Pirates of the Hard Nox [Open]

They had walked in silence, but Leo looked over his shoulder repeatedly, less concerned with the Captain’s orders and more concerned with how she had seemed to draw into herself. He had heard once that the truth was painful, and for the first time he found his own words the weapon, bared against Alys with good intentions. His intentions didn’t soften the blow of it, though. Every glance he stole fanned his guilt, but he could think of nothing to say.

”I-I need to tell you something.”

Leo froze mid step, foot hovering just above the path for a moment and eyes set forward. What was that? The unsteadiness of her voice, the tone that drove a nail through his heart. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn to her, to face the expression on her face that would match the voice that already caused his heart to hammer. There was something wrong in the way she had said it, and it sent a chill up his spine.

”Any chance we could talk about it later? We don’t want to keep the Captian waiting. She will have us in the crow cages after the day we have had.” He kept his back to her, and resisted the urge to steal another glance. Perhaps he was trying to hide his expression as much as he was avoiding hers.

“Of course, it would be a shame to let them go to waste.” Lucien stood slowly before extending a hand for Nessa. He let the cloak stay on her shoulders, but if she shrugged it off he would refasten it across his own. He spotted the shimmering portal that the others had gone through and made his way over, stopping every so often to scoop up a fallen gem or two, never straying out of arm’s reach of Nessa.

Once Lucien reached the portal, he stepped through slowly, a faint tingling reverberating through his body as he stepped into the massive crystalline city. He squinted his eyes at its brightness as the familiar bellowing of the al-Ashtavahk echoed down the streets. Something nagged at Lucien’s mind, why he would be the one shouting the Captain’s orders when Sinead easily could have done it herself.

But he pushed it back for now, instead looking back to ensure Nessa was still following before continuing down the glittering street to the mansion the crew had commandeered for themself.

Caleb unpacked Beck’s bag and by the time he was done, they were all scattered around the room. His heart skipped a beat when Alys walked in, gazing at the food on the table as if she’d never wanted anything more in life. His one green eye followed her to the armchair, eagerly awaiting for her to look up to give him the courage to do what he had to do next, like she’d done back in the cave. Fuck, Emryk was so much better at this than he was.

The sole of his black leather boots covered in blood and dirt stepped on the floor table at the center of the room, and Caleb felt the smallest he’d ever been, with the most important people of the crew looking at him expecting some explanations.

“We knew when we chose this that every day could be our last.” He said, grim. Those who hadn’t seen what had happened and weren’t made aware of it would notice her absence in the room screaming over the silence, and the person who’d feel it most would undoubtedly be Emer. There was no greater amount of guilt than the one Caleb felt for what he did to her, and the fear that she’d never forgive him. His eye softened, searching for her warmth and calmness. “We knew coming out here that it was going to be dangerous, and it was likely not all of us would make it back.”

He wouldn’t find that Emer, the one who fixed him every time he got broken. Not if she knew the truth, that Caleb set this all up. He knew King meant it when he said he’d murder all of them if he hadn't killed her or the other way around, but none of it would've happened if he hadn’t brought the Truth Teller to them. To kill Emer's best friend. Caleb gulped, looking away to the rest of the crew.

“Sinead knew that too, and she is the reason we didn’t lose more people.” He couldn't tell her, not now. Not like that.

“We’re tired and injured. Whoever has food or water, put it on this pile and we’ll share it evenly. We’ll figure out the rest when we’ve had time to rest.” As in, don’t fucking ask me what happened. Caleb knew some of them would, and his gaze fell on Lucien. The vampire had slept over the entire fight and could jump at him to kill him at any time, now that his leash was loose. “I’m sure this house has plenty of rooms for every one of us to get a good few hours of sleep, but remember we’re not alone.”

He looked for Naveen, but couldn’t find him. Caleb was sure the vampire couldn’t have gone far, not after Solomon’s orders to him. From the brief interactions he’d seen them have, Naveen seemed like the loyal type. His captain had told him to keep Caleb alive, but didn’t say anything about the others. His people.

They were - somewhere else now, a strange place, an echo of a city long forgotten. Truthtold, Emer was not fully aware, nor did she fully care. Instead, she hung near the edge of the group, quietly watching over them, quietly watching those who were not of her folk with a different, warier eye. Her hand never left the dagger in her sleeve as they ventured. By the time they reached the odd manor home, things had settled into a calm quiet, so the sound of raised voices from inside was indistinguishable, if incomprehensible, muffled as it was.

The wisewoman slipped inside behind Juniper, resting a hand on the girl's healthy shoulder as she passed. She was weak, but conscious, standing. Alive.

They were all alive.

Focus, Emer.

Blinking, looking around the room, she flashed a quick smile at the good Baron and Caleb where they stood. Emryk had said something about the crew needing a captain. Yes - that would be Caleb, now, when he was ready. She supposed that was right. But - when he was ready. He was still practically a child, wracked with stress, torn with emotions he couldn't fully control. That was no quality of a captain. It seemed they'd be resting here for the night, so Emer made her way over to Emryk, settling in a swaying stance behind Leo's shoulder. The Baron seemed tense, and Leo noticed as well, asking if the man was alright.

She opened her mouth to speak, to add something, then closed it, instead simply lowering herself cross-legged on the floor and drawing her shawls closer around herself. They would take care of each other.

She simply had to watch.

To listen.

To be.

As the two of them slipped into the manor, Lucien shifted. The man, not the monster, who had comforted Nessa was once again locked away, and the vampiric navigator emerged, his soft expression hardening. As he stepped into the area where the crew assembled, a sense of dread crept into him. The Captain was noticeably absent, and the quartermaster stood to address them, looking like a child about to give a presentation.

Lucien found himself a corner and pressed into it, watching the fae as he delivered a pitiful excuse for a speech, one that served to send the assembled further into despair rather than motivate them. Not that Lucien cared for the reactions of others, his gaze was fully locked on the man of the hour. If his heart still beat, there was no doubt it would be hammering in his ears.

“And what now, O’Cain?” A snarl tugged at Lucien’s lips, and his question slipped out as a growl. That was not uncommon for Lucien, but he wanted to remind Caleb who he was dealing with: the attack dog of the Hard Nox.


Her attack dog.

Hopefully Caleb chose a room for himself. Lucien preferred to keep his confrontations personal.

Nestled in the oversized armchair, Alys let her gaze wander over the faces that had become so familiar. They were all here now - all but one - exhausted, battered, and bruised, seeking answers to fill the missing void. And when her eyes finally landed on the only one who could provide that answer, she found that he was looking to her. Leo's words quietly echoed in the back of her mind, diminishing with every passing second. She didn't smile, choosing to remain neutral apart from the slight nod of her head. They were expecting him to say something - he had to say something now. And so he did. 

Silently, Alys observed the others and their reactions, particularly those who were likely to... push back. Some remained silent, others spoke up, yet no one surprised her. 

When Caleb approached with the bottle of water, the fae eagerly lifted the opening to her lips and swallowed a mouthful or two before begrudgingly handing it back to him. Her tongue ran across her lips, relishing in the moisture, yet already craving more. "Haven't heard that before..." She muttered sarcastically, happily taking the apple slice from him as well. She looked at him as she bit into it, held his gaze as she chewed - and allowed her right wing to twitch for a second or two. Then she looked up at the ceiling, as he'd done once, before drawing her attention back to the apple. It was almost gone now - pity. 

"Well, I'm going to bed," she said quietly, more so to herself than to anyone is particular. With a huff, she hoisted herself up from the chair and left the room. For a moment she wandered down the dusty hall, passing by Nessa with nothing more than a somewhat incoherent "G'night," until reaching the staircase that led to the second floor. Up she went, legs wobbling with each step, until she came upon another dark hallway - and another staircase. Up she went again, and once more, a third staircase. "Oh, fuck me," she whispered, using the beautifully carved wooden banister for support as she climbed. But that was where it ended, leaving her in an eerily silent hallway with a dozen closed doors. There'd better be an impossibly comfortable bed up here - she deserved it.