Amara Ishu stood easily on deck, enjoying the feeling of the swaying ship. The Dancing Lucre was a fine ship, and rode the rising swells with ease. Whatever else could be said for her employers, they owned fine watercraft.
The skald thought back and wondered how she found herself her, steering a ship not her own through the rocky remains of Azlant, the Inner Sea hundreds of miles behind her with a load of a hundred colonists belowdecks. The Raven Shipping and Trading Company was behind it all of course. They had hired her, after being kicked out of yet another navy this time the Absalom Citizenry Naval Force, for her dislike of slavery. The Raven Company, as it was nicknamed was not as picky.
They had wanted an experienced naval commander who could sail a ship of landlubber colonists to Arcadia safely and had few ties to other nations. Someone with magical skill and a good head on her shoulders was a plus, as well as no deep religious ties. Agnostic as possible Quailla Raven had said, one of the Masters of the Company. Amara has fit the bill nicely, and for a good fee and a chance at a new adventure, she was given this new command.
It hadn't been easy of course. She had been drilled endlessly by the Company administrators. There had been written tests, verbal exams, tasks with magic, and she had spent months working on this Company ship or that. The Raven Shipping and Trading Company, which was second only to the Aspis Consortium in size and scope, did not make an investment lightly. But she has passed, with flying colors. So they had given her a brand new ship, the Dancing Lucre, a hold full of provisions and supplies, as well as one hundred colonists.
Her orders were simple. Get to Arcadia with as many colonists as possible, establish a foothold, and manage the colony as more colonists were sent over. She was given broad, nearly supreme authority over the fledgling colony at least until more Company advisers arrived. The Raven Company's goals were rather simple. Arcadia was a land rich in resources ranging from gold and jewels to fish and magical items. The purpose of the new settlement would be to gather these materials for transport back to the Inner Sea. In exchange the settlers would be well paid, in both money and, more importantly, land. Free land was a rare commodity in the Inner Sea, at least uncursed or land empty of monsters.
Suddenly Amara's reverie was broken. She heard footsteps coming up behind heavy, heavy on the wooden deck. The female Captain cocked an ear, trying to guess who it was my sound alone. The steps were too heavy to be Zuck, her only friend on this mission. A tengu who had sailed with through every storm on ship and in her own life. His bird-like talons would never make this much racket.
But it was too light to be Benold Gregon, the prosperous blacksmith who had been taking charge of the colonists lately. A big, burly man with a good head for numbers and hands for steel, had taken a liking to his new taste of authority. For now however, he mostly complained about the short rations and how long the voyage was taking. The blacsmiths boots usually clunked much louder then this. Which meant....
Brekarv.
The bestial looking half-orc had been assigned to her by the Raven Shipping and Trading Company as a 'bodyguard' but she knew his role was far greater. Surely the robed man was reporting her every move? But worse then that, Brekarv was just.....creepy. The summoner always wore heavy robes, embroidered with red sigils and signs, no matter the weather. All you could see was his scarred and tattooed green face peeking out, mostly made up of two big tusks. His jet black eyes were like twin holes, dark as night.
Worse all though was his companion, that foul ediolon. It reminded Amara of a very skeletal crow, with long spiky wings, spindly legs ending in claws and a wicked sharp beak. The creature was black with veins of deep red running up and down, as if veins of blood were visible. Often hunched on his shoulder, it's iridescent, penetrating eyes made Amara sick. So far it hadn't hurt anyone however...
The footsteps were closer now and sure enough, it was Brekarv's soft but carrying voice that reached her. ”Good Morning, Captain. How are the seas?” One of Amar's only comforts was that the half-orc was obviously not comfortable at sea, and she had seen him stumble a few times when the waves had barely been enough for her to notice. Even now, with the sea below barely cresting, he looking unsteady and grasped the wooden rail with one meaty fist. 'Well, I trust?” His ediolon was nowhere to be seen, thankfully.
While a little frustrated at Brekarv's presence, Amara chooses to avoid showing obvious displeasure. While she suspected that Brekarv was possibly here to spy on her, she wasn't going to call him out on it, if he would make a move, she would be prepared to counter. He did not, after all, know all her secrets, for instance, her newfound ability to transform herself had not yet been shown to anyone.
"The sea's are gentle and kind, as expected, simply wonderful" she remarks, before obviously sucking in a deep breath of sea air. "Isn't there nothing better in this world than being on the waves?" she asks, almost rhetorically, pretending to be oblivious to the half orcs discomfit.
Amara pauses for a moment, before turning things (more accurately) to business. "How far the colonists, well enough?" she asks casually.
Brekarv shrugs and says casually, "Alive, presumably? How should I know? I haven't been down below." He does not sound overly concerned about the matter really.
The half-orc makes a face at her remark about the waves, and grips the rail a bit tighter. "At least you have not sunk us yet, Captain. I admire your skill. I am told it is uncommonly difficult to thread the Azlant ruins." He sounds honest in his compliment.
Amara frowns critically as she feels a slight wind change, turning the wheel slightly to adjust. "Its certainly tricky with some of the aquatic dangers you can face out here in the more isolated zones, but you would be hard pressed to find a stretch of ocean that I haven't sailed on. Experience is the key." she mummers by way of an explanation, as she concentrates a little more on the task at hand.
Even the slight turn makes Brekarv give up all pretense and head toward the railing, openly leaning on it now. He doesn't get sick over the side, but the half-orc seems to be considering it.
Then coming up from below Amara spots a thin, lanky figure emerge. His reddish brown feathers, ivory beak and yellow clawed feet are as known to her as her own hands. Zuck Zemel, her tengu first mate, a freind in all weather.
With experienced ease the tengu runs up the slightly swaying deck, his head turning this way and that, getting a sense of weather and place, like all good sailors.
He comes up on the other side of the Captian, avoiding the still swaying Brekarv. "Good morning, Captian. Just consulted the charts again, We'll have a few rocky shoals and reefs ahead, then we'll be back in deep water again." his voice is high-pitched, sing-song, quite pleasant to hear actually.
"Have you made your mind up on Gogpodda, yet?" He asks, looking at the waves and whistles shrilly at a seagull, obviously enjoying the seabird's confusion.
Flashing a quick smile at her friends apperance, Amara turns her attention to the latest problem at hand. Gogpodda was a fairly stable city, although perhaps stable wasn't the right term to use to describe a floating island made up of debris.
Weighing up the options, Amara finally decides on a decision. "We should make a stop at Godpodda I think. Fresh water is running low, and I don't want to make an ill advised rush for Arcadia if trouble strikes. Best to take it at a steady pace, and besides, its possible the locals might have picked up something of note. All in all, I don't see many drawbacks in making a brief visit."
Zuck nods, "Sounds good to me, Captain. While it is not solid ground, it might be a chance for our passengers to stretch their legs."
Even as he talks, a dark shape approaches the ship, rising off the bright sea. Amara squints at it, but it soon resolves into the unsettling shape of Brekarv's ediolon. It is flying fast, a fat fish grasping in it's razor sharp claws. It arcs high over the Dancing Lucre once,then dives for Brekarv. With a wet slap the fish hits the deck, as the bird-like creature hovers over it.
"That thing gives me the creeps." Zuck whispers.
Brekarv and the bird share a look, and then the edilon lands on deck and begins tearing the fish apart. It seems to do so in a deliberate messy fashion, getting blood and guts all over the usually neat and tidy deck.
Zuck looks a little pained and a passing sailor grunts, knowing he'll have to scrub it later.
Amara forces herself to remain non judgemental. At least as far as she knew, eidolons usually had a personal connection to their masters, which meant the creature, while scary, could represent something personal to the half Orc. That said, she couldn't shake the feeling that the whole thing with the fish was some kind of message to her.
"Has it been scouting ahead?" she asks politely, pretending the eidolon doesn't unsettle her..
Brekarv raises a hand toward Amara, silencing her. He seems distracted by his ediolon and he kneels closer, cocking his head as if listening. As far as the skald can tell, it just keeps ripping into he fish, more destruction then eating.
Then the half-orc stands up, using the ship's rail. "There is a small rocky island ahead. There is a fresh shipwreck on it. We did not see any bodies but the sea was rough near it."
Zuck peers ahead but there is nothing visible yet, 'Who else would be this far off the shipping lanes?"
Almost no-one and that's the concerning thing...it could be a sahiagin ambush, I know that they favour tactics where they fake a shipwreck and lie in wait...we should check it out before sailing further" Amara muses out loud, factoring in multiple possibilities and not leaping into an obvious conclusion. If someone was actually hurt she was there to help, but she wasn't born yesterday either.
Brekarv shrugs, "You know the seas far better then I. We could just avoid the entire area, I would guess?"
Zuck whistles lowly, "Might be worth poking about, Captain. Salvage could be valuable and there is a chance there might be folks to save." Amara knows Zuck has a bit of a greedy side and never passes a chance to investigate such things.
"I don't really worry about salvage - it's more the possibility about leaving some poor sod behind. We check the shipwreck out, but we do so carefully and we expect a trap - that's my decision on the matter" Amara finishes firmly, signalling for those around her to search for suitable weaponry
Zuck nods and begins ordering the crew to arm themselves. Cutlasses, boarding pikes, and a few axes are handed out to the excited crew. All would get a cut of any salvage found on a shipwreck, even if they did find survivors.
Brekarv however, remains motionless, standing next to his ediolon, who is finishing ripping apart the fish.
'And the colonists? " the half-orc asks, face unreadable.
"The colonists need to be protected, ideally at all costs." Anara states flatly, the tone ironlike so as to prevent any misunderstandings. "Not all of us will leave the ship, enough will keep the colonists safe and protected while the rest will check out this sledged shipwreck, do you have a preference for what team you want to be a part of?" she asks him curiously.
The half-orc's voice is smooth and calm, "Whichever the Captain of this vessel, and misson feels is best. I serve at your command, Captain Amara."
The ship moves into a more ready position, as sailors climb the rigging, looking out. Fires are put out, barrels safely stowed, the deck cleared. Amara is proud, this crew is coming along nicely. It helped that the Raven Company hired experienced sailors but still, it was good to see them in action.
'Will you be heading to the other vessel?" Brekarv asks, in the same smooth voice.
Amara feels a strong surge of pride at the skill of her crew, evident as the drills they had practiced earlier transitioned seamlessly in the tension of a possibly difficult situation.
"I was planning on it, unless counselled otherwise" she replies honestly to Brekarv's question. "Actually though, I was hoping your supernatural ally would would help out as well. Its ability to fly makes it an unparalleled scout, it could do another pass, and be in position to strike should we need assistance."
Brekarv nods, "We will do our best but our knowledge of ships is little." He looks to the bony ediolon, who raises a bloody beak from the remains of the fish. After a glance, there is a flap of wings and the creature is off, flying low over the heaving waves. The half-orc's eyes are closed now, mind focused, both hands clutching the rail.
Meanwhile the Dancing Lucre heads west, making good time despite the slightly rough seas. Soon a sailor in the crowsnest shouts down, "Land ho!"
In a few minutes all can see the tiny swell of gray rock appear on the edge of sight, slowly coming closer.
Zuck, hearing Amara's command, orders soundings taken. After half an hour it becomes clear there are a number of rocky reefs all over, blocking easy approach to the low, stony island now dead ahead, clearly in view.
Amara squints a little, but finds it difficult to spot the alleged shipwreck, and in her opinion that doesn't bode well. "Alright, I want boats in the water, two of them. I'll command one of them, and I'll go with a few volunteers to check out this island. Any heavy resistance, that's when boat #2 launches to lend assistance. The rest of you, on the boat looking sharp in case someone wants to make a play. Brekarv, you are with me, yer a skilled fighter and we might need it."
Brekarv nods, and open his eyes, "As you wish, Captain."
Soon Amara has her two boats ready, one with her best sailors (and Brekarv looking quite seasick), the other still tied to the boat.
'One good thing." Zuck remarks, "No other ships about, nowhere to hide." And the tengu is right, the small rocky island it not big enough to hide another vessel.
Brekarv stirs, "We see it. The ship is broken on the rocks, although mostly in one piece. There is a strange bit of equipment on the deck...a ballista, perhaps. Some sort of siege weapon. There are a few people on the deck, some seem alive."
As Amara's ship heads closer she can see it, a lump of brown smashed against the low gray stone. The sea rocks the small whaleboat, sending spray into everyone's face. The water is quite cold.
As they near Amara can make out the wreak more clearly. It was a slightly larger vessel then their own, but older and not nearly as well cared for. The sails still up are ragged and the hull stained and barnacle covered. It is defentialy truly smashed though, thrown up on a series of jagged rocks, punching several holes through the hull. It'll never float again.
"Try to communicate to your friend to stop anyone if they have the bright idea of using that siege equipment of us" Amara grunts at her bodyguard, sailing into the islands waters, on high alert as she glances around.
Brekarv frowns and says, "Unlikely, it appears to be damaged."
Zuck has his hands full guiding the full boat towards the stranded ship. They dodge a few rocky reefs by only a few feet and all get drenched by an overly large wave.
'Sorry.." the tengu mutters, heaving at the almost useless tiller.
Brekarv's green face turns pale and he closes his eyes for quite a different reason.
Then Amara spot it, even as the stranded ship starts to loom directly ahead. She is able to see splintered wood, bits of wreckage in the waves and a few people clambering around helplessly. But she has no eyes for that. Instead she spots the flag atop the now drunken mast.
It is the Black Flag, of the Shackles pirates.
"It's fine Zuck" Amara mentions sympathetically as she gazes at the wreckage, before her face tightens in concern. Pirates were dangerous individuals that she had handled before, but some 'Pirates' were unfortunate souls press ganged into assistance - or even captives, and she wasn't sure what category these individuals fit under. "Be on guard, that be a pirate ship" she warns her crew, before signalling to continue approach.
Everyone tenses a bit more (although Brekarv keeps his eyes tightly closed, grasping the gunwales) at the news. Carefully they come up to the stern of the smashed ship, the wooden hull rising above them like a wet, barnacle covered cliff.
Off to the side a gravelly 'beach' allows access, which will lead to the deck. A few people are gathered there, perhaps a dozen, some looking wounded. One, a stout woman, waves to them, gesturing them to come closer.
Above, Amara can see the Brekarv's ediolon circling.
Amara keeps her eyes fixed upon whoever the people on the beach look to be taking orders from. If no-one seems to be giving them, she figures out who might be in charge by who the people look to for guidance at the unexpected situation. Keeping her Greatsword strapped to her back, Amara deliberately doesn't "beach" her small boat, wading ashore when the water appeared to be thigh height.She much preferred this tactic favoring a fast exit if things turned bad.
"Stay in the boat for now", she mutters to those that took the trip with her. She didn't want to unduly threaten the shipwrecked souls by having a large armed force arrive, and if there was an ambush then the majority of them would retreat unscathed. Powering through the water, Amara heads towards the stout woman that had first waved, keeping her face cautious. "So what brings the famed Shackles Pirates into these waters, and how did you manage to run into such misfortune?" she asks, when close enough.
Everyone int he boat nods as Amara gives her order, although Zuck obviously wishes to follow. The tengu has never enjoyed watched his Captain go and risk her neck alone.
Just as she jumps out into the churning, cold water however, Brekarv suddenly opens his dark eyes.
"Danger!"
A shriek splits the sky, the sound like a hunting hawk amplified by a hundred. Amara glances up and sees Brekarv's Ediolon diving for the waves, twisting and spinning in fright.
Then she sees a larger shape drop out of the clouds, a winged scaly shape. It only takes her a moment to identify it. A sea-drake. Not quite sea serpent or dragon, these vicious beasts are covered with shiny blue-green scales. Its arms serve as both wings and flippers. Not nearly as dangerous or intelligent as an actual dragon, they are still a threat to smaller ships.
Everyone on shore reacts in terror and tries to hide among the small rocks.
Usually, people get feared at such sights, Amara mused as she watched the drake drop out of the clouds. Indeed, there had been a time where as a young girl she would have been terrified of the usual things children worry about. Not anymore though, Amara learned to get angry instead, to go after whatever would have made her fearful. So while everyone dashed around, Amara triggered her Rage Song, growing claws and surrounding herself in a red aura. "Anyone with a ranged weapon, use it and make it to the beach, bring it down and lure it in" she orders.
Amara barks out her orders, even as her body twists and begins to change shape. The very air about her is full of power. She sees Brekarv's dark eyes widen under his hood. The summoner remains in the boat, unlike the sailors who instantly head for the beach.
In a moment Zuck is at her side, a crossbow in hand. "Get under the cover of the ship, the rest of ye."
Still howling the sea-drake wheels overhead then starts to drop. Once it gets within 75 feet it opens the massive jaws and releases a bolt of sizzling electricity. It hurtles downward, attacking Brekarv first.
The half-orc is unable to dodge and is blasted by the full force of the attack.
The bolt arcs off the half-orc and smashes at Amara.
"Keep firing" Anara orders, casting mirror image on herself as she hopes the beast will close to melee range.
Zuck fires off an bolt at the creature.
The blow hits and sinks in, but the dragon is large and powerful. Amara is revealed to see no sign of magical resistance to damage though.
Brekarv doesn't move, but lies in the boat. His ediolon comes out of nowhere however, streaking up at the drake. It is moving so fast the beast never has a chance to even turn the huge jaws on it.
The sharp claws from the crow-like bird savage the scaly hide, slicing deep, although the cruel beak misses.
The drake roars again and comes in for a lower dive. As it does so the tail whips around toward the slower ediolon.
The ediolon dodges it, graceful in flight, just dodging the spiny tail. However, it comes within reach of the jaws...
Again however, the smaller flyer nimbly dodges the gnashing teeth, Brekarv smiling broadly now. It is the first time she has seen this on the half-orcs brutish face.
"Outstanding Brekarv" Amara remarks in half admiration. The eidolon might be creepy looking, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to give out praise when it was clearly deserved - it was no mean feat to tangle with a drake in the air. Watching the drake soar closer, Amara rehearsed the moves mentally, preparing the strike with her blade.
Amara sees the half-orc force his face back into a expression less mask, hiding his face under the dark hood. He is the only one remaining in a boat at this point.
With a howl that shakes Amara's bones, the drake dives on her. Wings outstretched, tail thrashing. Just as it comes within range Amara lashes out with her greatsword, aiming for the softer scales under the throat.
The blow lands, and Amara's blade cuts through the beast's hide. Blue-ish blood splatters her as the drake rears up, screaming loudly. It looks hurt now, but still a potent foe, perhaps more so for the anger it now has.
With a blinding rush that blows salt and spray into the air, the dragon touches down, claws digging into the gritty beach. Water splashes as it beats its huge wings, billowing like sails.
Screeching, it strikes at Amara with fang and tail.
The tail slashes Amara's arm, leaving a bloody gash, while the teeth slices her torso, barely wriggling out of the tight grip. It roars triumphantly, wings flapping.
Into this Zuck sends another crossbow bolt, the tengu himself hiding behind a rock.
It goes wild, the sailor too concerned at Amara's bloody wounds, trickling her life into the gravel.
Appearing suddenly about the drake's head, the ediolon is back, cawing harshly.
It dives gracefully, slashing at the eyes, nose and ears of the scaly dragon, and Amara sees great wounds appear there and more blue blood spatters the stones. The dragon's cries seem shriller now, the wings beating somewhat slower.
Around her the other sailors have taken cover, including the pirates.
Amara grinned as two images smashed while she remained unharmed and her wounds continued to heal. The significance of the Pirates not helping was not lost on her, and she allowed her irritation of that fact to influence her next blow, aiming for the gashes already opened by beak, claw and blade.
Amara strikes at the weaving, dodging head of the dragon but narrowly misses. It is faster then it looks, despite its bulk.
Again it lashes out, teeth bared but the snap merely destroys another one of Amara's mirror images, the figment flickering away instantly. It seems to enrage the dragon even more and the spiny tail sweeps out, kicking up a cloud of rocks and sand, churning the water.
The blow misses and the dragon, still incensed, attempts to take off, throwing itself into the air above.
As the dragon moves away Zuck fires another bolt.
The blowing wind blows it off course and it rattles harmlessly into the stones.
Above the ediolon is spinning, trying to stoop on the dragon. Brekarv stands up in the boat, face drawn and intent.
Again the strange looking bird attacks the drake and the gashes increase in size. It is clear to Amara the dragon is weaving now, blood blocking its vision, feet unsteady on the rocks below. The wings pump trying to let it escape...
Hmm I thought I had 5 images, did I miscount the CL level thing again?
As the drake withdraws, Natalie slashes at it, hoping to deal it a glancing blow as it retreats backwards, not wanting it to get clean away.
Amara's retreating blow hits the bloody head, renting a huge gash along the jaw. The ripped flesh exposes a row of massive teeth, bigger then Amara's hands.
The drake launches itself into the air, with a roar. Blood showers everyone like rain as it laboriously pumps itself into the air. As it rises it let's loose another torrent of electrical bolts, sizzling directly at Amara.
The skald is unable to avoid the searing shafts of blue energy and is hit directly. The very air around her hums with power and heat, burning her skin and clothes.
Then, with one last shriek, the dragon plunges into the heaving waves and vanishes out of sight.
Amara winces at the second electrical blast but the drake chooses to pick its battles elseware. Amara doesn't expect to face it again, not when she believes it will take it some time to heal, and at any rate, it might prefer going after easier prey.
Amara allows her rage to flow out of her, concentrating on her deep breaths, not concerned with the wounds she has suffered at the moment, as the majority had healed right up until the electrical blast. Instead, she turned her attention to the pirates on shore.
"Tell me who you all are, and what happened, quickly if you please>" she responds firmly, just a little irritated at being dragged into a situation she doesn't want to morally ignore.
Even as Amara starts to question the pirates, her other boat of sailors arrives, jumping into the shallow surf. They are cheering and celebrating Amara's impressive skill at fighting a sea-drake single-handedly.
The stout dark female pirate steps forward, moving from behind the smashed ship's tiller. 'We are the crew of the Lost Dog a Shackles ship. We have been sailing in these seas for some time. We heard there was a dragon lair here...we came to kill it and take the treasure that was rumored.. She waves ate the shattered ship and the broken ballista.
'We thought that would be enough to kill it...."
Amara keeps her face open and free of judgement, but she is a little hesitant to trust the females words on face value. She's also a little conscious of how awkward the situation was for her. She probably had no real obligation to invite the pirates on the ship, but she wanted to learn more before simply sailing away and (probably) consigning the lot of them to a difficult fate.
"Why these waters, what is so profitable that would allow a pirate ship to function so well for many years, is there a frequent port nearby?" she inquires.
Amara has a feeling this is true but there is more to it then that.
The female pirate looks down at the rocky beach, trying to avoid Amara's eyes. 'We..we were not alone. There was a group of us, a small fleet, preying on ships and the small holdfasts in the Azlant ruins."
She pauses then says, 'Please, will you take us with us? The ship is beyond repair, we will starve here, or get eaten by the drake."
Glancing down at the stout pirate, Amara injects a little venom into her voice. Its slightly more than playing devils advocate, trying to push the pirate into seeing what the situation really was.
"Ah, so you were part of a fleet that would have preyed upon ships like mine? Tell me, why would I look to take you with you, I could let the rest of your fleet pick you up and you could be well on your way, assuming they did not arrive too late."
The pirate keeps looking down, not wanting to answer.
One of the other pirates, a burly red-haired man jumps from behind a rock and says, "They'll kill us, if they find us. We.."
"No!" the female pirate says, and dives at the man with a knife in her hand.
Soon the two are wrestling on the beach, the knife flashing.
"OI" Amara yells out as the scuffle beaks out and she steps forward, slamming the greatsword into the sand right next to the two pirates as a warning. "Drop the knife, back away from it, and give me a compelling reason why I shouldn't just tie you up and leave you here for the dragon to come back for."
The bloody knife plunges into the man's neck before he can utter another word. The woman looks up with red, dripping hands as the man quivers beneath her. Seeing Amara's face the pirate shakes her head and then sticks the knife in her own heart without any hesitation.
About ten or so pirates look in horror at the double killing, still hiding behind rocks or bits of smashed ship.
Zuck comes out looking at the two bodies, bobbing in the surf. "What the Hells was that about?"
Brekarv is still in the boat, his ediolon having landed next to him, and they seem to be in a deep communal bond, his thick, clawed hand on a fleshy wing.
Amara's other sailors crowd up and one says, "Shall we loot her, Captain?"