Completely flustered to be in his presence once again, she looks down and stammers. "I... I was going to... Malama, will you... help me propitiate Whale? Please?"
"Of course Aka" - the man nods - "I will be with you"
--------------
As they row away from The Rita, the rhythmic makes his mind wander on what may be the consequences of the actions they are about to take - Zemwaar had learned to respect the gods of the Tulita, but in his mind, perhaps due to his warrior upbringing, he never saw them as entities that required reverence, but instead those that will usher you along, if you make to deserve it, and ignore you if you do not.
He did not feel the need, or will to bow before them, as in fact he usually had a hard time bowing before anyone, so he would show his respect by accompanying Nef, and being there, willing to listen, if there was anything to be heard.
--------------
Zemwaar strains to try and garner any details from the approaching vessel, grabbing the nearby spyglass, and extending it to its fullest.
"Aye, aye, Captain!"
Nef and Wedjat fly out to get a closer look at the ship.
"Do not take any unnecessary risks Aka" - Zemwaar warns, before Nef takes flight, offering some dry meat to Wedjat - "Stay safe" - he whispers to the eagle.
"Screeee!"
I will!
Still, Wedjat looks puzzled as he flies away.
Why does Zem only want ME to stay safe? He must REALLY be mad at Nef.
Nefertiti takes off flying upon Wedjat's back, once again enjoying the sensation of flight as she gains altitude circling above the Rita before winging her way towards the other vessel off in the distance.
The sun shines down on the clear ocean surface, reflecting the sunlight in brilliant arcs of light> She covers her eyes shielding against the glare as best she can. Soon the other ship comes into view...
Circling lower yet safely out of bow-shot, she looks over the vessel. It looks to a be a two-masted sloop, somewhat larger than your own vessel. Not being familiar with the various differences between the ships she has seen, she looks for telltale signs. One thing that catches her eye is the large number of crew stationed top-side. As she observes further she notes the crew does not seem to be manning any particular areas on the ship, instead milling around on deck. With a sinking heart, she realizes those souls on deck are not crew...the are SLAVES!
This is obviously a slave ship, and filled to capacity with slaves. Nefertiti does recall from her earlier trip to the Outskirts many Tulita were captured and sold as slaves to be shipped to other parts of the world.
Nefertiti clenches her fists as she sees the slaves. Her people, in chains! Her people, off to be sold to foreign ports.
Two thoughts race through her head as she flies back to the Rita. The first is, What in Horus is going on with that ship? Slave ships don't let slaves man the vessel.
The second thought is... It's not a pirate vessel. It's no threat to us. But by Horus, I cannot let this ship steal my people away.
She makes it back to the Rita, reporting everything she saw. She describes the ship's flags in detail, in case any of her fellow crew can identify the ship.
"It's not a pirate vessel," she says, clenching her fists and looking out over the waves. "It's a slaver, packed with Tulitan slaves." As upset as she is, she does manage to describe the very odd circumstances of the vessel. "My father kept slaves," she says, softly. "He was a Trade Prince. From his talk with other merchants, I do know something about how slaves are normally shipped." Though her voice is calm, her whole body is tense. "This... this is not normal procedure at all."
Her dark gaze meets the others, then resting on Zem before turning to Jacinth. "May I have permission to investigate this, Captain? I'd like to find out what is going on." And see if there's anything I can do to stop this ship from taking our people away. "Lawful ships often send messengers to one another, exchanging news."
Nef nods. "Captain, I agree that we can't afford to tangle with them. You have my word -- my sacred bond -- I will not provoke or antagonize." She looks to Zem. "I'll take no unnecessary risks either, Malama."
Taking to the skies, bearing her flag -- white, with the Eye of Horus symbol upon it -- she returns to the other ship. Her heart is racing, but she breathes deeply, calming herself as she flies. Surely Horus will show her what she must do.
"Ahoy the Ship!" she calls when close enough, counting on her voice to carry. "I hail from the Rita, four days out of Port Shaw! Do you have news to share?"
After receiving permission from her Captain, Nefertiti once again takes wing heading to the slaver ship. She flies lower to the ocean surface so as to allow her flag to be seen easier against the crystal blue sky.
As she flies closer, she is able to make out the ship's name...the Iron Bastion. As she flies over the vessel she does note her appearance does attract a lot of attention, fortunately none of it a violent sort. As the priestess continues to circle, she notes a black flag being raised underneath the ship flag. Even the neophyte sailor recognizes the flag as the universal symbol of parley.
Circling around the ship, Nef is startled by the Parley request. Since she has not been officially given clearance to land, she does not do so.
"I will convey your greetings to my Captain. Do you have anything I may tell her of what matter this parley is concerning?"
Jacinth is going to kill me if she thinks I dragged her into this.
Nef takes one more good look at the ship. Are there regular crew about? Were the people who raised the flag normal crew?
Nefertiti flies lower and hovers above the deck to deliver her message. She does see quite a few Tulita moving freely about on deck. She does not have to wait long as one of the crew members, who she guesses is the first mate by the looks of it yells back at the priestess, "This be a sens'tive matter not fer open ears. We kin make it worth yer while, should yer Cap'n care ta listen!"
Nefertiti nods, and flies back with the message to the Rita and Jacinth.
"Captain, the Iron Bastion says they want to parlay with you."
She freely shares her observations.
"A ruse to what purpose?" Nef asks, genuinely puzzled. "We are on a rescue mission, sent by your uncle, to save the scions of the wealthiest and most politically connected families in Port Shaw! Any slaver that would see us as prey would soon find themselves hunted by the Dragoons. For that matter, any slaver preying on other vessels would be branded as pirates anywhere they go."
Nef frowns. "Despicable as they are, slavers aren't stupid. Losing lucrative markets is bad for business." She paces back and forth. "For that matter, what need would they have for a ruse? They're faster than us. They have us outmanned and outgunned. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't need a ruse to take us."
She looks back at the ship, comprehension dawning on her face. "Under normal circumstances... normal circumstances! Oh, that's it! That's it! They're not under normal circumstances, are they? Slaves manning the ship without chains. The crew lounging about. And that First Mate said this was a 'sensitive matter, not for open ears...'"
Nef looks up at the sky. Horus, thank you. There is a path here, isn't there? I just have to find it.
"Jacinth, something's happened here. I don't think the ship is fully in the slavers' control, anymore. I have no idea how or even why. A bloodless revolt on a slave ship? None of this makes sense." Nef looks at Jacinth, and then at each and every member of her team. "However, I think that offer of parley is genuine. Do we want to find out what's really going on?"
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"Keep me in the loop. If the ship needs to be blasted all to pieces, just give me the sign!"
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"If the slaves have taken over, that is surely something worth looking into. I realize I am only one man, but I won’t tolerate slavery if I can help it. Raids by slavers were commonplace along the Slithering Coast and southern edge of the Shackles. Maybe we could provide the slaves with aid and assist them in their flight? Potential allies, perhaps?" And for all I know my father could be one.
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Ke' snarled at the slaver ship. He fondles a couple of red bottles with real feeling.
"Nice ship. Looks flammable." He looked sidelong at the Captain, eagerly waiting for an order.
Nef puts a hand on Ke's arm and shakes her head. "Our people are there, Lani. If that ship burns, they do too."
To Jacinth, she says, "You should know that my brother Rata speaks my mind in this matter, Kaiku." She sighs and meets Jacinth's icy blue gaze. Nef rubs her arms, hugging herself, against the painful memories of her childhood. "My mother, Anneke, was my father's slave. I was a slave until I was five days old, when he finally acknowledged his paternity. The few times I misbehaved as a child, or did poorly in my lessons, my mother was beaten for it."
Nef's fists clench and unclench. "My mother would still be alive if my father hadn't have tried to sell her off. I couldn't save her. But maybe, just maybe, if we play this smart, we can save them."
Nef looks out at the approaching Iron Bastion, then back to Jacinth. "I promised you not to provoke or antagonize. But if the opportunity arises, I wish to act."
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"Flamable indeed.
We cannot be responsible for those people... It seems to early for action, but perhaps we can help them.
We should send Jacinth over in the long boat.
I am of the mind we should not bring them alongside."
Nef nods to Aikane's statement, waiting for Jacinth's thoughts.
"Who do you wish to come with you when you parley?" Nef asks Jacinth. "I believe that most Captains take an honor guard or an assistant." Then looking at Oren, Nef asks, "Did you prepare the Message spell today? Communication would be good if we must split the crew. Failing that... I can usually be heard for long distances when I wish to be, but that isn't a very discreet option."
"Honestly Nef, if I didn't jump in the water last night, I don't think it will ever happen. Nothing else I experience will ever be that strong, I'm afraid. I think I beat it, I suppose, but wow, what an experience that was. You don't suppose we can have Jacinth pilot the ship on the exact same route coming back, could you," Oren tries to joke, doing his best to get back to his old self, and deal with moving on with things, including the new slave ship on the horizon.
"Honestly Nef, if I didn't jump in the water last night, I don't think it will ever happen. Nothing else I experience will ever be that strong, I'm afraid. I think I beat it, I suppose, but wow, what an experience that was. You don't suppose we can have Jacinth pilot the ship on the exact same route coming back, could you,"
"Thank you for not jumping in the water, Opu!" Nef hugs her big brother. "If you want Jacinth to pilot on the way back, we can arrange that. She and I may even be immune to the Siren's call." She looks thoughtful. "Speaking of Jacinth... I think we should tell her about this. In Qadiran stories, sirens often target helmsmen, usually with song. If there's a temptress in these waters, we should let her know."
Then she adds, "I know how you treasure intense experiences. But don't look at this as something to regret... You got to smell a mermaid without having to drown. How many other men can claim that? You can tell this story in every bar and... Nef breaks off for a moment, trying to figure out how to refer to Oren's extracurricular studies, "...and to every friendly lady in town." She grins evilly. "Maybe you can offer to sniff the society ladies from the Soiled Dove as a 'scent expert' and analyze how enchantingly close their smells come to your mysterious mermaid!"
Her expression hardens. "As curious as this situation is, can we truly afford to waste time here when we are on a rescue mission, sanctioned by my uncle as you pointed out? If the Iron Bastion were in distress and need of aid, that would be one thing. However, they have given no indication of such. And need I remind you all that time is of the essence here?" She begins to pace back and forth along the deck. "Rata's observation about possible...allies is a sound one. And as I said a moment ago, I have no particular love of slavers. But what place is it of ours to get involved here? Should this matter not be left to proper authorities?"
Nef looks at her friend and nods. "Time is of the essence, yes. But I believe there is entire shipful of souls on the Iron Bastion in distress and in need of aid. The ship is on course to intercept us now. We're already ahead of schedule by half a day. What is thirty more minutes?"
Nef looks thoughtfully out at the ship, and back to Jacinth. "This is quite a new experience for you, isn't it?" she says in a soft voice, pitched low to not embarrass her friend. "Risking everything for others... It's got to be a little unnerving. Don't let it be. You've been a great Captain, and exceeded my expectations throughout. Can you stretch a little more, friend? If ever we needed your leadership, it's now."
"Let's meet that parley, find out what is wanted." She raises an eyebrow. "If nothing else, maybe we can recruit the extra topsmen we need, and make far better time with a rested and fully staffed crew. What do you say, Jacinth?"
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"The proper authorities? Shirley, you are joking?"
righteous be their will, the tides and gods.
"Rata's observation about possible...allies is a sound one. And as I said a moment ago, I have no particular love of slavers. But what place is it of ours to get involved here? Should this matter not be left to proper authorities?"
Zemwaar raises an eyebrow at the mention of 'proper authorities', but does not comment on it. Instead he addresses the elf and the others - "I offer to go with Jacinth if parley is decided upon" - he states.
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Rata gives Jacinth a silent nod, and tension eases from his shoulders. You get the impression that a part of him desperately wanted to be among those chosen to parley. A swirl of emotions rage in his mirror-like eyes, but a slight smile graces his lips as the Captain casts him a knowing look. "Thank you, Captain. Hopefully fair weather favors us again this day. And if they try anything, they will quickly find that a dagger has sprouted from their chest. A few, actually." His smile adopts a wickedness that may or may not be unsettling to the observer.
She trusts me to some extent, it seems. But do I trust her? He checks that his daggers are readily available in their sheaths and hurriedly sets to manning the tops, quick to carry out Jacinth's orders to close the distance between the Rita and the mysterious slaver ship.
Zemwaar nods, and moves to prepare the longboat for the trek to the Iron Bastion.
Oren waits on the deck of the ship. His relationship wit his own people was strange and uncomfortable to him, but like the others, he struggled to see his people held as slaves. With his already being a bit cross from the mermaid almost encounter, keeping his frayed nerves on the main ship was the best idea. If things got cross, his magic would be necessary to distract the much larger vessel, while they made a run for it.
Nef listens to Jacinth's account of the story of Sammerlock Sails with a sigh.
Every story has two sides, Jacinth. But if there is ever to be peace between your people and mine, we will need to work past this distrust. I see I have my work cut out for me.
"You have a great deal of nerve, Nefertiti, I will give you that!"
"No one's ever accused me of lack of nerve," she admits freely with a grin. Then more seriously, she adds, "Thank you for doing this."
Though disappointed to not be included in the parley party, Nef nods at the wisdom of Jacinth's assignments. "Give me a prearranged signal so I'll know to fly in with reinforcements."
"And if they try anything, they will quickly find that a dagger has sprouted from their chest. A few, actually."
At Rata's words, Nef pauses. "Attack if you need to defend yourselves, or others. But this time, let's play this Zem's way, with honor. No unnecessary kills if we can avoid them, and aid offered to the fallen." This is a slaver ship. Keeping dangerous prisoners will be trivial.
Before Zem goes, she says, "Malama, be careful. Bring yourself and the others back safe."
If he allows it, she hugs him fiercely.
Then Nefertiti prays, holding an eagle feather to the sky.
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Zemwaar obviously allows the hug, and returns it, but he is clearly tense - "This will not be straightforward Aka" - he whispers to her, before leaving with Jacinth and Rata.
Once Captain Jacinth has issued her orders, you all prepare to carry them out. Oren, along with Aikane and Ke'ahilani, stay on deck as the short Tulitan wizard maneuvers the Rita closer to the Iron Bastion. Once in position, Oren holds the ship steady while Aikane keeps a sharp eye on the other vessel with the aid of a spyglass. Ke'ahilani also stands on deck ready to bring his own brand of destruction, if called for.
Meanwhile, Jacinth along with her honor guard climb into the lone longboat where it is swiftly lowered onto the clear blue ocean surface. With Rata Fenn and Zemwaar manning the oars, the trip over to the slave ship is a short one. The longboat is shadowed closely by Nefertiti and her faithful eagle companion, who stay flying aloft watching for any signs of betrayal.
The appearance of the tall statuesque elf captain,accompanied by the Tulitan warrior and the outsider sailor draws more than a few stares from both the crewmen and the tulitan slaves. As the longboat draws alongside the Iron Bastion, you see three of the more senior crew approach the edge where they unhook a rope ladder down to you, allowing you easy access to climb aboard.
"Welcome aboard!" One of the men smiles down at you as you start to climb aboard. "I am DeMasso Guillard, first mate of the Iron Bastion, and this is Buckley Culmaster and Flint Brannid, the second and third mates respectively." The other two men nod in acknowledgement but stay silent.
As you climb aboard the Bastion, you glance around and see there are indeed a number of Tulitan slaves moving around on deck unshackled. Intermixed with the slaves are a number of crewmen, who apparently are armed only with clubs. As you finish your observation, DeMasso speaks up addressing Jacinth. "It is a pleasure to have you aboard Miss...uhhh...Captain..." He waits for a response.
"This will not be straightforward Aka" - he whispers to her.
She nods, looking up into his eyes. "Nothing worthwhile ever is," she whispers back, letting him go.
Later, in the air, she circled overhead between the two ships, watching for trouble but feeling a little leap of happiness despite her worries for her team.
He hugged me back.
"Allow me on board first" - Zemwaar comments to both Jacinth and Rita as they draw closer.
He climbs the rope ladder in silence and, after gaining access, surveys the scene looking for telltale signs that anything may be out of place, apart from a ship apparently freely manned by slaves.
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Rata follows close behind Zemwaar, making no move to hide the fact that he has a veritable cutlery set strapped to his chest. He eagerly scans the crew with depressingly desperate eyes, hopeful at the chance of seeing his father, yet conscious of the fact that he most likely will not be aboard the Iron Bastion.
Aikane goes up into the rigging for a better view. Not only of the ship nearby, but the lay of the land in general.
"Ahhh, 'tis a pleasure ta meet such a fair lass, 'n a Captain no less!" Guillard smiles in reply. "As fer what me Captain wishes ta talk about, we should move below decks 'ere." His look is apologetic as he leads you away from the gawkers on deck and to the ladder leading below decks. "We t'ink th' Captain be sufferin' from an illness or fever somethin' of that nature."
As the first mate and his cohorts lead you along, Zemwaar spies out of the corner of his eye one of the Tulitan slaves eyeing all of you with a mix of curiosity and interest on his face. You are pretty certain this is no ordinary slave. However, before you get a chance to say something to him, he turns away from you and disappears out of your sight.
As the three of you reach the main crew area where the crew berths when not on duty, Guillard continues in a lower tone of voice. "We wish fer you ta speak with our Captain on behalf of us. He be takin' advice from one of the Tulitan slaves 'n he ordered th' other slaves ta walk about freely on deck 'n help wit' our crews' duties!" He cannot help but grimace at this, his dislike of the situation plain on his face. "If ya do this fer us, I kin offer ye a priceless heirloom if ye kin help us out 'ere."
Rata eyes the man with suspicion, his thoughts mirroring Jacinth's voiced concerns.
Flying overhead, Nefertiti takes a deep breath as Jacinth, Zem and Rata follow the ship's officers belowdecks. This is not unexpected, she tells herself. The first mate said this was a sensitive matter, not for prying ears. And whose ears would be prying?
Interesting. She glances at the slaves below. Slavers usually don't care what the slaves overhear... when they're in control.
Nef keeps circling, trying to estimate the ratio of slave cargo to crew. Does she see children? Slaves who might be pregnant, infirm or elderly? Or is everyone above decks healthy adults?
"Of course we 'ave talked to th' Captain 'bout this! He just said this be helpin' crew morale or some such nonsense! As fer objectin' too loudly 'ere, none of us want ta be accused o' mutiny!" He replies in a heated tone of voice. "As fer a surgeon, we dinnae carry one. Not on a slave ship like this." You all watch the First Mate closely for signs of deception but he appears to believe what he says is the truth.
Nefertiti scans the deck of the Iron Bastion and sees there are in excess of 50 Tulitan slaves, among them women, children and the infirm. Guarding them is a score of slavers all milling around on the deck, their clubs at the ready.
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Rata gives the man a hard glare, believing his words, but suspecting there is more to the predicament than he has let on. He interjects for the first time, eager to expedite the matter, "Well, let's be on with it, then. After we speak with your Captain we can bring over our healer if we deem it necessary." His words are cold and direct, hoping a little force will get the man's boots moving. They were slavers, after all.
"From the looks on their faces this boat is a joke."
Aikane bellows little shouts down to the deck from on high.
"Let's break out the cards!"
Aikane clicks the spyglass closed and swings down on a rope.
[dice=acrobatics "captain aikane sparrow manuever"]1d20+11[/dice]
Wedjat, bored with the constant circling he has to do, starts rising and diving for practice -- going as high as Nef will let him, and then plunging swiftly downwards.
[dice=Flight "Wedjat Eagle Dives"]1d20+11[/dice]
As he dives, he notices some of the small people are pointing at him. The little ones watch every dive, racing around the ship and clapping as he swoops.
"Screeeeee!"
Yes, I am AWESOME!
Nef hangs on, grateful for her exotic riding saddle.
She feels the exhilaration as she rises and falls through the air, and is amused to see the children on board run and shriek with delight at they watch Wedjat show off.
Then she sobers.
Those children are at risk, no matter what. If we leave the slavers alone, they'll grow up like my mother did -- their entire welfare at the capricious whims of their owners. If we act and this comes to combat, they can become hostages or get caught in the crossfire. We have to find a place for them to take cover.
She does not like the odds that she sees. Fifty slaves, and only half of them able-bodied. A score of crew with clubs.
Looking up at the sky a moment, she asks, Horus, Lord of Two Horizons... Please, help us help them!
While Nefertiti and her eagle companion continue to circle in the skies awaiting trouble (and amusing themselves in the meantime) Aikane moves across the deck, anxious for action to begin.
Meanwhile aboard the Bastion, Guillard nods in response to Jacinth's request. "Of course, Captain. Let me inform Captain Barnabas you wish to see him. It will be only a few minutes." He then nods to you before moving off towards the bow of the ship, where you presume the captain's quarters are located.
The wait is not long, as Guillard returns and motions for you to follow him. Moving through the ship quickly, you reach the captain's quarters. The first mate knocks on the door and says "Captain, the captain from the Rita is here to see you." A rough voice, muffled by the door, replies. "Good. Send them in." A few seconds later, the door is opened by a Tulitan slave. Zemwaar and the rest of you recognize the man as the slave who the Tulitan warrior noticed was eyeing your party with a great deal of interest. He motions for you to enter inside where you see the Captain sitting at his dining table ready to have a late breakfast (or early lunch). There is already a plate prepared for him. He motions for Guillard to leave. "You are free to go now, mate."
Once the door is closed behind you, he motions for you to have seats at the table with him. "I am Barnabas Hazeltree, Captain of the Iron Bastion. This is Ko'oku'wa, my personal assistant. " He motions to the Tulitan who nods slightly. "Guillard tells me you wish to parley with me. I am interested to hear what you have to say." As you study him, he does not appear to be obviously ill or feverish, though none of you are trained physicians. As he waits for your response, Ko'oku'wa starts cutting up his meal feeding him the chunks of fish with a knife placing the morsels directly into the Captain's mouth.
Rata eyes the Captain as well as Ko'oku'wa suspiciously while standing with rigidity at Jacinth's side, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger.