"Magical artifacts," said Phaerin, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. "Show the light of good, apparently. Bad if those with less than noble intentions get them." Privately, he thought the whole Crystal idea something conceived by a personage of doubtful mental stability. "Got nicked a while ago, didn't they?"

It was obvious from Phaerin's words that he cared very little about these Crystals, and not so obvious that he was beginning to be worried about the fact that the King was discussing them with a motley band of pirates. "Nothing that concerns us," he added pointedly, and upon turning to go found himself confronted with a spearpoint. He followed the shaft with his eyes and found a guard of decidedly stony resolution. Perhaps not, then. He turned back and executed a half-bow. "Definition given - er - my liege. Off we go then, eh? Back to your ever so comfortable accommodations?"

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((bio... and um... starting off your evil dude, lol!))

Aaron waited for the king to respond. It was now obvious that about half the crew knew of the crystals. But, of course, the one girl that asked what the crystals were in a hushed voice to Eris wasn't really part of his crew. Infact, he had no idea who she was. With a shrug, he waited for the king to continue, and say why he wanted to know if they knew about the crystals...

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

(Thanks mate!)

Name- Flea
Age- 15
Race- EVIL Elf. lol
Appearance- Short brown hair, tall, muscular, graceful
Personaility-Mysterious enough to keep it from you now.
History- Parents dead, no siblings, I live a life on my own. I've always been mysterious, I have had many jobs in the past and I have interacted with humans a lot.

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<center>
"I think I'm adorable."
~Dean Winchester~
</center>

(*laughs* Perfect explaintion of Charolette!)

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<center>

Name: Belnad
Nicknames: What's-His-Face, You-Know-Who, The Cheesehead, or simply The Lunatic Over There
Age: 51
Position: second mate

Appearance: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i273/ ... B35D_1.jpg

Personality: to state it plainly, one begins to wonder how he ever ascended to second mate. he is, however, known to have bursts of freakish brilliance

History: You don't want to know. Nonetheless there are rumors that his mother made a practice of dropping him on his head for fun. Another rumor states that he was captured by the royal navy for comitting a terrible crime and tortured until he cracked.

--------

"Whaddya mean ye won't be lettin' me in?!"

The guardful guards vigilantly guarding the vast doors to the throne room exchanged decidedly alarmed glances. They crossed their halberds and resolutely shook their heads. "Sorry, uh... old one. We'll just be escorting you back to the healing ward now. I'm certain the Healer Mistress will find you a pillow and a padded room - "

Simply put, wet clothes and The Lunatic Over There did not mix well. First they had woken him up from his dream of flowers and singing coconuts. Not that he minded sleepwalking down the corridors with his fellow pirates. But somewhere between threatening a guard with a spoon and inadvertently wandering down the wrong corridor, he'd managed to fall behind. Now Captain Aaron the Athletic Muscleman and his friends were inside the throne room, comfortably having tea with the prestiged King.

And Belnad the Cheesehead, second mate, was stuck out here to stare at a crack in the wall.

Enraged beyond the state of enrage-ment-ness, Belnad the Cheesehead screwed his face in his classic expression of high dudgeon. He shook his finger at the offending guard. "Now listen here, lad. Has yer dear ol' grandmammy taught ye nothin'? First off, I'm not bloody old! It's impolite to call someone old. And second off, haven't ye ever learned to treat yer elders with more respect? Especially an old fella like me. I have rights!"

The guards exchanged another wary glance that practically reeked of oh dear heavens. One tentatively began, "His Majesty is having an audience - "

"I'M A PIRATE TOO, YE KNOW! JUST 'CAUSE I'M OLD DOESN'T MEAN - "

Terrified beyond rationality, both guards scrambled to grapple with the door handle. The vast doors to the throne room banged open, admitting a furious lunatic indeed. Belnad planted himself beside Phaerin and cheerfully beamed at his fellow pirates.

"Wha'd I miss?"

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Captain Aaron the Athletic Muscleman heard shouts at the door, and turned to see his second mate be let in by very frightened looking guards. He couldn't help but smile, which was rare. Of course, The Cheesehead always had a funny way of making him smile.
"The man on the throne wants to know if we know about the Crystals..." Aaron said to The Lunatic Over There...

((lol! I love your character, LDM!))

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

((lol!!!!! I love it, LDM!! You are a mastermind! ))

((EDIT: Here is my post:))

The king, after glaring at the pirates for a moment, sighed and stood. "As one of you so casually remarked, they have been stolen." He waited for a moment to see there reaction, but seeing that they didn't really care, contiuned,

"Why do you think it is so dark outside?"

"Rain? Because it is....night time outside?" Katria guessed, getting a little cocky. But... She thought, Might as well have some fun if I'm about to go to the gallows. The king glanced at her and growled, obviously trying not to lost his temper.

"No....it...is...never....this....dark...outside!" The king fumed, saying his words slowly so he wouldn't yell, which confused Katria. Why wouldn't he yell at the people who he had been starvin and not caring about for almost a month? Why be nice to them now? He was about to tell her.

"The Demons snuck in about two weeks ago and stole the Crystals, dividing them among the various races and kingdoms through-out the world. All light is now gone from our Kingdom."

"Why give a group of half-dead pirates such valueable information?" Katria asked and the King paused and seemed to stutter, as if he really, really didn't want to say what he was about to say.

"I need....your............help."

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

"No." said Phaerin promptly and decisively, conveniently forgetting the presence of his captain and answering for the entire crew. He folded his arms across his broad chest and stared evenly at the King. He was breathing rather hard - maybe a tad more exercise? Excitable, these royal types. Temperamental, that's what he was. Maybe -

Phaerin brushed these thoughts off and brought himself back to the current confrontation. "What's in it for us?" he asked, and answered before the King could. "Nothing. These Crystals gave us nothing. Why should we help you? You've hunted us for years - we owe you nothing."

He was well aware that these particular words could get him a berth in the lowest, wettest, most dismal dungeon the King possessed. But memory of a certain young woman - memory of her smile in particular, and the laugh in her eyes when she looked at him - made him eloquent. When had the Crystals ever stopped her death, stopped her wasting away like a wisp of cloud? The Crystals had not prevented the death of the only person he'd ever really cared about. What use were they?

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Paloc elbowed Phaerin roughly in the ribs. Was the man forgetting just <i>who</i> they were talking to? This was the king, the top geezer, the fellow who had control over the kingdom's money box. He also happened to have the power to put the pirates back in prison at a moment's notice.

"I'm sure we'd be happy to help you, erm, sir." He tacked on the unfamiliar title, just to try and get on the king's good side. "Of course, if Demons really took your Crystals, it sounds like this could be a very dangerous mission. We would have to be reimbursed for our time, energy, effort, and anything else that strikes our fancy."

Aaron stood there a moment, arms crossed, head down, listening and thinking. When there was a moment's noticed, and looked up at the King.
"Hm... I'll do it... if you clear our records of all the stuff we've done. Promise never to send us to the gallows. And we get 1000 gold... each."

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Katria, though, had sided with Phaerin, on this one. How could the king expect them to help him after he had taken them from there ship, put them in prison for crimes the didn't commit, (not all of them, anyway), and then starve them, and then he suspects he can ask there help!

"My Lord..." She said, not wanting to talk to him with such a title, "We are half-starved and dying. You offer us to go on this...quest, if you will it that, instead of what? Death? Or going and plundering on our own in the High Seas? What do we get in return for this...this....folly?" She didn't even glance at there captain or Paloc, who she knew would be giving her an elbow to her ribs in a few seconds.

The King growled, and said, "If I had it my way, you and your filth would be going to the gallows tomorrow morn. But the Demons....well, they went where only one time a people can follow. Not royalty, not humle, not my most valient and trusted knights....No. The only ones that have a chance to go and get the Crystals and bring them back to me...are Pirates. And you and your crew, I have to say, are the best in the business."

"Once again, I will stat, I need your help. I want the final answer from your Captain. And in return, I will give you a new ship, new supplies, my thanks, and you will not have to go to the gallows and your records will be clenzed."

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Paloc definitely would have given Katria an elbow in her ribs if he could have reached her. Unfortunately, she was standing too far away from him. He satisfied himself with what he hoped was a piercing gaze.
The king's last words only made him more eager to accept the offer. A new ship? He thought of standing on the deck, running his hands over the wheel, feeling the wood under his hands, knowing the ship would respond to the slightest turn he gave the wheel. There was no feeling like it.
"I'm sure we'd be glad to help you- your majesty." He didn't dare look at Katria or Phaerin, not wanting to see the looks they would likely be giving him.

Aaron thought for a moment more, wanting to make the dicision the whole crew would agree with so as not to get mutinied on.
"I want my ship... only, fixed up, and with a few more masts. New stearing rig... been meaning to fix that for awhile. And now 10,000 gold each, for starvin' us." he said, looking up at the King with a stuborn look...

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

Katria rolled her eyes but the offer did sound better. She wouldn't have to try and escape the gallows for a second time, she would get to sit upon a brand new, wood furnished Crow's Nest our the new ship, and all her charges wouldn't go against her. The offer sounded pleasing.

The king looked at Paloc and asked, "Are you there Captain then, sir? Is that your crew's final offer?" He raised his eyebrow slightly.

Then, he turned and looked at the man that just spoke. "Ah, so you are." He thought about the offer, and Katria's mouth nearly dropped at the way the Captain had tried to deal with the King. But, even more to the surprise, the King simply said,

"Deal."

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Aaron couldn't help but smile slightly. He stepped forward, and cleared his throught. Yes, he might be one of the youngest men there... but...
"I'm the Captain."

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

(I edited my post above, rain)

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly