Song Before the Sea [Solo]

[Trios]

81th of Fall, 510 A.V.
OCC)- Somewhere off the coast of the southern Cyphrus Coast
Also continues on in 1st person until the exit part 4 posts ahead. (unaware of the 3rd person rule)

It was an old ship, by gods this was an old ship. Old captain, old support beams, old mast and sails, this was an old ship to its very core. But it was a good ship it handled superbly in all conditions even though it creaked and moaned at every wave and spray. It was like it’s captain incarnated into a sea vessel it just wouldn’t quit but it would fill your ear at every moment. Working on the mizzenmast it became apparent that my work was going to take a lot longer than I had intended. There was a crack that ran all around the support beams at the base of the mast which meant that I now had to either fill them or replace them. Sure some would say that one could fill the dammed crack for an easy fix but there’s a catch, to much glue and mortar and the mast cant breath and is to rigid and cant flex a bit. To little and the thing might end up breaking and “BAM” down goes the mizzenmast into the mainmast. Replacing it would take days but it would be an easier task like lifting a boulder, easy in concept you just need a lot of effort. I could feel my inner frustration allow my to tap my head against the mast a few times before a heard an elderly laugh near the landing to the deck. “Having ae fun niht there lad?” It was made more in a mocking tone than out of concern. “O so much fun sir, mizzen’s broken and I think the bilge may need a few patches here and there..its going to be a nightmare sir” I said calmly rubbing my face with my non-diamond like hand. Captain Ikesod was a decent man for a captain and he treated everyone fairly if you stayed on his good side. “Ya’ll get it done, aye trust in ya, sides have everything you need anywae” chuckled Captain Ikesod walking very painfully but trying not to show it. The old captain was pushing around sixty years old, the crew didn’t say it aloud but we all knew age was slowly catching up to the man and in this business it was an asset to be at your prime as long as possible. “We need a new ship, I can only keep it going for only so long sir” I said dryly trying not to look into the man’s eyes, instead I chose to begin filling the creaks with my specialty made resin to help seal the cracks. It hurt a bit to see the only father figure I had weather away like the ship, like a rock to the swell time was against them. Plus for being a human too the man had a good way of treating his crew and was a respectable man for being in a carrier that some would consider criminal, but to hell with them. “Thae we do, hahaha, come lad ya can finish ya work in the morn the lads are having som fun on the deck” Said Ikesod slapping me on the back but to me it felt like a slight nudge due to my rock like skin. “I could but then I’d have so much time to do my other tasks capt’n…” I stopped mid-sentence looking at the old mans face and slowly realizing that I’d be the only one left working while the rest spent the night having a fun time. “Sure, why not..do you need some help upstairs old man?” I finished in a attempt at a joke, they seemed to always evade me, it was probably a race thing I had no idea. “Eh now, I could make you work the entire night!” Yelled the old man kicking me to the floor with a very violent kick a smile plastered on his face. Then with a rather rude gesture the old man ascended the stairs and out into the night above. I suppressed a laugh as I cleaned up my workspace before giving a onceover to my work before following suit into the starry night above. As I was going over the far famed Kerry mountains I met with captain Farrell and his money he was counting. I first produced my bow, and then produced my rapier. Said stand and deliver, for I am a bold deceiver, Voices began to fill the air in unison their song seemed to float to the very stars themselves. Upon seeing my blue figure a few crewmates quickly thrust a mug of ale into each arm in calibration at me joining the party. A few even attempted to coax a song from my lungs but to no avail, I was a builder of ships not creator of vocal brilliance. musha ring dumma do damma da whack for the daddy 'ol whack for the daddy 'ol there's whiskey in the jar The song was nice and I felt myself tap to the beat as I forced a few sips of ale. I was never a real drinker which was hard to believe, work was my drug and I lived for it. I also felt a bit of sadness at the calibration and had an idea why the lads were so keen on partying whenever they could, they had no idea what lay in the future with the ship in such a bad state as the captain. One could never cheer to the good times long enough in lieu of such a bleak future I counted out his money, and it made a pretty penny. I put it in my pocket and I took it home to Jenny. She said and she swore, that she never would deceive me, but the devil take the women, for they never can be easy Who knew what kind of future would await…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eOIU9ekSMk&feature=related

[Trios]

As the musically number slowly came to a close to much cheer and the clanks of mugs, I slowly wadded through the crowed towards the captain who was sitting in an armchair overlooking the sea near the stern of the ship. The captain clapped a few times in thanks to the song before draining a mug at the foot of his chair. “One of these daes lad I’m gonne order ya tae sing in front of the whole crew, life’s to short even for your kind” said Ikesog giving me a brief nod in recognition. “I sing with my hands sir, never really saw singing as something I like to do, hear yes, do no” my reply was a bit cold but it was my casual tone that people around here got used to. I slowly walked up to the railing on the deck, noticing that it would need a new coat of water retardant and maybe a few new hatches of wood here and there. “Can you tell me what’s the plan, I know your up to something, first mate wont say a damn thing so I know your planning some-kinda scheme” I continued resting my veined blue hands on the wood while turning to face the captain. The old man looked at me for a few seconds tacking another swig of his drink, wiping his snow-white and slightly un-kept beard before replying in a slightly more serious tone. “O tha big ol’shipwright wants tae nao everything does he…” Then after a slightly awkward staring contest burst out laughing before continuing. “Aye its nothing tae thrilling, just moving some product from here for some lowlife tae Zeltiva. We get half’ere, and paid tae rest un arrival nothing tae fancy. I’d like tae keep it that wae.” One might ask what might ask of what “product” might be, but to get anywhere in business all that really mattered was the price and risk. We’d move dragons if the price was right and we got a substantial bonus for it too. “Might I add that can we please avoid any situations that might be hazardous to our’s and the ship’s health’’ my retort was of cold concern as I gave a inner sigh knowing that speed might be a thing to make sure the ship could give if a situation called for it. A direct confrontation would almost mean death to the ship and the crew would be in a very worse state of being. “Tae price is right, we just gotta keep out of notice and we’ll look like some shabby merchants rather than some shady smugglers, non will be tae wiser” Ikesod said looking back out into the calm ocean, and even from the clamour of the crew behind us I could hear the small waves break against the anchored ship. “Also ey was thinking this was going tae be tha last voyage for the Empty Night, ey was going tae evenly split the cash and will see the ship as my retirement package. There comes a time when old man realize that a life they once had cannot be lived nao longer.” Said the captain looking back into the sea I could have said that the old man was a great captain and could sail for as long as time, but the old man knew as I knew that he got easily ill and wasn’t as fast moving as a man could be. It was hard to lie to an apparent truth as well as talk about the obvious. Standing silently in contemplation was the best option one had when faced with the situation. “Just make sure she’s ready tae sail eh Trios?” “Yes sir” I said nodding to the captain walking away to rejoin the celebration thought in my mind work lists and calculations were running rampant about what needed to be done on the old ship before midday tomorrow.

[Trios]

The below deck was filled with the sounds of hammers and saws as a decent number of the crew was commissioned to assist the bulkhead repairs while I was overlooking the hull conditions below deck. It was hard to estimate the damage on the outer hull since it was submerged in water but with a keen eye one could estimate its condition. A few deep cracks were becoming apparent which meant that they had to be sealed as soon as possible with some resin, cloth and banged into place with a wooden peg to allow for a new wooden plank to be fitted in the hole. “Troy get can you handle this area here? There’s a few emerging cracks here, here and a small one here” I said to a crewmate indicating the points along the hull that needed attention to. Troy was just a gun hand but he had enough sense on simple repairs. The young lad nodded grabbing the proper equipment and started to work a bit more diligently if I hadn’t been watching him for the starting process. “No screw ups, ya?” I said hitting the young man on the shoulder which made him waver a bit thanks to my dense arms. Standing up my deep green eyes would casual glance over the entire hold enjoying the amount of workers the old captain spared to expedite the repair process. It would have been a good three days to complete the work single handed but with a few extra hands the ship would be back to a decent shape near the end of the day, old ships cores were meant to last but constantly needed attention to. I patted the floorboards out of respect, it was my home for the last few decades and it served us all well. It was a shame that old age was tacking the “Empty Night” away from us. And no matter how good of a shipwright I could be I could never fully restore this kind of boat to it’s former glory due to how deep some of the damages and flaws were. Continuing on my path I came to my next point of interest. The mast step, it looked way better than a few days again. The repaired base had its cracks and flaws patched up decently and appeared it could hold for a long voyage or with luck till its last voyage being this one. It made me think, well more than I usually would; the capt’n always said my race was a bunch of cold faced thinkers. It made me think about my future, the crew was sure to disband since no one owned a ship and who would we follow if not ol’ capt’n Ikesod. The first mate was a decent man but not as brilliant in the ways of sailing, he was more of the strong fisted type to keep order and everyone on track, like the fist to Ikesod’s brain he was. So what was there to do? I could serve on another ship but I would rather serve a captain that I respected then one I was forced to follow after a disbandment of a crew. Where would I live? Earn my money? Talk to people whose company I enjoy? It was all a bit frustrating since I knew I had to focus on the current operation more than what was going to happen after. And who new maybe this smuggling gig would give each crew member a decent bonus to start a new life with.

[Trios]

It would be a few hours of constant work before my body would cry for a break while my will wanted to keep the repairs going. Finally allowing myself to pull away from work I made my way to The Empty Night’s main deck for some fresh sea air, working down below with so many others had created a rather sweaty odour that seemed to float around. Climbing up the moaning staircase to the deck my body was bathed in light. It was mid-day now and there was a decent headwind so the masts were full and speed of the ship was at it’s fullest to our pickup location. There is something to be said about the feel of a decently sized ship cutting through the sea like a knife. You felt like you could go anywhere do anything without worry or care, this was a great feeling. Taking a few moments away from my break, I took a longing look at the ship. The Empty Night was a bit large to be a sloop and a bit too small to be a Brigand but still had the bare essentials of a very function ship. Reaching into memory I could recall fixing almost every part of the ship more than a few times, from the floor to the foremast they all had the trademark work that screamed “Fixed by Trios”. Not that it was a bad thing, the crew loved when they saw me working away for it meant that what ever I was fixin was gonna last a lot longer and possibly better. Even with the ten crewmembers assisting me with the repairs below the deck was still busy with nearly 30 men running two and fro in their duties to keep the boat sailing. A few were perched along Gaff’s, topmasts and blooms keeping the sails as filled as possible. The sounds here were a base beat of the ocean with a chorus of voices and personal songs of the crew. The sound was a great comfort, and it was fairly entertaining to hear stories or songs as one worked on their task. It was also a great way to bring people together to allow for a great cooperation without the need for a military like discipline. People were loyal and cooperative here because they weren’t forced to, they wanted to be loyal and cooperative to each other. This place wasn’t just filled with people working, during their breaks some men chose to fish, play music with their personal instruments or simply lay on the deck and relax till they were needed once again. I was doing the later with a slight twist, I like to simply stare out into the blue horizon wondering how far a ship could travel in that direction. “Oi Oi! I got something! HAHAHAHA” Yelled a middle aged human crewmen everyone called Ryos. In his hand was a large like fishing pole bent now in a very steep arc. The man’s face was filled with excitement as he attempted to real in what ever was on the other end. I chose to remain silent but watched with amusement as Ryos spent the next ten minutes fighting the creature on the other end which did not want to come aboard. Until a rather large grey like fish broke the surface and was flopping on the wooden floors. “Ha, cook owes me for this catch he was going to serve a stew with no meat tonight! Not now! Haha” Laughed the man picking up his prize and disappearing down into the ship towards the mess hall. Well that was good news, I was getting sick of a vegetable stew that the cook seemed to fancy for the last few days. Least there was tons of fresh water to go around even though most of the men preferred a more alcoholic beverage. It must be a race thing since I had never thought of the intoxicating liquid that special, while the rest of the human crew enjoyed it immensely. “Well back to work, ugh time to see how the hold repairs are going, then work my way up” I said to myself cracking my neck. At least the work would keep me busy until we reached our pickup destination.

[Trios]

“How’s she looking” Captain Ikesod had found me kneeling against the rail working on the bowsprit making sure it held the jibs properly. “I think we should be ok as long as you remember my advice I gave last night” I replied keeping my eyes on my work before turning to sit on my ass facing the captain. I was slightly tired at the long day’s work but it felt good and my body though tired held a deep sense of satisfaction. “Just keep us going, well get paid and happy soon, were just a few hundred miles from the port near the Sea of Grass, we should arrive around midnight to meet our contact” finished the captain walking away slowly to check up on the rest of the crew. Wiping my brow with my leather hat I sighed at the completed work and the captain’s approval. Now all that was left was assisting where I could in the sailing and fight if some kind of violence broke out. I had done all those things so far in my life and it had taught me how to survive and thrive in the dangerous world. It taught me that life was lived in a way you wanted to live it. The concept of good or evil is all based on ones viewpoint. The only thing that was certain was that I would never betray my crewmates or captain which I had come to know throughout the majority of my life and who raised me since an early age. As I drifted back into memories the thoughts slowly turned into what I hoped the future would bring, having my own ship, sailing wherever I wanted, living however I wanted and maybe just maybe have so much money that I’d be able to buy my own tropical island. Now that was some kind of dream, the latter was a little farfetched but the others were quite possible, the only thing that was really needed was a lot of money and effort. The ship part was a dream that had been seeded within the mind for as long as I can remember. The only thing that I ever had form my race was a few blueprints of some grand brigand class of ship. It was written in the Isur style and had taken me a few years to decipher but given 20 years of ship work it slowly became obvious that it was detailed instructions on how to build a ship of legends. But estimations had put the building of such a vessel at 70,000gm plus supplies and not including the skill it would take to make such a craft. But the end result would be breathtaking, why the very wind would carry the captain’s name if they had such a vessel. My mind raced as I planned for the future and how to accomplish such a task, a list formed in my mind before my eyes were heavy and I drifted off to sleep the ocean spray giving a lullaby for me to sleep to. 1) Purchase Ship building area 2) Earn money 3) Build the greatest ship known to all the races 4) Gain crew 5) Captain the greatest ship in all of the world

[Trios]

“Ahoy Trios! Wakkie Wakkie ya blue bastard we’re here, we need your help with the cargo” Came a voice to whom I couldn’t see where it came from. Nightfall had fallen now and a the owner of the voice was enshrouded and walking away carrying a rather large crate down to the hull. So we had arrived at, where ever this port was in Cyphrus coast. It was probably some unnamed small time place if we were smuggling things from here. That’s usually customary however, get things from unknown places to places that are well known and highly populated, smuggling 101 there since you don’t want to bring tax free goods to a place that you can never flood the market with. Slightly groggy I rose from my sleeping spot near the front of the ship I began my way to the dock were the Empty Night now rested silently ready to take whatever cargo needed to be taken. We hadn’t had a big job like this in a while, the most we had done in the last few years was small town smuggling or minor mercenary contracts. The last few years however we stayed away from ship to ship combat in fear for the captain and ship’s somewhat questionable health. But if the price was right and everyone got their share there would be no complaints, plus the extra gold would be good to boost my goals that I had been dreaming of for some time. Miza wasn’t just going to appear into my possession I was gonna have to do something grand to get it. Some big plunder was needed along with a good financial Miza to boost the process. No big risk no big gain. Some would also be a bit depressed at the amount of work needed, but it was strange work for me just seemed to motivate me more towards the goal. The sweat was almost the very fuel that drove me forward while, I had to question that the crew’s fuel was whisky and ale but I was not going to judge them on that. After all it made a good bartering item since I wasn’t a tankard like the rest of them. “Hahahaha” The thought made me chuckle to my self as I hopped ontp the dock were a large amount of cargo was waiting to be carried. Standing underneath the starry night sky and beside the cargo was the captain who was in deep conversation with whom I presumed to be the financier of this little voyage. “Captain” I said with a nod picking up two stacked crates easily with my blue and grey arms. And with no question we hauled in the 45ton cargo into the hold which took over an hour with most of the crew pitching in with the work. As the work had reached its finality I had found my self standing beside the first mate Yu who was intently watching the captain being handed a large bag of money and being promised more upon a safe arrival. “Its a lot of cargo Yu and were not going to some no-name place. Zeltiva for crying out loud we gotta think of some ace in the whole or the navy will be all over us.” I said to Yu realizing that he prolly wasn’t the best person to talk strategy with. “Eye, but well get though, its not like we look much of threat with this run down threat” Yu said turning towards the stairs to the hold to inspect the shipments. Great, this was just great, there was really no plan to this madness save for just look like shabby merchants in a run down boat. It was a good starting point for a plan, if we were going somewhere “without” the possibility of getting inspected and boarded. And if anyone got a real good look at us, most of the crew isn’t a real case example of high standard appealing merchant. More like cattle herders… Ideas can be fun little things, they start small and in a moment can grow to be such proportions that its almost awe inspiring… “Captain! Could we stay till mid-afternoon, I think I have a business proposition that you may want to hear” I said in my usual cold manner in a bit of a run towards Ikesod, a huge devious smile on my face.

Exit (well posponed till departure)