Begin Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBkLlwdhZow  Unforeseen Assault - Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike soundtrack

        On what was supposed to be a night of peace.... had turned into a night of horror... and would dawn the destiny of one...


        Fire and smoke could be seen for miles, rising up from a isolated island belonging to a religious holy group. Screams of terror and death kneels broke through the night, intermingled with laughter, hollering, barking, and snarling. Stained-glass windows belonging to a respected mission of a world-wide religious sect were shattered to pieces by swords and thrown furniture. 

        Inside the burning building were the dead bodies of the many priests and priestesses who called this mission house home. Shadows of their killers danced along the walls as their owners went room to room, cupboard to cupboard, slaughtering all who were within these hallowed halls. Mission guards tried their best to defend this place from the invaders, but were no match for their brutal tactics and their incredible magic.


        In the main hall of the mission, sitting underneath the statues of the warrior goddess, a man with orange hair like the fire around him, tattered pants, and a burnt cape sulked with one arm on his knee. He listened as his men ransacked the mission, killing all who opposed their attack willingly or unwillingly. He pulled his head back to look up at the statue. She was standing over a defeated serpent, her sword and staff piercing its hide. 

        "At long last... you lose, Feraie."

        He heard panting as several of his lackies ran into the chamber. "We ransacked the entire place, and we did it- we finally found the vault."

        "Good..." He stayed silent as they did. "... and i assume by your silence, things didn't go according to plan."

        He heard faint, heavy in effort laughing coming from beneath him. He turned his attention down to the dying head priestess at his feet. "You... failed once again, Flint..." She coughed.


        Two of the bandits burst into a small room, splinting the door with their kicks. They came in and saw the drawers and cupboards were empty, and the bed sheets used to climb out the open window.


        "The gem is..." She coughed up blood. "... long gone by now. You will never find her..." Flint stayed silent for a long moment. He held his hand out like he was asking for a apple. A sword made of orange crystal materialized in his hand- the fire dancing in its reflection. He lazily stabbed her and let the sword stay there.

        "She couldn't have gotten off the island yet... find the priestess. Now." His eyes glowed with the reflection of the fire.



        His target ran as fast as he could through the forest that surrounded the mission. The island was a full mile in diameter, so she had to hightail it to the nearest pier as fast as she humanly could. She was dressed in a black cloak, which would make it difficult for her pursuers to see her. The large backpack would not, but it could mesh with the greenery. Behind her was the last remaining guard, assigned to protect her no matter what.

        They heard barking and snarling in the trees. They looked to their left and their right and saw they were being chased by monsters that had glowing orange eyes. "Bractales!" The guard exclaimed. One of the monsters leaped out of the brush and towards the girl. The guard pulled his massive claymore over his head and swung hard, slicing the obscured canine in twain.

        He skidded to a halt and undid his cloak. The priestess saw this and came to a halt as well. "Falco!" She yelled.

        One of the monsters lunged towards her once more, only to be crushed in the head by his massive blade. "Run, you idiot!" He ordered. "Your survival is paramount!"

        "But..."

        The sights of torches burning through the dry forest was seen. Fire spread quickly, much to the girls horror. "I'll hold these cads off as long as i can. Use the gateway." He tossed her a locket baring the sigil of their faith on a coin. On the flipside was the crest of a bar- a mermaid dancing. "Go to the Dancing Mermaid Inn in Longire- ask for..." One of the monsters lunged again, this time towards him. He kicked the monster back. More came and attempted to dogpile on him. "Go now!!"

        Against her nature, the girl nodded in hesitation and apprehension before running away, leaving the knight to his fate. He blasted the hounds back with a gust of wind, panting as he wiped blood from his mouth. He brought up his blade and held it with both hands as the masters of these monsters came running through. "Alright then..." The fire danced off his blade. "Who's first?"



        The priestess burst through the forest and onto the beach. She ran along the coastline until she reached the closest pier. She climbed on and ran all the way towards the end. The wood creaked under her every step. She saw blood and bodies here too- not even these poor souls got out alive. Their murderers must've returned to the raid.

        She reached the end of the pier, which expanded to a octagonal shape. In the middle was a white gylph of three feathers crossed in a trinity- it is meant to symbolize the three primal elements of the world: Land, Air, and Sea. Each wing was color coded as such. She panted as she looked at the glyph- it had been erased, but very haphazardly. Her guess is that they wanted to keep people from leaving, but were in too big a rush to get back to the action to do a good enough job. This was easy to fix.

        She took off her backpack and pulled out a piece of chalk. She got down on all fours and drew the erased portions of the glyph as fast as she could, knowing she was racing against the clock and one wrong mistake would end her. She made sure not to erase any more by accident. 

        After several frantic minutes, she completed the glyph. She panted in triumph, knowing she did it justice. She put the chalk back into her backpack. She looked back to the island- she hadn't been able to during her drawing, but her eyes went wide in horror as she saw that was all up in flames. The entire island was engulfed in fire.

        To make matters worse, all of the raiders had gathered on the beach, surrounding the pier, save for one opening. Out of that opening came Flint, who walked through the flames as if they were nothing. The fire beside him parted, creating the illusion of a demon walking right out of hell. Behind him, he dragged the body of the guard who helped her. Her heart beat wildly out of fear.

        Flint held up the dead corpse of the guard and tossed him onto the dock like he was yesterdays trash. She could see the lifelessness in his eyes. She scrambled through her backpack and found her staff- a intriqute 3-foot long wand wrapped with two bands of flower vines, topping off into a crown shape with a cut emerald as big as her fist, lined with a plain tiara band.

        "Cra'Kai!" She thrust her staff upwards, creating a wall out of the water at the beach that kept him from coming to her, or so she hoped. He walked through fire like it was nothing, so why should water being any different? Still, she had to hope. She lowered her staff and panted, exhausted by this whole ordeal.

        "You think this will hold me, Nicole?" He held out his hand. "Give me the gem and maybe i'll spare your life."

        "Never!" She yelled back, barely containing her horror and sorrow. "You killed everyone here- why should i trust a madman like you?!" She gripped her staff tight as she picked up her backpack. "I will never trust you again!"

        Flint scoffed without a care in the world. "Consider your options, child. You are surrounded by water, with no boats to sail in. Even if you dropped the gem into the ocean, we'll still find it. Either give us the gem and die a quick painless death later... or fight and suffer a slow, torturous one now." He held out his hand again. "Your call."

        Nicole quivered in fear, barely able to keep herself up. There was no way she could fight him and win. He would mop the floor with her in a heartbeat. But.... she did finish the gateway. She would need to work fast to make it activate, but she's got ideas to hold him off, if only for a little while.

        "How about you pry it from my cold, dead fingers!!!" She spun the staff above her head before placing it down in the dead center of the glyph. The symbol glowed white as the magic it called for activated. She turned around and swiftly swung her hand, summoning up more walls and geysers that wrecked the pier, cutting him off.

        "Oh Great Spirits that course this sea, this sky, and this land, i beseech to thee..." Energy slowly began to surge out of the glyph. 

        "She's gonna teleport!" one of the lackies screamed.

        Flint grunted in anger. With a swing of his own hand, fire from the burning forest came rushing in and struck the magicked up water, creating huge gusts of steam that burned his lackies, but not himself. When the steam eventually cleared away, he used magic to move the sand, creating a little bridge for him to cross.

        Nicole saw this, but kept up with the incantation. "I call out your names and your nobility to transport me across the ever changing eventide..." The wings began to spin around, gaining speed until they were but a blur. 

        As Flint grew closer, She summoned up one last water wall to keep her safe. Much to her horror, all Flint did was touch it with one finger and the wall fell away. But she kept her fear hidden. "... I call upon thee to take me to..." She hesitated- if she says the town, they'll know where to find her. She needed to throw them off her scent. "... take me to... to... to someone who can save me!"

        Ethereal portraits of the wings came up, enveloped her in a invisible chamber, and glowed bright, temporarily blinding Flint. When the glow faded, he looked and the wings came down. Nicole was long gone- he could see the orb of light the wings had made fly away at speeds that took it out of sight in seconds.



end song.



        "... this just got a lot more complicated..." He grumbled.

        "She didn't call out a name, either...." One of his lackies panted, having run across the sand bridge he made. "She could be anywhere in the world by now..." 

        "And even if we did find out, she'll likely have erased the travel glyph." Flint said. He looked down at the glyph under his feet. "... we'll send agents to every island in the world, if we have to. We will have that gem!"

        "But what if she finds transportation off wherever she ended up before we find her? That'll make locating her much more difficult."

        "Then we kill them. Simple as that." He held his hand out to the glyph right under him. It began to glow and activate like before. "All that is out there are corrupt merchants, Empire stooges, or lawless Pirates. I'd say the odds are in our favor."


        
         Since the dawn of time, the Empire of Ealora has ruled the ocean world of Cora for thousands of years. Spread across all the known islands of the world, the Empire has become a beacon of power and stability. Across the eons, the Emperors of the Empire had fluctuated from beacons of peace and justice, to tyranny and oppression, to everything in between. 

        Outside the Empire's expansive boundaries are those who live outside the many rules and regulations they enforce, living life as free and anyway they want. From bandits to merchants, to those who just want to live in isolation, these people were all branded by the Empire long ago as one people: Pirates. There are traditional Pirates among the seas- those who rob and plunder other ships and villages for their own monetary gain, but others just don't want to live under the Empire's iron thumb, believing they deserve a better life.

        Older then the Empire, practiced on all islands cross the planet, was a Religion called the Order of Light. The Order followed the doctrine left behind by a warrior goddess named Freyah, who long ago, destroyed a demonic serpent whose true name had been lost to time, but is remembered by a single emotion that personified it perfectly: Fury. At Cora's dawn, Fury tried to destroy the world, but Freyah and her companions were able to destroy the serpent, saving Cora and ushering in the Ealora Empire. All, even the lawless Pirates, follow the doctrine she left behind, believing that she keeps them safe and answers their prayers, while also hoping that one day, she will return when Cora is in danger once again. Nobody knows when or where that will be, not even the most divine in the Order.


        It is the year 3201 of the Empirical Calendar, and 7th year of the current Emperor, Calistion. Under his rule, the Empire had regressed to a new, tyrannical state, oppressing the citizens of the Empire and all those who live outside its boundaries. His sister, Trlalxilimeon, was next in line to be the new ruler, but she has mysteriously vanished 7 years ago, as did her most loyal and royal retainer. Many believe the retainer fell in love and kidnapped her to a island not found on any maps, while others believe he killed her our of hatred or jealousy and buried the body in a place that hadn't been uncovered yet.

        And this year shall begin a trial that will rock the Empire- nay, all of Cora...



        Standing at the bow of the full-rigged frigate she commanded, staring out at the rising sun, a bodacious captain with long blonde hair kept her hat in place with her hand, keeping the wind from the south from carrying it away. She wore a full-body black suit with puffy sleeves and legs, a grey sash was wrapped around her abdomen, which was extended by a orange proto-skirt cloth that had tassels and buttons spread every few inches, the same style of cloth covered the right side of her chest, and a long orange scarf that went down to her thighs.

        A stale cracker stuck out of her mouth as she turned her attention down to her feet, putting on her socks with her spare hand. She pulled on them tight before and nodded in approval before proceeding to put on her sandals. 

        "Captain Trixie, we've entered Zockshiea waters." One of her crewmen announced. "We'll reach the port in a few minutes."

        Trixie grunted as she gulped down some part of the cracker. She got up and pulled hte cracker out of her mouth. "Mmm.. good. We can finally be done with these stale-ass crackers." She tossed the one she ate over the side and into the waters for the fish to have. "Wake up the rest of the crew. Today is shopping day."

        She made her way towards the captains wheel, which had been worked to allow the ship to sail without someone at the helm. She took off the ropes and wooden planks that kept it in place and spun the wheel, turn the ship towards the oncoming port.

        On the side of the frigate was the name of the ship, emblazoned in yellow: Grande Belle.





















Grande Belle:
Dreams of Awakening

Grande Belle:
Dreams of Awakening
 

Chapter 1

Destined Encounter between Pirate and Priestess 

8/11/3201 E.C. (Empirical Calendar)




        Sunlight peered into a small storeroom within a busy port. Cobwebs and dust lined the walls; they never have any chance of cleaning this place up.  in the back of the storeroom, energy began to swell. Sporadic bolts of energy, taking the shape of lightning, surged in from out of nowhere and towards one spot, as a circular glyph that had once faded away regained form and shape once again.

        The energy pooled together for a brief moment, before the orb of light from the island came streaking in like a meteor, unseen by all. The orb and the pooled energy met and it spat out a certain priestess, who rolled head over heels, crashing into a crate hard enough to make the bags on top of it fall slip and fall on top of her. Her staff had fallen out of her arms the moment she was spat out and clanged into the side of a box, as did her bags. She shoved them off and panted as she stayed on her back, still trying to process everything that had happened. 

        Before long, tears streamed down the sides of her face and to the floor as her heart slowly began to crack from the ache this had brought. Her home, gone. Her friends, dead.

        "... Falco...... Mother Superior..." She croaked. She hit her fist on the floor, cursing herself. "Damn Flint... he played me for a fool..."

        She had little time to mourn, for the glyph began to glow once more. Fearing they were following her, she sprang up and clamored over. She fell to her knees and brushed away certain parts of the glyph, just like back on the dock, but not in the same places- just any break anywhere will render this useless. Soon, the glyph wasn't even recognizable anymore. It ended this end of the teleportation circles until it could be redrawn again.

        Once that fear had been delayed, Nicole fell back onto her rear and exhaled a sigh of relief. Her heart still hurt, but she had no time to waste. Reaching into her bags, she pulled out a spherical object; a stylized glass gem with parts that extended out stained red and orange, like flames coming out of all sides, except on the bottom so someone could hold it. Within the glass was a magic image of a impossible sight, at least on Cora: a spiral galaxy, glistening with stars. "Why... why do all that for this...?" 

        She heard the doors to this place open up, followed by footsteps. Someone was coming in. Multiple someones. Afraid these were more goons, she scrambled to her feet and stuffed the gem into her bags. She closed them up just as they entered the room she had appeared in.

        "---ansported to the magistrates office." The one in charge ordered his underlings. "Hurry it up- he asked for this an hour ago and someone failed to tell us. Again."

        "It wasn't all my fault!" Another responded with a shrill tone. "I was... distracted by N--" When they entered, they noticed the scared girl clutching her staff in fear in the corner. The three who came in were the foreman of this location- a staunch old man in his fifties. The second, the one who complained about being distracted, was the youngest and barely in his twenties. The last was in-between at 39 and had a few scars... everywhere. "Un... who is this? How did she even get in here- the door was locked."

        "How should i know?" The foreman asked. He then noticed the glyph on the ground that had been erased. "I think she's a Order Priestess..." He pointed to the glyph on the ground.

        "Looks like she may've seen some bad shit." The middle man bluntly pointed out.

        "Y...... you could say that." Nicole shivered. "I am of the Order and i..." She couldn't tell them about the attack. It would send a bad message to them, and they could tell everyone and word would spread. She needed to play this smart. "... i was turned around. I... said something i shouldn't have and 'round up here. Um... where exactly is here?"

        "Zockshiea." The foreman replied.

        "Zockshiea..." She repeated. Zockshiea is a port town, if her memory serves. It's not the biggest or the grandest, but it'll do. She could find a ship and hire its crew to take her to Order headquarters... which, if memory serves, is on the other side of the world from this port, and she has no way to get there now. She pretty much wrecked her only chance- when she fell back on her rear to prevent followers, she sat on her chalk, and it was the only one she had. "That'll have to do..." She kept her guard and her staff up as she walked around them. "... that's going to have to do..."

        "Do for what?"

        "Nothing that concerns you." She skirted around them, keeping her staff raised as she worked through the boxes, the crates, and the bags. It was a veritable maze here. She did manage to get around them and backed up towards the exit. "Please... tell no one you saw me..." She said with fear and sorrow in her voice. Once she was a good distance away, she ran out and closed the door behind her.

        "What was that all about?" The youngest asked as she scratched her head. 

        "I don't know, but she acted like she saw something terrible." the middle-man added as he crossed his arms. "She's not telling the whole truth."

        "It's not our concern, at any rate." The foreman intervened. "She wanted us to stay quiet, so that's what we're going to do. Now come on." He walked past his underlings. "We gotta get these things moving."


        Nicole quickly exited the warehouse, still exhausted from her escape. She put her hands to her knees, panting heavily. She was not built for intense outdoor activities. She raised her head to see the town she had landed in. She was at the docks, which was alive with activity as crews from ships and workers on the docks went back and forth, going about their day to day lives and chores. 

        She made herself scarce and moved out of the way of everybody, leaving the docks and heading to the entrance to the town proper, which was a archway of sorts, with a sign in the middle. She had to be careful- there's no telling what lowlifes call these ports home. She heard many bad things about Pirates- many, maaaaaany bad things. She heard stories about how they raze every town and settlement they come across, and how they leave no survivors. And what they did to Order members, even worse so.

        "(Ok... think Nicole, think. You need a ship- you don't know how to sail one, so you are going to have to charter one. In order to do that, you need money. You have some, but are going to need to grease the wheels. Sigh... sorry, Mother Superior, but i'm gonna have to offer some of the treasury... Hopefully she'll understand.)" Her stomach growled. She whimpered as she put a hand over it. "(Whoever i charter is going to have to deal with whatever money i have leftover for now... but if memory serves, ship captains like to frequent taverns and bars. I should try those places... provided i can find where one of them is.)"

        She reached the entrance to town and rested for a bit, leaning on one of the pillars that held up the archway sign. She was still exhausted, which concerned her. She ran a long way, to be sure, but was she really this out of shape? She hasn't run in years, so it could be possible. There could also be another reason for it, however.

        "(I must've used up a lot more magic then i had anticipated. I didn't expect so much to be used... but Zockshiea is leagues away from the mission.)" She rested her head on the pillar. "(Why was i brought here? I didn't call out the name. I said... i said...)" She facepalmed. "(I said bring me to someone who can save me. I guess that leaves the destination a lot more open to interpretation. But that beings said... that also means i will find someone willing to help me here.)" 

        Her face melted when she entered the nearest tavern she could find and saw that a couple of crews were engaged in a nasty fist fight. "..... i am... so screwed..."



        Back at the port, the frigate known as the Grande Belle docked at the first open mooring it could find. The town was lively with activity and they had to race another ship hoping to dock. They beat it first, which pissed off the crew of the other ship. The captain stuck out her tongue and pulled down one eye as a insult.

        Once the ship was tied off and the ramp slammed down onto the dock, the crew departed. Most all of them are ready to get some shopping done and they couldn't be any happier. They spent so much time out on the sea, cabin fever was on the verge of setting in. The crew that descended down the ramp were... not who you would expect. Most crews are experienced, capable, uniform. 

        The Grande Belle has anything but. Many who have witnessed the ship in action have described it as a floating psycho ward. .... they aren't wrong. This is such a mismatched crew, it's a miracle the ship, and the people on it, have survived for as long as they have. Yet, despite that accomplishment, their feats aren't anything to praise or write songs about. There is one common theme:

        Mediocre. 

        Over half their raids end in utter disaster, usually due to someone mucking it all up. Again, it's a miracle the ship and its crew survived this long without killing each other.

        In order of their induction into the crew, there is:

        Captain Trixie Maousiki, a 25 year old bodacious firebrand with a short fuse, a shorter temper, yet somehow has enough patience to keep her crew in check. While she may be young to be a captain- almost too young, according to some- she has proven herself. She has close to 7 years experience captaining her band of rogues. Unlike most pirates out on the seas, she has a moral compass: she'll only raid Imperial ships, and half of their profits, they donate to the poor and downtrodden in Imperial waters. It's rare to find a pirate with a compassionate heart.

        Next is Virgil, Trixie's loyal first mate. Virgil, at 33 years old age with skin and hair as pale as a ghost, was with Trixie when she first obtained the Grande Belle and has been by her side ever since. He is everything she is: stoic, firm, course, and cold. This has earned him the nickname "the ice king", because he never seems to have any emotion behind his words. That said, he is a brilliant strategist... too bad barely anybody on the crew listens to them.

        Following him, there is Brutus, the raw muscle. The oldest of the crew at 44, Brutus hardly says a word. Mostly because he can't say a word: his tongue was cut out by his master, a ruthless dictator of a tyrant who Trixie had the misfortune of coming across; his master was so visious, he kept him out in the summer sun for months on end, darkening his skin. One jailbreak later, she had gotten herself a loyal companion. His strength is something else: he is able to lift two cannons with relative ease and move them like they were basic bricks- he'd probably take a bite out of one, if he could. And one punch could send a guy to the next island... on the other side of the world. Alright, that last one was an exaggeration, but the point stands. 

        Then there is Rat... Rat... he is gross. The 33 year old hobo, whose dirt-covered... EVERYTHING would make a pig jealous, does not believe in baths- he's never taken one his whole life. As a result, he stinks like garbage met with death. In the years since his recruitment, the crew had gotten used to his smell, but that first waft: it's liable to make a person faint. They force him to sleep outside with its lights out, so he's built himself his own little home away from home up in the crows nest. So why keep him around? His keen sight. He can spot ships MILES away. That and he can be sneaky... though how anyone that smelly could ever be stealthy is beyond anyone's guess. Ugh... rain rain, come soon.

        Next are Pat and Zat, twins- boy and girl respectively- and the ships weapons experts... who just so happen to be 9 years old. Pat is the oldest by 5 minutes: the loud and colorful one of the two. Zat is the youngest and tends to be the more withdrawn to strangers. They were found adrift in sea in a derelict old dingy a couple years back. After recovering, they said that their ship was destroyed weeks before their rescue and that their parents were on board. With no family to speak of, Trixie adopted them into the crew. That was a odd call, since they are still minors. But they've proven themselves worthy additions by squeezing into tight holes to fetch items that slipped through the cracks. And it was no joke about them being weapon experts: they seem to know every weapon in the world. They said their father was a weapons expert himself and had many at their old estate. At least the crew knows where to go for armaments when they need it.

        Moving down the list, we have Ducky, the ships cook and homely sage. This gentle soul of 29 can cook up some tasty dishes, some that can rival gourmet chefs. He's good, but he's no miracle worker: when you're almost out of supplies, it's hard to make hardtack and salted pork taste good. Other then that, he's known best known as the ships... mm... therapist, if you will. People tend to come to him for problems and he often gives sound advice in return.

      After him, there is Amelia, the 17 year old doctor of the crew. Be it through magic that tuckers her out rather quickly, or through the old-fashioned surgical means, Amelia can fix them up, no problem... that said... she also has the nastiest temper out of everyone. Trixie may have a short fuse, but it is a lot longer them Amelia's. She may be a medic, but she is not afraid to clobber someone down to the ground to make her point.

        Almost done, there is Dante. He may've been younger then Pat and Zat when he joined, but there was a reason for it: he wanted to get away from his problems. Much like the twins, he was found in  a dingy. Unlike the twins, however, it was on purpose: he wanted another ship to pick him up because of reasons he's never fully explained. All they got out of hi so far was it was because of his father, who, by the clues such as the welts on his face when they picked him up, was very... physical. He was raised by the crew for the next 7 years, and through Virgil's tutelage, became one of the best swordsman on the ship.

        And lastly, there is Kenshin, and he was the best swordsman in the crew. He may've been the more recent to join, only a year in, but his skill with a blade is bar none. He is also a devoted man: He pledged himself to the crew after they saved his life from assassin's from his homeland. He never said why they were after him- the crew figures it's over a artifact he mentioned he was searching for- but since his recruitment, they only had to deal with assassin's two times: benefits of living on a boat, you're never in the same place for long.

        There are more members to the crew then just these ten, as they numbered close to 100, but these are the more important players. 


        With introductions out of the way, the crew descended down the ramp towards the docks. Since all of their normal clothes were dirty beyond comprehension, they were forced to wear formal attire they stole and planned to sell off. So much for that plan- nobody was going to buy handmedowns. All but Trixie; she knows who to take proper care of her clothes and herself. Trixie muttered to herself as she counted coins she slipped into individual sacks. She reached the bottom of the ramp first and slid to the side, passing a sackful of coins to each member of the crew one by one as they came on down in the same order as they were introduced above. 

        "Alright, scallywags, welcome to Zockshiea. You all know the rules: don't buy anything that would be too cumbersome or unneeded, and don't cause trouble. Other then that, go wild. You have 25 Pieces, so spend wisely. You run out, that's your fault cause you aren't getting a refill. And remember to be back by nightfall." 

        The bag she handed to Ducky was bigger and heavier then everyone elses. That caused the newest member of the crew, someone they recruited a couple weeks ago called Ruckland, to become flabbergasted and irritated. "Hey hey hey, wait a tick, how come he gets a bigger bag?"

        "Because he's our cook, you ninny." Amelia spoke to Ruckland from behind with a hatred in her eyes. Ruckland may've only been on the ship for a few weeks, but he's learned to fear the terror that was this black-haired banshee. She dug her knuckles into the sides of his head. She's supposed to be their healer? "He cooks our food, he buys our food, and if case you forgot, we've been eating stale crackers for the past few days! I've had enough of that- i want meat!"

        "Ow! Ok! Sorry i asked! Owie owie owie ow!"

        The crew stared at this exchange for a brief moment before continuing on with their day, with those who got their sacks heading into town, leaving the poor sod to his torment. "... what she said." Trixie finished up as she handed out the last of the sacks. She looked back to the show and twisted her lips. Their new lackey needed a lesson, but Amelia's liable to grind his brain to powder at this rate. "Ok, Amelia, let him go." She complied and stopped digging in her knuckles. Ruckland fell to the ground, relieved, as he rubbed where he got abused. "Much as he needs to be broken in, i don't want him braindead." Trixie tossed the last sack over to Amelia, who caught it effortlessly. She then walked off into town, as did Ruckland.

        "Whta of me, capitan?" Rat asked as he slid down on a rope, hanging upside-down. He was the only one still in his normal outfit, like Trixie. Unlike the captain, Rat looked and smelled like a garbage dump come to life. 

        "You gonna take a bath?" She asked with a grin.

        "No."

        "Then no. With your grease, you'll probably ignite a few fires."
        
        "Tyrant..." He grumbled. He tugged on the rope and it pulled him back up. She sighed as she slowly shook her head in disappointment.

        The only one to not receive a sack was Virgil, but that was by request when they started out. Where Trixie goes, he follows. Trixie looked to the boat with her hands behind her head as she surveyed their ship. All in all, it looked to be in decent shape... however... "... we need a new anchor, don't we?" She commented as they saw a rusted barnacle fall off it; that should be impossible, shouldn't it?

        Virgil nodded. "Yes, but Zockshiea isn't known for their blacksmiths. Last i remember, wine is more their specialty. We're probably better off getting a replacement at Lefppisty. That's not far from here."

        "Good call, i think." She lowered her arms and swung them by her side. "I'm hungry. You?"

        "Famished."

        "Then to the nearest tavern!" They turned and headed to town. "Hopefully the grub is cheaper here then back in Lixilupt."

        "But it was worth it for that exquisite taste."

        "Eh. I had better. Speaking of which, to the nearest tavern!"

        



        Meanwhile, the priestess of the Order was having zero luck trying to obtain a crew that will take her to Order Headquarters. Too bad the first place she had to try was a seedy dump of a dive bar. The few who asked why out of curiosity turned her down when she said that she cannot say. At this point, anyone entering the tavern would read the room and just ignore the rambling, crybaby priestess as she pleaded and begged for aid.

        "Please! You must help me!" She begged a captain who was leaving. He held up a hand, ignoring her as he exited the premises. She then moved to someone else who was entering the bathroom. "Please, listen to me!" Same response from him. Someone new entered the tavern and she ran to them. "You need to listen to me! I--"

        "Shuddup!" The newcomer bellowed as he shoved her down. She landed on her rear as the captain and his boys entered to head to a empty table.

        Nicole whimpered as she rubbed her rear. That's the second time today she's been tossed around. She stood up and whined as she slumped her upper body over the bar's counter top. "Why won't anyone listen to me...?" She slid her head to the right and asked that same question to the man sitting there, eating scallops. He just got up, grabbed his plate, and walked away. She whimpered again and slammed her face into the counter.

        "You dent my counter, you better be paying." The barkeep commented.

        As she whined and whimpered, digging her forehead deep into the counter, a certain captain and her trustworthy first came in, seeking grub. All of the tables were taken, so they were forced to sit at the bar. "Ahoy. Barkeep." Trixie called for as she sat down, getting his attention. "2 of your strongest brews, please." she put down the coinage to back up that demand. "And a menu." He nodded and went to grab the spirits while handing them a menu.

        She grabbed it and flipped it open, unintentionally blocking her view of the priestess, with Virgil peering in from the side to see the same thing. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the priestess with her head in the wood. The barkeep came back with two shot glasses and a bottle of the strongest stuff he has. "Bit of a warning: this has the kick of a cannon, so... best to take it carefully."

        As he turned to help out someone else ready to place a order, Virgil held up a finger to keep him here. "What's with the priestess over there?" He pointed to her.

        "Just ignore her. She's been bugging my customers all day." He walked off.

        Trixie completely missed all that as she was too focused on getting herself some breakfast. "That is strange, isn't it?" Virgil asked. Trixie grunted in reply. "Why would a Order priestess be in a tavern? I thought they avoided these places like the plague." Trixie grunted in reply again. Virgil realized she wasn't listening and tapped a finger on the counter. "Un, captain? Are you listening to me?"

        "I think i'm going to get the Fglois Stew." She closed the menu and passed it over to her second. She held it in front of his face for him to take it, but he didn't. "Un, Virg? You gonna get anything?"

        He sighed in defeat as he pinched his eyes. "You'd figure i'd remember this after 12 years." She tilted her head in confusion. Virgil took the menu and turned her head to the priestess. "Her. Why would a Order priestess be in a seedy tavern on a day that isn't Collection Day? And based on her attire, she looks to be in the Legates, so she should be off her appointed island."

        "Maybe she's on vacation." Trixie commented as she poured a drink.

        "Order officiates don't take vacations. And if she was, why hang out in a Pirate-filled tavern, looking like that? There has to be a reason she's here."

        "Then let's ask her." She said. Pouring some liquid courage, she spun on her barstool to look towards the downtrodden girl. But how to introduce herself? "So what's got you down in the dumps?" The priestess slowly turned her head, looking at the inquisitive captain with one eye and hair over it. "What has you down?"

        "What do you care...?" She groaned. She rolled her head back down and spoke into the wood. "Nobody cares..."

        "Really? I'm asking, aren't I?"

        She rolled her head to the Pirate once again, looking dead in her eyes. "Why bother...?"

        Trixie looked back to Virgil, who was just as baffled as she was. This has to be the first depressed Order officiate they had met. Were they even allowed to get down in the dumps; the ones they've seen looked so upbeat and cheerful. "Um... ok then." Trixie leaned back and grabbed her shot glass. "Can't fault a girl for--" Suddenly the officiate grabbed the shot glass and down its contents in one gulp. That was more then a little surprising to the two of them and the barkeep- Order members are restricted to water, juice, and Leetht wine, so downing a shotglass of the strong stuff felt completely out of left field to them. "...... trying?" Trixie snuck out.

        Slamming the shotglass down, the officiate grunted as she felt it go down her throat. "Whoa..." She coughed. "That's got... ooof, that's got a kick." She eyed the full bottle and grabbed it. She then began to drink it... the whole thing... which, given what happened to her little over 20 minutes ago, can you really blame her? Trixie, Virgil, and the barkeep looked in on disbelief as she chugged it down. Eventually, someone in the crowd noticed and tapped the girl next to him, prompting her to look and tap the next one over. Soon, everyone was looking at the Order officiate downing a whole bottle.

        When it was all said and done, she removed the lips from her... lips and grunted loudly as she took a breath. "Braaaaaaaah... whoo... that's... that's a strong drinkkkkkk..." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell backwards off her seat. The bottle launched out of her hands as she fell, smashing up against the wall behind a rough looking fella. The shattered glass tore through his and his associates clothes, leaving little scratches on their skin.

        "Did... that really just happen?" A stunned Virgil asked in disbelief as she and everyone else looked at the knocked out Legate. 

        "I think it did." Trixie replied. And she never even got a drink, too. "Alright then..." She planted the menu back on the counter and slid off her stool. "Got some wakeup juice?" She asked the barkeep.

        "Already getting it." He replied as he ducked under the counter to find it.

        "Can't we use the trough method?" Trixie asked. "It's proven effective to me."

        "I think there's a rule saying we can't." The barkeep soon returned with a bottle of Cyolai Wine, year 1801. It's a terrible vintage by every means, which is why it makes for perfect to bring drunken people out of a unconscious stupor; they can't wait to get it out of their mouths. Virgil looked at the label, then looked to the barkeep, wondering what his problem was. "Cyolai Wine? We're trying to wake her up, not kill her by alcohol poisoning."

        "It's Vintage 1801. That's a terrible year."

        "He's right." Trixie agreed. "I had one sip and i felt like throwing up."

        "Fair warning, though: We tried making this bottle better by putting in additives, but un... well... let's just say you want to keep a distance when she pops up."

        Virgil was unsure that this was going to work, but a thought entered his mind: Maybe they can use this as a favor; save a Order officiate and get on their good side. Lords know they need some good luck. "Well... only one way to find out, i guess." Trixie lifted up the officiates head and her second in command poured in a small drink.

        Before long, she was screaming as she held her throat, eyes gouging with bloodshot veins. She burst through the door and ran immediately for the nearest water source... which was a water trough... that was being drunk by several horses. Without thinking, she instinctively jumped in. Her display caught the attention of several passersby and shopkeeps, surprised and confused as to why a Order officiate would act like that.

        "That guy wasn't kidding about a bad reaction." Trixie commented as she and Virgil jogged outside and turned their heads for a moment to find her, locating her floating facedown in the trough. "I told you we should've tried this first." Trixie commented as they walked over.

        The officiate rolled onto her back and squirted water out her mouth. "... this just isn't my day............. Can it get any worse...?" One of the horses went back to drinking from the trough, licking the access off her head. She groaned a whine, frowning as she looked to the sky. Eventually, the captain came into view and looked down at her. "You again...?"

        "You're not having a good day, are you?"

        "What gave that away...?"
 
        

        Smoke and ash rose to the night sky as the mission Nicole belonged to burned to the ground. Nothing remotely familiar about it remained amid the flaming remains, and come morning, nothing will remain at all. The fire would soon then spread to the trees, turning this forested isle into a desolate wasteland. 

        Flint looked down at the glyph at the end of the pier, glaring at it in anger. He was close... he was so close to achieving his goal, he could taste it. Now it was back to square one, with the gem who knows where. Take me to someone who can save me- with that wording, she could be anywhere on Cora. This should've been his night of victory... but now, he's just furious.

        Back on the island, his flunkeys were busy, hauling away whatever they could salvage from the burning mission, while a couple of turncoats tossed the bodies of their former friends, burnt and otherwise, into the water for the monsters to have. 

        Flint's second, a former doctor of medicine, approached him from behind with his lackey. "We ran a tally on the bodies, Lord Flint. Other then that priestess girl who escaped,  there are no survivors. And according to my calculations, by the time we leave, the fire will have spread to the shrubbery and soon engulf the isle, so any evidence that we were here will soon go up in smoke and ash."

        "And as for any possibility to her possible destination?"

        "... sadly, no. The phrase she said is not part of the normal spellchant, so her location could be... anyplace. The only clue we have to go on is that the orb shot to the east, but who's to say it won't circumnavigate Cora the long way? And even then--"

        Flint took over, interrupting his second. "---Even then, it'll likely by daytime or early dusk, meaning she could find a ship to charter. Finding her and that gem will be next to impossible at this rate..."

        "Can't we just chant the same spell she did?" The lackey asked.

        "It doesn't work that way, idiot." Flint scoffed. He dug his foot into the glyph, smearing it. If they can't use it, then the Order can't use it to investigate the island. "Even if we repeat the words verbatim, there's no certainty it'll take us to the same location." He dragged his heel, smearing it even further as he turned. "We've only one option ahead of us: we'll use the Glyphs to our advantage."

        "But i thought only Order members could use them." The lackey commented.

        That was true... but his powers could activate the glyph and allow him to use it no problem. For everyone else, however... he walked back, towards the desecrated corpse of the guard captain. He turned him over with his foot and, with a snap of his fingers, burst open the chestplate. He reached into the armor and pulled out a pendent, stained with blood. "Search the corpses. We can use their pendents to activate the glyphs."HE tossed the pendent to the lackey. "Every Order body should have one, so there should by plenty to go around; a lot of you may need to go swimming to get them. And send word out to every Sigil follower: tell them to keep a eye open for a scared priestess who seems out of her element."

        "I'm fairly certain there are many who fall under that category, Lord Flint, so i'll try to make things more specific, such as the name Nicole." He left their leader to ruminate as his lackey delayed in his departure. "Hurry up, Zyle." The second called out. The lackey soon followed after him, leaving their boss to himself.

        He approached the end of the pier and stared out towards the sea. Somewhere, out there, his prey was hiding in fear. He secretly reveled in it; this will make her stupid. "Nicole Shakuly... there's nowhere you can hide from me... i will have what is mine... and i will make you suffer for keeping it from me."



        Speaking of Nicole, she was stuffing her face with food the gracious captain had ordered for her when they went back inside the tavern. At that point, a table had opened up in the corner, so why not take it? Trixie and Virgil looked at her like she was some eating champion, the way she was raking food into her mouth; if you had a terrible night like she did, you'd stress eat too.

        "She's by far the most bizarre Order member i have ever met." Virgil commented as he took a drink of Res Vodka. 

        Nicole realized she was being rude, and being uncouth. She stopped shoveling the food and sat up proper. "Sorry for that." She coughed. 

        "Sorry for what?"

        "Being so uncouth- that is not like me." She wiped her hands on the napkin provided and straightened out the skirt on her disguise. "Right... first off, how did you know i was a Order member? I'm in a disguise."

        "The circlet." Trixie pointed to the top of Nicole's head, prompting the priestess to feel up. She forgot she had that on; all female members of the Order wear them- men get necklaces. "At least that's how i knew you were one. I don't know about this guy, but he's always had a keen eye."

        Nicole popped her lips as she lowered her hand back down. "... right. Very lousy disguise if i'm wearing a very recognizable piece."

        "Our turn with the question." Virgil interjected. "It's clear as day that something happened to you- you are jittery and anxious, almost like someone is chasing you. You drank centuries old whiskey right out of the bottle; downed the whole thing, and Order members are limited to water, juice, milk, and a certain wine. And according to the barkeep and few people i asked, you were begging for someone to listen to your story and to help you. Order members have their own or use their teleportation glyphs, so why would you need help from a pirate?"

        Nicole was understandably anxious about her reply; how could she trust them? After what happened with Flint, there is no reason to trust complete strangers. They could be members of his cult, ordered to keep an eye open for her. But... they were the first ones to actually talk to her in this lousy tavern, and she can't sense any ill will coming from them. These two maaaaaaaaaay be trustworthy, but the people they sail with could be another story, and even then, these two could have had training to hide their true intent. Caution was ultimately thrown to the wind- after what she survived, these two could be the Emperor and Empress for all she cares; she's just too beaten to care.

        "I... well.... something... terrible happened." She rolled her hands into fists. "It is something that will haunt me to the end of my days... i'll keep it short; i made a mistake and everyone i know is dead. Now i got a psychopath and his army after me..." She rolled her head back over the chair and robbed her hands up and down her face, stress eating away at her. "Gods... hard to believe that was only a few minutes ago... feels like an eternity."

        "Is that it?" Virgil asked. Nicole stayed silent as she looked at the floor.

        "Some details would be appreciated here." Trixie spoke. 

        Normally, someone would be more then willing to accept someones aide in a crisis. Those that don't usually do it out of some self-imposed honor or are just too stubborn. Nicole is none of those things, but instead has something worse: a triple dose of fear, anxiety, and stress; couple that with her already-established social awkwardness and newfound lack of trust, and it's a nasty cocktail of bad decision juice.

        "... Sorry, but i can't have you be involved..." She picked up her backpack and rifled through it. "You seem nice, lady pirate gal, but i made one mistake today, and i don't want to make another one." She pulled out her coin purse and pulled out what she owned for the meal. She slid her backpack on and grabbed her staff before heading towards the door.

        "That was a bit rude." Trixie said as she sipped her drink through a straw. 

        "She's afraid. How would you act if you were afraid?"

        Trixie pursed her lips against her straw for a moment before setting it back down. "................ does escaping from hell count as acting while afraid...?" She removed the straw and chugged down the last bit of her drink before setting it back down. "Brawh... let's get going... i wanna hit the shops before nightfall..."




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=didMd-DYWKg   Tomodachi Gokko Ja I Rare Nai - My Hero Academia Soundtrack


        Rubbing her face as she stepped out the door, Nicole groaned loudly as she rubbed her eyes. Too much happened so fast, it's taking ages for her mind to truly process it all. As she went out onto the streets, she had one thought on her mind: this was all her fault. All these deaths, all that destruction... it was all her fault. "Dammit..." She whispered to herself.

        She didn't watch where she was going as she walked down the muddy streets, so she didn't notice that she was about to run into someone until she actually ran into that someone. Her body collided against his, knocking her out of that trance. "Oh. Sorry." She backed up to look at who she ran into it and felt that they looked familiar. There were cuts on their clothes and skin. Her nerves began to flare up as she took a step back; something felt really wrong here. "Um, you look... rugged?"

        "Pay up."

        "Huh? P-pay up?" She was confused- what was she supposed to pay? She never met this fella or his crew before. What do they want from er? "Um...w-why do i need to pay up... kind sir?"

        "Why do you? You ruined our clothes, that's what!" He slowly approached her. 

        "I... i did what?" SHe wimpered in fear. This was slowly drawing a crowd, who kept to the sides to avoid getting dragged in.

        "You ruined our expensive clothes and hurt us when you threw that damn bottle!"

        "What are you ta--" Her mind then flashed back to a few minutes ago, when she chugged down that entire bottle of spirits. She blacked out after she had done so, so did she throw it in her drunk state? "L-look, i'm sorry, but i don't have any money to give you..."

        He grabbed her by the collar of her cloak. "Like hell you do, you little weasel! All that money from collection plates and fundraisers and you ave no money stashed on you?!" He lifted her off the ground, choking her. "I call bull! So i'll just take your things!"

        Nicole's legs flailed about as she tried to escape from his clutches. "N-... no!" She kicked him in the face, forcing him to drop her. She landed on her back in a muddy puddle. She grabbed her staff and pointed it at him, but fear kept her from speaking. All she did was make him mad, and he didn't take too kindly to that kick. "S... stay away! I... i know magic..."

        The brute grabbed the staff by the head and yanked it out of her hands. Her eyes went wide with fear as she tried to crawl away, but there was no point. "I doubt that, you little harpie." He stood over her and pinned her down by her throat, scaring her even further. "Now i'm sure you'll find some other way to pay..." 

        She closed her eyes, begging for this to end- begging to be back on the island with her friends, and taht the terror before was just a dream. This couldn't be happening... this couldn't be happening... "(Someone... please... help me....)"

        "What's going on here?" A familiar voice called out. Nicole opened one eye and saw the captain she talked to before standing at the sidelines with her second in command. "Hey, why don't you leave that girl alone? Isn't this overkill over a few cuts that can easily be sewn up?"

        "Zip it, you wannabe excuse of a pirate! This does not concern you, so why don't you go crying back to whatever hovel you crawled out of before you get involved to! It concerns me and the pretty whelp here..." He brought the fancy end of the staff down to her face. She whimpered as he ran it across her cheek, cutting it like the broken glass did to him. "Who won't look so pretty by the time i'm through with her... i bet you squeal good... after this, we'll have a good time on my ship... won't we, Order pig?" He pulled his arm back to strike her with her staff...

        ... when he suddenly felt something grab it. He and Nicole looked back; Trixie had grabbed it and looked at him with a deep hatred in her eyes. "... Oh... i'm getting involved now, you slimeball..." She tore the staff from his hand, breaking his fingers. That was the least of his concerns as she spun it around and hit him with the fancy end, breaking a few teeth and knocking him flat on his ass.

        "Why you insolent... how dare you strike the captain!!" The brute's second in command spouted. She pulled out a dagger and charged at Trixie. She sensed her attack and spun the staff around. She dodged the attack and slammed the dull end into her back, sending the second right into a mud pile.

        The rest of the opposing crew attacked. Virgil grabbed two of them by the collar and pulled them back towards him. He then grabbed their heads and smacked them together, knocking them out.

        The captain lifted himself back up and wiped the blood from his mouth. Much to his shock, he also wiped out some teeth. "Ou.... Ou nocke ou my teeh..." He tried to speak, but most of his words were a pained gibberish that was vaguely understandable. He got onto his feet and pulled out his cutlass. "Ou bith..." He charged at her as her back was to him...

        ...not that it mattered; the moment he opened his mouth, she knew he was going to attack. With the fluidity and grace of a ballerina, she spun around, pulled out her scimitar and pointed it straight at his head. He stopped in his tracks, afraid to move an inch further to avoid being skewered. "Drop the sword." She kindly asked. And he replied, dropping it into the mud. "Good boy. Now nighty night." She flipped the blade around and hit him in the forehead with the hilt hard enough to knock him out.



end song.


    
        Nicole sat there in the grime, shocked that anyone would come to rescue her. In the last hour, she was almost killed on multiple occasions, chased, threatened, and now almost.... she doesn't even want to think about what this lout of a captain would've done. The fact a pirate would help a complete and utter stranger was nothing short of miraculous to her. "You... you beat him up..." She spoke in a shocked voice.

        "Pig had it coming." Trixie put her sword back into the sheath hanging off her hips. She turned to head to the Order girl to give back her staff, but saw that she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. "Hey, you ok?"

        Her head and upper body wobbled from side to side as she struggled to stay awake. "Y... yeah... i just... feel... sleepy..." She fell over, out like a light. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the pirate captain who saved her approaching her. She was in no position to do anything... all she could do is trust her to not do anything...



        ...and her trust was well placed, for when Nicole opened up her eyes, she felt both clear, and yet dazed and groggy. Why was that? Her head felt like it was pounding away on a anvil- this must be what a hangover feels like. She went up to rub it, and felt a moist towelette pressed up against it. That was something she was not expecting.

        With a grumble, she sat up. The towelette fell off her head and landed on her lap. She saw that she was a in a room that looked sparce on the furniture-only a bed, a desk, and a dresser, as far as she can see. "Where am i?"

        "A hotel room." A familar voice said. Nicole looked to her left and saw the captain who saved her sitting in a chair, eating a banana. To HER left was Virgil, leaning up against the wall, and new among them was a hulking brute of a man, who was gnawing on a chicken bone. Where did he come from? Next to them was the cloak she had been using, plus her staff and backpack. They didn't steal them? What kind of pirates were they? "You're welcome, by the way."

        "Wait, you paid for this?" That is something that does not make logical sense. All the stories she heard were that pirates were bloodthirsty, violent criminals, and the captain that almost... took her was clear proof of that. "Why? You're a pirate."

        "And that automatically means i'm supposed to be a drooling jerk?" Trixie puffed out her cheeks like a chipmunk and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed as the banana stuck out of her mouth. "I'm too nice a person... ya jerk..."

        "She's right." Virgil spoke up. "You'd be surprised how much money she declined to do jobs out of good will."

        Trixie pulled the banana out and creaked her head over to glare at him, making him uncomfortable. That was never a good thing for her neck to do. "Hey, it's better to have favors you can call it." Her attention then fell back on the new girl. "As for you, Order girl, what has you so spooked?"

        "You don't have to call me "Order Girl" all the time. My name is Nicole, and... what do you mean by spooked?"

        "I mean, when we saw you in the bar, you look scared, frightened, nervous. It was pretty obvious when you chugged down an ENTIRE BOTTLE of spirits that something had you on edge, and i thought Order members had a strict diet plan."

        "We do, but..." Nicole quieted down as she looked away. "...things happened to warrant that behavior."

        "Such as?"

        Was it really okay to bring more strangers into this? The last time she did, it ended up costing her everything she knew. It was still fresh in her mind, those haunting images... yet she had no choice. She had no money to pay for a ferry, so hopefully this supposedly good-matured pirate was going to have to be enough. "...... i... guess i can tell you. You haven't done anything to make me distrust you, but... Can... i even trust them? Can i even trust you?"

        "You don't really have much of a choice, do you? We're the only ones who haven't done anything bad to you in the last couple of hours. And you can trust these two: Virgil has been by my side for... since as long as i can remember and turned down much better offers to stay with me, so his loyalty is without question. And Brutus here doesn't talk; his former master cut out his tongue, forcing him to be mute. He's a real softie, though- and i don't think he'd betray anyone. Slaves tend to be close-knit to survive right?"

        "Right..." Nicole stayed silent for a long moment. Even if they turn out to be evil, it's not like they know the dangerous artifact in her possession. And even so, it's doubtful they know what it is, other then being a huge jewel that could fetch a lot. "Ok... well... what happened was...

        "I come--.... came from the Ordail Mission on the island of the same name. I doubt you heard of it; we're out in the boondocks. A week ago, i was out for a stroll on the beach when i came upon a unconscious man, wounded from something as he had a scar over his eye. I brought him back to the Mission and convinced the Mother Superior to let us help him, to which she agreed. At the time... he seemed like a nice guy. Rude at times, but he never did anything bad. He was so inquisitive.... but now i know why; it was to get further in, under our noses so he could spring his attack.

        "Last night.... or i guess to be more exact, a few hours ago, a trio of ships appeared off our shores. It turned out that the waterlogged man we nursed back to health was none other then Flint Farshafee, the leader of the Sigil of the Fell."

        Trixie and Brutus tilted their heads in bewilderment upon hearing the name. Virgil, however, got apprehensive and testy. "The Sigil of the Fell?" Trixie asked.

        "A cult." Virgil bluntly said. "A violent one at that, and one we do NOT want to cross. They believe that the Fell Dragon Fury was in fact our salvation through desolation; that it could lead us to a new age of prosperity by eliminating the current system of Empires and Pirates, and that Faylae is a false idol. 

        Nicole nodded in confirmation; what he said was the current information anyone had on the organization. Anyone that tried to infiltrate were always found... and... well, they weren't sent back in one piece. "He's right about all that... especially the violent part... they set fire to the Mission... Flint and his horde of cultists murdered everyone in gruesome fashion, even the children. I narrowly avoided capture and met with Mother Superior and Falconi, the captain of the guard; i called him Falco for short, in the chapel. I was then tasked by Mother Superior to keep the artifact of the island safe."

        "Artifact?"

        She pointed to her backpack against the wall. Trixie motioned Brutus to grab it, which he did, and brought it over. He handed it to her and she reached in to pull out the covered item. "All Missions are built to house and safeguard ancient artifacts from the days of Faylae and Fury. There are even some from long before then, too." She kept it wrapped up; this was the closest they were going to go to seeing it. But she won't be stingy on the details. Words are different then visuals.

        "It's known as the Millennium Star. According to legends, this appeared during the final battle between Faylae and Fury, but its purpose remains a mystery even to this day. Is it a weapon Fury left behind that could go off at any point? Is it a crystallization of one of Faylae's spells? Or is it just some hunk of rock and we're making a mountain out of a molehill? Nobody knows, and nobody wants to know...  but that doesn't change the fact that Flint wants it and is going through extreme lengths to get it..."

        "Can we see it?" Trixie asked.

        Nicole stayed silent for a moment as she clutched the item tight. "... sorry, but after the day i've had, i'm not taking chances. So... just use your imagination." She put it away. "After i was tasked with the gem, Falconi and I ran for it...then he sacrificed his life protecting me. I'm the only one from Ordail still alive... and i messed up on the incantation for the teleportation spell, too... Falco told me to go to a bar and find a friend of his, but he was attacked before he could tell me who. And like i said, i messed up the incantation and ended up here, so t's not like it's going to help things."

        "Where were you supposed to go?" Virgil asked.

        "Longire, at a place called the Dancing Mermaid."

        "Oooof." went Trixie. Longire... not a great place to be, especially these days... not to mention that from here, it's months away. She really screwed the pooch. "Longire...That's a long ways away. And last i heard, a bit of a shitshow."

        "But it's the only thing i have; it's my only lead, my own chance."

        "Why not another Order Mission?"

        "There were a lot of dead bodies back on Ordain, and i mean a lot. The Sigil could find uses."

        "Right... a lot of people lived there, right?" Nicole nodded as she looked to the bed sheets. "And that means a lot of disguises. Yeah, i can see how going to a new Mission could be a problem. You wouldn't know who to trust."

        "I know i can trust the Grand Superior- her robes are unique only to the position of leadership, but Order headquarters is on the other side of the world. It would be easier for me to get to Longire."

        Virgil spotted a problem in Nicole's story. She said she was told by a friend of hers to go to Longire to meet someone... without saying who or what they were. "That Falconi guy... when he told you to go to Longire, did he said what his friends name was? Or what he looked like?"

        She stayed silent for a moment. Thinking back, he never had a chance to tell her. ".... well.... no, but... but i need to at least try."

        "Off the word of a guard, who said to go to a dangerous location. A guard who was likely bribed by that piece of ass Flint so that he could send you to a place with a lot of Sigil members."

        Nicole slammed her hands on the bed and snarled at him. "FALCO WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!!" She shouted, catching the trio off guard. Order members are supposed to be calm, yet she just exploded. It was understandable as to why, but the ones they met were emotionless, not emotional. She recognized her outburst and sat back down. "... sorry about that. I... i'm still in disbelief."

        "I know." Trixie stood out of her seat and rubbed her neck as she cracked it. "Well... if it helps, we're going in the direction of Longire once we shove off."

        Nicole perked an eyebrow up as she looked to the captain. "Say what?"

        "Beg pardon?" Virgil asked.

        "Right, Virg? We were gonna check out Lilimeme when we finished things up here?"

        That wasn't in their itinerary once they ended things here. They were supposed to head to Falshi, not Lilimeme. This was Trixie's inner angel acting up again; she never can turn away someone in need. And once she gets like this, there's no stopping her. "... right."

        "Yeah. We'll be heading that way once we finish fixing up the ship and letting the crew have their fun; in just a couple of days. I'm not gonna force you to charter us, but we would be cheaper then a actual ferry." She headed for the door- Virgil and Brutus followed suit. Nicole blinked away for a moment before looking back to the surprisingly noble captain. "Speaking of which, why don't we go check on the Grande Belle? I wanna make sure those repair louts haven't wrecked things." She spoke the name louder then usual to insure that the officiate would hear it.

        "Of course, captain." 

        They exited the room, leaving Nicole alone with her thoughts- she had a lot to think about; a lot of events to process, a lot of words to work through, and a clear attempt for aide. Tears formed in her eyes as her mind returned once again to the attack. She remember how Flint looked with the fire behind him- he looked like a devil. .... no, he IS a devil. Her heart hurt as the fear and guilt set in, coupled with the pain of never seeing her friends again. "Dammit..." She whimpered as she flopped down on the bed. She curled up and pulled the covers over her- she just wanted to be away from the world, even if it's for a short while.