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[Rakvald]

22nd of Ymiden 720, in the small hours of the morning before dawn.


Fish were slippery as ... well fish. Hard to catch, even when he used his tentacle suckers as the merwoman had taught him. The webbed claws on his right hand weren't sufficient to stick into the scales, nor his hide good enough to fight the retaliation when a particularly nasty fish bit back. So he went hungry when the merwoman he accompanied went missing for trials at a time. This particular absence stretched out for almost ten trials. Ten trials without food, without even a nibble of some sweet kelp! Rakvald, in his mer totem, was hungry. And he got grumpy when he was hungry.

It was the wee hours of morning, before dawn, when he spotted a ship approaching on the horizon. Then, he got a bright idea. He lied in wait for it to sail by, floating just beneath the surface of the waters. Then, at the last moment, as its hull sailed by, he gripped it with his tail tentacles. Those within would hear a loud thump against the hull, as if they'd run against some flotsam.

Rakvald slowly, methodically began climbing along the hull, out of the water. "Blurbblurblurblurb!" He sputtered as he took in the air. He didn't know how long a mer could survive out of the water when it didn't have its land legs. He would have to be quick about locating this ship's food stores. He had no time to grow his landlegs, nor did he have any of his other totems to transform into.

He began squirming across the deck of the ship. Beginning to look in every barrel, behind every bit of equipment. In his frantic search for food, he became careless of sneaking about. Throwing tools and making a clangor. He only needed to find one maybe two good fish, then he'd jump over the side of the ship and begone.

"Blurblurblurblurb!" He grumbled and sputtered, hungrily. He would find food, if he had to eat one of the crew themselves!

[Yeva]

11 Ymiden 720

Yeva rolled over in her small cot, stretching with a gentle groan as red hair spilled over the frame and she began to blink away the remnants of sleep, adjusting to her surroundings. Staring at the treated wood and the soft sway of the hanging rucksack, there was a moment of confusion before remembering her placement. This was Darius Baer's ship, and she was little better than a castaway, having decided on her travels mere trials before departure from the dock. Smiling sleepily, she reached for the covers.

What time was it? Early, no doubt. Shifts at the Order always ensured she was ready long before the sun rose; who else was awake? Someone had to be manning the ship, if only a skeleton crew. It would be a good chance to see how such a massive vessel worked, and perhaps she could offer her assistance in preparing breakfast. But first - she wanted to find somewhere to relieve herself, then a basin to bathe in. Her estate in Scalvoris had begun to spoil her, but now friends with a Captain? She was willing to bet he'd have a solution for her personal dilemma.

Yeva pushed back the bonfire of curls and pattered across the room, crouching to rummage through her bag to locate a smaller bag of toiletries. A toothbrush and a jar of paste followed, the medic binding the sheet around her night shirt and tentatively peeking out from her room. The hall was dark, only a few glowing lanterns illuminated beneath the deck, someone snoring loudly in a far room. 'Of course,' she thought, 'Whoever is awake must be keeping this thing afloat. Dari's probably with them.'

Scrubbing her teeth, she wandered to the deck, the dark sky dotted with stars and wispy clouds. Away from the lights of Scalvoris town, they appeared to sail on a sea of darkness; both haunting and beautiful. The sun had yet to show its face, and the moons circled overhead, giving everything a gentle glow that seemed to match the playful lull of the waves. Yeva made her way to the railing to watch the water and then spit a glob of paste, looking over when she heard the clattering of movement.

"There they are," she whispered, smiling as she popped the tooth brush from her mouth and pattered towards the hunched figure, "Good morning," she greeted cheerfully, smiling as she saw the figure shift, "Have you seen the Cap-" something slithered across the floor and Yeva looked down as a tentacle unfurled, "-tain..." There was a Mer on the ship? She had known another in Scalvoris, yet seeing one outside of the water still managed to catch her off guard, "Sorry, I-uh...." another tentacle followed and she stepped back. Barefoot, Yeva hadn't given much thought to the puddle beneath her feet but then noted how it led across the deck like a slug's trail. In fact, water dripped from him, as if removed from the water... No.

Not him. It.

The creature looked at her and Yeva's eyes moved upwards, from the appendages to the face. And what a face it was. His skin was tinged with blue and green, large fins stretching out form his cranium to offer a daunting silhouette. Dark hair coated his back, his arm was wrong. Somewhere between an aquatic creature and a bat he was unlike anything she had ever seen. Yeva's chest rose. And fell. And rose. And fell. Her lip quivered, as if she tried to speak, her legs felt weighted. This wasn't a crew member.

At once, she launched her toothbrush at the monster and her sheet followed by an attempt to run. Feet slick, her footing was treacherous and sent the young woman sprawling to the floor in a great thud of legs and flailing limbs. Kicking through the pain, she would hear its guttural, waterlogged sounds in her nightmares - blurblurbblurb. The young woman thought she saw one of its tentacles move closer and a blood curdling scream tore from her lungs, announcing the arrival of the Rakvald the Becomer.

With a morning such as this one, she should of just stayed in Scalvoris.

[Darius Baer]

Arc 720, 22nd of Ymiden

It was the thump that woke him up.

Darius had spent enough time at sea to have become somewhat familiar with the sounds that accompanied ocean travel. Contrary to what most landsmen might have thought, ships were living and breathing vessels. Every sailor knew it.

Each ship had her own, unique voice, but the words she spoke were the same. The wood creaked as the ship stretched and relaxed in the water; sails flapped in the wind with a sigh that carried them through the waves; the deck swelled with pride as it was swabbed, the gaps between the planks closing up and preventing water from slipping down below.

Even though they had only been at sea for a few trials, Darius was slowly becoming accustomed to the Libertalia and her natural noises. And the new captain knew that a thump wasn't one of them.

Dark grey eyes shot open, and the blond seafarer found himself staring up into the darkness. He sat up and looked around the dimly lit room, trying to push aside the mental fog as he attempted to catch up with what his gut instinctively knew to be true: the ship had collided with something.



Yeva was not the only one to spot movement on deck. The ship's boatswain, a heavy set man with a thick crop of black hair, was on watch that night, as was one of the deck hands. It was the latter who caught sight of a barrel rolling unceremoniously across the deck. When the clangor of scattered tools followed, he let out a cry that sent him and the boatswain in Rakvald's direction.

They arrived shortly after the redheaded passenger, who made a valiant attempt at using her toothbrush to fend off the invader, though the two sailors opted for a more traditional maritime tool: bargepoles. One had reached out to ring the ship's bell on his way, but it was the young woman's scream that had truly raised the alarm.



Darius was half dressed as he rushed out of his cabin and onto the deck. The cold night air kissed his skin, though he no longer feel the chill as much as he used to. He managed to finish buttoning his tunic just as he reached the source of the commotion, where two of his crew were struggling to keep a creature pinned in place by its tentacle, while others were beginning to make their way to the deck.

"U'frek's scorn!" he exclaimed. "What is going on?"

The boatswain said something, but the bearded blond didn't hear the man's words. His attention had fallen upon the tentacle, his gaze following its length until he saw a terrified Yeva sprawled out across the deck. He rushed across to her, kneeling beside her and offering to help her back to her feet. As he did, he looked over his shoulder at Rakvald, the anger on his face visible in the light of the moons.

"Send that...thing back into the sea," he growled between clenched teeth.

[Rakvald]

There was nothing on the deck. Rakvald was about to turn around and slither into the lower decks in search of precious food in the cargo hold, or perhaps the galley. There just had to be something to eat. Sailors didn't eat shoe leather for true, did they? Then again, Rakvald had heard stories...

Even so, at present, he heard pitter-patter of feet against the deck, and a person behind him. Rakvald wheeled around with his tentacles and searched the faint lantern light for a sign of who it might be. It was a fetching female, with curly hair, with something in her mouth... Food? Was it a fishy stick?

She threw it at him kindly, and without thinking he grabbed it with his sinister grasp and began chewing on the stick. Hmm, it tasted minty and was a bit hard like wood. But probably edible. Not a fishy stick though. He was still hungry as he swallowed the stick down, green splinters and all.

He held his left tentacle hand up and looked at the mouth, blubbing and grumbling at the small opening between his thumb and forefinger until it began to speak. "'Ey, food! We're hungry!"

Rakvald furrowed his brow at the young woman and began crawling over toward her, rather slowly. He concentrated very hard and tried using the mer telepathy he'd been taught by his female mer friend. Food, hungry, no fight!

Rakvald waved his tentacle arm as a way of showing he wasn't being hostile. But then, he heard the tramping of many booted feet upon the deck, and he was pushed back by a barge pole. "Blublbubmurglemurgle!" Rakvald growled as the wooden poles prodded him roughly, trying to push him over the edge of the deck.

"'Ey! What service! Give now food!" The little mouth spoke Rakvald's poor common, in a heavy vahanic accent. "Grr, yer makin angry!"

So saying, Rakvald had enough and used his right arm (the one with bones and strong enough to overcome the land walkers) to grab one of the barge poles. This done, he twisted it, and used the leverage to grab it from the sailor. Once it was in his hands, he walloped the man who'd wielded it against him. But as he beat him into submission, more men seemed to take his place, until the word from the man he took to be captain said "Send that...thing back into the sea,"

Thing... THING! The nerve! The callous disregard! Rakvald was a person, he... he wasn't a monster! Was he? No... No, he wasn't. He was a sexy beast. This captain fellow was clearly jealous!

In his mer voice, he boomed laughter, "Blublbulublubmubmurglehurgle blurble." And through the mer telepathy, the men would hear his amusement toward their captain. And again, the demands for food. Furthermore, as he knocked a barge pole out of another sailor's hands with the sheer force of his strike against theirs, his telepathy introduced another concept, Please, peace.

[Yeva]

11 Ymiden 720

Its hand rose, a gaping maw opening and closing upon it, which a voice spoke, drowned out by her sounds of disgust. Footsteps came thundering behind her - thank the fates - and she tried to kick at it, but he crawled towards her. Staring. Fixated.

Oh gods, he was going to drown her in the sea and feast on her corpse. She twisted, readying to jump up when a unfamiliar message slithered in her mind. Food, hungry, no fight!

What?

"S-stop that," she managed, fearful this was some sort of trickery. Just as it began lifting a tentacle again (surely to grab her), a pair of hands pulled her back and drew her to her feet. "Dari!" she grabbed at the blonde captain, clinging to his shirt. At once, she wished they were behind the reinforcements, watching as the men stabbed at the beast with poles in an effort to encourage it back the ocean depths.

The little mouth spoke, just as it snatched at one of the weapons and swung it towards a man, beating him with stern force. The poor sailor shouted with every blow. The choppy Common and heavy accent made no sense. What was that? How could it speak if it was Mer? She ducked behind the captain, peeking around his shoulder as she looked around for a weapon. But what could she do? The monster had advantage in grappling; close combat wouldn't work and it had reach.

It laughed. Or.... it growled. Yeva couldn't tell, but the strange presence of amusement could be felt by all. When it swung at another pole, Yeva's eyes were wide at the damage done. Already one injured, more would follow. And then the voice, back in her mind.

Please, peace.

Her hands fell away from Dari's back as her fear turned to charging anger. She could feel a heat coil around her neck as Baskara's displeasure rumbled through their bond. She was ready to strike and Yeva might have considered the offer if emotions weren't so high, "I said stop it!"

The monster hadn't taken the injured and run back to the water. It continued this effort, outnumbered. Why? Why not run back to the safety of its domain? It had eaten her toothbrush. It was hungry? Was it not lying?

The Mer knocked a barge pole from another and she jumped forward to protect the injured, "You cry peace but you hurt these men! ENOUGH!" her chest heaved, hair wild as she crouched there in her night dress. Was this all her fault? She struggled to find the words, torn between wanting to fight and feeling helpless. Yeva's face was white as she stood to take another step forward. They had faced scarier things than this monster and anger often made her bold. With attention on her, she wished she was back cowering behind Darius. No more reassurance. It was time to make a deal before others were hurt, "You leave them alone," she ordered, glaring at the ugly face. The medic was trying to be commanding, but the best she could manage was brave, "I will feed you once. Then you have to go."

[Darius Baer]

Darius watched as Rakvald wrenched the bargepole from one of the sailors as if he had been a child trying to hold up a knight's jousting lance. The interloper's strength was frightening to witness, but what choice did the captain have? The mer had, as far as he could tell, boarded his ship and attacked Yeva. What could have possessed it to do such a thing?

He stood between them, protective of the redhead in the face of such an unexpected threat. He held one arm out, signaling to his friend to keep her distance, lest she come face to face with a dispossessed bargepole.

He looked about in the dim light for another bargepole, and he heard more footsteps approaching. Evidently, the growing commotion - and the hastily rung bell - was summoning more crew to the top deck.

It was as Darius was about to yell to his crew and demand that they hold the line and not relent from attacking the mer that he heard a voice in his head, and it made him hesitate.

He flashed a glance to Yeva, wondering if she'd heard the same thing. And then he saw the rage in her eyes, and he could sense the familiar boldness that he had witnessed in the past. She was already yelling at Rakvald before he had half an opportunity to implore her to exercise caution.

Her words confirmed that she'd heard the same thing, and as much as Darius wanted to shove the mer over the side of the ship - after retaliating for the beating he'd given one of the sailors - Yeva's approach had put herself at risk. Wind rippled through the captain's beard as he realised that to antagonise Rakvald any more was to endanger his close friend.

The sailors who held bargepoles held them in place, attempting to pin the mer, but not actively attempting to push him. One cursed at Yeva, growling for her to keep her distance, but the injured man was clearly grateful for her arrival. The crew sent occasional, furtive glances in the direction of their captain, waiting to see how he might react.

Looking up to the aftcastle, Darius could see both Astra and his father Josef, watching on from a safe distance. Above them, Katara was also spectating, the hawk diri keeping her keen eye on what was happening below, but she didn't intervene because her ward telepathically told her to stay put.

"If you wish no harm," the bearded blond yelled through the wind to Rakvald, holding up both hands to show he was wielding no weapons, "and if you need food, we will find some for you. But you must cease your violence before we will do that."

The human held his breath as he waited for Rakvald's response. He was confident that his crew could overpower the mer, but they would likely take some more damage in the process, if it came to that.

[Rakvald]

Rakvald halted his defensive assault against the soldiers trying to push him overboard. His stomach grumbled! How this mer form required so much food, he couldn't understand, but now he realized how it'd been so easy to tempt Cirrina with the lure of good food. Ahh, Cirrina, now that was a lady who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. He should go back to Desnind at some point and pay her a visit... But for now, his stomach called.

And the Captain called as well as the kind redhead who'd given him the bit of fibrous vegetation to snack on. Placated by promises of peace, although he barely understood a lick of common, Rakvald slowly placed the bargepole down on the deck, then lifted his arm and tentacle into the air, to show he meant no harm. Through the telepathic wave he was able to project a promise of aid to the soldier he'd injured with the blow from a bargepole, Heal soldier, help mend, if food?"

He slithered a little closer to the aftcastle, presenting himself to the surrounding marines and sailors. Peace, food? Hungry. Heal hurts.

Kind Red Hair. Captain. Abundant Food. Share. Peace. Food.

His one right arm looked to be an ordinary mer, humanoid arm, while the other strangely enough lacked bones, was blackened by some corrupted magic, and had an unseeing red eye about where the forearm would've been on it.

His stomach rumbled angrily, but he stood his peace, waiting for food or a resumption of hostilities.

[Yeva]

11 Ymiden 720

The air was tense and defensive, but could anyone be blamed? No one seemed to understand what was going on and for good reason. Early morning monsters were not on a the list of expected company, "We just need to calm down," she whispered, glancing down at the injured to gauge his injuries. More messages pervaded her mind, alien thoughts somehow accented. She did not recognize the sound of native tongue it must have derived from, but Common was not this creature's first language.

What did Mer speak?

Wait - Was this thing even a Mer? She had seen a handful, but never with faces like his.

Kind Red Head. Captain. Abundant Food. Share. Peace. Food.

"I think..." Yeva helped the sailor sit up, watching the sea monster lift its tentacle and the pole with it, "I think he's offering to heal you..." she looked at the man beside her, and then at Dari, who may have heard the same message. Its translation was difficult, but she did her best, "After breakfast." The offer would be entirely up to the man who had been attacked, and so she felt the need to add, "You do not need to trust him. I can aid you just as well."

What did the captain think?

Rakvald waited, his appearance more detailed with every tik she looked upon it. There was a dead limb, a red eye, a presence that made her unconsciously pull back, "I want to take it to the kitchens," she said softly to her friend, inching closer to Darius and Astra, "If it pleases you both, allow me to guide it away from the others. I will make it a simple meal... "

Yeva swallowed, waiting for permission. This was not her ship, she could not do as she wished just because she was friends with its owner. For those who doubted Darius' leadership, now was a chance for him to make a proper call. She nipped at her bottom lip, anxious but steady, "I can do this."

She turned to face the monster. There were what-ifs. What if it could not be satisfied? What if this was a trick? What if it called others like it to attack their vessel? What if she truly helped a creature in need?

Should Darius give his blessing, Yeva would wave Rakvald across the deck, back stiff as she took one slow step after the other. Fear weighed upon her shoulders but it could be reasoned with. A promising, if messy start. She would keep trying, "I am Yeva," she said slowly, allowing for the message to settle. She pointed towards Darius, "That is Captain Baer," her foot tapped the ship and repeated the vessel's name, introducing Astra as well, "Follow me for food. I will cook for you."

Yeva exhaled and crept forward, having to steel her nerves with every wet sucking sound that signaled the movement of fat tentacles across wood. She was about to ask what it must have liked to eat, but remembered how it devoured her toothbrush without second thought. Doubt struck her but she forced a smile, pretending as if this was a man and not... whatever it was, "What is your name?" Did he understand? She looked at the mer, "Name? What do they call you?"

[Darius Baer]

Darius felt as though he'd been holding his breath for almost an entire trial when the unexpected visitor lowered the bargepole and raised its limbs in an apparent display of surrender. The sight caused a wry smile to briefly tease at the captain's lips. It seemed that some messages ignored language barriers.

The blond human nodded towards the sailors who had been wrestling with Rakvald, and, after a glance in Astra's direction, they stepped back far enough to enable the interloper freedom to move, but not far enough to leave their wounded companion too close to his attacker. Rakvald was now beyond the reach of the bargepoles, but the sailors did not set them down. Darius nodded at the sight, relieved that the tension seemed to be easing.

The injured man who lay on the ground groaned in pain. Sullen brown eyes looked up at Yeva from beneath a crop of thick, black hair. One cheekbone was purple, and a persistent line of red liquid appeared from beneath his hairline, though it kept getting brushed away by the wind.

He said nothing, but nodded eagerly when Yeva conveyed Rakvald's offer of healing. He did the same when she offered to heal him herself. It seemed clear that the man didn't care much about who healed him. He just wanted the pain to go away.

Darius had stayed back from the interaction, his eyes as unwilling to leave the visitor's form as his hand was to let go of the hilt of his blade. It was only when Yeva spoke of going to the kitchens that he turned his head.

The blond paused for a trill, before casting a glance towards Astra. He suddenly realised that others were watching, too. He didn't much like the idea of Yeva being in a confined space with the creature, but he couldn't deny that keeping it away from the other sailors would bring peace back to the deck.

"Aye," he said quietly, "but be quick, and don't go alone."

Astra nodded, before calling a young sailor, who rushed over.

"Barnes, accompany our guest and...her guest...to the kitchens," Darius instructed the young man. "Take your sword. Don't let it lay a hand on her."

"And try to keep the cook calm," Astra added.

"Aye aye, cap'n," the young man said, unsure of which of the two to look at, before he turned to Yeva and waited for her to lead the way.

"You will be fed," Darius called out Rakvald, "but you will heal first."

The injured sailor looked across to the captain, and nodded eagerly once more.

[Rakvald]

Handsome Craw. Rakvald projected these simple concepts with his mer telepathy, to both Yeva and Captain Baer and the rest of the crew when asked for a name. It was the best he could do without echoing one of his other voices, but he was without a voice right now. That is if you exclude the mouth on his tentacle arm, but that one said what it would when it would.

Craw Handsome, Kind, Charming. Rakvald insisted, Not Monster.

He struggled at times to follow the swift speech of common tongue, whereas he was only really fluent in Vahanic, with but a basic smattering of common and Xanthean.

There were many men and women watching the scene now. This was not waht Rakvald had in ind when he got up on deck, trying to find food. Yet there they were, and the atmosphere was tense as the Captain said he would be fed only after he healed the crew member.

Rakvald looked up at the captain, and then nodded. Then he slithered over toward the sailor. Rakvald projected thoughts that were meant to be comforting, Calm, heal, warm, food.

Then he took his left arm, the blackened mass of tentacles and wrapped them around the man’s head. Calm! Rakvald insisted, as he began to dull the pain reaction from the knock to the head. The he examined the enervations of the man.

He was familiar with concussions, having suffered a share of them in his own time. He knew that the swelling, while it contributed to the healing process, could also throw a wrench into it as it threatened to send the man spiraling into unconsciousness. There was nothing Rakvald could do for an injured brain, but he could prevent further damage, by mitigating the swelling. He began a process on a minor level, as the blackened tendrils swirled about the man’s injured cranium.

The healing took hold, yet he was careful not to overstimulate it. That might lead to more swelling and thus greater risk of brain injury. He healed the tissues, until the man’s bruise began to fade. Within two bits, there was no sign of bruising nor swelling on the man’s head, and Rakvald slowly withdrew his tentacle arm from his head.

Magic. Rakvald explained by way of telepathic projection, nodding to Yeva. Yet when it came time for them to lead him to the kitchens, he had a sudden epiphany. What did humans eat? Fish. What was Rakvald right now? A FISH. THEY WERE TRYING TO EAT HIM!!!

So he dove off the side of the ship, as they were set to escort him to the kitchens. Perhaps he'd find something to eat elsewhere. This was too much trouble for the effort!