Spirits of the Earth

The start of this RP will begin on the larger, southern most Necromantian isle, in the providence of Thanatos (map (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=4549.msg38456#msg38456)). At the beginning, Naomi (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=21961.msg329613#msg329613) is going to be looking for a crew at one of the nearby coastal towns. Having just lost her vessel and all it's sailors, she will be in the market to scrape together whatever ship and personnel she can muster. Whether your character can be bought with coin, is looking for an adventure, or needs passage to another isle, Naomi will meet you somewhere around the area and work something out. After a crew is gathered, the story's events are as open as the waters.

The town of Armanyr is a medium sized one with a large port and a shady culture. It is located on the eastern side of the island. Many criminals dwell here but that does not mean there are no Thanati guards from the kingdom, as there are several stationed to keep the peace and protect the port city. If you know your way around though, there are quite a few under the table services that can be bought and sold, including the blind eye of the soldiers. Being so far from the main island, the culture is a more lax, although that's not to say the caste system (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/thanatos.php#cast) isn't in place. The area mainly consists of those in skilled trade and commerce, with a fair amount of the lower two classes; few from the temple are present in this area however.

This is going to be a thread of several adventures dealing with the theme of piracy and I'd like the various tales to include the same reoccurring crew (generally). Depending on how long each adventure is, I may have each be it's own thread with the same RPers. If you want to join or leave at any time in the plot, PM me so we can talk. I'd imagine the crew might change a bit between each port landing and this will allow new people to jump on board, while keeping those who are already in the story from getting trapped if they lose interest.

Like I said, PM me if you want in on this or if you have any ideas for future voyages. Since my character is the Captain she will have final say on whether or not the crew embarks on a journey. This is in place so I can organize what is going on with the plot, and not to keep you guys from having a say in the direction of the RP. Things tend to get more confusing when lots of characters are in a thread and I'm just attempting to mitigate this. I'm very open to where this can go and I also need ideas, so don't hesitate!

I'll start off this thread in a reply once I get a few people to PM me about being in the crew  ;D

It was just past noon. The sun shone down on the town of Armanyr and heated the air while the constant ocean breeze swept between the buildings, keeping the temperature cool and crisp. Men and woman walked about tending to their daily tasks. Commoners bought and sold supplies at the dockside market place, sailors secured the ships in port and moved their cargo, and scattered soldiers kept a watchful eye over the area in case any trouble arose. The sweet smell of salt water filled Naomi's lungs as she leaned against a building, watching the townsfolk with a bottle of rum in hand. She was facing the port and looking at the ships that were tied there. The vessels ranged from big to small, quite a few that were unique and caught her eye, but there was one that stood out like a gem.

The Coral Star (https://s13.postimg.org/dpvhzzapj/Coral_Star.jpg) was it's name, and what a beautiful boat she was. It stood to be a fairly large vessel, with two main masts and 10 portholes to be fit with cannons on either side. Turquoise-blue paint and gold trim augmented the black hull, giving the ship a beautiful look. It was curious that an apparent navy vessel was not flying the royal Thanti flag, and even more so that cargo got unloaded from the boat that morning. So, intrigued, Naomi hit the bars. It didn't take long at all for the woman to get some news about the brig, flaunting herself as she did. Men always seemed to open up with a belly full of rum and a woman on their lap. Getting a little inside info was simple.

From what the former crew member told her, the ship had docked last night. It was apparently a merchant vessel, and a formidable one at that. Rumor was the Coral Star was purchased and refitted to carry goods, it's cannons allowed it to transport more valuable items while keeping them out of the hands of pirates. Captained by a man named Arden Knottley, the ship made lots of coin, but little of this was seen by its crew. The man was 'a stink' she was told, 'a copper pinchin greedy lil stink who hoards dem profits jus so he ken shove em up his dirty bumhole'. It was clear the crew didn't favor the man. Many left his company because of this, figuring they could find more profitable work elsewhere. This in turned caused Mr. Knottley to start hiring more privateers, needing fresh hands to fill the rather large gap.

And so Naomi leaned against the wall soaking in the beautiful weather. She drank from her bottle watching, and thinking, and planning. She had two full days before the ship was to leave port, that's what the first mate told her when she signed on, so she had some time on her hands. Not that she would be wasting it, of course.

"Damn it all," grumbled Kino Vanden, setting her cards down on the worn wooden table. "I'll fold."

The man across from her grinned as he reached his hairy arms out to collect the winnings piled on the table. Kino noticed just how yellow and crooked his teeth were. Raising her signature "plague doctor's" mask up past her lips, she took a swig of the bitter brown liquid in her mug, then slammed it on the table. "Are your wagers always as large as your gut, y'scurvy son of a kobold?" she playfully intoned. The rest of the table snorted and guffawed in assent.

The man had been bluffing, of course. Over the past few nights, Kino had noticed two or three distinct tells of his. She had also noticed his propensity for flaunting his wealth with a round of drinks for the table when 'ere he won. Besides, she herself had already won several games this evening, and attracting undue attention was never a good thing when one was trying to gather information.

The wandering alchemist had been lodging in Armanyr for nigh on five days in search of a suitable vessel to charter passage back to Jin'ta on. A vessel with a captain morally flexible enough to turn a blind eye to a small-time ambermoss hustler would be good. A vessel with a captain principled enough to not hand said hustler over to the port authorities upon arrival would be essential. The isle's indigenous ambermoss was rare, difficult to gather, possessed of a myriad of alchemic uses and very, very heavily regulated. Kino was a free spirit who didn't particularly believe in tariffs or harvesting fees. Nor did she believe in being sent to the gallows for such minor trespass, but thus was life.

As she gathered the cards from round the table and began to shuffle them, Kino inquired about the eye-catching blue-and-turquoise ship which had docked this morning.

"phhhh," one of the men sitting two seats to the left of Kino waved his hand as if he were swatting a fly. "That there pretty lookin boat be called the Coral Star. And I says damn it to the depths of the Hivian Ocean!" he said none too quietly, the liquor obviously affecting his mannerisms.

"Aye!" called another, sitting between Kino and the man who spoke, "Me n Georgey ere just got off that damn vessel. But I says damn the captn instead! He the real reason that boat be a shit bucket! Damn scoundrel will do anythin for a bit o coin. Biggest cheap I ever seen!"

"Fuck Knottley!" Georgey took a long gulp of his ale before slamming the mug back to the table. He looked at Kino, "Did yer know we worked there on her fer almost 3 months and didn't get but two weeks wortha pay?! Hubert n I left with jus bouts half the crew! Figured we could make more coin elsewhere. Hell I's making a better livin ere at this table and I's LOSIN!" The card players cracked up at this, their hearty laughs bouncing off the dusty walls.

Hubert spoke up again pointing a finger at all those playing cards, "I wouldn't be workin under his ass if I were you, trust me on that one, you'd do better cleanin the barnacles off every boat that docks in port if ya ask me." A few chuckles arose from the group and Hubert turned to the masked lady beside him, "Well you gunna take all day tuh deal those cards? Hurry it on up so I can win all yer coin!"

"Settle your salty arse down and enjoy what time you've left with your coin," replied Kino. "This round, momma's gonna be taking it all."

As she began to swiftly and deftly deal the cards 'round the table, she thought about what the seamen had said. A captain with principles could work, but avarice would suffice in a pinch. Should he catch wind of her contraband, she'd slip him double or triple the bounty for ambermoss smugglers and be off the vessel before he could tip off the constabulary, still having paid far less than the outrageous harvesting fees. And in the case of a more 'confrontational' double-cross, well, she could fight. And swim.

Yes, it would definitely be worth paying this Knottley fellow a visit...

"Ye bloody cunt!" Eli swore under his breath. Brow furrowed and lips tight, he scowled and the lines that adorned his brown skin deepened. Resting his hands on the table in defeat, he sighed, and collected his solitaire deck to reshuffle. "I ne'er win a' this game."

He sat a booth away from the gamble, and listened intently as he stacked the cards upon eachother. He'd been looking for work, an' even shit pay was better than no pay. He mentally tucked away the name ignored the boat, and resolved to see this captain later. It had been quite some time since he'd sailed. Perhaps it was time again. He drank deeply from his mug, filled with a special favourite of his, cane sugar soda mixed with rum. What they came up with now, astounded Eli.

Richy sat in a chair behind several boxes stacked up to desk height. He was on the dock in front of the boarding ramp to the Coral Star signing on new sailors. The day had been going decently well, he had gotten a lot more signups than he expected to get. Usually they would be dwindling on deck hands after the crew left the ship, and this happened every so often due to the way Captain Knottley handled their pay, but who was he to complain? The captain always gave him a fat cut due to his first mate status, and he wasn't about to talk some sense into the man because that would most definitely lead to a smaller paycheck. Richy looked up to group of four men approaching the makeshift table, their personal affects in tow.

"Ey Richy, we changed our mind, we're goin back on deck," the man in front called out.

"Hey, not so fast now Balton," Richy stood and the men halted in front of the boxes, "Last I recall, you said you never wanted to see this ere blasted ship again. Now that don't sit well with me n the capn. Why should I let you back on?"

"Cuz Balton jus said we bloody changed our minds, yeh baffoon," another man from the group called out. Richy narrowed his eyes but Balton held up his hand.

"Apologies for Georgy he be a bit drunk, but the way I see it you still need hands on deck to get this ere boat sailin. Let us back on board, and we'll be willin to renegotiate our pay. Hows that fer a deal?"

Richy couldn't believe his ears. Balton wants back on the ship? He was the most vocal about not getting paid enough, and now he was back agreeing to a smaller paycheck? "Ye do realize you aint gunna be making as much as you were before.. right?" Richy asked.

"Aye, we realize. Now let us on board already damnit, I'm tired a luggin my things around." Balton growled.

Richy eyed the men for a moment longer before jerking his head toward the ship. "We sail in two days." he told them as they walked onto the ramp. Richy shook his head, These sailors must be stupider than I thought.

When Balton reached the deck of the ship he turned to look out across the dock. His eyes found a female figure leaning against a wall and holding a bottle of rum. Balton knew she had been watching them, making sure the group didn't tip off the first mate about what she had discussed with him earlier that day. Not that he would. Balton didn't give a damn about the captain and his officers. He reached up and tipped his hat in the woman's direction before turning and walking across the deck. He smiled. In two days time he would have a real job. Well, maybe not a real job, but at least he would actually be getting paid.

Eli had packed up his cards and drained another mug by the time he swung the door to the bar open and sauntered out into the busying road. The cobbles were hard under the thin leather of his sandals, and his vision had the haze he had become accustomed to. Still, he walked straight enough, only showing his tipsiness in the slightest. Back in Parliman, public drunkenness was frowned on, and so he learned to hide it.

He stood just in front of the open doorway, and took in the whole sight of the docks. Among the various ships, was a larger vessel that matched the doctor's description, colour an' all. She was by no means a war vessel, lord no, and still a pip next to some of the ships Eli had been on, but she'd do very well for some quick mercantile work. He also noticed a woman with a bottle in hand eyeing the ship, maliciously he'd say, but perhaps that was just her face. His gut told him otherwise. He slung the small sack that held his sparse equipment over a shoulder and made for the coddled looking fellow behind the rickety looking table in front of the Coral Star.

The man had a smugness to him, at least from the observer's eye, and if you were to ask Eli, he'd tell you the boy hadn't done a lick a work in his life, or none a the work he should'a bin doin', at least. Calling to the desk man, Eli in his gravelly timbre, "Oi, Chub! Lemme onta this floatin' bucket of a boat, an' I'll repay it with more years a sailin' experience than you've been alive!"

Richy looked up at the old gruffy fellow approaching him. "Well hello. You saying yer lookin for some work?" Richy leaned on the table with both of his hands and inspected the old man standing before him. He says he has experience, I don't doubt it, Richy thought, the man looked to be three times his age and his personality almost screamed sailor.

"What kinda experience you gots exactly? What else you done and who else you worked with before? And just ta say, if I were your age I don't know if I'd be goin back out on the water. Doncha think yer gettin a little old fer this back breakin labor?" Richy wouldn't mind an experienced sailor on the boat, but at the same time all the inexperienced hands seemed to work out just fine. And typically they agreed to get paid less.

Eli only raised an eyebrow at the mention toward his age, but answered all the rest;
"I've sailed on fifty two different vessels, the longest for fifteen years and the shortest for a week, rankin' in size from a pontoon to a ship o' the line. Done all works from swabbin' the boards to givin' the orders, an' I've worked as a Merchant Privateer for the Royal Thanati Navy. That was my last work at sea," he leaned down towards the table, and lowered his voice so that any passerby wouldn't hear, "Between you an' me, the work is only backbreakin' if you're doing it wrong, otherwise you should be getting someone else to do it for ye!"

He straightened back up, and took it at a different angle, "If that don't be enough of a run for ye, I can tell ye just by lookin' that you could carry another tenth a cargo if you cut a few deckhands, and still work this little lady jus' fine," At this he paused, and wiggled his moustache, something he did when thinking, and advised, "I'd pay your crew a tad more, Chub. That last set you just let on, the ones who was spittin' on ye name in that there bar," he flicked a thumb behind him, "just tipped a hat to a lass who's been starin' down yer boat a tad greedily, if my old eyes are treating me well. Might just be me, but that doesn't seem all too right."

At this Eli shrugged, and shifted topics from insinuation to business, "But that's just me opinion, and take the word of an old sailor as ye will. So am I on this fishin' boat or what?"

Richy nodded at the man's experience, and let out out a laugh at his joke. He looked the old chap over once more as he talked, listening intently. I could definitely use a man with his experience, he'd fit practically anywhere. When his tone lowered and the subject turned to Balton and his men, Richy leaned forward. He looked over in the direction of the bar the sailor had pointed out and scanned the area. He wasn't surprised at the fact Balton and the others were spitting shit. Hell, him and Hubert practically did that in front of his face, but this lass they were talkin to was a little suspicious. I'll have to look into this.

"Alright mate, yer welcome ta come aboard with us. Ye gots the experience," he turned back to the aged man, "I'm gonna need your name, we be leaving in two days time. Take any affects you got and find a hammock down ins the crew quarters. As for yer place, what's ye say about steerin the ship? Can ya do that?"

"I can do that for ye sir, an' Eli Blumun be my name. Nice meetin' you, Mister..." he paused at this and extended a hand, eyebrow raised.

"I'll be in her quarters if ye need me." He finished, and re-slung the pack on his shoulder. He walked up the gangplank, taking in a deep breath of the salted air and listening to the shouts of seamen preparing the cargo for a voyage. Good to be back. He then stepped out onto the deck and made off for the belowdecks.

Richy shook the Eli's hand before he walked off, and then turned to look back over the docks. tipped a hat to a lass who's been starin' down yer boat, the man's words played in his mind. The first mate's sharp eyes swept the area, looking for any sign of a woman who might be perched and watching the boat. But he found nothing and twisted back in his seat, resting his elbow on the table with his head in hand. Perhaps I should talk to Balton, he wondered. But he knew the man wouldn't spill anything if he was plotting something against them. No, I'll just double the guard on our cargo these next two nights. The goods his boat carried tended to be valuable, and it wouldn't be unlikely for some thieves to try and steal it. He would have to thank Eli when they caught the bastards, the old sailor deserved some extra coin for the tip. You reward loyalty Knottley. That's one thing you've never understood.

Naomi watched as Balton, Georgy, Hubert, and Finnick walked up the ramp and onto the vessel, giving Balton a nod back when he tipped his hat. She noticed the old geezer that passed her earlier walking up to the makeshift table. He was drunk, the man held himself well but her keen eyes caught the slight wobble in his step. That ol bastard don't stand a chance gettin on that boat, she thought. But the fact that there were other sailors trying to sign onto the vessel made Naomi slightly worried. I oughta get back to work. She shifted her weight off of the wall and turned to walk down the dirt covered street. She would go hit up an old tavern that was known to attract the shadier townsfolk, finish her pint and hopefully meet a few more candidates. The pirate had already talked 7 men into rejoining the Coral Star's crew for her cause, and 6 others she had grown acquaintance with over the past few days had signed on as well. 13's a good start, but I be needin more en that if I want a chance. 10 cannons an' 3 men each makes 30, Naomi ran through the numbers in her head as she walked, Bout 15 more and that'll make a sailin crew. 45's the number. I ken do with 60% or so, the others will likely follow suit.

Only 45? A menacing male voice rumbled in her head, That seems like a downgrade, wasn't it 64 poor souls on your last ship? If I counted correctly when each one got squashed that is.

This be an upgrade from the point ye put me in, now shut it ya filty cunt.

The voice growled. I'd call it even for what you've done to me but... Oh it's far from that.

I told ya to fuckin shut it. Naomi pushed the presence deep into the back of her mind, silencing it. She looked down at a set of stairs leading to a doorway, the top of which was just above the ground. She was here at the inn and would probably be staying until dark, mingling with whatever sailors the woman could find, and hopefully meet a few of her other acquaintances. She took a swig of her pint, it's warm buzz filling her head, then walked down the steps and through the doorway.

Revvil wasn't particularly busy at the moment.

It wasn't that he didn't want a job, but he wasn't in a rush.  He'd basically been living in this shabby barroom the past few days, drinking and keeping a sharp ear out for any word of a sailing job.  Hopefully a shady one.

He was hunched at the bar, a drink in hand.  The draconian wasn't very large, but his scaly skin and sharp teeth and claws had most people staying away from him.  With the exception of a few drunks who backed away as soon as those shiny teeth snapped at them.  The draconian wasn't very large, but his scaly skin and sharp teeth and claws.

He'd been drinking almost constantly the past few days, but he had stayed mostly sober, due to the dragon blood that coursed through his veins, though hardly any real dragon would deign to admit that they were related to Draconians in any way.  After all, the creatures were mutations of real dragonkind, and many dragons saw them as a plague to the race, and attempted to kill them on sight.

But Revvil wasn't bothered by that, he knew that it was impossible to make everyone love you, so he didn't try.

He hissed, and the bartender looked over as the reptilian pushed his mug away from himself, signaling that he needed another drink.  The bartender dropped what he was doing and got the drink.  Fast.  Revvil wasn't the kind to get into a full-on fight, but his race's reputation was enough to scare the bartender into thinking he might.

Sipping his drink, he looked up and around as he heard someone enter the inn.  It was a woman, and while she wasn't particularly old or well-dressed, she had an air of command, and she looked like she was on a mission.

He turned back to his drink, but he continued to listen to the woman's movements.  Perhaps she was a captain, and had work for him, but whoever she was, she seemed to demand attention, at least to the draconian.  And something about her resonated with a part of Revvil, the magic part, the dragon part.  It sensed it, but he didn't know what to make of it.

Naomi's eyes fell on the Draconian almost immediately, his species tended to stick out among the crowds and the fact that most people were staying away from him only highlighted his presence that much more. She turned her gaze away as he looked up and began to turn. Naomi scanned the room, and quickly laid eyes on Grinich, a mole of a man, sitting a few seats to the right of the Draconian. He was half dwarf and half goblin, and just as ugly as one might imagine. He was talking to a burly man on his right, a fat cigar jutting from his lips and a full but trimmed beard covering his face. She walked over and set her drink beside the half goblin loudly, making him jump and snap towards her.

"Oh-! Well ello there miss Vayne," he greeted her in a scratchy smoker's voice, "Fancy seeing you around this establishment eh? Who woulda guessed?" Grinich chuckled and turned towards the burly figure as Naomi sat down. "I'll get back to ya bout that one." The man nodded and walked off. "So!" Grinich spoke and turned back to Naomi, "What could I possibly do for a pretty lil lady like yourself?"

"Cut the taurus shit Grinich, I be ere on business not ta flirt," she bit out.

Oh, I don't know, he seems to be your type... The voice rumbled with a chuckle.

She ignored him and continued, lowering her voice, "When I met ye you said you knew lots o folk in town, I need ye ta call 'pon any sailor who might be lookin fer a bountiful opportunity."

Grinich leaned closer, obviously intrigued. "And what might this bountiful opportunity entail?" he croaked.

"Lets jus say I finally found what I been in the market for."

His eyes lit up and he took a large dwarf sized gulp from the mug of ale in his hand. "Say! Capn Naomi Vayne be settin out to sail the Hivian Ocean again!" He let out a raspy laugh.

Naomi grabbed the side of his shirt and pulled him towards her discretely. "Shut it ya fool, Now ye gonna do this fer me or not?"

Naomi let go and Grinich smoothed out his apparel. "Course I will," he paused and looked up at the woman, "But what are ya gonna pay me for it?"

The captain scowled and bit back a retort. She was hoping he would just spread the word for her to his contacts, but of course the greasy grinch wouldn't do anything without some personal gain. "Tell ye what," she whispered, "Ye get the word to any n all sailors I ken trust, and I'll leave ye 5 percent of whatever be on that vessel."

"20 percent," Grinich countered.

"10 percent," Naomi replied, "An that's a mighty fine offer with what be gettin hauled on this ere boat."

The half goblin thought for a moment and then nodded his head, "Fine, but how you planning on getting this to me may I ask?"

"I'll be leavin it in a few cargo crates some'ere on the dock, 'fore we set sail. Don't worry bout it jus get me them sailors. I gots two days n I'll let ye know."

Grinich grunted and finished his drink before jumping off the stool. "You better hold your end miss Vayne, I know more people then you may think," he threatened before heading away and out of the inn. Naomi sat there and took another swig of rum thinking. Getting this payment to that little grime would make things more difficult, provided she would actually pay him. This plan needed more thought.

"Poster boy, bully boy, sing us a song,
Sing to us, sing to us, don't you dare sing it wrong,
About the lady of the sea and the sky, her love,
The man in the moon, shiny old man,
And the little love notes they sent by dove!"

Eli sang to himself a song he'd learned many years before, a sailor's song to be sung at work. Sure it perturbed him a tad to be singing it when lounging, but other than the wooden carving of an owl he'd been working on, and the burnt out pipe in his mouth, he'd little to do in the belly of the boat.

Setting down the half finished owl in his hanging cot, he stood, stretched, and walked to the upper decks. Oh, his joints needed some grease, the stairs were killing him so. A few weeks at sea would fix that problem. Only they didn't leave for a day and a half from now. He saw no point in spending that time afloat in the glorified bucket, so he made for the bar again. A game of free cell would do him well at this hour. On his way off, he nodded to Richy, and noted the woman's absence from the wall. He'd only been gone a short while, but gone nonetheless, and he honestly didn't expect her to wait for him.

He creaked open the Bar door's hinges, and slipped in among the rabble, the smell of alcohol one to put him in a mood for the night. Until he saw the very same woman, speaking to a downright ugly little man. Something was off about her, he felt. Screwing up his face, he slid into a booth, and pulled out his card deck.

Revvil, of course, listened in on the whole conversation between the woman and dwaf-goblin hybrid.  They spoke of a vessel, and it didn't sound like either of them were the owner.  Though the woman seemed to want what was on the ship.  Revvil didn't particularly care if she was going to buy the items on this ship or steal them, but whatever she was planning to do, it sounded interesting.  And like it involved a considerable amount of coin.

When the two finally finished their conversation and little man left, Revvil glanced over at the woman.

"So, you're looking for sailors?" he asked, quietly enough to avoid being heard by any of the other patrons in the bar. "People who be looking for a profitable venture?"  His eyes glinted as he smiled, and it would have been quite a fearful sight for some, as it appeared to be a snarl more than a smile, his scaly lip pulling back to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. "I may happen to know someone who'd be interested."

Naomi looked over at the Draconian, his face would have put fear in her heart, but she had seen far worse. Things that scared the hardiest sailors shitless and haunted your dreams for eternity. So her face didn't waver when she locked eyes with the beast. "Aye I am," she said back in a quiet tone, "But I be warnin ya now its bad luck listenin in on private conversations. Tends ta get one in trouble." She paused for a moment and glanced back towards the old sailor that had sat next to her right before Grinich left. She got up from her seat and walked over to the half dragon, leaning on the bar beside him. "But on that note there, who it be thats lookin fer a job round here?"

"The King of Hearts goes there, and then the Queen of Spades.... No! Gah! I needed that elsewhere!" Eli swore, under his breath, "Ah, so be it. These must be trick cards or some such."

Drinking deeply from the tankard he'd ordered not a minute before,  he peered over the rim at a conversation taking place across him. Hushed voices ensured he heard nothing, but if posture and decent lip reading served him, the Dragonborn wanted in on the job, or some such request. That the same woman who'd been spying on the boat not an hour earlier was in here stirring up the riff rubbed Eli the wrong way. Perhaps Chub should know about this. Perhaps not. No stranger to being mutinied against, as this increasingly seemed to be pointing towards, he knew that to side too heavily with the brass could kill you faster than a hungry snake. He'd seen the loyalties towards a Bo'sun switch faster than some of the knives used to kill him. No good, this would be. Served him right, staying away from the sea for so long. She was punishing him. Snorting into his ale, Eli thought, Let it come. I'm not leaving this earth until vengeance is mine. If I have to survive a mutiny to do so, so be it.

"Me, of course," the draconian smiled again at the woman. "I've been sailin' his whole life, and I don't mind taking on the less savory parts of the job."

He assumed, from her conversation with the goblin dwarf and the fact that she was even in this bar, that she wasn't in the most honest of businesses, but he still wanted to play it safe.  What if she were a soldier undercover?  So therefor, he chose his words carefully, after all, 'less savory jobs' could mean swabbing the deck or cleaning out the bilge.

"So what kind of jobs do you have in mind?" he asked. "I mean, are you a merchant, a passenger ship. . ?"

"Hmh," she had wondered if he was speaking of himself. He seemed cautious and somewhat reserved about the details, which was good; she couldn't afford to have any reckless blabber mouths in on her plans. She knew for a fact he wasn't authority. Even if she hadn't paid off one of the higher ups for a roster of the soldiers in port, Naomi would have likely caught wind of a Draconian guardsman. Their species tended to draw attention and wouldn't be often used undercover. Who would be comfortable talking to one of them in the first place?

Although she could safely assume he wasn't a member of the Navy, she didn't know if he was capable of handling the job. Something she intended on finding out. "I prefer the term, opportunist, if ya will. Tell ye what," she said in a hushed tone, "If yer lookin fer a profitable venture, I might jus have a bountiful opportunity, if you fancy a hornswaggle that is. I'm bouts to go on account in a few days an if you be wantin to join me, yer gonna have to show how you might be of use."

She phrased her words carefully, using slang (http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/pirate%20talk.html#.WEOD9x_6zVM) terms only well versed pirates tended to know. If he followed her she would know he'd been on a ship or two and possibly dabbled in piracy, although the latter could be false. Either way as long as he had experience and was willing to step outside the law, she would need him.

So she was a pirate, or at least was doing a very good job of pretending to be one.  There still was a chance that she was a Navy sailor in disguise.  A very well-versed Navy sailor.

"I'm indeed willing to do what I can to prove that I know what I'm doing," Revvil said, choosing his words carefully. "But I'd be a fool to go on account with you if I don't know what sort of profit I'd be gaining in this venture, or if I have no assurance that I'll get it."

If she refused to tell him more, he wouldn't push it, he didn't want to loose this opportunity to get on a ship, but why not press for a little more information?

A fair statement, she would be concerned about getting paid herself in his shoes. "I can't rightly tell ye what we'll be scorin, as I don't know what's this perticular vessel be holdin. But I can tell ye that I wouldn't be sticking me neck out this far if I didn't know whatever it was wasn't worth some coin." Naomi took a look around the bar for any eavesdroppers before continuing.

"I ken tell from yer speak that you been on a ship or two, an frankly that's all I'm lookin for. But dependin on how experienced you is, I might have a position available as one o me officers. Wouldn't mind havin a Draconian as one o me higher ups. Scare all them Powder Monkeys (http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/pirate%20crew.html#.WEnOZh_6zVM) into line." She gave a short laugh, an uncommon thing for Naomi although one that could be attributed to her beverage. "Anyway, if ye want on board sign up under a man named Knottley on the Coral Star. Then just follow me lead when the time's right."

She stood from the chair and walked away from the Draconian, whether he joined or not she would discover later, for now, she needed to mingle. It's not that she didn't trust Grinich to find her some decent sailors, but she couldn't rely on just him to find enough men. She walked around the room chatting with others, flirting, and probing for possible candidates. After hours of this, people coming and going, and Naomi speaking to anyone who looked worthy, she had picked up another 5 possible hands to join the Coral Star. By the time she swaggered out of the tavern, it was just getting dark.

Gods I musta been in there for ages, she thought, although it had only seemed like a couple hours, it had actually been a good 8 or 9. Naomi made her way down the street. Her destination was the inn she had been staying at the past few nights across town. She was a little drunk but it wasn't anything the woman couldn't handle. Her hardened stomach had seen much worse.

This is just what he waited for... The cover of darkness.

A young boy quickly and quietly crept through the alleyways and down the back streets of the town, his messy white hair bouncing with every step. He was dressed very plainly, wearing only a black riding hood over his tunic and trousers. The only thing that stood out was his mask: mainly white, and depicting the face of a cat in a traditional artwork form.

It had only been a few hours, and this boy had already noticed the priests of the nearby temple searching the streets for him. His intention was to flee the island, but the youth had hoped for more time than this. Thankfully, they had not spotted him yet.

The teenager continued towards the docks, as stealthily as he was able. With no alleyway left on his side of the street, he had to make it to the other. He had not seen the woman walking perpendicular to his intended path. Sacrificing stealth for time, he darted out wildly. By the time he was in the street, the woman was only mere inches in front of the sprinting boy. There was no way to stop in time...

The moment the suns light had faded to the back of the world, Kirsten's blood red eyes popped open, staring up at the ceiling from within the room. She let out a short yawn, sitting upright and placing her feet on the cold wooden floor with an almost annoyed grunt. Beside her had lain another, a man, not much older then twenty five, whether he would wake again was entirely up to the corruption that now seeped through his veins thanks to Kirsten's insidious bite, vampirism.. it wasn't pretty. Tales of it turning into a vampire are wholly exaggerated, only very few turn into a vampire, most either suffer a painful death or turn into mindless husks as the vampirism tears at their sanity.

Easily tricked by the beautiful woman, the man had no way to know what would come. Nobody suspects the cute ones. With a grunt she lifted herself off the bed, she would've regretted potentially killing the man if it weren't required for her own survival, she had made peace with that part of her life long ago, wholly embracing it now. She made her way to the chair, on which she had deposited most of her clothing, quickly strapping herself back into her usual attire, dragging a hand through her pale white hair before wrapping her hands around her cursed blade, strapping it to her side.

Silently she opened the door stepping out and closing it behind her quietly. Someone would find this man, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out what the two holes in his neck were. As such, it was time to move again. Gently stepping down the inn's stares and winking cutely at the bar tender, she pushed the door to the outside world open, her dark taint allowing her to easily discern faces even during the night. She quietly strode down the streets, the only benefit of being a vampire being that the type of person that would have work for you would also be out at night.

With a modicum of effort she forced the red light in her eyes to dim, giving them a little more mortal appearance, but anyone who stopped to think about it would probably still grow suspicious. But such was the benefit of feeding on mortals, they never did stop and think, their life was one constant slur of event after event, trying to make the most of the limited time they have.

Several meters from where she walked she noted a woman walking toward her, no doubt headed toward the inn she had just came from, she shrugged, figuring she'd be in for a bore if she went that way, but that was none of her business after all. However, moments later a young looking fellow burst from the dark right in front of the woman, their collision all but avoidable. Rather then helping, a heaving and snickering laughter followed, as Kirsten found the scene unfolding before her quite amusing. However, it didn't take her long to realize the woman looked like the type that most would avoid messing with and as such piped down somewhat, a broad smile still upon her face nonetheless. She wasn't particularly intimidated, but simply didn't feel like having that type of fuss at this fine hour.

Naomi eyes lay cast toward the ground as she walked. A flicker of movement from the corner of her eye caused her to turn just in time to see a young boy barreling toward the pirate. The alcohol in Naomi's system caused her normally quick reflexes to become sluggish and she wasn't able to jump out of the way in time. The collision knocked them both to the ground and pain shot up from Naomi's butt as her tailbone impacted the cobblestone street.

"Gods be damned!" she picked herself off the ground, "Watch where you be headin!" she yelled at the kid before turning to him. She was taken aback slightly when she noticed the fact that he was wearing a mask. From her expirence the only time one needed to hid their identity was if they were doing things they werent supposed to. "Whatareya bloody doin anyhow?" She turned back and looked the way he came, wondering if there were any pursuers.

On impact, the hurried youth fell to the ground. As he did, the clanging of metal could be heard as two three-pronged daggers fell onto the stones in front of him.

He rose slowly, propping himself on all fours. He looked to the woman that had gotten in his way. The mask's black eyes did not move, yet still seemed to focus on hers. He saw the moment of shock she had when she noticed what he wore. She spoke rather loudly, potentially drawing the eyes of any priests that were lurking about. The boy could not allow this.

He did not speak. Quickly and without warning, the boy lurched forward to put a hand over the woman's mouth. He scanned the surrounding street, looking for the any of his pursuers. He saw none...

Naomi was looking down the alley he had came when the boy's hand reached around and clamped her mouth shut. The fuck? She didn't know what this kid was doing, and if he was actually trying to rob her or something he had made a mistake. She grabbed his hand shortly after and ripped it from her lips, then spun and shoved the boy away from her. "What the devil ye think yer doin?!" she yelled at him, dropping her hand to the hilt of her sword. She looked at him with a face of mixed anger and shock. First he had gotten up like an animal, on all fours, and then he just straight grabbed her without saying a word. She also noticed his eyes seemed painted on the mask, and was wondering how he could possibly see. Just my luck having to deal with some crackpot. she thought to herself.

Better than being stuck in one.

Why don't ya cry about it some more? she commented back, to which the voice only responded with a rumbling growl. Naomi smirked.

The boy yelped as he fell to the ground yet again. Sitting on the cobblestones, he held a finger in front of his "mouth". He shushed her, with a hiss that almost sounded like the cat his mask depicted.

"You are too loud..." he said in a hushed tone, retreating back into the opening of the alleyway.

The boy continued his searching, using the corner of the building as cover. Still, the priests did not seem to be in the area.

"We are being hunted..."

Eli had been in the midst of yet another game of solitaire, and his ninth mug when the woman he'd been watching had left the bar. He thought nothing much of it, and resolved to stake out the bar for the next day, until they left, to keep an eye on her.

That was, at least, until a shout and clang echoed from the street. It seemed the woman had drank a tad too much for herself that night.

Lightweight, he thought to himself humorously, before hearing another shout, this time an angry one. Bollocks. Lifting himself from his booth, and taking bottle and deck in tow, Eli swung open the door with a crack. What he saw brought a frown to his face, for he was greatly confused. A literal cat burglar, it seemed, was trying to rob his mystery woman, all the while a giggling tourist looking girl stood to the side.

He deigned to take a swig from his mug and ease the flintlock pistol he had holstered in his belt sash. Those daggers did not look as if they were for show.

"Hunted by who?" he inquired skeptically, the gravel of his voice undercutting Naomi's yells, "And why?"

Another one...
The youth cursed under his breath. Here he was, trying to be stealthy, yet he was attracting a crowd.

He refused to answer the new one. Patting his sides, the boy realized he no longer had his knives. They were still laying on the stones ahead of him.

He darted out into the street once again, quickly moving to recollect both daggers.

Eli squinted, frown deepening. He hadn't the patience for this, and his slight drunkenness barred what little tolerance he did possess. He pulled the pistol lazily from the sash, trusting in the fifteen feet between them to shield him from a stabbing. Training the barrel on the boy, he pulled back the hammer and drank deeply again from the mug, now emptied. He was prepared to use that as a weapon as well, even if his stance belied a very singular approach to the problem.

"Ye arn't runnin' lad." Despite his swaggering disposition, his voice was iron, and his eyes fire. Eli straightened, and stretched his jaw, his full height lending him the advantage of intimidation. Whether it worked was beyond him, but most times a strong front could dissuade further conflict.

"Who's huntin' ye, and why? If ye need asylum, tha' there ship is affiliated with me," He muttered, flicking the pistol towards The Coral Star, "we could hide yer arse if ye only be honest wi' me."

The boy snatched up both daggers. He looked to see that he was staring into the barrel of a pistol. He took a half step back. The mask's face was unchanging, but there was a terror that could be seen in his body language. He stood there, paralyzed by the danger that lay before him.

The response was involuntary.

The mask began to change. The paint upon is swirled around, and the edges morphed and shifted into new dimensions. The riding hood wrapped itself around the boy's body, looking more like a shirt than its previous cape-like form. It grew lighter, and thicker, until it more like a white coat. The two knives fused together. The metal churned and changed shape, becoming flat and round.

The transformation took only a few seconds. Once it was over, the boy wore a mask depicting a rabbit, along with a thick white coat. The item in his trembling hands was now a buckler shield, which he was hiding behind.

All that could be heard from him was the sound of sniffling, revealing the terror he felt being at gunpoint.

"Well..." Eli's voice trailed off, a look of slight disbelief adorning his features. Eventually he settled for a simple raised eyebrow, and mumbled under his breath, "Odd."

Eli glanced down the end of the street the boy must've come from, by the angle of his fall. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet. He resumed his gaze on the boy and hardened his tone, but lowered his pistol, even if it was ever so slightly.

"Boat." He directed sternly, his meaning clear, "Now."

He closed the distance between them until they were only five feet apart, but he kept his gun up. Eli was too old and too experienced to make a mistake like letting your guard down. If this boy could shapeshift, and his gunpowder kept him in line, then the gun would stay pointed between his eyes.

"Ye can 'splain yerself onboard, bunny boy," he snarled, and jerked the pistol forward, signalling the boy should walk.

Scratching herself on the back of her head, Kirsten observed the peculiar event unfolding before her, first the woman yelled, quite understandable then the boy shut her up somehow, she figured by pressing his hands on her mouth since he had gotten even closer in proximity to the woman. However, what also surprised her was how neither had noted her laughter, shrugging she continued to watch events unfurl.  the peculiar thing was when the other one showed up, drawing a pistol on the masked fellow, she felt her curiosity spark but the need to just move along as well.

Taking a few moments to decide, she figured she'd just casually continue her little stroll, ignoring the group the best she could, sadly, there was no real way to completely avoid them, as such she just passed them by(or tried to) trying to keep the gun pointed away from her and at the boy, she figured this was typical for such a town as this and her curiosity wanted her to get a closer glimpse.

''Dont mind me, just passing by..'' she added coyly as she passed the group, after which she continued her stroll down the round.

After shoving the lass to the ground, Naomi had watched the events unfold rather quickly around her. She wasn't sure what to say. First the old man suddenly came out pointing his pistol, her hand fell to her own on her hips, out of precaution. Then the boy in front of her warped into something else, completely unexpected. THEN the old man mentioned that he had gotten onto the ship and offered this kid passage willy nilly. No. That was unacceptable. It's my boat.

tsk, tsk somebody's getting heated... The voice.

"Wait! Just everyone bloody hold on a minute! First off ye ain't got the authority to jus let this kid on that ship. I ain't about to sail across the Hivian Ocean with no child."

Let it out. Don't hold back.

"Second,' she jutted a finger at the shapeshifter, "YE had better start talkin as to what yer up to. I knows a thief when I see one, and ain't nobody crashes into me an jus grabs me." Her hand cocked the pistol at her hip.

Yes. Do it! You want to, just end them!

"And THIRD." Naomi pulled the gun from its holster, letting her arm hang at her side, "I do not rightly like it when somebody laughs at me. DON'T think I didn't notice." she glared towards the woman walking past.

MURDER THEM.

Noami's jaw clenched and her pistol hand rose up. But it stopped halfway. She looked down at the weapon in shock. Why was it out? When did she prime it? She hadn't even realized what her hand was doing while yelling at the townsfolk.

"Gods damnit!" she muttered harshly under her breath. Her arm fell back to her side but she left the pistol primed. She mentally shoved at the growing presence in her mind, slamming it far back into her skull and holding it there. She needed to be more careful with him.

The boy began to lower his guard at the mention of a ship. That was exactly what he needed. However, the defense went right back up when the other woman began yelling.

The trembling boy somehow managed to muster the confidence to break the silence.

"We... We are n-n-no thief..." He responded, voice quivering.

"Just... t-trying to... to get away..."

Eli's eyebrow raised at the woman's outburst, then both eyebrows went up when she drew her gun. He grew an itchy trigger-finger, and his barrel shifted to the woman, though she seemed a tad preoccupied. Only when she seemed to realize that she was instigating a fight, and stopped herself in confusion did his brow furrow. She was bloody crazy.

"I don't rightly 'member ye signin' onto that vessel," he said, "Only ye conspiring with other sailors to take it! I have better a right than ye. Besides, I had no mind to keep the lad on the ship, ye loon! Hide him, perhaps, get out the truth. Now put down yer barking iron (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Barking%20Irons), lest we have all feed the fish."

He pointed a gnarled hand at the shapeshifter boy, saying to him, "Ye get to that boat now. Go on."

Naomi raised her eyebrows and stared coldly into the old man's eyes. She walked toward him, not caring that his pistol was still pointing at her chest, and stopped a few paces in front of it. "Those be mighty bold claims yer makin sailor. I suppose yer the one keepin track of all them records then ey? The one whose been hirin ship hands down on that dock insteada drinkin grog in that there bar." She flicked a thumb down the street, in the direction of the inn they had came from.

"Nay. An I suppose ye don't got no proof ta back none of this nonsense either." She paused for a moment keeping eye contact. "If ye got a problem with me, ye ken go report to the authorities like a good sailor. Now lower that weapon. Cause I ken promise you don't wanna go shootin me. An if ya did, ye woulda sparked the powder already."

"The authorities here are worse than the criminals. If we're talkin' about hiring monkeys, who're you hirin' for?" Eli challenged, though he did drop his gun. She called his bluff. He'd had no real intention to start anything, and his strong front had seemed to have failed, at least on her. Respectable, at least, this woman. She didn't flinch where others cowered. Shame it was that she was the shifty sort.

"I dun see ye carryin' around a ship ledger when ye be talking up the alehouse, and ye for sure aren't First mate on that there tub," he flicked the barrel at The Coral Star, "So who's brig, 'with lots of bounty', are ye recruiting for?"

Kirsten felt her neck hair stand up straight the moment the woman addressed her. She supposed it would've been to good to be true anyway, just laughing at someone and walking away. Then again, she probably could have if she had just pranced in the other direction, since these two seemed busy flaunting each other in what she could only describe as pirate speak. What is it with sailors and talking like that anyway? she thought, a hand moving to scratch the back of her head once more as she turned to face the woman.

''Oh, c'mon, you've got to admit it was pretty funny.'' poor choice of words, she thought soon after, figuring it would probably just further provoke the woman. As such one of her hands moved to grasp the hilt of her blade, figuring she'd be sure to take at-least one shot if this were to go awry. True, she wouldn't die, that was something she didn't even know how to do anymore, however that still doesn't make getting shot in the chest feel amazing, in-fact, it was downright painful still, especially when your body happily pushes the bullet out and then reknits your flesh like you're some kind of sewing doll.

At the sound of ''bounty'' her ears perked up, their tuft fluffing ''Bounty?'' she asked quite randomly, almost disconnected. Completely forgetting what it was that she was doing before, or at-least so it seemed. ''Where?''

Naomi clenched her jaw when he recited her words at the bar. She wasn't sure how he heard him, the man looked old enough to be half deaf, but he had. And unfortunately the part he repeated wasn't easily explained.

She turned her head towards the Neko woman when she piped up about the bounty. She had chosen to stop walking. Shit. This was getting out of hand. Naomi knew she wouldn't be able to keep her plans under wraps forever, but it was only the first night. And who knows who else heard her if this man already had.

She turned her head back to the old sailor. "I's been hired as a hand for the Coral Star just as you. I'm recruitin fer her, jus doin what I can ta help the Captn." She said to him in a level voice.

The authorities here are worse than the criminals, his voice replayed in her mind. She took another glace at the half cat standing to her right. And this woman had perked up mighty quick at the mention of valuables. Maybe Naomi could swing this situation in her favor, they already knew too much anyway, it was too early to just let them walk.

There as a pause while she was thinking, then Naomi added, "Specially the deck hands who be lookin fer some extra coin."

It was true that the boy needed a ship in order to truly escape from the men that were hunting him. The town offered hiding places, but no real shelter for someone as conspicuous as he.

However, these ones seemed dangerous. One had already pointed a weapon at him, and a fight almost seemed inevitable amongst themselves. The boy feared for his safety, which was obvious when he wore this mask. While the three were distracted, he saw an opportunity to flee.

The youth began backing up slowly, before spinning around to run. When he did, there was no running. At least, not at first...

Two priests of the island's temple turned the corner, walking up the street towards him. They did not seem to notice, being too busy with conversation to be that observant.

The youth wasted no time. With a sudden burst of speed, he doubled back and dove between the man and woman. He sat on the stones behind their legs, hoping to use them as a hiding place from the slowly approaching priests.

"What in blue blazes-" Eli lifted his arm and glanced down at the cowering boy before shooting a look down the street he'd tried to run for. Priests? The lad was running from priests?

"Alright ye sorry lot, I've said it before an' I won't do so again after this. The lad needs to hide," it had been years, but once he had commanded a war vessel. The air of command he'd thought himself forgotten was the one he assumed, and he snapped out, "Get yer hides on the fuckin boat! We'll talk once we're aboard, but unless ye want be flayed by the church for harbouring demons, I'd get yer ass in gear!"

At his last words he pointed a finger beyond Naomi, at the priests who were ever approaching, yet they still hadn't noticed the group.

Naomi snarled when the kid dove behind them for protection. Damn coward. She turned to glance at the priests and then started towards the dock at a brisk pace. "Do what ye think ya need." she said to the old sailor. The boy could hide on the ship for all she cared, if he was found the blame wouldn't be on her, but the minute they set sail she would make sure he was ashore. I am not bothering with useless luggage.

It seemed like this group had something to hide beside the kid and that sparked Kirsten's interest. Best case scenario they had valueables themselves, worst case: they would know how to get them. However, prying this information in the middle of the streets would garner unwanted attention so she would just wait and see.

She wondered why this kid was so scared of priests. She figured he wronged the priesthood somehow and thus garnered their anger.

"I'm coming too" she simply stated. If those other two kept pretending she didn't exist even on the ship then robbing them blind wouldn't be hard. She did remind herself that the woman would have to be watched carefully, she seemed the least easy to predict out of the group thus far.

Kirsten didn't hesitate to use her un-natural strength and agility to catch up with the woman and simply follow her.




OOC : Sorry for weird setences/typos, didnt want to keep you all waiting so I wrote on my phone.

"We are not demons..." The boy said silently, once again wearing the cat's mask and garb.

He lightly grabbed both sides of the sailor's one leg, and peered around at the approaching priests. As much of a threat as this man probably was, he now provided the best means for the youth to get onto a ship, and away from this island. The woman obviously did not have a very high opinion of him.

It was unclear which was in charge...

"Those men seek to capture us... Which way is your boat?"

The boys eyes were (presumably) still focused ahead.

Naomi looked over at the other woman when she caught up and began walking beside her. The Neko seemed formidable, and Naomi didn't know a lick about her other than her apparent interest in coin. She would need to find out more.

"Ye don't look to be much of a sailor. What is it you do in this ere port city?" Naomi probed. She couldn't help but notice the slightly red tint of the other woman's eyes. She had never seen anyone with irises of that color, but she also hadn't met but one other Neko either. It made sense she hadn't though, cats tended to be afraid of water.

"We, is it?" Eli grumbled, rolling his eyes at the statement. What had he wrapped himself into with this boy? He refocused on The Coral Star and flicked a hand towards her hull.

"She be the black one wi' the turquoise stripe along 'er side. Merchant brig, lightly armed as far as war vessels go, but more than enough to secure her own passage to any destination within sailin' range," he explained, elaborating on rather useless facts that the boy would probably have no use for. To him though, those things were essential. The right ship could make or break the success of a voyage.

Kirsten couldn't quite read the woman whom now walked beside her, the sudden interest in her being here was of course to be expected, but she felt that giving away too much information might be dangerous, despite being who she is.

''I'm just looking for work..'' she stated pointedly, keeping somethings in the dark, although she wasn't essentially secretive, she didn't yet know what type of person this woman was, in-fact, at this time; she knew more about Kirsten then the other way around.

''And you? not yet enlisted somewhere?'' she had of-course caught the words said before, but playing dumb had given her extra information before. She hoped to find out about some sort of bounty or prize, but kept her hopes down ''You wouldn't know a good job now would you?''

"That depends on yer skill in a boat," she stated. "Mos cats I's know don't fancy gettin wet." She vocally prodded the woman walking beside her.

Naomi didn't know why, but she kind of liked the Neko. She looked and acted formidable, not in an aggressive way but in a carefree way, as if she could handle whatever might be thrown at her. Naomi could also tell she liked money, and that she was smart enough not to go giving away too much information. Unlike that ol loud mouthed sailor. He was the one who had spilled her beans about this whole charade. All of these traits made the half cat seem very akin to Naomi herself, and she supposed that was why she felt a little more trusting of the woman. She knew how she would act.

"Yer gonna have ta give me yer name if ye be wantin a sailin job though," She added.

Kirsten wasn't one to get angry at an appropriate joke and she of course understood the irony of a cat wanting to be aboard a ship. As such she simply let out a hearty chuckle at the woman's remark "Dont worry, this feline is hard to scare."

"as for my name, it is Kirsten" she simply stated. Names, surnames and nicknames were things Kirsten hardly ever felt the need to keep quiet. They were in fact more useful when told, a lot of folks see it as a sign of trust or interesent. She however didnt doubt for a minute that this woman was not so easily deceived.

"Care to spill your own name beautiful?"  she added with a smile. "As for experience..  I'd be lying if I said I did . But I am very capable, especially in combat." she paused and smiled again "You dont look or talk like a pompus trade merchant so I think you could use some muscle.. And I deliver a hundred fold in that regard."

Beautiful. Naomi wanted to gag for half a second. She wasn't sure if Kirsten was joking, and by all means she didn't care what the woman preferred, but Naomi would not be one to participate. "You ken call me Naomi, miss Vayne, or Capn. But I aint goin by beautiful so we's gonna cut that off right there." She paused, "As fer muscle. I wouldn't mind havin it one bit, but this aint no place fer overconfidence." She gave Kirsten a look to make sure she understood then turned to glance behind them, making sure the geezer and the baggage were following without complication.

"Look or talk like a pompous merchant she may not," Eli piped up, shooting a raised eyebrow at the Neko girl, "But ye don't look like the sailing kind, nor do ye sound it. The knife cuts both ways, Kirsten, an' one o' yer kind should know that face value ain't the mos' truthful representation."

Eli grimaced, and quickened his pace, coming ever closer to the dock. Only a few more steps and they'd be over water and away from the possibility of danger. And then a whole new slew of issues were to be dealt with. This Naomi, the Neko, and the Boy. He signed up to sail, not for this.

The boy continued after the sailor as he began to walk. He kept quiet, holding his black hood above his messy head of hair. The two priests soon disappeared from sight, but he did not want to catch the attention of any others that may have been lurking around. One look at the mask, and they would move on him.

As they neared the dock, the boy felt more and more safe. That was, until he saw another unpleasant individual.

It was one of the elder priests. Much more wise, and much more skilled than the others. He carefully and diligently stood watch over the area, knowing that this was the youth's only way off the island.

In response the boy stood still, grabbing at the back of the sailor's clothing. He dared not move until there was a way past the elder.

over confident huh..

The moment the words left Naomi's lips any sign of friendliness left the Neko. At-least flattery does not work she almost sighed in relief, it would've made things a lot easier. Her eyes arched up, staring at Naomi as the bright red returned to them thanks to the surge of anger. Time to be less friendly. she thought.

''So.. overconfident... hm.'' she repeated, almost as if she was shown some horrifying truth just now. People underestimated her constantly and she just couldn't accept it, despite being fully aware of her own appearance and in-fact, abusing it relatively often. When the man behind her spoke her eyes narrowed and before she even realized it happened, her blade was drawn, its vile presence corrupting the very air around them. ''Want to test that theory of yours?'' her gaze flicked back to Naomi, eyes remaining narrowed, their red glow now illuminating her face.

It seemed the neko was bad at taking critique, which wasn't all that strange considering how most people that knew her knew better then to do that, but these two didn't have that kind of information and that was the reason her blade was stayed, at-least for now. ''I'll gladly show you how wrong you are.'' she snickered ''It would be an utter shame if your voyage ended before you even started it..''

She paid the priest little mind, not interested in the masked kid or his issues. He didn't insult her honor but neither did he have anything she could want, at-least for now.

Eli snorted at her display with an air of nonchalance. He smiled wryly, a grim sort of satisfaction in his eyes. His assumption was right, and it had been a big leap, but he'd been right. Neko eyes didn't glow red.

He put a hand on the boy's shoulder, and moved him around to the opposite direction of the priest. Eli took off his hat and fit it onto the boy's head in hopes of hiding him a little. Meanwhile, he said in a dry tone, "I wasn't talking about your ears and tail when I said your kind, blood eyes."

The boy kept his hands up, placing them in the brim of the hat that now sat upon his head. By doing so, he was most effectively able to hide the mask that covered his face.

With the help of the man, he was able to slip past the elder priest without being noticed.

However, the way he covered himself also covered his peripherals. Because of this, the boy was unaware that he was safe from the priest's gaze. He continued moving silently and cautiously, allowing his new unlikely guardian to direct him as needed.

Naomi's own hand flew to her rapier when the cat drew her sword, but she wasn't able to unsheathe it before Kirsten held hers before the pirate. She was fast, very fast, and Naomi took a few moments to assess the situation before she acted. She knew the girl was likely a formidable foe just from her mannerisms, and as Naomi eyed the blade she could tell there was even more beneath the surface.

The sword was pitch black, darker than any metal she had seen before and had a dim pink glow around it's edge. Naomi could almost feel it's presence now that the blade was out of it's scabbard, as if a dark aura radiated from the weapon, but what was more was that the aura was familiar. It wasn't identical, but it was similar, very similar to what she had felt the night of the storm. And then there was her eyes, the dim red glow had grown brighter, as if the fury inside of the feline had ignited them. Definitely more than what meets the eye.

"I wasn't talking about your ears and tail when I said your kind, blood eyes." the old man gruffed as he passed them. Naomi wasn't sure exactly what the man was referring to by kind, but it sure had to do with the strange eyes that bore into her.

"If ye wantin ta start somethin, I suggest ya take a moment to consider it again." Her gaze stayed locked with Kirsten's, unwavering, and Naomi's hand gripped the hilt of the rapier at her hip. She loosened her mind slightly and felt that presence, the itch in the back of her skull, grow. It greedily filled the space she forfeited. "Cause I ken assure that yous be mighty wrong bout any assumptions you've been makin bout me."

Kirsten ignored the man entirely. Even if he wasn't bluffing him knowing she was a vampire barely revealed anything about her. However this applied to herself as well, Naomi was still an enigma.

However it is was still safe to assume her regeneration was one of a kind, for it is a rare trait to begin with. "Peoplw who underestimate me often find themselves as souls trapped in my blade." she eyed the rapier, smirking "I do not fear you, if someone like you could slay me it would've happened years ago." she dragged her blade across her glove oddly enough not drawing any blood "its a shame, you seemed respectable... but you had to go and touch my pride.."

She smirked again, revealing her long and sharp fangs this time "let me show you just what your mocking."

She felt like she was overreacting, a momentary reaction welled up out of sheer anger, but she wasn't one to back down either. If this turned into a fight, her pride would force her hand.

OOC: Phone post again! Hope its at least decent

Its funny... how you only let me out when you need me.

What the hell do ye think I took the trouble in capturin you for?

I am NOT your slave.

Nay. Yer just me prisoner.

A rumbling growl Tell me... if you are my prison, why shouldn't I just let you die? I would finally be free of your putrid presence.

An who say ye ken just let me die? I's in control. Yer my puppet.

But I can fight. Pain ripped along Naomi's back, her muscles tensing in response, but she didn't yell. The only outward difference that could be seen was the clinching of her jaw. You don't have the hold you might think on me. I can cause it one way or another. Naomi pushed back, the pain receding.

And if ye did? How do ya know ye wont jus keel over right long with me? Our souls be bound, death ain't no escape.

You don't know that.

Nay an neither do ye. If ya be willin ta risk that ere precious eternal life yous be me guest.

Another deep rumbling growl was the only response from her inner demon.

"let me show you just what your mocking," Kirsten smiled barring her fangs.

Naomi narrowed her eyes at the sight of Kirsten's teeth. So she was a vampire, that was interesting and unexpected, but it didn't change much. She tugged on the power inside of her, feeling a strand loosen and flow into her arm. Quickly reaching forward, she wrapped her right hand around Kirsten's blade, the razor edge pushing against her palm. But it didn't cut her. A dim shadowy aura had formed around her right hand, what looked like dark fog continuously evaporated from her skin. It was barely opaque and one might miss it's presence if not looking closely, as if the hand of a dark ghost was being worn as a glove.

"I ain't gonna say this again. If ye be wantin ta brawl right here an now I's will. But I ain't lookin fer a fight. I gots more important things ta be dealin with at the present moment. An secondly. If you be wantin the job I be plannin on offerin, ye need ta understand that I am in charge. Me orders are final, an if it goes against yer pride yer jus gonna have ta suck it up. I aint dealin with no insubordinate sailors on my vessel. Now ye think abouts yer next move. Because there be many who've underestimated my skill as well. An they be lyin in Davy Jones Locker."

The boy focused ahead, his artificial gaze seemingly transfixed on the woman. A chill ran up his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end.

The boy ignored his surroundings. Lost in a hypnotized stupor, he began to walk forward towards her. The mask shifted as slowly as it needed to. The riding hood changed to a redish color, and grew longer. By the time the boy reached her side, the mask had changed to show the artwork of a fox's face, and was clad in a flowing red cloak.

He was not focused on the woman, but rather, her hand. The magic power that emanated from her was what drew this attention, as well as this form. He raised his own hands and gently laid them upon the hand that grasped the black blade.

There was not much magic to contend with the dark energy the woman possessed. Either the boy did not possess much power, or he was holding back. Either way, what magic energy he used was pure, and spiritual in nature. The mask reflected the boy's icy calm, and his silent mystery.

He did nothing to reveal his intentions...

The moment Naomi finished speaking, the young boy was touching her again. She released the sword when he grabbed her hand and shook his grasp off of her. The shadowy aura receded back under her skin.

"Gods! Keep yer hands to yerself!" she growled angrily down at the strange boy. Her head quickly flicked back up to the vampire, so she wouldn't be caught off guard if Kirsten decided to strike. It seemed to her that the boy was trying to stop them from fighting. He didn't want a fight, and although things might be easier without one, Naomi didn't care either way. If the vampire forced her hand she forced her hand, and the pirate would put her in her place.

A cry rang out down the street, drawing Eli's attention away from the pissing match the two women had going on. He swung his head in the direction of the call, and saw the two priests they had been escaping from, with three others, rapidly approaching them.

"Ye've gone and done it now ye clotpoles!" he snapped, flinging an angry hand in the direction of the girls, "Put away yer peckers and measure 'em later, we've to be out of here and now! Foolish children, the lot of ye!"

The boy barely reacted as the woman drew her hand back. He looked up at her slowly, and spoke with a calm and serene tone.

"So much darkness... So much... evil..."

The bright red of the boy's cloak and mask caught the eye of the elder monk who was scanning for exactly that. With a loud call, four monks of the temple hurried towards him.

The boy noticed this, yet stood his ground. He reached inside the cloak, where his twin daggers had been. Instead, however, he drew a long whip. The metal tips of each leather tail fell onto the wooden dock as he readied himself.

"You will not get us this time..." he muttered with the same icy calm tone.

Kirsten snickered as Naomi grasped her blade, it would've intimidated her if that feeling hadn't been quelled by her powers, she no longer HAD to fear anything but the sunlight and that was nowhere to be seen ''Putting me in ''Davey Jones'' locker, as you so cutely put it.. is not possible for the likes of you.'' she tore her blade free, not caring whether it tore through Naomi's skin or the boys.

Her eyes flicked to the incoming priests, what were they going to do? bleed on her? she huffed at the sound of Eli's voice and without any kind of warning she flung her blade into the sky, promptly turning into a bat and flying after it, mid air, she reformed looking down on the group and with a roundhouse kick send the blade crashing down toward one of the priests at speeds no mortal could possibly even see.

She dashed after it, retrieving the blade from the priest, kicking herself away from the other two by launching herself. She hoped killing one of their kin in an instant would cause the priests to route, as for guards; contrary to her mortal compatriots she had no reason to fear them. Turning her attention back to the group she completely ignored the kids change, her beef was with Naomi. ''You talk like the moment you hire me I belong to you, I will teach you to give me the respect I deserve, even if I have peel your skin back to do it.'' she extended her hand, pointing the tip of her blade at Naomi ''So how about you pick, either you will die trying to kill the likes of me, or you back down now.''

Of-course this was going to end in only one way, the two women had too much in common, sadly those largely were pride, stubbornness and fearlessness. She did respect Naomi for that, but once more her pride completely overwrote any kind of possibility to back down. ''As for you old man.. I'd shut up if I were you, those priests are not my concern.'' she shot Eli a glance before simply turning her attention to Naomi again.

OOC: Sorry if you wanted to kill that priest yourself Kalak, i just figured one wouldn't hurt, do let me know if you'd rather he stay alive.

Naomi's eyes narrowed at her challenge. She couldn't simply back down, how could she keep authority over a crew if she ran from a confrontation. This, of course, was not any average confrontation. Naomi could clearly see that the cat possessed some extraordinary skill, more than she could have initially imagined. But the pirate knew that Kirsten could not guess what she had tucked away inside her very being. The power bound to her soul by strong and ancient magic.

"It be seemin that yer due fer a good head rattlin. You may be strong buts ye flaunt yerself too much. An ye underestimate every opponent cause o yer strength." Naomi chastised, "That be a mighty fatal flaw on the battlefield, an its one ye need ta learn ta curb."

Under the surface, Naomi was slightly worried about going up against an opponent with her skills. But uncertainty was much better than that of overconfidence. And she had yet to fully test her newfound powers. The pirate was itching to stretch her limits, and this was a big reason why she wanted to return to sea so badly. Merge with me. Scaidohr. She let the thought propagate.

The deep and rumbling voice responded. Gladly. She could practically feel the creatures excitement as it gobbled up every ounce of slack she allowed it. His only goal was to escape, to be free, to have control again. Naomi knew that every bit closer the demon could get to that ideal it would. She had to forfeit part of herself to obtain his power, and it was a balancing act. If she forfeited too much he could push forward and take over, but the less she gave the weaker she would be.

The barely opaque aura returned, this time enveloping Naomi like a second skin. Dim mist evaporated endlessly from the woman, barely visible, as she lowered her stance for stability. Her sword was drawn and she cocked the pistol in her holster. Inwardly, she blocked the presence from taking any further hold on her. If she had to draw more she would.

"I's gotta say I been itchin to have a brawl without holdin back. Do ye think yer skills ken actually satisfy me?" she prodded the cat more, knowing her fury was a possible weak point in the Neko's defense. It sure as hell was for her. She was ready for the coming attack.

"I guess I will just show you then"

The time for waiting and teasing had ended, Kirsten knew this. She could sense and see that the woman was drawing powerful magic from within. She had no clue what it would allow her to do but she didnt feel like testing that out herself, Luckily she had her own magic.

Taking a step back she slammed her fist into the ground. Years of training and practice allowed her to summon her servants from mere traces of death. Seconds after she hit the ground boney arms shot from it and undead began pulling themselves up from the earth.

The moment their rotting feet hit the ground they charged toward Naomi. If she were to fall to them it would just be easy going but Kirsten actually used them to get some kind of response, trying to figure out what Naomi would use or do.

Meanwhile Kirsten herself stood combat ready, blade at the ready.

The moment the battle started Naomi was already thrown off of her expectations. She thought the vampire would charge forward at her lightning speed but instead, she raised a small army. Taking a few steps backwards, Naomi created enough room to assess the situation. There were lots of them, but they looked weak. She guessed they were only pawns to occupy Naomi as Kirsten waited for a moment to strike. She would have to be sure not to give the vampire enough of an opportunity to do so.

The sword sliced through the air as she quickly dispatched three of the undead horde. The breeze picked up rapidly and the nearby ocean began to grow restless, larger waves smacking the wooden docks. Ships swayed slightly from the growing turmoil of the waters and the few stragglers that were left outside ran indoors. The couple of priests that had been advancing on them followed suit. As they turned and ran from the two seemingly demonic woman, Naomi wondered if they might cause later undue trouble. But her hands were full at the moment.

Another risen soldier lashed out at the pirate but it's claws bounced off the ghostly armor. She swiveled and stuck it through the chest before kicking it back into the crowd. "So this be how ye play huh? Ye let yer lackeys do the fightin fer ya! That be a cowards game."

Eli's ever present scowl deepened, until his face seemed a grim mask chipped from dark wood, were the lines so deep and his features so hard. Why? Why was now the time that this had to happen. A simple voyage, was all he wanted.

"By all the gods above an' below.." he muttered angrily, the bite in his tone audible only to him. He stormed angrily between the two women, ignoring the shamblers around him, but didn't stop there. He went right on past them, grabbing the boy by the shoulder with his left hand, and sighting a priest in the ironsights with his right. As he yanked the the boy away from the battling bitches, the barrel of his pistol exploded, and less than a second later the next leading priest's head nearly exploded. The gore and suddenness of the action stunned the two remaining churchmen, who were spattered in blood and bone bits, but by then Eli had dragged the boy around the bar and into an alley leading into the heart of the city.

"Looks like ar plan has changed, lad. Ye can use yer daggers, right? We'll need 'em," He said grimly, already reloading his pistol, "We're gonna need a place to hide, too. Have ye a good sense o' this place, or it's whereabouts?"

Kirsten simply snickered as her pawns fell. They were serving their purpose. "Cowards tend to live longer." she simply commented as she analysed what they had revealed for her. The moment she finished that sentence her unnatural powers boomed and she dashed toward Naomi, not bothering to defend herself as her blade swiped toward Naomi's throat fully intent on beheading her in one swift move.

Naomi had baited her into attacking, but quickly questioned the wisdom of doing so before at least dispatching most of the horde. She quickly rolled out of the black blade's path, the whooshing sound telling her it was too close a call for comfort. Instead of Kirsten's sword finding it's mark on Naomi, it sliced through two of her soldiers skulls. Clean. The caps of the dead men bounced off the cobble stones as their owners fell to the ground.

Unfortunately her dodging roll had landed the sailor smack middle in the army, and the undead wasted no time in pouncing.  She fought them off of her with fist and sword as best they could, but they quickly began to overwhelm the pirate. It was time to clear the field, so Naomi loosened her mind further.

She channeled the abundant energy of the demon outward, and as it coursed through her cells it burned like red metal. The result was a shockwave of dark energy accompanied with a ghastly shriek. As if a ghost had been released from her body. But she put a cap on his reign before that could happen.

The soldiers were blown backwards and cut into ribbons, sharp blades of tainted air shooting outwards in all directions. Slashes appeared on the buildings, splinters flew and chunks erupted from the stone walls and road. Naomi stood, the ghostly armor still enveloping her, but there was a change. Where human eyes once lay were only two black orbs, as dark as the blade Kirsten wielded. Naomi pointed her blade at the Neko and waited.

Kirsten half expected a jab in the chest but let an amused grin surface when she realized the woman had gotten herself into trouble by dodging. She didnt care much about slicing up her own minions. However she soon felt the dark aura intesify and before she even knew it shards of bone went flying everywhere as Naomi unleashed her onslaught.

Kirsten didn't bother dodging, the powers tore through her flesh and bone tearing through her like a knife through butter. However where one would've expected her to fall Kirsten remained standing, smirking at Naomi.

From within the wounds a keen eye would note a black substance filling up the holes and cuts in mere seconds and some more later her skin was as if nothing had ever happened to it."Truly impressive... I would've been dead... but alas, that'll have to wait."

Launching herself into the air with her feet Kirsten lept at Naomi attempting to strike from above. However this was only a distraction as behind Naomi a large bone spike emerged and attempted to impale her on itself.

Naomi didn't catch the quick regeneration of Kirsten's flesh, being preoccupied with jumping to her feet and the wall of carnage denying her a decent view. Once she was up, so was Kirsten, coming down at her from above. And if Naomi's senses weren't heightened by the darkness she harnessed, the pirate would have never seen the bone spike coming. As it were though, the further release to the demon allowed her to feel it's presence as the spike entered her now larger aura. Naomi was forced to dodge again rather than counter. She side stepped with increased agility, clearing the bone and the blade's impact zone.

I's wonder how she avoided all that sharp air. Not even a scratch be on her.

A grumbling chuckle. So you didn't notice then?

An whats was to be noticed? Ye gonna let me in on yer lil secret?

I think I'd rather you be surprised... She could feel his smirk. Her eyes kept tight on the vampire Neko, although the direction of her gaze couldn't be discerned due to the black coloring of her eyes.

Kirsten's blade clashed with the ground, a decently sized hole being cut in it in the process, showing just how sharp her blade was. "tsk" was the only sound passing her lips in response as the boneshard fell to pieces.

In her current state it seemed that striking Naomi would be harder then she thought, her reflexes being able to match her own. However, the solution to this was one she had already used before.

Kirsten promptly stabbed her blade into the ground and turned it. Seconds later, the ground began shaking as a green glowing hole opened up, the tell tale whailing of souls emerging from it, followed by those exact things floating out before seeping into the ground. Moments later, the dead would begin rising once more. However contrary to previously these would keep coming until the hole was sealed, continiously charging the woman.

Kirsten's hope was that this would tire Naomi out or cause her to slip up. Quickly she spun and threw her blade at Naomi, using a larger portion of her vampiric speed she dashed after it, making it almost look like she teleported with such speed. She intercepted the blade mid flight by grasping the hilt and sliding across the ground. As she slid across the ground sheslowed down but still moved relatively fast,  she still moved toward Naomi and attempted to cut her legs. With this enire charade she hoped to catch Naomi off guard by making her believe the blade was poised to collide with her chest.

All while the battle raged, the weather grew worse and worse. The wind had picked up into a strong gale now, and the waters sloshed back and forth on the shore. Ships in port rose and fell with the waves, every so often colliding with the docks. The ropes held steady though, for the time being, and the vessels were held back from getting washed out into the sea.

Kirsten slid towards Naomi with her blade in the air. It looked as if she were going for another death blow, She really tryin ta kill me? The thought angered Naomi. She hadn't tried to kill Kirsten once, and although the outburst of slicing air easily could have killed a regular human, Naomi neither intend for this nor realized how much it had actually cut up the Neko. Yet here she be. Tryin ta dispatch me over nothin but a bit o talk. And then the anger Naomi felt began to burn brighter inside her, the forge's flames getting stoked by Scaidohr until they climbed to a raging inferno.

She curved her body around where the sword would have impacted Naomi's chest, but as it turned out, Kirsten was going for her legs instead. The blade ripped along the pirate's left calf. The ghostly armor took most of the blow for Naomi, without it she might have easily spent the rest of her days with a wooden replacement. It's dark aura repelled the sword like that of a strong magnet, but the speed at which it was thrust at her allowed it to temporarily break through, and a deep gash was carved, drawing a gush of blood. Kirsten continued on her trajectory past Naomi as the dead began to rise once again. Their bodies tore up the cobble pathway as they clawed their way to the surface.

"How long ye gonna keep hidin behind yer puppets like a coward!" Naomi's voice resonated, slightly deeper but not quite taking on the sound of a demon's tongue. She turned towards the rising army, but Naomi stood still. The darkness thickened around her further as she gave way to Scaidohr just a little more. However she was beginning to reach the tipping point. She couldn't allow him to possess her and that edge was getting close. He had much more power in store, she could feel it, she wanted it, but a ritual would be needed to access that safely. Drawing on it openly and unprotected would leave the pirate seriously vulnerable to his darkness.

As she stood there, the risen amassed and charged, but they never could quite reach her. As if an unnatural force haunted the roadway, their bodies began flying off. An unseen presence striking them with incredible force. Invisible claws ripped through their flesh, dicing their limbs and snapping their bones. Naomi pivoted to face Kirsten, who was still on the ground.

"You want to kill me? Over what? Your pride?!" Her voice took on a deeply layered tone, dark as if echoing from an abyss. Her rage was beginning to consume her and the demonic presence inside was starting to show. She stepped towards Kirsten, the assault of the dead to her back, but she paid little notice to their bodies getting tossed around like dolls. Suddenly, the cobble to the left of Kirsten exploded into gravely chunks. Three large and deep claw marks, looking as if they came from a fully grown dragon, lay in the aftermath. A second later, three more exploded to Kirsten's right, a similar image left engraved in the stones. "You don't kill me. You don't kill Scaidohr." her voice echoed.

Then, the invisible claws ripped straight through Kirsten's chest, opening it for all the world to see. The blow should have killed the woman in Naomi's blind rage. Her being was melding with the demon inside, and neither had total control over the pirate's body. The tattoos across her skin vibrated, struggling to both form into something new and to stay in their original place. The mental battle inside of Naomi had begun, she had given Scaidohr too much girth and was struggling to keep him contained.

Kirsten noted how her minions were almost constantly dispatched by forces unseen, seconds later claws tore to her left, shortly after toward her right. Any other would've been stricken with fear, but Kirsten wasn't any other. She had half anticipated that Naomi had some kind of magical power, but more and more did it start to seem like she actually had something within herself that possessed this power. Smirking, Kirsten stood back up, eyeing Naomi ''Do you know what happened to the last person who underestimated me?'' before she could finish her sentence, a surge of pain shot through her chest, looking down, she noted a gaping hole in her chest.

Once more, where one expected her to fall she didn't even flinch simply looking back up to Naomi ''I drank his blood until he was but an empty husk, then I resurrected him just to kill him again, and again, and again..'' while she spoke black tendrils surged from within her, re knitting flesh at an unimaginable pace, within seconds, it was as if nothing had even happened, even the tattoo's were unchanged. Kirsten's eyes visually twitched as the pain and adrenaline from before worked its magic, giving way to a much more relentless version of herself, one created after years of torture. Her clothes in the meantime began reforming as well, the magical fabric specially created so that regenerating wouldn't leave Kirsten in the nude.

''You are in my realm now, at night; you're mine.'' her head curved toward the side as bones elongated from her shoulder, piercing her skin and forming two large pincer like constructs from her shoulder, the bones themselves glew an eery green, indicating just how infected with necrotic energies it was. Underneath her arms two large bones also emerged, their length slightly further then that of her arms, contrary to what one might expect, they twitched and moved, almost as if they had become additional limbs coated in necrotic energies.

Finally, as a final touch Kirsten inhaled deeply, before exhaling, emerging from her mouth was now a thick green fog, its essence ripe with necrotic energies, it wouldn't take a genius to know that inhaling it was extremely bad for ones health. But that's not what it served for, it served to hide Kirsten's presence, for its magical aura was thick and only Kirsten knew the tell tale sign of something that didn't belong in it. ''For eternity.. You. Are. MINE!'' she roared before dashing toward the side, attempting to elude Naomi's senses, within seconds her onslaught began, the two huge pincer like bones striking from above, attempting to impale Naomi by her shoulders, while the two others underneath Kirsten's arms went for her hips and finally, Sōru sakenomi was poised to impale the woman's back. 

The boy simply watched as the priests were dispatched. There was internal conflict in his mind. The one who possessed him was happy to see them gone, but the boy himself was horrified. Both emotions canceled each other out, leaving him in a calmed state.

As the other two fled in fear, the boy was tugged away from the battle that had finally erupted. The mask's eyes met the sailor's as he spoke. He held up the whip as a response to the first question, for the daggers had reformed into it.

"I know every part of this place." the boy replied.

His voice and demeanor remained calm and collected, despite the ruckus that ensued.

"...But now is the time to get to your ship, while the demon and the vampire draw everyone's attention."

"Demon?" Eli asked, confused. He shook his head, remembering the boy's reaction to Naomi, and decided to trust his instincts, "Then how do we get back lad? That 'ere bucket is blocked by two fighting wenches, and the starts o' a monsoon. Not to mention the ruckus them lasses 'ave probably stirred up with their bickering. That ship is farther from our sorry hides than Connloath is from peace."

Ye need ta back off!

And why? So you can lock me away again? NO. I'm taking over for good this time around.

"Aggh!" Naomi/Scaidohr yelled. Her face contorted in concentration, now having to fight a war on two fronts.

As the gaping wound sealed itself in Kirsten's chest, Naomi took notice this time. It was there one instant, and gone within the next. Was she immortal? Even to fatal wounds? Suddenly, the bones in the woman sprouted like plants from the earth and a green fog propagated from her lips. It surrounded Naomi and she inevitably took a breath of it in. The gas burned her lungs and made her cough, this can't be good ta breathe.

The dark aura surrounding Naomi notified her of the vampire's impending strike. She hadn't even realized Kirsten had moved. Spinning around, Naomi watched as blows struck the cat. She wasn't controlling it anymore, it was the demon's doing as he tried to protect the body he aimed to overtake. It's destruction could mean his own, and although he hated Naomi with a passion, he couldn't allow her to die.

A hard strike from the right broke the pincer bones off of the cat and altered her trajectory slightly. Naomi turned her body 90 degrees and threw her shoulder into Kirsten, the sword grazing her stomach and the bone spike from her arm barely slipping past her back. Both women were knocked to the ground beside each other. Naomi coughed once again, she had to get out of the fog. Before picking herself off the ground, Naomi took a quick moment to stab Kirsten through the neck, making sure the blade was well implanted into the ground. The pirate knew it wouldn't hold her long, but it'd give her enough time to move away.

She staggered past the edge of the mist, shoving an undead soldier out of the way, who had somehow gotten past Scaidohr's lashing. And it was there she fell to her hands and knees, coughing and gasping. She couldn't deal with both of them. The demon inside her was fighting for possession of her very body, and she needed every ounce of control to take on Kirsten. Everything Naomi did to the vampire seemed as if it didn't faze her in the slightest. If wounds had no effect on her, she wasn't sure what could stop the Neko. This battle would go on forever if the pirate kept slashing. But forever wasn't an option for Naomi. She needed to bring this battle to a close, and before Kirsten succeeded in killing her. But she had no idea how.

Kirsten hit the ground with a thud, the wounds previously inflicted healing in the meantime. Phased by the sudden crash there wasn't much she could do about the impending strike. The sudden scare of choking shot through her as the blade pierced her throat, but despite the feeling being identical, death never claimed her. In a frenzy, she was able to yank the blade free with her foot, tossing it into the water shortly after. The wound closed and Kirsten recollected her blade.

She quickly followed the woman while her undead pawns simply kept coming, smirking as she saw her fatigued appearance ''You cannot hope to outlast me.'' she snapped her finger shortly after, the bones previously damaged reforming ''So.. any last words?'' she simply stepped closer wholly un-concerned about any lashings from Naomi. If she were allowed to get close, she would lift her blade fully intend on returning the favor to Naomi and impale her through her throat.

''So much power and yet it isn't even your own, is it?''

By the gods, wasn't this an interesting fight?

The noise of the battle had reached for blocks around, and now people were rushing to see what the commotion was.  Revvil had been one of the first to arrive at the scene to find the two women fighting.

Upon seeing what was happening, most people fled, not wanting to be anywhere near the violent battle, and those who stayed to watch made sure they were well out of the way.

With the magic and gasses swirling around the women, it took even Revvil, with his enhanced sight, a moment to realize that one of the women was the one who had hired him.  He growled a sigh and shook his head.  She seemed to be losing, as her opponent appeared to be unable to die.  It would be too bad if she were to be killed, as the draconian would be, one again, out of a job.  He didn't want that, but he wasn't going to step in and try to stop the fight or help his-hopefully-new captain win.  He was a good fighter, but he was better at fighting dirty and avoiding fights be talking his way out of them and then stabbing his opponent in the back as they walked away.  Besides, he had no magic he knew of, and he knew when he was outmatched, and there was no way that he would live if he went into that fight now.

Naomi's head pounded as she struggled with the demon. Fingers dug between the cobblestones and her muscles tensed in pain. "He is mine." Naomi spat in response.

She waited for the cat to get close before twisting around to a sitting position. Naomi swiftly brought up her arm, primed pistol in hand, and then pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Kirsten square between the eyes and blew the back of her head out. Naomi's only hope was that brain damage would kill the Neko, and she watched closely as her opponent fell backwards.

Kirsten visually toppled backwards due to the sudden pressure, blood splattering the ground as her body toppled backwards, hitting the ground with a thud, for a few seconds she seemed slain, before throwing herself back up, the hole in her head nowhere to be seen ''I told you; the likes of you cannot slay me.'' she spun up, bringing her blade down on Naomi impaling the woman through her side ''Now... DIE.'' she twisted the blade, forcing it deeper into the woman's body, until it pierced the pavement beneath.

Thinking the fight over, Kirsten dismissed her minions, their wretched corpses falling to dust. ''Do me a favor... And screa-'' she paused, realizing her blade wouldn't budge anymore, frantically she began pulling on the blade, attempting to tear it free, but it would not budge despite all her might What the hell... she thought until a voice thundered through her head.

''Cease this Kirsten!''

As if commanded, Kirsten let go of the blade. Nudging her head to the side as she looked at it.

''This woman's.. magic, is negating our might.''

Kirsten seemed puzzled,  Scratching the back of her head, the bones that emerged from Kirsten began retracting, the sudden distraction and puzzling event causing her rationality to return to her. I barely even remember..

Kirsten looked to Naomi, deciding not to even start about how their argument had escalated so heavily so quickly, she remembered being at the ready, but never really recalled much of the fight. ''Can you tell your demon to let go of my sword..  before they blow each other up or something...'' she smiled coyly, acting as if nothing had happened.

Naomi thought it was over as she stared down the smoking barrel of the gun. The Neko hit the ground with a thud, and she was still. Her brow contracted as she focused her concentration on Scaidohr, attempting to push him back inside before she completely lost control. But just as she got a hold on him, the cat was back on her feet. The pirate's head whipped up and she tried to suck in a quick breath, but the toxins in her lungs blocked most of the oxygen. Pain flared in Naomi's side as Kirsten plunged the sword into her. The ghostly armor absorbed most of the blow, keeping the blade from exiting through her back, but Kirsten fixed that by twisting and pushing the sword through.

"Aggh!" Naomi instinctively grabbed the blade with her hands. She was effectively skewered on her left side, the sword passing between her ribs. Suddenly, she felt something tug inside of her. The violent lashings abruptly stopped, and luckily Kirsten had dismissed her horde at the same time.

Agh! What is this?! Scaidohr scowled inside of her. Let go of me! And it was then Naomi realized what was happening.

The sword, who's familiar aura she had felt before, was somehow pulling on the demon inside the pirate. It had soul binding properties much like her knife used to. If fact, it was incredibly similar to the powers of the knife. Kirsten's sword was tugging on Scaidohr's soul, as it was loose from it's body due to Naomi severing the bond that night. But at the same time, the ritual tied the demon's soul to Naomi's own. Although the sword was free to try and absorb Scaidohr, Naomi was alive, and her soul was still very much attached to her body. It was the magical bond that was causing the demon to tug on Naomi's soul, as he was getting sucked into the black blade. The sturdy binding spell was the only reason he was incapable of being fully absorbed.

Shortly after, Naomi felt something else, another presence, no, several others, but all of the same being. They felt close to her, like Scaidohr. As if they were bonded to her right along with him. What in the stormin sea be goin on? she wondered.

I feel them too. Now get me off of this thing! Scaidohr yelled to Naomi.

The sailor quickly realized she had taken control of the beast inside her again. Her black eyes had returned to normal and the lashings had stopped. Along with this, she noticed the storm was beginning to calm down. She was in control, finally, and it must have been because of the blade that impaled her. It's absorption properties caused Scaidohr to lose his concentration, and Naomi's mind had naturally reasserted dominance. But what was further, she felt as if she were in control of the other beings, the collective consciousness, the sword. It was... alive. And Naomi felt the same threads of magic as Scaidohr's attached to the sword itself. Miraculously, the binding spell had extended to bind the blade to her soul, although she had no idea how or why.

The pirate's body was suddenly pulled upward when Kirsten tried to dislodge the sword from her side. Fresh pain bubbled under her skin as the vampire pulled on the blade again and again, but as if the sword were cemented into a block of concrete, it wouldn't budge. It was fused to Naomi.

The sailor looked up at the Neko who was leaning over her. It was easy to tell Kirsten was just as confused as she was about the situation, and luckily it looked as if the stabbing's puzzling result distracted Kirsten from her previous rage. As much as Naomi didn't understand, however, she did know a few things.

One, was that she was in control of the hold on the blade. Naomi could loosen the strands, and the sword would likely pull free, but she wasn't about to do that until she was sure Kirsten had calmed down to a reasonable level.

The second thing Naomi knew, or was at least decently certain of, was that the two magics were somehow linked. They both possessed soul binding properties, and the dark hum of magic she felt holding the demon inside her was almost identical to the hum of Kirsten's blade. They were twin magics. Forged from the same hands or group, perhaps; their histories were intertwined, and she wondered if there might be other sibling artifacts out there.

Looking up at the vampire, Naomi spoke. "I'll be letting go of yer sword once I knows ye wont be swingin on me with it." She knew Kirsten's power lied in the blade, and it was here that she finally found leverage on the woman.

Kirsten blinked at Naomi's words calmed down? I am calm... she thought, her ears picking up and her demeanor turning much more friendly, almost soft through her relaxed stance, gaze and attitude.

She figured Naomi was simply being cautious and rightfully so.  However she seemed unaware of the second part of the blades curse. "I understand your caution, but that blade dislikes not being in my posession. in-fact it has driven people to suicide before... Like, screaming in your head every minute of every hour.." she shrugged promptly sitting down "I wont turn on you I swear... I.. I'm sorry for whatever happened.."

She was being sincere. She remembered actually being fond of this woman. She still was, but she did not for a moment dare imagine she'd restore the damage, blind pride would always be her challenge. So she simply waited, letting Naomi decide what would happen next.

Naomi gave a grunt when Kirsten mentioned the fact that the sword would put voices in her head. She was definitely familiar with the problems that caused. She narrowed her eyes at Kirsten, unsure if she was trying to pull a bluff or not. It was odd how quickly the cat fell from her rage, but then again, it had only taken one sentence to set her off on that rampage.

As the stormy skies returned to calm, there were only a few lingering people about. Luckily the brewing weather had kept the majority of possible observers at bay, inside their homes and out of sight. But, there were inevitably witnesses to the brawl, and Naomi hoped the incident wouldn't cause any trouble before they left port.

Her mind went back to the vampire and the pirate thought for a minute, then nodded her head. There was no way to tell if Kirsten would attack her again by staring, Naomi would just have to find out. She located the collective presence in her mind and then she commanded the binding spell to let go of it. She felt the magical threads fall away from the sword one by one, and she was careful to keep all of Scaidohr's attached. Gripping the blade, Naomi slowly pulled it out of her, clenching her jaw at the pain. She sucked in a raspy breath and held it. The lungful of toxins she had taken in earlier was still affecting her breathing, and Naomi hoped it wouldn't be long for it to return to normal. As the sword drew out of her, she could also feel the pull of it on her soul as Scaidohr's was forcibly ebbed from the blade.

Slowly but surely, Naomi edged the blade out of her side until the tip was free. Clutching the wound with her hand, she watched Kirsten closely for any sign of betrayal, keeping her ghostly armor active just in case.

Kirsten noted how the area returned to normal, peace returning to the port. When she realized her blade had been freed she wasted no moment in yanking it back and putting it back in its scabbard.

She initially didn't drop a word, having no idea what to say in such a situation. Rarely did it occur that someone survives one of her rage fits, but it seemed that Naomi had either been lucky or skilled.. Kirsten figured it was both.

"I think I'll leave now.. "

She finally spoke, figuring Naomi would despise her now. It wouldn't be strange, even though the fault had been with both. She figured things might have gone differently if she had spoken about her powers. Although that would have been foolish for other reasons.

"I'd help you with that wound but I am a terrible mender." she stated looking down at the woman clutching her side. She wanted to help her but she didn't even know where they would go, nor did she believe Naomi would want her anywhere near her.

"I am sure that other loud mouthed sailor can help you."

She then promptly turned on her heels. She was curious abput what happened between Naomi and her blade, but she had no real reason to worry. Her blade had returned to its original the moment it came free. Besides, she needed to find a new job now, merc work doesn't pay itself after all.

"There are other paths..." The boy solemnly responded.

He knew these alleyways, he knew the docks, and he knew where the ship was. The only thing left was to find a path. For reasons known only to himself, this boy was desperate to board the vessel.

"Come..."

With that, he was off. He moved as quickly as was possible in the driving wind, red cloak flowing like the tail of an animal behind him. He navigated the alleyways with ease, having grown up memorizing their layout. Not once did the boy look back to make sure the man followed.

If a boy could manage, then a man could as well, if he is strong.

The boy exited the network of alleyways at the head of another dock. The ship he needed to board was not connected to this one, but at least this one was clear. He paused only to briefly plan a course on board. At this point, it was assumed that the man was still right behind.

"Keep up..."

The calm lack of emotion in the boy's tone was unfitting of such circumstances. With only the winds and occasional spray of seawater as obstacles, the boy once again broke into a dash. The bright red of his cloak contrasted as the only source of color in the gray misted air.

Coming beside another moored vessel, he slowly trotted up the slippery and buckling gangplank. He squeezed through the panicked sailors on board, and over the debris that the gale deposited on the deck. Quickly making it to the opposite rail, the Coral Star was just across a small stretch of water. In one hand the boy tightly clenched a rope, hanging from the yard and slicked by seawater. He paused, then took some steps back. He seemed almost hesitant to do what he knew he had to.

He ran forward, full speed towards his desired destination. As he did so, the boy changed once again. The cloak shortened into a mantle, composed of white feathers. The mask took the shape of an elegant crane. He hopped up onto the rail, then into the air. White feathers blew in the winds of the storm as he swung on the low-hanging rope. However, it could not take him the entire way over. It was not meant to.

The feather-clad youth released the rope midair. For a moment, he seemed almost... weightless.

Holding his arms out like a bird, he dove towards the deck of the desired ship. With a steady landing and a dexterous roll, he would land safely on the wood. Unfortunately, not everything was destined to go to plan. The moment the youth's luck ran out, a sharp and sudden gust plowed into his side. This altered his decent greatly.

The boy did make it to the Coral Star. However, it was his side that made contact with the hard wooden deck below. He slid sideways, only to be stopped by a large crate on board. He fell unconscious, and reverted back to the red cloak and fox mask he wore previously. He could not even react once the storm had ceased...

"An where ye think yer goin?" Naomi called to the cat. She winced and began to pick herself off the ground while keeping a hand firmly on her side. Red was beginning to seep around her fingers. "I's may not like ye much af'er whats jus happened, but I'd be a damned fool ta not hire someone with yer skills."

Eli swore again, not even bothering to hide it under his breath. Why did everyone run around and never tell anyone else where they were going? Infuriating, it was, and to be honest happened far too often for Eli's liking.

He kept behind the shapeshifting lad, but only barely, as the boy was both young and nimble, both things Eli had lost to time. He was spry for his age, no question about that, but nimble? Perhaps a better word for him thirty years prior. Only upon shoving his way through the angry and afraid crowd of seamen did his height and lean strength benefit him. He didn't squeeze between them so much as power through them on the heels of the boy. The leap he took, however, Eli could not compete with. He simply couldn't make that jump. Luckily, the men around him were transfixed by the battle on the docks, and he could climb the rigging without so much as a complaint from one of them. Upon climbing up to the topgallant mast, Eli did one of the stupidest things he'd ever done in his long life as a sailor. He leapt from the topgallant mast of one ship to the mizzenmast of The Coral Star. He slammed into the taut knotted rope and nearly lost his grip when it flexed and almost sent him flying backwards onto the deck. His hands were slightly rope burned, shaking, and his heart was beating faster than it had for years, but he laughed. He laughed richly, and deeply, before climbing down from his impromptu safety net. Gods he'd probably pulled something, but damn, he'd put himself out there, and done something truly adventurous for the first time in nearly twenty years. It felt good.

Now where was that damned boy? With the storm settling, Eli could assume the battle had concluded, but which of the fighters was victorious he dared not guess. The best course of action would be to hide below decks while it all blew over. He scanned the deck for a few seconds before seeing the limp form of his companion. Swearing, he ran to the boy, checked his vitals, and picked him up. There would be more time to assess wounds when they were in relative safety. Eli, carrying the shapeshifter boy, went through the crew's quarters, and under them, to the cargo deck. Setting the boy down, he began to recheck his heartbeat and the temperature of his skin. So far he was fine, but he was also unconscious. Eli tried to peel back the mask, in an attempt to see if the boy had been hit anywhere on the face and with his other hand checked the crown of his head for bumps or swelling. The mask, however, held strong to the boy's face, and Eli decided it was best not to injure him trying to remove it, in the event that it was somehow attached to him.

The wooden mask reacted to the mans touch. As if by magic, the boy immediately snapped awake. This was shown not by the mask's artwork, but by the boy's sudden movement.

He sat up amongst the cargo, quickly throwing a hand up to the mask. The eyes of the fox mask, although unmoving, found the old sailor's. After the original shock had faded, the boy's hands fell to lay on his side. He let out a light groan of soreness.

Kirsten turned on her heels as Naomi spoke, but she couldn't help but stare at Naomi's side as the blood seeped through her fingers, a primal feeling settling within her mind. Already? she thought, figuring that the fight with Naomi had been more then she had bargained for and thus cost her a lot more energy, because despite her regeneration being infinite, it did cost energy, energy she had to recover at some-point, there had been scenarios where her regeneration had been used so often she couldn't move anymore, all energy used to heal her wounds.

Thus her blood now demanded its dues and Naomi was presenting them to it like some sort of delicious cake. Shaking her head, Kirsten regained control of herself, but the staring had no doubt been noticed. ''I.. eh.. Sure! Lets get you up though.'' she stepped back toward Naomi trying to seem as un-threatening as possible, she didn't want to throw her current employer off further. ''Don't worry.. I am in control.'' another step as she offered her hand toward Naomi, if she took it she would pull the woman up and let her lean on her shoulder, bringing the arm she had taken around her neck.

''Do you know a doctor? Surgeon? that wound needs to be looked at.''

She had best be in control, the pirate thought. Naomi took note of the vampire's stare and reluctantly took her hand, allowing Kirsten to help her up the rest of the way. She shrugged the Neko off when she offered a shoulder, however.

"I be fine," she replied, "Had worse out at sea I have." The wound was bleeding, and it was painful, but luckily it was only a flesh wound. Naomi doubted it had punctured any organs. She unwraped the red cloth from around her head and tied it snuggly around her waist before looking around. Where had that old sailor gone? The young boy was missing too, but she could care less about him, the sailor on the other hand held promise, she knew his experience could be useful and hoped he hadn't fled. She would find out if he was around once they finally set sail.

Her eyes glanced over to the straggling onlookers. Most were ordinary townsfolk with fearful expressions on their faces, but one stood out, and it wasn't just because she recognized the half dragon from the bar either. It was also because he didn't seem to hold that same fearful look. Although Naomi couldn't be certan, draconians were hard to read. She made eye contact with the beast before looking over to the Coral Star. It seemed all her secrets were spilling out faster than she would have liked and that was something that could cost the pirate her prize.

"Let's jus get ta the ship," Naomi spat, she was tired and pissed. Looking over to the half dragon the woman flicked her head so he would know to follow. She might as well include him in the details, knowing he wouldn't be one to go running his mouth to any authority. She also wasn't keen on being alone with Kirsten lest their heads butt again.

Revvil caught the woman's glance, and nodded, disappearing into the quickly dispersing crowd.  He appeared out of an alleyway moments later and followed the two women, quickly catching up to them.

"That was quite a show," he hissed. "Is this going to be a regular sort of thing, or just once in a while?"

He didn't particularly care about the details of the fight, as long as they didn't jeopardize their endeavor any further than they already had.  All the draconian wanted was a place on a pirates ship and gold, so as long as the spat didn't affect that, he was fine with whatever quarrels these women had.

"That's the end of it." Naomi snapped. It'd damned better be. Naomi stormed on towards the boat with the two soon to be sailors in tow. The cold wind blew at her clothing as she climbed the boarding ramp. The storm was dying but it hadn't been long at all since it had started to do so. A quick glance at the skies showed thick grey clouds overhead, and the pirate knew it would probably rain for a good while before things finally blew over. Stepping onto the deck, a sailor standing aboard yelled over to them.

"Oi! Where ya think you lot are goin?"

"Aboard!" Naomi spun and yelled at him. She clinched her jaw when the movement cause pain to flair in her fresh wound. The sailor took two steps forward before recognizing the woman.

"Oh, me apologies miss Vayne." He nodded to the others behind her. "But who be thay?"

"More crew. Balton." She cocked her head when saying his name, in an attempt to signal him to leave them alone so as not to draw attention.

"Ahh," he smiled at the realization and raised a hand to tip his hat at the newcomers. "Welcome aboard mates." Then the sailor walked away.

Naomi huffed and continued to the stairs that led below deck. That baffon obviously hadn't noticed the fight that had just taken place. He probably would have recognized Kirsten if he'd been paying any attention. Likely been too busy drinkin below an' playin cards with his mates. She started down the creaky wooden stairs and into the Coral Star.

Kirsten barely paid the new arrival any mind, his comments barely registering as she looked at his odd appearance. What was a lizard like himself doing here anyway? On second thought, she probably had even less reason to be her for appearance alone, being a cat and all that. Eventually she shrugged and followed Naomi.

She simply greeted the sailor that came toward them with a wave, not wanting to start running her mouth just yet. Even if she wanted to, this fight had gotten her tired and hungry. She hoped whatever Naomi wished to show or talk about didn't take too long, unless they wanted another show of force. Besides, she wasn't going to turn on her anyway, as long as she was paid, she had that much of a code.

Following Naomi she waited until they were beneath the deck and no-one else was around ''So, what's the deal then?'' she simply asked, figuring she'd simply drop the question without risking that one of them might hear something they are not supposed to. Kirsten could so far only guess as to what her plain might be, but she had the distinct impression it might have something to do with taking over.

Naomi looked around and lowered her voice, "The deal be this-" she cut herself short when her eyes landed on two others in the cargo hold. "Well I's be damned." It was the old chap and the young masked boy, Musta ran an takin shelter ere.. "Sailor!" she called to Eli, then flicked her head for him to join them in the secluded corner. "An leave yer mutt where he is." The boy wasn't part of her plans and if he were to learn of it and go spouting a tale after she kicked him off the ship... well that would be problematic.

"Ye finally decided to stop stirrin' the drink like a fuckin' soup bowl out there 'ave ye?" Eli growled in his gravelly undertones. He shifted his gaze to Kirsten, and said too, "And you! Ye ain't gonna be bitchin' out fer no reason again? I know yer a blood sucker an' technically everyday is the bloody time o' the month fer ye, but fer fuck's sake there's a reason women weren't allowed to sail."

When he was done ranting he grumbled to himself and wiped his hands unnecessarily on his pants before standing up. He gestured toward the draconian, and snapped rather bluntly, "The fuck ar' you?" Before an answer could be given, Eli waved it off and centered back on Naomi. He put his hands on his hips like a mother chastising their child, but simply stared for a few seconds over his mustache before sighing, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair. He readjusted his cap and asked, "So what now, then?"

"hmph." Naomi's lips twitched in the direction of a smile. This old sailor had a mouth worse than hers, and it was amusing. She looked over the small group and made sure to check the boy and any other possible eavesdroppers were absent. Turning back, she began.

"Now I's jus gonna be straight with ye. This aint a job fer no law lovers. But that ere much yew shoulda figured out already," she whispered, "The captn of this vessel be a man named Knotley. And I ken assure that there aint but a handful of sailors that actually hold their swords loyal ta the man. He be the worst kinda scoundrel, hoardin pay from the crew and switchin up his deck hands every dockin due to his sailors quittin." She looked between the three to make sure they were paying close attention. "The way I reckon, there gonna be a mutiny sooner or later, and this be a mighty fine boat... It'd be a shame ta let another fool take her over when we could put the ship to some real use."

Naomi took a moment to look around before continuing quietly. "I be tellin ya this cause I trust ye aint gonna go spoutin no tales. I's already gots a good deal o' men backin me on this one. But I need more hands ta be sure it's smooth sailin... And if I'm being honest, ye all'd be mighty handy out on the open waters.. An' I ken promise each of ya an officer position un'er my command." Her eyes grew sterner after this though, "But we gonna make one thing clear right here an now. I am in charge, and each of ya will take me orders when I give em. And if I hears that any one of yew are tryin ta plot anythin behind me back. It aint gonna end well."

"This wouldn'ta been my first buccaneer crew," Eli piped in, "But I don't fancy it on bein' my last either Miss Vayne. I've no problem sailing under authority, mind ye, it's jus' that I don't want any contractual obligation, yeah?"

He gestured ineffectively as he spoke, waving his hand at nothing. He wasn't one for rigid systems, even on his own vessel, and so the freedom to come and go was one he highly valued even if he rarely took advantage of it.

Kirsten simply crossed her arms, raising a brow at Eli's little rant. To her, it meant next to nothing, if he pissed her off he'd learn that he too meant nothing. Turning her attention back to Naomi she simply placed her hands on her hips, listening to her with at-least some signs of interest. She didn't care if she was hired to overthrow the Connoloathian empire, all she cared was that it paid. Mutiny was new to her though, having of-course never been much of a sailor, for less obvious reasons then the people here might think.

''I might be a trouble maker, but I do not break a contract without good reason. Keep shoving money my way and you wont have to worry about me disobeying.'' she shrugged, picking between her fangs with a finger ''That is very literal though, I listen to you'' she nudged her head, as if that would help make her point.

She peeked past them and at the boy, it seemed somewhat strange to her that he was kept out, but she realized quickly after that such a thing was probably because Naomi did not think he was trustworthy, she didn't see a threat in him, but opted to simply adhere to Naomi's wishes and not try to include him, in the end it would be her call.

''So.. my only question is; when?''

"If ye wanna leave next time we take port. So be it. But as long as yer on me vessel you'll obey the contract I set forth. An if this all goes accordin ta plan, we's gonna be gettin rich out on them waters." Naomi turned to the Neko. "That be good, I respect that. And as fer the time we move once she sets sail. Jus wait fer my signal."

The pirate leaned against a cargo box and winced silently. Pain in her side wound was assaulting her again. She really needed to get it patched up. "An what say ye?" Naomi asked, nodding to the Draconian. He had stayed silent and watched the conversation this far. As if he were calculating. He seemed smart, planned things out instead of jumping right in. That made her think he might be a good navigator. Someone who could analyze the trade traffic and plan the most profitable routes would be essential to her crew. She hoped he was in.

The draconian said nothing until he was asked, after all, what was the point of interjecting into a conversation that could just make him more enimies?

"Same as the cat," Revvil answered after the woman spoke. "I'm in it for the money, so I'm in."

His eyes flicked to the wound in her side.  Despite the darkness of the hold, he could clearly see the wound and smell her blood.  "You'd better get that cleaned up," he hissed.  "I'd much rather have ye' as my captain than as my dinner."

The boy watched intently from his seat amongst the cargo. He was silent, trying to hear what he could amongst the mostly hushed chatter. It was not much.
The boy knew that the woman did not want him aboard, and she was definitely the one in charge. He needed to remain on this ship. It was his only way off the island.

The mask changed, driven by desperation. What was needed now was the stealth of the cat...

He waited for the perfect moment, the moment where all attention was away from him. Once he saw his chance, the boy slowly rolled off the crate in which he was sitting. Using the black riding hood to meld in with the darkness, he swiftly and silently disappeared amongst the crates and barrels of the hold.

"Speakin' of," Eli said, pointing a leathery finger at Revvil, "How much is ye gonna be eatin', cuz if yer like the last Draconian I knew, ye'd be eatin' twice, if not thrice the standard ration. That's something ye'll ta be takin' into account, Miss Vayne. And that boy..." Eli turned around, and furrowed his brow in confusion, "Where'd 'e get off to? Any a yous seen the slippery little lad? Faster than a rat bein' chased by a cat, that one."

He shot a sarcastic grin Kirtsen's way, "Implyin' nothin' by that, jus' so ye know."