OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part Nine

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu has gathered plenty of henna and even woad, a blue dye, for some experiments with designs on Skellig's skin.

"The blue would look lovely on you, I think," she remarks. "Your fairer skin would show it off quite well. Though I am far more experienced in applying henna."

She's gathered bits and pieces of designs to look at for inspiration. Celtic style knots, viking style abstract patterns and stylized beasts, the mandala and floral type designs he's admired on her, and more.

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[brave_kreyu]

"Maybe," Xenophon shrugs. "I know what's in most of the rest in this section, supplies and tools for repairing the ship. Should be easy enough to sell in the village if they can't use them outright. Rope, planks, tar, and sailcloth have plenty of uses."

"Never got the chance to poke around at those crates and amphora near the cages though."

THESE crates seem to be a better bet, trade goods! Linen cloth, bars of bronze, fine leather, painted pottery urns, a few carved statuettes. The greatest mysteries are some small, tightly sealed copper boxes. When shaken, there is a sound of many small things inside of them.

[27_53]

"I am not sure what those are," Skellig reaches for one of the small copper boxes, shakes it gently and cocks his head curiously - it is an interesting rattle. He sniffs the air and then sniffs the box itself - while the seal is tight, it is not perfect (not for his nose) and even though smell is not his strongest sense, he is hit with the aromatic smell of herbal resins.

"I believe this to be for use as incense," he says. "If I remember from when we were in Amikaya last, the scent is familiar."

Some other ones are different - spices, those he is familiar with, Kreyu has cooked with some of them and they bring back memories of dishes she has prepared. But the frankincense - that is a lovely scent. And there is a fair amount of it, as well, several boxes. "This fetched a fine price in the markets when I saw it. Here," he hands one over to Xenophon. "Use it as you would, sell or trade."

[brave_kreyu]

Xenophon takes the box automatically. "I, you're sure?" he asks.

"I think the most valuable items must be in the Captain's quarters," Xenophon tells Skellig as he picks up the small bag that holds all his worldly possessions.

"One of the sailors tried to break into them near the start of the voyage, the Captain beat him so badly with a whip he couldn't get out of bed for days."

[27_53]

Among the things that they're 'browsing' through, Skellig finds a bigger bag than the tiny one he brought with him originally; the copper tins go into it, as well as some of the fine leather. (He has ideas for something to make with that, which he will contemplate in greater detail the next time they are back at the Lair with free time on their hands that is not being spent in bed.) He frowns slightly at the telling of the Captain whipping the other sailor, though he is not surprised.

"Even if it is not the brightest idea to try to thieve while you are stuck upon a ship at sea...that is still not right."

The door is locked; there is obviously no key to be found, but that does not matter when you have tricks up your sleeve. Skellig easily bypasses the mechanism with a few utterances, and then pushes the door open, stepping inside.

[brave_kreyu]

"No," Xenophon agrees. "I, I was afraid he was going to die," he admits. "He left when we next made port, can't say I blame him."

Xenophon is surprised at the magic. "Oh, I, I suppose I should have guessed. With the wings." He flushes.

The cabin is far more luxurious than the rest of the ship, though it is still far below their Lair in terms of quality. The wooden walls are covered in fabric decorated with colorful patterns or scenes. A figurine of some unknown sea god sits in a small altar in one corner, the offering bowl full of fresh grapes.

The biggest draw is likely the two large chests, heavy wood with bronze fittings.

[27_53]

"I imagine I am probably one of the first born-winged men you have come across," he offers with another faint shrug. "A guess would have been valid, but it could have gone either way, as far as the abilities go."

Skellig studies the charts on the desk, papers, a logbook sits open. There are some basic 'tools of the trade', though in one corner of the room sits a bucket which contains a few...implements, previously mentioned whip included. He notes it, but pays it little heed; his focus is on the chests.

"Unless we can find a key - perhaps within the desk," he suggests. "These may take a slight bit more effort..." He kneels before one, places a hand on the top of the wood, lightly drums his fingertips against the surface, listening closely.

[brave_kreyu]

"The first," Xenophon replies. "I have never met someone like you before."

Xenophon dutifully opens a drawer in the desk searching for the key. Skellig hears a mechanism activate, drive the tip of a bronze needle into one of Xenophon's fingers.

"Ow! What was that doing in there?" he complains, but he holds up the key triumphantly. The needle was more than bronze, bore a potent poison, and potential death is spreading slowly up Xenophon's arm.

[27_53]

He is listening to the way the echoes of his fingertips drumming on the surface vibrate within the lock, debating on forcing it or trying to pick it with tools, when he hears the mechanism and a faint click as the needle drives itself into Xenophon's finger.

And then he can sense the death, as if the temperature suddenly begins dropping in the room (only he can feel the change) and he whips his head around to stare sharply at the key in the younger man's hand.

"Fucking hell," he hisses angrily. Based on the confused expression on his features, Xenophon has no clue what Skellig is referencing. "Don't touch anything else," he orders firmly, eyeing the blood welling up on his skin. "And don't panic."

Kreyu will likely sense Skellig's mood shift; she definitely will sense the darkness that swirls in his emotions as he takes hold of Xenophon's hand at the wrist, to better study the spread (it is slow, not going to kill him in the next thirty seconds, but he needs to work quickly) and try to get a grip on what this is. A toxin, a poison. It would be easier if he would just take hold of it and pull it out, but that would put him at risk...amputation is also a consideration, but to take a man's dominant hand, in this time, he would be considered useless...

Kreyu he 'calls' firmly, urgently across their connection. Need you here now. Don't tear it all to hell, if you can help it.

Skellig at least has the presence of mind to move them out of the Captain's quarters, back into the main hold - that will be easier for her to reach.

[brave_kreyu]

He can feel her fear spike, her worry, then a feeling of assent. Less than a minute later, a housecat runs full tilt into the hold, turns BACK into Kreyu's giant eagle shape as she skids to a stop. Her heart is racing in her chest!

"What's wrong?"

[27_53]

"A trap laid within the Captain's quarters. I didn't sense it soon enough," Skellig grumbles under his breath, a few expletives (directed at the Captain or at himself, who's to say) and other utterances. "I think it is a slow moving toxin."

He cuts his eyes to Kreyu.

"I could pull it, but only if you think it would do you no harm to take it from me should I not be able to rid myself of it alone."

"A toxin?" Xenophon asks, concern growing in his voice as he flexes his hand. "Like...poison? My hand...my hand is starting to go numb..." Clearly the order of 'don't panic' is not helping, even though he's trying.

[brave_kreyu]

"I can pull it out of him with his blood," she suggests. She grabs a a cracked cup to 'catch' the poison and blood in.

"It hasn't spread far yet, so he shouldn't lose much blood. And if you can heal him as it leaves, that would be even better."

Xenophon is trying to stay calm, he really is. He shakily nods his assent.

[27_53]

"That I can do," Skellig says. "My reserves are fine."

(They are not full - he's actually a bit more drained than he has been in some time, with all of the Dark that has crept in around the edges over the course of this journey and the fighting - but he still has plenty to spare without harming himself.)

He places a hand on the younger man's shoulder, moving to stand beside him a bit - this is also to catch him in case he might swoon, though if he is not to lose that much blood, it is unlikely. If he has survived this long on this Captain's ship, he is likely tougher than he seems.

[brave_kreyu]

The needle prick widens as Kreyu speaks the words of the spell, enough to let more blood out.

Skellig will feel the death being pulled out with the blood, feel it dripping into the cup.

He'll know when it's all gone, when he can start to close things up.

Xenophon manages not to swoon, although he gets quite pale. The past 48 hours have been a LOT.

"There, all gone," she assures the young man.

[27_53]

The pallor of his skin does not go unnoticed, and Skellig is quick to return the strength as best he can, close the wound over once the death has been pulled free and into the cup; Kreyu will get rid of that, he is certain of it.

A simply skin repair is a quick-fix.

"To booby-trap the key," Skellig muses. "Must mean either he was quite paranoid, or whatever is in those chests is quite valuable."

It also means that he will not be letting the 'human' open them; he steps back through the door into the quarters, picks up the key (after careful inspection of it) and then moves to the chests and the locks. Those also get inspected for other traps...finding none, he opens the first lock, and then carefully (listening) lifts the lid of the chest.

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu follows them into the room into the shape of a pretty calico cat, too nosy to stay outside!

The chest is, thankfully, not trapped!

Inside this chest are bags and bags of coins, most silver but some are gold. Xenophon's jaw actually drops, he's never seen so many coins in one place! Skellig has, but he's seen dragon bolt holes and lairs.

[27_53]

To himself, Skellig thinks - this would likely be enough to buy off the man's debt, and that of his sister - but he does not verbalize that. Mentally he calculates a rough estimate of how many coins are within the chest; he's still a bit unfamiliar with the currency itself, but he knows it is quite a healthy amount!

He senses her come into the room (glancing over, he spies her in the cat form, he will have to ask about that later) as he kneels at the side of the chest, leaving one thigh free for her to hop up onto, perch upon and peer inside.

"C'mere, love," he mutters under his breath, wriggling his fingers and making the universal cat-calling 'pss pss pss' noise softly - promising scritches, if she'll allow it.

[brave_kreyu]

She leaps up onto his thigh to peer inside, makes a purring sound, more than happy to have scritches from her husband!

It is enough, judging from the longing that crosses Xenophon's face for a moment before he shoves it away. "This will be enough to give them all a chance at a better life," he says quietly. "Especially if there is a city close that can more readily accept coin."

[27_53]

Starting behind the ears, he scritches gently for a moment before he moves to get beneath her jaw - he knows there are several places that cats enjoy the feeling of scritches, and he intends to hit all of them.

"Enough to give them a very solid start, and then some." They will divide a part of it equally between the former captives (enough to give them a good start, but not so much to make it unwieldy or too great of a threat of being robbed along the roadway) to go along with the supplies.

He glances up at Xenophon. "I feel it would be in your best interest if my wife and I traveled to Mycenae, to buy out the debt of you and your sister," he says. "Since you cannot read the paperwork. My wife is well-versed in many tongues, and would be able to sort it easily."

[brave_kreyu]

Bliss! So much purring from Kreyu. "We will need to make certain preparations at home before making such a trip," Kreyu speaks up. "A few days, I should think. The village nearby will offer you hospitality for at least that long, especially if you bring some useful supplies with you."

"You aren't afraid of heights, are you?" she asks Xenophon.

"No," he replies, clearly confused as to why she is asking this question. Skellig might have a better chance at understanding the purpose of THAT question.

[27_53]

"Travel will be much faster if we fly from this village here to Mycenae," he offers as explanation. "To stay covert, we tend to...keep at a higher altitude, until it is safe to come lower."

He will leave any further explanation for later, simply because it is not needed at this time. "Will you remove then count the bags of coins in that chest, while we look through this one?"

Lifting her from his thigh, he places her up higher onto his shoulder - yes he is bare-skinned, but his movements are careful (and her sense of balance is keen) to avoid her having to use her claws to grip as he moves to the other chest; it is keyed with a similar lock.

Carefully, he opens it and begins to take stock of the contents - there are smaller bags within this one (likely more coins) as well as some more personal type effects; a dagger with a finely carved and bejeweled handle, some 'fancy' clothes, silk scarves and the like. Skellig reaches for one of the smaller linen bags, which is tied with a drawstring, and unwraps it, allowing the contents - several cut gemstones of a decent size - to fall into his palm, which he presents for her 'inspection'.

[brave_kreyu]

"Of course," Xenophon replies. He starts in on his task, methodical.

She is very careful not to claw him, though she does rub up against his face and neck. "Lovely stones," she says, peering at them. "That one there almost matches your eyes. It might look quite fine on you for the celebration."

When you are marrying a GODDESS, a certain level of 'fancy' is expected. Poor Skellig.

[27_53]

"I'm sure it will," Skellig says - he will withhold his comments about the level of 'fancy' that he knows he will be wearing for their celebration, having resigned himself to the fact that he will be dressing in much greater finery than what he wore when they went into the city; when even THEN, he thought THAT was a great deal of jewels. He bags the stones up again and slips them into the bag that he's started for 'their' treasures to return home with, along with the dagger (thankfully it has an equally fine sheath to go with it) and a few pieces of the silk.

He tips his head to nuzzle her torso lightly as she rubs on him, as he rifles through the rest of the chest. "Anything else that strikes your fancy?"

[brave_kreyu]

A stone sphere comes under his hand, fancifully carved into distinct hollow spheres that rotate within one another. An impression of its maker lingers on it, a powerful Earth dragon, the hard granite as malleable as clay under their hands.

"I think that's one of Shulin's works!" Kreyu gasps. "She hasn't let any of her works out of her hands in AGES, so this must be quite old."

[27_53]

Holding it carefully (closer to her to allow her to better see it) he turns it within his hands, allowing the inner spheres to rotate and shift, revealing different scenes of the 'puzzle' as they do so.

"I have never seen anything like this," Skellig says, a hint of awe in his own tone as he studies it, curious as to just how it was made, how it works. "The intricate works are simply stunning, this level of craft."

There is an echo that he can 'hear' just very faintly, one he does not recognize; that is the impression that lingers. "We will take the utmost care to transport it safely home."

There will be something to wrap it in, secure it for their trip.

[brave_kreyu]

"They say Shulin can sculpt stone like clay, even give it a kind of temporary life." Some dragons are legendary even to OTHER dragons!

There is indeed a box for safe transportation of the sphere, and Xenophon is almost finished counting out the money.

Dividing it up and putting it in containers to be distributed will take a little while, but its not TOO taxing as far as work goes.