Chapter 20
The Dao has been in the skies for about 12 hours now, night has passed and the first morning of their journey to Golmore. The skies above the Giza Plains are clear and the sun is beating down its fire tempered by the cooliong breeze that wafts across the deck of the airship or blows through the many open portholes. Breakfast was served in the Captain's Private Dinning room, a civilised affaird for everyone who was up early enough to attend and unless Raziel decides to call everyone together it would see people have free run of the public areas of the ship to enjoy themselves.
Raziel hadn't yet called everyone together. In fact the man is currently in the meeting room, looking over a regional map with a thumb pressed up against his lips in thought. Reaching down a hand goes to a leather bag slug around his neck and then pauses. Straightening the mage heads for the door and sticks his head out, looking around before he grabs someone who happens to be passing by. "Please pass the word that I'd like my companions to join me here shortly." And then he disappears back inside.
Jenna, for her part, is up on the top deck, towards the front of the ship. She's sat leaning against the railing, with a half-expended cigarette dnagling from her lips as she goes about hte business of cleaning her pistol. Metal pieces snap together as she reassembles it, and once she is finished, she hoists herself up to her feet. The burmecian sights down the barrel, before holstering the weapon. She stands still for a moment, and the pistol is drawn, snapped out of hte holster as quick as she can manage; then replaced, and drawn, the raggedly-clad woman practicing her draw, over and over.
Mordecai is up in his room himself, taking a nap, which being close to 60, the aging adventurer apparently needed. He's soon woken up however by someone knocking on his door, and as he stumbles out of bed and opens said door, he promptly gets told his presence is required by the Aegyl. Just nodding some at that, he takes a few minutes to put on his clothes, strap on his gunbelts, flatten his bed hair, before he starts heading upstairs towards where Raziel is.
Thaylorn had most likely been around the ship the night previous, greeting the others and potentialy causing a bit of trouble when the time arrived. Today though the Imp is much more tame in the way of pranks, spending the time preparring and going over his gear within his room. When the summons come Thaylorn wates no time in heading off to the meeting room, clad in light leather armor and with a blade upon his side he looks like quite the adventurer, at least he think he does.
Marduke was up on the back end of the ship on top. Sitting cross legged facing the way they had come with his staff layed across his legs the summoner was just quietly listening and watching the lands below go by. Glancing up as the summons is given he just nods once and stands up to make his way to the meeting room they have been given.
A moogle dressed in a snappy blue sailor suit stops by Jenna and salutes her, "Ma'am your presents is requested by Lord Raziel in the briefing room." Shortly after Thaylorn arrives Alliandre drifts in through an open port-hole and alights on the table next to Raziel. "It is so nice to be outside again, to feel the sun, to fly... truly it is wonderful." She nods to everyone else and settles down as Jenna joins the party, the map table in the middle of the room has all the latest charts and the paintings on the walls show various moogles in very fancy dress. Everything seems to be ship-shapre aboard the AMS Dao this morning.
Raziel nods a little to Alliandra once she arrives, "it is good to be able to stretch ones wings after not being able to for so long." His wings shift a little bit on his back and he looks towardsthe door, waiting til eveyrone is in and settled before nodding and motioning to the map. "I've called you all here because I'm about to ask for a little help. We know we're going to the jungle, but not exactly where. I thought it would be fair for you to know what we're dealing with." He reaches upto the leather pack and draws out a coin before opening his hand. "Leo... we're in need of a bit of guidance."
Jenna is the last to enter, and she takes up a position by the door, leaning aginst the wall. By now her cigarette is down to a third, and the pungent scent of burning sagegrass wafts into the room. The burmecian draws her pistol once more, and the occasional, soft click can be heard as she works on adjusting several of the moving parts. Her mis-matched eys glance up regularly, and her ears focus on Raziel and the conversation at hand, as she goes about this business. Mordecai sits down at the map table and stretches his legs some, letting one of his knees softly pop, while watching everyone else enter after him. Nodding at them some, he waits until Raziel gets started, and leans over a bit to study the map on the table, letting his fingers trace some of the known paths through Golmore, and perhaps re-acquainting himself with the place. Before he looks up again as Raziel pulls out the coin, looking somewhat curious.
With a small smile Thaylorn would wave at each person as they entered, welcoming them before giving his full attention to Raziel and the map before them. "Been a bit curious about that myself, it's probably going to be way too easy to get lost down there." He would murmur while watching the Aegyl pull forth Leo, a curious expression of his own matching Mordecai's. Marduke steps his way in and over towards the table, yet never takes a seat. Instead he looks over the map his expression looking thoughtful as he does so. Yet glancing to Raziel he raises his eyebrows and glances to the coin for a moment and frowns a bit. "Many things to worry about there Thaylorn, the hardest one is finding the place I suspect.' Stepping back as he watches the coin.
The coin is about 8 inches wide and sparkles... catching the sunlight, it glistens with light and the sun relfects off it then strikes the glass on all of the frames and windows and dazzles the eyes of everyone in the room and then goes quiscent again. The room is exactly the same as it was before and Lady Alliandre blinks and looks around then glances at the coin. "I fear my Lord Leo's message may have been missed by us... his connection to you is foggy my Lord Raziel."
Raziel watches the coin shrink back down once again and he frowns for a moment. A memory surfaces and instantly his eyes turn to Thaylorn in silent warning. "Apparently," the man rumbles in a low voice before setting it on the table. "Then if he doesn't want to listen to me, then perhaps there's someone he will listen to." The mage pushes the coin towards Marduke then.
Jenna remains standing where she is, and continues about the business of adjusting her weapon. There's a bit of a crunch, followed by a scowl writ upon Jenna's face. "Bugger," she mutters. She focuses her attention more fully on the weapon, and mumbles something irritated-sounding under her breath.
Mordecai blinks and adverts his eyes for a moment, bringing his hand up infront of them, as the coin glints right into them. Afterwards, he looks around to see if anything changed, including on the map, and then back at Raziel to see if the man learned anything... Watching the Aegyl push the coin towards Marduke in apparent failure, that doesn't really seem to interest him though, as he narrows his eyes slightly instead and speaks up in his gruff baritone, "What was that look." Referencing the glance that was thrown to Thaylorn.
Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun glinting off the various fixtures of the room, Thaylorn sighs before looking back up towards Raziel to catch that look in his direction. Countering with a 'I'm innocent' look the Imp would turn his attention back to the map and then the coin as it's pushed towards Marduke "So anyone can try to use it, then?" He asks softly, an edge of excitement just barely contained with the words.
Marduke blinks a moment glancing around looking for anything different, and clearing his vision at the same time. Glancing to the map looking it over for any changes himself, then blinks as the coin is pushed towards him and peers at it a moment, "I can try." He offers holding up the coin as he looks at it closely for the first time. A glance to Thaylorn, "It would seem so, though I know so little about these." Then looking back to the coin "Leo, please come forth and offer us the guidance we seek."
Alliandre perks up and stares at Raziel, "No wai..." she doesn't get any further as Marduke speaks and with a squeak she back flips off he table and bolts through the open port-hole. That's about all the warning the party get before a voice ROARS throughout the chamber and the Stelazzio coin spins, growing to twice it's former size and BEAMING a lance of light around the room! The map table is aflame when the coin reduced to its normal size pings onto it leaving a moment of quiet....
Raziel hits the wall, hiws wings spreading and the feathers all standing out much like a bird who's been enjoying a bird bath. His shirt gone. The mage starts to slide down the wall with a groan before catching himself and staggering back to the table. He leans heavily on it for a moment and then with a growl reaches out to snap up the coin, glaring, "so you'll only talk to me? This would have been good to know you know!"
Jenna's attention snaps up in time to see the table getting lit on fire; and then she hammered hard into the wall behind her. She falls to land on her front, the gun skittering across the floor, followed by the ping of something small and metallic going in a different direction. Her brown shirt is almost entirely destroyed; though at least she still has the ragged military jacket, which seems to have escaped destruction, doing what it can for her decency. The burmecian shakes her head to revocer her senses as she sits up. "Thought the jungle was s'posed to be the dangerous part," she observes, before snatching up her pistol. She grinds her teeth audibly as she inspects it, before tossing it up on the table and dropping back to hands and knees. "of all the... Shiva's goddamn frozen tits! Nobody move! Trigger pin shook loose while I was adjustin' it... don't move... Augh!"
Mordecai blinks as the coin rises up before him, and the loud voice deafens him... Followed by a beam of light lancing right towards his head. The older man actually reacts pretty damn quickly to that, though, as he promptly raises a leg to plant his foot against the edge of the table, and pushes off hard against it while throwing his body back. Toppling himself over chair and all, just in time for the beam to just harmlessly slice through the air about an inch above his face, and landing heavily on his back.
Imps aren't too heavy of creatures, and Thaylorn is no exception as the the beam of light lances over him throwing him straight back into a nearby wall before moving on. Recovering the Imp would find, to his amusement, that the beam seems to have fudged up his armor just a bit, turning his chestpiece around the wrong way trapping his arms within as if the Imp had been spun around inside of it. "Alright! So no one else is using the coins." He states matter of factly with minor laugh, that is before he notices the table is on fire!
Marduke is of course near the very center of this, but at least doesn't get thrown against a wall. No the man finds himself rather naked and completely hairless, staring at nothing before him for a very long moment, not even aware of his surroundings. yet finnaly he glances slowly down to the coin slowly. Then turns towards Raziel, offering a faint frown, "Well we know it now." He offers with whatever shred of dignity the bald naked man has left. A gritting of his teeth for a moment, and a snap as he chants off a spell of blizzard to the table to put out the fires. A very clear action of hidden anger. "If you would excuss me." Turning towards the door and walking towards it at a even pace, taking every ounce of his willpower to keep his anger under control.
For whatever reason Marduke's blizzard spell seems to have very little effect on the spirit created fire that is engulfing the table. As the summoner turns to the door of the meeting room it bangs open and several sailor moogles peer inside. The officer of the watch shouts fire and there is a veritable charge on the room. Buckets of sand and water dumped over the merrily burning map table, much to Jenna's distress, that trigger pin is probably in here.. somewhere. After a few minutes once the fire is out first officer Schewe pokes his head around the door and quirks a brow at Raziel, "Least it wasn't the entire room this time... someone fetch Summoner Marduke a cover-up..." he shakes his head and sighs and then Lady Alliandre peeks back through the window and floats inside, "What I was trying to tell you Lord Raziel, is that only the coins designated Guardian or one of the servitors of the spirits" She places a paw on her chest "Such as myself, Cousin Thaylorn or an Esper if we still had Lady Silmeria with us can use the coins."
Raziel looks at Marduke then immediately averts his eyes. Thanks to the sailors rushing in that's easy to do. Schewe's statement about the whole room is answered with a visible wince, but the man says nothing else. Turning his eyes to Mordecai then he comments, "now you know what the look was about." He turns back to where the coin was and either grabs it or digs it out, whichever is needed, while muttering to the imp girl, "probably should've known about that.. but we do now.. Still we need to know where we're going. I will try and see if I can't make my voice heard. As for everyone else... take cover once I find that coin and try."
"No! STOP IT! I--" Jenna abruptly dives utnder the torrent of water and sand, snatches at something, and scurries back. "Got it!" she proclaims, as she returns to her feet. She holds the gun in one hand, and a small piece of metal in the other; and then her expression turns sour once more. "Damnit, it's going to take hours to fix this," she grumbles, "And I just had it perfect." She returns the pistol to the holster, and tucks the pin into a pocket in her pants. The burmecian peels off her jacket, now sodden wet, and drapes it across a chair which she plops down into afterwards. "Anyone got a clean shirt?" she mutters, as she drapes her right arm over her bosom, coincidentally displaying the skull tattooed on the back of her hand. With her left hand, she produces a cigarette case from a pocket on her jacket; a fresh sagegrass cigarette, hand rolled, is clenched between her teeth and lit with a mechanical lighter, and then the pungent smell once more occupies the room. Along with the smells of burnt table, burnt flesh, burnt clothes, and so forth.
Mordecai grunts as he climbs back to his feet, shoving the fallen chair away, and putting a hand to his lower back while he bends it backwards a bit. Scowling through his salt and pepper beard, he looks around the messed up room, before letting his pale gaze fall on Raziel, and simply stating, "... Next time, less suspicious looks, more actual warnings." He sighs then as he watches the naked, bald Marduke stomp away, and shakes his head as the sailors try to put out the fire.
Thaylorn is able to get out of his twisted leather armor easily enough, freeing his arms from the confines of the chest piece revealing lighter clothing beneath. "Think these coins have a thing for vanishing people's stuff." He murmurs as he turns his attention to the others for a moment thoughtfully "Before we all end up without our gear..." It seems as if the Imp is searching for something, the coin in fact and luckily it doesn't take him too long to spot where it had come to a rest. Right next to Raziel's boot, moving quickly the Imp dashes over and scoops it up "Don't mind if I give it a shot, I hope Raziel?" He remarks, less of a question and more of a statement as he stands and holds the coin before him "Leo, please give us your guidance and show us safe passage so we may return once again."
Marduke doesn't stop, doesn't wait, and doesn't seem to listen to anybody around him as he makes his way out of the room, and down the hall. Is one very pissed off summoner right now it appears. Though he is going to get his spare set of robes he brought along and will be back, yet for now he is gone.
Alliandre peeks over at Thaylorn then moves behind Raziel and peers around. The coin grows larger and flickers.... a shimmering silvery form appears. They look like lion-kin carven out of starlight with a very long rippling black mane, the figure stares down at Thaylorn then acorss at Raziel and Alliandre, "Hath our servants and mortal adherance lost all manners in the eons that I have slept?" He shakes his head, "I will answer no question today, your... in-polite and importunate calling has drawn danger. Summoning me hence has allowed the Dark Sorcoress to home in on my location, already her minions wing their dark way toward this flying vessel... prepare thine weapons for combat for soon this ship of the airways shalt be besieged.... and you..." He snaps a finger down at Thaylorn, "Come speak to me later... I shalt instruct thee on proper etiquette clearly thine bond-mate has been lax in instructing thee..." And with a crack of in-rushing air the figure is gone and Thaylorn is quite, quite naked.... the spirit really does seem to have some sort of grudge against clothing.
Raziel's mouth opens as Thaylorn snatches the coin and then snaps closed again when the imp decides he's going to attempt the summoning. He glowers at the fellow and then lifts his eyes to the starlight wrought lionkin while stating lowly, to the air itself if necessary, "and it was foretold you would show us the way. If we're not allowed to call upon you then we all might as well turn around and head back to Emberstrand and fight the Sorceress on our own grounds." His hands remain balled in fists as he walks over to the now naked Thaylorn and grabs the coin from him before shoving it back in the small sack. "Fine. Right. Everyone get ready for an attack. Make sure all the crew know." Then he rounds on Alliandre, "and you better tell me what the hell I just did to piss him off, because I am /sick/ of these games."
Jenna sits up slowly, and blinks her eyes as the silvery lion-kin rises up on the table, and gives everyone a proper telling off. "...Hey, I'm innocent in this!" she protests. She glances at Raziel, then at Mordecai; and then two realizations sink in. One, they're about to be attacked. Two, her gun needs fixing. "Bugger me!" she shouts, before drawing her pistol and tossing it on the table. She rips a set of tools out of a pocket, and then the trigger pin, which she clenches between her teeth alongside her cigarette. And thus, ignoring the fact that she's topless but for a bandoleer, the burmecian gets right to work and in a hurry.
Mordecai's scowl grows ever deeper as the lion thing both scolds them, and tells them of an impending attack. Not inclined to give much of a response though, aside from glancing at Raziel as the Aegyl seems to make a point, the older man instead just sweeps his coat back and crosses his arms, promptly yanking out the two revolvers that are holstered below each armpit. And walking forward then, he places one on the table by Jenna, grumbling, "Here, no time for that. Your ammo should fit." Before he turns to get out of the room and go topside.
"I'm pretty sure he's pissed at us all for not saying the right things." Thaylorn murmurs meekly after Raziel retrieves the coin from him "Sorry about that Raziel." He adds rather quietly as he scoots back over to where he had luckily discarded his armor earlier, at least he doesn't have to be stark naked for too long as he tries to scramble back into the leather armor. After donning at least some of his gear again,the Imp would move out after the others towards the deck of the ship.
Marduke is making his way back and standing in the doorway with a fresh new robe on, but no shoes. Still rather upset about everything and looking like some eastern monk now without any hair. He shakes his head slowly, "What is going on?" Clearly having missed most of what transpired while he was away and stepping out of the way of the door catching up. A glance to Raziel, "With the spirits, it is not a game. Respect and understanding, we acted without either today. So um, what is going on, why is everybody worked up?"
Alliandre sighs and sits on the back of a chair and looks at Raziel, "He told you he wouldn't answer our questions today. He has entrusted you with the care of the artefact that can summon him unto this realm. You handed it to a Summoner who is in agreement with the Queen of Ice and the Lord of Flame and the Mist, it is my fault I should have spoken faster to warn you. But at least he has warned us of the attack once we are through this perhaps you and I can retire to someplace private and commune with him for direction together?" The crew have been alerted to the upcoming attack and one of them stops to fill Marduke and those in the briefing room in. The First Officer is shouting commands as Moogles hurry about, several hatches in the deck are opened and very large cannons are winched up onto the deck and aimed over the sides. The largest is atop the aft-deck house and has a 360 degree turning circle. In the distance the lookouts have spotted several dark shapes moving toward the Dao and the Captain is hurrying across the forward deck toward the bridge. Schewe the First Officer nods to the passengers as they come up onto deck. "If anyone wants to help with the guns you are welcome to otherwise man the railings," he glances at Jenna and Mordecai, eyeing their hand-guns then runs an eye over the others, "You are professionals after all we'll do our best to defend the ship but having you aboard would be good. We'll need magic casters no doubt these creatures are... odd and if anyone wants to man the firing position on the Main cannon be my guest!" He nods and hurries off to take up position near the deck mounted cannons as the ship starts to slow down and turn as rushing in from the distance those dark forms draw closer....
Raziel looks at Marduke, but he doesn't snarl off a responce. The monk.. err mage has been through enough today already. Looking then at Jenna the man heads out and steps into his cabin long enough to grab a shirt and toss it to her before heading for the top of the ship. Alliandre isn't given a responce for a long while as he's looking out at the approaching ships. The mage's finger's flex and he checks the twin crystal kukri before sliping them away. "At some point you'll need to tell me what's wrong with Shiva and Ifrit Alliandre. For now though.. yes we will take some time after this. Should we make it through this." He never quite looks at her while speeking, keeping his eyes on the approaching trouble instead.
Jenna's hands practically fly, as she holsters her pistol and puts her tools and trigger pin away. She gratefully excepts the wepaon from Mordecai, and hurries after him towards the top deck, shrugging her damp jacket back over her shoulders as she goes. The tossed shirt is caught, but the burmecian doesn't slow her step to fiddle with puttig it on; instead, upon hearing the invitation to use the main cannon, the former soldier heads straight for the aft castle. "Cannon? Yes please." She hurriedly ties Raziel's shirt around her left leg and transfers her pistol into it, before putting Morde's into her proper holster. The burmecian gets herself properly into position to control the weapon, and starts adjusting levers, setting the magicite capicitors to charging up with a loud whine.
Mordecai hurries to the railing, and briefly pulls out a brass, pirate-style telescope. Putting it to his eye to peer out at the approaching dark shapes, trying to make them out. Whatever conclusion he comes to, though, he doesn't share it just yet. Instead putting the telescope away again, and thumbing back the hammer on his revolver instead, while his other hand lowers to rest on the grip of the lever-action shotgun that sits at his hip. The older man settling in to await the attack...
At the mention of cannons and manning weapons Thaylorn perks up slightly but quickly, and probably for the good of everyone, decides that he's not one to be using such a large weapon. Instead, the Imp merely waits on the deck with his gaze aimed at the approaching creatures awaiting their arrival. "Do you think she has airship at her disposal?" He chimes up as he watches, trying to think over the possiblities of what the enemies might be.
"There is nothing wrong with either of them, or the Mists." Offers Marduke as he follows along, "She said agreement, and my obligations to them. This isn't my task and it isn't my place to speak to Leo. I myself should have realized this sooner, I do apologize for that." Offering a half bow to Alliandre. "I am here to assist and help." Eyes looking over the approaching dark shapes. Glancing to the first officer, "Get me a few buckets of water and have them brought to me at the back of the deck." Already heading off, words whispered quietly as he walks along energy starting to gather around him as he prepares his summon.
The AMS Dao is at battle-readiness, the objects approaching from the horizon are gaining on the ship and everything is as ready as it can be. A sailor hurrys to bring Marduke his requested buckets of water, the Main cannons magicite capicotrs are at full charge and the hush that falls of the ship is that those who have been in such straits before will recognize. The quiet before the enemy are engaged, the chance to say your prayers to whichever spirits you may follow and prepare for combat....
Go back to Stelazzio Quest Chapter 19
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