Shattered Horizon IC

[Zombehs]

While Lyra busied herself with the numerous other tasks she had knowledge of, Araki took the ship's helm. Grunting in surprise at the strength required, he quickly dropped a hand to grasp one of his bucklers and forced the wheel as needed with the surge of strength that quickly filled his body. Even so he had to fight the waves as they sought to push the boat off track, and he could only spare a puzzled glance towards Lyra. She might have an idea of what Sandakke was, but Araki had no knowledge of the nation, city, state, or whatever the case was.

With a simple shrug, he simply continued to hold onto the wheel and hope that the sudden shift in peaceful drift to rocky sailing had alerted the others. An occasional glance backwards revealed that they were swiftly losing ground, or water he supposed, to the larger ship. Lyra seemed to have raised some sort of signal flags in the moments before the ship caught up to their own, and he grunted in frustration as the wheel threatened to spin out of his lone hand at the larger ship's passing.

Besides the fact that he couldn't simply abandon the wheel if he didn't want the ship to possibly crash into the other, Araki didn't have any real intention to be the diplomatic face of their group. Lyra handled that job just fine, so now he just had to be ready in case negotiations somehow fell through. Not that it looked like there was much to be done if even a few of those sailors were armed with Talentium… Well, they were surrounded by water, so maybe he'd be able to do more than usual.

 

[Asuras]

Kanuni scoffed at Lyra's first declaration. In such a small ship they were mincemeat and no one would think of looking at the Sandakkens as the cause of a tiny cutter shipwreck. Sandakke was not an island of pirates in any sense of the word, keeping mostly to themselves and faring out to see when only absolutely necessary. A missing cutter would be chalked up to pirates... if she so decided to simply obliterate the ship.

The captain was nodding as Lyra spoke, and turned grave when she mentioned the fate of the city. He immediately turned to Kanuni, who's face looked as if it were ready to spew fire. Her eye twitched and her crossed arms tensed closer to her chest. For a moment she gathered her composure through short, rapid breaths, apparently ready to hyperventilate with anger.

"Completely leveled? How many casualties? Did any escape? Is the Rift Beast still alive?" she spouted off questions one after the other. The captain looked between her and Lyra for a moment before offering help.

"Perhaps you'd like to come aboard? Our crew here is far more capable and our deck is more spacious. How many do you carry with you?" he asked.

 

[Psyker Landshark]

For most of the voyage so far, Alexa slumbered, still practically comatose. Obviously the shock of the Rift Beast assaulting her had done quite a bit of damage, and she was practically unresponsive as she was carried into a cabin and laid down on the bed. Finally, after the entire night had passed, she opened her eyes.

"Urgh...what...?" Alexa groaned, clutching her forehead as she struggled to sit up. "Where am I...?" She muttered as she felt her cabin rock beneath her. "A ship? Did we make it out, then?" Alexa blinked, shaking her head as she noticed something at her bedside that she had thought long gone: her talentium bastard sword, sheathed at the foot of her bed. "How...?" How was this possible? A number of theories ran through her head, but the only one she found even remotely plausible was that one of the slavers had brought it with him to Braxton Hall as a trophy, and it had somehow ended up by her side in the confusion of the Rift Beast's attack.

A glance to her side revealed a bowl containing a few pieces of fruit and a jug of water. Alexa's stomach rumbled. She hadn't had a decent meal for over a week now. Not since Cykes, at least. Being enslaved for a week and going on the run thereafter certainly hadn't helped. She eagerly reached for the fruit and tore into it. In under a minute, the fruit had vanished into her stomach, and the water was doing much the same.

With her stomach settled for the moment, Alexa rose from her bed with a bit more energy, dressing herself in her clothes, which had been left draped over a chair, before strapping her sword onto her belt. Finally. She had it back. Alexa could practically feel her strength increase from the greater amount of talentium in the blade compared to the spear she had been using before. With a grin, she opened her cabin door, setting out to look around the rest of the ship.

 

[Skyswimsky]

Darkness.

There was no purpose. No drive. No goal. Nothing mattered anymore. She didn't care about fame. She didn't care about glory. She didn't care about her stupid mission. She didn't care what would happen with her. Ultimately, nothing would bring her sister back. By now, Myriel was simply empty - save the eternal gloom she was emitting. She didn't know, nor care, how much time passed since the thoughts inside her head stopped being, more-or-less, rational and simply gave in into despair. It didn't matte to her that the Rift Beast was still alive, technically undoing Benedicta's heroic deed. If only she was alive, she could have done so many more of them.

In the end, Myriel only realized she was on-board of a certain ship when it was far too late and, throughout the night, there was nobody but her sister's flagpole and flag to turn her attention to. Private-space and time was most likely a luxury on a vessel such a this, meaning the best place the Broken Knight was able to find was simply one of the few corridors that connected other rooms that the ship had. Sure, in the middle of the night it was a secluded place to be. But now, in the middle of the morning? Well, in the end, it shouldn't have mattered. After all, Myriel simply looked like a pile of misery.

It took her a few seconds, or maybe a few attempts of the elf, before Myriel even realized somebody paid attention to her. Ensnared with Benedicta's flag which proud family crest of the Keep Family was dirtied, and her sister's pole residing besides her, she simply stared at Tulian. Her eyes were empty, her face, despite being void of emotion, clearly showing just how much she had cried before. "...?" Whatever he wanted, unless he could bring back the dead, it was surely of no importance.

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

Unfortunately for the purple-haired Heiress, her strangely adorable cheek-pinching attempt bore no results, Agatha was far too exhausted, not even an earthquake could wake her up at the moment. While she might say otherwise, it was better for her to spend the march towards the docks in slumber, she'd need every bit of energy if she was to commandeer a ragtag crew unfit for sailing in normal circumstances.

Embarked on a Mauritania-owned vessel, Agatha was placed on the bed in the captain's quarters rightfully claimed by Lyra, still sleeping soundly. Tulian had graciously took care of her unconscious form, removing her ruined robe, cleaning her body, and wrapped her in warm cloak before tucking her back onto the bed. The comforts were doing their work to speed up her recovery. Later in the day, the twintailed brunette stirred. "N-nnngh..." Fair eyelids fluttered open, her right hand reached up to hold her forehead, "U-ugh... W-where...?" She took a short moment to get her bearings, one of the first things Agatha noticed was the distinctive smell of wood and sea air, reminding her of her sailing days before airships became a thing.

Sitting up, Agatha surveyed her surroundings, she quickly concluded she's inside the Captain's personal quarters, that'd obviously imply she was onboard a sailing water vessel. So... They survuved, the Beast was really vanquished. "Heh..." Chuckling once in great relief, Agatha took a deep breath then climbed down the bed, her heart raised high. Whisking away her cloak, Agatha picked her clothes for the day from a cupboard, leather with belt buckles, simple and fitting enough. Spotting the fruits and beef jerkies on the table, she settled herself for a fulfilling meal. Well-rested, clothed, and full, Agatha stepped out of the room, the crew would need their Captain.

Immediately, she went to work on gathering all necessary information about the ship, its crew, and other important tidbits. Right, this ship was owned by the Mauritanians, Lyra was the acting Captain as of the moment, the crews were composed of the escapees, and currently, they were sailing... No, drifting to wherever the wind would take them. Not an ideal consition as one might expect, but not exactly disastrous either, she could fix this. After checking up on Elaina by asking an ex-slave elf assigned to doctor duty, Agatha made her way to the Bridge, only to encounter Tulian and... the raven-haired Astopolian Knight, the former trying to comfort the latter who looked obviously half-dead, clutching a torn flag pole. "..." The implication was clear as day, the older Knight didn't survive. Agatha wished she could say something, comfort the girl, praise the heroic self-sacrificial deed of her sister. However, she wasn't likely going to listen, Tulian was already there, and Agatha had important priorities. The brunette did give an ackowledging nod at Tulian as their eyes met before she continued on her way.

---

Agatha arrived at the bridge just in time to see Araki assisting Lyra in turning the ship's wheel. "Hey there, you two. Sorry for sleeping in." The sailor announced her presence, "So, you guys had everything set up for sail, nice." Assuming she was the only one here with formal nautical training, it was quite commendable really, "But I did hear we are not actually sailing, simply drifting in open sea, heh, obviously that's no good. Now, let me see..." Agatha was about to examine the charts and maps when an unknown vessel approached from the horizon. "Hmmm?" Alerted, the brunette searched for a spyglass only to have Lyra procured it first. Even without the instrument however, the starking flag of the foreign vessel stood visible, red background with a white bird of prey carrying a crown as its symbol, ringing a bell in Agatha's head from her many experiences with cultures and nations. "Sandakken... What are they doing here?" She raised an eyebrow, dispalying one's flag so boldly like that clearly conveyed that particular ship sailed on behalf of their militaristic nation, unlike the privateering Lughanta. An envoy? Most likely, but for what? Last time she heard, the island nation was rife with internal conflicts and wanted nothing to do with outsiders. They also shared two things with Astopolians, love for glory and hatred for Talze Uterans.

If they decided to leave them alone, Agatha'd have no qualms with them, but of course, things were never that simple. The warship decided to give chase after the mail cargo vessel. "Tch..." Agatha gritted her teeth, if they turned out hostile, it'd be a battle they couldn't win, outclassed, outgunned, and most likely outnumbered, the Mauritania vessel was at the mercy of Sandakken's talons. "Lyra, we can't outrun them, not with this 'crew', it'll just make us suspicious." Seeing the normally calm and composed Lyra fiddling around with the signal book was entertaininf, but now was not the time, "Don't bother with that, they are a proud warrior race, best course of action is to confront them directly, show them who we are, our status, and our name." Agatha was about to volunteer, but... decided to just accompany Lyra, this was Mauritanian ship after all.

The two ships came side-by-side, Agatha stood at Lyra's side, examining the other party. Dressed in fine uniform and armed, burly men, except for one dark-haired girl with crimson eyes, yet her intimidating presence wad equal - if not more - than the men around her. Huh... reminding Agatha of a certain deceased Knightess, only less 'holy' and more 'primal'. Whoever she was, obviously she wasn't someone one should take lightly, as with the rest of their crew. Briefly turning her head at Lyra, Agatha was quite impressed really, the purple-haired girl might think herself as an awkward asocial person, but the way her words flowed from her small lips, how she exerted her influence and authority even when on the 'losing' side, and how she summarized their whole ordeal in simple sentences, all combined into one elegant package of an influential Heiress.

A torrent of questions came from the short-fused female Sandekken, whether it was through coincidence or their mutual trait, Agatha stepped forward to answer the young woman, brown against red, "Yes, utter destruction of Yuimas. Casualties... far too many. Well, as you can see, we are among - if not the only - survivors of the calamity. The Rift Beast was vanquished as far as we're concerned, but with great cost."

As for thr Captain's offer, it was Lyra's decision in the end, but Agatha whispered to her, "Lyra, with the amount of supplies and current condition, I can have us arrive safely at the nearest port on our own, but... your call, this is your ship." She smiled, "Captain Lyra."

[/fieldbox]

 

[Warm Regret]

The response he got from Myriel wasn't completely unexpected, however truth be told he was more prepared for her to snap at him than he was for the broken look she gave him. It looked like her whole world had been shattered and he was unsure if there was anything he could say or do to piece it back together again. Her blank expression was almost like looking into a mirror but his gaze had less heartache. There was a time when he felt similarly to how she did. It was around the time he had become a slave, he was taken from his home, beaten, raped and robbed of anything that made him feel like living. Part of him died back then, hence the vacant expression that never left him face. The world continued to spin, nothing changed and he just removed himself from it all together… because he didn't matter, the world didn't matter, nothing did.

It was hard for him to show a range of emotions anymore, only apathy but inside his chest… his heart still pounded when he was excited, his heart was irregular when he was tired and his heart still bled when he was sad, just like it was doing now. Lifting a tray of small fruits and biscuits to face level, the beautiful male elf he looked at her through heterochromatic eyes of blue and gold. "If you're tired, you can get some rest but right now you need to eat something." He said softly. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head respectfully. "I can't say that I know exactly what you're going through. I never had a sibling, I've never had anyone close to me in that way but I do know what it feels like to lose something precious." Looking up at her again he continued. "In times like these, you need to focus on something, something that gives you strength to keep going."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't grieve for your sister but you shouldn't give up on yourself while you're doing it. I have a feeling your sister wouldn't approve of that." At this point Agatha had emerged and was making her way topside. He was relieved that the twin tailed heiress had recovered and he nodded to her in return as she acknowledged him while passing by. During his time with Myriel, he could feel the movement of the ship and the rocking of the ocean. He wondered if they were dealing with troubled seas or just inexperienced sailors. He still had no idea what was happening on the main deck and resolved to help Myriel before going topside himself. Exhaling softly, he looked away almost wryly. "Oh and if you don't eat anything, I'm just going to stay here and keep talking. I'm sure you'd rather fill your stomach than listen to me ramble."

 

[Astoria]

Agatha's timely arrival was both surprising and greatly welcome for Lyra. With her awake, she was sure that the state of the ship and crew would be far more capable in her hands. Hell, even somebody that was better at speaking than her was welcome; she didn't particularly want the responsibility of running a vessel. Even if Agatha or others thought otherwise, it really was draining on Lyra to put up much of a political social front.

In light of this, she allowed her twin tailed friend to answer for her, shying from the bothersome tone and appearance the girl on the opposing vessel had given. After a few minutes, though, a slightly more scientific answer came from Lyra. "The Rift Beast was in the form of an amorphous blob. Few attacks were effective on it, and it sapped mana. It took a massive areal attack to vanquish it. We didn't stay to see if it survived. Nobody in their right mind would have looked back."

The captain's offer seemed generous, but Agatha put in her own opinion. Again, it came back to the dispositions of those aboard the Sandakken vessel, but that was only up to chance right now. Lyra disliked having the ball knocked back into her court in this way, but if they could survive on their own, she trusted Agatha on her word. The entire group and herself would be better off on a sure thing than a chance.

She whispered back to Agatha. "You have a better grasp of what needs to be done. If you think you can do that, then let us go with that."

 

[Zombehs]

Araki had kept silent because he had nothing to add. Anything he could have said might have been conveyed by the two, but he was apparently mistaken on that part. "The Rift Beast most certainly isn't dead. The attack scattered its form, but its countless pieces tried to reform even as we made our escape. It's likely the majority of Yuimas' population, however much that is, is either dead because of the Beast or dying in the harsh lands around the city."

With his grim contribution to the conversation thrown in, Araki fell silent for only a moment before he rubbed at his face with a hand. The wheel jerked slightly as it fought against his magic's grip, but not enough to swerve ship against ship. Taking a look at the situation for a few moments, he eventually wandered away from the helm, down onto the deck, spared a look towards the other vessel and its crew, and then disappeared into the hull. The wheel remained unmoving though, steering the ship true to its course.

While initially surprised to see Alexa in the hallway as he descended the stairs, Araki quickly noticed the sheathed sword clipped to her belt. "Ah…" he muttered softly in realization before he waved in greeting and then gestured up above deck. "Your friends are hashing things out with some Sandakkens. I think that's what th-" His voice was rather flat as if he couldn't muster up much emotion, and a yawn interrupted what he had to say. "The purple-haired one called them," he finished after a few moments. Without waiting for any response, he disappeared into the ship's hold and came back out shortly afterwards with a few pieces of "food" in hand.

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

Say what? The ravenous living flood of black mud-thing survived? Agatha had to raise an eyebrow at the dark-haired boy's revelation. The last thing she could remember before passing out was a bright explosion of white light, likely to be the massive area attack Lyra mentioned, so that'd mean the monster endured it. Fuck, another painful reminder that the Rift Beasts' fearsome reputation wasn't just for show. Even though the Nightingales abhorred the slaver town, Agatha felt sympathy for the few decent people who lived there, like Charles for example, rest in peace. Regarding the Beast itself, it was still a problem, but one they couldn't solve right now.

Back to the most important matter at hand, Agatha heard Lyra's whisper loud and clear, soft at it might be, the twintailed brunette was used to it. Giving a nod of acknowledgement at her best friend-slash-crush, she turned at the foreigners, "We are grateful of your offer, Captain. However, we do not wish to burden you, nor hinder you in your quest." Agatha stated resolutely, staring at the Captain in the eyes to get her point across directly. These Sandakkens were a wildcard and it was a risk Agatha couldn't take considering the state of their ragtag crew.

However, there was something these warriors could do, "We aren't going back to Yuimas obviously, but you can check it out on your own. Just be careful, you'll be in Illeserevian territory if you do so." The reminder was necessary considering how these people couldn't even respect their own internal borders.
[/fieldbox]

 

[Asuras]

At the bad news, the captain looked to the princess with clear worry. The sailors began to chatter among themselves, seemingly now confused about how to proceed. Some looked grim, others appeared frantic. Kanuni took a sharp, deep breath and held it. If the city was utterly destroyed, now occupied by a practically invincible Rift Beast, then any chance of her mother being found there were slim to none. Either she had perished there, or was soon to perish at the lingering beast, or she had survived and was making the right choice of heading for the nearest safe civilization. She doubted the woman, even shackled, would fall prey to something as pitiful as 'harsh lands'.

For whatever reason the poor sailors had refused their offer and chosen to remain on the water with questionable ability. Ultimately Kanuni could have cared less, though a twinge of spite spiked in her heart. Why turn down the offer? Did she and her men appear unruly? Offensive to the eyes? She sighed through her nose and tilted her head.

"Suit yourself. We will, however, be turning to the nearest town as well, if Yuimas is as ruined as you say. Perhaps we shall see you there," she grinned.

"Thank you for the information," the Captain said, nodding to Lyra and Agatha in turn. The crowd at the railing dispersed and returned to their shipwork. Within a few minutes the barque was off, sailing into the horizon faster than the tiny ship behind them could muster. Aboard, the captain spoke to Kanuni carefully.

"You believe Queen Jadar is where we voyage?" he asked.

"If not there she is dead or still headed there. I know not of the slavery policies of this next town over but it matters not. We'll either retrieve her peacefully or by force. Or we will wait only to morn her death and return home," Kanuni replied coldly.

 

[Izurich]

[fieldbox=Voyager of the Skies, Brown, solid]

Whether they had ulterior motives or not, Agatha didn't find the Sandakkens altering their course after hearing the calamity in Yuimas to be surprising. There was nothing left there but destruction and death. Initially, Agatha thought this would be the end of their brief meeting, but the young Sandakken warrioress rather explicitly implied otherwise. "Perhaps, but unless something changes, I doubt we'll have any mutual concerns." Agatha shrugged, her priorities were getting the escapees to safety, take care of Elaina, then continue searching for the Lughanta and her missing crew, maybe with the help of Lyra and the others. All in all, none of them would involve this foreign island clan.

"Yer welcome." The brunette replied casually, in the process of turning around, but stopped midway as the larger ship sailed off, accelerating much faster than she'd expect from such a vessel. "..." Taking a glance at the map and charts, they were indeed heading towards the same port-town Agatha planned to moor. Brown eyes narrowed slightly as the prideful heiress felt a prickle in her heart. The warrioress' grinning visage reared up in her head, looking like as if she's conversing with weaklings, so that was how it's going to be, huh? Well, guess what, oh-so-mighty Sandakken champion? No one beat the Nightingales when it came to sailing, on both sea and air.

Walking with firm steps behind the wheel, Agatha planted her feet there, fingerless-gloved hands reached up then grabbed the ship's wheel. She took a deep breath, eyes closed, listening to the whistling winds, the rolling waves, and each wooden creak of the cargo vessel. Agatha opened her eyes together with a long exhale. The sails were fully unfurled, the masts stable, anchor secured, and the winds... "Hey!" The Captain called out to one of the slave-turned-crew, "Get me one of those Talentium Spears, now!" While the sailor girl did her errand, Agatha steered the ship using years of experience on board a sailing vessel. Port, starboard, bow, and stern, she grasped the minute details on how the vessel maneuvered, riding on the waves to increase and maintain its speed. However, with such a large vessel and inexperienced crew, it wasn't enough, cold hard fact, she needed something... more.

Just in time, the black-haired girl arrived, carrying one of the few surviving Talentium spears from Yuimas. "Here you go, Miss uh..." Right, it seemed she forgot her name.

"Captain, Captain Agatha Nightingale." Agatha grinned as she took the spear, "Thank you for your assistance, Sailor. You may continue to assist me by salvaging any unclaimed Talentium on board, we are going home ASAP!"

The captain's wide beaming resolute smile seemingly struck a chord in the girl. "A-ah yes.. I mean, aye aye, Captain!!"

With the girl off and spear in hand, Agatha pulled the Talentium tip off then tossed the useless wooden stick away. She held the enchanted material close in her left palm, "The winds flow with me!" At her call, gusts of air were summoned from her form, swirling at the back of the main sail as they created a wind tunnel of sorts, sucking in air from one end then expelled it out the other end, a simple variation of her tornado spell. The accelerated airflow ended up pushing against the ship's main sail, boosting it forward. With a jittery jerk, the vessel picked up speed, enough for it to gradually catch up with the Sandakken warship.

[/fieldbox]

 

[Psyker Landshark]

For the duration of the entire conversation with the other ship, Alexa had simply hung back out of sight, on the stairs up to the deck. She'd only vaguely recognized the term "Sandakkans" that Araki had mentioned, having just barely recalled a few history lessons from back during her school days in Dansila. Some primitive island people or whatnot. Whatever. Not her concern, as long as they didn't start attacking.

As fortune would have it, they didn't. As the conversation wound down, Alexa realized that she'd placed her hand on the hilt of her sword without realizing it. At least things hadn't taken a turn for the worse. She wasn't exactly sure if she was in a decent enough condition to fight hardened warriors at the moment, especially with the unfamiliar arena of fighting on a boat. The rocking of the waves alone would impact her footwork.

Shrugging, Alexa began to start to head back down belowdecks when she heard Agatha's cry.

"The winds flow with me!"
Was all she heard before Alexa began to feel the boat speed up. Sighing, she made her way back up to the girl.

"Aggie, are you trying to get in a race with the other ship or something? Seriously, this isn't the time to be seeing whose is bigger."

 

[Skyswimsky]

Shut up. "..." Myriel didn't say anything for the next few seconds, cursing the elf to simply stay silent instead. Though, ultimately, she did not want to care about whatever he said. Somewhere deep inside, Myriel also knew he spoke the truth, a truth she did not want to listen to. The Knight Errant already lost her chance to redeem anything the moment the young boy took her into safety onto this ship. She missed her chance to finish what her sister started. With every breath the monstrosity took it simply removed another line of the epos Benedicta was supposed to leave behind. Just like that.

Myriel's face became a bit agitated. If she had anybody to be mad about, it was only herself, even in this state she was in there was nobody but herself to put the blame on. She failed her sister over and over again, even after death. Tears dwelled up again as she clenched her fist. "Stop talking like you know anything." Myriel whispered in a dry voice that didn't even allow her to sound mad properly. Finally having said something however, and her currently not Talentium-Enhanced body weakened even more than usual, she was suddenly struck by a coughing fit. Sullying the flag even more with some blood of hers that left the mouth, Myriel instinctively took the drink the elf prepared and drank it down in one go.

 

[Astoria]

Lyra nodded sagely at each of Agatha's words to the Sandakken officers. She was positive they made the right choice; after all, the very fact that they were so close the Illiserev coast was suspicious to begin with. With that exchange, the two vessels parted, although the woman aboard the red-flagged vessel seemed to have a sour expression on her face.

To the purple-haired girl's horror, however, the Sandakken vessel was overtaking them. While she seemed to care little for her own family's politics and reputation, she still seemed to have a modicum of pride for what they represented. The packet ship, only marginally smaller in length than the majority of the large merchant vessels, was in the class of vessels that her family prided on making the fastest routes between the mainland and the archipelagoes. A couple years ago, a sister ship had broken a world record for speed of its type. To see a sorry, cumbersomely large ship as the one operated by the Sandakkens beat out such a ship fueled the desires of even Lyra to make a protest, and she looked earnestly at the Nightingale heir to see the ship through.

And speed up the boat Agatha did. Under her professional command and abilities to manipulate the wind, the mishandled ship began to catch up with the neutrally flagged vessel. Ever so slightly, the Mauritanian girl breathed a small sigh of relief.

"It's been some time since I've seen you at the helm of a ship," commented Lyra, watching the sea ahead of them. "Let us show them what us Illiserevens can do." Seeing the Granville heir approach from below, she gave a brief morning greeting to her childhood friend.

"Good morning, Alexa. The faster we get to the next port, the better. This is far better than how we were yesterday."

 

[Warm Regret]

His blue and gold eyes stealthily roamed back to Myriel while his head was turned, looking at the grieving girl again as she responded to his words in a more expected way. "Sounds like you still have some fight left in you after all. Perhaps I was worried for nothing." Turning his head to look at her more directly now, he lowered his eyes reflectively after she managed to rebuff his attempt at consoling her. Her words were almost amusing to him, not because he found them silly but because he found them interesting. He wished he did know everything. How grand would it be to be able to solve every problem he encountered…but a power that great would also come with great consequences. It was also true that the more one knows, the more trouble one found themselves in. Ignorance was bliss, one of the truer statements he had ever heard.

"Forgive me." He began softly. "There are a great many things in this world I don't know, but one thing I do know is that things will get better…but only if you let them and only when you're ready." A soothing touch to her upper back was applied to help ease her coughing. When she was done with the water, he took the empty glass without saying a word and left her there for a moment. He returned shortly with a clean glass filled with fresh water. Kneeling gracefully beside her, his blue bang covered part of his face while the tail trailed down his back. "Eat, drink, get some rest. I guarantee by the time you wake up, you'll feel a little better."

 

[ERode]

In the winter winds, the two vessels glided through the rioting waves. Cold white spray splashed against the decks, and the constant swaying made at least a few occupants within Lyra's cutter hurl over the side. Despite the experience of the Sandakken crew, Agatha's usage of wind magic allowed the smaller vessel to pull ahead, first matching, and then overtaking the armored ship. Petty as it was, those results brought a boost of esteem amongst the few that even cared about such things.

Unfortunately, regardless of her capabilities with wind magic, the twintailed airship captain ultimately began to falter, as her magic reserves ran dry. For all her experience with airships, it didn't help her at all when she was to replicate the same constant power output of an airship's runetech engine. After the first two hours, the cutter's speed dropped. Another two hours, and it was amateur hour once more with the sails.

It did not take much time afterwards for the Sandakken hunting vessel to catch up and surpass the Mauritania family's mail ship.

After all, it was winter in Illiserev, and the ports that had not frozen were few and far inbetween. By ship, the closest winter port to Yuimas was Riezal, a town built on high cliffs, with a port protected from the elements due to those same perilous cliffs. Eight hours of sailing finally brought Illiserevan vessel to the mouth of the cove, and by then, Agatha had recovered enough magical power to use her wind magic to guide it in. There were many points where the sides of the ship had been too close to the cliffs for comfort, but twenty tense minutes later, the vessel was lashed to the ports with thick rope, and the large group of slaves converged on the wooden platforms. The Sandakken vessel had already docked there thirty minutes previously, souring the mood somewhat.

Nevertheless, some comfort could be had at least, with the fact that Reizal, unlike Yuimas, was under the jurisdiction of the Veldarilt family, the second-most powerful aristocratic lineage in Illiserev, and much too honorable to dabble in dastardly activities like human trafficking.

The port in the cove lead to a set of stone-carved stairs. After following that upwards, the group reached Reizal proper. With dirt roads swept of snow and horse-drawn carriages going every which direction, it was much more active compared to the Yuimas they saw. Store windows shone with warm, incandescent light, and half-carved ice sculptures depicting fantastical figures signalled festive preparations for the Darkest Night. It was still afternoon, and the taverns hadn't been filled yet, most of the men still out working.

In their thick man-sized cloaks, the group actually stood out quite a lot.

Well, if nothing else, such attire made it easy for the Sandakkens to pick them out from the crowd.

 

[Warm Regret]

Having spent most of his time below deck, Tulian had no idea what had transpired above regarding the Sandakkens and despite some turbulence before docking at port, he had no idea of the difficulty Agatha had avoiding the cliffs upon entry either. The only thing he knew, was that after sailing for a few hours, they had arrived at the port town of Reizal, all the other gaps would be filled in later. Stepping out onto the main deck with the others, there was a chill in the air, yet it wasn't as harsh as the weather in Yuminas. Noting the tall cliffs, he assumed they were responsible for protecting them from the elements. He gathered on deck with the others and remained quiet, blending in with the other ex-slaves who were similarly dressed in their oversized cloaks. Once everyone was accounted for, they disembarked and took the stone staircase leading up into town.

After climbing the stone staircase, Tulian stood at the entrance to Reizal with the others. Slowly pulling back his hood to get a better view of their surroundings, the male elf revealed his lovely features to all who cared to look. Although a blue bang of hair hung over his left eye, he was still able to take in the quaint town before him. It was notably different from Yuminas and had more of a humble feel to it. He felt like they might actually have a chance to relax for a moment and breathe. One of the first things he noticed were the beautifully carved ice sculptures. He was always impressed with the ability some people had to create works of art. Under different circumstances, he would have gone around to examine them right away but for the time being, he didn't think it was a good idea to wonder off on his own just yet.

Now that they had reached town and weren't being chased by slavers, vampires and rift beasts, Tulian thought it would be a good time to collect themselves and plan their next move. He was sure their objective was different for everyone. Stepping forward so that he was closer to Agatha, he spoke softly to her but did not turn to look at her. "Shall we find a place to rest while we decide what to do next?" He asked. "Also, depending on the merchandise available in this town, and the amount of currency we have on hand, it may be a good idea to arm ourselves properly, so that we aren't at a disadvantage like we were in Yuminas." He would have also liked to do something about the cloaks they were wearing and find more suitable clothing, but that wasn't as much of a priority and it wasn't his place to make that suggestion.

 

[Asuras]

The Sandakkens made landfall, and upon disembarking from the unnatural terrain, sighed in tandem as their feet met solid ground. Decent sailors as they were, their heart belonged on the field. On dirt and stone. Kanuni rolled all of her joints one by one, as if ridding herself from the aura of water. The captain and his primary crew belonged with their ship, and so continued their tasks in ensuring the vessel was in good shape, while Kanuni and a few of her men ventured further into the city of Reizal.

The princess had a smile on her face as she walked, arms folded at her back. She cast a smug gaze on the city structures and people as they passed. Was the mainland really so different in its peoples, it customs, its designs? They seemed ordinary. Far more ordinary than she had initially imagined. A childhood of fairy tales and stereotypes had led her to imagine things far more differently. Flimsy homes and cowardly people. Kanuni could see neither at face value, but in her heart, the certainty that her soul was far fiercer was never in doubt. Illiserevians couldn't possibly have the spirit of a Sandakken. That much she could see in their eyes.

A group dragged her attention from the scenery. A group of pitiful-looking individuals. Kanuni approached them with a dominance in her step, like a commander stepping before grunts. She scanned over the slaves with a frown before speaking to them all in general.

"You're a sorry-looking bunch. No wonder your sailing was slow. Who are you all? Slaves? You did come from Yuimas after all..." she scoffed. Something clicked in her eyes and she began to scrutinize the slaves more directly, staring directly into their faces one by one, as if searching for something. Finding nothing, apparently, she stood up straight again and spoke.

"What are your plans, anyways? Simply happy to be away from a ravaged hellhole? Further missions? Perhaps revenge?"

 

[Zombehs]

With the captain awake and in command of the ship, Araki retired back to his quarters silently. Their ego-stroking, or whatever it was, made sleep pretty much impossible as the ship crashed through waves at speeds that probably put its construction to test. It held, but not without a few ominous creaks here and there throughout the hours.

As everything came to a complete stop with a soft thud, Araki was able to hear the hustle and bustle of an active port past the ship's walls. The rather gentle sail for the last few hours had lulled him close to sleep's embrace, but the prospect of a decent meal and softer bed drove him to his feet. Stepping out of the room, he looked over the ship and yawned when it seemed like most of the work had already been done. The group that gathered to leave the ship was rather ragged, and he frowned as he took in his own appearance. His kimono sported a few rips and tears along with numerous blood stains, and he felt a scrub down couldn't hurt. Another reason to get off the ship and into town then…

Wrapped in an identical cloak to the slaves, he followed everyone else up into the town proper. A softer atmosphere when compared with the harshness of Yuimas, and Araki quickly slipped to the front of the group to examine the various buildings. It made sense that there were plenty of taverns just a stone's hop away from the docks, but there seemed to be several inns just a bit deeper into the city. A quick glance at what was left of his coin purse and Araki regretted that he had given his family's gift away so freely. What he had left was substantial, but he needed to purchase… well everything again. The purple-haired was apparently a rich heiress of some sort, so she could clearly provide for her friends.

It was only a fleeting regret though, and one quickly chased away with a sigh. "I need some sleep and actual food," Araki muttered to no one in particular before he began to walk deeper into the city. A familiar face caught his attention when he looked ahead, but he quickly dismissed the notion of staying around at the posture and air she approached the group with. A small slip of paper fell from his hand to snowy streets, but drifted as if carried by an invisible hand rather than wind. It floated towards Alexa, then up a leg, before it finally slipped into the sheath of her weapon. A simple page torn from one of the many books on the ship, but with an important message.

"The vampire responsible for your and her captivity has sailed off with Ashe." ​

​

 

[Psyker Landshark]

As they finally pulled into port, Alexa sighed in relief, pulling her cape on as she stepped out onto the deck of the ship. When it became clear that Agatha intended to make it a race, Alexa had gone right back to sleep, not wanting to put up with her bombastic shouting for the moment. Fortunately, it seemed she'd manage to sleep through the entire ride, waking up just as they were approaching the harbor.

Alexa trailed a good distance behind the former slaves as they trudged onto shore...only for them to be berated by one of those island people. Now, Alexa didn't particularly care for them, seeing them as mostly a burden to take care of while she was worrying over the fate of the one person in that group she actually gave a damn about, but even she thought this was a bit much.

"Oi, Sandakkan," Alexa called out, wrapping her cape around her as she approached, leaving the hilt of her sheathed sword visible. "Relax, would you? Of course they're a sorry bunch, none of them are trained fighters. Ease up. Complete waste of time posturing here, so just say what you want already."