Near the day's end, Binx stood at the stern of the Lucky Dice as they sailed for Angor. The wind tousled her deep red hair as she stared out over the water, her owl-like eyes distant as if they saw something other than the sinking sun reflecting off of the waves.
They'd lost an artifact. They had fought like hell, almost all of them died, and still lost the sword- a paladin's sword at that. The last survivors, including herself, had fled to avoid being pummeled to death by the giants. The scout had used almost every resource at her disposal- stealth, the touch of magic in her blood, even feigning her own death to make it out in one piece. She closed her eyes, touching two black-nailed fingertips to her temple in a gesture that conveyed her irritation. The black fabric that covered her mouth and nose hid her frown, but it was clear that the Uordeq was unhappy.
Pelle climbed from the ships under workings to bask in the final rays of the setting sun. A new, and rather large, patch of flesh adorned the riven's forehead above his left eye. He spots the semi familiar urodeq by the ships stern. "Greetings Madame, Binx was it? Quite a pleasant evening to leave from this dreadful place, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, a friendly smile stretched on his lips.
Matilda made her way onto the deck, following the human patchwork. Once on deck she put her arms over her head and stretched to only wince in pain, forgetting about the wounds that lingered from the dreaded giants. She rubbed her ribs lightly, still pretty tender. Whipping out her pocket watch, even though there was no need for time keeping out on the water, it was a habit. Snapping it shut she went over to the port side railing, leaning against it. Her blood red hair twirled and twisted in the breeze which caused her skirt to dance.
Binx opened her eyes to cast a sidelong glance at the mostly-dead man that approached her. When he spoke to her she turned, forced to interract with another being. She rested her back against the wood of the ship that carried them, bending a knee to rest one of her boots on that verticle surface. She recognized him and the red-headed woman behind him from a few former battles, including the one with the giants.
"And you are?" The monotone question was the most polite response the irritable Uordeq could muster at the moment.
As she spoke, she realized that though there were others present on the deck, there was something else. That nagging little feeling that someone or something was watching her. A trained eye and a brief glance upward found the dark-elf in the crows nest with ease. Satisfied that what she had spotted was nothing unusual or immediately threatening, she returned her amber eyes to the patchwork face before her.
The riven offered a slight bow. "Pelle Carne, if it pleases you. Although some stop at Pelle and even more than that with looks of awe and amazement." He offered a slight smile at her quick glance towards the crows nest. "Awe, don't worry about Mr. Undertow up there. I fear he finds more comfort with the gulls than the rest of us 'ilk.' Tragic, I know, but I'm sure he'll eventually warm up to everyone."
Walking onto the upper deck, Leofrick von Wolfborn cricks his neck, his face rugged and patchy for days of not shaving. Squinting his eyes to look around to see the people on deck. "I need to get out more, I need to get my eyes used to light again." Looking around, he made his way to the back of the Lucky Dice, and takes a seat on a small crate.
A dark shadow creeps from below deck an walks towards the front of the ship, soft light from what is left of the sun gleams on her pale skeletal like face. She moves swiftly leaning against the railings of the ship admiring the waters and beautiful light the sinking sun cast across the horizon. After a moment she pull her flask from her pouch and takes a quick sip. "I never thought I'd enjoy the sea." Her voice is low and could almost go unnoticed.
In a flash of blue and white light, a pile of rocks, mana, and fabrics hits the deck. After a moment, one large chunk of mana floats above the pile and the stones begin to collect and adhere to it, forming a body. Rune takes a shaky step, and several gravel sized stones fall from him, only to scurry back into place. The golem's normally bright lights flicker and are dimmer than usual.
The golem takes stock of those gathered, his gaze resting on the skeletal woman. "This one never would have thought the citizens would let undead walk amongst them." emits from the golem.
The sounds of clicking stones made the riven look to the golems shaky entrance. "Yes, because a big talking rock monster is much more welcome in most circles," Pelle replied with a scoff. "At least 'this one' has beauty on his side." A wide grin covers his stitched face as he leans back against the railing.
Matilda gives the golem a side glance, clinching her teeth. "Just because one is 'man-made' doesn't mean they have an easier time or are not resistant from evil," she said turning around leaning against the railing with her arms crossed. "Even man can make mistakes," she said with a corrupt half grin.
The Revenant woman grinned at the golem the glanced to Pelle and gave a smile and nod. She turned her attention back to the big pile of rock that stood before her "The tongue is sharp but a blade is sharper." her accent could be well heard, a wicked smile crossed her face and she took another sip from her flask.
"I think you'll find that a large number of us were 'built', as you say, by people." Pelle offered a sly smile. "Or is it you feel superior because you are built of lifeless rock and cold stone? Any child can find the like just grubbing through the dirt. Nooo.. It takes a little more to create a riven, you'll find." His smile stretched a few seams along his cheek as if to push the point. He then turns his gaze to the humunculus in the group. "I can't speak on the Humunculi's behalf though, although creating life from nothing seems a daunting task in itself." He turned his eyes back to the golem. "No, in the grand scheme of things, I'd say golems are just a pebble in a pond."
The golem's light flicker and fail. Rune's parts start to fall apart; on arm completely hits the deck, and his face plate clangs against his boulder belly on its way down. Halfway to becoming a soldier's punishment, all the stones snap back into place with a boom and arcane humming. Rune's eyes blink back into existence focused on the riven, "If we are but a pebble in a pond, then we are the only unique and stable thing in an ever-changing environment. We are order. And if you wish to compare building materiel, this one is made of free, unowned stone. You are made of the stolen parts of once living beings." The golem points a stone digit at the undead, "At least she is using her own body." The golem's docent flashes twice, and it lowers his arm.
A look of ammusement flashed across the riven's eyes as if he was playing some game. "You say order, I say dull and boring. A pile of rocks that learned a nifty parlor trick. While myself, I am ever changing and ever flowing. I refuse to be shackled by mine own appearance and have the option to adapt as I please. The epitome of freedom, in the highest sense," he said with a slight flourish of his hands. "And what you call 'stealing' I call 'Procuring.' Afterall, as the saying goes, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure.' They won't miss a little snip here or a small tidbit there. They were just going to be put in a hole and left to feed worms afterall. No, what I gave them was much more. A second chance, if you will, to be something much more than themselves. To be, in a sense, alive again." He crossed his arms across his chest, his stare kept on the golems "eyes," his smile never waivering for a second. "But I suppose I can't expect the likes of you to understand that, now can I?"
The dark elf, watching this all go down from up above is starting to see that this is getting carried away. With an annoyed groan, he uses his sickle to reach for a nearby tackle connected by a pulley to an unmanned hook. He tugs it a bit to check where it is connected to. A crate of fish. He hesitates a moment, then just rolls his eyes and looks down toward his greaves.
After utterance of a phrase in elven toward them, he leaps over the guardrail of the Crow's nest and then disappears in the shadow of the main sail into a puff of smoke.
A moment later a dark gray vapor forms above the group in the middle of where they are grouped and spits out the leather clad dark elf who lands heavy onto one knee, sickle still in hand. He takes a moment to regain his composure and stand up, then sheathes his weapon in his axe holster.
"Dat, is quite enough. All of joo." He points to his patchwork partner. "Pelle. No antagonizin livin statue. No good come from dis bout." He then holds a hand to the chest of his bouldered brethren. "Rune. Dese 'undead' hold intellect, und are not mindless ravagers. Until dey give reason, no reason to destroy dem." He then, still looking at Rune, points in the general direction of Arys. "I 'demporarily vouch fo dis one. Should dis one get out of line, I will personally deal wit her..." then he turns toward Arys "...And she will not be stabbing dis Golem."
After glaring into the eyes of the revenant until he is sure he's made his point, he turns in a way that he is facing everyone and in view of everyone and speaks in a softer tone, "Joo were all buiit into watchu ahr. Dat give no say in wat you can become. Wat make you you is wat is inside." Tone of voice raises, "but if edduh of you puhposely succumb to madness in my presence, I will show you exactly wat you are made of." Then an oddly warm smile as he muses, "So calm your teets." You can almost hear a tad bit of laughter in the midst of that phrase.
'Now now boys, play nicely." Leofrick stands up and makes his way towards the group. "This isn't a blade length contest, and I'd rather not bury anyone at sea anytime soon." Leofrick looks to the golem, with a daunting look. "And to be one such as yourself, you point stones a lot Rune." Leofrick stands with his arms behind his back. "To understand correctly, all but myself and Corellus here are all technically man made. So this argument is, in a sense, pointless from my perspective, Who you are isn't what is inside you, it is the descisions you make in this life that will affect the outcome at a later time."
The riven raised an eyebrow at his elvish friend. "I don't remember drawing my blade, Correllus. Nor threatening too. Just merely having a fun little bout with the golem." He let out a slight chuckle. "Life lessons from the ulf, everyone. My, my this IS an exciting day."
The moment his name was uttered by someone he hardly knows, Leofrick, the smile disappears. He tilts his head towards the ulf with an expression that we see similar to someone going really dude, really?
Annoyed but content that nothing is likely to escalate further, the dark elf takes his leave of the group rather abruptly and walks over to the quieter part of the ship to enjoy the silence with the mad, and a tad scantily clad uordeq. Not a word uttered, he just stands a few feet from her also looking out at the sea, smelling the salt water as the waves crash against the hull of the Lucky Dice.
"Now Pelle, I know you parts are borrowed, but I would think they are not broken. I can clearly tell that i am an ulf no more, I dont see a tail or ears only rings around my eyes." Leofrick watches Corellus leave, knowing he touched a nerve, Leofrick shrugs it off and makes his way to the railing farther back towards the rear of the ship. As he takes a seat, he digs his nails into the wood, securing his seat.
Between the paladin all but literally throwing stones, a dead girl issuing threats to people she didn't know, the demanding dark elf, the bastard child of the Cassitrans, a homunculi with a temper, and the riven who couldn't get enough of himself, the ever-quiet Binx closed her eyes.
All it takes is tugging one stitch from that one's face and he wouldn't have a jaw to bother you with anymore. If you cut off the tips of pointy's ears, he probably wouldn't be able to hear the bickering either! And the wolf child, such a pretty pelt to be skinned...
Stop.
Binx issued the silent command to halt the invasive thoughts that weren't her own. Thankfully, whatever brought the malicious suggestions complied, and the voice in her mind ceased speaking. She opened her eyes again to see the elf and Uordeq departing. A glare filled to the brim with annoyance settled on Pelle and Rune, one of her deathly pale hands finding the curve of her hip, just inches away from the hilt of the dagger tucked into her belt. Her distaste for their squabble was clear without words thanks to the unmistakable body language of an irritable woman.
The sound of hooves on the stairs leads to reveal a very drowsy and sickly Thomnlyn appearing from below.
"What's with all of the racket?"
Thomnlyn suddenly stands up right and clamps a hand to his mouth before bolting over to the side of the boat to throw up what meager meal he had managed to hold down for that brief time.
"I'll feel a lot better when we reach dry land without all of the rocking." Thomnly says as he is leaning over the side of the boat.
Matilda had watched everything go down and just clinched her teeth. She knew this boat wasn't the place to be starting too many problems. Things seemed to be settling down. She reached into her purse that hung from her belt and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. She felt it was a bit light so she rattled it, confirming she was running low. With a frustrated sigh she took one out and put it to her lips. Using the her hand to shield from the wind she lit it with match. After a few attempts ofcourse due to the wind. Nicotine always seemed to calm her down.
Arys glanced around the looking at each member that stands on the deck with her. Her eyes stop on the quiet Uordeq, tilted her head as she examined her. The flick of light that came from the Humunculi's match had caught her attention and she fixed her eyes on the flame and the girl. "You're something I haven't seen before. I'd imagine you were created just as..." lost for words Arys waved her hand down her body and gave a crooked smile.
Matilda's eye brows raises as she finished her drag and let out a puff of smoke. She looked down at the lit end of her cigarette then flicked the ash as she looked over her shoulder out across the land they just pulled up to. "I was created to mock life, to mock some dead girl a guy lost," she said rolling the cigarette between her forefinger and middle finger. "But the thing is," she said before interrupting her sentence with a drag and then let the smoke out in a evil half grin. "I'm nothing like her. He quickly found out," she said with a chuckle. "Poor bastard"
Unimpressed with the remaining chatter as the anchor was lowered, Binx slipped quietly away from the remaining people on deck. The Uordeq made her way down to the lower decks to retrieve her belongings and have a moment to herself. The external and internal conversations happening simultaneously were quite stressful and would put her in as foul a mood as ever.
High up in the crow's nest, keeping watch for land on the voyage to the last place he would have ever chosen to sail to, sits the dark elf. Thoughts rushing throughout his head on how he can manage to continue his paladinhood while going to a savage land overran with those he despises.
He twirls Lucielle, his sickle carved from enchanted bone, in his hand with graceful malice as his eyes stay fixed ahead. He spots movement from below, very subtle. His line of sight descends upon the location and he sees a distinct figure with pale skin, ebon garb, and crimson hair. That silent uordeq he had fought with times before. His aggravation towards his predicament disperses and he holsters his weapon.
The dark elf ponders what could be on the dusklings mind, but as his gives of insight are not based on the supernatural, he realizes the futility of attempting to read her mind or motives while she is facing the other way. Corellus just sighs and leans with both arms on the edge of the guardrail as he slides to the edge bench surrounding the mast up high. One benefit to being in the Crow's Nest, you see all, no one bothers you.