Hedy laughed at the image, not at the idea. "A possibility if needed. Still got to get close either way and know where she's at.
And he's a Murillo." the captain points at their cleric. "And hopefully we all agree. Fighting with honor only got a place when you have no chance of losing. A pirate's creed if ever there was one."
Saph decides not to comment on grappling and hooking, but does respond to the idea of honor. “I fought with honor in the ring because those women were the same as me, and we weren’t trying to kill each other.
“In matters of life or death, the only honor is to avoid unnecessary violence. This queen murdered and enslaved, so to kill is necessary. Making her suffer isn’t, so unless I am incapacitated, I will hit hard and kill quickly.”
'Lizzie' continues to ignore any more personal questions, including what her name is, but does disclose, <most of her homes are not deep, only three or four feet; one of them is almost ten feet, but she does not go there often because it is dirty.>
While they talk the party trudges up past the makeshift dam and begins to ford the river. The water here is about chest-deep for everyone but Paddy, who has to hop as he walks to sneak breaths above the surface of the water. There also seems to be a large amount of fish here. About halfway across, it becomes apparent that the fish are not all friendly as a school of piranha begin viciously biting at Saph and Paddy...
Jordanna growls under her breath and pushes through the water to claw at the vicious fish.
Oh! You gotta be kidding m— “Holy f*%+!”
Saph drives her fist through the swarm, freezing the water with an icy fist—
Her kick whirls through the water as easily as it would through air!
Seeing the effects of his crewmates' attacks on the school of fish brings to mind trying to fight a cloud of hornets. He begins to fight his way forward through the water, keeping to the less fish-filled side of the line if there is one.
"Vadoma! Can you witch these away?"
"Fish... we're going to be eaten by fish..." their captain sighs "Out of the water if you can! Opposite bank." she snaps before diving into the water to swim like a shark, drawing her blade as she goes and coating it in frost.
Cream is sitting on a branch watching, doing nothing.
Paddy hauls ass to the other bank as fast as he possibly can.
Paddy thrashes and splashes and manages to move ten feet... just enough past Saph to get outside of the snapping school of fish. 'Lizzie' truly takes the captain's words to heart (despite not actually understanding them), and swims like speedily to the far shore.
Unfortunately for the dwarf, the fish seem attracted to the scent of blood in the water and follow him as he moves.
Saph is glad Lizzie is safe. Doesn’t change that I’m at death’s door.
She gets into Dragon Stance, ready to go down fighting and hoping healing magic is a thing.
She uses her flying kick to stay close to Paddy, but lands her attack on the outer edge of the swarm!
Paddy keeps hauling ass to the other bank as fast as he possibly can.
Not liking the prospect of standing alone in this dangerous river, Vadoma pushes through the water, doing her best to keep up with Murillo
Without hesitation, Paddy continues struggling towards the shore, and with another flying kick, Saph keeps right next to him. Her kick kills at least a dozen of the small fish, and the punch that follows it scatters what's left of the school. Unfortunately, without any aid, their wounds continue to bleed...
Hedwig swims to the shore and pulls herself up to land.
When Paddy hauls himself onto shore, he tries to staunch his wounds with his limited healing knowledge.
Jordanna quickly makes for the shore as fast as she can move.
The ship's chaplain pushes his way through the deep water to the nearest wounded, grabbing Sapphire's shoulder as he invokes the name of the Pirate Queen. "Besmara's teeth! Stop bleeding all over the damn river, woman!"
The ship's chaplain pushes his way through the deep water towards the wounded pair. Realizing it's faster for Sapphire to come to him, he stops and readies a healing cant.
"Besmara's teeth! Get over here if you want to stop bleeding all over the damn river, woman!"
Saph says two words in Draconic, and looks ready to make a desperate leap toward the healer—if rapid blood loss doesn’t cause her to pass out first!
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Doma continues pressing through the water, stroking with her arms like she's swimming as her feet push against the silty bottom. She manages to pull ahead of Murillo, next to where Saph is returning .
Once Saph reaches the surly healer, he touches her and his healing power puts an end to the frightening bloodloss.
Saph is relieved as she feels her wounds close up—not nearly all, but the femoral artery seems to be reconnected. “Thanks for that, Murillo,” she says as she turns in the opposite direction, hoping to get out of the water before more piranhas come.
After a few tense moments of struggling and swimming, everyone ends up on the narrow peninsula between the two sections of river relatively safely.
Saph sits down somewhere relatively dry, not really caring about mud on her pants given all the holes and bloodstains on her outfit. She hopes to be healed more, but of course Paddy’s wounds need tending to.
She says to Hedy, “I see I ain’t the only one with an icy touch. Is it magic?”
Hedy is frowning into the river like she'd like to set the entire thing on fire but is distracted by the question. Without looking away she answers "Part of being an Undine. Water genie blood and all." her hand resting on her hilt starts coating the thing in heavy frost.
As nothing is jumping out to attack them, she sighs, turning toward her current and future crew. "Good job not making a racket, but they probably know we're coming anyway. Murillo, can you see to Paddy? "
“Water genie blood? Huh. I supposedly got angel blood. Well… the piranhas probably have more angel blood than I do.
“But the icy fists are from what Master Lam taught me—though his attacks had lightning. I’ll tell you about him later.” She seems pretty adamant about this, and maybe a little nervous at the same time.
She looks over at Lizzie. <I’m glad you didn’t get bit. You doing okay? I hope you’re not nervous.>
"We're a bunch of muddy bloodied misfits." she smiles "But that is what makes us so damned yummy, doesn't it?"
"Okay, Murillo, make sure everyone is as fixed as we can expect, and we're off again."
Murillo chants a quick prayer over each of the wounded, then returns muttering to Sapphire. My Queen doesn't seem to favor this blue one.
"They're as good as I'm going to make 'em, Captain."
"Good job, sir." looking at her crew "Now to be the heroes! And get paid."
"Oh, a divine healer! Lucky to have ya around then, eh? To who are ye so devoted, Murillo lad?"
Paddy takes his pistol out of his waterproof bag and re-holsters it. Then its back to the grindstone as they prepare for grand adventure, and plausible death.
"I serve the Pirate Queen, Paddy-boy," Murillo replies to the dwarf. Then, to the party at large, "Aye, Captain! Let's form up and move out." The chaplain waits to take his place at rearguard.
<I am unhurt> Lizzie answers as the unlikely band of freedom-fighters arranges themselves back into their previous formation. Where the river below the makeshift dam was running low, leaving a muddy path along its bank, here it it unusually high, forcing the party to trudge through the jungle. The going is slow.
True to the lizardwoman's estimate, nearly ten minutes go by before the jungle parts revealing a swampy pool, presumably the first of the queen's homes. There is no naga-queen here, however, but rather a quartet of lizardmen armed with longspears and greatclubs. Lizzie freezes, careful to maintain eye contact with the warriors, and whispers to Saph, <these are some of the ones I told you about, who will support the queen as long as they believe she will win...>
"Praise be." Paddy answers to Murillo.
---------------------------
Paddy remains calm. His fingers lightly graze the handle of his pistol, teasing for a quickdraw. He eyes the lizardfolk, grinning slightly when he notices their eyes aren't forward facing. Perhaps they have a blind spot he could take advantage of. An invisible jungle tumbleweed rolls on by.
"Cap'n." Paddy murmurs. "Time fer talkin, or shootin?"
Saph smiles, <I’m glad you’re not hurt. I’ll do my best to keep you that way. Please stay close.>
_____
Saph holds up a hand, signaling that she needs a moment. She whispers back to Lizzie, <Are they your people or your oppressors?
<You know exactly what I mean.>
If Lizzie is having a hard time with this, Saph adds, <Think of the innocent ones in your tribe. I’m happy to protect you and the innocent. Those who would sacrifice the innocent in favor of strength… strength is the only language they know. And if they have been willing participants in carrying out punishments, then you know the truth already:
<They are not your people. And even when the Queen falls, they will betray you to the next tyrant instead of protecting you.>
"Talking if we can, shooting if that don't work." Hedy tells the dwarf.
Moving up next to Saph without her hands on her weapons, she'll ask for a translation. Assuming Saph does, "the whole next tyrant things can be dealt with later, don't you think. So are they here to stop us from Talking or here to lead us to the talking?""
Saph nods. She assures both Hedy and Lizzie (in different languages), “Words first. But I suggest I be the only one with no weapon in hand, and we don’t point them. Yet.”
<We’re here about the dam, but this lovely woman from your tribe explained the situation. So the dam remains intact. We won’t act until we see your queen.
<You’ll lead us to her.> This isn’t a question. Saph was sweet to the lizard woman. To these, she speaks as a warrior. The fact she’s covered in bloodstained clothes with barely a scratch on her may add to the image.
She honestly would prefer to kill all four, but doing what her captain asked (and doing it well) takes precedence. So she gives that show of strength: in her eyes, her tone… and yes, her ability to be diplomatic—calm, when she’d rather be murderous—is that not strength?
<All our tribe are one people!> Lizzie answers so vehemently that it's unclear if she's mad at Saph's question or somehow accusing her brethren- perhaps some combination of the two.
<Our queen ordered the dam built> one of the warriors calls back, <so that she could live among us and lead us to a great future--to make our tribe strong--and the new river bend is full of fish! Why would any of us want the dam to be broken?>
Saph is unfazed by Lizzie’s reply. She simply nods—
—and her effort at Diplomacy is not in vain. She uses Lizzie’s words.
<The brave Huntress here says all your tribe are one people.
<Are you really? I wonder.> Saph gestures to Lizzie, <This girl… she is strong. I’ve known a lot of strong women, but she is everything I expected of a descendant of dragons.
<A dragon doesn’t need a snake to make her strong. Especially not one who murdered your great shaman, and now doles out punishments! Your people are harmed and humiliated when the water isn’t wet enough or the genuflections aren’t submissive enough. Do your people look strong when they get punished? What about the cowards who let it happen? Where is this strength you speak of?!
<And when is this great future supposed to happen?! Your present sucks. This queen isn’t making you strong. She’s made you her slaves.>
Saph makes eye contact with each of the four.
<Let us show you true strength by avenging your shaman.>
Murillo scratches the bites on the back of his neck as the diplomacy unfolds. If the piranha don't get me, these damn bugs will.
Hedy tries to get a read on lizard warriors to see if any of this is working or should her crew just get to killing.
<Kryxthis is not strong> one of the greatclub wielding lizardmen calls back, <she is a weak warrior, and if you think she is strong you must be weak warriors too!>
Saph steps forward, arms spread. She then points one hand to the mouthy one. <Then drop your stick and wrestle me. Feel my strength. I’m not all talk.>
"Well now we at least know her name." Hedy points out. "Translate please."
"Your options are simply. You get out of our way so we can go see your queen. Or we can beat you, break you, chop you up into chunks and feed you to your fish... and THEN go see your queen."
"Choose quickly."
<We don't wrestle...> the same lizardman calls back with a strange reptilian sneer, <we show our strength with tooth and claw. If you wish to prove your strength, one of you may come and fight me claw to claw, and if you win we will do as you say.>
After Hedy's threat is delivered they turn and quietly murmur amongst themselves for a moment before answering, <maybe we should bring you to the queen and let her test your strength...>