The night was deep, and the streets were still. Clouds drifted through the roads like phantoms, and the stars glittered when the clouds broke, however briefly.
   The docks that surrounded the large, floating city were quiet. The air ships, that resembled pirate ships from story books, floated creakily. In truth, it was a peacful, and boring night.
   Until the whistling of Patrol Officers echoed down the streets, and the quick pounding of footsteps were heard. Two figures dashed through the shadows, and ducked through side streets, running in the direction of the docks.

   Jane ran as fast as she could, her blood pounding in her ears, and her breath coming in gasps. The road was slippery, and she slid a few times, almost loosing her footing. No heads peeked out of the doorways, and all of the windows closed. Nobody wanted to be caught out when the Patrol was looking for someone.
   Those someones turned out to be Jane, and her brother. Turning to look over her shoulder, she set eyes on her brother, "Hurry!" she whispered harshly, her voice almost lost in the piercing sirens, "We'll hide at the docks." she ran on, taking a sharp corner.

Mordecai Lewin grunted in frustration, then nodded his ascent to follow. He ran behind his sister Jane, glaring at windows and alleys as they passed. He fingered the handle of his father's axe as the sirens came closer.

   Jane ran with her brother behind her, and the docks came into view. She made for any ship, and the one that she came up to was anchored to the ground by way of a thick rope. "C'mon!" she began to climb the rope, and the ship bobbed ever so slightly. Peeking over the rail, she glanced over the deck, before slipping over and landing quietly.
   Turning, she leaned back the way she came to make sure that her brother was right behind her.

Mordecai shimmied up behind her and rolled over the side onto the deck. He jumped to his feet and checked himself, then peered around the deck. Looking for anyone that could give them away. He glanced at Jane, nodding.

   Jane nodded back, and leaned against the railing in a crouched position. She sat as still and silent as a statue, as the sirens and lights moved farther and farther away. Releasing a breath that she realized she'd been holding, Jane slowly stood up and whispered, "Alright, lets-"

  "Can I help you?" interrupted a quiet voice behind them. Standing there was a tall figure, backlit by the light of the city on Sanctaphrax. Long red hair swayed as he flicked back the wide-brimmed hat on his head, and sharp green eyes glared down at them, belieing the gentleness of his voice. A long jacket brushed the back of his legs in the chilly night wind as he stepped forward, its edge blowing back to reveal the hilt of a cutlass, thick and curved. "There are no stowaways aboard my ship, so I suppose you two must be sight-seers. Sorry, tourist hours ended at sundown."

Mordecai turned and regarded the man standing above them, then he stood straight up and faced the man, hiding his frustration at being caught. With the calmest voice he could muster, Mordecai addressed the man. "Good evening sir, we understand that your time for tourists is over. We are what you might call... customers? We would like to purchase passage on your vessel, and-" Mordecai glanced at the docks below seeing the flashing lights sweep the area. "-would like to do it now." Mordecai put on the most confident smile he could and nodded to the strange man.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:21, Sat 17 July 2010.

   Jane put a hand on the long knife attached to her belt, hidden beneath her long black coat. She eyed the man distrustfully, and stood beside her brother. She waited for the rest of the crew to jump out and murder them, or at least throw them over the side.
   She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath, steadying her shaking legs after her hard run.

   As Mordecai spoke, an even taller man than the one who caught them loomed up out of the darkness. "Is there any trouble here, Captain?" A deep voice boomed, and the giant leaned over to inspect the two intruders, revealing very well muscled neck and shoulders.
   "No, Raff," said the captain, "Just a couple of..." he turned to them and grinned in a way that set goosebumps along the skin, "Customers. I'll warn you, passage on my ship isn't cheap!" he cried as he turned away from them, clapping his hands together and rubbing them vigerously. "Raff, grab them so they can't run away-- I mean, show them to their quarters."
   The huge man stepped forward, his impossible height and bulk almost dizzying. He set a hand the size of garbage can lids on each of their shoulders and started steering them forcefully towards the stairs to the sound of the captains laughter as he entered his cabin.

Mordecai struggled as much as he could in the iron grip of the large man, but it was no use. The man shoved them into a room more like a cell, then slammed the door. Mordecai jumped back to his feet and yanked on the iron bars in the door's window. He turned steaming, and punched the wall as hard as he could. "This is all my fault." He said turning to Jane. "I'm sorry, I should've seen him."

   Jane messaged her shoulder, and sighed, "It's alright, I'm the one who chose to jump in here anyway." she fell back against the wall, and slid down to sit. Jane leaned her head back to rest, "He said that it wasn't cheap... Do you have any money that I don't know about?" she tried to keep calm sounding, knowing that if she let her voice slip, her emotions would as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:52, Sun 18 July 2010.

Mordecai sighed. "I have a handful of gold coins I stole from a General store the night before, but I don't think it will do. He will probably throw us over the side, or sell us as slaves to someone." He wearily sat on the floor next to Jane.

   "You are such a ray of sunshine." Jane said sarcasitcally, sitting with her legs crossed. She reached into her pockets, and pulled out a handful of coins. Counting them out, she came to twenty seven. Shaking her head, she put the coins away, "Maybe we could get them to drop us off in some undertown or something..."

   After he dumped the intruders in a locked room, Raff went to the Captains cabin and knocked softly on the door. "Enter," came the call. Raff entered the dark room. In the light from the single window, he saw the Captain sitting on his bed with his head bowed. "Captain, what do you plan to do with those kids?"
   The captain was silent for a moment. "It's obvious they don't have any money. They were running from the Patrol. I think we'll take them with us when we sail tomorrow... we could use a few more hands."
   Raff shifted uncomfortably. "But Captain, the girl--"
   Captain Knight huffed, and pulled his hat off to run a hand through his hair. "Honestly, Raff. She can help Brax cook, okay? He'll be happy to have an assistant. And the kid can be the cabin boy. That position's open since Gunny got snapped up by Alex."
   Finally, Raff nodded. "Aye, Captain."

   Early that morning, before they let the kids out, they set sail.

   Jane woke slowly, and looked up from where she was curled up on the floor. The ship was moving. They were casting off! Jane sat up, and glanced at Mordecai, whom she thought was still asleep. She stood up, stiff after her long night on the floor, and walked to the small barred window that was on the door. Standing on her toes, she peeked out, but didn't see anybody. "Hello?" she called, her voice echoing down the narrow passage way. She frowned, not hearing an answer.
   She turned around to look back at her brother, "You awake?" she asked quietly, rubbing her lower back with her hands.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:44, Sun 18 July 2010.

"Was the whole bloody night." He said, stiffening on the floor. Mordecai got up and shook his head. "Not long before they come in here to keelhaul us, or have the big guy throw us off the side."

   Jane gave him a glare, "Why do you always come up with the worst case scenario?" she asked, leaning against the door and folding her arms. She shook her head, and silently thought about what he said and if he was right. She pulled her coat around herself with a shiver, "I think that they will..." she faultered for a moment, her eyebrows coming together with dark thoughts, "I don't know. But they won't throw us over the edge.

  "Don't be so sure." said a deep voice from the other side of the door as a key jangled in the lock and it was opened. The huge Quartermaster stood there, and gestured to them. "I'm taking you up to the deck, where the Captain will decide what to do with you."

   Jane glanced over her shoulder at her brother, and nodded, "Fine." she beckoned for Mordecai to follow, and stepped out of the room. She gulped, and realized that she hardly came up to the mans shoulder, let alone his elbow.

Mordecai followed with a grim set to his jaw. He wanted to fight the man, but he didn't want Jane to get hurt because of him. He didn't want to know what this 'Captain' wanted with him, he hoped it wouldn't end with either of them getting killed.

   Raff led the two forcefully up onto the deck, where the airship was in full sail. Men and boys were scrambling about, holding odd little cages with fire in them up to the big rock anchored in the middle of the ship. Ropes were strung everywhere, to pull up the weights and winches, to control the sails. The wind was in their favor, and they zipped along at a dizzying speed. The faraway ground whizzed by, creating a feeling of intense motion sickness to anyone not used to such travel.
   Once up on deck, the Quartermaster led them up a short set of stairs to a little balcony overlooking the whole ship. The helm was there, as well as rows and rows of levers all for raising and lowering the weights that controlled their altitude and speed. Controlling the boyancy of the flight rock was key in successfully piloting an airship.
   Standing at the helm was the Captain. His long red hair streamed back away from his face, and he wore a broad grin as his hands periodically flicked out to a lever and yanked, changing the movement of the ship ever so slightly so that the ever changing direction and speed of the wind didn't alter their course too much. He never took his eyes off of the sky before him, even when he reached for a lever. His gaze seemed to follow the wind currents, and he handled the ship with the kind of skill gained only from years of practice, combined with a natural aptitude for flying.
   Raff grunted to let the captain know he was there. Without letting go of the helm, he stepped aside. "Quartermaster, if you would...?" he said. Raff stepped up and took the wheel. The Captain brushed his hair back and pushed up a patterned bandana that had been hanging around his neck, keeping his hair from his face as he turned to face the two would-be stowaways.
   "Sleep well?" he asked pleasantly, bowing slightly as he gestured to the door of his personal cabin, galantly stepping forward to open the door. "In here, please."

   Jane quietly entered, folding her arms around her slightly queezy stomach. She walked in far enough to admit her brother, and the captain before stopping and standing with her chin up. She examined the red haired man with a critical eye, finding herself grudging him for the terrible treatment of the night.