ic Industrial Strength

[Exaccus]

"oh yeah, i'd all but forgotten about them..." he says in his absent minded way as he looks accross the sailors and checks his sword arm a little "I think my portals are back working now...shouldn't be too much bother to whisk ourselves back to the ship and see them off." he says with a small smile.

 

"I'm a guy with a magic sword, I'm sure i can find some work here." he reassures her as he looks out across the sea of sailors and faces trying to spot the captain from amongst them and finally setting eyes on him, excuses himself for a moment.

 

"Fare thee well Mr. powder, should we meet again I would like that it be under less dire circumstances." as he strides across the ice towards the man to discuss his return to the icebreaker and perhaps show off his swords rather less destructive powers by creating a portal to the vessel or as near as damn it anyway.

[Supercape]

GM

 

And so, later, on the Icebreaker...

 

The captain had started the massive steam powered engines and the ship was rolling back through the ice.

 

"Going to be a good few days sailing till we hit Manchester" he said, tired but relieved. "And at least we won't have his Lordship on our backs. I have to ask...what happened to him? I'm not sure I want the answer, but I have to ask..."

 

Arna deferred to Mr Hale Esq, as she looked down at her gin and tonic and salted fish. It wasn't exactly tasty, but it was warm. She was sure she could stomach the food and drink for a few days, and as the Captain said, they wouldn't have Lord Crane to irritate them. 

 

The pilots had been transported home, thanks to the power of the Black Knight. Joe Powder had said his farewells. He had even given the Black Knight his whip, a good old Texan one "Just to remember me by. And so you can tan a few English noblemen if they get too up themselves. Hell, this old but of rope stung his Lordship pretty darn good, huh?" he smiled. 

 

Joe Powder was a loner, but he was still sad to say good bye to the Black Knight, even if he wouldn't let himself she no damn tear. 

[Exaccus]

"As a sailor im sure you've heard some tell of things from beyond the ken of men." he said simply and plainly "things that...howl at the gates of our world, hungry to enter and consume us." he says cooly as he drinks deeply from his glass of Gin and Tonic.

 

"Crane made himself a slave to his own ambition and that meteorite warped and twisted it to foul ends, so much so he was willing to sacrifice everything and everyone around him for his love of it." he felt the knife tumbling in the ebon ethreal realm of the void scabbard as he talked, its blade nicked and chipped from clashing against his armour, his second memento of this little excursion.

 

"In the end it destroyed him, that there was nothing i could do for him will haunt me as i watched the apple of his eye turn to poison in his heart and blood on his hands." he says cryptically "That the meteorite then smote him with lightning was perhaps a small mercy that he shouldn't live with what he'd become." he adds softly.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Captain listened carefully, and nodded his head. 

 

"I lament the loss of any soul" he answered slowly. "But the way I see it, Lord Crane cemented his fate. It was a sick passion the man had, and worse, he had the will and the money to execute it" he nodded. 

 

"I'll drink to the man though, may his soul have peace" he said, glumly. "I would ask you to join me, although the fates know you have more reason than most to spit on his grave" he added. 

 

Arna raised her glass; not with any great joy, but a sense of duty. Maybe because she respected the Captain, rather than the late Lord Crane. She gave a small sip, and looked at the Black Knight to see his response...

[Exaccus]

"may he find peace in the next life." he says solemnly as he brings his glass to bear against the captains and arna's with a gentle clink of glass meeting glass.

 

all in all he felt hostility towards crane, the mans behaviour towards arna was inexcusable and if she had not raised her glass he would've declined himself but ultimately he felt that he'd failed, failed in his duty to protect humanity from the predations of the fomorians and their vile serveant, even if he'd driven it back, that it had any victims at all was a success on its part.

 

"What fate imposes, men must needs abide. it boots not to resist both wind and tide." a quote he felt applied as much to himself as the fallen crane and Mr Powder, fate had brought them together and worked its designs on them, there was little to be said or done now.

 

"I shall have to seek out employment when we land at Manchester." he says, changing the topic of conversation once a suitably solemn moment had passed in silence. "Mayhap you can point me in the direction of a reputable adventurer who might benefit from a strong sword arm?"

 

"and the great woman behind it of course." he says with a gentle wink to arna

[Supercape]

GM

 

Arna smiled at the compliment. She judged it was a fair one too. Who knew speaking Danish would be so helpful?

 

The Captain nodded. "I can do that, for certain. Manchester is a big industrial town. Plenty of work for a strong man, although the factories and minds can grind you down" he said, his voice flecked with experience. 

 

"And with any big town comes crime. And the law to fight it. I'm sure you could sign up to be a copper, if you wished. Or if you fancy heading down to London, the Ministry of Extraordinary affairs would be most interested in that sword of yours. Personally, I would keep that quiet though..." he said, eyebrows wiggling. 

 

"Truth is, I would be happy to have you on the ship. It's not for everyone, on an Icebreaker, but we travel the world, cutting into Canada and Russia. And Russia is a lively place, I can tell you..." he said, frowning. "In any case, you have a strong arm and a strong heart and would be a fine sailor, I guess!"

 

~ Fin ~

Edited December 2, 2017 by Supercape