"I think he knows more than you think." Ella says bluntly "If it is anything like us, you were watched before you were caught." Ella remembers the first night here, all the things exactly tailored for her, that know one should know.
"But... I agree. Share what we need to know and I promise I will not share it with anyone else."
Than looking at the others. "For my part, my mother's 'gifts' have been growing. Granting me resistance to magic, but I don't know if it will stop and who I will be if it doesn't." she shrugs, not showing much in the way of emotion. "Take that as you will."
Coloua thinks back to when she and the Cardinal were watching her clone die at the prison "Oh I have no doubt that he can hear us. I just wish to keep it from any other eyes."
"The only result of my private training was increased stealth. That should serve us well in the coming days. "She then smiles ruthlessly "But that's not the only skill I have"
"The Cardinal is inordinately well informed given that his manner is in the middle of this blighted swamp. To underestimate our master is... unwise." Godfrey nods his agreement with the others opinions of the High Priest of Hell. "Whatever his plans, it would be well to have a card in our collective sleeve if at all possible. I will agree to your request so long as the same consideration is given to me. Granted, my powers are generally somewhat more... overt."
Running a hand over the blade dangling by his side, he smiles appreciatively, "You have seen me fight. In the dungeons for most of you, and then of course in our little proving matches under the Cardinal's watchful eyes. But, of course, the greatest weapon is not belted at my waist," he taps his temple with his free hand, "But up here. I've continued to master esoteric magics and I anticipate continuing to do so. Particularly with the help of our newfound friend." Godfrey's smile as he watches the witch has a hungry edge as he recalls the results of her spells he'd had the pleasure of observing over the past month.
"Mine was a game of Liar's truth." Ileosa commented simply. "Though played with a devil, it gave me new perspective.... and a higher tolerance for pain." She added with a small chuckle.
"Mainly my style depends upon the gift The First grands me, and a well placed shot. Either way I don't enjoy... the more personal closeness that melee combat entails." Ileosa explained as they where going over abilities. "Really at the moment I've no reason not to keep your secret." She told Coloua. "You're a benefit to me as an ally, and if things remain that way nothing will change."
At the Feast
The Cardinal nods to the others once they've sit and they've asked their questions. He chuckles a bit "I had imagined if such questions about the contract were to have been brought up, they'd have been done so at signing...but, there is no reason not to answer. To sate your curiosity and of course dampen any worries you may have...The Third Loyalty is meant to reflect only between those of your own Knot. Silas and Senara have been stricken from your contract to make sure that you don't accidentally break the clause as you say. But as for worrying about the other Knots, know that they are bound by the same charges as yourself." he said nodding.
He thought for a moment and felt the need to explain further. "Serving me, also means not getting in the way of the other knots. Should there be any chance you would encounter them in the field, then an agent assigned to them or yourselves will inform you and it should be easy enough for you to identify each other." he said trying to explain fully.
When they broached the topic of the Seventh Knot, the Cardinal shook his head a bit "It is not polite to gossip about others. But, I can give you a little information. Silas has joined there ranks as the missions I have planned for their group, he fits quite well within their ranks. Suffice to say, they have proven themselves capable and are ready to head out as well. They will be leaving shortly before yourselves tomorrow." he offered letting them draw their own conclusions from the information provided.
The rest of the feast goes uneventfully. The Cardinal commences with a bit of small talk but otherwise the room slowly turns to silence. Once everyone is finished, the servants come in and take away the food and dishes. The Cardinal excuses himself and the group is left to their own devices. The servants respond to any needs the Villains have for the evening before finally a nice lengthy rest is allowed.
The new day rises and and eventually the sun starts to set as the servants come in the morning and begin to pack anything up that the group may want packed. Closer to sunset,everyone is eventually beckoned forth to the study once more.
Elise Zardaria steps out of the study as the servants ask for the group to wait for a moment. She only gives a curt nod before she whisks herself away, embolden with purpose.
The servants inside open the doors and the Cardinal welcomes them inside. "Just in time...My ship has arrived." he says and out the window you can make out a ship docked at the river dock behind the manor. A square-sailed longship sits upon the water heavily, laden with substantial cargo.
"Welcome, my children." he says in a deep resonant voice that has an almost inhuman quality to it. "Training is at an end. You have proven yourself worthy. Now, it is time for you to use that training and take on your first mission."
"Your mission is war!You will bring war to Talingarde." he says hold up a fist.
"You will have two objectives. First, you will see a shipment of munitions delivered to a bugbear chieftain named Sakkarot Fire-Axe. He makes his camp on the northern coast of Lake Tarike beyond the Watch Wall. With this shipment, the Fire-Axe will have resources enough to unite the barbarous humanoid tribes of the north and light the fire of war." he says smiling.
"Sitting on the dock as we speak is the longship Frost-hamar, captained by Kargeld Odenkirk. Tomorrow when the ship is resupplied it will be your transport. The captain is a ruthless mercenary and not to be trusted. He knows nothing of the specifics of our mission and you should keep it that way. He knows he is smuggling cargo to the north beyond the Watch Wall. That is all he need know." he says looking quite serious.
"Once the cargo is safely delivered, he will take you just south across the lake under cover of darkness and land you near the town of Aldencross. There our contract with Captain Odenkirk will be concluded...permanently." he said, his tone and demeanor relaying all too well what he spells out shortly after.
"It is a shame how greedy he has proven. I had hoped to let the captain serve me again but it seems he is too much of a liability. Kill him. Kill his crew. Burn his ship and leave no survivors. It is crucial that no one suspects our involvement and that loose ends are taken care of. Be sure to reclaim the coin I gave him. Best not to be wasteful." he said chuckling a bit.
"That done, you will begin you second task. We will do more still to aid our ally the Fire-axe. The bugbears are mighty warriors but poor siege engineers. You will infiltrate the tower Balentyne., keystone of the Watch Wall, kill its commander and open the gate for Sakkarot's horde."
"Once the shaggy monstrosities pierce the Watch Wall, the bugbears will pillage and lay waste to the townships of the north and the local garrisons will have no choice but to meet the Fire-Axe in the open field." he says smiling. His eyes twinkle a bit in mirth as he continues "Sakkarot is the most brilliant, gifted and murderous bugbear of his generation. I expect these battles will go poorly for the knights and yeoman of fair Talingarde."
"Do all of this and then when your task is done, break this clay seal." He says before a servant hands them a delicately carved clay seal adorned with a tangled knot of thorns surrounding the holy symbol of Asmodeus. "I will have more instructions then. Succeed and I will see you rewarded handsomely. Fail or betray me and you pray for the comfort of Hell before I am done with You." he said with some emphasis.
"The mission you start upon today is a holy mission. The people of Talingarde think they have seen the last of the mighty Asmodeus. Soon enough, will will remind them that there is no escaping the grasp of Hell. Let us toast our success!" he says at last.
He gets up and pours each of the group a glass of deep red wine before finally pouring one for himself. He raises the glass and offers a toast. "To war!"
Godfrey glances out the window to the ship, curiosity piqued. As he listens to the Cardinal's task for him unfold a smile of satisfaction grows. War in Talingarde will lay the groundwork for the new order, with me near its head. The devastation of his homeland and the eventual problems of evicting or subjugating the ravaging hordes of bugbears are far from his mind as he turns to the practical problems that must be dealt with. He asks, "We will, of course, succeed in our assigned task, Cardinal Thorne. I would, however, be gratified if you would share any further information you can share with us regarding the defenses and garrison at Balentyne. Cunning and subterfuge will obviously be necessary, but any information you may provide now would be beneficial."
Godfrey raises his own glass in answer to the Cardinal's toast, "To the downfall of Mitra!"
Ella smiles grimly. Violence she understands, even welcomes. She has no specific love for killing, but knows it is an easy means to a goal. And a potential start of a massive change.
The first seems straightforward, the second easy enough with their circlets and the honeyed tongue of their inquisitor. If something goes wrong and they fail... well they die.
The Amazonian woman pulls herself from her chair, and raises her glass to the toast. No yells or speeches, but by this point no one expects much different.
Coloua sits quietly with an eager grin. After what felt like too long training instead of taking action, she is excited to finally be tasked with doing something.
Although she is nervous about the ship voyage, unsure of how the crew will respond to her and how she will deal with it, the chance to infiltrate one of the enemy's stronholds and bring the glory of death to the non-believers gives her chills.
"I welcome the chance to bring darkness to our enemies. The only worry I have is about the crew of the Frost-hamar. I have no worry about upsetting them considering their end is near, but how tolerant might they be? I do not wish to have to remain in disguise for the entirety of the trip but I am unsure how they might react to my appearance and habits." She puts on a wide-eyed face that somehow looks more menacing than sweet. "Of course once the trip is over and we are at Balentyne I will be the perfect little Mitran child."
When the Cardinal makes his toast, she raises her glass as well. "To the end of the Light!"
Ileosa listened to the details of the task at hand and smiles at the statement Godfrey brought up. It would have been something she herself said but the magus had beat her to that. No matter. So long as she statement was made to speak more on she was happy.
When toasting to the mission Ileosa picked up her glass along with her allies and stated boldly "To the rule of the First."
The Cardinal's pleasant mood soured a bit at the mention of further intel into the Balentyne. His face made an expression as if the date that he'd just placed into his mouth had turned rotten. He took his cup of wine and slowly drank from it to give himself time to compose his thoughts.
"I'm afraid that all my preparations, saving you all from your fates, and training you has lent me little time to probe the defenses of Balentyne. I did not wish to accidentally draw undue attention to the place or our organization before our plans were in full swing. To do so would have added....extra difficulties to your mission." he said offering a variety of reasons why he had nothing to offer.
"Still, I trust that you all are capable enough that you will be able to handle the situations without my intervention...." he said in a manner that almost challenged them to complain about the situation.
He cleared his throat and looked towards Coloua "I'm afraid that you'll only find them as tolerant as being paid will push them. You can feel free to be as you wish while aboard the ship, though deception is never a terrible weapon in case you feel it might come to be advantageous to surprise them with your true form. So, they will not attack you unless you give them a reason and that is honestly as far as their loyalty towards you will lie beyond the mission they are paid for." he said explaining hopefully clearly enough.
Coloua grinned evilly and expectantly. "Thank you, sir. I know exactly what I shall do." Then she turns to the group "I need only know which of you desires a mentally incompetent maidservant and assistant for this voyage."
"Either way they die when it is over so it doesn't matter if they know what we are or not." the changeling shrugged one of her large shoulders. "But in case one slips away and we have to hunt him down. It may be wise to not be our selves from this point on."
A claw softly slides across the iron of her circlet, making her mismatched violet and cherry fade to a dark brown, her white swath in her jet black hair fade, and a set of taloned gauntlets replace her claws. Her pale skin takes on a slight green tinge and her lower canines grow.
Ella the hagborn is a replaced with Ella the half-orc. Given her sheer size and strength, disguising herself as a noblewoman or maid would be insanity, and even hiding her hag given gifts did nothing to hide the general sense of wrongness the normal people of this world felt around her. She had been experimenting on the servents with this.
So half-orc. No better liked, but less likely remembered. She hopes.
Ella shakes her head at the offer, even though she was certain it was not offered up to her. Coloua is quite clever, Ella has seen, and would not consider Ella being the lord or the lady of their fake travelling group.
"Both Godfrey and myself are of noble birth so we can act easier if that is the story you wish to sell." Ileosa said with a small smirk. "I am also skilled at more subtle arts of disguise if you want some extra help on top of magic." She explained.
"Is there anything we know about the captain? His fighting style, favored weapons? Does he know any form of magic or hold to any faith?" Ileosa asked.
"I understand completely, Your Eminence. With your training, I'm sure that anything we have a need to learn, we will manage to learn."
Godfrey doesn't try very hard to cover his distaste as he replies to his wayang companion, "While I... appreciate... the offer, I suspect I can manage without, Coloua. Noble though I may be, I've never felt the need for a personal valet. Ileosa seems to have accepted your offer, however, so that should be adequate cover."
Seeing that there was no further questions about Balentyne, he turned to the next subject broached. The captain himself "He has been beneath my radar as a threat. While greedy, he had proven himself slowly over time to be able to handle bigger tasks for me. As a smuggler, his job wasn't to fight but to deliver my goods without gathering any attention. I imagine, you will have plenty of time to interrogate the crew as you work alongside them till you reach your destination." he said simply.
He looked around the room and looked to the boat outside "I'm afraid you have a boat to catch. The servants have gathered your things and are already headed down to the docks. I suggest you do the same, lest you cause the Captain to already be looking at you unfavorably before the journey starts." he said in a non suggestive tone.
The Frost-hamar is a single masted knarr with a square sail. It is similar to a Viking longship but wider and with a deeper hull better suited to carrying cargo. She sits heavy in the water, carrying an impressive load of arms and armor.
The captain, Kargeld Odenkirk is a grizzled north-man with a wiry beard and pale blonde hair and countless scars. The crew of the ship is little more than a half dozen grim sailors who seem to speak little of the common tongue.
Upon starting to walk up the boarding ramp, they are met by Captain Odenkirk who stares at the time grimly. He snarls slightly "You will guard our boat all the north, yes?" he says angrily. It's likely the man isn't the most pleasant of sort and is more used to carrying cargo that doesn't speak back than anything else.
Coloua, having used her circlet before they arrived at the boat, looks completely unlike herself. She has the appearance of a halfling girl in traveling clothes, plain but not unattractive, with a wicked looking dagger on her hip. She stays beside and slightly behind Ileosa silently, as if waiting for instructions.
She quietly looks around what they can see of the crew, looking to see if there are any galley workers or other crew that she might be able to befriend and gather information from during the trip.
Ella has used her circlet, but in a minimalistic way, to appear exactly the same as she did before but as a half orc instead of a changeling.
At the man's snarl, she says back, quiet and low "Be assured, we will kill any and all who get it our way." leaving whether he is included in her 'our' unanswered. She will hold his gaze as long as he does, or until wiser and more charming members of their crew intervene.
Godfrey boards the boat with his companions having removed his circlet and kept it stowed with his other possessions for the time being.
"Unlikely that we will need to, of course. I'm sure you and your crew are reasonable men looking to earn your coin and then be about your business just as we are. Am I correct, Captain... ?" Godfrey trails off expectantly as he extends a hand to the man. With his other hand still on his sword and a tight smile on his face, Godfrey leaves little doubt that he was only too happy to back Ella's menace if there were trouble.
Ileosa simply used her circlet to have her appear as more of a merchant than the noble garb she often wore.
"I am sure that my friend has the right of it no?" Ileosa asked with a small sweet smile. "I am sure we can put our lives safely in your hands?"
There is not much to see when looking over the workers of the ship. At present only the sailors seem to be above deck and all of them look to be haggard, nasty veteran's of the sea.
The Captain's eyes lock on Ellas as he stares at her, hearing her semi veiled threat. His lip twitched and a rather ugly smile appears on his scarred face "At least it seems, one of you lot has fire in their blood." he says before addressing the two whom seem to be in charge of the others.
"My job is to ferry and smuggle you lot to your destination, that doesn't mean I don't expect you to take up sword in a fight. My men control the boat, they can't do that while fighting. Protect them and this boat when and if the time comes if you want to see it make it to it's destination." he says to Godfrey and Ileosa.
His attention turns to Triss, whom he only spits at before going back to his duties as Captain allowing the group to board. There isn't even a second to brace themselves as the board is raised the second the last set of feet are on board and the crew immediately spring into action getting the ship moving. For the time being they completely ignore the Villains as they devote themselves fully to their work.
For all Kargeld’s grimness, the Frosthamar is a fine ship, seaworthy and strong hulled. Its clinker-built hull is resilient but flexible and well suited to surviving the rough icy seas of the northern ocean. It is smartly rigged and lovingly maintained.
It doesn't take much searching to find that this ship isn't accustomed to having "guests". There is no cabins for the party to rest in, instead having to find themselves a net to rest in with the rest of the crew. It quickly becomes apparently that all luxury is lost for the duration of the voyage as the sailors relieve themselves over the railing and the first day's meal turns out to be hardtack and small beer.
It takes half a a day to sail down the Varnyn River and out into the open ocean. The Frosthamar hugs the coast and from the chip you can see countless farming communities and fishing villages go by. More than a few fishermen wave at the Frosthamar. Kargeld is always sure to wave back, muttering under his breath "Wouldn't want em to get suspicious, eh?" he says with a glower to no one in particular.
Upon inspection though of each person's belongings, the servants it seemed at least prepared the group a few days worth of dried fruits and meats and a bit of mulled wine to wash it down. On the second dawn, the ship anchors by the shore and the captain and a few sailors head out into the woods returning with two fine and fat bucks.
Triss speaks up if none of the others do when the crew arrives back with the Bucks offering to help cook and cure them if someone would butcher them for her.
The Frosthamar is not swift so heavily-laden and averages about forty eight miles a day. It takes a week for the ship to pass along the settled coast of Talingarde passing the great city of Daveryn, the largest center of civilization along the western coast.
Ella will aid Triss, though she is not an expert. If nothing else it gives her something to do besides glare at people. The glare does has a purpose, gaging strengths and weaknesses, picking who needs to die first when they are ready to kill them.
Coloua spends the travel time playing the part of an unintelligent and harmless assistant and guard for Ileosa. She quietly helps out when she's asked, never speaking, never far from her "mistress". What free time she has she spends meandering throughout the ship, looking for any unusual crew members that might need to be noted for when they have to take care of them later. During the night, she spends some of her time sleeping in a makeshift nest that she has created amongst the crates, but also spends some time each night sneaking about the ship trying to collect any information she can about the ship, the crew, and any cargo other than the weapons that the group knows they are transporting.
"Be careful what you say Captain. Things are never what the seem." Ileosa said with a smile, seemingly more of a woman who didn't understand the words herself.
Keeping up her act thought the trip Ileosa spoke to the crew from time to time. She was extremely polite and kind... it was almost creepy for the allies who knew her... though did any of them truly know her?
However Ileosa doesn't offer to help with the bucks, she had no experience or anything such as that. This would be more of a liability than anything. Though she did keep an eye out in the area.
"Then we understand each other perfectly! You do your job and I do mine and we both get paid. Nothing simpler then that, eh?" Godfrey's smile doesn't fade as he ignore the Captain's slight. When the Captain goes back to his duties, he releases his hold on his sword and disappears to find where his equipment had been berth.
Over the next days, Godfrey finds himself heavily put upon by the conditions aboard the ship. Used to a life of luxury, the simple roughness of the crew does little other then earn his scorn. They may know how to sail, but they couldn't be said to be much better then animals. Knowing that his trials will be only temporary, Godfrey tries his best to keep his scorn under wraps.
Godfrey shrugs as Triss and Ella volunteer, "I'm afraid I'm a city man through and through. If you need a knife sharpened or such, I can help, but I'm no use to man or beast at butchering if you're trying to do as little damage as possible."
Coloua true to her nature manages to go unnoticed through the ship over the course of a few days, her keen eyes watching carefully and checking everything.
She listens carefully to the crew and the captain and finds no real cracks in their loyalty. The Captain, while not loyal to his crew, is loyal to his ship and thus his crew are taken care of so his ship is kept at it's best. The crew, while not very talkative themselves, grumble at times about the Captain and his perhaps too much fondness for the ship but don't seem to mind their work and seem to be paid well enough that their loyalty is secure while their Captain still lives to pay them.
She even managed to slip inside the captain's quarters one evening behind him and hid amongst the filthy rags till he slept. She noticed an old sea chest with a very well crafted Great axe and two throwing axes laying against it before finding very little more in there than clothing.
There is much grumbling and complaining from the captain when he takes stock of the cut and drying meat. He feels that large amounts of it went to waste in the butcher but still there is at least enough to get most of the voyage done.
But apart from that, the group manages to keep themselves from souring the crew or their captain any moreso than they are normally.
Once past the great city of Daveryn and out beyond the Watch wall, another day passes before their luck seems to finally run out as far as peace goes.
On the ninth day of the voyage is when you spot the first signs of trouble. A patrol boat seems to be pointed attempting to come up alongside your "luxury ship". You reckon with watching all the coming and goings of ships around you over the last few days that you have about fifteen minutes before the ship will come alongside.
Coloua quickly moves around the ship finding her companions and whispering to each of them "Be ready, there's a militant looking patrol boat, should catch up to us in about 15 minutes. Ready either your cover story or your weapons." She then slips in between some of the boxes to wait and see what the group decides.
Godfrey stirs restlessly as the hold creaks rhythmically with the lapping of the waves against the side a few mere feet from where his head lay. His 'rest' was interrupted by Coloua's presence and her whispered words which bring him nearly instantly to his feet. Gathering his weapon and with his armor already on, he picks his way to the deck and gazes back at the pursuer. "It would seem we won't be outrunning them. We must either bluff our way free, bribe our way free, or eliminate them completely. Perhaps we pose as a lord and lady relocating to the north? We've the disguises with aid of the Cardinal's gift." Godfrey grins wickedly as he considers the options before them, "I'd be inclined to try a non-violent means first, if only to draw them closer. I believe I have a spell which should come in handy if we can draw them close and it is necessary to eliminate them. Should it come to it, 'By the light and glory of Mitra' should serve well enough as a cue to silence them permanently."
Ella comes up on deck to look at the boat, at Coloua's warning. While she'd actually welcome a fight at this point, she accepts any avoidance of such, makes their mission easier. Avoiding the ones that can be avoided at least.
She nods at Godfrey's plan, and will act as his and Ileosa's bodyguard. Quite and imposing.
Ileosa hides the grin that comes across her lips at Coloua's advance warning. Lying their way out of this would be something she could do for them with ease.
Nodding to Godfrey she leaned in and whispered "What name do you want to use?" Ileosa asked. "After all we need to be convincing. Ella is our body guard, Coloua is my handmaiden, and we are lord and lady what?"
Hearing that they will be planning to deceive, not fight, Coloua comes back out from her hiding spot in the crates. She stands next to Ileosa and changes her appearance from traveling clothes to slightly more formal but still comfortable servant's attire and hides her dagger to appear less threatening.
A moments pause and Godfrey shrugs, then says, "Lord and Lady Fischer should suffice? If they're suspicious of our story, then we'll need to kill them anyway." Looking back at the patrol ship, Godfrey ponders a moment. "There must be something we're missing. A smuggler should be avoiding these kind of entanglements." With no other words, he seeks out the captain in whatever quarters he has on the ships. "Captain, we have visitors. Do you have an arrangement with these men or should we be trying to deal with them ourselves?"
"Honestly the best way to deal with things such of this is just to let them come and go." Ileosa said as she gave a small roll of her shoulders. "Smile, be nice." She added as she walked along with Godfrey. "And don't speak unless they speak to you."
Godfrey and Ileosa find the captain at his station at the wheel. He raises an annoyed brow at them when they approach but at the mention of visitors, his head practically snaps in an attempt to spot what is being brought up. He looks visibly pissed at the sight.
A harsh tsk comes from his mouth and he spits "She's seen us, sure as damnation. And there is no way the 'Frosthamar' will outrun her loaded like this. If they set foot on this ship and get even a glance at our cargo, they'll know us for exactly what we are - weapon smugglers." he said irritably.
"If you can't keep them on their ship, be prepared to kill every last man. A single survivor and we'll have put a large red flag on our asses." he said somberly.
At this point, the Captain slows the sails to let whatever is to come pass, hoping that by showing they are willing to be caught will be enough of an edge for the others.
'The Blade of St Martius', a single masted fully-rigged pinnace only thirty feet long quickly catches up and comes to stop alongside the 'Frosthamar'. The Captain quickly makes himself known, "I am Captain Sambryl and it's by his Majesty's command that I patrol these waters. In the name of the King, I demand to speak to whomever is in charge and know the goings of this ship." he says loudly.
Judging by the tone of his voice and his posture, he is already on guard and suspicious. The Captain is flanked by four armed sailors brandishing spears.
"Let me see what I can do." Ileosa told their captain before she made her way over to the side of the ship to speak with this Captain Sambryl.
"Good day Captain Sambryl, I am Lady Fischer. My husband and I have hired this boat to help relocate us to the north." Ileosa said as she offered a pleasant smile. "Is something the matter?" She asked innocently.
The man looks around for a bit as he weighs your words. He strokes his beard as he thinks "You'd hire a foreigner to traverse these waters over a local? Surely if you've enough for a boat to carry you along, you'd have enough to have good accomodations along the way..." he said musing.
He gives the boat another once over before he waves one of his men closer and he whispers a bit with him.
Ileosa gave a small laugh "I do not hold ones land of birth against them." Ileosa said. "People are people Captain Sambryl, and to judge them for a place they did not choose is rather cruel." She pointed out with a small shrug. "But, I digress. We have been treated very well if that if what you are worried about."
Smiling as cordially as he can at the captain, Godfrey picks up right as Ileosa stops, "Very well indeed. M'Lady has the right of that. And whatever may be said of them, their prices are very reasonable. It wouldn't do to travel all this way and then lack the funds to maintain our station. Besides, it would be unconscionable to leave behind the Fischer family heirlooms."
Coloua stays quietly by Ileosa's side, head down in deference to the "important people" all around, while listening carefully to everything that is said. She carefully removes a small ceremonial dagger from her pouch and hides it in her sleeve.
The Captain thinks for a short moment about letting them head on their way. The Villians can tell by the tone of his voice that he seems remiss in what he says "I assure you, that I hold nothing against foreigners. However, I am charged by his majesty to inspect any ships that are suspicious in nature. A slight delay in ones passage is a small price to pay for the safety of our citizens." he say gaining confidence as he speaks.
The Captain adjusts his sword belt as two planks slam down upon the railing. Shortly after he steps forwards with his four men following very quickly behind.
Godfrey suppresses a sigh of vexation as he offers the captain a false smile, "We would be remiss if we let our desire for haste endanger our fellow citizens. Please come aboard, Captain."
"My husband is correct." Ileosa sighed and waved of her hand to welcome those from the other ship. "Come, I'll show you around personally as an apology." She said as she made her way to the area where they would cross.
When she met with the Captain Ileosa reached out and pulled a strand of thread off of his uniform. "Always double check your outfit Captain." She stated in a more scolding mother tone. Then she motioned for Ella and Coloua to join them. It was an easy way to allow them to move into proper range without rasing more suspicion.
Ileosa made light conversation as she lead them down below, into the cargo area. But she was slow about it, which could be easily passed off as a noble trying to be polite to give them time to speak. Ileosa hoped her allies had taken to the plan properly and would jump them as soon as they had gone completely below deck.
The Captain thanks you both in a polite enough tone, though stiffens slightly at his attire being fussed at. He motions for his four men to follow and they quickly all make their way day to the cargo bay.
Once inside, the Captain flanked on either side by his men, he begins to lift the tarp. That is when Godfrey makes his move and signals to the group to attack, his spell weaving and a spray of light coming from his finger tips.
Soldier 2 and 3 are Sprayed.
A rainbow of colors spray the area causing the Captain and the Sailor to his left to blink a bit in confusion and watch as the Sailor to his right collapses in a heap.
Ella's hatred for these hypocrites has been caged too long. As they descended to the dark hull, a slow lethal smile eased into her lips as the rage started to simmer. They speak of ideals, of justice, but these men were just looking for a bribe to turn away. She is very happy Ileosa didn't go that route.
Before blood is spilt and just before Godfrey cast his spell, Ella drank a little something she had been working on for a bit. Chalky white thick gunk tinged with peppers and cinnamon. Disgusting no matter what she tried to mask it with, but it had the desired effect. Her hag mother's strength and toughness were touched, cajoled to the surface, making the Amazonian woman even bigger, even more deadly. All with the simple price of minor clouding of her mind.
But this was not a time for thinking, was it? Oh, no. No it was not.
Her snarl was all the confused captain got before her claws tore into him. Up into her man's stomach, lifting him off his feet, his face raised to her level and the burning hatred in her eyes. Then she dropped him.
In an attempt to take the leader out of the fight immediately, Coloua wordlessly brings out a small bone fetish shaped like a human and begins to play with it like is was a puppet or marionette while grinning at the Captain.
After seeing the captain get what he deserved for daring to question her friends, Coloua turns towards the four remaining soldiers and quickly drops her disguise, raising an eyebrow at them and continuing to grin cruelly.
Ileosa grinned as she jumped away from the sailors and threw acid upon the Captain.
"You should have kept going Captain. You would have kept your life." She told him.
There is a whirl of action as the combat suddenly begins. The Captain in his surprise, starts to pull his Shield from his back when suddenly there is a snapping and a loud and grisly POP. He looks up to see Coloua standing there gleefully staring as she twists the arm of the little doll in her hands.
His shield arm twists and flops causing the shield he was grabbing to drop and his eyes to go wide. Ella took the opportunity and pushed forwards as the Captain himself lurched forwards awkwardly into her waiting claws. A clawed hand slams hard under the breastplate and her fingers force their way up into lung meat. A quick twist and before he could scream, her left clawed hand swipes and suddenly a large chunk of his throat is missing. She hefts the corpse off her as she turns towards the other men.
As if to add insult to injury and to terrify the poor men present, Ileosa burns the man's face clean off with a splash of acid. One of the sailors accompanying the Captain starts to make a move but Godfrey springs into action proper. His newly forged blade of pure black hatred slams into the Short sword being drawn, forcing it back into it's sheath before he slices upwards and cuts the man's chest wide open.
The Captain down and two men unconscious on the ground, the other sailors finally get to make their moves.
Perhaps it's fear, perhaps ineptitude in fighting, or perhaps it's purely shock at the scene before them but the sailors forget to raise the alarm as they pull their spears from their back and fumble awkwardly at the two villains who struck mortal blows upon their comrades.
Giggling happily as she sees the Captain torn apart and the number of soldiers already halved, Coloua turns to the closest one and as she returns her bone fetish doll to her component pouch she glares at him, a dark sparkle in her eye and a growl in her throat.