Aerys Mavato 's page

Ensign Mavato crooked an eyebrow at her commander and pointed to her ear. "Beggin' your pardon, Ma'am, but were you just sayin' those sorts weren't dangerous?"

"And you're sayin' a fancy place like that is?" she asked incredulously.

LK Calendar: Uniens 24, 4210 — Starsday
Time: 1:00nf (night, 1:00am)
Darkshoal: Waning Crescent

Brightpool was already an hour beneath the waves when Darkshoal's waning crescent and the glimmer of Pinnacle Lighthouse saw The Avenger safely within Port Eldarion's harbor. Straight ahead, the light of the red moon had cast an eerie glow over Arrowhead Citadel while beyond the white marble of the palace seemed to almost shine of its own accord.

To port, the music and twinkling faerie lights amidst Tol Lonnduil's trees seemed more solemn than they had the night before, mourning for Wingilmë's passing still continuing even into the night. By contrast, further to port New Viamaré seemed just as lively and raucous as ever – perhaps moreso given the number of sailors whose shore leave had been unexpected extended by the events of the past morning.

Now flying Ilmarond's colors, the repurposed brigantine slipped quietly past the naval blockade, yet Aerys did not turn her towards the military docks. Instead, following the signals from Arrowhead, she proceeded upriver, noting the lights from Sentinel Tower as the center span of the illuminated bridge parted and tilted skywards.

"Didn't figure on visitin' the palace quite yet, Captain," she confessed.

"As you can see, Captain, orderly is the last thing on their minds and it now seems that the investigation you alluded to will come with a considerable amount of violence. Let's match their course and speed, get some lines attached with that ballista and keep the rest of their crew occupied. And since those idiots have all flown from the coop, I'll need to requisition a few of your men for a boarding party."

"Match their speed?" Aerys asked incredulously. "we're tryin' to come alongside, not go rammin' them!"

"Captain Fingel," Aerys called out, "we're gettin' close. Lookin' like another minute tops!"

"For the love of..."

Pointing to Sasha, Aerys shouted out to Lureene, "DOES SASH KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOIN'?"

LK Calendar: Uniens 23, 4210 — Lansday
Time: 0:30et (eventide, 6:30pm)
Darkshoal: Last Quarter

It had been an hour before sunset when Captain Fingel's lookout first spotted a smaller, ketch-rigged scow, and nearly sunset before a positive identification could be made thru the heat and haze. It was the Swollen Sprite.

Now, a half hour past eventide with Brightpool at her zenith and Darkshoal hovering low above the jungle, The Avenger had drawn within half a mile. "We'll be comin' alongside in 10 minutes, Captain," Aerys called out, "less if you can get them to quit gawkin' at us and heave to."

"Half a mind to go pilotin' us into a reef," she grumbled in reply.

"AWW COME ON!" Aerys cried out in distress.

From the ship's helm, a muttered, "Ah geez," could be heard. There, a half-elf whose newly lacquered cuirboilli was a perfect match to her glossy black hair gazed pleadingly at Alis. When the Captain turned her a questioning glance, she spoke up and said, "I was just thinkin' it was a fittin' prayer, Captain. That and I wasn't expectin' to be seein' Miss– uh... Princess Alis and her friends again so soon."

"I'm pilotin' the ship, Sash'," came the familiar voice of Aerys from the poop deck above where Alis was standing. With a nod to the Princess and her noble-born friends, she said, "We caught up to the other ships just as the sun was risin', but before we could go enterin' the harbor, a big trebuchet went and fired on Cap'n Fingel's lead ship. She's not sunk or anything, but I wouldn't exactly go callin' the Harrier seaworthy right now either."

"Know what kind of lookin' you're doin'..." Aerys says with a smirk, grinding her knuckles atop his head.

The gnome merely gives a wink and a nod.

"HA!" Although Mal's words had brought melancholy to the pretty half-elf's stern face, Priyya's instead bring a smile, "Yeah, I'll keep at it. Plannin' to dedicate it to Alton for savin' us, and to you for savin' me."

"Meanwhile," she says, thumping Priyya on the back before letting go, "sounds like Miss Alis or Captain Fingel might have some work for me. Be good to bein' on the sea again instead of shackled by it. Be seein' you and Mal if that brings me this way."

Aerys smirks and nods, "You've got that right! Got a lot of options I'm thinkin' about for when I reach port, but hittin' the bottle ain't one of 'em."

"Tch!" Aerys rolls her eyes and shakes her head, amused but not buying it. "Uh huh, and you'd still be terrorizin' any fool what deserves a reckonin'! You're too much."

She picks up her glass of water and gives it a shake toward's Priyya's. "Thanks for stickin' by me. Still ain't always easy, you know."

"Regrettin' what you did?"

Aerys' inquiry hits the priestess like a hammer and she starts. Beside her, the pretty, young half-elf (who admittedly was born before Priyya) gives a short laugh and thumps her friend's plate. "Dinner, Priyya, what were you thinkin' I meant?"

Blue eyes threatening to pierce her thru, Aerys growls, "Saaashaaa!!!"

Aerys frowns a bit as she wrings out a lemon wedge and waves off a bottle that Ieana offers her, nodding to Priyya instead. "Might be laughin' if it weren't the truth..."

"Amazin'... I bet you could buy a ship like this one with that!"

"Please tell me she's talkin' about treasure and not her new puppies."

Although some of you had expected to not see Ms. Mavato again until you reached Port Eldarion, apparently things had changed...

"What do you mean Priyya's not comin' along?" she had asked Nimniel. "Well sure as I'm not gettin' paid for bein' here, I don't aim to leave without wishin' her well. Captain can go pilotin' her own ship if she's in a rush!"

Aerys grits her teeth, doing her best to keep the ship headed down the channel inspite of the erratic winds. "THEM LADS NEED TO STOP GAWKIN' AND GET ROWIN'! THIS AIN'T A DAMN YACHT!"

Coughing from the foul steam of dragon's breath, she looks below fully expecting to find sea-water pouring thru a hull breach. Keeping one hand on the wheel, she jerks a finger behind her and shouts, "MAN, THAT THINGS GONNA END UP EATIN' US!"

Giving a sigh that doesn't even attempt to conceal how much she doesn't care about all of the interpersonal drama taking place around her, Aerys clears her throat and wags a finger towards the front of the ship. "Beggin' your pardon, Miss Alis, but it's lookin' like we've got company."

"What's crappy," Aerys grumbles, "is we're needin' a few more folks what know their way around a ship instead of whinin' land-lubbers!"

"Be lucky if the winds don't go drivin' us into the cliffs..."

As all heads turn to look, Isaac can just make out what appears to be a man, or perhaps angel flying towards the ship at incredible speed on wings of living flame! The entirety of his form is clad in resplendent plate armor seemingly composed of gold and copper.

Nodding twice, Aerys answers, "Aye, it's lookin' like Prince Tyralor's comin' this way in a hurry! I'm not seein' any cannon fire yet though."

With that, she kicks the charred corpse of the former helmsman aside and takes the wheel. "Uh, not to be breakin' up the reunion or nothin', but why's her highness off by her lonesome with those two mooks? Wasn't she stayin' back at the lighthouse with the professor?"

From nearby you hear a muffled groan and a woman's voice gripe, "Dagôn's arse, Sasha, is there any time you're not actin' skanky?"

You hear a firm slap and Sasha's head is thrust forward as an attractive an athletic half-elf who is almost as tall appears behind her, short, black hair plastered to her head, piercing blue eyes threatening to burn a hole thru the human woman.

With a nod to the others, and to the tall stranger, she frowns, looking at the smoking corpse behind the wheel. "Guess I'll be takin' the helm, unless there's some damn booby-trap I need to know about."

Noting the epaulettes, no the tall man's pauldron's she adds, "Name's Mavato, sir, Aerys."

Raising an eyebrow at the high-spirited antics of the others, Aerys cracks her knuckles and warns, "You two best be watchin' it. Princess or half-pint, go gettin' frisky with me and you'll be needin' to save some of that magic to set your teeth right!"

Theme: Sink or Swim!

It's not a moment later when Aerys comes running up onto the parapets and snatches up Alis' spyglass. Even as others exit onto the parapets behind her, she curses under her breath. Turning to look at Alis and Tyralor, she says, "This isn't lookin' good your highnesses. Alis, there's a Freebooter galley rowin' toward us from the east with two ships bearin' Ilmarond's flag chasin' after."

She then points to the west and says, "But that's not goin' to be the worst of it. I'm seein' two warships flyin' no flags approachin' from the west runnin' intercept!"

MAP: The Battle of Reaver's Shiv, (Round 00)

At Lureene's uncensored revelation, Alis puts forth her best effort not to blush before the towering and charismatic prince or the press of sailors and friends surrounding them. She could almost hear the sound of Miss Nim's eyebrows rising like a reef thru the surf at the remark.

Nearby, a sturdily-built, yet attractive half-elven woman who looks like she could be Lieutenant Nimniel's younger sister mutters, "Hoo boy..."

The quiet reaction standing out in the sudden awkward silence. Grimacing a bit, the woman quickly approaches and gives a clumsy curtsy to Tyralor and Alis before taking hold of Sasha's arm and saying, "Sash, you should be sharin' a drink with me and the good prince's fine lads. Surely such important folks be needin' their space anyhow, eh?"

Not brooking any protest, the athletic lady sailor with the boyish cut to her straight, black hair and sharp blue eyes pulls the red head away against her protests. It's not difficult to tell that she doesn't want her friend to risk any similar faux pas.

"OK, but..." Aerys, sets her jaw and gives a short sigh, determination and pain evident in her expression, "Well, it's just when I was seein' Jask walkin' around brand new, it got me thinkin'... hopin'..."

Shaking her head with frustration, the blue-eyed sailor, shakes her head and punches the stonework, forcing herself to smile. "Well, I'd best be gettin' on. Be seein' you, Miss Alis."

Aerys nods and turns to go before hesitating for a moment. "Say, your highness? I don't suppose Ms. d'Adora has any spells in that big book that could go bringin' Alton back, does she?"

"Wasn't wantin' to go botherin' you, Miss Alis, but I saw you had a lamp or spell burnin'. Mr. Hellhammer's got things covered top-side so you can keep on or get some shut-eye as you please."

Paling a bit at Alis' reaction, but trying to skirt around the matter, Aerys answers quickly, "Oh, it was lookin' like a smithy last I checked. Think he's buildin' a workshop!"

Aerys looks at her pensively but merely nods, still pondering the matter. Just as the princess nods and turns to go however, she snaps her fingers and says, "Oh, Mister Hellhammer would never say so, but I think he's been wonderin' if everything's ship-shape with you. I told him it was probably just old Red-Beard makin' his call, but I don't think he was catchin' the meanin'."

"Me?" she points a thumb at herself. "*Phew* I'd have to be puttin' some thought into it. Have to get a notion for it from the cut of her jib, her lines and how she tacks... the feelin' I get from her and her commission too."

Thinking hard, the raven-haired sailor puts a fist to her chin even as she cups her elbow with the other hand.

Surprise widened Aerys' blue eyes and she held her hands up before her, waving them plaintively. "Oh no sir, ma'am! There no way I could be doin' a job like that. Besides, I'd hate to be leavin' the sea behind there's... well there's answers I'm still lookin' for."

"Answers I'm expectin' aren't to be found except," she nods her head towards the open sea, "out there, not in some fancy hall gussied up like some doll."

Suddenly frowning at the implication, a hint of apology registers in Aerys' voice, "Not that I'm sayin' you or Ellie or any of them are just dolls or nothin' but– well, you love sailin' too right? You know how I mean!"

Nearby, the sound of some approaching the top of the lighthouse reached her, along with a familiar voice, spoken quietly, "Your highness? If you're noddin' off I'm happy to be takin' over watch. You've been sittin' up here all by your lonesome since Ellie and Sash' got to leavin'."

Aerys simply shrugs brusquely. "Yeah, I'll can go walkin' ya with me if that's what you're askin'. Don't suppose there's no harm in it."

She looks to the princess and asks, "Are you comin' too, Miss Alis?"

Aerys shakes her head at Gelik's letter. "Surprised he's wantin' to go sharin' the glory like that. Must have been bad if he's goin' to ask for help with a couple lookers like those two with him."

The sailor nods to Darvesch and says, "Don't you go worryin' none, Mr. Hellhammer, I can finish puttin' things back together myself, just you wait and see!"

"Aye, that's the state of it, miss professor."

"Going well. We'll have it finished up tomorrow."

Aerys nods in agreement. She tries to speak up but having a mouthful of banana at first clearly wasn't helping her enunciation. After a couple bemused looks from the other women and a look of... was it concern? from Darvesch, she swallow and gives a short whistle.

"Oof, 'scuse me there, your highness. What I was tryin' to say was we'll be gettin' it done sure enough, but it's amazin' our fingers didn't go fallin' off!" She chuckles slightly and says, "I'm thinkin' Mr. Hellhammer and I used up enough elbow grease to keep all the cogs in Ortalok turnin' today. Gods that was a lot of rust... pretty sure that lard we were usin' wasn't too savory either..."

"I'll be waitin', thanks. Goin' to wait until we reach fresh water, don't feel like havin' all that salt in my hair."

"Where I come from, it's frowned upon to use magic for frivolous things like that. If you needed a wash, you stripped, and got in a basin of water."

Aerys shrugs. "Can't say it's ever been an issue for me. Up until meetin' your crew, I wasn't exactly hangin' around folks rich enough where that was an option. They just seem to be usin' it like it's a tool like any other, hadn't really gone thinkin' about it like that, Mr. Hellhammer."

"I'll leave the rain to wash my armour. Won't stop me from bathing none. Unless you're afraid of a little sky water."

Aerys gets a chuckle out of the term 'sky water'. "We're callin' it rain up here these days. Just so's ya knows. Plus, unless I'm rememberin' wrong, wasn't it me suggestin' we get walkin' back in the rain?"

"No worries. If you want, I can wait till you're finished washing up before taking my turn."

Aerys gives the dwarf an curious glance at his odd tone and the pat he gives her. "Look, Mr Hellhammer... I appreciate you tryin' to cheer me up and all, but I'm still kinda raw over Alton gettin' killed savin' everyone. Now I'm not bearin' any ill will or nothin'. I mean Alis, Priyya, and Lureene did right by us, Sasha too. But I can't help feelin' that if it had been her highness wound up dyin' instead of one of us that they'd have been some plannin' to bring her back or somethin'. Guess that's another difference between rich folks and the rest of us..."

"Tch–" Aerys laughs, "Yeah, you 'n me both! I'm supposin' by the fact that we've been scrubbin' rust all day that you don't know any of those handy cleanin' spells like the girls do, huh?"

After working diligently for several more hours...

As the first rain drops begin to fall, Aerys says, "We should probably pack it in and get goin'. Don't need anything rustin' up again and we've already put in a long shift — these are lookin' as good as they're goin' to get. We can get workin' on the assembly tomorrow mornin'. At least the rain'll be washin' us up a bit as we're walkin'..."

Aerys takes a break from helping Darvesch scrub rust from gears and cogs to fetch them some refreshment. The tall sailor had found a large vat of lard and had handled the unpleasant task of heating several bucketful to extract oil without complaint.

Now, late in the afternoon, both their hands, arms, and faces were darkened with stinking reddish-brown grease and grime.

"Here," she says, handing the dwarf one of the waterskins she brought along, "need to be keepin' water in you in this heat or I'll be carryin' you back to camp for that tree lady to fix up."

"Not that I guess you'd be mindin', of course," she mutters with a wry grin.

"Phew!" She wipes her forhead with the back of her wrist which only spread a streak of gunk across it. "Wonder how the others are doin'. Bet that Gelik is talkin' Jask and them to death."

Aerys walks back around the balcony to the base of the light's enclosure to see a rather impressive collection of rusted gears, springs, and other parts laid out upon the stonework. "That's the best way to be startin', laying it all out."

She nods to him and slips past, moving inside the blisteringly hot enclosure within. "Just goin' to have a look for a min– LAKONUS' BALLS, THE DAMN–"

A litany of curses buffets Darvesch's ears. He sees the sailor's hand grasp a long, metal rod followed by the sound of banging and the scrape of metal against metal. Looking in, he can see her forcing open some metal jalousie windows just below the ceiling before kicking open some more near the floor.

When she reemerges, her face is covered in perspiration, her blue eyes burning. "I'm guessin' your kind don't go keepin' too many greenhouses, do they? Anyhow, I used to go climbin' up into the lighthouse of my old hometown when I was wantin' space to do some thinkin'. The old timer who kept it runnin' said I reminded him of his grand daughter. Taught me how to go maintainin' one at least. Don't worry, between you and me we'll get it workin' in no time."

Clapping Darvesch on the shoulder, she says, "I'll start lookin' for some oil. Maybe the giants had some vats for keepin' lard or the like..."

At the noise down below, Darvesch faintly hears, "You okay?" echo from higher up in the lighthouse.

However, what Darvesch uncovers gives him pause.

There, lying before him is his cousin Grimnon's waraxe, its adamantine head still encrusted with the blood of the giants he slew before the both of you were captured! One of the remaining giants must have gathered it up from where you fought on the beach and then hidden it in a different location from the rest of the equipment that was taken from you.

Suddenly from the stairs, Darvesch's reverie is broken. "Mr. Hellhammer, you weren't answerin'. Guessin' you're ok then?"

Darvesch: Unlike your original axe, this one is not magical, however it is adamantine and masterwork, and bears your grandfather Hrothgar's telltale craftsmanship.

"You offerin'?"

Aerys rolls her eyes and shakes her head, a bemused look on her face. "Dwarves, elves, humans, gnomes... You lad's are aaall the same..."

"I'll get to work without delay."

"Aye, aye, Mr. Hellhammer. Just try not to go grippin' your wrench too tight."

With that, she takes off, long legs taking the steps two at a time as she runs up the tower.

LK Calendar: Uniens 10, 4210 — Rosday (day 6)
Time: 1:00db (morning, 7:00)

Even as those back in Aycenia's grove were just getting underway, Aerys and Darvesch were arriving at their destination.

While Darvesch was not overly familiar with the jungle, the dwarf's sense of direction and adeptness at tracking kept the two free of any undesired encounters with the local wildlife. Likewise, the half-elf proved to be a strong enough swimmer to ensure Darvesch didn't drown in spite of his suggestive comment about wanting to get some help with his breast-stroke.

Aerys merely rolled her eyes a bit and the clumsy innuendo, and replied with a good-natured smirk, "Probably be best if you're gettin' some practice on your own there, Mr. Hellhammer."

Now standing in the midst of the abandoned village, the tall sailor removed her tricorn to brush the short, black her from out of her eyes. "Never thought I'd be standin' here of my own choosin'. At least it's smellin' better without those bleedin' giants everywhere..."

Looking to her much shorter compatriot then to the tall tower, she said, "I'm good to be keepin' watch long as you want. Were you wantin' to get workin' on the light, or does Miss Alis have somethin' else she's needin'?"

"Heh." This time it is Aerys who smirks. "Well fightin's not quite what I was thinkin' about. More like worryin' if it's safe to be leavin' Gelik with two good-lookin' lasses and an old man who's lackin' a certain... sense of humor."

Aerys hesitates for a moment at Darvesch's words.

He bein' sweet on me or...?

She notes the dwarf's smirk and then looks over to where the princess and her two friends are waking up and admonishes herself silently, Tch– silly girl...

"Yeah, those three don't seem to be complain' too much, do they?"

As the two start walking off together, Darvesch leading, Aerys with bow in hand, the fit brawler asks, "You thinkin' Gelik and Jask'll be gettin' along ok with those two, Mr. Hellhammer?"