[Last time on Seekers...] [The boat's been taking quite a bruising. From cannon balls to serpent strikes, people thought the little ship seaworthy enough to make it to Rohdan. It's probably good that it wasn't pushed much further. As long as the wise captain kept it far from the rocks, it was as smooth a sailing as you could get.] [It is early morning when the ship pulls into port. And this port makes Port Rio look like a small trading town. A stone archway allows the length of the pier through, but the high walls buttress themselves against the elements. Those who make their awareness checks also see the glint of cannons lining the walls and towers blocking raiders from sneaking into the city unwarrented. Zaxon banners wave high and proudly over the [walls.] [The shipwright office is stationed at the end of the pier before you enter the city proper. And a bustling city awaits, with seagulls flying overhead.] [Session Start.] * Nasira is leaning against one of the rails. She's wearing some unharmed Maltanese clothes - seems she hasn't gone through her entire new wardrobe yet - and her Chu-Lin slippers. Her saif is tucked into her sash. * Nasira is only unusual, for her, in that she isn't bleeding all over the place! * Naiya is in full uniform, fretting moreso than usual, at the sight of the flags. And clanking. * Shan parks the ship in the first available lot. * Lucas is polishing the forward deck gun, and making sure the brass fittings on its carriage are nice and shiny. * Shan is wearing a nice purple robe today, with another box-ish hat. She finishes with the parking and draws out her feather fan, surveying the city. * Naiya hangs near the door to below decks, like she's stuck between wanting to flee and trying not to flee. * Virgil is wearing what he's always wearing. * Virgil must have a zillion and one copies of the same clothing. * Lucas has a couple of his men leap to the docks and start tying the ship up, and hey anchors are good too so the other two do that. [Shan gets easy access to the dock and parks it. Cecilia comes out from below decks and rubs her eyes. "Huh? What's goin' on?" She's obviously not a morning person.] * Virgil is reading too. SHOCKU. * Naiya moves enough to let Cecilia out unimpeded. Clanking. [The only bits from the city that can really be seen are the walls and the tops of roofs. There are a few spires that jut out above the walls. People who've been to Zaxon before recognize that as the dedicated Temple of Fiona.] * Shan hasn't, and so doesn't! * Virgil does recognize, and so does! * Naiya recognizes it! But she looks like she doesn't want to. ;_; * Shan gestures. "Well, here we are." She turns her head towards Nasira. "Nasira, shall we take a look around?" * Lucas hasn't actualy been here before so he doesn't know what the spires are from, but he's impressed that they built them so high. * Nasira straightens and salutes, a gesture she picked up from some soldier or another. "Sure thing, boss." [Cecilia pouts a little in the typical childlike way when she realizes no one's paying attention to her.] I suppose we should bring Filis to..... wherever it is she wanted to be. Well, I'm going to go wake Marla. I think the other girl's still asleep too. Just don't go insulting Fiona, okay? Nah, insult away. Just keep a safe distance. I hear she's got a mean shoe. * Naiya blinks, and STARES at Nasira for a moment. Whatever she said, it knocked her out of her funk. * Nasira decides now's a good time to get out of the boat, so she does! * Nasira jumps for the pier. * Shan ignores it all, nodding to Cecelia. "Wake her too, if you would. Tell her we've arrived." [Cecilia goes to do just that.] * Lucas blinks at Nasira. "I do not intend to find out what the safe distance for goddess insulting is." * Shan adopts a thinking pose and thinks. Totally. (And the safe distance is "On another planet" if the goddess is real and thinks you're worth smiting.) * Naiya nods to herself, then recites, with flat conviction, "Fiona is as patient as she is long-reached. The safe distance would be fleeting at best, becuase all come back to Her in time." Unless they get reincarnated first. * Nasira is already down on the pier and calling up: "Coming, boss?" * Shan calls back down. "One moment!" * Nasira nods and starts asking random sailors where to find a good knife. [The sailors give Nasira an odd eye. Apparently, they've never seen a Caladeemish person wearing Maltan clothes before. That or they just think she's weird.] * Lucas also gets off the boat and heads, probably with Enzo, to the shipwright office. Bah, you sailors are useless on land. * Naiya glances at the holy spires for a moment, fretting, then biting her lip and disembarking the ship. [One sailor replies, "As useless as a woman at sea." A couple of the other sailors chortle in response.] * Shan taps her foot. "What's keeping Filis? [Cecilia gets back up, followed by Marla. Marla takes one whiff of the sea air and holds her nose. "PHEEEEW, this port smells." Cecilia gives her an odd look.] * Nasira grins at the sailor. "At least I can fight. Can't see what you'd do besides be an anchor." * Virgil heads off the boat to do business stuff. You know whatever it is needs to be done with ships in port, and stuff. [The man scowls at her. The rest of the men laugh harder though at the retort.] * Naiya waits for whoever else is getting off the boat to get off the boat. But hey, even boats need to stop. Right? Don't feel so bad. * Nasira pats the guy on the back and looks back up at her own ship. [Filis comes to the top of the deck. She stops and stares at the spires, and pales slightly. But her eyes are fixated on that point.] * Lucas 's men make sure the ship is secure before wandering off to find someplace to drink. * Nasira follows Filis' gaze to the spires, then turns back to the girl and calls, "What *is* it with you Zaxon and staring at cones?" * Shan moves up besides Filis, gesturing at the city with her fan. "Here we are." [Filis staggers back a little. "I remember it somehow...but..."] [Cecilia looks at Filis oddly, but Marla gives her arm a tug. "Come on, you. Let's go get us some grub." Cecilia yelps and gets dragged along. Literally so, since it takes her a while to actually reorient herself to following.] * Naiya offers a cheerful smile to Filis, and waves her arm grandly to encompass all of the city within sight. "Welcome to Zaxon, Filis. Land of fish and Fiona." [Filis nods slightly and absently. She looks like she's seen a ghost.] [Filis finally shakes her head. "Shall we go then?" * Naiya frowns a little, glancing at the way ahead, then shakes her head, and laughs a sad little laugh. "We shall." [She looks back at the cabins. "The little one said she tried to wake Enzo, but the poor soul just would not stir."] * Shan nods to Filis. "Let's get you to wherever you need to go quickly." She moves to the pier. [Filis nods and points to the spires. "The temple. They should provide sanctuary."] * Shan catches up with Nasira. "Then, let's go." [Filis follows along, taking in the sights of the city.] * Shan does, too! "It's certainly rather... big." * Naiya nods. It is. One could get lost quite easily in this sort of a city. I suppose it's not the size that's so impressive as the make of the buildings. After all, Chu-in is at least as big. * Naiya looks up at the spires. "Not with such a bright guiding star to go by." [They all pass the archway and really get to see the city proper. The stone buildings are intricately structured and carved. Also, except for the main street, they are fairly densely packed. The spires still take precedent, though. Beyond the archway, the place opens into what looks (and smells) like a fish market.] Doesn't look like a star to me. Definitely looks like cones. [Filis glances at Naiya oddly. "I think she is being figurative. Though such reverence hardly seems healthy." * Nasira stretches and hears Filis saying that. She starts laughing. "From one Zaxon to another!" [Filis shrinks a little at that. She finishes looking down at the cobbles.] ( Is Naiya coming with us? ) ( She is! ) * Naiya takes in a deep breath at the fish market, for once smiling without abandon. Stop looking so afraid of speaking your mind. I'll cut out anyone's tongue who tries to hurt you for that; once started, insults should be finished. * Shan fans herself lightly as she walks along. "Appearances aside, though, it's no so different." [Next seems to be shops of all kind. Clothing, food stores, weaponry (most of the signs being Fiona holding aloft a sword). The temple entrance is visible mid-city.] * Nasira peers at the signs, particularly useful given she can't read Zaxon. "Hmm." * Shan doesn't peer at the signs, but for the same reason! * Naiya frowns, and glances about, seeing if she can get a glance of what's caught her attention. ( It's Mr. Soupy ) ( Mr. Soupy! *_* ) [Naiya sees some people on the steps of the temple, but they're too far away to make out what's really going on.] ( Look violent beyond words, or just limited to words? ) I'm going to get a new knife. Hope Zaxon steel's good enough. Don't get into a fight without me. * Shan nods. "We'll be at that temple, then." Okay. Have fun with the cones! * Nasira wanders off, weaving through the crowds. She's a few inches taller than everyone else. Makes finding your way really handy. (I repeat. Too far away. Though they're pretty close to each other.) * Shan heads towards the temple then. Not like she notices anything wrong. * Naiya keeps them on the edge of her mind, then. It's not polite to get into others arguments, and they'll likely pass near them anyways. [Filis follows along with Shan, looking at Naiya's strange behavior.] [As Shan and company approach the temple, they seem to be getting in the middle of a heated argument. The temple itself is even more intricately carved than the rest of the buildings and has stained glass high above the solid wooden doors and column way. Below it, at the top of the stairway are two temple initiates trying to hold back two other people (con.)] [The initiates are each in light white robes lined with blues and adorned with a blue chevron across the waist. The one on the left is female, pale, and blond with her hair tied back about shoulder length. She looks to be about in her mid-twenties. The male has brown short hair, slightly spiky, and looks to be a little older than the woman. (con.)] [Looking angrily at the temple ahead is a black-haired Chu-linese girl in her early twenties. Her hair is tied into two side-buns and she is wearing a red dress with long sleeves and gold flames emblazoned on it, two flaps hanging down front and back, exposing black tights on her legs. On her back, she has tied a long spear. (con.)] [At the bottom of the steps is another Chulinese, though this one male. He looks a little sheepish about the whole situation with squinty eyes, and wears his black hair in a mid-back length braid. His garments are light blue with a golden round emblem on his chest and back. He seems to be carrying a big heavy pack on his back, with various cooking utensils tied to it.] [Session Paused.]