Legend Of Dragoon Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Dragoon II ❯ Boarding ( Chapter 25 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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Chapter 25) Boarding

Irving took his place at the crescent table, surrounded by his dark, color-garbed council. The only agenda in his mind for the meeting was planning the next attack. He turned to the third council member from the left, the one garbed in blue, and said, "Malchia, have you found your Kraken?" A grin stretched across his face, and he said, "Indeed, I have, sir. 'Twas easy enough to tame. And according to our information, those pesky travelers with the Dragoon Spirit are almost to Furni. After this meeting, I will regain the Kraken and get into attacking position." Irving felt this was great news, better than he had been hearing lately. "Excellent. Do you remember where to station?" Malchia nodded, "Yes, fifteen nautical miles along their ship's "set" voyage."

The second member from the left, garbed in purple, chuckled at the stressed "set". He was to also be a part of the attack. It became apparent that the ship's captain could change the course at any time, if necessary, so he was commissioned to board the vessel and control the captain's mind, to follow the course to the Kraken, waiting in ambush. Irving turned to the purple elder, "And you know your part as well, do you not, Tiras?" The purple elder nodded. Irving couldn't help but grin again, "This may go better than planned."

~~~~~

The travelers exited their hotel, the "Sea Spray Inn", and left for the dock, so they would know where to find it. There had been some actual roads built in Furni, but the waterways were still the main source of getting around. With the way that Furni's population had expanded and spread, there was no way that the waterways would sustain as the only form of transportation anymore.

Al led the others towards the docks, walking along the river waterway. As Orrin followed, he glanced around, wildly amazed at the site of so much water. He thought that the lake in the middle of the desert had been big, but the ocean was much bigger. While Orrin was still taking the view of the ocean in, they had arrived at the docks, and there sat the ship that was to take them to Serdio. It was a giant ship, at least three hundred yards long. The exterior was covered in iron plating, a customary design. Atop a large structure on the ship was a pillar up to a fairly sizeable Crow's Nest. The side of the ship read in piercing white letters "Wave Dancer". Liza stated, "Oooh... Wave Dancer. That is a pretty name."

The cargo transoport manager was standing aways off, near a ramp onto the ship, and as soon as she saw the group approach, she recognized the large man, the man with red armor, and the youth, but she was clueless as to the two platinum haired people with them. She approached the group extending a welcome, "You must be the Queen's passangers. The messenger she sent got here a few days ago, so you're about right on schedule."

Al stepped forward from the group, "Thank you for greeting us. My name is Aljandro, but ya can just call me Al. The kid here's Orrin, and him there, that's Rashe'm." Al pointed them to her respectively. "We were the ones the Queen originally sent. But we have two added to our party since then, Derreck and Liza." The manager smiled, "We're proud to take the guests of her Majesty with us." She pointed to Derreck and Liza, "And don't worry, we have plenty of room for your added party, no problem." Al hadn't really thought about that, but at recieving that news, he thanked her.

"The Wave Dancer will be setting off tomorrow morning. My best estimate is that we shall be fully ready around nine, so I would advise you be here at least a half an hour before that." Al extended his hand to her, "Thank ye much, ma'am." She blushed, and then with a start, "Oh! How rude, I haven't told you who I am.... sorry. My name is Tammy. And I look forward to the voyage with all of you." She smiled again and returned to resume her duties.

Al turned to the rest of the group, "Well, now that we know where the dock is, I guess we can wander around Furni, or relax." Liza said, "Derreck and I will go to the market, I want to see what kinds of curios you humans sell. Don't you, Derreck?" He nodded, being just as curious about the human race as his sister was. As they turned and left, Rashe'm announced that he was going to the armory. Al turned to Orrin, "Is there anywhere ya have in mind to visit?" Orrin replied "Not really... I might just stay at the hotel... I'm kinda tired." Al chuckled, "Sounds like a plan. But remember, yer still just a kid. Don't go too far from the hotel, ok?" Orrin nodded, and when Al was reassured, he headed off to the nearby kitchenware store.

They had been fortunate to get their room, it was the last available, and it was room enough for five. Accomodations like that were becoming rare, as traveling troops usually consisted of no more than three. Orrin shut the door and took to his bed. He realized that he hadn't been alone since he started his journey from home. And then he remembered the two thieves he had bumped into, who immediately had turned on him. It made him bring his hand up to his throat, where he had been cut. He had completely forgotten about the bandage, and by now, it had to be old and dirty. He slowly removed the bandaging from his neck, and sure enough, it was browning and wrinkled.

Now lacking the bandages, his neck felt bare. An existance that was once there, caressing his neck, was now gone. "Perhaps I'll buy some more bandages, and put on a new one." he thought. He stood up and headed to the room's mirror, to examine that horizontal slice. There was a small scar where he had been cut, all that time back. He couldn't believe it had been all that time ago that it had happened. Then thoughts turned to his mother, and a sudden longing for home hit.

He resolved that he'd also write a letter home. His mother had to have been worried sick by now. He took some paper and a pen he found in the room and began his letter to home. He managed to write down the majority of his adventures on three pieces of paper, but he felt that he should leave out the part about the bandits. Orrin took his letter and went downstairs, to the hotel lobby. He found the Inn owner and asked, "Is there somewhere I can send a letter?" The owner replied, "Across the street is a post center, sir." Orrin said, "Thank you... Oh! Would you happen to have an extra roll of bandage around? I'll buy it from you." "Sure," said the owner, "just let me go to my office." He left, returning a minute later with the bandages. "I suppose it's good to have some extra around, especially if you're journeying. That's why I always have some handy. That'll be twenty pieces of gold, please."

After paying the inn owner, he left with the bandages and his letter to go to the post center across the street. He entered the building, and saw a few people in line, most likely to recieve their mail for that day. There was an open register with a sign above it reading "Exports", so Orrin went to that one. As he approached, the man there said, "What can I do for you today, young man?" Orrin handed him his letter, with his mother's name facing up. "I have a letter for home." The man took it, and Orrin added, "She lives in Dranc, out in the desert. How much will it be to send it there?" The man told him it would be thirty gold, since the letter would have to travel quite aways. Orrin paid the man at the counter and left back for the hotel.

The Afternoon dragged on, and Orrin had just finished taking a bath at the hotel. He headed back up to the room, reapplied some bandages to his neck, even though they were unnecessary, and laid back in bed. Everyone was still gone, but it was evident that while Orrin was out, Liza or Derreck had returned and dropped something off at the room. Within ten minutes, Orrin had closed his eyes and fell asleep, waiting for tomorrow to go out on the ocean.

~~~~~

Orrin woke up early the next morning, and it was a most restful night. Everyone else laid asleep on their beds, all except for Derreck, who merely feigned sleep. The hotel's lobby served a continental breakfast in the mornings, free of charge, so Orrin decided to go eat and wait for everyone else to get up.

Liza had joined Orrin in the lobby a half-hour later. One by one, the others got up, but Al was the last one to do so. The clock in the lobby read 8:02 as he lumbered down the stairs. Once Al got to the others, he sat down and said, "Tammy said we should get on the ship about 8:30, so I'm gonna grab a bite while y'all get your belongings togther. I'll be up, and then we can head for the ship. The next half-hour went just as Al said, and by 8:30, they were all aboard the Wave Dancer.