Chapter 10
It has been a rather relaxing week and a half aboard the grand Airship Unveiled, First Officer Schewe has personally seen to the creature comforts of everyone onboard. The food has been first rate every evening at Captain Farquan's table a rather short, moogle who is normally preceeded by his impressive tri-corn hat with feathers. He's an old, mature Mog, happy to entertain his employers requests on this specific trip.
The trip to the location devined by Raziel has been quiet and peaceful, the ship and its crew has kept everything running smoothly and beyong one bad patch of stormy weather everything has been clear and plain sailing. The engine rooms have been toured and the Pursor happily took everyone up on deck over several nights for Star Watching and hot food. The rooms are comfortable and enjoyable the only real mystery was everyones white clothing coming back from the laundry dyed a soft pink. After an investigation which exonerated the imp on board First Officer Schewe had to declare it a mystery and probably due to faulty powder and made appologies to everyone. Asides from that little incident that can't be proven to have been Imp mischief Thaylorn has been just relaxing, enjoying the flight, tinkering with the magic involved in his potions and practicing his magic, water and fire making a mess of his room several times throughout the week.
This time alone practicing magic was also spent with Raziel, both learning from the mage and teaching him in turn like he agreed. Raziel also spent some time studying quietly in the ships library and in his own bedroom when he required some uninterupted time alone. It is always easier to get studying done when you need but ring a bell and summon the steward to bring you a drink or some food.
Silmeria has spent the week doing some knitting, exploring the ship, for a luxury liner it has quite the array of interesting rooms. Library, the small observatory deck, swimming pool, gymnaisum, food and drink whenever she is peckish or fancies something. She devoured the engine room tour and the trip to the bridge to watch the pilots land at Varans Refuelling station not to mention many a comfortable evening in their staterooms lounge enjoying the quiet warmth and cozy view through the glass windows.
For Vazkor the week has been spent hanging out with Raziel and practicing his swordsmanship. He got to enjoy some gambling with the officers besides Captain Farquan who disapproves of gambling in general but permits it amongst his crew as long as it doesn't interfere with their actions. Sadly to Viktor's no doubt lasting disappointment none of the crew will drink unless wine is served at the Captain's table. Plenty of alcohol onboard for their illustrious passengers but the crew won't touch it.
The Unveiled is slowly descending toward the ocean, as close to the destination as the captain can get. Sat on bridge in his admiral's jacket, huge hat and lovely pink shirt he is watching his crew as they prepare to land the airship atop the waves! It's rather a sight a crew of dapper Air-Moogles all in pink and blue striped tops or pink shirts for the officers. Having asked his passengers to join him on the bridge he is sat in the large chair on the raised platform at the centre of the bridge from which he can over-see the entire bridge. You have all been invited to stand with the First Officer in the viewing area just below and in front of the ship and behind the helm station.
"Well my friends we are about to splash down and then you should be able to proceed as planned. We shall await your return here."
All things considered, Thaylorn has enjoyed his time upon the airship immensely, even down to the laundry fiasco which he continues to adamantly state he had no part in! Smiling as always, the Imp would appear within the bridge dressed in his light leather armor nearly prepared for the upcomming adventure. "Thanks! Hopefully it shouldn't take too long to find the coin.." He remarks in reply as he looks about the bridge.
Vazkor doesn't own many white articles of clothing, so he wasn't entirely affected by the 'accident' or 'prank', whichever it might be. But really, he prides himself on his ability to make just about anything he wears look good, even pink if it came down to it! But as it is, he's currently wearing his leather armor like Thaylorn, as well as his two swords and a nicely stocked pack of supplies. The man appearing on the fridge soon after the Imp, looking to be in a good mood as he pleasantly greets everyone.
And Raziel has been stealing Vazkor's clothes, so likewisethe man isn't inflicted with the pink, having stolen a black shirt which is just a little bit too large for him. Unlike the other pair though the man doesn't have leather armorlike the other two. The mage inclines his head to he captain. "Thank you for that.. hopefully it will not be a long wait." He looks over at Thaylorn then, frowning briefly as the coin is mentioned though he doesn't say anything in regards to that just now. "Thaylorn you said you had devised something to help us breath under the water."
Luckily, what white clothing Silmeria owns is readily concealed by her baggy burlap robes, thus the incident did little to tarnish her absolute wonder. So many things never before seen or done, so much the blond has missed out on due to the need for being frugal... the trip has, very clearly, been a glorious week and a half for her, and thus it is she appears upon the bridge come time for splashdown, positively beaming with excitement.
The Unveiled continues to descend and with a booming splash sends water in all directions, splashing the outer decks and the ship starts to bob and sway gently as the captain orders the engines to stand down and the anchors dropped to reduce any drift. "Ok Mister Vazkor we are down, sea access is from the lower deck. We'll wait here for your return." He stands up and adjusts his cap and starts toward a door off the bridge, "I can see you all down to the water at least."
Glancing towards Raziel the Imp offers a nod "And I sure have, Kal and I have that is, I hope it's too your liking and helps us with our uh..Task." Thaylorn adds, taking note of the frown offered in his direction. "Bad side is, it probably won't last as long as you'd like it to, but I've brought a few spare." He offers with a glance around the group "It's a potion, see, and it will let you all breath underwater for a while." He reaches to gently pat the satchel he had brought with him. When the ship lands he can't help but smile a bit at the dramatic splash of water before he prepares to follow the others.
Vazkor turns towards the Captain as he adresses him, and nods politely, smiling a bit and answering, "Ah, I see. Well, Captain, tank you for your hospitality on this trip. You sure own a fine vessel. I shall look forward to returning home upon it." He grins then, before glancing first at Raz, and then at the others, remarking, "Well, ready if you are." And with that, he prepares to exit the ship... Though Thaylorn's comments about the potion makes him frown just a bit. He'll likely be asking more about it later if someone else doesn't first.
Raziel braces himself as the ship lands and then a slight nod is given Thaylorn as he murmurs, "hopefully it will be long enough and you've enough." Glancing to Vazkor, not asking for anymore details on the potion just now, he nods and then turns to the Captain, "thank you sir.. if you will show us the way it would be appreciated." He checks the weapons at his side before looking towards Silmeria . "I would ask if your ready for this, but it does seem so."
Silmeria stumbles a bit as the ship drops into the ocean, but pops right back up again, grinning merrily. "Thank you *so* much, Captain, for *everything* you've done. This is the finest trip I've *ever* taken, and I simply can't say enough about how good a time it's been, with your ship and your crew." As the rest of the party makes ready to depart, she nods in their direction, pausing *just* one moment longer to shake the Captain's hand. "We'll see you when we return!" With a parting wave, she falls in behind Vazkor, bobbing her head. "As ready as I can be, Master Vazkor... The trip alone was more than enough to keep me in good memories for years to come."
The party are led down onto the port-side deck where part of the railing has been swung aside, there is a ramp down to a floating pontoon. The captain salutes from up on the deck, "Pleasure to have you aboard Lady Silmeria, do take care now ma'am." Soon enough you are all down on the pontoon just waiting on Thaylorn now before you can all go swimming, hopefully you won't be more then a few hours below the sea!
"Thank you as well, Captain, and hopefully that issue clears up soon." Thaylorn offers as he and the others are soon upon the pontoon. After a few checks on all his current gear and a small glance inside the satchel the Imp would manage to give a quick nod. "Alright, so as I've said Kal and myself have prepared potions." He begins as he opens the satchel once more, allowing six well padded beakers of dark-blue colored liquid to be visible. "Each should last just about two hours...Now...It's going to be a bit strange." He remarks absently as he looks up to the others "But I can assure you all it won't be anything permanent." Nodding a few more times he'd remove three of said potions, handing one to each of the others in turn "Now they'll only work once I cast my spell with them, and once that's done you'll all have to stay underwater."
Vazkor soon walks onto the pontoon, and stops there, looking over at the others with a bit of a grin as he motions at the ship, "Well, I'd say adventuring with me has its perks, hm Silmeria?" The man briefly chuckling, before he turns his attention to Thaylorn. At the Imp's explanation, the swashbuckler frowns a bit again, and can't help but take a moment to look at the surface of the nearby ocean, not looking particulary thrilled suddenly.
Raziel's brows lift as he tilts his head towards Silmeria and considers for a few moments. "I take it your trips in the past haven't gone quite so smoothly?" he questions while following the captain down to the floating pontoon. He inclines his head to the moogle captain and glances at Vazkor, questioning quietly, "ever feel likeyour waiting for the other shoe to fall?" With a brief shake of the head the mage turns his attention to Thaylorn quietly. Accepting a potion then the man looks it over and then considers, "a spell involved.. and should these run out while we are under the water can to cast below the sea for a second set?"
"Actually, I usually simply end up travelling in the cheapest berths," Silmeria chirps, bobbing her head in agreement with Vazkor's question. "...Usually I see if there's any work the crew doesn't want to do, just to shave a few gil off the price. After all, the life I lead isn't given to piles and piles of money, and a good half of what I have I usually end up giving away to families of people whose last wish was to see their family taken care of." Shrugging, she considers the vials, pursing her lips. "Just in case, would it be prudent for one of us... say, me... to drink first, and yourself last, Master Thaylorn? That way, if i start drowning, you have enough time to replace the enchantment." The suggestion, delivered in a casual, matter-of-fact manner, completely at odds with the possible threat to her life and limb.
"The spell is rather simple really, I'll be able to cast it once again rather quickly underwater...The tricky part is getting the second potion in any of you." Thaylorn begins calmly, even with a bit of a small grin, as if the challenge itself was exciting "So I think each of you should hold an extra potion within arms reach." He moves to offer a second potion to each of them "I'll be able to tell if you start having breathing issues, and you should be able to as well, just quickly try to take the second potion and I'll have the spell ready, unless we're in the middle of battle or something." The Imp remarks before turning his attention towards Silmeria "I don't need one, luckily enough, so I'll be able to focus on all of you. Now if everyone is ready, enter the water as when I cast the spell you won't be able to well...Breath air anymore." He adds softly as he digs into his main bag for a few moments.
Vazkor finally accepts the two potions... And holds them up for inspection for a moment, still not looking entirely happy about all this, judging by his expression. Letting out a quiet sigh, he nods at Thaylorn, and stashes one of the potions in an easily accesible belt pouch, while holding onto the other, ready to down it, "I'm a man of the land and the air, never the sea... But too late to back out now." He flashes a brief grin, steeling himself.
Raziel accepts the potions, looking them each over and then as Silmeria offers to go first he gives her a quick look and then shakes his head. "If Vazkor wasn't disturbed over the thought of swimming he wouldn't want you to do that," the man comments and then looks at Thaylorn while nodding, "hopefully this isn't going to change us hugely then.. else the extra potion might get dropped." He slips one into a pouch and then steps over to the side and splashes off, disappearing under the water for a brief moment before he bobs up and lifts one of the bottles to his lips, drinking before he can psyche himself out of doing it.
Very well then," Silmeria says, accepting her flasks. One, tucked into an inner pocket in the sleeve of her robe, the other held in hand, as she hops off the pontoon and into the water. Bobbing to the surface for a moment, she pulls the stopper off the flash with her teeth, places it to her lips, *then* ducks back under; apparently heeding well Thaylorn's warning about not being able to breathe. The liquid is swallowed rapidly, without regard for how fair or foul it may taste."
It doesn't take Thaylorn long at all to cast the spell and then you are all beneath the waves... your necks feel odd... gils have grown in thanks to the potion and the magic of the water imp who is swimming around you all in a graceful circle! It is light here at the top of the ocean but down below it slowly and surely gets darker and dimmer but at least under the waves they cannot buffet and crash over you though there are currents tugging at your bodies but your adventure has begun! You are beneath the waves and breathing and very wet... now the only way is down!
Swimming in a wide circle around the group, Thaylorn gives the group just a few moments to get use to breathing water before signaling downwards with one of his hands. It seems the Imp has produced softball sized glass sphere that radiates a bright, cold white light that pierces through the water and will be highly useful the further the group heads downwards.
Vazkor grunts a moment as everyone jumps into the water ahead of him, and promptly decides to just stop thinking about it. With a great leap, he hurls himself off the pontoon after them, diving straight into the water... And staying beneath the surface as he uncorks the potion and quickly downs it, holding his nose with the other hand. The ensuing change disturbs him a bit, as well as the deep darkness visible down below, made worse by the fact his eyes soon adjust to seeing underwater. His expression set in grim determination however, he glances around to locate the others, and starts swimming down after them...
Raziel looks over at the imp as he draws up a mage light and the man considers before he attempts to call upon his own, one aligned to ice rather than fire like he typically summons up. The mage looks at Vazkor and Silmeria for a few moments before he starts to swim down after Thaylorn. The man isn't a poor swimmer, well since drowning isn't really an option currently it helps, and he keeps pace with Vazkor at least while trying to get used to breathing and seeing both beneath the waves.
Silmeria shudders, as the gill-slits open in her neck, nose wrinkling against the singular and *unpleasant* sensation. Once the transformation is done, though, she angles herself downward, pointing straight beneath then and raising her eyebrows, as though to ask with gestures what might not be manageable with voice; so are we going this way, then?
An hour of slowly descending through the cool water, it slides around their bodies, enclosing them, holding them, encompassing them... it grows easier to swim downward and though there is some increase in pressure it seems the Magic in Thaylorn's potions more then holds that at bay from being dangerous. In the deep blue darkness of the ocean, illuminated by the brightly glowing white orbs... it is Thaylorn and Vazkor who spy the sea-bed first shortly followed by Raziel whilst an oblivious Silmeria just continues to swim after the party.... no doubt distracted by the school of brightly darting fish!
Thaylorn seems to be doing rather well with being underwater, as would be expected most likely, the Imp swimming skillfully around the group as he keeps his eyes open. Upon spotting the seafloor though he signals the others to move quicker, so to speak, seeing as time is of the essence. The mage light continues floating near the Imp's head, casting light as far as it's able.
Vazkor swims alongside Raziel, following Thaylorn for the most part as the Imp seems most likely to know what he's doing down here. And due to his dislike of the situation, the swashbuckler is particulary alert down here in the ocean... Soon lightly touching down on the bottom, and peering around with a tense gaze, looking in a certain direction for a few moments in particular. At Thaylorn's motioning though, he nods, and starts to follow again, in the meantime pointing ahead at the long crevice he spotted.
As Vazkor's feet touch down a cloud of sediment raises as his feet sink a short way into the muck...
Raziel squints a little bit and then looks over his shoulder at Silmeria. He waves at her too trying to get her attention before pointing down and then turning to swim down a bit faster. The man touches down and bounces a little bit thanks to the water before starting to look around, his eyes narrowing before he reaches his hand to the bag of coins around his neck and silently calls upon Aries, mouthing though not much sound carries evenwhen he tries to speak, "please show us the way to the next coin."
Deep sea fish... how *amazing!* Deep sea fish with *lights on their heads.* So entranced is the Esper by the sheer novelty of everything around her, she *almost* misses Raziel's wave. Shaking her head, she puts on her Serious Face, hurriedly swimming down to meet the rest. As Raziel calls upon Aries, she bobs in place, doing her best to keep her focus on the important things they came here to do.
The coin in Raziel's hand flekes and tugs itself out of his grasp, it grows to twice it's reglar size.. turning slowy in the heavy water until it is at an odd angle... then a beam of pure white lighrt stabs down through the water.. hits the coin and lances off into the gloom. A beam of pure white light flowing swiftly in one direction. In the same direction Vazkor was looking in, toward the chasm... and then the beam from above goes off and the directional beam of light starts to fade....
Thaylorn watches as Raziel invokes the power of the coin, keeping careful track of which direction the beam of light lances off towards. With a simple nod he begins to swim off that direction as he beckons for the others to follow "Quickly now, we must save the second potions for our return trip." He calls, his voice distored by the water but still able to be heard.
Vazkor blinks at the coin, then turns his head in the direction of the beam... Not particulary surprised by its destination. Glancing at Raziel and Silmeria then, he shrugs, before he pushes back off the bottom and starts working his arms and legs to swim after Thaylorn, not really enjoying the idea of having to go even deeper.
Silmeria bobs her head once, pushing down further into the water, following the path of the dazzling streak of light. No uncertainty, waffling, or most importantly distractions; *now* they have a job to do, and she does not at all intend to slow them up.
Raziel blinks and tries to hold on a moment longer before he lets go. Tilting his head he glances up for a brief moment before looking off towards where the light is directing them. Reaching to take Aries once more, hopefully it will shrink again, he starts to swim in the direction they're being guided in. Vazkor's back is given a quick apologetic look, but he says nothing as he starts to swim after the imp as quickly as he's capable of going though his body has begun to complain at the strange form of exercise he's forcing it to endure.
As they party swim the sea floor undulates beneath them rising up and down in slow, gentle hillocks and after five minutes the light from Aries has faded away. As the last of the light fades they have to swim up a long gently rising slope. As they crest it something ahead lights up the darkness, allowing them to see the jagged crevase meandering in either direction across the sea bed. Perched on the rocky edge of the chasm, shining and brilliant in the darkness of the sea-bed is a dome of crystal and metal.... surrounded by matt-black pipes and blocky machinery blocks it glimmers alien and out of place, like nothing anyone here has ever seen before. Such structures are just not seen on the surface world of Steam-Punk, Nethecite and Moogle Engineers. Beneath the dome can be seen buildings... rising to fill almost the whole dome and the lights are on shining gently through the glass to give it that twinkling, beautiful almost otherworldly light. A square of dull black metal on the sea-bed about halfway between their position and the dome splits down the middle and come alight with white lights. A pair of doors swinging open slowly to emit four speedy objects, sleek and silvery and deadly looking, they spin in a circle and lights flick on where their eyes should be, the four odd automatons bearing down on the party against the backgrop of that sparkling Underwater Dome.
Cresting the chasm brings a soft, barely audible gasp from the Imp as he takes notice of that odd dome. It's rather obvious Thaylorn has never seen something like this before, the way he just peers in it's direction for a few long moments "Was this that ship?" He manages to utter out after a moment as he turns back towards the rest of the group, eyes wide with curiosity. "Or.." The automatons speedy approach doesn't go unnoticed, and with their appearance the Imp's curiosity vanishes as he wonders if they're truly hostile.
Vazkor pauses in silence as he sees what appears to be a domed city up ahead... His expression one of curiousity and wonder as he gazes out at it, taking in its details. However, he's soon distracted from that by the movement of the silvery objects... The man turning his head towards them with a frown, while at the same time both hands drip to the hilts of his sword out of instinct, not looking the look of this.
Raziel comes to a stop as they crest the rise and he seems to gasp for a few moments, having never witnessed anything quite like what is laying before them. The man's attention is drawn to the objects speeding towards them and he straightens before beginning to summon up his magics. The coldness suddenly emitting from him giving hint to the element drawn upon. He remains still, waiting until they get closer and til he can tell for certain if they're about to be attacked or no.
The moment the lights flick on, Silmeria is ready for trouble; tucking herself up, she draws her Gunblade from her back with a forward roll, righting herself as quickly as possible and tracking the movements of the projectiles. A worried frown touches her face, as the countdown on the potion is rapidly closing in on them. Gesturing to the others, she points frantically at the dome ahead of them, silently exhorting her companions to hurry forward.
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