Book Two, Chapter One

[Moridanu]

Yo ho, yo ho... a pirate's life for me!
by Moridanu on Sun May 11, 2014 9:47 am
~** Placing the brass nibbed pen back in its place on her oak desk, Ruby took a deep breath and let it out slowly, blowing the ink on the parchment she had just spent the last two hours scrawling across as she poured out her heart to a man who would never read the hundreds of such letters she had composed. Once the ink was dry, she completed the ritual of rolling the parchment between nimble fingers, with a growing sense of peace slowly releasing the worried lines of stress which had begun to creep around her eyes and alabaster forehead. Her long dark hair hung loose and brushed over her right shoulder as Ruby Gemma rose from her seat, taking the rolled up parchment over to the large trunk which sat under the left side window of her room. Using all of her strength to lift the lid, she carefully reached in and felt her way around in the darkness until she felt a soft leather pouch which had been hidden under the hundreds of scrolls that almost filled the trunk. Seemingly absently, without thinking of what she was doing, and even as her green eyes gazed out the window, she quickly opened the leather pouch and selected a ribbon. Tying the ribbon around the scroll, she then threw them both inside the trunk, before slamming the lid shut.

She leant against the trunk, her chest heaving as she willed the unshed tears to remain exactly where they were for the time being. Taking deep breaths in and out she allowed the view outside of her window to work its magic.

She had found a small lagoon several months ago, an untouched paradise of crystal clear aqua water, sandy white beaches and lush tropical rainforest that covered the tall mountains which formed around the lagoon in an almost perfect oval shape. The lagoon was only available through a small pathway through the mountains which was just wide enough to admit her ship. Even as she gazed over towards what appeared to be a cave cut into the mountains, Ruby was pleased to see construction underway for the two guard’s towers she had given the order to be constructed only a few days ago. Her keen gaze turned back towards the main beach and the thick rainforest which joined the sandy beach with a gently bubbling creek. In her mind’s eye, she could see the spot she had chosen for her new home to be built. She was toying with the idea of building a tree house as it had long been a dream of hers. Zanis had assured her that it was possible, and she hoped that he was right.

The sound of men laughing caused her to lean out the window and look down in time to see Sebastion and Eric standing up in the small boat they had just rowed back from the beach, and were tossing bananas up to Sean who was balancing on the edge of the deck while catching/dodging banana bombs. Eric seemed to sense Ruby watching as his sapphire blue eyes found hers almost instantly. He tipped her a wink as his smile got broader before he whistled under his breath and nodded his head towards her.
Sebastion and Sean, brothers she had picked up in a port a few months ago, both instantly stopped laughing and offered her a mock salute before Sebastion quipped
~Top of the mornin to ye Cap’ain!~


Ruby just rolled her eyes and smiled at the men.

~Make sure I have one of those bananas with my breakfast..~ she called out, her gaze resting on Eric for a moment longer than the rest, a gaze that he both registered and understood. Ruby pulled her body back inside the window, her knee bumping the trunk beneath her, bringing her attention back to the huge metal trunk which was both polished and rusted in too many places to count. The edge of a sketch she had drawn a few years ago was visible through the cracks of the trunk. She caught a glimpse of those eyes, the bridge of his nose and a lock of his hair before she quickly shoved the sketch back into the dark trunk where it belonged.

Moving away slowly from the trunk, her gaze fixed on it in a silent frozen mark of horror, Ruby jumped when she heard the soft knocks on the door behind her. Running a shaking hand through her dark tumble of curls, Ruby took in a deep breath which she let out slowly and shakily as she made her way to the door. Opening the heavy oak door slowly, she grinned as the sight of Eric filled the door frame.

~Just what I need..~ she purred, before she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him inside her room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


More than a few pleasurable hours later, Ruby left Eric asleep in her bed before she dressed quickly in her normal sailing outfit: tight leather pants, peasant blouse, coat and boots. Greeting the few men who she saw below deck, Ruby climbed the spiral staircase to leave the cool quiet serenity she had needed so badly and entered a hive of activity.

Sebastion and Sean had managed to bring up all the fruits and berries they had found on the island and were carrying the crates down to the kitchen. The Deck Hands were doing their job, washing the decks and mending nets and ropes. Ruby felt a quiet sense of satisfaction when she saw how well the ship was running and she told Zanis of her pleasure over breakfast which she ate as she always did; sitting on her plank, basking in the sun.

The plank was at the front of the ship and what it lacked in length it made up for in width. The men knew that this spot was hers and were therefore banned from ever bothering her while she was there. It was the highest point (aside from the crows nest) and therefore one of the quietest. She had spent many days and nights up here over the past year. For the first weeks after the split, she had stayed here for days on end; protected by Zanis who stood on guard and provided blankets, food and water when either was needed. It had only been when a storm had erupted out at sea that she had finally relinquished her plank and had retired to her room for the next few weeks.

Eating her breakfast today however, and savouring the taste of fresh banana in her mouth, she felt better after pouring out her heart into another letter he would never read. She was working hard at leaving her heart and her memories of him buried deep within that dark trunk. Perhaps today would be the day she would make it through without crying a thousand tears.

She heard a polite cough from beneath her and she waved a hand absently, indicating that her dishes could be taken away. Gazing down at the clear water beneath her she saw the two ships carpenters swimming back to the boat. Their strong backs glistened in the sun, which was now shining directly above the boat. Her romp with Eric had been an unplanned diversion to her normal routine, and Ruby realised that it was now much later than she had realised. She had wanted to set sail before midday, however it looked like that time had passed perhaps an hour before. Almost as if he had read her mind, Zanis stepped up to the ships wheel and began to bark out orders. The carpenters crawled over the edge of the boat near the plank and she smiled at them as she began her downward climb. One of them, a young Spaniard she had picked up somewhere along the way, offered her his hand which she took gratefully as she climbed down the rope ladder. Jumping off the last rung she landed with a thud of her boots just as the anchor locked into place on its winch. As the wind picked up and the ship began to move, Ruby made her way over to the ships wheel and grinned at Zanis.

~Good work my main man… now move over, I want to drive my baby..~

Taking the wheel, Ruby grinned like a loon as she manoeuvred her ship through the narrow gaps between the mountains. She nodded approvingly as the ship glided past the guards towers, surprised to see them almost completely finished. The Spaniard climbed out on some rigging and grabbed his mallet off the right hand tower as the ship sailed past the constructions, the sight of his dark skin glistening in the sun a brief distraction for the young Captain. He felt her eyes upon him and gave her a grin, which she returned in kind as he climbed back down the rigging and landed on the deck before the ship was plummeted into darkness. There was a few minutes of complete darkness as the ship sailed through the narrow passage before the sun shone down upon the crew again and “The Red Queen” left the comfort of her home pot and sailed out to sea.

Zanis barked his orders and soon the main flags were up and full of wind as the ship surged forward. Ruby lost herself in the thrill of sailing, just as she always did and soon the sun was setting below the horizon. She sailed into the night, a large golden moon her only companiion in a sky of midnight blue. The wind picked up and Ruby shivered in the cold, indicating to Zanis that he should take over. Taking her leave from the crew for the night, Ruby cast one last glance around top deck before she opened the door to retire to her chambers, ignoring the questioning gaze from Eric as she descended the stairs, the door swinging shut behind her.

When a knock came on her door an hour later, it was the Spaniard and not Eric who waited on the other side. Ruby greeted him wearing a smile and not much else, and they spent the next few hours exploring the Spanish and English names for various parts of the male and female anatomy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By the time that she left her room, Ruby’s thighs ached with a delicious sense of pain as she climbed the stairs, emerging on the top deck of a ship brimming with excitement. The familiar sights of the port of Darbeljem were popping up on either side of the ship and Ruby shifted her skirts around her as she went and took her place at the ships wheel. Talking to Zanis, as he parked the ship perfectly at the dock, Ruby left a long list of instructions before she jiggled the small leather pouch she had brought with her for this visit to Darbeljem and tossed the leather strap over her head. Tucking the pouch down between her cleavage, she caught Eric’s gaze and nodded as he arrived beside her. Accepting his arm, she walked beside him till they reached the plank and left the ship for the thrills of Darbeljem.


As soon as her bootclad feet hit the galley way, Eric let go of her arm and fell into step behind her, as was his place. Ruby quickly made her way to the three shops she had been planning on visiting, enjoying this feminine pastime of shopping far more than she thought she should. The patchwork quilt she had ordered on her last visit to this port, was waiting for her, wrapped in thin brown paper and tied with a simple bow of yarn. Eric carried the packaged quilt, and the several other parcels and boxes which soon followed.

After putting in another two pairs of boots to be resoled at the Cobblers, Ruby looked up from the busy streets to see the sun had set a few hours ago. Lights twinkled in store front windows, street lamps burnt low and the area had taken on a more seedy perspective almost instantly. She was grateful when Eric offloaded the packages to one of the other crew members so that his strong arms were free if she needed them. Pulling her long jacket closer around her lithe frame, Ruby squared her shoulders and raised her head, the large red heart emblazoned upon the back of her coat symbolising that the Scarlet Queen was back in town as she stalked towards the tavern.

Pushing open the heavy door of the “Pretty Parrot” tavern a few hours later; Ruby was not surprised to see that her men had already found themselves a cosy corner and were singing sea shanties rather loudly. She laughed and went to join them as Eric went to the bar and got them both their chosen drinks. Although all of the men on her ship had shared her bed in some form or another, Eric was definitely the flavour of the month and he wore the title well. The other men automatically cleared a space beside her as he sat down and placed her tankard in front of her. Ignoring the casual arm he placed on the back of her chair, Ruby raised her drink and led her men in a chorus of cheers and more sea shanties.

After a few more drinks, Ruby was starting to see double and the tavern was growing exceedingly noisy. She turned around, searching for Eric to tell him to get her out of here, but he was nowhere to be seen. Finally, she heard his voice and rose wobbly on her feet to follow the sound.

Eric was sitting at a small round table in a tucked away corner, the cards and money on the table suggesting he had been enjoying a game of poker before the fight had broken out. A large bald man was swaying unsteadily on his feet; spit flying from his mouth as he raged.

~You can laugh as much as you want you fuckin tosser but I know what I saw! It’s that ship I tell ya.. the one they always go on about it.. full of gold bullion it is.. I couldn’t pick any up cause it was too deep but I got some coins.. and gems.. and..~

The man clutched his heart and fell forward, his large bulk crashing onto the table sending cards and coins everywhere. Eric noticed one of the coins looked different and he picked it up quickly, eager for a better look. Before he could study it however, a red headed pirate to his left was holding up a similar coin and yelled out ~It’s one of those Spanish ones.. the one from the stories… ~

A hush fell over the tavern and Eric quickly pocketed the coin before turning his gaze towards Ruby. She met those brilliant blue orbs with her own emerald gaze and nodded slightly as he tipped his head toward the door. The tavern began to buzz as all the occupants there that night began to talk of this mysterious coin and the possibility that the story they had all heard in their infancy, hell; the very reason that most of them had become pirates in the first place was in actual fact; a reality.

Ruby tried to make it to the door to follow Eric but was quickly stopped by the throng of people who were now talking noisily in the tavern. It felt like there was no free space, as the tavern was so full of people that night. She began to feel claustrophobic until a cool hand reached out from the throes of the people around her and grabbed her by the wrist.*

[Moridanu]

(Transcript copied with permission from the Mystic Tavern)


by Remus_Adian on Tue May 13, 2014 12:13 am
~a book flies out from behind what looks like piles of books and papers scattered about a beautiful ornate desk. The pile was so tall and disheveled that the large framed man behind it all was completely hidden from view. "Master... you have looked through these books a thousands times already and looked over your notes twice as many. I believe you wouldve found what you are looking for by now if the answers were here." A tall cloaked figure spoke from the corner of study, casually leaned back against one of the bookshelves. His appearance was as its always been and The white cloak pinned around his armor hide all of the beautiful blue plates that lurked beneath. His smiling white porcelain mask was puled off to the side this time and his pale blue skin could be seen in the flickering candle light. His eyes gave off a strange pale blue glow and his short white hair that was spiked towards the back could also be seen putting casting a flickering and ever waving shadow against the bookshelf.

"Quite...im trying to concentrate..." the voice that spoke from behind the measy pile was deep and powerful, rumbling like lazy thunder yet it helf a stern tone. He was clearly not pleased. " If I wanted youre opinion I would have asked for it Shiv."

"Perhaps you dont want my opinion...however if I may make a suggestion. You have searched the world for the jewel and has turned upnempty handed. But I wonder... have you realised thatbyou have only been searching the obvious places... surely this item could have easily been mistaken as a simple pice of common jewelry. Or perhaps it was hidden amongst other treasures." A small smile creeps across the blue faced man.

The shuffling stops abruptly and a simple " go on..." can be heard with a slight hint of annoyance.

" perhaps we need to be looking out at sea. I hear many pirates bury there treasures. What if what we seek is amongst these? What if.. and this is a big what if... but what if one of these mundane took the jewel and hid it along with their treasure like some sort of cache. I doubt that any of them qould realise the true value of what they discovered." He was twiddling his fingers now and the elegant gauntlets he wore would make a slight 'tink' as his fingers tapped together.

Remus, didnt like to admit this very often, but his guard certainly made a strong point. "And how do you suppose we go about looking for this treasure?"

"Like everyone else of course. You of all people know that the jewel cant be found by any magical means...you tried that already. So I propose we find a reputable captain and offer payment."

"Shiv you are clearly oblivious to what you are suggesting. You want me... the Archmage of the largest magical kingdom in history...to step down and ask mere mortals for help. And then you suggest I pay them for their services. You've clearly lost your mind." Remus finally stood up from behind the desk and sort of absent mindedly makes his way to the window. He wore his usual hakama style pants with his traditional heavy coat. And his usual two pegged wooden sandels make deep heavy clunks agaisnt the wooden floor as he makes his way to take in the dying sun. His cold gray eyes seem to stare aimlessly into the distance.

"Master... I dont see another way. You have search for a millennia and have come up.empty handed. And you know nothing of pirates or treasure or where any of it could be hidden. Its only obvious to employ another pirate to find a pirates treasure."

"Assuming a pirate took it of course."

"Master who else would take it? Pirates steal from countless. Perhaps someone else found the jewel and pirates took it from them. Its a long shot but what other options do we have?"

Remus, stood starring calmly out the window for some before finally responding. "Fine...perhaps there is some sense in your idea. The we shall head out immediately. The closest port is Darbeljem so I suppose we shall start our search there."

"If I may make another suggestion. "

"What is it now?"

"Pirates are very superstitious and I doubt any will help you if they know who or what you are. I believe things will go much more smoothly if you disguise yourself to try and fit in."

Once again, his scout, wise as always, made a very valid point. Few times had he ever encountered pirates in his travels and all of them lead to them running for their lives from him lile he was some deadly plague. "Perhaps youre right." He claps his hands together uttering a few words under his breathes before his body beims to give off a soft glow. The glowing image then shrinks about 6 inches and ceases to glow. What remains is a shorter version of himself his gray hair now black and his clothes significantly changed. He now wore a set of heavy folded boots with his flowing tan pants tucked into them. Two thick belts hung at opposite angles from his waistline crossing over his pelvic region with a heavy buckle enscribed with a rather majestic looking lions head. He wore a long sleeve white shirt that flowed freely and hung somewhat loosely off his broad shoulders. He looked like a completely different person. His coat was now more fiting for the time sonto speak and almost looked like a old sailing officers coat red in color with gold trim embroidery. This was his usual coat in disguise and it served the same purpose of his original coat. It surpressed his bodies constant drain of ambient energy. More commonly felt as a drop in temperature near him or when he enters a room. This coat, for the most part, negates that. However their were two things his was unable to hide. The elegant intertwining set of, for lack of a better word, tattoos about his upper body that symboled his use of the ancient runes of power long forgotten thousands of years ago. And the ten gold rings on his hands, each glistening on its respective finger in the soft candle light. The sun was steady setting in the distance and he was ready to finally set out. "Better?" He asked from over his shoulder. Even his voice had changed to a much younger soothing one.

"Much better master. Shall I go on ahead?"

"Yes. Go to the tavern and remain unnoticed. Im sure we are bound yo find a captain somewhere."

"As you wish" and with that the cloaked man gave a casual bow and faded away.

Remus, now alone in his study, took in a deep breath letting it out as a long drawn out sigh. " patience old man... patience. " he then turned and headed towards the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some time later Remus was approaching the entrance to the tavern. He could easily hear the commotion even from down the street. 'Shiv..any luck on findingna captain?' He called out using his mental link to the guard.

Shiv sat crouched above the taverns occupants hidden away in the rafters. Among his many talents Shiv was able to bend light perfectly around himself rendering him completely invisible. 'Yes master... it appears the infamous Ruby Gemma is here. But she seems a little drunk.'

'Im sure the entire tavern is drunk by now Shiv. But perhaps it will be easier to propse this with her like this. Secure a room upstairs. Im coming in.'

'Certainly.' Shiv quickly blinks ( a term used for a very short distance teleport) from his post on the rafters onto the stair leading up to the rooms. Then from the stairs to infront of the last door on the right. Quickly and with little sound if any he picks the lock and enters leaving the door unlocked he hides in the corner of the room still invisible.

Remus enters the bar just in time for the fat man in the corner to topple over and his eyes quickly scan the bar for the captain. Within momments he spots the beautiful young woman. But the tavern seemed to raise altogether and as if they were some uniform mob the oath between he and the captain was barred. Remus quickly starts to weave in an out the crowd slowly but surely making his way towards the woman until finall through the crowd he manages to catch her wrist, his hand was abnormally cool to the touch yet his hands were soft and pleasent. He was no pirate after all. And he even managed to lean in and whisper a quick " come with me..." as he made his eay towards the stairs with her in tow. He was certain the commotion in the tavern would easily hide their retreat upstairs. Not to mention the fact that everyone was quite drunk by now. "Fear not... I assure you im not trying to take advantage of you. I have a proposition to make and id rather makenit in private." He is sure to tell her all things as he drags her tonthe back room. He could feel Shivs presence so he didnt need to ask what room he had secured. Once inside he releases her hand. "Captain Gemma... I have an offer to make you. Help me find what I seek and you may keep all the treasure we find. I will of course pay you handsomely to set out on our voyage. And from then on you keep all the loot. I only ask that I may keep the one piece of treasure I seek." He wasnt sure how forward he was being. And for the time he was unarmed. Perhaps he shouldve through it through a little more thoroughly. At any moment now someone looking for the captain might burst through the door. Remus could easily defend himself but it may just blow his cover. 'Shiv...' he called out mentally again. 'My sword...its back at the tower.'

'Actually master... I took the liberty of retrieving it for you before you arrived. But if I hand it to you now she will see me.'

'I see. Stay close then. We dont know whats about to happen. Sure it could go smoothly but she is a pirate. And quite an infamous one at that. Keep your eyes on the door. Wait outside I can handle her alone.' Or so he thought atleast. Atleast he thinks he can take her without the use of any of his powers or a weapon. Maybe if he came in contact with her an drain her of just enough energy to make her fatigue he may be able to get away with it without her noticing anything strange. She is, afterall, drunk.


by Diandra_Moon on Wed May 14, 2014 9:27 am
She felt the tears threaten, though she only forced herself to take a breath, hold it, and let it out with the two tears that slid down the sides of her face. Her slender fingers crumpled up the hateful words of her kin before they were thrown into the fire. A whore? That was what her own cousin had called her. A whore…All because she had refused to spread her legs for the King.

Spreading her legs for the favor and riches the King would bestow would have made her a whore…The worst kind in her mind. She wouldn’t have been doing it to put food on the table, or pay for a healer for her children, or keep a roof overhead. No. It would have been for what favor she could have ushered for her father and brothers and cousins…For what she could do to further their ambitions…And when she would have lost the favor, as all the King’s mistresses eventually did, they would have lost those spoils, and she would have been left destitute, unless he birthed a bastard to a man she did not love, or worse…Loved but could not gain the love of in return…All because she was not high enough nobility to be considered a proper bride for a King…

She watched as the parchment burned. She had run away from her existence on the edges of the proper court. She hadn’t wanted to be there anyways. She had only wanted to find someone to love, and who would love her. Such was not found in the snake pit of Court. Still, she had been forced to go, in hopes of garnering the attentions of the handsome noble men, and marry into some semblance of the higher echelons of society. Nothing she had wanted, but she had gone, and done as expected, until she was demanded in the King’s bed…Then she had ran away, seeing the fate of such women. She ran away to the only person she thought could protect her from such a fate…Her maternal grandmother…

“Well?” She heard the woman ask. She looked up, the regal woman looking every bit the noblewoman she was, but there was another strength to her. One that she could never explain. She burst into angry tears, burying her face in her hands. She felt the perfumed embrace, and felt the strong hands on her head.

“They say I am a whore, and they do not associate with whores.” She forced herself to breath, to give fire to the rage that was burning inside her, rather than let her silence and shame smother it until she was left with nothing. “Father had disowned me, until I come to my senses and enter the King’s bed. Until then, he has no daughter. How could he sell me like that?! Not even in marriage, but treat me like his personal whore to hand out to whomever pleases him!?”

“He is lacking in character, using a girl to do what he cannot…Gaining titles for his sons by selling his daughter’s chastity and body. You were right to run away. Do not let him disown you, but you disown him. Men who cannot protect and provide for their families, those who would use their daughters in such dishonorable ways, they are cowards, and the gods will curse them. You disown them. You need nothing from them. You have skills of your own.”

“I know herbs. I know some healing. There are a number of others who can do just that.”

“But not with your skill. They cannot touch a plant and know their properties, and how best to use them. They cannot touch a person, and know the illnesses that dwell within, and how to heal them, or know that it is only a matter of time before Death claims them. You have my blood in your veins. My power. You will take yourself out into the world. You are no longer your father’s daughter, but someone who must find themselves. Find yourself. Find treasures that can help you gain what you want. Go. Come back when you have found what you want.”

“I don’t even have a name any more Grandmother. They have stripped me even of that.”

“Then I will give you a new name…” She smiled. “Lyric. Lyric the Healer. Gather your things, Lyric, and go discover yourself, discover what you want from life. Then return, and you can build your future.”

She nodded and gathered her things. Two dresses, simple of design, yet modest, and practical with a touch prettiness…Her bag of herbs, and her books, handwritten in her own hand, and carefully illustrated, with dried specimens for reference. Into her bag went her other tools of her hobby turned trade, and a dagger for protection. She braided her golden hair, hiding it beneath a scarf, and she was as ready as she could be to leave, without wanting to leave…

She found herself walking out of her grandmother’s home, and made her way up and down lanes, until she found herself outside a tavern with a picture of a pretty parrot. She grinned, seeing the name of the place in letters. Apt picture depiction of the name, she supposed. She grinned to herself as she stepped inside…She’d never been to such a place before, and found it to smell foul, and be filled with just as offensive noises to her ears as the place held offensive smells for her nose…

She walked in on a tall man trying to tall to a smaller than he woman. He heard her referred to as Captain Gemma, and it only took a glance to realize that the woman was under some intoxicated duress. The man seemed to want to extort some sort of deal from her…Her help in treasure hunting, in exchange for one piece…

“Excuse me?” She said, her voice hardly heard by those around her. “Excuse me!” She said, trying to get the woman’s attention. “Before you go making any deals you might regret, might I offer you a tonic to help you clear your head of the drink? It would be a shame to do something you might regret later, when a simple tea can help prevent it.” She smiled to the two. She wasn’t trying to hinder the man in making a deal, but she didn’t think it fair, he trying to get the woman to agree to something while drunk…And there was something about it…She wasn’t sure, but she just knew…He was different in a way as she was different…Though more…

“I can easily put it together for you outside, where there aren’t so many to jostle and make noise to keep everyone from talking.”
Diandra_Moon

by Jimmy on Mon Jun 09, 2014 7:12 am
As The Captain strolled down the gangplank and into Darbeljem with the stoic form of Eric in tow, Zanis turned his attention to his duties, Duties that primarily consisted of restocking the ship’s provisions and making sure the usual dockside maintenance was complete. Brass was to be polished, decks scrubbed and mopped, sails struck and inspected (and repaired, if need be), lines checked and double-checked, the list went on and on. Not that Zanis minded, of course – he would be derelict in his duties if he were to try to do it all, or for that matter, any of it. That’s what the crew was here for.

“Okay, ye filthy bunch of flea-ridden harpies, clear the gull shit from between ye ears and listen up! Ye all know the routine by now – nary shall a person set one foot outside this port until I can bounce a seed off the deck from the crow’s nest!”

Zanis cast his steely gaze over the crew of The Red Queen gathered below him on the main deck, his pale grey eyes staring into the souls of the crew entrusted to him under his command. A good lot, to be sure, he thought to himself. But always needing a good kick in the ass, just like the most loyal of mules.

He continued: “Now, let me remind the oversized pile of rotten apples currently staring slack-jawed at me, if any of ye dare to seek the approval of ye job before it has been completed, ye will be subjected to a punishment in direct proportion to the stupidity of ye request. Now get to it men, I know ye all are thirsty for some carousin’, and there be plenty of hijinks flowin’ in town!”

The crew let out a mighty cheer, and the deck of the ship sprung to life again. Men and women climbing over each other, coils of rope appearing and disappearing as pulleys clanked overhead, drawing the eight massive sails down from the three masts and the fore/aft riggings. Anchor chains rattled as they were drawn out across the surface of the gun deck and scrubbed, clearing the lingering seaweed away. The guns were retracted and cleaned, their pairing cannonballs inspected and cycled, their powder stores all meeting the oh-so-unattainable standard: clean, dry, and clear.

Crew were hanging alongside the ship, inspecting the water sealant and surface of the hull. The divers he had managed to bring onboard were a rare (and expensive) find, but their service was invaluable – having someone who could perform a full exterior hull damage assessment outside of a port could mean all the difference in the world out on the open waters. It had taken some convincing of the Captain (many bottles of wine and activities including throwing knife dodging were involved in the six-hour ordeal), but they had quickly proven their worth, and were some of the most respected (and reliable) crew aboard.

As the masses of bodies busied themselves and scuttled about, a wry smile broke out upon Zanis’s face – though it may have been hard for the casual observer to tell. His mouth was but one of the many creases and wrinkles in his deep bronzed skin, weathered by thousands of days of sun while strolling the decks of various sea vessels, and thousands of nights fighting against the harsh winds and storms. Though clearly not of particularly stoic build, he maintained a confident poise – able to sling himself up the netting adoring the ship, or move quickly across the deck to the wheel and back again to wherever he was needed. His skin stood out in stark contrast to his platinum blonde hair, bleached by that same sun over the decades, the loose end of a high-drawn ponytail blowing in the gentle sea breeze, drifting just below his shoulders.

Zanis’s most striking feature, though, was not his hair, nor his face; it was the set of gleaming metal hooks attached to his left wrist, for all intents and purposes permanently. For indeed it was – four foot-long blades fused to a thick steel band permanently welded around his thick wrist, padded by an almost unnaturally soft deerskin lining. Those who had the misfortune to become familiar with this ship and her crew knew full well what this claw was capable of…

But tonight, it instead found its way into an apple, piercing it and maintaining an all-too-convenient grip on the fruit, freeing his hand for a bottle of ale which he took a slow draw from. The crew seemed especially excited tonight, and there were many who appeared to be drawing idle. Perhaps it was time to inspect their work.

**********************

A few hours later, The Red Queen stood shining in the setting sun, her brass reflecting every beam of glistening light, her decks scrubbed and polished, her sails rigged and prepared. The deck lanterns twinkled in the approaching darkness, illuminating the grand vessel from bow to stern in a warm light. About 30 feet below him, the crew waited, nervously eyeing an approaching flock of seagulls.

“Eyes up, maggots!”

Zanis took one more bite from the core of the apple still affixed to his claw, selecting a single seed and withdrawing it from his mouth with a free hand. The rest he spit well off to the side of the ship – he wasn’t completely heartless to the crew, after all. He placed the seed between the tips of his fingers, and extended his arm out from the crow’s nest, wrist angled towards the deck below.

“It’s time to see if ye disgusting half-alive corpses have met the requirements of this ship and its captain! Ye know the rule – if the seed bounces, ye are free to disembark! If not, everyone starts over again. Ready!?”

The faint cawing of the approaching gulls grew louder as the sun began to finally dip below the horizon. From this height, nobody could see the slight grin covering Zanis’s face, though. He, after all, wasn’t a completely heartless bastard. For whatever reason, the crew seemed to really want to get off the ship tonight, so they had actually performed their duties faster than expected. Unfortunately, that he wasn’t a completely heartless bastard meant that he was one to some degree, so the crew had now set a new standard of performance that they would forever more be held to. They had earned their shore leave tonight, but he wasn’t going to just hand it over.

The assumption of uncertainty was important for a pirate crew, after all.

He leaned out further, staring straight down at the deck below him and flicked the seed from between his fingers, following the path of the mast through the various tangles of nets and ropes, narrowly missing multiple riggings several times before finally striking the deck. It hit and bounced back up several inches, jumping and skittering along the deck surface for several feet before coming to a rest.

Upwards of eighty sets of eyes turned immediately upward. Zanis’s smile widened, clearly obvious in the last light of the setting sun. He raised the apple to his mouth again and took a bite, shouting down to his crew:

“Alrighty, me mateys, remember: we set sail first thing in the morning. If ye are not in tip-top shape, ye shall pay. Now go forth and do what we pirates do best!”

A festive cheer broke out, and a stream of bodies began piling down the gangplank towards Darbeljem.

********************

Shortly thereafter, only the handful of hired dock guards remained outside the ship, and Zanis descended down the netting from the nest to the deck, venturing into the crew levels to retrieve a moderate-sized bag from his quarters, which he then slung it over his shoulder and made his way down the gangplank, heading off the main venue onto a quiet side street towards a small tavern, barely noticeable in the surrounding buildings.

Zanis pulled the iron handle on the door open and slipped inside, drawing the thin wooden door closed behind him. On one side of the room, an elderly woman waited behind a short desk. Upon spotting him walking in, the woman smiled and beckoned him closer, drawing him into a hug before settling back down into her chair.

“Zanis, my dear…so good to see you. Been keeping yourself out of too much trouble, I hope?”

He chuckled in response, reaching into his bag and withdrawing a small satchel, containing a bag of herbs that he had collected onshore while moored in Captain Gemma’s lagoon. “But of course! We haven’t even been out on the open waters in over a week. That’s from a local supply, so I should be able to keep it flowing. While we’re in the area, anyway…” He stared out the window, the Queen twinkling in the twilight down on the pier, the whole city of Darbeljem slowly starting to shift into evening. Street lamps were lit, shops closed and taverns opened, the port city’s economy would soon shift from mercantile trades to debauchery now that a fresh ship of pirates had landed in port.

Except for Zanis. While he was perfectly fine with Darbeljem acting as the previous-home-port-of-call-turned-first-landing, he took a different tack on what docking here meant. For his men, it was a reprieve until they were called back to duty; a chance to live the glorious part of any pirate’s life. But Zanis saw Darbeljem differently, for one reason: this unpublished house of miracle workers. He had not uttered a word to anyone but The Captain about the existence of this place. Its secret would go to his grave otherwise.

Pulling another bag out of his larger one, he handed it to the older woman, rolling his eyes slightly as he gave her the details.

“At any rate, The Captain’s…eh, personal affects…are in there this time. She requests ‘the most utmost attention possible’ to those items.”

A gruff laugh erupted from behind the woman, and an older man emerged from the shadows of the room. He held a pipe between his lips, and a faint fragrance of cherry was noticeable in the smoke that emerged. He leaned forward and took a long draw on it, releasing the smoke in a low-hanging, cherry-apple infused cloud, and spoke.

“Marie will see to it that you, as well as the good captain, will have clean garments out the other side. As far as your other equipment is concerned,” – he motioned towards Zanis’s steel-plated armor – “are you going to need anything done with that?”

Zanis nodded, motioning towards the open door on the opposite end of the room. “Just a quick glossing-over. Haven’t had any real incidents since the last time I was in.”

Marie nodded, motioning towards the back room. “Well, you go ahead and get yourself settled in back there, sweetie. Bring Jack out your armored bits – whatever you call them – and dinner will be ready in about…oh…” She turned and looked towards the fire burning in the corner, the delicious scent of roasted potatoes mingling with a dripping ham leg wafting throughout the establishment. “…figure half an hour. Just get cleaned up and come on out whenever you’re ready.” She smiled, and took both bags on the counter into a door behind her in the darkened corner of the room, and Zanis nodded at Jack before turning to his room.

Zanis stepped through the door and closed it behind him, beginning to remove his armor one knot at a time. First the bracers, then the chestplate, then the greaves, then the boots – just as he had been taught in the King’s army. A routine he had practiced every day since first learning it. A routine that bound him to his discipline - sure as the sun rises, he would have his armor affixed to his body. Many had asked why he chose to maintain a heavy suit of armor given the risk it provides on the open seas – none had received a response other than a smirk and a sly nod. “It’s easier than you’d think” was his de-facto response.

Approximately half an hour later, Zanis sat in the dimly-lit interior of the main hall, dressed down in his evening wear – a black long-sleeved shirt buttoned loosely over a white short-sleeved shirt, a leather belt holding a tan pair of khaki trousers up over a pair of black boots. His posture over the plate below him resembled that of a troll, or maybe a sulking nightmare beast – wide-eyed, ferocious, and curled around the object of his attention in a most peculiar way. The delicious scent of butter and rosemary wafted off the potatoes and into his nostrils, mingling with the hickory-smoked flavor and scent from the ham, now bubbling and dripping with the glaze that had been applied to it over several hours. Jack took Zanis’s plate once he had cleared it, and Zanis took a deep draw off his bottle of ale.

“Jack, Marie, you’ve outdone yourselves again. That was absolutely FANTASTIC. Tonight, I think I’m going to turn into a lesser form of rock when I’m asleep.” He leaned back in his chair, resting his palms on his stomach. “If you ever feel like experimenting and trying something new, let me know and I’ll see if I can find it. Marie, I swear you could make shoe leather taste like grilled pineapple.”

From a room beyond his room, Zanis could hear Marie laugh. Her response was indicative of their friendship: “Zanis, if you bring me something, I’ll cook it. But you have to eat it.”
Jack chuckled from the opposite side of the structure. “You mean he and I, my dear? I seem to recall having only two options for dinner these past 40 years: take it -or- leave it. Zanis, I have you to thank for not eating that shoe leather you mentioned.” Jack then brought the bulk of Zanis’s armor out to him at the table, glistening in the glow of the lanterns that adorned the interior of the building.

“Checks out with a clean bill of health. No rust, no loose or torn bindings. Rivets still seem good, but you may want to get the padding checked out in about six months or so. Alazair across town could take care of that for you, if you brought him the materials necessary. Let me know if you’re ever interested.”

Zanis nodded and collected his armor, moving slowly towards his room. “I’ll keep that in mind. For now, I’ll stick with what I know and Marie’s magic.” He grinned and motioned towards Marie, who was hanging the bag of garments in full view near the fire. Jack turned two visible shades darker of crimson and loudly announced his retirement for the evening, moving to the private room that he and Marie shared.

Marie’s smile gradually faded as she finished hanging the last of the garments up, turning briefly towards Zanis before retiring to her room. “Those herbs you brought me will make a wonderful beef roast, child. Just let us know when you’re back in port and I’ll make sure to have something delicious for you.”

Zanis chuckled once more and leaned down to give Marie a quick peck on the cheek before turning in for the night himself. “I’ll see if I can find a leg of lamb for you; with some fresh mint that would be incredible, given your talent. Indeed, I shall keep you in mind. Good evening, m’lady.”

After closing the door and placing his armor down on the table adjacent to the door, Zanis removed his shirts, revealing a torso adorned with scars of all shapes and sizes. The stories behind these scars were left untold, known only to those who either rendered them or witnessed them, however; Zanis never revealed these injuries to anyone – not even the Captain. It was his sworn duty to portray the image of The Red Queen, after all…but just as the scars from past battles had been covered over by the crew in time, so too were his past scars to be covered over and remain safely in the past. The armor made covering them all that much easier, lending itself naturally to the cause. As far as he was concerned, he would take the years of injuries suffered to his grave, for surely he would be the last standing of his crew, the last witness to their demise.

Other than The Captain, of course.

Zanis pulled himself into bed, extinguished the lantern on the bedside table, and laid back, the immobile, stuffed mattress providing a valuable change from the rolling seas and sleeping pads he had grown accustomed to. Here, for the low price of a few herbs, he could go to sleep with a full belly, clean clothing and armor, and a slightly elevated blood alcohol level.

Given the average night outside of Darbeljem, the uncertainty of the open seas, the constant effort required to keep almost a hundred kindred souls in line in the darkest of times and during the most bloody of encounters, this small bit of solitude on a dimly-lit street in a pirate town was a welcome reprieve.

Zanis’s eyes slowly slid closed, and he drifted off to the most comfortable sleep he had been able to get in weeks.


by Moridanu on Thu Sep 18, 2014 8:27 pm
( I apologise for lateness, shortness and suckage. BUT.. I POSTED!@!@ )

*The walls of the pretty Parrot tavern danced around her as she swayed back and forth; the peeling dark wood providing the perfect stage for the hundreds of pirate faces that pirouetted and pranced before her. This sense of movement was so intense that it took her a few minutes to realise that she was the one actually moving. The cold hand gripping her wrist seemed to take control and she allowed herself to be led down the hall as her feet dragged behind. Emerald eyes scanned the dancing pirate heads for Eric as they faded into nothingness at the end of a long, dark hall that soon merged into nothing but a small room and the cold hand around her wrist. Staring down at it for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration as she found herself studying every fine detail of the hand that had dragged her here.

~What the hell was in that rum?~ she croaked as her gaze darted up to lock eyes with the owner of the cold hand. He seemed… strange somehow.. different from the usual company she kept. She knew that she should be focused on the words that were now tumbling from his lips but she found herself distracted by the wall behind him. ~Stop moving..~ she whispered to the wall, holding her head.

Almost as if she were sent from the Gods themselves, a fair lady appeared beside her, bathed in a golden glow. Beseeching her to be cautious and offering to make her a tonic to relieve her current ailment, the woman served as a timely buffer for the man who had begun to speak of hiring her to find his lost treasure. Returning her incredulous green gaze to rest upon the man, Ruby arched a slender dark brow as she asked ~”Treasure?” .. pft… there’s no real treasure to be found anymore…~ Slurring her words, she wobbled unsteadily on her feet, reaching out to the woman beside her to steady herself. Nodding emphatically whilst simultaneously wincing at the pain this movement caused her heavy head, Ruby offered the woman a grateful smile.

~Outside sounds…~ she shrugged and floated over towards the door where she began to fumble with the door knob. ~… mmhmm…~ she mumbled something that sounded like treasure or pleasure before disappearing out the door. That long dark hall appeared again followed by the din of the noisy pirates, but this time she had control of her own journey. Half skipping and stumbling through the thick throng of tanked and tired men, she crossed the threshold and emerged into the refreshingly cool ocean breeze that Darbelgem was well known for.

The golden moon hung low above the bay, ripples of luminous pearl reflected off the dark waves that churned beneath shadows of ships silhouetted against a sky of inky blue. Despite the late hour, the dock was far from empty as she stepped onto the knotted wood and moved towards a nearby bench. Before long she was joined by Eric who had been frantically looking for her inside the tavern. He was just beginning to tell her about the Spanish coin he had pocketed when they were joined by the fair haired woman and the strange man with cold hands. Greeting them both like were old friends, Ruby held onto Eric to stop the spinning dock beneath her as she waved them over. Her voice was high and lilting as she sang ~This gentleman seeks treasure….. this lady offers a drink… I drank too much, not ate enough and now I thiiiiiinnnkkkk…~

Whatever thought she was thinking was lost in a flurry of giggles followed by a low moan. Holding her head, Ruby groaned ~I need to sit down…. where’s Zanis?~ She looked up at the man with the cold hands. ~If you want to hire me… you need to speak to him. He knows me better than I know me… he knows what’s what…~ She looked around for him. ~Oi! ZANIS!!!~ she yelled into the murky night. *

Moridanu

by Remus_Adian on Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:16 am
Shiv stood silently at the back of the hall watching the patrons come and go from their respective rooms while remaining invisible and perfectly still. The sounds of this new woman wondering up the stairs put him on edge. He wasnt sure why, but he could almost feel that she was about to barge in. 'Master...', he called out telepathically, 'theres a woman about to come in.'

'What?! Why didnt you stop her?' Remus responded with slight annoyance in his tone. This was often the problem with Shiv. The bastard always followed orders to the smallest of details. Sure Remus didnt actually say stop anyone from entering, but it should've atleast been implied.

'You didnt tell me to stop anyone. You said keep an eye on the door. So I did.' Shiv let a small smile creep past his lips. He enjoyed causing little issues like this, playing innocent tricks and games with Remus. It certainly birghtened his day doing so and its not like Remus could stop it or do anything about it. The two shared the same body. The outside manifestation of Shiv that stood in the hallway was merely a sort of apparition, a very powerful form of one that could actually interact with the physical world when he pleased. However, the longer Shiv remained outside of Remus, the more mana he drained from his master. For the most part Remus was able to counter act this drain simply by removing his coat and letting his body absorb ambient energy. Once they set sail, this drain wont be a problem at all, he could just walk out on the deck without his coat and the heat would be enough to not only sustain the summon but also replenish the mana drained over night. He could essentially keep Shiv summoned around the clock, which is usually the case anyway. Having been together for more than a millennia or two, the two have grown attached to the others company. Like a symbiotic relationship, only Remus is the one thats always in control, for the most part anyway.

'I didn't sense any ill intent from her so you needn't worry.' Shiv, while not processing any sort of special sensory skill to determine such a thing, certainly has a keen eye for discerning peoples intentions and reading peoples body language. He had a very strong knack for it that bordered on supernatural and tonight he hoped his intuition was right in letting the woman pass.

'Thats not the point!' He was clearly annoyed. 'the more people that know about this deal the harder it will be to keep a secret. You think i want anyone of then to know what we are actually looking for?!' He knew at some point he would have to tell at least the captain what it is he was actually searching for. And when the time comes to do so he had a perfect explanation for it without actually telling her the truth.

Just then, the woman Shiv was speaking of burst through the door. Remus quickly turns and stares at her with his cold piercing eyes. While smaller than his true self he still stood at a full six foot, his boots made him an inch or so taller still and his broad shoulders and heavy coat made him look like much larger than he actually was.

He had absent mindedly released her hand in the frustrated conversation with Shiv, and therefore was unable to subtly influence her decision. While Remus possessed no form of mind control, his touch and his voice had strange effects on certain people that were susceptible to that sort of thing or had a weak will. Ruby, im her current state perhaps had little will if any as the liqour coursed heavily through her. At this point it was the will of the rum making her speak and move about.

"And good evening to you miss, but it is quite rude to barge in uninvited" he snapped, but his tone remained almost careless and relatively calm. One way or another he will get what he wants and this was merely a set back. But the captain easily dismissed his request with something that never occurred to him. Once again he became frustrated with his scout.

'Shiv... you told me that pirates search for treasure. And of all the captains out there we have to pick the one that doesn't search for treasure anymore. What good is she to us?!'

'She is the best captain around, master. Atleast rumor has it she is the best. I'm certain you can convince her to take the deal. After all, you need something to spend your vast wealth on.' Suddenly a witty planned dawned in the scouts mind. 'Master, if she doesnt believe in treasure. Why not create a treasure for her... you could spare some gold and riches and I could arrange it all for you, you need but to lead her to it. She finds it, believes there is more to be found and then we set forth on our true journey.'

The sudden plan that his scout whipped up out of nowhere was nothing less than brilliant. Instantly all previous annoyance and frustration vanished and his eyes drifted back to the captain. "What if I told you that I know where to find a small treasure tr..." he is cut off by her suddenly stumbling away out the door. "Wait!" He calls out to no avail. Shit, everything would have gone according to plan if he only had a few more minutes with her, yet already he could tell that this would be quite a journey.

'Shiv... stay close but intangible. I don't want anyone to accidentally bump into an invisible object, im sure that would raise some suspicions. ' he suddenly realized he was still unarmed. 'If anything happens, don't take action unless I state otherwise.'

'Understood' the scout replies simply.

Remus doesn't wait for his scouts response before quickly heading out to follow his would be captain. Muttering a quick "excuse me" as he made his way out of the door.

Shiv remains standing in the back of the hall silently for a few moments pondering on the strange girl that walked in on the duo. He could feel something strange about the girl, but he was unable to pinpoint exactly what it was. After a few brief momments he follows after Remus, and in his intangible state he simply moved through the door on his right, opposite the room they just left. This room had a couple in the middle of some hot and heavy action but Shiv showed no interest and continued silently to the outside wall, phasing through it effortlessly and floating down to the ground where he once again became solid yet remained invisible. He makes his way around the narrow alley that led to the front of the bar just in time to hear the captain's drunken song. Remus followed shortly after.

The mage steps out the door into the cool night air in a hurry, but slows to a casual walk as she begins to speak. Yes, he was seeking treasure, but as a sort of incentive he was also offering treasure. In fact, he was offering some of his personal stash that included everything from old spanish gold coins, to jewel encrusted necklaces and chalices and a myriad of other things of value. While it wasnt technically where he would say quite yet. It would be there by the time they traveled there. Hearing the captain stumble through her words, as comical as it sounded, was actually quite troubling. She just told everyone in ears shot that he was seeking treasure. Thankfully she didnt specify that he was seeking one particular object.

'Shiv... I would greatly appreciate my sword before you set out on making preparations for this master plan of yours.' He said through his mental link immidietly noting his scouts presence walking around the corner. " well.... who is this... Zanis and when can I speak to him?." Not that he was pressed for time or anything. Afterall, time was an irrelevant concept to him.

'Already on it master...' Shiv was walking around the bar and had quickly made his way to Remus, standing behind him, the two still had some distance between them and the crowd. 'Turn around and take it from me.'

Remus, then, as casually as he could manage, turns around just as his scout passes him the sword. The mage quickly tucks it away under his coat and by the time he turns back around to make his way closer to the crowd his fabled red bladed jian was mounted at his hip. The long red tassel that hung from its pummel could only be seen when the calm nightly breeze blew by forcing his coat back if only slightly. He quickly realizes that even if he tell Ruby of this treasure that he planned on planting for her, he would still need to consult the illusive Zanis before any deal could be made. 'Shiv... head back to the vault and make the preparations. I will be needing a location to provide these pirates. Be quick about it will you'

Shiv simply nods and begins to walk back around into the dark alley where he would crouch producing a small piece of chalk from under his cloak and begin drawing an intricate looking glyph. Within a few moments he finished then stood and stepped directly in the center of it and without warning he vanished. The glyph om the ground left behind a faint pale glow before slowly fading away, erasing itself as if it had never been there.

Remus, now began to approach the crowd of pirates, now armed he felt confident that he could easily deal with the crowd without blowing his cover if things somehow turned sour.

Remus_Adian

by Diandra_Moon on Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:36 am
She looked up at the one who was chastising her. The air was cold around him. Her mind whispered a subtle warning, not because of the cold air around him, but that he was male, and her upbringing, being alone with a man meant quite a great deal of trouble. Why would she allow a woman who would have trouble protecting herself to be alone with someone of questionable motives? That meant anyone who thought to get alone with a inebriated woman. He obviously didn’t like it, which only confirmed her suspicions that someone had been up to something.

She was also brought up to never apologize. Only low-born peasants did such things. Though…She grinned, and didn’t say a word to him, following after the woman.

Her feet carried her one step after the next. She stopped to purchase a few bananas from a vendor, keeping an eye on the woman, and moved along to follow her towards the docks. She could make a drink with the banana and some honey, or use some of the ginseng and honey from her bag to help the woman with a headache that was sure to come. She had other herbs that would help, but these were the simplest, and least time consuming to prepare.

The other one had disappeared. Still, she continued on. Men all around, and she without guards…She had poisons enough if someone thought to not keep their hands to themselves.

The female Captain was obviously having a rough time of things, and she gave a soft smile, slender fingers reaching into her bag. She didn’t have much…But…She broke an end off the loaf of bread, and she took a wrapped wedge of the cheese from her bag. “Here, Captain. This should help. I can make you something if you need it later.”

It would do her no good to ask the woman questions. She would save them for this Zanis, or wait until the Captain was in a better condition.
Diandra_Moon

[JamesNautice]

From The Frozen North

"My strengths been tested...I wear the scars that prove...Still I believe this calling will see me through"

Tired eyes looked out at chunks of ice disappearing and reappearing in a dense fog intensified by flurries of snow. A stark contrast to where he had been in the tropics, tan and enjoying the sun and rum. And behind those eyes, thats back where he was below the decks of the Abyssal Lady with Gem. The ride that he had gone through, it had almost been unreal how things had been so up and down. When he had first joined a crew, and worked his way to captain he would always think the same thing about piracy but then the adrenaline of a freshly finished raid and the heat of a body against his would always remind him that he wanted nothing more. James could scarcely remember why he was here, in the north sea where his ancestors had come from. The long ship he sat in was decorated by colorful shields and led always, by the head of the serpent. It was a far cry, and in this era, obsolete compared to what he was used to in a galleon. In reality, he knew that he was learning, experiencing almost the first form of piracy. Tanned skin had lightened a bit, and a beard covered where trimmed facial hair used to be. His hair was braided and made to look like the men around him. James stayed in a trance until he felt the nose of the boat run aground while men rushed passed him to throw mooring lines to those standing on the beach. Even with the shock, he still moved almost at a shuffling pace tired from the voyage like the others. James watched, almost hurt, as the men were greeted by their wives and a simple life took another cycle. The rest of their people had moved on to frigates, galleons, trade ships of the modern era, but these people still held onto bits and pieces of their now shattered past. The largest structure was a wooden gathering hall, built by stacking notched logs with mud for sealant between the cracks. Everyone moved towards this place, where the large fire roared and the smell of food was the strongest. James had his place, along with a man named Thorvald and his family, whom affectionately, but wrongly, referred to him as the "Italian". He did eat but he was almost always quiet, only speaking when a conversation seemed to need his input. In his mind continued a dialogue that had played out for so long, because his heart was broken and if he was to return after everything that had happened before would she ever take him back. She almost killed him last time and he had definitely killed one of her dearest friends in the process. That death weighed on him the most, but even still while he blankly stared into the dancing flame he would speak to Gem as if she was sitting beside him.* "Hello Gem. Its been a little over a year now. I dont know if you know what happened, but I will always be sorry that it did. Perhaps someone was jealous of what we had recaptured, or maybe they were angry at his death. We had done so much in the past, they didnt even want to make a public spectacle of it. Maybe not saying anything was part of the plan. I was tried secretly by several crowns, months spent between countries just so that affluent men could mock my rage and stupidity. Thorvald had been in a frigate that day, he knew who I was and so did the crew. I didnt know, I said my goodbyes as the rope drug me helplessly to the bottom of the bay. I did blackout, and I awaited something to come. But I woke up in a ship once again, cold and covered in furs. I have to pay them back, and then when I come back if you want it, you can take my life and be rid of the demon of my memory. Dont know why I didnt say that before, but I guess I was too much of a coward to tell you. Today I am closer to coming home, infact now I only need to acquire safe passage back. But I am coming, to death or life, I welcome the freedom to be away from this frozen hell." *The conversation always played out like they had been talking every day, and in the slight darkness of the flickering flames a tear would run down the grime on his cheek. It was always the sign for him to take Thorvald by the arm in congratulations of their homecoming before James would disappear from the mass to his own small hut among the village. Under what felt like a mountain of furs, James would rest his tired and aching body and as his eyes closed he would always pray, and pray hard to dream of being back in the hot days and warm nights. The smell of spray and rowdy yelling of the crews as they drank their tankards empty. But most of all he prayed that all night he felt like he wasnt alone, in this hut so far away from home.

"And I hear this calling, still you dont seem so far at all...And I hear this calling.."

(Lyrics from "This Calling" by All That Remains)

[JamesNautice]

The Abyssal Key

"Sleep tonight...no more crying...cause' I got you on my side..."

*The next morning it was colder, the fire had dwindled to embers and small blue flames dancing about. James however was warm, cocooned if you will, inside of the furs that had been heaped on top of him. He had been blessed with good dreams, and right now he was on a supply run with Gem in London. Of course there were a few more intimate details, and those thoughts were of course the last events before his dream-state was shattered by a shove of a foot to the heap of furs on top of him. James would scramble for his sword, cut short by the sound of Thorvald's gruff and low laughing. Then a few words in broken English.* "You..boat...here." *Thorvald would motion towards outside before disappearing. James would take a deep breath, he thought they were going to be back in the village for at least a few more days. A stretching of his body would bring a few pops to bones not quite set right after the abuse. His body demanded that he put on the fur clothing that Thorvald's daughter had made him, heavy against the sore frame but the warmth made him ignore the fatigue of something so remarkably heavy. James finally moved into the sun, his darker hair dirty and frizzed at the extreme cold, not to mention it wasnt recommended to get yourself wet during the winter. The long beard was ever present tool for protecting his face from the harsh winds. The weather had cleared up over night, the sun was small and high and so extremely bright white. Winter was unusual, clear skies and sunshine meant that the temperature plummeted. He had gotten used of it, and the people here moved about as if there was nothing going on, long streams of steam rolling out of their mouths. James would take a moment to watch them all before turned his head towards the icy bay, wondering how they got the boat stocked so fast after that long journey. There was not a long boat, or some Norwegian frigate, no....black sails and extremely rare red trimming and the sight of her almost dropped James to his knees in the show. The Abyssal Lady had sought out her key. James began to move down towards the docks, almost in defiance of accepting that this was real. Had she not been scuttled? Suddenly he could hear shouts, men and women not dressed for this climate were led by Thorvald towards him, if he had not been a pirate it would have been enough for him to weep. Indeed, it was hard not to give into the urge to cry especially when every member of his crew rushed forward, and in very un-piratey way, squeezed the hell out of James. But he did not hesitate to greet them back, all amongst barbs about the way he looked like savage. Michael, his first-mate, had been behind almost in disbelief that they had actually found him. So when the two long time friends came face to face, you would expect something heartfelt instead came maniacal laughter as Mike exclaimed* "AINT NOTHIN' CAN KILL CAP'N NAUTICE!" *Events afterwards seemed like a flash, there was lots of trade between his crew and the village and James made sure to give quite a few extra gifts, including a couple of his pistols, powder, and shot as a thank-you to Thorvald and what he had done. Loading was fast, as it always was, and the Lady left the village behind in a better state than when they had arrive...very odd feeling for James as he had left so main cities in ruin. The voyage was achingly long but just to move, just to be back in his cabin warm and full of food he was used to, he could enjoy it even if this trip was to his own death. There was a very different James sitting there this evening however, face trimmed down so that the handsome lines of his face werent completely smudged out by the mass of hair. His hair was clean, cut, and pulled back out of his face behind his head. Furs had been replaced by his standard garb, heavy black coat pulled about his shoulders to hide the many belts carrying a few pistols and his cutlass. James had just finished recording his thoughts from the other night, placing the piece of vellum aside for the fresh one underneath. The quill dipped into the ink, he would speak as he would write.* "The Lady was here today, I dont know how or even if she is real. Perhaps she was rebuilt by memory. It doesnt matter. The crew found me, our last trip down the coast had apparently sparked some interest in who I was that somehow made it to them. They were already in port and just sailed a little further northeast until they found me. It will still be a long time before I will reach you and I hesitantly enjoy the luxuries that I had almost come to forgot as a Captain. Even if you have moved on, possibly found someone else..I am coming home Gem. And you will know how sorry I am, and even if you cast me aside in that moment...I will have seen you once more and at one time I prayed so hard to God that I could see your face one more time. Perhaps this is my one answer. I still love you, I will always love you. No matter how far away I am, I will always be there if you need me. Time to sleep in a real bed for first time in a year...dreamt about you last night and London...Till we meet again, James."

"Hold me in your arms, take me to the place..where..you..are"

(Lyrics from "I Climb" by Thousand Foot Krutch)

[JamesNautice]

Côte d'Azur

"And she bleeds for love forever gone...Drunk on shadows and lost in life...Killing ourselves a kiss at a time.."

Their journey had not been remarkable, or perhaps remarkably they hadnt had any trouble sailing down the coast. In and out of ports they went as needed, trying to keep the Lady as light and fast as possible. The rocky, green coasts of the northern side of Europe slowly broke down into the crystal blue waters and white sands of Southern France. They were lucky enough to be at the high-noon hour when Nice came into view, their recent stay at Toulon had been a reminder of simpler days when all the crew had on their minds was raiding ships and spending the riches on mortal sins. But there was an anxious vibe to see the beautiful sprawling French city surrounded neatly by mountains and making it arguably the most beautiful port city in the world. While the Abyssal Lady was here she could fly the French flag for safe passage into their ports. It was probably one of the only legitimate ports in the world where their pirate crew could moor at the docks with the help of the local French military. And they did meet them at the docks shouting at them for the moor lines which were quickly tossed and the Lady was lashed to the docks, a beautiful ship in an oddly beautiful environment. James would be met with the familiar face of Captain Velieux, smiling and hugging the captain as he came off the ship. James would let out a laugh and offer a smile.* "Bonjour mon ami. Ca va?" *Velieux would chuckle alittle bit and begin to walk James down the docks as the rest of the crew sured up the decks and then made their own way into town. The french Captain would speak as they kept coming down.* "Tres bien James. The Governor was very happy to hear that his favorite privateer hadnt found a shallow grave in an English bay. He still petitions the King on your behalf, speaking to your avoidance of specific ships under the crown. Of course, of late we have not said a word. Even here in Nice, you are dead and we will not let your secret slip until you want to make yourself known. There is however, a small matter that the Governor wanted me to bring up." James would grin alittle bit at the thought of a job, they had never turned them down before because sometimes government information would turn the most amount of profit. So after a moment of what seemed like thought, James would speak to Velieux again.* "Henri, I have never turned you down before. I have always been and still remain to be the best man for the job." *The smaller Frenchman was obviously pleased by this, reaching up to stroke his facial hair as he formulated in his mind how to give James this information.* "There have been rumors mon ami. Most of your brethren claim that there is no more real treasure to be found, that you would be better off stealing goods from the shipping lanes and giving up the romantic vision and drive to huge troves of gold and jewels. But now there is an increasing amount of ships that are looking for something. We, to our dismay, do not know what is being searched for. Spanish gold has come up a few times in conversation. The Governor wants you to find out what everyone is looking for, find it first, and bring it back here to be split. We will keep our traditional split of 60/40 your way. And of course, all of your provisions while in port will be free." *James had found, suddenly, more than he could have hoped for in the port. Something with a purpose these days was hard to come by and for something like this to be financed was an amazing opportunity. James didnt need to speak just put out his hand for the deal to be closed between the Captains. A final smile shared between them and Velieux would return to his post while James continued down the road towards the Governor's manor.

It had been awhile since he had been back here, people like Velieux recognized him easily but others were more suspicious of the ruffian that approached the gates to the manor. James was stopped and he explained his business, standing patiently while one of the guards went inside to check out what he had told them, the other held a bayoneted flintlock at his face. The other guard would step out and begin to scream to the other in French, the gun was lowered from his face and the guard stood aside. James would hear the other babbling as he came by, knowing full well he had been reprimanded by none other than Simone.* "Je regret Captain. Je regret.." *James didnt have a response to that, just entered in through the main gates and into the interior of the manor. The main servant, Benoit, recognized James instantly and came up with a small bow holding his arms out.* "It is good to see you again Captain. I can take your effects while you are here." *James knew this man could be trusted, because if anyone else would have suggested he disarmed himself he would have punched them in the face. James would remove the coat around his shoulders, taking the pistols and their holsters from around his shoulders and placing them onto the pile, the last was the blunderbuss that was strapped onto his back. All that was left his sword, which he was graciously always allowed to keep on him while here. Another bow and Benoit would move towards the coat room, calling back to James as he disappeared.* "The Baroness is in the garden Captain, already waiting on you." *James knew that Benoit would have laughed if he wasnt in his position, and so James would chuckle for the both of them before he navigated through the corridors until he emerged through the back exit into the gardens.

"You have no idea how much you have put me through with news of your death James! This may never be, but I do have some comfort in you being alive!" *James recognized the accent anywhere and when he emerged from a lattice covered in vines, he caught the image of Simone. One of the youngest members of aristocracy, Simone was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, dark shining hair pouring over her shoulders with dark eyes so seductive. Not to mention that signature pout, James had only seen one woman more beautiful than the Baroness and ultimately she was the reason he was here now.* "I guess I like to keep you on your toes Simone. And I was dead until a northern man named Thorvald pulled me from the bay and hid me at his home." *The Baroness couldnt help but to smile when he appeared, hair a bit longer than he normally kept it and tied behind his head. Not to mention his more imposing stature, she would run up to him un expectedly and slap him across the face. James was almost stunned and even more so when she pulled him down for a deep kiss. All he could do was blink for a few moments, that daze only cut off when she spoke again* "I had to let go of my anger some how, seeing as I dont see any fault on your part in all of this. You could have let someone know earlier, my uncle has been beside himself." *Simone would lead James to a seat on a bench in the center of the garden, where the light was flooding in from the clear sky above. James recounted his story while the sun slowly made it's way down behind the mountains, fill the sky with the beautiful array of deep reds, oranges, and yellows. There had come a moment where SImone had offered for him to share her bed tonight, and that was followed by James considering to off her a place in his on the Lady. When James spoke that he couldnt, Simone understood completely and bid him a good night. The Captain regretted the decision because it was not clear what reward he would ever receive for resisting such a temptation.

The moon was not high in the sky and very bright this night, almost flooding his cabin with that milky white light. James had still lit a candle to light the immediate area where his pen met paper again, and as always speaking those words as they were written on the page.* "Today was another mix of emotion, I had come here to get some relief from my long length of time without your touch. What i got was a job to find a treasure that may or may not exist. I dont know if I ever told you about Simone, and obviously before you there were many that I had bedded. She would have freely given me what I wanted, and she would have graciously took what she wanted from me. I couldnt do it, even though I know thats exactly what you are doing. You are probably in the arms of another man as I write this letter tonight. I almost want to taint myself just so I cant goto a place where I ask where you could and I couldnt. I will always forgive you, because you are you. But those who have taken advantage of what you have offered is another story. And after having you, they probably will understand and return that malice back at me. Guess thats one of the mistakes that landed me in this situation in the first place. Where ever you are, I hope that you are happy. I know you are probably not, I can imagine that the chest is filled with letters just like this one where you have spoken of your time without me. I often wonder what you would have to say about it, and in the end if I got you back it wouldnt matter your reasons. Still then, why can I not feel that way about myself? Why can I not be warm this evening? Because I honestly would rather be cold and alone if I cannot have you, there is no replacement and no second place. I want to be back on the rocks, on our blanket admiring your body as the moon's light spills over it. Causing our crews to complain about the noise the next day, and then laughing at them. Maybe that life still can be, maybe it still will be. All I know is that one day, you will know that I am alive and that I will always be looking for you. So until we meet again my love, I just want you to know that I miss you more than I missed the Lady and the sea."

"Devils dance while Angels smile.  Drunk on shadows and lost in life.."

(Lyrics from "Drunk On Shadows" By H.I.M. (His Infernal Majesty)

[JamesNautice]

The Atlantic Entrance

"If you only could have seen how fucked up my life used...then everything starts to change supposedly healing my pain.."

The morning was pleasant, the blue skies dotted with small tuffs of clouds that provided enough contrast to offset this beautiful part of France and the smell of morning meals overpowered even the spray of the sea. James had already taken his meal with Velieux at the Governor's mansion. Of course that meant he had to endure the company of Simone and of course her father, Pierre the Governor. To imagine that this relationship was built upon some secrets between the pirate sitting amongst royalty, and the favored daughter. But it went along as it always had, there was a very pleasant meal and plenty of conversation...and by that it was Pierre agging James on to tell stories of what had happened. Jame gladly did so, standing up to act out scenes to give a little bit of a visual cue. He told it like a true story-teller, leaving out the melancholy that had plagued him through his ordeal and painting a picture of the battles as if he had come out some grand victor. James knew that there was at least one person who didnt believe that his stories were all in his heart, everytime he would take his seat he was pulled into that dark gaze being leveled at him like God's judgement. The meal grew late and Pierre, Velieux, and James had retired to a terrace portion of the mansion overlooking the city for a conversation that was more business.

"There is no doubt there is much treasure just lying below the waves, but to imagine something somewhere dry. I am surprised by the silent uproar amongst the major players.." Pierre spoke as puffs of white smoke rose high above the three men, all different in their garb but united by the tobacco burning in their pipes and the wine in their glasses. Velieux went on en Francais about what information they had, James decided to tune out for abit while he took a few puffs and thought about their journey towards Gibraltar. Turning back to the conversation when things had ended, James would break a fairly solid silence, "My Lord Governor, if there is any treasure to be found, you better believe that the Abyssal lady will find it first. And make a fat profit in the process..". There was a laugh shared amongst the men while the conversation turned to various things that the Governor had included in their resupply. A man so plagued by the journey that was coming, James stayed in the same manner he had time and time before..never letting on that the demons inside of him were driving him towards the Atlantic with reckless abandon.

Most of the load had been accomplished by the time James had reached the docks once again, the progress was almost too staggering for the dock-workers and that efficiency was one of the reasons the Lady was one of the deadliest ships on the sea, whats the use of so many guns if his men could reload in a quarter of the time. The Lady had also been refitted in port, two new swivel guns were added to the bow of the ship along with two 12lbers to the left and right of the figure-head "Abyssal Lady" that always the led the way for their ship. His quartermaster, Edwin, quickly gave a talley and apologized for not being finished, the men had apparently wanted to finish with their work about the sheets before loading the cargo. His first mate, Michael joined them as the final cargo was loaded and the crew was assembled on deck. And just like the captain of any other military ship, great or small, they went about inspecting the men's weapons. James didnt give two flying shits if his men were unclean, or smelly but their pistols, blunderbusses, and swords better be as immaculate as the Virgin Mary's backside or there was going to be hell to pay. A couple days lashed to the mast in the elements would normally settle that problem with greenhorns. This crew wasnt green, not a single member lost in almost five years and that was a record. And so the inspection went quite well and soon they were taking in the moor lines and pushing off and out into the Mediterranean. This would be the only port where there would be a send off and so they would shout out before tending to the lines and the deck began to erupt with the bellow of deep voices singing shanties while getting as much sail into the wind as they could muster.

Travel in their day wasnt exactly the fastest thing in the world, a few days and they were in the Spanish port city of Malaga. James wanted to top off the supply of food before they were on their way because he knew this would be their biggest challenge. The Lady then sailed for the straight of Gibraltar favoring the Barbary State/Turkish side of the small channel to the heavily regulated mostly Spanish controlled side to the north. Of course, Barbary was a completely pirate based conglomeration of strong-willed men fighting a losing war against the quickly growing royal powers of the world. They recognized the Lady, something they saw only a couple weeks before on the way to Nice and the same greet was received, men shouted and fired their guns in salute and the Lady erupted just the same. James had forgot what it was like to be out here, to have his name known and feared amongst his peers. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely...but James fucking loved every moment of standing there gliding along the water with so much power and will at hand. Michael had once told him that was why most of the men would follow him straight into the mouth of hell, the look in James' eyes gave them the confidence to ride the highest squall into the nastiest hurricane and laugh the entire way even if they went to their graves...

The first night out into the Atlantic was nice enough, enough of a breeze for them to bob up and down and ride fast at the same time. The movement that made a lot of men nauseated made James more comfortable than any sweet lullaby. And once again in that candle light, the quill met the page and he wrote for the first time in almost five days of going between standing at the wheel and sleeping in this very cabin..."My dearest Gemma. I am sorry that has been five days since that last letter. I've got my leathers, belts and holsters back on and riding the waves like a King. Sailing with the men of the north had none of this joy, it wasnt about freedom..it was about survival. We have passed Gibraltar heading towards you, it wont be long before you can finally know that atleast I still draw breath. To imagine how much joy the crew has brought me, to sing the day away fighting with Poseidon every step of the way. And then to realize that it is nothing compared to what I shared with you and I start to know at that time that I have completely lost the memory...not what it meant to me but how it felt to me. This letter will be short, I cannot droll on and on about how much I miss you. If you knew I was alive then you would know how much. The skies begin to darken my love, its time to ride fifty feet up...and fifty feet down.

"It's taken me out of my anger, it's taken me out of my hate..To learn how my life came together, releasing the demons again.."

(Lyrics from "Releasing the Demons" by Godsmack)

[JamesNautice]

Fifty Feet Up, Fifty Feet Down

So much time had passed since James had tasted the open ocean, the thrill and danger of riding the edge of death on a surface so endlessly chaotic. Time had slipped through his hands so quickly and it appeared they may have a rare fairly calm journey all the way to the New World, their destination the port town of Darbeljem in the West Indies. Rations had proven to be adequate for them, after all the Abyssal Lady was a retro-fitted Frigate captured from the British Navy as the former HMS Isolde and therefore was a fairly large ship able to sustain his forty man crew for weeks at a time with fishing and harpooning to supplement salted and cured meats below decks. And this journey took just that, around 4-8 weeks depending on wind conditions, storms, and unforeseen problems. Right now they were making fantastic time and into the fourth week James felt as if they may see those islands soon. He went to bed early that evening with the hope of catching enough sleep to sail like the devil in the morning...

A loud boom and the groan of the strain of wood would wake him almost instantly to the flashes of lightning going off like a light show outside. Mike busted through the door just as James swung his feet over the edge of the bed and pulled on his boots quickly, throwing on his coat and with no word Mike led the way outside where both the rain and spray were pelting the decks with a relentless rain. His wheelman was almost in a panic, the waves in turbulent seas came up way too fast and he had been struggling to maintain both the crew and the boat. And so the relief was apparent in his face when mid-turn the wheel stopped at the behest of the strong hand of James who smiled wildly at the first opportunity to spar with the ocean after such a long time. "Draw in those sails!! We dont want the mast to snap!!" The men were already working on it but the stern voice of their captain seemed to put a bit of hurry in their movements. The sails set and ready to go, the decks were cleared of unnecessary personnel while him and his first mate remained at the helm laughing maniacally with the best of their crew as they rose fifty feet into the air, peaked and then rode down the other side. James turned suddenly as a rogue wave began to cap in the distance and if he didn't manage to get her pointed square with it they had a good chance of rolling. There is no real determination of how high they were, but there was no ride like because when it had passed and they had resumed course, James would yell, "Ho! Ho! And up she rises!" followed the repetition of the shanty by the crew as they worked into the hours of the dawn when the orange beams of the sun slowly penetrated a deadly storm and revealed on the horizon....

"LAND!! LOOKS LIKE CUBA CAP'N!!!"

The suspicions of his crewman were confirmed as they drifted closer and they took down the sails, not wanting to get too near to such a controlled port but it did give them reference about how they should get back to Darbeljem and the journey from here was maybe a couple days, they had finally been spit out the other side of the Atlantic.

Their bearing had been set and they coasted along waters gently swaying and welcomingly so compared to the storm they had just rode out. The crew were singing all through the days and nights until those voices could be heard in their old port of berth. To most of the crews waiting for moor lines on the docks, the sight of the Lady was like a ghost ship rising up from the mist and the deep booming voices of the crew singing was something this port never thought would be heard again. Even from this distance James could hear men screaming at different tones out of fear and surprise alike that the Abyssal Lady had arrived in Darbeljem once again. James rushed to the lines held taught at the bow and stood as they slowly glided into port, and as he came into a view a noticed a small gathering of the dock workers along with other fellow Pirates almost in disbelief and shock until James took his hat from his head and raised it up into the air at them. Most of those whom had gathered were friends, faces from this distance that he could recognize so when they saw his figure once again at the head of the Lady that silence deteriorated into a full-blown boom. James did not think Gem would even be awake right now, probably sleeping off the rum with one of her crew mates below decks...that did bother him and altogether to be back, he couldn't have cared less. He just wanted to know she was alive.

Around an hour later, the Lady had been maneuvered into her old dock and was lashed to the massive timbers by the mooring lines. The planks were set up and James watched over the crew as everything was stowed away that wasn't needed anymore. After this had been completed, the hold was pulled open to reveal crates of French red wine and a couple personal cases of the ever (currently) rare champagne. He understood that pirates enjoyed their rum, but it wasn't like any of them to deny free alcohol. The rudimentary cranes were used to haul the cargo onto carts on the docks, James wanted to make sure to deliver these to the Parrot himself. And that was the scene of the day, a horde of pirates in tow as the cart rolled slowly over the planks of dock towards the Parrot with James and the Dockmaster leading the way, James planned on more than his fair share of rum to start the day.

[Ruby Red Gemma]

*A gentle sea breeze blew her long dark curls behind her shoulder as she leant precariously over the railing of the pier. The weight of Eric’s strong hand on her lower back kept her from toppling over as Gemma gazed into the murky depths of her beloved sea. Although the water was dark here in the depths of the shadows under the dock, the light of the full moon painted the small crests of waves with strings of pearls splendid enough for any soiree the sea should throw. The bread and cheese the kind lady had provided had settled her stomach but it had taken the sight of the rolling sea beneath the pier to finally settle her racing heart. Taking deep breaths as Eric rubbed her back, Gemma focused on the ebb and flow of the waves until her heart had assumed the same rhythm. Climbing down from the railing now, she landed back on the pier with a rather unladylike clatter of heels before reaching out to Eric to steady herself. Once fully upright, she let go of his strong arm and took a wobbly step towards the woman.

~Thank you for your kindness fair maiden..~ she bowed low, dropping her hat and causing a wave of dark curls to cascade over her face. Wobbling to the left, she surely would have fallen if not for Eric’s quick reflexes. Brushing her hair aside, she rolled her eyes as Eric placed her hat back on her head. Yanking it down towards her ears, she offered the woman a genuine smile. ~I apologise for my manners m’lady… perhaps we shall meet again when I am in a better state. ~

Burping behind her hand, she then turned to the strange man who still caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise at the mere sight of him. Curiosity piqued, she studied him for a few moments longer than would seem polite before offering him a meek smile. ~Timing is not your friend sir. I appreciate you have a job and that it is one you think I may be a good fit for…. But tonight is not the night to talk business. Tomorrow night, I shall meet you back inside..~ she tilted her dark head towards the noise coming from the Pretty Parrot Tavern. ~I will bring Zanis and Eric here… and we will discuss your job with a clear head. For now though…~ her eyes flickered back to the fair woman. ~I must take my leave…~ Trying to regain a shred of decorum, she turned on her heel and promptly walked into a pole. Eric winced and took her by the right arm as he began to guide her back to her ship. ~Owww.~ she whimpered as she rubbed the end of her nose.

Eric merely chuckled and tightened his grip on her arm as they moved slowly forward. The pier was long and badly built, rambling from the one side of the shore to the other. When the tide was high, certain points of the Eastern side were slightly underwater and Eric chose to pick Gemma up rather than guide her through the knee high water. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Gemma leant her head back to look up at the stars bouncing above her head as Eric moved quickly along the pier. ~The stars are so pretty tonight…~ she whispered, her thoughts automatically turning to what she always thought about when she looked to the stars: James. So many nights had been spent staring up at the stars, praying for an answer of why the universe had sent him to her only to then take him away? The answer had alluded her for weeks, though she had searched every inch of the night sky for an answer. Sensing her mood change, Eric glanced over at her before lowering her gently to the ground. ~Maybe the walk might help you clear your head Cap’ain~ Gemma nodded silently and began to walk slowly on her own.

They were nearly halfway there when a strange sound pierced through the otherwise fairly quiet air. Peering into the darkness, they saw what appeared to be a large cart led by two men. Automatically stepping to the left to let the cart pass them, Eric fell into step behind Gemma. As they drew closer, one of the men at the front of the cart caught Gemma’s attention. Although she could see nothing more than his silhouette; something about the man seemed familiar. Almost… achingly familiar. Soon she found that she could not take her eyes off the man as she realised that he reminded her of James. He had the same height, the same confident strut that had always driven her insane and as he spoke to the man beside him, she could swear that the voice being carried to her on that soft sea breeze belonged to the man who had repeatedly broken her heart. Slowing to a stop so that Eric had to step around her to stop himself from walking into her, Gemma let out a gasp as the man stepped under a burning lamp. Although it was only for a few moments before the shadows reclaimed their hold, the face illuminated in that soft golden glow was so heartbreakingly familiar that she physically doubled over in pain. Rubbing her chest, she forced herself to breathe as the two men leading the group with the cart finally stepped into clear view. Realising now that she herself was fully illuminated under the lamp, Gemma straightened up and locked eyes with James.

That familiar sensation that always felt like she was jolted by lightning at the mere sight of him shot through her veins as they stared at each other. She had thought he were a ghost, a mere apparition sent from the Gods to further torment her and drive her closer to the edge. Hell, she had seen him just like this in various ports and at the bottom of many pints of ale. But that feeling that caused her toes to curl and her heart to race as she took a hesitant step forward told her that this was no ghost. Somehow, he had survived… somehow… he was here…. Somehow… her chest hurt…

Rubbing at it again, she realised that she couldn’t breathe. Eric, alerted by her sudden ragged breathing and gasps for breath, told her to bend over and take deep breaths. She tried to tell him about James, but she was started to see black dots in front of her eyes from lack of oxygen. Bending over, she placed her hands on her knees, mentally cursing herself for presenting herself to James in such a state. Whilst in the middle of a silent rant at herself for being so stupid, Gemma took a deep breath as per Eric’s instructions and quickly passed out. Without time to react, Eric watched as Gemma fell into a crumpled heap on the dirty dock. *

[JamesNautice]

There were quite a few faces in the small crowd that surround the wagon that James knew, and every single on of them had at least heard his name. No doubt James had made it apparent to all that he wanted his name written in the stars and legends like the greats, like good ol' Thatch. There were already offers of drinks from their bottles and he accepted the lot with a thirst that could only have come from a pirate so far away from his home for so long. The delicate flavors of what he drank in Europe werent...wild enough and the burn of rum was the fuel of almost every pirate. They carried on as James told them stories of the men of the north, he had not learned much sailing or anything to do with the sea really but he had learned skills in raiding that he would take to those seas with the same fervor as any other strategy. The pirates and workers around him shared in the excitement all while chiming in about how they wouldnt be able to handle the damn cold, that the humidity and heat of the Caribbean has made even northern men too weak for the cold. James would play into their joke but he knew it just wasnt true, he wasnt used of the cold either but he still survived through countless nights of abyssmally frigid weather. This was after escaping death at the hands of the British, he had been tied to a stone and set to sink to the bottom of the harbor, when the soldiers had come to collect the body to hang it up as a warning; they found nothing but frayed ropes floating ever upward from the large piece of rock it was tied to. The local governments asserted that nothing was wrong, that his body had been recovered and his remains had been too eaten away by marine life for it to be hung up. That had been the expanse of his journey and the men were enthralled by all of it, it was almost embarrassing to be around them because this was not the attention he had wished coming into this port, no there was one's attention that he truly wanted and as they turned a corner and came under the light of post...

James had not expected to see her there and it took every fiber of strength that he had not to rush forward to her when their eyes met. In his mind he half expected almighty God to strike him down there, he had prayed for so long to a God he had strayed so far away from to see that face one more time. The shock was not there for him but the concern became apparent when he began to rush forward when she fell obviously overwhelmed to see someone who was a dead man to anybody outside of those who executed him and those who had saved him.

James knew she would be ok, he also knew that Eric would first tend to her and his closing too much distance might cause some issues. That still wasn't going to stop him from approaching, waving the cart onto the tavern as he approached her. The last time he had seen either them, he had murdered one of their crew after a confrontation involving Gem. James could have stopped his hand that day, he had won the battle with almost no contest for his swordsmanship and in his rage he could not stop his hand from cutting down someone close to all of them. Even with that he would greet Eric politely with a nod before he stooped down, he would not waste his first words infront of her on him...he didn't mean for that be offensive but as a man close to Gem..he believed Eric would understand. James was willing to risk her reaction, but he wasn't going to run away now he had waited for weeks just to see her face even if that meant she would finish what the British couldn't. And so even in expecting a blade he would kneel down, sitting on the backs of calves. With ease he would pull her up into his lap and situate her to it was easier to breath, the same way they would do for a drowning victim on the ship after they had been cleared and breathing.

"I have crossed untold miles of sea, escaped death more than once just to see you again Gem. You need to come around, I just want you to acknowledge me once...to hear you speak to me once again." James gave her space but he watched her closely, an odd tender moment that he knew would likely be the source of her anger if anything. She was a pirate captain after-all and she had an image to maintain.

[diandramoon]

She was about to turn away to find another place to be…This obviously wasn’t it, or so she had thought…Then the Captain smacked herself in the face with a pole, and decided to try to walk. Lyric had a feeling of what would occur next. Docks, booze, and a hit to the head never seemed to go well. She leaned against a crate, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched a fit seem to come over the female captain…

Then she collapsed.

Her feet started moving before her brain had even decided to help. There were plenty of men about, and two seemed somewhat more concerned than others. “Move,” she muttered, gently shouldering aside those in her way. She knelt down next to the unconscious woman, and pushed back her lids. Her pupils seemed fine, so she hadn’t bruised her brain…At least anymore than would seem natural for a woman who liked her booze. Her face wasn’t bleeding, and there was no trickle of blood from her nose…Still…Lyric gently rolled her over onto her side, and began moving her hand over her back. She was having problems breathing…Whether from a fit, or because something was obstructing---

“This is probably going to piss you off,” she murmured, one hand moving to part her lower jaw from her upper jaw, and a finger was shoved down the captain’s throat. She didn’t feel an obstruction anywhere, but that wasn’t the core of her concern. If the woman couldn’t walk, then she’d obviously had too much to drink, and the sooner it was out, the sooner she’d be recovered, there the better.

She felt the jerk of the body, and quickly turned her over, her face over the waves as she started to purge herself with Lyric’s help. Tonics took time to work, and also inquired one to imbibe them. That was a bit difficult to do when one was unconscious. Gag reflex, however, tended to be universal.

[remus]

The mage had followed the crowed silently to the docks, watching their every move as best he could until Gemma turned and spoke to the rude woman from earlier. His eyes threw a quick glance at her before returning to the captain. For a moment, he wanted to speak. He wanted to know if they were leading him to the elusive Zanis. But he soon learned the the fair captain planned no such thing and she was actually looking to turn in for the night.

Remus starred at the woman just as she turned her gaze on him. He knew that she felt something about him was strange, otherwise she wouldnt have stared for so long. Admittedly, he did have a sort of presence about him and even in the cool breeze the air around him seem strangely chilling. His shoulder length black hair blew back rather elegantly as the breeze came in illuminating his face and the cold stare. He was certain that she could easily see the determination in his eyes. After all, he wanted this deal to go through, he knew that he was destined to find the jewel. But when or where was something that he could never devine.

As she spoke, his focus turned to her words yet his eyes remained locked on hers. "Time is not my friend" he repeated in a muted whisper. 'If you only knew' he thought to himself as a cold smile slowly crept accross his lips. But as she finished speaking he merely nodded and responded "very well, then we shall meet tomorrow at dusk." He struggled to keep his temper in check, but his voice came out casual, deep and powerful as it had before. Without another word he turned, and with a quick whoosh of his coat he began to quickly walk away from the crowd. He realizes that this is, perhaps, quite rude of him to do but really he was more afraid of what he may do of he didnt walk away as fast as he did.

This feeling was very foreign to him. Never had he been turned down when he made a request of someone. Now its only fair to say that just about everytime he has made a request of anyone they actually knew who and what he really was. The more distance he built between him and them the more at ease he became. He had a feeling that someone might follow him but he wasn't about to look over his shoulder. Even if that were the case, he planned on losing him when he walked back into the tavern.

After a short while he found himself slowly making his way back into the noisy mess that was the Pretty Parrot. As luck would have it, he was walking into the middle of a brawl. A bar fight had broken out sometime between him leaving and returning only moments later and the commotion was actually something he desired at the moment. After all, he was suddenly overcome with the urge to feed. Now, he didnt feed on something as cliche as blood. No, his meal of choice happened to be a little more exotic. And he knew exactly where he could find a quick meal or two.

As the brawl continued, Remus, despite his large frame, easily maneuvered his way to the stairs. He knew that in the middle of the commotion, no one would even notice him slipping up to the upper level. His heavy boots came down with deep clunks as he approached the last door on the left. He could tell the room was occupied by the little sign hanging from the door 'do no disturb' the smile from earlier slowly returned to his lips as he knocks on the door.

The mage could hear stumbling and hurried movement on the other side of the door for a few moments before a scruffy looking man cracks the door open and looks the mage up and down before asking "what do you want? Who are you? Cant you see the sig..." but the man gets cut off.

Remus starred at the man with a deathly glare his eyes had turned a deep red that even put his brilliant crimsom coat to shame. "Open the door" he says casually and the man steps asside and opens the door. A woman could be heard calling from somewhere in the room. 'Who is that? Its not my husband is it?' But the scruffy man remains silent as Remus steps through the door and shuts the door behind him. The woman then looks confused between the mage and the scruffy man. Remus simply smiles at her and glares at her with his piercing red eyes and she instantly seems to be put at ease. Without hesitation he reaches out and grabs the man by the throat easily lifting him off his feet with a single oustretched hand. As his hand tightens around the mans throat forcing his mouth open. Remus then raises his free hand and a gaseous pale blue substance quickly begins to drain out of the man and begins to gather in the mages palm. After a few second he drops the mans limp body, which was now shriveled and almost mummified looking. The blue essence condenses down into a tiny glowing blue ball. The mage then produces a small gourd from under his coat and as he pops the lid the tiny blue ball gets sucked in. He the casually turns his attention to the girl and begins his approach quite slowly and casually. The girl, still appeared to be in a sort of trance and the covers she was initially holding to cover herself were forgotten, and she sat there breasts exposed without a care in the world. Remus paid no attention to the fact that she was nude, and his eyes never veered from hers. With the slowest and most drawn out of motions, he reaches for her throat. His long fingers easily wrap around her neck and squeeze tightly tilting her head back and forcing her mouth open. Once again he sucks out every bit of life force she possessed releasing her only moments later as a shriveled husk much like the man earlier. Again he takes the tiny ball and lets it get drained into the gourd.

Remus sighs gently whispering to himself "you weren't even worth my time..." then he calls out mentally to his scout. 'Shiv... I need an exit.' When he suddenly hears someone coming up the stairs.

"Mary...are you up there?!" He was drunk, and very clearly pissed off. "If yer doin what I think yer doin so help me!" This was obviously the husband she asked about moments before.

This was an unexpected turn of events, how many people had seen this drunken oaf lumber up the stairs in search of his whore of a wife. If Remus were to be discovered in the room with two dead bodies murdered in a very peculiar fashion, then he would have issues the following night when he was to discuss business with the good captain. His eyes quickly dart about the room for a solution. The small closet in the room catches his attention and he quickly stuffs the first body in the tiny space. He then makes his way to the bed, just as the husband begins banging furiously on the door to the next room. Remus quickly stuffs the womans body into the closet aswell and shuts the door. Then, on a whim, he releases the spell concealing his true appearance.

Within moments he stood at his full height in his traditional heavy black coat, bearing absolutely no resemblance to the man that enterned the tavern earlier. He makes his way to the door and answers it before the man actually gets a chance to knock. "Yes?" His was was slightly deeper and more commanding than before.

The drunk man was taken aback and he merely apologizes weakly. And stumbles away. This, was a good time to make an exit, two fresh souls in the gourd and he hoped to make a clean get away.

"Master..." his scout finally replies. "I can make you an exit stand perfectly still where you are this will only take a moment.

Remus shuts the door and walks to the center of the room. Within moments the familiar chalk lines that Shiv had drawn earlier in the alley quickly begin to form themselves at the mages feet. And just as Shiv said a few moments later the mage vanishes.

Remus reappears back at his tower "Shiv, prep our things, I have a feeling we muat be ready at a moments notice to depart." He slowly reaches I to his coat producing the small gourd thay dangled from a gold chain from somewhere under his coat or shirt. Without hesitation he pops the top and seemingly takes a sip. He would be prepared for tomorrow's events. But would they be prepared to undertake this journey?

[Ruby Red Gemma]

*She was in a forest… … far away she could hear birds singing, the odd chirp from a nearby cicada and that unmistakable sound of hidden creatures rustling through dense foliage under the protection of the shadows of the forest. It was dark… so dark that she could not see a thing. Virtually blind, she found her sense of smell increased tenfold as the once familiar scent of pine needles consumed all of her senses. She had not been in a forest since her early childhood before her fisherman father had introduced her to the love of her life – the sea…. From the age of eight, she had known nothing but the lure of the ebb and flow of her beloved ocean and it seemed an eternity since she had smelled anything sweeter than the scent of salt on the sea breeze. But still… she knew… she was in a forest… The ground was hard and strong beneath her… strangely contoured to her body as she felt cradled somehow by a form of solid rock. Although she could not see, in her mind’s eye she envisioned herself as laying on a rock in the dappled shadows of the forest around her.

It was so peaceful here…. she succumbed to the incessant urge to relax and stay here forever. She stretched her limbs and turned to snuggle up to the rock, just as the rock seemed to move beneath her.. but something was wrong… the rock. It wasn’t a rock. She felt a slight furrow of her forehead as she struggled to grasp the corner of some hint of a thought .. but….. it was gone. Thoughts didn’t belong here. Thoughts turned to worries… and here there were no worries. The rock felt solid beneath her, even as it began to speak to her in a voice that sounded achingly like James’.
She felt a butterfly touch down upon her nose and her hand rose weakly to shoo it away. The butterfly became more present and soon she felt herself being rolled away from the comforting rock and towards a pool of darkness. Opening her mouth to voice her protest, Gemma gagged as the butterfly flew down her throat. Heaving violently, she gasped for air and found that finally her eyes could open as she batted weakly at whatever was forcing its hand down her throat. Visions flashed before her as she tried to make out the scene unfolding around her….. the kind woman from earlier was bent over her once more while she virtually lay in a puddle of her own vomit. Groaning, she turned her dark head to look for Eric and gasped as the image of James filled her vision; his handsome face etched with worry for her sorry and embarrassingly, disgusting state.


As the true horror of this scene dawned on Gemma, she felt her cheeks burst into burning flames of embarrassment as she gently pushed the woman away and stumbled to her feet. Deliberately not making eye contact with anyone, she mumbled ~If you will excuse me.. I clearly am in no state for company..~ before turning to leave. Eric discreetly stepped over the vile puddle his captain had produced at his feet before shooting James a look and taking his place at Gemma’s side. Placing his hand on her lower back, Eric began to guide a very wobbly Gemma back towards the ship. Before he took three steps, he turned and looked at James in a way that would pierce his soul. After what seemed an eternity of that beseeching gaze he called out to James: ~I’ll clean her up and have her back at the Pretty Parrot tomorrow night.. sunset. If you are half the man I remember you to be… then you will be there. ~ Tossing an appreciative head nod towards the pretty maiden who had been happy to assist his captain, Eric turned his attention back to Gemma and soon the noise of the pier was behind them. After an extremely treacherous walk across the gangplank, Gemma was finally back where she belonged on her precious boat. Waving away Eric’s offers to wash her, Gemma swore at him enough so that he soon grew tired of her behaviour and left her to clean herself up. Slamming and locking the door behind him, she slid down the door to land in a sobbing mess on the floor of her room.
After an hour or two of smashing her head against the door in frustration as she cried hot, angry tears of embarrassment and shame, Gemma finally hauled her sniffling messy self into her bath area. There was no time to draw herself a bath so she settled for a quick wash after removing her soiled clothes. Staring at herself in the full length mirror by the edge of her bed, Gemma was dismayed at the sight of the quivering mess she had become. Still slightly wet from her birdbath, Gemma ran across the length of her room to throw herself down upon her bed. Pounding the pillows beneath weak fists, she screamed into the pillow and cursed the universe a million times over before crying herself to sleep.



**~*~*~*~*~**



Eric let her sleep until well after lunch as he truthfully expected Zanis to arrive and do what he did best… look after Gemma. When the sun began her descent from above his head and Zanis had still not appeared, Eric shrugged as he finished rigging the mast and began to collect his tools. His thoughts turned to the night ahead as she began to make his way towards her chambers, stopping here and there to engage in short but feverish conversations regarding the Spanish coin that was currently burning a hole in his pocket. By the time he used his key to unlock her door, the sun was three hours away from setting for the night. Greeted by the sight of his captains bare ass emerging from a sea of blankets and pillows, Eric tried to hide his grin as he set about rousing Gemma. After an hour of cursing, groaning and growling, he finally emerged with Gemma trailing behind him.

~So… there was an offer of a job?~ Gemma croaked as she fell into step behind him while they climbed the inner staircase to the deck. Eric nodded and continued refreshing her hazy memories about the night before. By the time they reached the deck, Gemma had a vague recollection of the strange man and kind woman she had met last night. Of course, one memory she wanted to forget was sadly burned into the back of her eyelids: the sight of James looking at her in disgust as she lay in a puddle of her own distress.

~Please tell me the part where James’ ghost appeared and I threw up in front of him was just a bad dream?~ she groaned as she cast a perfunctory glance over her crew. The men were busying themselves with wrapping up their daily jobs just as the sun began to slip towards the horizon. Eric barked a few orders in Zanis’ absence and soon the deck was clear. Turning to face Gemma, he offered her a soft smile of encouragement.

~I wish I could Captain, but I fear it would be a lie… hey! Chin up! To be honest, he has seen you in worse states, has he not?~ Gemma shrugged and gave nod of defeat before raising her chin and looking out to sea. Streaks of pinks and gold began to paint themselves across the sky as it kissed the sea where the two met – the horizon. Eric followed her gaze as he stepped closer to her.

~I told everyone that you would be back at the Pretty Parrot at sunset in a much better state than you were when they saw you last night. And if he knows what’s good for him, ole Jimmy will be there..~ Gemma sighed and glanced down at her loose brown leather pants Eric had managed to get her into. They were almost hidden by the giant loose white cotton blouse he had thrown over her head as she had punched him in the nose for waking her. While she didn’t want James to think she was going to go to any kind of effort to dress up for him, she didn’t think her current attire was in any way appropriate. Groaning again, she rubbed her eyes and bid Eric adieu before retiring to her rooms for a bath. When she emerged almost an hour later, her dark curls fell in a shiny tumble down the back of the red and black corset she wore. A lone, long red plume of a feather was tucked into the back of her head to keep her wild mane at bay as she allowed Eric to help her slip into her fail safe black leather duster coat that hugged her bust before flaring out over hips that were clad in skin tight, black pants. Although she wore little makeup, the dash of mascara and bright red lipstick she wore finished off the look perfectly as she pulled on her favourite crimson boots sitting on the bottom step outside her bedroom door. Eric gave an appreciative whistle as he appeared at the top of the stairs above her and she offered a resigned sigh in response as she rose to her feet.

~Let’s get this over then… I take it there is still no sign of Zanis? Have him report to me the minute you see him, will you?~ Climbing the stairs, she glanced up at the sky which was now a dark purple with pink and orange streaks. A cool breeze blew in from the East and ruffled her dark hair as Eric shrugged into his own coat and fell into step behind her. Squaring her back, Ruby Red Gemma took a deep breath and began the long walk back to the man she had searched an endless sea of stars to find. *

[diandramoon]

She never had understood the fascination men and women had with drinking themselves into a stupor. Even among the trusted to protect you, why would you wish to put yourself into such a state? What if those you trusted were overpowered, or somehow corrupted? No one ever seemed to think about that…Or the sheer fact that people were easily overpowered, and if you were left helpless, the most horrible of things could happen.

Or perhaps they didn’t really care?

Either way, her hand was removed when she felt the body begin to convulse, and the pulled her hand away. When the woman was done purging herself, Lyric rose, finding the nearest rain barrel in which to wash her hands with a bit of herbs. Not that the woman’s drunken state as contagious, but it was hard to tell what she might have been carrying in her gullet that could spread.

She was left alone. There was nothing more for her to do. No one that needed her, really.

A deep breath was had, and she stepped away from the barrel. She needed to find some sort of occupation, if for no other reason than she only had a finite amount of coin, and it would eventually need replenished. Even a disgraced noble needed to do something like eat on occasion. Honestly…She had few ideas of where she might truly begin to look for work. A healer’s skill, while it might have been in high demand, was not something many in this area could afford, even giving what they could. It wouldn’t be enough to feed or clothe her, more or less keep her with a roof over her head. She couldn’t go back to her grandmother’s…

She supposed she could always go back to The Pretty Parrot, and see what work she might find there. Well, provided it didn’t involve lifting her skirts. She wasn’t quite that desperate as of yet, though she wasn’t naïve enough to think she’d never be so. She made sure to tuck her bag as best she could beneath her shirt, and keep it protected before she approached someone who was barking out orders. Before she could even get a word of introduction out, a tray was shoved into her hands, and she was being ordered with a wave of a meaty hand.

This was fortuitous, or she thought so. Quickened steps carried her across the floor, and she began to set the plates of bread and questionable meaty gravy down, along with the ale that smelled vaguely of spittle and urine. She’d have to remember to not drink the cheap house ale. There were some things even alcohol didn’t seem able to kill. She didn’t want to find out first hand what it would do to her insides.

[JamesNautice]

James could do nothing as Gem made her way back towards the rising and falling of her own ship. His blues meeting the image of Eric as he called back about where he could meet her. This brought a small smirk to his face, "Neither you nor God could keep me from being there! Thank you Eric.." *Perhaps the man would hear his thanks perhaps not, he knew what likely happened on that ship. He didnt let it eat him, he had gone through hell and highwater...jealousy would not have the better half of his heart. Waiting until they had left, James would turn with the group of men hauling along his cargo towards the Tavern. James would rejoin them, a much needed drink was in order. And that night thats what things were, shanties being sung by men whom could barely sing. But God be praised, when they all sounded together there was no sweeter sound in the world.

When the night had begun to settle down, James would find himself seated at his own table. His first mate whom had been trying to get his attention would sit down...or more fall onto the bench on the otherside spilling half his rum across the table.

"I dont suppose you caught a view of Cap'n Gem today eh? Captain?" The words were much foggier than he normally would have said them...slow in the speech and slightly annoying to the ears of his said captain.

"I did indeed. I would not speak of her state, for her sake. Suffice it to say that I have no idea how the news of my survival has gone. But her first mate has instructed me that she will be here, right here. Tomorrow night." James would level then a look towards him that made the man bite his lip and nod a bit. It wasnt that he meant to be angry, James didnt know what had happened...seeing him had only made her pass out. He continued to try and find answers in the bottom of his cup, where the voices spoke no truth or lies.

The morning after was late, the sun had already begun it's downward motion to setting. Deep within his cabin, James was still dressed and just partially on his bed. To the point where all he could feel was the stiffness in his back as he clamored to his feet with a groan. Taking a hand to straighten the mass of hair sticking everywhere, he almost screamed when the door opened and flooded the area with light. A couple members of his crew would quietly walk in, one with a basin with hot water and the other with a bucket...obviously the wake up call from his first mate. Chuckling alittle to himself, he would wave them off to their own laughing. James took his time washing away the grime from not only the day, but many many days at sea. When he had finished, he would pull a brand new pair of trousers and a new shirt barely laced at the top of his strong chest. James had not cared so much about his appearance in a long time, even spending an extra few minutes to make sure his shaving was absolutely correct. This of course, was amidst him checking the windows and making sure none of his crew saw him taking so much care. Finally he would emerge from the cabin, his eyes instantly squinting at the power of the sun above. His crew had assembled for any announcement he may have, though for a few minutes he was just fighting that light.

"We will remain in port for an undetermined amount of time. Your shares from this load will be dispersed, our cargo caught a fair amount of coin. Go enjoy yourselves, drink rum and fuck whores until you cant stand it anymore." That kind of announcement always got a rise out of them, James smiling for the first time today at their fervor. He, however, had a much more important at the Tavern where his crew was now essentially running for. James figured he would kill two birds with one stone and while he awaited Gem, he would begin to replace crew that had been lost or that he was about to lose to port.

The day was late but the heat was still in the air, men still walking here and there loading ships. James would stop on the dock, producing a pipe from one of his pockets and clenching it between his surprisingly white teeth. A match struck and he would puff the tobacco in the interior until it came to a nice roll. Those blues of his would look over the main mast towering up from Gem's ship, his mind turned to all those letters he had written. Her beautiful visage is all that kept him warm, all that kept him safe during those raids in the north. Gem was everything that had brought him right here to this point, and she was also everything that made it difficult to step into that tavern. His will was absolute however, there was nothing that was going to stop him from being able to look into those beautiful eyes one more time...and reassure her that he had never stopped loving her once.

Finally his foot steps would bring him to the interior of that tavern, the drunkenness of pirates didnt know a time of day so it was already loud and dangerous within. James would replace his toned ass back into the same seat he had taken last night, this time there was no flagon of rum sitting infront of him. Just papers and the hope that the next moment inside this building wouldnt be the last happy one he had.

[remus]

The night was long and the preparations were many and while Shiv did most of the preparing, Remus too had his own affairs to manage. After all, he would eventually need more souls to consume. And given that they would be confined aboard a ship for extended periods of time he knew he would need to stock up while he could. If possible he would rather not start killing off members of the captains crew, that would surely raise suspicion. While it wasnt entirely necessary to consume souls on a daily basis the furthest he could stretch a single soul was somewhere between 3 and 4 days, depending on how much mana he actually consumes or how pissed off he becomes. His body naturally replenished this precious resource, but it was always in combination with the consumption of human souls.

Collecting this exotic necessity was a simple task, however time consuming it may be, but over the course of the night he managed to collect a total of twenty souls. All scattered in different areas of the port city, and mainly around the outskirts where these people wouldn't really be noticed missing. That or no one really gave a damn. His insatiable hunger didn't discriminate between the quality or state of these souls, while some were more satisfying to consume than others, they all fed him the same. If he was conservative enough this was enough to last him at the very least two months, and all were stored in the small gord that he kept tucked neatly in his shirt attached to a thin gold chain that he kept wrapped around his left arm. His flowing, long sleeve shirt, however, did a perfect job of hidding the small container.

Remus, now back at his tower was making the last of hiqa preparations and he once again stood in his disguised appearance "Shiv is everything ready? I trust you were able to find a suitable hidding place for the treasure that we will lead them to."

Shiv, was once again leaning back against the same bookcase as earlier, casually smiling with his arms folded across his chest. "Yes master... the treasure is hidden on a small uninhabited island several hundred kilometers south east of here. It looked to be uncharted, but even if it isn't, the treasure will be there, at the foot of the mountain on the southern most side of the island."

"And how will I know exactly where to start digging?" The mage inquired his tone was very casual and for the most part he felt relaxed as he packed his final set of clothing into the relatively large trunk. A large bag hung from the side of his belt full of Spanish coins, all of which were made of solid gold. He was about to pay the captain very well to partake in a quest he wasnt even sure would prove worth it.

"Well im sure you will be able to notice when you get there. I wont be coming with you onto the island. If I walk on the sand surely someone will notice something is mysteriously leaving footprints in the sand." Shiv laughs a bit and shrugs "although im sure that would be most entertaining."

"I appreciate your humor Shiv, but now isnt the time. This may be the biggest opportunity yet to find the jewel." He says standing slowly while turning to face the window. It was still dark out, though he knew the sun would be rising in a moment he contemplated on waiting until sundown before making his way to the tavern. But on a whim he decides that now would be a better time to make his way there along with his trunk. "We are leaving Shiv, its best if we head to the tavern now so that we may be ready to set off as soon as our deal is made"

The scout simply nods and makes way to the trunk, slowly removing his glove and placing bare, pale blue hand on top of the large trunk. Then with a whisper it shrinks down to a tiny little pocket sized container to larger than a can of altoids. He the places the tiny trunk inside his cloak tucking it safely inside a small pouch that hung at his side from his waist. Then without even asking he starts to head out towards the door his image slowly fading from sight until it was completely invisible by the time he reached the door.

Remus remained for a few moments taking in a long drawn out breath, letting it out as a slow calm sigh "almost there....I hope." He says simply before turning and walking out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some time later, the sun now fully risen above the horizon, Remus slowly steps into the tavern. His long black hair flowing effortlessly in the morning breeze. The sword he carried the previous night was now clearly visable as his crimson coat flapped about. The long red tassel that hung from its pummel made it stand out quite a bit. It was an unusual sword that most from around these parts would not be familiar with since it originated from the other side of the world. However, this happens to be his favorite weapon in his collection and also the one he is most experienced with. Not to mention that in the right hands, the sword had the ability to split any material it strikes with its edge entirely regardless of the size of the object struck. But this was only accomplished if one knows of its ability to begin with aswell as the swords name. Meaning that if anyone else used his sword, unless having previous knowledge of this trait, then it would behave like an ordinary sword. The knowledge of knowing this sword and its name is what actually gives it its power.

The mage acted as any other patron would making his way to the barkeep reaching into a smaller, separate pouch than the larger one that hung at his side, he produces a few silver coins and slides them over to the barkeep. "I require a room. And also..."he reaches back in the bag this time pulling out a pair of gold coins "a bottle of your finest rum."

The barkeep merely nods and walks off, returning a few momments after with a decent looking bottle of rum and a small brass key with the number 4 on it.

"Shiv, we are staying in room 4, head upstairs and enlarge the trunk when you're inside." He mentally called out to his scout that silently obeyed his commands. Remus takes the key and places it in his coat pocket, the bottle remains on the bar in front of him. For a moment he contemplates actually drinking some of it and with a sort of inquisitive look he slowly opens the bottle and inhales its scent. To his surprise the bottle proved to be quite fine indeed and without further hesitation he takes a long swig from it before gently placing it back on the bar. His eyes drift around and almost immediately set on Lyric. Now, playing a bar wench it seems, his cold gray eyes seemed narrow slightly before he spoke in her direction. Somehow, he knew that she would know he was speaking to her. "Good morning to you miss... it seems that you are quite multi talanted." A cold calculating smile slowly plays across his lips. "Might I offer you a drink?" He asks, ignoring the fact that it was barely morning and he was already drinking rum straight. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior last night." He continued, remembering that he had spoken quite rudely to the woman. Not to mentiom he could almost feel something was unique about her. And strangely he felt drawn to her as he often is with gifted individuals.