Never a lull - Part One

[rubyrubyruby]

Bog's barnacles...Look at all those ships. Enough to make the natives of this place all kinds of nervous. The Beast is in the lead at present, and a diamond formation of close to a hundred vessels are carving their way across the top of the ocean and heading for a node to take them out of this Golden Circle, and into another. It wouldn't be a stretch to say this could easily be mistaken as an invasion fleet rather than a well-protected convoy

Ruby has had a war table installed upon her deck, though affixing it sturdily in place is a bit of a hit or miss until a proper design can be achieved. Pinned to it via daggers are incomplete maps of the realms' waters. Their depths, obstructions, no-sail zones, etc etc. Ruby has her hands planted on one side as she scrutinizes them. Someone has tried to place miniatures upon it, and they are in very different states of craftsmanship. Some painted, some accurate, some just wooden blocks. A loose diamond formation with strings tied to the masts of the miniatures stand for something. Personnel, provisions, armaments...

Chase leans on the mast, he is cutting up a Blood orange with an ice dagger, "It will be ready" he says calmly, "want half?" he asks holding out the orange. "Captain?"

Ruby looks up from the moist but thankfully sealed parchment. The sounds of the crew monkeying around the rigging and dealing with duties is probably nothing strange to Chase, and they give him some personal space. Especially after witnessing him in his scales. Ruby murmers, "No thanks, though...thanks for tha offer. You gonna be gettin paid in more than fruit durin all this. If you 'ave tah put on scales, there should be compensation. Specially for dealin with tha fungal fooked up boat." She wrinkles her nose. "There's no reason them 'bolans should want tah sabotage their own ship like tha. Still makes me skin crawl rememberin. I know they 'ave a 'istory 'o sacrifice, but usually it ain't suicidal."

"There are things more valuable to me then gold." Chase points out before taking a bite of his orange, "and I like putting on my scales" he adds, "that ship way...odd, you sure it was the crew an not tha cargo?" he asks, tossing the ice knife over the side, the blade dissolves to mist before it touches the water. "Maybe if I knew more about the enterprise I could offer better insight?" he suggests.

Ruby pushes off from the desk and ventures towards the railing for a better vista, beckoning Chase over with a finger. "Not sure. I didn't get a good look, but it might 'ave started in tha 'olds." The salt air is pretty brisk and the wind drags at her dreads. "Well, I've decided tah try an sail 'ome. An if I'm gonna commit tha taboo 'o comin back after runnin away...I'd better bring somethin back with me. Me 'ome shadow ain't grand. It's passed on. Y'know tha orange you ate? Imagine me 'ome be like tha orange. But just tha peel an some pulp left over. All tha juicy stuff is long gone and eaten up already. So I'm bringin food an beasts with me."

Chase follows to the rail, "ok." He says and takes a look at the Armada before looking back to the sea before them, "and is there anyone that'd want to stop you?" he asks, glancing to the tall woman beside him, " You have any enemies that can work that sorta vodoo?" he frowns, "was any of the cargo tainted? I couldn't get a good read during the fight...we needed to put that thing on the bottom before it infected other ships."

Ruby bobs her head three times. And then a shrug. "No question on whether it should 'ave been sunk. Glad it was. An swift as anyone could 'ope." She licks her chops. "Seems to 'ave been tha only bad batch. Any other complaints 'o 'ealth been tha usual, an just need either soberin up or emptyin guts over tha side." Ruby digs into a pouch at her side and pulls forth a torn bit of cloth, like a clown starting their multi-colour scarf trick. She hands over the torn fragment to Chase. Upon it is a vandalized coat of arms. A rearing Unicorn with decorative signs of prosperous icons that adorn many an Amber banner. The unicorn's head has been defaced and disfigured intentionally. "I don't know what they call themselves. I've been callin them tha Consortium. As you can guess, they don't appear fond 'o Amber."

Chase takes the fabric, looking it over, "Any of your kin know anything about them?" He asks, turning the thing in his fingers, "How many times has the symbol come up?" he glances up when he asks the question, "Amberite Royals have a talent for pissing people off, the older they are, the better they are at it...and the less they care that they are doing it."

Ruby nods and blows out her cheeks. "Aye, Truth" She makes a bit of a face. "I 'ave suspicions tha me kin are bein courted by them. I got evidence 'o such. I was ~borrowin~ an Ark. One 'o three...an they showed up tah try an stop me. Their lead vessel 'ad a figure'ead on tha front 'o their ship. Was a beheaded unicorn. Shouted oaths 'o revenge on all Amberites...an tah an extent...their allies. They didn't try an parlay. They recognized Ailith, Maggie an meself some'ow...whether by our flags or scent...an just attacked."

Chase listens, then glances back to the war table, "If they show up again we will cook up a surprise for them...have you tried to question any of them?" he asks, "if we can find out what has them on the war path we can better guess what they will try for." he smiles, "if they are a threat, your Amberite realatives can unleash hell on them."

Ruby gets a little sheepish and hooks her hands on her hips. "Prisoners taken so far 'ave been uncooperative. Need a Lethem I think. We tried on a few, an they died. 'Alf 'o tha prisoners tha were captured either killed each other or took their own lives. It's almost bloody cultishly fanatical, Truth."

As fate would have it, there's a series of bells sounding from a distant ship. It's a bit too early for a mealtime or changing shifts. Not fast enough to indicate a fire, thankfully, but it's turning heads. Sea and sound being as it is, the general direction is coming from aft, starboard side. "Now whut..."

Chase cracks his neck. "comming from that way." he points aft, "shall we?" he asks, starting toward the stern of the ship.

Ruby agrees with weary nod. She just takes a slight detour to fetch her fancy fleet jacket and large Minosian-themed headgear. The jacket is shrugged on quickly and the hat stashed under one arm. "I don't wanna wait for a bird. Can you take us airborne?"

Chase nods, he moves to a clear spot on the deck, his form blurs, when he comes into focus a silvery white dragon has replaced the man. He lowers his neck to allow Ruby to climb on. His spade tipped tail slashes the air in anticipation.

Ruby yells to Bosun to take command of the Beast in her absence, and keep her on course. "Relay word tah tha three auxilliaries tah keep everythin tight. No breakin off! For tha love 'o Bog..." Ruby strides on over to ChaseDrake and the last few steps are a hasty lunge and then a hop to land firmly upon his back and search for handholds. "Let's see 'ow fast an 'igh you can get, you fiend. 'Opefully this just minor nonsense..."

Chase offers a dagger toothed grin to the bosun. He then takes a running start launching himself over the side. His wings spread as he catches the wind and he begins to climb, "diving is faster then climbing...best hang on, this might get rough." His wings beat catching the wind as he climbs higher.

Ruby tries to suppress a groan and shriek as she holds on for dear life. Her hands and thighs try to be rather vice-like. "Ffffffff-" As altitude is gained, despite that wingless bit of luggage clinging to you, more of the fleet lays itself out. A frothy V making a wake behind each vessel, large or small. There's some orderly spacing and positioning attempted, with escorts taking up the perimeter and coralling the fat cargo haulers, plus 3 great arks paddling along under their own strange locomotion. Further to the north, there's one vessel that's peeling away from the diamond. It's a big one, and if it's not a galleon hauling freight, it's one of the bigger well-armed escorts. The flag is difficult to see at this distance, but the colours mark it out hired help rather than oathed to a particular realm.

Chase banks to try and get a better look at the flag, "Any idea's who that one belogs to?" he rumbles, his nose to the wind, taking in the smells on the breeze. She can feel his muscles beneath her as he strains to gain speed.

Ruby leans to the side and peers downwards at the staggering vista. The wind makes her eyes want to tear up and she blinks away at the wind sheer. "I think..." Another wince as she tries to recall. "Tha's tha Manticore. Ship out 'o shadow. They independants for 'ire. Quite a few guns on tha bloody ship."
As they watch, it's clearly peeling off and making sail on a course that's practically opposite course. They tack to the wind, altering sail to fill them. The bell ringing is coming from the ships nearest to the deserter. Alerting the fleet to the WTF is going on.
"If you up tah a little acrobatics...maybe you could...buzz'm." She almost grins.