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Chapter 31: The New Era

 
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Kalanna Rai
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:04 pm    Post subject: Chapter 31: The New Era Reply with quote

Some of you may be upset by this...but this chapter is simply too big for one installment. So enjoy this first part while you ponder what may come in the second. Enjoy!
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Chapter Thirty-One pt 1: The New Era


Ambrois winced as Jade finished wrapping a clean bandage around his arm, making sure she pulled it extra tight before securing the ends with small metal fasteners. "Quit being such a baby."

He snorted, blue eyes fixed on the floor, damp strands of blond hair trailing across his face. "Sorry. Everything hurts at the moment...and what doesn't hurt itches." He reached, wincing, to attempt to scratch the wing that was spread out and held immobile in some stasis field. Jade promptly slapped it away while Angelo's chuckle echoed from the open doorway.

"Means it's healing Ambrois. The itching is a sign that nerves were not damaged. And considering that your wing is one of the most sensetive parts of your body..." The pirate gave a wing rolling shrug, extending yet another tall glass of something toward his son. "Drink this. Oh quit scowling it's non-alcoholic and doesn't taste like boiled toejam."

Ambrois scowled at the brilliant blue liquid before bringing it to his lips. Downing it in a series of swallows, he was mildly impressed that it didn't taste bad at all. A little fruity infact. "So what was it? Something that's going to make me grow a third head? More of those little nanobots?"

"Something like that, only in a heavy dosage. Cure-all and Fix-all arn't going to come close to fixing some of the injuries you sustained, I'd have to soak you in a vat of it. So I pulled out a little something special. Enjoy, I have plotting to do." With a last glance at the pair of them he turned on his heel and walked out, whistling some bawdy tune lightly as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Ambrois shook his head, wincing as sore muscles pulled, and grinned ruefully at the scowling Jade. "You know, your face might freeze like that. Then what would I do?"

Settling herself in a chair opposite him her green eyes traveled his form before fixing on his face. "That's exactly what I'd like to know. What are you going to do Ambrois? Are you going to run away again and blame someone else?" Green gaze dropped away and slim fingers wound themselves in strands of her scarlet hair.

He reached out a hand and disentangled her fingers, weaving his own through them instead. He waited until her eyes rose to meet his before bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it lightly. "No. I was wrong to make that assumption. I believed my eyes and not my head, not my heart. I apologize for that. But this isn't something you run from, it's something you embrace."
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"So...are there any other suggestions?" Silver gaze swept the table, meeting each gaze until it dropped away. Nodding Angelo leaned back, sipping a fizzy, triple proof drink through a bendy straw. "Alright we'll go around the circle and I'll point out why they won't work." He patted a pocket, fishing around for something, muttering to his coat, lips twisting in a frown when he didn't find it. "Ah well, anyhow. Cherry, Donovan, we're not just going to be able to walk in their sporting bloody bandages and evil leers. No matter what you've seen in the movies it's not going to get you respected. It's going to get you torn apart in seconds, like the neo-sharks of Hydrian 5 in a blood frenzy."

The pair of canin shared a glance, ears dropping to the sides of their heads. It had seemed like the ideal way to them. Be open and savage about their bruises and shed blood. But while pirates might swap stories of old wounds, fierce battles, and fish that got bigger every time the story was told, showing up wounded was a weakness...not a strength. And Angelo knew it.

"Cobalt. I also admire your...talent for thinking outside the box. It was a devious idea lass and I'm sure only a scheming bitch like you could have thought of it. However, I am not sure I could come up with half a dozen pink tutus, a tiger skin rug, and six midgits in time. We'll file it away for future use alright?" He didn't bother to mention that her hairbrained scheme might well have gotten them all killed in a suitably rediculous fashion.

At last he turned to Saul, a smile curving his pale lips. "Now you, my young deviant, have some serious potential. I believe I have just the items you need for us to pull off the senario you suggested to me earlier quite nicely."

Cobalt folded her arms across her ample bosom, glaring at the slim youth ferociously. "And just what, Saul, does he mean by that? I didn't hear you say a damn word. Have you been saying things without talking to me first love?"

Saul rolled his eyes, smiling sweetly at her. "You don't own me Cobalt, savvy? What Angelo is saying is that for once, we're doing things my way."
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Three hours later found Saul dressed from head to toe in black. His boots made nearly no noise as he crept along the darkened allyways and narrow streets of Safe Harbor. On his back was a sling sack chock full of goodies that hadn't seen the light of day in ages. He'd had to pick the lint off of them before he'd actually put them in the bag but Angelo assured him they'd work.

Now all he had to do was make it to the high gallery inside the actual Hall itself. Easier said than done considering that nobody had ever expected a human to be up there. Angel Blade's hopes for arcex pirates had never been realized outside himself and his sons. Glancing down at the small thing Angelo had strapped to his wrist, he stared at the small green arrow, making sure it was pointing in the direction he was headed.

Soon enough he noticed them, it was hard not to. Pirates chosen to guard the Hall. Of course they weren't much as far as guards go. Half of them had drunk themselves to sleep, the other half were on their way. A few pretty girls, and even more not even remotely pretty girls, were flirting with them. Saul wrinkled his nose. "Skirts, the most distracting thing known to men everywhere." Naturally he was speaking from experiance.

However the two guys by the door had to be new to the whole 'pirate' thing. They were still concentrating on being tough and scary, driving off the girls and refusing most of the drinks. Alert, they watched the night for all those 'unworthies' who would love to creep into the Hall and start a wild drunken party, complete with mosh pit. He contimplated his way inside for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If I were a drunken reveler bent on entry what would I do?" A moment later he snorted, biting back laughter realizing he might as well have asked 'What would Angelo do?' "Something stupid."

Picking up a couple of glass bottles and some rocks, he crept past the two, dodging down an ally off to the side of them. Wedging himself in between a couple of crates. Tossing first one bottle, then the other further down the ally, he listened to them shatter with a satisfied smile, noting the way the two heads turned. A few rocks against the glass, a few thuds sounding amid the shatters of glass. It was too much for the guards, too close, and as they stepped a little past his hiding place he tumbled beyond them swiftly.

A few rolls later and he sprang cat-like to his feet and padded into the depths of the Hall. It was a cavernous room and for a few moments Saul could only stare before shaking it off. He had work to do and it wasn't going to do itself. Digging into the pouch on his belt, he pulled out several lengths of black wire and a strange hook Angelo had given him. Strapping stick pads to his feet, grabbing climbing spikes in his hands, he slowly began to work his way up the nearest wall. Several tries later, he'd managed to hurl the hook into the high gallery, shimmying across the wire and panting for a few moments.

Slowly, reaching into the sling on his back, he mounted three of the small globe like devices before picking up the hook and using the wire to swing back across to where his climbing spikes were embedded in the wall. He was dangling there, pulling up the extra lengths of his wire, when the sounds of footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the laughter of a woman...then even ruder sounds. "Watch must have changed...damn." And clinging to the wall, Saul realized he was in for a long night.
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Dawn came and with it a change of the wind, blowing fresh, clean, and savage from the northeast. He gazed at the ships moored amid some of the waterfront streets of Safe Harbor, watching the gleaming orb spark against the clouds.

"No one's gonna be sailing today. Not with a storm coming. What do you think love?" He muttered the words lovingly, one hand stroaking the railing on which he leaned. And if the timbers of the Muse gave an appriciative creak, few were the wiser. Certainly not the exhausted young man in black that hauled himself over the side and tumbled bonelessly at Angelo's feet.

"The dark deed you have requested is done Captain." A brash, if tired, smile accompanied the words.

Angelo smiled down at him, refusing when the youth attempted to hand the 'bag of tricks' back. "Keep it, I have others. Besides, no telling when I'll require such services of you again. Now go get some sleep, I'm the only one likely to be stumbling out of their bunks before noon. The others won't even dream of assembling before sometime in the afternoon...at the earliest."

Slowly Saul picked himself up and shook himself, rubbing at a smudge of stone dust on his cheek. "Aye Captain." A few steps later he paused, turning and glancing back. "Angelo, they're idiots arn't they? The other pirates I mean. I took a good look at that chair. It was made for someone with wings."

A feral smile crossed Angelo's face, one eye gleaming back at Saul through the snarled mess of his silver hair. "My father has been called many things. A fool was never one of them. Goodnight Saul."
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Keep yourselves tuned to this station my fair readers. This part of the tale is not yet done. Afterall, such a long absence deserves a little more than the usual. And I aim to please.
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice... I was hoping you'd continue with this one Rai! I'll have to go back and catch up now, and I promise, I will (despite time being a royal pain for the lack thereof...)
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

*insconeds herself with a box of chocolates, an endless supply of coco, chookies, nuts, popcorn, and a comfy chair* I must say I was hoping this would go somewhere other than the typical pirate story, but given the fact that you have suprised me more than once in this story already I am willing to be patient to find out if you will do it again.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Remember what happened last time you did chapters in parts, Rai? Wink

Actually, I'm not altogether sure what I'm thinking of is "the last time", but meh.

Anyhow, it seems we're kicking off the climax, with who knows what at the end of it. Time to sit, and steal good ol' Soily's expression...

Shocked *Holds breath* Shocked
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