[The Road Goes Ever On] 24 Descending Air: The Gate and Beyond.

Irukandji Darktide


"Who're you calling old? That's rather rich, coming from you!" Darktide arches an eyebrow at Mok. "As for pretty goddesses....can we find two?" The grin he was hiding before eschews the cover and erupts over the Eclipse's face. "As for you, Silk, you minx extraordinaire, if it were, as you say, a tiny bit of affection, I'd have no problems with it. But the way you two go on and on, I'm getting a toothache for all the...the...the sweetness of it all. So please. Do go below decks."
 
To Sky


The stench of blood around you becomes night overwhelming as the Ape whispers with a voice like rocks tumbling from the cliffs, "You realize they will never allow me in, correct? Even as a servitor."
 
Silk


Biting her lip to hold back a smile, Silk leans in to whisper in Mok's ear once more. "That would depend on how long you were thinking of staying down there."
 
Silk


With a hand curled affectionately around Mok's arm, Silk turns her head slightly to glance at Darktide. "You heard him, Iru. We'll be down below, doing our best not to offend your sensibilities." The amusement is barely concealed in her tone. She giggles, whispering to Mok once more as they slowly make their way across the gently rolling deck, "At least I'll try to be quiet this time."
 
Still Sky


Sky resists the urge to glance over his shoulder, instead pursing his lips and tapping them lightly with his index finger. "Is there anywhere nearby where you could stay, unnoticed and preferably out of mischief's way - apart from our current destination, obviously - some atoll, an islet, perhaps? You could uproot trees and inflict entertaining new forms of torture on the local plant-life."
 
To Sky


You feel those massive shoulders shrug behind you, the smallest of breezes. "Yes, I'm sure. Corsica ain't too inhabited, last I remember, then again, that was 600 years ago."
 
Still Sky


Sky raises an eyebrow. "'Ain't too inhabited' doesn't quite cut it. I want you to stay away from all sentient forms of life - and that doesn't mean you can deliberately depopulate a place to accomplish that!" Pausing a moment to reconsider things further, he quickly adds "nor can you simple stay a great distance away and chuck boulders at far-off peasantry...unless they deserve it, somehow, I suppose, like attacking you first. But I'm sure that won't happen, riiiight?" This last is in a stern tone.
 
To Sky


"Yes, yes...killjoy. I shall remain far from your lesser apes." The ape snorts and shambles off through a wall of the boat.
 
Still Sky


I probably should have placed further restrictions on him, Sky ponders, staring blankly at the wall for a moment. Where was a good lawyer when you needed one?
 
Irukandji Darktide


Darktide smiles as he watches Sun Mok and Silk go below. That smile fades as soon as they're gone. Enjoy it while you can, my friend. I have a feeling things will heat up once we reach Yu Shan. And not necessarily in a good way.


The captain checks his bearings and urges his crew to maintain their vigilance. Just a few more hours, and they will be arriving in Corsica. The end of one trip. The start of another. The Eclipse anticipated the trip with great fervor. As well as dreaded the trip, with equal fervor. Nothing for it now. He just hoped the routes he and Selakkis had drawn up for Ocean's Promise would cover the bills whilst they were gone. The sunlight on the water made the shore hard to see, but Darktide knew that would change, particularly as they drew closer. For the moment, he simply enjoyed where he was - on the deck of his ship, bringing her into port. All the rest would follow. For now, it was business as usual. "Mr. Nartok, let's see if we can't tighten those sails, shall we? There's a port with our name on it. Let's see how fast we can claim that name."
 
To the crew of the Promise


Land slips closer, minute by minute, until the island looms clear and huge ahead. Two gigantic cliff faces clad in green thrust out to the sea, both laced by waterfalls from a misty mountain on the interior. The coast spans for miles, centered on the cliff faces, and along the lee side of the island, your man in the nest shouts, he can see buildings along a natural harbor. Surely, the port.
 
Irukandji Darktide


"Ok, Mr. Nartok. We have our destination. Adjust our course, Jimas. Our port awaits."
 
To the crew on deck


Some time passes as the ship wades through a few coral shelfs and jutting boulders in the sea, coming round to the lee side of the isle, into the harbor proper between two shelves of land. Dark shapes flitter out of the way into the deep waters. The harbor itself is a deep green, tinged with schools of silvery little fish darting under the waves and mixing with actual elementals under the waves. There, a dolphin spirit! Large and swimming with smaller bottlenose brethren. Little children made of water and algae walk along the water, laughing and playing, throwing spheres of living coral between them.


The jetties are a ways away, but your crew isn't paying much attention at the moment. You're in the middle of some elemental playground. The men laugh and shout at the crocodile headed men swimming with a nymph toward the ring of land acting as a breakwater for the harbor. And the seeming mist that covers the harbor itself begins to part, and your men begin to forget the elemental wonderland around them.


"Sweet Gods in Heaven..." Nartok mutters.


Gods indeed. The seemingly drab stonework peels away to reveal buildings gleaming blue with the sheen of adamant glass, towers topped by upside down pyramids, gold strands of hair thin filament linking the many towers of the buildings, holding banners of silk and woven jade, dozens of statues carved of jade, marble, even cast of bronze of gods familiar and new to you all, pillars of limestone proclaiming the boundaries of Heaven (for those that can read Old Realm, anyhow). Dominating the center of the main road leading from solid basalt jetties is a silvery canal with wondrous looking boats of cherry wood and golden essence floating along.


The docks are thriving with spirits and elementals.


And gods...so many gods walking about.


The men numbly and silent tie the boat up when you dock, looking up at the alien, thin looking viziers with elongated heads, the tiny gods milling about, taking cargo here and there, and the bulky half-siaka creatures standing guard all staring at a boat full of mortals.
 
Irukandji Darktide


Darktide's jaw drops as he watches the panoply unfold before him. It's not often the Exalt feels overawed. Now is one such time. After a minute of staring, he finally shakes his head and looks around. The rest of his crew is much like he is. He can't blame them. There's Still Sky. Where's Sun Mok? An evil grin spreads across his face.


"Hey Sky. I think we should wait to tell Sun we're here. What do you think?"
 
To the men on deck


"And who are you? I see a boat filled with mortals come calling to the outpost of Heaven. A rare event." A rather melodious voice whispers, cutting through all the chatter and ambient sound of the waves, the gulls, your own heartbeats.
 
Irukandji Darktide


Darktide steps forward and looks at the crowd of staring gods. He executes a flourished bow. "A rare event indeed, if everyone here were mortal. As it happens, good beings, we are not all mortal. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Irukandji Darktide, captain of this ship, Ocean's Promise....and a member of the Eclipse Caste of the Solar Exalted." There is a pause as Darktide allows that to sink in. Then. "I believe we're expected...."
 
Still Sky


Tearing his eyes away from the scene unfolding before him, it occurs to Sky that he has another problem to deal with, of course, as he plods below deck to locate his errant bodyguard. "You. Change of plans, I suppose, on a more permanent basis. The good news is you won't have to stay on an island for weeks. You can take yourself back to Malfeas - quickly, if you'd please. It's been a pleasure working with you." He pats the beast's arm in a fashion which is less companionable than it is formal.


Turning away, he knocks on Mok's cabin door hard enough to make sure he can be heard. "You two might want to come up on de-eck..." With n'ary another word, he tromps back up the steps to make sure no one's pissing anyone else off...
 
To Darktide


The gathered crowd nods, a few gasps, much discussion erupts between the assembled gods around the dock. A few of the Siaka-men chuckle, bloody spittle running down their maws of sharp teeth. A few of the water children scramble up the side of your ship, looking at you with eyes of pearly awe, cooing as only kids can. A number of the assembled gods look on with great curiosity, some with even a little bit of fear, especially those two rat looking gods wrapped in seaweed. Hmm, patron saints of rats upon seaward ships?


The voice drifts over the crowd, "I am suitably intrigued. Welcome, Quicksilver Falcon."
 
To Sky


The ape nods, smiling. "Been fun, Solar." And like that, he fades from sight, one little detail at a time, leaving only a howl of wind and a curious pile of sand on the lower deck where it stood. The sand of Cecylene.
 
Sun Mok


Mok emerges onto the deck, hastily readjusting his clothes and hefting his bow and pack across his shoulder. He's slightly red-faced, but the sheer speed he emerged on deck could be responsible for that. He looks around as he climbs up on deck, slowing to stare in awe.


"Oh... oh right. Well, at least finding the gate will be easy..."
 
To Mok


A number of gods on the pier turn to look at you. Multi-faceted eyes, like insects, eyes of pure color, eyes of infinite black with dying stars inside them, eyes plain like a human, but too many on the face to BE human, stare at you.
 
Silk


Silk follows close behind Mok, calmly buttoning up the delicate frog closures at her neck. A touch of color tinges her cheeks and her hair is slightly mussed. From the look in her eyes, she doesn't care one whit how it looks, yet even her own calm demeanor is replaced by awe at the sight in front of her.
 
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