Message In A Bottle - Edition# 8 - Page 10

[William one eye]

"Anythings better than being here to anwser questions about what happened at the pub.

Itl be nice to get back to vudu hall and open a bottle of rum or two"

Will realizes they dont have many options and are just going to hope thet stay on Mels good side.


Will and Argo walk a little behind Meliva and her golems and deznutz. They continue to whisper back and forth, stopping only to acknowledge her when she turns to look at them. Argo a smile, Will, the tip of his hat. Always the same.
He leans in close to Argo and barely audibly he rasps " Oh shit, i hope were not headed to north point cove. That place is dangerous. Its where you go when you've managed to burn to many bridges in this crooked place and I used to run stolen cargo thru there, but in those days I had lots of stolen gold on hand to buy friends' ships .. er friendships.... "

Argo looks at him. " Will, Ive never even been there. I know no one. Are you telling me you have no allies left up there?

"Its not as friendly a place when you don't have much of value to barter with and the scoundrels wont take credit, only yer gold. Meliva turns to look at them again. Argo feels uneasy.

She says quietly to Will ..' Ive given up on credits to be honest !: She nods at Meliva and continues .. "Do you think there is any connection between Meliva saying she saw Shadowood headed to the dock, and the fact there are no ships left in the bay?

She gets no anwser about Shadowwod, will is thinking about the shipyard.

Will looks at Argo
"If mels moving that produce and those plantation worker through there they will probably be plenty friendly."

[Meliva]

Meliva just calmly walks north, expecting the other's to follow as she begins to prattle on about something.

"So there I was on my lawn, when I see some local children start to play on it. Of course, I remembered the wise words of my mentor, spoil the rod, don't spare the child! So those kiddos got the rod.

She prattles on about that for a while before continuing.

"A day or 2 goes by, and the kiddos parents come by, apparently upset I spanked their kiddos with a rod of birch. Then I think they recognize me, and after a moment I recognize them-they were kiddos who were on my lawn some decades ago. Anyway, since they didn't learn their lesson and came back, Gave their arses the rod again. I tell ya, you can't go wrong with a rod of birch. It'll learn ya!"

She takes a long drink from another flask before pointing to the north.

"Oh look, we're just about at the docks. I see a few ships down there."

Down at the docks are a large variety of ships, and quite a few nasty looking men. Upon seeing her many of them groan but one steps forward and shouts!
"Damn it Mel, thought we told you you ain't welcome round here! Not since you beat the captain with that rod of birch! He still has trouble sitting down cause of it!"

Mel shouts back "I'll beat your arse with a rod of birch if you don't let us take a ship and be quick about it. I recognize half you hooligans! You remember this don't ya!"

Mel takes out a rod of birch and menacingly waves it forward, half the pirates reflexively grab their arses before going to work to prepare a ship. The man from before just sighs and points to a nearby ship.
"just take it and go."

Another man comes storming out of his cabin ice cubes on his rear as he shouts
"now hold on, is that William one Eye! I ain't giving him a ship, but since I don't want another tanning I'll trade you for it! Give me something of value like that little lass there and you can take a ship and go! She looks like she'd be a good worker for the yard.

Meliva thinks for a moment and shouts "now that's a good deal, take her." she quickly whispers to Argo "I'm just saying that, I don't plan to leave ye behind lass. Once the ship starts sailing, I'll bust you out and bring you on board."

[Argo]

It takes Argo a moment until Meliva's "I'm just saying that, I don't plan to leave ye behind lass. Once the ship starts sailing, I'll bust you out and bring you on board." sinks in to her conscious mind. It helps relax her a little but not much.


" Can I trust her? She has been nice.. But there are things that are ... well .. all that magic and stuff .. and she doesnt like kids and worse still she has never had a drop of alcohol touch her lips everrrr

[Meliva]

Meliva quietly slips a small black gem into Argo's back pocket, before she quickly hops on to a nearby ship and begins preparing to sail off, making sure everyone and everything is with her.

"okay, golems check, weird plant monster, check, Deznutz, check, Will, check. okay time to get going."
As the ship starts to sail off, Meliva takes out a 2nd small black gem and sets it down on the ground before snapping her finger, and Argo reappears on top of the gem!

Mel just smiles and says happily
"Told Ya I ain't leaving you behind. Just wanted to be outta range of their cannons before busting you out! Though, truth be told, side effects of teleporting round like that include nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach and diarrhea. But this here potion will help with all that."

She hands Argo the pink liquid and suggests she down it quick.

[Argo]

Argo shrugs and takes the potion 'in for a penny in for a pound .. Im still standing.... or am I? I really dont know what is up and what is down and what is right side down at all anymore.. what is true.. what is imagined.. what is hoodoovoovoogoogoo ...
|
She looks ahead at the setting sun, the wind blowing a gentle salty spray on her face as she stands beside Meliva at the helm. She takes a deep breath.

As she takes in the beautiful vast ocean she thinks to herself

"Maybe I can try another interview with Will another day .." she chuckles to herself.

Then without meaning to says out loud, 'NOOO"

Melivas head snaps toward Argo, 'What's that ye say?"

Argo laughs.. " oh.. hehe .. Nothing.. just thinking aloud. " Speaking of Will..." she looks around the deck and is pleased to see he is where she hoped he would be, In a barrel, altho she notes he has that look that suggests he has once again left his body.. but not to fear.. he always returns.



Argo is pleased to be going home to Vaasburg at last. She wonders what the next issue may bring as the sun sparkles on the waters and she feels like all is good in the world.

She asks Mel.. 'we got everyone ?"

Mel replies ; "We are all here, except for deznutz. ... deznutz got cut off at the shipyard .. !"

Argo smiles. Poor dez. Cant say we didn't try.

[William one eye]

the peace and quiet of Argo and Mels relaxing evening cruise,
Is suddenly and rudely intterupted by a sudden and very hard impact on the side of the ship.

The air gets stagnant and a omnious color comes over the sky, the water suddenly gets abnormally choppy, the sea is suddenly highly dangerous, will awakes and starts waving his hands about, noting happens, then he starts yelling for help..

Im not in a daydream about barmaids...
Im , im , im , im

Argo slaps him

Im confused....

Suddenly theres another massive impact i to the side of the ship.

Mels yelling something about the ships substructure being damaged and the ship has lost strength.

Then another hit....

Argo looks over the side and the hull is covered in worns.

Will looks at his hand .... it bears a black spot....

Then another impact on the hull...
.... will screams out what they are all already begining to realize

"Were getting raided!".....

Mel hands Will a vile of purple liquid, he downs it quickly and his confusion clears almost instantly.

Will rushes to the back of their ship and sees a fleet of 3 frigs and 2 sloops closing in.

Suddenly their is a massive tidal wave, as it passes a sloop comes up from the sea floor and a moment later the sloop bursts into flames and starts sailing towrds them.

A small smile comes to Wills face.

Quick get my flag



"Quick, quick

The hoist the flag as fast as possible."

Argo pulls the rops and the flag ascends the mast.

The seas suddenly calm down and the burning ship sinks to thebottom, Will looks at his hand and the spot has vanished


.The fleet continues to close in, as it gets closer Argo recognizes a flag being hoisted.



"It a Vudu fleet" Argo shouts.

Mel lets the wind spill from our sails and we slow to a stop

As the fleet approches an all so familiar heavily tattooed man is standing on the bow of the first frig hes still holding that darned oar.

Shadowood yells over to us

"Sorry i got a tip from north cape shipyard about a ship carrying some decent cargo.. didnt know it was yall"

Behind his fleet a huge number of fleets come up following behind him.

Noffin stands on an sotl at the lead of those fleets hes waving joyfully at us like its been a very good day,

Behind him, what must be at least 15 fleets of random unmanned ships being towed by hords of sea turtles.

Mel looks at agro, i guess now we know what happend to tzogos harbor. Argo barely hears her.. she is so excited at the realisation of what has happened... She stretches over to rope that rings the bell and lets her rip in celebration..

as the skys begin to clear the sunset is once again visible.

Argo pulls a very odd compass from her pocket,



Its pointing towards vassburg.

Where the he... did ye find that Argo,?

" i lifted it off some crazy pirate in the shipyard", she replies
"But it dont point north, it points towrds Vassburg"

"That thars a very special compass my dear argo,
Dont be miss placin it"

Mel has the crew hoist the sails and the ship turns once again towrds the sunset.



Will looks at Argo, with a slighly sad look,

"WISH I HAD ME WIG"

then he smiles and starts banging his foot on the deck in rythem
And he starts to sing,
Its a familar tune and everone joins in.


"Yo, Ho haul together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die
Yo, Ho haul together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die
The King and his men stole the queen from her bed
and bound her in her bones
The seas be ours and by the powers
Where we will...we'll roam
Yo, Ho haul together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never say we die
Some men have died and some are alive
And others sail on the sea
With the keys to the cage
And the devil to pay
We lay to Fiddler's Green!
Yo, Ho haul together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die
The bell has been raised from its watery grave
Do you hear its sepulchral tone?
A Call to all, pay heed to the squall
And turn your sail towards home!
Yo, Ho haul together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die"

[Lana]

Lana looked thoughtfully at the navigation charts on the table in the captain's cabin for a long time.
-What the hell mouse hole did the Barbarossa brothers hide in? - she was thinking.
- The king was emphatic; Their heads are pledge for my survival in Thorakas. How am I supposed to pull this off, when all my spies seem to have taken a vow of silence...damn!
She casually pushed away her half-drinking glass and lit her pipe. Deeply lost in thought, intoxicated with the finest rum from Pania, she did not at first notice the rhythmic knocks on the door of the cabin.
Come in, she said, expecting his first officer to step inside, but no one appeared at the door. The wind probably, thought and continued to study the maps with a tired look.
Her gaze turned to the side and out of the corner of her eye she noticed a strange envelope on the floor near the door.
-Uhm…what the hell!
She carefully brought the envelope to her nose, smelling a slight scent in her nostrils.
-Ha, someone really set out to brighten my day haha, not bad... not bad at all. Let me see what it says.

On the card it says, 'mESSAGE IN a bOTTLE - Interviews - Comments - Crew Tales , Reporter and Editor, Argo.

She opened the folded parchment and began to read.
" Greetings Capt Lana ... Just trying to add a little content to the community paper and am wondering if I may ask why you went to Barbados? Is it that the weather is better for you health? The food is better... the crew less occupied with rum and fighting in the taverns???

Would you have a comment for the people of Avonmora in regard to Barbados and the TOK split ...Or a personal comment is fine - Are there any future plans for Barbs that you may like to share? Thank you. You may simply prefer the beaches there - please let us know "
signed by: Argo, MIAP journalist

Lana gave a wicked laugh and pushed the parchment aside. Whatever the mind of Argo really is, a little relaxation with a well-known opiate is not a bad thing. Of course, her journalistic thirst will remain unquenched ... for now.

[Dmanwuzhere]

opiates.... pffft rookies



catch up

[DezNutz]

Dez overheard Lana's suggestion to Argo.....