Mizakiri Mlzha's Story

"Get that sword up Aiden, otherwise an intelligent opponent will hack at your throat," Miza instructed her pupil as she adjusted his arms.

Right after his encounter with the wolves, Aiden had gone to Miza to learn how to wield a sword. After looking about the ship and stopping by Jack, Miza had come up with a short sword that fit the boy well. He was taking lessons from the medic and seemed to learn fast. In only a few days, he was able to guard himself against attacks that Miza thought they would most likely encounter against bandits or other factions.

The two were currently in the clinic, having pushed the spare beds against the wall in order to give themselves room.

"Okay, like this?" he questioned. Miza released him and his arm dropped slightly as she walked back to her start. He adjusted himself and held the sword correctly when she turned to look.

"Yup. Now defend!" Miza rushed in with her practice rapier. Her pupil faltered back a step before correcting himself. He ducked under the slash and sidestepped, performing a downward slash of his own. Miza took a half step back and swung horizontally at his side. It was a lazy slash but enough to catch him off guard as he tried to jump back. Instead, the dull edge of Miza's blade tapped him gently on the side.

"Point," she smiled.

Aiden pouted as he gently rubbed the spot she'd smacked. "Meanie." This caused Miza to laugh until a slight rocking motion filled the clinic.

Miza went to one of the beds and pulled it back into place. "Go on deck Aiden, we've landed." Instead of listening to her, Aiden went to the second of the clinic's beds and pulled it back into position. He then placed the short sword in its sheath and opened the door for Miza, who smiled and walked out into the ship's hallway. Once the door was shut behind the boy, Miza locked it quickly and the two jogged up the stairs to join the rest of the crew.

As Aiden adjusted Miza's medicinal pack, he checked the status of the other crew members. Hagane looked tired, more so than usual and she also muttered about something being broken. At the mention of Jack the gunner remaining on the ship with the girl, the firearms expert stammered slightly with his reply. The new comer whom Aiden had taken a slight liking to from afar was peppy as normal like sticking to the cook like glue. Rurik was also his normal, grumpy self. Before Aiden could find the navigator Rict in the commotion of the crew, a female voice carried on deck.

Curious as to what wares the salesperson was pitching, Aiden went to the railing of the Cutlass and peeked over. A woman who looked like she didn't belong in the area let alone outside a manor's palisade walls stood below with a cart laden with various mechanical objects. A small flying object flitted around the woman spouting things that the young boy had no care for. He ignored this new obstruction and concentrated on the task at hand, finding TTO information. Unless this woman proved useful, Aiden had no need to hear what she was saying. Besides, he had no money to spend.

-------------------------

Miza raised an eyebrow curiously when she heard an unfamiliar call. It took her a second to realize that the person wasn't on deck but actually on the ground below. Curious as she was, the medic followed Alley and Lily in order to get a better look. Once the purple eyed woman saw the wares that were laid out in front of her, Miza lost interest. She was never any good with mechanics and that is why Ichi was valuable to Miza. Bored with the current situation, Miza stepped back in order to allow the present crew members a chance to interrogate the seller. She rested a hand on the hilt of her rapier subconsciously and turned back to the Cutlass. After the medic waved for Aiden to join her, Miza stretched and popped her lower back and right shoulder.

As soon as her apprentice reached her, Miza popped off a question.

"Limb threatening wound the knee of a person. You only have enough materials to make a tourniquet. Where do you place it?"

Without thinking, the boy replied, "Two to three inches above the wound, so long as the tourniquet will not rest on a joint."

Miza could only smile at the fact that the boy was good at learning. Perhaps he could surpass her one day... but there was only a slight chance of that happening. Maybe.

As Cassandra Donovan revealed herself as the mastermind inventor behind her wares, a smug look of prowess crossed the chefs face, who merely stood back, folded her arms and nodded to herself as she basked in her own ‘genius’ in solving the mystery. If one could call it that. Regardless, as she detailed her talents in creating Ruby at a young age, Alley couldn’t help but agree that her talents were quite something. At the mention of the price however, the grin of awe dropped slightly. There was no way she could afford the deluxe model on her paycheck, and given how she’d had to restock her drink collection, the Chef could barely afford the 5 steel bolts to cover the basic version.

Sighing inwardly, the conversation turned to Ace and the prospective job for Cassandra, giving the cook time to formulate just how she was going to pay for this thing. Would Ace give her a raise? Doubtful, especially since at the moment it seemed they were on an unpaid expedition. The budget was going to be tighter the next couple of weeks… Maybe she could have a round of- No, no, she never won gambling with anyone. Lily included in that list, now. A stern look from Ace seemed to indicate she needed to make up her mind fast, the chef scratching the back of her head as she struggled in indecision.

The sudden outburst by Lily gave Alley another excuse to put off making a decision, though the following revelation by Rurik took her completely by surprise. It certainly didn’t seem like the grouchy fellow, but it was true that Hagane probably wasn’t the most trustworthy with something as important as his arm… Regardless, as CD accepted the position as Rurik’s personal mechanic, Alley’s eyes lit up as a beautiful opportunity made itself apparent to the chef. Of course, that would have to wait until after the introductions.

“Heheh, right, I suppose we have been kind of rude pestering you like this without even giving our names.” Alley decided to take the task of the introductions upon herself, gesturing widely with her arm towards the captain.

“Ace Kaiser, Captain of the Divine Cutlass. This here is Rurik.” Alley gave the big guy a bit of a tap on the arm, before using her other hand to press down on Lily’s head. “And this is Lily, his personal assistant.”

Turning, she pointed to the medic and trainee, who had, for the most part, stayed clear of the merchant caravan. “Over here, we have Miza and Aiden, the Medics on board the ship.” Turning back towards Cassandra, Alley smiled warmly, blowing her fringe from her face for a moment. “And my name is Alley, ship’s cook extraordinaire. Which leads me to my next point-“

“Hey, miss, is that bird for sale!? Please say that it is; I’d really like to buy it!” Alley was lightly shoved aside by a figure pushing his way into the group, and although he’d stolen a bit of what the chef had planned to say, she could unquestionably say that she would have phrased it a bit more eloquently. The voice was enough of a give away to reveal her companion however, and Alley was quick to change tact, grabbing Rict in a bit of a hold around the neck with her arm.

“And this here is our navigator, Rict. So nice of you to interrupt.” Smirking, Alley let Rict flail about a bit before releasing him, taking his hat and plopping it on her head, cocking the brim upward.

“As I was saying however, I can give you 3 steel bolts up front, and, seeing as you’ll be accompanying us on the ship, I can provide you with some nice meals and beverages to more than cover the remaining two. Then, if I can work up the cash, I might petition an upgrade. If that’s possible, I mean.”

Placing her hand on her head as she awaited Cassandra’s response, the chef made sure to keep hold of the navigator’s straw-hat, just as a little bit of punishment for interrupting her.

Miza and Aiden, when introduced by the cook, produced their own forms of a greeting. The medic smiled and gave a slight wave, after which she adjusted the rapier in it sheath and the sheath on the belt. She'd left her money purse back in the room with the hopes that no one would steal it while they were on their mission. The few coins she did have on her person amounted to very little, perhaps just enough to buy a drink later. Or gamble with.

Aiden raised an indifferent eyebrow at the new crew member and turned back to Miza. "Can we," was all he managed to get out before their humble navigator made onto the scene. Like always, he neglected to notice who it was that he'd pushed through on his way to the item of his interest. Miza giggled a bit and shrugged off any negative feelings. Today would be a good day, she was positive.

* * * * * * * * * *

There wasn't much to talk about on the way to town so in the mean time, Aiden studied this new woman. It seemed she was lying about something, of what he wasn't sure. It went without saying that he didn't trust her one bit. While he waited for Ace and Rurik to return from their dealings within the tavern. He himself had wanted to go in but his hard willed teacher had prevented him from sneaking behind the two. Instead, the boy found himself leaning against the wall of the tavern, sucking on hard candy, and watching this new mechanic's movements.

The medic looked around to see why her student was so quiet and found his studious eyes turned towards Cass. She'd ask him about it later, in the mean time she meant to soak up some much needed Vitamin D.

* * * * * * * * * *

The long walk to the mountain where the crew was to search for the bandit hideout bored Aiden tremendously. He adjusted the medical pack he carried and set about kicking pine cones and pebbles. Once he launched a pine cone into Miza's calf, he stopped under her devilish purple glare, hoping Rict had seen it. Pretty soon afterward the crew made it to a three way fork in the road where Ace gave Rict a map to make copies of before placing them into teams of three.

“Rict, Mizakiri, and Aiden. You three will take the first route. Cassandra, Rurik, and Alleyson. You'll take the second. And Lily,” That was all Aiden needed to hear. He was happy that Ace had placed him with the two people he was most comfortable with. Miza gave a slight nod to let the captain understand that she knew their task and waited for Rict.

Set on their way, Miza said, "Maybe he sent you with me because he understands how much of a klutz you are!"

At the agreement of the deal between Cassandra and herself, Alley couldn’t contain her grin. The mechanic seemed sceptical of the chef’s talents, but she knew that she’d be able to blow Donovan’s tastebuds out of her mouth with her best dishes, and had no hesitation in proclaiming her confidence.

“Believe me. By the time you finish, you’ll want to pay me to make every meal for you.” Laughing to herself, the conversation turned to Cassy’s employment and living, Lily remaining surprisingly close to Alley as the elfling manager continued to pout and whine like a Hagane scolded by Ace. Her concern for Rurik would normally have made Alley offer to lend an ear, but Ace’s call to continue on their way meant that it would have to wait for another time.

While waiting for the mission details, Alley amused herself with a few things. Teasing Rict with the hat, sharing some lollies with Aiden, and chatting with Lily about Cassy’s need for her own room. The crew was beginning to become quite squished, what with the lack of room; and if Alley was going to have to share with anyone, it was likely going to be one of the girls. Given Miza already shared her clinic with Aiden, the chef had a suspicion that it would most likely be Lily bunking with her – that is, unless she could convince Miss Donovan that sharing wasn’t so bad.

As Ace detailed the groups and the plan, it seemed that the chef may just get that chance, given the other member of her group was usually as good for conversation as her bedroom wall. Though inside she was a bit bummed that she didn’t get to travel with the jovial Rict or investigate Lily’s concerns, she wasn’t going to complain about the chance to get to know the newest crew member – Or to lead her own little excavation party.

“Aye aye Captain, you can count on me.” Alley saluted proudly, looking to her compatriots. “Shall we get going?” Smiling warmly, the chef and temporary leader made her way down the path indicated, quickly following the sharp bend that ducked into the forest. From where she was, she could already see the cave mouth indicated on her map, and with a casual glance over her shoulder, checked to see if the others were following.

Rict led the rest of the crew, and the additional person (for Rict refused to think of Cass as being a member of the crew), to the town that he had been at just a little while ago. The trip was rather uneventful, shortened in time due to the fact that Rict took a quickened route instead of simply following the path. There was some talk, some complaining, and the expected amount of here-to-do, but Rict remained uncharacteristically quiet. Unlike in Gyofu, it was not because of sadness, but out of anger. He was still fuming over Cass’s reaction to him. The ironic thing is, had she given him a smile, or not done anything at all, even, he wouldn’t have had a problem with her. He would have happily welcomed her like he had done Rurik.

Well, it was her fault, not his worry.

Once they reached the town, Rict stepped back from the leading position and allowed Ace to take them around the town, just pointing out where the bar was when the captain asked him. He waited outside with the others when Ace and Rurik entered the bar, putting as much distance between himself and the offending member of the group as possible. After a small amount of time had passed, the captain and Rurik returned, bearing information as the reward of their efforts.

The captain pulled Rict aside and asked him to quickly sketch out the routes that had been described to him. For a second he lost himself in the task, rapidly but effectively copying down the route. He took out the map of the area that he had already purchased from that merchant used it as a reference to create even more accurate sketches than he could have with just the captain’s information. By the end of ten minutes, Rict had three good maps, each with one of the routes drawn out. They weren’t as high-detail as he could have made them, given time, but they were still nicer than many cartographers could make with all of their skill.

Once Ace had divided up the crew (plus Cass) into three groups, Rict divided up the maps between them, giving each the one that contained the route that they were assigned to. Once he had given two of them out, he went to join his own, which contained Miza and Aiden. Rict had to thank his luck, and Ace, for putting the three of them in one group. Out of all the people in the crew, he was probably closest to the medic and her apprentice. Admittedly, he wouldn’t have minded being paired with Alley or Rurik, even Ace himself, either. Although, he probably would have died if he’d been put with Cass.

Once Ace gave them their instructions, each of the groups moved out, waving farewells and offering luck to each other. Rict took the lead of his own group, dutifully following his own map. He wouldn’t get lost when he was following specific directions, he assured Miza after she shot him a slightly worried glance. Now, if he’d had the map but got turned around and didn’t know where in the territory he was…well, then he probably would have gotten lost.

The group moved casually on their way, not in a hurry, but not slacking in their pace either (Well, maybe there was a bit of slacking; Rict noticed a rather lovely tree with a bird’s nest in it). After they had successfully broken from the town and were well on their way, Miza commented on the arrangement of their group.

”Maybe Ace sent you with me because he understands how much of a klutz you are!"

Rict laughed at her comment, turning around to wink at Miza as he tapped a spot on his torso where he still had the slight scar from his misfortune on Mystic. Maybe there was something to be said about him being klutz. Then again, it wasn’t that he was clumsy…more like he had an odd knack for getting into troublesome situations.

“Or, maybe Ace put me with you two ‘cause he knew that you guys’d need someone big and strong to protect you!” joked Rict, mock-flexing to emphasize the irony of his statement. Were that true, Ace would have come with them himself, or sent Rurik with them. Out of all the men in the crew, Rict was probably the scrawniest, besides Aiden. If their group truly got into trouble, then it wouldn’t be solved with force, but with skill.

That said, Rict was still praying that they didn’t encounter any kind of trouble. Let all the bad guys bother the other groups, please…

He was nervous and refused to say anything to his companions. Sure Aiden was on thirteen, but his years in the court of the rogue has sharpened his danger senses. Then again, the crew knew that the bandits were in the area. They knew the kind of people that they were after, so maybe the group that happened upon the base wouldn't be surprised when they did so. Just so long as it wasn't Miza or Rict.

Noting her student's unease, Miza gave him a pat on the head while her other hand went to rest on the hilt of her weapon. She smiled at Rict's "big and strong" act and then put a finger to her lips to silence him. If they were close to the nefarious group of people that the crew was after, Miza wanted the upper advantage of surprise.

~
Here ends this record of the actions of The Divine Cutlass. Their story may not be finished, truthfully it has hardly begun, but still we must close this book. For life has taken the matter from our hands.

But fear not! History does not stop being made just because the historians stop writing it!

This story, and all others of its kind, will continue. It will just continue in a way that is not so easily followed with your eyes. Rather than read, you will now have to follow it in your dreams. And follow it you will, to places far and wonderful.

Until such a time that the winds of fate reopen this catalogue, we all bid you adieu. We shan't let these memories fade away from our hearts, rather, they will burn as we press forward. Although we end, we are not finished.

For not every ending comes at the end; only the last one does.

-The Crew of The Divine Cutlass
~