Sounsyy watched as the young Miqo'te examined her hand. She let her wrist become limp so that he could manipulate it to get a better view. It stung slightly, but it was a dull pain that she could handle. His assessment of her dreams intrigued and annoyed her. An ancient artifact wanted to return to the bottom of the sea? Good riddance.
"I'm visited by enough revenants of times lost. I neither want nor need five-thousand year dead ones to invite themselves. Yer young, though I don't claim to know what ye've been through, but sometimes yer dreams are yer last bits of yerself what're truly you. Yeh don't want them taken over."
Truly, the Captain had always been haunted by disturbed dreams, twisted memories of long dead friends, happier times, and sometimes imaginary places in the sea that at once soothed her and horrified her. But after all these years of living within her twisted dreamscape, she had grown used to this sort of trauma. These new demons were unwelcome. She had enough to entertain.
She took her hand back and massaged her skin with her other hand. A little bit of color and life had returned to the pale skin beneath the bruising. She looked at her finger and regarded the ugly injury with a scowl - one more blemish to hate. The way the tip was wrinkled and blanched white from the cauterization made her sick. It brought her back to Carteneau, where everything was aflame. These were the kinds of memories she lived with. What did Sounsyy see when the red sun rose? She saw the red sky over Ala Mhigo, when her nation was in flame after the fires of resistance were lit. What did she see as the sun blazed across the roiling waters? She saw the firefights of Carteneau. Garlean artillery booming from the smoke, crystals dancing with firelight. What did she see as the Roehmerl's sails caught wind and bloomed outwards? She saw the standards of her nations - Limsa Lominsa and Ala Mhigo - flapping in the breeze as she charged against Garleans amid her unit. Those blank eyes still saw many things, even if they seemed blind to the present.
"In time, it will heal, but I cannot rest it. There is work to be done. Which, as we arrive on the topic, I'll be takin' yeh under wing fer the day. P'welro will need time and some space. Not all scars can be treated by a chirurgeon's touch. Bear that in mind," Sounsyy said and began climbing down the mast, using her left hand as sparingly as possible. She landed gingerly upon the deck and set about untangling herself from her harness. She beckoned for him to follow her down.
By now much of the crew had surfaced and set about their daily tasks. Today, only a few cleaned deck, while more resources were devoted to the maintenance of the hull, masts, and cannons. Word had been passed along of the growing danger. The crew was once again on high alert, like how they behaved that first evening. P'welro and Marjanie were nowhere to be seen and did not return above deck. Some time passed before Eighty-five and Forty-three were roused and escorted to their duties. Cwaenlona and Sixteen headed the maintenance efforts to the ship. It was clear that this crew was highly functioning without their captain's directive. All were able bodied sailors and veterans who knew what needed to be done and did it. On the open seas, disaster could make waves at any moment. They all had to be ready.
"Seventy-seven, we're headed into hostile waters. Yeh were free to enjoy the beauty of the morning, but I must needs urge yeh to consider the open sea as a place of danger, first and foremost. Yer team is new to sailing, and more so new to our methods. I think it'd be pertinent to run our strategems and maneuvers by yer group so yer not at a loss. I expect yer all combat veterans, in yer own ways, however, aboard a vessel, the battlefield is ever changing. There is no such thing as steady ground. A rocking boat can misplace unweary footing, as can the movements of yer crew on one end of a vessel affect the balance of those athwartship."
Sounsyy suddenly gave a shrieking whistle with her mouth and those on deck snapped to attention. She looked about at Jonathans group, the only people on deck not standing at attention. She smirked and gave another whistle blast, this one was lower in tone and held for two whole notes.
"Yer fractured group operates together on the premise that ye've all had similar training in similar combat scenarios. To most of yeh, this field will be foreign, these strategems alien. Yeh may act as a cohesive unit to those among yer people, but I cannot use yeh as a cog in mine own vessel. And so yeh pose a danger to me and mine. Jada!" Sounsyy called, and the Quartermaster slinked up from below decks into the morning sunlight. Her dark skin shivered off the morning seaspray, but her icy blue eyes remained locked on the captain, awaiting her orders. She held a bushel of weapons over one shoulder.
"Yer first lesson," Sounsyy began without so much as a glance at her Quartermaster, "Is offense is left to the Helmsmen. If we are boarded, our struggle becomes defensive. Fer this, we use long pikes to harry invaders. Cannoneers aboardship take the brunt of the fire, and close in fer close range, occupying those what get past a spearhead. Ranged get on high and pick off stragglers or key targets. Our priority is to defend our Helmsman and our cannons. While my crew will also prioritize these things, I'd like yeh four to bear the brunt of that task."
Sounsyy gave a short nod to Jada Moui, who set the weapons down in response. She withdrew two Maelstrom Issue shortswords and handed one to Ryanti and one to the Captain. She withdrew two more and handed one each to Sixteen and Eighty-five. She knelt down to the pack of weapons and made as if to draw a fifth shortsword, but Sounsyy spoke.
"First drill, come, show meh what yer group can do," Sounsyy charged suddenly - her shortsword held like a stinger, ready to strike! The crew came to life in that moment, moving in her direction across the ship, causing it to lean heavily to port. It was to simulate rough waves, but a dozen veterans charging in a solid line athwartship at Sounsyy's battlecry was enough to throw just about anyone off their guard. Sounsyy reached Ryanti and made to swing upwards at Ryanti's bare chest, but feinted to one side and pivoted to ram her elbow into Eighty-five.
Jada, who had remained crouched, stood now withdrawing a long pistol from the pack. She held it aloft so that it was visible if the four weren't distracted by Sounsyy's attack. She gave a count of two before she fired the first round at Fhruhsunn. The hulking man had his eyes closed, but kept steady. If he would speak, he'd either have been cursing or praying. His face was difficult to decipher. Jada reloaded and made to fire another shot at Fhruhsunn as Sounsyy violently engaged the group with her blade.
The crew shifted once more, to change the level of the field. Sounsyy adjusted easily, and tried to swipe out the legs of someone who didn't with the flat of her blade.
"I'm visited by enough revenants of times lost. I neither want nor need five-thousand year dead ones to invite themselves. Yer young, though I don't claim to know what ye've been through, but sometimes yer dreams are yer last bits of yerself what're truly you. Yeh don't want them taken over."
Truly, the Captain had always been haunted by disturbed dreams, twisted memories of long dead friends, happier times, and sometimes imaginary places in the sea that at once soothed her and horrified her. But after all these years of living within her twisted dreamscape, she had grown used to this sort of trauma. These new demons were unwelcome. She had enough to entertain.
She took her hand back and massaged her skin with her other hand. A little bit of color and life had returned to the pale skin beneath the bruising. She looked at her finger and regarded the ugly injury with a scowl - one more blemish to hate. The way the tip was wrinkled and blanched white from the cauterization made her sick. It brought her back to Carteneau, where everything was aflame. These were the kinds of memories she lived with. What did Sounsyy see when the red sun rose? She saw the red sky over Ala Mhigo, when her nation was in flame after the fires of resistance were lit. What did she see as the sun blazed across the roiling waters? She saw the firefights of Carteneau. Garlean artillery booming from the smoke, crystals dancing with firelight. What did she see as the Roehmerl's sails caught wind and bloomed outwards? She saw the standards of her nations - Limsa Lominsa and Ala Mhigo - flapping in the breeze as she charged against Garleans amid her unit. Those blank eyes still saw many things, even if they seemed blind to the present.
"In time, it will heal, but I cannot rest it. There is work to be done. Which, as we arrive on the topic, I'll be takin' yeh under wing fer the day. P'welro will need time and some space. Not all scars can be treated by a chirurgeon's touch. Bear that in mind," Sounsyy said and began climbing down the mast, using her left hand as sparingly as possible. She landed gingerly upon the deck and set about untangling herself from her harness. She beckoned for him to follow her down.
By now much of the crew had surfaced and set about their daily tasks. Today, only a few cleaned deck, while more resources were devoted to the maintenance of the hull, masts, and cannons. Word had been passed along of the growing danger. The crew was once again on high alert, like how they behaved that first evening. P'welro and Marjanie were nowhere to be seen and did not return above deck. Some time passed before Eighty-five and Forty-three were roused and escorted to their duties. Cwaenlona and Sixteen headed the maintenance efforts to the ship. It was clear that this crew was highly functioning without their captain's directive. All were able bodied sailors and veterans who knew what needed to be done and did it. On the open seas, disaster could make waves at any moment. They all had to be ready.
"Seventy-seven, we're headed into hostile waters. Yeh were free to enjoy the beauty of the morning, but I must needs urge yeh to consider the open sea as a place of danger, first and foremost. Yer team is new to sailing, and more so new to our methods. I think it'd be pertinent to run our strategems and maneuvers by yer group so yer not at a loss. I expect yer all combat veterans, in yer own ways, however, aboard a vessel, the battlefield is ever changing. There is no such thing as steady ground. A rocking boat can misplace unweary footing, as can the movements of yer crew on one end of a vessel affect the balance of those athwartship."
Sounsyy suddenly gave a shrieking whistle with her mouth and those on deck snapped to attention. She looked about at Jonathans group, the only people on deck not standing at attention. She smirked and gave another whistle blast, this one was lower in tone and held for two whole notes.
"Yer fractured group operates together on the premise that ye've all had similar training in similar combat scenarios. To most of yeh, this field will be foreign, these strategems alien. Yeh may act as a cohesive unit to those among yer people, but I cannot use yeh as a cog in mine own vessel. And so yeh pose a danger to me and mine. Jada!" Sounsyy called, and the Quartermaster slinked up from below decks into the morning sunlight. Her dark skin shivered off the morning seaspray, but her icy blue eyes remained locked on the captain, awaiting her orders. She held a bushel of weapons over one shoulder.
"Yer first lesson," Sounsyy began without so much as a glance at her Quartermaster, "Is offense is left to the Helmsmen. If we are boarded, our struggle becomes defensive. Fer this, we use long pikes to harry invaders. Cannoneers aboardship take the brunt of the fire, and close in fer close range, occupying those what get past a spearhead. Ranged get on high and pick off stragglers or key targets. Our priority is to defend our Helmsman and our cannons. While my crew will also prioritize these things, I'd like yeh four to bear the brunt of that task."
Sounsyy gave a short nod to Jada Moui, who set the weapons down in response. She withdrew two Maelstrom Issue shortswords and handed one to Ryanti and one to the Captain. She withdrew two more and handed one each to Sixteen and Eighty-five. She knelt down to the pack of weapons and made as if to draw a fifth shortsword, but Sounsyy spoke.
"First drill, come, show meh what yer group can do," Sounsyy charged suddenly - her shortsword held like a stinger, ready to strike! The crew came to life in that moment, moving in her direction across the ship, causing it to lean heavily to port. It was to simulate rough waves, but a dozen veterans charging in a solid line athwartship at Sounsyy's battlecry was enough to throw just about anyone off their guard. Sounsyy reached Ryanti and made to swing upwards at Ryanti's bare chest, but feinted to one side and pivoted to ram her elbow into Eighty-five.
Jada, who had remained crouched, stood now withdrawing a long pistol from the pack. She held it aloft so that it was visible if the four weren't distracted by Sounsyy's attack. She gave a count of two before she fired the first round at Fhruhsunn. The hulking man had his eyes closed, but kept steady. If he would speak, he'd either have been cursing or praying. His face was difficult to decipher. Jada reloaded and made to fire another shot at Fhruhsunn as Sounsyy violently engaged the group with her blade.
The crew shifted once more, to change the level of the field. Sounsyy adjusted easily, and tried to swipe out the legs of someone who didn't with the flat of her blade.