Airships Over Aranor 17

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"Where to..." Xach is looking around and thinking about the layout of Rysinth, places he knows in town, wondering what would be a good private location to go to. Completely missing the obvious.
"Can you not simply cloak what he says so nobody hears it but us?" Edward asks the Fylenis, who nods.
Thought you'd never ask. But I haven't eaten yet, and if I'm not mistaken neither have you..and it's easier to block the ears of a restaurant full of people than out in this crowd, anyway.
"Very well. Do you have somewhere in mind?"
Yes. I saw it on the way here with Leona, but we were busy then. Follow me. They proceed to follow Whys to an establishment which he actually recommended going to for one and only one reason. With Fylenis it's rarely about what or when, but who. But since this conversation is to be private, and he is especially curious about what Xach has to say, Whys subtly ensures that for now the party of two winged folks sitting at a table near the front is unnoticed by his two companions, and vice versa. This will prove to have been an incredibly wise decision, but the Fylenis doesn't know about that yet. They're mind-readers, not prophets.

Once everyone is properly seated and the others have ordered their food (Xach is still full, of course), attention is turned to the blindfolded Shadow Fang and he begins to tell. "First of all, my true name is Arozakim. It means something like 'eternal sight', or 'eyes that see forever'. I was named by Ichoneiji when he was unused to the title, but the verse which named me was kept from me for many, many years.

"For the first several years of my life, before my spell came, I could only see in black and white--no colors. I managed well enough with that. When my spell came, I still didn't see in color..not the way you do, I mean. At first it gave me a headache to see the way that I did--It looked like a bunch of pictures of different colors stacked one on top of another, each becoming the next color in sequence until it eventually disappeared from sight. I can see about two seconds into the future, and two seconds into the past...it's not as absolute as The Spirits' knowledge, as far as I know the spell predicts the future based on what I can see and hear in the present, and I was still surprised several times when I had it.

"Once I got used to it, my spell made me one of the best fighters and hunters in the camp. I was barely, hm..50 and people were saying once I matured I was a real candidate for the next alpha. But I wasn't impatient for that, I just kept up my work for the camp and helped out where I could.

"..One day Ichoneiji called me to his tent. He told me that I had been deceived by my parents, but so too had he. They had been careful not to think about it in his presence; the Spirits had finally revealed it to him only very recently. He told me in person, then and there, the wording and meaning of my naming verse. I'll not bore you with reciting it, but it had predicted the nature of my power, and the nature of my death. It said that I would be able to see my death coming, but unable, or maybe..unwilling, to stop it.

"I thanked him and left. I was furious with my parents, and blindfolded myself that day. It was not as good of quality a blindfold as this one, not as securely tied, and occasionally I could see small glimpses of things through it. That scared me to death. But it was what I had at the time. There were no other blind or willingly blindfolded in the camp at the time, other than Ichoneiji, and he was busy with his duties. This was before most of the others were born, so he had to handle the work of four Clans. I taught myself everything over again, without sight. I found out that I had been lazy, relying on my spell to get me through fighting and hunting, and I swore not to use the advantage again unless I or someone else really needed it. And, I'd rather not get killed soon either."

"So..your blindfold is insurance? So you will not die?"
"That, and a challenge to myself. I would take it off only if there is something worth risking my life over, which my normal ways of fighting wouldn't be enough for."
"And...that is why you keep it a secret.."
"Yes. Were I captured I could keep my eyes closed, but someone who knew why I wore this blindfold would have a reason to pry my eyes open."

So what does your second think of never seeing anything?
"He's a quiet one. Haven't heard from him in over a decade..huh?" Xach's attention is drawn to a commotion near the front end of the restaurant: Namely, a few of the town guard speaking roughly to a pair of guests who he could've sworn he didn't notice on the way in. People he knows. Xach starts to get up, but Whys puts out a hand to hold him down.
Hang on there buddy. Her thoughts are calm. She knows what's going on, and she has a plan. We'll all jump in if we're needed, but wait and see first. The motto of the Fylenis--or one of the mottos, at any rate.


We return to the two winged persons, but earlier. The food has finally come, after what Arizan assumes must be a normal time but what seemed like quite a while, and they are eating in that continuing awkward silence. It occurs to the dragon that plans should probably made as to what they are doing next, if they are to stick together for the moment. "So..do you have anything you need to do in this, town?"
"I have enough supplies. I don't know anyone here. Go to the inn and sleep. You?"
"This was an, unplanned trip. I would like to take another look around the city."
"Curious?" Arizan doesn't notice the woman in uniform looking in the window and quickly dashing away. Ann does. She is used to this kind of attention every now and then.
"..A little." They eat the rest of the meal in silence, and Ann pays the bill with a few coins from her purse. They are both standing up and about to leave when three people in uniform, including the woman the dragon didn't notice before, burst in and start shouting at Ann. Ann looks mildly annoyed but perfectly fine with this situation. Arizan is less than pleased.

"--You are under arrest!"
"--Hands up!"
"--Where I can see them."
"--Come with us."
"--You too."

One of the soldiers has a crossbow trained on Ann, another has poked her a couple of times with his staff. They are considerably more hesitant about prodding the dragon, but Ann nods to her in an effor to communicate that she should cooperate. Then again, she doesn't have anywhere to be hiding weapons or the like anyway. In fairly short order Ann's axe is taken, no other weapons found on her, and the two are led away to the guardsmans' barracks. Somewhere along the way the dragon starts to demand what's going on, but Ann shoots her a look and says only two words: "Stay. Quiet." The guards might be suspicious about someone who would rather do all the talking, but they are too relieved that that someone is able to keep the dragon cooperating and not burning their faces off to care very much.

Once they reach the building, the two are escorted to the guard captain's office. They haven't put up any resistance so far, so they aren't bound, but the guardsmen who took them in remainin in the room, at the back, in case they try anything funny. For a good minute or so the guard captain and the two winged women sit in an awkward silence not unlike that of the restaurant, but far more palpable for a lack of other conversations in the same room. The captain seems a little perplexed about how to address the addition of a dragon to the situation. Eventually Ann opens the floor for discussion. "Why am I here." It's barely a question, more a rehearsed line of an unwilling participant in some officiating ceremony. The captain knows exactly how to answer the question, and pulls out a small-reward wanted poster.

"You are Annabel Mattenson. You look exactly like this picture. You are wanted as a member of the Fox Bandits, who have recently resurfaced in the nearby area."
"How old is that."
"Ten years."
"It's out of date. I gave myself up and served time in Rithara eight years ago."
"Then how do you explain--"
"Self-defense. There is no poison on it. I work for a privateer ship. The Farran. Conall Morgan Reynolds. He has no knowledge. Defending said ship from a pirate attack. We met recently. Long, unnecessary story." The guard captain is somewhat taken aback, but nods after a moment: She's answered every question he was about to ask. And now he's at a loss again, having apparently arrested a completely innocent civilian and with nothing to really show for it. 

"You want to catch them?"
"Who?"
"Bandits. Still led by Rixxan?"
"..Yes, according to our reports."
"I know how he works. I can help."

 
Back at the Gran Daora, Verra finishes her own version of what happened in the attack. It's basically the same as Conall's or Xach's, but with a slightly higher opinion of Verra's skills peppered throughout. If Bernard wants the 'unedited truth' he can figure it out for himself--if he hasn't already. Then she notices something. "Saaaaaaaay, your cat's gone again."
"Oops, must have lost a hold of her. Well, she can't be too far. Now, let me see..I know you take your vengeance very seriously."
"You can bet aaaaaaaall your money on that. But not against me."
"Heh, of course. But I must say, this...unpleasant turn of events must have shown you what happens when your crew is no good, and your enemy is good enough."
"Indeed it has. What are you suggesting?"
"Well, loyalty isn't unheard of among pirates. You and Callor have something good going."

"Are you suggesting--"
"No, be quiet." A brief, tense pause. But Verra wouldn't dare lash out at him, ever. It would be foolish. "All I am saying is that you have him well under control. You don't have to threaten to throw him off the ship if he disobeys your orders, because he isn't going to do that. You were even able to use him to act as the instrument of your lucky escape, though it cost him a few days of sight."
"Mm-hm. And..?"
"Well, what if you had that sort of thing multiplied by two? Or three? Maybe five, or six..your chances would be better, that's for certain."
"Why not seven or eight?"
"Indeed, why not! You need only find as many people who are willing to stick with you. No more of this picking up stray, outcast and babe pirates and impressing them into service; you deserve quality crewmen! Am I right or am I right?"
"When you put it that way, you're reight."
"Great, I knew it. And in fact, I believe I already have one candidate for you. It seems to me you had already managed to find a diamond in the rough for your last crew. He was crazy enough to come back, anyway.." Bernard waves to someone in the trees, who jumps down.
"Oy." It's the elf with the knives. She always kind of liked the elf with the knives. What was his name again?

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