Vakker walked onto the shore and looked at the man in the block of ice with a satisfied grin. He had quite enjoyed beating him up and freezing him solid. He had originally planned on killing the man as punishment for charming him, but now looking at him he felt the fool had been punished enough for him. He could just leave him like this and walk away smiling. However, the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon and the crystal clear ice wouldn't help prevent the Vampire from burning in the light no matter how cold it was.

Debris from the sinking, burning ship not far away began to make its way to shore and Vakker picked up a large piece of dark red cloth that had formerly been part of one of the Crimson Crusader's crimson sails, its namesake. He threw the cloth overtop the block of ice to block out the sun's deadly rays and sat down with a sigh. He took out his notebook and pen and began to lazily write notes, thinking back about the way Mubashir's thrall had looked, hugging the sloppy popsicle.

"I don't suppose you can speak in there? If you can, answer my questions and I may let you out. Why did you try to steal from that military base, and why did you steal that ship?" he asked nonchalantly of the frozen man beneath him.

    The suns rays could be seen on the clouds above him as they crested the horizon. If the vampire had not been encased in ice, he would be sweating with fear by now. Though he supposed the drops of ice melt would get the point across. Though, a moment later and all he could see was red, not in a metaphorical sense even. It looked like a red blanket was draped over his ice to...save him? Had someone slain the Goat Guard? No... he could here his muffled words from outside. It was now an interrogation, gods above this was certainly a low point. Well, i mean it wasnt a thousand years imprisoned in a sarcophagus. The thought crossed his mind that he could spend a thousand years stuck in a block of ice, at least he could move in the sarcophagus. What if his nose itched. He licked at the ice in front of him to allow some movement of his lips.

"Yess, Yess, Pleasse ill do anything! Jusst Promisse to let me free! I told you, I wass told i wass a generouss persson, and that the militia would give me ssuppliess. They ssaid that i could jusst take a sship!"

Vakker crossed one leg over his knee as he sat and listened to Mubashir through the ice. He mulled over the captured Vampire's words. Someone told him he could just waltz into a military base and take some supplies and a ship? How outlandish. Either whoever told him that was an amazing liar, or this man was just stupid enough to believe anything he was told so long as he received a compliment beforehand. That, or his story was entirely made up. In Vakker's experiences with him so far, he thought option two seemed the most likely. Outside of that beguiling charm as a Vampire, he didn't seem like a very good liar. Or planner. Or anything, really.

Vakker thought about freeing him, but there were some problems. The only thing currently protecting the Vam-popsicle from the sunlight was sailcloth. Vakker could magically shatter the ice block and free him, but that would tear the cloth to pieces and expose him to the sunlight. He could remove the cloth before shattering the ice, but that would also expose them. No, there was only one thing to do.

"Alright, I'll say I believe you. ButI won't be able to free you until later, when the sun goes down. So, just... chill in there for a while until then." he said with a smirk as he got up and walked up the shore that was slowly gathering more debris from the sunken ship to go find the nearest city. By his estimates, they had ended up on the shores of Frostgale. The Pale City should be fairly close by to where they landed. He also estimated the military shouldn't notice the missing ship for a while since it was hardly ever used. He should have enough time to go get something to block the sun and come back. He was only joking about leaving him in there for the entire day, but Mubashir didn't need to know that.

"Wait! Wait dont leave uss! Ah Sshit"

    A thousand years in ice now seemed a more real fear than he had envisioned. At least he was on land and not frozen in some glacier like the cave-lizards that had been found around his time.

"Kasslan, I ssummon you from the Sshadowss. Sserve me oncse more" He hissed, calling out to the ethereum for another of his loyal servants. The Duke could easily free him from this prison with but a movement, but was currently on his holiday for the year, and it would be rude to call him for work reasons. Kasslan might be a bit worse off at the task, but still. It was better than laying here all day for some capricious goat guard to summon the whimsy and willpower to free him.

    His turban rustled slowly as the undead snake coiled about in an attempt to get out. It largely stayed asleep unless he summoned it, and he was fine with that. 

"Kasslan, Kasslan were covered in isce. Get uss out!"

    He considered his words for a moment as he could feel the serpents throat engorge. oh no, it was going to blast through his turban. It erupted with a blast of sand, filling what part of the cavity that Mubashir had managed to lick away with gritty dust. People overestimate how much ice you can lick away, especially when you emit no body heat. The ice around his head worn down as a hole was etched into the block. Slowly, but surely he was freed. His turban had been ruined, and the sun was certainly not his friend for the time being.

    Hiding beneath the sail that had apparently been used to cover him, he tore off some of it to make himself a new turban, as well as ripping half of it to form a makeshift cloak to protect him from the sunlight. The other half was left in the soggy sand, a threat to all future sails that dared to cover Mubashir the Magnificent.

As Vakker walked away, he suddenly heard ice shattering and the sound of... sand? He turned around to see a blast of sand erupting from the block of ice like a geyser, making a hole through the cloth that was covering it. The sound of ice breaking and Mubashir struggling followed soon after as the man slowly extracted himself from the block of ice beneath the cover of the cloth. Vakker just stood and watched, partially annoyed and partially intrigued. He hadn't expected Mubashir to have a way out of that. It would have been fun to let him stay in there a while longer, maybe get him to make some deals in exchange for being let out, but oh well.

Vakker stood with his arms crossed and looked on as Mubashir fashioned himself a makeshift cloak from part of the sail and replaced his turban to cover the little snake that also had on its own turban. How adorable. Vakker gave a little golf clap as the man finished his trick.

"Well, look at you. You actually managed to get out of that, how impressive! And you have a little friend hidden in your turban, how adorable. But, aren't you forgetting someone?" he flattered Mubashir before pointing to what was left of the block of ice, still completely encasing the Vampire's summoned thrall.

    Damnable Selina, he hadn't waited long enough for the goat guard to leave. Though he did bring up a decent point. Covering his eyes and face with the crimson shawl he looked at the hunk, and then at the icicle. 

"Ah, yess. No worry, Kasslan will have her out in a bit. Kasslan, if you will." He said, flamboyantly gesturing towards the Sumaicicle. "Well, then. Not going to sstake me in the heart are you? I ssupposse not much left to fight over." He said, flamboyantly gesturing towards the floating remnants of the Crimson Crusader. "Mom iss not going to be very happy"

    He didn't recognize where they were to be perfectly honest. Evaluating his surroundings, he surmised that it was somewhere cold. He really didn't want to swim anywhere again, for one it was really, really boring. You're basically just moving your arms over and over to get someplace else, and that was what birds did. 

"I am no bird, my friend. I have no dessire to sswim right now. I ssupposse Ssumaita and I will collect thesse waterlogged provissionss and be on our way....Would you mind pointing our way for uss? Assuming you have no desire to PUNCH ME IN THE FACSE ONCE MORE" He shouted, throwing his arms up in exacerbation. "I mean Ssolaria above I wass jusst trying to be nice!" 

Vakker raised an eyebrow. What did he mean Mom wasn't going to be happy? Was he trying to steal all this for his mother? Was it his mother that told him he was a generous person then? Actually, it almost made more sense that he'd be tricked into believing the military would give him supplies if it had been his own mother to tell him that, especially if he was a mama's boy. And from how mature he was, that seemed plausible.

"Oh, the punching you in the face was just payback for charming me. I really don't like being mentally manipulated, you know. I've gotten my frustrations out already, though I would have been a bit more satisfied if you'd stayed in that block of ice for a little while longer." Vakker replied jokingly with a light chuckle. He was completely honest. He really hated having anyone mess with his mind like that. No, mentally manipulating others was his job.

"And would you mind telling me what you plan to do with these provisions? Surely, you must have a good reason to steal from the Capitol Landing Military, right?" If you didn't, you must be extraordinarily foolish. Vakker also thought, but he kept that to himself for the time being.

"Ah well i'm glad to have been the outlet for your anger, Though the ice wass relaxing in itss own ssort of way. Asside from the whole burning alive thing that iss. Anyway, the Urchin Mom had ssaid that the ssecurity around the fort would be lower due to the holiday. Thiss wass apparently not the casse." He mentioned, gesturing to Vakker. "He had bade me here to relinquissh the rationss of the sstate to give to the needy. I care little for the general welfare of sstreet children, but he did ssay I wass quite generouss, sso of coursse I had to act."



Sumaita punched through the remaining ice as Kaslan finished thinning her chilly prison with his sandpaper breath. She erupted out, equipping her fisticuffs and sternly approaching the Goat, before Mubashir's outstretched hand stopped her. "That'ss enough now. He iss being polite, we sshould not antagonize...What wass your name again?" He said, quizzically. It felt like they had been fighting forever, and names were never his forte regardless.



"Right, would you like to get a drink? at leasst before the resst of your friendss sshow up for their boat. I sshould get insside regardlesss, all thiss ssun iss bad for my sskin."

    His thralls look of exasperation and defeat was well noted, certainly dissapointed that after all that effort her master had simply invited the man for a drink. 

"Oh, she was actually correct. There were far less guards than usual. Unluckily for you, I just happened to be asked by my employer to be there as well." Vakker corrected Mubashir in a polite tone. Whoever this Urchin Mom was, she was apparently well informed. He'd like to meet her some time and see what else she was informed of. Perhaps if he helped this man in his mission instead of impeding him, he could. Delivering some food to needy people might even be fun, and he wanted to get away from this shipwreck anyways. He might as well take some of the supplies with him as he did so.

Vakker stepped forward and picked up the remaining half of the red sail. It was a bit wet from the seawater and sandy, but that could be fixed. He ran his hand along the fabric and the water froze into ice for a moment before cracking and falling off, leaving the sail dry. He shook off the bit of sand stuck to it and casually threw it over his shoulder. If he was going to be assisting in doing something illegal, especially in the company of this idiot, he'd rather do it while wearing some kind of disguise.

"Alright, I could go for a drink. And I'll even help you out with this little charity mission of yours if you agree to introduce me to this Urchin Mom you spoke about later. My name is Vakker."

---

Ice Over

"But of coursse, He certainly does enjoy vissitorss. He likess to inspect your ssolarss to ssee if they are fake, He hass found sseveral counterfeitss and replaced them an equivalent amount of Lunarss! Quite generouss i do ssay. Anyway, Vakker, I am Mubasshir, a nomad from the Areed Messa. And this is my thrall, Ssumaita. Sshe comess quite in handy, very loyal, sshe doessnt sspeak, sso dont worry if sshe givess you the cold sshoulder. He-he."

    A confused look crossed her face as she heard her master speak, but she shrugged, and started salvaging what goods were still viable scattered about the beach.

    With Sumaita carrying a crate in each arm behind them, they trudged up the dune to see the road to the Pale city laid before them. The light of the lighthouse eventually disappeared as they walked, with civilization slowly revealing itself to the travellers. Kaslan had long since slithered back into Mubashirs turban and resumed its semi-eternal slumber. The one small sack from the wreckage that Mubashir had deigned to salvage contained little but some metallic trinkets that he did not understand. A tube with glass embedded inside of it that made things appear smaller when viewed from the large end, as well as an ornate brass and glass box with a small disc inside, that always pointed to "N".

"I tell you, the toyss and trinketss they have come up with thesse dayss are ssimply bananas. I would have loved thesse ass a child!" He exclaimed, turning the objects every which way. If there were such extravagant items in this small pouch, he could only imagine what treasures lay nested between Sumaitas arms.

    

Vakker was surprised to hear this Urchin Mom was a 'he', but supposed he shouldn't have assumed they were a woman. Even though their name was 'Mom'. Well, at least it was a very understandable assumption to make, he believed. Vakker definitely wouldn't let him inspect his solars though. Whatever these lunars were, Mubashir had probably just been swindled.

"Uh-huh.... May I?" Vakker tentatively reached a hand out and took the telescope from Mubashir's hand and flipped it around before placing it back in his hand. "Try it now."

Mubashir definitely wasn't from around here, that was for sure. He wasn't positive he was actually from Arid Mesa as he had said, but he definitely wasn't from here. He didn't even know what a telescope was and was gullible enough to be fooled and manipulated by this Urchin Mom person. He was less and less sure this was worth it, but he had already made the deal with the man, so now he would follow it through.

The group entered the city and made their way through the streets. They weren't very crowded, thankfully. Not many people wandered outside thanks to the cold and it still being quite early in the morning. Several people were still opening their businesses for the day. Vakker directed them toward an out-of-the-way bar. He may have been in somehwat of a disguise right now, but he was still a rather distinguishable figure and didn't want to be seen too much travelling with Mubashir. Especially since they had both been on a stolen and subsequently sunken ship just recently.

    The music from inside the bar came to an abrupt stop as they entered the lower section of the Winters Howl. Several patrons and a particularly muscular bartender stared at them quite unwelcoming as the door slammed shut behind them with the wind. Three strangers, all wrapped in red, on the day of Winters Crown.

"Uh...Hi?" Mubashir bumbled, unsure of what to say in this situation. "It iss a ple-" He was cut off by Sumaita pushing past him, and dropping her crates on the floor. One of the lids landed on its side, causing the contents to spill out across the tavern woodwork with a clatter. Inside was plenty of straw packing, securing several large jugs of brown liquor, and at least twenty small sacks filled with solars. Apparently, the boat had been storing the militias gifts from command for Winters Crown, and had just not been unloaded yet. How fortunate!

    The silence in the tavern was palpable as the eyes of everyone in the room followed one loose solar slowly rolling its way across the floor. Wide circles it made as it rolled round and round before eventually coming to a loud stop in the center of the room.

Vakker's face was hidden thanks to the enchanted silver caps on their horns placing an illusion of a ram's skull inside the shadow of their hood. They didn't want to be recognized right now. They just hoped no one would remember them from just the white-furred hooves just visible beneath the red makeshift cloak they were wearing.

As the coin's rolling came to a stop in the middle of the tavern, the bargoers looked to the open crate revealing the bags of coin and bottles of booze with desire. Several started to rise from their seats. They didn't know where this gift had come from, but they'd take it. This was a rougher part of town where taking what one wanted often went unpunished. The presence of the guards in this area was sparce.

Well, if they want it, they can have it. We wanted to give this stuff away, these people seem as good a charity case as any. Vakker thought to himself. He stepped forward and reached into the crate, pulling a bottle and a pouch from the crate and threw the pouch to the nearest bargoer.

"Merry Winter's Crown!" he called out as the man looked surprised, juggling the pouch for a moment before catching it. They looked up at Vakker who then tossed them the bottle. More prepared this time, they caught the bottle in their arms, still with a look of confusion.

Vakker picked up another pair of pouch and bottle and handed them out. The bar patrons slowly began to smile and cheer for the free coin and booze they were unexpectedly receiving. The few who had planned to attack Vakker and Mubashir for it were now conflicted. If they wanted to steal it now, they'd have to face the wrath of everyone else in the bar.

    What was Vakker doing! He is giving away all we had to gain from their ordeal! Mubashir sunk in defeat, but the crowd cheered in response to the Satyrs generosity. Revelry and joy abounded as patrons gathered to collect their gifts. One particularly intoxicated fellow even pulled Sumaita into a hug, neither noticing or caring what her lack of warmth implied. A man patted Mubashir on the back, and pulled his arm around his shoulder.

"You know, this is the first Winter's Crown gift i've received in twenty years. I mean this, thank you all." He said sincerely, a smile wider than the crescent moons as he poured back the remains of his mug. Mubashir smiled back awkwardly, It was not the intended recipients of the supplies, but it did feel quite good to change the mood of these people so apparently. Is this the true spirit of this "Winter's Crown?"

"Pleasse, enjoy!"

    He HAD been called quite generous before, Mubashir supposed this was only proof. He pulled the man off of Sumaita, who had been seething with barely controlled rage, and hugged her with his one remaining hand. Her expression did quite the turnaround as she revelled in the attention. Mubashir exclaimed joyously "I am! I am quite generous! Merry Winter's Crown to all!"

The time for celebration closed quite rapidly afterwards, as the door slammed open once more to reveal an exhausted dockworker, pointing up the street.

"The militia! They come!"

The sound of clanking metal made its way through the open door to the bar, a chorus of armored footsteps announcing the militia's arrival better than the panting dockworker could.

"And that is our cue to leave." Vakker spoke quietly and calmly to Mubashir as he took one final bag of coin, opening it and tossing the loose coins into the air to land spread across the floor near the doorway. The bar patrons scrambled to pick up the gold off the floor, crowding in front of the door just as the militia arrived.

Vakker walked quickly through the building to the back door, ignoring the halfhearted protest of the barkeeper as he passed behind the bar counter and through the back room. He needed to get out of here before the militia men moved to block the back door. Unfortunately, a few were already there. The back door was open and three armored men with swords and shields poured in, cutting off Vakker's escape. Oh, and Mubashir's.

The chaos unfolding in the bar could be heard all the way from here as militiamen tried to push through the scrambling crowd. The bargoers were confused why the militiamen were there. The militiamen were confused how the stolen goods had ended up being given to all these random bargoers. The barkeep was confused why this whole situation had to be happening in their bar. Why had Solaria cursed them so?

With Mubashir and his thrall behind him, Vakker muttered a few words and a block of ice formed, cutting off the rest of the bar from this small hallway. Three enemies in front of them seemed far more manageable than the small army behind them.

---

Glacial Wall
Winter's Crown