Hyrule Adventures 2

A feral grin erupted on the face of the Sheikah mage as the tidal wave rose up from the ocean, smashing into each of the Stalfos pirates and hurling them from their feet. But his lips quickly faltered as his legs buckled - 'Din's Fire, has it really been so long since I cast that spell?' As a result, the sting of two blades cut into him before he was able to start regain focus and start dancing away from the boarding party - which, unfortunately, appeared to have decided to make him their main focus. With his feet working again he was able to dodge most blows, but nine against one was something even he couldn't keep up with for long, and another slash quickly broke his skin.

'Not good not good not good not go--Sakiko?'

The Sheikah collapsed to one knee as his favorite element came to his rescue, streaking through each of the foes that had been chasing him down. They shattered into fragments, showering him with bits and pieces of bones. He lowered his head, letting his hood protect him as he took a few deep breaths, steadying himself. No telling where Sakiko had come from, but he wasn't about to complain when the goddesses' providence favored him.

He looked up after a moment; the battle was not yet done, and he couldn't let himself rest until that statement no longer held true. The crimson gaze fell upon the Redead Archers that Yukie and Dogura had chosen to confront. Only one had fallen so far . . . spellcasting would be the easiest way to take care of them, but he also feared using too much magic -- it may be that these were not the only monsters on that Ghost Ship. Best to keep some power in reserve.

Well then, next best option . . . "Yukie! Dogura! Fall back, quickly!" He allowed them a few moments to get out of the way. Yukie responded immediately, leaping back to their own vessel and hopping to Alpha's side. He knew Dogura could react just as quickly, so he wasted no more time: reaching into his bag, he withdrew a Bomb and hurled it at the Archers with all his might. [[Bomb on Redead Archers]]

"Good thinkin', Sheikah!" the Deku beside him called triumphantly, grabbing a Bomb of his own. Even as Alpha's blast exploded, Yukie's followed in its wake [[Bomb on Redead Archers]]. If this worked . . . at the very least, some of the Redead should be badly injured, ready for a follow-up strike to finish them all off.

Then maybe they could focus on where Orpheous and Sakiko had come from . . .

Alpha HP: 26, SPL: 34
Yukie HP: 71, SPL: 20

OOC: This topic isn't being derailed enough. I'll take care of that.

IC: If Saber was good at anything, it wasn't magic. Nothing made this more abundantly clear than the mercenary's desperate hiding attempt as magic spells exploded from everywhere. Lightning, fire, water; the only explosion he contributed was of the bowels.

Clambering out from behind the mast, the hylian cast his eyes about the deck. There were more shapes, several of them corpses. Thankfully, all the corpses seemed to be missing the corpse part, so he assumed none of his allies had died. Alpha looked pretty slashed up, though.

Huh. Maybe I should have attacked him with my sword in the tournament. What a novel concept.

Running across the deck, he knelt by Alpha, who had began leading a bombing raid, and placed his hands a good foot from the Sheikah, closing his eyes and murmuring, "[CENSORED TO AVOID OFFENDING THOSE OF VARYING RELIGIONS]"

[Favor of the Goddesses on Alpha]

HP: 47/47
SPL: 17/17

Alpha and Yukie's bombs blow up together, each of them consuming the archers in their blasts. The archers were sent flying from the initial shock wave, but not before being lit on fire for a little additional damage.
(Re-dead archers #2, 3, 4, and 5 -17HP)

Dogura jumped back in time to avoid the blast, and with enough distance to safely set the deck ablaze. Dogura was getting more and more adept at his fiery spells- however this one would require a little help. Dogura searched around for his pouch, which was full of a special substance. A combustible powder that Darkin had thrown together for him. It was meant for training the samurai in his affinity magic, but in a situation like this, it could prove to be one hell of a tool. Dogura inhaled deeply before tossing the powder out in front of him. With a mighty wind in his throat, he exhaled flames down onto the enemy boat, setting the Re-dead aflame once more for another 9 damage.
(Re-dead archers #2, 3, 4, and 5 -9HP)

When the smoke and flames cleared, there was the smell of cooked flesh in the air as the creatures lay motionless, and devoid of life once again. Everything seemed to be going in their favor. Surely the spirit ship's captain wouldn't send another wave of attackers after how quickly his or her army had been dispatched. Dogura landed on the deck near Arrika and took a knee. He'd exerted his magic quite a bit there. "Maybe I went a little overboard..." He admitted to the girl, catching his breath. Suddenly, a phenomenon overhead: the clouds parted in a circle above Taint's ship. A light poured from the night sky, and illuminated Alpha who'd suffered a few wounds during the battle. Sabertache's call was answered promptly by the Goddesses, who's warm love and blessings washed over Alpha restoring him to full health. Then, a shout erupted into the night sky.

"STOP!!"

A man in black robes appeared at the side of the ghost ship, and he quickly dropped to his knees. He wore a black hood over his head, but his features were still distinguishable. His only eye was a deep blue, the other hidden by an eye patch. His gray hair trickled down the sides of his head, and he looked to be quite on in age. He held his hands up in surrender. "Don't hurt my children anymore!" His sunken eyes looked desperate. "They attacked on my command, don't blame them! Please, take me instead!" One of the Stalfos on the ship placed a bony hand on his shoulder as he wept. "Spare me, please! I swear I won't attack anyone ever again!!"

This decision fell on Taint, the captain. The Zora stepped forward and pointed his sword at the man. "You didn't intend to show us any mercy did you?" He asked first before sheathing his sword and folding his arms. Dogura stood up and analyzed the man. "He's a necromancer?" Dogura asked out loud, clearly shocked. "There aren't too many of them left, and they aren't to be trusted. Their minds are warped with the dark and twisted ways of the damned. We should kill him now." Dogura advised. Dogura was a warrior who made decisions based on the smartest and safest course of action. Taint made decisions based on his heart and intuition. Polar opposites.

"I hear you, samurai." Taint affirmed as he eyed the opposing captain. "NO, PLEASE!! I BEG OF YOU!" He cried as he bowed to the crew. "I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU SOMEDAY! I PROMISE!!" The Zora truly did feel bad for the poor guy now. His voice was rough and hoarse as if he'd been through quite a lot in his life. "I say we let him live. Killing him won't undo what was done tonight, and senseless murder won't solve anything." The Zora said, standing firm in his point. Dogura shook his head. "But it isn't senseless at all! He tried to kill us! Captain!" Taint shook his head. "I've made my decision." The robed man got to his feet and bowed repeatedly. "OH, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I WON'T FORGET THIS KINDNESS. I'LL REPAY YOU SOMEDAY!" Taint nodded. "Damn right you will. You're joining my crew." The man stopped and his arms hung at his side. "Join? You mean travel and fight with you?" Taint nodded.

"You're strong. If you want a second chance, join my crew until we finish our quest. Then you're free to go." The man nodded. "Of course. My allegiance is with you." Dogura stared at the man for several seconds. "I can't figure this guy out. I sense no trace of deceit or doubt in his mind. He's truly serious." Taint smiled. "That's nice to hear, but I still don't trust him. We'll keep him in the prisoner's cabin at night when we can't keep an eye on him." Dogura folded his arms and sighed. "Agreed. It's comforting to know that you have a little bit of sense. But if he tries anything..."

"I'll kill him." Taint finished the vagabond's sentence. The necromancer swallowed hard and clasped his hands together. "I understand your conditions! I'll not harm anyone, I promise!" The man leaped high into the air, far higher than a normal man could jump. He landed on deck and turned around to face his ship. He removed an instrument from his robe. A small flute that played a sorrowful tune when it pressed his lips. The boat slowly began to vanish, along with the creatures on board. It was evident that he was quite advanced in necromancy. "You're well versed in your craft." Dogura added. "But as the ship's guard, I'll have a constant eye on you, understand?" The man turned around and grinned. "Not a problem, just don't kill me please. I have a welcoming party waiting for me in hell... Left a lot of angry people there... Something I'm not looking forward to." Dogura eyed him suspiciously. "We've got that in common. What's your name?"

"Morgoth Fleshrender, at your service."

There was pause at the sinister name. "Charmed..." Dogura remarked as he led the prisoner away. This was the first decision that the Zora had made without the consent of his crew. He decided that he needed to start being a leader if he wanted them to respect him at all. He turned to face the crew and smiled. "You all did well. I'm duly impressed. Daybreak is upon us. If you're tired, feel free to go to sleep. If nobody else is interested, I'll continue to steer the ship. But I'll be honest, I haven't slept in two days. I'm running on empty over here."

OOC:

Sleeping restores all of your HP and SPL. The beds on the boat are the only places you can sleep as of right now. We've got one more place we'll pass before we hit Gossip Isle, and that's Everbreeze. Whether we stop or not, there'll be one more conflict before Gossip Isle. Post an OOC with "STOP" or "PASS". Thanks

Edit: And by finishing the fight within the set amount of turns, we've got a necromancer on our team now! Fun fun!

The bombs went off with a ferocious howl, one that only intensified when Dogura threw his own flame into the mix. In its wake remained only charred corpses and the sweet sense of victory . . . along with a bit of relief for Alpha, as Sabertache came to his aid with the Hylian race's special link to the divine. As his body restored itself, the Sheikah rose back to his feet and glanced at Saber and nodded his thanks. Then he turned back to the Ghost Ship -- just in time to see its apparent captain emerge with a pleading bellow.

Alpha listened to the words of both captains, content to let them figure this out for themselves. He rather sided with Dogura -- a necromancer was far too dangerous to place any sort of confidence in, and having him on the crew would require some semblance of trust. Still, Taint appeared to have his mind made up . . . nothing to be done about it then, not unless Alpha wanted to stage a mutiny of some sort. While the idea wasn't exactly out of the question . . . it would necessitate that the mutineer take command once Taint was deposed. That was unappealing.

'Morgoth Fleshrender . . . I too shall be keeping an eye on you.' Alpha thought the words with extra force, hoping that Dogura might pick it up telepathically. He sent the samurai a concerned glance as well, just in case the message went unheard.

Another glance was sent to Yukie, but the Deku was already by Taint's side, smiling widely at "Cap'n's" decision. Seemed the Zora had at least one full-time supporter, no matter what the choice made. He'd have to discuss that with Yukie some time . . . He shook his head and glanced off to the east, where daybreak was indeed upon them. The battle had tired him somewhat; he'd probably best get some rest, lest any other trials present themselves. The crew seemed well-manned in terms of fighting force, but they'd gotten lucky too. Especially with the Stalfos boarding party -- they could have been a great deal of trouble without his and Sakiko's magi--

His head shot up. With a single leap he was atop the ship's railing, looking out at the sea . . . well, where there should have been sea. Instead the view remained substantially blocked off by the presence of another vessel that had appeared from nowhere in the midst of the fight. Had Sakiko not sent out that Thunder attack earlier, it might have escaped his own notice as well.

"Captain!" he called back, gesturing to the ship Orpheous had arrived on. "I think it might be a bit early to be dismissing the crew . . ."

OOC: I'm gonna go with STOP. A nice little rest at Everbreeze could probably do the crew some good. (Nice little rest -- HAH! Yeah right, like nothing's gonna happen on that island . . .)

Dogura turned his head and glanced at Alpha out of the corner of his eye.

I disapprove of the Captain's decision too... But Morgoth is on our ship now, and he'll be under constant surveillance. It's what I'm being paid to do here... I might not be as strong as I once was...

Dogura opened the door, and led the dark magician into the ship's interior. He turned around and looked at Alpha before he closed the doors behind him.

...But I'm still more than capable of crushing a squishy wizard who doesn't know his place...

With that, the doors slammed shut. Taint's eyes followed the Sheikah as he leaped up to the top of the ship. He followed Alpha's gaze to a large ship not far from them.

Alpha wrote:"Captain! I think it might be a bit early to be dismissing the crew . . ."

"OH!" Taint called out, his attention being immediately drawn Orpheous and his friend. "Orpheous! It's been a long time! Remember me? I was that Zora!" He smiled widely as he approached the man. "Is that your ship? I appreciate the help back there, Nayru knows we needed it." The captain leaned over Orph's shoulder to get a better look at the woman he'd brought with him. He sucked in a breath (in accordance with his training) and approached her. "That was one hell of a spell back there! You blew em' to bits, ya did!" He cheered as he vigorously took her hand and shook it happily. "GAH, YOU'RE FREEZING!!" He screamed as he let go. "Someone get this lady a blanket!" He ordered to nobody in particular. He looked back to Orpheous and folded his arms. "You plan on sticking around? We'd love to have you guys around! We're headed to Gossip Isle! We've got a little clue that might help us unlock the secrets of the mysterious ancient Sheikah ancestors! Surely you've heard of it!"

OOC: Joooiiiiiiiinnnn uuuussssss...

Just before the flash of light almost blinded her vision, Sakiko saw a tall figure swarmed by Stalfos. Strange – why hadn’t she noticed that before? But the night was dark, and the flash of lightning that greeted her call to the sky put a harsh veil between her and the figure. Then, the sweet sound of thunder and the sickening cacophony of crunching bones immediately followed; it unfortunately pushed out her vision of the tall figure, and Sakiko’s mind was directed to the spell at hand.

The flying bones of the Stalfos was so disgusting that Sakiko couldn’t hold it in anymore. Nothing really came into her sight as she blindly stumbled to the edge of the ship and hurled. Stalfos were already pretty nasty creatures, but having them dismembered right in front of her was…a little too much to handle at this point.

When she was finished, her body was feeling much better, but her mood was faring badly. She was irritated, flustered, and confused, with all the bodies crashing into one another and war yells being tossed from one throat to the other. Her back turned to the scene of the skirmish, she failed to notice the rest of the re-dead archers being finished off by Alpha, Dogura, and Yukie. Hand hung limply on her lips, Sakiko turned around unsteadily – but the battle was done. Thank the goddesses.

Then, out of nowhere, a necromancer popped up, yelling at the top of his lungs. Sakiko was irked by the sight of this groveling man, who was begging to be spared. Aside from the fact that he was a necromancer of all things, she wouldn’t place trust in someone who would come to the enemy with such cowardly humility. If she had any say in the matter, she would’ve suggested that he should be killed right then and there. Although she firmly agreed with Dogura, Taint’s prison idea didn’t seem too horrible, and she kept her peace about the matter.

"Captain! I think it might be a bit early to be dismissing the crew . . ."

The mage strained her eyes, trying to look among all the other adventurers to seek out the face of the speaker. She could tell his voice from anywhere, and something – probably intuition – was telling her that he was the figure she had seen before the lightning and the thunder. She pushed aside a bulky warrior who was rudely blocking out her view with his excessive muscles, on her tip-toes…

…and suddenly, a hand was grabbing her own, shaking it up and down with vigor. Sakiko tried to wrench away when the Zora did so on his own accord with a somewhat horrified yell. Oh, wait, hold on…she knew him. Her eyes scrutinized the Zora, jogging her memory…perhaps it was during the war…but she couldn’t remember too well. In any case, his face was very familiar. She supposed that she would recall her meeting with this captain sooner or later.

Ignoring Taint’s comment about the blanket, Sakiko continued her search; an lo and behold…there he was. Her eyes shifted to his periphery, and to her bittersweet surprise, she saw Arrika as well.

"You plan on sticking around? We'd love to have you guys around! We're headed to Gossip Isle! We've got a little clue that might help us unlock the secrets of the mysterious ancient Sheikah ancestors! Surely you've heard of it!"

Well, there was certainly no way she would let Arrika stick around when she wasn’t there. Although happy to see the thief, she had already experienced the rogue’s wild jealousies and flare-ups when it concerned Alpha. It would be as if she left a piece of meat to a wolf, unguarded. Okay, maybe that was a rough analogy, but that didn’t change her thoughts.

And so, she answered with a nod. Gossip Isle did sound extremely interesting, and though she never heard of it, she was up to a little adventure. As long as Gossip Isle had firm, solid ground. Sakiko wondered if the "secrets" that the captain was talking about concerned material treasure, or intellectually fulfilling answers. She was guessing the former, though.

Ooc: STOP!

It seemed that only a handful of moments after he had effectively crippled one of the boarding planks that the battle was over. He didn't think it would end this quickly, especially for somebody to call for it to stop on the second ship. But, now in all this new lighting, he saw the true cast of the pirate ship he had jumped on to.

Alpha? Dogura? Taint? Wow, quite of crew of celebrity adventures. He recognized practically the whole crew of this pirate ship, and to Orpheous' knowledge, none of them were pirates.

Then something else caught his eye. Orpheous hadn't suspected a living soul aboard that ghost ship. He was wrong. A scholar called for the battle's end, and a skilled one at that. Orpheous figured it out right before Dogura called it out, but he was too hesitant to mention it himself. Well, another summoner was on board, but one of the dead, not of words. After listening to the debate over sparing him or killing him, Orpheous nodded with the decision to let him live, but be cautious about his presence. His skilled could be well used, and it didn't seem as though he was a threat after he sent away his ship. Yet, they needed to be careful. Summoners could be wicked and vile. Orpheous once was.

Then, Alpha noticed him and he was suddenly barraged by Taint. He took the time to absorb Taint's comments carefully. Finally, he answered, with a certain calmness about him. The calmness that made him such a lethal mind. "Quite a nice ship you've...commandeered here? As for the Royal Hylian Ship Antros, she is not mine. A handful of citizens noticed the pirate ship and alerted the Parapa Settlement. We came running, though it appears not all were venturous enough to board. No shame in that." Then he pulled out a soft blanket from his pack, and handed it to Sakiko. Once that was out of the way, he got on to business.

"Ah, Gossip Isle. Truly an interesting place from what I've heard. I wouldn't miss a chance to go to it for the world. Especially with such a skilled team. Count me in indeed."

Meanwhile, it seems another was brave enough to venture aboard Taint's ship. He stood farther back from Sakiko and Orpheous, not really standing out much. His deep blue eyes seemed to only reflect the light, not truly showing how he felt out of any of this. After all, much of the rest of his face didn't give off expression either, as his eyes, brow, temple, nose, and upper cheeks were covered by a dark beaked mask. Thealter, but somebody on board might know him better by "Thea." He spoke not a word, and for the most part, seemed to go unnoticed, at least by Orpheous. His silence and dark apparel certainly would make sure few would even catch that he was there.

OOC: STOP. I definitely want to see what awaits for us at Everbreeze.

Sabertache tapped his fingers on his sword hilt, watching the proceedings. At this point, he didn't much care about the necromancer. How powerful could he really be if his attack had been warded off within seconds? Especially without the combat prowess of--well, no, their strongest fighters had done all the work. Still, Morgoth--as ridiculous as his name may have been--was not a threat.

Still, there were things on his mind.

"Taint," he hissed, "I want you to go below deck. I'll take care of the wheel. Get some rest, eat a tomato, and leave a rupee in the cart. Believe me, your health is crucial to this expedition. Especially the tomato part. Maybe you should eat several."

OOC: PASS. Because everyone has to have a Simon Cowell.

Both of the new crew members agreed to accompany him. The Zora felt really good inside about the decisions he'd made thus far. From standing on the street with a sign, to sailing the ocean blue with a full crew and a reliable vessel; he'd done well. He even had a small fan, whom he felt truly believed in him.

I'm a captain... If only you could see me now, Cap'n...

Taint briefly bowed his head in a moment of silence before welcoming the new crew mates aboard. He'd completely failed to notice the other that had joined them, partly from lack of sleep, mostly from lack of attention at the moment.

"Taint, I want you to go below deck. I'll take care of the wheel. Get some rest, eat a tomato, and leave a rupee in the cart. Believe me, your health is crucial to this expedition. Especially the tomato part. Maybe you should eat several."

The Zora nodded to the mercenary, and pointed to the map near the wheel. "Keep heading in this direction, and it'll be impossible to miss Everbreeze. Look for the giant lighthouse, and the windmills surrounding it. We should be there within a couple of hours. I appreciate it."

With sleepy eyes, the captain made his way to the doors, and disappeared inside. Not more than a few seconds later, Dogura emerged from the doors and immediately noticed Orpheous and Sakiko. They must have already introduced themselves to everyone. Everyone who didn't already know them anyways. The samurai appeared next to Orpheous and Sakiko, eager to welcome the both of them himself. "Orpheous, and Sakiko. Always a pleasure to see you around. What brings you out onto the ocean? Course, I suppose you could ask me the same. I trust that the captain briefed you?" He asked, hoping he wouldn't have to explain the whole situation himself.

There's another. Is he with you?
Dogura asked Orpheous telepathically. He wasn't one to cause a scene when there might not be a need to. The stranger was standing pretty far off to be a friend of anyone on board.

"Yeah," answered the wordmancing scribe simply. "You've got quite an interesting captain, why I remember when I first met Taint. No offense, but he sure seems to have grown up at a lot, not that he was immature before. He just seems...wiser, more cut out for the position of leadership, although I can see who the real string pullers are here though. Two famous Sheikahs leading an expedition to an old Sheikahn island. Gossip Isle, I can hardly wait. And I have full faith in this captain to get us here," he commented, bowing lightly to Taint to show his humbled respect. Then he turned back to Dogura.

"As I mentioned earlier, though you weren't around to hear, a pirate ship off the coast of the Papara so close to the Settlement doesn't go unnoticed. We came rushing expecting to stop piracy that threatens our beloved Hyrule, yet instead find a team of adventures who had merely borrowed the pirates' vessel. We managed to catch up with you in the Royal Hylian Ship Antros, captained by my good friend Cecile, though it appears not all were willing to board, or will board, though the Antros will follow us to Everbreeze should anybody else on there wish to join us to Gossip Isle. Though I doubt we'll get a much larger turnout. Most on that ship were only hungry for pirate blood and justice, not true adventure," he finished, looking back reflectively at the Antros.

He answered Dogura's question with telepathy of his own.

The man with the beak mask is as much as a friend as your Morgoth is, though I'd say a bit more so. Thealter and I had our differences in the past, but I think he needs to see Gossip Isle with his own two eyes. I've heard rumors of its secrets, and maybe he can find his catharsis there.

With that, he turned back to the crew, wondering if any others would ask him to regale the story on his presence again, not that he particularly liked repeating himself, but just out of servitude to the masses. As for Thealter, he remained aloof, though slowly managed to inch closer, making sure he didn't miss anything important being said about Everbreeze or the journey to come.

On the note of Everbreeze, the scribe realized he was still puzzled. "I've never been to Everbreeze," Orpheous spoke up. "I take it they must be hospitable enough if it was suggested we stop there, but I'm curious as to its national allegiance and culture in general, although I'm guessing most of my questions about that place won't be answered until we get there. Can you enlighten me, Dogura, as to the settlement's nature, you've traveled this lands far longer than myself, and I'm afraid I haven't learned it all yet?"

...But I'm still more than capable of crushing a squishy wizard who doesn't know his place...

'Right . . . I'll leave it in your hands for now, then.' Alpha concluded the thinking with a mental nod of confidence. Whatever anger he had harbored towards Dogura earlier, it appeared to have dissipated. Or at least been pushed aside; whatever the case, the samurai was right -- if anyone could handle this necromancer, it was a man come back from the dead.

His mind shook off the matter as Taint and the others all greeted the newcomers. For a second he considered doing the same, but as he descended from the railing his legs twitched, exhaustion being evident. Crossing all of Parapa the previous day, stealing a ship from pirates, and now fighting off swarms of undead by using spells for the first time in months . . . it seemed to have left him quite worn out.

So he settled on simply waiting until he and Orpheous, then he and Sakiko, made eye contact. He gave each a nod of welcome, appending a quick smile to Sakiko's, recalling his 'adventures' with her in Rauru a few weeks back. Then he made for the door below decks, following Taint back down to the sleeping quarters. Even if they were stopping in Everbreeze, he suspected that a few more hours of sleep would do him a great deal of good.

* * *

Yukie waited fer Taint to get done with the invitations and subsequent acceptance of the two newcomers -- he seemed ta have overlooked that third guy, though given how he stayed silently off to the side, that weren't no fault of the Zora's -- before going up ta the pair himself. "Nice ta have y'all on board," he said, holdin' out a hand to each. "Name's Yukie." He glanced around, seeing several others -- like Alpha and Dogura -- greetin' the pair in ways that made it obvious: these two were Adventurers indeed. "Seems ya already know several of the others, so lemme just say that I'm a good friend o' Alpha's, n' leave it at that." He gave them a salute and left them to the others, headin' towards the door . . .

. . . before realizing that he weren't all that tired, actually. The night'd been purty darn good to him, so he might as well stay up and help out where he could. Climbing the stairs to the helm, he walked over ta where Saber was already takin' over the steering o' the ship. "I'll keep ya company, if ya want it," he said with a nod to the Tantari Mercenary. "Otherwise, I'll take to the crow's nest fer a while."

OoC: Saki sounds like she wants a fight
Also, I don't know why all of my posts have been in present tense... I think it was because I've been writing other things in present tense and I got in the habit of it...

IC:

Arrika nodded numbly at Dogura. The battle was going quickly, and the undead defeated before she could use another spell. With a sigh, she looked down at the wooden plank she had incinerated. It wasn't exactly a Stalfos, or even one of those flimsy archers, but she supposed she'd done some good.

That Thunder... She glanced around, and found that her intuition was right on the mark. She hadn't expected to see Sakiko here, out on the open sea, of all places. It wasn't like she'd been avoiding the mage-girl... Okay, maybe she had been, ever since... She glanced down at her hand and the savage wolf's head ring; the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

I used magic... she mused to herself, and finally decided that it wasn't as repulsive as she used to believe.

"I'd get rid of him now if I were you, Captain," Arrika muttered to herself, looking at distaste with the necromancer. But once again, she was just one thief out of many on that ship, so what did her opinion really count for when-

-she paused and glanced about her warily. There was someone else on the ship now, someone very familiar...

"Thea?!" she said aloud, and although she hadn't exactly shouted the name, she was sure the other thief would pick it up. "Why are there so many damn thieves on this ship?"

OoC: STOP. Even though Arrika doesn't actually want to.

"I'll keep ya company, if ya want it. Otherwise, I'll take to the crow's nest fer a while."

"...no...stand down...at ease, crow?"

Well, that was the extent of his nautical knowledge. He was not Sailortache.

"Really, though, I could use the conversation. It's sort of rare lately."

He took the wheel firmly in his hands, glancing over at the Deku sheepishly.

"I'm assuming that in order to keep going the same direction...I don't move this?"

Ooc: hahahaha…..just depends on how Arrika acts! ^_^

IC: It was rather surprising when Orpheous handed Sakiko a blanket; she hadn’t expected anyone to take Taint’s comment seriously. But then, of course, she had gotten used to her strange body temperature by now, and she had forgotten that others would consider it out of norm.

"Orpheous, and Sakiko. Always a pleasure to see you around. What brings you out onto the ocean? Course, I suppose you could ask me the same. I trust that the captain briefed you?"

Sakiko met the Samurai’s glance, quite pleased that someone with respectable abilities was on board. She had a wary feeling that their first encounter with the necromancer (and company) wasn’t going to be last; it was reassuring to have someone who knew what they were doing.

“Same here, Dogura.”

After Orpheous completed his detailed explanation, she thought it superfluous to add anything. When Yukie approached her and Orpheous, the mage took the tip of his hands and gave them a weak shake; she didn’t want another horrified yell concerning her skin temperature. After his introduction, she stated her name as well, a little dubious of his claim that he could be a good friend of Alpha’s. He posed a quite contrasting character to the serious Alpha. His perky energy was definitely remarkable – remarkable, because personally, Sakiko was in a mood to go into a deep slumber. The constant rocking of the ship and the slapping of the wind against her face had wearied her; she certainly wasn’t born to be on sea.

EDIT: OOC: OH MAN I MUST BE A REALLY BAD READER HAHA...

IC: Yawning slightly, Sakiko followed Alpha’s path to the cabins; she couldn’t wait to get to Everbreeze and rest on firm ground. Staring at all the doors, she hesitantly walked to the one in the semi-middle. She hoped that she wasn’t taking anyone’s room, or that someone was already in it. That would be reaaallllyyyyy awkward. Slipping inside the room, she closed her eyes peacefully.

Alpha, Sakiko, and Taint's HP and SPL have been fully restored.

"You've got quite an interesting captain, why I remember when I first met Taint. No offense, but he sure seems to have grown up at a lot, not that he was immature before."

Dogura nodded. "He was absolutely immature some time ago. That's changed though, somehow or another.

"He just seems...wiser, more cut out for the position of leadership."

"Agreed. He's certainly not a kid anymore. Not quite a man yet, but not a kid either. He could use a little more hair on his chest, metaphorically speaking that is.

"although I can see who the real string pullers are here though. Two famous Sheikahs leading an expedition to an old Sheikahn island. Gossip Isle, I can hardly wait. And I have full faith in this captain to get us here."

"I assume you're referring to Alpha and I. Keep in mind that there are three Sheikah on board as far as I know. We're not 'pulling the strings' per say, but it wouldn't be wrong to say that our voices hold a great amount of merit to the captain." Dogura shifted his weight to one side and placed his hands on his hips. "He hired me for a number of reasons. I played a major role in deciphering most of the ancient alphabet by utilizing the forbidden scrolls passed down to me. I'm also serving as a ship guard, and an advisor. I'm not to leave the ship under almost any circumstance. It's part of the contract I signed, and I'll tell you something, the Zora found his hands on some serious money. Truth is, I'd never serve someone like him, but I need the funds for some special research of mine."

Dogura looked up at the sky and took note of the rising sun. It was bright red, which meant possible bad weather coming. It'd be good to stay the night in Everbreeze after all. "I've been noticing a pattern, Orpheous. It seems that a certain group of people in this land were chosen for something special... Whenever a serious occasion arises, certain people always find their way to the center of it. For instance, the way you and I often meet in the strangest of places. Generally, those here on the ship always wind up in one spot. Fate? Or something more? In any case, I've noticed that Taint- awkward as he may be, also finds his way to the center of things. I started noticing this not to long ago, but for one reason or another, he's a chosen body of the Goddesses. Despite his apparent lack of caution, he continues to go forth and do exceptionally well in battle. Despite his clumsy nature, and his awry footwork, he stays standing tall... I don't know what's at work here, but it isn't normal."

Several seconds passed before the samurai dismissed himself. "It's been great talking with you, but I have a duty to uphold. Our new friend Morgoth can't be given much trust just yet. We still don't know his full capabilities, and the prisoners' cabin wouldn't be very difficult for any moderately seasoned thief to break out of. We should talk more when we make landfall in Everbreeze. Be seeing you." With that said, Dogura took a few steps back, and dropped into a shadow.

* * *

"Good, you're still here." Dogura stated.
Morgoth lay in his bed facing the opposite direction, still, but awake.
"I thought I already told you... I'm not out to kill any of you. You don't have any riches on this ship anyhow..." He stated flatly. "You're all completely broke, just my luck." This calmed the samurai a bit. He was after money, and nobody on the boat was 'rolling in rupees'. "It's a bloody pirate ship for Din's sake!" Morgoth called out angrily, throwing a hand in the air in frustration. Dogura leaned against the wall and tilted his head. "We're currently looking for some kind of treasure, if that's of any interest to you." Morgoth sat up and eyed the vagabond. "Treasure you say? On Everbreeze?" Dogura shook his head. "That's not our destination, we're only stopping there for the night. In any case, if you're behaved, I'll make sure you get a cut." Dogura hoped this would sway the man to be a bit easier to deal with.

"I already told you, I won't attack anyone so long as I'm not provoked! You'd all kill me faster than I could summon anything. Besides, death is a touchy subject with me."

Dogura nodded. "So I'm informed. You fear death?"
The summoner shook his head. "I don't fear death, I fear what comes after. I won't tell you the whole story, but when I go to hell again, I've got a reserved seat in the worst torture chamber you can fathom. They'll cause me pain of the highest degree they can. I'm not looking forward to it at all, so I won't be taking any unnecessary risks of getting myself killed." The samurai squinted at the man. "You attacked us for no reason other than monetary gain. That seems like an unnecessary risk to me." Morgoth looked at the floor. "I didn't think you'd all be so strong... I'm not lying."

"I know you're not." The samurai watched him carefully. "I've read your mind inside and out. I know a lot more than you'd want me to." Morgoth looked at Dogura with an intensity not yet seen from the necromancer. "You bastard!" Dogura laughed. "I'm known as such. The point is however, I don't sense any real malice in you, and your story checks out. So long as you don't lie to me, we'll be on good standing. I'll let you out in a few hours."

There was a pause. "Even as a prisoner... It was nice talking with someone..." Morgoth said just above a whisper...

* * *

The sun was now up, and there was a good wind blowing in the direction of Everbreeze. The island could already be seen far off in the distance.

OOC: One more round of posts, and we'll be in Everbreeze. I appreciate the quick posts! We're really moving here!