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| The Slave Trade | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 23 2011, 08:54 PM (2,452 Views) | |
| Jet Blackbeard | Dec 11 2011, 08:23 PM Post #31 |
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aka Bear
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Jel’din’s question went unheard as Nixie was prodded along by the guard. She fumed silently to herself at having gotten them all into such a predicament as this. It seemed that they would indeed have to put up with this, at least for the time being. The girls were ushered up onto one of the platforms and Nixie got a good look at their content for the first time. Steam rose from the surface of the water, bringing with it the pungent odor of some sort of cleaning agent. Suspended within that slurry of soap and water was a thick piece of cloth. It swirled around the radius of the basin in a twisted mass, flowing slightly clockwise with the rhythmic motions of the wooden stirring paddles. Nixie took up one of these from a haggard looking woman who offered it to her. It was obvious that she needed a break and was only too happy to surrender the task to one of the three newcomers. Nixie dipped the end of the paddle into the water and sloshed it about awkwardly. Nearby a few of the other women whispered amongst themselves. It made Nixie feel a little self-conscious. Was she doing this the wrong way or something? Jel’din’s elbow caught Nixie off guard and she nearly tumbled into the basin. “He’s counting! And when he counts three extra faces…” Her frightened words caused the young huntress to look up from her task. When she saw the guard from earlier begin walking towards them she became panicked as well. “Um….just….try to blend in.” Nixie answered nervously. “And if he asks you anything, play dumb.” “Oy! All of you, get down here now!” The guard called from the base of the platforms, jerking his head towards the women angrily. As one they began filing down the steps to gather in front of him. Acting on her own advice Nixie fell into step with them. Her hand waved a furtive signal towards Jel’din and Tsukiko to follow her. Once the women had been assembled before him the guard stalked back and forth in front of them. He peered at them in turn, an angry expression on his face. “Damn Ixa’takans. You all look the same to me.” He muttered under his breath. Finally his eyes lit upon Tsukiko. She most definitely stood out among them. “You three! Come here!” He commanded of the Yafutoman and the two girls who stood next to her. Nixie came forward, her eyes downcast. “Where’d you three come from? Are you even supposed to be here?” The guard growled to her. “The man told us to come here.” Nixie answered in a meek voice. “Man? What man?” The guard asked, his tone even angrier than before. “A big man with a beard.” Nixie replied, doing her best to sound like a frightened slave girl. It wasn’t much of a stretch for her right now, given their situation. “A man with a beard? Which one?” The guard asked. “Was it Malton? Or Darius maybe?” Nixie shook her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know his name. He said to come here.” “Damn it! Always screwing around with my operation.” The guard snapped, talking to himself. Then, to the three girls he continued. “Alright you three, I don’t know what’s going on but…” “What’s going on?” A female voice cut him off. The guard turned around to see another woman, also an Ixa’takan, approaching him. She was dressed in the garb of a pirate but the guard regarded her with obvious disdain. “None of your affair Kaia.” The guard answered curtly. “Now why don’t you bugger off and….” “If there’s an issue with any of my girls then it is most certainly my affair.” The woman named Kaia answered. She and the guard glared at one another for a few tense seconds. Finally the guard relented. “Fine, take them if you want. They don’t belong here no way.” He snapped at her, waving for all four of them to leave his sight. “Alright, the rest of you get back to work!” He yelled at the rest of the women. While the rest of the slaves scurried back up to the basins Nixie and her friends were left in the care of the newcomer. “You girls better come with me.” Kaia suggested. “Yes ma’am.” Nixie continued with her frightened slave routine and fell into step behind their savior as she led them out of the washhouse and down the muddy streets towards the heart of the pirate town. ~ “Do people actually drink this swill?” Xera sputtered on her drink. The local brews didn’t seem to agree with her any more than the rest of the town did. “If you don’t like it, don’t drink it.” Kokyrie hissed at her. “But just be quiet.” Together the two women occupied barstools inside of a ramshackle tavern that butted up against the skyfront. The tables behind them were abuzz with the conversations of the taverns other patrons. Crude language and harsh laughter seemed to be the local dialect but Kokyrie was able to strain a few useful phrases from the din. “…..heard another shipment is arriving….” “They say King Ixa’taka is finally taking action and…..” “….the Ixa’ness. No good will come of that I tell you.” “Captain Sturges is supposed to…..” Kokyrie strained her ears to filter out all of the background noise and pinpoint the source of those tempting tidbits of information. Most of the people in the tavern were men. Her presence at any table would likely be welcomed, a free round of drinks moreso. Within an hour or two Kokyrie was positive she’d be able to get a good idea of what was going on in the town. But just as Kokyrie was about to stand up and invite herself to join in on one of those conversations the room suddenly fell quiet. The only sounds to be heard now were a few hoarse whispers and a rhythmic tapping that heralded the arrival of the last person she wanted to see right now. Thump-click…thump-click….thump-click…. The oddly matched sound of footfalls grew closer and closer. The heavy tread of a boot was offset by the clatter of a wooden peg leg upon the tavern’s floor. Kokyrie stared blankly at the countertop in front of her. Xera shot her a questioning look but the tension in the room was enough to silence her. Both of the women recognized this feeling. It was one any hunter was familiar with. When the forest went strangely quiet and the hairs on the back of one’s neck began to stand on in. When the air became heavy and still, as if the forest were holding its breath in anticipation. Yes, that was what the two Ixa’ness were feeling right now. There was a predator nearby. Thump-click…thump-click….thump-click…. The footfalls ended next to Kokyrie and suddenly the empty stool beside her was occupied by someone. Kokyrie felt his presence, her nostrils filling with the scent of old sweat and fish oil. She could feel his eyes upon her as she slowly turned her head towards him. Kokyrie had seen that weathered face before. The furrowed brow, the sneering lips and eyes that glinted with a hint of madness. And when he spoke she recognized the husky voice thick with a mariner’s accent as one she’d heard many times in the past. “I’d heard tell ye’d been seen in town.” The old man seated next to Kokyrie began, eyeing her with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. “And lo & behold, here ye be lass!” This encounter was one she’d been hoping to avoid. But now it was happening and it would make or break her depending on how it turned out. She had to play this perfectly, say everything at just the right time and give out all of the answers the old man needed to hear. Kokyrie offered a silent prayer to the Green Moon, asking for guidance and that Xera would just keep her mouth shut until this was over. Swallowing the lump in her throat Kokyrie awarded him with her most charming smile. “Hello Sturges. It’s been a while.” |
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| Daiohma | Dec 13 2011, 09:13 PM Post #32 |
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The Ice Fang
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“Oy! All of you, get down here now!” Tsukiko nervously looked around before spotting the guard at the base of the platforms looking up at them all. It was not the look on his face that told her he was angry but the fact he was shouting. Back home she was always told in Yafutoma that it is rude of one to raise their voice. Nixie followed the other women down towards the guard, signaling for Jel'din and herself to follow her. The women assembled before the guard as he paced back and forth, looking at them all with anger. Tsukiko knew things were not going to end well here, yet she was not sure just how much trouble she had got herself into this time. The young shrine maiden started to wish she had never wanted to see the world now if she had known it was going to be like this, but all she could do now is wait until they were out of this and then fine a way back home or to one of her sisters again. Just then she feel as if someone was staring at her, as she looked up she noticed the guards was indeed gazing at her. Had he realized she was not an Ixa'takan? “You three! Come here!” He ordered of her and the two girls next to her, which happened to be Nixie and Jel'din. The guard started to question them as Tsukiko found herself lost for words. She had no idea what to say or do as she had never been in such a situation before. Lucky for her Nixie took charge and spoke up for the three. Tsukiko right away knew that Nixie was lieing to the guard, but what fascinated her more was her acting. A tear rolled down Nixie's cheek which Tsukiko could not tell if it was real or not, but if it was indeed fake then Nixie was really good at acting. This made Tsukiko think for a second, she acts on stage all the time with her sisters and if this situation called for it then she would help too. She did not go as far as Nixie but her eyes watered as she looked down, truth be told she really did want to cry for going on such a dangerous journey. Even if the journey was her own fault for not realizing her new friends were in fact pirates. Just then another guard entered the room, this time a woman. Yet another thing to confuse the Shrine Maiden. The two guards started shouting at one another, the whole conversation went right over Tsukiko's head as she tried to understand what was going on now. “You girls better come with me.” The woman said, catching that her name was Kaia. “Yes ma’am.” Nixie went on with her performance. As the girls followed her they found themselves leaving the washhouse and heading out towards the pirate town. |
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| Gordreg | Jan 8 2012, 02:26 PM Post #33 |
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Administrator
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Jel gave a nervous nod of agreement, and tilted a little forward, hoping to hide her face just a fraction behind the rising cloud of steam boiling upward from out of the cauldron. But before she could do much else the guard called out, and as the washerwomen all around them began filing down the stairway Jel gave a resigned slump of her shoulders and matched their pace. Nixie had instructed Jel to blend in, after all; and her companion was already filing downward along with the Ixa’takan workers. Stepping carefully down the rickety steps, she made sure to keep herself close to her Ixa’ness friend to avoid getting lost in the throng. She swallowed nervously as the guard paraded back and fourth in front of the crowd, his face quite unpleasant beneath a scowl of anger and venting frustration whilst he snarled at them derogatorily, examining the crowd. Swallowing again, Jel tried keeping herself calm and quiet as she could, but in the end it was to no avail. The guard’s bitter eyes seemed to gleam as they found Tsukiko amongst the crowd of washerwomen, and with that, the game was up. Jel paced forward with Nixie and Tsukiko, averting her gaze for fear of triggering another angered outburst. Luckily, Nixie managed to answer the guard’s first question before Jel had even considered how to reply, and she nodded along silently to try and emphasise Nixie’s answers, considering as she did so how lucky she’d been not to be on the spot herself. The guard had seen Tsukiko and spoken to Nixie, but she’d been left more-or-less alone. Perhaps, Jel wondered, she fit the guard’s idea of an Ixa’takan washhouse servant more then her friends had? It was not the most encouraging of thoughts, and Jel gave a small shiver as the man ceased a moment of self-contemplation to round on the three of them again, fearing the worst. But a sharp voice cut through his rhetoric, and Jel turned to look, surprised but quite pleased for the interruption. The woman who had made it was another Ixa’takan, though her outfit seemed closer to that of the guard himself then to the washer’s robes Jel currently wore over her clothes. As the woman – Kaia, Jel nodded as she memorised the name - and the guard argued, Jel threw a worried look to Nixie, wondering just what fate had in store for them now. But, she supposed, it would probably be no worse then that awaiting them here. She stepped across into Kaia’s presence as the guard dismissed the washerwomen, and nodded her head in agreement as Kaia led them out of the wash-house. “So… umm… where are we going now?” Jel ventured, glancing about as Kaia led them through the muddy street, past a metal-braced building reeking of loquat and around a mouldering Huskra-carcass. |
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| Jet Blackbeard | Jan 9 2012, 07:55 PM Post #34 |
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aka Bear
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"My place." Kaia answered Jel'din over her shoulder as she continued to lead the three girls through the muddy streets of the pirate town. Nixie fell back a few steps and gestured for Jel'din and Tsukiko to come closer. "Something is weird here." She warned her friends, never taking her eyes off of Kaia's back just a few feet ahead of them. "Let me do the talking." At the sound of Nixie's whispered words Kaia turned back to look at them. "And just what are you three scheming back there?" She asked with a smile. "Um...I was just wondering what will happen to us?" Nixie sighed, resuming her frightened slave-girl routine. Kaia's smile widened. "Don't fret girls. I'll get everything straightened out. It's my job to look out for you, remember?" Nixie couldn't remember any such thing as she'd never met the woman before. But Kaia's words did manage to put her a little more at ease. Together the four of them made their way down the street to a row of shoddy wooden shacks. "Well, here we are." Kaia said with a gesture to one of the smaller ones. Nixie arched an eyebrow at the faded wooden facade. If this was indeed Kaia's dwelling place she wasn't much better off than the slaves. "Come in. We'll have something to drink and a nice little talk." Kaia said, beckoning them inside. ~ Even though Kokyrie appeared to be perfectly relaxed every muscle in her body was tense. She took a sip from her drink and forced herself to smile in the presence of the Mad Fisher of the Mid-Ocean region. Second only to Baltor he was a pirate to be feared. And he had once been Kokyrie's comrade. "When I heard the Viper had been scuttled I feared ye lost for good lass." Sturges asked. His voice was gruff but there was a trace of concern to be found there. "You know me captain. Just when you think you've got me cornered I always find a way to slither out of your reach." Kokyrie answered. Sturges let out a bark of laughter and drained the contents of his cup with one long pull. "So ye be bereft o' a ship now I take it?" He asked, causing Kokyrie's heart to leap in her chest. "How come you to wind up in such o' place as this?" Kokyrie had to word her explanation perfectly or the wily old pirate would begin to suspect her. Even as friends Black Pirates were always plotting and scheming against one another in a never-ending game of one-upsmanship. "After the Viper was sunk I returned to my homeland. I just....needed a break." She sighed wistfully. Sturges gave her a consolatory grunt and she pressed on with her fabrication. "But now I'm ready to get back into the swing of things." She said with a smile. "I bartered passage here hoping to find work. I need to make some quick money if I'm to swing a new ship you know?" Sturges nodded in understanding. He seemed to buy her story. "Aye well if it's work ye're seeking come down to the docks later." He said as he rose from the barstool and tossed a gold coin down to pay for his drink. "I'll set ye up with something aboard me Kingfish. You know I'll be payin' ya well for skills before the mast such as yer's." Kokyrie rose from the bar as well and smiled broadly even though she felt like someone had just kicked her in the gut. "Thank you for the offer my friend." She gushed, trying to sound grateful. "I'll consider it and get back to you later on." "Hah, I knew ye'd say that!" Sturges barked. "Always too proud for ye own good. But me offer stands. Come and visit the old tub later before ye decide." Kokyrie agreed to his request, uncertain whether or not she'd actually honor it. They said their farewells and then Sturges hobbled his way out of the tavern. In the wake of their encounter Kokyrie sank down on her stool once again and motioned for the bartender. "Rum. A tall one." She ordered. With a nod the bartender went to fetch her drink. "So....friend of yours?" Xera finally spoke now that Sturges had left. "I'm not sure." Kokyrie answered. ~ Nixie made herself as comfortable as she could on the small cot inside of Kaia's one-room shack. The older woman sat down on a simple wooden chair and regarded the three of them. A plate of dried fruit and three cups of water had been set out on a crude wooden table between them and Nixie helped herself to the offering. She was a bit wary of Kaia's generosity however. "So, tell me. Where did you girls come from?" Kaia asked. Her voice was innocent but the question was anything but. Nixie remained silent, not because she was refusing to answer. More like she was wracking her brain for a plausible story that wouldn't end in the three of them being imprisoned. "We're new." Nixie finally responded. "We just arrived." "Hmm, yes. I thought as much. . "I know all the girls here and I've never seen your faces before." Kaia nodded. "Which ship did you arrive on?" She continued with her friendly interrogation. "I don't know. It was big." Nixie answered in her meek voice. "Bigger than the ones in our village." Kaia nodded again. This girl was proving to be a tough nut to crack. She was either very naive or a convincing liar. Kaia was not certain which just yet. She decided to try another tactic. "Which tribe did you come from?" Kaia asked. She followed her question by providing a little information about herself in hopes of getting Nixie to open up to her a little. "I came from Ixa'ness myself. I know we have a terrible reputation but..." "You're from Ixa'ness?" Nixie asked, blowing her own cover for a moment. "Oh, I mean...yeah, your reputation is kinda....you know....where I'm from." Kaia smiled in spite of herself. "But for all of my tribe's ferocity I still wound up here, a slave. The Valuans captured me during one of our raids against their encampment." "You were taken by the men in the iron ships?" Nixie asked, probing for information herself now. Kaia nodded glumly. "I was. Wound up being sold to a young officer of Admiral Deloco's 5th Fleet. After the war he couldn't return to his homeland so he returned to Ixa'taka and fell in with the Black Pirates and their slavery ring. Of course I got dragged into it as well, being his property and all." Nixie couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Kaia after hearing her sob story. It must be causing her no end of grief, having to take part in the buying and selling of her fellow slaves. "I'm so sorry." She said with an honest sentiment. Kaia smiled sadly at her. "I can only imagine my sister's grief. We were very close." She continued. Her smile fell into a frown when next she spoke. "I'd love to see her again but I don't think I would be able to face her. Not after all the things I've done." "What was she like?" Nixie asked curiously. She wondered if she might know Kaia's sister from her childhood in Ixa'ness. "She was a real firebrand, my sister. She was a great huntress and an even better warrior." Kaia explained wistfully. Then the frown returned to mar her features. "I used to dream that she'd come to rescue me one day. But if Xera knew the sort of person I've become I doubt she'd even bother." Nixie's jaw dropped in surprise. Most of what Kaia had said slipped her memory as a single word she'd spoken continued to ring in her ears. "You're Xera's sister?" Nixie gasped. |
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| Daiohma | Jan 11 2012, 09:33 PM Post #35 |
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The Ice Fang
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Tsukiko walked along side Jel'din as Kaia turned to answer Jel'din's question. It seemed as if they were going to Kaia's home, which when learning of this worried Tsukiko a little. ''Oh my..'' She said to herself as she hung her head, ''I do not have anything to use as a gift.'' Her sisters tradition came to mind completely making her forget that she had been pulled into a dangerous and unknown situation. Nixie then slowed down to allow the other two to catch up with her, "Something is weird here." She told them both, wanting to do the talking. Tsukiko just gave a quick nod of her head, she was pleased that Nixie would do the talking as she was sure that if she had to then she would probably just end up getting into more trouble. Kaia noticed them all whispering and wanted to know just what was going on. However Tukiko noticed she was smiling. Nixie yet again lied just like an actress giving her best performance, something the young shrine maiden wished she was doing right now, on a stage far from this town of scary pirates. The four of them walked down the dirty street and towards a row of wooden shacks. This was the first time Tsukiko could take a moment to see just what the buildings were like in this new land. Wooden just like the buildings and shrines back home, yet they felt like there was no real care in building them. "Come in. We'll have something to drink and a nice little talk." Kaia opened the door for them to enter. As they entered the wooden building Tsukiko took a moment at the door to kick off her clogs. She bent down and placed them besides the door to the shack. As she stood back up she looked at her pure white socks, hoping that the ground on the inside was not as dirty as the ground outside. Nixie was the first to make herself at home, sitting on a small cot inside the room. Tsukiko looked around and picked up a small pillow which was sitting on a small wooden stall. She placed the pillow on the ground and proceeded to kneel down, cushioning her knees from the ground. The woman sat down on a wooden chair and regarded the three girls. On the table was a plate of fruit and a cup of water for each of them. Taking the cup of water in her hands Tsukiko took a little bow before kneeling back down on her pillow, ''Thank you so very much.'' She said as polite as she would in any other situation. "So, tell me. Where did you girls come from?" Kaia asked the girls. Tsukiko was about to answer until she quickly noticed no one else seemed to be answering the question. She remembered that she was still in a place where they were probably not that safe and so remained silent. For Tsukiko this was extremely rude, she knew that she would have to make up for it later. "We're new." Nixie broke the silence with yet another lie. "We just arrived." Her next answer was partly true this time, they had just arrived and so Tsukiko followed this up with a simple nod. The woman and Nixie started to talk which went on to a story about the woman's past. The shrine maiden tried to keep up but kept getting a little lost, she felt that she understood the main parts. Kaia seemed to of once been a slave and had to do things that she was not proud off. Just then Kaia mentioned her sisters name, Xera. To her surprise Nixie's jaw dropped, telling Tsukiko that this Xera was someone she knew. Tsukiko held her finger to her face as she thought to herself for a moment, ''Xera, do I know someone by that name?'' She tried to think about all the people she had met on her strange journey so far. |
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| Gordreg | Jan 13 2012, 11:07 AM Post #36 |
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Administrator
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Jel gave a nod as Nixie volunteered herself as their mouthpiece. “Right.” she nodded again to emphasise her agreement, and backed slightly away as Kaia made half-hearted accusations of scheming. Together they made their way back to Kaia’s dwelling; a poorly built wooden shack amongst a row of similarly decrepit dwellings. “Oh, thank you…” Jel’din gave a slight, nervous smile as she accepted the offer of a drink – her throat was feeling a little dry, now she came to think of it - and stepped in through the rickety door. ~ Making herself as comfortable as she could on top of a chair that had clearly once been some sort of packing crate, Jel sipped carefully from the proffered cup of water as she listened to Nixie and Kaia chatting away. Nixie’s display of false naiveté was quite convincing, and Jel’din wondered if she might have believed it herself had she not known the full and exact tale behind their arrival. When Kaia dropped the bombshell about being Ixa’ness herself, Jel almost spluttered in her mug, placing it down and patting herself to try and give the impression something had gone down the wrong way. But Kaia seemed to take Nixie’s question in her stride, so obviously, Jel thought, finding another Ixa’ness here wasn’t that hard to accept – for their host, anyway. She continued listening as the tale continued, feeling a deep pang of sorrow for Kaia for everything she’d been put through. And when her revelation came at the end of the story, Jel’s jaw dropped as wide as Nixie’s had. She blinked for a moment, wondering if she should tell – but then Nixie’s brash gasp had pretty much given any last hint of the game away anyway, and any further evasion could only raise Kaia’s suspisions and mistrust further. She swallowed. “Sh…she’s in town right now, you know. Xera is. With the Ixa’ness chieftain. Whom we’re working for.” Jel swallowed again after making the outburst, her lips now feeling very dry and her cheeks quite flushed, but feeling a bit better for not having to hide anything any longer, and looking Kaia right in her eye. “And… and… you wouldn’t happen to know about any defences this town may or may not have, would you?” she enquired hopefully, raising to her feet, the words now burbing out without any sense of control upon them. “And a change of clothing so we can sneak back out to meet up with them would be wonderful… that's why we snuck into the laundry to start. We didn't realise it was just for sails...” |
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| Jet Blackbeard | Jan 15 2012, 09:39 PM Post #37 |
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aka Bear
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"You know my sister?" Kaia asked. She was astounded by the possibility. "Are you....can you also be from Ixa'ness?" She asked, intent upon finding the answer. Nixie had already loosened the drawstrings on the bag, allowing the cat a breath of fresh air. But it was Jel'din who upended the whole affair to expose the hapless creature for all to see. "Oh? My sister is here you say?" Was all Kaia had to say in response. The look of utter shock on her face suggested that her mind was still reeling from the unexpected wave of reality that had just now turned her world upside down. Even before any of it had a chance to settle in Nixie came hot on Jel'din's heels with yet another series of shocking revelations. "You bet she is and she's not alone! There's a whole army of Ixa'takans waiting out there to rescue you and the other slaves!" Nixie chirped happily. "So grab your stuff and let's blow this place!" "An army? And....you want to know about the town's defenses?" Kaia repeated what she'd been told, as if hearing the news in her own voice would help her to accept it. "Are you....has the day finally come? We're to be set free at last?" "Yes! Your dream is finally coming true!" Nixie smiled broadly at Kaia. Even though Xera had been her childhood nemesis she was still elated by this opportunity to reunite her with her long-lost sister. "But we need to sneak out of town and meet up with the others first. Can you help us out?" Kaia placed her hand on her forehead and waved Nixie's question aside. "Just give me a minute here." She pleaded. "What's wrong?" Nixie asked in confusion. "Isn't this what you've wanted for so long?" Kaia looked up at her. "Yes but...it's all so sudden. I mean....my sister is here, with an army, and....it's just a lot to take in all at once." Nixie nodded in understanding and reigned in her enthusiasm. "Oh, sorry. Take your time." She apologized. "Want some water?" She asked, holding out one of the battered tin cups for Kaia. Kaia accepted the cup and sipped at the water. She seemed lost in thought and the room fell silent for a few moments. When Kaia finally spoke again her voice was calm and even. "Okay, I'll help you leave the town but I can't go with you right now." Kaia began. Seeing that Nixie was about to argue she quickly explained her reasoning. "I am responsible for my enslaved countrymen and I can't abandon them. I need to prepare them for our escape and get them organized. And...." Her voiced quieted and a hint of doubt crept into her words. "....I also need to prepare myself. I'm still not sure what I'm going to say when I see Xera again after so long." Kaia rose from her chair and made her way over to the cot. At its foot was a wooden chest adorned with a brass lock. Pulling a key from her pocket Kaia opened the lock and lifted its lid. Inside were a few articles of clothing. It wasn't much of a selection but all seemed to be in good repair. "Take what you need and then carry this message to your chieftain." Kaia gestured towards the chest and stood aside. "Our people have suffered enough and I won't put them in harm's way. They need to be evacuated before you begin your attack. Meet me in the forest behind the slave pens two hours after sundown this evening. I'll gather the information on the town's defenses by then too." Nixie listened carefully to all that Kaia had said. "Got it. I'll let Kyrie know." She agreed as she pawed through Kaia's stash of clothing in search of something that suited her. In the end she came up with a single item; a white half-shirt that looked more like an undergarment than anything else. Removing her gown Nixie held the shirt up to her chest and gave her present wardrobe a look. "Hmm, I think I can make due with this." She decided, leaving the remaining selection for Jel'din. Unfastening the front of her own shirt Nixie doffed it and slid the half-shirt over her head. It whispered past her budding breasts to settle into place just above her midriff. "Hmm, not bad. Makes me look more like a pirate wench anyway." Nixie stated. "But those need to go." She continued, indicating the blue and yellow lines she'd painted across her stomach. Kaia offered Nixie a rag she'd wet using the remaining contents of her cup and the young huntress scoured the paint from her dark skin. Satisfied that the tribal markings had been erased Nixie donned her top once again, leaving the front unbuttoned this time. As a finishing touch she stooped down and placed the wooden sandals Tsukiko had given her upon her feet. "Guess this'll have to do." Nixie spread her arms, presenting herself for the others to inspect. Her sparse tribal clothing coupled with the shirt and shoes she was now wearing reflected the truth of what she really was; a Black Pirate from Ixa'taka. It was an effective disguise in that it wasn't a disguise at all. Nixie turned to see how Jel'din was getting along. "Find anything that you like?" She asked. A glance in Tsukiko's direction and she added; "Um, you can ditch the gown now Tsuki. We won't be needing them anymore." ~ When their preparations were complete Nixie presented them all to Kaia for inspection. "So, do we fit in better now?" She asked. Looking over herself and the other girls Nixie gave her vote of approval. "I think we look good. Maybe too good for a dive like this." "You all look fine." Kaia laughed. Then her smile faded and her voice became stern. "Just make sure not to stand out too much. Lay low until evening and then make your way to the slave pens without being seen. I'll have everything ready by then." Nixie nodded in understanding. "Right. We won't get busted again, I promise." She vowed, still a little ashamed at her earlier failure. "Okay then. Best of luck to you all." Kaia said as she opened her door for the three of them to exit. She glanced up one side of the street and down the other to make sure no one would observe them leaving. "Okay, coast is clear. You'd better get going." "Thanks. See you soon Kaia." Nixie beamed as she stepped out into the street. The door closed behind Jel'din and Tsukiko once they had followed her out. The girls were now on the own again and left to their own devices. "Guess we should go try and find Kyrie." Nixie shrugged. "I wonder where she and Xera got off to." |
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| Daiohma | Jan 22 2012, 01:24 PM Post #38 |
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The Ice Fang
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As Tsukiko kept on thinking about the name in her mind it all soon became clear when Jel'din Spoke. It turned out she did recognize the name as Xera was indeed one of the other women who was with their group before they got separated. "You know my sister?" Kaia asked. As Nixie and Kaia started to talk once more, this time about sisters, Tsukiko once again went into her own mind thinking about her sisters. Mostly Midori who had gone off and left her alone with these people. At first she was glad to of experienced being in a new country, then she became scared when she found out they were pirates, then happy again when they reached this place but now she was worried. It really was a strange journey for the young shrine maiden. She had encountered strange people, pirates and odd new places. Just then she heard the word 'army' mentioned which brought her attention back to the conversation between the other girls. Tsukiko took out her book and turned to a blank page. She started to write down that she might get to witness a battle between pirates and the group from Ixa'taka that she was with. ''I'm excited to see how different things are, but I would be telling a lie if I said that I was not scared.'' She said to herself as she wrote down her thoughts. As Tsukiko looked up from her book she noticed that she had again missed something. Nixie was changing her cloths once more, but she was not sure why. She was more interested in the coloured painted lines on Nixie's stomach. ''People of Ixa'taka also use war paint it would seem.'' Another note in her book. Tsukiko again looked up at Nixie to see that she was putting on the wooden sandals that she had given her. A smile came across her face as she was delighted that she seemed to like them. "Find anything that you like?" Nixie asked Jel'din just before turning to face Tsukiko. "Um, you can ditch the gown now Tsuki. We won't be needing them anymore." Tsukiko stood up and looked down at herself. She had completey forgotten that she was wearing the gown. ''Oh my, yes thank you.'' She said as she pulled the gown off over her head. She neatly folded the gown and placed it on the floor. Tsukiko then shook the bottom end of her kimono which had been folded up inside the gown, the length of it just an inch above the ground. She then placed her arms behind her back in order to straighten her bow which kept her kimono together. After she was satisfied she then decided that as the ground outside was dirty and that she might witness a battle that she should have her hair tied up. All done and happy with how she looked Tsukiko finally took out her gold dragon shaped necklace and placed it around her neck, looking at the silver Moon Stone as it caught the light. Nixie then got them all together in a line, "So, do we fit in better now?" She asked as she looked over herself along with the others. With everyone ready Nixie, Jel'din and Tsukiko all went outside. The shrine maiden closed the door behind her as she put on her wooden sandals which she had taken off to enter the home. "Guess we should go try and find Kyrie." Nixie shrugged. "I wonder where she and Xera got off to." |
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| Gordreg | Feb 1 2012, 05:01 PM Post #39 |
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Administrator
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Jel beamed as Kaia responded positively to the news, listening in as the conversation bounced back and fourth, watching as Kaia fell through a whole gamut of apparently differing emotions. To find out that a long-parted family member was not only alive and well but had come to find you with a means of rescue was apparently neither as joyous nor as optimistically cheerful as she had hoped it to be; but at least it seemed welcome, very welcome. She took another slow sip from her cup as Nixie passed one of the water-filled mugs back across to Kaia, wondering as she did so how similar a reaction she’d receive. That was, assuming they found him here. For a moment she considered asking Kaia as much. She was here and willing to talk, and doubtless knew many other Ixa’takan prisoners who had been bought to this place over the months and years. But as she considered the matter more thoughtfully she hesitated, loosing her nerve on the matter before she had ever tried to bring it up. After all, she didn’t want to bring up the subject only to look foolish by admitting she’d forgotten her father’s true name. Even the thought bought a slight blush to her cheeks. She knew she’d heard her father’s name at some point, overheard from a conversation with his hunting band, or from when he and her mother had talked whilst thinking all their children asleep. But the only name to have ever truly stuck in her memory in relation to him had been the various terms and inflections of ‘father’ and ‘daddy’. Giving a small sigh at her own thoughts, Jel hoisted herself off her temporary seat and paced over to take over from Nixie at the outfit-chest. She delved her hands deep inside as she searched, coming up with a pair of tan khaki shorts clutched in one hand and the other holding firmly onto a bundle of green fabric. Carefully removing and folding up her outfit from Ixa’ness into a pile, Jel shimmied into her new shorts before pulling the belly shirt over her head and onto her chest, fidgeting a little as she tried to adjust it without uncovering her chest to the world before realising that her belly probably wasn’t supposed to be covered much by design at all. Grateful for this revelation, she re-adjusted her top, and fed her belt through and around her shorts. Re-clothed, she peered down at herself, and frowned. Something still seemed to be missing, she mused, as she compared herself to Nixie and Kaia, but it took a moment to realise just what of her look was notable by absence. Both the sailors and everyone else she’d seen so far out and about in the town had worn shoes of some variety… a moment’s further searching bought the discovery of a pair of Que’lak-hide slippers right near the bottom, and she shuffled her feet inside them with a slight reluctance, trying not to giggle as she felt some of the fur brush against the underside of her foot. ~ “Thank you! Quet’ya bless you!” Jel called out, waving vigorously as they departed Kaia’s shack. “Um, do you think Kyrie could have snuck back out to the army already?” she whispered in a far quieter voice as they walked slowly away from the door “When she couldn’t find us again, I mean? She might have thought we’d wandered back ourselves…” Jel mused, her face falling. “Oh! But…where do YOU think the captain could have gotten to?” Jel asked Nixie, clutching hold of her friend’s hand for her own reassurance. “You know Kyrie better then anyone, after all…” |
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| Jet Blackbeard | Feb 7 2012, 09:44 PM Post #40 |
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aka Bear
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Nixie furrowed her brow as she pondered the very questions Jel'din was peppering her with. She didn't answer immediately, as she didn't have any answers to give. Nixie mentally kicked herself for not having thought this far ahead before she put her plan into action. "Well we could.....er, go back to....." Nixie stammered a reply. "Yeah. Let's just go back." Exactly where she meant wasn't made clear. Nixie wasn't sure either. She walked slowly and reluctantly, like a man being led to the gallows, back in the direction in which they'd come. Her only plan right now was to retrace their steps back to the spot where they'd all hidden while observing the activity in the town. Hopefully she'd figure something out by then. ~ "Well, now where do we go?" Xera asked as they exited the tavern and started down the muddy street once again. "Do you want to try another bar? Kokyrie sighed as she thought about the situation. She wasn't really sure where to go now either. "No. I learned all I needed to in that one." She answered at length. What they needed to do now was to return to their camp in the forest. Having gotten a feel for what they'd be up against Kokyrie's next step would be to formulate a strategy on how best to attack the town. At least it would have been if the rest of their group hadn't run off and gotten lost. Now she and Xera would have to track down the three girls and drag them out of whatever bind they'd gotten themselves into. "You want to go looking for that little troublemaker?" Xera persisted, speaking Kokyrie's own thoughts aloud. Kokyrie narrowed her eyes in irritation and her lips pulled into a taut line. "Nah, let's leave her hanging. It'd server her right." She answered tartly. "You're joking, right?" Xera arched an eyebrow at her. "Yeah. Let's go find them." Kokyrie sighed. "Maybe we'll get lucky and trip over them." ~ Nixie felt as if her stomach were full of ice water. Sure they had accomplished their mission of finding disguises but now they were separated from Kokyrie. As if to make matters worse another discouraging though penetrated the cloud of misery that encircled her mind. "I wonder if Kyrie will even recognize us now." Nixie spoke her troubling thought aloud. Rounding a corner Nixie could see the spot where they had been hiding earlier. She had been hoping beyond all hope that Kokyrie would be waiting for them there but she couldn't see any signs of her. "Maybe they're hiding." Nixie muttered to herself. The Ixa'ness were known for their stealth so it was possible that Kokyrie and Xera were there, just out of sight. Still, there was no sign, no birdcall or rustle of brush to indicate that the two Amazons were there waiting for them. If they were, surely they'd have spotted the girls as they approached. Nixie's forehead beaded with sweat and her steps became labored. Doubt filled her mind and she was having second thoughts about returning to the forest. Perhaps they should search the town first. The girls were passing by the washhouse now. Nixie wrinkled her nose, again chiding herself for her reckless actions earlier. Really, what had she been thinking? "Hey! You three!" An angry voice called from behind them. "Get your butts back here!" Nixie felt her knees go weak as they were accosted yet again. Had someone from the washhouse recognized them? With agonizing slowness Nixie craned her head back to see who it was. ~ Kokyrie and Xera continued to walk in silence for a time. They passed by many people on the streets but most of these were obviously pirates, males for the most part who open gawked at the two women. Their dirty smiles and lustful eyes seemed to really irritate Xera but Kokyrie paid them no heed. The few women they saw out and about were dressed in the garb of slaves; generic monotone shirts and pants that could be fashioned in bulk to clothe the Ixa'takan captives until they could be sold. These were always accompanied by an overseer of sorts, being led to whatever drudgery awaited them. Even though the slaves kept their eyes downcast Kokyrie could tell that her wayward crewmembers had not been among them. Whenever they passed by a group of slaves Xera grew agitated. Her eyes searched amongst them frantically, as if searching for someone in particular. "Will you stop doing that." Kokyrie hissed at her when one of the overseers noticed Xera's interest in his charges. "You're being too obvious." Xera turned her eyes upon Kokyrie and scowled. "Sorry." She snorted. Her tone indicated that she wasn't. Then her eyes fell to the ground and her voice softened. "I was just..." She sighed. "I know. But this isn't the time to look for your sister." Kokyrie guessed at what Xera was thinking. "Just be patient and you'll get your opportunity." Xera nodded glumly. "So, where are we going anyway?" She asked, changing the subject. "I'm not sure. I'm hoping Nixie has the good sense to return to our camp." Kokyrie shook her head. "Although they could still be in town, up to who-knows-what." Just then they rounded a corner that would bring them back to the spot where they'd first entered the town. "Is that them?" Xera asked, lifting a finger to point out the three girls who were walking a short distance ahead of them. They looked a little different but Tsukiko's kimono was very unique and hard to mistake. Kokyrie's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Yeah, it is. That sure was convenient." She laughed in relief at having found the girls. Raising her voice she called out to them. "Hey! You three! Get your butts back here!" ~ Hey! Kyrie!" Nixie squealed upon seeing her captain. Her anxiety suddenly evaporated and a sense of relief flooded her being. She ran towards Kokyrie with a broad smile upon her face. "You IDIOT!" Kokyrie snapped, bopping Nixie on top of the head the moment she came within range. "Where in Deep Sky have you been? We've been looking all over for you!" "Sorry." Nixie whimpered, massaging the top of her head. "We just....I mean.....well, we went to find some new clothes to wear." She explained, holding her arms out both as a sign of apology as well as to show off her new look. Kokyrie regarded her for a moment, anger and relief vying for supremacy amongst her emotions. Finally she led out a voluminous sigh and shrugged. "Well, you managed to do that much at least. Plus you did it without causing a scene so I can't complain." She said. Then Kokyrie thought better of the situation. "You DIDN'T cause a scene did you?" "Well....no, not really." Nixie smiled nervously, her hand rising to brush at the back of her head. "But girl, have we got a story to tell you." "Fine, fine. I'm sure to get an ear-full." Kokyrie answered, grasping Nixie by the shoulders and turning her around. "But let's get out of sight first. I....kinda caused a scene myself and I need to lay low for a while." She muttered, embarrassed at having run into a former associate only moments after entering the town and nearly getting busted in the process. Kokyrie pushed Nixie towards the treeline at the edge of town. "C'mon you lot, before anyone else recognizes us." She suggested. Soon they were all safely ensconced in the forest and beyond observation. Kokyrie leaned up against the trunk of a tree and gave the girls her full attention. "Okay, what's this big story you have to tell?" |
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8:55 AM Jul 11