[Guest Storyteller] Daggers on Deck

[Gale Austin McCenry]

Daggers on Deck
5th of Spring, 514 A.V.

HD Ticket :

Just so you guys knows that this plot was approved at the HD

A murderer conscientiously made his way along the docks of Sunberth, inspecting the sailors and their docked ships. The piercing scream still inside his head, echoing in his ears. The images of the dead child still fresh in his memories. The images of the future. Images of what could happen if he stayed... He planned on boarding one of these ships. He needed to escape his fate. Though, which one? Are any of them leaving at this time? Huskabar would find himself puzzled at the thought that none of these boats would likely be departing anytime soon. But perhaps opportunity still lay on one of these ships.

Huskabar would keep a close eye on the sailors, eavesdropping on the passing conversations as he elapsed captains, workers, and entire crews. Most were nothing more than casual discourse over any number of things. None of any interest of course. However, there were few who were engaged in a heated argumentation which might be of some significance. Huskabar would near this small group of sailors standing by their ship, listening in to this discussion in hopes of it bearing fruitful opportunities.

"You know better Kutless!!" A Svefra man exclaimed with an appearance suggesting of some significant age. The man he was debating with appeared to be the captain of the vessel, given the intricate red jacket he wore and the prideful stature he held even when being starred down by the taller sailor.

"Why didn't ya make us go do it before we already secured everythin'!" The bearded captain shouted, raising his hands in the air just to fling them down to his sides. "Now we have ta check everythin' once we get back! What's the logic in tha' lad?!

"Because none of ya listen when ya work!!" The Svefra hollered back with a scowl, firmly pressing his calloused hands onto his sides.

"Fine! Fine! We'll have it your way!" The man rolled his eyes, adjusting the wide brimmed hat upon his head and shifting on his heels to look at the ship behind him. He hustled quickly onto the deck with his heavy boots pounding the wood like a drum, yelling all along the way. "Tin!! Crate!! You two come with Cave and I so we can prepare an offerin'! Bird ya stay to keep a eye on the ship!" He didn't wait to see if the rest of the crew were trailing him before he briskly walked off the deck with the Svefra, walking along the dock and past Huskabar himself. For a brief tick he could even hear the angry murmurs. But before long, two men, very distinct in just about every way possible, came barreling down the docks to follow the previous men. One was heavier than a typical sailor, especially in the torso area and possessed bright red hair and freckles. The other was a muscular, tall man with trimmed bear and short hair not even passing his ears. They walked with an inane expressions upon their face.

However, one was still left on the ship, which was a dark skinned woman with a fairly small stature. She was much shorter than any of the men, but there was an intimidating persona about her. She held herself high and the distinct curves of her expression only proved she wasn't any different than any of the other man. Well, besides the literal fact that she was indeed a woman. And a small one at that. But nevertheless she wasn't as responsive as the rest of the crew to the task given to her, for she simply walked across the deck and sat on top of one of the five barrels in the corner of the deck, crossing her legs over each other and resting her chin on her palm. She then began to stare ahead of her to the entrance of the ship.

OOC :

If you want any sort of description or even pictures for the NPC's that I'm using, you can look at their write up here under the tab called 'crew'.

[Huskabar]

One might swear that those deceptively youthful ears twitched, as the twisted mind was fed those beautiful sounds of the squabble that unfolded upon the ship. The aged body hunkered down, as he listened to a back and forth of some kind. This indeed would hold opportunity for the elderly mage, but the question of what opportunity exactly was still to be known. Though he could not quite make out what the conflict was about, it seemed to delay them somehow, and if Huskabar knew one thing, it was that he had to somehow get aboard this vessel. The barrage of man exited the ship, seeming rather fixed on their destination, which was fortunate for the old scoundrel… since he barely had time to react. His body was simply stiffened, and almost statuesque, attempting to behave naturally… However there was nothing natural about Huskabar Skorn. He observed the men who had left, and though he could not get an exact sight on board, he recalled spotting the full crew from a distance when he approached the dock. If deductive reasoning served him correctly, the remaining crew member, the one called “Bird” was actually a woman… Hmm He took a moment to ponder over the situation. “Oh, what is there to think about, big man? Just go on up there and strangle her little neck!” said the achingly familiar voice of the prostitute he had killed decades ago. He turned his gaze to the vision of the woman in a black dress, splattered with blood, though the crimson liquid did not belong to her… Oh, how the old man loathed his dementia in times such as this… “You cannot speak right now, Son, so please do not even entertain this grudgeful harlot with a response. Listen Son, you still have my face… Perhaps you could try to… You know… Try a little romance?” The bearded man shaked his head vigorously in defiance at the mere suggestion of such an idea. For one, the mage always despised women as a general rule, and not just the oh, “who needs them?” mentality. Huskabar hated the way they looked, the way they talked, the way the laughed. He hated the way they smelled, but more than anything else, he thought they were manipulative slimy creatures, who could not be trusted in the slightest… Of course, this was rich coming from the perspective of this man, quite possibly the least trustworthy person in all of Mizahar. The ethereal image of his father leaned forward, pressing a finger against his temple, “Oh, we both know that’s not the only reason!” It wasn’t…. Though Huskabar, as a general rule tried to bury a certain side to himself, he also never had an attraction to women, but rather to his own gender. He knew this was not… normal by any means, but it also was not something he could actually help. He had always felt an attraction to the same sex, but over the years he had learned to bury this deep inside. “Oh, why don’t you just cry me a river! I’m dead! I mean dead, as in yes, I will never be coming back, ever!” said the prostitute once more, now looking far more disgruntled than before. “In fact I have the miserable reality of being nothing more than part of your pathetically warped imagination!” Suddenly the old man’s body was turned, as he was shaken, “Listen to me!” the voice of his father came bellowing into his ears, “You can’t pay any attention to her right now! You need to focus, or you are going to die! Do you understand me, son? We need to get out of here, and the first step to that is getting on that ship. Are you ready to listen up and pay attention?” He gave a hesitant gulp, and a gradual nod of his head. Everything that his father was saying was true, and though Huskabar was actually the only person standing there, it seemed to him, as if his now long dead parent was actually giving him advice on how exactly to approach the situation…. “Alright… Do you think you can do all that, Son?” Another nod was given, as a plan quickly began to take form… Upon his neck there set golden torc, that his own father had indeed once worn around his neck, and as the old gnarled hands gripped the golden trinket, and looked upon it almost reminiscently, he could not help but feel a twinge of satisfaction enter him, as he cast off just a piece of the man that his father actually was… A man who chose poverty and weakness over his own natural gifts, and the well being of his own son. He shook his head, clearing his mind of the thought. He remembered he had to focus. He leaned forward, placing the torc into the water, and though he would have rathered to dislodged his astral hand, than rip it from his physical form, the golden object was quickly sinking. So consequences be damned, he ripped his astral hand from that of his physical, gripping the torc, and guiding it to the other side of the ship, before knocking it against it’s surface. “Hmm perhaps greed will not be enough for this one, Huskabar,” said his father, as he ran his fingers through his short dark beard, “Please… Allow me….” and just as he had done earlier, the dementia inspired illusion of his father borrowed his lips to speak once more, and coming out from the voice was not that of Huskabar, but rather… It was the voice of Kravon Skorn, “Oy! Where be my torc! First man to find my torc will find a pretty fortune for themselves!” and as this voice fled from the old man, his mind came back to him. He knew that he had to be ready to swiftly and stealthily dash onto the ship, and find a good place to hide. It was now all up to the Bird woman, and with her move, he would then swiftly make his own…

[Gale Austin McCenry]

The Vantha vehemently eyed carefully at the people passing by the ship. Her posture was rather compliant, though one could tell she was scrutnizing everyone who passed by for signs of any being intruders. Her eyes were a soft hazel, though her lips were pressed into a flat line. Her eyes darted this way and that, though her nature was imperatively calm.

Though, it didn't take long for something to show up to break the banal events unfolding before her, allowing Bird to perk up her head. Someone boasted and solicited about a lost torc and about special rewards for it's return. Her eyes shifted prudently to a bright yellow as her eyebrow raised with a hint of uncertainty. Hesitantly she dropped her legs off the barrel and pushed herself off, walking over to the entrance of the ship, which was nothing more than few sturdy boards. She only took a few paces away from the ship, standing on her bare toes to see who it was who was who was making the commotion. Although, she saw no peremptory man frantically searching along the ground nor did she find anyone rushing to return anything. Her eyes shifted to a steady jade before she returned to the ship.

Putting her slender hands into the pockets of her shorts, Bird leisurely paced around the deck instead of returning to her seat on the barrel. Her feet padded along the old, almost feculent looking wood, here attentiveness to her surroundings less assertive. Her eyes quickly went back to their original hazel and it appeared that all was calm on the ship, despite their location being the city of chaos...

Thud.

"Hm?" The Vantha turned to the side of the ship. She quickly paced over to the edge of the ship, tiptoeing over the railing to look down the sides of the gariatric ship. Nothing was seen besides the splashing of the water against the wooden boards.

Thud.

The woman furrowed her eyebrows, jade overtaking the hazel in her eyes. She peered down, seeing a small gold object floating alongside the boat. She starred at the object for a few moments with a contemplating expression about her face before lurching away from the edge as if she had a sudden realization or an epiphany. She rushed down the stairs and under the deck, scavenging for a net or a pole. It only took a few ticks for her to return to the deck with a fishing net and quickly returning to the side of the boat. She watched the water for a few moments to see if the torc was still there. She leaning over the edge to try and scoop the piece of jewelry out of the water. She grunted softly as her arms gently swung back and forth, trying to get the net under the piece without bumping it away or under the boat.

[Huskabar]

This was indeed beginning to become quite the task, as the mage could not help but take note to himself. It had seemed that this vantha woman was not reacting at all how he had expected. It was his hope that she would dive in after the object, but instead, she had chosen a more tactful approach, and retrieved a net, and as she leaned forward with the long handled object, it became clear to Huskabar that he would have to increase the challenge in this task, if he hoped to make it on to the ship, but djed had a limit, and his was indeed becoming dangerously low. He had considered the possibility of perhaps pushing or scaring the woman to fall into the water, but then she would most definitely scour the ship, which would make all of his efforts until this point meaningless. “Use your brain, my son. We are not barbarians, but rather we are wizards. You already have you have your grip on it, already, and with one last flick of the astral wrist,” the golden torc seemed to almost bounce out from the grip of the net, seeming to almost spring itself just out of reach, before oddly enough beginning to sink. “Oh, hold yourself together, my boy… You only need to be standing for a little longer now… Come on you, take the bait.” The golden object was no longer in grip, due to the astral limb becoming increasingly too heavy to even attempt to control, and thus physics began to come into play once more, causing the piece of jewelry to sink into the ocean. Huskabar was now straining just to stand, and it had become quite literally painfully clear to the wizard that so much as another spell would indeed put him lethally deep into overgiving. His body wavered for but a moment, as his head began to swirl. “Overgiving with projection is indeed possible, my son, but through it’s basic functions not as easy to achieve as it is with other disciplines… You just need rest, but not yet. We need to get into that ship, now focus! Focus!” He gave a shake of his head, his eyes jetting open, as he waited to hear the sweet sounds of splashing water. If the woman did not take the bait, it would put Huskabar in a very vulnerable situation. “Oh what’s wrong? Are you tired, little wizard? Why don’t you just close those heavy eyes of yours, and enjoy a nice little rest?” came the venomous tone of the prostitute once more, “It’s so comfortable here by the splashing water, Huskabar, and you know that you will end up being caught anyway… I mean, just look at your reflection,” and as he bent forward, looking into the water, he could see that it was true. Due to his low djed, he had lost the face of his father, and instead had reverted to his same old gnarled appearance. He would be recognized by the mob if they were to approach, and he knew it. This was indeed, a very bad situation for the old man. In the very next moment, his worse fears seemed to be taking life, the sounds of a forming mob making their way to the docks. He knew he had to hide, and he had to do it fast, but where? “Sorry, son, but this is for your own good,” came the voice of his father, as he felt as though his body was being pushed into the water, and held down inside. Though in reality it was his own hands pushing from beneath the dock, as he held his breath, but no, he was too weak… It was his father holding him down, he was sure. It was the comforting grip of his father, protecting him once more. He heard distorted noises through the water, coming from above. The crowd must have been right above him now, causing some sort of commotion, and he knew that he could only hold his breath for so long. For the first time in his life, Huskabar wished that he had some deity to pray to, and for the first time in his life he had regretted his previous views on such “silliness” as he had seen it. He would have prayed to the wind, to the stars, to the land, and to the sea if it would get him safe and onto that ship with two lungs full of sweet precious air… But it was up to fate now.

[Gale Austin McCenry]

"No, no, no!" The Vantha exclaimed angrily as the torc started to sink. The woman swung the net forward to catch it, able to get on of the sides hooked slightly. Her face was that of determination as she slowly pulled the net up, praying that it didn't fall. But once the gold torc was lifted out of the water, it slipped from the net and sunk to the depths of the water."Dammit!" Bird's fist slammed against the boat. She pulled the net back up, throwing it on the deck in a jumbled mess, but her anger was quickly distracted by the clattering of a mob.

Bird quickly made her way to the entrance of the ship, though she did not see a mob at first, for her eyes found the red jacket of Kutless, followed by the rest of the crew. "What took you guys so long?" She complained, her eyes glowing orange.

"Oh hush Bird. Let's check the ship quickly and get on our way!" Kutless roared, obviously just as furious about the situation as Bird was.

" Not yet." She said, running over to the railing of the boat, leaping onto the edge, and diving off into the water.

"BIRD!" The men exclaimed at once. They all stumbled over to the railing, leaning over to watch the ruffled image of the Vantha swim down into the water.

"What is she doing?!"

"You think I know?!" They argued with each other however, continued to search for Bird, who had disappeared in the water.

"It doesn't matter!" Kutless hollered at the startled men. "Let's just get the net ready to pull her up when she finds what she's looking for."

They all nodded in agreement, and Tin, the red headed man, grabbed the net and hung it over on the side of the boat, everyone of them too a portion of the net to hold onto. They all were silent for a chime or two, intently eying the water. It was only when they saw the blurred outline of Bird coming up did they say anything.

"There she is!" Crate pointed. A few ticks later, Bird broke the surface, wearing the torc around her neck. She didn't hesitate to swim over and grab the net, for this was how they usually pulled people overboard onto the ship.

"Pull her up lads!" The captain demanded, as if they needed the order. With the four of them, it took no time to get the woman onto the ship.

Bird wiped the water from her eyes as Kutless slipped off his jacket. Placing it on her shoulders, the men starred at her with concern. Knowing what they wished to know, Bird rolled her eyes and answered,"Someone lost their torc and I found it in the water."

The men were silent, but Kutless nodded slowly."Well, give me the torc and I can return it to them."The scout nodded and slipped the torc off her neck and placed it in Kutless' open hand. Kutless then hustled off the ship to briefly search for the man who lost the piece. But he quickly realized that unless the man was searching around for it himself, there would be no use looking for him, because any Sunberthian would claim that the torc was theirs and he would have no way of knowing. Instead, Kutless merely glanced around before returning to the ship.