| Logs |
2000-05-21
| Starfall |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
Bad Juju Mountain
- The newly named Frisky Lady departs the harbor the
next morning, carrying a cargo of food paid for by the ransoms of House
Pravinchandra employees. The wind cooperates, as much as it ever does in
the Gulf of Sehala, and early the next afternoon the bulk of Mt. Kali can
be seen, a plume of ash and smoke trailing eastward in the prevailing
winds. There seems to be no sign of inhabitants, which is no surprise
considering the evil reputation the island has. Kamehameha has not flown
any closer to it than the ship has come, and seems nervous even about
that proximity.
Horatio leans on the railing, looking out at the smoking mountain as the Frisky Lady drifts by it. Carroll stands on the deck and watches the shoreline as the ship sails along, looking for any sort of sign of furrs living there. He flags down Kamehameha and asks, "Have you seen anything to suggest anyone marooned?" Alex glances at Carroll... she'd been thinking much the same herself. Horatio's ears perk as Carroll asks his question. He pulls himself from the rail, standing and walking over towards Carroll as he asks.
The frigate bird looks nervous. "Not see nothing look like you-fella there. Bad juju mountain, she is."
Carroll cocks his head and asks, "In what way?"
Alex thinks a bit... then says to Kammy, "Any wreckage on shore? Flotsam or jetsam that you saw?"
Horatio blinks at Kamehameha's reply. He frets slightly, looking over at the mountain. "Or anything that looks like a fire, or the remains of fire-pits or boats...?"
The bird twitches a wingtip back and forth. "Eeeh... maybe wreck-cargo, no fires. Not go, me-fella, yes?"
Alex glances thoughtfully at Kammy, "You won't go? That's fine..." She turns to face Carroll, "Captain, permission to go search the island for this wreck-cargo thingie Kammy's talking about."
Leaning quietly at the gunwales, Dimitri watches the island drift by. "How old would you say the cargo wreck, Kammy?"
Carroll murrs, "It would be very useful to know what ship that was from." He waits for Kammy's answer to Dimitri's question.
Jared comes up and translates for the scout, who is being quite voluble. "Some wreckage around the curve of the island ahead of us, but he doesn't think anyone should go."
Horatio nods to Alex. "And if none in the crew will go with her, Captain, I'll go."
Alex smiles at Horatio cheerfully, "Thanks, Horry!"
Horatio smiles quietly to Alex. "Actually... even if we do get volunteers I'd like to go. Er...?" He blinks to Jared. "Why is that...?"
Alex murmurs in an aside to Horatio, "The ghost stories, Horry. Remember the ones Bryn used to tell us?"
Horatio sighs softly and nods to Alex. "I know, I remember them, too. But... if this is something from Father's ship..."
Carroll sighs and murrs, "Normally, I'd be more than willing to let it go unmolested but we need to know what ship it was from." He nod and murrs, "Yes. Let's move in closer, set anchor, and send in one of the small boats. Alex, you and Horatio can head the operation; take whatever crew you need and who will go. Don't try and salvage anything, just find out where it came from, if we can."
Horatio nods to Carroll. "Aye, aye!"
Carroll adds, "Go with them if you think it useful, Dimitri. I'll be here."
Dimitri looks back to his brother, "You don't really believe I'd let Alex go there alone, do you?"
Carroll smiles a half-smile and murrs, "No."
Alex nods, her ears perking up, and whisks over to the quarterdeck railing to call out, "My brother Horatio and I are going to check out some wreckage on the island. I need 6 brave furrs to come with us, but we will take volunteers only! Are there any that will come?" Horatio walks up to the railing beside Alex, a little behind her, letting her as the First Mate run this show... and also to quell his subtle nervousness. There is, for once, not a big rush to volunteer. The youngsters recruited at Ettore volunteer, but the experienced sailors don't. There are enough to get the boat manned, though. Horatio frowns slightly and whispers to Alex. "I'm not usually one to be worried about ill omens, Alex, but..."
Alex grins quietly to herself, her ears flicking back to catch Dimitri's comment. She thanks those who volunteer, and soon the boat is pushing away from the Frisky Lady. Alex is cautious... everyone aboard has a crossbow or long bow with them. Alex has arranged with Carroll to sail as close as he will on the side of the island that Kammy has said the ruins are on. She instructs the group to stay within eyesight of each other, to stay with a partner no matter WHAT, to report anything unusual they see at once, and to not wander off. Their mission is simple -- find the wreckage, identify it, and return to the sloop. Hopefully they'll never be out of sight of the sloop itself. Alex has already seen how well Dimitri's organizational skills worked in keeping the boarding crew in high morale and highly successful... she swipes his ideas to try to keep this little group safe also. Carroll places extra watch, also armed with crossbows, at the fore and aft, as well as in the crow's nest. He doesn't particularly want to be surprised while he's here.
Dimitri throws his blade over his shoulder and heads for the ladder and then the boat. he does pauses for a moment, looking back. His eyes dart across the deck. "Coming, Natasha?"
The wolf sighs. "There is enough room in boat?"
Dimitri looks down the ladder and into the longboat, watching as Alex prepares the landing party. "If you wish, yes."
Natasha sighs again, theatrically. "Shto. I come." She swings down into the boat, the last of its complement. The tall fox nods as Natasha settles in, shifting subtly to take the place next to her. A quiet nod Dimitri gives her, catching her gaze for a second. Then he looks out, his eyes on the beach line... and more importantly, into what lies just beyond the beach.
Alex is sitting at the bow, watching the island with intense curiosity. About half way there she blinks startledly, looking around as if someone just poked her... she smoothes the fur on one arm down, watching it curiously... then looks up and around again puzzledly... then blinks! "Stop!"
Horatio holds his faintly clinking satchel carefully, then gives a bit of a start when Alex shouts. "Alex...?"
Alex says, "Er, I mean stop rowing, please... I need a moment to think? I think... I think there's magic on the island and I'm not good at this, I need to check..." She falls silent, her eyes going unfocused for a moment as she stares down at her hands... then she looks up, taking a breath, "Ahh... I see, I think. Well, no, I don't... but it is magic. Turnabout, please! We need our expert, Cleo." Horatio blinks and gulps a little. So, the stories may actually have a lot of truth in them! This adds an interesting factor to all this. IF that's Father's ship... Alex stands up cautiously in the bow once the little boat is turned about, one hand firmly grasping Dimitri's shoulder to keep her balance, and waves at the ship, "Ahoy! Call Cleo up on deck, would you please?" Dimitri reaches up to grab a handful of shirt, so Alex isn't tempted for a swim. Alex grins down at Dimitri for a moment, then looks back up at the ship as the little boat is rowed towards it. She waits expectantly for Cleo's familiar tortie face to show...
As soon as he can hear her call clearly Carroll calls for Cleo. Horatio looks up at the deck expectantly, glancing now and then back to the island. He really wishes now that the Academy had gone more into magics. But not all the students there had the Gift, and alchemy fit in more with the rest of the curriculum. But still, some theory would have been nice... Mental note to the Masters, how are we supposed to deal with magic if we don't know what to look for? Somehow, I don't think that'll go over terribly well with them...
Alex glances over her shoulder at the island... then blinks and does a double take! It's a good thing Dimitri's got her -- she sways as she stares in astonishment at the island, her mouth open. When she gets her wits about her again she breathes, "Whooooooaaaah! Guys... the island! The island is glowing with aura energy! I... I've never seen something that wasn't a person do that before... and look! Look at the funnel -- it's shooting up into the sky -- and then pouring back into the mountain again!" She looks utterly fascinated, staring up in wonder at the sky above the mountain.
Horatio blinks to Alex. "Alex... sit down, before you fall!" A funnel? Going up and coming back down? By the furnace, Alex looks positively mesmerized by that! I wish I could see what she's seeing, it looks like she's in rapture or something...
Alex blinks, only vaguely hearing Horatio, and murmurs absently, "Um... okay, Horry..." She sits, not really looking where... hopefully Dimitri doesn't mind her sitting on him! She's still staring in amazement at the light show she sees.
With a move so sure it must be reflex, Dimitri's arm sweeps around Alex's waist, instantly reacting to the first glimmer in Alex's eyes. He too glances back towards the island, eyes narrowing. "Like folk? Then tell it we mean no harm... and ask if it's seen Father."
Alex says, "Uh... what, Mitya? Oh... no, it actually looks like... like a water funnel you can get in a storm, y'know?...uh... except um... except I didn't know rocks 'n things could have chaos energy?" Horatio gives a bit of a wry look. Well, that would have been my suggestion, at least. He blinks over to Alex and Dimitri.
Carroll's call for the ship's official mage is not answered immediately. He sends a runner down to her quarters, who returns a minute later in some alarm. "Sir...she's thrashing around like she's having a nightmare, and I can't wake her up."
Carroll returns to the rail and calls to the smaller boat, "Come back! NOW!" He finds the flyer and asks him, "Can you please fly out there and tell them to come back here now?"
Alex says, "Oh wow! Oh, Mitya, I know what it is! It's a Nexus thingie! I bet it's 'cause I don't know that much yet how to use power that it's only barely both-" She blinks, suddenly focusing, "Power -- uh-oh!" She looks at the rowers, "Pull! Hurry! Cleo may need help!"
Dimitri chuffs out a single sharp breath. "Well, it's not like a volcano is one of your more tame natural events either, bratling." Horatio blinks at Alex's description, then on a whim opens up his satchel carefully and pulls out and peers at one the vials of concoctions he has within. Alex nods worriedly to Dimitri, then looks back to the ship. Faster! She struggles with words, trying to explain to her brothers, "It's um... well, a nexus, y'know? uh, that's not very helpful... well, it's one of the places where chaos energy comes into our world, y'know? It's... it's where the energy is focused... um, if I remember correctly there will be MASSIVE amounts of power leaking in here!"
Horatio blinks, turning the vial from side to side, staring at the liquid through the clear glass. The liquid within glitters, light dancing within it. "The stuff of dreams," he murmurs. "Quintessence given form, essence of the Four Elements..." He glances up distractedly at Alex's words and says a little shakily, "'Massive' doesn't begin to describe it..."
Alex says, "What?" She blinks at her scholarly brother and his vial, "What'd you say, Horry?"
Dimitri lets out a long breath, steadying Alex. "He said it's big."
Horatio holds up the vial and shows Alex, his expression a blend of worry and wonder. "The place is seething with... with something, Alex."
Alex says, "No, no, the part about um... quintessence given form!" She stares in fascination at Horatio, "It's magic, isn't it? Is that what you're saying? This is pure, raw energy thundering around like a hurricane right over the mountain... right? Is that it?"
Horatio nods slowly. "Quintessence, the Fifth Element. That which makes up all the other elements. At least that's the theory." He nods to the island, setting the vial back into his satchel. "There are some alchemical masters who think the mages mould and form quintessence." He shivers slightly. "Alex, I don't know what that island is... but I'm surprised that we never knew about it before outside of ghost stories."
Carroll frowns and watches the small boat approach. He stops watching and turns to the crew, giving orders, "As soon as they're aboard let's sail away from this island and see if Cleo doesn't wake up. Be ready to raise sail as soon as they're aboard and the boat is secured."
Alex nods quietly to Horatio, thinking... then looks up, "Dimitri, I need to get to Cleo at once. Please take care of disembarking everyone from this boat for now?" When the small boat is back at the Frisky Lady she acrobatically swarms up the rope ladder and heads for Cleo's bunk, "Carroll, more info in a moment I need to see Cleo okay?!"
Carroll murrs, "Yes, you do. We can't wake her up. Should we move away from here, or would that make it worse?"
Horatio pulls himself up onto the deck after Alex. "I think we should move away, Captain," he says quickly. "As soon as we can."
Alex calls back over her shoulder, "Away from island please!" as she dives down below decks.
Carroll nods and gives the confirming order, "Let's move away from here, folks!"
Horatio pulls one of the vials from his satchel and offers it to Carroll. "I don't know what it's doing to Cleo, but Alex saw... sees... something. It's incredible, Carroll, I don't know what to make of it. We never were taught about anything like this in the Academy."
Carroll looks at the vial and murrs, "It doesn't usually do that, does it?" The vial is filled with one of Horatio's concoctions, but it's sparking and glowing, energy flowing through it. The vial's liquid is still sparkling, although not as brightly as it was when it was closer to the island... but everyone can easily see the swirls and sparkles of light.
Carroll tells his brother, "Keep an eye on that. When it stops, er, sparkling maybe we're far enough away to wake Cleo. It's our sign that we're going the right way."
Horatio nods, cupping the vial in his hand. "Aye, aye..."
Dimitri is the last fur on deck, drawing up the ladder after him. Before the longboat crew disperses, however, he ducks his muzzle. "To the rigging and sheets, sailors... and thank you. Thank you too, Natasha." Horatio stands on deck as the crew makes the ship ready to come about. He frowns slightly, looking around. Where's Cleo? And Alex and Dimitri, who also dashed off?
When Alex gets to Cleo's cabin she has a bit of trouble opening the door. The cabin timbers have started sprouting branches and leaves, and Cleo is curled up in mid-air, almost blindingly bright to Alex's mage-sight. Alex struggles with the door, then stops with a gasp at seeing Cleo. Then she settles cross-legged next to Cleo, talking to herself in a calming voice, "Okay... she showed me how to get energy and I threw it away accidentally... and it was easy." She nods, her breathing slowing as she concentrates, "This is easy... I just have to throw away a bunch of her energy for her..." She puts a hand on Cleo and closes her eyes, murmuring softly, "Throw it away..." and tries to do so. No reaction yet... Alex shakes her head, concentrating... don't be distracted. She'll try again.
Dimitri finally pokes his nose into the small room. He then slips inside, squeezing right behind his sister. Without a word a paw is lain upon her shoulder. Cleo thrashes restlessly and a surge of energy grounds through Alex. The vixen loses control herself with the flood of energy, floating off the floor and saved from bouncing off a wall only when her brother reaches in to hold her down. Dimitri blinks then and immediately slams both arms around his even more buoyant than usual sister! His grip is sure and strong. Alex blinks startledly, but determinedly holds on to Cleo. She blinks again, realizing Dimitri's there, and gasps breathlessly, "Oh hi moment I need to concentrate!" then closes her eyes again, not yet aware that she's floating herself.
Alex places her paws firmly against Cleo and concentrates again on dissipating the excess energy. It's difficult, the surroundings are already saturated, but she slowly bleeds off the excess. When she opens her eyes again the small cabin is a shambles of broken branches and furnishings that crashed back to the deck after being floated. Cleo moans and opens her eyes again. "Whrrr... whu' happened?"
Alex sighs in relief, panting lightly... then says breathlessly to Cleo, "Island's a nexus." She sags back with another sigh against Dimitri, "Thanks, Mitya."
Dimitri rests his head atop hers. "Did good. But we would have been in trouble if this happened on deck. I would have had to sic Kammy after you."
Alex nods ruefully at Mitya, "'Fraid so. Had to throw the energy away and there's a LOT of it already in the air! -so I soaked some too, I think, at least at first. Uhhh... oh! Mitya, can you tell Carroll we're okay now?" She grins wryly up at her dark brother, "I think we need to plan how to check that wreckage better."
Cleo's ears go flat. "Mt. Kali? How close did we come?"
Alex says, "Um... about one kilometer off shore, Cleo," then adds curiously, "Why? Did I forget something?"
Cleo shakes her head. "My fault. Didn't think you'd be going that close, most ships stay much farther away. The Captain's in a hurry, is he?"
Alex looks a bit sheepish, "Um... actually he got that close 'cause I asked him, I'm afraid, Cleo. Right now we're making full sail away from the island... but we still need to figure out how to check that wreckage. If it is Daddy's... we need to know."
Dimitri softly growls, "So now we know why it's haunted..." He looks back to Alex. "I'll go."
Cleo shakes her head. "I'll be all right now, it just took me by surprise. We can send some non-sensitives in to check it if they don't take long."
Alex nods to Cleo, "Okay. If you're all right we're going to go tell Carroll what happened, okay?" At Cleo's nod Alex will carefully pull herself to her feet and head for the upper deck with Dimitri. She makes sure Cleo's bunk mate is near should Cleo need help... then she heads up onto the quarterdeck and explains what the problem was to Carroll. She concludes with, "So... that's all it is, really... energy. Cleo says we can check the wreckage as long as we send non-sensitives."
Carroll hrms and murrs, "Well, let's not get too close with the ship and do that, then." Alex nods and helps organize the crew, explaining what the problem is to them so they're not afraid. Carroll directs the ship to anchor about four kilometers offshore and then finds a crew who will go over and check wreckage. He checks, via Alex and Horatio's sparkling bottle, that they're not too close.
Horatio frowns slightly. "Trouble is, we don't know exactly who in the crew is sensitive or not. It'll be a bit of a trip there, this far out..." He looks at the concoction in the vial, fretting slightly. "I should be able to go there, the Academy would have told me if I was of mage mettle or not."
Alex smiles at Horatio, "Cleo will tell us if they're sensitives, Horatio, don't worry. And I've told them what to watch for as far as that prickly feeling."
Dimitri walks back to the gunwales again, throwing the boarding ladder over the side. "I said I'll go, Carroll."
Carroll nods and murrs, "True, Horatio. Leave the reagents here; I really don't want that to react badly." He resists the urge to go himself, and sees the smaller boat off.
Alex watches a bit wistfully from the quarterdeck railing. Cleo comes up on deck after a moment, a little shaky but alert. "They should both be fine, Alex. They're both disciplined, which is almost as good." Alex nods to Cleo.
Horatio frets a little, but nods at Carroll's instruction, removing the vials from his satchel... and after a second's thought some of the more exotic healing herbs in his satchel. He slips down the ladder into the longboat after doing that. Dimitri clambers down the ladder, taking a place near the bow. He looks across the crew of the little boat, to note who has rejoined for... this trip. Cleo looks at the volunteers. "Mikhail...you'd better stay. The rest of you should be fine. Don't think too hard about anything you might see, though, understand?" Dimitri's ears swivel at the mage's words, but that is his only reaction. Alex looks with interest at Mikhail when Cleo says that, but then as the little boat starts to pull away from the ship she turns to watch it carefully. That done, Dimitri nods to Horatio, at the other end of the boat. "Come on, folks, let's do this before the tide turns. 'Ware the surf off the reef."
Upon hearing they're clear, Carroll waves and murrs, "Good luck!"
Horatio nods to Dimitri, then turns to the ship and nods, "Thanks, Cleo. And thanks, Captain..." Much to his surprise he finds himself glancing around the deck of the ship on the chance that Jessie might be there. Carroll posts extra sentries again, still wary of who else might be poking around this haunted place.
Dimitri turns and with sure, simple commands directs the boat to the area of wreckage. He doesn't duck as the surf breaks against the sides of the little boat, instead a firm grasp on the side keeps him steady. Once he does take a moment to catch Natasha's glance and he smiles. Until, until he can look down and see the sand beneath the waves. "Raise oars!" Leaping nimbly out he grabs the side with both paws and helps push it solidly to shore. The boat approaches the island a bit more cautiously this time, the crewfurrs not all that anxious to run into the sort of thing they saw happening in Cleo's stateroom. They pull up the oars at Dimitri's command and the boat drifts into the sand not far from the wreckage. It appears as though a ship ran directly aground on the beach and was broken up by tides and storms afterwards. Horatio takes in a breath, lets it out with a sigh, and looks back to the island, not entirely nervously. After all, he thinks, it's only a nexus. What could possi- no, no, better not think that! He pulls himself out of the boat, the water splashing against his legs as he treads up onto the sand, looking towards the wreckage. Mindful of Cleo's warning, he tries to keep his mind as clear as possible, as free from preconceptions and wishes and idle hopes as possible.
One of the masts is still present, tied to other wreckage by... vines? Or perhaps they were ropes once. A second mast has taken root on the beach, the metal fittings giving it away. Dimitri taps a sailor on the shoulder. "You stay here and watch the boat. Natasha, you look after these three and I'll keep herd on my brother and these two. Simple and quick, folks. A name board, a figurehead, a bit of lost cargo. That's what we are here for, nothing else." And taking up his sword, Dimitri begins to cross the sands towards the masts and wreckage. Horatio steels himself, taking in another breath, and walks down the beach to the wreckage as well...
The crates visible earlier, half-buried in sand, are now being slowly submerged by the advancing tide, as is the stern of the broken vessel. The silhouette is badly damaged, with her back broken and the mainmast trying to be a tree, but... it could be the Thunderchild. Dimitri swallows and walks to the edge of the water, where he looks sharp. Underwater, yes? But would the sternboard be beneath the sand? Horatio cannot remove his eyes from the wreckage, trying hard, so hard, to pick out some iota of the ship which he might be able to recognize. He moves slightly, trying to spot the figurehead on the bow, or if there is even one.
Carroll walks slowly around the ship, talking to the crew and trying to make sure they understand what's going on and that they should be safe, Cleo says everything will be fine... Alex leans over the quarterdeck railing, staring as hard as she can and wishing desperately that she might do something -- anything! -- to help! The Nexus funnel continues to swirl, in and out, in and out, almost as if the mountain is breathing as Alex watches. The crewmembers wander amongst the wreckage, tiny with distance, faintly glowing sparks in her mage-sight as the daylight begins to fade.
Horatio frowns, squinting slightly. Still trying to keep his mind clear, he calls out, "Dimitri...!"
Dimitri listens quietly and then rapidly pads to Horatio's call. "What did you find?" Beyond Horatio's pointing finger is a narrow but clear trail leading back into the forest. A metallic gleam can be seen back underneath the trees... Dimitri pause, quiet. "What do you think it might be?
Horatio says quietly, "I'm not sure. I don't think Father's ship had a gilt figurehead, but I could be wrong. I'll go take a look at it. I don't think anything'll happen, but..."
Dimitri walks quietly next to Horatio. "We'll both go."
Alex straightens up, calling quietly and worriedly, "Carroll? I'm going to run go get Horatio's folding telescope, okay? I'll be right back!" She dashes swiftly off unless Carroll says not to, and dashes back a minute or two later, hastily unfolding the little telescope and trying to see where her brothers are going. She fumes in quiet worry to herself -- how could they wander off alone like that?!
Horatio looks to Dimitri and nods. If it is a clue... better they both go. "Right." He walks with his darkphase brother, feeling more secure and safe(r) then he would be if he'd done this alone, approaching the metallic gleam in the woods... Dimitri quietly walks the short distance a step ahead of Horatio on the single-furr-width trail, just in case. For him it is a simple task. Look and see. Come back and tell. They vanish under the trees, with Natasha waiting at the edge of the forest and the other furrs continuing to investigate the wreckage.
The two foxes soon reach the gleam, and find a clearing with several figureheads set up erect on posts. Other trails lead off into the forest, and there is a tunnel-mouth that leads underground at the edge of the clearing. Horatio frowns as he looks around the clearing, at the bizarre arrangement of the posts. "It's like... someone made trophies... trophies of ships' figureheads..."
Dimitri just stops. "I have this really, really bad feeling, Horatio..." He slowly unsheathes his sword.
Horatio nods slowly, looking around the clearing. "I do, too, Dimitri, and it's just getting stronger, standing here..." Lying on the ground in the midst of the... shrine? ...trophy collection? is the Thunderchild's figurehead. Horatio takes in a sharp breath and says softly, "Oh... oh, Father..."
An odd clicking noise comes from the darkness under the trees. Dimitri doesn't say a word, save that his eyes narrow. He places his hand on Horatio's shoulder and then suddenly moves, placing himself between the sound and Horatio. "Back away, Horatio... towards the trail..."
Horatio's ears flicker at the sudden noise just as he takes a step towards the figurehead. He blinks, then slowly takes a step... backward. "That's what I'm doing," he says cautiously. All of a sudden, incongruously for him, he wishes he had a nice big flask of fire-oil. Then he remembers Cleo's warnings and tries to clear his mind. "Come on, Dimitri..." he says urgently, glancing all around, up and down as well, as he edges back. Dimitri slowly paces backwards, between Horatio and the strange, strange sound... but very slowly. His gaze is sharp, his ears rotated forward... until they once again reach the edge of the woods, at the edge of the little clearing.
Just as the two foxes reach the trail back to the beach, there is movement in the tunnel mouth and at one of the forest trails. Something... insectile. The clicks expand into a chitter-clicking sound, something like cicadas in the spring... harsh, buzzing, shrill. Horatio listens to the sound, his eyes flickering to catch the movement. "We need to leave this island," he says with preternatural calm. "Now." I really wish I'd brought a cross-bow, now!
Dimitri's words are simple, sure and quiet. Horatio has never head the taste of steel so cold in his brother's words. "Horatio... run. Don't look back. Get on the boat and if you don't see me on the beach... get out of here."
Horatio says softly, a little weakly, "Running will just get their attention." If we haven't already. But he moves backwards a little quicker, trying to keep his footing on the loose sand, towards the boats, glancing back and trying to catch one of the crewmembers' attention.
"Move, Horatio!" And yes, Dimitri follows, but his pace is less fast. It has to be. Sword drawn, he turns, ears sharp, wary of ambush. It is his job to make sure nothing comes out of the woods after Horatio.
The first of the creatures moves out of the shadows. It is not big, in one sense -- only two feet tall, supporting itself on four of its six limbs, but for something all joints and mandibles and hard shiny brown shell, it is entirely too big. They hold small spears, about the size of arrows. Dimitri continues moving back, his sword held before him. "Do you... will you speak, Forest One? We will leave if you will let us."
Horatio says, again with that perhaps infuriating, slow calmness, still edging towards the boats, "I've seen insects move so fast they left me blind and dumb, Dimitri. Moving quickly'll just make them move faster... there's a chance we can get to the boats without anything happening..." Somehow I can't make myself believe that... He glances back to the edge of the forest, muttering silently about the length of the trail, and moves backwards a little faster, but hopefully not so fast as it startles the... the creatures. His ears flick and he breathes quicker. Maybe they'll recognize his words, he thinks. Unless we've broken some custom and they're going to -- no! Remember Cleo's words, Horatio! Clear mind, clear mind...
The lead bug walks out into the clearing with a scuttling gait, claws held out toward Dimitri. Dimitri stops then. Quiet. The big black fox reaches his sword arm back, towards Horatio. "Take the sword, Horatio."
Horatio stops and edges forward. "Dimitri...I can't use it. Are you sure..." He quiets down and takes the sword at his brother's terse command, grunting a bit as he takes the weight of it.
Dimitri sets the sword free and takes a single step forward, then two. He holds his arms out, stopping about five paces beyond Horatio. He watches the skittering insect approach. The buzzing chitter peaks as Dimitri steps forward, then abruptly cuts off into silence. The unarmed bug approaches, then goes down on all sixes in front of Dimitri. Dimitri slowly crouches so he is eye to eye with the critter. As Dimitri kneels the bug cowers further down, groveling belly-down in the sandy clearing. Dimitri blinks. And blinks again. He slowly, slowly stands. "Can you speak to me?"
The bugs erupt in chitter-buzzing again, waving their tiny spears in the air... almost as if they're... cheering? Dimitri just looks back to Horatio with the most now what do I do? look. Horatio looks back with an equally, I'm as bewildered as you! look. "Maybe we should wait and see what happens? They appear to be... celebrating our presence...?"
Dimitri looks to the critters and tilts his head. He takes a deep, deep breath, and remembers Cleo's words. One breathe, two, to help clear his head. Then he looks at the small gathering. He points to himself and then to Horatio. Then his hand sweeps in a small arc about the clearing, questioning, are there more foxes? The bugs watch Horatio carefully, their antennas wiggling at him. Natasha bursts into the clearing. "Sirs, we've found... bozhemoi! What are THESE?"
Horatio swallows his nervousness, trying to not look it, holding his brother's sword a little awkwardly, and most assuredly not making any sudden moves. At Natasha's sudden arrival he cringes slightly. Oh, no...! In all fairness, he reflects in that sharp moment of no-time before (he is certain) the insects will attack, he should have expected their extended disappearance to cause consternation.
Dimitri holds up a paw as Natasha bursts into the clearing. "They are critters. They... they... they seem to like me at least."
The bugs draw back as Natasha bursts in, but seem to be waiting. "Ve findink chest vit your family crest on it, back by stern section of wreckage. Ve needink to stay here much longer? Folks gettink jumpy, keep hearink veird noises."
Horatio nods softly, watching the insects. "We know... we found the Thunderchild's figurehead. We're all right, now, though..." For now, at least...
Dimitri softly growls, "Meet the strange noises..." He steps towards Natasha, still facing the strange critterlings. When he reaches her he pauses. And then Dimitri reaches out to take Natasha's paw in his. Let's see what they think of this "...I believe it's their turn now." The bugs still watch silently. They seem to be turning some of their attention to Horatio now.
Horatio blinks, glancing around at the bugs. "Uhm... I think they expect me to do something..."
Dimitri softly growls, "I think... I think it's time we walked slowly, very slowly back." He doesn't release Natasha's paw. "And when we come back it's with a person who might be able to hear them, like Cleo sending messages."
Horatio says, "Maybe I should do what you did, Dimitri?"
Dimitri reaches out for his sword with his free paw. "You can always try."
Horatio nods, letting Dimitri take hold of his sword, silently relaxing as he takes up the weight of it. Once Dimitri has retrieved his sword Horatio crouches down to the ground as Dimitri had. The bugs prostrate themselves. The chittering is rhythmic now. Horatio glances up to Dimitri, fretting. "This is... unusual. Natasha, maybe you should try...?"
Natasha looks at the bugs. "Am not thinkink I want to be on ground vit lot of bugs. They bowink to me, nyet?" The bugs, now that she mentions it, ARE kowtowing in her direction.
Dimitri softly growls, "The question though... is what to do about it, Horatio. And I am not going in the cave or exploring further without Alex and Carroll."
Horatio murmurs, "If they even let us do that..."
Dimitri nods quietly. "Well, let's see if they let us." He slowly begins to leave the clearing, heading back to the beach. He nods to the bugs. "We will be back." Horatio slides up to his feet, sliding back along the trail with Dimitri and Natasha slowly. As the three furrs leave the clearing the bugs are leaping and cavorting, apparently cheering with their harsh noises.
Horatio quips, "At least someone's happy... but about what?"
Dimitri leads Horatio and the others back to the boat, conveniently forgetting to set a certain wolf's paw free. "I don't know. But they certainly were glad to see us. We need Alex and Carroll, Horatio. That's the only thing I do know."
Back at the beach, Natasha shows the brothers what they found. It's their father's sea-chest -- and it's still closed and locked. Dimitri nods, quiet. "Put it in the boat. It's Carroll's now." He waits until everyone is in the boat before pushing off... "And it will be interesting to see if we get the same welcome the second time around." The tall fox then shrugs, and his attention turns to their boat... and his two siblings ...how to tell Alex...