The Daily Beasts

[2561642]

He sheathes his trembling sword. It's stalling time. <"Uh... hey there! Are you sure you want to cut that? I mean, how will you get on board once the line breaks? Untying is one thing, but a line under that much tension is going to snap back much faster if cut than even your reflexes can deal with. And what's to stop your friends up on the deck from cutting you lose to get a bigger share of the loot?">

He points at the axe. <"And that thing? For cutting rope? It's not even serrated! You'd have a better time trying to cut a ..."> He wonders what analogies these keidran might understand. <"... a fish with another fish! Look, I have a better idea. Why not just untie it? That way, you can even ---

Well... I will give the people seeing and hearing this the same I would have; blank astonishment, and the rolls tell me it lasts for more than just a brief moment.

I stopped it at the point where one of the Otters lunges at you, holding his spear like its a lance instead of throwing it at Tycho.
His mistake, Sven charges and even the Otter's fluid grace can't dodge this attack.
BAM, and the Otter is launched off the pavement, across the water and into the hull of the ship... and a slow slide into the icy water.

Tycho is surprised that his stalling didn't fail altogether, but if he doesn't get his sword back out now, he's in a much worse spot. His motions are inelegant and slow (for combat) - and if Sven hadn't intervened, it would not have been ready in time - but he does manage to re-arm himself.

For just a second it looks as if one of the Humans is coming to help you, but this body lands on the pavement with a boneless thud. Following closely is the Otter that killed him, landing on all fours and moving like greased lightning with a dagger in his teeth (single-edged, of course!). He passes under Sven, but instead of gutting the Goat, he keeps coming, straight at Tycho!
He may mean to grapple before going for his knife, but you have only a heartbeat to decide what to do about this guy.

Tycho enters the best defensive stance he can come up with - he squats slightly with his left foot towards the otter and his right foot behind, and his katana is pointed - still shaking - as directly at the oncoming otter as he can manage. He knows the otter will probably easily swat the katana away, so he grips it tightly in both hands. His goal is not to stab the otter - the sword is moving too much and the otter will expect it. Or at least, he hopes the otter will expect it.

If the otter continues barreling forward, he'll start to take a step forward at the last second (as if to ram the sword down the creature's esophagus), but instead of putting his right foot down, he'll try to swing it forward into the otter's head. The combined weight of his metal boot with the swing of his leg should hopefully at least disorient the otter if it connects. If the otter doesn't deflect his sword, Tycho's shakiness may make the stabbing motion useless anyway, in which case he will still try to kick the otter.

It should be clear to Sven that Tycho is not paying attention to the rope-gnawing otter - but what he does with that information is entirely out of Tycho's control.

[Phaing]

Raimius is holding off the other two, they are fresh but they are definitely not part of the "A-team", as far as fighting ability goes.

Even if she stuggels to kill the mage, she's still keeping him busy for Ramiuis to deal with his own issues. Hopefully, he'll be able to deal with the otters on his own.

Raimius is in trouble, he's lost enough blood for there to be a thin circle of it all around him. It is having a slow but cumulative effect on his ability to fight, and he even loses his grip on his sword.
However, he is being out-bungled at ever turn by the Otters that he is fighting! They failed to spread-out, and with a flick of his hand he throws a small bola that ties the left leg of one to the right leg of the other. He also succeeds in drawing a pair of daggers that he uses to fend off their counter-attacks... such as they are.

Meanwhile, Sylvi quickly gets the better of the mage/bundle of rags that she is fighting. He is growing weaker by the moment, and Sulvi has little difficulty tearing him down once she comes to grips with him.
But, once she wins, she has to back off, she does not have a choice, even in the state she is in... this is an instinct that overrides what made her go feral in the first place.

You see, once he hits the pavement, whatever it was that was keeping him going is gone, just a dead body, right? But the look, smell and (maybe... this is up to you) the taste of him make it inescapable;
He's dead alright.
He's been dead for weeks, maybe longer.

Like... since before you first met him.

If the otter continues barreling forward, he'll start to take a step forward at the last second (as if to ram the sword down the creature's esophagus), but instead of putting his right foot down, he'll try to swing it forward into the otter's head. The combined weight of his metal boot with the swing of his leg should hopefully at least disorient the otter if it connects. If the otter doesn't deflect his sword, Tycho's shakiness may make the stabbing motion useless anyway, in which case he will still try to kick the otter.

It should be clear to Sven that Tycho is not paying attention to the rope-gnawing otter - but what he does with that information is entirely out of Tycho's control.

This is something that sometimes happens to beginners; your boot connects... with the downward arc of your sword.
Thank goodness for the iron in your boots, eh?
The Otter had been able to dodge your attack, and now it sneers, its teeth. Oh wow, that cute furry face sure has some serious fangs in it.

And now for the answer to the question, "Where's Pete?"
(did we forget about the dwarf?)

A waist-high blur crashes into the flank of the tall pirate, and blood begins to fly as both bodies tumble across the pavement. Carried off to one side of Tycho, it is hard to tell which one is going more damage to the other with their short, sharp weapons. The point is soon moot, still fighting like demons they both go skidding over the edge, and go ker-plunk into the icy water.

All the Otters in the area pause with what they were doing, including the one that was hacking at the rope. That Pirate must have been a leader or simply their biggest [censored], and they seem unsure of what to do next. The crew of the ship takes advantage of that, rally, and drive the last of them off the deck. The one that had been attacking the rope (and nearly succeed) scurries away into the darkness.
However, the bow-wave from the warship rebounds off the dock, pushing at the Proteus, and snapping what is left of that rope.
The reaction from the ship is "Aw, gawd DAMN it!" but they have other things to worry about- that burning sail is starting to set other things on fire, and for now they need to do something about that.

(( random dice rolls were used to verify the action above action, or the results of the actions ))

[The Rookie]

You see, once he hits the pavement, whatever it was that was keeping him going is gone, just a dead body, right? But the look, smell and (maybe... this is up to you) the taste of him make it inescapable;
He's dead alright.
He's been dead for weeks, maybe longer.

Sylvi gawks at the corpse for a moment or two, utterly confused as to what she saw before her. The man's flesh was clearly rotten and decayed. The stench alone was over powering, let alone the taste of what black coagulated goo now coated the she wolf's mouth, inside and out.

The sheer amount of mental confusion the feral wolf experienced in that brief moment far out weighed anything that her feral self was capable of dealing with; prompting a rare and unexpected response from her instincts. Whatever triggered her transformation from Valkyrie to beast reinstated her higher thinking as a means of combating something that a show of force could not. Quite bluntly, her brain required her to be able to think as a means of preserving herself.

When Sylvi came to she had no idea where she was or what was happening; just that every fibre of her being warned her to be on edge at the numerous signs of danger. The corpse in front of her, being the least immediate in the moment.

For what seemed like an eternity, Sylvi sat knelt over the dead man's body. She felt so dumb to the world, she couldn't even feel the cuts on her arms, nor the bruising to her face. All she could do was stare forward, the image of the broken remains of "friend" burned into her memory forever.

Little by little the world around her started to break through, but none more strongly than the sounds of her lover in turmoil. Followed immediately by a panicked cry in his direction.

"Raimi!"

Sylvi looks around in a mad panic, searching frantically for something she could use as a weapon. Finding her spear, Syliv musters what strength she has and runs over to join Raimius in the fight, standing between him and the otters.

"Get away from him you [censored], or I'll run you through; I swear to all the Gods I will!" she screams, tears welling in her eyes. Whether the otters notice or not, Sylvi's hands are trembling with fear. She's fully back to her old self it seems; pacifistic nature and all.

[2561642]

If the otter continues barreling forward, he'll start to take a step forward at the last second (as if to ram the sword down the creature's esophagus), but instead of putting his right foot down, he'll try to swing it forward into the otter's head. The combined weight of his metal boot with the swing of his leg should hopefully at least disorient the otter if it connects. If the otter doesn't deflect his sword, Tycho's shakiness may make the stabbing motion useless anyway, in which case he will still try to kick the otter.

It should be clear to Sven that Tycho is not paying attention to the rope-gnawing otter - but what he does with that information is entirely out of Tycho's control.

This is something that sometimes happens to beginners; your boot connects... with the downward arc of your sword.
Thank goodness for the iron in your boots, eh?
The Otter had been able to dodge your attack, and now it sneers, its teeth. Oh wow, that cute furry face sure has some serious fangs in it.

Tycho's ineptitude throws him off balance, and he nearly falls over. "AAARGH, how does that even happen? I wasn't even swinging the sword!" He sounds (and is) angry with himself. He then looks back at the otter, saying, "<Look, I know you understand me. I'm clearly not a threat to you so just-...>"

A waist-high blur crashes into the flank of the tall pirate, and blood begins to fly as both bodies tumble across the pavement. Carried off to one side of Tycho, it is hard to tell which one is going more damage to the other with their short, sharp weapons. The point is soon moot, still fighting like demons they both go skidding over the edge, and go ker-plunk into the icy water.

"Pete?!" There's no way he'll win a fight underwater with that creature - it's aquatic, after all. Tycho sheathes his weapon once again and looks around frantically for a rope to throw down to him.

All the Otters in the area pause with what they were doing, including the one that was hacking at the rope. That Pirate must have been a leader or simply their biggest [censored], and they seem unsure of what to do next. The crew of the ship takes advantage of that, rally, and drive the last of them off the deck. The one that had been attacking the rope (and nearly succeed) scurries away into the darkness.
However, the bow-wave from the warship rebounds off the dock, pushing at the Proteus, and snapping what is left of that rope.
The reaction from the ship is "Aw, gawd DAMN it!" but they have other things to worry about- that burning sail is starting to set other things on fire, and for now they need to do something about that.

Tycho can't exactly help with the fire if he can't get on the ship. After the realization that no one on the deck would be ready to grab a rope if he threw one, he gets ready to jump after the snapped rope in the water, hoping to catch it and climb it up to the deck. Hopefully the whole bit about it snapping backwards was as fictional as his understanding of seafaring.

[[OOC: I'm really not sure what you want Tycho to be doing right now. If this isn't satisfactory, please say so.]]

[Phaing]

[[OOC: I'm really not sure what you want Tycho to be doing right now. If this isn't satisfactory, please say so.]]

((Whoa whoa.... you have it backwards. I'm the one that didn't leave you enough options, my bad.
You are always free to take your own moves, come up with something unexpected or just have fun with the scene.
That's what its all about, right?
Let me try to do a little better here.))

The rope is gone, but when Tycho gets to the place where it was he can look down into the water. There is no sign of either the Pirate or Pete... but the water is tinged a dark red.
He may have heard about this; how people simply go "missing in action", never to be heard from again. There is often no witness, no clue as to what really happened to them, nothing. They are literally here one minute, gone the next, and it seems to antiseptic and brief the way the history books go right on past it.
But when it happens right next to you, it is something very different.
Terrifying, perhaps, when the fact that it could happen to you hits home.


At least Tycho can be witness to this, at least Pete didn't go unknown with people spending the rest of their lives wondering.
Un oh, one other saw this; as you turn around, there is Katija, still holding Rita down.
No, Rita didn't see that, but Katija did, and she is staring at you with wide eyes. SHE does not want to be the one to tell Rita what just happened. She's going to leave that for you.

Gang-planks have been dropped and men, human soldiers, are coming ashore. More accurately, they are Marines; nautical soldiers that rely on shields rather than armor. Shields can be discarded if one happens to fall into the water, after all. One big burly fellow is shouting orders and headed for the Countess with a stern look on his face. He stops just short of giving her a kick, and instead crouches for a better look at her face as she paws at the spilled loot.
"Zha-Zha?" he asks, amazed.
She looks up at him, and finally snaps out of her daze. "Tyrone?"

-- you folk may have heard of Tyrone Rennenkampf; a.k.a the Mad Duke of the Marshes, and Pirate Hunter. It looks as if his long period of frustration is coming to an end. You are witnessing his first success against the Pirates in over a year--

Katija is startled, and says; "We aren NOT with the pirate-things!"
Rita squirms free, and looks around wondering what is going on here. She looks to Tycho, and then to Szen.

Yes, Sven, who trots up and nudges Tycho. Then he raises his head, and nods in the direction that Sylvi and Raimius were supposed to be coming from by now....

((so, don't worry about what I want you to do, do what you think needs doing))

Sylvi gawks at the corpse for a moment or two, utterly confused as to what she saw before her. The man's flesh was clearly rotten and decayed. The stench alone was over powering, let alone the taste of what black coagulated goo now coated the she wolf's mouth, inside and out.

A correction-

The corpse wasn't gooey or anything like that; it is dry, more like a mummy. Not exactly "dry"... since Sylvi looked and you said she will remember; it is more like his essence was used up, his soul was gone and he was being used up from within. Some sort of magic was concealing his true appearance, as well as using him up.
This is something that Sylvi can figure out later on, for now-

"Get away from him you [censored], or I'll run you through; I swear to all the Gods I will!" she screams, tears welling in her eyes. Whether the otters notice or not, Sylvi's hands are trembling with fear. She's fully back to her old self it seems; pacifistic nature and all.

In the time it took Sylvi to shake that shock off, the Otters have shaken off the bolas while fighting off Raimius at the same time. They are finally starting to counter-attack when Sylvi joins the fight. That is enough for them, they dash away and dive into a snowbank.
Unless your eyes deceive you, they seem to be swimming thru the snow...

Raimius puts his hand on Sylvi's shoulder, and leans on it, hard. His face is almost as white as the snow, but he managed to grin a little as he asks; "Don't tell me... I have to drop my trousers before you can put that tourniquet where it needs to go, don't I?"

[The Rookie]

A correction-

The corpse wasn't gooey or anything like that; it is dry, more like a mummy. Not exactly "dry"... since Sylvi looked and you said she will remember; it is more like his essence was used up, his soul was gone and he was being used up from within. Some sort of magic was concealing his true appearance, as well as using him up.
This is something that Sylvi can figure out later on, for now-

//Interesting, although I'm sure it still didn't taste too good. //

Raimius puts his hand on Sylvi's shoulder, and leans on it, hard. His face is almost as white as the snow, but he managed to grin a little as he asks; "Don't tell me... I have to drop my trousers before you can put that tourniquet where it needs to go, don't I?"

Sylvi initially buckles under the sudden shift in wight, but manages to support Raimius up once she discards her spear and holds him with both arms.

"Hah hah..." Sylvi utters in a humourless laugh "Come on you big lug, I need to lay you down somewhere dry and get a look at that leg. I can't have bleeding out on me, cause I'm sure as hell not gonna be able to carry you."

Any where out of the snowy street will do, if needed she'd break into a an abandoned house or open store; anywhere which is dry and well lit will do.

"Any chance you saw where my bag went?" Sylvi asked, referring to the travel packs they'd packed prior to the attack. "I need clean cloth, disinfectant and a sterilised sowing kit. You're not going to get too far without patching up that wound."

[2561642]

The rope is gone, but when Tycho gets to the place where it was he can look down into the water. There is no sign of either the Pirate or Pete... but the water is tinged a dark red.
He may have heard about this; how people simply go "missing in action", never to be heard from again. There is often no witness, no clue as to what really happened to them, nothing. They are literally here one minute, gone the next, and it seems to antiseptic and brief the way the history books go right on past it.
But when it happens right next to you, it is something very different.
Terrifying, perhaps, when the fact that it could happen to you hits home.

Tycho falls heavily to his hands and knees, peering just over the edge and into the water. All he sees is his reflection, lit by the flickering light of the fires and distorted by the churning harbor.

"Is this my fault?"

It takes several moments for him to stand back up, and when he does, he is silent.

At least Tycho can be witness to this, at least Pete didn't go unknown with people spending the rest of their lives wondering.
Un oh, one other saw this; as you turn around, there is Katija, still holding Rita down.
No, Rita didn't see that, but Katija did, and she is staring at you with wide eyes. SHE does not want to be the one to tell Rita what just happened. She's going to leave that for you.

Gang-planks have been dropped and men, human soldiers, are coming ashore. More accurately, they are Marines; nautical soldiers that rely on shields rather than armor. Shields can be discarded if one happens to fall into the water, after all. One big burly fellow is shouting orders and headed for the Countess with a stern look on his face. He stops just short of giving her a kick, and instead crouches for a better look at her face as she paws at the spilled loot.
"Zha-Zha?" he asks, amazed.
She looks up at him, and finally snaps out of her daze. "Tyrone?"

Katija is startled, and says; "We aren NOT with the pirate-things!"
Rita squirms free, and looks around wondering what is going on here. She looks to Tycho, and then to Szen.

Yes, Sven, who trots up and nudges Tycho. Then he raises his head, and nods in the direction that Sylvi and Raimius were supposed to be coming from by now....

Tycho first walks over to Rita. He lifts up his visor, puts a hand on her shoulder, and looks her directly in the eyes. His voice is eerily calm, almost wistful, and the only visible hint of sadness is in his eyes. If Rita is perceptive, she might notice a hint of anger in them as well. "You deserve to know what happened. The truth is, Pete gave his life for ours. For yours. I barely knew him, but I won't forget him. I just wish you had the chance to say goodbye."

Then, as if none of the past few minutes had happened, he says to the newcomer, "Are these your men? The crew of the Proteus," Tycho points, "drove off the otters, but the ship's sails are on fire and the mooring line broke in the fight. I can't help them, but you may be able to."

"In the meantime, I have some friends that may need help." He sprints off in the direction that Sven was looking. When he gets there, he is taken aback by the smell of decay. He looks quizzically at the dessicated corpse on the ground. The signs of someone's lifeforce being consumed by some spell are unmistakable, but also unimportant at the moment. Right now, he needs to find Raimius and Sylvi.

He sees Sylvi propping up Raimius nearby, and jogs over to them. "There's something I need to tell both of you, but you should both sit down first. Before that, though, you should know that the owner of the ship that crashed into the docks earlier is some kind of Duke, he has soldiers clearing out the otters, who are apparently pirates, the Proteus is on fire and drifting out to sea, and Katija, Zha-Zha, and Rita are all uninjured - physically, at least." He waits for them to process all of that before telling them the terrible news.

[Phaing]

"Any chance you saw where my bag went?" Sylvi asked, referring to the travel packs they'd packed prior to the attack. "I need clean cloth, disinfectant and a sterilised sowing kit. You're not going to get too far without patching up that wound."

"We don't.... have time... for that." He sheathes his sword and gasps, its starting to hurt now. "Pick up your spear! The ship... might be leaving.... just tie my leg off. I'll be fine."

"You deserve to know what happened. The truth is, Pete gave his life for ours. For yours. I barely knew him, but I won't forget him. I just wish you had the chance to say goodbye."

Then, as if none of the past few minutes had happened, he says to the newcomer, "Are these your men? The crew of the Proteus," Tycho points, "drove off the otters, but the ship's sails are on fire and the mooring line broke in the fight. I can't help them, but you may be able to."

"In the meantime, I have some friends that may need help." He sprints off in the direction that Sven was looking. ..

He leaves more than just Rita too stunned to speak.... the Duke shrugs off the Proteus as it is barely even visible in the dark now (that might be a good sign, the fire is out) but you leave him spluttering-
"Wait, what? Who are they, and who are you?!"

Sven leads the way, and a couple of Marines come trotting after you.

He sees Sylvi propping up Raimius nearby, and jogs over to them. "There's something I need to tell both of you, but you should both sit down first. Before that, though, you should know that the owner of the ship that crashed into the docks earlier is some kind of Duke, he has soldiers clearing out the otters, who are apparently pirates, the Proteus is on fire and drifting out to sea, and Katija, Zha-Zha, and Rita are all uninjured - physically, at least." He waits for them to process all of that before telling them the terrible news.

"Why do you say physically?"
Raimius isn't in much shape to resist Sylvi's demands, no matter what he said before. If she insists, he will have to do as she says.

The town has that weird after-battle quiet to it, mostly. A few buildings are still burning, but all that snow keeps the fires from spreading.

The two Marines arrive a moment later, but they won't approach any closer than the big Goat. All of them are close enough to see that you are all still alive, and all of them are looking around for more of those killer Otters that might be lurking in the shadows.
About 99% of this area seems to be made of shadows right now.

((I won't be here Tues or Thurday, sorry in advance))

[The Rookie]

"We don't.... have time... for that." He sheathes his sword and gasps, its starting to hurt now. "Pick up your spear! The ship... might be leaving.... just tie my leg off. I'll be fine."

Sylvi wants to argue against this so badly it hurts, but deep down she knows Raimius was right. "Fine, but if you go and die on me I'll bring you back just to kill ya again, you understand me?" her voice was laced with a mixture of anger and sorrow, but maintained a solid neutral tone through out.

Sylvi leans Raimius against the next solid surface she can find, a brick wall or a large stone shall do. She kneels down in front of him and unties his belt. "Alright, don't get any funny ideas." she says bluntly, as she wraps the belt tightly around his thigh, a few inches above the injury. "This is going to hurt. Brace yourself." she says before pulling the belt as tight as it could go. She punctures a new hole into the belt's leather with a claw for the buckle to go through, keeping the pressure as tight as possible.

Whilst he's lent up against the wall, Syliv gathers her weapon. "Right, let's get going." she says beckoning him to lean against her. "Which way to the docks?"

He waits for them to process all of that before telling them the terrible news.

"Look, I appreciate the notion of filing us in, but can it wait till we've got Raimius patched up? He's lost enough blood as it is, and we can't afford to waste time standing around talking." Sylvi herself seems exhausted, as if what'd she'd gone through was finally starting break through her adrenaline high.

Her brow has started to swell from the mage's blow, and the numerous smaller cuts to her arms and body were starting to show through her fur.

"Tycho, can you help carrying him, please?" she pleads, gesturing to Raimius' other shoulder. "He's getting a bit heavy..."

"Why do you say physically?"
Raimius isn't in much shape to resist Sylvi's demands, no matter what he said before. If she insists, he will have to do as she says.

"Less talking, more walking. We're almost there." Sylvi won't stop the pair from continuing their conversation, but she won't allow it to slow them down.

The two Marines arrive a moment later, but they won't approach any closer than the big Goat. All of them are close enough to see that you are all still alive, and all of them are looking around for more of those killer Otters that might be lurking in the shadows.
About 99% of this area seems to be made of shadows right now.

"<Oh Gods... Human soldiers...>" Sylvi gasped, more afraid than relieved at the sight of reinforcements. "Tycho, you said you spoke to a duke, right? You didn't mention I was a wolf, did you?" she asked in a hushed panic.

[2561642]

"You deserve to know what happened. The truth is, Pete gave his life for ours. For yours. I barely knew him, but I won't forget him. I just wish you had the chance to say goodbye."

Then, as if none of the past few minutes had happened, he says to the newcomer, "Are these your men? The crew of the Proteus," Tycho points, "drove off the otters, but the ship's sails are on fire and the mooring line broke in the fight. I can't help them, but you may be able to."

"In the meantime, I have some friends that may need help." He sprints off in the direction that Sven was looking. ..

He leaves more than just Rita too stunned to speak.... the Duke shrugs off the Proteus as it is barely even visible in the dark now (that might be a good sign, the fire is out) but you leave him spluttering-
"Wait, what? Who are they, and who are you?!"

"Me? I'm just a wandering enchanter trying, and not succeeding, as you can see, to move north. Zha-Zha can tell you about...." He wonders for a moment about which name to use. "Marko and Sylvi. That information won't do you much good if they're both dead, though, heh, so I'll just... go and get them." He doesn't wait for a response.

"Look, I appreciate the notion of filing us in, but can it wait till we've got Raimius patched up? He's lost enough blood as it is, and we can't afford to waste time standing around talking." Sylvi herself seems exhausted, as if what'd she'd gone through was finally starting break through her adrenaline high.

"It's probably better if we talk while moving, I agree."

"Tycho, can you help carrying him, please?" she pleads, gesturing to Raimius' other shoulder. "He's getting a bit heavy..."

He steps under Raimius' other shoulder. "You don't seem to be in great shape yourself. These soldiers probably have an infirmary set up somewhere, we should ask the two soldiers that followed me to take us there."

"Why do you say physically?"

"Look, I wasn't kidding when I said you need to sit down. Listen to your... uh... wife." A crazed. far-away look comes over Tycho's eyes. "That information won't do you much good if you're dead, now will it? Heh... heheheh...." He chuckles without smiling, somehow. Just a second later, he shakes his head rapidly and the look in his eyes and unsettling laughter vanishes. "Sorry. Let's just try to get you two some medical help."

The two Marines arrive a moment later, but they won't approach any closer than the big Goat. All of them are close enough to see that you are all still alive, and all of them are looking around for more of those killer Otters that might be lurking in the shadows.
About 99% of this area seems to be made of shadows right now.

"<Oh Gods... Human soldiers...>" Sylvi gasped, more afraid than relieved at the sight of reinforcements. "Tycho, you said you spoke to a duke, right? You didn't mention I was a wolf, did you?" she asked in a hushed panic.

Tycho shakes his head. "I think these guys are more concerned with the pirates that are probably hiding right now. Zha-Zha probably told the Duke you were a wolf. Probably. They seem to know each other, by the way."

[Phaing]

"Alright, don't get any funny ideas."

"Funny? You mean how we just met a new species of Keidran, and how all those Sailor's tales of Mermaids might actually be- ARGH!"
Yes, the pain, but it will keep him focused for now.
And you won't have to hear any more dumb jokes for a while...

"<Oh Gods... Human soldiers...>" Sylvi gasped, more afraid than relieved at the sight of reinforcements. "Tycho, you said you spoke to a duke, right? You didn't mention I was a wolf, did you?" she asked in a hushed panic.

"Do you think that matters, tonight of all nights?" Raimius is perfectly serious. "Wait... what Duke? if it's Haddak Malventum, we are doomed already."

He steps under Raimius' other shoulder. "You don't seem to be in great shape yourself. These soldiers probably have an infirmary set up somewhere, we should ask the two soldiers that followed me to take us there."

"GrrmPH." Raimius tries to help you carry him along, using his leg perhaps a little more than he should. "Not Soldiers, Marines. They get testy about that, fair warning."

The Marines escort you back, watching for danger but not offering to help with anything else.

"Look, I wasn't kidding when I said you need to sit down. Listen to your... uh... wife." A crazed. far-away look comes over Tycho's eyes. "That information won't do you much good if you're dead, now will it? Heh... heheheh...." He chuckles without smiling, somehow. Just a second later, he shakes his head rapidly and the look in his eyes and unsettling laughter vanishes. "Sorry. Let's just try to get you two some medical help."

Raimius gives Tycho a hard look out of the corner of his eye, and then back at Sylvi with an arched eyebrow.

To Tycho; "Your first real fight, or your first kill? Just focus on the here and now, alright? We'll talk you down later, hopefully over a bottle of something spicy."

Tycho shakes his head. "I think these guys are more concerned with the pirates that are probably hiding right now. Zha-Zha probably told the Duke you were a wolf. Probably. They seem to know each other, by the way."

Raimius shakes his head, and tries to think. "They do?" He starts to smile, and then chuckles when you get your first glimpse of the scene at the Dock. Rita, Katija and Zha-Zha are all in a close huddle, with the first two are on their knees with Zha-Zha nearly so, crouched over them protectively while she talks to the Duke.
Whatever she is saying, he's just eating it right up.
"She just might be our salvation." Raimius says to you both. "That is Tyrone Rennenkampf, the mad Duke of the Marshes."

By some perverse trick of the atmosphere, the Duke heard that. Maybe his ears are simply attuned to that particular title. He looks up at you (he is the one facing your direction, the rest have their backs to you) and his face goes from a scowl to a smile.
"Rai-"
And just that quickly, his face changes again. This Duke that just charged in at the head of his men to meet the unknown in battle shudders, and slowly looks down, straight at Rita... and he isn't just frightened. He is looking at this little girl as if she is a pressure-cooker that has been left on the fire too long, and is about to explode in his face.

"Told ya ... so... Sil. Didn't even glance at ya..." His head is lolling now, Raimius won't be cogent for much longer. The tension that was keeping him on his feet is draining away.

[The Rookie]

"Do you think that matters, tonight of all nights?" Raimius is perfectly serious. "Wait... what Duke? if it's Haddak Malventum, we are doomed already."

"For someone who's trying to be reassuring, that wasn't very reassuring..."

Raimius gives Tycho a hard look out of the corner of his eye, and then back at Sylvi with an arched eyebrow.

To Tycho; "Your first real fight, or your first kill? Just focus on the here and now, alright? We'll talk you down later, hopefully over a bottle of something spicy."

Sylvi doesn't respond to either the look given to her, nor the statement directed at Tycho. Instead she just maintains that sombre serious look she's been wearing most of the of their trek to the docks.

Tycho shakes his head. "I think these guys are more concerned with the pirates that are probably hiding right now. Zha-Zha probably told the Duke you were a wolf. Probably. They seem to know each other, by the way."

Raimius shakes his head, and tries to think. "They do?" He starts to smile, and then chuckles when you get your first glimpse of the scene at the Dock. Rita, Katija and Zha-Zha are all in a close huddle, with the first two are on their knees with Zha-Zha nearly so, crouched over them protectively while she talks to the Duke.
Whatever she is saying, he's just eating it right up.
"She just might be our salvation." Raimius says to you both. "That is Tyrone Rennenkampf, the mad Duke of the Marshes."

"<Great, more friends with ominous titles...>" Sylvi mutters, trying to avoid looking the duke in the eye as they shuffle toward him.

Sylvi waves towards Rita, beckoning her to come join them. In her mind it'd be better to have Rita close to her, rather than around the Duke or Duchess (Sorry, I've forgotten what Zha's official title is).

"Told ya ... so... Sil. Didn't even glance at ya..." His head is lolling now, Raimius won't be cogent for much longer. The tension that was keeping him on his feet is draining away.

"Doesn't mean I feel any safer..." Sylvi says as she tries to keep Raimius talking. "Hey, no nodding off yet. I need you to stay awake just a little bit longer, alright?"

Sylvi looks across to Tycho "Hey, did you see where the infirmary is? Any chance you could lead the way?"

[2561642]

He steps under Raimius' other shoulder. "You don't seem to be in great shape yourself. These soldiers probably have an infirmary set up somewhere, we should ask the two soldiers that followed me to take us there."

"GrrmPH." Raimius tries to help you carry him along, using his leg perhaps a little more than he should. "Not Soldiers, Marines. They get testy about that, fair warning."

"I appreciate the advice."

The Marines escort you back, watching for danger but not offering to help with anything else.

"Look, I wasn't kidding when I said you need to sit down. Listen to your... uh... wife." A crazed. far-away look comes over Tycho's eyes. "That information won't do you much good if you're dead, now will it? Heh... heheheh...." He chuckles without smiling, somehow. Just a second later, he shakes his head rapidly and the look in his eyes and unsettling laughter vanishes. "Sorry. Let's just try to get you two some medical help."

Raimius gives Tycho a hard look out of the corner of his eye, and then back at Sylvi with an arched eyebrow.

To Tycho; "Your first real fight, or your first kill? Just focus on the here and now, alright? We'll talk you down later, hopefully over a bottle of something spicy."

"If only it was. And you don't want me drunk... ever." He sighs.

Tycho shakes his head. "I think these guys are more concerned with the pirates that are probably hiding right now. Zha-Zha probably told the Duke you were a wolf. Probably. They seem to know each other, by the way."

Raimius shakes his head, and tries to think. "They do?" He starts to smile, and then chuckles when you get your first glimpse of the scene at the Dock. Rita, Katija and Zha-Zha are all in a close huddle, with the first two are on their knees with Zha-Zha nearly so, crouched over them protectively while she talks to the Duke.
Whatever she is saying, he's just eating it right up.
"She just might be our salvation." Raimius says to you both. "That is Tyrone Rennenkampf, the mad Duke of the Marshes."

"He doesn't look awfully unstable or angry to me. In fact, I'd say the rest of us might be mad for not also bringing armies to this wretched town."

By some perverse trick of the atmosphere, the Duke heard that. Maybe his ears are simply attuned to that particular title. He looks up at you (he is the one facing your direction, the rest have their backs to you) and his face goes from a scowl to a smile.
"Rai-"
And just that quickly, his face changes again. This Duke that just charged in at the head of his men to meet the unknown in battle shudders, and slowly looks down, straight at Rita... and he isn't just frightened. He is looking at this little girl as if she is a pressure-cooker that has been left on the fire too long, and is about to explode in his face.

Well then. "It seems he knows exactly who she is. He also doesn't look like he'll be ecstatic about helping us get out of here."

"Told ya ... so... Sil. Didn't even glance at ya..." His head is lolling now, Raimius won't be cogent for much longer. The tension that was keeping him on his feet is draining away.

Sylvi looks across to Tycho "Hey, did you see where the infirmary is? Any chance you could lead the way?"

"I did not, I'm afraid" He calls to the Duke. "Excuse me, mister... sorry, Duke Rennenkampf! If you could take a moment's break from being... well, justifiably terrified of that little girl and the implications of her presence here, could you point us to your infirmary? You can't catch up with your old pal Raimius if he's... eheheh...*cough*...ahem. Dead. Sorry."

(Sorry, I've forgotten what Zha's official title is)

[[I believe it's "Baroness".]]

[Phaing]

Sylvi waves towards Rita, beckoning her to come join them. In her mind it'd be better to have Rita close to her, rather than around the Duke or

Rita has her back to you, but when you start talking back and forth, she and Katija turn and look. Katija seems alright, but Rita has been crying her eyes out.

"Hey, no nodding off yet. I need you to stay awake just a little bit longer, alright?"

"Doing my best... " His best isn't very good, he can barely keep his eyes open.

"If only it was. And you don't want me drunk... ever." He sighs.

That might be good to file away for some future date.

"I did not, I'm afraid" He calls to the Duke. "Excuse me, mister... sorry, Duke Rennenkampf! If you could take a moment's break from being... well, justifiably terrified of that little girl and the implications of her presence here, could you point us to your infirmary? You can't catch up with your old pal Raimius if he's... eheheh...*cough*...ahem. Dead. Sorry."

"Dead?"
The Duke takes a better look at Raimius, and you two again. "Stop talking, all of you!" He orders the Marines; "Get them to the Orlop deck, under guard and-"

"They are with me." Zha-Zha says, gently enough that you can barely hear it.

The Duke grunts, and then nods. "No iron then, but no needless gossip, we will get this all sorted out when I get there." He snatches Rita up when she moves to go to you, and holds her close in a grip so tight that she can't even struggle. It is not an uncomfortable or abusive hold, this fellow seems to know how to handle children, literally.

"Marines, help carry that man, and quickly! He looks as if he may be delirious, and certainly does not appear to know where he is... perhaps even who."

And that is no lie; Raimius isn't going to be much help here.
It would appear that the two of you are going to have to rely on your own glib tongues here... good luck!

The good news is, there are only a couple of other casualties taking up space in the deck that has been set aside for this, but on the other hand the Duke will be wasting little time coming to see you. He will probably show up just as you are wrapping things up with Raimius,

[The Rookie]

Rita has her back to you, but when you start talking back and forth, she and Katija turn and look. Katija seems alright, but Rita has been crying her eyes out.

"<Poor girl... She shouldn't have had to see this..>"

"Dead?"
The Duke takes a better look at Raimius, and you two again. "Stop talking, all of you!" He orders the Marines; "Get them to the Orlop deck, under guard and-"

"They are with me." Zha-Zha says, gently enough that you can barely hear it.

The Duke grunts, and then nods. "No iron then, but no needless gossip, we will get this all sorted out when I get there." He snatches Rita up when she moves to go to you, and holds her close in a grip so tight that she can't even struggle. It is not an uncomfortable or abusive hold, this fellow seems to know how to handle children, literally.

"Marines, help carry that man, and quickly! He looks as if he may be delirious, and certainly does not appear to know where he is... perhaps even who."

And that is no lie; Raimius isn't going to be much help here.

Sylvi doesn't like the the idea of relinquishing Raimius' care to another, but she's clearly not in a position to argue. She begrudgingly steps aside, allowing the marine to step in and take her place.

"If I'm being barred from caring for Raimius, can you have one of your men bring me a bottle of spirits and several bandages to address my own wounds?" Sylvi ask, just shy of demanding. Holding her bloodied forearms out to her sides and rotating them in a way so the duke can clearly see the extent of the injuries, not to mention her swollen brow which she might not even be aware of in the moment.

"I'd also wish to care for Rita in her adoptive father's absence, once I've taken care of these." nodding down towards her arms "Forgive me, but this doesn't seem the time for a young girl to be thrown into the arms of a stranger. Especially one with so many other things to worry about." she's cold when she speaks, clearly displeased about the way things are playing out, but she still attempts to give respect where it's due.

(It's not a whole lot, but it's something... Sorry)