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 Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:49 pm
Arilam sat in silence, following Rannek's instructions. He didn't know the complexities of the ship like the other merc did, and was content to sit back and do what was needed. However, his mind was not on the work, but on the water mage from earlier. Rhin's allergic reaction was an uncommon for those not used to haze-low areas, but the effect would have worn off eventually, like the body's transition from higher to lower altitudes. But he had never heard of an instant healing spell to rid the body of the effects.
He had never seen a water mage quite like her. Albeit he had seen very few water mages at all, but even the rumors of water mage's alleged powers didn't compare to this. The common theory was that the most powerful mages were born nearer to the kingdoms and haze-thick regions. He had never heard of a water mage completing such complex healing magiks in locations so far away from the kingdoms. If she were to travel to the kingdoms, her power might be quite unstoppable.
Arilam shook off the thought. Such things were the study of teachers and professors of magik. This kind of thing was not his place to review. "Hey, Rannek, how much more work does the ship need?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:56 pm
Thorik watched the Rhinemaiden tilt in the sky, out of the corner of his eye, falling sideways towards the Levaiathan. He docked The Hammer into its clamps, and leapt off as it retracted into the wall again. He noticed the Master Sergeant of the belly docking bay had a red mark on his face. "I apologize for that, Marc...She can be a bit uppity...." He headed for the elevator, but was stopped by Andora. "Let me guess....change of plans?"
"My lady has taken control of this ship, incorporated it into her fleet and has requested your presence in her quarters."
"Her quarters? Oh...great...I knew she'd do something like this..."
He turned to the MS, and said, "This ship may be under new ownership, but I am still it's Captain, and you shall still report directly to me. Inform the rest of the crew."
He stepped onto the elevator, heading for his quarters, now hers, with the handmaiden in tow.
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:00 pm
She smiled. "Well, anyway, I don't believe I have introduced myself. How rude of me..I am Zarina Bellatrix. Water mage...err...in training." she said, holding her hand out.
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:05 pm
Queen Pandora sat aboard the helm of the Zeus, boredly watching the encounter between the Hades and the Rhinemaiden. She wathced as the the Rhinemaiden bucked and swayed, engines damaged, and the Hades swinging wildly, graples trying desperately to stop the ship from crashing. Finally, her eyes closed and she sighed, raising her hand to beckon an officer.
"Hmm. Officer?" Pandora called to the second in command.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"I have a couple orders for you to send," she said. "Firstly, tell the Hades to try and drive the ship to the end of the kingdom and dump it in the ocean."
"Pardon, ma'am. But didn't you ask to capture the ship?"
"It's a worthless effort now. The ship seems to have been rigged to destroy itself, taking the Hades with it."
"How..."
"Don't question my knowlege on airship schematics, officer. I've used this tactic before, on that mission over there," Pandora said, pointing to a picture of two smoking hulls of ships.
"Right, ma'am, and your second order?"
"Call General Sheperd. Tell him to take the Leviathan and investigate any ships nearby the Rhinemaiden, and to search any ships acting defensively."
"Yes ma'am. Anything else?"
"Not right now. Now get out of here," she said, waving him away.
"Yes, my queen," the officer said, bowing and returning to the intercom.
Pandora sighed again and gazed at the image of the burning Rhinemaiden. "Seems I've underestimated you, dear cousin. Seems you've gained more intelligence from Auntie than I previously thought. I wonder if you can escape?" She chuckled, and continued to watch the Hades pull the dead ship away.
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:28 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:31 pm
{{wow....keep getting left behind crying }}
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:01 pm
((Sorry. I got left behind, haven't had a chance to post. ONE more try to integrate myself with everybody else.))
Still on deck, Robert glanced behind him. He seemed to have left any attackers behind. They'd ignored the Vulture. Robert grinned in relief, brushing away water mist from his face. Whatever was going to happen, he was clear of the major action. Now he just needed to actually get to Valhalla. Hopefully that wouldn't be the hard part. He couldn't count on it, though.
Feeling safe, Robert pulled back on the wheel, slowly rising clear of the clouds into pure sunshine. "Alright. Let's get to work on fixing the damage on the starboard aft. I know we don't have spare wood, do what you can! We're going to have to replace a fair number of beams down there." The ship bucked. Robert nearly lost his footing.
"Alright... maybe we'd better land. ANDERSON!" he shouted, summoning his first mate. He appeared, coming up to the deck upon which Robert stood. "Let's get this thing on the ground. I want you to gauge the damage and we'll figure out what's going on."
In a few moments they were touching down on solid land, about five hundred yards behind the White Hawk. Curious. What's the probability? He didn't approach them, however; he had his own ship to tend to.
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:03 pm
The General nodded as the orders were relayed to him, he sent a secondary relay to the hanger bay. Moments later the Leviathan was moving toward the Rhinemaiden, knowing full well that the ship was rigged for explosion. The hanger doors opened and a contigent of airbikers shot out of the bay, moving in groups toward the defensively flying merc ships.
"Tell the bikers to hail those ships, if the ships do not respond or become hostile fire on them with everything you have." Joshuwan commanded.
"Sir what about the bikers?" One of the deck crew asked.
"Those bikes are brand new, they just came out of our technological department. Those man are better protected then the Leviathan." General Sheperd announced to the deck-crew, many of them glancing at each other doubtfully.
"Just watch and you will understand." He commented on the now tensed deck.
============
The bikes flew in a double V formation, roughly two dozen of them rumbling through the skies. The head of each V sent hails to the largest two mercanary ships. The response was a trail of smoke from several dozen archer missles. Explosions puffed across the sky hitting roughly half of the bikes, there was a shimmer of blue amidst the flames. Every one of the bikes was intact, along with their pilots, the new shielding technology had worked flawlessly.
The bikers didn't bother to return fire; instead they went in a tight arc back toward the Leviathan, passing projectiles twice their bikes size. The air rippled and sent some of the bikers into a slight spin before they regained control and landed back in the hanger of the larger airship. The hanger doors closed, cutting off the flaring brightness of the impacting missiles.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:03 am
Beate stood in front of a full length mirror she'd ordered a guard to carry in for her. It didn't shine like the ones on her Rhinemaiden, but that would change. She was wearing a deep-green dress, almost black, her red hair tied up into a beautiful bun, tendrils hanging down to her neck. Atop the bun sat a shimmering head piece, a coronet, with pearls and red rubies set in a shimmering silver. Andora, to her surprise, had set two hanging pearls from the coronet, which please Beate greatly.
She donned her royal mantle, a great black coat with severe military shoulders and long sleeves. It hung from her shoulders, her arms not in the sleeves. It turned her utterly beautiful attire into that of a great militaristic queen. Beate marveled in it as she made her way to the throne, and holding a small dagger, reserved for royal ceremony, she sat gracefully upon it, her gaze to the floor, waiting for them to come in.
The door immediately across the room slid open, letting in the harsh light of the airship's corridors into the sunlit room. Andora entered, announcing his arrival.
"Your Majesty, may I present His Lordship Sir Thorik Lokiago, Commander of His Majesty's Airborne Vehicle Michael."
"Thank you Andora. Inform the ensign of His Lordship's guard to give word to the HMAV Nidhogg of His Majesty's most terrible loss. Also, inform Des Lieuriens he should expect Master Karlsrühe within the hour. That is all."
Andora smiled and turned out, her steep heels clacking as she left. The door slid closed before Beate turned up her gaze, to Thorik.
"Ah," she said, standing, "Sir Thorik, how does your Lordship enjoy my quarters?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:30 am
"A bit quick to change my living area....But still beautiful, though not as beautiful as you, Bebe." He crossed the room, magiking his armor to be soft and warm as flesh. He clasped her hands in his, staring at her lovingly. "But now is not the time...We still have yet to finish our plans..." He let her hands go, and his armor became hard again. He sat on the small sofa across from the newly placed throne, and whatever emotion had shown in his eyes and face drained from him. "The Zeus is still flying, and the White Hawk has shown up, originally heading for Valhalla too it seemed, but as of now they are indefinitely stalled. I am keeping track of them, and, now that I think of it...they could prove useful..." He focused his attention back to her. "But I digress. What news have you for me?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:46 am
She sneered at him a bit after he magiked his metal back to hardness. As he began speaking, she sat back down, placing the dagger at her side.
"I'm sure Andora has told you, but I'll reinerate. You are most surely my captain..." she amended herself, trying not to sound so fickle and loving, "...the captain of this ship. But if I'm to win their confidence, I must be strong willed and strong handed. After all, if all goes right" she shot up her eyes, "it will be that I..."
She quieted herself, and looked around, wanting to make sure everything was secure. "Well, you know don't you." She shifted position, continuing to speak. "The Rhinemaiden's small contingent is now company to the Chieftainess of Odmil, she's given us 30,000 taels, which coverts to a paltry four thousand marks, but she's given us the men to match. We must send three extra mobilizing vessels to the Odmil Rifthills. They'll make good foot soldiers, to match my 300 or so infantry and 150 flyers. The Rhinemaiden is in serious deficit of airbikes, but we saved all that we had. We have a good start...at least..."
"Thorik, I can't share this with Andora." She got up and walked over to the window, lifting the mantle off her shoulders, revealing them as bare. "I'm so stressed Thor, I mean, perhaps," she said, turning to him, "I should have gone down with the Rhinemaiden. You know all I want is..." She turned back to the window, staring at the thin brown line on the horizon, thinking: "Valhalla. Home"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:52 am
Anko_Mitarashi-20695 She smiled. "Well, anyway, I don't believe I have introduced myself. How rude of me..I am Zarina Bellatrix. Water mage...err...in training." she said, holding her hand out. Karawan held out his hand, and began introducing himself. "I'm kar...careful, I'm a very careful person, so I'm glad you introduced yourself because I shouldn't be talking to or being cured by strangers!" Karawan turned around, thinking, that was careful, you dope, now she thinks you're a child. Okay...smooth...smooth...Flipping around, he had a rose in his hand. "I'm sorry for all that, gut reaction. I'm Rhin, short for a...a...Rhinley, short for Rhinley, last name Ad...Ad dirhu. Rhinley Ad Dirhu, from the noble house of Dirhu of Duat, at your service, my lady," he finished with a bow, "Woodcrafter, Teacher of Woodcraft....in training! Teacher in training." He thought to himself, I should have rehearesed. Damnit!
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:26 pm
Rannek came up gasping from the sea. He stared up from the shallows toward his ship, he hadn't appreciated the shove from the wood covered Rhin. He was however glad that the fall had been cusioned alittle from water and sand rather then hard rock. Then again water resisted impacted and he'd for sure confirmed that with his belly first smack from his twenty foot drop of the hawk's repaired wing.
"Arilam, if that boy is stil flailing around with half a tree on his face make sure he doesn't panic to far from the ship." Rannek coughed, spitting sea water from his mouth, a small bit of seaweed flying from his mouth with it.
He stood straight in the water and leaned back far enough to hear a loud crack from his back, he cursed and breathed a sigh. Well at the very least he could have a look at the base of the ship and see how bad the damage was. After a several minutes of inspection he realized it wasn't as bad as he thought, scrapped paint, but the metal of the hull itself was still intact. The ship's captain caught sight of something that seemed out of place, a chunk of metal jutting from the stern of his aircraft. Tenkyuu scrambled up the side of the hull like a spider to get a better look, he reached up and pulled the thing free.
"What the hell is this?" He muttered, flipping the small projectile shaped object around in his hands.
"Looks like a mix between a tracker and a concusion missile. Jeez this could be anything from that fire-fight from earlier, whatever I'll look at it later." With that Rannek lean out and tossed the thing up onto the top of the ship, scrambling up after it in a few moments after ensuring things were still attached were he was.
Cresting the top of the ship he caught sight of the plant-mage talking to some girl that must have come from the nearby village. Rannek didn't really care what the mage did as long as he was back before they took off. In the meantime Tenkyuu decided to take the missile he'd found and analyze it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:38 pm
"You speak of insanity, my lady...You know as well as I, that nothing good would have come from your actual death...Not to mention what that would do to me...." He left the sofa, and joined her at the window.
"Our country, Valhalla, cannot function without a strong willed leader...which you must be, if we are to succeed in our efforts, which, by the sound of it, should be more than enough. Your father has little more than the Royal guard to protect him at the moment, and by combining my fleet with your military we should have no trouble. The Nidhogg is probably already on it's way here by now, so we must act quickly."
He turned and headed for the door, pausing, then turning towards her once again. "But first, we must decide what is to become of the Epiphany Charger. I know you would not want to use it without just cause, but perhaps it would be better if it was just destroyed?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:44 pm
Zarina giggled slightly. "Well then, Rhinley Ad Dirhu, if you or your friends need anything else, just call for me. I'll be in the village if you need my assistance. I have a few things to attend to." said Zarina as she calmed her giggling. She then turned around, smile on her face, as she lifted her hand and opened her hide pouch so that the water would go into it. She had run out recently.
The ocean breeze blew slightly, making her hair sway, as she skillfully leaped on top of the pier and walked into the village. That was...interesting, i guess.. thought Zarina with a shake of her head.
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