Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

"Drop anchor!"

The cry from the first mate went across the deck, and within a few trills, a loud splash followed as the metal weight plunged into Synnefa Bay. The sailors who had dropped it were hardy men, but even they stood back, not wanting to feel any of the icy water splashing back against their skin.

Darius looked up at the masts, the reefed sails concealing the horizontal yard, and the skies beyond offering little promise of warmth. The only suggestion of heat was his diri, Katara, who circled overhead, the orange tendrils of flaming feathers trailing behind her.

That had no impact on the captain of the Libertalia, for as a FireForged, he was not bothered by the surrounding temperatures. His crew had taken some time to get used to the sight of the blond mariner not wearing the thick, fur coats that they required, but they had since come to view it as a source of pride that their leader seemed impervious to the elements.

That perception didn't entirely match reality, but if it meant the sailors felt more confident when he stepped onto the deck of the brig, Darius was in no hurry to correct them.

The bleak outlook that Synnefa Bay offered might have been seen in a negative light by most visitors but to Captain Baer, it was a boon. It looked nothing like Scalvoris Town, and the change of scenery meant he was much less likely to encounter reminders of Yeva. Instead, he had resolved to make the most of his time in another city, and - despite the occasional dip in mood as another wave of grief assaulted him - he was mostly able to live freely and happily in the moment.

A rope ladder was flung over the side of the ship and the grey-eyed human wasted no time in descending it towards the rowboat, the Lady Jean, waiting below. A sailor sat in it, one hand on the ladder to prevent the smaller boat from drifting away. As Darius climbed down, he lifted his gaze up the side of the Libertalia, and he saw Astra, his first mate, looking back down at him.

"The ship is yours," Darius called out with a smirk. "Take good care of her!"

"Of course, Captain," the half-biqaj replied quickly, matching his grin with one of her own. "She'll be just like new when you return."

Darius' chuckle floated easily through the chilly air. His curiosity piqued, he wished he could see the colour of the woman's eyes, but they were concealed by a freezing mist that embraced the ship.

The blond seafarer sat down upon the centre thwart, then nodded to the sailor sitting across from him. He reached for the oars and began to move the small boat away from the brig. He knew that most captains would not lower themselves to such depths, but the Lady Jean held a deep sympathetic attachment to him, and he preferred to not be ferried when he was quite capable of manual labour.

Their journey was a short one. The edges of Synnefa Bay were frozen over in the coldest parts of the arc, and that meant it wasn't long before he was climbing out of the rowboat and onto the ice. Only then was he content to see the rowboat under the control of someone else, as the sailor maed his way back towards the Libertalia.

Darius turned to face the city, and began to make his way across the frozen surface of the water. He had been to Viden before, but never in Zi'da, and during his limited visits as a sailor, he had not ventured beyond the docks. But he was captain of his own ship, now, and that gave him certain freedoms. He had every intention of going beyond the docks, for he had arranged to meet someone in the city, but the waterfront made for a sensible starting point.

There was a stark simplicity about Darius' walk across the ice. His breaths were visible in small clouds as the chilled air caught their warmth, and, for a time, the only sounds he made were his footsteps. The thin layer of snow that rested atop the ice gifted his footing with more grip than he might have otherwise expected, which was no bad thing. FireForged or not, he didn't fancy the idea of slipping over and crashing through the ice into water that could freeze a man to death before he had half a chance to drown.

As he neared the docks, the fog seemed to weaken, enabling him to see more than mere outlines of buildings. There was movement, as Videnese locals went about their trial, but it was hardly the bustling settlement that he had seen in the warmer months. Even the chimney smoke from buildings seemed to hang in the air.

Darius knew he must have looked out of place. A lone figure, walking across Synnefa Bay, dressed as though he was taking a stroll in the height of Saun, was surely not a common sight in the freezing north. Resting one hand on the pommel of his longsword, he glanced up towards the grey sky to where Katara soared, and he sent the diri a message. The safety of the city beckoned; there was no need for her protection.

The hawk took heed, and - unnoticed by anyone else - let out a shrill cry as she spiralled into the clouds and disappeared.

When the bearded blond lowered his gaze once more, his eyes landed on a lone figure staring out at sea. Initially, he could only make out a rough outline of a thick, fur coat, but as he continued his approach, he was quickly able to see that the figure was a woman. He offered a polite smile but stopped staring, for such things were impolite.

As he climbed the frozen steps to bring him onto the waterfront, however, he caught another glimpse of the dark-haired woman and realised that she was smiling at him. It was a contagious expression, and he subconsciously mirrored the gesture.

Darius' breath faltered for a trill as he took in the stranger's appearance. He had never been confident around women, and there was a striking way in which the warmth of her bright blue eyes stood out from the cold that surrounded them.

The mariner went to move on, but the woman spoke, and he found it easy to stop and listen to her question. He followed the brunette's gaze, back out across Synnefa Bay, to see that a pocket of fog had parted, and the brig was able to peek through. She made for a grand sight.

"Aye," Darius nodded, an air of pride in his gravelly voice. "She's a beauty, isn't she? Her name is Libertalia, because she gives me a sense of freedom."

The human turned back to face the woman, one hand still resting on the pommel of his blade.

"You are a local, I take it?"

Darius was slightly surprised when the brunette answered what he had assumed was simple yes or no question with a detailed insight into her recent travels...and he decided that he quite liked her response. He had never been the best at making small talk, and his conversation partner had done him a favour by sweeping past it.

"Please," he gently interjected. "Don't apologise. What took you to Rharne? That must have been quite an experience for a Videnese?"

In Darius' limited experience, there were many things that set the two cities apart. Their respective climates and contrasting drinking cultures stood out, but Viden was also a place of peace it seemed. Rharne could make no such claim.

The light chuckle that passed Darius' lips at Elisabeth's revelation that the mariner was not Videnese became a roar of laughter when she commented on his clothes.

"Aye," he grinned. "Guilty as charged. I'm fortunate to not feel the cold like I used to."

When the beauteous brunette spoke of riddles, his curiosity was further piqued.

"A clue?" he echoed, pausing for a few trills as he contemplated the request. "Well, you already know I came to Viden by sea. How about...I couldn't have come here by land if I'd tried."

That hint ruled out the entire continent, he decided, without being so specific as to ruin the woman's game.

And then, halfway through their conversation the brunette introduced herself. Darius chuckled at the unusual order that their dialogue had taken, before extending a hand in greeting.

"Well met, Elisabeth," he spoke politely, his warm smile defying the weather. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Darius, from who-knows-where."

Darius nodded as Elisabeth explained her Rharnian excursion. His expression showed interest, not simply because the brunette herself was interesting, but also because she had mentioned that her parents were professors at the Viden Academy. The fact that they had adopted her simply added to the intrigue.

The bearded mariner had come to Viden to speak with - he wagered - one of their contemporaries. Doran Thetys was, as Darius understood it, a lecturer at the Academy. But it was the man's prowess with a blade in his hand that had brought about this visit.

"You must be glad to be home," the sea captain spoke solemnly, his steel grey eyes observing the woman's countenance, before looking over his shoulder at the quiet stillness of the icy bay. "Synnefa Bay in Zi'da is very different to a troubled city like Rharne."

There was a sincerity in Darius' gaze, for though he had not spent long in the Stormlands, but he knew of some of the challenges the area faced.

The mystery of his origins, however, ensured his sombre tone wouldn't linger. He nodded as Elisabeth ruled out the likes of Rharne and Yaralon, grinning as he watched her mind at work. There was an intelligence in her eyes, and the levity of the pair's puzzle was in an inviting contrast to his reasons for being in Viden in the first place.

"Aye, you're quite right about all of that," he grinned. "Where I come from, we rely on the sea, because we're surrounded by it."

He supposed that could mean anything, really. If he were to look at the charts in his quarters aboard the Libertalia, each of Idalos' continents would reveal themselves to be encircled by water, but he was willing to wager that Elisabeth would realise he was not talking about such a large land mass. There were, of course, many towns that could be found on islands: Andaris; Ivorian; Treidhart...

So he decided an additional hint might help, but it would require the brunette to know a little about Scalvoris already.

"From my home," he offered, his bearded lips stretching once more into a playful grin, "I can see both fire and ice."

He was still smiling when she took his hand, though he dropped his gaze when he felt the chill of Zi'da that ran through her fingers. Despite his every breath escaping his mouth in a cloud of air, Darius' hands were warm, as though he had spent the last break warming them by an open fire. He didn't quickly release Elisabeth's palms, instead squeezing them gently to offer some of his warmth.

"So cold," he stated the obvious. "Do you have gloves?"

The last thing he wanted was for the poor woman to freeze to death because she was standing outside, conversing with a stranger!

And then the offer of help came from the local, which potentially solved the problem of her standing still and slowly becoming an ice statue.

"Well, I'm here to meet with someone," he admitted, "although I'm a few trials early. I've been to Viden before, but have never ventured beyond the docks. Are you able to tell me where I can find the Academy?"

That seemed a rather simple question for the adopted daughter of a pair of professors.

"And recommendations for some respectable accommodation would be appreciated," he added. "I'd prefer not to have to brave a walk across the ice to get back to my ship every night!"

Darius waited patiently for Elisabeth's answer, seemingly not noticing that he had yet to let go of the poor woman's hands.

Darius nodded when he saw Elisabeth's smile at the mention of Viden. He understood her words and recognised her feelings. That was very much how he felt about Scalvoris. He was quite content to sail the seas, and there was a wanderlust within him that wanted to explore new places, but he was also a proud Scalvorian who was not immune to his homeland's siren song. Despite his eagerness to leave it in the wake of Yeva's death, it had lured him back every time, and it would probably continue to do so.

"I believe you," he said rather simply, though there was a sincerity to his tone that might have hinted at a deeper understanding. "A little bit of resolve. I hope you find as much as you need."

He squeezed her hands, as if doing so might make his words more believable.

As the riddle returned, so did his smile, and Darius nodded emphatically when Elisabeth guessed the correct location.

"Aye, I'm from Scalvoris Town," he chuckled. "I live up on the hill, so I have a view over much of the Hollow Sea. The fire is a volcanic island called Faldrass" — he didn't want to spoil their game by dwelling on its eruption and the destruction it had caused — "and the ice is for another island called Ishallr, which is, as you can probably guess, made of ice."

Another hand squeeze followed, the heat of Faldrass warming Elisa's fingers, though this time it was out of excitement. It was only when she mentioned her very capable pockets that he looked down at their hands.

"Oh!" he gasped, breaking the hold and pulling away. "I'm so sorry! I was just trying to keep them warm..."

Darius' voice fell away, and his cheeks began to burn with a flush of embarrassment. He had never been confident around beautiful women, and Elisabeth's dive into deep thought had kept his usual nerves at bay, but now that he realised he had stepped on social toes, he could feel the usual awkwardness threatening to return.

Mercifully, his growing embarrassment was just barely held at bay by Elisabeth's willingness to guide him around Viden.

"Thank you," he managed, regaining his composure. "That would be most kind. I will heed your advice. Is The White Fox Inn close? And can you recommend any interesting sights while I'm in your home city?"