Quest [Syka Quest] Sacrifices At Sea

[Eleret]

The wondrous moment passed, as all moments ultimately did, and the sailors went about the business of making way. Eleret watched their tasks with only a vague understanding of what they did and why, but seeking at least the patterns of their motion, the better to determine where she might be out of the way and still have a clear view over the side. With a little time, she found a stretch of negative space that seemed undisturbed, where she wouldn't impede the sailors in their essential tasks. Moving over, Eleret looked down towards the water the ship sped through, free hand futilely attempting to tuck pale hair back behind her ears and keep it there. The wind wouldn't leave it alone; eventually she gave up. The sea below remained quiet, with no other dolphins dancing in her view; the Konti felt vaguely disappointed, and smiled ruefully at herself, shaking her head. Delani made her way over then, and Eleret redirected her attention to the more pragmatic details of their stay aboard. Afterwards, the Drykas woman retreated below to tend to her dogs; the Konti chose to remain above in the open air, undisturbed by the rolling motion of sea and ship. Taking a seat on the deck, attentive to the sailors and ensuring she stayed out of their way, her focus eventually returned to the curiosity in her hand. What was this thing which had been kept in the vaults of the sea, and now gifted to her? Setting the white case on her lap, Eleret ran her hands over the flowers on the handle, then turned her attention to the dome of the glass. Through it, she could see the grain of the leather case; but being more fond of wood, she turned almost immediately to examine the grain of the ship's deck instead. If nothing else, perhaps she could guess at the wood used, drawing on her time in Zeltiva's shipyards. It was in the midst of that examination that the fog rolled in, heavy and sudden, enveloping the ships in an obscuring shroud. Eleret rose to lean on the rail and look out into the mists. Is this abrupt fog yours, Father? she wondered in the silence of her mind -- and if so, did it hide them, or hide something from them? The murmurs the Konti could hear from the crew around her suggested unease, and she could see others of the expedition gathering at the rail. Eleret moved down to join Sirroco and Delani, catching the tail end of their conversation; they seemed to have the same musing questions as she. "Sometimes, it is just a fog, when the day is ending," she remarked, though gave the words no great weight. "I think we have to wait to know." If they ever found out at all. Eleret turned back to the thick mists and, since she still had it in her hands, turned the lens upon their drifts. Would it show her anything other than fog?

[Gossamer]

Kenval chuckled at Delani, his hands gripping the rail as he looked over the water for a moment before answering her. “You may think that now, Delani Denusk, but there are a great deal of creatures both big and small in the world that want to have no part in any sort of subservience. There are things that will kill you in a heartbeat, before such measures can be taken, and a leash would buy your life. I’ve even read accounts of brave fools leashing some of Zulrav’s fiercest storms and bringing them to heel. Would you have been so dismissive of its means on the first day of Spring in 512?” He shook his head, the unruly locks of blond hair making him look boyish for all that he was most likely in his late twenties.

“Sometimes the most insignificant things can be the most powerful. That item may very well save our lives where we are going. But you must not hesitate to use it regardless of any morals or convictions.” He added, then simply shrugged at her last question. “I have been around.” He said, then quietly stepped into a simple shadow that graced the deck of the ship, a thin strip of midnight cast by a keg and a stake of crates, and vanished. Kenval left her to her doings, regardless of what those were.

When she returned to the surface later, amidst the fog, her Lykata flexed for her. It was a divine power that did not work on the living, nor did it work on the fog for it was not a material thing. But what she did touch, incidentally, was the last place on the rail Kenval had touched on the rail with his long musician’s fingers. In that instant of power Denali knew then he was far older than he let on. She also knew too that he was the keeper of vast secrets, letting only bits of knowledge go here or there, for his kind and his mistress jealously guarded all secrets. She knew too, because he was thinking of it when he touched the railing, that once one of the leashes she held in her hands had been forcefully used on him. And because he was reliving that instant it in that moment before he’d spoke to her and left, that he had cracked and been reborn with one around his neck, strengthening him and giving him the power to break out of its influence. That was then, in that moment of his ability to break the leash’s power, that Akajia had made him her champion.

When Brodon stopped Mathias, the man tilted his head and looked intrigued. He carefully listened to Brodon’s voice then smiled and answered him in Pavi. “I speak a bit of Pavi if it helps. I have a knack for languages.” If Brodon repeated what he was trying to tell him once more, Mathias would nod.

“It’s nothing to be worried about right now I don’t think. Laviku often escorts ships in one way or another. The trick of the ocean is that if you are looking from above, one dark shape could be hundreds or thousands of small fish, or it could indeed be one of Laviku’s leviathans. But the way he has gifted us today, I do not think we are in the escorted company of a Leviathan. It would be something else… and the fog.. the fog that keeps rolling in… I just tell myself it is for our protection and not for our endangerment. We have open water to cross with very few obstacles today. So as long as it does not linger into tomorrow, then we should be fine. Tomorrow we come to a chain of islands that must be navigated and some dangerous current.” He nodded. “But just in case keep an eye out on the dark patch.. whatever it is, if you can still see it in the fog. So long as it doesn’t make a move against us, there’s nothing to worry about. And if its as big as we are anyhow, I’m not sure we have weapons that would help.” He said, looking thoughtful.

“Would you like to join me for a walk about? I’m going to check and double check that everyone is settled and all the supplies are stored correctly. It’s a log of tugging on ropes and checking off things on my list, but I could use the company.” He offered.

While Sirroco and Delani had their exchange, Levissa was off doing her thing. She returned to the deck later, just in time to encounter the fog, and grew nervous. When her hands reached for her necklace and found it missing, the dagger provided comfort. In the instant that she touched it, the mark of Dira on it transformed her intoan Eiyon. She knew in that moment that no one had ever died aboard the ship she stood on save for an old hound that had reached his seventeenth year. She knew too that there was no death stalking her in the mist. It was simply mist, though what generated it, she could not tell.

Comfort was a good thing, and the dagger instantly provided it with far more clarity than the necklace ever had.

The afternoon progressed. Various guests were drafted into cleaning and cooking roles, sometimes even simple things like mending rope or patching a sail that needed a few strokes of a needle. They were not overly harassed by the crew, but they were gently chided into work in a kind enough way that folks soon realized they were expected to help. Sirocco especially proved useful and was up in the rigging changing sails with the rest of the sailors before long. The morning turned to evening, both ships slowly moved southwest, and everything but the fog seemed normal.

Eleret’s examination of her magnification glass revealed the the flowers seemed to be blooming among fire. If she held the glass one way, the fire was more evident than if she held it another way in which the flames took on a more leafy pattern. She couldn’t quite be sure, but it almost looked like instead of the glass being the same to view from one way or the other, they had different purposes. With the fire – or what looked like fire now rather than leaves - side up, when she turned the glass to the wood of the rail sparks began to form and intense heat seemed to channel through the glass. She knew if she held the item much longer the rail would burst into flame. But as she lifted the glass and twisted it to prevent that from happening, she could see clearly the sea all around them and even the vastly receding shoreline in the distance behind them. It was as if the magnification glass, flipped, cut through the fog and gave her a clear view of the surroundings.

It was through this mist she saw a creature swimming. Almost human, but not quite, the thing was humanoid, but seemingly made of living water. It snaked along like a serpent swimming in the water, and caught a trailing line right near where Eleret stood. It gracefully surged upwards, seemingly defying gravity and flowing up onto the ship. It appeared on the deck like a wave surging over the rail, where it fully reformed into a human looking male. Almost human, that is, but not quite because one could see through it and see that it was made of water and magic and something else. But its eyes were strangely intelligent. And it looked incredibly sad.

“My friend is dying…” The creature said in common, though it’s common was broken, as if the language was not one it was used to in its watery world. “I cannot help her. I have tried. It is human doing that she is trapped. And she will die for she has been trapped for days. You are the first ships I’ve seen this way. You sail right towards her. She needs your help. We both do. I can show you. Will you help?” The man made of water said, glancing around at the passengers and sailors alike.

The Captain, the first mate and Mathias all conferred, not seemingly upset by the creature’s appearance. Kenval had returned as well, stepping out of a shadow sometime just before dinner. He’d had an arm full of fresh baked bread with him in the form of a sack fully of dinner rolls. The addition to the meal went fantastically with the stew. The Captain and the First Mate went to talk to the creature and question it more closely in its native tongue while Mathias went to talk to his quest party.

“It will take time to help. We don’t know where this friend is captured and what it involves. Do you folks have an opinion strongly one way or another? Would you like to help or do we need to keep sailing forward?” He asked, wanting the party, as a group, to weigh in on the decision. Kenval stepped forward. "What did the Otani say his friend was? Do we know? Another Otani maybe? I can't think of why an Otani would get trapped because of a human." He added... looking thoughtful.

[Delani Denusk]

Kenval elaborated some more on the leash, Delani mindful of what was shared, absorbing it like the living sponge she tended to be at times. Her mind envisioned the capturing of a storm so described, controlling it with the leash tucked safely into her waist band for the time being. What a fantastic and frightening thought. The grandness of this remained troubling, nonetheless, particularly when he made mention of the storm over a year ago. He would see the corners of her eyes tighten, the clench of her jaw, the haunted memory and ghostly shadows of figures long rotted or consumed by some monster of the grasses. But she did not speak of that; this journey was not for dwelling on her own past but for understanding and enlightenment of what was to come.

Delani considered his final declaration then with a tilt of her head, the braid bobbing to one side as she did this. "Actions speak louder than words, some believe; I am prone to think more. We shall have to see what would require such an interesting device. I pray it will not be today."

When their dialogue came to a close, the Drykas raised her brows in curious surprise when the man simply stepped away and into a shadow, fading from sight entirely. She approached the spot he had disappeared into and knelt, reaching her hand forwards into the veil and turning it over, examining the change of light upon both sides of her hand. It was nothing more than a shadow the barrel and boxes that created it as tangible as her own clothing. Hmming quietly to herself furth, she rose and approached the items that had created the shadow, shifting them carefully in order to investigate the location further, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. With a curious purse of her lips, she at last stepped away, wondering where this strange man who knew things may have gone away to.

Once her obligations were seen to below deck and she'd returned, focusing on the ship when the called upon the lormar, the insight received came as a right shock. Her gaze even returned to the place where he had disappeared to, amazed.

Amazing! The Lady of Darkness and this innocuous seeming man...Her Champion. Fascinating; what stories he must bare; what knowledge contained in the depths of his mind. A vision of intelligence; but is it a of worthy pursuit the knowledge he may have that could be gained? I must investigate this further. As always, my Lady, I ask for clarity of mind to see true what you would have me know.

Her thoughts were interrupted when some...thing splashed up onto the deck of the Dawn, its viscous form an oddity to behold. It spoke of needing aid, of a friend trapped, pleading for these wayfarers to provide assistance. Something that Matthias, the captain, and his first mate were hesitant to jump upon. They posed the question to those who had joined this journey, Kenval reappearing from somewhere and inputting his thoughts as well. It was a curious predicament. Living all of her life in the deepness of the Sea of Grass, it was only slightly unusual that Otani were encountered. Those that did exist, tended to live in the water ways such as Lari or Zeis lake. From what little she knew and understood about them, they were shape shifters so Kenvals thoughts coincided with her own.

Stepping forwards, the Drykas spoke.

"I am afraid I know little of the creatures, but what I recall concurs with what Kenval says. If this friend of his is Otani as well, it could be a magical trap. If he speaks true, his friend lies in our path anyways: aiding him and her might prove to our benefit. Do we have a spyglass? Or some other magnification device? If we can breach the fog, we might be able to see ahead to where his comrade lies and gauge whether it is a risk worth taking."

None of what was spoken meant they should not consider the worst of what could happen. Should it be a trap, it was better to see ahead what may wait for them than arrive, aid, and become trapped themselves. Caution and curiosity worked well together, at times.

[Eleret]

The sudden glimpse of clear water through the fog -- despite the fog -- came just as much a surprise to the Konti as the speed with which the wood had earlier begun to smolder. This use of the glass was fortunately much less hazardous to the ship... but she had only a moment to spend on that delighted realization before motion beyond the ship caught her attention. Through the glass, Eleret saw the water-creature move towards them, and stepped back to allow it room when it surged up the line, lowering the lens as she did so. It requested their help, to which the Konti had only one possible reply; she was therefore surprised when the expedition leaders hesitated, watching as they split off in conference with the Otani, and as Mathias returned shortly after to seek the input of other members. The hesitation was reasonable, Eleret recognized, once she took a moment to not think like a reverent child of the ocean. She understood their concerns... but could not share them. Otani were as good as kin to the Konti, and beloved of Laviku. No more would she refuse one of her family, if they needed her aid. "It might, she might," Eleret ventured into the discussion, "be dolphin or Otani or Charoda." Any of them, or something else entirely; who could say? Only the Otani in question, most likely. " I do not know what an Otani could not do, with so much water here... but I will help." She glanced to Delani, then raised the lens before her, mindful to keep it turned for viewing. She would have put it away, the better to not cause accidental fires on the pitch-sealed planking... but it seemed the lens would be needed quite soon. "I can look. I found... This will see through the fog. I do not know how... much, how far." Then the Konti gave a small, rueful smile. "But carefully -- the other way, I think it starts fire."

[Brodon Windriver]

Brodon grew wistful as he gladly fell back into Pavi. "Aaah...A 'knack' for languages." he savored the spoken concept like a delicacy. "What a wonderful notion." They shared a laugh, prompted as it was by Brodon's genuine need for such a talent. The young man seemed suddenly to come back to himself, and repeated his concerns about the massive shadow beneath the ships, this time in Pavi. Mathias nodded and expressed his belief that it was probably no threat, but that Brodon should feel free to keep on eye on it.

Asked if he would care to accompany the elderly expedition leader around the ship, Brodon eagerly accepted. It was not from a hope of gleaning exotic knowledge from the man, though this possibility did not escape him, so much as reveling in the opportunity to enjoy fluent conversation. And converse they did. Brodon saw to that. Small talk, for the most part, but there were also some interesting accounts of adventures, that they shared with each other, usually triggered by sights of this or that piece of equipment.

The sight and subject of stowed gear also made Brodon recall that he had wanted to show his father's iron staff to Mathias, to see if the etchings on it were actual lingual markings, possibly of the Nyavanni that Mathias had mentioned at the mustering. But the man was in the middle of tallying a variety of inventories, and Brodon did not want to disrupt his count. For himself, as Brodon checked ties and seals on crates and bundles, he was discovering a variety of knots that struck him as versatile and creative, and hoped to have the opportunity to persuade the crewmen teach a few of them to him.

This daily task complete, they returned topside and Brodon was about to go check on his hawk, 'Arrow', currently installed in a sturdy cage at the message desk, when his eyes caught a fantastic sight. A wave that had washed suddenly upon the deck, rose up in the form of a man. Brodon stared agape as Mathias wasted no time turning and approaching the Captain and First Mate.

After the creature made its troubles known, Mathias gathered the party to ask if they wished to take the time to render aid to the "Otani" as someone had called it. Brodon could not imagine anyone refusing, and offered to send Arrow ahead, stating that Laviku's boon to him would allow him to see through the bird's eyes and that perhaps it would allow them to truly see what they would be dealing with long before they arrived. He admitted that he did not yet know what range the boon granted him, but he felt it was a clear obligation that the Sea Lord's gift should be employed to aid one of his subjects.

[Delilah]

Delilah wandered around the boat for a moment, looking around for someone who might know a thing or two about seeds. Though no one seemed to pop, and she didn't remember anyone saying anything at the party. Perhaps she should just keep them to herself for a while. She wandered around for a few more chimes, observing others testing their new gifts, admiring a few, questioning others. She didn't have any particular interest in the gifts aside from the cloak given to Abase. She very much enjoyed visual magics like the changing of the cloak. When the Otani talked about it's problems, Delilah really had not much of a clue what was going on, other than something needed help. She was too small to see anything, and too far to hear. When the group was gathered, she gleaned a bit more on the situation. As other members began to cast their vote, she thought on it a bit. "I can't swim, so I won't be much help in the water. If my vote counts though, I think we should help. It's given us no reason to mistrust it." Who knows what exactly was wrong with the dying friend. But Delilah liked most of the water creatures. When they moved through the water, they seemed so graceful to her. As such, Delilah was a bit eager to jump into action and help whatever water creature had asked for them.

[Sirroco]

Fog or no, the ships cut through the seas, the crew keeping the great vessels on course with the guidance of their officers, though everyone seemed to conduct their tasks with more care. The ominous nature of the fog waned through the day to more of a nuisance, though it still compelled the occupants of the ship to speak in softer tones. Sirroco, much to his delight, had been employed to help crew the Dawn Sister. Young, strong and a willing seaman, the Svefra took to the rigging to help manage the sails. It did not take long for the man to take his experience with his single sailed casinor and grasp the concept of the multi-sailed configuration of the Dawn. He plied the ropes with more care than the crewmen, learning his footing, again shedding his shirt and boots as sweat mingled with the moisture of the fog on his tanned skin. Of course, the ivory handled gift from Laviku was securely tucked in his belt, along with the fishing knife at his side. He kept an eye on the deck below, noting his companions as well, especially the platinum-haired Konti. Eleret had befriended the Svefra, who harbored a fondness for the woodcarver. His covert observation of the Konti from above allowed Sirroco to see the watery being crest the side of the ship and gather into his shape on the deck. Otani! The fluid mark of Laviku nearly tingled at the appearance of the being, as if the Svefra's Oceanus sensed the Otani's presence. The fisherman's heart began to beat with excitement, for the sight of one of Laviku's moldings was seen as a boon. Others gathered around the creature, the Drykas man and woman and the feisty pycon boxer. Mathias and the ship's officers gathered near, and the shadowy Kenval appeared. Sirroco scrambled down the mainmast, clinging to the rope netting of the shroud just above Mathias and the other expedition members. Hearing the tail end of the conversation, the Svefra lifted his voice, anxious to provide his input. The impetuous Sirroco did not stop to consider what danger may lay waiting if they aided the Otani's friend, only that refusing to help was not a good idea. "I say we help. He is Otani, we have to help him. He is a servant of the Sea King. It doesn't seem right to accept all these blessings from Laviku and deny one of his own a request." Sirroco glanced over at the captain and first mate with the Otani. "I will do what I have to."

[Lacerta]

Lacerta watched the captain as he worked, watching him call out orders to the sailors. The instant one sailor finished his task... he was almost immediately sent on another. Most jobs were temporary, like when tacking, or adjusting their course. One thing she did notice was that they changed direction a lot less than she did. Almost never, really. They simply sped straight off, ignoring waves that would normally greatly irritate Starry Sea. They were also going a lot faster. Much much faster. The larger sails meant that they could capture more wind than hers could, so drive the ship more quickly. This slightly surprised the Eth, as she'd always expected the large things to be slow and cumbersome... as if her boat was a mouse, and theirs a cow. But... if cows ran at their full speed... they would easily outrun a mouse. It was just reaching that speed... right? Her mind drifted off into space, time passing quickly as she considered and watched.

The Ethaefal frowned and shook her head. This was getting a little too complicated for her tastes, but was actually kind of interesting. It was funny she was just figuring this out on a single train of thought. She looked up, and, seeing other expedition members doing various bits of work, she decided to join in. It would have been stupid of her to not aid the journey anyways...

She rose and, deciding to leave the captain because of his busy work, turned to the second mate, and began speaking to him. "Excuse me..." she asked awkwardly, gaining his attention. "Do you need me to do anything?" The man turned out of his business quickly and immediately stated "Clean the deck." It was a blunt statement, but he was almost as busy as his boss, so... He also pointed towards a mop and bucket, obviously meaning for her to use those. Lacerta nodded and pocketed her compass, deciding to figure it out another day. It looked practically broken, but... not.

She retrieved the shown items and grasped the mop, lifting it out of the bucket and sploshing it onto the floor. From there, she swished it around, one hand at the top, the other as low as she could get it. She tried to move the water around over the deck with her tool, wetting it, and watching some grease and stains wipe off. It was hard work, the mop heavy and cumbersome, but she battled through it, mostly ignoring exactly what she was doing.

Instead, she returned her focus to what the crew was doing, pulling and mending ropes, calling out instructions and orders. The captain was at the top, possibly not physically, but certainly one of the loudest. The only person near him in volume was his first mate, relaying such things, and managing a few other parts of the team. They all worked so well together, and sometimes a handful of sailors almost knew what their next job was, and set off almost as soon as their superior had starting the order.

The spot she was cleaning finished, the water mostly used up, the Eth shuffled her bucket over to a new spot, and repeated the earlier process. Dump the mop in the water, swish it around, pull it out, and start mopping. It was mindless work, so as her arm muscles worked, her eyes drifted once more. This time, she spotted some commotion by the rails, gazing into the mist, which had come up earlier. She hadn't put much to it, though the lack of view was a little unsettling. Still, she'd been in storms and the like, and was determined not to be unnerved by this.

She was curious at what the crowd was about, so after that spot was finished, she moved her bucket more in their direction. After several more wipes, which took maybe a total of ten chimes, she arrived just to see a figure standing on the deck, requesting... help. It looked odd, and was... see through. She frowned, and continued her work while watching the action afterwards. People were speaking about helping it, Mathias included, but the general assent was 'yes'. She also overheard the word 'Otani' being fired around, and suddenly realized what it was. She'd never seen one herself, but had heard tales from various Svefra about them. She stared in amazement, leaning on her mop's handle.

As the conversation continued, she finally decided to put in her own point of view, more or less agreeing with everyone else. "I certainly say we help. Like Sirroco said, they are Laviku's creatures, and being in his domain, and taking his gifts... well, we almost have to, don't we? Anyways, its on the way, so we don't have to divert our course... so... when we come across the problem, we'll deal with it." She nodded, hoping she got some kind of a message out, and returned to mopping, though staying around the area with the commotion.

[Abase]

In his eagerness to be useful Abase did not notice the fantastic change that his cloak had undergone. Instead he strode forward to the first sailor he could find, offering himself up to their service. Little did he know how quickly they would accept. Abase found himself doing all kinds of tasks. Lifting and moving crates and barrels, aiding in various tasks of sailorship which he did not fully understood. At times he would look at the man Sirrico, a bit of wonder in his heart at how quickly he took up his mantle of the sea.

We should switch brother. You have never been the best at such tasks as this. but Abase would refuse, It is for this reason that I must do it. I must pull my weight as much as anyone else, and you my brother should not carry the burden for me.

It was as Abase was setting a particularly large barrel of something on the ground bellow deck that he noticed it. His cloak, once patched strands of seaweed too short to even reach his knees, it now fit comfortably and the material seemed to have changed as well. Curiosity bloomed in Abase's chest, and he took the cloak between his fingers, running his thumb over it. Experimentally, he focused his djed. Pulling with mental hands at the djed of his finger and skin. He pinched at the surface, the green of his skin rippling and reshaping itself, raising and blossoming out to form a single leaf from the Cianberry berry found on Mura.

Looking up when the voices began on deck, Abase looked down at the cloak once more before rushing back up to see what had occurred. He had time to see the man made of water appear on deck and make his claim, and as he joined with his group of adventurers Mathius was already approaching and asking for their opinions. Abase pushed through the ground to stand by Delani's side, smiling down at her before looking at Mathius, "Is good thing to help when need come. If only help when convenient, lots of lives be lost now. I pledge my arms," He clapped his hand on his bicep for emphasis, "To aid of man in need."

Abase's eyes drifted to the Otani man now, and he folded his arms over his chest. Silently he prayed to Avalis, I thank you my Goddess for all you have shown me, and for the gifts you have bestow. I pray to you to give my eyes sight where there is mystery, and to watch over us as we continue on this journey.

[Delani Denusk]

As the others stepped up and began presenting their interest in the matter, the consensus seemed to be the affirmative: they should help the Otani and his friend, whomever she may be. She found it curious, though, as she looked upon the faces of the other expeditioners, that few seemed to consider the risks involved. She further noticed that the captain and first mate conferred with with the creature while Mathias asked his team-members their insight.

Think before you act; who is the creatures friend and what is she? It may not be a detriment to go too far off course to assist them, but what if what has his friend contained is done purposefully; if we aid, we could make an enemy of such who or whatever it is. Why has no other chosen to speak to the Otani themselves but yon captain and mate?

Delani stepped away from the others, circling behind Abase and between Eleret to approach the three figures. The being was mystical, his fluid form a curiosity to behold. She wondered how the magics melded to enable it to move so freely between forms. These thoughts were brief, however, as the Drykas cleared her throat and spoke, "I do apologize for the interruption, captain, but I have some questions for our visitor, if that is alright."

If given leave, she'd turn to the Otani and speak carefully, should his understanding of Common be lower than anticipated. Childe of the Sea, can you tell us who and what your friend is? How came they to be trapped by human means? And by what means are they trapped that they cannot escape with your aid? I am sure we can help in some way if you can help us with knowledge of the circumstances."