Flight of Fancy: IC (Mature) {Currently Closed}

[Tapewolf]

"MM!" Jakob started as a face appeared out of the gloom right in front of him.  Recovering he continued crawling backwards down the tunnel, hoping fervently that there wasn't going to be a pileup if a third person was coming in the opposite direction.

"I have to get back to my friend in the kitchen," Jakob said.  "He was wounded in the fighting, but I had to check on someone else I thought was with us...
"Who are you, anyway?" he asked, a note of suspicion entering his voice.  "The police are trying their best to start a dozen wars at once, and the crew seem to be up to their necks in some criminal enterprise.  If you're one of the bastards who caused this mess, don't expect any help.  Otherwise, I'll do what I can for you.  But," he added with a grunt, "a lot of people seem to need a lot of help right now."

[Angel]

Kenyan listened carefully, but as he mentally dissected the words, he frowned. There was something in the canine's speech that he didn't like...

<A wounded friend... someone else with them too. I HOPE these aren't the guards. Who am I - that one's easy. The police...wars? The crew - so maybe he isn't with them after all.> Then he heard the last part of the canine's speech. <"One of the bastards who caused this mess"... He can't possibly think...>

It took all Kenyan's self-control just to keep his voice in a whisper. The frustration, rage and pain of the last several weeks had been building up slowly ever since his chains had come off, and now that he had been accused of helping to start this, he couldn't hold back anymore.

"I am not part of 'this mess'. I did not 'start' anything!" he hissed. "They took me here, me and Xyrtia and Jake and many others! They took us from our homes! We were chained, starved, thrown in this place and kept in the dark, I do not know how long! They were going to use us to fight!" He breathed, slowly, and clenched his hands into fists, forcing himself to calm down, albeit poorly. "Please... I do not want more trouble. I just want to help my friends and go home..."

[Tapewolf]

Jakob froze, an expression of horror on his face.  "So it definitely is a slaving ring...?" he asked.  "Shit, shit, shit."
Another muffled gunshot reminded him that he was trying to escape and he got back to slithering backwards through the tunnel again.

"Listen, mate.  We've got a problem.  A lot of problems.  The police are trying to arrest everyone on the entire ship.  The crew are likely to be executed if they're taken, and that means they have nothing to lose.  The police don't seem to care who gets killed either, and if some of the rumours are true, they're a pretty corrupt lot.  So whoever they do manage to arrest is likely to be in big trouble, innocent or guilty.
"Not all of the crew will be in on the scam.  Some of the passengers might be in on it too.  But the police are assuming everyone is a suspect and the more arrests or executions they get out of it, the better it will look to their superiors.
"In short, I'm in trouble if the police win.  Without the crew we'll be stranded on this shithole of an island.  That's if the police actually let me go - they might not.  Heh.  They'd probably arrest you too, for entering the country without a passport.
"If the crew win, we're more likely to get home, or at least somewhere with a sane justice system.  But they'd try and stuff you back in the holding cells or whatever they have."
"I think your best bet is to stay hidden in the vents, to be honest." the wolf finished up.

[Shax]

Shax fought hard to keep from blacking out, but it was getting harder and harder to stay focused. His head slowly turned as he hard the voice of the reptile. Seeing the uniform, his heart sank, and hoped that Jakob would return soon. The bloodied knife and the lead of a bullet lay on the floor. Looking at the CubiCabbit with his shirt off, and the bloodied shoulder, it was obvious what he did to get the bullet out. "H-heh... So... What is g-going on out there?" He asked, his voice shallow right now, raspy to go along with his deep breathing.

[Kirrin_Shadowclaw]

Kirrin gies a deep sigh, rolling his eyes a she spreads is wings and then lifts his arms out to his sides for the time being he was complying. , glancing to the demonic bunny and tazzy devil, glad to finally have things seem like they were going his way. He'd made sure that hs pockets had been empty of anything he didn't own, meaning that the flask he had fallen on had conveniently slipped to the floor when he stood up. He waits carefuly to be inspected....

[Angel]

Kenyan was almost relieved to hear the canine's horror at what had happened to those below deck. <So he's not one of our captors then. Thank goodness.> But the other Being's further concerns, and the news that the police and crew could turn on anybody, had the lynx-lion worried. If they were really killing EVERYONE, then he had to find Xyrtia, and fast. The items the Grin woman wanted could wait. Maybe it was their shared experiences in isolation with other Beings outside their homes, but he was sympathetic toward the avian. And he knew now that she was in danger if she was out of the vents. He relaxed himself just a little, enough to stay calm when talking to the canine.

"...Yes then. I will stay here. But ... help me with this. One of the other slaves got out before me, a bluejay. She is my friend. If you find her, please make sure she is safe. And tell her Kenyan and the others are alive and looking for her."

[Tapewolf]

"This is where I get out," Jakob said, as he finally came to the kitchen vent.  "A bluejay, you say?  Someone like that appeared in the main lounge.  Brought the vent down off the ceiling.  That was part of what started the shooting - proof that the crew were smuggling illegal immigrants or slaves or something.
"She darted off somewhere in the confusion, so I guess she escaped.  Probably still on the ship somewhere.  But I'll pass your message on if I see her."

So saying, he crawled out onto the floor, glanced around and only then saw someone standing over Shax' prone form.

"What have you done?!" he demanded, wings fanning out as he reached for the heaviest saucepan he could find.

[Shax]

Shax's head turned fast toward The source of Jakob's voice, eyes widening as he saw him reach for a frying pan as a makeshift weapon. He looked up to the officer then back to Jakob, quickly raising a hand on his currently good arm. "Jakob, stop! I'm fine. She hasn't done anything to me, she just got back in here and appears to try and want to help me. She doesn't seem like the trigger happy ones in the other room..." His attention turned back toward the officer. "Judging by your reaction to the sight of my blood, can I safely assume you are new to the force? Haven't seen this kind of situation before?" He asked the iguana.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha barely heard Kaela's outburst over the rush in her own ears and the roaring crowd.  The panther skidded to a halt just near the door, hopefully out of sight of any cops, and turned back to the tigress.  "Really?"  Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked back to the ship's interior.  "Hm.  Well, sneaking in's fine too, just as long as we can get something done and my friends out of there," she acquiesced with a smirk and a shrug.  "I guess Thor told you where it is?  Lead on."

*     *     *

Thank you, Episticus, for getting me used to running this long, Jake thought to himself as his bare paws thundered down the halls.  He'd thankfully remembered the way, and wasn't about to stop for anything unless he'd found his weapon while going.

He did find something else that caught his eye, though.  At his feet when he stopped was a handkerchief with a design that looked rather like a familiar feline.  He bent to pick it up and quirked his eyebrow.  "What the hell is your game, Grin?" he sighed.  He'd have discarded it had he not felt the slightest tinge of an enchantment on it; he knew the feeling from being around Mistress Rynkura's more-or-less enchanted aura of a home, and having been under the influence of the anti-magic barrier for long enough, it was quite easy to tell.  What the magic was supposed to be, he didn't know; but he did stow it away in his pocket and started to rush again.

Within minutes, Jake heard the guards' shouting.  Sure enough, they knew what was going on and were about to take Wallard and the others out of there.

It was also about then that Xyrtia caught up with him, much to his surprise.  He stopped and hissed a loud "Shush!", pulling her back against a wall so that they both could catch their breath out of sight of the guards.

"Plan?" he sighed after a breath, "Basically just storm back in and rally the others to leave by force.  The ship's about to take off, and I've got a promise to keep.  We either get as many of them out as possible alive, or take the Flame of Freedom ourselves."  He looked seriously back at the Jay.  "I don't know how you came to be right here, but you should make your way to the nearest possible clear escape, too.  It's not gonna be safe here in a minute."

He flexed his talons.  Inside, he thought he could feel his magic again.  But...could it be, or was it a trick of the need for it?

*     *     *

Wallard instantly went rigid, his body and his mind arguing.  He was used to being passive around the guards, accepting that there was no hope of freedom, so his feet were glued as their commands were issued.  But the thought of hope was raging through his mind from previous events and the encounter with the Singing Grin--or Ysengrin, as it was revealed her name was.  He thought that the name was somewhat familiar, but was probably one that he'd discarded long ago as unimportant to him.

Some of the other slaves were panicked, looking to him for a sign of what to do, but the light-colored Gryphon had nothing.

[Tapewolf]

Jakob lowered the saucepan hesitantly, and then, as an afterthought, pushed it into the vent so the fugitive could get at it if need be.

"My apologies officer," he said rather gruffly.  "But after that shooting war someone sparked in the lounge, we're all a bit on edge here."  He wandered over to Shax, and studied the other incubus, wincing at the blood.

"Shit, shit, shit," he said.  "This guy works for someone very important, and very easily angered.  If he dies, this island is going to be under new management.  Or just turned into glass," he added flippantly.  "Of course, depending on how many other diplomats get killed, that'll probably happen anyway," he shrugged.

Taking a suitable pair of culinary scissors, he began to slice at the hems of his leather leggings, cutting strips of bandage that would hopefully prove better at stemming the flow than the fragments of shirt had been.
As he worked, he glanced up at the officer.  "For your information, officer, this ship appears to be implicated in a slaving ring," he remarked.  "I've just run into one of the slaves.  Apparently they were going to be sold for some kind of gladiatorial blood sport or something.  Can you guarantee his safety?"

[A Madman Person Guy]

Lea skidded to a halt just before her momentum carried her over Jeremiah's back, and sheer reflex almost made her reach out to grab the little creep and try and hoist him to his feet. The sudden crack of a gunshot and the sight of the weapon put a stop to that though. She froze in an inelegant posture, then took a step back. There was... someone with the demon? She could make no guesses as to what Xephelon was supposed to be.
   "I'm, eh..." she started lamely, eyes flicking around a couple of times. Fantastic, she thought. So I've run into a patrol way too early, and it's got some kind of guard golem. So talk isn't going to... She stopped, as her mind caught up with her. She said "deputized"? But it looks like...? She scowled for just a fraction of a second. Oh, to Hell with it...
   "I'm a passenger," she said, haughtying herself up and trying the most assertive tone she could on the bobcat. "And this man promised to take me back to my cabin," she continued, indicating Jeremiah with a gesture, "and then stole and tried to get away with the key!"
   Damn that worthless little weasel Miles, she thought to herself, fingers closing on the slim rod in her sleeve. Naturally, just when I could use his talents, he isn't here. Come on, just a bit...! She tensed further, feeling the warmth and concentrating. She could imagine her mind, scratching and clawing at the barrier keeping her magic in check, trying for some kind of purchase. She just needed a little bit of force...

[justacritic]

Hobbies closed his eyes and gave off a harmless demeanor. "Alright then, please lead the way officers." The fennec made to follow the police but suddenly stopped. "If it won't be too much trouble, would I be able to quickly fetch my bag? I rather have it with me."

[Yugo]

The failing rays of daylight glimmered on the seawater that sloshed against the dockside. "Ease up there, Aisha," Kaela mumbled, brushing off her arms as she skidded to a halt behind the panther. She was breathing hard, and her chest already ached a little. Kaela smiled weakly, and her fangs gleamed in the late evening sun. "Usually I'm the one up for jumping into a barney, and you're the one eyeing all the angles." She started as the dock suddenly lurched. The rumbling of spooling engines vibrated through the ground, building up to a cacophonic whine. Between the shouting crowds and the sudden burst of noise, Kaela couldn't make herself heard. She simply motioned for Aisha to follow as she broke into a full sprint along the side of the ship. The tigress halted at the corner, peeking around. The engine's hadn't built up enough speed to generate a backwash yet, although the wind whipped up against her fur and hair. She gestured Aisha over as Kaela slipped along to the rear of the ship. With an extended claw she pointed out where the rear door would jam up against the back of the airdock. It opened ever so slightly with a metallic squeal as Kaela hauled on it, opening it just enough for the panther to slip through.

[Inumo]

There was a pause as Xyrtia tried to comprehend what Jake had just said. 'Others', 'leave by force', 'ship'... 'take off'? What's the ship got to take off? 'Escape', 'not going to be safe'... right, we need to help the other slaves escape, that's the plan. "Which way to the others, then?" She finally asked a few moments later. "I lost my head map, running."

[Paladin Sheppard]

Managing to avoid contact with anyone on his way to his room, Paladin locked the door behind him and paused for a moment going over what had been said by the Rhino and the Captain before the whole mess started.  Slavery was one of the things that set his blood boiling, and his clan had been fighting against it for millennia.

Deciding his course was to find out if it was true, the wolf incubus quickly and efficiently unpacked his armor and weaponry, donning or sheathing each piece as he did so. Finally ready Paladin picked up the last weapon- the ancient two handed axe 'Edge of Cobalt' but instead of slinging it kept the weapon in his hands.

Unlocking his door again he slipped outside and when about searching for some sort or service way, figuring that and slave hold would be down rather than up and into the airship's balloon.

**********************

Ephrael meanwhile was getting restless with sounds of chaos going on outside was itching to get involved somehow. Watching the burglar comply with the guards commands she turned to Eden "I think I'm going to go get some stuff from my room Okay? I want to go see whats going on...." And she was gone out the door before anyone could move to stop her.

[techmaster-glitch]

Xephelon skittered along slowly behind the policewoman and the crewman, looking around for a chance he could slip away from both. He hated everything about the current situation, he didn't like the idea of people being enslaved yet he'd be damned if he came all this way and didn't learn anything from the ship. Unfortunately for the exoshell-wearing Mythos, his initial plan of fading away unnoticed was quickly rendered irrelevant when the crewman came in contact--literally--with a frog crewmember, accompanied by a non-uniform-wearing lady demon behind him.

Xephelon's 'torso' turned back and forth between the bobcat and the new arrivals, pointing the three light-eyes on the front to each of them in turn, as they began slinging vague threats at each other. The policewoman's sudden address to him, however, snapped him out of his silence. "I...I..." Xephelon raised all four of his spindly segmented metal arms, splaying the needle-like fingers that made up his hands in the air in a placating gesture (though incidentally also revealing the crystals set into the palms of two of his hands) and took one step back, before he finally got over his stuttering. "I really don't want any part of this. This is way over my noggin, can everyone just...talk this out, find out who's doing what before we raise threats to each other? I know I helped you with this particular crewmember, I don't like what's happening on this ship, but I'd prefer not to take sides..." A the same time, Xephelon began pushing magic energy through the channeling conduits of his exoshell down the arms and into the two palm-crystals, attempting to construct a minor frostray and minor shockray in each. The antimagic field of the ship hampered his efforts significantly, and he was worried that he might only get ineffectual little puffs if he had to actually use them. At the same time, he was slowing retreating, one step of his four insectoid legs at a time.

[Boog]

The Kitchens

"Ohmigodohmigod," The iguana was dithering, but she appeared to be fumbling about her person for something... She pulled out a small portable healers kit. The magical components wouldn't work but it had anasthetics, some bandages, sutures... So not unprofessional, just not very composed. "God, I thought this operation might turn into one of those. Some coward pulled out ground support too so it's all kind of a mess... Don't worry sir, I'm trained for first aide. Put that down," she gestured to Jacob, prioritizing the personal threat of bludgeoning below treating the injured civilian. "Young fella, hey, stay with me! Just take one of the pills, we'll get you further away and get you trea- Blood sport?!" The girl squeaked, "Look, I know someone in processing, I think I can keep your friend safe. Please just come along with me, if you cooperate everything should be fine."

--

The Piloting Facilities of the Flame of Freedom

The guards had hurried Milla out of the dining hall fairly quickly, ushering her through the halls away from the shooting. From here it was almost peaceful, save for the overall low-level tension in every passing guard or waiting, nervous passenger... Some more so than others.
"The Flame of Freedom truly apologizes for all this trouble, Ma'am," The blonde wolf from before was the one who had escorted her away, along with one of his sergeants, and was breathlessly stammering official errata over his shoulder as he waved his security clearance at rank after rank of fellow security personnel. "Please be assured that this is not typical of our- yes you damn pedant it's ME let me through- our airline! And we'll be able to take off again momentarily. Again we- God dammit this woman's a VIP we're not stuffing her in a MEETING room, I know you have a couch on the bridge. Security clear-? She's a MUSICIAN for god sakes, you think she's going to hold the damn captain at fiddlepoint? Let us through!"

--

Kaf's Suite

Before the guard could frisk Kirrin, there was a thud from elsewhere in the ship. His partner looked away and snarled.
"We can sort this later, just bring them all up the bridge. This place could be swarming with police in minutes."
"Right you are. Come on now, the lot of- Oh hell!" He only noticed Ephrael slipping out the door at the last second, giving his fellow guard a helpless look, "Honestly, I think we've lost control of the situation here..."

--

The Bridge of the Ship

Captain Uidnetan looked over the security readouts; arcana-radar, black and white crackling video feeds, audio recordings from all over the ship poured out before him. It was a clusterfuck. His ship was under siege. He really could only see one way out. He sighed.
"Willikens, there was a dragon on board-"
"A client sir."
Well that cinched it.
"Put the word out on every radio channel, I'm pulling in the antimagic field. Standard emergency protocol," He closed his eyes, oblivious to his panicking crew and the succubus being escorted to a couch behind him, and focused on pulling his enchantment back to himself.

–

Not far from the boarding lobby of the Flame of Freedom

"Ma'am, come with me and you can give a full statement about any attempted robbery."

Lea was probably the first to feel her magic start to trickle back. She could practically feel the numbness over her magic peel back, creeping toward the cockpit of the ship. It wasn't back fully, maybe about 30%... It made sense, really. With a ship full of demonic personnel, you wanted time for them to adjust to their returning strength before they continued their duties.

"This whole place is the suspected flagship of a slaving ring and is subject to complete seizure- Calm down, Xephelon, just stand your ground. I have everything under control, you're going to be fine."

The second to realize was the guard on the ground; there was a widening of the eyes, a testing flex, and then the grin and 'tink-tink-tink' of him snapping the manacles on his wrists, effortlessly. He stood up, slowly, his skin's texture noticeably changing as it hardened. The police officer took two steps back in surprise, brandishing her gun.
"Under control, hnh?"
The fellow had more gravitas than brains though; while he was clearly enjoying the police officer's shock, a shot to the face from her firearm still stood good odds of killing him. And in another six seconds, she would realize what had happened to the antimagic field too.

The third to realize what had happened was Xephelon as magic flowed through his machine all the more forcefully. It still wasn't ideal, but he wasn't defenseless anymore.

The fourth was the bobcat, who was giving ground rapidly.
"Sir, SIR, stand down! I'm warning you!" The barrel of the gun wavered from him, to Lea, to Jeremiah (who did his best to cringe behind Lea, what of him wasn't still tightly in her grip), back to the guard.
"Warning me?" A spell began to congeal at his fingertips, oily energies that made the air taste like pennies. "Warning me about what?"
There was a moment of standstill... Before the cop clasped her amulets.
Footsteps advanced from the loading ramp. Shambling footsteps, of a dozen riot-equipped Quaggath undead. Some of the last few forces that hadn't pulled out yet, suddenly of MUCH greater relevance.

And Jeremiah, who was desperately avoiding realizing anything at all, slipped out of his vest and bolted again, tripping over Xephelon as he went.
"HALT!" The police officer's gun fired, twice, wildly.

--

The Slavehold

Jake and Xyrtia felt a fraction of their magic return, and the surprised and satisfied mutterings of the demonic guards. Now might be their best chance; with the guards still adjusting to the return of their substantial strength and durability they would be clumsy, and the two of them were already primed to strike.

–

Near Paladin and Hobbies rooms

The kangaroo and his aide exchanged a look.
"Fine, but be quick." The officer in charge finally huffed, "Lead the way and be quick about it."
It was easy for Hobbies to remember where his rooms were. It was across the hall from a wolf who'd come in with a lot of tickets for checked in weapons... The guy had seemed pretty friendly though.

--

The Rear Entrance of the Flame of Freedom

It was much like the boarding ramp on the other side, albeit smaller and... completely unguarded. God, everything about this operation on either side was a complete mess. There was nobody here, hell there were a few cigarette butts hidden in the corner. Members of the staff had been taking their smoke breaks in this room, and the smoke had yellowed the cheery mural that had been painted along the left wall depicting scenes of creatures and beings enjoying fine dining, the surf and sand of the Flame's various stops, laughing and playing cards in the casino.
It also meant nobody had bothered to leave the hidden boarding hatch closed. What would otherwise be  the patch of the mural depicting a singer in the dining hall had swung inward, otherwise well-concealed button hidden in the painted floral arrangements noticeably depressed an inch. The halls leading away were lined with pipes and grates, were lit by eye-stinging electric lights, and occasionally issued the abrupt burst of steam.

[Tapewolf]

Jakob grunted and let the iguana tend Shax.  "He's a master healer," he advised.  "Once he's able to use magic again he should be right as rain.  We just need to keep him stable until then."  He wandered towards the air duct from whence they came and turned back to the officer.

"Let me be blunt, officer," he said.  "You, I would be happy to co-operate with.  You seem a decent sort.  It's your colleagues I feel less safe with.  For instance, will Shax here be persecuted because of those wings on his head?
"That Rhino of yours gave orders to shoot to kill, treating all passengers as a suspects at best, and disposable at worst.  In doing so, as a representative of your nation, he has declared war against a number of diplomats representing various other nations.  And, while I hope they are merely slurs, there have been persistent rumours of people being arrested on trumped-up charges in order to exort money from them or their patrons.
"So yes, while I would love to cooperate, I hope you can understand why I feel a little discouraged by that prospect."

Jakob smiled to himself.  "On the other hand, I desperately need the diplomatic bag which is currently in my room.  If you can allow me to retrieve it, or have someone else retrieve it, then yes, I will come with you happily."

So saying, he leaned towards the ventilation shaft.  "Are you still there?" he called softly.  "We might have found someone to protect you."

[Shax]

Shax huffed softly, wincing and squirming slightly as he was worked on. His vision was starting to blur a tad, making it hard for him to focus. With a nod, he took the pill, and swallowed it whole. "Its been a long time since I was unable to heal myself with magic... I hope that field comes down so-.... Actually, given our situation, it might be best that it stays up. Imaging the amount of casualties that would pile up if magic was allowed to those that were fighting... Things would be bad... More people will die."

[Angel]

Kenyan let himself relax once the canine was out of the ventilation shaft. <Even if I can't get out yet, at least Xyrtia will know we're still alive. Maybe she can find us.> He heard the sounds of arguing from where the canine had gone, and could smell blood. <Oh gods, not again.> The canine had been right - something had gone wrong once the men in blue clothing had arrived. Police, the canine had called them. Kenyan had seen men dressed like them before, but though they carried guns they never shot at his friends and family like the hunters did. It didn't sound like they usually attacked Beings, but, well, Beings were complicated.

The canine called down the vent shaft, after what felt like weeks of waiting but surely had only been a few minutes. His tufted ears pricked up at what he heard. <Someone to protect me?> If he could get out of the vent, he could find Xyrtia and the items the cheshire had wanted, and if he had company, he might not get killed. With a shaky breath, he slowly crawled around the bend of the vent, so he could see into the lighted area where the other smells and the canine were.

"...You have?" He barely picked up his voice from a whisper, and edged a little closer, close enough to try to peer into the room. "...So, I may come with you?

[Tapewolf]

"There is a risk," Jakob said quietly, "that the crew will win.  If they cut the antimagical field, they might.  In that case you might be safer in the air vents.  I couldn't protect you against a full-blooded Demon, and she certainly can't," he said, gesturing at the officer.  "Not unless there's a lot more to her than meets the eye.  No offence intended," he added.

[Paladin Sheppard]

Working her way past several panicky passengers, and the crew trying to settle them down, Ephrael slipped into her room with a huge grin on her face. Quickly stripping off she rummaged around her packs for her leather armor and knives (Well more of them), she kept an ear out for anything interesting happening outside her door.


***************************

Paladin's senses tingled as the magic dampening field started to retract, and he paused to savor the feeling. Doing so he spotted that he was looking for: a Staff Only marked door.

Rather than kick the door in as was his first instinct,  he rather tried the handle...

[Angel]

Kenyan laid his ears back. He was concerned about his safety, of course, but as juvenile as it was, the most pressing matter to him right now was that the vents were very uncomfortable and dusty. He could deal with the swamps in the forest, the moss on the ground, and even the mold growing in the slave hold, but he had a limit.

He squeaked to the rat, still on his shoulders: <There are big creatures who want to help us. Stay calm, I'm going to talk to them. They won't hurt you.>

Then he spoke quietly to Jakob. "I can care about that later. I have been in here for a long time, and I do not like tight places. I want to come out to talk about this. If I have to go back, it will be better if you know what I look like."

[Yugo]

Milla let the bouquet of perfume, pheremones, and subdued otherworldly power float about her like an aura as the Flame of Freedom's guard thrust her away from the shooting and ferried her through the main hallways. Occasionally the rumbling thunder of an exchange of gunfire would rattle through the wall, making every bystander leap or jump with nerves. She tried to hide her own anxiety under a facade of demure strength, seemingly assured of both her own safety and of the competence of the security surrounding her. Confidence was a group aspect, she remembered from her introductory psychology classes, and fear and courage could both be infectious. There was a dark thought lurking at the back of her mind though: that some, if only a few, of the crew were co-conspirators in the rumored slave-trafficking ring.

She smiled warmly at her escort as he apologized profusely, waving each "sorry" away with a gloved hand. "Your security plans and the training of your crew seem to have borne fruit, I do not fear for my life in the least," she lied behind a mask of self-assurance. The succubus looped her gold-stamped VIP card around the necklace that dangled on her chest, answering each hurried question that every guard seemed to insist on asking.

"No, I am not shapeshifted, can you not see my headwings?"
"Armed? I'm a musician!"
"No, I'm quite fine thank you very much."
"For the love of- no, I will not attempt to seduce your captain, this is patently ridiculous."

[Tapewolf]

"Let's do this, then," Jakob said, reaching out to offer Kenyan assistance leaving the vent if he needed it.

[Yugo]

Kaela bit her lip as the hydraulic hiss of pistons mixed with the whining spool of engines at the rear dock. A strong westerly wind buffeted her fur. The ramp finally hit the ground with a clink revealing...absolutely nothing. Not a single guard in sight, nobody hiding from the chaos. "Well good thing nobody's home because I'm unarmed," the tigress mumbled wrlyly, her boots clanking on the ship's deck as she strolled on board. "Would you look at that?" she chuckled. Her giggle turned into full blown laughter. "This crew must be pretty damn incompetent. A hidden door left right out in the open. I guess I could forgive them, given the situation." The hot pipes that led a narrow, cramped path away from them occasionally sang with the release of hot high-pressure steam. The lights here were sterile and overbright. Kaela instinctively reached down towards her hip and frowned. Her arboreal eyes glimmered as she glanced at Aisha. "Spare a knife?"

[Aisha deCabre]

Following Kaela into the gloom, Aisha smirked at her remark.  "Hah; I do my own fair share of jumping into things, amiga."  Her eyes, blood-red in the scattered light of the interior, took on a serious gleam.  "But this is a slave ring that we're talking about.  If we can give these people even a chance at the sunlight, I'll plow through fire if I must."

The jaguar's nose wrinkled at the sight and smell of this area of the ship after they closed the door behind them.  Entering the rear dock, she followed Kaela, scrutinizing the route to take through the pipes.  "I know, it's disgraceful," she sneered and chuckled, peering into the hidden doorway and moving on through, her padded feet making less noise than the combination of the tigress's boots and the clanging of pressured metal and steam.  "I swear that if I had half the knowledge of running an airship, I'd run it better than these snobs."  Keeping a firm hold on her boomerang handle, one of her claws trailed a sharp edge of it.  "I plan to give a lesson to that demon wolf captain if we find him, as a bonus to all of this."  If Kaela knew Aisha well enough, she knew that her hatred of the dark Creatures was still fairly strong, and she meant those words.

At the question of sparing a knife, the panther paused and gave the other feline a quirked eyebrow.  "You're unarmed, chica?  You?"  She teased with a snicker and shook her head, reaching down to where she had the hidden sheath on her left ankle.  "This is the closest thing I have to a knife," she said, proffering the dagger to her.  "Thankfully they let me store my weapons in my room when I boarded, and didn't even check me for this one."

She kept her ears trained ahead of them along the way, so that any out-of-place noises couldn't easily escape her notice.  She was ready for a fight; but it would be fortuitous if it were an easy walk.

"So," Aisha began, "What've you been doing lately?"

*     *     *

Meanwhile, in another part of the ship's (accurately named) bowels, Jake was mentally rubbing his forehead.  I should've remembered that she probably can't understand me that well.  I can't bark orders at these people as easily as I can my own guardsmen.

"No...look, Xyrtia," he said with a pointed but concerned gaze, trying to make the avian understand.  "You should stay.  Hide.  Much danger ahead.  The others..."

It was then that he paused, feeling a familiar tingle.  He stood up and looked down at his talons, flexing them.  It really did feel like his magic was coming back.  Slowly, but surely.  The power, the strength.  Quickly looking from his claws to the direction of the guardsmen and back, he heard them muttering excitedly.  He had to test this.  Taking a breath, he murmured a spell and summoned forth a basic torchlight.  A ball of fire, white with holy magic, hovered over his claw, pulsing like the beating of the glorious heart of the gods.

When the Gryphon met Xyrtia's gaze again, his golden eyes took on a glow, as if on fire themselves.  "On second thought," he grinned, "You have magic?  The others are right there.  We go now."

Quickly, all movements choreographed by righteous fury, Jake grabbed a nearby iron pipe to use as a makeshift stave.  The Knight-Captain's talons ablaze with that light/fire spell, slowly engulfing his arms and the metal, he charged headlong towards the guards.

All they heard, before all hell broke loose and his burning claws broke first blood, was: "JUSTICE, BASTARDS!"

*     *     *

Before Wallard could sink further into desperation, a calamitous riot broke out from the other side of the door.  His beak clenched shut, his stance defensive, his brain running on every single power that made up what th' hell should I do...and then, Jake's voice.

"Wallard!  Magic's back!"

His heart raced with renewed adrenaline.  The old Gryphon, for the first time in ages being a drone to the will of these demons and their battles, grinned and roared to the slaves behind him.  "All of ya who can use magic and fight, get yer asses up here, an' th' rest o' ya, RUN and don't stop until ya see sunlight!"

From then on, it was a brawl and a race, to see who died and who lived free, before ship could make for the skies.

[Yugo]

Kaela stared down at her old, worn leather boots and frowned. She was too loud, especially for a pair of fighters who preferred the stealthy approach over direct brawn. Her grim chuckle was loud in the empty bay as she bent over to unlace them, her clawed fingers working deftly. "Aye, slavers are an awful lot. When we find the captain, I'll be sure to hold him down for you, love," the tigress promised. She slipped out of her footwear and dropped the boots on the deck beside her. Kaela flexed  and wriggled her toes, getting a feel for the cold steel under her feet. "Much better."

Her amber eyes darted back up to the panther as Aisha held out a proferred blade. Kaela grinned. "Well, I came here on vacation, love, not for a fight. I left my warknife back in my luggage." She inspected the dagger carefully and ran her thumb along its keen edge. It was long and thin with a triangular blade perfect for quick jabs or slipping between an opponents' ribs. It was a killing implement and a good one at that. "Gracias, it'll do."

"What I've been up to?" Kaela rolled out her neck and quietly laughed. "Nothing. Doc's put me on indefinite medical retirement for the time being. Had to get a detached retina healed up with some magic, and after an actual physical examination, well..." She clenched and unclenched her hands before twirling her knife around into a reverse grip. "Rheumatism, arthritis in my neck and back, calcium deposits in most of my joints, wrecked cartilage in my knees." The tigress' teeth gleamed in the harsh artificial light as a hot smile crossed her face. "Old people problems. Doesn't matter though." Kaela flexed her arms, and the bulky muscles in her shoulders and biceps bristled with menacing strength. "I know everything there is to know about fighting, and I can still punch like a locomotive and execute a few nasty bone-breaking locks."

[Angel]

Kenyan slowly crawled towards the light and smells of food, and took the canine's hand. He had to squint once his head was in the light, but his eyes soon adjusted. He inched himself out slowly; the vents were spacious enough that he could bend one leg out once he had scooted forward enough. He stepped carefully down into the room, running one hand through his mane and licking dust out of his fur.

And now, he got a clear look at his new group. A male gray winged wolf dressed in clothes finer than he'd ever seen, a male rabbit hybrid with an odd fur color, and a female iguana with blue clothes like the men with guns had. He kept his claws out in case she started shooting too.

"Hello. My name is Kenyan. I was below deck with the others. Who are you, please?" he said, his accent a bit more pronounced in his exhaustion.

[Tapewolf]

"Jakob Pettersohn", the wolf said, ignoring Kenyan's somewhat feral behaviour.  "Diplomat in service to the Lord Daryil.  The rabbit is Shax, who I understand to be in similar service to someone else.  The officer, I don't know her name, but she seems to have good intentions.  Certainly more so than the crew."

"That's not entirely fair," he added as an afterthought.  "It's likely that most of the crew are decent folk with just a small inner circle who are involved with this... business."