TRP: Flag and Urru (New Assignment)

MINK:

[Setting: Before campaign. The Cavalier (?)]

"Flag, get yer fuckin' crew together."

"Why?"

"Yer gonna go take care of that fuckin' beast."

Flag stared - General Marlowe was off his rocker.  "There's more than --"

"-- ye've been bitchin' for the last week.  Get goin' 'n' take that bird with ya."

Fucking dick. Flag hitched on his best shit-eating grin and gave the general a salute of sorts.  He scowled once his back was turned. Son of a bitch. It was damn near a swarm of aboleths.  One they could take, two if they were lucky, and three...he didn't know if Valkur loved him enough to save his ass again.

Flag scratched at his chin, scouting around the crew up on deck.  General Marlowe wanted him to bring the bird - kenku - with. Fine by him.  Kenkus were more reliable than whatever it was that flowed in General Marlowe's veins to come pouring out in boiling eaves.  Thank-fucking-Valkur he could move ships in four years.

JEN:

Something felt wrong in Urru's cozy, sleeping world, and before he could make out what it was, everything tilted and he landed on the floor.

"Get off your fucking ass 'n get ready, featherface!"

The voice came from somewhere in the dark, on the other side of his hammock. Urru squinted but everything was too blurry. Footsteps faded down the hold and he briefly saw someone blocking the light shining down the open hatch. Not enough to make out who it was. The slur didn't help either. No one knew his real name.

Urru got to his feet. He pulled on his uniform jacket and his weapon belt, then stopped by the water barrel for a quick drink before clambering up the steps leading on deck.

He was ready. Always. Someone just needed to tell him for what.

MINK:

Finally he stopped the kenku coming out of the sleeping quarters.  Flag took the steps down to the main deck, striding across the wood with long, purposeful strides.  People either got out of his way or...or he walked around because they weren't worth getting in a fight over and he needed some of them to join him on this dumbass mission.

"Oi!" he called as he neared the kenku, raising a hand. "Seaman!" If he had known his name he'd've used it, but he hadn't managed to ask him yet.  One day, when they weren't stuck in this particularly fine ship.

JEN:

Urru raised a hand in return and wandered over. He stopped a few feet away and saluted.

MINK:

Flag returned the salute. "I'm gonna need you to pack your bag for a couple of days." Hopefully less than a day, but who the fuck knew with those beasts crawling under the water? "Then meet me over there in half an hour." He gestured lazily towards the starboard side, where the glorified rowboat was tied.

JEN:

Urru gave a sharp nod and saluted again. "Aye sir."

Packing his things didn't take long. Urru did not have much. One set of clothing, a blanket, his weapons, and provisions. Getting the latter took up the most time, as the steward didn't believe Urru had orders, and accused him of just wanting to stash away hard tack ("Ye fuckin' birds love them bread crumbs, dontcha?").

By the time half an hour had passed, Urru had all his things together and went to lurk around the rowboat his commander had indicated.

MINK:

Flag had mustered a crew of eight by the time the kenku joined them.  Eight men and women that were good at killing things, and hopefully not dying in the process.  They chatted nervously and eagerly until the kenku came over.

Flag shot them a look. "Get in the damn boat." He knew most of these people from the time he had spent on the ship.  They were generally agreeable though still skeptical, and wary, of the kenku.  "You, too," he said to him.

He waited for everyone to clamber in to lower it down into the choppy waters. Once they were safely down he stepped off the edge of the ship, flicking his fingers out to beckon the water to rise up and cool at a level where he didn't drop.  Then he stepped off the ice to drop onto the rowboat.  The ice melted and the water fell into the sea once more.

"The aboleths are hiding out near the island," Flag said, nudging one of the humans in the rowboat to get him to start rowing.  "Our general -" who had no sense - "has decided we're going to be the idiots to kill them."

JEN:

Urru's neck feathers bristled and a little squawk escaped him. Aboleths, and multiple at that. The word drew mutters from the rest of the crew, alongside the stiff "ayes" and "yessirs".

The aboleths were devils, scary creatures that lurked in the coves and grottos around the islands off Calisham's coast. Many of Urru's people had fallen prey to them while out on sea, fishing or setting over to the mainland for trading. Mothers used them to scare their little children into coming home early at night. All the Kenku on Urru's island hated and feared the aboleths.

He sat up straighter, trying to show his commander and his crew mates his determination. There hadn't been many missions since he boarded the Cavallier and this was an opportunity to prove himself. Help save some lives, too. This was what he'd singed up for.

MINK:

They were reluctant - he was reluctant - but no one said anything against him.  Mumbled agreements except from the kenku (he really needed to get his name) who stood up taller, looking more than ready to take on the aboleths.  They were all ready...as ready as they could be as they neared the island, one of many along Calisham's shores.

Distantly a storm rumbled.  Flag glanced up to see dark clouds whispering over the horizon.  That was either a good sign or a bad sign.

"Pull us up along the east and circle from the north," Flag told the rower.  The aboleths were supposed to be on the Western side of the island. If they snuck up on them all the better.

As they neared the island the waters grew still and the air seemed to hold its breath.  Something splashed nearby - circles flickered out from the area. Well, so much for luck.

Flag let out a soft hissing sound. "Raise the oars."

JEN:

The boat slowed to a halt. The crew gripped their weapons tighter- every one of them armed with a trident or spear, the only way you could get to an aboleth before it got to you.

Nothing happened for many heartbeats but Urru did not let out the breath he held. He glanced at the opaque waters around them, feeling small and very, very vulnerable.

MINK:

Flag thumbed the amulet nestled against his chest under his shirt, whispering a prayer beneath his breath - or a grumble, Oh, help your kid not to die, Valkur.   He bit back a snort of amusement.   Valkur hadn't failed him yet, but there was a first time for everything.

Ripples danced across the water.  Stopped.  Silence.

A lone wave slid over the surface.

Stopped.

Then hell broke loose as first one tentacle then another then another rose out of the water, raising higher and higher before crashing down near the boat and against it, shaking it and making the small crew stagger.   This was a fucking-goddamn-stupid idea.

But he was fucking out here and he'd be fucking damned if his crew was going to die.

Fuck.  Flag rolled with the boat.   He grunted, whispered a word, held out a hand, and dropped the piece of dust.   A strange, sucking, thrumming sound flooded the air as the water began to slosh and turn fifty out from the rowboat, centered around a dark shape darting through the water.

JEN:

Urru had to let go of his spear when the boat was hit, grabbing hold of the railing and the man next to him before he toppled out into water. The clung to each other as the boat righted itself, both by the efforts of the other crew and sheer fucking luck.

He could see the aboleth now, a dim form under the sloshing waters. It was big, bigger than their boat. It would be fine, Urru tried to tell himself; people hunted whales the same way... and they didn't have their commander's magic. They'd all live to return to their half cup of rum tonight.

MINK:

"Chuck your goddamn spears," Flag hissed out at the crew that scrambled to keep from falling like the kenku did.   The whirlpool would only hold so fucking long and then...fuck. "And get us the fuck to the goddamn island!"

Urru saw one aboleth, but another shape darted under the water, moving away from the swirling vortex.

Spears flew at it.

Thunder rumbled high and the sky darkened.

Flag whispered another prayer, his other hand making a strange sort of yanking motion towards the clouds growing in the sky.   Lightning flashed into the whirlpool.  It stopped rushing and a dark form floated just below the surface, but he wasn't a fucking dumbass.  He knew better.  Goddamn --

The thought ended when the boat rocked and surged upwards.   It looked like it was holding.  It had to hold.  It had to -

Splintering wood filled the air the occupants spilled into the water.

JEN:

Something pierced his foot but Urru had only a splinter of awareness for the pain. The rest of it tried to steady him and he flailed in the air, feathered arms swinging at it uselessly, world spinning around him. He had just enough presence of mind to close his beak before he hit the water and waves and panic swallowed him.

Something moved in the water underneath; he could feel the current the massive body created.

Urru broke the surface again, gasping for the air that was filled with spray and the shouts and cries of his fellow sailors. They were all in the water, all helpless and paddling, even though some had managed to hold onto their weapons. Urru had, too, his talons digging into his palm around the spear shaft. He almost stabbed it down when something touched his feet underwater, but a moment later a hand surfaced and he had to keep a man from drowning the both of them while he tried to clamber up and over him.

"Ssshh," Urru hissed in his face, "Calm, calm!" He craned his neck around, looking for his commander in the chaos.

MINK:

Flag broke the surface, sucking down salty air, somewhere near Urru and the struggling man.   Two long paddles and he was able to get over to yank the man off of Urru. "You're gonna drown him."  He shoved him away.  His hand reached out to grab Urru - to get the kenku away from the larger, panicking male that wasn't fucking listening as the aboleths circled closer and closer beneath the water.

As Flag reached, a larger, slippery, sucking tentacle wrapped around the paddling kenku's leg and pulled.

JEN:

Urru had just enough time to scream before the water closed in above him. He started kicking at the slick mass around his feet and as he felt his talons dig in, the grip tightened enough for him to pull his legs free. He turned around in the water, using the last of his breath to stab his spear down into the dark.

MINK:

A shrieking wail reverberated through the water as the spear sank down and the grip loosened briefly on Urru.  The shriek turned to a soft moaning wail, a gentle song that rolled through the water around Urru.  It whispered for him to drop his spear, to relax, that everything would be alright.

JEN:

The song reverberated, multiplied, echoed in the water until Urru felt the calm wash over him, and the spear- why was he holding onto that? He didn't need it. He didn't need to struggle, didn't even need to swim for the surface. He could just stay and listen to the song of... of that creature. That fucking creature shattering their boat and dragging him under. That fucking creature lulling him in with its siren voice, like they'd done to so many of his people.

Urru's lungs burned but he refused to surface. He gripped his spear tighter instead and stabbed, down, and down again.

MINK:

It screamed again and the tentacle released.  This time, this time, the song redoubled, whistling and whispering and promising, caressing like silk against skin.  Everything would be okay...everything would --

-- the water vanished and Urru and the aboleth fell towards the muddy, sandy ocean floor many feet below.  Something soft, delicate almost, braced Urru, but the aboleth was not so lucky.  It landed in crumpled heap, all tentacles and teeth, and gargled screams.

The voice still whispered, attempting to draw Urru off of his floating bubble of water.

JEN:

He struggled towards it, flailing in the water, then crawling on the slick sand.

The voice- it caught him, told him it was fine. And as he looked at it through the distortion of the water bubble, it didn't seem so monstrous any more. More like the most interesting creature he'd ever seen, and he'd almost killed it. Ridiculous. He should kneel down by its mass and worship it instead.

MINK:

Flag snagged the back of Urru's neck, hand wrapping around it firmly to fling  him back away from the aboleth.

"Bad fucking idea," he mumbled.  He undid the hammer strapped to his back as he limped towards the aboleth.  Fucking dicks.   He hefted the hammer, twisted it, and swung it down.

He had lost track of the others in his crew - probably dead or dealing with the other aboleths - while trying to keep his own damn head above water.   Maybe he was a shit officer, but he could at least keep Urru from getting chomped.

MINK:

.

The voice still whispered to Urru, but this time it whispered for him to move, to save the aboleth.

JEN:

He lifted himself from the muck. His spear was still trapped in the water bubble but Urru didn't need it. He could defend the aboleth with his bare hands.

He shook out his wet feathers, growled, and lunged for his commander.

MINK:

Goddamn.  Urru was fast, quicker than Flag anticipated.  Before he could think to push back with the handle of the hammer, the kenku was on him.  He staggered back a step and shoved at Urru; the little bird could punch

JEN:

His commander was off balance, and Urru used it to drive him further back from the aboleth. The genasi's feet were ankle-deep in slick sand but Urru's webbed feet found better hold and he leapt to shove the other to the ground.

MINK:

Sand sucked at his feet as he tried to step back to get out of reach, but Urru shoved hard.  Flag swore as his ass and back met the wet sand.  He hissed out a sentence.  A breeze picked up, swirling flecks of water and loose sand, and slammed into Urru to knock the kenku away.

Using the moment, Flag dragged his ass out of the sand, panting and grumbling as he padded over towards the abandoned hammer - making sure to keep the gust trained on Urru.

JEN:

The shove came sudden- not from his commander, but from something insubstantial, yet massive- the wind, he realized. Wind pushed against him, driving grit and salt water into his eyes.

Urru lifted one arm to shield his face and took a step forward, against the force of the wind.

MINK:

Flag scooped up his hammer, or rather he had to damn near drag it up; he was tired.  He let the gust drop for a moment so he could swing it down, crashing into the aboleth's many-toothed grin.

He did it one more time and another.  Fucking thing.  If it didn't die already then he was going to just fucking drag Urru out of there.

JEN:

Urru's efforts propelled him forward when the gust suddenly vanished. He crashed into his commander, barely avoiding to get hit by the swing that impacted with the aboleth.

MINK:

The aboleth let out a wail, but it was muffled.  Tentacles flopped and flailed with no direction.  Its whispers began to halt, stuttering within Urru's mind, beginning to fade further and further away with every blow.

Urru crashed into him, making Flag sink a little deeper into the sand.  He grunted, twisted a little.  He did the only thing he could think of to do: grip the kenku and slap him.  At the same time he delivered a sharp whistle; a reprimanding whistle he learned as a kid.  Maybe that would get through.

JEN:

The slap and whistle pierced right through the monster's song. Urru felt like surfacing out of ice cold water, put if some kind of nightmare. Why'd he been doing that? Attacking his commander? Urru couldn't recall. He just stared.

MINK:

Urru stopped.  Thank -fucking- Valkur.  "You okay?" Flag asked as he retrieved his hammer once more.  It felt heavier than before, but he dragged it into his hands. "Wanna fucking kill the thing with me?"

JEN:

"Uhhh," Urru made. He glanced at the monster writhing next to them, felt his wet feathers prick. He managed a stiff nod. "Aye."

MINK:

Flag snorted softly. "Grab something." He didn't have anything and the hammer was probably as heavy as Urru.  He swung it over his shoulder, approaching the aboleth once more.  He waited for Urru to join him before swinging the hammer down, letting gravity help him, to crash into the aboleth.

JEN:

Urru watched, still a bit dazed, but then remembered he should be doing something. He glanced around, searching for a weapon, and found his spear half-buried in the sand. He hastened to get it, turned on his heels, and ran point-first at the aboleth's ugly face.

MINK:

Flag winced when Urru ran at the aboleth, tripped, and...the spear still sank into the broken-toothed maw gaping at them.  A shudder ran through it, its tentacles gave one more flail, searching, then they dropped near Urru and Flag, a hairsbreadth away.

A sigh escaped Flag, his shoulders sagged. "You okay?"

JEN:

Urru pulled his beak from the muck and spat sand. "Aye," he croaked.

MINK:

Flag nodded, chuckling.  He reached down to grip Urru's shoulder, helping to pull him up out of the sticky muck. "Come'on.  The spell's gonna die soon and I don't feel like swimming." He grinned.  He started to walk, this time towards shore.  It was a steady upwards climb.   He wanted to get to the safety.  Then he wanted a nap.  Then he'd heal Urru and himself.

JEN:

"Crew?" Urru asked. He looked around at the devastation that was the waterless sea floor, and the looming walls of water on either side. He knew the commander had powerful magic but this- this was what momma had always told him the gods could do. Shape the ocean, tame the wind. Slay beasts.

Urru involuntarily took a step away from his commander.

MINK:

Flag shrugged.  He couldn't keep track of them with the three aboleths beneath them.   Probably dead.  It was a shitty thought.  Hopefully some of them would make it to the island.

He had known this was a fucking death mission.

Flag scowled a little to himself, focusing on making it up the climb to shore.  "I'll Send for them." Once they were on dry sand.  He glanced back towards Urru when he took a step back. "Sure you're okay?"

JEN:

He nodded. He was okay- surprising, for knocked out of a boat and almost drowned by some demon of the sea. Saved by a demigod, perhaps?

"Am okay, sir," he added, a little belatedly, when he remembered his etiquette. "Thank you, sir."

MINK:

Flag squinted at Urru before he shrugged it off. "Anytime," he said, waving off the thanks.  Like he was going to let the kenku get eaten.

By the time they reached the top, dry shore, the water had already began to slip out of the walls, seeping across the sand to fill up the trench that had been made.  The water bubbled and gurgled, like a giant losing the last if its life.

Once there Flag did the one thing he could do: he sat down, heavy and with a groan. "What's your name?"

JEN:

Urru made the low trilling sound that his mother had called him the day he'd hatched.

MINK:

"Right." Flag repeated it, but it came out much more similar to 'Urru' - even growing up the trills and whistles had been awkward to mimic. "Cool.  Better than 'bird'." He cracked a grin.

JEN:

Urru tilted his head but didn't mention what the other had just said wasn't even remotely close to his name. Eh, whatever. At least it was no slur. It would do.

"Not bird," he said, then told the commander the name of his tribe. Probably no more than a caw to his ears. "Kenku. Not do what birds do."

MINK:

Flag nodded. "Mmhmm.  Mum was a Kenku." Not his real mom or whatever - he didn't know who the fuck his biological parents were and he didn't give a damn. "Why'd you join?" He'd been surprised to see a Kenku climb aboard the ship.

JEN:

"Eh..." He searched for words. Didn't have fitting ones. He shrugged. "Ship." Urru pointed out to where the Cavallier was a dark smudge on the horizon- then he saw them.

"Crew!" He cawed, and pointed. "Crew! Alive!"

MINK:

Yeah.  Ship.  Flag could barely make out the Cavalier; he didn't have the Kenku's eyesight.  It was just as difficult to see little heads bobbing up and down as their owners swam towards shore.

Flag sighed out with relief.  Good.  They weren't dead. He stood up to save his hands. "Get your asses out of the goddamn water!" He called out.  Shit.  He didn't care for some of the people on the ship, but these were good people.

JEN:

Urru ran for the water and was in up to his waist when he stopped to consider the two other monsters probably still lurking under the waves. He wanted to help his crewmates, bring them to shore before they drowned or got eaten but- what if he was just running into death's open maw here?

He turned around to call at Flag. "Help! Help me! Help crew!"

MINK:

Before he could grab Urru, the Kenku raced out into the water.  The two aboleths could be anywhere.  It was dangerous.  Fuck.  Goddamnit.

He growled as he walked -limped- towards the edge when he was called to.  He didn't know if Urru knew how magic worked. Even magic granted by Valkur. He was tired, but, fuck...

Flag stared at the area that the men and women were swimming through.  "Get together!" he screamed.  He waited.  When they listened as best they could, he cast one more spell, feeling it take up a little more energy, a little more strength, but the water dropped out from beneath them as it surged to the sides.

The crew dropped into the muck and grime that covered the sea floor.

JEN:

Urru covered the distance sprinting. Even from the shore he could see that at least two were injured. One was barely standing, held up by a sailor who's shirt and pants were soaking through with blood leaking from a missing underarm. Another lay face down in the mud, not moving at all.

When Urru reached them, he went for the one on the ground first. He rolled her around and started pressing on her chest. He needed to get the water out of her lungs, somehow, eben though he had no lips to drive the breath back into her.

MINK:

Flag was slower than Urru, damn near sliding down the slope as he followed the Kenku.  As he walked, he whispered a soft prayer beneath his breath.  The one bleeding stood a little taller as he was helped off and the one that Urru tried hard to bring back...

...he gave a spluttering cough, gagged, and wretched up salty water.

"I got her," Flag mumbled as he finally reached Urru and the crew member.  He was less than gentle as he lifted her up into his arms. "You did good," he added to Urru as he turned back to go to shore.

JEN:

Urru sat back on his ass when the woman was taken away from him, panting with effort and relief. He only took a short moment, though, before he scrambled back to his feet and ran to help the others struggling towards shore. He really, really wanted to be on dry land before the walls of water collapsed on them.

MINK:

Urru helped the rest, Flag carried the one crew member.   It wasn't easy going, but it went smoothly and they made it back to the relative safety of shore before he released the spell and the water trickled back into the area it had been told to vacate.   He  carefully placed the woman on the sand.

"What a fucking day," he grumped then he Sent at the general: People down.  Boat's broke.  Need help.

Then they would have to wait for an answer or for the Cavalier to come over to rescue them.  The aboleths were nasty, but the ship was bigger.   It seemed to span forever before the ship began to grow on the horizon, larger and larger, until it stopped far enough out to not be stranded, but close enough where it was safer to send out the rowboats for rescue.

JEN:

"Why?" Urru asked as they waited for the boats to reach them. "Why us? Fight alone?" They hadn't stood a chance against the aboleths. Not even against one. The general must've seen that... right?

MINK:

He's a dick.  Really it was, He's a racist dick.  You weren't supposed to say things like that about your general in the Navy, but...Flag dug a booted toe into the sand, scowling.

"Probably wants a new crew," he said with an uncomfortable roll of his shoulders.  Urrun was new to the Navy; this should've been Sunshine's and rainbows, but he wasn't going to lie.

JEN:

Urru growled, not fucking happy with that answer. If the general wanted a new crew, he should take it up with his superior; not send good sailors on death missions.

The boats were drawing closer and he couldn't help but wonder how the other crew would feel about this. They must know just as them what a suicide mission this had been. Would there be unrest? Mutiny? Or would they not even care, because it had been the genasi and the bird on board, and some others who'd regularly been the target of slurs and harassment.

MINK:

"Yep." Flag agreed with the angry growl.  It was bullshit.  Something needed done.  The problem was that their options were limited without getting kicked out of the Navy or take a short trip with a sudden stop.

He tapped the handle of his hammer. "Maybe we should...convince the dear general he needs a new assignment."

JEN:

"New... assignment." Urru tilted his head at the genasi. Sounded like trouble. Sounded like getting thrown into prison or worse. He made an unhappy sound as he turned back to watch the boats draw nearer and for the first time since leaving bootcamp, Urru wondered whether he was going to live through his service. Or maybe his father had been right all along.

MINK:

[Closed]

Title: New Assignment

Summary: General Marlowe sends Urru, Flag, and others to kill three aboleths.  One aboleth dies.   The crew survives.  Urru and Flag think General Marlowe should be gently encouraged to leave his ship.