Private Tales Pointed By The Stars

[Edric]

The Painted Prisoner was not a large ship. A skooner, with a crew of five. Though that of course didn't include himself or Nyxella.

It was a tiny ship, the smallest that Edric had ever traveled the seas upon. The small wooden frame bucked and shook against the wave, the sails flickered and twisted in the winds. A sense of nerves setting in every time a storm seemed to be brewing upon the horizons. It seemed to Edric that a strong breath could have swept them beneath the waves, though their Captain assured him a dozen times over it wasn't so.

Despite all that, Edric had remained his usual stoic self over the last few weeks.

This mission had come as a surprise to him, and his partner even more so.

She was young, two classes beneath him in the Academy. So far down below that he had never once considered her existence. The gift she carried reminded him of Elias', but it wasn't a topic of conversation topic that he had touched upon. Half of him had wondered why she was here, but her gift for the stars were an explanation that had quickly made themselves apparent.

What better way to trace someone upon the seas?

A chase over land was easy to track. Footsteps and the hooves of horses apparent in the dirt, but someone fleeing through the sail? The only note left to them a heading within the night sky?

Nyxella was the perfect person to follow the trail. So the Proctors had stuck Edric with her. She was the hound, chasing and tracking their prey. He was the one holding the leash, a blade ready at his side to the end the life of the traitor they would chase half way around the world.

A long breath flowed into Edric's lungs, his eyes flickering as he noted his companion sitting at the prow of the small ship. With a shake of his head he moved towards her. A foot gently nudged at her side, catching her attention with a simple gesture. "Still on course?"

He asked quietly.

 

[Nyxella]

She had never particularly enjoyed sailing, though her preferences no longer seemed to be a part of who she was.

Some people would describe the experience almost like a child experiencing magic for the first time. Excitement in their faces as the watched the sparkling blue waves that spread infinitely while the sun beat down on them. Absolutely dreadful, if you asked Nyxella.

She was just fortunate enough to be chosen for this mission and even more fortunate that she was required, for the most part, only during the night. It made her skills much easier to work with for she was all but useless during the day. Sure, she could swing a sword as well as the rest of them, but they would sacrifice the sole reason she was selected: tracking a target like she was their dog.

The good thing about being on the sea? Sudden turns were a no-go, so she really hadn't done too much besides informing the captain of when they would have to change tack. The rest of her time was spent not speaking with her partner, but rather studying the constellations she was better able to view and adding them to the map she had been creating on her own flesh.

She was not actively avoiding him. It wasn't as though she didn't like him at all. She simply found no use getting to know someone she may very well never see again. Were soldiers there to make friends or carry out their tasks?

She had been seated at the prow, leaning back to enjoy bathing in the full moon's light. It was the most inconvenient phase of the moon for it blocked all but the brightest of stars, but it was still far more pleasant than being scorched by the sun. "Hm?" She would open her eyes as a foot nudged her, looking up at the disturbance.

Following his question, she'd squint at the sky for a moment before a small smile would form on her face. "You really don't need to keep asking, you know. A ship can only move so fast." She found it amusing. It had been weeks of travel, and yet he still would ask fairly often. Perhaps he didn't trust her skills. It didn't matter if he did or did not. The only ones she would seek to impress were the ones who sent her on this mission and they were not present.

 

[Edric]

The only reply she would receive was a grunt.

His gaze flickering down at her diminutive form. He knew next to nothing about Nyxella. She was a year or two below him. In his mind that had meant she hadn't been important.

The Academy pitted classes against one another more often than not, but usually they were of the same age group. A year of training was more than enough to make the difference in most bouts, and younger students were often handily beaten by the older ones.

Because of that, those in the years beneath were hardly a threat. Thus the focus more often landed on others his own age. What they could do, how useful they would be on a mission, and most importantly how he could kill them when the time came.

Now, with the Republic risen, Edric wondered if this was yet another thing he had overlooked.

Lips thinned for a brief moment, and slowly he crouched down besides her. "How many times have they sent you out?"

He asked, following her eyeline and glancing up at the stars.

Most Initiates began to leave the Academy on missions at ten. Some went earlier, of course, and some later. All depending on how 'useful' you were. Edric had been one of the first in his class to go outside the walls, a habit which had continued often over the last nine years.

 

[Nyxella]

She rolled her eyes at his grunt and leaned forward to hug her knees to her chest, her senses informing her that he was still looking at her. She would maintain her focus, eyes locked onto the sky as she waited for him to leave.

Only he didn't.

Perhaps he didn't understand that she was not interested in company while she worked. She only stated it in her not-so-subtle ways several times over the past few weeks. She had her role in the mission and he, his. Yet he was still here, but crouching beside to join at her level as she watched the skies.

She broke her focus to look at him as he questioned her. "Is it relevant?" She would ask, only to follow up with an honest but vague answer. "I've only been sent out a few times." He may be able to sense the slightest hint of bitterness in her soft voice as she spoke.

It wasn't disappointment in the lack of missions she had been sent out on at all. That was a given considering her significant lack of usefulness during the day. She was upset that The Academy seemed to prioritize her ability to track over the more destructive aspects of her power when it came to their missions. If they kept sending her out on pointless missions, she would never be able to prove that she's more than just a dog sent to sniff out the area.

Yes she was a danger to herself and others...but so was everyone else in The Academy. She had already taken more than her fair share of abuse from the students she spent her days with, but she never fought back. She was incredibly disciplined in that aspect, remaining calm until she was no longer conscious. It was likely another reason her ability to follow the stars was prioritized so heavily.

"Why do you ask?" She would look back up for a minute or so before speaking again. "The path has changed."

 

[Edric]

"It is." Edric remarked dryly. In the old days sharing anything about what you could do was beyond foolish. Initiates had been constantly set against one another in violent compeitions. The less you revealed about yourself to others, the more surprises you could show during those competitions.

After the Revolution? Well those games had gone away, but the hesitation still lingered among many of the Initiates.

Edric glanced over at his companion, his face a mask. "I need to know how useful you'll be."

The response was quick, curt, not meant to be insulting but probably so anyway. The simple fact was this mission wouldn't be easy. Sitting on a ship and tracking another was one thing, but getting in the midst of a melee with pirates who were said to have their own mages?

That was something else entirely.

Edric was a blunt instrument. A hammer used to batter the enemy to dust. Unlike Nyxella, his magic was only good for one thing; killing. He knew his role on this mission, he just had to make sure he knew hers too.

Lips thinned as she suddenly changed the subject, calling out a change. "Which way?"

Edric asked, whistling to catch the Captain's attention. They had been gaining on their query over the last few days, losing them now would be an utter disaster.

 

[Nyxella]

She would sigh quietly as he pushed to learn how much of a use the woman would be. Whether or not he sought to irritate her more than he already had by joining her, she didn't care. "They paired us for a reason, did they not? Surely they wouldn't send two completely useless people out." The edges of her lips cracked into a smile as she implied she was more of a use on this mission than Edric was.

While she hadn't taken time to get to know him on their weeks together, she did know of him. He was strong. Almost terrifyingly so. The scope of his power was unknown to her, but the rumors she had heard made it clear she would not want to be at his mercy.

"As long as we catch them during the night, we should be more than okay."

Her brow furrowed as she traced the new path that had opened up to her. "I..." She squinted again. "Starboard...five degrees." Her voice was always rather quiet when she spoke, which only seemed to be a target for her more rough classmates. Beatings sometimes seemed endless as people tried to break her iron will. The quietness of the girl may have also been annoying as she was much less likely to project her orders up to the captain.

Nyxella waited for him to inform the captain before she would come back to their previous conversation. "I can bend the energy of the cosmos. Obviously you know I can use that to follow targets, but there's more to it than just that. Manipulating physics is one thing, but being able to call upon the stars is not only for the purpose of following people." She paused, trying to decide if it would be easier to show him more of what she could do.

She grabbed his arm and would lead him towards the back of the ship where she would point out behind them. "Look just...about...there!" She guided his head towards where she was looking before she'd let go and step back. She would raise one arm up towards the sky and then quickly drag it down. If he was still looking where she had told him, he would be able to make out small but incredibly bright object that looked like shooting stars crashing down into the water miles away.

Yes the stars were pretty, but they were also incredibly deadly should one find themselves in their path.

 

[Edric]

The quip resounded within his ears, lingering for a brief moment before the Captain began to approach the two Initiates. "You'd be surprised."

Edric remarked bitterly.

He'd been on missions with more than a few useless Dreadlords. Walking corpses that he'd needed to drag out of fortresses and through Dreadlords. Children who were ill-prepared to do what needed to be done. Idealists who couldn't stand to see the splash of blood from a knife across the throat.

Girls and boys both who had denied what they were meant to be. "Captain."

He gestured the man towards the girl as she began to rattle off their own heading. His lips thinned into a frown, lips opening as though he were about to say something, but Edric's hard stare silenced him before any objection.

The Captain let out a few curt shouts, his voice elevating across the deck as he ordered his men in the new heading that Nyxella described. Just a few seconds later she described her magics, Edric listening closely with a frown.

"So." He remarked. "Only useless during the day then."

It reminded him of Elias' magic. A power that he had feel burn away his flesh more than once over the last few years. A magic which was fierce during the day, yet all but useless while the moon reigned and the stars were out.

He was about to say something, and then a flicker of light dashed through the sky. Darting towards the horizon and splashing into the seas with a fierce bellow of fire and force. The spark of light was enough to illuminate a ship in the distance. It's hull seeming to spark, it's sails shifting almost immediately and turning drastically to the left.

Edric frowned, and turned to his companion. "Guess we better catch them in the next few hours, eh?"

He said, his frown turning into a smile.

Lest she be useless.

 

[Nyxella]

So. Only useless during the day then.

She had heard those words uttered many times before, but they never got any less hurtful. She snapped at him, kicking him behind his knee to make him lose balance. "Did I not receive the same training as you and all the others? I can swing a sword just as well as you during the day and maybe even better at night." Her tone made it clear she was annoyed.

"Actually, I'm sure of that." A cocky smile was proudly displayed on her face.

Her gaze followed his towards the ship in the distance, the smile dropping from her face as the new wave patterns she had caused were crashing into it from all angles. "Make no mistake, friend." She turned to face him. "I will hold my ground during the day if that is required of me. As would you if you were in my position."

A small laugh left her. If he were in my position. As if any of them could relate to losing most of what made them during half the day. As a child she had wondered why they took her from her family to be a soldier. Now, knowing those she was surrounded by thought she was useless only made her question it more. Was The Academy really that desperate for trackers?

"They've gone off course, but we still have the advantage. We really shouldn't be too far behind." Let's hope we catch them before sunrise. "What more do we need to prepare for our encounter?"

 

[Edric]

Edric's hand shot down almost as soon as her leg kicked out. Fingers moving like a viper springing from the bush. They clamped around her shin. Stopping her leg before it could ever strike the back of his knee. "Bit presumptuous."

He said in simple answer of her boast. A big word for a simple fool who had barely passed most written tests back at the Academy.

Truth was, Edric had never been the best with a sword, but then he had never much needed to be. He could outlast and simply out-brawl anyone that he faced upon the field of battle. A truth that only resonated more now.

After Salesia, after Tyr, after Allende he knew his weight.

When he'd taken the Fae, that abhorrent creature who'd taunted him even unto it's death; Edric had known. It was a different kind of death that he had to offer.

His fingers unlaced from around her leg, letting it drop onto the deck.

"But, I guess we'll see before long." His head turned back towards the ship in the distance, lips thinning. "We'll need to board fast, kill the crew faster. Once they're dead we can search the ship."

For a moment Edric considered. "Can you sever the mast? Keep them from moving."

She could call upon the cosmos. Least to her own claim. Cutting through a solid chunk of wood shouldn't have been too much trouble.

 

[Nyxella]

The large hand gripping her shin had caught her off guard. Much more than she would like to admit. She wriggled to get free as he commented. He didn't believe her when she spoke. It was a fair assumption. He was nothing but a wall of muscle and she was no more than a twig. No one in their right mind would bet that the runt would beat a creature like him.

With lucky stars on her side and a little physical manipulation, she was confident she could take him down. Those were also behind her hatred of armor. Yes, it could save your life if you were attacked...but someone would have to be able to get that close. A feat that was very unlikely in her eyes.

Her foot hit the wood deck with a thud. "Oh yes, boarding the ship. Suppose that's why they preferred I only track it and not assault it with fiery rocks. Hm." She leaned over the side to admire the dark waves as he continued speaking.

"Sever the mast?" She turned looked at him like he was crazy. "Oh no, that's not possible. I'm sorry. My powers don't work during the day or on wood. Should I have mentioned that?" A very serious, yet obviously sarcastic tone was present in her voice. "You'll have to find someone else."

Another chuckle as she pushed herself away from the edge. "Of course I can sir. Do you have a preferred method of carpentry? I could call for a single star...that could potentially start a nasty fire or sink the ship though..." Her voice trailed off as she scanned the deck. "Could you toss something very heavy up high by any chance?"

 

[Edric]

Honestly, it was a fair jab at his own assumptions.

Calling down a star from the sky was hardly conducive to boarding a ship. Lips thinned for a brief moment as he pondered the though, his mind reeling as he considered the loss of their query after near a week of tracking them at sea.

Edric didn't even want to consider what the Proctor's reactions would be to that. "Not many others around I'm afraid."

The Initiate said coldly, his features blank at her sarcasm.

"I can." He answered in the posit of her next question. "But that ship needs to remain floating."

Edric's own magic would help with the rest, but any fire aboard would spell utter disaster. They would need time to search the ship from top to bottom. It would be the only way they could get what the Proctor's wanted. "How heavy, and how high?"

He asked plainly. Capable of both, but needing to know to temper his own magics.

 

[Nyxella]

"If the ship needs to remain floating and we need to search it, I think its best we leave the stars out of it." Her voice did nothing to mask her disappointment. The stars were much prettier than hurling heavy objects.

"How thick do you reckon their mast is?" She questioned him, taking in the size of their own. While she was incredibly book smart, she knew next to nothing about the details of a ship. Were these things all a standard size? She wondered to herself.

Holding her hands out to judge the size, she would turn to him. "I think if its any thicker than ours, the heavier and higher the better. Suppose you could even drop it from above; let me and gravity do the work then. What's the heaviest thing we've got on board?"

She hadn't taken the time to consider what she would contribute once they had stopped the ship. She could not physically take on more than one person in combat at a time and if Edric was being swarmed, there was little she could do to help him. He had the strength and power to plow through people and turn them into dust, but she was not suited to be some sort of battering ram. She was, however, a potentially good distraction if given the opportunity.

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.

It was something her dad told her before she was taken away from them all. He had probably meant it in a way to keep her ambitions high, but she took it quite literally- always making sure she was grounded and prepared even under something as beautiful and infinite as the stars.

People were funny, though. One minor distraction and their entire being was so exposed. She found that often when they were watching a shooting star they were easy enough to knock on their asses.

If she couldn't hit the ship, perhaps she could abuse their simple minds which seemed to struggle between using their eyes or their vestibular systems.

 

[Edric]

"Anchor chain."​

It was one of the sailors who gave the answer, his face a mixture of curiosity and fear. Dreadlord's weren't exactly common on this sort of ship, and it was clear that the man had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

The young sailor cleared his throat, looked down at his feet, then at Nyxella with a slight smile.

Edric shot him a rather displeased look, lips thinning. He took in a breath, and then motioned. "Mast will be a foot or two thick."

He answered finally.

Though never training for it, Edric had been on enough nautical journeys to at least tell Nyxella that.

"I can toss the chain up." It would take considerable strength, but the sea was full of life. Thousands upon thousands of little flickers that he could draw from. It would cause a swath of death, but he had left more than a few of those in his wake. "You direct it?"

He asked, their query drawing closer and closer upon the horizon. The flicker of lamp-light aboard the distant ship just beginning to show at the edges of the sea.

 

[Nyxella]

Anchor chain.

"Anchor chain?" She raised a brow at the young man and looked back at Edric. "It's a bit more flimsy than I'd like to work with, but if that's the heaviest than it will have to do."

While she was typically less social than her fellow dreadlords, she noticed the look Edric gave the boy and the nervous look he returned. She offered a warm smile to let him know he had done well in helping them and a short, "Thank you." She may have been built to take lives, but she was still polite to those who were fortunate enough to be on their side.

"I can direct it, but the more we allow nature to affect it before I take over, the easier it will be." She looked over the side of the ship. "How close can we get before we have to break the mast? The further away we are, the higher I'll need you to throw."

The more she talked about doing anything other than following the path of the stars she got more... What was the word? Happy? No. Nervous? Definitely not. Excited? Yes, that was the word. She was excited to be useful to Edric on their mission which was likely evident by the childlike grin she couldn't hide.

"How much longer?"

 

[Edric]

Edric glanced over towards the Ship nearing in the distance. A few yards behind him one of the sailors was dragging the Anchor chain over the deck. Another came came running towards him, quickly grasping onto the thick steel and pulling it towards the two initiates.

It wasn't the heaviest thing on board, of course, but close enough to it. Both of the men struggled to lift it even together. A frown touched his lips for a moment, and then slowly he closed his eyes as he began to seek out nearby life. "A mile, or two."

He replied finally to Nyxella.

As he spoke, small patters of dead fish began to rise in the ocean around them. Beasts that had been happily swimming around them began to die off. A plague rushing through the waters as Edric took their strength and added it to his own.

Slowly he reached down, grasping the chain.

Ahead of them the ship came more fully into view, and through his enhanced hearing Edric could even hear panicked shouts.

"Remember." He told her. "Don't sink the damn thing."

The chain lifted into the air, clanking and clinking. Then with a sudden wrench Edric put all of his strength into a single powerful throw. The heavy steel links lifted from the deck, the Initiate's arms flexing, and then it flickered into the sky. Climbing and climbing within seconds until it was nearly a mile into the air.

 

[Nyxella]

A mile or two. It was certainly farther than she had hoped to hear. It would take much more of a toll on her body than the tracking she had been doing for weeks, but it was what was necessary to complete their mission. She would do what The Academy tasked her with even if it killed her.

Especially if it killed her. She snickered at the thought.

She was quick to notice the wildlife dying around them. She frowned, lifting a piece of the chain before dropping it to the wooden floor with a thud. "What exactly do your powers do?" She asked him, knowing it was unlikely she would get an answer as he picked up the chain.

Don't sink the damn thing.

She huffed quietly, positioning herself carefully just underneath where he had thrown the chain.

She watched the chain move up and continued to stare until it was well beyond out of sight. If Edric was listening, he would hear her counting quietly before letting out a quiet message. "Stars, heed my call."

She shut her eyes tightly and threw her hands up suddenly, only a few moments after the chain began its rapid descent towards their own ship. With a loud grunt, she threw her arms forward, altering how gravity was affecting the chain and sending it hurdling straight towards the...

Crrraacck

Nyxella would not be able to make out the impact but just before hearing the horrible sound of metal breaking the wood she would see the mast teeter momentarily before succumbing to it's fate.

 

[Edric]

"They kill." Edric said in simple answer.

It was the very same he would have given a year ago, before the revolution. Unlike the others he had never much tried to hide his abilities, mostly because there was no hiding from him. He did what he did, and there was no stopping him.

His eyes flickered towards Nyxella, her magic sparking in the air.

He heard the quiet whisper, the word.

Then suddenly the chain within the air seemed to flicker. It's trajectory shifting just enough. In the darkness of the night he could barely see it, his eyes enhanced by magic. It dashed forward, and then suddenly in the distance he heard the crack of wood.

A cry leaped outward, and the Mast of the ship began to fall.

"Well done." Edric said to his companion, a smile flickering on his lips. "CAPTAIN!"

His voice boomed. "Get us alongside that ship!"

They would need to board, take the manifest, and then they could finally get back home.

"Get ready for some killing." Edric said, looking at Nyxella with a gaze that was almost filled with revelry.

 

[Nyxella]

They kill.

Of course they do.

It was not the answer she was hoping for. After all would any of them be where they were now if that were not the case? She certainly would not be standing on this ship with him had she not been the 'natural disaster' that devastated her small community near Elbion.

The chain was a lot heavier than she had originally anticipated and given that this was her first time doing anything but tracking, she wasn't entirely prepared for the drawbacks of manipulating gravity.

Working with nature was easy. Working against it was taxing.

An unbearably loud ringing began in hear ears, ending just as suddenly as it began. An annoying side effect she had yet to get rid of. Fortunately it wasn't going to kill her. "Thank you." She accepted the compliment, pushing her fingers against her temples as she returned a soft, tired smile.

"How can I help you when we get close to the ship?" She looked back up to the skies. Eye contact wasn't really her forte. She could say the same for any other form of contact as well. The endless void above was more comforting to her than those she was surrounded by. "Do we have some sort of plan?"

 

[Edric]

Edric glanced down at his young partner. "The crew will be about ten or fifteen strong."

That, at least, had been provided within the briefing.

The now crippled ship was not much bigger than the one him and Nyxella found themselves upon. A brigantine, by the nature of it. Carrying just enough crew to see it over the ocean, but holding a cargo much more precious beneath it's deck.

"I'll go over the rails first." He told her. "Let me take those on deck."

Edric glanced at some of the crew. "Make your way to the Captain's quarters."

She was a dreadlord after all. An Initiate, like him, but with the same training.

"Make sure no papers or log-books are burned." A frown touched his face, the ship on the horizon drawing closer and closer. "I'll handle the rest."

That was his specialty after all.

 

[Nyxella]

"Mhm." She continued her staring, sighing quietly the stars settled. They had done well so far, but the stars couldn't tell her the future. Only the present. She could confirm that their target was not going anywhere for now. Finally some reassurance.

"Sounds good." She would simply nod, turning her attention back towards him. "Simple enough, I reckon. Get in and get out. Got it."

Rolling her eyes, she laughed quietly. "I'm not crazy enough to call the stars down on my own head. I promise you those papers will be char-free."

The ship was still quite a ways away, she noted as she stepped away from the side of the ship, headed towards the cabin. "We are on the correct path right now." She pointed up to the sky. "We still have quite a bit of time, so if you don't mind I am going to have a nap. Wake me when we get closer." With that, she'd step past the door and head to the tiny room with not much more than a bed and lantern.

Resting was the responsible thing to do after uselessly wasting power to show off what she could do.

 

[Edric]

It wasn't long after Nyxella fell asleep that she would be shook awake by one of the Sailors. The woman's face was slight, but her expression was earnest. Though it was obvious she found it a distinctly uncomfortable task to wake even an Initiate Dreadlord.

For many years the populace had seen their order as something to be feared. Beings, no, weapons of great magical power that could carve swaths through whole armies with a wave of their hand. Dreadlords had been something to be scared of, something to never question or bother.

It was different now, or was supposed to be, but a lifetime of habit was hard to break.

"Umm, ma'am."​

The sailor addressed Nyxella, a girl who had to be at least half her age if not more than. The lantern in her hand displaying just how unsure she was.

"The other Dreadlord uhh…told me to come get you. We'll reach the enemy ship in fifteen minutes. There's uhhh…there's something off about it ma'am."​

She said awkwardly, clearly wondering why the other Dreadlord hadn't just come down here to wake his friend.

 

[Nyxella]

Finally a nap. If there was one thing Nyx actually truly loved in this existence, it was sleeping. The inconsistent schedule set upon her by The Academy often left the poor girl completely exhausted, searching for any moment to rest. Much like a cat, she would sleep anytime and anywhere. Libraries, nooks in hallways, and very occasionally on top of walls that surrounded training areas.

Sleeping was just so comforting. So peaceful....So...nice...In only a few short minutes she'd be out like a light and next to impossible to wake up. At least impossible to wake up without sending the woman into some sort of frenzy.

"Umm, ma'am."

She rolled over, pulling the thin blanket over her as she faced away from the woman. The woman continued to speak, none of which was processed by the sleeping Nyxella.

Seeing no other option, the woman leaned forward hesitantly before grabbing one of Nyxella's shoulders and wriggling it.

Nyxella's eyes shot open and in one swift move she had the older woman pinned against the wall. Trapped by the heavily breathing and rather feral looking Dreadlord, the woman let out a yelp which seemed to snap Nyxella out of it. "Hm?" She blinked a few times, slowly releasing the woman.

"The other Dreadlord." She was obviously shaken up. "Something is off about the ship we are nearing. Said to get you."

Nyxella nodded. "I see. Very well." She slipped her shoes on and headed back up to the main deck, making a beeline towards Edric. "Something's wrong? What's happening? And why didn't you come get me? Just about took the head off that poor woman."

 

[Edric]

The enemy ship was within a mile, jostled only by the waves and unable to catch the wind with it’s mast half fallen over. They were gaining fast, and would be alongside the ship within ten minutes.

When Nyxella found him Edric was standing at the prow, a spyglass clutched in one hand. He offered it to the other Initiate. ”I was searching.”

He explained with a frown, though he briefly wondered if any Initiate could actually sleep well. He and Noel had talked about it, and on more than a few missions he’d seen most of his peers practically startle awake each time. None of their rest was ever peaceful, not when for most of their life the threat of a knife had hung over their throats.

”There’s no one on board, from what I can tell.” They could all be beneath deck of course, hiding, skulking, but…something felt off. ”Doesn’t feel right.”

He remarked.

When Nyxella looked through the spyglass she would see that Edric was right. Not a single soul moved on the deck, and in fact the ship appeared as though it had been all but abandoned.

 

[Nyxella]

“Okay…” She grabbed the spyglass from Edric. “Searching for what?” She looked through it, quickly closing in on the ship. It looked like a ship. A perfectly fine ship. A ship that was definitely not on fire as per her only instructions. “It looks fine, what’s wrong with it?”

She handed the glass back to him, perplexed by his decision to wake her for a reason so pointless.

There’s no one on board.

“Huh?” She snatched the spyglass from his hands again to look over the ship. He was right…not a single soul was above the deck. The mast was broken, the ship looked fine aside from that. “Have you considered they may be taking shelter below the deck after a chain flew from nowhere and severed the mast? They could have fled by smaller boats…Or they could have ditched it weeks ago.”

She sighed. “Look, I was told to track the ship, not the people on it. It will take time to get a new target. I say we go on it and have a look around…but we should still be prepared for anything.”

If they fled, they couldn’t have gotten that far. Especially if they had been rowing by hand. There was absolutely no way. Probably. Maybe.

“Who knows, even if they did abandon the ship they may have left their belongings. It’s worth a look, do you agree? I’ll continue with the plan: get to the Captain’s quarters, have a look around and grab anything worth grabbing. Yeah?”

 

[Edric]

Edric stayed quiet through most of Nyxella's commentary.

Most of her opinions were thoughts that had already run through his mind half a dozen times over. Each point was a good one. Whether it was their query abandoning ship or simply hiding beneath the deck. There were in-numerous possibilities. All they could count on was assumptions.

Lips thinned for a brief moment, and then he slowly nodded in agreement. "We'll take a look."

He said calmly.

There wasn't any telling what was going on without that. Edric knew it. The two of them didn't have much more choice. They had been set upon a mission, completing that was all which really mattered. Lest the Proctors get hold of them.

Over the next few moments they drew closer. Inch by inch the ship began to close, and once within a couple of dozen feet the Captain began to call out orders. Several sailors reached below their mast line, pulling out grappling hooks. The loud thunk of wood echoed as steel buried itself into opposite railings, and within moments their own ship was practically glued to the other.

Edric glanced over to Nyxella. "Stay close."

He told her, stepping onto the railing and jumping to the enemy ship.