User:Arrow Quivershaft/Departing

{{#if:Jigsaw green.png|}}

Icon	3P story universe

{{#ifeq: User |User| Departing | Arrow Quivershaft/Departing}}[[Title::{{#ifeq: User |User| Departing | Arrow Quivershaft/Departing}}| ]]
{{#ifeq: | |

 {{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }} | | 
   {{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}} | || 
     Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}]] [[Author::{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}| ]]
   }} | 
   {{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}} | |
     Author: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }} |
     Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}]] [[Author::{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}| ]]
   }}
 }} |
 {{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }} | |
   {{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}} | | Authors: ' | 
     Authors: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}]] 
   }} | 
   {{#ifeq: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}} | |
     Authors: {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }} |
     Author: [[User:{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft | {{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}}}|{{#ifeq: User |User| Arrow Quivershaft |  }}]] 
   }}
 }}

}} {{#if:| — see [[:Category:{{{category}}}|other works by this author]]}}

---

The next day we met at the docks. I had everything ready, the backpacks ready for me and Alex, food, everything. We were ready to go. Dawn was there with me as I stood there with our gear, watching Alex and Blossom approach. I’d already paid the boatman for the two of us and gotten our tickets.

“You both ready?” I asked as they arrived.

Alex nodded. "Ready to rumble. Hey, who's the new addition?" he said, looking to Dawn.

Blossom smiled at Dawn and waved shyly. “A friend of Nathan’s."

"Dawn's the person I asked you about,” I explained. "Dawn, Alex and Blossom.”

Dawn nodded her head once. "Hello."

"Hi, it’s nice to meet you." Blossom said.

"Pleased to meet you Dawn." Alex said, holding out his hand to shake.

Dawn didn’t miss a step. "Sorry Alex, I don't do that anymore."

Alex pulled his hand back. "Ah ... anymore?"

Blossom smiled "You’re very pretty." she complimented Dawn.

"Don't worry about me. Let's get you folks underway." Dawn stated. She turned to me. "Nathan, you've got lead, I'm just a tagalong."

"Sure thing." I grabbed the stuff and hauled it up to the boarding plank. I flashed my ticket and waited for Alex and Blossom to cover their fares.

The boat was an old-fashioned caravel. Small, but about the highest tech you could get in realm. Just a quick boat for in-and-out of realm trips. We wouldn’t be the only ones. They had a radio for emergency, but of course that wouldn’t work once we got in realm. Still, I’d been on this boat before. Nice, fast trip in realm.

I lugged the gear aboard and set it down in the main hold. Given the shortness of the trip, there weren’t really guest rooms. Just a main hold, and some hammocks spread out. Nothing really elaborate. I stowed the gear in a compartment and locked it, and then returned to my group.

I sat down in a chair as we waited for the boat to leave.

Alex took a seat next to me. "Hmm. Nathan, I hope it isn't too personal, but that tattoo...?"

I shrugged a bit. "No, it's not too personal. I'm a devout follower of Athene."

He nodded, looking a bit worried.

Blossom was looking at Dawn a bit as she sat down in her own chair. For now she was just listening.

Dawn settled into one of the hammocks near our seats. "Our ride's about a day long... Hope you aren't the types to get seasick."

Alex grinned. "We're about to find out."

"I've never been on a boat..but I don’t think I get seasick." I decided, given obvious documentation that Blossom had been on a boat before with the RAF, that her memory wasn’t very good. Extra watching, this one.

"Keep a bucket handy.", Dawn advised.

“Why, what happens?" Blossom inquired.

“You get sick." Alex stated.

"What type of sick?" Blossom, again.

"Vomit type sick." Alex explained.

Blossom finally got it. "oh.." she smiled a bit, like she was remembering a good memory. Weirded me out a bit, I’ll admit.

Alex took out something and stared at it. Looked like a custom lighter.

"Do you ever fly Dawn?" Blossom asked, changing the subject.

"Not out here in the scientific realm. I'll be able to fly once we're in Greece." Dawn explained, patiently.

"What? Why’s that?" Blossom seemed confused.

I glanced at Dawn with a “See? Green” look.

Dawn returned the look. "Uhm... Honey, I break the laws of aerodynamics."

Blossom looked a bit confused.

Alex spoke up before she could say anything. "The realms are magical right?" He was staring at his lighter.

"I sure hope so." Dawn said. She’s more blunt than me at times, and that’s one of the traits I admire, is being able to just hammer the point home without trying to be nice about it. "That lighter got much plastic in it?"

Alex paused, then shook his head. "Umm, don't think so."

"Here's how it works... Inside the realms, explosions don't happen, electricity doesn't flow, and synthetic compounds break down in an awful hurry." Dawn elaborated.

Alex frowned slightly, holding the lighter tighter. He didn’t know what it was made of. “Ah.”

"Outside the realms, magic doesn't happen, and all the laws of science have to be obeyed." Dawn paused. "There was a reason we had you wear cotton clothes instead of polyester."

"So what if..someone was magically made a certain way." Blossom asked, seeming a bit nervous.

"Like I was? They deal with it." Dawn cut to the point.

"Deal with it how?" Blossom asked, pushing the question line a bit too far.

"However." Dawn shrugged.

A pair of minotaurs and a few other human groups settled in as we got underway, the telltale sound of the engines kicking in as we started to leave. Of course, the engines won’t work once we get past the realm border, but they’re good for moving up until then.

"That doesn't answer my question." Blossom pouted.

"It all depends on the person, hon." Dawn took a bit of a teaching tone.

Alex tucked away his lighter. "You just live with it, Blossom."

Blossom nodded, accepting the answer for now and falling silent.

{{#if:k|{{#if:|

 {{{2}}} 

|

}}|

---

}}

We arrived the next day in the Gulf of Corinth. Once we were near, I got called up to the deck to help watch for any marauding monsters. Dawn took off and circled overhead for a bit, seeming to be glad to be back in realm. In a way, I envied her flight, but I tried to keep my mind on my task.

Blossom watched Dawn in awe, closing her eyes after a moment and looking lost in her own world. Alex, on the other hand, seemed to be rather significantly more relaxed once we were in realm borders, for some reason. I’d have to ask him about that later; most people get more edgy going in realm, not relaxed.

After we docked, I helped haul the stuff off, and got the packs distributed between me, Alex, and Blossom. I glanced at the sun; it was early evening. We had 20 miles to go, and we’d make no good time today, so I led them towards the nearest inn I liked.

It was pretty busy here in Corinth, in that rustic realm way. The city was built into the ruins of the original, high-tech Corinth that was abandoned 19 years ago. The weather was warm and humid; standard Med summer.

Blossom rubbernecked around while following "What’s this place called?"

"This is Corinth." I said.

Blossom took a swig of water and nodded to me. Dawn landed nearby.

"We should check in for the evening, and get started early tomorrow. Nighttime is dangerous," I said.

Alex nodded at Nathan's remark. He turned to Dawn as she landed and tried to make small talk. "Hmm, Dawn?" He chats. "You said you didn't shake hands anymore. What do you mean by that?"

Blossom glanced to Alex. "I think she meant she was human once..."

"Kiddo got it in one."

"I know how she feels." Blossom said offhand.

Alex browraised, mumbling something. "What happened?" he asked.

"Got myself caught by some of Echidna's monsters. Woke up with feathers and tits. That's how it goes,” Dawn elaborated with her inimitable style.

Alex shuddered a bit.

Blossom nodded. "I woke up as a human, i went from being 10 inches tall to this height."

"Blossom, shut up." Alex hissed, which got a glare in response.

"Hfff. Trade ya, Blossom,” Dawn commented.

"Make sure to remind me to keep the hell away from the gods ... oh wait..." Alex jokes.

It fell pretty flat. "Don't joke. You two aren't marked. Minions are going to be after you,” Dawn explained.

"That's why I said, don't get captured." I agreed. So very green.

Alex nodded. "Ah."

"Alright.." Blossom said.

I glanced at Dawn with a bit of curiosity as I led the three of them to an inn. It was built into what used to be a schoolhouse, so we got what used to be a classroom, subdivided into two rooms to sleep in. It was built for humans, so Dawn would be a bit uncomfortable, but it was the best they had available for us. Personally, a port warehouse hotel might’ve been better, but they were full up.

The auditorium area of the school had been converted to a tavern, so we hung out there for a bit. A few human teams seemed to be using this as a staging area. Of course, as we were in realm now, there were also satyrs, minotaurs, the odd centaur, elves, nymphs and others.

Blossom looked around as I paid, and exchanged a few words with Alex, closely watched by Dawn. Most of the locals were speaking Greek. Most of the hotel patrons were speaking English, but I picked out some Italian, French, and German. Some group even were speaking some other language...maybe Korean or Vietnamese. I couldn’t tell. I got back to my group just as Blossom started wringing her tail and saying she needed some tea.

Dawn was the first to address the elephant in the room. "Question I got for you kids... Do you want to get yourselves marked to a god before we set out?"

"What..why?" Blossom looked confused.

"Perhaps because it's a good idea." Alex posited.

"Once you're marked of your own volition, nobody else can force a mark onto you." Dawn explained.

"I don't like the idea of that.." Blossom said, nervously.

Alex shook his head. "Me neither. I've been marked and whatnot way too much already."

Dawn tried again. "Think of it like a bank. If you choose somewhere to keep your money, then you're tied to that bank in slightly inconvenient ways. If you don't, then everyone knows you're walking around with your life savings in your pocket."

"I don't know what a bank is..." Blossom grumbled.

I sighed. This wasn’t going well. I tried to play Good Cop. "Let it go, Dawn...if they don't want to, then they don't want to."

"Yeah, I get it." Dawn gave up.

Alex wasn’t done, though. "How do these marks work? Are they tattoos only or is it something more?"

"Some use skin colours, some don't... But all of em are a little bit of an aura that everyone else can detect." Dawn elaborated. "I've got an Echidna aura, Nate here's got an Athene aura. I can sense his when I'm with him, he can sense mine."

"Can it be removed?" Blossom again.

"No." Dawn shook her head. "Not with anything even remotely approaching ease."

Alex nodded. "I know it's stupid but I really don't want to be bound to some god."

Dawn shrugs. "Neither did I,” she said, a bit ominously.

"No I don’t like it..even if i do worship Selene i don’t want to be bound to anything..." She sounded more like she was talking herself out of it than explaining to me.

"I'm sorry, but my .. soul ... is all that I really have left. I don't want to give it up on my own accord." Alex said with slight agitation.

I sighed mentally. The difficulty just went up again. "That's fine."

We spent a bit of time chatting, then retired to our room. I warned them that I would be getting them up early so we didn’t waste daylight. The further I could make it each day with these two, the better.