Return of the Emblem Chapter Fifteen: Alliance

[scorri]

"Ah, yeah, it'll be nice to get off the ship I guess." Lumi scuffed her foot against the deck, still somewhat wishing she could stay. But more important things awaited them on land, and more importantly Star couldn't be stuck on a ship for the rest of his life. "Ah, Thales, yeah, tan. I guess that's what I get for staying up on deck all day, haha." She smiled at him, still awkward but more relaxed than she had been. She still had no real idea how to act around him and so managed to switch between confident, completely shy, and just generally a nervous wreck around him in one conversation, sometimes even in one sentence. Thankfully having Haruhi around seemed to distract him enough that she was usually able to remain mostly calm.

"So what are your plans Thales? Got anything interesting planned for your first day in Kigen?" Glancing over at land, she had to acknowledge that it seemed quite likely they all would be having some interesting, albeit unplanned, first few minutes in Kigen. With both the Skotians and the Ursians sticking around, things could very easily turn ugly fast. Still, maybe they would be able to slip by and make their way through the city without making a huge scene. Maybe...

[Nanami Touko]

"<It depends on the merch-- a-are you laughing at me? Gotta learn more!? Why you little...!>" And he was little, to boot! This silly shorty mocking her best attempts. She wasn't giving him guff for his speaking! How rude. Going shopping anyway... Hohoho, now she was getting annoyed. "<And you expect me to just go with you, huh? I see how it is... Alright!>" With a quick step and a jump, her light frame hopped back onto Thales, holding herself up on his shoulders. "Plans! Go shop!" She hadn't caught much else of what Lumi had said, but she caught the word plans! So that probably meant plans for the day. "<And Thales is going to carry me, because he's such a gentleman.>" She stuck her tongue out at him, blowing him a smug raspberry.

[Xinnidy]

Thales beamed a smile at Lumi, whom seemed a bit less flustered than last time he complimented her. "Hmm! Well, I was planning on checking out the town and see if we can find--Gah!!" His center of balance was strongly thrown off by Haruhi's sudden antics, Thales nearly tripping backwards before he planted his feet and heaved her weight forward. What was she doing? "<What, no!>" He sighed, looking back at her confused, listening to her idea with furrowed brows. Did it really bother her that much, gee... "<Could have fell on you.> Dummy..." Really she wasn't doing herself favors. He could've just dropped her on the floor maliciously! Considering how sudden her outburst was, it wouldn't have escalated things in a way Thales would be up to this early in the morning.

Instead, he dropped his shoulders, his glare towards the Kigenese girl mellowing to a blank stare, as some plan machinated in his mind. A gentleman, huh... "Yeah, I was planning on going shopping, Lumi. Uh, no chance to get most of my things when we had to leave." He scratched his cheek, abridging the predicament he was in. "...And I guess I made her angry, just a moment." He turned his stare back at the Kigenese prankster, his gaze paying full attention to the way she was holding onto him. "<...Okay.>" His cocky smile surfaced again, as he didn't even fight Haruhi on that. "<But am gen... gentleman. Not carry on back like monkey baby.>" Thales motioned to the way she was holding onto his shoulders, implying for her to get off. "<Want me to carry on arms this bad?>"

Edited July 29, 2017 by Xinnidy

[scorri]

"Ah... Haruhi certainly likes being close to you, huh?" First with the teasing the first day, then with the leaning on, now climbing on. "Almost seems like she likes you or something," she continued with a grin. "Do you normally have girls swarming all over you?" They were chatting back and forth in Kigenese, though it seemed like Thales was trying to negotiate something about the way Haruhi was clinging to him. "Shopping does sound like a good idea though. I wouldn't mind tagging along, if you don't mind. Unless of course, Haruhi wants you all to herself." She giggled, knowing that if Haruhi understood that, she would be hearing about it in a few seconds.

[Nanami Touko]

"<Hahahaha, whoa, hahaha~>" She was glad that Thales got his footing, and didn't fall on her. That would've been awkward for the both of them! Instead of just him. "<I'm not a dummy, I knew you were strong enough to hold me up. I don't weigh a lot.>" There was some more common back and forth, yadda yadda, she was having too much of a good time to want to try and translate it. What did happen was a silly suggestion from her new horse. "<In your arms? Hmmm... Nah, I've got a better idea.>"

Taking good care not to knock him off balance, Haruhi climbed up his shoulders, swinging her legs over them and resting her arms on his head. "<There~ Better. Make sure to hold on, or we'll both fall over~>" Lumi started saying a loooooot of stuff... She didn't really pick up a lot. Normal girls? Shopping good... Her name? Eh? She looked at her confused for a second, but if it was important enough, Thales would translate it. He was pretty good about that, right?

[Xinnidy]

"She's a handful." Thales' reply to Lumi was pretty short, followed with a sigh. "I don't know why she likes being this close to me. I don't think she realizes the idea it gives people." Thales chuckled, almost taken by surprise again as she started shifting after denying his request. "Wait, wha--" He was expecting her to back off after such a request, not this. "<Why are--> Ugh..." She'd gone and actually mounted his shoulders, short as he was. I could just fall on my back and hurt you. I could. This girl was... testing, to be sure, but he wasn't about to risk an accident that could go worse than intended. He had enough of those for a lifetime.

"You know, Lumi. I've never been that popular with girls before I joined you guys. Maybe that's what changing my luck." He commented, grabbing hold of Haruhi's thighs to keep her from harming herself. She should be thankful he's so considerate! "And I don't know, maybe this one's head over heels for me. She sure struggles to admit it if that's the case!" He looked up at the Kigenese prankster, giving a light tap on her thigh. "<Oi, Lumi think you like me. Think want me all for you.>" He snickered, "<Maybe you do, since cling to me so much. That true?>" At least that'd be an amusing reaction.

[scorri]

Haruhi had just continued chatting away in Kigenese before suddenly climbing further up onto Thale's shoulders so that she was riding him piggyback style. Thales didn't seem convinced about the other girl liking him, but also seemed to almost be enjoying all the attention. He wasn't upset like he had been the first day and certainly didn't seem to be trying to get her off of him. Or at least not trying very hard. he even was holding onto her legs to keep her secure! "Well, you seem to be enjoying it if nothing else," she commented with a small smile. It bothered her a little, given how he'd been flirting with her before, but it wasn't like she had a right to his attention. Besides, it was probably all just friendly banter. Right?

[Nanami Touko]

More common. What were these two scheming? Ugh, too much effort, she didn't even try to pick out what they were saying. At least Thales was being considerate enough to translate for her. <As long as you don't drop me I think you make a pretty good horse, yeah? We'll see how long your legs hold out... But, It'd be pretty sad for a guy to be unable to carry me around.>" Perhaps not the intended effect Thales was hoping for, but his destiny as horse seemed all but guaranteed.

[Ether]

Well... there was land, at the very least. This boat trip had certainly been the start of many off things, but it was unlikely to be the end of any of those things. Well, time to look at the positives, Angelica supposed... with them being back on land, at the very least Eva would be in brighter spirits, being able to take Sasha flying around again. That aside, as Angelica came up to the deck, she noticed a certain spectacle that seemed... familiar. Haruhi was not only clinging to Thales, but was actively riding on top of the man's shoulders, which he seemed to be trying to explain to Lumi. Oh dear... walking over to the trio, Angelica could barely hold back a chuckle.

"<My my, you seem to get more and more affectionate by the day. How bold to stuff Thales face between your legs to brusquely.> If you want to be relieved of your burdens, Thales, I can take care of her for a little bit."

[-Cynthia-]

"Protecting Joanna is my top priority, but I will protect the rest of you as best as I am able. I promised to defeat Valdimarr and I intend on following through on that promise," Liam replied to Pete.

"We'll be on land soon- just have to pass through customs first. I guess it's a relief not to have to worry about that kinda stuff anymore," Nadya reassured Luca, attempting to look on the positive side. 

[Xinnidy]

What the... did Haruhi not hear what he said? "<You gone deaf?>" Thales was really getting frustrated, and worse, Lumi was now poking fun at him too! "I--I don't! I don't want to be rude, but it's a bother." He protested, growing more restless at the situation. "<Hey, no fun, get off!>" Pouting, he was more insistent on his pleas, not moving an inch. Before the mess grew any further, a familiar face showed up. One certainly not expected at that moment.

"Huh?" Thales turned to Angelica, confused. Honestly... he had no idea what she could do, and why was she offering to help him? "Well, we're going to see what stores there are... but sure." At this point, Thales was fine with somebody taking Haruhi's attention away from himself, releasing his grasp on her thighs.

[Nanami Touko]

Well, this was fun, but the Angelica from the other day decided to show herself up, perhaps giving Thales enough initiative to speak up. With him letting go, and both of them trying to get her off, she sighed, and pushed herself off, landing on her feed with a soft step. "<Fine, fine... S-Sorry...>" She folded her arms and blushed, grumbling quietly. <Had to show up and ruin my fun...> She looked down, before deciding to comment, "<I'll... T-Try to behave better. If you, still... Want me to go shopping.>"

[Xinnidy]

Whew. Somehow that worked... and didn't even need Angie to do her thing. Sighing, Thales let her down from his shoulders, not saying much after. "<Can come, just not on shoulder.>" He turned back to look at his sudden helper. "Hey, thanks for that, you're not so bad!" Giving Angelica a wink, he straightened himself, free of the extra weight, even if it wasn't that much. "But yeah, I'm looking to buy some things, provided we don't have to lay low, or anything."

[scorri]

"Ah, Angelica, good thing you came by. I think Haruhi would have made Thales into a horse if you hadn't." Lumi laughed, but couldn't help but notice the wink that Thales gave Angelica. She knew that the two of them had gotten off to an... interesting start, but given Thales seemed to sort of like that sort of thing... Ugh, shut up brain shut up. She was being ridiculous. He was just being silly, there was no way he actually liked Angelica or Haruhi, right? Well but he's acting similar with them like he was with you... She had to stop thinking. Just say something already. "Maybe you want to come shopping with us, Angelica? Especially since you speak Kigenese so well, I'm sure it would be helpful to have you along. That way Haruhi and Thales don't need to struggle to translate." Great idea. Just invite the girl you think he's flirting with to join you. Smart one.

[Ether]

"Aww, she let go pretty quick, I was hoping to have a little fun... as for your shopping trip, I would avoid going too far into town, if I were you. We don't know what exactly our... friends are planning, but I doubt it'll be pleasant. At least find Greta and talk to her about it." Angelica replied with a scowl... even having been at sea for a week, they had been tailed to the port, what a bother. Still, Thales seemed thoroughly inept at reading the situation, giving her an odd wink that clearly made Lumi a bit uncomfortable, though she was doing her best to remain amiable. What a disaster.

"Also, slow your roll, Mr. Player, I'm spoken for and you know that. Unless you don't know what winking at a girl like that means." Angelica replied, hoping that expressing a lack of interest in Thales would help calm the situation, at least a bit.

[Xinnidy]

D'aww, her reaction was a very quick shut down. Thales only gave a brief shrug, content with himself. "Yeah, we might be needed. I'm not about to scram if we have to deal with something serious." He was new to the group, but there were no current plans to scram and survive on his own in Kigen. He'd rather be on good terms with his allies, now that he's all the way over here. "So, I'm going with Lumi, and Haruhi here if she can behave." He paused, realizing he hadn't addressed the pegasus rider's offer since Haruhi got... worse.  "I'm pretty sure she doesn't want me all to herself, Lumi, of course you can come~." He shifted his eyes to the Kigenese girl right after, wondering how was her mood right then. "<Will behave, right?>"

[Nanami Touko]

Keeping her arms folded and giving a rather defeated glare to Angelica, she nodded at Thales, not sure if she had it in her for more mischief with the shorty around. "<Yes, yes, I'll behave. Geez... You can't tell me it was zero fun for you. I was just getting back at you for getting me to go shopping, anyway.>" Not that she'd been forced, but he seemed pretty keen on having her come along. Why? She wasn't especially cute, and dresses were... Blegh. Still... He wanted her to. That was something, right? Hanging out with friends... And he still put up with a lot of abuse... Haruhi caught sight of his pendant again, getting a bit somber, and more quiet. "Hmmm..."

[Phoenix]

Hey There

By the time Lexi and Malik made it to the loading ramp, there were already some dock workers and well dressed gentlemen on the way. "Okay, so what's our story?" Lexi asked, turning to her first mate.

Better to keep it simple, Malik realized. Anyone in the group could screw this up easily enough if the lie didn't have the fundamental truths therein. "Nothing ridiculous," he began, shaking his head at a few ridiculous ideas that popped up out of nowhere, "We're a mercenary group that needed passage to Kigen. The rest of those idiots were hired to protect the ship ... since they are. If they ask about the navy morons chasing us, we tell them the 'skotians attacked us up north and lost a big ship for it. The Ursians were impressed and want to keep an eye on us. That should hopefully work. It's as true as we're going to get without the details."

"Works for me," Lexi giggled as they reached the pier. "Hey there," she waved, noting how bitter the well dressed men looked. They must have been having a bad day, what with the foreigners over yonder shooting up the area. "Lovely day isn't it? I mean ... 'side from the battle."

"Why do you do that?" Malik scowled at her.

"Welcome to Kigen," the man at the front of the group said. He sounded like he was getting paid just enough to actually say that. As aloof as he looked, Lexi was still expecting the man to do one of those traditional southern bows as a greeting. She'd even lined herself up to mirror him, but he did nothing of the sort, instead eyeing her expectantly. "Given our heightening of security, we will have to inspect your ship if you plan to do any trading here." Not even waiting for a response, he took a step to the side and indicated the man behind and off to his side. This one had a couple of bags hanging from him filled with what may have been logbooks and the odd scroll here and there. "Answer his questions truthfully for our records."

Malik stealthily rolled his eyes. This guy sure knew how to make a request sound like an irrefutable order, didn't he?

"Sure thing," Lexi smiled, first at the aloof man and then at the record keeper. "Ready to start whenever you are~"

... and Lexi sure knew how to roll with the punches. Malik sighed. Sometimes he felt like he needed to get upset on her behalf, or risk letting her be taken advantage of or just plain disrespected. Her hires had more or less trained him in a sense. Malik had caught those bastards badmouthing Lexi so many times, he doubted he could hold back if these people they were dealing with now did or said anything unreasonable.

Here to Stay

Joanna nodded after Liam. "We're going to stay and help you."

Amon arrived in time to catch the tail end of Liam's declaration, but stood silent through Joanna's. It would have been an awkward turn of events for Raquel and Ra if the avians had decided to part ways with the group. Would they have forced the issue, or simply let their cooperation end then and there? Amon suspected there would have at least been a confrontation of some kind. Ra certainly proved to not be above physical force. "Glad you're staying," Amon said grinning faintly at Joanna. Was it really good for them to be staying, though? Probably, but Amon was now acutely aware of the benefits and the detriments. "Is that what this is about?" he asked Pete.

[Toogee]

Jam found life on a boat surprisingly boring. After their confrontation with the Skotians, nothing of note happened (at least, nothing she was involved in). Other than a supply run and practicing her dances, Jam spent much of the trip sleeping. The hammock proved surprisingly comfortable. Having her own room was a luxury she didn't expect to get for a long while. She enjoyed the long rest, appreciating that it wasn't interrupted by random battles.

Jam woke up with the boat still. Had they landed? She got herself ready and headed above deck. Indeed, the land of Kigen stretched out before her. From the boat, it didn't look much different from the Ursium port. Boats of all flags were represented, including Neviskotian. She hoped they were just merchants, but their luck generally only went so far. For now, Jam leaned against the railing and stared at the city, wondering about strange land they were about to enter.

 

Gossip Girls

Jam's search for Eva eventually led her to one of the rooms below deck. It seemed she was opting for quiet relaxation rather than eating some inanimate object. Jam leaned against the doorway to see if she needed a friend.

"So...that was a meeting," Jam began. "Can I hang out?"

"Huh? Oh... Hey, Jam. Yeah, sure was, huh?" Eva sat up on the bed she'd borrowed for the moment, nodding slowly. "Yeah, yeah... Go ahead. I... Sorry. Got agitated, didn't want to start anything. Things were already tense enough... So I decided to let Amon try his best with... Bert." You aren't hiding much, are you? Good work.

 

Jam entered the room and sat on the opposite side of the bed Eva was on. The latter still seemed a bit bugged, specifically about Norbert. That seemed a good place to start as any.

"I mean, I get it. Leaving Norbert and the others behind without warning, that wasn't good. But in a way, we distracted some of those riders, not to mention their leader. He had an easier time getting those prisoners out. That helped, right?"

 

"Yeah... It's not like we wanted to leave anyone, but... Like, what does he expect? There's a 'Skotian general and a dragon, I... I was impulsive, I'm getting chased, and... I got you into trouble. I already messed up enough, but he has to make it about him, like we weren't all in danger. Like we chose him instead of it being coincidence. It just makes me upset..."

She sighed. "Of course, if I say any of that to him, I'll get a nice earful of his opinions on things, shouted right at me. So I guess I just have to grin and bear it... Sorry. Not meaning to use your ear like this, but I don't think it's good to leave this bottled up."

 

Jam wasn't really sure how to cheer Eva up. What she came up with was mean and not meant to leave the room. She deepened her voice and attempted her best Norbert impression.

"Uuuhhh, I'm Norbert. While you were facing 'certain death', I got left behind. I was dying harder than you."

 

"Wh... J-Jam, that... Snrk... Hahaa." Eva didn't think it was really appropriate to laugh, but ended up doing so anything, appreciating the impression she'd tried to put on. It made her smile, after a small chuckle.

"Thanks... Ahh, it's okay. I'll be okay. Bert being upset isn't something new, so I shouldn't let it get to me. Thanks for coming to talk, Jam... And, what about you? Are you doing okay? Today was... Pretty special."

 

Jam's smile at Eva's laughter quickly broke once she mentioned the events of the day. 

"Well, compared to getting mauled by a demon bear or getting kidnapped by a Skotian warlord...nope, this was pretty bad too." She sighed as she leaned against the wall next to the bed.

"Once we get to another country not involved in a civil war, surely we'll get a break from all these battles, right? Kigen's not in some war, is it?"

 

"Yeah... Always something with this group, isn't there? You think trouble just knows where the Emblem is, at all times?" It would've been a bit terrifying if it was, but the emblem brought trouble to it in other ways. Mostly people who wanted to get it. In that way, it did bring trouble, didn't it? But this other stuff felt entirely unrelated.

"I don't know anything about Kigen. All I know, is that getting back onto solid ground is never going to feel better than after this mess... Maybe we can find a nice inn to sleep in, too. With proper beds and good food. Something... Normal."

 

"With our group as big as it is, we may as well just buy an inn," Jam replied. "It would sure beat cramming everyone in a wagon or on a wyvern. I haven't had my own room since we were at Weyland's mansion. I'd like that back."

 

"You're telling me... Even these boat beds aren't that amazing. A nice, real mattress... Blanket, comfy room, no loud noises... I'm making myself tired just thinking about it, geez..." Eva giggled again, sighing. "Do you know anything about Kigen? Or what you want to do when we get there?"

 

 

"All I know is that it's not Ursium or Neviskotia," Jam began, "which means this war won't follow us there. And if it isn't, well...I guess we should savor our boat beds while we're here."

Jam would have wondered what Kigen would be like, but the day had been long. She did not have the energy to plan out more days when she wanted this one to end.

"I know I should be excited to explore the towns and get a feel for the culture, but the first thing I'm doing is taking a nap, so I'm reallyhoping this inn thing works out. ...And there's that talk of sleeping again. I think that's the signal for me to find a room."

With that, Jam stood up from the bed and stretched her arms. 

"You gonna be OK?"

 

"Heh... Yeah. I'll be alright, Jam. Probably. If I'm not, Angelica will kick my ass until I am, so try not to let it worry you, okay? Thanks... For coming after me. And for the laugh. Go get some sleep, hun." Seems like they both just really wanted to sleep. That was likely for the best. It had been a long day, and a long talk.

[scorri]

"Yeah, I was thinking about that, Angelica. Things might turn rough here but... Hopefully not, right! I mean, the Kigenese are here to try and keep everything peaceful for their city. Hopefully the others won't break the peace just because... It probably holds some risk if they did." She couldn't help but be relieved by Angelica's reaction to Thales' wink. She wasn't interested. Not that she'd really been worried about that. Just worried that Thales liked Angelica... Or Haruhi... Or didn't like her...

Her mental grumblings were interrupted by Thales talking to her, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. He was able to be charming, that was for sure. "Well good then. I'm sure we'll be able to find some good items out there. Assuming things don't explode on us first." They would eventually, she was pretty sure. Pete had been right about that. Things with this group weren't going to get easier. But that just meant that she had to enjoy the peaceful moments when she had them.

[Snike]

"Partially," Pete replied to Amon, before turning his attention over to the port. "We have a problem upcoming, so I figured that now would be the best time to deal with that question. In any case, the problem for us now is that members of both the Ursian and Neviskotian navies managed to get in port ahead of us, and a probably going to try and recruit us to their side, after the stunt with the warship back in Urquium. There's almost no way we can avoid both sides, and escape the port without a battle. But, on the flip side, if our group allies with either side, we'll definitely be attacked by the other country's forces. To make a long story short, regardless of what we do, we're almost guaranteed to have to fight our way out of Arugai, so we need to decide on what to do, specifically."

Edited August 5, 2017 by Snike

[Xinnidy]

"Yeah, assuming things don't explode on us..." He repeated Lumi's words back at her, a cautious eye drifting to the ship's captain and the sudden Kigenese men. I wonder what they're up to... It was foreboding, if anything. They weren't going to deal with a skirmish that soon, were they? Could they even handle military? Maybe there'd be a way to escape the city before then... "If anything, we could learn the city layout while out there..." He murmured, hoping for the group to be left alone was asking for too much, probably.

"<Not fun when go too far.>" Thales chastised Haruhi again, avoiding a confirmation or denial. "<Go shopping is not bad thing. Will be fun! Trust.>" He insisted, throwing a half-smile back... and noticing how distressed she suddenly seemed, a more concerned look replacing the gesture. "<Hey. What wrong?>"

[Nanami Touko]

"<That's not an answer,>" she shot back, grumbling. Shopping still didn't seem appealing, and he was likely unable to change her mind on the subject. His next prodding had her a bit surprised, not expecting him to notice her expression change. She'd felt she wasn't being that transparent... Apparently not. She wasn't going to tell him, anyway... "<It's nothing. Let's just go shopping, and get it over with. This isn't going to be fun...>"

[Mercakete]

It's All About the Delivery (The Night of the Battle and the Meeting)

Spoiler

Her talk with Mavis concluded, Greta had initially planned on returning to the meeting, but a full dispersal was underway by the time she'd arrived. Maybe it'd just be better to see about getting something to eat, then. She could ask Amon or someone else about what she missed later on. The ship's current cook wasn't the most sociable fellow, but he didn't waste any time, either. As soon as Greta had asked him about food, he'd poured her a bowl of stew and pointed her right back to the dining area.

Taking a seat right by the wall, Greta started blowing on the stew to cool it off, and began musing about her options in Kigen. It wasn't a subject she enjoyed mulling over, not even briefly, but she was running out of time to prepare ...

By the time Norbert made it back down to where the meeting had taken place, just about everyone had dispersed. Furthermore, the smell of stew was wafting up to him, and reminding him of just how hungry he was. The food Cameron had packed for him had long since been eaten, and he'd been in such a rush to get back to the others that he hadn't had time to eat anything else along the way. That was fine, but it wasn't the time to eat. He had business to take care of, and, consequently, a tantalizing scent to ignore. It wouldn't be fair to Rizen to eat before properly stabling her, anyway.

As a result, he only planned to give the place a brief look-around before searching somewhere else if the merchant wasn't around. Whether it was luckily or unluckily was up for debate, given the environment, but there Greta sat.

"Hey," Bert greeted as he walked up to the merchant woman. He didn't bother sitting down, instead resting his hands on his hips. "Your wagon money's on my pegasus. Can you bring that with you? I'd like to get the extra weight off of her."

When Greta noticed Norbert heading toward her out of the corner of her eye, she wasn't sure what to think, but he cleared things up immediately after his greeting. Her smile couldn't convey just how good the news made her feel. Balling her hands into fists in triumph, Greta let out a short, quiet, "Yes!" Disadvantage or no, at least she could finally get a replacement for the current wagon, one with more features, and fewer nicks and cracks.

"Let's go," Greta said, standing up from the table and scooping up her bowl of stew, "I can't thank ya enough for gettin' all that gold here safely."

"Well, it'll be up to you to keep it safe the rest of the way," he replied, more focused on the task at hand than the thanks. He didappreciate it, but that smell of stew was just too potent a reminder of how badly he needed something to eat and a good, long night of sleep. Already, he was leading the way back to Rizen. "And it's not like we don't benefit from it. You're welcome, though."

When Norbert reached the pegasus again, he began untying the four bags of gold from Rizen's tack. Besides concentrating on his task, he thought back to what Commander Hampton had told him about their contents. Once the untying was complete, he turned to face Greta again, and indicated the bags he was holding.

"There's five hundred gold in here for your wagon," Norbert informed. "But these bags hold more than that. Commander Hampton said the rest was for me for seeing the mission through to the end. I plan on splitting that with Fizza, though, since we wouldn't have gotten out of there alive if she hadn't stuck around to help."

Then, not yet handing the pay over, he asked the merchant, "You planning on counting it up tonight, or would you like my help with that some other time? It'll go faster with two people working on it, but I can't do that tonight. You staying on this ship for the voyage? I'll be on the other ship to keep Riz away from the wyverns. I figure it'll be easier if we're on the same ship if you want my help, but you can stay where you want to."

"Slow down," Greta forced out a brief chuckle. She was still trying to process the part about Commander Hampton giving Norbert his own cut, which he was apparently sharing with Fizza. While it didn't adversely affect her, Greta felt it would be good to know the exact amounts involved, especially if the pegasus rider wanted to help her count up the money. For now she had one other question to play back in her head and figure out.

"Erm ..." Greta wasn't content to leave her wagon on this ship and move to another, especially without a pressing reason, so the question of which ship she was staying on turned out to be relatively simple. As for when to count up the coin ... "I could use some help, especially if you've got your own reward mixed in there, but you're probably tired. We can take care of it some other time. Don't wait too long, though," she raised a finger warningly, "I can't guard this kinda haul in my sleep, and if I don't know exactly how much there is I won't notice a little bit missin' off the top."

Now that she'd mentioned it ...

"Err-maybe I should just count it up tonight. Did he give ya yours in a separate bag or are we gonna have to negotiate?" Greta winced slightly. She was no miser, but she didn't know how much Norbert felt he was entitled to, either. Frankly, as long as she had enough to actually get herself a custom wagon built, and not on the cheap, she could let the others have the rest. Maybe that would help smooth things over, too. Somewhat doubtful but, perhaps.

"Sorry; that was kind of a lot at once," Norbert apologized, acknowledging his attempt to get all the related thoughts out of his head at once. Really, he didn't know Greta that well, so he had been a bit worried about his and Fizza's share being lumped in with the rest, or dipped into for the wagon, especially since he didn't know the exact number Hampton had intended for him.

Speaking of which, that answered one of the merchant's questions, and given her response, he was beginning to trust that she wouldn't try anything underhanded. "As for the amount, all Hampton said was that there was five hundred gold in here for your wagon, and 'a little extra' for me. So you can take five hundred, and I'll take back whatever's left and handle the rest, myself."

He was still a little wary of handing off all that gold to the merchant and just trusting that she'd sort out the right amount. He'd be none the wiser if she took some of what was supposed to go directly to Fizza and him, and trust didn't come easily to the rider. If he helped, he'd have a better idea of the total amount of money in the four bags, and the counting would go faster. However, Greta was right: he was tired, and really, he should be getting Rizen settled in to the other ship. He could hold onto it until he was better rested, but Greta was right here, and Norbert was eager to put the errand behind him. At least he'd clarified in his opening statement that he wasn't just being greedy -- Fizza's cut was mixed in here, too, and he wanted to make sure everyone got what was due them.

"You can count it up tonight, or we can work on it together tomorrow or whenever afterwards. I could even carry it to wherever it is you'll be keeping it, if you'd like. I may be tired, but I can do that much," he offered. Then, he remembered that he wasn't entirely sure which ship the woman would be on. "Are you going to be riding on this ship or the other one? I don't think you mentioned it."

True, she hadn't gotten around to that, even though the answer was obvious enough to her. "I'm stayin' here," Greta said, pointing her index finger straight down, "I don't have much aside from this coin here, but I'm not leavin' the wagon over here unguarded, even if Nong's ship's fancier on the inside." It also didn't sway very much, which was something the merchant knew she'd be longing for in a day or two, but it couldn't be helped. Personal comfort came second at times like this.

It was fancier? Evidently, Greta had been on both ships. Well, that about settled it. Handing the bags over, Norbert responded, "Alright, then. Just let me know if you want help counting all that out. I'll be over on the other ship."

Considering she had nothing better to do, counting the money ought to be the easy part for Greta, assuming she didn't feel threatened by Lexi's ornery hires. Storing it safely throughout the trip seemed like the real challenge. "Time to find a room," she mused aloud, "Okay. Good job, today by the way, Bert. I'll see ya when I see ya," she gave him a small wave before moving in on the bags.

"Thanks," he said as he handed them off. She had already farewelled him, so he didn't ask, but her comment piqued his curiosity. He wondered just what he'd done to prompt that little bit of praise from the merchant. It was fairly evident in his expression, too, but it would be weird to ask about it now. Maybe he'd ask later, if it was still causing him to wonder about it. Well, he'd done his part, for now. With the money handed off, there was only one more errand to take care of...but maybe that'd be better handled after he'd gotten some rest. Besides that, Rizen had waited long enough. So, he mounted up into the pegasus' saddle, and flew back to the Emi Maru...and on the way, he realized that he should probably track down that ship's captain and explain the situation as best he knew, before asking to stay aboard as a guest. It was better to be safe than to make that kind of mistake, after all. So, that was what he did.

 

Emi-thing Will Help (The Night of the Battle and the Meeting)

Spoiler

Norbert landed on the Emi Maru's main deck in much the same fashion as he did the last time, before Amon's meeting. He dismounted, and began leading Rizen along, though he hadn't gone far before addressing one of the crew. "Hey. Mind showing me where you captain is? I need to speak with him."

Recognizing the pegasus rider from earlier, the man nodded and motioned for Norbert to follow him. Before entering the Emi Maru's main building, he stopped short and pointed at the pegasus that seemed to be tagging along by the reins. "Will you be coming inside or will you meet Nong out here? Your pegasus must wait here for now," he explained in slightly accented common.

"Nong" was probably the captain's name. It was a little surprising to hear that he might come out to see a guest, himself, rather than demanding that said guest come to see him. Norbert's initial answer was that if he was willing to do that, then he'd rather not leave Rizen alone, but then he remembered the group's atypical topics at their meeting. Just how much should he share with this Nong guy? Well, Aisha's abilities through Amon were evident enough. He'd probably have to explain that, so...

"I'll go ahead and just meet him inside," the Crusher answered. Briefly, he turned to Rizen and gave her a little smile and a pat on the neck. He was about to head inside when he stopped short, and turned to address his guide again. "Oh, and my pegasus was never broken, so don't let anyone near her. She might attack."

Norbert's guide winced, just briefly, then nodded. He quickly waved over someone else, then said something to them in Kigenese while gesturing toward Rizen. More nods were exchanged, and the other man seemed to hurry off to inform the others. "Your pegasus will be given her space, but after the meeting, we must find a place for her on the ship. We don't want any accidents."

Norbert nodded, a little surprised and confused that accommodations weren't already assumed for the equine. "Of course; I wasn't going to leave her out here for the whole voyage. She needs shelter, food, and water, just like any other living creature."

The crewman frowned slightly, wondering if Nong might be able to come up with some way of safely accommodating the pegasus indoors. Outdoors was a simple matter, and thankfully the ship was more stable on the water than sailboats, but indoors might pose a problem. Save for the cargo hold and the living areas for the crew, the ship was typically weighed down and packed with merchandise.

"Follow me," the man beckoned, and headed into the main building.

Bypassing the central staircase and heading into the next area, they entered a dining hall where Nong and a woman, as well as a few seemingly random crewmen were chatting. It seemed like dinner had already been taken care of, if the mostly empty bowls and plates were any indication. Their arrival didn't go unnoticed. "This is one of your guests," the man said, gesturing at Norbert.

Immediately, the woman stood up and began gathering the used dishes.

"Ah," Nong smiled, "Hello there."

Norbert nodded in response to Nong's greeting. "Hey." He then indicated the man who'd more or less introduced him. "He called me a 'guest,' but really, that's what I'm here about. My name's Norbert, and I'm with the people who you and the other ship're taking to Kigen, but I didn't want to just assume it was okay for me to act as a guest here. So, I wanted to know if you'd allow my pegasus and me to stay here. Wyverns are the natural predators of pegasi, so I'm trying to keep my pegasus separate from them."

"Oh, a pegasus?" Nong's eyebrows rose in interest. "I suppose it is about time to start moving everything back down into the cargo hold. My ship wasn't built with large animals in mind, but I'm confident we can find an arrangement where everyone is content," he nodded.

Standing up and motioning for the crewman next to him to help the woman clear that part of the table, he continued. "Welcome aboard the Emi Maru, Norbert. I am Nong Li, though you will find that most prefer to simply call me Nong," he concluded with a wide smile.

That went well. Norbert smiled a little, too, in response to the amiable captain. "Thank you." Nong didn't seem too curious about what had happened, either, which was a little strange. Still, Bert wasn't going to complain. "I'll get Rizen settled in as soon as I know where she'll be resting. If it'll help things go faster, I'll help set the place up, too."

"Very well," Nong said, motioning for the others to get started on their duties, "Once everything has been moved back into the cargo hold, we'll find a safe place for her." Nong didn't appear to be finished just yet, but there was a brief pause as he considered something. "I don't know if you've heard, but it's best to be as open as possible about these things, to avoid problems and other misunderstandings ..."

Norbert's only goal had been to get himself and Rizen a safe place to rest, something to eat, and a good, long sleep, and everything had been progress towards that goal until now. Still, tired as he was, this sounded important. The Crusher gave Nong a curious look in the couple seconds the man paused wondering what he was about to say.

"A friend of mine is also staying aboard," Nong began carefully, "He isn't normal, but he is no danger, either. If for some reason you happen upon him I ask that you keep an open mind." Smiling pityingly, he added, "... or at least keep calm. As I said. He is a friend of mine, and he is no danger to anyone aboard."

Well, that sounded serious. Just shy of ominous, really. Whatever was wrong with this friend of Nong's had to have been more serious than just your typical scary face. Tilting his head as he tried to understand what Nong was getting at, Norbert asked, "What? Was he caught in a fire or something?"

Nong shook his head. "No, not an injury. He simply doesn't look like you or me. One might even mistake him for a demon, but he is no such thing. Not truly." Whatever Canaan's origins, what mattered to Nong was his friend's character. He couldn't count on everyone he let aboard to be quite so understanding, though.

"Oh," was Norbert's initial response, his reasoning being that this friend must have been malformed since birth. Really unfortunate when that happened. His face twisted in annoyance at his guess. "I understand how someone like that could be frightening, but calling someone a demon just because he's got birth defects is just cruel."

"I don't fault them for it," Nong grinned pityingly, "but it is why I have to warn people ahead of time when I can. A helpful reminder to try and judge others by their behavior and not their appearance," he added, smiling more sincerely this time.

Norbert nodded, understanding how people may jump to the wrong conclusion if someone was born that deformed, especially with how uninformed most northern countries were about what demons actually looked like. Unfortunately, those in Ursium were a little better-informed on that now, due to the attack. Not that that would make things any easier for Nong's friend. People were probably jumping at every shadow right now...

"What's his name?" Norbert found himself asking. It probably didn't matter, actually, even if he interacted with the crew along the way. It couldn't hurt, though, knowing that much. Sure would've been more polite to refer to the man by name rather than by any notable characteristics, at least.

"Ah how silly of me," Nong chuckled, "His name is Canaan."

Norbert gave the captain a nod. "Alright; got it. Thanks for the warning." Though I probably wouldn't have attacked him. If he's on this ship, he's probably one of the crew, no matter how malformed he is.

That taken care of, Norbert's focus returned to getting Rizen stabled as quickly as possible. "Any idea when I'll know when I can stable my pegasus? And what should I do in the meantime?" He couldn't very well get too comfortable, himself, just yet, but he couldn't tend to Rizen until she had a place to rest.

"This ship isn't suited for housing animals," Nong winced, "but once everything is back in the cargo hold, I think we can find a comfortable spot for her ... perhaps in the main hall. You passed it on your way here, actually."

"If you would like an enclosure," one of the sailors spoke up, "we could set up something temporary in there." Nong confirmed the sailor's suggestion with a nod. At the very least, the idea was approved.

Norbert likewise nodded at the idea. "I appreciate it. Any way I can help?"

"Yes," the sailor said, already coming up with roles for Norbert in his head, "we'll get the panels and supports from the workshop. You can help set up the enclosure."

"I'll let you get started, then," Nong said, half turning to head into the kitchen after the woman, "You can find me either at the helm or in the dining area most of the time, Norbert. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will; thanks," the rider responded to the captain. After that, he left with the sailor to help construct Rizen's private enclosure.

 

Honesty, Among Other Virtues (Day 1)

Spoiler

With Rizen's temporary lodging constructed and the pegasus tended to, Norbert saw to his own food and rest. The next day, he returned to the Deadly Dandelion, and on the way, Bert couldn't help but notice that, while the Dandelion and the Emi Maru managed to stay fairly close to one another, they weren't the only ships in sight. They were well on their way to Kigen, yes -- that much was evident from how different their surroundings were from the last time he'd been in the air -- yet other ships seemed to be- No, those other ships were definitely following them. Some more closely than others, but none of them were within firing distance. At least, he was pretty sure they weren't.

Either way, they were already doing about as much as they could about that. It was strange, fleeing like this. It sure didn't feel like they were running away, going about their day as usual, but that was because the ship and its crew were really the ones doing the work, there. So, for now, Bert decided to just get on with his tasks for the day.

His first was to locate Greta. As it turned out, she had already counted up the money he'd delivered, and separated the wagon funds from Commander Hampton's personal thanks to Norbert. After thanking Greta, the pegasus rider set to the next objective: finding Joanna's feathered bodyguard.

He eventually found the man sitting alone at a table in the mess hall. It was a little surprising, since the guy was practically tethered to the winged cleric so often. Still, he wasn't about to complain. This was a surprisingly good opportunity to speak with him.

"Hey," Norbert greeted as he walked up to the Avian. "No Jo today?"

Liam was surprised that someone had approached him during his morning meal which primarily consisted of dried fruit and nuts. The other members of the group and crew seemed to avoid him for the most part- he wasn't sure whether it was due to being an avian or because of his standoffish nature but it didn't particularly bother him either way.

"I will be resuming training with Joanna shortly, but endless training without breaks to nourish the body and mind defeat the purpose. Was there something you needed?" Liam asked Norbert, his curiosity slightly piqued.

Resuming? Come to think of it, Joanna had mentioned some sort of new light magic...thing...at the meeting the previous day. But had people already begun to learn it? It wasn't impossible, but that sure was getting a jump on that training. Liam sure sounded dedicated...of course, Norbert realized how obvious that particular trait was in the legionnaire right after thinking it.

Instead of saying any of that, though, Norbert answered the Avian's question. "Yeah, I guess." He wouldn't really say that he "needed" the answer to this, but Liam would probably accept a "want" anyway. "I had a question for you."

"Ask and I shall do my best to answer," Liam replied, still curious as to what Norbert had on his mind.

"Do you think that Avians are superior to humans?" Well, there it was. And despite the blunt wording, Norbert's tone and body language told the truth of it: he was legitimately curious, but not accusatory. "And be honest, please. You Avians are nuts for honesty, right? It's a virtue, so I assume so, anyway."

Liam pondered the question for a few seconds before responding. "Yes, I do. Avians do not kill one another, do not hurt one another, we work to ensure that other Avians are safe and as free from pain as we can. Humans may do this for a select few- their mate or their family or friends- but other humans are viewed largely as disposable tools. Mercy's teachings do not allow one to be so selective."

Well, at least he was honest, as requested. Still, the answer caused Norbert to frown, and though he was only a little annoyed -- he'd asked, after all, just to make sure he wasn't jumping to any conclusions -- his face probably looked a lot angrier than he actually was. At least his tone accurately conveyed his feelings. "Don't you think that's a little arrogant? Sure, humans don't get along as well with each other as Avians do -- at least from what we've heard of the ones from your homeland -- but it's not like we don't matter just because we're more intense by nature. Maybe Mother Mercy made you differently than Wrath made us. Besides the wings and the mind-reading, I mean. What if you're naturally inclined towards Altan behavior, and we're not? Don't you think you should learn to value us as we are, if that's the case? I don't think most people don't want to become better people, and it's not like there aren't humans out there honestly trying. And the only difference I see between your description of the kinds of people humans care for and the kinds Avians care for is the criteria. Besides, acting like you're better than everyone else because you're different isn't going to make anyone listen to you. It's just going to insult them. And you know, I bet a lot of humans think of the arrogance of Avians and think 'at least I'm not like that.'"

He was beginning to get a little long-winded, he knew. So, he wrapped up his point with, "Mercy teaches to be humble, too. I was raised by a Mercite, so I know some things, even though I'm not exactly an exemplar. I'm not saying people shouldn't do their best in the world, but I also don't think you should walk around with your nose in the air all the time."

"I agree that the differences in behavior between humans and Avians may be largely due to how the gods created us. If humans had more empathy, if they could feel the physical and emotional pain when they harm others, then I believe that they would not harm each other," Liam explained, maintaining a neutral tone.

"Reality is however, that humans frequently inflict suffering onto other humans for purely selfish reasons- greed, pride, vengeance- while Avians do not. I would be lying if I were to say that a race that destroys itself is equal to a race that all care for one another. I would rather be viewed as 'arrogant' than be a liar."

"Not all Avians seem to agree with you," Norbert replied, a little more heat coming into his tone. Liam so casually dismissing humans as inherently lesser and generalizing the whole species as some mass of violent savages was irksomely insulting. "The Dark Avians aren't so different from us, after all. And Joanna, herself, still values us as people. Sure some humans harm others, but you're not even asking why! Some people fight to protect others. You're in the military -- you should understand at least that! The Dark Avians do, too. It's not like we're the Fallen! Besides, how can you just say that we're all a certain way when you've only barely begun interacting with us? You don't even know us!"

"Joanna tried to save humans from themselves and was placed in a cell for her charity. I then watched a self-proclaimed member of the Order of Mercy murder a defenseless prisoner. Two days ago I watched as humans slaughtered each other by the dozens. There are probably good humans out there, but in the wake of such brutality their efforts are wasted," Liam said bitterly, crossing his arms.

There he went again with his generalizing. It was like he was incapable of seeing people with any sense of depth. Individuals were a lot more complicated than Liam was making them out to be, and Liam's hubris was pushing the rider further and further towards anger. "You know what? I'm beginning to see more similarities between the Avians and the Fallen than just the mind stuff and the wings. Both of you trivialize us humans! You think you're so much better just because of your species! The only real difference is that the Fallen are an active threat!"

Is this some attempt to bait me into violence? I've been too well trained to lash out in anger "If you wish to remain delusional regarding the self-destructive nature of humans, that is your right. However, I do have more important things to do than listen to absurd accusations," Liam replied, picking up his plate and getting up from his seat in a motion to leave.

"You call the truth about humans a delusion and my prospective on Avians accusations, but you're too proud to consider them at all! You're so self-righteous that you consider anything someone from a 'lesser species' says invalid, so it's obvious that there's no reasoning with you! Mercy, and all I was trying to do was point something out that I thought you didn't realize you were doing. But it's not that you don't realize it; it's that you don't care! Well, if humans are nothing but animals to you, then there's no point in talking about this anymore!" Norbert replied, his face in a snarl as he spat the words out. And indeed, there was nothing more to say, as far as he was concerned. He stormed off then and there. Liam could eat wherever he liked -- Norbert didn't plan on interacting with the man again, if he could help it.

 

Fishing, Freedom, Family (Day 5)

Spoiler

The Emi Maru was no fishing vessel, but much of the crew had ample past experience as fishermen, and the needed equipment was all on board. More than their traditional equipment, the crew also had Canaan to help them out. The Emi Maru's oldest guest was a fantastic swimmer thanks to his extra arms and massive tail. If not for the occasional scouts flying by to keep an eye on them at irregular intervals throughout the day, Canaan would have been able to participate each time. Toward the end of their voyage to Kigen, however, Canaan decided to help despite it being daytime. There were no scouts close enough to make him out at the time, so the demon decided to use that to his advantage ...

A while after the nets and safety line had been cast, Canaan had gone into the water. He made a point of not coming back onto the ship while any scouts were nearby, and simply rested between one of the nets and the Emi Maru's hull. Things had been going quite well, too. Canaan wasn't just catching food for himself, he was also herding all manner of creatures into the Emi Maru's nets.

Eventually, during a gap in the fliers' closer inspections, Canaan climbed back onto the deck, soaked to the bone, carrying two of his own small nets in his lower arms. Both nets were filled with fish of varying sizes the aquatically adept demon managed to catch for himself. The big, satisfied grin on his face proved to be quite contagious, and the sailors nearby nodded their thanks as they began hauling in the ship's nets along with their contents.

Today was a good day, even if there were some minor risks being taken.

"Look out!" Norbert called as he rushed at the scaly, humanoid creature. Said creature was clawing his way onto the ship with a big, toothy grin on his face. Norbert knew that Kigen had demon problems, but they weren't even to the country proper yet. Had Kigen already been overrun? He certainly hadn't seen a demon like this one before. Maybe it was meant for attacks at sea.

Speculation aside, Norbert was as ready as ever to defend those with him, and in this case, it was the nearby fisher-sailors. And he wasn't about to let this demon get the first strike in. Coming directly off of his charge, Norbert swung Splinter at the thing's head, and quickly followed up with a lower swing from Crunch.

Canaan's first instinct when he heard someone call out was to look up toward the north. The Ursian scouts may have been on their way back, and the last thing he wanted was to be spotted by them in broad daylight. They weren't the problem yet, though. The problem was the unfamiliar man coming at him with a pair of strange maces. Canaan caught the first strike with one hand but had neither anticipated a lower swing, nor had the free lower hands to easily catch the other mace. He only managed to brace himself for the second hit at the last second. He dropped his two full nets immediately when that happened, and grabbed Norbert's left arm with his lower right hand, and Norbert's right arm with his upper left. Canaan's lower left arm was relegated to shielding his body from any other attacks Norbert could come up with in the moment.

"What do you w-want ...?!" Canaan pleaded, keeping a firm grip on his opponent's limbs. While he was essentially fine, being hit with a dense piece of metal was among the least pleasant things that could happen to him, today.

One of Norbert's arms was grabbed, but his second attack had gone through, smashing right into the creature's stomach. He broke his arm away from the thing's grasp, but then, the demon dropped something he'd been carrying in his two other arms and before Norbert could do anything else, quickly grabbed the human's arms again. Bert pulled up his legs, about ready to drill them into the creature's gut, where he'd smashed him previously, when the scaled humanoid spoke. The pegasus rider certainly hadn't been expecting that, especially not how he'd said it. The creature sounded more like some random civilian suddenly being attacked than... Wait.

Norbert dropped his legs only part of a moment after he'd coiled them up for his strike, as he looked at the reptile-thing both baffled and surprised. He'd stopped trying to fight. "Wait, you're- You're Canaan?!"

Norbert's opponent nodded, hoping the fact that his name came up at all meant this was all just an unfortunate misunderstanding. By that time, the sailors were rushing over from their nets, their pleas bleeding into one incoherent mixture. About the most an attentive person could make out was that this demon holding Norbert back was a 'friend,' a 'guest', and 'no threat.'

"That is my name," Canaan said, trying to drive the point home further as he placed one of his large feet back half a step. At some point he planned to release Norbert's arms, but he wanted to be one step ahead of him next time ... for his own sake.

"Er, right." Between the pleading crew and Canaan's own clearing up of the situation, he wasn't sure who to address, first, so his kind-of-statement had been directed at both. Also, his arms were still caught in Canaan's grasp...s.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand that, now," he tried to assure the Emi Maru's crewmen. He couldn't very well say that the situation was "okay" yet, given his trapped limbs, but there wasn't a threat from either side anymore, as far as he could tell. His face grew visibly irritated as he glared at one of Canaan's more unique appendages as he grumbled, "He could've mentioned the tail."

Then, more directly to Canaan, he informed, "Sorry about that. Nong told me about you, but he never said you weren't actually human." Then, he squinted. "Unless you are, and just got a really extensive dark magic job done on you."

Canaan knew that Nong preferred to think of him as human, at least on some level, but that just wasn't true, at least not in Canaan's eyes. As soon as he released Norbert's arms, he took a step back, just far enough to have time to react to any sudden movements. His abdomen still ached, but this was one of those situations where his heritage wasn't just a burden; he was also tougher than any human, and didn't bruise easily.

"Nong sees me as ... a human," Canaan acknowledged somberly, "but ... I am a demon. Don't want to hurt anyone, though," he added with a shake of his head. The sailors had settled down by this point, and were slowly dispersing, again, a few sticking around to make sure everything was okay before getting back to their haul of fish and other strait creatures.

Well, that explained it, but Canaan certainly was a far cry from what Norbert had been expecting. As he belted his maces, he couldn't help but feel that the lack of sufficient warning wound up getting Canaan into more trouble than just telling people what to expect, at the very least, would. Unless they were Kigenese, he supposed. Still, this was all very confusing.

"So, you're actually a demon..." he gave said demon a puzzled look. "but you don't act like any of the demons I've come across. All they did was attack. None of them looked like you, either... What kind are you? Do you even serve the Fallen?"

Those were some very straightforward and blunt questions, both of them. Though Canaan had dealt with these kinds of questions before, recently even, he still found himself leaning on his back foot, ever so slightly. Working his way backward from the last question, Canaan shook his head again, saying "No, don't want anything to do with them."

Looking at all four of his palms as he stood there near the edge of the deck, Canaan frowned. "I don't know. I am ... four arm kind ... speaking kind ... ... erm ... fishing kind."

"You were...?" Suddenly, Norbert realized that maybe not all demons were made by the Fallen. He'd sure gotten that impression before, from all the talk that went around at Weyland's concerning them. "Wait, are demons just some other species that the Fallen subjugated?"

Canaan didn't have a clear answer for Norbert's next question, not one he could give with even the slightest bit of certainty, at least not until he could fully wrap his head around what a 'species' was. It wasn't a new term to him, but he still didn't truly understand it. "I don't know ... what you mean." Maybe it would help to simplify things more. "What is 'species'? Still learning to speak common. Is 'species' ... a ... kind?" Canaan didn't know what 'subjugated' meant either, but it sounded like something bad being done to his kind by the fallen, and that made enough sense on its own to him.

"Uh, yeah," Norbert answered, realizing that Canaan wasn't just having trouble talking in general because he was a demon, but rather he was having trouble with Common because he didn't  know it that well.

"Well, like..." he thought about how to explain it for a moment before indicating himself. "I'm a human. 'Human' is my species." He pointed to the nets Canaan had dropped, realizing that they were filled with fish. "And those're fish. 'Fish' is their species, but there are lots of different kinds of fish." He paused a beat. "Actually, I guess there are different 'kinds' of humans, too, like the Kigenese and the Neviskotians." He gestured vaguely at the ship on the whole behind him. "Most of the guys-- er, humans -- here are Kigenese, but I'm an Ursian human. That means I come from Ursium. Er, well... Bloodline and nationality are different, but..." Did Canaan know what "nationality" meant? "Uh... 'Nationality' refers to which 'nation' you call your home. My bloodline's from Ursium" kind of. He had no idea who his father was, and his mother's parents were also unknown. "and Ursium is my home, so I'm an Ursian both by 'kind' and by nationality, but not everyone is. Like, if a Kigenese person moved to Ursium, he'd be Kigenese by blood, but an Ursian by nationality." I hope that makes sense.

"So...I guess I'm asking if your species used to have its own nation, until the Fallen came and forced you to serve them," he tried to clarify.

So a 'species' was a stricter division of 'kinds' or 'types.' That's what it sounded like to Canaan. He'd seen a slew of different kinds of fish, so did that mean the ones that looked like each other were the same species of fish, or only the same kind? Feeling he still didn't quite have a handle on what a 'species' was just yet, he decided to chalk it up to his initial impression, and not try to apply it outside of clear cut cases, like humans and demons.

He understood quite well, at least, that there were different kinds of humans. They even smelled slightly different on the whole. There were clearly a great number of other differences between them, or Canaan imagined the Ursians and Neviskotians wouldn't be fighting so much. Knowing very little about the struggles in the north, he didn't think about them much. The term 'bloodline' was actually one Canaan was familiar with. It meant one's family, essentially. It was a 'line' of individuals bound by their 'blood' one could trace forward or backward. It made sense that it was different from 'nationality', which Norbert described in such a way that Canaan imagined the Emi Maru itself as very small nation. It was essentially a territory someone felt was their home, and despite how uncomfortable things were getting, Canaan definitely felt that the Emi Maru was his home.

Canaan didn't fully understand Norbert's explanation, but he at least felt more comfortable with the subject matter, now. He was also beginning to realize that the term 'species' might not apply to the demons as a whole. There were too many different 'kinds', weren't there? "I was born," Canaan began, trying to think back to his origins, "but most demons are ... created. Erm ... built ..." Created was the closer term, but it didn't evoke the kind of direct construction that actually went into the fallen's birthcrafting process. "I don't know if mother was born or built," he shrugged, "Never knew a ... demon ... nation." That didn't mean there wasn't one, but given how most demons came into existence, the odds were quite low. If anything, Canaan's birth was the exception and not the rule, the experiment, and not the norm.

"Oh. I see," Norbert responded, though by his face and the tilt to his head, he was still trying to understand the answer to his question. He'd also rested his hands on his hips as he worked to puzzle this out. Well, it sure sounded like the Fallen made the demons, just like he'd thought before. But Canaan certainly was a special case. Maybe demons normally couldn't procreate, or maybe only certain kinds could? The er...function would probably have to be built in, if demons were constructed. Abominations.Norbert's face twisted a little in disgust as he thought about it, but remembering his company, he quickly shifted it back to a neutral curiosity and payed attention to Canaan again.

"So, what happened? Was your mother free from the Fallen when you were born, or did she help you escape, or something?" Deciding it'd probably be clearer to rephrase his question, Norbert asked, "How is it that you're out here instead of serving the Fallen?"

Canaan frowned thinking back on his past, his all too recent past. Norbert didn't need to know that it was a sore topic for him, though. Most among the crew only pried so far before leaving the rest to their imaginations, so if he just did what he always did, and relayed enough to simply answer the questions, that would probably satisfy his latest inquirer, as well. That didn't make events any more pleasant to look back on ...

"She belonged to ... Pride," Canaan explained, "a ... 'builder'? ... is the word in common ... I think? Builder Pride. I was supposed to protect a big ..." Honestly, Canaan didn't know what to call it. Even in his native tongue, he didn't know what it actually was. "A ... big ... ring. I ran away. Found the Emi Maru. Crew found me. Nong ... spoke to me ... for a long time. He let me stay."

Norbert's eyes widened. He knew exactly what Canaan was referring to...maybe. Weren't those sorts of Fallen referred to by a particular title? If they were, he couldn't remember it right now, but Canaan certainly wasn't born free. In fact, he belonged to someone called "Pride." That wasn't the main thing that stood out to the rider, however. "A 'big ring?' You mean a gate? One of the gates the Fallen are building so they can make war on all the human countries?" And he ran away... Could it be that he knew where the gates were?

Was that what it was for? Canaan stared at Norbert blankly for a moment. "... could be. I wasn't ... told what it ... does. Is. Mm both." Thinking back on it, Pride seemed about as obsessed with its safety as he was with some of his more unusual demons. He'd brought all manner of monstrosities with him from Corvus, even creatures that made Canaan uncomfortable, and Canaan had seem some disturbing creations in his relatively brief life. "It is important to Pride ... and the others. Lots of them guard it. Demons guard it, too."

"Yeah, Steinn said they'd be well-guarded," Norbert agreed a little absently. He focused his intensity on the subject more obviously as he continued. "Our group is on a mission to get the help of the Kigenese so we can find the gate in Kigen and destroy it. There are people in Ursium and people going to Neviskotia to find the gates that the Fallen built there to destroy them, too. Do you know where any of them are?" He quickly amended his question, finding a better way to say it. "If I showed you a map, could you mark where the gates are?"

The name Steinn sounded familiar, but Canaan couldn't quite place it. Instead, he focused on these gate things Norbert mentioned. Despite the unfamiliar names and terms, he at least understood that these gates were something Norbert and his allies wanted to destroy. Was it because the fallen wanted to use them to make war? Curious. Unfortunately, Canaan had never even seen a map, or any of these other gates Norbert mentioned.

"I don't ... think so," Canaan shook his head, "I know where it is but ... only ... by going there." Just the thought of going back to that place sent a shiver up Canaan's back.

Well, that was inconvenient. He also couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the demon...weird as that sounded...since he seemed so uneasy about the place where the gate was being constructed. It was understandable, given what he knew of Canaan's past.

"Well, that's too bad..." Norbert delayed a little in asking his next question. He almost didn't want to, given what Canaan went through, but...this was really important.

"The Fallen are planning to send their armies through the gates to kill or enslave every human there is in Sardius," he explained, allowing the gravity of the situation to show plainly in his voice and expression. "We have to destroy them, or we're going to lose. The Fallen will take over everything, everywhere...but we don't know exactly where the gates are being built. That's why we need to find them. According to Steinn, they're going to use them soon... There's already been an attack in Europa, an Ursian city, but that was just a test... So...that's why I'm going to ask you this, even though I know what it would mean for you. Especially since we're going to ask the Kigenese for their help in destroying the gate, and those who guard it. Canaan..." Norbert looked directly into the demon's face. "would you please come with us and show us the way to the gate?"

That was one question, rather a request, that had gone too far and hit too close to home. Canaan winced, trying to shake off the vivid red memories draping themselves over his eyes. "Too dangerous," he said, mostly on reflex; his real thoughts were somewhere else entirely. "Everyone dies ..." Slowly, Canaan lowered himself onto his heels and stared at the Emi Maru's deck and the few still living fish flopping just below his knees. "Can't go with you ... they will find me and ... kill you ... me ... everyone." If the Kigenese didn't kill them, Canaan's former colleagues would be more than happy to give it a try.

Norbert sighed. The news was too bad, but not unexpected. He was asking a lot, he knew. A lot. "It's too much for you. I understand." He looked off in the direction they were sailing. "I'm glad you got away from that life, really. And I appreciate the answers you gave me. We're just going to have to keep trying without your help...but like I said, I understand. Life must've been terrible for you, serving the Fallen. It's a life I don't want for anyone...which is why I'm going. If I can prevent that from happening, I want to try. I have to....but I get it. Not everyone feels like I do, and that's...okay. Especially if it's that traumatic."

The rider returned his gaze to Canaan. "You can't help because going there is too much for you. It's the same as asking someone who can't fight to come with us to destroy the gates...so I'm not going to press the issue. Instead, I'm going to try to protect you and your freedom, too, by going and fighting the Fallen."

Anyone else might have been offended at Norbert's implication, intended or otherwise, but Canaan had too little experience, both with the language, and with society in general, to even consider said implication. All he knew was that his chances of even reaching this ring gate thing were slim with the Kigenese always on the lookout for demons, and if he did somehow lead them there, they would be killed. An even worse outcome in Canaan's case, was possibly being forced to work right alongside them, again. That was a nightmarish prospect.

"Has to be a different way," Canaan groaned, just fretting aloud at that point.

Norbert shrugged at Canaan's actual comment, but he still felt pretty bad for the guy. "We're going to talk to the Kigenese, as high up as we can, to try to get their help with finding the Gate. That was the plan before, so we might as well stick with it if there's no faster way for us to find it."

He had something else he was curious about, but the pegasus rider was a little worried that it might just dredge up even more unpleasant memories. Still, it had to be better than this mess...maybe. "What was your mother like? Was she a...four-armed fisher-demon like you?"

The question caused Canaan's entire body to slow, until he seemed completely frozen. His memories of his mother were a little fuzzy, but if there was one thing that stuck out to Canaan in that moment, it was that his mother was nothing like him, at least not as far as her appearance was concerned. Really, she ... "She looked ...like a human. Would not trick demons, but ... looked human."

A demon that...looked like a human? Canaan seemed pretty certain she was, in fact, a demon, despite her appearance. The first question that came to Norbert's mind was why she was designed to look that way -- unless she had also been born, like her son had -- and the answer to his question that came to mind set him into a disgusted anger. But then, he began thinking about the implications of such a demon. Such a..."model" could infiltrate human society... It was something of a frightening prospect. And maybe... Maybe Canaan's father had actually been human, deceived by this demon. The idea twisted Norbert's stomach.

But the fact remained that she was Canaan's mother. What if she was like him, with her own thoughts and desires? Thinking more on that instead, Norbert asked, "What was she like? As a person, I mean... Was she like you? Did she want to be free from the Fallen? Was she...kind?"

Kind? Canaan thought so. He didn't recall her ever killing anyone. Of course, given her lack of demonic traits, she wasn't especially suited to killing anyone. Canaan couldn't even recall her standing on her own two feet or walking around on her own. She was probably more harmless than he was. "She was ... probably kind? She never killed. Only had children. Me ... and others."

Even Nong hadn't heard this much, though the man wasn't especially interested in destroying special gates, either. Canaan had been considering sharing more about his past life, but certain parts were hard to dwell on for any length of time. "She didn't ... speak much. I don't know if she was kind, but she did not kill."

Norbert's face contorted in disgust a little at the implications. Yep; she was definitely just used as a breeding machine. Well, at least this seemed to be helping Canaan. He tried to clear his expression out of courtesy for Canaan, but the idea was rather appalling. "You don't remember much about her, huh? And you have siblings, too..."

"Siblings ..." Canaan tried the new word out for himself, "You mean other ... children? Her children?"

Well, Canaan was getting a lesson in Common, if nothing else. "Your brothers and sisters." he gestured vaguely. "Children who came from the same parents that you did. A brother is a male sibling, and a sister is a female one." Norbert grimaced, thinking about his own sisters. "Though...sometimes, people call other people their 'brother' or 'sister,' even if they're not related by blood. It usually means that they're just so close that it's like they're siblings. Or if they're part of a group that acts like a family... And a half-sibling is a sibling who you only share one parent with." That last bit he suddenly figured he should mention.

Siblings: Brothers, the male variety, and sisters, the female variety. Canaan committed the information to memory, his intuition warning him that these were probably exceedingly common phrases that he ought to familiarize himself with post haste. Parent seemed like the same kind of word as child or children, only referring to the mother or father. Canaan wasn't sure who his father was, though Pride seemed to fit the mold, as uncomfortable as the thought was. Half sibling was a term that made sense to Canaan as explained, but also made him wonder just how closely related he was to his siblings. Maybe they were just half siblings ... after all, Canaan knew of at least a few that looked very different from himself. Some had wings instead of extra arms. Some had strange intimidating growths coming out of their upper arms instead of hands. Maybe their fathers were different ... maybe.

"Some," Canaan said, choosing his words thoughtfully, "could be ... half siblings. Not all of them look ... like me."

And again, Norbert's thoughts were turning to the mission. If Canaan was supposed to guard the gate, then maybe his siblings were, too. Something else was beginning to demand his attention, though. His nose wrinkled a little as he looked to the dying and dead sea creatures in Canaan's nets.

"I've really held you up, haven't I?" he asked. It was rhetorical, as it turned out. "I hope those fish're still good for eating. Want me to help you move them? I could try helping you clean them, too, though you'll have to teach me how...unless those were for someone who knows how to do all that... Anyway, I'd like to hear more about your family. I know almost nothing about demons, so I've been..." Had he really? He supposed so, settling on the word he was originally going to use. "enjoying this."

Honestly, it was more simply that Bert's curiosity had been consistently piqued and satisfied as the information was shared, and he really did want to learn more. He supposed Canaan had been learning some more Common, too, so really, they were learning from each other. Of course, it wasn't as though Canaan couldn't learn Common from someone else, so it wasn't exactly a fair trade, but both parties at least seemed...not unhappy with it.

"Is fine," Canaan smiled faintly, shaking his head at the offer, "I eat them this way." He knew he wasn't acclimating to human customs regarding cuisine very quickly, not with eating habits like these, but he at least knew some basic etiquette, or was picking it up here and there. "Is ... it's a big ... haul." Maybe 'meal' would have been better? The sailors tended to refer to their catches as 'hauls,' while Jun referred to any food she got her hands on as 'meals' or one of a few other terms depending on where the sun was in the sky, so Canaan wasn't really sure. His native tongue was still relentlessly simplex compared to common, and much easier to speak. Maybe it would be worth teaching to others ...

"Should eat inside ... don't want to be seen by .... fliers. Ursians ... Nev-skotians. I will try not to eat rude--ly while we speak."

Norbert huffed out a little chuckle at Canaan wanting to avoid being seen by Ursian fliers, considering that he technically was one. There was a bit of irony there that he appreciated. He nodded, though, agreeing with the demon's prudence. He wasn't entirely sure what Canaan's answer on his offer to carry one of the nets was, so he went ahead and picked one of them up anyway and stepped off to the side. "Go ahead and show me where you'd like to go."

"Dining hall ..." Canaan said, sounding like he hadn't made up his mind so much as started on a potential option. He didn't add any others, however. "Mm, yes ... dining hall," he nodded, picking up the other net and starting toward the main building.

The dining hall wasn't empty when they arrived, but aside from a sailor here and there nibbling on something or hydrating themselves, those in the dining area were simply passing through with varying hauls of fish for Jun to cook. Canaan had to resist the urge to find some out of the way part of the dining hall and sit down on the floor with his own haul, even though that's how he was more comfortable eating.

"Mm, here ..." Canaan set one of the nets down on the edge of the table and then sat down.

Norbert placed the net he'd been carrying next to the one Canaan set down and took a seat across from said demon. The questions he wanted to ask from earlier were still buzzing in his mind...but how to ask them? He didn't want to make Canaan relive any trauma. Or was it better to just be direct? "So, brothers and sisters..." Canaan had mentioned that some of them might be half-siblings. That wouldn't be surprising if Canaan's mother's purpose was what he'd guessed it was. "What are yours like? Or did you not have the chance to get to know them?"

Canaan hadn't waited long to grab one of the fish and bite into it. The creature's scales were no match for the demon's jaw and teeth. Everything gave way under the force of that first bite. Canaan mulled Norbert's question over as he chewed his food. After a big gulp, he said, "Some are bigger ... stronger. Others are ... fast ... loud." Canaan suspected that Norbert was at least slightly more interested in their temperaments, given the previous questions, so he didn't stop there. "They ... erm ... are not ... kind. I ran away. They ... obey."

He took another bite out of the fish, leaving roughly half of the creature left in tact.

To Norbert, watching a demon bite through a fish -- scales, bones, and all -- was somewhere between somewhat unsettling and rather impressive. Even though Canaan had been born rather than built, it still spoke to the Fallen's focus, intentions, ability, and drive quite clearly. And from what Canaan himself said, it sounded like he was something of a mistake, having a disloyal streak like that. Said mistake was probably "corrected" in the others...unless Canaan just didn't know what his siblings wanted. Maybe they wanted freedom just as badly, but for whatever reason, were trapped. They certainly sounded diverse, too.

Norbert frowned, partially in thought and partially out of a bit of regret. "So, if we have to fight your siblings, there's probably no hope that they'll be like you and rather escape, huh?"

"Hmm ..." Canaan hadn't considered that, before. He'd just assumed they were 'different' from him. "Don't know," he admitted, "Siblings ... always obey. If they find you ... they kill you."

He didn't know? "If you're not sure, then maybe we shouldn't just kill any demons we come across. I'd hate to kill any who're like you, and would be peaceful if they had the chance." Bert paused just long enough to fold his arms and frown off in some other direction, adding, "Of course, we can't just open ourselves up if we're fighting for our lives, either..." He looked back to Canaan, serious again. "I guess we'll just have to take it as it comes. If we come across demons who make it obvious that they'd rather not fight, we'll handle this then. Otherwise, we'll just have to defend ourselves like we would against anyone else."

Norbert shifted his weight a little as his expression became inquiring again. "Do you think your siblings were assigned to protect that gate, too?"

Canaan swallowed the tail of the first fish, briefly eyeing another until Norbert asked him about the gate, again. He nodded almost immediately. "Pride is protecting it ... so, my siblings are protecting it, too." He had no doubt that if they approached the gate in the direction Canaan himself had fled from, they would run into his siblings ... and probably never make it to the gate, alive.

"And the gate you know about's in Kigen, right?" Norbert knew he was skating awfully close to that painful subject again, but this was a matter of life and death. It was irresponsible to assume the gate Canaan was talking about was in Kigen, and not one of the other two. I wonder if Steinn knows about this Pride guy.

"I think so," Canaan blinked. Having never seen a proper map, he wasn't sure where Kigen ended and other places began. If the nations were separated by the straits, then ... "Didn't have to swim to ... find the Emi Maru." The runaway demon recalled only the occasional brush with the coastline, but never once had to cross a large body of water. Beyond that, it'd be been forests, mountains, and plenty of rivers to navigate.

It was in Kigen, then, unless Nong picked Canaan up in another country. That was something he could ask the captain himself, though. He made a mental note to do that later. The less he had to ask Canaan about his painful past, the better.

"Thanks for telling me all that." It went without saying that it was probably not the easiest subject for Canaan, after all. It wasn't truly a change in topic, but it was among the next things that came to mind. At least the question's air was more casual than the discussion had just recently been. To be honest, it was more about curiosity than about tactics. "About how many siblings do you have, anyway?"

How many? Canaan only knew how to count using his fingers, and he was wasn't sure he had enough of them to do the job. "... a ... a lot. F-five ... and five ..." Canaan held out his left hands, letting the right hold the second fish, "... five and five, again ... erm ..." Still more to go, but his memory was failing him, now. "... not sure how many. More than four of five, but less than five more. I think ..."

Somewhere over twenty, then. It was grim, especially considering that these demons would be guarding the gate, and since he didn't know how long it took a demon to grow up. Maybe more had been born since then... But it was still a little bit amusing that a number smaller than twenty-five was considered "a lot." It wasn't that it was at all a typical number of siblings. It was simply the number of sisters Norbert, himself, had claim to. Thinking about it like that, the pegasus rider grinned a little. "I have hundreds, myself, though none of them are related to me by blood. We all grew up in the same place, overseen by the same man. It's not a typical family, but it's the closest thing any of us have."

"Hun ... dreds?" Another line of inquiry, another new word, it seemed. "How many ... is that?"

Oh, right. It looked like Canaan counted in fives, so... "Well, that'd be... Uh, well, one hundred is twenty fives. If you have forty fives, or more twenty fives, then that would be multiple 'hundreds.'"

Canaan put the fish down with the rest of his haul and got to work, accounting for all of his fingers, then starting again, and the whole time his face was one of astonishment. "A lot of siblings! Two hundreds?!" he exclaimed.

Norbert couldn't help but laugh aloud at Canaan's exclamation. While he'd been calculating, he'd looked almost like a little kid discovering large numbers for the first time. "Actually, it's closer to three hundreds, but it isn't like I got to know all of them. And that's not even counting all the sisters who came before or after me."

The new information was nearly overwhelming, but Canaan was nearly going cockeyed, now. "Three ... hundreds ... more before ... and after. Big family." Big indeed. It made him wonder if Norbert didn't have any of his sisters with him. "Any siblings here? On the Emi Maru? Other ship?"

Norbert shook his head. "Nah, none're on this or the other ship. None that I've run into, anyway." And he was pretty sure he would've run into them by now if any were aboard. "Most of them wind up joining Ursium's military, so they mostly stay in Ursium." Even the ones who didn't join the military usually stayed in Ursium, really, as far as the one brother knew.

"The Ursium ... military. Hmm ..." This was all starting to sound eerily familiar. Canaan frowned, thinking back to his time among his siblings and their victims. "You run away, too? ... l-like me?"

Oh. Well, of course he'd think about it like that. Norbert winced a little bit, realizing a little too late his mistake. "No, it...wasn't quite like that." It wasn't entirely off point either, though, thinking about it. His expression relaxed into something more neutral as he went on. "No one's forced to fight or anything, though we're trained for combat, and taught how to ride and take care of pegasi. The orphanage is funded by the government, and it helps the girls get good positions early on in the military, but any of us can choose to do something else if we'd like."

Canaan couldn't help but wonder how his siblings would react, given the opportunity to choose something else besides killing. Like Norbert's siblings and their service to the military, he doubted many of them would change course. It was in their nature. Truth be told, it was in Canaan's nature too, regardless of how well he'd been able to control it, thus far.

"I ... am glad," Canaan smiled faintly, "It's ... good to choose, I think." There were no choices for him or his fellow demons, though. Was there any way to remedy that? Probably not, no ... "If you find my siblings ... please, say I am ... better now. Happy, because I don't ... have to obey. Say they don't have to obey, either," Canaan nodded as he tried to string together the right message. He had few hopes for it getting through to any of them, but if it did, he wouldn't regret putting in this small effort for them.

It was strange, in a way, how close to home this was hitting for the Crusher. On the one hand -- the more practical one -- he knew that this upcoming battle would be difficult enough without trying to start it off with a message from an estranged family member, especially to a bunch of demons who may not have had the same capacity for individualism that their brother had. On the other, however...wouldn't he want the same mercy being extended to his own sisters? And who knew? Maybe some would question their lot in life and flee the battle entirely. Norbert's logic told him that such a hope was beyond unlikely to manifest. But even still...how could he just ignore this plea? ... Nope; he couldn't.

"I'll do what I can." It was the only promise he could really make that he could feasibly keep. "I'll try to deliver your message to them, but if they attack us, we're going to have to defend ourselves. I'll still do my best, though, even if I have to yell it at them between blows."

That was when something occurred to him. "But do they know you as 'Canaan?' Or should I call you something else when I refer you?" He wasn't sure if the name was given to him before or after he joined up with Nong.

That could be trouble, Canaan realized. Not just his name, but his siblings'. "Nong gave me ... the name. Canaan. Don't know if ... Pride gave siblings names. He didn't give me ... a name. I could ... give you a thing ... so they know I ... sent you? Sent you," he settled on the last part.

While that was one potential problem solved in advance, Canaan still didn't like their chances in a fight with his siblings, and he was likely only complicating matters, giving them something from him that they would have to show the demons in order to identify their escaped sibling ... as well as prove the message was legitimate. It seemed that at best, they would get a few words with his siblings, assuming Canaan's brothers and sisters understood kigenese or common, and then a fight would erupt anyway.

"Is not a lot, but ... Pride didn't give me a name."

Norbert nodded. It made sense that the Fallen wouldn't give names to "things" they were only meant to do as much damage as they could before ultimately being destroyed. Having gotten to know Canaan a little, the thought made a new ire burn against the Fallen, inside of him. "Having proof that the message came from you would be helpful, yeah. Did you have anything in mind that they'd recognize? And not something that they'd think we just took from you -- it doesn't help anyone except the Fallen if they think we're trying to trick them."

Now that Norbert mentioned it, Canaan supposed just plucking out some of his hair wasn't the best solution. His siblings might interpret that as a trick, though it depended on how likely they saw Canaan's defeat at the hands of such a group was. Given their own experience, they probably wouldn't reach the conclusion that he'd been killed and had some of his hair taken, but it was still a possibility ...

"Mmph ... maybe a ... message. Corvian message ... carved on ... something." Something wooden, preferably. Canaan had plenty of experience there. "They can smell me, too. Carved message with smell ... and they will know ... I think."

Well, Bert had to admit that that solution sounded convincing. He sure didn't know Corvian, and if demons could scent like animals -- which, given their intended functions, why wouldn't they? -- then Canaan's scent being involved would be pretty irrefutable evidence. "That's a good idea. I can't think of any way they could misunderstand something like that."

There were, of course, other things that could go wrong, too, even if Canaan's brothers and sisters accepted the message. For example, getting the message to them at all, or dealing with demons who weren't related to Canaan. Norbert's eyes unfocused as the almost-assured difficulties started cropping up in his mind. "It's still going to be dangerous, though, even if they all decide they don't want to fight." He refocused his eyes on Canaan. "So, I'd like to ask you for a favor. Would you mind training me to fight the Fallen and demons? I know there's not much time left before we reach Kigen, but any practice or instruction you can give me would be appreciated. If I'm going to deliver your message, I have to be alive when I get to your siblings, and I'd like to live on afterwards, too. I'd like to know as much as you can tell me about your siblings, and about Pride, too. Maybe it'll be useful."

There was a fair amount of fluff to interpret there, but Canaan understood the gist of Norbert's requests. He was already trying to recall details about his own siblings and the things he'd seen them do. He didn't know much about other demons in general, though. Only that they came in all different shapes and sizes and for the most part, weren't capable of holding a conversation. Realizing he might have to use himself as an example, Canaan said, "Need different ... way ... for different demons. Siblings too, but I can ... try to help you. Train, I mean"

There was one thing Canaan hadn't mentioned yet, that was now starting to weigh on his mind. His eyes--but more importantly his siblings' eyes, were deadly, and there was no way he could demonstrate to Norbert why, safely. Training him to avoid their deadly gazes wouldn't be easy, even if he figured out a viable method ...

Norbert smiled at Canaan's stated agreement to his request. "Thanks. Don't worry about training right now, though. I'm not going to ask you to stop eating for this. We can get to work whenever you'd like to."

"Mm," Canaan nodded, glad that he could at least eat, first. Fish were better when fresh. "Will train ... at night. Demons like the night." He chomped down onto the second, smaller fish, and easily bisected the creature.

Norbert nodded. That alone was helpful information, though he supposed it made sense anyway. Humans couldn't scent very well, and their night vision wasn't very good. It made sense that the demons would be crafted to take advantage of these weaknesses. It wouldn't be easy to fight what he couldn't see, but nothing about this was going to be easy anyway. And really, he'd never get stronger if everything was easy. "I'll see you tonight, then?"

Canaan nodded, again. "Will be in cargo hold," he said, hoping that wasn't incredibly obvious.

"Alright. See you then," Norbert responded as he got up from his seat at Canaan's table. He gave the demon a wave, then headed off. There were things to do, and some nighttime training to prepare for.

 

[Xinnidy]

"<Is answer enough...>" Thales protested, not wanting to get back to that topic. Trying to ride him like a horse wasn't the nicest thing, despite what he was willing to put up with. "<Oi, no point be so down. Will be fun! What not fun about new clothes to try?>" It was fun for him, at least... He didn't get why she was so gloomy over it, but hopefully getting Haruhi out of the ship would lift her mood.

... Now, about that leaving the ship. "Uh,  should we see about the guys that just got into the ship, or is that a bad idea?" Thales spoke generally, concern rising as he hoped they wouldn't get into more trouble. Still, he had no idea how the group functioned...