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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Mar 21, 2020 11:26:27 GMT -8
[Lekalis]
The deed was done, bloody and quick, and perhaps a bit dauntingly smoothly; the Ex-Lord and dated venturer watched the serpent with sharp eyes, and the waters about it with greater paranoia than he'd grimaced at the crew of the Ursa on meeting.
Yet his boots and gear found themselves on the deck of the vessel, the only perturbed hooting coming from the Vikingr.
"Tobin." Lekalis spoke, though his voice was quiet from stress and the labors of hauling the serpent closer to the ship proper; he rose up and haphazardly brought his cloak to drape over his shoulders again as he looked over his person and approached Volundr,
"The Abomination's name is Tobin." He intoned a bit louder, closer too as he exhaled heavily through his nostrils and swept a hand through his saltwater'd hair, inkish eyes glancing about for the Captain.
They settle on the harpoon, and the two members of the Ursa's crew looking particularly devastated; they didn't seem to be greenhorns, which left only grave implications to be wrought from Lekalis' everpresent tension.
With one hesitant glance at the serpent, a glance he'd regret, he steeled himself and assumed to await the Captain's direction; as far as contracts were concerned, their deed was done. All that was left was pay, and home. He found better resolve in looking towards where the Hamlet lay, and he wondered if he'd ever be free of unquiet slumbers.
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Post by rosallora on Mar 25, 2020 10:29:09 GMT -8
The hauling of the serpent was an affair that stank of sweat and salt and blood. Hooks dug into the creature, men pulled and heaved. The third boat that had been tipped by the serpent was righted, the men from that boat mostly collected. They'd lost two to the deep, and the thrashing tail of the beast. The hour of the night is long, the moon casting its wan face over the surface of the sea. Tobin assists where he can, attempting not to get hooked himself, and the boats make their way to the ship where they find their mooring.
Rope and wooden ladders are thrown down for the men to climb aboard, though some stay in the water to help lash the beast to the side. The cannons on the lower deck are pushed all to the port side of the ship, helping to counterbalance the weight of the beast. The captain looks at Jonah; then she turns her eyes to Volundr and Lekalis.
"It's good to see at least two of you survived," she quips. She leers slightly at the iridescent creature currently being hauled alongside the Ursa. "I don't expect the two of you to help with the cleaning of the thing; I have men for that. We'll be going into port as soon as the wind is favorable."
At that moment, there was a gasp from below, followed a few curses and the sound of creaking wood. An abomination, tendrils curling over the banisters, hauls itself from the sea. The Captain's lips press tightly together, but she says nothing about it.
"Soon we'll be away," she says instead. "And you'll have your reward."
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Post by EloHim on Mar 28, 2020 7:36:25 GMT -8
[Volundr]
"Cap'n? A few words, if I may?" - he asked, walking up to the woman, all due respect in his voice.
"Look, I don't really know what was the reward that you offered to people for joining you... and frankly I was just thrown into it. "Along for the ride", so to speak. And I'm quite thankful for that journey. But...if yer talking gold...then I wish to receive only a third of whatever was offered. The other two thirds - split it between Hickory and Tobin. One is a forgetful ass, and I wish to put more salt on his stump of a hand. And the other... Well, frankly without him I would've never got to the Serpent's eye, and your crew would've lost more boats and men..." Or worse, but that wasn't said, only implied.
He didn't feel generous, no. He knew that both men were gonna get their dues. But with this gold he was so freely giving away he sent two different messages. He owed his victory to Tobin. And Hickory owed his livelihood and life to Volundr. He didn't care if they’re gonna get those messages, that's on their heads.
"And, whilst you do not require us to split the beast, I still wish to join in. Get some parts of the beast. Scales, bones. Gonna see if any of that good enough to make some armor for myself... Maybe a shield, if his bones are hard enough? And, if successful, I can make one set for ye, or whoever from y' crew, take your pick. Free of charge, of course."- he offers, though there was another hidden reason in his plea.
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Mar 30, 2020 5:36:41 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
The Viking's generosity was a surprise, but welcome in the typically cutthroat company the Ex-Lord kept. Though there was a cynicism in Lekalis' silence, knowing well that charity was the work of fools.
With a stand-offish cool, Lekalis bowed his head in kind to acknowledge the affirmation of payment. His own inkish eyes and mind weren't set on helping this crew more than he had to; Tobin's still changed form lingered in the darkness between blinks, the fact his shifted shape hadn't reformed into something tangible was disgruntling.
Perhaps the man had always been an Abomination, dire circumstance made him the sacrifice for the sake of the other's Humanity. What line was there between Man and Monster in the end?
Even the Hero-Apparent, the Viking, seemed to toe the line when he'd mounted the serpent's skull. His deed assisted by the monster. There was an unquiet shrug to Lekalis' shoulders as he felt uncomfortable in his own skin; did such amalgamations of flesh linger just below the surface of every man? If not, what corruption had befallen Tobin, and how.
Whatever it was that haunted the creature, there was an uncomfortable certainty that it was tied to the Dark aura of the Estate. As all things were, such was a Heart.
"I've gutted fish and snakes..." He began humbly, "... nothing quite so large, but; if you need a spare set of hands, mine are yours." Despite his cynicism and distaste for the fringing cultish nature of the crew...
"... Until we get to the Hamlet, my contract and this expedition is far from over."
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Post by rosallora on Apr 2, 2020 12:10:03 GMT -8
The captain seems amused at Volundr's little moralistic wonderings. An extra cut for Hickory - and for Tobin. She eyes the blob of a thing as it shuffles along the deck, looking for a way to hide its shame. She listens to the men as they speak, both their own strange brands of humble. She crosses her arms, looking at the dark sky, and the mass of the serpent below.
"The reward promised to you by the Heir is your own business; he wants the scales. So if you're wanting of those, you'll have to take it up with him. The teeth and the like though, I'll allow you to have one or two. As long as the sharpest are reserved for me, and mine." Her teeth glint with moonlight.
"As for the divvying of the thing itself... we'll cook it up right. Have Tavi give it the once over, a few sniffs," she waves her hand lightly. "We'll be back in port in a day or so's time. After the thing's gutted and skinned, I don't expect much fight from anything else. What would dare mess with us?" She looks smug, and comfortable. "If you're going to want to go down and work, then go and work. The reward's a talk for when we're in port, or rather, when you've joined back up with your Heir."
Jonah is calling to the men below, having lowered seats made of plank-wood and rope for some to work upon. "Cut it right!" He shouts, as if that was some direction that meant something.
Tobin's mass disappears belowdeck.
Hickory comes to stand by the mizzenmast, looking over a map and marking a certain position on it. Tavi is nowhere to be seen.
Sal nods her head, looking over at the work being done before glancing to the tied weapons keeping the ship balanced. "I wouldn't blame you for taking to bed, either."
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Post by EloHim on Apr 2, 2020 13:40:01 GMT -8
"Eh, fine. I'll take it up with the bastard alright. Dont know how much he gonn pay ye, but lemme tell you - not enough."
He goes below the top deck, first getting his hammer from Hickory's quarters, and returning the swords and armor back to the armory. They served him well.
He then tried to find Tobin but failing that... He found himself an empty hammock and just passed out.
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Post by rosallora on Apr 4, 2020 14:57:32 GMT -8
The sea was quiet the day they pulled into port, as if tame now that the serpent no longed dwelled within it. The crew was going about their business, things were as usual. The ropes were thrown to the workers upon the dock and the ship was moored, a heap of serpent scales and teeth and other oddities loaded into barrels and crates to be given to the heir.
Everyone was present; the captain herself stepping across the gangplank first in order to see to her own business, at the top of the hill. The rest waited for her, a small air of anticipation coming over the crew.
Tobin mended nets by the port side, fingers moving with slow sureness as he began another row of squares with strong, sturdy knots.
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Post by EloHim on Apr 4, 2020 16:34:25 GMT -8
[Volundr]
When they approach the Hamlet, the viking humms a tune to himself,not willing to share his voice with the rest of the crew. He looks around seeing mostly familiar faces but...there is one he was kind of looking for.
"Oi Tobin. There you are."- he walks up to the man, who was very good at hiding.-"Look, I wanted to thank you for yer help with the serpent. If not for you and your powers we're all might've been dead."
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Post by rosallora on Apr 4, 2020 21:31:25 GMT -8
The blonde looks up, eyes uncertain as the man approached him. He fumbles with the rope a moment, but relieves himself of the duty temporarily, knowing he can't exactly do both well at once. He had to choose one, and right now, what he needed to do well was talk to Volundr.
"It wasn't... I hardly deserve thanks." The light tenor of his voice belied his youth, a certain roughness missing from his voice. And the softness of his figure translated here as well. He scratches at his slightly patchy beard. "But I'm glad I could help you, Volundr. It's Volundr, right? I thought I heard Hickory talking about you."
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Post by EloHim on Apr 4, 2020 21:54:26 GMT -8
[Volundr]
He only nods to recognition of his name, sticking to the point. He's seen too many people acting just like that, not knowing their worth. He hated seeing that, despite that trait being quite common on the mainland. Just like constantly saying "sorry" for no reason.
"Hardly deserve thanks? Are you daft, lad? You took me right to him, threw me at the bastard's bloody head, right where i needed to be to push that spear hard enough to kill it. Climbing it was not an option, I would be eaten the very second I started. Catching it like it some sort of whale - idiocy. One move and it would've went deep underwater, leaving us with nothing but bunch of scales on our hooks and we would see it only when it would be too late or not at all. Without you there our whole pile of humans could've become just another eaten crew of another dead ship. You're a hero, tentacles or no tentacles. And thanks to you, I became one too. You and me did something worthy of a good song, Tobin, that's the truth, no matter how to spin it."
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Post by rosallora on Apr 4, 2020 22:09:31 GMT -8
Tobin holds the rope a bit tighter as Volundr talks, taking in the retelling of events with eyes that shine like a child's being told a story. "Everything's a haze when I'm like that," he admits. "I... I don't remember much of it and when you can't remember what you do, you hardly feel brave about it." He chuckles lightly, but there's a slight sadness there.
"I just hope that I do what the Captain tells me when I'm that... thing. Since I did more good than not I'll say I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm not used to being called a hero." The man reaches under the neckline of his shirt and brings out a necklace, decorated with bits of pink coral and swirled, delicate looking shells. He takes it off. "Here. It isn't much but maybe you can sell it for something. You've been kind to me so it'd be wrong of me not to return it."
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Post by EloHim on Apr 4, 2020 22:23:53 GMT -8
[Volundr]
"Huh...its that bad?"- he thinks back for a moment, to the tales his mother had told him. Some things fitted well, whilst others needed confirmation.
"Thank you, lad." - he takes the necklace and pocket's it to take a look later. - "Not gonna sell it, even though im getting enough mementoes from this ocasion already. Rather...a bit later you gonna get what you deserve. You dont know how much killing that serpent means to me. To me and my kin. Or maybe you do." - he shrugs, doubtful that even seafarers know the legends of Vikings(considering that mostly they get pillaged and slaughtered when they dont sail to the North for trade), but who knows?
"Look... your turnings. I dont mean to pry but... how did it start?" - he wonders if he can help more, if the stories of his mother and things he learned himself could help. Probably not, but Vol was used to taking shots in the dark.
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Post by rosallora on Apr 5, 2020 5:21:27 GMT -8
Discomfort flashes on Tobin's face, looking about the ship at those passing by. "Let's... talk about this somewhere else. It'd be nice to get my legs on land anyway." He hurries over towards Jonah, and some words are exchanged. He at one point gestures towards Volundr, and Jonah peers, nods, and returns to his conversation with Tobin. The blonde eventually walks back over.
"I'm clear to go. Have to be back by the eveningtime tonight, of course. But let's go." The man walks down the gangplank, looking for Volundr to follow him. He'd be happy to indulge in a breakfast at the tavern.
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