City of IF

[Kalanna Rai]

It's been a long time coming and we've all lost a little paitence but here it is, the next Galleons chappy. Enjoy!
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Chapter Twenty-Five: The Bloom

Ambrois stood at the Muse's bow, nearly invisible in the pre-dawn light. His eyes were closed, a soft feathering of blond hair stirred across his face at the demands of the idle breeze. His entire being was one of extreme concentration as he ran the plan through his head. Slowly his eyes opened and he gazed down at the object held in one clenched hand.

Angelo's amulet.

It hummed gently in his grip, a tune that was more a gut feeling, a spiritual reaction, than it was a melody. A muscle jumped in Ambrois's tightly clenched jaw as he thought about the orders Angelo had relayed to him. As the last of the stars faded from the sky, Ambrois turned his gaze to the vaulted heavens that hid his father. "Crazy bastard. This had better work."
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In all honesty Angelo had felt better. He gazed at his reflection in the polished steel table and wrinkled his nose. Despite his chiseled good looks, their was an antiquated quality to the pirate. "You're getting old Steel." He told his rueful reflection. It was moments like this, when somebody had really worked him over, he felt his age.

He wasn't being guarded here in the sick bay, hell they hadn't even bothered trying to search him. And his coat had behaved like...well a coat. It would have been embarrassing to try and explain to some poor guard why he was suddenly missing his hand if they'd tried to remove that particular article of clothing. And naturally he still needed a few things in all those pockets.

Slowly, aching muscles protesting and stiffening joints popping, he worked a hand down into his pants pocket and pulled clear a certain vial of spirits. Uncorking it, he took a sniff that had his eyes watering. "Ah well, down the hatch." A few moments later, as his vision burned and blurred, he began to feel far better. Anyone watching would have needed to scrape their jaw up off of the floor at the sight greeting their eyes.

Angelo's skin seemed to ripple, a series of alarming snaps echoing from his body, as the internal injuries righted themselves and the visible signs of a beating faded away. In only a few moments, a sweating, shaking, but physically fit Angelo Steel stood gripping the edge of his metal gurney. "God I need a drink." He muttered, wiping his suddenly dry mouth on the back of his sleeve as he turned and sat down.

"Now comes the hard part." Waiting.
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Trinity had just organized the last of her papers when an alarm sounded and a very startled young sailor burst into her cabin. The painstakingly organized papers took flight once again, like a flock of startled gulls, and lighted in a chaotic hodge-podge all across her office. She glared her second best glare at the young sailor and drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Well?"

"Sir, Admiral, Ma'am! The Bloody Muse was just sighted in Tallistown harbor. It seems she's making a break for it."

Trinity didn't allow the shock she felt show on her face. She'd expected Angelo to try and escape, not have that damned ship of his attempt a rescue! What the hell was he thinking?

"Orders Admiral?"

Her gaze snapped up to the young sailor even as she stood with lithe grace. "Order the helmsman to take us down. I want to verify that it's the Muse with my own oculars."

"Aye Admiral." He said, snapping a smart salute, before practically running towards the hatch.

Trinity smiled grimly. Was Angelo's ship as lucky as he was?
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Angelo felt the engines ignite, heard the yelling of the crew and the shrilling of alarms. He waited until things were extremely quiet around the sick bay before casually walking over and opening the door. He poked his head out and, after ascertaining he was utterly alone, headed toward the captain's cabin. He had to mask himself several times in the corridors between, a small mental nudge keeping the sailors that nearly stumbled across him from taking notice.

It was with hardly a backward glance that he opened the door to Trinity's cabin and slipped inside, carefully checking to make sure it was fully empty. He crossed to her desk in three easy strides, yanking drawers open until he found his guns, transferred to her care with a note from former Captain Elias about their unusual make. The note made Angelo grin...Trinity knew all about his guns.

Still he felt so much better with their familiar weight back, he hadn't realized how badly he'd missed them. It was then that the ship lurched, that familiar bump as they well and truly entered the atmosphere of the planet. "Time to go." He muttered to himself, pushing closed the drawers he'd hastily opened. A glimmer caught his eye, an old fashion photo-frame.

He pulled it clear and looked at it a moment before smiling and tucking it into a pocket. Then he shut the drawer and took his leave of Trinity's cabin, making haste to find a way up on deck. Their descent was becoming rapid and Angelo was acutely aware of where they were in the air. More so than any other being alive, Angelo understood ascent, descent, and air currents. After all...his wings weren't just for attracting mates.

He slipped up through an unattended hatch, activating a cute little box he'd withdrawn from his pocket as his feet hit the deck. His form blinked for a moment, vanished, then wavered back into existence. He glared at the box. "Stupid piece of junk. Give me one good reason not to replace you." And with that he smacked his free hand against it hard. Instantly he winked back out of sight. "Good gizmo. You live another day."

He was still careful to avoid the bustling sailors as he worked his way to the rail and gazed down at the pockmark on the planet's face that was Tallistown. It was actually quite pretty from the air, fascinating to the eye like a face-eating lesion might be in it's own loathsome way. He waited, knowing Trinity would take the Wyvern all the way down to investigate the rumors of the Muse. He braced for the bump of splashdown, grinning as the salt spray spattered harmlessly against the fading sustaining field. Twinkling like diamonds in the light.

Then they were gliding through the harbor mouth, unchallenged by the port security. As ropes smoked and anchor chains rattled, Angelo took his leave of the Wyvern. He didn't wait for the longboats to be launched, didn't wait to see who was in the shore party. He leapt up onto the railing and stretched wide his wings before sliding into the embrace of the air.

And if a few sailors noticed a certain strong gust of air they thought nothing of it.
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Ambrois was sweating bullets...and he was holding up better than the rest. Saul was on the verge of hysteria, only the need to look good in Cobalt's eyes keeping him from jittering like a toddler with a sugar high. Donovan was pacing the rails like a caged wolf, his ears swiveling every direction, every nerve so taut that something was going to snap soon. Jade was rolling a coin incessantly across her knuckles, the other hand clasping her sword hilt too tightly. And Cherry and Cobalt looked about ready to kill each other.

Despite the fact they'd cloaked back up, and slipped back to their berth without anyone noticing that the 'scow' had been missing for a hour or so, they were all convinced that that massive Armada ship knew exactly where they were. And they were all convinced that Angelo was still a prisoner on that ship.

"We're doomed." Saul groaned for the billionth time. "We're screwed. Our entrails will be feeding the harbor fish before nightfall."

"Oh quit being so melodramatic Saul." Jade snapped. "You know that the Armada will want us alive." She added grimly before gazing at Ambrois. He shifted, not willing to revive a fight that they'd only just managed to silence. He would not allow them to sacrifice themselves for him. If the secret of his parentage had to be revealed then so be it. Consequences be damned, he wasn't abandoning his friends.

He'd just opened his mouth to tell them all to calm down one more time when he felt the change in the ship's attitude. Felt his mother's spirits lift. Felt the gusting wind on his back, wind that rippled his hair and made his wings twitch. Turning around he was treated to the sight of Angelo seeming to appear out of thin air. His form rippled into being like a mirage, his wings folding around him like a steel mantel.

He rubbed the ship's wheel affectionately, like a man would stroke a cat. "I missed you two." He said softly before turning his eyes to his dumbstruck crew. "I'm even glad to see the rest of you...except you wench." This last he snarled at Cobalt.

Mutely Ambrois held out both Angelo's sword and amulet and for a moment Father and Son exchanged a moment of perfect understanding. The fight was far from over, the battle only in it's infant stages. Angelo grinned wryly. "Now for the fun part. Wish me luck."

And without spending five minutes on the deck of his ship, he was off again, leaving a still speechless crew staring after him. It was Ambrois who found his voice first. "Crazy bastard..."
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The crew of Tower 3 weren't sure what hit them. One minute they were sitting back, discussing the exciting news of a possible battle between the Armada Flagship Wyvern and the pirate ship purported to be the legendary Bloody Muse. The next they were both stark naked and hanging out the window by their ankles, heads still ringing from powerful blows they'd never seen coming. Angelo grinned out the window at them and laughed. "Sorry gentlemen but the surest way to prevent pursuit is to steal the other guy's pants."

With that he leaned back into the Tower and pulled forth his pendant. "Alright lovely, time to do your thing." And with that he spun the runes lining the edges of the pendant until they lined back up. Light blossomed forth, like the petals of a rose unfolding, spearing into the hapless machinery before him. The virus those velvet soft rays imparted spread swiftly from Tower 3 to the remaining six towers.

With flickers reminiscent of the coughing spasms of a dying man, the humming grid that the towers had maintained crashed. Tallistown was no longer a port under lock-down.
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At the first burst of violet light the cloak had fallen away from the Muse, revealing her in all her shadowed splendor. Every stitch of silver canvas had been run up, greedily drinking the rays of the bright sun, and now those glowing sails belled, catching the wind. Like a startled filly caught by the crop she shot forward into the harbor. Cries echoed from a variety of throats, a symphony of awe and disbelief, and not a little anger.

On deck Ambrois bellowed commands to the others, his hands trembling on the wheel even as he tried to impart a sense of calm and confidence he didn't feel. A quick glance toward the Armada ship showed the sailors scurrying over it in a manner resembling a kicked ant-hill. They'd be pursuing in minutes...he tore his gaze away.

"Secure that line!" He bellowed to Saul as a rope in the rigging came loose and threatened to spill wind from their topsail.

"Aye Ambrois!" The youth said as he scurried up the mast as sure footed as ever. "Ambrois there!"

His eyes followed Saul's pointing finger to where sunlight flashed on silver, glancing off wings of steel. Angelo.
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Angelo hadn't expected it to be so close to change of watch, nor had he expected it to be Inspection Day. Thus things were not going entirely according to plan, he was running a little behind. Or well he was running ahead of the mob but behind schedule. There was the Muse, his heart swelling a bit at the sight of her, in the channel leading from the harbor. He could feel her engines winding up as a thrill through his bones, could feel her calling to him to stop playing games.

He tripped over an exposed root and went sprawling, scrambling to his feet and spitting dirt out of his mouth. Now the high pitched whine of her engaged engines filled the air, a faint sheen beginning to bubble out around her as her sustaining fields kicked in. In an instant, she was airborne, powering past them...and Angelo was rapidly approaching a cliff.

His sharp eyes espied a trailing line, no doubt left specifically for him because how could Ambrois be so negligent otherwise? He sped up, forcing his long legs to longer, swifter strides. As ground gave way, he pushed off, hand reaching for the trailing end of rope. For a half-heartbeat it looked like he'd miss. Even his pursuers stopped with hearts in mouths, one young guard closing his eyes, not wanting to see Angelo plummet.

Then calloused fingers grasped rough hemp and Angelo hauled himself upward with a savage grin. With shaking arms he pulled himself over the rail, wings rattling like the sabers of an army. Slowly he regained his composure, smoothing his coat and mussing his hair before turning to his wild-eyed crew. "Well, that was an adventure."

He calmly took the wheel from Ambrois and, with a flick of a wrist, changed their heading. "I recommend everyone hang on. It's about to get rough." And with that, he pushed the Muse for more speed.
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On the Wyvern Trinity watched with the rest of her crew as the Muse became a star twinkling in the distance. Good luck Angelo. She hadn't expected a reply and was rather astonished when she received one.

Thank you love, where I'm going I'll need it.

And Trinity suddenly knew. Angelo Steel was heading into danger. Yet her own course was far from easy. He had his peers to face, she had a Rebellion to start.

And somewhere, in the vastness of the stars, something evil stirred.
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What could it be?
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There's something wicked on the horizon, what it is only you can know. Hope you liked.

[Mephistopheles]

how about a quasi -immortal arcex that knows of the articles and their secrets and is somehow telepathically controlling mange gets introduced? good chappy rai, as usual.

[Guest]

I like what meph said, but a quasi no way. Now I think what would be better is if it was a necromancer type of guy who sees the future, you know have irises that look like hour glasses. ^_^ and just somewhere this guy has to do with everything that happened... Or something close to that...

[Lilith]

Angelo's mother. *wicked grin*

[Syranore]

It should be an invading force from some other previously unknown group, bent on conquering all, and thus everyone's plans are disrupted.

[Kalanna Rai]

Okay, quick poll is up. VOTE!!!