Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Across the Sea [closed]

Shoving at Calico's chest Ryiah rose, lifting her eyebrows. "Captain, I have already bested you at dice, and crossed blades with you. If you think I am too fragile to play with a bit of snow, then I don't know what I am going to have to do to show you." Smirking she took one more gulp of the drink, enjoying it more with every sip, and absurdly felt like giggling. Was it getting to her already? Keeping the giggle in, she moved out of the room, glad she was not yet made unsteady from the drink.

When she saw the scene outside, a gasp escaped her lips, the dazzling white of the snow, the deep blue of the sea, and the lightening sky as day began anew. "It's so beautiful...." she breathed, bending low to scoop up a handful of the cold snow in her hands, marveling at the feel of it. Watching the others, she packed her handful tighter, whirled and flung the snowball in Calico's direction.

Calico grinned seeing his teasing had indeed gotten her into the mood to join. He hid behind a mast to avoid becoming the target of her ball thrown his way. Then, it was time for retaliation indeed.

He bend down lower, grabbing a handful of snow and crushing it together.

"Let see if I get you this time... " grinned Calico, aiming it at the princess, and chuckling loudly when he did indeed hit her, without major harm but enough to tease her further

"Keep up, your highness... don't tell me you lost your skill upon wearing a fancy dress... that won't do for a warrior princess..." egged on Calico

Having turned to grab another handful of snow, Ryiah shrieked as she was beaned in the chest by Calico's excellent aim. She giggled, nearly falling backward. "Just try that again pirate!" She called, running a bit closer to better increase her chances of hitting the rogue.

All around her snow was flying by those of the ship not engaged in sailing her. The scene was a merry one, and lightened the mood considerably for the time being.

Before she could even throw however, her foot slipped on an icy patch of decking and she went down with a crash and a fit of surprised laughter.

Oh gads

"Well your majesty with such an outstanding aim, I better not leave a dagger at your hands, you might just stab yourself without anyone's help" chuckled Calico ducking from his overly keen crew that also aimed at him, well used to become a common target of their vanter.

Morgan and his men kept the ship rowing at a steady yet gentle pace, careful to avoid blocks of ice that could damage the helm, doing their best to duck out of the way from the battle of snowballs that had unleashed on deck.

Taff on the other hand emerged from below deck carrying blankets and wooly hooded long sleeved vests for the crew and the enslaved prisoners alike.

On this occasion, Taff dressed solemn and sober, deciding to match his rightful place by wearing a long black hooded thick cloak, the inner of it sporting a dark purple colour, the hood itself long enough to reach his waist from the back, worthy and proper of the most powerful sorcerer and warlock indeed, the last dragonlord. It but took a few spoken words and golden eyes to watch the melt snow whenever it came his way.

Calico chuckled, tossing another ball her way to further her embarrassment, loosing his footing briefly with a patch of ice

Ryiah had regained her feet, and now grinned as Calico slipped on the very same patch she had , though he seemed to keep his feet a bit better. "Just remember rogue that you have had more experience with this cold stuff than I. Should our situations be reversed, I would most likely be creaming you. With that she let fly another volley, this time two in a row, hoping at least one would hit. She aimed one at Taff as well, who arrived back on deck, but the warlock only melted the snowball before it reached him. Ryiah grinned, the play warming her even more, her cheeks tinged red from the cold and her eyes merry.

Calico stood upright at her protest, and her intent to hit him yet again and threw another snowball

"Final one, my dear, I shan't assault your highness again" assured Calico tossing the ball and watching it as it hit her yet again, coming closer to the princess, arms extended widely and presenting his chest for an easier and closer target, soon pelted by most of him

"Whoa whoa watch it you scallywags... this is an assault on your captain" scoffed Calico in a teasing voice

"Your final turn...after this... everyone goes back to work" barked Calico letting her have a final shot

Gasping from the sudden chill of the last snowball the pirate threw her way, some of it falling down inside the front of her dress. Pressing her hands to her breast she blinked and laughed, cheeks blushing. "So cold!" She exclaimed before she gave a wide smile to Calico's offer. Ryiah bent to scoop up the biggest armful of snow she could manage to pick up and form into a semblance of a ball. Moving right up to Calico Jack, she proceeded to splat the entirety of it atop his head.

A bit damp now from the snow play, she wiped her sleeve across her face, and took a deep breath, feeling very alive from the cold and the exercise. Moving to the railing she leaned over to look down at the ice chunks which floated by, the ship sliding through the frigid waters. Lifting her gaze, she saw they had nearly reached the mountain, most of which was covered in thick snow. Taking a deep breath she readied herself for a difficult journey to find the last seed.

Taff smiled warmly at the playful pair, his face growing weary as they approached the island.

"Come then, follow me, step where I step, one foot out of place you could set off an avalanche, then we might end up stranded on the island" warned Taff leading the way to the row boat, glad to be wearing the warm warlock outfit he rarely if ever wore

Ryiah's own playfulness slipped away as well, seeing the mountain looming before them. Settling into the rowboat, shouldering a small pack she'd put together ahead of time with a bit of food and water, as well as rope and her knife, Ryiah lifted her chin to gaze toward the mountain peak.

"Where did you say the see was Taff? At the top in a glacier?" She asked softly, wondering how they'd ever reach it. "Do we have any of those.... " she tried to think of the word for the contraptions she'd heard of which made walking in snow easier, "snowshoes?"

She shivered, her dragon's blood causing the cold to bite through her quickly when she stopped moving. As they rowed she tied her hair back into a braid, a fiery red strand down her back, contrasting with the deep blue of her dress. She gazed down at her dress, wishing for pants for the trek.

"We could never make it atop on foot, princess... the pressure of our bodies will force the snow downwards before we even have a chance to reach the seed at its very top. We need to ride an ice dragon that can fly us to the very tip, without touching it" explained Taff looking at her meaningfully "That means I must lock away your fire and change it into ice... essence change can be done but, I will need a little time to recover so it will be up to you and your rider to make it happen..." explained Taff taking out a locket

"Magic of old and magic of new, what was is no more but the opposite is now true... lock the fire essence that was and release ice instead There ... the spell is cast... should you choose to wear it. Remember, the enchantment won't last long so make it to the top, fast as you can, you´ll have no memories of us either but you're a dragon, your very greedy nature will take you to the gem stone..." muttered Taff holding the diamond and white gold necklace amulet out to her. "Try not to eat him..." advised Taff briefly watching Calico gawk at the final comment

"You can't toss me to a beast and land its breakfast..." protested Calico looking at the princess "Besides, it would be most disrespectful to sit on a princess... goodness knows that's only for her husband to do" huffed Calico resorting to honor boundaries to skip on the task if he could, not at all comfortable with the idea

He glanced up at the height of it, the looming mountain imposing and looking quite deadly and frozen as it was majesty to gaze at, the steam slipping from his lips as he spoke and turned his gaze at the princess.

"If you highness commands, then I've no choice but let it be said I was merely following orders..." remarked Calico rubbing his hands together to try keep them a little warmer, blowing into his palms and rubbing them some more

Ryiah listened to Taff until he finished, wordlessly looking to the mountain. She wondered if she would ever be fully in control of her dragon side, or if she waa doomed to always forget, to be greedy, and to serve the whim of her rider. Shrugging off the morose thoughts she looked at Calico, her chim set and eyes glittering. "We don't have much of a choice." She told him. "Besides, I will not be the princess when you ride me, but a dragoness." She lifted an eyebrow at him, "not the same thing at all."

With that, she swallowed hard and then took a breath, placing the necklace aroumd her neck. As soon as it touched the skin of her chest, she felt icy cold peirce her to the core, seeming to blot out all the warmth within her. She gasped at the pain of it, her skin quickly becoming even more pale and lightly tinged with blue. Shivers momentarily wracked her body violently and she had to grip the side of the boat until suddenly, the coldness was gone, the pain was gone. Instead she felt odd.. at home in this weather.. and all too hot in the warm dress she wore.

Turning to look at the others she spoke, her voice a bit frosty. "It is done. I am ready for the shift. Let us do this, the third seed awaits." She put Calico's cloak upon his lap, then gave him a glance. "I expect that to be returned when I need it again, as I am sure this dress will not survive the adventure."

Calico nodded taking up a golden rope and the lightning rod too.

"Ready when you are" nodded Calico satisfied with her explanation.

Taff stood still, casting a spell to summon dusk and plunge them all into darkness. He stood up and spoke the words to awaken the dragoness under the moonlight.

"It is done" muttered Taff retreating cautiously watching Calico waste no time to time the rope and jump onto the beast

"Fly, up, up, we go" nodded Calico

Ryiah thought she was ready for the change, having experienced it before, yet as her conciousness evaporated, sucked to the back of Sendara's mind as the dragon's body took shape, tearing the beautiful dress to shreds, Ryiah felt the flickering stab of pain once again, a gasp escaping before she was changed.

Finally, Sendara emerged into conciousness, the change complete more rapidly than it would seem. Still an ebony hue, she was tinged now with blue rather than her usual purple, eyes still the bright orange of her human form. Shaking her mighty head as if to shake off the last the vestiges of Ryiah's presence she lifted her great wings totake flight, suddenly feeling Calico Jack's legs clamp tightly near her neck. A new golden rope searing through her mind to take hold of it, forming the bond to the rider quickly. She growled in irritation, spitting a wickedly sharp icicles in a circle around her. But then a command was given to fly up the mountain, and despite her confusion and anger she found her muscles obeying, wings lifting them off the ground and away at a rapid pace.

She reveled in the frigid air which drafted downward and around her body, filling her with exuberance amd excitement. Always she loved the flight, her gaze sharp with glee tempered by annoyance that she had to share the sky with the one on her back. Turning her head she eyed him as she continued her flight up, seeing him sitting astride, holding the blasted rope. Still, the joy of flight was hers, and she knew that the peak of the mount treasure awaited. She could see its glow from here, her keen hues looking ahead.

"Yaaahoooo" shouted Calico excited, patting the dragon's neck gently, feeling the strong scales and the mighty force of its wings battling against the currents. It was indeed a sensation of freedom and the thrill of adventure in its own right

"Whoa what I would give to be a bird or a dragon..." muttered Calico keeping a tight grip on the lighting rod to absorb the raging blizzards and storms from the gem stone and leave it free for the dragon to take

The views were indeed breathtaking, dark skies, white moon, reflecting upon the crystal blue waters upon which the vessel rested still. The oil lamps could be seen from a distance, and the crew, wrapped up in the wooly vests went about chores such as fishing, cleaning nets, tensing ropes though few of them on deck, as even the army slaves had been taken below deck for warmth and protection, sick men did little work after all.

From a distance you could hear their merry making as they sung, and clapped and stomped their feet, some dancing away in the stupor of mild drunkeness, rum flowing abundantly to fight the bitter cold.

At the crow's nest, Rufus was keeping a still hand on the spyglass always watchful for dangers close and afar alike,
it was a sight that could paint a thousand portrays, last but not least, there was simply Taff, a dark, imposing if misterious figure with a druid staff and warlock robes. One would do well to approach with caution, yet there he stood, still, by the icy shore. A figure clearly cursed with loneliness.

"Go on ... Sendara... go get your treasure" encouraged Calico, his knees tight against the dragon's neck yet his arms extended and wide opened to feel the icy wind and flowing air from the flight.

The swirling beating winds of the blizzard grew as their altitude rose, nearly powerful enough to knock the pirate off of Sendara's back had he not been absorbing some of its power with the rod he held high. Sendara beat her mighty wings, compelles faster by her rider's urging and closing in on the peak, at its tip the orb glittering compellingly. She curved around, the blizzard abating where she flew as Calico Jack absorbed it, else even her might wings would struggle. Her talons outstretched, hovering momentarily until they snatched the seed from the tip of the mountain, claiming her treasure with a roar of glee.

With that, the blizzard vanished as if it had never been and Sendara's wings beat as she moved back from the mountain's peak, circling as she gazed down at the treasure clutched in her paws. With the nabbing of it, she was momentarily distracted from all else, her flight turning into a glide as they coasted out over the sea.

She could hear the sounds coming from below, the merry noises from the ship. Her gaze tore from the seed then to look toward the ship, angry it was near and destroying her peace. Swooping suddenly low in a sharp dive Sendara intended to hail the ship with a volley of her icy blast.

"No no no, Sendara, leave the ship alone for now and leave the silver gem with the warlock" scolded Calico patting the beast's neck "We have a prettier one to collect you know..." enticed Calico

"See... over there... where the snow melts and it makes that big powerful waterfall, right at its bottom you'll find the gem. The green gem... We need to fly very very high to the top of the waterfall and then dive down straight into the bottom of the lake where the waterfall ends. Think you can pull it off?" asked Calico wondering if the dragon heard and understood

"No no no, Sendara, leave the ship alone and drop the silver gem to the warlock" scolded Calico patting the beast's neck

"We have a prettier one to collect you know..." enticed Calico

"See... over there... where the snow melts and it makes a very powerful waterfall, right at its bottom you'll find the gem. The green gem... We need to fly very very high then dive down straight into the lake where the waterfall ends. Think you can pull it off?" asked Calico wondering if the dragon heard and understood

Sendara turned her course reluctantly, following the pirates commands, her gaze going to the waterfall. She snorted in derision at the question of her rider. Could she? She would show him her prowess... the thought of yet another seed caused the treasure hungry glint to return to her gaze.

Before heading to the falls however she swooped low over the warlock, loathe to release the silver seed, yet at Calico's command she felt her coveted treasure release from her talons to allow it to fall toward Taff. Angry she snorted, shooting another volley of icicles into the air.

Then, gathering her wings she beat them furiously, sending both dragon and rider shooting upward, higher and higher until they were nearly level once more with rhe mountains peak, the waterfall seeming small beneath them. Sendara turned her mighty neck and looked at Calico Jack, a gleam in her eye. Her voice would slide into her mind, feminine yet as strong as steel, and icy cold. I will show you only a fraction what I can pull off, tiny one." her voice slightly mocking, though tinged with reluctant respect pulled from her by the rope. Hold on, lest you meet your doom in the fall.

Without giving Calico another moment to pondet her words or her intent she folded her wings, surprisingly agile for her size, and the two sped toward the gushing water below, picking up speed until the reached velocity, the water powering towards them all too quickly. Sendara reveled in the thrilling fall, a roar escaping her maw.

Thene they hit the water, Sendara's head and shoulders breaking the water a bit for Calico, though the force of the entrance still overwhelmingly powerful. She had gauged the dive perfectly, entering the lake just where the waterfalls spray cast far and wide, the thunderous falls meeting the cold lake.

Sendara felt the chilly water but it only served to invigorate her more. Opening her eyes under the water, their dive taking them well below the surface, very near the bottom, she saw the gleaming green seed just there, grabbimg hold with her talons in a quick swipe. Then, back up to the surface they shot, sending water cascading into the air as she propelled from the water, beating her wings to gain some distance, clutching the seed tightly.

It was only then that she turned her intense gaze back to see if her rider still clung to her back.

Calico shook his head to try to get some of the dripping water from his hair and face

"Don't loose the treasure uh? It´s yours after all" encouraged Calico to compensate for the reluctant drop earlier. "That was... breathtaking.... Sendara. I'm sorry I questioned you" coughed Calico soaked and shivering, his teeth chattering at the wind and water, amidst the icy wind, though the snow was slowly melting for lack of gem to summon the wintry spell.

"For a moment I almost lost my grip too but it was... very... exciting. You're majestic and perfect..." praised Calico patting her neck gently, giving it a hug and kissing the scales, clearly in love with his new pet of sorts.

"I could use some air to dry up a little... you know...there's so much icy water I can take..." admitted Calico resting his cheek against the back of his beast's neck simply cuddling it

"Wish we could stay like this forever you know, surfing the seas and the winds.... feeling freedom at its best, but we have to go back... Taff is waiting for us, so best we dive down and let you change form..." muttered Calico looking down at the insignificantly small dot that was the warlock who held the silver gem to attract the dragon back