1x1 Coffee Dragon

[DragonDream]

✴Phlegethon✴

The overall moral of the group had been dwindling the more they travelled. Everything seemed to drag on, and four days felt like a few weeks. For the most part Basil kept quiet after Phleg snapped at him for a comment that would have never bothered him before. He was used to getting yelled at, but for some reason it cut deeper, even after Phleg had apologized.

The port city felt like a bigger stumbling block than anything. They had been so caught up in travelling through the country that distant politics had decided to make things difficult. The southern kingdoms were drama filled recently, and it was becoming problematic for everyone.

"Relax, we will find passage. Darma and Khira do a lot of trading with Carahan. Ships can't wait around forever, and I have seen plenty leaving port since we have been here. Besides, I don't think many people will really say no to a lot of money," he said, pulling a handful of coin purses out from under the table.

[ColorCoffee]

||Seraphine||

"I'm not even going to ask where you got those, because quite frankly, I don't want to know. I hope you're right."

[DragonDream]

✴Phlegethon✴

Basil shrugged. "I'm more worried about what we are going to say when we get there. If they are monitoring the ports I don't know if they will let just anyone wander around without a good reason. So from here to there we are going to have to find a reason to set foot in Carahan or have a plan to sneak off the ship."

[ColorCoffee]

||Seraphine||

"We could come up with a likely story. Maybe we could say that we heard there is a great healer in Carahan that we need to see. One of us could pretend to be very ill. We say we spent all our life savings on treatment that didn't work so this is our last hope."

"Sadly I don't know if that is a good enough reason. Not everyone will accept a sob story. I've traveled to Carahan before to research the vegetation. I could say I am doing more research based on some knew findings and that you all are assisting me."

[DragonDream]

✴Phlegethon✴

"Yes, because nothing says 'I'm Darminian' like having partners in research. Besides, if there is a political crisis going on, I doubt they are going to care about researchers from another country. They don't care about knowledge like people here do. I say we find a boat, and figure it out as we go. Sympathize with the sailors, they are probably irritated enough to assist us. We don't have all the time in the world to sit here and come up with terrible scenarios. We don't know who is watching here, and who is following. And, besides, Tiny could change back at any moment and I don't want to be here when that happens."

[ColorCoffee]

||Seraphine||

"Alright then, let's go." Seraphine said as she left her partitially nibbled on bread on the table and began walking towards the boats."

Ulicia stood up and sadly said under her breath, "I thought mine was a good scenario..."

[DragonDream]

✴Phlegethon✴

"I didn't think it was that bad," Phleg shrugged as he fell in line with the group.

Basil walked along with Seraphine, sizing people up as they passed. Plenty of sailors were milling about the docks, the noise of the busy port invigorating to him. There was nothing quite like disappearing in a crowd. Asking around, most people were pointing him in the direction of a large shipping vessel at the edge of the dock. Crates were being hoisted onto it or dragged up ramps. Clearly, they were still set on making deliveries. It didn't take Basil long to find the captain of the vessel, though he was surprised when he did. The one person giving orders was woman with dark skin and a foreign accent.

Approaching her, she had already turned to see the group approaching. "Well, you four aren't my workers, so what do you want?" she asked, sizing them up with a raised brow.

There was something intimidating about her, though Basil couldn't quite place what it was. "People on the docks say you are going to Carahan, and we need passage." He was succinct with his answer. He didn't think she would appreciate him wasting her time being coy.

"Of course I'm going to Carahan, but why should I give any of you passage? You look like trouble," she said, pointing a finger straight at Basil, "And the rest of you look like you are outrunning Death herself."

"I am trouble," Basil said, "And we do really need to get to Carahan for similar reasons."

The captain stood there, momentarily taken aback and confused at whether he was jesting, or telling the truth. She decided on the latter when nobody smiled or laughed. "Still not a convincing reason. I don't need dead weight on my ship. This isn't a luxury vessel, though she is a luxurious one. I'm not trying to lose her or get my crew in trouble with fugitives."

"We can pay. Taking us to Carahan won't get you in any trouble, and won't be any trouble for your crew. You're one of the only ships planning to dock in Carahan, and you look like you aren't going to take no for an answer once you get there. Its a short journey, and we will be out of your way in no time, and you will be well compensated for the dead weight."

"Let me see the money, then. How well compensated am I going to be when whoever comes running after you has questions?"

Basil pulled out the coin purse he had shifted all of his stolen money into, holding it out to the captain. "Hopefully compensated enough. If not, I can sing, he can do magic, she's a healer, and this one can argue with you til you wish you were dead," he said gesturing at everyone and shrugging.

"I'm glad you think you're funny," she said, though not unkindly. Taking the coin purse she tested the weight in her hands, peeked inside of it, then looked back at the group. "You look like a liar, but I'm sure I've met worse. You can board my ship. Don't start fights with my crew, they will toss you overboard without hesitating. If you are told to do something, do it. If its staying out of the way, or lending a hand, you do what you are asked. While you are on my ship, you follow my rules. If that suits you, then we have a deal," she said, holding out her hand with a wry smile. Basil shook it, returning the gesture.

"I'm sure we will get along fine."

[ColorCoffee]

[quote="ColorCoffee"]||Seraphine||

Stonehart looked at the small army of men she had standing in front of her. Anaka had graciously given her the best trackers and hunters in the village. Though they were used to tracking animals in the snow, she didn't doubt that they could track down a celestial and a few measly humans. After all, they were all animals of sorts in some way or another.

They had already lost too much time, but that wouldn't matter. They made up for it in tactics and planning. They decided to send in three different groups. Each group would split up and head in different directions. The first group, referred to as the star group, would head southeast, covering the area heading to the east side of the country. The second group, referred to as the moon group, would head southwest and cover the area that lead to Khira. The third group, referred to as the sun group, would head south covering the area that led to Carahan. Stonhart would lead the sun group while two of the tribes guards led the other two. Each group consisted of five people. A leader, two trackers, a hunter, and a messenger.

As soon as they were ready, they would make their way to the nearest village to act as a starting place. All that was left now was to wait for Anaka to send her blessings onto the groups. Stonehart could have done without the pageantry, but she couldn't risk also getting on the Silver Chief's bad side.

When Anaka arrived, her blessing took about 10 minutes. Once it was over, the first group left. After about 30 minutes, the second group left. Then after another 30 minutes, the third and final group left, but before they departed Stonhart walked up to Anaka.

"Your hospitality has been greatly appreciated. I swear I will return to you the fend that took everything away from your tribe so that you may do to him what you please."

"The fallen celestial will pay for the damage done to the sacred connection of his kind, for what he did is unforgivable even by their terms. Be well on your way Stonhart. I trust we will meet once more."

Stonhart bowed and began leading her group out into the snow.

[DragonDream]

✴Phlegethon✴

The accommodations on the ship were modest, most spaces below taken up by crates, hammocks, and tables nailed to the boards set up for cards and dice. A permanent spicy odor permeated the air, which was explained to be barrels of spices and casks of perfumes from various places that were meant for Carahan and had been seeping through everything. It was slightly nauseating in some places, which led Basil to spend a lot of time above deck, even if it was chillier with the frigid winds. If he got within three feet of someone he was asked to do something, much to his irritation. Taking the captain's word for the crew's no tolerance he obliged every time. Rope burns had become a fixture on his palms, and he learned far more about the workings of sailing than he had intended to.

All the while Captain Ida worked alongside her crew. As far as he could tell she had a good relationship with everyone on board. The sailors seemed content, and hardly complained unless they were accusing one another at cheating while playing cards. She could be harsh at times, going off on someone in another language while peppering in insults that he could understand. He was even the victim of one such berating for not knowing ship directions when something needed to be done fast. The ship had been his excuse to distance himself from everyone for a little while. If he was always working, he wasn't thinking about their impending doom or just how much it was going to take to avoid it. A day out from Carahan he found himself thankful for the high winds that left them anchored until they could go on.

The captain was less thrilled about the delay, and the crew was busy below deck where the wind wasn't cutting through them. Captain Ida found Basil at the prow of the ship and joined him as he leaned on the railing. "For the spokesperson of your pitiful crew you don't seem like a faithful leader. You seem like you are avoiding them."

Basil huffed. "I am hardly the leader of anything, and I'm not avoiding them."

"Oh, you just really enjoy learning how to sail then? I can tell you right now you would make a pitiful sailor," she said grabbing his hand and flipping it to show off the blisters. "You don't have hard working hands. You have dishonest hands. So I think you are lying. You are avoiding them."

"Because of my blistered hands?" he asked. Ida raised her brow. "Maybe I needed time to think about things. I never made a secret out of our need to get to Carahan. Its not a happy holiday."

"What is there to think about that can't be talked out with them? Hmm?"

"Are you going to throw me overboard if I don't answer?" he asked her.

"All I'm saying is you look like you want to run a little faster than your friends," she said, shrugging. "I think you don't know what to do, and you are scared because of that. I bet you are used to talking yourself into and out of situations. You talked yourself onto my ship after all. But now you see an opportunity, and you don't know if its better to run or fight."

"Did my hands tell you that, too?" he asked dryly. "I am not a fighter. Nor am I a good
person. I don't even know what I am anymore besides tired. I don't want to be on the run for the rest of my life, and being in this situation has made me an even bigger target. So maybe I do want to run in a different direction. I have since the start. I don't know what we are going to do once we get to Carahan if they have the ports locked up. If we have to go back, we aren't going to last long. I would have a chance on my own, though. I could take off and go anywhere. I could run until I had nowhere else to run to. Maybe then I could try and forget all of this ever happened."

"I don't think you are a bad person." Basil looked at the captain skeptically. "You could have argued and paid for yourself to get on this ship without them. You seem to know them well enough to at least look out for them. I see you go down to check on them too. Even if you don't talk to them. Being scared and unsure doesn't make you a bad person, but running away when things get dark does. You don't seem sold on turning tail on your friends yet."

"I would hardly call them friends," he argued, not really knowing what to say.

"Don't argue with the Captain," Iba said, giving him a stern look that softened almost immediately afterwards. "Whether you are criminals, failed carnival acts, or friends, you are still in this situation together, and whether you realize it or not, you aren't alone. Not yet. That is your choice. Besides, I can get you into Carahan. You never asked me that," she said with a shrug, walking off.

"Wait what?" he said, following after her as she walked to her quarters.

"I have some things that need to be delivered by hand into the capital. If you take them I can pass you off as a group of couriers for important packages, which they are by the way. So I expect your dishonest hands to do me a favor since I'm doing you one. You need to clean up, though. You look like a thief, and your friends look like a motley crew of bear attack victims."

"Why help us?" Basil asked warily. "We could just run off and not deliver the packages."

"I don't think you will."

"Blackmail? A babysitter? What's the catch?"

"There is no catch, you do it. And I know you will do it. Otherwise you wouldn't be trying so hard to understand why I'm trusting you. I trust you more than you trust yourself. I know you will do this for me because I asked you to, and you will feel bad if you don't. Especially after I give you all proper clothing so you don't make me look bad or the sender look bad. I don't do bad business. Go get your friends so I can look for things that fit them," she said, shooing him off and closing her cabin door in his face.

Left confused about the entire conversation he did as he was told.

[ColorCoffee]

||Seraphine||

Seraphine had not seen much of the others since they boarded the ship. Ulicia had tried to stay by Seraphine's side and keep her company, but she was still very weak and needed as much rest as she could get so she spent most of the travel sleeping. Seraphine on the other hand still could not sleep well. She had hoped that the movement of the ship would help her fall asleep, but instead it had done the opposite. Every time she would doze of the waves would cause something to move which caused Seraphine to jolt up and grab her knife. She became hyper aware of all the crew mates when they were around, listening in to everything they said in fear that they would betray Seraphine and the others at any moment.Seraphine had no idea how much longer she could last. It was only a matter of time before her body would break and she would either pass out or go crazy. It didn't matte, she would hold it together as long as she could.

Since the ship was unable to move forward for a bit, Seraphine decided to try one more time to go to sleep. She closed her heavy eyes and tried to focus on the motion of the rocking boat instead of the noises around her. When Basil came and woke her up she had just fallen asleep. When he woke her she grabbed her dagger and pointed it at his throat. Once she realized who it was she sighed and returned her blade.

"What do you want?"