Private Tales An unexpected homecoming

[Volodar]

The gulls beckoned him back out to sea, but a royal father's summons couldn't be ignored. As the drum beat out the slow pace into the grotto Volodar didn't look ahead but behind out into the open waters. It wasn't that he was displeased to make a trip home, but rather he wished he had brought more with him. He'd only taken a single whaling vessel, and he'd brought the sea's vengeance down upon it. While most reaving and pirating was done for the Storm Father, his family, the city and then profit; whaling ships were different. The sea demanded those who sought to harm her gentle children must be sought out, and drowned in her vengeance. So most of the whalers were dead or drowned leaving only a half dozen to bring home with their cargo.

With a sudden quick change the drums ordered the oars to a halt as they drifted into place. With a grimace the sea elf turned, as he scanned the vast grotto which had served as their harbor all the way back to the great flood, and the blessing. Slaves still hollowed out new areas for the growing cities below, long tunnels wide enough for the largest of vessels nestled deep into the mountains heart. It was as secure and hidden away, a great blessing of the sea.

Floating through the water the crew gathered to the deck to watch the walls of the grotto swallow the ship as they traveled down the left tunnel. The water flowed in an endless circle here, pushing any ship that came into it's flow through the left tunnel and out the right in the end. Only a handful would remain below to pull them out when they reached their city's harbor. It was maintained by priestess of the moon, but in truth the young prince was unaware of how. He was simply thankful it existed. He had enough mysteries of his own to solve. First among them of course was why he was called home so soon after leaving.

The soft step of his first mate fell in next to him his eyes weighed with the question, but the silence of the temple was too taboo to break. Nothing sounded in these tunnels but the flow of water and air. It was a holy silence, and that was not to be befouled with questions.

Still they would come. As the third oldest city of seven the wait wasn't near as long as it could be, less then an hour. It was the price for making harbor under what had once been a great mountain range. There was simply only so much you could carve out space wise until you had to move on to the next great cave. Even supported the structures had limits. The first city governed the building of harbors and handled their planning. The docking fees made their coffers fat, but they took all the risk too. If the mountain ever crumbled within the tunnels into the city would be blocked and if it collapsed completely the city below would be destroyed. The reward had left them with with the largest coffers of all seven cities though, and influence aplenty. The city couldn't deny you from the temple, but they could deny you use of the harbors within.

Finally though the great opening for Mlartlar appeared and a single strike of the drum set the rowers to pulling them away from the current. It was only when the ship emerged completely into the harbor that sound seemed to return as the crew took a collective breath. Suddenly the sound of a busy harbor hit them as the crew began to speak amongst themselves. They were as sour as their Captain to return with so little in tow. A good merchant ship or a raid would have netted more without the sea's vengeance to dispense. They were already itching to leave and they hadn't even docked yet. The deep grumbling grunt to his side said it all. No one could refuse the call of a King, not even a reaver. They didn't have to like it though.


((OOC: Hola, just kinda fleshing out over here trying to figure things out first post and all. Any issues ... please lemme know!))

 

[Volodar]

The looming form of his first mate moved like a shadow behind him as Volodar walked to stand before the ram. There would be no great revelry for this return, after all they brought little to revel about. Thus he was more then surprised to see his older brother awaiting him with a amused grin.

"Why are we here, lad? And why's your brother here to greet us? Princes don't just come down to the harbor to wait like loose skirts waiting for the next good payday."

With a short chuckle the Prince couldn't help but smile. Tasar was the oldest reaver in the house, and a high priest of the Storm Father, and it showed. The man only used titles with the King, and with Volodar in front of the crew. Everyone else fell into the category of children. The man had brought more riches and glory to the house, and the Storm Father over the years then anyone, and should by all rights still be captaining his own vessel. Instead he'd volunteered to guide the young prince as his first mate, and prepare him for the touch of the Storm. It was a deep honor.

For a sea elf Tasar stood incredibly large and it had been joked more then once his mother had slept with a sea giant. He'd never taken it as an insult or refuted the myth. The man wielded an enormous club of enchanted coral for a weapon. It never lust it's luster or colors, and no matter what it hit it didn't chip a whit. Any crew that thought the young prince was unready to command kept his mouth shut at the sight at his heavily scarred first mate. The man was a legend, and he'd earned it.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Father left it simple and vague as you heard. Return, now. There is a duty to be fulfilled. Almost thought war for a minute to be honest, but the tides lack the vibe."

A sour grunt of agreement is all he got from his first mate. Kings didn't need their orders liked, they just needed them obeyed. The captain in the sea elf understood it, but the stubborn prince in him thought he deserved more.

As the ship finally dropped anchor and the wide ramps were attached properly his crew began to drag the few slaves and goods they had off the ship. For a moment he just stared at his grinning brother as he tapped his foot in mock impatience. It wasn't bad then. Alwin would have been far more serious if there was a problem, it was just his nature. The second son had trained as a warrior and commander since birth. Both to support his brother and should the worst happen to replace him. The man's serious side kicked out in less time then it took Volodar to blink.

"Go on, lad. I'll get the ship unloaded properly and ready to go back out. Though I reckon even a dirt born could do that with this little bounty."

Volodar just nodded as an answer as long strides took him down the nearest ramp. The quartermaster should have been taking care of the unloading and preparations, but the young reaver had no doubt the old man just didn't want to get off the ship yet. It was bad luck to come back this empty.

The brothers greeted each other with clasp that lead to Alwin pulling his younger brother in and giving him a heavy clap on the back. He was grinning mischievously now ear to ear as he chuckled.

"Welcome back, brother! And no, don't ask. I'm not permitted to tell you why you've returned. I'd be digging latrines for a week father said if I ruined the surprise for you. Still it is good to see you though and mother is delighted to see you again so soon as you know. She's honored to have given birth to a reaver lord, but damned if she's made peace with how often you are away for."

With a roll of his eyes the young prince let it go and stepped towards the ledge of the pier. "Very well then, lets go so I can solve this mystery and get back out on the seas." Without another word he let his body fall into the water and dived towards one of the many tunnels that would lead him home.

 

[Merrahn Arro]

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The Skylark cut swiftly through the colourful seafoam which drifted languidly atop the Ákea'oma'o sea, its journey hastened by the bracing winds caught up in its beautiful sails. It flew the colours and emblem of the Seraahan Royal House, the legendary sky serpent on a field of pastel orange. Each sail was embroidered with golden thread which glistened in the sun, and a great many oars protruded from the hull to assist when the winds dropped.​

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It was a sight to behold, especially for a people more known for their isolationism. It had been a great many years since such a voyage had been made, and yet the crew acted as though it were in their blood.​

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Stood atop the deck, Merrahn Arro could do little more than observe the changing scenery. It would only be a few days provided the weather remained favourable, that's what the Captain had said, though where exactly they were headed had not been revealed to her. It was a source of great frustration which had the crew look upon her warily, the way many of their kind did upon witnessing her bouts of emotion. Stoicism and self-control were highly sought after virtues for Wind Elves, and anything which rocked that status quo was widely avoided for fear of offsetting the natural balance they all sought.​

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Still by now she was quite accustomed to being looked upon in such a manner. Once she might have hidden away below deck, or in her cabin, but not knowing when she'd next get such an opportunity to experience life at sea she refused to pass up the opportunity. Instead she stood brazen and bold and ignored them all.​

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Soft footsteps approached, ceasing at her right. "Beautiful, isn't it?" King Liron Arro had always had a soft and wisdom-filled voice, yet with the call of the wind so prevalent around them he sounded more as though he was whispering than seeking conversation with his child. Though reluctant to glance away from the water for even a moment, lest she miss something worthy of her awe, Merrahn turned her head and gave him the respectful attention he deserved.​

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"It seems to stretch on for an eternity" she replied, her own tone far more impassioned than his. Still, he didn't seem quite so put off by it as the rest, even her own mother had reservations around her but not Liron... Not for those reasons, at least. A proud smile and a gentle touch of her shoulder was his only response for a while, and together the pair of them watched as distant islands sprouted up then slowly disappeared in the distance.​

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It was such a magnificent vessel, even if it herded her on into the unknown...​

 

[Volodar]

The trip into the depths was far from silence, but not voice broke it. The elves of the seven cities were not natural sea elves with their range of sound in the ocean depths. Instead they'd been blessed when the waves overtook their homes by the gentlest of their gods, the Goddess of the Moon. She'd seen her children drowning in the waves of her mother and gave them breath below the waves, but she had left them their form rather then that of the natural sea elf.

So it was they spoke not again until the entered the great air pocket that housed their great city. All of the cities save one lived within these great bubbles, or a series of bubbles as some were wont. The last city had continued to delve deeper into the oceans, past even the sea gate which kept out leviathans and the ocean's other great dangers. Their colonies had indeed brought them great status, but they were more withdrawn from politics then the other cities.

Five great spires were the main access corridor to the city, but one could also swim all the way down to ground level if they wished. Bulk cargo almost always took that route to keep the spires unclogged. The central spire was restricted for access to the royal palace business, and it was naturally there that the brothers arrived. The blue in Volodar's skin seemed to deepen in hue as he left the water.

The still grinning Alwin awaited his brother without a sign of strain showing for all his speed in swimming. He'd been training since being a babe to lead the army of the city in his brother's name, and much of that meant learning to swim and fight in water. It was completely revolutionized warfare for them as a people, and entirely new axis of reality had stopped warfare for generations before another king felt secure enough in understanding it all to try again.

"Well, brother, so glad that you could join me. I'm surprised you even remember how to swim given all your time above the sea. Ah, still I suppose that makes this duty more fit for you then I anyway." the elder quipped with just a bit of dimple showing in his deepening smile.

With a flat look Volodar decided not to take his brother's bait. He wasn't going to tell him what was going on even if he'd play with the truth like a fish with a shiny object. Instead he just marched on as a courtier feel in stride with them as they walked across the smooth marbled flooring of the palace. They slowly quickened the pace as they walked each taking side long glances at the other as they slowly moved into a quick trot.

By the time they reached the throne room the courtier was literally racing ahead to announce the pair as they broke out laughing before the doors. They shared a deep bond, all the more so because there were so few they could share a bond with. One born a commander and the other a lord reaver there was expectation and structure in place before they'd even spoke their first words. They eldest brother was but a couple of years away from being a king himself and despite the fact that they did love and care for each other he was the eldest by many years and by the time Volodar came around his duties had completely swallowed him up.

As the doors opened before the pair a loud deep voice was heard calling their introduction. "And now the King calls forth his sons before the throne. Prince General Alwin of Mlartlar, and Prince Reaver Volodar of Mlartlar." So much pomp could only be their eldest brother's choice. He was keenly aware he'd been a distant brother, but he tried to share his glory with them.