Private Tales Mind the Swells

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer

Falerumasa

Parlour- Merrow Strait
Messages
53
Character Biography
Link
The ship's captain was content with the haul they had managed to salvage from the small merchants vessel that they had run ashore. Having managed to convince the poor fool to part with his goods instead of his life, Dumont was not kind enough to leave the small boat intact however. Dragging the small vessel out into the open water and setting it ablaze, they left the crew to fend for themselves on the land.

It has become a trademark of Dumont to burn the boats of those he had plundered. Proclaiming loudly that he was the master of the waters between Elbion and Alliria, even if they made sure to avoid the naval boats of both places.

“Hit the shoreline on the other side of the bay and we'll settle in to divide what we have.” the man bellowed. The excited roar of his crew made him laugh as they set about their task as he stared off to watch the flames of the scuttled boat. A small chuckle of satisfaction was cut short by an odd set of swells that lapped at his boat, and seemed to come from the direction of the burning ship.

He tried to focus his eyes in the failing light of day to see what was happening before his attention was drawn to the deck.

Eleanor!?” One of his men shouted suddenly, his body half over the railing of the boat and looking into the waters below.

“Come Heath! I have missed you so! Why have you been away so long?” A sweet voice called from the side as most everyone in sight looked to one another in alarm and confusion. Even Dumont could not help but be curious as to what had called to the man, now so visibly torn between jumping into the water after the voice and staying on the ship.

“Stay on deck you idiot!” Dumont roared as he strode to see what was happening, cut short in his movements by more men swiftly moving to the edge and calling names. His crew had suddenly gone mad it had seemed. They had been home mere months ago to sell off their latest plunder and here they were, calling to loved ones already.

“I said get back you lo-!” Dumont demanded as a voice called for him.

“My sweet Dumont. Why did you leave me alone?” A singsong voice called to him. He stormed to the side away from the burning vessel and saw something his rational mind knew to be impossible. In the water a mere few feet from him was Sandra, his late wife. He rubbed his eyes as her slender hand reached up towards him, her face full of sorrow as he gazed upon her once more. Her bare skin shone in the little light that was cast from the horizon as he leaned closer.

“Come to me darling, please.” she called for him. His mouth opened to speak as fire erupted down the side of the boat, sending all of the gathered forms back into the water. The men reeled back as Walton huffed from effort.

“You idiots! Don't be fooled! They’re siren's!” the mage yelled hopelessly as the female voices called again. A few of the men could not resist the temptation as Walton yelled once more at them. Dumont was left floundering as the mage again launched fire at the figures. Twin screams were his reward as the floundered for a moment on the surface before dipping into the water and out of sight.

The captain blinked a few times in disbelief before turning away, unable to shake the image of his wife's face from his mind. If they were truly sirens, he now had a deathly clear understanding of the legends he had heard about the men that fell victim to them.

His gaze fell upon the boat in the distance once more, trying to shake the grip the voice had on him when he noticed something. Or rather the lack of something. The fire in the distance was no longer roaring, as if it had been doused. His eyes squinted, the sudden bulge in the water made the fine hairs on his neck stand. A pair of orange eyes glared through the water at him as the sudden surge of water sank and the glowing orbs that held his gaze went with it.

“Walton! Something bigger is comin!” Dumont yelled. When Walton stood next to him, it took them too long to realize the utter silence that had crept upon them. A few of the men looked about, unsure as to what the captain had been speaking about a moment before.

“I thought-” Walton began before the water next to the boat erupted in a torrentus spray. The ship rocked from the proximity and the air filled with the rushing of wind as a figure spun up next to them.

The last tendrils of light began to blink out on the horizon as the orange eyes began to become the only light visible. Dumont violently shook as Walton stared in awe struck horror at the behemoth that gazed back at them. A low rumble vibrated the boat as the men began to scramble for something, anything to launch or throw at the thing that had presented itself.

Dumont could not break away from orbs that locked eyes with him as the mage shook his arm.

“Captain!” Walton called as one final shudder forced him to turn.

The roar of the creature before them dropped everyone to the deck in an attempt to cover their ears to block out the painful shock of it’s call. Bedlam took the ship as some dove off the side, snatched quickly by the waiting siren’s with a fervor that did little to show how spiteful they had become with the maiming of their sisters.

The orange globes watched for a moment before easing it’s mass back into the water silently and taking to the stern of the boat. It was none to gentle about pushing the ship along as it moved the boat towards a formation of land that would catch the hull and beach the thing.

Those that had stood since the creature had gone below water were thrown to the deck once more when the ship began to change course. The sails did nothing to stop the movement as they caught the wind on their face. Once accustomed to the movement, those that could stood and tried to shake off the disorienting ring that held their hearing.

“Walton! Get that thing off us!” Dumont wailed as he helped another crew member to their feet. Walton scurried to the cabin before headed to the helm. He stared at the amount of water being moved behind them with ease, mute horror taking him for a brief second as he pulled out a scroll and began pouring magic into the item. The scroll crackled for a moment as a bolt only seen made by nature arced from the mage’s hands and struck out at the water behind them.

Electricity danced along the surface as the creature writhed for a time, the sudden lurch of the boat fighting the forward momentum throwing the mage against the rail. The scroll burned as it fell over into the water and as he watched it go, noticed siren’s staring up at him.

“By the gods.” He muttered to himself, looking back up in time as the orange globes rose out of the water and a mouth opened. He did not see the siren’s part, gaze fixed on the two sets of teeth greeted him as the lower jaw stayed in the water. The boat lurched backwards as the water behind them was quickly drawn away, the back of the creature surfacing. Blood gushed from the things back as it’s mouth snapped shut, launching the boat forward as a jet of water punched through the back of the boat.

Pushed forward once more, the men being thrown off at times while those that could held onto what gave their hands purchase. The deck was a mess of water, crying men, and the happy cackles of siren’s no longer hiding their true voices. The sounds were similar to undoing the wrapping of packages with a fervor.

The hull groaned as it caught on the rocks hidden below the surface, a small ring shaped crop of rocks jutting from the surface the only warning of what lay below.

“Abandon ship!” Dumont called to those that remained. He went for his cabin as men began to look over the edge and weigh their options. Eyes glinted in the darkening waters below them, watching and waiting for them.

The captain and mage met in the cabin, the back wall opening as they both pushed the small raft out and into the water below. A few of the eyes shifted from the gunwhale towards the stern, and some of the glints faded out as men began to jump.



Gytera watched from below the water as the boat flopped into the water, waiting for their quarry to follow behind it. Two of their sisters wailed in the depths, the burns across their bodies nearly killing them before they had fallen back into the water. Her sisters surrounded the boat, hoping to catch the majority of the men still aboard.

Those that had already broke the water were dealt with, the plants in the deeper water being fashioned into makeshift lashings that held the floating weights down. All of them had struggled, but to no avail in the waters that the siren’s called home.

A handful of them broke away as the large figure of their protector slowly sank into the depths. They couldn’t feel it breath, water’s still as the occasional shudder being the only sign of their champion being awake.

Falerumasa! Shift so we may aid you!” Yvren cried in faerie tongue as the dragons head swung about slowly to look to the siren. They were shrimp compared to the leviathan that slowly sank below, the waters stained with it’s blood. They could see a large swath of the water full of the life giving liquid, and were terrified at the prospect of a lowly human cutting down such a great being. A heaving sigh came from the being before water swirled around it. The water vanished to reveal it’s smaller form, the siren’s straying away before closing in on the similarly sized body the dragon had shifted to.

Dragging the body to the surface of the water, their sisters busy with the men did not deviate from their task. Those tending to the dragon worked quickly, some diving to the depths in similar fashion to those bringing men with them as they ripped free the plants from the ocean floor.

Yvren worked hurriedly, her magick weaving into the gray skin on the female body before her in an attempt to sow up the gash that claimed territory from shoulder to lower back. It may have been a trick of the eye, but it hadn't seemed so large a wound on the dragon. The right side of her back now though was split open from spine to nearly halfway to her front.

Her magick was not enough as a few of her sisters returned with the plants. They soaked the slimy green tendrils in magick as they carefully placed them over the spots Yvren had managed to pull together.

Blood poured over their webbed hands, the arms of their protector placed on the rocks to hold them in place while the siren’s worked. Siren’s had changed places in order to continue bringing fresh magick to their protector, the flurry of workers never fumbling to move out of the way or continue the weaving of wounds. Their panic was nearly rightful as the dragon’s breathing ceased when the last few spots of open wound changed to a soft pink and closed skin. The sighing breath brought them immense relief that fed into their rage as they looked to Gytera for direction.

She and another sister had waited for the two humans to be nearly halfway to shore before springing up the sides of the tiny boat. To their displeasure, the captain seemed almost aware of them as he swung something at them. It sizzled as it came close to them, their shiny eyes wide with alarm at the presence of iron. The other siren found purchase though as she drug the mage into the waters below.

He proved a far more worthy fighter than the other men as Gytera had to assist her sister in dragging him down. She warned the others from attempting to grab the captain and instead pointed them to the boat.

The plan Falerumasa formulated had very nearly worked. Unexpected things such as the mage along with the iron had been the only oversights that none of them could have planned for. They had stalked their prey for almost two months now, listening, waiting, and planning. They had gathered names, memorized the faces and habits.

All of that had come to this night and their attempt to remove the human that had been littering their waters with corpses and burned out hulls. Humans only tread the surface, and once something was out of sight, they were quick to forget it ever existed. The same could not be said for those that called the water below home.

Wreckage ruined seaweed beds and disturbed the fish that lived around them. Some would make use of the wooden corpses. The other beings however found the sights distasteful. Especially when the perpetrator claimed to own the waters.

The small boat hit beach as the sirens hissed in warning towards the shore. A few others had swam to saftey successfully, the time between the sisters diving and returning to the surface long enough to allow a few to flee.

Gytera and Yvren kept watchful eyes upon Falerumasa all the night as day began to break. The others that had gathered dispersed back to where they called home, leaving these three Carefully bathing the exposed dragon in water to keep her skin from drying out. Being this small made it easier to heal, but being asleep made it impossible for her to shift from breathing above water to below water.

They wouldn’t rouse her to shift back though, as the healing skin was still fresh and tender. Shifting the first time had opened the wound worse than what she had first received. Changing forms would have undone their work, and they all were far too exhausted to attempt another rescue of that scale once more.

Ithyk was tasked with keeping watch of the dragon while the other two slept and ate their fill. The ship hadn’t moved from the rock, even after the stern had been blown nearly completely out and filled with water. Debris filled the space between the beached ship and the smaller burned boat that was floating freely now.

Ithyk swam about the dragon’s weakened form, keeping curious fish at bay as the large swath of bloody water came into plain view with the light of day. Time slowly crept by and the siren could not help but hope that Falerumasa would wake soon. Boredom was chipping away at the siren’s young sense of self control. Her mother had tasked her with this, but she too was hungry and becoming tired.

She looked about the waters below them and was confident she could sneak away for a time to get her fill and return before either noticed. She checked the dragon once more, her gray form a stark contrast to the nearly white rocks that they had placed her on. The plants were aiding the skin, but the magick imbued into them had nearly been spent.

Once more shooing away curious fish and giving the protector a final bathing in water, the young siren swam below into the depths. Sunlight was unable to reach this deep so fresh in the morning, a boon to Ithyk’s sneaking away. A bane though as the siren was unable to watch for anything passing by, even with her excellent vision.
 
The first few days of their trip had been… decidedly unremarkable. The weather was pleasant, they’d seen no other ships within any notable distance, and they seemed to slip right through and out of the more packed traffic around the city with no real issues. They were sailing into deeper water, and, despite Kes’s protests, Gavin had taught the thief how to sail the small ship.

Probably just so he could nap, Kes thought from her position at the helm, glancing at the hammock that held the slumbering captain, before smiling faintly. They’d spent several hours earlier in the day fishing to add to their supplies as well as for something for “an offering”. Gavin had vaguely alluded to it, but before Kes could fully question what he meant he’d handed her her pole and bait and down to business they’d gotten. After several days of an endless litany of all the things the half-elf didn't know, she was grateful for an activity that not only she was already familiar with, but also pretty good at.

The fish had bit readily and it hadn’t taken long to get enough for the time being, something that Kes found herself distinctly glad for. It’d been only a short period of time since they’d escaped Alliria, but the familiar act of fishing made the half-elf keenly aware of the last time she’d sat and fished all day. Instead of the city in front of her and her brothers and sisters on either side of her, however, it was just the incredible stretch of water before her and, at her side, one confusingly complicated stranger. Certainly not where she would have ever even dreamed she’d be…

Kes had volunteered to take up the wheel once more, while the weather was perfect and the sailing was easy. It’d been straight forward, and she was finding that she rather enjoyed sailing… at least, at first.

The first thing out of the ordinary was what looked like a smudge in the water ahead of them, like a cloud one would see in the sky only underneath the surface. It was directly in front of the bearing that Gavin had given her -- keeping parallel to the shore on one side of them without getting too close. There were birds, too, loud ones screaming in the clouds above… and then bits of rubbish in the water. The moment there was the thud of a floating barrel bumping into and spinning off the boat, Kes decided this probably wasn’t something exactly normal.

“Gavin,” she called, her amethyst eyes skimming the shore. She knew what blood in the water looked like, now that they were up on it, and even though it seemed like a large cloud that was almost disappeared with the movement of the water, that was a daunting amount of blood.

Wait, was that --?

“C’mon, Cap, rise an’ shine. I think there’s a dead person out there.” She waited until he was awake and responding to her to gesture towards the white stones along shore, where her keen half-elven eyes had picked up what looked like a body laying amongst them.
 
He woke with a jolt, confused for a moment as he fought to gather the facts. He wasn't in his apartment... He wasn't on his ship... He was on a ship though. Though he wouldn't admit it, the last few days had been hard on him and it didn't help that he started this journey already wounded. Ultimately it was her voice, Kes, that brought him back from the haze he found himself in and he began to fully awake.

"Wait... A body?" He questioned, voice heavy with sleep still. He was rubbing at his left eye when he strode up to her and when he moved his hand away, he froze.

The water was thick with debris, a scene Gavin was familiar with. With no further pause he darted to the basin he used for keeping their catch and fetched a fish, snatching a large one with practiced hands. Though upon entering the strait he had been sure to drop off an offering, he knew now more then ever one was needed. Though it had sunk by the time they arrived, it seemed a ship had been scuttled. With that brought the scavengers and he was not eager for their set gaze to be set upon them. Fish held up, he took hold of the small dagger he kept sheath on his belt and made a small incision with a quick flick. The blade was cleaned on his pants legs and returned to it's sheath before he dug into his pants pockets and pulled out several small gems of various colors and sizes. It was not the most humane act but tradition and beliefs dictate he provide an offering. He began to jam the stones into the thriving fish as it thrashed in protest. Racing to the side of the boat, he tossed the offering into the water, watching as it splashed and began to step away when he swore he saw something appear on the surface to snatch up the fish. He then felt a bump along the hull of the ship that he could not simply discount.

He stood there in a daze, wondering if his eyes betrayed him before moving on. "Turn towards the shore... We're going to careen the ship... Beach her." he further explained. They had steered into a possible dangerous situation and right now, perhaps being on land would be the best move for them. Plus there was the matter of someone on the shore. Gavin began to reef the sails in order to slow their approach and now it was just a matter of seeing how this all played out. Though he didn't say much given their situation, his actions alone should have eluded to how serious this could possible be.
 
Gray beady eyes watched them as they passed. The spotted gray skin of a fat little harbor seal darting beneath the water as the human on board threw an offering. Both humans seemed to notice the dragon that was on shore, but the selkie was not concerned. It had not been a part of Falerumasa's business last night and wasn't aware that the dragon was not simply resting on the rocks. It grabbed the fish, rocketing below and flipper slapping a small magical brand on the bottom of the boat.

It spared only a glance back at the shore before swimming back to her own place in the strait. She would split the fish open, devour it, and then return to Falerumasa with a portion of the offering. The dragon had only wanted a small bit of the goodies inside, allowing those that got their respective hands on it first to get the larger share.

Ithyk was still occupied below as the waves lapped at the body on the shore, nearly unhooking the arms from their hold. The young siren was becoming more and more tired as she got her fill in the dark depths, deciding on a quick nap when she returned to the dragons side.

Another set of eyes watched the boat get closer to shore, the wet splay of green hair from where they had been on the surface of an eddy before dipping down below. The boat was blessed now, and the people aboard were likely not lacking the sense to hop on this horses back. It swam off, snapping at a few fish that ventured close enough to it. The noise from last night had drawn the attention of numerous fae, curious to see what leftovers were floating around.

The white iris's gazed at the bank, unsure of just where they were. Their back felt like fire, and her arms couldn't be felt. Sounds around them were heard but not clear enough for her to turn. Everything still hurt, an the desire to sleep and not feel were still strong. A few blinks had them slipping back into sleep for the time being, the small rise and fall of their head visible to those on the boat.

Kestrel Gavin Blackfyre
 
Last edited:
Kes had already begun to direct the boat closer to the shore -- in large part because the bulk of the debris seemed to be deeper in the water, so it was a bit of a clearer path for them. Her eyes flicked to him as he stuffed some gems in a fish and then tossed them overboard, not asking. The only thing it seemed to do was to a feed a stray seal, a high price for some gems, but she got from his demeanor there was more to the story. Not for right now, though she wasn’t the most experienced sailor (or really experienced at all) but this seemed like a situation in which action needed to happen first and then exposition later.

Besides, he hadn’t given her any reason not to trust that he knew what he was doing.

Though, her eyebrows shot up in surprise and confusion when his next instruction was to… run the ship aground? That hardly seemed safe, especially considering much of the shore was made of large, rugged boulders that she doubted the ship would really enjoy being smashed into. But there was an urgency to his voice that brooked no argument, so the half-elf spun the wheel, her eyes darting up and down the beach to try and find the most suitable place to run them aground.

There, close to the body that was being threatened to be washed away, there was a stretch of smaller rocks that sloped more gently into the water than other parts of the beach. Planting her feet, she put all of her weight into the action and swung the ship in an arc, trying not to do it too suddenly so as not to knock Gavin over or interrupt what he was doing. She had to try and line up the ship as best as possible, though, so the strongest line of the hull would hit the rocks instead of gouging out the sides of their ship.

As she maneuvered the boat, her eyes kept flicking to the woman -- for now her eyes saw that it was, in fact, a woman -- and saw something surprising to her. The woman raised her head and then lay back once again; honestly, shocking to Kes since the woman’s skin was ashen and unhealthy looking, Kes had thought her long-dead.

“Gavin, she’s alive,” she called to her companion. “Least… she will be until she gets washed back out and drowns…”

That second part was more to herself, because the shore was rapidly coming up close, and Kes was concentrating on hitting that one small patch of rocks that would hopefully not end up drowning both of them, too.

Kes didn’t really want to find out now if ‘swimming’ was as hard as it looked.
 
As Kes turned the ship towards the shore he lowered the mail sail, secured the line and then hurried to the bow of the ship, to watch as she guide them in. Thankfully the sloop was small and could afford such a maneuver with out risk of damage and besides, there was nothing of great value in their hold to weight them down either. Satisfied they would be fine, Gavin moved to the aforementioned hold to take up a satchel. He always kept such a bag at the ready, packed with bandages and healing poultice as a life at sea taught him that men of all races held the skill to get hurt any where.

Rocking with the ship as it groaned to a quick stock, he would pause and listen for further protest, hoping that that hull had not been breached. Hearing nothing more then the sound of lazy waves upon the shore, Gavin turned to Kes and spoke quickly. "We know not what caused this... So keep an eye out... Hopefully this isn't some celebrate trap we just happened upon."

Using the satchels strap, the captain slung it over his shoulder and then clambered over the side of the ship. He plunged the short distance to the wet sand below and bounced back up, scurrying off to see the lone survive. His approach was quick, believing he was going to encounter a wounded person of some familiarity however as Gavin neared, his pace slowed. His eye, the good one, was having difficulty making out what he was seeing. The form was unmistakably feminine, however the gray coloration made him rule out human. He then thought elf upon seeing he ears, pointed and long, but then they seemed different from any elf he ever saw... And then there were her limbs... And her feet. "A komodi...?" He questioned himself, wish his friend Salogan was their to correct him.

What ever the being before he was, he knew enough that she appeared wounded. He kneel beside her to check her breathing and once satisfied she was, move on to further inspect her. Picking at a section of seaweed that was stuck upon the right side of her back, Gavin realized that the plant had been used as a dressing, meaning that she had been tended too. His eye darted on the scar it covered, the flesh raised and angry in appearance. Removing the satchel and placing it down, Gavin then squirmed out of his coat and draped it over the body in a modest attempt to cover her. From what he could tell, she needed rest being that the only obvious wound had been treated. Of course he was no man of the healing arts either.
 
Last edited:
Ithyk had gazed into the inky dark to try and catch sight of where the other two had decided to sleep when a grinding sound caught her attention. Eyes darting upward, the siren swam a ways to the surface before spinning in the water to see what had made the noise. It sounded dangerously close and all to familiar to a boat beaching. She spied a dark shape in the water towards shore. The shore that Falerumasa had been on when a splash in the water made her grimace.

Sharp teeth punctuated the grimace as she floundered to come up with a solution. Her task of protection was now a failure if the humans from last night had come back. Surely though they did not know what the dragon looked like as a human? None other than the fae knew of its different form. They had challenged her to many races, even making the selkie curious to see the dragons speed in it's diminutive shape.

Wringing her hands, she thought desperately upon the situation, watching the kelpie stride away in it's glorious underwater dance. The other fae leaving without interacting had been a curious detail. Eyes squinted at the dark hull, swimming close and low as to hide in the shadows while watching the surface.

The mark of safe passage both alleviated and concerned her. In one sense, the mortals on board had remembered the old ways and saw fit to offer something for favor. In another sense, the dragons mark forbid them from doing more than actually talking to the mortal.

The breach of promised safety in these waters was something none wanted to answer to the dragon for. It kept the courts well out of their business, and either Queens attention was not something any wanted the attention of.

It was likely they wouldn't hurt the dragon. At least intentionally anyways. She would have to follow them to make sure. She kept to the shadows of the water to hide her, her eyes on the human that had come close to their protector. Predatory instincts sharply focused on the hands upon the dragon. She would watch, and wait. The feeling of being watched likely noticed by the mortal, but a staunch reminder that he was not alone.

Falerumasa stirred enough to groan, but not so much to notice the human attending her. Webbed hands flexed and the slight tilt of her head with a heaving breath a sure sign that she was well and alive.
 
Kes wasn’t far behind Gavin, lightly balancing on the railing of the beached ship with all the effortless grace of her heritage and profession; at his warning, she simply nodded tightly, an almost imperceptible shift of her hand sliding a small throwing dagger into her grasp. She liked to be prepared, especially if they were heading into a potential trap.

Dropping soundlessly to the ground behind him, she was only a few steps behind him as he knelt next to the figure -- though, at first, her eyes weren’t on the figure. She was scanning their surroundings, both land and water, her amethyst eyes sharp and attentive. There was a feeling at the back of her neck, a prickling tingling that she’d learned to trust that said someone -- something? -- was watching them. Even her keen eyesight, however, couldn’t find anything of note, and with a tilt of her wrist the knife was resheathed.

She moved around Gavin, her eyes falling to the figure that’d drawn them, taking in her grey skin and webbed feet. Not a human or elf, then.

“She’s like the water assassin that Father employs,” she said in soft wonder, forgetting herself for a moment in the face of her surprise at the woman’s features. Her fingers brushed the edge of one seaweed blade and the angry gash underneath it, before nodding briskly. “I’ll go rig something up to get her into the boat. One of the hammocks, we can wince her up.”

The woman -- creature? -- had stirred but not woken, even with Gavin’s manipulations and the sound of their voices, so that meant she needed to be tended to. Whatever had done this to her could be coming back at any point… or even watching them right now. So the half-elf moved towards the ship, swinging herself back aboard as she moved to figure out an easy way to get the woman aboard. Even if they didn’t get the boat back into the water, it was a far more defensible position than just being out and exposed on the beach, so it only made sense to take advantage of that.
 
"Water assassin..." Gavin repeated though he did note she had said father. He wasn't surprised, as he had known those who served under Drendor often referred to him as such. Much like how his crew called him captain, it seemed the crime lord ran a tight ship of his own.

"Good thinking..." Gavin called out to Kes as she moved back to the ship to devise a way of lifting Falerumasa safely. Gavin was more then sure he could simply toss the female over his shoulder but why risk causing her more harm when things seemed safe, despite the nagging feeling he was being watched.

"There are always eyes..." He muttered to himself, a old saying from one of his earlier mentors use to say. He had been taught to act as if he were always being watched, that way, you couldn't be surprised when you were caught.

Moving away from the injured female, Gavin walked all but two steps away before he was greeted with a large plank of wood. More then big enough for Falerumasa to lay comfortable upon it, he had a idea forming when Kes lowered the hammock down. Gavin then began to work quickly, plucking the board from the sand before the tide took it back out to sea. He would drag it just past her lying form before taking the hammock, moving slowly as Kes fed him the line. Next, he flatten out the fabric upon the wet sand, then moved the plank on top and stepped back to admire his work. If they just used the hammock, it would be no different then hauling a fresh catch of fist with a large net, forcing Falerumsas in a rather awkward position that Gavin doubt would be comfortable. At least this way, the plank acting out as a stretcher, would make sure the hammock retained it's shape around her as they lifted her up.

Now came the act of moving her. Making sure his coat was still in place, Gavin carefully scooped her into his arms and gingerly moved her the short distance to the plank. Careful to make sure she was centered, he inspected the knots Kes would have tied in place and found himself impressed with the half elf. Aside from her smart comments, which he now expected every three seconds, he was seeing there was more to her then he first guessed.

"Switch with me.. I'll pull her up, you keep her straight." Gavin said as he stood up and began to move.
 
Ithyk kept watch over them. She couldn't help the lurching movement she made as they moved the dragon about. The wound was still fresh, still healing. One misstep would tear open that wound bound by their magick. She had to believe they did not mean to harm her though, seeing the care they put into trying to move her body. Human arms went around the dragon, and a strike on the surface water was a tell tale sign of them not being alone.

Ithyk retreated from beneath the boat to the other side. She clung to the hull as best she could between the sand and wood, squeezing to a better spot. Human hands on the protector had inspired anger from the siren, and it was her folly that she had spring forward only to quickly spin around as her finned tail broke the surface.

Voices stirred Faleurmasa. A tongue that was commonly heard on the waters above.

Mortal voices.

The white iris blinked into the man's view as he walked away, eyes searching the sky above for answers that weren't there. She wasn't in the water anymore it seemed. Whether it was a good or bad thing was yet to be seen, not that she could do anything about it at the moment in her current state.

She turned her head a little, trying to see just what was happening around her. Who was around her. The sirens surely weren't up on the land, they despised the land.

A man's voice called to someone else, and eyes turned further to see the front part of a boat in the sand. She blinked slowly, exhaustion still holding onto her. A lot of effort for Dumont to come back and find her. If he even knew what he had laying before him. If it was Dumont even. Unsure about what all was even happening, her head lifted from the plank slowly.

"Man." her voice called, the sound like that of a great wave softly washing over a beach. Her lips parted, and the unmistakable shape of sharks teeth lined her mouth. Her deep draw of air only showcased the impressive display before her mouth closed. Her eyes held his singular eye if he turned to look at her.

"Who are you?" the gentle tide of her voice changed to the sound of waves upon rocks. Demanding and powerful, but not threatening to those that held the sea close to their heart.
 
Last edited:
Kes caught what he was planning as he laid the plank down on the hammock, a tight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Clever, that.

Before she could move to switch places with him, however, there was the sharp sound of something hitting the water close to their boat, and instantly Kes’s daggers were in her hands once more. Her amethyst eyes scanned the water’s surface, looking for any sign of what had caused the disturbance -- as the ripples that were spreading out from just beyond the hull of their boat was proof enough that something had been there. Or, was still there. They were certainly not alone…

Flicking her daggers, the blades spinning end over end, until the hilts smacked back into her palms, Kes called out, “if you try for her, you’re gonna get stabbed. Move along, splashy.”

Her amethyst eyes narrowed, waiting for any sort of response to her declaration; maybe it wasn’t wise to antagonize whomever was out there, but Kes had always been the type who would rather deal with a problem immediately than wait for someone else to ambush them. Once they moved to get the woman on board, both of them would be open to attack -- better to know if that was the case now than find out then.

The half-elf hadn’t abandoned her perch when the woman spoke, her voice as strange and ethereal as the rest of her. Kes glanced at Gavin, but the woman had spoken to him, so she didn’t interrupt. Instead, she left that to him to deal with, returning to her vigil watching for whomever -- or whatever -- was out there.
 
The splash of water gained his attention and he turned back to look towards it's source. Years at sea rewarded him with keen ears and the ship captain had grown familiar with the subtle difference of something battling waves versus something hitting water.He was in the process of moving to investigate when he heard the voice and snapped back to face Falerumasa. Curiosity knitted his brow as he looked down unsure if what he heard to be true but as she continued, he knew he hadn't imagine her calling out to him.

"I am but a simple sailor.." He was stretching the truth. "My companion and myself happened upon this scene and more importantly, you.." He would kneel beside her, movements slow and exact as to show he meant no threat. He couldn't explain it, perhaps it was sailors intuition, but he suspected there was more happening then he first realized. "Kes... Please... Remain calm and we will be just fine..." He cautioned her with out looking, suspecting the rogue was feeling on edge.

"You appear to be wounded... We were simply trying to get you on board my ship... I fear there is to much debris that might wash up and cause you further harm... Or worse, a more curious sort with least noble intentions may happen upon you... If you would allow, we can continue or if you prefer, we can provide watch for you." He was sure to speak in slow measured tones, hopefully the truth of their intentions clear otherwise he would have to add dealing with some sea oddities along side Kes and her drama. He couldn't complain though, at least opening. He did tell Kes he would help her out and it seemed his generosity was carrying over.
 
Last edited:
Movement beyond the man caught her eye as she watched small blades flick and twirl in a woman's hands. The lazy blink of her eyes brought her back to the man, choosing to not give his name and instead explaining himself. Another slow breath had her giving the man a small smile.

"You may continue, I do not care for laying out in the open, simple sailor." Falerumasa sighed as she closed her eyes. She did not fall alseep, but instead intently listened for everything around her. There seemed to be a fair bit to catch up to since last night. She did not believe that these were any part of the crew they had hunted last night, but caution was usually rewarded in kind.

-Ithyk heard the dragon speak, caught the words that she spoke. She twisted out from underneath the boat and made for deeper water. They had made an offering after all, they couldn't be that bad of mortals if they remembered the old ways. The siren swam slowly, thinking on the events of last night when she spun towards the surface once more. They didn't know this man's name, Ithyk silently hissed to herself. They could be some of the pirates crew that had been coming through the strait on a pilfered boat. Or even someone associated with him.

He could have been easily been one of Dumont's men that had come back to loot their vessel. Yellow beady eyes popped up on the surface of water behind Gavin, staying far enough away to seem like less of a threat as a voice emanated from below the water. Kes could see the eyes darting between her and the man, but the body never seemed to get closer than where they could hear. It was very likely that the simple sailor knew the sound of that voice. Even untouched by magick, the voice he heard now was something most every sailor had heard at some point in their career.

The small portion of a head that stuck out of the water did not have magick about it either. The gray colored skin a shade or two darker than the woman on the beach before them, but the spots of color and lack of hair showed the being to be something other.

"Your names, mortals? The one you tend to is the gem of these waters. You would endear yourself to us with a name." The siren called through the water. Falerumasa opened her eyes at the voice and a small smile formed. So there was one of the daughters of the water. Most of them had likely dispersed last night after the crew had been brought out of their hidey hole. But it seemed that at least a few of them remained.
 
Last edited:
Kes’s eyes flicked back to Gavin as he cautioned her to ease, pressing her lips together tightly in a displeased expression. She didn’t like guesswork; in her world, everything was pretty black and white. If they were of the Family, they were to be trusted and protected at all cost. Anyone else was an enemy, it was just a matter of time. And, usually, it was sooner rather than later, especially in the streets of Alliria. Goodwill was not exactly plentiful in the cobbles and shadows of the city.

However, she wasn’t in the Shallows anymore… and her companion certainly wasn’t part of the Family. Her normal methods of dealing with a situation weren’t exactly reliable in this situation.

She flicked her daggers once more as Gavin turned back to the woman -- creature? -- to continue to address her concerns. At least it seemed like, for the time being, the woman was willing enough to let them continue on the plan of getting them onto the ship. Kes lightly dropped down from where she was perched on the edge of the ship, making no sounds as she landed to approach the woman and Gavin and help finish what they had started --

-- at least until her eyes caught sight of the head breaking water, and the half elf straightened, her fingers brushing along the throwing daggers hidden along the hipline of her pants. It’d be hard to peg the figure from this distance, but Kes was confident in her aim… at… whatever it was. This was crazy. The woman certainly wasn’t even remotely human, and now here was some other creature, speaking through the water.

It was Gavin’s words, however, that stayed her hand, and the fact that he seemed confident that the danger wasn’t imminent.

Kestrel,” she replied, her gaze shifting to the captain for a brief moment before turning her attention to the figure in the waters. “And this is Gavin. We’re… helping. Or at least that’s the thought. The boat’s safe, a lot safer than the shore, so… Do us a favor and we’d love to not be eaten or drowned while we’re getting her aboard, right?”

She held up both her hands, showing the daggers in her grasp, and making a point of resheathing them in the sheaths against her back. Unarmed, she stepped towards the injured female once more, intending on helping Gavin get her to the plank-and-hammock set-up and into the boat… though she kept one eye and her keen hearing on the visitor in the water, whatever she was...
 
Their charge let her feelings known about being exposed and in the open so Gavin continued with his aid until a fourth voice announced itself. This was enough to cause him pause as mere suspicion became truth. The tone and accent were familiar enough that the captain did not have to look to confirm. A siren was about. It wasn't her voice that gave him pause however, but her wording. The gem of these waters... The statement echoed in his head as he looked down to Fal. Who ever she was, she seemed to have a air of importance about her, enough so to have a Siren risk exposing herself.

He was about to offer their names, as to not agitate the matter further, but Kes replied first, luckily choose to leave behind her normal, or rather what he had come to expect, saucy rebuttals in place of a simple answer. Of course as she continued speak, she added in some of the slum flare she was known for and the captain hid the grin on his face as best he could. They were certainly walking across a tight rope at the moment and she couldn't help but press their luck.

"What my companion says is true... We wish only to help... So we ask safe passage and nothing more." He said, voice loud enough to carry to the ever watchful siren.

With the help of the half elf, Gavin was able to lift Fal from the beach and unto the deck of the ship and for now, it appeared as if the dragon lady would be in safe hands. However Gaivn was never one to test his luck. He knew not the nature of the person they had just helped but had an inkling of an idea of her importance thanks to the siren. And with importance, came danger, the two going hand in hand. Aiming to gather more information, Gavin looked to Kes and spoke quickly. "See to our... Gem and she is well... I will push us off in a moment..."

Instructions given, Gavin clambered down form the deck of the ship and made his way to the bow. With enough force, he'd be able to push it back out into the water, though he knew full well he would be soaked int he process. First however, he wanted to exchange words from their audience. "Pirates...?" He asked, peeking around the bow of the ship to look to the siren, his hand swept out in a gesture towards the debris. "If so.. Were there more? We aim to sail north and eventually to Elbion... If there are more we may need to abandon those plans though... The safety of both my charges comes first after all."

He wanted to relay how genuine his actions where, as he was not only responsible for helping Kes but now taking up the cause of this person they encountered. Despite his general attitude, it appeared Gavin had a heart after all.
 
Falerumasa did not object to the hoisting onto the boat. It was a strange feeling being lifted into the air, similar but strange compared to soaring through the air in an arc above the water. She could never understand the world her mate lived in. Bound to the sea as she was, the sky seemed so far away even as she was staring up at it.

Ithyk stared at the elf as she spoke. Eyes shifting to the man before she made clear their intent. Safety among mortals was a strange concept given the events last night, but these two at least were not names she knew of from Dumont's men. Unlikely they were with him if they had come with such a small boat, and made an offering. The man spoke and drew the siren's attention, and asked for safe passage. She shifted a little in the water, much like a human would shift their feet on land when they settled into a new stance.

"You have naught to fret over from these waters. You have the dragons blessing to pass with your offering." the siren spoke, choosing to let Falerumasa reveal herself when she saw fit. They had put the her on the boat and Ithyk continued to watch when the man came back down and asked a question. Ithyk moved out of the path before addressing him.

"Yes. The captain Dumont and a few of his escaped on their legs but I would not worry about any others. That lot burned boats and threw those that made offerings into the water. We were not pleased by them." Ithyk informed him. Her tail flicked harshly in the water at the thought of Dumont. At the memory of people that honored old ways being killed and thrown to the water. It had upset the dragon most of all, and had lead them on the course that had stained the tides with guilty blood.
 
Last edited:
  • Yay
Reactions: Gavin Blackfyre
The creature in the water seemed willing to let them get the injured female aboard, so Kes moved to help Gavin accomplish that. Her daggers were always just in reach, just in case… but it seemed their ‘gem’ was content to let them settle her in on the ship of the boat, a sight safer than being nearly-dashed on the rocks of the shore. For all of them, not just the injured female now under their watch.

Gavin instructed her to see to the woman, and Kes nodded tightly in acknowledgement… then he was off and back onto the shore, leaving her to figure out what that actually entailed.

The half-elf took a moment to let her eyes sweep over the horizon -- even her keen eyesight didn’t see anything beyond the creature in the water. For now, anyway. The thief hadn’t ruled out the distinct possibility that there was a bigger trap about to spring around them... Paranoid, yes, but that paranoia had kept her alive more times than she could count. She could hear Gavin and the creature speaking, though she couldn’t quite suss out what they were saying. Gavin’s voice was even though she could hear the note of urgency underneath his controlled tone.

A moment later, she left her post, returning to the grey-skinned creature’s side. Kneeling, she lifted the flask into the female’s eyesight.

“Got water, here. Like. Drinking water. For normal people… if that’s what you need,” she offered. “What… uh…. What should we call you, then? Seems like Gavin’s partial to ‘Gem’ so if you don’t like that pet name you’d better head it off fast…” She chuckled, lightly.
 
Dumont... The name struck a chord with the ship captain and his face showed that much, his apparent anger mirroring the image of his reflection upon the water that licked at his heels. A man he should have dealt with earlier truth be told, but never was granted the chance. The pirate was selective in choosing the ships he preyed upon and in all his trips back and forth between Elbion and Alliria, the Rocinante was unmolested because she was not easy prey. Of course when you were a former warship with a reputation, passing troubled waters untested was strangely common. His paths never crossed Dumont, but he was no stranger to the tales of his deeds and Gaivn promised himself if he were ever lucky enough to meet the man, he would visit upon him a wraith usually reserved for Anirian privateers.

Unfortunately, he present condition would prevent him from taking chase. He had Kes to worry over and though he knew she could handle herself, he knew he shouldn't drag her into further trouble. And now his apparent "Gem" was another charge to watch over. His attention returned to the siren, a word she just said echoed in his mind. Dragon's blessing? Though he liked to play the part of a fool and in truth, usually kept enough whiskey at hand to help him act out the role on short notice, he was a avid reader of lore and such. He was known to visit libraries in search of answers to the strangest inquires when ever he had a moment of freedom. The knowledge he gleamed was ever helpful, be it in casual conversation or serving his endeavors, he knew well of the power of knowledge. In fact, it was how he learned of the offering and it's supposed protection from the sea dragon that controlled these waters. He thought it exaggerated, thinking the offerings were to the sirens and other merfolk in truth.. But... Was the dragon a real thing? And could it possibly be that the dragon...

He turned his gaze up to small ship, brow furrowing. Stranger things had happened to him.

"Thank you, water sister... I swear to aid in any way I can..." His gaze returned to Ithyk and he offered a bow of his head in show of respect.

Gavin then moved to pull himself up upon the deck, though only enough so his head poked over and he looked over to the pair. He was making sure Kes attended to their guest and was welcomed with the scene of the half elf asking for the dragons name... And then telling her how he, Gavin, was partial to a particular pet name. His brow furrowed further and if she looked to him, all he would do in response was mouth the word "why". He asked in a sense, why would she say that. A rather comical exchange between the pairing.

Choosing not to wait for what would undoubtedly be a smart answer, he reached over and grabbed a line that was attached to the ship and returned to the shore, leaping the small distance down and ending with a splash. The waves weren't strong at all but if they waited longer the tide was sure to come in. Bracing his shoulder against the bow of the ship, he began to push them back out to water.

"Will you.. Travel with us?" He asked Ithyk between grunts as the the ship began to budge.
 
The pair worked together, and it was to her pleasure that they were as gentle as they were with the air of worried energy around them. The woman walked away for a time, allowing Faleru to listen to Ithyk and Gavin speak. Cautious words from the young siren made Faleru smile, making an effort to remember to praise her later for it. The woman returned and offered water. Eyes held her for a moment as the smile widened a bit.

"Fresh water or salt water is welcome. You are kind to offer. You may call me Faleru. It will be easiest to speak. Though gem would be a refreshing thing to hear." She quietly informed them with a small laugh at the end, the voice now lacking the sound of power that it held once before. What they heard was pleasing to the ears, the dragons true voice in its diminutive form seeming like that of a young woman. A tiny hint of playfulness dabbled into her words that she had carefully selected.

Thanking anyone outright as a fae suggested they owed a favor to the person. Showing gratitude for an action however garnered no such price. The same applied to those that thanked fae unwittingly with thanks or apologies. Unknowingly binding themselves to that fae with the promise of a favor in the future. While she wouldn't correct them for thanking her if they saw fit, she wasn't about to hold either of them to that kind of burden without informing them. Careful balance had to be maintained to avoid the eyes of either court the fae held.

Not knowing the extent of her own injury, Faleru tried to sit up from her place on the deck. A sharp gasp of alarm and searing pain was her reward for the effort as she felt something give in her back. A tear had opened along the back of her hip, clear to the middle of her back while her eyes teared up. She flopped backward and rolled onto her side, hands tangling in the hammock and tearing beneath clawed fingers. She fought the instinct to curl into a ball, instead pushing her stomach forward to the outside as she hissed in an effort to keep from crying out. Her back eased a bit, keeping itself from opening the year anymore.

Ithyk was able to give the man a brief nod and opening her mouth to speak before she heard the dragon gasp. The siren disappeared from sight for a brief moment before hurtling out of the water next to the edge of the boat, her long slender body draping across the side as claws dug until the wood before hauling herself up to see the elf and Falerumasa. Her tail was still in the water, and the strength it took to keep herself from falling back into the water was likely impressive with only two hands on the railing to haul herself up with.

"What happened?" The siren hissed, examining the scene before her. She did not lunge for the woman, but her eyes were shapely aware of every movement she made. Something feral glinted in the beady eyes that stared at the elf as she waited for an explination, a fin fanning out along the long back of the creature. There were no legs along the slender and elongated body that Gavin could see. Another set of fins were where legs likely should have been, and the sirens gray skin was shimmering in the light as though something unseen covered it.
 
Kes’s eyes caught Gavin’s head peeking over the deck -- and apparently objecting to her generalization. She just grinned, in part because it did accomplish one of her favorite things: teasing him, and in part because he was just so damn amusing. Just as quickly as he was protesting, he was back to figuring out how to get them back in the water after Kes specifically ran them aground. Kes didn’t have time to mull on that, because the woman was introducing herself -- Faleru. Okay. Faleru. Kes could work with that.

The half-elf offered an offhanded grin. “Faleru’s nice. Weird, but nice.”

It was precisely then the grey-skinned creature went to sit up, and Kes’s “No, wait--” was cut off by an expression of anguish, punctuated by a gasp of pain, from the injured female. Even as Faleru fought to ignore her instincts to curl up, she’d have unexpected aid in that case -- ignoring the claws shredding through the hammock, the thief immediately slid one of her knees against the front of the other woman’s thighs, her hand on Faleru’s upper arm, trying to keep her from bunching up and making the wound worse.

“Don’t curl up,” she said, in a calm, but urgent voice, her hand gripping the other’s upper arm . “Just breathe. Breathe, Faleru.”

As soon as it was certain Faleru wasn’t going to curl further and open the wound worse, Kes pushed herself to her feet -- just as the creature from the ocean somehow leveraged herself to the side of the ship and started demanding an explanation. Meanwhile, said ‘Gem’ was laying on her side in the remains of what had been Kes’s hammock, bleeding all over it from a rather impressive (in the worst way) gash on her back.

“Just wait,” she snapped, hopping over the beam of the ship to where the cargo hold was. Digging through the barrels and bags, she produced what she was *pretty* sure were the medical supplies, returning to Faleru’s side. Hopefully Gavin might have a better idea of what to do, but Kes knew one thing -- stop the bleeding. Deftly she folded a square of clean canvas, pressing it to the wound and flattening her hand against it to try and apply pressure to at least slow the flow of blood.

Worried amethyst eyes darted across the deck, searching for Gavin. It was such a huge gash, could he even stitch it up? If this had happened on the street, they would have sealed it with a red hot dagger -- but that would be insanely painful, and Kes wasn’t sure they could get away with it with the protective sea-creature hanging onto the side of their ship, violence already bright in her eyes…
 
The wild symphony of different noises quickly grabbed hold of his attention and Gavin raced to see what had happened. Between Faleru's thrashing in the hammock and the clipped segments of Kes' words, Gavin was fully aware something had happened the moment the siren darted away and then took to the deck of the small ship, springing forth from the water with reckless abandonment.

Gavin was not so graceful as he clambered up yet again and took to the deck, eye wide open. "What happened?" He asked as he looked to the three on board. Kes seemed to hover over Faleru so he naturally assumed something had happened, an his assumption was made right as he neared the pair and saw Kes holding a piece of canvas which took on the color of her blood as it soaked it up. The how could come later, Gavin was more consumed with what they could do to stop the bleeding.

This was when years of being a captain came to bare as he placed his hand over Kes and he placed the other just under her chin to turn her gaze to his own. He had an unusually cool demeanor at this moment. "Steal your nerves deary... Calm your breathing."

Given Kes expression, he could tell there was an air of panic in her at that at least suggested a wound of some significance, at least a wound they couldn't help to heal given their supplies and lack of expertise. A good captain always had a plan however and Gavin was always the one to have something up his sleeve. For that plan, he needed Kes at her best.

"Sea sister... We will need to get off the beach... Do you think you can take a line and pull us out to sea? Hear we are a target, at least in open water we will fare better." Gavin asked as he pointed to a line fasten to the bow of the ship. Perhaps the siren could manage it or recruit her. He didn't care as long as they could make it out to sea.

"Alright Kes... I'm going to need you to open yourself up to me... I know you've some magic in you... You're going to allow me to tap into your magic.. And I'm going to pour it into her wound... I've only done this once... It's going to be taxing and we can very well black out. "Or worse but the last part went unsaid. "The idea is to speed up the natural healing so we can at least close her wounds.... we can do this...You can do this..." He looked to her with his one good eye as he assured her then turned his attention to Faleru. "I'm going to be honest.. This will not be pleasant... I suggest bundling a piece of the hammock to bite down on..." He warned the dragon before taking a deep breaking and readying his nerves.
 
The siren did not like the words the woman spoke, but concern seemed to drive her actions rather than guilt. Eyes fell upon the dragon as the sirens teeth chartered a moment. The other two were sleeping at the moment, exhausted from their efforts last night and would likely wake much later in the day. No chance of gathering them for help as the siren twisted to look at Gavin. The man wanted off the beach, which was not unreasonable. Given the size of the boat, with a few strong tugs Ithyk could likely pull them off the shoreline but would have to abandon helping them with Falerumasa.

She thought for only a moment after on his request before pushing hard off the side and splashing back into the water. She grabbed the line, and eased away from where it was tied before pulling the line taught. In a fashion similar to how humans prepare themselves, she wiggled a bit, the motion lightly stretching muscles along her body before making sure the line was secure and swimming full force out into the water. The boat would give a slight jolt of resistance before slowly sliding back into open water. She continued to pull even after they were clear of the shoreline, steering them around debris and other flotsam that littered the water still. Once headed in the direction she believed they had been going. She called to them up above.

"I will return. Others must be told to avoid confusion." Ithyk spoke, her voice easing into almost a song like quality before she splashed and went below. Noting the landmarks, she swam deep to find the other two sirens that slept below in the safety of the depths.

Falerumasa could not fault the woman for assisting in keeping her from curling up. Even knowing it would hurt more to do so, the strong urge still remained and the woman served as a strong reminder to ignore it.

Gavin seemed to keep a calm nerve about the situation, and where she able to, would have applauded him. Her hands stopped ripping into the hammock, drawing a good chunk of it into a wound up wad and readied it. She shuddered and put a hand over her shoulder to the man.

"Draw, from me." She hissed as she drew breath. The careful movement of her arm did not disturb the wound further, but the bleeding and tenderness of the wound was making her head spin a little.

"It will give me something to focus on. Other than pain." Falerumasa writhed as the burning in her back continued. Her claws seemed to soften around the edges, the sharp ends on the extended fingers now rounded rather than the honed daggers that had cleanly sliced through the hammock earlier. The well of magick that he could tap into would seem endless if he drew from it. The feeling of it flowing through him like being carried by an underwater current.
 
“Her wound ripped open when she tried to sit up,” Kes explained in a low, terse voice as Gavin knelt next to her, not moving from her position with her hands pressing the canvas against the gash. The gash was long enough she needed both of her hands just to try and staunch the flow, vivid crimson smeared across the deck underneath them and soaking through the cloth underneath her fingers… She was desperately grateful that Faleru had the presence of mind to keep from curling and worsening it -- and a moment later, infinitely glad for Gavin’s steady words and presence at her side. “It’s huge…” She couldn’t hide the worry vibrating through her voice. They weren’t equipped for a wound this big, this severe…

Her panic, however, was interrupted by the touch of Gavin’s hand on her chin, directing her gaze to him. In the calm of his certainty, she nodded tightly, her lips a thin line of worry. She was no stranger to death -- more like intimately familiar with it -- but that didn’t mean she wanted to watch the woman bleed out in front of them. Helping someone outside the Family wasn’t something she did often, but she didn’t want to fail at it now that they’d committed to it. Nevermind any considerations of retribution from the angry sea-creature who, at Gavin’s request, sank back into the ocean.

The deck lurched underneath them, something Kes noted secondarily in the back of her brain, because Gavin was asking her to do … something that up until three days ago she would have thought impossible.

Her hesitation was plain, though the flash of fear that flicked through her eyes was there and gone so quick that it was easy to miss. Her thoughts immediately went to the ruby pendant still pressed cold -- it always so ice cold -- against her chest, hidden in its pouch underneath the protective covering of her leather breastplate. She’d seen what he was describing, or at least, what she thought he was describing, in action, and the very memory of it made her skin crawl and her stomach clench. Not even his reassurance could drown out the ringing echoes of the man’s screaming, or make Kes forget his face contorted in agony.

It was with more than a small sliver of relief that Faleru’s voice fell into the air between them, and Kes nodded in agreement.

“One of us needs to be awake to make sure if those pirates come back we don’t all die, especially because our fishy friend is currently off visiting… I can sail us out of here even if you’re both blacked out.” For once, the confidence in her voice wasn’t faked. She was sure there were plenty of situations that she wasn’t prepared to handle on her own, but she’d been sailing in these exact conditions all day. As long as nothing drastic changed, he had taught her what to do.

Even ignoring her own unrelated concerns, she wasn’t just jumping on it just to get out of what Gavin was proposing. It was a sound plan, making sure that at least one of them was functional enough to watch over the others. And since Kes didn’t know how to heal someone with magic, only hide someone, that was up to Gavin to figure out. She, at least, could handle getting them moving, and in a safe direction, until the sea-creature returned. Hopefully, with help, or at least the news of clear seas around them.

“I’ve got you. Do what you need to do,” she said, in a softer voice, amethyst eyes resting on Gavin’s face.
 
He shared a quiet moment with Kes, his eye finding her own as he took measure of the situation. He had shown her the basics on how to captain their ship and though she complained and made light of his teachings, he was keenly aware of how she was actually paying close attention. "...Well get to it." He said dismissing her though the small grin he displayed showed her he was being at least a little playful. He thought it best to act such to keep the mood light, she was going to undertake a big responsibility and he didn't want to place any more anxiety upon her.

Placing his hands over Kes' own, he would take responsibility for tending to Faleru though his hands were noticeably trembling. Talking about performing such a magical feat and actually performing it where two different things. With Kes free to tend to the ship Gavin mentally readied himself as the boat lurched back. The siren had did her part and pulled the ship free of the beach and began to lead them and now his thieving partner would have to do hers. With another deep breath he licked his lips and closed his eyes.

The magic used by the Blackfyres was in truth, ancient and old in design. Gavin was not entirely sure how the Blackfyres came to use this art, only that it was passed down, meaning only one Blackfyre possessed it at a given time. As the ship lurched beneath him, the feeling of the world around him faded. An inky blackness crept over his mind and in short time the world was gone, leaving him surrounded by deep penetrating darkness. His heart began to race, panicking by the pitch black that threaten to swallow him, the strange warmth one would not associate with the such a scene creeping into his bones. Gavin's breathing became labored as he continued to panic, the facade of the confident captain slipping away as fear took hold. He couldn't do this... he couldn't tend to the wounded woman. He was going to fail, like so much before.

To Kes and Faleru, they would be able to see the pained expression on his face but nothing more as he sat there with his hands on the cloth. Inside however an internal battle raged and Gavin was loosing. The darkness would consume him soon, and like a flicking candle, he would go out, giving into the black.

"How many years..." A voice spoke out in the darkness. "How many years have you been with this power.. And you still fear it."

Gavin winced upon hearing the voice, his face carrying a pained expression as he slowly opened his eye. "I've great reason to..."

In the darkness a single bright flame came to life, sparking into existence before taking on the form of a man. His body was nothing more then thriving flames, but it was unmistakably the form of a person. And he was laughing. A playful chuckle full of mirth. "You could always put up a good show... You always appeared so confident."

"But you always saw through that." Gavin replied with a grunt, his attention split between fighting off the invading darkness and speaking to the being.

"I saw the truth... You are far stronger then you give yourself credit far... I wouldn't have passed on the gift to you if that was not the case." The being said as he moved closer to Gavin to eventually kneel beside him. "Calm yourself brother..."

"I am undeserving of that title... I-" Gavin was cut off by the being who rose his hand to silence him.

"Yet that is what you were.. My brother... Never doubt that... Never doubt that you are deserving... You've my blessing... You have always had it.... Now.. What did I tell you about this gift... It is all consuming... A fire which burns like no other, and given the chance it will use you as tinder... This power has been here long before man decided to tame it and it will be here long after... But remember, you are it's conduit... Wield.. Respect it." The being said as he placed a fiery hand upon Gavin's.

Tears streamed down his voice. It was missed... The familiar tones... The sense of command. He, the person talking to him, always knew what had to be done.. And what needed to be done. Gavin heeded the advice and took a deep breath once more and focused. Slowly the darkness retreated and the subtle details of the word around him began to sharpen. The dragons form was no longer a shadowed outline as the black retreated and Gavin saw her, both the form she took and her true self. He gasped at this realization, the suspicion coming true as he now understood how magnificent Faleru was.

"She's opened herself to you... You can do this... Borrow from her and redirect... Focus on what needs to be done..." The being said, instructing Gavin before talking more so to himself. "Two ancient powers mingling.. So very interesting..."

Gavin focused on her form and felt her power moving into his body in a rush. Much like his own gift, hers was old and wild in a sense, flowing and beautiful, vast... Every aspect of the ocean he could ever imagine... Form a moment, their power melded, both so natural and ancient, almost like two sides of the same coin. And then it crashed down upon him like a wave, threatening to crush him... But he held on, enduring like a weathered rock jutting out of the ocean, battered by waves but still standing. He focused the power, taking with his left hand and giving back with his right. He imagined her wounds mending, forcing the belief into reality as power gushed from his body.

The entire time the being of fire stood beside him, helping Gaivn perform the act albeit he was there in nothing more but a supportive sense. "That's it... You're doing it..." He voiced his encouragement as the ship captain performed the magical feat.

Gavin's jaw clenched under the strain and he felt the burning sensation of the massive amount of magic he manipulate beginning to take form. For Faleru, she too would have felt the burning in her wounds as they healed at an accelerated pace as if time sped up. As the last tendrils of flesh stitched back together Gavin would groan, his entire body growing so hot that the water evaporated off his wet clothing causing steam to rise form his crouched form. His hands would remain on her body, giving back every drop of energy he borrowed from her before he slowly turned his gaze to face the being of fire. If either Faleru or Kes watched, the would see Gavin actually act this moment out, as the connection with his inner self wanned and he was no longer just seeing this moment in his mind.

"Did... I do good... Gavin?" The captain asked in a hopeful tone as the sweet embrace of sleep took hold and he felt himself going limp. Thankfully he fell flush beside Faleru, slumping over from exhaustion.

"You did good.... Now rest..." The being of fire said his presence visible to the world for a moment. "Take care of him..." The being spoke to Kes before blinking back out of existence, the flames retreating back to Gavin's sleeping form.
 
She winced and closed her eyes. Teeth slowly pressed into the cloth that she had managed to wind tight and gave a small bit of relief as he began to work. The draw of her own power made her shudder, a strange feeling when she was not the one calling upon it. It latched onto the man but did not consume him, as something other seemed to tangle with the tidal wave that set upon the captain. Her focus was entangled with directing her magick, keeping her from peering at this other along with keeping her true form hidden. Something she well knew the man had seen by the gasp that he let out.

Something that would have to be addressed later, when her life's blood wasn't covering the planks of this boat. The fire across her back was alarming, a sensation she hoped to never feel again. The spirits of wood and water had an uncanny fear of flame, along with those so aligned to the raging element. Teeth gnashed into the cloth, unable to tear through the last few bits of it as the burning ceased and the wave of power ebbed back into the well within her. A heavy sigh, muted by the hammock came from her as she relaxed on the deck. Exhausted, she felt the man slump behind her, posing a question before he fell to someone around them.

Taking care of the wound she was now deathly aware of, she slowly rolled onto her stomach. Avoiding twisting or tensing her back, she managed to slowly rise to her hands and knees. Fire was never known for being aligned to healing, and she had to silently commend the man for it's surprising and effective change of purpose.

Like a mother would brush a child's head, Faleru's webbed hand carefully ran over his hair. Tapping into a bit of that well, she wove a simple spell over him. Not knowing how much of his own energy he had spent, the spell would aid in his recovery. Offering sweet dreams and replinishment to hungry exhaustion.

Her head was still spinning a bit, and the fire along her back was still easing. It left her stomach feeling sour and her muscles aching from the tension they had held just a short time ago. Paired with the touch of fire, it made her entire body sing with disgust even though it has only done her good. She stood with painstaking care, easing herself towards the edge before spitting over the side. The sour taste in her mouth was still present, and would likely be there for some time.

"You should be clear for a while on these waters. Those fools from last night were the only ones near here for some time." Faleru informed her slowly. Her stomach either ached or wouldn't stop turning, and she was loath to let loose anything more than she already had over the edge of the vessel.