Sentry: If that’s not a husk or a vengefly I’m going to feel real dumb… Come on out!
While the thump was a surprise at first, the Sentry recovered quickly. Thee was no shame in being startled or on edge in the city, not when the plague was once more on the rise. A chill ran down their back at the unmistakable scrape of a nail on cobble. Not a vengefly then, something or someone who was armed. They readied their nail for the potential battle that they may have found themselves in. Sentry was not one to act first however, no, there was protocol to how they worked. Long forgotten by many, but they would sooner hang their nail than break the code of their entire caste. “This is a Sentry of Hallownest!” They called out in an authoritative voice, “We’re telling you leave to the boat with your nail sheathed and your hands out where we can see them or you will be held in noncompliance with those that protect the city of our king!” It had been so long since they’d spoken those words, they wondered if they even remembered them correctly. Their order was clear enough. If it was a husk the words would mean nothing and they’d have a fight on their hands. If it was a thinking bug though… Then maybe Sentry could figure out why they were here.
One black-shelled hand gripped the hilt of a nail, while the other briefly prodded at cracks around an eye socket. It was a habit that he hadn’t found reason to break; even repaired, it was a weak spot, and he *had* just unintentionally gouged a shallow groove into the bottom of the boat with his horn.The impact could have re-cracked something.
Hunched over in a crouch under the curve of the boat, the Vessel listened to the string of words clearly audible from outside the boat, marveling at the sound. There had been little chance to hear someone speak more than a few words at a time. What few travelers he had seen during his ascent, he either avoided or had been avoided by, such that it took a few moments for him to parse what was being said. He didn’t think Husks could speak that coherently, let alone at such length. A bug that wasn’t infected? How rare... Especially in the weeping city.
That didn’t mean he would be safe, though.
Carefully, he eased underneath one of the seats in the boat, listening carefully for sounds other than the rain outside his shelter. He took enough of the weight against his back to get his fingers under the edge of the boat and then paused again to listen. Reasonably sure that the other hadn’t moved, the Vessel flipped the boat up with one swift motion and darted out from beneath it; the boat teetered on its edge for a breath, a visual and physical shield between Vessel and Sentry, before falling heavily back into place with a splash.
A blue glow gleamed behind the cracked but expressionless mask of the Vessel. The nail raised before him was held with some degree of competency, if not expertise. The armor showed signs of wear and attempted but inexpert care. And the posture suggested wariness, but not aggression. This one seemed more likely to flee if given an opportunity, rather than fighting.