate and beautiful, and the sheath no different. It was an artifact of great power, one that she had the honor of protecting and wielding. She grabbed its scabbard and clipped it to her side, with Frangiclave following suit shortly after. Now with both a mundane saber and Frangiclave at her side, she turned and headed for the way up above deck.

Leather boots clicked briskly behind Iskander as Historia ascended above deck. She held a hand on the hilt of the beautifully decorated as she passed. She glanced first at the magnificence of the natural beauty of the cave the ship found refuge in, then to the trio of crewmates discussing what d\to do next and spoke up. "We haven't a moment to lose. Our crew could very well be in danger. I for one am not going to sit idly by." Historia said calmly, turning and heading for the side of the ship. "There most certainly is something at play here. I intend to find out what it is." Historia hopped over the side of the ship and landed gracefully aground. She wasted no time in moving for the narrow exit out of the cave. She didn't bother looking behind her to see if anyone was following, and she certainly didn't plan to let anyone stop her.

II-CinderRadcliff-II (I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT)

Saturn_moon · May 26, 2021

INEJ BAYAUT

Inej gave a sniff of disdain at the mention of their runaway crew members. "Finding trouble seems to be the one thing Salvadore excels at." Despite the clear dislike she showed for their deckhand, Inej was... concerned. Sal was still part of the crew, as was Addam, and the last thing she wanted was for any harm to come to either of them. Of course, she would never openly admit that to anyone. Not even Tavish. With a tired wave of her hand, she gestured to the remaining crew on deck puttering about. "Gather as many hands as you need. We won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Not with that storm raging on outside."

Over Iskandar's shoulder, she noticed Cinder coming up the stairs now, his usual heavy plate armor traded for something lighter and less conspicuous. Inej never understood how that man managed to move around comfortably in all that metal let alone make it look like a second skin. She glanced at the large axe in his hand and scrunched up her nose. "I trust you to use that only under dire circumstances." she said firmly, meeting the man's eyes. "We may be pirates but there is no need to validate the stereotype of us being bloodthirsty thugs."

Historia brushed past them mid-conversation and spoke of danger before hopping over the side of the ship, a flurry of pink come and gone. Normally, Inej took the girl's cryptic words with a pinch of salt but this time they tugged on her nerves with the persistence of a mosquito. She felt it too. The sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach and the hairs at the back of her neck that refused to settle. Every instinct in her body told her to run, run to her crew, even if it was just to see that they were fine and put her worries to rest. But duty bound her to the Maiden and with the Maiden she would stay. She pressed the heel of her hand to her eyes and let out a string of curses that would have made even a seasoned sailor blush. "Go." She ordered Cinder, finger pointed towards Historia's retreating figure. "Go, before I lose another crew member to sheer stupidity."

II-CinderRadcliff-II · May 27, 2021

Cinder Radcliff - Master Carpenter

Location: Underground Caverns

Cinder watched as Historia swiftly made her leave, without any regard for planning. It almost made some of the other crew members seem more prepared. Cinder had started giving chase before Inej had even had a chance to finish her sentence, though he made a quick remark before vanishing behind the boulder.
"No worries, no one suspects the Lumberjack!"
Once he entered the pathway towards the surface, he found what looked to be an old run down mineshaft of sorts - the remnants of wood being old and decrepit beyond repair. The stairway that once allowed for safe passage up had long since collapsed, though in its place were roots and vines that allowed for one to climb up. For those who didn't want to chance it, there were also large intentional indents within the slope of the cavern that acted like a ladder, opting to climb up the stone like a mountain climber. The pitter patter of his climbing echoed through the cave softly, the bioluminescent flora helping tell what was were. Like the shackled skeletons hanging from the cavern ceiling, or the tattered clothes piled up by the steel bars that caged prisoners. Signs of human trafficking littered the old abandoned mineshaft, shaking his head lightly to himself at the thought of such a horrible act. He wasn't much better, but he didn't go out of his way to force others into a life of rape and torture - he just got off to mutilated victims and women. By the time the cavern slope began to level out more the indents transitioned into a stone stairway carved into the rock, with worn down buildings made of wood just barely staying strong. The glow of the plantlife began to fade as the reflected light from the sun was now visible to some extent, thanks in part to cracks in the rock above created by the roots of trees above - turning his head to look at Historia.
"So, we should probably come up with a plan before making any moves... Not sure if you know the phrase 'measure twice and cut once', but I'm certain it applies here." Cinder suggested as he used his axe-head to reflect some of the rays of sunlight around the cave, giving him a better grasp as to where they need to go. "Tavish would probably be the first person we inform, followed by the crew at the Emporium. Once we inform them, I'll try and find Mercer while you find Sal and Addam, as Mercer is likely the primary target for whatever shit-show is taking place above."

TEMPLATE © BOKEH

Weazel · Jun 1, 2021

Iskandar El-Amin
Aboard the Maiden’s Revenge

He’d had to dodge out of the way as Cinder unhooked himself from the main mast and rushed past him into the bowels of the ship. Always a strange man, their master carpenter. For some reason, Iskandar had always imagined shipwrights to be more intellectual, less brash, but then again this was a pirate shipwright. Cinder returned shortly after Inej put the call out for volunteers to go ashore, changed into a completely new outfit and wielding a large woodcutter’s ax. He seemed eager to throw himself back into danger. That could be admirable in its own way, so long as he knew his limits.

“This may well turn into a rescue mission, Cinder, it wouldn’t do if you got captured too,” he cautioned. They were a fraction of a crew of one vessel, they couldn’t exactly fight the entire Ridolfite navy if something went wrong!

He was about to suggest that Cinder cut and run if things got too hairy and come back so they could formulate a new plan when up came Historia. She stopped to speak to them only briefly, before turning and marching smartly to the rail, hopping over and dropping to the ground. When she said she didn’t intend to sit idly by, she really meant it, if Cinder didn’t get going soon he might just lose her in the darkness of the cave. Something about what she said bothered Iskandar, though, what did she mean by ‘something at play?’ What did she know?

Inej, for what it was worth, did seem concerned about their missing crewmates as well, though she was quick to cover it with disdain for Salvadore. The man was certainly a troublemaker, but he was the Revenge’s troublemaker! They couldn’t leave him behind. Still, it seemed Inej also felt that same feeling of dread the half-gnoll did. Historia had seemed to feel it too, possibly even Cinder. It made his fur stand on end, under his clothes. She ordered Cinder to go, presumably two of the sailors on deck would be joining the Master Carpenter to fill out the four man team Inej had ordered.

“Should anything happen, try to make it back to us. We are blind down here and could use any information you acquire,” Isk suggested to Cinder, “We’ll come up with something to get everyone back together, if it comes to that.” Then, he turned to Inej and gave the navigator a sharp salute, “I’ll be on the gun deck if you have need of me, ma’am.”

Upon returning to the crew still at their stations at the cannons, he filled them in on the situation. He picked out a select few that he trusted to work quickly and carefully on emptying out the cannons, then dismissed the rest. He hoped the work would distract him from his thoughts, clearing the cannons was involved work, but mostly mindless once you’d gotten it down. First, naturally, the cannon had to be unlashed so it could be rolled freely. Then, the cannonball had to be removed, that was a simple as tilting the barrel downwards and letting it roll out.

Often, in the event of a misfire, you’d simply let the round roll out of the cannon and off the side, down into the bottomless sky below. This, however, was not a misfire, nor were they in the heat of battle, and Isk simply hated wasting ammunition needlessly. So he had the cannon rolled back away from the gunport, then let the ball gently roll out onto the deck. Of course, they had to be careful not to let anything spark while doing this, so he usually had them wipe down the interior of the cannon with a wet sponge attached to the opposite end of the rammer first. Still, this step could be dangerous and probably wouldn’t fly on a naval vessel, but it saved them money on munitions.

Once the ball was clear, another special tool known as the wad-screw was inserted into the barrel, and used to remove cloth seal that kept the gunpowder in place. Then the powder itself could be removed, this was also something Isk tried to salvage as much of he could by shoveling it back onto the ladle. Sometimes the powder got a little damp during this stage, but that was fine, it could be used again once dry, and they had plenty of time to wait for that to happen. With the cannon thus cleared, it received a deep cleaning with the sponge – to thoroughly clear it of any remaining powder, to remove the risk of it sparking while the cannon was being reloaded next time. The wick was also removed and ramming iron run through the touch hole as well to clear it of any dirt. Said touch hole was then covered by a plate to prevent any new dirt getting in, and then the cannon could be rolled back into place at the gunport.

Such was the process to clear one of the many cannons of the Maiden’s Revenge. Isk allowed himself a moment to stretch his back, then scanned the rest of the gun deck. He’d ordered all these cannons loaded. Oh yes, this was going to take him quite some time.

Firelie · Jun 5, 2021

Historia Vinheima

Historia was aware of "The Lumberjack" following her, but paid him no heed. such a silly moniker, though Historia had to admit she rather liked the man behind it. The short girl glanced absentmindedly at the man beside her as he began to mess about with his axe. The carpenter was not much of an interesting character in her eyes, mostly due to her warped view of reality. He was skilled at what he did, and he obviously was fond of Historia. He often paid attention to her endless stream of strange and seemingly pointless questions, and even tries to provide her answers or advice. Rarely anything he says hits its mark, but Historia certainly appreciated the thoughtfulness of it all. The man was simple, kind, and as a result, rather charming. Whenever the rainbow threads of fascination threatened to tear at HIstoria's sanity or when the vacuous roots of despair dug into her consciousness, Historia knew she could find refuge from the terrors from deep within her mind in Cinder Radcliff. Simply the act of talking to him made her happy in the most human of ways, which was everything she needed at certain times.

When Cinder pulled Historia from her thoughts, she quickly got rid of the small smile that had formed on her face. Her expression returned to its default distant professionalism. "Tavish went with the crew to the emporium, though you are correct in the fact that it is most probable that he has since left to attend to business. Even so, we should convene with the crew at the tavern first. Anything else would be 'a shot in the dark,' which I'm sure you know the meaning of seeing as you are apparently a master of rhetoric." Historia flipped up the hood of the Magistre Cloak as she poked fun at Cinders word choice. "Then again, you may do as you please. By know means are you bound to my actions, though it would be quite fun to work together." Historia's lips curved upwards once more into a small, playful smile. This time, she decided not to suppress it. "Sal and Addam most likely took to a brothel, excuse my language, or to a separate place where Sal can unload his will unto begrudging or unwilling women. You may seek them there, if you so choose, but I recommend you join me. I would so love your company as my personal windbreaker." She joked once more, giggling at her own joke as she moved from the refuge of the mouth of the cave into the torrent outside. Normally she wouldn't be so expressive or jovial, but today seemed special.

Historia hummed a tune lacking in rhythm as she began the walk to the Emporium. She was unsure if Cinder really was accompanying her, but even if he wasn't she thought it a good idea to make conversation. Anything to take her mind off the benign gibbering of the Magistre Cloak. "I assume you've been to a brothel before, Cinder. What's it like? I myself have never been to one. Additionally, last I begged the question was to Sal, and he took it as an opportunity to comment on my allure which was... less than helpful." She asked curiously. It was a strange question, especially considering the precarious situation, but it certainly wasn't out of character for the peculiar girl.

II-CinderRadcliff-II
(Mentions-

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Rage )

Captain Hesperus · Jun 5, 2021

Cecily pressed herself closer to A'miel's back, feeling bolder by his protective presence. Of course, she would and could give her life to protect him. It was part of the oath she gave when her services were retained, just.... she prefered not to give her life right here, right now. Since everyone else was speaking so calmly, she deduced the situation was approaching a point where violence was no longer an emergent necessity. She leaned out from behind her lord and master's back and spoke up.
"If my lord is to visit your 'prince', then he shall require a carriage or at least a covered wagon. Only the most uncultured and ill-disciplined of swines would expect a nobleman of his standing to traipse through the mud of this dingy collection of hovels, let alone with such a frightful rainstorm going on.", she said haughtily, then wilted as the officer turned his burning gaze upon her.
She ducked back behind the safety of A'miel's reassuring torso and continued in a less high-and-mighty tone, "If you would be so kind, sir, thank you, sir."

Keiko's right hand had slipped into the sleeve of her yukata, to open the concealed pocket therewithin and closed it around the hilt of her kyoketsu, the shoge would rest in place until she needed it. If violence were to suddenly erupt, her first plan would be to slip around the blind side of her client and attack the soldiers on that side. A dagger thrust to the throat of the first kneeling man, while a swift downward kick to the gun of the second would both set him off balance and possibly cause him to discharge it harmlessly into the floor. Then she would attack the man stood behind her first victim, employing cord and shoge to entangle him, forcing him to spend time trying to free himself. The man stood beside him would be her next target. Another entanglement with the cord, this time followed by a short thrust to the lungs and allow his dead weight to drag his entangled and struggling neighbor to the floor. Finish him with a swift thrust through the right eye. Disengaging the cord, she would employ the shoge to slash the throat of the third man standing in line, bringing it down to wrap the throat of the third kneeling man. She would draw herself in and use his back as a springboard to attack the fourth kneeling man, then slash the back of his neck before bringing the shoge into full play. She played out the slaughter of the dozen or so soldiers in her head, reassessing for different eventualities, interference from the pirates, should one of the soldiers manage to get a gun pointed at her, and the speed and skill of the officer. She estimated total incapacitation and death of the soldiers would take only eighteen seconds, at best, thirty if any of them had any close quarter combat skill.

She waited, ready for the kill.

II-CinderRadcliff-II · Jun 7, 2021

Cinder Radcliff - Master Carpenter

Location: Cavern Entrance - Surface

Upon reaching the surface the first thing that became apparent was the torrent of a storm that had descended upon the island, with such a downpour creating a haze that made it difficult to see - though such effects weren't as apparent in the forest they were now in thanks to the trees displacing the falling rain. The grass was slick and the compacted dirt trail had turned to mud, making traversing through the forest a hinderance for uphill while going downhill made travelers prone to tripping and falling. An advantage if given the right circumstances. Step after step he and Historia carefully walked downhill from the cliffside the cavern adorned, with Cinder soon taking advantage of the slippery slope and using it to slide downhill. The forest gradually split apart to make way for the streams and rivers that formed from such storms, and as they began to reach the outskirts of the forest the river opened up to a small lake - where smaller boats floated by the shoreline docks and the open view gave them a sightline to the port ahead of them.
"I actually only went to a brothel a few times before joining the crew, and since then I haven't gone there for the sake of fun." Cinder stated as they entered down, navigating the alleys and empty streets towards the brothel. Most who were outside had already fled for cover from the rain, and their hasty speed helped make both of them seem like civilians. His footsteps made large splashes and his clothes gradually started to cling to his skin, showing off his bulky muscles underneath as he surveyed the streets for signs of the crew on the way to the emporium. And soon enough both of them reached the brothel, pausing in his tracks to look for any guards in the large section of street. "Sometimes it can be fun, and you might find someone you strongly resonate with - maybe even meet up with days or weeks afterwards. Other times you're better off leaving. It's at least better than... Well..." He paused as the memories of his past flashed into view, where he struggled to accept the reality of the situation. Of when he struggled to accept the consequences of his former care-free lifestyle. His hand instinctively clawed into his leg to snap him out of the past, where he almost looked sad and regretful when he glanced towards Historia. "Nevermind. Brothels aren't bad, it's the people inside of them you need to be cautious of. Especially the regulars."

TEMPLATE © BOKEH

Rage · Jun 8, 2021

Tavish 'Bloodbeard' McConors
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Fight Music (P.S. Tis A Link) - For Flavor & Lore
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Location(s) - Church's Exterior | Church's Interior
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'What was that feeling?' - The Female Assassin felt it within her bloodstream which turned from chilling ice to spring of blood as her muscles contracted and relaxed where her body was launched forward; her attempted thrusting attack aimed at the grungy-man protecting the target only to be prevented. A bullet that was shot suddenly removed the sharpened, pointed tip of her blade and her weapons' balanced ruined mid-way during her attack. To prevent herself from falling over; her lowered herself and slide upon the wet-clobber stone beneath her slightly-heeled booted feet.

Her eyes shifted to look at her sword and her eyes widened; the damage was incredible where the tip was shot-off but a good majority of weapon was bent from the impact... Anger; it was an emotion which was fitting of this event which may've been only a couple seconds where the water dropped down upon her crouched form as thunder screamed ahead whilst the storm came upon the port.

Her target; a boy in his mid-years who had potential talents which was key for her client found itself a defender... Some worm-like grotesque... and lastly; a brutish-fellow who seemed to come from the ugliest depths of hell where a smile flashed towards her as this moonless, cloudy and annoying night wavered its' grimness upon her.

"The Brokers' said that there would be trouble during this task." Shifting her posture til she was standing once more rather than crouching like the 'dogs' she hunted in the past to gaze upon the one who had interrupted her hunt.

-

Tavish felt bored... This woman had a dull spark within her breast. Looking upon her as she seemed like a killer... That harshen glare, that 'stone' eyes, that twisted of the face to force itself straight as if to stomach the filth of murder and other things related to such an occupation... She'd would fight... No sense of reason or demand would get to her as he saw her face - Revealed by a flash of the lightning above them where she looked at Tavish like a phantom.

His grin only enlarged by a large margin at the visage... Yes... He's seen so many times in his life that he knew what it meant... She was ready to die for this... Yes... It meant that she'd fight harder... Fight with courage... Those fights... were enjoyable. His handle of the sword on his hip was grasped...before being unsheathed as the metal sparkled under even in this darkness... It was not a clean or smooth blade - Harsh and serrated with sky-beast for inspiration with hooked-like features upon each serration. The fangs of a monster would be wielded by a monster... Such a fitting thing as the storm blew overhead... Intensity arouse as the two felt their bodies lock - Rain droplets pooled down upon their respective faces.

In a way... They looked like beasts'... No sane person would fight as a storm approached upon a port.

-Excitement?-
-Fear?-
-Anger?-

The brain of a creature may perceive things different when it feels as if it's life is threatened... These two did... and launched themselves forward - The Hunter made severely rapid steps to close the distance before Tavish where a singular step was enough to close the distance where he followed his movement with a slash. Handling the huge sword with a singular hand with ease where the weapon slashed the air and rain where his body was loose... before tightened at the last second!

Forcing it to accelerate where it suddenly neared the woman's' upper-chest... *Swish!* Her body lowered for a spilt second; mid-stride which made the strike completely missed - Her head twisted to keep her eyes on her opponent where she saw that Tavish was looking down upon from his current position. Shifting herself as she then made a slash against the large-man; his body was a plentiful target and stepping into close-quarters was foolish which the broken sword was still sharp enough to cause damage...and even kill.

*Kalish!* Her eyes widened for a moment - Her blade was hooked amongst the serrated parts belonging to this giant's sword. An attempted to pull her weapon back was countered as she felt the air leave her; lips parting as the feeling like her stomach was about to unravel came. At the moment - Tavish managed to angle his blade in such a way where he was able to bring the blade back to defend. One may think 'How could he stop his strike mid-way despite putting such power and effort into it before perform a skillful defensive maneuver which may require a defined accuracy?'

Tis a simple thing to answer.

He is 'Bloodbeard!'

Using the hunter's forward momentum alongside hooking her sword's edge amongst the many, odd parts of Tavish's weapon which he pulled her towards him. Raising a knee before piercing it directly into her mid-section that made her body lift as the bone of his knee seemingly jammed against her form. Forcing her body to curve around the massive segment of his limb as her body went airborne but it wasn't over.

They were in close-quarters where she gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain and made a strike towards Tavish; aiming to landing her shin into the large man's nether-regions but such an attempt was prevented by Tavish. Twisting their weapons that forced to miss only to find her face crumbled by a meaty-backhand which made her nearly go limp as Tavish grasped her by the collar of her jacket which he tossed her up slightly.

Clenching a fist... He 'gently' punched her stomach which made her spit blood as her body was taut from pain and her eyes were nearly white as it was followed by another... Both of them had been aimed towards her sternum where she was sent up by the tough, knuckles of Pirate whose smile enlarged before he felt her go limb... His fist loosened before swiftly moved it to grasp her head and peer at it. Her mouth was slack as a drip of saliva pooled by one side and the another was of blood whilst her eyes were completely white as her eyes had rolled from view.

This was then followed by pushing her head away from Tavish's as he used the hooking of their weapons to twist around as he handled her currently-limp and proceed to swing it off to his side - This had detached their weapons but it was aiming for something... The Church Door. Her body slammed through it - Opening as the darkness of it's interior swallowed her. As if bring her to where she belonged... A shadow of the underworld.

....

It was not over... It is never over... If so... He would have less scars but somethings are meant to happen to the truly worth.

As his feet came on ground with a stamp movement; his power was evident but he disliked restraint... He held back on that attack and he knew... Bad habits; if one would guess however he raised a foot and shot it forth. Like a cannon; it blew apart the other door - Smashing it off the hinges and send several parts to become splinters that scattered the shadowy churches' interior.

Striding inside; a smell caught Tavish's attention which made him pause in his movements and smell... Once... Then twice... It was familar...

His eyes widened where he noticed a candle's light apart near the alter of the church. Upon it... The Female Hunter was laying on her stomach which would not have warranted such a reaction.. Nay... It was the face that she was laying on her stomach whilst her face was seemingly glued to the built iron-sights of a 'Ridolfo 6 Hounder' - In short... A cannon shaped like a rifle for a riflemen unit... but this Hunter had access to one... which was pointed towards the Pirate belonging to the Maiden's Revenge. Eyes went as as this monstrous barrel was agape like a Ciel feeding where a glit of something could be seen where the candle light suddenly wafted through the air to be for something...

*Sssssssssssss.* A fuse was alit where the sizzling sounds spiraled to be heard...Black Powder Bombs... It was the reason for Tavish's nose went wild... and the scent was coming from all-over!

The sounds of the lit fuse split into several others which disappeared as the noise drew Tavish's attention all-over... *Clink.* That popping noise run out and the pirate's only instinct was to evade... Launching his body to the side where he heard a rapid whistle followed by *BOOOM!* An explosion rung out as the doorway of this Church was seemingly blown to smithereens by the monstrous firearm that this hunter had access to... Something that Tavish in the back of his mind wanted but he couldn't focus on theft... Rather... He had to focus on surviving where he snapped to his feet and drew a pistol.

In exchange - He clenched his finger and attempted to fire of a shot towards a returning shadow... A sizzle came out and a spark was done... But the gun then fired but a blinding flash of light instead. *Bang! Bang!* His gun went off but he did notice something as well... She fired at him; the sounds of a pistol could be heard not from one source but two. Tavish shifted his balance; as if going limp and rigid in a odd motion but he felt something whistle by his form. Near the arm holding the sword in hand as he looked back.

Gone... She was gone from the alter without a trace... and the sizzling noise of the bombs was all around which make the Tavish suddenly dash out of the church before...

*KA-BOOM!* The entire structure went off... Stone, wood was blasted apart and a plum of smoke arose to the stormy-clouds above. The man narrowed his eyes at the destruction where the melee ceased... and their battle was done... She was gone... Any chances of looking for her had disappeared with the Church as images and the sort was thrown all over town whilst the noise drew many on-lookers to look.

As the First-Mate sheathed his weapon and saw a faint cut had appeared on his arm; the bullet from before had caused damage... It seems that the Hunter drew second-blood afterall. His eyes however did aid him noticed a something on a rooftop which was a distances' away... He saw her... That lovely firearm hung from her form as it was held by a holster of some kind as she peered off only to lock eyes with him... Tilting his head at this... He saw something... She had no sheath... Wait?

Suddenly... A woman identically to the Hunter appeared beside... her... That one happened to hold a sheath for the damaged blade where it was sheathed and resting on her hip whilst she looked down hard towards Tavish... And was leaning on the other; seemingly injured from their fight as she appeared to be quaking with rage.

Interesting... This was only made 'better' when Tavish saw that another woman similar to the other two however... she was adorned in more pistols than Tavish... and makes as he saw some which were of both Aeternia & Ridolfo make on her person.... And seemed to hold one of her arms.

...

The pirate merely puckered his large lips and made a mocking kiss towards the three; as if taunting them with a 'good-time' as the sword-carrying one nearly moved forward but the pistol-adorned one raised an arm to prevent this.

The three looked off as Tavish motioned for them to come to him... Death-Trap was hardly a fight that was enjoyable... This... This would be enjoyable - Fighting all-across this port was fun. It was fun when Tavish was young and it'd be fun now.

Alas.... The one with the rifle-like cannon had suddenly tilted and spoke... Speaking to the other two before she beginning to move - The one with the sword raised an arm and gave a gesture which Tavish was all to familar with... and the last one... She was odd as she looked at Tavish who looked bak with a smile on his face.

...

In a fit of madness; she seemingly dug into her arm and ripped something out... A bullet from Tavish's pistol which made the Pirate wonder what she would do... His mouth went slake and his brow went high....

Her lips parted as she brought the orb forth before she began to slowly lick... kiss... and suckled on the metal til it glistened in this harsh darkness from the storm above... With a smile as she held it in her mouth and in a cute-way; waved him a goodbye before the the three disappeared from sight.

...

...

...

It took a moment for Tavish's mind to process the surprising events and that scene where he muttered to himself and under his breath in the most out of character way.

"I-...Is dat why Captain dun't fight Lasses?" The Pirate didn't know how to feel. Attracted? Anger? Sad? Confused?

...

This state only last for a couple seconds where the First-Mate twisted his attention and walked down the street - Uncaring about what happened where he was more focused on making sure that the ship and crew was alright.
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Mentions:
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welian
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Selee-01
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Archie · Jun 12, 2021

The middle aged officer snarled as he witnessed the entire tavern rise up against him. He knew that his men were now outnumbered, that there were some skilled fighters among the taverngoers, and that there was, if the man's boast were to be believed, a member of the House d'Amiel present here. Cursed Aeternians were meddling in the business even of their ex-colonial dependencies!

He decided his best option was to take Lord d'Amiel up on his word. Even if most of these tavernmen were simply drunkards whose martial ability at this point rivaled that of a sleepy dog, the few potent fighters would have been enough to give his trained soldiers a run for their money.

"Fine!" he said, eyeing the deceptively kawaii Furoshi woman with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, his grip around his pistol strengthening.

"Crew of the Maiden's Revenge are to come with me" he said, pointing the pistol up to the ceiling.

"And hand your weapons over to my men as you exit the door"

"I don't think so" boomed the Furoshi pirate, Masaoka Tenryu.

"We, and by that I mean the crew of the Maiden's Revenge, and me, are going to the castle armed unless you think you can take all the men at this bar!" he demanded.

"Fine, you'll have your way" the officer said.

"Come this way and-" he continued, before being cut off by a loud bang that came from the left side of the room. The officer's jaw detached from his face and his body spun, falling to the ground. Gus looked to see who had fired the shot. Silas Kade - the man with the greatest incentive to bring about a change in the island's governance.

In a moment, all hell broke loose. "Volley, fire!" shouted one of the other men who had to have been the officer's second in command. In an instant, the platoon of guards unloaded fire in unison into the crowd. Blood and tankards flew into the air, as a wall of smoke and flame erupted in front of the line. Yelling out in unison, the advancing wall of soldiers stuck their bayonets into all the men in sight.

Gus ducked under a table after he heard the sergeant's commands. He emerged after the volley, knowing these men had single shot muskets and could not reload them in a timely fashion. He drew his flintlock revolver, running backwards as he unloaded its six bullets in rapid succession into four of the men in front of him. With his much more expensive weapon, he could reload using paper cartridges in seconds, but there was not even time for that as one of the soldiers caught up to his position and stabbed upwards at Gus's chest. With no weapons training to speak of, Gus carried no sharp objects, but a childhood of wrestling had turned his body into his weapon. Gus turned his body, both arms in front of his chest to direct the motion of the musket. He grabbed the barrel with his left hand, dragging the soldier's arm above his elbow with the right. From there, he bear hugged the man, leaned backwards, popped his hips, and suplexed the soldier onto his head.

As Gus was getting up, he could see another soldier rushing for him. Gus's eyes widened: he was on his ass, with no time to react. Just as the soldier was about to strike his blow, a boot kicked his musket upwards and the bayonet stuck harmlessly in the floor above Gus's shoulder. Standing over the vaquero was the Furoshi samurai-turned-pirate, Tenryu, who proceeded to kick the soldier's legs out from under him while striking at his neck. A second soldier lunged at the Furoshi, who spun towards the soldier, sweeping the man's outstretched left foot with his right foot when he completed his turn and sending him tumbling to the ground. Gus had scrambled up at that point, and finished the downed man with a kick to the head.

Elsewhere in the bar, the scene was very different. Lewis Nisbalt had discharged both his pistols and was now grappling with a soldier - both of them pulling on the soldier's musket and trying to obtain it. Drunk, poorly armed bargoers were being skewered left and right - their alcohol giving them confidence but not motor skills. Soldiers were rushing at all the crew members of the Maiden's revenge, a whole troupe charging for the gambling table around which they were clustered. The sound of gunshots would have alerted everyone outside to the commotion in the tavern - the disembarking marines, Addam, Sal, and, Tavish.

Gus rose to his feet. Four soldiers paused in front of the Furoshi and the cowboy who had just taken down three of their men unarmed. The samurai drew his katana while Gus's fast hands reloaded the chambers of his revolver.

"Oh, we're serious now" remarked Tenryu.

Captain Hesperus · Jun 12, 2021

Cecily moved like lightning the moment the first gunshot rent the air. She kicked A’miel’s knees and brought him roughly to the floor, covering his body with her own. This sudden change in the dynamics had put Keiko on the back foot, but her client’s safety was paramount. She would have to ensure his absolute safety before she could seek retribution for having to drop the nobleman so roughly.

Bullets passed over her head, so close the shockwaves they left in their wake picked loose her carefully arranged hairstyle, but none of them struck her, nor did they hit A'miel, which would have been far worse. The thick clouds of gunpowder smoke filled the air, offering an almost perfect screen to enact an escape.
"My lord, I must get you to safety. We are close to the tavern's main door, but there may be more troops beyond.", her voice was flat and emotionless, despite the rapid pounding of her heart, "The rear door to the tavern is by the bar, but we would be at risk of being shot by one side or the other. Which would you rather risk?"

Obsidian · Jun 12, 2021

Edward Fawlk
(( Written in cooperation with Archie ))

"We came to meet you, of course, Lord Gandolfini." Edward would answer, stepping over to an empty seat next to Matilda, but he does not sit, "I do not believe you and I have ever met, but your reputation precedes you. I am Edward Fawlk, of the Imperial Capital. I have come in search of you, My Lord. Events in the Capital have transpired, events that you must be informed of immediately."

"Your Highness, if I might beg your pardon," Edward turns to Reese, "I must speak with Lord Gandolfini for a few moments alone. Might I make use of your study? I apologise without reserve for this interruption, but this is a matter of state that is simply too important to wait. I am sure you understand, Your Highness."

While being asked to be excused during a stately affair is hardly the behaviour of an honoured guest, it is not unprecedented. Exceptional circumstances require it. And the circumstances of the matters to which the Count must be informed certainly are exceptional.

Reese looked to Count Gandolfini for approval. The gruff ex-Gladiator’s eyes narrowed. He could tell this well dressed man was someone of stature in Ridolfo. He could not simply have been a rich merchant playing a nobleman, or any other kind of fraud: his taste in fashion was too refined, too subtle, and too well aligned with this year’s Ridolfite high class fashion.

The count nodded.

“You are free to use my study as you wish, Lord Fawlk” Reese said, not knowing Edward’s exact title in Ridolfo. Neither he nor the Count knew that Edward’s power exceeded anything a title could confer unto a man.

Gandolfini paced over to Edward’s side of the room.

“If you do not mind, Prince Reese - inform Captain Mercer of his… situation in my absence” he stated in a thick Ridolfite accent.

“Shall we, seniore?” the Count asked as servants opened the dual doors leading to the study.

Edward bowed courteously before gesturing for the Count to lead, and Edward followed, before stopping just before the doors and turning to his companion, Joan. "Make sure that we remain alone for this conversation." Edward to tell her, quietly, glancing at Matilda before returning his gaze to Joan, "Do not allow anyone to earsdrop upon us. You have my permission to do whatever you deem necessary."

With that said, Edward turns back to the doors, and steps through into the study.

Prince Reese and Matilda turned to Captain Mercer as the Ridolfite dignitaries left the room. Colonel Rutherford, standing behind Captain Mercer, was visibly relieved that the Imperial presence had left.

“Captain Mercer, you and your ship have… long been a friend of Altersdale. Last time you saw me, I was just a boy, and you and my father were good friends. I thank you for accepting my invitation to dine. Please, help yourself to-”

“Oh cut the crap Reese” Matilda ordered.

“This isn’t a dinner invitation, it’s an arrest. Tell me, what did it take for Gandolfii to get you to bend over?”

“Oh nothing, just the threat of total destruction” Reese responded as the doors shut behind him.

“It’s not weakness to realize that our state is totally and utterly dependent on Ridolfo for protection. If they leave, we go back to Aeternia”

“Oh you fool” Matilda replied, shaking her head.

“We will go back to Aeternia. Isn’t it obvious?”

“No. It’s not. Seeing as you wish to dispense with the pleasantries, I will be blunt. Captain Mercer, you and your crew are being traded. Count Gandolfini will give you to your old friend Admiral Conroy, and in exchange Aeternian soldiers will evacuate the secessionist Republic of Quinqueria. You will be treated with all dignity and respect during your stay here.”

Darth

animegirl20

JoUhWrites · Jun 14, 2021

Mira

Why? Why?!

Everything had been going so well (in hindsight, probably too well); her fellow crew members had been as pliant as puppies, the dark-haired man Robert had spoken to had managed to get them to keep their weapons, and Steel’s fancy new friend with his fancy words made the officer seem uncomfortable - a good thing for a royal officer to be, when it didn’t trigger a violent response.
Mira’s grip around the blades had relaxed, bunched-up shoulders softening as she glanced towards her crewmates (and catching a glimpse of the nobleman and his… partner? The young woman looked impossibly dainty, and Mira’s heart throbbed as she thought about what could have happened if someone decided to get trigger-happy…). Then something exploded in her peripheral vision.

The officer’s face had become a mess of pinks and reds, teeth glimmering in the tavern lights as the jaw separated from the rest of his skull. The force of the bullet threw the man backwards, and Mira found herself following his body down - maneuvering tall, lithe body across the poker table in a way she’d later regret once the adrenaline died off - before she had the chance to think. Bad move. While jumping straight into what was now enemy lines made sure that the barrage of gunfire was directed far above her head, the soldiers were far more inclined to believe that she was some kind of bloodthirsty assassin than a dumbass pirate with more empathy than was healthy.

“I’m a surgeon!,” she yelled at the poor soldier who’d managed to be standing right next to the officer when he was shot - green dress stained with all kinds of bodily fluids from his former superior - as she bent over the shot individual (one of many, she noted as the screams around her transformed from rage into pain). The man wasn’t dead, but he sure was actively dying. What little remained of his mouth was gurgling blood, pulsating out in a heavy stream across his neck. He had seconds at best. “You’ll be fine,” Almira breathed, smiling into the terrified eyes of the man who minutes ago seemed so sure of himself, of the world, of his mission. They quickly turned dull, and the elf repressed the urge to close them. There was no time for sentimentality in an active battle.
The soldier who’d been standing next to the dead officer hit the wooden floor with a dull thud, musket clutched tightly in his hands. He was quickly replaced by a stream of more alive ones - it seems the officer had expected a fight, judging by the amount of soldiers he’d had waiting outside - and Mira took the opportunity to crawl further away in the midst of legs and smoke. Not very dignified, a tall woman crawling on her hands and knees across a bloody floor, but in the smokey chaos it severely limited the risk of getting shot. It also carried with it the benefit that the injured were more likely to end up down there with her. By the time Mira had arrived back where she started - the damn poker table, having been thrown over sometime in the chaos - her shirt was torn to shreds, the missing parts having been pressed onto wounds of confused, bleeding soldiers and injured tavern-goers alike.
And then suddenly a heavy kick landed between her shoulder blades, forcing a yelp from her throat as her arms gave out and she was pushed hard into the slippery floor, skull bouncing against it. On pure instinct she twisted her upper body (being constricted at the middle by the heavy boot resting on her spine) to the left, a blast of heat exploding from where the cold steel of a bayonet met the sensitive skin of her neck’s right side. The soldier standing on top of her apparently intended to skewer her, judging from the blade embedded into the floor mere centimeters from her main artery. When it was pulled up again, Mira’s right arm lashed out from its prone position and slashed blindly against the leg resting on top of her, the action being met by wet heat spilling out across her naked skin, and the weight disappearing off her. Thank the gods for medical textbooks, the thought flashing through her as she stumbled towards the poker table, falling behind it and wiping tendons away on the leathery fabric of her pants. Her hands were shaking as she pressed her back against the tipped-over table. Focus.

Somewhere to her right, the dainty woman from earlier was splayed out on top of her noble companion, and Mira made a gurgling noise before realizing that they were both still moving. The gurgling in her throat turned into a relieved sigh, then a cough as the action made her breathe in gulps of gunpowder-heavy air. They had to get out. They had to get back to the ship. Steel. Smiles. Gus. Their names turned into a chant in her mind as she untied her bandana from around her head and instead wrapped it around her throat, hoping that it would compress whatever wound had been inflicted on her until she had more time to check it out.
Having sufficiently bandaged herself, a quick glance around the ruckus made her spot her gambling companion standing back-to-back with the man who’d earlier secured them weapons, his revolver held tight. Gus could take care of himself, Mira decided, turning to make one last humiliating crawl towards the noble pair, where her bloodied hands carefully found the woman’s exposed back. “I’m with the Maiden,” she shouted in order for her voice to carry over all the noise, “Are you hurt? Have you seen the others?”

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animegirl20 · Jun 18, 2021

"Make sure that we remain alone for this conversation. Do not allow anyone to earsdrop upon us. You have my permission to do whatever you deem necessary."

Joan nodded and watched as Edward and the Count headed into the study. Once the doors shut Joan walked over to the servants standing by the door. "I'll take it from here." One started to say something but after glancing at Joan's blades they decided against it and walked off. She then stood in front of the double doors with arms crossed and watched the conversation unfold in front of her.

Obsidian

Darth

Firelie · Jun 19, 2021

Historia Vinheima

Lightning cracked through the stormy skies, followed shortly by the boom of thunder. The crashing flowed through Historia's ears and flushed in a wave of new sensations. The sounds of rain transformed into the excited chatter of thousands of hushed whispers, and the sound of Cinders voice became muddled. His words were nonsense in her mind, a meaningless jumble of sound she could not understand. Her mouth opened, and a whisper began to spill from her subconscious. A message for her ears, and her ears alone.

"Shame is the minds bondage. Our self doubt keeps us from her, and our fear blinds us from her grace. We are, were, and always will be fools chasing after what we could never hope to feel without her. Our hearts beat for her, and because of her our blood is filled with her warmth. Our lives are hers. May she take this vessel and bestow upon it the meaning of beauty. Of grace. Of life."

Historia tilted her head up to the sky as the blank greys of the clouds above turned to a beautiful, vibrant red. The cold rain felt comforting as it fell down upon her skin. The shadow of the temple towered over her, a red shadow blotting out the pink sky. The exciting murmuring grew with the towering shadow, then were suddenly silenced as the clouds began to part. The crimson shadow fell away as a brilliant light engulfed Historia. The pink girl felt her breath hitch as her feet were lifted off the ground and she began to float up towards the hole in the raging torrent. Anxiousness filled her every fiber as she ascended up towards the clouds, and she turned her head back down at the receding land beneath her. She was able to make out the two silhouettes standing beneath her at the base of the beam. It was Cinder and Historia, or Historia's body to be exact. Historia knew that Cinder was entirely oblivious to what was so painfully apparent to the ascending girl. Historia pitied him, him and all of her other crewmates. They would only ever experience a fraction of this beauty, HER beauty. Historia knew they would never understand. They were too sure of their own lives, they could never know her grace, never know her gran-

"Child." The voice was buttery and soft. The sound of it alone was enough to fill Historia with an indescribable feeling of pleasure. Historia spun around, and their heart skipped a beat. She stood before the ponk haired girl. Her hair, long and flowing, glowed a soft crimson and seemed to swim through the air on its own. A soft wind swept past the pair, sending her beautiful white dress aflutter. Her golden eyes were filled with caring and love, and the soft smile upon her face shared the emotions. Historia opened their mouth to speak, but was silenced as she held a slender finger to their lips. Her hand drifted to Historias cheek, and ecstasy filled their every fiber. "Your stage awaits, best not keep them waiting." She whispered in her buttery voice. Historia nodded breathlessly and leaned into the soft hand on their cheek. Their eyes fell shut, then their ears began to buzz as their world fell away...

SHE

As the young vessel in front of her shut their eyes, they began to dissipate and fade away. She knew where they were going of course, and she was doing them a favor sending them there, but even still she always felt bad doing it. It was a betrayal of trust in a way, and she just wished there was a better way to do this. She sighed as the vessel disappeared for good, then she turned her gaze downward towards the storm swept lands below, and she began her descent. When her bare feet touched against the wet cobbles, she was face to face with a young, soaked disciple. Beside her stood a much taller man with light armor and an axe by his side. She chuckled and turned her attention back to the disciple. She took a moment to gather herself then reached and wrapped the disciples hand in her own. She closed her eyes and waited a moment.

She opened her eyes, and the young disciple and her had become one, and she saw through their eyes. She took a moment to look around. Her attention was caught by the attention of the man beside her, speaking something about brothels. Whatever that was. What was more important was that there was a sad look in the mans eyes, and her mouth instinctively opened to speak. "Its okay. We all have our regrets." She stepped towards him and took his hand in her own. "When we overcome our demons, we become better versions of ourselves. No matter how bad it is, it will always lead to a greater future, so uh... don't be sad." She said softly, smiling at the man. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a huge crimson spire emanating from close by. She gasped and turned towards it, wondering how she hadn't noticed it earlier. It must be the reason the vessel called upon her. She couldn't let her disciple down, no matter what.

"C'mon, we have to go. People need our help!" She called as she began to pull the man by the hand, letting him trail behind her as she ran across the cold cobbles towards the crimson spiral.

(MENTIONS:

II-CinderRadcliff-II )

Captain Hesperus · Jun 20, 2021

Stormcloud gray eyes watched as Radcliff and Vinheima hopped over the gunwales and strode purposefully into the tunnels that linked the old smuggler's berth to the town above. Gnarled, muscular hands delved into a leather pouch and retreived a slice of dried mango to stick half of it between pearly white teeth. The other half was passed to the tiny furry passenger seated comfortably on a nut-brown shoulder. With a shake of his head, Aloysius tied off the last stay on the sail and gave a last appraising look over the rigging. He wasn't happy, not at all. That hurried escape from safe harbor into the maelstrom beneath the island was not what a ship like this was used to. His expert ears had listened to the song of the ropes, lines and stays of the ship and had heard more than a few distressed tones from some of the topsail lines. They'd need replacing and soon, but it looked as if they might need to be beating a hasty retreat fairly soon. Not time enough to get new skeins to replace what was needed. And that would mean he'd have to spend time paring down a larger rope to make replacement lines.

"Putain de merde...", he swore roundly as he rose up and strode the length of the mainsail yard, thumbs tucked into his belt. He hopped over the back of another topman who was still busy securing his lines and cursed him for his laziness, then jumped down onto the shrouds and nimbly clambered down in a manner that would have had lesser men's hands raw and bleeding. He set foot on the gunwales and walked their length, jumping down to stand before the ship's navigator and the Talarcid gunner, even as they watched the entrance Cinder and Historia had disappeared through.

"Ah said comin' 'ere was a bad plan.", he started, fixing the Zhong woman with a look that shouted 'I told you so', "Zis place 'as a bad reputation, even in comparison to Port Locarno."
Port Locarno, a pirate port where nothing is prohibited. Even mentioning the name made the scar down the left side of his ribs burn with the memories.
"Capitaine Mercer, Tavish, Robert, Mira, all up zere. Leaves you in charge, eh? And 'ere we are, 'iding from the salopard Ridolfites. Zat flagship, she cannot reach us, but 'er escorts? Smaller, nimbler, faster. If zey find us, we are-" he dragged a thumb across his throat, "Better 'ope they prefer to stay topside, or we're all for a long fall to L'Enfer."

Aloysius didn't dislike Inej, certainly not enough to upset or rile her up, but his natural caution and pessimism had kept him alive long enough to see younger, more foolhardy pirates die, be it in battle or at the end of the hangman's noose. He stroked Cherise's head with the back of his thumb as he thought of something to change the subject.
"Ze pink lapin, she looks more serious even more zan le garçon Radcliff. I 'ope 'e brings 'er back safe."

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