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year 5, quarter 3
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The sky—she wondered if it was scary, flying through it. The birds in it looked at home, and she wondered if she ever got the chance to be up there, if she would be too. Up in the clouds, looking down at the buildings and the people and being able to float along anywhere you wanted without the restrictions that the ground gave, even to the cars and the boats on the river.
If you can fly, you can go anywhere.
That was what Aerith believed. But she was still off about the idea, having her feet part from the ground and away from the constant companion that had been there for her ever since she had been here, whispering to her faintly like her old home had, not as intelligible but still there. Would it stop talking to her if she left it, she wondered.
If that happened… she’d be lonely, then. Without her friend to whisper secrets and worries to, because in this place there was no one by her side that she could just speak to without having to worry about what she couldn’t remember. Everywhere she went there were whispers of people that she might have known, memories that superimposed over what she was seeing. Some were scary and some were welcome, but the people she had met so far, they weren’t there like the planet was to her. Maybe they could be, with time, and she’d welcome that change. Even if it was scary, all she had to do was take a step forward and believe that even if she couldn’t see them or hear them, they were all connected.
No one’s ever alone, Aerith thought to herself as she took in a deep breath. Her eyes closed, her hands behind her and her head tilted back to bask in the sun that shone down. The smell of fresh cut grass, dried and rolled up surrounded her like a wet blanket of earth, brushing past her. In the back of a wagon behind pulled by a chocobo, hauling hay that had been gathered by an old man that raised the bird-creatures, she sat. Her legs hung off the edge, boots lightly tracing the ground as it slowly rolled underneath her feet and away, leaving a small trail of a dust in the air as it was disturbed.
He had been kind enough to let her have a ride with him, if only partway to the next city. There had been some second thoughts, mostly because such a sweet girl and helper of a small church to Provo didn’t have any business in such a big place. There were pickpockets lurking around, and scary officials and soldiers, no place for a girl. But Aerith was used to all that—she had grown up in Midgar, and there wasn’t a place worse than that to live in. A city like Torensten wouldn’t faze her, she’d reassured him as she had gotten on the back of the wagon.
“Miss Aeris, we’re almost at tha’ turn off to the farm, ya still sure you wanna go on…?” That farmer said from the front, taking one eye off the road to look back at her.
She twisted her body around, looking back at him with a small smile, “I’m sure, don’t worry too much. There are better things to worry about, like getting back to your wife before long.” He colored a little, embarrassed to be reminded. Yes—he had talked a bit and had told her of his overbearing wife that was waiting back at the ranch for him. Apparently he had spent a bit too much in Provo playing cards, and she didn’t trust him all that much with the money, never had, never will. “I’m just going to see if there’s anyone there…” That she might know, or not. If there was anyone that needed help, or if there were any places she could stay for a while and just… take care of flowers, maybe.
“Alright then, I’m sorry that this is as far as I can take ‘ye…” He apologized, turning back to the road as he pulled a bit on the reigns and slowed the chocobo down to a stop. When it halted, she grabbed the strap of her bag and slipped off the edge of the wagon, standing on her feet.
“I need to stretch my legs a little, anyways.” She held a hand over her eyes, blocking the sun as she looked towards where she was heading. The city stared back at her, faint but not that big of a stretch between her and it. “It’s not that far away. Take care, okay?’
“You too, Aeris’,” The chocobo were off again, and she was left with the smell of hay on her clothes and some in her hair, as he went down the other way. Alone again…
Aerith plucked a bit of the grass out of her hair and dropped it on the dirt road, her feet starting forward. Standing around would only waste daylight, and she needed to get there before it was too dark, after all.
Torensten was large—there was no plate covering it, but the farmer had been right. This place had some corners that weren’t safe, but every city was like that, nowadays, no matter what world you were in. It wasn’t too late, when she arrived. Past midday with some small snacks she had brought with her in her stomach. Aerith looked around the gate, the guards and the traffic that came with the scene that felt familiar. She let herself be carried by it and followed it, inside the city and down a path teeming with people.
The whole place felt like it would burst at the seams and she welcomed the feeling. All that was missing was her flower basket, a weight that was missing from her arm because it had been damaged before she had left when she’d smacked someone upside the head with it. Maybe there was a place that she could find a new one?
Aerith stepped out of the stream of people and walked closer to the stores that lined the streets, peering in a few windows and feeling very much like a… girl. She bubbled excitedly at the thought, and beamed at everyone and everything as she skipped along, her hands behind her back in a grip. “Baskets… baskets…”
“You might have better luck on the river walk,” someone said, and she looked up to the face of a shopkeeper that was the owner of the booth she was currently looking through, with colorful fruits she’d never dreamed of seeing.
“Oh. Thank you,” Aerith said shyly, taking a few steps back as she looked around. River…?
“Down that way, with a left at the next street. There should be some boatmen selling them, they always are.” The Ancient nodded her head again as she said thank you, smiling at them before she started down the way she was directed to. There were lots of people, going this way and that and Aerith kept her bag close on hand. There weren’t any pockets on her dress to worry about so, that small thing was all.
She looked up, peering that the high towers that went up and above the buildings of the streets. It had a charm to it, like Provo had. Aerith liked this city, she decided as the turn came up and she took it. The towers were behind her and in front of more shops, and the smell of the river in the air. It felt louder, mostly because the water was filled with boats and—one caught her eye, one with, yes, baskets.
Getting there was another matter altogether, though, with the people in between her and it. What to do, what to do… She tapped her chin and stayed to the side of the street, her head tilted in thought. “Hm…”
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Sept 5, 2015 11:56:30 GMT -6
It had been nine days since washing up on shore of a mysterious new kingdom, and Faris Scherwiz was in a tight spot.
It wasn't Faris' first time being shipwrecked in a strange land. Far from it, what with the shoddy make of most ships, freak storms, and the occasional monster-induced whirlpool. Faris knew to follow the river after waking up on the sandy beaches of this new kingdom (called Zephron by the locals he questioned). Then it was only a matter of roaming the country until he found a city. Along the way, Faris had transformed into a master thief with the power of the fire crystal, so by the time that Faris reached civilization, he wasn't exactly wanting for wealth. But supplies ran out, money had its limits, and there was only so much booze that gil could buy. So on the ninth day since Faris' shipwrecking, he found himself broke once again.
Torensten was a river-town. Faris could feel it from the humidity of the air and the pervasive smells of mud and dead fish. Yes, Torensten had been built around the river, and water flowed through it like life blood. Walking along the canal, tall buildings faced the waterfront like levees. The streets were decorated in iron-wrought fences and colorful flags. The wooden docks creaked beneath his step and threatened to give.
Faris watched the bustling of people between stalls and merchant boats. He stood with his back to the crowd and his nose the river. This water was polluted -- it sloshed against the canal in murky waves of brown. It had a certain bitter smell to it too -- something that Faris wasn't used to -- but still, it was water, and Faris thought best with the subtle spray of mist at his face. So Faris stood there, arms crossed, thinking for some time. The air had picked up an ominous wind. It was the kind that would have worried Faris out at sea -- all harsh stinging and jagged edges. Even now, it brought a kind of uneasiness to his stomach that prickled the hairs on his neck. Something was coming, he thought, be it storm, beast, or something else entirely. Yes, something was coming, and Faris had to be ready for it.
And how could he be ready without money? It wouldn't do to steal from anyone in so broad of daylight and Faris hadn't had a day of honest work yet. That left but one option, and it was admittedly his favorite. Some might call it a hold-up, others a boat-jacking, but to Faris it was just another day's work in the ever-thrilling life of a pirate.
Eyeing the water, Faris found that most of the boats were slow, paddle driven fronts meant more for decoration than use. There was one, however, that caught his eye. It was an unassuming boat stall that sold craft supplies, flowers, and baskets. However, when a parallel merchant demanded that the boat move to make room, its owner didn't bother with an oar to propel it forward. Instead, the man went back to the rudder, fiddled with some equipment, and revved some kind of engine. Then it was only a matter of flipping a lever and steering it forward. Faris watched its movements and the actions of the driver. It seemed simple enough, and Faris could only wonder: Could it go faster? There was only one way to find out.
The boat's owner looked up expectantly at Faris' approach. "Can I help you find anything?" he asked.
"If you're wanting to keep your life, you'd best leave the boat," Faris said. The man frowned.
"Excuse me?"
"You're not deaf, are you? You'll leave the boat unless you're enough of a dullard to meet my blade."
The man's eyes widened. He reached for something beneath the boat's seat. In a flash of light, Faris had transformed. Heat washed over his body where light appeared. A red cape formed over his shoulders while a matching hat angled over purple hair. Finally, a sword materialized in his right hand. He held it up threateningly.
"Hand it over, or you're going overboard."
The man froze as the blade met his neck. He didn't say anything, however, and he didn't comply. Without much time to waste (why did everyone start shouting every time Faris changed a job class?), Faris hopped aboard, grabbed the man by the shirt collar, and tossed him over the side. Taking hold of the engine for himself, Faris placed a hand on the lever just as she'd seen before. "Now, let's see if she's sea-worthy or just a bucket of bolts," he said, before edging it down.
The engine revved and suddenly the boat was thrown forward into the water. Faris couldn't help a shout of surprise at the boat scraped by another stall and then hit the opposing wall. "Well, she's got a mighty ton of power," Faris muttered through gritted teeth as he adjusted the rudder again. This time, he started the engine more carefully and was able to edge his way down the canal. Edging it a little more, and Faris found himself going faster -- a lot faster and with a tight control. With the spray of water on his face and the sudden speed, Faris felt his heart race with the thrills of law-breaking and adrenaline. As on-lookers lined up along the canal's shore and the boat-owner's cries for help filled the air, Faris couldn't help the sudden rush of joy that filled him. He let out a long, loud laugh.
OOC: Just like last time, I'm using masculine pronouns and descriptors until otherwise needed. Also, good luck getting your flower baskets now, Aeris. xD
Her hand rose in the motion to wave at the driver, before she saw that he was otherwise occupied by a young man that had captured his attention. Aerith dropped her hand and looked at the ground, turning the gears in her head. She could wait—she should wait but as she was forced to step to the side to avoid getting knocked into the river, she found that she honestly didn’t want to wait any longer. Staying where she was, the woman was going to end up head first into the street or river.
“—You’ll leave the boat unless you’re enough of a dullard to meet my blade.”
Aerith snapped her head up and looked at the scene that had changed oh so suddenly before her. Green eyes turned into saucers and at the flash of light and suddenly the violet haired stranger had changed clothes all of a sudden. What her eyes settled on though was the sword in his hand.
“Hand it over, or you’re going overboard.”
The poor man selling the baskets that she just happened to have been wanting, and looking for, had come all this way for, was being robbed of his boat and merchandise and having his life threatened by a… very oddly showy thief. “A pirate…?” she mumbled to herself as she pushed through the people to the edge of the river to get a better look. Her assumption stuck, and she kept with it because one, he was dressed like a pirate. Two, he was stealing a boat. So, pirate.
The owner of the boat was thrown into the water and Aeris gasped in surprise as water splashed up and he was left splashing about as his work was stolen from him. The baskets! “Oh, enough is enough!”
She’d walked a long while to get here. Got rained on, hasn’t had a decent thing to eat nor a nice place to sleep since she left Provo and by it all she wasn’t about to have her baskets taken away by something as silly as a pirate!
Her feet started running, and she was off. Arms in front of her, Aeris pushed aside people that were in her path in favor of catching up to the boat that was nearing escape. But not on her watch. Oh, no. For the man that was being pulled out of the water, and for the baskets that she was going to get, by golly, Aeris was on war path.
“You Grape-Headed, Pirate Cosplaying, Basket thief…! Stop!” Her words were drowned by the engine powering the boat that he was getting away on, and in her frustration the brunette fueled the materia on her bracelet with the emotions that were making her ears red and her lungs burn.
Words exploded, as did the energy. An Ice II struck the water, freezing it as it spread across and created a break in the water that barred the boat from moving further for the moment, before shattering with the force as the spell dissipated.
The jump she had in mind was insane, reckless and foolish-- but she pedaled to the side and leapt up, stretching her arms forward to catch the shaking boats side to pull herself up halfway, the other in the water below. Nails clawed and her hands grabbed, the force of the collision knocking the breath out of her lungs and boat was sent teetering.
Tags: Faris Scherwiz Notes: Sorry this is late, but I wanted to make sure that I was pepped enough to give you a good post. Hope this works okay for you.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 13, 2015 20:17:30 GMT -6
Faris had missed this -- the rush of law-breaking and the spray of water on his face. Over the past year or so, he'd been forced to take on something of a different persona. The day he'd chosen to accompany Lenna to the Wind Shrine had unknowingly been Faris' last day as a true criminal and outlaw to polite society. With a greater mission in mind, Faris had reluctantly taken up the mantle as a Hero of Light, a title which still didn't suite him at all. From there, it was all good-doing, standing up for the innocent, and fighting down evil. Even after the worlds had merged and the crystals reborn, Faris couldn't stray too far out of his new reputation. He had a very recognizable face now, after all.
But this? Petty thievery? Intimidation? Brute force at the expense of total strangers? Faris hadn't done something like this in a very long time. And his heart was racing.
Someone had called behind him -- someone who could have had a pirate for her colorful vocabulary -- but it only made his victory all that much more satisfying. Faris laughed again -- loudly so that maybe the woman he'd so offended would hear him -- but then stopped abruptly as he felt something flying towards him. In an instant, his arms prickled, Faris glanced to the side, and caught a great blue ball of ice screeching towards the boat from the riverwalk. Faris only had time to shout "What in all blazes-?" before it struck.
It didn't hit the boat, but rather, the water around it. Yet for all the world, it might as well have been a direct attack from a canonball because the boat came to a sudden, flying halt as though it had run ashore sand. Faris gave another violent shout as he was pitched forward to the boat's metal hull. The side of it smashed heavily into his forearm, and he gave another shout of pain. "Why you bastardly, yellow-tongued, son of sahagin!"
The boat teetered again and Faris could only look up in disbelief as a young woman scrabbled at the side, one leg over the hull and one in the water as she struggled to keep balance. "Are you crazy, lass?" Faris' eyes widened as the boat gave another lurch. "You'll send us cap-sizing!" But the woman had a fire in her. As she gritted her teeth and swung her leg over, Faris could see it from the flicker in her eyes -- if she was going down, then she'd take Faris with her.
Faris had seen it a thousand times. Women (or at least women of a more conventional type) were all absolutely insane.
"Ugh. Get on, then! I'd rather not lose the whole cargo." Faris grabbed the woman's arm and helped her, half-steadying and half-dragging her over the side. It seemed she'd made the jump remarkably well for hitting a moving target. Her boots were barely wet.
As she fell into the boat, Faris once again grabbed his sword and held it at the ready. The woman didn't seem dangerous with her long, messy braid, over-fluffed bow, and pink dress cut slightly at the knee, but Faris couldn't be sure -- particularly when he'd clearly been struck by magic of some kind. One of the most dangerous warriors back home was a fourteen year old princess who could talk to moogles. He held his blade over the woman threateningly.
"Don't try anything, now, unless you'd like to see the bottom of this river." In all honesty, Faris would never hurt a woman like this -- in fact, even threatening one felt wrong somehow, like a joke taken too far. But it was Faris' desperately empty wallet which had brought him this far, and he wasn't about to have some half-suicidal idiot take it away from him. "Are we clear?"
She’d made it. Halfway, that is, but she had grabbed onto the boat and a sense of accomplishment flooded her. It was secondary, maybe third to the anger and pumping adrenaline in her veins that was telling her that she wasn’t done yet. There stood a being in front of her that had pushed a man into the water while he sped away laughing, of all things. The same person was now coming over to her, and had grabbed a hold of her arm.
“Ugh. Get on, then! I’d rather not lose the whole cargo."
He was helping her into the boat. There was the option of just kicking her off into the water, or something or another but he had let her on the boat instead. It wasn’t something that would score any points in his favor towards her mood and sourness towards the whole ordeal, but she wasn’t about to start scratching at him like a cat out of water. For the time being, that is.
Aeris sat herself up and blew air up to blow the bangs up off of her forehead. Her hair was in a disarray and she could feel the one soggy boot sticking to her foot, the sock underneath warm with sweat and making her all around uncomfortable. She looked at the thief who looked to be in an better state of being that she was at the moment—at least he didn’t look like a raving mad woman in a pink dress that would murder you by strangling you with the ribbon in her hair.
But he wasn’t unscathed, not from her sudden attempt at boarding that had ended successfully and she spied the evidence on his arm. It was beginning to show a bruise on the surface of the skin, and as Aeris drug her eyes up his figure and stopped on his face she still felt like she could do it all over again. The sword he had threatened the merchant with was aimed at her, and she grabbed around the bottom of the boat for something to grab. Nothing.
"Don't try anyone, now, unless you’d like to see the bottom of this river. Are we clear?”
--Blunt that is. Or something she could use to block with; the baskets around them that had survived the rough stop were all nice but certainly not shield material.
There was magic though, and with that thought the small woman fixed the most angry glare she could at the pirate. She was being threatened over empty baskets. She had chased down this bloody boat for one, jumped onto it and was being held at sword-point. It was utterly ridiculous.
“I’m not crazy,” Aeris started, huffing as she took slight offense to the accusation. “I’m not the one that had stolen a boat. A boat full of baskets of all things.” She put a hand on her knee and found herself quickly pulling her hand back, warm blood spread on the surface from the cut she didn’t even feel at the moment.
Without a second thought she rubbed it into her dress. Ignoring the wound and straightening the red jacket on her shoulders, she gained some sort of order to her appearance that made her appear a bit less disheveled “I’d like to see you try to put me in the bottom of this river.” Her eyes narrowed and if she were a Coerul she might have growled at him. Her glare only solidified the idea that if she was going to go down, then the pirate was going to sink with her. Boat and baskets be darned at this point. One Ice to this boat and they’d both be getting a good look at whatever was floating underneath the not-so-clean waters below.
"The one thing I came here for, was a basket. I am not about to let some, some,” her frustration grew to a boiling point, and she pointed a finger at him accusingly and waved it about, “Some addle brained weirdo make off with them all!”
She wasn’t about to let him threaten her without showing the strongest form of resistance that she could muster at the moment, which was gearing up to ice his face or sink the boat. Either way she’d feel pretty good about the whole thing.
“Who on the planet would steal this stuff anyways! What, are you planning to sell these underground and make such oh so big sum of a hundred gil? Maybe, three hundred if you’re lucky?” Aeris was smart mouthed, even with something sharp being held at her with a reckless courage (or foolishness) that she was prone to in moments like these.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 14, 2015 8:47:14 GMT -6
Looking down at the woman before him, Faris could already tell that he'd made a mistake. The woman wasn't intimidated and she wasn't pleading. No, from the slant of her eyes and the dark scowl at her lips, she looked downright snake-like and ready to spit poison. Even as Faris threatened her, the woman just wiped blood from her knee (she must have cut herself on the jump over -- the fool), wiped it roughly on the side of her dress, and straightened her jacket in a manner that almost felt official. “I’m not crazy,” the woman said. “I’m not the one that had stolen a boat. A boat full of baskets of all things.”
Well, Faris couldn't argue that, but he wouldn't exactly say this woman was sane either. She was the one who had hunted down a boat of baskets, after all. A boat helmed by a well-armed thief. Her eyes narrowed, and their sudden intensity sent a prickle down Faris' neck. “I’d like to see you try to put me in the bottom of this river," she said, and the sudden darkness -- the impending threat of it all made Faris laugh.
"You know your way around a hostage negotiation, lass. You've done this before." It wasn't a question or even an insult. Admiration filled Faris' voice and he was suddenly grinning. "You could chill the gates of hell with that look."
Then, despite her rage, despite anything that could be considered common sense, he lowered his sword. The woman had earned his respect, after all. Among pirates and thieves, back-bone counted for everything, and if you wanted any amount of sway, you had to take it by force. In fact, the woman reminded Faris a little of himself. That fire. That spitting rage. That look that gave no regard to differences in strength or, well, gender. Faris would never intimidate this woman, and so he stopped trying.
Such was the way with pirates.
"The one thing I came here for, was a basket. I am not about to let some, some...Some addle brained weirdo make off with them all!”
And then Faris was laughing again, deeper this time. "You came all this way just for a basket? You've got a lot of brass." Faris sheathed his sword at the side of his red coat and hopped back towards the cargo. The baskets had fallen over from the rock of the boat and now scattered in great, woven heaps.
“Who on the planet would steal this stuff anyways! What, are you planning to sell these underground and make such oh so big sum of a hundred gil? Maybe, three hundred if you’re lucky?”
"I wasn't after the baskets, you laggard. I wanted the boat." Faris snatched one of the baskets from the hold and stepped back towards the woman. He held it out to her with a tilt of his head and a smirk. "But if you care so much for a basket, then take it. I wouldn't dare stand between you."
There was a commotion behind him -- shouting, running footsteps, the general sounds of "things Faris didn't want to meet." The woman had stalled him long enough. He grabbed the lever and the rudder again. "Stay down if you know what's good for you. This thing's got a mighty ton of power, and it'll buck you right off into the waves." Faris grinned as the engine hummed beneath his fingers. Then he shifted the lever down.
The boat gave a roar like a behemoth, and Faris lost himself in the exhilaration of movement and the spray of the waves.
He was staring at her and Aerith did the same back to him. “You know your way around a hostage negotiation, las. You’ve done this before.” The look on his face changed, and she almost made a baffled look before he continued, “You could chill the gates of hell with that look.” –and the scowl was slapped back on her like peanut butter on bread, smashed together to form an all together not in a very good mood Flower Girl. She didn’t mind being complimented on the look she was giving him—she was quite proud of it after all.
Making grown men quiver in their boots was a nice thing to be able to do, after all.
What rubbed her wrong was the observation that he gave about her being a hostage before. (She didn’t see this situation as one at all, because she wasn’t being bound down and treated like an animal.) But she wrapped it away and tucked it inside, not wanting to remember anything to do with the corrupted company Shinra and that they had tried to take her from her home many times and back to the labs, only to be thwarted by her running away and their hope that she would come willingly one day. (This never happened, though.)
“Thank you.” Aeris settled for saying, stiff in the neck and shoulders, the reluctance to fully lower her guard shown in her words.
He put the sword away and Aerith felt a sort of middle had been reached between them. Her hand lowered and she continued to look at the pirate, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in between his ears, because this wasn’t normal by any means. She had stopped his robbery, for goodness sakes! Shouldn’t there be some form of action take towards her for doing that?
“You came all this way just for a basket? You’ve got a lot of brass.”
He was laughing at her now, and Aeris opened her mouth to say something before it snapped shut. She realized that it was pretty foolish, now, that the red was gone from her vision and she was thinking about something more than stopping the boat and getting on it. “But if you care so much for a basket, then take it. I wouldn’t dare stand between you.”
It seemed almost like he was making fun of her, and Aeris wasn’t about to take him up on his offer. She wouldn’t just steal a basket—not from a boat that was in the process of being hijacked! That would make her an accessory to the crime! The loud shouting of most likely the authorities and a lot of angry people were getting close and she whipped her head around and looked back at the mob. Her face paled.
“Stay down if you know what’s good for you. This thing’s got a mighty ton of pwer, and it’ll buck you right off into the waters.”
“Wait a second, this isn’t—“ the boat roared and bucked forward, and she was forced to duck down before the nasty water would get into her face, and worse her open mouth.
“You’re insane!! We’ll never make it out of the city on this, they’ll block off the river or, shoot at us!!” Aeris shouted over the engine, hoping to reason with the man that was enjoying himself far too much at the moment.
“They’ll sink both of us, do you hear me?! This is really, really not a good idea, not to mention BAD!!” Criminal, literally. She was probably being considered his partner or something, at this point since she wasn’t doing anything to stop him. Which she should be doing, and she honestly wanted to.
Aeris lifted her head and was met with a splash of Planet-Knows-What and then ducked back down. She gagged and spit out what she could, the dark cloud of misery in her mind sinking in the back, bobbing up and down and telling her that today wasn’t her day.
“Don’t make me sink this boat!” she yelled out of desperation, fully intending to do so. The boat had an owner though, and she didn’t want to have to wreck it beyond repair unless it was necessary, and the Thief was the one that, in the end, the deciding party of how this would turn.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 15, 2015 1:36:43 GMT -6
“You’re insane!! We’ll never make it out of the city on this, they’ll block off the river or, shoot at us!!”
Faris could barely hear the woman over the roar of the engine and the splash of the waves. Building blocks blurred past in a whirlwind of color and sound. He laughed again. "Let them try! I haven't had fun like this in ages!"
“They’ll sink both of us, do you hear me?! This is really, really not a good idea, not to mention BAD!!”
"Quiet yourself, lass! I'm a Warrior of Light! I'd like to see them try to sink me!" But just as the woman had said, there seemed to be a commotion ahead of them and something of a commotion behind. Faris wasn't sure whether it was from the theft or the rough-housing or because he was now speeding down a busy river-way, nearly crashing into any other helmsman unlucky enough to be on the water. Whatever it was that had caused it, there was certainly something ahead if the hum of engines and shouting voices said anything.
Then there it was -- on the river's horizon. Word must have spread quickly of Faris' high-speed escape because there he saw boats -- at least twelve of them lined up in row. They were high-ridged boats made out of some kind of metal like tiny ships. In other words, they'd be difficult to sink. Faris saw no cannons on them, but lined up like that, they seemed to be operating under the assumption that Faris would stop. After all, if there was no way around them, then that left Faris no other option than to give himself up or to crash straight into a wall of solid metal.
Or at least that would have been the only options had Faris not still had the power of the water crystal at his disposal.
“Don’t make me sink this boat!” The woman was screaming again, though Faris didn't have time for her. If he wanted continue his life outside of the law, then he had to act -- and now.
"If you do, you'll be eating a mighty ton of water!" Faris warned before gripping the rudder tighter and revving down harder on the engine. As they gained speed, Faris felt for the lingering power of the water crystal inside of him. It engulfed him in a flash. White cotton fell over his red coat. Blue edges struck out of his shoulders like pauldrons. His red hat was replaced by a bandanna and a single, jutting horn.
The summoner class had always been more Lenna's strong-point than his. But with the power of the water crystal at his call, anything was possible.
Gritting his teeth, Faris began the muttered, half-stumbled incantations of ancient spirits. Wind lashed at his face like whips of ice and water. The checkpoint loomed ahead, all metal edges and flashing lights. There were shouts as it became clear that Faris was not stopping. The guards in his direct path were calling out in terror and scrambling over the side. They raised their strange, metal contraptions in his direction. A blast of light loosed itself from Faris as the last word was spoken.
"Leviathan!"
The great sea serpent rose from the waters like a water dragon flying from the depths. It opened its fanged mouth, gave a screech of rage, and the water rose in a great tidal wave. The boat was caught up in the swell, riding the wave from its highest peak thirty feet in the air. The water crashed on wooden docks and then overcame the guard boats in a massive force that toppled steel. Faris rode the wave and then grit his teeth as it began its descent.
"Hang on if you value your life!" he shouted, and then the wave smashed back down to earth. Faris could barely hang on for himself between the boat's rim and the rudder which he kept in a grip like death. He didn't need to rev the engine now. The wave had quickened the river's current to a speed like rocky rapids. It was all he could do to keep the boat from crashing.
Quickly wooden docks faded to murky river-banks. Buildings came more sparingly and then stopped coming all together. Riding Leviathan's currents, Faris was able to steer himself out of the city in record time. Once the city walls had been replaced with the cover of trees, Faris finally loosened his grip on the engine and let the boat drift to a stop.
Then, suddenly, he was laughing.
"Oh gods! I haven't done that in years!" Faris couldn't keep the grin off his face. The speed. The wind. The illicit scent of danger. His heart was racing with pure adrenaline, and Faris couldn't stop laughing. "These crystals are better for pirating than they are for fighting beasts! I should've known to try them!" Faris was soaked from the tossing and turning of the waves. His heavy robes hung off of him in great heaps of water-logged cotton. His hair was tangled and dripping.
"Well, lass, I hope you're still with the living." Faris pushed back the hair that had fallen out of his bandanna. "Give me just a second," he said, and another flash of light dissipated his robes and horn to the depths of the crystal. He stood once again in his blue tunic and green scarf. Faris let go of the rudder and hopped down to meet the woman. He crossed his arms and appraised her with a wide grin. "I'm Faris. Captain Faris Scherwiz of Tycoon. And you must be one of the daftest women I've ever met."
"If you do, you'll be eating a mighty ton of water!" The retort—‘Better than going to jail for the rest of my life' was there on the tip of her tongue, ready to be shouted at him with a thrown fist, but the boat was going far too fast. Her hands gripped into the side of the boat as she clung for safety, her eyes screwing tight.
Screams of terror filled the air and she felt sorry for anyone that was in their way. She had been right—there was a barricade of sorts but was that enough to stop him? Apparently not. “Leviathan!” The Pirate shouted and her eyes flew open like an owls and she looked forward to the summoning spectacle that was being performed right before her eyes.
It wasn’t long after it had started to rise from the water that she was forced to hug what she could to keep her grounded to the small ship, the frame creaking in protest as it almost reached the pinnacle of any ship—a flying ship—but didn’t quite make it into the air as the waves slouched back down and there were shaking through the rapids that followed the mighty beast.
Above it all, she heard him laughing. With it she felt sick to her stomach and so many other things.
“Oh gods! I haven’t done that in years! These crystals are better for pirating than they are for fighting beasts! I should’ve known to try them!” What had he called himself earlier? A Warrior of Light? A sour taste filled her thoughts and mouth and she sighed.
What kind of people were these Warrior of Lights, if this one was a thieving, destructive pirate? She didn’t want to know. The whole lot of them could be raving mad and at this point she didn’t want any more of that today. Not for a long time yet.
Now, soaked through and through, she looked more like a pink smudge that was smeared into the side of the ship. The ships rocking had calmed somewhat as they further got away from the city, and she peeled herself off and let go of the monstrous grip she had kept the entire time, and settled with giving him another sour grape look as she reached back and undid her braid, her long hair a sopping mess that was tugging on her skull. She started to twist it out, using the motion to vent some of the anger that was building up.
“Well, lass, I hope you’re still with the living. Give me just a second.” She wasn’t obliged to give him one, but Aeris continued to fix her hair back into a wet braid and then back over her shoulder, the pink ribbon rearranged back where it was in a semi-tilted knot. His feet banged on the boards of the ship and her gaze was brought back up to him. “I’m Faris. Captain Fairs Scherwiz of Tycoon. And you must be one of the daftest women I’ve ever met.”
Now the criminal was insulting her on top of it all.
She heaved a sigh and tilted her head up, looking towards the sky for a moment before she looked back at him and stood up on wobbly legs. Words could not begin to describe how much she wanted to step up to him and wallop him upside the head, but with what he had just pulled out of the water she didn’t want to go on another bumpy ride like that. That didn’t mean she couldn’t continue doing what she had been earlier before the whole fiasco with the summon.
“Aerith Gainsborough, Flower girl.” She gave a mocking curtsey before she crossed her arms and settled with glaring tiredly at him. “I could say the same for yourself, honestly. “
“Summoning that in the middle of the city, what if someone had gotten hurt, or died?” Aeris shook her head, and started to wring out the end of her pink dress. She wasn’t going to be able to go back to that city. As Aerith looked around, she could only lament her day.
No flower basket, and she was probably a wanted criminal.
“No, wait. I must say you are the most reckless man I’ve ever met. Honestly, did you have to steal a boat right from the center of the city and cause such a scene?” The temptation to smack him was getting stronger, but she held back and opted to roughly twist her dress end in vexation.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Dec 15, 2015 18:13:16 GMT -6
A look at the woman proved that she'd gotten as drenched as Faris himself. Her dress hung off of her in dripping tugs and she'd unbraided her hair to ring it out over the side of the boat. Personally, Faris didn't mind the water and felt just as comfortable dry as sopping wet, but he could tell this woman didn't feel the same. She had a cross look to her like a bristled cat. When Faris introduced himself, she gave a heavy sigh and slowly rose to her feet.
“Aerith Gainsborough, Flower girl.” She gave a girlish curtsy, but from her smirk, Faris could tell it was all an act. “I could say the same for yourself, honestly. Summoning that in the middle of the city, what if someone had gotten hurt, or died?”
This Aerith had a sharp mouth -- that was for sure. Faris would have thought the girl would be quaking after the escape they'd just made, but no. It seemed she had the weathered fortitude of a warrior and the mouth of an irritable bar maid. That courage was something worth respecting, even if it set them at odds. Faris put a hand on his hip in reply.
"Wasn't it you that said they'd put up a barricade? If you hadn't slowed me down with that mad stunt of yours, I would have made it before they'd had the time. As it was, I didn't have a single intention of seeing the inside of a jail. I'm sure they're all just fine." Probably. Maybe. But it had been the only option, really. If Faris had taken the time to fight them head-on, then he would have had to ensure they'd all been taken out. As long as the guards could swim...And hadn't been trapped by their own boats...And hadn't hit anything solid, Faris was certain they'd all make it out alive.
Probably.
“No, wait. I must say you are the most reckless man I’ve ever met. Honestly, did you have to steal a boat right from the center of the city and cause such a scene?”
The girl was ringing out her dress -- not a bad idea now that Faris thought of it. He followed her lead and wrung out the end of his tunic before shaking out the shags of his long, purple hair. Water sprayed about him like the splatterings of a wet dog. So long as he dried by nightfall, he wouldn't need to find a change of clothes. He'd prefer to avoid an incident like in the yard of ghost ships. Sometimes Faris swore that Bartz would never understand the meaning of minding his own damn business.
"Aye, I've heard that before, but it got the job done. My wallet was empty, and now that I think about it..." Faris touched the hull of the boat -- still mostly unscathed from their journey. "This boat could take a lot more use before she breaks down. I could probably search the coastline in this. Find my crew..." Faris trailed off in thought. Was it likely that any of the rest had washed up on this strange kingdom? Faris was no stranger to ship-wrecks, but he'd never even heard of Zephon, and with all its strange technology and customs...
What were the chances that anyone else had survived whatever had washed him ashore? What were the chances they were still alive now after nearly a week? These were the thoughts that Faris had been drinking to forget, along with another that he couldn't if he'd tried.
What if he never got home? What if he never saw Lenna or Tycoon again? Faris needed a proper ship and a crew to man it. From there, he only needed his bearings. He wouldn't let this kingdom get the best of him.
"You haven't heard of anyone else like me, have you? Pirates? Men of the sea?" Faris ran a hair through his damp hair and looked up into the sky. "I ran ashore here sometime last week. Can't for the life of me say as to how, but I woke up beached here and that's been it, really. Had to steal a grand sum of gil just to make it to town."
Faris gave the woman -- Aerith -- a short glance. "It's a slim chance, but it's worth trying," he said then crossed his arms again. "If you're looking for somewhere to go, I'll take you if it's on the shore or river. Least I can do after you got yourself kidnapped."
The sky—she wondered if it was scary, flying through it. The birds in it looked at home, and she wondered if she ever got the chance to be up there, if she would be too. Up in the clouds, looking down at the buildings and the people and being able to float along anywhere you wanted without the restrictions that the ground gave, even to the cars and the boats on the river. 
