BoZV - Arc 4

[Swim]

Terra was relieved to have reached the ship without incident, and even more relieved to see Frida as the elf ran past them. Terra hurried and followed her aboard the Shepard. The ship was much larger than she'd been expecting, though in truth she hadn't necessarily known what to expect. She'd never sailed before, feeling a rush of excitement as they passed by the lighthouse and the wind began to catch their sails.

The day was still early though, and now that they were on the water the chill in the air had intensified. Poor Frida must be freezing right now. Taking the elf by the arm she strode off in the direction of the crew quarters. Now that they were safely at sea it would be safe to return Frida's armor and other belongings. First Terra unfastened the cape and draped it around Frida for warmth, then she removed the helmet so that she could look her friend in the eyes. "So, do you think this armor suits me?" she grinned, holding the helmet loosely by her side. "Looks like I'm in your debt once more Captain. If not for your quick thinking things might have gotten really ugly in that port. I can't thank you enough for everything, you've been-"

Terra was interrupted as a door opened to their right and a man stepped into the hallway with them. He was taller than Terra, had an athletic build, with shaggy brown hair and roughly two days of stubble forming on his face. He wore a blue collared shirt with brown slacks and carried a brown colored travelers cloak and hat in his arms. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt," he apologized with a friendly smile. "You must be the mages Captain Waverly hired for security, delighted to meet you. The name's Lloyd, I'm a traveling merchant headed for Sandora. Was just headed up to the deck to have myself a smoke, if I could just sneak past you both real quick."

Terra stepped to the side and allowed the man to pass by. Once they were alone again Terra grinned sheepishly. "I guess we'd better find an empty cabin to continue this in."

[Vic Alriikerson]

Alriik would smirk as the two girls ran off together. They were sweet together. However, that was probably the nicest thing going on right now. He was hungover, had a sleepless night, felt compromised... And now was going to be stuck on a boat surrounded by people on a job. He gritted his teeth and got to work. He'd start off by silently doing a once-over of the deck of the ship before going down into the hold, familiarizing himself with the location. He'd need to understand where he could possibly have strategic advantage, possible entry points, etc. By the time he'd return to the deck he would have removed his shirt, wrapping it in a bandana around his head, his sword harness now resting on his bare chest. He'd walk to the front of the deck, and take a moment to just... Appreciate the ocean.

--

Hours would pass and if nothing happened, Alriik wouldn't change from his demeanor. No tales of the Ballad of Alriik, Monsterslayer, and Skudd, Monsterlayer. No epics on his battles with a blighted boar the size of a small mountain. No quips, or stories, or puns. He'd simply find a nice place with less noise and a good view of most of the deck... And sit there, for a moment. Still, he felt... Vulnerable. Exposed. Soon, he'd have enough of it and go to most isolated place with the best view, as he started to long climb up the mast to the crow's nest. As he climbed, he felt the movement of the boat. His stomach churned. He'd take a moment to hold it the contents of his stomach before finally reaching the top. He felt the movement of the ocean more than ever, be he had a good grip on the side, and was alone. Too bad his head felt like it was filled with barbed wire and fog.



... Why'd he have to drink last night?

[Sorrum]

Aqua was pulled aside by Terra and followed her inside, where she began removing the armor. Terra covered Aqua up with her cape, and she was rather surprised by the sweet gesture, causing her to blush a little. "Geez, I missed you too." she said looking down. When her friend pulled off the helmet and asked how she looked, Aqua took a moment to look her up and down. Yes, the armor fit her very well despite their minor difference in height. With the repairs done by Terra it had it's own style to it now, no longer standard issue. Aqua rubbed her chin and smiled, nodding. "You know, you really do wear that well. Maybe you can join my crew back home when this is all said and done" she thought.

She listened to Terra thank her for her quick actions in the bar, but it was nothing to worry about. Terra had saved Aqua in the back alleys of Eulene from those House goons just a few weeks before, and she nearly paid her life if not for Logan's healing prowess. She was about to tell her it was unnecessary they were interrupted.

Terra suggested continuing this in another room, so Aqua pulled cape higher around herself and led. "Well, this room should be fine."

She opened the door to a room with two benches in it and some lockers for the crew, two portholes looking out on the deck below where sailors could be seen walking back and forth checking ropes and tightening them. Aqua spotted Alriik climbing the main mast, falling down a bit, then making his way back up. Poor guy's hangover must be amazing.

Aqua sat down on one of the benches and looked over to Terra, who began handing her pieces of armor as she removed them, putting them on herself. "Terra, we've been traveling together for a few weeks now, and have seen combat a plenty. When we ran into those bastards the first time you nearly died because of me, and I can't forgive myself for that.."

"For that, I would definitely put my own life on the line to keep you out of harms way, make no doubt. But these House assassins won't stop coming for you now that they know to search The Frontier. There's something we should do after we've dealt with this Blight mage in Mt. Remorse." Aqua snapped her helmet on, now reunited with all of her armor.

Aqua paused and looked up at her friend with an ice cold stare from behind her visor. "We need to take the fight to them."

She flicked up her visor, and with it changed her expression and tone. "But first, I'm famished. Let's raid the kitchen?"" She asked, pointing back out the door with both fingers toward the mess hall.

[Sorrum]

"Yeah you really should. They have some amazing bagels in there." Came a voice from the other bench.

Vile sat at the bench adjacent, his hands folded in front of him with a plate of bagel crumbs in front of him and on his face. He leaned back and waved with a genuine smile on his face. "Hello Frida, nice to see you again."

Aqua stared at the man for a second before remembering who he was. "The dancer from Eulene? Vile?" She asked, stunned. "You're on this ship too?"

"Yeah. I needed a fast way to get up to The Frontier to go hunting for a work friend of mine. Told Waverly I'd work extra security for him."

Aqua looked to Terra, a little suspicious, then back to Vile. "Why would he need extra security when he just hired five mages?"

Vile closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. "Because nobody would pass up on hiring an arch mage."

Aqua eyes widened. "Come again? You?" Aqua stopped herself from sounding too disbelieving, and took a different tone. "There aren't a lot of those in the world as it is. Some say its legend, even, that those with exceptional abilities still aren't the real thing. Reaching that level is going beyond known understanding of the elements. You can't really expect me to believe you that easily."

"Believe it. And I've seen it happen with others too. Let me tell you, there's more than one way to attain the power."

Aqua thought for a second, then said, "Show me, then."

Vile wiped his face off, stood up and strode over to the door. "I'd love to, but my element is Lightning. I'd crackle the sky and warn everyone coming for this boat to use all their naval might. We're talking warships that could house this one and several more inside it. There must be a big prize to hire an arch mage to defend a tiny ship after all." He opened the door and stood in the doorway, looking back at the pair. "You two made a big ruckus in Icarus before we left, and there were a lot of eyes in there. Expect trouble once Shiner's is out of sight."

Vile stepped out down the hall and headed for the outside area. He'd pass by Rion and Arne, see Alriik still struggling to climb the mast, and Waverly handing out orders. He shrugged before finding a place to rest and enjoy the peace while it lasted.

[Tony]

Arne boarded the ship, carrying a very ill looking Hien, who was only able to let out the occasional weak growl. "See, this is why you can't drink that stuff... you're small body can't handle it.". As the ship set sail, the two remained above deck... Arne enjoying the feeling of the wind and thinking the fresh air would help Hien recover.

---

Eventually, Hien managed to fall asleep... a nap that would hopefully heal up the wyvern's hangover. With out his companion to speak with, began to think... about the battles he has had with the others, the magic they would use and how it compared to his magic. No matter how he looked at it, his magic seemed incredibly... limited. Sure... he can do some pretty great stuff like jumping with his wind magic or charging anything he touched with lightning, but that was really it. Even things that seemed really basic, like summoning gusts of wind or firing bolts of lighting from his finger tips were just things he couldn't do. In fact, he held his hands out towards the sea... charging it full of lightning... picturing in his mind him firing of a bolt of lightning into the water. Yet... nothing happened. Trying again, he charged wind into both his hands and flung them out towards the sails. And again... nothing... not even a slight ripple in the fabric. With a sigh, he turned back towards the sea.

[Sorrum]

"And so, uh, that's why.." Tom stuttered, trying to find the words. The words to prevent his undoing, to escape the fate befallen on his crew.

"That's why what?" Calico jested. "You come to me, knowing my reputation, ask to get on my ship and get revenge on that chick who smashed your head, knowing full well you can't handle her, let alone her friends, and you're going to refuse it when I give you the power to do so?"

Below the deck of the Jaguar Tide, Calico stared with eyes red at the men who attacked the party in Icarus's Landing. They bellowed in pain as his crew clasped powerful machinery to their arms and legs, drilling bolts into their bones to hold them in place and cauterizing the wounds closed. Blood soaked the floorboards and drained below to where Calico's pet sharks circled in their aquarium in frenzy. Two of the twelve men had perished, while six others fell unconcious from the pain.

Tom, staring at the ground and shaking, clapped his hands over his ears as another man shrieked in pain, then fell over, silent. "Fergiv me Tom, usually we do this process in a much safer and slower manner, but you see I have a very large prize on that ship and I was just exalted when someone told me they'd wanted to attack that ship as much as I did. You understand though that I saw your crew get mopped, so I can't be havin' weaklings on this job." Calico said soberly, stepping into one of the ongoing procedures and wiping the blood off of one of his mate's goggles. "Aye, make sure this one's awake by the end, he's going to be outfitted with the water packs in his arms."

"Water packs?" Tom asked.

"Never you mind that, Tom. Now, pick your favorite eye, because the other one is becoming a flamethrower."

Tom stared open mouthed at Calico, before another scream broke his spirit and he made a run for the door. Calico's grabbed him however, and dragged him toward the drain above the pool of sharks, kicking and screaming. "No, please!"

"I don't care for cowards." Calico said flatly as he shoved Tom's face into the grate, just above where the sharks swam. "Your crew would be better off without you, and you'd only be detriment to mine."

"I'll do it, please! Just don't kill me!"

"Really? You're going to beg even more? When not a single one of your mates have tried to escape?" Calico grinned and pulled Tom up by his head, then turned him to face his crew. "You boys are real men for undergoing that treatment all at your captain here's command, but I don't think he's got half the spine you do. I'm your captain now! Welcome to the Calico Pirates!"

With that, the drain behind them flew open to the shark pool, where Calico turned and hurled Tom in, slamming it shut behind him. Tom screamed and clawed at the grate from below, before the sharks tore into him, pulling him down into the waters below. Calico stared grimly at the scene as Tom was torn to pieces, before he turned back and headed toward the crew, lighting up a cigar as he did so. "Aye, the seas be a dangerous place, but I am why it is so."

[Swim]

Terra had been very focused on Frida, listening intently as the pair of them dressed and discussed plans to take the fight to the House of Lords directly. Frida was probably right, running was not a long term solution, she doubted that even The Frontier would be adequate shelter for her long term. And she wanted to keep Frida safe from harm as earnestly as her friend wanted to protect her. Better to take a fight of their choosing then continuously being surprised.

Immediately after this line of dialogue Terra was treated to another surprise. How on earth had neither of them noticed the oddball with the pink hair and orange jacket when they'd come in? Had he watched them change clothes and listened to their whole conversation? Apparently Frida was already acquainted with Mr. Vile, so she let her do the talking, but Terra immediately felt apprehensive. She did not believe it was coincidence that they were aboard the same ship. And on top of everything he'd claimed to be an arch mage.

A short while later Terra and Aqua returned from the kitchens, breakfast in hand and feeling a little better. They'd left their hotel before dawn and hadn't had anything to eat yet. Now at least her stomach could be satisfied, even if her mind was not. "Vile was definitely right about these bagels," she said between bites. "But I'm not sure we should trust him about anything else he said. I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about him. Like beyond the obvious weirdness where he waited until after we'd finished changing clothes to let us know he was there. How well do you know him?"

As the pair walked the length of the ship they passed by Lloyd and some sailors smoking and playing some sort of dice game. They passed by Arne who looked deep in thought but the lines of his mouth looked curled in frustration. She'd have to check in on him later. A little further along they were forced to step to the side as some of the crew hurried by them, rolling several large barrels. "That reminds me," Terra remarked. "I know we're security but until we get attacked is there some job we should be helping with? We're not exactly on a pleasure cruise. But at the same time I'm not sure what my role is out here on the water. I've never been on a ship before, don't want my inexperience to get in the way you know? I guess you could say I'm out of my element. If this were your ship Captain, what sort of things would you have me doing?"

[Swim]

Lucas Boltin had spent the last few days in blessed solitude, just him and his research instruments. The message that he be left alone until the demonstration that night had been received and heeded, the only disturbance had been a pair of town guards apparently responding to a noise complaint. After Lucas showed them that he was a researcher living alone they seemed to agree that his preference was for isolation and that he couldn't be the party goer they were looking for, so they let him be.

He'd learned much in the past two days and his research had led him to the mining guild on the other side of town. From there he spoke with several merchants and traders and went on to purchase samples of several minerals he felt shared similar properties with the Blight crystal. Subsequent tests yielded promising results, but he'd require larger quantities of one mineral in particular to explore that line of research to its conclusion. The substance was quite rare, could only be mined from a tiny mining colony a few towns away. Apparently there had been a larger town there some years before but only the mining colony operated there now, and it was a fairly small operation as the demand for the rock wasn't very high. The merchant had seemed confused after Boltin had bought out his entire stock, but the scientist was certain that he'd be able to find a use for it. If any residual energy existed inside the Blight crystal he'd been unable to draw it out for use. It seemed capable of absorbing all the electricity he subjected it to, but whether that power was stored or simply dissipated over time was a question he'd yet to answer. If he could reverse engineer the original crystal maybe he'd solve the riddle.

~

A few hours later Lucas looked up from his work, it was time for the doctor to head to his clinic. He left his house and took the path leading out of town, walking at a brisk gait to the pre-appointed meeting spot- a clearing in the middle of a nearby forest which would provide plenty of privacy. He was not prepared for the sight that awaited him as he stepped through the trees. Most of the town had turned out, erupting into cheers upon seeing him. Villagers rushed forward thanking him, shaking his hand, declaring intent to name their first born child in his honor. It was a dizzying experience being able to see just how many mages he'd created and how profoundly he'd changed these people's lives. It was a lot to process, when he'd come to Bultaranis he wouldn't have warranted a second look from any of these people. And now he was their venerated hero.

After an eternity he made it through his throng of admirers and reached the center of the clearing where an elevated wooden platform had been erected, it looked like the carpenters had nailed it together just that afternoon for him. Lisesh awaited him there, and behind her she'd assembled a line of would-be mages hoping to be granted the power of lightning. Boltin greeted the assembly, eliciting another round of cheering and applause. He hadn't really prepared any words to say to them, he wasn't the type for ceremony or pageantry. But it did not matter to the crowd, they cheered and clapped no matter what he said. After awhile it began to feel a bit tedious, he'd underestimated the size of the crowd and it seemed like there was no efficient way to address them here, he had nothing to amplify his voice. Eventually he'd had enough. Boltin extended a hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning skyward.

"Order. There will be order now." Just like that the crowd was silent. Time to get down to business. "Let the first individual seeking my gift step forward."

Lucas smiled as Lisesh directed the first of the hopefuls onto the platform, a bit shocked that they hadn't all rushed forward at once. It seemed Lisesh had had the foresight to sequester all of the prospective mages to one side of the audience, and had enough discipline to enforce some measure of order. She'd make a valuable assistant, he'd been lucky to find her. How funny. A couple of days ago she wouldn't have warranted another look from him after he'd had his fun with her.

Boltin shook the first volunteer's hand and handed him the Blight crystal before taking a few steps back and assuming a practiced stance. He let out a breath feeling confident and ready, then shocked the man with a blast of lightning. The reaction from the crowd was humorous, all of the lightning mages present broke into wild cheers, they'd seen this part before, it was all a show for them. But from the mage hopefuls there was a collective gasp, a few screams, a few steps back. Somehow Lisesh was able to maintain control. After a moment Boltin helped the man get to his feet, who raised his hands above his head displaying the sparks coming from his fingertips. Another lightning mage.

The next volunteer was called up and Lucas repeated the procedure time after time. It was curious that each villager became a lightning mage, that was doubtless due to his influence, but how would one even replicate this process with the other elements? He couldn't exactly hit someone with a rock and while they held the crystal and hope they'd become an earth mage. He should like to find the answer, if only to satisfy his own scientific curiosity, but it really did not matter. His goal was to empower these people so that they might be able to stand up and defend themselves from whatever monster threatened them. Lightning would serve them just as well as any other element in pursuit of- something had gone terribly wrong. The last man he'd shocked lay still and unmoving. Boltin couldn't find a pulse. There was no secondary spark the way there had been with Lisesh. This man was dead.

What had gone wrong?? Had he missed the crystal and hit the man full force? Was the crystal now saturated with energy? He'd been so confident since beginning work in Bultaranis, he didn't think the amount of power he'd struck with had been the issue. And now everyone was staring at him with shock and horror in their eyes, recognizing that he'd killed one of their own. Any moment now they'd descend on him and tear him apart... Then Lisesh's voice pierced the silence. "Unworthy!" she screamed, her voice full of scorn.

Boltin was stunned but recovered a second later. She'd seen the only way out. "Unworthy!" Boltin shouted, echoing her. "My gift is meant only for the pure of heart. The wicked, lacking capacity for moral fortitude will be rejected, betrayed by their own bodies."

And the crowd bought it. They took up the call "Unworthy" while others began to chant Boltin's name. Boltin felt bad, he'd actually met the dead man days before. He'd been one of the merchants he'd traded with, and he hadn't seemed like the bad sort. But until he could return to his lab and examine the crystal he had no way of knowing why the procedure had failed, only a dozen theories each as likely as the next. For now though it was too risky to continue with this demonstration. "That will be all the gifts I have this evening," Lucas shouted to make himself heard. "It's late, let us return to town and reflect, look inward." It seemed like the crowd wasn't through, and before he knew it he was lifted up and carried on their shoulders as the procession made its way back to Bultaranis.

~

By the time the villagers made it back to Bultaranis the whole of the town guard had assembled in front of the gates. The villagers were numerous and jubilant, and could be heard approaching long before they could be seen, and that was to say nothing about the innumerable lightning bolts that had pierced the sky. Doubtless the guard was expecting some invading army and not their own townsfolk, but learning this did not sweeten their moods. The guards tried to disperse the crowd and enforce a curfew but the villagers were having none of it. Torches were lit to illuminate the town square, instruments were procured and dancing, drinking and merriment were to follow. One of the guards lost his temper and struck one of the uncompliant villagers with his club, his companions joining in attempting to break up their celebration. That turned out to be a very bad move. The freshly empowered mages struck back, quickly overwhelming the guards with sheer numbers, to say nothing of magical ability. In the struggle some of the torches were upset and several market stalls began to burn. This would only further enrage the mob.

Before Boltin knew what was happening he was standing outside the home of the town leader. It was a beautiful house, overlooking the whole town, he'd seen it from afar as he walked the village. Now he looked on as several mages carried a man out, still in his silken bedclothes. This man hollered and struggled as his head and hands were forced into a pillory and stood in front of the assembly.

"Our town's leader, Orson Bultaranis!" Lisesh announced him to the crowd. Then she walked over and slapped the man across the face, eliciting a string of curses and obscenities. Lisesh ignored him and continued. "This man has never worked a day in his life. He's the Town Leader because his daddy was the Town Leader, and his daddy before him. He's taxed us and levied our crops. He's ignored our cries for protection against raiders and bandits. Does this sound like the man we want leading our town?"

The condemnation was unanimous. "UNWORTHY" Clearly this level of resentment had been years in the making, perhaps generations building up. Up until now the villagers had been kept in check by the town guard but now they'd been emboldened by their new powers and ready to fight back against the monsters that had been plaguing them. They just weren't the sort of monsters Boltin had envisioned when he started down this path. "UNWORTHY, UNWORTHY," the crowd chanted until the ax fell and Orson's head hit the dirt.

[Sorrum]

Aqua's expression went from blank to crimson as she realized what Terra said. "Oh my god he totally did just see us.." she buried her face in her palm, which was certainly hot enough to melt ice. "I, uh, I only know him from the festival dance, where he asked me for one dance. I thought he was charming enough, but he disappeared right after that."

She took a deep breath and calmed down. "As far as trusting him goes.. what he said is fair warning, but nothing I'm not expecting already. Pirates in this area are common, less-so when we reach the oceanic border of Sandora. It was pretty easy to find work like this, I think... the first place we stopped at already had employers. Aqua took a quick bite out of her bagel, chewed, nodded approvingly, then continued. "I only know of a few pirate crews that successfully evade our patrols down in these waters though. My ship sails the north-north western waters, taking out waster ships and the occasional Calico galley.

When Terra asked Aqua what she should be doing, she pondered the idea. "Let me think.. you're good at metal working, a good cook, an excellent fire mage.." She already had ideas where Terra would fit in on her crew, but really the girl could do anything. She had many talents, and Aqua liked her for that. "Honestly, you'd be a good fit in anything that needs to be done around here but there's also enough men aboard that we shouldn't push ourselves."

Just then, a man sluggishly pushed through the port door down the hallway leading to the kitchens, carrying a tray of breakfast items with him. He slowly made his way down the hall, passing Terra and Aqua very slowly. Aqua took one look at Terra's skates, then looked back up at her with a grin. "I think that you should take this man's job. Excuse me, mate?" Aqua grabbed the man.

"Whassithrn? Can't talk ladies, mates need these." He said, heaving the heavy tray as he tried to break off and keep moving. Aqua motioned for Terra to take control of the situation.

[Sorrum]

Waverly heard news of an elf whom climbed the mast up to the crow's nest to nurse his hangover in solitude. The captain sighed. "Aye, he's part of the security force. I reckon I better giv' 'im a panacea for it before what may come comes."

As he carried the small, corked glass bottle of elixir, he'd pass the pink haired man. "Vile, was it?" Vile, who had been staring off at the horizon, looked up at the captain. "Take this to yer mate up in the nest. He'll need it." Vile looked over the bottle, nodded, and began scaling the lines up to the crow's nest.

He reached a metal portion of the line that connected the masts to each other midway, tethered to the deck below. He put the bottle in his teeth, grabbed the metal line, and with a surge of crackling purple electricity rode the line up to the top of the mast in a wink. He looked down on Alriik, slumped over like a sack of potatoes, before taking the bottle from his mouth, wiping it on his shirt, and extending it to the elf. "Hey buddy, take this. You're going to need it real soon."

[Sorrum]

"Huhn." Sarah looked between her blueprint and what she'd been putting together. Skinny's willingness to go through the special treatment put him in a room separate from the rest of his crew, where he'd been given pain killers at Calico's discretion. Still, he moaned between bouts of unconsciousness.

"Does this.. go here?" Sarah clicked the metal barrel into a socket, turned the wheel and heard a click, before she took another look at the blueprint. The door to the room opened, where Calico walked in, smoking a cigar.

"Any luck with this one Sarah?" He asked, taking the cigar out and hovering behind her as she worked.

"Kinda sorta. Imperial tech seems to get more complex every year." Sarah said, turning the paper over and looking back at the project.

"Keep at it, then. But do hurry." Calico said again, putting his hand on Skinny's shoulder, causing the man to groan. "You're gonna be a big deal now, pal. The biggest." Calico grinned. "We're shipping out, Sarah. You finish up then deploy him." Sarah looked up from her red goggles, a head of short blonde hair and elf ears behind them, and a lab coat with Calico's jolly roger on the back. "Aye, Captain."

[Bloodbane]

The night before had been pretty uneventful for Rion, even his conversation with Alriik who had sobered up a bit had been brief. Outside of the fact that Terra strolled up to him in Aqua's armor and explained the situation behind the wardrobe change, things remained relatively calm as he and the others kept watch throughout the night. This carried over for to the next day, where he boarded the boat without any issues, the group catching back up with Aqua. Even now, Rion was spending more time observing the crew as they went in their own directions; Arne dealt with a hungover Hien, while Terra and Aqua went inside, most likely to switch back into their proper gear. Meanwhile, Alriik had made his way up the mast, which Rion thought was just a tad odd given he was likely still dealing with the effects of his drinking the night before.

Rion turned his head as he heard the Captain speaking up, handing a bottle to a purple-haired man who took it upon himself to deliver it to Alriik. Rion took a few seconds to look out along the water, before looking back toward the mast. He had a pretty good idea of how the others were doing, so if there was anyone he felt needed checking up on, it was probably Alriik. After a few moments of climbing, Rion made his way up to the crow's nest where the purple-haired man was offering the drink to Alriik. "How's it going up here...?"

[Swim]

Delivering breakfast wasn't exactly what Terra had in mind when she'd asked about a job, she'd been hoping that Frida would teach her about the different roles each crew-mate played so she could contribute something to running a ship like this. Still, she was determined to make herself useful and the man holding the tray didn't exactly seem spry. "Let me get that for you," Terra offered the man. "I'll take care of passing these out, you can take it easy." She kicked the wheels out of her boots and looked back at Frida. "When I get back I want you to teach me about sailing, ok?"

Skating on the ship was a completely new experience, with the wind at her back Terra was a blur. Maybe a little too fast, several crew-mates didn't even see her coming and nearly collided with her as they stepped onto the deck. Terra barely managed to grasp the tray as she deftly maneuvered around them, using her momentum to spin in place until she finally came to a stop and presented the breakfast platter with a flourish. The men roared with delighted laughter, "Now that's service!" one declared after receiving his breakfast.

Terra made her way (a little more slowly now) along the deck and delivered breakfast until her tray was empty. It was a good way to explore and better acquaint herself with where everything was on the ship. Along the way she would stop from time to time and observe the crew as they went about their work. Some tasks she understood but the meaning behind others escaped her completely. Each job was probably crucial to the larger whole but it was all a little overwhelming for her at present. Until she better understood how to help it was probably best that she try to stay out of the way.

After she'd finished serving breakfast she returned the tray to the kitchens and looked around for Frida, but the elf was nowhere to be found. Nor were her other companions. Terra frowned. She would have liked to speak with Rion but she hadn't seen him since they'd boarded the ship. She remembered seeing Arne earlier and doubled back to find him right where he'd been staring out over the water. She followed his gaze and looked out over the horizon. She felt the wind surge, the spray of the sea after it crashed against the ship and felt a rush of excitement. Then she looked straight down over the side and felt her stomach drop. The contrast between those two feelings was stark. Terra was equal parts excited for her new adventure but deeply uncomfortable not having solid earth beneath her.

"You look like you've got something on your mind," Terra observed, moving to stand beside Arne. "Are you as uncomfortable as I am on the water like this?"

[Tony]

Arne continued to look out over the ocean, lost in thought about his magic. Why couldn't he do this? Was it something he could fix? If not, what did that mean? Was he stuck with just this for the rest of life? His mind was pulled back into reality as soon as Terra began talking to him. He turns his head to look at her, "Huh? Oh... no. It's not that. It doesn't really bother me. It's just..." he looks back towards the see... trying to think of the best way to say what was going through his head. "Seeing other mages in action, I kinda feel like... my magic really isn't up to snuff. You all have already seen everything I'm capable of. I can't even do something simple, like... shoot lightning bolts or anything like that." with a sigh, he slumps over a bit... resting his arms on the edge of the ship. "Some mage I am, right?"

[Swim]

"I wouldn't get too down on yourself," Terra reassured Arne. "I think you're forgetting that you were the only one to best Yung Fueg back in Eulene, and me and Rion weren't exactly pulling our punches that day. So yeah, I'd say you're some mage. So what if you can't shoot lightning bolts? You've got other skills that other lightning/wind mages can't do. And you've got that cool bond with Hien that so far as I know is entirely unique."

"You want to talk about gaps?" Terra asked, gesturing out over the sea. "I'm terrified of being on the water right now because I don't know how to swim. And I don't treat that as a personal failing, I just never had the opportunity to be around water deeper than my bathtub and by the time I was grown I never had anyone left to teach me. It's much the same for my development as a mage, I never had a mentor, I taught myself how to fight. And maybe my unorthodox style worked against Master Fueg, but I'm certain that there are children who are years beyond me as far as what they can do. I think what you and I both need is a teacher that can bridge those gaps, and once things calm down a little bit I'm hopeful that we can find a master willing to mentor us." Terra looked at Arne curiously. "Come to think of it, how old were you when you first developed your powers? Are you self taught as well?"