And Justice for All... [Closed to Dissinger]

[Karuka]

All bunnies pre-approved by both parties.

The pendulum swung strongly back and forth...but very strongly forth, and a most curious sight followed faithfully along behind it. The girl was perhaps one of the oddest amalgamations of color humanity could produce, but rather than making her look freakish, it gave her an odd but exotic beauty.

She had a beautiful shade of skin -- honey brown, and perfect save for a few scars incurred during long travels. Her eyes were the clearest sky blue, with a golden halo around the pupil and an almost-white rim at the iris -- sun and sky. Her mouth was naturally pomegranate red, and the well-defined cheeks were flushed red with the simple force of life that resounded through her slender frame. Above her eyes was a small red dot -- not common to Althanas, nor even to her native land, just a unique marking on a unique girl. Finishing it all off was a mass of dark red hair that had been tied back. The overcast sky didn't show it, but golden flickers snaked through her hair in sunlight.

Her clothes were simple -- a ragged tunic and pair of pants that didn't do much more than cover her chest and from her hips to her shins, and her feet were bare. The state of her clothing revealed the final part of her that marked her as different -- a small flash of gold in the middle of her belly, the final religious touch she had from her father's culture. At her hips were a pouch -- it held her runes -- and a sword -- an heirloom from her father.

She carried a leather satchel, but didn't seem to pay it any mind as she walked, intent on finding out where she was going. She walked all through the little port town, and finally looked up when she felt wood under her feet and could hear the sound of water lapping against the docks. She saw herself almost to the boarding ramp of a boat, and shook her head at the pendulum.

"Nae, y' fin' me another dharma righ' now, I dinna ay wish t' get on th' boat."

But the pendulum, uncaring, still swung forward. To try and get a second opinion on what she should do, the lass put the pendulum back around her neck and drew two of the runes.

Lagu and Rad -- a journey over water.

She cursed vehemently in her native Gaelic, and then closed her eyes and walked straight onto the ship. She was charged for passage, but fortunately she'd made a little money between coming to Althanas and now, and she could pay for her passage.

That done, she got out of the way and looked around, fidgeting slightly. The feeling of the world bobbing under her feet made her uneasy, although she could hear the seabirds and see them flying. That was a good omen...wasn't it?

I ne'er ay learned th' omens...

The ship began its slow cast off, and at that, the red-head, until now almost-calm, panicked. She raced to the side of the vessel, but it was much too far...so she turned the other way and bolted below, going down as far as she possibly could, to the cargo area. There she hunkered down so she was wedged firmly between a barrel of something and a sack of something else. There were rats in here...she could hear them moving around. But that was okay. Better rats than waves. Rats couldn't almost drown you.

Taking a deep breath, she started chanting the Gayatri Mantra, like her father had taught her. She had no idea what it meant, but somehow focusing on the words as she said them was comforting in and of itself.

Aum Bhur Bhuva Svaha
Aum Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat, Aum

She couldn't wait for this trip to end. If it hadn't definitely been time to leave her new-found kitsune family in Akashima, she'd have remained with Doji Ki and her kits for longer...but the time had come to travel.

The red-head didn't mind traveling, she really didn't. But she DID object to the mode of transport her dharma had selected for her. As another wave bumped the bottom of the boat, she curled up even tighter and started repeating the mantra.

TRANSLATIONS

"No, you find me another dharma (destined path) right now, I don't want to get on the boat."

I never really learned the omens...

[Dissinger]

"How many errands does it take to get a good thief killed..." Seth mumbled to himself. As he walked to docks, he sighed as he moved through the crowds. He was dressed in a robe, far too warm for his tastes, and if not for the hood, he might have thrown it in his pack and been done with the damn thing. The hood kept his face in the darkest of black shadows. As he continued to move, a few people would look at him with interest and move on, far too busy to look at the figure.

That was until someone rushed forward, "Oh Father, can you please give me a blessing before our passage?"

He realized just how conspicuous brown robes where. Until then he never thought of it as this person obviously had, but he sighed as he considered his options. The gauntleted hands of his standard gear would be obvious, but he was certain he could make something up. Placing a hand on the head of the man who rushed forward he decided to try one that Liliana had often muttered for people who recognized her as a priestess. At the very least he would sound authentic and could move on unimpeded.

After all, he was wanted by the Coronian officials.

"Tsu Sanct Grav," Seth said. He wasn't sure what it meant; he just knew it sounded official, and he could get away with it. He watched as the man smiled and thanked him before he and his family ran off. Seth shook his head; religion always baffled him. Still, he moved through the port to the ship. He needed to get to Serenti, but he didn't want to deal with the ongoing Civil War that had broken out. Death wasn't his weapon anymore, not since his parents...

Moving up the ship, he paid the gold to board and climbed on deck. As the ship got underway he saw a small girl run off, her red hair trailing behind her almost as if her head itself was on fire. Raising an eyebrow, still unseen by the rest of the people, he decided she was sick of some sort, and felt his own stomach quiver in resistance to the vessel's own motion. Sighing, he moved to the edge of the ship, more than certain the couple of mugs of ale he had this morning would find their way out of his system.

He didn't have to wait long before he felt his stomach purge and he was left hunched over the side of the ship. A few of the sailors would walk by patting his back and making crude jokes about his constitution. They had no idea how ironic that statement was. Still, he wiped his mouth with the back of his robes before he sighed and waited for further purging, so he could just enjoy the trip.

Translation of the Dictas:

Your Holy Field

[Karuka]

The red-headed girl emerged from the depths of the hold sometime later, having finally recited the mantra enough to come to peace with being at sea, at least for the time being. The boat still bounced up and down on the waves, much like that one boat had long ago...up and down, side to side, gentle motions, and Karuka wished fervently for the trip to be over.

She didn't dislike the ocean, far from it -- just so long as she wasn't on a boat. The rocking of it on the water brought back all the terror from twelve years before, laughing with and being laughed at by the adults and having fun...a sudden bump...

Nae, I'll nae think o' tha'. I've been safely on a boat so many times here. I'll nae think o' tha'.

But she still couldn't bring herself to go over to the side. She saw some crew going about their business, some other passengers walking around...if people glanced at her ragged form, it was only out of pity or curiosity...with the occasional lecherous gaze from a sailor. She ignored them, though, and they left her alone. She finally found a place to sit, and did so, relaxing somewhat -- more forcing herself to remain relaxed, really.

Norns, why didja ay bring me here?

She drew three runes -- a common cast. She'd been taught it as "Asking the Norns" by he old woman who had served as her mentor a long time ago. She thought it was a rather simple cast, but why give something so simple a long name?

The answer for her query came as such: Rad, Tir, Geoff.

Rad -- the rune of motion, of travel. It was her dharma to go somewhere. She could accept that it was her dharma to travel. Over sea was the hard part.

Tir -- the rune of battle. There would be violent conflict, likely in the form of open battle. She sighed...she didn't like combat in the least. She wasn't even any good at it. And to fight at sea...the very prospect nauseated her.

Geoff -- Geoff could have many different meanings, ranging from romantic love to a business partnership. Now, love was the furthest thing from Karuka's mind...she neither wanted nor needed a man. But she had no use for a business partner...so the only interpretation she could gather was to make a friend. Well, maybe. The future was mutable, after all.

I wish I knew some details, instead o' th' vague "yer s'posed t' travel an' figh' an' meet somebody."

She took off the pendulum, letting it swing around. For the briefest moment, it swung to where the ship's nose was pointing...but then it did a curious thing. The polished hematite made an infinity loop and then crossed it before swinging ahead of the ship and off to the side.

I wonder what tha' means.

Translations

>>>No, I won't think of that. I've been on a boat so many times without coming to misfortune. I won't think of that.<<<

>>>Norns, why did you bring me here?<<<

>>>I wish I knew some details, instead of the vague "you're supposed to travel and fight and meet somebody."<<<

>>>I wonder what that means.<<<

[Dissinger]

He recovered admirably as the robes continued to hide his visage. He grumbled about Fate and the talking to she was in for. He was sure that Fate was a woman, for it took a special kind of sass to be this big a bitch. As he remained on the side of the ship she leaned against the railing as he looked about the ship. Immediately, the gaudy-looking woman with the red hair he had seen earlier, caught his eye.

He studied her a bit, taking in her garb, lack of shoes, and other things before he sighed. Gypsy was the best he could figure, though he doubted she was Revanian. He hadn't seen a Revanian gypsy since a festival when he was twelve. They tended to travel the world, and hid themselves away, the last true heirs to Revan's Legacy, other than the Lavinians. Still, seeing one so close, even if not truly from his homeland was refreshing.

She seemed to be looking at stones, much like he had seen the fortunetellers of the Revanians do countless times. Flawlessly they predicted outcomes to festival events and actually prevented a theft from the bazaar. He wasn't sure if it was the same thing, but all together he was certain it wasn't his business as he looked amongst the others. A few women and children dotted the ship, something that caused him to smirk. It seemed old traditions were fading as women became more prominent on ships. As was evidenced by the women who were even allowed aboard the ship, despite rumors of bad luck.

However, he realized he was beginning to get distracted, and as helpful as it was to his stomach he had to remind himself why he was here. A brown haired woman, she had to be part celestial for there was no way someone could have that much patience, had told him to go to Serenti and check for passage to other places. While he had planned on the land route, she had insisted the sea route if only to keep her from fretting. He had caused her enough worry, he wasn't about to start giving her more. So, he went despite his rather reticent demeanor towards any travel by boat, and decided to explore ahead for her.

And here he was checking for passage to Otaria Port via Serenti by sailing around Corone and waiting to get back. Apparently Radasanth had finally given up on sending ships anywhere near Revan and refused to do the service. It meant he would have to figure out a way to reach Otaria, one way or the other. As he shuddered softly he felt the energies of Sin Harvest swirling through him, begging release. Moving swiftly if only to stop their pooling from distracting him he felt the first step like a lightning bolt, discharging the gathered energy. It was not good to allow that particular spell to charge, if only to prevent himself from using it cruelly.

It was just another reminder of how far he had to go to atone. There were too many spells, too much blood, too many lives. Perhaps one day he could call it even, trade lives for the blood he had spilled by saving them. Still, he was far too steeped in debt, a blood debt he owed to the brown haired priestess who had sent him here. He chuckled as he remembered how stern she had been with him. Had it been any other person, they would have gotten a fist for their trouble, but she had that authority that he couldn't deny. He did after all owe his very continued existence to her.

He shook his head, looking out on the horizon and sighing. It was at least a two day sail to Serenti Port. That meant a rather dull overnighter to Serenti, check for passage then a trip back to get her. As he continued to watch the horizon he sighed, figured he spied yet another ship making its pass through the murky waters. Bored, he drummed his fingers on the side of the ship and began to check the water. The robes slipped, revealing the gauntleted hand hiding under the robes. He was oblivious to it all, remaining calm, just idly trying to pass time between bouts of sea sickness.

[Karuka]

The girl had nothing to say to anyone for once. She knew no one and of no one, and she was just on the boat because her dharma apparently hated her. She didn't know where she was going or why she was going there. All the runes had told her was that she was taking a journey over water.

Oh, and she would get to fight. Why? What was the purpose? Why was all this conflict coming to her when she hated conflict so and would like nothing better than to get along with everyone?

After all, it was best to try and understand someone before judging him. Most people, no matter what their past or their reputation, had something about them that was admirable. And even among the few people she had come to detest in her short lifetime, the girl had found admirable qualities in everyone she had met thus far. Granted, there were individuals in whom she would rather overlook those qualities...but then they would be right in overlooking any good qualities that she might have.

If I ha' any a' 'tall. She sighed. Yer thinkin' too much. Go an' see if some'un wants t' talk.

Standing gingerly, the slip of a figure made her way across the deck. Most people were talking to someone they knew and looked at her warily, doubtlessly thinking she was some sort of vagabond.

Just as well, she supposed. She wasn't against the law, and never had been. But she wasn't familiar with the customary laws of the land, or of the social traditions of its people. She was lost and alone in this world, and felt more and more confused by the day. She didn't even have a purpose but to wander, and that bothered her.

She looked around again, trying to find some company. Maybe talking to someone would help quell her doubts, or at the very least quiet them. There was only one solitary figure on deck, and he was leaning against the side of the ship. He looked like he was having a rough time of it.

Poor fella. Mus' ay be horrible t' get motion sickness. Karuka had never experienced sea sickness. The way the ship moved, up and down on the waves, wasn't too dissimilar to the way tree branches moved in the wind, and she'd spent as much time as she possibly could in Odin's sacred oak.

In any event, it would likely do him some good to have someone to talk to, and it would do her good to start trying to seek out that friend she was supposed to make. Having made up her mind, she tried to step forward, but found that her foot wouldn't budge. It was always so hard to move toward the edge of a ship. The center felt safer.

C'mon, 'twillna bitecha. 'Twill. Na. Firmly telling herself to go forward accomplished very little. She had about as much desire to approach the side of the ship as the stranger did to leave it. And with her alone at the center and him alone at the railing, if one of the two didn't move the chances of them meeting were extremely low.

Grumbling, the girl looked down at her feet. 'Twould ay be easy if they did wha' I tol' 'em t' do, an' nae wha' I really wan'ed 'em t' do.

"Hey, sweet thing," came a voice from behind her as a pair of arms slipped around her slender waist. "You come alone?"

Sailors...crude and lecherous, especially to a woman who looked like she had no one to protect her.

"If y' wish t' keep yer jaunty attitude, ye'll ay le' me go now." She wrinkled her nose...this man had been drinking. It wasn't a good ale, it was a cheap one, and hung rancidly on this sailor's breath.

Instead of letting her go, the sailor pulled her closer. "Come on, sweet thing. We'll have fun."

That was just too much. "I've ay quite enou' company. QUITE enou'." With that, she lifted her arm as far up as it would go and slammed it down, hitting the sailor in the groin -- not as hard as she'd have liked. He dropped her, flinging her to the deck, but she was up like a bolt of lightning. Karuka didn't like to fight, but when pressed to it, she was a scrappy little thing.

"You BITCH," he spat. "You'll pay for that." He lunged toward her, but he was drunk, clumsy and angry, and the red-headed lass was sober, agile and irate.

I a'mos' feel bad abou' this...

As the sailor barreled toward her, her fist came up and lashed out, hard enough to send the sailor reeling. Other members of the crew, seeing this scuffle, decided to not risk the ship's reputation by letting the altercation continue, and dragged their drunk comrade below to sleep it off.

The girl rubbed her hands over her belly, as though to try and rub away where the sailor had touched. On the plus side, being thrown around made it easier to move on her own, and she started approaching the lone man at the railing of the ship.

She got closer, and the only thing she could notice about him were the big brown robes he was wearing. She couldn't see any of his features, save that he wasn't much taller than she was. She paused at the side a moment before leaning a bit on the ship's broad side as well. What if he didn't want company? What if he just wanted to be left alone? Well, he could tell her to go away if he wanted to be miserable all by himself, and that made up Karuka's mind.

"Hallo," she offered as a greeting. "I'm Karuka...an' y' look like yer ay havin' a rough time o' i'."

Translations

>>>If I have any at all. ... You're thinking too much. Go see if someone wants to talk.<<<

>>>Poor fella. Must be horrible to get motion sickness.<<<

>>>C'mon, it won't bite you. It. Will. NOT.<<<

>>>It would be easy if they did what I told 'em to do, and not what I really wanted 'em to do.<<<

"If you wish to keep your jaunty attitude, you'll let me go now."

"I have quite enough company. QUITE enough."

>>>I almost feel bad about this...<<<

"Hello. I'm Karuka, and you look like you're having a rough time of it."

[Dissinger]

Seth sighed wearily, relaxing a bit while remaining in place and fought the battle of his roiling stomach. While he appreciated the concerns of the many, he was getting irritated by the time the fifth sailor made a quip about getting his sea legs. He knew by now he didn't have sea legs, they were just a myth. All he could do was stand there, frustrated, and unable to even pull a dagger to at least vent his frustration by threatening the next idiot to comment on his apparent illness. His robes had no frontal opening, making it hard to defend himself if he got dragged into a fight.

As he remained there, his ears began to work to make up for his lack of sight. His eyes still closed as he fought the rising tide of nausea, while his ears drifted through conversations. Some where trivial, a few were serious, and one, one almost made him rip off the robes right there. Deep within his chest he felt a red hot rage begin to form as a sailor tried to push himself upon someone. The thick accent of a woman pushing through his skull as he opened his eyes and began to look and stopped his gaze upon the tussle.

The sailor was damn lucky the girl had been the only one to land blows on him. Nothing angered Seth more than the assault of a woman, no matter how well off they were. As he flexed his gauntleted hand into a fist, the leather squeaked in protest as he tried to keep his temper in check. He didn't know her, but she did look like the gypsy from earlier. The accent was nothing like a Revanian's from what he remembered, but she was strong-willed, like the Revanians. He was proud to notice that, even more so when the sailor was pulled away.

Leaning against the railing, he noticed the nausea had left him when his anger had taken over. It was something he was slightly curious about, but he chalked it up to the adrenaline of almost attacking the man outright. Relaxing his hand, he remained still until the mysterious girl showed up beside him, speaking of his sea sickness. While he was a bit edgy he decided not to take it out on the recently accosted girl, if only because he couldn't reach his daggers, and she had already gained his sympathy from her assailant. All he knew was he was going to get these damn robes tailored to open in the front, and fast next time.

Clearing his throat, he spoke, his voice gravelly from the continuous retching, "Never did like boats, usually don't get along with breakfast, or any meal for that matter."

He made light of the situation if only to assuage her concern. He felt a bit protective of the girl after what had just occurred. Perhaps it was this that prevented him from just brushing her off. He pulled a water pouch out from his satchel, taking a greedy sip and felt the water soothe the parched skin of his throat. He then glanced over her body critically, as one would gauge an opponent before he said, "You certainly handled yourself well, but I have to ask, you okay? They certainly have a way of coming on a bit...strong..."

He let the words trail off as he made the offer of help. Perhaps he was a bit protective of women, especially those around her age. Liliana, after all, seemed close to her in age and height. Then again she was also far more reserved and collected, having worn robes most of her her life that strictly said "Off limits." Humorously enough, those robes didn't seem to apply for him anymore. He quickly dismissed the thoughts of his friend and lover as he focused back to the present, waiting for the red head's response.

[Karuka]

She had seen the man turn and look when the sailor had grabbed her, and knew he had only turned back over to the side of the ship as the drunk had been carted away. And even though she had been more focused on getting OUT of that grip, she had seen the angry clench of his fist and felt his disgusted rage toward the sailor.

Now she saw his dark eyes scrutinizing her critically. He prolly thinks I deserve what I almos' got, bein' dressed like this...but I dinna ha' anythin' else, an' 'tis too ay hot ou' fer th' cloak, an' too dry fer th' canvas.

But then he made a mention of the attack, how the sailor had come on "strong." The girl couldn't help but laugh, even though his tone had been kind, almost as if he were offering to help her. What she might need help with now, though, she couldn't say, unless it was just someone to talk to.

"A drunken sailor dinna ay ha' anythin' on a drunken berserker, an' sometimes y'd see them, where I come from," she explained. "I'm nae exactly as vulnerable as I look...an' perha' I'm jus' a wee bi' more trouble."

She grinned, looking over the side for a moment, just for a moment forgetting...but then a wave bumped the ship and she flinched back as though struck, before edging back over to the side reluctantly. Hopefully it wouldn't be long until they reached port. But she knew better. The runes had told her there'd be trouble, and she'd never been wrong on a dangerous reading before.

"I dinna ay like boats..." she muttered, drawing a rune and looking at it. "Hagall...a storm's comin'." The red-head glanced anxiously in the direction the ship was going and then looked down, brushing a bit at her battered and bloodstained tunic. Her anxious look held for only a few seconds before she grinned again and looked back up at the robed man.

"Y' dinna still wish t' be sea sick when th' storm hits. I've a wee spell that'll help y' get better, but it takes an hour or so fer it t' really work."

She paused a moment, and then shook her head. A man in a robe isnae in a robe because he trus's people t' ha' good intentions.

"Lemme e'splain. I dinna come from Althanas. I come from a wee planet called...well, th' differen' people call i' differen' things, bu' 'ventually it'll ay be called 'earth' in th' language o' th' Angles, which speak th' same language as mos' people here seem t' speak, Anglish. I come from a wee isle t' th' north o' tha', Erin, or Irelan'. I dinna speak Anglish orig'nally, I spake Gaelic, so I know I soun' moren' a wee bit funny t' y'. Mi people are th' Celts, th' Druidae, t' be precise. I dinna' learn ev'rythin', or much o' anythin' a' 'tall...bu' I know a few wee spells, an' Daeg is aon o' 'em. I' grad'ually helps t' make thin's better. An' I b'lieve if I say th' spell righ', it'll ay help y' feel better."

She smiled, an honest smile, and so bright it could have replaced moonlight, had it been night at the time.

"Yer th' firs' person t' speak nicely t' me in trì days, an' I'd like t' thank y' fer tha'."

TRANSLATIONS

>>>He probably thinks I deserve what I almost got, being dressed like this...but I don't have anything else, and it's too hot out for the cloak, and too dry for the canvas.<<<

"A drunken sailor doesn't have anything on a drunken berserker, and sometimes you'd see them, where I come from. I'm not exactly as vulnerable as I look...and perhaps I'm just a little bit more trouble."

"I don't like boats... ... Hagall...a storm's coming."

"You don't still and to be sea sick when the storm hits. I have a wee spell that'll help you get better, but it takes an hour or so for it to really work."

>>>A man in a robe isn't in a robe because he trusts people to have good intentions.<<<

"Let me explain. I don't come from Althanas. I come from a little planet called...well, the different people call it different things, but eventually it'll be called 'earth' in the language of the Angles, which speak the same language as most people here seem to speak, English. I come from a little island to the north of that, Erin, or Ireland. I'm not a native English speaker, I speak Gaelic, so I dknow I' sound more than a little strange to you. My people are the Celts -- the Druidds, to be precise. I didn't learn everything, or much of anything at all, but I know a few spells, and Daeg is one of them. It gradually helps to make things better. And I believe if I say the spell right, it'll help you feel better."

"You're the first person to speak nicely to me in three days, and I'd like to thank you for that."

[Dissinger]

She exploded, her voice washing over him as she spoke quickly. While the few short sentences she spoke were manageable to his ears, he only caught a few things. A storm was coming, she wasn't from Althanas, and she apparently wanted to cure the sea sickness. Remaining still, he thought it over and sighed, bringing a gauntleted hand to his forehead. The metal plates refused to shine in what little light was left, as he saw the darkening clouds in the distance.

Rubbing his temple, he wondered just what warranted his current situation from the ever cruel Goddess of Fate, towards whom was fast increasing his list of complaints towards. As he let the hand drop the sleeves of the robe once again hid the piece of armor, one of only three he owned, the others its twin and the leather vest. The daggers on his belt clinked softly and he sighed, wishing to be rid of the robes. He hated hiding, it always made him feel so guilty.

As he heard the distant rumblings of the clouds he sighed as he said softly, "I don't fear the storm, I fear what it hides. Too many things like to hide where others are afraid to go..."

Yeah, you're certainly an authority there... The voice that rang in his head wasn't his, nor was it Liliana chiding him for his guilty demeanor. The voice was gruff and stern, as stern as the day he had encountered it for the first time. The owner hid within the bracelet that wrapped around the wrist of his ever-covered hand. It wasn't that he didn't use the hand ever, it was more that he didn't want to let anyone identify him.

Still, Karel Dahlios, voice of the Changeling Amulet, seemed to come out of his slumber as Seth looked at the girl. Sighing, he thought back towards the amulet, more than sure it would pick up the thoughts Do you always have to pick the most random times to jump in and insult me? Its almost like you have a list of things to do, and at the top everyday is annoy the living hells out of me.

Someone has to call you on being an idiot and a coward.

Next time you feel like talking up, don't. Seth's response was cold and distinct as he realized he probably looked weird for not talking for awhile.

He then looked at her as he decided what to do. The sea sickness would only get worse as he hid on the boat during the storm. His only other option was to simply accept the help. However, he needed to know more about this alleged method. So, he cleared his throat as he spoke to her calmly, "Exactly how does this process work?"

[Karuka]

The silence was starting to become a little awkward. He had made mention of something hiding in the storm, and then fallen silent. Maybe he really did want her to go away.

Where others are ay afrai' t' go...Hagall now...Tir before...somethin's comin', ay...why does mi dharma ay hate me? I've ne'er done anythin' t' i'.

That musing done, she waited more for the man's response to her offer, but none seemed forthcoming...instead, he had his hand over his eyes. She stood there a few moments, resisting the urge to fidget.

Poor fella...either he's havin' an ay bad time o' i', or he dinna un'erstan' e'en aon word I jus' said, OR he dinna trus' tha' I ha' good intentions. Or I'm too annoyin' an' I talk too much. I shoul' try slowin' down wha' I sai', an' maybe then he'll be able t' answer.

She was about to do just that, when he finally looked up and spoke to her, asking what, exactly, the spell entailed. Now that, she could answer...and she made sure to speak slowly this time.

"Well, t' begin, I ask aon o' th' gods t' give me th' power t' help y'...pro'bly Nuada. An' then I will th' effects t' y', which means tha' o'er time...like an hour...perha' dha, you'll feel better. If y' choose t' nae b'lieve, 'twillnae work a' 'tall...more'n half o' th' spell is faith. On th' other han'...y' coul' stop fightin' th' movemen'. Y' dinna like nae havin' solid groun' un'er yer feet, so yer stiffenin' up an' tryin' t' force th' groun' t' feel stable, when 'tisnae, an' yer stomach gets upset. Th' sea has t' move...jus' like th' res' o' us."

Translations

>>>Where others are afraid to go...Hagall now...Tir before...something's coming, yes...why does my dharma hate me? I've ne'er done anything to it.<<<

>>>Poor fellow...either he's having a very bad time of it, or he didn't understand even one word I just said, OR he doesn't trust that I have good intentions. Or I'm too annoying and I talk too much. I should try slowing down what I said, and maybe then he'll be able to answer.[/i]

"Well, to begin, I ask one of the gods to give me the power to help you...probably Nuada. And then I will the effects of the spell to you, which means that over time...like an hour, maybe two, you'll feel better. If you choose not to believe, it won't work at all...more than half of the spell is faith. On the other hand...you could stop fighting the movement. You don't like not having solid ground under your feet, so you're stiffening up and trying to force the ground to feel stable, when it isn't, and your stomach gets upset. The sea has to move...just like the rest of us."

[Dissinger]

Seth listened to the explanation for a while. She slowed her speech and enunciated her words more precisely, as if she picked up on his need to filter out her accent. While he was thankful for the help, he sighed and pondered just what that help would entail. It sounded very much like what Liliana did when she called upon her gods for help. However, Seth wasn't one for divinity and faith. His spirit had been shattered and broken long ago, and he was now picking up the pieces in an effort to recover it. As he considered what letting such an act upon him would do, he came to one conclusion: he didn't trust the gods any further than he could throw them.

Chuckling as she explained why he was so sick, he said with a tone that held more of the pride that it had held in the past, ...

Well that was a rather responsible way to phrase it... Karel's voice once again piped up.

Seth sighed, mumbling, "The things I go through some days..." He then turned to the girl, patting her on the shoulder.

"Stay away from drunken sailors. If you need help, just shout 'Seth.' I'll be there faster than you'd imagine." He then moved past her to a new part of the ship, wading through the crowds. The clouds were gathering overhead as the sun was beginning its westerly journey to the horizon. He looked toward it briefly with a light sigh. It looked as if the sun was melting into the ocean, its golden colors dipping into the waters.

Still, her outgoing demeanor made him smile a bit and he whispered to himself, "Don't ever lose that innocence kid, I'd hate to think of a world without it..."

[Karuka]

Karuka watched the man go his own way, and decided that it probably wouldn't be best to follow him, especially after the muttered "the things I have to put up with some days." She sighed softly, leaning against the side of the ship.

He's certainly an interestin' person, this Seth. 'Twere ay like he were annoyed t' e'en be near t' me, an' then 'twere like he dinna min'...an' then he dinna wan' any help an' went away, bu' offered t' help f I got int' more trouble wi' th' sailors...he's pro'lly a nice sort o' a guy tha' dinna want t' be messed wi', an' dinna want any'un else messed wi', as well...bu' th' gloves...I dinna doubt he coul' be dangerous if he wan'ed t'. ... An' th' look in those eyes...I've seen eyes like those a'fore...

The sky crackled and huge droplets started to fall down towards the ship and sea. Hastily, Karuka started digging through her satchel for her water-resistant canvas. Within moments, the storm was a deluge, and Karuka just sighed, flipping the cover back over her leather satchel, accepting the fact that she'd just be soaked. To get the canvas would be to wet the cloak, which was never a good thing with wool concerned. She grinned a little. Aside o' tha'...I canna ay get much wetter than after th' nex' few momen's.

She went back to resting her head on the side of the ship, closing her eyes as waves started buffeting the ship and making it rock. Her entire form tensed up when a particularly big wave rocked the ship particularly hard, and a few tears of fear made their way down her face. A bump had presaged that one boat capsizing long ago, and she couldn't help but fear a repeat of that day. All she could do was grip to the side of the ship, shivering and feeling her heart pound in her chest.

Why d' mi dharma HATE me? she whined inwardly.

The thunders crashed around them, and most people had gone below to escape the rain. Karuka stayed above. She didn't mind being soaked through, and if she was going to die today, she'd rather face her death under the open sky.

After not even an hour of the storm, a muffled boom sounded in the distance, and Karuka straightened up, gripping harder to the vessel's side. 'Twerena thunder.

Fear forgotten, Karuka reached into her rune pouch and retrieved a pair of runes. The meaning could not be clearer -- Tir Jara. The time for battle had come.

Oh no...

There was another boom, and something whizzed across the bow of the ship, making a loud splash not far off the side of the ship.

"BRING HER 'ROUND," shouted the captain, even as the crew started moving on their own to do so. The maneuver wasn't the right answer, as far as the enemy ship was concerned, and the next shell crashed into the side of the sleek little passenger ship.

The ship bucked, throwing Karuka roughly to the deck and pinning her against the wall until the thing stopped rocking from the impact. Looking to the west, she slowly climbed to her feet and felt her blood freeze.

She could see it, monolithic and malevolent like one of the giants from the old tales. It sent a shudder down her slender form. Already grappling hooks were crossing between ships and hardy forms were crossing over, lecherous and licentious. They weren't after the cargo the ship carried...they were after the people.

There was chaos on deck now, as people below had rushed up as the shell had hit. The first pirate over grabbed a child from its mother, both of them screaming, and another one grabbed the woman, holding a sword to her throat and starting to drag her away.

Karuka felt rage start to burn within her scrawny figure. She knew that slavery was a fact of life. She had known people that had owned slaves even in Ireland, and she'd been threatened with it on multiple occasions. But she'd never been anywhere near a slave raid, and although she'd been cold just moments before, she felt hot rage set her ablaze.

'Tisna right.

She was already moving, running, and she was going to do her warrior ancestors proud; she didn't care at what cost. They were on the other side of the ship, but slipping and sliding over the slick deck, she would get there.

On her way, something caught her eye. It was just an ordinary mop, but she snatched it, continuing to run. Bouncing up on various boxes and barrels like a little monkey, she rushed toward the mother and child. The last place she reached before she reached the hostage-bearing pirates was seven feet in the air and ten feet away. Ten feet was nothing. Karuka planted the end of the mop on the edge of the surface and shoved off, letting the momentum and winds carry her a little bit.

She landed nearest the pirate with the child, and slammed the mop's head onto his with all the force a hundred and ten pounds of Rage-With-A-Mop could muster, and then lunged, slamming the end into the other pirate's forehead. Now her element of surprise was gone, but she'd achieved her goal. Both pirates dropped their charges and brandished their swords at the soaking red-head.

"She'll fetch a price at the block," one sneered.

"Might have to be broken first," the other one responded as they started in, swiping at her.

Karuka didn't budge, holding her mop like a spear. Her eyes flashed blue fire, and her voice came out as a vengeful growl. "I'll nae suffer y' an' yer ilk t' harm innocen' people."

Elsewhere on deck, the passengers were in a state of panic, not helped much by commercial sailors who hadn't the slightest idea how to fight.

TRANSLATIONS

>>>He's certainly an interesting person, this Seth. It was like he was annoyed to even be near me, and then it was like he didn't mind...and then he didn't want any help and went away, but offered to help if I got into any more trouble with the sailors...he's probably a nice sort of a guy that doesn't want to be messed with, and doesn't want anyone else messed with, as well...but the gloves...I don't doubt he could be dangerous if he wanted to. ... And the look in those eyes...I've seen eyes like those before...people who knew...and yet, didn't.<<<

>>>Aside from that...I can't get much wetter than after the next few moments.<<<

>>>Why does my dharma HATE me?<<<

>>>That wasn't thunder.<<<

>>>It isn't right.<<<

"I won't allow you and your ilk to harm innocent people."

[Dissinger]

As the rains began above ship Seth was sitting down in the galley all by himself. In his hands was a small biscuit given to hi by one of the cooks in order to help him overcome the queasy feeling of his stomach. Much thankful for a remedy he wanted, he sat alone and waited. That was, until the rain came. Once it had come, people began to filter in to escape the rain, some going to sleeping areas, others going to sit down and wait for their meal to be finished preparing.

As he sat there the sounds of children and mothers quieting them he closed his eyes. He couldn't escape society no matter how hard he tried, and it certainly liked to push onto his front doorstep. Still as he sat there even he heard the thunderous boom, far removed from that of anything nature could offer. Frowning as the second one sounded he suddenly placed it when he heard a crack through the ship. Screams could be heard up on deck as two figured, drenched from the rain and armed came down into the galley.

Hysteria reigned as people scrambled to get away form the unfamiliar men. As a man rushed, a small dagger in hand he was cut down, swiftly and cruelly by the assailants. People rushed to move forward as the men laughed. It was like taking candy form a baby, especially when they crowded. Still as they began to move forward one figure stood up and forward, the robes he draped himself in hiding his features. The darkness of his cowl hid the gaze that they could feel piercing into them.

"Looks like we got ourselves a hero Frank, what should we do?" One of them said snickering. Despite the uneasy feeling he was getting he couldn’t find anything that could register a threat on the man, and once again his arrogance was taking over.

Seth spread his arms wide as the sleeves of his robes failed to keep up, letting his gauntleted hands display to his oppressors. His voice came forth, forceful and cold, "Turn around and walk out, if you don't, there will be repercussions."

Frank, the other man laughed as he turned to his pal he then spoke, "A fighter eh? He'll fetch a pretty price in an arena I'll bet. Let’s say we break this one down a notch..."

The first grinned as he spoke, "I can't argue that one. Bag the hero then the rest..."

They began to move separating themselves from each other as they tried to flank Seth. His demeanor was calm his hands not lowering as he waited for their inevitable strike. When they came out for him he ducked under the slashes for his chest as he scooped up the blade of the fallen man. As much as he hated not using his blades, with the robes in his way he couldn't reach them. So as he waited the men looked at each other then at the freshly armed Lavinian before they moved to attack again. This time they swung at different heights.

Had they realized their folly perhaps they would have stopped when he demanded. However, hindsight was twenty twenty, and as they began their move Seth was moving quickly and efficiently. Using his free hand he spoke coldly, "Times up!"

Black energy coursed down his arm coalescing and forming as he began to use the magic inherent to his blood. The malevolent energies only stopped to form a ball of purest black before being sent upon its way. The first sailor was locked, frozen in time as his friend was left to attack alone. With the threat of a handicapped fight out of the way Seth once again moved out of the way of the blade before he stabbed it powerfully into the back of his assailant. The man took only two steps before he began to cough and choke on the blood that even now began to fill his lungs. As he collapsed trying to find a way to breathed he spat blood on the ground as his friend began to move, unsure as to what had happened.

As he began to move by the thief he found Seth's arms wrapping securely around his head. The sword dropped as he tried to make him let go of the man's head, before with a savage twist the neck was broken and Frank fell lifeless to the ground. Moving to the downed form of his comrade, still hacking and sputtering, Seth saw the man had begun to reach for his sword before he stepped on the reaching hand. He then put enough pressure to make it hard to even think of moving, or believe the hand was uninjured. He looked up as he coughed again before a savage boot kick put the man out for the count.

Dropping the knife to the ground the room was deathly quiet as mothers hushed teary eyes children. Men looked on in astonished awe at how fast the demise of their opponents had come before Seth reached down and pulled the robes over his head. His leather pants, cowhide and patched repeatedly were the first glimpse of their would-be savior. The next few slowly began to fill them with dread as the belt of daggers was unfurled, followed by the leather vest, upon which a patch sat near the small of his back. A linen shirt patched and re-patched also was revealed as the loose brown hair, wild and uncared for was their final glimpse. He tossed the robes into his pack as he looked down at the men. He then spoke up loudly, "Find a place to hide, I'm going top deck."

Without even checking for their reaction he moved on heading up the stairs. The sounds of battle could be heard as he moved up to the fighting. Finally breaching through the empty doorway he saw what had happened. Countless ropes and grappling hooks had pulled their ship alongside another ship. People were fighting as the sailors worked to fight for their very lives and freedom. A glance at the other ship, at the shackles and chains that littered the deck, waiting to be used told him the story. Slavers, making use of the increased traffic due to Corone's Civil war had attacked.

Seth would be damned if they succeeded.

Hearing crying and screaming he looked across the deck to see two men beginning to circle their prey, the red head from earlier, who was wielding of all things a mop. Pulling a lung popper he threw the first one at the man who had his back to him. The man cried out as he clutched at his arm, the only thing he could get a clear aim at without risking the girl or any sailors on the deck. Seth moved swiftly across the ship making sure to draw twin daggers as he went. Pulling Ebony and Ivory form their harnesses he made sure to slash at any perceived slaver before he reached the thick of the fight with his esteemed colleague. As he slid next to the red head he spoke his words comical despite the stern tone, "If you needed a weapon you could have just asked, I got some in spades..."

[Karuka]

It was a hopeless situation, really. The crew was outnumbered even without the panic of the passengers, and Karuka had one big man on either side of her, trying to cut her down. She didn't have time to cast any of her spells...and she only had...maybe three spells that would be any good right now.

But knowing in her head that she was fighting a losing battle and knowing in her heart that she was fighting a losing battle were two matters entirely...and these men had made the mistake of crossing an Irish lassie on a bad day.

For a few moments they played the game of slash and swipe -- the men cutting in toward her only to have her lash at them with her mop.

The battle's table soon turned, however, when one of the two cried out, dropping his sword and clutching at his now-bleeding arm. Karuka slammed the mop's head into his temple, forcing the man's head to bounce off the deck hard, stunning him.

She barely had time to mostly-evade the other's blow, and a thin line of blood started trickling down her belly as the blade bit into the wood. She shoved him back as a man appeared next to her with a grin and a wise crack.

Karuka grinned, recognizing the voice. "Hallo again. Y' mus' ha' ay good precognition, I was abou' t' try callin' y'. An' Spades are all well an' good, but I'm more o' a Staves girl, misel'. Dinna trus' misel' wi' pointy objec's, an' 'tisnae hard t' beat people wi' a stick."

The downed man started to stir, and she gave him another solid whack on the head, knocking him back out.

"Aside o' tha', how d'y' clean up wi'ou' a good trusty mop?"

The other pirate, now outnumbered, gave a whistle for backup, and more pirates began crossing to swarm in on the unlikely duo.

"Like a swarm o' rats..."

Karuka almost sighed. The only good spell she had for this kind of thing would hurt EVERYONE. No other choices available to her, she took a steadier grip on her mop and waited for them to come.

Translations of the funny things my red-head says.

"Hello again. You must have very good precognition. I was about to try calling you. And while spades are all very well and good, I'm more of a Staves ((*staff = clubs in modern card decks)) sort of girl, myself. Don't trust myself with pointy objects, and it isn't hard to beat people with a stick."

"Besides, how do you clean up without a good trusty mop?"

"Like a swarm of rats..."

[Dissinger]

Seth chuckled at the rather confident reply of the red head as he waited calmly for the pirates to come. It wasn't so much that he was nervous, so much that he was anxious. This is what he craved, and this is what he felt was his calling. The fact that he could do it against those who truly deserved their deaths was the only thing that made him not bite down and try to hold back. Daggers held loosely he waited as they came across.

As the men gathered up Seth chuckled again as he said, "Good, I was afraid I'd get bored." The men looked at each other almost in confusion as the rain continued to pour, drenching his hair as the grin never left his face. The blood washed form his blades made Ivory glint in what little light was afforded by the storm. The men then moved as Seth began his dance again. The first slash of his daggers pushed a sward from away from him, and gave the man a cut he immediately dropped his sword upon. As the Pirate’s hand clutched at the arm, he groaned as he felt the pain subside form the cut.

The man didn't have long to wait as a hand balled around dagger came up to hit him squarely in the nose. Another's sword came at him as he realized his folly, the blade cutting him across the arm. Closing his eyes as he grabbed the sword he ripped it from his adversary’s grip before he flung it aside. More swords began to stab forth at him as he snaked behind the now unarmed pirate giving him an ample meat shield as the blade went into their former comrade. Shoving the body forward he checked on the girl as he ignored the bleeding cut.

"How are you holding up?" The jovial question rang out. Perhaps he had finally given into his demons, perhaps he had finally snapped under the strain. Perhaps it was the fact he had a lot of stress and anger, and finally a vent, but the battle was miraculously soothing to the thief. As he twirled the daggers he gestured for more to come upon him as he said, "Come now boys, let’s not stop the fun at two of you. I'm sure you got more balls than that."

[Karuka]

Karuka gripped her mop tightly as the pirates approached. There were so many of them...six, plus the one that had called for help making seven.

Seachd...'tis very ill...again' dha people.

And Seth...Seth looked in his element, and on the offensive as much as the pirates were. It was like he'd been born for something like thi --

Karuka jumped back, awakened from her musings by a sword-slash toward her face.

Seth had four pirates to himself, but two of them came across his blades swiftly. Three were still left to Karuka...and on a stormy day on the open sea, it was probably three too many.

The red-head stumbled slightly, regaining her balance and holding out her mop like a toreador held out his cape.

"C'mon, blackg'ards," she growled, eyes flashing blue fire. "An Irish lassie is ne'er outmatched."

They just leered at her. "Feisty. Too much so...we'll have to break her, boys." The comment was met with a series of chuckles. "She's a lovely thing, though...exotic. We'll catch a price for this one."

There'll nae be a price fer a girl they canna catch.

Karuka launched herself forward, staying down. Her pirates were caught off-guard, not expecting a slip of a girl to attack so readily.

This negligence would cost them, as Karuka slammed the end of the mop into the biggest pirate's groin, causing him to double over, before she whirled her "weapon" around, slamming the head into his head, and from there, into the deck. She may not have had as much strength as they did...but she did have proper leverage, and that pirate wouldn't be getting back up.

Seth called out to her, but she couldn't make out the question over the wind and din of the battle, and she didn't have any time to respond, as one of the pirates grabbed her from behind. He held her tightly, as though to crush her. The other got out a length of rope.

"I willna be ta'en like this." Karuka brought the mop up and over her head, whacking the pirate that was holding her on the crown. This didn't make the pirate let go...and the Irish lass heard an ominous crack from the mop as it finally started giving in to the abuse she'd put it through. She wouldn't have a weapon much longer, and it finally started sinking in that she might not be able to win this fight. Not that she wouldn't try, of course.

She smacked the other one, weakly, and he yanked the mop from her grasp, breaking it in twain before starting to bind her wrists.

"We'll have fun, you and I," he leered, "but you're going to have to wait until the raid is over."

Karuka's struggles were prevailing her naught, and she couldn't get a hand to her rune-bag to try and launch a fireball at his face.

'Twere only DHA too many, but tha's still dha too many.

Translations

>>>Seven...that's not good...against two people.<<<

"Come on, you ruffians. You can't outmatch an Irish chick!"

>>>There'll be no price for a girl they can't catch.<<<

"I won't be taken like this."

>>>It was only TWO too many...but that's still two too many.<<<

[Dissinger]

The two looked at each other as Seth remained there cockily smiling. It was refreshing to be able to be himself, without fear of consequence. While the people of the ship would surely know him, even if he was later identified they wouldn’t dare turn him in. Being rescued by someone often went a long ways towards endearing yourself to them. So while he waited the rain drizzling down his face matting his hair to his head, he looked like a child at play, in his element.

The two began to move trying to swiftly act before he sighed and blocked both sword swings. Twisting the knife he hooked a sword before he yanked trying to disarm his opponent. As the pirate fought to hold onto his blade it pulled him closer to the Magi who acted in kind, twirling as the other pirate was left swinging into the air as he tried to hedge in the thief. Now standing freely next to his victim he grinned as he stabbed Ebony deep into the man's arm.

A cry of pain split through the air as Seth pulled back form the man, letting Ebony stay, viciously left under the man's skin in the wound as he twirled Ivory. Plucking Spite from its holster he grinned as he looked at the other pirate looking with concern on his friend who even know was curled up into a ball upon the deck. As the unfortunate pirate tried to pluck the dagger from his skin he howled in pain as Ebony burned him again, for daring to touch him with his filthy hands.

"You're friends going to pass out form pain, he's the lucky one," Seth said as he lashed out with a kick bringing the other pirate within range as he slammed his boot upon the deck over the wounded pirate and stepped over the man in an attack meant to force his opponent back. As this occurred he saw the men tying up the red head, bringing about a fit of anger to his play. Plucking a lung popper from its spot he threw it with utmost precision towards the back of one of the pirates, hoping it would free her from her restraints. Even as this was done the other pirate acted, seeing the distracted nature of his foe.

The sword cut cleanly through his shirt, sending a deep gash through his arm as the blade passed through. He was damn lucky not to have been permanently disabled so deep was the cut. As he looked at the man he shrugged the arm, even as crimson began to stain his shirt, the rain unable to keep the white material clean. His eyes seemed to only magnify the hate he was feeling towards the pirates, it had started out as a game, and now was turning deathly serious. As the pirate began to charge forward, he sheathed daggers as he grabbed the sword at the hand and again at the throat.

The pirate cried out in surprise at the maneuver as he squeezed cutting it off to a tiny squeak. The pirate locked eyes with Seth as he glared at the Lavinian, only to be shocked when Seth moved forcefully slamming the man's hand to his side, forcing the sword hand to brush Ivory in its sheath. As he cried out in pain dropping his sword Seth brought his head forward with full force to the man's nose, causing a sickening crack to sound through the ship as the rain continued to fall. As he man cried in pain Seth brought a knee into his gut once, then twice to wind his opponent, before he pulled Ivory with an artistic twirl and plunged the knife into the man's chest, hilt deep, just below his blackened heart.

Shoving the man back he growled out at the pirates dealing with the girl, "You'll let her go, or I'll cut your hands off as my next trophies."

[Karuka]

The two pirates that were struggling with Karuka paused as they were threatened. This man had already taken out five of their number, and killed more readily than they did.

That hesitance was all Karuka needed. She slammed both knees into the groin of the man who was tying her hands, forcing him to double over, and then she kicked him away, before unwinding the rope.

"What are you--?" began the man holding her, even as his grip loosened, but he didn't get a chance to finish, as Karuka's nimble hands quickly formed a slipknot at the end of the rope. The fact that she had space to move only sealed the man's doom, as she whipped around, tossing the noose around his neck and yanking hard.

A vicious struggle ensued, the pirate flailing out to pummel the slender red-head with his meaty fists, and the firey Irish lassie never once letting the noose go slack. The one that had been kneed in the groin drew his blade to attack her, but glanced at the killer before him and thought better of it.

Finally, with a violent contortion, the choking sailor fell dead to the deck, and only then did Karuka relax her hold on the rope.

"Oh gods..." she staggered backwards, slipping on the wet wood and falling. She tossed the end of the rope away as though it were a vile thing.

"Oh gods...oh gods..." massive, livid bruises were rapidly forming on her body, but she didn't seem to notice any of them. Her breath came ever more shakily as the reality of what she'd just done sank into her. "I jus' killed a man..."

Translations, if anything really NEEDS translated...

"I just killed a man."

[Dissinger]

As the girl lay there huddled in disbelief at the atrocious act she had committed Seth began to step forward. His gaze unflinching as he spoke, "I'll give you five seconds to get on your ship with every last one of you, and leave, after that I don't stop killing till your ship has no crew left to sail it."

The man began to stumble backwards as a few of the sailors were empowered by the demons barbaric acts. The sailors were redoubling their efforts trying to fight as the slavers realized their prize might indeed be lost. As Seth began to count to five, his voice loud and clear one of the men on the other boat crossed over defiantly. As Seth began to move towards the man, a sound like thunder rang out through the seas as Seth felt a pain unlike any other through his leg.

Tumbling to the deck he fell flat as the man holstered the smoking gun. With another still ready in hand he shouted, "Anyone else try to be heroic they won't get the warning, they'll take a death and a trip to the bottom." Seth groaned as he tried to get back up, the man aiming his pistol as he raised an eyebrow at the spectacle. The Thief however, stood up on one leg before he tried the other only to fall to the ground again. The pirates and slavers laughed as the captain said, "I should have known a demon was aboard a vessel like this. You'll fetch a pretty price with the Otarians. I heard there was a bounty on your head...a prize catch to be sure."

Seth groaned as pain, for the first time in his life had become almost overwhelming. Looking at his leg he saw the darkened pool of water the blood seeping out of him as he lay there useless. Never before had he realized his folly, his leg felt as if the knee was gone, not even there, only replaced with a knot of pain and bone. Groaning as he tried to push up again he felt a boot hit him hard in the ribs causing him to gasp as he flipped over. He looked up to see the slaver who was still holding a gun as he held it to Seth's head, "Don’t make me fetch the dead bounty Dahlios. I know you, I know of your will and determination, but you can't stand if your legs gone. Just accept that you've been screwed lad."

Seth spat hitting the man in the face as the rain continued to wash him away. With a sigh the captain moved to stand before he said, “I always did want to say I beat the Demon. Well, here goes nothing..."

The last thing Seth saw was the boot lashing out, the last thing he felt was the toe hit his temple. He was out in one shot, unable to defend against the attack, so swift was it carried out. Two Pirates moved to pick up the unconscious Lavinian as the Captain said, "I think we've quelled their fighting spirit, chain them up and take them to storage. We need to clear their ship before any trace of us is found. Hurry, patrol will be here any moment!"

As he looked at the downed Lavinian he laughed as he said, "A fine catch indeed."

[Karuka]

The shot had snapped Karuka out of her daze, and she watched Seth fall.

Leg wound...knee. He needs ta'en care o' quickly, or he'll bleed ou'.

There was a rush to get all the potentially valuable passengers onto the pirate vessel, before they abandoned their prey and turned to some port unknown to any but themselves.

In the initial rush, the only pause taken was to relieve the prisoners of anything valuable or dangerous. the only thing Karuka had on her was a little bit of money, and they took that. "You won't be needin' that where you're goin', missy." She was left her runes -- just pebbles that she used to tell fortunes, doubtless -- and her sword was too brittle to be of any use.

Seth, of course, was relieved of all of his weapons, and then everyone was shoved into the cargo hold -- if they could walk. The two or three that were unconscious or wounded were thrown roughly in...but the worst wound sustained was the still-bleeding knee of Seth Dahlios.

Karuka checked for the strength of his heartbeat, pressing her head to the thief's chest. "Dinna die...dinna die fer tryin' t' save th' res' o' us...an' me." The words were soft, almost whispered. Karuka closed her eyes and sighed. She knew what she had to do, and she didn't like what it meant for herself.

Still...if she could help him pull through this, he had a good chance of long-term survival. On her own, she definitely had next to none. And what she had to do...well, that was common sense. Get the lead out and stop the bleeding.

She opened her satchel, taking out her canvas and her cloak. She cut a long strip from her cloak -- the worst of the tatters -- and rolled it into a small ball. A' leas' 'tis clean. An' a' leas' th' sword is still sharp enou' t' do this.

She cut another strip from the cloak, three inches wide this time. As a garment, it would only now come up to her knees. 'Twill still be better than nothin'. She cut the dressing into several pieces and folded them up, before cutting a long strip from her canvas. That would be the bandage.

"Someone hol' him down...'twill hurt if he comes t' while I try t' get this ou' o' his knee."

A couple of men held the thief's arms, and Karuka put the tattered roll of wool into his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue off if he came to while she tried to remove the bullet. She braced the leg against her side, feeling it press against fresh bruises, but she ignored her own pain, instead gently probing the wound with her fingers. No shrapnel or splinters, which was good. The blood was already starting to clot, which was better. The bullet was lodged against his bones and knee-cap, though, which was bad.

A'righ'...jus' grip th' bullet...easy, like tha'...there, an' pull i' ou'.

She yanked the bullet out, looking up to Seth's face briefly, but she still had work to do. She grabbed the first of the dressings, pressing it tightly against the wound, and then quickly and tightly wound the bandage around the wound, so that it would provide pressure.

Only when that was done did she release the leg and nod to the men to release him.

Translations

>>>Leg wound...knee. He needs to be taken care of quickly, or he'll bleed out.<<<

"Don't die...don't die for trying to save the rest of us...and me."

>>>At least it's clean. And at least the sword is still sharp enough to do this.<<<

>>>It'll still be better than nothing.<<<

"Someone hold him down. It'll hurt if he comes to while I try to get this out of his knee."

>>>Alright...just grip the bullet...easy, like that...there, and pull it out.<<<

[Dissinger]

He was already awake when he was thrown roughly into the room. People mumbled and looked at the wrecked and stripped demon, his shirt open and his dagger belt taken. His body felt as if it only consisted of his knee. As he felt hair against his chest he heard her rooting for him, trying to have him pull through. It was odd, for once not being yelled at or belittled, to be cared for. She then moved to his leg before he heard the tearing.

A piece of her cloak was shoved into his mouth before two men moved to restrain him. He could barely make out her thick accented voice, talking of it hurting before he felt ever nerve in his body alight in fire. Holding back the scream he shuddered as she fished around with her fingers, finally drawing the bullet from his injured knee. A grunt escaped his lips as he finally spat out the cloth, the men looking at him as he waited patiently watching her. Once the leg was bandaged he slid to a sitting up position, wincing slightly as he did so, aggravating his injury.

The men patted him on the shoulder, one commenting on how tough he was, before they moved to be with their families. As he looked about the room he saw it, broken hope, dashed dreams, the resignation that they could never win. The hold was filled with people all chained either sitting against one of the myriad posts holding up the upper deck, or huddled with their families, for what could have been their final moments.

Seth closed his eyes painfully as he shook his head and whispered softly, "My god did fate screw me over on this one..." He then leaned back against the post as he sighed shifting his bad leg only to hiss slightly before he looked down at it, "Had to have been the knee, not the leg or the thigh, just the knee. Figures..."

His complaint with the goddess complete he sighed as he looked at the girl who had helped him. She seemed to be holding up alright, but whether it was because she too had given up or she was still clinging to belief in him was another matter entirely. As he ran a hand through his hair he sighed as he tried to take stock of the situation. He was disarmed, with only stop out of his list of options. As useful as the spell would have been he needed another plan, and quickly.

He considered Gift of the Magi, for the first time since being shot. As useful as it would be, giving him back his knee, he couldn't afford the loss of control. Not without something to direct it at. If he was chained, it also would be pointless as he could never leave the hull of the ship. For now, he would have to bide his time. Thankful for the dressing he spoke up, "Thanks for helping me. I wish I could repay you, but it seems those bastards took my pouch. So you'll just have to take an IOU I guess."

[Karuka]

Seth wasn't restrained, as he'd barely be able to move with his knee in that condition. Besides, even if he did have his legendary powers, the pirates thought, would he dare use them against the innocents he had just been trying to help? No, and the red-head was too shell-shocked from her first kill to want to start any more trouble. So for now, they made their getaway. Prisoners would be dealt with later.

Karuka shook her head as Seth mentioned repayment.

"Y' did yer bes' t' save me...I jus' returned th' favor. An' e'en ha' this nae happened, I dinna think I'd survive long enou' fer th' cloak t' be useful again. Sit still, now...y'd dinna wan' t' hurt yersel' more'n y'already are."

She sighed, sitting against the wall and curling up so that her chin rested on her knees. Meanwhile, she slid her pendulum from her neck, letting it swing in front of her.

For now, it had no direction, just swinging idly. Didja bring me this far t' die?

She thought about doing a reading, but before she could, there was a clanking as the prison opened and a few of their captors stepped in, surveying their soggy and defeated cargo. When they finally found the captive their captain wanted, one of them sauntered over, lifting the ragged red-head roughly to her feet. She didn't resist...didn't even lift her head.

"Captain wants you...after all, he's gotta inspect the goods for sale." He leered at her -- if she didn't cooperate, she'd just be raped, first by the captain and then by the men.

"Be a good girl and fetch us a pretty penny." He batted her with the flat of his sword, trying to get her moving, and when she didn't, he gripped her by the back of the neck and shoved her forward as though she were more a sack of cold bones and meat than a person.

One of the others grabbed her, starting to yank her as well...and then she finally reacted, digging in her heels and not letting herself fall forward.

"I willna...be i' th' death o' me...I willna accept this dharma."

The proud head, features more than prominent from the long fasts the body had been forced to endure, lifted. The blue eyes that had been so warm and kind only a few minutes before, when she'd been tending to the injured Seth, were now cold and hard, and before the pirate could bring his sword to bear, she lashed out, biting his arm hard.

Immediately, Karuka could taste the man's blood -- after all, she bit her own hand for blood often enough that she knew how to best draw blood from flesh, and then a meaty fist swung down on her shoulder, ripping her away with a chunk of skin and muscle in her mouth.

This she spat out, still feeling the blood on her tongue, on her teeth and lips and face. Karuka crouched down, feral, waiting for the next to come at her.

"I willna accept this dharma fer any o' us. I've killed aon man t'day...which o' y' wants t' be th' nex'?"

She heard the murmurings of the other prisoners -- they believed she'd be killed. Of course. Of course she would die here, with no spirit from the other hale prisoners, and the only one who would have helped her unable to stand up. But she would die on her own terms.

Thunder cracked in the sky, a sort of signal for the red-head, who launched her wiry frame once more toward the bewildered pirates. Unfortunately for her, three strong men were more than a match for her slender agility, and while two held her down, the one she'd bitten grabbed at her clothes, even as she kicked and flailed.

"Now we'll have to make an example out of you. See, you rodents, what happens if you try anything. And if you men dare opposing us, your women will get the same treatment."

Translations

"You did your best to save me...I just returned the favor. And even if this hadn't happened, I doubt I'd survive long enough for the cloak to be useful again. Sit still, now...you don't want to hurt yourself more than you already are."

>>>Did you bring me this far just to die?<<<

"I will not...be it the death of me...I will not accept this dharma (fate)."

"I won't accept this dharma for any of us. I've killed one man today...which of you wants to be next?"

[Dissinger]

"You'll let her go, or I swear you'll wish you'd never been born!" Seth spat. His voice held such a commanding aura, even in his injured state. The men stopped as they looked at him, in utter disbelief as he began again to stand, using the post for balance. The one who had been bitten looked at the display of bravado before he snorted.

"Boys, I think we got ourselves a problem. Hold the girl while I take care of the whelp..." He then stood up sword in hand as he moved over to Seth, the prisoners in awe at his defiance. He then stopped as he tried to cow Dahlios, to make him bow his head in fear, "I wouldn't get up in arms boy, you're only going to get yourself hurt. Just accept your damn fate and leave it be."

"I'm on a first name basis with Fate, and let me tell you, the bitch isn't about to let it end for me now..." Seth said as he gave a sinister grin. The man growled as he swung his sword, trying to hit Seth at the shoulder, only to be surprised when his arm rose up and let the metal of sword hit the metal of his gauntlets. A spark flashed before it went out the guard realizing they should have taken his armor a moment too late. As the Guard realized his folly Seth grabbed the blade and twisted ripping it form the surprised guards grip before he flipped it so he was holding the hilt and pressed it to the man's neck.

"You honestly think this will change anything? You're still a slave now, and you'll die one too!" The man was trying to break Seth, anything he could as the men guarding Karuka let her go to draw swords. He then looked back at his comrades as he said, "You can't win this fight. Just give it up, you can't kill an entire ship full of us."

Three to one were bad odds to begin with, that much Seth knew, he would have to make his next move count, and count it would. As he closed his eyes, the sword never wavering he gripped the gift. Feeling the pain of being shot rock through him, the sickening sounds of bones popping could be heard as he fought back the scream of pain, his iron will making sure that sword never wavered in the slightest. As he finished, the gift complete and the pain fading back within tolerable levels he rose the knee that had been bandaged and ripped the bandage off, the cloth of the cloak tearing easily in his hands before he stood firmly on that leg.

He opened his eyes, now devoid of life as he spat his next words, "I may not be able to kill all of you, but you won't get to see the end of my attempt..." The slaver couldn't reply as with a deft flick of his wrist he had slashed through the man's throat spilling his blood. The two behind him were in shock as they tried to move. Seth however, used his newfound mobility to rushed forward and punched one in the face, causing him to rock back even as he clumsily slashed the other across his chest. This wasn't a dagger in his hands, but it would have to do until he got one.

A feral grin was on his face, accompanied by a sadistic chuckle as he slashed again and again at the man he had injured, causing the man to back up with numerous cuts across his chest. Finally he jabbed forward inexpertly with the blade, shoving it through the man as he finally saw the other one able to draw his blade. The man known as Demon by many only laughed as he said, "Go ahead boy, make your last move..."

[Karuka]

Karuka hadn't looked at Seth since before the pirates came in, giving him his privacy first, and then not wanting to draw the pirates' attention to him or make him feel that he needed to act in her defense while so badly injured.

When his voice lashed out against the slavers who were about to punish her, she looked as they did, watching as he stood.

"Dinna...they willna..." Only now was she afraid...not for herself, though they make her live a thousand hells before killing her. She had only just made this friend, she didn't want him hurt -- again -- for her sake. Dinna make 'em hurt y' anymore, Seth.

But then the tables turned, and suddenly not only was he armed, he was uninjured...and on the attack. She was dropped in favor of a real threat, and her fear for Seth was becoming a fear of him.

His eyes...'tis like he changed, jus' in those secon's. He wants 'em t' suffer...an' I canna see anythin' in his eyes tha' woul' bring a stop t' i' when they're dead. I need a way t' let him ou' so he dinna hurt those who dinna deserve i'...bu' I also need a way t' try gettin' a few o' th' pirates out o' th' way...fer their ain good, as well as his.

Karuka scrambled backwards as Seth finished ripping into his second pirate, drawing one of her runes. I'll jus' ha' t' trus' tha' he'll hurt th' armed 'un, afore turnin' on who e'er's nearest.

The runes had given her exactly what she wanted -- Hagall, and she turned, looking to the sky through a crack in the ceiling and the iron grating above that, even as she bit her thumb, smearing her blood and the sailor's blood on the rune's face. The need was urgent, so she didn't notice the pain, but it would hurt that much more later as her body rejected the foreign blood and remembered its injuries.

Taking a deep breath, Karuka let her focus shift from the battle to her prayer, which she started in her native Gaelic.

Father Dagda, of the Tuatha de Danaan
The sailor heard her chanting in her foreign tongue and dared a look.
Yours is the weather and the hearts of men.
A spell-caster! They had a spell-caster on board and she had her voodoo items with her!
There are evil men hiding under your storm clouds.
Locked away, the Demon would have only prisoners to kill, but what could a sorceress do? This was bad luck, and the pirate whipped out his sword, charging not for Seth Dahlios, but for the little red-head that had fought back.
Judge them by the power of HAGALL, and may your might aim true.

Karuka whipped around as she heard the bootsteps coming for her, and as the large pieces of ice started pummeling the ship, she stumbled back.

Trus' Seth t' deal wi' him... the thought came to her head even as she was trying to scramble for the one sword left.

As she tried to bound over the new corpse for the sword, she stumbled, and saw the blade coming toward her. Her hand closed on cloth, blood...and something hard and metal -- a key.

Translations

"Don't! They won't...!"

>>>Don't make them hurt you anymore, Seth.<<<

>>>His eyes...it's like he changed, just in those seconds. He wants them to suffer...and I can't see anything in his eyes that would bring a stop to it when they're dead. I need a way to let him out so he doesn't hurt those who don't deserve it...but I also need a way to try getting a few of the pirates out of the way...for their own good, as well as his.<<<

>>>I'll just have to trust that he'll hurt the armed one, before turning on who ever's nearest.<<<

>>>Trust Seth to deal with him.<<<

[Dissinger]

The guard had rushed after the red head, trying desperately to interrupt what Seth recognized as magic. As the hairs upon the back of his neck stood up in tribute to the wielding of the arcane, he grinned as he reached out, barely managing to grab the guard by the back of his shirt. With a strong yank the guard was dragged back to him, before Seth pressed forward and slammed the man into the wall. As the man tried to resist Seth pressed against his back as he hissed, "Where's my weapons?"

The guard began stammering at the demand before Seth pulled back and slammed him again into the wall, this time more forcefully as he growled, "Choose your words wisely, you yell for the guards, and they'll watch me tear your throat out with my bare hands." The guard seemed to grow silent as he contemplated what to say. Fear was in his eyes as he realized he was more than likely going to die.

"I-I don't know-" The guard had begun to tell him.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear..." Seth replied his tone cold and businesslike. Grabbing the man he roughly shoved him towards the corpse of his friend, slit by the sword as he grabbed the man by his hair and growled out, "This man, got lucky, he died fast. I was hasty and didn't get the job done properly. You want me to show you what a properly done job is?"

"I'm sorry! I don't-"

Seth yanked the man by his hair up as the man gripped at the gauntlets before Seth forcibly shoved him to his knees before the other man his tone colder still as he said, "This man died quickly, but was a proper kill. He knew what pain was before he died. If I have to ask one more time, you'll find out just how much pain you can take."

"They're probably in with the other slaves things....please don't hurt me!" The guard was cowering in fear as he had the blood of both his friends upon him. Seth only grinned as he roughly grabbed the man's sword. As the man looked up at him he seemed to be relieved. Seth however, had far different things on his mind. As the man tried to stand Seth once again grabbed him by the hair and shoved him into the wall.

The man didn't get a chance to breathe or cry out before the sword was shoved hard into the man. Piercing a lung his next breath came out as a wet gasp as Seth chuckled and said, "If you expected me not to kill you you're sadly mistaken. I don't need a canary singing about my escape. Don't worry, you'll probably pass out from blood loss long before you actually die...then again, you might just drown in your own blood."

Seth shoved hard pressing the blade of the sword through him, and into the wood behind him, much as a collector would pin a prized insect to the box. Cleaning his hands he glared about the room his cold eyes taking in everything before he spied the red head looking over the fallen guard’s corpse. His eyes narrowed as he watched her go through the clothing quickly before he growled and said, "I hope you find something, or I can't guarantee you safe treatment. That fool may care about you, but I couldn't care less about you or his ideals."

[Karuka]

It occurs t' me...tha' I canna trus' Seth t' d' anythin' if th' man stan'in' here isna Seth.

Karuka stood up, looking into the eyes of this monster. She hadn't wavered when faced with the threat of pirates, and she wouldn't waver now, though the body of her friend had been overtaken by a demon's soul...but time seemed to slow as she took this in, water dripping far too slowly down from the ceiling to soak into the floor.

"I ha' ay bes' fin' somethin', ha' I? Y' ay hope I d'?" The voice crackled dangerously before she reigned herself in.

"I dinna ay like yer tone," she said, dangling the keys in front of his nose, before taking them and starting to try them on the lock. There were only three, doubtless one was to the prison cell. Since the lock was on the outside of the bars, the slender red-head had to squeeze her arm through and angle it sharply to even try working the lock.

Demon or no, he couldn't have managed that.

Thank th' gods fer slen'er arms...th' do'in o' this is uncomf'terble as 'tis.

She didn't allow her gaze to leave this new threat for more than a moment...Perha' t' know him as Dahlios woul' be bes'. Perha'.

"I'll letcha be fer now because we ha' an enemy in common. Bu' after this, I'll ay fin' a way t' get my frien' back." The cheerful lilt that made her voice pleasant to listen to was gone, turned into an edge...Karuka knew dire straights when she saw them, and she could only hope that everything would come out all right in the end.

Click. She'd found the right key, and the big padlock fell open. The hailstorm was coming to an end, and since the guards hadn't reported back, a new set was coming to check.

"Oi! Girl! Get yer hand back in yer cage!"

Instead, she pried the lock out and swung the door open, glancing at Dahlios. "Killin is ay yer business? Then go kill. Go kill 'til yer drenched in blood."

The pirates were charging -- they'd never had an escape happen, and it wasn't a good thing, since they ha at least two prisoners that would really fight -- including the legendary Demon.

Eh, you know the drill.

>>>It occurs to me...that I can't trust Seth to do anything if the man standing here isn't Seth.<<<

"I'd best find something, had I? You hope I do?"

"I don't like your tone."

>>>Thank the gods for slender arms, doing this is uncomfortable as it is.<<<

>>>Maybe it would be best to know him as Dahlios. Maybe.<<<

"I'll let you be for now because we have an enemy in common. But after this I will find a way to get my friend back."

"Killing is your business? Then go kill. Go kill until you're drenched in blood.

[Dissinger]

"Listen you vapid whore, you don't tell me what to do. If I wanted to kill them, they'd have been dead already," Seth snapped as she pulled open the door before him. His eyes glowered at the men as they seemed to rush towards the Demon in an effort to lock him in. As they made their way down the hallway he growled lowly like a predator before he spat, "Life is passing you by!"

Grey energy arced from his body as the ever familiar orb of grey energy was immediately sent down the hallway, hitting the lead guard. As he slowed down his friends collapsed into him, sending them to the ground, before one of the swords fell form the leader's grasp. As the sword slid down the hallway and through the door it came to a halt at the thief's foot, before with a casual scoop his foot kicked the blade up to his waiting hand. Still not a dagger he moved through the door, solidifying his escape as he began to move menacingly towards the men.

As the two guards pushed up they came at Seth, one after the other slashing at him. While Seth was comfortable with daggers, swords was another thing entirely. As the guards forced the blade from his hands they slashed across the arms causing cuts to form as he growled lowly. Throwing a punch that sent one to the floor, clutching his nose he turned on the other one before he backhanded him with his gauntlet. The metal hitting his jaw sent the man sprawling as he kicked the man hard in the ribs, sending him to the ground.

As the last one rose to his feet he yelled out for help, more than likely alerting the rest of the crew as Seth grabbed a nearby sword. As the man began to scramble to rise to his feet before he brought the sword down roughly into the man. As blood splattered from the vicious cut Seth growled lowly before he searched the men and sighed, "Figures, bunch of sword wielding pansies. Not a single one of them has the balls to fight face to face..."

Moving down the hallway he sighed as he looked about for a sign of where the slave's gear was stored.

[Karuka]

Warning: this post contains some crude language.

"Póg mo thóin," snapped Karuka as this other Seth left the cage. She doubted he'd heard her, though, and even if he did, he wouldn't know what she said.

She didn't even watch him attack the slavers, they were doomed anyway. Instead she knelt by the guard that was slowly bleeding to death. She could hear his blood gurgling in his lungs, and hear the sharpness and pain in his breath. She looked into his face...even though he was much taller than she was, and bigger, she could see in his face his youth...he was no more than seventeen, maybe a winter older than she was...and in his eyes there was pain, and a fear of death.

Y' dinna ay ha' time t' feel sorry fer him now...jus' get him ou' o' his misery, an' help wi' th' res' o' 'em.

She pulled the sword gently from the sailor's back and eased him gently to the floor. Her hand lifted the blade to plunge it down on his throat, but she hesitated...the arm lingered in the air, and she couldn't.

'Tis naught but a wee lamb tha' th' wolves ha' bitten...'twill hurt him more t' die on his ain. She'd slaughtered lambs before...it would make it easier to make this person a lamb.

Karuka closed her eyes. "An paidir agad na mairbh aingidh." With that, she brought the blade down, slitting the throat. Blood pooled on the floor and sprayed for a moment as the heart still beat, and Karuka felt a choking nausea rise in her gorge...more blood on her hands.

'Twould ha' been his death anyway...

She stood and looked at the other prisoners. "Do as y' like, be i' t' stay here or t' try an' figh' back."

Most of them were still shell-shocked by all the proceedings. Truth be told...Karuka believed that it was only the adrenaline keeping her going right now. An' dharma will go as far as i' goes.

The red-head ran out of the cage, neglecting caution for the moment as she looked around for something she could use more easily than a sword. Dahlios was fighting fiercely and with murderous intent.

Now...if I were a ship...tha' ha' a room tha' kept people's things...if I were th' room...where woul' I be?

Somewhere easy to get to, obviously, but not too easy to find. Stupid pirates. An' damn 'em all.

One was charging right at her, sword upraised. She'd never beat him in strength or reach...but there WERE hailstones in reach...hailstones as big as her fist. the lithe little red-head stooped down as the slaver neared, grabbing one of the ice balls she'd called down and whipping it at the pirate's head. It struck him, a good solid strike, too, and he slipped, slashing at her and actually managing a cut on her arm before she stabbed through his throat.

Am I t' turn ou' like him o'er there...? Trì in aon day.

She sighed, then dared move closer to Dahlios to let him deal with whatever pirates came her way while she took off her pendant and let it swing.

Please fin' th' man his weapons so we dinna ay die here.

Left. To the left there were some barrels and canvas...exac'ly, she thought. Exac'ly.

Her normally blue eyes, now gray like the clouds, swept over the ship to see if anyone would be in her path when she didn't need them to be, and the answer was thankfully no, although the crew was starting to look alive.

Karuka dashed over to the barrels, shoving them aside and finding the trap-door. Down in the hole she in which she found herself were all manner of things -- hard liquor, pickles, wine, oil, torches. Nothing from the passengers, though, which was mildly annoying.

She was looking for Seth's belt from earlier, but couldn't find it. He'd have to make do with a sword for a wee bit longer, then, because she needed something she could work with. The red-head grabbed a pair of torches and broke open a jug of oil. While dunking the torches in the oil and shaking them out, she fished a rune out of the pouch at her hip -- Ken, fire.

In her native Gaelic, she breathed a prayer.

Brigid, goddess of the hearth,
Give me your breath of warmth
To light my way and brand my enemies
With the fire of Ken.

A small spark appeared on of the torches, but immediately both heads were consumed in flame, and Karuka held them, each in one had. Karuka had never tried using two sticks to hit people with -- much less on fire -- but she'd prove more of a threat as she was. It was almost a shame, now, that the wood was wet...but rope would burn very easily. Rope and canvas, both.

An' jus' let any pirate tha' wants t' burn come t' me now!

Translations: this time, some real Gaelic!

"Kiss my ass."

>>>You don't have time to feel sorry for him now...just put him out of his misery, and help with the rest of them.<<<

>>>Nothing but a little lamb that the wolves have bitten. It'll hurt him more to die on his own.<<<

"A prayer for you, the wicked (or unrighteous) dead."

>>>He would have died anyway.<<<

"Do as you like, be it stay here or fight back."

>>>Dharma will go as far as it goes.<<<

>>>Now...if I were a ship...that had a room that kept people's things...if I were that room...where would I be?<<<

>>>Stupid pirates. And damn them all.<<<

>>>Am I to turn out like him...? Three [men I've killed] in one day.<<<

>>>Please find the man his weapons so we don't have to die here.<<<

>>>Exactly...exactly.<<<

>>>And just let any pirate that wants to burn come to me now!<<<

[Dissinger]

He looked back amidst the carnage that was occurring. Three dead or out in the hallway, three dead in the hold. It was a start, but it wasn't enough. Even now the entire ship would be coming down on them. Sighing as he looked at the girl with the torches he cursed as he spat, "Once again you prove your uselessness. Torches can't be hidden when lit, and even I'm not stupid enough to think I can get through this by killing them all..."

Looking down the hallway his eyes brightened. Three men charged at them, obviously to tie them up so others could come. Their sacrifice probably blessed by the ships captain himself. However, one of the men charging had a dagger. It was only one, but it was infinitely better than the clumsy and oversized blade he had now. As he dropped it He looked upon the other two, still using the standard pirate words and cutlasses. Shaking his head he waited for the boy with the dagger to get in range before he acted quickly and gracefully.

Grabbing the boy's wrist which contained the dagger he slid behind him, smiling as he watched both Sword stab where he had been. While the men turned head to watch, they got only blood splatter as their response, as Seth forced the young boy to gouge his own throat out with the dagger. As Seth tore the dagger out of the boy's dying grasp he twirled it before he smirked and said, "That'll do nicely."

The two men, stunned to silence at the brutal display, and the blood that soaked their face barely managed to pull their swords back before with an artistic twirl, Seth began to play with his prey. The sword would come, only to be deflected and he tapped their chest, right where a lung was, or over their heart. A chuckled escaping his lips as he fought the two lesser skilled men. Finally he spoke, "Play time's over boys, see you in hell..."

With that dexterous grace he spun the dagger in his hand as he slashed a man across his throat. The other man met the pommel to his face causing him to be forced back before Seth grabbed him by the throat tightly. The man instinctively dropped his sword as the dagger was brought up, still dripping blood form the fresh kill. Seth's voice came cold as he growled, much like the distant thunder that even now pervaded the situation, "Where's my gear."

The man looked at Seth before he mumbled, "It’s in the crew’s quarters. We split up their belongings. Figure they don't need them anymore and..."

"Which one of you pathetic cretins has my gear," Seth hissed. Anger was beginning to show in his features as the dagger came alive in his hand. He then added, "DO you want to die painfully boy? If you don't answer, you're begging for such a death."

"First mate Jenson, said they would add to his growing collection!" The man said.

Nodding Seth sighed as he said, "I did promise you a non-painful death...only fitting." With a brutal stab Seth hit the man square in the center of his chest. The sound of a bone cracking could be heard as the blade shattered the man's sternum. Dipping just below the heart he pulled the knife roughly out as the man coughed blood spilling over his lips. "I never promised a quick one..."

[Karuka]

She was about to curse at him again, this arrogant bastard, but she stopped. He was right...you can't hide a lit torch, and everything was all wet.

"Y' migh' be jus' a wee bi' righ'...I did ay forget somethin'."

Another trio of pirates charged, and he turned away to deal with them. "Y' jus'...do whatcher doin'."

She took both torches in her left hand and dropped back down into the storage room, grabbing one of the big jars of oil. It had a big handle, and she hefted it with quite a bit of difficulty.

She'd just started to drag it up the stairs when the light from above was blocked out by a huge bulky figure who stabbed down at her with his sword. She'd been lucky before, but not so much now. However, this one had over extended himself, and as he leaned down further to finish his failed strike and start pulling himself up, she bounced up the steps, thrusting her torches into his face.

The stench of burning hair and flesh filled the air and stung Karuka's nostrils, but it was only for a moment, and then the pirate withdrew, letting out an agonized shriek and clutching at his face.

"MY EYES!" he yelled, and Karuka felt momentarily bad about hurting him...but all was fair in war, wasn't it?

As the slaver staggered back, clutching at his now-blind eyes, Karuka grabbed the jug again and heaved it up the steps onto the deck, letting it land with a mighty thunk on the wet wood.

She started fumbling with the top to make it open, but it was stuck, and she was being attacked again. This one was coming in with a slashing blow, and Karuka grabbed the jug again to start lugging it off somewhere else.

The speed she tried to take off at, combined with the weight of the jug, sent her spinning, and the jug broke as the blade slammed against it. Oil splashed heavily onto her attacker, and the jug fell from her hands, rolling, spilling oil everywhere. There was a filthy rage in the pirate's face, and he started charging again.

Karuka ducked beneath the blow like the little monkey she could have been and lashed out. She missed the pirate with the torches, but passed close enough to him with the flames that his oil-soaked clothing lit up brilliantly, and again there was the scream of a man being burned alive.

He went running past her, jumping over the side of the ship to quench the fire -- but so few pirates actually knew how to swim, and that one was likely a goner.

The stench was sickening, and Karuka wanted to retch. I'm becomin' a murderer....an' I'm gonna die an' come back as a caterpillar an' nae e'en get t' be a moth because some bird is gonna eat me!

Translations

"You might just be a little bit right...I forgot something."

"Just...do what you're doing."

>>>I'm becoming a murderer...and I'm going to die and come back as a caterpillar and not even get to be a moth because some bird is going to eat me!<<<

[Dissinger]

As he turned as saw Karuka lighting up the man with a torch he had to laugh before he muttered, "Well perhaps you aren't useless yet. Wish I had that kind of fun..." He then looked about the hallway leading up to the deck of the ship. Sighing he walked over to the girl as he said sternly, "Just stay out of my way and I'll kill you last twerp."

The deck of the ship was a sight to behold in the pouring rain. Even now as the hair clung to his head he sighed as he looked about the ship. He would need to get back inside the ship or else he would be caught in a predicament he wouldn't like. The deck was far too open for his tastes, preferring the cramped predicaments that the hallways offered. As he moved about the ship he heard cries before he turned and looked, spotting a rather large group of Sailors rushing across the deck. While the small groups of three had been no problem, this group was not something he could easily handle.

Sighing he waved to the group before he roughly opened the door and shouted, "Sorry lads, better luck next time..." He then pulled to door shut before looking about the room he had entered.

Barrels fill one side of the room. Across the room was spread large tables with benches, clearly marking the galley of this ship. Quickly he roughly pulled a table before he pushed it against the door buying himself some time before he looked up towards the ceiling. The rafters were hung low, about twelve feet off the ground, and just below the ceiling, giving him a three foot clearance. Nodding he stood up on another table, jumped and grabbed the rafter before he pulled himself up onto it.

Crawling across the rafters he waited just above the doorway, the safest spot in the place as he knew they would likely tear the ship apart trying to find him.

[Karuka]

Some of the swarm crowded through the door toward Karuka, with her lit torches. Most of the slavers huddled around the door Seth had slammed shut, considering if it was safer to leave him or try and take him.

Meanwhile, Karuka found herself torch-tip to sword-blade with about six of the slavers. She was still hunched over, gagging from the smell of burned flesh and the realization of blood on her hands.

One of the more seasoned slavers edged forward. "C'mon missy. It'll go a lot better fer ya if ya give up now. You're outnumbered and already hurtin'."

"Oh, I dinna know...th' floor is ay covered wi' oil an' oil is righ' slick, nae t' mention i' burns nice an' brigh'."

And gods help her if she lit the ship on fire and couldn't escape the flames.

"Ya'd die with us, missy. Before us, with all the prisoners."

One of them came up and wrenched a torch from her hand.

"Ya don't want that, do ya?"

"I...I..." Karuka stepped back, slipping on the oil. She didn't want to light the ship on fire. She didn't want to die.

But if she gave in, they'd all be enslaved.

"I willna accept th' dharma o' a slave."

With that, she bounced up, brushed the torched over the oil, and started running back toward the cage. She would have to find a way to get everyone out, but she had seen a path on the way up. It might be very roundabout, but she had to get the other prisoners to the deck somehow.

She could only hope she was fast enough to make it on time.

Translations

"Oh, I don't know. The floor is covered with oil and oil is very slick, not to mention it burns nice and bright."

"I won't accept the dharma of a slave."

[Dissinger]

A boom echoed through the galley, followed by another. It seemed they were trying to force through the door. Finally the sound of hacking could be heard, before an axe head made its way through the door. Seth grinned as he remained silent, tucked away in the rafters. The guards were in force as they finally managed to chop the door apart. Pulling the door out, they forced the table back into its position as the men looked around slowly, the dimly lit galley offering no clue to the thief's where about.

Finally they began to argue about where he could of gone. At this point he moved slowly down the rafters trying not to make a sound as he slid over the last one in the pack. Knife in between clenched teeth a devilish grin lit up his face as he waited for the inevitable outcome, and the doom of their friend. Soon what he was looking for was espoused, "Let’s split up and check the area. He couldn't have gone too far. He might be in the crew quarters. Berthold, keep the galley under watch incase he doubles back."

As the men moved down through the hold Seth moved slowly slinging under the rafter as the man sighed before he could even turn to go Seth was hanging from his legs from the rafter into the face of his next victim. The man started the squeal in surprised before Seth clamped a hand over the man's mouth. His voice was soft as he said, "Boo."

He then took the knife in his free hand as the man seemed to be caught in the surrealism of the situation, as he let the man's mouth go, he drew blade upon throat and ended the man before he could cry out a chuckle on his lips. Berthold however, was one of the sword wielders, much to his disappointment. As he finished plucking over the fresh corpse the light of the area began to get brighter as he looked out upon he deck. Someone had lit the ship on fire, perhaps even the tawny redhead.

A chuckle left his lips as he said, "And the jokes keep coming. Lets see how they do with a Demon and a fire on their ship..." With a casual salute to the flames he moved down into the stairwell silently trying to catch yet another man off guard. The trail of bodies only continuing to grow as the predator began his hunt, rather than his defense.

[Karuka]

The flames proved an effective barrier between the red-head and the first wave of pirates, since gallons of oil persuaded even wet wood to burn brightly. Faced between chasing down one prisoner and extinguishing their ship, they chose the latter, and as Karuka found a set of stairs going downward, she could hear the men choking on the copious amounts of smoke emitted by the wet wood.

She sped swiftly downward, unaware that the Dahlios demon was doing the same on a nearby set of stairs. She didn't bother with stealth, only with speed, and as a result came nose to sword-tip with one of three more pirates as she reached the stairs' landing.

They backed up a step, drawing her forward so they could encircle her. True, she held a of flaming torch...but she was just a girl with a burning stick, already lividly bruised from abuse in the cage and dripping blood from cuts received at the hands of their fellows.

"Be a good girl, now, and we'll only hurt you a little bit getting you back to the cage," one of them said with a leer.

Karuka held her torch loosely in her hand, a feral snarl etched upon red lips. She could feel the irritating drip of blood down her arm and belly, and the tingling of multiple bruises, but none of it hurt. It would hurt afterward, sure. When the adrenaline wore off, it would sting, and cleansing with salt water would be worse.

If she lived long enough to let the adrenaline wear off.

"I woul' ay sooner t' die than t' letcha touch me," was the answer she spat to the pirates, watching for which one would try to strike first.

That translates to...

"I'd sooner DIE than let you touch me."

[Dissinger]

As he moved down the stairs slowly each step towards the edge of the stairs, where support was strongest, it was made abundantly clear the red head was nearby. Shouts at the girl could be heard up the stairs as one of the pirates blocked off the stairway. Seth remained quiet, hiding in the shadows farther up as the man turned to face the red head. Seth snickered at the predatory tactics, the forethought and waste of resources. If they truly wanted the girl, she'd have been grabbed gagged and bound by now.

Sliding up behind the man he clamped a gauntleted hand over the man's mouth. As Hands reached up to remove the offending limb Seth jerked back on the head, exposing the pristine throat to any who could pay attention. With an artistic twirl the knife was brought lazily to the man's throat before he slid the blade across, ending the man's career before it even began. As he let go the body fell back upon him before he grumble and shoved the body, causing it to fall past the pirates and the tawny red head.

"I'll be damned if corpses don't lie flat," He said as he looked around at the remaining two pirates. Stuck between the torch wielding girl and the demon they found their predicament slowly getting worse as the demon leaned casually against the door frame. He then said simply, "Where’s the first mate?"

One of the opened his mouth taking a deep breath before Seth rushed forward, stabbing into the lungs of the man trying to scream for help. As the lung deflate and filled with crimson fluid he pulled the knife out roughly causing a bit of a spray on the other, reminding him of the price of resistance. Seth then took the bloodied blade and carefully pushed the man's face to look at him, rather than his dying friend, "I won't ask a third time, where is the First Mate."

"He's probably in the crews quarters directing people..." The man said as he cringed at the extended contact with the knife. Seth nodded thoughtfully, keeping the tip of the blade at the man's throat as he sighed shaking his head. A soft mumble could be heard, almost as if he was debating something before he shoved forward, stabbing up to the hilt the knife into the man's throat.

Finishing off the pirate he spoke clearly, "Either stay with me brat, or find someplace to hide. Either way I could care less what happens to you, I want my daggers back."

[Karuka]

She'd seen men die...she'd seen men kill men. She'd seen men die horrible deaths...and starting today, she'd even killed men. But she'd never seen someone kill men so coldly and easily. It was terrifying...and it was sickening.

"Dinna y'," she squeaked out, at a loss for words, "dinna y'...."

Nae, he dinna...all y' ha' t' do is t' look a' th' blood stainin' th' wood t' know he dinna.

She was pale beneath her golden skin, and the walls and floor seemed to be lurching and spinning under her so hard that she felt more like dropping to her knees and throwing up (and indeed, she felt herself sinking down) than trying to see what the monster that had been Seth was doing. He was butchering men like sheep in a level and enjoyment of carnage that the red-head had found unimaginable prior to being captured and tossed onto this ship.

It was too much bloodshed, too much...and it wasn't going to end.

The worst thing about it was that if she didn't go with this...murderer...she'd be captured, raped, and either killed or put back into the cage. As much as she hated this aspect of her new friend, it was safest.

She stood back up from an almost kneeling position, gripping her torch tightly and looking straight at the demon before her.

"I'll ay go wi' y'," she hissed at him. "But I willna letcha lay a han' on an innocen'."

She knew he could kill her now and laugh about it...but she was more useful alive...and someone had to draw the line for this monster somewhere, and if it had to be her...so be it. She would draw and hold the line until she died.

Translations

"Don't you...don't you?"

>>No, he doesn't. All you have to do is look at the blood staining the wood that he doesn't.<<<

"I'll go with you...but I won't let you lay a hand on an innocent."

[Dissinger]

"Dinna y', dinna y'" The girl stammered. Seth was beginning to get a headache as far as the girl was concerned. As he looked at her, she seemed to get over the initial shock and moved on to revulsion at the barbaric act. As she dealt with their deaths he snorted at the weak act from a weak girl.

"No, I thought it was clear when the first three lost their lives," he snapped. Sure that she was asking if he cared for their fate. However she seemed to knwo that answer already, and had accepted it, as she spoke of following him, to protect the innocents. Another absurd notion she was going to force upon him.

"Then stay close girl," He snapped as he moved. His mind made up. The daggers were his priority. Only because he needed them and the one in his hands was crude, it was the difference between using a dull knife to cut dinner and a properly cared for knife. While the dull one did the job, it didn’t feel nor did it ever work right. As he looked at the most recent victims of his massacre he sighed as he did a silent tally of the dead.

With over eighteen men dispatched he knew that he was close to making the crew loath to encounter him. A final push might force the captain to begin the hunt, and he knew just how to get that final push. With so many men running from the crew quarters, a few lost here and there would make the entire ship begin to realize how thinned their numbers truly were. He was close to breaking their spirits, and with that he could definitely turn things around, if the captain could not stop him.

It was then he remember exactly how he got in this predicament. The captain had shot his leg out form under him. Rather than trying to hobble him, he had dealt a true crippling blow, and Seth had gone down like a sack of potatoes. No, he had to drop the Captain to finish this, after that the slavers would have no will to fight, no courage. As he made his decision they moved deeper in the hold of the ship, as he clung to the shadows preferring their darkness to the insufferable light of Karuka's torch.

The boards of the ship creaked as he finally heard it, a crew member reporting back, "Sir, he's gotten another on in the galley, we're looking for him now but-"

"Stop yer whining ye pup! Get yer ass back in the fight or I'll make sure 'is blade is the last thing ye fear! I refuse to allow a man who's weapons I hold here destroy this ship and crew from under tha cap'ain," A forceful voice shouted out. Seth grinned hearing the report before he paused and waited. Looking about he sighed as he could only see the red head. Shaking his head he grabbed for the torch.

"I think it’s my turn to play with fire, give it here wench."

[Karuka]

Bunny approved.
Karuka had followed close behind the killer, fumbling with her runes meanwhile until she got the only other one that could be used as an offensive spell while inside.

It was pitch black outside of the sphere her torch lit, and smelled musty, at the best. The only sounds she could hear other than those of the waves against the sides of the ship were the light steps of the shade-clinging man before her.

The lack of pirates reassured her, to put it mildly...but it also gave her a chance to realize she'd been hit. There was an annoying itch on her abdomen, and a tingling sensation on her arm, not to mention the throbbing of her bitten thumb -- but that wasn't going to get better soon. No time.

She was regarding the wall for doors and the like when she became dimly aware that Dahlios had said something, up ahead. She was turning to look at him when he snatched her torch from her. "Ai!"

What the Hel did he think he was doing with her torch?

She wasn't long in finding out, since from his hand the torch sailed into a pile of the nets the sailors used to sleep on. The nets were dry and made of rope, and it wasn't long before the flames were spreading rapidly along the ropes and into the wood work.

Smoke immediately stung Karuka's nose and eyes, and she glared at Dahlios. "An' I though' I were ay th' stupid aon o' th' dha o' us. Th' fire'll burn, for a wee bi', an' then --"

"Be silent, wench," snapped the Demon. "I don't need to explain myself to a red headed brat without a useful thought in her head."

"Perha' I dinna ha' a useful thou' in mi head," started Karuka, stepping toward the Demon as her fists clenched, "but I dinna start a fire where th' air dinna move!"

The door creaked open, and Seth clamped his hand over her mouth, yanking her back to the shadows as he readied his dagger to attack.

The intruder looked around for a moment before turning back out.

"FIRE! Fire in the HOLD!"

Karuka raised an eyebrow sardonically at the other figure crouched in the shadows.

Oh, tha' were ay smar'.

Translations

"And I thought that I was the stupid one of the two of us! The fire will burn, for a little bit, and then --"

"Maybe I don't have a useful thought in my head...but I didn't start a fire where the air doesn't move!"

>>>Oh yeah. That was really smart. Mhmm.<<<

[Dissinger]

As he looked at the man shouting he waited till the man turned around before he moved swiftly. His blade gleamed only faintly in the light before it was brought to the man's throat. His savage growl left his lips as he jerked the man's head back and slit his throat, the cry that the man had begun to issue turning into a gurgle as the blood spilled down his neck once more. Letting the body fall to the floor he grabbed the man's shirt and ripped it before he began to fold it over itself. Finally he tied the makeshift bandanna over his nose.

Looking at the girl he spoke, "Stay in the shadows if you want to live. Not that you have much of a choice anymore..." He then moved into the crew’s quarters, the smoke billowing as he began to disappear into the smoke. His eyes closed as he grinned behind the bandanna. Making sure to breathe through his nose and exhale through his mouth he kept clean air going through his lungs. As the men cried out he heard shouts form someone who seemed to be in charge;

"Come on ye whelps. Put that damn fire out before it sinks tha damn ship!"

He had his target. Using a hand to maneuver through the smoke he listened as the boards creaked. Finding a post he leaned against it as he heard the wracking coughs of a sailor go by. He then closed his eyes as he reached his mind towards the amulet on his wrist, "I need chains, ten feet long, as strong as you got."

And just why should I help you boyo? You've been doing fine-

"You want to continue the dream? If I'm dead I doubt you'll have anyone to bitch at for at least a few thousand years," Seth retorted firmly.

On it.

"Good..." Seth muttered as chains uncoiled from around his wrists hitting the ground. Closing his eyes he waited for his victim to shout some more, giving his location away.

"Wha twas tha noise? Stop messing with tha chains boys, jess git on tha fire!" The first mate shouted.

Seth moved swiftly following the noise as he brought the chains around and launched one forward. As the Crewmate felt the chains whiz past his head he cried out in shock. However, to his credit he ducked as the jerk brought the chain back. The sounds of creaking leather could be heard as he gruffly shouted, "I found our demon, get the fire out boys, I'll take care of the whelp me'self."

As the sounds of hissing could be heard Seth realized that buckets had been brought in quickly to put out the fire. As he snickered he said, "Some one sounds confident." The click was heard before he brought the chain about swiftly. As the First mate cried out in pain as the chain wrapped about his hand, before jerking and causing the pistol to fire, sending the bullet careening away. Seth then laughed, "Fool me once, shame on you..."

The chain then lashed out again before he heard the sound of metal upon metal. With no time to think he leaned back as his reflexive jerk brought a knife a hands breadth from his throat. As they tumbled to the ground, the older and heavy set man atop him Seth growled as he twirled his wrist locking the man's hands to his own. A knee went into the first mate's side as he breathed upon Seth, "I tol’ tha cap’ain to kill ye, should have lis’ened ta me."

"Too bad, should have tried harder," Seth said as he grinned moving swiftly. Flipping atop the man he moved fluidly before the knife was jammed right through the jaw of the man's skull and into his brain, instantly killing him. Grinning he chuckled sadistically as the chains slowly melted and formed back into a single bracelet clinging to his gauntlet. Moving his fingers over the numerous knives on the man's belts he stopped as he felt a shudder upon one. Plucking it form it’s sheathe he played with the knife before it snapped to a stop fitting perfectly into his hands. A perfect fit.

"Ebony, good, we have more to bleed out, let's find your brother shall we?" He laughed as his hand went searching once again. Finding the other blade quickly he rose up as he felt something shift inside him. He was armed and truly dangerous now as he felt a breeze begin, the crew had opened doors to start a flow and flush out the smoke. soon it would dissipate and the Demon would be over another victim, and this time, he was unstoppable.

[Karuka]

Dinna leave the shadows, ay? Dinna leave the shadows? Or they'll kill me? I know tha' they'll kill me. Or ye'll kill me? Well, I know tha' y' dinna ha' a prol'em wi' killin' me, either. So I'll ay do as I please, y' bastar'.

Karuka almost let out an irritated huff as the so-called Demon started his murderous rampage. Again. She considered climbing up to the rotting rafters where she would be at a slight advantage (as she'd spent almost more time in trees as a child than on the ground), but she could smell the smoke rising and filling the room even as the first members of the crew started pouring water over the flames.

Wha' t' do... A frown creased the skin beneath Karuka's chakra as she tried to think of what she could do to be useful. There wasn't much on the ceiling to make use of Jara, and she didn't think that now would be quite the time to use Is. She could barely see to aim her spells correctly anyway, through the flickering light and smoke.

Wha' d' I do? Great LOKI, give me somethin' t' work wi' here!

As if in answer to her exasperated prayer, a gunshot whizzed by a sailor's face, and in shock he dropped his bucket, which rolled directly to the lassie's feet, spilling its contents in a Lagu shape.

Raising her eyebrows, the red-head picked up the wooden vessel with one hand, even as the eyes of a pair of slavers were drawn to her hiding place. Well, she thought, as the one who had dropped his bucket in the first place rushed her, if y' ask Loki th' Trickster fer a mop or a stick, an' he gives y' a bucket instead...y' work wi' yer bucket, fer a wee bi'.

The slaver drew his knife as he approached her, but Karuka swung the bucket, knocking it from his hand and into the soft, swollen wood of the wall. A second swing caught the sailor across his face, and he fell on top of her, trying to grapple her.

Even though the man was bigger, heavier, and on top of her, Karuka had an advantage over him: she bit. Even as his rough hands closed in on her slender arms, she lifted her head from the floor and took a portion of his neck between her teeth, biting down like she did for her thumb...and the flesh of the neck wasn't as tough as the flesh of the hands.

She felt the vein roll slightly as she tried to grip it, but then it settled perfectly between her teeth, and she bit down with as much force as she could muster. She was rewarded by the bitter tang of blood spraying into her mouth, and the feeling of the warm, sticky liquid squirting onto her face. Her latest victim screamed, yanking himself up as he clutched at his neck, and Karuka spat, looking at the slavers in the room non-occupied with the "Demon."

Karuka picked the bucket back up and slid toward the knife embedded in the wall, grasping it as the others started edging toward her.

"D'y' ay wan' me? Or d'y' ay wan' t' douse th' flames? If y' decide y' wan' me, I'll perish in th' flames wi' y'."

She stepped forward slowly, jabbing her bucket at the bewildered slavers as she made her way toward the burning area of the room.

"Or, rather...y' can join me there!"

She started running toward the fire, ducking swiftly under a sword swipe and diving in, letting her bare feet grip the hot wood even as her eyes reflected the flames in front of and all around her.

"She's crazy!" exclaimed one of the men she'd just evaded. The red-head just laughed, even as the flames started licking at her flesh, burning her and singing her clothes and hair. After all the chaos and bad karma of the day, all she could do about it was laugh.

"Ay! Quite mad, quite mad! Come an' get me, shoul' y' dare t'!"

Man that was fun.

>>>Don't leave the shadows, huh? Don't leave the shadows? Or they'll kill me? I know that they'll kill me. Or you'll kill me? Well, I know that you don't have a problem with killing me, either. So I'll just do as I please. Jerk.<<<

>>>What to do...what do I do? Great LOKI, give me something to work with!<<<

>>>Well...if you ask Loki the Trickster for a mop or a stick, and he gives you a bucket instead...you work with your bucket for a little while.<<<
[[Original: If Loki the Trickster tells you that the meaning of life is "bucket," it's probably best to believe that for a little while.]]

"Do you really want me? Or do you really want to douse the flames? If you want me, I'll perish in the flames with you. Or, rather...you can join me there!"

"Yes, quite mad, quite mad! Come and get me, if you dare!"

[Dissinger]

As the smoke cleared he stood up, the men looking upon him as he began to smile, his grin feral. The body of the first mate was still laying limp below him as he looked at the men. They stared on in horror and awe as he seemed to revel in the dead first mate’s blood. Looking upon the men his grinned widened as he spoke once more, "Where’s the Captain?"

The men scrambled as he began to call out the newest casualty of the day. Seth moved after them, as he gripped one of the daggers on the man's belt he flicked it with casual grace the attack scaring the men forward as he began to grow bored with the men running. The situation wasn't nearly as dire as it had started, and though he was still in danger, he was lax about the predicament. This was more of a joke to him now.

As he felt a lurch in his stomach, he jerked his head down to look at it, recognizing what was happening to him. The whelp wanted out. He was clawing to the surface now as he gripped fiercely at the darkness within him, shoving it deep within the confines of his heart. He was trying to take control now that the situation had been salvaged. There was no more need for the gratuitous violence that had hallmarked the thief's passing through the ships.

"Not now, there’s work to be done!" He growled lowly as he took a shaky step forward. To expel the magic that had given him free reign would be to invite disaster. Anyone could come up and attack him in that state. Further, the captain still needed to be dealt with. As he focused on that solitary fact the queasy feeling diminished slightly. He needed real danger, and soon, or else he would become the bastard.

Gripping the hand rail he pulled himself slowly up the stairs as he made his way to the deck, surely enough danger to keep the weakness growing inside him back would be there. He was in charge, and he would be loath to willingly give up that position.

[Karuka]

There were several tense moments of agony as the flames licked at Karuka's legs and she glared at the slavers from through her screen of fire. If she stayed where she was long enough, the flames would consume her. If she rushed from the flames, the men on the other side would consume her. Neither option was particularly appealing, and she didn't have much time. The smoke was already stinging her eyes and nose, and she rued letting her torch be snatched from her grasp.

As the seconds dragged on between her and the sailors, she heard a CRACK! in the rotten wood underfoot, and suddenly the floor gave way beneath her, letting her land in a heap on a big sack of potatoes. The red-head hacked for a moment, clearing the smoke from her lungs, and then looked up, at the dancing light above her head.

Apparen'ly some'aon up among th' gods tha' still has plans fer me. The red-head sighed gently even as she started feeling the heat radiating from the burns on her legs and arms. The pain would teach her to not jump directly into the fires again. Why did I e'en do tha'? Mus' ha' been mi great gran' athair comin' ou'...ne'er know when th' descendant o' a Berserker will get th' touch. She shuddered slightly, then stood up. Where would she go from here?

The sound of swollen wood dragging slowly on swollen wood made Karuka lie flat behind the potatoes. In all the mess, the cook had been forgotten, but he was in the store room of the galley, gathering his big knives.

"Not in MY galley, they won't, not even if they're the devil himself," he was muttering.

Here, Karuka had to make a choice. She could let the cook defend his galley with his life...or she could try something to spare him. There had been more than enough killing already, she decided, so if there was anything...anything within her power to spare one life...

Her hand slipped silently into her rune pouch, slender fingers sliding over cool clay tablets until she found one that just seemed to call to her. She slid her arm over the rough wooden floor until she could see which rune she had drawn.

Jara.

That was disappointing, what was she supposed to do with Jara? She just used Jara for picking fruit from the tree tops when...but wait. This WAS indeed the store room...after all, she was hiding behind a bag of potatoes three times her weight, and there were all other sorts of herbs and spices about on frayed ropes or in nets made of frayed ropes. And above the door...there were oranges, and cloves...and right over where the cook was busying himself with his knives, there was a big net bag of big brown nuts...the size of her head, and they looked very hard, as well.

A smile touched her deep-red lips, and her mouth flowed over the tracings of words in her native Gaelic, even though she made no sound.

Cromm Cruaich,
The proof of your generosity to feed your people lies before me,
By the power of Jara I request that you grant me a portion of the bounty.

The frayed and weak rope holding the coconuts strained for a moment as the coconuts strained to answer her call, and just as the cook was turning to leave, the net snapped, showering the cook with a cascade of the hard and heavy fruits. He staggered for a moment after the barrage, and then collapsed to the floor, dazed. A swift blow to the back of the head with a well-aimed fruit knocked the man unconscious, but at least he wouldn't be killed yet...and a delay might (if the gods willed it) spare his life entirely.

Karuka grabbed her bucket, tucking the dagger into the string that held her runes at her hip. Quickly she filled it with the rock-hard potatoes, set one of the coconuts in at the top, and took another potato in her hand. She was much better at throwing things at people than she was at stabbing people, and the potatoes were about rock size. What they were doing in the galley, however, she didn't know. They looked like a variety of nightshade -- and nightshade was toxic.

The red-head figured that she should be at the bottom of the ship, not far from where the prisoners were held, and since she hadn't heard them screaming and dying, she decided to try and find the cage again. It wouldn't prove too hard to find. Apparently the slavers weren't worried about being caught by legal forces.

She located the holding cell first by the scents of death and fear -- which made sense, given what had happened just before she'd left it. What she saw was fairly sad. The women were holding their children, and the men sat dejectedly, as though already resigned to whatever fate awaited them. The cage had again been locked, and the bodies of the slavers removed, so Karu could only guess that their captors had come to secure the resigned and fearful of the prisoners. She'd thought they'd had more life to them than that when they'd first come aboard, but now....They looked hopeless. None even turned an eye to her when she hissed at them to get their attention.

"C'mon. Y' can get out o' here...I'll open th' door." To make good on her promise, Karuka set down the bucket of potatoes, grabbing her coconut to start pounding at the lock with it. Barely had she struck the lock once when a quiet "no," sounded from inside the gloomy darkness of the hold.

The one that had spoken pointed toward the wall, where a trio of bodies was crucified -- a man and a woman, with their young child between them. Karuka felt the fruit in her hands tumble to the floor. Who would do such a thing?

>>>Apparently one of the gods still has plans for me.<<<

>>>Why did I even do that? Must have been my great grandfather coming out...never know when the descendant of a Berserker will get the touch.<<<

"Come on. You can get out of here. I'll open the door."

[Dissinger]

He stumbled to the deck. Standing before the mast he spun around as the heavens poured their rain upon the ship. It was as if the gods themselves were trying to wash away the travesty that Seth had done, to erase the atrocities, and make the world forget the pain of the Lavinian. He was the Demon, sent from the bowels of hell to purge this world and make way for the grand dream. He would tear this ship apart to fulfill his goals, and he would be damned if these mere ants would hold him back.

Sailors scrambled as they saw him on the deck standing there as the winds wipped at his hair, the rain matting it down. The look on his face spoke volumes as the rain began the grisly work of washing the blood stains, some his own, though most not, from his shirt. They stared at him as he remained impassive waiting. Finally he spoke his voice load, coming over the crashing waves with such force to make them jump at the sheer ferocity of its tone.

"Get your captain, because if you don't, I will not hesitate to keep this spree going until every last one of you piss ants is another stain on my shirt," The words rattled in their brains as The scrambled below deck. Seth remained still as he closed his eyes, the sounds of the waves cresting against the ship were loud, but even still he sifted through the rain, until he heard it the sounds of heavy boots upon the deck of the ship. As he opened his eyes he saw the grizzled captain, flintlock in hand aiming at him. A feral grin crossed his face as he felt the queasiness wane.

"You! Demon! I should never have taken you aboard my ship. You have brought nothing but disaster to us all! How do you propose to steer this ship without a crew? Those land clinging parasites won't help you!" The voice boomed as he trembled, not in fear but rage. To the rest of the crew it was apparent, this was not to end well.

"You act as if I care about you or them. You act as if I was but a man saving the crew form a fate worse than death. You seriously misjudged me if you think threatening those maggots in your hold will stop this rampage," Seth shouted his voiced carrying to the captain.

"If you don't care about them, then why continue the fight? Why not join our crew, you've proven your effectiveness, you could be a great slaver, destroying and dismantling many people! Think of the money, the power, the infamy!"

Seth moved towards the man slowly, as if thinking before he smiled reaching closer to the man. He looked keenly at the gun as he spoke, his voice carrying to the captain, "Because, you attacked me, and took out my knee, I find it only fair I return the favor..."

Before the captain could even act the Demon was off. His hand brushing the gun to the side as another peel of thunder boomed from on deck. With the gun shot he spun Bringing a fisted guantlet straight to the face of the captain, causing him to loose grip with teh pistol sending it to the deck. As it thudded on the ground Seth growled lowly in satisfaction.

Jumping back he narrowly evaded the slice of the blade as it left its master's sheath. Seth grinned as he pulled Ebony and Ivory from their holsters. To match with the sword that had nearly bisected him. Dropped into their traditional stances the captain and Seth locked eyes before he spoke, "I hope you use that better than your lackies, or your death will mean nothing."

[Karuka]

"Shocked?" The voice came from behind her, smoother than the other slaver voices. "Appalled? It's your fault, you know. Give yourself up now, and I'll do the same to you, instead of to another one of them."

Karuka turned to look at the speaker. He was tall, a full head taller than she was, and had a muscular build. His dark hair shone in the dim light of the hold, and in his hand gleamed a blood-stained cutlass. He moved toward Karuka with a cat-like grace, intending to take her and make her suffer.

As he did so, a hard glint came into Karuka's eyes.

"Merderers dinna d'serve t' live," she growled, grabbing up her bucket.

"A bucket of potatoes?" the man scoffed. "What do you intend? To kill me with awful cooking? I've survived our cook, girl. I can survive anything."

As he made that boast, he had to dodge as a potato flew at his head, then slice another one in midair. The red-headed wench was moving away as she tossed her tubers, but she didn't have many of them. Two more went wide, and he lunged at her, slapping her wrist and making the potato bucket fly from her grasp. A blow to her face sent the girl reeling, blood trickling from a cut on her lip.

Karuka snarled, gripping the dagger in her boot as she dug a rune from her pouch. She didn't have time to see which one it was, exactly, as her opponent lunged at her once more. Shoving it into her mouth, she brought up her dagger to parry weakly, feeling shocks run through her entire arm as her attacker's blow slid to the side, taking her little knife with it. She watched as he raised his blade one more, this time while she was defenseless.

The report of a pistol from up on the top deck reached through to the tense silence of the hold, and the slaver turned his head. Meanwhile, Karuka spat out her rune and glanced at it. Sigel. Sigel was useless without and open and cloudy sky. But she'd already gotten blood on it from her lip.

"Change of plans, bitch," stated the slaver. Before she could move, he lashed out, striking her temple with the butt of his sword. As she went spinning, Karuka grabbed her rune tightly out of instinct. She couldn't afford to lose a single rune in the set. Before she could regain her feet, he had her hands grasped tightly in one of his, and had his blade to her throat as he herded her up to the deck.

"DEMON!" he shouted at Seth. "If you want this girl to live, you'll surrender immediately."

Ah, thought Karuka. If he's doin' tha', he dinna know this 'un ay well a' 'tall.

At this point, it was more a nuisance to have the sword at her throat than it made her afraid. While she wasn't stronger than the man, and she was no longer armed, and had no guarantee that she'd be able to say the prayer in time, she wished that if someone was going to kill her, they'd just kill her and be done with it. All the extra drama really wasn't necessary.

With a sigh, she started muttering a prayer in Gaelic. Normally this was a spell she had to cast by looking at the target...but maybe it would work with touch, too. Maybe she'd just been taught Sigel as a vision spell because it wasn't pleasant to get struck by the excess of your own spell...or maybe she'd miss and hit herself. But she didn't think Seth would help her, and she had to do something.

"Thor, guardian of the skies,
You see what's happening here.
Smite the man that holds me..."

A shout in her ear made her pause.
"Do you hear her? She's praying for her life. What's your choice, Demon?"

"With the power of your Sigel."

In response to her prayer, the skies rumbled loudly.



((you can have him get struck by lightning if you like.))

[Dissinger]

Blades crossed at the tell tale rings of metal upon metal rang out. Waves broke against the ship as the winds picked up, captain and demon trapped in a battle as fierce as the sea had become around them. Neither could back down, neither could give in. The idea was preposterous. As Seth and the captain back off glaring murderously at the other the crew man broke form below decks, the red haired lass Karuka in tow. Putting the cutlass to her throat he threatened the girl before Seth smirked looking at the captain.

"Perhaps you would be better served by having the stupid removed from the breeding stock of this cesspit of a ship. Too many stupid decisions made by your underlings, Captain," The words held no reverence at all for the station as he spat out, "Kill the girl and be done with it you dolt. If you think I care about what happens to those weaklings in the hold of this ship, you are sadly mistaken. They're but witnesses that need to be eliminated to me."

The man seemed to stutter as he realized the bargaining chip that shoudl have meant everything, meant nothing now. He was locked into action, and as he moved to prepare the cutlass the girl began chanting. Trying to speed up he couldn't do a thing as lightning crashed from the heavens. Unlike the lightning of nature, it did not strike the mast, nor did it strike the metal riggings or pulleys to ignite their ropes ablaze. No, this was the Lightning of retribution. As the gods answered the prayers of the girl the lightning struck with the cool efficiency matchable only by the two tyrants locked in combat.

The smell of burnt human skin permeated the deck as the man twitched before dying, the cutlass falling and tearing a chunk of burnt skin with it. The body fell lifeless to the deck as Seth took the opportunity, the flash and the miracle giving him a distraction as he moved swiftly lashing out with a boot and hitting the captain square in the gut. Bringing a dagger down into the Captain's back the captain cried out in pain, his back arching to try and extricate the blade from between his shoulders.

"That was what it felt like to get shot, now to takeout your knee..." Seth said sadistically. Bringing his foot up as the captain dropped the cutlass in a desperate effort to put the blade form his body, as it began to amplify the pain he spoke, "I want a hammer, a war hammer..."

All yours boyo...

The bracelet about his gauntleted hand shimmered as it created the weapon, before Seth moved swiftly, swinging it like a sword, cleaving right fro the unfortunate captains knee. As the bones shatter upon impact with the hammer the captain went down, just shy of pulling the blade out. As he fell unconscious Seth grinned as he spoke, "I'm not killing you, not yet..."

Hammer in hand he moved to go below decks as he spoke, "Time to eradicate the witnesses..."

[Karuka]

The residual lightning had traveled between the now-lifeless sailor and the victim he held, stunning her temporarily. Karuka had never been electrocuted by her own spell before, and now she got to experience first-hand why it was so effective. She couldn't breathe, couldn't control the electric twitches that ran through her body, couldn't get up. All she could do was listen to the fight and the agonized screams of the man that captained the slave vessel.

Only when the Demon made his intentions known to murder the helpless and spirited prisoners in the hold did the red-head find within herself the strength and will to move once more, and as she started to pick herself up, she saw the deadly figure move toward the stairs in order to fulfil his massacre.

The fight on the ocean had been the most violent of Karuka's life so far. She was battered, cut, burned and still twitching from the electricity produced by her own lightning bolt. But she had vowed that no innocents would be harmed, by him or by the pirates, if she could help it. She'd be damned if she reneged on that vow.

Stumbling to her feet, the Irish lass lunged at Seth's back, bumping into him hard as she grabbed hold of her arms as best she could, trying to restrain him so that she could find a way to bring back the gentler Seth and push his demon back to within the depths of his soul before he killed anyone else -- anyone that wasn't a threat, anyone that hadn't brought their fate upon them by thier sins.

"Stop i'! Yer free, th' danger's ay passed! Y' dinna want t' kill any'un else, Seth! An' if y' do, y'll ay be sorry fer i' later. So stop this an' come back t' yersel'!"

Translations:

"Stop it! You're free, the danger's OVER! You don't want to kill anyone else, Seth! And if you do, you'll be sorry for it later. So stop this and come back to yourself!"

[Dissinger]

He stumbled forward a few steps as she jumped him from behind, her babble hitting his ears as she pleaded for him to stop the atrocities. As he growled he dropped the hammer before he reached back and grabbed the girl, still lurching forward a few steps before he grabbed for anything. The girl was on him, was threatening him, despite he pleas for peace she was standing between him and his doom.

He finally got a grip as he grabbed a hold of her arm and around her waist. With a feral cry he launched her forward causing her to hit the doors to their cells, the poor gate crashing under the impact of the Irish lass. Stooping to pick up the war hammer he growled lowly as he moved menacingly towards the cage, the people who had resigned themselves, since seeing the first bouts of bloodshed now watching their very savior walk forward, his eyes as cold as the Salvarian winter.

"Word of this spreads, I'm dead as soon as I hit docks you wench. I won't go out like that. I have too much left to do!" The hammer was swung right at the gate causing what was left of it to crumble under the weight before the hammer reformed. "You stupid trinket! Give me back my hammer!"

Fight's over son! I'm stopping this madness. Killing innocents won't help at all. The changeling amulet in a rare display of power reformed, into two solid adamantine weights, engraved into them the numbers one hundred each. As he lurched forward sprawled he growled as he moved to try and stand only to realized he had fatigued himself with the throw, and the final crashing of the gate.

"Let me go!"

Not on your life kid, I want Seth back, not this sad excuse for a psycho.

[Karuka]

Some days, it just really didn't seem worth waking up. What was the point if you were just going to be half-killed for your trouble? Karuka felt that this was one of those days, she should have ignored the call of dharma and gotten some extra sleep. Unfortunately, she hadn't, and because of that she was sprawled out on the floor amidst the splinters of cell bars, broken, bleeding, and just about done. He'd kill her now, and then all of them, because he thought that a ship full of dead bodies was somehow safer than a ship full of witnesses.

A heavy k-thunk caught her fleeting attention, but the growled demands of Dahlios the Demon to be released was what brought her from her reverie and brought her back to the here and now.

Sitting up painfully, she watched him thrashing about under the force of two heavy weights and his own fatigue. Maybe, maybe now she could get through to him and bring back her friend.

Gathering her feet under her, Karuka stood gingerly. Her bare feet were poked and cut by the thick splinters caused by her impact against the gate, and her entire body protested the movements as her legs stretched out and she balanced herself upright, and even more as she started walking toward him.

There was a murmur behind her, one of anger and fear, and her head snapped back so she could look at the few prisoners who thought they could win their freedom by attacking the almost helpless Seth. Her eyes flashed angrily.

"Dinna y' sit helpless like lambs t' be slaughtered wi' th' slavers an' now grow courage enou' t' attack th' man tha' helped t' make y' safe. Or ha' y' forgotten?" Her tone was cutting, and although battered and beaten, she held herself upright and proud, less of a ragamuffin and more of a warrior, like the mighty Scathath of legend.

Shamed, the men settled back to watch as the mere slip of a girl padded her way over to the prone form of Seth Dahlios and kneel in front of him. She slowly extended her hands to take his head, not deterred when he jerked back like a wild dog. As she settled her palms on his temples, she tilted his head so that his fierce gray eyes stared directly into her weary blue ones.

A long second of silence passed between the two, as one Seth Dahlios battled the other for control and the girl stayed there, keeping his gaze. Unarmed and armored, she was vulnerable, but despite that vulnerability there was a spark of fire within that frail body that lent her strength.

Slowly, his eyes started to clear, and finally he spoke. "You...are no threat to me."

She nodded, letting him go and sitting back with a graceless thud as a weak laugh escaped her red lips. "I'm ay too tired an' beat t' be much o' a threat t' any'un."

Translations

"Don't you sit helpless like lambs to be slaughtered with the slavers and now grow courage enough to attack the man that helped mak you safe. Or have you forgotten?"

"I'm way too tired to be much of a threat to anyone."

[Dissinger]

As soon as the words were spoken he jerked, retching. White light spilt from his mouth and he began to purge the magicks that had held him aloft. It felt as if the very organs that kept him alive spilled forth as he purged every ounce of magic within him. As quickly as he grabbed so did he pay for it. He felt a hand gently soothe his shoulders as he continued to vomit and retch, exposed to anyone who attacked.

He collapsed to the deck soon after finishing as he groaned softly. Aches and strains from his fights soon made themselves known as he lay there, hardly able to move as the adrenaline left his system. The weights soon melted reforming into the band on his wrist, the insignia of the lizard scrawled upon the band. A hand flexed softly as he let the memories wash over him. The murders, the deaths. He looked at his hands, so soaked, so covered in the blood of the guilty.

The putrid stench of cooked flesh, and congealed blood. Of death and fear as people looked on. It began to permeate everything. The sights the smells the sounds of the crying. He could taste the fear in the room, the sickened perverseness of the demon within him cackling despite his defeat by the red head. This was not who he was, he was a thief, a good man, a trained rogue who fought for ideals.

Ideals that had been corrupted, as had everything around him. Thats what he was tasting, smelling, seeing, it was corruption. It permeated the ship, nestling deep within the vessels heart as a repeated reminder of the atrocities he was created to commit. As the corruption washed over him again he purged again, this time a purge of body, rather than soul.

Laying helpless on the floor he remained there silent following the purge as he felt the fatigue of the day embrace him. It beckoned him deeper in its embrace, and with no strength to resist, he passed out.

[Karuka]

Karuka prevented Seth from falling into the pool of his own vomit, and quickly took hand over the newly freed prisoners. With everything they'd suffered in the last day, they were all compliant, dazed. The men dumped corpses over the side of the ship and rounded up the few survivors to imprison and guard. The few sailors from the original ship took over steering, and a couple of women found a room for Seth and Karuka to be treated for their injuries.

Karuka held still as the needles and thread slid through already aggravated and wounded flesh to help stop the bleeding and speed the healing process. She held still as balm was spread on the painful burns she'd gotten in the fire. It didn't hurt too much. Not really. She was far too disturbed by the faces of the men she'd killed.

Never before had the red-head had someone's blood on her hands. She hated the feeling of knowing that whatever potentials those lives had had, it was her fault that they'd never reach their full potential. Granted, the lives they'd been living were undesirable, filthy. They weren't innocent, either. But what became of her soul? Murderers weren't looked upon kindly in either religion with which she was familiar.

A hand gently gripped her shoulder. When Karuka looked up, she saw the face of a middle-aged woman. Her face was lined with the stress and worry of the day and her eyes were weary, but held a grim sort of relief.

"You're a good, brave girl. Thank you...for everything."

"But...'twere mos'ly him."

"You took care of him the first time he was hurt, and he may have done most of the killing...but you started the rebellion against the slavers, carried it through, and then stopped him from killing us and protected him from us. You did the best you could under difficult circumstances...and look at where we are now. Now, come on. We've got a bath for you, and then some food. After that, you'll sleep, and things will seem better when you wake up."

Nodding, Karuka complied, going to clean the blood and gore from her person and clothing before mechanically eating a piece of bread. Then the woman ushered Karuka into the room next to Seth and tucked her into a securely slung hammock to rest.

It bothered her that the hammock was probably a dead man's, but she was exhausted, body and soul. It didn't take her too long to drop into a sound sleep.

"But...it was mostly him."

[Dissinger]

His body had been almost thrown on the hammock, no regard for him, as while he had committed horrible unspeakable things, it had been done in the name of freedom. He was a weapon used correctly that day, focused on the correct side in a battle that seemed more of a war when it was done. The privateer groaning as he was chained to the galley he once so proudly threw people into. The kids took to picking up the spilled basket of potatoes and throwing them with imputy at the captain. Who despite his sailor's tongue, had no power over them anymore.

Seth meanwhile was left alone. He was to rest and recover, hopefully the softer kinder man that felt the burden of his sins. As he lay on the bed he was unmoving, unfeeling. He was in a state of serenity. However, as all good things, it did not last, for slowly the body began to stir. Waking up he groaned softly, before one of the women attended to him.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, staying a respectful distance away.

Seth didn't look at her, so guilty did he feel. She was offering aid despite the fact that he had almost brutally killed her. Closing his eyes he began to unlace the gauntlets and take them off, throwing them across the room in disgust, causing the woman to jump. The room was cozy, a few hammocks here and there, a single bed. Probably for the captains chosen. Still he continued as he took off the vest tossing it and his shirt, disgusted with the blood that soaked it.

"Mr. Dahlios..." The girl began as he shook his head. She seemed intimidated by saying his name, but he remained unresponsive, "Mr. Dahlios, please, say something!"

"Get out...you want nothing to do with me girl. I'll only steep you in my corruption..." He said softly, his voice hoarse. Less than a day ago he had been gleefully murdering, now he was broken in soul again, the deaths and murders having torn his fragile soul apart.

"Please, let me help you, what do you need?" The girl tried again. Gods bless her she tried. to break through to him, to make him see he was okay, and he was not a monster.

He knew the truth, "Absolution."

A soft whisper came from the room as the girl seemed to whisper back. FInally she spoke up, "But..."

"Please, don't argue..." The other voice, also feminine and kind. Seth looked up at the speaker, only to look back down. He didn't knwo this woman, and didn't care to either. As the younger woman left the older woman set a bowl of water next to him on the stand. His hands still held the stains of the blood upon them. Looking at the water basin he washed his hands carefully. Once they were as clean as he could get them, she passed the bowl to a passerby and spoke softly, "Get me another one."

"You're braver than most, I would have expected to starve to death," Seth said softly, after a few minutes of quiet reflection.

"Yeah well, you have the girl to thank. A few of the men wanted to toss you overboard, but remembered that you had saved them. Its a delicate balance. They know you tried to kill them, or at least intended to, but you were held back, by the girl and two weights..."

"...which leaves to question whether I still intend to." Seth finished the sentance. There was an awkward silence as he looked at his hands. Another bowl of water soon appeared as the woman pulled a cleaner cloth and began to wash the blood from his chest. A few scratches and cuts could be seen, as well as numerous scars, scars that varied in width and depth.

"I take it you don't, had you been like you were before, you;d have begun the rampage anew, not thrown off your gear in disgust...I admire that actually," The woman said softly.

She gently traced a finger over the scars before he gently grabbed her hand and whispered, "These scars aren't for you. They're for me..."

"I suppose someone has to bear them, what of the captain? We left him for you mainly. I guess you got your revenge, in a rather twisted way," She asked.

"Let him hang for his crimes, I wash my hands of that bastard," Seth replied as he lay back in the hammock his eyes closing.

"You wash your hands of much today it seems," The woman said as she turned to go. Seth sat back up as a bit of prideful fire rose up.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever you wish of it, I cannot make any arguments you haven't already considered," The woman said only briefly before she left.

He grunted softly before he sighed and said, "I just wish for once that my "gifts" would stop getting me in trouble..."

[Karuka]

We did this convo over AIM.

When Karuka woke, she was alone, with more of the balm for her burns on a side table. Sighing, she gently rubbed it in. Applying it stung a little bit -- a lesson that she'd probably never forget. For a year or two, anyway.

She didn't like being alone. Alone gave her time to reflect on the lives she'd taken, it let the look in their eyes as the light expired sear into her soul where it hadn't had the time to before. She'd had to fight before, to act as a shield between the pirates and the passengers, Seth and the passengers, or the passengers and Seth. She hadn't had time to think about the man she'd strangled...or the one she'd fire blinded...or the one whose throat she'd slit so he'd die, or any of the others she'd harmed that day, until now.

And now the words of a Scara Braen Knight seemed to float from the other side of the grave to haunt her.

Are you proud of what you've done? Of the men that you have killed? These men had lives...families! Brothers, sisters, parents, wives...children!

Despite the fact that the slavers would have killed her or worse if they'd caught her again, despite the fact that had she not fought them and assisted in their deaths and downfalls, they'd have sold her and all the others into a life of slavery, she couldn't escape the fact that at least some of these men probably had loved ones that would never hear the story of how their brothers, fathers, lovers, sons, had died. She didn't even know if there was a next life for the people of Althanas, so there wasn't even the reassurance that they'd meet again in the land beyond.

Sighing, Karuka looked at the cuts and burns on her arms, remnants of a battle she'd not soon forget. The pain that throbbed through her body were like a guilty vengeance, and she accepted it, but she really wished she wasn't alone.

She'd been placed in a small room; there was just a hammock, side table, and a blanket, almost as if it had been a closet or...or a child's room from before the ship had been stolen from its rightful owners. Sighing again, Karuka stood. This moral dilemma wasn't going to solve itself, nor was it going to bring back the dead, so she left the room to go find the man that would probably be the only other being on the boat left alone.

Sure enough, she found Seth Dahlios huddled on the floor of the bigger room, bare-chested and looking a little green in the face. Probably the only thing keeping him from desperately needing to hunch over the side of the ship was the fact that he had nothing in his stomach and the utter focus the man had on cleaning his weapons. Karuka approached him softly and crouched down next to him.

"How are y' feelin'?"

He turned a baleful stare to the redhead, who took it to mean that he was not feeling well at all, and she sat down next to him.

"'Tisnae ay any fun, t' be sick. Yer only sick b'cause yer ay focusin' on bein' sick, so I'll try t' distract y'."

It was almost cute, her earnest eagerness to help him, even after being a first-hand witness to the brutal massacre he'd caused. He'd have laughed, if only his stomach hadn't been churning.

"I'll tell you this much, at this point you'll just be background noise..."

Karuka frowned, looking him over. She didn't quite know what to use to make bile settle, but she had run across an Iberian gypsy who used peppers to settle the old Jew's fussy stomach during her travels through France. Come to think of it...hadn't there been peppers beside the cloves of garlic down in the galley store room?

"I know what t' do," she said boldly, bouncing to her feet. "I'll be back in a minute."

Before Seth could ask what sort of witchcraft she was up to now, the girl had vanished out the door and was on her way down to the galley. He had five minutes' worth of relative peace before she returned with a sparkle in her eye and a small green pepper in her hand, with a little bit of bread wrapped up and tucked under her arm.

"'Tis a ha-la-pay-no!" she said with a slight trace of pride, holding it out to him. "They're ay good fer upset stomachs."

Despite the fact that she had yet to try and do him harm, Seth looked at the jalapeño pepper warily, not quite trusting a strange remedy to his problem. "I...think I'll pass..."

"I ha' a frien' who used i' fer every wee complaint concernin' upset stomachs. Tol' me i' worked bettern' anythin' else. An' 'tisnae e'en terribly spicy."

"Sounds like something a druid would use," he said, non-committal. He eyed the pepper again, "And about as tasty as something a nature freak could use, let me just get a bit of ale in me, I'll be fine..."

Karuka shook her head at the mention of ale. While it was good to have if you felt sick from hunger, alcohol didn't tend to help in other matters of nausea. "That'll ay make i' worse."

Seth quirked an eyebrow at the red-head, who was still holding out the innocuous little pepper at him with a kind of gentle insistence. "Karu....I think I'm a big enough boy to know what I need and what I don't need..."

That brought a laugh bubbling up from Karuka's throat, and she gingerly sat down once more, to not aggravate her burns. "'Tis ay what all men say, but in th' end, they dinna know how t' get from Tatha loch t' Tatha town when push comes t' shove."

"Probably help if I know what Tatha was, or a loch for that matter..." The words came with a shrug as Seth dragged the cloth once more over his nearly clean dagger, and Karuka nodded agreement.

"Ay, i' doesnae exist on Althanas. Put simpler...men are ay so stubborn tha' they canna find a horse's head if they're set tha' th' hindquarters are th' front."

"Are you trying to tell me I can't tell my head from my ass?"

"If y' wan' t' take i' tha' way, go righ' on ahead."

The straight face that she'd kept while saying it brought a reluctant grin to the thief's own face. "I don't know whether to laugh or feel insulted there Karu...."

"Jus' eat th' pepper. It'll ay make y' feel better, if I know anythin' abou' herbal medicine, an' I do."

Seth sighed, laying aside his blade. "Sorry, you have to forgive my reluctance. I'm more on the opposite end of your business..."

"I dinna ay ha' any reason t' kill y'...an' I ha' few enou' frien's as is tha' killin' aon off woul' ay be counter productive." She pushed the pepper at him gently, insisting he take it, and finally he did, twirling it in his fingers and looking it over.

"Now, I eat this and magically I'm fine? No queasiness, no vomiting?"

"I dinna think i' has so much t' do wi' magic as th' properties o' th' plant...but ay, 'twill settle yer stomach."

Seth sighed. "Karu, anyone tell you you're too literal?" Cautiously, he took a bite out of the pepper, turning his attention to the girl, who had a grin on her face.

"Aon jus' did."

Seth choked back a laugh, both at the expression and the glib and cheerful way the words rolled off her tongue. "Karu? Remind me never to say anything sarcastic around you, probably live longer that way..."

The grin dropped from her face, replaced by a slight frown under the chakra between her eyes. "Is th' pepper too hot? I ha' some bread, an' that'll cut th' spice."

Seth finished the pepper, starting to shake his head. "If its too hot, I'm..." he'd spoken just too soon, as his teeth sank into one of the seeds, and a flush ran up his face as his sinuses started burning.

Stifling a laugh of her own, Karuka handed a chunk of bread over. "Feelin' better?"

"Well, let's just say I don't have to worry about an upset stomach right now..." quickly, he bit into the bread, feeling the pepper's burn die down some.

"Y' ha' t' be careful wi' those," she told him seriously, and received a sardonic quirk of the eyebrow in response.

"Where have I heard THAT before...."

Karuka shrugged. "Often enou', I'd venture t' guess."

"Oh, that's right. When Garret reminded me to be careful with women..."

"'Twere prob'ly ay soun' advice." She grinned again. She didn't know much of other women, but she knew that SHE could be trouble -- and she didn't even go out of her way for it.

Seth rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand. "Probably save me alot of headaches..."

"Prob'ly. If y' wan' me t' go away, I will." Karuka sighed, looking down at her feet and picking at a splinter. "I always tend t' annoy people that've been nice t' me," she said with a rueful grin. "I'm more used t' puttin' forth sass t' people who hate me t' begin wi'."

"Just between you and me, I think we got half the world angry at us..."

"I wouldna put i' past th' worl'. 'Tis an ay arbitrary thing."

"For some more than others..."

"Ay, 'tis." She sighed once more and fell silent, picking at the other bit of bread, but unable to eat it. She'd tried a bite to appease one of the women in the galley, but it had tasted of ash, and she knew it would until she'd said some sort of prayer for the lives lost the previous day.

"An padir...agam...air chall."

"How are you feeling?"

"It's no fun to be sick. You're only sick because you're focusing on being sick, so I'll try to distract you."

"I know what to do! I'll be back in a minute."

"It's a jalapeño! They're great for upset stomachs."

"I had a friend who used it for every little complaint concerning upset stomachs. told me it worked better than anything else, and it isn't very spicy."

"That'll make it worse."

"That's what ALL men say, but in the end, they don't know how to get from Lake Tatha to Tatha village when push comes to shove."

"True, it doesn't exist on Althanas. Put simpler...men are so stubborn that they can't find a horse's head if they're certain the hindquarters are the front end."

"If you want to take it that way, go right on ahead."

"Just eat the pepper. It'll make you feel better, if I know anything about herbal medicine. And I do."

"I don't have a reason to kill you, and I have few enough friends that killing one off would be counter productive."

"I don't think it has so much to do with magic as it does the properties of the plant, but yes, it'll settle your stomach."

"One just did."

"Is the pepper too hot? I have some bread, and that'll cut the spice."

"Feeling better?"

"You have to be careful with those."

"Often enough, I'd venture to guess."

"It was probably sound advice."

"Probably. If you want me to go away, I will. I always tend to annoy people that have been nice to me. I'm more used to sassing people who start out hating me."

"I wouldn't put it past the world. It's a very arbitrary thing."

"Yes, it is."

"A prayer...for you...the lost." ~ from Gaelic.

[Dissinger]

As she turned to leave him to his weapons he heard the soft jingle of clay from her hips. Raising his head, his eyes focused on the bag that hung from her slender frame before he spoke up, "You know I forgot to ask. Back when I was young, a few gypsies had runes, similar to the ones in your pouch. They used them to tell fortunes..."

Her look seemed almost confused as she spoke, "Ay, I can d'vine with these."

Well that was half the effort. Now to go the rest of the way, he thought as he sighed, steeling his courage. Asking for the answer to his questions wouldn't make things easier, but at least he would know. Opening his mouth he stopped as if figuring out how to say it before he spoke, "I just want you to answer one question, one that scares me more than anything else."

The red head looked upon him concerned as she replied, "All righ', if yer ay sure y' want i' answered."

Don't tempt me, He thought glumly before he moved on asking the question, "Is she?"

If she was shocked she didn't seem it, she merely shot back, "'Tis th' question? Jus' 'is she?'"

Now he felt like he was in the wrong. Asking something and offering nothing to preface. However, the information he wanted wasn't something he felt the world needed to know. Not if it was true. As he tried to figure something to offer he blurted, "As much as I trust you, there are some things better left, unexplained."

"All righ'." Karuka's eyes closed as she focused on the question. The question hung in the air as her fingers drifted toward the pouch at her hips, and her fingers traced over the cold clay tablets until she found one that seemed to stick to her fingers, and she withdrew it from the bottom of the pouch.

"Sigel," she mouthed the word as if seeing it for the first time.

"This rune ay ha' aon meanin' fer th' question y' asked," she said slowly, turning it to show him. "An' th' answer is 'ay.'"

He closed his eyes as he sighed deeply. His mind reeled at the blunt answer. Had it been maybe he would have been happier, but he was certain of it now. There was no going back to uncertainty. As he sighed softly he spoke, "Alright, thank you. If you want to go you can..."

[Karuka]

Translations for the above:

"Yes, I can divine with these."

"All right, if you're sure you want it answered."

"That's the question? Just 'is she'?"

"All right..."

"This rune has only one meaning for the question you asked, and the answer is 'yes.'"

She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should stay and keep him company or leave him to his thoughts. The distance in his eyes told her everything she needed to know, and with hardly a sound, she stood up on burnt legs, wavering a moment more.

"I'll...I'll come an' findja when we reach port, t' say g'bye," she said softly, then padded out of the room on blistered feet. He didn't need her guilty conscience on top of his own thoughts.

She wandered the ship idly, paying attention to little details like the cracks in the wood, or where the rats had chewed. It didn't matter where she went, just so long as she didn't have to think. She'd been told she wasn't good at thinking, and sometimes she thought that the ones who said so were right. This was not one of those times. She could think perfectly well now, and if she didn't stop herself, all she'd think about were the screams and faces of the men she'd murdered.

Shuddering, Karuka came to and looked around. She was in the hold where the slaves had been kept, and children that had been tossing rock-hard potatoes at the Captain fell silent and looked at her as her blank eyes focused. One of them, a little boy with tousled brown hair, rushed over to the wall and held up her leather bag.

"My papa said for me to give this back to you when you came down for it."

The redhead smiled, kneeling down and ruffling the boy's hair, looking into his soft green eyes.

"Thank y'. Tell me yer name, boy."

"I'm Timmy."

Timmy. It wasn't really a memorable name, but that wasn't what she needed. She needed to know the name of at least one of the people she'd helped to save. She hadn't gotten names of the men she'd helped kill, meaning hopefully she'd forget them, eventually

"I'll ne'er ferget yer name, Timmy. Yer a good lad." She ruffled his hair again, and then resumed her wandering, finally making her way up a set of stairs and into a long dark corridor. She could smell the dark, bitter scent of charcoal and taste the grease of kerosene that lingered in the air, even above the scent of salt and mildew that seemed to overpower everything.

A few steps further, and she was on deck, looking at the sky as a bitingly cold wind swept the storm clouds away and let rays of sunlight grasp comfortingly at the sea and ship below. The passengers and sailors walked around with a solemn gravity, but the sun seemed to slowly revive almost everyone, and groups were gathering to chat in the aftermath of the horror that had been half a day and most of a night.

Karuka wanted nothing to do with any of it, though, and simply sat down on the deck, slumped over against the wooden wall that defined the border of the ship.

Merderer...

The thought wouldn't leave her, nor would the blue face, bulging eyes, and purple tongue of the man she'd strangled -- the first man she'd ever killed. In the tumult of her scarred soul, her body barely registered its own pain.

~*~

It wasn't until a few days later when the battered vessel touched the original ship's destination, two days late. Crowds were gathered at the pier, worried about their loved ones, and relieved cries broke out as the first of the survivors touched the pier, only to be embraced immediately by friends and family.

Karuka wanted nothing more at that moment than off the boat that held such bad karma for her, but she let the others disembark first. It was somewhat rewarding to hear the prayers of thanks go up to various gods, and rending to hear the anguish of those whose loved ones hadn't survived. She watched passenger after passenger file off, and she saw anxious face after anxious face break into smiles.

She had no one waiting for her, so she could afford to take her time.

"I'll...I'll come and find you when we reach port, to say goodbye."

"Thank you. Tell me your name, boy."

"I'll never forget your name, Timmy. You're a good boy."

>>>Murderer.<<<

[Dissinger]

He sighed from behind his hood, waiting for the time to come for him to leave. As far as he could tell the people weren't talking about him. At least, not openly, that much reassured him, even still his presence, felt wrong out of place. As he moved about up deck, he finally spotted Karuka waiting off to the side, clinically studying the interactions below. Her blue eyes roved over each celebration of reunion from the groups below. It was as if she was looking for an answer to the question that bothered her most.

While he wanted to sift through the crowds, he couldn't find hide nor hair of Liliana about the throng below. So, taking this as a sign she probably was also waiting for the crowds to thin, he moved beside the redhead, a gauntleted hand resting gently on the railing of the ship. His voice was soft, for her ears only, but held a strict tone to it, "That’s not my world down there. As much as I'd like it to be, the difference between me and them is quite clear... They wouldn't be so happy if it wasn't for people like you and me..."

He stopped, letting the words sink in. The girl had seemed more than troubled on occasions. Guilt ridden, depressed, the tell tale signs of the first kill. He could see the signs as clearly as he felt them himself, and so he thought long and hard how to, make her feel better. Finally he spoke up, "We all have things we regret Karuka, thankfully, their only regret is that someone else had to die for their safety. Our regrets, we carry them, burdens and sins that we may never wash free of ourselves...but at least we know that today, our sins saved lives. If a meager explanation, it’s one none the less."

Finally he saw her, looking worriedly over the people as she flagged down a member of the crew. Seth flinched almost as mortally wounded as he saw the look on her face, the worried eyes the pursed lips. Finally Seth moved from beside Karuka, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the only life that matters to me anymore. Even mine is below this one..."

He then moved down the gangplank steadily as she seemed to scan the crowds. Finally he moved through the crowds putting a few people off as he brushed carelessly past them. Finally she seemed to see him as she rushed forward and hugged him tightly, her face buried in his chest. His arms wrapped around her tightly as he clenched his eyes shut. The feeling of love blew away the grief and guilt for another day. She melted away the bad leaving only happiness and contentment behind. It was this that made him love her so much, the love despite his actions.

"Let's go, we have much to talk about, as you can guess, the seas aren't exactly safe. I assume you already saw the healer right?"

"Yes, what’s wrong though?" He never could lie to her, as Liliana looked upon him with her doe brown eyes he sighed as he led her off.

"Let's just say I wasn't a model citizen during that trip..."

[Karuka]

"G'bye, Seth."

The words were a mere whisper at the thief's retreating back, and Karuka sighed, thinking back on his words and looking at her hands. The burns were fading, and thanks to the care she'd received, they wouldn't scar. The singed hair would grow back in time...and all of the blood had washed off of her hands.

In Celtic lore, battle against impossible odds was sung about in tale after tale. There was nothing more that a Celtic warrior could ask for than the chance to participate in such a pitched battle, and then live to drink ale and sing songs after. It was a way into the honorable afterlife, and she was sure her maternal grandfather, the Berserker, would have been very proud of her.

Hinduism, too, encouraged valorous battle, at least, if she remembered those snippets her father had told her of the Ramayana correctly, and in other stories, Lord Shiva had taken up arms against other gods. He WAS the god of destruction, after all.

She had committed no sin. But she would be a long time recovering from her first kills.

Sighing, she walked down the gangplank and set her feet upon the solid ground that had almost been a fool's dying dream. It didn't look much different than anywhere else she'd seen, but that didn't matter now. Sliding her pendulum from her neck, Karuka held it out in front of her for guidance.

Lead me on t' dharma.

She started walking along the cobblestone road, and the first sign she saw pointed to a place called "Radasanth."

[hr]

Over a scrying cauldron and a loom, an ancient, withered woman smiled toothlessly at a beautiful young maiden. They had been watching this escapade, as well as the other amounts of mischief the girl had found herself in. They didn't interfere, save to keep weaving her string.

"This one," she said with some certainty, and a middle aged woman looked at her disapprovingly.

"Are you sure?"

The crone nodded at the matron, and the maiden found the string.

"Then we'll just tie this string to this one here, and loop them around like so...at least, so far as this."

The Crone nodded, motioning to an impulsive young blacksmith to begin his work. "She only needs so far as that.

Karu's L0 profile applies, found here. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=3915)

[Call me J]

Total Score- 68

Guys, this thread caught me at a very busy time in my life. I’m going to post it with limited comments, but I know both of you won’t be shy when it comes to asking me for more feedback if you want it.

• STORY ~ 23/30

Continuity (8) ~ This thread really had a strong sense of past, present and future, though Karuka was a bit better in this category.

Setting (9) ~ This was by far the thread’s strongest category. I always had a good idea of where the characters were, primarily by the way that you showed me how it affected them.

Pacing (6) ~ Your writing made this thread flow pretty well, I still don’t feel as if the story here needed to be as long as it was.

• CHARACTER ~ 19/30

Dialogue (7) ~ I’m not sure whether to add or subtract points for Karuka’s accent. It’s very colorful and adds a lot to the thread when I can understand what she’s saying, but it really hurts flow when I have to go look up what she’s trying to say.

Action (6) ~ This was pretty much what I would expect from two people who have accumulated a decent amount of EXP with their characters. The thing you guys could do to help you in this category (and make better narrative) is selectively go into more detail into your character’s decision-making. Keep in mind I don’t need every decision psychoanalyzed, but a bit more detail on key decisions would be nice.

Persona (6) ~ Seth sometimes comes off as a bit too overdramatic. I know he’s dealing with heady stuff, but sometimes you make things seem like too big of a deal. It cheapens the really big moments in the thread for him.

• WRITING STYLE ~ 19/30

Mechanics (6) ~ There were a lot of mistakes in here that didn’t need to be made.

Technique (5) ~ Dissinger, I noted above that Seth sometimes above comes across as overdramatic. Hyperbole is one of the biggest reasons why. I would give you a strong score here for using a lot of literary devices, but I’m not sure that all of them actually helped the thread.

Clarity (8) ~ The repetitive nature of the narrative hurt you in a few places.

• Wild Card (7) ~ I’m always pleased to see a thread where people take a lot of effort to work on a thread that is this involved and detailed.

Spoils

Karuka Tida recieives 3580 EXP and 380 GP
Dissinger receives 5960 EXP and 370 GP

[Karuka]

EXP/GP added! Dissinger levels up!