TRP: Ensign and Rieka (Troublemakers)

[Setting: Same town as last time, few days later.]

So far, going from being alone, to the third in a trio of
three broke-ass sailors wasn't improving Rieka's luck. Still couldn't find a
job, and Rieka's completely unashamed attempts at begging didn't produce much
coin either. At this rate they were gonna get kicked out of their room at the
inn for not paying.

"Sure hope Flag ends up having better luck than us, eh
Ensign?" Rieka said as they walked down the street. A nearby vendor was
selling food, and the smell was making Rieka's mouth water. Even though she
didn't have the coppers to pay for it, Rieka found herself slowing, eyeing the
cart. "Hey how likely you think he'd be to give us a meal if we
asked?" she asked, elbowing Ensign lightly. "Real likely or not
likely?"

JEN

Ensign muttered wordlessly. He could very well imagine how
it'd go: the vendor would throw some crumbs at their feet and make a joke about
how Ensign should peck them up like a fucking pigeon. Yeah, thanks, no thanks.
He picked up his pace, intending to either make Rieka tag along or, preferably,
talk to the next mate alone.

ABBY

Rieka lingered for a second longer, watching as a woman
approached. She heard her asking for free food too, and the vendor laughing in
her face. Yeah, figured. But just as she was about to move on, the vendor did
something she hadn't been expecting.

He hit the woman in the face. Hard enough she fell to the
ground. "You wanna say that again, bitch!?" he yelled, and kicked
her.

Well that just wasn't okay. "Hey!" Rieka called,
drawing her staff and moving between them. "Now now, there's no need to
get nasty now," she said. Cocked her head and gave a vicious little grin.
"Oh wait, but you already did." She slammed the butt of her staff
into the ground, and from it erupted two arcs of lightning, scorching into the
vendor's chest. He didn't die, sturdy fellow, but it sure hurt. He staggered
back, clutching his chest.

JEN

Ensign heard some shouting, and then some more of a voice he
knew, and he took a moment to take in and exhale a deep breath before turning
around.

Rieka was roasting the vendor and people were staring.

"Ohhh no, no, no, no," Ensign muttered as he
hurried back. He stopped a few feet away and called to her. "Rieka! What-
why!"

ABBY

"Cause he's an asshole," Rieka said, the lightness
in her tone belied by the way she didn't take her eyes off the vendor. "I
mean what kinda guy beats up a beggar woman for asking for a meal, huh?"

Said beggar got to her feet, looking ill. "I'm sorry
I'm sorry," she babbled, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't
mean any harm. It's my son. He's so hungry and, and I didn't know what else to
do."

JEN

Well, alright, fair enough. Still, the town guard was
probably gonna disagree, so what they had to do now was get the fuck out of
there. Ensign took Rieka by the shoulders and tried pushing her the way they'd
come. "Let's go!"

ABBY

"Hang on, one second." Rieka shrugged off Ensign's
hand and reached into the vendor's cart, flinching and hissing as the hot food
burned her fingers. Still, she gathered up as much as she could, about five
skewer sticks of meat and some sort of mush that went into a bowl, and handed
them to the beggar. "Now you better run before someone tries to take
that," she advised.

The beggar woman needed no second word. She bolted, taking
the food with her. Rieka lingered, staring down the vendor. He didn't move, even
though he looked about ready to burst with anger. Once the woman disappeared
around a corner, Rieka turned back. "I think our work here is down,"
she said, clapping Ensign on the back and leisurely strolling away.

JEN

"Uh-huh," Ensign made, "Let's just-"

From around the corner the woman had just disappeared
behind, a trio of uniformed men carrying batons and sabres walked out. They
were led by a fourth guy who was wide-eyed and babbling, and who, spotting the
two of them, pointed a finger at Rieka and Ensign.

Ensign stopped short. He reached for Rieka's arm and jerked
her in the other direction.

ABBY

Ah shit. Rieka's attempt at being cool had backfired. She
bolted in the direction Ensign had jerked her in, ignoring the shouts behind
them. "This way, this way!" she said, charging for the high
buildings. Nobody ever looked up-- if they could just get up in the first
place.

JEN

Ensign ran alongside her because, what other choice did he
have.

Behind them the town's guard were yelling curses at them and
pushing people out if the way. Someone ahead stepped in their way and tried to
make a grab for Ensign but he shoved himself free and vaulted over a row of
fur-filled crates to get out of reach.

They were still running down the port street, in full view
of a crowd of people as well as the uniforms behind them. Had to fucking get
out of sight. Ensign closed the distance to Rieka and tried to catch her to
make her take the next turn off the main street.

ABBY

Rieka let out a yelp as she felt a hand jerk her, and nearly
fell flat on her face. It was just Ensign though. Tugging her off in a
different direction. "Hey where you leading us off to?" she yelled,
her speed picking back up. "I think I got something, if we can just find
some high ground!"

JEN

"What?" He yelled back. "High ground?"

ABBY

"Yeah! Like a roof or some-- hey!" Rieka stopped,
grabbing Ensign's arm and pointing to a church steeple. "Whatdya say we
desecrate some holy ground?" she asked, grinning.

Behind them the guards shouted as they turned the corner and
spotted them.

"Ah shit." Rieka started running again.

JEN

Whatever Rieka wanted with a church, it was no worse idea
than trying to outrun them on the streets, so Ensign didn't argue. They could
see the tower of the town's church spearing up between the roofs a few
intersections away. It wasn't far, they just had to stay faster than the
uniforms.

ABBY

Rieka didn't run all that much. By the time they got close
to the church she was regretting it. Chest burning, sides twinging, all around
a sweaty, miserable mess.

"Hey, hop up," she gasped, patting her hip.
"Gonna, carry you."

JEN

Ensign only gave her a bewildered look and grabbed her arm
to pull her on.

ABBY

"Hey hey, nah. I got a plan, see?" Rieka banged
her staff against the ground, and floated herself up a couple inches.
"Y'know how often people look up?" she asked, smirking.

JEN

Oh. Well. Flying. Huh. Ensign jerked out of his confused
staring and latched onto Rieka's side, hoping this wasn't the day he'd fucking
fall to his death.

ABBY

"Better hang on tight," Rieka advised, and shot
them up as fast as she could, finding handholds where she could to boost them
even further.

She wasn't used to taking a passenger, and it made her
pseudo-flight wavery and choppy. She found herself veering for the wall, and
just barely managed to twist so she didn't crush Ensign between herself and the
unforgiving stone.

JEN

Ensign squawked and screeched wordlessly, trying to keep his
body parts away from the walls while holding onto Rieka. They were going to
die- well, maybe not Rieka because she could fucking fly, but Ensign sure as
fuck would end up rat fodder today.

ABBY

"Yeah I know right?" Rieka grunted, flinching as
Ensign's fingers dug in painfully. "Hey don't you scratch me. Fucking
talons," she grumbled.

Below she could hear the shouts of the guards. Out of
instinct she froze. And kept drifting upwards, almost bumping her head on an
overhang.

JEN

Ensign wasn't so lucky. His head gave a resounding thud
colliding with the stone and he lost his grip, making him scrabble and claw at
Rieka, at the church wall, at anything to not fall.

ABBY

"Shit shit shit," Rieka hissed, grabbing at the
flailing bird. She felt her hold on the spell slip, and plunged down a foot
before managing to re-stabilize it. "Hey hey! Don't do that! You're gonna
knock us both off!" She grabbed at his arms, trying to heave them both up
enough that the ledge they bounced off of could be used as a handhold.

JEN

"Fuck! Fuck!" Ensign's talons were hooked in
Rieka's belt but it was a flimsy fucking hold and he felt it strain under his
weight. His feet scrambled in the air until he found a ledge where he could
push off of, and they both got propelled upwards again.

ABBY

It was enough to push them up, and Rieka was able to grab
the ledge and heave them over to safety. She grabbed Ensign, shoving him over.
The ledge was small but there was room to stand. Barely. "C'mon, c'mon,
move it!"

JEN

Which she didn't have to tell him twice. He found seams
between the stone blocks where he could wedge his talons into for added safety,
face pressed to the wall, tail feathers in the wind. They stood under some kind
of ornamental arch and it blocked Ensign's view of the street. Hopefully it did
the same for the town's guard on the ground.

ABBY

Rieka scrambled up to squeeze in beside him, leaving the
spell active just in case. The guard's voices were distant now, and when she
risked sticking her head out for a peek, they looked more scattered. The
frantic chase had turned into a search. "Hey I think this worked,"
she said, pitching her voice low. Even though they were high up enough that it
wasn't necessary.

JEN

"Uh-huh?" He said against the wall, not at all
convinced they were in a winning situation here.

ABBY

"Yeah. They're all scattered 'n shit." Emboldened,
Rieka leaned back to better take in the arch they were under. "Hey, hey I
bet I can float up there, get a rope down for you, and then we can just walk on
through this church, easy as you please."

JEN

He detached his face from the wall to squint up. Nothing
about climbing a rope up the roof of a fucking church sounded easy but what
other choice did they have.

ABBY

They had a plan, but Rieka hesitated. She didn't like the
idea of leaving Ensign here, where she couldn't keep an eye on him, help him
out if he got in trouble.

"Hey, change of plan." She reached over to tap
Ensign on the shoulder, and switched the spell to him. "You go up, gimme a
squawk when you're settled, and then I'll float up and join ya."

JEN

Ensign was about to protest but next thing he knew his feet
were lifting off the ground. He made a noise somewhere between the squeak of a
mouse and a rusty hinge because he just couldn't concentrate on not floating
away and cursing.

Pulling himself together, he began searching for handholds
to push himself upward, which was surprisingly easy. He reached the top of the
arch and climbed on, then laid himself flat on his stomach and gave the
signaling squawk.

ABBY

Right. It turned out that clinging on without a spell for
backup was a lot more terrifying than Rieka'd thought it would be. Ensign
better appreciate the fact she sent him up first.

She wasted no time after hearing the squawk to cast the
spell on herself, floating herself up till she was hovering over Ensign. Then
she grabbed a column, spun herself in, and nearly bashed into the bell. Had to
cut the spell quick and ended up taking a dive on the floor instead. "Can
we pretend I landed that and didn't look lame?" she said weakly from the
floor.

JEN

Ensign held up a thumb.

ABBY

"You're the best, bro," she said. And made no move
to get up. "Whatdya say we just live here from now on? No guards. No
fights. Just us and the biggest damned bell in the city."

JEN

"Just... " Ensign said, equally uninterested in
shifting his center mass away from solid ground, "No more flying."

ABBY

"I hear that," she said. And fell quiet for a
minute.

Something seemed off though. Rieka frowned, raising her head
up, and just about pissed herself when she saw. The bell was beginning to move.

"Shit-- Ensign! Ears!!" she yelled, clapping her
hands over her own. This was going to royally suck.

JEN

Ensign pressed the heels of his hands against his ears
immediately, but in that instand the bell rang and it was like the bell tongue
had bashed directly against his head. He set his jaw tight against the noise-
the physical pain of it, hoping this was only the strike of the hour, not the
call for the sermon.

ABBY

CLANG!

It was official, Rieka hated sound now. If she went deaf
because of this, no regrets.

CLANG!

Rieka's chest felt like she was screaming. But she couldn't
hear a lick of it.

CLANG!

Once more the sound rocked through her skull. Too loud, to
harsh, god Rieka hated bells now. Slowly she became aware, she was still
screaming. She could hear herself screaming. She stopped, slowly peeking at the
bell. It wasn't moving. Carefully she pulled her hands away from her ears,
wincing at the blood on them. "Hey En--" she bent over, clutching at
her ears. Nope nope, talking hurt. Noise hurt. Nope not doing that.

JEN

Ensign uncovered his ears just as slowly. The bell was still
now but the ringing in his ears wasn't stopping. Rieka said something to him,
and he knew because he could see her mouth moving, but that was about it. She
doubled over then, and Ensign scrambled to his feet to check on her.

ABBY

Rieka turned her head to the side and gave Ensign a shaky
grin and thumbs up. She pointed to her ears, and the trail of blood leaking
from them. Her head hurt. Worse than any hangover she'd ever experienced. Felt
like her head had been what banged around inside the bell.

She got to her feet, using Ensign and a beam as stabilizers.
Yeah the 'walk downstairs' plan wasn't sounding to good. Her legs were as
wobbly as they were her first day at sea. She made a gesture like a leaf
floating, and then pointed down the bottom of the belltower, pointing at Ensign
and then giving a hopeful grin and thumbs up.

JEN

He grimaced seeing the trickle of blood and the way she
wobbled around. Yeah, no, none of that floating bullshit anymore. He'd just
fucking carry her if she couldn't walk.

Since Rieka was already holding onto him, Ensign had an easy
time wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up over his shoulder.
Her feet almost dragged but it was okay, he'd manage. At least they had the
luck of already being at the top of the tower- the way down could only be
easier.

ABBY

"Oi!" Rieka protested. But then again she wasn't
feeling up to wriggling free. So she just went limp and let Ensign do his
thing. He was a good friend.

JEN

It was one tall fucking tower and even though they (he) were
going down, by the time they reached the foot of the stairs, Ensign was panting
and huffing. He let Rieka down, then leaned in the open doorway leading out
into the nave of the curch to catch his breath. It caught and turned into a
snort when he spotted the oversized wooden statue of a man in long robes and a
head like a butternut squash.

ABBY

Rieka balanced herself against a beam, checking out the
statue Ensign saw. Huh. That was a new one to her. The statue was good quality,
the man looked like something a child had made outta clay. She batted Ensign to
get his attention, pointed to her ears, and then folded her hands together like
she was praying, looking very pious.

JEN

Ensign squinted at her, then shook his head.
"What?" He said, but he could barely hear himself through the storm
in his ears.

ABBY

Rieka saw Ensign's mouth move. Couldn't understand a word he
said. She gave up on signals and just shouted. "I WANNA FIND A
CLERIC!"

JEN

"Ohh." Yeah. For her ears. That made sense. Ensign
took a few steps out the door. Inside little alcoves along the walls a few
people sat and prayed. And between the columns... someone that looked like he
was wearing robes similar to the statue. Hah, with any luck they'd just spotted
the dude himself. Ensign didn't waste time and strolled right over.

ABBY

Rieka followed, and hey-- Ensign was good at finding people.
Good birdhound. He'd prolly be mad at her if she said that aloud. "Can you
heal my ears?" she, well, bellowed-- being mostly deaf didn't help volume
control any. They were gathering looks, but long as they just stayed looks,
Rieka wasn't worried.

JEN

The man- boy, really, with that little peach fuss he called
a beard, flinched and clutched his book to his chest.

"That!" Ensign yelled and pointed at Rieka, then
at himself. "We can't hear!"

Someone in the alcove next to them turned around and made a
shushing motion (and the noise, too, probably). The cleric opened his mouth and
Ensign thought he could hear a "uuuh" escaping him, before he waved
to them to follow him.

They were lead back towards the tower entrance, but before
that the cleric took a turn left down a hallway dotted with wooden doors. He
opened one and motioned them inside.

ABBY

Aw, they spooked the kid. Rieka felt bad, and resolved to
apologize. Once she could hear herself think. She gave the kid a grin and a
thumbs up, wandering on through the door and looking for a place to sit.

JEN

In the middle of the room stood a long, wooden table with a
padded surface. The cleric circled around it to lay his book on a stand nearby,
then went over to wash his hands in a water basin. When he turned around, he
gestured for Rieka to sit on the table.

ABBY

Rieka hopped up and settled in. "We were up on top of
the tower when it rang," she yell-explained.

JEN

The cleric paused, squinted and said something. Then he
seemed to remember they couldn't hear and shook his head. Carefully, he brushed
strands of Rieka's hair aside to examine the bleeding before laying his hands
to either side of her head and starting to pray.

ABBY

Fuck yeah finally. Rieka felt the magic sink into her ears,
and the sounds of everyday life returned. Murmurs from outside the door,
footsteps as people went about their Wood creaking as Rieka shifted against the
table, and the prayers of the cleric.

"Hey thanks," she said when he finished, grinning
and giving him a friendly shoulder-slap. "Whole lot better there. Hey can
you fix my friend up too?" she asked, hopping off the table. Without
making a move to clean the blood off her ears.

JEN

"Please," the cleric muttered and waved Ensign
over who took Rieka's spot. The cleric then went about his work and a minute
later, Ensign too had back the magic of hearing.

"You said you were on top of the tower?" the
cleric asked when both his patients could understand him again.

ABBY

"Oh yeah," Rieka said. "Just hanging out,
y'know? And then somebody got the bright idea to ring it." She mimed yanking
on a bellrope. "Good thing it was a church so we could hunt somebody like
you down to fix it, eh?"

JEN

"Please," he said, "do not do that again.
Visitors aren't allowed up there."

ABBY

"Sure, sure. Smart idea too. Don't imagine anyone wants
our deal to be every day." Rieka made a face. "Just needed a break to
hide out from the guards y'know?" she said, hooking her hands together and
stretching out her back.

JEN

"The guards?" The cleric looked puzzled and
worried. Ensign took that as their cue to leave. "Thank you," he said
and took Rieka by the arm. "Leaving now."

ABBY

"Keep up the good work!" Rieka called to the
cleric, allowing Ensign to lead her away. "Nice kid," she remarked.
"Hey did you happen to notice the way outta this place or nah?"

JEN

"Wait!" The man yelled behind them and Ensign
dragged Rieka on a bit faster. A look over his shoulder showed him the cleric
standing in the doorway uncertainly, then hurry off in the other direction.

ABBY

Uh oh. Rieka was starting to have a bad feeling. "You
think this might be one of them kind of churches that are real hung up on the
law?" she muttered, matching Ensign's speed.

JEN

"Dunno. No wanna find out." At their pace, they
made quite a lot of noise on the stone floor and the worshippers in the alcoves
threw them more nasty looks, which Ensign all ignored. He'd spotted the door
and all he wanted was to get back to their inn. He didn't even want to find a
job today, though they'd need it. He just wanted a fucking drink.

ABBY

There was the door! Rieka went into an all out run, yelling
"Sorry!" at assorted clerics, paladins, and worshippers. Especially
the ones she nearly crashed into. Running for her life-- or at least freedom--
wasn't no excuse to be rude. She skidded to a halt, banging into the door
slightly, and then attempted to fling it open.

It was locked. "Hey is this even a door to the outside
or are we trying to barge into their services or somethin'?"

JEN

Ensign tried the door himself but neither shoving nor
pulling budged it. He frowned and turned around to look for another exit.

ABBY

There was a window on another wall. A big beautiful, stained
glass window, depicting some act of heroism from the past. Looked like some guy
slaying a monster or something. Sunlight was streaming through it.

Rieka tugged at Ensign's arm and pointed at the window.
"Hey what if we went thataway?"

JEN

"Bad idea," he said. If they went through that,
chances were they'd be on the run from the guards yet again. Destroying church
property.... people hated that.

Instead, he turned and went to grab the nearest poor soul
not quick enough to get away. "Door?" He squawked in their face.
"Exit!"

ABBY

The woman looked startled, then offended. "Why don't
you just retrace your steps?" she asked, sticking her nose in the air.
"Hasn't anyone ever taught you to mind your manners in church?"

"We uh, we're lost," Rieka said.

The woman sniffed and turned on her heel, marching down the
hallway. Hoping that she was leading them like they'd asked, Rieka followed,
shooting a glance at Ensign and shrugging.

Turns out there was a door not too far away, and she swung
it open to reveal the streets outside. "Thank you ma'am," Rieka said,
cause no need to piss her off more than they had. Then she grabbed Ensign's
hand and bolted.

Thankfully they got back to the inn without running into any
guards. Question was, how long could they avoid the guards while skipping town?

[END]