Pirate Age

[Arcadius]

And lo and so, we set sail once more. I can't say I missed Cerula, after all that happened, and despite being one of the two people not considered a kidnapper, likewise I have not missed Nura. I wondered what future held for the young William, but if nothing else, he was left with a ruthless and capable person, who perhaps even held a shred of care for him. Many on this world had to make do with lot less.

Regardless, we made it out with no permanent casualties, and the journey to the alternative resupply port at the Coleridge Island went without issue. The weather was favourable, and the sea was calm. Port Colerige itself was less than noteworthy. Place lived from being a strategic resupply point for merchant ships and from export of raw lumber from the forest that covered whatever was not Port Colerige on the island.

Compared to Cerula, well... even pirates had to be lucky on occasion, with things going as planned for a change. After we hauled the supplies aboard, I decided to make myself scarce, vanish into some port tavern, get drunk and lose myself in nostalgia. Not like the ship could leave without me anyway.

With the supplies loaded, Arcadius waited for a moment when noone was paying attention to the pier the ship was anchored at, then it was just a quick dash across the planks and he vanished into the bustle of the port.

Finding a tavern took only few moments more. Door opened, quick look across the establishment. Local fishers mostly, occasional real sailor and merchant. Coins and and bottles exchanged hands. Few steps to the empty table at the dimmest corner. Cork making a 'pop' sound. Sniff at the liquid inside the bottle, and finding the contents alcoholic enough. A swig or two, while hanging back on the chair.

Home...

He asked himself what he was doing here, on the other end of the world, sailing with pirates and misfits. He could have stayed home. Gather experience, make a career for himself. Use family connections and political intrigues to climb the social ladder. Not like he did not have had a huge headstart with his surname. Arcadis have been an old and noble family, as old and noble as they make them. Rich, and deeply ingrained into the Wisegrad's societal materium.

If he was not so hot headed, not so brash in his actions, he could have had anything. Young, and capable, he was. Talented even, so why was he here? Just to find his adventure? Did he really, really threw away all of this just to fuck around with group of pirates and other refuse, both of society and of themselves? Did he really voluntarily placed himself in way of violence, pain, murder?

He emptied half of the bottle. The train of thoughts changed. Memories of the past few weeks started to march through his head. The cold wake up on Stardusk. The evening in Yula Fei and the following battle. Wolves in the snow. The bomb and avalanche. The frozen north and nightmares of self immolation.

Another swig of rum suppressed those images. It was a life. He could just go to a tavern of the worst kind, buy himself rum that tasted like it was filtered through someone's kidneys first, and noone, noone gave a flying fuck. No fathers, mothers, uncles and who knows how many relatives looking down at him for just doing what he felt like doing, acting impulsively and not giving a damn about the consequences.

Home... was where the heart was. And his seemed like the kind that won't sit in one place for too long, before being dragged away again. A broken clock, never sure what time it is, so instead it decided to make time of its own.

Stardusk was a mobile realm of broken things society had no use for, and he was a prominent citizen. A misfit. Just another freak, in the freak kingdom.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Whatever Jem felt about Nura remained unasked, because it was clear the doctor didn't feel the slightest twinge of guilt about instigating the "kidnap" as Nura chose to call it. Even without the crew asking her, Jem continued dwelling on their short stint in Cerula, as she enjoyed the breeze whipping through her hair while she gazed into the green tinged azure sea. Surely, if Nura had been a pirate as the woman claimed she was, then Nura knew that the action wasn't that humiliating. It gave Nura the right to kick a fuss and cuss them. That and they had diverted Ray's attention from Nura. A good thing considering that Ray felt guilty enough.

Speaking of Ray, she toyed with the idea of approaching the man, maybe talk to him to see how he was coping. She hadn't pried earlier, but she sensed he wasn't himself. His usual self, anyway, based on the little she knew about him. Jem leaned against the side of the ship beside Alicia, as she watched him toweling himself after the intense sparring session with the Captain that left scratches and embedded ice along the designated area.

She tilted her head slightly. However, a loud "Land ho!" came a call from crow's nest, and the moment was lost. Everyone scrambled into position, doing as much as they could to bring the ship into harbor. The captain had given them 3 hours, so it came as no surprise that most decided to disembark. First to leave the ship was none other than their navigator. Jem watched as he plodded towards a drab building marked as the town tavern by a weathered sign board swinging crazily in the breeze.

She had half a mind to join him solely to enjoy listening in to the local gossip, but she had other more important things to do. One of which was making sure Ray won't end up starving during longer voyages. Wishing him to man up and down the food looked to be a lost cause and she wasn't stupid enough to continue hoping. "Well I be on my way then. Getting supplies so one of us won't starve," she remarked. "Town seems clear anyway."

Clear of Ravens and the insanity they posed, she added mentally, walking down the gangway onto the harbor. She surveyed the streets and decided to head off in the opposite direction. With more stores that side, she believed there would be a book shop or two. She was determined to find a cook book no matter what. In all honesty, she couldn't blame the whole thing on Ray, she was equally bored with eating the same old bland dishes.

 

[Winter]

~"Eventually I began to wonder; when age leaves my body broken, who will mourn for me?"~​

Alicia had performed as expected of her during the sparing with both the Captain and Ray, although it seemed to be well understood that the swordswomen would not permit her blade to make killing blows for the most obvious of reasons. Because of this Alicia had used the back of her sword and while she may not have struck to kill, she certainly didn't hold back and through her style of speed and grace, kept the pressure on them without relenting or easing up. It wasn't a case of proving something, but as this was something for them to learn from she felt it necessary to provide a threat where mistakes and loss of focus would result in a very painful hit from the back of her blade. It was similar to how she was taught back when sparing with her father, though he didn't use a sword and instead opted to strike her with a cane of bamboo. She still remembered the sting on the backs of her hands where she'd left herself open to being disarmed.

When the sparing was finished Alicia had returned herself to lean against the wooden rail of the ship, watching as the two finished up the sparing and taking mental notes about the way they fought. Not that she'd need the information but it could prove useful if they required her again in the future. "Land ho!" The words pulled her from her train of thought as she once again made her way towards the front of the ship to lay her eyes onto the island upon the horizon. She lingered for only a moment before turning to ensure the ship was prepared to dock, of course starting with the main sale before turning her attention to the other duties on board the Pearl.

When they eventually docked at the island and were given permission to go do as they pleased, Alicia would leave shortly after Jem, her feet hitting the ground as she'd vaulted the side to land gracefully on the dock itself. She decided to wonder, feeling it might be nice to try and find a place that sells swords. Her current one was becoming worn and she didn't have a stone in which to keep it in good condition. Besides picking up another sword might not be a bad idea as it'd be prudent to keep a spare of a backup in case she lost her current one for whatever reason. But in any case, there was no real rush and she was rather looking forwards to taking some time to just enjoy things. Lately it seemed it was one problem after the next, not that she minded, in fact she rather liked her new friends and the lifestyle they were leading. But some time to wind down every once in a while was welcome.

 

[Capt. Blu]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Island to Sea[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Well, while the group set off, Runali took charge of buying food from the market. Everyone split their separate ways to get what they wanted- at least enough to hold them for the journey to come. In those three hours, feeling she had to be the most responsible for this particular trip, she managed to get a few men from the market to bring the boxes to the ship. They were tentative at first, due to the pirate flag, but then Runali paid them. No one passed up the opportunity then. "Thanks boys!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Sure Coleridge was a small island, but the town was small enough for the crew to pass by each other and nod as if they were polite strangers.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Everyone on board?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Aye aye!" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Food, drinks, new weapons, a cookbook- thank you Jem- annnd yeah all that other stuff. Hmph, I think we got enough of everything, yeah"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Aye, aye!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Now that we're guaranteed not to starve out at sea, Kadi would you be so kind?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The navigator saluted and headed to the wheel of the ship and once again the StarDusk pirates were sailing again. Who knew what they'd encounter next.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Unexpected Stop[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"C'mon Raymond, you wouldn't hurt your captain would ya?" She stayed completely still as he once again ran at her to attack. If he was to learn not to kill, he was going to have to trust himself to well… not to kill her. Fortunately, her reflexes were fine tuned to dodge should he accidentally misstep. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The boat suddenly lurched forward and shook as it hit an oddly rocky area. It sent everyone off balance causing Runali to fall and Ray's blade to stab a few centimeters next to her head. "Well that was close… What the hell was that!?" She hopped up to look over the edge of the ship only to find they were surrounded by rocks and sand. Running to the other end of the slightly tilted ship, it was on the other side too. "How'd we- Kadi! How'd we get...off course!?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The navigator was already scrambling with his maps, trying to figure out how his carefully figured out path had gone awry. "There must have been some kind of forced change in currents." He looked around spotting the sea off in the distance. "I wasn't aware of any current changes...I should write that down."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Do you think you can turn the ship around so we can head out?" Runali was gazing around, seeing that the higher side of the ship facing the sea (beyond the rocks and sand) was ways away from said sea. "Maybe get the ship leveled first…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Sitting in one spot, the heat was already kicking in. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Guys...I don't think we're going to be able to move anytime soon." Alicia called out as she looked over the edge of the ship facing the sand. The group walked over to see what she was looking at. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh no...Uh, Luro?" He was a little busy cleaning up a spill of alcohol after the boat lurched about. "You're not going to like this…" When he finally went over to see the problem, Runali pointed at the rather large hole at the bottom of the ship thanks to the jagged rocks they weren't prepared for. What was even worse, they had been so focused on getting food they didn't have enough supplies to fix all the damage.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That don't look so good." Jem crossed her arms.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Maybe there's some town around here? Maybe supplies aren't that far Kadi, does your map say anything about this place?"[/BCOLOR]

Read: Start of This Arc l From the Beginning

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[Grothnor]

Sparring with the Captain was a bit different than what he was used to. Fighting without killing was something he hadn't done in months, long before he became a pirate. Even then in his dueling days, he only held back when he meant to humiliate opponents far weaker than him. The sparring was not what he was used to, and he was still quite hung up on the idea of fighting with the intent to kill, but not. Either way, the Captain was no pushover, and he often found himself struggling to keep up with her. The sessions with Alicia, however, had him on the defensive far more often than he cared for.

In between his sparring, he pent most of his time sleeping and avoiding dinner. They were still scraping the barrel and Ray was reluctant to eat the garbage they called food. He couldn't blame Jem though, she was doing the best she could with a bad hand. However, he did find himself eating far more of the mush than he wanted; the sparring was building his appetite. He wanted to work on perfecting his ice shot, but he didn't have the energy to do so.

The resupply at Coleridge gave hm the first decent meal and the time to enjoy it since Nolan left. Too full and tired to sing, he pulled out his viola and began to idly play a tune into the night. After that, he took to his sparring with gusto, due in no small part to his regular meals, and had the energy to practice forming his ice shot. Overall, things seemed to be looking up for Ray, at least, until they reached their unexpected stop on, well, Lords know where. Ray wiped his forehead of sweat. "Is it just me, or is it hot out?" Ray asked as he waited for Kadi to tell them where they had stopped today.

 

[Winter]

The change in temperature had come so quickly that by the time they had realized it, Alicia was still dressed in one of her thicker kimonos from the previous islands they'd visited. It had appeared the pearl had somewhow run aground, though in how suddenly they'd came to a stop and with the sea so far over from them, it made little to no sense. It was as if the ship had been picked up and set down onto a beach, a questionable thought at best. With the mention of a town nearby she contemplated utilizing her speed to do some quick scouting of the area around them but with the heat above them it wouldn't be a good idea to exert herself, unless she was prepared to suffer the lecture from Jem.

Alicia leaned herself against the side of the ship and crossed her arms as the others conversed, observing and thinking silently to herself about their situation. It was only after a few more minutes that she eventually spoke up, indicating a few important details. "Whatever the cause for us being here, we're here now so we may as well adapt and prepare to endure it till we figure out how to get back to the ocean. I suggest you all change into more weather appropriate clothing and that we take stock of resources in case we happen to be here for a long while" she said, looking between them. "We might want to think about sending people out to see if there actually is a town nearby, that way we can get answers about the strange current change and possibly get help moving the ship" she said softly.

The swordswomen stood up straight, having said more than she'd normally do without being directly spoken too. "I'm going to get changed and then start checking which parts of the ship are most damaged, excuse me" she said politely and left he group to gather her clothes. She took her royal blue dress kimono, the one she'd first been found in back on Utsikushi. Once dressed she'd arrive back on deck and begin the routine of checking over the ship, from the cannons all the way to the condition of the rudder. Luro would likely be far more qualified, but then it didn't hurt to have someone else look and she already planned on reporting her findings to him directly anyway. Alicia let out a small exhale, 'Never a dull day' she thought to herself.

(Alicia's outfit reminder: Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet )​

 

[Mizos]

Luro stood at the edge of the ship as they left Cerula staring back at Nura's boat as they pulled away, being her normal self she had ignored the words of his friends, he sighed a little at this though he couldn't help but smile as he watched her get her sails up. Nura always was horrible when it came to first impressions seeing that part of her hadn't changed made him a little happy. Though watching her ship pull away he could tell that she had changed at least a little, it was subtle but there was a different air about her, thinking about it he wondered how much he had changed himself from back then. He shut his eyes deciding not to think about it too much, it wouldn't really solve the current problem anyway. Nura had given him a message in her words, and he had to wonder why she'd go to such extremes to do so. He glanced back at the crew as they went their own way on the ship, with a smile he turned and walked over to the side of the ship sitting on it as he stared out at sea. He'd deal with that when it came to it, right now he wanted to enjoy the sea again, though he had to remember if they met her again that he do all the talking.

Time seemed to pass by slowly as the days passed though getting to watch Ray and the captain fight every morning gave him a reason to wake up early besides breakfast, seeing Alicia get involved he couldn't help but applaud as they fought bringing a drink to every sparring session. For most of the sailing he mostly watched his fellow crewmates, using the empty bottles for target practice when the opportunity presented itself, he still wasn't satisfied with his rifle so he would retreat to the rum roof shortly after his shooting to inspect his gun. When he finished he'd sit in his 'thinking chair' in the corner and let his thoughts wander back to the Red Ravens. Though he knew about the Red Raven's he barely remembered anything, even going through his notebook he didn't find anything useful, mostly facts he already knew. He poked the side of his head trying to remember since he had a feeling he was forgetting something extremely important. In the end he ended up just drinking and sending letters to Nura while watching the sparring sessions.

"Dear Nura,

I'm glad you got in contact with Lily, she always looked up to you as leader and she sent me a letter thanking me for reuniting you two...well through words not physically...oh wait you knew that didn't you...well I don't want to start another letter so I'm going to leave it in. Anyway seeing as only a few of us are still around it's nice to keep in contact. Remind me to write to you of our adventures, I know we all got off on the wrong foot but I'm sure you'll get along with everyone eventually, I mean you stabbed me when we first met, you didn't do that to anyone so...yeah that's a good start! By the way how's-"

Luro's stopped writing catching a land ho from Jemima, looking out he grinned seeing land and swung his legs over the side deciding to send the letter later, he only had about half of his rum left so it was a good time to pick up some more anyway. Though he rushed to the tavern the moment they were excused, to cause a bit of mischief, when he noticed Arcadius in the corner he stopped fist half raised at one of the patron's. He blinked a few times and tilting his head to the side paid for the man's drink that he had knocked over, Arcadius seemed to be having lonely drinking time, he didn't want to interrupt that, he did want to join him so it was together lonely drinking time. Luro brought a hand to his chin questioning how that exactly worked but put it aside as he bought a few drinks and left the tavern, every now and then lonely drinking time was needed and it was probably Arcadius' time now.
After getting his sack and buying a bit of rum he made his way back to the ship, since they were more focused on food he couldn't get as much as he liked but it'd be enough to last until they reached the next place, he couldn't help but grin as he made his way back to the ship heading to the rum room.

Luro continued writing his letters and watching the sea as they left the small island, even humming one of Ray's old songs as he played his viola mainly because he couldn't remember the words. He opened a new bottle of rum as he watched the captain and Ray fighting again and with a large smile started to drink before the ship lurched, he rolled over and fell onto the deck spilling the bottle in the process.
"...booo," he mumbled standing up.
He set the bottle to the side and started to clean up the mess when the captain spoke to him, standing up taking the bottle with him he walked over to the side looking at the hole, he looked over at the captain giving her a thumbs up.
"That's not so bad captain, it's-" Luro stopped for a moment and looked over the ship again. "Oh you mean the hole right, oh yeah we're not going anywhere till I fix that. Still it's not so bad, worst case we ended up stranded and this time at least I'll be stranded with friends so I'm already excited!"
Luro grinned before turning and looking over at Ray as he mentioned the weather then to Alicia as she brought up clothing, Luro raised his arms looking at his long sleeves and the rest of his clothing.
"...I don't really have another outfit though," Luro said lowering his arms. "I'll just stay in this one it feels nice out."
At Alicia going to check out the ship Luro nodded and looked back at the hole, he couldn't even patch up half the hole with their current materials. He had done a quick walk of the ship a few days ago but hadn't checked recently since Jemima had taken a look as well, with the current state of the ship it'd be nice to know if anything else was hit, though he knew he was going to end up checking the entirely of the coral again once they left. If they got enough materials it wouldn't hurt to touch up other parts of the ship.
"I'm willing to check for a town, I'd like to get a closer look at the hole anyway. Still Kadi the Coral's a sensitive lady we can't be rough with her.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Location: On Nyirian Shore

Deceptively gentle sapphire waves lapped the white sandy shore about a good seven miles behind them. Some of the foam crested blue waters seeped up the narrow channel and gradually turned a translucent Persian green. This water swirled gently round the ankles of the StarDusk who had disembarked with Luro.Gradually the water line receded, leaving behind damp sand.

Jem left a trail of sunken, watery footprints behind as pulled up behind Luro and Kadi to check out the damage for herself. It wasn't pretty; a huge hole ripped through the side of the ship at portside and exposed around a third of the middle and lower deck. She whistled loudly since it expressed her current mix of emotions far better than any words could. "Do we have enough supplies? I reckon you need a shipyard to fix 'er up." The doctor frowned, cupping her chin with her right hand. "I could be wrong. Well, I hope I am. Don't fancy being stuck in this heat for too long. Lack of water and all makes the sanest people mad."

Again the issue about a town was brought up, Kadi, in particularly, sounded a lot more hesitant. He conceded that there was a town up north, but how well-stocked the merchants were was another question altogether. The town was a small one, half the size of Coleridge in fact, and meant to simply be an outpost where the inhabitants could purchase food and other essentials. A small mercy for the small group of exiles whose sad existence is no different than their fellow sufferers based in Yakone. "Erm, Captain," he began, waving his hand vaguely in a random direction. "About this town, there is in fact a town called Cegled." More hand gestures followed, as Kadi considered the best way to break the news as gently as possible. The last thing he needed was to have the crew demoralized.

Jem, however, overheard the navigator and the doctor arched an eyebrow. "Cegled? We are marooned in Nyiri?" The name tugged at a phantom memory at the back of her head. She'd heard of the place in passing, but who told her about this place and why remained as vapid as the heat haze that rose from the sands along the bank.

"Yes," came Kadi's equally solemn reply. He sounded as grave as Jem, but for a very different reason. The man was worried about their chances of survival given that the hinterland, the place they could see peeking through the chinks in the thin line of palms, was a desert. A vast desert whose total area exceeded the combined area of the last two islands they visited. "I was about to mention we were in Nyiri." He added, trying not to sound miff someone beat him to it.

A strong gust blew in from the sea, overpowering Kadi's words. The crew frowned, as each of them tried to catch what he said, but not even attempted lip reading helped them decipher the rapid sentences spilling from their passionate navigator's lips. It was also due to the wind that they failed to hear Alicia's warning cries from the deck above.

The Coral Pearl's groans rose in frenzy and soon she began shuddering violently. The rocking motion sent Alicia pitching forward and the swordswoman hung to the side for dear life. Back, forth, back, forth, the boat swayed, causing the knots securing the rolled up sails to come loose and the bottom most yard to rip off the mast completely. Then, as abruptly as it started, the ship came to a standstill while the sails flapped about in the dying breaths like a great forlorn white flag.

Jem sighed. "Alicia, you okay?" She called, just as the wind picked up speed. Her words were stolen as they tumbled out her lips and soon she cut herself off as she watched worriedly as the ship began groaning again. "Alicia, hold on!" She yelled with her last breath. Relentlessly though, the wind rolled inland in violent bursts, causing the sails to flap violently. This upset the ship's already precarious balance towards the front and before long the vessel crashed downwards in favor of the damaged right. The crew watched with mouth gaping, as more boards peeled away gradually, allowing a torrent of wet sand into the cargo area.

As soon as the ship stabilized, Jem sprinted towards the rocks supporting their ship. Her worry was now two-fold: she needed to make sure Alicia was alright and she needed to figure out the best way to save their precious food supply. Standing on the highest rock, she jumped up and disappeared into the galley. The doctor had been so use to being a lone wolf for some time that she completely forgot to update the rest about her plans.

"Right…" Kadi trailed off. "I guess we should help her and Alicia, right? Captain?" He asked a little hesitantly, feeling more unsure by the minute. How was he supposed to act anyway? Having their ship swept ashore then watching Mother Nature continue wrecking their damaged vessel was not something one expected when one agreed to be a pirate. It was borderline fantasy at this point.

 

[Capt. Blu]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Just as Ray had pointed out, it was definitely getting hotter out. Especially since they were standing in one spot. Before the captain could even suggest a plan, everyone seemed to make up their minds that it would have been best for them to split up. Luro's worst case scenario wasn't the best of news. What was even worse was hearing, "I don't have enough supplies for this though." And that was the icing on the cake. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Alright, alright-" She raised a hand to quiet everyone down. However, just as she did, a dangerous gust of wind blew everyone off balance. The high winds drowned out most of the sound around them and everyone had to duck downwards in order to prevent sand getting kicked up in their face. "This isn't good." The ship continued to creak, only to teeter back and forth. Alicia was in some sort of danger, hanging off the side of the ship. Fortunately, the captain managed to make out the others going to help her. Runali would have helped, but she had been temporarily blinded by the sand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Just as they thought things had finally come to rest, they looked at the ship to see that their sail had collapsed as well. To make matters worse sand had begun to pile in the damaged area. Jem was the first to react and everyone else soon followed. Their cargo and supplies were tucked at the bottom of the ship so they had to move those things, and fast, unless they wanted sand in everything. "Move everything outside the ship. If it's too heavy, we'll put it on the deck afterwards. Make sure to move all the food to the deck first." As Runali called out orders, she helped carry boxes up steps and to the deck of the ship with everyone else. Unfortunately, they had a lot more stuff than six people could carry thanks to their recent market trip which meant that they did end up losing a box of food to the sand. Maybe if they cleaned it off…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"This managed to get a lot worse...fast." The captain shook her head and then whistled to gather everyone's attention. "Alright, obviously there is a popular vote that we should split up. So, that's what we're gonna do. Luro, you'll be heading out in search for supplies to fix the ship. Ray will go with you for the extra set of hands...and to make sure you don't get yourself into trouble. Kadi, I need you to go with them so they don't get lost. And also be a voice of reason just in case both of them get into trouble somehow." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After going through his map carefully, Arcadius nodded in agreement. "Aye, aye Captain. Also, judging by our course, I still can't figure out how we're in Nyiri. We were on a straight path through water and somehow ended up in sand. Hm, I have heard of 'sand rivers'...maybe that happened." He paused before his train of thought could get away from him. "And if I'm not mistaken...the closest town. Cegled, is off-" He pointed in one direction. "That way towards the north. Though, I'm a little worried this desert is deserted just as the rumors say. I've heard that Nyiri is just a wasteland where people get sent to and left for dead." He didn't want to believe it, but judging by the looks of it, it was hard to say that it wasn't true.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, we just have to hope that isn't the case then yeah? Because even though we're friends and all, I'd rather not be stranded here." Looking at Alicia and Jem, she continued. " We're sticking behind in order to make sure the food doesn't melt or something. And..just in case someone does show up around here we can call for help." That last bit didn't sound very hopeful, but she headed back to the deck of the ship when they were sure things were saved from the bottom. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That's the plan! And to be safe, if you guys don't find anything by sundown, come back and we'll try again tomorrow." She made sure they had enough supplies to last them on their trip before she stood on the edge of the ship and saluted them off. "Be careful!" She yelled out and then looked at the duo behind her and then at the ship. "...We should probably clean up."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]

Read: Start of This Arc l From the Beginning ​

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[Winter]

The wind swept through as she'd returned to the deck after having gotten herself changed. She raised her hands in front of her to brace against the wind and the sand, her eyes straining against it before the ship suddenly gave to mother natures will, sending her off balance and over the edge of the ship. Fortunately she was able to grab the rail to prevent her going over fully and it was all she could do to hold on as she waited for the ship to settle and the wind to cease it's assault. "I'm alright!" she called back towards Jem before bracing her feet against the side of the ship, pulling with her arms before vaulting the side back onto the deck. She sighed to herself, her hands brushing the sand from her clothes before crossing her arms as she looked towards the captain. The plan was pretty reasonable and made allot of sense, though hearing they needed to tidy up the place caused her to take a brief look around before sighing again. "Right, I'll get started with the sails since It's usually what I deal with the most" she replied before she turned, getting to work on securing the sails again. It was a dangerous place to start given that another gust of wind like that had the potential to rip her from the mast and blow her clear of the ship, but the sails had to be secured if they ever wanted the Pearl to sail again. "I didn't get a chance to check the rudder, one of you should take a look" she called down as she climbed, "After all if we haven't got a rudder, no amount of help is going to get us sailing again... and not to mention they're not cheap to replace" she continued, eventually reaching the top before she grabbed the ropes, starting the long process of securing the main sail.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Location: Sand Walking in the Komaron Desert
Kadi, Luro and Ray

Written by Ryver K. Stella and Edited by @Capt. Blu

Coconuts bobbed merrily past the men as the fruits flowed their merry way towards the shore. Further inland, red and blush pink desert lotuses bloomed. Kadi rubbed his eyes and stared. Nope! The plants weren't a weird hallucination brought about by the heat and his thirst. Unable to resist, the scholarly man reached for one, thinking it would make a nice gift for one of ladies back at the ship. He yelped loud and nearly fell on his bottom, when the plant curled up and disappeared into the sand after his fingers brushed the petal.

Dozens of white, long-neck birds were flying in a lazy formation before they landed not too far away. Kadi stared with mouth agape as he recognized them. "Nyirian Phoenixes," he managed to say, as hand drawn pictures of beautiful palace water gardens came to mind. He recalled that the magnificent "water" fowls were rarer and thus more highly prized than peacocks. "I thought there were only a few of them left in the wild."

The birds merely gave the humans a curious glance, but continued minding their own business. The closest one had lifted its head up for a second look, but sensing no harm from Kadi, it sank its head under its wing and continued combing between its feathers for tiny blood-sucking mites.

As the three observed the animals, the sand began shifting gently behind Ray. A single reptilian eye blinked followed by the other and soon both eyes were open and eyeing the Leandrian. The tiny foot long crocodile liked what it saw and it simply shot out of the sand. The jiggling of the bells adorning its collar alerted all three men of the creature's presence, but it darted fluid motion between his feet in less than 5 seconds. Soon the baby sand croc was rolling between the man's feet the way an overly affectionate puppy would when begging for a belly rub. The bells round the collar shifted slightly as the baby continued rolling and a mentallic tag could be seen; branded into this tag were two words "CT" and "Sandy".

 

[Grothnor]

At first, the venture into the desert to try to find civilization seemed simple enough. Just walk out for half the day then walk back, make sure to remind Kadi to bring a compass and keep a leash on Luro? Not too hard. After five minutes, Ray wished he was back at the ship: in shade. An hour in, the heat got so oppressive, he wanted to die.

By the second hour, his desire for merciful death had passed, but was replaced by heat-induced hallucination, just like Kadi. Ironically, Luro had to stop him from just wandering off giggling after mirages at least twice.

By the third hour, it had finally sunk in that the things he was seeing were not real, so he started ignoring them and wishing to be put out of his misery again. He heard Kadi stumble after something and murmur about phoenixes, to which Ray simply grunted. He saw the birds too, but couldn't be bothered if they were real or not. Then he heard jingly bells and swore to himself that he was losing his mind. Lordsdammit, now I'm hearing snow-bells. Lendrian winter... somethin'... Uhhh.... His mind started to blank again, but not before he felt something bump his foot. Looking down he saw a panting sand lizard, friendlily baring it's belly. He stopped and stared, taking several seconds of gormless gawking to realize that what he was seeing likely wasn't a mirage.

"Uhh, guys? I think I found... thing," Ray croaked through parched lips.

 

[Capt. Blu]

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[BCOLOR=transparent]Location: Shipwrecked[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Runali, Alicia, Jemima[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Jem, help her with the sails. I'll check on the other rudder."[/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Aye, aye captain." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]While Jem and Alicia worked on securing the sails, Runali headed down the steps of to the hole inside the ship. Nothing looked too out of place, besides the damage of course, so she hopped through the hole and walked towards the rudder. However, the sound of movement made her turn her head. "Huh. We missed a box." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Oddly enough, the box shifted to one side, making the captain stop in her tracks. Well, that was weird. With fast acting reflexes, she jumped and snatched the box only to realize the bottom of it was opened and nothing was inside. On the ground, various oranges were sinking into the sand. "Oi!" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]She reached for the food, but it was sink into the ground, only to appear in another spot. "Aha!" When she finally grabbed one of the oranges, she pulled out the creature causing all the trouble. "Wha-...?" She had never seen a jerboa before but it sure did look funny with its large ears and small body. The commotion must have disturbed the creatures, making them investigate. "Ya little sneak, give me the rest of my oranges!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It managed to slip away by nipping her hand before darting back into the sand. Sure she managed to keep the orange, but there were at least ten more she wanted back. That's when she found out there was more than just one of the rats.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Above the ship, Jem paused and looked over her shoulder. "Do ya hear that…?" It definitely sounded as if the captain was in trouble. "C'mon!" She slid down the ropes and leapt down in order to hurry to the captain- to see her yelling at the sand? [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uh, Captain?" She didn't even receive a response, just a point in the direction of where oranges were being taken. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Location: Sand Walking in the Komaron Desert[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Kadi, Luro and Ray[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kadi had been watching the birds for some time, in more awe when he was sure they weren't just a hallucination. He would have gotten even closer if it had not been for Ray calling out to them. What he didn't expect to see was the baby reptile sprawled out in the sand. "Maybe this place isn't so deserted after all." He moved closer to the other two, wondering just what to do with this new discovery. The baby crocodile, small but oddly round as if well fed, waited until it was properly pet before rolling back onto its feet. The croc's tail swished back and forth before it wiggled into the sand and began to 'swim' around the trio. Well, they were called sand crocodiles for a reason.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Wait, if that's a collar, someone must own this animal. That means someone has to be around here." Arcadius crouched down and reached his hand out towards the crocodile, only for it to pop out of the sand and bound towards him. "A rather friendly crocodile that's for sure." He lifted its head and inspected the collar further. "CT? Is that your name?" The baby just stared at the navigator. "Hm, Sandy?" Hearing its name caused it to perk up and move even closer until Arcadius pushed it back a little. "Well, its name is Sandy. So C.T. must be the owner. I wonder what those initials stand for." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Luro rubbed his chin and looked at the crocodile. "Well, why not follow it home?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Well, I say it's a good idea... But what if this guy is lost too? We may need to just follow the compass... What do you think Ray?"[/BCOLOR]


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Read: Start of This Arc l From the Beginning ​

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[Arcadius]

After several days spent sailing the sea, navigated by nothing else than sextant, star charts and a compass, I more than welcomed the sight of the Nyirian shoreline. It was an opportunity to crosscheck my measurements against the naval map I was using. As it would turn out, the map was of a lesser quality than I assumed it to be. The ship sailed onto underwater sand shelf, a fact rather unfortunately ignored from the chart. The water currents around the shore must have piled the sand up over the time since when the map was drawn.

After a short, rough slide across the sandbank, the course of the ship was stopped by a rock reef, ripping apart starboard hull right under the waterline, stranding us on the shores of the Komari desert.

With no way of pulling the ship safely off the sand shelf (and even if we succeeded in that, the lucky stroke of a rock made sure we'd be left with a rapidly sinking vessel), we were left in desperate need of friends and material. A quick study of the maps showed that there was a settlement 'nearby'. 'Nearby' meant at least a day's long trip through the desert wasteland, and even that was a rough, uneducated estimate.

It more than made sense I was going to be part of the group that would try to make way to Cegled. I was the one who steered the ship on the sand shelf, and at the desert, just as on the sea, with no landmarks to navigate yourself by, a man skilled in navigation by stars and compass was what divided arduous journey from a suicide mission.

I set off, wearing wide brimmed hat and loose clothes that covered most of my skin. The short slog through the shallow water, before we reached the beach, made the clothes soak in water and comfortably cool my body in the hot day, though I knew well this was a short lived luxury. Once we hit the dunes proper, water abundance would be a thing of dreams. For now, though, the beach developed into a lush, green valley. We found a path, leading uphill through the tiny jungle.

Soon enough, the trees were gone and our boots sank into the sand for the first time.

I once read somewhere that out there in the sandbox, you will find yourself. The wind, blowing the sand, strips you of your skin, muscles, bones. All it leaves is soul, bare to the world to see, but with noone and nothing around, the only one to observe is you yoruself. Then, and only then, you can see yourself for what you are.

In reality, desert was surprisingly full of life, and where life lacked, Ray and his insults filled up the void. Of the three of us, he was taking the heat the worst. I was way too busy checking the sun and compass, and Luro was too distracted by the strange feeling of being sober. San us, we saw a flock of extremely rare Nyirian Phoenixes, and some other animals as well. The name on the tag meant nothing to me, but if nothing else, it meant there must be some people nearby.

 

[Grothnor]

"Guh?" Ray mumbled, looking up from the croc. "It's a sand... dog... lizard thing." He said lamely, not understanding the question. It took him a moment to remember what Kadi had asked him in the first place. "I think I need water, shade an' a nap... yeah." He looked up towards the sun to hurl more curses at it but almost lost his balance from simply righting himself from his heat-induced slouch. "Feth damned heat," he slurred. He realized somewhere in his mind that the desert was actually rather pretty, both in it's starkness and in it's occasional flora and fauna, but the sun had addled his wits, and my balance, hours ago, and he wasn't thinking clearly at all. I bet it has something to do with my... thing. He pictured his devil fruit and it's powers, but couldn't call it's name to mind. "Less just hope wherever that... thing is from is close."

 

[Mizos]

Luro gave a two finger salute to the captain with the teams being divided, if there was really a place nearby he hoped they at least had high quality wood, he could fix the Coral with less but she deserved only the best. Admittedly he was a little worried about the ship since it had been rocking earlier, but with the three ladies in charge he was sure the Coral would be fine. Folding his hands behind his head he followed his two companions, he waved to the three as he left wishing them luck before bringing a hand to his chin mentally repairing the ship in his head, he chuckled a little getting just a little giddy at the idea of working on the Coral later, he hoped they found this place soon.

He had to remind himself of the name of their location, Nyiri or something of the sort, he crossed his arms under his chest trying to remember how Jemima had said it as they walked through the desert. His eyes looked ahead but all that met him was sand, his boots seeming to sink a bit with each step he followed next to Ray mainly because he kept trying to wander off in random directions every now and then. Due to the being stranded every time he tried to get on a ship himself, or with others depending on the circumstances he seemed strangely content. He learned to wear clothing that he could adapt to the weather, just adding and removing lining's as necessary. Luro didn't realize it until much later but this was really boring, the only thing here was sand and he couldn't do anything with it because they had to keep moving, he tried to make a sand ball to throw at Arcadius but it just dissolved in his hands.
The sand just kept going too no matter which way he looked, it was like the sea but boring, and without fish....and dry. Luro thoughts lingered on how deserts were different from the ocean for a while, one such thought making him think of fish swimming in sand, until he remembered people needed water in places like this.
Looking over at Ray he figured he should find some for him.
Luro dug into his pocket and pulled out his flask, he started to hand it to him but remembered he had rum in it not water. Digging into his other pocket he pulled out another flask and turned towards him but stopped as he looked at the similar looking flasks.
"Hmmm one of these is rum and the other is water...which one's the water again," Luro thought looking at each flask raising and lowering each one.
After a bit of thought he nodded and smiled before putting both away.
"That's right they're both rum! I completely forgot....though now that I think about it water would have helped. Oh well!"
He didn't have much in the flasks so he decided to save them, he didn't want to be hot and sober that would be like being...well hot and sober he couldn't really think of a worse similarity right now.

Luro blinked a few times seeing Arcadius run towards some plants, he tilted his head to the side seeing him actually touch the object.
He supposed it was real unless they were having a combined mirage, though he wasn't sure if that existed. He shut his eyes wondering what that would be like, since he didn't know what it was could this be a combined illusion? Would he able to touch Ray's illusion, would he get mad if he did? Arcadius would probably get mad if he touched his. He looked up at the birds and grinned before grabbing his rifle.
"Yay food here I'll-"
Luro cut himself off as Kadi revealed there were supposedly only a few left in the wild, Luro stared at the birds for a moment before putting his rifle away.
"Never mind...I'll wait till they make more than kill one."
When the small crocodile appeared Luro grabbed his rifle again but stopped seeing it being affectionate to Ray, he pouted and put the rifle back with sigh.
"Ray you have to turn down your handsome, you're attracting animals now too," Luro said placing his hands on his hips. "I don't think the captain wants half the desert following us back."
After Kadi realized it was a pet or what seemed like a pet, Luro figured it would return to it's owner and following it was a good idea, that and they probably missed their crocodile.
"That settles it then, let's follow this Sandy Kadi. I mean what's the worst that could happen following a crocodile to a random location?"

 

[Arcadius]

I wondered if I right there was a good moment to start a lecture on elementary geometry and cartography. The desert navigation was tricky, to say the least. With no real landmarks to keep one's sense of navigation, we couldn't afford to move in any other direction than on a direct line between the beach where we made our landing and Cegled. Losing our direction could mean we'd simply miss Cegled if we tried to make a detour, something that would, in our alarmingly unprepared state, cost us our lives.

"Luro, I am curious as you are about the whereabouts of this reptile, but we simply can't afford following it. We have to reach Cegled before sundown, or we're in some deep trouble. Ray is already in poor state, we're out of water and I saw you checking your flasks." He took a few steps closer until he invaded Luro's personal sphere, looking into his eyes with very serious expression. "If you start drinking in this heat, you will die. Simple as that. We can have aperitif when we get to Cegled."

He turned around, compass in hand, and kept turning until the arrow pointed in right direction again. "We need to find the place, get us some appropriate desert gear, and then we can try to head back here and see if we can find the owner of this creature. When we're not risking our necks just by being in here, we can afford curiosity satiating hikes." He started to slog through the sand again, heading, hopefully, towards Cegled. He was still wondering what kind of help a desert outpost would be able to offer to a beached ship, but even if they'd have to leave her here, it was a step away from a death by dehydration.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Location: Shipwrecked in a Sea of Sand
Alicia, Jem and Runali

Sand clawed up the leaning side. This hungry, formless dust monster with jagged rock teeth seemed hellbent on claiming another ship for Mother Nature. From the sky, the winds waged a different waged a different war. A mini tug-o-war with the humans for the flapping sails. The biggest headache was the main sail, because even the slightest breeze was enough to cause it to unfurl. Each time it did, the sail flapped about crazily before slamming backwards into the mast. Almost like some crazy morse code.

"Fah," Jem managed to catch herself from cussing. She felt sorely tempted to let loose a string of colorful profanities worthy of her seafaring heritage. Lacing her legs tightly round the ragged remanents of the upper arm, Jem hung precariously in a sloth's pose, propping the (finally) bound up sails so Alicia could bind them. "The blast'd weather reminds me of Kia Orana. Moored there 5 days and 3 were gray and rain'n."

The doctor twisted her shoulder to an angle to maintain her balance. "Just as we decided ta leave, this wind from the sea came and ripped the sail." She snorted at the memory of her former crew mates panicking as their sail floated away. Pulled inevitably towards the eye of the gathering storm. "Any bad storms back at Yula Fei?" Before Jem managed to explain how she had guessed Alicia's homeland based on the girl's clothes and mannerisms, their conversation was cut short by heavy thumping and Runali's loud interjections. Jem righted herself abruptly, letting go off that sails in the process. "Did ya hear that....?" More such sounds drifted from below and the woman started doubting the captain was alone. "C'mon." She told Alicia, as she climbed down the ropes.

"Uh Captain ...." was all Jem managed to say when they reached the cargo area. A howling breeze whipped up a mini dust cloud and Jem's eyes began watering as sand entered them. She lifted up her arms to shield her face from the worse of it and narrowed her eyes. Even with visibility compromised, it was hard to miss the ten dancing orange orbs held aloft or rolled around by the most hideous bug-eyed mice Jem ever saw. Slight chill snaked up her back and the sides of her mouth curled.

"I hope this ain't cause someone wanted a pet rat." The way she said it made it crystal clear that she detestsd the rodents. To Jem's credit, though, she managed to keep calm. A little twitchier than usual but it was hardly noticeable. "So, Cap'n, we skewering the rats and serving 'em to the boys for dinner? Roasted bite size furballs."

She cracked her knuckles. "Now ta wring their necks. Wish I had a gun so I can blast 'em ta high heaven." Jem laughed dryly after as she made her way reluctantly towards a jeroba rolling an orange with its two front paws and freakish head.

Woman and vermin eyed each other. Who will make the first move?

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Location: Following a Baby Croc to Cegled?
Sandy + three humans

Happy keening filled the air as Sandy popped out of sand and tackled a passing tumbleweed. Round and round the two rolled, locked in combat for sheer dominance. The baby croc was almost bested given that she was only slightly bigger than her round opponent, but finally she managed to mount it. Victory! Sandy rested her forelegs on it and ...

Oh no! The weed shot away and rolled towards Luro. Sandy chirped in protest as she bounded after her retreating foe and kicked up copious amounts of sand everywhere. Realizing she had better stop the runaway thing before it escaped, the reptile leaped and ended up headbutting Luro in the shin.

Crooning replaced the excited thrills as Sandy lay on the ground and closed her eyes. A tactic she used countless times to distract her mistress so she would get away with things. She continued feigning sleep at Luro's feet when she felt it. A familiar faint vibration in the ground caused by an older croc thumping its muscular tail against the ground - a summons.

She shot up and called excitedly. The reply came in the form of more gentle vibrations. These were so mild that they went largely unnoticed by the humans in the area. Thus, Sandy suddenly darting away energetically didn't seem that significant. That was until the little one ran back to them and stared. She also cocked her head off to the side, chirping and crooning. It was her way of beckoning them to follow.

Again Sandy felt the "call" and she didn't wait anymore. She ran off a little quicker this time. Soon only the wild jiggling sound from the bells round her collar indicated which direction she went.

On and on she ran, leading her new friends towards Cegeld. Different mouthwatering aromas greeted the new arrivals, as they stepped into the empty street flanked on either side by sprawling, one floor clay and stone buildings. The exterior walls of these domed structures were painted in various shades of white. Contrasting vividly with the pale background were the colors of the window frames, shutters and woven rugs hanging outside the door. They came in all sorts of colors, green, red, yellow, blue and orange, that seemed to glow richly in the sun.

Feeling right at home, Sandy ran towards the nearest water basin filled with pink lotus flowers, lily pads and tiny goldfishes. She stood on her backlegs and rested her front ones on the edge, as she tilted her head down and began lapping the water hungrily.

 

[Capt. Blu]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hey, Captain, did you see that?" [/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Aye. A distress call. The ship must've gotten trapped in the sand river. Stuck in the desert too. Heh, perfect prey yeah?"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah, but Captain, if I was lookin' right the ones in distress looked like women. Two of them."[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"I see… Well that changes things. C'mon. Let's move." [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Location: Still shipwrecked[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Runali, Alicia, Jemima[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"I don't care what you do, just make sure these things don't take any more of the food." Runali paused for a brief moment in thought. "I don't know about dinner...then again who knows how long we'll be here. Maybe they would make good food..." She shook her head, focusing again. "Let's get those oranges back first. And make sure no more boxes are down here." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The jerboas were fast, sneaky things. They tossed the food to one another, disappearing into the sand in moments. Their chattering sounded like little laughter taunting the three women. It seemed as if the trio even blinked the tiny rats would disappear. It was only more annoying because it was obvious these animals were only playing around. They dodged Jem and Alicia's attempts to grab them.[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]"I never thought I'd struggle to catch a rat." Alicia said in annoyance. Even she was starting to agree that jerboa kebabs were a good idea. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]The group struggled until they managed to get most of the oranges back, eventually giving up the last remaining oranges- it was only like five anyway. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The heat was definitely slowing them down and making Runali even more tired than she was. 'Fighting' the jerboas was wasting the little energy that wasn't sapped by the heat. "I almost wish for the freezing cold…" Runali huffed and leaned against the ship. "Just let 'em go… We've got plenty of food. And those oranges are probably riddled with sand." [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Staring out into the desert, the captain squinted. "Oi, am I hallucinatin' or is there something coming towards us." She could have sworn there was a sand cloud picking up.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Alicia stood next to the captain and put a hand over her eyes to block the sun. "No captain. Something is headed this way. Hopefully they're friendly." As usual, being the most cautious, Alicia put her hand on the hilt of her sword...just in case. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The sand cloud died down to reveal giant...lizards? Not crocodiles, but giant lizards. That wasn't normal. The ones Runali saw where quite small. And when the trio's eyes adjusted, they noticed groups of people with their faces hidden behind scarves on the large reptiles. One of them with goggles shining in the sunlight hopped down, her backpack clanking behind her. Without a word, her head turned between the three. The only indication she had been staring at them was her prolonged turn towards each of them. Her examination was from head to toe, without actually tiuching the three. This lasted for a long moment and Alicia stayed silent until the captain gave orders. Well, she was always silent actually. They could have spoken a different language for all they knew. It wasn't a good idea to just attack out of the blue. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When the stranger touched Runali's cheek to examine the eyepatch, Alicia once more grew cautious, but relaxed when the captain cleared her throat. [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]"Um, excuse me. We've gotten stranded here and we need help fixing our ship. The others went looking for-"[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Captain, this one's been injured. It might be an old scar though. And the others left these three ladies in the heat! We should take them in."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The woman sharing a ride with the woman in goggles removed her scarf from her face and placed her captain's hat on. "Are you ladies alright? I'm [/BCOLOR][BCOLOR=transparent]Captain Alcinoe Basco. Captain of the Cutthroat Pirates. Don't worry ladies, we'll save you from this. I hate to see women being treated so poorly." She shook her head and then gestured for the others to take off their scarves and reveal that all of them were in fact women. "That's my firstmate by the way. Saffron, or Saff." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The goggle wearing woman saluted and then took Alicia and Runali's hand, pulling them along to one of the lizards. "C'mon, c'mon. You must be hungry right?" A few of them hopped to the sand to help the girls onto the backs of the reptiles. It seemed as though these pirates weren't giving them a chance to back away from the help. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Don't worry, they're friendly." One giggled to Alicia as she boosted her up. "We'll have to get you all something better to change into as well." [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh no, no you don't understand. We weren't aband-" [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"We'll have a huge feast for the new arrivals!" The captain raised a hand and caused the women to cheer. Every time Runali tried to clear up that they weren't abandoned, someone else interrupted her. And honestly, food sounded great at the moment…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"We'll… We'll clear things up when we get there?" Runali said to her own crew.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Good idea, we'd love to hear about how you guys survived!"[/BCOLOR]
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[BCOLOR=transparent]Location: Cegled[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Kadi, Luro and Ray[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Before they could enter Cegled, those vibrations grew stronger under the three pirates. Oddly enough, Sandy bounded in circles in excitement whereas the people in the medium sized desert town glanced up in the direction of the tremors before looking back down and attending to their work. Apparently, they didn't seem to care. [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]The ground under the trio became a lot tougher and more solid- in fact, it began to raise entirely. Sand started to wash away from what they were standing on- and eventually thrown off of only to reveal a much, much larger crocodile. Its beady eyes glared at the three before its mouth opened threateningly to reveal rows of sharp teeth. The crocodile would have attempted to even eat one of them too if it hadn't been for Sandy quite literally climbing the larger one's snout. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The larger crocodile's mouth slowly closed almost as soon as it opened, making Sandy roll off. The threat was short lived after Sandy 'saved them', and the larger, mother crocodile turned away after her child climbed onto her back. Her tail swept up a bit of sand at the three men as she turned into Cegled, and if the crew had been paying attention, the initials C.T. was painted in black on the crocodile's sides.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]And what could be considered more odd was the fact that this large crocodile crept straight through the small town towards a group of women wrapped in cloths to protect them from the heat. Around them were boxes of food and barrels of drinks, and all were being stacked on top of each other. "Aye, Lady! Sandy! Just in time. C'mon your food is out back." The leader of the group went back to talking to the other four around her and they left the barrels and crates unattended with Sandy and Lady following right behind them. [/BCOLOR]

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Read: Start of This Arc l From the Beginning
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[Grothnor]

As the sand croc scampered off through the sands, Ray feverishly flopped along after it. Following the small lizard was either going to lead them to salvation or death. At this point, Ray couldn't tell which of the two he'd prefer. He could hardly see the small sand croc, but could hear it's bells fine. He worried that the bells would fade into the distance and never be heard again, but the jingling never grew too quiet.

After what seemed like an eternity of running towards nothing, a town of adobe slowly came into view, and, now with respite in sight, Ray truly began to feel the exhaustion in him. He slowed from his brisk, lopsided trot to a quick walk. By the time he had tracked the tiny lizard to his watering hole, Ray was exhaustedly limping, though seeing water brightened his gait. He collapsed to his knees next to the lizard and submerged his head into the cool waters, but soon pulled it out, sputtering water (and a goldfish) that ended up going down the wrong pipe. After drinking his fill, with cupped hand this time, he started to absorb his surroundings. His gaze rested on the giant crocodile waddling through the street. He stared at it blankly as it passed, still gathering his wits before he could process what he was seeing.