Relics of Atlantis

Seeing Neri get a knife pulled on her, Altan decided to give her a bit of help. Moving quickly and quietly, she made to punch the mermaid in the back, ideally knocking the wind from her body.

edited 29th Jun '15 10:23:48 PM by Tojin

"You think I'd lose in a knife fight?" Neri said, before performing a feint towards the mermaid's head- blasting wind as she did. Halfway through she switched direction and aimed for her stomach.

Snake had a tight grip on the mermaid but wasn't planning on killing them. "I'll let you go and escape, all I really want is information. You know, how you know we were here, what places we should avoid, that sort of stuff. And don't bother lying either, that's not going to loosen my grip."

"Hmmm," Xenon said, stroking his chin. "I'll give you a chance, but I can't let you carry the rock - not because I don't trust you're telling the truth, but because all those mermaids up there will try and kill you and grab it. If it's on me, I can keep it safe at least."

He rummaged through the wardrobe until he found a thick-looking sock, boot, or some other similar item. If he couldn't find anything, he'd take off his own cap.

After grabbing whatever it was, he held it out, open-side up. "Put it in here," he said. "I won't be touching it that way."

"Ah crap" Toby said to himself, seeing the men in the water floundering about, some clearly unable to swim. He quickly moved over to where the majority of them were, and yelled out, "hold on to my board!" He moved around them, trying to get to each man that couldn't swim and let them get a hold onto swiftswimmer; he'd then raise up to surface, so they could use it as a flotation device.

"Damn, they are like baby squids flailing around" says Alaryn as she's halfway up the ship when she notices the men in danger of drowning... acting quite differently from their previous aggressive behavior, hinting at something breaking the control over them.

She then let herself drop down again to the waves, going to assist them on getting back on the boat before any drowned.

Tusa nodded in agreement, then turned around to look at Xenon as he rummaged through the old wardrobe, smiling when she saw he had pulled an old boot out. She reached down then dug the pearl from out of the pouch on her hip and dropped the pearl into the boot. "This way you should not be attacked. But what are you going to do with me?" she asked Xenon, looking worriedly at him.

The mermaid on the deck coughed as Altan hit her in the back. Distracted by the sudden attack from behind, she winced at the blast of air headed towards her face, then she shrieked in pain as her stomach was cut. She stumbled back, then fell backwards off of the deck into the sea below.

The mermaid in the water being grappled by Snake glared at him. "We knew you were here because you encountered our boat, you monstrosity!" she exclaimed, with a matter-of-fact tone to her voice. "I have no idea where you should avoid! Do you think that they tell me everything?! We're searching for these artifacts just as much as you are!" She squirmed a bit more. "That's all I know. Now let me go! If you do, I'll leave. Will that satisfy you, serpent-man?!"

The men were relieved to see that Toby and Alaryn were coming to their aid. They coughed as they reached the surface. "Thank you both... I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't came along." Another sailor smiled. "I never thought I'd be rescued by a mermaid, especially one as fetching as you are," he stated with a smirk on his face. The first sailor shot him a look, then the second sighed and looked away. A third hanging from the side of the ship cleared his throat. "Could either of you kindly explain what happened to us?"

Neri flicked the blood off her knife. She was frowning, but there was a twinge of.. sadness(?) in her expression. "Well there she goes... And it appears the sailors are free too. How lucky."

Altan shrugged. "Well, she's probably not dead. C'mon, let's go survey the damages and see if we can help out some of the sailors that got knocked off the boat."

"This boat has a ladder of some kind, right?"

"It should have at least something, yes. Come help me look for one." Altan begins scouring the ship for a rope, ladder, or something similar.

Neri begins searching the ship, mostly focusing below deck.

Snake's grip got a little looser on the mermaid but only a little and still not enough to let her escape. "Oh, I'll let go. As long as you promise me you'll stop attacking sailors."

"Thank ye very much, lass," Xenon said, squeezing the boot's opening closed in his hand. "Now... I take you to the captain, and he'll decide what to do with you. I've not known him long, but he strikes me as a fair man. If the remaining men really are free as you said, then I'll use what sway I have with him to inform him that you helped me, and that your actions saved the lives of many men today. We'll have to ask the crew that's left if your story holds any water, though, as you were holding onto this pearl for quite some time by yourself, with no one else in the room making you do so, so I can't yet rule out that you're a devious wench pretending to help."

He cleared his throat, and motioned to the door with his off-hand. "After you.... Although, before we go, what happened in this room? Why does it look like there was a fight, and why were you in the clothing pantry?"

Tusa frowned. "I apologize if my story seems... well, fishy," she murmured, not exactly liking the human expression but using it anyway to break the ice. She cleared her throat. "For the record, when Lady Kallista had taken over the ship, she gave me the pearl and told me to hold onto it and maintain the connection. Apparently something went wrong, and a struggle broke out in the captain's quarters." Her eyes teared up. "The captain was too strong willed, and Kallista killed him. In a panic, I hid in that wardrobe, wishing all the violence would stop. Then your ship came along, and the violence started all up again. I don't care what the Tethys commands anymore, I just want the killing and the control to stop! Mer and humans used to get along so well before Tethys reawakened..." she whimpered.

The mermaid in the water hissed angrily. "Fine!" she exclaimed. "I will simply return to Atlantis and let Tethys kill me for my disobedience. Does it matter any more? You have already taken my dignity," she spat in fury.

Neri's search led her to the bottom deck, where there were a series of rope coils along with the rest of the supplies.

She picks up the rope coils, and begins the walk back.

When she reacges the outside again, she secures the rope to a railing and throws the other end over the edge.

Alaryn rolled her eyes away but chuckled softly... glad the sailors weren't hostile towards her due to her race... specially given what her kind had already done to them "The Magic of Thetys seems to have claimed your minds as the followers of the wrong path tried to use you against your own people" explains the Mermaid as she continues to bring the sailors back to ship, only then climbing up with the rest.

"Alright," Xenon said, pointing to the door to the room. "Start going, we need to get back abovedeck."

"K-kill you?" They'd just kill this woman just for going for something more peaceful? What's wrong with these people. His grip loosened on the mermaid, enough for the fishlady to escape.

Tusa nodded, following Xenon closely. She hoped that this captain of his would be merciful. As they reached the top of the deck, they noticed that the chaos that had been ensuing on the ship previously had cleared up. The sailors on this ship began to return to their own duties, while the sailors on the Valkyrie were beginning to return to their own ship. Tusa crossed the gangplank with Xenon. Her eyes widened when she saw Alaryn helping sailors up onto the deck. "Alaryn! Is that you? It's been so long, I was so worried about you!" Tusa exclaimed, waving her arms. "It's me, Tusa!"

The mermaid in the water scowled at him. "Yes, kill me, you insipid fool. What did you think she would do? Let me go? Tethys does not tolerate disobedience. Her word is law." When he let go of her, she swam a little bit away. "Remember this next time that you offer 'mercy' to us. By making this promise to you, I have signed off my own execution." In a huff, she began to swim off.

The sailors gasped for breath, returning to their respective ships. "Thank you, mermaid!" one of the sailors from the other ship called in gratitude.

Altan had been searching unsuccessfully for rope, and returned to find that everyone else had already rescued the drowning sailors. She also saw that Xenon happened to be bringing a mermaid on board, but didn't say anything about her, figuring that Xenon would explain his reasons. Though apparently the mermaid knew Alaryn, which was interesting.

Alaryn smiles and greets at the sailors saying their thanks... though soon enough something else captures her attention... a mermaid waving her arms at her "T-Tusa!? What are you doing here?" she asks, recalling on which instance she had known the other mermaid, trying to approach her.

Xenon slightly squeezed the boot in his hand, feeling the pearl through the leather and his own gauntlet. He locked his fingers into an ironclad grip in order to protect it - he wouldn't slip up now and let his guard down, not with so many mermaids around. There was no telling what could happen if one of them took it from him if he was careless. "Hold here, lass," he said to Tula.

"Get the captain here, boy," he said to the nearest deckhand. "Don't want to repeat meself six times, and what I have to say is for the Captain's ears first and foremost. Apologize for me being so presumptuous as to demand he come to us, instead of the other way around, but let him know that I shan't risk taking an outsider belowdecks. I'll explain once he gets here."

"Hphh huhduph" Toby mentioned through the mask, unintelligible now that he was above water; he added a thumbs up motion to the statement towards the sailors he'd help saved. Carefully, being sure not to tip swiftswimmer and fall into the water, Toby helped get each of the sailors hauled up to either part of the boat they could climb themselves or to the helping hands of someone reaching down.

After that was finally done, Toby dipped back down under water and did a quick circle around the boats, looking for any other sailors under the surface. If he didn't see any more, he'd angle up to launch out of the water to the ship, this time just aiming to get high enough to grab the railing, not slam onto the deck like the first time he came aboard.

Tusa smiled. "I onced worked alongside the Brightwaters clan. That was before you were made the last of your clan, however." Her smile faded into a melancholy look, blank but quite sad. "Then they took me and made me channel the energy of the goddess. I had to watch as they warped a man's mind, broke it... it was too much for me to bear." She looked up at Alaryn. "But you are a great warrior. Do you still have the trident?" she asked.

"Yes, bosun!" a nearby deckhand exclaimed, and rushed over towards the captain. Sven took a glance over at Tusa, smirking a bit before composing himself. The captain took a few solid steps towards the new mermaid. Tusa winced.

"Are you... are you the captain of this vessel, sir?" she asked. Captain Sandersson nodded.

"Indeed I am, mermaid. So you are responsible for taking the senses of those men?" he asked. Tusa squeaked in panic.

"I'm so sorry! It was not my decision! The others forced me to do it! I am aligned with the Brightwaters!" she exclaimed, her voice wavering.

edited 12th Jul '15 8:34:47 PM by AllHailThrall