Quest A Deadly Hunt

[Anchor]

63rd of Spring Southwest of Ryker's Point The storm on the horizon seemed an afterthought in the vicinity, something nature decided to throw in for a bit of variety in the scenery. Winds that were fiercely ripping through sails there were nothing but strong gusts around the small ship and the small fleet of Svefra chasing it. Waves that tossed ships about like toys only lightly buffeted the vessels in the immediate area. The rain and the howling was distant, creating only a mildly annoying background noise. By comparison to the violent ocean not too far away, Vafres and his pursuers seemed to be enacting their chase sequence serenely, without scrambling actions and screaming voices. This spoke nothing of the intensity though. Because of the calm seas, the Svefra ships were gaining much faster on Vafres than they were on Braten, almost gliding across the water’s surface. Their movements seemed graceful, swaying in the waves back and forth like dancers, an elegance in the way they moved that seemed to contradict their grave purpose. The Svefra aboard were keeping their ships on course with impressive skill, staying right on their target without any variance or difficulty, drawing nearer with each passing chime. Like predators, they simply stared and stalked, making little sound in their approach and completely stern in their intent. The footloose and free people were now driven and focused. They’d gone from a swirling froth to a deadly torrent, forcing through and ravaging anything in their path. Stormy blue eyes watched the small ship ahead of them with hate, unequal in magnitude to anything most had seen before. Aboard the ship they were targeting things were equally intense. Men and women tended to the sails, pulling them tight against the mast as if trying to pull more knots out of the rigging itself. Clothes surprisingly well kept despite the wear of the sea flapped in the wind, a good deal of them capes and other loose heavy clothes that seemed strange to be found on a vessel on the great blue. Hard looks were in all their eyes, mad glints in several of them as they heaved on the lines and cast dark looks back at the approaching Svefra. Though the children of Laviku were sweeping towards them like a great wave, the body language aboard the ship seemed strangely relaxed, as if resigned to the events that were about to follow. No desperate yanks or running, just the routine work as boots thudded across the wooden deck and cloaks moved stiffly in the gusts. Vafres himself stood at the stern of his ship, arms draped over the back railing and eyes centered on the casinors and palivars giving chase to him. His body was loose and lack rigidity, but his red irises were burning with a fierce light, his brow creased slightly. The rich blue gold-trimmed cloak was a bit lighter than some of its counterparts on the deck, and so flapped with a bit more vigor as the currents of the sky toyed with it. However, it was always possible to see the strange golden symbols painted along the hem, which arced and bowed in some unknown tongue - if it was a language at all. Nothing was said either on the deck or up here, just the silent contemplation of what was to come, as well as the inevitable struggle that would ensue.

[Lucy Tides]

Lucy was more then glad to smell the sea air again. The wind was just right today as it puffed her sail gently and the ocean rocked the boat like a baby in a cradle. Her hands rested on the smoothly carved wheel, watching carefully for the signal of the main ship. She stood straight, looking on at the ship that had dared enter their territory. Her white pants were fashioned with a belt that had small bags of sea salt attached to it. An old trick Lucy had learned from her first battle which seemed like a decade ago.

She glanced around her ship for a moment spying one of the Svefra that had chosen to accompany them. She was tall in height but not as tall as Lucy. She had the same muscle structure as Lucy hinting that they were the same age. Her blonde hair was swept back in a braided mess of beads and feathers. Their blue eyes met for a moment and Lucy motioned for her to come up. The woman approached her and smiled. "Want to take over Karmin?" Lucy asked and the woman nodded. Lucy stepped away from the wheel and headed down to the deck where the rest of the crew was.

She knew two of them, Scarlet Evony the kelvic whom which she wasn't sure what her feelings for her were and Perc the squire she had met one night at the Rearing Stallion. There was a new face though, it was a Svefra man who shared her height. His hair was dirty blonde and his skin was the tannest of all on board. She smiled at him and held out her hand. "Hello, I'm Lucy Tides but you can call me Lucy." Lucy said as the man shook her hand.

"Kannin and I heard about your pod, I'm so sorry." He said letting go of my hand and turning to the others. He was shirtless and only wore long black pants with brown boots. "I'm Kannin. It's nice to meet you two." He said and then turned back to Lucy."I'm going to go up deck with Karmin." He said and made his way up deck leaving the three friends alone. Lucy turned and smiled to both of them.

"Long time no see, Perc." Lucy said with a big smile. The gusts of wind pushed her long black locks back and out of her face. She wasn't wearing a shirt either to show off her own gnosis like the other two Svefra were doing but she was wearing a blue bra and white pants along with black boots. She turned her eyes to Scarlet.

"Is is okay if I tell Perc what you are? I know how you are with new people about your condition but it would come in handy." Lucy said and stretched while waiting for Scarlet to answer. The sun was shinning in her deep blue eyes that refused to squint and she could feel another freckle about to appear on her skin. She ignored the thought.

[Perc]

Perc stood at the railing, looking at the mighty storm in the distance and was very glad he wasn't on the ships over there instead. The very thought of being on a ship in the middle of a storm was enough to let his stomach turn over already. He let out a shudder and turned away from the storm. Looking towards the men and woman he was going to have to fight side by side soon enough. The tall squire was fairly easy to spot. Sure he was only wearing a normal tunic, a pair of pants and leather boots. But the large wooden shield hanging from a strap over his shoulder,the big bastard sword his patron had forced him to take with him hanging next to it, his own big axe hanging from his belt and the dagger hanging from his belt made him look more then a walking armory then anything else. Which hadn't escaped the notice of some sevfra, who were all to quick to make jokes about it. 'I swear, if one more svefra calls me the emergency anchor I'm going to give them a salt bath.' He was pulled out of his sulking mood when a familiar face called his name. "Lucy! How you doing?" Perc said with a loud laugh, giving her a goodhearted clap on the shoulder. "Feeling ready for what is going to come?" Perc couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness that was slowly sinking into his stomach himself. He was going into his first fight soon. You couldn't help but be nervous at that. Perc looked towards the other woman Lucy had adressed. Giving her a lookover when lucy asked her if he could tell him what she was. "I wouldn't have figured out she wasn't human if you hadn't told me Lucy." Perc quipped. "Still, whatever you are. Its nice meeting you." perc said with a honest smile on his face and offered one of his hands for a handshake.

[Ethen Calden]

Ethen Calden couldn't moving but not of the excitement of the trip or Hoping fighting a seasonal warrior. It was the movement of the ship itself. Moving him one part of the ship to another. When he reach the railing his stomach went crazy. Ethen unleashed a volley of vomit over side of the ship.

Ethen was wearing a white dress Shirt, brown tanned Pants, dark blue Cloak and two black Boots. Ethen also wearied a weapon harness which hold a Scabbard on his back that had his family's greatsword 'Bůhvrah'. The sword on Ethen's back and when he uses his armor. Under Ethen's cloak made him more big looking and grown up then his real age. Ethen had green eyes, blond hair and pale skin which now more pale due to his seasickness.

Ethen was with 9 others. Two of them was Azcadelia with another unknown passager and Akilia Dosert with a dog. Which was on a palivar that was named Oiolyka. The crew was made from six people. Two of them seem be the captian and first mate and the rest that worked the ship.

Ethen suddenly was hold tightly by a man in his forties, "I take it that you never been on the sea before" said the man followed by with a heartfelt laugher. "I have legs made of jelly and my stomach is doing somersaults" said Ethen holding the contents of his stomach. "Well you have to get use to the moving around this ship but the seasickness, I can help you with some ginger" as the burly man offered Ethen the ginger and he took it and eaten it. "Thank you but I don't know your name. My name is Ethen" Ethen asked. "How rude of me. I'm captain Vega Driftwood, nice meet you Ethen" Vega said laughing.

After Ethen and Vega finished their chat. Ethen look at Azcadelia and Akilia Dosert and wondered who will to talk to him first.

[Akilia Dosert]

Akilia Akilia held onto the side of the ships railing for dear life as the ship rolled smoothly over the waves. She wretched suddenly her body jerking forward, her head hanging over the rail as some spittle emerged from her mouth. Sour saliva, was all that her stomach could force up now. "I hate ships, adventures be damned I'm never going on another one of them by sea." The girl moaned sitting down next to Ginger her creamy red dog that was laying down, panting hard and drooling immensely, gave a small whine of agreement. "The Oiolyka...that's what the captian called it. That's this boat's name." Akilia muttered leaning back on the rail. A warm breeze tousled with her hair before moving off. It made her feel better, the girl set a hand on Ginger's belly and rubbed it gently. "After we fight whoever's on that ship ahead then we'll be going home. Just you watch it will be a piece of cake...hopefully. And if not...well at least we didn't go that way." She was watching the storm that was far away from them and grimaced. Akilia wore her usual light blue simple shirt, dark blue pants, and leather black boots. A black cloak hung off of her slender frame and long dark hair waved in her face. Her dagger was snugly secured in its sheath that hung off of her on its strap at her side. The rucksack around her waist contained some gold mizas, some jerky and a leash for Ginger and a few travel coins. The rest of her gear was down below and so was her pony, Cinnamon. She felt like someone was watching her and her head snapped in the direction of a boy with blonde hair and green eyes. She saw a man moving away from the boy and she assumed the man was the captain or just another crew mate. Akilia touched Ginger lightly on the head and the seasick dog raised it and looked at her friend questioningly. The girl nodded in the direction of the boy and Ginger followed her gaze spotting the boy as well. Impulsively Akilia blurted, "Whatcha looking at?" She called out to the boy more irritated than usual, it was probably because of her seasickness, but then again she lacked much in the way of manners anyway. She gave Ethen the once over with her eyes sizing him up. He was much taller than her and obviously older too somewhere in his teens she guessed. I reckon I don't look very imitating sitting here against the rail. She figured and stood shakily to her feet using the rail to support her. She wasn't quite used to the rocking of the ship yet and believed she never would. She made a few steps over to Ethen leaning all the way on the rail. She halted a few paces away from the boy and asked, "I'm Akilia who might you be?" Ginger groggily followed flopping back down onto her belly once Akilia stopped her advancement.

[Scarlet Evony]

Scarlet was a bit displeased with the wording of her new partner. Yet, she couldn't really be upset with her. There was no doubt that she had started to bond with her, buy didn't know how Lucy would respond when being told that. She could only hope it wouldn't be negative, when the time came. "It's not a condition." She answered briefly, trying to return as warm a smile as she could with her bitter words. "It's my race. Juts because I dislike it, it doesn't mean I can't wear it as a badge either."

She looked around the ship, uncertain what to say. It was true that she wasn't comfortable when humans knew what she was, since that immediately singled her out, making the others throw her dubious looks every once in a while. But what was the point in concealing something she was going to use for the betterment of the mission. "You can tell him. I'm about to start my aerial sweep of the unknown ship. Maybe I can give a bit of insight on the numbers we're up against."

She touched her hand onto Lucy's shoulder. It wasn't enough. It never was, was it? When in a life and death situation, one realizes how much she has to lose in case she doesn't return. And here she was, the first to put her life on the line. An eagle in the open sea. She had come a long way in seven years. "Be safe. If we don't make it through this, you're in a lot of trouble."

And there it was, the best thing, and probably biggest mistake in her life. She poised herself in between Lucy and the wheel, hugging her fully and raising on her toes. Uncaring of what the others said, or did, she pressed her lips onto Lucy's, locking them in a kiss. She wanted, just for once if she was about to die, to know how being close to someone you loved was. Second by second, the time blended in, and she wouldn't let go. It almost felt like she was losing her. The blush in her cheeks, the unsteady bridge floating and rocking their bodies... Nothing mattered, not until their embrace came to an end. "My life to yours, Lucy Tides. Now and forever."

[Lucy Tides]

Lucy sighed at the way Scarlet reacted to her words choice. 'I was only thinking of you and how you hid your race from me when we first met. What ever.' She shook her head refusing for the Kelvic's out burst get the best of her. She nearly did another sigh, this time in relief that Scarlet wasn't to mad and was comfortable with sharing her secret. The hand that Scarlet placed on her shoulder sent her electric chills. 'What's going through your head?' She thought and smiled hoping Scarlet was just being melodramatic since she knew her race would not let their friends die.

The sudden wrap around of Scarlet's arms and her stretching on her toes couldn't have been any more obvious as to what she was going to do next. Lucy leaned down to help and locked her lips with Scarlet's. She wrapped her arms around her, giving her a tight hug. The moment seemed to stand still in time. Lucy's heart was racing, palms sweaty, and her face a shade of brilliant ruby. 'You won't die, I won't let it happen.' She wanted to say as Scarlet pulled away to add one more sentence that nearly made Lucy want to cry.

She brushed her right hand through the woman's long brown hair with a smile. "Don't worry. We may seem savage while going into battle but we aren't stupid. They won't let you die, Scarlet." Lucy said with a smile and then let go of her. "So stop being so darn dramatic already little miss." She said with a laugh and patted Scarlet's head once.

"I know you won't die, I won't let it happen. And neither will my kin." Lucy said confidently. "Now go, find out what lies ahead. You'll be safe if you don't fly low enough for them to see you." Lucy said with a bit of concern in her voice. She turned to Perc, she had forgotten him for the time and just remembered he probably had no idea what the two were going on about. "She's a kelvic." Lucy said and knew this would be enough information after he saw her fly off.

[Scarlet Evony]

With Lucy's blessing in mind, Scarlet removed her clothes, trying not to push herself looking at the others. In a short moment's notice, she had turned into her eagle form and perched on Lucy's wheel, looking straight at her. "Be safe." she said. "All of you." She doubted any could understand bird talk, but it was the thought that counted. No further words to add or feelings to spare, she took for the clear sky.

It was here she finally felt free. The days spent on the casinor had been, in all respect, nauseating. The feeling of ground shaking beneath her feet was unsettling and she'd have traded all of her possessions just to get back to the mainland. But duty called, and in a more important plane, her bond obliged. Even if she would have wanted to steer away from the course, she wouldn't have been able to stand failing Lucy. Fleeing was not an option.

The chilly currents of the sea were gratifying. The wind beneath her wings, the fresh, salty smell of the waves felt better than on the small, busy ship. The flotilla beneath her stretched for much more than she had expected. Most had gone after Braten, but a sizable force had gathered on the unknown ship's trail too. Before starting her scouting mission, the eagle circled a few of the other ships. Taking to the skies, there was nothing to fear. She held true to Lucy's advice at first, flying close to the clouds, seeing the ships as if they were specks of blackness in the water.

Some say an eagle's sharp eye can spot even small things from a tremendous distance. Only part of it is true, however. An eagle can percept movement very easily, but once the whole scenery is a moving battleground, spotting can get a lot more difficult. Unaware, Scarlet grew ever so close to the pursued ship, trying to count the enemies. Unaware she was now at least in eyeshot, she managed to get what she was looking after.

OOC: I don't know what numbers we're facing up against, but I do hope this is a successful enough attempt at breaking the ice for my character.

[Shiress]

"What was I thinking?" whispered Shiress to herself in a regretful tone. She stood near the back of the palivar, arms around her waist, green eyes fixed out across the rippling blue water to the horizon, where a darkened sky hinted of what could have been. The sea was calm - at least that's what the sailors described in passing. From Shiress' point of view near the stern of the boat, where she would soon treat injured, the sea looked calm. Placid, even. The girl had seen thousands of days like these, standing on the hills of Zeltiva as a child. The sort of day that fisherman prayed for. And yet, she leaned against the railing clutching her knotted stomach, feeling each ripple sent against the boat by the gentle breeze and sporadic gusts, plucking up the tips up the water. Her stomach groaned nearly in sequence with the deck as it lifted and lowered again to the water. Since setting sail from the North Shore, she had been mostly alone, left to her own thoughts. She didn't fully understand about who they pursued or even why, but she did know there would be a battle, a fierce one if reading the stern expressions from the faces peering from the vessel toward the one chased defined anything. She knew also that there would be injured, possibly a great number of injured. She only hoped the battle stayed to her north and didn't find it's way to her making herself one of the injured. Again and again, she sifted through the supplies given to her, taking note of the many bandages, herbs, creams and salves. Only glancing ever so often to the more doctorly instruments such as scalpels, knives, saws and other items that made the girl cringe. Gods be prayed to that she wont have to grab one of those. The eve of battle had the crew quiet, slightly withdrawn and definitely short-tempered. Only giving glances as they passed, none giving real conversation other than comparing opinions of the battle, and those opinions were not good. She could only imagine the tense figures pacing the bow of the vessels further up the convoy. Her only hope being that no familiar, befriended faces made it to her in need of care and if they did, she had enough knowledge and skill needed to care for them. The sudden gasps and outbursts from neighboring passengers draws the girl attention to the deck, where a girl, or so it seemed to be a girl from where Shiress was standing, had just climbed into the boat and is now making herself comfortable as her eyes scanned her surroundings looking rather annoyed. She waited for the girl to ease into her surroundings and finish what looked to be a prayer before she would make her way to her for introductions. A friendly face on board would so be appreciated by the girl right about now and she hoped the new comer would accept her offer of the same. As the girl began glancing around again, Shiress stepped away from the rail, hesitating a chime to clutch her rolling stomach while swallowing exceptionally hard, then continued to the girls side. "Um..hello. Im..Im Shiress." She said offering her trembling hand.

[Azcadelia]

Azcadelia Rosan

Seafaring hadn't been Azcadelia's strongsuit nor had it been a weakness. It made her uneasy - for the first hour - at best. After regaining her sea-legs she'd be up and about in no time but it wasn't that time yet. Here she sat, on a barrel, above decks, rocking with the waves. Her lighter blue tunic - elongated to match the length of a robe but short enough to give her ease of movement - swayed with the rocking of the boat and bustling of the wind. The wind felt as if it was in a hurry and as if there was someplace to be, which, there was. Svefra and human alike were chasing after two rather infamous people and their boats.

Of course Azcadelia was placed on the ship going after the mage, one of her own kind, but, supposedly, evil. Or that's how people portrayed the man. Azcadelia herself didn't believe in evil or good, just different motivations for different people. Some just so happened to lead one down a mighty benevolent path or a rather sinister one. It was all good fun, a game of motivation, cat and mouse perhaps?

Azcadelia held the sides of the barrel as her stomach churned the contents. A light breakfast was eaten before boarding - as to be cautious for the occasional stomach upset that came with these prolonged water travels. It had been nearly an hour after she boarded and she was feeling up to walking around but when she heard another person aboard begin to hurl over decks it made her even more uneasy. "I'll sit a little longer," she said to herself.

Just then, moments later, a girl spoke up, talking to the boy that had just puked overboard. Azcadelia listened in on their conversation while listening to the storm that was clashing with the ships a couple of miles away. The multitask of eavesdropping and soothing stormy winds was oddly calming. It was what Azcadelia did best, listen.

The woman was making a very bold statement to the boy, very rudely, Azcadelia had took it. "You don't look so tough over there, hanging off the side of the ship hurling your contents into the sea, now do you, miss thing?" Azcadelia spoke up, turning to face the woman. "Mind to tell the boy you're scolding your name since you're equals on neutral ground?

OOCSorry for the delay, I've been dealing with recovery from wisdom tooth extraction