Aku Fulton the 5th a born leader of men or at least the product of generations of born leaders of men watched the Fulton Military Academy’s doors close. It had taken the administration 7 years to admit to themselves that there was no hope for Aku. If his Great Great Grandfather had not founded the school he would have been booted 2554 day before this.
Aku had understood at around age 5 that he was in trouble. With 7 older brothers in various stages of military training Aku was accustom to the family trade. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell his coordination to step into gear. By age 6 he had survived 4 severe cuts to his right arm and one nasty jab to his right thigh that still bothered him today. Of course he should have blocked them… he was after all a Fulton.
It was his 4th oldest brother Thayne who constantly injured him, partly due to Thayne’s impatient with Aku’s progress and partially to Thayne’s own need to feel superior. Aku did not hold it against Thayne, by now he understood a little better what it must have been like for Thayne… to have enough talent to pass as a swordsman but none of the mental capacity to exceed that position.
Aku would not be the only disappointment in his family. The problem for Aku was he carried the same name as the last 4 greatest Generals this section of the world ever produced. He had the brain power but none of the coordination…
Aku had broached his father last year about leaving the military academy and at age 25 he was by far the oldest student to ever attend. Without a second’s hesitation Aku the 4th retorted, “If you don’t finish don’t come home! A dead son is better than a failed one… I’ll kill you myself if I have to.” The look in his Fathers eyes said it all, he had no doubt his father would avert disgrace by killing him.
So here Aku stood in front of the massive iron doors of the academy without any idea of what to do or where to go. It was funny how his brain worked, without any effort his mind was running the scenarios that could gain access through the door. The hinges were iron about 4 inches in length… spaced every foot… adding up to 9 hinges. Two doors… all iron but the construction was flawed… and he could easily exploit the connections from the hinge to the granite door casing. “Stop” Aku said aloud to focus his thoughts it was no use to contemplate this crap. He would never pass the agility test and he would never graduate… he needed to move on.
He just did not know where to go. Aku had to leave, too many people around here knew him. He had enough money to last a few weeks which should get him far enough away to figure out his options. Still with his mind surveying the area for access to the academy he turned around and walked down the road.
It was such a pleasant day for a walk. The sun was up but not scorching and the wind blew just enough to help support a brisk walk. Aku almost enjoyed the beginning of his banishment.
A Rambling Drunk
Started by
fs_kufu
, Jan 11 2007 04:02
121 replies to this topic
#2
fs_davidjames
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Posted 16 January 2007 - 04:21
thats completely uncalled for stoops. many people that play this game enjoy writing stories for roleplaying,which is where this thread was posted,if you don't like that kind of thing,then don't read it but there is no reason to belittle those that do.
#3
fs_kufu
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Posted 16 January 2007 - 23:18
OOC: Thanks DavidJames I was trying to decide if I even wanted to reply to stoops. But your post summed that up nicely.
Maggot, I was not sure the best way to go about it but I was hoping to have others join. I could not find an OOC section to see if anyone was interested.
Is there an Idea chat board or do you all use PM’s
Maggot, I was not sure the best way to go about it but I was hoping to have others join. I could not find an OOC section to see if anyone was interested.
Is there an Idea chat board or do you all use PM’s
#4
fs_davidjames
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Posted 16 January 2007 - 23:20
i don't do the roleplay thing myself, but i like to read them and what stoops said was just uncalled for
#5
fs_kufu
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Posted 17 January 2007 - 23:29
By dusk the excitement had worn completely off. Aku had not really thought through this plan and he was kicking himself in the pants for not thinking to get supplies before he had set out. He had been foolish and now he paid the price with starvation.
Sure he worried his father might catch him before he could get away but he doubted the Administration had sent someone straight out to his father’s hold after they kicked him out. It was a 9 hour ride one way and lunch was about to be served when they booted him… no he figured he had a two day head start. The question was would his father hunt him down or would he just take care of it the next time he saw Aku and Aku hoped it was the later so he could just fall out of sight and out of mind.
After stumbling a few time in the dying light Aku faced the fact he would not find a home or inn to sleep in. He had hoped he could catch a ride along the way but the only rider he had seen all day had blazed down the road and he doubted the man would have stopped If Aku stepped into the road to speak with him.
Aku walked off the road into some high grass and headed for a fat pine tree 15 feet from the road. He lifted the lower branches and slid underneath into the little tent-like canopy the tree formed. It was only 3 feet tall at the center but the birth was a good 5 feet from the trunk in all directions and the floor was covered in fallen needles leaving a very cozy platform to sleep on.
Aku removed his pack filled with the meager belongings the Academy allowed him to keep. Fortunately it was a military academy and all the related items were meant for a military campaign. His pack untied and unrolled into a sleeping bag and he kept a tin used for cooking which held his flint and a hunting knife. A few personal items were mixed in. Aku lay down and adjusted himself in his blanket. His sword was beside him and he could clearly see the crest of his family.
The pommel fully displayed the crest at this angle, a yellow shield with a green palm leaf made of Yellow Diamonds and Emeralds. Every Fulton carried one of these swords and only the Fulton smiths crafted them. The rest of the sword was made solely for business it was sleek and very sharp. Someone was sure to recognize it… Aku took a long strand of hide and wrapped the hilt in a spiral fission until the hilt resembled any old hide wrapped sword handle.
Aku drifted off to sleep thinking about how his life was totally changing and he had no idea about the real world. He had only known the life of a Fulton and it seems he was not cut out to be in the military. Aku did not wake until the thunder of horses rang out from the road a few feet away.
Aku startled awake grabbed his gear and ran up to the road. A merchant caravan was rolling along and Aku figured this would be his best option at the moment. Aku waited for a cart with only one driver and ran along side motioning for permission to climb on. The driver was a jovial man in his fifties missing his two front teeth. Without hesitation the driver motioned Aku up.
Aku climbed up and sat back with relief and thanked the man. “Aye been walking long?” the driver asked, but before Aku could reply he added “Nice young lad like you probably don’t even need a ride… how far you going?” Aku smiled and opened his mouth to speak but the driver continued to speak. “I’m Garth… been driving for my father n law longer that you been alive. So what do they call you boy?” Aku opened his mouth again but Garth kept on talking. “What cat got your tongue? Gee just my luck finally get someone to ride with and he don’t even say a word. So what’s your story? No wait let me guess… you got bored of farming and decided to go out and adventure. Am I right? And by the look of your arm a bad farmer at that.”
Aku blinked and said, “My Arm?” The driver’s eyes widened “YES! He can speak and I was just thinking you were daft boy. Yes boy the scars running up and down your arm.” Aku glanced down at his arm and said, “Oh yes… those. I’ve had them so long I forgot. My name is… AKUFU…I mean KuFu. I’m just looking for a bit of travel.”
Sure he worried his father might catch him before he could get away but he doubted the Administration had sent someone straight out to his father’s hold after they kicked him out. It was a 9 hour ride one way and lunch was about to be served when they booted him… no he figured he had a two day head start. The question was would his father hunt him down or would he just take care of it the next time he saw Aku and Aku hoped it was the later so he could just fall out of sight and out of mind.
After stumbling a few time in the dying light Aku faced the fact he would not find a home or inn to sleep in. He had hoped he could catch a ride along the way but the only rider he had seen all day had blazed down the road and he doubted the man would have stopped If Aku stepped into the road to speak with him.
Aku walked off the road into some high grass and headed for a fat pine tree 15 feet from the road. He lifted the lower branches and slid underneath into the little tent-like canopy the tree formed. It was only 3 feet tall at the center but the birth was a good 5 feet from the trunk in all directions and the floor was covered in fallen needles leaving a very cozy platform to sleep on.
Aku removed his pack filled with the meager belongings the Academy allowed him to keep. Fortunately it was a military academy and all the related items were meant for a military campaign. His pack untied and unrolled into a sleeping bag and he kept a tin used for cooking which held his flint and a hunting knife. A few personal items were mixed in. Aku lay down and adjusted himself in his blanket. His sword was beside him and he could clearly see the crest of his family.
The pommel fully displayed the crest at this angle, a yellow shield with a green palm leaf made of Yellow Diamonds and Emeralds. Every Fulton carried one of these swords and only the Fulton smiths crafted them. The rest of the sword was made solely for business it was sleek and very sharp. Someone was sure to recognize it… Aku took a long strand of hide and wrapped the hilt in a spiral fission until the hilt resembled any old hide wrapped sword handle.
Aku drifted off to sleep thinking about how his life was totally changing and he had no idea about the real world. He had only known the life of a Fulton and it seems he was not cut out to be in the military. Aku did not wake until the thunder of horses rang out from the road a few feet away.
Aku startled awake grabbed his gear and ran up to the road. A merchant caravan was rolling along and Aku figured this would be his best option at the moment. Aku waited for a cart with only one driver and ran along side motioning for permission to climb on. The driver was a jovial man in his fifties missing his two front teeth. Without hesitation the driver motioned Aku up.
Aku climbed up and sat back with relief and thanked the man. “Aye been walking long?” the driver asked, but before Aku could reply he added “Nice young lad like you probably don’t even need a ride… how far you going?” Aku smiled and opened his mouth to speak but the driver continued to speak. “I’m Garth… been driving for my father n law longer that you been alive. So what do they call you boy?” Aku opened his mouth again but Garth kept on talking. “What cat got your tongue? Gee just my luck finally get someone to ride with and he don’t even say a word. So what’s your story? No wait let me guess… you got bored of farming and decided to go out and adventure. Am I right? And by the look of your arm a bad farmer at that.”
Aku blinked and said, “My Arm?” The driver’s eyes widened “YES! He can speak and I was just thinking you were daft boy. Yes boy the scars running up and down your arm.” Aku glanced down at his arm and said, “Oh yes… those. I’ve had them so long I forgot. My name is… AKUFU…I mean KuFu. I’m just looking for a bit of travel.”
#6
fs_davidjames
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Posted 18 January 2007 - 03:03
so "stoops so low" how is it that you joined the game a day before i did and your still lvl 13?
#7
fs_kufu
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Posted 24 January 2007 - 04:55
Aku had no idea why he decided to call himself Kufu he was in the middle of saying his real name when he thought better of it and Kufu just blurted out. What ever the reason he kind of liked the merge of his first and last name.
Garth grinned and said, “Well Kufu glad to meet you, I can’t say where we are headed because I don’t know… I just follow the other drivers and worry about it later. Been like that ever since I got married… only reason I’m still married is because I never go home. Found out rather quickly I make a horrid husband. Thank god my father n law did not like me and took the first opportunity to get rid of me by having me drive this cart.
If he had known I would jump into it like this he may never had given me this escape… now I can still be the family man without having to be home and we are all happy. I know … I know … you must be thinking I am awful but she got what she wanted and I got what I wanted. I’m freed from running my family’s business, a job I tried to avoid from childhood and my wife has twin girls. I suspect she only got married to have children anyways.”
Aku listened and wondered if Garth would ever shut up. He was glad for the ride but if he ever thought he was going to get a word in edgewise he would just have to cut Garth off. “So Kufu we are about an hour out of the next town you up for a drink when we get there? I know a nice pub. What you got some place to go or do you n” Aku cut into Garth’s sentence and said, “Sure if they have food I don’t drink.”
Garth looked horrified as he sucked in a big breath of air and sputtered, “Wwhat… What you don’t drink? What thethe hell is the matterrrr with you Bboy?” Aku held up his hand and laughed, “No no no… don’t go there. It’s my family they are all business and drinking was not allowed… I’m not totally against it … I just never tied before. Since I’m not home… what the heck I’ll give it a go.”
Garth roared with laughter, “Dang boy I got myself a virgin here, I’ll get the first round then.”
Garth grinned and said, “Well Kufu glad to meet you, I can’t say where we are headed because I don’t know… I just follow the other drivers and worry about it later. Been like that ever since I got married… only reason I’m still married is because I never go home. Found out rather quickly I make a horrid husband. Thank god my father n law did not like me and took the first opportunity to get rid of me by having me drive this cart.
If he had known I would jump into it like this he may never had given me this escape… now I can still be the family man without having to be home and we are all happy. I know … I know … you must be thinking I am awful but she got what she wanted and I got what I wanted. I’m freed from running my family’s business, a job I tried to avoid from childhood and my wife has twin girls. I suspect she only got married to have children anyways.”
Aku listened and wondered if Garth would ever shut up. He was glad for the ride but if he ever thought he was going to get a word in edgewise he would just have to cut Garth off. “So Kufu we are about an hour out of the next town you up for a drink when we get there? I know a nice pub. What you got some place to go or do you n” Aku cut into Garth’s sentence and said, “Sure if they have food I don’t drink.”
Garth looked horrified as he sucked in a big breath of air and sputtered, “Wwhat… What you don’t drink? What thethe hell is the matterrrr with you Bboy?” Aku held up his hand and laughed, “No no no… don’t go there. It’s my family they are all business and drinking was not allowed… I’m not totally against it … I just never tied before. Since I’m not home… what the heck I’ll give it a go.”
Garth roared with laughter, “Dang boy I got myself a virgin here, I’ll get the first round then.”
#8
Posted 04 February 2007 - 04:42
do u have no life at all? who would set at the computer for that long to write sumthin no1s gunna read?
usually older drunks talk about this kinfa stuff
#9
fs_devinegod
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Posted 06 February 2007 - 02:57
Great Story Kufu, keep it up, I'm sure people will enjoy it(I skimmed through it, better than anything I can do, but of course I'm not creative in that way)Good detail
Don't mind Stoops, he's just jealous
Don't mind Stoops, he's just jealous
#10
fs_lairz
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Posted 12 February 2007 - 01:06
OOC: Hmm, i like the sound of this story, mind if I join in? If not then please just ignore this post and carry on if you had something else in mind.
Lairz stared down into the tankard of ale nesting in his cold hands, the third he'd bought that evening, and so far the only company he had. The pub was warm and busy, usual patrons, coachmen, a few old men who had nowhere better to go. One slight irritation was a group of three uniformly drunk, and uniformly massive, sailors on shoreleave, keen to spend their millitary stipend as loudly as possible, pinching the bottom of the tavern maid whenever she walked past. However most importantly for Lairz, there were no dogs. He stood concealing most of himself in a large grey riding coat in a darkend corner of the pub, ignored and unbothered. Not that many would chose to bother him.
He'd spent most of the evening listening in on conversations, trying to find work. The millitary in this land was old and extreamely professional, more than he'd expected, and his initial hope to find a mercinary company hiring would seem to be forelorn. Even if the rumors about losses from the southern campaign were to be believed, a spare sword would just be seen as a brigand this close to the centre. Every fighting man had rank and position within the imperial establishment, and more importantly needed to have a recorded background which he did not have. Perhaps he would be better off throwing his greying hide back on the Ellenai he had docked and just seeing where fortune took him, find another way to get back some of the money he had lost on that last cargo, he had debts that wouldn't go away unfortunately.
Outside he heard a coach pull up not to far from the inn, though he paid it no attention...
Lairz stared down into the tankard of ale nesting in his cold hands, the third he'd bought that evening, and so far the only company he had. The pub was warm and busy, usual patrons, coachmen, a few old men who had nowhere better to go. One slight irritation was a group of three uniformly drunk, and uniformly massive, sailors on shoreleave, keen to spend their millitary stipend as loudly as possible, pinching the bottom of the tavern maid whenever she walked past. However most importantly for Lairz, there were no dogs. He stood concealing most of himself in a large grey riding coat in a darkend corner of the pub, ignored and unbothered. Not that many would chose to bother him.
He'd spent most of the evening listening in on conversations, trying to find work. The millitary in this land was old and extreamely professional, more than he'd expected, and his initial hope to find a mercinary company hiring would seem to be forelorn. Even if the rumors about losses from the southern campaign were to be believed, a spare sword would just be seen as a brigand this close to the centre. Every fighting man had rank and position within the imperial establishment, and more importantly needed to have a recorded background which he did not have. Perhaps he would be better off throwing his greying hide back on the Ellenai he had docked and just seeing where fortune took him, find another way to get back some of the money he had lost on that last cargo, he had debts that wouldn't go away unfortunately.
Outside he heard a coach pull up not to far from the inn, though he paid it no attention...
#11
fs_kufu
fs_kufu
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Posted 12 February 2007 - 05:08
OOC: not at all, I'd be glad for some help. I will post something monday... Sorry ... I will post today
#12
fs_kufu
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Posted 14 February 2007 - 00:41
When they reached the town Garth drew his cart up alongside the rest of the caravan on the far east side of town. Gath slapped Aku on the back and roared, “AYE… IT”S DRINKING TIME!!!!!” and without waiting for a response from Aku he leaped out of the cart and started inviting the other drivers to have a drink.
In no particular direction Garth shouted to the sky, “Lord I love this town …. They forced us to park right next to the tavern. I’m buying the first round.” Turning back to the gathering drivers he pointed over his shoulder as said, “Kufu here has never had a drink in his life… and I say it’s about time he had.”
The Stocky driver who traveled directly in front of Garth howled with laughter and retorted, “Hayden’s sake Garth… he’s been cooped up with you all day… no wonder he’s ready to break I his sobriety. Shoot mate I’ve even seen you bring a nun to alcoholism.”
When the laughs from the other drives died down someone shouted, “Yeah and if that nun stayed one more day shed be on the side of the road driving a stolen knife into her own guts.” Garth shot an expression of faked hurt and said, “Hey no fair it’s not my fault I’m so interesting. Now let’s stop wasting time and get this boy a drink.”
Aku frowned as he second guessed his decision to drink. The drivers were making too big of a deal a bout this and it was starting to unsettle him. He doubted this would be his best plan of action… the Fulton’s had rules for very good reasons and drinking alcohol was very near the top of the “Never Do List”.
Aku shook his head and leap from the cart… he was not a Fulton anymore and he had to start acting like it. He straightened his sword and caught up to the group of 10 as they neared the tavern. He really did not know what he was worrying about anyways.
The Tavern was pretty much what he had expected loud… dark and full of drunks. Most of the taverns he had been to in his life were more restaurants than bars and this one was defiantly a pub… most of the food plates he spied were unrecognizable.
Garth grabbed the first table big enough for their group and sat down. Aku sat and looked at all the grinning faces and he could see a glimmer of mischief in each of their eyes. He was sure he would regret this… he just had no idea how much.
His brain worked in its usual way as he maneuvered to the table. It noted the exits… how many people between him and each, the layout of the tables, which group of drunkards would posse the most trouble and he studied the stains on the floor to determine what the normal rowdiness level was.
Even his choice of seating was directed by his brain. He sat on the right side of Garth with a clear view of what it considered to be the biggest threat a table adjacent to theirs with three very obnoxious sailors.
The bar maid arrived and Garth stood up, “Miss no need to go around the table. We will have 11 beers, 11 whiskeys and 11 shots of the local rot gut.” With that Garth sat down with a very broad grin and added, “That should hold us for 10 minutes.”
Aku listened to the drivers chat back and forth and answered the few questions directed at him about his past, all of which he supplied from his fictitious up bringing on the farm. He actually felt far more nervous than he would have inspected.
The bar maid arrived with the first round and the drinks were pass out. Everyone sat with quiet anticipation as Aku looked at his drink. Garth broke the silence with a suggestion, “Kufu… don’t be so worried. Think of it as the first sip of life.”
Aku furrowed his eyebrows with doubt and took a sip. The drivers roared with laughter as the expression of shock spread across Aku’s face. In a voice studded with disbelief he said, “My word… it’s like an explosion of tastes… Is that barley?... no wait Honey… Wheat… and what is that Spice?”
Aku had downed his before Garth had even taken a sip and he motioned to Garth’s drink. With even more laughter Garth slid Aku the drink and added, “Kufu my boy welcome to heaven.”
By the time Aku had sucked down the whisky and rot gut… he was sure the beer was the way to go. It was a lot smoother and he could see the benefit of the others as an occasional thing, but he feared his throat would fallout if he drank them regularly.
He could hardly follow the conversation now and he really needed to find the bathroom… “Wheress… cawn I reliebe my..SSelf rOound here?” his lack of speech control was the last string for a few of the drivers and tears were visibly rolling down there faces from laughter.
Gath tried to stop laughing long enough to speak but managed only to point out the front door…
Aku felt very odd as he tried to stand. He moved his feet but the room was spinning and he adjusted each step to compensate for the clock ward rotation. He was assisted by one of the sailors and after a few minutes the other two decided to help. Aku was grateful, for without there help he was sure he would have never made it outside to this beautiful wall he was currently watering.
(((((To every other patron in the tavern the event looked more like this:)))))
It was debatable which table was louder. On one hand the table of 11 had more voices but on the other the tables of 3 sailors were in the middle of a heated argument which one of the patrons from the first table so rudely interrupted making the question moot.
The biggest sailor, the one the man stumbled into stood up and grabbed the man. Everyone could tell the man was drunk by the way he was swaying… he even swayed when the sailor had him lifted by the shirt off the floor.
Yes, this man was about to find out why people avoided drunken sailors. In an obvious effort of showmanship the sailor arched over spinning slightly to the right in the fashion one throws a shot put and launched the man over the table.
Well that’s what should have happened at any rate. At the precise moment of release the man grabbed onto the sailor’s arm and wrapped his legs around the sailor’s head twisting with the sailor’s own momentum causing a catastrophe for the sailor.
The sailor had put so much effort into throwing the man over the table he could not reverse the action instead he crashed headfirst into the table. That action would have been enough to knock him out cold but the man was not done yet.
Sitting on the sailor’s head and holding his arm the man lounged backward off the table dragging the unconscious sailor to the floor face first. The man released the limp sailor and spun into a half crouch fighting stance and waited silently for the other two sailors.
They were both up with a roar. Each drew their cutlass and one of the sailors flipped the table at the man. He avoided the table by swaying slightly and the table came crashing down on the already beaten sailor.
The sailors charged the man and he easily swayed away from the swing of each cutlass. The man’s sword hung untouched by his side as he maneuvered into a position behind the charging sailors.
When they realized they had missed the man the sailors turned and advance the man once again… this time deciding against the charge. The man swayed for side to side and slid his sword from its scabbard.
When the sailors were in range they started swinging wildly trying to carve the man in two. The man was an obvious sword master he simply swayed from side to side and continually deflected their shots with half an effort.
The man’s body movements were so in tune with his sword that each deflected shot sent one sailor’s cutlass into the other sailor’s flesh. After just a few swings the sailors dropped to the floor in a heap of rent flesh…
The man sheathed his sword and stumbled outside the tavern with out saying a word.
In no particular direction Garth shouted to the sky, “Lord I love this town …. They forced us to park right next to the tavern. I’m buying the first round.” Turning back to the gathering drivers he pointed over his shoulder as said, “Kufu here has never had a drink in his life… and I say it’s about time he had.”
The Stocky driver who traveled directly in front of Garth howled with laughter and retorted, “Hayden’s sake Garth… he’s been cooped up with you all day… no wonder he’s ready to break I his sobriety. Shoot mate I’ve even seen you bring a nun to alcoholism.”
When the laughs from the other drives died down someone shouted, “Yeah and if that nun stayed one more day shed be on the side of the road driving a stolen knife into her own guts.” Garth shot an expression of faked hurt and said, “Hey no fair it’s not my fault I’m so interesting. Now let’s stop wasting time and get this boy a drink.”
Aku frowned as he second guessed his decision to drink. The drivers were making too big of a deal a bout this and it was starting to unsettle him. He doubted this would be his best plan of action… the Fulton’s had rules for very good reasons and drinking alcohol was very near the top of the “Never Do List”.
Aku shook his head and leap from the cart… he was not a Fulton anymore and he had to start acting like it. He straightened his sword and caught up to the group of 10 as they neared the tavern. He really did not know what he was worrying about anyways.
The Tavern was pretty much what he had expected loud… dark and full of drunks. Most of the taverns he had been to in his life were more restaurants than bars and this one was defiantly a pub… most of the food plates he spied were unrecognizable.
Garth grabbed the first table big enough for their group and sat down. Aku sat and looked at all the grinning faces and he could see a glimmer of mischief in each of their eyes. He was sure he would regret this… he just had no idea how much.
His brain worked in its usual way as he maneuvered to the table. It noted the exits… how many people between him and each, the layout of the tables, which group of drunkards would posse the most trouble and he studied the stains on the floor to determine what the normal rowdiness level was.
Even his choice of seating was directed by his brain. He sat on the right side of Garth with a clear view of what it considered to be the biggest threat a table adjacent to theirs with three very obnoxious sailors.
The bar maid arrived and Garth stood up, “Miss no need to go around the table. We will have 11 beers, 11 whiskeys and 11 shots of the local rot gut.” With that Garth sat down with a very broad grin and added, “That should hold us for 10 minutes.”
Aku listened to the drivers chat back and forth and answered the few questions directed at him about his past, all of which he supplied from his fictitious up bringing on the farm. He actually felt far more nervous than he would have inspected.
The bar maid arrived with the first round and the drinks were pass out. Everyone sat with quiet anticipation as Aku looked at his drink. Garth broke the silence with a suggestion, “Kufu… don’t be so worried. Think of it as the first sip of life.”
Aku furrowed his eyebrows with doubt and took a sip. The drivers roared with laughter as the expression of shock spread across Aku’s face. In a voice studded with disbelief he said, “My word… it’s like an explosion of tastes… Is that barley?... no wait Honey… Wheat… and what is that Spice?”
Aku had downed his before Garth had even taken a sip and he motioned to Garth’s drink. With even more laughter Garth slid Aku the drink and added, “Kufu my boy welcome to heaven.”
By the time Aku had sucked down the whisky and rot gut… he was sure the beer was the way to go. It was a lot smoother and he could see the benefit of the others as an occasional thing, but he feared his throat would fallout if he drank them regularly.
He could hardly follow the conversation now and he really needed to find the bathroom… “Wheress… cawn I reliebe my..SSelf rOound here?” his lack of speech control was the last string for a few of the drivers and tears were visibly rolling down there faces from laughter.
Gath tried to stop laughing long enough to speak but managed only to point out the front door…
Aku felt very odd as he tried to stand. He moved his feet but the room was spinning and he adjusted each step to compensate for the clock ward rotation. He was assisted by one of the sailors and after a few minutes the other two decided to help. Aku was grateful, for without there help he was sure he would have never made it outside to this beautiful wall he was currently watering.
(((((To every other patron in the tavern the event looked more like this:)))))
It was debatable which table was louder. On one hand the table of 11 had more voices but on the other the tables of 3 sailors were in the middle of a heated argument which one of the patrons from the first table so rudely interrupted making the question moot.
The biggest sailor, the one the man stumbled into stood up and grabbed the man. Everyone could tell the man was drunk by the way he was swaying… he even swayed when the sailor had him lifted by the shirt off the floor.
Yes, this man was about to find out why people avoided drunken sailors. In an obvious effort of showmanship the sailor arched over spinning slightly to the right in the fashion one throws a shot put and launched the man over the table.
Well that’s what should have happened at any rate. At the precise moment of release the man grabbed onto the sailor’s arm and wrapped his legs around the sailor’s head twisting with the sailor’s own momentum causing a catastrophe for the sailor.
The sailor had put so much effort into throwing the man over the table he could not reverse the action instead he crashed headfirst into the table. That action would have been enough to knock him out cold but the man was not done yet.
Sitting on the sailor’s head and holding his arm the man lounged backward off the table dragging the unconscious sailor to the floor face first. The man released the limp sailor and spun into a half crouch fighting stance and waited silently for the other two sailors.
They were both up with a roar. Each drew their cutlass and one of the sailors flipped the table at the man. He avoided the table by swaying slightly and the table came crashing down on the already beaten sailor.
The sailors charged the man and he easily swayed away from the swing of each cutlass. The man’s sword hung untouched by his side as he maneuvered into a position behind the charging sailors.
When they realized they had missed the man the sailors turned and advance the man once again… this time deciding against the charge. The man swayed for side to side and slid his sword from its scabbard.
When the sailors were in range they started swinging wildly trying to carve the man in two. The man was an obvious sword master he simply swayed from side to side and continually deflected their shots with half an effort.
The man’s body movements were so in tune with his sword that each deflected shot sent one sailor’s cutlass into the other sailor’s flesh. After just a few swings the sailors dropped to the floor in a heap of rent flesh…
The man sheathed his sword and stumbled outside the tavern with out saying a word.
#13
fs_lairz
fs_lairz
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Posted 16 February 2007 - 17:13
There was a silence in the tavern, blood was on the floor and everyone was sobering up very quickly, any minute now someone would scream, guards would come and it would all be over. Lairz made his decision quickly, he thought he knew what was going on, the one who had done this was young and only half in control of himself, despite himself, Lairz decided to intervene. And the man's sword spoke of money which was no bad thing.
Stepping into the open bloody space he filled his lungs and took control of the situation as quickly as he could, an authoritive voice used to bellowing orders on deck can do wonders before people have a chance to think. Or in this case, scream.
"Right!! Everyone put your weapons down, You - cartman, you know him, come with me - Now!" taking up as much space as possible the big man strode out half dragging the whimpering carter with him. He momentarily stopped and over his should shouted,
"Remain calm, the Watch will be here shortly." There, that should buy them a few moments, they should think he's an off duty dock official or something before they realise their mistake.
Outside the young man seemed to have lost all the physical ability he had shown inside, and was getting as much urine on his suede boots as against the wall.
He shoved the carter toward the young man, hopefully the sight of someone he knew would distract him for a moment while Lairz picked up the drainage barrel from the roof gutter. This would be a gamble.
The carter was babbling something, half terrifide and the drunk who had killed at least two men was smiling aimably at him. Lairz positioned himself, to the side and threw the ice cold rainwater over him before diving out of the way.
Aku sensing movement immediately drew his sword, but blades don't stop water. The blast of semi frozen cold had a almost immediate effect, the boy's body twitched and his unhappy stomach lurched with predicable consequences.
Lairz walked up slowly.
"There my boy, get it... thats right get it all out. You, which is your cart?"
Garth stuttered and pointed at his cart, the horse seeming unsettled.
"Good. Now you are going to take me and the boy down to the dockside. Now." he said as Aku's body continued to reject the alcohol.
***
The eatery was nothing more than an open fur tent just off a corner in the dockside market that was closing down for the day. The patrons, a smilling, aging Sumi couple, their broad tanned faces with black braided hair were from further north in the world that even Lairz's pale faced white haired people were. Tundra dwellers selling fatty, salty reindeer stew out of a giant pot. Only Lairz was eating, wolfing it down as Garth seemed still too shocked to speak and Aku still bereft of that ability.
"Hmmhm?" Aku mumbled, eyes stil caught somewhere between drunken oblivion and dreadful, encroaching hangover. He'd fallen asleep on the cart ride down here and only now seemed to be registering the grey bubbling stew that he held in his hands, eye's staring with horrifide facination as a partiularly large lump of white grissle surface then slunk away again like a sea monster in a sea of fat, bones and eyeballs. Gods knows how much he'd drunk, Lairz hadn't been watching.
"Eat, trust me boy your body needs it" Lairz said, then returned his attention to Garth. "Tell me man, where did you find this boy?"
Garth looked up.
"I have no idea where he's from! There I was just on the road and I look across and I see this lad, sat all out alone in the cold in the forrest-"
Lairz thought: A-ha! But he doens't smell like...
"-so I thoughts to myself, "look there Garth, one of your fellow men all alone in the world, what kind of man would you be abandoning him to the cold?" So tooks him aboard and darn't spoke a word to him. He said he never drank! So I said"
"Shut up." Lairz said, and was obeyed. He looked at the boy for a moment longer. "Now I think it is in both of our interests that this lad leave town, tonight." for his own reasons, Lairz wanted to help in this, "Luckily I have the finest cutter south of Muadlin in dock right now. Tell me, where is your cargo going?"
Garth blinked.
"You're a trader? I thought you were an officer!"
"Haha, yes well life it like that. Now I noticed its mostly gormit bolts and a few grain sacks which means you going to Laulau, but the boxes of nutmeg and cinnebar you have hidden in the grain sacks mean you can afford to hire my ship even though you have clearly taken great pains to hide the fact. Don't ask me how I know about the spices, trust me when I say I've got a very good nose." Lairz gave him a wolfish smile, Garth noticed the large canines and gulped. But buisness was buisness.
"I'm part of the Laulau traders guild. If the.. cargo isn't delivered to our offices I'll know about it."
"Fantastic! We have a deal then! Now how about you my boy, any use on the deck?" Lairz asked, waiting for the lads reply....
Stepping into the open bloody space he filled his lungs and took control of the situation as quickly as he could, an authoritive voice used to bellowing orders on deck can do wonders before people have a chance to think. Or in this case, scream.
"Right!! Everyone put your weapons down, You - cartman, you know him, come with me - Now!" taking up as much space as possible the big man strode out half dragging the whimpering carter with him. He momentarily stopped and over his should shouted,
"Remain calm, the Watch will be here shortly." There, that should buy them a few moments, they should think he's an off duty dock official or something before they realise their mistake.
Outside the young man seemed to have lost all the physical ability he had shown inside, and was getting as much urine on his suede boots as against the wall.
He shoved the carter toward the young man, hopefully the sight of someone he knew would distract him for a moment while Lairz picked up the drainage barrel from the roof gutter. This would be a gamble.
The carter was babbling something, half terrifide and the drunk who had killed at least two men was smiling aimably at him. Lairz positioned himself, to the side and threw the ice cold rainwater over him before diving out of the way.
Aku sensing movement immediately drew his sword, but blades don't stop water. The blast of semi frozen cold had a almost immediate effect, the boy's body twitched and his unhappy stomach lurched with predicable consequences.
Lairz walked up slowly.
"There my boy, get it... thats right get it all out. You, which is your cart?"
Garth stuttered and pointed at his cart, the horse seeming unsettled.
"Good. Now you are going to take me and the boy down to the dockside. Now." he said as Aku's body continued to reject the alcohol.
***
The eatery was nothing more than an open fur tent just off a corner in the dockside market that was closing down for the day. The patrons, a smilling, aging Sumi couple, their broad tanned faces with black braided hair were from further north in the world that even Lairz's pale faced white haired people were. Tundra dwellers selling fatty, salty reindeer stew out of a giant pot. Only Lairz was eating, wolfing it down as Garth seemed still too shocked to speak and Aku still bereft of that ability.
"Hmmhm?" Aku mumbled, eyes stil caught somewhere between drunken oblivion and dreadful, encroaching hangover. He'd fallen asleep on the cart ride down here and only now seemed to be registering the grey bubbling stew that he held in his hands, eye's staring with horrifide facination as a partiularly large lump of white grissle surface then slunk away again like a sea monster in a sea of fat, bones and eyeballs. Gods knows how much he'd drunk, Lairz hadn't been watching.
"Eat, trust me boy your body needs it" Lairz said, then returned his attention to Garth. "Tell me man, where did you find this boy?"
Garth looked up.
"I have no idea where he's from! There I was just on the road and I look across and I see this lad, sat all out alone in the cold in the forrest-"
Lairz thought: A-ha! But he doens't smell like...
"-so I thoughts to myself, "look there Garth, one of your fellow men all alone in the world, what kind of man would you be abandoning him to the cold?" So tooks him aboard and darn't spoke a word to him. He said he never drank! So I said"
"Shut up." Lairz said, and was obeyed. He looked at the boy for a moment longer. "Now I think it is in both of our interests that this lad leave town, tonight." for his own reasons, Lairz wanted to help in this, "Luckily I have the finest cutter south of Muadlin in dock right now. Tell me, where is your cargo going?"
Garth blinked.
"You're a trader? I thought you were an officer!"
"Haha, yes well life it like that. Now I noticed its mostly gormit bolts and a few grain sacks which means you going to Laulau, but the boxes of nutmeg and cinnebar you have hidden in the grain sacks mean you can afford to hire my ship even though you have clearly taken great pains to hide the fact. Don't ask me how I know about the spices, trust me when I say I've got a very good nose." Lairz gave him a wolfish smile, Garth noticed the large canines and gulped. But buisness was buisness.
"I'm part of the Laulau traders guild. If the.. cargo isn't delivered to our offices I'll know about it."
"Fantastic! We have a deal then! Now how about you my boy, any use on the deck?" Lairz asked, waiting for the lads reply....
#14
fs_kufu
fs_kufu
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Posted 16 February 2007 - 18:59
Aku looked at Lairz not fully decided yet what to think about him. He was feeling dreadful and he really whish he had not drunk so much. His memory was a little hazy from the night before.
He had no idea what he had done to the sailors… his initial memory of the incident was nothing more than the sailors helping him out of the tavern but on his all too bumpy ride his memory was changing.
That was the first time he ever drawn his weapon... in something other than training… and he could not figure out how he was still alive. He had no actual skill in sword play… even the first year students could get past his guard. So what had happened?
Aku felt bad for Garth… he had not intended to compromise his business.
Aku could barely stand the smell of the food Lairz had offered him… regardless of the man’s assurance. He was beginning to see why Fulton’s never drank…
Aku floated back to the conversation at hand “"Fantastic! We have a deal then! Now how about you my boy, any use on the deck?"
Aku cleared his throat and spoke in a raspy version of himself, “Boy? … My name is Kufu. I am familiar with the fore-and-aft rigging of your cutter. I can handle the trim of the headsails, bowsprit and the main easy enough but my strengths fall in the navigation of the southern seas. I’ve studied the routes enough to know no map is the same and having a good leadsman on the forecastle sounding is the only way not to run a ground. Yes… I can be of some use in payment for my passage.”
Aku looked at Garth and continued, “I left my farm when I was young and returned this year past… I’m sorry if I have put you in danger. Strike a fair wage from this merchant and return to your caravan.”
Aku felt horrible for lying yet again to Garth but this would get him well away from his father and his disgrace. He could not even begin to think what his father would do if he found out he killed two men in cold blood… yes, he had to leave and fast… before anyone could find out he was Aku Fulton or his father would be compelled by honor to find and kill his youngest son.
Aku was relieved for the chance to catch a ship… he should have thought of that himself. He had always excelled in seamanship classes and he could sail any vessel… he had acted as the Boatswain’s mate for his eldest brother Captain Bangaur Fulton on his family’s warship the sloop Minden the years before he attended the academy.
Aku knew his family would aid merchants… but he was not too sure about the southerners who were attempting to liberate a chunk of the southern providences.
Aku addressed Lairz again, “There is a war in the south though so you might want to sail clear of that area.”
He had no idea what he had done to the sailors… his initial memory of the incident was nothing more than the sailors helping him out of the tavern but on his all too bumpy ride his memory was changing.
That was the first time he ever drawn his weapon... in something other than training… and he could not figure out how he was still alive. He had no actual skill in sword play… even the first year students could get past his guard. So what had happened?
Aku felt bad for Garth… he had not intended to compromise his business.
Aku could barely stand the smell of the food Lairz had offered him… regardless of the man’s assurance. He was beginning to see why Fulton’s never drank…
Aku floated back to the conversation at hand “"Fantastic! We have a deal then! Now how about you my boy, any use on the deck?"
Aku cleared his throat and spoke in a raspy version of himself, “Boy? … My name is Kufu. I am familiar with the fore-and-aft rigging of your cutter. I can handle the trim of the headsails, bowsprit and the main easy enough but my strengths fall in the navigation of the southern seas. I’ve studied the routes enough to know no map is the same and having a good leadsman on the forecastle sounding is the only way not to run a ground. Yes… I can be of some use in payment for my passage.”
Aku looked at Garth and continued, “I left my farm when I was young and returned this year past… I’m sorry if I have put you in danger. Strike a fair wage from this merchant and return to your caravan.”
Aku felt horrible for lying yet again to Garth but this would get him well away from his father and his disgrace. He could not even begin to think what his father would do if he found out he killed two men in cold blood… yes, he had to leave and fast… before anyone could find out he was Aku Fulton or his father would be compelled by honor to find and kill his youngest son.
Aku was relieved for the chance to catch a ship… he should have thought of that himself. He had always excelled in seamanship classes and he could sail any vessel… he had acted as the Boatswain’s mate for his eldest brother Captain Bangaur Fulton on his family’s warship the sloop Minden the years before he attended the academy.
Aku knew his family would aid merchants… but he was not too sure about the southerners who were attempting to liberate a chunk of the southern providences.
Aku addressed Lairz again, “There is a war in the south though so you might want to sail clear of that area.”
#15
fs_lairz
fs_lairz
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Posted 19 February 2007 - 02:26
Lairz narrowed his eyes and gave the lad and appraising look. "True. However with war comes profit, for some." Lairz returned his attention to the merchant and concluded the deal.
***
The carter had been keen to conclude the deal quickly, the sun had barely began to make a dent in the sky before they were down at the keyside with the wagon. Lairz barked up at his Ellenai, only seeing one lamp burning on his small ship, making sure they were all awake.
He looked over his small ship, his home. He called it a cutter, due to the three headsails leading from the mast and the reeving bowsprit, but the hull was all wrong, too low and too fat for what would be considered a traditional build. He'd inherited it from the Kummi Ottaman Kiba before he'd answered the call of the wild and dissapeared into the black blizzard of the frozen shore. Gods knows who he got to build it but it was alot faster than it looked, and the low hull, typical of the northern raiders, meant it could access more shallow bearths than more mundane craft. Perfect for hiding, perfect for escaping. There was however the remains of a strange face painted in the front, black and rotted now, like some misfigured replica of the wards the Kummi put on their fishing boats.
It was one of the smaller ships docked here, a massive red Imperial junk was hogging the main peer to the east, to be loaded with rations and fresh faced recruits for the war to the south. Had any of them seen real war? Some of the seargents maybe.
"I said wake up! Jan Finger, Kurt, get down here now! Get this cargo in"
Sure enough, soon the shapes of his two of his main crew emerged and began to climb down. The ship ran fine with five people, plus any more and someone would have to sleep on deck if he hold was full. The man named Aku might have to sleep on the deck anyway if he was wrong about him.
He looked at the man named Kufu, he was young but had scars, but not the kind Lairz was used to seeing. They had clearly been cleaned and treated well by a trained physician shortly after they had been made. He clearly had brains and learning about him, and if he could read a map and spell his own name that put him ahead of most of the crew.
Especially Kurt, who couldn't find his arse with both hands if he tried.
But Kufu, he had the look of nobility about him, and something in his demenor said that he was used to having people do what they told him to. That wouldn't do him much good with the Jan and Kurt, and Yenna would clock him one if she thought he was looking down on her - not that that would be easy, that woman must have some amazon in her for all her height.
But what would Sai say? Who knows, his daughter only seemed to live in the mundane world half the time.
But had this boy been turned, like Lairz and Sai? That the reason he'd helped, many a man was bitten by the wolf's curse without knowing how to live with it. Who knows?
"As for you, Kufu. Help with the unloading, find a space in the hold for your belongings and do what the others tell you to do. We'll talk later."
He wondered what was going through the lads head right now. Lairz turned his back at set about getting the ship ready to set sail as the sun slowly broke through the grey and cloudy sky.
***
The carter had been keen to conclude the deal quickly, the sun had barely began to make a dent in the sky before they were down at the keyside with the wagon. Lairz barked up at his Ellenai, only seeing one lamp burning on his small ship, making sure they were all awake.
He looked over his small ship, his home. He called it a cutter, due to the three headsails leading from the mast and the reeving bowsprit, but the hull was all wrong, too low and too fat for what would be considered a traditional build. He'd inherited it from the Kummi Ottaman Kiba before he'd answered the call of the wild and dissapeared into the black blizzard of the frozen shore. Gods knows who he got to build it but it was alot faster than it looked, and the low hull, typical of the northern raiders, meant it could access more shallow bearths than more mundane craft. Perfect for hiding, perfect for escaping. There was however the remains of a strange face painted in the front, black and rotted now, like some misfigured replica of the wards the Kummi put on their fishing boats.
It was one of the smaller ships docked here, a massive red Imperial junk was hogging the main peer to the east, to be loaded with rations and fresh faced recruits for the war to the south. Had any of them seen real war? Some of the seargents maybe.
"I said wake up! Jan Finger, Kurt, get down here now! Get this cargo in"
Sure enough, soon the shapes of his two of his main crew emerged and began to climb down. The ship ran fine with five people, plus any more and someone would have to sleep on deck if he hold was full. The man named Aku might have to sleep on the deck anyway if he was wrong about him.
He looked at the man named Kufu, he was young but had scars, but not the kind Lairz was used to seeing. They had clearly been cleaned and treated well by a trained physician shortly after they had been made. He clearly had brains and learning about him, and if he could read a map and spell his own name that put him ahead of most of the crew.
Especially Kurt, who couldn't find his arse with both hands if he tried.
But Kufu, he had the look of nobility about him, and something in his demenor said that he was used to having people do what they told him to. That wouldn't do him much good with the Jan and Kurt, and Yenna would clock him one if she thought he was looking down on her - not that that would be easy, that woman must have some amazon in her for all her height.
But what would Sai say? Who knows, his daughter only seemed to live in the mundane world half the time.
But had this boy been turned, like Lairz and Sai? That the reason he'd helped, many a man was bitten by the wolf's curse without knowing how to live with it. Who knows?
"As for you, Kufu. Help with the unloading, find a space in the hold for your belongings and do what the others tell you to do. We'll talk later."
He wondered what was going through the lads head right now. Lairz turned his back at set about getting the ship ready to set sail as the sun slowly broke through the grey and cloudy sky.
#17
fs_lairz
fs_lairz
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Posted 19 February 2007 - 14:39
OOC: whereas you can become level 51 in a single afternoon? We play online computer games mate, I hate to break it to you but no one's exactly without sin here.
Would ask the admins to deleate these spammy posts but the last time they did they wiped the whole topic. After you Kufu.
Would ask the admins to deleate these spammy posts but the last time they did they wiped the whole topic. After you Kufu.
#19
fs_kufu
fs_kufu
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Posted 19 February 2007 - 17:29
OOC: Its what I like to call multi tasking *grin*
Aku looked at Lairz, “fair enough… whatever it takes to get me far… far… far away from here.” Kufu grabbed his backpack and a sack of wheat and trotted up the gangplank following the man called Jan Fingers.
By his second trip to the hold he started to notice things about the ship that showed of its exotic origins. The beam of the mid ship suggested a draft far deeper than the hold provided… and he could not help but think the keel was somehow wrong.
Kufu waited on deck after the cart was unloaded and watched Garth drive hastily away. He had not asked the crew what to do next. Judging by the tide they still had the current for at least an hour so he felt no rush.
Kufu looked out over the bay and tried to process all that had happened to him the last 2 short days… his life and everything he knew was utterly dismantled. Now he was on a boat headed to the unknown.
He kept thinking about the three sailors who attacked him… he fully remembered the incident now but he could not separate the feeling that it happened to someone else. He remembered them escorting him to the door in such a vivid way…
He was still in disbelief when he replayed the actual incident… how had he managed to take all three of them down? And why had he drawn his sword? Even now he still felt like he was viewing his body’s actions from the outside as the memory of the last sailor crumpled.
Kufu shook his head… and wondered what had happened…
Aku looked at Lairz, “fair enough… whatever it takes to get me far… far… far away from here.” Kufu grabbed his backpack and a sack of wheat and trotted up the gangplank following the man called Jan Fingers.
By his second trip to the hold he started to notice things about the ship that showed of its exotic origins. The beam of the mid ship suggested a draft far deeper than the hold provided… and he could not help but think the keel was somehow wrong.
Kufu waited on deck after the cart was unloaded and watched Garth drive hastily away. He had not asked the crew what to do next. Judging by the tide they still had the current for at least an hour so he felt no rush.
Kufu looked out over the bay and tried to process all that had happened to him the last 2 short days… his life and everything he knew was utterly dismantled. Now he was on a boat headed to the unknown.
He kept thinking about the three sailors who attacked him… he fully remembered the incident now but he could not separate the feeling that it happened to someone else. He remembered them escorting him to the door in such a vivid way…
He was still in disbelief when he replayed the actual incident… how had he managed to take all three of them down? And why had he drawn his sword? Even now he still felt like he was viewing his body’s actions from the outside as the memory of the last sailor crumpled.
Kufu shook his head… and wondered what had happened…
#20
fs_lairz
fs_lairz
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Posted 22 February 2007 - 01:57
The ship was cast off and turned itself into the currents that lead south, to the great port of Laulau. Birds above were migrating north, white long necked creatures heading north for fish in the temperate seas, crows and ravens flew south, even this far north sensing the carnage unfolding in the south.
The white haired captain, Lairz was barking orders as he stalked accros his ship which at the last minute had been loaded up with several dozen barrels of salted pork, his second in command the amazon Yenna had secured a transport contract from an Imperial quartermaster at the last minute. The deck was crowded, not only had the man named Kufu joined the crew, but Lairz had allowed an farmer couple with their teenage daughter to join the voyage for a pitance and a couple of the chickens from the cages they were carrying. An ancient old wizend man had also hobbled aboard, possibly on the way to some monastry, as did another young man who had the look of a snobby imperial clerk about him, standing ridgedly tall with peaked cap. Who knows where he needed to go in such a hurry, but he'd paid a good sum for use of the spare cabin. Such people were sometimes found loitering around docks, waiting for the next leaving ship.
The farmer looked lost, and asked as Jan Finger walked past checking the lines.
"E-Excuse me? Where will we be sleeping? We've been traveling all night and my wife is very ill"
The blond haired man looked over them with disgust, he hated it when the captain let such charity cases on board.
"You'll be sleeping wherever you can find a space on deck. What? You were expecting a cabin? We've only got two and the speccy over there's paid alot for the spare one. I'm not sure if you noticed but this ain't a Pleasure Junk, and the hold is gonna be pretty full." he then got a closer look at their daughter as he caught a flash of her thigh from under her peasant roabs, he smiled a sickly smile.
"You on the other hand, I might be able to make space for on my bunk. Eh little girl? You ever felt what a man with six fingers can do?" Jan said as he showed off his left hand, the girl recoiled in horror as sure enough, there beside the pinky, a sixth, long bony finger reached out to her. In the back ground Kurt was laughing.
Then Jan noticed the other new arrival, the one called Kufu, out of the corner of his eye, looking at him with an unreadable expression. Jan frowned.
"What are you lookin at pretty boy?"
"Jan leave the paying passengers alone and do the lines on the Port side before I tear that finger off and stick it somewhere personal." It was Yenna, her massive, perfectly toned form standing on the back cabin looking down. Jan stared dangerously at her, then sneered as he turned away.
"Huh, not allowed any fun on this boat."
It was then that Sai stepped out, wearing a perfectly white dress she walked to the prow and stared out. Jan stared hungrily at her.
"none at all" he whispered hungrily, then went about his work.
***
Yenna frowned at the lank haired Jan, then turned her attention to the lad named Kufu, he was a strange one, initially seemingly a bit akward he was quite comfortable on the water, and his sword looked serious enough. He also was seemingly unable to take his eyes off Sai. Mind you, the imperial clerk seemed to be experiencing the same problem. That girl with her jet black hair and pale skin would cause them all alot of problems one day.
"Hey you, Kufu, stop gawping at come coil some rope! And you, cap man, you too, just coz you paid doesn't mean you don't work!"
***
Lairz stepped out of his cabin, happy once again to feel his ship coming to life, it would be a three day voyage to Laulau, but he was confident the Ellenai would make it in two. The peasant family were attempting to take up as little space as possible, as was the tiny old man who'd asked to come aboard so politely. The man who he'd mentally called clerk, because of his pretentious cap and his tiny copper rimmed glasses looked unused to physical labour and seemed in a bad mood. He looked again at the man named Kufu, now dillagently working. Tonight once everything was settled down he's speak to him, but now he needed to go sort out his hold. There was nothing better than having a full ship, and nothing so time consuming.
"Yenna, keep an eye on things up here"
He went down, then got a familier itching in the back of the neck, in a week or so it would be another full moon, they'd better be deep at sea before that happend.
It would be a rushed visit to Laulau, he hoped the voyage was uneventful.
The white haired captain, Lairz was barking orders as he stalked accros his ship which at the last minute had been loaded up with several dozen barrels of salted pork, his second in command the amazon Yenna had secured a transport contract from an Imperial quartermaster at the last minute. The deck was crowded, not only had the man named Kufu joined the crew, but Lairz had allowed an farmer couple with their teenage daughter to join the voyage for a pitance and a couple of the chickens from the cages they were carrying. An ancient old wizend man had also hobbled aboard, possibly on the way to some monastry, as did another young man who had the look of a snobby imperial clerk about him, standing ridgedly tall with peaked cap. Who knows where he needed to go in such a hurry, but he'd paid a good sum for use of the spare cabin. Such people were sometimes found loitering around docks, waiting for the next leaving ship.
The farmer looked lost, and asked as Jan Finger walked past checking the lines.
"E-Excuse me? Where will we be sleeping? We've been traveling all night and my wife is very ill"
The blond haired man looked over them with disgust, he hated it when the captain let such charity cases on board.
"You'll be sleeping wherever you can find a space on deck. What? You were expecting a cabin? We've only got two and the speccy over there's paid alot for the spare one. I'm not sure if you noticed but this ain't a Pleasure Junk, and the hold is gonna be pretty full." he then got a closer look at their daughter as he caught a flash of her thigh from under her peasant roabs, he smiled a sickly smile.
"You on the other hand, I might be able to make space for on my bunk. Eh little girl? You ever felt what a man with six fingers can do?" Jan said as he showed off his left hand, the girl recoiled in horror as sure enough, there beside the pinky, a sixth, long bony finger reached out to her. In the back ground Kurt was laughing.
Then Jan noticed the other new arrival, the one called Kufu, out of the corner of his eye, looking at him with an unreadable expression. Jan frowned.
"What are you lookin at pretty boy?"
"Jan leave the paying passengers alone and do the lines on the Port side before I tear that finger off and stick it somewhere personal." It was Yenna, her massive, perfectly toned form standing on the back cabin looking down. Jan stared dangerously at her, then sneered as he turned away.
"Huh, not allowed any fun on this boat."
It was then that Sai stepped out, wearing a perfectly white dress she walked to the prow and stared out. Jan stared hungrily at her.
"none at all" he whispered hungrily, then went about his work.
***
Yenna frowned at the lank haired Jan, then turned her attention to the lad named Kufu, he was a strange one, initially seemingly a bit akward he was quite comfortable on the water, and his sword looked serious enough. He also was seemingly unable to take his eyes off Sai. Mind you, the imperial clerk seemed to be experiencing the same problem. That girl with her jet black hair and pale skin would cause them all alot of problems one day.
"Hey you, Kufu, stop gawping at come coil some rope! And you, cap man, you too, just coz you paid doesn't mean you don't work!"
***
Lairz stepped out of his cabin, happy once again to feel his ship coming to life, it would be a three day voyage to Laulau, but he was confident the Ellenai would make it in two. The peasant family were attempting to take up as little space as possible, as was the tiny old man who'd asked to come aboard so politely. The man who he'd mentally called clerk, because of his pretentious cap and his tiny copper rimmed glasses looked unused to physical labour and seemed in a bad mood. He looked again at the man named Kufu, now dillagently working. Tonight once everything was settled down he's speak to him, but now he needed to go sort out his hold. There was nothing better than having a full ship, and nothing so time consuming.
"Yenna, keep an eye on things up here"
He went down, then got a familier itching in the back of the neck, in a week or so it would be another full moon, they'd better be deep at sea before that happend.
It would be a rushed visit to Laulau, he hoped the voyage was uneventful.
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