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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 4148565" data-attributes="member: 812">What A Woman's Got To Do: 1"Is that what it looks like?""What do you think it looks like?""Half-a-dozen flying demon-things attacking an ironclad steamship. A few hundred feet above the surface of the Inner Sea.""Then yes, that is exactly what it looks like. Any other questions?"Elena glared at Isaac, who was obviously enjoying teasing his old friend."I don't really know where to start.""You could ask, 'Isaac, what are those flying demon-things?' Or, 'Isaac, why are those demon things attacking that ship?' Or... well, there's a lot of options.""And yet, you left out maybe the biggest one of all."Isaac's raised eyebrow and smirk drew an explosion out of Elena."The ship is FLYING. Look at it. It's in the air. It's a flying ship. This is new to me."Nevid joined his fellow Saijadani."Shaer has had flying ships for a while now. They were first revealed on the mainland during the siege of Fort Burnoll. Mostly they're owned by mercenary companies, which are sort of government bodies in Shaer. Judging from the insignia on the stern, that's one of the Dark Horse Regiment's ships. Probably the Indomitable, Cutter-class. Twenty-four guns.""Uh-huh. It FLIES.""Yes, I can see that, Elena.""Your problem, Nevid, is that you have no sense of wonder. And you're weird."Nevid just stared at Elena for a few heartbeats, then turned to consider the distant battle.Smoke erupted from the side of the vessel and moments later they heard the rumbling of cannon fire."Somebody's still fighting.""On the FLYING ship.""We get it, Elena. It flies.""How close do we want to get to this battle? Because we appear to be sailing directly towards it."Another rumbling drew their attention. Dark shapes fell from the airborne craft, tumbling down to the waves below. Elena gasped upon realising some of the shapes were people, figures twisting desperately in their deadly plunge."We have to help them!"Isaac shrugged."We don't even know who the good guys are.""I'm willing to take a chance on the ones who aren't flying demons.""I don't see how we can help anyone up there."Their ship continued to plow through the gentle seas, eastward with the late afternoon sun behind their right shoulders. The entire crew of the ship had forgotten their duties, absorbed in the drama taking place high above."They may not be up there too long. That ship looks like she's starting to descend."Isaac was right. The great smoke-belching vehicle tilted and began to sink downwards, lurching as more debris fell from its decks. They were close enough now that small-arms fire could be heard, and voice rising in battle-frenzied shrieks."All right. Let's get in this."Isaac strung his hunting bow and strode up to the prow of their ship, bracing himself against the light swell. As he took aim, Arrafin came out of her cabin and gasped at the sight now looming a hundred feet above them. The flying contraption was half the size of their merchant ship, hanging in mid-air at a steep angle, wreathed now in smoke and dangling cables."That ship is FLYING.""Never mind, Arrafin. These guys have no sense of wonder.""That's very true."Isaac let fly. His arrow arced upwards, spiralling tightly as it sailed onto a perfect collision with a white-skinned creature clinging to a railing on the beleaguered ship.The arrow bounced off. The creature, twice the size of a man and with a long armoured tail that they could see ended in a terrible stinger, turned and snarled at them with a skull face. It let go of its perch and spread leathery wings to charge down at them."What's funny," said Isaac, "Is that this is just all too predictable."Arrafin stretched out a hand and shut her eyes. Her owl huddled down on her shoulder as dark radiance billowed around her and then gathered up into a solid mass and leapt at the oncoming beast like a black fist.The demon screeched and fell back from the blow, dazed and furious.Elena took a pose similar to her friend's, one hand outstretched, and she snarled as a low roar rumbled through the air. The injured demon convulsed like a rag doll in an angry child's grip, skin tearing and alien ichor spewing from its sudden wounds.As that beast crashed into the sea to flail and shriek, its five fellows turned from savaging the crew of the flying ironclad and swooped down towards the ship below.Arrafin spread her arms and again the dark tendrils rose up around her. This time, however, her owl leapt into the air in confusion as she lost control of the energy. The slender girl shrieked and swayed where she stood, darkness clawing at her. She crashed down to her knees, strain knotted on her wide-eyed face as she fought the soul-devouring power of Shadow.Elena saw Arrafin's distress and gritted her teeth as she again unleashed the strange power of her mind. This time, while one of the creatures lashed and shrieked, none were disabled by her effort. All five plunged into the rigging and in moments the entire deck was caught up in a wild melee.Isaac's heavy sword did a little better than his arrow had, and he had one of the demons retreating from his furious blows. Elena switched to another power and sent one creature crashing backwards, breaking its spine on the mainmast.A crew member screamed and gurgled as talons sank into his throat. Guns went off with a quick drumroll of bangs. Etienne came up from below decks and rolled, drawing his knives and sinking them hilt-deep into a demon's side.Blood and vile fluids sprayed across the deck. Elena, drained of psychic energy, staggered to where Arrafin got wearily to her feet. The thin Naridic girl pointed at one of the demons, her big round eyes dark with Shadow's power."Stop."Again the darkness swirled up around her, and for a second Elena thought she'd succeeded, but Arrafin cried out again and collapsed, twitching and screaming in agony as she fought for her life.Elena ran to where her friend lay on the deck."Arrafin!"Trying to hold the girl still, Elena looked up at a sudden shadow.A demon stood over them both, sneering and drooling. It opened its mouth like a snake's, its jaws unhinging and fangs lengthening as she watched in horror.Isaac swore and fought more furiously, as did Etienne, but they were too far away. Nevid had disappeared entirely. Elena closed her eyes."Farouk."Arrafin's voice shook her out of her fear. The two women grinned at each other and even as the demon raised its gleaming talons to strike, Elena called up the ancient servant of Suleikar ben Azan."Destroy this demon."The snarling creature somehow gaped in shock. Farouk ibn Zaoud bowed."As my mistress commands."The imposing Naridic warrior hefted his immense scimitar and laid into the startled demon. Blood flew and screams rose. Elena turned to Arrafin."You okay?""Yeah. This sorcery is stupid. It never works when we really need it.""Maybe you just need to lay off a little bit."Arrafin's eyes flashed with anger and a hint of the darkness that consumed them when she used her sorcery."I'm fine! I can do this, I just need to practice. You all think I'm so useless, stupid Arrafin with her stupid books."Stunned, Elena shook her head."Arrafin. I don't know what you're talking about."Farouk bowed."The demon is destroyed, mistress.""Yeah, yeah. Go get the rest of them.""As my mistress commands."Elena turned back to Arrafin but the girl had gotten to her feet and was storming angrily back to her cabin, her little owl swooping about her tangled curls.The last of the demons, caught between Isaac and Farouk, died noisily. Their ship lurched suddenly and they saw the ironclad, now drifting just above the water, bumping against their hull. A weary but cheerful face appeared at a hatch."Ahoy, me friend. Timely yer arrival was, and no mistake. Could we trouble ye kind folks for a tow?"Etienne stared in wonder."Is that ship flying?"*****"Phelan O'Breen, first lieutenant o' tha Cloud Bandit, just a day out o' Farroway.""Your captain?"The blue-haired young man twinkled a sad grin at Elena."'Twas a better death than some, lass."The Saijadani woman watched his gaze turn to Arrafin and his grin widen. She kept her smirk from showing.The Shaeric crew of the stricken airship crowded their deck, their ship uninhabitable without repairs. Its ironclad bulk dragged along behind them, lashed to their ship's stern with a complex assembly of cables.Phelan explained to a curious Arrafin how the lifting force operated that allowed the ship to fly. He was a charming little fellow with electric blue hair. Bright coloured hair seemed an affectation amongst Shaeric airship crew, as these fellows had wild colours and cuts amongst them all, making the deck feel like a festive occasion, or a strange collection of exotically crested birds.They sang like birds, too, constantly and with melodic voices. A group were dancing up at the prow, cheered on by their comrades.Elena had to admit these Shaeric fellows were changing her opinion of their country. She remembered the cruel mercenaries in the desert with their leers and their casual butchery. But this airship crew were charming and polite with a constant hint of amused teasing all through their jokes and laughter.Phelan leaned closer to Arrafin and Elena listened in, curious to hear his pitch."Yon owl's a lovely little thing, is he not? Yer pet, is he?""He's not a pet. He's a familiar."Arrafin resettled herself uncomfortably. Elena grinned to see her studious friend beseiged."Oh, aye. And what's a lovely lass like yerself on her way to our beautiful country for? Chasing after your man, are ye?""What? No. I don't have a man. I'm not--""Oh, ye've not? Ye've no special one in yer heart, then? Ah, that's a shame, a pretty lass like yerself. Is it true? You've no love to call yer own?"Screams overwhelmed the music and laughter and sudden commotion of folks scrambling over each other. Backing away in terror and amazement at the tall figure standing in the center of the deck, her gold and crimson gown towering up above her alabaster face, her great hairdo rising up like some mad architect's tower, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.Madame Yuek bowed to the assembly. She saw Arrafin and a wide smile brightened her countenance."Darling."</blockquote>

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