Chapter 2
The streets of Pirate’s Cove were especially crowded, the weather had lately been ideal for sailing ships, and smuggling was at its highest point of the year.
Vhanya was itching to take advantage of the activity, she had sold off the mare with little trouble and her earnings jingled in her beltpouch as she strode down the cobbled streets - they’d be enough for a new spiritsail on the Quicksilver, with maybe a little left over for her to treat herself to a new pair of earrings.
She soon rounded a corner and made straight for the busy docks, avoiding the elbows and shoulders of various pedestrians; she knew these streets like the back of her hand.
The docks of Pirate’s Cove were a different sort of challenge than its drunkard-riddled alleyways. The lapping of waves against ship hulls offered a constant white noise over the shouts of dock workers. Gull droppings were healthily plastered over the docks’ wooden boards, and shrill cries from the nuisance seabirds overhead never failed to remind one that they were always watching with their beady eyes, faithfully observant for any sort of dropped morsel.
A gull attempting to gorge itself on someone’s fishing catch narrowly missed Vhanya’s boot, she cursed under her breath; she was certain that kick would’ve landed. Her yellow eyes followed the bird as it winged away, then turned to gaze fondly at her ship, which was docked neatly, just as it had been a month ago. Despite the overall anarchy that ruled Pirate’s Cove, there was one unspoken rule: “Ne’er bother with some-other’s ship, ore‘else summat bound to happen to ’ye” she could practically hear her grandfather’s voice saying it.
The Quicksilver was a rather beautiful specimen- The ship was a frigate, sleek and fast, ideal for navigating the rocky seas surrounding the Island. Her sails were a smooth gray, and her hull was painted a charcoal black accented with crisp white stripes - a very expensive paint job, mind you.
Vhanya was pleased, her ship had been properly taken care of; she wouldn’t have to kill anyone in retribution. She reached up to fix her braid, it had gotten rather tussled by the sea breezes.
Now to assemble a crew.
...
Ember paced restless up and down the cobbled boardwalk that edged the docks.
The place was disgusting. Ships and planks and railings crowded with filthy sea birds, each one as dangerously brave as they were generously messy. Half the boats were unkempt or looked deserted altogether, a few barely even sea-worthy. Sailors occupied nearly every pier and strip of dock, unloading and loading ships, organizing supplies, cursing at the birds.
Ember watched it all warily.
Over the past hour or so, she'd narrowed down her options to three ships. The fastest or the cleanest, the smaller and lighter, less busy ones. Less troublesome ones.
All she had to do now was figure out which one was willing to go her way.
There was a low-hulled cargo ship, dull and basic, but clean and organized. Probably interwoven with the king's shipping management, but it had a calm and quiet aura to it.
A private owned shipping boat, painted a mellow, boring shade of light blue. Only one old sailor had been tending to its cargo and sails, slowly hobbling up and down the small boarding plank, the clunking of his peg leg easy to distinguish.
The third ship was a frigate- a gorgeous glossy black with pristine highlights that seemed to glow in the gloomy morning mist. It was without a crew, deserted of all except, of course, the gulls. A lone sailor stood gazing up at the sleek vessel, pressing back her matching crow-black hair.
Ember leaned back against the wood building behind her, arms folded tightly over her chest as she watched, motionless, the organized chaos of the docks proceed.
...
Often, Vhanya’s sixth sense let her down. She had her race to blame, the Aqra’s relied more on their quick wits and even quicker striking tails to keep them alive than some supernatural sense, but she couldn’t help but curse its unpredictable nature.
Yet now, even through the thick morning gloom that dampened one’s perception, she could tell she was being watched.
She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. Her flintlock pistol was tucked, concealed, through her belt, but as a precaution, she very slowly slid her tail out from her trousers. Her greatcoat was long enough to hide it, and masked her movements.
She shifted her stance so she could look out of the corner of her eye; it took her a minute or two, but she soon saw a cloaked figure, standing suspiciously idle by a fishing hut. Her sense prickled, if but a little.
A Mythic, that one, and it’s obvious they’ve got their eye on me.
She decided on confrontation, as usual. Spinning on her heels, she began picking her way through the sailors and dock workers toward the cloaked figure. She didn’t bother with being subtle, she wanted the watcher to notice her approach.
...
"Feh. Predictable."
The sailor was a Mythic. Ember could feel the voiceless sense of familiarity in the creature's presence, writhing through the air between them, tugging at the depth of her mind. Strengthening and clearing as the tense woman approached, sweeping her way down the busy dock.
The Harpy nonchalantly tugged off a leather glove, pulling the small, claw-tipped hand beneath the shade of her cloak as she repositioned against the wall, slouching to let the hood fall further across her face. Several ribbons of glossy black hair slid and dropped past her temples as she carefully inspected her claws.
If this Mythic was the one who owned the frigate, the Quicksilver, so the name read, she might be of use yet. But that depended on how fate flowed in the next five minutes or so.
Pirates weren't the only ones quick with a draw.
Vhanya sidled next to the Mythic, and nonchalantly leaned against the wall of the fishing hut.
”What’s your business? I know full well what you are - that sense is mutual, I take it.”
As she spoke, she imperceptibly pressed the barb of her tail to the thigh of the cloaked Mythic, not with enough pressure to pierce, but if the person -a harpy, she guessed, that cloak was too bulky to not be hiding something- made any sudden movements, they’d be dead before they hit the docks.
She wasn’t intent on killing anyone today, but wasn’t also about to have a fight break out and get both of their Mythical identities revealed. It was best to quietly take care of things; she already had planned how to deal with the body and not be noticed.
Ember scoffed quietly, sliding her ungloved hand up her head, pushing black waves of hair through her fingertips and up into the hood.
"My business is not any business of yours," she muttered tartly.
She tugged off the other glove and crossed her arms again beneath the folds of the cloak, fingering the leather between her claws.
"Do you own a ship?"
Vhanya chuckled slightly, she always relished showing off her ship.
”Not very chatty, are you? And why yes, I do-“ She lifted a hand with a flourish towards the Quicksilver- “that fine specimen right there.“
A thought crossed her mind.
“Say, I’m on the lookout for a crew, and if you agree to work for me while ‘yer on board the Quicksilver, I’d be glad to ferry - or if you have any cargo,“ she lowered her volume a notch, “whether it be legal or not, I’d be willing to move it.”
Her voice took on a boasting tone, “There may be plenty of smugglers in Pirate’s Cove, but rest assured, if you choose to use my services you’ll be in good hands..”
"Where are you headed?"
The Scorpion's air of self-importance was stifling, but Ember wasn't spiteful enough to ignore that the Quicksilver was one of the better ships at port. If her captain was a Mythic- albeit, an annoying and rather unnerving one, but a Mythic nonetheless- the situation could prove surprisingly useful.
“Wherever the winds take me, but I’m intendin‘ to drop by New Bayport.“ Vhanya paused, “don’t let that put a dagger in our business though, you should know I’m interested in what you have to offer.”
She wasn’t sure she liked the harpy woman yet, she wore a shrewd expression and seemed to be judging Vhanya’s every movement, but that was a trait ideal for smuggling jobs; she could tolerate the Harpy’s standoffishness if she turned out to be a capable crew-mate.
Ember was silent for a long time, tapping a slender claw against her armband thoughtfully, relishing the quiet and ominous clinking that sounded from it. She gave a slight toss of her head, looking the Scorpion up and down with quick flicks from sharp red eyes.
"Have you ever been to Undermine?"
The Harpy was making an infuriating clicking sound with her nails; Vhanya talked quickly in an attempt to drown out the constant clink clink.“I’ve been ’round every bay on this blasted Island, you can be sure I’ve haunted the coasts of Undermine.”
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as the Harpy looked her over, her birdlike red eyes assuming a faint glow in the morning haze.
”The name’s Vhanya, since we’re gettin’ acquainted - Captain Vhanya Marriott, Queen of the Quicksilver.” She said the latter title with a small grin, she’d had the nickname since she was an insolent little girl, known by sailors as the granddaughter of Alastar ‘Turncoat’ Marriott, the loyal king’s soldier gone pirate.
“What’re you lookin’ to do down in Undermine, if you don’t mind my inquiry? I’m not a nosy sort, but you seem a woman with some duty on her mind.”
"If you're not the nosy sort," the Harpy's tone pricked defensively. "Then you will have no problem keeping it out of my intentions."
Ember pressed off the wall, standing straight and tugging the hood low.
"But if you can captain that ship, I'll be willing to contribute some amount of assistance, in return for secure travels."
She turned her head sharply, fully to face the sailor, fixing Vhanya with a steady, emotionless stare.
“You have my word,-“ Vhanya could tell that the Harpy knew better than to trust a pirate’s word, but she said it anyway, more for her own image than concern about the Harpy’s privacy- “although, you’d best know that once on a ship most intentions are bared, no matter how secret..”
The Harpy had turned to face her, and Vhanya now matched her stance, keeping her tail close and hidden under her greatcoat. “Call it a deal,” she stated, reaching out for a handshake to seal their agreement.
Ember regarded Vhanya's outstretched hand for a long, skeptical moment, one thin eyebrow gently arched.
There was no trusting the captain, but her best option lay now with the Quicksilver. Besides, if anything went south, she would just sink the sorry ship, fly back to the mainland, and regroup.
Who knew? Maybe- somehow- the scorpion would prove useful after all.
Ember slowly extended a hand, watching Vhanya sharply as she gripped hers in return.
"Deal."
Vhanya shook her hand firmly, a grin slowly spreading across her face; she didn’t bother to hide her sharp incisors as she did around humans.
”I’d like to know your name, if you‘re going to sail with me- and there are some small rules for those on my ship, nothing terribly restrictive, but it’s best you’re aware.”
She reached into her coat’s inside pocket while she talked, grabbing her pair of kidskin gloves and slipping them onto her hands, the sea offered a chill to the air as the sun set, while Aqra’s had superbly tough skin they were very much intolerant of the cold.
“Firstly no smoking of any sort, dropped tobacco will stain the deck. Secondly, no drinking in excess - now I’m not sayin’ no drinking, but don’t get so plastered to prompt any unnecessary retching,” she stopped briefly to start walking in the direction of her ship, and gestured for the Harpy to follow, “and lastly, please, if there is any confrontation, let me do the talkin’.”
She halted at the edge of the port, the last licks of sunshine caught the shining black paint and neat letters on the Quicksilver’s hull.
“I’m certain there won’t be any questions needed.”
Ember kept several paces behind Vhanya as they walked, keeping a watchful eye on the sailor's movements, still wary.
"How long before we're out of port?"
She didn't care for the scorpion's rambling, most of her words falling as empty noise over the Harpy's feathered ears. Besides, she would never pollute herself with the same low-life smoking and drinking habits the captain seemed so worried about, and it was for her own dignity, not any care for the ship, that obligated her to uphold any rules.
Vhanya pressed a gloved hand to her chin, “Well, if you haven’t already noticed, my ship doesn’t have a crew apart from the two of us… I doubt we leave port until we can rouse up some other’uns to help us.” She turned her yellow eyes to the harpy, “Unless you’re implyin‘ you think just us two can man a ship on our own, if that’s the case you’ve got some sickness in your feathery head.”
She gestured towards the Quicksilver, ” Would you like a tour of this fine vessel here? And you still haven’t told me your name. We don’t have to get all chummy, but if I don’t get your true moniker you’re bound to end up with some unwanted nicknames - from me or whoever else we recruit.”
Ember folded her arms again, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I'm Ember. Ember the Harpy."
"And I know you can't man a ship with only two people, but I was hoping you already had a crew. After all, the 'Queen of the Quicksilver' ought to have subjects, shouldn't she?"
The Harpy didn't wait for a reply, dropping her arms again and striding up the boarding plank to the ship.
“It’s a pleasure to be acquainted, ‘Ember the Harpy’”
Vhanya fixed her coat, then started up the plank beside Ember, talking amiably as she walked, “Most of my crew I hire on commission, the last batch all died, unfortunately-“ She stopped talking abruptly to whip out her flintlock and blow away a curious gull that had landed on the spotless deck, she walked to what remained of the bird, and with a look of disgust on her face, threw it overboard into the harbor. She then resumed talking as though nothing had happened.
“I’m not fond of keeping set crew around very long, I’ve found everything is much more efficient in rotation.”
Ember sidestepped away from the boarding plank and leaned against the railing of the black ship, casting a lazy gaze down at the rest of the port as Vhanya continued talking.
If I'd known she'd be this chatty, I might have turned down the deal.
"Hm. Pray tell, how did your 'unfortunately' late crew all die again?"
Ember brushed several strands of hair out of her face, slightly pushing the stifling hood back to give her a better view of the busy docks.
Vhanya paused, and began slowly, “One of the crew went berserk when he found that a few of us were Mythic - slit their throats as they slept, he didn’t stop there either - until everyone else was dead. I tagged him with my tail, but before the poison claimed him he threw himself into the ocean… From what I’ve gathered he was a part of some group intent on the deaths of Mythics. Rather unsavory lot, really.”
She turned away from the railing to the sea, watching the varying vessels come to and fro. “We’d best stay on the lookout for potential crew mates. I try and ask anyone who looks capable. Usually, they’ll agree to work for food and pay."
...
Pirates Cove.....
A good place to get stolen goods and things from around the world. Dangerous? Yes, but that didn't bother Lichen.
The cove wasn't far from Birds Point, and she went there often. But today, there was something new.
Lichen caught a wind current and drifted, leaflike, over the harbor. A huge, sleek ship bobbed in the waves there. Never seen that one before.
She could see two figures on board. One of them looked to be a Harpy, but not someone she recognized. She sailed closer.
Yeah, no. Too interesting to worry about basic safety.
Lichen twisted into a dive, smoothly dropping out of the sky and landing on the front of the bow with a solid thump.
"Sup guys?"
Ember nearly jumped out of her cloak, the flurry of dark feathers and wild hair dropping into her vision, sending a loud thud across the deck of the ship.
"Flames and feathers-"
Heat pulsed defensively into the Harpy's fingers, sending waves of stifling air up the sleeves of the cloak, making the cloth suddenly itch. Her wings twitched viciously under their cover, making the feathers stick and brush uncomfortably against the fabric. Ember clenched her fists, knees bent, braced for a fight.
"Who are you?"
“Woah, cool it,” Lichen said, rolling her eyes and lifting her clawed hands. A Phoenix?
“Just checking things out. I’ve never seen such a fantastic vessel here in grubby Pirates Cove.” she took a step closer, tilting her head.
What a brash Mythic!
Vhanya had her pistol leveled at the head of the Harpy as soon as she hit the deck. “No sudden movements, Harpy.”
She circled around the stranger, her tail twitching, ready to strike at any given moment. “You’d best be glad the night hid you, there are plenty of folks here who’d like to see your wings up on a wall.“
“Cool it,” Lichen repeated, in a softer tone.
"Hold it, Vhanya."
Ember's wings twitched again, the urge to defend rising unsettling. She swiped her own hood off her head, pacing toward the scorpion and outstretching a thin, clawed hand toward her pistol.
"If you shoot that Harpy, it'll be a lot more than our deal that's ending," she hissed quietly, leveling a stern gaze on the sailor, red eyes glowing dimly.
Lichen's eyes flicked over to the other Harpy. She thinks I need to be defended! A flare of irritation flashed through her, making her wings twitch.
Vhanya barked out a laugh, her eyes flicking between the Harpies.
”Are you threatening me on my own ship? And don’t strain your dear heart, Ember, I wouldn’t shoot to kill, I don’t want too much blood on this nice clean deck.”
Ember drew near to Vhanya, a hand outreached towards her flintlock, her red eyes fixed on the pirate, what she didn’t realize was her proximity; within poison tail‘s reach. So in a flash, Vhanya had the barbed end poised to strike a deadly blow on the Harpy. She hadn’t lowered her gun -still trained on the stranger - a hair‘s-breadth either.
Woah. Scorpion. Lichen hadn’t seen one of those in a while. She shifted her weight to her other foot calmly, flexing her claw-tipped fingers.
"That wasn't a threat. I'm warning you."
Heartbeat pounded in her ears, Ember couldn't tear her eyes away from the otherworldly stinger. Her eyes pulsed with light as her adrenaline rose, and she curled her fist again, hoping the pirate wouldn't notice the occasional licks of smoke sliding between her fingers.
"You-" she jabbed a finger at the other Harpy without looking. "-State your business, your name. Why are you here, and for the love of all that is holy, why aren't you wearing a cape?"
Her gaze flicked back to Vhanya, locking eyes with the scorpion, hoping that by some miracle, she'd keep her loud mouth shut long enough to resolve the sudden issue before the tension snapped.
“If trigger-happy over here is planning to blow my brains out, I don’t think my name is of any importance to you,” Lichen said in a level tone. “I already stated my business, and my cape? I don’t believe in living in fear like a skulking coward.” She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.
Ember's head snapped around, fixing the Harpy with a burning stare.
"Are you calling me a coward?"
Her voice was dangerously calm, slow, daring the woman to reply. The Pheonix could still see the looming barbed tail out the corner of her eye, and the ever-ready flintlock leveled on the Harpy.
“I never said that,” Lichen said. “I simply stated my preference. I don’t care that you folks run around hiding in cloaks.”
Ember‘s pleading gaze made Vhanya drop her tail; if someone was going to get killed, she’d rather the Harpies go after each other than have more blood on her hands than necessary. She still kept her gun raised though, as a precaution.
She watched, amused, as the Harpies bickered, silently glad that she didn’t have a pair of large wings to have to conceal.
She sidestepped over to Ember’s side, and whispered to the Harpy under her breath, “I have some strong narcotic darts at hand, I can put her to sleep and get her tied up - unless you’re just itching for a fight.. “
"Give it a minute," Ember murmured, dropping her fist back to her side as Vhanya's tail fell.
"Let me get this straight," The Harpy raised her volume again so the other Mythic could hear her. "You were just causally flying over a pirate-infested town, saw a ship you thought was pretty, and decided to drop in? Tell me why I should believe that."
“Correcto mundo,” Lichen said. “You don’t have to believe me, doesn’t matter either way, to be honest.”
...
The Falcon glides into Pirates Cove, circles once, spots its target, and flies away.
Back home it swoops into the door and alights on Galen’s folded wing.
“Ouch!” He gently shook the bird off, “My hand, you must land on my hand.”
The Falcon came to rest on his gloved hand.
“Did you find ‘er? In the cove?” He rolled his eyes. “Well, I guess there’s only one thing to do. Best leave this” He tugged his cloak and gloves off and hung them up, “in case we need to make a quick getaway, can't get all tangled up.”
He ducked out the door and closed it behind him.
“Alright,” He flexed his wings, “Lead the way.”
The falcon took off and in one large wingbeat, Galen was also in the air. He flew down along the edge of the shore and trailed one finger in the water before slowing his flight and shooting upwards, getting a clear look at the cove below. He spotted a large ship and his falcon circling it below.
He angled his wings and streaked downwards toward the water before suddenly snapping them open with a loud woosh and landing gently on the deck.
“If you so much as aim that thing at me,” He had seen what was happening from the sky, “you might regret it”
Vhanya was itching to take advantage of the activity, she had sold off the mare with little trouble and her earnings jingled in her beltpouch as she strode down the cobbled streets - they’d be enough for a new spiritsail on the Quicksilver, with maybe a little left over for her to treat herself to a new pair of earrings.
She soon rounded a corner and made straight for the busy docks, avoiding the elbows and shoulders of various pedestrians; she knew these streets like the back of her hand.
The docks of Pirate’s Cove were a different sort of challenge than its drunkard-riddled alleyways. The lapping of waves against ship hulls offered a constant white noise over the shouts of dock workers. Gull droppings were healthily plastered over the docks’ wooden boards, and shrill cries from the nuisance seabirds overhead never failed to remind one that they were always watching with their beady eyes, faithfully observant for any sort of dropped morsel.
A gull attempting to gorge itself on someone’s fishing catch narrowly missed Vhanya’s boot, she cursed under her breath; she was certain that kick would’ve landed. Her yellow eyes followed the bird as it winged away, then turned to gaze fondly at her ship, which was docked neatly, just as it had been a month ago. Despite the overall anarchy that ruled Pirate’s Cove, there was one unspoken rule: “Ne’er bother with some-other’s ship, ore‘else summat bound to happen to ’ye” she could practically hear her grandfather’s voice saying it.
The Quicksilver was a rather beautiful specimen- The ship was a frigate, sleek and fast, ideal for navigating the rocky seas surrounding the Island. Her sails were a smooth gray, and her hull was painted a charcoal black accented with crisp white stripes - a very expensive paint job, mind you.
Vhanya was pleased, her ship had been properly taken care of; she wouldn’t have to kill anyone in retribution. She reached up to fix her braid, it had gotten rather tussled by the sea breezes.
Now to assemble a crew.
...
Ember paced restless up and down the cobbled boardwalk that edged the docks.
The place was disgusting. Ships and planks and railings crowded with filthy sea birds, each one as dangerously brave as they were generously messy. Half the boats were unkempt or looked deserted altogether, a few barely even sea-worthy. Sailors occupied nearly every pier and strip of dock, unloading and loading ships, organizing supplies, cursing at the birds.
Ember watched it all warily.
Over the past hour or so, she'd narrowed down her options to three ships. The fastest or the cleanest, the smaller and lighter, less busy ones. Less troublesome ones.
All she had to do now was figure out which one was willing to go her way.
There was a low-hulled cargo ship, dull and basic, but clean and organized. Probably interwoven with the king's shipping management, but it had a calm and quiet aura to it.
A private owned shipping boat, painted a mellow, boring shade of light blue. Only one old sailor had been tending to its cargo and sails, slowly hobbling up and down the small boarding plank, the clunking of his peg leg easy to distinguish.
The third ship was a frigate- a gorgeous glossy black with pristine highlights that seemed to glow in the gloomy morning mist. It was without a crew, deserted of all except, of course, the gulls. A lone sailor stood gazing up at the sleek vessel, pressing back her matching crow-black hair.
Ember leaned back against the wood building behind her, arms folded tightly over her chest as she watched, motionless, the organized chaos of the docks proceed.
...
Often, Vhanya’s sixth sense let her down. She had her race to blame, the Aqra’s relied more on their quick wits and even quicker striking tails to keep them alive than some supernatural sense, but she couldn’t help but curse its unpredictable nature.
Yet now, even through the thick morning gloom that dampened one’s perception, she could tell she was being watched.
She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. Her flintlock pistol was tucked, concealed, through her belt, but as a precaution, she very slowly slid her tail out from her trousers. Her greatcoat was long enough to hide it, and masked her movements.
She shifted her stance so she could look out of the corner of her eye; it took her a minute or two, but she soon saw a cloaked figure, standing suspiciously idle by a fishing hut. Her sense prickled, if but a little.
A Mythic, that one, and it’s obvious they’ve got their eye on me.
She decided on confrontation, as usual. Spinning on her heels, she began picking her way through the sailors and dock workers toward the cloaked figure. She didn’t bother with being subtle, she wanted the watcher to notice her approach.
...
"Feh. Predictable."
The sailor was a Mythic. Ember could feel the voiceless sense of familiarity in the creature's presence, writhing through the air between them, tugging at the depth of her mind. Strengthening and clearing as the tense woman approached, sweeping her way down the busy dock.
The Harpy nonchalantly tugged off a leather glove, pulling the small, claw-tipped hand beneath the shade of her cloak as she repositioned against the wall, slouching to let the hood fall further across her face. Several ribbons of glossy black hair slid and dropped past her temples as she carefully inspected her claws.
If this Mythic was the one who owned the frigate, the Quicksilver, so the name read, she might be of use yet. But that depended on how fate flowed in the next five minutes or so.
Pirates weren't the only ones quick with a draw.
Vhanya sidled next to the Mythic, and nonchalantly leaned against the wall of the fishing hut.
”What’s your business? I know full well what you are - that sense is mutual, I take it.”
As she spoke, she imperceptibly pressed the barb of her tail to the thigh of the cloaked Mythic, not with enough pressure to pierce, but if the person -a harpy, she guessed, that cloak was too bulky to not be hiding something- made any sudden movements, they’d be dead before they hit the docks.
She wasn’t intent on killing anyone today, but wasn’t also about to have a fight break out and get both of their Mythical identities revealed. It was best to quietly take care of things; she already had planned how to deal with the body and not be noticed.
Ember scoffed quietly, sliding her ungloved hand up her head, pushing black waves of hair through her fingertips and up into the hood.
"My business is not any business of yours," she muttered tartly.
She tugged off the other glove and crossed her arms again beneath the folds of the cloak, fingering the leather between her claws.
"Do you own a ship?"
Vhanya chuckled slightly, she always relished showing off her ship.
”Not very chatty, are you? And why yes, I do-“ She lifted a hand with a flourish towards the Quicksilver- “that fine specimen right there.“
A thought crossed her mind.
“Say, I’m on the lookout for a crew, and if you agree to work for me while ‘yer on board the Quicksilver, I’d be glad to ferry - or if you have any cargo,“ she lowered her volume a notch, “whether it be legal or not, I’d be willing to move it.”
Her voice took on a boasting tone, “There may be plenty of smugglers in Pirate’s Cove, but rest assured, if you choose to use my services you’ll be in good hands..”
"Where are you headed?"
The Scorpion's air of self-importance was stifling, but Ember wasn't spiteful enough to ignore that the Quicksilver was one of the better ships at port. If her captain was a Mythic- albeit, an annoying and rather unnerving one, but a Mythic nonetheless- the situation could prove surprisingly useful.
“Wherever the winds take me, but I’m intendin‘ to drop by New Bayport.“ Vhanya paused, “don’t let that put a dagger in our business though, you should know I’m interested in what you have to offer.”
She wasn’t sure she liked the harpy woman yet, she wore a shrewd expression and seemed to be judging Vhanya’s every movement, but that was a trait ideal for smuggling jobs; she could tolerate the Harpy’s standoffishness if she turned out to be a capable crew-mate.
Ember was silent for a long time, tapping a slender claw against her armband thoughtfully, relishing the quiet and ominous clinking that sounded from it. She gave a slight toss of her head, looking the Scorpion up and down with quick flicks from sharp red eyes.
"Have you ever been to Undermine?"
The Harpy was making an infuriating clicking sound with her nails; Vhanya talked quickly in an attempt to drown out the constant clink clink.“I’ve been ’round every bay on this blasted Island, you can be sure I’ve haunted the coasts of Undermine.”
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as the Harpy looked her over, her birdlike red eyes assuming a faint glow in the morning haze.
”The name’s Vhanya, since we’re gettin’ acquainted - Captain Vhanya Marriott, Queen of the Quicksilver.” She said the latter title with a small grin, she’d had the nickname since she was an insolent little girl, known by sailors as the granddaughter of Alastar ‘Turncoat’ Marriott, the loyal king’s soldier gone pirate.
“What’re you lookin’ to do down in Undermine, if you don’t mind my inquiry? I’m not a nosy sort, but you seem a woman with some duty on her mind.”
"If you're not the nosy sort," the Harpy's tone pricked defensively. "Then you will have no problem keeping it out of my intentions."
Ember pressed off the wall, standing straight and tugging the hood low.
"But if you can captain that ship, I'll be willing to contribute some amount of assistance, in return for secure travels."
She turned her head sharply, fully to face the sailor, fixing Vhanya with a steady, emotionless stare.
“You have my word,-“ Vhanya could tell that the Harpy knew better than to trust a pirate’s word, but she said it anyway, more for her own image than concern about the Harpy’s privacy- “although, you’d best know that once on a ship most intentions are bared, no matter how secret..”
The Harpy had turned to face her, and Vhanya now matched her stance, keeping her tail close and hidden under her greatcoat. “Call it a deal,” she stated, reaching out for a handshake to seal their agreement.
Ember regarded Vhanya's outstretched hand for a long, skeptical moment, one thin eyebrow gently arched.
There was no trusting the captain, but her best option lay now with the Quicksilver. Besides, if anything went south, she would just sink the sorry ship, fly back to the mainland, and regroup.
Who knew? Maybe- somehow- the scorpion would prove useful after all.
Ember slowly extended a hand, watching Vhanya sharply as she gripped hers in return.
"Deal."
Vhanya shook her hand firmly, a grin slowly spreading across her face; she didn’t bother to hide her sharp incisors as she did around humans.
”I’d like to know your name, if you‘re going to sail with me- and there are some small rules for those on my ship, nothing terribly restrictive, but it’s best you’re aware.”
She reached into her coat’s inside pocket while she talked, grabbing her pair of kidskin gloves and slipping them onto her hands, the sea offered a chill to the air as the sun set, while Aqra’s had superbly tough skin they were very much intolerant of the cold.
“Firstly no smoking of any sort, dropped tobacco will stain the deck. Secondly, no drinking in excess - now I’m not sayin’ no drinking, but don’t get so plastered to prompt any unnecessary retching,” she stopped briefly to start walking in the direction of her ship, and gestured for the Harpy to follow, “and lastly, please, if there is any confrontation, let me do the talkin’.”
She halted at the edge of the port, the last licks of sunshine caught the shining black paint and neat letters on the Quicksilver’s hull.
“I’m certain there won’t be any questions needed.”
Ember kept several paces behind Vhanya as they walked, keeping a watchful eye on the sailor's movements, still wary.
"How long before we're out of port?"
She didn't care for the scorpion's rambling, most of her words falling as empty noise over the Harpy's feathered ears. Besides, she would never pollute herself with the same low-life smoking and drinking habits the captain seemed so worried about, and it was for her own dignity, not any care for the ship, that obligated her to uphold any rules.
Vhanya pressed a gloved hand to her chin, “Well, if you haven’t already noticed, my ship doesn’t have a crew apart from the two of us… I doubt we leave port until we can rouse up some other’uns to help us.” She turned her yellow eyes to the harpy, “Unless you’re implyin‘ you think just us two can man a ship on our own, if that’s the case you’ve got some sickness in your feathery head.”
She gestured towards the Quicksilver, ” Would you like a tour of this fine vessel here? And you still haven’t told me your name. We don’t have to get all chummy, but if I don’t get your true moniker you’re bound to end up with some unwanted nicknames - from me or whoever else we recruit.”
Ember folded her arms again, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I'm Ember. Ember the Harpy."
"And I know you can't man a ship with only two people, but I was hoping you already had a crew. After all, the 'Queen of the Quicksilver' ought to have subjects, shouldn't she?"
The Harpy didn't wait for a reply, dropping her arms again and striding up the boarding plank to the ship.
“It’s a pleasure to be acquainted, ‘Ember the Harpy’”
Vhanya fixed her coat, then started up the plank beside Ember, talking amiably as she walked, “Most of my crew I hire on commission, the last batch all died, unfortunately-“ She stopped talking abruptly to whip out her flintlock and blow away a curious gull that had landed on the spotless deck, she walked to what remained of the bird, and with a look of disgust on her face, threw it overboard into the harbor. She then resumed talking as though nothing had happened.
“I’m not fond of keeping set crew around very long, I’ve found everything is much more efficient in rotation.”
Ember sidestepped away from the boarding plank and leaned against the railing of the black ship, casting a lazy gaze down at the rest of the port as Vhanya continued talking.
If I'd known she'd be this chatty, I might have turned down the deal.
"Hm. Pray tell, how did your 'unfortunately' late crew all die again?"
Ember brushed several strands of hair out of her face, slightly pushing the stifling hood back to give her a better view of the busy docks.
Vhanya paused, and began slowly, “One of the crew went berserk when he found that a few of us were Mythic - slit their throats as they slept, he didn’t stop there either - until everyone else was dead. I tagged him with my tail, but before the poison claimed him he threw himself into the ocean… From what I’ve gathered he was a part of some group intent on the deaths of Mythics. Rather unsavory lot, really.”
She turned away from the railing to the sea, watching the varying vessels come to and fro. “We’d best stay on the lookout for potential crew mates. I try and ask anyone who looks capable. Usually, they’ll agree to work for food and pay."
...
Pirates Cove.....
A good place to get stolen goods and things from around the world. Dangerous? Yes, but that didn't bother Lichen.
The cove wasn't far from Birds Point, and she went there often. But today, there was something new.
Lichen caught a wind current and drifted, leaflike, over the harbor. A huge, sleek ship bobbed in the waves there. Never seen that one before.
She could see two figures on board. One of them looked to be a Harpy, but not someone she recognized. She sailed closer.
Yeah, no. Too interesting to worry about basic safety.
Lichen twisted into a dive, smoothly dropping out of the sky and landing on the front of the bow with a solid thump.
"Sup guys?"
Ember nearly jumped out of her cloak, the flurry of dark feathers and wild hair dropping into her vision, sending a loud thud across the deck of the ship.
"Flames and feathers-"
Heat pulsed defensively into the Harpy's fingers, sending waves of stifling air up the sleeves of the cloak, making the cloth suddenly itch. Her wings twitched viciously under their cover, making the feathers stick and brush uncomfortably against the fabric. Ember clenched her fists, knees bent, braced for a fight.
"Who are you?"
“Woah, cool it,” Lichen said, rolling her eyes and lifting her clawed hands. A Phoenix?
“Just checking things out. I’ve never seen such a fantastic vessel here in grubby Pirates Cove.” she took a step closer, tilting her head.
What a brash Mythic!
Vhanya had her pistol leveled at the head of the Harpy as soon as she hit the deck. “No sudden movements, Harpy.”
She circled around the stranger, her tail twitching, ready to strike at any given moment. “You’d best be glad the night hid you, there are plenty of folks here who’d like to see your wings up on a wall.“
“Cool it,” Lichen repeated, in a softer tone.
"Hold it, Vhanya."
Ember's wings twitched again, the urge to defend rising unsettling. She swiped her own hood off her head, pacing toward the scorpion and outstretching a thin, clawed hand toward her pistol.
"If you shoot that Harpy, it'll be a lot more than our deal that's ending," she hissed quietly, leveling a stern gaze on the sailor, red eyes glowing dimly.
Lichen's eyes flicked over to the other Harpy. She thinks I need to be defended! A flare of irritation flashed through her, making her wings twitch.
Vhanya barked out a laugh, her eyes flicking between the Harpies.
”Are you threatening me on my own ship? And don’t strain your dear heart, Ember, I wouldn’t shoot to kill, I don’t want too much blood on this nice clean deck.”
Ember drew near to Vhanya, a hand outreached towards her flintlock, her red eyes fixed on the pirate, what she didn’t realize was her proximity; within poison tail‘s reach. So in a flash, Vhanya had the barbed end poised to strike a deadly blow on the Harpy. She hadn’t lowered her gun -still trained on the stranger - a hair‘s-breadth either.
Woah. Scorpion. Lichen hadn’t seen one of those in a while. She shifted her weight to her other foot calmly, flexing her claw-tipped fingers.
"That wasn't a threat. I'm warning you."
Heartbeat pounded in her ears, Ember couldn't tear her eyes away from the otherworldly stinger. Her eyes pulsed with light as her adrenaline rose, and she curled her fist again, hoping the pirate wouldn't notice the occasional licks of smoke sliding between her fingers.
"You-" she jabbed a finger at the other Harpy without looking. "-State your business, your name. Why are you here, and for the love of all that is holy, why aren't you wearing a cape?"
Her gaze flicked back to Vhanya, locking eyes with the scorpion, hoping that by some miracle, she'd keep her loud mouth shut long enough to resolve the sudden issue before the tension snapped.
“If trigger-happy over here is planning to blow my brains out, I don’t think my name is of any importance to you,” Lichen said in a level tone. “I already stated my business, and my cape? I don’t believe in living in fear like a skulking coward.” She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.
Ember's head snapped around, fixing the Harpy with a burning stare.
"Are you calling me a coward?"
Her voice was dangerously calm, slow, daring the woman to reply. The Pheonix could still see the looming barbed tail out the corner of her eye, and the ever-ready flintlock leveled on the Harpy.
“I never said that,” Lichen said. “I simply stated my preference. I don’t care that you folks run around hiding in cloaks.”
Ember‘s pleading gaze made Vhanya drop her tail; if someone was going to get killed, she’d rather the Harpies go after each other than have more blood on her hands than necessary. She still kept her gun raised though, as a precaution.
She watched, amused, as the Harpies bickered, silently glad that she didn’t have a pair of large wings to have to conceal.
She sidestepped over to Ember’s side, and whispered to the Harpy under her breath, “I have some strong narcotic darts at hand, I can put her to sleep and get her tied up - unless you’re just itching for a fight.. “
"Give it a minute," Ember murmured, dropping her fist back to her side as Vhanya's tail fell.
"Let me get this straight," The Harpy raised her volume again so the other Mythic could hear her. "You were just causally flying over a pirate-infested town, saw a ship you thought was pretty, and decided to drop in? Tell me why I should believe that."
“Correcto mundo,” Lichen said. “You don’t have to believe me, doesn’t matter either way, to be honest.”
...
The Falcon glides into Pirates Cove, circles once, spots its target, and flies away.
Back home it swoops into the door and alights on Galen’s folded wing.
“Ouch!” He gently shook the bird off, “My hand, you must land on my hand.”
The Falcon came to rest on his gloved hand.
“Did you find ‘er? In the cove?” He rolled his eyes. “Well, I guess there’s only one thing to do. Best leave this” He tugged his cloak and gloves off and hung them up, “in case we need to make a quick getaway, can't get all tangled up.”
He ducked out the door and closed it behind him.
“Alright,” He flexed his wings, “Lead the way.”
The falcon took off and in one large wingbeat, Galen was also in the air. He flew down along the edge of the shore and trailed one finger in the water before slowing his flight and shooting upwards, getting a clear look at the cove below. He spotted a large ship and his falcon circling it below.
He angled his wings and streaked downwards toward the water before suddenly snapping them open with a loud woosh and landing gently on the deck.
“If you so much as aim that thing at me,” He had seen what was happening from the sky, “you might regret it”
- Previous page: ~ Galen
