[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Z7XvvgK.png[/img][/center][hr][hr] [color=c0c0c0]Elsewhere, Ciro Volta had listened instead of spoken, for the most part, but he hadn't withheld his letter from the others. [color=FFE4C4]"I do think that either Lady Arslan, Signore Solaire, or myself should speak with the Marchese. I am indifferent as to whom. All will make a sound impression, I trust."[/color] He turned his eyes idly to a gull that seemed to be watching the group of interlopers, hoping for a snack. [color=FFE4C4]"Otherwise, I shall go down to the port proper. My company has one of its ships stranded here due to this incident. I should like to reassure Captain..."[/color] He struggled to recall the name for a moment. [color=FFE4C4]"Di Biase and check on the crew in between canvassing and earning some goodwill."[/color] He had some idea of what the lost treasure ship had held, if not the particulars. It would not be in Revidia's best interests for any more than a tease of that end up in Perrench hands, not at all. Then again, Revidia's best interests weren't necessarily [i]his[/i]. [hr][hr] Ciro, having turned to head out, twisted back at the last moment. [color=FFE4C4]"Ah!"[/color] he exclaimed, [color=FFE4C4]"I thought I could feel someone burning a hole in the back of my shirt with their gaze."[/color] He pivoted fully. [color=FFE4C4]"How fitting that it should be the Sun himself."[/color] His smile was easy enough, but his words gave away a degree of annoyance. Leon could have just asked outright, after all. It was not as if Ciro hadn't offered. [color=FFE4C4]"So perhaps it is this that you look for?"[/color] He strode back over and extracted the letter carefully from his satchel. [color=FFE4C4]"I should expect that you are not one of those to whom this refers. Dare I say our dear count is a touch paranoid."[/color] After briefly taking the measure of Leon, he handed it over. [color=FFE4C4]"I do wonder what yours holds as well."[/color] Ayla, standing nearby, nudged Leon in the side, as he hadn't offered to share his letter's contents with her. She looked toward him expectantly, offering to share hers. [color=fff200]"Oh, yes, my bad."[/color] Leon replied with a chuckle. He could've been addressing either of the two. [color=fff200]"I do think its best we all share our letters. How thoughtless of me."[/color] Leon didn't hesitate to hand Ciro his letter with an easy smile. The merchant was not the one he distrusted after all. [color=fff200]"Of course."[/color] Duly, the exchange was concluded, Roslyn joining in as well. If Ciro had hoped for anything particularly interesting, he would have been disappointed. There was precious little to actually glean much from any of these letters except for the notion that the count was definitely writing them specifically to appeal to each member of the team. He furrowed his brow, thanked his peers, and handed the missives back before continuing along his original course. [hr][hr] The docks were a place that Ciro was familiar with. Perhaps the languages and complexions of most of the sailors might change from place to place. You might find more of one sort of ship than another. Provisions might look a little different, but there was an undeniable feel and energy to places like this, and they were - in all honesty - where he felt most at home, least on guard. He had not made it more than a hundred yards before he spotted Penny. She did not seem to have noticed him and it was just as well, for that could serve to make matters complicated, and quickly. He slowed up, meandering a bit, straightening a precarious stack of barrels with the Gift, adding some oomph to a hoist that was loading a large Xebec. Penny scurried on ahead in her odd, one-legged manner, dressed like a trollop, and he breathed out deeply. That was when he noted Roslyn trailing behind him like a duckling. Right! She'd mentioned accompanying him before rushing off to freshen up. He nearly scowled but... she was... sort of cute running along with her skirts hitched up, he had to admit. [color=FFE4C4]"Hey!"[/color] he shouted, twisting jauntily on the spot. [color=FFE4C4]"Fancy seeing you here, lady Rosy!"[/color] He bowed playfully. [color=FFE4C4]"Come to keep tabs on me, have you?"[/color] There was a grin as he straightened. [color=FFE4C4]"I admit I may have been trying to ditch my chaperone."[/color] Roslyn would've caught up to Ciro sooner, but she had become distracted along the way. There was so much that needed doing and so few people to do it. Naturally, she tried to help best she could. Among the work, she caught bits about the beast lurking in the waters. In the Perrench's eyes, the creature was white as marble and about thirty four alds and wide as a galleon ship. A mouth large enough to swallow a battalion. The Revidians' description matched up almost the same, but in a far more painful tone. She shivered at the image forming in her head. When she spotted Ciro, she moved quickly to join him. Catching his tone, it reminded her of her brother's teasing whenever she shadowed him. Returning the smirk, she replied. [color=#cbc66d]"Now you sound like my brother. I'm not that horrible to be around."[/color] Ciro winked. [color=FFE4C4]"[i]Anzi,[/i] you are one of the ones I don't just pretend to like."[/color] His expression straddled the divide between smile and grimace perfectly. He sighed, taking in the port with his eyes and then a gesture. [color=FFE4C4]"This place, you know, it's both a beauty and a tragedy: the sights and the sounds and the smells..."[/color] He trailed off and made the universal gesture for 'perfection' with his fingers. He paired it with a smile, but that quickly fell away. [color=FFE4C4]"So many people working together,"[/color] he decided, nodding. [color=FFE4C4]"But so many dead and so many more about to join them."[/color] [hr][hr] He shook his head momentarily and drew in a breath before expelling it. [color=FFE4C4]"Even those pirates, suddenly redeemed in living or death, unless they run, of course."[/color] He gestured at the distant Nar Sant Iermu, berthed a good deal away from the other ships, out of an abundance of caution. He wrinkled his nose only slightly. [color=FFE4C4]"What do you think about working with them?"[/color] Roslyn tilted her head slightly before taking in where he'd gestured. She understood what he meant as he laid down the cold, hard truth. A bitterness settled in her core over knowing it took a tragedy to force cooperation despite politics. Yet, she recalled it still lingered underneath it all. When the question about pirates was aired, Roslyn bit her lip. She recalled the incident with Revan of Skull and Crossbones that had revealed her ship's 'infamous' past. [color=#cbc66d]"After the incident with a member from Skull and Crossbones, I'm rather wary of pirates. I'm not sure what to think of them. Even considering what I'm supposed to do has me nervous."[/color] She paused for a moment before looking closely at him. [color=#cbc66d]"I do have a question for you. Did you know the Nuvole Rosse's history before you sold her to me?"[/color] [color=FFE4C4]"Oh, there are many reasons one might become a pirata,"[/color] Ciro allowed, his body language loose and easy. [color=FFE4C4]"Impressed into the navy, lack of opportunity, some misplaced notion of a noble struggle against authority..."[/color] His face and bearing turned to stone. [color=FFE4C4]"But at the end of the day, nobody held a gun to their heads and forced them to do violence to their fellow man. Pirates are scum."[/color] His face hardened. [color=FFE4C4]"It is one thing to mount a caper. It is one thing to break the law."[/color] He waved a hand. [color=FFE4C4]"I am less worried about that than one might think."[/color] He shook his head. [color=FFE4C4]"But the moment that you threaten death and violence against another person is the moment that you, yourself, leave the twin protections of mercy and decency."[/color] He paused for a moment, and shot her a look that graduated from warning to chagrined, to apologetic. [color=FFE4C4]"Sorry,"[/color] he added. [color=FFE4C4]"I've lost friends to them: [i]family[/i] Didn't mean to get personal."[/color] They walked in silence for an extended moment, and there were sights and sounds as Ciro had said earlier: most of the people at work who weren't locals were Revidian or Joruban, but there were Belzaggics too. In particular, a red-robed priest - perhaps a Rezaindian - seemed to be marshalling them. [color=FFE4C4]"The people here are playing us off against each other, you know - Pact and Alliance - hoping for a better deal."[/color] He sniffed and smiled tightly. [color=FFE4C4]"Clever bastards: they'll deny it, of course."[/color] Roslyn listened intently. She wasn't nearly as experienced with the shipyard as Ciro, but she was familiar with manual labor. Her eyes spotted one of the workers lean too far right. Her hand flicked out with the Gift and she gently righted his balanced back to the middle. She doubted anyone wanted to take a swim today. Inwardly, she reflected on Ciro's words and empathizing with the loss of loved ones. [color=#cbc66d]"No need to apologize. Losing family or friends is hard especially when it feels unfair. I can only imagine it to be worse because of pirates.."[/color] She recalled her grief over the loss of her mother and the emotions that followed. Even to this day, she hated her birthday whenever it came around. [hr][hr] He could only distract himself for so long from Roslyn's second question, however. He nodded, and paired it with a shrug. [color=FFE4C4]"I knew enough: The Fantasma is a famous ship - or, rather, a [i]rumour[/i] of a ship to most. She's a brig, purpose-built for smuggling, by my own great-uncle."[/color] He offered a sour look as a couple of seagulls fought at the foot of a nearby bollard. [color=FFE4C4]"Cost a fortune, made a fortune, changed hands a half-dozen times."[/color] He paused to tighten some ropes that moored a small ketch to the dock. They'd been poorly secured. Squinting into the sun, he regarded the Hendlishwoman. [color=FFE4C4]"She ran plenty of dirty cargoes and, at one point, was a pirate herself."[/color] He shrugged. [color=FFE4C4]"At another, ran them for the Doge."[/color] He straightened, turning in profile so as not to have the sun in his eyes. Nearby, the one gull had overcome its rival. [color=FFE4C4]"You're a decent person."[/color] He stated it matter-of-factly. [color=FFE4C4]"and I sensed that your finances were... less than ideal. A ship is a boon. A ship is an opportunity. A ship is..."[/color] He trailed off for a moment. [color=FFE4C4]"Freedom, of sorts."[/color] He smiled at her. [color=FFE4C4]"And I wanted her out of the hands of pirates, once and for all, not used for killing, not used for war: used [i]right[/i]. She's a beautiful one and she deserves it."[/color] She let the silence settle. There was no rush for answers yet despite her growing curiosity. Again she listened before giving a thoughtful response in return. [color=#cbc66d]"I try to be, but I do question it some times. The larger the world, the harder it seems to be to know what's right or wrong."[/color] Roslyn inhaled the sea air as they continued on. [color=#cbc66d]"I will admit, when I first saw her... It wasn't hard to see the care and love put into her. I am going to try and restore her best I can. What happens after that, I don't know yet."[/color] She grew quiet for a moment before deciding to share a bit of unfortunate news. [color=#cbc66d] "I wish you weren't right about the finance issues, but..."[/color] She sighed in defeat, [color=#cbc66d]"it's not easy to hide. Sadly, I'm afraid my actions at the trials might've made it worse. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be to stay at the academy when my family finds out."[/color] Ciro nodded slowly. [color=FFE4C4]"Few things are black and white, but we act as we must and, as long as we take the gods as our example..."[/color] He trailed off and shrugged, sauntering in the direction of a large warehouse not so very far from his company's own [i]Coure Volante[/i]. Something of note was taking place there. There were men bickering over some sort of elixir or medicine. Well, not quite 'bickering', but it was close. His interest was, admittedly, piqued. [color=FFE4C4]"Roslyn."[/color] He turned to her suddenly. [color=FFE4C4]"I would like to have your ship at my disposal, but not under my company's flag, given her... history and the questions that might raise."[/color] He pursed his lips for a moment. [color=FFE4C4]"It will take some time for you to clear her name, but I have faith that you will."[/color] He stood on his tiptoes to see over the sea of heads. With a start, he recognized a woman wearing a large hat as Penny Pellerin. He twisted back to face his current conversational partner, however. [color=FFE4C4]"I believe that we can help ourselves."[/color] He tapped his chin with his index finger pensively. [color=FFE4C4]"I hire your ship on a contract basis, for time-sensitive runs. I forward you some of the cost and you pay it back - no interest as a percentage from your profit. I'll not take much."[/color] He shook his head. [color=FFE4C4]"You have a steady source of income and I have a resource at my disposal."[/color] After one last, seemingly futile, glance at the crowd, he offered Roslyn a smile and a hand. Roslyn also noticed the commotion near the warehouse, but she was notably shorter than Ciro. Any chance to spot it over the gathering bodies would require a bit of a magic aid. However, hearing her name, she found herself pulled back to the conversation. It took her a moment to weight the offer. Part of her wondered if this deal might turn slightly sour like Trypano's. A moment passed before her body relaxed. He hadn't given her a reason to distrust him and there didn't seem to be any hidden strings. [color=#cbc66d]"It sounds better than any option I have come up with so far."[/color] She smiled and shook his hand, sealing the deal. [color=#cbc66d]"It's a deal. That just leaves me to figure out how to deal with the pirates now."[/color] Ciro paused, seeming to consider deeply. [color=FFE4C4]"Gunpowder."[/color] He nodded. [color=FFE4C4]"Or something else of the like."[/color] He smiled in half-mirth. [color=FFE4C4]"We shall finalize things at some other juncture, perhaps. For now, we've - "[/color] It was at about that moment that Penny emerged from the crowd, dressed like either a tramp or a pirate, and chatting with a middle-aged man who'd been involved in the earlier debate. He was carrying a large jar of some dark liquid: the elixir to which the others had referred. [color=FFE4C4]"Both got our own angles to take care of?"[/color] He concluded, voice rising questioningly as he adjusted on the fly. He motioned towards the crowd with his chin while pointing at himself. Then his eyes flicked towards the quickly retreating Penny and Roslyn in turn. Roslyn caught Ciro's attention sway. She glanced in the same direction from her peripheral vision. Her jawline tightened with visible concern and she seemed taken aback. [i][color=#cbc66d]Penny!?!? What are you doing here?[/color][/i] Roslyn blinked, hoping she'd hallucinated it. No, it was definitely her friend dressed in less than modest fashion. [color=#cbc66d]"I will keep that in mind while practicing my shooting."[/color] She was already starting to move. [color=#cbc66d]"I'll catch up with you later and... thanks."[/color] [hr][hr] Ciro was not averse to work and, most especially, the appearance of having done that work as well. He was conspicuous everywhere on the docks, handling the ropes himself with his bare calloused hands, moving crates with the Gift, careening ships, organizing shifts, donating to those who had lost loved ones or limbs to the beast, and encouraging people to pull together. He was everywhere. He was a marvel. He was every bit the equal of Brother Hodari. [color=FFE4C4][i]Just as it should be.[/i][/color] When he took a break from his tireless effort to eat, he had pasta catered for another nineteen workers, 'randomly' selected. There was nothing random, of course. This was Ciro Volta. He [i]never[/i] acted without forethought and intention. They were the most likely to play well with the locals, to have some influence, to matter to the Marquis. By the time that the sun hung low in the sky and its light sparkled across the city, golden, they practically threw the potions, tonics, and serums they'd been clamouring over at him. [color=FFE4C4][i]Just as it should be.[/i][/color] [hr][hr] The water's surface rippled pink and orange as Ciro Volta disappeared into the hold of the [i]Coure Volante[/i]. People were winding down the day's work and heading for the city's plazas and squares. Palms rustled in the brisk sea breeze. He was well out of the sensing range of anyone who mattered and it was just as well. [color=FFE4C4]"Captain Garibaldi."[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"Padrone."[/color] [color=FFE4C4]"Our men: have they returned?"[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"Most of them, sir."[/color] His bearing was almost military. Ciro's toothy lopsided grin was not. [color=FFE4C4]"And have they learned anything?"[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"I should say so, milord."[/color] He paused, brow furrowed. [color=9e0b0f]"Though perhaps more 'alarming' than interesting."[/color] They spoke for a handful of minutes on those developments before moving on. [color=FFE4C4]"And the Somia girl?"[/color] He'd spotted her, looking even less human than usual, by the docks a couple of times. [color=FFE4C4]"She hasn't stopped by, has she?"[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"No, Padrone."[/color] [color=FFE4C4]"If she does, kill her and arrange for it to look like the Pact."[/color] [color=9e0b0f]"Sir."[/color] He nodded. [color=FFE4C4]"Same for the Arslan."[/color] Ciro thought for a moment, but none of the others were important enough to warrant such consideration. [color=FFE4C4]"Now, moving on. How bad is the situation with the beast?"[/color] He leaned against a stack of barrels, arms crossed. [color=9e0b0f]"We are trapped here truly."[/color] The captain did not look happy about it. Ciro pushed off from the barrel and his eyes narrowed as his hands fell to his sides. [color=FFE4C4]"Then I shall need my chest. You have it, correct?"[/color] Garibaldi bowed his head and gestured. [color=9e0b0f]"This way, Padrone."[/color] Ciro followed. [hr][hr][center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uWrhWtRggM]♫[/url][/center] The sun had set and, already, the sound of drums echoed across the fjord's walls in the distance. They could not be heard over the howling of the wind or pounding of the surf out here on the unprotected coast. The water surged. The moons shone. The shore was utterly deserted... Save for a singular figure in a hooded black cloak. It stood there, its voice rising above the sounds of nature in fervent incantation. From the sea rose first two, and then a third, a fourth, a fifth! Soon, there were nearly two dozen, in various states of decay. Some might have looked human at a glance, but they were no such thing any longer. A small army of corpses and body parts gathered above the ocean and began to swirl. The figure continued to focus and chant and the surge of energy would have been magnificent... if only were there anybody within range to witness it. A black miasma took shape where the body parts collided. Still they swirled. Still they churned! From within the maelstrom's depths came a light, then: a single deathly pale blue light. It pulsed at the heart of the abomination. Then, a second winked into existence, followed by a third. Lashing tentacles, a dozen eyes, slashing hooked claws. [color=000000]"I call thee forth, Ataxhaman!"[/color] bellowed the robed figure, [color=000000]"from thy abode in darkness! I summon thee, bale baron of the sea, under mine command in utmost fealty!"[/color] And then it was done and his great servant towered before him, awaiting its orders and utterly loyal. [color=FFE4C4][i]Just as it should be.[/i][/color] [hr][hr] Ciro Volta arrived at the square well-dressed, slightly late, and slightly out of breath. He had a peculiar-looking club - or was it a horn - in one hand, and apologies on his lips. He had spent some time trying to acquire a quality example of one of these and gotten terribly lost![/color]