| Marcellus stepped out onto the dock, the air noticeably saltier than it was moments ago. Cyrus, one of his ghostly companions, had already gone out onto the farther reaches of the dock. Normal humans wouldn't be able to see Cyrus or Cathrine, who followed close behind him, though. It would take a skilled mage to even so much as sense their presence, let alone see or hear them clearly. Marcellus didn't exactly know where to find his client, though. He knew his name, Curt Crawford, but that was all. The best course of action, it seemed, was to ask around. He found a fisherman and approached him. "Pardon me. I'm looking for a man by the name of Curt Crawford. He and his boat should be around here." The fisherman turned, gave Marcellus look over, and replied, "Sure, I know Curt. His boat is that one right there." the man pointed to a smaller vessel at the end of the pier. "Thank you, sir," Marcellus replied, then left the fisherman to his work and walked down the pier. On the boat was another man, presumably Mr. Crawford, loading some small boxes. "Curt Crawford, yes? I'm Marcellus Therecai." "Ah, there ya are!" Curt hollered from the boat. "Should be one more comin'. In the meantime, make yerself useful and help me load this stuff." And so Marcellus, begrudgingly but without complaint, got to the grunt work of loading the pile of boxes. |
AbstractCalamityNov 12, 2010 10:13 AM
| Motoki walks onto the dock. It was he had ever been to a place like this, and he was completely lost. He makes his way through the hustle and bustle of the crowds, mumbling "Excuse me" everytime he accidentally bumps into someone. Come on Motoki, Just blast them out of the way. I know you don't like this "Behave Shiki" he whispers to himself. After several minutes, he stands in front of a rather sweaty and Large sailor. "Um, do you know where a Mr Crawford is?" The sailor look down at him. "What do you want with him, Little one?" "I'm the mage he hired" The look the sailor gave him was all to familiar. A mixture of doubt, worry and humor. "He's right at the end...But are you sure you'll be alright. You look kinda weak" Motoki's eyes changes color, just for an instant. "Whats that supposed to mean, Punk!" Holding his hand, he blasts the sailor half-way across the dock and into the sea, just as Motoki's eyes change back. Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, he walks down to the small boat. "Shiki, that wasn't very nice" He called us weak!Where's your pride as a mercenary? Shiki seemed to forget that he was the reason they were a mercenary. Stepping onto the deck of the boat, Motoki walks up to the nearest man, who was currently moving large boxes across the deck. "Um, Mr Crawford" "Yeah, that me. And who are you?" "I'm Motoki Kiski, The mage you hired" he replies, presenting his work papers. Scanning the papers, Mr Crawford laughs to himself, before handing them back. "Very well. Start by helping the other workers load the cargo. We'll be departing soon" |
 Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus paused for a moment as he watched an unfortunate sailor fly across the dock and into the sea. When the person responsible started heading this way, he thought don't tell me. I have to work with a violent one? The violent ones are always so reckless. He returned to loading, but sure enough, he was right; the boy -- who, strangely enough, looked and even acted rather peacefully -- was indeed the other mercenary on this job. By now, the number of remaining boxes was dwindling to almost nothing, and they were finished in no time. "Right, you two!" Mr. Crawford shouted at the two mercenaries. "Get on the boat. Me and my crew will take care o' the important work. You just sit there and be ready to do something if we come across pirates or sea monsters, you got me?" Marcellus obeyed his employer's request, boarding the boat and finding a comfortable spot along the side of the boat, from which he could observe a good portion of ocean. Cyrus immediately floated up to the crow's nest. In life, he was a frequent sailor, and since he had no responsibilities on manning the ship, he felt most comfortable in the crow's nest, where he could watch everything on or around the boat. Cathrine, on the other hand hovered by Marcellus's side, not taking any particular interest in the boat, the sea, or the bustling sailors readying the ship. |
| Taking a seat on a unused crate, Motoki whips out a small notebook, jotting something down. Putting the book and pen back into his robe, he observes his surroundings, and his comrade on this mission. There was something weird about him. He had the aura of ghosts about him. It was then he realized they hadn't exchanged introductions yet. That was bad manners. Standing up, he walks across the deck of the ship, towards the other Mercenary. The closer he got, the stronger the aura got. He's obviously a Channeller, Motoki. What a wimp! Using the dead to do his dirty work "Be quite, Shiki" The other mercenary was busy looking out to sea. There was something beside him. Motoki couldn't see it properly, but it was undoubtedly a ghost. "Um...Excuse me, I don't believe we've exchanged introductions. I'm Motoki Kiski, Its a pleasure to meet you" He offers his hand to the other mercenary. "I hope we can work well together" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus and Cathrine both looked up -- or in Cathrine's case, down -- at their fellow mercenary as he introduced himself. Following proper conduct, Marcellus shook his hand and introduced himself. "I am Marcellus Therecai. I, too, hope we can work well together." Being attuned to the dead, Marcellus was also sensitive to the souls of the living, and as he shook the Motoki's hand, he could tell that something wasn't right with the boy. His soul seemed to be too small for him, yet there was a second presence with him. The two combined would be more than adequate for a human soul, however. He could use his unique skills to investigate, but that would be exceedingly rude. "You... are not as simple as you appear, are you?" Marcellus asked. Though it was a roundabout way of asking, it was the proper course, as asking intrusive questions was as rude as forcibly prying. |
| Even though the question was asked in a roundabout way, Motoki knew what he really meant. Marcellus was a channeller. He had obviously sensed Shiki. Motoki didn't like were this was going. "No...Not exactly" he replies, shying away. Motoki, I'm taking over. I wanna speak to this guy! And with that, his eyes change from a light green to dark red. A smile stretches across his face, his hand clutching Marcellus's wrist. "But nether are you, Ghost Boy" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus smiled as Motoki's soul changed abruptly, swapping for the second presence he had sensed. I see. A split personality he thought as he was grabbed. This one looks more aggressive. He must be responsible for that incident earlier with the sailor. His smile faded to a neutral expression as he explained himself. "Indeed, I'm a channeler of the dead, a rare profession, and I'd have you not to announce it to the world. Such skills are frowned upon in many circles. I'm sure you understand." He made no attempt to escape the boy's grasp. It would take a fool to start a conflict with a comrade, and even if it did escalate to that point, Marcellus was confident in his abilities. "Now, may I ask who I'm speaking to presently? Or do you both go by the same name?" |
| Lending go of Marcellus, he runs it through his hair, before placing his hands in his pockets. His whole body exudes cockiness. "Like hell we do! I'm Shiki. S.H.I.K.I. Remember that. I hate it when people mistake me for that sissy, Motoki" Leaning against the ship's banisters, he reaches into his cloak. Taking out a small flask, Shiki drinks from it, chugging down the dark liquid. "Ahh....Nothing like a drink before a mission....So tell, Oh Far-seer, reckon we'll bump into anything interest on this little trip across the sea? |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus was rather put off by Motoki, no, Shiki's, ill mannered behavior. "Hmph," he moaned. "I'm a channeler of the dead, Shiki, not a prophet. You'd do well not to confuse the two." He put a sharp emphasis on "Shiki." Cathrine, meanwhile, gave Shiki a look of disgust, muttering, "He's a really rude person, isn't he? He seemed so nice, too," which prompted a sideways glance from Marcellus. She apparently didn't understand that the person in front of her was, essentially, two people. By now, the crew had finished preparing the ship, and they had begun to drift away from the dock. "Regardless of what we'll encounter, I hope you're prepared. Battles at sea are fought by very different rules than those on land. Our first priority is to protect this ship from any damage that could prevent it from reaching its destination." Marcellus estimated that the trip would take about a day, and then a day back. They would probably stay in Dollat for the night. He just hoped he wouldn't be stuck with Shiki for too long. |
| Shiki talks another chug from his flask. "So basically, Destroy them before they destroy us?" he says, simplifying Marcellus's explanation. It was Shiki's habit, he didn't like complicated things. "Pfft, Doesn't sound too different from my time as a gladiator. " He turns to look at the sea, before taking another chug from his flask. They had set out on their journey, and the dock was slowly disappearing into the horizon. |
ChotgoriinNov 2, 2010 10:06 AM
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus was unimpressed. "A gladiator, you say. I assure you, this will be quite different. Spells can have trouble traveling such great distances, and meanwhile they will be firing canons at us. Even a single hit can sink a ship if it's in the right spot. But you also have to remember, pirates don't want to sink a ship, they want to loot it. They will try to immobilize and board us. Therefore, the sail is a vulnerable target." He stopped, realizing his lecture was probably falling on deaf ears. "The point is, you can't simply go berserk. You must use your head." He wondered if even that simple piece of advice got through to Shiki. |
| "Yeah Yeah" Replies Shiki, ignoring Marcellus's advice. "Protect the Fort, got it" he stays, a hint of boredom entering his voice. Draining his flask, he puts it back in his cloak."Trust me, we'll be fine. My spells will hit. Magister Magi are different than normal Mages" |
ChotgoriinNov 9, 2010 9:01 AM
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| With a disgruntled sigh, Marcellus turned back to the sea. By now, they were well out into the sea, and no land was visible in any direction. It was a disorienting feeling. The lack of reference made it seem as if one wasn't moving at all, yet the constant rocking of the boat said otherwise. Marcellus had been at sea before, but he never did manage to shake this disorientation. After some time of staring into the blue, he heard the voice of Cyrus calling out to him. "A mast! I see a mast on the horizon!" Marcellus quickly looked up towards Cyrus, still in the crow's nest. He followed Cyrus's finger to a spot on the horizon and squinted. Within moments, a mast began rising up, and soon a full ship was in sight. It was impossible to tell the size or flags of it from this distance, though. "Shiki." Marcellus said. "Look there. A ship." He motioned with a nod towards the other ship. |
| Following Marcellus's nod, Shiki looks out to sea. A ship had indeed appeared. Its was quite some distance away, so he could'nt really tell if it was hostile or not. It did seem to have weapons, but it could just be a military transport. "So there is...reckons its Pirate?" he asks. "Just incase.." His rings starts to emit a small light, and his voice becomes a whisper as he invokes the Activation Keyword. "Duos ut unus" Small orbs of contained magic materialize on the side of the ship, facing the other vessel. "Magical Arrows of Fire. If they attack, these babies will too" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "Cyrus!" Marcellus called to the ghost, who in no time was by his side. "Can you fly over and investigate that ship?" "Sure thing, Mr. Therecai," he said, and was off across the water. Turning to Shiki, he explained, "I've sent one of my companions to investigate that ship. We'll know soon enough it's nature." He watched Cyrus float across the surface of the water, getting smaller with each passing second. He moved with remarkable speed, and was on the ship in no time. "Right," Marcellus muttered to himself as he let his head down and focused. An otherworldly, blue haze began to emanate from his body. He closed his eyes, honing in on the spirit of Cyrus. "What do you see, Cyrus?" he said aloud. The word "pirates" echoed in his head. Satisfied with the information, he ceased his channeling, erasing the haze that had enveloped him. "Prepare yourself, Shiki." Marcellus looked back at the ship, which was nearing their own. He turned around and shouted, "pirates!" Being a civilian vessel, their ship had few armaments to speak of. The crew wasted no time setting up the only cannon they had on deck and wheeling it next to the mercenaries. |
| "Pirates huh?" exclaimed Shiki, A smile creeping across his face. The sailors where wheeling a cannon in between Marcellus and him. Shiki loved cannons...they went Boom. But they can be tricky to aim. "They don't know who their dealing with...How about a little warning?" Once again, his ring starts to shine, as Shiki enchants a spell. "Telum Incendia, Unus Offa" One of the previously materialized orbs sparkles, and a single arrow soars out, covering the distance in a matter of seconds. The flame arrow makes contact with the sail, setting it ablaze. |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| The pirates did not seem deterred. Rather, they seemed to steer on a path that brought them even closer to Crawford's ship. Marcellus watched them carefully and waited. There was not much he could do from this distance. His techniques either required greater precision and focus than what was available, or simply did not have the range. Shiki seemed to have things under control anyway. Cyrus began to make his way back to the ship, rather hastily at that. Back aboard, he told Marcellus the reason he was so hasty about his return. "They're planning on taking your ship now that you've set theirs on fire. I hope you're ready." Marellus chuckled. "The same, old man. Don't think you're going to get to sit this one out." "Wouldn't dream of it." "Right. Shiki. They're planning to-" He was interrupted by a projectile screaming overhead. It zoomed harmlessly by, but only just. "They're planning to board us." As he finished, a light crack could be heard from the pirate's ship, it's projectile passing too far away to be heard. "Oh, I forgot to mention." Cyrus piped in. "They're using small caliber hand cannons, trying to take out the people rather than the ship, you see. Do watch your head." |
| "So its a fight they want?" says Shiki, a smile creeping across his face. He has the look of a child who just got a new plaything. He wasn't bothered by the multitude of bullets flying his way. Slamming one foot on the ship banister, he strikes an Admiral-like pose, his arm pointing in the direction of the pirate ship. "Alright guys! Attack!! Telum Incendia! Plenus Oppugno!" he roars, setting his ring shining. All five of the magical orbs sparkle, releasing there full arsenal of arrows, making a total of 49. The arrows soar through the air, smashing into the side of the Pirate vessel. Some of the arrows break through, leaving gaping holes. The ship bursts into flame, and the Remaining pirates jump ship. |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "Impressive attack." Marcellus said once most of the chaos settled. A few pirates could still be heard screaming in the distance, and the crackle of flames was clearly audible, but for the most part peace had been restored. Marcellus had to admit, he gained some respect for Shiki from that. "Right, let's keep moving!" Mr. Crawford barked from the aft of the ship. "Patch that hole in the sail and tighten those ropes! Find any holes in the hull and fix 'em!.Move!" He turned his commands towards Marcellus and Shiki. "You two, watch those pirates, they may still try to swim over here." Marcellus checked the water. Several pirates were clinging to floating fragments of wood, and several more were swimming towards similar fragments. None seemed to be attempting the swim in their direction, but they were still nearing the wreckage. If the pirates were going to try something, it'd probably be as they passed by. |
| Removing his foot from the banister, and places his hands on his hips, looking upon the burning ship with pride. "Now that's what you call stress relief!" chirps Shiki, laughing. Upon hearing Crawford's words, he leans to look into the sea. Indeed, there were a few pirates left, clinging to pieces of wood. "Hey, Marcy" he calls to his companion."What do thing we should do with them? Well, even if they do come aboard, We'll just kick their asses. Doubt it though, after they've seen my awesomeness" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "Leave them be." Marcellus said after figuring out that he was "Marcy." A degrading nickname, he felt. He looked back at the passing wreckage, and at the pirates struggling to stay afloat. A few were yelling and making rude gestures at them. Others were flailing about in the water or clinging to driftwood. A couple were sinking into the depths, unable to stay above water. Marcellus felt sorry for them, despite their ill intent. "They're no threat to us anymore." |
| "Whatever you say Marcy" replies Shiki, sitting himself down on a crate. He yawns, taking out a notepad and scribbling something down. "Well, now that's that's, I'm getting some rest. Annihilating pirates can take a lot of of a guy" he says, closing his eyes. After a few brief seconds, they reopen, the eye color having changed again. Standing up, Motoki brushes himself off, before addressing Marcellus. "Um..I'm sorry about Shiki. He can be a little...rough" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "Rough though he may be, he made short work of those pirates." Marcellus replied. "You should be careful, though. Your, uh..." he paused for a moment as he decided what to call Shiki, wanting a term that was neither insulting nor praising -- he didn't want to be rude, but still he didn't like the boy. "...Counterpart might someday get you killed." Cathrine, meanwhile, was taking an interest in the notepad. "Ask him what he wrote," she nagged. Marcellus eyed her, taking note of her question but ignoring it. It was rude to pry into one's personal affairs, and it didn't look like that book was any of his or Cathrine's business. "Oh, fine then, don't ask." Instead, Marcellus turned to the sea. Gazing at the horizon, he could make out a shape. A mountaintop near the shore of the mainland, perhaps. He wasn't familiar with the area, but he remembered that it was a mountainous region. "And that looks like land." |
| Following Marcellus's gaze, Motoki looks out to sea. In the distance, he could see various peaks, growing larger the closer they got. Motoki didn't travel much, so he didn't know it was the right place. His concerns were soon cast aside with a shout of "Land Ahoy" from the watcher above them, and the appearance of Mr. Crawford. "It seems we have arrived safely" he said, patting them both on the shoulder. "Now lets hope the return trip goes as smoothly" With this, he leaves to prepare for docking. "This is the the first time I've been to a foreign land" says Motoki. "I wonder what its like" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "Hmm," Marcellus said passively as he pondered his own travels. "Most places are not much different than Serakaar. Things get change a bit as you get to less populated areas, but large cities are all the same. I wouldn't expect many differences." As it came into view, however, it became apparent that Dollat was not as large as Serakaar. Though it was still a bustling port city, it didn't have the size or splendor of Serakaar. Or at least, it wasn't apparent from the horizon. "I've journeyed abroad many times. You could even say my entire life is a journey abroad." He trailed off, reminiscing of his past. Marcellus wasn't a native of Serakaar. He was born and raised some distance away. Exactly how much distance he didn't know, however. He had forgotten exactly where he was from. In those early days of leaving home, he was completely without direction. By the time he realized where he was, Marcellus had forgotten where he had been. Snapping back to reality, he continued his lecture on traveling. "Anyway, try not to get lost. You're in an unfamiliar place. Carefully watch your surroundings and take note of the paths you take, so you can always at least get back to the boat." |
| "Ok" replies Motoki, taking in Marcellus's advice. He was a well traveled man, and his wisdom would prove to be invaluable. "I don't plan on going to far anyway" he says. After a few minutes, the ship docks, and the sailors start unloading cargo. Motoki walks down the plank, observing the new land. It was less busy than Serakaar. Motoki starts to wander around the port, making sure to stay in close proximity of the boat. He would hate to be left behind. |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus found Mr. Crawford and told him, "We're heading into town. When will we be departing back for Serakaar?" To which Crawford replied, "First thing in the morning. Be here by sunrise, or we'll just leave you behind." "Yeah, like hell you will," Cathrine chimed in, inaudible to anyone but Marcellus, of course. Marcellus did happen to agree, though. It seemed unlikely that Crawford would leave his protection behind. "I take it we are providing our own sleeping quarters?" Marcellus asked. "Yeah. I included the money for a hotel in my offer. Me and my crew are staying with the ship." "Very well, then." And with that, Marcellus caught up to Motoki and recounted the information he had acquired for him. |
| After listening to Marcellus's account, Motoki stands for a moment thinking. He did have much experience regarding Inns. Ever since he had left the gladiatorial arena, he had spent most of this nights sleeping outdoors. He wouldn't know how to pick out a suitable place. Best leave this to Mr. Marcellus he thinks. "So...we need to find a place to stay." he says "Um...I'm sorry if it bothers you, but is it alright if I leave finding a Inn to you? |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| "That shouldn't be any trouble. I shall find us a suitable place." Although, secretly, Marcellus was not used to inns. He rarely entered one, even when traveling. But Motoki would probably be more comfortable at an inn, he thought. It wouldn't be right to force him to camp outside just because it's what Marcellus was used to. Now, where to start? I suppose the only thing we can do is wander aimlessly for the moment. There were few signs, none of which pointed to any inns. This town didn't seem to be used to visitors. He led Motoki down several roads and alleys, until, finally, a cluster of inns was before them. Examining them, Marcellus chose the one that looked the cheapest, and walked in. "We need a room, please. For one night." He said to the receptionist. "That will be one gold piece." Marcellus handed over the money. "Your room is number 102. Thank you and have a nice night!" Marcellus found their room and entered, laying his pack down at the foot of one of the two beds. "Now, we still have some daylight left. If you wish to do anything, now is the time." (It just occurred to me during this post that we haven't set a currency yet! I think gold and silver pieces are good enough. 100 silver to a gold.) |
| "i''m Fine" replies Motoki, removing his Mage's cloak. Both his arms have several scars arcoss the flesh. Placing his cloak cloak on the bed, he sits down,The mattress sagging under him. His eyes start to wonder, looking around the room. Even if it was sort of small, and with little furnishings. But to Motoki, it was pretty luxurious. After a few moments, a faint growl can be heard, emanating from Motoki's stomach. He had barely eaten all day. He blushes slighty, directing his gaze downwards. |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
| Marcellus smiled at Motoki's embarrassment. "We still have money left over from what we were given for our room. Let's use it to get some food, what do you say? I don't think either of us have eaten since we left Serakaar." Marcellus looked around for his staff for a moment, but then remembered that he hadn't brought it on this trip. He wasn't expecting to need it to fight, so it was easier to leave it at home. "Let's go see what we can find, then." Marcellus said, more to himself than Motoki, as he opened the door. |
| Motoki follows Marcellus as he leaves the room, grabbing his robe on the way out. The pair head downstairs, and discovered that the Inn they were stay at didn't serve food. Leaving the establishment, the two started to wonder around, looking for a suitable place After a few minutes, they come across a small stand, with a tall, bald man. From the signage, it was quite obvious it was a food stand. The smell from it was quite appetizing. Motoki turns towards Marcellus, asking "What about this stand, Mr Marcellus?" |
| Stop. Calm yourself. You're an idiot. |
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