SPOILER: Click to show

Local explorers and builders have begun to set their eyes on the Arid Mesa, hoping to one day establish a settlement and eventually a city. However the Arid Mesa has yet to be fully explored and is still an incredibly dangerous place to be, with all kinds of terrifying creatures and plantlife there. While expanding seems good and most nobles in Charon support this exploration, it is ultimately bad for those who are setting these settlements up, putting their lives in danger.

Quest Name: Progress Halted
Chapter: One
Description: This is not a request handed out by the government, but instead something that many of Charon's inhabitants believe is the right thing to do. These rich greedy men can not be allowed to just put peoples lives in danger in the hopes of settling an untamed land. Because of this many people are now acting as vigilantes, burning and destroying the supply boats bound for the Arid Mesa. We need you to head to Frost Gale and sabotage these boats or supply trains before they can make it across the sea.
Requirements:
- Requires at least two people (you and one other)
- You must make at least 6 post to complete the mission with each post being at least 200 words
- Must destroy a supply train or hinder their voyage across the sea. Be careful as these shipments are heavily guarded.
- Once you complete this mission you have completed this quest chain and may turn in the mission.

After arranging passage north from Sol City to the frigid Pale City located on the southern coastline of Frost Gale, Zarius and Vail are well on their way across the Luna Sea and nearing the wharf. They're arriving under the cover of darkness and in the midst of a blizzard which has thankfully kept the cargo ships they are out to sabotage moored in the harbor.

Zarius isn't a fan of Frost Gale. It's always too cold for comfort and there's near constant bad weather. This will be the third blizzard he's been caught in his three visits to the region. He can understand why the people here would be desperate enough to fall into the trap of the big dreams and aspirations of those with more wealth than they know what to do with and no regard for other lives or sense of danger. He sighs, his breath hanging in the cold air as he stares at the inky black sea dotted with white flurries before them.

The ship starts pulling into the harbor, silent and unnoticed for the time being. Zarius looks at his unlikely traveling companion. The man he met in Sol City he has decided to put to the test on this mission to see if he has anything of value to offer to his network. He still wasn't convinced Vail was worth the trouble he would likely bring. He suspected the man had a lot of skeletons in the closets and ghosts trailing after him. That wasn't necessarily a deal breaker, but Vail had best put his best foot forward tonight. A mistake here could wind them both up in jail or worse.

"Hope you are ready for this. If things go poorly, prioritize escaping. No shame in living to see another day."

It was possible this was a set up. If that turned out to be true, then the tiefling would make sure the young man at least got away. He could pull strings on his end for himself, but who knows what kind of enemies Vail had made since leaving Darkveil, or if any of those enemies were amongst the nobles in the Pale City. Knowing so little about Vail was uncomfortable, but there was little her could do about that out here on the slick deck of a ship sailing between a few cargo ships that loom over their own vessel.

Vail sat on a wooden crate as snow blanketed the vessel. Unfortunately for him, the blizzard was too strong to stay still. He was hoping to get some rest before they arrived, the gentle sway of the vessel was rather nice in isolation. He shakes off the accumulating frost with a sigh as he repositions his legs to a squatting position.

His eyes wander to the black sea, it seemed infinite from his perspective. It seemed bottomless, accepting of all beneath its dark waves, the white flakes vanishing upon landing. The cover of night blended perfectly with the dark water, the horizon disappearing at their merger. Were it not for the ship compass, as well the dim lights of the Pale City, there was no way the ship's crew could have navigated this blizzard.


The snow dotted his new coat in a similar manner to the sea. It was a rather nice piece, not front window display material, but certainly a step up from his usual attire. With a black cloth outside and white woolly inside, it was perfect mixture of stealth and utility for the lands of Frost Gale. If need be, he could turn the coat inside out to better fade into the snow, although he wasn’t planning on having to hide in broad daylight. Acquiring it was rather easy, he knew that many of the stores in the cramped streets of Sol City kept their backstock in the upper floors. He simply slipped in and had his pick of the lot.

His eyes move to the bow of the ship as Zarius begins to speak.

“Of course, I’m not planning on dying for some villager’s virtues.” He replies sternly, his buzz long since dissipating.

It was rather funny, Vail suspected that neither of them was there for the job itself, but rather a curiosity towards their compatriot. This was more of a test than a job, both likely wondered what use the other could be to them. He’d be more than willing to leave this job if things started to go too far south. Although he didn’t look forward to sorting out a way out of Frost Gale.

With a flat expression, he meets his companion's gaze.

“Say tiefling, which do you prefer, snow or ash?”

Zarius looks at the young man who looked like he was freezing his ass off sitting on the frost covered crate. It was a little funny. He wonders if this guy had any idea for what exactly he had signed up for. 

"Ash. You?"

Their small vessel pulls to a stop next to one of the large cargo ships. 

"Alright, ladies, this is your stop." The captain says quietly from the helm. 

Zarius looks back at the man he hired to get them there. "Thank you. Swing back around in an hour."

The captain clicks his tongue and makes a bit of a face. "Only if things are still quiet. Any alarm raised and I am out of here. Nothing personal." It didn't matter how good the coin was that he had been paid, he wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks or go to jail. 

"Of course." He wouldn't argue with the man, the seasoned sailor made his conditions clear when the tiefling hired him back in Sol City. This was a risky job and if anything went afoul their get away vessel would be long gone, leaving them stranded on a flaming boat full of angry armored guards.

Zarius looks over at Vail again. "Alright, we are sneaking aboard and the supplies will be below deck in the hold. We will set a few fires, slow burning enough that crew have a chance to evacuate. We slip out during the chaos and try our best to avoid a fight. Try not to kill anyone." Zarius hands Vail a bottle filled with a dark purple liquid that swirls on its own.^[1] "That will make your steps silent for little bit of time, use it when you think you need it."

He thinks and rummages around in his bag a bit more and hands Vail another two bottles and a small ball. "Okay, that," he points towards the bottle with a green gelatinous substance in it, "that's an ooze, can use it to melt any locks or weaken chains."^[2]

"Next one," he points at a glass vial with what looks like balls of ash, "Sootlings, you can tell them to cause a distraction or carry something."^[3]

"Last," the tiefling shakes the small strange ball on a string, "use to communicate with me if we get separated.^[4] Hopefully, that gives you some options in case you run into any trouble."

Zarius looks at the side of the cargo ship. "Try not to get seen or caught if you can help it. Time to get this done." With that, the tiefling jumps over the rail and his boots stick to the side of the vessel as he scales it up to the top deck.^[5] He ties off a rope and throws it down for Vail to use.^[6] 

---

[1] Potion of Shadows
[2] Oozeling
[3] Bottle of Sootlings
[4] Talking Head
[5] Spider Silk Boots
[6] Rope

Vail stretches out his gloved hand, letting snow land in his open palm.

“That’s what I thought, you seem the type. I much prefer this, at least there is a reward at the end of it. Have you ever taken the time to watch dawn break across a snow-covered field? It’s truly picturesque, makes the cold worth it.”

His gaze turns to the large cargo vessel just off their ship’s portside, it looks like he would have to cut this conversation short.

As Vail rises, a large sliver of wood breaks off the crate below him. Apparently, his seating was even cheaper than he thought. An idea pops into his head as he picks up the sliver as well as a bundle of snow, pocketing them together in the right-side of his coat.

An hour of operation time, more than enough for a job like this, it seems Zarius had listened to his requirements at the very least. He’d have plenty of time to observe the guards and figure out their routines before moving towards the storerooms. Any lantern on board would serve as a proper fire starter and each guard likely had one on them if they couldn’t find a spare.

He lets a small sigh as Zarius tells him to not kill.

“I already told you I don’t do wetwork, the only one that might kill someone here is the fire.”

He inspects each item the tiefling hands him before stuffing it in his coat. Quite a bag of tricks Zarius had, he hoped the tiefling wasn’t too reliant on them.

“I wouldn’t live this long if I could get caught-”

He cuts his own sentence off as he watches Zarius scale the side of the ship. He wondered how it felt to walk in those boots, maintaining a proper balance was probably a pain in the ass, humanoids and spiders are rather different in body shape after all. He takes hold of the rope and quietly ascends upwards, masking each step with the groans of the swaying boat.

Zarius waits for a moment just below the top deck, listening to the sound of a patrol of guards walking by before he hops over the rail. The coast was clear for the moment, but they couldn't linger anywhere for too long. He waves down for Vail to follow as he silently heads to the stairs which lead down below deck into the hold of the ship.^[1]

The interior of the ship is dark with only a few intermittent lanterns hanging from the supports of the top deck above their heads. A slick layer of frost coats most of the surfaces in the frigid space. Canvass tarps are draped over crates and barrels to protect the contents from sliding around and moisture as best as it can given the weather conditions.

Setting things ablaze would be a little trickier than the tiefling had hoped. They needed to find some especially flammable cargo to get this started off on the best foot. 

He quietly whispers to Vail. "I will take the left side, you take the right. Look for oil, flour, or other dry goods."

Stalking over to the left side of the ship, Zarius starts searching amongst the cargo and peeking under the tarps at the various goods aboard the ship. He keeps an ear out for any patrol coming down the stairs and also keeps half an eye on Vail in case the human makes any signals...or does anything shifty. 

As they search, the sound of footsteps get louder from behind a door on the same deck they are on back towards the stern of the ship. Zarius ducks behind some cargo and uses the other sphere on a string to message Vail.^[2]

"Someone is coming up from below."

---

[1] Silent Step
[2] Talking Head

Vail scans the top deck of the ship, or rather, what little he could of it. The blizzard was both helpful and a hindrance, limiting the sight of everyone atop the vessel. It was to their advantage; the idle eyes of any guards were less likely to catch movements in their peripheral.

He gladly lets Zarius take the lead. Honestly, he was surprised the tiefling was leaving his back open to him. He was unarmed sure, but one swift kick could send the tiefling tumbling down the stairs while also stirring any guards lying below. He dons a small smirk as he follows, trusting someone not to backstab you went a long way in this business, he was getting somewhere at the very least.

The cargo had quite a layer of frost atop it, no doubt the blizzard’s fault. It would likely be quite a mess for the crew to clean up once it was all melted. That is of course, if the ship wasn’t totally aflame itself.

He begins his search with multiple objectives in mind. Flammable objects were top priority, but it would be quite a shame if anything of value burned up with the ship. Zarius was well off, his complaints would fall on deaf ears if he dared to lecture.

His eyes fall on a medium-sized crate near the front of the vessel. It had a simple lock adorning it, no doubt something of value laid in store. Withdrawing the splinter from earlier, he carefully maneuvered the wood through the lock^[1]. The melted snow had soaked the wood thoroughly, adding to its flexibility. Even so, this required a gentle hand, it had taken years to master this technique and he had jammed plenty a lock in his trials.

A smile comes across his face as he hears a small click, the lock dropping into his waiting palm. The smile breaks as he opens the crate. Rather than the treasures he was expecting, his eyes met various foodstuffs, likely locked away from any hungry guards on board. He stuffs the simple lock into his coat as he digs through the crate. It was what you would expect for this kind of trip, long-lasting foods for the harsh environment of the Mesa. He stuffs some dried meat into his coat, a snack for the road after this job was over, before spotting some flour, his greed had paid off after all.

As he grabs the bag, his ears catch movement from below. The sounds were moving away from him, towards the stairs by the stern. He hastily reseals the crate as he hears Zairus's voice.

"Way ahead of you." He replies sternly into his sphere.

His feet pivot, moving lightly as he ducks between several barrels. He sinks into a sitting position as the shadows wash over him^[2]. Good thing they still had plenty of time, he might be sitting here a while.

His ears catch two sets of footsteps entering the room.

---

[1] Lock Pick
[2] Pass without a trace

Two guards enter the hold from down below. One carries a lit oil lantern which brightens the area, light reflecting off the moist surfaces, and the cargo casting various shadows across the interior walls of the vessel. 

"Blasted weather," the one with the lantern remarks, his breath hanging in the air and small ice crystals forming on the ends of his scruffy black beard. "At this rate we'll all be frozen solid before we even leave the harbor."

The other guard, a shorter dwarven man with an even thicker beard that has braids tucked into the front of his heavy leather coat, rubs his nose which has turned red at the tip from the cold. "Quit yer whining and focus on the job."

The man with the lantern shrugs his shoulders dismissively. "Just saying, they don't need all us here. No one is crazy enough to do anything in this god forsaken blizzard."

"Yer getting paid either way."

"Almost ain't worth freezing my arse off."

The pair move down the aisle of crates, the sound of their boots on the slick wooden floor boards loud and heavy. As they near where Zarius is hiding, he turns invisible when the light passes over where he would have been seen.^[1] One of the men pauses for a moment, and swings the lantern over the area to scan for anything unusual while the other continues towards the stairs up to the top deck. 

Pausing at the base of the stairs, the dwarf looks back at the taller man. "C'mon, I can't see shite without the light. I'd rather not slip up the stairs."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Content with his sweep of the area, the man with the lantern walks over to their compatriot and ascends the stairs with him.

Zarius sighs and continues his search, eventually finding a few barrels of oil. "Finally." He starts to carefully shuffle the barrel across the floor over to some other cargo which hopefully will catch fire and burn well. 

---

[1] Invisibility

Vail sat quietly as the two men talked, it was a situation he was oddly used to. Stowing away aboard ships kept him out of the elements during his travels across Charon. He took great pride in his patience, a few days at sea was just a long rest for him, something that was quite rare in the chaos of Darkveil. He’d been lucky enough to have rather safe voyages, the one time he was found occurred on a merchant ship as he was sleeping. The passengers took it quite well surprisingly, letting him stay aboard for a small price; he even got to wander the ship like any other passenger. They must have been well traveled to give a dark intruder like him a chance, he wondered how they were doing.

Judging by the guards' conversation, they were paid security. Made sense, using the Pale Army for such work would likely draw too much attention. Still, it sounded like there was a full security detail for this vessel alone. There was definitely money in endeavor. No doubt the tiefling would be digging deeper into this expedition after the operation was over.

As the guards approach Zarius’s position, Vail reaches into his coat for the Bottle of Sootlings. If they were going to get discovered, they should at least get the jump on these guards. His fingers wrap around the bottle as Zarius vanishes before his eyes. “Nice trick.” He thinks to himself as his fingers loosen.
It seems Zarius wasn’t as tool dependent as he let on.

Once the guards leave, he rises to his feet, holding up the bag of flour as he does.

“Found this among some other foodstuffs, should burn nicely.” he says in a hushed tone.
He begins to spread the flour across the drier cargo, forming a trail that they will be able to ignite as they make their exit.

As the bag empties, he turns to Zarius with a stern expression.
“What’s our timetable looking like? I doubt those two will stay topside for long judging by their moaning. We either have to slip past them on our exit or wait for their return depending on our remaining time.”

"Perfect. Good job." Zarius gets the barrels of oil into place next to some more flammable cargo and goes about making sure to move the frost covered tarps well away so they couldn't be thrown over any flames easily by the guards once the blaze starts.

He looks at Vail as he shakes the last of the flour from the sack he had found. "Things will move quickly once we start the fire. The other ship should be coming back around in the next few minutes, but we may have to wait a bit after the panic spreads just to ensure they do not put the fire out." There were a hundred and one things that could go wrong at this point if they weren't careful. If nothing caught fire fast enough, or if nothing burned well, the guards may be able to get everything under control. Zarius makes a point to find any empty buckets that are nearby specifically for such an emergency and punch holes in them using the tips of his knuckle knives.

As he goes about sabotaging the buckets, he keeps his voice low as he describes the next part of their plan. "For now, you go to up top and keep an eye out for the patrol. If the patrols are a good ways away from the stairs, signal me and I will light things up. Find a place above deck to hide until you see the other ship pull around. If we are lucky, we can slip away without any fuss."

With their plan clearly communicated between the two of them, Zarius gets into position near the end of the trail of flour. They had to do this before the patrol returned, lest they notice things had changed in the hold. He looks over his shoulder at the man he was putting a lot of trust in. If Vail really wanted to he could sabotage this whole plan easily, blow their cover, escape on his own, and leave Zarius on the flaming ship with the angry guards. It would be very easy to accomplish at this point.

"Think you can handle it?"

Vail maintained a stern posture as he listened to Zarius.

Something about the tiefling’s words made him feel uneasy. Sticking around as the panic broke out wasn’t his style, he much preferred to be long gone by the time his crimes were found. Part of him felt concern for the tiefling, the man was clever but there was no way he was taking on multiple guards if they tried to put out the flame. A dark thought crossed his mind, the kind born out of desperation, of a need to survive no matter what it takes. He looked down at the simple lock hanging in his coat. He didn’t like it, but it might help. One thing needed to be certain, it wouldn’t be him making the decision.

“Got it. By the way, I found this on one the crates.”

He throws Zarius the lock. As the tiefling catches it, he motions his head towards the door to the lower deck.

“I’m sure you get the idea, only use it if you really need it. It’s not on my hands.” He says coldly as he turns and begins walking up the stairs.

The first obstacle was the door to the top deck of the ship. If anyone was patrolling the deck, they would likely see the door opening and investigate. He dims the light hanging next to the door as he waits for the blizzard to pick up, the flurry would cover the door opening from any peering eyes. He cracks the door, just enough to peek a single eye, and scans the top deck. The two guards from before are nowhere to be seen, the lantern light would be a dead giveaway even in this storm, so they must be in the harbor. He slowly maneuvers his way outside, making a full scan of the ship before returning to the door. Not a single light in sight. Could mean a multitude of things, either way now was their chance burn and turn.

He descends the stairs slowly and peeks his gloved right arm around the corner into the lower deck. He gives a thumbs up before clenching his fingers into a fist and simulating a pop with his fingers. He hears the flame ignite as he reascends the stairs, a smirk adorning his face. It appears that Zarius got the idea.

Back on the top deck, Vail sits down next to wheel of the ship, giving him ample view of the harbor while also residing above the stairs to the lower deck. His eyes make out a small disturbance on the snow crested sea, likely their ride out of here. Just as he breathes a sigh of relief, his ears catch a muttering on the wind. It was the human guard from before, he was returning alone, likely to retrieve something. As the man steps on board the ship, Vail downs the Potion of Shadows^[1], he needed an ambush to match a merc of this size. As the man begins to approach the lower deck, Vail breaks into a sprint and jumps off the railing in front of the wheel.

“This is for your own good buddy.” he thinks to himself as he clenches his fist.

He comes down swinging, the guard only looking upward for a brief millisecond as Vail’s shadow passes over him before taking the full force of the falling fist^[2]. Vail lands on all fours next to the guard, who was surprisingly still standing. He quickly sweeps the guard’s legs, knocking him off his feet and sending his head slamming into the ship’s deck with a hard thud. Vail stared for several seconds before relaxing his stance, the guard was out cold. Hopefully no one heard the impact, but if they did, they might mistake it for a bad fall; it was rather slippery on the cold deck after all.

He drags the guard towards an ice covered patch of the ship, staying low as he does, before sneaking back towards the wheel of the vessel.

---

[1]Potion of Shadows
[2]Bare Hands

Zarius looks at the lock Vail tosses to him. The man didn't need to explain what it was for, and he didn't need to tell the tiefling it was a last resort. They weren't here to murder all these hired hands and sailors. Sinking the vessel was enough. If they could help it, it would be best not to orphan any children or widow any wives this night. 

He pockets the lock with a nod. "With luck, it will not be necessary." He says simply before letting Vail head off to scout the upper deck. 

Waiting for Vail to give him a signal, Zarius keeps an ear open for any trouble from either above or below. So far, so good. Seems that Vail was actually a man of his word, he hadn't gone out of his way to sabotage this job or get Zarius caught which he appreciated. It's a few minutes before he spots movement out of the corner of his eye. Vail's gloved hand gives a thumbs up. 

The tiefling flexes his fingers and blue flames spark and lick off his finger tips.^[1] He puts his hand against the trail of flour and oil and lingers long enough to ensure it is going to catch and burn. Standing up from crouching, he turns invisible and quietly makes his way to the stairs as the fire spreads.^[2,3]

Ascending the stairs and stepping out onto the slick deck of the ship, everything seemed calm, though any moment that could change as the plumes of smoke begin to billow out of the hold of the vessel. Zarius perks up at the sound of the one of the patrolling guards returning to the ship. Before he can act, he sees Vail sneak up on the man and knock him out. 

"Well done," Zarius says into the orb he holds. "Our pick up is almost here."

Just as the tiefling starts making his way across the ship to where their ship would come and retrieve them, voices from below the ship start to echo and shout. About time they noticed their goods were all going up in flames. There's a number of door slams and the sound of heavy bootsteps running across the decks below their feet. 

"Come on." He steps over to the rail and makes sure they have a clear path down to the vessel when it pull up next to the cargo ship. 

---

[1] Art of the Burning Fist (1/3 post duration)
[2] Invisibility
[3] Silent Step
[4] Talking Head

“Better to handle him out here rather than on the stairs.” Vail replies as he leaves the unconscious guard.

His ears pick up a mixture of sounds coming from the inside of the vessel, the fire must be burning well. He was unsure how Zarius ignited the cargo. Probably some tool or magical bullshit, it didn’t matter, as long it burned.

As he began to walk towards their ride, a loud crash bellowed from within the ship. Unfazed, he continued his exit until a new noise joined the ruckus. It was screaming. The floor of the cargo hold must have given out, scattering the blaze atop anyone unfortunate enough to be dwell below.

His eyes widen, he can feel his heart racing, the numbness of his arm begins to spread throughout his body. “Dammit, why now...” He mutters as his sprints as fast as can. He can feel his legs becoming less responsive with each step he takes, his mind solely committed to getting off this ship as soon as possible. As he reaches the rail, he puts his remaining energy into clearing it, casting himself into the waters below as his own inner darkness envelops him.

For a moment, there was silence, a pure blackness depriving Vail of any stimulation. It lingered for an incomprehensible amount of time, his mind trying and failing to count the seconds as they went by. Until suddenly, there was light. Only... there was something off about it, it hung high above… It was the sun. His eyes were open, but his mind couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing. He stood atop a ark stone, the kind he’d only ever seen in one place. It was Drakolt, he was back in the Ash Lands, but something was off.

“Are you going to tell us who you’re working for, or do we need to give you a permanent makeover?”

The voice came from behind Vail, he turned to witness a moment he had long forgotten. Two men, one human and one tiefling, held another much younger man down on his knees. He recognized the two older men; they had served under his father, the names escaped him, but he knew he wasn’t wrong.

A spot of clarity formed in his mind; he’d been here before, early into his time in the family. Rumors of a mole were running rampant and his first mission upon joining was to corner it, a task which was as much a lesson as it was a test. It didn’t take him long; a week of shadowing his comrades gave him everything he needed to expose the culprit. Their courier had been duplicating letters sent between family capos, making a hefty profit from rival families while simultaneously enticing distrust within his own.

Since he was the newest member, as well as the one who caught the rat, he was forced to attend the interrogation. He remembered how this went, he had stood, facing away from his comrades. The screams alone painted a clear enough of picture of the deed transpiring behind him. He had done his best to try and forget that day.

Yet here he was, reliving the event, only details were wrong. This was Mount Drakolt, there was no way he’d ever seen a sky this clear so close to the volcano. He begins to notice more inconsistencies. His right arm was wrapped, an action he took only after he’d left Darkveil. The vog had no effect on him, despite his lack of protection, he should at very least have trouble breathing. In his confusion he turns to witness the horror he’d previously only heard. The two men had lowered the courier’s head, pressing his face into the heated rock of the volcano.

As the young man screamed in agony, Vail began to feel something for the first time since awoke in this haze. A warmth enveloped his face, growing rapidly till it reached an excruciating level. Vail fell to the ground, clutching at his facial scars in an attempt to subdue the pain. His mind was fighting his senses, his fingers finding his flesh unscathed as the searing sensation radiated through it. His mouth opened wide but no sound came out. No matter how he writhed, the feeling wouldn’t relent. His eyes shut in protest and his mind was once again pulled into the still darkness.

Zarius looks back at the sound of the collapse and screaming. "Damn," he hisses under his breath. That was not the intended outcome but there was little they could do about it without risking their cover and their own lives. 

He spots Vail making a break for the railing. Wait, was he panicking? Their pick up ship hadn't pulled up yet. They needed to wait a little longer before they tried to disemba- FUCK. The idiot just threw himself overboard. Zarius rushes over to the rail and looks down for Vail in the dark cold water. Shit. He can't see him at all from here. 

The shouting from below gets louder as the guards on the ship start to climb out from the wreckage in order to escape from the ship. He didn't have time to linger aboard the ship either, so he hops over the rail and starts making his way down the hull of the ship using his boots.^[1]

Even when he gets to the water level and casts his flaming hand across the surface of the water, he can't see Vail anywhere. This is bad. This is very bad. The water is freezing cold and there's no way the young man could survive too long in it. There is a large possibility that he went into shock when he hit the surface of the water and is now unconscious and drowning. 

He feels a heat rising in his own body and his breath that hangs in the air turns dark with black smoke. He pulls the goggles hanging around his neck over his eyes.^[2] The burning sensation which he has become all too accustomed to in the past few weeks rises in the back of his throat before he takes a quick breath through his teeth and plunges into the water. 

The water is frigid against his skin and quickly soaks through his layers of clothing, weighing him down and pulling him under into the dark gloom of the harbor. The flames engulfing his hand flickers and spurts trying to fight for existence.

He glances about and just manages to make out Vail's form sinking into the depths. Kicking his legs, he dives down and manages to grab onto the young man's clothing and hook and arm under his armpit. He tries to drag him back up to the surface, but the combined weight of their heavy winter clothes drag them down further from the surface. 

Zarius' lungs feel like they're going to burst as he struggles. The gleam of his golden eyes flicker blue behind the glass of his goggles as he loses his breath and a burning heat overtakes his body.

Meanwhile, the captain of their little vessel pulls around and looks about at the deck of the cargo ship through their spyglass with concern. 

"Damn, where are those two?"

The sound of two heavy thumps hit the deck of the man's small vessel and he jumps around in surprise to see Vail sprawled out on the ship's deck and Zarius doubled over and coughing up water and plumes of black smoke as blue fire licks off of his soaked body. For the briefest of moments, the flames flicker into the form of wings before dying in the wind.^[3]

"Fuckin' Ginma's fuzzy horse ass, are you two lads alright?"

"Just get us out of here." Zarius breathes and coughs before checking on Vail and trying to resuscitate him.

---

[1] Spider Silk Boots
[2] Sun Sparked Goggles
[3] Harbringer of Evil (1/topic)

Vail’s eyes shot open and immediately stared at Zarius. His body hastily rises to its feet and maneuvers itself towards the forward of the vessel. It holds an aggressive stance, eyes wide open, staring at both the tiefling and the captain. His head is tilted downwards as water leaks from his open mouth. It’s not long before the water is replaced by steam, which begins to radiate not only from his mouth, but from across his entire body. His hands open and close, shifting between fists and a claw-like stance as he continues his unwavering stare. The captain keeps Zarius between him and Vail as he maneuvers the ship away from the harbor. Screams from the cargo ship linger on the wind as they depart; Vail’s breathing increases in pace with each wail that meets his ears. The steam soon stops radiating, being replaced by a steady breath that one would expect in this frigid weather. His eyes remain solely focused on the tiefling in front him, his body ready to move at the slightest inclination of aggression.

The situation stood at a standstill as the small craft moved gently through the water, quietly leaving the carnage of the harbor in its wake. Eventually, the sounds of the chaos dissipated, leaving only the crash of the waves around them. Vail’s arms slowly lower as his stance relaxes, his eyes continue to stare at Zarius until his head suddenly drops downward.

Light reaches his mind as he suddenly feels the sensation of the cold air on his skin. He looks up at Zarius with a bewildered expression, his eyes move quickly to take in the situation. A few seconds pass as he looks out to the sea behind him, the lights of the Pale City are barely visible through the blizzard. His left hand reached to his face, his skin was warm, but not on the level of the inferno he had previously experienced. With a sigh he walks towards the middle of the deck, taking a seat on one the crates aside he did during their arrival. With a solemn, distant look in his eyes, he turns to Zarius.

“Thanks...” he says in a staid tone.

His eyes returned to the black sea; he needed some time to readjust. His body was oddly warm, but utterly exhausted, as if he had run several marathons. If not for his racing mind, he surely would have passed out by now. That memory... it felt fake, but those sensations felt so real, as if he was the one who was tortured that day. Why here and why now? Was it those flames? All he had were more questions he wouldn’t find any answers for. He stared into the sea below, his dim reflection showed that his face was, at the very least, unchanged.

As his body came to rest, the pains of hunger started to set in. It was heavier than he expected; whatever occurred while he was unconscious took a lot of him. Another sigh escapes his lips as his eyes begin to close, until suddenly, he remembers the dried meat he took from the cargo. He hastily opens his coat. “Come on, give me a break for once...” he mutters to himself as he digs through his pockets. His eyes lighten up as he finds his chewy treasure. He pulls several slices from his coat as a smile breaks across his face.

He begins to lift his loot towards his mouth before pausing and turning to Zarius.

“Want some?” He asked the tiefling earnestly as he extended his hand towards him.

Zarius sits back and holds his ribs as he coughs up more smoke. He keeps Vail in the corner of his eye, but given the man was up, he must be at least somewhat okay. He didn't have much time to focus on the young man in his current state. The tiefling hacks and gasps as he pushes himself to sit against the railing of the small vessel. He closes his eyes tight and tries to focus on clearing his lungs of the thick cloying smoke that burns his lungs and throat. It hurts. It's painful. Slowly but surely he manages to steady his breathing and gets a few breathes of cold air to flush out the scent of brimstone. 

He wheezes a bit before looking over at Vail as the man speaks. "Do not mention it."

After a few more moments of breathing and regaining his bearings, the tiefling gets to his feet and looks back over the rail at the blizzard. The lights of the city were already far behind them and the burning ship couldn't be seen. They probably wouldn't know if they succeeded or not until the following day when news of the incident spread. At least they probably put small dent in the settler's plans.

It didn't appear to have been a set up, or if it was, they had managed to avoid getting caught up in whatever trap was set for them. The tiefling would still keep an eye on the ongoing situation and have his network keep an ear out for any whispers. 

He looks at Vail as he offers him some of the not-so-dry-anymore pieces of meat. "No, thank you. Care to explain why you threw yourself from that ship?"