To his credit, Dolphus did hide the effort it took to compose himself after popping directly up into the air in response to Ari’s suddenly bellowing, adjusting his collar in proper fashion and smearing his mask back across his face as he corrected his hair. I seriously have to start reading Ari better or this is going to keep happening. My knees can’t take much more of this.
Of course, he still owed his knees a serious debt for the amount of strain they had been put under already - perhaps he could start paying them back with dedicated rest once they were off again?
Yeah right. Soon as I get comfy there’s going to be some other kind of outrageous incident, like TWO giant squids fighting over who gets to eat me first.
Normally, Ari would have found Dolphus’s reaction rather amusing, but her mood had become quite grim after everything that’s transpired. Way too many things were on her mind, and that clearly showed on her face, which looked a lot less lively and quite tired now. She yawned in response, exposing her unnaturally sharp teeth [OOC: the teeth were originally just supposed to be a stylistic choice in the drawing, until Ghid directly referred to them in one of his posts. Ari’s sharp teeth are canon now, so feel free to react to them accordingly].
“Calm down, kid. There’s nothing to be scared of… everything that happened to us today, it’s over now. Once you board your ship, you’re safe, ain’t that right?” An uncharacteristically tired and weak grin appeared on her face.
She looked back over at the ship. At this point, they came really close to it, so she could see it in great detail now, better than ever before. Almost instinctively, her eyes started examining the hull of the ship, with a blank expression. She wasn’t mistaken, the crew really did a decent job with all the cosmetic repairs on the ship. And she could finally assess the damage that had been done to the keel to the full extent. It was just as bad as she initially thought, but, seeing it up close, she finally got an idea how she could fix it.
As her eyes followed along the side of the vessel, she noticed a plank that had been laid between the main deck and the shore. Snapping out of it and realising that it was not quite the time to think about repairs just yet, she walked towards the plank. It looked sturdy and was quite wide, so Ari confidently stepped onto it. It creaked under her weight, which was quite big by itself, combined with the weight of the marine, but there was no sign of it snapping. She continued walking up, making sure to be careful with the man she carried in her arms, until she reached the top. Turning around, she waited for Dolphus to catch up, and gestured him to lead the way with a nod of her head.
The mask was much colder on his face than his streaming tears had been, and the silent expression sent in reply towards Ari was fairly neutral. But her yawn had been exceptionally dangerous just then, and the rings under his eyes seemed to darken in real time as his eyelids began to grow heavy.
The kick of adrenaline he had expounded in the forest had been his last. Now it was only a matter of time; Ari had saved him from complete emotional disintegration, but the lull of sleep was rearing its unstoppable head once more.
No, not sleep. Dolphus blinked as he looked away. I’m bordering on absolute exhaustion. I sure hope my body can keep itself breathing while I’m asleep.
Dolphus hesitated to ascend the plank whilst Ari was on it, but eventually clenched his jaw and stepped forwards. As Ari set both feet on the ship, the board straightened, almost tossing the much lighter Dolphus off, but he threw his arm out for a split second and kept himself upright. Adjusting his collar, he finished ascending the plank until he was on deck, and gave a microscopic nod to Ari before marching forwards.
The surprised glances of the few honored dead on deck both disinterested and inspired Dolphus at the same time. Instantly in his mind the visual appeared of a dozen or so of the ghost sailors with ropes traveling the sea floor and slowly drawing the Caelin’s Hand out of the shore once the tide came in, and in his ears the imaginary mutterings of those around him questioning why he was still alive.
Not how, but why. And it was with a sigh of relief that Dolphus spotted Mariner, glad to have his existence cut off that unnecessarily resentful train of thought before it could properly begin.
His hand motioned behind him for Ari to wait once they reached the foot of the steps. Somehow the tired, sagging form of Mariner with his back to the pair was more ominous than when he towered over him inside his cabin, back when Karl arrived.
What do I mean, ‘back when?’ It was yesterday. Or today. Or…
What day is it again?
He could feel his chest heaving as he ascended the steps on the left side. His footsteps were attempting being light, but he was running out of the ability to moderate their pressure. With a final silent check over his appearance, he set two fingers to rest on the pearl in the pommel of his blade, sucked in a huge breath to puff his chest up, and partially released it.
Mako quickly whirled around, his ruined face still carrying no visible expression, while his eyes still gleamed.
He did not answer. Such a question was without one.
Mako slowly approached the gangplank, unsure thoughts still running though his mind. What happens now? Are we doomed? Are we banished? Perhaps not.
He ascended the plank, believing surely,he could be walking off it the other way soon.
Mako glanced at Ari, before focusing on Mariner. Remember your purpose. Remember why you are here.
His lungs felt as if they couldn’t will themselves to extract air.
His heart felt as if it was leagues below the floor. Sea God, give me the strength to continue this mission. Mako clasped his hands, not daring to move, in a hopeful prayer.
Mariner turns to look at Dolphus. As he does the crack in his shell catches the light, the resin sticking out prominently in the afternoon sun. “Ah so you haven’t died yet. Good, good.” His tone began friendly, however he pauses for a moment as the full reality of the situation takes hold.
Standing behind Dolphus was perhaps one of the largest humans he’d ever seen. Excepting those from the Legion of course. However, aside from the initial shock he knew her to not be from the Legion, everything about her called her out as Armada born and raised. Including her eccentric sense of fashion. Mariner was still wary of her, something about her was sitting in the back of his mind, something… familiar.
In her arms she cradled yet another stranger, this one badly beaten and slipping in and out of consciousness. Mariner recognized the scraps of an Armada gambeson hanging from his broken body.
Mariner continued speaking, this time his voice was stiffer. “Perhaps I might inquire as to what events transpired shoreside? It’s not everyday a stranger walks aboard carrying the near dead body of one of our nations Marines.”
As Mako prayed, he seemed to feel a pressure in his head. He felt an immense consciousness brush against his. This was different to when the Guardians had spoken to him, there were no words, no attempt at communication. Simply observation. At the same time Mako could smell the sea. This was not the sea of today however, it was fresher, cleaner. Younger.
The presence withdrew after a moment. Taking with it the pressure and scent.
A sudden gravity descended upon Dolphus’ features as he noticed the patched crack in his armor. Shell. Shell? Is his armor part of his body? I can’t even tell. But it might explain why he’s filled it with… Something, rather than just trying to plate it.
There could be only one thing which caused such a fracture - getting smashed to pieces during the massive wave which totaled the vessel and drove it to shore. If he hadn’t been trying to take care of me…
…Wait what do you mean Yet??
“That,” Dolphus began, trying as hard as he could not to turn his head back to follow Mariner’s gaze - but he couldn’t help himself. His ability to restrain his more youthful leanings was almost as depleted as his ability to keep up appearances; if he had not trained for his whole life, his mask might have failed him even now.
The marine’s limp body was still held by Ari, and the flurry of thoughts which bombarded his psyche mostly revolved around her. She had defied convention by managing to gracefully carry the wounded lad all the way to the ship without greatly worsening his condition, but it didn’t exactly have much room to worsen, either. Was her goal just to get on board as a member of the crew, for safe passage elsewhere? And could she safely depart from the crew after what had happened this day?
Could I live with myself if I let her go?
His eyes met hers and stared for too long. The pressure of her interrogating grip was on his shoulder. It was both a comfort and a curse, so unlike the touch of his mother as to be completely unique and yet the only touch he had experienced in so long that wasn’t marred with hatred or ill-intent.
The mask was slipping. Unsure if Alexis might be hiding somewhere just outside of where he looked, he tore his gaze with some violence from the last Wohlford, hoping Mariner hadn’t inferred any of his thoughts from the uncomfortably long pause.
“…Would be easier to discuss once he receives medical care.” He continued with some urgency. “He may die at any moment, and could not be moved any faster due to his condition.”
Was that actually true? Probably, he assumed. But if Ari was ever to get on the crew, she would have to be cooperative with the process now, or Mariner might never accept her. And that involves backing me up please please please please please please please
Ari’s weak smile faded at the sight of Dolphus’s disinterested, tired face not showing a single sliver of emotion. She turned away in disappointment. She was tired as well… What was the point in trying at this point? Disheartened, she continued the walk.
Ari followed Dolphus with her eyes with an unimpressed look, and proceeded to move after him deeper into the ship.
She looked around, spotting the surprised and quite unfriendly faces of the ship’s crew members. The atmosphere on the vessel was quite grim to say the least. No wonder, they just experienced a horrible crash that must have messed them up. There wasn’t much special about these men, they looked like ordinary sailors you would see on any normal ship. But once again, something didn’t seem quite right. Looking at these folks gave her the same feeling that she experienced when she encountered that armour-wearing person on the shore, who was apparently a ghost. Were all of these ghosts as well?
She would have directly asked that question to Dolphus, but he seemed to be hell bent on ignoring her as of late, so she didn’t say a single thing, and continued following the kid through the ship with a weary look on her face.
Noticing the sudden change in the kid’s demeanour and slowing down almost to a stop together with him, she tracked his line of sight, looking in the same direction as him. There, she saw a person of impressive stature, wearing what looked like old plate armour, standing with his back towards them.
A hint of interest appeared in her eyes. What she saw in front of her seemed strangely familiar and… somewhat comforting. Ari was suddenly reminded of a different, simpler time, when she didn’t have a single worry on her mind…
No, it can’t be. No way. It’s just a really big guy wearing a rusty set of armour, nothing more…
Ari’s train of thought was interrupted by Dolphus’s gesture to stop. She stared at his hand with a mix of frustration and confusion. Some other day, she would have told him everything about how much she hated to be bossed around like that, but right now she was too exhausted to object. Reluctantly, she stood and watched what the kid was about to do.
So that’s the Mariner they were all talking about.
He was highly respected by the crew, more so than that woman Alexis, which showed clearly in the way the bratty kid addressed him. Taking that into account, Ari wondered how he wasn’t the captain here.
Ari staggered at the sudden appearance of Mako next to her. Where did he come from?!
Remembering that she carried the highly injured marine, she immediately righted herself, to avoid hurting him in any way.
She returned her sights to the kid, who at this point finished going up the stairs, and the person he was addressing.
As the imposing figure slowly turned and straightened out, revealing its stature to be even more impressive than Ari had originally inferred (the person was much taller than her), and exposing the figure’s “face”, Ari’s eyes suddenly widened and lit up with excitement, after a short moment of realisation.
There could be no mistake. The person who stood before her was no ordinary man clad in armour. He was a Halinth. There could be no doubt about it.
Ari hadn’t seen one of his kind since her days in her parents’ shipyard, watching several of these giants, who were employed by her parents, show incredible feats of strength and craftsmanship, that no human could match, with childish excitement. Momentarily, she was transported to her childhood, the time when she didn’t need to be concerned about her survival, didn’t need to run, didn’t need to fight. The time when her parents were still alive. All worries of this day that had firmly occupied her mind suddenly became completely and irrelevant and disappeared.
The sight of this imposing figure that most would certainly find terrifying, was comforting to Ari. Now she knew that this crew that somehow, through some incredible coincidence, got shipwrecked on the same island as her, was the right one. Now she knew that she could put her trust in them.
Disregarding Dolphus’s gesture to stay back, Ari quickly ascended the stairs, skipping every second step, while still making sure to be careful with the marine and holding him steadily. She walked straight past the kid, almost shoving him to the side and stood at a respectful distance from Mariner.
Her face practically glowed. Her tired, exhausted look from before was completely gone and was replaced with that of awe, determination and excitement. She was completely revitalised, at least externally, and her eyes looked at Mariner with a great degree of confidence and respect. For as long as he knew her, Dolphus had never seen her so lively before.
Cutting Dolphus off, she spoke clearly, with her chin raised confidently and looking Mariner directly in the eyes:
“I am Ari Wohlford, daughter of Ragnar and Thyra Wohlford, and the sole inheritor of the Wohlford shipbuilding company. I will finish the repairs on your ship and maintain its condition on your journey in exchange for passage outside of the Armada.” She got down on one knee, carefully bringing the injured soldier forward, towards Mariner: “Please. This man needs immediate help. I made a promise that I wouldn’t let him die. He has to live. I don’t care what you do, please save his life.” She gave Mariner another look full of determination.
(OOC: at this point Mariner would probably recognise Ari’s hair colour, skin tone and sharp teeth, because these are identifying features that are passed down through all generations of Wohlfords, including the guy Mariner was friends with back in the day.)
As Dolphus spoke, he could feel the back of his neck contracting slightly. That heavy step which caused the deck to reverberate ever so slightly could only belong to one individual, and it was the individual he specifically requested not barge into the middle of things like a-
-like a stupid gollumpus…
Dolphus stumbled away from her sudden approach, barely having time to finish his sentence before she barged past. A violently offended scowl was sent in her direction, but it instantly disappeared the moment after he saw her face - beaming, radiant, glowing with the warmth of the sun. Evidently her smashing past him was based less on her rather flippant audacity in the moment and more on whatever caused such a violent reaction on her part.
But what could-
Wait…
WOHLFORD?!
…I don’t know who that is.
The name had the vaguest sense of familiarity to him, and perhaps he had seen it appearing in one of the many financial ledgers his father had kept. But beyond that, he had never heard it before, or anything sounding quite like it either.
More importantly, however, than whether or not he had a functioning memory, was the rest of Ari’s display.
Dolphus had to swallow to stop the grimace that was commanding his features, both awed by the display Ari was putting forth and unsure how Mariner would react to her being so violently forward about it. While his posture corrected, the air with which he looked on did not, constantly changing between his internal apprehension at Ari’s behavior and the deep conflict in his heart over the fate of the marine.
Now would be a great time for a giant squid attack, is all I’m saying.
Alexis made her way onto the deck of the ship, her mind racing. Explaining the events of the injured armed soldier to mariner was most likely going to be the furthest thing from smooth sailing in her life. She found herself wishing she had known what the situation was before she had moved to unleash a fireball on the poor kid.
You had the crew’s best interestss in mind. You shouldn’t feel ashamed.
Alexis shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. If she were to help explain the events to mariner she needed a cool, clear head.
Alexis jumped at the sudden increase in volume on deck. Their new friend Ari had decided it would be best to introduce themselves to the entire crew all at once, it seemed. As Alexis strode up to the group, the name Wohlford seemed to find purchase in her brain. Distant tales, passing conversations, her old, long-retired crew. The name Wohlford wasn’t commonplace among their conversations but had found its way into a few here and there.
Of course, she had many questions for their new companion, but those would need to wait. For now, she needed to focus on the task at hand as she joined the group currently speaking with Mariner.
Whispers spread across the ship in a great wave. The crew, abandoning all pretense of pretending to work were openly discussing this revelation. The energy was excitement, but with a healthy dose of skepticism. The name of course, was legendary within the crew. Most of the sailers had sailed on ships the Wohlford’s had created.
Those too young had sailed on ones with parts from Wohlford ships. Those extremely superstitious folks in the Homeguard insisted on saving pieces from Wohlford ships to incorporate into new vessels. Even the Caelin’s hand had a piece or two in its design.
Mariner’s expression was of course unreadable. However, a deliberate set of footsteps marked the arrival of Caeseus, who had casually followed along from the beach. He slowly walked around Ari, closely examining her features. When satisfied he simply turned and nodded to Mariner.
Mariner’s posture changed slightly. “You bear an honourable name.” He said finally, “I will give you the chance to live up to it.”
He looked again at the Marine, the damage he’d taken was severe. There were no guarantees of his survival. Still, Mariner had a healers heart, he couldn’t let this man suffer any longer over matters of pride. “We’ll bring him to my cabin. I shall tend to him there. Maya, fetch a cot for our patient.” He spoke these last words towards a Sailor standing near his side. She gave a crisp nod and scarpered off below decks.
Mariner turned to follow her. “With me, please.” He called back to the small knot of Privateers.
Dolphus finally allowed reality to catch back up with him as the name Wohlford generated a response from a massive swathe of the ghost crew currently on deck. Looking about in all directions, he had unintentionally made it very clear that he had absolutely no connection with the name Wohlford, or even the knowledge of the apparent legacy it carried.
His brow crinkled as he looked back at the marine. This was just a bad day all-around for his optics, and he didn’t want to start thinking about how it was for his heart. Too complex. It’s all just too complex for me.
…I could really use another hug.
Dolphus stumbled backwards to get out of Caeseus’ way, not remembering in the moment that a ghost sailor could simply walk right through him. The inquisitive yet casual inspection seemed to hold more weight than if he had scrutinized her more blatantly; what were they looking for in her that could be gleamed so easily? Some identifying aspect of the Wohlfords to help verify her identity?
Does being absolutely huge not count or something?
Dolphus looked with wide eyes between Mariner and Ari. Honorable name? What was it this muscle pile’s probably equally-jacked parents had done? Or even worse, was her whole family line like this?
Regardless of the level of terror her lineage inspired, this approach of appealing to Mariner had worked wondrously. The master of the Caelin’s Hand had gone so far as to immediately volunteer his cabin for the marine’s care.
No wait that’s not good.
If this marine suddenly gained consciousness, would he sing? What would stop him from divulging all about the entire ordeal? His friend’s death, the sight of the wing? The encounter with Captain Althain? Was everything compromised now?
…Will I have to tell Mariner everything now, risk his wrath on myself and Ari, or gamble on suffering the consequences later?
Ari, Alexis, and anyone else paying enough attention might have noticed Dolphus’ expression go from overwhelmed observation to a rather crushed acceptance of the situation. As Mariner began to descend further into the ship, Dolphus hurried along to follow at his heels, eyeing the floor as he went, not once daring to look at Mariner lest he accidentally lock eyes with him.
I sure hope Ari can find it in herself to forgive me for this. He swallowed, two fingers still resting on the pearl. Because I don’t know that I can.
Ari looked around in surprise at the reaction that her saying her name caused within the crew. Of course, she knew of the reputation that the Wohlford name used to have. Her parents had told her of the great fleets built by the past generations of Wohlfords. They told her of the countless innovations in the realm of shipbuilding that they introduced. Told her legends of Bjorn Wohlford, the founder of their family who lived hundreds upon hundreds of years ago and was said to have had the skin tougher than steel and been strong enough to lift an entire ship with one hand. But all of these were stories of old and legends that likely had very little truth to them. When Ari was born, Wohlford & Co. was already way past its prime and the name didn’t carry as much weight as it used to, and, after the company fell apart, the name lost pretty much all meaning. People tend to forget things very fast, so it quickly became just another part of history, remembered by the rare few who cared enough and surrounded by countless rumours. So to think that there were still people who weren’t entirely apathetic to the legacy of her family, and that a lot of them surrounded her at this very moment, was completely mind boggling to Ari. It seemed almost as if this bizarre crew was somehow transported from the past, ripped out of the time when the name that Ari bore still meant something. Which, if she bothered to think about for just one second, would make a lot of sense, considering that most of them were ghosts who had likely lived and died a long time ago.
Still, Ari couldn’t help but feel incredibly flattered by such a response. A slight blush involuntarily appeared on her cheeks.
The face of Caeseus, the ghost sailor from the beach, slowly made its way into her field of view, a bit too close for her comfort. She moved away from him slightly, as she followed him with his eyes.
At last, the towering Halinth gave his answer. A brief wide smile appeared on her face and she gave him a nod full of determination.
Ari let out a sigh of relief. Her face showed a great deal of gratitude.
“Thank you, sir.”
She carefully stood up and was about to start following Mariner deeper within the ship, when she remembered something.
She turned to Caeseus, who was still standing nearby, and addressed him:
“I was wrong about the repairs your men did to this ship. They did a great job. Clearly, you have a lot of care for it.” As she said this, her tone seemed to become a lot more serious.
As Ari turned back to follow Mariner, she caught a glimpse of Dolphus’s face, briefly meeting his eyes. For reasons she didn’t quite understand, the boy looked devastated, which contrasted with Ari’s own expression, once again full of life and determination. She gave him a nod, turned away and took a step after the imposing figure of Mariner.
Karl was, to put it simply, absolutely mind-boggled at Ari’s announcement. A Wohlford? Her? This didn’t fit with his mental image of the famed shipbuilders, who he knew of only by their business’s reputation. No shipbuilder of such reputation would be so, well, uncouth in appearance… then again, he thought to himself, this is the same job where a fire guy hires me as an assassin, and I get teleported halfway across the world after spending the night with a teenage dragon. Maybe this is supposed to be completely reasonable…
He blinked as Mariner handed the command of the repairs to Ari, feeling a bit at a loss as to how he should respond. Glancing aside, he saw that Dolphus appeared to be in a similar state, tired and frustrated with the circumstances. Don’t suppose I’m the only one confused here, he thought. Seeing as the kid just got back from being washed overboard and chasing a Marine…
Mariner led them down the steps into his Cabin, the young sailor had managed to secure a cot and was hurrying to get it set up. The cabin was a mess, Mariner’s armour was scattered about, as were his plants. A collection of scrolls had burst from their storage and were floating in a thin pool of water clearly let in by the storm. The only thing that still seemed carefully placed was an Intricately carved wooden board. Covered with models of ships.
Mariner stalked over to his cache of ingredients, miraculously all were intact, however they were in such disarray it took him quite some time to locate the ones he required. He got to work mixing various elixirs and ointments. Unbidden, a memory rose to the surface.
The Child was but 13, too young to be named yet. Only 1 Halinth bothered to call him anything but child. It was to her he ran, only she could help. He found her by their home, tending to her plants in the garden pool. Her shell, blue as the summer sky, was splattered with clay and mud but as he ran to her she looked up at him and smiled. Her mandibles fluttered as she saw her child.
Even now, with the scene sharp in his mind, Mariner couldn’t remember her face, merely that logically she’d had one, and he knew that seeing it could make his troubles evaporate. He had been certain his mother would always be there, always ready to help him through his problems.
The Child ran up and embraced his mother, tears flowing freely down his face. He held out his left arm for her inspection, the shell on his forearm had been crushed, and split. The pain was unbearable, but even more than that he hated the vulnerability. “Sweet boy” His mother said, “What have you done this time?” Her tone was gentle, the clicks simply soft little pops to his ears.
“Fisher and I were playing down by the creek.” He began, taking large gasps of air between each sobbing word. “We heard a noise, and went to check it out. It was a Galdur mum, a big one.”The Child seemed to lose his voice for a time, rocking back and forth on his feet.
“Why did you go near it?” Her method of questioning honest, her son knew those creatures could be dangerous. She knew he wouldn’t have approached without good reason.
“It was hurt, I thought if I helped it, it wouldn’t attack us. I didn’t want to see it in pain.” The Child looked at his feet, certain he was going to be punished for his foolishness. Instead, his mother embraced him again, pulling him into a deep hug.
“All things act poorly when they’re hurt or scared my boy. Always keep yourself protected when dealing with them-” She looked him deep in the eyes, as she spoke the line that stuck with him through all his years. “-but never, let that stop you from doing the right thing.”
Mariner looked down at his mortar and pestle with sadness as he broke up pieces of dried starfish. He hadn’t looked back to see if any of the privateers had even followed him.
Instead he focused harder on his medicines, he remembered his mother teaching him the mixes. He remembered her explaining which ones had been passed down, and which ones she’d invented herself. He wished he could remember her name.
Caeseus nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you. That means a lot.” He turned to go and get the crew back to work as the Privateers started making their way after Mariner.
As Ari walked behind Mariner, she noticed a few familiar faces who had pulled up onto the ship: the somber, pensive looking not-quite-Captain-yet Alexis joined their group, the friendly assassin with a suspicious face whose name Ari had forgotten stood nearby, and the bandaged up water magic user Mako was around as well. Every living member of the crew that Ari had met up to this point was now here, except for the enigmatic nimble girl in a cloak who Ari had seen dash after the marine.
Ari entered the chamber and, tapping her foot on the ground, impatiently waited for the freshly arrived crew member to finish setting up the cot she had been sent after by Mariner. As soon as she was done, Ari walked up next to her and lowered the marine onto it, being extremely careful not to disturb him in any way to the best of her ability. She straightened out and looked at her dirty and bloodied hands. The busted knuckles on her right hand were still bleeding, and a couple red droplets hit the floor next to the marine. Ever since the adrenaline had worn off, it started to hurt quite a bit. She’d need to get that bandaged up. It was another scar to add to her collection…
Finally she looked around the cabin. Expectedly, it was a total mess. After a storm like this, it could have been worse, Ari thought, remembering what had happened to her own boat. All sorts of things were chaotically lying on the floor: from crates and scrolls to potted plants and pieces of strange armour. But one particular thing immediately caught Ari’s attention: a shelf filled with what looked like tiny wooden ships, that miraculously seemed to have been left completely untouched by the storm. She walked up to it and started carefully examining its contents.
Looking at these ship models, Ari felt strangely nostalgic. A dreamy expression appeared on her face. She used to put together similar ones as a kid and imagined them going on grand adventures full of dangers and discoveries. Back then, she dreamed about building a real ship and sailing around the world on it. It was a childish dream that died together with her parents and would never see fruition…
Of course, these tiny ships were significantly more intricate and well-put-together than anything a ten-year-old could come up with, but still, Ari could help but draw that parallel.
Ari turned towards Mariner, wanting to inquire about the board, but immediately caught herself before she could utter a word.
She had little to no manners and could never read the room. She always said the first thing that came to her mind and was never afraid to voice her thoughts, with no regard for how that might affect others. But there was one thing she knew very well: to never, under no circumstances, disturb a person doing their craft. She went back to what she was doing before.
Dolphus had stayed close to Mariner’s heels, but upon entering the cabin he forced himself to hold back, moving just aside the doorframe. The splash of his steps in the water surprised him somewhat; the ship seemed so upright that the thought of any water actually remaining trapped inside never occurred to him. I sure hope my cabin floor isn’t waterlogged… Or my bed…
I could really use a bed right now.
Dolphus looked at his wing.
…What?
OH. His chest fell perhaps a little too dramatically. I thought… Because of the, the explo- uh… never mind.
His expression turned slightly sheepish as he looked away from the wing, eyeing anything else he possibly could. I don’t know why in the world I thought of my having lost my fake limb when I heard that droplet fall.
…What????? FAKE LIMB??? What does that even mean?!
Dolphus felt his heart twist at Ari’s apprehension.
Blinking, he found himself with one foot slightly forward, his hand half-outstretched, as if he would interrupt Ari’s turning back to the models. Blinking twice more, he swallowed hard and reeled himself back in, standing against the frame of the door as before.
Mako looked up very abruptly. A level of shock ran through his mind. Never, in the many years of his exile, had he ever had this experience.
A sign? Perhaps.
This element of wonder was cut short. Ari’s speech brought with it memories of how he got here in the first place. Oh, so this girl is essentially the heir to an economic empire. Who we are now with. Wonderful. Just great.
As they continued through the ship, Mako landed close to Alexis in the line, the ghostly figure walking next to the captain.
Mako made no sound, not a single word, at Dolphuses change of expression, but he still was aware.
That was, of course, until he started coughing again.
Mako did not enter. It was strange. This place seemed completely different to the others, the artifacts and collections on the walls, the cache of ingredients and elixirs, and the forgotten armor.
Even Mariner himself seems out of place. And now, almost, he seems, familiar… No, that must be my imagination…
He coughed, returning him to reality. He still felt a bit queasy, not quite getting over that. The coughs came unbidden, and unsmothered by his now absent mask. It was now completely useless, stained by blood, and he would have to make another.
Perhaps, a more sustainable one. It would be best to make one from wood, as one from bandages would only last for so long. If he didn’t, there would be risks, and far worse would soon come.
Mako continued to observe, eyeing Ari, Mariner, and Dolphus.
For some reason, he remained. Even he did not know why.
The silence and tension, however, was dense, and thick. This soldier, why try and keep him alive? What is the motive? Simple moralism, or something else?
Another cough rang out again, before Mako ducked out of the doorway. @Winterstorm345 Hey do you want to mariner or someone to give a response or?
Dolphus’s attempt to reach out to Ari came too late, she’d already turned around back towards the board and didn’t notice it.
Taking a step back, she looked at the bigger picture. Suddenly, it occurred to her that there was rhyme and reason to the way the ships were placed on it, it wasn’t just the result of the board getting shaken around by the storm: the board depicted some sort of grand naval battle. Ari noticed that the board itself was carved to resemble a map of a location, what looked like some sort of bay.
Something about this layout seemed vaguely familiar to Ari. Did she visit that place as a child during one of the countless business trips that her mother had gone on? She couldn’t remember for the life of her where she had seen it before and why it seemed so important…
After a while, looking at this map started to get boring. This idle waiting began to get on Ari’s nerves. She was never able to just sit around and do nothing. The life of the soldier was now in Mariner’s hands and there was nothing she could do here… if only she had her toolbox, she would have immediately focused on the ship repairs, but she didn’t want to distract Mariner from his work, so, before she could address him, she waited impatiently until he was done preparing the medicine, continuing looking at the intricately carved map of an unfamiliar battle…
As she turned back towards the map, Mariner rushed by. Now carrying an armful of medicines, he kneeled by the Marines side. First he poured one of the bottles into the man’s mouth, gently helping the man drink the medicine. Then with a small brush he began applying another to his shoulder. The course bristles helping to work the medicine into the charred flesh.
As he worked the flesh on the shoulder seemed to become less blackened, and more red. When satisfied, he began to wrap the joint in bandages. After that he worked on dabbing ointment on his smaller wounds. He knew the spine was beyond his skill to heal, but at least he could set it with a brace to eliminate further injury.
The final step was to wrap up his ribs to prevent them moving too far out of place while they healed. When finished he finally rose feeling stiff in his joints but satisfied in a job well done.
“He will live” Mariner said simply. As he began to put his medicines away. “It will not be an enjoyable life, unless he can see a qualified surgeon, but it will be life.” Mariner paused, “I hope this prisoner was worth it, the force used to capture him seems to have been excessive.”
Work now done, Mariner looked around his cabin and for the first time, seemed to take in the mess. Sighing he set to work straightening up.
Finally turning away from the map, Ari watched Mariner work in awe. She was so mesmerised by the skill and precision that he showcased that she forgot about her main goal for a moment, simply following each of his movements with her eyes, until he was finally done. Yes, the sight of the marine’s injuries was unpleasant, but Ari had seen worse in her life, and the grossness of it all was greatly overshadowed by Mariner’s mastery.
Ari simply nodded with the same stern, determined look in her eyes as when she was asking him to help the Marine. She walked up in front of Mariner with her arms folded across her chest. (OOC: Mariner would probably notice that her hand was injured pretty badly from that tree punch)
“I’d like to get to repairing the keel of your ship as soon as possible. One of your crewmates…” she looked around, searching for Mako, but he was nowhere to be seen, “…took my toolbox from the wreckage of my boat. It’s the only thing I need to start working.”
She paused, thinking that she said everything she wanted, when her stomach growled once again, serving as a grim reminder that she hadn’t eaten anything in ages. She continued, this time in a significantly less confident, even slightly sheepish voice:
“Actually… there are two things… do you have… anything to eat?”
