Open Chronicles Shipwrecked

[Maecey]

Black Bay - Outer Islands

She felt warm tropical waves splashing over her. Fingers dug into the soft wet beach beneath, her tongue was coated in sand, and she could feel the ocean trying to pull her back.

Every muscle in her body ached.

Not from any attack, not from any battle, but because she'd spent most of the night swimming two or three miles to the shore of the island she now found herself cast upon. Planks of wood and even the side of what remained of their ship washed onto the beach nearby, and she could swear that voices were filtering through the air.

Some were cries for help, others were those searching for loved ones.

After a few more moments Maecey managed to pull her head out of the sand.

She saw an island, half beach, half jungle, with a mountain standing at it's center. The remains of the ship she'd been on just the night before lay all around her and floated in the sea nearby. Dozens of people had seemingly made it to the island, whatever had destroyed their ship apparently not having managed to catch the same amount of lives.

Her head spun, and as she looked around she could hear splashing in the water. The Halfling turned, spotting what looked to be a tall Elf walking towards her.

"You good to walk? We have to get off the beach before the Slavers come."

Maecey cocked her head. "Sl-"

She spat, finding it difficult to talk with a mouthful of sand.

"Slavers?" Is that who had done this? The Elf nodded.

"Aye, they're everywhere around the Black Bay. Anyone not under the protection of Cerak is fair game, and now that we've wrecked...well that includes us. They'll be hunting."

Maecey frowned, slowly patting herself down as she began to search for any of her weapons. All she found was the knife she usually carried in her boot. The Elf offered her a hand, and with an exasperated sigh Maecey took it. "Who else made it?"

She asked.

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

»Whoever's not missing,« filled in a dark elf from behind. He was sitting on a rock, fanning himself with a palm leaf. Aside from hiding from the scorching light under a palm, he was coated in salt from hair to feet.

If his personality was normal to begin with, he would have seemed dishevelled.
» There are some more people on the other side, probably,« he shrugged, sliding off and approaching the elf and halfling.

 

[Axel Sterix]

Axel had sent Seraphim on a job a few days prior. Why then did he choose this task himself? Because it needed to be done. Besides his potential was incredible... So he told himself.

Atop a small hill, the tattooed man stood facing the beach. On it was wreckage of a ship. Survivors were riding readying to escape. This was the task. Help these folks evade the slavers.

A downside? On a beach the life forms around him that can pay some of the Price for his magic, well there was basically none. He would need to be specific and relax on his use of spells.

Jumping down onto the beach he waved as he called, "This way! Move! Come on! The slavers will be here in just a moment or two!" The man held no weaponry, but looked a rugged behemoth of a man. He was the weapon.

As he waited, he spotted a ship nearing on the horizon! "Here they come!" He shouted, then closed his eyes and readied a spell. No casting yet, but the Caster was ready.

Maecey Faelin K'Abveirin

 

[Maecey]

Maecey spat out more sand, chuckling slightly at the Dark Elf's words, mostly because the obviousness of it seemed rather amusing.

There was no telling how many people actually survived the crash, though if she made it she suspected there would at least be another half dozen. Maecey had never actually been the greatest swimmer. Her head turned as a man shouted towards them.

His features made him out to be fighter of some sort, though his words were of warning more than threat.

The Halfling turned her head, glancing at the sea. There she spotted a ship, twice the size of the one that had crashed and flying a flag of skulls and chains. Lips thinned and she motioned to the two elves as she began to walk out of the water. "Let's go."

Maecey said as she broke out into a run.

"Into the jungle!" She called as she ran towards the Caster, intending to fly past him and make a break into the wild.

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

The shade will be much better. Indeed so. The elf bounced off the sand, walking in tandem with the lass before she darted off.
»You know, slavers probably won't be the worst of our troubles. « With shifty eyes, he gazed around. If slavers won't take em, the others will probably turn on each other the longer they stay on this dreaded hellhole.

Most weapons were likely somewhere adorning the halls of fishes, so plenty were likely without any form of defence. At least the palm leaf umbrella served some purpose at least.

 

[Axel Sterix]

As the survivors rushed past him, Axel began a chant. As he did he worked his hands in a pattern through the air. Churning, twisting, and shoving the air along as he enchanted the winds about himself. It took no time before the effect of his spell became clear.

A thick mist began to swarm the beach and coastline. It was so thick as I gathered, getting murkier and harder to see through, that in moments they couldn't see barely to the waterline. As his canting continued, the Caster made it so the fog became an elemental wall that blocked life from one side and the other.

The mist was so thick, you could get lost walking a straight line through it.

Sweat was very visible upon his forehead Ashe finished. A small tremor wouldn't stop running through his arms. He hadn't thought where to correctly direct the price he needed to pay for the spell, so it drew from him. It took energy from the Caster. He was almost exhausted now.

Running into the trees to reach the survivors, he began to draw energy from the trees around them. He would send his mental accuity out from his mind, separating and touching upon life. It was there he would draw, renewing his strength slowly. It took time though. And he always made sure to never kill in his drain.

"We must keep moving. Does anybody know where we might find safe passage away?"

Faelin K'Abveirin Maecey

 

[Maecey]

Passage? As far as Maecey was concerned they were stranded. There wasn't much of a chance of finding a passing ship. Not here in the Black Bay.

Cerak was a stones throw away, but the people who resided there weren't exactly the sort that you could ask for help. Fingers tightened for a moment, the sounds of the jungle surrounding them as they moved into the wood.

The elf spoke of other dangers, and an idea sparked in her head.

There was no doubt in her mind that the Slavers would try to find them. Every life was worth at least a few gold pieces, and it was easier to catch individuals than an entire ship. "Does anyone have any weapons?"

She asked as they moved.

"If the slavers come ashore..." Maecey trailed off for a moment, glancin back. "They could be our passage."

Well, at least their ship could be.

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

»We're on an island. Dead ends all around us.« The elf rolled his eyes. »Not me, but we should at least carve out some spears to get doing. If we get to the point of stealing a vessel...We might as well go fully prepared. That is, if that was on your mind and not an entire slave mutiny.«
He swatted away some bug nuisance that began to descend to them and fly around each individual.

 

[Axel Sterix]

Axel looked at the duo as they moved further into the woods. One thought taking a ship might be a good idea, the other weapons. He himself did not believe either would be extremely smart, but the latter would likely move to improve of their odds of the prior.

Grabbing a stone from the ground, he concentrated on a small spell inside of his mind. It was a work of magic to allow someone to survive in the wild. A small chant, and energies directed from a tree nearby, set the stone to fine sharp point. This he tied to a firm straight stick, with a strip of fabric torn from his shirt.

Hefting around the makeshift spear, he tested the weight balance. Spinning it into a propeller motion, he passed it along behind himself to the other hand before slowing to a halt. Satisfied that he was armed, he looked to the survivors, "How would you propose we board a ship? As is, the slavers likely won't land due to seeing me wield magic."


Maecey Faelin K'Abveirin

 

[Maecey]

"They'll come for us in longboats." Maecey was sure of that. One mage wasn't enough to deter slavers from a pocket of gold.

Maecey had met mages before, and though they were undeniably powerful, they could not overwhelm and entire army. Not without support at least. Slavers knew that just as well, and the rub of it was...a mage went for quite a hefty price on the markets.

"We use your fog." She pointed to the man. "Take out a few of those who landed."

She made it sound easier than it was. "Then use the longboat to get to the ship."

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

»Get to the ship and then what,« Faelin began to prod into the plan, finding it rather incomplete.


»...Some illusion magics would have come handy, actually,« he stroked a beard that did not exist. Perhaps he began to grow a liking to a plan at last.
»Knock out some slavers, take their clothes, dabble in dark artistry...You know. That kind of mess.«

 

[Axel Sterix]

Axel nodded to them, "We don't have time then. This is not normal for my experiences. Would a normal individual see a mage, generally they flee. They hold no power against us. And they know it.

"But you two have more experience. So you lead." The words of a small vessel peaked his interest. He had an idea for that. And as they spoke, the whole time he had continued with drawing energy into himself. He felt normal now, maybe even a bit more than topped off.

"Let's go then, prepare yourself." With that he moved back the way they came, pausing at the treeline. They had obviously dealt with this prior, as two longboats approached. Both were filled anywhere from a half dozen to more. He couldn't be sure.

Turning two the survivors he smiled a dreaded smile, "I hope you two can fight." With that he jumped into the fogline. The others could approach when ready as the boats would take a moment.

Faelin K'Abveirin Maecey

 

[Maecey]

Maecey had only a small knife.

The blade wasn't magical or special in any way really. She'd taken it from Allerton when she'd left. Her father had made it, though up until she'd gotten a hold of it the blade had been little more than a very sharp cheese knife.

Such was the way of halflings. When the mage popped forward into the fog Maecey turned her head towards the dark skinned elf. "Bit full of himself, isn't he?"

Maecey said with a smile.

In the distance she could hear the call of the slavers. A few of them yelling as the boats began to approach the shore.

Her head shook, and without another word she moved out of the jungle and followed the mage back into the fog. Knife in her hand.

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

The elf seemed somewhat irritated.
»I'll keep my distance just in case,« he rolled his eyes, his voice quiet and hush. Stepping behind the Halfling he picked up some rocks. Faelin observed some, threw away others before crashing two at just the right angle together.
One split perfectly into a deadly instrument. Such was the way of the knowing elves.
He then went into the fog with the rest, splitting a shaft from the earth.

 

[Axel Sterix]

Ever the one to be first in line, this time Axel instead held back. Hidden in the fog, he took long slow breaths to center himself. Close quarters magic would rely on mostly Will magic. So instead right now would likely be just melee unless worse came to worse.

At a crossroads, he could just unleash with Will. Until then however, it was always smarter to let that build.

"Get ready. They are almost here." Axel murmured, even though he himself couldn't see the allies he had forged. He knew they would be close and could hear his words.

Maecey Faelin K'Abveirin

 

[Maecey]

Maecey's ears twitched.

She'd always had good hearing, only enhanced by what the Guild had gifted her upon her signing the contract. She could hear the murmurs of the slavers, the splash of water as they left their long boats. All of them moved too loudly.

There was a grumble, some swearing as the men moved onto the beach.

Maecey flipped the hilt of her blade over in her palm, readying the weapon. She guessed that there was twelve of them, though through the thick of the fog she could not see anything. Then the splashing grew louder.

One of the slavers suddenly appeared besides her, almost as if born of the mist itself. Before he could do anything but give a startled cry Maecey cut his hamstring, bringing him low before piercing his throat with her dagger and sending him crumpling to the ground.

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

By the time the rustling had grown louder, Faelin already carried a decent spear with himself.

The rumble began to grow louder as footsteps were joined by many more. They were quite bumbling and eccentric in movement, as if in some rush.
Sounds exactly like it, slaver lackeys. A painful yowl and howl later in, it was clear it was neither the girl nor the man but a slaver...or perhaps a looter.
Didn't matter, they were under attack.

The elf remained silent and went low to the floor, circling mid the fog and listening for sounds.

 

[Axel Sterix]

A soft grunt could be heard through the mist. The men landing on the sand held pause, listening intently. The following sound was a soft thud. Gurgling. What was that? Then someone tripped on the fallen body.


“What the hell?” The person shouted, catching themselves on the boats ridge. Axel dispatched this man as well then stepped back further into the fog. The men were now drawing arms, at alert by all of the sounds.

The escape had begun. Axel wished he had brought Gnafir with himself. The spear was a powerful tool, one he could use as if an appendage of his own body. Plus it’s enchanted shaft made something’s easier than others. Such as remaining silent.

Axel paused and hurled his makeshift spear once more. Again the sound of squelching. A fall. This time though his weapon was grabbed by one of the Slavers. Axel shrugged and grabbed a fallen sword.

A weapon was a weapon. Hell he could fight with his hands if need be.

Maecey Faelin K'Abveirin

 

[Maecey]

Her knife found purchase in the throat of another man, though Maecey hardly paid attention as his corpse splashed into the water.

The Fog was still clinging to everything, obscuring her sight and the ability to tell friend from foe. Lips thinned as she slowly moved into the waves, warm water lapping at her chest as she reached the small longboat.

With a quiet heave she pulled herself into the wooden hull.

Landing with a soft thud she found herself directly opposite one of the slavers. His face was gnarled and tattooed, lips half twisted in a scowl. Maecey's eyes popped open as she saw him, reaching back and hurling her dagger.

The blade planted itself in the man's forehead, and with a loud thunk he fell forward into the boat.

 

[Faelin K'Abveirin]

It was unavoidable now.
A slaver struggled against the makeshift spear of the dark elf, impaled right between the ribcage. When the elf disengaged the man lived for about two more minutes before bleeding out. Dying alone, on some uninhabited island. Probably was a slave once upon a time too, or how it usually was with goons of lower rank.
Wonder if he ever had a family or such.
Faelin didn't give it a second thought as he skewered another.
He could hear people approach sooner than anyone else, he could feel them step near before he'd even see them.
The fog was odd, thick enough to not let one see where the hell they even were.
Was that the coast right now?