Okeanos War

[XiziX]

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@ Maus

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Well, that had escalated quickly.

For the most part, Màiri seemed to hang in there just fine after previously being slightly terrified of watching a fellow ship-mate be devoured. But, she didn't know him that well. And by the looks of it, the Mermaids that ate him met the same fate. There was no need to go on a path of revenge anyway…

Now that a creature that was seen purely as fiction in her eyes was now…well…existing. The young Scott girl couldn't help but feel slightly morbid for wanting to take a closer look at the bodies of the slain creatures. Luckily Ferdinand was on that was well. Within a minute or so, the bodies were brought on board, with Màiri holding back her wave of curiosity that urged her to run over and see… Inspections could be performed when they hit the mainland. Now, it was best to get going, before anymore lives were lost on either side. Her Captain seemed to have a similar idea in mind when he had the ships start their relatively short journey back to Iceland.

Among the commotion, Màiri would approach her captain from behind and stop to stand to his right. "'am sorreh I didn' believe ye before, Ferdinan'… " She wasn't one to really apologize, but this man had come a long way searching for things many people told him didn't exist… Even she had doubted him a little…

"Does thes change things…? Ah mean… Why would they try so hard to try an' take us down? We didn't harm any of 'em… At least, not a' first.." Her green eyes moved to eye the net that contained the bodies on the deck, a small frown tugging at the corners of her lips. Unnecessary lives had just been lost. Why would Mermaids attack something as big and deadly as this fleet? When the ships had done nothing to harm any of the creatures in the first place? It seemed so.... ridiculous.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Lyxii

[pudding]

Not waiting for the noble to go ahead of her, Lynne started towards the ships she could see floating in the water. They started to move so she began chasing after them, sticking close to the bottom of the ocean. She could smell the blood in the water all around but resisted the urge to surface and see what had died. It was probably a human and they tasted nasty anyway. But the ships were moving very fast and were quite far ahead of her now. Her lateral line felt very faint vibration from above as something was dropped into the water. She paused for a moment, an action that probably saved her life. Suddenly, the water ahead of her erupted in a violent explosion and a wave of vibrations shook the water. What was that? Her ears felt horrible now and her eyes... Thrashing around in place, Lynne covered her eyes with her grey hands and screeched in pain. If it hadn't been for that reflexive action of rolling her eyes back when under attack, she probably would be blind. Even so, it still hurt. Memories of the humans that had attacked her when she was younger instantly came to mind. These weren't like those strange sticks humans had that spat out lightning with a loud bang. They had... her eyes! Moving blindly, she turned and swam as fast as she could in the opposite direction, cradling her head with both hands. Her speed skyrocketed as she zoomed past the group of mermaids she had left behind, screaming curses along the way in Atlantean. This was the second time she had been hurt by the humans. Instead of fear this time, however, she wanted revenge.

“Father!” Lynne yelled as she managed to follow the electrical field-sensing pores on her nose back to Atlantis. Once there, however, she became overwhelmed by the number of heartbeats and began moving around in circles. She was still covering her eyes with her hands and was just moving around in circles in confusion. “Father!” she yelled even louder.

[Emeraldmay]

Here at last! Merope strolled in to the Icelandic port town, her senses overwhelmed with the tastes, scents and emotions that flowed freely on the breeze. A baker's oven churned out bready odors, a harsh sea wind swept in salt and fish, beer wafted from a derelict old pub, and the stale blood and sweat trace filtered through everything.

 

From what once had been a wood dominated town, with close buildings and family housing, had turned into a military base, no question. Few family buildings remained, and stone structures towered above the small buildings of the original town. Guards dotted along the high walls, like eagles spotting their prey from above, and unlit beacons stood on top. That would be a sight to see. The Lanterns of Iceland. Few tweak here and there and it would make a great song Mentally noting to stay a night, she looked around the harbor side. There - how had she missed it? A massive boat - it must be what, 500 feet long? Well now it was ten thousand. As it was in dry dock, she could see the underside of the ship, slightly scratched, but nothing more. It had definitely been attacked, but - by what? Only one conclusion came to her, mermaids.

 

She had heard tale of the sea warriors from miles away, in the country's center, far far from any sea or drunken sailors bawdy story. Being a bard, she knew that rumours, even tiny ideas, could be made into a song that would keep her fed for many nights. All she needed was research. Where would be best to get it? So much of her life had been wasted in pubs, buying drinks for incoherent seamen in the hope, prayer, that she might be able to extract one more whisper of news. From there, you doubled all the numbers, centered on one person, the hero, and sung a tale. Of course, you had to change the song's origin. There was something so...plain...mundane about bribing it out of the bottom of the barrels, no, it was a dying mans final words, a retired salty dog's scary tale when the fire was low, or, in one case, the tale of a parrot, only survivor from a sunken ship.

 

Merope didn't have any qualms with her lying - why would she? She was inspirational, spreading the word of great humanity and heroic feets. Wondering how many children he had left to sleep trembling with ambition, Merope walked towards the docking officer. If she could get a place on that ship... well, she could live a few years with a few spinoffs.

 

[Red Dragonette]

The blue whale mermaid went to the palace, while the princess told Glacies's group to lead her to the giant boat so that they could see it for themselves. <Okay,> the rough-toothed dolphin merman said. But just as they turned around to get ready to go, they saw the bodies of the dead mermaids floating to the surface around the ship. Glacies and the two mermaids were horrified to see their dead comrades with Glacies gasping and the other mermaid murmuring, <No...> The nobleman on the other hand was just shocked and cursed, <Damn!> Then they saw the ship picking up the two dead mermaids and the jellyfish mermaid cried, <They're taking them away!> When Lynne starting going after the ships, the nobleman stretched his arm out to her and said, <Princess, no! You can't go near that ship, it's too dangerous!> Then when the violent explosion from the ships harmed the princess, the merfolk, exluding Glacies, all shouted worriedly, <Princess!> Lynne had swam around blindly for a bit before she went back to the palace.

 

The blue whale mermaid went into the palace and said that Lynne requested reinforcements to sink a ship that was above Atlantis. <Humans above Atlantis? Very well, take as much mermaids as you need. I want those filthy humans off of my waters right now,> Krontos said to her. How dare they swim over his grand city as if this place was theirs. The great white shark king would not tolerate humans being near Atlantis. Then he heard his daughter calling out to him and she sounded angry. <It's my daughter! I must go see to her immediately,> Krontos said. Then he left his throne room and swam outside the castle to see his daughter swimming around in circles with her eyes covered. <Lynne, what happened? Why are you covering your eyes?> he asked worriedly.

[KyokoYei2]

((Ahh! I really am the worst at post length. I'm sorry >.>))

Okase jerked up violently at the sound of an explosion. She looked around frantically before her large eyes honed in on a ship above the city. With a powerful thrust of her tail she darted out of her hiding place and to her home to grab her weapons. Several mermaids and mermen where frantic as she took her spear and dagger and darted to where the commotion was. As she neared the palace, a few small bubbles escaped her blowhole from her nerves. She really didn't want to know but had to. Swimming up to a mermaid, her timid voice asked, "What happened? What can I do to help?" She said almost frantically as she waited a reply from a mermaid. Now was her chance to join the war and actually put her skills to use.

Edited September 9, 2012 by KyokoYei2

[pudding]

Lynne moved her head to the side when her name was called out. Although she was still covering her eyes, her ears were able to locate the general direction of her father from his voice. Although, she was a bit off since her ears were still ringing quite a bit. Gritting her sharpened teeth, she hissed softly as she moved her tail from side to side in agitation. “Humans,” she growled angrily as she blinked her eyes under her hands. They were feeling a bit better. Slowly, she moved her hands away from her eyes and blinked them rapidly. She squinted at her father then closed her eyes and started rubbing them again. They still felt horrible when open and her vision was all black around the edges. Whatever had caused that explosion had hurt her vision quite a bit. Hopefully she wouldn’t go blind. Sure sharks usually didn’t rely on their vision that much but to never be able to see again… She would hate that! Plus, she would never be able to see looks of horror as humans drowned in the ocean. She was absolutely going to sink even more ships now. She wanted revenge. “They did something to the water. It exploded all of a sudden. It hurt my eyes and ears. They didn't have things like this before. And the ship wasn't made of the same stuff. It was much harder so mermaids couldn't sink it."

Frowning, she slowly uncovered her eyes again and opened them slightly so she was squinting at her father. That was the best she could manage. Her vision was still blurry but she could faintly make out the shape of her father. Wincing, she slowly moved closer to him and tried to grab his arm for support. "We need to figure out a way to fight against them."

[XiziX]

Far away, free of the confrontations of war and the pain and hatred it brought, a lone Mermaid would graze the surface of the ocean. Her black dorsal fin skimming the surface, slicing through the water with barely any disturbance. From above, the sun heated her form with a comforting warmth. She was free. And like the birds in the sky, Proïoxis would fly through the water, feeling weightless in the expanse of deep blue. This...this was her home... How good it was to be free, to go wherever you please, and with no one to hold you back... No one to control your life.

A low hum began to rise in the Mermaid's chest that grew into a wordless song. It danced among the ocean's breeze and drifted into the current as Proïoxis played amongst the waves. She couldn't imagine a life any different. But what would one expect to one born into nobility?

But despite this freedom, this joy and thrill of existing with nothing to weigh you down, Proïoxis felt something tugging at the bottom of her heart. It's gentle thrumming tensed slightly as her song faded. Soon, it felt as if a hand had gripped her heart, and the joyful feelings from before seemed to scatter and flee from the new negative feeling that stopped the mermaid right in her tracks...

Drifting away from the surface, Proïoxis would frown, a clawed hand reaching to rest over her heart... The gentle beating was easily felt beneath her sensitive touch, but it seemed to shiver at the feeling rising in her chest.... With all the freedom in the world, there was one thing she could never escape from.

Loneliness...

It was in her nature to be a social creature, to live with close family groups... But now that Proïoxis thought about it... she really was alone. Her family was consumed by the war, and now she was really... lonely. There was no other way to put it. And as the silence of her surroundings seemed to thicken into walls that seemed to close in from all sides, Proïoxis would sift through her thoughts. Her form fell limp as it began to sink as she allowed the current to take her in its gentle embrace. It would lead her home now. That is where she needed to go.

Perhaps, she could give the gift of freedom to another being, one that had yet to taste it... and in return, she could perhaps gain some form of companionship. But that would mean she would have to go about doing something she never thought she would do...

To purchase a slave was no cheap task... but if she could perhaps grant freedom to a soul that knew nothing but confinement, perhaps that good deed would reward her with what she needed? However, that individual would have to prove themselves, they would have to earn what she wished to grant.

Yes. This idea seemed to cause her heart to flutter, as if it was ready to break free and follow through with the current thoughts without her physical form. With this new found purpose, the Mermaid would start to make her way home with good intentions on her mind, but had no idea what had just taken place that had claimed many lives. But in the hours it took to return home, another sinking feeling would fill her chest as a familiar taste found its way to Proïoxis through the current. It was a faint, metallic taste. One she knew well but had not been expecting.

Blood.

But not just human, it was the taste of Mermaid blood as well. The mixture was not foreign, but it also wasn't expected now that she was so close to home.

Picking up the pace, Proïoxis pressed on until she finally entered the city limits of Atlantis… and it would seem chaos had unfolded during her absence. Mermaids darted too and fro, panicked and fearful, while others angry and shouting orders. What had happened?

Her answers came in clusters of whispers as Mermaids discussed the human attack earlier, and the news caught Proïoxis off guard. "Humans? They were…here? How…?" her voice would whisper in her mind as she continued on her way. Passing through the Noble's area, the Mermaid would furrow her brows as the constant discussion of the War filled the air. Eventually, another D-Class would approach her, asking what had happened. Stopping to study the other Noble's form, Proïoxis would nod slightly to acknowledge her before looking away. The other Noble's form was mixed with that of a False Killer Whale… funny, but not in this case give the circumstances of their meeting. Though the stranger was timid, her gathered weapons would show that she was ready to do something about the situation...

"Your guess is as good as mine..." Proïoxis would eventually say to Okase with a relatively calm tone, though her stare remained elsewhere. She was more or less awed by the sheer amount of activity going on around her. "Maybe go to the palace… I can taste blood in the water." Motioning towards the palace, her orange eyes would finally look to Okase's own, "See if the people need you. I have something I need to do first." Pushing passed the other Noble, Proïoxis would make her way to the one place that would show her the individual she was looking for….

Edited September 10, 2012 by Lyxii

[Maus]

Prison, confinement, these words described Chaar's existence. He had always believed that a tournament win would mean freedom, respect, the ability to be one's own...but it was never true. They were always just lies. And now he was here in this cage, put on display like some kind of produce. The bars were made of Coral, which wasn't exactly hard to break for Chaar, but he knew if he tried escaping, he'd be dead in seconds.

Resentment, another word that defines Chaar. He'll never forgive the Upper classes for their hatred towards him and his people. He'll always remember, and he'll always be ready to fight when given the chance, especially when it results in the defeat of a noble. He dreamed of a day when his people would rise to the top and destroy the established nobility. It would happen, no Crustacean would continue hard labor willingly. There were plenty of them willing to fight for their freedom as well, and many were very, very dangerous. A prime example would be his species, the pistol shrimps. Others included Giant Spider Crabs, American Lobsters, Poison Krill, and Curer Shrimp. They all had abilities that granted them an edge in combat. Oppression of his people would continue until they decided in revolution.

But what was the use of thinking about all of this now, Chaar was trapped, even if there was a revolution, he'd still be here, unable to help his fellow Crustaceans. Chaar will dream for that day when they revolt, but until then, he'll wait here...patiently. At least he wasn't having to wait on nobility...He'd probably kill them if they asked him to do something.

Chaar isn't exactly the most friendly of creatures.

[XiziX]

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@ Maus

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If one wishes to purchase a slave, it's not necessarily a difficult task. Considering it is mostly encouraged among those who inhabit Atlantis to have a slave. Or at least, those in the Noble class are...

But what most seemed to like were the Slaves that had lost their drive, that will to pick themselves up and attempt to do something with their lives. This wasn't the exact kind of Slave Proïoxis was looking for. She needed a slave that would be strong enough to handle themselves, one that wouldn't be weak, and easily pushed around like the rest. If she wanted to cure the loneliness that ached within her beating heart, then she would need to choose a slave that could survive along side of her. Why would she want to buy someone that would grovel at her feet and be weak without her guardianship?

Weaving her way through the frantic crowds of Atlantians, Proïoxis would be caught off guard when a smaller male Noble bumped into her. The impact, though not too hard, would cause her to yelp and flare her fins outward as her body righted itself to face the other. With a wicked glare, and a flash of teeth, Proïoxis would snap her jaws a couple times in irritation as the male seemed to get out of his daze to notice who he had run into.

"Sorry!" he would shout, holding his head where he had collided into her side. Though he was a noble, his particular dolphin species was unknown to Proïoxis. "Did you hear what hap-"

His voice was cut off as Proïoxis swung her arm forward and planted it over his beaked mouth, "Do you take me for an ignorant fish? Of course I know what happened. If you would open your damn eyes and ears for a moment, you would realize how obvious this situation is." and maybe not run into people. It actually sort of hurt, now that her nerves were starting to feel the damage of the collision.

Taken back by her...less than friendly attitude...the Merman would slink back slightly, his eyes averting her piercing orange gaze. But for the most part he just sat there. Right in her way. As if all of this commotion wasn't irritating enough.

"Move," she would grumble under her breath before pushing him aside and swimming over to a very unfamiliar area of Atlantis. It was where they kept most slaves who were up for sale. But now, she had to find the manager of this particular "store" to find what she was looking for. Luckily, he wasn't hard to identify, and she would slowly come to a stop before him to giveing a small bow of her head in greeting. Yet, before she could really say anything, a visual observation of something, or rather someone, on the other side of the room caught her eye. It was a crustacean, of sorts, with a very strange looking set of...claws? Furrowing her brows for a moment, she would slowly swim passed the owner and over to the cage bars, her orange eyes settling on the form of the Pistol Shrimp cross-breed.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Lyxii

[Maus]

Chaar continued running through plans of escape in his head. They always entertained him in times like this, when there was nothing to do, nothing to say, or nothing to think. His dreams were interrupted by the introduction of a rather large noble. His neckguard pieces flared to life, their internal spines coming to life and extending, a tactic that showed he was both irritated and willing to fight. He clapped his claws together, but he wasn't the only one with this reaction, many of the other slaves in the store would become heated at the possibility of being taken away. Chaar wasn't the only crustacean here though, and therefore he was able to communicated with them in the Crustacean language, known as Te'lm. Te'lm was spoken with a mix of sound and movement, so many mermaids and men were unable to speak it, as it required the many legs all crustaceans had to speak it. Te'lm was also greatly kept secret, it was almost completely unknown by most upper classes. The purely mantis shrimp across the room quivered his legs and hissed.

"She's staring at you man, don't do anything stupid."

Then she approached him, and Chaar tucked in his head and legs, forming a defensive ball. His eyes continued to stare at her though.

[XiziX]

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@ Maus

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'An interesting change in behavior', Proïoxis would mentally note as she examined the now curled form of the Crustacean before her. Noting her own spines were still spread outwards from her previous irritations, the Mermaid would lower then, their poisonous tips folding downward against her black and white skin.

Leaning closer to the bars, her orange eyes would move to the side when she noted the hissing from the other Slave, but she figured it was just a natural reaction to her presence. It was obvious how much they hated her, yet it had no effect. Proïoxis remained bold, and her confidence showed in her body language. Eventually, her orange her stare would return to Chaar.

Clck clck clck… A quick burst of clicks would come from the Noble as her echolocation was released towards the caged Crustacean. As they bounced off his from and returned to her, the little illuminated lure on her forehead would twitch.

"Why the sudden change in attitude?" she would finally ask, her tone emotionless as her eyes continued to study Chaar and his curled form.

"… Do you fear me?" Her black lips would part slightly, her sharp teeth visibly showing as she waited…testing him.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Lyxii

[Red Dragonette]

<Humans?!> King Krontos repeated in a tone of anger when his daughter said that humans did it to her, so he assumed that they were the ones responsible for this trouble. Princess Lynne said that the humans made the water explode and they hurt her eyes and ears. Krontos clenched his fist furiously and growled. Humans, how dare they do this to his daughter. First they killed his wife, then they trespass above Atlantis, and now they've probably blinded his daughter. All this had made Krontos hate humans more than ever. Lynne said that the ship that exploded the water wasn't made of wood, but it was so hard that none of the mermaids could ever sink it. <What?> Krontos asked in disbelief. It seems like the humans have gotten smarter and were building tougher boats to protect themselves from the mermaids. Glacies's group came down and the lead nobleman confirmed, <She's right, si-- Your majesty. Our weapons are useless against that thing. I don't know how we're ever going to break through that thing.> After Lynne grabbed onto her father's arm for support and said that they needed to find a way to destroy a ship like that, Krontos said, <Right, we need some smart brains to come up with ideas on how to sink that durable ship or else the humans will go unharmed and continue to destroy us all.> As they were thinking out ideas, Krontos rubbed his chin and the nobleman scratched his head. Glacies wanted to tell them her idea, but she was afraid that if she ran her mouth, her master would strike her. But if she doesn't say anything to them, then the humans might go free to harm the mermaids or so Glacies thought. She tried to decide between risking her skin or the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, she decided it was more important to stop the biggest threat to the ocean. She didn't want her unborn child to grow up in fear of humans or risk its life fighting against them in the future. <Why don't we tame a blue whale and teach it to knock over ships?> Glacies suggested. Just as she feared, the dolphin merman turned on her and with his claw ready to swipe, he yelled, <What did I tell you about...> Glacies brought her arms to her face to defend herself. But fortunately, he stopped when he found Glacies's idea to be good. <Hey, you're right! A blue whale is big enough and strong enough to take down that ship,> he said. He looked at the king and said, <What do you think of this, your majesty?> Krontos admired the idea and said, <That sounds like something worth trying. I'm amazed a lowly Z-class would think of something so brilliant like that. Very well, we'll start taking a few blue whales and use them as our war weapons against the invulnerable ships>

[pudding]

Whales? Even though she was still recovering from that strange thing humans did to the water that caused her ears to ring with the sound of a thousand seagulls squawking, she was still able to recognize using whales wasn't the best idea. Even though Blue Whales were very large and weighed quite a bit, humans had been hunting whales for years. They already had technology enough to kill them. Many a hunt had been a wasted effort when a whale that had been chased all along the coast was suddenly spied by humans and killed. Sure those whales were usually not Blue Whales since even Mermaids found it hard to combat their power and many died from one swipe of the tail. But, more importantly, how would they tame whales? They were whales! Mermaids could not communicate with them and the whales probably didn't feel the urge to suddenly go about sinking human ships. The best Mermaids could do with training marine animals was teaching dolphins to carry supplies and those were much smaller than whales. In the case of sharks, it was just feeding them so they stuck around and feeding them often enough that they didn't feel inclined to attack humans. Whales were huge! There was no way to train them! She wanted to scream out that it was a bad idea but her father seemed to like it. Didn't he see the faults? Never mind, she could at least make sure they didn't lose any valuable mermaids to trying to do the impossible task of training a whale.

Rubbing her eyes a bit more, Lynne slowly opened her eyes a bit wider until she was able to keep them open completely without too much pain. Good, she wasn't blind. "Since she was so smart, maybe we could reward her by letting her train the whales," Lynne commented, looking at her father. "She, along with some other slaves. That way, we still have strong Mermaids back here to defend against any wooden ships that come near Atlantis. The humans can't have that many of the stronger ships, right? They must be very hard to make since they only just started appearing."

[Maus]

Chaar stared at the noble with his glowing eyes. They followed her every move, he waited, maybe she was stupid enough to get close to him, maybe he could score a nobility kill before escaping.

But then she asked him a question.

"What's with the sudden change of attitude?"

He ignored this question, but the one followed...well...He didn't take it lightly. "… Do you fear me?"

Chaar was enraged, he would kill her right now if he wanted to. He snapped back at her.

"No, I will never be afraid of a pampered noble, let alone a pampered noble that has sunken to the level of slave purchase." The pistol-shrimp base exploded from his defensive curl, reached forward and cracked the two bars in front of her win insane speed, then grabbed her light. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to sting.

"What's this trash? designed to lure me into your arms? It won't work on me." He let it go and pushed her away with the other claw. "Now go back to lying around all day doing nothing...leave me to my sleep..." He slinked backwards in the cage.

[XiziX]

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@ Maus

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To everyone's surprise in the room, Proioxis would remain motionless as the Slave reached out and grabbed her lure. As it was yanked forward, she would dip her head slightly, but her eyes would never leave Chaar's.

He was brave, and she liked that. To show him that she was listening, her ears would perk forward let him know he had her full attention.

For a moment, it was safe to assume the mermaid would perform some kind of intense retaliation for such an insolent action. But it never came… Instead, a light chuckle would dance passed her lips as she remained there, her lure still in the hands/claws of the Crustacean. It was as if his little threats, insults and action ment nothing to her by the way she was now giggling… Honestly, she wasn't even scared. If he killed her, well, his punishment would be much worse than death. But she wouldn't care at that point, she'd already be dead.

"Actually, I was born with it, and it seems to have a mind of its own," she would explain as Chaar released her. "I highly doubt it is capable of luring one such as yourself."

Slowly righting herself again, her eyes would remain on the Slave's form. "I am also not here to purchase a Slave." Lifting an arm, she would motion for the Manager of the establishment. "Consider this your lucky day."

Edited September 10, 2012 by Lyxii

[Maus]

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@ Lyxii

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The Noblility's laughter did not humor Chaar, in fact he found it rather angered him. He would continue to glare at her, even after the store manager wrapped him up with rope and pulled him out of his cage an eventually outside. He was forced out by the store manager, he would struggle the entire time. It's not exactly something he wanted, knowing her, she was probably going to try eating him. Sick maniac. He prepared himself to escape if he needed to, there was no way he'd be eaten by some fat hierarch. Unfortunately, his mouth was also binded close, so he couldn't speak out against her actions.

While he was being pulled out, he signed to the other Crustaceans the song of the brood. A patriotic song that used to be the Crustacean nation's anthem. The crustaceans returned this with a reply of verses.

He wasn't going out without a fight, His death will bring many more with it.

 

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@ Emeraldmay

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The dock master would point the bard in the dirrection of the local German Pub, owned and operated by a man named Maximillian Guderian, The brother of the Captain of the ship fleet currently in port. When not at sea, The Captain would sleep in the room upstairs. Currently, the pub was open to buisness and many of the sailors on the ships were partaking of drink there, as many of them were German, and it was the only place in town that served German ale, lager, and beer.

Inside the Bar, Ferdinand was in a corner booth with a large mug of German Lager, which was already halfway empty. He was currently staring a sheets of paper that had costs for resupply, repair, and re-manning, but he put them aside and pulled a blank sheet of paper from the stack. This was the worst part of his job, so he attempted to finish it up quickly. He wrote...

Dear Frau Danik,

I am sorry to inform you that your son has died while at sea. He fell off the boat during a heavy storm and his body was never found, even after hours of searching. We gave him a burial at sea; a Lutheran style sermon followed. As is customary in these situations, I will be sending you the pay he would have earned in a four year service, as well as the pay for an extra five years, as I feel regretful for any harm this has caused your family. His personal belongings will be sent to you also, as well as any sentiments from his brothers at sea. Again, I greatly apologize for your loss, and I find peace in knowing he died without pain.

-Admiral Guderian

With this done, he passed the note to his brother, who had appeared to refill his mug, and went back to normal buisness.

Not exactly the easiest thing to do now that he has to find someone to fill the position.

[XiziX]

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@ Maus & Emerald?

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"Whatcha writen' there capn'?" came the notorious voice of Màiri as she seemed to, once again, appear out of no where behind Ferdinand. Perhaps she was some kind of Ninja, or maybe an assassin of some sort. The way she always magically appeared at the most random yet significant times in the day could easily create such silly suspicions. So the assumptions wouldn't come across as too far fetched.

Perhaps that was what she was going for?

For the most part, she seemed to be in high spirits even after the whole ordeal at sea… and also because in her hand was a mug of ale. Her second one that night, but she was able to hold her own rather well. Especially after telling a rather ridiculous tale of how she slayed a Great White shark using a butter knife. To all the intrigued and seemingly gullible men and women at the bar, she had gained a reputation of being rather entertaining in her own weird and confusing way. To some, it would be obvious that it was a silly made up story, but it was funny none the less... especially when you had a weird Scottish accent spewing out a bunch of hilarious BS.

But now she was back to bothering Ferdinand. Poor guy. But she saw him as a good friend after having worked under his command for a couple years, and he would know her intentions were always positive.

"So now tha' we are in port fer awhile. Whatcha plan on doin'?" Leaning out of sight, the scraping of chair legs across the floor would reach the Captain's ears as she pulled up a chair and plopped down in front of his table, her mug being brought to her lips for a few sips before she set it down. "Also. What about them fish bodies, eh?" this time she spoke in a lower tone, which ment she could do a little rational thinking after being a bit tipsy. +1 points.

 

 

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@ Maus

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Perhaps Chaar would notice all the commotion taking place in the city after he was dragged out and left to the Mermaid. Above them, Mermaids and Mermen seemed to be on high alert as they swam about in random inconsistent patterns. For a moment, the Noble would look up at them all, but no hint of concern seemed to be in her stare as she looked back down at Chaar to speak, "I apologize, but I must keep you bound during transport…"

Reaching for him, the Mermaid would be surprisingly gentle as she picked up the Crustacean's bundled form while keeping extra care to keep his special claws pointed away from her body. He was smaller than her, but still heavy… Yet her tail was strong enough to propel them forward.

Through the vast city of Atlantis, Proïoxis would continue on her way, occasionally glancing down at Chaar. Actually, now she thought about it, this was probably a good time for her to explain herself. Given the fact his mouth was bound shut so he couldn't interrupt. "You may be slightly confused, but I ment what I said. I was not there to purchase a slave. Not at all." Speeding up a bit, Chaar would probably, for the first time, be swimming a lot faster than he was used to as she dodged Mermaids on occasion. But despite this, the Mermaid continued to speak, "I have a reason for choosing you, just like I had a reason to go down to that wretched place that you called home." Looking down at Chaar, Proïoxis would wonder if he was listening, "I purchased your freedom… but I must ask for something in return, if you wish to keep it." Blinking once, Proïoxis would slow down and quickly jerk her hand up, sharp nails exposed, and slice the rope binding his mouth. "The rest will come off when we get out of here... Humans have come close to the city, and it seems lives on both sides were lost... But mostly our side by the looks of it." Her tone had never changed. For the most part, the Mermaid remained indifferent about everything that had happened so far.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Lyxii

[Emeraldmay]

Following the dock master's direction, Merope entered the Pub, nostrils recoiling at the scent of drink which wept over her. She'd never drunken alcohol, no more than the few sips necessary to share a pint, and had no intention of. The pub was full of the typical louts, and though she listened, no stories of merit came through her ears. Who wanted to hear another tale of the man eating shark, Skull Island, or the ghost ships that were 10 a penny these days. The money was in mermaids, everyone knew that, but few but the coastal residents knew anything worth spinning.

 

Walking toward the counter, Merope steeled herself, looking directly at the man who stood before her. " I'm looking for the commander of the LRS Riechsturmm. Do you know where he would be?"

[KyokoYei2]

Okase nodded at the other mermaids words before swimming as fast as she could to the palace. By the time she reached the palace, there was already a group of mermaids discussing how to take out a human ship. Hoping she could just sneak in a stay quiet enough for her to catch onto what they where all talking about she stayed at the back a little ways away from the group.

'A blue whale?' She thought curiously and with interest. She would really like to see that attack a ship. Now a-days the stupid humans are beginning to come up with more complex ships that was harder for the mermaids to take down. So having a whale to take a ship down would be a huge hit on them.

[Red Dragonette]

((I'm going to make another human character soon. He's a mermaid researcher and he wants to capture a mermaid and study his/her behavior and nature, so that the humans can defend themselves from them better and also to make peace with them and end the war. I could have his lab in North Carolina, America or in Iceland (I think that's where Maus's human character is at).))

 

<Yes, we'll do that all right,> said Kronto to his daughter. Sending the slaves to tame the whales, while the stronger mermaids stayed in combat was definitely a good idea. That way the strong ones won't have to risk their lives trying to tame the blue whales. But of course, the slaves were going to need a few guards to keep them from escaping on the jobs. Krontos was thinking about having the C-class mermaids watch them. When Lynne said that the humans couldn't have many of the iron ships like the one they just saw as they only started appearing and must be hard to make. <You could be right, my dear. Guess we'll just have to ignore the giant ships for now, while we wait for the slaves to bring us a blue whale,> said Krontos. Then he beckoned for one of the knights to come and said to her, <Tell all mermaids to bring some slaves over here, so that they can join the seal mermaid in taming the blue whales. I also want a few C-class mermaids and a few O-class mermaids to watch over the slaves so that they don't escape on the job.> The knight nodded and said, <At once, your majesty.> Then she went to go tell the message to the other mermaids. While the knight was doing so, one of the mermaids in Diablos's group suggested, <Well besides using blue whales to sink down ships, we could also gather a group to sing on top of or around the giant rocks. We all know the humans love our songs. So if we can sing loud enough to reach all the ears on the giant boats, then the humans will be hypnotized and they'll drive their boats into the rocks where they'll crash and break.> The nobleman scoffed at the idea and said, <Yeah right, after that cow's song. I doubt the humans are going to fall for that trick a second time. They'll just start shooting at us if we try that and they see us.>

[Maus]

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@ Emeraldmay

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The man at the bar would give her a strange look before replying, with a thick German accent "He's over there". He point her towards the back booth with the two sailor types sitting in it. He would then add "If you wish for a drink, ladies drank free tonight, on the captain also". He went back to cleaning a glass by hand, something that seemed rather common for a barmaster.

 

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@ Lyxii

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Ferdinand watched Màiri stumble up to him, "Had something to drink I see navigator" He put the papers away quickly then set his glass between them and Màiri. "I was just writing some paperwork out for the ship repairs and resupply. You know, the average things..." He was indeed trying to avoid the topic of condolences for the dead sailor. It wasn't out of distrust for Màiri, but out of respect for the dead.

She asked him what he had planned to do in port.

Ferdinand sat back a bit then took a swig from his glass, believe it or not, Ferdinand was a rather hard drinker, he was able to drink a large amount without getting 'drunk' due to his experience with the devil's juice. "Well, We're going to sit here till things cool down....we're mostly waiting for a response from the duke...He'll be informed of what happened soon, and send a re-ordering letter....could be a couple of weeks, but I'm sure while we're in port we'll find things to do. Reykjavík has always been a busy port and the capital has plenty of...entertainment for sailors..." He pulled his letter-carrier from his side and placed the notes in it. "I'm ready to get studying on our...well...guests..." He did this discretely, and had no intention of saying anything related to fish, people, or anything in between.

 

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@ Lyxii (Again x.x)

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Chaar was rather fascinated at the speed he was currently going. Considering he was a crustacean without a tail, he never had swam faster than a few mph. He obviously had the walking advantage down, and he could sprint for a burst of speed, but this was different.

It felt like what he thought flying would be like.

Then she took off his binding rope around his mouth.

"What are you going to do with me? Slavery is the only thing I'm good for in your brood's eyes. I have no reason to trust you....Especially considering you're just as likely to eat me as you are to make me do more labor." His distrust could be understood, just look at his position. He had been bought by a carnivorous creature.

He was also a pessimist.

He assumed the worst.

[XiziX]

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@ Maus & Emerald

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"Ah! Now ahm excited!" Màiri would bounce in her chair lightly as she too took another swig of her ale. When she was a child, there was nothing more fascinating and entertaining as poking dead things with sticks. Especially if the dead things had washed up on shore and were in the process of dying or still fresh.

There was just something about jabbing defenseless jellyfish and weird creepy things with sharp objects that gave some kind of weird satisfaction to her. Màiri thought it as twisted, but for the most part it was pretty harmless. At least she didn't go around doing that to people… At least, she didn't do it often…

The Scott would grin at the thoughts going through her mind, but would give a small nod to her Captain when he concealed their catch under the guise of 'guests'. Though she was a key Navigator in Ferdinand's fleet, she was also a Doctor. So any kind of autopsy that was taking place pretty much had to have her present. But instead of poking it with a stick like she would do in early years, she would actually share and gain knowledge from doing so… While poking it with a stick.

And by stick she ment the proper tools.

"Alright Ferdinan', if ya needs me to offer ah hand, lemme know." Noting her mug was now empty, the young woman would purse her lips in a pout and set it back down on the table. "A tink I 'ave had…. enough… I'd actually like to wake up early in the mornin'." Sure, she could go and get as drunk as she wanted tonight.. but the thought of finally getting her hands on the body of a Mermaid - a creature once thought to be pure fantasy - had her full undivided attention. Still, her head would turn to glance over her shoulder to look towards the bar. Maybe some water was a better thing to request next. But when Màiri finally let her gaze fall on Ferdinand's brother, she would note the woman being pointed in their general direction.

"Oie, heads up Ferdinan', looks like ye got someone looking' fer ye.."

 

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@ Maus

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A low hum would rise in the Mermaid's chest as she began to ascend through the depths towards the surface. She was quiet for some time before she spoke up again, her eyes cast upwards. "For someone like yourself, you are very intelligent…but allow me to point out the obvious information and observations that you have to work with when it comes to discerning my actions…" Looking down at the bound creature in her arms, she would give a small smile, "Let's think for a moment on the cost of purchasing one such as yourself. I spend a lot of time and energy collecting objects of value to be able to get the things I need. I may be of Noble birth, but everything still comes with a price. So it would be rather silly of me to eat you or kill you now, wouldn't it?" Her head would tilt to the side as she continued. " I am not one to eat Crustacean, but if I ever acquired such a taste, I would probably lean towards something that didn't take away a large chunk of my own belongings. Wouldn't you think so?"

The Mermaid would pause for a moment to let that sink in. From below, Atlantis became a silhouette in the darkness as the world above them began to grow lighter as they approached the surface.

"Now, let us consider your definition of what you are good for. I am sure you are good for many things. That arm of yours seems like a lethal weapon, and for the most part you seem as capable of thinking and feeling as I am. So I suppose you are good for just as many things as I am, minus the attributes to our own bodies that is." The rays of light from the surface began to dance around them as Proïoxis eventually brought them to the surface. A large spout of air would escape the other breathing entry on her back as her lungs eased their painful urge to gather more oxygen. But it only took a second before she was back to speaking.

"Now, with that all said, let's go back to what I had mentioned before," her eyes would move to meet Chaar's, "I had purchased your freedom. Which I know you may seem puzzled by, but I had an epiphany earlier." Moving to rest on her back, Proïoxis would set the bound Merman on her stomach as she floated there for a moment before speaking again, "I revelled in the freedom life had given me, but much to my surprise I realized that no matter how free I was, I could never fix a certain…. feeling within myself." Fidgeting a bit, Proïoxis would glance up to the sky above. "Then I thought of what it would be like to perhaps grant this freedom to someone who had yet to taste it." Drumming her fingers on Chaar's shoulder, the Mermaid would grin, "So I decided that I would grant such an opportunity to one who was willing to exercise the gift I was going to give. And thus, fate has brought us to this moment now." She would frown though.

"But like everything, it will come at a very small price to you. If you wish to keep it that is…" The Mermaid fell silent, patiently waiting for Chaar to think about his responses.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Lyxii

[Maus]

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@ Lyxii

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Chaar sat in silence for a while, taking in the information that had been given to him. Her large, soft stomach was warm and inviting, and as a crustacean, he instinctively pushed every part of his body up against it for warmth. It was nice....comfortable...Perhaps this wasn't a bad thing...but how could he trust this? Sure, he had a value in currency, but he has heard of nobles purchasing crustaceans to eat before, for more than what she had payed for him.His life had been a combination of horrible events, why would that start changing now? He was wary, but he'd go along with it now. "...I'll trust you...but what is this small price..."

He really didn't want to have to do something outrageous for this creature, he already disliked all the other classes of mermaids and men, especially the nobles. Perhaps if he tried this once, he would gain a trust....but only with this one...

[XiziX]

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@ Maus

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"A wise choice..." Proïoxis would say in a low voice, "I am glad you understood what I have said. It would have been a shame if I had to repeat it. So thank you for paying attention."

Pausing to consider how to word his price, the Mermaid would choose to leave out a few...details... "Due to the fact that we exist in a world that is segregated, you will have to remain by my side. At times, when in the presence of others, you will have to take the situation with a grain of salt. Especially with how some of my people are going to treat you." Raising a finger to tell him to hold back any objections, Proïoxis would continue, "You will also have to be able to follow me outside of the City. I picked you because I believed you were capable of this. I didn't want a normal slave that was going to need me to protect them..." Reaching a clawed hand over Chaa'rs form, those sharp claws would hover in front of his face for a moment before they moved elsewhere to slowly cut away at the rope that bound him.

"But, when we are outside of the city you may exercise freedom," she continued whilst cutting the rope, "I will not ask you to do something for me unless I really do require assistance. Should I ever ask that of you, do not argue or say no... For the most part, I ask that you..." Her voice trailed off as she finished unbinding Chaar. Looking away, her form would roll, tipping Chaar back into the water as she floated before him. "Do not make me regret this choice..." she finally finished... Her injured lure that Chaar had yanked earlier twitching slightly on her forehead.

"Do we have an agreement?"

Edited September 12, 2012 by Lyxii

[Maus]

Chaar remained pressed up against her smooth, warm, stomach. He thought it over in his head. She seemed trustworthy, and that means a lot to a crustacean, especially based on their culture system. He stared into her eyes. "There's on thing you should know about us crustaceans. Trust is very hard to gain with us, and once you get it, it's very hard to lose. Should you receive...all of my trust...you'll find that I'll be fiercely loyal to you. I'll fight and die for you if I have to, but know that if you betray my trust...."

He snickered.

"Lets say your...size...won't save you from the hellfire I'll release...." He inched up on her so that he could rest his head on her. "I agree...but don't give me a reason to not trust you..."