Part I.
It has been about five weeks since he had been gone from Rhy'Din and already he was dreading the return. He was oddly enough using the Sea Song, the once proud warship turned long line fishing vessel; now a mix between the two. Perhaps due to recent events on the seas -- he has been fed up with pirates and countries that bully the sea. Slowly the Sea Song geared her old metallic body into the Rhy'Din waters. Nearing the Merchants Harbor, she docked.
The planks are laid out and the cargo bay opened; four muscular females unloaded the cargo from the warship/fishing vessel. They were dressed in matching white midriffs (showing their toned abs) and black cropped pants. The brightly colored pine boxes, in orange with various precautions, were stacked neatly onto a carriage that was waiting on the dock, drawn by six black horses.
The other merchants looked amused at the ship, its preferred type of shipping, and its hired hands.
"We must be strong, we must be wise, we must be great, Einvant Shirastan entrusts us with these crates!" The four women did this for a few minutes as they carried the bulk onto the carriage, then clasped up the gate. Giving each other high fives and wiping their sweat from their brows with their arms, they looked at the ship awaiting their boss.
Out from the ship stepped an elven character, dressed in a thick gray cotton skirt, with a strange flowing material wrapped around, holding it up. Around its chest, a simple pendant glittering from the mid day sun hung by a golden chain. A long brimmed leather hat that had seen better days hid its face quite well. Long ears forked from both sides, pierced with trinkets of silver and seashells. Long hair was braided in the back, though a few strands strayed and kept to the front. Suddenly it spoke, and a grin curled up under the shadow of the hat. "Ladies you are doing such great work for me, clearly beautiful work... your muscles are to be envied and your bodies...."
He tilted up his hat and peered at the surroundings. Rhy'Din changed a lot in areas he did not frequent. If he had taken the Kristae's Star, he would have used the Salvage Yard, but this was about business more than pleasure and the merchants harbor was the more logical choice.
"Einvant, you honor us with such kind words. Please rest; you let us rest the whole way here. You did all the work." One of the women opened up her canteen and poured water on her face as she smiled at the bright sun, and then looked to her fellow workers. "Let's go and finish this up."
They left and continued to prepare the carriage, then made their way off the docks with it heading into town. Cinder knew dealing with the city wasn't on his agenda; he never stepped foot into that horrible place unless provoked. Four beautiful women could sell honey faster than some old salty elf could, even with a charm spell. Cinder closed up the ship and settled down on a bulkhead, opening up a bottle of spring water.
"Excuse me." A proud and pompous individual stood before the elf blocking the sun. He was dressed in a Scarlet uniform with navy colored undershirt and white accented buttons; gold filigree adorned his cuffs and collar. "Is this your vessel and is that your crew''?
Cinder noted the four women were halted by excise agents inspecting the cargo. "Yes and I assure--" but he was interrupted.
"We know your ship, we know you, we know that you're a part of the trade union, but... this is a matter of visa" The official pulled out the documents and past statements. "According to our records, you are currently well overdue for a renewal in Rhy'Din. We have also acknowledged that while you remain in sole possession of the former McKennitt Salvage Yards, you have not been paying your ownership fees."
Cinder stood up brushing himself off he leaned to looking at the documents, trying his best to remain clam. "I can and will do what I can to renew my visa, and if this is a matter of money I can get that matter over with easily enough right now, sir."
The official looked him over curiously... and took a 100 Rhy'Din Dec from him that was offered secretively. "Don't play with me, elf, we know what you are up to. You best be sure to keep those cannons of yours away from here next time. When I see you next time, you best be sure to have all your papers properly documented you trick!"
The man was heading to the carriage, to the excise agents, when he was halted. "We will be holding your goods till you return this time next week, with all proper updates. Don't even think about using magic on our soil, the minstrum still has tabs on you, as you probably well know, and they would love to hear about this incident."
The agents forced the four women off the carriage and boarded it, awaiting instructions from the official. The women hurried over to Cinder, who looked as if he was helpless, for now.
"What are we going to do?"
"We can't let them do this can we?"
"Are we going to let them just push us around, boss?"
Cinder sighed heavily; he was beaten once again. It was his own fault for not keeping up on such things -- he was having such a hard time keeping track of many things for many years. This put such a burden on him. "There is nothing we can do my friends... this is not my land. The laws have changed as much as the land has. Still, the Minstrum keeps their eyes on me." He laughed, putting his arms around the ladies and walking back to the ship.
Back out at sea, Cinder rested, looking at the land from the distance.
"Are we heading to the Salvage Yards, then, Cinder?"
"Yes, at least I can get this paperwork taken care of. I suppose it's best that you four remain out of sight till I can come ashore officially; till then, you are their enemy just as much has I."
Meanwhile back on Rhy'Din soil, the Maritime Tavern to be precise.
The small spare room he had used opened up, and the little black kitten which accompanied him crawled downstairs. Brandishing speed, she slipped by somebody downstairs as they entered through the backdoor. Heading to the heart of the city... Rhy'Din's municipal district. The kitten waited beside an alley, peering like a predator at the large government building. Following like a cloak in the night beside an ordinate, she strolled right in unaware.
It has been about five weeks since he had been gone from Rhy'Din and already he was dreading the return. He was oddly enough using the Sea Song, the once proud warship turned long line fishing vessel; now a mix between the two. Perhaps due to recent events on the seas -- he has been fed up with pirates and countries that bully the sea. Slowly the Sea Song geared her old metallic body into the Rhy'Din waters. Nearing the Merchants Harbor, she docked.
The planks are laid out and the cargo bay opened; four muscular females unloaded the cargo from the warship/fishing vessel. They were dressed in matching white midriffs (showing their toned abs) and black cropped pants. The brightly colored pine boxes, in orange with various precautions, were stacked neatly onto a carriage that was waiting on the dock, drawn by six black horses.
The other merchants looked amused at the ship, its preferred type of shipping, and its hired hands.
"We must be strong, we must be wise, we must be great, Einvant Shirastan entrusts us with these crates!" The four women did this for a few minutes as they carried the bulk onto the carriage, then clasped up the gate. Giving each other high fives and wiping their sweat from their brows with their arms, they looked at the ship awaiting their boss.
Out from the ship stepped an elven character, dressed in a thick gray cotton skirt, with a strange flowing material wrapped around, holding it up. Around its chest, a simple pendant glittering from the mid day sun hung by a golden chain. A long brimmed leather hat that had seen better days hid its face quite well. Long ears forked from both sides, pierced with trinkets of silver and seashells. Long hair was braided in the back, though a few strands strayed and kept to the front. Suddenly it spoke, and a grin curled up under the shadow of the hat. "Ladies you are doing such great work for me, clearly beautiful work... your muscles are to be envied and your bodies...."
He tilted up his hat and peered at the surroundings. Rhy'Din changed a lot in areas he did not frequent. If he had taken the Kristae's Star, he would have used the Salvage Yard, but this was about business more than pleasure and the merchants harbor was the more logical choice.
"Einvant, you honor us with such kind words. Please rest; you let us rest the whole way here. You did all the work." One of the women opened up her canteen and poured water on her face as she smiled at the bright sun, and then looked to her fellow workers. "Let's go and finish this up."
They left and continued to prepare the carriage, then made their way off the docks with it heading into town. Cinder knew dealing with the city wasn't on his agenda; he never stepped foot into that horrible place unless provoked. Four beautiful women could sell honey faster than some old salty elf could, even with a charm spell. Cinder closed up the ship and settled down on a bulkhead, opening up a bottle of spring water.
"Excuse me." A proud and pompous individual stood before the elf blocking the sun. He was dressed in a Scarlet uniform with navy colored undershirt and white accented buttons; gold filigree adorned his cuffs and collar. "Is this your vessel and is that your crew''?
Cinder noted the four women were halted by excise agents inspecting the cargo. "Yes and I assure--" but he was interrupted.
"We know your ship, we know you, we know that you're a part of the trade union, but... this is a matter of visa" The official pulled out the documents and past statements. "According to our records, you are currently well overdue for a renewal in Rhy'Din. We have also acknowledged that while you remain in sole possession of the former McKennitt Salvage Yards, you have not been paying your ownership fees."
Cinder stood up brushing himself off he leaned to looking at the documents, trying his best to remain clam. "I can and will do what I can to renew my visa, and if this is a matter of money I can get that matter over with easily enough right now, sir."
The official looked him over curiously... and took a 100 Rhy'Din Dec from him that was offered secretively. "Don't play with me, elf, we know what you are up to. You best be sure to keep those cannons of yours away from here next time. When I see you next time, you best be sure to have all your papers properly documented you trick!"
The man was heading to the carriage, to the excise agents, when he was halted. "We will be holding your goods till you return this time next week, with all proper updates. Don't even think about using magic on our soil, the minstrum still has tabs on you, as you probably well know, and they would love to hear about this incident."
The agents forced the four women off the carriage and boarded it, awaiting instructions from the official. The women hurried over to Cinder, who looked as if he was helpless, for now.
"What are we going to do?"
"We can't let them do this can we?"
"Are we going to let them just push us around, boss?"
Cinder sighed heavily; he was beaten once again. It was his own fault for not keeping up on such things -- he was having such a hard time keeping track of many things for many years. This put such a burden on him. "There is nothing we can do my friends... this is not my land. The laws have changed as much as the land has. Still, the Minstrum keeps their eyes on me." He laughed, putting his arms around the ladies and walking back to the ship.
Back out at sea, Cinder rested, looking at the land from the distance.
"Are we heading to the Salvage Yards, then, Cinder?"
"Yes, at least I can get this paperwork taken care of. I suppose it's best that you four remain out of sight till I can come ashore officially; till then, you are their enemy just as much has I."
Meanwhile back on Rhy'Din soil, the Maritime Tavern to be precise.
The small spare room he had used opened up, and the little black kitten which accompanied him crawled downstairs. Brandishing speed, she slipped by somebody downstairs as they entered through the backdoor. Heading to the heart of the city... Rhy'Din's municipal district. The kitten waited beside an alley, peering like a predator at the large government building. Following like a cloak in the night beside an ordinate, she strolled right in unaware.