Daemon Star

[Taluscion]

Sasha awoke with the taste of rubber in his mouth. He also had this odd feeling as he rolled over on the bed he was on. It took him a couple of minutes to figure out that he was on a ship. "Oh no!" he thought to himself with rapier was missing!! Well, of course whoever is holding him wouldn't allow him a weapon, he was still sore about it. He smoothed his red hair out of his face and looked around the cabin he was in. It was exquisite. The lavish decorations pointed he was in a personal bedroom, the captain's most likely. But whose? There were no windows he could see. He wondered what ship he was on. He walked over to the beautifully carved, oaken door. He tried it, but it was locked. "Well of course!" he said. There wasn't any chance he could brake it down, so he settled down to thinking with what he had. He listened to the people outside and heard the name "Harlie" and "Will", but he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Analyzing his own person, not only was his rapier gone, but also everything but his tabbard and leggings. He missed his black velvet cape, and leather belt, but he could ask for them later. He heard echoing footsteps outside the door. There was the metallic sound of a key going into the door. He remembered this sound from his unconciousness, so they had looked in on him before. Meaning, they might still expect him to be sleeping. He looked around the room for something to use as a weapon, but as the door opened he saw it was no use. Capt. Harlie had a pistol and was wearing a very happy look on her face. He stood up and looked at straight into her eyes. She didn't quail under his glare like most people did. He still glared at her with contempt and spat out the words."What do you want with me, PIRATE!" he put special hatred into the last word.

[#1hellmaster]

OCC: hey everyone there is a poll that you guys have to do because It is to see if this girl named Eris is the #1 hellmaster or me and who ever you think you vote for. It will be in the occ. OK THX VOTE FOR ME!!!!!!

Nick looked at the ship as he pulled up next to it. " Is captain keiko aboard?" he yelled at the man who was on deck. "who is asking?" asked the young man as he pulled a sword from his belt. Nick looked at him " Her and captain harlies new partner. I need to talk to captain Keiko. I have all this gold aboard and I would like to share it with my new found partners." Nick smiled as the man went to get Captain keiko

[Dragyness]

Harlie set the pistol she had borrowed from Keiko down behind her and put her hands in plain sight so that Sasha could see that she didn't mean him any harm. A small grin still crossed her features, but it wasn't a mocking expression (in fact, ironically enough, she seemed to be being sincerely friendly). As she stepped fully into the room, she felt William fall in behind her, somewhat blocking the door with his slight form and despite that smile that she wore, the Captain felt a small amount of relief within her. This guy was obviously NOT happy, and now she would have to deal with whatever Keiko had done... as usual.

"Well," she said, leaning against one of the posts of her four-poster bed, "I'm not exactly sure WHY Keiko brought you here, cause this is MY ship. But with any luck she just meant for you to be a bargaining tool or something. I really can't tell you what goes through that woman's head sometimes," she laughed.

Upon seeing Sasha's unchanged and unimpressed expression, however, Harlie decided to try again. With the same sweet smile she stood and moved towards him. Simultaneously, as she took a step towards him, he stepped back, but to his surprise, she advanced no further. Rather, when he looked at her, he found that she had extended a hand in a friendly gesture. "I think maybe we should start over," she said in explanation, "I mean, I'm sure I can't erase my partner's actions (or my occupation, for that matter), but I'd like to still try and put you at ease a little. My name's Harlie."

[Fyre]

Marcus knew he was caught and he was in a bit of a jam, what with a pistol pointing at him and all. The female pirate, quite obviously the captin, was clearly angry with his presence so he raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

Marcus: before you shoot could you do the me the honour of a kiss? a dying man is allowed one thing surely? And a beauty such as yourself is...

her eyes narrowed, wrong move. His usual flirty manners wouldn't save him here.

Marcus: ok, I can explain...I was here for that map!

he pointed to the table, his hand movment made Keiko hold the gun closer...

Marcus: you see, it was meant to be delivered to me, but it was stolen. Well the man i was working for was going to pay me handsomly for it but it never arrived. now i have until this saturday, not three days away, to get it back to him or I'm dead...

in truth he was in trouble with his boss, but his life wasn't in danger, well apart from the immediate danger of the enraged woman holding the pistol before him. he had decided to get the map for himself and go and find whatever it pin-pointed, and become rich and famous and have as many women as he wanted and....

a click from the pistol brought his wandering imagination back to the matter at hand.

Marcus: I'm telling the truth!

[Taluscion]

Sasha was very wary of this...Harlie. She seemed sincere, but he wasn't quite sure what to make of her. He looked at the hand she extended like it was a snake, then sighed and took hold of it. "Listen, I'm sure this isn't your fault. It was Keiko's. But I will trust you for now." He finished shaking her hand and withdrew it. Afterwards, he glanced at the man behind her. "If you don't mind then, could you please return my rapier, cloak and belt, and return me to the port? It would be most appreciated."

[Constitutiona]

William spoke up. "I'm afraid we can't return you to port, seeing as how Madam Keiko has a reason as to why your here and I don't think she'd be very happy with us for letting you live. As for your things...Madam Harlie?"

[Dragyness]

Harlie seemed to consider for a moment before nodding her agreement. "Stud should know where they are. Why don't you go ask him real quick Will?" She knew it was taking a bit of a chance, leaving herself alone with an unhappy prisoner, but at the same time, they WERE on her ship, after all. If anything happened to her, her crew would take care of him, not that she's need them to. If she could handle a Portugese slave-ship Captain, surely she could handle Sasha. Thus, as Will left the room with a last glance at the imprisoned guest, she motioned for Sasha to take a seat across across from her on the bed.

"While I can't let you go right now- Keiko's my partner and I kinda have to honor whatever plans she may have had- I can promise that you'll be treated with the utmost respect on this ship," she said with a smile, "I'm not sure of what ideas you got of me and my partner- it can't be very good, heh- but I'm not exactly your average pirate." The tall red-head stood and made her way a little further into the room so that she was right across from Sasha. With a smile she pulled on a ring on the wall and a round port-hole became visible. So there WAS a window in the room. "Better to let a little light in," Harlie's voice brought the prisoner back from his musings as she turned around to face him. In the newfound light he finally got a better look at his captor.

The sunlight from outside highlighted the red hair that fell into her face, momentarily shielding her sharp, pointed features from view until with the brush of a hand they became more easily discernable. As did her eyes, which were such a deep indigo that they were almost purple in appearance and despite her tall, almost lanky form, her figure was surprisingly... girly. The only feature of her, in fact, that appeared remotely threatening was the cutlass at her side and the certain warning fire within her eyes. "I hope that you'll find your room welcoming," she added a moment later, again bringing him back from his ponderings. "You'll be staying in here, but if you need anything, I'll be right over there," she pointed out the open door and across the cabin to another door from whence light spilled across the floor. "I have no intention of keeping you in the brig, after all," she joked.

[Taluscion]

Sasha welcomed the new light into the room, but he didn't show it. Getting up from his chair, he stalked over to one of the tapestries hanging on the wall. He marveled at how the threads shown in the light. He counted to ten before speaking so his voice didn't bely the anger he had contained within his chest like a ball of hot iron. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, keeping his voice tempered."You treat me like a guest, yet you obviously are up to no good. It would have been better if you HAD thrown me in the brig, at least you would have been following your own rules." He looked up at her and gestured to the room with a flourish. "This is quite a spectacular room you have put together...from stolen goods perhaps? Well, a prison is still a prison no matter how beautiful it is." The rage was slowly leaking into his voice the longer he talked. "It doesn't matter what YOUR intentions are, your so-called 'friend' has taken me against my will and thrown me onto your ship. I have no intention of staying on here either. So you listen to me and you listen good, I WILL get out of this room. I WILL kill your crew, I WILL take you into custody, and I swear by the blue blade of my rapier the Luck of the Deep...I WILL destroy everything that ever was and ever will be of Captain Keiko of the Daemon Star!" He fell silent and walked over to the bed he was expected to sleep on. He glanced over at the door as it swung open. There was Stud with a bundle. Sasha gave a stern look to Harlie. "You may have a heart of gold, Harlie, but as long as you hold me against my will, you are an enemy. I don't want to have to do this to you, but you leave me no choice." As he was talking to Harlie, his fevered pacing was actually a ruse to get him over to the pistol she absently left onthe table by the door. He grabbed it as Stud threw his things on the floor to stop him, but he was to late. "Stop! Or I'll shoot her!" Sasha was pointing the gun directly between Harlie's eyes. Stud stopped in his tracks. "Now move next to her where I can see you." He complied. Sasha smiled ruefully at Harlie."You made a mistake," he said while gathering his things. "I have been trained with everything the best that money could buy. Dear Father was good for something afetr all." He looked at the two of them for a second, and then bolted down the hall. He was sure they could catch him, so he melted into the shadows of the ship. He noticed many people running by, but no one could see him. He was a master of stealth.

[Dragyness]

He heard Harlie's high-pitched voice distinctly, giving orders and commands left and right as she made her way through the Stardust Morning checking every nook and cranny for him herself. Overhead he heard the crew closing EVERYTHING, securing every possible position that could be held on the ship (after all, they were on their way out to sea, there was nowhere for him to go, really, but some corner until they docked in Tortuga. Unfortunately, though, there would be no safe sleep for anyone, let alone Miss Harlie, until he was found, so every man on the ship, led by a livid Stud, was on his feet searching every inch of the vessel. It was obvious that these men cared about their Captain, as each face that Sasha watched pass by him became more and more concerned, worried and angry.

A glow of light caught his attention, however, and drew his attention to the door near the end of the galley where he was hiding. As she rounded the corner he saw that it was Harlie, the strange runes on her blade glowing with a lurid purple light. She crept along the wall, studying every surface of teh room, keeping a wary eye out for him. It rather surprised him that she would have come looking for him herself after what had just transpired, but Stud must have been sent elsewhere to secure another position.

Harlie cast one last look around the seemingly abandoned galley before sighing and heading out. She knew in her heart that he had a point about Keiko and about piracy. But it was what she had been trained in as early as she could remember. There was nothing else but the sea. If she had perhaps explained herself a bit more, this wouldn't have happened... Maybe he would have sympathized if he knew that her bounty wasn't made on the merchant vessels, but on what small gold or cloths, etc. she found on the slave ships that wandered her territory. Either way, Keiko was going to kill her.

With another sigh she turned and headed for the cargo hold to check among their stores and crates down there. It WAS the perfect hiding place after all. Thus, she descended the steps into the bottom of the ship, not noticing the black shape veritably hanging from the beams overhead. That is, not until it dropped behind her...

Keiko meanwhile, barely knew what to make of the stranger in her closet. She was sure that NO ONE had ever had the gaul or the audacity before to even CONSIDER venturing into her chambers, let alone actually enter without her permission. The pistol stayed aimed between Marcus' eyes even as she motioned for him to step out and called for Miles.

The first-mate stepped inside the cabin and his eyes grew wide at the sight of the stranger. "Madam, are you alright? What happened?" he asked, making his way over to his superior. In truth, he was surprised that teh man wasn't dead yet, private as Keiko was. Whoever he was, though, it must have meant he had SOME stroke of luck in him (which was more than Miles could say for a lot of peoplehe knew, himself included).

Keiko brought him back to the situation at hand. While she appreciated his concern, this was neither the time nor the place for it, in her opinion. She needed to take care of this and take care of it NOW. For a brief moment she handed her rapier to Miles, saying, "I'm fine, please set that on my desk and alert the crew that we have an intruder aboard." Miles nodded and started to leave the room, leaving the door to the cabin wide open, at which Keiko sternly called him back. "CLOSE that door, Miles."

When her first-mate had complied, the woman still with her pistol leveled on Marcus, she took a seat on her desk, one hand resting on her rapier. From outside the sounds of her crew filtered in as they welcomed one of the men Harlie had hired. From what she caught his name was Nick of the Black Abyss and she smiled. One more ship... But then she turned her attention to Marcus again and said simply, "I know that you're telling the truth, Marcus, but I'm afraid that doesn't give you ample reason to break into MY ship and take what my crewmember rightfully stole. Now, I'm going to ask you ONCE for that bit of map and invoice. The choice is yours whether to give it to me or not, but should you choose not to comply..." The sound of cannon fire from outside as the crew tested a round in their newest gun emphasized her words, "Let's just say we'll see how far that new gun can fire a HUMAN at sea."

It was obvious from her expression that she wasn't bluffing, and Marcus gained an appreciation for WHY she was called "Death's Mistress". A certain inhuman, and wholly unfemale ruthlessness resided about her person. Little did he know how right he was. Keiko had already mentally resolved herself to killing him if the need arose. It would be no skin off her back, in all honesty. Thus she awaited his answer, her hand stretched out open palm-up, awaiting the map and invoice.

[Taluscion]

Sasha landed behind Harlie and with great dexterity, pu this hand over her mouth and forced her up against the wall. It would have been very sensual if both of them had not been fighting for survival. Sasha pulled a sliver of wood from the nearest wood plank, which happened to be the very hull of the ship, and jabbed it into the base of her neck. Her eyes glassed over and she fell limp. "Chinese acupuncture, very useful huh?" he sat down heavily. "You put up quite the fight Miss Harlie. I'm sure you would have eventually screamed for help and I would have been overwhelmed." He barred the door to the storage room, hoping no one would notice the dissappearance of their captain. He pulled the spare sail and attempted to make the limp form of Harlie as comfortable as possible.He accidently brushed her breast and apologized profusely. Harlie couldn't talk or move, but her other senses and thoughts were unhindered. Sasha didn't no how long he could keep this charade up, but he was willing to try. After a couple of minutes, he looked at Harlie with sorrow in his eyes. "Please, please don't scream, I just want to keep you hear until Keiko comes...I want to talk to her." He pulled another sliver of wood off the wall and placed it at a slight angle to the one already in her skin. He removed the older one. Harlie found she could talk.

[Dragyness]

The female Captain rubbed her neck as she stood, resisting the urge she was getting to draw the cutlass at her side. Of all the strange things that had ever happened to her, this had to rank among the most odd. Never had she had someone actually break loose on her ship and stand a chance taking her. And yet her "guest" had managed both in the period of less than an hour. Harlie looked around, trying to find that one plank... It had been a while since she had been down here, but she was sure that it was here somewhere. After a moment, she turned her attention back to Sasha, however, so that he wouldn't think she was up to anything.

It was then that she finally found it... Behind HIM. "Of course," she muttered under her breath as she quickly devised a plan. It was fortunate that she knew the ship inside and out. She barely had to look at the ceiling beams to gauge where they were above her head and that was definitely an advantage. Without saying a word she backflipped onto a pile of crates where she landed cat-like a paused for a moment. In answer to his rather surprised expression she grinned and jumped towards a metal bar that ran from one wall of the hull to the other. In a gymnastic display of flexibility and control she grabbed the bar, swung around it twice and sprung from it to the wall behind Sasha. With a small smile, she said simply, "First of all, that door," she indicated the door they had entered through,"Only opens from the OUTside, and secondly unfortunately for you, I know every inch of this ship, even the invisible inches," a quick bang with her fist on the right plank and a door in the wall sprung open behind her, revealing a passageway. Without second thought, she moved to enter it and leave Sasha behind. If he wanted to talk to Keiko, he'd talk to Keiko when she got there. Until then... Well, he could use the time to do some thinking.

OOC: Hey guys, Ex can't get on right now, so when he can again I'll find a way to bring Strider back in! IN teh meantime, let us continue, shall we?

[Dragyness]

OOC: The show must go on! Look at the last post and you'll see that I edited and gave an explanation of sorts.

[Fyre]

Marucs reached into his clothing and Keiko's eyes watched his hand as he removed the torn corner of the map.

Marcus: I give you this on one condition, you allow me to come on your voyage and claim some of the bounty. you did after all steal this map from me so it's seems only fair that I am included in the fortune...

[Dragyness]

Keiko grinned evilly and crossed her legs as she readjusted her position on the desk. Her left hand kept the pistol leveled on Marcus while her right rested soundly on the rapier behind her. Unlike Harlie, she wasn't quite ready to fully trust anyone- prisoner, merchant or unfortunate stowaway. "Or, I could just shoot you now and take it from your cold, dead fingers."

A moment of silence passed before she laughed out loud and took the map corner from him. "We'll see about how much of a cut you'll get," After a quick examination of the parchment, she smiled and lowered her gun a bit from his face. "Miles!" she called. Within a moment her first mate was at the door.

"Madam?" he inquired, a bit surprised that the stowaway was still breathing. He looked him up and down, looking for any injury or entry-wound.

"Take our guest here down to the galley and have Scravey get him some food. Then take him to the bunks and make sure that he IS NOT left alone. And have Harlie brought over. You both are to be back in my quarters by 6:30 tonight."

"Madam... You intend to keep him... alive?!"

Keiko grinned again, but this time it was purely out of amusement. She too looked Marcus up and down, although her gaze wasn't so much out of concern, it seemed so much as it was sizing him up. He seemed like he could hold his own, though how much of a challenge he'd be for her or Harlie was open for question. As she turned to take her seat behind her desk, hand still resting on her rapier, she smiled slightly and despite the ever-present dangerous glitter in her eye, the two men could distinctly see a smile crossing her lips as she took her seat. "He obviously has his wits about him, if he was able to get on the ship. And he must have skill, to have gotten past you all and into my cabin. I think perhaps that's earned him a meal, at least. Now where HAS Harlie gotten to?"