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 Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:45 pm
[Xenia 1]
As the evening fog rolled thick over the harbor Xenia found herself keeping watch. Even with a proper lookout onboard she didn’t trust him, or his mistress, so she found herself ‘casually gazing’ out over the docks to take in the scenery. This was the first time the Witch had found herself in Kahikina territory and while procedures were largely the same, so much was different. The layout of the docks themselves, the shape of the buildings beyond and more importantly the faces that gathered below. Sometimes when she looked down into the water eyes would stare back up at her, as if begging her to come down and join them.
Sometimes she thought about doing it; of jumping off the ship and ending this farce. But then she would remember the faces below, the promises she’d made and the lives that would be ruined if she didn’t stick with it. No, it wasn’t as if she had a choice now. She had to keep it going.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:46 pm
When Endellion stepped out onto the main deck they didn’t expect to find anyone else out. At least, anyone who wasn’t working. A scant few milled about, keeping an eye on things and the like, but most deckhands had found themselves into the nearest tavern. Foreign or not, ale was ale, and whether the Kahikina liked it they would find their cophers full of foreign coin tonight. They tugged at a shawl that was settled around their shoulders, pulling it in close to stave off the chill night. Endellion should have been sleeping, but something about tonight rubbed at their nerves.
The crew hadn’t been acting right since they landed. Which wasn’t saying much, given circumstances, but still…Not for the first time Endellion wondered if it would have been better just to jump ship now and figure out the consequences later.
A smaller figure was spotted through the fog, and at first Endellion wasn’t sure who it was. As they came closer though, a small candle held in their hand, a jolt ran through them. “S-sorry Captain, I didn’t meant to disturb you.”
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:47 pm
[Xenia 2]
Even the bright glow of the firelight had dimmed in this fog. Xenia had seen it, known it was getting closer, but chose to ignore it until the new hire was nearly upon her. A child. Barely old enough to carry the pistol at their side, and still here. She knew this was Indra’s personal motive; to hire them as young as she could and train them the way she wanted them to be. By the time they were old enough to think they didn’t and even the ones that could easily break her wouldn’t out of soul crushing fear.
And this one, so small with golden eyes bright enough that even in the darkness they caught the fire’s light. It was enough to bring a sigh out of Xenia and cause her to rise from her slouched position against the railing. “You’ve not disturbed me more than I already am.” She motioned to their shawl. “It’s a lovely piece, but the color doesn’t suit you.”
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:48 pm
Endellion couldn’t help but to give a breathless laugh. It slipped out as easily as the flush that warmed their cheeks. “It’s the same as my brother’s eyes. I didn’t want to forget.” They tucked the shawl closer against their skin and shifted their footing. Docked or not, the ship would occasionally tilt with the sea giving the Endellion the sensation of eternally floating. “It was the last thing I picked up before I enlisted.” And what a cursed mistake that had been. They couldn’t even bring themselves to look the Captain fully in the eye, lest her temper get the better of her. Endellion had heard the stories; everyone had. Dread Pirate Xenia, Wolfsbane she’d been called in some circles, who would just as soon cut out your tongue than to listen to prattle.
They’d known the name, knew the stories, but somehow the name of her ship had escaped Endellion until Endellion couldn’t escape it.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:49 pm
[Xenia 3]
“What’s your name, swab?” She’d seen the blonde git a time or two topside with a mop in hand. They’d known their way around a ship well enough to get promoted fairly quickly, but not well enough to catch Indra’s eye. Which was for the best, in all honesty. From what she’d seen they kept their head down and Xenia could only respect the choice.
She pushed away from the railing to step closer. Age difference or not, the two were virtually the same height, though Xenia more than made up for her short comings with sheer presence. At one point in her life she’d kept her head down like that, but no longer. Now she kept it high, made direct eye contact and held.
“And where did you serve before this?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:54 pm
Candle in one hand, the end of their shawl in the other, Endellion gathered their nerve and stood straight. Scared or not, they wouldn’t hide from Xenia. It would only make whatever awaited them that much harder to face, and if they’d been bold enough to sign onto this crew them they had to be bold enough to face it, right?
“My name is Endellion.” You should have lied. It was too late for that; they’d already signed their real name on the contract. A curious wind lifted their curls, as if the sea itself were eager to see how this was about to play out. Xenia’s sheer intensity caused their heart to stutter, but Del held; spirits they wanted to break but they held.
“And I served on The Misty Maiden under Captain Ephrym.”
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 4:59 pm
[Xenia 4]
“A merchant ship.” That explained why Endellion was so used to transporting goods and how best to organize them. In truth their skills were being underutilized, but until Indra decided to change their post a swab they would remain. Xenia gave a hum and stepped to the side, her eye stopping on the pistol. “Do you know how to shoot that? Or is it all show?” When and where they’d gotten the weapon was irrelevant; Xenia needed a marksman. A keen eye to put down any stray dogs that got out of line.
And whether Endellion could be that for her or not remained to be seen.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 5:03 pm
Run; you should run.
Endellion couldn’t describe the feeling, other than this being exactly how they felt when Nifo was sizing them up right before he slammed their head into the deck. Everything in their blood was screaming at them to move, but they couldn’t. The candle in their hand gave a slight shake, though it could have easily been passed off by the wind.
“The only one I know that’s a better shot is the one who trained me.” A bold faced lie. Endellion was a good enough shot, one who could improve with training, but in order to survive they needed to be perceived as the best. A simpering violet would wilt or get pruned.
Their eyes followed Xenia as she stalked around them, stopping only when she stopped and noting now how utterly massive the swords on her hips appeared in the firelight.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 5:09 pm
[Xenia 5]
As Xenia moved around to Endellion’s back, she raised a hand and pointed, her arm grazing Endellion’s, to a figure just beyond the fog. “Do you see that man, tying off the rope?” It was hard to tell at times if anyone was there at all, but for just a moment the figure was visible. A Matorian with dark green hair and the garb of a sailor. She knew him to be one of Indra’s men, one of the lower ranks, but a devil all the same.
“I want you to shoot him. Knick him, wing him, or end him; the choice is yours. But remember-“ She leaned in close, her words a threat on that very wind, “-disobeying your Captain can have dire consequences.” And once said Xenia took a step back.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2024 5:18 pm
Endellion’s grip on the candle stick tightened. For a moment they’d worried they were about to get stabbed, but the reality was so much worse. “Y-you want me to shoot him?” They turned from the man on the dock to the yaeli behind them and the cold, emotionless expression sent a chill through their blood. This wasn’t a bluff; nothing about this was a prank or any kind of twisted joke. She really wanted them to fire on an innocent man…
“I won’t.” Endellion felt sick saying it, but the alternative wasn’t an option. “I can’t. I-I’m sorry, he’s done nothing wrong.” Their stomach nearly dropped out of their body. “Even if I knicked him he would still be injured. A cut’s as good as a gash to a man whose just doing his job.” You’ve done it now.
She wasn’t showing so much as a twist of anger or disappointment, so what did that mean? How bad was their punishment going to be?!
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