Casus Belli

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Aboard the

Chiron

Blackpool was as good as his word, and had set the crew about to the much needed repairs. With Fyrian and Glasswater gone, it fell to him to ensure the Chiron was more than seaworthy once they returned. And not only that, but the longer they were anchored off the coast, the greater the chances were that they'd be discovered.

Blackpool was certainly not a part of the more superstitious types aboard the ship, but he knew enough of what would and wouldn't anger Denetian. He was not of the mind to place himself on the bad side of any of the Gods this day, or anytime in the near future.

Standing at the far end of the deck, and staring out toward the open sea, the Glaucan had to quell his urge to slip over the side and into the cool water.

"Blackpool!!"

It was the lookout, scrambling down from the uppermost point of the mast, and Blackpool turned to watch the wiry Freeman make his way dowards.

"Necians at the beach, Sir!"

The Glaucan scowled at that, growling out a curse to his sudden bad luck.

"How many, Eidolon."

"Enough to cause us trouble."

Blackpool let out another curse, then raised his voice.

"Eyes to land, dogs! Necians landward! Raise what's left of our sails and put us further out to sea!"

All efforts at repair forgotten, the crew of the Chiron moved as one as they obeyed Blackpool's command.

[Csephion Draxus]

Draxus glanced to Mako.

"How far by horse to our squadron?"

The Captain glanced in the distance, estimating the time it would take.

"At full pace, a messenger could reach them within an hour."

He considered the prospect. Already the Chiron was readying sail. An hour for a messenger, and perhaps another for the squadron to intercept meant that the possibility of losing the pirate ship was high, but not certain.

"Send a messenger at once."

Mako gestured to a subordinate, who immediately took off on his horse, tearing the ground up beneath him.

Draxus looked to the King.

"King Dravian, do you have an affinity mage among your soldiers who follows Denetion?"

The King's eyes passed to a tall man with receeding hair and a scraggly beard, sitting atop the horse nearest him. With a smile, Draxus looked to Mako, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Go with him. See what can be done of our watery conundrum."

Mako and Dravian's man, Hofri, both approached the beach head.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Blackpool watched through his own watchglass at the actions of the Necians. He saw the Necian messenger break ranks and race for the distance. No doubt to call upon reinforcements. The Glaucan ground his teeth at that thought. They were in no condition to stand and fight; not after the beating that they took during the storm.

They would have to escape. There was no choice other than to flee.

"Bend your backs, you lot! They've sent for reinforcements."

He turned back to stare through his watchglass, seeing as a Necian and Tirgat man closed to the beach head.

No doubt a man for Denetian, he thought grimly.

"Nimshi!"

A Glaucan girl, no older than twelve appeared from seemingly nowhere, and Blackpool stared down at her as she stood on her toes to lean on the ship's railing. He motioned to the two in the distance.

"Go. Entreat upon Denetian and ask him for deliverance. Say to him whatever it is that you say and beg him to smile at least this once upon us."

The little girl, her crystal blue eyes wide, hopped nimbly up to crouch on the railing, then with a slight pause, dove into the water below.

[Csephion Draxus]

Mako and Hofri moved as one toward the lapping waves, and kneeled in the sand. They placed open palms over the water's edge, closing their eyes as they said nothing. In moments, the breaths they exhaled came out in steam, as the two water adepts began to work through Denetion's gifts, chilling a channel of water between themselves and the pirate vessel.

Ice began to form in the salty chop as the temperature plummeted, threatening to not only snare the Chiron in an icy cage, but to also form a solid bridge from the land to the enemy ship.

"Ha ha ha ha, wonderful!" The King clapped his hands in hearty approval.

Draxus watched with a bit more reserve, curious to see if the stratagem would bear fruit.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Nimshi was considered something of a feral child, drawn from the sea and cared for by Kariun's crew. They looked upon her as a good omen, and she had free reign of the entire ship. She did not speak very often, but her natural affinity for water and its' magic was a great boon to the Fold. She was powerful in her young age, and there were more than half among the Fold that thought her a daughter of Denetian.

There was no real way to know. All that could be told though was that the girl was strong with water.


The cool underdepths welcomed her, and Nimshi swam a short distance beneath the waves toward the beach. When she was halfway there she poked her head up into the air, floating lazily and watching the Necian and Tirgat work their magics. She could feel their work as well, since the water had become so much cooler the closer that she got to the shore.

The ice bridge grew steadily closer, and Nimshi carefully pulled herself up atop it. She stood with bare feet on the ice, staring toward land and the Necian soldiers in the distance.

She got to her knees then, her little hands running invisible patterns over the ice. She whispered words to Denetian that only he would hear, and then she spoke to the water itself. Sweet words that could only come from a child she breathed. She blew gently on the ice she knelt upon, and continued to draw her patterns.

And as she drew with her fingers, the ice beneath her began to pool once more with water, the temperature rising.

[Csephion Draxus]

Mako and Hofri continued to work, but the girl's affinity power was possibly even greater than their own ability put together. As they worked to build the ice bridge, she worked to bring it down.

Draxus was annoyed at this stalemate, and looked at one of the soldiers in his honorarium.

"You there!"

The soldier, realizing that the Satrap had called upon him, sprinted forward front and center.

"Domus!"

He looked over his shoulder, and back toward the ice bridge.

"How adept are you with a javelin?"

The soldier surely knew what the Satrap had in mind, but didn't dare object to it. All enemies of Necia were subject to death.

"Up to one hundred paces, Domus."

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Nimshi whispered her sweet words to the water, soothing the ice with comfortable warmth. She told the water secrets and stories to make it laugh with her, to feel the heat of life. Not the cold chill of death.

And the water listened to her. Denetian it seemed was looking favorably to her, and Nimshi thanks him greatly with silent praises.

Emboldened, the girl hopped a few paces closer; still nowhere close to the two working their own magics, but curiosity at their attempts had tugged upon her well enough.

With the palm of her hand, she wiped a smooth arc along the ice in front of her, still unrelenting against the two and undoing the work that they were so intent upon.

[Csephion Draxus]

The Satrap wasn't going to be undone by some Glaucan whelp.

"Do your duty."

The Necian soldier trotted forward to the beach, and stood parallel to the two water adepts as they worked tirelessly to maintain the bridge. He judged the distance, held a hand to test Varo, the God of western wind, and carefully stepped onto the portion of the frozen bridge that the water adepts still controlled. He carefully drew his javelin from the leather thong at his shoulder, wrapping the thong carefully at the shaft of the weapon as he looped the leather around his throwing hand's index finger.

With a quick hop-step, he loosed his weapon, sending it into a high arc, with the intention of nailing the girl onto the ice.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

So busy offering her sweet words to the water was she, that Nimshi only caught sight of the impending danger at the motion of the Necian soldier. Her head snapped up, eyes searching the sky for the javelin.

Panic set in for a fraction of a second, and the Glaucan girl scrambled to the side and rolled into the water. The shock of the chill almost made her resurface, but she instead dove deeper down towards the ocean floor.

On the

Chiron

Blackpool pounded a fist against the railing, cursing the Necians. He should've known that they would try something as such. But he worried not for Nimshi. That child always found her way back.

"Keep us moving! Get us as far away as possible!"

At least the little Glaucan had bought them time enough to put more distance between them and the affinity mages.

A small comfort at best.

[Csephion Draxus]

Draxus watched with immovable expression as the Chiron began to move expediently away from the shore. The Glaucan girl was undone, but there was now doubt that the ice would be able to reach the pirate ship in time to hold it fast.

King Dravian was more enthusiastic.

"Noble Satrap, my archers can sit astride this ice and deal death to pirates. Do not despair."

He gestured to his assembled archers, who were eager to fight. They dismounted their horses, and sprinted forward, ready to march down the ice bridge and to rain arrows on the pirates in their attempt at flight.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Under the water, Nimshi still worked her magics. She moved herself to beneath the ice bridge, running her hands along its' undersides. She would not allow a Necian soldier and his javelin to best her that easily.

She paused in her work though, as she felt the unmistakeable pounding of feet over ice.

The palm of her left hand pushed against the ice as she propelled herself closer to the shore while keeping under cover of the Necian's and Tirgat's bridge.

She waited then, both hands on the ice and feeling as men passed over atop her. The sounds of the boots crunching over ice was muffled, as were their grunts.

So close to the shore was she now that she could feel the seabed under her feet, and the chill of the water was something she had distincly decided was far too cold for her.

It was time to call Denetian to action, and to stir up his mighty waters. The heat of life over the chill being spread.

Both hands pressed against the ice bridge, and Nimshi growled out a string of bubbles as she entreated Denetian for strength and warmth.

He was gracious.

The bridge began to groan with the weight of Tirgat archers, and Nimshi blew out another stream of heated bubbles towards the ice she pushed up on.

A single crack popped, lancing outward and spreading to either side as the strain of having to support so many men was its' undoing.

[Csephion Draxus]

"Aaaaiiiieeeeee!!!"

The cries of the archers as their ice bridge collapsed could easily be heard from the Satrap's vantage. He turned away, knowing that the overreach at the hands of Dravian was folly. The King fretted visibly, but didn't despair at the setback. The men were hardly in danger of drowning this close to shallows, but it did mean that their attempts to bring the pirates into account were undone.

"Where will they go?"

Draxus asked incredulously to no one in particular. The Chiron was still a wounded creature. It's timbers were fraying and its sail was in tatters. They could move by power of oar, but that would only bring them so far.

He mounted his horse again.

"So much for a quick decapitation. Fyrian will wait."

He began to turn back, on the road leading back into Tirgatia.

"My good King?"

Devian was visibly frustrated at the setback, but took solace in the Satrap not being particularly annoyed. He was right. The pirates had nothing but hostile land and water around them at all sides.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Tirgatia

Tirgatia was a beautiful enough city, but it was still a city regardless. And no matter how comfortable Fyrian found herself on land, the water would always be her home. Men and their land held enough fun, but beneath the waves was something else entirely.

As she and Glasswater waded through the throngs of people crowding the main marketplace, she couldn't help but cast a frown upwards at having to deal with such business. It would be good when they were back on their way. And thankfully they did not need much here; only enough to take them south. And once finished with that business, she would be once again on the deck of the Chiron, sailing for rich waters and plentiful bounty with her crew.

Idle chatter among the market goers was interesting enough to listen to, and Fyrian found herself absently listening in on those that she passed. Glaswater too it seemed had taken to such an interest, and looked at her sharply.

The words that both were hearing were not sitting comfortably.

Word of the Satrap, Draxus, having arrived was rampant among the lower classes. They wondered what he was doing here, and what sort of delectible foods King Dravian had served him.

Fyrian's green eyes narrowed at that. Had served.

It wasn't long before she overheard the next, much more alarming news.

The Satrap had traveled with the King northward to one of the inlet shores on word that a crippled vessel had made berth.

Which meant he'd gone after the Chiron. Her ship. Her father's ship. Her grandfather's ship.

For her, there was no option. Unlatching the saddlebag that held the Golden Lantern, she pushed it towards Glasswater.

"Take this."

The male Glaucan had too heard the words of those they passed, and refused to take the leather pack.

"No. They can protect themselves well enough. Nothing will come of that."

Fyrian again pushed it toward him.

"Take it, and go south. I'll not leave them like that. I'm ordering you."

Glasswater was silent then, glowering at her. He could not refuse such an order from his captain, and grudgingly took the saddlebag.

"I will wait for you in Ha'lainn Inniu."

Fyrian only nodded, and wheeled her grey about. She urged the horse into a clipped trot, disregarding the pedestrians about her as they rushed to move out of her way.

[Csephion Draxus]

The Satrap and the King turned about, heading along the way to Tirgatia and returning with the honorarium and the King's troops.

"Good King, it is not a hardship. I fully expect to have Fyrian brought to account upon his knees, and to kiss Vengeon's phallus for his crimes against us."

Dravian was reassured by the Satrap's optimistic appraisal, if only for the aspiration to curry favor with the powerful leader. He picked up speed on his horse, drawing parallel to the Satrap.

"Fyrian will find no quarter in my kingdom and I will personally see to it that his carcass is crucified and nailed into the highest point in my kingdom for everyone to see."

Draxus smiled at that. He enjoyed Dravian, sycophant as he might be. The lapdog did indeed have moxy.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Leaving Tirgatia was easy enough. She was given no trouble from anyone, and spurred her horse faster as she sped along the road leading back northward. From what she'd overheard, the Satrap had left long enough ago that he'd already be at the cove where the Chiron was anchored. She would have to be cautious.

Veering her horse to the side, Fyrian sent it off the road a small distance, choosing to ascend a ridge that ran alongside it. The ridge afforded her a view of the coastline, and would allow her to see the damage that the Necian had no doubt caused to her ship and crew when she grew close enough.

Now though, it was simply a race against time.

[Csephion Draxus]

As the Satrap and the King continued back to Tirgatia, a contingent of the King's cavalry raced on ahead, trotting up an incline and off the trail. The Satrap looked to the King, who was just as intrigued as he was.

"Perhaps there are brigands on the road?"

Draxus looked upward at the rising ledge of sheer rock. From below, he could see little to suggest banditry, but he trusted the King's men as well as he could be expected to.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Fyrian had not expected the sight the she was fast approaching. Below, a group of Necians and Tirgat soldiers alike were marching back to Tirgatia. She pulled her gelding to a slow stop, watching in growing curiosity as they grew closer.

Was this the Satrap, Draxus, and King Dravian? There looked to be no prisoners among them from what she could see, and for a moment it made her heart leap. That meant one of two things; that the Chiron had successfully fled, or the Necians had slaughtered them all.

But no. These men did not have the weariness of battle around them. That only meant one thing, and at that Fyrian let both her curiosity and a smile grow.


She took the grey down the ridge, still far enough from the group that she'd not be immediately seen, and once more in the road, she nudged her horse forward at a walk.

It would be good to meet this Draxus. To see the man with her own eyes so that she'd know who to avoid in the future.

She might not've shared her father's intense dislike of Necia, and she was open-minded enough to allow herself the opportunity to sip wine with the enemy. That to him she would be nothing but a simple Glaucan made the pot that much sweeter.

[Csephion Draxus]

The flight of fance of the Tirgat cavalry proved ill founded. The ride was a peaceful one. The column of men continued without impediment toward the city-state. As they neared a narrowing in the path, a single traveler going the other way caught the group's attention, and with deference, the King drew the cavalry to the side to allow the traveler the right of way.

[Ariadne Fyrian]

Fyrian smiled ever-politely to those soldiers that had moved from her path. The only hardships they'd seen on this day had been to march from their homes to the coast; and now they were marching back.

She sat casually in her saddle, enjoying herself immensely as a sort of heady rush filled her veins.

But, the Glaucan did not continue through the ranks. She stopped in front of the Satrap, staring hard at him with a gaze that took him in in his entirety. It was not an unkind stare, but it was certainly not a hidden one either.

"You are the Satrap, Draxus," she started plainly.

[Csephion Draxus]

Draxus was intrigued by such an ostentatious creature as this before him. He glanced briefly at Dravian, whose expression led him to the assumption that this Glaucan woman was unknown to the king. Who, therefore, was she, to speak to a Satrap so directly?

Draxus smiled at the intrigue.

"I am."

He looked at her in the same critical eye that she had greeted him with. She didn't carry herself as a woman of fair living, but rather of man, in the way that she spoke so directly and walked without trepidation. It was a welcomed curiosity.

"Who is this traveler who has me at a disadvantage?"