Fantasy The Sundering Star

[Meme Machine]

Calista gritted her teeth. By Tall Ones, she assume he meant the shades. How someone could ignore the pleas of the dead, Calista would never know. Though he was right at one point. Few men were above the shadows. If there were any, she had not met them.

She laughed bitterly as he asked about her coven, and whether they trained warriors. Having to hold back her wry laughter, Calista shook her head slightly.

“The coven? Warriors and mages? Hardly. They pray and worship a demon. The Kithin. They think they are holy, and kill anyone with any magic. Except me. They believed that because I had been raised with them I was ‘holy’, so I lived.” She held up a hand politely to the man trying to give her the food and wine, but gestured to the others. She wouldn’t be drinking or eating in such a place of death.

“That place was horror filled. I was the one being trained to kill the ‘unholy’, as the ones who lived there called them.” She snarled the last bit, before she purses her lips. She hated talking about that place. Her hand did fall from her weapon, as she seemed to relax just a bit more.

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

Seth motioned for the scholar to recieve the traditional meal on a tray of gold. Fresh fruit and vegetables all uncooked or prepared aside from peeling or cutting it into bite sized pieces. The server said within arms reach holding the tray, so the scholar herself didn't need to hold it.

Seth purposely excluded Verena awaiting her spoken defense in not only her life, but her companions. Loyalty within and loyalty without. He always had a soft spot for fellow assassins and was most displeased with her choice in priorities.

He motioned again and two men brough a map and unfolded it holding it close so Seth and the party could see it. "Does any of the land look familiar where you are from? I will slay the Daemon myself. We may be a unique organization, but we still serve against the Sundering. I will kill this coven if you break this unruly soul's spirit."

Seth didn't touch his meal. Instead, he took a piece of bread like the other mercenaries and ate the same rations as them. This cause Kekogaard to snarl for his men to bring out finer foods for all. Soon, the smell of burning bodies mixed with the smell of slabs of steaks being cooked on improv grills.

"Tell me mage, why are you here? Surely, the ghosts you see warned you about coming here? That's the reason why The Sons of Blood cherish us, and the Cult of Lavari seek our deaths. You are no doubt a worshiper of the God of death no?

 

[Meme Machine]

Calista noticed how he excluded Verena from the mix, and crossed her arms slightly. Little honor among thieves, she supposed. She raised her eyebrows as her asked her to point out on a map where she was from. She didn’t know much, but she did know that she was not on her world anymore.

“I’m afraid that’s not how this works. You see, I am not of this land. From what I have learned, I am not of this world.” She said calmly, placing her hands on her hips. “I don’t know if the coven is on multiply worlds, but I know that the Kithin is not, I think. Plus, if you were in fact able to slay a beast the size of a small castle with all the stealth of a mouse, I would be highly impressed.”

Calista clasped her hands, and smiled slightly. She was actually enjoying this exchange, minus the disrespect to the dead. She looked to Verena, and tilted her head. She leaned to whisper in her ear, and blinked a bit.

“What is it that we need? He seems quite set on getting this spirit tamed, and at a bold price. I’ll do it, but only for what we require during this mission.” She said softly, so they couldn’t hear her. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was they were looking for here, whether it was passage or supply’s. Calista’s head was aging an turned as he asked another question, and Calista narrowed her eyes.

“I have not been here long. The dead are not aware I see them yet, though the ones here are now. I don’t know anything of this ‘Cult’ you speak of, however I know that I pray to no one and nothing. I do not know what is real yet. That is part of my search. The other part is staying with these two.” She said fluidly, watching the dead but keeping her gaze back on Seth.

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

Seth smiled sadly. "Well let me be the first to inform you. This world is filled with monsters like yours. They all come from the Sundered Wastes. The world here has grown a talent for killing such beings at the price of progress. This coven you speak of I would say does not exist here. At least in Kvass. The word is foreign and holds little meaning to me."

At Calista's bold proclamation he shook his head and responded. "I believe you take my kindness as weakness. What my hatchling has to say will decide if you even see the sunrise. I have enough men her to kill you by using their dead bodies to suffocate you. Kekogaard wanted to kill the three of you immediately. I on the other hand still reserve final judgement."

Seth's eyes turned to the scholar and the wayward assassin. He awaited their reply his interest in Calista lost as he refocused to the task on hand. Whether or not Verena will be rewarded or added to the piles of bodies.

 

[Verena]

Verena couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When Good Lord Seth came forward, she immediately dropped to one knee and lowered her head before the man they nearly worshipped as a deity. Verena let her companions speak first and tried to collect her own thoughts in the meantime. There was still some slight hope for them. They might just leave this place with their heads still in place. The Good Lord didn’t seem angry, rather curious, as he spoke to Marguerite first and to Calista second. Marguerite was understandably nervous with the threat upon her life and all. Calista, on the opposite end, was much braver and arrogant and Verena felt an urge to put her back into her place. Fortunately for them both, the Good Lord seemed interested in their unusual skillsets.

Verena bit her lip as Calista whispered to her. Further secrets were the last thing they needed right now. Verena was also very much certain that Good Lord Seth could hear whispers from miles away. So she didn’t respond to her directly as they would get to the point of their visit soon enough. When the Good Lord addressed her, Verena couldn’t help but imagine herself as a tiny day-old hatchling standing before a king cobra ready to consume her in a single bite. Verena dared look up slightly, from the ground to his feet and took a deep breath.

“The three of us were summoned by a powerful sorcerer and his slave, Raebyrn and Lyian were their names, from different parts of the universe with a unique task in mind. According to him, the approaching Sundering would be worse than any other we’ve seen before. Demons larger than mountains, as many as the workers in the Kvassian farms and the weakest as strong at the Nysinian's Tempered Scions.”, she quoted from memory. “His request was simple. Prevent the world from burning. He also asked us to gather as much help as we can and destroy a Fallen Star, which would weaken the demons significantly. I brought these chosen ones before you not to disregard our sacred Creed but to inform of an impending disaster and to seek guidance. They will fulfill your every request.”, she stopped and inhaled. “As for me, I throw myself on your mercy. I mean only to serve and I will do so gladly even in the afterlife if that is what you desire.”

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

Seth leaned back in his chair and rubbed his jaw at the new information. It wasn't anything new that the Sundering was increasing in strength. The summoner was something of a surprise. None fought the Sundering unless it was to further a goal. Seth stood once again to walk around the table and sit on it now only a meter at the most away from the trio.

"My guidance is simple. You did the right thing coming here and finding me. Unfortunately, I cannot help you." Seth looked out at the starry night looking for the proper words to put in place for the trio.

"I too was once offered a chance to destroy a fallen star. My friends and I came close before we fought one another." Seth's eyes dimmed as he stared out at the night. His head slowly turned to face Verena.

"I would be more than glad to help, but The Sons of the Serpent are about to go to war. Our existence is at stake. The best I can do for you is offer you our protection when you are on home turf. Anything else will come at a cost. I would ask you to leave this doomed task and help us win this war. Let your two friends fight off this Sundering. Let the Nysinians win this war. My hatchling you can do more here then chasing an impossible quest around the world."

Seth reached his hand out to place on Verena's shoulders. His eyes searching for her reply. He spoke in an almost fatherly tone. A tone that swayed many of the Kvassian orphans to treat him as a God if not a god a father to please. He motioned for a mercenary to bring an item before he handed it Verena. It was a coin of masterful craftsmanship. One that Verena would recognize from her years of under the tutelage of its owner.

"I believe your former master has searched high and low for his lost daughter. It would wound me to tell him she has left him to pursue a quest away from his love and care."

 

[Felis]

Marguerite was grateful that Lord Seth's attention turned to her companions, giving her a moment to compose herself and think of a reply. How could she properly explain the Classics curriculum in this world? She also wasn't too comfortable at being called "master scholar", the implication being that she was more learned and than would hold true in this world. The history of ancient Rome and Greece as well as their languages couldn't be all that useful in Savos, after all. If Seth expected her to be in possession of valuable knowledge or insight, she'd likely fall short, which might not bode well for her longevity. Yet that also meant that she didn't dare to downplay her education too strongly, either.

Calista's replies were bolder, and while Marguerite was impressed how calm the other woman stayed, she was mostly worried that that attitude would do more harm than good. But while it did rouse Lord Seth's temper at one point, he seemed intrigued enough to hear their stories that he let it slide.

Marguerite's issue of how to respond was resolved once Morinia explained the circumstances of Raebyrn's summoning - the conversation turned away from her and Marguerite let out a silent sigh. Even though they would apparently not get any help from these Serpents or mercenaries, if being killed was off the table for now, it was not a complete loss.

However, an anxious frown formed on Marguerite's face as Seth told Morinia to leave Calista and her to their world-saving quest. Without anyone who was familiar with Savos, how were they supposed to gain anyone's trust and support for their cause? How were they even supposed to survive these next three years, not to mention the Sundering that followed? Instinctively, Marguerite opened her mouth as if to object, then closed it when she realized she probably shouldn't place her life on the line for an argument she couldn't win. There wasn't anything convincing she could say, anyway.

 

[Verena]

Not only would Verena be spared a death sentence or exile, but, contrary to her expectations, she was also welcomed back into her family. Because that was exactly what they were to her – one big family. And like all families, some relatives were more messed up than others. Verena assumed these friends of the Good Lord were long dead, so she didn’t spend much time thinking about them. She was rather certain that these alleged friends had betrayed him for a lion’s share of the fame they would get for destroying a famed Fallen Star.

When Good Lord Seth continued, Verena realized that both he and Raebyrn were right. The sorcerer had been right about thinking Verena wouldn’t quite fulfill her end of the bargain, especially since she was forced into accepting it. Good Lord Seth was right about her being able to do much more here than out in the world chasing after a perhaps crazed mage’s assumption. Besides, she wasn’t trained to kill demons. That’s what demon hunters were for. Surely, the Shield could handle it better than three random strangers.

His touch, as small of a gesture as it was, immediately helped relieve the tension in her body and for the first time in these few minutes, Verena could breathe easy. She looked up enough to see the coin presented to her and took it without a second thought, feeling its weight and turning it in her hand, before replacing it with her own. It didn’t take her more than a second to recognize whose it was. “Lucius”, she whispered, mainly to herself. “Thank you.”

Verena finally looked up to meet Good Lord Seth’s eyes and responded to his offer with a nod. There was a small smile on her face and a spark in her eye. She was ready to fight for her family.

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

Seth smile increased in size as he pulled away from Verena. He made exaggerated motions calling for the mercenaries to bring out the finest wines and foods for Verena. "My strong sword another has returned to the fold let us celebrate this. Tomorrow, we will tear the spines of our enemies and drink deeply from their skulls! Tonight we enjoy another small victory!"

These words didn't cause the expected cheering and partying. Instead, men and women removed their helmets or masks and brought tables out. They didn't make undisciplined displays of joy, but their whispers barely hid their excitement. Seth's influence over the mercenaries changed their attitudes at a flip on the coin.

Seth looked at the other two travelers. His words were friendly, but a thin sheet of ice lay underneath them. "Will you not join us?" His eyes for a split second hardened as the fire danced upon his eyes. "Forget the quest and worry about the present." He didn't wait for an answer instead motioning Verena to join him as his guest of honor. He didn't look back to see if she followed so sure of her loyalty to him over the two strangers.

Kekogaard and three warriors walked to Marguerite and Calista. While all the mercenaries made merry, Kekogaard was the only one not blinded by the festivities and Seth's words. He pointed to a table on the opposite end of where Seth and Verena would sit. "You will join us yes? You will join the other mercenaries who have yet to earn their first victory. Of course, you can continue your quest. We will help to the best of our abilities." Kekogaard casually placed his hand on his sword at his last words as he awaited a response.

 

[Felis]

When Morinia agreed to return to the Sons of the Serpents, as the organization was apparently called, Marguerite could almost literally feel her heart sink. Of course, she couldn't expect Morinia to choose two almost-strangers (who were likely a hindrance to her on top of that) over long loyalties to people who were quite clear on what they thought of those who turned their back on them. Of course, going back to one's old life was preferable, Marguerite would have loved to do so herself. Yet knowing that did nothing against the bitterness of being abandoned or the feeling of helplessness at now being left without a guide in a foreign world. Raebyrn shared the blame, though, sending his summons into Savos without any preparation, Marguerite thought.

She shot Calista a look. The way Marguerite had come to know her in the past hours, she'd likely take this turn of events in stride, too. She didn't envy Calista for her harsh past, but there were things Calista could do that made her valuable here. Marguerite's studies had been of mostly academic interest even at home, and what archery she knew didn't make for a unique skillset. She could learn, yes, but would she be given enough time for that?

It took her a moment to comprehend that the question of joining was - for now, at least - meant for the festivities. Either way, Marguerite didn't think she had an actual choice in the matter.

"I'm honored by your invitation. Thank you most kindly," she agreed, hoping the level of politeness that had let her pass for a noble would be enough to let her keep her head for a few more hours. "If we are not imposing, we would gratefully accept."

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

"There is plenty of room for those under his lord's favor." Kekogaard offered his arm to Marguerite. A familiar yet odd gesture for the man who only recently showed hostility. "If you desire an escort." One of the mercenaries moved to Calista. His belt held 5 bones and a metallic mask depicting a terribly drawn smiley face drawn with an odd vibrant purple upon it offered his own arm to Calista.

Meanwhile, the feast began with the slamming of tables together to for a single long table. At some spots, bodies were backed together and laid like firewood to act as an improv table. Seats were not an issue as boxes and looted chairs found their way around the long table. Those that couldn't sit at the table sat on the piles of dead looking towards the head of the table.

Platters, boxes and even sacks full of food that were raw, cooked or precooked were thrown on the long table. More fires were created for cooking and people reach over one another to grab food and laugh and share stories. Many stories being of more violent in nature. All who saw one of the trio pass made a nod in acknowledgement. Some mercenaries who recognized Verena went out of their way to greet her and ask about her latest 'marks'.

 

[Verena]

Verena stood up when Good Lord Seth stepped back to officially declare her a Serpent once more. She wanted to laugh and cheer and jump for joy but instead kept her calm and smiled. That she couldn’t hide. She was happy and the couldn’t quite control the corners of her mouth. When the rest of the mercenaries removed their headgear, so did Verena. Her hood fell back to reveal a short dark hair with few coppery streaks that seemed to reflect the flames around her. The removal of the heavy fabric also revealed the rest of her facial features – a scar across her chin and a somewhat cloudy right eye, her vision in that side quite obviously impaired.

Good Lord Seth turned to her two followers and invited them to join in. Verena looked over her shoulder at them, hoping they would listen. Sending them out in the world to fend for themselves was just as bad as simply ending them here and now. Marguerite was first to accept and spoke for the two of them, for which Verena gave them a nod of approval, before heading to the now assembled long table.

Verena sat on the first chair that she could see and crossed her legs underneath her, glad that she didn’t have to spoil her coat any longer by sitting on a corpse pile. She waited for everyone to find their seats and feel comfortable before reaching for a glass of red wine and some fruit. Verena was pleasantly surprised to see some familiar faces among the crowd and mingle with them, happily sharing some details about her latest kill and how she got summoned by a crazy mage at the last moment. However, the fact that she couldn’t see her mentor Lucius anywhere concerned her. What if something had happened to him and that coin was the last thing left? Instead of worrying about the man she had spent more years with than her own biological father, she turned to Good Lord Seth. “Good Lord, please forgive me for asking, but where is Lucius? Is everything alright?”

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

Seth drank deeply from his cup. Unlike many other gang leaders, he drank from his roots. The same poor ale his father allowed him to drink when he came to age. He eyed the two traveling companions as the interacted with Kekogaard his favored right hand. At Verena's question he leaned towards her purposely bring her closer as he was speaking to a trusted friend.

"You remember old Lucius. I needed my favored left hand to remind The Sons of Blood on the upcoming war. I wanted to... insure Petram would play their part. I don't know if Lucius ever told you, but his family deals closely with them."

Seth leaned back in the chair lost in thought before asking his own question. "I never did learn did you ever follow in your brothers footsteps to join Lucius' family The Azure? Lucius never game me answer when I asked him the last we spoke"

 

[Verena]

Verena hardly knew anything about her stepfather, yet he knew everything there was to know about her. She looked up to him and was hoping to one day be like him. Perhaps the Serpents will have forgotten about the near expulsion of today after a couple of years. On the other hand, she didn’t exactly see herself as this grand leader.

Even though the two organizations had an allegiance, Verena didn’t know all too much about The Sons of Blood, aside from their bloodthirsty leader and the fact that they, too, hid behind the guise of mercenaries. Their relationship never seemed too peachy, as if they were waiting for a good opportunity to betray Good Lord Seth.

When said person returned a question, Verena wished she hadn’t opened her damn mouth about Lucius at all. How the hell was she supposed to answer now? No, I didn’t have the skills or smarts of my brothers? No, I didn’t want to ruin his good name? Instead of answering straightaway, Verena took out Lucius’ coin once more and studied it, as if requesting an answer from the small inanimate object. Why had the mentor given it to her out of all his other students? This was no small gesture. “No, I didn’t... Unfortunately.”, she responded finally, not quite looking Good Lord Seth in the eyes. It was rather shameful having to admit to her weakness in front of the master of them all. “I… believe I still need to train.”

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

"Ah I see..." many like Verena felt shame when asked about family ties. Few excelled to reach such heights even with The Azure. "Few enter the fellowship of such groups. Their standards are much to high for many."

Another measured drink Seth looked down the table to where Kekogaard sat. He didn't glance at Verena or pay her any attention. He silently continued to drink enjoying the dance of the shadows and the peace of the moment.

He broke the silence speaking to Verena. "I know you received your Mark's, but there was never any laws I laid down about continuing to train under your benefactor. This war is coming. You may learn a trick or two from old Lucius. Then again with the war well on it's way, you may wish to have a bit more freedom in how you operate. Amrag always complained how he hated Lucius' exacting standards."

 

[Verena]

Or perhaps their requirements focused on exactly the aspects I couldn’t quite perform that well, Verena thought. Of course, her brute of a brother beat her with the sword. However, she would very much like to see how a 230-pound man passes through the tiny alleys and windows and how he walks silently over rooftops without falling through. Still, Verena wasn’t all that mad at her big brother. She could see how the other recruits would mock him if he got beat by a lowly she-thief.

The pause Good Lord Seth made didn’t exactly do her any good either. Did he regret inviting a runt back into the fold right before a war? She hoped not. “I don’t mind training alone or with Lucius. It’s the best thing I can do in my past time until the next opportunity to prove myself.”, she shrugged, trying not to look as ashamed as before. “That is unless the Good Lord has anything else in mind?”

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

"This war is going well. It's better than I expected from Kekogaard. This city will fall and our banner will be hung in the shadows. We lost little in name of this war. I will leave tonight." Seth still had trouble seeing Verena as one of Lucius' brood. He was used to seeing Amrag and Jurgen's antics as opposed to Verena's more cautious nature.

"You can stay here and win this glory, spoils and Kekogaard's favor. You can return with me to New Salieri. I'm sure there will be work for you there. Other than that, you will serve as we all serve."

Seth got up and with a brief nod and final toast. He left into the waiting arms of the shadows to leave for New Salieri. His time spent with his wayward daughter done now focused on other matters.

 

[Verena]

Kekogaard didn’t seem all too friendly when shaking the hands of both her companions. If they stayed here, she wasn’t sure if they would survive till dusk. Verena herself didn’t seem all that welcome among them. She had angered the leader of the Khopesh enough for one night and she didn't want to push her luck.

Besides, not only was New Saliera by far better off than Tyros at the moment but Good Lord Seth had also asked Calista to deal with the ghosts bothering him. Surely, he would see the advantages of keeping them around after that. Perhaps Marguerite could even help the master through her scholar qualities and research on the matter of the Fallen Star. This was their mission still, after all. “Come on, you two.”, she said, stood up and tapped their backs to get their attention. “I don’t feel like chasing after a boat.”

Meme Machine Felis

 

[Felis]

Marguerite hesitated. "Very kind of you..." she began, but didn't move to take Kekogaard's arm.

The flip in his demeanor was, in a way, almost as unsettling as if he had drawn his sword he had touched earlier. Marguerite couldn't not imagine him and the mercenary dragging Calista and her off into some alleyway thanks to some change of mind on their part once she accepted. Of course, maybe she was overreacting. After all, Marguerite was still pretty shaken after this evening's events and she honestly knew herself that she couldn't assess the situation with a clear mind right now. How could she refuse the offer in a way that the man wouldn't take offense to, though?

As the pause began to drag on, Marguerite glanced towards the tables, looking for Morinia despite her better knowledge - even in the course of just half a day, and despite being abandoned just before, it had become a habit. She didn't spot her anywhere, though, and when suddenly someone tapped her from behind, she jumped. If Morinia hadn't spoken, Marguerite might not even have recognized her without her hood.

Though she didn't know what was going on and whether it was even a good idea to put her trust in Morinia again, the part of Marguerite that just wanted to get away from this place quickly won over. "A-alright," she said and took a small step towards Morinia. An attitude of "I don't care what happens to you" was still better than one of "I want you dead", after all.

 

[Meme Machine]

Calista had spaced out. All these people having fun was a little new to her. She felt great about it, and chatted with a few others, she had even taken the mans arm when offered. But it was odd to not be scolded for laughing to loud or not behaving correctly. She wasn't used to it. Staying close to Verena, Calista had watched the ghosts with interest, seeing how they were still upset even through the festivity's. She listened in to various conversations, not to eavesdrop, but to find a conversation she felt ok with. After giving up with that, and eating a small amount of food, Calista joined Verena and Marguerite in their conversation. However, before she could hear much, Verena turned to her and spoke. Calista still highly doubted that her name was Morinia to the point where she was willing to bet her life on it, but now she knew for a fact.

Calista nodded to Verena and smiled. She noticed Marguerite's want to leave, and her unease at the situation. Placing herself next to the girl in a slight attempt to calm her down, Calista smiled at her.

"Lets go then. Ive barely been in this world for a minute and already I'm experiencing new things." Calista remarked, light hearted. She placed a hand on her hip, and looked from 'Morinia' to Marguerite.

 

[Verena]

No objections. Good. She wasn’t going to respect a No either way. The two girls were coming along, with or without consent. “You haven’t seen a fraction of it yet.”, she replied and headed for the four docked ships where she assumed Good Lord Seth had gotten onto, grumbling quietly at the sight of them. They were on the cheaper side, constructed out of various pieces of woods, having no quarters or hold to hide away from the harsh winds on high sea. Verena couldn’t see Good Lord Seth so she got on the first ship she could see, immediately going to the bow to save herself the less windy spot, pushing her back into the prow and pulling the hood over her head. The fabric of her long coat was heavier than it looked, so that the hood wouldn’t slip off while sprinting, and so would keep her warm during the entire trip. “I hope you haven’t forgotten about your promise to Good Lord Seth, Calista. I believe it’s the least you can do to repay me for saving your asses.”

 

[Felis]

Marguerite did her best to return Calista's smile, though it turned out a little strained. It was amazing how Calista could keep her high spirits in every situation they had encountered so far. At least, according to Morinia, their experiences with Savos so far weren't symptomatic for the whole continent. It made sense, Marguerite supposed - she wouldn't feel too enthusiastic about her own world, either, if she was dropped into a sort of civil war as her first impression, but that wasn't all Earth (for the sake of distinguishing the two worlds) had to offer, and likely it was similar for Savos, too. Unless Morinia meant to say that they hadn't seen the worst yet...

She didn't want to dwell on the thought, so Marguerite just nodded and - once again - followed Morinia. In the light of the remaining fires, she could almost convince herself that the ship they were boarding only looked rickety and that she simply didn't know how to accurately assess wooden ships. At least Marguerite could swim, so (barring the actual usefulness of that if they actually sank) she felt less anxious about their boat ride than about dining with a group of mercenaries.

"Well, I can't do much at the moment, but I am thankful," Marguerite remarked. One could argue that Morinia was the reason they had been in that mess in the first place, but Morinia was the closest thing to a guide to this world as Marguerite was going to get, and so she resolved to try and overlook that part as well as she could. "Where are we headed now? And can we expect another such... warm welcome?"

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

The taste of seawater stung at Leon's throat as he stood on the ship's massive hull, peering over the side to see figures dancing beneath the water. He was sent on Marlon Cross' trading ship to meet some minor lord on the port of Tyros to exchange some goods. Marlon's ship was unmarked and his flag bore no symbol to attract no attention and pass off as a miscellaneous commerce ship with no particular allegiance under the cover of night. The torchlight in the distance dancing as they guided the ship into the harbor away from the wrecks within the harbor. Leon personally hated having to travel on these missions, but since losing Breaker, he'd been forced to take up minor jobs to build up enough wealth to eventually finish construction of his new ship, Sundered, and eventually get his own fleet. Another reason why Leon had accepted trading missions was that they carried him across the seas under a peaceful banner, which allowed him to search local libraries and ask any people with magical capabilities in hopes of finding a translation for his tattoos. Leon's dagger spun smoothly through Leon's fingers as Marlon's ship docked.

He sheathed the blade and walked over to the ship's starboard, where the docking bridge was being dropped onto one of the port's many docks. Leon picked up a box of goods and made his way down the bridge, dropping the box on top of a growing pile of boxes. Men walked up and down the bridge, unloading boxes of goods onto the pile at the shore as Marlon simply waited next to the pile. Once all the goods were off the ship, Leon walked over near Marlon and took a seat on top of one of the boxes. It was a relatively boring day, but Leon simply played around with his bandages, unwrapping and rewrapping those on his right hand, looking off into the distance at nothing in particular

In the distance the sounds of merry making were heard. The night was dark, but the moon shined brightly. A sentry spied the incoming ship taking the place in the harbor where all wreckage was cleared. The sounds of merry making all but disappeared. From the alleyways and shadows, warriors emerged wearing masks covering their faces with a plethora of designs ranging from skulls and Daemons to smiles and obscene street art. At their sides were human thigh bones with odd carvings on them. There were at least 4 dozen men all recently bloodied all armed.

One brute of a man without a mask who's face was ruined from the blades of war directed his men to off load the supplies quickly taking the place of the crew as few if any enjoyed back breaking labor. The brute walked up to Leon his mouth odd as his lips were separated from on another from a errant blade. Four men stuck close to the brute as a informal guard all casually placing a hand on the pommel of their swords. "You the Captain?" Kekogaard had made the assumption based off of the man had sat on boxes while others had labored on without complain only envious eyes "Where's Gnash? He's our usual supplier" Kekogaard's words were guarded and his accent heavy as he stumbled over the thrice damned Venn'darian language.

Leon didn't look up as he heard the words come out of the man's lips. He finished rewrapping his bandages before finally speaking. "I speak Kvassian," Leon said in the local tongue, still not looking at the man. "You want the captain, that's him." His voice was dry but not aggressive as he pointed toward Marlon haphazardly. For the first time since the men arrived, Leon looked up to see that four of them had their hands on the pommels of their blades, which prompted him to raise an eyebrow. "I don't know but he's not here," he finally said, looking back into the distance with the same dead stare that is usually in his gaze. He had no idea what these guys wanted but he wasn't sure that they wouldn't try anything fishy. The way their hands were placed on their swords bothered him, but Leon knew that this was supposed to be a trading mission so no violence was to be had unless it was unavoidable. Besides, he could probably cut down a few of them but there were lots of them, maybe 50 by the looks of things, and Leon didn't exactly trust every man on Marlon's ship with a sword.

Kekogaard's face split into an angry snarl at not getting the information he wanted. A quick glance at the ship captain and Kekogaard's face twisted to one of distrust. He nodded to one of his guards who sped away to speak to the captain about their much needed "sensitive items". His attentions turn back to the youth. "You tell me about your Captain Mawloon I want to know his ability. I'm in need of the service of one who can... follow some people for me. I'll pay their weight in gold, gems and arms. Unless, you know a man fit for such a job?" The mercenaries soon offloaded all the supplies aside from those specialty goods Kekogaard requested. His men all stood spread out in clumps of 3's and 4's awaiting the final goods to be delivered and the captain to speak to Kekogaard who's eyes remained steadfastly on the youth awaiting his response.

Leon paid no mind to the man who asked all the questions as his demeanor seemed displeased. His eyes remained firmly on the horizon and his thoughts were on his own ship, far across the sea docked at Venn'dar. No part of him wanted to have to deal with all this political tension and drama, and the sooner he could be rid of these sorts of jobs the better. As his mind raced, the man spoke again, not having left to talk to Marlon like Leon had hoped he would. Just when Leon was about to tell the man off, he heard something about gold, gems, and arms. Leon raised an eyebrow and finally turned to look at the man, raising his face slightly. "Marlon? Don't know him, don't care much for him either, just here for the pay," he started, studying the other man's face. "Might be I know someone for this job of yours, but how can I know this man will be paid?" His bandaged fingers locked together with his elbows on his knees as he waited for an answer.

Kekogaard's eyes became slits as his face pulled into a smile. "Boy I don't know if you know who we are or if you care. What you do need to know is this." he reached out his hand and one of his guards deposited a small bag containing a dozen golden coins into Kekogaard's hand. A quick transfer and Kekogaard tossed the coins to the man. "That's more than what many make in their life times... At least in this waste of a city. If my own guard carries this much to pay for his drinks. What do you think I carry in my treasury? I might be a mercenary, and I know how.... delicate things get when on isn't paid their worth. All you need to do is forget this Mar-fool and follow this group and report to me. It won't last longer than a Sundering. If they die along the way well.... You get paid early. Deal?"

Leon's face remained unchanged as the man smiled and started to speak. When he asked if Leon knew or cared about who they were, he didn't react, simply staring into the man's eyes with his single one. Suddenly, the man beckoned a guard who put a bag into his hand, which he then tossed at Leon. Leon raised a hand and sheepishly caught it, briefly looking down at it and opening it to inspect its contents. It was dark, but there was enough light to see the gold glinting under the moonlight. He held the bag in his hand and looked back up at the man as he continued speaking, his expression unchanging. Once the man finished, he might've caught the slightest hint of Leon raising his eyebrow for a moment, very subtly. Leon looked back at the bag and stood, stuffing the bag into his cloak. He didn't seem to acknowledge anything else the man had said, but he raised a hand and pulled his eyepatch up, revealing the empty and mangled socket where his left eye once was. Leon looked into the man's eyes with his right eye and the empty socket, his expression as cold as ever. "Give me a location and a description of this group. Let me do the rest."

Kekogaard smiled and pointed to one of the rickety ships preparing to leave. Three females hurriedly entered the ship and found comfortable positions clustered together. "New Salieri those three as you can see. A scholar, an assassin and the exotic woman you see with sickles." Without a glance back or way to confirm the boy heard the message. The men grabbed their last bit of cargo and disappeared back into the city.

Leon looked past the man toward the three that he was talking about. They looked like an interesting bunch to him, and the payment made him not think twice about it. When the man started walking away, Leon put his eyepatch back in place and followed him, not bothering to turn around to glance at Marlon and his crew.

 

[TheLoyalAcorn]

The ship's slipped out under the cover of night. The ramshackle ships were surprisingly agile as they cut through the waves on their way to New Salieri. The Breaker followed the same route almost lazily behind the Sons of the Serpent's fleet. The crews were down to their skeleton crews. Not a cloud stayed into the sky, the watchmen lazed around and soon fell asleep safe in the knowledge the sounds of distant storms or formations of clouds were nonexistent.

Unknown to the fleet, the "Vian's Raiders" prepared for their own voyage under the cover of night headed towards Tyros. Ancient arcane rituals and spells were being weaved into being. The chanting was a dark inhumane language and at the crescendo dark clouds sprouted from the center of mage's focal point on board their flagship. Like a rolling tide, the storm covered miles on a destructive raging storm's.

Lightning struck like precise artillery rounds. The rain fell like a torrent from the heavens. Waves commonly seeing during the Sundering spilled forth from Vian's Raiders flagship "Everlasting Vengeance" . The small fleet leaving Tyros suffered miles away. The waves crashed and sent men and women into the embrace of Sphiasis. The ramshackle ships broke like rotten wood. The Breaker survived the waves but as if the storm was a living being struck the ship twice with bolts of lightning spreading an unquenchable fire. Men from the breaker threw themselves into the mercy of Sphiasis then face the raging fires and desperately grasped onto broken pieces of wood.

Like moths to the flame, lesser daemons and other sea monsters who survived the sunderings nipped at survivors unable to fight back or to slow to get away. The lucky few found wooden pieces to grip and were sped away in the embrace of a wave.

After what felt like an eternity, the storm receded leaving a pitiful few survivors strung along a beach miles from their disaster. In the distance, a hut was seen overlooking a hill with a few sheep meandering about. Here, the party took in their surroundings and possibly searched for survivors, find provisions and reach New Salieri for the reward that awaited them.

 

[RoninN7]

On the ship, Leon kept a watchful eye on the other ship, making sure to keep on its tail. The waters were turning rough, however, and Leon found that his men were having a harder time than usual. Still, his ship held strong against the waves for a time and his trajectory kept true. That was all until the storm kicked up and lightning shot down from the sky like arrows from murderous archers. It took a bit, but eventually, Leon's ship was struck twice and caught ablaze. For a time Leon and his men tried to quench the flames, but they soon found them unquenchable. Within moments men began to fling themselves off the ship and into the water. Leon quickly followed suit and jumped into the cold water below, the taste of salt filling his mouth as he did. While the storm raged, Leon could see how many of his men who'd survived the storm were being taken down under by strange figures.

Leon grabbed ahold of a nearby chunk of splintered wood as the fire raged on the ship behind him. He drew his dirk and held on, quickly realizing that the waves wouldn't allow him to steer himself. A couple of strange-looking daemons swam up to Leon but after he cut one down the other fled. It took some time before the storm subsided and the waves' strength finally receded. Still holding on to his piece of wood, Leon found the water was carrying him to a nearby beach, which was a lot closer than Leon remembered. Once on the beach, Leon let go of the wood and fell onto his back, coughing out seawater as he sheathed his dirk again. After a couple of minutes, Leon stood somewhat shakily and put his hands on his knees, looking around at the few survivors around him, both alive and dying. Once he regained his strength, Leon stood up straight and looked up into the sky, finding it mostly clear.

It was then that he realized that he'd lost the people he was meant to follow for that man and he looked around frantically. Not only did he have no idea where they were, but he'd lost a ship following them and he'd be damned if he wouldn't get some type of reward. While he didn't see them at first, he did find a strange-looking hut on a hill. It seemed logical to him that anyone who would've woken up first would've probably made for that hut so he started making his way toward it, looking around to see if he could find his targets among the survivors.