Oceans of blue

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:00 pm

Mikal ceased his pacing as soon as he heard her and he spun around. He opened his mouth for a moment then took a deep breath. He took a few steps closer and in his raspy broken voice spoke.

"D-di...dn'tt...hhha-d...t-t'be...shhh...addd...ow..."

He looked at her very sadly,the fear and worry slipped into his eyes.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:02 pm

She listened to his broken speaking, trying to piece together the words, and nodded slowly

"Im just.. scared that it'll happen again.. with one of the other men.. I dont.. "

She bit her lip, staring at him

"I dont know if its safe for my crew if I let you out.."

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:16 pm

The man looked down. There was so much he was scared of, and he just knew he'd not survive this trip. There was so much stacked against him. He took a few steps closer to her and put his hands on the bars.

"D-doo...w-...wh-at....y-yo...u....h-hav....to..."

He lowered his head a little before glancing out at the porthole. He knew they'd be getting close and his time was slipping away.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 2:19 pm

Rid watched him sadly, and turned to walk away, but stopped just in the doorway.

He was the only one who had been to dead waters. She knew she couldnt do it alone, and knew she had to take this chance.

She turned to his cell, pulling out some keys and opened the cell, without even looking at him, and walked down to her cabin

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:17 pm

Mikal looked up at her in surprise as she unlocked the cell. He worked his mouth silently, unsure of what he would say even if he could. He left the cell slowly and looked around the room. he found a set of iron wrist chains and he grabbed them before following Ridell.

Once in her cabin he set down the chain and put his arms behind his back and turned away from her, to try and show her to he wanted her to chain him.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:08 pm

Rid looked at him, seeing what he wanted her to do

"No.."

She sat down on her bed with a deep sigh.

"Whatever we're going to face, Im not going to waste what time we have to relax letting you be chained up. You're a human being.."

Slowly she layed down on her side and curled up

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:41 pm

Mikal turned around slowly and looked at her confused, but slowly nodded at her. He mouthed the words 'I'm sorry'. He quietly moved to her table ad picked up the maps and papers Devon had been working on earlier and started looking over them. He frowned deeply as he saw some of the routes took them dangerously close to reefs and hidden rocks that would have surely destroyed them.

He wondered what Devon had been doing. Had they followed his route they surely would have alerted the Nightmare and gotten themselves destroyed. It was almost as if he planned on them all being killed before they even got to the heart of Dead Water.

He got up and moved to the bed, carrying the map and tapped Ridell gently to show her.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:46 pm

Rid looked up, and saw him with the maps, then sat up, her mouth hung open as she read over

"...He was planning on betraying us.."

She slowly put the map down and then finally looked up at Mikal

"If that.. thing was possessing you.. was it trying to..save us?"

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:09 pm

Mikal shook his head slowly, truly not knowing the answer, but he had saw it just before Ridell reappeared on deck in the middle of the storm. He slowly came to the conclusion it was trying to save her, and he pointed to her finally in answer to her question.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:14 pm

She sighed slightly, rubbing her face

"Could.. it be Kas..?"

She muttered to herself, being so confused

"Mikal.. could you get up on deck.. and make sure everythings okay.. Im just.. going to stay down here.."

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:29 pm

The old man looked at her and nodded slowly. He stopped to wonder if he should fill another mug for her, but then his blood...he remembered something about when the shadow attacked...it had said something about his blood...but he just couldn't remember it exactly. He sighed silently and placed a hand on her arm, before getting up and going back up on deck to let her rest until they reached the spires.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:05 pm

Her arms slowly wrapped around her stomach as her eyes closed. She was trying to stay awake, through everything. For some reason, Devons face as he died seemed to stick in her mind, and she found herself tossing and turning

"Damnit.."

Pulling a blanket up on herself, she cried quietly, not over Devon, but over Kas. She wondered what happened to him, and if he would even remember who she was

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:23 am

The few crewmen who were still on deck seemed put off by Mikal's presence but he walked up to the wheel and relieved the man there. He took a deep breath. The wind was calm but not enough to keep the ship from moving. He stared out at the sea lost in his thoughts...

But they slowly vanished from his mind. Having the wheel of a ship at his command again calmed him. The wind...waves...sun... He closed his eyes and for once didn't see the dark glowing eyes that haunted him so.

He was brought out of his respite by one of the crewmen shouting and pointing out at large black rock spire in the ocean. He got the man's attention and pointed down for him to get Ridell. In the time he had the wheel the hours seemed to have passed in a blink of an eye.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:07 am

As one of the men came into her cabin, she sat up

-"Captain! We're nearing some sort of.. spire"-

She nodded and quickly got up, rushing up onto the deck, and went over to Mikal who was at the wheel, then looked off towards what they had been talking about

"Is that where he is?"

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:28 am

Mikal nodded. The fear in the pit of his stomach was starting to rise again but he fought it down. He couldn't let anything take him over again, even his own fear. He couldn't let her down. Ridell was so close to giving up...he could see it but he couldn't let her.

He pulled out the map and tapped her shoulder. Once he had her attention he showed her the course he was going to take them, once much shorter and direct than Devon's, but he gave her a look trying to tell her how dangerous and terrifying it would be.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:30 am

Rid took a deep breath, and nodded slowly

"I trust you.."

She then went back down onto the deck, leaning on the railing to watch closer where they were going.

Her hand slid to her pocket, pulling out a chain, and on it, was a ring with what looked like a dragon eating its own tail. She clasped it around her neck and then just held the ring near her chest, rubbing it a bit, trying to stay positive

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:56 am

Mikal watched her walk away and he felt another emotion rise up in him, but it wasn't unpleasant. Though it mad him sad to feel it. He shook his head, it didn't matter now. He still felt death so close to him and growing closer as they got close enough to the first spire to see it's craggy surface. The rock was black and pitted with holes. He didn't let them too close, remembering the last time...

They had sailed close as he dared and there were..beasts inside the pits and holes. One of his crewmen reaching into one before he could stop him and whatever was inside pulled the man into the hole that was far too small for a man to fit in.

He shook his head and looked past the spire, Many more were lining up and leading them towards the Dead Water. The dark clouds above the cursed placed loomed over it, not moving or floating with the wind as clouds should. He took a deep breath trying to keep his nerves calm.

Around the ship, the edges of the horizon seemed to be vanishing into fog that grew thicker and thicker with each spire they passed, until all they could see was the next spire in the row. Mikal sailed as close to them as he dared...just enough to keep them in sight...

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:38 pm

Rid was watching silently, the eerie place making her feel quite uncomfortable, made her ask herself, why was Kastorin here?

She watched each spire they passed, not a word between her crew members, as they looked up at the sky, the spires, the fog, getting uneasy.

She could see them talking amongst themselves, they were finally realizing how unsafe they were

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:08 pm

The fog finally relented and they emerged into the outer circle Dead Water. In front of them was rock of volcanic blackness that seemed to stretch for leagues in either direction. Mikal turned the ship starboard and though there seemed no wind and their sails limp the ship continued onward as if pushed by the darkness around them. The clouds above swirled with menace but only behind the rocks did there seem to be lightening and rain.

Silence remained as the ship moved onward, searching for the small cove that would let them in. The longer they sailed the easier it became to hear whispers just at the edge of hearing. As if the spirits pushing the boat were talking about them and snickering.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:08 pm

Rid heard the voices, but was suddenly filled with a newfound direction. She stared down at the dark waters, before walking back up to beside Mikal

"This is going to be a hell of a time to get to him isnt it.."

She smirked slightly, her hand still clasped around the ring

"Its just a test.."

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:40 pm

Mikal glanced at her as she spoke to him and he made a silent choice. He wanted to die here. If they survived and she got what she wanted so badly...he'd just be trading in one nightmare for another. He'd find the man she loved, and he would make her happy, then he would die contently.

The whispers got louder and became jeers and curses. Some cruel and filled with hateful words towards the living,others more personal, laughing at Ridell and telling her how hopeless it was. Piking at Mikal for returning and thinking he might make up for his old life, and a dozen other curses aimed at the surviving crew.

The voices continued to get louder and Mikal leaned heavily on the wheel to try and ignore then and keep searching for the alcove that would let them get past the shades...

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:25 pm

Rid was seemingly able to ignore the voices, just looking around as they sailed. She let out a deep sigh, muttering

'Im sorry .. "

She looked at him, obviously guilt in her eyes

"I didnt want to put you through all of this"

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:20 pm

Mikal gave her a look that was all compassion. A look he never thought he'd give anyone. The kind of look he was sure he'd never give anyone again. He slowly shook his head. She had given him plenty of chances by then to back out.

And in a way she had given him the chance to make right all the wrongs he had done and he intended to do it. He looked away from her and spotted the cove. The voices had come to wails just then and they seemed almost visible as they slammed into a person.

Mikal turned the wheel hard and barely made the ship fit between two of the largest spires they had yet to see. The cove was open at first but as they sailed inward the sky darkened and the cavernous walls seemed to emit a green glow that played on the water. Only a few feet was open between the ship's sides and the rocky walls. Mikal opened the map again and started glancing at it to check where they were.

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:06 am

Rid almost went to protest at his actions but bit her tongue, knowing he had been here before and she had no idea what was even going on.

She looked down at her crewmen who went down below deck, and she didnt stop them. She wanted to just go to bed and pretend is was a bad dream, but she knew she had to stay up there and help the best she could.

The voices, she could hear them telling her the things she didnt want to hear, she knew they dwelled on the worst to try and get to peoples minds

Subject: Re: Oceans of blue Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:10 pm

Sailing onward, it seemed like the stone walls might crush them but all at once then pulled away. The entered the inner ring of Dead Water. They couldn't see the sides or much of anything other than strange shapes in the mist.

As they sailed close to one it was clear what they were seeing were docks that led to nothing. Mikal shivered and unconsciously moved a little closer to Ridell. This is where the attack had happened and where he had almost lost his life.

The voices had stopped that night...just as they had now...and the snarling began...but this time, however, it did not. Mikal continued to look left and right constantly at each dock they passed by but still nothing. Soon they started seeing broken masts protruding from the water. Ships that had also made it this far and had been sunk.

Mikal's eyes grew wide as he saw the very last set of docks that had been where he turned his ship into. There a mast lay against the wooden dock and long ago a body had been tied to it. Now only gnarled and gnawed bones remained and he forced himself to look away with a quiet and pained whimper.