The Codex Malum |::Haru::Shiva::|

[Shiva the Cat]

The two women glanced at each other at Byakko's explanation of the zoespiritum, neither one fully comprehending his words. Phaedra was busy trying to scan her memory for anything she might have read about the beings in the past, and trying to understand how the tiger could also be Elric. Robin was a bit more enlightened on the nature of the beings, but his talk about the Necelim only made her tilt her head confusedly. "But...Necelim aren't real," she said, although neither of the other two seemed to hear her.

The librarian's eyes were still fixed on the tiger as he bared his fangs, causing the mechanic to step back a few steps on pure instinct. Despite his beastly form, there was still knowledge and sensitivity in those startling blue eyes, and if Phaedra had felt any fear of Byakko it quickly evaporated. She even went so far as to reach a hand out towards him when he knelt before her, even though she wasn't sure why. And hearing him call her "Mistress"...it sent strange shivers down her spine, and not entirely unpleasant ones. But when the tiger reached for Robin, not her, she instantly dropped her hand and shook her head. What in the world was she thinking?

Robin smiled slightly as he touched her chin, but it was missing the warmth she usually showed Elric. It might have been the teeth, or the claws, or the fur covering his body (and to be fair, if he were a throw rug she definitely wouldn't mind throwing him down on the floor and laying on him naked), but somehow she couldn't reconcile the beast before her with the friend who had shown her such kindness over the last few years. Although she could now appreciate Elric for himself, the only reason she had offered herself to him was because he had reminded her so much of Grahn. The same messy blond hair, the same sharp jawline, arms that made her feel complete invulnerable to the rest of the world...but there was nothing of Grahn in the beast before her, and when he said they needed to go, she didn't hesitate to put plenty of distance between herself and him.

Phaedra was more hesitant to leave without him. She'd already abandoned Elric, she couldn't leave Byakko behind too. "We aren't that far from the ship, come with us," she said softly. "I told...my friend, back at the bar to get word to Madam Norilei. He's a reliable man, I know he won't let me down. But in the meantime, I don't think we should be separated."

"No, he's right. He'll draw too much attention to us. Come on, we need to tell Pops to get the engines started. All hands on deck," Robin cut in, hoisting her hammer back over her shoulder. She didn't wait for Phaedra to follow though, and took off down the street at a surprisingly hurried pace. It seemed she couldn't leave Byakko behind fast enough. Elric just needs to rest, and he'll be back soon she tried to comfort herself, quickly ascending the dock and disappearing into the airship.

Seeing Robin eager to leave her behind, the librarian cast one more hesitant glance at Byakko. "Don't take too long," Phaedra said finally before chasing after the mechanic. When she reached the top of the dock, she didn't following Robin into the body of the vessel. Instead, she hoisted her haversack over her shoulder and stood beside the stairs, one hand on her pistol as she waited for her Guardian.

 

[Haruchai]

​

It would be too difficult to convince Robin that the Necelim were real, so Byakko merely remained silent, though he quickly became keenly aware of Phaedra. She had reached toward him, then dropped her arm. She distanced herself from Elric, yet seemed fascinated by this form. Robin, on the other hand, seemed put off by him but was attracted to Elric. Neither woman seemed to yet understand that they were one and the same, or rather, that they shared the same body. Their personalities were different however, and they were two separate entities. This seemed to confuse them.

They both seemed eager to see that he and Elric were safe, so that was a pleasant thing, and Phaedra even told him to hurry. As they set off, he followed.

They were easy to keep up with and Byakko had to slow his normal pace considerably. Not only that but they were quite noisy. He wasn't worried about that however, and though he did believe the Necel that it was the only one, more could arrive at any time. So he kept to the shadows, and where the females took the winding stairs up to the airship port, Byakko climbed the framework, claws digging into wood as he stayed out of sight but ascended behind them. Near the top of the structure, close to the platform, was a tree, and he saw as Phaedra stopped and waited for her Guardian. Byakko canted his head to the side as he considered this. It seemed that, in her own way, Phaedra did care.

Dropping silently from the tree the absolute control he had over himself was evident, as even the timbers of the platform did not tremble under him, and he rose to his full height as he approached Phaedra. "I'm here. We should be off." he said simply, and he scooped her up as a mother would a babe, cradling her in his arms as he boarded the ship, ducking low to clear the hatch.

To Phaedra his fur would be quite soft, and he was also very warm, almost exceedingly so. His powerful heart beat in his chest, slow and rhythmic as he held her close and only set her down, out of the safety of his arms, once the hatch had been closed and latched. He stood there a moment in the large loading bay of the ship, the Captain on the bridge and Robin tending to the engines, and no other crew around. Byakko's voice was soft and deep as he spoke, his concern over Phaedra evident.

"Are you alright?" he asked, those eyes searching hers.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

A seed of alarm had sprouted in Phaedra's stomach and was spreading through her limbs. Where was Elric...no, Byakko she corrected herself. She still wasn't totally clear on the connection between the two, but regardless of what he called himself he was still her Guardian. Not that she doubted her ability to make her way north without him, but if anything happened to him...

Suddenly she felt herself being lifted and let out a soft gasp as she turned her face towards the tiger. "Oh...I'm so glad," she stammered, blushing a little and quickly looking away. "You ah, don't need to carry me though. I'm perfectly capable of walking." Though she had to admit, she was impressed at the ease with which he carried her into the ship. Clearly the taught muscles beneath the fur were not just for show. All the same though, she breathed out a sigh of relief when he set her back on the ground. She was even more relieved when the hatch shut behind them, hopefully shutting out any hidden pursuers.

"I'm fine," Phaedra said finally, holstering her gun. "I'm not the one who fought a Necel." She frowned slightly, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "How did it get into the city?" she murmured, more to herself than to him, then her eyes widened. "You don't suppose there are others, do you? Gods I hope Joshua made it to the Athenaeum all right. Norilei will know what to do about this." Although her voice was calm, there was no hiding the concern on her face, and she began to anxiously twist the owl ring on her finger.

At that moment, a strange humming began fill the walls and floor of the bay. "Oh...are we taking off already?" she asked, turning back to Byakko. "I'm afraid I don't really know the layout up here. Is there someplace we should be?" Although the hold seemed to have plenty of room, it wasn't exactly the most comfortable of lodgings. "We should probably find the captain, at least. I'm still not totally clear on our course or how long it's going to take to get north, and I think after today we need we need to plan the fastest route possible. Now that I've seen one of the Necelim...I'm even more afraid for Mateus."

 

[Haruchai]

​

Byakko could tell she was nervous, a little rattled, and he couldn't blame her. He set her down but stayed close, and he shook his head as she asked her questions. "I'm not entirely sure. I suspect it took the form of a normal person, like your Miriam. Necel usually slay those that they assume the form of, often by devouring them. But this is not necessary. They merely need touch a person. Yet they delight in the carnage of it all. It is hard to say whether Miriam is alive, but if she is, then it is most likely the true one. There are, however, plenty of others. This one told me it was an advance scout, the only one, and I believed it. At least for now. But that is not to say that others might not be entering the city soon." Byakko said, wishing in some ways that they could stay and fight. But if they could get word to The Athenaeum, then the Guardians there could defend it if need be. Surely the Necelim were not yet strong enough for any sort of prolonged conflict, and they'd only arrive in ones and twos.

Pausing for a moment as the ship lurched gently, he nodded that they were indeed taking off. "We should at least find our cabin and store our things. I wish to get out of sight. It is one thing for you and Robin to ave seen me, to know, but I'd rather not announce my presence to the rest of the crew. At least not yet. There are only a few guest cabins, and we should stay close, if not in the same one. I can find them." he told her, and unless she objected he would lead the way down into the belly of the ship, avoiding the few crew that it had, and seemingly familiar with the layout of the ship.

As he led her along he spoke softly. "We should definitely talk to Johan, though I would feel more comfortable if he spoke to Elric, and I am sure he would as well. If that is ok with you?" he asked, looking at her hopefully as he ducked low under another hatchway.

They soon found the cabins and each was actually quite large, holding a large bed, a desk and chair, an armoire and a place to bathe at the end of the hall. The furniture was all bolted down, save for the chair for the desk, though there was a place to affix it to the wall. "Bunking together or next door?" Byakko asked, turning those blue eyes to Phaedra.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

It was quite bizarre to see a beast of the wild leading the way through the identical, maze-like passages of the ship, but Phaedra was glad all the same that Byakko seemed to know his way around. She followed close behind him, trying to commit the turns to memory in the hopes of eventually learning her way around. "It's probably good you--er, Elric, I guess--was able to arrange passage for us on this ship then. With any luck we'll reach the Dragon Wood before that monster's friends fight out what we're up to," she commented, glancing out a porthole window as they passed it. Her stomach turned a little at seeing the ground and water of the bay falling away slowly below them, and she made a note to stay away from windows as much as possible until she'd gotten used to the idea of flying. "You don't suppose the Necelim have figured out the key to flight themselves, have you?" she continued, stepping far away from the porthole and picking up her pace to match his. That would be the last thing they needed.

Then again, if they could change shape...how would they even know if one of them had slipped in among the crew? Aside from the Captain and Robin, it was clear that all other crew members were strangers to her Guardian, not to mention herself. Mother of Ceto this is going to be hard she thought as Byakko led her into a good-sized cabin, not as luxurious as her quarters at home of course, but certainly more homey than those on the ships she was used to. The bed in particular looked very inviting, now that the adrenaline of the attack was beginning to die down a bit (though every now and then the ship swayed sharply, which spiked her nervousness somewhat). She had just set aside her luggage and gone to cover the porthole window with a heavy curtain, having no desire to see how far up they might be at that point, when she heard Byakko's question about lodging.

"Wh-what? Why would we bunk together?" she asked quickly, whirling around and hoping the dimness of the room would hide the color in her cheeks. To be honest, she didn't mind the idea of sharing a room with him, and even sharing the one bed probably wouldn't be unpleasant. His fur was so soft, and he had lifted and carried her so easily, she could practically imagine him throwing her down, his immense form covering hers...

This is ridiculous. You are NOT attracted to a fucking tiger. It's just been a hell of an afternoon Phaedra told herself sharply, quickly turning her back to him and continuing to unpack. Her fingers fumbled at the buttons of her coat, which, when removed, revealed a surprisingly trim figure. While she had never been fond of particularly bright colors or feminine cut clothes, her white blouse was perfectly spotless, the high collar opening at the front and cutting all the way down to where a molded brown leather corset cinched her narrow waist and firmly lifted and protected her full breasts (indeed, aside from the coat, which had been imbued with some magical protection, the thick hard corset was the only real bit of armor the librarian ever wore). While her hips were not particularly wide, the close-fitting black trousers she wore did emphasize the curves of her behind, which some subconscious part of her may have wanted Byakko to notice.

"Unless you can think of a reason otherwise," the librarian replied, finger combing her auburn curls after draping her coat over the chair. "I think separate rooms will be fine. But you're right about going to see the Captain. Is it a lot of work to bring Elric back? Not that I'm trying to get rid of you, or anything. Once we're settled in, I actually wouldn't mind speaking with you more. I've never heard of a...zoespiritum, you called it? I'd like to learn more about you, if that's all right."

She finally trusted herself to to face him again, but avoided looking in those blue eyes directly. They had pierced her badly enough in Elric's face, but in the eyes of a predator like Byakko they left her feeling vulnerable, almost naked under his gaze. "You're welcome to stay here until Elric comes back though, if you want to avoid being seen. I'll wait with you. I think I'd probably only get ten feet out the door before I got lost, anyway," she laughed slightly, opening her haversack and pulling out a small flask. After taking a quick swig of the spicy-sweet liquor inside, she felt a little bit calmer, but took a second swig regardless before stowing it back in her bag and sitting down on the bed.

 

[Haruchai]

​

Byakko shook his head as he latched the door, locking them together in the room for now. "The Necelim are consummate shape-changers. They can take forms that fly, and though their numbers were severely diminished, now that they seem to have returned there are only a few paths we can take to stem their full reunion on this plane. We need to find that Codex. It is the key to not only free their Chaos Queen, but it is the lock that keeps her at bay and can also lock away her sycophants forever. That is why they require it so badly. They can free her, and their brethren that were locked away as well." he explained, trying to get her to realize the gravity of the situation.

At her question of bunking together he looked at her pointedly as if to ask really?, but he quickly spoke. "For your protection of course. Between the two of us, that is my duty and my honor. The further I am away from you, then the longer it takes for me to reach your side should you need it. As evidenced by the confrontation in the tavern. That Necel might not have reached you with that first attack, and I was impressed with your reflexes. But she'd have slit you throat and likely changed into you to seek me out if I had not been there. We need to stay close. Though I will sleep in the next room if you require it of me." he said, and it was clear that Byakko was not one to mince words.

Of course, he had certainly noticed her feminine figure and despite the dimness of the light the blush on her cheeks stood out to him quite easily. He could hear her heartbeat, smell her sweat, smell her sex, hear the blood flowing in her veins, see the temperature of her and feel the weight of her on the floor. His senses crossed broad spectrums, and she could not hide from him. He could track her anywhere.

Considering for a moment he slowly shook his head. "It is no work to bring back your Elric, though I will need to rest and fall into slumber. I will retain this form as long as I stay conscious now. For days on end if need be, as this is truly my natural state. I have something that will help me with that, getting Elric back, but we should somehow speak with the Captain and the crew. I can ferret out any Necelim that might be among them, but only in this form. Elric's senses are not quite keen enough, as evidenced by Miriam."

Chuckling as Phaedra took a drink, he could smell the alcohol. But he did not blame her. That was a good idea in a lot of ways. His eyes narrowed and he said, "There may be a way to test them. Honey. Necelim cannot stand honey. It is sweet and pure and natural and they are forced to reveal their true form. If there is any honey, or even honeyed mead on board..." he explained, letting the suggestion hang there. It would be a way to test without him, and he could wake Elric.

"Shall we get some rest?" he asked, and he moved to sit on the bed, the frame creaking a bit under his weight, but most things on the ship overbuilt and over-engineered. Reaching into the pouch at his hip, he produced a nice pipe and a bag of pipeweed, called sativa. He tamped the pipe and soon was puffing contently on it, and holding it out to Phaedra to see if she wanted to smoke.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

Although Phaedra was finally starting to relax somewhat, Byakko's insinuation that she could not protect herself did prickle her somewhat. In one smooth movement, she drew her pistol and pointed it not directly at him, but definitely in front of his place. "Believe it or not, Guardian Byakko," a slightly sour vein ran through her words. "I have survived my entire life without your protection. While I appreciate your concern of course, I do not appreciate being condescended to, any more than I think you would appreciate being overlooked as being no wiser or more civilized than a wildcat of the woods. However," the librarian stowed her weapon again, then leaned back on the bed, stretching her legs out before her. "I do not wish to spend the evening arguing with you. Stay in here if you like. It doesn't matter to me either way. But I will not have you thinking me some first-year scribe who has never left the city and knows nothing more of the world than what is written in books."

Not wishing to say any more on the subject, Phaedra leaned forward and began to remove her tall, tightly laced boots. Once they were standing neatly at the foot of the bed, her hands went to her corset, which thanks to a series of buckles running in a line under her right breast, was much easier to undo. Had she been alone, she would have continued to strip out of her clothing, but with her Guardian right there (and apparently staying the whole night) she left her shirt and trousers on, although she undid a few of the buttons on the former to expose a few more inches of the bronze skin of her chest. It was getting warm in the room, almost uncomfortably so. She would have liked to open the window to let in a fresh breeze, but from what she had seen of it before closing the curtain it had appeared to be sealed shut.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while," she sighed, laying her corset on the table. "But I ought to start our journey log. I had originally planned to wait until we reached the Dragon Wood, but if we're already being hunted I suppose I won't be able to put it off." She pulled a small ledger and a graphite pencil from her bag, then sat down at the desk with her back to her guardian. "Go ahead and rest if you like. I'll lay down in a while."

Phaedra set about noting the events of the day, only pausing to look back when a strange, sweet-ish smell hit her nostrils. Byakko was still sitting on the bed, now smoking a pipe and still watching her with those blue eyes. What's more strange than a tiger in a hallway? A tiger smoking a pipe on your bed. The absurdity of it all. And yet, the scent of the pipeweed, his calm, thoughtful posture, and the silence of the room was all pleasantly nostalgic.

"My father smokes a pipe like that," she said finally, shaking her head in denial of his offer. "His smoke smells much worse though. He buys this horrible blue tobacco from somewhere up near Burrow. Mother can't stand it, and she won't abide him smoking in bed." Another small smile crossed her face. "If you set the blankets on fire, I will have to insist on you sleeping in a different room. The Necelim will end up disappointed if I end up burning to death in my sleep because of you."

 

[Haruchai]

​

Byakko bowed his head and looked at Phaedra as she spoke and then replied slowly and thoughtfully. "I meant no offense, Mis... Phaedra. I am positive that you can take care of yourself, yet The Athenaeum itself his trusted me, explicitly, with your protection. Not you yourself, nor anyone else. My intent was not to condescend. I have the utmost respect for you. Yet I must do as I deem necessary, not you, to ensure your safety. I promise to watch my tone however. I think it is wisest that I stay as close to you as possible. At least until we can determine who is or is not our enemy." he explained. "I know you are accomplished in your field, and have many years of experience. Your status tells me that. Forgive me if I made you feel slighted in any way." he continued, and then took another puff of his pipe.

Shen then showed a bit more skin, and Byakko closed his eyes as he relaxed. She began to write, and he could smell the parchment and the pencil, hear the small scratchings on the vellum. It was a comforting noise. Though Phaedra spoke once more and Byakko smiled. He knew the tobacco of which she spoke. It was strong, but had different properties than what he smoked. He chuffed in amusement at her words and smiled, hoping she could tell. "If I set the bed on fire I am an absolutely shit Guardian." he mused, and tamped out the now empty pipe of the few remaining coals and laid back on the bed after setting the pipe back in its' holder and slipping it back in his leather satchel. His chest rose and fell rhythmically and soon he fell asleep. He was feline and the warmth and comfort of the room lulled him to that state of relaxation, as well as the sativa.

Not long after his breathing slowed Phaedra would be able to watch as his transformation took place, Byakko shrinking, fur receding, legs snapping back almost sickeningly, but in just a few moments Elric lay on the bed, sleeping soundly where Byakko once was.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

"Now now, I'm sure you're not that bad," Phaedra teased gently, turning back to the ledger. "I might not be that popular at the Athenaeum, but I'm not so disliked they'd sabotage me with the worst Guardian in the corps."

Sensing Byakko was ready to rest, she did not say anything more but continued making notes of their experience, from the time they had received their assignment, all the way until they had boarded the craft. She made careful notes regarding all she herself knew about the Necelim, along with the bits and pieces that Byakko had mentioned, pausing in particular at the idea of using honey to ward them off. It made sense; it was considered one of the purest foods of the gods, though it might take some experimentation to determine the most effective use of it. Perhaps if it could be crystalized, and made into a protective amulet of some sort--

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud cracking noise. Turning quickly, Phaedra rose to her feet in sudden alarm as she saw Byakko's form shifting on the bed, jerking slightly with each crack of what she realized must have been his bones. There was no sign of pain on his face though; indeed, he seemed to be so deeply asleep he didn't even feel the transformation. Still, it wasn't pleasant to watch, and the librarian was grateful the entire process took less than a minute, and when it was complete, only Elric lay on the bed. Any sign of the tiger that might have lingered was gone entirely, except for the slight scent of sativa in the air.

The woman breathed out a sigh of relief, then carefully approached the sleeper, looking him over to see if he might have taken any damage in his fight with the Necel. As far as she could tell, all of the scars on his body were old. Very carefully, she traced her finger along the cross-shaped one on his cheek, wondering if it was as Byakko said: that Elric was not as strong a fighter as his alter ego. From what she could tell, Byakko hadn't had any scars on his body, although the fur may have hidden that.

Reaching into the pocket of her trousers, Phaedra pulled out a small silver watch on a chain. It read the time as nearly ten o'clock now. While part of her wanted to allow Elric to keep sleeping (he looked oddly vulnerable with those bright eyes closed), she was primarily concerned that the captain might retire for the night before long, and she knew she wouldn't be able to rest properly until she had at least some idea of where they were headed, and how long it would take to get there. She took her time to pull her boots back on and put on her coat, then sat down on the bed beside her Guardian and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Elric...Elric, wake up," she murmured, shaking him ever so slightly. "Elric...we should go see if we can find the captain, while we still can. If you can help me find my way to the deck, you can come back and go to sleep after."

 

[Haruchai]

​

To Elric everything was a fog. He awakened, though slowly, and Byakko now slept, though he recovered much more quickly, and would awaken soon. Elric could feel himself being shaken and those blue eyes of his slowly opened, Phaedra there... and safe.

"Oh thank goodness!" he exclaimed, and sat up and embraced her fully, breathing a sigh of relief. He had not doubted Byakko, but the last he was aware was the Necel attacking and him telling Phaedra to flee. He pulled back, hands on her shoulders. "Are you alright? Are you hurt in any way?" he asked, though he smelled no blood.

Only once he was sure she was alright did he nod and agree with her. "Yes, we should go and talk to Johan. Robin needs to know as well. We should also figure out a way to test the crew... just to be sure." he said, and in another few moments he was ready to go, staying close to Phaedra, his concern and his duty both clear.

The bridge was impressive, as one thought it would be, and Captain Berchtold was manning it, as expected. He turned as Elric and Phaedra would enter.

"Heard you had a bit of trouble." he said, looking over the rims of the glasses he now wore. A couple of crewmen were there as well, but they were busy keeping track of some gauges and some charts.

Elric nodded. "Sure did. Bad trouble. No time to mince words, Captain. The Necelim have returned and could be anywhere, or anyone. We need to test the crew. Yourself included."

Johan's gaze turned dark, and he was silent for many moments. "That's a grim request. I've vetted all my crew personally, and I don't appreciate the insinuation that any of them would be something that they are not." he growled. "You're pushing it, boy." he growled.

With a sigh Elric nodded. "I know it is a lot to ask, but it could mean the difference between life and death. For all of us, for more than us." he insisted.

That dark gaze softened a little, and those eyes flicked to Phaedra. "You agree that this has to be done?"

 

[Shiva the Cat]

When Elric suddenly sat up and embraced her, Phaedra could not have been more surprised if suddenly Byakko reappeared and ripped her arm off. She awkwardly patted him on the back and forced a smile when he pulled back slickly, still far too close to her face for comfort. "Wow, uh...I think this may be the first time anyone has been that happy to see me," she joked, then pulled out of his grip and rose to her feet, smoothing out her coat. "I'm fine though, Byakko took care of the Necel. We should probably talk about Byakko later, by the way. I have a lot of questions for you...him...whatever that situation is." She shrugged, unlocking the door.

Elric seemed to know the bowels of the ship just as well as Byakko had, and before she knew it they were standing in a huge open area reminiscent of the deck of a ship, yet fully enclosed and comfortably sheltered from the darkness outside. When she dared a glance out the huge windows, all she could see was blackness, and an immense number of stars filling the sky. A soft gasp of delight escaped her lips, her fears for the moment forgotten. Was this what it was to fly? By the Gods, how could anyone remain on the ground if it meant turning their back on this?

She was pulled out of her reverie by the voices of Johan and Elric discussing their current concerns. Turning back to face them, she nodded in agreement with Elric. "If a Necel has managed to board your ship, I highly doubt they'd stop at slaughtering Elric and myself. The Necelim are not known for their restraint," the librarian remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. "However, there is a theory--" Without witnessing the effects herself, she wasn't ready to take Byakko's idea as proven fact. "That the beasts may be sensitive to honey. If you have any mead in your stores, I think having everyone take a drink would be the best baseline we can run for now."

"Sounds great. I could go for a drink," a familiar voice purred, as Robin strode onto the bridge. Moving behind Elric, she curled an arm around his waist and rose up on her toes to bring her lips as close as she could to his ear. "Told you I'd find you. Glad you're back. The tiger wasn't doing it for me," she murmured, caressing his side for a moment before untangling herself from him and going to stand beside her father. "If Elric thinks it needs to be done, I can coordinate the crewmen to come up in shifts," Robin offered, leaning on the carved wooden rail (and offering the Guardian a very clear view of her ample bosom). "I'll even go first, just so no one feels awkward."

Phaedra rolled her eyes at the girl's insinuation, then turned her back to continue looking out the window again, perfectly happy to let Elric and Robin handle things on their own.

 

[Haruchai]

​

Phaedra seemed to convince Johan much more than Elric, for some reason, and he nodded his acquiescence. Elric breathed a sigh of relief and then Robin showed up. Wih a bit of a blush he turned his head to kiss her soft mouth, wanting to show her he was not only glad to see her, but that she was safe. Her hand was warm on his side, and his eyes followed her, settling on her ample cleavage for a moment, just as she intended.

Between Elric and Robin they did get together a plan, and the crews would come into the galley in pairs. That way no station would be without its' crew for very long and they could do the test quickly. The galley did indeed have honeyed mead, and though it did take a bit of time, they had soon checked the crew and all had been cleared of being Necelim.

The ship was still following the inland coast of the Bay, and they were well on their way toward Glitterhaegen. The crew were back at their stations, even Robin and Johan succeeding in passing the little test that Byakko had mentioned, though whether it was effective or not was hard to say. Without any of the crew testing as a Necel it was really difficult. So for now they had to trust.

The night passed and just before dawn the ship lurched to the side, throwing Elric against the base of Phaedra's bed. He'd heard that Byakko insisted that they share a room, but knowing that Phaedra didn't care for him much he decided to sleep on the floor. As he slammed into the base of the bed and woke up, a claxon sounded throughout the ship and Elric could hear distant shouting. Looking at Phaedra with concern he rose to his feet.

"The ship's under attack!" he exclaimed, and as he went to the door and looked out he could hear better. "Some sort of flying beast." he told her.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

Robin was amore than a little miffed that, despite kissing her in front of everyone, after the crew of the ship had been verified Elric did not follow her back to her own cabin, as she had intended. She had considered raising the issue with him, but after seeing how closely he followed his Ward and the serious look on his face, the mechanic had decided against it. Oh well, it was a long way to the Dragon Wood, and the librarian came off about as passionate as a dead jellyfish. The odds that the Guardian would make any advances towards her were slim to none, probably. After all, why would he waste his time seducing Phaedra when he knew damn well where to find a warm, willing body that could be his for the taking with just a look, much less a word? If Robin knew Elric (and of everyone on the ship, she could confidently say she knew him best of all), he would be slipping into her bed one of these nights eventually.

In the meantime, Phaedra had not slept much better. She was grateful that Elric had taken the floor and left the bed to herself (Byakko had not been quite as self-sacrificing, it would seem), but all the same it was still strange to sleep so closely to someone who was practically a stranger. Still, there was a faint hint of the scent of sativa on her pillow, and that calmed her enough to eventually let her drowse off near midnight, though she woke on several occasions wondering where she was and how she had gotten there, only to drift off and forget until the next jolt of the ship.

Because of the heavy curtain over her window, it was nearly impossible to tell the time of day. Thus she was even more confused when she heard Elric's voice breaking through the silence of the room, dimly echoed by shouting in the corridors outside.

"Mmm?" she murmured softly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, not fully aware of what was going on. "What do you mean, a flying beast?"

Stumbling out of bed, she moved as quickly as her stiff body could carry her to the porthole, where the blinding blue sky outside was momentarily cut off by a huge, leathery gray wing. The sight of it completed the work of jolting her into consciousness, and she took a few steps backward. "We should get to the bridge," was all she managed to say as she dressed quickly, then grabbed her pistol from under her pillow.

Phaedra did not possess the seemingly innate knowledge of the ship's layout that her Guardian had, but her memory served her well as she recalled exactly how they'd reached the bridge last night. There, they found the captain, several crew members, and unfortunately, Robin staring out the windows at a terrifying winged goliath circling the airship like a raptor about to strike at a songbird. From what she could gather of the crew's panicked chatter, the thing had slammed its full body, more than twenty feet from head to toe, into one of the rear engines. That was what had caused the jolt that had wakened them all from their early-morning slumber.

"Is that a fucking gargoyle?" Robin gasped, her green eyes wide in alarm as the creature drew back.

"It can't be," Phaedra cut in suddenly, pressing her face to the glass beside the mechanic. "They almost never cross the Walk, and they certainly don't go as far as the sea. They can't swim if they fall in. And besides, gargoyles--gojji, they're actually called--only top out at around eight or nine feet. That thing's at least three times as huge." Still, Robin had a point. The arms and legs weren't unlike those of a gojji, although instead of a face the behemoth seemed to have a bare skull, and its skin was smoother than it should have been. It was almost raw-looking, like several of the gojji's stony outer dermis had been peeled away to reveal fresh, bulging, veiny skin beneath. In theory, that should have been a good thing; the most difficult part of killing a gargoyle was piercing through its thick hide. Somehow though, the librarian had a feeling the giant would not be so easy to drive off.

"Thanks for the history lesson, Professor Who-Gives-A-Shit," the mechanic snapped. "Now how the fuck do we get rid of it?"

"Don't you have any cannons on board?" the black-coated woman looked from Robin to Johan. "Or are we completely unarmed?"

The mechanic looked hesitantly at her father. "Well, I have been experimenting with a couple things," she admitted sheepishly. Her father probably wouldn't be happy to know what kinds of experiments and inventions she'd been playing with in the hold of his precious ship. "There is a gun...type...thing, but to be honest, I don't know if it works. I haven't gotten a chance to try it. It's way down in Hold 9 though, it's gonna be a bitch to take it up to the deck."

"Maybe I can buy you some time," Phaedra answered, pulling out her pistol. "How do I get on deck?" She turned back towards her Guardian. "Elric, can you show me the way?"

"You cannot be serious. You're gonna try to bring that thing down with a peashooter like that?" Robin asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"I can at least distract it," the librarian snarled. "Unless you have a better idea."

The mechanic did not, and without another word disappeared from the bridge. Phaedra turned back to her guardian, her eyes surprisingly beseeching. "Will you help me?"

 

[Haruchai]

​

The two women chattered back and forth, and Elric saw the huge form outside the window as well. Soon Robin ran off to grab the weapon she'd been developing and Phaedra turned to him and asked for help. Elric gave her a nod and would lead the way to the deck.

As they moved through the corridors they passed by crewmen who seemed to be heading downward to lower decks, and they learned that the ships did have a way to defend itself, in a way. Pirates that flew the skies were becoming more common, though the weapons that the ship had were themselves repurposed weapons. Ballistae had been designed to fire huge bolts or spears. The ship had several, but they were now meant to help the ship with mooring. Each wicked barbed spear's haft had an iron loop at the end which rope was now affixed to. The crew would have to very careful in their aim, as the ship only had so many spears, and they'd still need to anchor at some point. They'd only be able to fire when the creature was broadside.

Soon Elric and Phaedra emerged on the topdeck, the wind here fairly forceful, and Elric turned to his Librarian. "So what's your plan?" he asked, just as a roar shook the both of them as the beast rocketed past, the gray skin of the gojji looking tattered. As Elric saw it for the first time, truly, he turned to Phaedra. "It's a Resurrected. It's going to be difficult to kill." he informed her.

Foul magics were able to bring back the dead at times. It was forbidden of course, to practice Necromancy, but it was still done. And of course the Necelim had no misgivings about employing such Dark Arts. Elric nodded at her clockwork firearm. "You have any shells for that thing that will hurt it?" he asked. His blades could, but then, he'd have to be much closer than this and he doubted the gojji would land for him.

A shriek split the sky and the beast tumbled in the air, plummeting toward the earth for a moment before regaining its' equilibrium. A massive spear now impaled its leg and a bit of rope hung from the end of the shaft, though it had obviously been cut. With an angry shriek the gojji charged toward the side of the ship and was then out of sight.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

The movements of the airship were growing ever more unsteady, and Phaedra was surprised how easily and quickly Elric was still able to move through the corridors to the topdeck. She managed to keep her own footing inside, but once he opened the door to the exterior she was nearly blown sideways with the force of the wind. Her hand gripped at the railing of the ship and she accidentally bent over, looking at the sea hundreds of feet below. The deep brown eyes went wide and she felt a wave of nausea engulf her, causing her to nearly drop the weapon in her hand. It took all the force of her will to push herself backward against the wall of the gondola, but even then her heart was pounding in her ears and faintness was threatening to drag her down the floor of the deck.

Keep it together, Phaedra she told herself, taking a few deep breaths and hoping Elric wouldn't notice her condition. Knowing him, he would probably drag her back inside in into the deepest depths of the ship if he thought she couldn't handle herself. Instead, she tried to focus her eyes on the sky, and the monster angrily swooping towards them.

"If it's undead, it should be susceptible to fire," she answer, rotating the barrel of her pistol. She'd loaded three different types of shells when she'd gone after him last night, and one of them was indeed a #3 Incendiary. "And even if it's not, if we can do some damage on the wings that should bring it down. If it really was once some type of gojji, their bodies are incredibly dense, and it'll sink like a stone once it hits water. The sharks and leviathans will take care of the rest."

After one more deep breath, like a diver about to plunge into a deep pool, Phaedra stepped away from the wall and began to run down the length of the ship towards the monster. Once on the bow, she raised her arm and carefully aimed the weapon at the beast, its hideous outlines clearer in her eyes than the rails and ropes about her, or the envelope above her. Letting out the breath she had held, she fired...

...a split second after a spear had buried itself in the monster's leg, jerking it out of her target range and away from her shell. "Fuck," she breathed, rotating again. Luckily, the shell had been a #0 Basic, a plain bullet she had hoped to test against the gojji's hide. She still had a #3 in one barrel, and a #1 Scatter in the other. In the meantime she would need to wind the mechanism again, but before she could get another shot the monster charged toward the bow, where the spear had originated. The ship spun like a bottle on its side and she crashed to the floor again, this time thrown hard against the railing. If it weren't for the closely placed vertical supports, she would have been thrown clear overboard.

It was harder to get to her feet this time, not out of pain (although she would have a couple nasty bruises across her shoulders and lower back later), but out of the swaying of the vessel that was making her head swim. Still, she staggered to her feet again, and continued winding the gun as she circled to the far side of the vessel, where the creature had gripped onto the side of the ship and was desperately trying to punch its way through the metal hull, although so far the body of the ship was barely dented. The creature didn't seem to notice her at first, probably because she was barely 1/4 its size. But when she pulled the trigger a second time, it looked towards her at the noise.

This time the bullet (the #1, to be specific) hit the target. Unfortunately, said target was the creature's bone-covered head, and while the shell did explode into a cloud of shrapnel as intended, it did nothing to penetrate the mask-like protuberance protecting most of its face. The one silver lining was that one of the tiny shards of metal did find the creature's left eye, puncturing it in a spray of disgusting green liquid. With a roar like a thousand screaming eagles, the gojji pushed off of the ship and shot towards the woman, one of its claw like hands extending in an attempt to snatch her from the deck. But with one eye blind now, its perception was off, and combined with Phaedra's yet again falling to the deck of the ship, it missed her completely.

Swallowing hard, she gripped the rail and struggled to stand, but it was no use. Her vision was going black around the edges, and she felt like she was going to vomit. "Elric...help me stand...I have one more shot..." she called weakly, not even sure if he could hear her over the noise of the wind and the creature's enraged screams. Yet against she tried to raise herself up, winding the gun and aiming again at the winged figure. All she had left now was the #3, then she would have to reload. And considering the chaos of the deck and her own failing coordination, it didn't seem like a good idea to attempt it here.

 

[Haruchai]

​

This fight, unless the beast landed on the deck, put Elric out of his element. He had no way to really attack the beast, as his combat styles was entirely based on melee. He was decent with a bow, but even if he had one, which he did not, the wind here would make it practically useless. So, he tried to help Phaedra in what ways he could, and yet the tossing of the ship made footing perilous. His sandals skidded across the polished deck of the ship as it lurched this way and that. the beast pounding on the hull of the airship. The hull seemed rather stout though, better built than he might have guessed, as the fists of the gojji hardly did a thing.

Which was good.

Phaedra got off a decent shot with her gun, and he heard the scream of the Resurrected as it climbed higher in the air, slashing at Phaedra though it missed as she was tossed to the deck. Elric drew nearer and he heard her cry, helping to steady her on her feet and wrapping one strong arm around her as his other hand gripped the railing tight, steadying them both, his feet wide to brace them. "I have you!" he said, speaking almost directly in her ear so she could heard over the wind. His arm about her tightened just a bit. "Take the shot when you have it. Steady yourself against me if need be. I'll hold you up."

There was no reason to disbelieve him and he felt solid as a rock now that his feet were braced and he held the rail. He seemed confident in her and his chin rested on her shoulder as he held her, ready to help her aim if need be.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

Everything seemed like chaos. Beneath the roar of the wind and the shrieks of the gojji, Phaedra could hear the nearest set of engines roaring louder, and louder...then sputtering to a stop. The ship stilled, and so did her body. A strong arm had wrapped around her and was holding her firmly, and she felt a sturdy body at her back supporting her. Even though her knees were still shaking, it felt impossible to fall now. So this is why people have Guardians she thought wryly, finally feeling enough air filling her lungs to clear her clouded vision.

"Thanks," she breathed, then raised her arm one more time. The gojji had wheeled around and was taking its own aim a the ship, although judging by its angle of incidence, the monster was not headed for the deck, but for the envelope overhead. Phaedra briefly glanced upward. While the monster hadn't been able to do too much damage to the hull of the ship, that had been made of sheets of thick metal. The air balloon overhead was another story. If the gojji's claws ripped through the fabric, they would all be going down.

"Here we go then," Phaedra murmured, pulling the trigger. The bullet was too small to be seen, but the fireball that exploded in the dead center of the monster's right wing was clearly visible not only to the pair on the deck, but to the eyes of the crewmen staring out the windows of the ship itself. The bulk of the beast suddenly dropped out of sight, although its screams had grown even louder. Sighing and letting her arm drop, the librarian leaned for a moment against Elric's chest and closed her eyes. Before her hand could relax entirely though, she holstered her gun. Then despite all of her better judgement, she opened her eyes again and looked over the rail, and promptly fainted dead away in his grasp.

The gojji was frantically flying in a clumsy circle below them, attempting to beat the out the flames with one arm, but dropping another ten or twenty feet with every jerk. Its wing was entirely engulfed now, and the fire was beginning to spread to its torso. Then in one last desperate attempt, the monster shot straight upward like a rocket in a last-ditch effort to crash into the bottom of the ship. But the impact never came.

Instead, a beam of blue light suddenly shot out from the bottom of the airship. Down in the hold, the same ramp that Phaedra and Byakko had used to board the ship had lowered, and Robin, secured by a series of leather straps tied to the frame and opening mechanisms of the ramp, was sitting on the floor, her eye to the scope of a bizarre glowing weapon, larger than a gun, but not quite as big as a cannon. Like Phaedra's, her own aim had been true, and a crackling beam of magic lightning burst from the barrel of the cannon and smashed into gojji's burning chest. Immediately, all motion ceased in the creature as if it had been frozen, and after seemingly floating in the air for an excruciating number of seconds, it finally plummeted down, crashing into the bright blue waves of the Midland Sea.

"Now that's a fucking gun," Robin grinned to herself, nodding to one of the crewmen watching her, astounded, and instructing him to shut the hold.

 

[Haruchai]

​

The Librarian's shot was good, and the gojji shrieked, the fire spreading easily, catching that ultimately frail skin on fire. It was a sound strategy, and Elric took note of it for later. The beast plunged, spinning out of control, and then the massive lightning beam from the cannon slammed into the enemy and finished the job. Elric smiled and shook his head, making sure that he got Phaedra back to safety even as Robin was closing the hold down below.

Looking at Phaedra Elric shook his head. "There's no way this is just coincidence. The enemy knows who we are, and also seems to know where we are going. I didn't divulge such information to the Necel back in Axis... so that means that it is very likely that The Athenaeum has been breached and there is a spy among us. If that is the case then we can't know who to trust. We'll need to stick with our own sources as much as possible. Even if The Athenaeum itself is not compromised, the Necel still somehow knew where to find us." Elric seemed rather disturbed by this, and his concern was plain. He looked to Phaedra to see if she had any other ideas.

The concern for their situation them immediately turned to Phaedra herself. "Are you alright? You performed quite admirably!" He had seen her the entire time and knew she was uninjured, but it was also becoming very apparent that she was not a huge fan of flying. He quickly changed the subject to something else so that she could focus on that instead of the fact she'd nearly plunged over the railing a time or two.

"How many different shells do you have for that?" he asked, gesturing to her now holstered firearm.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

For the next minute or two Phaedra drifted in and out of consciousness, unsure if her shot had been a dream or reality. But when her vision cleared she was back safe inside the ship, and she could hear Elric chattering frantically about the gojji. So it is dead then...that's good... the librarian blinked shook her head a few times. A sympathetic crewman, possibly the ship's doctor, pressed a waterskin into her hand and was gently urging her to drink. The water was cold but tasted good, and helped her come back down to reality a little bit. She didn't quite feel ready to stand on her own just yet, but there was an empty seat near the wall she managed to find her way to.

It was at that point her Guardian seemed to notice she wasn't quite herself, and she offered him a weak smile in return. "Well, I'm still alive, so that's a start," she replied sarcastically. After taking another drink of water, she focused her gaze on Johan. "No offense Captain, but I have decided that flying does not agree with me. I hope we can proceed to the Dragon Wood as quickly as possible, and that we may part as friends and never meet again, except firmly on the ground."

"Soooooo...there's gonna be a slight problem with that," Robin remarked as she strode confidently onto the bridge. She too smiled at Elric, although hers was a good deal more confident, and her wide hips were swaying with a bit more brazen swagger than usual as she went to her father's side. "I did a quick damage check, and we've got one dead engine and one on its last legs. They're both on the port side, and if the second one goes it's gonna do a number on the steering systems. We're gonna be stuck turning in circles until we can get at least one up and running again. I can maybe keep the weak one going on the spare parts we have in the hold, or if we let that one go I can maybe get the dead one back long enough to get to a proper port. Either way, we're running on borrowed time."

She pouted a little bit towards the Guardian. "Sorry sweetie, looks like I'm gonna be too busy to play with you for a while. And you," Robin turned towards Phaedra. "That was actually a pretty good shot at the end there. Guess you're not totally useless after all!"

"Thanks for the endorsement," Phaedra replied, her head hurting too much to bother rolling her eyes, but her voice had all the sweetness of rotting horseradish. "If we need to stop in a port, I suppose it couldn't hurt to pick up some more shells, if we can find an alchemist that makes them." She reached for the small box at her belt and counted its contents. Nine, plus an additional three boxes of eighteen shells each in her haversack. "So that puts me at sixty-three left," the librarian murmured, her mouth grim. "Most of them are 10s or lower, with maybe a half-dozen teens and two 20s. When I packed it seemed like a lot, but if we're being hunted, maybe it isn't enough. Guess I should have splurged for the six-shooter I was looking at too, instead of getting a nicer place to live."

But there's no use shutting the cage when the bird has flown away her mother always used to say. The tri-shooter she had, so the tri-shooter would have to do. And really, it probably would be enough, provided the next shots were fired with solid soil underneath her. Phaedra sighed again, then looked back towards her Guardian. "Thank you for all of your help, Elric," she said quietly, laying a hand on his wrist in an awkward attempt to express gratitude. "I'd like to say I won't inconvenience you like that again, but it'd probably be a lie. At least as long as we're up here."

 

[Haruchai]

​

The Captain chuckled softly and said, "If you visit the galley there's some special tea that will settle your stomach and get rid of your nausea. That's not an unusual malady on board, and I have it myself. I won't let it deter me!" he said, the last part spoken resolutely.

The news from Robin wasn't the best, and Elric actually did feel some disappointment. Despite himself, the dangerousness of this mission, and all the events that were now happening - he was finding himself rather wanting. As Robin apologized Elric nodded in understanding. "That's ok. I'm sure we'll have some time before everything is said and done." he replied, and glanced at Phaedra. It felt strange saying such things in front of his Ward, and yet, ignoring Robin seemed just as rude.

Robin gave a brief gesture to her father and left the bridge. Johan turned back to his controls, and adjusted a few things, the ship's engines settling into more of an idle as the vessel slowed so as to reduce what strain he could. That was when Phaedra thanked Elric.

"You don't need to thank me for doing my job. Besides... we're a team." he told her, and briefly patted her hand, wishing to reciprocate but also not wanting to draw a bad reaction from the prickly Agent. He meant what he said though, and had been happy to help. Hopefully most enemies wouldn't be encountered while they were hundreds of feet off the ground! That had been a new experience and one he really didn't want to relive. He gave Phaedra a small smile. So far the airship had not had the same effect on him, but he realized she needed to get some rest. "Let's get you down to the galley and see if they have some of that tea, ok?"

Unless she objected he would indeed lead her belowdecks and find the galley by following his nose. The cook there seemed to be expecting them and presented Phaedra with a steaming cup of an aromatic tea, which was actually quite good, unlike a lot of other medicines. Elric knew that the tea could also have a soothing effect and make a person drowsy, so he let her hook her arm though his and would lead her back to her cabin.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

All the medicines in the world could have not cured Phaedra of her lightheadedness and disorientation faster than hearing Elric practically proposition Robin right in front of her. Unbelievable...he's flirting now, of all times? Well, she had read things about how adrenaline spikes caused by nearly dying could put one into an amorous mood. Indeed, hadn't she experienced that herself the night before with Byakko? What was she upset about then? I mean, I'm right here...and what did that have to do with anything? Surely she didn't want to be the one Elric was thinking of...in that way.

Did she?

"Yes, I think a cup of tea would be lovely...although I wouldn't say no to a brandy either. Even if it is before noon," Phaedra joked awkwardly, jerking her hand quickly out of her Guardian's grasp and turning her back to him. She was still a bit unsteady on her feet though, and was grateful Elric led the way with no apparent hurry. The crew was a different story, and all around them men and women were coming and going, trying to assess the damage and making what repairs they could. There was some peace in the galley, where the cook already had tea brewing for her, although he had to apologize: alcohol was to be dispensed on the captain's orders only, and they didn't have brandy anyways.

"It figures," Phaedra muttered to herself, sipping her tea and avoiding looking out the large window that provided the galley with plenty of natural light. There was still no sign of the gojji or any other airborne followers, but that provided little comfort. Elric was right; someone had known they were on board, despite their apparent last-minute decision to travel on the airship, instead of through more traditional means. Of course it was possible the creature meant to follow them across the sea no matter what type of a vessel they took, but then again she and Elric could have just easily taken an overland route, at least as far as Glitterhaegen. Maybe they should have dared the Bitterwood after all; it might have made them harder to track. "Regardless of who's watching us, we need to figure out how they're doing it," she murmured as she drained her cup. "I need to go through some of my books," the librarian added, turning back to her Guardian. "I can find my way back from here, if you...have other matters to tend to." Like Robin.

But of course, he would not leave her, even going so far as to offer her an arm as they returned to her cabin. When they passed a mirror along the way, Phaedra had to admit she wasn't surprised. She looked like death warmed over, her usual rich brown skin having taken on a sick grayish hue that emphasized the dark circles under her eyes and the hint of lines around her mouth, and her wavy hair windblown into a cloud around her head. No wonder he preferred her she thought grimly, opening the door of her cabin then turning back to face Elric.

"Listen, Elric..." she began slowly. "Now that we're settled in, I don't think it's appropriate we continue to share quarters. At best it's unprofessional, for me at least, and at worst it's disrespectful to Miss Berchtold. I know if I were in her position, I would not like my..." the words seemed to catch in her throat. "Well, if I had the same relationship with you that she does, I wouldn't like it if you were sleeping in the same room as another woman."

Smiling slightly, she patted the empty gun in her holster. "Besides, I think I've proven to you I can look after myself somewhat at least, yes? I don't mind if you want to stay in a cabin nearby, I'd just prefer some walls between us, at least at night. You can understand that, can't you?" Finally Phaedra stepped aside and into her cabin, sitting down at her desk and opening a book she had left on it the night before. "You can go ahead and gather your things and see the about other sleeping arrangements for yourself. I have some research I'd like to address for now. I can send for you if I need you."

Actually, as soon as he was gone from the room, she intended to lock the door and throw herself on the bed. Either the exhilaration of the morning, the effects of the tea, or some combination of both was quickly sapping her energy, but she knew she would not be able to rest properly until the boundaries had been firmly settled between Elric and herself, though for some reason she wished they were unnecessary.

 

[Haruchai]

​

Elric escorted his Ward back to her room after her disappointment with the lack of alcohol being doled out in the galley. Taking her back to her room she expressed her desire to room separately, and under the circumstances, and knowing how awkward she already felt about him, Elric had to agree. "I understand. Here, let me give you this." he said, and he reached into the satchel at his side and produced a whistle. "Just blow that whistle and I'll come running." he told her, and would press it into her palm. His bright blue eyes were on hers, and serious, but he left her to her own devices and turned away to give her her space. Taking the room just across the hall he set his pack and weapons aside for awhile to hopefully get some rest.

----------​

The ship carried on in near silence, running toward Shadow Port, where they docked in about eight hours time. The city wasn't as large as Axis, but had a certain seedy underbelly that Axis simply did not have. Though the outward presence of the city was quite polished, it was a well known fact that the city had a vast criminal element. Still, if one knew the right people then a lot could be accomplished and about anything could be bought or sold.

The ship docked and Robin was off with one of her engineers to buy parts, even though they'd landed in the wee morning hours. As soon as the ship was still it roused Elric from his rest and the Guardian went across the hall to see if Phaedra was awake and feeling well enough to set foot on solid ground again.

He knocked softly on the door. "Phaedra? You awake?" he asked.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

Phaedra's long fingers curled around the whistle tightly, feeling the resonant warmth of his hand in the metal. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," she replied, gently shutting the door in front of him and turning the mechanical lock that would hopefully buy her an hour or so of peace and quiet to decompress from the morning's experience. But instead of going directly to bed, she instead rummaged in her haversack and produced a length of thick leather cord. After stringing the whistle on the leather, she tied the ends and pulled the cord over her head, tucking the whistle inside her shirt and between her breasts. Satisfied that the item was secured, she finally laid down on the bed and slipped into black unconsciousness.

***

When the librarian it was midafternoon, and she was feeling much more like herself. After venturing out in search of a cup of stronger tea (and leaving Elric to his own devices in the meantime, not really wanting to know what--or who--he might be doing), Phaedra returned to her room and once again began poring through the books she had brought.

One in particular was an history of the last Necelim Wars, fought more than a thousand years ago. Heroes from the Midlands and beyond had led the armies of King Varfolomei first against the shapeshifters' stronghold in the Cairnwood, and finally slaughtering the survivors' last colony at Omen, where the good king himself succumbed to wounds received while beheading the last High Priest of Cel. I highly doubt Queen Tamara would be so valiant the librarian thought as she turned the page. The current ruler and descendent of Varfolomei, while a good diplomat and generally well-liked ruler, was not overly fond of venturing beyond her capital city, and the idea of the motherly woman donning armor to fight the beasts in the open field was downright laughable.

Still, she ought to be notified. But could the Athenaeum be trusted to send such a warning? If not the library, then who? Suddenly, the danger of their mission seemed to expand far beyond the fate of poor Mateus (and at the idea of him, Phaedra's heart twisted a little in fear for him, and guilt for having thought so little of him since meeting Elric). It would be very optimistic to assume the creatures were only concerned with the affairs of one lone librarian, and optimism had never been one of Phaedra's strong points.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts and reading she didn't notice the knock on the door, and only looked up when she heard Elric's familiar voice calling to her. "Yes, just a moment! The door is open," she called back, shutting the book and rising to her feet. Glancing out her porthole window she noticed the light had started to fade into early evening, and it occurred to her that she hadn't eaten all day. The librarian was pleasantly surprised to see though that the ship had already descended and docked into what she guess might have been Shadow Port. Phaedra had traveled on other ships that put into that harbor, but had never ventured beyond the docks.

"I didn't even realize we had landed," she remarked, turning back to face her Guardian. "Do you know how long we'll be here?"

 

[Haruchai]

​

There had been little for Elric to do, as Phaedra needed her rest and Robin was busy keeping the ship aloft so they didn't crash. So he had stayed in his room, meditating and resting. Once they arrived in Shadow Port who knew what might happen. The ship landed, waking him, and he'd went to get Phaedra. She told him the door was open, but he still waited several seconds before opening the hatch and peering in. Fully stepping in as she spoke he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"We could check with the Captain, but even if Robin finds the parts quickly, I imagine that it will be quite some time before the ship could leave. I doubt they'd leave without us anyway. But we can go check with Johan if it will make you feel better." he offered. Elric had everything he needed and once Phaedra was ready they could disembark. Johan, if they checked with him, informed them that the repair itself would take about eight to twelve hours, and that was once she found the part - and who knew how long that would take. Also, the crew were quite shaken by the attack from the Resurrected, so Johan had given them leave. They'd be here at least 24 hours.

Thanking the Captain for letting them know Elric would walk off the ship with Phaedra. "Feel good to have solid ground under your feet again?" he asked, a soft smile on his face. He'd been able to see and also feel her unease on the ship at times. Not all the time, but she didn't seem overly fond of the portholes. "We should probably wait a few hours for you to adjust, then grab some food. But if there's other things you'd like to do, let's get that done first." he told her, quietly discouraging her from food or especially alcohol just yet. But all he could do was advise, and sometimes keeping your Librarian safe from themselves was part of the job.

Looking toward the city proper from the raised airship dock, Elric's sharp eyes picked up something a little odd. The regular ship docks below them were a bit sparse, and there were some white tents set up that seemed to separate the docks from the surface streets of the city. Elric pointed. "Doesn't that look strange to you? I wonder what's going on?" he mused, then looked to Phaedra. Maybe she'd be more informed or know if something was going on. Of course she'd arrived here the same as him, but Librarians were known to hold all kinds of bits of knowledge.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

Phaedra shook her head. "That's all right, I trust your judgment," she remarked, pulling on her coat and smoothing down her hair. "I could use some fresh air and a bit of a walk though. Shall we go see what the port has to offer?" Picking up her satchel from the bed (and already having reloaded her pistol, just to be safe), she slung it across her chest and was about to step out of the room when she realized she was still wearing her spectacles. Blushing a little, she quickly removed them and tucked them in the case on her belt, then followed her guardian out the door, locking it firmly behind her.

The airship dock of Shadow Port was similar to that of Axis, but all the same she didn't truly relax until her boots were firmly planted on the cobbles at the foot of the dock. The relief on Phaedra's face must have been quite dramatic, considering how Elric felt the need to comment on her apparent gratitude at having good solid ground beneath her. But she really was so pleased she did not even bother snapping a barb back at him, and instead only shrugged and stretched her arms over her head. "I can adjust to being on land just fine. It's that infernal machine I fear I shall never be fully comfortable with. How do you manage it so easily?" she asked, tilting her head curiously at the blonde man.

But the sounds and activity of the busy port soon drew her attention away. "It would be nice if we could find an alchemist so I could see about getting more shells. And we may want to consider getting our hands on a supply of honey for ourselves. I'm actually curious to see if I could load a bit into some hollow shells. It might be more effective against the Necelim themselves than the other types. Once thats taken care of though we should see about supper. Nearly dying does give one an appetite," the librarian commented. She was feeling a bit more talkative than usual, but perhaps that was a side effect of nearly dying as well. At the very least it would fill the awkward silences that always seemed to descend when she was alone with Elric.

There was nothing silent about their approach to the heart of the city however. Indeed, there seemed to be a growing crowd near a small series of white tents. Phaedra frowned and narrowed her eyes. "They almost look like quarantine tents. But what kind of port authority would allow ships to dock if the city was under isolation orders?" She tried to think back to recent bulletins and if she'd heard any unusual news out of Shadow Port. It was an isolated burgh as it was, cut off by the sea on one side and the Bitterwood on the other. The port itself had started as a stronghold in the ancient days to fight the Necelim and other terrible things that dwelled in that cursed forest, but in recent decades it had grown due to its convenient location on the shipping routes between the north and south shores of the inland sea.

"Let's go see what's going on," she said slowly, approaching the nearest of the tents and ensuring the Athenaeum crest was visible on the breast of her coat. "Excuse me," Phaedra began, tapping the nearest official-looking person on the shoulder. "Would you mind telling me what's going on here? My partner and I have Athenaeum business in the city." Not exactly true, but then again any business of theirs could technically be considered Athenaeum business (as was so often made clear in the librarian's expense reports). "Are we able to enter the city here?"