| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oren shakes his head at the beast. "If you weren't so darned useful, I'd recommend putting you on a spit and grabbing one of those tasty looking wings," Oren squints at Nef's companion.
Aikane stays seated on the beach. "I'll be fine here for a time, don't worry about fitting me onto the longboat."
He's still seated in the sand, watching the treeline when he hears the crack. He looks over his shoulder toward the sound, and seeing the cause, merely shakes his head.
Aikane scouts the area around the campsite. He prepares a small hammock/hide up in one of the trees near camp. About twenty feet off the ground he settles in to take a nap. "Wake me for my watch when it's time."
no
no
As the sun sets into the sky you all enjoy a fine meal of charred tuna mixed with tubers and other greens gathered earlier...all except the rescued Dulcimer crew. Despite her best efforts Jacinth is unable to rouse them from their catatonic stage though they do not appear to be starving.
After dinner you clean up your dinner area as best you can so as not to attract any jungle predators. Once the sun has fully set into the sky you all feel weariness as the day's exertions wear upon your muscles. Even now you see the former crew collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. A good night's rest is something you all need...yet you wonder whether your 'host' would indeed grant you that luxury.
Oren will volunteer to take last watch. He hadn't had a physical day like that in many a year. He needed to sleep, and he needed to sleep now. After eating a bit, his head was drooping as the others were talking plans. "Remember to watch me closely. We don't know if that demon will be able to affect me or not. If so, someone needs to knock me out quick like."
After these few words of wisdom, he started snoring by the fire.
Nef smiles a moment as she watches her adopted brother drop instantlly to sleep. She also feels exhausted. "We should have two to a watch. I can take a middle watch if needed. I'll need eight hours of sleep to regain spells, but they don't have to be consecuative. Should I sleep now, and have one of you wake me later?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ke' nodded at Nef, idly snatching a big millipede off a branch and snapping it in two and chowing down on part of it.
"Yeah, you better. I need a full eight hours myself." He said idly.
Realizing his faux pas, he offered her the other half. "Dessert?"
Reknar chuckles as everyone suddenly remembers to help with the food gathering - "Nothing like an empty stomach" - he grumbles to himself.
The man keeps mostly to himself, staring in silence as Nefertiti sings, and raising an eyebrow at Aikane's comments, but that is about it.
"There's seven of us...well, eight if you count Wedjat," Jacinth muses, casting a quick glance over at the eagle. "No no, I was not going to forget you," she says in a placating tone before turning back to the others. "So we could certainly manage two to a watch or at least to all but one watch. Aikane seems to have the best eyes among us and I am able to see even by the dim light of the campfire, so the two of us should certainly take middle watches. Lani and Oren both need uninterrupted sleep, whereas Nef does not. Taking that into consideration, how about..."
"I'm fine with those watches. I'd like to be around when the first of us goes to sleep but... Lets give it a try" - the man comments.
"As for exploration tomorrow" - he adds, getting ready to bunk down - "I think the Captain is right - perhaps we can search for a way to get some sort of 'edge' on this demon by checking other sites around the area"
The girl Nef had been three months ago would have quailed at eating the millipede. But Nef had traveled all over the Razor, and had eaten giant caterpillar at a tribal dinner with Zem. What was it that he had always told her? That eating the bugs would strengthen her loins? She smiles at the memory, and takes the half millipede offered as the courtesy it truly is. Besides, she's still hungry, and who knows what they'll find for food further in to the jungle?
"Thank you," she says to 'Lani. She pops the millipede into her mouth and attempts to swallow the wriggly thing before she gags.
It goes down easier than expected, and tribal courtesy is preserved.
She looks with concern at the young people they rescued. "Why won't they eat? I made enough food for all." She wishes that she could ask Oren, but her older brother is asleep. Perhaps she should follow his example?
"The watch list sounds good to me, Kaiku. I can set Wedjat to guard and defend after my watch, and Reknar can order him down so he'll rest. Good night, all."
She hugs Jacinth, Lani and then turns to hug Reknar and stops, blushing furiously.
She veers away from Reknar, and hugs her surprised bird instead. And then she curls up to sleep on the beach.
She hugs Jacinth, Lani and then turns to hug Reknar and stops, blushing furiously.
** spoiler omitted **
She veers away from Reknar, and hugs her surprised bird instead. And then she curls up to sleep on the beach.
Reknar raises an eyebrow, and then simply smiles as Nefertiti first blushes, then veers from him - "Sleep tight" - he offers at her back while the priestess moves away, his tone calm.
"I'll be waiting for you to wake me up" - he adds to Aikane, then rolls over to the other side, comfortable on the sandy floor.
As you all settle in for your watches those who have the first watch see the sun finally drop below the horizon and the night envelopes all of you in its dark embrace. While most nights are generally relaxing, the pervasive sense of dread seems to be magnified by the darkness. Your small campfire seems to emphasize the blackness surrounding you rather than chase it away.
As 'Lani and Rata patrol the campsite they are ready for another assault from the hawanis that infest this cursed island. Every sound seems magnified and more than once they are certain the party is under attack. Yet no attack comes. Soon Jacinth and Nefertiti are woken for their watch. As the ladies keep watch over their sleeping compatriots, each feels an impending sense of doom in their minds. Their watch passes quietly however.
As Aikane is woken for his watch, it is just past midnight. As the menehune settles in for his watch the only sounds he hears are the typical jungle environment with the hoots of various birds and the chirps of the ubiquitous insects that infest the place.
Until...
The silence is shattered by a keening wail, soon joined by several others. Aikane sees the sounds are not coning from outside the campsite. Indeed they are coming from the rescued crewmembers who seem to be caught in the throes of a nightmare.
Perception
Oren sleeps as well as he ever has, oblivious to the world around him.
Having barely dealt with her own night terrors, Nef jumps awake, practically knocking into Reknar and Jacinth as she startles awake.
"What the...?" Then she breathes, and realizes that this is not her nightmare, nor her scream. "I'm sorry," she says breathlessly to Reknar and Jacinth, as she runs towards the screaming kids.
In her most calming tone, she says, "Friends, shhh... It's just a dream. You'll be okay."
Clutching a bomb, Ke' jerks awake, looking around for targets. Seeing the keening coming from the patients, he examines them.
Reknar wakes up sleepy at first, but immediately gets on his feet once he realizes the ruckus - "Dang! We'll have every predator in this place on us" - he grumbles, going for his weapon, and watching their surroundings - "Why the heck are they screaming like that?"
As the party is roused by the wails of the crew members you all look around the campsite and verify you are not under attack. 'Lani sees they are suffering from something akin to a waking nightmare. Nefertiti moves first to one poor soul, then another trying to vainly calm them down. She is joined by Jacinth in attempting to sooth their nerves, yet it is clear more effort needs to be made here if you wish to rest...
Nef kneels down in the sand with Tordell, putting a hand on each side of the boy's face. "Easy, now. Easy. Look in my eyes, Tordell. Look," she says, her voice gentle and calm. She lets her voice carry across the beach. "I'm going to tell you, all of you a happy story." She drops her voice, whispering now, still letting it carry. "But you can't hear the story if you're screaming, now can you?"
Her voice is soothing, the voice of a mother speaking to a scared and frightened toddler. She takes Tordell, and gently hugs him, humming a lullaby under her breath and stroking Tordell's back. The boy's eyes are wild, but she keeps humming, stroking his hair.
Without looking away, she pitches her voice a little louder to reach her friends. "Gentlemen, I need your help. Can you help me soothe our friends here? Yes, even you, Wedjat. And Underdog too. I'll need you two to be especially cute and fluffy and non-threatening so that I can tell our friends their story."
Still stroking Tordell's hair, she says, "That's better. I have a funny story about Wedjat as a hatchling. You like baby birds, don't you? I like baby animals of all kinds. We Qadirans are crazy about our animal friends..."
"Wedjat, can you hop over here and be cute?"
"Screeee!"
You've gotta be kidding me...
Wedjat looks with dismay to Reknar. She's joking, right?
Not seeing any support there, the bird reluctantly hops over to Nef, letting her pet him and make... cooing noises.
Cooing noises? What's next? Ribbons?
He reluctantly lowers his head and lets Nef pose him, all the while chattering at Tordell about him as a cute, fluffy hatchling.
Wedjat looks at Nef, fluffs up his feathers, and says, "Screee!"
You are SO owing me for this...
Rata Fenn finds himself jerked conscious by what he swears is the lost wails of the damned. As he stumbles to his feet daggers at the ready he shakes his head in disgust at the party's charges. "I be really gettin' sick o' this!" He mutters under his breath.
As the ladies and Wedjat move to comfort the shrieking and sobbing crew members, he gives Jacinth a questioning look before a resigned look flits over his face like a shadow. "I cannae believe I be doin' this.."
He moves next to one of the male crewmembers and awkwardly takes him in his arms patting his back as if he was a father comforting his child. Unsure what to say to the young man, he just concentrates on getting the moans and sobs to quiet for now.
"Underdog doesn't do 'cute and fluffy" - Reknar grins in spite of the wailing, and the weasel simple pokes its nose out of the bag and hisses, fangs bared - "See? No point. He's just got a temper too foul for that" - the man seems amused at his companion's posture.
He does move close to their panicked charges to offer a calming word - "Come on now boys and girls, look around you - no enemies here. You are safe from whatever nightmares you've been through. And you are alive" - the pragmatic man puts in - "And we'll be damned before we let you get back there, so I guess you are in the best place you could be huh?"
Round two
Perception
"What the hell is making all that racket! Don't you know I'm tired," Oren try,bless as he looks around. He scrambles to his feet, waiting to figure out what exactly was going on and why there was so much screaming.
Wedjat hops on over to the hissing and grumpy Underdog. Wedjat's feathers are still all fluffed up, and he looks disgruntled and uncomfortable.
"Screeeee!"
If I have to do this, you have to do this. No way am I being cute and fluffy alone.
Oren nods at the Captain's suggestion. "Everyone calm down. It's alright. Take a deep breath...it's just a dream, maybe. It's alright, I promise."
Aid Another Diplomacy
Nope.
As the screaming continues, Reknar keeps his attention focused on the areas around them, watching every shadow.
Wedjat just looks at Underdog. Slacker. And then he turns back to Nef.
"Screeee!"
Can I intimidate them now into shutting up?
He fluffs himself up further.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The soothing voices weren't working, so Nefertiti lights herself up, then lets a light sprinkle of water fall from her fingertips to get the attention of the screaming kids. The water glitters in the light like little jewels, making Nef look like a bit like a nixie or a mermaid.
"Listen! Long ago, when I first traveled to these islands, I heard a tiny 'Scree! Scree!' It came from on top a tall tree! It was an abandoned eaglet, starving and calling for his mother."
Having caught her audience's attention, she gestures with her hands, to show the childlike Dulcimer crew how tiny the eaglet must have been. She acts out the role of the eaglet for a moment, calling and scared. She does not mention that minutes before they had seen a party of rich hunters from Port Shaw shoot the eaglet's mother from the sky, or how Zem had put his fingers to his lips and pulled them both into deep shadow while the hunting party passed. She doesn't want to tell these kids anything that might scare them. This is meant to be a funny, happy story. She wants them to laugh.
"The day had been clouded over and stormy, but there was a break in the cloud cover. Through the break, we saw a beam of light falling directly on the eagle's nest. I knew it was a sign. We had to save the hatchling. But how?"
She tells the story of Zem's patient climb to the top of the tree, emphasizing every time his feet slipped and how treacherous the wet slippery bark was. She acts it out, doing pratfalls on the wet sandy beach, then pretending to climb again. "Finally, Zem reached the top. But did Wedjat cooperate with his rescue? No! He struggled and fought the whole way." And then she is acting out the role of Zem, attempting to climb down the tree with a baby bird pecking at him the whole way, struggling in his arms. "'Ow! Ow! Stop biti -- ow. Ow. Please, bird, give it up we -- OW!'"
She makes the most of the comedy of the moment, letting her audience laugh with her. "Finally, I told Zem to just leap, and I would catch them both. Now, Zem, was a big man. Almost as big as Reknar here. And I, I'm a tiny slip of a thing. But Zem trusted me. He leapt off and took me at my word." She pauses here, letting the tension of the moment play out. "Catch him I did -- he and the bird both. I feather fell them to the ground, giving them the gentlest of landings." She gestures with her hand, so that everyone can see her fingers fall softly, softly, with the breeze.
"Zem handed Wedjat to me, and the exhausted hatchling fell asleep in my arms. Zem sighed, too much a gentleman to complain that I got the sleeping baby bird while he had gotten the squawking, biting, clawing terror. But eventually Wedjat settled down, understanding that we had rescued him and were there to help."
She kneels down in front of her audience, and says, "That's how it goes sometimes. We have to build trust slowly. But we're here to help. Like Wedjat, your job is to rest, to eat, and eventually to trust and heal. Go to sleep, friends. We'll watch over you."
"Girl's got some plethora of stories, that's for sure" - Reknar quips.
As you all attempt to calm down your shrieking charges you at first despair your words and actions are having any effect at all. Still you persist as the combination of words, gestures and physical contact starts having an effect. Nefertiti's oratorical performance does not draw any applause or other kudos yet it does quiet them down.
Eventually your methods do pay off as they drop off into an exhausted slumber. After making sure no other nocturnal visitors have approached your camp, you all resume your sleep trying to catch up on your rest before the dawn breaks.
Unfortunately nightmares and vague thoughts of screams echoes in your minds as you sleep...and you struggle to clear these unsettling thoughs from your subconscious minds.
Storytelling has always been a cathartic exercise for Nefertiti, whether her audience is lively or not. Having calmed herself down along with her charges, she takes a deep breath, says a prayer to Horus, and settles down to rest.
Will
Despite him sleeping soundly for part of the night, after those damned screams woke him, Oren tossed and turned until the next day. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to gain the rest necessary to prepare his spells. He sat by himself and grumbled the next morning. "I hate this godsforsaken place. If I get off this island, I'll never come aback..."
Fail.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Reknar stands up and stretches his limbs after the last watch - looking around at his companions, he does get the notion something is not fully well, as most of them seem ragged, as if the night's rest hasn't been enough.
"We need a good breakfast, and decide where to next" - his voice sounds solid and relaxed - "But first, I'm taking a swim!" - he adds, staring defiantly at the waters, and beginning to undress until he is completely naked - "Look away ladies" - he roars, running full speed to take a dive - "Damn! I needed this!" - he waves to the others - "Come on! It'll boost you right up!"
After that, he just allows himself to dry under the sun, and whomever may look will notice at least two more tattoos, one on the inside of his arm, and another in the middle of the chest, though the symbols themselves are hard to discern at a distance. You will also notice multiple scars, old cuts, and bruises.
Once he is half dry, the man recovers his gear and sets about finding breakfast.
"Lets eat and recap" - he comments, dropping the assortment of fruits, berries, and even a skinned lizard, and starting a fire - "What other points of interest do we have around here for sightseeing besides the damned statue, though I wouldn't mind sending that one rolling down into the sea" - he ponders.
Ke' nodded at the plan to hunt and gather for the morning meal and set out.
A lot of clams and tidewater shellfish this time around.
Oren was at a loss. His powers had always been there beside him through his high and low points. He could feel his magical energies were just barely there. He just went through the motions of talking to the others this morning. "Yeah, that statue is bad. We need a way to get rid of it. What were we talking about again...."
Nef had knelt in the sand, handing the dazed Oren some fresh water, hoping it would revive Oren's flagging spirits, when Reknar's shout to look away caused her to llook up without thinking.
At the sight of that naked, muscled and tattooed body, Nefertiti blushes again from head to toe. She turns away quickly to hide her blush from the others, but not fast enough.
What's wrong with you? You've seen men naked, or nearly so, before. The people from Zem's village wore barely anything. Why is this different?
And then he's splashing and laughing, and calling for everyone to join him. She watches him, splashing and laughing, and thinks about how she wishes she could be like that.
Why not? Why not join him, just for a moment?
Tired of the fear and gloom that have been her constant companions since she reached the island, Nef suddenly decides to rush into the water, transforming her robes into a bikini. She lets go of the stress and the strain and the pent-up energy that she has had coiled within her tighter than any spring. She runs through the hip-deep water for a few minutes, shrieking and laughing like a loon.
"I can't believe you talked me into this!" she calls to Reknar with a grin. It's easier to look at him now that his bottom half is submerged in the water, though he is still without a doubt an interesting looking man. All those scars and war wounds. Still, that made him a survivor, and didn't they need that? "Aren't we supposed to be the serious, responsible ones?" Unable to resist, she splashes him before running back to the shore with him at her heels.
Nef? What are you doing? Is this wise?
And she's sure it isn't wise, but right now she doesn't care. She is young, alive, and kicking. Recknar was right. She had needed this. Then she joins in the efforts to gather the food to keep them alive, grabbing fruits, roots and even some of Ke'ahilani's millipedes.
Watching Wedjat circle eagerly over the water, Nefertiti grins.
"Wedjat, hunt!'
"Screee!"
This is sooooo much better than having to pretend that I'm cute!
Wedjat dives, bringing another massive bluefin tuna in. He drops it at Oren's feet.
"Screee!"
Look lively, Lardbutt! I brought breakfast!
Oren does brighten up at that fat fish, despite himself. "Nice job, big chicken! That will feed almost all of us this morning. It looks delicious," he commented as he looked to see how the fire was going. It took the opportunity for a tasty meal to,lure him out of his funk, it seemed.
Oren shook his head at Reknar and Nef dancing around in the water. He could have scolded them and brought them down to his level of grumpiness, but he chose to follow a different path, and try to get the fish repaired for everyone.
"That looks delicious, Opu!" Nef exclaims, overjoyed to see him out of his funk. She digs into the meal her adopted brother prepared, and makes many appreciative noises. When they're done eating, she speaks again.
"I'm tired of our telepathic host. I don't want to spend one more minute on this island than we have to. So we have some choices. We can try to explore, hoping that we'll find something else to kill the demon with. My fear is that that we'll run into more hiwanis, bugs and killer plants and just deplete resources we'll need to fight the demon. I don't think he'll let us get our spells back easily."
She looks around the group. "I had an idea to help Oren get his spells without our host interfering. But for that, Oren needs to be rested. He's not. Looking around, most of us aren't. Do you think, honestly, that we'll be any more rested tomorrow?"
Nef frowns. "I could fly high, pray for a few minutes, fill a spell slot with ant haul, and carry Oren away to the nearest island so that we could meditate, regain spells and rest... but that would mean leaving all of you, while the two of us face other possible dangers alone. If we do that, it's a desperation move."
"So what does that leave us? I think we need to strike now, and strike as hard and fast as we can. And... I think we need to leave our charges behind. Our host does not want them dead. We can leave them with food and shade, but we need to travel light and fast. We need this demon dead. What say you?"
Ke' nodded at Nef.
"Yes, we can find a cave or hollow or some such, and block the entryway with cut logs."
He frowned in thought.
"I'd dearly like to try to make a Potion of Circle of Protection. But is there anyone among us able to cast it?" He asked.
"I can cast Circle of Protection. I managed to get that one spell back, yesterday, by flying out of our host's range. I don't see much difference between that and a potion -- unless you can make multiple potions off one spell?" Nef raises an eyebrow, looking hopefully at Ke'ahilani, and passing him one of the millipedes he likes so much.
________________________________
"As for other sightseeing attractions around here, we have..." Nef grabs a stick, sketching a simple map in the sand. "...one shipwreck to the southwest, one small cove on the western side of the island, and one clearing where the vegetation looked a little different than the rest of what was around here."
Then she takes the stick and thrusts it into the center of the island. "I'll go with the majority decision, but I still say that our best move is to take care of our number one problem first."
Tired of the fear and gloom that have been her constant companions since she reached the island, Nef suddenly decides to rush into the water, transforming her robes into a bikini. She lets go of the stress and the strain and the pent-up energy that she has had coiled within her tighter than any spring. She runs through the hip-deep water for a few minutes, shrieking and laughing like a loon.
Reknar's eyebrow rises infinitely high as Nefertiti decides to join in, and he smiles widely as the clothes give way to a bikini - "That's the spirit girl!"
"I can't believe you talked me into this!" she calls to Reknar with a grin. It's easier to look at him now that his bottom half is submerged in the water, though he is still without a doubt an interesting looking man. All those scars and war wounds. Still, that made him a survivor, and didn't they need that? "Aren't we supposed to be the serious, responsible ones?" Unable to resist, she splashes him before running back to the shore with him at her heels.
"Sure" - Reknar retorts - "But all fun and no play... You know how bad that can go" - he laughs, chasing the girl.
"That looks delicious, Opu!" Nef exclaims, overjoyed to see him out of his funk. She digs into the meal her adopted brother prepared, and makes many appreciative noises. When they're done eating, she speaks again.
"I'm tired of our telepathic host. I don't want to spend one more minute on this island than we have to. So we have some choices. We can try to explore, hoping that we'll find something else to kill the demon with. My fear is that that we'll run into more hiwanis, bugs and killer plants and just deplete resources we'll need to fight the demon. I don't think he'll let us get our spells back easily."
She looks around the group. "I had an idea to help Oren get his spells without our host interfering. But for that, Oren needs to be rested. He's not. Looking around, most of us aren't. Do you think, honestly, that we'll be any more rested tomorrow?"
Nef frowns. "I could fly high, pray for a few minutes, fill a spell slot with ant haul, and carry Oren away to the nearest island so that we could meditate, regain spells and rest... but that would mean leaving all of you, while the two of us face other possible dangers alone. If we do that, it's a desperation move."
"So what does that leave us? I think we need to strike now, and strike as hard and fast as we can. And... I think we need to leave our charges behind. Our host does not want them dead. We can leave them with food and shade, but we need to travel light and fast. We need this demon dead. What say you?"
"All seems sound to me" - Reknar pipes in as they eat - "Except for leaving the others behind - we simply risk too much - they can be captured again, they can be put down. Are you willing to risk all that?" - he shrugs.
Ke' nodded at Nef.
"Yes, we can find a cave or hollow or some such, and block the entryway with cut logs."
"That might do the trick..." - he adds, still munching, then turns to Nef, as she points other areas that may hold interest - "I vote for the cove"