#drakonbane

[wanderingraincloud]

First Atlas Mission

His shoulder hurt. It was a nagging and painful reminder of their successful trip… and a reminder he really should have spent some time and energy to heal the bruise before it got this bad.

Rolling to his feet Rain grinned, hearing the large breaths coming down from the cargo hold. For all that there had been some minor snags - and some near death experiences on his part - they had their bull and two mares. So, he assumed, did the Lynx and the Fury. He had seen the other two ships and certainly Neblegear hadn't stayed with them the entire time. No call had gone out on the comms either for help before they’d left so he assumed everyone had done well.

And below their feet stood three lovely specimens - all blue, as their Captain had decided he wanted blue ones and who were they to argue?

Well, there were times he would have argued if it had been necessary.

"You two want to play bait or want me to?" There wasn't any way in hell Rain was letting their Captain play bait. Even now he had to wonder about that. It was why, when Ellyri attempted to hand him the gun, he had handed it right back over to Arkhos who would stay nice and safe… ish up on the cliff.

(Never mind he was their healer. It definitely made more sense for him to play bait, okay? Rain's reasoning was all very logical and without any holes.)

And a good thing to. Because Captain Ravenscar was apparently a damn sharpshooter. While Rain was getting their attention a little too much and barely avoiding getting a lovely new scar, their Captain had taken each of their direhorns down in one blow - which is, admittedly, probably all that saved him from a messy death.

Sighing, he pressed a hand carefully to his shoulder. He had been lucky he was wearing armor for once instead of his usual vest. A careful breath later and a wash of green spread out from his hand, immediately covering him with a soothing cool mist. He could have let it heal on its own. But now that they had their dinosaurs… Well, Captain had to stick with the boat.

Rain on the other hand - he would be finding a mage to cajole into letting him trade services for a portal. That wasn't too hard - especially not at the Darkmoon Faire where there were usually a few willing to go along with his type of payment plans.

And then… he would be attending a meeting with Xikaer in place of their Captain. One called by Captain Poxface. Who he was not allowed to punch, according to Arkhos.

Dammit.

(Mentions of: @arkhos-ravenscar @arcanistchi @xikaer @darnath @jackarychaoti @talonwildfire I think that’s it someone let me know if I missed a person)

[wanderingraincloud]

Dark Skies

The tense air on the Drakonbane didn't exactly dissipate just because one participant in the ugly argument was gone. Not for Rain at least, who spent several hours after breakfast hunting down anywhere he might have left bits and pieces of whatever he was working on in a quiet corner and then forgotten. Little bits of wire tucked safely into the corner of the ceiling where two beams met. A two thirds finished and very confused little robot that had gotten lost in the cargo hold. Scrap metal left here and there - especially in the empty cabins.

None of it had ever seemed a lot, and for the most part he didn't mean to clutter. Until he went to collect it all he hadn't even realized how far outside of his own room he had spread. His two areas - the kitchen and his own cabin - were entirely separate domains, and engineering didn't happen in the kitchen. Ever. There were things he had added to the kitchen here and there but none of them were things he would take with him when... if he left. Certain peoples still needed healthy meals even if they were being jerks.

Sometime during his clean up there came a slow trickling realization that maybe he could have... reacted a bit differently. Maybe.

And also that nowhere in there had Captain Ravenscar actually threatened to kick him off the boat and the other way around, leaving without even trying to do something to fix it kind of felt like running away. Maybe.

Knowing something logically didn't help at all. If anything it made his clean up slash packing process angrier. And when that was done - everything in a neat, if entirely too small packed away pile - there wasn't anything to do but think. He didn't want to think.

He was restless and itchy and the third time he was eat staring at new burns on his hands he knew he wasn't in any sort of mood that would do anything but create. Writing a letter fell through halfway, burnt hands not mixing well with holding a pen and sea take him if he could concentrate enough for even one fucking healing spell.

His jacket was on before he knew it, the tightest leather pants and most open shirt joining them. He couldn't stay on the boat - not tonight. He needed to move, he needed to be doing something, and he needed to stop thinking. Captain was gone who knew where, Ellyri was dealing with their collective tiff and fact this was all set off by someone she hated down to her toes. Xikaer certainly didn't need the company and Fentak wouldn't care. For a night they could eat their own cooking.

The city had inns, and bars, and between the lot of them he would either find someone to fuck him until he could forget everything, or find a fight to do the same.

After that...

After that he would remind himself if he could keep his temper with some asshole bitching on a cart he could damn well remember to do the same for his own Captain. If they were comparing him to a cat he'd do better offering him cream than claws.

( @arkhos-ravenscar @arcanistchi )

[wanderingraincloud]

Meddling

Cooking the mostly simple meals they had while traveling was pretty routine. It allowed his mind to wander which, really, was something of a problem. Sometimes, it meant he was reaching for the wrong pot because his mind was a million miles away.

Grimacing, he withdrew his hand and huffed. They could only take so much with them anyway, their bikes didn’t have the room that, say, the ship would have. Would’ve thought by now it would be automatic to reach for the correct pot out of the three he had managed to stash away. On the other hand, he was right and properly distracted, feeling a little on the stupid side. He knew he wasn’t much for thinking things through, especially when the thought led to ends that could only be bad.

But he had also grown up in a place where everyone knew talking things out sooner rather than later was better for everyone so when something started to nag at him - when there was something he realized maybe someone else wasn’t speaking of the conclusion was self evident. He was going to meddle and it would probably get him into trouble.

It hadn’t ended in trouble. Actually, if he had to say, he would have said it hadn’t ended as best it could, considerin’ the topic.

It just so happened the topic had been, “Hey, Arkhos? What did happen to your old crew?”

Looking back he could admit at least in the back of his mind he suspected what was up. He usually made damn sure to try and be proper with rank except he had been fretting so much about the subject matter he had slipped up and gone all informal(er). Which admittedly he had probably only gotten away with cause what he was asking was a might distracting. And probably should have been obvious.

Hell, Ellyri had known him before - she had probably known the entire time. Not that he was going to bring it up. He had a feeling that would be breaking trust if he went blabbing about it everywhere.

Hindsight being what it was, it kinda made sense his Captain had been willing to hire him so quickly when everyone was dead. If he had even thought about it back then (he hadn’t) he supposed he could’ve thought they’d all retired...at exactly the same time.

And Light take anyone that could have not given the man a hug after hearing that story. Rain had taken off pretty quick after that but he hadn’t been given the stink eye this morning so... he supposed it was all fine. Or swept under the rug.

He kind of wanted to do something special now, to make up for what had been some really foot in mouth words the day before when joking around with Ellyri but, well... All he had was food. And their supplies were pretty limited - they’d used the last of the shrimp last night at Elyria’s suggestion, they were in dire need of some fresh fruit that hopefully the druids could supply.

He ran that over the mind. All three of them could really use a treat and the druids did owe them. Maybe another night of using their campground and some their supplies to make a proper fire in a nice little stove they had hanging about and he could actually make something a bit sweeter than usual. Couldn’t do anything fancy...

But none of them were exactly the fancy type.

And while the Captain was distracted he and Ellyri could plan out how to sneak an owl kitten onto the Drakonbane.

[wanderingraincloud]

Healing

He had thought perhaps his end had come early, or it was another part of the dream when the pain came and then went. Maybe it had been a dream. He had fallen into his first true sleep in what felt like weeks shortly after.

A couple of days later he was cautiously hopeful. He had managed to eat. His fever had broken. He was completely exhausted in a way sleep could not entirely help but overall he felt… better. Not completely well. Not yet. But better - he had even scrubbed himself clean and that had felt amazing. He could think again, and focus and the simple task of just living no longer took up all of his energy.

In fact Rain was well enough that his lack of physical energy was to the point of frustration. He had things he wanted to do! His mental focus was back and running at nearly full capacity but for once in his life his body was the one lagging behind. He left his room for the first time since falling asleep in the kitchen (he actually didn't remember how he got back to his room and suspected sleep walking - at least he hadn't fallen off the ship) and breathed in.

He could smell things again! He had definitely taken his nose for granted. There was a curious chirp and he blinked to find the dragonhawk hatchling still waiting around for that letter. Ooooh, the Matrons were going to be so worried. Guiltily, he slunk toward the kitchen while the cat sized critter glared after him. "I'll get to it! Promise!"

The doubtful look he got in return was totally unnecessary. He ignored the hatchling in return as it followed him, considering what the ship had. He could eat, but his stomach wasn't quite up to snuff and he had no idea about the others. So. Something simple, something his stomach could handle.

Stew it was. Minimal spices, just in case. Vegetables only - any meat they might have around that hadn't gone bad was definitely too heavy for him right now, and anyone else that was sick. Even fish. With some consideration he added extra - there might be other people in port that needed a meal and weren't up to it yet. And if not… it was stew. They could eat more of it later.

By the time he had finished gathering ingredient, chopping and preparing and actually getting the water to start heating his eyes were drooping. It was terrible! Sure, days ago even stumbling into the kitchen had made him want to puke but patience with his own body wasn't Rain's strong suit. He wanted to be better!

But well… the stew could be left alone now that it had begun. He just needed to stir it once in awhile. He would just… sit for awhile.

The dragonhawk made a disgusted sound. "Imma get to it," he protested, eyes falling shut. "Just… need a minute. Need to send another letter too…"

He slid down the wall opposite where the pot simmered over the fire. Another letter… to much farther. To Pandaria. He had never paid as much attention to the healing skills as he should have. But he had gotten enough compliments on his manipulation of chi that he knew he could.

And this… what had happened at Sunspire he had felt so useless. He hated feeling useless.

So he would fix it. Once he woke up.

@arkhos-ravenscar @arcanistchi @xikaer

[wanderingraincloud]

Under the Weather

A loud muscle aching sneeze echoed through the small cabin on the Drakonbane and Rain sniffled, taking as deep of a breath as he could. There was a small round table bolted to the floor by the wall but instead of leaning over it he had leaned back as he sneezed. He didn't want to sneeze on the paper - that could very defeat the whole purpose of keeping to his room and writing the note in the first place.

When they had been given the task to round people up to the infirmary, there had been a brief thought - not even a worry - that this could happen. Even now when his symptoms were mirroring exactly what he had heard some of those currently sick - sicker than he was anyway - had come down with in the beginning a part of him was in denial. He almost never got sick. He could count on one hand the number of times it had happened.

But when he did… of course it was going to be bad. He sighed to himself, quill scratching the last few words onto the note. Frowning, he underlined the top words and then scuttled off, paper in hand. In short order it was tacked to the Captain's door and he ducked back over to his room and shut the door. He settled himself into a corner with some spare parts to tinker with.

The note read as follows:

DO NOT TOUCH THIS 

Captain,

Sorry about yelling, er, sort of. Y'know what I mean. I've come down with a cold or maybe, that other thing. Hard to tell. Won't be touching the kitchen or making food until I'm sure it's gone. Don't know how it's spreading but not gonna risk it. Gonna stay in my cabin when not working.

Thanks, Sorry, Oh fuck th

-Rain

@sunspireport @arkhos-ravenscar

[crimsynlotus]

Three to Five

“I 'ave watched this crew ge' fucked over again an' again. Firs' Ayami, the' tha' fuckin' bitch Warbringer. An' now you're no better than any of 'em.”

He had given the wood to Lucia. Not a transaction, not a separate deal he managed to squirrel away. No, to make her fort better. A fort Saeris had never seen, a fort that was not Sunspire. It was no surprise the words of dislike spilled from his mouth, Kurel had done something so stupid, so ludicrous that the quartermaster could scarcely believe it. His excuse had been that the captain of the Drakonbane hadn’t been forthcoming with information. Saeris had barked that no one was honest in the port, why did he demand from another Captain? Then Kurel had argued that Blaque had meant to betray the other captain as well. That didn’t sit right with Saeris at all, but right now he had Kurel in his sights, and the dark haired blind fuck wasn’t going anywhere. 

Speaking of blind, the fucker had no eyes that Saeris could speak of, but he felt such a cold burning look when Kurel set his sights on him and barked, “Get off my ship.”

There was no hesitation, the words didn’t even seem to register to the crimson haired monk as he sneered. “Get off your own fuckin' ship. You don' deserve t' be here anymore tha' I do."

Kurel rocked forward from off his lean and stepped up to Saeris. Lip arched up with teeth bared like an animals. "I have bled for you people. Would stand between the endin' of the world an' you. An' I will suffer more still." He was puffed out like a challenging toad. Shoulders high and chest out. "I don' need your approval an' you can either work with more or agains' me, Saeris. Bu' you make sure you choose the righ' side. Cause either way, I will win an' where you are when I do, will determine whether you stay a freeman until you die or end up a slave all over again."

The punch that was thrown Saeris didn’t even realize. The threat had been hollow, he knew deep down Kurel would never enslave him again, he trusted the other elf, he knew he did, he loved him like a brother but when he’d cracked over the captain’s eye and blood seeped out, Saeris knew they were both in for it. 

The two fought with a fury, Kurel landed a crushing punch to Saeris’s solar plexis, Saeris bull rushed Kurel into the desk and while Kurel tried to fight his arms, Saeris played dirty, driving his knee into Kurel’s lower regions...the noise was actually sort of satisfying, if Saeris had to admit to anything, but the rapid fire kidney punches the captain laid on him were not. He’d slammed his foot into Kurel’s instep, growling out words against a bruised throat where Kurel had tried to strangle him to get him off moments before.

"You fuckin' deserved i', you fucked over th' por' an' you better fuckin' make i' righ'." he seethed with the oxygen he was able to get.

They’d ended up on the ground, Kurel pinning Saeris to the floor, laying punch after punch as his words punctuated each hit. "I didn' fuck over the port! I fucked over a captain you ain' apart of this city! Who ain' done shit for you, like I have! I fucked him over, to better protect this port! To protect my assets! Protect this crew! To protect my people! Fuck Arkhos an' fuck you, for your fuckin'-- FUCK!" 

Saeris had paused then, the ragged tone Kurel had laid down spoke of something deep, something that desperately needed to be addressed, but it was too late, Celestine had heard the commotion and had come down. He requested she leave, rolling over and slamming Kurel to the floor, pinning him. She’d cooly aimed guns at them, Ayami and Nikklaus commenting in the background. The quartermaster had thought it was almost over, but no...something else had begun, something he still didn’t understand. 

When he looked down, there were runes, there were runes and a purple mist and Kurel grinned at him. The strength the other elf suddenly possessed was beyond him, and he called to Riz desperately but was unheard, as the others bickered outside, and then left. They left him. He tried desperately to keep Kurel pinned down, but suddenly a hand shot up to his already injured throat, claws...Kurel had claws and they were wrapped tight around his windpipe, crushing the life out of him. This was not the same, up until that second he hadn’t feared for his life, he’d been in brawls before, that had been the end of the fight...this was entirely different. 

Three minutes, it took three minutes to lose unconsciousness from lack of oxygen. Five to die. He desperately tried to free himself from Kurel’s grip, but the other barely registered it. He let go of Kurel’s other arm to try and help, but that proved a stupid move as the other hand joined it’s mate around his neck. He begged for Riz to come, heart hammering as he tried not to panic. Riz and Dim came rushing in, and he barely could tell what they were doing, he heard words, there was a stick, but all he could see was that feral smile on Kurel’s face, the purple and the runes, veins coursing through his captain that he didn’t understand but knew wasn’t right. 

A combination of quick thinking from his bunkmate, and Dim’s work managed to get him free, albiet with two bodies crushing over him as he laid on Kurel, panting hard for breath, throat already closing up from the intense damage, but he weakly tried to keep Kurel down, not until he heard the captain murmur words did he feel safe enough to roll off from him. 

The rest of the night was a blur, he knew he had pleaded with Kurel to stay, afraid that they would lose him again if he left, but Kurel had said he wasn’t strong enough to be around them, and he’d understood, at least a little. He vaguely remembered explaining what had happened, Seo-yun was a blessing in fur as the shaman carefully attended to his wounds. 

Burning deep trauma to his body abated, the only thing Saeris felt was exhausted. He knew he needed to talk to them, to explain, but he couldn’t, not when he felt so bone deep tired. He had passed out in Riz’s arms, waking up in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Kurel had...not quite betrayed them, but he had. Kurel was afraid, the voice he had heard...it was a drowning man. A drowning man with his head half under water and seeing no way up except on the back’s of those around him. 

Groaning, the quartermaster just turned, burying his face in his pillow as aches rolled over him. He needed to get up, to find Kurel and make sure he was alright, but no...not yet, his cold was kicking his ass again, and he needed to rest. Closing his eyes, he growled as the sickly image of Kurel’s demonic smile slid into his vision. He shook his head, wincing at the tightness on his throat, healed but still in pain. 

Three minutes and Five minutes...that’s all Kurel would have needed. He felt the sinking pit in his stomach when he realized that Kurel wouldn’t have taken it...but whatever that was that was on the ground beneath him...it would have. 

What happened to you, captain?

(( @kurel-andiel @rizzythemonk @wolf-queen @dancesinshadows @phoenixadmiral @mrblaque ))

[shaded-hawke]

Where we will, we’ll roam (Arkhos)

“Look alive men! It’s a fast one, but we won’t be goin’ home empty handed.” 

The cry from the captain had his men moving fast, the deck swarmed with twenty hands heaving this and pulling that, fixing the sails and preparing the deck guns for their eventual run-in. The Drakonbane cut through the sea, it’s blackened prow featuring the fearsome head of a dragon, it’s wings outstretched and faded into the wood of the rest of the ship. In their sights on slowly greying sea was a slow moving cargo ship, Alliance made, sailing no doubt from Pandaria, it’s hulls stuffed to the gills with silks and spices and exotic items from the still new lands. 

Arkhos Ravenscar watched the cargo ship, then glanced at his time piece. His good eye narrowed, and he looked back up. “Get the wind in our sails, we’re goin’ now!” 

By now the cargo ship had noticed them, they were a black speck against the coming dawn but they had opened their sails fully and were going as fast as they could. The onyx haired Sin’dorei turned his ship to keep pace with them, wheel creaking in his hand. The Drakonbane had just finished being rebuilt after the fire, the hull painted black as an homage to those lost. He had recruited slowly, he still needed some good officers but he had enough loyal men to start up their profession again...and that needed money. Money that a whole lot of supplies from an Alliance ship could get them. 

 Turning the ship, the Captain glanced down at his time piece again, grinning. "Get ready! On my mark!" he yelled as he could see the little slats on the cargo ship opening, they were readying their guns just as his were. Just as he got the ship into position, the first slivers of daybreak were appearing on the horizon. "NOW!" he barked, and the sun broke free...to their backs, the cargo ship's front.

Blinded by the sun, the poor Alliance cannons hesitated in their firing, losing their target to the bright morning light. Arkhos's cannon's, however, did not miss, tearing the ship apart, twelve guns opening fire at once, six top deck and six below on the one side, he ordered another blast as he pulled the Drakonbane closer, after all he didn't want to sink their cargo to the briny deep so this would be a deck hopping expedition. They were soon close enough to lay hooks and ropes, then planks, and he grabbed up his sword and pistol with the rest of them, firing into the sea of bodies that was mostly Alliance twice, lunging into the fray with a cackle of madness.

The captain of the other ship was a hulking giant of a man, and Arkhos had to admit he felt a little intimidated, he was big by Sin'dorei standards but this bastard looked like he'd taken some kind of magical enhancment spells a few too many times. Then the paladin protection bubble came up, and the pirate snorted...that explained it. Still he moved swiftly to take out and capture the rest of the crew, leaving a few of his best to fight the angry paladin while he ordered more to get below decks and start wrangling up the cargo, and taking out the crew down there. At last he had most everyone captured, the enemy captain had been subdued, albiet slightly, Arkhos's sword pressed firmly against his throat, long fingers lashed in blond hair as he grinned down at the bound man.

"Just stay still, we aren't takin' all of it, just enough for our little hearts to be sated." he purred at the armored human.

"I will kill you! All of you, slow...painful. You'll all be captured and put up on the gallows for this!" The man snarled back at him, and Arkhos frowned.

"Well that's not very polite, fine...take it all boys!" he hollered, and there was a cheer from his crew and a cry of disdain and fear from the ones bound up.

It only took an hour to move everything, Arkhos had finally gotten enough of not helping and knocked the paladin out with the pommel of his sword to the back of the man's head, carrying over the last few boxes of food and spice himself. Waving cheerfully he ordered up the planks and the hooks removed, it had all gone so smoothly. On the distance in the now nicely shining sun he could see other Alliance ships coming, not cargo ships this time, fast moving cutters.

"Oops, we've worn out our welcome, let's get to turnin'." Arkhos ordered up, the sails re-opened, and he put them on a course towards the rising sun, heading for the safety of shallow water and slightly treacherous seas that he could navigate but most others couldn't.  The life of a pirate was full of danger and strife, of loss and of sorrow too...but right now? Right now it was full of laughter and joy, of a job well done, and of money to be spent.

It really was a pirate's life for him, and it always would be.

(Happy Talk like a Pirate day!)

[shaded-hawke]

Freedom (Arkhos)

It was pure torture. Absolutely completely pure unadulterated torture. Arkhos stood on the edge of the dry dock, staring at the half completed hull of a magnificent new barque style ship he’d had commissioned, it was everything he had to not scream at the tired workman to stop their lollygagging and their ridiculous notion of needing sleep to finish work on her and get him out to sea. It had been almost two months since he’d been marooned on the worst island he could think of...Eversong. Sure it wasn’t a conventional island, but it felt like one when he could go nowhere without having to walk or ride one of those bony horse monstrosities the Forsaken had risen to serve.  

He’d almost signed up to start working on fishing vessels, but rumors had swirled that he attracted firestarters, and Arkhos hadn’t wanted to bring any more stress to himself or what remained of his crew...the crew. 

Keythan was there of course, his rock and guiding light. The reason he’d managed to survive this long was the blond and his many distractions, making him grudgingly fall back in love with the land he’d sworn off for many years. Cook had left, after...well when one loses their husband and father of their unborn child, suddenly working on a ship lost it’s appeal. Arkhos had managed to smuggle her down to an Alliance friendly town and he hoped she’d made it back home to Teladrassil by now. Keythan had managed to rescue six of his twelve man crew all together, not including Natha and himself of course. Only four had perished in the flames, one at their own hand but...none it seemed wanted to return, they were frightened, and Arkhos honestly couldn’t blame them, but now what was he? A Captain of nothing...of a broken ship and a busted hull, a Captain all on his own. 

“Captain! She’s coming along wonderfully!” Came a voice that broke him from his melancholic thoughts, and Arkhos turned to smile at the foreman. 

“Aye, tha’ she is. Looks like she might be done by the end of next month yeah?” He replied, deep voice friendly and cheerful. 

The red haired elf that had come up to him nodded, standing beside him. “Yes sir, she’ll be exactly to your specifications, I’ve got the enchanters on stand-by for when we finish up the hull, your ship is gonna be protected from everything except cannons.” The foreman chuckled. “Apologies, we’ve no protective runes for that.”

Arkhos chuckled, it sounded dry and unused but it felt genuine. “Good, I suppose for that I only need t’keep a weather eye on what’s ‘round us. Good as any protective rune against cannons.” 

“I hear you’re one of the best at doing that, so I have no fear.” The foreman smiled at him. “Still, how are you enjoying your time here? Reconnecting with old friends?”

What are you doing? Stop this! It’s wrong! You know it is!

Don’t worry, you only need one to see where you’re going. 

Arkhos smirked then, realizing what he needed to do while he was still marooned. “Aye, actually I’m havin’ dinner with an old compatriot of mine. Used t’run with him when I was but a young welp, I can’t wait t’see what stories he has for me.” 

“Well have fun! Don’t drink too much, you won’t be able to find your way back to the tavern.” The foreman teased, heading back to get the rest of his straggling workers off the dry dock before the sun went down. 

Arkhos paused, eyeing the skeletal wood once more, before he turned and headed up the path. It would take him about an hour to walk to the city, plenty of time to come up with a plan. He had been marooned...but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still be the fierce dread Captain he was...and he knew just who deserved to be visited by the Captain of the Drakonbane tonight.