[Quest] Dead in the Water

[Aluria]

The moment Aluria's gaze fell upon a Chained One, her whole body was suddenly paralysed, frozen from shock. She hadn't expected anything to happen so early on their 'trip', but the captain had said that they would most likely die. This was probably what he had meant. With the complex clash of emotions that battled inside her, she didn't know what she could do. Hide? Run away, then hide? Help somebody out? But how? She had no combat experience whatsoever, so she knew she was going to be of no assistance in the field. Being caught up in the moment like any girl would, she had forgotten to check on Sib. Not that she could any more. The only thing she could do now was try to help somebody or hide and save herself. Banging her fist against the wooden wall that she had been leaning so desperately on, she slid to the floor in a moment of despair. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as she helplessly watched her friends defending their selves, being useful to the whole crew. Except for her. What could she have done, anyway? She was a 13 year old, for crying out loud. She wanted to help. She wanted to fight. Slowly getting up, she spotted a Chained One that was near the railings, only a few steps in front of her. She couldn't waste any time, or else her plan might not have worked. Quickly gathering up all of her courage, she took a deep breath, and then while yelling, she sprinted towards the grey figure, knocking it over the rails.

"Yes!" Aluria quietly muttered to herself, before retreating back a few steps. To her surprise, she bumped into another cold being. It grabbed her shoulder with its cold, slippery fingers. Not being able to do anything this time, she screamed again, this time running away from the monster. One was all she could handle, so she quickly dashed back into the cabin, and tripped beside the table, causing the wooden floor to creak. Backing herself into a corner, she covered her mouth with her own hand, and tucked her knees to her chin, not wanting to go back outside. The feeling of sending a monster over the rails was so much more different from being grabbed from behind. But she had heard Liandra, and the feeling of abandoning her friends stabbed her in the stomach a few times. Deciding whether she should go or not, she was sent across the room by a large wave that had rocked the ship violently. Now near the door, she wasted no time in getting up and limping outside. Spotting a long, sturdy rope nearby, she awkwardly tied it to the steel rails and then launched it towards Liandra, as best that she could.

[Trident]

Three of the four undead who had sought to kill the gallant seamen (or women, in this case) lay in various states of damage. One lay horizontal aboard the ship, her head several feet from the rest of the cold, lifeless body; one was caught at the bottom of the ocean, at the mercy of all the sharks and the other dangerous children of Laviku; one had been knocked overboard only to smash his head on the side of the ship, a move that would have easily killed a living creature and as such just managed to sever the head of the Chained One. But the fourth, the one that had accosted Aluria, now that was a different story. The creature seemed undaunted by the deaths of his companions. A low moan escaped his mouth, yearning for the blood that was so close to him and, yet, so far away. He was dressed in the outfit of a sailor; or, at least, a sailor of times past. The white outfit he wore had been torn to shreds, soaked through by chilling seawater and stained by splashes of crimson blood. It surrounded his mouth as well – clearly, this wasn’t the first ship the Chained One had attacked this night. He began to shuffle closer to the three women. One had just recently boarded with the help of another, and another potential victim only served to increase the Chained One’s bloodlust. His white legs carried him faster than one would have thought possible, for in two bounds he had traveled the span of the casinor’s deck. In two bounds, he was standing right next to Liandra. A mouth opened, sharp teeth were revealed. A head descended, hands rose, all striving to claim the tempting blue neck of the Charoda. The Chained One paused, his mouth an inch from Liandra’s skin. Undead skin shivered in a feeling the creature had never felt before in his life – nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even after death the Undead One had felt something – in this case, the hunger. It had filled him, drove him, kept him going even as his skin rotted and the blood had run out of his veins. But now, there was nothing. Dumbly, the Chained One looked down, something almost like surprise registering when he saw the shining tip of a sword piercing through his heart. Kelzia scowled as she extracted her cutlass from the body of the Chained One, which now lay at the women’s feet. A bloody slash ran across the length of her cheek and her dress was rather rumpled, but beyond that she didn’t seem that hurt. More angry than anything. “Alvide, you bastard,” she muttered as she slid her sword back into its scabbard, “This is all your fault.” Ignoring the three women before her, the redhaired woman turned to face the corpses that lay at their feet. “My God...Chained Ones.” Kelzia swore under her breath. A turn of the head brought her gaze back to the Aluria, Sable, and Liandra. As she glanced between the three, emotions between sorrow, terror, and respect mingled in her eyes. “I’m so sorry...” she murmured, “I never meant for any of this to happen. Alvide said nothing would happen if we took the staff...but he was wrong. Or he was lying. I don’t know what is happening with him anymore.” Kelzia sighed. “You...you should get out of here as fast you can. Before any of them come back.” She turned, advanced to the prow of the casinor. She nodded, steel fingers lingering on her cutlass. “I will end this.” she promised softly.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

The more res that seeped through contorted hands, the more that sang for release. Bared teeth glinted in Leth’s sickly light as she stalked along the railing of the bobbing vessel. No new victims presented themselves by scampering up the sides, much to the mage’s frustration. Keyed up with her first violent use of magic, control over the urge to overgive wavered. Wild blue hues swept along the water line and over placid waters, searching for tell-tale disturbance. During her own scuffle, she’d been vaguely aware of Liandra and Aluria defending themselves. But neither one of them appeared on deck as she first started aft. Unnatural wind whispered a lullaby of blood and power. The last chained one, unbeknownst and lurking, also avoided detection. When the Charoda finally surfaced, calling for help, a battle for self control prevented the Svefra from coming to her aid. Satisfaction wafted through the air, and like a jewel glittering in the midnight tapestry all Sable needed to do was reach out and pluck it. Raw energy crackled, volatile and incendiary. The very air that rushed in gasps settled heavy in her lungs, whirling into palpating pressures around her heart and begging to be casted. Small feet pattered up the cabin steps and rushed to the life saver. Aluria. A splash soon followed, which lead to the wet slaps of a boarding Charoda. Releasing a puff of heavy wet breath, fingertips came together in a natural motion of tranquility and a short spring shower drizzled over the length of the Sparkle. Fat drops plopped down long enough to render clothing uncomfortably moist. Magic’s bloodthirsty hold dispelled, pressing concern for their safety and wellbeing finally surfaced. Cursing, the lanky woman, favoring her right leg, ducked beneath the boom and converged on Aluria and Liandra. She caught the frightened but healthy girl by the elbow and gave a once over. “I see those things don’t find skin and bones very palatable,” Sable teased with a quivering but lopsided smile, relief only a faint hint within her tone. Just as she turned to check over Liandra, a trembling hand coming up to wrap around her bicep, a foul puff wafted over the ragged group. The source, fangs unnaturally lusterless and dry, hovered over soaked blue flesh. The limp body tumbled away and Kelzia appeared, much to Sable’s gratuitous relief, which was promptly hooted complete with a slap on Aluria’s narrow shoulder. She did refrain, however, from commenting on the terror of that near miss. As Kelzia, regret ridden, put a few more pieces into place, Sable meandered over to her stuck cutlass and wrenched it free. Tentative fingers tested its point before she hefted it experimentally. Seemed fine to her, although that was purely guess work. Since she’d suspected Alvide had acquired something he shouldn’t have, Sable skipped the requisite moments of confession processing. “Unfortunately, a Svefra vessel was just attacked and the blame lies at your associate’s feet.” Avoiding the implication of Kelzia’s part in the action seemed prudent at the moment, it was a minor side note. The blade’s tip prodded at the last Chained One to die, blood glinting bright under the clear moon. “I’m going with you.” Face still dropped toward the chained one, hues significantly more spirited rotated up to Liandra, Aluria and finally over to the woman at the prow. “I imagine we should find out whose blood this is, someone should have survived if we ‘scrawny women’ did,” the recovering woman pointed out dryly, recalling Sydar’s initial protest of their usefulness, and sounding rather disinterested in her own suggestion. Already, her thoughts turned to sucking down any leftover soup. Mentally, she felt much better, but distracting tremors still raced through pallid limbs. Prodding the twice dead creature once more, she wondered how Alvide would feel about cracking open a crate filled with their beheaded remains. Seemed a proper package to herald the women's arrival.

[Liandra]

Liandra scrambled over the side of the boat with the help of one of the two blondes. She didn't see which right away for one of those things was still here. She was still struggling to rise when one of those things came barreling right at her! Liandra's eyes took in the tattered clothing, but she also saw the red rim around his mouth. She had been right to think that they were bitey. Her eyes grew wider, a feat many would think possible with the already wide eyes of the Charodae, but her body refused to respond. She was afraid. It was just like that day the Myrians captured her. She didn't want to be eaten! She threw her hands up once more, and screamed, waiting for those teeth, which looked as sharp as her own to rip her to shreds. But no pain came. Nothing happened. Liandra peered through the protective barrier that was her arms, and saw glinting metal sticking out from the creature's chest. The shining blade was pulled from the creature, who fell unceremoniously to the deck, it's seemingly lifeless face staring at her. Chained ones? What in Laviku's name were chained ones? Aside from the gnashing teeth and surly dispositions, that is. Liandra stood up, still peering at the hopefully dead creature. She listened to the exchange of words between Sable and Kelzia as she walked over to it. "What Staff? I haven't seen you with a staff. And who was it taken from?" While she awaited a reply, her curiosity drew her to the dead body. She examined the teeth first. She poked at them with a single blue, webbed finger, one piercing the skin easily. They were in fact sharper than her own. She was glad she had the wooden rod with the teeth lodged in it still. It was safely tucked away in Kylayia's saddlebags. She figured they could be useful some day. She stuck the slightly bleeding finger in her mouth, but continued her examination with the other hand. She noticed the bulging eyeballs, and poked at one, feeling the jelly orbs give a bit beneath her touch. This was such a strange creature. She examined the wound where it had been stabbed. There was no blood in it. Or any fluid of any kind. It was completely dry inside. How was this thing even alive? She prodded at the dry wound a bit. Very strange indeed. She made a mental note to find out more about these if she survived this trek. "So what now?"

[Aluria]

The sight of a Chained One up close was never pretty. This one seemed to have feasted before it had attacked the Sparkle. But Aluria could only gape with wide eyes as the Chained Once was mere inches away from Liandra's skin. She couldn't force any air from her lungs to make a sound. It was as if time itself had stood still. She managed to position herself upwards after tumbling to the deck after Liandra had suddenly arrived over the rails. So, as she had naively concluded, it was safe to assume that if Liandra fell victim to the monsters fearsome teeth, she would not be in a good position to escape. Of course, she knew that she wouldn't have much time to escape to begin with, seeing as how the Chained One could move remarkably fast. However, Tanroa seemed to have allow time to move again, because before she could even blink, Kelzia had done away with the beast. The sudden event had come and gone in a matter of seconds. Aluria became able to breathe again as she relaxed, and collapsed onto the deck, sprawled in a comfortable position.

"Good grief," she sighed. "What in the world was that?" Aluria swiftly sat up and slowly walked over to the three women who had been conversing rather hastily. "What's going on? Because I haven't the slightest clue." She seemed to read the atmosphere pretty well. She probably didn't want to know, but curiosity killed the cat. "And like Liandra said. What do we do now?"

[Trident]

"No...you don't know what you are getting into. 'What you must do now' is leave." The redhead's voice was darker now, devoid of any trace of her previous good humor. Her jocularity seemed to have been stolen by the senseless faces in the night, leaving naught but regret and something approaching anger. "This," she spat, kicking the body that lay at their feet, "is a Chained One. You don't know how close our encounter truly was. If it had the chance, these things would have ripped us to shred and feasted on our bones. And usually they come in greater numbers." Kelzia snorted. "We were lucky they were distracted by the other ships." "And they are but the weakest of the undead. Soon there will be more coming - stronger ones, and not just undead either, monsters as well. All attracted to the staff's scent. No, not even that; they are attracted to the lingering aftertaste of the staff. That's how powerful it is." "But as for your question, no, I don't know what the staff is or where it is located. Only that many people want it and that it is extremely powerful. Alvide just said, if we got that staff, that we..." her voice faltered. "...no, it doesn't matter what he promised me. Not anymore. All that matters is that our actions and his betrayal have cost the lives of his crew and countless more. Riarnal, Sydar, hell, Gristole, they are all done for. Their lives are forfeit." "And your lives will be forfeit as well, unless you get out of here!" The redhaired woman backed up again, until the heels of her boots hit the tip of the prow. "Don't try and follow me," she insisted firmly. "It will only end badly for you." And with that, the woman threw herself off the prow of the ship, and a splash below indicated she had reached the bottom. The rhythmic sound of a front crawl quickly died down in the oppressive fog. And the three women were left on the Sparkle's deck, with only the fragments of the explanation and a cold wind to accompany them. OoCWhat happens next is your choice. You can try and find the other ships, follow Kelzia, or just end the thread right here and have the Sparkle turn around. We're almost done, at least with this part; just a couple more posts should do it.

[Sable Baggywrinkle]

As the fleeing woman hit the water below, Sable scrubbed a hand over her face, cheek and lips smushed beneath splayed fingers. “’Our lives are forfeit as well, unless we get out of here,’” she repeated slowly, bringing the cutlass up to peer at as she thought. “’All attracted to the lingering aftertaste of the staff…our lives are forfeit.’” Sable, rutilant body white washed by the moon, pivoted on a heel suddenly to face her two companions, silvered black bisecting her face before she whipped it down to the side. “I’ve developed a distinct sense that land based peoples are exceedingly stupid,” she began before cerulean hues suddenly pinned Aluria. Her voice softened, the tone hiding emotion like clouds both obscured and revealed by moonlight. “Where is Sib?” But as fast as the thought occurred, the immediacy of the moment reinstated itself. “We have no idea if what links all of Alvide’s ships and crew to his transgression now also links ours. The staff could have been physically present on all the ships that have disappeared, and the idea that its scent attracts could be more literal than it sounds. Therefore, those of us in this party not affiliated with Alvide but attacked are merely targets because of our proximity to his tainted ships tonight. Or,” her tone dried, shriveled by distaste for the higher probability and repercussions of what came next, “we’ve been inextricably linked just as all of Alvide’s sailors were by his—their—trespass not only by having Kelzia aboard but accepting employ under him. I have no idea; among half a dozen scary stories shared by youths on especially dark nights, all I know is that ‘Chained Ones’ supposedly do the bidding of Uldr.” Sable tossed aside the blade, sending it clattering across the deck toward the mast. Shaking her head, nose curled, the woman leveraged the body at their feet over the side of the ship. Knowing the creature belonged to a God expanded the perimeters of their encounter considerably. These things were no longer nebulous disgusting creatures offending her sense of righteousness. Well, they still offended, but at least now they had the benefit of being chosen by a god and serving some sort of divine purpose. She did the only thing she could to show respect to the being behind the murderous corpses—return them to the sea. Mayhap Laviku would accept them into his fold, find a benefit for their mutilated bodies. “Return to your master,” she told the bobbing shadow, “in spirit. In flesh, feed the fish. Also…maybe tell your master not to try to kill us anymore.” “Well, guys, what do you think? Liandra, I’m assuming you can pick her scent out of the water, since you smelled the lack of salt on me earlier. Do you want to follow her or try to find the other ships?” OOCSince everyone knows basic facts about the gods, I figured that once the undead were identified we would know who their faction belongs to. I can change that, though, if necessary.

[Liandra]

Liandra had listened carefully to Kelzia's ominous warnings. Liandra wasn't shaken at these warnings and had no intention of turning back. The wheels of fate had brought something interesting, and Liandra would be damned before seeing it to the finish. She watched the woman disappear into the water. A decision would need to be made. She turned and listened to Sable's rousing speech, then saw her dump the forsaken creature into Laviku's embrace. At Sable's question, Liandra's idea formed. It wasn't an idea that she was fond of, but it seemed to be the best choice. She fidgeted under the thought, for she wasn't a natural leader like Sable. Her shoulders were slumped, and her demeanor seemed timid. She looked at her two companions and began relaying her idea. "Yes, I will be able to follow her. I'll be able to smell and hear her from a good distance." She paused, hesitating, and began again. "But I don't think that all of us should go after her. It would slow us down, and she would notice us coming. I--, I think you two should go find the other ships. I can follow Kelzia from beneath the waves, so she won't know she's being followed. We would be able to see what is really going on. I don't like the idea of splitting up, but it seems for the best." Liandra shifted uneasily after presenting her idea. She knew herself and Kylayia could handle the task, but she honestly had no idea what would await them on the other ships. If they split up at her suggestion, and died, that would be on her head. And she didn't know if she could live with that. But none of this felt right. And something needed done.

[Aluria]

"..."

Aluria had remained silent during the eerie exchange, clasping her cold hands nervously as she became busy with her feet. There was nothing for her to say; moreover, she wouldn't be able to say anything even if there was anything to say. During heavy situations like this, Aluria preferred to remain silent. Which is what she did, until Sable asked, "Where's Sib?"

"Sib!" Aluria gasped, realizing that she had forgotten to check up on the baby otter. "I'm sorry, I forgot! I'll go over and try to find him." With this, she immediately set off to find him, leaving Sable and Liandra to talk.

"Sib?" Aluria called, a bit tentatively. She didn't want any more encounters with the monsters, as there might be more coming, and stronger ones at that, according to Kelzia.

Kelzia... she had seemed like such a jolly, merry woman who Aluria really liked. However, some doubt had been cast upon Aluria's first impression. She had been stiff all the while, and goosebumps still covered her pale skin. "Sib..?" she called again, this time looking under the chairs of the kitchen. To her surprise, she found a snoring Sib who had fallen asleep amidst all of the action that had just taken place. She chuckled quietly to herself, and gently picked him up, while taking the time to walk backwards out the door.

"I got him," she smiled brightly, sitting down cross-legged and allowing Sib to continue to sleep in her lap. She was stroking Sib while curiously looking up at the women.

"What do we do now?" Aluria was fine with whatever Sable or Liandra was willing to do, no matter what the risk.

[Trident]

The question was left hanging in the twilit air, and before any of the others had time to answer Aluria's question there came a great rocking motion that nearly sent them down. The ship had been hit, that became readily apparent; but it was not a forceful ram, but rather more akin to that a bump. But what could it be? If they looked off the side of the deck to behind the Sparkle, the sight that awaited them was grim. It was the ship that they had seen following this, presumably the ship of Sydar. Then, it had been like a work of art, desert paintings gleaming in the Suvanite sky; now, its sails were tattered, the wood planks scuffed and even broken in places. No one stood at the khnor's wheel; and it became clear this was the work of the creatures that had assaulted them but moments before. The ship was completely devoid of any life whatsoever save that of a large constrictor snake laying across the helm, the length of its body drenched in crimson blood. It was the one body the undead had failed to claim, it seemed. In any case, the portents of the ship were chilling. The battle aboard the Sparkle had already shown that a group of well-armed men and/or women could take down the Chained Ones. And if Sydar's crew had excelled in anything, it was battle. So then, how had they fallen when Sable, Aluria, and Liandra had lived? There could only be two answers: one, there had been many more Chained Ones present, or something had assisted them during the fight. Neither was exactly comforting. But still, there was a chance the other two were still alive. And at least one of them deserved to live, right? If the group decided to pursue Liandra's idea of splitting up, the Charodean womena would fine the water rather pleasant, if cool. Her keen senses could distinguish Kelzia's movements even this far out, and her direction headed approximately due northwest. Even though she could hear and smell the woman, Liandra would not be able to see her; only entering the fog and catching up with her would accomplish that. As for Sable and Aluria, their path was wherever they decided to go next. The path of the two ships that had preceded them was right before them, however, though they would have to adjust for the Sparkle's drifting. The night seemed calm enough, with no trace of the murderous creatures that had threatened them and Sydar. They had either died or seemingly vanished into the fog. But where they gone for sure? But attempting to talk about it would only lead them in circles. All that remained was to find Riarnal and Gristole, stop Kelzia, and figure out what the hell was going on.