The Fires of Summer (first draft)

When the group parts, Axel catches Smock on his way to the crew's quarters. He holds him by the arm, and usually Smock would recoil, but he can bear something about Axel's touch, enough that he doesn't pull away.

"Look, Haley," he says, his voice low and sincere. "I'm sorry about earlier. I have these issues sometimes, where I overreact."

Smock is taken aback by the apology. He doesn't particularly take Axel as someone that would apologise so sincerely, yet here he is. "Oh, it's alright, I forgive you. I get it, I wouldn't want to feel like my friend just wants to up and leave either."

Axel smiles a little. "I appreciate that, Haley. Are we good?"

"We're good," Smock returns the smile, pulling in his friend for a hug.

Axel just stands there for a moment, as if unsure how to react, then he goes in for the full hug, squeezing Smock very tight in a way that is surprisingly comfortable.

"What d'you say to a good drink?" Smock asks, figuring that they could both do with a good drink to ease their nerves and drown their sorrows to get them to sleep. (Or maybe Smock is projecting, just a little bit.)

"Yeah, why not? We've got a bit of wine and ale aboard," Axel chuckles. "Wait here. I'll go fetch us both something."

"Alright," Smock watches him as he goes downstairs, and when he's gone, he decides to bite the bullet and acquaint himself with the dark ocean.

He heads to the railing and forces him to stare at the waves below. It's horrifying, a swirling black abyss that pulls his eyes in infinitely. It's like it's calling for him to join his wife down there, to sleep with her bones for eternity, until the fish pick away at him and make him a skeleton too.

Axel returns and wakes him from his trance with a hand on his back. "Hey, Hales. You with me?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he clears his throat, forcing himself away from the rails, and following Axel to sit on the stairs leading up to the top deck, where the wheel is.

When he sits he can hear the sounds he's so used to, from where he's used to them - that familiar creaking of the ship, the crash of the waves, the murmur of chatter below deck. It feels like home, but still so wrong. How can he ever find a home away from his old ship, his old crew?

He takes a bottle of beer from Axel and downs it fast. It goes down easily and he burps when he's done, wiping the foam from his lip.

"Needed that, huh?" Axel laughs, taking a sip from a glass of wine. He's some sort of crazy, bringing glasses on board a ship, but it feels so very him at the same time.

"Yeah. Guess I did," Smock sighs, taking a second bottle and making a point to drink slower this time. He feels older as he drinks, like he's aged beyond the seven years he's been gone.

On the most part they drink in silence, until Smock's brain starts to get clouded, and Axel's hand wanders a little as he searches for the wine to fill his glass with. It's like old times, drinking together as friends until neither can walk straight - he never realised how much he missed it. He ends up under Axel's arm, leaning against him, happy to be close to him. He can feel the rise and fall of his chest, and the vibrations in his throat when he speaks.

"I missed you," Axel says, drinking. His adam's apple bobs with every time he swallows it down.

"I missed you too, pal," Smock slurs, closing his eyes. He feels himself getting drowsy, but doesn't succumb to sleep just yet. "I'm glad I came here."

"Me too," Axel agrees. "It feels good, being on the ocean with you again."

Smock wishes he could agree with his friend wholeheartedly, but even drunk, something inside of him still can't properly come to terms with it. He lets out a simple, "Yeah."

Axel's arms are strong and heavy. Despite the disease he's afflicted with, known for making people incredibly weak, he seems to be doing very well, with life in his body and his eyes. Smock looks to his face and really, properly looks at it, close up. The only thing on his body that ages him is the massive scar that cuts through his face. It's a wonder that the injury didn't blind him, and almost ironic that he's missing the eye on the other side. He's got a perfectly sculpted jaw, like something from a statue, and his eye is catlike in shape. He's got a straight nose, and as he looks at him Smock can see the little things that connect him to his patriarchal family. As Smock draws in a breath he can smell that scent of blood and roses on him, a smell that shouldn't be good at all but somehow manages to be a perfect combination of the two.

"Blyad, my head," Axel groans, rubbing his forehead with his free hand as he, with a spark of genius, decides to take yet another sip of wine. "I think I'm going to need to lie down..."

"Yeah, lie down," Smock agrees, woozy. Axel is clearly a little more sober than he is, still able to form a coherent sentence, so he's just going along with whatever he says.

Axel seems wobbly on his feet. He leaves his wine and his glass on the steps, against the wood at the base of the railings, and helps Smock up, holding him close to his warm body as they both stagger towards the door to the crew's quarters. Getting down the stairs is a feat, with the two trying to coordinate their steps as not to fall over (though they almost do on multiple occasions), but eventually they make it to the bottom with little issue. When they're down, Smock smacks himself into the doorway, not processing that the two of them can't both fit through it, which hurts quite a bit.

Then, Axel staggers to his bed, the upper hammock next to Smock's, and falls asleep. Smock does the same, sleeping with his face towards Axel. He watches as the man curls in on himself, his tail wrapping around his body like a cat's would, and sleeps like that, his white hair a total mess atop his head. Smock curls up like Axel, and realises that hey, this is actually kinda comfy, and he too manages to drift off into a comfortable sleep.

When he wakes up, though, he feels like absolute shit.

Smock's stomach is churning. He rolls over with a groan, thanking his body when he manages not to throw up, and decides that instead of wallowing in his discomfort he's going to go out and try to get something done.

He rolls out of his bed and finds that he's actually not the last person sleeping. Shockingly, Axel is. One of the things Axel is notorious for is his inability to sleep, ever, so seeing him in the middle of it is notably jarring. He looks so peaceful, which is strange seeing as he usually functions like a flame, constantly burning up and clawing and in motion.

Smock doesn't stay around to be a creep and watch him rest, though. He lets his friend rest his hangover off a little longer, knowing this is probably the first time he's slept in a while, and heads upstairs to see what's going on above deck.

The first thing he notices is that, yet again, they're not up to much. Kallisto is learning to sail with Ophelia, but the others are talking or reading or doing something that would probably get you laughed at and, depending on your importance to the crew, punished. He sighs and takes a look around the ship to make sure things look okay still, and that their negligence hasn't caused any issue. On the most part, it seems fine. They at least know how to get the ship on the move, and how to work the sails.

He gets up on the stairs to the upper deck and clears his throat. He figures they'll be used to a more polite call, so he settles for, "Attention please!"

Everyone immediately turns to him and gathers nearby, except Ophelia who is steering with Kallisto, though they are still listening. He looks over everyone, and watches as Axel also emerges from the crew's quarters, wearing his sunglasses.

"Alright lads 'n lasses, I'm not enjoying the way you're all standing around, doing nothing. If you were on a pirate's ship, you'd all be banned from drinking for a week, and put on cleaning duty," he projects his voice, ensuring they can all hear him without a shadow of a doubt. "So here's what's gonna happen: you're all gonna get given some jobs to do. Just 'cos you have a job doesn't mean you can't help out others or help out with the sails or cannons if need be, but you can focus on this instead of standing around doing nothing. It'll make the day go by quicker if you've got something to do."

They all seem a little taken aback but ultimately end up nodding, looking up brightly in anticipation of their new tasks. Axel has his arms crossed and is staring with a fond smile.

"A bit unenthusiastic, but you'll get into the spirit," he comments with a laugh. "Right. I'll start with Ophelia," he looks up to her, "I want you to take a break. Go settle down in the hold, and that's an order. Kallisto, you're gonna be quartermaster with me, and we'll all go in turns steering the ship to give each other a break. Quartermasters keep an eye on the ship, make sure all is going as planned, and make sure everyone is in good shape."

Kallisto nods, anxiously taking the wheel from Ophelia, who eagerly goes to take her break.

"Keaberos, you're the obvious choice for doctor, but I also want you to keep an eye on the condition of the ship. Any splits in the wood, damages, so on so forth, I want you to report immediately to a quartermaster," Smock orders. "Julien, you're gonna take care of the powder. Make sure the cannons are prepared, and if not, run downstairs and get powder to fill them up with. How are you with maps and navigation?"

Julien hums. "Decent, I think."

"Well you're about to get better, because I want you to also handle navigation as a sailing master, charting course and reading maps," Smock tells him. "If any help is needed with supplies, that's also your domain. If you need help with powder, go to Grey, because she's going to be our cabin girl and keep an eye on the crew. That means it's your job to keep tabs on supplies and also tend to the crew's needs if they're busy and need something, or need any assistance in general. Where is Rabia?"

It's Keaberos who answers, "She's gone to cook breakfast for us."

"That's great, she can keep at it as our chef, and if anyone needs help she can tend to that too. Now, Axel," Smock smiles wide at this one. It's perfect. "I want you to swab the decks and make sure everything is clean at any given moment."

"You're fucking kidding me," Axel breathes, pushing through the crowd to stand right in front of him, staring at him hard.

"You heard me," Smock stands strong, staring back with a steel gaze, unwavering. If there's one thing he knows how to do, it's how to run a ship, and how to command a crew.

Axel stares for a few moments longer, then hands Smock his jacket in some attempt to get the last laugh. "Fine."

There's a rising 'oooooooh' from the crew as they watch Axel saunter off, going to find a bucket to fill with seawater so he can mop. Smock feels very victorious as he watches him go.

"Now that's all done," he says, "are there any other objections?"

Everyone looks between themselves before almost unanimously shaking their heads.

"Great. Let's get started, then," Smock watches everyone go before walking all the way up the stairs to join Kallisto.

Kallisto seems a little surprised by the whole thing. "For one, you command a ship well. For two, how did you get Axel to back down like that?"

Smock shrugs. "It's how it was back on my ship. He listens when I tell him to do something. I guess it's because we're friends."

"I couldn't do that," Kallisto huffs, "and I've been friends with him longer than you."

"Well that's not very fair. He should give you more love," Smock watches Axel pace to the side of the ship, using his tail to hold the bucket over the side of the ship, waiting for it to tilt towards that side so he can fill it.

"He should!" the werewolf agrees, pouting for a moment. "Oh well. I'll live."

"Aw, c'mon Kallisto," he punches the man's arm lightly. "I'll tell him how it is later, don't you worry."

The man looks up at him with a shimmer in his drowsy eyes, smiling, before returning his gaze to the ship. "I don't really know what I'm doing, to be honest. I'm just copying Ophelia."

"That's alright, Kallisto. If you like, I'll take the wheel," Smock offers, not wanting to force the job into the other's hand if he's not sure about it.

"I'd like that," he returns, letting go of the wheel so that Smock can take it, which he does gladly.

Immediately a feeling of belonging rushes through his body, like he was meant to be doing this the whole time. The pull of the wheel is so familiar to him, like the touch of a lover. He breathes a sigh of satisfaction, feeling the summer breeze run over his body. It's so warm out here, so pleasant.

"You seem right at home," Kallisto comments, leaning against the rail in front of the wheel and looking down at everyone working. He's wearing a simple black tank top with brown trousers, revealing his thick arms. The muscle is only evident in them when he moves and they flex, though he has defined shoulders that pair with prominent shoulder blades.

"I am, I guess. It's been so long but I remember now why I used to adore it so much," he closes his eyes, hearing the waves and the creaks of the ship and the faint sound of wind in the sails. It's not much, so they'll probably be having a long journey to their Gorik destination.

"I'm glad," Kallisto says with a warmth. They watch the sea part ahead of them for a while, settling into a comfortable silence.

Breakfast comes soon after. Smock lets Kallisto go eat first, and Ophelia takes his place so he can come grab a serving of the soup that Rabia has made. It seems to be a stew full of beef, probably using up the meat that they've got before it becomes inedible. The bowls are wooden and have snakes carved into the sides, and he takes a serving of it, eating quickly. The food settles lightly in his stomach, and he finds himself going for a second serving, thanking her for it profusely.

Rabia beams. "Eat as much as you like. Made extra for you stick people on the ship."

"You're too kind," Smock laughs, taking another bowl in appreciation, though his stomach is full by then. "If there's any left when everyone's done, come get me and I'll finish off the last of it."

"Of course," Rabia smiles to him, patting him heartily on the back. He appreciates the thought behind her food very much, and can't help but feel warm as he goes back to steering the ship.

Smock is right about the journey taking a long time. They're out for a day before they start to see land again, but it's the other side of Miria, so they've got a long while to go. Smock watches as the coast goes by, regarding the forest with a solemn familiarity. He wonders as he watches it how Dawn is doing. It hasn't been long since he left her, yet he still finds himself worrying, as though a million bad things could've happened to her, as unrealistic as that anxiety is. He wonders if she'd like it out at sea.

Julien comes to him later on. He has a map in hand, no doubt from the captain's quarters, and he identifies the exact stretch of land that they're passing by. He tells Smock that continuing along the side of it is a good idea, but to not stray when it breaks, because that indicates the split where Miria ends and Gore begins. Smock has never travelled this stretch of land before, so he takes the advice with a great appreciation, and praises Julien on how well he's taking to the job.

He can only hear the smile in the vampire's voice as he speaks. "Thank you, Haley. If you don't mind, I think I need a break - us vampires only have so many spoons, and mine are a bit low right now."

"Fine by me. You've done plenty, so go have a break," Smock tells him.

"I'd like to talk to you, if that's alright," Julien takes up the other side of the rail, as Kallisto is taking up the other, too engaged in watching everyone below to pay much attention to the conversation. Axel is down there, polishing some gold now.

"Go ahead, though I'm not sure how interesting I'll be," Smock laughs, keeping his eyes out to the ocean.

"I'm just curious about your time as a pirate. What was it like, and how did you get the name Captain Undying? In a little more detail than you gave last night, if it's not too personal," Julien asks.

"Being a pirate was exciting and lively. Every day was a surprise. You don't know whether you're going to spot a merchant ship to raid, or if it's gonna be a Sanguis to take down, or if you're gonna meet some other pirate, or maybe stumble across a nice piece of land where you can relax a little," he explains, thinking back to his life then. He remembers the thrill of waking up every morning, and more than that, actually wanting to. "And as for Captain Undying, I just had a habit of never succumbing to injury, or getting injured at all. I had great fighting skills, and my wounds, if ever bad, never killed me."

"That's curious. Have you ever known why?" Julien trails his fingers along the wooden rail absent-mindedly.

"Not really. I guess it's luck," Smock lies. In truth, it's definitely the result of being an Archangel. No matter how much his body changes to become like a mortal's, the curse of a fallen angel is to always be immortal, to be forced to live with the punishment for their fall, no matter if it was or wasn't their fault.

"Curious," the vampire hums lightly. "Anywho, a pirate's life sounds fun. Dangerous, though."

"Without a doubt," he agrees, trying not to think on that.

The coast of Miria seems to go on forever, and slowly Smock starts to understand just how large Aldelis is. He's never really thought about the massiveness of the land, and as a pirate he was usually out on open ocean rather than sidling up to the land, so he's never really had to consider it before. Smock feels quite small next to it all.

Julien returns to his duties soon after, and Smock sees that the sun is beginning to set. Tonight he decides to get their spirits up with a drink, so he gets them to help drop the anchor with a nice view of the treeline. Through the night they dance and sing with one another, and Smock teaches them pirate songs to shout at the top of their voices, and some that they can sing as they work. He notices as he goes about it that Axel never seems to join in with the singing.

The next day, the deck is alive, shouting something up top that Smock can't make out at first, but slowly he realises that he can hear the sound of birds up top. With a groan, he gets himself out of his hammock, making his way upstairs as fast as he can. He sees what he's been dreading the most: a whole host of ravens just sitting and waiting for him to come up and acknowledge him. They're just about everywhere a raven could possibly be, and while the others do their best job at ushering them away, he too starts to wave his arms at them.

"Shoo! Get off!" Smock scolds them. They start crowing in disappointment as they start to take off, heading back in the direction of Miria. The sound they make is absolutely crazy, filling the air with their noise until he can hardly hear anyone else on the ship. As they fly away, he can make out the hesitating figure of Baguette, who he sighs at before waving him over. The bird hops onto his arm, and while nobody is looking, he tells him, "Go to the crow's nest. You can hang out there."

Baguette takes off to his assigned spot, leaving Smock to supervise the taking off of all the other ravens until there remain no others on board. He sighs a breath of relief when they're gone, rubbing his forehead, adjusting to the abrupt start to his morning, his brain still lagging behind a little bit.

Despite the confusion, everyone chalks it up to some freak incident and go about their day as usual, returning to their jobs. Smock can't help but wonder how long they were at it trying to shoo them off until he arrived.

Ophelia takes the wheel again, so Smock occupies himself with helping to check the supplies and, feeling bad for him, helps Axel too. He mops while Axel polishes, though he gets no thanks for it, which he supposes he was expecting, seeing as he did give him the shitty job.

Soon, they pass the channel that runs between Miria and Gore, drawing ever-closer to their destination. Smock watches as the land opens up like the water is a gaping wound tearing into it, and then as it joins to another piece of land a while after sailing past it, though this time the land is harsh and covered in rock, creating a vast grey landscape, broken in places by thin trees with needles instead of leaves, and thorny bushes, and thistles.

Smock hasn't seen the outskirts of Gore before, and as cold and unkind as they look, there's a certain beauty to it all, like a scar on someone's face that makes them no less beautiful than they were, no matter how much they insist the opposite.

They sail all the way across the side of Gore. Smock spots a few potential docking spots, but they don't approach any, instead reaching the very edge of the land and then turning inwards, where it goes back in on itself. Smock quickly understands that they must be travelling along one of the spikes of the crown of Aldelis. Of its four spikes, they must be traversing the middle of the first, aiming to dock there. Smock realises that it's a lot smarter than docking on the side, since it would be a longer journey there, but also than docking either at the bottom of the crown, where the land would take a sharp incline on the way to Gore. He also quickly realises that docking right in the middle of the crown, between the second and third spikes, would plant them on the wrong side of the mountain, and that would make the journey near enough impossible to achieve.

They make it to their destination in the late afternoon, when the sky is beginning to darken again. The wind has mostly been on their side, else they may have ended up there the next day instead.

Smock watches as they sidle up to one of the rocky beaches he'd observed before. This one has some sand at the very edge, though there are rocks protruding from it, some large enough that you can stand on them, or some even climb on them. The dock itself is long, making room for a number of ships, though they seem to be taking up the last spot - everyone must have arrived in advance for the King's announcement.

"Say, when is this whole court thing?" Smock ends up asking Axel as they cease their duties and help prepare the ship for docking.

"Should be tomorrow afternoon. We got our timing on point," he responds, his voice more tired than usual. He must have had quite the workout from his job on the ship

Smock awaits some sort of guard attention when he gets off the ship, but none comes. He figures he must only be wanted in certain parts of the land, which comes as a huge relief, though he still can't help but feel a little on edge after everything. He keeps anticipating that he'll turn around and Lukas will be standing there, looking disappointed and slightly exhausted, which is arguably much worse than straight-up angry.

Axel doesn't bother going into the seaside village. He leads the group straight to a path that begins to head in the direction of the huge mountain in the distance. Smock can make out the shape of the palace on the top of it, though the colours all blend together from this far away. Axel tells everyone to stay on the path and never wander off, and quickly Smock understands.

Gore is known to be the most dangerous land in Aldelis. If the Mirian forests are scary, Gore is heartstoppingly terrifying, with beasts that are impossible to comprehend and almost never known to leave survivors. In his years as an Archangel, Smock had met many victims of these creatures. Though he'd never seen the bodies themselves, he remembers their terror in the aftermath of it all, barely capable of making any coherent sentence, or murmuring about things he couldn't figure out. It served as more of a cautionary tale than any story could, and he doesn't feel very keen on finding out exactly what fate lies in store for someone who disregards that.

Smock is in awe of the unique terrain. In places, nature seems to grow from the very rock itself, sprouting out the same as it would from dirt. He wonders what would happen if he tried to pluck one. Would it come free, or is it actually one with the ground? He makes a mental note to find out later.

Roars emanate from the sky above, and all of the group lift their eyes to see something incredible: dragons. They're great, sprawling things, even so far away, and they are beautiful as they soar high above, their leathery wings flapping and their figures black against the darkening sky. He watches them for a while as he walks, amazed by the way they weave through the air. It looks like they're playing, though he supposes they could be fighting and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference from here.

They enter into a pine forest, forcing Smock to bring his eyes down to his surroundings. The ground, though still rocky, allows for some dirt to come through, and here he can see the large roots of the tree, making the path bumpy. He almost trips over once or twice, but gets used to the uneven ground soon enough.

They finally stop at a town that, as far as Smock can tell, is in the middle of nowhere, though Axel insists they're right next to Gore. They have to be let in by guards, who open the large gate and shut it immediately after they're all through. Smock doesn't understand why they've stopped if that's the case, but Keaberos approaches him and answers his question as though reading his mind.

"Beyond there," the autumn elf points to the opposite end of the town, where Smock can see another shut gate, trees peeking over the top of it, "is a blood forest."

Immediately Smock understands. At night, travelling through a blood forest would lead to certain death; they're known for their especially unfriendly wildlife, including killer plants, and under the cover of darkness all of that comes out to feast. While they're deadly at night, they're also known to be dangerous throughout the day, when a whole other host of living things makes an appearance. They're named for the theme of red that runs through it all, and the rivers thick with a substance much like blood.

Axel tries the first tavern he can find and manages to acquire two rooms with two separate beds, but only two. Grey, Keaberos, Rabia, and Julien take it, leaving just Axel, Smock, and Kallisto. The next tavern they try is full, and the last one in town only has one room with two beds. Axel takes it, seeming unbothered by the fact someone's either gonna have to share or sleep on the floor, even when they enter the room and see that the beds are only twin-sized.

Axel and Kallisto do something very expected. With a casual air about the whole ordeal, they strip down to their underwear, right in front of him. Smock feels his cheeks become hot as he lays eyes on the two undressed men. Kallisto is more muscular, though his form is still quite lithe, with hair all over his body, befitting of a werewolf.

Axel, on the other hand, has a slim figure, and like this Smock can see how the scar on his face works its way over his heart and his left arm, then all over his stomach and his leg. His left leg is, curiously, completely white, and the patch continues up to his stomach, where it wraps around to his back. When he turns, Smock sees the way his shoulder blades flex as he moves, powerful though not muscular, and that the white concludes its journey between them, a four-pointed star sitting right in the middle of the blades, so incredibly perfect that Smock finds it hard to believe it's all just his natural markings. His back follows a perfect curve, and so does the side of his body, his figure quite flat but with hips that jut out just enough that you could press a palm comfortably to grasp them.

The two get into bed together. Axel snuggles on top of Kallisto, and the werewolf wraps his arms around him, and the two rest just like that, though Axel, as always, doesn't seem to actually fall asleep.

Smock stands there in shock for a few minutes before he climbs into his bed for the night, feeling extremely confused by what he just witnessed, trying to force the red flush to leave his cheeks. He wishes he'd brought his satchel with him so he could be nice and comfy in the pyjamas, but he copes just fine with what he has, and he slips in to a decent sleep.

It's a relief to wake up without having had any nightmares, but unpleasant to do so to Axel hurrying him to get up and get dressed. Axel doesn't have to tell him why - he very well knows that already - but he still finds himself a bit salty.

Probably what I get for making him swab the decks, he supposes as he puts on his coat and follows the rushing Axel out the door, feeling the pace of those fire-powered legs wearing him down already. They meet the others outside of their tavern, and they head out of the now open gates, and into the blood forest.

Smock understands the terror of them as soon as they enter into the thick of it. The bark of the trees starts to become greyer, like it's been drained of life, and its leaves redder. The vast expanse of trees blocks out light from entering the forest, leaving it quite dark within, the ambience deeply unsettling. There's a perpetual sense of dread, and a constant feeling as though something's following him, worsened by the occasional sound of movement in the otherwise silent stretch of forest. A river cuts through the path, broken up with rocks that they use to step across. It doesn't move like normal water. He's never seen one up close, but he knows now just how true everything he's heard of the blood forest's rivers is. With a morbid curiosity he feels tempted to reach down into it to feel the liquid, to see if it stains like blood, and is thick as it, or if it's just some strange water, or some other innocent fluid.

He wonders where the noises are coming from - he never sees any living thing emerge from any bush or walk past in the distance, though he knows they must be there. What living things he can see are no better than animals, though: plants with needle teeth and strange eyes and moving vines, some with roots that look capable of movement. He sees one splattered with blood and is appreciative that the group keeps a large distance from it. When glimmers of light begin to emerge in the distance, Smock wants to run to get there, away from the branches of trees that wind in impossible ways or reach out like hands trying to pull him in. He wouldn't be surprised if they actually can.

They exit the blood forest and Smock becomes horribly aware of just how tired he was in there as the life flows back into him. Much longer and he's sure he might have felt compelled to have a nap.

As they head through a gap in two crystalline formations, Smock suddenly becomes aware that they've just entered into Gore, as he looks out and sees the unique architecture. Buildings made of marble and polished white stone stand between tall rocks and spires full of crystal and minerals. The buildings have pillars and archways and a lot of flat, open tops, and balconies that stretch out from upper floors. Many of them have a slight air of ruin about them, though Smock can tell they are certainly still inhabited despite some cracks or broken pillars. From all he's heard about Gore, on most days it's deathly quiet, much akin to a ghost town, but today it's bustling with life in anticipation of the King's announcement. People move back and forth, heading down different streets and between different buildings.

He notices as he looks to Axel that the man has changed his form, now a tiefling, and he suddenly stops, turning to the group. They all gather around him, awaiting instruction.

"You're welcome to do as you wish for the next hour, but as soon as that time's up, we need to get up those stairs," Axel points to the end of the main street that they're in, where the many steps up to the palace begin.

When Smock looks up, he starts to fully understand the scope of the mountain and the steps. Right at the very top, shrouded in an air of superiority and royalty, is the crystal palace. From here, Smock can distinguish its appearance a little better than before. It's black with hints of purple, though the clouds obscure any further intricacies, and at the tops it comes to sharp points, like a great, uneven crown sitting upon the top of the world. It's a vast construction, spanning over the entire peak of the mountain, and Smock can see the semblance of a few floating islands accompanying it up there, floating like jagged pieces of rock that have come apart from the mountain.

Everyone nods in agreement with Axel, and then the group disperses in various directions, as though they've all been here many times before. Completely lost for what to do with himself, Smock stays close to Axel and Kallisto, who don't yet make any attempt to go anywhere.

"Are you gonna be okay and all? Seeing Corvus, I mean," Kallisto asks, holding Axel's hands in his own.

"Yes. I'm ready. Besides, seeing him just means that my plan is coming closer and closer to completion," Axel assures the man, his voice light and even.

"Good," Kallisto releases his hands and pats him on the back, then turns his attention to Smock. "Never been to Gore before?"

"I have, but only briefly," Smock tells him. The temples in Gore used to be particularly active, with the raven elf population being higher than in most other places, so he's paid a good few visits, alongside his trips to help the grieving and to accompany souls to the next life.

"I take it you've never sailed out this way," Axel figures, thinking with his fingers to his chin. "Kallisto, Haley, what do you both say to some lunch?"

"I'm starving - I've really missed Rabia's food this morning," Kallisto sighs.

"Yeah, same here," Smock agrees.

Rabia had been feeding them very well throughout the entire journey, ensuring they have three meals a day and no doubt cutting a large hole in their supplies, though that's nothing they can't refill before they get back on the ship. She knows perfectly how to combine ingredients, though he gets the feeling she must be a little frustrated being unable to make any food that she's used to making, with their limited ingredients.

"Great, because they make some great stuff here. Every time I come here, I try to work out the recipes in my head so I can make things back home," Axel smiles, his lip rings like little fangs.

They follow him to a large building with pretty banners sitting on its pale walls, and noise emanating from within. There are a number of seats outside, all full, where people sit, enjoying a meal and a drink together. It quickly becomes apparent that this is a restaurant, and as they enter, Smock admires the interior. There is a lot of space, all full of blue seats and white tables. The floor is a grey marble and all around, on some surfaces and hanging from the ceiling, are red and blue flowers that seem to be growing from the very marble itself. A well-dressed man quickly comes to their service, guiding them to a table and offering them each menus, and asking what they want to drink.

"I'll pay, so have whatever you want," Axel tells them as he browses the drinks on the back. "Visináda, parakalo."

Smock doesn't know what anything on the menu is, so he singles out what Axel chose, and decides he could go for some cherry juice too. "One for me, too."

"And me," Kallisto pipes up.

When the man returns with the drinks, Smock understands quickly that he's made a good choice. The drink is fresh and cold and there's ice in it, making it perfectly refreshing for the warm temperatures.

"You always speak the language well, Axel. You're getting better every day," Kallisto compliments him, and a blush spreads across the man's face.

"Thank you," Axel smiles, drinking and averting his eyes shyly. "I went to Gore for a business trip recently, and one of the locals taught me a little extra, and helped me with my pronunciation."

"That's nice of them," Kallisto smiles.

Smock figures it must be quite significant to him, being his father's tongue. "Are the people around here nice, then?"

"Yeah," Axel says, "when you see them, at least. This is the most lively I've ever seen the place."

Smock finds something he knows he'll like: roasted fish. "I guess everyone's excited for the King's announcement. I can't imagine it's going to be that exciting. 'Yes, pirates are bad, we're gonna kill more of them. See you next year'. Besides, Corvus has terrible vibes."

Axel calls the waiter over when they've all decided and makes their orders. "You'd be amazed how many people like to grovel at his feet, even though he'd push them aside without hesitation."

"I like to think most of them are just coming for the news," Kallisto says, "although they could probably get it from the papers in a few days."

"Wishful thinking, Kallisto," Axel chuckles.

Their food doesn't take very long to arrive. Smock's fish is accompanied by olives and tomatoes, and fresh herbs on the side. He doesn't realise how hungry he is until he starts to eat. The food is perfect, and he tries to keep himself from wolfing the whole thing down before the others are even close to finishing, but quickly he realises Axel and Smock eat with the same hunger, like they haven't eaten in weeks, and he feels a little better about himself.

"You know," Axel smiles lightly, sitting back when he's done eating, "it feels good finally being here. As soon as I find out what Corvus' next move is, my goal is perfectly in sight."

"How long have you been plotting all of this?" Smock asks, taking a hearty drink to wash everything down with. He could eat it all over again.

"All my life, but it's only been proper planning these past few years," Axel answers, waving over the waiter again and asking if he can pay.

"That's incredible," Smock says. It's strange to think that all these years, while he's been in the ocean, Axel has been carefully plotting his revenge, figuring out every detail of how he's going to rid the world of Corvus. He wonders if he's right to be justifying this for a moment, but quickly remembers all that Corvus has done to him, all that he's taken, even in the years that he's been in the ocean.

"Well, we'd best get our first step started," Axel smiles, setting down his money (and, by the looks of it, a tip) before standing up.

Smock and Kallisto follow after him, meeting the rest of the group at the bottom of the steps to the palace, and making a start on the great trip up to the very top, perfectly full and ready to hear what King Corvus Sanguis has to say.