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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Feb 18, 2023 15:51:28 GMT -5
It is hard to pick out, but Gerhart does catch just the barest hints of movement as Socket travels through the dock. It seems they are doing well holding up their end of the bargain. He just had to hold out a conversation just a little bit longer.
"We should be gettin' back though, captain's got a pretty tight schedule an' we should make sure everything is all right."
"Ah come on, it's nearly dusk. You guys aren't sailin' out in a rush like this...I'll buy the ales."
The two guards he is with look to each other, free beer is a tempting offer. "All right fine, but I gotta piss first." Before Gerhart can try and think up some excuse, the guard is turning and heading towards the dock to take care business off the pier.
KEE-KEE-KEE, Halcyon calls after getting the warning from Gerhart. He just had to hope Socket heard it in time to duck into cover.
Thankfully, the guard was entering onto the ship to nose about, but they would have to stay out of sight and be silent with how close to the boat he has gotten.
"Lazy louts fallin asleep, can't hire good help in any port these days." He grumbles to himself before doing his business.
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Feb 18, 2023 16:30:51 GMT -5
The sharp cries of the soaring Kestrel chime out in the evening gloom, a warning from Gerhart that the guards were milling about and in the area. Socket, already out on the water but close by, rushed over to the nearest pier. Once there, they found a decent hiding place beneath hewn logs that served to keep the dock above the tides and at a workable level for large ships and their goods. Each second felt like it stretched on endlessly as the construct crouched in the pitch dark, listening and watching as best they could.
Voices from the ship they'd just left, shouting, probably a guard from the dock itself rousing the drunken sailors once more. Socket had to act fast and immediately. Moving carefully from beneath the support structure, they raced across the water. They kept low, moving beneath the boards of the pier without so much as a creak or groan across the weathered boards. Though they hadn't discussed it, Socket hoped Gerhart would understand the second distraction they'd come up with hanging beneath the pier.
Taking careful aim, they fished a handful of small pebbles from the pouch tucked into an inner pocket. They tossed the five specked stones, spreading them out in a fan-like pattern that shot past Gerhart and the other guards, popping loudly with a bright flash against several large boxes of cargo. As this was happening, the automaton activated Bullet Dash, using the effect to mask it's casting as they shot forward under the pier. All they could do now was rely on the pair to keep themselves safe.
Reaching the end of the pier, Socket could hear the sounds of the guards, shouts to action as the horde scrambled to answer an unseen and unknown threat. They stepped out onto the open water once more, concentrating their senses to get a feel for where the Lightning Lure was in relation to their own position. Once aligned, the six ships presented their central structures as an offering, a fruit just right for plucking. This place was professional, and the orderly, neat arrangement of the ships was a testament to the skilled hands both on deck and dockside.
Some day Socket would return to this place and thank the workers in some small way for their diligence. As the commotion above turned to confusion, the crackle of thunder roared from the ships. A brilliant flash of blue-white light briefly outshined the moon overhead, and the sounds of wood breaking could be heard through the holds and hulls of each ship. A moment later, the seas greedily invaded the smoldering, splintered hulls now weakened from the spell. Each ship's deck heaved, then bowed inward toward it's center mast as the weight of the water and ruined internal support worked to break the ships in a slow, dramatic fashion. They watched the event from beneath the opposing pier, having dismissed their spells and perching on one of the angled supports below.
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The Expedition
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Feb 18, 2023 20:39:36 GMT -5
The genuine surprise of the loud popping rocks really helped Gerhart sell the act that he was just an innocent guy caught in the middle of all of this. Without a word shared between the guards, they immediately sprinted off to start barking orders.
"SECURE THE CARGO."
"GRAB WHAT YOU CAN."
"CLEAR OUT THE CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS."
Orders upon orders where shouted simultaneously and over each other as more people started to pour out of the nearby taverns to see what was happening. Gerhart jogged down to the dock to help do whatever he could. He was thankful that Socket had taken enough care to nearly eliminate the chance for injuries. There were a couple coming up from below deck hurt, but it seemed those stemmed more from the panic of rushing around and not the sabotage.
The captain pushes his way from the back of the crowd shouting over everyone else demanding to know what happened. Honestly, the amount and variety of expletives he used was genuinely impressive. It was a level of anger that was hard to imagine, but as the ships listed lower and lower below water line it makes sense.
Eventually, there is not much more Gerhart can do and he slips out from the crowd making a few apologies to the guards he spoke with about what happened. The ranger took a bit of a looping route back to the warehouse to make sure no one trailed him, Halcyon eventually drifted away from the town to hide for a bit as well.
"So glad I didn't mess that up for you, you put a lot of thought into that."
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Feb 18, 2023 21:53:19 GMT -5
Spotting Gerhart briefly in the hustle of the crowd, they moved off as well. Leaving the docks, they slipped into a side alley and changed outfits back to the simple grey cloak. The walk back was peaceful, and Socket reflected on how well it all went off in spite of the rush of a job. Gerhart's ability to adapt to a situation, even as it deviated in small ways, was impressive to the automaton. It looked as the crews had plenty of time to evacuate, but much of the cargo, and six very expensive ships were now going to rest peacefully at the bottom of the Frozen Docks for a while.
Rounding a corner, they hopped over a low wall and entered the warehouse through a side door. Gerhart's visage greeted them in the moonlit glow of the rundown building. Socket swept their hood back, a gentle crackling and tiny bolts of lightning passed between their ears for a few seconds before settling down. "So glad I didn't mess that up for you, you put a lot of thought into that." said the ranger, and the construct was glad to see them safely back as well.
"Your ability to recognize a situation, react to it, and improvise made it possible. Halcyon must be an incredible traveling companion. This was only possible because of the awesome adaptability and teamwork you both have. I'll always appreciate this, as will lots of folks on the other side of this unfortunate reality." Socket paused, going statue still as they realized how much this paralleled with their old life in an uncomfortable way... with one major difference, now it was their own choice to help one side over another, and to relegate how their abilities and magic were used.
After a few seconds, the soft glow of their form returned. Socket looked around for a second, having gotten lost in a moment of reflection and understanding. They had changed. Could this being, wholly independent of the limitations set in their creation become something new altogether? The question, and the chain of thoughts leading to it, had stunned Socket briefly.
"If you're ever in need of help, feel free to get in touch. Sorry for blanking on you there... I had a profound chain of thoughts that requires further reflection. Oh, right, before you go..." Socket took a loose board from one of the paneled walls, pulling out a small cloth pouch that jangled delightfully like coin. "Half the fee paid for the job, enjoy spending it and may your travels be swift and safe."
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The Expedition
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Post by Ser Gerhart Stanislav on Feb 19, 2023 0:24:54 GMT -5
Gerhart is about to tap on Socket when they go quiet a moment, pulling his hand back with a nervous laugh as the glow returns. His hands rest back on his swords to prevent them from doing that again.
"It certainly makes the work a lot easier having him around....glad to help out honestly. I'll admit I get a little lost in the business of the people at the top, it gets way too complicated, feels good helping the people who actually need it, ya know? Sure hunting things for rich guys fills the pantry, but this is actual good work."
He smiles brightly, bringing a hand up to decline the offer of gold. "You did all the actual work. I just shot the breeze for a couple minutes. I'm sure you'll put it to much better use than I will. It was good to meet you Socket, hope this wasn't the last time."
With a final grin he offers a hand out to Socket for a final shake before the two would eventually part ways.
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Post by Sumnes (Baelethir) on Feb 19, 2023 0:41:09 GMT -5
Socket shook the proffered hand, then stepped out into the night as they parted ways. Pulling the hood over their helm, they slipped quietly out of the city. Sticking around such a scene would surely draw unwanted attention, and there was always more to do. First, they traveled to report the success to the village council that had overseen the job. Next, they stopped off at their usual shop for supplies in the capitol.
Maintenance waited for no one, and the gleaming metals and minerals with their myriad of patterns and colors was a welcome weight to bear. Returning to the Marsh Flats for a few days of rest and to catch up on the work they'd surely accumulated while away would be a welcome reprieve from delicate, covert missions. New stories to tell Shion and Yukina also sounded fun, a way to bond further with their companions and work on training with the pair.
Most importantly, people seeking to harm others for their own gain were thwarted, at least for a time. Even wealthy merchants would be put out by the ship's loss. Something that big must take teams of shipwrights months to prepare the materials for, design, and manufacture. The goods, while not exceedingly rare, were pricy in large quantity and required expensive shipping to accumulate. Sailors too might not set out on those ships in the future, lacking surety they might some day return home for a rest from the weary, relentless onslaught of life at sea.
It was good to be headed home.
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