Un-sailed Ships: LVI
"I'll get us there faster!" Andraste jumped in front of Adleth. The tall elf woman whispered some odd words. "OM ilyl myef oM am NaU RoCUN." instantaneously Adleth witnessed Andraste jump to the ground, the transformation not even really that visible. In a few seconds Andraste.. Had become a horse. Fuck why not? Adleth gripped the side of Andraste and leaped on the dark brown horse.
"Go." Adleth whispered. "Dock ward. All of you, I'll survey them first.. Let you know what I see." Adleth held on for dear life seeing the lack of a saddle. With that Andraste took off. The civilians in the streets made a few cuss's around her while Adleth was jostled on the quick moving horse. On a reasonable day the shipping docks were around.. Twenty minutes by foot. However the others had the horses they lifted off Skeemo. Once they figured that out they wouldn't be too far behind.
"What happened? I haven't been with you all for very long." Adleth frowned.. She heard Andraste's voice coming from her.. Mind. she laughed a little, of course this woman had some telepathy while an animal. The streets looked so short when going this fast, she hung her arms around Andraste's neck, the galloping already making her sore but she pressed on. At this pace they would arrive at the docks in a matter of minutes.
"Like we said.. Big explosion.. Herod got attacked by some crazy knife wielding guy called the Innocent murderer.. And we all decided to try and gut some robots." Adleth tried to shout into the wind while they rode. Andraste's voice fell silent for a moment.
"Oh.." Adleth frowned, that wasn't like her, she at least would normally ask a follow up question. Though they had only known each other for around a day it was still jarring.
"We have some problems as a group.. But working with idiots means I get more coin. Stop up there." Adleth tried to point at the coming docks, each of them slotted into the glittering sea. It had taken them less than five minutes. Her legs wobbled as she dismounted Andraste, the horse huffed in approval. Dear god they were gonna get a saddle or never do that again. "w-Welcome to the dock wards." Adleth announced. Andraste stomped a hoof before transforming back into her elven form. "Thanks for letting me ride you. I do prefer being on top." Adleth got no reaction.
"Sorry." Andraste clarified. "I didn't realize how rough that would be." Adleth gave her a smile in forgiveness. It didn't matter, Adleth was just dead set on finding the stupid nimblewright that destroyed their windows! And.. killed like five or two people she couldn't remember. Below the hill they stood on Adleth saw the docks the specific portion of the dock ward held around.. Three ships each with its own crew.
"Lets see here.." Adleth pulled out the nimblewright detector and flicked it on.
*VROOOOM* The nimblewright detector's umbrella began spinning rapidly faster then when they were with its creator Nym.
"Well that's pretty telling." Adleth remarked. "I say we get down there and try to see what ship it's on." Adleth made the logical leap. If they were at the dock wards with sightings of a nimblewright that meant it was probably on one of the ships, unless it had tried hiding in some dirt patch. That however was unlikely.
"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" Andraste asked.
"If we wanted to wait for the others we wouldn't have spirited away. Let's get down there." The path to the docks was actually located closer east however if you were careful, dexterous, or just knew the routes. You could make your way down to the docks on any part of the hill. Lucky for Adleth she was all three. "Don't slip." She grabbed Andraste's arm, halting the elf from falling off the hillside and tumbling through the weeds. The two made their ways down until they reached the actual docks themselves. The tide was low, indicated by the marker on a nearby pole. The nimblewright detector began to spin even faster now to the point Adleth thought the umbrella might just take off flying into the air. Adleth pointed the spinning umbrella in different directions trying to face each of the ships. The umbrella was so fast now it felt impossible to notice any differences..
"That one." Andraste pointed at the center ship the large oak bent planks and purple sails Adleth frowned; she couldn't notice any real difference in the detector with that specific ship.. Men bustled by them rubbing shoulders and trying to make their ways through the docks. In the distance Adleth saw an array of other ships. But she was confident these were the ones with the nimblewright.
"If you say so.." Adleth remarked. At the ramp leading to the ship she could see a man probably.. Mid thirties standing with crossed arms and a sword at his hip, he was guarding the entrance.
"Excuse me sir?" Adleth was jostled out of her thinking as Andraste approached the ramp. Andraste climbed up the ramp and tried to walk past the man. "I just want to see some of your cargo-"
"I told ye, the watch has already approved of it. If you aren't a crew member, get off the ship." Andraste continued arguing with the guy. Adleth rolled her eyes. She didn't want to approach and give away her association.. Especially if she was going to sneak aboard. Andraste returned with an irritated expression.
"It's no good. The man wont let us on." Andraste muttered.
"Then we gotta sneak on board.. You turned into a horse.. Can you do anything else?" Adleth had heard stories of druids.. Able to shape themselves into creatures they had once seen. Andraste paused for a second and nodded. It felt like milliseconds as she watched Andraste plummet in height and size. On the ground Adleth watched a small white mouse scurry up her leg. "Well that's one way to do it.." she chuckled. Adleth moved through the crowd of passersby until she was just near the ramp though still hidden. "Go!" the mouse scurried off her leg bounding through the people and right up the ramp. Wow this could work some actually investigation-
"Oh no you dont!" The man grabbed the mouse and threw it into the crowd angrily. "I know how disease spreads from you vile things.. Nothing's getting past my eye." god damnit. Adleth thought, now what were they supposed to do? Their little sneakings took nearly ten minutes. This was miserable.
"Hello Non-believer!" Adleth groaned, and the bad stuff just kept coming. Adleth turned around to see a full form Andraste looking mildly upset in the distance, near her she saw the rest of the party only freshly arrived. They probably took the time to walk all the way here.. Didn't they? She made her way to the group.
"Wow you look like shit." Asher commented. "What the hell have you been doing all this time?" Adleth rolled her eyes.
"Jello shots and wild sex what else." she pointed to the central ship behind her. "That ship has the nimblewright. The detector proves it.. The question is how do we get on board?"
"So we got to sneak onto that ship huh?" Asher began rubbing his chin. Or at least tried.. Seeing how he was wearing a mask.
"I see.. maybe four on the deck of the ship." Herod whispered. "The guy guarding it, and besides that not much no one seems to be going in or out of the damn thing. I'll sneak on board."
"And. if someone catches your loud ass?" Adleth inquired.
"..Eldritch blast?"
"Herod!" Riu yelled. Great. Their best idea involved potentially more violence.. This.. wasn't good. Adleth started looking around.. What could they use.. How could they get on board?
"Markos." Asher sounded slightly reverbeous behind his mask. "Start making a scene.. Try and distract that guy guarding the ship you've got your cult. When he does that-"
"I'll sneak aboard." Adleth finished. "This is a plan."
"Adleth, how is the detector going?" Alekzandr asked through a burp. That man was probably already drunk. Adleth thought.
"Its spinning pretty fucking fast." she replied. "Alright Markos. Go." Adleth tapped the half-elf on his head. He flinched a little but quickly regained his composure and got to work.
"Hello non-believers! Let you rejoice in the warmth of our lord and saviour Cthulhu! Please line up and take these gracious pamphlets.. For they will show you the great truth of the world!" Markos began hammering it up, holding out pamphlets to people and giving a speech. The guard did not seem very distracted however.
"Amp it up." Adleth sneered over at Markos the half-elf seemed to understand now speaking louder and.. Far more.. In detail. Corellon, what was his religion? Adleth snuck through the crowd until she was up against the ramp standing closer to the boat yet out of the guards vision. Markos began approaching the ship while he shouted.
"We live on placid islands of ignorance and it wasn't meant for us to voyage far!" Markos shouted at the top of his lungs. That caught the guards attention.. But.. mm.. What if he didnt turn? In the distance Adleth saw Riu and Herod walking towards the ramp arguing about something. Alekzandr came next strolling through the dock shaking like a mad man his.. Flask in his hand. Oh. Adleth suddenly realized the level of distraction they were making. "Ctugraha." Markos spoke in a guttural language instantly a tear folded into existence mid air, his signature tentacle crawling out of it this.. This was a distraction. The guard's face snapped to the source watching the tentacle wave around hitting the air.
"You dumb whore!" Herod shouted suddenly, Adleth saw Herod get shoved at the water falling in with a thump. Flailing around dramatically. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at the absurdity.
"Mine god.. I think I may have" Alekzandr slammed over the dock falling right next to the ramp. The guard's whole body turned at the scene to his right, people falling, a mystical appendage, a freaking drunk falling at the base of the boat. Adleth took her chance. Darting right she jumped onto the ramp and quietly scurried up the boards heading past him. The planks were noisy however and any squeak could give her away-
*ROAR* a massive booming roar could be heard behind her. Adleth didn't even stop to look, running up the planks faster and darting into the open hold. Could Andraste turn into a lion? She had no idea. The roar could be heard from miles away but quickly died down. Adleth was in. Adleth ran swiftly up the steps of the ship ready to enter the first hold she found. She took out the nimblewright detector and the umbrella was.. Jeez if she thought it was going to fly off before it certainly would now. Adleth found the ship to be musty and damp the various barrels in the first hold she entered, didn't look distrubed.. Dust still sat on them, doubtful the nimblewright was hiding in one of them.. Adleth turned the corner and saw the next staircase. The rectangular room she was in had little to offer her. Adleth krept up the stairs quiet as could be.
"I'm telling you Wyred.. it's gonna be amazing when these things perform.. Hey get that crate over here!" Adleth heard a man speaking clearly.. Someone else. She peaked her head over the stairwell no one.
"I don't know Greg.. The guard told us people were suspicious of these things.. Could always be dangerous." Adleth frowned at the man's response.. The guard had been here? Adleth finally finished ascending the stairs... in the hold she had just entered Adleth couldn't believe her eyes. Sitting in two enormous cages at the back she saw groups of the wooden bots. Adleth pointed heR Nimblewright detector at them and the umbrella kept spinning. Shit.. in the cages Adleth counted nearly twenty five in total. An absurd amount of Nimblewright's for one location. But none of them matched the description. "Hey.. Greg do you hear that?" Adleth froze.
"Yeah, Wyred.. sounds like.. Steam." Adleth looked down at her nimblewright detector. The spinning was so bad it had begun to make noise exactly like the pair described. Adleth slunk down the stairs not keen on getting caught.. Sailors were not fun. The two figures made their way down the stairs above Adleth into the room with the nimblewrights. She caught a quick glance as a human man and a dragon born inspecting the room. Adleth bolted. Running down the steps of the ship she vaulted over the staircase and back towards the entrance. Where.. Shit. Adleth realized her dilemma. Off in the distance she couldn't see her friends.. Pretty much anywhere, but she would have to get past the man standing guard. She couldn't just walk off really but she also couldn't expect another diversion.. She hadn't thought this through. The water. Adleth shook her head, that was a stupid thought she hated water. Climb? How would she even do that? Her mind was giving her terrible ideas. Adleth hopped in the hold for a second hearing footsteps above her. The men were coming down. She didn have much of a choice. Adleth took a deep breath. She could lie. She could just walk off. She would do this. Adleth strolled down the ramp passing the guard on his left shoulder without a word.
"B-uh, hey what the hell were you doing on my ship?!" Adleth turned back to the man, the dark sky slowly starting to loom over as they approached night. "Who the hell are you.. Go. this is now the second.." The guard pinched the bridge of his nose. Adleth gave the man a straight look, smiling a little.
"I was fucking one of your crew members." Adleth didn't skip a beat. Lying was.. Pretty easy when you had as long as she did to practice. There was a long pause from the guard. He turned his head and looked around with disappointment just covering his face. Adleth relished in her lie.
"Damnit Jeffery.." The guard muttered. Adleth cringed to stop herself from laughing.
"He wasn't very good. You should give him some pointers." Adleth added smugly. Whoever this jeffery was he was gonna get a bad rap at sea. The guard cringed.
"Oof.." Adleth held back a laugh spinning on her heel to leave. After a bit of search Adelth finally found her companions in the crowd. They were tucked back into the distance far away from the boats. Alekzandr looked up expectantly but Adleth shook her head. She hadn't found what they were looking for.
"The whole place is pretty much a ruse for us... they have a whole cage full of nimblewrights. But.. there for a performance.. I overheard someone talking about the guards inspection. I'm just gonna say that these guys.. Aren't who we're looking for." Adleth explained.
"I say we go talk to them. Ask what they have the things for." Riu piped up her soft whorish voice, giving Adleth a headache. Alright, they would talk to them, Adleth decided. The group of idiots approached, Adleth was careful to hang in the back as to not give away her ruse from earlier.
"Hello my comrade." Alekzandr took the lead, which.. Was a terrible idea seeing his lack of charisma. "On behalf of my associates I need to ask you a few questions." Alekzandr sounded tired, like he didn't want to be the one to do this.
"Hello non-believer! I'm doing an investigation on behalf of the city guard! Do you have any NimbleWrights?" Adleth nearly face palmed, holy.. Why Markos, why?
"What my friend here is trying to say." Herod interrupted. "There have been a string of murders, reports of attacks by Nimblewright'ss and we just want to.. Investigate. An associate tipped my establishment off that there were sightings of some around here.." Herod stated expectantly.
"Yeah we know about.." The guard sounded confused as all could be, Adleth couldn't see his face but she figured he was completely caught off guard. "Weren't you just preaching..." The guard paused "Right, yeah we.. We have Nimblewrights, for a show we are putting on during founders day. We're a performance troop. I've already been cleared by the city guard. Is there a problem?" He didn't sound very upset but still a little annoyed and confused seemed to be a side effect of talking to Markos. The group shuffled in place, she thought for a second was there any point to this? They had a second follow up.. Something a little more important in the long run.
"No. It's no problem I guess we weren't told about the clearing so sorry." Riu stepped in trying to apologize and save face. "Me and my compatriots will be leaving now.." Riu turned to signal the others, Adleth groaned that all felt like a waste of time.
"I'll be sure to send an associate to your establishment for any follow up.. Where did you all say you were based?" The man attempted to shout behind the shambeling party. Adleth rolled her eyes.
"TrollSkull manor!" she yelled, though the guard couldn't see her. He did begin muttering under his breath. It didn't matter, it was already nightfall and Adleth wanted to go to bed.