The Battles of Haven: RP

[Mistress Sheena]

Shino peered through the window as Skye looked around for the origin of the tapping she had just made. She looked under the bed.

Why would I be under your bed, fool? she stared blankly at Skye and sighed.

Shino tapped again and this time Skye got the message and looked toward her window. She was plenty spooked at first and called for her father. Shino just shook her head in pity just as Skye realized who it was and opened the window for her.

“Shino? You made it. I’m so glad that more than just I have.”

Shino glared back at her with protective intent and climbed inside her bedroom. Skye’s brother was just heading back to the house in a dazed state: Looked as though he pulled an all-nighter.

“How did you find me?” she asked intently. “I’m in so much trouble, you know? I really am.”

Shino just stared back at her blankly and looked outside, and then looked back at Skye.

“I followed you.” She said bluntly. “I know you’re wanted. I used to be a VR Knight, after all.”

“…Used to?”

“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you later.” Shino helped Skye pack the rest of her belongings.

“We have a few days left to stay here. When my friend Drake reports back to me, then we’ll leave.” Shino had a feeling she forgot someone.

“Oh, and we can’t forget about Captain Ral’Antar. It wouldn’t be good if you just left her here.”

Shino went back to the window and looked back at Skye. “I’ll be back in a few days to come get you. Stay out of trouble until then.” She leapt from the windowsill and dashed away from Skye’s house. Her next stop would be the tavern. If she remembered a pirate’s behavior correctly, Ral’Antar would be at the tavern right about now.

[Hyzenthlay]

Skye nodded in a rather puppet like trance, she listened to Shino's words carefully and took her advice to heart. As Shino slipped from the window and ran off along the road Skye turned back and looked at her suitcase before sighing. Just then her father barged in with a sword in hand, he looked with an angry face and a breath that screamed aggression.

"You wont take her you..." His voice faltered as he realised nobody but Skye was stood before him.

"By the godess girl, whats all the screeching about. It got my blood boiling, I thought they'd come for you"

Skye looked at him and started to lie again,

"N-no, not at all" she said with a plastic smile, "I got my thumb stuck in the window when I opened it. Sorry daddy i'm just so used to having you baby me and tend to my needs. Old habbits die hard" she again smiled then looked at her suitcase before grabbing it and tucking it safely away under her bed.

Her father let out a loud tut and turned walking away, he stopped in the doorway.

"You are still my little girl after all" his voice was that of pride rather than dissapointment, "unfortunatly the theme is thinning, not sure I bloody like that" with that he withdrew from the room and Skye heard him walk slowly down the wooden stairs and into the living area.

She sighed and walked to the window looking out on the quaint village she had grown up in. Remembering playing in the sea of wildflowers that littered the village, catching bugs and toads that lived nearby the streams. She recalled her and Erin watching her father fishing at their younger ages when all was so much more simple. She laughed at the beaming grins they had worn whenever their father brought them a fish. She slowly closed the window and went back to sit on her bed, she lay back exhausted and hoped Shino would find Kaysha before she got into trouble. On that thought she fell into a deep sleep.

[Musicmuse]

After what seemed like an eternity, there was movement from the guards at the door of the monastery and Valeria and Xadir quickly scrambled to their feet to prepare for action. The guards seemed to hear something, and it was a few more moments before Valeria picked up on it to -- footsteps. And from the sound of it, there were quite a few people headed right toward them. The door flung open and the entourage began to pour out.

Leading the group was an immense man whose physical presence made Valeria gasp. He was practically a giant, and obviously not someone to be taken lightly; this point was highlighted by the fact that his face was covered in a black mask. His armor was the deepest shade of black she had ever seen, and a katana hang majestically at his side. Valeria had no idea who this man was, but he was obviously someone of great importance.

The Pope wore a grave expression, and he was surrounded by what looked like a royal guard, but obviously they were not Papal Knights. Xadir gave a knowing sigh and whispered to Valeria.

"That's the Oval Guard," he hissed in her ear. "They're the best soldiers in all of Haven!"

Valeria nodded in acknowledgement, but never took her eyes off of the scene unfolding in front of her. Her parents were also being led away, and Celedonna glanced over to her daughter and mouthed the words "we're okay, stay safe". Valeria felt a wave of panic as she realized her parents were also going to be taken captive. No one dared to move since the Pope seemed unhappy but cooperative, and the Oval Guard led by this masked man marched straight to the aerodome, their prisoners closely guarded the entire time.

The Papal Knights seemed to be at a loss. Obviously they wished to save the Pope, but having the Oval Guard as opposition was certainly daunting. The masked giant and his soldiers disappeared into the aerodome and it wasn't long before a military ship soared at top speed into the clouds above.

Murmuring and nervous chatter erupted immediately from the gathered crowd, and Valeria looked to Xadir for some direction.

"We have to follow them," Valeria suggested.

Xadir disagreed. "They'll shoot us out of the sky and then we'll be of no use," he explained. "we need to see what they want the Pope for before we make a move."

Valeria frowned, but agreed reluctantly. Obviously she would set out to find her parents, but for now she would trust that Xadir knew what he was talking about. Perhaps in the meantime she would brush up on her magic studies...

[Fehrant]

Kaysha woke up late, but still in the morning. She was too used to sleeping in hard places like the frame of a ship. She removed the hat that was covering her face, and noticed the beaming sun up high. She yawned not very lady-like, and got off the boat. She was feeling too hungry already, a hunger that had accumulated from last night and she had ignored. She saw no choice but to use those two gold coins remaining to have a quick breakfast, and after that she was going to have to start thinking how to get a decent ship, and gold.

In her dreams, she stormed Lord Ramirez docks, and retrieved Firewanker back. In reality she realized in her current position, with the small boat, lack of crew, and general resources, it would be a hard thing to do. However, the idea had sprouted in her mind, and she considered it carefully. She felt that despite the status quo it was not an idea to be discarded.

Trying to tie up the loose knots and x-factors of the equation, she entered the same bar she had yesterday, not thinking about it twice. The silence that ensued on the other hand was palpable enough for anyone to notice her presence was not wanted.

The bar man shook his head, looking as if he was about to cry. "Please, don't..." He told Kaysha, who simply raised an eyebrow unable to understand what he was referring to. "Please, not here, no!" The barman repeated.

"What be yer problem, old fart?" She asked.

"Get out of here before you cause any more trouble," the old man explained.

"I was attacked, y'see? I just be want'n somethin' fer eat'n," she replied. "I 'ave gold too, o' yer refuse'n a customer?"

"Quick, just leave. If people find out there's a bounty on your head..."

"A bounty?!" Blurted a man from a table. The old man covered his mouth realizing his mistake. The man who was armored, and armed approach the bar. "How much is the bounty?" He asked looking tentatively at Ral'Antar.

No response from the barman came. Kaysha smirked. "Psh, ye son o' a wench be think'n me bounty be high fer no reason?"

"How much, old man?!" The man asked again.

"I-I don't know!" Confessed the barman.

The man grinned. "Then all we gotta do is just find out myself, eh? Carl, Ben, Sendo, grab the lady so we can ask her somewhere privately."

Three men in similar clothes stood up from a table. They all looked like mercenaries.

"Why don't ye do it yerself, ye rotten-crotch, goat-fucker?" Kaysha taunted.

The bar burst into laughter. The armored man fumed with anger, but still beckoned his men to restrain her. The first one to approach had a fist sunk into his face. The other two hesitated for a moment, staring dumbfounded at the aggressive comeback.

"What are you waiting for?!" Shouted their leader. The laughter had ceased. People from the nearby tables got up, and watched from afar. The two men circled her slowly with their palms open, ready to jump in and grab her. Kaysha on the other hand looked bored. She stretched her arms, but made no sign of wariness of her two attackers.

The pirate woman bolted towards one of the men, sending a knee high into his stomach. The other stopped dead on his tracks, a sword pointing at his throat.

The leader unsheathed his own weapon. "You asked for it," he said as he charged. The man attacked viciously, but Captain Ral'Antar intercepted each blow deftly. She switched to attack now, pushing back his opponent, whose back returned to the bar. His sword flew from his hand, as a drop of sweat fell from his forehead. The battle was over.

"Yer a goat-fucker, ain't ye?"

"Y-yes, I am," asserted the man obviously fearing for his life.

"Old man," Kaysha called the barman. "Ye let goat-fuckers on yer bar, but not pirates with bounties on their heads?"

"I apologize," said the barman. "Now please have a drink on the house. Please put your swords away."

"No need to have it on the house," the pirate declared. "Y'see, the man here will be leave'n his gold, and his sorry arse o' the bar fer now."

The man dropped a pouch with his gold and exited the bar in a rush. Everyone applauded, and Kaysha bowed to the audience. She lifted the pouch with gold. "A drink fer everyone. It's on me!" More cheers ensued.

[Mistress Sheena]

Shino opened the tavern door to a panicked warrior that left in a hurry. She then peered inside and saw a celebration of sorts where cheers were heard all around the atmosphere. She noticed the lady pirate that bowed to the crowd as if she had just finished performing an act. She put two and two together and pounded her fist into her open palm.

“Ah!” she said to herself. She sat at an available stool next to Captain Ral’Antar. She ordered a drink on Kaysha’s tab and drank it all in one shot.

She stared at Kaysha with a blank expression and leaned in closer.

“Thanks for taking care of the helpless one.” She whispered.

Shino pulled back and kept her aloof expression.

“I came to contact you because we’re leaving here in a few days, and I didn’t want to leave you behind.”

She got a piece of paper and gave her a note of the address of where she lived at if Kaysha wanted a place to crash. Shino stretched and ordered another drink and paid for it herself this time. She drank it in one shot again.

She yawned and cracked her neck.

[Hyzenthlay]

Skye awoke suddenly, her eyes felt heavy but she was clearly unable to fall back to sleep. She felt a strange draft come in through the room as if the window were still open. Tilting her head and taking a look she saw this wasnt the case. Instead she saw her brother asleep in the light of the doorway. He held the hilt of his heavy sword tightly within the grip of both his hands. She sat up in surprise though she could clearly see it was him. His head hang low and his hair dangled from his head like curtains of gold. He was leaning heavily on his sword and the tp was cutting into teh woodwork below him.

"Daarzil?" She whispered softly, "Daarzil" she repeated to no avail. The bulky figure of her brother didnt stir, it simply stayed there like a statue breathing heavily in teh dim light of the doorway.

Skye sighed and walked over to her window to look out, morning was coming. The curtains ahad been drawn so she pulled them apart witha swift movement of her hands. The light flooded in and make her recoil and cover her eyes for a second before they could adjust. Looking out she saw ships lining the horizon. They had completely circled the entire island like a wall of steel. She gasped and stood back as if they may see her. She felt her heart race with panic and even stuck her hand to the safety of her sword once again. Daarzil was right, they'd never get out without VR help. She had no choice but to wait for Shinos next plan of action.

She returned to her bed. Her head flooded with the worst outcomes and possibilities. Maybe Shino wouldnt return. Maybe she was captured. What if Ral'Antar had been caught and it was only a matter of time before she too was thrown in prison or worse. She took a huge breath and swallowed before sitting back on her bed and holding her face in her hands.

[Musicmuse]

There was still no word of what exactly the Oval Guard and their leader wanted with the Pope, but Xadir had manged to inform Valeria that The Oval Guard operated under the control of Lord Ramirez, the High Lord of Triaan. They were supposed to be his elite army, and what they were doing capturing religious leaders was anyone's guess. It seemed like a risky and very bold move on Ramirez's part, and Xadir and Valeria couldn't seem to figure out what he might be up to.

Furthermore, Valeria's parents had been taken captive as well, and Xadir suspected that they were just hostages much like the Pope who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Valeria agreed and was anxious to find out how they were doing and where exactly they were.

The Dahlia had been left at the aerodome, and the crew refused to let Valeria on board, which she thought was ridiculous seeing as her parents obviously would have wanted her to assume control of her family's vessel... but the crew was insistent that Kaleel and Celedonna had forbidden the crew to leave Reesa for ANY reason, and so Valeria had remained at the Inn in Reesa in the meantime. Oddly enough, the room she was staying in had been paid for indefinitely...

... but then again her parents always did overstay their planned schedule when meeting Senator Frenze for a visit. It wasn't THAT out of the ordinary, or at least that's what Valeria had explained to Xadir.

As for now it seemed that all Valeria could do was explore Reesa with Xadir when he wasn't in his religious studies classes or training in the art of sword fighting. Together they had vanquished a small army of rats that had infested Madame Hoaria's armor supply warehouse, basked under the summer sun in the monastery's Zen garden, and even taken a dip in the Lauralai Springs, a sacred waterfall that was supposed to have the power to instill great wisdom on anyone who bathed in its waters.

The bathing had seemed to help, actually. Valeria found that although she was still unable to make the candlestick light in her room, there was at least a waver from the matchbook on several occasions. Her concentration had improved, and in turn her powers of enchanting objects seemed to be slowly growing. Valeria didn't suspect she would be moving mountains anytime soon, but at least she was beginning to see some progress in her studies.

The days were passing slowly, but they were full and Valeria found herself falling asleep effortlessly and sleeping soundly despite her parent's abduction.

[DragonHeart]

The next day or so went quickly. General Finnegan’s aid entered Drake’s private office with a knock and a sympathetic smile as she dumped yet another stack of papers on his desk. His “reward” for handling the dock situation. The one thing he hated more than guard duty: paperwork.

He shuffled through the latest stack. Incident report sheets from all the people who’d been present for the investigation. Most of them were useless, but one near the bottom of the pile caught his eye. Name: Raven. Kai’s handiwork, of course. He had information.

Drake stood up, carefully folding “Raven’s” incident report and slipping it in his pocket. It didn’t have anything important in it, but Kai would have written the gist in code for him. He grabbed his weapons and headed out, informing the secretary that he was going to lunch. However, instead of turning toward the cafeteria, he headed out to the dock area to look for Shino.

He found her all right, sitting in the dockside bar next to someone vaguely familiar. Drake was sure he’d seen the other woman before, but he couldn’t figure out where. Shrugging it off, he entered and took the seat next to Shino. She didn’t seem to notice him at first, so he gently tapped her on the shoulder.

[Mistress Sheena]

While being engrossed in being slightly drunk, she felt a tap on her shoulder and immediately turned to see who it was.

“Ohh~, Drake. Wat did yoo find out?” she shook her head and regained her senses, albeit with a slight headache.

“…Sorry about that.”

Shino had been waiting for Drake to appear with a report of what really happened on the Falcon. Shino didn’t have the whole story but she had part of it from her memory.

The light bulb in her brain clicked on as she just remembered she initially sat next to someone.

She leaned close to Drake and whispered. “The girl next to me is Captain Ral’Antar. She’s really cool.”

Shino yawned and hiccupped. The two shots she took earlier had finally gotten to her as she slowly fell toward Drake’s direction.

[Fehrant]

As Ral'Antar was enjoying the bounty without regards as to how it was quickly running out by having invited everyone present, or the sheer amount of beverages and miscellaneous appetizers the bar offered that she would order, the woman who was standing aloof amidst the cheers and ululations of Kaysha's "private party" approached the pirate. Ral'Antar was a drunken bastard, as was any seaman worthy of fancying himself pirate, but she had not survived all this time sorely on luck. Among her skills, she had a very keen eye.

The cloaked girl took the sit next to her. She ordered a drink on the pirate's tab, chugging it down in one shot.

"Thanks for taking care of the helpless one," Shino said leaning closer.

"Ye mean the small brat? Blarg. Help be ok, but ye gotta need to handle yer own sword, if ye know what I mean."

Shino asserted silently. "I came to contact you because we’re leaving here in a few days, and I didn’t want to leave you behind." She handed Ral'Antar a piece of paper with the address of her home for the pirate to crash if she needed. Kaysha read the note, once again trying to devise a plan on what to do. Apparently the girl she had helped before was in some kind of trouble, and this person in front of her was her companion. The pirate didn't mind helping them, but right now she felt it was more important to make up her own mind before she decided into something like this. Nothing a little alcohol wouldn't help...

Ral'Antar drank away until a new figure joined. A short, lean man wearing modest clothing approached the bar, and talked to Shino. Kaysha spotted an amber pendant, seemingly the son of a merchant. The weapons in his waist, and the way he carried himself, however, spoke otherwise. He glanced at the pirate, and Kaysha thought she had seen a glint of recognition in his eyes, but it quickly dissipated.

"The girl next to me is Captain Ral’Antar. She’s really cool," whispered Shino to Drake.

Ral'Antar was slowing sipping her ale, when it dawned on her. Or rather, she got tired of wasting time around thinking. She finished the remaining of the beverage in one shot, and slammed down the jug into the table. "No time t' be waste'n!! Me Firewanker be mine, an' I'm get'n that back now. Bloody Lord Ramirez." She handed back the paper to Shino.

"Sorry, lass. But I ain't stay'n here do'n nothin' anymore. I be steal'n a ship, and get'n mine back." She stood up, and left the bar. As she came out with regained confidence, a formidable spectacle awaited her. An entire fleet was besieging the town. The faction they belong to was not clear, nor was their purpose, but they didn't look very friendly.

Ral'Antar stood there staring critically at the steel wall; it was the only thing right now standing between her, and her Firewanker.

[DragonHeart]

Captain Ral'Antar? No wonder she looked familiar. The most notorious pirate in all of Haven and Shino apparently had dealings with her. Drake rubbed at his temples; she'd really gone and done it this time. Technically he was obligated to arrest them both now, but luckily for them, he wasn't a "by the book" type of soldier.

Shino yawned and leaned toward him as her drinks caught up with her. Shaking his head, Drake held her up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her from slipping off the bar stool.

Ral'Antar slammed her ale down with a loud, drunken proclamation and staggered off towards the door, ignoring both of them. She didn't, he noted, walk nearly as drunk as she appeared. That certainly explained quite a few of the failed capture attempts. Bounty hunters were all idiots, anyways. The pirate wasn't his main interest tonight, so he turned back after a moment, making sure Shino was still awake.

"Listen Shino, I have the report on the Falcon, but I need you to confirm the civilian part of it. Even these officer reports are sometimes altered, but we won't know until we read it."

He slipped the coded report from his pocket and lay it on the table. To anyone else, it was a normal incident report. Hoping she wasn't too far gone to sleep the memory away in the morning, Drake carefully whispered the decoded information in her ear. He kept a wary eye out but the patrons were too busy enjoying their free drinks to be interested in a couple of "cuddlers" at the bar. Ral'Antar had stopped in the doorway, but Drake figured she was getting some air, or possibly waiting for someone else. He didn't particularly care either way.

[Mistress Sheena]

"Sorry, lass. But I ain't stay'n here do'n nothin' anymore. I be steal'n a ship, and get'n mine back." Kaysha said as she stormed out of the tavern. Shino frowned a bit and shrugged.

Shino shook her head to remove the drunken cobwebs and read the report piece by piece. As she looked at it, Drake leaned in and whispered the decoded information in her ear. It seemed accurate for the most part, except for the area that mentioned Ramirez.

It stated him as not being involved with the incident at all, or very little. She bit her lip and clenched her fist. This is the one thing she disliked about the military. She sighed and confirmed which parts of the report were false and true.

“What they say about Ramirez here is obviously false.” She speaks softly.

“Ramirez was the one actually behind it all.” Then she realized that she felt like she’s told him all of this once before. But she shrugged.

“The captain of the falcon was also in on it. And I have a secret code that’s needed for a secret something that I’m not sure about. I just want to stop them in their tracks before anything else happens.”

Shino then remembers about Skye. She pokes Drake and asks him to come with her.

“I need to go pick someone up. Before I left the Falcon I sent her in Ral’Antar’s direction because I know she’s not evil. If not for Ral’Antar, she wouldn’t even be at home right now. She’d probably have either been captured by Ramirez or killed. She’s a key witness in all this. Now come on!”

Shino got up from the bar stool and lightly belched. She pounded her chest softly, “Excuse me.”

She ran out the door and toward Skye’s home. Ral’Antar was still at the door entrance and she now understood why.

Shino stood aloof at the huge fleet surrounding the island. She stomped the ground.

“Damnit.” She bit her lip and continued on her path, cursing along the way.