We're on a boat [Travel/Garret]

Sitting cross-legged on his magic carpet, Azix sped in the direction of Portsmouth. He kept the main road in sight in case he spotted the caravan. He found his mind filled with thoughts of Ariella, reflecting on their time at the hot spring. Azix let himself enjoy these thoughts while he still could. Once he reached the caravan, he would need to focus on his plans for Imuchakk. The Opportunity Initiative was a priority that could not afford the distraction of romantic feelings.

By the time Azix caught up to the caravan it was a few hours away from Portsmouth. He swooped down and got in close to the wagons, looking for the one that Garret was riding in. He swept up his feelings and thoughts of Ariella into a mental box where he would save them for later. Azix allowed himself a mental picture of her set aside, to remind himself of who was waiting for him.

When he found Garret, Azix approached him and waved. "Looks like we're almost to Portsmouth."

[173/400]

Azix had left just moments ago, off on his flying carpet in order to finalize some things he had to take care of. There was much that Garret was ruminating on, primarily the presence of the Spymaster of Kou in Reim. What did that mean? Why was Sato here? Garret still had reservations on what they were doing, even though Azix reassured him the other day. For now he would trust Azix's judgement, allowing a portion of his conscience to be shouldered by the Marquis. Garret yawned, the previous days of work catching up to him. There was quite a bit he had had to get done as well, in the past few days, which included sending a letter to Acius in order to prep him for taking over the operations while he was gone.

The letter included all the information he had gleaned from his recent investigations, including but not limited to his search into the death of the nobles, his investigation of the Imuchakk who had made the outburst in the Ball, and his questions relating to the recent destruction of a village via an explosion. Determining that this moment would be the best to catch some rest, Garret shut his eyes and allowed his body to get much needed sleep.

Awakening from his slumber, Garret slowly opened his eyes. While lids were still slightly closed, he looked about the wagon in order to ensure there were no individuals awaiting his awakening. Seeing nobody there, Garret awoke in full. Besides some basic stretching, Garret was unable to perform a full wake-up routine in the moving vehicle. He was limber enough to ensure he wouldn't pull anything in the event of sudden combat. Not too long after, the Blue Magician took a look outside to check up on their surroundings. After having a decent check around on the ground from his position in the carriage, Garret checked the skies. He spotted, in the distance, a man he assumed to be Azix riding through the air on a magic carpet.

Garret leaned back in his seat, resting while idly wondering what kind of business the Magician had to complete. Azix had closed in on the wagon, and greeted Garret as he approached, commenting on their proximity to the new port city. Garret nodded, in response, and agreed. "It has been some time since it started. I wonder at how well it has been built, up to this point." Garret had not been there since the start-up of the place, which would very likely be different from what he recalled. Garret, not wanting to risk exposing sensitive information with speech, resorted to the use of hand language. This may be sudden, but there is something you should know. The other day... "Azix, how was your side trip? Did you get everything taken care of?" When I had met you in the Opportunity Hall, and we spoke about some of our encounters... "I assume you've got some form of administration working on things for your social initiatives?" There was a reason for my sudden sense of doubt. The Spymaster of Kou is in Reim, and... It seems he is staging a rebellion.

He spoke some words out loud as small talk while discussing other things in hand-signs. It was one of the ones that was created for the Reim operations about a year back, and had been phased out around half a year ago. Even so, Azix would be able to recognize the signs as he had been required to learn them back at that time.

OOC:

596/400 WC for Travel Topic

Azix stepped off his carpet and landed onto the carriage nearby Garret. Reaching out a hand in mid-air, Azix grabbed the carpet and wrapped it around his waist. He took a seat across from his friend and listened to both the verbal conversation as well as the hand gestures. He answered where necessary in case someone was listening. "It went well, everything is set up to run smoothly while I am gone." Azix couldn't help but resist a brief smile as he thought of Ariella, but it was replaced by a somber look at the urgency of Garret's fingers. "Yes, I found someone to oversee the initiative while I am gone. Plus, the office staff is trained to handle most everything while I am gone."

Azix raised an eyebrow at the news, the Spymaster of Kou in Reim? He remembered Garret telling him about the adoptive father that took the young blue magician in after his parents were killed. Rebellion? Against Lagi or the Emperor? Is he on our side? Azix was rusty at the hand language, having been out of the field for a while, but he found he still remembered the correct gestures. Was his hard work about to be undone during his trip to Imuchakk? He surely hoped not, but if that was in the works, Azix would have to make sure his business was resolved in the cold country quick.

The caravan trudged forward and finally they arrived in Portsmouth. Azix had never been to the newly constructed city that Garret had funded, but it was impressive how much it had expanded. As they traveled through the streets, Azix thought he saw a few of the workers from Opportunity Hall. When they arrived at the docks, he was surprised to see a familiar ship in the bay. The Pirate Queen's flagship, Madam's Fury, looked regal as it rocked against the waves. "Is this how we cross paths again?" Azix asked nobody in particular.

He hopped out of the carriage and ambled to the docks where some of Madam Trixie's crew were loading up supplies. As he got closer a familiar person descended the gangplank with a stern look on their face. Captain Grimwald looked at Azix and small grin broke out, "Azix? What the hell are you doing here?" The two clasped hands in greeting.

"I could ask you the same thing. I'm on my way to Imuchakk to assist them with supplies." Azix informed the man while he looked around to see if he could find the Pirate Queen.

Grimwald gave a surprised look but didn't ask anymore questions. He gestured for Azix to follow him on board. "Come, I'm sure Madam Trixie would like to see you before you leave."

Azix would glance back to see if Garret would join him before following his former trainer. They were led onto the ship and into Madam Trixie's quarters. Behind a massive wooden desk, the Pirate Queen sat with her legs upon the desk. Seeing Azix, a scowl crossed her face. "Ah, the Kouen with a knack for bad gifts." A cold expression lingered on Azix for a moment before she gave him a teasing smirk. "I know it wasn't your fault that some of the Black Crows betrayed me. How have you been?"

At first, Azix had frozen up when he saw Madam Trixie's reaction to his entrance, but seeing that she was teasing him, he relaxed. He gave her a smile while he briefly explained the education reform and workforce initiative he had helped pass. That led him to explain that a treaty had been secured with Imuchakk to help with supplies and how some of the workers of his initiative would be trained there as well. Azix finished and gave Trixie a concerned look, "I had hoped you were ok, I wasn't sure how to find you, but I heard about your fleet."

Madam Trixie's eyes glittered as Azix spoke, impressed with what the magician had accomplished since they had parted. At the mention of her fleets, anger seeped into her features before she cooled herself with a deep breath. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed that sour topic, "The luck of the sea. Nothing I can't rebuild with time. I am curious how you managed to have those isolationists agree to help you with your plans. No matter, the more pressing question is do you need help ferrying supplies? I'd be willing to help you in return for a favor later on. I'm sure I could use your talents in the future." She gave a teasing look, "Plus, I'd rather your service than a gift of armed men."

Azix laughed, "I'd appreciate the help if you're willing." If Garret had followed, Azix would remember the man was there at that point. He turned and pointed to the blue magician, "Pardon my manners, this is my friend, Iatsu." He remembered Garret saying previously that he could use Madam Trixie's help with training some of his recruits and gave him the floor to ask.

[400+/400]

Garret shook his head at Azix's questions. No. It is a rebellion against the Emperor. He is looking to supplant the current family on the throne. I told him I would have no part in it. Garret had left out the part about how he would prefer Azix to undergo those responsibilities. While the words he had spoken to Sato were true, and the Blue Magician would support Azix over himself, those words were not only treasonous but also spoken in haste and with the intention of striking back out at Sato. Garret did not take into account the Marquis' feelings on the matter, and it was not a subject he wanted to broach at this time.

Instead, they spoke of other matters until they reached Portsmouth. Garret looked in hidden awe at the level of work that the people had managed to complete. While the city wasn't finished, it was well on its way. A large portion of his funds went into this city, though not every building was paid for out of his pocket. Many merchants set up their own shops here, buying the rights to lands and paying for the appropriate craftsman to build what they may need. The funds that were paid for out of his own expenses were primarily for the road building, making sure to terraform the land, and the start-up of building several buildings, including a small zoned area for government offices once Reim had staffed the city appropriately. There were a couple of establishments within the city that were staffed by his people, but for the most part it was a city built by the Reim people and populated by the Reim people. Many had come from over the country, and it had created a domino effect.

Though, perhaps the greatest thing about the city was what it was built for; the port. An expansive port, it would be able to handle a similar level of trade and business that Narpolia ran. It would be necessary for the trade agreement with the Imuchakk nation. It was as they were approaching the port when Azix muttered a phrase of meeting someone. As they approached the docks, a man approached Azix. He was most certainly a man of the sea, and Garret was slightly surprised when he greeted Azix in such a familiar manner. It soon became apparent that this man was with the Pirate Queen Madam Trixie's crew. Curious at the strange twist of fate, Garret followed Azix onto the ship. The rocking of the boat reminded Garret of the week or two he had spent out at sea. He listened to the banter between the two, at first having believed that things would become hostile. Instead, however, the woman showed a strange sense of acceptance.

Garret stepped forward when Azix introduced him, and bowed slightly to the group. "I have heard stories of you and your crew, Madam Trixie. You mentioned earlier that you intend to build back up, over time... Excuse my forwardness, but I would like to have 30 of my... Subordinates, taught how to sail properly." If any of those present attempted to interrupt him due to the strange request, he would place a hand in the air to request silence. Otherwise, Garret continued to speak. "I realize this would not be for free, and that your fleet right now may not be able to accommodate such an influx of crew members. We have two ships being made right now, each requiring 10 to 15 crew to man. They are yours, once my subordinates are familiar with fleet movements and fighting on the sea... And during that time of training, your food stores will be paid by my group." Garret had left out that there would be a lot of learning on the Pirate's end, as well. He had engineers working on a new design for some time now, and they had recently finished what seemed to be an appropriate one some time ago. Now that Portsmouth was finished being built, the engineer Jin Yeon was working on the construction of the new design.

Garret awaited her response.

Madam Trixie raised her brow at Garret's request but let him continue without interruption. Her crew knew better than to voice a concern without a signal from their Queen. While it was true she wanted to build up her fleets again, managing that many ships and dealing with the inner-politics of their Captains could be a nightmare. Since the fall of her fleets, they had been laying low and sifting through the crew, keeping those who were trustworthy. Trixie was weary of being betrayed again and was taking the appropriate steps to prevent those circumstances again.

Still, Garret's offer was tempting, thirty men could be used for a lot. They were also recruits who would be expecting to be on the bottom of the totem pole and not vying for a higher rank. The addition of two ships to her fleet of five would be useful too, especially if they were easily manned with a small crew. She turned her gaze from Garret and focused on Azix, studying his features to see what he thought. The orange magician showed no outwardly negative feelings on the matter so she turned the idea over in her mind for a few more moments.

She slid her boots off the desk and stood up to walk around the desk, stopping in front of Garret. She sized him up for a moment before speaking, "Two ships and food for training your men? That seems like a generous offer." She flicked her eyes to Azix, "Is this a further effort to destroy more of my fleet? I'd like to think I've wizened up to Kouen deals."

Azix frowned, "That's not exactly fa-"

Madam Trixie cut him off with a gesture, "I didn't say no, did I? I'm willing to accept your offer, Iatsu. Your men better listen to orders and be quick learners. The way of the sea is a tough one and the goddess of the sea is a bitter hag. She doesn't care who succumbs to the depths of the sea, only that she gets blood. You can discuss the details with Captain Grimwald later. For now, I want you two and Grimwald to organize the transfer of supplies to Imuchakk. Lieutenant, send word to the fleet that they should come to port and be ready to load up."

The Lieutenant nodded and departed to fulfill her commands immediately. Meanwhile, Grimwald led Azix and Garret outside to discuss what needed to be done. Once the details for sending supplies to Imuchakk were sorted out, Grimwald inquired about Garret's recruits and where they would need to be picked up. After the fleet was loaded with the first wave of supplies and workers, they departed off to the bitter cold lands of Imuchakk.

[Exit]

Garret bowed, once again. "Of course. You have full permission to punish any who are unruly." The deal was, in fact, quite a good one for the pirate queen. Though she did not quite understand the full details yet, she would soon enough find the difference in ships to be a large shift on her tactics. Regardless, the Blue Magician would work out the exact details with the Captain named Grimwald.

The two of them worked towards getting their supplies readied from port. Grimwald spoke to Garret for a moment, and Garret wrote an expense sheet out for the Captain. It was somewhat generous, and came from his personal funds. The ships themselves were still in the building process, but would likely be finished within the month. He gave direction to give the letter to the Harbor master, and tell him to send it to 'Acius Maximus'. The rest would be carried out from there.

When everything had been loaded up, they began their trip to the Imuchakk lands...


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-Exit-