Enter the Storm

Lucius gingerly took slow, wobbly steps down the gangplank until at last his feet touched mostly solid ground. The pier beneath him hardly matched up to expected safety regulations, and he was unsure what shook more, his legs or the wood he stood on. Trying his best to not make an absolute fool of himself, he made it about four steps before Hana stumbled into his back. Thrown completely off balance, the pair unceremoniously flailed about and very nearly ended up in the ocean, were it not for a disembarking sailor who caught them by the collar. 

Lucius could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, mumbling an apologetic "Thanks" as he righted himself, brushing off the invisible shame from his trousers. The broad man waved him off, "Don' mention it." Despite his nonchalant tone, the wide grin he wore told a different story. Groaning inwardly, Lucius came to terms that he was going to be a funny quip in someone's daily recap. 

Hana clung onto his sleeve as they stepped onto properly solid ground, not that it really felt as much. He could feel her fingers tightening around his arm,

"Lucius...is the ground supposed to be moving like this?" He tried to be reassuring, even as the stone beneath his feet seemed to roll and pitch with invisible waves,

"Don't worry, it isn't...I think. Just, just stay still. It'll go away. I hope." She frowned at him from beneath her wide hood, "You aren't being very reassuring." "I need to convince myself first, just give me a moment. Need to concentrate."

A peal of familiar, raucous laughter erupted from behind them, "Well, would'ya look at that? Ain't that just tha cutest thing ya ever seen, lovely?" Lucius grimaced, it would seem he would need to endure more humiliation before the day was through,

"Can we help you, Captain? We're...ah, a bit busy at the moment." 

Astora and Blacktern, having disembarked stood a few feet away, very much enjoying the pair's plight. Even Blacktern, who was usually quite stoic, sported a faint smile. Lucius felt genuinely hurt and betrayed. Whether the women noticed, or particularly cared, Lucius couldn't figure out. Astora, still smiling broadly, swept her arm in a wide arc,

"Take a good look around, seein' as this'll be yer home fer as long as ya need. Personally, I wouldn't hang about too much, but that's just me!" 

At her behest, and because his senses had begun to stabilize at last, Lucius raised his eyes to take in the city properly. What he noticed while at sea was only more apparent up close; the port section of the city had very little in the way of organization or order, at least in terms of where buildings had been set up. The roads leading out were narrow and winding, choked with a constant stream of people and goods. Perhaps this was why Lucius felt so confined, despite standing in the open. He checked in on Hana, who still had her head firmly fixed on the ground. A pang of guilt echoed in his chest as he recalled her reaction to Atin, she was likely suffering from sensory overload. 

He gently bumped her with his shoulder, "Hey, how're you holding up?" A squeeze on his arm was her only reply, confirming his suspicions. Turning his head with intention of asking Astora where they could escape the crowds, he was disappointed to see that she had walked away to inspect the hull of her ship, which was looking quite sad indeed. But when he moved to go to her, a shift in Blacktern's posture caught his attention.

The slender First Mate, who up until now was lounging against a stack of crates to watch her captain's misery, suddenly pushed herself upright with an obviously sour look on her face. Unsure of what had caught her attention, Lucius tried to find the source but met with little success. The swarm of bodies was far too thick to pick any particular danger out, which made him even more nervous. Astora suddenly straightened as well,

"Ah, he's here. Damn bastard sure loves ta make an entrance." Firmly bewildered, Lucius spun his head quick enough to make himself dizzy. It was Hana that stopped him from causing any potential harm to himself with a soft whisper, 

"Do you hear it? There's no wind." Pausing for a moment to listen intently, he realized that she was completely right. The near constant breeze that rolled off the water had died completely, leaving not even a single piece of canvas fluttering. At least, not those that were nearby as he could see plenty of wind playing with sails and banners farther down the port. Right when he was about to ask what could have caused this odd weather moment, he caught sight of the only possibility. 

A tall man effortlessly strode through the crowds, parting them before him like a ship through rough waters. With long, confident strides he ambled along the wharf's edge, completely unbothered by those that scurried around him. Dressed in flamboyant purple and black that clung to his slim, athletic body in a most flattering way. His hair was a brilliant white, the color of clouds drifting through the sky on a perfect summer's day.

Also, his skin was the color of the same, summer sky. Lucius blinked several times to ensure that he was seeing things correctly. He was, the person approaching them had blue skin. Approaching to speaking distance, the blue man regarded them through eyes that flickered with tiny bolts of light, which gave them the appearance of miniature thunderstorms. Wearing a cool, aloof smile, the man addressed them,

"Ah, my dear Astora. Seeing you in one piece is always such a pleasure. Though, judging by the state of your poor ship, can the same be said for my precious cargo?"

His voice was gently and airy, yet dripped with barely contained allure. The words crawled into Lucius' ears, making him shudder unconsciously, he began to think this person was bad news. Astora, stepped forward to where she was nearly nose to nose with the stranger. Lucius was struck by how similar they seemed to be, both were roughly the same height and carried themselves as if mirrors of each other. For a moment, they appraised each other, wondering which would blink first. Astora replied with unusual stiffness,

"That's Captain Astora, to ya. Has yer time on dry land made ya forget your manners?" Her opponent chuckled deep in his throat, "Hardly, my dear. But formalities such as those are a bit stuffy for my taste. Besides," he glanced past her towards the Wavecutter, "it seems like you're the captain of nothing right now."

Astora visibly tensed, and for a moment Lucius thought she was going to punch him right then and there. But, much to her credit, she didn't rise to the bait, and instead flashed a winning smile, "Unforeseen circumstances. We were assaulted by wyverns, and then an abyssal greatwyrm. We're lucky that we escaped at all." 

The man opened his mouth, likely to question the veracity of her statement, but then closed just as quickly. Lucius was surprised at how quickly he transitioned between disbelief, shock and then acceptance. With a bit more mellow tone, he barely inclined his head in her direction,

"I'm surprised, dear friend. I never expected a whole ship to escape a greatwyrm, you must be quite the adept seafarer to escape so completely." Somewhat mollified by the rapid change in atmosphere, Astora relaxed, "Well, ta be honest, I can't take much credit. Ya see, I had a bit o' help from these two here."

Lucius suddenly felt the full brunt of those stormy irises, rooting him to the ground as they scanned him from head to toe. An uncomfortable shiver ran up Lucius' spine while the man silently worked him over. He felt like a piece of meat on display, being silently judged by a particularly inquisitive passerby. Thankfully, the man's gaze slid over him after only a few seconds, and Lucius could breathe normally again. That uncomfortable feeling returned with a vengeance as the man's eyes lit up upon noticing Hana. 

In two smooth strides he crossed the distance between them, engulfing her in his presence before Lucius could even form a protest in his mind. He could only look on in shock as the blue-skinned man took Hana's hand in his, holding it gently between his long fingers,

"And who is this? What god have I pleased, to be graced with such divine presence? My dear, why must you hide away beneath darkness? Is it not better to let such beauty into the light, where it may bloom?" 

Lucius was utterly paralyzed as the stranger's voice, which had dropped to an intimate whisper, rolled over them like a warm summer's breeze. Hana, being the main target, responded by lifting her head from where it had been staring at the ground to meet the stranger's gaze. A strong breeze suddenly rose from behind them, catching the rim of her hood and throwing it back off her head. A moment of panic gripped Lucius as he feared her ears would be exposed. Thankfully, her fox ears were absent from her head, though the anxious churning in his gut refused to be banished so quickly.

Hana was blushing. Hard. Her pale cheeks were dyed a vibrant crimson, nearly blending in with the hair that fell past her ears as she regarded the stranger. Her admirer took in a sharp breath as he beheld her properly, "You, my darling, cause the sun itself to dim in your presence."

That was far enough. Forcibly pushing aside the unpleasant sensation in his stomach, Lucius stepped forward and put himself between them. His sudden appearance startled Hana, who pulled her hand free from its entrapment. Now within inches at the stranger, Lucius tried his best to appear intimidating. Judging how the older man smirked at his attempts, he wasn't being all that convincing. Still, he managed to force him to step back, which was all he really wanted. 

Astora reminded them of her presence, "Hey, barnacales-fer-brains! ya ain't even introduced yerself yet! Don' get off on tha wrong foot already!"

The tall man, perhaps realizing that she was correct, tossed his head so that his silvery hair flowed along with an undetectable breeze,

"So it would seem. Forgive me, madam, for I have been exceptionally rude to you. I am called Tordek. Tordek Windcaller, at your service." Taking a deep bow at the waist, Tordek offered Hana a gentle smile as he rose to full height. She flushed a deeper shade of red, refusing to look him in the eye, all the while murmuring sounds that made no sense. Lucius glowered at Tordek, "I'm Lucius."

"Pleasure." The response was immediate and largely dismissive, which only rankled Lucius further. Tordek turned back towards the captain, "I sense that there is a reason you brought them here. So, what could it be, hm?" 

"Was hopin' you'd put 'em up fer a while. Mutual friend sent 'em along with me." A flicker of understanding passed through his eyes as he considered the request, which only lasted a few heartbeats before he snapped his fingers loudly, causing everyone except Blacktern to jump slightly,

"Very well! I can hardly refuse such an amusing offer. I suppose we can always use more hands on deck, so to speak. So, will I be seeing you at my fine establishment tonight?"

"Aye, you'll be seein' us tonight fer sure." Astora made a point to step a bit closer to Blacktern, who did a much better job at looking intimidating than Lucius could ever hope to. Even with such intense pressure, Tordek appeared unfazed and simply gave an extravagant bow in response. Turning about on his heel a gave a wave, "Until next we meet!" Without more prompting, he resumed his confident, lazy pace down the pier. 

Lucius rounded on Astora, "That's the person you want us to go with? That guy is nuts!" She laughed aloud, "He sure is! But he's good people, honest. Sure he's a womanizin', lyin', cheatin',two-bit asshole who'd sell yer clothes as fast as he'd get 'em off ya. But he ain't that bad once ya get ta know 'im."

Lucius was unconvinced that Astora had made any good points at all, "I don't trust him. At all."

Hana murmured through a grin, "He uses some lovely words, doesn't he?" Lucius glanced worriedly at Hana, "Yeah, I really don't trust him..." Astora nodded approvingly, "Good, that's yer first lesson in this city. A bit o' mistrust'll carry ya far. I'd recommend ya go with 'im, not like ya got any better option."

Lucius grit his teeth, but he knew that she was right. If he refused to throw caution to the wind and follow Tordek, the two of them would have to fend for themselves in an alien city. They could possibly manage, but there was no telling what would happen to them. Then again, the future was equally uncertain if they followed along. It might as well be a no-win scenario, but he couldn't stand around doing nothing. 

"Fine, guess we've got no choice. You okay with this, Hana?" She blinked twice and grinned, "Yep! I bet this'll be fun! He also smells really nice..." 

He grimaced, "Could've done without that last part...but great. Lucky he's so obvious, or we'd have lost him by now." 

"Hey, Lucius, why is that man blue?" Lucius let out a long breath, "Great question. Only one way to find out, I guess." 

It wasn't particularly difficult to catch up with Tordek, not simply because he was tall and the color of the sky. Though the pier was thick with people, they parted like waves and created a wide opening for the pair to follow in his wake. Lucius stared daggers into Tordek's back as they left the docks behind, wandering up a winding street that still teemed with people. Clotheslines crisscrossed the narrow gaps between buildings, their full lengths fluttering with pieces of colored cloth. Lucius was reminded of the banners that often flew from fortresses or city walls, "I wonder if I should learn this place's heraldry. Might be useful to know who's in charge..."

 "What a strange place..." Hana wondered aloud while clinging tightly to Lucius' arm, her eyes flicking from one thing to the next as if trying to consume as much information as possible. Tordek shot a slim smile in her direction,

"Aye, this is quite the odd city, my dear. Best be careful, you never know what might happen to you here." Lucius frowned, "You're not exactly selling this city to us, you know." 

Tordek's smile flattened at Lucius' interjection, "I am not involved in real estate." 

"Yup. Definitely don't like this guy."

"Best be careful who you look at like that, boy. Those daggers might get you some real ones in the back if you don't know what's good for you." A chill ran up Lucius' spine, "That supposed to be a threat?" 

Tordek gave him a long stare, though he refused to stop moving, "Nope, just a warning. Trust me, boy, when I say you aren't worth the breath needed to threaten you."

"You should be nicer to Lucius." Both men stopped in their tracks at Hana's severe tone, equally surprised by the quiet outburst. Her words were level and without much inflection, though they simmered with indignation. With eyes fixed squarely on Tordek's, she showed no signs of flinching beneath his equally potent gaze. Lucius had never seen Hana make such a face before, and he wasn't sure if he liked seeing her make such a stony expression.

Tordek's face broke out into a wide grin, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth, "I think, my dear, that we are going to get along exquisitely from now on." 

Turning back around, Tordek continued to lead them through the winding passages, which appeared to Lucius to have nearly no organization whatsoever. Small shops popped into view at random intervals, and none of them seemed to be grouped by any particular standard. His ears were filled with the sounds of intelligible chatter from at least half a dozen languages. The innumerable voices all rose together at once, creating a constant, vibrant hum that diffused around every corner. Lucius gave begrudging thanks for Tordek's guidance, without which he knew that he'd be hopelessly lost.

After what felt like three turns too many, the group burst out onto a larger thoroughfare, finally relieving Lucius' growing claustrophobia. Colorful ribbons and lanterns hung from posts along the street, which was wide enough for two carts to ride alongside comfortably. Lucius noted that the overall number of people seemed to be lower, though the ones that were visible were dressed in flamboyant outfits and colors. From the window of a tall building with a red façade, a woman lounging with bared shoulders caught his eye. She was pretty, with dark hair and sharp eyeliner, probably around his own in age. The woman waved her fingers in his general direction in an inviting manner, coaxing him to come closer. It suddenly dawned on Lucius where he was,

"Hey, are we in...a red light district?" 

Tordek spun on his heels, spreading a grin as wide as his arms, "That's right, my boy. Welcome, to Ikara's Pleasure District! Here, you might fulfill your wildest dreams, for the right price, of course. If I may draw your attention to the large building down at the end of the way, you will spy our destination." 

Doing as they were told, the pair looked ahead and beheld a large structure coated in a vibrant coat of purple paint. Three stories tall, it towered over the other nearby buildings, lording over them like a castle to its field. A large, sloping roof made of tile that was squared off at the top created space for dozens of lanterns to be strung, cascading from its peak in a waterfall of colored lights. A small group of well-dressed men lingered near the gilded entryway, where a tall and heavily muscled woman stood guard, preventing their entry.

"Welcome to the Veiled Paradise, weary travelers," Tordek beamed at them, "How about we go inside and have a nice chat?"