Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Treasure Man (Finished.)

"My pleasure... sir. My name is Griffon, Griffon Pardoner. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the family name. In some lands we are well known, in others we are not. None the less, It's my job to find stories and that's why I'm here." Griffon gave a polite smile. He would have to ask about the x-ray vision later, when it was not four in the morning.

Griffon turned to Iveth, who had the coin pouch. "As discussed with the captain of this ship, that's seventy five silvers to repair his ship. Just don't spend it on jewelry, you won't get any more from me, that's my side of the bargain.

Turning finally back to who he thought was the captain of the ship, Raul, like Paul, but with an 'R'. "So, Captain Raul, where to so early in the morning?"

Rro laughed, he had forgotten he had given the man an alias. "Let me properly introduce myself to you Mr. Pardoner," Rro began to curl the cloth map up like a scroll. "I am Captain Rro Rogers, captain of the legendary Cannonball Jack." He gestured to Iveth, unfortunately I am not the captain of this oversized piece of drift wood she is." He was being sarcastic, obviously it wasn't as big as most pirate ships, it was relatively small actually but the craftsmanship was extremely impressive.

"We are headed to something not on this torn up cloth. He opened his shirt showing his chest and the enormous map on it, in the middle it showed a small island labeled Garden of Dragons. "This is the single greatest treasure you will ever find, mystical items, gold, and various plants and herbs of the rarest assortment." Rogers covered his chest once more not wanting any passer byers to see.

Time passed and the mast was repaired rather quickly, all the Silvers of the group were pooled together to find a new mast and it's installation went extremely well. If the ship had been much bigger then it may have taken days, but when you give a pirate a treasure to place in his mind he can work three times as fast, all was ready for departure and everyone began to get aboard, "all hands on deck!" Rro was ready for their journey to continue, and by passing straight threw the dangerous Dagger Gate they'd avoid too many more Aqua Voids.

Iveth's face was masked with agitation more so towards his assumption that she favored jewelry when she didn't. There were no rings on her fingers, pierces in her ears, bracelets strangling her wrists, or even necklaces dangling around her neck. It was silly of him to presume that she somehow cherished jewelry without observing first. Either way, the bottom line was that he donated to her ship and that was fine.

"If she was oversized she wouldn't be so easy to maneuver around," she caught his sarcasm, but decided to correct it anyway with a grin. "Enjoy the ride while it lasts Pardoner because I can't guarantee your safety," she could only share the truth. It was a dangerous trip with a possibility that not all of them would make it there.

In time the mast was recovered and it was time to move again. Iveth was content with repairs of ship though she was yet to thank Griffin for his money towards the mast. As of now she was on the upper deck near the helm, watching as the last of her crew was getting on board.

A crew member helped Hiro to his feet. The two of them had began talking about the shape he was in, where the boy learned his craft, and, inevitably, some ways to make it better.

Hiro showed off a basic form to the man, which attracted other crew mates, until the boy had attracted a large swath of grown men observing and correcting him on his form.

"You're too tense, ya gotta stay loose."
"Ya hit hard, but you'll burn out like that."
"Stay light, stay light."
"There ya go! Now yet gettin' it!"

Far from being frustrated, Hiro seemed to revel in the th insteuction of the experienced, manly crew of the ship. "Like this, yes?" was a question he would ask frequently.

Soon, the group gawking at the spirited and strong child grew, as did the number of men who presumed to teach the child a thing or two about brawling.

Skyra really didn't have a reason to continue the journey, but something compelled him to do so anyway. Partly due to his qualms against Hiro, and he hoped one day to fight him. The problem being was that Hiro looked like the kind who liked to get in close, which wasn't exactly Skyra's expertise of countering since he isn't good up close.

But as he boarded the ship, something else caught his eye: Iveth. Skyra couldn't help but think she was actually kind of cool, and Skyra enjoyed looking at her. "Why do human women have to be so much more attractive than ours?" he thought to himself. Yeah, female Scrauser were about as ugly as males were, but Scrauser ended up finding love amongst themselves anyway. But that wasn't the way Skyra admired her. He just admired Iveth as a young strong hero who happened to be a girl. She was the kind of person you'd watch on TV preforming many heroic stunts for hours on end.

Skyra overheard a comment Pardoner made. He wasn't too keen on the ways of humans, but what he said would greatly offend a Scrauser. Skyra went up to Griffon to bring it to his... err, face?

"That's a bit sexist, don't you think?" Skyra asked Griffon. "She's not actually wearing jewelery. ...I don't think. It's hard to tell, sometimes these bandages don't dull my X-Ray vision enough and something still end up appearing invisible."

"Sexist?" Griffon paused for a moment, his attention being caught by the practicing kid surrounded by crew members. "No. If I had told a man not to spend it all on ale would it still be sexest?" He rebuttled. Now knowing who the ship belonged to, he did feel he had made a mistake in his word choice when he spoke to her.

Before waiting for a response he turned and made his way around the ship in search for the actual captain. As the name of Rro was lost on him, he felt no threat present. Once he would find Iveth, he would approach her. "Hail, Captain. In the deal I was to offer my aid in keeping up the morale of this ship. You give the word and I'll work on it. As it is I think they are in high spirits with the kid, but a deal is a deal."

At the helm of the ship at the true captain was down on deck with the bard. He steered out of the current of the Aqua Voids but knew their maybe one or two after they passed threw the end of the Dagger Gates. The waters were going to get foggy very very soon, he could feel the summers air blow chillier and chillier. They would be sailing with the undead soon enough.

"Hiro, would you mind grabbing two drinks for you and I," Rro was trying to have a chat with the little fighter. He felt that it was important so he pushed the subject again. "Men don't you scaly wags have jobs to do!" The men returned to their stations and began pulling the sails, it would be a while before they approached the Dagger gates but on the path they were on they shouldn't hit anymore giants chasms in the sea.

Iveth tilted her head with a hint skepticism towards Skyra, inwardly questioning his support, but in the end it could only be appreciated. She grinned towards the Scraper then her eyes flicked back up to Griffon. "Possibly," the mutter left her lips immediately after the question was asked before she spun on her heel and headed off to her favorite spot on the ship. "You have some good eyes Skyra."

In due time Griffon approached again and with wiser things to say. Of course she'd try not to hold his indirect insult against him or she'd have it make up for it and so far he was doing well. "A deal is a deal," she emphasized with a grin. "I'm thankful you came to assist," having forgotten before she held out a hand as a welcome, "I'll let you know when I'll need you again."

The men scattered to their posts, and Hiro heard Ro call out to him. "Hai!" he answered. He rushed to the lower deck and grabbed a bottle and two mugs. He rushed back to the helm and filled the two cups and gave one to Ro.

"Yes. Did you want to talk to me?"

Skyra knew Rro was trying to break up the conversation, but he couldn't help but make one more comment. "Actually yeah that is still sexist, it's generally what people call gender discrimination."

Eventually, he heard Iveth comment on his eyesight. To be honest, he never told them about his eyes, or why he wears bandages. "Actually, my eyesight is not that good," he said. "One day when I was young, I was working in a Scrauser mine shaft, and then one of my employees picked a fight with me, which resulted in me losing both of my eyes. ...Or something. Maybe it was a dragon. I've gone through so much in life I don't even remember. I do remember being much taller when it happened, but nevermind.

Anyway, after I lost both my eyes, a so-called healer among the Scrauser community showed me this weird berry and made me eat it. Immediately I got my eyesight back... except I couldn't see the doctor who gave me the berry. The berry is able to make one see, but at a price. It renders close-ranged objects invisible. And that is why I wear these bandages, in order to combat the impared vision of up-close objects."

He then noticed Griffon acting a bit more honorable to Iveth, which was good. Skyra then decided to use his spears as stilts to get up to the height of the others. "It's nice to see it was just a misunderstanding," he said. He then walked over to him and tried to say something quietly to him, making sure not to get too close. "And overall, I'd pick you over meathead any day." He was of course refering to Hiro.

"Of course," Griffon responded to Iveth with a slight bow before turning to leave. When the Scrauser approached him, Griffon listened, but was no longer friendly towards him. Speaking with a lowered voice to only him, Griffon spoke. "You seek to challenge everyone. You will make more enemies than allies." Then he walked off to find a spot to sleep. Griffon was not a part of the crew, so he had no jobs other than moral upkeep. For now he was just going to rest.

Rro smiled taking a mug from the boy, "before I was a pirate I was a ninja." Rogers kept one hand on the mug and used the other to manipulate Hiro's blood. "This was long ago when the Blade Land, my home land, were in a civil war." The boy was being moved against his will to pour the rum into Rro's mug. "My clans ninja arts such as Blood Art is lost to everyone but me, it and other water based ninja magic." The boy then poured himself a glass against his will, turning and throwing the empty bottle to smash into the back of the pig man's head.

Rro's hand snapped open releasing the boy from the magic, "you are arrogant and quiet the idiot, but after seeing you with the crew I've gained a sort of respect for you," Rro took a gulp of his liquor, "You are willing to learn, and for that you are wise." The pirate looked out at the sea hoping the boy would understand where he was going with this, Rogers wouldn't be sailing for too much longer out on the sea, the arts of the Silent Rain clan would die with him along with the Blood Magic. "I would like to teach you Blood Magic, it is an art no Mage can just learn, it takes combat skills to be able to focus your blood like I can."

"Yo ho?" The pirate held out his mug for a cheers, if the boy was willing. Of course he would teach other ninja arts as well but the blood magic was the one thing Rro wanted to pass on before he left the outside world.

As presumed nearly everyone had their own books of history to share and Iveth kept her ears open to them though she didn't think it was truly necessary to include her own. Skyra was only giving reason behind the strangeness of his eyes and it was quite a revealing story. There was much she could do with the information to predict his further actions either for him or against him if it ever came to that point. She gained these observing skills from her last occupation which she was yet or wasn't going to share.

She saw Griffon had passed quiet word to Skyra, however her ears couldn't pick it up, but he didn't look to be saying it with amicability. She'd keep note of that. Of course she had be wary of everyone on her ship. Especially Rro. He seems to be getting much too comfortable on board.

With that in mind she glanced to Rro and Hiro accompanying each other with talk. No surprise that Rro was taking over the conversation. Wasn't trying to overrule her ship enough? She shook her head subconsciously as she approached a group of those consisting of her crew. Their conversation was discrete and Iveth had given off a few orders that she didn't want shared.

It took Hiro a moment to realize that he wasn't the one giving orders to his hand to move. What was worse, he didn't even have the freedom to jump in surprise like he wanted to. "You--" he managed to peep as he poured the drinks. "You are ninja?!"

The boy's face turned white as a dead man's after Ro had made him throw the bottle at Skyra's head. Once power over his own movement returned to him, Hiro stumbled backward and caught himself on the ship railing.

"You want--teach me that technique?"

The boy's head seemed to spin. With that kind of power, he could do anything. But how would he practice? The crew was so kind to him, and the art was so terrifying, he couldn't possibly--

No. Hiro straightened himself up. This was exactly the kind of training he dreamed of. He knew, come what may, if he walked away from this, he would regret it for thee rest of his life. He lifted his mug, his face resolute.

"Yo-ho!"

He clanked his mug against Ro's and took a swig. He then coughed out what he drank. So that's what alcohol tasted like!

"Wait, what?" Skyra did not like what Griffon just told him. "I do not seek to challenge everyone. Why would you assume that." Skyra noticed he was getting a bit tense. He tried to calm himself down a bit. "I'm sorry if my words seem a bit... angry for lack of a better word. I'm not looking to challenge Hiro, it's just that earlier I tried to find a Scrauser colony by myself, and Hiro followed me there, insulted all of the colony's residents, and almost got us killed. I'm sorry if you think I am "challenging everyone" but that is not the case OWW!!!"

It was then that he looked back after someone threw a bottle at his head. Of coarse, it started to bleed, but he didn't see who it was. Still, Skyra got pissed. "Is THIS what I have to put up with with you humans!?" he asked. "Am I just on here so you can throw bottles at me and use me as your stupid punching bag!? I've had enough! Do not think I will tolerate that any longer!"

They had been sailing for a number of hours so Rro laughed at the pig man's remark, "Thats fine, just swim back then!" Rro laughed before turning back to Hiro, "I would love to teach you, but not now, at midnight everyone on the ship goes to bed except the two guys working the night shift." He paused thinking of how long it would take to get to the Garden, "I will teach you in exchange for three favors, no matter what they are you must follow them as I say." Rro chugged half of his drink and belched, "So meet me one hour after midnight and we will train two hours every night, if you can agree to my terms."

Rro shooed the boy away and went back to steering the ship, eventually someone came and took over but the next time Rro would be on deck would be around one in the morning, he knew exactly what at least one of the favors would be. He could feel that it may be beneficial that the crew may need to get lighter before they headed into the sea of arms, and a two blood artists would be more then enough to help achieve this. But how would he do it, take over the ship? Have the crew walk the plank? Leave them at port? He ad promised riches to Iveth, stories to Griffon, and fighting skills to Hiro. No one else was needed, unless the slab of bacon could prove himself useful.

When the bottle clanked against the desk her immediate glare darted to Rro and spat, "Stop littering on my ship! If you don't know how to throw a bottle away then don't drink at all!" She knew that eventually she'd tire of him and his attitude, but it was saddening that she couldn't just skin off the map and get along with the search. Then she wouldn't have to deal with his cockiness or his foul mouth.

Having gotten a rest early Iveth was up at midnight, finding that she couldn't take in another minute of sleep. Of course this had been planned. Her cautiousness didn't ease off and she trusted herself to make sure that none of them would get crafty on her ship.

Iveth stood with the man at the helm that happened to be Estéban and picked up a bit of conversation, however she was halted by the arrival of Rro on her deck. Now what was this..? Since she hadn't been noticed yet she took it to herself to watch. It would be a pleasure to catch him red handed, but if not it was still wise to look out.

Hiro climbed to the upper deck and looked around. He saw no one but Ro, and so stepped quietly over to him. upon reaching him, he put both of his hands to his sides and gave him a deep and low bow.

"I am ready," he said softly. He stood back up, his resolute face still trembling lightly at the prospect of the terrifying art he was soon to learn.

"I aint going swimming," Skyra responded. "I just want you to know I won't exactly take abuse standing on my spears." Skyra started to wonder if Iveth was worth following these idiots, cause he had no real use for treasure... unless they found something pretty that Skyra might like.

Everyone had gone to sleep, had been the last to leave deck and Rro had been waiting a top the ships deck. "Welcome Hiro," Rro smiled, "From now on you may refer to me as master, but only during training." Rro walked over to the edge of the ship looking out at the sea. There was a barrel next to him with a harpoon in it, the rope of the harpoon was fairly long and may have or may not have brought questions to Hiro's mind what it was for.

"First test," Rro patted the small fighter on the back, "every good ninja, pirate, and water or blood user... Knows how to swim." Rogers grip tightened on the back of the kids outfit and he tossed him over board. Laughing the pirate watched the boy hit the water, "lessons will begin with one hour of swimming a night!" This was no normal water he was swimming in, it was ice cold! Not to mention this was the 'falling' sea, so the undertow sucking Hiro under was unusually strong.

Rogers placed the barrel on the ships railing incase the boy really did start to drown. It was no where near Rro's intention to kill him. No his intentions were far more brutal! Push him to his limit every night, at least until they got into the exploding sea, that would make him strong. That would make him ready for what mental, and spiritual force he was about to be put threw by learning to control water and blood alike. "Sinking there?" He laughed as the boy struggled to keep above the surface.