Dreadlords Far Flung

[Mieri]

Alven - Near Eaglehead

"Whoever built those portal stones." Mieri said as she and the others walked down the dock towards their intended ship. "Did not build enough of them."

They had been on the road for nearly a week and a half now. Having set out from the Academy to the Falwood Portal Stone, using that to travel all the way to Dornoch, and then setting out over the Steppe to eventually reach Alven. A journey that all and all had taken eleven days, and the whole trip wasn't even close to done yet!

Now they would kick their feet off from land, and set out to a journey on the sea. Eventually, at least hopefully, reaching the Northern Island of Sarkhal.

It was, really, a rather complicated journey that no one really wanted to make. Which was of course why a bunch of Initiate's, with one senior to the others, had been sent instead of anyone important. Why had they been sent at all? To deliver a mildly important message to the city of Neus. A mission that in theory should be just about impossible to screw up, or so the Proctors had put it.

Mieri, of course, didn't mind the mission. In fact she loved the travel. It was interesting, new, and utterly thrilling! She was confident there would be something fantastic to bring back home to the others, and she couldn't wait to see Sarkhal and Neus.

So why then was she complaining? Because she had realized that if there were more Portal Stones she could have seen the rest of the world much faster. "I mean, can you guys imagine? We could see Dwarven Holds! Orc fortresses! It'd be so much faster."

"I heard some of the older kids had to go to Tyr for Kress' sake!" She "Took them like four months!"

A long wistful sigh escaped her, repeating herself once more. "It'd be so much faster!"

Mieri trailed off as they finally reached the ship which would see them to Sarkhal. It was a small thing, a sloop she thought it was called. Just large enough for all of them to fit on comfortably, with a small cabin that they could sleep in away from the elements. Crates sat on the deck, supplies for their week long journey at sea.

"Ah well." Mieri said, slinging her pack off her shoulders and tossing it onto the ship. "At least we'll get some nice views!"

She chirped, hopping onto the boat.

 

[Draven Helmer]

it seemed Draven had been stuck on babysitting duty, that was what this mission was why they needed to send any initiate was beyond him if this message was so important then why did they send them when they would slow the whole thing down, the tactical genius of the proctors and the guard's officers were beyond him.

This mieri sure was a talkative one, seems she just spoke whatever came to hear head at the time, he had let the initiates do most of the talking to her because he didn't have the energy to keep up with her except if had to which he would just simply agree and let her go off again.

"ah yes, nice views of the water, more water and would you guess it more water." he wasn't, particularly thrilled with being on a boat with nothing to do but stop a bunch of kids from killing themselves or each other. sounded like a grand old time. "get your arse on the boat and your sleep quarters situated, we live as soon as possible." he barked over his shoulder as he board the boat to the initiates.

 

[Zinnia]

Initially the prospect of getting away from the Academy for awhile was kind of exciting for Zinnia. Seeing the world outside of Vel Anir was not something she'd gotten to do much of yet. The trek, however, had been arduous so far, and not all of the company was...agreeable.

Mieri was nice for the most part, but practically Zinnia's antithesis when it come to how sociable she was. Zinnia just couldn't keep up with her level of energy. On top of that, Mieri really seemed to enjoy talking about some high stress topics. Dwarven holds and orc fortresses? Zinnia wasn't sure they were even supposed to want to see those things.

"I-I'm just hoping that I don't g-get--" Zinnia started to chime in before recoiling at Draven's shouting and beginning to shuffle on board. "--seasick again..."

Draven was the biggest weight on Zinnia's shoulders so far as her traveling companions went. He was...abrasive, to say the least, and the fact that he was in charge was a constant source of anxiety for Zinnia. What could have been an trip full of wander on this simple delivery was instead a stress fest, and the wear and tear was becoming quite visible on Zinnia's mien.

 

[Lumen]

"Hey Zin," Lumen lowered her voice as she stepped next to her fellow classmate. Slinging her own pack off one shoulder, her hands rummaged inside for a moment. Always Big Sis Lumen. She made sure to pack extra supplies in case the others needed it. Snacks. Some bandages. And...

"Here, got these from Marcella just in case. Ginger drops. Put 'em under your tongue and should help with any of those bleck issues. Also got some," hands dug in her pac some more. "Lavender oil." A shrug. "supposed to rub it into your temples. Wanna try one?"

Tawny-eyes flickered to Draven Helmer for a moment. Voice still only so that Zinnia could hear. "Too bad there aren't any pills for sarcastic a-holes."

Then again, Mieri was a tall glass of icy lemonade on a normal day in Amol-Kalit.

 

[Mercer Alwin]

Meiri had been talking the whole trip, every step was a bleat about this or that. It seemed she was a girl of little focus, and that just wasn't Mercer. The tall initiate had taken it upon herself to bring up the rear. She was always ready and alert, military training in her blood.

Mercer felt a sneer on her lips, but she reigned it in. This Draven, well, he thought rather highly of himself didn't he? He wasn't earning respect very quickly, and it showed on her fellow classmates faces. She would never show it, but she was protective of them. She wouldn't allow disrespect.

Mercer stepped up behind Zinnia and Lumen, tall and imposing. She folded her arms, though she had a look of approving in her steely eyes as she saw Lumen helping Zinnia. "We don't have to rely on him " She shrugged a shoulder at Draven. "We'll have each other's backs."

She stepped neatly between them and further onto the vessel, giving Meiri a short nod as she strode the length of the deck. She paused to look over the railing, waiting for the next length of their journey to begin. It never was as simple as it sounded.

 

[Mieri]

"The sea has plenty more than just water!" Mieri said, quickly moving about the sloop and beginning to loosen various knots.

They all knew how to sail, at least a little bit. None of them were experts obviously, but the Academy had taught more than just killing. Mostly to make sure that they could get to the killing, but Mieri never really liked to think about that fact. "There's storms!"

She declared, seemingly utterly without thought about Zinnia's earlier issues with rough seas.

"Sea monsters." Mieri continued. "Oh and Pirates!"

The Initiate turned around, clapping her hands in excitement. "We might fight some actual pirates."

Now that would be fun, not to mention worthy of a souvenir.

 

[Draven Helmer]

Draven wasn't here to be nice or make friends, war and fighting are not nice, it's uncomfortable, it's loud and doesn't care for your feeling or demands and that's something they would have to understand if they were to become active dreadlords.

He closed his eyes as Mieri explained to her the reasons for her excitement, reaching out his sense to feel every piece of metal on this boat, every rivet and nail, the chain and its anchor, even the initiates' equipment and armour. the windlass for the anchor would begin to spin as the anchor was pulled from the seabed. "If we are lucky we shouldn't fight anything, only fools going looking for a fight when they don't need or have to." If he was going to be babysitting them he would at least give them advice on how not to die.

"Now do any of you know how anything about sailing?" he hoped more than one of them did because he wasn't about to become proctor and teach them how to tie knots and how to sail.

 

[Zinnia]

Zinnia perked up as she heard the voice of Lumen greet her, then perked up even more at the offer of something that might take the edge off of nautical travel.
"Yes! P-please!" She replied with a smile, graciously accepting the homeopathic offerings.

Lumen's follow-up jab earned a small giggle out of the wallflower. "I don't think Vel Anir c-could support the demand for s-something like that."

Mercer made herself known after that, and that invoked a much different response in Zinnia. "Awe" was perhaps the best descriptor. The much taller girl gave off an air of grandeur and reliability that simultaneously intimidated Zinnia and put her at ease. More than anything, she was glad that Mercer was on their side, and that she was cordial.
"Y-yeah.." Was all she managed to murmur back as she followed her onto the boat proper.

The sea has plenty more than just water!

Mieri began to dive into an excited feedback loop again at this point. Again, Zinnia couldn't understand how the girl maintained that level of energy all the time. Zinnia was a living battery and she would exhaust hours before Mieri would even consider getting tired a possibility.

"Nnnnoooo, no storms please...no amount of g-ginger will help me if we get c-caught in a storm..." Zinnia groaned. Pirates? Sure, fine. Sea monsters? Whatever. A long boat ride meant they'd likely be bored, a fight meant a break in the monotony. A storm was just a bad time waiting to happen.

Finally, Draven posed a probably-important question to the group that Zinnia didn't have a good answer to. She could tie a few knots and cook, but she'd never cared to learn the first thing about sailing. Every experience she'd had on a boat or ship had been atrocious; if she knew how to sail, that would just mean being required to do it more often. For that reason, she chose to stay quiet.

 

[Mercer Alwin]

Mercer glanced at Meiri as she dropped her own pack. Her energy was exhausting to listen to. Did she even breath between sentences? She wasn't a bad girl, and Mercer didn't dislike her, but she just never stopped talking.

Before Draven had even begun to "instruct", she had already started helping Meiri with necessary preparations. Zinnia was still struggling, and she didn't expect much help from her. She didn't mind if Lumen decided to stay by the shy girl's side. Mercer and Meiri should be able to handle on their own for now.

As Draven piped up, she gave him a side eye, her steely grey eyes narrowing. "Obviously, Draven, we do. Perhaps you could give us a hand. I mean, you are supposed to be guiding us after all." Normally she would have just done her duty, but his attitude was wearing on her, and her status made her unafraid

 

[Lumen]

Lumen had been as landlocked as one could get growing up so close to the Falwood. But like all her classes, she'd aced the sailing one. Securing her own pack on the deck, she began untying the lines securing them to the docks. Mercer had legs for miiiiiiiiles. And if Lu could have a girl crush on another in their class, Mercer would be one of them.

That girl had legs and balls to talk to a senior dreadlord like that.

Undoing the rest of the ropes that tied them to the dock, Lu called, "We're clear! So does anyone know the message that we're actually delivering?" Lumen, was naturally curious. And wondered if any of the other initiates knew what it was or if it was only grumpy Draven that even Mieri couldn't cheer up.

 

[Mieri]

"Uhh, yeah, obviously." Mieri said with a roll of her eyes to Draven, untangling one of the last two ropes which tied the ship to the dock.

They were all set to leave, having already made sure of that. There was just one member of the party they still needed. Holding the rope she glanced back at the others. Running a ship of this size was actually fairly simple, least if one person knew how to do it anyway.

"No idea." She told Lumen, glancing down the docks. "But then we're probably not supposed to know."

That was the way it always was.

Her head turned, and she loosened one hand on the rope to wave to a figure down the docks. "Aelita!"

She called. "Come on! We're ready to go."

Mieri shouted, one leg kicking against the pier so they could set off.

 

[Aelita]

A somewhat distant yell called out to the sloop, “Right! Right!”

Aelita rushed toward the soon gone boat. She pushed through a few bystanders meandering about the docks.

“Oops, ‘scuse me, sorry,” she would say as she bumped into a few people.

Before the ship could drift beyond reach, Aelita managed to catch up and leap on board.

“Ooof!” she uttered, wobbling to maintain her balance now that the vessel was freely moving about.

A new bottle of something dangled from Aelita’s waist. Her purse seemed thinner.

“Couldn’t just wait a bit?” Aelita teased Mieri as she gained some stable footing.

 

[Draven Helmer]

Draven's eyes went to mercer's as he heard her comments towards him, his eyes were cold yet held an intensity that the rest of his body didn't show, he slowly walked up to mercer his hands clasped behind his back staring into slightly taller initiates eyes.

"Perhaps if you were doing your job instead of talking back to your commander, you would have noticed the anchor didn't raise itself, that was me, instead you let your fellow initiates were picking up your slack," a warm smile crept across his face an uncanny site given his stern look. he may not be able to hurt them but he can punish them with the worst chores.

He turned to face most of the other initiates "Aelita! Zinnia! thanks to Mercer's mouth you've volunteered to swab the deck." he turned back to Mercer and whispered, "the more you back chat and provocate me, the more I'll punish them." he knew she wouldn't stop if she were punished, she probably sees it as she was right, now her fellow initiates being punished for her actions? now that's a different barrel of fish, of course, that's if she cared about them.

 

[Zinnia]

Despair already etched over Zinnia's face, a healthy dose of resignation and regret were injected into the mix as she shambled past the others and grabbed a mop. She guessed this was her life now. The illustrious Dreadlord, wiping down the deck of a boat while trying not to lose her lunch. Truly legend worthy.

"I d-don't understand how you c-can be so exc-cited, Mieri..." She mumbled. Then another, nearly just as excitable figure hopped aboard, nearly having missed the boat. Aelita. Good to have her along, she supposed.

At least the swabbing gave her something to focus on that wasn't the open water, and if she was doing this it meant she (hopefully) wouldn't have to be tending to more intensive tasks. Oh well.

 

[Aelita]

Not even a minute could pass before Aelita received punishment in someone else’s stead.

Though Aelita’s response was to softly say aloud, “Swab the deck? I heard that’s important for a boat.”

Leaning over toward Zinnia as she eyed the mop, Aelita whispered, “What exactly is swabbing the deck?”

No records existed of Aelita sailing abroad.

Whether Aelita got her answer or not, she eventually went to the cabins first to drop off her luggage and claim a bed.

Then, she would go to work. Swabbing the deck.

 

[Mercer Alwin]

Mercer stared down at Draven as he approached her, stony eyes and an expressionless face would be all that he got from her. Commander? That is absolutely laughable. Mercer had grown up among real men of the Vel Anir military, all Draven had was a bad attitude that was going to get them nowhere.

She cocked her head at his mention of picking up her slack, he obviously didn't have eyes. It didn't matter, she'd pay him back in kind somewhere along the line.

"Why not kill him here and now, let me out, I'll show him some manners"

Mercer shut the demon's cackle from her mind, murder was always on his list. Still, she merely nodded at Draven, turning away from him to continue her task. His time would come, now was not the place. Mercer made a mental note to make it up to the other girls, especially sweet Zinnia.

Draven Helmer Mieri Aelita Zinnia

 

[Lumen]

Aelita had Zinnia.

Zinnia had Mieri.

Draven had a whole boat of females to deal with.

Perhaps Lumen could sense the inner struggle with Mercer. Well, probably anyone could with that look on the tall girl's face. Or maybe Lumen was just excited to talk to long-legs. FFS. How did she not have a girlfriend already?!

There was a reason she'd made Ysobel's wall.

And if the other girls needed it, Lumen would step in to help them with swabbing of decks. Manual labor never really bothered her, especially when it was done as a team. "Hey Merc. I feel like we've never really chatted, beyond class. Maybe grunting at each other on the training fields. Y'know. That doesn't count." She stowed her stuff away and turned around, looking up at the tall amazon.

"So where are you from?"

 

[Mieri]

Mieri hopped down off the railing, taking two long steps directly towards Zinnia and giving her a hearty slap on the back. "Uhh, cause it's AWESOME!"

The girl declared loudly, still never having mastered her volume control.

As she began to console her fellow Initiate, the ship began to drift away from the dock. Fingers quickly went to unfurling sails, and within just a few moments they set off upon their journey. The outgoing tide dragging them from the port and seeing them out to the open sea.

"Don't you ever get sick of the Academy?" She asked Zinnia as she worked on adjusting the sails. "The stuffy walls, the classrooms, the Proctors staring at you like you're last weeks meat."

Mieri made a face. "This is adventure. Fun."

Instead of studying they were out in the world. DOING THINGS. "I mean just imagine if we get captured by Pirates! How cool would that be?!"

She practically beamed.

"I've never met a pirate, but their stories are the best." The pugilist continued as she tied off the final sail and their ship floated out of the harbor proper.

 

[Zinnia]

“What exactly is swabbing the deck?”

Zinnia would never death glare one of her fellow initiates, but she would definitely squint very judgmentally at one. Thankfully she didn't need to verbally answer Aelita, instead just giving a waving gesture of her hand at the mop, the bucket, and the wet spot on the ground beside her.

Subsequently she let out a hearty *OOF* as Mieri clapped her back. Sheesh, she hadn't been struck like that since that Pembroke boy had tried encouraging her in sparring a while back. Lords and ladies, the energy of this girl. Zinnia envied her, truth be told. She was so outgoing and open and free. Things that Zinnia could never truly be. She smiled weakly all the same.

"I...actually d-do like the Academy. It's h-home, f-for all of us," Zinnia seemed wistful as she answered, dutifully wiping the mop across the deck as she did. "B-but I suppose I can see the ap-p-peal of getting out and exploring once in a w-while."

As the ship began to sail out into the open water, Zinnia popped a ginger drop into her mouth. Best start early so she could avoid the brunt of the nausea that was sure to come. She hated to be a killjoy, but getting captured by pirates? That would be disastrous. She didn't even want to think about pirates strong enough to capture a group of fledgling Dreadlords, initiates or not.
"No, n-no, I don't th-think that would be very f-fun at all. W-we'll be r-ransom at best, Mieri..."

 

[Draven Helmer]

Draven breathed a sigh of frustration, why did command have to send him with a group of girls was this test of some kind? Gods, he hoped so because if it wasn't he might kill someone. he was about to order the unfurling sails when Mieri had already started least she put enthusiasm into her work and was competent. something he could respect.

Draven made his way to the helm, pulling a compass from his pocket and looking at it as he turned the wheel into direct of their plotted course, once night arrives he would need to check their position. "Meiri, do not be wishing for the failure of our mission, best case scenario is we are there and back with no trouble. but given your proactive nature and you seem to know what you are doing, you're going to be my first mate."

 

[Mercer Alwin]

Mercer had only just turned from Draven to resume prepping when Lumen caught her ear. She tilted her head slightly to acknowledge the other girl, though it was mindless chatter, she felt Lumen intended to try and make friends. The distraction was enough to cool the molten steel of her gaze on Draven's back.

"Born and raised in Vel Anir. My house is under that of Virak. I'm certain you are aware of the house." It wasn't meant to be condescending, merely a matter of fact. "I was put into the academy very young, the advantage of being in a noble house."

Mercer turned slightly as Meiri ramped up on more excited chatter. She smirked at Lumen. "I highly doubt pirates would be able to capture us, let alone survive the encounter."

 

[Lumen]

Oh dear. Mieri as first mate.

Draven was the lone male among a boat full of teenage girls. Lumen may have a felt a teeny-tiny bit of sympathy for him. Just a nuggetsworth.

An encouraging look to Zinnia with a smirk to match Mercer’s. “If anything, we’d capture the pirates. Duh.” A beat before she started climbing the mast to the crow’s nest. Might as well be a lookout. Plus then she’d have a moment where she would be eye-level with Mercer. And then taller!

“I always forget that our class has so many nobles. What’re the odds?”

 

[Aelita]

Eventually, Aelita and Zinnia were off swabbing the deck. As she was near the end of her task at her part of the ship, Aelita heard Meiri’s musings on being captured by pirates.

“I, too, prefer to not be captured by pirates.”

Then after Lumen’s comment about there being a lot of nobles in their cohort, Aelita added, “Yeah, some of us wouldn’t ransom for anything.”

 

[Mieri]

"Duh.. We can't lose." Mieri said in agreement with others, everyone already obviously knowing they would be the ones to beat up the pirates. Not the other way around.

She was certain that whatever trouble they encountered could be soundly beaten by a collection of such prodigious and wondrous Initiates such as them. She looked over towards Zinna, offering a wide beaming smile. "See? Even our leader is making the right decisions."

Mieri reached out and grabbed an insivible hat on her head, turning it and giving a dramatic flair.

"Don't say that, Aelita." She said, hopping down from her spot besides Zinna and walking towards the front of the small boat.

"As your new first mate I'd pay plenty of ransom for you." Mieri continued. "Not that we'll have to worry about that."

She said, turning around towards Draven and offering him a reassuring wink. "I'm sure everything will be just fine."

Her words came a as a crack of thunder rang out in the distance.

 

[Zinnia]

“I always forget that our class has so many nobles. What’re the odds?”

Zinnia pursed her lips and squinted at the deck of the ship in irritation as she swabbed. As if she needed any kind of reminder of that fact. Several of them very much seemed to enjoy rubbing it in.
"Mmmmmyep." She muttered. At the very least, Mercer didn't generally seem the type to go boasting and grinding Zinnia's nose in her own social status.

“Yeah, some of us wouldn’t ransom for anything.”

This time Zinnia remained quiet. She knew that an orphan like her wouldn't ransom for anything, but she would sell well, and that wasn't anything she wanted to discuss with anyone. Better to leave it alone.

Mieri, meanwhile, announced that everything would be fine and the universe gave its thunderous reply.
"N-never tempt f-fate, Mieri, you should kn-now that much..."