Ashton Hirohito's Story

"Everything's ready, are we ready?" Ashton asked, talking mostly to himself as the physical copies of Shadow pranced around his room to pack everything up. A couple of "Yep!"'s later and Ashton's ear twitched. Was that snoring? Not just snoring...but...rumbling.

Zane, no doubt.

Rolling his predatory eyes he walked, suitcase in hand, to Zane's quarters to find him sprawled out on his back, dead to the world in a deep sleep. He put his suitcase down and walked over to the bodyguard, nudging him a few times before rolling his eyes again. Using the darkness of the room, Ashton created six copies of himself, one for each corner of the bed, and one for the middle of each side so that he could carry the bed, Zane and all, to the boat. After some more trickery, he managed to get the bed out to the courtyard, knocking loudly on June's door to signify that it was time to leave.

As he walked he smelt alcohol in the air, not from Zane, but nearby nonetheless, and smiled. This reminded him of a song! Clearing his throat, him and his six copies all harmonized, the words flowing beautifully, but cheerfully from all of them, each of them taking a turn with the verses.



This loud, cheerful singing wouldn't be enough to wake up Zane, but would be enough to announce his presence upon the docks, carrying the bed up the gangplank of the ship and onto the main deck. Where, with a clap of his scaled, slightly claw-like hands, Ashton made his copies vanish, the bed crashing to the deck.

The sound of shameless snoring was suddenly interrupted and replaced by the loud crash of a bed colliding with the hard surface of the deck of the Fallen Angel. A young man with hair the color of lava immediately jolted up and thrashed across the damaged remains of the bed he had just been sleeping on, letting out a yell of shock and simultaneous anger upon being awoken in such a fashion. His movements caused the bed's supports to break down even further, forcing it to completely crumple to the floor, which in turn made him nearly bite his tongue as he was about to lash out at the person responsible, leaving him to instead just glare up at the servant through messy bangs, once his eyes managed to find him. A low growl akin to that of an animal resounded through his closed lips before using them to blow air straight upwards in an attempt to shift the hair out from in front of his eyes. Finally, he made to express his annoyance through the use of words.

"Goddammit, Ash!" shouted Zane, a look of honest anger on his face as he lay atop the now practically demolished bed, his elbows propping him up. "What the HELL was that about?! You couldn't have woken me up like a normal person?!" Zane had chosen that moment to jump up off the bed and grab the collar of the servant, acting as though he were about to punch him in the head. But he didn't, because all things considered, he was all bark and no bite when it came to his friends. That said, he wanted to make sure Ashton was quite aware of his dislike in being forced awake the way he was. When the message was clearly received, he let go of his collar by softly shoving the slightly older lad away from him. "Aaaah," he groaned, scratching his head roughly, causing it to regain most of its usual shape. "Whatever!" He suddenly bent over backwards with both of his hands pressing against his lower back, forcing his joints to creak due to lack of use throughout his slumber. "I'm awake now, so I guess it doesn't really matter..." His voice strained because of the action, but that was natural. He then made to work out all the rest of the kinks in his body by stretching different limbs in various ways, almost as if he were preparing for a fight.

Finally, the boy raised up to his full height, slapped his cheeks a couple of times and greeted the morning sunlight with a large grin. "Alright! I am ready to go!" Zane placed his hands on his hips, looked around a bit, and then asked Ashton a question. "Hey... Just where in the hell are we, anyway?" All previous discontent seeming to have disappeared without a trace, Zane's expression was blank, save for the slight frown on his face, as though he truly had no idea where he currently was...

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Today was the day the boat was to take off! To begin their journey to wherever the winds would take them! Or maybe more so wherever The Princess wanted them all to head off to. Didn't matter, Sun Wukong was happily enjoying his walk along through the streets. The weird looks he got from people, he ignored completely, not trying to hide his fur covered face, nor his similarly fur covered feet whose digits seemed a bit more flexible in similar fashion to the fingers on his hands. The dull gold fur swayed slightly from the breeze that blew on by, the white tips dancing a little as the monkey smiled cheerfully. This was a nice morning, perfect to begin an adventure on!

As he walked, he began to hum to himself, swaying back in forth to he tune he couldn't possibly name. It was simply composed of whatever notes came into his head that sounded like they would blend together. He didn't really know what he was to do once he got onto the boat. He hadn't been given a specific job for what to do on the boat, but he signed up to help and protect the people on board so that was a good place to start for Sun.

He stopped his hum as he then scrunched his face in though, wondering just what kinda people he was going to meet. He hoped they'd be nice and up for some fun. If they turned out to be sour grapes, then this voyage was gonna turn into a bummer really fast and then Sun was gonna be a sad monkey. He was stuck on this boat for a while now, as he wasn't one to back out on a promise. He told them he'd go and protect the humans on board and damn he was going to do it. He was a monkey who kept a promise! Well, guess he'd have to find out what kinda people he was gonna be shipping with over the next few....time.

Looking around now, Sun frowned a little bit. This walking was getting to slow for him, he was beginning to feel a bit antsy. Looking at the nearest building to him, he then grinned before walking towards it and immediately hoping up towards a window sill. Latching onto it with one hand, he quickly pulled himself up towards the net place to grab, but not before giving a wave to the surprised occupants of the room he was just outside of. Once up onto the rooftop, he dropped to all fours and quickly began running towards the edge, his scale armor that covered the majority of his body, save for his head, hands, and feet, jingled as he moved along.

It wasn't long before he reached the docks, having taken the high road to reach his destination; he stopped at the edge of the building, staring in awe at the boat before him. This was the dock he was told to go to, and holy cow was the boat there huge! He'd never seen a craft of that size, honestly he wondered how it even got anywhere or moved about if it was so big. He imagined it must be magic of some kind that stopped it from just sinking into the water. With a big grin, he crouched on his feet, arms resting on his thighs as he looked it over from his perch. Big boat meant lots of places to climb around, so he was happy to know he'd have plenty of place to run and play.

Looking around the docks, he watched the people moving about their business, moving crates on board, sacks of whatever, and even a bed with a person in it. Sun blinked, head cocking to the side immediately at the last thought. That must have been quite the rich person, especially if they wee able to find seven identical people to carry it! He wanted to see just what the heck this person was now.

With a little hop, Sun dropped form his perch, falling for a few feet before landing with a heavy thud on the ground, tucking into a roll before coming back up onto all fours and already moving towards the boat at a bit of a quickened pace, unfazed by the drop he had just made. He ignored any one he came across, as right now they didn't interest him. He wanted to see the bed buddy and his identical cohorts. Reaching the edge of the dock, he made a big leap out towards the boat, latching onto what looked like a window to him before quickly beginning his ascent up the side. He could have taken the gangplank, but that would have been dull.

Once he reached the top, he perched himself on the railing of the ship, looking around for the source of his interest. Glancing around, he spotted the bed, but this time only one of the identicals. Face scrunched in confusion once more, Sun quickly scampered across the floor on all fours towards the bed, poking his head around it once he reached as he looked for the other identicals. "Hey!" he said, lifting up the bed despite the person resting on top as he continued to search. With no sight, he then poked his head around the side and looked up at the identical standing there. The monkey cocked his head to the side as he got a good look at the fella, noting the scales on some of the exposed parts of his skin. Most catching were the eyes of the individual. "Where'd the rest of you fellas go?! They leave somewhere else or you just hiding them from the bed guy?"

With his head out now, it was then that he watched the bed guy get up with a bit of a bite to his temper. He seemed unhappy to have been delivered to the boat in such a manner, even Sun figured it was a luxury thing. He watched the two for a few moments before looking at bed guy the red-headed, Sun smiling up towards him once he heard the question. "We are on a boat, on the sea, near the docks, near the land. You know where he put his identical peoples?" Sun asked while pointing at the scaled one, the rest of the monkey still hidden behind the bed.

Amaco

Waiting for this day to come seemed like a lifetime to Amaco. Everyday it was continual nagging from her leaders about going over the plan, and how she needed to channel her "nice girl" side. The other Mongrels would tease her, "Be a nice kitty cat, Mac, and you'll get a big fish from papa." Of course, this only provoked her and they either got a mean jab to the ribs or a rude remark, demoralizing them. They would just laugh and walk off, leaving Amaco to stew in her annoyance. She didn't quite think of herself as hotheaded. She could control her anger if she needed, she just never had the need to before. She seemed to always be surrounded by rough "people", if you could even call them people.

She watched as a few people made their way to the docks. First the princess, and oh she looked delicious, then someone she assumed was royalty. He had servants following him. Amaco couldn't tell, and she didn't particularly care. But you need to... she internally chided herself. Someone like him could be important. And now he was talking to the princess. Even more interesting. She scanned the docks again, looking for more of the future crew. She saw a body guard, or at least what she assumed was a body guard. She couldn't be quite sure, but she made a mental note to either avoid him, or get on his good side. Either way, she knew she would need to act the sweetest around him were he to talk to her. A man with white hair and an eye patch was walking and singing with a group of men following behind him. No doubt he was the captain. She sniffed the air and was displeased with the aroma. She twitched her nose and let out a low snarl. What is that? She sighed and stood from her perch on the roof of the hotel she stayed in the night before. Amaco knew that she needed to be on that ship as soon as possible. Being the navigator, she would need to meet the captain and at least a few of the crew members. It wasn't necessary to meet the princess, but she was hoping to talk to her today.

As she made her way through the street toward the Fallen Angel, she saw Rooke, a renown blacksmith, pushing his cart up onto the ship. The corners of her mouth twitched. She had no idea he was coming on this trip. Oh the boys won't be too happy about this, she thought and a smirk found it's way onto her lips. He made some of the best weapons she'd ever seen. Some of the best anyone had ever seen, for that matter. Of course, with her low profile status in the Mongrels, he wouldn't recognize her. Amaco had never purchased her own weapons. She remembered her handcrafted weapons hidden safely in her bags and the thought struck her that he would recognize his own handiwork. She decided to ditch them the first chance she got. She realized he might remember who he had sold them too, and put together her affiliation with the Mongrels. She'd just have to buy new.

The closer she got, the stronger that strange smell got, and soon enough she realized what it was. Werewolf. The thought seeped like poison as she fought a scowl. It was strong, and there was something different, but she credited it to all the other creatures that must have been boarding, or soon to be boarding the ship. Mac shook her head slightly, and lowered her hood as she boarded the ship. The feeling of leaving the land had little effect on her. She had lived in many places, and so home was honestly where she lay her head at night. Growing accustomed to ship life wouldn't take the girl too long. As she neared the princess she smiled, and pulled her hair over her shoulders, hoping to look softer. She wasn't wearing her normal attire. Today she was sporting tan pants and a loose white top, complete with her black cloak and black boots. She didn't want to seem too menacing on her first day. She was over thinking things a little. A lot of people wore all black, and sometimes even face masks. She saw the captain and the one who smelled like a Vampire.. No. Dhampir. She scrunched her nose at the captain but decided to bury her hatred for wolves, for the princess's sake.

"Hello," she said curtly. She bowed at her waist to the princess, then nodded her head to the dhampir. She wasn't sure exactly who he was, but she wasn't going to risk any disrespect this soon. Just as Amaco was going to address the captain, the one who she had assumed was a body guard pulled him aside to speak. She was relieved she wouldn't have to talk to the filthy creature, but soon realized she was alone with the princess with nothing to say. "My name is Amaco and I am the navigator," Mac said, faking a bashful smile as she pulled a map from her side bag. She unrolled it slightly before it snapped back into place and she replaced it in the bag. Not wanting to take up too much of the princess's time, she excused herself politely and began wandering the deck, slowly making her way to the ship's head. Mac decided to wait for the captain, Elcid was his name, she remembered.

Amaco was temporarily amused when she saw the draconian and the red haired boy. The bed crashed on the deck, and she flinched slightly, wondering if it would have caused any damage to the deck. She put it out of her mind when the red haired boy began yelling at the other boy. She smiled, hoping it would turn into a fight. Much to her disappointment, the red haired boy backed off, and was soon cheerful, wondering where in the world he was. She turned her attention to the monkey-like man and wondered whether there was such a thing as weremonkeys. Although she had never seen one, or heard of one, she assumed everything was possible. He seemed to be very powerful, considering his jump and climb onto the ship. He explained to the red head where they were, and she once again put her focus on the captain, who was still talking to the guard.

Zane turned to the voice that sounded out from behind him, which belonged to a rather interesting creature he had never seen before. He didn't even bat an eyelash upon seeing the half-primate individual that was hiding unsuccessfully behind the broken bed, and rather gave his immediate response as though seeing such a thing were an everyday occurrence to him.

"Identical persons...?" parroted Zane, an expression of honest, calm curiosity on his face. "Wait a minute..." he continued after a pause, turning his head away from the monkey, knitting his eyebrows slightly and bringing a hand to his chin. Everything was coming back to him. "Boat...? Sea?" His eyes widened. "Oh, crap--!" Zane's hands jumped up into his red hair through a display of shock and panic. "SEKLAR'S GONNA BE PISSED!!" His reaction to this sudden realization made it seem as though he were about to be skinned alive, but in reality, all that likely awaited him was a thorough scolding from his senior. That said, to someone like Zane Archaeus whom absolutely despised boredom above all else; this would be a torture in and of itself. Without another word, he took off running, leaving Ashton to answer the curious man-monkey's questions. The only thought on Zane's mind now was hoping beyond hope that he would manage to run into his best friend before his worst...

However, luck didn't appear to be on his side today-- or at least not entirely. Zane skidded to a stop about a minute later upon spotting the black hair of a taller man whose back was currently turned his way. Seeming to have not noticed his junior's presence, Zane decided to take advantage of the opportunity by slinking on by as Kaleb Seklar was conversing with yet another tall man, albeit with longer, much whiter hair. This made Zane stop in his tracks for a second, his face perking up out of equal parts confusion and curiosity as to just who the hell the man was. Whoever didn't really matter, but the boy could easily smell the magic energy coming off of him, and it told him he was strong. He thought he might have picked up a whiff of something else, too, but didn't really pay it any mind. That said, he knew that the man talking with Kaleb wasn't an amateur mage. His mind wondering back to the older bodyguard whilst taking in the present sight, Zane quickly jolted back into 'stealth mode' and continued to try and tip-toe past Kaleb without him noticing. If he was successful, he would proceed to hide from Kaleb and wait the proper amount of time for the situation to effectively blow over. He could then reveal himself and explain that he was aboard the ship the entire time, dodge an annoying lecture about punctuation and proper bodyguard etiquette, and get away Scott-free! It was a total pipe dream, most like, but it was a risk he was willing to take...

Unfortunately, Zane's plans were foiled by an innocent little bucket that happened to somehow find its way along the path of his foot, which spectacularly collided with the metal object, sending it bouncing a couple of times before rolling off somewhere unknown. Zane froze on the spot, a corner of his wry smile twitching as more than a few eyes traveled straight to him upon being disrupted by the sudden noise resounding throughout the immediate area of the ship. He quickly adapted by standing up straight, spinning on his heel and walking back in the other direction while awkwardly whistling Way Hay And Up She Rises as he went, each of his steps appearing quite stiff and rather robotic. He only prayed that his senior hadn't been paying attention. But who was Zane kidding? He himself knew quite well that Kaleb Seklar paid attention to everything...

Terror Casron


A cloaked figure walked down the docks silently, carrying a book in one hand kept close to her body and a medium sized bag in the other. She was very aware of people around her and walked cautiously, avoiding those that looked like they may attack her of they discovered what she was. Others that caught her eye she gave a friendly smile which was often returned with a fearful look. Terror didn't let this faze her, however, as she got closer to the ship.

She came to a halt before heading up the ship because a man with clones of himself was carrying a bed with another man sleeping on it up onto the ship. She immediately recognized the clones as a sort of magic and almost got overly excited at the fact that their was someone else on the ship that would be using magic as well.

She watched the scene unfold in front of her as she made her way up onto the deck of the ship. She pulled her hood off now revealing her horns and strange color skin. She giggled as the bed came crashing down and the red haired man angrily got up. She was just approaching as the monkey made his way around the bed, overhearing everything he said. "It was magic he used, he released the spell." She giggled as she explained to the monkey as best she could from what she had seen.

"I'm glad to know someone else on this ship will also be using magic." She said to the guy who had used the magic while giving him a smile. She glanced over at the captain, but he appeared to be busy talking with someone. She decided she'd have to introduce herself later when he wasn't busy. She watched the red haired man take off running and watched him for a brief second before turning back to look at the other man and the monkey. "Oh I'm Terror by the way. I'm the ships doctor so if you somehow get any injuries or even if you get sea sick feel free to seek me out and I can help with that." She introduced herself, friendly smile still on her features. She hoped none of them would be frightened of her at all and hoped her friendliness would deter any of those feelings.

I remained leaning against the wall as the morning drove on, watching as people began to move aboard the ship. It seemed this trip had drawn in all kinds of people and beings, I suppose something of this magnitude is not something passed on easily. I pushed myself off the wall and stood up straight, getting a better view of the ships deck. I noted that people seemed to be gathering around the women who I saw earlier taking down notes, I rubbed Zeds head and mumbled to myself. "Must the princess." I was about to step forward but had to stop and stare as several identical figures seemed to be carrying a bed onto the ship then letting it drop once they were on deck. I raised an eyebrow and looked around seeing several more strange sights, a man moving like a monkey jump down from the rooftops and climb up the side of the ship, another figure landing a small distance from me, a women who also moved onto the ship. I looked down at Zed and sighed. "Guess this will not be the quiet trip we were hoping for. Lets go."

I walked along the dockside and turned to head up the gangplank but clearly Zed was too excited by the new surroundings as he jumped ahead of me and bounded up onto the ships deck, letting out a loud roar of excitement and stretching out his limbs. I rolled my eyes hoping that our boarding would go largely unnoticed before walking up on deck and pulling back the hood of my cloak. It seemed pointless to try and hide my presence with Zed here, even more so considering I stood at least a head taller than any other on board. I thought it best to at least formalize my presence to the princess, best not be thought as a stowaway.

I patted my leg and Zed quickly moved to my side as I walked towards the group of people gathered near the princess. As we got near Zed stopped I lowered himself, growling quietly at the man with white hair and baring his fangs. I snapped my fingers at him, instantly making him stop the growl and move back to my side. I stopped a couple of meters away and pulled my bag off my shoulder, letting it rest on the floor. Only then did I realize how diverse our company truly would be, most of the beings here seemed to share at least some blood with an elder race. That or have over indulged in the use of magic. I waited patiently until my presence was noticed by the princess, giving a small nod of my head and speaking in my usual deep and gravely voice. "Highness."

---

Kaleb offered a wry smile to the Dhampir, and glanced towards the Princess. "Her highness can be most persistent, and when she sets her mind to something, it is nigh on impossible to change her mind. We will follow her into the gates of hell, if we must."

Having returned from his brief chat with the Captain about the state of the ship and his crew's readiness to sail, he turned his attention back to the Princess, who had been engaging in conversation with a young woman who was now making her way towards the ship's gangway. Drawing closer he could hear strange voices singing more shanties and soon, a half dozen figures arrived, carrying a four-poster bed.

... of course he isn't awake yet...

There was no need for anyone to explain this extravagant entrance, although he silently commended Zane's ability to sleep through what could easily have been a typhoon. As the figures dropped the 4-poster bed, he feigned ignorance of the red-headed boy's late arrival, and turned his gaze back to the ship. Soon after he heard an almighty clank as Zane tripped over a bucket lying on the dockside. Kaleb breathed a slow sigh and turned towards Zane.

"You know, I did at least pretend not to see you arrive, Zane... Why are you so late?!" He wasn't actually that angry - he knew that Zane would have turned up sooner or later, but this is not the privacy of the castle - any sign of weakness in the Princess' guard that could be exploited should not be tolerated, especially when there are only a few people who can be trusted wholeheartedly - one day, Zane might realise this, but not now, Kaleb thought to himself.

Ashton merely faded away from view as Zane grabbed him, the real Ashton already walking back down the gangplank towards Eevie again, greeting with a small bow and a happy smile. "Highness; always a pleasure to see you, and it is the highest honor to accompany you on this trip." He said happily.

For the most part he ignored most everyone else, Zane, Sun, and anyone else. His armor gleaming lightly in the early morning sun, and his scales giving him that exotic look that made him seem.... more handsome than the average man, and his eyes making people think twice about being hostile.

He then turned to Kaleb and smiled, giving him a polite bow as usual. "Good morning, Sir. How are you today?" He asked before being distracted by Rose "Ah! Rose! So good to see you; did you enjoy my singing? I smelt you following me all the way here." He said, tapping his nose as he smiled at the female, his pointed teeth coming into view now as he did so.

He then turned around and examined the massive ship, tilting his head. "Erm....how does it float?" He asked, looking at it. "I mean....it's so large...and undeniably really heavy?" he turned around and shrugged, shaking his head with a playful smirk on his face.

Evankka smiled with delight when she saw Ashton, he didn't ever really have to do anything, he just had a presence about him that brought her joy. "Good morning Ashton, I'm pleased to see you are in high spirits as usual..." her voice trailed off as she noticed her goof ball of a body guard seemingly being scolded like a puppy.

The princess felt bad for Zane any time he got scolded because even though he may not always be on time, and is usually found goofing off, she knew if she was ever in any real danger, he wouldn't hesitate to protect her. She also couldn't blame Kaleb for lecturing, he takes his job very seriously and she always admired that about him.

Evankka could tell by the look on Zane's face that he wanted her to do something, so she walked over to the two men to see if she could break up some of the tension.
She stepped right in between them and smiled looking first to Kaleb, and then to Zane. "Isn't this nice, all of us together, going on an adventure?" She asked in an overly excited tone, hoping her cheerfulness would become contagious.

---

"Zane, don't you worry about sleeping in any more - I'm sure we'll find a solution on the ship for you." Kaleb said slowly, with a slight chuckle at the end, and giving a nod to Ashton, who had bid him good morning. ...We'll fit a pipe organ into your cabin walls tonight, Zane....

He watched his younger colleague feign a pout and turn his back, like a kid who had dropped a muffin in the dirt; Kaleb lightly shook his head in pity, before the Princess interjected.

"Of course, your highness!" He beamed at her, trying to be as enthusiastic as he could be, "I for one, can not wait to get out on the water. So much to see, so much to do! So little time... Right, Zane?"

He could see what Eevie was trying to do, and decided it would be best to play along; Zane may be a pain, but pushing it any further with her Highness present would be a dumb move. Instead, he turned his thoughts back to the ship, and the matter of establishing security's presence on-board. He turned to Ashton, and said quietly,

"Hey Ashton, how is your knowledge of defensive wards?"

"Hm...?" questioned Zane, tilting his head somewhat at Kaleb's assurance that he would no longer have to worry about sleeping in. He figured that if the guy had a method to combat these boring little chats of theirs, he'd be all for it. Even if that meant giving up a few hours of extra sleep each morning... "Well, whatever works, I guess..." After giving Kaleb an indifferent response, he turned his head toward the right again in time to spot his savior.

Zane perked up a bit when he saw that Eevie had walked over to them upon having clearly deciphered his silent message, and looked down at her with a smile on his face as she peered back and forth between him and Kaleb, excitement in her voice. His smile deepened and he gave her a nod.

"You bet!" said Zane, his expression now void of all previous ire, with nothing but pure joy remaining as he placed a hand on Eevie's head. His fingers were long enough for his hand to wrap completely over her small dome, which was quite an amusing site to behold. Zane, of course, thought nothing of it. This was among the usual display with the two of them. That one plop on the head he gave her was all he had planned, and thus removed his hand once more after a few seconds and chose that moment to look around once more. "Quite a lot of folks comin' aboard, huh?" Zane posed the rhetorical question to his shorter friend while placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner as Kaleb began chatting with Ashton.

Zane wore a blank expression as he watched the commotions of the other crew mates, most of them faces he had never seen before, while a handful were members of the royal staff placed with aiding the princess in her quest. Zane wanted to believe that they were all good people, but there was no mistaking that scent lingering in the air... There was malice, and coming not from one source, but many... This bugged Zane to his down to his very core, and it even made him reflexively shift his eyes back down to Eevie without his head bothering to follow suit. He watched her for a moment as she smiled warmly at the camaraderie already beginning to take hold on the ship, and that in turn made Zane smile. As things currently stood, there were only 4 people on that ship that he could honestly say he gave a damn about. And as long as Eevie, June, Ashton, and... yes, even Kaleb Seklar... No matter what, if his friends were by his side, he felt like he could take on the world.

Little did he know, however... Their battle to protect the princess had already begun. And they hadn't even set sail yet...

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Sun was frowning now as he listened to the red-head speak, seeming to give no attention to the monkey to answer his question. His frown vanished at the other voice that spoke up, Sun turning his head to look up, considering he was still crouched low, at the source. Now confusion took over once more, Sun's head leaning to the side as he got a good look at the person. "It was magic he used, he released the spell." she said. His attention on red-head or the identical was now gone as he watched the newest arrival to the little mess that had been occurring.

His eyes were settled on the horns that sat atop her head, Sun standing up to his full height now to get a better look at them. She had turned her attention away from him for a moment, but he was still looking at the top of her head. He'd never seen someone with horns atop their head like that, and he couldn't help but wonder to himself how they felt. Were they a smooth type of horn, the kind that sometimes had a dull luster to them? Maybe they were rough, the kind some livestock had atop their heads in the fields of farmers. He was already reaching out towards them, wanting to know what they felt like for himself.

"Oh I'm Terror by the way. I'm the ships doctor so if you somehow get any injuries or even if you get sea sick feel free to seek me out and I can help with that."Sun's eyes moved back to her face as she spoke again, this time the words being directed towards him as well. He watched her for a few moments, hand still somewhat outstretched before returning her smile with his own grin.

"How you get those horns?" the monkey asked, his hand moving forwards more to try and reach them. "You like Sun Wukong, a special animal? Maybe part animal? I don't know many horned creatures with skin like yours!" His hand did stop though as what she had said earlier about the magic finally dawned on him. With a gasp, he immediately pulled his hand back, his grin growing larger. "Wait, you say Identical can clone himself with magic?! Sun Wukong needs to learn this!" he was looking at her for a moment before he looked around the area to try and figure out where Identical may have gone. He looked back at her. "One of me great! Imagine more of me!" He jumped up onto the broken bed to climb up over it, though he stopped just before he ran off to turn back to look at Terror. "Terror know about the magic! Come with me and help me convince him! Maybe you learn as boat needs more like us on board! To many normal people!" He then hoped off the bed, moving across the deck on all fours again. He stopped momentarily, looking at Terror again and waving her to follow. "Come, come!", he then off again, moving towards the railing of the ship.

Hoping up onto the railing, he remain perched there as he scanned the docks for Identical. He looked different than the other humans did as well, so Sun knew he should be able to spot him easily. His searching paid off once he spotted exactly who he was looking for, who was standing alongside a few other people. Sun did a little shake of excitement, also because he noticed Red-Head among them. "Sun Wukong find them! Come, come!" he shouted, though he didn't actually check to see if Terror was following him by this point. He dropped over the edge of the railing and began climbing his way down the side of the boat, finally hopping off of it once he was close to the docks below him. Once there, he quickly scampered over to the group, hushed noises of excitement emanating form his mouth as he moved along.

He finally stopped once he reached them, stopping himself near Identical. Firstly he looked to Red-Head, waving to the man. "Hi Red-Head. Identical!" he immediately switched his attention over to the armored man, his eyes settling on the other's lizard-like eyes. "Hi! Sun Wukong want to learn copying magic! Please teach me how!" He was bouncing in his spot slightly from the excitement. "Be so fun, be useful! Please teach me!"

After a few moments of excitement, it was then that Sun's eyes finally settled on the others among them. His eyes started first on Red-Head, before moving over to look at a white haired man. Least he was another easy one for Sun to spot, and easy to name! He then looked at the other three, firstly looking at the armored individual who stood next to the woman in the black dress. Sun raised a hand to his chin, squinting his eyes at the man. He'd be a hard one to give a name to. He then let his eyes wander between the two women there, one of which looked like she was about to collapse and fall asleep on the ground right there. It made Sun grin, his hand lowering to the ground to support himself; she'd be another easy one to name!

He then looked at the woman in the black dress, again his eyes squinting as he looked at her. There wasn't anything distinct about her he could use to give her a name, another one to make his poor monkey life difficult. With a shrug, he then looked between the black-dress lady and the one in the armor. "What does Sun Wukong call you two then? I can make names for others, less they give names to me." he then chuckled a bit, smile reappearing, "Or maybe I call you by my names anyways!" he laughed now, his body posture finally relaxing as he remained there on the ground, hands resting on the ground to support him as he remained crouched.

Ashton gave a smile and respectful bow to Terror as she caught his eye, the predatory slit-pupils taking in her form calmly before he moved his gaze to Kaleb. "Defensive? Most of my magic is Illusionary; In terms of defense, I can make copies of Her Highness; confuse an enemy; or make her Majesty look as though she were you or me." He listed calmly.

Then the excited Monkey Man came to him and he took a step back in surprise, smiling nonetheless. "T-teach? I.. Um....I don't know how to teach people, sorry." He said, blushing bashfully as he scratched the back of his head. "As for what you may call me, please, call me Ash; or whatever name is easiest for you to remember." He said, introducing himself with a small bow. "I...I can recommend some books for you if you wish to try to learn my magic, though, Sun Wukong." he added with a smile.

Idly, Ashton's eyes began to search for Terror; her appearance intrigued him, and he could smell something.... different about her. He was a curious Draconian, for sure, his eyes darting to either direction searching for her. He shifted his weight to one leg and tapped his clawed fingers against the bracer of one of his arms.

Zane's smile disappeared for a brief moment as his eyes opened wider upon being addressed by his friend Eevie, but it didn't last more than a second before his smile and the warm look in his eyes returned. He was still standing there with his hands behind his head as though he couldn't be more bored with the current wait for everyone to get settled in, but in all honesty he was feeling pretty great. Excitement, maybe? Zane gave the princess an answer to her poking fun at him almost immediately.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked her, bringing his hands down to meet his hips as he titled his head and raised an eyebrow, making him feign annoyance towards her as he looked down at the considerably shorter woman. "D'you know how hard it'd be to fight with a thing like that in my hands?!" Although his voice was raised slightly, he wasn't yelling at her, and he knew it wasn't perceived as such either. This was a usual interaction for the three of them; the princess and her two loyal bodyguards.

Before Eevie could throw one back at him, however, her attention was stolen away by the monkey Zane had had a brief encounter with earlier. He held up a hand in reply to the monkey's greeting of him, not batting an eye at being called 'Red-Head', as it was clear to him and everyone else who he must have been referring to.

"Yo, monkey-dude!" said Zane, a friendly tone in his voice. He let his hand drop back down to his side with a sway of its entire limb as their new monkey/man-like ally introduced himself. Sun Wukong was his name. Zane had thought he seemed pretty cool. Sun had an air of innocence and purity of the heart about him, and Zane liked people like that. They were the most fun to hang out with, after all. It was one of the reasons he was so taken with Eevie when they had first met. "The name's Zane Archaeus!" He said that with a thump on his chest with his fist upon being asked what Sun should call him and the various other people around him.

As everyone went on introducing themselves to Sun Wukong, Zane's eyes shifted to the demonic-looking creature walking toward them all, a few seconds behind Sun's arrival. Immediately, Zane moved toward her as if a moth drawn to a torch. Making her stop in her tracks almost immediately after she had joined everyone, Zane invaded her personal space by very rudely observing her features up close. His hand was holding his chin and he was shifting his weight around so that his eyes met a new level each second while he checked her out. He took a couple of audible sniffs at the air around her, making his already rude actions appear even more brazen. Finally, his eyes locked with hers and he moved his face very close to her own, an eyebrow raising suspiciously.

"Hmm," he pondered, rubbing his chin slightly. "You look pretty mean... But I don't sense anything off about you." Speaking honestly about how he saw this woman whose name he didn't even know, Zane leaned back once more, giving the poor girl back her space. A large smile appeared on his face and he said the first thing on his mind without a moment's hesitation to think about what it might have sounded like to the others. "Well, you smell hot, so it's all good!" Had Zane not been so very dense, he too likely would have stumbled over himself as surely many others who had caught what he said might have done, but the boy's thoughts were pure, although his choice of words made them seem otherwise. He had no idea who or what the woman in front of him was, but the moment he had sniffed the air she carried with her, that is to say: her scent, he picked up a strong relation to fire. The only word that came to mind in his thick skull had been 'hot', and so he used it without shame. Zane's utter obliviousness to how he was coming off to surrounding eyes and ears would be the reason of his misunderstanding the sharp feeling of a small hand meeting the back of his head with the force intended to beat discipline into his very being.

"Gah-!!" grunted Zane, his head instantly bowing in front of the demonic woman in front of him from the sheer force of the blow. He snapped back up and looked around, brow creased seriously as he held up a clenched fist and grit his teeth, trying to figure out who it was that did it. His eyes fell down on Eevie, who was now standing right in front of him with her hands placed on her hips as she scowled up at him like he did something unsavory. "What the hell was that for, Eevie?!" He was angry at being struck so suddenly as he rubbed the spot with his hand, but he knew she must have had a reason, and therefore didn't really feel all that upset about it. But still; the back of his head really stung...

---

Kaleb sighed, "Not a problem, my friend - I know magic is a broad spectrum of schools." He started to think of ways to maintain security against unseen threats on board the ship.

The strange monkey-like figure who had been climbing up and down the side of the ship hadn't bothered Kaleb in the least, at least not until he approached the group. He seemed to be more taken with harassing Ashton than the Princess, which gave him a sense of ease. As Sun asked his name, he said politely, "My name is Kaleb. It's nice that you are joining us, Mister Wukong."

After Sun had said his dues, Kaleb returned his gaze to the Princess and her companions. He struggled to stifle a laugh as Eevie beat Zane around like a ball of yarn, but maintained his position and didn't say a word. Zane is a fool, but he brings out the best in Eevie - it's more than I can do - and he could probably get away with murder under her finger...

Terror


So much began happening as the monkey who's name Terror caught was Sun Wukong began to ask her many questions. She looked at him strangely as she noticed he was reaching for her horns. "You're awfully curious now huh? I'm a half demon, that's how I got my horns." She ended up saying with a giggle as she realized he meant her no harm.

He then began to get excited over the magic she mentioned that the man had used. He wanted her to follow him to talk to the man and she giggled again as she slowly began to follow. He was quick and got to the group before she did. However she approached shortly after, her eyes falling on Ashton. Her eyes met his for a moment and she gave him a sweet smile.

That smile disappeared shortly after as Zane began to invade her personal space and stopped her from getting any closer to the group. He looked her over and she was beginning to feel very nervous. "Um..." She couldn't find words as she shifted her weight and her tail flicked uncomfortably. She almost teleported away from him, but he finally backed out of her personal bubble.

When the Princess smacked him and pulled his ear it dawned on her what he had said about her. "Wait what...um...I..." She got all flustered and her face became a deeper shade of red. She wished to just disappear, but she knew that would be rude. However she managed to compose herself when the Princess gave her an apologetic look.

"It's perfectly fine Your Highness." She said as she gave her a smile and tried her best to courtsey, though it was rather clumsy looking. "I am quite excited to go on this trip with you all. If anyone needs medical attention please come to me for it. I shall be the healer on the trip." She finally said with a smile as she looked between everyone as her eyes landed on Ashton. Something about him intrigued her, maybe it was the scales and his dragon like eyes. She wasn't sure.

As everything was happening around him, Ashton's eyes focused on Terror, their eyes meeting a few times. Every time their eyes met, he felt something he couldn't describe; he didn't know what it was, and at the moment, wasn't trying to figure it out. All he wanted to do at the moment was make the half-demon's acquaintance.

Then she came up to him, and they met eyes again, and he returned her smile with his own toothy smile.

"Greetings, Terror, I am Ashton. It is a pleasure to meet you, and, if I may be so bold, you are very lovely." He said, smiling and giving her a small, polite bow, keeping his eyes on her, the reptilian, predatory slits looking intensely, memorizing her shape in case he could not make out details, and would need to rely on silhouettes.

"Perhaps, one day I will sing a song for you?" he asked smiling; offering to her the best of his services. "That is, of course, if her Highness does not require me at the moment." he added with a chuckle.

Terror


Terror felt her face heat up a little as Ashton introduced himself to her. If one looked close enough they would see her face turn a darker shade of red, however she still had a smile on her face. "You flatter me, not many think that way about a half demon. Thank you." She said with a small giggle. It was the first time anybody had truly said anything nice to her.

He then offered to sing to her sometime and her eyes lit up. "Oh I would enjoy that as long as you don't mind if I sing along." She responded excitedly, happy to find out that someone else on the ship could sing. It seemed like they had quite an interesting group of people on the ship. "Or perhaps I can perform with you for Her Highness?" She spoke mostly to Ashton, but she glanced over at the Princess briefly.