Lucas looked at the woman and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if it is a direct order I can't say no." He stood up and dusted off his backside, looking at the woman and her robot friend. "This is certainly an unexpected turn of events." Lucas began walking toward the door before snapping his fingers and looking at Aethyra. He pulled the bottle of rum out of his satchel and placed it on Aethyra's work station. "Want Ryder to make you someth-" Lucas stopped, noticing Aethyra wasn't paying attention to him. "Right. Tinker mode." He crossed his arms and walked to the doorway, sliding past the robot and making sure not to touch it for fear of the reprisal. "If it would be so kind as to follow me." The question was open to both of them, as he was uncertain who he was supposed to take to the kitchen, and who was going to stay behind and keep an eye on the box. Ryder returned at just the right time, likely forcing the thieves to slow down and think of another plan. At least, that's what Lucas hoped and not that they were so easily swept up in Aethyra's pace, much like everyone else usually is. He past by Aria and Ryder, looking in with an eyebrow raised. "Well, aren't you two a happy couple. Slightly weird and a bit off, but happy. We got an extra member for dinner. We'll meet you in the kitchen." Lucas' eyes said it all, but he didn't think Ryder would pay much attention. Odds are Ryder would just see that the one who pulled a gun on two of his shipmates is a woman, and therefore excuse her of any transgressions. He was a bit worried how the Captain would feel about Aethyra just randomly inviting people to dinner, but its not his problem.

He continued leading the two through the ship, not saying a word to either. I mean what was he supposed to say? 'Mondays, right?' He entered into the kitchen and walked over to the drink cabinet. "What'll you have? We got rum, whiskey, beer... oh! we also have this Juriya made wine that a politician had hidden in his cellar. Apparently, some researcher made it while testing for chemical reactions. Haven't met anyone brave enough to try it yet."

Ryder gently smoothed the younger elves nerves away, stroking her hair in a reassuring manner as she collided into his chest. Aria had managed to knock the air from him; she had surprising strength for her little stature, and for a moment he was silent listening to her woes. To be reassured by a man of his – err – nature, to most women would be a disgusting thought, but it was nice to be trusted by at least one person about the Satan’s Serpent. In her disoriented state, Aria managed to work out a sentence that helped the chef assess the situation. Lucas and Aethyra were still aboard the ship, meaning, he was the first to make it back. The captain and his first mate were still out and about, which was no surprise and just as well. He preferred to have the least amount of testosterone about as possible.
Ryder could hear his elvish goddess calling from within the workings of the ship. – "Yo, Ryder, we have some visitors! And I think they wanna stay for dinner!" Sigh, a guest, that was just great. He had hoped it was one of Archer’s guests and not one of the ladies. Still a chef’s duty was to serve, and he intended to uphold that honor. Ryder stroked his chin in contemplation, what would he serve, and how many would he serve for, curry would do – a quick to make meal that was adaptable for more people.

Much to Ryder’s discontent, Lucas was the first to arrive, the aforementioned guest following suit. And it was… A woman! Perhaps this guest wouldn’t be so bad after all, he hoped to make a meal that would convince her to stay, if not only through the night. He snickered at his own perverse thought. Lucas’s voice broke his fantasy, "Well, aren't you two a happy couple. Slightly weird and a bit off, but happy. We got an extra member for dinner. We'll meet you in the kitchen.”

Couple? Interesting, no he dismissed the thought, Aria was more like a little sister to him. And he was far too old. Ryder sighed upon coming to this conclusion, “Got something to say ya Idiot?” He growled, his peacocking was kicking in. But upon recognizing his company, he quickly dismissed the competitiveness. A smile spread across his lips, “I mean – The kitchen you say, Lucas? Sure, see you in a second.” Something about that kid agitated him, maybe it was the fact he was able to spend hours upon hours in the company of the engineer.

After the two bodies disappeared into the other room, Ryder grinned at Aria, “Want to see what I found in town today? Urragon, fresh too,” he said digging it from his satchel, “Guy practically gave it to me for free. I’m excited to try it out.”

Ryder left the rest of his belongings at the table and followed Lucas and the mysterious woman. He rolled his sleeves up as the doors swung behind him. Surveying the room, Ryder noticed, Lucas was carrying a conversation with the blonde, offering her a glass of something to drink. He struggled to avoid hitting him upside the head with one of the hanging pans, but he was a gentleman from Juriya, and he had the decency not to interrupt a fellow man’s conversation, even if he did have a vendetta against him. Besides, he would have his time to shine once the meal was prepared.

Ryder quickly got to work digging through the cabinets first for a pan, then set the stove ablaze by utilizing the flamethrower modification of his arm. Suddenly all his annoyances faded away, he was in the kitchen now, his sanctum.

Okay then... she thought, realizing what just happened. She dejectedly stumbled to an alley, and sat down against one of the walls. A small breeze picked up, and she was getting a little cold, so she conjured a small mana-fueled flame, and cupped it in her hands. "Looks like I won't have a family after all..." Small teardrops formed in her eyes, glowing a warm amber from reflecting the miniature fire. She was about to sleep when she remembered the goons from earlier. So, she used the last spell that the Orphanage owner taught her: Rune Drawing.

Rune Drawing is the art of drawing special circles on the ground, that do certain things when stepped on. She can currently only make two, one that electrocutes and immobilizes its victim, and the other completely engulfs them in flames. She drew a fire one on both sides of her.

After feeling the safety of the runes, she finally drifted into slumber.

"Flawless" was all that Archer said. Jericho looked almost insulted. "What else did you expect?" was his response to that. Jericho was damn good at what he did, and he knew it. He exhumed pride from his very being. Jericho simply stood by as Archer began his many attempts of interrogating the man. Archer's interrogations usually went from polite conversation to threats to, well, Jericho. Even though Jericho disliked that he was the last step of the more stubborn dirt bags of the world, he did what his Captain told him to do. Not blindly, never blindly, he just never really got a kick out of torturing people, though he was rather experienced with it.

Eventually the man caved in at the drop of Archer threatening to rape him. Apparently the next clue was in Redvale, that was as good a place as any to start......again. The group made their way out of the alley and the Captain offered the elf, who was apparently a male named Iris, to either join the crew or die. Jericho personally agreed with those choices, he knew too much now, so he either had to become an asset or a liability. Iris agreed to join them right when something Jericho had honestly had never seen in his entire life came trotting up, and that's saying something. What came up and started liking Iris was what Jericho could only describe as......a zombie bulldog. It's name was apparently Rusty and was Iris's companion. Jericho simply turned and gave Archer a look that said "I got nothing." He then gave a small chuckle at the sight he was witnessing.

When Iris introduced them to Rusty as People I don't know, Jericho realized they hadn't introduced themselves. "The names Jericho Malone, most folks call me Ironheart. I'm your First Mate." He said with a friendly tone. Suddenly, an oddly dressed girl came around the corner and wanted to know if they were the Fleet Foot Pirates and if she could join them. After 10 seconds of confused silence, the girl seemed to suddenly switch moods and began crying and sat down near the alley, drawing a circle around herself. Jericho, to say the least, had no idea what had just happened. This girl must have crazy mood swings or something, and how is it that she had heard of them? He didn't realize the crew was famous. He knew he was famous, but he didn't realize everyone else was.

Jericho just slowly turned to the Captain, showing his confusion. "Right then..........well. We got what we needed and I feel I need a touch up from Eris. You can deal with.......that." Jericho said gesturing to the girl. "And I'll take our new shipmate back to the Serpent and get him situated." He then leaned in closer to Archer. "Be careful alright, she seems, off." he then pulled back and began to walk back towards the docks, gesturing for Iris to follow.

After awhile, they finally made it back to the docks. Jericho gestured towards his ship to Iris. "There she is, Satan's Serpent. I know what your thinking, why the hell would anyone call their ship that?" He then gave Iris a rather off smile. "I'll let you figure that out on your own." His face froze in that off smile for a few seconds before laughing and breaking his expression. "I'm just messing with you, Iris. It's because we're pirates." he then walked across the gangplank to the deck of the ship, gesturing for Iris to follow. "Rusty shouldn't be a problem, just watch him around Aria, she's an animal lover and a bit........accident prone." He said, remembering some of the things that she had broken since the time she had arrived.

He signaled for him to follow, and made his way into the ship, towards the most likely place everyone was, the kitchen. He entered the kitchen with the usual authority he displayed and immediately found Aria with others. "Aria, this is Iris, he is a new addition to our crew. I want you to show him his room, just pick an empty one, and give him a tour. Just a tour, not a display of the cannons or how to work anything, just a tour. Do you understand me?" he said with a firm yet caring tone. It's the tone he used with Aria when he wanted her to pay special attention to him. He loved the girl to death but she was a nightmare.

He then turned to Ryder and placed the sack down on the table in front of him. "Got a present for you Ryder." He then pulled out the mechanical arm, with bits of flesh, blood and bone still lingering on the socket. "Fresh parts......and a claw, if for some reason you needed one." He told him. Ryder's personality caused him to immediately compare cocks with any man when a woman was near by. Jericho believed this stemmed from some deep seated insecurity from his childhood or maybe about his arm, either way, Jericho simply thought it was cute the way he saw him as a threat, as if he was going to get with every single girl on this ship. In all honesty, they barely ever really saw each other. Jericho rarely ate with the crew because....well, he didn't eat. So with Ryder being the cook, they didn't spend much time together.

Jericho spun around to see Lucas, who he gave an approving nod to and passed by a blond woman he had never seen before. This caused him to stop and spin around. He eyed the woman suspiciously, then raised a finger at her. "Who the hell is this?" he then turned to her. "Who the hell are you?" demanding answers from this stranger aboard their boat.

"Don't step on that." She mumbled in her sleep about the Rune Circle on the ground. "It's a magic trap. Sets you on fire if you walk through it." Her leg extended a slight bit and pushed a small bit of trash into the middle of the circle, and as it touched the edge, a burst of fire shot from the ground and incinerated the garbage."

Archer was surprisingly overjoyed about the elf’s response. It was reluctant, but sincere, and this boy would be an amusing addition to the crew. He liked Iris, he wasn’t sure why, perhaps it was the cowardly nature that expelled from him. It would be a fun quality to test the limits of. When the elf had begun to introduce himself and his title he was cut off by the arrival of a creation that explained his position for him. Archer had heard of necromancy, though he had rarely seen the black magic practiced. To see a reanimated animal before him was something Archer had never imagined he would have the good graces to see in his lifetime. Iris babbled a command to his pet, something about not attacking the two unless he was touched. Having completely disregarded his prior threat, he laughed, he would love to see Jericho pitted against a necromancer. That would be a fight worth watching.

Iris then muttered something about an observer; Archer was apparently the last to spot the elf girl from above. The three exchanged glances, none of them seeming to have heard or understood with full clarity what she had said. When Iris suggested they head to the docks, the girl disappeared within the alleyway. Still, one thing was evident, there was no way she had not seen the proceedings that had happened just a few moments before. He glanced at Ironheart to confirm the next course of action, only to be told that he would have to take care of it himself. Archer’s mouth fell agape. If there was one thing Archer was incapable of doing, it was appropriately soothing a crying woman. He resented Jericho for being able to return to the safety of the ship while he had to take care of the witness, and with such little time too. He glanced at the sun, which was now disappearing behind the horizon, only a few rays of light illuminated the sky now.

The Satan’s Serpent waits for no one, not even the captain. It was a rule Archer himself had established when the crew was limited to just himself, Jericho, and Ryder. Archer swept back into the confines of the alleyway. Cracked cement walls holding dimly lit lanterns encased Archer Bishop on both sides creating a casket he decided he would not be disappointed with, should this be the end. The dull lights emanating from the runes lit up around her body. She had fallen into slumber, perfect. His soft pattern of footsteps approached her, tiptoeing around the runes that she had laid out as a survival tactic. Time was of the essence, and Archer knew that better than anyone else. Archer crouched beside the girl’s body, and slipped his arms beneath her with gentle care. She must have been in a very deep sleep, considering she did not budge. Cradling her in his arms he rushed back to the ship, catching the final moments of sunlight just as her arrived at the docks.

As he climbed aboard, he woke the girl, “Wake up, Miss.” He nudged, “We have business to attend to.” Once he had managed to stir her from her sleep, he set her down on her own feet. Cupping his hands on either of her shoulders and looking her in the eye he said, “See that building over there.” He gestured toward the captain’s quarters The lights from perpetually burning lanterns seemed to guide the way to security, “Wait for me in there, I will meet you shortly.”

After giving the demand to the inevitably confused young woman, Archer set out to find the rest of his crew to gather them and explain their next course of action.
The sound of commotion from the kitchen, led Archer to the majority of the crew. Inside, he found Lucas, Lady D, a blonde he failed to identify, and Ryder and Jericho who were at each other’s throats. Archer had as low of a tolerance for stowaways as Jericho did, so he could understand his fury. But Archer had a headache. Rubbing his temples in solemn silence, Archer uttered a single sentence, “Meet me in my quarters.” As he turned, he added one monosyllabic word, “Now.”

He then exited the kitchen, stuffing his hands in his pockets in an attempt to find the remaining three, the newcomer Iris, his apprentice, Aria, and the engineer. He could generally assume where Aethyra would be tinkering away. Finding her in her room, he called, hoping to interrupt her as little as possible, “We are meeting.” He left as the last two members were about to pass him in the hall. Aria looked overjoyed to see Archer return, and Iris had the same frightened look he remembered from earlier. Giving them the same instructions he had given everyone else, the captain himself rushed to the upper deck, swept into his room and drank in the final moments of stillness before everyone arrived.

The muscle was apparently named Jericho "Iron Heart" and he was the first mate of the crew Iris was forced to join. Had the necromancer been more social in Juriya, he'd have maybe recognized the name, and heard of the tales of Iron Heart Malone. Though with that logic, he would've never gotten into necromancy, and be the nervous wreck today. The laughing from what Iris could only reasonably guess was from the captain was rather disheartening to hear; as his threat was seemed to have been taken with a grain of salt. The mage hung his head in defeat for a few moments before realizing that no-one was moving; and that everyone was awkwardly staring at their (other) witness until she started crying and ran into an alley.

Emotion was hard enough to understand for Iris but this was ridiculous. A smirk couldn't help but form on his lips as he waved goodbye to their captain; left to fix up that mess all by himself. It was enough to almost make the necromancer feel sorry for him. Almost.

Though it would be disastrous for the mage to sort out that mess himself; it didn't make walking with a very deadly killer anymore comfortable. The silence in the walk was finally broken when the two finally reached the docks; and approached the ship known as the Satan's Serpent. What an odd name. Iris thought to himself as Jericho boldly, proudly, and laughingly stated that they were pirates. It was another degree of oddness the necromancer would cross. Like a man who just got out of the doctor's office to shout out to the world "I have a flesh eating disease!" with a smile on his face. It was the beginning of the oddest things Iris would find on his search for Utopia.

He bent down on one knee and looked into the eyes of his vicious new-found pet, petting him over the hand with one gloved hand, and scratching him behind the ears with the other. Fur was something Lucky lost around the tenth year; so it was a new experience all over again. "You don't hurt anyone in there unless I say so Rusty. Understand?" The bulldog barked, and started to pant eagerly as if it was excited, a trait the elf wish he could exchange for his fear. Jericho assured him otherwise that his pet wouldn't be a problem except with a certain Aria.

The inside of the ship was rather...clean? Surprisingly clean. As if there wasn't any pirates on board this ship at all. The comfort that Iris had was suddenly dissipated as he was forced into a room occupied by so many other people. He tensed up instantly, shoulders locked at his side, and proceeded to stare into the ground only to catch a glimpse of people. There must have been about six people in that room and Jericho introduced the one named Aria to the mage. It only took a slight glance to tell but this girl was an elf as well. A very, very short elf. Which indicated that she was either young, probably in her twenties, or that fate seems to truly hate her. Of course, his eyes were rather busy then gathering the oddest out of the group, a gorgeous-looking woman with sun-bathed skin wearing a blue dress. Just as she was talking to Jericho, he was bust trying to figure out who the blond woman was, who clipped her hair short and had the attire of a hired gun. From where Iris stood, she could see half of her body as she sat in the chair, and was staring until he swore her deadly wildcat eyes saw him, prompted him to turn his head away. For some reason, his line of sight met the lady in blue's, and he quickly let his eyes fall to the ground.

He raised one hand, covered in a black glove, and gave a small wave when suddenly he was being pulled away from the situation. As soon as he exited the room, he breathed a sigh of relief, and looked down to see the young one named Aria pulling him along. Iris could only guess she was somewhat ambivalent to his pet. She showed him his room in the lower deck, a rather empty room, with a bed, a counter and dresser. He thanked her and just as he was going in, noticed she was staring at the undead dog, probably unsure of it's existence or whether or not to pet it. "It's okay, he won't bite. His name's Rusty." The necromancer added, slipping into his room to unload his books, and placed the bones of his dead cat into the center of it. The elf was certain the dog would do nothing to harm Aria; undead had to follow the commands of their masters.

He drew a small pentagram in chalk around the bones, to help the joining process, reached into the book around his waist, and read the Rite of Rising. Iris could hear Aria and Rusty getting along behind the door but blocked them out as he read the words; the circle emanating a purple glow before it dissipated. It was as if nothing was drawn in the first place. The bones started to rattle, sorting itself into form, stacking against one another until it was complete. Lucky stood once more, with off-white colored bones, and jumped into her master's lap. Lucky was basically a skeletal cat but she's smarter then what people taker her for. Generally more friendly as well. After lightly petting the animal, Lucky moved with feline speed, and held onto the back-cloth of his cloak. The comfort of a cat was much more satisfying then the excitement of a dog.

When Iris left the room, Aria and Rusty were playing around, and the captain seemingly appeared out of nowhere, causing Iris to jump. He explained the meeting in his quarter's and told Aria to escort Iris there. After he walked away, Lucky climbed up upon Iris' shoulder, and looked down upon Aria. "Aria. Lucky. Lucky. Aria." Iris introduced again, though Lucky was less enthusiastic then Rusty was. She stayed perched upon his shoulder even when he entered the crowded room of the Captain's quarters. He began to pick up Lucky with one hand, using his arm as a comfortable place for her to curl up in, and began to pet her out of sheer nervousness while Rusty sat jealously right beside him.

Aethyra jumped at hearing the captain's voice. People usually left her alone while she worked, that was their deal, but it was obviously something important. She strode from the workroom, grumbling Elven curses, keeping the box clutched tightly in her hands. She didn't trust that it would still be there upon her return. As she walked through the ship, magic prickled at her skin, and she half-smiled, her feminine demeanor returning to her already. It was certainly Elven, though Aria knew nothing of the old arts, and Lady D was half-human, meaning...there was another elf aboard.

Edging into the Captain's quarters, she settled against the wall, still barely half-dressed, and pulled her hood down, tucking her flaming hair behind her pointed ears, a gesture she rarely pulled. The new-comer was obvious, an Elven man, very pretty, with a bone cat on his shoulder. A Necromancer? she thought, How lovely. i haven't seen dark arts since I left home! Catching his eye, she winked and smiled, hoping to calm his fear. She was brimming with excitement to have another elf on board, but she bit her tongue, hoping to have a talk with him later that evening, elf to elf.

Rayne and Teko followed their guide up a flight of stairs and into the kitchen area. On the way they passed by two people, the child Rayne had seen earlier and a young man who didn't look half bad.

"Well, aren't you two a happy couple. Slightly weird and a bit off, but happy. We got an extra member for dinner. We'll meet you in the kitchen." Rayne pondered that sentence for a half second, coming to the conclusion that, since the girl appeared too young, that the man was the cook of the ship. Wonderful, should her assignment take longer than she'd first deemed, getting along with the maker of their food wouldn't be a shabby plan.

When Rayne's guide finally showed her to the bar, she was already calculating 'plan of attack'. His voice drew her from her inner self.

"What'll you have? We got rum, whiskey, beer... oh! we also have this Juriya made wine that a politician had hidden in his cellar. Apparently, some researcher made it while testing for chemical reactions. Haven't met anyone brave enough to try it yet."

"And since I have a will to live, I am not up for giving it a try either. Just pour me a pint of mead and we'll call it good, m'kay?" Rayne instructed, tapping a finger on the bar's counter. As she was doing so, the cook entered, seemingly glared at her guide after looking at her, and then vanished into the actual kitchen. Not before Rayne had the chance to give him a wink of her eye and a small, toothed smiled.

When her drink was finally presented, Rayne lifted it to her red lips and took a half swig, savoring the putrid honey taste. It wasn't until another voice rang out that Rayne sighed and set down her tankard.

A masculine voice from beside Lucas drew the blonde's attention upward. "Who the hell are you?" Rayne noted the maw around his neck, the similarity between herself and him was apparent. They were both cyborg. Another similarity that Rayne was smart enough notice was their build. Lean muscle from head to toe, marking the body of a fighter and perhaps a gunman as well? She'd have to figure out at a later date, if there was one.

"Rayne," she informed him, deciding her drink was more interesting than anything he might say to her. "That's who the hell I am."

Teko, who'd remained quiet and seemingly dead, shifted a bit on his feet.

"Radar sensors indicate multiple weapons of various builds housed in that awful red coat of his," Teko whispered into his friend's ear. "Also-"

Rayne interrupted him. "I know. We'll talk later." She tapped his domed head with a knuckle and swiped up the mini statue that was her metal friend. After she placed him in the spelled pouch on her belt, Rayne took up her drink and gulped down another portion of it.

"And that," she began, "Was a friend of mine."

To Rayne's annoyance, a woman with eyes the color of aquamarines appeared at her side.

"Call me Eris. I'm the medic around here. Please forgive them for any rudeness they might have shown you. They're harmless. I assure you."

"I don't think your metallic shipmate here is as harmless as you propose he is," muttered the blonde. This was by far the worst mission she'd taken in a while. Rayne hated meeting new people as much as she hated being crowded, both of which she was experiencing at the moment.

The last person to enter the scene wore authority like a cloak. Based upon the rest of the crew's reaction, Rayne knew this man to be the captain. He said nothing to her but for the dirty look and announced, “Meet me in my quarters. Now." Determined to not go along with the rest of them, Rayne stayed where she was to finish her drink.

Stood there awaiting the strange woman's answer, when a familiar sweet aroma filled the air. He could smell her coming down the hallway, Daeris Thissalie, the ships medic, and Jericho's personal saint. She dealt with his smugness, presence and constant medical needs every single day she had been here. His body is constantly fighting for survival every day, even if he were to remain in bed, and she was the only one who truly understood that. For that fact alone, she was the only person he didn't bark. Her mere presence seemed to sooth him, due to every time he sees her, she does her best to make his pain go away, his literal pain, that is. Her best also seems to equal most peoples medical miracles, why she had decided to stick around with a pirate crew he'll never fully understand. She seemed to be upset about how she thought the crew were making friends. "I don't make friends with people who trespass on this ship, Eris." He stated calmly, eyes never leaving the blond woman.

Eris then approached him. "You are going to the clinic, right?" Jericho briefly looked at her, realizing she had guessed that he had been in a fight. It's true, he felt that his muscle had been over exasperated since using his bare hands to rip off a metal arm. His lung was acting up as well. "Yes, Eris, later." he stated softer to her. He didn't understand why, but he always said her name in nearly every sentence he said to her. It worried him sometimes. He quickly looked back to the woman when she finally addressed him.

"Rayne." she said flatly, looking at her drink more intently than him. "That's who the hell I am." Jericho narrowed his eyes at her. When doing that, he suddenly noticed the strange movement of her eyes/ She was a cyborg like him, less obvious than Ryder, but still a cyborg. A fighter for sure and that glint of danger in her eye. She was dangerous, but then again, so was he. Lady D then introduced herself to Rayne. She then went on the record stating that he was more dangerous than Eris made him out to be. She also stated that he was metallic, meaning she knew he was a cyborg. She was good. The robot she had with her made him uneasy, seeing how he had never seen one like it before, but he had destroyed dozens of robots, so he wasn't too worried.......still. He felt better, and a little confused, when the robot somehow compacted itself and Rayne put it away, stating it was her friend. "Well, keep you friend and your gun where they are, or else we are going to have trouble. Now, why the hell are you on this ship?" He stated very plainly with a slightly threatening tone. Before the situation could continue, the Captain entered the room. "Meet me in my quarters........now." He seemed a little upset. It was probably because Jericho ditched him to carry around a strange witness. He wasn't worried though, he was far too valuable to Archer for him to do anything to him. Well, anything drastic anyway. That did leave one rather large problem, the dangerous and mysterious Rayne. She couldn't be trusted at the meeting and she couldn't be left to freely wander around the ship, so what to do with her.

As people were leaving, he turned to Rayne, who was looking rather calm. "I'm going to lock you in here until the meeting is over, Miss Rayne. I hope you understand." He stated with a very fake smile on. Before he left, he grabbed the bottle of Juriyan Wine they had picked up and downed half the bottle. He then okaced it back on the shelf. He needed a recharge, especially with her around. Jericho then left through the door, then before he closed it, he popped his head in. "By the way, the names Jericho, Jericho Malone." He then closed the metal and sealed it shut, locking the threat in the room. JEricho then made his way to the Captain's quarters and took a spot next to Eris.

Hearing Jericho's answer about going to the clinic, Daeris was pleased. As a result, she gave the first mate a tender smile. It is not a secret to her how fragile Jericho's condition is truly. She needs to do daily maintenance and check-ups on him to make sure he would be able to function normally even without her by his side. It also worries her about the daily brush with death that their crew seemed to attract. But, it is something to be expected. They were pirates. Trouble, danger, death, violence, and all of that were part of the everyday living. "I'm glad to hear that Jericho." She said in return and then she returned her attention to their blonde guest who had contradicted Daeris' earlier statement about the crew being harmless especially the first mate.

"A cyborg. I see..." She noted with subtle interest glowing within those aquamarine eyes as the medic had finally took enough time to analyze the blonde stranger. Her interest was also taken by the robot companion that the one now known as Rayne had. She had a feeling that something exciting would bound to happen. "I suggest you sit tight. You would not want to miss the show." After saying that, the glint of interest disappeared as instantly. Daeris was also known among the crew to know more things than she let others think.

"Manners..." Daeris noted upon hearing the slight rise in Jericho's tone. She truly understand the cause of distrust. It does not also help with Rayne seemed incorrigible in her opinion. This only strengthen her opinion about the blonde cyborg. Closing her eyes briefly, she sensed someone approaching the room. She slowly opened her eyes and then looked at the doorway. It would seemed that the captain has finally arrived. Judging by his appearance, she was now certain that him and the first mate had some fun in a form of a brawl. After all, their form of negotiations and information-gathering definitely lacked in finesse and subtlety. More importantly, she showed slight concern as Archer rubbed his temples and declared that they will be having a meeting. "I told you many times. Not to take everything so seriously. The stress would only cause you headaches." She said towards the Captain with a sigh at the end.

"They all act tough but they only give me more trouble." She thought inwardly and then cast her attention to the others. "Let's not make the Captain wait any longer." She told everyone with a carefree smile. "Jericho..." Turning towards the man, she leaned towards him and whispered. One would wonder if they were lovers or something along those lines. But to those who knew Daeris, this is how she normally interacts. "As I said, don't be too harsh and don't stress too much. Doctor's orders." She said with a soothing tone and knew that the first mate would do something about Rayne. After all, suspicions were in all-time high as of now. Taking a moment to smile at Jericho, she directed her attention to Rayne. "Excuse us then, Rayne." When that was done, she left the room and made her way to the Captain's Quarters. It was where their meetings always occur.

Gently knocking at the door, Daeris opened and entered the room with small smile. "Shall I be expecting you in the clinic as well?" She said with gentle yet motherly tone. Among everyone in the crew, the medic was the only one capable of requesting or even remotely ordering the others if possible. There was just simply something about her gestures and presence that made it easy to listen to her. Taking her respective spot, her aquamarine eyes looked at the Captain as she pointed at her head emphasizing the headache that Archer had. Her attention only shifted slightly when she felt Jericho standing by her side. "Is everything well in the Kitchen?" She asked but one could easily understand what she truly meant by her words.

Oblivious to the meanings of Lucas’s retort about a couple, Aria replied with a baffled innocence, “Couple?” She was quickly interrupted by Ryder, who was quick to take the offensive. Without anything becoming of Ryder’s attack, her attention was redirected as the chef pulled something from his satchel. Aria’s eyes lit up with a naïve excitement, when Ryder showed her the fabled spice he had been going on and on about since he had first picked up word of it. She loved Ryder’s cooking, and was ever so eager to try it. Trotting obediently behind him, Aria too, joined most of the others in the kitchen.
The young elfling was hardly aware of the commotion going on around her, instead, she sat with her chin resting in her hands, watching the cook at work, and absorbing the wafting scent of spice that radiated from the pot. After a few moments the crew’s first mate entered, with the same authority the young one had come to admire. Following suit was another unfamiliar face, in addition to the one she had first scene upon coming into the room. Aria hopped to her feet, peeking around Jericho’s body with a curious glance. Almost predictively, Jericho introduced the cabin girl to the meek stranger, and gave her a simple enough task. Show him around.

“Yes sir, Mr. Ironheart.” She said with a salute.

Aria quickly clenched her fingers around the robed one’s hand, and over-eagerly yanked him out of the room, “My name is Aria. Aria Melbourne. But you already knew that didn’t you. Jericho has trusted me with the responsibility to show you around, so I guess that means you are my apprentice or something. You are going to love it here, I know I sure do even though Archer can be a bit of a – “ Her voice trailed off as she caught glimpse of something she interpreted as amazing. An undead dog, rematerialized. Living, breathing, right before her very eyes.

When Iris gave her the okay, she lunged at it. What would she do? Go in for the casual pet, or full throttle maul it, tack it, and ride it around the ship like a horse? The possibilities were endless. Squealing with in pleasantry, she had almost forgot entirely about her duty when Archer met up with the two, giving her an almost unpleasant look. The captain only had to utter one sentence for Aria to understand his meaning:

“We are meeting.”

Aria couldn’t hide the pout after Archer had disappeared down the corridor, “I suppose we had better do as he says.” Aria glanced at Iris, this time noticing another fanciful creature perched on his shoulder., and it was decided. She could grow to like this mage.



In his final moments of solitude, Archer dug through his cabinets for a flask of his own private scotch and an accompanying glass, both of which he set on the desk before him. Pouring burgundy waterfalls into the cup, his eyes glazed over with an all to familiar sadness. With a motion of his wrist, he rotated the liquid contemplatively. Should things go awry, he would be responsible for the death of upwards of ten crewmembers. It was a fitting death for a pirate captain is to go down with his ship, and Archer felt like he had been cheated his death long ago. But was it really fair to put a group of strangers in peril? Of course, they should have known the expense when they enlisted, so he quickly dismissed his guilt when he heard a gentle knock on the door. Downing his glass, Archer called, “Come on in.” He choked, stowing the bottle away. The crowd of people flooded into the confined room. He gestured at seats that were surrounding an elongated table in the center of the room. Once everyone had become situated, Archer finally addressed the assembly.

“For the three of you who don’t know: my name is Archer Bishop. This is the Satan’s Serpent, and you, are now on a journey to the fabled city in the sky, Utopia. I’m happy to report, Jericho and I had some success in Noxia, turns out in order to move forward, we must first retrace our steps. Redvale, is our current destination.” Archer gestured to a large tapestry that documented the layout of the world, hanging on the wall above his desk. His finger landed smack dab on Redvale, and traced along it’s landmarks accordingly, “Once we disembark, we will traverse the jungle and head straight to these ancient ruins, no funny business. Ms. Navigator, I leave that you will get us there without fail. I heard through the grapevine that within these ruins, lies a key to mastering the Great Abyss. As those of you who are familiar with RedVale know, we must keep a watchful eye out for the ruthless natives that are said to inhabit the island. Rumors, do not surface without reason. Be on your guard.” His eyes scanned the room, to see which were still on him. For the most part, they seemed to have absorbed his hasty explanation “I will explain more in detail the nature of our mission when we arrive. That being said, let’s set sail.”
‘Set sail’ was a term Archer used to command everyone to their posts: lift the anchor from the floating island below, throw coals into the engine, start the propellers; the basics. As everyone flooded out of the dining room, Archer directed his attention to the stowaway, who had been suspiciously missing from the meeting. Unlike Iris and the navigator, who had joined on his accord, she He was still skeptic of her motives, though the crew seemed to have taken a liking to her. With the exception of his First Mate.

Archer followed the crew out of the room, but rather than to the deck, he navigated his way back to the kitchen where he remembered to have last seen her.

Umbra followed the captain into the kitchen and, after a few seconds, tapped his shoulder, now knowing his name. "Mr. Archer? Where shall I be staying? I DO need somewhere to stay on this ship after all." She took a glance around "I am so honored to finally have a place to call home. I had to sleep in alleys like that for almost all of my life. Also, if you guys find any magical tomes that don't necessarily involve healing, since that's more of the medic's field, please let me look at them. I'm still learning how to use advanced magics."