Pirate Age: The Golden Era

[Mizos]

​

Location:Before leaving Jaipur

Zilia was admittedly curious to take a trip up to the temple, Luro tagging along after hearing the story and wanting to see the place the Captain lost her eye. When the tiger appeared Luro grinned and slowly reached for his gun but Zilia reached over and grabbed his wrist slowly lowering it seeing the Captain's response, thankfully by time the tiger's gaze moved to him his hands were already lowered and one of Zilia's was up. At the animal's departure Zilia visibly relaxed and Luro kicked the dirt slightly. The temple itself was a sight and Zilia asked all the questions she could about the religion, when it was built, why it was built and as much about the history the Captain was willing to share. Luro just wanted to know exactly where she lost her eye. The following day Zilia decided to move around town and collect a few extra materials; Luro seemed to have the same idea, though in the midst of the shopping Luro promptly moved to the tavern giving Zilia a list and things to buy. Though she wanted to inform him she didn't want to buy anything he was already drinking before she had a chance to finishing writing the note. With a small shake of the head she continued on deciding to get something for Sara, she did help everyone and such actions deserved a reward.

At the departure Luro was bringing random items onto the ship mainly things he had Zilia buy, he was thankful she followed his instructions though he did end up having to go back and collect the right wood. She got southeastern bark, he needed southwestern bark, the difference wasn't that hard, one was burnt umber and the other was a chestnut, he'd have to explain why it was important later in long detail that would probably take up her afternoon, but Z liked learning so he smiled figuring it'd be fun.

He put that thought aside as he was grabbing another piece of wood since Mom and Dad appeared, he stood with the crew as she spoke to him scratching his cheek at the mention of gifts, Zilia seemed just as surprised as well. She took the necklace with arched brows and stared at it for a moment, she offered a small smile and a nod as thanks, though at the mention of books her eyes seemed to light up and she took a step forward almost hugging the woman, though something caused her to restrain herself, more than likely her bear hugs from earlier and she offered another nod instead putting the ring on as a necklace for the time being.

When Luro received his gift he eyed the item for a moment tilting his head slightly as he ran his thumb along the sash he grinned and offered a small nod, he wasn't sure what this fancy stuff was but that didn't change it was fancy and that meant it was just the thing for one of his favorite lasses.
"Thanks Mom, I know she'll love it," Luro said.
He extended his arms for a hug more open to the idea than his cohort who took a small step away fearing she'd get pulled into the line of affection again. Whether he received one or not Luro took his gun off his back and removed the worn item on the gun, lowering his belt he tied it under it before raising it back up and tying the new strap to his rifle, he laughed a little and returned it to his back.
"Oh it matches her eyes just right, I better be careful she might get a little to classy for me."

Luro waved with both arms as the two left sending them off with a toothy grin, Zilia offering a small wave in return, right before they were out of earshot Luro yelled.
"Don't worry! The Captain probably won't die! If she does I'll bring the body so you know! Take care!"
Zilia just squeezed the bridge of her nose and climbed onto the ship, though her heart didn't feel as heavy boarding it this time, she was pretty sure there was fluttering in her stomach and a rush of energy seemed to fill her, she raised her hood and pulled it over her head, she was not openly admitting to a bit of her excitement at this.

​

Location:On the Sea


"Dear Nura, it's been a bit right? It took me a while to actually find some stuff to write with, thankfully Z has a mountain of the stuff. Being back with Stardusk makes it easier to write letters, and so much has happened, but I told you about that in the last letter, you know the one where I commented your hair looks like moldy hay, you're going to die alone if you don't fix that Nura, looking out for you as friend. You're horrible appearance aside I have news for you! You know the three new people we have now, I finally figured out who they are, it was hard as two of them were very secretive and for good reason, the third one you're not supposed to say openly but I figured it out with my dedun skills…wait deductin…the one that means figuring stuff out.


Anyway I'll let you know so you can spread the word too. Jack is the Tenebrous Bodhisattva, most of his kind faded from the world many years ago, I was surprised to meet another one, he doesn't like to talk about who he was though, probably because of the horrible stuff he did. I think we both know of the Dark Visits a few years ago. I can't forget Z though, The Ashen Philosopher, even she can't mutter her own name, their forbidden lessons bring ruin to entire civilizations, I believe she's the last one as the each time they speak their own life shortens, Z is quiet to avoid that fate. Their penchant for destruction aside they're great people, Masu as well…though I can't deny I was a little worried when I found out who she was. The Crimson Monarch's destruction hasn't ceased over the years as you know, and surprisingly there are those who seek to follow in his footsteps, those who revel in the misfortune of others…Masu is one of them. They're called Crimson Disciples by some, and Masu is one such. She is Fluffykins Bun-Bun Bottom, the wretch of the lost seas, the things she's done has earned her the name Bun-Bun. I'll do my best to learn some more stuff so you can tell others, oh and I heard you're looking for Lily, if you find her let me know, I want to send her letters too. Talk to you later!"


Luro sat on the deck of the ship taking his gun apart as the Captain and Kadi went on about something behind him. He was curious what they were talking about but he was more focused on making adjustments to the L.A.S.S. at the moment, especially if he was going to practice it near Alicia and Kadi's rooms. At the Captain's whistle Luro quickly put his gun back together before moving it to his back and making his way over to the two. Adjusting his new strap with a small smile he folding his hands behind his head and chuckled.
"It's that thing Kadi wanted to do that'll get us killed right, I'm ready!"


Collab: Aki and Mizos

Lady Luck: Days Ago

Zilia rummaged through her materials going over what she had left before closing her bag.

She had borrowed the bath in the back to clean up and get her thoughts settled, the alone time was just what she needed to clear her clouded thoughts. She knew what she wanted, she had known but a part of her didn't want to admit it, more than likely due to her past experiences in the field, maybe even a fear of getting exactly what she wanted. She didn't know the exact answers to those questions but at the very least she knew the one that bothered her the most. Slapping her cheeks she went off in search of Runali, they had to have a proper talk, after all it was Runali she had an eye on for some time.

It took her a moment to find the young captain and making sure she was alone she walked up to her and handed her a note. In all honesty she had written the note long beforehand, storing it in her notebook, the ink was dried and the page crumpled a bit with age but she said nothing only staring at Runali.
"Stardusk Captain...I would like a word with you in private. It...is a matter of utmost importance."

It wasn't often Runali immersed herself in being alone like some of the others did when they wanted to meditate or read- or do whatever they usually did when they wanted to be alone. Usually, when she did, it was late at night to listen to the sounds of the waves in the otherwise silent and empty ocean. At that particular moment, dawn was settling in and Runali had her back against the side of the ship as she sat cross legged. In front of her, there were newspaper pages scattered around her with various marks and scribbles on it. It was hard to tell if she had woken up early or never actually went to sleep. For the most part, the captain looked deep in thought, not moving from the spot she was in, only to glance up when she heard footsteps.

"Morning Zil, how'd you...sleep?" She read the note. Runali stared at it for a moment, wondering why it looked so worn and torn. Maybe she had been indecisive about talking? Maybe she just changed her mind? Whatever the case was, Runali wouldn't figure it out by guessing. Instead, she scooped up the newspaper and stood to her feet. She started forward, only looking back to gesture for Zilia to follow her and led the way down towards the lower deck up to a door that said 'Captain', courtesy of their shipwright. Opening the door, Runali raised a brow. "Well? In you go doctor. There's no such thing as privacy up there."

There wasn't much to the room itself. A hammock was secured on one end of the room, with a blanket folded on top of it and on the opposite end there was a desk with a tidy stack of papers on it and a chair in front of it. After closing the door, Runali walked over and put the papers in a drawer along with the newspapers she had and gestured for Zilia to sit in the chair. She took a seat on her hammock, idly swinging back and forth. "So? What's on your mind doc? Something wrong?"

Zilia followed Runali folding her hands together as she played with the words in her head, she had lost track how many times she had practiced what she wanted to say. She added and subtracted things with time and now that she was actually going to say it she felt as if she should just scrap the whole thing. Shaking her head she took a small breath to calm herself down, she wasn't going to get past this freaking out about it. Walking to the lower deck she followed the Captain into the room and immediately took out her notebook, she had to put these thoughts into words immediately before she lost her nerve. Her hand moved a little faster at Runali's question and after a moment she pulled out the paper and handed it to Runali.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning, to be honest I…have not considered myself a Stardusk…even after you so kindly welcomed me as one. I thought I had been politely kidnapped…as it wouldn't be the first time. If Luro hadn't kept pestering me I may have run off some time ago…well after Miss Sara and Miss Alicia were wholly better I was concerned about that."
Zilia patiently waited until Runali read the note before promptly handing her another one.

"Don't misunderstand however, it's not from dislike...I just had to answer a few personal questions. I won't bore you with the details; in the end I should have been honest when we first met. I…knew about Stardusk…in fact I believed you all could assist me with an endeavor due to your difference from other Pirates. I didn't think I would ever meet you however so that was good fortune, forgive me for being straightforward at first."

Runali was quietly watching Zilia's hand move as she wrote. The thought of Zilia ever running out of paper or even getting hand cramps crossed her mind as she waited, but once the note was handed to her, she focused again. The first note made her frown a little, moreso due to her own misunderstanding than to the words themselves. She had been sure Zilia wanted to join all this time. She even agreed! But the 'polite kidnapping' part did sound… plausible. Runali knew of Sara's very straightforward distaste for being apart of a crew at sea, but she also had faith that Sara would warm up to them! That and of course a bet was a bet and Sara agreed. But it wasn't about Sara at the moment. It was about the doctor right now. When ZIlia gave her the second note, she read it over a few times, unsure of how to reply at first.

"Hm." She started and glanced over at the first note again. "Well, two things. Maybe more," Her eyes stayed on the papers in her hand. "I've had a total of three, four if you count Ben, of my crew members ask to be dismissed from the crew. All for personal reasons one way or the other, but I let them." She gave a small shrug and handed Zilia the papers. "As much as I didn't want to, they had their own lives to live and things to take care of. I'm not going to stop them- or you from doing something that's important to you. However," She paused in her idle swinging to give a more serious expression. "Just as I agreed to helping Kadi, just as I helped Alicia and the other Stardusk, of course I'd help my own crew with their personal matters. We were in the front lines of a war, I mean I think that shows how extensive we've gone for crewmates. There hasn't been anything we have said no to either, so if you need a small army of heavy hitters to- I don't know, take down someone who stole from you, we're happy to help."

Zilia shuffled nervously a little as Runali read her papers, she was more nervous from the time it was taking to respond over anything. Runali didn't seem like the type of Captain to throw her into the ocean or feed her to some wild animal, that was part of the reason she had chosen to be so open with her, but the longer the silence went on the longer Zilia had to raise doubts in her own mind. She didn't know the woman in front of her that well, she could look up, making a slitting motion on her throat and Luro could step out of the darkness. He'd shoot her while going on about the three different types of tree's in the southwest, that was a horrible way to die, being educated while bleeding out, that knowledge couldn't be applied anyway so the lesson was made meaningless!
Zilia was relieved when she finally did speak mainly because it wasn't a kill order.
She gave a small nod to her comment about her previous crewmates, Luro did talk about the lady named Ben who was one of their own, which of course prompted her to ask why a lady was named Ben which only got a shrug from Luro. Putting that question aside she focused instead on the other thing Runali said which caused Zilia's eyebrows to arch slightly. She didn't expect her to agree so easily, even without hearing what it was…though she did catch that crewmate comment which caused her eye to twitch slightly still being considered one, but that was fine there were more important matters.
"Nothing that harsh…helping me will be…something normal, which may be more strange than your normal requests it seems."
Once Zilia handed Runali the note she reached into her pocket and pulled out a book with a bright red front and back and a faded golden spine, it clearly had some age to it but the fair condition of the book showed Zilia took care of it. She held the book out to Runali before pulling out her notebook and writing in it, there was nothing in the book save one line.
"Meet Stardusk."
She handed Runali another sheet of paper, her expression shifting a bit as she clinched her fists her body tensing slightly as a serious expression replaced her worried one.

"I want to chronicle your adventures, that of Stardusk and I would like to be a part of them. I want to write of tales that defy expectations and dwarf the accomplishments of all others, or at least most. With the penchant you all have for finding trouble and the adventure I feel you are the best candidates for this. This…is something I need to do. I won't show the navy, only one person will ever hear what is written in this book…and I'm more than happy to let you read what I write if my words aren't enough. I need to write this story, the tale of Stardusk…I don't think I can be a proper Stardusk without this…it's the whole reason I've wanted to find you all…and a mild interest but this takes priority. I can't bring anything more than my medical skills, but if you will allow this…then I ask to formally join the Stardusk pirates."

"Aw, but the fight is where the fun's at." Runali teased when Zilia mentioned her request was more on the 'normal' side. "There's never anything normal once you agree to sail with us- or be a pirate really." The book caught her attention and she almost didn't want to touch it seeing how nice and well worn it looked. It was almost like an antique. "Meet the Stardusk? Huh, never had 'fans' before." She chuckled before taking the paper instead of touching the book.

The more she read the note, the wider Runali's smile got and when she finished, she couldn't help but laugh. It was a laugh of relief and overall happiness. She covered her mouth to stifle most of it and eventually regained her composure to answer the doctor. "Z," She used the nickname Luro 'affectionately' gave her, "you didn't have to ask me to write about our adventures. If you want to do that, then you go ahead. I mean sure, I appreciate you not giving it to the navy- and I'd definitely be interested in reading it for memories sake but you can for sure… be a chronicler? Is that what it's called? A librarian- nah those are for books already written. A story teller? Yeah, something like that." Runali scratched her cheek and gave a much shorter laugh. "I'm just glad you weren't asking to leave. You seem like you're getting along so well with the crew- even Sara likes you more than the others. Would've been a bummer to see you go."

The captain heaved a sigh and stood on her feet. "You don't need really need a formal introduction considering we all think of you as one of the crew, but if you really want one I'll be happy to put you in the spotlight once more." She patted Zilia's shoulder before moving over to the desk and looking for something underneath. While she was out of sight, she spoke. "But you should know, I didn't ask you to join just because you were a doctor." She paused and put an old crumpled newspaper on the desk before hopping back to her feet. "There's something about you. Not just the doctoring and the cool, mysterious nature. I'd say quiet, but you're one of the most expressive people on this ship- save for Ray and Kadi when they're yelling at Luro. And that can be louder than words." She sat on the edge of the desk near Zilia and smiled. "I'm not sure what it is yet… I don't usually find out that kind of thing instantly when I meet the crew but there's something. Not to get all sentimental or anything but it's not all about the fighting and stealing what have you- although that's a definite bonus. You guys are pretty cool at that." A small smirked form on her face. "That does include you." She wasn't going to forget Zilia fighting in Sunter and she sure wasn't going to let her live it down either. "It's not something I can really explain either, but I'll figure it out at some point. Oh and this," Runali handed the newspaper to Zilia. "First official adventure of the Stardusk crew. It only hit the local papers so I know mom didn't have it. Hara Island. Good times. I got shot there though, that kind of hurt."

Zilia reached up and squeezed the bridge of her nose at Runali's comment about fighting, that kind of mindset was just going to get them hurt even more. She flinched a bit when said fan not sure if she agreed with that, but there was no other right word to describe her fascination with Stardusk. She really hoped she wouldn't repeat that to the others, she wouldn't be able to look most of them in the eye, maybe Luro since he wouldn't understand what it meant but she had a feeling someone would eventually explain than she'd never hear the end of it.
"A-am I imagining my future with them…oh please don't let Runali be right about this."
Zilia covered her face with her hand only to lower it as she caught Runali laughing, she blinked a few times not sure what was so funny about her note, granted it was hard to convey seriousness without tone…she was sure she conveyed it well within her words and body language though.

She physically flinched being called Z her eyes twitching slightly as Luro's image appeared in her skull, a hand moved to the side of her head, that name couldn't stick, especially because it was born from him not able to pronounce three letters right. She started to write something else down but stopped mid letter when Runali permitted her to be their story teller, her quill slipped out of her hand causing her to quickly drop down to catch it. She stared at Runali for a moment not sure what to really say in response, instead a small smile formed on her face and she covered her mouth and turned her head to try to hide it. Water stinging the edges of her eyes as she tried to hold back the emotions swelling within her. She had worried so much that Runali would say no that hearing those words were a huge relief.

Zilia cleared her throat putting her stone face back on, catching her comment on Sara and her possible departure Zilia scratched her cheek and promptly wrote in her notebook her mouth twitching the side.
"I…believe Miss Sara likes me equal to you all…and honestly I don't know everyone too well. I've spoken with Jack and Luro at length…the latter against my will and of course Miss Sara but I still feel a bit of distance between myself and the others. Perhaps it's my imagination."
After handing her the note she quickly shook her head at the idea of going through an introduction again, she saw no point in possibly making things awkward, or having to explain the entire circumstance. Zilia preferred to just leave it be, she could be Stardusk's Chronicler she was fine with that. She looked over at Runali feeling the hand on her shoulder turning to face her as she brought up an interesting fact about being chosen. She wasn't used to being a part of a crew for anything other than her medical knowledge so hearing it wasn't just because she knew how to keep them from dying was strange. Being called cool however caused her to avert her gaze shifting to her other foot before shifting back. She wanted to say thank you but decided to just play it cool.
"…you're such a Zilia Zilia, get past the compliment."
She pulled herself back at the mention that she was expressive, bringing her hands to her hips she narrowed her eyes slightly not entirely sure what she meant by that. She didn't let her thoughts linger on it for too long as she was caught off guard at the idea that she had some 'something' that Runali apparently noticed. She couldn't deny it was nice to have someone believe in some potential even she didn't know about but it was also a little embarrassing. She started to write a thank you to Runali but at the mention of her fighting she looked up from her paper, seeing the smirk on her new Captain's face she promptly crouched down and gripped her head hiding her face as a red tint touched her cheeks.
"She saw everything...how am I supposed to explain this away now?! I can't just pretend it didn't happen…maybe I could say it was an accident…no that won't work on her…would drugging her be bad…yes yes it would be a bad idea, don't go in that direction Zilia"
Hearing her footsteps Zilia raised her head standing up to grab the paper and look over it she stared at it for a long moment before taking out a piece of paper.
"Thank you for this, I tried asking Luro about this place…the stories he told didn't make sense but it seems there was some truth to it. I suppose outrunning five navy ships and an angry one armed man swimming in the ocean might be true as well."
Zilia brought a hand to her chin deciding to ask the others about their past ventures as well she couldn't very well write this from the viewpoint of a man who couldn't spell viewpoint.
"I thank you for this Ru-"
Zilia promptly took the paper back and handed Runali another crumpling up the one she had taken.
"I mean Captain…thank you for this opportunity."
She nodded realizing Runali was more than that now, she handed her another piece of paper folding her hands behind her back.
"This means a lot to me…um…I…feel a little bad for keeping secrets and I feel like I've learned a lot about you recently. Since we have a moment if there is something you would like to know do not hesitate to ask me. I will answer to the best of my ability, I feel I owe you that...also please don't get shot. If I see your father again he might ask me everything that's happened to you and I'll be able to tell him...in explicit detail."

"Nonsense doc, you fit right in with everyone. Doesn't take two eyes to see it." Runali left it at that and smiled. If Zilia couldn't see it now, then she'd just have to trust Runali's judgement until she saw it for herself. It was quiet for a moment, save for Zilia's shuffling as she tried think of something to say. It looked as if she wanted to say several things but kept changing her mind and hiding her face. Runali couldn't help but laugh at Zilia's reaction to getting caught fighting though. That was definitely a first for her. She had never met anyone embarrassed by their own skill. "Don't worry doc, I'm not gonna make you fight if you don't want to. But you can't play the damsel in distress card, you've been found out." She grinned and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

In response to Zilia's next note, Runali nodded. "Aye. Luro's stories are… extreme. Though some hold a bit of truth to them if you know how to find it. Just don't try convincing him he's wrong about it you'll end up with a headache." Waving that away she gave a softer and almost contagious smile. "No need to feel bad. Secrets are made for a reason. There's still so much I don't know about this crew and it's always so fun learning new things about you guys- even if sometimes it puts us in harms way... I trust you'd talk when you're ready." She quickly pointed to the last part about her dad and the grin returned to her face. "Ohh, is that blackmail? A threat even? Look at that, you're really coming into your own!" She was only teasing, but the idea of Zilia getting a little more comfortable and a little more bold was a fun thought. She already had a similar frantic expression as Kadi when things went awry but she was already one step into putting her foot down as their doctor. "It's okay I'll forgive you this time," she teased, "especially since you're giving me freedom to ask you random questions- even though I'd probably ask anyway."

She shrugged and looked over at Zilia for a moment, wondering what she could possibly ask. There was actually plenty she could have asked but for some reason if she did, it felt like she'd ruin the surprise of getting to find out later. "Uh.." Runali blinked and scratched her head. "I'm not actually sure what to ask you. I mean, you were trapped on Tilea, you're mute, you've got doctoring skills, and youuu are now keeping tabs on what we do. Oh and you're not trying to secretly kill us. I mean that's a good start. I'm not gonna prod about your history and livelihood unless you want me to. I figure this share of information is whatever's comfortable to you. I mean, Alicia and Ray have been fairly open about themselves. I don't know much about Kadi and Luro's story changes with the wind. And, I just picked up three new people. It's a learning as I go process but if you feel there's something else you want to tell me, by all means go ahead."

Zilia adjusted her gloves with a small smile glad that Runali understood at the very least, she didn't like that she knew how to fight but she couldn't change that now. She had originally kept it secret in case she had to defend herself but given the circumstances it didn't matter anyway, though she did rub her forehead at the whole convincing Luro aspect, it was like talking to a wall with a smile, it was one of those reasons she liked talking to Jack, he had an easy to approach personality too...just with intelligence...she supposed Alicia as well...and Ray...sometimes Sara but she watched the woman tear apart people bigger than her so it was sometimes awkward.
Kadi was the hardest to approach but she figured at some point she'd have to try, he seemed nice though his expression could be really stern, she really did want Runali to be right about fitting in, maybe she saw something she was missing.
She put those thoughts aside at the mention of blackmail, Zilia reached up and messed with one of her bangs deciding not to comment on the blackmail deciding to look at her desk.
"I have to be careful...I don't want some traits rubbing off on me….most of them from Luro…one from Sara...don't' want to impale myself on any swords purposefully anytime soon."
Zilia's attention moved back to Runali expecting the question but hearing her view on the matter she only offered a small nod, she was glad she didn't pry and she made a note that Ray and Alicia were open, she'd have to ask them questions sometimes. Writing in her notebook she walked up to Runali handing her the note.
"Nope I think that method is most efficient, there isn't anything interesting about me anyway, you know my name and what I do, that's the most surprise I can offer."
She casually ignored her ability to defend herself and handed Runali another note.
"That is all I needed, I look forward to writing history,"

Runali stood to her feet and put an arm around her, leading her towards the door. "Ah, don't sell yourself short Zil! There's plenty of interesting things about you that I know so far, so of course there's more interesting stuff I haven't learned yet! And of course I am looking forward to being remembered through history. Now, we better catch up to the others before breakfast is gone."

​

Location: Present

Zilia pulled herself from her memories and sat up in her bed, she was pretty sure she heard a whistle and figured that was the Captain calling everyone. Moving a hand to her mouth to try and quiet a silent yawn she adjusted her gloves staring at her right hand for a moment, she could feel the ring on her finger under her gloves and she smiled a little before grabbing her satchel and walking out onto the deck. She wasn't sure what was going on so she handed a note to Runali before bringing her hands back to her sides.
"Remind me what we're doing again? I'm don't remember if I was a part of the discussion."

 

[Capt. Blu]

A collab between Arc and Captn. Blu

Location: Somewhere even more particular in the middle of the sea
Fifteen minutes later

Runali was amongst the crew, waiting to get the sails ready when she heard Luro. She leaned over a beam with a wide grin. "Yep! It's gonna be fun!"

"Killed?" Ray echoed with more curiosity than concern. At the rate they adventured, everything they did could have got them killed. But by some miracle here they were, on the next adventure.

The captain hopped down and onto her feet before laughing. "Well, we're not going to die. No, no. I won't allow that. But we are dancing with Death… again." She put on her best 'spooky' voice only to laugh right after.

"Right, well you not being worried about it does… ease my mind on the matter might I remind you of Davy's very clear last words on us dying again?"

Runali raised a brow and gave a small shrug. "Well, yeah of course. How could I forget." She glanced behind her at Kadi then looked over at the others of the crew. "But Davy said if we die- that was me, you, Luro, and Alicia. We've gotten more crew members. The game's changed." She patted Ray's shoulder. "I'm sure Davy's reasonable. Besides! We're not dying anytime soon, trust me!"

As she walked off, Ray sighed. "Of course I trust you. It's Davy I don't trust…" But it was no use trying to suade anyone about the dangers of actually dying. It was a pirate's life after all. And he wanted to help Kadi just as much as the others did.

Runali walked over to Zilia, turning her and pointing directly to the moon that was still not quite at it's peak. "You see that? Of course." She framed the moon with her hands before pointing out in the direction Kadi mentioned. "We've gotta race the moon. It's going to get to its highest point and we have to be somewhere over there when it does. After that, there's supposed to be some sort of… door? Opening to the Undersea as Kadi calls it. Then after we get there, that's when the fun stuff happens. But don't worry," Her gaze went out to the quiet ocean. "Davy Jones is the least of our problems."

As the minutes passed, the feverish ticking of the dials on the Navigator's hand-held contraption started to noticeably increase, showing they were getting quite close to the right point, past the device's precision limits. "That's actually quite correct, Davy Jones is quite powerless in the place we are going to. The power structures might be bit complicated, and in some place require mathematics that haven't been invented yet to understand. However, the watery domain is held by someone quite well known to Davy Jones, a contender to his power known as the Drowned King," he answered to the discussion behind his back. "Suffice to say, Davy's name is not uttered lightly on the shores and waves of Undersea, so we'd best keep that little detail about your previous lives to ourselves."

The captain pretended to zip her lips. "I agree. No more death talk. It's bad for morals anyway!" Once more, she looked at the moon, calling out Kadi. "Our time's getting cut short, we may want to pick up the pace."

"Actually…" the Navigator retorted. The dials started to turn around their axles, trying to point in all directions at the same time. The moonlight stopped casting any shadows. Arcadius turned around, looking at the rest of the crew with fearful eyes, his face made whiter by the pale moonlight.

Usually, any decent naval supernatural phenomena is heralded by strong visual and acoustic effects. A pillar of green light shooting from the horizon towards the sun, a thunderous boom coming from untold depths announcing the arrival of some primordial aquatic beast, or eerie silence that drowns any sound, allowing for the siren's song to be heard in crisp over the waves.

The crew could hear a sound not unlike a plug being pulled from a full bathtub, only this bathtub was dozens of miles big. "GRAB SOMETHING AND DON'T LET GO!" Arcadius shouted in panic and quickly jumped to wrap his hands around and into some sturdy rigging. Many have laid their lives against the sturdiness of well-crafted hemp. Off the ship, the perfect stillness of the water was broken by a small formation of bubbles coming from somewhere below. The amount of bubbles quickly increased, and the ship appeared to be dragged towards the center of the bubbling. The centerpoint started to visibly descend as the ship neared it, and a whirlpool vortex began to form. The water started to spiral, first at lazy speed but quickly gaining up, dragging the ship along for the ride through the eye of the maelstrom.

For Arcadius, the next moment became blur of water foam hosing him and threatening to shove him off the deck. The ship beams and planks were screaming from all the pressure and stress, a litany of accusation demanding to know why he dragged it into such danger and probable end. The Navigator simply screamed in terror. All of this while the maelstrom roared and raged around them

The moment Arcadius yelled, the captain was already in motion. Already close to Zilia, she pulled the doctor towards the center and proceeded to make sure everyone else was away from the edges. She grabbed Ray by the back of his jacket before he could fall and passed him and the doctor a few ropes. The last thing she needed was someone going overboard. The ropes they were holding, she tied the ends to the mast of the ship before mumbling. "Lady Luck, don't fail us now." She tied a few more, with difficulty as they began to spin faster and farther into the center. It would hopefully keep them all more secured to the ship.

*A WATER SPLASHY RIDE LATER*​

While water splashed in every direction, Runali did a headcount. Everyone was accounted for, including Coral, who frantically flew below deck into one of the rooms in order to avoid being washed away. As bad as things seemed, there hadn't been any major damages yet and for the most part Lady Luck was still above water- so to speak.

"Well… this is it," the soaked Navigator breathed out, hands pointing above his head. Words failed to explain how utterly massive the cavern was. The ship was vomited out by a water current coming out of a tunnel that opened from a cavern's wall. The sheer height of the stone and stalactites behind them rose so high, you'd fall on your back before seeing the end. Up there in the darkness under the cavern's ceiling, fake-stars glimmered, a mockery of the real night's sky And in other directions, there was no sign of end at all, as if there was a whole planet hidden under the ground. Perhaps there was.

The ink-black, absolutely calm and still water, blinked at them through the reflection of the stars above. "Now… there's a problem. We need wind to work a sailship, or a current to ride. However, since this is still a cavern, an enclosed area, despite its size there are no such things, but there are other… ways." Before he finished his sentence, a chugging sound was carried over the water. The source was still hidden in the darkness, but it was clearly approaching the ship. "Right on time, vultures those."

When the waves had finally calmed and Runali coughed up enough sea water than she cared for. She made sure all of her crew was accounted for once more, before looking around. "That's all you have to say? This is it?" She couldn't help but chuckle. "This looks… No one's gonna believe this." She stood awestruck for a moment until she heard Kadi once more. "Sheesh Kadi, give us a second to pick ourselves up before coming up with new problems." She untied the rope from around her waist and leaned over the ship's edge to see just who or what lived under the sea.

The darkness pulled back and released a small ship with no sails. Where a mast would be, a smokestack was polluting the air with thick, oily black smoke. A tramp steamer, made eons ago at Brass Cap. Two figures were standing at the front, illuminated by the glow coming from the ship's helmsman cabin. As they approached closer, the crew could see they were a man and a woman, old beyond counting.

"AAAHOY!" the man shouted. "AHOY THERE!" Arcadius shouted back, grabbing an intact rope and throwing it towards the ship. There used to be a name on the ship's hull, sometime back in history, but the letters were scraped away by time and rough landings. A gentle bump against Lady Luck announced their full arrival. Arcadius threw the rope ladder over the side of the ship, allowing them to climb aboard.

The couple looked even older up close, especially the woman, her wrinkles appearing to be so ancient they got wrinkles of their own. "Much 'preciated," the man said to Arcadius as he helped them over the gunnel. "But…" he said as he looked up to him, getting a good look at the navigator. "Ah, but we 'ow ya. You dat…" A very, very sharp look from Arcadius stopped him from saying anything more. "I reckon' no 'ong 'troductions are needed, then. The lad 'ere knows our 'rice. We tug ya ship were 'ou need ta go, but the 'rice is a secret from every member of the 'ew." The old woman whispered something to the man. "A'right, you ol' hag. The lad's gets free ride 'oday. Ain't no secret I want to know from him now anyway. Oh, by they ways, names Lazy Bob and Old Louie."

Runali let their navigator take the lead in this situation. She knew nothing about the place, so it was nice that they weren't completely lost in the situation. Although, she couldn't help but give a curious expression when he so casually let the ancient looking people on the ship. Questions raced through her mind, but she kept her mouth shut, mainly to decipher the words through their thick accents.

"So…" She took a step forward. "Nice to meet you two. I'm Runali, captain of this ship." She rubbed her cheek. Everything was happening so fast, so she slowed down a little, taking her time to gather her thoughts. They did just fall into a hole in the ocean, and by the looks of things, that wasn't going to be the only surprise they'd be in for. "...And the way we can get this ship moving, is by telling you some sort of secret about ourselves? Presumably, something we haven't told each other? Well, all of us except Kadi here?" When she got a nod from the two, she scratched her head. Questions were still running through her mind, but she focused. She wasn't sure what she hadn't told her crew already. They had just been on her home island and learned so much about her already, what secrets had she kept from them?

For a moment, she glanced over at Arcadius questioning if this was okay and wasn't some sort of trap. When she was sure, she decided to take the lead and go first. She was the captain after all. "Hm… Something I haven't told anyone…" She thought for a moment, thinking of her past adventures and current ones before looking at Bob and Louie again. "When I was in Kane'Artem, despite not having the slightest doubt about the well being of my crew there were… a few times- months even, when I thought they'd given up on me and Stardusk name. Rough times and all." Runali shrugged. "Didn't think it was important after they saved me, so I never brought it up."

With a raised brow, she looked back at her crew. "Well? We gotta help Kadi, right? Figure no use wasting time."

 

[SilentxChaos]

Location: On the sea but not yet under the sea

For the first time since they'd set off from Sunter, Jack sought solitude. Their cast off towards the Undersea found Jack enthralled with tasks on the ship. It wasn't born of a need to separate himself from the crew; simply a need to settle his thoughts and reflect on the coming venture. In truth, it bothered Jack deeply. You don't mess with the dead, he thought.

He relaxed in the crow's nest, a spot on Lady Luck he discovered oft untouched by the others apart from Luro. A large journal laid open in front of him. It was old and worn, the leather bindings frayed and corners stained by mildew. Water splotches marked every page despite the parchment being treated and thicker. Half a page was covered in what appeared a rough sketch of the heavens. Crude constellations and rudimentary navigational marks reflected the night sky above, awashed in thousands of stars. It was disconcerting to see a perfect mirror on the sea below; there was no comprehension of where the horizon existed. To Jack, the name Stardusk seemed more apt than ever, as they floated soundless in this globe of distant lights. Setting down his quill, he pulled out a pouch of sand and sprinkled it on the wet ink.

Jack was no Arcadius. His knowledge of navigation started with how to use a compass, and ended with which star pointed north when you had no compass. But his old mentor, Hoshi North, was a natural navigator. She'd done her best to impress on Jack this important art of sailing. But as a student will time to time want, Jack ignored the finer points and instead like to hear the stories, myths and legends of constellations. He did develop an amateur's skill for charting. The act of drawing them down was calming, and allowed him to sort his thoughts when he wasn't sure what to think. It had been over a year since he last indulged the hobby. The Jaipur trip resurfaced many memories, especially of Hoshi North, and reminded him of this fact. After visiting the temple of Runali's mentor, he had picked up the journal, quill and ink, protractor, ruler, and a copy of Heroes in Our Stars: A Complete Collection of Tales Behind the Constellations from Various Cultures, which mysteriously went unremarked on Jaipur's librarian's list noting all the books Stardusk "borrowed".

Jack frowned while gently blowing off the sand from the now-dry ink, recalling their trip to the temple. He was honored by Runali's willingness to let them go. Though at the time, he'd been disgruntled towards the submission of a walking staff, due to his wounded leg. When they had passed the tiger and finally arrived, surrounded by stone and vines and sweating in jungle humidity, a chill crept along Jack's spine. For a moment, he thought he felt Hoshi's presence. She was there and gone in a moment, but he had been looking at Runali at the time, brooding on how much to tell her, if anything, of Simon Ira and the sensation of Hoshi's narrowed, disapproving eyes boring down on him made his neck hairs stand on-end. He later summed up the feeling to his own subconscious nudging him towards a decision.

Before they arrived back at the Lev's home, Jack pulled his captain aside. "Forgive me, captain, if it is rude of me to do this now, after visiting your temple but...I thought it best I come to you, instead of waiting for you to come to me, about how I know Simon Ira," his hand had went to his mouth, as if to twist a cigarillo between his lips, only to remember he had none. He had left his pouches and swords at the Lev's house, taken off so Zilia could patch his leg. His hand scratched his cheek then dropped idle at his side. "We crossed paths only once. Near 7 years ago when Hoshi died," Jack grimaced, "He was a junior officer then and I had no idea who he was till a couple years ago when he became the face of the movement against piracy...I don't suppose you have something to do that?" He half-joked. Considering the timing, and the fact Ira was targeting Stardusk, it wasn't hard to guess how the two became involved.

"Ira was part of a small Navy fleet sent to capture, or kill, my mentor. The two of us ended up facing each other, if rather briefly. He tried to shoot me and nicked my scalp," Jack tapped the side of his head with a rueful smirk. "In response, I threw a knife into his shoulder. I would have finished him off too...but then our ship started breaking apart. I was thrown off my feet and Ira fled back to his own ship."

Jack recalled it clear as the sky above; that night of maelstroms, blood and grief. The Navy had been hounding their tail for a day, growing larger on the horizon each passing hour. Four brigades and a man o' war sent to destroy the Bloody Aurora and her captain, the ex-general Hoshi North, now one of the Navy's greatest embarrassments as they lost their best strategic mind. They were in open sea; no ports to escape to or backup to call. The only land were small islands, death-traps. Hoshi made a judgement call and steered them toward a growing storm, a ship-killer, for the smallest chance the Navy would not follow them in.

They had.

The Navy surrounded the Bloody Aurora and a terrifying battle ensued as the sea writhed and threatened to drown them all. If it hadn't been for Hoshi's power, her crew would have perished. As it stood, only a handful of them survived. To this day Jack had no knowledge where his old shipmates were or if he was the last living Borealis pirate. All of this Jack shared to Runali. He also told any other of the crew, if they asked. It felt odd to do so. It had been too long since he felt he could open up to his crew.

A hawk's call shook Jack from his reverie. He blinked and watched C.P. glide toward him and perched on his knee. Jack smiled and stroked the bird's feathers. "Hello C.P. Nice night to fly?"

Jack made friends with animals as easily as he did with people, though their first night back on board, he confessed to the bird he was more a cat-person. He must have offended her. She avoided him for the next two days, disheartening him, until she must have realized he was the one in charge of her food. She warmed to him after that. Nipping at his fingers, C.P. busied preening herself and he put away his catalog of constellations. Far below he heard Runali and Arc's voices. They must be near the entry point to the Undersea. He frowned. The loss of his family-on-the-sea 7 years ago meant Jack understood Arc's desire. However, Jack also believed dead is dead. And to mess with the undead placed you on a path straight for Davy Jones. He couldn't come to terms with what the navigator hoped to accomplish...but Runali seemed gun-ho about the plan and she was the captain. Jack was nothing if loyal, even to a new crew. As long as she was captain, and both Jack and Arcadius remained a part of her crew, then the cook would gladly follow their wishes. That was the contract of shipmates after all.

"Well then. I guess it's time to rejoin the crew," Jack spoke to the bird. C.P. ruffled her feathers and took off, causing him to wince as her talons dug into his knee. Standing up, he stretched, working out the kinks. He stored his things back into a chest secured to the mast of the crow's nest. It had ropes and riggings, a few dusty bottles of rum, and a half-eaten bag of roasted chestnuts Jack was immediately suspicious of originating in his food stores. He made a mental note to confront Luro about that later as he vaulted over the nest's railing and onto the netting that connected the ship's perch to the deck.

Jack had started his descent when Arcadius screamed.

Looking down, he saw the sea bubbling around Lady Luck the crew scrambling for something to hold onto. Suddenly the ship jerk and Jack lost his grip.

C.P. screeched. His body tilted back and Jack flailed for the roping. He dropped halfway down before his fingers found purchase again and jerked him into a stop. Wincing, he immediately twisted his feet through the holes, entwining himself into the rigging while at the same time undoing his vest. Jack whistled for the hawk. A single, sharp note that sent her zipping toward him. She fluttered close enough to grip the netting in her claws. Jack risked letting go, using both hands to grab her and put her in his half open vest, before wrapping his arms through the holes. He held on tight to the both of them as the sea frothed, and then opened to the abyss.

Location: Under(the)sea, under(the)sea

Jack couldn't let go, at first. His fingers were cramped and arms were sore from holding too tightly to the rigging. He stared at his fists mentally willing them to unfold. Eventually, he got his index finger to peel from the thick rope. Middle and thumb followed suit, and suddenly his hand sprang free. The cook inched his way down on legs and arms laden with water and heavy, as if his bones turned to lead. He collapsed on the deck, groaning. C.P. rustled her way out of his vest, eyes big and feathers drenched. The hawk gave a hard shake, screeched with indignance, then half-flew and half-hopped to the hold. Jack forced himself to his feet.

"Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?" Jack called to the others. Their responses meant they were alive, more or less. He went to Sara first, steadying her on her feet, and helped anyone else who needed it. Once they were all re-oriented, Jack looked at the cavern. His eyes turned up. Stars?...No. The constellations aren't the same. A sense of discomfort filled him as Arcadius noted the newcomers. While they boarded Lady Luck, Jack pulled out his tobacco leaves, remarkably untouched by their water ride.

He busied rolling a smoke while the captain talked. When Lazy Bob and Old Louie dictated the price for their services was a secret, Jack fumbled striking his match and burned his fingers. He quickly recomposed himself by taking out a new match, carefully making a living flame the second time and puffing the cigarillo. Runali went first. There was a momentary silence as the crew wondered who'd go next. Jack tapped his foot, then decided to volunteer.

"I was born in a brothel."

It was technically a secret to the crew. He never told Stardusk because the question never came up but other people in the world knew his birthplace. It was a safe answer for the cook, who had one too many secrets hidden away. Jack shrugged and smiled at any looks thrown his way.

 

[Mizos]

Location: Above the Sea

Zilia stared at Runali with a look akin to a cookie being stolen, her eyes lowered slightly and her eyebrows knitted together, that explanation explained nothing conclusive and sounded extremely dangerous. She looked over at Kadi surprised he was the one who wanted to go to this place, what was the Undersea? Why was there death talk and why was Luro laughing uproariously at the idea of dying again, he seemed almost excited at the aspect of being put in harms way. These were all questions she didn't expect an answer too so she instead focused on what she knew. Wherever they were going a man called the Drowned King, which was a very comforting name, was in control and Davy was not, which meant this place fell away from Davy Jones, every sailor's worry, that bothered her. She squeezed the bridge of her nose she supposed sensible or not he was still a Stardusk, no stealing from other ships, or stealing from the navy, that's too easy meeting the Drowned King in the Undersea is a far better use of their time.

"Oh man this is going to be great!" Luro said throwing his hands up. "This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait, let's hurry!"
Luro grinned a bit at the idea, they were going to meet a king, and possibly end up in an extremely dangerous situation, this almost made up for not staying to fight a possible navy army. Luro turned and headed towards the bow to try and see if he could catch sight of the place when he heard Kadi yell. Blinking he grabbed his gun with both hands and held it tight before he felt the ship lurch, he laughed and moving his gun to his back walked to the center of the ship and humming a small tune to himself wrapped his arms up with rope. He noticed Zilia was nearby wrapped up as well near Ray, she seemed to fiddle with her hair before pulling her hood up. Laughing Luro looked towards the night sky.
"First one that dies buys first round with Davy!" he exclaimed grinning as the ship was pulled under.

Location:Undersea

Luro spit out a bit of water and ran his hands through his now wet hair as he took a few steps forward on the deck, he wasn't sure where they were at but it was pretty. He walked over to the side and took a quick look at Lady Luck to make sure she was okay, seeing they weren't going to sink at least he smiled and turned to look over at Arcadius as he started speaking about moving. Luro brought a hand to his chin wondering if he could use one of his designs to help, though since the last one blew up he wasn't sure about trying it on the Lady Luck, he was pretty sure the Captain would be made if he destroyed the ship, and he knew the ship would be furious with him, he couldn't have that.

What followed however captured Luro's attention immediately his eyes rested on the strange ship approach and a sparkle filled his eyes as he eyed the ship ahead, he quickly took out his notebook, somehow untouched by the water and started drawing in it, looking up at the ship then back down before chuckling and slamming the book shut putting it away afterwards. That ship was pretty amazing, it reminded him of Brass Cape a little, he wondered what made it run like that, would the old people be mad if he took it apart. He started to ask but they started talking first, he wasn't sure what they were talking about at first but thankfully Kadi and the Captain could translate, after a moment Luro understood and slammed a fist onto the palm of his hand.
"That's weird but okay, I'm sad Kadi get's to cheat and not share stuff but if Captain says to share than let's share. Even if I'm pointing the shame finger at Captain for doubting us."
Luro brought a hand to his chin not really pointing at the Captain and tried to think of something to share, he didn't really have any secrets that everyone didn't know, he told them everything. He asked everything so of course he'd share what he knew, though sometimes he wondered if he told them the right thing he still tried, especially when Jack told them about that Poshi lady.
When Jack spoke up Luro raised his head and grinned.
"That's a good secret," he said before closing his eyes and poking the side of his head.
"...I can't think of anything I haven't shared. Have I told you guys I think Kadi has the third best behind in the crew...yeah I did didn't I....oh what about my surprise about Alicia's underwear, I thought'd it be fancier since her outside is fancy...no...no I said something about that."
Luro ruffled his head trying to dig in his head for something, there was nothing he hasn't told Stardusk about himself this was really hard.
"Kadi we might be in trouble, I can't think of anything. I mean you guys know stuff about me already. You even know about Nura, I don't talk about Nura that much. I mean there were all kinds of weird feelings there like love and trust that are confusing, and I enjoyed being a family with her cause I kind of imagined it when I was younger. I told you guys about that though."
Luro looked over at Bob and Louie and saw their attention had moved to someone else, seeing that Luro rubbed the side of his head.
"Huh I didn't talk about that? Hahaha I guess I forgot too," Luro said with a grin. "My turn's over!"

"....my hair..."
Zilia had accepted Jack's hand up with a small nod before quickly moving to the side of the ship, the wonder of the cavern and everything else was lost on her as she tried to take care of the mess on her head. Almost physically wringing out water she stood a few feet away from the crew moving her fingers through her hair before eventually running and ivory comb through it, tilting her head from side to side focused more on getting it back together than the mystical wonderland they currently found themselves in. What seemed like forever to Zilia at least she finally finished fiddling with her bangs as she made her way back over to the crew just as the strange ship came in. Arching her brows she eventually squeezed the bridge of her nose as Bob and Louie spoke with Kadi, this was very suspicious and they were playing along with it. With a small sigh she lowered her hand as the others started sharing their secrets with the old couple.

"Share secrets with total strangers...why is everything always dangerous in some way," Zilia thought looking around at the others.
She could agree with one thing no one was going to believe this, she would write it down all the same but if anyone saw it they'd think this was a fictional tale. Putting that aside she stared at the others as they revealed their own secrets, it seemed they had little choice in the matter. Zilia wasn't really sure what she could share with Stardusk, or rather what she even wanted to share.
She gave no second glances in the direction of the shared secrets, she had already committed to these people, judging them was meaningless.
With no choice in the matter Zilia messed with her sleeve for a moment, taking a step forward she pulled her glove off her right hand and pulled her sleeves down. She held her arm out towards the two, making sure Stardusk could see as well. There was black writing on Zilia's hand and arm circling all around covering her hand to her forearm and possibly beyond. The words were written vertically covering her skin, running down even her fingers, there wasn't a spot the words didn't touch. The words themselves were clearly in another language, the letters seemed almost like shapes in a way, near the bottom of the letters there was a single word that resembled normal language but Zilia slipped her glove back on not about to let eyes linger that long on it. Adjusting her glove she flexed her fingers before bringing her hand to her side, she went back to messing with her hair feeling that was enough.

 

[Arcadius]

A collab between Arc and Captn. Blu

Location: Undersea, The Eavon's Way

A split moment later

​

He was a little disoriented from all the sea water splashing around, but overall he was glad he despite being a little waterlogged everyone was still okay. Like everyone else, he stood in awe for a brief moment at the world under the… well world. "Well… better than being dead?" He mused more to himself than anything.​

​

As events unfolded and an elderly pair greeted them, he was a little glad the captain and Kadi could translate because he could only understand every other word from them. For a brief moment, he wondered just where they came from and how long they had been there but… there were more pressing matters he supposed.

​

"What are these secrets being used for exactly?" Although Ray asked the question, it went on deaf ears as everyone began to share. The captain's secret made him frown a little. He had to agree with Luro's quip about her doubting them- to an extent. Jack's wasn't anything groundbreaking, but then again, he was a new patron of the crew which meant he could tell them anything. Zilia's was admittedly surprising and like the captain, he was a little curious about what the marks meant. But judging by how quickly she covered it back, it was safe to say she didn't want to talk about it. Luro's- well he could only raise a curious brow as he rambled on.

​

Finally, it was his turn to share. Those old pairs of eyes turned to him and he straightened up a little. While everyone was sharing he tried to mull over something that he hadn't told the crew. They knew about how he was saved by the captain and why. They were well aware of his past and his present consisted of the Stardusk crew. There was nothing he kept…

​

Ray glanced to his shoulder when C.P. landed on him, but he turned back to the elderly pair. "It's no secret that I am loyal to the Stardusk crew and the captain but my feelings for the captain may have grown to be...a little more than platonic." He carefully picked his words, and waited for the pair making sure they found it to be an acceptable response.

​

Runali had taken note of each of their responses, not to snoop and pry, but to be aware of it as a captain. She wasn't sure if and when any of these things would come up as important later, and she made the effort to try and know her crew unlike a lot of the pirate crews they faced before. She had been leaning against the side of the ship, her gaze resting at her feet, looking up when Zilia showed them her arms. The second time she looked up was when there was a brief pause when it was Ray's turn. His particular secret made her raise a brow, almost sure she hadn't hear him right. However before, any of them could truly settle, the pair clasped their hands together causing C.P. to ruffle a little.

​

The old man laughed, creating a sound that was quite reminiscent of a huge mound of gravel being toppled. "The secr'ts? Ob'vious, nah? You use them to pay for ya fare. What else do ya have we w'ld fin' of v'lue?" He turned to the Navigator and nodded. "W'lp. Not many I meet thrice down 'ere, at the en' of Eavon's Way. As a'ways, p'ls're doing bu'ness with ya, Empty. Where does your folly drag ya th's time?"

​

The Navigator's eyes were full of the darkness around them, the colour that remained when all other colours have already died. The old woman showed first sign of having any emotions after he told him where the Stardusk were headed. "The Shellfish Palace."

=☞Some amount of time spent tying a sailship to a tugboat later☜=
​

They quickly found out another disadvantage of perfectly still air. The heavy, oily exhaust fumes from the steamship in front of them stayed in place which would soon be occupied by Lady Luck. The sails were soon slick and dark with soot, and the air was heavy with sulphuric stench. On the more adventuring side of things, the Eavon's Way did not end with the funnel's end, where they met the strange pair, but in fact continued after, forming a high-walled bay that explained the darkness that surrounded them.

​

Soon, they left this bay, and the Undersea opened in front of them in all its true wonder and glory. Which was really non. The water was still cold and stole sound, the air was dark and gave false impressions of distance and the stars above them were false as ever. However, the depths beneath them were sometimes illuminated by eldritch colours coming from fluorescent fungal colonies, allowing them to study intricacies of local aquatic fauna. One could spot huge bats occasionally zipping through the air above them (Or in case of a particularly drunk one, hitting the sail and raising all the soot that accumulated there. The creature shouted a slurred apology before vanishing). On their starboard side, the coast continued from Eavon's Way, the bleeding-edge sharp rocks and cliffs soon giving into indigo sand beaches. Here and there, one could possibly spot lights of a settlement. On the horizon, incredibly distant, one could see dim flashes of white and red light painting the contour of a mountain.

​

Thorough this, the Navigator stood on the prow, hiding his gaze from the crew. "If you see the red flashes getting brighter, turn around and close your eyes. Think about the darkest thing you can imagine. You'll know when to stop!" he said after particularly large red eruption that seemed to reach from the mountain to the cavern's ceiling itself. "Now… I imagine you might have questions. For starters, why secrets, and what will happen with the information you have deluged, perhaps? It's quite simple. Secrets weigh nothing, but can have incredible value to the right person. Physical things here have certain… unstable properties, and finding a buyer for, for example, a crate of souls can be tricky, dirty, tiring business. Secret? Well… it's all about finding the right person. But often most, many here are willing to take this duty to themselves. Eventually, the secret will diffund to the right place, but will change many hands along the way. That is quite alright with all involved."

​

Runali had been leaning over the edge of the ship taking in all the sights and sounds of the mysterious place. At the state of awe she was in, she couldn't possibly think of the questions she could ask. Many of them would have ended up being "Oh, what's that?" "How far's that go?" "How do they live under here?" But she waited. There was a place they were going that had 'Palace' in the name. Somewhere important. Absent mindedly, earlier she quipped towards Luro, "Maybe you can start a new throne collection starting here." Of course she was only teasing, but the idea of it sounded entertaining to watch.

​

The captain let out a low whistle towards C.P. as she flew a little too high for Runali's comfort. She still wasn't sure about the place and didn't want to risk any injury. When Arcadius spoke, she turned her head to him, following his advice. She took the time to cover C.P.'s eyes as well. And when he continued, that's when she turned around completely. "Uh huh… And?"

​

He inhaled the cold, damp air and slowly exhaled air warmed by his lungs. For the rest of the crew, the air they exhaled condensed into a noticeable stream of milky white fog as the warm gas collided with cold and the water contained therein formed into tiny droplets. No such thing could be observed with the Navigator's breath. "T'is a marvellous place here. I have been here three times. First, with Caralean. Second time, after Pearl sank. And now… once more, for the last time."

​

Runali gave a confirming nod. "That's what I wanted to know." She walked to his side with her hands held together behind her back. "I always wondered what happened to you during that time… I see why you kept it to yourself." She heard the finality in his voice and gave a nod. "This will be one helluva memory."

​

"Right you are, Captain. Memories of sincere and utter amazement can fetch a quite the prize on the market. Worst come worse, we can use it to pay for limping our… your way home."[/left]

 

[Eastwood]

Location: Lady Luck
Time: Before the plug was pulled.

Once again, Sara wasn't paying attention and therefore had no idea what was going on. She did catch fragments of a plan, something about an Underzee or something, it was probably just a port that they were going to resupply from. She had no idea why the navigator was being so dramatic about it. Sara was lying down quietly in the crow's nest, next to Jack, staring up at the stars quietly, her mind as still as the waters surrounding them. From her position, she could only look up at the sky, any reminder of the ocean surrounding her would only ruin her good mood.



For a moment, all was still and natural in the world. But then, Sara heard it. Standing up, she witnessed two unexplainable things. One was a gigantic whirlpool that formed seemingly out of nowhere. The second was that the ship, for whatever reason, was heading straight for it. "Guys?" She shouted, a high note of panic rising in her voice. "Why are we heading straight toward that? Guys?!" She stood perfectly still, paralyzed from fright, unable to move. When the ship lurched violently, she screamed as she fell from the crow's nest. Luckily, her life was saved when her foot was tangled among some spare rope, tied to the mast. Unluckily, this meant that she was at the complete mercy of the storm. Still screaming as she was thrown around, only silencing when she was buffeted by the colossal waves. When it was all over, she hung there upside down, wide-eyed and shivering with terror. When she was cut down, she curled on the ground, rocking herself like a child before getting carried to her feet by Jack. She sat down on a nearby bench, still shaking like a leaf.

Location: Underzee

Despite her state, Sara was acutely aware of her surroundings, but she tried her best not to think about how far under the ocean they were. When she looked up, to see the cavern ceiling, she moaned to herself and buried her face in her hands. When the two strangers offered assistance in exchange for secrets, Sara couldn't help but begin to laugh hysterically as such an odd offer. This is a dream, it must be! She must have fallen asleep up in the crow's nest. High-pitched and hysterical, she spoke after Jack. "Secrets?! You want a secret?! Okay, how about this! I am terrified of the ocean!"


***Steamboat tugging intensifies***


Sara was afraid of the sea. She knew it, and now the world knew it as well, or at least knew it openly. The man and woman who came from the tramp steamer made no sign of judging the crew on their secrets, showing that to them, the secret was an item of currency, something to be seen as self-contained object to be used in a trade as-was. Her value to Lazy Bob was the same as before she told her secret; just a person paying fare, an honest trade. One perhaps wished not to consider why has the man refused to require a secret from the Navigator as well, why he shunned knowing what the man would have to offer to him for his services.


But there were, possibly, other actors around. The crew of the Lady Luck now knew about it, and who knows what else has been listening in this damned darkness. The air was dark, the mood was dark, the unfathomable waters around them were dark. The feeling of the depth was strange one, actually. At the surface, where the sun and stars shined, the water had depth, but even at the open sea, when sitting on a solid ship, one would feel like an afterthought. Perhaps Devil Fruit users felt it differently, knowing the water would not hold them. But here… here, it would feel like that to everyone. The very universe felt like it chanted directly into one's mind, bypassing ears:

The water is deep.
Your presence on the surface is tolerated.

This situation may not be permanent.

Only after a few minutes of burying her face in her hands did Sara calm down enough to realize that this wasn't a dream, although it certainly was a nightmare made manifest. It took a few more minutes for her to work up the courage to finally open her eyes and lower her hands. She stood up, on shaky legs, and for whatever reason made her way to the edge. Sara did not know why she did it, only feeling a strong compulsion to do so. Perhaps it was her way of figuring out where they were. But what greeted her, aside from the murky depths and a terror-filled imagination, was a voice calling to her. With a low moan of despair, she pushed herself away from the edge and back to the bench, once more with her face buried in her hands.


It wasn't there when she looked over five seconds ago. No normal person would just sit down and bury her face into her palms, no not with such level of self control. A sane person would be screaming and running around the deck, would he see such a thing in the water. Sara did not, but that did not stop it from appearing five seconds later, burning itself into her memories. The gargantuan eye snap-opened itself at the bottom of the sea, just as she peered over the ship's side. How deep was the water? How large was the eye? Despite the obvious disproportion in sizes and uncertain distance, she was sure it opened and looked directly at her. She was beheld.

It was not really there.
It just made itself be remembered there.


The eye. Sara sat up straight, whirling around, a thin layer of sweat blossoming on her brow. How did she not see it? How did she not see it? This thought rushed through her head. Was it there or wasn't it? She couldn't remember, was there something wrong with her eyes, or her brain? She had to know for certain, despite every cell in her body screaming not to, she had to know the truth. Once more, she stood up, slower than before, to make her way to the edge and peer into the murky depths.


A crab the size of a lifeboat passed under the ship under the water. It had orange chitin carapace, and scored the depth with thin tentacles with luminous orbs at their ends. It showed no interest towards the wooden and metal beasts on the surface. A small, one-eye fish swam close to one of the lights, and the tentacle quickly grabbed it. In one swift motion, the tentacle pushed the fish into the crab's mouth. A tiny crimson puff appeared around the feedhole as the beast ate. Just the normal, mundane happenings of aquatic life. What was Sara looking for?


Whilst that was weird and unusual, it certainly wasn't terrifying. Sara stared at the giant crab and fish curiously, relieved that it wasn't what she initially thought it was. The giant eye she saw must have been a trick of the light, caused by the luminous orb. Yes, she nodded to herself and pushing away from the edge, that must have been it, there was no other possible explanation. Sara was calmer now, but still on edge.

 

[Eastwood]

Location: Lady Luck


Alicia stood upon the bow of the Lady Luck in the place she was most often found when they were about to depart back towards the horizon. The wind gently kicked against the silvery white strands of her hair as she closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled. The adventure in their captains homeland had caused her to experience facing her own mortality in the moment she'd made the choice to fill her soul with agony in order to imbue herself with overwhelming power.


But she hadn't, she'd been spared by the return of one of their newest crew members, the most unlikely person she'd expected to return within that moment. The swordwoman opened her eyes with a soft exhale before she turned and made her way across the deck, over towards where she'd expect to find the gladiator. It didn't take her long and Alicia would clear her throat to politely disturb Sara before she'd approach. "Apologies, Sara. If you're not too busy, I'd like to take up some of your time".


Sara, meanwhile, was struggling to keep the contents of her stomach within her. Once she had stepped back on the ship, her seasickness had came back in full force. While it wasn't as bad as her first voyage was, given that she had fully recovered from her injury, it was still enough to keep her from doing any strenuous physical activity. Alicia found Sara sitting with her back against the mast, her face buried in her hands. She looked up, slightly pale, at the swordswoman's cough, quietly listening to her request.


"Uhh… Okay." She responded, somewhat confused at what Alicia could want.


She observed the gladiator who seemed to once again be struggling, managing to at least offer a somewhat sympathetic expression before she gave her response. "Where I come from it is tradition to share tea with another as a sign of respect and in some cases even to show gratitude, even apologise depending on circumstance" the tea rituals of her nation was just one of many social etiquettes of her people.


Even enemies and rivals were known to share tea together in Yula Fei, of course it was often to discuss certain subjects of conversations to do with the conflicts but sometimes it was more than that. Fei people were known for their hospitality and friendly nature, respect and honor a common trait to be found in and among them. Alicia inclined her head respectfully, "I would be honored if you would agree to join me in sharing tea".


Even while nauseated, Sara picked up whatever subtext there might have been. Why does Alicia want to apologize to her? Maybe for sticking a sword in Sara's side, but then again she literally did walk into it. Whatever reason it may be, her curiosity won her over. She stood up, facing Alicia, and said.


"Sure. Lead the way."



The swordwoman gave a simple nod and turned to make her way for her bedroom, the only place that she'd deem appropriate for such an occasion. Of course usually she'd have invited Sara to her home, but as they were at sea this was the next best thing. She was pleased that Sara had agreed to her request, had she declined it Alicia would have been insulted... well, that would have been true had Sara been from Yula Fei but Alicia had long since accepted that many outside of her nation were not used to such social behaviours.


Once in her room she turned to Sara and motioned for her to take a seat on a cushion arranged on the floor. The cushion itself had designs and patterns not unlike the ones found on her kimonos, giving the impression that it was from her home land. "Please have a seat" she said politely before she began to take the necessary items from a trunk at the base of her bunk.


Everything within her room space was neatly folded or placed carefully which told of Alicia's discipline which ran into more aspects of her life than just her training with the sword. It was something children were taught from a young age and it was generally believed that a tidy and well kept living space was key to keeping a clear and uncluttered mind. Alicia placed the first item from the trunk on the floor in front of Sara.


A small table that rose only a few inches from the ground. Upon it she laid a thin cloth, neatly folded alongside a small wooden bowl, a long thin hooked stick, another stick which looked similar to a ladel and a larger pot with a lid which sat beside the table. "Excuse me one moment" the Swordswoman would disappear for a moment, later returning with a steaming kettle that she poured into the large pot before sealing the lid on top.


Alicia silently took up each item and carefully cleaned them with the folded cloth, paying attention to detail though handling it as if she'd learned and completed this process many times in her past. Once each of the instruments were cleaned, she took the thin hooked stick and placed the tip into a wooden pot of small shredded leaves, hooking a small amount of them into the wooden bowl where she crushed them up a little more.


Once the shredded leaves were crushed she took up the bowl and opened the pot, letting the steam out a little as she added the leaves to the water before stirring it with the long ladle like instrument. The entire process was done carefully and with care and within a few minutes a pleasing aroma began to fill the space between them as the tea stewed in the pot.


Alicia had removed her sword and placed it aside prior to making the tea. It was one of the very few occasions where it was deemed both necessary and acceptable to disarm oneself. To do the opposite was actually considered rude. Finally Alicia placed two small cups on the table, raising one and filling it with the tea before placing it down in front of Sara, giving an almost bow like movement as she completed the step.


Finally she filled her own cup, placing it down in front of herself before carefully moving the tea instruments neatly to the side as the tea pot continued to boil away beside them, taking her own seat opposite Sara on a cushion. "Thank you for joining me Sara" she said softly, "I suppose you might be wondering what this is about?" she asked.


As expected, Alicia's room was meticulously neat. Self-discipline is a common factor in martial arts, and maintaining one's living quarters is an expression of it, so it did not surprise Sara in the slightest. Admiring the embroidery and the fine stitching first, she took her seat opposite to Alicia on the cushion, her hands resting on her lamp. She didn't put her weapons away out of the fact that she simply didn't bring any with her. Despite their recent experience in town, she still didn't carry her weapons with her, possibly to make a stubborn point.


Sara, not truly understanding the cultural significance, watched Alicia conduct the ceremony, curious first but quickly becoming bored and even slightly annoyed once she saw her clean her tools first. Yes, it was obviously true that this was done with great skill and finesse, something that but frankly Sara didn't see the point. But out of politeness, she hid her disdain.


When Alicia was finally done, Sara let out a very small and quiet sigh of relief. While it was interesting to watch, it took far too long, especially for as something as mundane as tea. Delicately taking her cup, she raised it to her mouth, breathing in the aroma before taking a dainty sip. She paused, before saying truthfully.


"It's good. It's really good."


Sara placed the cup back down, going back to it later once it was cooler, when she was asked a question.


"No idea." She said, concealing her thoughts. "But I bet you're about to tell me."


Alicia was glad she liked the tea, the leaves were from her reserve bought from home, saved for situations such as this. If she were simply drinking tea for everyday enjoyment, the tea wouldn't be made with as much care or with the same quality. Not because of laziness but simply because it wasn't practical. "I'm glad you like it, these leaves are specifically from a plant we grow at home. It should help with your seasickness. We often grow it for our navy sailors and fisherman who suffer from similar illnesses" she replied.


When Sara replied she gave a sincere smile of amusement, although Sara was as some would say, rough around the edges, she had a charm about her which could still be appreciated. "As I mentioned earlier, my people perform these rituals with tea in order to approach specific social etiquettes" she began. "I have three reasons for why I've asked you here. The first is to... how you say, clear the air?" she paused to see if she'd gotten the idiom right before continuing. "The second is an apology. During the fight when you walked away I judged you, wrongly. I was too quick to assume you would abandon us without truly knowing you" she confessed honestly.

"The third, is gratitude, a thank you for saving us when it seemed we were out of options" she decided to leave out the part where Alicia almost confronted death, it wasn't necessary and not particularly something she was proud of.



Sara, after taking a bigger sip, felt her stomach settle and relax, no longer feeling as nauseous. Plus, it was pretty tasty. She'd have to ask Alicia for this more often. "With how good this is, it was worth the wait." Sara commented, holding the cup delicately. "And you're right, it's doing wonders for my seasickness, thank you."


She listened to Alicia's explanation quietly and occasionally taking small sips. Sara was unfamiliar with the idiom herself so she only shrugged when Alicia brought it up. As for the second and third reasons, Sara could only smile a little bit and, after taking a small sip of her tea, said in a playful yet challenging tone.


"Well, I'm surprised you didn't see right through it. I took a sword through my side in our last fight, did you really think I'm the type of person who runs from a fight like that?"


Alicia picked up her cup as Sara spoke, taking a small sparing sip from the hot liquid. She didn't suffer from seasickness, but it still made for a tasty beverage. She'd closed her eyes for a short moment as she sampled the tea, locking away a sense to allow her taste buds free reign over her mind. When she opened them again she wore a pleased expression and set her cup back down. "No, but when we fought we both consented to throwing our lives against each other. This time was different, there was no consent to an agreement" Alicia gave a small shrug of her shoulders, "To be quite honest, I don't know you very well at all" she said honestly.


"Mmph. That's fair." Sara admitted, somewhat amused. The feeling was mutual, despite her observations, she knew very little about the warrior in front of her. All she knew was that Alicia was from a place called Yula Fei or Yula Fey, an island she had heard about a few times whilst milling around the docks of Harbor Island. If Alicia was going to be her new goal, then knowing very little would be a very foolish thing.


"So…" She said, taking a mouthful of the hot tea. "Let's change that. Tell me about your home, your family, where did you learn to fight?"


Alicia gave a single nod in response before listening as Sara asked her questions. She hadn't really spoken of home save for the bits and pieces she'd told the crew before later showing them her home. She decided to go with the questions in order, starting with the first one about her home. "Well, my home is a peaceful nation of men and women and home to some of the world's greatest warriors. The island itself is beautiful with large mountains split by waterfalls, vast expansive valleys of green snaked by rivers and a diverse ecosystem of colourful animals and flora" Alicia smiled.

"The people are kind and the nation within itself is peaceful. From a young age we're taught many morals and virtues, such as humility and respect. Crime is almost nonexistent and war is something we tend to avoid unless absolutely necessary" her smile faded a little as she recounted memories of the second invasion, where she'd lost her father and almost her younger sister. "As for my family, I have a younger sister called Satia and I'm afraid that's it. Our father died when my home came under attack by a Warlord called Odyn, thankfully the attack was repelled and I have the crew of this very ship to thank for it" she smiled again.


"My mother was the swordswoman Sakura Hikari, the one who served in shaping the world in the previous era. My father was a man by the name of Akiyoshi Tashigi, also a renowned swordsman, but only locally to our people. I suppose it's fairly easy to see how I came to be trained as a swordswoman, no?" she gave a gentle chuckle. "When my mother and father retired from the world and had a family, they turned to teaching the art of the sword. Me and my sister grew into that art, I guess it flows through our veins, you could say" Alicia once again softly shrugged.


"What about you Sara, tell me more about yourself" she said with genuine interest as she once again sipped from her cup.



As Sara drained the last dregs of her tea, the aftertaste leaving a warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach, she noticed a few odd discrepancies within this society. It's focus is on peace and harmony, yet it produces some of the best fighters? If they're a pacifistic society, what do they do with their warriors, pit them against each other like gladiators? Sara decided that she had to address this issue, putting the cup down onto the table.


"If your society is focused on peace and harmony and all that, then why is there a large focus on their military capabilities? Surely you can agree that it is a little bit hypocritical."


Alicia brought up Sakura Hikari which sparked Sara's attention. "Hikari? I've heard of her, she stopped Tilea from regaining its colony at Dane Island. According to the records, she single-handedly took down three of the Republic's finest ships. And you're her daughter?" Sara gave a low whistle of appreciation. "That is pretty cool." So, Alicia was practically an aristocrat. An aristocrat dedicated to the sword but an aristocrat nonetheless. A few things started to click into place.


When she was asked about her own history, she paused, contemplating where to start before beginning. "Well, I don't remember my homeland, only that it was really hot and really sandy. My family and I were taken by slavers and brought to Tilea when I was about… Six? Seven? Anyway, we were seperated and I never saw them again. I was sold to the arena on that island to be a, well…" She trailed off before resuming. "Long story short, I become the leader of a gang of fellow slaves. I must've rubbed the arena master the wrong way cause when I was about sixteen I was shoved into the arena with a blunt sword to face against an upper tier slave-fighter, y'know as a joke. The guy was a complete idiot so I was able to break his weak leg and stabbed him in the throat. Because of it, Lucius, the gladiator trainer, was able to convince Decius, the arena master, not to kill me for killing his rising star fighter. I rose through the ranks, became a slave-gladiator, and saved enough prize money to buy my freedom. And now you should know the rest."


Alicia paused and watched Sara carefully as she spoke of her mother, drinking in the details of the short bit of information as if they were precious to her. Of course, her time with her mother had been shortened due to illness so it stood to reason why Alicia was always eager to hear new tales of her mother's adventures across the world. "Thank you" she replied politely, "It's nice to hear new stories of what she did from time to time" she commented before finishing her cup and setting it back down.


She listened to Sara's tale, causing her serene expression to fall a little into one more sympathetic, her brows knitting together a little. "That's awful Sara, I'm sorry you were put through that and especially at such a young age" she replied. The tale filled in a lot of blanks for Alicia regarding Sara and perhaps explained much for why she acts and behaves in the way the swordsoman had witnessed recently. "Do you intend on finding your family again?" she asked, "I don't mean to pry, but if any of us could help you I'm sure we would" Alicia motioned her hand towards the pot, "Would you like more tea?" she asked.



Pity wasn't a reaction that Sara was expecting. She blinked in surprise and looked away, somewhat embarrassed. This story was common among child slaves brought into Tilea. "I mean… It wasn't that bad. I learned how to read and write, I was educated, and I was able to earn my freedom and citizenship."


When the subject of her family was brought up, she sighed, leaning forward, brooding. "... I don't know. I was thinking about it when I was on Tilea, but I can't remember their names or their faces. I've been part of Tilea for so long that it's home to me, I can't think of any other place." She sighed again, a little bit more deeper, now somewhat homesick. She needed a distraction, something… A candle of an idea flickered above her head.


"No thanks." She declined, rising up with an odd look on her face. "But stay here, I'll be right back." Sara turned around and ascended the stairs. She came back, now with a wine bottle shaped package, a jug, and two battered tin cups, the only ones she could find. "I remembered I had this." She grinning, putting everything down and unwrapping the simple brown paper package. Inside, much like the shape suggested, was an uncorked wine bottle and a small card handwritten in Tilean, signed with the names 'Decius et Lucius'. She stared at the bottle and its label for a few seconds, speechless before silently taking and uncorking it.


"Wow." She said, in awe, in the presence of an expensive and fine bottle of wine. "I think we're in for a treat, Alicia." Careful not to spill even a drop, she poured for Alicia and herself, mixing the crimson colored liquid with water. "We'll need to make a toast, bad luck to open a new bottle without one. Any suggestions?"


Alicia didn't drink, but she could tell just from how Sara was treating the bottle that it held some kind of importance, if not only for a financial reason given the craftsmanship of the bottle itself. She gave a soft smile and took the cup graciously with a nod of thanks before eyeing the red liquid. "I must confess I don't usually drink alcohol" she stated before looking up and listening as Sara mentioned giving a toast. She looked thoughtful for a moment before extending her free hand in front of her as she suggested an idea. "How about new friendships?".


Sara ignored Alicia's confession, but was curious to see what would happen. "Yes, that could work." She smiled, raising the cup high. "To new friendships!" Sara declared. "And to a new rivalry!" With that said, she downed the first half of the cup in one big gulp. Shivering with what could only be materialistic delight, she grinned at Alicia before taking a sip from her cup.


As Alicia took a sip, the aroma sprung forth images of sun-touched green valleys, dotted with rows upon rows of sweet purple grapes. She could taste the rich deepness of the wine, along with the subtle hint of a sweet aftertaste. There was no burn with this wine, only a very pleasant tingling feeling. Only a single taste was enough to relax the body, not from the alcohol, from the joy of the experience.


Alicia took a sip from her cup and visibly stiffened as she fought to swallow the red liquid. It was clear that she'd had little experience with alcohol, though that being said the taste wasn't awful. "That is quite something... " she commented as she placed the cup down, deciding it'd be best to drink it slowly due to the nature of the drink. Alicia tilted her head a little as she eyed Sara, "What did you mean by rivalry?" she asked curiously.


Sara could only roll her eyes as Alicia struggled to drink. For the woman who's been drinking wine for practically the past decade, it didn't feel particularly strong. It was even watered down. Not being able to stand the sight anymore, she felt that she had to make an intervention of some kind. "Take as small of a sip as you can, let it settle in your mouth, savor the taste and then swallow. You won't feel the need to spit it out anymore." With that said, she leaned back and sipped from her cup. It really was spectacular, she mused to herself.


"Well… Isn't that what we are?" Sara felt that she should've been surprised by a question with such an obvious answer, but then she remembered who she was talking to. "We're the two best fighters on board this tub. We should be learning from each other, improving our skills, and trying to be the best. Cooperation through competition!" As if making a toast, she took another sip of her wine.


Alicia listened to the offered method for drinking the wine and did as she was instructed, finding that it did in fact make it easier to consume. The swordswoman remained quiet as Sara explained, causing her to consider what she was saying before she once again looked to be thoughtful. "I'm all for comparing notes, but I'm not all that interested in competing" she set her cup down on the table before she continued. "I also don't consider myself better, nor worse than you in any regard" she paused as her brow furrowed, feeling as if she should probably explain herself a little.


"What I mean to say is, I simply don't look upon the world and compare myself to what I see around me. To do so would enable envy and other such negativities that aren't necessary and could be avoided if you take it upon yourself to let go of the desire to hold power over someone, whether it be skill, wealth or... well anything" Alicia took another sip from the cup, holding it neatly in both her hands. "I only mean to change this world for the better, if that means overcoming another than so be it, but I have no desire to sit the throne of the best swordswoman in the world" she gave a soft smile.


Sara raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "How very honorable of you." She said, with a tinge of irony, draining the last few dregs of her wine. "Come now Alicia, don't you feel pride in what you do? To know that years upon years of hard work and practice lead to you being that good at what you do. Even you must feel a little bit of self-satisfaction every now and then." She refrained from refilling her cup, after noticing that Alicia still had a half-full cup.


Alicia leaned back a little and considered what Sara was saying, though eventually she merely gave a soft shrug to accompany a genuine smile. "The hard work has enabled me to enjoy my art, similar in how an artist enjoys pressing the brush upon the canvas, or a blacksmith brings his hammer against his steel. I'm only as good as myself at what I do and will only ever be as good as I can be, whatever that may look like in however many years from now" she gave a soft chuckle, "I am far from the best, could I be the best? who knows. But it is not my ambition to find out, unless that would be the requirement of my true ambition". She took up the cup and sipped again, she was starting to come around to the wine, finding it easier to manage.


Sara filled both their now-empty cups with wine and water, and then taking a sip from hers, letting the taste settle in her mouth before swallowing. If she ever makes it back home, she'd have to thank Lucius and Decius for such an exquisite gift. "Aren't you curious enough to want to know for sure? True ambition?" Sara asked, somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean by true ambition?" At this point, Sara felt mildly buzzed, but she was a hardened drinker.


The swordswoman shook her head, "Quite simply, no" she replied before elaborating, "I know what I'm capable of, that is enough for me. Of course at times I may be presented with something greater than me, but at that moment it then falls to me to either overcome it, or fall to it" she held up her hands, "If I spent my life wondering whether or not I'll be the best, or if someone else is better... my whole existence would be marred with the constant need to prove myself to others or become stronger than them".


"Take our duel for example, I walked into that situation without expecting myself greater or worse than yourself. You presented me with challenge and it forced me to strive to overcome it, or fall. Though I managed to win, do I think myself better than you? No, do I consider you less of a threat? Still no. I don't even care to find out" Alicia once again chuckled softly, "To do so only served to stress the mind unnecessarily" When Sara asked about her true ambition she gave a nod.


"As I said before, I intend to change this world for the better, like my mother did before me. Perhaps one day my name can offer protection to oppressed nations, perhaps I can even prevent wars, who knows. It might require me to become stronger, and if so than so be it. But for now I am content" she smiled.


"I see." Sara replied, mulling over what she said. From Sara's perspective, Alicia was so selfless that she was exactly that, self less. She had no personal goals, ambitions, or dreams other than to help others. Sara couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for the girl without any real wants in the world. Pity that was quickly replaced by annoyance as she remembered that Alicia was the one responsible for the only major loss that ever occurred in her life. "Alright, final question." Sara said with a tight-lipped smile. "That power up, during our duel…" She began, taking a deeper drink from her cup. "Where did it come from?"


Alicia considered the question carefully, her brows knitting together a little as she exhaled deeply. It was a fair question and one she should have expected to come up in conversation at some point, though she hadn't expected it so soon. "It comes from my soul" she replied, her tone more firm and serious than it had been with the previous subject. "Emotion flows into my soul, like rivers to a lake... or veins to the heart. My soul converts the raw power within emotion into an energy I can harness and expel from within at my will" she explained before adding. "My sword becomes the instrument to direct that energy, almost like a conducting rod to redirect lightning".


"...Emotion?" Sara responded, dead-panned. If she didn't know any better, she would suspect that Alicia was trying to make fun of her. "Through your soul?" It sounded utterly ridiculous, but Sara had no reason to believe that she was lying. "And is this technique… common to Yula Fei?"


"No more so than it is to the rest of the world, though not everyone is able to wield the power" Alicia replied. "It can be taught, though for most it takes many years of hard work and training to even wield it. The fact I'm able to use it at my age is... well, it's less common you could say" Alicia smiled. "Then again I was blessed with great teachers so maybe it's not all that unusual that I've been able to use it already" she shrugged and took her final sip from the cup.


Sara was… intrigued by the notion that it was not that limited. Filling both their cups again, at this rate trying to imbibe Alicia with enough alcohol to get all the information that she needed. Nothing held back. "What is needed?" Sara asked, completely serious. "Who can wield this… power?"


Alicia gave a genuine shrug, "I honestly don't know. Some believe it's something you are born with, others believe anyone can obtain such power with enough training and dedication. Some believe the ability is handed down through generations and bloodline" Alicia paused for a moment, "I for one like to think anyone can learn it, if they work hard enough. Perhaps it only makes itself available to those it deems worthy, perhaps the power is more than we readily understand. An interesting concept, no?".


Sara mused on this. Her plan of loosening Alicia's mouth with alcohol may have inadvertently backfired as Sara herself was seriously considering this matter over. From what she gathered, this power still comes from within, not from some plants or spirits, and is in fact an inherently human skill. From her perspective, it's entirely possible it manifests itself in other ways, just not to the degree that Alicia is describing. Taking a very deep breath, Sara asked, completely serious.


"Can you teach me how to acquire such a skill? I only need the basics."


The swordwoman was actually a little surprised, she hadn't expected Sara to ask for any sort of help when it came down to fighting. "Well, I'm afraid there's no quick guide to learning this power... as I said before it's unheard of for someone as young as me to have acquired it and to have such control over it. Masters have often spent lifetimes learning, training and meditating before they acquire it themselves" Alicia paused and looked thoughtfully for a moment, "However, if you are willing I will see if I can not awaken it inside of you. But you must be prepared to listen and to perceive the world in a different light than you do right now. Could you do that?" Alicia asked curiously.


If Alicia could do it, Sara reasoned, so could she. Besides, it's not like she was going anywhere, and any knowledge of this power, and it's weaknesses, would be welcome in their inevitable rematch. It did pain her to admit to ask for help, but with the lack of any other options, Sara had no choice to but to swallow her pride. But, if this power could be obtained from within her and mastered, it could be her greatest accomplishment, to be the absolute pinnacle of the human race. Just the thought of it made her swell inwardly with pride. "Yes." She said firmly, but adding quickly after that. "But I'm not calling you 'master' or anything like that."


Alicia gave a small amused chuckle, "I have not finished learning myself Sara, Master is not a title I am worthy of just yet. However I will ask only for respect and patience, this can't be rushed and you may be asked to open your mind to other methods of training" Alicia placed her cup down, feeling the alcohol was taking effect and deciding to have no more. "There is one more condition" Alicia looked from her cup to meet Sara's gaze, her expression was suddenly very hard and serious, "If you achieve this gift, you must use it to the benefit of the world, not to the detriment of it".


Sara couldn't help but feel that the final condition was one of the stupidest things she had ever heard in her life. Never mind the difficulty in trying to enforce such a code, but any action made can be construed to 'the benefit of the world' if you think about it hard enough. Sara even had to lean forward and squint a little, trying to ascertain if Alicia was serious about it, and to her non-existent surprise, she was. She sighed and put her now empty cup down, from her estimates there was still half a bottle left. "You drive a hard bargain, but I accept your terms." All Sara really needed from her was the basics, help with the first step of the journey, afterwards she could figure out everything for herself, as she had always done.

 

[Capt. Blu]

Location: Undersea, The Eavon's Way
Slow Ride to Shellfish Palace

True to the swordwoman's nature, she kept a calm expression through… most of the trip. Being flushed into wherever they were shocked even her. The new and unknown territory made her keep her guard up however, her hand never too far away from her sword, especially when the odd bat-like creature crashed into their ship.

For the most part, she kept quiet, watching their surroundings until the captain had passed her, giving her a smile and a thumbs up. It made her visibly relax, deciding to trust in her captain's reassurance. While the ship was tugged, the strangers' words about the secrets shared echoed in her mind. Alicia hadn't yet explained the magnitude of what she had planned to do back at Jaipur, so telling the strangers and the crew that she was ready to die back in Runali's home did cause her to question just how valuable that information would have been.

She wasn't given the opportunity to think too much about it as Sara raced back and forth on the ship in panic. The way Sara was acting, she wondered if it was worth looking over the ship's edge to check. When she saw Ray take an unnerved step back, she decided it was best to just not ask at the moment.

Raymond had been passing the time staring at the scene around them, wondering how everything worked- probably as everyone was questioning. He wasn't too far off in his own thoughts to miss Sara's very clear upset about the situation. However Ray didn't know what else he could do besides offer a rather sympathetic look. After she had just admitted that her fear was basically the very thing pirates lived on, there probably wasn't much he could really say. By the looks of it, the captain had went over to offer words to the gladiator anyway. 'Speaking of the ocean…'

Ever since he had gotten to this place… this 'UnderSea', something felt off. Well, not exactly 'something', more like, he felt off. Ray opened and closed his fists, not being able to place a finger on why, and decided to leave it be for now. That's when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the giant sea creature swimming under them. "I'm… going to need a drink. Or several after this." He promptly moved away from the edge of the ship. "So, what is this Shellfish Palace? Can we know more about it?" His gaze went from their new conductors up ahead and then to Kadi, hoping their navigator could give at least some insight into where they were going.

~~~

Runali had caught onto Kadi's small correction, but before she could respond the rest of her crew had caught her attention. While no one had outwardly spoke their disdain, the tension and unease was high. She adjusted her eyepatch and decided to weave around to her crew members, giving her own tidbits of reassurance. She gave Jack, Ray, and Luro quiet pats on the the shoulder (although with Luro it was more of a pat on the arm) as she walked past them and offered rather radiant smiles to Alicia and Zilia. When she got to Sara, Runali noticed C.P. taking refuge by her, not appreciating the abyss either. She gave the bird a gentle pet.

Runali had already figured that 'sentiments' weren't really 'Sara's style', but the captain didn't care. She put a hand on Sara's shoulder and gave a reassuring, and rather comforting smile. "We'll get out of this in one piece and in no time. And when we do, I'll make sure we get some much needed… land vacation time. I promise."

She gave an affirmative nod before once more looking around at the state of their ship and wandering over to Luro. "So… not damaged, but definitely… dirty." She looked up where the bat thing had hit the ship. "Fortunately, I don't need to be a carpenter to help clean."

When Ray once more questioned their whereabouts and intentions, Runali leaned forward, curious as well. While Ray's question was being answered, Runali mused. "Bob and Louie..." Her gaze turned to the beaches they passed for a brief moment and then the conductors. "I wonder how long have they've been down here..." Another question danced at the tip of her tongue but she kept it to herself.

'Are you two ... dead?'

But that was impossible...wasn't it? Stories of the undead and those things were merely tales to tell children. But they were… under the ocean where it appeared an entire ecosystem thrived. The captain ruled out mermen and fishpeople, despite her only instance of ever seeing one was when they were at the tournament in Utsukushi. Besides, they didn't need air to breath so the entire set up wouldn't have been very necessary. Runali shook the idea away, and decided to wait for more answers to come.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Location: Undersea, the Eavon's Way

So, secrets are the currency here. Jack released a long exhale, and felt the cold raise goosebumps on his neck. It was hard to tell if his breath fogged, or it was just the cigarillo smoke. Guess I chose right then. The fact I grew up in a brothel can't be used to hurt me and will most likely be of little value. Still... The elderly couple was returning to their boat, hooking Lady Luck and tugging her along the smooth dark waters occasionally broken by bioluminescent fungi. Jack watched them until they disappeared on their own vessel. He removed the cigarillo from his mouth and blew out again, this time noticing condensation forming. He shivered. We'll have to be careful of what we say here. Who knows what truth might turn out to be another man's fortune.

The thought was unpleasant, but there was nothing to be done of it now. Jack stayed on the deck to finish his smoke, folding his arms against the cold. He never liked cold places; growing up in a desert tended to leave you loathing such chilly climates. He stood off to Kadi's side and listened as the Navigator threw warnings against the red light and talked to their captain. Jack's brow furrowed, as he didn't completely understand what Kadi was talking of, until he heard the last comment to Runali. Your way. Flicking the smoke butt over the ship's edge, Jack watched their navigator. He fogged the air in front of him and noticed Kadi seemed untouched by the cold. He couldn't see the Navigator's face, but in that moment Jack had an eerie flashback to Baran, with Alicia's sword on his throat, her body stiff and poised and a grimness etched in her face. He wondered if Kadi wore a similar look if he turned around. By the account of Lazy Bob, this is Kadi's third visit to the Undersea. What's happened to him here? What will happen once we reach the Shellfish Palace?

Worried, Jack glanced at the rest of the crew. Sara back-peddled from the ship's rail, teetering to a bench with shaky legs and burying her face in her hands. The others lingered, or drifted, according to their nature yet even if they talked the cavern stole much and muffled everything. There was disquiet, and the chill penetrated deeper than skin. As if sensing this too, Runali patted his shoulder and gave a smile before making her way to Sara. Everyone was on edge. He had a sudden, unavoidable need to change it. Bring some kind of life and warmth back that seemed to be slipping away. Turning around, Jack decided to remedy that in the only way he knew.

A while later Jack returned, carrying a large tray of steaming ceramic mugs. He felt better after working in the ship's kitchen- as he always did- and his slight change in attire. He wore a black frock coat to fight the chill, and a knife bandolier over it. After the bounty hunter attack, he didn't want to be caught off guard a second time. The butterfly swords- which he had sheathed on his back instead of his hip- were his best weapons. Unfortunately, he was best using them against a single opponent. The fight with One would have gone differently if Jack hadn't left his knives behind. He also carried a few concealed weapons, just in case.

Alicia was closest so he went to her first. Plucking a mug from his tray, the cook held it out to her with a smile. "I know Yula Fei has many traditions when it comes to their tea, so I hope I'm not treading by offering you some unceremoniously," he placed it in her hands. The tea itself was a murky brown, with a foreign aroma to it, "It's Masala chai. From Runali's hometown. Careful, it has a spice to it." Winking, Jack moved on.

Going to Sara next, who looked only slightly better than before, Jack gave the chai to his crew in turn. He told the gladiator it was mixed with some calming herbs to help her nerves. (That was a lie- he currently had no such herbs in his stores- but hoped the thought of it would help her anyways). Luro's tea was spiked with rum, which he assumed the giant would appreciate, and to Zilia he inquired after a list of medicinal herbs that could double for cooking and preparing drinks. (So next time he wouldn't be lying.) Lastly, he approached Ray, Runali, and Kadi. He placed one cup beneath Runali's nose so she'd notice and take it. On his right breast, Jack wore the elephant jade pin Mother Daya gifted him. He'd been astonished and touch by the kindness; he'd stopped her long enough to kiss her cheek and bow in thanks, and suddenly "Missus Lev" turned to "Mother Daya".

"This isn't the recipe your mother slipped me the day we left Jaipur," the cook confessed to his captain. He refused to tell Runali what the secret recipe was, impishly adding he wanted to save it for a special occasion. "Perhaps once this is over, I'll make it. A small feast would be most deserving."

The last of tea distributed, Jack sat back to listen as the Navigator responded to Ray. He cupped his tea for warmth- it was ridiculously cold though he didn't see anyone else bothered by it- and studied Kadi with expressionless eyes. He waited patiently for him to finish before speaking up. "Forgive me, Kadi, but what happened to your crew exactly? I don't mean to be forward but this place...doesn't feel inviting to strangers. And being new to this ship, I haven't heard the full story. In fact, all I've heard is Runali first found you stranded at sea a couple years ago and now we're here to rescue a crew you were the only survivor of."

Jack leaned against the railing and looked at his cup, swirling the tea, collecting his thoughts. "You say the Drowned King can return your crew but you don't know what the cost will be. How do we know we aren't walking into a situation, in which we are asked to sacrifice more than we are given?" He sipped his tea and looked at Kadi squarely, "Listen. You are my crew now and I will do anything you need, trust me. I'm just hoping to hear a reason why."

 

[Arcadius]

​

​

He could hear several questions raised behind him. Luckily, none of them were dangerous to answer, and thus he would not have to result towards evasion and denial. Jack was actually not too wrong about his expression, as he stood on the prow faced away from all of them, watching the dark, still waters. The darkness felt inviting, really. One step, a quick plunge, few minutes of struggling with his basic instincts before he'd finally convince his lungs the cold embrace of water. Death by drowning, and then rebirth in the service of the Drowned King. Quick way to circumvent this insane voyage. Coward's way of circumventing this insane voyage.

The apocyan, the blue colour of memory, painted the water reflected in his eyes when he reached for the mug. "Those two have been here for quite a long time, really. There's no calendar on this or the above world long enough to mark their days, it is said. Their ship is, of course, not part of this immortality deal. If there is such a deal." The tea was cold. Or rather, it obviously was not hot. He'd feel that.

"Now, the Shellfish Palace is where the Drowned King holds court. I'll refrain from describing it. It would spoil you your first impression, and beside, I think mere words are simply unable to describe the sight. Lacking in more way then they'd usually lack, anyway. The Drowned King is... well, lets say he's the logical counterpart to Davy Jones. One claims souls, while the other claims corporeal forms, of those who died on the sea. Davy simply has to be quick to capture the soul. A sinking body is less agile in its escape. Naturally, soul without body is quite the useless thing if you are looking for servants of crew, so the King is quite... unfond of Davy. He believes he's stealing bodies which are rightfully his. Please refrain from mentioning your adventure while we are on the premises of the Palace, if you all would be so kind. It will save us some awkward questions. And very cold and sharp death, unless you are into being drawn across razor-sharp corals."

"And as for my crew? Well... let's say Davy Jones can keep the pace with whatever Drowned King can send his way. A normal ship less so, especially if the captain decided his greed was stronger than reason, and stole something important from the King. And truth be told, I never told the full story to anyone, with all the garish details and bold betrayals. Anyway, we're not here to rescue the crew, that is impossible. They are, truly in the meaning of the word, dead. What I intend to do is to rescue their lives. Their souls are gone, rightfully so, as is proper of the dead. My intention here is to parlay with the King for their bodies."

"There is a way to reanimate them. They are dead, of course, and with their souls gone, there is nothing to give them reason to live, to, well, animate. One option would be to find a replacement soul, necromancy, if you wish, but that would simply replace them with actors. Probably shitty ones, too. No. What I want is for the body to recall their previous life, and start where it left, as if nothing has happened. There is a substance that is capable of filling the hole left behind by a soul. For the outside observer, they will be impossible to distinguish from truly living human being. This substance, this primordial earth, will take shape of their soul, and animate them until their natural deaths."

"Hence why I can't save them. Their souls are beyond calling back, but I can call their corporeal shape back into this world. Imagine all the children having their dads back, all the wives having their husband's back. Just like the real thing, for all intends and purposes."

 

[Mizos]

Location: Undersea, Eavron's Way.

Luro stood on the ship his hand under his chin and his eyes focused on the deck of the ship, he had been like that since all the secrets had been shared moments before, after Ray's however he had gone deep into thought, or at least as deep as he could manage. He looked up when Kadi spoke bringing up the red light and Luro blinked a bit, the darkest thing he could imagine were boots, maybe complete darkness but he wasn't sure if that counted so he just focused his attention back on the deck. After a small silence he looked over at Zilia whose attention was focused on Sara.

Since her admittance of her fear of water Zilia had been doubly concerned for her, she had reached a hand out towards her when she spoke of it but pulled it back knowing there was little she could to help her fears. Her attention was only pulled when Luro made a motion with his hand to come over, standing up from her seat on the edge of the ship she made her way over to him.
"Okay Z I don't get something," Luro said. "I mean...how is Ray's secret a secret?"
Zilia blinked a few times at Luro's comment and looked over at Ray, it was pretty obvious why that was a secret.
"I mean why would he say his feelings for the Captain is more than a plant? I'm confused"
Zilia stared at Luro for a moment before bringing a hand to her face, squeezing the bridge of her nose and taking a moment for herself she took out her notebook, knowing her actions were meaningless in the long run but there leaving this alone was almost criminal.
"Not Plankton Luro, Platonic!"
She held the note up to him and Luro stared at the note then back at her, she sighed realizing he didn't know what the word meant and handed him another note giving him the definition, after a moment Luro gave a small nod and handed the note back.
"So Ray want's to 'Open the Reef?' It's the Captain though that doesn't make sense."
Zilia waved her hands in front of him bringing a finger to her lips to speak quietly, she sighed glad he understood but he still missing important parts, being captain doesn't magically not make Runali a woman. She stared Luro who stared back at her still clearly confused about the matter, she made a mental note to talk to him later about what exactly a Captain was.
"...The Captain....no it doesn't make sense. I mean if it was Alicia, Masu or Jack that would make sense..."
"Why is Jack a part of it..." Zilia thought her eye twitching a little.
"...that's impossible with the Captain Z, The Captain's the Captain. I'm going to have to explain adult stuff to Ray later."
"...I'm going to have to warn Ray about this...and apologize for creating this problem."

Putting that matter aside Zilia put some thought into what Kadi had told them, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of secrets being used as currency, some of the things shared between the others seemed a tad personal. Sara's could easily be exploited in the right hands and Alicia's made her uncomfortable. Her loyalty to her friends was all well and good but sacrificing oneself left a great burden on those left behind, no matter the reason. She didn't speak of this not wanting to bring up what happened more than she wanted too but she'd be lying if she said it didn't stick with her. Her's wasn't really a secret but she didn't like the idea of someone using it as currency nonetheless, she had nothing else to share so she wasn't concerned but she worried for the others.

"I just don't understand..."
Far too much was going on right now for Zilia to really get a real handle at what was going on, one thing she did know was something was under the ship something she really didn't want to look at going off Sara's reaction alone.
"Whoa! What was that thing! Captain can I jump into the water and pet it!"
Luro on the other hand seemed too ecstatic to be here, she admitted it was nice to him grinning as he always did and taking in everything with a curious gaze but she really wished he would read the room. The air felt heavier than usual, and Zilia had closed her eyes folding her hands together to take a few breaths to calm herself, opening her eyes to stare at the white mist in front of her with each breath. This place made her uncomfortable, it was probably the unknown that was bothering her more than anything else, moving in a direction with little knowledge about what lied ahead, it was hard not to be concerned. She did admit Runali's smile and Jack's drinks did help, she gave him a small nod after taking the mug and giving him the information he sought before taking a few sips from it.

"Hehehe thanks Jack!" Luro exclaimed taking a small sip.
His brows arched however realizing the familiar taste in the mug and he quickly downed the cup Coughing and patting his chest a bit a satisfied Luro grinned and crossing his arms looked ahead excited to meet this Drowned King, if he ruled over this place he had to be a pretty powerful person, he was looking forward to seeing what he looked like, if he had a curly mustache he was going to be disappointed, or if he was a fish. Luro shut his eyes trying to imagine him, if he was a shark with a curly mustache and a crown that would be pretty amazing, or maybe he was a lady fish with bright red wings. Did fish have wings? He was pretty sure some fish had wings, probably fish they didn't know but that made the most sense.
When his Captain approached Luro was pulled from his thoughts and looked over at her before looking up at the ship, he chuckled a little and gave a small nod.
"Aye she could use a good cleaning after all this, I think Lady's an old fashioned lass, not really honest with her feelings upfront but I think she'll repay the care ya give her in time," Luro said with a small nod. "Course I don't mind dirty lasses either but that's a story for another time."

While Kadi explained Luro opened up one of his bottles and took a small swig from it, at the mention of being dragged among Coral's Luro considered the option, it would be a funny story to tell if he did die, but knowing the Captain would probably get mad if he went and did that he put the thought aside staring at Kadi as he went on about what he wanted from the Drowned King, hearing he wanted bodies Luro tilted his head at him, he wanted to carry a bunch of bodies back with them? If Kadi wanted dead bodies they could have gotten those anywhere, after a moment though it seemed he wanted very specific bodies for really weird reasons.
"So we're here to make fake people?" Luro said scratching the side of his cheek. "That's new I guess. I don't really mind while we're here, long as you're good Kadi. Let's have fun and enjoy this place."

Zilia on the other hand was a bit more subtle choosing to just hand Kadi a note before turning and returning to her seat on the edge of the ship.
"I can't say I agree wholly with what we're doing...but this does seem very important to you so I can put my concerns aside wanting to see you find peace in this matter...I'm guessing your previous visits are why those two weren't concerned about your secrets? I'm fine not knowing everything and I trust your judgement on the matter, but I hope whatever you aren't choosing to say doesn't hurt anyone."
Zilia sat a few feet away resting her fist on her cheek with her eyes shut, she said her peace and decided to wait to reach their destination.

 

[Arcadius]

Collab between Arc and Captn. Blu

Location: Undersea, The Eavon's Way

Sometime

Both Alicia and Ray had a similar response of quiet thanks when Jack gave them their cups of tea. Runali on the other hand happily took the tea the moment she smelled the familiar scent. Her one eye practically lit up from it, only for her to pout when Jack withheld whatever recipe he was hiding from her. For a moment, and maybe just for that moment, everyone seemed to relax- even if it was just slightly. "Thank you Jack." Runali's voice was soft and it trailed off when Kadi began to answer the questions that began to weigh in everyone's mind.

The quip about Davy made Runali give a silent nod, remembering their 'promise' not to speak of Davy when they met this King. She didn't see that plan following through with Luro's eagerness to brag about their accomplishments, but she decided to leave it be. She wouldn't fault him for something like that and Runali was sure they could figure something out, no matter how ominous Kadi made things seem.

The reactions from the crew were far from similar as Kadi explained what exactly he was trying to accomplish. There was a flash of some unseen emotion that ran across her features, but it was quickly replaced with a calmer expression. Runali was standing next to both Ray and Jack, eyeing the reactions the crew gave. She quietly sipped her tea, holding her own responses to herself so she could listen to the crew's. She didn't want her opinion on the matter to be the force that tainted their views.

Alicia had a thoughtful expression while she listened, replaying all that she and the crew had gone through when they died before and even during their near death experiences. They all learned some sort of life lesson. They all grew as people in some way or the other. Alicia in particular learned she was to value her own life just as much as she valued others… which she didn't quite follow back in Jaipur. However what Arcadius was talking about sounded much different than that. He wanted to bring back the dead. No matter the explanation, this still sounded very much like necromancy and that he wanted to save the crew he had lost. The swordswoman herself was painfully aware of doing everything she could to protect a crew she was devoted to but this…? This seemed like something much more- something even greater than them.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke up. "While I do not plan on backing out of assisting you, as you are my crew…" Alicia glanced down for a moment, trying to figure out what to say before continuing. "What you're requesting- trying to accomplish, is to revive a crew as husks of their former selves?" She spoke slow to comprehend what he was explaining. "Is it really considered saving them if the most important piece of them is merely a replica?" Alicia knew little about the undead save for what she experienced, however she did know that the soul was a powerful thing.

Her soul was what held most if not all of her power. It was what connected her to the Tashigi lineage and her home. It was important. There wouldn't be a lot of things she could do if she didn't have it, so of course the idea of losing it and being only partially alive did not sit very well with her. When he mentioned families being returned to one another, Alicia lt out a soft, almost inaudible sigh. "From experience, I would give anything to see my family again, but even I know some things are best left as they are." She gave a final nod as if saying she was finished with her spill. "However... if you are willing to face those consequences, then I will of course stand by your side and help you. You are not without my support." While she may not have 100% approved of the idea, she was behind the idea of helping her crew. And if the captain was adamant on the idea, she would be right behind her and the rest of them.

The navigator sighed, his shoulders dropping under the weight of such… aristocratic blindness. He wanted to turn around, strut towards the woman and just scream into her face. Slap her even, in vain hope to make her see. Normal people's lives are nothing like the one you have EVER lived. How dare to tell me what's it like to be a normal person, you self centred, rich, spoiled…

He slowly turned around, a mild smile on his face. Letting the terror of the place dictate your actions, erode the boundaries of reasonable behaviour and pushing towards extreme reaction, that was how this place got you. Or at least those who were not eaten by the huge monsters. "Exact replicas, Alicia, not husks. Or fake people so real, you can't tell the difference, yes, Luro." he corrected her. He had to make a double take. Luro actually summarized it very well. Apparently, this place always had ways to terrify you in new, unconventional ways. "If I'd go and place your mother and exact replica of her, impossible to distinguish from the real thing, next to each other, and told you to pick the real one, yes. You would have fifty percent chance you'd pick the fake. How would you know, though? How do you identify an absolutely flawless copy? Now, to the more poignant question, when in your life has your survival directly depended on your family having to work for their money? You always speak highly of the Yula Fei people, but have you, or someone close to you, dressed as one of them and just blended in, to see how they act when one of their venerated high born warrior masters are not around? How well do you know them?"

"I never had ambitions to save those men. I intended to save their lives. Return broken pieces back to their families, so them, not the crew, could have some semblance of full life again. Something our beloved captain stole from all of us in his crowning moment of stupidity."

Ray listened to everyone's input, glancing over at Alicia as it looked like she prepared to say something else but went against it. He understood where the ones that were a little paranoid by the idea were coming from but ultimately… He was helping out a friend. The morality of it all was lost the moment they decided to deal with death. To him, this was simply another adventure the Stardusk got themselves in. While the place itself was uncomfortable, it was moreso that of a feeling of simply not belonging. And while he wasn't as jovial as Luro, he was almost just as accepting. Almost. "Like Luro says, as long as you're good Kadi, then so be it. Just as you helped me back on Île du Ver Rouge', I'm willing to help you here." He gave a nod, finishing the rest of his tea before offering to take Runali's empty cup as well.

When he did, Runali straightened up as if she was about to speak. When gazes fell on her, her arms slipped behind her back and she sauntered forward with her eye on the deck for a moment. "Well, you already know my stance on the matter. But," She paused and looked up at Kadi. There wasn't just ominous overtones and warnings to heed with him. There was something she felt she was missing. "I'm curious. How did you manage to survive out of the entire crew? Something to do with your previous visits here?"

He responded with mirthless chuckle. "Ah, yes. The key lodestone of the whole puzzle, isn't it? What has the good ol' Kadi did to not be dead now. Captain, do tell me. How do you think will our ship leave this dreadful place, after our business is concluded? We are, after all, very, very deep. Now, you know I have been here three times. How do you think a ship can get all the way back up? You can't ride the maelstrom back up, and you can't just sail the ship to the ocean floor and hope it will swim up like a cork."

He blinked, the expression of person explaining destiny and eldritch truth replaced with mildly confused and curious one. "I mean, you definitely can try to build a ship like that. Just watertight compartment that will provide lift for the vessel and air for the crew during the lift, but… well, you'd also have to greatly reinforce it against pressure and fold the sails to not ruin them too. Perhaps retractable metal plates over the windows and portholes…"

"Anyway! As to the previously asked questions, yes, I was here twice before. First time when captain of the Karalean, Captain Hollister, decided there are better money made trading here. Second time after Pearl sunk. And as for the matter of my survival, it is closely tied with with how does a ship leave this place. As I said, you need some cheat-y way to go and get back on the surface. If you sail to East and North, you will leave the Neath waters, and enter what is called High Wilderness. As in any wilderness, paths are not permanent, and ebb and flow as the terrain and topology shifts. It is impossible for a human being to navigate the place. We simply lack the… necessary talents. But it is possible to be imbued with them. There's a creature there, called Traveller, who knows how to navigate the High Wilderness, and he offers to teach a man his knowledge. For a… price. Which would be a human soul."

"Captain Hollister was quite fine trading mine for a quick way away from the Drowned King. We did indeed get back to the surface, but as we very quickly discovered, we were nowhere near running fast enough. Moments after we resurfaced, the ship was torn apart by King's servants, and the crew drowned in order to serve him eternally as penance. I was spared, because Drownies did see me as one of them. I didn't know that then,I thought I was lucky. That all this hogo-fogo nonsense about souls and such was just… well, nonsense. The Traveller being a hallucinatory dream conjured by dehydration during my maroon at the high seas, because I had no remembrance of what he taught me."

"As the years advanced, I realized I was getting… colder, so to say. I am unsure how much it is physical, and how much is metaphysical. Suffice to say, I am, for the lack of better term, losing interest to live. Not "my body", because the entity to which you are talking and which you are hearing monologuing is indeed just that. A body. I do not know how much I have left, though probably not much. I want to right Hollister's idiocy before my time is gone, to leave something behind. Can't say I have the luxury of leaving behind a gleaming, brilliant soul now, sadly, so I opted for a more… corporeal legacy. Hundred fathers returning home."

Runali stared at Kadi with a blank expression, letting the man in front of her unravel what he had kept bottled up for so long. Of course now was a better time than ever. When he was done, Runali closed her eyes for only a brief moment, figuring out just what to say to this navigator who had essentially became the very thing he was trying to create- at least, in order to save lives. The group had fallen silent enough to hear the captain sigh as she looked at him again. "I may not know of your experiences or how much you liked or disliked a crew willing to steal from this 'King'. A crew that was willing to trade something as valuable as your soul for something they didn't get to keep… But I am not Captain Hollister. Your life, soulless or not, isn't worth trading. You may have had to sacrifice yourself once to escape, but you're not doing it again."

The captain's arms crossed as she continued. "As far as I'm concerned, a crew that died from stealing is just another way a crew can die. It's what pirates do after all. Do they deserve all of this effort you decided to put into them after what that captain did to you? That's… debatable. But do you not hear yourself?" There was a note of sympathy in her voice as she spoke. "You feel that there's nothing left for you here when you've done so much! You make it seem as though you are worth nothing unless you save them. You've become a legacy in your own right being apart of this crew. You are more than 'just a body' Arcadius…" Runali's voice seemed to lower slightly. "And even if that was all you were, wouldn't you be granting those of the Karalean the same fate? To be 'just bodies' living a life they once lost? We have fought side by side, we have travelled together for this long, I've seen you be more than just… a husk- a 'fake person'. To save this crew of yours is one thing, but to throw your own life- the one you've made now? I will not stand for it." Before he could protest, should he have wanted to, the captain raised a hand to stop him. "We will find another way. I will drag you out of here myself if I have to."

The mirthless, 'i-know-more-than-you' smile returned. "Captain, perhaps I have not made myself clear. Body without a soul wither and simply dies, because memories themselves are not enough to keep it animated. There's this 'something' missing there. It can be a soul, or it can be anything that does the job. As for me, I approximate I have maybe one or two months of existence left before rigor mortis completely sets in. I simply intend to tie the loose strings. I always abhorred dead who leave mess behind." For a while now, the red and white lightning strikes were illuminating a new object hidden in the darkness around them. The shape was small at first, but it was clear it was approaching with every chug of the steam tug. Closer now, the object started to illuminate itself, in the same colour as the fluorescent organisms in the water below, hinting it was possibly either built of them, or at least covered in them.

"As for the crew, they were never part of the Captain Hollister's plan. It was a ploy between captain and chief mate. Before we knew it, everyone aboard was enemy for the King. Captain is the ship, after all. Ultimately, Captain, your behaviour right now simply supports my thesis. I am actually less of a creature than those I will be creating, and yet you defend my humanity. Clearly, this implies the… reanimated are then just as human as the normal things. And as said, Captain, I am doing this not for the crew, but for the social structures and lives they have been stolen from." A new sound could be heard, a low droning tune coming as if from under the water. It grew in volume and clarity with the approaching structure, and the sea around them caught a glint of light green, same as the luminescent corals. Should someone accidentally look over the ship's edge, they'd quite easily identify source of both. The sea was getting shallow, rising to meet the Palace, and everyone around, drowned bodies stood on the bottom of the sea, covered in the glowing corals, humming a hymn of the King's glory.

"I have no enduring immortal future, Captain," the Navigator finished his talk. "Therefore, I must seek the hardest stone to set it in." The structure was immense, taller than Lady's highest mast. A jetty made of smooth coral was coming from the entrance, allowing ships to avoid breaking apart on the sharp corals that rose from the water and served as foundation for the Coral Palace. The steamer carefully manoeuvred Lady Luck close enough for a Drownie, standing on the jetty, to throw an anchoring rope onto the deck of the ship.

"The Seastone Throne is waiting, Captain."

 

[Capt. Blu]

As Arcadius spoke, Runali slowly felt something fester inside of her like a kindling fire. She wasn't sure how much of this growing anger was righteous, but she was definitely upset. She wasn't sure if it was because of how easily he was accepting this fate or because he was cementing the fact that she was powerless to help him. Despite her fists clenching tighter at her sides, her face disguised jut how upset she was… Even when he continued to speak of how 'inhuman' he was. "Kadi…" Her voice wasn't loud enough to be heard by those farthest away, but it sounded as if she was warning him. Trying to tell him to stop but not finding the right words.

She refused to accept it.

She wasn't going to.

Like hell she was!

And then it hit her. It hit her hard enough for her to unclench her fists and for her to stand rigid. That defensive anger… that need to help… She was seeing Dani all over again. Not just Dani, but she was seeing every time she and her crew lost a battle against the monstrosities of nature. Every time this… this ocean separated them one way or the other. Sara's fear was a just one, she didn't deny it. Every heavy storm that they headed towards ever since the crew had rejoined, Runali was a little more focused and a little more on edge. She knew the dangers of the sea and once more she was being faced with a challenge by it- Or at least the so called King she could pin some of the blame on…

"I'm not…" Runali shook her head, burying that feeling of helplessness and despair as the palace came into view. "...I'm not losing another navigator Mikchail." It was hard to tell if she was actually talking to him at this point but her statement was firm. No matter what he said; souls, Kings, trades, it didn't matter. As the captain of the Stardusk crew, she promised to protect and keep her crew alive. She wasn't breaking that promise. Not this time.

Hearing that their time to meet the King had finally came to be, Runali ran fingers through her hair and straightened her look back to being as passive as she usually was. No matter how much she wanted to punch the Drowned King itself.

Runali led the way off the ship, calling over her shoulder to the rest of the crew. "Aye. Let's go."

 

[Eastwood]

Sara almost jumped out of her skin when Runali unintentionally startled her. With how twitchy she was, she looked like she was barely keeping herself under control. She sat there, shivering and wide eyed as her boss tried her best to lift her spirits. "I-I'll hold you t-to that." She gave a nervous, twitchy, smile before staring back down at the ground. Not too long after, she was startled by Jack and once more almost jumped out of her skin. "Tea?" She replied, confused for a moment. "Yes... Yes, thank you." Rather hurriedly, and with a shaking hand, she grasped the hot mug and took a sip, the heat grounding her back to reality. She was grateful for the addition of calming herbs, already feeling it's effects and relaxing sensation. Although, that could just be the heat lifting up her spirits somewhat. She stared into murky liquid mutely, listening to the conversation. It was too much, talk of reviving the dead and of a Drowned King along with Davy Jones controlling souls. It was like a bad joke, a joke that Sara couldn't see the punchline of, but she suspected it was on her.

As if mocking her, the sea started to hum. She stood up, her hands, white-knuckled, grasping to the hot mug as she once again made her way to the edge, step by step. What awaited her was so bizarre that she could only stare in utter disbelief, for she witnessed corpses, countless pale green bodies, singing. This was hard proof that everything the creepy navigator was saying was true, Sara could not deny the evidence before her. She stepped back from the edge and closed her eyes. Raising the steaming mug to her lips, she drank and drank and drank, until there was not a drop of scalding liquid. She could feel it burn as it flowed down to her stomach, a hot fiery pain, but it was exactly what she needed to reignite the fire within that the ocean extinguished. There was still fear in her eyes once she was done, but was hardened with determination.

 

[Mizos]

Location: The Eavron's Way

Luro took a small swig from his bottle as Kadi went on explaining some kind of complex thing about what was going on, he rubbed the side of his head trying to take in everything that was being talked about, he really wondered why Kadi always made things so complicated.
Though from his story it seemed things had always been complicated around Kadi, maybe that's what made him the way he was. With a sigh Luro stood up and downing the bottle walked forward a bit as the sound started to fill the area, a wide grin on his face as he stared ahead at the tall structure that they were approaching. He tapped his rifle on his shoulder a small chuckle escaping from him as he placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder.
"Come on Captain you know Kadi's always been a know it all, once he get's all fancy there's no sense talking to him, it's one of the things I love about him, he's so stubborn," Luro said with a grin. "He's either scared or determined, either way as a crew we gotta help him right. That's the only time he get's really fancy."

He walked past the Captain rotating his neck as she gave the signal to move forward, walking over to Kadi he reached over and gave his friend a firm pat on the back as he stood next to him looking up at the tall structure. A part of him wondered if this place would be Kadi-like, all smart and fancy but he had to say this was a really great place, there was even a nice song playing around them from the things in the water, he'd probably ask Ray if he could learn it later.
"I don't really care about all that stuff you were going on about Kadi, that's your stuff. I am curious what took you so long though, I mean we're pirates we can die any day, you shouldn't wait till your last moments to finish things."
Luro gave him a firm pat on the shoulder at this before walking forward though he stopped after a few steps and folded his hands behind his head, he turned partially back to Kadi and smiled at him before making a motion towards the castle.
"I know you gotta finish your stuff Kadi...we all gotta settle our debts sometimes even I can get that...but I don't want you dying by this guy's hand. If you intend on dying let me do it then, better a bullet from a friend than a stranger right. Just think about it, we're friends I'll happily do it, let me know okay."
With a small smile Luro turned and continued forward trying to hum the tune the things below were singing, he stopped however and turned walking backwards.
"Oh but...Kadi, if something should happen and you do survive...we gotta have 'Helpful Healing', if you upset the Captain, everybody get's a free punch if they want it. It's hard to upset the Captain so we never had to follow it but if you survive, when we're out of here I want you on the deck, arms at the side and chin out for those punches, that's the rule. You can't block and we can hit wherever and however hard we want. Oh man I hope you do die down here Kadi, cause I got a mean one waitin' for ya."
Luro grinned and winked at his friend as he slammed his fist into his hand before turning back around.
"What's the words to this song? Is it just humming?"

Zilia took a small sip from his cup staring ahead as Kadi spoke to everyone, explaining the circumstances to everything that happened before and more on why there were here now. She didn't agree with this, she understood and that infuriated her because she knew the joy that could come from having people returned to your life, there were very few especially here that wouldn't understand the significance, the wonder of that and that's what made it so irritating. Kadi wasn't wrong in the sense of returning someone lost to someone else, there was good in that, but everything else was a whole other matter. Instead of trying to replace that sorrow or hiding from it, one needed to embrace it, to confront it and make themselves stronger for the future. This world was full of sorrow, loss and regret, so long as one lived they would suffer such things until their end. It was better to become stronger to face it then to just fill in the blanks, she couldn't agree with this even if it was somewhat right.

A part of her wondered if Arcadius had become blinded by that sorrow, was he consumed with a desire to fix his debt, the regret of surviving his friends, so consumed by sorrow of the loss that was caused by the actions of Karalean that he had blinded himself to what was obviously in front of him, that he would smile in such a fashion to someone genuinely concerned about him, she couldn't even call it narcissism or refer to him a wiseacre...it was just sad. There was a chance that all of this may have even opened his eyes, that his mind was clear in this moment, but whether he was doing this with a clouded mind or a clear one there was nothing right about this situation. He knew his time was short, said nothing to his crew until now, and at their concern only revealed his short time made that concern meaningless, no matter how he tried to justify it that was a terrible thing to do to one's friends.

Zilia stood with a small sigh signaling it was time to go, her attention moving over the side of the ship to the things below, her eyes twitched slightly but she shut her eyes composing herself and continued forward. She would do her job as their doctor, that was all she could do at the moment. Her gaze moved over to Sara, she seemed focused but far more 'here' than she was before, giving the woman a small nod she continued forward. She did approach Jack however and handed him a note.
"Thank you for the drink, I think it helped calm my nerves a bit and Miss Sara's, be careful so we can have it again...I think she'll need it."
With that Zilia kept forward to keep up with the others.

 

[Winter]

Although the white haired swordwoman had fallen silent on the matter, internally she couldn't help but feel insulted by the implications Kadi made when he asked if she really and truly knew her people. Perhaps it might have been a fair question to ask but she had lost so much in order to protect her home and her people that insinuating they were oblivious to the nature of the very people they had died for was a slap across the cheek. Alicia had never been blind to the privileges of her upbringing, but many failed to see what it'd cost her at many points in her life. Perhaps they'd already forgotten how she'd held her fathers body as he bled across the stone courtyard of their estate, or how she'd comforted Satia as his body burned at his funeral. Alicia once again let out a small sigh and decided not to dwell upon the past as she listened to the continued conversation.

She didn't like it, that much she'd already made clear and every moment spent within this place made her feel more and more uncomfortable, as if the place was surrounded by a hungering darkness that sought her own soul to feed upon. Alicia closed her eyes for a moment and centered her mind, steeling her resolve to the temptation of fear that beckoned her to crumble in the wake of this awful place. When she opened her eyes again she exhaled and set her eyes upon the structure coming into view as they approached the dock arm which appeared to be made from smoothed coral. The hymn from bellow made further attempts to unnerve her and at times she felt like the tune was somehow very familiar, though she cast it out of her mind when she focused on Runali calling them to join her in disembarking the ship.

Her black boot hit the smooth coral with an audible click, her hand reaching up to adjust the black cloth that loosely hung around her neck. She'd tied her hair back using the same type of material and in fact she'd taken to wearing a slightly different kind of outfit for this adventure, one which was frankly a lot easier to fight in than a kimono. It'd been a few years since Alicia had worn a black bow in her hair and she'd almost forgotten how useful and more comfortable it was to not have to contend with your own hair during a fight. "The dead created a world in which they fed upon the souls of men, they drank the blood of sin and became Yokai" Alicia read out a verse from a religious Fein text about the world beyond life, "They called it Jigoku or as you better know it, Hell" the swordwoman paused before adding, "This looks exactly as it was told in the old books written by my people".

Alicia's new outfit

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

Jack absorbed and listened with his eyes to his cup as the arguments blossomed around their navigator. Perfect imitations coming home and no one but us wiser to the truth. He wanted to call it absurd. So many ways this plan of Kadi's could go wrong, and Jack wished he could see them all. But in his mind's eye he saw tears of joy down chubby cheeks, the outward grasping of hands, a reunion no one would have believed possible. Except for Kadi.

He took the mugs away once they approached the dock, grimacing when he saw the one he gave the navigator had cracked. He quickly returned them to the kitchen then rejoined the crew to find Zilia with a note. He took it with a smile, which softened after he read it. "You are most welcome, Zilia. I promise I will."

After that, he lingered behind Luro and Kadi, listening to Luro with a half-amused smile. Once the giant moved on he came up beside the navigator. Taking a moment, he lit a cigarillo in shivering hands.

"For what it's worth- which may not be much considering you hardly know me- but I hope you understand what you aim for," Jack said at last, "This won't be a fairy tale as your legacy...like you, those husbands and fathers have been gone for years. Their families may moved on, perhaps for the better. Are you so certain you won't be returning a gambler whose family has more coin now, than they did when he was alive? Or a drunk to a wife, who was better off when he was away at sea?

"Well, I hope you do. Otherwise you are just like a greedy captain, choosing to risk lives of others for your own thirst...even if it isn't material value you seek."

Jack removed his cigarillo and blew out a long stream of smoke. He scoffed and shook his head, as if finding something darkly amusing. "I guess that makes me the first mate then. Eager to plot alongside," the smile he gave the navigator was a grim one, "Mayhaps I'm just a cook, but I do know a thing or two about mistakes leading to death. You're at least trying to correct it with the time you have. I think that's worth fighting for."

They were near the Palace. Jack flicked the remains of his smoke to the ground and stifled it beneath his heel. He upturned his collar against the chill. "You have my support, Kadi...for what it's worth."

As he said it, his gaze slid to Runali ahead of them. What if she orders you to stop him? The thought made him shiver. Not because of the implications, but because it didn't sound like his own internal voice. He folded his arms around himself. Maybe I'm done choosing a captain over doing what's right, he snapped back. It shamed him at once. He knew Runali was more like Hoshi than the other captains Jack had fallen under. She wanted to protect her crew, her friends. But what's one livelihood over a hundred? What's one loss to the smiles of the children seeing their dream walking through the door, alive? Or the fluttering of true life in the broken hearts of widows? Jack wanted to caution Kadi because his goal felt so far-fetched, disillusioned...but if there was a chance it will work?

Jack would risk his own soul for that.

 

[Arcadius]

Collab between Arc and Captn. Blu

Location: Undersea, Shellfish Palace

"A most astute observation, Jack. That's actually a reasonable question, has someone's life been improved by someone else's' death? Perhaps it was. However, I can most certainly say that many more lives have been made worse by the deaths of these men. The sailor's forward payment for them signing up for the ship can last for only so long, and then what? The man is gone, the family ruined. Tell me, Jack, how many people have you seen ruined by sudden death, and how many by being alive?" He turned around, halfway down the gangplank placed between the ship and the coral jetty by two silent Drowned, who were now silently standing at the end of the plank, as if waiting for them to leave the ship. There was something angry in their silence. He smiled at Jack. "There are no absolutely right decisions, I know. But at the end of a day, I have seen monuments to dozens of bad monarchs and tyrants, people who made absolutely bad choices every day. The worse the were, the more grand the display. I also have seen how people forget the person and how they were in truth, and remember their presented image as the time passes. A simple glance into a history book would dispel this… illusion, yet who has time for that? Such is the way of world, I suppose. I… hope to have more meaningful legacy, based on what I hope are at least partially right decisions. A person who saw the positive, and chose to act upon it. And if it they are bad decisions, there will be no false monuments, and I will be rightfully forgotten."

With that, he turned around and made his way over the gangplank, his boot soon splashing into a puddle of salt water on the jetty. As if to himself, he started to softly recite a rhyme:

A mariner, ancient beyond counting,
pronounc'd his love to the sea and the stars,
he set off with no fear of drowning.

Days made to months, those to seasons,
he couldn't find his way to his yearning,
burns from salt and sun no help to his reasons.

Lost on sea, with his supplies gone
wisdom struck him about his crusade,
bent over the side, drank deep from sea,
knowing he'll reach for what his own alone.

Now his search is over,
his throne the heart,
his body that of his lover.

The two Drownies on the pier, who were previously showing little in the way of cognisance, had a strange familiar look in their eyes after few lines of the poem, as if they were recognizing the rhythm and words of the Navigator. It brought certain ease in their body language, like they were babies and Arc was reciting nursery rhyme to lull them to sleep. "I assumed as much," he said after observing the reaction of the drowned. "Those two poor sods are… they seem fresh," the Navigator explained. "Locals, too. They recognized the poem. I suppose you would be happy for any reminiscence of your previous life, being in the state they are. Over in Sargoza where these two are surely from, they think the King is an ancient mariner, who was the first person to ever drown in these waters, and made himself ruler over the drowned. Sailors think so, anyway. I don't, personally, believe in such anthropomorphism. The King is… I think he's simply the symptom of dead bodies in the water. Cause, rather than effect, so to say."

As they'd approach the main structure, it became clear why the location carried the Shellfish Palace moniker. Huge shells from long dead sea creatures, layered one over other, made up most of visible parts the structure, and gave it look of some huge ancient reptile's head, immobile, waiting with mouth open, so that the prey will walk in and the jaws will snap close for a quick, easy meal. The ubiquitous green coral covered everything, making one wonder if the Palace was grown underwater and surfaced afterwards, or whether the sea level used to be much higher.

The entrance hall was made from carapace of an ancient gargantuan crab. The centre of the room was illuminated by false-stars, shining through the eye-holes of the chitin shell, putting emphasis on small pool with still water, so clear it looked like a mirror, framed with coral that emitted dim, soft apocyan light. The sides of the room, where the stars did not shine, were turned into dark alcoves, six in total. In each were two chair and a chess table, made from driftwood. The alcoves were not directly illuminated, sans for a faint glow from the chess sets. Each had a different colour, and each colour was as hard to place as the apocyan blue that radiated from the central pool's coral. On closer inspection, each of the chess sets was carved from sharp, clear crystal rock salt, and each was covered in blood. "The King enjoys the occasional game of chess with solicitors. The solicitor can choose which set to play with, but they all are made to be razor sharp, impossible to pick without getting cut. It is true the King is a mediocre chess player at best, but to win, you'd have to find a chessmaster with impressive pain tolerance. After seeing this place for the first time, I have developed distaste for the game. This place perfectly shows the shallow poshness of chess."

"Luckily, we're not here to solicit. We're here to conduct business."

Runali had remained quiet as she left the boat. Luro's words did ease her tension, and the idea to deck Kadi when this was all over was a thoroughly entertaining thought. But of course, she didn't entertain it all too much as now they were in unfamiliar and even more dangerous territory. She was on high alert, but couldn't help admire the scenery that was around them. It was nothing like any of them had ever seen- save for Kadi. To her, it looked like it was pulled from a fairy tale her parents read to her, but the name of the book escaped her.

As they neared the chessboard, the captain spoke up. "It'd be foolish of me not say, don't touch anything." She fell silent for a moment before adding, this time, glancing back at her crew. "Alright crew, you know we've got one main rule right?"

"Don't die." Ray spoke up, after having his own moment to be mesmerized by the palace interior.

"Aye. So, keep your eyes open. I may not know what's in store here but," She couldn't help the small chuckle, "when do we ever?" During the trip, she pulled back from leading the group to let Kadi lead the way, seeing as he knew where they were going. However when they paused and there was no one else in sight, she stepped to his side. With arms crossed and head forward she asked, "So where is this Drowned King?" Her tone held more curiosity than malice, mainly because it was how she felt. While she was going to blame the King for the predicament she (but really Kadi) was in, she still wanted to know everything she could to be prepared for… well just to be prepared for later.

The Navigator continued through the hall, leading them around the pool. "Aye, don't. Everything here is just so goddamn sharp. Not a problem if you are slimy amoeba, or a bloated cadaver, of course." The hall continued where the crab's anus used to be, an allegory perhaps not lost on some, where it exited to a narrow descending tunnel. The tunnel's shape obstructed them from seeing far too forward, and the length and inclination of the tract hinted they were under the water level by the time they exited the corridor, just in time to have their senses assaulted on all sides.

The throne room was housed inside a hollow, calcified starfish body of immense size, placed on its side so the arms of the animal were facing away from the rooms axis. Two pointed downwards, those were filled with water as still and reflective as the one in the antechamber pool. The three pointing up were encrusted with various gems and crystals, reflecting light that came from somewhere in the arms' tips, filling the chamber with coloured light as if it was an oversized kaleidoscope. The space was filled with the stench of salt, stone and decay, and the incessant drone of the drowned bodies outside of the palace, only here it was stronger, amplified by the chamber, as if it was coming from every flat surface.

In the centre of the room was the Seastone Throne, carved from green rock, its features faded, smoothed out by water flowing over the seat for millennia. There the King held court, a bloated creature with crown made from seaweed and dressed in ermine coat taken from some unknown ship, sunk with some forgotten king aboard. He gestured to the guards surrounding him, and they formed into two rows, letting the crew pass through. Arcadius knelt before the throne, feeling the cold, hard coral under his knee. "You High-"

"SILENCE!" the King shouted. His voice was like fresh sea breeze, blowing through a cave carved inside a seaside cliff by millions of tidal breaks. The breeze blew past stalactites, and made them vibrate and sign. The cave was also filled with shipwrecks and rotting dead bodies.

"You are filled with his stench," the King continued, his worlds like steps through mud on an island battered by storms. "Spies. What does Jones want? Explain. Before explanations…are extracted." The guards quickly surrounded them, cutting off their escape route.

 

[Eastwood]

Hell? Sara turned and stared at Alicia. Could this cavern that held the dregs of the ocean truly be an afterlife? This explanation was simple, easy, but far too simple for her tastes. She may have had no idea of the horrors that may dwell within the depths, but she felt like if she at least understood, she would not be as frightened. Knowledge and understanding would be her candle keeping the frightful dark at bay. That's what her gut said and it rarely lets her down. With a deep breath, and filled with a new purpose, she stepped off the ship and onto the jetty. She was still pretty nervous, especially after encountering two walking corpses. Arcadius, whom she kept her distance from the entire trip, was not helping when he was murmuring that creepy poem.

She gaped up at the palace, her brain aching at trying to make sense at the seemingly-impossible architecture. Sara shuddered as her mind conjured up creatures that might have lived within the shells. Her first thought, as they entered the Palace, was the smell. Rather fittingly, it smelled like the bottom of the sea; rotting, salty, and utterly foul. She gagged at the first breath and raised her shirt to cover her mouth and nose. It didn't help much. Oddly enough, Sara's attention was focused on the stained chess boards. When Arcadius explained that everything was razor sharp, she realized what the stains were. The king addressed the crew, startling her with her raising her hand to gently touch the pommel of her sword, as if to reassure herself that it still existed. Once again, she didn't know anything about Davy Jones so she kept quiet, waiting for the others to reply.

 

[SilentxChaos]

Collab between @Arcadius and @SilentxChaos
​

​

Location: The Shellfish Palace

"Huh. I wouldn't have thought the name 'Shellfish Palace' would be quite so...literal," Jack spoke from the back of the group.

The place was awesome...and terrifying. Certainly nothing like Jack ever seen before. Walking through its open maw, he brushed the hilt of the concealed knife in his sleeve, and looked back once they passed the threshold as if to make sure it hadn't closed, swallowing Stardusk whole. It remained as it was but he wasn't sure that was anymore comforting. At least it's in warmer here.

Inside, he noticed another false sky that made him frown, but what intrigued him were the alcoves. As the crew took in this new place, Jack ventured over to one of the chess setups. He touched the driftwood chair, feeling the grooves and craftsmanship, squinting at the board in the dimness. The chess pieces appeared black to him, its true color hard to discern. They were sharp though. He could just make out the dark-on-dark stains of what must be blood. He listened to Kadi in the background explain the purpose of the King's chess games as he reached out for one. Armament haki blossomed along his hand as he picked up a rook between his thumb and index finger. The crystal was blacker than the haki.

Was Jack just imagining things, or did the blackness of the chess piece, of the haki and of the dried blood started to meld together? Was the new colour starting to seep through his skin, and like a cold snake, it started to creep up his hand, through his veins and nerves and ligaments, trying to fervorously grab for his eyes? The Peligin black was deep as the waters around them, and just as hopelessly void of space for any other colour. Jack was thrown into the cold waters of the Unterzee, but something was wrong, oh so very, very wrong. The directions were all mismatched, and he started to rise downwards, the bottomless pit under him becoming the new sky, a new up. It was some sort of nightmare, must have been, the chess piece was playing trick on him, right? But Jack would find himself unable to wake up, and starting to struggle to hold his breath under the water. He could try to wrench his body around, look up in vain hope of seeing at least a glimmer of the light striking the sea's surface, but the blackness was all surrounding now, he was fallen too deep.

The white of the giant eye opened in front of him, like a new sun in this dimension of darkness. A pupil the size of a man'o'war focused on him for a fraction of a moment, as he was hurtling towards the creature. A thought roared through his mind like a fog horn.

He was beheld.

And just like that, it was gone. He was standing in the antechamber of the Shellfish Palace, next to the Peligin chess set. The pieces were all prepared for a game. His arm was about to reach out and grab for a rook.

Jack wrenched himself back. What was that? What the Hell was that? The thought made a panicked loop in his head. He stumbled against the driftwood chair, causing it to fall. Its clatter bounced along the gigantic carapace, loud, pitched echos catching the attention of everyone in the entrance hall. Looking at the crew, it was clear they hadn't experienced what he had. But it had felt so real. He was shaking, drenched in cold sweat, still fighting for breath as if half-submerged in those pitch waters. Frantically, he pushed up his sleeve. Smooth pale skin and blue veins wrapped around lean muscle. He pressed his nails into the skin but no black substance moved beneath, trying to force its way up into his eyes. Suddenly he remembered how Sara acted on the ship. Had she seen something similar to him? A pit formed in his stomach. I'm truly beginning to despise this place.

Rubbing his shoulder and casting one final, perturbed glance at the chessboard, Jack rejoined the crew in his custom position at the rear. Try as he might, he couldn't dispel the giant eye from his mind.

Ever get that feeling Death is watching you?