[LOG] In Which Cannons Are Charged Several Times
Dramatis Personae: Dinah, Molly, Gilgamesh, Cyrus
Setting: A few shadows over from Shu-Fen
The Ten of Swords leaves the river behind and heads out to sea. The pearl has been delivered to Prince Benedict who has requested that the ship stay in the area for a while to assist in the patrols against further Black Road incursions. The sky is clear and the waters are calm.
Gilgamesh appears on deck. "Headache finally gone...."
Molly climbs up on deck, yawning. "Any more monsters out here?"
Dinah is at the helm once more, hair still drying from the dip in the ocean. "Afternoon," is chimed to Gilgamesh and Molly as they appear.
Gilgamesh says, "So...when is this adventure going to start?"
Cyrus handles the rigging at the foremast again. He hums a shanty as he does so.
Molly leans against the railing and looks out over the water, enjoying the view. She spares a moment for a glare at Gilgamesh, and a snort.
Seabirds sweep over the ship in great circles.
"You missed the terrible beastie, Gilgamesh," Dinah calls down after her own snort. "But I'm sure that we can find another for you, if you'd like.
Prince Benedict said something about dragons..."
Cyrus says, "He did, didn't he?"
Gilgamesh says, "Wha'? I slept through it? Why didn't you wake me?"
Molly heads wheelwards. "Dragons? She asks, entirely too eagerly."
Dinah lifts a brow to Gil. "We were trying very hard NOT TO DIE at the moment." To Molly, she nods. "Aye. Dragons."
Cyrus says, "I guess we'd better make sure the cannons are topped off. Because, y'know...dragons."
Gilgamesh says, "Because, you know, they're bad guys."
Molly nods. "We're down two guns. Not so good if there's dragons." She snickers, "Unless you think sleepyhead here can make up the difference."
As the ship moves on and the land disappears behind the horizon, the number of birds in the sky drops sharply.
"Except that one Benedict was helping out," Dinah says with a nod. "Maybe. But, either way, it's good to have the Cannons ready to go." She considers Gilgamesh for a moment. "Think you could wrestle a dragon, dearie?"
Cyrus smirks, "He survived you, Darling."
Gilgamesh says, "What, and give my father Haley? I think I'll just shoot it."
Molly moseys herself down to her guns and pulls herself up into the rigging. She shouts down, "We got shook up a bit earlier, I' gonna check out the 'rods. Make sure they're still sturdy up there."
Dinah nods to Molly, giving the woman a grin before glaring at Cyrus. "Are you saying I'm a horrible beastie?"
Cyrus blows Dinah a kiss. "Not horrible, Love." He winks. "You need me to help nature along?" He points to the pristine, blue sky.
Molly is back in her element. She moves deftly across the ropes and up the main mast. She yanks and rattles at the lightning rods and makes a few adjustments.
Gilgamesh arches a brow at Cyrus.
Dinah sighs, and turns her cheek towards the blown kiss. She glances up to the sky herself, then nods. "Aye. Not too big of a storm, hmm, luv? Wouldn't want to make the landlubber go green on us."
Cyrus salutes Dinah, "Aye, Captain." He winks at Gil and moves to the port side. "I hope those aren't your nice clothes," he says as he reaches into a pouch at his belt.
Gilgamesh says, "You'll see those at your wedding."
Cyrus brings his hand out of the pouch in a fist. He flings his arm out over the railing and several small stones fly out into the water.
Molly finishes checking up on the rods and slides her way down a rope, she grabs hold of another one and flips end over end on her way down to the deck, grinning like a loon. "Hey Gil", she pipes as she drops down next to him. "Think I could teach yer girlfriend something about rope dancing?"
The sky along the eastern horizon darkens.
Gilgamesh says, "Would not exactly bother me, no."
Dinah's lips curl into a smile at the sound of the rocks hitting the surface of the water and sinking below the waves. "I love this," she says into the air, lifting her head and closing her eyes.
Cyrus moves to the mainmast and orders the two crewmen to man the foremast. Wind blows through his short hair as he inspects the sails and the rigging from the deck. He actually wets his finger, then, and holds it up to test the wind.
Molly stations herself beside her guns, getting them ready.
Gilgamesh disappears belowdecks.
Molly glares at the retreating Gilgamesh. "What the...?"
Cyrus looks back to the wheelhouse with a raised brow and a shrug.
Molly looks up to the sky, assessing. She tugs her hat down firmly on her head and flips up the wide collar of her overcoat, then bends back down to her work.
Dinah lifts both of her brows, watching Gilgamesh go below decks. She shrugs to Cyrus, then tightens her bandana. "Let's do this, then," she calls out.
Cyrus adjusts the mainsail and follows Dinah's orders closely so that they are heading into the storm at top speed. The winds whip around the deck and the waves rise and fall like great, grey hills. Flashes of light can be seen in the distance accompanied by low rumbles.
Gilgamesh reappears from belowdecks, coat on, hood up, and armed with what is likely a bow.
Molly finishes up her prep work and rises. She looks out appreciatively at the darkening water and sky, her hands rise into the wind, catching at it for a moment and a laugh, full of joy bursts from her lips.
"Welcome back, Gil," Dinah says with a grin. She holds to the spokes of the wheel tightly, and her hair dances wildly behind her. Molly isn't the only one laughing, the sound of Dinah's traveling over the deck.
Cyrus is working hard at the rigging and exhorting the other crewmen to do the same but he's got a grin as he does it. As the ship gets closer to the lightning, Cyrus's eyes flash in time to the strikes.
Gilgamesh waves the bow. He pulls out what appears to be a candle, and wedges it in between a belaying pin and the railing.
The winds seem to blow in from all directions but Dinah and the crew keep the ship headed straight into the heart of the storm. The area of greatest lightning is dead ahead. Heavy rain pours from the sky onto the deck as if a switch has been flipped. Soon the rain is flying sideways.
Molly climbs up onto the railing for a better view, grabbing onto a rope for balance. She looks out into the eye of the storm and waits.
Dinah lifts her brows as Gilgamesh brings out a...candle. She doesn't ask, or comment, just concentrates on keeping the Ten on her course. Another laugh rolls out, and Dinah's eyes brighten to a dazzling blue. "No getting hit this time, Stormcrow," she reminds, as lightning touches down a scant few feet from the bow.
Cyrus says, "Aye, Captain," in a conversational tone but he can be heard clearly across the deck.
Gilgamesh hunches over and lights the candle. When he backs up, the weather doesn't put it out. It doesn't even waver the flame.
The flame is not touching the wood.
The Ten does not go up in flames.
Molly glances down curiously at Gil's flame, but soon looks back up to keep tabs on the lightning.
Gilgamesh says, "Um...guys. " He takes out a spool of flexible wire and winds one end around the candle. "Is there supposed to be a guy with a trident up there taking notice of us? Cause I'm not used to this procedure these days."
Lightning strikes the water near the ship. Then another strike and another. The lightning rods begin to hum in sympathy.
Cyrus looks out towards the storm. "What?!?" he asks. He scans the turbulent skies.
Gilgamesh uncovers the bow, begins to twist the lever that tightens the string. "I think we're attracting attention on high."
Molly looks at Gil, brows drawn down. Her eyes widen and she looks around wildly. She jumps back down to the deck, and taking a cue from Gil reaches down for her crossbow.
The sound of thunder is a constant thing now. Then BLAM! a blue-white bolt strikes one of the rods and power courses into the attached gun. The rod glows a brilliant yellow and begins slowly cooling to orange.
Cyrus's hair stands on end and he blinks a couple of times before straining to catch as much wind as possible with the sails.
Molly drops her crossbow and pulls herself up into the rigging. As she reaches the softly glowing rod she pulls on a single heavy glove and yanks the rod out of it's seat at the cannon. She slides down, repositioning the rod in a safer place. She calls down to Cyrus, "I did mention we only had two guns down, right? Only you might be over-doing things here."
Gilgamesh attaches the wire to an arrow, then notches and pulls back, closing his eyes and concentrating on something.
Cyrus shouts over to Molly. "I didn't do it! I don't know what's going on!"
Molly shouts, "Not good!" and scrambles back up into the rigging to watch over the other rod. Her body sways on the ropes in the wind, but she barely seems to take notice of it."
Gilgamesh launches the arrow into the storm. The wire is almost like string...maybe it's fine chain. It arcs out...then lightning zaps it, and there's a glowing filiment as the wire burns away. There's also an exploding candle, very small droplets of wax spreading out in a fifteen foot radius as the candle goes out. "CRAP," is Gil's only reply.
The clouds in one section of sky darken further and begin to form into a large man with a trident. Very large. A booming voice says, "WHO DARES TO CALL STORMS IN MY DOMAIN?"
Gilgamesh's reply is mostly lost in the wind. "That Black Rrr.....Mage....over...there......"
Molly glares up at the sky. "I thought you were kidding she yells down to Gil."
"I don't think this is good," Dinah whispers, though it carries well over the sounds of the storm.
Gilgamesh shakes his head.
Cyrus shouts, "Oh, come on!"
Dinah mutters to herself, "... go... said...."
Molly points a finger up to the sky and tells Dinah, "That is not a dragon, Boss."
Gilgamesh squints, trying to make SOMETHING out.
The trident-wielding giant booms, "YOU HAVE NOT PAID TRIBUTE."
Gilgamesh says, "Does he want rum? Cookies?"
Dinah offers, "The blood of innocents?"
Cyrus snorts, "Good luck with that.'
The wind stops.
Molly yells down, "Just to clarify, someone just told me yesterday I wasn't passing as innocent! Just in case anyone has any funny ideas."
Dinah looks up at the sails, as if silently praying that they've got their own personal wind propelling them.
The Ten of Swords is now in the eye of a great storm. All is calm nearby but a wall of cloud, rain, wind, and lightning courses around her.
Dinah nods to Molly. "Aye. Too many recreational knots for you!"
The giant with the trident is nowhere to be seen.
Gilgamesh says, "Well. Are we charged?"
Molly shakes her head. "We just got one." She looks from face to face. "Not that I'm suggesting we hang around or anything."
Cyrus tries desperately to angle the sails so they can catch a scrap of wind but there is no moving air to be found. Even voice and other sounds seem muffled.
Gilgamesh says, "If we get moving, I can shadow-shift......"
The booming voice comes from every direction. "YOUR SHIP WILL DO NICELY. GO, MY CHILDREN. TAKE THE TRIBUTE."
"Um. I hate to break it to you, Tall and Grouchy, but you're NOT taking this ship," is said by Dinah, her voice calm and reasonable.
Gilgamesh notches another arrow. Or ballista bolt, depending on your view.
Molly drops lightly out of the rigging onto the deck. She hurries to the guns, grabbing up her crossbow from the deck along the way.
Lightning sparks out from various places along the wall of cloud. Every place on the water that it hits forms a roughly man-sized creature made of electricity. They move along the water making loud crackling sounds as they do so.
Molly takes a step backwards despite herself. "Boss," she says quietly, though her voice carries strongly through the silence. "I don't know if the guns are gonna work on them."
Gilgamesh frowns, ties another chain to the arrow. Moves towards the remaining uncharged gun.
Dinah is a bit wide eyed, for a brief moment. "No, Molly, I don't think they will," she says, her own voice carrying. She looks to Cyrus. "Suggestions?"
Cyrus has left the rigging behind and looks out over the water. He begins to speak and then looks to Gilgamesh, "No, but I think I see what he's thinking."
The lightning creatures are soon joined by beings made of dark cloud. Each of those is followed by a vortex of air that picks up sea water as it dances along the surface.
Cyrus looks up to the sky and shouts, "Your kids suck!"
Molly looks back and forth between the two men. "well I sure don't. Would you like to share? Or you two wanna handle this on your lonesome?"
Gilgamesh attaches the other end of the chain to the lightning rod on the uncharged cannon.
Gilgamesh says, "Well, you wanna charge your cannon or not?"
Cyrus unclips his crossbow and shrugs. He levels it and aims it at one of the cloud creatures. He fires and the bolt goes cleanly through it. "Figures," he says.
Molly Grins Hugely. "Oh, yes. Yea I do!"
Gilgamesh stands ground. Er, wood. And pulls back, lets fly at the nearest of the lightning creatures.
The arrow flies from Gil's bow and passes through the lightning man. Once the attached chain makes contact with the electricity, it goes taut and sparks travel up the metal. The lightning creature grows smaller as the lightning rod begins to glow.
Gilgamesh says, "THAT experiment worked......"
Cyrus shouts toward Gil. "Holy crap! You're a genius!"
Molly's eyes gleam, and a wide grin takes over her face. "Again!" She shouts gleefully.
Molly looks up at Gil. "Don't tell Haley, but right now I *love* you."
Gilgamesh mouths sideways, "Shoot the cloud beasties."
Gilgamesh preps another arrow. Checks the amount of wire. "Crap."
Molly moves to her first gun, saying, "Once that one reads full, follow behind me and recharge the ones I fire." She pauses at his exclamation. "Problem?" She aims at one of the water creatures.
Muttering to Molly, Gilgamesh's voice is singsong. "Don't know if I have enough wiiiire......."
Gilgamesh preps the wire on the cannon about to be shot.
Molly peers at Gil. "Over by the wheelhouse," She says, waving a hand dismissively. "I brought some extra on board to help with the rods." She continues to aim. "Send a deckhand." She pops her head up "You! Swabbie!" she shouts. "Fetch us that bundle of wire over by the Captain." she finishes aiming. "Fire when ready?" she asks.
Gilgamesh says, "Go for it before they do."
The various creatures continue to close in on The Ten of Swords.
Molly shouts, "Fire!" and sets of the cannon, peering over it eagerly. "This had better work!"
Gilgamesh pulls as soon as the cannon discharges, and fires the wire-tapped arrow at another electric monstrosity.
The crewman drops a large coil of wire at Gilgamesh's feet.
Lightning crackles and flows in two directions. The blast from the cannon reaches the cloud monster first and causes a loud BANG! along with a geyser of steam. There is no more cloud creature. The juice from the lightning monster is sucked into the cannon's charging rod.
Gilgamesh blinks. "I'm dreaming this. This can't be that ....I mean, yeah, circle of life and all, but this is too literal...." He preps another arrow.
Molly mumbles to Gil, "Just keep shooting. I'm going to run out of cannons long before we're back to full on them."
Molly and Gilgamesh fall into a rhythm which nicely decreases the number of lightning and cloud creatures but there are a lot of them and it's obvious that some of the things will reach the ship before they're all gone.
Gilgamesh thrums away.
A few cloud and lightning creatures reach the ship and begin climbing up the hull.
Molly shouts as she continues firing on the water beings, "A little help over here! We've got company! Anybody..."
Cyrus leaps toward the railing and says, "Hey, that's gonna leave a mark!" He grabs some of Molly's wire along the way and wraps it around a sheathed dagger which he tosses to Molly. "Get this onto the rod!" he shouts.
Molly gives a hairy-eyeball to Cyrus but uses the wire to bind the dagger to the rod.
Cyrus wraps the rest of the wire around another dagger which he then plunges into the railing right in the middle of a lightning beast. He jumps backward as if he had just thrust his hand into a being made entirely of electricity.
Sparks shoot up the wire and into the cannon near Molly.
Cyrus shakes his hand and walks backwards to the wheelhouse. "How long did Nyx say the water breathing was going to last? Next sunup?" He turns to Dinah. "I think I know how to get the wind back in our sails." He's grinning. It's a dangerous grin.
Molly checks the gauge. "Well *that* worked amazingly well! Move on, Gil. Next one." She grins at Cyrus. "No wonder the Boss likes you."
Gilgamesh preps two arrows, but on the same wire. Takes aim with two bolts on the string. Fires, sending a bolt each into one electricity creature and one mist creature. Flaps his hand in pain after firing.
Dinah looks at Cyrus like he's absolutely batshit insane and she loves him for it. "Aye. Sunup," she says with a nod. She starts pulling off her clothing, quickly. "What are you thinking, Stormcrow? Aside from me taking a swim?"
Cyrus says, "How *fast* can you swim?"
Cyrus grabs a coil of rope.
Molly unwinds the dagger and moves it to another rod. She pulls the dagger out of the railing and holds on to it in case another creature pops up close enough to use it. She bends to continue shooting at the mist creatures. "Are they about to do something incredibly stupid?" she asks Gil.
Gilgamesh says, "I don't know," as he preps more wire. "I am distinctly NOT looking at Dinah."
Molly peers over her shoulder. "Oh, my!" she says innocently. "Look at those thighs. Has she been working out?"
Gilgamesh says, "Monsters, Molly. Concentrate on the MONSTERS. Tease me after we're not dead."
Dinah considers. "I'm getting a might bit pissed off right now, so I'd say fairly fast," she decides after a moment. She is, beneath all her clothing, wearing a small set of scaled swimtrunks and a top that matches. It's almost modest. And yes, she's been working out.
Molly shrugs. "I might not have the chance later..."
Cyrus nods and tosses Dinah one end of the rope. He ties the other end to the starboard railing and says, "Ready when you are, Skipper."
Gilgamesh preps two more arrows. THRUMMMMmmmmmm. "Oh, crap!"
Gilgamesh sucks on his fingers.
Dinah salutes, and climbs up on one of the rails. The rope is wrapped around her wrist, and she takes a breath. "Maybe those whale friends of yours are about," she says over her shoulder, before swandiving into the sea.
Gilgamesh preps his last two arrows. "Not looking, not looking, not looking...."
Cyrus watches Dinah as she dives and then starts shouting. "Hey!" he says. "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, you windy bastards! You couldn't blow out a birthday candle!"
Molly startles back from her gun as an electricity creature crawls up over the railing. She nearly stumbles, but catches herself and throws the wire-wrapped dagger at it, sucking most of it into her power reserves. A little washes back along the leading wire and jumps to her arm. She giggles, as she moves and her coat crackles and sparks with the motion. "Hey Gil!" she says proudly, " I just got my hair curled!" Then she giggles like a maniac and shoots off another cannon shot.
Gilgamesh says, "Make sure to get his name this time, you can't gossip about how good he was if you have to keep numbering them...."
Gilgamesh lets loose his last two bolts, one mist, one electric.
Dinah doesn't come up for air, and whatever she's doing is lost to the dark depths of the water. But the rope she's tied to keeps going into the water behind her.
Each of Gilgamesh's bolts strikes true and the second cannon now has a full charge.
Cyrus continues shouting at the wind creatures. He has moved on to vulgarities in other languages.
The vortices begin to converge on the same spot.
Dinah keeps swimming, swimming, swimming.
Gilgamesh lodges the bow in one of the many little nooks on a ship used for lodging things, reaches into his coat with his right hand and pulls out brass knuckles, already on his fist. A seal of some sort mars the smooth surface.
Cyrus watches the area that he believes Dinah to be in. The rope suddenly goes slack beside him.
Dinah breaks the surface, finally, and when she does, it's near that forming convergence. Her voice carries over the sea, loud and angry. "Look here, you bastards! Do you have any idea who the bloody hell I am?!? I'm -Discordia-." The blue of her eyes flashes, like lightning. "And you will bloody well listen to me, you little twits, and fill my damned sails." She hisses out a word, some obscure dialect of Minosian.
The wind creatures chase Dinah but she stays just ahead of them. She reaches the ship and is assisted on board by Cyrus and the two crewmen who haul her up via rope. Wind buffets the sails and the deck crew manage to wrestle them into a configuration that will send them back into the wall of storm.
Dinah says, "I'm not quite sure they liked that!" Like it wasn't obvious.
Molly elbows Gil. "That's my Captain, that is." Her eyes are bright with pride.
From the waters just ahead of the wall, a man-sized figure rises to the surface and strides toward the ship as if he were just going for a stroll. He carries a trident and points it at the ship. He begins growing.
Molly groans. "Oh, not HIM again!"
Gilgamesh says, "Oh, that's not good."
Dinah is soaking wet, of course. "Someone get us the bloody hell out of this place! I already gave you the winds!" She shakes her finger at the sails, as proof.
The storm god calls out a word that is composed of equal parts wind and thunder. Lightning crackles around his trident and his entire form begins to glow.
Gilgamesh strides down the port side, hops up on the railing. Only slips once.
Cyrus leaps up to the wheelhouse and shouts to Gil. "Am I going to that guy or away from?"
Molly gets busy disengaging all the lightning rods, worried that something Very Bad might happen.
Gilgamesh says, "Through is good."
Cyrus nods, "Righto!" He sets a collision course for Angry Deity.
Dinah looks at Gil and Cyrus like they're both crazy.
As they get closer, Gilgamesh ties a rope around his belt, then secures it to the railing. He crouches. When the pass close enough to the sea-god, he leaps up...landing on the arm holding the trident. He scampers up the straightened arm, heading for the head.
Cyrus almost forgets to keep sailing. He just stares at Gil.
Molly watches, her jaw dropping open. "You crazy mother..."
Dinah just...stares. Her mouth even opens a bit. "Holy hell, someone has to sleep with that man tonight if he pulls this off."
Gilgamesh reaches the god's shoulder and lays into him with a savage punch. The brass knuckles connect with the god who is laughing. The laughing stops abruptly and becomes a howl of pain. The god's form shudders and begins to melt as lightning from the trident courses up his arm. A winged creature forms from the electricity around the god and begins to rip him apart. Gilgamesh falls into the water with a resounding splash.
Cyrus shouts to one of the crewmen. "Haul him back in! Port side! Step lively!"
Molly shrieks "He just sucker-punched a freakin' GOD!" Her mouth works for a moment. "Hell, even *I'd* sleep with 'im!"
Gilgamesh is dead weight under the water right now, as the ship moves.
Dinah rushes over to the port side to be one of those to help get Gilgamesh up onto the deck. "Oh, bloody hell," she sighs, and then takes another dive to make sure the Karm doesn't drown.
The ship plunges back into the storm once Gil and Dinah are safely back on board. Compared to the meeting with the god, the trip back to the waters of Shu-Fen is uneventful. And the cannons are charged.
Gilgamesh says, "You have no idea," sputter, "how glad I am that this ship is new." Cough. "No barnacles."
Dinah asides, to one of the crew, "Take the wheel. I need this man to tear all of my clothes off." She grabs Cyrus by the collar of his shirt. It shouldn't take long. That bathing suit is rather lacking in the fabric department.
Cyrus says, "Um..." as he is dragged out of the wheelhouse.
Molly squints over at Gil. "I didn't actually mean what I said. Caught up in the moment, ya know. Don't get no ideas."
Gilgamesh sputters. "Didn't hear you."
Molly looks smug. "Good."
Setting: A few shadows over from Shu-Fen
The Ten of Swords leaves the river behind and heads out to sea. The pearl has been delivered to Prince Benedict who has requested that the ship stay in the area for a while to assist in the patrols against further Black Road incursions. The sky is clear and the waters are calm.
Gilgamesh appears on deck. "Headache finally gone...."
Molly climbs up on deck, yawning. "Any more monsters out here?"
Dinah is at the helm once more, hair still drying from the dip in the ocean. "Afternoon," is chimed to Gilgamesh and Molly as they appear.
Gilgamesh says, "So...when is this adventure going to start?"
Cyrus handles the rigging at the foremast again. He hums a shanty as he does so.
Molly leans against the railing and looks out over the water, enjoying the view. She spares a moment for a glare at Gilgamesh, and a snort.
Seabirds sweep over the ship in great circles.
"You missed the terrible beastie, Gilgamesh," Dinah calls down after her own snort. "But I'm sure that we can find another for you, if you'd like.
Prince Benedict said something about dragons..."
Cyrus says, "He did, didn't he?"
Gilgamesh says, "Wha'? I slept through it? Why didn't you wake me?"
Molly heads wheelwards. "Dragons? She asks, entirely too eagerly."
Dinah lifts a brow to Gil. "We were trying very hard NOT TO DIE at the moment." To Molly, she nods. "Aye. Dragons."
Cyrus says, "I guess we'd better make sure the cannons are topped off. Because, y'know...dragons."
Gilgamesh says, "Because, you know, they're bad guys."
Molly nods. "We're down two guns. Not so good if there's dragons." She snickers, "Unless you think sleepyhead here can make up the difference."
As the ship moves on and the land disappears behind the horizon, the number of birds in the sky drops sharply.
"Except that one Benedict was helping out," Dinah says with a nod. "Maybe. But, either way, it's good to have the Cannons ready to go." She considers Gilgamesh for a moment. "Think you could wrestle a dragon, dearie?"
Cyrus smirks, "He survived you, Darling."
Gilgamesh says, "What, and give my father Haley? I think I'll just shoot it."
Molly moseys herself down to her guns and pulls herself up into the rigging. She shouts down, "We got shook up a bit earlier, I' gonna check out the 'rods. Make sure they're still sturdy up there."
Dinah nods to Molly, giving the woman a grin before glaring at Cyrus. "Are you saying I'm a horrible beastie?"
Cyrus blows Dinah a kiss. "Not horrible, Love." He winks. "You need me to help nature along?" He points to the pristine, blue sky.
Molly is back in her element. She moves deftly across the ropes and up the main mast. She yanks and rattles at the lightning rods and makes a few adjustments.
Gilgamesh arches a brow at Cyrus.
Dinah sighs, and turns her cheek towards the blown kiss. She glances up to the sky herself, then nods. "Aye. Not too big of a storm, hmm, luv? Wouldn't want to make the landlubber go green on us."
Cyrus salutes Dinah, "Aye, Captain." He winks at Gil and moves to the port side. "I hope those aren't your nice clothes," he says as he reaches into a pouch at his belt.
Gilgamesh says, "You'll see those at your wedding."
Cyrus brings his hand out of the pouch in a fist. He flings his arm out over the railing and several small stones fly out into the water.
Molly finishes checking up on the rods and slides her way down a rope, she grabs hold of another one and flips end over end on her way down to the deck, grinning like a loon. "Hey Gil", she pipes as she drops down next to him. "Think I could teach yer girlfriend something about rope dancing?"
The sky along the eastern horizon darkens.
Gilgamesh says, "Would not exactly bother me, no."
Dinah's lips curl into a smile at the sound of the rocks hitting the surface of the water and sinking below the waves. "I love this," she says into the air, lifting her head and closing her eyes.
Cyrus moves to the mainmast and orders the two crewmen to man the foremast. Wind blows through his short hair as he inspects the sails and the rigging from the deck. He actually wets his finger, then, and holds it up to test the wind.
Molly stations herself beside her guns, getting them ready.
Gilgamesh disappears belowdecks.
Molly glares at the retreating Gilgamesh. "What the...?"
Cyrus looks back to the wheelhouse with a raised brow and a shrug.
Molly looks up to the sky, assessing. She tugs her hat down firmly on her head and flips up the wide collar of her overcoat, then bends back down to her work.
Dinah lifts both of her brows, watching Gilgamesh go below decks. She shrugs to Cyrus, then tightens her bandana. "Let's do this, then," she calls out.
Cyrus adjusts the mainsail and follows Dinah's orders closely so that they are heading into the storm at top speed. The winds whip around the deck and the waves rise and fall like great, grey hills. Flashes of light can be seen in the distance accompanied by low rumbles.
Gilgamesh reappears from belowdecks, coat on, hood up, and armed with what is likely a bow.
Molly finishes up her prep work and rises. She looks out appreciatively at the darkening water and sky, her hands rise into the wind, catching at it for a moment and a laugh, full of joy bursts from her lips.
"Welcome back, Gil," Dinah says with a grin. She holds to the spokes of the wheel tightly, and her hair dances wildly behind her. Molly isn't the only one laughing, the sound of Dinah's traveling over the deck.
Cyrus is working hard at the rigging and exhorting the other crewmen to do the same but he's got a grin as he does it. As the ship gets closer to the lightning, Cyrus's eyes flash in time to the strikes.
Gilgamesh waves the bow. He pulls out what appears to be a candle, and wedges it in between a belaying pin and the railing.
The winds seem to blow in from all directions but Dinah and the crew keep the ship headed straight into the heart of the storm. The area of greatest lightning is dead ahead. Heavy rain pours from the sky onto the deck as if a switch has been flipped. Soon the rain is flying sideways.
Molly climbs up onto the railing for a better view, grabbing onto a rope for balance. She looks out into the eye of the storm and waits.
Dinah lifts her brows as Gilgamesh brings out a...candle. She doesn't ask, or comment, just concentrates on keeping the Ten on her course. Another laugh rolls out, and Dinah's eyes brighten to a dazzling blue. "No getting hit this time, Stormcrow," she reminds, as lightning touches down a scant few feet from the bow.
Cyrus says, "Aye, Captain," in a conversational tone but he can be heard clearly across the deck.
Gilgamesh hunches over and lights the candle. When he backs up, the weather doesn't put it out. It doesn't even waver the flame.
The flame is not touching the wood.
The Ten does not go up in flames.
Molly glances down curiously at Gil's flame, but soon looks back up to keep tabs on the lightning.
Gilgamesh says, "Um...guys. " He takes out a spool of flexible wire and winds one end around the candle. "Is there supposed to be a guy with a trident up there taking notice of us? Cause I'm not used to this procedure these days."
Lightning strikes the water near the ship. Then another strike and another. The lightning rods begin to hum in sympathy.
Cyrus looks out towards the storm. "What?!?" he asks. He scans the turbulent skies.
Gilgamesh uncovers the bow, begins to twist the lever that tightens the string. "I think we're attracting attention on high."
Molly looks at Gil, brows drawn down. Her eyes widen and she looks around wildly. She jumps back down to the deck, and taking a cue from Gil reaches down for her crossbow.
The sound of thunder is a constant thing now. Then BLAM! a blue-white bolt strikes one of the rods and power courses into the attached gun. The rod glows a brilliant yellow and begins slowly cooling to orange.
Cyrus's hair stands on end and he blinks a couple of times before straining to catch as much wind as possible with the sails.
Molly drops her crossbow and pulls herself up into the rigging. As she reaches the softly glowing rod she pulls on a single heavy glove and yanks the rod out of it's seat at the cannon. She slides down, repositioning the rod in a safer place. She calls down to Cyrus, "I did mention we only had two guns down, right? Only you might be over-doing things here."
Gilgamesh attaches the wire to an arrow, then notches and pulls back, closing his eyes and concentrating on something.
Cyrus shouts over to Molly. "I didn't do it! I don't know what's going on!"
Molly shouts, "Not good!" and scrambles back up into the rigging to watch over the other rod. Her body sways on the ropes in the wind, but she barely seems to take notice of it."
Gilgamesh launches the arrow into the storm. The wire is almost like string...maybe it's fine chain. It arcs out...then lightning zaps it, and there's a glowing filiment as the wire burns away. There's also an exploding candle, very small droplets of wax spreading out in a fifteen foot radius as the candle goes out. "CRAP," is Gil's only reply.
The clouds in one section of sky darken further and begin to form into a large man with a trident. Very large. A booming voice says, "WHO DARES TO CALL STORMS IN MY DOMAIN?"
Gilgamesh's reply is mostly lost in the wind. "That Black Rrr.....Mage....over...there......"
Molly glares up at the sky. "I thought you were kidding she yells down to Gil."
"I don't think this is good," Dinah whispers, though it carries well over the sounds of the storm.
Gilgamesh shakes his head.
Cyrus shouts, "Oh, come on!"
Dinah mutters to herself, "... go... said...."
Molly points a finger up to the sky and tells Dinah, "That is not a dragon, Boss."
Gilgamesh squints, trying to make SOMETHING out.
The trident-wielding giant booms, "YOU HAVE NOT PAID TRIBUTE."
Gilgamesh says, "Does he want rum? Cookies?"
Dinah offers, "The blood of innocents?"
Cyrus snorts, "Good luck with that.'
The wind stops.
Molly yells down, "Just to clarify, someone just told me yesterday I wasn't passing as innocent! Just in case anyone has any funny ideas."
Dinah looks up at the sails, as if silently praying that they've got their own personal wind propelling them.
The Ten of Swords is now in the eye of a great storm. All is calm nearby but a wall of cloud, rain, wind, and lightning courses around her.
Dinah nods to Molly. "Aye. Too many recreational knots for you!"
The giant with the trident is nowhere to be seen.
Gilgamesh says, "Well. Are we charged?"
Molly shakes her head. "We just got one." She looks from face to face. "Not that I'm suggesting we hang around or anything."
Cyrus tries desperately to angle the sails so they can catch a scrap of wind but there is no moving air to be found. Even voice and other sounds seem muffled.
Gilgamesh says, "If we get moving, I can shadow-shift......"
The booming voice comes from every direction. "YOUR SHIP WILL DO NICELY. GO, MY CHILDREN. TAKE THE TRIBUTE."
"Um. I hate to break it to you, Tall and Grouchy, but you're NOT taking this ship," is said by Dinah, her voice calm and reasonable.
Gilgamesh notches another arrow. Or ballista bolt, depending on your view.
Molly drops lightly out of the rigging onto the deck. She hurries to the guns, grabbing up her crossbow from the deck along the way.
Lightning sparks out from various places along the wall of cloud. Every place on the water that it hits forms a roughly man-sized creature made of electricity. They move along the water making loud crackling sounds as they do so.
Molly takes a step backwards despite herself. "Boss," she says quietly, though her voice carries strongly through the silence. "I don't know if the guns are gonna work on them."
Gilgamesh frowns, ties another chain to the arrow. Moves towards the remaining uncharged gun.
Dinah is a bit wide eyed, for a brief moment. "No, Molly, I don't think they will," she says, her own voice carrying. She looks to Cyrus. "Suggestions?"
Cyrus has left the rigging behind and looks out over the water. He begins to speak and then looks to Gilgamesh, "No, but I think I see what he's thinking."
The lightning creatures are soon joined by beings made of dark cloud. Each of those is followed by a vortex of air that picks up sea water as it dances along the surface.
Cyrus looks up to the sky and shouts, "Your kids suck!"
Molly looks back and forth between the two men. "well I sure don't. Would you like to share? Or you two wanna handle this on your lonesome?"
Gilgamesh attaches the other end of the chain to the lightning rod on the uncharged cannon.
Gilgamesh says, "Well, you wanna charge your cannon or not?"
Cyrus unclips his crossbow and shrugs. He levels it and aims it at one of the cloud creatures. He fires and the bolt goes cleanly through it. "Figures," he says.
Molly Grins Hugely. "Oh, yes. Yea I do!"
Gilgamesh stands ground. Er, wood. And pulls back, lets fly at the nearest of the lightning creatures.
The arrow flies from Gil's bow and passes through the lightning man. Once the attached chain makes contact with the electricity, it goes taut and sparks travel up the metal. The lightning creature grows smaller as the lightning rod begins to glow.
Gilgamesh says, "THAT experiment worked......"
Cyrus shouts toward Gil. "Holy crap! You're a genius!"
Molly's eyes gleam, and a wide grin takes over her face. "Again!" She shouts gleefully.
Molly looks up at Gil. "Don't tell Haley, but right now I *love* you."
Gilgamesh mouths sideways, "Shoot the cloud beasties."
Gilgamesh preps another arrow. Checks the amount of wire. "Crap."
Molly moves to her first gun, saying, "Once that one reads full, follow behind me and recharge the ones I fire." She pauses at his exclamation. "Problem?" She aims at one of the water creatures.
Muttering to Molly, Gilgamesh's voice is singsong. "Don't know if I have enough wiiiire......."
Gilgamesh preps the wire on the cannon about to be shot.
Molly peers at Gil. "Over by the wheelhouse," She says, waving a hand dismissively. "I brought some extra on board to help with the rods." She continues to aim. "Send a deckhand." She pops her head up "You! Swabbie!" she shouts. "Fetch us that bundle of wire over by the Captain." she finishes aiming. "Fire when ready?" she asks.
Gilgamesh says, "Go for it before they do."
The various creatures continue to close in on The Ten of Swords.
Molly shouts, "Fire!" and sets of the cannon, peering over it eagerly. "This had better work!"
Gilgamesh pulls as soon as the cannon discharges, and fires the wire-tapped arrow at another electric monstrosity.
The crewman drops a large coil of wire at Gilgamesh's feet.
Lightning crackles and flows in two directions. The blast from the cannon reaches the cloud monster first and causes a loud BANG! along with a geyser of steam. There is no more cloud creature. The juice from the lightning monster is sucked into the cannon's charging rod.
Gilgamesh blinks. "I'm dreaming this. This can't be that ....I mean, yeah, circle of life and all, but this is too literal...." He preps another arrow.
Molly mumbles to Gil, "Just keep shooting. I'm going to run out of cannons long before we're back to full on them."
Molly and Gilgamesh fall into a rhythm which nicely decreases the number of lightning and cloud creatures but there are a lot of them and it's obvious that some of the things will reach the ship before they're all gone.
Gilgamesh thrums away.
A few cloud and lightning creatures reach the ship and begin climbing up the hull.
Molly shouts as she continues firing on the water beings, "A little help over here! We've got company! Anybody..."
Cyrus leaps toward the railing and says, "Hey, that's gonna leave a mark!" He grabs some of Molly's wire along the way and wraps it around a sheathed dagger which he tosses to Molly. "Get this onto the rod!" he shouts.
Molly gives a hairy-eyeball to Cyrus but uses the wire to bind the dagger to the rod.
Cyrus wraps the rest of the wire around another dagger which he then plunges into the railing right in the middle of a lightning beast. He jumps backward as if he had just thrust his hand into a being made entirely of electricity.
Sparks shoot up the wire and into the cannon near Molly.
Cyrus shakes his hand and walks backwards to the wheelhouse. "How long did Nyx say the water breathing was going to last? Next sunup?" He turns to Dinah. "I think I know how to get the wind back in our sails." He's grinning. It's a dangerous grin.
Molly checks the gauge. "Well *that* worked amazingly well! Move on, Gil. Next one." She grins at Cyrus. "No wonder the Boss likes you."
Gilgamesh preps two arrows, but on the same wire. Takes aim with two bolts on the string. Fires, sending a bolt each into one electricity creature and one mist creature. Flaps his hand in pain after firing.
Dinah looks at Cyrus like he's absolutely batshit insane and she loves him for it. "Aye. Sunup," she says with a nod. She starts pulling off her clothing, quickly. "What are you thinking, Stormcrow? Aside from me taking a swim?"
Cyrus says, "How *fast* can you swim?"
Cyrus grabs a coil of rope.
Molly unwinds the dagger and moves it to another rod. She pulls the dagger out of the railing and holds on to it in case another creature pops up close enough to use it. She bends to continue shooting at the mist creatures. "Are they about to do something incredibly stupid?" she asks Gil.
Gilgamesh says, "I don't know," as he preps more wire. "I am distinctly NOT looking at Dinah."
Molly peers over her shoulder. "Oh, my!" she says innocently. "Look at those thighs. Has she been working out?"
Gilgamesh says, "Monsters, Molly. Concentrate on the MONSTERS. Tease me after we're not dead."
Dinah considers. "I'm getting a might bit pissed off right now, so I'd say fairly fast," she decides after a moment. She is, beneath all her clothing, wearing a small set of scaled swimtrunks and a top that matches. It's almost modest. And yes, she's been working out.
Molly shrugs. "I might not have the chance later..."
Cyrus nods and tosses Dinah one end of the rope. He ties the other end to the starboard railing and says, "Ready when you are, Skipper."
Gilgamesh preps two more arrows. THRUMMMMmmmmmm. "Oh, crap!"
Gilgamesh sucks on his fingers.
Dinah salutes, and climbs up on one of the rails. The rope is wrapped around her wrist, and she takes a breath. "Maybe those whale friends of yours are about," she says over her shoulder, before swandiving into the sea.
Gilgamesh preps his last two arrows. "Not looking, not looking, not looking...."
Cyrus watches Dinah as she dives and then starts shouting. "Hey!" he says. "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, you windy bastards! You couldn't blow out a birthday candle!"
Molly startles back from her gun as an electricity creature crawls up over the railing. She nearly stumbles, but catches herself and throws the wire-wrapped dagger at it, sucking most of it into her power reserves. A little washes back along the leading wire and jumps to her arm. She giggles, as she moves and her coat crackles and sparks with the motion. "Hey Gil!" she says proudly, " I just got my hair curled!" Then she giggles like a maniac and shoots off another cannon shot.
Gilgamesh says, "Make sure to get his name this time, you can't gossip about how good he was if you have to keep numbering them...."
Gilgamesh lets loose his last two bolts, one mist, one electric.
Dinah doesn't come up for air, and whatever she's doing is lost to the dark depths of the water. But the rope she's tied to keeps going into the water behind her.
Each of Gilgamesh's bolts strikes true and the second cannon now has a full charge.
Cyrus continues shouting at the wind creatures. He has moved on to vulgarities in other languages.
The vortices begin to converge on the same spot.
Dinah keeps swimming, swimming, swimming.
Gilgamesh lodges the bow in one of the many little nooks on a ship used for lodging things, reaches into his coat with his right hand and pulls out brass knuckles, already on his fist. A seal of some sort mars the smooth surface.
Cyrus watches the area that he believes Dinah to be in. The rope suddenly goes slack beside him.
Dinah breaks the surface, finally, and when she does, it's near that forming convergence. Her voice carries over the sea, loud and angry. "Look here, you bastards! Do you have any idea who the bloody hell I am?!? I'm -Discordia-." The blue of her eyes flashes, like lightning. "And you will bloody well listen to me, you little twits, and fill my damned sails." She hisses out a word, some obscure dialect of Minosian.
The wind creatures chase Dinah but she stays just ahead of them. She reaches the ship and is assisted on board by Cyrus and the two crewmen who haul her up via rope. Wind buffets the sails and the deck crew manage to wrestle them into a configuration that will send them back into the wall of storm.
Dinah says, "I'm not quite sure they liked that!" Like it wasn't obvious.
Molly elbows Gil. "That's my Captain, that is." Her eyes are bright with pride.
From the waters just ahead of the wall, a man-sized figure rises to the surface and strides toward the ship as if he were just going for a stroll. He carries a trident and points it at the ship. He begins growing.
Molly groans. "Oh, not HIM again!"
Gilgamesh says, "Oh, that's not good."
Dinah is soaking wet, of course. "Someone get us the bloody hell out of this place! I already gave you the winds!" She shakes her finger at the sails, as proof.
The storm god calls out a word that is composed of equal parts wind and thunder. Lightning crackles around his trident and his entire form begins to glow.
Gilgamesh strides down the port side, hops up on the railing. Only slips once.
Cyrus leaps up to the wheelhouse and shouts to Gil. "Am I going to that guy or away from?"
Molly gets busy disengaging all the lightning rods, worried that something Very Bad might happen.
Gilgamesh says, "Through is good."
Cyrus nods, "Righto!" He sets a collision course for Angry Deity.
Dinah looks at Gil and Cyrus like they're both crazy.
As they get closer, Gilgamesh ties a rope around his belt, then secures it to the railing. He crouches. When the pass close enough to the sea-god, he leaps up...landing on the arm holding the trident. He scampers up the straightened arm, heading for the head.
Cyrus almost forgets to keep sailing. He just stares at Gil.
Molly watches, her jaw dropping open. "You crazy mother..."
Dinah just...stares. Her mouth even opens a bit. "Holy hell, someone has to sleep with that man tonight if he pulls this off."
Gilgamesh reaches the god's shoulder and lays into him with a savage punch. The brass knuckles connect with the god who is laughing. The laughing stops abruptly and becomes a howl of pain. The god's form shudders and begins to melt as lightning from the trident courses up his arm. A winged creature forms from the electricity around the god and begins to rip him apart. Gilgamesh falls into the water with a resounding splash.
Cyrus shouts to one of the crewmen. "Haul him back in! Port side! Step lively!"
Molly shrieks "He just sucker-punched a freakin' GOD!" Her mouth works for a moment. "Hell, even *I'd* sleep with 'im!"
Gilgamesh is dead weight under the water right now, as the ship moves.
Dinah rushes over to the port side to be one of those to help get Gilgamesh up onto the deck. "Oh, bloody hell," she sighs, and then takes another dive to make sure the Karm doesn't drown.
The ship plunges back into the storm once Gil and Dinah are safely back on board. Compared to the meeting with the god, the trip back to the waters of Shu-Fen is uneventful. And the cannons are charged.
Gilgamesh says, "You have no idea," sputter, "how glad I am that this ship is new." Cough. "No barnacles."
Dinah asides, to one of the crew, "Take the wheel. I need this man to tear all of my clothes off." She grabs Cyrus by the collar of his shirt. It shouldn't take long. That bathing suit is rather lacking in the fabric department.
Cyrus says, "Um..." as he is dragged out of the wheelhouse.
Molly squints over at Gil. "I didn't actually mean what I said. Caught up in the moment, ya know. Don't get no ideas."
Gilgamesh sputters. "Didn't hear you."
Molly looks smug. "Good."