Fungus among us - Part One

[rubyrubyruby]

Ruby has dragged everyone she can to take a peek at the Bog-awful huge fleet she's amassing for the trip into the shadow. Whether by marking on Charts where to meet her with their own ship (such as the Fireheart), or calling forth via Trump teleportation.
It isn't a uniform fleet, though masses of ship types try to glom to a particular type. The tonnage may vary, but the most frequent same-same vessel belongs to trade Fleet Triskelion. A diamond formation of close to 50 ships, with more arriving in groups of three. Of particular interest are three biblically immense Arks in the middle of the ships. Ruby has been pulling out her hair to keep everyone from colliding and maintaining a course, with the slowest of the vessels being the baseline for travel. Right now, they're practically at anchor and sedate.
On the main deck of the Beast, she tries to assemble folks for a shot of rum and a chin-wag.

Chase leans on the rail looking over the fleet, such as he can see from here anyway. He is straped, bot sword and storm pistol worn on this trip.

The Fireheart - a three masted frigate of somewhat large design, fitted with new sails and the gleam of a storm orb now at the top of the main mast, meets them there. Sailing a bit away, Lorne and Cornelia had come over via smaller boat to boat to join Ruby on the deck. Lorne, a somewhat more stout individual, tipped back the welcoming shot of rum, then fiddled with the glass for a moment, turning his gaze to look out over the fleet, taking particular interest in the larger vessels. Either as possible upgrades, or just to compare against his own ship. "I can see why you be wantin ships to play guard to this lot.. You're makin bout as much headway as a rowboat upstream with an armless lad haulin it."

Wynter stands nearby, eyes taking in the large fleet of ships and her rum in one hand. She sips at the drink, savoring the taste along with the mix of sea spray, listening to Lorne and chuckling softly.
She's in her uniform with golden blade on her hip, relaxed though currious as to Ruby's designs for a fleet this large.

The saying that opposites attract is something in full evidence when one looks at the pair from the Fireheart. Unlike Lorne, Cornelia is pale skin and prone to sunburns. Lithe, light and a fair bit more cautious than her counterpart, her eyes sweep over the water and the fleet that moves along with them for a brief moment before turning back to those assembled. "Fish in a barrel." she murmurs as her eyes lift once more over the water.

Ruby curls her lips, and they twitch like agitated wormy things. "Truth. Smarter femme than meself mentioned somethin about...too much on a shadowpath moight 'ave ~consequences~. If too many ships go along it all at once, it be loike rollin a cannonball onto an old whores mattress. An we implode. Faaah!" Ruby tries to dismiss it with a wave of her hand.
Ruby raises a cup of rum and then sets it down again. "Aye. You ain't wrong. None 'o you. An you've seen tha problem. Somethin sluggish goin on...An if it don't get solved, we never get un-stalled."
It's dramatically just around then when there's a lantern illuminated from a vessel off to port. From a cluster of 6 galleons that sit low in the water, one sits lower than others. A sickly greenish yellow glow emanates from the portholes. A longboat is rather hastily dropped to the water without any caution whatsoever.

Chase joins the others, "Those sows in the center...." he starts to point when he sees the long boat, "What are they haulin?" he asks as he watches the action. Chase looks to Ruby, then to that sickly greenish glow. "That don't look good..."

Lorne didn't notice it, not until Chase pointed, and made the comment. Then his head turned, eyes narrowed. "Whatever it be.. looks like they be havin some trouble with it, all the same." a glance, sidelong, towards Ruby. "They either be carryin more'n they should, or they be shippin water, Captain. What's the plan for assistance to ships too stupid to sail?"

Cornelia narrows her eyes when everyone's attention diverts to the other side of the ship. Setting her own cup down, she leans forward just a touch, her nose wrinkling and those eyes still narrowed. "Maybe it's the whore's mattress it's carrying." she says before straightening up and watching the longboat.

Eyes drawn to the glow, Wynter moves closer to the rail to inspect,concentrating on the ship. "It's magic. Something odd. Not what I would consider natural magic either." She empties her cup in a few short gulps and sighs. "Do you know what's on the ship, Ruby? Because it looks like it might become an issue."

Ruby comes to peer over at the ship in question. Expression: What the frig now. "Food for tha critters on tha Arkships mostly. I think. Or bound for a port on tha way. Should just be grains or fruit preserves...Those ships joined a week ago. Fat lot. From Cibola maybe?" Her mental gears creak as she tries to summon a manifest in her brainspace.
The longboat has people in it. Not all were in it when it was unceremoniously dropped, and a few are pulling themselves in while they paddle as quickly as they can away. Towards the beast. Their voices are a gibbering and murmering bunch. A hissing comes along for the ride for some reason.
"Need tha food. Better go see." Ruby signals for crew to drop a longboat of their own, chopping it free of the barely regrown sprouts of the vine-tendril defenses that are still mewling over a recent ~trimming~.
"Let's go 'ave a word with their Cap'n. Moight 'ave tah replace them."

Chase hmmmss, "I'll go aloft...high cover" he says running for the rail then leaping as if to dive into the drink. There is no splash, a moment later a silvery white dragon comes into view climbing in wide circles about the boat allowing the others time to get aboard the long boat. He keeps an eye on the ship however,

Lorne offers a grunt of acknowledgement, but would move to join Ruby all the same. Not that he felt it was his duty to investigate or reprimand - but he assumed Ruby would, or wouldn't, ask. He'd go anyhow. A glance towards Cornelia, giving her the option of stay or go, catching Chase's jump and shift just at the corner of his gaze, lips twitching as he looks to Wynter. "Then it no just be food they be bringin.. but trouble too. More trouble than they be worth? Might want to stand off, Captain, and see if they be havin sommat to say fer themselves first."

Wynter closes her eyes and mutters words under her breath. She lifts gently off of the deck and hovers there in the air. Eyes opening she keeps constant watch on the ship in question as she speaks. "What would make Cibola sailors panic and leave their ship without land in sight? I don't know enough if their land to say. But fear is fear." She looks to Ruby. "Captain?"

Cornelia watches as the smaller boat starts to make its way towards them. Once the sound of their voices can be heard over the water, she reaches for Lorne's coat sleeve and shakes her head. "Safer on the deck of the boat." she murmurs and then glances up at Chase in the air. "Cept him." Giving Lorne a gentle tug and Ruby a look of quite serious concern, her attention shifts to Wynter for a moment. "Can ya fight?"

From a higher altitude would show a better pattern of dispersal for the fleet at large. Those troublesome slowpokes are definitely a little too clustered from where the greeny-yellow flare of light came from. Their longboat strokes to Ruby's vessel and the readied longboat. Sailors in the water are spluttery-splash-swimming in the wake of it. The ship they came from sits like a toad in the road. An unlight backlights what open hatches there are on its deck. Those still open are being slowly drawn shut.
Ruby is in motion as the longboat is lowered, landing with a suitable amount of grace on the gunwales to not capsize it. Oars are readied as it takes on more passengers that are coming along. They're almost ready to push off as Ruby looks curiously between Cornelia and Lorne. To Wynter she gives a quick shrug. "I'll not 'ave their panic on me deck. They better be deliverin Oberon's second comin as a baby without 'ailin us first. I'll give them somethin tha fear."
You paged Chase with 'Your crazy Mandrake sight will say there are still a bunch of people onboard the ship. They're all removing themselves from the maindeck though.'.

Lorne frowned, watching the other ship - having paused at the tug to his coat sleeve. Turning to the boatswain that had rowed them over, "Signal the mate to have the Fireheart to come about - and position opposite the beast to that ship there. Keep her distance, too, but just in case." sending the man off to work with light and flag to do just that, before he turns to Cornelia. "Might be needin to go an board it to fix whatever's happenin, least it spread to other ships, lass. Might not be one place safer'n the other if it be magic in the air. Might be the deck of yonder ship be the safest place, right now, dependin. Lets you know you're alive, danger." giving Cornelia a grin, a wink, before he would move - unless stopped, to join Ruby in her longship.

The Ice Dragon banks toward the ship, then arrows into a dive, his wings folding to his flanks as he arrows toward the ship, as he is about to his the deck,he throws open his wings, arcing back up. His voice booms, "Ruby! we have a problem." the voice of the dragon like a clap of thunder.

Wynter blinks and looks to Cornelia and then giggles. A giggle that turns to something a touch off. She sobers but continues to smile. "I am School of Iron trained. Custos and Pathian mage. Yes. Trained to fight." Chase's yell about problems causing the woman to grin wider. "Ahh.. That's my Ruby. Always interesting to trail in her wake." She lifts up in the air and out over the water between the ships, sentinal over the long boats.

Cornelia frowns as Ruby and Lorne both jump in the boat below. "It's a fools errand." she whispers before checking to make sure she has a knife tucked away on her body. Dragons.. she's seen one or two in her life but not met one personally til meeting Chase and his mother. The sound of his voice makes her flinch and she hesitants for a moment before dropping into the boat while Wynter floats.

The longboat pushes off from the side of the red-hulled Beast, lanterns lit to help be visible as they attempt to head towards the troubled vessel, or at least interdict the other longboat before its on them. "Whut?" She cups her hands around her mouth and yells, "Ain't mutiny is it?" She brays at the longboat coming towards them, "What's tha rush? Avast!"

Across the relatively calm sea, the previously aglow ship starts making a clunk-a-clunk noise. The anchor is being hauled up but there isn't anyone visible at the wheel. Light pulses from half-cracked hatches. A stench floats towards Wynter and the longboat, following Cornelia's dire words and adding credence to them.

The oncoming longboat is being oared by fearful folk indeed, as they paddle wildly, unsynchronized. A squealing keens out, carried by the water. Some of the soggy passengers stand up and balance wobbly. Heavily accented shouts, "Turn back! Turn back!"

Lorne just grins at Cornelia when she joins them, shaking his head. His gaze, however, following the clunk noises coming from the ship, easily heard as the water tends to carry sound. "... don't suppose they've got some plants be gettin out of control, and fancy takin their ship for a ride 'pon its own?" ignoring the oncoming longboat, shaking his head. "Buncha land lubbers.. need to learn the seas or stay off ah them." muttered under his breath. Then lifting his own voice to repeat Ruby's questioning. "Why you be fleein your own ship, lads, be needin what's aboard for the journey ahead?"

Wynter is about to pull her sword when she looks down and spies something in the longboat that shouldn't be there. A shiney and metalic looking bow that is resting in the aft part of the long boat. She sinks down and takes it up into her hand with a cooing sound. "You should have stayed home. But you're a good boy for following. Yes you are." Is she talking to the bow?
She plants her feet against a cross member of the boat and adds he flight to the power of the oars for added push. "Time is wasting. Best get whatever that smell is now before it gets worse."

Cornelia gets all sorts of heebee jeebies and creepy crawlies when that boat of theirs gets closer to the one the 3 non-floating folks occupy. "This ain't good Captain." she says. To which one? Well they can sort it out. The larger vessel goes ingnored by her because right now, the crawling skin feels she has are coming from that smaller boat. Crouching down, she slips the dagger out of her boot as her eyes stay trained. "Whatever it is... they're bringing it with em to us."

The longboat's escapees clamber to the side of the gunwales, gripping them feverishly. They're close enough now to see the terror in their eyes. Almost burning with an inner light. Some are repeating a phrase over and over in another language, something starting with, "Coco...Coco...CocoLiz..." They've stopped rowing as they reach out like fans at a Bieber concert.

Ruby sneers at this, muttering under breath to her companions, "Aye...If this an example 'o their crew. Better they stick tah land. She yells, "'Aul yer asses back tah yer ship or..." Ruby jerks her head around to regard Cornelia. Whatever she was going to say dies on the vine.

Not too far now, the odd Galleon is listing and veering off its uniform course. If it isn't careful, it might cross paths with one of the other sluggish galleons. It languidly is pulled ever more off course by an unmanned wheel.
Ruby rasps, getting spooked by Wynter and Cornelia's observations, "Don't let'm touch us. We go straight tah tha source."

Lorne would call back up to the ship, letting Ruby keep command and focus on the longship and their course around the other. "Don't let em aboard, keep em back with pole and don't let 'em put hand on ye." drawing his own cutlass, but keeping it down and out of the way in case the small ship rocks. Not sure where he needed to be, he just made sure he didn't rock the boat himself, too much, and got ready to help push the other boat's occupants away. "What in the Shadow happenin to em?"

"Magic." Wynter answers simply. As if that was all there is to it. A one word answer that's supposed to explain it all in detail. She continues to shove the boat with her feet towards the power claimed vessel. "Get ready to board. I'll tryto aim us for the boat launch."

Cornelia remains where she is, crouched down low so that she can see over the edge of the gunwhals but she's not an easy target for anyone. Dagger ready in her hand, she glances up at Lorne and frowns some. "Where's the Fireheart?" she hisses. He had called orders to be sent to it and her low spot doesn't give her the best vantage for seeing. Wynter's single word has her looking at the woman and her frown deepers more. "Always magic. Why's it always gotta be magic?"

Ruby holds her breath as the two longboats pass in the night. Warding off grasping hands and assisting in any oar-prodding or smacking to keep from getting entangled. She's come without grabbing something handy like a weapon, so just clenches her fists. The smell coming from the ship is unpleasant. If it was carrying fruits or grains, it should not give off the whiff it's got now. "Gotta put eyes on tha trouble before we do anythin drastic. Put in too coins tah make deals with these sorts. If it mutiny, tha's easy enough. If it plague..."

The vessel, the Atonahui, looks like fine from a ship-shape eyeball examination. Fresh paint over an old hull. Highlights here and there. Rigging and whatnot all in order. Just no people ready to receive them. Up close, the only thing out of place is the wince and rope to haul the missing longboat. It provides the easiest way to climb about, but there are others if one is daring. The minimal armaments for self-defense are gun-hatches, most of which are battened down. Though some are half-cracked and expose the pulsing erratic light and help expell that horrid scent.
Ruby eyes this means of access and decides on grapping for a dangling line to climb up hand-over-hand. "...Definitely not gonna eat for at least a week after a sniff 'o this..."

The longboat left behind drifts in isolation, the men and women aboard howling about doom and gloom in something other than Thari. Snatches of Cibola and other-realm dialects polluting their pleas.

Lorne stood up a bit, eyes scanning where he knew the Fireheart had been - tracing where it should have gone before he points with his cutlass - spotting the moving storm orb that faintly illuminated the sails that had their ensign on it's main sail. "Movin to flank, an almost in position." he didn't understand the shouting from the longboat, and so, ignored it for now. His eyes scanned the Atonahui, checking along the waterline, then the rigging. Shaking his head. Hand grabbing a rope and grapple, throwing it up to catch the rail. Bracing his feet in the bottom of the longboat and moving to tie it secure to give them both a way up and keeping their way out secure.
"Don't be breathin too deep... that smell would puke maggots."

Wynter waits until the boat is secure and then flys upwards and back from teh boat to cover the trio's climb up to the deck. The silvery bow out and pulled back at the ready though no arrow is nocked. She scans the deck for signs of foew or fishy nonsense, a patient guardian.

Screw making maggots puke, the stench is putrid enough to make Cornelia cough and gag the closer they get to the damned ship. Her eyes follow the the line of Lorne's cutlass to where the Fireheart sits in the water and she then glances up at Ruby. Thrusting her dagger towards Lorne she grins. "Give it to Captain Incarnate when you get up there. I'll get over to the Fireheart and try and get her in closer range in case you need some more firepower." she explains.