More or Less a Mermaid

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Mio nodded at William and firmed her grip on the shovels as the group followed the stranger from the beach. She listened absently to the conversation, catching words here and there and letting the rest drift lazily over her in a blanket of sound. Not having the knowledge of the common language that she required to understand the group's talk completely, Mio was learning to read body language in order to understand the people around her, knowing that only a few spoke her own tongue. She found herself watching each member of the group carefully as they each spoke in turn, catching the smallest flutter of hands, the barest eye contact and tiny sparks of emotion that lit each face. She recognized the strain William was under, the sudden and brief spark of hostility between him and Bahjek, the twin's glee in the entertainment the two men provided, and Lucas.

Mio studied him carefully as he spoke so casually to the other men, and saw in his face.... something: Guilt? Pain? The tiny flicker of the eyes that signals lies. She frowned and resolved to watch this fascinating man closely, for she found him intriguing, and wanted desperately to quench her curiosity.
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OCC: underlined is elvish

Bahjek was ,at first, a little shocked that a human would talk to him in such a way, but then he began to laugh. "Well, well! Master William is getting a backbone finally." the elf winked at William as he spoke, "Well I did come a long willingly this time. Just don't do anything to kill yourself , seeing that you are my way back home." Bahjek sighed as he spoke.

Bahjek looked around the at the party. Upon Seeing the other elves he remembered that they didn't speak common to well. "Cousins shall I translate for you or can y'all manage?" Then he looked toward William and sneered,"I have been treating you like a human."

Bahjek didn't talk much once they reached the cave. The elf had become a little uneasy once inside. Not wanting anyone knowing that he was scared he tried not to make eye contact with anyone.
Tevis Adria

Post by Tevis Adria »

After arriving on shore with the twins and Bahjek, Tevis saw the two female elves returning from their bath. She decided it would be a good idea for her as well. So off she went into the little grove of trees.
She was just stepping back to where the others were when Natean had thrown the shovel and walked off. Strange, he had never seemed like a man to hold a temper, then she caught sight of the stranger. He had a look of an islander, she stepped closer towards the group intime to hear William arguing with Bahjek. She bite her tongue and rolled her eyes, it was funny in it's own way. She had a sudden flashback to the ship and watching those two go at it.
Tevis followed along with the others, a mixture of fear and excitement rolling through her. When were they gonna find what they had come looking for?
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Post by Guest »

Mio, startled out of her observations, looked at Bahjek and smiled, 'Thank you Mister Bahjek. Anarie and I would most appreciate your help. I'm afraid my common is not too brilliant at the best of times, but keeping up with this,' she nodded at the group around them and the fast conversations that moved too fast for Mio's unpracticed ears. She shrugged and grinned apologetically, 'Well, let's just say I'm a little out of my depth.'
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Post by Syrawenn »

"No song?" It sounded disappointed. Yet the little man squared his shoulders. "It's a good theory, master Lucas, one that we will soon discover for ourselves, no doubt." His little legs kept up with the rest of the group and he even managed to stay a few paces ahead of them en route to the caves.

The dark holes in the rocky mountains grew bigger and soon the group found itself in front of a decent man-sized opening, breathing cool air and a sweetness that was almost forgotten out here by the sea. Amos and Kito were running little circles around the black sand, yelling something about crabs and jellyfish, but it did not make much sense.

Mackaree shot a grateful look at Tevis, who had refrained from joining Bahjek in his little sneering game. Thank the gods for the rest of this party. Played through his head. If it had been Bahjek alone...I do not think I would have gone along with this. Still..he looks strong enough. Let's see if he can dig. Besides, a translator is always useful. Let's not let them know just yet how well you do understand both languages, William...let's keep that to yourself for now.

William got a lantarn out of his pack and lit it, carefully stepping inside. "Anything we should be wary of?" He asked Lucas, their resident expert. "Or can we simply go explore? I want to go deeper...I know there must be caves down here or you wouldn't hear those 'voices'. If you know anything at all, it would be appreciated." His voice was growing excited with the prospect of actually going to do something.

The opening looked worn by sand and water, the smooth surface in strong contrast to the rest of the strange island. There were black smudges along the higher ends and soft, white lines where water had dried up to salt or calcium lower in the walls. Amos looked up and hmmd, but kept his comments to himself, shooting a knowing look at Kito, or maybe it was the other way around.

"Mio, would you mind following behind master Lucas and myself?" Mackaree called over his shoulder, trusting the Adhiel and her friend Anarie a lot more than a man like Bahjek.

A gust of wind answered from the depths of the caves, sounding remarkably like the wail of a banshee. Mackaree took a frightened step back, bumping into the one behind him. "Where...where'd that come from?" He stuttered, holding the lantern with trembling hands.
Last edited by Syrawenn on Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
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Lucas Merdoc

Post by Lucas Merdoc »

The caves. Once more, Lucas stood before them and their howling wail, an experience that was at the very least unsettling. Macharee lept and shuddered at the ghostly sounds that this black opening made, sounds that seemed to touch the young mariner's very soul itself. Despite the horrible moans of the black island, Lucas felt no fear at all save for his healthy concern over a broken leg or neck from some unsteady piece of ground. Glancing over at the balding man, he spied the lantern with no small amount of envy.

"Aye, that's the moans o' this island, Cap'n. She's restless. This is as far as I've ever gone, sir, what with having nothing to light my way before. With your lantern, per'aps we might explore further an find what it holds?" responded the sailor as he eyed the trembling piece of equipment held in the equally trembling hand. "That lantern is right proper with these winds about, what since they don't suffer from them. Maybe you should give me ta hold it for us, sar? I reckon I've a pair of free hands myself," offered Lucas, pointing towards the flickering, shaky light as he did.

That being said, Lucas turned his nautical mind towards the caves themselves. They were smooth, not unlike rocks in any harbor or river, so they must see the tide. The level of the tide could be read easily upon the cave's walls, proof that even in high tide, they shouldn't be trapped within completely. I must admit. If I was lookin' fer a mermaid, I reckon this might be a fine place ta start, thought Lucas as he tested the ground below his feet for sediment, shale, sand, or rock. Could there be such a thing as a mermaid? And what nature o' beast would it be? he thought, though he had already conjured up images of naked woman lounging upon a beach...women that bore a striking resemblance to those in his company just now.
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Mio nodded at Mackeree and followed obediently as the group stepped into the dark cave. She wrapped her arms round her elbows and shivered as a gust of cool wind blew restlessly out of the stony depths and ruffled itself past her hair, almost as if it was trying to escape the cave's sooty confinements. Turning to her friend, Mio gave Anarie a small smile and opened her mouth to say something, when a thin, high, inhuman wail sounded from deep in the cavern. A small cry of surprise emitted from Mio's open mouth and a cold shudder of dread trickled down her spine. She had the sudden urge to run back out the cave and onto the safety of the beach. She wanted anything but to go into that cave any further, and as she looked with wide, scared eyes into the misty dark of the cave, she felt almost as if the cry had been calling them in.
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Post by Syrawenn »

"M...moans of the island?" Mackaree's voice started to sound remarkably feminine. "Restless? O...oh g-g-great. You go first." He pushed Lucas into the caves, handing him the lantern with great enthusiasm. With his voice regaining something of control the small man continued: "Since you're accustomed to these caves it would be smart to let you go first!"

Soft chuckles echoed against the smooth surface, obviously emenating from the twins at the end of the row. It was hardly possible to change position with William's belly in between, but doable. All in all Amos and Kito might have been able to walk next to eachother in this narrow passageway, but otherwise people had to be contend with following and stealing a peek now and then from behind someone's back.

Drip....drop....drip....drip....

Condensed water dripped from the ceiling while the lantern created eerie shadows in combination with the small and larger stalactites. Soon it became necessary to watch their heads as the hanging points brushed their hair. All the while the sweet smell grew stronger until the strange group reached a fork in the road.

Drip...drip...drop...

In the small circle of the lantern one of the passageways was leading up to the right -which technically might lead them back to open air- and the other down, deeper into the heart of Spirit Rock. Here the same black smudges adorned the lower ceiling, although it seemed more of a trail by now than individual blotches.

Drip.....drip.....drip...

The cold was strongly noticeable, especially compared to the island itself. The further they went, the chillier it got. It was hard to stay warm, especially with all the moist in the air.

Drip....flipflopflipflop....drip....
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
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Lucas Merdoc

Post by Lucas Merdoc »

While Lucas had once boasted one of the fine sailing mantles commonly found among those that plied his trade, it had been left behind in his sea chest, undoubtedly auctioned off at the masthead along with the remainder of his possessions after he had been left behind. Still, even pirates knew some decency, and the castaway was left with his sturdy boots as well as a fit pair of leggings and a decent linen shirt made from the soft, white duck cloth, or thrice-laid canvas that was no longer strong enough to be hoisted upon any yardarm. After a few days of baking upon the island, Lucas had utilized his shirt in numerous ways, from the cloth headband he wore to control his long, chestnut hair to the hand wrappings he had made to protect his palms from the rough, jagged landscape of the desolate island. He never missed his shirt when he lived above in the sweltering heat, but down here, the cool airs quickly gave him discomfort.

Taking up the lantern, he had moved steadily onward, watching the walls and the silty bottom of the cavern for anything that might seem out of the ordinary. He didn't have any reason to believe anything unusual would present itself...grotto caves such as this weren't uncommon, especially to smugglers...but he couldn't shake the affects of Mackaree's fear, the man's quivering disquiet spreading into Lucas as well. Not even the odd little creatures were too impressed by their surrounds, giving them a more somber, almost rational demeanor for a time.

Pushing Mackaree's fearful words from his mind, Lucas steadily moved forward, the lantern held high before him. His free hand itched to hold his blade...a common reaction when faced with uncertainty...but the pirate attentively ignored this desire, choosing instead to keep his hand free for balance. Reaching out, he continued to lightly touch the side of the cavern as he pressed onward, thoughtless of how sudden his appointment to the front of the group had been.

"Aye, when ya find a fork inna road, ya must take it," quipped Lucas as he illuminated the junction. So the Cap'n would find a mermaid, would he? No need to waste so much time w'his silly quest. The quicker we find nuthin', the better, thought the sailor. Glancing to his left, he believed that the left-hand cave would lead to an abrupt, watery end before too long, as it angled downward, and if they encountered this it might signal an end to the expedition and a right fine passage home... he thought, his eyes never wavering from the darkness before him. "I reckon we'll stick to larboard, Cap'n, what so we don't get ourselves lost. If you please?" he murmured quietly, already moving down the left cavern with the same slow, steady pace he had maintained since he first entered the caves.
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Following reluctantly behind the others, Mio shivered as the cold interior of the damp cavern seeped through her cloak and into her chest until it felt almost as though she was breathing ice. As the group ventured further in, Mio could hear drops of water falling with a 'plip' from further into the cave, the sound bouncing off the damp walls until it reached her sensitive ears. She felt her way gingerly along the stone edges, her left hand grasping the cold, clammy rock tentatively with each steady step. Feeling as though she'd grown accustomed to the dark, she took her hand away and simply followed the small light that was Lucas. A drop of water landed somewhere near her ear with a 'plop' and Mio, startled by the noise, turned her head to look and tripped on a rock on the ground. She landed on the floor with a yelp as a muddy puddle conveniently broke her fall, and pulled herself up spluttering and soaked. 'Aidha ni!'* she cursed heatedly in Elvish as the cold wind of the cave took the opportunity to blow a little harder and make her shiver violently.

ooc: Aidha ni! = Damn it!
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Post by Syrawenn »

The shadows moved again when Lucas turned around with the lantern. The two gaping holes that would provide the group with a tunnel up or down were as black as the night save the small distance that was lit up by the brightly burning flame.

drip....drip....flipflopflipflop....drip....

"Uh..." Came the intelligble answer from Mackaree. He got a little push from Amos -or Kito- and elaborated: "Well....according to the m...ehm, my stories we should go down indeed, so lead on. You are doing a good job!" The last sentence was added in that peculiar tone of voice which betrays a man not being sure of his position.

drip...drop....drop....splash!

Mio went down unceremoniously, landing in the wetness that covered the floor. Her hands encountered the moist stone, scraping alongside a small stalagmite which drew a few drops of blood. Her cry echoed back manyfold, causing the twins to close their ears to the ruckuss.

Aidha ni!
.............Aidha ni!
.....................dha ni!
....................................ni!
........................................ni?

The emphasis had changed with the last echo, leaving a disturbed silence behind while Kito -or Amos- handed Mio a dry blanket. "Get rid of your cloak for now. Wear this. Better be naked than walk around in wet things." The little man said with a surprisingly kind smile.

Mackaree looked even paler than before. "Did anyone else hear that?" He asked, trying to keep his voice in check.
Last edited by Syrawenn on Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
Avatar by Finn[/size]
Lucas Merdoc

Post by Lucas Merdoc »

Having stopped and turned to see what befell the pretty elf, Lucas watched her despite his mind wandering elsewhere entirely. Stories. So he's heard stories o'this place, has 'e? Someone's been 'ere before, then. Smugglers. A natural harbor, a fine set o' caves, even fresh water...it'd make for a great place to stash goods. But somethin's amiss here. Somethin' ain't right. Did he say he had a map? Map or stories, something doesn't fit...

Lucas was distracted from his suspicious thoughts by Mio. While her fall did little to shake the sailor's thoughts, the sight of her wet clothing clinging to her form was easily enough to capture his attention fully. Without thought, he shifted his lantern more closely both to give her more light by which she could see as well as to give more light by which Lucas could see her. Despite his better judgement, he had already dreamt of a moment he might catch the girl alone for a time. Aye, I'll dry you off an warm you up just fine, hun...you'll think nothin' more o' yer troubles...

Blinking, Lucas finally realized what was amiss. This ain't no smuggler's cove. There's nowhere nearby for the smuggled goods to go, an if it were a smuggler's cove, why, we'd have seen a few things by now...old crates, netting...some trace of the smugglers. No, I think maybe it's somethin' else. No, this place, it would be a fine spot for a pirate to stash his loot. I wonder if ol' Mackaree found himself a treasure map? Who else but a pirate would make a map of an island so useless otherwise?

Lucas grudgingly pulled his eyes from the wet elf to consider his new employer. Mayhap ya haven't told us the truth, Cap'n, but maybe you've got yer reasons. Still, if a treasure there is, you'll be needin' me ta 'elp take it home, so I figure we're square. Until then we'll just keep talkin' mermaids...

When Mio seemed settled and ready to move, Lucas turned to proceed once more, one hand holding the heavy lantern aloft while the other traced his path along the side of the cavern. His heart was glowing with the rare yet distinct possibility of a pirate's hoard waiting for them at the end of their search, the gold almost as seductive to him as the wet form of the woman only paces behind.
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Mio scrambled up, wiping the scrape on her hand briefly against her wet leggings before taking the offered blanket gratefully. 'Thank you,' she said softly in common to Amos... or Kito. The noise her own shout had made in the echoey cavern had unnerved her, and she spoke with barely a whisper. She pulled the sodden cloak off and wrapped the dry blanket around her, her damp shirt making her shiver.

There seemed to be more light in the cave suddenly, and Mio turned to find that Lucas had stopped to see what was going on. Their eyes met, briefly, and Mio dropped her gaze, blushing and confused at the strange quavering feeling she felt deep in her stomach whenever she saw the mysterious shirtless sailor.
Syrawenn
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Post by Syrawenn »

The balding man was not interested in Mio's fall at all. He stood to the side, gnashing his teeth and impatiently shuffling his feet until they were finally moving again. Mackaree was pushing Lucas to go first again, effectively placing the pirate in the line of whatever might be hidden in the sloping hallways of rock.

"There is something there, I am sure of it." He whispered not to anyone in particular.

Moving on they passed little natural alcoves, some deep and dark -even in the lamplight- others shallow and overgrown with pale mosses that lit up after the light touched them. The dripping was ever present, echoing soflty through the area and making it quite impossible to determine from where it was coming.

The air was moisty. While they moved down the salty tang to it became more appearant, sticking to their skin and itching in their eyes. The underground was still as slippery as before, getting more smooth with every step until

*splash*

Lucas' foot went down a lot further than he had anticipated, straight into the water until he hit the bottom, leaving his leg under the surface up til his knee. The lantern suddenly lacked walls to reflect off, casting it's light over the smoothness of this underground body of water. The hallway had suddenly expanded into a cave. It was hard to make out the sides or ceiling, darkness claiming the surroundings after a few feet. Yet judging from the resounding splash the ceiling had to be higher than a half-giant at least.

"Finally!" Mackaree cried, cowering back for the echo that bounced back. He threw down his packs and walked over to the water, pushing Lucas aside. Squatting down he tasted the wetness, nodding contently. "Yes, salt, as expected. We'll have time before the tide comes up. No worries. Anyone here that can swim?" He looked over his shoulder innocently.
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
Avatar by Finn[/size]
Tevis Adria

Post by Tevis Adria »

Tevis drew her cloak tightly around her as she to padded along behind the others, running her hands over the walls a couple of times. Interesting, cold as ice. The thought of that made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up, not to mention the sounds or moans this strange island was chanting or singing. Her own musing were interrupted by Mio's fall, poor thing. Once she elf was dressed and they were own the move again, she got lost in her own thoughts once again until the sailor went splashing about.
"Yes, salt, as expected. We'll have time before the tide comes up. No worries. Anyone here that can swim?"

Tevis cleared her throat, and gave a slight nod then spoke up "Aye," She paused for a moment. "me da taught me when I was a babe."
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Post by Guest »

Lucas' abrupt fall made Mio jump as the light guiding them disappeared to what seemed like the ground. She found herself looking anxiously to see if the sailor was alright, and wondered if maybe she should help him up. But Mackeree seemed keen to head on, and Mio heard the gist of the question he asked and raised her head to answer, 'I can,' she said softly in common, so as not to repeat the experience of the echo. After all, she thought dryly, I can't really get much damper.
Last edited by Guest on Thu Nov 18, 2004 10:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Lucas Merdoc

Post by Lucas Merdoc »

"Aye, I know my way in waters, sure..." responded Lucas absently as he cast his light out into the cavernous chamber in hopes of finding some end to it. No treasure. I was too hopeful. Mebbe this Mackaree fellow really believes in 'is mermaids? Well, nothin' to do now but to follow through... "an this 'ere water, it's salt water, wash from the sea beyond. I reckon when the tide comes in, we might see a bit o' the soup..."

As he recovered his foot from the pool, Lucas followed with his eyes back to the salty lines upon the cavern wall behind him, a clear indication that the cavern in which they stood might indeed be underwater if the tide rose high enough. "Do you s'pose it's safe here, Cap'n? If'n the tide makes right proper, we might be trapped in the water w'no place ta go," expressed the sailor furtively, his doubt clear upon his face.

"Maybe we juss take care of what we come for swift as you please, what so we can be away before the waters do rise?" he suggested, turning his attention back to the water before him. "So...what do we do, Cap'n? Do we swim it?"
Syrawenn
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Post by Syrawenn »

"Oh, good, good." The little man rubbed his hands as he looked from the one to the other. "So many swimmers! Maybe the tides have turned, maybe fortune is smiling...oh, this is good. Now, we need some light. Let's see..."

He squatted on the ground and went through the bags, motioning Amos and Kito to bring whatever luggage they were carrying closer. One by one items were appearing from the bags, being put aside as not being useful right now. Scrollholders, writing supplements, even binoculars. One of the holders lost it's cap, it not having been secured properly. Two pieces of parchment spilled out without Mackaree noticing.

When he finally reached what he needed, the little man brought out two branches. He hesitated, looking at all three of the volunteers. "Erhm..I hope you can work together, I only have two." He apologized and handed the one to Tevis and the other to Mio. "Once you go under water, break the branch in two and you'll have light. Don't break it again or you'll loose it. Don't completely sever the two pieces or the light goes out as well. Trust me, I tried."

He chuckled.
It sounded nervous.

"We should have enough time before the tide comes in." He answered Lucas.

Amos and Kito looked at each other and sighed in unison. The mustached one tried to get William's attention, but failed. The other one simply grabbed Mackaree's shoulder and turned him around. "You know we can't interfere, but you are not going to endanger these people." He spoke softly and swiftly, meant for the little man's ears only, then backed off, turning back into his mischievous self as he grinned at his brother.

Mackaree hesitated again, looked at the twins, then back at his companions and shrugged. "I know what I'm doing." He mumbled. "Chop, chop, get to it! Dive as far as you can, once you locate anything out of the ordinary that you can bring up, please do. There should not be anything nasty here, so...well...." He looked over his shoulder. "Take care anyway."

The water was cold. Once it got up to their stomachs the temperature started to get bearable. For those that actually ventured further into the underground lake and used the branches a strange green glow suddenly lit up the surroundings, emanating from the break in the little sticks.

The light was not strong, yet it covered quite a distance. For a flicker the ceiling was visible, about as high as two giants standing on top of each other's shoulders. A softly multi-coloured band covered the rock overhead, a white, four pointed star in the middle. With the next movement of the divers it vanished from sight, lighting up the underwater world of algae and rocks.

The anomaly was visible at the same time for those that had actually gone underwater: a dark shape, about as big as a large chest was resting on the bottom of the lake. With a good breath of air it should be possible to reach it to investigate further.

Something else moved in the water besides the three divers, invisible for those still standing on the shore. Swift and smooth as a shark it swam to and fro, seemingly guarding the chest.
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
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Post by Guest »

Mio shed her blanket and waded in as instructed, although what she was supposed to do she didn't know, not having been able to interpret Mackaree's quick common tongue. However, with a quick glance at Tevis to check if she was correct, Mio took a deep breath and plunged head first into the icy water, the greenish light from the sticks disappearing into the water and throwing a sharp green beam through the cavernous lake like a formidable searchlight. The water was colder than she had expected, and already the chilling water had seeped through her clothing and was reaching through her skin, groping with icy fingers towards her bones. A deep shiver ran down her spine at the thought, and Mio kicked out confidently away from the surface, the green beam of light illuminating a path before her.

As she swam deeper, moving her head to and fro to look around her, a dark stationary shape loomed ahead on the lake bed, and she twisted over in the water to beckon Tevis towards it with her. Surprised at herself for not feeling in the least bit concerned or afraid, she used a nearby rock to propel herself faster towards the object, fearing that she would run out of breath soon if they didn't do this quickly. Paddling her feet to keep herself staionary, Mio, thinking of nothing else in her curiosity, reached out a careful hand to touch the object.
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Bahjek tried staying in the background for awhile as he watched the others in the group. I really don't trust William or the other male human. I had better watch them more closely. He thought while starting to frown. The more the elf watched William the more he wondered how much of it was an act. Lucas seem more like a letcher and a theif. Almost my line of work, without chasing the women anyway. Bahjek smiled. Once they reached the water he took his had off his dagger. "William, do you really think that this is entirely wise?" Bahjek mentioned as he saw Tavis and Mio getting to go in the water.
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Blinking rapidly against the sting and murk of the sudden wetness that surrounded him, Santino somehow felt contented... at peace. He had heard the voices coming, of course (who could miss them, with all the noise they made?), and so it wasn't really surprising that he had sought refuge from what were doubtless pirates or plunderers of some sort. Or even worse, the Purificatio Legion of World's Mouth come to smite him for his possession of a certain tome... which now lay somewhere beyond Santino's knowledge. Presumably at the bottom of the sea, with most of his other belongings; most of all the beloved books.

For now, though, all he could do was allow his body to flow beneath the waves, moving as smoothly and sleekly as possible, so as not to attract attention. Circling lazily, he was understandably alarmed at the sight of the approaching lights, eyes narrowing sharply and mouth forming a small "oh" of surprise. Trying his best to swim away, Santino would of course realize at once that he was utterly incapable of swimming in any controlled manner. Yearnings for air blasted through every fiber of his being, and as unconsciousness began to threaten his very life, the young man drifted toward the first light he saw.

Presumably the beacon he moved toward was that of Mio, his robe billowing eerily about him like a thing alive, face and form obscured by the drifting garments, as he stretched an almost skeletal hand toward her, gripping at her leg and at the blanket, desperately seeking a way to the surface, even if it meant drowning this stranger to obtain it. Santino idly contemplated whether he was only proving Merrot's hypothesis of instinctual behaviors overriding moral codes. Wouldn't that be something?

Nevermind that the situation was hardly one to which philosophy need be applied. Old habits were always hard to squash, and Santino hardly had much incentive to change, at the moment.
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The object was hard to make out, even under the greenish light of the curious lantern in Mio's hand. Everything seemed to slow down in water, and the hand she had stretched out in curiosity seemed to glide lazily forward to touch the object's surface. Her hand moved sluggishly in a clockwise motion to clear the slimy algae covering the large shape like a blanket, and Mio kicked forward to bring the light closer. Finding that more light was needed, she turned her head to see if Tevis had caught up and jerked suddenly as something grasped her leg like a vice. Trying desperately to free herself, Mio kicked and squirmed, bringing the stick she held as hard as she could down onto something soft beside her leg. She looked down to see a man, his seemingly skeletal features sharpened and distorted as his clothes billowed around him like a shroud, and screamed. All the air burst out of her lungs and rose in huge bubbles to the surface. Mio renewed her efforts to escape in a panicked frenzy as the man continued to grope and claw at her, pulling her deeper into the water. She pawed the water desperately, wanting air, needing to breath again. Her chest felt painfully tight and she could feel the lack of air effecting her consciousness as black dots danced before her eyes. Help me! she thought wretchedly, Please. And as the grip did not falter on her leg, Mio felt her body give up the fight her mind could not win, and she jerked in one last desperate attempt to free herself, before falling into the inviting void of unconsciousness.

The stick, freed from her grip, floated gently upwards towards the surface, its green light abandoning the murky depths.
Last edited by Guest on Sun Nov 28, 2004 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Lucas Merdoc

Post by Lucas Merdoc »

Down, down...the ladies' lights faded into the waters, spreading their illumination to become something insubstantial and ghostly compared to Lucas' stark, shaky lantern. He deposited the lantern upon the rocky floor next to him, his eyes never leaving the dull glow of Tevis' and Mio's lights, watching their progress with quiet attention. Not once did Lucas plan to enter the water himself...whatever might be found below could certainly be found by the ladies as easily as himself...choosing instead to settle himself near the lantern, kneeling such that the orange light of the lamp's flame was behind him.

Mermaids, is it? Aye, we've a coople o' mermaids in t'pool right now, if that's yer pleasure, Mack-arr-ee, thought Lucas, his mind wandering and his thoughts serving to entertain him while he waited. An what rhymes w'Mackaree? A tolerable degree? For to disagree?

When yer lost an out ta sea,
you juss look fer Mackaree.
he's as crazy as can be,
but to a toler'ble degree.

Aye, that's fine! Lemme see now...

Once when I was lost,
baked from sun an dirty rock,
off the deck there was ah tossed,
to a toler'ble degree.

'e landed w'his mates,
gave me rum ta ease me pate,
help me through them dire straights,
to a toler'ble degree.

To thank 'im fer his aid,
sure to join his wee parade,
"we'll go huntin' me mermaid",
to a toler'ble degree...


A change drew Lucas from his reverie. When one of the lights found instant activity...a violent, turbulent activity followed by it's drifting release...Lucas knew something was wrong. "Shit," uttered the pirate as he yanked the clasp upon his belt to release his heavy boarding sabre and free him of it's long, awkward weight. Charging forward, Lucas dove within the pool and clawed his way forward towards first the glowing stick...this he would clasp in his gritted teeth...before diving downward to see for himself what trouble the elf woman had found for herself.
Syrawenn
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Post by Syrawenn »

"Oh, no, no, no!" Mackaree groaned as the green light suddenly changed direction. Instead of lighting up the underwater world of algae and bubbles it reflected off the ceiling, illuminating the starred rainbow once again before the light was distorted by Lucas jumping into the water.

For those left on shore William's following words were clearly audible, despite his low voice: "Don't let go of the light...Netherhounds take them away! Go down! Get the box! Who cares about a little panicky girl!"

The little man was almost stamping the moist ground with his boots when he realized he was not alone and shut his mouth, watching the goings on intently. In the green light he looked decidedly pale.

The stick floated harmlessly on the surface, within easy reach for the pirate. Under water a soundless struggle was going on as the lovely Elf woman was being dragged down by a skeletal shadow. Both became clearly visible as soon as Lucas went under water, showing how the strange creature was finding a way up to the fresh air while pushing Mio down. The Adhiel woman did not react, did not fight. Her lifeless limbs were bobbing to the motions of the other swimmers.

In her heavy blanket of unconsciousness a little tune sprang to mind, a soft song that somehow conjured up images of children playing and swimming around a sturdy chest. They invited Mio to play along, to stand in the middle as they danced around her. It was strangely soothing, comfortable.

In his desperate struggle to reach the surface Santino found yet another obstacle in his way as the green light came down once again, attached to a very lively body, aiming straight for him! Yet he was making progress, the breath of air so close, so tantalizingly close if it were not for these bodies keeping him from life.
[size=75]Gavin:She's the emerald eyed agent of chaos
Vanir:She's cute, it's her personality that gets in the way
Ulder:Syra is a great shredder of paralysis through analysis
Elvin:We call it the Law of Improbable Syrabilities
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Mio felt warm, peaceful. Almost as if she were floating on air. She smiled as the children sang the song circling her head like liquid. She spread her arms and laughed as the children danced happily around her, closing her eyes and tipping her head as she span with them, faster and faster until the dizziness overwhelmed her and she fell, slowly as if time had momentarily creaked to a painful halt, before taking another deep breath to begin again. She hit the ground, as soft and as slowly as a falling leaf, and folded into herself as the impact of the floor never came. Her own laugh echoed around her, a ribbon of sound that bounced around just like the singing children. Mio giggled and sat up slowly, as sluggishly as if she were anti-gravitational. She tried to get up, but the scene around started to fade as her chest grew tight, and Mio's comfortable oblivion disintegrated into nothing.
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