[Last time on the pirate channel (ARR!), we joined our intrepid nefarious seafarers as they made it back to dry land! Dry land, rewards, and possibly info! That's why Shan wanted to go to the library at the guildhouse right? It's just down at the end of the hall. Don't get lost now.] [Session cast off!] * Shan heads to the library. * Nasira is just a step behind and to the right of Shan, as is typical. She'd almost look annoyed, if she weren't grinning. "Are you sure you don't want me causing trouble with the everyday populace?" Mmm, let me consider the tactical advantage of that proposal. * Shan considers for about a half second. "No." * Enzo walks next to Nasira, which puts him behind and on the left of Shan. FLANKING FORMATION GO! * Nasira snickers for half a moment. "Oh, come on. Enzo can be my chaperone." * Enzo blinks hopefully at Shan. If you wish to go into town, I have nothing against it. But I've some work to do. [Meanwhile the double-doors of the library loom ahead. Shan has arrived.] * Shan pushes them open, one door with each hand. [Shan opens the doorway to books. Lots and lots of books. This library seems to have an upper floor and bookshelves line every place possible. It'd probably take longer than a lifetime to read them all.] * Nasira opens her mouth to say something, then stops when she takes in all the books. "Huh." ...whoa. That's a lotta books. * Shan looks at all the books too. "... Quite a lot of them." [There's light streaming in through a window on the northern side. It seems to be letting brightness filter into the room. There's a large tree just out the window and a balcony can be spotted just outside it.] * Nasira walks in, glancing over them and ignoring the fact that she can't read the things. "Wonder what's the point." The point? Knowledge, of course. [On the bottom and top floors there's tables set aside for reading. There's also a black cabinet-like device on the bottom floor. A long cabinet. It takes up at least half the wall and there's drawers all along it.] * Enzo walks in, hands in his pockets, looking around casually and somewhat- following Shan. * Nasira looks at Shan, her eye glinting curiously. "If knowing is so important, why didn't someone just tell ya?" [As you walk in, around some of the shelves are ladders, both step and full rolling wooden, to reach the higher books.] Perhaps they can't because they've been dead for several centuries. Or perhaps they don't know you're interested in learning. * Nasira pauses a moment. "So... the knowledge was lost for several centuries because it was worth learning." * Nasira snaps her fingers with a grin. "That's it! It makes so much sense now." * Shan shakes her head at Nasira. "Do you think that everyone who heard the elder's wisdom would be able to understand it?" Do you think they would remember it? Do you think they would recount it exactly as he had? * Nasira shrugs easily. "Part of the story is being able to retell it in your own words. Wisdom changes with the times, as they should." She laughs. "At least, that's what they told me. Books are for bookkeeping." * Enzo wanders around, looking here and there and here, not really seeming to be paying much attention. * Shan shakes her head. "It is not a story that I am seeking. Knowledge by word of mouth can be lost over time." [Enzo sees book, book, book, table, cabinet, book, stairs, ladder, book. Oh and did I mention book?] * Enzo strolls over to the cabinet! 'Cause like. It's a big cabinet. And such. [He also may see Shan and Nasira, but he may not be paying attention to them.] I'd say a book can be killed a lot more easily than hundreds of people. But to each their own, I guess. I'm gonna get out of here, maybe pick a fight. I'm developing an allergic reaction already. * Nasira grins. "Don't get jumped by any land pirates, okay boss?" * Enzo turns around at that. "You're not getting a rash, are you? Rashes are nasty." [Enzo's feet take him within range of the cabinet. There's a lot of drawers with swinging brass handles on them. And knobs. There's also letters etched into the front, alphabetically top to bottom, left to right.] * Enzo turns around and blinks at the cabinet. It looks complicated. * Nasira nods. "Yeah, they are. I've gotta get out of here before I start itching." Oh. Okay then. * Enzo stays to STEAL NASIRA'S JOB. FWAR HAR HAR. * Enzo actually just stays. Cabinets are pretty fascinating. * Shan sighs and turns about, scanning the bookshelves. [Shan sees a bunch of words on the spine she can't read!] * Enzo calls absent-mindedly after Nasira. "I hope your rash gets better!" * Nasira lays a hand on Shan's shoulder very briefly, then turns and briskly makes her way out. "Thanks, kid." Enzo, assist me, would you? Hm? Oh, sure. * Enzo wanders over. "What d'you need?" I need you to translate for me. Oh. Okay. * Enzo translates titles for Shan! Look for a book on adverse weather effects, if you would. In particular, anything having to do with anomolies in the sky or sea. Hmmm....okay. [Enzo finds Shan was looking on books on commerce. Well this is a trade guild. But they all seem so boring.] (Dammit Ro, I was gonna say she was looking at chili recipes. ;-;) * Enzo points over to another corner of the library. "We probably wanna go over there then. This is all commerce stuff." * Shan nods. "All right, lead the way." (Malta doesn't make good chili.) (;-;) (National pride!) * Enzo leads the way! To, uh, meteorology and sailing and stuff. * Enzo look looks. [Enzo wanders to another corner of the library. They seem to be organized by subject first, then author. History. Naval strategy. Navigation. Sailing and Meteorology don't seem to be on the bottom floor however.] Guess we gotta go upstairs. * Enzo goes upstairs! * Shan goes upstairs too! ( This'd be a great place for a Kung Fu fight. ) (Totally.) * Enzo does a quick scan of the category thingies. [As they start to head up the stairs, Enzo and Shan both hear the doors creak on their hinges and open out of the corner of their eyes.] * Enzo quickly turns around, hopping down a step or two so as to be in front of Shan. * Shan glances thataway. * Virgil steps into the library and looks around, noticing the topics of books more than anything else. Oh. Hi Virgil! * Enzo wavewaves. * Virgil winces as Enzo shouts in the library. He makes his way up to Enzo, and when he gets there he talks in a hushed tone. "Quiet. Library, remember?" * Enzo blinks. "Wha'm I gonna do, wake up the books?" He's got a point. You're going to bother other people reading. [As Shan and Enzo get up top, they feel a cool breeze coming from one of the open windows. Ah, meteorology. Here we are. Unfortunately for Shan, most of these are in Maltan as well. Some Zaxon, but none in Chu-linese.] * Enzo is a little bit quieter though, and returns to making his way up the stairs! FOR GREAT BOOK-FINDING. What other people? * Enzo looks for books like what Shan said! [The library does seem rather empty at the moment.] * Virgil facepalms. "Just keep it in mind when there *are* people present. Now I have something for each of you." * Virgil hands each of them a small moneypouch. Oh, I already had lunch. Thanks though! * Enzo blinks and notices that this is jingly lunch. "Oh, wait." (Enzo eats metal!) (He's a rust monster!) (CHOMP CHOMP CLANG CHOMP) That's for services rendered. Ohh. That explains it. Great. So, what are you looking for? ^^ * Enzo tucks it in his vest and continues looking for a book that Shan would want. * Shan looks at the money blankly. "I did not... oh well, I suppose I can put it to some use." We're looking for books on abnormal weather. * Virgil nods and starts looking. "Any particular reason?" And what kind? I know a bit about weather myself. ^^ [Enzo sees a book entitled, "Abnomalies of Nature: Phenomena of the Inner Seas."] As do I. As I've said, abnormal effects. Might go as far as to say unnatural. Oh, here's one. * Enzo plucks it from the shelf and reads the title to Shan. * Shan nods. "Try it." [He sees a few others that may be appropriate as well. "Meteorlogical Guide to Malta." "Predicting Weather Fronts" "Coastal Abnormalities" and "Maltan Weather Lore: Through the Ages."] [These are the ones he can read off the bottom shelves at least.] Mmm, I've made unnatural effects myself. Do you speak of natural occurances of unnatural effects, such as the veil, or unnatural occurances for natural effects, like my own ability to control the winds? * Virgil keeps talking with Shan as he browses the books. Oh, here are some more, too. * Enzo flicks those off the shelf as well, and plunks them down on a table, flipping through them and reading chapter headings and the like to Shan. Likely the latter. * Shan turns her attention to Enzo. Mmmm, okay. * Virgil picks up the 'Coastal Abnormalities and starts skimming through it. * Shan paces to keep herself busy. * Virgil glances up after getting a decent portion in. "Oh, you can't read, can you?" * Shan eyes Virgil. "I read quite well when it's in a language I understand." But no, I don't understand Maltan. Hence the need for Enzo to recite for me." [Enzo reads off the chapters! Phenomena of the Inner Seas is divided into regions with the country name as each chapter.] Heh, sorry about that. I just assume everyone knows Maltan. ^^; [Enzo doesn't get to read off Coastal Abnormalities. Because Virgil snatched it when he wasn't looking. Maltan Weather Lore though is divided into time periods. Each time period depicts measuring devices for how they read the weather and predicted for early sea travel as well as crop harvests. It also has a few "old wives tales" about what certain weather conditions mean. That's the last chapter.] * Enzo was reading the other Abnormalities anyway, so there. (The one that's Anomalies. Ha, I said Abnomalies in the other chan. Someone kill me.) * Virgil mmms and starts going through the table of contents for Coastal Abnormalities, for Shan's sake. * Shan listens as she paces. [Enzo reads off the chapters! Phenomena of the Inner Seas is divided into regions with the country name as each chapter.] How to avoid abnormalities, dangers, yada yada... And suspected ways they came to pass. Hmm... Try that last part. * Enzo blinks and looks up at Shan. "Me or him?" Virgil. As for you, Enzo, start with Malta, then Chu-Lin, then go clockwise. Sure, sure. Okay. * Enzo does that! * Virgil starts reading. "I still don't know what exactly you're looking for. Does this have something to do with the storms around Chu-lin that I've heard about?" * Shan nods. "Among other things." Let me explain. * Shan pulls out her feather fan and fans herself. "But don't stop reading." * Enzo reads and listens. He's multitasking! * Virgil rolls his eyes. "What makes you think I would." He takes a seat himself and rests the book on the table." * Shan paces. "Until recently, the storms of Chu-Lin were thought to be as 'always were'. Always there, never changing." However, it has come to my attention that their force is increasing. At first, my goal was to find a way to halt the storms, or maybe stop them altogether. And it still is. * Shan turns and paces the other way. "But now I suspect that it isn't just my country that's suffering from such phenomenon. At the very least, Malta has it's own weather problems. But I suspect that if we look, we'll find similar circumstances in more of the countries. [Enzo starts off by reading about Malta. Malta seems to be a temperate region. Although it is not often prone to anomalies, they do occur...] [The Veil of the Mist is one such anomaly. There's talk of a region of rough waters towards the southern edge of the Maltan Seas as well, towards the southern Maltan islands. It's suspected those are caused by shifting plates beneath the surface of the water though...] [There's no mention of whether it has been increasing in later years or not. Of course, it may be an old book. Who's to say?] * Enzo saves his page and checks the publication date! :P [The book is about 4 years old.] * Enzo mentions that, and goes back to reading. * Virgil nods in approval. * Shan nods. D'you want me to go on to Chu-Lin now? Yes, please. And Virgil, if you would, check one of the other, older or more recent books. See if the Veil has moved or expanded in that time. Mmmhmmm, let me finish this first. * Enzo moves on to Chu-Lin! Mmm, Chu-Lin. Recent would be better. If the Veil is at all like the storms, it would be expanding at an increasingly faster rate. * Enzo reads, for love and peace. Or maybe just Shan. * Shan paces. And Enzo, reading for Shan IS reading for love and peace. (Gooood point. 'Cause Shan owns the world!) * Shan cups her chin with her free hand and paces with her eyes closed. And she doesn't walk into anything, either! [As Enzo starts to read further, there's a shriek from the window. It sounds like a bird. Flying into the library. Full speed. And it's diving towards Enzo and Shan's heads. They need to try and dodge it.] * Enzo tries and dodges it! [Enzo twists to the side away from the bird while Shan dive for the ground! The bird swoops over their heads. It hovers just above where Shan was and squawks, flying upward with shooting speed. And just in time too. A fireball flies through the open window at VERY rapid speed, right where Shan's head was and hits the book shelf. (con)] [The books behind where Shan was pacing burst into flames as the fiery explosion his behind her, fire licking the wooden floor in front of it.] * Virgil turns to face the bird, then the flaming books. Books on fire = bad. ...aw, man. I was trying not to get set on fire again this year. * Shan dives to the floor, covering her hat! * Shan gets up and dashes towards the window, yelling back, "Watch that bird!" when she gets to the window, she flattens herself against the wall and peeks outside. [The bird is squawking in the air. It flaps near the highest shelf and is glaring angrily at the window, if parrots can glare. A irritated male scowling/growling comes from outside the window. "Stupid featherbrained fool. Oh well, no matter."] * Enzo watches it while taking off his sea jacket. "It's flying!" * Virgil watches it! * Enzo then tries to bat out the floor fire with his jacket. Bat bat bata. [The bird is flying. High! There's a ladder nearby to it.] * Enzo doesn't try to catch the bird. Fireballs are not cool and comfortable. * Shan is looking out the window. Enzo, get that bird. I'll take care of the fire. [Shan checks outside. There's a figure staring right at her. He looks about her age and has flaming hair as he stands on the limb, arms folded in front of him. His eyes focus on her and he gives a slight grin. "You've given me a lot of trouble tracking you, Shan Dian Biao." He lets loose another gout of flame from his hand as he flicks it forward, rushing at her.] * Shan moves back behind the wall! Uh, okay! * Enzo saves his jacket from the burny and climbs up the ladder. [The fire slowly gets put out that Virgil's tending to. Shan meanwhile gets caught in an explosion of book and flame and flaming books. And OW it hurts. A whole lot. Shan gets knocked off her feet from the blast and her sleeve catches fire.] [At about the same time, everyone hears a sharp whistle from out front. The bird squawks and flies quickly towards the window!] * Enzo jumps down from the ladder and rolls towards Shan! * Shan gets hit and screeches. She rolls around on the floor beating her burning arm on the ground. * Enzo lands in a roll and rolls over to Shan, helping her put out her arm. * Enzo also tries to pull her out of further window-shooting range. [The bird stops to flap in the guy's face. The guy starts cursing and tries to fend off the bird, cursing in Chu-linese. His arms flail and trail flame as he fights the stupid parrot off.] * Virgil keeps tending the fire, concentrating on it. "Why do people have to attack now? Why can't they attack... sometime later?" * Shan doesn't answer Virgil, what with the OMG MY ARM IS ON FIRE WTH!!! She has going on. * Enzo doesn't answer Virgil for much the same reason. He whaps Shan's arm with his sea jacket. * Nasira crashes into the library, running full tilt up the stairs and right through the flames if she has to. "What did I tell you about not getting jumped by land pirates?" she asks with a token of her typical grin. Her saif is already in her hand and bloodied, and she attempts to further the condition: a wind picks up as she throws it at the pyro. (RAAAH! Sweet entrance! +10 points!) (w00t, I'll get an A++ for sure!) (Man, I jumped down from a ladder and I don't get nothin'. ;-;) ( If we had an army I could command it to attack his supply depot. ) (With a fire attack!) (It's so ironic.) ( With a fire attack! XD ) (Like falling petals!) (Dancing!) (Your troops can dance around them!) [Enzo manages to put the fire out on Shan's arm. The man meanwhile shoos away the bird finally and sees Nasira's sword coming. He jumps up onto a higher branch and kneels on it. Now that you can get a good look, he looks Chu-lin in origin and irritated. His shirt is sleaveless and he has a blackened tattoo of a dragon snaking around his right arm, which he hangs down to his side.] * Enzo helps Shan sit up. * Shan is irritated, too. She sits up with Enzo's help and tears some strips off her other sleeve, using them to bind her arm. She grimmaces, and shouts, "Don't let him get away!" [He looks irritated at Nasira, then Shan, then everyone else in turn. "Looks like it's more trouble than it's worth right now. Pity. I'll be back." With that he hops backwards out of the tree and vanishes, at least from the window's field of vision.] (Doesn't that Saif go after him next round anyways? :P) (If it missed? YES. XD) (Homing. It rawks. XD) (Yeah! Like a boomerang! "I'll be ba-*THWACK*") (It's got a nice post-revenge feel to it.) * Shan gets up, ignoring the pain, and gives chase! * Shan leaps out the window, even! * Enzo O_Os and follows, but doesn't jump out the window *quite* yet. Shan is one tough monkey, that's fer sure. [The saif comes back towards Nasira. It does pass by him but he seems to have pulled to the side as it came back as well.] Don't need to tell me twi- shit! * Enzo dodges the saif and jumps out the window a little more carefully. * Nasira dives down, trying to catch Shan by the arm before she crashes to the ground. Her saif goes over her head and clatters to the ground behind her. [Shan manages to land ungracefully in the tree. She stumbles and catches herself on a branch so she doesn't fall, but it'll take too long to pull herself up and she's too high up to drop safely.] * Nasira takes a breath when she sees she's fine, grabs her saif, and jumps out as well. Watch out for that tree! [Nasira jumps out. Straight down. She's insane, definitely. Fortunately she lands and while it does hurt, she can manage to move her aching legs after she lands. Enzo stumbles as he lands and his legs crumble beneath him. He doesn't think he broke anything but it might have sprained.] * Virgil sighs. Psychos. * Enzo hisses. [Nasira sees the guy off in the distance. He's quite a ways away by now. It'd be hard to catch up.] * Nasira lands and likely is jarred, but this does *not* stop her. She gives chase, laying the speed on her pained legs as readies her saif for another toss. * Enzo hobbles to a standing position and calls up to Shan. "You all right?" * Nasira gains and throws her saif with a shout, the wind forcing it forward even farther. * Shan pulls herself up, then starts climbing down the tree. [The blade finally connects with his arm and leaves a spray of blood behind him. As it goes back towards Nasira, the last thing she sees is him clutching his arm before he runs out of sight.] * Enzo makes to help Shan if she needs it, and not if she doesn't. * Nasira catches the saif as it wings its way back and slows, realizing he's well and away. She does, however, smirk at the spray of blood. "Breadcrumbs." She turns and heads back to the tree. [There's another whistle from up front. The parrot squawks and starts heading that way.] * Shan maybe gets to the bottom. * Nasira arrives just as Shan gets there. She flicks blood off her saif. "You're real popular, boss." [Shan navigates the treacherous tree successfully.] * Enzo nodnods. * Shan gets to the bottom, wincing and grabbing her shoulder. "So it would appear." That was confusing. And he made me lose my page. Yeah. Books are way too burnable to be trusted. [Virgil is done protecting the books! Well most of them anyhow. Some of the pages are singed. Fortunately neither of the books you were looking at.] * Enzo blinks at Shan and her shoulder. "D'you need help with that?" * Virgil sighs in relief. "None of you are hurt too bad, are you?" * Shan eyes Virgil. She then gets out her medical supplies. I might need an extra pair of hands, Enzo. Thank you." Okay! * Enzo helps when Shan tells him to. * Nasira sheathes her saif, then crouches and observes, ready to lend a hand should they need it. "Do you guys have any idea who that was?" * Virgil rubs his head and motions with his hands. A smooth wind carries over the group and blows through them. You feel MUCH better now! [A voice from behind them calls out. "An unsavory character is what. I was wondering what was taking so long."] * Shan shakes her head. * Nasira stands and spins to face the voice, hand already on her hilt. * Enzo doesn't spin to face the voice! He's helping Shan. x.x [A sailor approaches, though he looks more dressed like a captain. He has white skin, is dressed mostly all in red except for his white shirt, has a tricorner hat and spectacles on the tip of his nose. He's also quite handsome. He also has a parrot currently on his arm and a cutlass at his side.] * Shan takes out her needles.... and puts them back in her pouch. She then turns to look at the weirdo. [He's currently petting the parrot under the beak as he walks forward towards you. He's also someone Enzo met earlier and Nasira met not long ago.] [And yes the parrot is the one you saw earlier.] * Enzo turns too then. Woo. * Enzo blinks as he recognizes the guy. "Oh, hi again!" * Nasira relaxes. Relatively, anyway. "You know this guy?" Well, not really. But I saw him. * Virgil looks over at the HandsomeSailor. "Who knows what where?" We bumped into each other outside the GUild. * Shan takes this all in. * HandsomeSailor waves to Enzo without much mirth. "Hello again." He thumbs behind him. "Your friend's waiting at the tavern." * Enzo blinks and looks around. "What friend? Everyone's here...I think." He's talking about *her*. * Nasira takes a step forward, eye looking the sailor over. She doesn't seem impressed. "You knew this was gonna happen." Naiya? Think you'd better get there. She'd be awfully worried. And besides, I've got a message. I'd much rather deliver it there. * Enzo blinkblinkblinks (83). "Wh--oh, right, Naiya." * HandsomeSailor shrugs at Nasira. "Might have suspected it. I wanted Horatio to check is all. When he didn't come back...well..." You decided not to get your hands dirty. I can tell why. Ash doesn't go that well with red and white. It's not my business to get involved. But... * HandsomeSailor tilts his head towards Shan. "It would be inconvenient if I lost contact with our little diplomat." * Nasira grins. "Yeah, that'd just be too bad, wouldn't it?" She looks back to Shan. "You wanna go to the tavern, boss?" * HandsomeSailor shrugs and waves, walking off, bird in tow. "Come or not. It's your choice. I, for one, could use a drink." * Shan follows. "I would like to hear what he has to say." * Virgil picks up the book. "Before we were interrupted, I had something to say anyways. I'm sure the library won't mind if I borrow a book." * Nasira nods, then steps in line to the side and a bit behind Shan. * Enzo shrugs and lines up on the other side of Shan to complete her posse. [Session End.]