Alexis observed the conversation pass, not wanting to interfere. She could see Dolphus’ potential but she knew he lacked a maturity that was required for the task at hand. Dolphus’ well spoken nature would certainly assist in his role as captain in a controlled environment, but when that changed? When it became uncontrollable?
he has no experience on a vessel.
Alexis turned to Dolphus with a smile, she didn’t want to undermine him, that much was clear. “Do you have experience with manning a vessel like this?” The question needed to be addressed however, she wanted to win and this could very much make or break his case.
But for some odd reason that desire to win was less that she felt worthy and more that she felt the position would place Dolphus in too much danger.
Mariner reflexively turned to his right, as if he were about to share in a joke with a friend. He stopped immediately when he realized what he was doing. His shoulders fell, his head cast downward slightly, because Ed was not here. Ed wouldn’t be there ever again, unless Mariner somehow redeemed himself. He clicked his Mandibles pointedly
“I believe Dolphus has demonstrated his qualities enough for our purposes here. Tharos, carry on, unless anyone else wants to add their name to the ballot.”
Tharos waited for a moment to allow for this, then spoke. “Same procedure as last time to cast your vote, simply raise your hand for the candidate after I speak their name. Without further ado, Rook Andreas.”
Dolphus turned towards Alexis with his mouth open to respond only to catch a glimpse of her face and freeze in his tracks. Here she stood, question- no, challenging his position. He had figured such a retort was inevitable, but it still hit like a trip hammer.
He never noticed her approval. The rest of the room seemed to step outside of his vision for a moment, overshadowed by the question Alexis had raised. It had been clear in hindsight that she very much wanted the position of captain for herself, and she had found an excellent way to go about countering his attempting to pluck it from her.
What do I do? What do I say? How will I be able to convince everyone - convince myself, even - that I am best for the position in spite of my inexperience?
“I doubt anyone here has experience operating a vessel of this size or speed.” Dolphus took every opportunity he could to break his gaze off of Alexis, gesturing about the room with his hand. “I am even more confident in my assertion that no one here has ever had the displeasure of being consumed by a squid greater in size than this vessel, either. But I don’t intend to flaunt my experiences without the fullest confidence that I can back up my statements with action that justifies their being mentioned, and if fire permits I will not be reliving that experience again.”
Dolphus sat back down before continuing, reaching for a cane in between his knees that simply wasn’t there. I hope it wasn’t washed out to sea someplace… That would suck.
“If I were not confident that my skill in operating on vessels of various sizes in the past could not translate over to this one, I would not have wasted everyone’s time with the notion. I have not lived through the scenarios necessary to draw an exact parallel with the position of captain aboard this vessel, but I am confident -” His eyes landed on each member of the crew present as he spoke. “Without any shadow of doubt - in my own capability, and I believe I have justified my cause in pursuing the captaincy to a satisfactory degree.”
As Dolphus’ eyes lighted on Alexis last, he could feel himself flinch. What was she thinking? Did she believe the words that came out of his mouth as much as he did? Would she vote for him? Would any of them vote for him?
Had it been enough?
Dolphus said nothing, pushing his hand below the table and gripping his knee. I said what I could. Ari, Jade, Mako, strange assassin fellow… It’s up to you now.
Mako was silent, as he leaned gently forward in his seat, silently watching.
His eyes darted back and forth between Alexis and Dolphus, silently judging which to be best.
Alexis has proven herself to both be a leader in crisis, and inattentive. She could be a well rounded candidate, but I suspect that inattentiveness wil get the better of her…
Dolphus shows he is certainly capable and that he is well trained… but he lacks conviction and force. He has offered that deal…
His eyes became more focused on one, then the other. He hesitated, unsure of which.
Tharos looked about the room, there were no hands. He nodded, “very well, on to the next candidate, Alexis?”
As Tharos looked about again, he noticed Karl with his hand up, Alexis had decided to abstain, so he moved on. “One vote for Alexis. Now, our final candidate, Dolphus”
Mariner looked about casually, curious to see who would cast their vote for Dolphus.
In the midst the broken silence, Mako raised one bandaged hand. He was silent, with a look that betrayed nothing. His others fingers against the table, as he turned to Dolphus.
What a sad direction this went. Without even showing up, Rook has been unceremoniously dumped.
Perhaps this would have been elating in other circumstances; perhaps if Ari had not been so quick to shut down any trust in Alexis he possessed, he might have nodded and grinned at the former captain’s dismissal by the entirety of the crew. But here, now, Rook was the only option besides himself that he could choose, and he had gambled on himself.
I hope this all works out. Alexis didn’t seem too offended, but… how do I really know?
Dolphus held his breath. He had lost Karl.
His arm rattled for a moment, and he shut it down so hard it felt like the blood in its veins stopped moving. I get even one vote and it’s done. But I can’t be the first to vote for myself. There has to be someone, any of the three remaining, who would be willing to vote for me and willing to vote first.
It was an intolerable stretch of silence which seemed close to an hour in Dolphus’ mind. Were the mask not so strong Ari might have been able to read straight through his entire body - he was deathly afraid of losing it now.
Dolphus had to lock his throat as he exhaled to keep himself from whimpering from the stress. It happened. It’s done. The captain vote is over. Never thought I’d be thanking Mako for his contributing to the cause, but, well… desperate times, I suppose.
His thin hand softly lifted into the air.
Dolphus never looked at Mako, his eyes traveling to meet Mariner’s piercing blue gaze. They broke off a moment after, as for the first time since the meeting convened the mask took on a more melancholic air. Perhaps Ari saw it, too, and more, or perhaps not. It didn’t matter too much to Dolphus. The only thought that dominated his mind was the thought of how Mariner would view him after he confessed to what he had done.
I’ve just doubled my burden on this voyage, and all because…
…Who am I kidding. His eyes lifted from off the table, and his mask smoothed out one final time. Eyes uncaring, exude confidence. Keep your back tall. This… This is how a Gorov controls the room.
Up until this point Ari had been watching the vote with very little enthusiasm. It seemed like she hadn’t been the only one who wasn’t enthusiastic, as only one vote was casted so far, and the vote didn’t seem to be particularly heated. But, now that Dolphus’s name was mentioned, she found the strength in herself to be curious about the whole ordeal. She was still convinced that she was going to stay out of the vote as it wasn’t any of her business, but now that Dolphus was involved, she at least wanted to know how it was going to turn out.
She looked around the room, wondering who would vote for him. Alexis was a candidate, Assassin already voted for her, the girl from the beach hasn’t done or said a single thing throughout the whole meeting and seemed to be completely uninterested in it and Bandages seemed to hate the kid’s guts… there really didn’t seem to be many options.
Bandages was the person Ari expected the least to vote for Dolphus, yet there he was, much to her surprise, silently holding up his hand, clearly showing his position. She could not fathom what was his reasoning, but it didn’t really matter because, whatever it was, this meant that Dolphus was now tied with Alexis.
After a few moments had passed, looking around the room again, Ari suddenly got the feeling that there was nobody else to vote for the kid, that it’d stay a tie and that he wouldn’t be able to win or lose the vote despite the effort he had put into it.
Unless…
Not noticing what Dolphus was doing, exactly at the same time as he started to raise his hand, Ari strode past him, slammed the palm of her hand onto the table and confidently raised the other one high up in the air, drawing all the attention to her.
“I said I wasn’t gonna take part in this, but now that the kid is a part of it, it’s a different story. I don’t care who becomes the captain, but I owe this kid, I am here only because of him, so I’ll help him out with everything I can.”
While her eyes were locked on Mariner, her words weren’t aimed at anyone in particular, rather, she was addressing the whole room.
She didn’t quite know what inspired her to make this move all of a sudden, she acted almost instinctively, without thinking anything over. She felt that it was the right thing to do.
The strength of the mask and the thoughts running through his mind prevented Dolphus from fully noticing Ari’s presence until she began to speak. It was well within his ability to keep looking forward, to act as if he had not heard her, and to keep up the mask with little effort until the vote was over.
…
But I want her to know.
Mariner may have recognized the glow that filled Dolphus’ eyes as his head, in small, stuttering motions, turned to look at Ari, the same shine emanating from his pupils that had radiated outwards when Alexis had confronted the master of the Caelin’s Hand at the stern.
His hand remained raised, but it crumpled slightly at the sight of Ari’s. It was unclear if he had lost Alexis, but now more than ever it was evident who he had gained.
Tharos clapped his hands together, that was surprisingly quick and painless. Better yet it had come with a clear winner. “Well that settles it, Dolphus is your captain. Congratulations are in order to Dolphus.”
Mariner cleared his throat, “yes, very good. Now the question of our route is still on the table. I believe my contact at the Shadow Temple could provide some worthwhile information.”
Tharos cut in again, “I think it’s a waste of time, riddles and lies that’s all they dispense there, granitepeak however, is a promising lead. Legion reported possible Armada activity there. It’s a start.”
Mariner nodded his head slowly. “Perhaps, but it’s a large city, full of enemies we can’t hope to blend in with. All we have are rumours, that is why I suggest the Shadow Temple, it’ll need some interpretation, but the information will be there.”
The pressure on Dolphus’ stomach finally released, allowing it to tie itself into a knot in an instant. He could feel his proud and inspirative shoulders crumple downwards, threatening to drag the rest of them along with them. The mask had done its job; now the standard one returned, still a good performance but incomparable to the one he had just enacted.
Beneath it, however, his mind was now free to race madly about in all directions at once. The sound of the young man’s spine as it snapped, the inevitable conversation with Mariner forcing him to confess to the murder Ari performed, the agony of having to exist around Alexis from then on, and the thought of Ari leaving the crew entirely bombarded his brain, and his methods of getting his mind to shut up were not as successful as they had been a moment ago, the agony inside his skull peeking out around the corners of his mask.
And I bet Ari can see right through it, too. He picked his chin back up to stop himself from endlessly staring into the floor. Part of him despondently asked if he really had to keep participating in the discussion and if the option to turn into a slug and shrivel up and dry out and perish really wasn’t available, and that part was tied to a rock and dumped into the ocean.
“Anything that can be done to avoid further attention would be for the best.” Dolphus returned his hand to the table, subconsciously using it to stop from slouching forward. The business-like and analytical portion of his brain was, while not scrawny, hardly as refined as his acting portion was, and unlike many of his naturally gifted ancestors required a bit more information before it was able to churn out a satisfactory result. “What risks does traveling to the Shadow Temple pose?”
…The Shadow Temple? Do they not have candles or something?
Tharos looked up at him, thoughtfully. “Little risk per say, the Shadow Temple is a haven for Thieves, Assassins, spies and all who ply the shadows for their trade. However, it’s a religious site, dedicated to the God of Shadow. The risk is about the same as any major city in the Armada I’d say.” He paused, as if unsure how to continue. “We would be tested however, to tell if we were worthy of the information we seek”
If you’re counting Emberhold among them, there should not be any major risk at all.
Dolphus recalled his many excursions onto the streets of Emberhold within the last year, always having to swap from one outfit to another, and on occasion dueling the opportunistic ne’er-do-wells who seem to hound him wherever he went. The fragments of the military that still patrolled scared most of them off, and they would certainly pose no threat to this band of ruffians.
Rook’s probably tough enough to tank anything they throw at him… Ari’s more than strong enough to overpower anyone else… And I doubt any of them would pose a serious threat to me in the realm of swordplay. However, better not to risk any of it. We’ll just peacibly appear, and-
Dolphus tried and failed to stop himself from leaning his brow onto his fingertips. Of blasted course.
…Well, I’d still rather deal with a conflict I know is coming than one I don’t, and if all else fails we can use Mariner as our ace, as I don’t think anyone on this crew or across the sea would be a match for him in fair combat.
“I greatly look forward to seeing Granitepeak, but this vessel has been attacked once by a giant monster, and-”
“-it would be remiss of us not to identify any potential dangers which may await us there.” Dolphus adjusted his collar, desperately trying to make the creeping shudder that just wracked his frame at the memory of the squid’s body crushing him from all sides appear to have never actually happened to all that may have observed him. It also conveniently distracted him from the question of how an informant would require a test of skill to determine worth if he really was an informant. “My recommendation is the Shadow Temple first, then Granitepeak.”
Mako slowly retracted his hand from the air, his sight now focused on Tharos as he spoke with Mariner.
Shadow Temple?
The concept was foreign to him, that such a name would be the case. Would it not make sense, rather, to give it a proper name? A proper place? Perhaps that was the intent, that it remained hidden.
Granitepeak? Now that…that is interesting…
This too, was new to him. A place named after rock, and what could be filled with enemies… How quaint.
Ah, that explains it. As for the city…
Mako remembered many a time scaling heights and jumping drops in the ravenous night’s of the many cities ports, attempting to find opportune ships that have yet to be boarded. The rush of cool air blasting against his face as he slid down rooftops, the drop of one stomach as they jumped heights… and yet…the promise of deadly enemies filled him with dread of his own inadequacy in the face of a full frontal assault.
If we will be facing people of high caliber…that duel…may be required.
Mako’s eyes darted towards Mariner. A part of him sank to the bottom as the dread became ever heavier. Worthiness…I doubt that…is a good omen…
Well… Mako eyed Dolphus. Let us hope… you are wise…Captain.
Ari felt that she was being looked at and turned her head towards Dolphus. There was an unusual glow in the kid’s eyes. What was it? Gratitude? Ari responded with a stern, confident look, as if reassuring him that she got his back.
Shadow temple and Granitepeak, neither of these names rang any bells. These locations were completely unfamiliar to Ari, but how could she know foreign geography if she barely knew the geography of the place where she had lived all her life. Names weren’t her strongest suit to say the least, and neither was navigation.
She couldn’t help but feel slightly excited about the opportunity to visit unfamiliar places where she had never been before. She even felt a childish sense of adventure, anticipating what those places were going to be like…
But she couldn’t get distracted from her main goal, she wasn’t here to travel around.
At that moment Ari realised just how little of her objective she actually thought through. She knew that she wanted to leave the ship when it reached some place that was outside of the Armada, but she had no idea what exactly that place needed to be… were Granitepeak and Shadow Temple the kind of locations fitting for her purpose? She had no idea.
That description didn’t sound reassuring. Maybe that place is not an option…
She’d need to discuss this matter with the kid some time, eventually. With his geography knowledge, he seemed to be the best person to ask about this kind of stuff. But, remembering what had happened last night, Ari realised that this conversation wasn’t going to be an easy one for him.
She sighed. She decided that it was best not to think about it for now. It was all going to figure itself out eventually, some way, somehow… it had to.
Hmm…
Karl’s interest was aroused. This could be a good place to pick up some equipment, as well as potentially getting the time to read his orders. I do need more ammo for my crossbow, he thought. Perhaps some poisons and soporifics too.
The thought of a city where such a black market thrived was an exciting one.
Mariner contemplated reactions around the table. Mako and Ari seemed hesitant, Karl however seemed excited. Given his career that hardly surprised him however, Mariner wouldn’t have been surprised if Karl had made the pilgrimage to the Shadow Temple before.
He cleared his throat. “Very well, the Shadow Temple it is. Now if anyone has any questions, any at all about our mission, now is the time to ask.”
He leaned back, feeling for the first time that the voyage may succeed, after what had felt like years they were leaving the Armada, perhaps the voyage wasn’t as hopeless as he’d originally thought. Still there was a lot of sea to cover, and a king to find at the end. They’d have to take it one step at a time.
Dolphus blinked, swallowed, and instantly regretted swallowing.
It may have been the steady stream of tears he had been gulping down all of the morning and the night before, but he had not recalled just how incredibly thirsty he was until now. His hand played about his collar, somehow trying to balance ignoring his level of thirst along with everything else going through his head.
I wish that other pitcher of water is around somewhere… I feel like I’m going to shrivel up if I don’t get a drink soon.
Maybe Mariner will dump you in the ocean after you talk about the murder and then you can inhale all the water you like.
“All right! Now we’re finally getting somewhere,” Jade at last spoke up. “Shadow Temple? Won’t that be a fun jaunt?” she lively posited, shifting in her seat and glancing around at the others in the room. All had their own reactions to Mariner’s information, and no doubt had their own thoughts and agendas percolating, but her sarcastic grin remained. Indicating Dolphus with a tilt of her head, Jade finished with a hopefully-more-encouraging-than-not “Good luck, Captain.”
