Not so Serene at Sea...

[Alegretto]

The seaside tavern roared with the shouts of drunken sailors and clinking bottles. Almost every table was full to the brim with raucously laughing patrons of every nationality and species. Just a normal day in the Port of Cerenis.

Phintil looked about him with thinly veiled contempt. What was it about sailors that made them want to be drunk in the middle of the afternoon? The lizardman just didn't get it. A little drink didn't hurt, but it was way too early in his mind to be roaring drunk! Clearly his opinion wasn't commonly held around here, however.

He sighed, and stood up from his seat at the bar. It didn't look like anyone in here was in good enough condition to take him back to Adela, he'd already talked to most of the groups in here anyway, but he really didn't want to take the overland route...

As he neared the door, he noticed a group of sailors he had yet to talk to. Well, one more try couldn't hurt. He walked over to the men, "Hey there. I'm looking for a ride to Adela. I can pay, or do work, whichever way is better for you. Do you take passengers?"

[KingInTheNorth]

It was just the afternoon and she was already drinking wine with her crew. She didn't drink as much though. She sipped on her wine as the stranger approached. he was like nothing she had ever seen. He stood large and proud. Seeing him made her feel even more small. She set her wine down and sat up.

"Adela is not too far. I'll take you there.", she said putting her feet back up on the table," For a price, of course."

She then took another sip from the bottle of wine.

[Alegretto]

Phintil looked with some surprise at the one who spoke up, a short human girl with mussed blond hair. Well, it looked like a human girl. He couldn't be sure. Usually he could tell, but age and gender were always so hard with mammals...

Still, the men around her clearly deferred to her, or his, leadership, so she/he must be someone important on a ship. Looks like he would be negotiating with her/him. "What kind of price are we talking?" he asked her carefully. He really didn't want to have to pay more than what he had made taking a job up here, but he also really wanted to get back to Adela.

The lizardman pulled out a few bronze coins and a single silver one. It was enough to gain passage on a normal commercial ship, though clearly these men were no ordinary sailors, so this was where he'd start. He dropped the coins on the table. "This enough for you to take me?"

[KingInTheNorth]

Serene picked up the coins on the table. She knew that this was not enough, but she should have other uses for him. Serene put the coins in her pouch and turned to the lizardman.

"This won't get you out of the inn.", she laughed,"But I'll sail you there as long as you help out."

She stood up and walked towards the door motioning the man and her crew to follow. She exited the tavern and walked to the docks. She passed many ships, commercial and military. The group walked past all of the bigger ships and the fishing boats. Her ship, Rain, was docked across the way with the words in steel engraved in the side. The rest of crew cheered as she approached.

"Oy captain! What's our course?", a sailor yelled.

"Depends on if our friend here still wants to go.", she replied.

Turning to the man she said,"I still don't have your name?"

[Alegretto]

Phintil followed the group of sailors out of the tavern, relived to have a way to get back home to Adela. He was, however, a little worried about the girl's words. What did she mean "help out?" He had offered to do some work, but she was being rather vague about it...

Still, time enough to worry about that later. It was only a short walk to the docks, and an even quicker one from there to the ship they would be taking. The name was painted on the side, Rain, it said. The deck was filled with cheering sailors, which Phintil assumed were the crew, and they referred to the girl as captain. Well that answered that question.

Speaking of question, she had just asked him one. "I'm Phintil," he responded to her query, "and yes I still want to go." He looked at her quizzically. "I don't believe I caught your name either."

[KingInTheNorth]

"Serene, Captain Serene to you.", she said," Adela not too far south, should be a short enough journey. Here, I'll show you to your quarters."

Serene led Phintil into the forecastle. They walked past most of the crews bed until they reached the end where there was a small hammock.

"There is not much room left on this ship sadly so this might have to do.", she said referring to the hammock.

[Alegretto]

Phintil followed Serene to the room he was staying in. The sleeping area looked communal, and Phintil eyed the hammock she showed him dubiously.

"If it's all the same to you Ser..." he caught himself, "Captain Serene, I think I would prefer the floor. This..." he pointed vaguely at the hammock, he didn't really know what it was called, "thing, doesn't look like it will support my weight," he pointed behind himself, "or my tail for that matter.

[KingInTheNorth]

Serene laughed when Phintil had to correct himself. She really didn't care but she always thought it had a sort of charm. After nodding at the lizardman she walked back onto the deck where her crew was already raising anchor to begin sailing. She called to her her helmsman to sail south. Serene entered her cabin sat in her desk reminiscing of her time with her father. Serene put her head on her desk and began to cry. After a minute or two she grabbed a bottle of rum in hopes to drink her sorrow away and she began to drink it straight out the bottle. She knew she was a bastard but her father decided to keep her as his own and he had a huge impact on her life and her success as a pirate.

Her father believed in her even if she didn't believe in herself. A life on the sea had extraordinary impacts on her youth, she had never really known people her age. Serene had learned the way of the world early and was always surrounded by death. She always had a curiosity for life inland but she was not in a position to start over, not while she was still doing good with her ship.

[Alegretto]

((OOC: Typos in speech are probably on purpose))

After Serene left, Phintil decided to set about exploring the rest of the ship. Or was it a boat? He didn't really know the difference. Either way, he wanted to know his surroundings for however long the trip to Adela took. How long was it going to take? It was something he'd have to ask Serene when he saw her next.

He stepped out of the crew quarters and went to the main deck. He made it just in time to watch the ship setting sail. It took him some time after that to orient himself on the swaying deck. Balance became much harder, even with his tail, and he had to clutch the rail occasionally, eliciting chuckles from any nearby sailors.

He couldn't decided where to start his exploration, and he didn't know where he was allowed and where not. So he asked the nearest crew member. The man gave him and odd look and then seemed to consider his question. "Lemme get back to ya on that Laddie," said the man, "you stay right here for now."

So saying, the sailor left a grumbling Phintil behind to pay a visit to the captain's quarters. "Cap'n" the man said as he knocked on Serene's door. "Our guest wants to know where he can go on the ship and where he can't. Wha should I tell 'im?"

[KingInTheNorth]

Serene immediately jumped out of her seat as she heard the knocking. She put the bottle down on the mahogany table. She dragged her finger across the table until she reached her handkerchief and wiped her face. She walked across her cabin and opened the door. She took a glance at Phintil.

She rubbed her forehead and said, "It doesn't matter. Just don't fuck anything up.", she began to close the door,"Actually... Follow me."

[Alegretto]

Phintil, who had followed the sailor from a distance, looked with surprise when the captain addressed him. It had looked like she was going to close the door and he hadn't expected her to give a tour. Was that what she was doing?

Well, no point in worrying about it, the lizardman reasoned. He nodded in response to her request, though he also asked a question: "Alright, but where are we going?"

[KingInTheNorth]

Serene lead the lizardman below deck and through the quarters. She walked past where they slept and towards a door on the opposite side of where Phintil slept. There a door with golden hinges and knob defended all the treasures. All of the crew knew that door represented all the loot they would save when they were done sailing. Serene thought that lower wages now would mean huge payoff later for her crew.

Serene pointed towards the door,"If ya go in there...I'll cut yer cock off."

[Alegretto]

It took more than a moment for Phintil to process that Serene's statement was a threat. He never would have understood if the context didn't make it so obvious. Phintil's confusion of course came from the fact that his, like many reptile's, reproductive organs were housed internally, and were therefore rather difficult to remove by force.

That fact notwithstanding, Phintil was rather put off. There was no need to threaten him. In fact her lack of trust made him rather angry. So he decided to do something rather passive aggressive.

He looked Serene right in the eye, and with a completely deadpan face asked: "Which one?"

((OOC: Thanks a lot King, you made me look this up and now I know more about some things than I think I needed to know >:( ))