Shadow Oh-Nooooo...de - Part 1

[rubyrubyruby]

If one were a flying thing, and flew real high and looked down, they'd see a approximately a hundred ships in a diamond formation. Three big old Arks in the center making a mobile bermuda's triangle, and the rest taking up proscribed positions according to some previously arranged pattern. There's a light rain going on and grey grumpy clouds that promise more. A dull rumble of thunder sometimes issues from somewhere like a sleepy giant moving furniture upstairs.

In the lead is the Beast, and upon the deck all non-essential things have been stowed away, and important bits lashed to mast or secured. Ruby's not handling the wheel, but she's at station to oversee matters. Strung up between rigging and masts is a golden net that just so happens to mimic the diamond formation of the fleet. A precious stone, trinket or personal effect has been hooked to certain junctions. All denoting ships in the fleet, if one was to hazard an intelligent guess.

Chase is aloft, the crows nest. A golden net strung out below him, his dark hair blowing in the breeze. The Mandrake General keeps his eyes on the horrizon.

Nadia smiles as she looks around while standing on deck. She wasn't much of a sailor, and didn't have much to do to help, though she was curious about seeing how the huge group of ships were going to travel deeper into the shadows. So she was there watching.

Wynter hovers just a few inches off the deck, her head thrown back slightyl and hair wafting in the breeze. Apon her face a smile as the storm and rain circle in and fall apon the fleet. Odd to those that don't know the Air master Pathian.
Her senses extended and exploring the mystical net and the marks of a ceremony that will hopefully move the fleet as a whole.

Jondrim grumbles something about shuffleboard being essential as he comes back up on deck, but this time without the make shift shuffleboard stick in his hand. He gives a look up towards the clouds and frowns but other goes to find a spot to lean.

It's been a few days along the Cibolan shadow-path with few problems compared to past instances involving rogue whales, fog, plague, mutation, fire or dreamland abductions. The first few nodes were an exercise in patience and organization to get an elongated convoy to pass the funny little pathway rules that allow non-pattern folk to sail from one realm to another. But to this particular node, otherwise known as a waypoint, the mass of ships approaches in its big spread out formation.

Ruby has adopted some clothes that lend a more formal style. Truth be told she's wearing storm-silk that's been well maintained and could serve in a pinch for a formal dinner amongst commodores. The jacket is worn loosely over her shoulders like a cape. Black material with silver piping. Very ooh-ahh. It would provide a snug fit if worn properly, but not appropriate for the bulge of her belly these days. It's a bit at odds with the rest of her intense musculature. She massages around her cargo occasionally, making little wincing expressions. Her hair is drawn back severely and hangs behind her back like a cat-o-nine-tails with silver and ivory clasps.

Chase is looking through a spy glass, the whole shadow skipping thing still puts him slightly off his game, he casts a look around at the rest of the fleet, this being one of the larger movement he has ever seen.

The Die Haanya is not one of the hundred, having lagged behind and disappeared on the horizon a day ago. As she wasn't technically a member of the fleet, that event should not have concerned anyone but the woman left behind. And hopefully by her own choice. Cela walks the deck carefully, sidestepping the knots of activity, parasol closed and tucked under her arm. Leggings, albeit silk ones, deep greens and mauves, replace her usual skirts.

Diana, a recent recruit, keeps mostly to herself near starboard side. She's given up on her hat on the sea, the winds blowing her pale hair back despite the ribbon's best efforts to tame it.

Nadia currently looked like a normal person, with normal human legs instead of her mermaid tail as she walked around the deck of the ship. She was even wearing a bit of clothing today, a simple tight fitting blue short sleeved blue shirt, and the long fabric she usually carries is wrapped around her waist as a skirt.

With the fleet catching a fair amount of wind, the next course correction along the shadow-path will be soon in coming. Ruby has made no orders to begin the ritualistic needs to pay the next toll along the glorious magical sea-highway. She snarls out orders to stay true to their course, which will bring the left edge of the fleet within kissing distance of the unique patch of strangle purplish kelp that lurks nearby. "Steady ahead!" With the rain threatening to grow beyond a nuisance, Ruby blinks away the moisture and puts a hand on the shoulder of the femme that is gripping the wheel. She rasps to her, "Stay on course!" She bellows to her ship and nearby vessels, her voice bellowing mightily through the rising winds. "Stay on course or embrace doom!" Big morale booster here. "Bog take your ship and your future! Stay. In. Formation!" She grunts and knuckles at the small of her back.

Diana's dark eyes shift, narrowing at her dark escort, a man with wide-eyes that belays the neatness of his gambeson and hair. Something wild and fanatical about the paranoid shifting that has him keeping eyes on everyone on board. She turns to watch the complicated dance of one hundred ships, bracing arms over the railing.

In circumstances that are probably good for a merchant, Mercier seems to have obtained sealegs rather adroitly. Maintaining a quiet, nearly contemplative contenance along the stern railing of what might qualify as a poop deck, pencil running against a leather bound notebook, in what could be a sketch, or just more indecipherable doodles. His head cranes up at the dour orders from the admiral of the affair, furrowing his brow, a bit, quietly, then glancing up to the golden netting curiously.

Chase makes his way down the rigging, landing on the rolling deck, the rain starting to grow more steady. "You need me to relay orders Captain?" He calls to Ruby, "I have a big voice when needs be."

Jondrim moves along the side of the ship towards the bow and watches the sea ahead with a smile on his lips now before taking hold of a bowsprit line and climbing on to the rail to get a better look at the waves below and ahead of them.

Wynters gaze comes back dwon from the skies to take in the yelling Ruby. Then further down to the Captian's tummy. There is a slip of her smile from bright to near frown of worry and then back again. Floating closer she nods to Chase's words. "Or from myself. We are here to assist, Captain. Allow us to do so where we can if you have need."

Ruby considers and gives Chase an curt nod. "Shepard should be at tha back 'o tha flock, but can't be 'elped 'ere. I planned tah be in this position. As long as everyone stays true tah their 'eadin, an doesn't veer off...everythin be fine." Ruby is noticeably perspiring as she tries to overlay the image of the pattern over her little venture, staring straight ahead at the netting when needing another reference to anchor onto. She grinds her teeth into an ugly smile. "There's...a lot 'o ships. There's gonna be other ships usin tha path. Busy." She takes a shuddering breath and there's a curse as her grip on her First Mate's shoulder is a little too tight. She lessens the vice-like hold and yammers, "If you can go airborne, keep everyone together, or use me flyin 'eretical carpet...Aye, Just keep...Order."

Chase heads closer to Wynter, his arms folded across his leather clad chest, his slit pupiled eyes on what is going on.

The shadow-path is definitely not the sole domain of Ruby's flotilla, and there's more than a few vessels using it. Everyone needing to use the Node as a reference and obeying the esoteric requirements. Not to mention those things that call the water their home and hunting grounds, mostly undetectable below the surface. Scavengers of air or sea being opportunistic to scraps, whether native or the realm or following the fleet for noms.

Cela patters over the slick main deck to step up to the helm where Ruby and other familiar faces are gathered. She still keeps a distance from the planning, following the rail until there is a steady bit of rigging to hook her umbrella upon, anchoring her in place. Looking to her side, she flashes a curious once-over at Mercier, then offers a smile.

Nadia smiles as she casually strolls back and forth across the deck. "It is pretty impressive to see so many ships working together. Hopefully everyone knows what to do."

A number of merchant vessels bearing provisons are passing in nearly the opposite direction. They got to the Node first, and so are using the right of way to hurry on their way before there's a big mess of ship blocking things. No one likes an armada on the move. There's no danger there as they're more maneuverable, but their presence causes Ruby some mental grief to layer upon the other stuff. Ruby blinks rapidly and notes Cela approaching, and beyond her, Diana and her companion, Nadia sporting land-lubber legs and Mercier looking thoughtful, and Jondrim displaying some nimbleness. "I'd make...intro-duc-tions, but I think I'm going tah 'ave an blood vessel burst in me brain...Haw." she jests weakly.

Wynter gives Chase a rather serrious looking nod of understanding. Her eyes somewhat glued apon Ruby. Her feet touch the decking at least and she pads over beside the larger woman who is in charge. "Ruby. Let me give you the birds eye view. I can let you see exactly what things look like from above." She mutters words of arcane power and the air in front of the golden net seems to shimmer and it becomes the view point from far above looking down apon the armada. The Pathi woman waits to hear from Ruby if this is acceptable.

Diana finally moves away from the railing, joining some of the others. "I have found it helps if someone is willing to take the first step, and for the sake of harmony on your ship, I will do so. I am the Baroness Lethem, Diana, and Royal Executioner of Amber. My presence here is as an aquaintance of the captain. As it is for most of you." The slightly wild-eyed, well-dressed man behind her is not also introduced.

Fishing about in a waistcoat pocket, Mercier produces a pocket watch and examines it, before replacing it in his pocket, and closing the book, that item getting stashed in his coat, "I'll forgive the Captain for being such a social terror." He notes, with dry humor. Cela's look gives a winning smile, and a polite tip of his hat, "Milady." He greets politely. He follows Diana's example, "Templeton. Arthur Templeton. The captain has been polite enough in charity to engage my meager services."

There's a change in the air as Ruby grapples with the pattern in preparation. Her tampering with reality has the ship creak as the hull and some displaced water is collected. After one last look at the netting, she closes her eyes and lifts her chin to feel the rain pattering down. Her answers come with less focus, but she's responsive, "Aye Wyn'tah. If any stray, I need tah know, or they might get lost."

Chase moves toward the back rail, checking the ships trailing to be sure they are where they ought to be in the formation, "I wonder if the whale is lurking about..." he mutters more to himself than anyone around him.

Nadia smiles as she looks around at everyone and gives a friendly wave, "I am Nadia, it is nice to meet you all." She looks around a bit, "You know, we probably didn't have to move all the ships at the same time?"

"Of course, Ruby. I'll let you know." She casts a quick smile to the group that's giving introductions. "Wynter Chantris.. but not of that house. Pathian Magi and Custos. Air master. Nice to meet you an remeet some of you." She then goes back to looking at the strange aeiragl view point hovering in front of them and monitoring the ships.

Ruby says, with strained tones, "More tha merrier. Everyone 'ere unique, an ain't meager in tha slightest. You all very ~real~, an tha's good. All light'ouses in yer own way." The creaking of the hull is echoed by the ships immediately astern, and then ripple as each subsequent zone of vessels appears to mimic the same phenomena. "They need me tah get tah tha Sea 'o Scars. It ain't on no Charter, Map or tattoo'd on someone's back. Where we goin, we can't use Nodes."

Cela hears Ruby and nods sympathetically. "Never you mind, Captain," she calls out with gracious good cheer. "We can see you're busy keeping a fleet in one piece." She smiles at Diana, and again towards Mercier, lifting her free hand to wave at Nadia. "And I am Cela Eno, just for now. I am here making record of Captain Incarnate's grand endeavor, which the people of Amber will be able to read about, garnering their support."

Chase fixes his gaze upon the water, he intently watches the dark waters about the ship, moving to the rail to look at the waters directly below the rudder.

There's the tell-tale ring of bells far off behind the rear of the fleet. To those familiar with the string of bad luck afflicting the journey thus far, it can mean anything from a man overboard, a fire or a close-call with another ship.

"He has a habit of understating himself," Diana says with only the pale shadow of a smile, which is turned to include Nadia and Cela Eno as they introduce themselves as well. "I am sure it will make a lovely play. The theatre of Amber has been all too quiet these last few yea-" She pauses at the bells, clearly not a seawoman for she only seems vaguely interested instead of alarmed or hopeful at the chimes. "I hope that is not an ill omen."

Mercier glances foreward, towards the bow, not even beginning to try and understand how so many ships manage to keep station at the precarious whim of the wind. "Remind me to issue my standard humble objections at a later date. Perhaps in writing for easier filing away." He mumbles, in an idly disgrunted tone. Cela gets a casual, if somewhat careful regard, "A columnist?" He inquires, though his attention is drawn to the ringing of the bells, furrowing his brow. The signals and sounds of seagoing vessels weren't at all foreign, but this fleet's might be little mysterious, off the bat.

Nadia smiles as she looks over to Wynter, "I am a master of pathi water magic." She giggles as she looks around, "See nothing to worry about. With a master of air, and one of water around, not much can happen to the ship right?"

Wynter steps cloer to her mystical viewport looking down apon the fleet. She calles out to those gathered on deck. "Three ships to the aft of the fleet. Gainign ground in a hurry. The bear no flag or peneant that I can see. The mean either to try to ride with us or attack us. Perhaps both." She looks back at the others again and shoots a glance at Ruby. "Orders Ruby?"

Ruby opens her eyes and frowns heavily. "Whatever tha 'is, they better solve it. They gots their instructions!" She stares over the First Mate's shoulder and that big ol' wheel. Her free hand twitches, wanting to grab it and needing to resist the impulse. Whether by Ruby's efforts to manipulate things so close to the Node, the weather patterns above churn and the wind rises, making things more challenging. She barks above the growing gusts, "Fah!" Something kicks her in the bladder and Ruby nearly chips a tooth. While trying to visualize the problem, her concentration wavers and the waters froth foamily around the multiple hulls. "Bastard fookin bloody Wolves are back. Keep everyone on course!"

Cela spares a glance to the stern, then checks that golden net flying overhead for clues. Rain immediately pools in her eyes and she blinks it away, giving her head a quick shake that lets her head scarf slip down around her neck. It wasn't keeping her short hair from getting soaked, anyway. "Line-cutters at a shadowpath node cannot be all that unsual?" she offers a less anxious alternative. Her attention returns to Diana, then Mercier, finding her spot in the on-going small talk. "Ah, you have it right, Mr. Templeton. A journalist, only recently started with the Lower City Gazette."

"Three against a hundred?" Diana muses, anything other than a suicidal strike seems untactically sound. Even including that warrants a disbelieving brow.

Chase growls as mention is made of the wolves again, the air begins to grow cold "Where" he growls, as he rips his gaze from the water, "I can go aloft and give them something to think about if needs be." he snarls.

Diana lacking the alarm the others show suggest she is in the dark on the nature of wolves, and why they would be at sea. She only observes Ruby and Chase quietly at their exchange, before looking back to Templeton and Cela. "Oh? I had heard that printing had gone the way of so many others. Perhaps I should inquire around my house for a copy sometime." Ah, small-talk. Cultivated skill of self-important nobility everywhere. "Have you been with them long?"

"The absolute rear of the formation." She calls out to Chase. To the others on deck she says. "If the formation is changed or a ship falls off it's marker then they may be shunted off into shadow. Or worse. Into a Shadow they can't come back from. Or simply smashed between shadows."

"Oh," Diana says as she informed. "Well, that 'is' alarming then."
Nadia looks around, "So do you know those people then? Who are they back there? Trouble makers?"

"Stay the course" Chase calls as he leaps from the back rail, "I'll catch up if I can...if I can't...Good luck!" The man's arms spread as he falls from view. There is no splash, just the flapping of wings and a blood curdling ROAR!

Ruby is nearly frothing at the mouth, and there's a singular pain radiating from her abdomen that's sprinkling candy sprinkles of effort over everything she does. "They ain't gettin any more ships! Maybe an ambush...maybe invisible...maybe underneath..." She sweeps her head from left to right, eyes moving frantically. Spooked, she tries to stop from hyperventilating. Her hand goes to her sternum and she starts massaging in small circles. "Give them three flavours 'o 'ell if they gonna gonna rake."

"That seems unnecessarily dramatic," Diana says, "He could have asked any one to assist." Ah, but a dragon must do what a dragon must do. "Good luck." It seems sincere enough if still delivered in her strange pale imitation of enthuiasm.

"It is one of the smaller presses, I'm sure," Cela manages to put in, in between the spats of crew orders and heroic hollers. "But I consider myself fortunate to find a position so soon after coming to Amber, this summer just past!" She herself look after Chase's launching transformation like she's only ever seen a dragon do that three, maybe four times in her life. "You are a Mandrake as well as a Pathian, are you not, Nadia?" she calls afterwards.

Nadia tilts her head slightly as she looks over to Cela and shakes her head, "I am not. I don't have any connection to House Mandrake. I learned about dragons through pure study and research into magical creatures."

"Also, Pathians history with dragon dates back even prior to House Mandrake's." Diana says thoughtfully.

Wynter turns to Nadia as well as the others and enquires. "Would any of you be able to assist Chase in seeing to the ships?" She casts a very concerned eye to the near frothing Ruby and a sort of fear creeps across her face. Fear for the Captain. "We need this to go as smoothly and quickly as possible."

"And from this study, you are able to achieve those wondrous shape changes?" marvels Cela. "Dragon, then Siren, and other such fantastic folk?" Her gaze lifts to Wynter then. "I will gladly make myself useful on board the Beast, Lady Wynter, unless by some change the Wolves on our tail have a fear of being written a bad review!"

Chase climbs slightly, then arrows into the murkey water dissapearing beneath the waves with little more then a splash.

Nadia nods to Diana, "That is true, and the reason for why I began researching it in the first place." She smiles as she then looks to Cela, "Yes, through knowledge one can gain an impressive amount of power. Though I was born a siren." She moves to the edge of the ship as large wings press out from her back, and scales spread across her body as she takes on the form of a blue dragon. "I will follow after him." She then takes off and flies into the air, heading in the direction of the trouble.

Ruby tries to hide the growing agony that's growing and demanding her attention. The flare of pain curling into weakness, and flip-flopping back is unpleasant. They're very nearly on the node. "Almost there. It's almost enough." Ruby reaches up to loosen the collar of the shirt beneath her jacket, tearing a few buttons.

The presence of so many vessels is rather a tall order. The foci of all that tonnage having queer effects on the area. The sky adopts pinkish splotches that are fleeting, and the sea begins to manifest rogue waves.

Ruby calls for all hands to brace or secure themselves to stations as she decides to roll the dice and throw all in. "They think we'll go all tha way tah Cibola. Suprise! They not stop these ships from savin me 'ome. Not losin anymore." Forked lightning plays amongst the clouds, providing a lovely dramatic backdrop. Booming thunder and random gusts.

Cela dashes off a quick nod acknowledging Nadia's explanation, before enjoying the second transformation of the evening. "I do hope two is enough on that mission. I would have liked to witness from the Captain's floating rug, but the pilot is occupied," she notes aside to Mercier, with a nod towards Ruby. At that point, she chances unhooking her parasol to move up closer to the captain's position. "Would it be too much inconvenience to wait until the rear flank is clear?" she wonders between Wynter and Ruby. "Clearly the maneuver at this point will be causing physical strain to your... person." Well that was the sort of pause one might describe as 'pregnant', wasn't it?

At this point Wynter gives up pretense of not trying to hover around Ruby like a mother hen. A hand is placed on Ruby's shoulder, her face fully losing her smile without a sign of it returning any time soon. "Ruby." She eyes the shifting waters warrily. "How close are we to full shift?"

Ruby utilizes almost every trick or exercise to get some Order back into herself. She peers sidelong to Cela, her eyes on the way to going bloodshot. A trembling occupying a limb of choice until she can batten down the hatches. "Tryin tah draw in tha net. Put all tha eggies in one basket. I think..." She squints her good eye closed. "Close. I wanna be sure we gots everyone, but...aaaaggghhfffff-" Tendons in her neck stand out stark and rigid. "Tha ships. Tha wolves! Tha brat! Fook, I think It's 'appenin!" She stumbles to the rail and grabs it hard, releasing her contact with the First Mate but grappling the pattern fully. "'Old on!"

Jondrim continues to stand on the bowsprit hanging on to a rope.

Nadia leaves Chase to do what he is going to do, and instead she starts to fly up high into the air so she can get a good view across the entire fleet. She prepares herself to provide backup in case Chase's plan doesn't work or the enemy ships continue to approach the fleet but she waits and watches a moment to see how they react.

The Corsairs hounding the fleet have brought their weapons to bear on the poor ship that's had the luck of drawing the position of last-ship-in-the-group. No shots fired or spells slung, but they are at the equivalent of having gunports open and hammers cocked. When the dragon dived below the waves, deck-mounted weapons had tracked, but did not have enough time to get a shot off. No deviation from their purpose, they raced onwards at the fleet, but what they did do was toss a scattering of flasks over the side. Heavy ugly jugs bearing caustic looking sigils ker-sploosh and sink rapidly.

Mercier seems to fade into the woodwork, as best he can. Not involved in to the mad dash of calls and commands and manning sheets and the like, the merchant finds himself a line to loop around himself, and at least the man seems well aquainted with one aspect of the sailor's trade, knotes and stoppers used to properly secure himself to a safety line. He politely offers the length to Celaeno, "Being a commoner, I don't find myself hicking two and fro between shadow's very often, but a bit of a brace can't hurt." He glances behind him at the ill fated ship, "She's a fleet, but not a convoy. Ship's can't deviate from station, its not difficult for a pirate or privateer to peel off a prize or two."

The Ice Drake makes for the belly of the lead raider, his spade tipped tail driving him faster, and faster, Chase let's out a blast of icy breath.
A construct of ice forms before the ice drake, so intent is he upon his plan that he fails to notice the flasks dropped into the sea, the first conects the ice shard and explodes, a gyser of sea water rockets into the air, another follows the first, then a third. The force of the blast rocking him in his course.
Chase snarls trying to maintain his path to the target, and his weapon even as he is rocked and singed by the explosions. There is a sickening crack as the timpers pop and buckle as the ice slams home, allowing the sea into the raiders belly.

Wynter blanches as another bout of pain rips through Ruby. Her face sets in tight lines and the view port that looks down apon the fleet flutters and winks out. "All right." She says the s the crashes and booms start up from the rear of the armada. "I think thats about enough of that." She speaks words under her breath and shoots rapidly into the air, like a bows shot. An arm raises and points downward toward another of the corsair ships and lightning rips through the clouds and down apon the vessel.

Cela hops back a pace from the over-doubling Ruby, with a solicitous but startled, "Which? Which is happening?" She lands well on her toes, dodging the fleet captain almost by accident, but then lapses into her own stumble, trailing after Ruby. "Oh.. skylarkiiiing.. ahhhh," she spiels, skidding the last meter, before her hand connects with the rope that Mercier is holding out. The newswoman gets a frantic grip, bounces off the hitchhiking merchant, and ends up against the rail again herself. She has just enough presence of mind, it seems, to lash out her umbrella and hook Ruby by the elbow, not that she has any hope of stopping the hulking captain from going over the edge. She stares into Ruby's face, then yelps: "O Captain, are we moving out? Or is it something moving out of you?"

Nearly felled by another spasm, Ruby makes motions to push off anyone trying to touch or make contact, but she's ineffective, and soon hooked. Trying to mix her physical might to match her will in this metaphysical contest is an uneven endeavour. She seethes in anger at the distractions and predations of those forces she imagines preventing her from the task at hand. "We're gonna lose 'alf..." A smattering of vessels start shouting out in alarm as they are not brought along and start to straddle two places at once. There's a shimmering of rainbow hues that signal that the shift is starting to work on ~some~ of the ships. Ruby curses, seeing the disaster starting to unfold. "Cibola gonna get another sacrifice..." Despair soaks every word. The pains ripple through her again. "Both. We do both." She grinds her teeth and straightens after a moment of desperate concentration. Her pupils going round and fat and unfocused, jaw dropping and joints popping in knuckles and back. "This'll take some payin off..."

Chase explodes from the sea quickly gaining altitude, the driving rain turning into deadly arrows of ice in his wake, slamming into the deck of the badly listing ship and killing and maiming any who do not make cover. "To the Beast!" he roars at the sight of the rainbow hues, "or we'll be left behind!" he shout to any who might be away from the ship.

"Oh! Both!" Cela looks around beyond the ship - all that hustle, lightning, crashing, and phasing - thinks for maybe a second. then releases the rope to pull herself via parasol closer to Ruby, whereupon she drops to her knees. "One thing, Captain! Focus on one! The ships, gather them... You must try!" She unwinds her silk headscarf with a twirl, intending some kind of lashing of Ruby to the back rail of the Beast. "Let us handle the other!" And she gives Mercier a beckoning gesture.