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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 5, 2022 16:51:27 GMT -5
Having gotten bored of drinking and wandering about Sol City following a string of adventures Mariana strolled unto the docks. There she saw a sight both odd and interesting. Metallic things, like suits of armor on wheels, moved about the dock loading and unloading supplies from a ship as foreign as they themselves. Many of the sailors and passersby commented on the ludicrousy of the whole sight. The common topic among them was some rich new upstart merchant that had bought a ship of eccentric design for some heinous venture.
This was more than enough to convince her to board the ship, for the thrill of spending time at sea and the prospect of meeting the ship's curious owner. She watched the bots enter and exit for a time, taking note of the rhythm of it all and plotting her approach. She spotted a clear gap in their movements and simply walked up to the ship behind one of the bots. She had to hop into a crate as a bot approached unexpectedly. Things got worse when it chose to pick the crate up, hopefully to load it onto the ship.
Luckily she was carried inside and left alone. Raising the lid and finding herself inside she was able to glimpse the increasingly foreign design of the ship. Pipes ran along the walls and she found herself in a fully stocked cargo hold. Some strange potion was in every single crate. She decided this was a good enough result for now and pulled a bottle of rum from her belongings. She drank and relaxed for hours, feeling the ship move away from the dock and begin to sway with the waves. After finishing the bottle she drifted off to sleep propped up against one of the boxes, determined to explore more in the morning.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 5, 2022 21:07:02 GMT -5
Veliky yawns while stretching her arms. What time is it? Past midnight, surely. She'd commanded that the Nin Hloth set sail six hours ago, just before sunset. She'd hoped to let the nightwatch sail while she slept. But there's always something, as she's learned. Calling the bots 'autonomous' is a joke that isn't funny to her anymore. Whether it's untangling one from the rigging; fishing one out of the sea or dealing with any number of malfunctions, such as the catastrophic false ping that occurred last week; there always seems to be an issue that requires personal oversight. Sleep has become a fickle commodity, and it is now, once again, being robbed of her.
"What is it this time?"
The Recharging Station has no windows, as the equipment there is susceptible to water damage. The only illumination here is the blue light emanating from large, transparent canisters of Blixt™ Super, which is a stark contrast to the crimson eyes of the five automatons currently residing herein. Two humanoid ones stand by the door to the Blixt™hold. One of them, carrying a loaded heavy crossbow, responds in a low, monotonous voice reminiscent of the settling of a house.
"Mistress Veliky, explanation: a noncombative unit discovered a stowaway while attempting to retrieve Blixt™ for refuelling. The unit's report indicated that the stowaway was asleep at the time of discovery. The stowaway's current status is unknown."
Veliky rubs her eyes as she half-listens.
"Right." She yawns again, loudly. "Let's just see why they came here, then put them in the brig. Probably just a kid."
"Mistress Veliky, negative: the unit's report indicated that the stowaway is a human woman in her late 20s."
That does rouse Veliky's attention. A woman? An assassin, maybe? No, an assassin wouldn't make such a mistake as falling asleep in the hold. Maybe she was a burglar? No, same issue. More likely an actual stowaway. Still, could be a threat. Better to let a replicant do the speaking. She casts the spell with arcane incantations and gestures, and her form divides into two: one true Veliky, one false Veliky.[1] The replicant straightens her hat and gives the true Veliky a nod, then signals for the two Blixtbots™ to open the door. They each beep in acknowledgment, and the other one, which holds a katana, stands directly in front of the door before quickly swinging it open.
The noise is certainly enough to awaken Mariana, who sees two of the automatons she saw previously march into the room. These ones, however, are armed, and not with ordinary weapons, either; their armaments crackle with electricity. Yet, then, an even stranger sight confidently strides into the hold, despite standing only 2 feet tall and, by all apparence, appearing to be a child. She stands behind and between her two mechanical thugs, eyes closed, for several seconds. Then, she opens her eyes narrowly and glares at the intruder. As the bot said, the stowaway does appear to be a woman in her late 20s, but the bot apparently neglected to mention that she was armed with a halberd. In fact, she looks quite capable, like an adventurer or perhaps a mercenary... she's also very pretty, but Veliky should probably keep that thought to herself. Of course, all that shows on her face is cold indignance.
"Care to tell me what you're doing on my ship?"
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 5, 2022 21:34:11 GMT -5
Awakening to the sight of armed men wouldn't have been surprising to Mariana. In fact, awakening to anything besides this would have been less surprising. Roused from her sleep by a door slamming open she moved to jump up but, now hungover, she found that difficult. Her first attempt at rising was more like floundering, the second was successful but far from graceful. She pulled the halberd up, almost dropping it, and used it to prop herself up. A child and two... metal things, armed with magic weapons. She raised her brows in confusion when the child spoke with a voice of cool authority.
Then, despite trying to stifle it, she broke into laughter.
"I'm dreaming, right?...right?"
This was all just some side effect of downing a bottle of rum in a few hours, maybe I got confused and drank one of these potions... No, this feels oddly real. This child could be some sort of halfling maybe? Her face looks so young though. Despite pinching herself multiple times she didn't wake up, that was it then, this was reality...
"Mhmm! If I'm um, not, dreaming. Then..." She blinked a few times, thinking. This could be her chance to meet the captain and see the eccentric mind that commands this ship crewed by living armor.
"You, should be ashamed! These, things, kidnapped me, stuffed me in a box, and carried me aboard this ship." She wagged a finger at the trio, gesturing angrily towards the box she'd slept on. An empty rum bottle leaned against it.
"I demand to be taken to the captain and issued a formal apology lest the Eadburg family have your heads on pikes when they hear you've taken their daughter aboard against her will."
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Post by Veliky on Sept 5, 2022 22:39:41 GMT -5
Veliky can't even count the number of times she's been laughed at in the past for her appearance. A long, long time ago, she'd've been angry at the mockery. But she's learned that the ones who don't laugh demand greater skepticism. Laughing in someone's face is quite commonly understood to demonstrate a lack of social etiquette, and those that lack social etiquette tend to be more honest. Besides, the joke is so played-out that she hardly feels anything from it anymore.
Veliky's rule of thumb seems to hold true here, as well. As if Eadburg daughter's lie hadn't been transparent enough, her surroundings and herself are rife with evidence that goes against her claim. For instance: the bottle of rum that has fallen and is now rolling around. It rolls toward Veliky, who stops it with her foot and picks it up with a gloved hand.
"Miss Eadburg," she asks calmly, "do you expect me to believe that you were kidnapped, stuffed in a box, and put in this room, and then you decided to drink a bottle of rum, of which there were none on this ship prior to your arrival?" She holds the bottle upside-down. Not a drop falls out. She puts it on a nearby crate and continues. "I'm going to be frank: most of the crew here couldn't kidnap you if they tried. They couldn't even kidnap an actual kid if they tried. They are not clever. The only ones capable of something like that are the two bots right next to me, both of whom I ordered specifically to stay on the ship while I wasn't around. They are not mentally capable of refusing orders."
Veliky wonders how much of this the stowaway even understands in her intoxicated state. Should Veliky tell her that she's the captain? If she doesn't, they'll probably just ask again... Although she predicts another bout of laughter, Veliky should be honest, at least in this instance.
"As for the captain: I am the captain. As for the apology: there will be none. Now, can we talk about what you're actually doing here, or should we wait for you to be more... agreeable?"
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 6, 2022 7:23:56 GMT -5
Ohhh! Ohhh... First impression out the window and lie seen through Mariana would have to try and recover this, the captain didn't seem overly aggressive. Perhaps she was lonely, it seemed they were the only people of flesh and blood on this ship.
"I'm plenty agreeable enough at the moment, thank you. I guess it was a bit of a far fetched story..." She sighed and leaned up against some boxes with a hand on her chin. The halberd was dangling loosely from the other hand.
The situation didn't make fighting them an option, could she even cut something like that? The captain seemed very matter of fact, reminding her of various mercenary captains she'd served under over the years. If she was going to appeal to her she'd likely do so with honesty. She could only hope that her getting aboard the ship would earn some of the respect she'd lost by getting discovered.
"The true story is much less entertaining, but here goes. I simply hopped in a crate and was carried aboard, all intentionally of course. It was getting boring in Sol City and I'd heard of a ship full of various... curiosities." She held a hand up with the palm open, motioning towards Veliky and the crew.
"I am far from dissapointed. Your ship is incredibly impressive, Captain...?" She let the word linger, waiting for a name to be given as she made a rolling motion with one hand.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 6, 2022 9:08:30 GMT -5
"Veliky. No surname, don't ask. Stalker?" At first, the word comes across as some sort of accusation against Mariana. But, then, a cat-sized, robotic spider suddenly materializes on the swordsman-bot's shoulder. It clicks in a way that can only be assumed to mean "Yes?"
"See what you can find for me on the Eadburg family."
The spider beeps in a way that can only be assumed to mean "Yes." before disappearing again. Veliky continues speaking to Mariana, not taking her eyes off of her.
"Sorry for the invasion of privacy, but you must admit that it's odd for the daughter of a rich merchant family, which is based out of Sol City, to suddenly become bored of Sol City. Still, I can tell you aren't lying about it."
She takes several steps closer, past her mechanical minions. She's within reach; if Mariana wanted to take a swing with her halberd, she could easily hit the halfling.
"I've never known stowaways to be picky. I should know; I've been a stowaway on several occasions. But if I were to be picky, I certainly wouldn't choose a ship based on how weird the rumours surrounding it are." Her tone becomes more quizzical and interrogative. "What's your intention? Just hop off when we reach whatever destination? We're going to Dragon's Cradle. It isn't exactly my choice for a vacation. Why are you trying to distance yourself from your family?"
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 6, 2022 11:49:00 GMT -5
The interrogation came as no surprise, she had been spoken to worse in the not so distant past by the same mercenary leaders this one reminded her of so. The little one seemed to command all of these strange creations, perhaps she was the inventor of them as well. When she said stalker Mariana turned her head slightly, surprised by the accusation, before the little spider crawled out and she realized that was its name... charming.
As the little woman approached, Mariana decided to use the same trick she did with animals and get on the same level as them. She knelt down and placed the halberd across her knees, as close to eye level with Veliky as she could get.
"I see you've never been the daughter of rich merchants based in a city of relative prosperity and safety, then. I could talk at length about the lack of opportunity in such a situation for one such as myself. To sum it up, I was not interested in a life with no challenges or difficulties. I've traveled and done mostly mercenary work not to avoid my family but their lifestyle. I'm not suited for it..." She teeter tottered the halberd on her knees as she spoke.
"I saw this as the perfect chance to meet interesting people, such as you, and possibly wind up in an interesting place, such as the Dragon's Cradle. So it seems like I've been very lucky indeed." She emphasized the last part, leaning in closer and winking at Veliky.
"Anything else you'd like to ask? I have a hundred questions in my head right now but I'd prefer to ask them someplace a bit more comfortable..."
Kneeling like this wasn't very comfortable, not to mention she'd just slept on a box all night and hadn't eaten since noon the day prior.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 6, 2022 17:48:02 GMT -5
The wink was disconcerting. Were it not for the wink and the uncomfortable closeness, Veliky would've been more succinct. What is it meant to suggest? Veliky would presume that it didn't mean anything untoward, but this woman is very intoxicated. Should she be worried? How should she handle a situation like this? The indecision doesn't show on her face, but it can be inferred from her silence. No; she must be assertive. She clears her throat, and narrows her eyes as she answers.
"The brig should be comfortable enough."
...Shockingly, it is. The brig lacks privacy, as it has metal bars in place of walls, but it also has silk sheets on a decent bed, and some sort of chair-shaped machine that seems to fill the role that would be taken by 'the bucket' in any other ship. Is the hospitality somehow supposed to dissuade prisoners from trying to escape? Surely not, that's just silly. Then again, it wouldn't be the strangest thing Mariana has seen on this ship. For instance, while being transported here, she's fairly certain that she saw multiple instances of Veliky (Vilikies? Veliki?). One said instance now stands outside the cage whilst Mariana stands inside. Also standing outside the cage is another robot, this one shaped like a jackal, except it seems less polished and smooth than the others, most of its exterior consisting of pipes and wires.
Veliky is holding a few papers that one of the robots gave to her in passing on their way to the brig. She flips through them before speaking in a calm, collected voice.
"Mariana - it's Mariana, right? - you said you had questions. I would've preferred that they were asked before you crept onto my ship, but here we are. Speak."
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 7, 2022 10:56:30 GMT -5
Her warm smile fell to a sigh and she let her shoulders droop as her sentence to the brig was announced. This little one seemed more and more like a mercenary captain every moment, cold and harsh yet barely emotional.
"Ahh, and here I thought you were about to forgive me..." She let them lead her out without a struggle. There was nowhere to escape to on a ship at sea anyways.
The walk there was the most interesting part so far. The little captain must've been one of many siblings, all twins, unless some strange magic was at play. The cell she was escorted to was nicer than some inns she'd stayed in. She wasn't sure what the strange chair like contraption was but upon seeing the bowl like area under the seat she was able to infer, and relief filled her mind, she'd needed one of these since she woke up.
After being locked in she immediately noticed the large dog like thing, somehow still finding it cute despite its mechanical appearance. She went over to the bars near it and reach a hand out towards it.
"Here here, little fella." She made a few clicking noises at the hound while Veliky shuffled through her papers.
Hearing her name brought her attention back to the little captain though she continued to kneel and reach out for the mechanical hound.
"Oh, you're quite resourceful! Yes, Mariana it is."
She wasn't sure how she had notes on her already, perhaps the true stalker here was Veliky...
"First off, what's this ones name?" She nodded her head towards the mechanical dog.
"Second, how many twin sisters do you have working on this ship?"
"Third, and I'll grace you with no more, did you make all these...things... and if so, how?"
Content with her time with the hound she headed now for the fancy latrine thing she'd been in such need of. Plopping down after yoinking her pants down to her knees, she began to relieve herself as she looked at Veliky expectantly with a face entirely too serious for the situation. Spending a great deal of time traveling with mercenary companies did a number on one's idea of decency.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 7, 2022 12:35:51 GMT -5
At first, the jackal doesn't move or react at all. Then, it suddenly emanates a short, ugly buzzing sound. Several seconds later, it makes a motion like barking, but generates no noise. It then steps forwards, towards the cage, yet somehow manages to move backwards, away from it. In fact, everything this robot does is bizarre and disjointed in some way, its movements shaky and the sounds it makes often coming from random locations, away from its actual body. Of the mechanical beings Mariana has seen aboard this ship, this one is easily the weirdest.
Veliky, too, was watching the interaction. Her soft confusion indicates that she's used to the behaviour, but still finds it very, very strange. She looks back to Mariana, only to see her pulling her pants down. Veliky quickly turns away, but tries to speak as if nothing is happening, though there is both annoyance and fluster in her tone.
"First answer: that's a prototype jackal-model "Lag Switch" Blixtbot™. For short, I just call it Lag Switch. It does weird things, don't mind it."
The bot lies down, then, suddenly, is standing again, with no movement connecting the lying and standing positions. It's like a painting of a lying dog suddenly transformed into a painting of a standing dog.
"Second answer: when you say 'twin sisters,' I assume you're referring to this."
She snaps her fingers, and an exact duplicate of Veliky suddenly appears next to her, facing Mariana.[1] The duplicate's eyes widen, and she, too, quickly turns away. The duplicate then speaks with greater annoyance.
"I'm a duplicate. That is all."
It then vanishes, leaving the actual(?) Veliky to speak.
"Third answer: no, they're a gnomish design, as is the ship itself. As far as I know, they're the most technologically advanced and complex things ever created. I own just over 400, and I have good source from which I can get more."
Veliky is quiet for a second, but finds the need to continue speaking in order to blot out the sounds behind her.
"You said you had hundreds of questions. Why? What's your fascination with this place?"
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 7, 2022 16:16:29 GMT -5
As the second Veliky appeared Mariana gasped, then clapped at the magic trick. The rest of the answers were interesting as well, helping her to paint a better picture of Veliky in her mind.
"That's wonderful, I can only imagine the utility..."
Mariana was quiet for a moment, straining could be heard if Veliky listened closely enough followed by a distinguished plop. She then let out a satisfied breath before looking for a method of wiping. It seemed...there were none... the true horrors of this place had been revealed to her. She sat for a moment longer before steeling herself and moving to sit up, leaving herself unwiped. It was at that moment that a blast of water erupted from the the device against her backside, in reality it was only a small stream but the shock was that of a tidal wave.
"AH!"
She jumped from the device, feeling clean yet violated, and pulled her pants back up all in one quick motion. Maybe this Veliky wasn't as harmless as she seemed, or maybe the gnomes that made this ship simply had different ideas of hygiene. Either way she was now afraid of the toilets aboard the vessel.
Mariana gathered herself before finally answering Veliky.
"I don't know what cruel mind made that thing, but I hope the rest of this furniture isn't booby trapped." Frustration was in her voice, veiling embarrassment.
"My fascination has little do with the place and far more to do with you." She walked closer to the duplicate Veliky as she spoke. "The townsfolk call you eccentric, some seem to be in awe while others are in fear. You captain a ship crewed by these strange beings and copies of yourself. More than all, you seem to have just sprung up, I'd not heard of you before just a few weeks prior to this ship appearing at the docks." She stopped at the bars, leaning on them with her face sticking out between two.
"Tell me you wouldn't have tried to meet... you." A satisfied smile crept onto her face, elongated by the bars pulling on her skin while she leaned into them.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 8, 2022 4:34:58 GMT -5
This... is absurd. Veliky doesn't even turn around to face the stowaway. In her head, she spins several lines of thinking, lines of conversation, trying to find the best way to deal with this, but she is just too distracted by the... interesting choice of words used by the lady who, not moments ago, was doing unspeakable thing behind her. She grits her teeth as a bead of sweat rolls down her red face. Admitting it feels like wrenching her own guts out, but she just can't deal with this. She needs to relax.
She holds a hand out beside her and speaks something incomprehensible, then balls it into a fist and slams it into her own chest. Then, she's just quiet, very quiet, still facing away. At first, it's difficult to tell what happened, except that there's now an aura of smothering cold about her. Finally, she turns around. Her face is... blank[1]. Not in the way that she had been previously. Her eyes are dilated, and the muscles in her face seem almost frozen. The difference between the prior concealed emotions and the now-complete absence of emotions becomes clear. Eerie though this may be, it's rather comedic that she required magic to even converse with Mariana.
She speaks, though only her lips move - her eyes remain perfectly static. Her voice is oddly weak, with a slight rasp behind it, but is now just as monotonous as those of her machine companions.
"If I were to hear similar rumours surrounding someone else, yes, I would want to speak with them for the purposes for business: trading, partnership. I would not go through so much trouble as you were evidently willing to. I also find myself wondering why you - who has stated that you want to distance yourself from your parents' mercantile lifestyle - would seek out at myself. I find it hard to believe that this is just curiosity."
She studies Mariana's face attentively, seemingly more concerned by expressional changes than her actual, spoken answer.
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 8, 2022 10:28:54 GMT -5
As a cold burst seemed to lash out from Veliky as she pounded her fist into her chest Mariana pulled her face back from between the bars. As she saw the now entirely emotionless, expressionless, face of the little captain her eyes widened and the smile mixed with a face of awe and confusion. The little one had broken, perhaps? She now seemed more like the steely companions she kept, the duplicates must deteriorate over time or something...
She pulled back into the bars and a thoughtful face took over for a moment. She leaned back into the bars, reaching a finger out and tapping the now frosty cheek of Veliky like one would a wax figure.
"Sorry, just removing my suspicion that you're also made of metal..."
Pulling her hand back into the bars once more a smile of whimsy returned to her face.
"See..." She pointed a finger at Veliky.
"This! I came here for things like this." She continued to point, giggling slightly.
"Your type of mercantilism is far different than my family's. They sit in their mansion and pay people, who pay people, who pay people to purchase and deliver goods for them. You do...whatever this is... on your ship full of whatever these are." She pointed in turn to the emotionless face of Veliky, then the mechanical dog.
"I just want to do something more exciting and you seem like the ticket to all sorts of strange and new experiences." She coughed in her fist, her face turning stoic.
"I would like to offer my services to you, Captain Veliky, as both mercenary and first mate."
She ended with a deep bow, one hand in front and the other holding her halberd in line with her spine behind her back. As she bowed the blade slid between the bars and stopped a few inches from Veliky's head.
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Post by Veliky on Sept 8, 2022 12:58:26 GMT -5
...Is the placement of that halberd intentional? At present, Veliky lacks the emotional capacity to be intimidated, though it's still prudent to consider the motive. It wouldn't be rational to try and make a threat from her position - that is, both her literal and figurative position - so perhaps it's just a mistake. 'She's still intoxicated, after all,' Veliky thinks. Were she not magically influenced, Veliky might've been surprised by the sudden offer of service. Alas, that stage is entirely skipped as her mind immediately delves into calculation.
After a few seconds, Veliky snaps her fingers, recreating the previously - summoned clone before stepping away and flipping through her notes again.[1] This clone seems to not be in the same emotional (or, rather, emotionless) state as its creator, as it clears its throat and narrows its eyes before speaking.
"I hope you realize that I am affording unusual courtesy in even bothering to perform a background check, given that you've snuck, illegally, onto my ship." She fails to hide that her anger isn't genuine. "But, at the very least, I can appreciate the initiative."
The illusory clone steps through the brig's metal bars and paces about.
"Your assessment is correct. I've had a much more hands-on experience in my business... granted, most of it hasn't been intentional, it just seems to happen. Nevertheless, my business needs innovation, and innovation is rife with danger. So, if you're looking for excitement, as you said, then you'll find it - and more. Only a few days ago, this ship was attacked by a thunderbird, and I didn't even know what a thunderbird was before then."
The clone hops onto the bed, only to fall through it. It seems its incorporeality is as confusing to itself as it is to everyone else. It stands up and clears its throat again, face slightly reddened, before continuing.
"If you legitimately want to be employed then, beyond skill and beyond experience, I need loyalty. I have had... poor relations with mercenaries in the past. I have ambitions, but, as much as I wish otherwise, the robots only get me so far; I need people who are willing to fight, both on the battlefield and outside, for a good cause."
She pauses for a moment before turning to Marian with a look both judgemental and expectant.
"Do you think you have what it takes?"
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Post by Mariana Eadburg on Sept 9, 2022 9:43:19 GMT -5
Mariana raised from her bow but moved the halberd a slight amount too far to one side and it clanged off the bars. She readjusted, only slightly embarrassed, and pulled it through as she stood up. She took a poised stance and listened intently to Veliky as she spoke. When the mention of a Thunderbird was made she refrained from asking if one could be used as a mount, though the thought now filled her head.
As the clone appeared she was expecting another carbon copy, this one had a great deal more expression though. She gasped as it walked through the bars of her cell, amazed at the odd capabilities of this captain who she decided must be some sort of wizard. The amazement though quickly turned into giggling as the copy hopped upon, and through, the cell's bed. Only a fraction of the face was still visible, and visibly reddening.
The captain's antics were stark in contrast to her put together and serious speech. Mariana was sure it would be her favorite source of amusement during their time together, IF she was employed...
"Aye, aye, captain!" She gave a naval salute with a large smile on her face.
Dropping the salute as a mischievous smile crossed her lips she strode up to the incorporeal Veliky.
"I've got loyalty aplenty, as long as you keep things interesting, which seems to be a certainty. So long as you do not willingly endanger my life beyond reason, my blade shall serve you with ferocity and tenacity." She stopped in front of Veliky staring down at her.
Then, she dropped her head down, sticking it into the incorporeal captain, and looking around inside. To her disappointment she found that it was only blackness and she couldn't see the little captain's insides...
Pulling her head back up she realized she'd forgotten one part of any mercenary deal.
"Ah! Before we go further, I will need some form of payment...beyond of course my release from this cell..."
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