The sun was just barely visible over the horizon and Princess Evankka had already made her way from the castle to the docks. The skies were clear and the smell of salt radiated off the ocean as gentle waves crashed against the shore. Eevie was dressed in her usual attire, a black silk dress and her fine jewelry, not looking sea ready in the slightest, but never the less, there she stood before The Fallen Angel and all it's glory, one of the finest ships in all of Briella, and she had the 'okay' to use it for her adventure... The excitement was building up inside her, though she felt bad about doing this to her mother, and to her kingdom. It was too late to back out now, her mind was made up, this trip was happening!
She tapped her pen against a small note pad she was carrying around. "Check.. Check.. Check" She muttered quietly to herself as she inspected the outside of the ship.
Everything seemed to be in order, the ship was flawless and she couldn't help but to be in awe of it.

Although Eevie knew she was too early and the ship wouldn't be leaving for quite some time, she couldn't help but to feel a little let down that nobody else was there, readily awaiting the adventure like she was. Of course, she knew her bodyguards and servants wouldn't be far behind her. While she waited, she continued her thorough inspection of the ship, walking aboard and counting various crates of supplies. "This should last us all a while. I wonder where my Captain is." She looked around the ship, pausing to mess with various things she was curious about.
The Princess never got out much around the kingdom, so she was easily fascinated with most everything. She had never even been on a ship, and now she would be sailing across the world with a group of strangers. A smile graced her lips as she could barely contain her excitement.

I had made camp a small distance from the city, sleeping only a couple of hours as was the norm and rising before the sun. I rekindled the fire and opened my bag removing all my weapons, laying them all about before me. Reaching back into my pack I pulled out a small pot of a wax like substance and a ragged scrap of leather. In what had become almost a ritual for me I got to work cleaning, sharpening and just general upkeep of all my weapons. It took several hours before I had completed my task and began packing away the pot and rag, looking over at the horizon I noted the sun was still not due up for another hour, so I pulled out another pouch from my bag. It was the last of my rations, consisting of a few strips of dried meat and some now stale bread. I grimaced slightly but was distracted as I felt Zed awaken behind me, his front paws stretched out in front of him as he let out a loud growling yawn and moved to my side. I scratched the back of his neck and laid out the last of the meat for him and took the bread for myself. "Ready for another adventure boy?"

I waited for the sun to begin to rise before snuffing out the fire and equipping myself with my weapons and armor. I checked I had everything secured before throwing on my cloak and hoisting the large bag over my shoulder and setting off towards the city. As I neared the city gates and whistled loudly, calling Zed back to my side, too many would try their luck hunting down a beast such as Zed and I had no desire to see them fail in the attempt.

I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head and marched into the city, Zed keeping close to my side as we moved through the streets. We were given a wide birth by all those out this early in the day, I wasted no time and headed straight for the docks reaching it in minutes and looking on in awe at the size of the ship in port. It was most definitely the largest ship I had seen and I began to wonder just where it might be able to take us. I noticed there was minimal movement on and around the ship, I concluded that I had arrived too early and decided to wait. Moving back a few paces and leaning against a nearby wall, my eyes scanning the ship in admiration as Zed laid down at my side.

Carmillus walked slowly across the dock with his luggage and two of his mother's servants who had agreed to help him with his baggage. The dhampir knew he would miss Briella, the country where he had lived his entire life, but something inside of him burned with excitement at the thought of seeing the world he had only ever read about in his books. When he approached the Fallen Angel he was rendered speechless by its magnificence. He had never actually been on a ship before but he could tell that it was an extremely nice one. He was further surprised to see the Princess standing alone on the deck of the ship. He quickly handed his share of the luggage to the now overburdened servants and told them to drop it off at his room after giving them brief directions.

Carmillus then walked over to Eevie and gave her a very formal well practiced bow. "Your highness I am glad to be a part of your company on this voyage. We've ran into each other a few times at formal occasions but never really got to talk before. My name is Carmillus Agincourt son of Countess Agincourt and the resident wizard of the Fallen Angel." He then relaxed a little more as he continued to speak. "I didn't think I'd run into anyone this early in the morning. Especially not you. I wanted to get my things on board before the rest of the ship when it will be crowded. Its also a little nicer to get that kind of thing done in the twilight. Better atmosphere and better for my sensitive eyes. May I ask what brings you here this early?"

Elcid


"You'll take o' her, won't ya Jack?" Elcid asked his old friend and Dockmaster Jack Puller. He was leaving the High Wind in his capable hands while he and his crew set off for adventure. Elcid wasn't sure when, or if, he would be back. So he made sure his pride and joy was taken care of.

"Stop your nagging Cid, she'll be fine. I'll treat her nice and proper, like a real lady. Now you and that barrell of pullseys you call a crew get out of here. Some of us have work to do." JAck reassured Elcid, poking a barb at him. "Fine, Jack. We'll go. See ya around and don't get dead." Elcid turned from his friend to his ship one last time. He breathed her in and then set off towards his crew. "Alright boys! Let's get 'ar arsses to The Fallen Angel 'for the tide swallows us up!" The men cheered in unison and the group of 25 or so men carrying several kinds of chests and napsacks began to walk down the docks towards the massive ship, Elcid in the lead.

As they walked, Elcid felt a pick up in his mood and felt that he needed to mark the occasion with something. All of the grog was on the ship, so he would have to mark it with the next best thing. "Right lads! Lets mark the occasion with a classic!"



The lads had finished up the song by the time they began to board the Fallen Angel. She was a sight for sure. While Elcid vastly preferred smaller vessels, he could see the majesty and appreciate the power of one such as this one. He turned and began to call at his crew as they began to fan out on the deck.

"Alright men! Find yer posts! Get bunk'd down and then haul yer arse to posts and scuppers and make double all the riggins'! If there's a family a mice feck'in on board, I wanna know about it!!! Every nook and cranny logged! Mr. Murdoch!"Elcid said, turning to his first mate. Gerard turned to him with a very serious and sober look. "Yes, Captain?"

"I want a log of all the mens findings in my quarters before we set to the waves. Also, make sure all of the special arrangements are taken care of for my bouts of sickness, will ya?" Elcid said, clasping him on the shoulder. "Consider it done, Captain. Alright you lot, you heard the Captain! Get moving!"

As Elcid knew everything would be fine in Gerards hands, he began to look about the ship. He immediately spotted a sight that confused him. It looked to be the Princess. She was here this early? The man she was speaking with looked like a retainer of sorts. Strange.

"Your Majesty! What are ya doin' here this early in the morn? Didn't expect ya till we wayed anchor. Whts that ya got there?" Elcid leaned over looking at her clipboard. "Taking inventory are ya? Looks like we'll make a sailor of you yet!" Elcid said with a laugh. It was then that he turned his attention to her compatriot. He put his hand out to grasp the other mans. "Names Elcid Barrett. Captain of this here little 'venture. Who might you be?"

Kaleb Seklar

Kaleb felt his body tensen a little as the Princess and her party made their way through the docks towards the Fallen Angel. He could smell the fresh sea air, a welcome change from the musty perfumed air in the castle, and every now and then he glanced out at the horizon, thinking that in an hour or two, they would be setting sail for lands unknown. It had been a long morning of preparations for this voyage, including organizing the roster of guards who would be present on board the ship, however he had not been allowed to pick through the crew detail or passenger lists at the behest of her Highness, much to his frustration.

She does not take her safety seriously... and she does not wish to hide from danger any more. I deeply admire her for her determination, but I can only pray she will come to terms with what manner of evil haunts this world... before we all pay the price for it... Wait... where in the hells is Zane? That boy will be the death of me.

Progressing through the docks, with others in deep conversation with the Princess or waving to the citizens gathering around the departing ship, Kaleb found himself trying to weed out familiar faces amongst the crowd, looking for anyone who might see an opportunity to strike at Eevie. Distantly he heard voices singing sea shanties, and as they drew closer to the ship, his eyes caught sight of a man who could pass for a noble approaching the Princess.

Catching a full glimpse of his face, he recognized him as the half-vampire who was sentenced to exile from Briella, having seen him in a hearing in front of the Royal Family. Instincts told Kaleb that he should be on guard, but surely this half-vampire would be wiser than to attack the Princess in the middle of a crowd of mercenaries and loyal sailors. He made no actions as he started a conversation, deciding that Eevie would be able to handle it.

No doubt Eevie had arranged for him to be taken on this sailing. A kindness that others never showed him.

They continued on their way towards the Fallen Angel, past the fisher's wives and well wishers who were clamoring for a glimpse of the Princess, until they encountered a dashing gentleman with a composure of importance beyond royalty that only the Captain of a ship could have.

Behold Captain Barrett - one of the greatest nautical adventurers of our time. We could easily have sourced a reliable Captain from our own naval fleets, but it was not our decision to make. I don't trust these merchant traders turned pirate-hunters; they reek of hypocrisy, and claim the pirated goods for themselves - does it make them any better than the pirates?

He allowed the Princess and the Captain to speak a while, before stepping forward to have a quick word with the good Captain away from Eevie.

"I trust you and your crew are all set for this adventure, Captain Barrett? Your ship will be perfectly safe here in the port - after all, there are few finer shipwrights on this continent, if the archives are to be believed."

Johnathan Rooke

This place is too cheerful..., Johnathan thought to himself, as he pushed his enchanted 'lightweight' cart along the docks to the ship. Many of the cases on the cart were packed with components and materials for crafting weapons and armaments, from steel ingots to tools of smithing, packed amongst his clothing and various disguising articles of bric-a-brac. He also had hidden away an assortment of small blades (daggers, swords), that he might be able to turn for a quick price, or use for special occasions.

Determined to raise the minimal amount of suspicion, he ignored the royal boarding party and kept his head down as he approached the gangway. Showing his pass and glancing up at the guard on duty, he continued on up the gangway on to the main deck, and made his way down the stairs to the third level passenger deck, where his cabin was meant to be situated, ignoring all of the servants and stewards who greeted him on his way. Opening the door to his cabin, he quickly wheeled the cart in, and closed the door tight behind him.

He breathed a sigh of relief - the first part of the big game plan had gone successfully - he was now on board the ship. From here on out, there was no turning back, and he knew this. Taking a moment to glance out of the porthole, he took a good glimpse of the land he called home, for what could be the last time, before starting to unpack the majority of clothing and trinkets that were in his luggage. Once that was complete, he would be able to start working out how he could establish a clientele on the ship.

When Captain Elcid offered his hand to Carmillus the dhampir took it and shook hands. "The name is Carmillus Agincourt. I am under your employ as the ships wizard. I have read about several of your voyages and must admit I am rather impressed with your escapades." As his hand made contact with the Captian's his dhampir nature could sense that something about him wasn't natural. Carmillus casually dismissed this feeling. He himself was far from natural and if the captain did have something unnatural about him than there was nothing wrong about it.

When Kaleb arrived Carmillus also greeted him with a casual nod. "I assume you are one of the guards here to keep our Priness safe. It's good to know that your kind is here to ensure that our little adventure doesn't get out of hand."

"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...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

The Princess smiled with delight at the greeting from the mage. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you." The sun was now shining brightly across the sky, Evankka winced at the intense rays, not accustomed to being outside for long periods of time, she honestly wasn't a fan of the sunlight.
That didn't matter though, she would endure it for the sake of this trip.

She averted her attention back to the wizard. "Oh, I simply couldn't wait any longer, I just had to come see the ship with my own eyes." and with that she was approached by a man she recognized immediately. Though she hadn't got out much, she has heard many tales of the captain of The Fallen Angel and admired him greatly.
She glanced down at her clipboard and giggled, tossing it overboard. "That? It's nothing. A silly habit really, this is your ship and I should have faith in both you and your crew." She gave a heartwarming smile before realizing she hadn't properly introduced herself. "Captain Elcid it is truly an honor to meet you and have access to your ship for my adventure. You have my sincere thanks." She gave a small bow.

She couldn't help but to be the slightest bit distracted by all the commotion in the background, several new faces were showing up, and many of them were quite loud. There was already such a variety of members aboard. She had already met a wizard and the famous Captain Elcid, she couldn't wait to see who else she would encounter.
As her mind wondered, she suddenly realized she felt a bit strange without her bodyguards watching her every move, usually she could barely get a moment to herself. She kind of liked the freedom of not being watched and followed, but of course that wouldn't last.
Her freedom was short lived as she saw her more serious bodyguard approach and take the captain to the side.

Just as the captain was being pulled off to the side, she was approached by someone else, this time, a woman. "Hello, I'm thrilled to have you aboard." She gave a bow in return, showing her respect and appreciation to the woman.

Arun Baltus

The chef was seemingly in high spirits as he wheeled his last cart of herbs and spices on board the ship. It had been an arduous task, stockpiling the ship for the voyage. The Princess had been most specific in her requests for certain rarer ingredients, but they were easily enough obtained from travelling merchant ships in the docks.

Although the thought of being stuck on a boat seemed hellish, Arun was determined to make the most of the opportunity. He was allowed to bring his assistant Isabella who would assist with the menial preparation work, but he did not know anyone else in the crew. Never the less, he was determined to prepare the finest meals he could.

On board, he made his way down to the kitchens, assisted down the stairwells by a couple of idle ships hands. Depositing the last of the supplies, and no sign of Isabella having arrived yet, he headed towards his cabin for a quick nap.

Johnathan Rooke

The smell of wood and ash seemed to linger around his cases, as he moved some of the more valuable materials into a hardened case with a lock, and stowed it away under his bunk. With his unpacking completed, he decided it would be best to get the layout of the passenger floors, and most importantly, work out a way to gain access to the ship's forge - otherwise he would need to improvise with his low level knowledge of magic.

He headed out of his cabin, securing the door with a basic tamper ward, and made his way through the decks, noting exits and hiding spots that he could find.

Eventually, he emerged on the main deck, stunned that the ship was still docked, and he decided to take a seat in the middle of the ship, overlooking the ocean, admiring the beauty of something so simple and relatively unchanging.

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."

Hallie was slowly dragging herself with her head bent forwards. It had been years ever sinse she saw a sunrise or anything close to it, but she didn't bother to look at it. Instead, her attention was taken by the enormous ship. Her hair covered most of her face, yet a smile was visible.
"This is it..." Halinor thought and sped up towards the docks.

Soon her steps started getting slower and slower, as she was noticing barely enough of her surroundings, until she stopped near the princess. Hallie pulled her long black hair backwards, uncovering her dark blue eyes, which could be mistaken for purple due to the redness and capillaries. Her pale skin complimented the existance of her eye bags and shadows. She cleared her throat quickly and quietly.
"Good morning. I'm here for the Angelic Fall journey..." she spoke in a low, hoarse voice and yawned. "I mean... Fallen Angel. Yep, it's the Fallen Angel. That's right. Nice to meet you, my name is..."
Hallie immediately went silent, as her head quickly bent forwards. Slight snoring could be heard.
"Halinor Weiss. Call me Hallie." she snapped out of her quick slumber and went inside the ship.

---

The docks seemed to be especially busy that morning, a certain sense of anticipation tinged the salty air. The child-like sage made her way down, her weather-worn boots only but made a small creaking sound that paled in comparison to the hustle and bustle that surrounded her. A large, heavy rucksack burdened her small frame - filled with who knows what, might I add - and yet she held her stance with an effortless grace. Two leather belts hung loosely about her waist, intertwining with one another. Along these belts were pouches, and within these pouches held dozens and dozens of thin translucent vials. A small clinking sound could be heard with each step of the alchemist. Ripley's large, murky eyes gazed over the merchant stalls, and the collection of items laid out along the battered tables. Maps, precious jewels, clothes, vases, pet monkeys, potions. Potions. The girl's wandering stride veered off, remapping a new route, as she purposefully approached the stall lined with an assortment of pre-made potions along with empty vials, small cauldrons and other complicated pieces of equipment necessary for the art of alchemy. Ripley waited patiently, as the stall's merchant bartered with a customer.

"These are the finest burn potions you'll ever find within the seven seas!" She heard the man say, swooping down a scarlet-coloured potion aggressively towards a pale, lanky character who immediately leaned backwards, narrowly missing what could've been a most unfortunate situation indeed.
"No, honestly, I think I'm-"
"These potions were hand-crafted with the utmost delicacy by the dragon-born alchemists of the west! Made with the blackest of tar formed on the great Gurgu Volcano, rock abstracted from the Golems found only in the depths of Trystal Forest and, of course, the mightiest of flames produced only from the most masterful of sorcerers!"
Ripley's eyes drifted down to the smouldering liquid that swished in the glass container the merchant held in his calloused hands. It didn't take much brainpower to understand he was lying straight out of his arse and, with only a quick glance, the small sage knew the ingredients contained in that potion were far from grand as the man made it out to be. First of all, it was the wrong colour - there was a dull hue to the substance and she could see flickers of a suspicious magenta. The girl looked down at the glass bottle, and only amateurs would use such flimsy materials for a burn potion of all things.

Ripley sighed, but once the client had been scared away, she took a step forward.
"Hello." She said simply.
The man turned, confused as to where the greeting had come from, before looking down and catching sight of the small pink-haired creature. His look of surprise quickly melted into an expression of disdain. Who was this kid? Where were her parents? He did not have time for this. He was losing business.
"Good morning, child. Is there where you are meant to be? Are you lost?" He said patronisingly, his voice dripping with arrogance. The man loomed over Ripley, as she examined his wares calmly.
"How thick are your vials?" She asked.
"What?"
"How thick are your vials?"
"W-Well, they're all roughly 0.2 or so inches, I don't-"
"I'll take five of them."
"What?"
Ripley raised her head, with a disapproving glance up at the man, before slipping a hand into her right pocket. She felt around before fishing out two golden coins.
"This should be enough." She said, dropping them onto the table before stashing her purchases into a belt pouch. "Pleasure doing business with you."
And without a second glance, she walked away, the weight on her waist now a fraction heavier.

She slowed down to a halt, her attention captured by the magnificent vessel just ahead of her. It seemed just as busy as the docks below it - if not busier - as she saw folk of all shapes, sizes and races step aboard. The constant flow of supplies being brought onto its deck implied they were rationing for something important. Something incredible, perhaps. Ripley stood idle for a moment, suddenly very aware of the load on her back. For such a large crew, another member wouldn't hurt, right? She took a step forward, then another, and then another until she was at the foot of the wooden walkway. Without hesitation, she walked across its rickety surface. Before she knew it, she was on board. Somewhat lost, somewhat uncomfortable.

---

A soft clink of metal hitting each other could be heard as the young woman walked through the street. Her steps were light and graceful and her hips swayed effortlessly with each step that she took. She knew that she would catch some eyes as she walked, especially eyes from men. Her head was held high in confidence and her thick black hair bounce lightly behind her, causing some of the men to whistle towards her. She ignored the men's whistle and catcalls as she moved to a booth. She picked up an apple, her gold bracelets clinking as she did and she studying the apple before she paid the booth owner then continued on her way. She had a small bag clung over one of her shoulder and the top of her head and bottom half of her face was covered by her red scarf. She walked towards the dock then she stopped before the large ship, the one known as the Fallen Angel. Her golden eyes studied the ship in admiration before she looked up towards the deck. From the sound of the commotion, it seems that everyone was getting themselves acquainted and ready for departure.

She made her way up the gangway and unto the main deck. She stopped as she realized just how diverse the ship was. There was a human-like monkey, a giant, half-breds, guards, royalty, servants just to name a few. Quite a lot of interesting characters that she would soon meet on this journey. Her golden eyes landed on the princess and she stared at the princess lightly before she turned her attention to the captain. An interesting trip this will be. She could sense someone...no....2 people above her and she looked up, spotting two heads looking out over the crow's nest. She smiled lightly under her scarf before she leveled her head and made her way to the stairs. She descended down tot he second level passenger deck. Her room had already been situated for her. There was a bed with clean sheets, a chair in front of a desk with a small key and a small washroom. She walked into her cabin and she closed the door behind her before she put her bag down on the bed. She pulled her scarf down from her face and she took a bite of the apple, a small smile could be seen as she savored the fresh, juicy apple. Perfect. She moved to her bed and she sat down, enjoying her apple until it was all but gone. She tossed the apple in a small trashcan and she picked up her bag, rummaging through until she found her wooden tambourine. Her favorite instrument to play. Perhaps someday she and the crew can make sweet and fun music and she wondered for a second if the captain and princess would enjoy that.

She placed her tambourine down beside her and she rummage through her bag again. There was canteen of water, extra clothes, towel, a medical kit and her fortune telling equipment. Being a gypsy fortune teller was something that she did to earn a little bit of money while travelling from town to town. Perhaps she could read a few fortunes on the ship and make a little bit of money while on this journey to the mysterious lands and islands that the princess wished to visit. She rummage through again, looking at her makeup kit and a few other stuff before she nod her head satisfied. She had everything she needed and she was ready for the journey. She pulled her red scarf from her head and she tied it to her waist, hiding her weapons of dagger, knives and sais underneath it. She stood up and she walked to the desk, grabbing the small key before she walked out of the cabin. She locked her door and she walked back to the main deck, waiting and awaiting for the ship to leave the dock and began its journey out to sea.

---

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.

---

Johnathan lay back on the chair he had settled in, thinking about all of the things that had led him to this ship. All of the hardships, all of the trials and work he had put in to make it here. In another life, he thought, this could have been a happy occasion. Now, he was embarking on the last stage of his life's plan - the revenge that he has so longed for.

He lay back and tried to remember happier days, when he still had a family. After a while, his thoughts turned to the blacksmith who had shown him kindness, and to the guards who had taken everything from him... He could feel his blood begin to boil at the thought of his mother's pain, surrounded by the flames that had taken her life, long before her time had come.

He thought of when he was just young one, and still knew his parent's embrace, their smiles... I know... this is not the path you had in mind for me, but... I can't let this go. I will repay the favour to those foulsome, high-nosed bastards... and once I do, I can sleep at last. I will find you. There is nothing left here...

Sitting up, Johnathan started to scan the ship, trying to find someone of interest - anyone who might make a potential sale, but he knew in his heart that it would be a slow process.

Zane froze with one leg still in the air as he heard the intensity of Kaleb's voice sound from behind. Had he really thought he could get away by acting innocent? Probably not, but Zane was the type who acted first and thought about the consequences later. He slowly turned around to face Kaleb with a rickety motion as though his joints were suddenly old and rusted. The look on his face was tense and unmoving, and yet it twitched in angst. Kaleb expressed his displeasure in Zane's punctuation, just as Zane had predicted he would, and the latter swallowed his pill reluctantly. He knew that Kaleb was likely too busy to focus all of his attention on him so early in the morning and before their fast approaching departure, but that didn't mean he was off the hook. Not in the slightest.

Zane finally relaxed his facial muscles and stood up straight while facing his irritated senior. He gave the taller man a wry smile and an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, trying to play it off as though it really wasn't that big of a deal, which, to Zane, it really wasn't.

"Argh," he groaned, finally giving up on the act. "What does it even matter that I'm a bit late? I'm here now, aren't I?" Zane's current expression revealed his immaturity in full. It was one that conveyed juvenile defiance when in the face of authority, and his rebellious tone of voice carried it home. He often took up such an attitude when dealing with Kaleb's scorn, which just so happened to be a near everyday occurrence. "And besides," he continued, holding out his hands as if to plead his innocence. "You know how I am; there's no way in Hell I'd be able to wake up so early on my own! If you wanted me to be on time like a good little boy, then you should'a just woke me up yourself..." The hands that were held out a moment ago now entered either pocket of his pants, while their owner turned his face away from Kaleb. He hunched his back somewhat, lowered his eyebrows so that he appeared to be scowling, and jutted his lower lip outward in the form of an irritated pout befitting that of a child who was upset they were being lectured by their parent. Zane being an adult, this display made him appear incredibly rude and inconsiderate; as was his usual character.

As it were, the princess -- who was the entire reason for all of them being there in the first place -- was not far away from her two bodyguards, and Zane seemed to realize this once his eyes found her after he'd turned his attention away from Kaleb. The rebellious Salamander was now trying to send his dear princess an SOS with his mind alone, hoping that his thoughts would reach her somehow. While Kaleb certainly wouldn't let it slide just because the princess might tell him he should leave free spirits alone, it was reasonable to assume he would at least choose to hold off on scolding him until he actually had the time to waste on such an unimportant matter. Either way, Zane placed his faith in Eevie, his friend, who was the only person who could rightly and effectively order them around -- her more serious and 'by-the-book' bodyguard being comparatively easier to control than that of her unprofessional 'dog'. Kaleb was the type who followed orders out of obligation, while Zane was the type who did so only when he felt like. The way he looked at it, an order from Eevie was more of a request than anything else, and it was therefore his choice on whether or not he would carry it out.

The two of them were Lady Evankka's only protectors, and they were complete polar opposites of one another... But perhaps that would prove to be a good thing. One can hope...