Spirits of the Earth

Arocraes dropped the coin purse into the greasy palm of the sailor. As his eyes were fixated on the large boat he was about to board, examining the other crew members and passengers, he could sense the piercing glares of the sailor in front of him. "What a bother" Arocraes thought to himself, as he could only assume the sailor was staring at the armor piece covering his arm.

"Whaddaya headed to Adela for, boy?" the sailor asked Arocraes, visibly annoyed for some reason.

Arocraes turned to face the sailor, irritated but doing his best to cover it up by grinning. "Business" he replied, which was true, somewhat. His family had not been getting commissions of late, as their material quality was either sub-par or scarce, leading to increased prices when other blacksmiths could charge less for the same quality merchandise. As a result, Arocraes' father instructed him to head to Adela to gather certain ingredients to create "black iron" as folks in Suna called it, and to observe different blacksmithing techniques. Arocraes, however, was more interested in the prospect of researching fighting techniques to better hone his skills.

The sailor continued to stare into Arocraes' eyes while running his fingers through the gold contained inside the coin purse and counting them inside his head. He then motioned Arocraes to board the ship, who still possessed the disingenuous grin from earlier. He lightly sighed as he boarded the ship, "What a bother" he thought to himself, again. As he was about to step onto the deck of the ship, he could hear the sailor faintly saying, "Be on your toes, pretty boy. Things might get a lil' rocky." Arocraes thought nothing of it and continued walking, still slightly annoyed from his encounter with the sailor.

However, his spirits quickly changed, interested by the other passengers currently on board and prepared to board. He wondered what each of their stories were, and if he would meet someone that could pique his interest even more.

Faelis was positive he wanted to leave Thanatos.

It wasn't that he didn't like the island, in fact, he quite enjoyed it, the lush rainforests, the variety of plants.  There were a lot of people to steal from, and, for the most part, slavery was frowned upon.  Despite making his living as a thief, Faelis despised slavery above most things.

Despite rather enjoying Thanatos, Faelis was leaving.  Why?  Well, there was one little problem, he was being chased by a group of murderous men, all bigger than the Faelis.

The elf had an uncanny knack for annoying the heck out of people, and adding in the fact that most of these people were already criminals, they wouldn't mind to do some killing to get a little revenge.

Faelis was now of to a ship headed to Adela, his pursuers not a day behind him.  In this particular case, Faelis had insulted his red-faced pursuer while they were both drunk.  Now the man and his friends were after Faelis to get even.  it didn't help that Faelis had picked all of their pockets as he left the bar fight which he had started.

Not Faelis was walking up to the man who stood next to the ship's gangplank.  He must have looked quite strange, wearing all black, his long black and gold hair adorned with beads and feather and other pieces of jewelry, as well as many piercings on his face.

"This ship heading for Adela?" Faelis asked, and the man eyed Faelis as the elf smiled at him.

"Aye, it is," he said, offering no more information.

"How much?" Faelis asked, and the man narrowed his eyes as he named a price.  Faelis eyed the man's purse as he handed over the required amount,.  The man's little bag was filled with coins, Faelis could see, and would have stolen it had he not been about to board a ship with the man.

When the man had finished counting the money Faelis had given him, he waved the elf thief up the gangplank, but Faelis waited for a moment, pointing to the mans satchel.

"I'd move that to a safer place if I were you,  you wouldn't want a wily pickpocket to make away with it, would you now?" Faelis winked mischievously at the man before continuing up the gangplank and onto the deck of the ship.

There were many other on the ship, and Faelis made a mental not to find out how much money each of them had before he left.

After stowing his items below decks, Faelis came back onto the deck and looked at the sailors scurrying all over the ratlins and sails as they made way.  Faelis himself had served aboard a ship, a pirate ship, and he had experience with sailing.

Faelis scanned the ship, looking over the passengers, assessing his situation, when his eyes fell upon a young man.  For some strange reason, the man intrigued the elf.  He was wearing all black, and did not look ordinary, but Faelis had seen many strange people, and some of the people on the ship now were rather strange, but all the same, Faelis walked towards the boy.

He walked up next to him and leaned against the rail.

"You have business in Adela?" he asked with a mischievous smile that did not invite trust.

Arocraes turned his attention to the man who had approached him. His smile was inviting and charming, yet, for some reason, Arocraes felt something sinister about it. The aura this man gave off was enchanting yet devious, as if he could convince you you're his best pal right before he steals all your belongings. Arocraes cautiously hovered his right hand over the handle of his katana as he turned his full body toward the man.

"I-I... yes" Arocraes replied cautiously. He was able to analyze this mysterious man even further. He appreciated all of the man's piercings and jewelry, which reminded him of the Thanati that he grew up around. He could tell that the man was well equipped by his appearance, which excited Arocraes in hopes that he could test his fighting abilities with him.

Just as Arocraes opened his mouth to explain what his business in Adela was, the captain of the ship passed by giving orders to nearby sailors. "Bring the rapier to the poop deck and load the cannons, I'm expecting trouble" he barked in a rugged tone to a couple of dirty, sketchy looking crew members. "There's no way I'm letting em have it!"

Arocraes was confused, as he had heard that this ship was strictly a transportation vessel. There were no weapons on the deck, and he didn't notice weaponry around the ship as he was boarding. Furthermore, he was wondering what it could be referring to. He shrugged it off and returned his attention to the man that was still standing beside him, now wondering if he also was questioning the true purpose of the ship.

"I'm looking for some materials" Arocraes suddenly told the man, wondering if he was still curious.

Faelis noticed the young man's discreet hand movement to the pommel of his sword, but made no threatening move towards one of his own many weapons.  His smile grew slightly as the young man answered him hesitantly. 

He also noted the captain giving orders, and the thief wondered what sort of trouble the man was talking about, as well as what itwas.

Though he noticed all of this, he kept his attention on the young man before him.

"Materials?" he said. "You are a crafter?  Of what kind?"

If he wanted to find out more about this young man, perhaps steal from him, perhaps not, he would have to ask simple, non-intrusive answers first.  Go subtly.  One did not win a war simply from the battles.  There was a lot of strategy involved, and Faelis planned to use some of what he knew.  And though he had no intent of hiding his true personality, he would keep his profession a secret, for now.

Arocraes shifted the hand that was still hovering over his blade to his side. He relaxed himself a little. Although he was still not sure if he could trust this man, he didn't think he was in any danger at the moment. Plus, he was captivated by his smile, which for some reason seemed nostalgic as well as alluring.

"I'm a blacksmith" Arocraes replied. "My family owns a shop in Suna, and our specialty is a material locals call 'black iron'" he continued, moving the arm covered with the armor piece made of said material in front of him. He turned his arm over and back, and flicked the armor piece to give this stranger an idea of his craft. "Take a swing at it" Arocraes said while shifting his eyes to the man's torso, with a strong feeling that he was hiding weapons underneath his garment.

Off on the other parts of the ship, the sailors were preparing to embark. The anchor was released and Arocraes could see crew members adjusting sails out the corner of his eye.

Faelis nodded when the young man said he was a blacksmith, and raised an eyebrow as he looked closer at the 'black iron'.

"Very interesting," he said, and when the young man offered for him to strike at his armor, Faelis did.

There was a flash of silver and in less than a heartbeat Faelis had drawn a small dagger and made a strike at the black iron.  Only the elf's arm moved, the rest of his body staying completely still as his dagger hit the iron.

Arocraes' eyes widened as his body slightly recoiled. He did not expect that type of speed from this man, and was thoroughly impressed. As he moved his arm back towards his side, he ran his opposite hand through his hair.

"So what brings you to this ship?" Arocraes asked, being careful with words after witnessing the power this stranger possessed. "Why are going to Adela?" he added as he felt the ship move slightly underneath his feet, as their voyage was just about to begin.

Faelis was impressed with the strength of the armor, although, even if the armor had been weak, the blade would not have punctured it.  Faelis did not want to harm the young man, though he had gotten a good idea of exactly how durable this 'black iron' was.  His smiled grew slightly, but only slightly, kinder as he saw the young man flinch back at his strike.

"I don't live in Thanatos," Faelis replied to the question asked, "or in Adela, I'm a traveler, I wander around, and Adela is my latest destination."  This wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth, either.

"Ah I see" Arocraes halfheartedly replied. He was a little bit disappointed; given this man's appearance and aura he was expecting a much more exciting tale. "What will you do in Adela?" Arocraes asked, hoping he wasn't prying too much.

In the distance, Arocraes could hear the captain of the ship scolding two other sailors for dropping cargo. He wondered what cargo other than the belongings of passengers could be on board before his thoughts quickly returned to the stranger before him. He could feel a presence walk towards him, perhaps the first or second mate of the ship.

Faelis could see the young man's disappointment at his answer.

'Perhaps you will find out the real reason for my departure of Thanatos some day. . .'  Faelis thought, but for now, he simply said, "I'll look for a job, of some sort.  Where are you getting your materials from?"

Just then Faelis saw a man walking up behind the young man, and Faelis judged him to be the First Mate.

"Good day," Faelis said, his smile growing slightly as the man approached.

Arocraes grew even more dissatisfied with this man's neutral response. I guess he's not as interesting as I thought he would be, he thought to himself. 

Arocraes was about to answer the man's question when the First Mate approached.

"Hey.. uhh.. sorry to both you folks but uh... if you wouldn't mind, we need some help moving... cargo... from the bow to the stern. Can ya uh... lend us a hand?" the First Mate said to Arocraes and the stranger. Arocraes studied the man for a second, wondering how he managed to achieve a high ranking among the crew when he seemed so lethargic. Arocraes looked into the distance to see several large crates covered by netting, and then turned towards the stranger, expecting to follow his response. 

Faelis was quite surprised by the First Mate's question, but even more so by his mannerism.  Immediately the elf thief was suspicious, after all, you didn't live long in his line of work by being trusting.

"You don't have enough men to do it yourselves?" Faelis asked, making it quite clear he was questioning the crew's ability.

Arocraes crossed his arms and grinned as the stranger questioned the sailor.

The First Mate smiled slightly, but was clearly irritated. "Oh uh... we are a bit undermanned you see uh... but you will be compensated" the First Mate said, clearly avoiding the question. He then proceeded to point towards a ladder that led further downwards into the boat. "Got some gear to uh... protect yourself down here" the sailor continued, with an increasingly suspicious tone. He then reached for Faelis' arm to guide him towards the ladder without waiting for a reply.

Now Faelis was really not trusting this guy.  He nimbly stepped away as the man reached for his arm, and cocked his head at the first mate, his smile now replaced by a quite cold look.

"I do not ask for compensation," Faelis said mockingly. "But why are you so undermanned that a few of your men cannot carry a few crates?"

And also, why would one need to get protective gear into the hold of a ship?  Unless, of course, there was something strange going on, which Faelis was sure of.

Were these people not actually honest sailors, but pirates?  It seemed a likely scenario, and Faelis looked quickly to the young man next to him to see how he was reacting to all this.

Arocraes grew more amused by the situation. "Also, why ask us? Even if you were truly undermanned there are several other capable passengers on board" Arocraes added, knowing the answer but wanting to coax it from the sailor.

This pair were the only passengers that looked dangerous. The ploy to draw them into the ship's interior away from the rest of the voyagers was a clear trap. However, Arocraes could not understand why the sailor was luring them into it, and if this was a plan generated by the Captain himself.

The sailor was now gritting his teeth, a sign of clear frustration and anger. He looked up towards the Captain, who returned to his duties after making eye contact. The First Mate did not answer either question, but muttered to himself as he walked away. This ship was definitely not just for travel, Arocraes was sure of that, and whatever ulterior motive the crew has involves hurting him, possibly. If they are pirates or smugglers, they surely would not leave precious cargo on the deck of the ship only protected by netting. Whatever is the source to the crew's goal must be hidden with in the ship.

Arocraes turned to the stranger, in hopes that he could find an ally should he find himself in a situation where he needs one. "I never got your name, sir" Arocraes said to the man.

Faelis allowed a small smirk to grow on his face as the young man spoke, and the elf was quite happy with how he handled it.  It was indeed quite strange that the first mate seemed to want to get them out of the way, so now the question was, what for?

When the first mate walked off, grumbling, Faelis turned to smile at the young man, and this time it was more genuine.

"Faelis," he said when his name was asked, though he offered no last name.  "What's your name?"

Arocraes pulled his eyes away from the man and looked at the ladder that led further down in the ship. "Call me Arocraes" he replied to Faelis as he began to move forward. "It's nice to meet you, and I hope it can stay that way" he added as he reached the beginning of the ladder.

Arocraes returned his eyes to Faelis'. "Why don't we have a little adventure?" Arocraes said to him, heading down the ladder anyway.

Faelis nodded, and his smile once again became mischievous as Arocraes headed for the ladder and spoke again. 

"An adventure?  It would be my pleasure."  And he followed the young man down the ladder and into the hold of the ship, his many daggers ready to be drawn at any moment

At the end of the ladder they encountered a narrow corridor, with several closed doors on the adjacent sides and no indication of anyone present at the moment. It already seemed suspicious. At the end of the hallway was a door that was slightly cracked open, followed by a dimming yellow light.

Arocraes marched on forward, drawing his katana. Midway through the hallway, a door creaked open with three armed sailors following suit. Arocraes paused before asking "What is going on?"

As they walked down the hallway, Faelis listed intently for any noise besides the sounds of Arocraes's footsteps, and while he heard some scuffling behind the doors, he couldn't tell if it was the rats or something else.

He heard the men on the other side of the door as it opened, and he narrowed his eyes at them as they emerged and Arocraes, who was in front of him, questioned them.

The men looked at each other, as if silently asking each other what they should do.  it seemed as if they had wanted Faelis and Arocraes to come down here, but not without the first mate.

"Well?" Faelis said, his voice surprisingly dangerous. "My friend here asked you a question, would you like to answer him, perhaps?"

Arocraes turned towards Faelis. He took quite a liking to him. The thoughts he had before of not knowing whether or not to trust him never completely went away, but rather faded into the background of his racing mind.

One of the sailors was about to speak, before shutting his mouth and looking past the Arocraes and Faelis. Arocraes turned around to see what they were staring at, finding a silhouette of two men slowly approaching.
"Gentlemen, this is quite the misunderstanding" one of the silhouettes said as it drew closer, revealing to be the loud and rugged Captain that Arocraes notices before, this time adopting a softer tone of voice. Alongside him was the curious First Mate.

"Then let it become an understanding" Arocraes cheekily replied, "Tell us what is going on." The Captain sighed and said "I am Captain Duval and you onboard an Adelan reconnaissance ship. Our intent to disguise the vessel as a simple transportation ship is a necessary disguise."

Arocraes shifted his eyes to the armed sailors, wondering why they were equipped with weapons if this situation truly was a 'misunderstanding.'

"We've been hearing reports of piracy all over Hivan Ocean" the Captain continued "While both the Thanati and Adelan governments have made efforts to quell their efforts, one particular pirate organization, The Daughters, have been unstoppable." Captain Duval then proceeded to put his hand in front of Faelis. "We wanted to bring you two down here to see if you could be trusted, and if your fighting prowess could help us should we need it." Captain Duval moved his eyes to his hand, with a cold stern look.

Faelis raised an eyebrow at the captain as he approached, and he once again admired Arocraes as he spoke to the captain.

As the captain explained, Faelis watched him, but also kept an eye on the men around them, and when the captain mentioned 'The Daughters' Faeli held back a smirk.  He had met the leaders of that group before, a group of very independant and strong women, and even served, briefly, with them.  His captain had had to make an agreement with The Daughters, and while Faelis admired them, some of their methods were a little, well, bloody for Faelis's taste.

Faelis once again raised an eyebrow at the captain's extended hand.  "Do you expect me to give you my weapons?" he asked, his voice hard again.

"I expect you to do as you please" Duval said, "you are capable of making your own decisions; I just hope it is the correct one for your sake and ours." Duval's expression grew more suspicious. It was not as if Arocraes did not believe the man's ties to Adela, but rather his distrust stemmed from the Captain's plans with Faelis and himself. "Ok..." Arocraes began to reply "but given the situation it seems like you're hardly giving us a choice."

Duval did not acknowledge Arocraes' comments, but rather he seemed tired and disappointed at the progress he made with the two travelers. "Why don't we put you two to a test to see if you're even worthy of helping Adela" Captain Duval said as he turned his back walking towards the direction he came from. As he withdrew from the situation, two other sailors formerly residing in a nearby room replaced the captain, all of whom now had their weapons drawn. There were now a total of six sailors surrounding Faelis and Arocraes. "If you can defeat this bunch then maybe your talents are worth recruiting" the Captain said one last time before ascending to the upper part of the ship.

Arocraes drew his katana just as one sailor lunged forward, while three sailors made way for Faelis.

Faelis sighed as the captain turned and walked away, the two other men emerging into the hall.

As the three sailors lunged for him he dropped into a fighting stance and two daggers were in his hands before the first sailor reached him.  The elf parried the man's sword, dodging around another and ducking away from the third.  He stepped around one of the men and threw his dagger.  The hilt of the weapon hit one sailor's hand.  Hard.  He nearly dropped his weapon, but not quite.  Taking advantage of the man's distraction, Faleis leaped over and dashed the hilt of yet another of his daggers on the man's temple.

The sailor fell to the floor, unconscious.  Faelis turned to the two men left fighting him, but glanced past them to Arocraes to see how the boy was doing, and if he needed any help.

Arocraes dodged the sailors first attack, where he then spun around and aimed for the back of his target's legs with the hilt of his katana, drawing the man to the floor. The man was disoriented from the fall, where Arocraes then kicked the man across the head to knock him out. He glanced over to Faelis, witnessing him dismantle one of the sailors attacking him.

The two remaining sailors dashed for Arocraes who, before the sailors could even realize, knocked their weapons out of their hands with a single swing of his katana. He then brought the long katana up to both of their necks, forcing them to surrender. Arocraes tilted his head so he could view Faelis out of corner of his eye. "That's okay take your time, I've got all day" he cheekily said to Faelis.

The young man was doing fine.

As Arocraes brought his blade to the two men's throats and spoke, Faelis smirked.  Not only brave, but cheeky as well.  The thief was really starting to like the kid.

Though he couldn't stay behind for long.

He threw another dagger, which hit one man on the temple, sending him to the ground, and then with yet another sliver dagger, Faelis blocked the last man's sword and slid his blade down until the two were hilt-to-hilt.

There was a moment of stillness as the man tried to push back, and now it was Faelis's turn to smirk.

"You've lost." and the thief twisted his blade around, twisting the other man's sword from his grasp, and in a split second, the elf's blade was at the man's throat.

"I think I'll just ride a dragon to Adela next time" Arocraes joked, growing more comfortable around Faelis. "Now then" he continued, "why don't you bring us to your Captain?" Arocraes hadn't decided if he could trust Duval yet nor if he would help, but given the situation he thought he and Faelis had no other choice but to play along until they reach their destination.

Arocraes punched one of the sailors in front of him square in the chin and smacked the other with the arm covered in metal armor, knocking both of them unconscious. He motioned the sailor subdued by Faelis to lead on while he sheathed his katana. He walked close to Faelis, whispering "What's our next move?" As they continued along the corridor, Arocraes looked towards where the ladder used to enter the hallway stood. There was only a little bit of light shining down on the floor, dimming as time grew on. It must be dusk Arocraes thought as he wondered about the other passengers and their safety if Captain Duval's story holds true.

Faelis gave the sailor a push when he didn't start walking right away, as when he did, Faelis leaned in to answer Arocraes so the sailor wouldn't hear his reply.

"We'll just see where it goes," he said.  That was often the elf's plan of action, see what happens and play along, or fight back.  It seemed like a good time to just go with the flow and see what happens.

They climbed the ladder and onto the deck.  It was empty of other passengers, and while the other sailors gave them looks, they did nothing to stop them.  They must have been told.  Faelis headed for the poop deck, for the captain's cabin was stationed underneath it.  When they got there, the elf knocked on the wooden door and waited for an answer.

Arocraes nodded his head at Faelis' reply. Indeed he was right, the situation was still murky. Arocraes followed Faelis closely, antsy and ready to protect his new companion, would he need protection.

Captain Duval swung the door open and did not make eye contact with either Faelis or Arocraes. "Come in" he said in a monotonous, rugged voice. Inside the cabin lie presumably three rooms, where two closed doors appeared several meters in front of Arocraes. In the immediate open space, a big circular table with a map of the Hivan Ocean was located in the middle of the room. Several chairs and racks filled with weapons cluttered the room, as well as stacks of crates with who knows what inside of them. As Faelis and Arocraes walked inside the room, the sailor guiding the two shut the door behind them.

Standing next to the table was a man clad in heavy, red and black armor. Is he a knight of Adela? Arocraes thought to himself. If he was, Duval's story would certainly check out. "Hello" the man said, "I am Lord Sarian."

"Lord Sarian is a knight who has devoted a great chunk of his lifetime to Adelan national security issues" Captain Duval interrupted. "As I've told you before, The Daughters are our target. They have grown to be significantly more dangerous and bloodthirsty over the past few months. Every report we have gotten--and there have been a lot--the victims have experienced severe rain storms and intense wave action. We believe this is because The Daughters have stolen an artifact that controls weather."

Arocraes could hear rain beginning to fall elsewhere on the boat. He could hear the motions of sailors as they prepared for possible harsher rain and to maneuver the boat so that it remains stable amid the weather.

"Heaven's Orb is what people call it" Lord Sarien added. "For some reason they have been brutally slaughtering passengers of ships they plunder. They have become far too dangerous for the Adelan navy to not get itself involved. However, we can't unleash an all out assault because of their ability to hide and evade sea battles. That is why we disguised ourselves as an ordinary transport ship with an extraordinary piece of cargo."

"Using civilians as bait is disgusting" Arocraes said, growing infuriated.

"Think what you will, but we are doing this to save many more lives" Captain Duval said as he took over the explanation. "The Daughters are after a similar artifact that can control the movement of the plates located inside the earth, otherwise known as Hell's Orb. We are in possession of it. Our plan is to draw them out and put an end to their operation, and your help is crucial in our success."

Arocraes turned to Faelis to hear his response as Duval wrapped up his explanation.

When they entered the room, Faelis looked over the armored man very closely, trying to get an idea of who he was and gather any more potential information.

As he and the captain explained, the elven thief listened with his arms crossed.  He was not ready to trust anything that these men said, at least not yet.

When the men had finished explaining, Faelis stood for a moment in silence.  "First off," the Elf begain. "Why so you need passengers to be your bait?  Why not just use regular cargo?  And second, how come you need us specifically?  It would have been easier to hire a few well-trained mercenaries to do this with you instead.  And while you know we can fight, you cannot simply trust us just like that."

"That would work against normal pirates, but these ones look to kill" Captain Duval said as he grit his teeth, presumably angered by the mere thought of the pirate organization. It was probably not out of sympathy for the lives lost, Arocraes thought, but rather at the fact that he has not been able to catch and defeat The Daughters yet. "The easier and weaker the target, the more likely they'll attack" Duval continued, "the majority of incident reports involve ships carrying a decent amount of civilian passengers rather than military vessels or ships that carry strictly cargo. This orb is not only an insurance to make sure they target us, but also a device that could help us should we find ourselves too deep in trouble."

Arocraes looked to Faelis.

The door swung open as two sailors brought in a seemingly heavy, yet small crate. One of the sailors was the one who led Arocraes and Faelis to the Captain. The sailors dropped the crate gently in the corner of the room.

"We don't need you" Duval continued in an aggressive and harsh tone, "You two just happened to board our lovely ship. Heavily armed--for some reason--boarding a ship we intentionally baited for The Daughters, we have no idea who you are and if we can trust you." Duval began to squint at Faelis, coursing his eyes around his torso analyzing his attire. "If you do turn out to be accomplices of The Daughters, we'll cut you down and cut you down easy. If not, then you better prepare yourself, because they won't spare anyone if they have their way. Regardless of who your allegiances belong to, your death is inevitable unless you follow us."

Arocraes smirked. He didn't think this Captain was very wise. If Arocraes and Faelis did turn out to be working for the pirates, they could easily betray the Captain--unless his intent was to attack the duo all along. Still, he did seem somewhat desperate for help, so perhaps all the Captain does want is men who are more capable of fighting than his sailors.

Lord Sarien's expression grew grim all of a sudden. Arocraes turned to him and analyzed his face. He wondered if he had lost someone special to these pirates. His face seemed to bear a burden of guilt, but Arocraes turned away and did not bother thinking about the man's history anymore.

"We're beginning to head into dangerous waters, so I suggest that--" Captain Duval began before he was interrupted by a sailor. "There is a ship coming from the Northeast" he said in between breaths, "hoisting a flag of a rapier through an apple." Duval nodded, as Arocraes assumed a battle was about to ensue.

Faelis smirked when the captain said what he would do should they betray them, he doubted cutting them down would be so easy.

When the sailors brought the crate into the room, Faelis eyed it, though didn't say anything.

"We'd better get out there, then," the elf said calmly when the sailor burst into the room, out of breath. "The Daughter's flag has that insignia."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and left the cabin.  He stepped out onto the deck, the wind whipping his hair around his head as heavy raindrops splattered down.  The elf looked out over the sea and a small smirk grew on his face as he saw the faint outline of another ship in the distance, barely visible through the rain without a telescope.

Arocraes followed Faelis as the Captain soon trailed both of them. The sailors were quite busy, bringing out cannons and weaponry preparing for a battle. The Captain barked orders to his men, as all the passengers presumably tucked away in rooms beneath the deck. Arocraes wondered how safe this was, and grew even more angered at how easily the Captain could put civilians under so much risk.

Waves grew more intense and the wind picked up quite a bit. Luckily with Arocraes' wind magic, he would be able to counter intense wind patterns in the vicinity around him. He was not nearly powerful enough to protect the whole vessel, however.

Lord Sarian emerged from the Captain's cabin, appearing more stern and confident than from moments before, with the First Mate by his side. "Do not engage in combat" he shouted boldly to the sailors. The Captain twisted his head, red with anger that someone else was commanding his men. "They are trying to make us anxious; they will undoubtedly try to negotiate with us first."

Arocraes shook his head in confusion. The Captain's explanation of The Daughters were that they were bloodthirsty and practically inhuman, why would they want to speak first? Arocraes thought. Perhaps the artifact that was used as bait was the primary objective for the pirates. Regardless, the Captain and the Lord seemed to be at odds, with Duval fuming with anger but restraining from saying a single word.

The sailors complied with Lord Sarian's request, and Arocraes stood near Faelis as the approaching ship grew closer, not attacking as the Lord predicted.

Aboard the opposing ship were a multitude of women dressed in red headscarves covering everything except the eyes and the bridge of the nose. Additionally they wore dark brown leggings with plate boots extending to below their knees and baggy shirts with multiple straps containing pouches carrying presumably things Arocraes did want to know. Many carried either rapiers or scimitars along their belts.

As the ship drew adjacent to them, a wooden bridge was extended where a woman and two of her subordinates walked over and onto the ship Arocraes and Faelis were boarded on. She was the only one not scarved, and Arocraes was immediately captivated by her. She had tanned brown skin with big green eyes, with a couple scares running through her right cheek and a long one running through her left eye. Her hair was light brown and wavy, with messy bangs complementing her already rugged appearance.

She walked confidently towards Captain Duval, stepping right in front of him without saying a word, as if expecting him to initiate conversation.

Faelis watched the Captain's reaction to the lord's orders with interest, but he made no comment. 


As the woman walked up to Captain Duval, she glanced over at Faelis, and raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch upon seeing him, only to bring her gaze snapping back to the captain.

"Well?" she said after a moment. "You do have the second Orb, don't you?"

Faelis glanced at the captain, wondering what he would do.  Would he attack?  There didn't seem to be much point in lying to the woman, for no matter what he said she would search the ship, weather she was invited to or not.  Faelis wasn't sure if he wanted there to be a fight, for it seemed that Captain Duval and his crew was surely lose, for while many underestimated the fighting prowess of the Daughter's crew, Faelis knew their true power and deadly skill.

The Captain snorted and spit on the ground next to the woman. "I do, and you have something that belongs to me, don't you?" Duval replied, growing visibly more angry every second. Arocraes didn't remember the Captain saying that he was the owner of the orbs. Perhaps I was too uninterested in the old fool's words Arocraes qualified.

"I'll give you one chance to hand it over and leave without a scratch" the Captain continued, "otherwise my men will just slaughter you band of whores." The woman and her subordinates laughed uncontrollably, presumably seeing no threat in the small group before them. "Very well" the Captain began, before a sword pierced through his back and out of his stomach. Duval looked down at the bloodied blade, before it was ripped backwards out of him and he collapsed to the ground with a pool of blood rapidly growing in size around him.

Lord Sarian appeared behind the Captain and raised his hand up with the bloodied sword in his opposite hand. Suddenly, several of the pirates including the First Mate began attacking fellow sailors. It was a mutiny it seemed. Arocraes analyzed Lord Sarian. He looked radiant and confident, with a straight face that could not break. "The crew on both these ships and the passengers should be just enough of a sacrifice to conjure him." The way he said him sounded eerie, and drew even more questions.

At this point Arocraes drew his sword, having no idea who to trust or whose side he was on. He thought about the passengers, and how saving the civilians should be his first priority. The pirates still did not draw their weapons, nor looked shock, as if they were expecting this outcome.

Arocraes looked to Faelis, as the woman seemed to recognize him.

The candle flickered on the edge of the long desk, as it struggled to save it's life. Lighting any wax it could to prolong the inevitable. Mythica sat across from it, her legs crossed over one another as they lied upon the edge of the large table. The ship creaked a moaned as the girl had a rather board expression on her face, looking through old ledgers, letters, maps and various other documents that were spread across the table in front of her. She gave a sigh, only confirming the feelings she didn't speak.

It was only when she noticed the rain she looked up from the papers out the window of the captain's cabin. The weather had gotten rather stormy in a short period of time. The captain smirked, knowing what it meant. No natural storm would come upon them this fast... And Soulscar new SHE wasn't the cause of the unnatural whether.

Suddenly, she was rudely interrupted by her first mate, a tall, muscular man with tattooed arms and neck. He busted through the double doors of the hull, seeming rather excited.

"We have them cap'n. The daughters lead us straight to our prize..." He said with a grin.

Mythica only returned his smile with one of her own. She flopped the papers on the desk and stood up, flipping her rose feathered hat on her head. "Splendid. Get the crew ready."

"Already on it, we await your orders. We've spotted them, and it doesn't seem like they've noticed us yet."

Mythica took the information with a nod as she walked past him onto the Seraph's Requiem's deck. The rain pelted down hard as various sailors scurried around, all performing their duties. Cannons were being hoisted onto the deck, and stray cargo were being rolled into the deck. The white haired girl gazed up at the sails, the flag depicting a skeletal music note flapped above. It wouldn't be long until the other pirates noticed them, so they needed to be ready. She adjusted her cutlass and quickly ran up the stairs to the ship's wheel. The navigator stepped aside without saying a word as she took control. Her first mate trailing her.

Off in the distance she observed the two ships. One looked like a merchant vessel, the other was a ship belonging to the pirate organization known as the "Daughters." The captain simply scoffed when she thought about them. She had definitely received an invitation to join their syndicate before, but the girl couldn't stand taking orders from anyone else. She preferred to stay independent, which in turn had put the Seraph's Requiem on bad terms with the female group.

"Cap'n Soulscar! It seems fighting has broken out between the ships! They have what we're looking for!" The first mate yelled over the wind as the girl stared intently at the scene. She could see flashes of explosions between the two ships. He looked over at her with his arms crossed as the rain whipped past them.

"Shall I give the order to engage?" Mythica stared at the battle for a few more seconds before giving an answer, a sly smile across her lip. "No. Let them squabble. It'll make our job that much easier when they've killed each other off." She knew that while they'd be fighting each other they probably wouldn't notice the grey sailed ship in the distance... Waiting for the time to strike.

Two sailors dashed for Arocraes, separating him from Faelis. He was surrounded by sailors who were loyal to Sarian. "Kill the boy" Lord Sarian shouted from afar as he tossed Duval's unconscious body off the ship and into the water.

The woman and some of her crew infiltrated the vessel while their own ship retreaded some distance, presumably to aid from afar. She and her sailors began to combat Sarian's troops, having no trouble defeating them as Sarian stalled in providing his own aid. After a while he crept up in front of the woman with his towering presence and greatsword in hand. "No one will take his gems" he said as he got into a fighting stance. The woman scoffed and said "All men are the same" before engaging in battle with Lord Sarian.

Back at Arocraes' location he was busy dodging and maneuvering around the strikes from the sailors. Although he had no trouble fighting them and could surely kill them with a few swings of his katana, he wanted to assure to safety of the civilians first. After one sailor locked blades with Arocraes, he spun around his leg to trip him and rolled backwards, preparing a wind spell from his katana that would knock back anyone in front of him to the ground. After unleashing the spell he made a run for a ladder that would lead further inwards and hopefully to the location of the passengers.

Upon heading further into the vessel, Arocraes frantically searched through the ship for any signs of civilian life with no success. Rooms meant to be occupied by travelers were completely vacant with no evidence of anyone having recently stayed there. Suddenly, he heard the cries of an infant in the distance and ran to the location or the source. Upon reaching a dark corner of the ship with a large door, Arocraes sheathed his sword assuming that he would not need to use it. As he opened the heavy door he saw a grotesque image of lines of innocents sitting over each other in a cramped room, confused and scared. As Arocraes mustered up the courage to speak to them and assure them their safety, an explosion occurred right before his eyes as a cannonball shot through the side of the ship, killing more than half of the passengers upon impact.

Arocraes froze in shock, his eyes almost bulging out of his skull and his mouth draped open. Just then a second cannonball shot through the same hole that was created by the initial one, creating another explosion that surely killed the rest of the passengers. Arocraes dropped to his knees as he stared at the corpses in from of him. These civilians were gathered like sheep to be murdered for the sake of an orb, dying before Arocraes had the chance to even help them. Arocraes' body shivered as he was overcome with guilt. He stood up and headed back the way he came, back to the deck.

Faelis was quite surprised when Lord Sarian would betray the captain, but the thief wasted no time worrying.  As the fight broke out, the elf did not join in.  He wanted to get a good idea of what was going on.

He looked over to where Arocraes had been, but the boy was no where to be seen.  Faelis stopped for a second, wondering if he should go find the young man or continue on where he was going.  He decided that Arocraes would have to fend for himself, not that Faelis had any doubt that he could.

The elf ran along the deck and climbed the rat lines up the main mast.  In the wind and rain, it was not an idea position, but it gave him a good chance to see what was happening.  As he reached the top, the ship shook, once, then again.  Cannonballs.  Faelis couldn't worry about that now.  The Daughters' crew had joined in the battle, but  it was hard to tell which of the sailors were good or bad.  There seemed to be three sides to the battle.  Getting a good idea of where he should be, Faelis turned around and was about to climb down when his sharp eyes glimpsed something in the distance.  A sail.

There was another ship approaching.

Just what they needed.

Faelis swung down the rat lines down to the deck, shouting that another ship was coming.  Though everyone seemed to hear, they continued to fight.  Faelis looked around for Arocraes, then decided to go below decks to see if the passengers were alright.

He went down and checked all the rooms, but found no one.  He continued on, until he saw Arocraes walking towards him, a look of shock on his face.

For the first time yet, a snake of worry slithered down his spine.  He rushed forward.  "What happened?"  He said, looking intently at the boy's face.

Arocraes' unwillingly kept replaying the event that occurred in his mind, over and over again. The blood of so many innocents--men, women, and children who were just looking to travelling across the ocean--scattered across the room as dreams and hopes were shattered before him. Arocraes did not even notice Faelis for a moment. He was overcome with guilt that he could not do anything to protect them.

When he finally grasped the reality of the situation, Arocraes felt a calming chill go through his body. He closed his eyes and smiled. This just shows that I need to grow stronger he thought, I can't afford to be so weak anymore. It was then he took in Faelis' question, and told him about the situation. "The passengers were going to be used for some sacrifice" he told him, "but they were killed regardless. Cannonballs and explosive rounds shot through to where the Captain stored them, like animals." The 'test' the Captain wanted to put Arocraes and Faelis through was merely just a way to round up the passengers with limited resistance by distracting the only two capable fighters on board it seemed.

"We should find that orb" Arocraes added. "Do you think Adelan bars would accept shiny, magical, weather-changing trinkets as payment? I'm running short on gold" he joked, desperately trying to push the scene he witnessed to the back of his mind. "Has anything changed up there?" Arocraes asked, referring to the deck.

Faeli listened to Arocraes and he could feel the anger swelling in his chest.  He could see how much this hurt Arocraes, and Faelis was starting to feel his anger grow even stronger.  His anger at Lord Sarian for doing this to these people.

It was nothing new to Faelis, he had seen death many times, but now, with so many innocents dead, and a battle going on right above his head, his anger was over taking his sadness.

'Not now,' he thought. 'Not now!'  It would not be a good time for him to go into one of his rage attacks, but he could feel it coming.  Often he could hold it down, but when he couldn't innocents could be harmed.

He took a few deep breaths, and he next spoke through gritted teeth. "They would have died anyway," he said, trying to calm himself. "If it wasn't by the cannonball, it would have been by a more terrible means."

He looked at Arocraes.  "You have to get away from me," he said, and he could barely hold it back. "I won't be able to stop myself.  I could hurt you."

He couldn't trust himself near the young man.  For all of Arocraes skill, Faelis, in his rage, would be unpredictable and deadly.

Faelis' words reassured Arocraes a little bit. He noticed him getting angrier at the thought of the scene Arocraes described, and grew to admire the man even more.

"What do you mean?" Arocraes asked Faelis as his rage grew. He wanted to reach out to the man and help him, perhaps comfort him. He grew fond of Faelis and felt quite similar to him, but he also understood that he was far more skilled than himself, and ran looking for a ladder to head up to the deck without waiting for a reply. "I'm sure he'll be fine" Arocraes whispered to himself, not knowing what Faelis would do next.

When Arocraes reached the deck, fighting continued as The Daughters began to have more trouble against the sailors than before. He did not want to aid either side, so he reached for higher ground to see if there were any nearby islands or ships that he could escape to for the time being. While searching for a way to access a highpoint on the ship, he noticed a fallen sailor carrying a spyglass. Arocraes picked it up and began frantically searching for anything in the distance, when he noticed a white haired girl on board a grey ship.

Once Arocrawes left, Faelis was able to let go.  With no people around, there wasn't much he could do, or he could harm.

His rage completely blinded him, and a deadly calm fell over him as he stood there, the real Faelis almost completely gone.  He spun around, and there were four thuds in rapid succession.  His daggers were stuck in the opposite wall.

There was enough of Faleis left to stop himself from going above decks, so instead he stood in the hallway, his dangers studding the walls around him, until his anger ebbed away.  When Faelis had regained himself, he looked around, glad that the walls were the only things he had harmed.  Sure that he could be trusted with his own weapons, he pulled them from the wall.

He climbed up the ladder to see the battle still in full swing, and to see Arocraes looking through a spyglass out to sea.  He walked over to the young man.  He would have to tell him what happened later, but for now he stepped up next to Arocraes.

"I didn't tell you about the ship," the elf said. "But I'm sure they're up to no good."

Then one of the pirates attacked.  Faelis blocked her blow, but she was skilled, and they traded blows, until they were separated by the battle.  Faelis decided to fight the pirates.  He didn't know which sailors had betrayed their captain, so he decided fighting the pirates would be a good place to start.

Arocraes tucked the spyglass into one of his pockets. He watched Faelis take on several pirates as a messy battle ensued between three groups. They want to secure the ship before taking the orb Arocraes deduced perhaps mishandling could lead to its activation and the death of us all. Arocares headed for the Captain's cabin. The crate left behind by the sailors must contain the orb, though the Captain did not explicitly say it it seemed like he wanted to make it obvious.

Arocraes weaved in between strikes, blessed by his mobility and agility. He forced the door to the cabin open by producing a blunt force wind, where three sailors were guarding the crate. He dashed straight forward and sliced the one furthest to the left along the belly. With insufficient armor to protect him, his guts spilled to the floor. The other two sailors attacked Arocraes immediately thereafter, where he blocked each strike with his left arm and, in one motion, spun around and cut each of their necks. Arocraes then broke open the crate, revealing a scarlet red orb the size of an average person's head that pulsed every second. Arocraes produced a pocket of wind to surround the orb to serve as a buffer should it fall.

He took it in his left arm with his katana still wielded in his right, walking slowly out the door he came from, knowing that everyone would turn their attention to the orb. Sarian stopped in his attacks as he ordered his men to continue fighting, as the women leading the daughters did the same. Sarian and the woman disengaged and approached Arocraes. He was hoping the nearby ship would begin to draw close to him so he could escape with the orb.

"Hand that over, you idiot" Sarian barked. Arocraes grinned as his eyes searched for Faelis. He knew he was practically invulnerable while carrying the orb, as no one would want to cause a cataclysmic event. "You're the boy who was accompanying Faelis, weren't you?" the woman asked in a far more gentle tone than before. "My name is Danica Silverspoon, head of The Daughters and Captain of the Eden" she said referring to her ship. "What you're holding can be very dangerous if fallen into the wrong hands so please, hand it over" she continued, now standing about 20 meters away from Sarian. "That brute Sarian would want to kill us all to unlock its power."

Arocraes stood still thinking carefully of what to say. "Or I could just use this to kill you all and be done with this" Arocraes said boldly. He had no idea how to work the orb, and they probably knew that too, but he had to appear confident for the time being as he had the upper hand.

Faelis continue to fight, even when he saw Arocraes go into the captain's cabin.  The elf could see the other ship getting slightly nearer, but he assumed that they would wait for the battle to be over before they came.  They were probably more pirates, waiting for a battle to end before coming in and taking whatever was left behind.

However, when he came out, the orb under his arm, Faelis made his way towards him.  He was nearly there when the Lord and the pirate captain reached Arocraes and started to speak with him.

Faelis came up behind Arocraes, but said nothing, waiting to see what would happen.  When Captain Danica saw him, she smiled.  "Ah, Faelis," she said.  "It's been too long.  You know me, so why don't you just tell the Boy to hand over the orb."

Faelis chuckled.  "Not likely, my dear.  I'm not on your side of this battle, I'm afraid."

"Faelis, you know that my pirates will win this battle," Danica said. "Just join me now, wasn't it fun last time?  Don't let the orb fall into the hands of this bufoon." She motioned to Lord Sarian.

"Don't worry, I won't," Faelis said.  "But you won't get it either.  If you did, no good would come of it."

As the Seraph's Requiem slowly drifted closer to the two boats, Mythica knew now that they had most likely been noticed... But that was alright. She didn't need any amount of stealth to acheive her goal... Unlike she had been using before. She found it odd that the Daughter's flagship, one she could only assume was known as the "Eden" had no idea the Seraph was tailing them for many days. Although, her ship was completely concealed by a vast cloud of fog until now, so her Leviathan magic came in handy.

She let go of the ship's wheel, and leaned against the railing. Mythica quickly took a spyglass from her first mate, and used it to observe the scene. The fighting had momentarily stopped, and it seemed the pirates were speaking to the sailors. One sailor in particular caught her eye... As he was holding a scarlet red object. She smirked knowing exactly what it was.

"If they don't know who I am, then they don't know what I'm here for." Mythica said with a sneer to the pirate standing next to her. "Although, I'm sure Danica remembers the Seraph... And me..." She said quietly before putting the spyglass down. "Nice to see you again old friend." she whispered under her breath. "But I'm afraid that orb doesn't belong in the reaches of man.."

Danica snarled at Faelis' response. "Enough" Sarian said, "hand it over." Arocraes knew, however, they still would not try and take it with force. They couldn't stay there forever, especially since the ship was damaged from cannonball shots. They had to escape and try to reach the foreign ship lurkin nearby, wherever it may be. Had Arocraes known how to use the orb, they'd might be able to escape but they were surrounded and had to improvise.

"I hope you know how to swim" Arocraes said to Faelis with a smirk. He sent a wind blast in the direction of the pirate captain, and set off for the edge of ship, ducking and diving underneath sailors and pirates attempting to carefully grab him. He jumped off the ledge of the ship expecting Faelis to be trailing and created an air pocket the moment before he landed in the water, generating a small air bubble that would give both men enough air for about an hour. Arocraes' goal was to swim underwater and undetected until they were relatively far from the ship, hoping to be picked up by the nearby grey vessel.

Faelis was not quite sure what Arocraes meant, but he found himself trusting the young man.  The elf darted after Arocraes, dodging the blades of those trying to stop him and leaping over the rail.  But rather than landing in the water, he found himself in a bubble of air.  He smiled at Arocraes.  Wind magic, or something of a similar type.

"We should go to the other ship," he said. "But they are probably also pirates, and will probably either kill us or take the orb, most likely both."

Arocraes nodded his head in agreement as they moved using the air bubble, difficult as it was to maneuver. He was unable to see through the surface of the water and was not sure if he was heading in the right direction, however if the vessel truly did contain pirates after the orb they would have no trouble finding him.

"Say Faelis" Arocraes began to talk, "what was that back there, when you told me to stay away from you? What happened?" It might've been too personal to talk about, so Arocraes was prepared if Faelis did not want to say anything.

Faelis grimaced when Arocraes asked, but he would answer.

"I don't really know what makes it happen," the thief said. "But if I'm in a stressful situation, sometimes I get angry, but not normal angry, uncontrollable, sadistic, deadly." He shook his head. "It doesn't always happen, most of the time it doesn't, but when it does, it's mostly when I'm stressed, but sometimes," Faelis nearly shuddered, "Sometimes it happens randomly.  Whenever it happens, I can't control it, or control myself." He forced a smile that was more of a grimace. "It's rather terrifying."

Arocraes listened intently and did not know how to reply. He didn't seem like a man that would appreciate cold and empty words thrown at him at an attempt to be reassuring, or a faux attempt at being empathetic when Arocraes never felt the situation he has. Instead, Arocraes responded with saying "That sucks." He did not want to pry anymore, as he could feel that it was an uncomfortable subject for him to talk about.

The air inside the bubble was beginning to thin, however they traveled far enough to be easily seen if they swim above the surface of the water. Arocraes motioned Faelis to move with the bubble upwards until reaching the surface, still carrying the artifact in his left arm. When nearing the surface, Arocraes hoisted the orb up first, fearing his ignorance would cause something drastic to happen. As the rest of his body followed suit, he was able to analyze his surroundings. Around him a light fog was beginning to develop, reducing the visibility in their immediate radius. "Where should we head now?" Arocraes asked Faelis, not sure what their plan was now.

A few moments after the two surfaced, a large silhouette of a ship appeared in the distance of the fog. Mythica stood at the stern of the ship as her crew awaited anxiously for the bright object's holders to come into view. When they did, a few men at the bow of the large boat shouted to the captain, and let down some rope for the two.

If they took time to observe the boat, they would find it's hull a mixture of grey and a naval blue. While its sails bore a much darker shade of the grey colour that sported its hull. Above them flapped a large, tattered black flag. An image depicting a single music note made entirely out of skeletal bones. Slowly moving in the faint breeze... This was the Seraph's Requiem. Captain Soulscar's ship.

"Get up you two!" One of the bigger pirates yelled. "The captain wishes to speak to you!" A few others chuckled as the bigger, more muscular pirate said this. He also had a devilish grin on his face.

Arocraes sighed as the pirate beckoned them to climb on board. They had known the ship had a strong possibility of being another pirate ship, but Arocraes was still disappointed. I hope it doesn't get to the point where we'd have to kill them all Arocraes thought to himself, tired and bored of all the bloodshed and fully confident in both his and Faelis' abilities.

He complied with the pirate's request, bringing the orb with him. Once on the ship, he was thoroughly impressed. The crew seemed more organized and happy than the one serving Duval, as if Duval and Sarian forced their sailors to go with a plan they did not agree with. The ship was slightly larger, and the pirates appeared to be more capable of fighting and looked more intimidating than the other group he encountered. "Some tea would be nice. Oh and some cakes, I hear pirate hospitality is truly one of a kind" Arocraes blurted out jokingly, waiting for this Captain to make their appearance.

Faelis sighed.  A pirate ship indeed. Ah well.

He climbed after Arocraes, and found the same thing the young man had,that this crew seemed much more organized than the last.

"We'd better get out of here," the elf sighed to the nearest pirate.  "The other pirates will be here soon, and they won't take kindly to this."

"Cut the chatter, and follow me!" The bigger pirate said, ignoring their soaking clothes. The air had gotten significantly colder in the unusual fog, but none of the men seemed to care. Even though many of them weren't wearing shirts or sleeves. He lead them across the deck of the large boat to a large double door leading into the deck underneath the sheep's wheel.

"Captain want's to speak to ye two alone. With yer treasure..." He said eyeing it. "Word of advice... Keep your guard up hehehe!" He said laughing, a few others chuckled with him. "Aight then, in you go!" He yelled, opening the doors.

Inside it looked like the captain's cabin. Across from the doors lied a large desk, strewn about with various pieces of parchment, candles and ink wells. Behind the large desk was an even larger chair, seeming like whoever sat in it was one to match it's size. However it was empty. As the door closed, a young white haired girl turned her head from the window, and gave the two a wide grin. She wore a blue trench coat, a blue feathered hat, and bore a long silver cutlass on her hip.

"Ah then, you're the one's who jumped ship are you not?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Arocraes burst out laughing. Though it was very unwise--and dangerous--of him to underestimate the captain, he did not expect the white haired girl he saw through his spyglass to be a captain. She's nothing like Duval or Danica he thought, analyzing her clothing and gear.

"Sorry about that" he said sarcastically. "My friend and I escaped from a ship lead by corrupted Adelan officials and a pirate organization called The Daughters" he proceeded to explain. "They were fighting over this," Arocraes shifted his eyes to the orb. "It's called Hell's Orb. I think it's a pair, the other one belongs to The Daughters."

Arocraes looked back at the pirate captain, trying to restrain from giggling and to cover up his chuckles.

Unlike Arocraes, Faelis was not at all surprised by the captain's appearance, and instead of sarcasm, the thief gave a half-bow.

"What my friend says is true," Faelis said, hoping the captain would not be offended by Arocraes reaction.  "I am Faelis, and I was simply on my way to Adela before this mess happened, and my friend and I were dragged into it all."

"Oh, and I'm the strangest thing you've seen all day?" Mythica responded, her arms crossed over her chest with a rather annoyed expression on her face. She put aside the ignorance of the man and turned her attention to the elf who had started to speak.

"I'm well aware of the situation you two are in. And yes, I know what the orb is. IT is the only reason why you're not still paddling in the large expanses of water..." she said, reminding them that her ship probably saved their sorry asses from drowning... Or worse.

She tilted her head at the other man, who seemed to have trouble containing his emotion on the subject of her leadership. "As I'm sure you have already guessed, I'm the captain of this vessel." She stated. "Captain Soulscar, and this is the Seraph's Requiem." She leaned against the desk now. "Now, I'm already known by your friends, especially Danica. If their smart, they won't challenge my ship or crew in their current conditions." She told them. "You don't need a magical artifact to bend the waves to your will after all..." She said, a white grin across her lip.

"I'm more interested in you two however, and how you happened to come across this 'Hell's Orb' and got away with it." She questioned.

Arocraes had a grin on his face as he listened to Captain Soulscar. In truth, he felt little danger after witnessing Faelis' combat prowess. However, he was more worried what Faelis would do should he have another episode. Arocraes wanted to make sure that they everything would go smoothly so that Faelis wouldn't something he'd regret.

Arocraes turned his smile into a straight face, now adorning a more serious tone. "We could've been swarmed with attackers, but everyone was apprehensive" Arocraes explained. "I have no idea how to work this little thing, but mishandling it seems like it could cause something cataclysmic." He further regurgitated what Duval said about the orb's power to control the movement of the plates inside the earth. "The amount of blood shed for this stupid thing is ridiculous." Arocraes clutched the orb closer to himself, having no idea what the pirate captain's plans were. "How old even are you?" Arocraes asked out of the blue, with his initial amusement quickly turning into curiosity, not understanding--nor necessarily caring--if he was being rude.

"Of course there's a lot of bloodshed." She replied rather flatly. "That thing holds a lot of power. Power that doesn't belong in the hands of man..." Soulscar said. Her face suddenly turned darker, and her expression turned more angry now then annoyed when the man showed an interest in her age.

"That, my friend isn't relevant. What you should be focusing on is how we're going to get the sister orb." She hinted at her plan.

Faelis, too, was somewhat irritated by Arocraes' behavior, but he said nothing until Captain Soulscar had finished speaking.

"I agree," he said, then looking to Arocraes. "Our thoughts should be on the orb."  He looked back to Captain Soulscar. "And 'we'?  We're going to be helping with this plan?"

He found it strange that she would want their help, after all, they knew little about the orb and there was no way she could trust them, especially since they had just come from the ship of someone whom Soulscar saw as an enemy.

"A suspicious ship captain asking for our help? Sounds familiar" Arocraes joked, "worked out great the last time." Arocraes walked closer to the desk and placed the orb on it. He placed his arms in between the orb and leaned on them, watching as the orb pulses red. "Sarian has gone rogue from his Adelan military duties, Duval is nowhere to be found, and Danica is an enemy of the state" Arocraes said to Captain Soulscar as he thought out loud. "A temporary alliance--or even a permanent one--isn't out of the question. If we encounter Eden again it could be possibly Sarian and his crew will be with them."

He looked at Soulscar's hair. The white color reminded him of his sister, who would often dye it different colors and shades. He thought about his family and his initial mission to gather "black iron" in Adela. Adela, where neither The Daughters nor Lord Sarian could now enter. "Say Faelis, do you have any experience trapping mice?" Arocraes said as he released himself from the desk and turned to Faelis.

Mythica listened as the man elaborated on past events, and she looked back over to the elf. "Well, unlike last time, I'm afraid you don't really have a choice. I'm not a babysitter, and I'm sure as he'll not gonna alter my ship's course just to drop you lot off at the nearest port. So you'll need to pull your weight somehow." She told them. The only reason why she rescued them was because of their orb. So if they gave her an excuse to throw them overboard, she wasn't going to hesitate.

"I don't let freeloaders on my ship. So don't give me an excuse to make you walk the plank ."

Faelis raised an eyebrow at Arocraes' question, but answered Soulscar's.  "I, for one, will give you no reason to send me to the bottom of the sea," he said. "And we really have no choice but to help you, same as last time a captain asked for our help."

And though the elf sounded cynical, he was actually more hopeful for the integrity of Soulscar's mission that that of Captain Duval's.  Despite being a pirate, Faelis had immediately trusted Soulscar more than he had trusted Duval and the lord.  Perhaps it was because she was a thief, like him, and sometimes the thieves and lowlifes, though lairs, were the most honest of all, deep down.

Though that wasn't to say Faleis trusted Captain Soulscar, he was just more inclined to.

"What's our plan of action?" he looked between Arocraes and Captain Soulscar.

Arocraes shrugged. "I follow Faelis" he said, growing to have trust this man despite not having known him for that long. He was also worried about his episodes, and believed he could help Faelis should a similar situation arise.

"It's your ship, so I'll follow your orders" Arocraes said as he faced Captain Soulscar, "However, I don't think we should underestimate them. What do you now about The Daughters?" Arocraes wanted to develop a sound strategy, as the enemy pirates had a number advantage and possibly more vessels--even perhaps a fleet--by the way Duval described them.

"Good. I'm glad to see that you're smart at least." She said walking around the large desk. She raised an eyebrow at the man's last statement. He had asked Mythica what she knew about the daughters.

"Trust me. I don't underestimate rival pirates." She told them. "I've had dealings with them in the past..." She said quietly, looking down at a piece of parchment strewn across the table. She turned to face the two again. "Danica and I aren't on the greatest of terms. So it's no surprise she'll have her whole fleet looking for the Seraph. Especially now she knows I'm helping the keepers of the orb." She gave a devilish smirk. "However, she knows exactly what I'm capable of, so I doubt she'll make the first move."

She adjusted the feathered hat on her head. "For now we'll have to play along with whatever she has in store for us." She told them honestly. "We will reach our destination by tomorrow morning. For now, you two should get to know Maul." She said smiling. "He'd be the first mate of my ship, he'll get you situated and put you to work until then..." She gave another smirk before she tilted her hat at them. "Welcome to the crew."

Arocraes left the orb on the desk as he looked at it out the corner of his eye. "We'll see ourselves out in that case" he said as he concluded this conversation. She's nothing like Duval, so perhaps she won't be so bad after all Arocraes thought, as he began thinking about the Captain who was thrown overboard during the mutiny.

He crept towards the door as he rubbed his right shoulder with his left hand, expecting to be greeted by the pirate captain's first mate.

Faelis nodded.

"A pleasure to be here," he said to the captain, half bowing as Arocraes headed for the door.  The elf followed, glancing around for the first mate.  The elf was glad to be on a ship again, despite the fact that the situation was quite dire.

But, for Faelis, that only made the whole thing even more fun.

Mythica simply raised an eyebrow as the two left, leaving the red orb on the large desk. As the door shut behind them, she walked over to the front of the table, humming a playful tune. She sat next to the orb and picked it up, crossing one leg over the other. She gazed into the glowing magic deeply, a small grin cracked across her face as she stroked the top of it...

"HA HA! So the cap'n didn't bite of yer legs then?" The large pirate cackled as the two men left the quarters. He didn't wait for a reply. "Well, I already know ye be spending some time with us for a while, so I thought I should introduce ye to my friends." He threw two mops harshly against their chests. "They've been dying to meet you!" He laughed again, as a few other pirates did the same.

"I'm sure the cap'n already gave ye our fine policy on free loaders. In that case, ye be working the lower deck. Now get mopping the brig you two, and NO chit chat with the prisoners!" He said again before he wandered off.

Arocraes took his sheathed katana and armor piece and placed it against one of the walls beside the cells. He sighed as he began to mop around him. He looked around, analyzing the faces of the several prisoners that were held nearby. One in particular caught his attention, a skinny man with a long beard who donned a tattoo resembling the emblem of The Daughters on his upper arm. He looked away and continued mopping, feeling a bit more secure.

However, Arocraes began to feel wary, getting a suspicious feeling that The Daughters and their fleet were about to make a move soon enough.

Faelis took his mop with no inkling of complaint, and went down to the bridge with Arocraes, where the two started to mop.

He didn't say anything, but he analyzed the prisoners around them, taking note of anything that could be helpful.

"So, she didn't tell you her master plan then?" a mysterious voice whispered from the dark of one of the cells. It sounded sick, and old. Soon an older looking man pressed his face against the iron restraints, eyeing the two carefully.

He coughed, and sputtered his next words. "I haven't seen you two before... Tell me, how did you get aboard this cursed vessel? Did the Leviathan take a liking to you?" She said through a grin, flashing his rotting teeth before sputtering another chorus of coughs.

Arocraes stopped mopping momentarily to absorb the man's question. Leviathan?. He didn't understand what he meant. Arocraes' thoughts returned to Maul's orders about not talking to the prisoners, and he decided to heed them. Plus he didn't really have an interest in conversing with the prisoner.

He was still curious, however, about this "Leviathan."

"Hey Faelis, what do you think he means by Leviathan?" he asked him, blatantly ignoring the prisoner.

The captain had said to ignore the prisoners, and the elf would, at least for the time being.  He frowned at Arocraes's question.  "I don't know," he said, hoping that by saying this, the prisoner would answer.  That way, they could get answers without directly talking to the prisoners.

"Perhaps a nickname?" the elf put forward.

"A nickname. HA!" the man laughed as he struggled to maintain the coughing that interrupted it. "I've been on this ship for some time... I can assure you, her nickname is Soulscar." He said again, implying the elf's guess was wrong. "Well, I mean, you COULD say it is, seeing as I just called her it." He said again, gazing at the ground trying to choose his words better.

He then looked back up at the two. "Oh, but that's right. You're new here... Ask her about it, or anyone else on this ship... I DARE you!" He laughed again, before slumping against the wall of the cell. His giggling died into a horse cough once again.

"What a strange man" Arocraes said under his breath. He was still confused, but understood that the Leviathan was something the crew of the Seraph's Requiem might be sensitive about. Her nickname is Soulscar? he thought, growing more confused and suspicious. "What do you think of our new captain, Faelis?" he asked, wondering about his companion's thoughts.

Faelis was wondering what exactly was touchy about 'Leviathan' and how the reckless side of him wanted very much to ask about it when Arocraes spoke to him.

"I'm not sure," Faelis said, not wanting to speak his true thoughts in front of the prisoners, not say that, surprisingly, he trusted her more than he had ever trusted the captain of the ship they had been on previously.

He stared at the two for another moment, before shrugging. "Bah, I guess it won't matter anyways. Judging from what I've heard, you'll probably find out soon enough." He said, grinning.

"It won't be long till the Daughters track the Seraph, then I'm sure you'll get answers..."

Arocraes stopped momentarily before locking eyes with the prisoner. He flipped the mop he was currently holding upside down, and slid his hand so that it clutched near the end of the mop. Arocraes then began to pace a little closer to the prisoner.

"And what makes you so certain the Daughters will find this ship?" he interrogated.

The man gave Arcoraes a confused stare, and then smirked.

"I've been on this ship for a loonnnnggg time... Hehe, and if I've learned ANYTHING from the cap'n of this ship, it's that more often then not, she lets her enemies find her."

His look then showed concern. "She never did tell you were this ship was headed did she...?"

Arocraes pointed the mop towards the prisoner, not understanding how un-threatening he seemed at the moment. "I don't understand why you're so amused" he said with a stern look, "where is this ship headed?"

He pressed his face against the bars once again.

"Heheh... Where it all began! Crag Tooth isle!" He laughed. "Only there can someone use both the orbs, and give themselves the power they possess!" He smirked. "Oh Danica knows what the Leviathan plans... And she'll be waiting there for her. But I'm afraid she won't stand a chance against the sea beast..."

Faelis listened to this whole exchange silently, taking it in.  He didn't quite understand what the prisoner was trying to say, but he didn't ask, he was sure the answer would present itself eventually, the question was, in what form?

"Thank you." Arocraes smirked as he began mopping again halfheartedly. "Perhaps our captain is a lot more scary than I thought" he whispered underneath his breath.

As his mind raced, he remembered the innocent passengers that were brutally killed during the fight. They must be avenged. He just hoped his opportunity for vengeance would arrive soon.

It wasn't long until the sun began to set on the still waters. The large galleon slowly pushing its way into the night as the hot glow disappeared on the horizion. Captain Soulscar was standing at stern, on  the steering deck, overlooking the vast waters of the Hivan ocean. Her arms crossed as her coat slowly blowed in the dusk breeze. Tomorrow she could finally acheive her goal. The goal she had dreamed of for so long. After hearing about these treasures, Mythica had spent months, tiredly tracking them down. And then these two people show up, delivering one straight into her hands. She scoffed at their nativity. The power these artifacts possessed were far beyond the minds of men. So therefore it did not belong to them. Soon the power would be hers... Hers to control both the land and the sea... And there wouldn't be anyone strong enough to resist her power...

"Oi! You newcomers! You're on watch duty! Grab yer weapons and get to the crow's nest!" The large pirate yelled at both Faelis and Arocraes as they were mopping. He gave the prisoner a glare, and he quickly cowered back to the shadows before whispering something to Arocraes "Remember, you may have just made the best or worst decision of your life boy... I pray you find out which before it's too late."

Faelis still hadn't spoken, but he smirked at the large pirate as he passed him.  He grabbed a ratline and pulled himself up, climbing the ropes all the way to the crows nest, as if he had done it many times before, as he had.

He glanced down to see if Arocraes was coming.  He wasn't quite sure about the young man yet, but his heart seemed to be in the right place.

Arocraes was confused as to what he was doing, so he decided to mimick Faelis in hopes that he did. He lunged towards the series of ropes, briefly stumbling before catching his step, and followed Faelis up. "You've done this before I assume?"

Faelis chuckled at Arocrae's misstep, but pulled his up into the crows nest when he got there.   he smiled at his question.

"I sailed on a ship a while back," he said.  He looked around them to make sure there were no pirates around them on the rigging. "So, do you have a plan?  Something's happening around here that we're not filled in on."

"I guess we have to wait for what our new captain says."

Arocraes reflected on how he and Faelis got into this situation. So much had happened in so little time, and he found himself roped in a dilemma that did not involve him. However, at least he found solace in the fact that he made a friend.

"Yep," Faelis agreed, and he looked out over the water once before glancing down towards the deck and scanning the sailors below, the captain was nowhere in sight.

"I just wonder what she's doing. . ."