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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tokiwong" data-source="post: 1490932" data-attributes="member: 961">Chapter 4 - Part 4The Radical Dream was a slim, knife like craft.  It was only about forty feet in length with a dark hull, and a script of Dorlian that proudly displayed the name of the sleek water vessel.  There was ample room below deck to rest and much of the lower deck was reserved fro the cargo which was sealed tight inside crates, that had strange magical wards glimmering on their exterior.  The vessel was organic in style, and had large red and blue sails that billowed in the wind that whipped over the Goldspring Sea.Captain Celeste already possessed three sailors, all of them saltbloods and each of them an accomplished and trained sailor.  The party on the other hand knew very little about the travails of the sea, and were hired it seemed mainly for protection against the dangers of the water.  Gus was the eldest of the three sailors and also doubled as the cook for the ship, though his cooking abilities were dubious at best.  He was a thick-bodied man with a baldhead, and tattoos covering his body from head to toe.  In particular he had a gold tooth in the front of his mouth that gleamed whenever he smiled.  The rest of the sailors took their lead from him when Captain Celeste was not around.The quietest of the three sailors was Hon, a tall and thin male with a permanent limp in his stride.  An old wound from a nasty scuffle with a band of cutthroat pirates on the open seas.  Hon had survived but his injury would haunt him for life, much too poor to afford the magical healing needed to fully repair the damage.  He kept to himself, and usually spent much of his time cleaning the ship, and making sure everything was ship shape and rarely seemed to rest.The youngest of the three sailors was a young saltblood girl by the moniker of Rat.  She never seemed to stop talking and was curious about everything, and looked up to Captain Celeste with total reverence and respect.  The girl despite her youth was able bodied and well versed in the ways of the sea, and was nimble enough to manage herself in the rigging day and night.  She was never without her smile, and was always willing to lend a hand, despite Gus’ accounts of her laziness.The journey down the Dural River was in many ways a dull yet fascinating journey.  The river spans several hundreds of miles through Anderland towards the Parthian Sea and the magical city of Ebernath.  Along the riverbanks several small townships and villages, nestled along its bountiful banks, provide trade, shelter, and services for the many travelers making their way to and from the city of Seaward.  Despite the soft breeze that seemed to permeate the river, the Radical Dream raced along the river, it was certainly a fast ship.  Thane admitted that the ship was possessed of magic that perhaps enabled it such great speed, but he could not discern how such a thing was done, though he was quick to admit that the methods were obviously arcane in nature and not divine.  When questioned Captain Celeste would laugh, and smile beguilingly, and jest that the ship was the legendary craft of Zanzibar Celeste, one of the greatest sailors to have ever lived.  That answer seemed sufficient for the time being and the days passed along the river.Dais spent much of his time, sketching the banks of the river, giving Captain Celeste a wide berth, although he did not fear her, he did not feel totally comfortable around the alluring and charming saltblood.  She had a way with her words and body language that stirred his heart, and more then once he had to stop himself from daydreaming about the exotic ship captain.  Thane teased the young soldier, and the two were quickly growing to be fast friends, and constant companions on the journey.Lain was miserable for much of the trip, she was never used to the rigors of travel by water, and she learned early on that she did not have the stomach for the travel.  In time she learned to cope, but it was a miserable first few days for the young night elf, and even more so as her hapless and foolish lowlander companion continued to swoon for the trashy and conniving saltblood harlot that paraded herself about as the ‘captain’.  It was enough to make her sick once more, and so she kept to herself, it was better that way.  Although she had come to enjoy making light of Dais and his foolishness, he was such a stupid and naïve human that he alternately entertained her and annoyed her immensely.Another night fell on the eighth day of travel and the Radical Dream was sailing on the open waters of he Parthian Sea.  Lain was standing on the deck watching the dark waters, as the moon hung full in the air, content to be alone with her thoughts as a misty wind of salt washed over the deck.  There was so much water, it amazed her that such a thing could be, and yet here she was at sea, far from her ancestral lands of the Sildanyr Forests, and the brutal war that enveloped her people.  Unfurled in her hands was the sketch that Dais had made the first night they had met.“Pardon Lain, perhaps you would enjoy the company of a tiefling?” Osan spoke softly as he walked towards the railing his conical wicker hat now pulled back to rest on his back, his prickly hair glistening in the moonlight, revealing his slim angular red face, and the various dark markings upon it.“I don’t care,” she rolled her eyes, “what do you want?” as she tucked the parchment away.“I only came to enjoy the moonlight, I find that the nighttime to be much more natural then the light,” the tiefling replied.“Why aren’t you with the others?” Lain replied with little civility.“Dais is sharing Captain Celeste’s bed, and Thane is hardly pleasant company.  The sailors are resting and only Hon is about, and he does not talk much to begin with,” Osan replied watching the waters of the sea.Lain clenched her fists, “Oh…”“Perhaps I am disturbing you, I apologize,” Osan bowed, and started to walk away.“No stay, Osan.  I am not mad at you, I am not really mad at anyone, I guess,” she sighed, “well maybe one or two people,” she grinned.“Dais does not know what he is getting into, if it makes you feel any better, he is swept up in the euphoria of the moment.  He is young, and inexperienced in the ways of the world, or the ways of dangerous women,” the tiefling smiled.“Like I care about him, all he has brought me is trouble, and he cost me the biggest score of my life.”“But you are still here,” Osan pointed out.“I have my reasons,” she stammered.“Excuses are not reasons.”“Oh and what makes you so wise,” she quipped, “You act like you know me, well get a clue.  You don’t know anything about me.”“True but I do know that the reason why you are staying, and the reason you are so angry right now, are both one and the same.  But as you said, I know nothing about you, I only know what I see,” Osan mused.Lain went silent and turned to look out over the sea before furrowing her brow, “Do you see that light out there, it looks like it is moving…”Osan turned his eyes to the sea, “I don’t see…”“Incoming!  Incoming!” Hon shouted loudly from the crow’s nest.Lain scowled, “I hate being right all the time.”</blockquote>

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