RoChronicles - 28

Chapter Twenty-Five: Bon Voyage - Departure
A resounding groan echoed around the group as they approached the docks.

"The ships have all left for the day." explained the town guide apologetically. "There's nothing we can do for you at the moment, but you're more than welcome to come back in the morning and board one then. Captain Morigan just set sail with the last load of passengers for the day."

Jeliel frowned, nudging Zira. "You two just had to go and change."

Glaring in response, the Priest scooted away from his companion.

Turning to go home for the night, the guide apologized again. "I really am sorry for your predicament. Come back in the morning and we'll see what we can do."

When the man had disappeared from sight, Shujiri sighed. "I guess we can't do anything tonight; we'd may as well go back to the-"

"Yer givin' up so soon, matey?" a rough male voice said from behind them.

When the friends turned to face the owner of the voice, they were astounded to see a tall man in captain's garb approaching. His coat was thrown loosely over his shoulders, a big, friendly grin over his face. He stopped his advance only when he was a few feet away from the travelers.

Startled slightly, Sahari said, "Duh? It's not like we can catch a ride on an imaginary ship. And who are you?"

"Me name be Captain Drake Marina, an' aye, ye be right. But what if I offer ye passage on me vessel? Free o' charge, so long as ye pull yer weight until we make landfall."

Dmitri chuckled nervously. "We'd probably have to ask where the ship is."

"Are ye daft? Behind ye, o' course! In th' water!"

The Stalker glanced over his shoulder at the empty docks, then glanced to Shujiri. "Unless I'm imagining things, there's no ship there."

Drake laughed. "Aye, not ta th' naked eye. But wait..." He snapped his fingers.

He motioned behind the group and they turned to face the water, surprised when a large, elegant ship began to seemingly materialize from the hull upward. Its many sails were decorated beautifully with a dragon's silhouette and the masts towered over the deck, crafted from the world's finest and firmest wood. At the bow of the ship, a marvelously carved dragon served as the figurehead; its wings were spread as if ready to take flight at any moment, its jaws open in a silent cry of the ship's dominion over the seas.

Then, all at once, the ship sprang to life.

From the top masts, an Assassin Cross and a Stalker leaped down to land with a graceful thump on the dock close to the captain, each one sporting a mix of a smirk and a grin as they faced the group of friends. (Well, Shujiri and Zira mused, at least they knew now what had been keeping the ship hidden from view; they just weren't sure how they had pulled it off. They were positive Ghebriel and Falcone would have more than a few questions for them, however.)

Jumping down from the deck where he had been fixing the bolts on a mounted cannon, a Mastersmith landed in a crouch on his feet, his muscle mass and height causing a loud slamming sound to follow his landing which caused Zira and Sahari to jump slightly. He stood upright, only a little shorter than the captain across from him, and placed his hands on his hips.

More and more crew members came out from the ship to greet their captain and inspect the newcomers, and it didn't take very long for the group to realize how large the man's crew really was. An Assassin Cross, a Stalker, a Mastersmith, three Gunslingers, a High Priest, a High Wizard, an Archer, two Soul Linkers, a Knight, a Star Gladiator, countless Thieves and Merchants...

Laughing again, the captain moved to clasp the Assassin Cross and Stalker on the shoulders, his grin widening. "So good ta see ye didn't run off an' leave me, lads!" He turned to face Shujiri, still smiling and said, "Boys, I think these land lubbers be needin' a ride ta Alberta. We're goin' ta let 'em come with us!"

Looking questioningly to Captain Drake, the Stalker asked in a silky voice that was coated in a strange, mildly thick accent, "A bunch of strangers, captain?"

"Aye, strangers. An' ye can be countin' 'em as an extra bunch o' hands 'round th' ship, Ghost."

Uncertainty crept up Zira's spine as he stared at the people near and on the ship. "Ghost?" he whispered softly to Shujiri, brows furrowed.

The blue Assassin Cross shrugged, unsure of the unusual name as well.

"Ahh, don't ye worry 'bout this bloke; his name be Vladmir, ye see. Ghost be a nickname o' sorts. Fitting, what with th' abilities him an' Kurt here have. No one else be able ta do th' things these two lads can, not in any crew I've seen. Fine lads - good workers." Drake slapped the two men on the back. "Twins, though Satan Morroc take me if they look a bit like it."

The ship's Mastersmith spoke up, now, his arms crossing as he gazed up to the ship and then back at Drake again. "Cap', we've got ourselves a problem with them coming along."

"Aye? What be th' problem Torq m'boy?"

"There's not room enough for more people, cap'; sure ya've noticed that by now huh? Don't know that most of the fellas will be too happy to turn over their rooms to strangers ya picked up off the docks of Izlude." Torq shot an apologetic look to Shujiri and the others. "No offense, 'course." He turned back to Drake again. "Besides, the added weight's gonna weaken the sharp steering abilities ya made me work so long puttin' into this ship. The parts're wonky from the last raid already and we're already over the maximum-"

"Now, don't go talkin' ta me like I know what th' deuce yer sayin', boy; either way, don't ye worry 'bout a thing. Th' trip's a short one an' I be gettin' th' feelin' we can trust this lot'a kids."

Nodding, Torq turned back towards the ship and took hold of the anchor. He whistled a high note and a Champion grasped the massive chain links that lead up from it. The foggy-blue-haired Champion tugged mightily on it and hoisted up his sky-blue-haired 'Smith friend.

"Well, if the captain says you're comin' with us, welcome aboard The Black Dragon." Kurt said with a smile that, by his very nature, was mischievous.

Not long after the captain gave his orders to the crew to set off, they were on their way to Alberta. As they left the port, the captain called up to his first and second mates, "Set visibility ta minimum, fellas, we're off!"

Curious, Shujiri and the others craned their necks back to see what the pair of twins would do.

The long, platinum-haired Stalker planted his feet on the crow's nest he stood in, red eyes closing in concentration. Beside him, Kurt mirrored his action and touched his palm to the mast, his green bangs falling over his golden eyes. Their surroundings flickered for a moment and then vanished, leaving only the ocean below them visible. Even with the deck beneath their feet unable to be seen, they were still stopped from falling to the water below. Ghebriel and Alex leaned down to press their palms against the invisible surface they stood on, and then, as quickly as it had disappeared, the ship was back in view again - as if it had never disappeared to begin with.

"What in tarnation jest happened?" Jackel murmured.

"Those lads 'ave it all figured out." Drake explained simply, a proud grin on his face as he placed his hands on his hips. "They pump a li'l o' their energy inta th' ship an' she gets th' same effect they do o' it. Th' result, as ye can see, is a ship full o' people what can see it an' each other, that no one off th' ship can see. Recruited th' fellas from th' Thieve's Guild, I did; been loyal 'mates e'er since then. Now, about yer payment..Half'a ye get ta swab th' deck; th' other half'a ye will be in th' galley wi' th' cook ta help prepare meals."

With a sigh of understanding, they started off in their assigned directions. Before they could all get too far, however, the captain put out his arm, stopping Lady Lana, Sahari, and Zira before they went by. "Except th' three o' ye; ye'll be keepin' me comp'ny an' tellin' me why ye be needin' ta get ta Alberta so bad fer."

A bit later..

"Sho Shuji-Fu's like..Y'know? 'N' then there'sh th' teacher pershon.." Sahari slurred, swaying slightly as the alcohol buzzed through her. "Sssho, fuggin'..Head over toeses with that shorter guys and ssshtuff."

Zira giggled at Sahari, Lana having opted to remain the sober one in case a problem arose. "As if you aren't flirting your, uhm, brains out wif Jackel!" Another giggle, and a thank you to Alex who had been summoned to refill everyone's glasses. "Yooou, are way into that..person, thing...Slingshot guy!"

Alex facepalmed at the visual these words summoned and walked off. Lana laughed softly. "But you were the one to share a dream with the man." she reminded them. She turned to face them, smiling teasingly.

"Not by opinion!" Sahari objected.

"Oh I- I think y'meant, uhm, choosing!" Zira offered, laughing.

"Whatev'! Shhhame dif'! Yooou, have that, taller guy. The hat one. With the hat. And his hat. What were we talkin' about now?"

"Hats, I think, my dear."

"Ohh yeah! Hats are coo'..."

Between them, Drake chuckled. "Yer an amusin' lot, ye are. Do ye have names, m'dears?"

Sahari and Zira paused in their chattering, surprised for a moment. Then, recovering, Zira replied, "This is Sahari to my side 'n' this gal there is Lana Lady. Oops, uhm, I mean..Lady Lana. I'm Zira."

"Ahh, aye; lovely names."

Below them, on the main deck, Shujiri stood before Jackel, a serious expression on his face. He stared hard at the Gunslinger before him, a broom held in his hand. Likewise, Jackel stood with his back straight, eyes boring into the blue Assassin's. He, too, held a broom.

"You have crossed the wrong man, Jackel Vane - outlaw of the western world." said Shujiri.

"Yer a fool if'n ya think y'c'n git the best'a me, Shujiri - feared Assassin'a the east!" Jackel shot back, a cocky smirk forming over his lips.

"Say your prayers to your heathen god, foolish Gunslinger, and let us begin this honourable battle. I will kill you quickly."

"Ha! Yer gonna have ta try harder'n'at to git me, varment! The only one what'll be six feet under when we finish here's you!"

With these declarations made, the pair rushed at each other, their brooms colliding loudly. Their serious expressions melted away into playful, competitive grins, and they jumped away from one another, their broom weapons at the ready for another attack.

The first Gunslinger they had seen earlier watched Shujiri and Jackel duel for a bit, silent but attentive. At length, he walked up to them, seeming curious about something.

They paused in the fight to watch his approach and Shujiri said, "Hey, you're..Bennett, right?"

The other man nodded quietly, looking between them for a moment. He regarded the two men for a few moments before he motioned to the broom in Jackel's hand.

Brow quirked, Jackel held it up. "Ya want us gittin' back to work again?" he inquired.

Bennett shook his head, then pointed to it again. Following this, he turned to Shujiri and looked down at the one in his hands, motioning to it as well.

"I'm afraid I don't understand ye." Shujiri said apologetically.

Bennett pointed to the kitchen, his eyes never leaving them. His gaze remained level, patient, and passive.

"'S there a mess y' want up?" Jackel proposed.

Again, the black-haired, angel wing-eared Gunslinger shook his head slowly.

A quiet laugh floated over to them from the railing of the ship, earning the three's attention. Curious, Shujiri and Jackel turned to face the direction it had come from. When they did, they were met with one of the only two Soul Linkers on the ship. He was watching the exchange from a short distance away, good-humoured laughter dancing in his violet eyes. He moved to stand beside Bennett. When he stopped, he patted the gunman's arm gently with a smile.

"Whut's s'dern funny?" asked Jackel.

"You two." replied the ginger-haired Soul Linker. "I'm Amune, by the way."

"Uh-huh..Jackel Vane, 'n this is Shujiri."

"Pleasure."

Speaking up, Shujiri asked, "So, why are we so funny?"

"Because Bennett's kind of hard to understand."

"Aye, not talking a lot will do that to ye. What does he want?"

"He doesn't talk very much, and even when he does, he doesn't really say a lot. He said you two have been working, and playing, hard; he wanted to know if you wanted to take a break and get some food. Your friends have almost-"

A loud explosion cut Amune off, followed by a thick cloud of smoke from the galley. As quick as a flash, the Soul Linker, Bennett, Torq, and Hughes, the ship's High Priest, were racing for the galley to see what had happened.

Jackel and Shujiri stayed behind for a few minutes, unsure of what just happened. Then, after a moment, Jackel blinked and asked, "Which'a our pals was in'at kitchen?"

"Falcone, Jeliel, and-" Shujiri paused, eyes widening in realization. "Ghebriel."

"Aw, y' don't think-?"

"Jackel, there's no thinking even required. It's Ghebriel."

"Y' got a point there, pardner."

As the two ran off for the kitchen, the ship's High Wizard descended from his perch on one of the masts to land gracefully on the deck, his ivory and gold wings fluttering gently behind him. Casting a look in the direction of the galley, he started off quietly in the opposite direction, his eyes moving to the area where Captain Drake, Sahari, Lady Lana, and Zira were.

Drake spotted the man relatively quickly and smiled. "What brings ye ta me at this time o' night? Yer us'ally up on th' masts keepin' th' bad weather at bay!"

Curious, Lana interjected, "If I may interrupt to ask, Mister Drake, what do you mean by 'keep it at bay?' There's not really much to do for bad weather besides work around it, right?"

"Yer a good lass, but ye don't 'ave a very active imagination, methinks. Nay fer mos' people that be th' case but fer me, no storm's ever stalled out Cap'n Drake! Not since 'e picked up this lad 'ere! Ye've heard rumours about some High Wizard land lubber what was th' mos' powerful Rune Midgard ever saw, aye?"

"Aye- er, yes. But he's never been proven to exist. Most people think he's nothing more than a legend; the stories of his power and abilities are too big and most likely exaggerated for any man or woman to have been able to do the things he's supposed to have."

"Think again. Mavrik here's th' force behind me ship's sailin' power. 'E's learned himself how ta counter all kinds o' weather we encounter here on th' waters. No one like him 'round, I tell ye."

"I didn't teach myself how to do it. I just..know how." Mavrik said. "But, captain, I didn't come down to hear your kind praise; there's a strong storm brewing that I'm afraid even I can't stave off. We need to turn around and get to port before it hits; we can still get to Izlude again before it catches up with us. If we're caught out here in the middle of it, I don't need to tell you what might happen as a result."

"Ye worry too much an' give yerself too little credit, Mavrik, m'boy! Ye'll do fine! Now, no more'a this doom an' gloom talk from ye! Get back ta yer duties, an' when th' storm hits, ye'll come back up an' work yer magic. Heh. Heh heh, magic. Like me pun, ladies?"

Lana gave a weak smile as Zira and Sahari cracked up, using one another for support as they laughed.

With a small frown, Mavrik nodded a goodbye and made his way back to the galley. He knew he was right about what was coming, and he knew he could never fend off the storm himself. Luckily, the group they had picked up at Izlude also contained a High Wizard. This was a good thing; he could try to enlist the testy male's help for when the time came. All he would really have to do is try to teach him a bit of what he knew as far as using his elemental powers to alter and control the weather was concerned. He just hoped that Jeliel was a quick study....