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The ship rocked unsteadily in the broken and churning sea. The odds had been against them the entire trip, the winds blowing away from their destination into their face, half the provisions spoiled by fungus and disease, and finally the mutinous mood of the crew. Only one thing kept them going: The fear of death. The Emperor was a fair, but unrelenting man, he would kill anyone who failed him, no matter what the circumstances, he would hear no talk of Gods or omens, they were all folly in his eyes. Yes, here they were, starving and zigzagging towards their destination, but in truth, Sagree couldn't be happier.

She had awaited this trip for the majority of her life, nothing was going to stop her. She had toiled and practically dug into the depths of the earth for the knowledge she had finally found: An excuse to travel to Draigar, the last source of untainted information, the largest library in history, buried and left behind for eons, excitement just bubbled in her loose armor, and inch-and-a-half boots. Of course this trip wasn't without it's problems in her eyes.

For one, she wouldn't take credit for her findings, her alias would, who was probably turning in his grave, she had stolen his name and forged it on all her papers and on her earlier findings of the legend of Magus, which before her hard work, was unfounded, just rumors floating on the wind. Everyone she met of course was urged to call her Sagree, to their confusion she might add. 'How does Boranor shorten to Sagree?' they often ask, to which she answers 'Oh, it's not a shortened form of my name, just an old nickname.' which she follows with the hardiest laugh she can muster. Yet another discomfort, and perhaps the most ominous was the Emperor's enthusiasm, as well as those assigned to the task, they were an odd and diverse group, and she suspected them untrustworthy.

Sagree sighed to herself and looked ahead on that cloudy and ominous day, desperately hoping for the next to come with utmost enthusiasm. The day they would arrive at Warde...

OOC: Most everyone is on this ship, charged by the Emperor, or merely hired by him to escort the archaeologists and scholars to the city.

Annabeth sat near the front of the ship, hidden from most of the crew's sight. She was watching the waters, catching small glimpses of creatures unfathomable to herself. She thought about her companions on this trip. Though the Emperor seemed to have trust in all of them, she could see faults in most of them.
Climbing her way from where she sat she walked up to one of the members. As she aproached she let a smile once again flit across her face. This person insisted on a nickname to which she found no basis, but something about it seemed to fit.
"How much longer do you think we'll be out here before we get to Daigar?" She glanced at Sagree, "With this weather, it seems like we arent meant to get there."

Thrace looked down from his perch on the rigging where he had climbed to escape the glances of the other crew, his tattoos often attracted such attention but he would get enough once they reached the destination. He surveyed the ship from his vantage point but he could only make out the leader that he had been charged to protect, he never questioned the unusual nickname as he had had witnessed many people who had been given strange nicknames.
"This rain'll be the death of us" He muttered to himself. He swung down the rigging and climbed down using the unusual joints in his hands to get down quickly, gasping at the pain in his wrist. He landed next to Sagree and promptly fell over, though his feet remained firmly stuck to the floor.

(OOC: There's a reason he needs to improve his acrobatic skills.)

Annabeth covered her smile of laughter as Thrace landed with a thud. She composed herself before speaking, "Are you OK?" The smile crept back onto her face, this time she didnt try to cover it.

She looked around at the elf woman, Annabeth as she recalled. She dully noted her posture and ease, it bugged her how she managed to withstand the ridicules and prejudices that she herself had succumbed to, forcing her person into her new identity.

"Well elf, if the winds were more in our favor we would have gotten there weeks ago, but all that aside we should be there by tomorrow mor--" She was interrupted by the appearance of another member of their team, Thrace, as she recalled from his tattoos.

"Do not monkey around! If you were injured you would slow us all down, or worse for you, be sent back in a box." Sagree's tone disguised magically, making her voice commanding, but not quite fearsome, it sounded fake, almost hollow, a flaw in the magic threads. She cleared her throat, and at the same time waved her hand, attempting to tighten the loose threads in her spell, hoping none of them noticed. "Anyway as I was saying, we will arrive there tomorrow, nearly at the time of sunrise." She glanced at the sky. "It is hard to tell with these gray skies, but I estimate it is nearly four hours till dark."

Ria purred lightly in her sleep, curled up in a little ball having sweet dreams; before she was jolted awake by the ships movement making her hit her head hard against the crate she was sleeping in, which caused her to make a cat like yowl in pain as she sat up and held her head. Slowly she became fully awake and pushed the crate lid of and peeked out, looking around before climbing out and replacing the lid.

Regaining her senses she began walking towards a small group of people on the ship. She regognized them from the other side of the ship as Annabeth, Thrace and Sagree the leader of this trip. Sagree confused Ria, her senses told her that he just wasnt the right scent for a man, but she learned to live it deciding to just annoy Sagree in her playful fashion to see if 'he' slip up and reveal something, but mostly for her own personal amusement.

Realizing that sagree had his back to her a playful grin crept across her face and she began creeping up behind him. When she was closer she made a run up and leaped up onto his back giving hiom a large hug which nearly knocked him over. OI OI captain whats the news for today she said with a childish grin still on sagrees back.

Thrace grinned sheepishly as he noticed how many people had seen him fall. A brief expression of annoyance flitted across his face when he saw the elf grinning at him for his mistake but soon recovered himself enough to stand up and say to Sagree: "I wasn't monkeying around as you so aptly put it. I was coming down to say I could see something on the horizon." As Thrace finished, a feline figure landed on Sagree's back and Thrace's eyes watered as he restrained himself from both laughing and making stupid comments. Turning to the elf he said "I'm fine; it happens all the time...annoyingly"

OOC: someone send me a note when you get on land. i'll join the rp then, k?

Dyombem walked up onto the main deck. He saw the other members of this little group heading for Draigar.

"Stop arguing with the group Sagree. We wouldn't want anyone to die before we make landfall."

"What!? I am not arguing with anyone! I am not the captain! I am the leader of this expedition, and report directly to the Emperor! If you all don't get civilized and quit your badgering or you all will lose your lives!" With this she attempted to elbow Ria in the gut, but she jumped off and all of a sudden the wind picked up, reversing direction completely, aptly disrupting the ship's direction and causing the deck around them to burst into life, the captain shouting orders to change the rigging, and ship-hands bustling about to follow them. Meanwhile Sagree, her balance compromised, fell to crash against the wooden floor. Her helmet slipped off and bounced right off the side of the ship. She cursed and sputtered, struggling to get up in her large armor. Luckily she had prepared for such a problem and her hair was tied in the northern fashion (Chinese in our world) and her face with a thin layer of magic and dust to disguise it. "That is all I can endure! A cut back on rations for all of you!" It was only then she realized the winds had changed for the better and were heading directly south, towards Draigar. Something may have had changed its mind about them, and allowed them easy passage...

Annabeth held back a sharp retort as she was reprimanded, but with the changing of the winds she had to say something. "Well, it looks like Mother Nature doesnt like people harping others." SHe glanced at Sagree from the corner of the eye. "If this keeps up we shouldnt suffer much from reduced rations." She looked up again as a small blot appeared up in the sky. as it neared she smiled, reaching up her hand she let a small creature land on it, "I was wondering when i'd see you again. I was getting worried you had gotten yourself drowned in the storm." Thyme walked along Annabeth's arm until he reached her shoulder where he settled himself, observing the others.

Sagree grumbled, and went below deck, on second thought, this trip was going to be somewhat less enjoyable. These mercenaries and such were already eating at her nerves. She turned at some point, and went into her private bunk. As leader of this royal mission she had such a privilege, and as such this was probably the reason the others had ganged up on her. She pulled a spare helmet out from under her bunk. Her threats had of course been empty, everyone had to have their citrus to prevent sickness, and their rations mainly consisted of oranges, limes and marshy oats, not a very taste filled diet, but necessary. She frowned at her reflection at the mirror on the wall. She had sacrificed much to get thus far, and she would not let them spoil this moment for her. Sagree slipped her helmet upon her head, and gathering up her courage and wits she made her way back to the open deck. Turning to Thrace she said: So, can you make any details of the land ahead? Or did you just come down to tell us what we have seen for the last hour or so since the mist cleared?"

Thrace saw Sagree coming and noted the return of her helmet. 'I could see some form of town, presumably Draigar,' Thrace gestured vaguely towards the land mass, 'I also saw ships leaving so it's obviously a port.' Turning back to Sagree he grinned and patted her shoulder, 'Lighten up, we're nearly there right?'

Ria had rolled quite a way from the sudden movements of the ship and was curled up in a little ball against the side of the ship giggling to herself. Slowly she uncurled herself still giggling but more loudly now hehe that was fuuun she said slwoly standing up with the help of the side of the ship. As she puleld herself up she looked over the sidfe and her giggling suddenly stopped and her claws extended digging deep into the boards of the deck and side of the ship. ugh i suddenly feel a little queezy she muttered looking away from the water.

"No, that isn't Draigar. It is a small colony that built up only recently, reconnecting the world. Fledermaus I believe is its name. Draigar, as you should know is only ruins, no, these people are a splattering of different cultures, not Draigans." She rubbed her elbow through the armor, it stung from her fall. "The locals are very superstitious when it comes to Warde, as well as any other historic sites, but we will have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

Annabeth squinted toward the land mass, she looked at Sagree, "If they're superstitious, will we be welcomed?" She stroked Thyme on her shoulder, "Or are we going to pass them altogether?"

Vaknur awoke in the hold, sleeping in a dark corner of the ship, alone, and had fallen asleep with his crossbow in hand. As he opened his eyes, they started to glow, bathing the darkness with light, to his point of view, to everyone else he was just a pair of eyes in the pitch blackness. He threw off his cloak, and stood up, his steel armor clanking together. He leaned backwards, his back popping in places, then his joints popped as his wings unfolded, he was stiff but he would live. Vaknur folded in his wings, and walked toward the stairs up to the main deck. He heard ruckus up above, as much as he loved battle, he didn't like to fool off. Behind him, his tail swayed side to side, as he walked up the stairs, to view the blue sky, and the barren ocean. His furs were covering most of his scales. He saw that everyone was looking at him, and he knew that they saw him as an abomination, he was used to such ridicule. He looked threatening, his crossbow still held in his right hand, teeth sticking out from the lips of his muzzle. He looked to Sagree. "How much longer till we reach land? He asked, not really polite, but his voice heavy with a norse accent.

"We must deceive them of course. It would greatly inconvenience us if they knew the truth of our actions. Our guise is simply the study of the flora and fauna native only to the large isthmus. As for your question Vaknur, we should reach land relatively sooner than i earlier predicted. At about sunset I should suspect." But she added with a sigh. "If the gods don't wish to prove me wrong again."

Annabeth leaned against the rail, "Well, as long as you havent done anything to anger the gods, you should be good." She stared up at the sky, "Flora and fauna of the land, what fun! it's a good thing we really arent doin that, i would run away and leave you guys."