[First Flight] [Audio]

[bbskypirate]

[The communicator clatters to the floor and turns on, probably thanks to a miscalculated stretch, and just catches a groan.]

Sky above… What happened? I- The weather vortex, the Caterbird…

[Wait. This isn't the Edgedancer.

There’s the sound of the door being pulled open, and Twig calling out as he goes down the hall, although his voice is softer

Comments

[brittlenerves]

H-- hey? Hello? Uhm--

[Xanth raises his voice a little to attract the boy's attention.]

H-Hey! C-- come b-back!

[bbskypirate]

[Twig hears the voice coming from behind him, and with a fire burning in front of him, retreating sounds like a good idea. He hurries back... only too see nobody there, just the open door of the cabin he left. He tries his best to keep calm.]

Hello? Who's there? The fire - we have to get out of here!

[brittlenerves]

[This person is new. Okay. First the fire, then address other things.]

W-Well, uhm, no, just-- t-take a second. B-Breathe. The-the fire is a-ac-- actually n-normal, and i-it doesn't spread or b-burn anything a--away, so, it's safe. B-But it is real f-fire so don't t-touch it!

[bbskypirate]

The fire... doesn't spread? It just stays there?

[Pause as Twig sticks his head back out into the hallway to take another look at the fire... and, right enough, it doesn't seem to be spreading at all, despite how brightly its burning. Huh.]

I've never heard of or seen anything like that before.

[brittlenerves]

I-I know... th-this was the-- the first time I-I'd ever seen a-anything like it, e-either.

I-I, um, I'm X-- I'm Xanth.

[bbskypirate]

[The mystery of just where in Sky Xanth's voice is coming from is solved when Twig spots the comm and picks it up. A strange device, but he gets the basic principle. Now that the comm is closer to him, his voice is a lot clearer.]

My name is Twig. I'm Captain of the Edgedancer. Even though these aren't the best circumstances, it's nice to meet you, Xanth.

I don't remember how I got here, or what happened to my ship and my crew. Do you know what happened? We were out in Open Sky, so I don't know how this ship found us.

[Yeah, until all is explained he's going to assume Xanth is part of the crew.]

[brittlenerves]

[A reasonable, if incorrect, assumption! Xanth takes a breath and readies himself for explaining things to another newbie. You poor soul.]

O-Okay, well, T-- Twig. You're on a sh-- ship called th-- the M.S. E-Elegante, and you... can't g-go home. I-I'm sorry. I-I don't know why, o-or how, b-because-- well-- th-the crew doesn't s-say much.

[bbskypirate]

So you are not part of the crew? I see.

[Twig's disappointment is evident; he'd been hoping that Xanth could get him to see the captain of this vessel. From what he's hearing, he's beginning to suspect that the captain is a slaver.]

Where are we bound?

[Right now he's not too worried about the 'you can't go home' part. After all, surely it's just a matter of getting off this sky ship and finding another to take him and his crew back to Undertown?

Poor naive Twig.]

[brittlenerves]

The Golden Shore. I-- I don't know m-much more than-- than that, but, uh, th-- things a-are free here, n-no paying for anything, a-and it's... p-pretty peaceful? U-Usually.

[bbskypirate]

[Okay. Little fighting, and presumably food and clothing. He can work with this.]

Thank you for telling me all this, Xanth. I hope for all our sakes that we arrive at this Golden Shore soon.

[brittlenerves]

Nnno problem. W-- We all do.

--o-oh, and, uhm, there's food on decks... f-four and, uhm, n-nine and ten. F-Four has a buffet, a-and, uh, nine and ten have-- h-have a restaurant w-where you can order stuff. O-Other passengers run it s-so it's usually fresher.

[bbskypirate]

Thank you again! I'll be sure to keep that in mind.