Sypherkhode822

In Dark Seas We Sail

The lad trusted him- that was good. Pieter'd have to work to keep that trust. Pieter had emptied the bottle of vinegar into the sea while Uban rambled and tied the rope around his waist. Going to check his knots, Pieter said, "Don't take anything they give you tonight. Don't follow them into the water. This is just an introduction, so ya won't have to say much. Just say hi and stay quiet. Don't worry about staring- there's a reason why I roped ya up. I met a lady earlier today- they're not real busty round these parts, you gotta go further south for that." The ropes were secure- even drunk as hell and in the middle of night, he could tie a knot. A warmth grew in Pieter's heart that had nothing to do with the wine he'd had. "Alright, ropes are fine. Let's get ya out there." Leading Uban to the sea, he stopped where the sea foam hissed around their ankles. Despite the frigidness of the water, Pieter didn't flinch. Holding his lantern high, he called, "Ladies, I've come to talk to you."
A moment of silence followed. Pieter packed his pipe, tapping the bit against his teeth. He glanced at Uban next to him, the thick rope tied around his waist. He looked at the stars for a moments. The Rose was high in the sky tonight, and The Gardener rose not far behind it.
Three women surfaced several meters away from them in the water. Pieter recognized the one on the left- the blonde mermaid with the childlike eyes. Next to her was a woman who could have been her older sister, their hair was the same, but the older sister didn't smile. The final woman was tan, with dark hair rolling down her shoulders in ringlets. Her eyes were kept close, though she acted like she could see the men on the shore. Bare chested, they bobbed in the water, watching the men. Taken singularly, they were lovely, together, they were intoxicating. Pieter puffed on his pipe nonchalantly, grasping the rope in one hand. Addressing them, he said, "Nice night out, huh ladies?"

In Dark Seas We Sail

"Thomond, son of Surond, struck the guardsman, and fell into the fray. And although the guardsmen were many, Thomond and his knights drove them off, winning the tower for themselves. They had succeeded in rescuing Giselle, but the sly King of Cats, Tybalt, surrounded the tower with soldiers and wretched mantygers. Thomond's knights spoke among themselves, and grew fearful. They lamented how far from home they were, and grew afraid they would never see home again. At this time Giselle rallied the men, reminding the brave sons of Mide of their holy task. Hearing the chosen of Midel speak, the knights were stirred to glory, and readied their arms once more."

Hana sighed, closing the book, "I think that's enough for tonight, don't you? What do you think of Thomond? He's following the wishes of Midel, yet it's cost him so much." Glancing down, she saw that her pupil had fallen asleep. She had been worried the entire time he'd been gone, a quiet concern that she'd hid. Hana knew little about mermaids, beyond the stories told by explorers, Elbar had little knowledge of mermaids. That the boy the boy was unharmed surprised her. She'd thought mermaids dragged tricked sailors underwater. Rio could just turn into a fish. The things that boy could do continued to surprise her. He was borderline feral, but he had heart. And if an ancient epic could inspire him to read, so be it. The fire had ran down, and the Captain had gone on a stroll, enjoying the night air.

Letting the boy lay where he was, Hana carefully extracted herself from the log she had sat on. She was careful not to wake the boy. The stars were out, circling overhead, and she could make her way easily to the canvas tent that she'd used on the trail. It wasn't the prettiest, but it was well made and she'd enchanted it to make it comfortable. The underappreciated side of magic was how much easier it made life. She'd already worked waterproofing into the other tents, and had decided she was going to try and enchant the bugs off the Borealis. Her last thoughts as she drifted off were about the spells she'd bring up to the Captain.

---

Pieter whistled as he guided Uban down to the shore. Though the moon was out, Pieter carried a lamp with him. Noticing the growing concern on Uban's face, he said, "Don't worry, Ubey. Just going for a spot of fun." With cheerful determination, he led Uban away from the safety of the camp and towards the chilly waters. They navigated a rocky path down to the shore. Uban had grown silent, driven by loyalty and trust to the old sailor. The beach was a scrap of sand filled with driftwood and rotting seaweed. A crumbling cliff wall lined the beach, pines clinging to the soil. The water was still, waves brought up by the wind lapping and bumping into the debris. A cold wind went through them, and Pieter shivered as he crunched across the sand to a suitably heavy stump. Setting the lamp on the stump, he turned to Uban, his face flickering in the lamplight, "We're going to meet mermaids now, and I'd like you to tie this rope around your waist."

In Dark Seas We Sail

Wheel sat quietly and watched Uban get progressively more destroyed. There were more nights than Wheel could count that he'd joined in, but tonight wasn't one of them. Wheel nursed a mug of the soldier's wine as he ate his dinner. Other than the cursory attention he paid to the conversation, Wheel was occupied with his thoughts. He'd have to see how Uban was using his lightning, he'd have to see if Hana could work magic if she was being shot at. Pieter and the Cap'n were ready- though if he had his way, Berlin would work down some of the gut that was starting to appear. The kid.

The kid.

There are some things in life that you take for granted. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. The armor on a gendarme would withstand shot. The kid would be dead in 20 years if he didn't know how to fight. And for once- for goddamn once- Wheel thought it'd do some good if he could teach the kid. Teeth and claws didn't last long against steel and shot.

Hana looked happy. That was nice, Wheel guessed. The curse was twisting around him right now, and everything in his periphery had faded to black. His stomach was unpleasantly full and ravenous. He considered going to vomit, but he knew that a full stomach helped keep the curse from it's full extent. There were times when it was alive, and would punish and reward him. Tonight it was unthinking, a burden that was slowly taking everything he had.

Uban had started singing- one of those tavern rounds that peasants loved when their wives weren't around. Wheel remembered a few stanzas from this song- or one close enough to it that it didn't matter much. He opened his mouth and belched. Closing his eyes, he listened as Uban tried to ply Hana into playing music with him, and pretended he was back in Tyrohl. It had been hard- but the hardness was what made it easy. Once you have the hang of it, cruelty is a very simple thing. Wheel was taught to be cruel early on, but the Borealis was different. Berlin didn't lead with cruelty. And it worked most of the time, Wheel admitted that. It just meant that the cruelty that did happen was shocking.

Wheel watched as the boy went to Pieter, asking him about mermaids. The priest took the pipe out of his mouth to answer, "How did her scales feel, lad? I figure you can grow a tail no trouble, and get the hair to boot. But that's not a mermaid, not really. They're not animals, and they're not people. They're mermaids, and that makes em different to the rest of the world."

Wheel had almost bought a stuffed mermaid tail in Tyrohl. It was fake, but he hadn't known it at the time. Fucking merchants.

The kid went to Hana, begging for story time. Wheel got up to leave, heading to the small tent he'd put up to sleep. It'd been a hell of a day, and the next one was right around the corner. The last thing he heard as he laid his head on the coil of rope that served as a pillow was Hana's voice speaking slow and soft.

---

Wheel had gone to bed without a scene. Hana had begun to read to the lad, and Uban was piss drunk. "Well. No time like the present," he stood up, wiping his hands on his trousers, "I've already got rope and vinegar with me, so we don't need to make any stops. Come along, Uban." Pieter helped him up, and gently yet firmly guided Uban to the shore, into the darkness.

In Dark Seas We Sail

The awkwardness passed, and after quickly ducking into the Borealis to retrieve some supplies from the pantry, she settled in to cook. Uban prepared the vegetables and Hana went to work. After readying the fire pit they'd made, Hana muttered and flicked her wrist. A crackling fire rewarded her magic, and she let the water start to boil as readied the boar meat. It had all been cooked to keep from spoiling, so Hana marinated strips of the meat in wine and spices. She'd learned how to cook as a hedge mage, first out of necessity, then to try and compete with her traveling partners. Those had been good times, those early evenings with cooking fires and happy inebriation. Some of her traveling partners had been on the road a long time, and they showed her how much a bottle of soldier's wine could do when cooking outdoors.
Uban sang with a beautiful voice, and Hana listened as she added barley to the boiling water. "When did you start to sing?" She asked.
By the time Pieter and the Captain joined them, the soup was nearly, and they had gone through a bottle and a half of the wine. Half a bottle into the soup, and the rest between Hana and Uban.
Hana was laughing, listening and swapping stories. The stories she told were from her time on the Continent, including the (only slightly embellished) one with the miller, the miller's wife, and the egg eating horse.
She quieted as she saw the drawn look on the Captain's face as he sat to join them.
As they spoke, Hana noticed that Pieter was serene. His posture was relaxed and he smiled pleasantly at her when she looked at him.

---
Hana was confused as she looked between Berlin and Pieter. She was relaxed, and Pieter noticed the open bottle propped up by Hana's feet. He also noticed the empty bottle behind Uban. "Aye, Captain. Looks like we've got ourselves something a bit heartier than rum." Taking the bottle and smelling it, a contended sigh came from the old sailor. "Awh, this is the kinda stuff you find when you're on the other side of the Horn. Cheaper than water, in some ports." He chuckled, "Those were some towns."

When Rohaan wearily joined them, Pieter moved, letting the boy sit next to Berlin. He positioned himself so that he could listen in on Berlin and the boy, pay attention to what Hana and Uban were getting up to, and keep an eye out in the darkness. This happened without acknowledgment, and he enjoyed the awareness he had of his crew. Hana and Uban wisely gave the Captain and Ro space, enjoying the others company, and the strong wine. He hadn't thought Hana would buy this kind of wine, but then again, she was a pretty smart lady.

Much of his silence came from the fact that deep down, Pieter was very relieved to see Rohaan unharmed. These were gentle waters, and the cruelest thing a mermaid here would do is break a sailors heart. And while he wasn't concerned about Ro falling in love, he'd been concerned with how long he'd stayed under. It'd be easier to work their charm on someone in the water with them, especially if he can't drown. Ha! That'd annoy some mermaids to no end.

Wheel silently joined them, wordlessly taking a bowl of soup for himself and settling to sit near Hana and Uban, on the other side of Rohaan. The berserker was calm, and if anyone noticed his bloody knuckles, or the scratches that ran up and down his arm, they didn't mention it. He was reserved, speaking only when addressed. If there was any anger carried over from earlier, it didn't show. Pieter saw him smile thinly at the jokes Uban made.

The night carried on, and the world outside the warm campfire seemed far away.

In Dark Seas We Sail

Uban stripped off his shirt, and Hana politely avoided staring at the way the muscles rolled underneath his weathered skin, or how deftly his fingers worked as he unearthed a tuber to place in his improvised sack. It wasn't too hard so long as she focused on foraging as they spoke.

"I have borne my shame until I simply learned to abandon it altogether. What’s left is quite nice, actually.” Hana flushed and bent her head, avoiding his kindly gaze. "That's.. I uh, That's good." There was a silence after that, as Hana tried and failed to speak again. It was only after they had left the shade of the forest did she lighten up. "There are some wines that are as light and refreshing as water," she began, smiling as she watched Uban's reaction, "But unfortunately, the only varieties I could find were soldier wines. Those are the ones that are meant to be watered down, but taste best if you don't." She laughed and walked with him to the Borealis

---

The mermaid watched the boy touch her scales, the tips of her tail twitching slightly. She didn't seem to hear his question, and absently braided a strand of her hair. The boy didn't realize that the conversation had stopped fully. The scales glimmered, moving colors in a way that took his focus, patterns that would tell him what he wanted to know most, if only he could stare longer.

"I'm going to leave now. Goodbye." The mermaid twisted elegantly, achingly, away, and swam into the darkening gloom of the ocean depths. The thought of following her never crossed his mind.

In Dark Seas We Sail

Hana hid her surprise about Uban's honesty by stripping nearby pine trees of their green needles. She couldn't imagine anyone admitting ignorance in Elbar, and most of the clients she'd had across the continent were like to argue with her over peasant superstition. "Are all the people from your community so humble?" She let herself imagine an arcadia with honest folk, free from strife. A place like that would be far from the reach of the Schools. Hana walked behind Uban as they went back for food. Her head was down, and she'd crouch quickly to unearth a particular mushroom, or uproot a bulb or tuber growing nearby. Foraging was a good way to stretch the meager budget of a traveling hedgemage. Hana was glad to have tucked a kerchief in her back pocket, it quickly filled up with edible mushrooms and tubers. When she saw the hunched posture of the Captain, she had wanted to rush to his side. But, hearing Uban, she made herself turn away and head towards the ship. Lightly, she said, "You know, I visited a spice merchant before I joined the Borealis. With what I just gathered in the forest, I think I can make something pleasant." Swinging her hip so it bumped into Uban's, throwing him off balance, she added, "And a bottle of Elbish wine."

---
The mermaid spun in the water as it listened to the octopus talk. "Come pet my tail. The scales are soft. Feel."

In Dark Seas We Sail

Hana was slightly alarmed at the look of growing confusion on her shipmates face. Oh, he's not joking. Even the most provincial goatherd in Elbar knew of the elemental composition of the world. As Uban spoke, Hana felt a flash of guilt for her condescension. All in Elbar were taught to read, and learning was the highest good. The light of modern reason hadn't spread across the continent, apparently. Elbar was a longs way from here, and magic lagged behind on the continent.

He wasn't an idiot. He just... Didn't know what the aether was.

She wondered if he knew that the earth revolved around the sun.

She felt bad for thinking that.

If Uban could tell just what thoughts were playing out in her head, he didn't let on. His dismay had turned back into enthusiasm and he effortlessly struck the medallion with lightning. As they spoke, Hana continued to throw the medallion into the air, letting him blast the target again and again as it slowly blackened and bent under the withering abuse. They quickly fell into a rhythm, letting the conversation flow between the moments of action.

"Magic in Elbar is a very deliberate thing. Those with natural inclinations towards magic are found at a young age, and educated. Of course, natural inclination normally means cantrips, not lightning. Speaking of lightning rods, you pretty neatly described what the medallion is. Lightnings drawn to it no matter the metal it's stamped on."

Hana stilled as Uban stepped close to her as he brushed his hand over her face. They were hot to the touch, and then gone. He stepped back from her, speaking rapidly, "Tell me, what are those marks you drew on yourself? What are they for, what do they mean?" She answered, "Just like how the medallion draws lightning, these markings protect me from lightning. It's one of the first things taught to weather mages, and we practiced it relentlessly. You can sew it into clothing, though that only protects the clothing from lightning and not the person!" She laughed, finding what she said funny. Looking again at Uban, she frowned. His easy smile was still there, and his eyes were bright. But his hands shook, and it looked like he was sore on his feet. "Look at you," she said, "you're pushing up against the edge." Extending her hand, she said, "Come on, lets take a break and catch our breath."

---

Pieter smoked his pipe and listened to Berlin.

---

The mermaid watched the octopus lash out at it's surroundings. Her hair floated around her and her strong tail flicked playfully as she spoke, "Why are you so angry, boy?"

In Dark Seas We Sail

"Hmm, maybe I used the wrong word... I meant the rushing particles that move between the gasses in the air. And just like how grammar is used to shape words, magical grammar can be used to shape the world. School mages are taught grammar that lets them work magic. My spells are just grammars, adapted and used to bend the world. But you, you can bend the world to summon lightning, and you do it without grammars. I was never taught tha- oh!" Uban had flung another arc of lightning, and this time he successfully struck the medallion. The force of it's power sent Hana stumbling, and she marveled at the unassuming man who roared with laughter. The joy was contagious, and Hana grinned at him.

"Amazing! Can you hit this?" Hana lazily tossed the medallion into the air, arcing into the air.

---

Pieter had left his captain, and now crouched at the waters edge. Taking a flask of rum from his pocket, he poured some into the sea. "Ladies, grant me your boon." He spoke softly, and the hissing of the foam swallowed his words and took them away to the depths. The old sailor sat back onto his haunches, and puffed contentedly on his pipe. His mind was clear, and observations came and left without staying in his thoughts. After some time, the sound of splashing rose him from his trance. Some paces away in the water was a beautiful woman. She was naked, and her wet blonde hair clung to her and framed her pale skin. Her eyes were wide and blue, and filled with innocent inquiry. She was a mermaid, child bride of the sea. "Lady, I have a gift for you." He raised the flask of rum above his head, and the mermaid moved closer to the shore at the sight of the flask. "A boy in the form of the fish swims in your waters. He is angry, and I worry for him. I ask you to look for him, and see that he comes to no harm." Tossing the flask to the mermaid, she lifted a graceful limb into the air to catch it. The girl smiled widely at him, revealing dainty pointed teeth. Diving under the water, she raised a sleek tail into the air before splashing it playfully against the water before darting away.

Sucking on his pipe, Pieter watched the sea for a long moment, then stood and returned to his captain who needed him.

In Dark Seas We Sail

The sensation of the lightning streaming around her skin astonished her. Her skin prickled, and her heart beat violently in her breast. Her vision swam blue; her ears were filled with the humming sound of a thousand bowstrings. Uban lifted his hands, and the lightning swirled into his hands, leaving her trembling.

"I merely struck the aether between the knife and myself against each other, and you did the rest. It's fascinating, you have a natural talent with magic. You grammar as fast as you can think, but only to summon lightning." Still shaking, she sat on a log. Catching her breath, she said, "Master mages can through grammars alone, and so can school taught mages with access to, oh. I don't know the word for it... Telescope? Special telescopes that let magic work better. And trying to force the weather is a dangerous thing." She scowled, thinking about the runaway storms that had pounded the city, the funerals she'd gone to when a mage was torn apart by magic. "But I can help you control your magic, and show you new ways to use it." Standing up, she swung her arms above her head and stretched.

"So, you ready to keep going?" Reaching into the pocket of her britches, she withdrew a lead medallion she had stamped herself the night before. One face was inscribed with a cipher, the other, a triangle inside a circle, with two lines going through it.

"Don't over exert yourself, but go ahead and try to hit this."

In Dark Seas We Sail

Pieter cursed, dropping his pipe the moment he realized what was happening.

---

Wheel lost himself in a haze of anger and turned around and started walking in the opposite direction to get away from everybody.

---

Hana was so enchanted with Uban, she forgot about everything else.