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We return to the Ekim and Charlotte. The narrational guessing game went somewhat badly, due to non-present narration, so the human asks instead. "So what's your name anyway?"
"They call me Shazak. What is next?"
"Next..well, I'm supposed to meet the others here. I guess we'll decide from there."
They don't have to wait long; Conall shows up with not one, but two more people. This is great news!
"Glad to see you're still here."
Charlotte grins. "Oh, I was just about to start looking for you. Now, you two. You're Leona, Khazu's friend, right?"
"Yep."
"She's an actress. You should get along fine. Leona, this is my sister Charlotte. And he's Terminus..you remember what I told you about the trip with Raoclem?"
"Is that the story with the explosive monkeys or the desperate battle with the teleporting mind-control pirates?"
"It is probably the second one. The first sounds made up. What about you?" He turns to the Ekim.
"Shazak."
"What is your soul-weapon? For strategic purposes in case we do end up walking into a nest of bandits. She did tell you what was actually going on, right?"
"Charlotte told me enough."
"..I didn't tell you my name."
"He just said it. And it is a, you call it...'metal crossbow'."
"Really? I have never heard of an Ekim with that before."
Shazak seems to pull something out of her left arm with her right hand, and then she is holding the weapon: an unusual metal crossbow. It has the scaly texture of a usual Ekim weapon, and two rather long barrels. "My elders were surprised as well. They had to hire an elf to teach me using it."
"So if I may ask, why are you interested in helping us with this..insane mission? It may not pay anything at all, other than injury."
"Well. I am a mercenary, under a year-long contract to a ship called Reliant. It is down now, thanks to an attack by some pirates led by a merman captain. I was surprised that he managed to hit us with exploding cannonballs and his crew had the courage to walk across a piece of wood latched between the ships, or swing across with roped hooks to get on board. He was surprised I was able to shoot them down before they could make it onto the Reliant. I was offered a bonus in pay for my service, which will leave me comfortably while the ship is being repaired. So I merely need something to do in that time. I do not like being bored."
Leona, watching this conversation, is somewhat curious what the Ekim is thinking. Rather, she is curious why she doesn't already know. Everyone else's surface thoughts seem to come in loud and clear, but Shazak doesn't appear to be thinking anything, at least not that loudly. That really ought to be a warning sign--but not to Leona.
Well, surface thoughts are still surface thoughts if you have to look at them actively, right? As long as there isn't any digging going on? Leona attempts to take a small peek.
----
"This is not a normal contract. I expec%&* @* $$ %well."
"I will make it worth your while. Simply *@&$* for a little while and your true m$^^#@"
"Suppose $#%@^ @^$#~ while I am bus%&$ %@#$em?"
"It makes no difference to me whether you or $^#@&, as long as your mark is #@%%."
"..This better not end like my last unusual contr@%$."
"It won't. Trust me, I won't be going anywhere for a long time. Listen, don't worry so much, have fun with it. It'll all work out in the end. Also...in case you're curious...oh who am I kidding, I know you are. I was the one wh%#%^%%&^#& @***********************"
----
That hurt. That really hurt. Not physically, but mentally. Leona now fully understands the meaning of mental pain, a very strange and nuanced thing that only Fylenis and victims of illegally-acting Fylenis ever tend to experience. And it hurts. Leona finds herself collapsed on the ground, the others asking if she is alright, and, having been sucked briefly into some kind of incomprehensible memory, she could hardly hold the concentration to place an illusion over her feline features.
Leona allows herself to be helped up by the Shadow Fang--Terminus--and brushes herself off. She looks at the Ekim, who seems mildly curious as to what just happened. Shazak probably knows Leona attempted to do something. "I am very sorry. I'll explain." She points to her ears. "You see these? I was recently given a partially Fylenis form by the Transformer, at my request. A Fylenis friend of mine told me about how to use my powers legally..but didn't warn me what would happen if I tried to use them to glance at an Ekim's thoughts. Sorry about that."
"...It is alright. Just do not attempt that again."
Leona rubs her forehead. "Trust me, I won't."
There is a brief, awkward silence. Charlotte will have none of that. "Well, in that case we should get going! And I was thinking, our party needs a name." (Awkward silence or just silence in general, take your pick.)
"It is close to sunset. Should we not gather supplies today, and rest tonight so we are better prepared for the journey."
"Pah! Who needs supplies?"
"...A group of six people going across wild terrain, likely monster-infested, looking for a tomb which may or may not exist. I know you are used to traveling incredibly light, but it pays to be prepared."
"..Oh all right." Anyone who thinks they know Conall and Charlotte would be surprised she agreed with him. Anyone who really knows them would find this no surprise at all.
So they did as Conall suggested, and eventually all were asleep in an affordable inn.
"Is this situation resolved? Can we go outside? I am not comfortable with tight spaces."
Ann looks at the dragon for a momoment of silence, in an effort to highlight the bad timing of the outburst. "..Do you have a training yard?"
"Yes," says the guard captain.
"Good. We plan there. Unless you'd rather not help with this?" This last part directed at the dragon.
"Why should I help you?"
"It's what I'm doing, if you want to stay with me. Don't dragons think of themselves as protectors of people?"
"...Sometimes."
"Well. Rixxan has hurt more people than most monsters ever will. And I think I know a way you can help that will hardly risk your injury."
"Alright, alright. I shall help this once."
Xach followed the arrest, since he was the only one who had already eaten. Now Whys and Edward join him near the guard barracks. "They haven't come out yet."
Hmm...Judging by what I hear from in there, Ann isn't under arrest anymore. She's agreed to help them capture a criminal or something.
"..Should we help her?"
....Nah. She can fend for herself. The dragon's still with her, and she even convinced her to help. They'll be fine. Let's find something else to do.
"Aye, Ewk White. Ain't surprised you don't remember, with all the weakling riffraff you 'ired around the same time."
Gretchen wanders through the ship, following a scent, perhaps, or a memory. Before long she finds her way to Callor's quarters, and the door open a crack. She slips through and finds the Neshobe fast asleep in bed already. Most unfortunate, perhaps, or fortunate. He won't yell at her if he's asleep. She goes to a desk across from his bed and deftly leaps atop it, and curls up in a position that allows her to face him, eyes wide open and glowing slightly in the darkness of the unlit room. The sun's starting to go down. It promises to be an interesting night.
End Chapter 2
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From: http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?42524-Airships-Over-Aranor-Prose
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