[Quest] Dead in the Water

[Liandra]

"If we meet it beforehand, attack it with everything you got," Liandra was really hoping it wouldn't come to that. She knew what she was capable of, and killing had never been among her list of feats. Why do people kill when there were other ways of getting things done? People were gifted with intelligence, yet so few use it. But could she kill if there were no other choices? That was a question she still couldn't answer, and hoped she would never have to. After Riarnal had dismissed them, she decided to prepare for the journey. She told her companions that she would meet them back aboard the Sea Sparkle. She went topside and nimbly leapt over the railing into the tossing tide with a tiny splash. And dutifully waiting for her was her best of friends. Kylayia fluted in joy at her arrival and swam over to her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Kee, we are going on an adventure! We are going with some new friends to find out what is happening to their boats. I won't be able to ride you while we travel, but I want you to swim with us, out of sight. Can you do that for me Love?" Her companion bobbed his head in understanding. Liandra patted him on the gills. "Let's get you some food before we go." She swung around his neck and into the saddle on his back. She leaned forward against Kylayia's back, and he dove deeper into the depths below the Flotilla. Kylayia knew how to hunt, and Liandra was simply along for the ride. She held with her knees and arms around his neck as he darted along. She kept an eye out for predators, but just enjoyed the rushing thrill of the water speeding past. Nearly two bells and a stomach full of tiny shrimp later, Liandra and Kylayia departed from one another. Liandra rode Kylayia at full speed toward the surface near the Sea Sparkle. When they reached the surface, Kylayia did a sharp turn back downward, while Liandra kicked and pointed upward. She dove out of the surf into the sea air, water splashing everywhere. She landed with a slightly painful thud in a heap on the Sea Sparkle's deck. She quickly scrambled to standing, a bit embarrassed at her entrance. She really needed to improve on that. "I hope I'm not late." She wasn't and now she saw their two companion ships leave the Flotilla. The time for adventure was now, and her heart found a strange calm. Excitement always brought her to peace, a trait uncommon in her people. "Watch over us Laviku."

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

Sable nodded at the decision, guileless eyes meeting those of her fellow captains. Their gazes reflected the personalities they’d displayed thus far in the meeting, and their predictability was overwhelmingly boring. Winking at Gristole, the carefree sailor pushed to her feet and filed out. Whistling tunelessly, the captain breezed back onto deck and headed across the Flotilla. Out of the corner of an eye she’d watched the Charoda disappear over Riarnal’s railing, while she wasn’t quite sure where Aluria had got to. Naturally, a brilliant blue hue kept watch out for Kelzia, but there were some preparations to make for departure. …which would take place after a few apologies for having ripped across various decks earlier. Making amends and pleasant conversation took up a good bell before she sauntered onto her own meticulous deck. Cheerfully flitting around, the lanky Svefra checked stores and prepared the sails. By the time the Southern Star pulled out, they were ready to neatly fall in line. Casinors could be handled easily by one person, and Sable took the luff out of both sails after the boom swung around to catch the breeze. The little vessel cut through the water quickly, Sable adept and clearly delighted to be at the helm. Before long, she’d disappeared below deck. The set up was pretty simple, Sable had her own sleeping quarters and several hammocks swayed in another room. A cramped head and barely functional galley rounded out the set up for livable area. Aluria already knew the layout, and had probably reclaimed her hammock from several weeks before. A bright pink sugary tendril peeking from between her lips, like a prized cigar, the jaunty rogue made her way topside and to the prow. Wind fluttering through hair, or tentacles, carried the refreshing bite of brine and freedom. An expanse of blue, only two unsightly wooden shapes marring its glassy surface, spread out before the women that gaggled up after settling in. Sib, adorable and well aware of how to play that up, flopped around and settled in an inelegant plop on her human’s bare foot. Despite her initial agreement with Riarnal's order regarding necessary actions should they meet the mysterious merchant eater, Sable's mood had grown progressively pensive. Uncharacteristically and obviously so. “Well, ladies, welcome aboard the luxurious Sparkle.” Had she not just lead a small expedition what came out of her mouth next wouldn’t have ever occurred to her. “Aluria, darling, would you mind cooking for us while we’re together? Liandra, how would you feel about heading up fishing endeavors? And Kelzia…” Hues raked down that redhead’s body, as though she could discern her skills from a single glance. “Anything you could do for us? Take the night watch? Can you sail?”

[Aluria]

Aluria has been on the deck before anybody else had. She didn't want to stay at the other ship for long. The aura that the men radiated struck her speechless, but she had better feelings for Kelzia. As a result, she found herself walking briskly to the Sparkle after everybody was dismissed. There was no reason to stay there any longer. She didn't like them, not one bit. She bit her tongue at the thought of going on a journey with them, biting so hard that she could taste the salty blood. She wrinkled her face in disgust, and quickly spat it out. At least Sable was here, and the Charoda, Liandra. Wiping her mouth, she prodded onto the deck of the Sparkle, feeling right a home. She took in a deep breath, and then let it all out, collapsing onto the side of the rail. It felt rough compared to her rather smooth limbs, but she didn't mind at all. To her, it was like a second home, and the crew was the family.

"Sure thing," she replied, responding to Sable's request. She made her way across the bobbing deck, and shut herself inside. As she stepped in, the atmosphere of home struck her once more. The air here was light, and protected her from the wind up on deck, and she could feel the dull rhythm of the waves crashing against the Sparkle. She briskly made her way to the kitchen, knowing the lay out of the ship to a certain degree.

She stepped in, and put her hands on her hips as she scanned the room. Everything looked exactly the same; Sable obviously didn't use it very much. She noticed the same crack in the ceiling was still there. It had formed the shape of a human hand, something that sent chills down her spine every time she put her back to it. She remembered a time where it had begun to rain, and the water leaked through it. She nearly screamed out loud when she felt a large, cold drop of water land on the back of her neck. She chuckled softly, relieving past memories. But Sable wanted a meal, not a sentimental cook.

She put her two hands onto the wooden counter and hoisted herself up to reach the cupboards. She opened the cupboard with the small knob at the bottom with one hand, the other still steadying herself on the counter, and searched through the contents. There was not much in there, all she found were a measly supply of basic cooking ingredients. Sighing, she searched farther, hoping that she wouldn't have to live on fish again. She found a couple of leeks and potato. "Well, looks like we're having potato-leek soup tonight," she declared, to nobody in particular.

She carefully laid a large, metal pot over a stove, and heated the butter and oil for a little bit, and began to carefully chop the leek and add it into the mix, leaving it for a while. After about five chimes, she added the potatoes and poured in the water. She let it boil and simmer, waiting for the potatoes to soften. A friend of hers is an older woman, who taught her that potatoes usually take from fifteen to thirty chimes for them to soften up. After softening them, she added salt and chili pepper for flavoring. In about thirty-five chimes, she had come up with a pot of potato-leek that would feed four people for about two meals. She checked the taste, and shrugged. It was okay, edible, and the taste wasn't bad. But she had a lot to learn.

"Hey! Dinner's ready!" she called. She thought for a bit. "And I hope you like leek!" she added.

[Trident]

"Is it that late, already?" Kelzia asked in wonder, eyes drawn upward to the few meager stars that had started to glimmer there. "Wow, that meeting with the men took longer than I expected. Speaking of unwanted allies..." A flutter of crimson hair tore her gaze backward, after which she nodded with sagacity. "Indeed, there he is." A glance would reveal they were being followed; or, at the very least, the group of three ships was. It was a particularly exotic type of ship, long, single-masted, and fortified with a deep hull. It was made out some sort of sun-bleached wood, free of decoration save the glittering emerald paint that formed a snake eye on either side of the prow. Only one who had spent a lot of time in the south could have identified it; it was a khnor, property of the sundried natives of Eyktol. "He'll be the first to go." muttered the woman under her breath. Sable's words brought the redhaired woman's interest to heel. "Why, of course I can take the night shift." she smiled. "And sail, too. You ladies just rest. You'll need all your energy when we reach the tradeship." The deepening dark made her smile seem only the tiniest bit eerie. Her attention shifted to Aluria as fast as it had to Sable. The rustle of cloth and an enthusiastic sound - something along the lines of "I love leek!" - preceded Aluria's first customer. By the time all the women had finished their soup, the transition from day to night was complete. The Sparkle still bobbed along on the restful waves, but no longer could their adjoining ships be seen; not the two that had antedated the casinor, nor the one that followed her. A cloak of darkness had stolen them from the quartet's sight, aided by the light shimmery mist that was steadily rising from the changing waters. All this and more could be seen from the window of the cabin, by which necessity or comfort all four now found themselves in. For the moment, the Sparkle had been left to drift... There was the squishing sound of something wet flopping around on wood. It came from outside the cabin, on the casinor's deck. It lasted for approximately three seconds, and then, there was silence. After a moment, one woman in particular raised her voice in question. "The petch was that...?" muttered Kelzia, and without saying anything else she rose from her seat. Before anyone else could even so much as move, the door was open and the flaming locks had disappeared outside. A second later, a woman's scream could be heard.

[Liandra]

Liandra had no idea what potato-leek soup was, but it sounded tasty. She hoped there was no meat in it, or she would become extremely ill. She saw that Kelzia was talking about a ship that had pulled out as well. Liandra didn't know that type of ship, never having seen one like it before now. She shrugged it off and went inside the cabin to try this soup. Liandra didn't speak much during the dinner, digging into the soup ravenously. She'd never had potatoes or leeks before, but they were delicious! Her table manners were poor, slurping up the soup and potatoes. When she finished, she stifled a belch, and poured compliments onto Aluria for her fine cooking. Liandra went and found her the hammocks inside and collapsed into an overstuffed heap onto one. She didn't even know if it were anyone else's but the soup and brought on a lethargy she couldn't defy. What felt like an instant later, Liandra was startled awake by an ear splitting scream. She thrashed and fell out of the hammock in a heap. "What in Laviku's name was that?" was what she wanted to yell. But her body told her to be quiet and to hide. Screaming meant pain or fear, and avoiding those things often kept one alive. She tried to help stir Aluria and Sable. She held up a finger to her lips, telling them that silence was smart in this situation. She then pointed outside toward the entrance to the deck. She was in no way heading out there first. She began looking around the cabin for some tool, something she could use to defend herself or to help her escape.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

Duties divvied up, Sable followed the enthusiastic Kelzia to the galley and got in line. Sable wrapped an arm around Aluria, rough wooden bowl held out to be filled, and gave her a quick hug. “It’s good to have you on board again, and see that you’ve been staying out of trouble. Sib missed you,” the subdued woman winked, taking a seat and digging in. But no one could be as hearty as Liandra, and Sable, far from being disgusted, regarded her with open amusement and growing affection. When the adorable blue woman disappeared, Sable kicked her heels up on the vacated chair and groaned over an over-stuffed belly. “Man, kid, you can cook. If I had any pride I wouldn’t share that I’ve been eating charred messes since you left,” she enthused, reaching over to ruffle the girl’s blond hair. Mid gesture, the sound from the deck invaded the galley and everyone froze. Before Sable had been able to identify it, Kelzia disappeared. The lanky woman, physically swelling to provide an intimidating presence in the dark of the night, darted after her. Having paused to make sure Aluria we coming, she ran square into the mussed Liandra, nodding in acknowledgement of the suggestion they be quiet. Iron fingers wrapped around the Charoda’s forearm, jerking her around to look up at the tall Svefra and stop bumbling around the cabin she wasn’t familiar with. She’d find a shiny new cutlass stuffed into her hand and a stern glare revealed by moonlight. She was no different from Liandra, the mission had put her in a defensive state of mind, the scream an affirmation that an assault was the most likely kind of interaction at this point. “Don’t hurt yourself.” Sable’s hushed tones brushed over the blue woman’s tentacles, more sensation than sound, before the woman’s energetic presence focused on Aluria. “You find Sib, she might be in my bunk. You take care of her.” Her focus shifted back to Liandra without her gaze moving from the young Svefra. “Let’s go.” Looking like she had been in a fight or two before, Sable burst onto the deck, gaze sweeping the familiar shadows in search of interlopers. She wanted to disrupt whatever was going on up here, draw attention to herself, make the flopper betray itself if possible. There had been no splash, and no one could lower a protesting person into the ocean without making one, so there should be someone to see. Sable didn’t have to walk stem to stern to find someone hiding on her vessel, the thing was kept clean and neat, the only crates and barrels on deck bordering the door to the cabin. A low sound, air forced through a tight space, a growl without the vocal aspect, curled around the vessel, emanating from the volatile captain of the Sparkle. Clear gas, djed sacrificed for the assumed threat, pooled and waited for the first hint of direction. She could feel the strain of casting, but the hearty meal staved off much of the immediate affects. All she needed was a target.

[Aluria]

As the rest of her friends praised her for her excellent meal, Aluria put her hands in her lap and blushed. It was a long time since somebody had done that to her, and the first time also that it was somebody other than her brother. She felt much better about her female companions, if she hadn't done so before. She smiled lightly as Sable ruffled her hair, but then was shocked to hear a shockingly intimidating sound of a woman. A scream, a blood-curdling scream. She froze, and watched as her companions silently made their way to the entrance. She didn't move. She watched, and waited, before slowly getting up and following the three who had already made their way onto the deck. There was no way she was going to stay in that room, alone.

[Trident]

Contary to the effervescent magic that dripped from Sable's fingers, the deck was empty of any adversary that might have threatened the trio emerging from the cabin. In fact, it was empty save one; a redhaired form lay collapsed at the far end of the casinor, her face turned away from Sable, Liandra, and Aluria. One might have thought that Kelzia was dead, so still she was, until a groan pierced the nighttime air. She was still alive, then; but what had attacked her? And why did she look so wet? That question took but a moment to answer. As one or more of the group drew close to the ship's contours, something would reach up from beneath the railing to grasp their wrist in a sick, cold embrace. The hand that grabbed them was gray, old, and wet. The sight of it brought to mind a corpse, drowned at sea, cold and damp and very dead. But this hand was full of movement; malevolent it was, for it struggled to pull the woman it had grabbed over the edge of the boat. There were several more squishing noises as sodden forms pulled themselves up from the water and onto the deck of the boat. When they stood up, moonlight revealed undeath had claimed them. Gaunt and pale to the extreme, bulging red eyes gleamed forth from wet, disgusting faces. Their mouths hung open like red gashes, filled with sharp teeth that urged them to drink the living's blood. There were four in total. Some of them, one or maybe three, clung to the side of the boat as they struggled to pull their captives down into the water. Others had made their way onto deck, and were swift approaching the trio of women. Blood-chilling screams belied their intent. It seemed Riarnal was right then; they were going to have to attack with everything they have. OoCThe creatures are Type II Chained Ones, look in the wiki for more detail. One will be taken care of for you, leaving three for you to destroy. I trust you all to take care of them realistically, so...en garde!

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

Eerie tranquility shrouded the ship as the women emerged topside, even the soft padding of feet swallowed up by dead air. Laviku’s chatter, the unceasing writhing of ocean waters, hid beneath thick and shimmering mist. Moonlight, thin and sickly, penetrated the fog, illuminating the form crumpled at the prow, as well as the snarl that disfigured Sable’s generally cheerful visage upon catching sight of their shipmate. Res seeped from fingers warped into claws, clear gas waiting for ignition as the lanky sailor traversed the gently rolling vessel to Kelzia’s moist side. Ignorant of the gravelly warning leaking from her chest, the sudden absence of it startled as she bent toward the collapsed redhead. Saved the trouble of checking for breath by that helpful groan, puzzled blue hues rotated back toward the other two women, hair swaying in an unnaturally slow motion. A question between her eyes. The air had stiffened, stale as cardboard, and she found it difficult to formulate any thoughts or decisions. This wary confusion lasted only the three ticks it took for her head to swing around, gaze stretching down the length of the vessel, but it felt like chimes. The moments that divided innumerably just prior to the onset of something highly unpleasant and downright terrifying. A thin and unnatural shape snaked over the edge of the ship, latching onto one of the companions. The appendage, watery in the sour moonlight, stretched forth for chimes, reaching into time immemorial. Finally, at the successful clamp over a wrist, its true nature became clear. A hand. Attached to a wrist, attached to an arm, climbing aboard her Sea Sparkle. And then time skipped over reverting to normal speed, bypassed it straight away and flew on to super speed. In the blink of an eye, several forms had gained ground aboard the vessel, tugging and snarling. Revulsion, acidic and thick, surged into Sable’s throat. Only knowing instinctively that these creatures crawled forth from Laviku’s domain but came not from his heart, the statuesque woman focused on one that appeared torn between picking the dazed redhead or the woman hovering above her. “You didn’t happen to come aboard for some taffy, did you? You know, it's bad form not to ask for permission to come aboard someone else's vessel.” Bulging eyes, spilling from his face like sacks of grain, teetered between the two women. Inky water, wrenched away from Laviku and indelibly defiled by the rotted organic sponge currently surging forth across the deck, skittered down its glowing body and scattered in hissing drops. Sluggish air, reluctant to stir beneath the velvet drape of mist, groaned like the stiff wood of a ship stressed in disparate directions. Sable’s long form acquired the grace of a feline as her mind submitted beneath the demands of her faith and magic. Laviku be cleansed. The rotting corpse lurched forward, a sneaky move that hid his intentions and true speed. Sable hit the deck and rolled beneath his swipe. His foot, a convulsive move to pin her, snapped down on her thigh but the healthy young muscle deflected the force and she popped back onto her feet some distance away. Laviku be cleansed. Bare feet leaving hardly a print in the moisture of the deck, she whirled from foot to foot toward the creature, arms outstretched to scoop up the winds. The fore hand captured and hurled a solid wave, dense and shocking as the crash of a barrel breaker. Stilted by glacial ice that had momentarily ago been waters sloughing from its repulsive body, the creature shivered and gathered its wits. It had only the time it took Sable to whirl a hundred and eighty degrees while being fueled by the fury of a slighted disciple. Her back hand, res, whipping like a bull whip, snapped up moisture from the deck, from Kelzia and the other goons, and pushed forth a sheet of ice. The milky glass flexed and throbbed with the imprecision of blind vengeance. But when she froze, poised at the pinnacle of throwing her body’s energy forth, grain seeped from the bulging sacks that at one point could have been considered eyeballs. Thick razors of ice skewered the delicate organs. Laviku be cleansed. But that was the least of the cursed being’s problems. Being decapitated was a peculiar sensation; as she slumped to the deck, unaware of Kelzia or anyone else that should be nearby, Sable wondered if it had felt any of the blades entering its gaunt face and skeletal torso before losing its crown. Sounds intruded, scuffles behind her, the worrisome lurch of the ship imbalanced by the side effects of her casting. A chunk of ice molded to the prow and down the side made the vessel bob unnaturally. Nothing seeped from its veins, its husk limp and dry on the deck save for the melting of the ice. But her blood boiled, djed sang the summoning and res poured forth like so much water. Laviku’s blessed guidance dispelled, leaving the volatile husk of a mage lurching to her feet in search of more. Unsteadily treading aft toward her companions, the bob of the ship as well as the consequence of being stomped on affecting her normal graceful sway, Sable’s convulsed hands lifted toward Leth, and thick bands of muscle popped from her wiry form as her body purged itself of res. OOCSooo...I'm not very good at fighting scenes, hope this was okay

[Liandra]

Liandra had quite suddenly found a blade in her hand. She'd never swung a weapon before! Sable had instructed Aluria to find Sib, and told herself to follow. Liandra's caution was screaming within her mind. Charodae don't fight! They flee, hide! So, why was Liandra following Sable obediently? Liandra saw the moonlight piercing the fog, and the sight sent chills up her spine. She saw a mess of red hair up ahead, and Sable was quickly by the fallen Kelzia's side. The woman groaned, much to Liandra's relief. At least no one had died. She noticed that Kelzia was quite damp. Had she fallen overboard or been hit by a particularly high wave? "Is she ok--" A hand grasped onto Liandra's sword wielding arm. It's grip felt similar to her own skin, but it was cold, not the warmth filled life of hers. And the grip was of iron. Liandra let out a small cry of shock, and the cutlass fell into the deck point first, and there it wobbled until it was still. Liandra slipped and fell to her knees as she tried to pull herself free from the grasp of the cold hand. She tried placing her feet against the railing to get some leverage. But whatever had a hold on her, was stronger than her. She found her knees buckling, her shoulder being wrenched from it's joint. Finally, her weak legs gave out, and the thing began pulling her through the railing. Her hips caught on the railing posts, for there was not enough space for a person to pass through. But the wooden rode quickly gave in, sending dull throbs of pain up from her hip. The rod cracked and she began to slip through the gap. "HELP!," she screamed, her hands grasping at something, anything. Just before tumbling over the side of the ship, her hand grasped the broken wooden rod, and it was wrenched out from the ship. Then she was falling. Half a tick later, she hit the dark waters, now in an embrace that didn't feel like Laviku's tender caress. Whatever had grabbed her fell atop her, and the two of them sank just beneath the surface. It was still pulling at her, trying to bring her closer. And then to her horror, she saw why. It had a mouth filled with sharp teeth, just gnashing at her. It was trying to eat her! She screamed and tried smacking it with the wooden rod and kicking with her finned feet, but it seemed she was only hurting herself. It had her in a deathgripping hug, those teeth just out of reach. It lunged it's head forward, trying to bite into her neck, for the killing blow. Liandra screamed and threw up a hand in self defense, only to find no pain. The creature had bitten deep into the wooden rod from the ship, and was now stuck in it. Liandra could hear the distant fluting of her companion coming to her. Liandra's flexible body, and the creature's struggles at trying to free itself, allowed her to curl up into a ball, and place her feet on the creature's chest. She then pushed her legs downward, trying to straighten out. The creature's body moved away, but Liandra maintained her grip on the rod. She kept pulling on it, the creature's head coming with it, it's eyes bulging. And then the pulling seemed to get easier and easier, until Liandra found herself floating back away from the creature. The creature was heading back toward her, but she saw that most of it's teeth were removed and now lodged into the wooden rod, like some sort of archaic and grisly mace. There was a dull thud when Kylayia crashed headfirst into the creature, sending it askew. Liandra whistled and Kylayia came to her. Liandra had an idea, one she wasn't sure would even work. She swung up into the saddle, and leaned forward, urging Kylayia toward the strange, biting creature. She grabbed onto it's ankle, as it had grabbed onto her earlier, and steered Kylayia downward to the seafloor. They odd group was speeding downward fast enough that the creature couldn't reach down to grab hold of her. When they reached the sea floor, Liandra was pleased to find what she'd hoped for. A reef was down here. She led Kylayia over to a bright display of pink coral. She hopped off of Kylayia, and swam down to it, struggling creature in tow. Quickly assessing the coral, she found a small ring, just small enough to fit a hand through with some effort. She pulled the creature's foot toward the ring, trying to fight the thrashing. The thing may be stronger than her, but it was in her world now. She jabbed the foot through the ring of coral, the jagged edges sheering off strands of grey flesh. She continued pushing it through, until the shredded foot was all the way through. The creature wasn't dead, but it was trapped for now. Liandra then swam away from it and began searching the sea bed once more. She found several strands of inedible kelp, which she quickly plucked from the roots. She began twisting the kelp into one long coiled rope. It was shoddy at best, but she didn't have much time. She wrapped the rope around her waist and scoured through the sand until she found a large and heavy rock. Since it was laying on sand, it was easy to slip a length of the rope beneath it and tie it off. She then called Kylayia to her side. She tied the end of the rope to the saddle, and he lifted the rock from the bed. They swam back to the creature who was struggling to get its foot free. Liandra quickly and carefully, wrapped the center of the rope around the creature's neck several times. She untied the rope from the rest of the rope from saddle and grasped one of the creature's arms. The creature thrashed and tried to grab her, but with the rock weighing it's head and torso down, its other arm couldn't reach her. She quickly tied the arm up, and then swam beneath it, and repeated it for the other. One foot was caught, both arms and it's neck tied to a rock too heavy to carry. It was trapped. "Your fate rests with Laviku now. May he bring you a swift judgment." Liandra mounted Kylayia, and the two swam as fast as they could to return to the Sea Sparkle. Their friends may still need help! Liandra breached the surface near the ship, "Hey! I'm over here! Throw me a rope!" She then would tell Kylayia to dive back down and out of sight, and to stay away from those biting creatures.