AN :
Hey guys and girls! I hope everyone is interested how the story continues.
Sithera reached the ship after half an hour. She made her way through the tree line and into the cove where the ship was docked. She had a good view of the side of the ship, where the small Gatling gun pointed just above her head. "Hey guy's, I'm back." She said in a sad tone. She saw Hicca's head come above one of the metal plates on the side of the ship. Brynn followed soon after. "What's up?" Hicca asked. Brynn looked around. "And where's Ray?" Trying to sound like she didn't care. "Well, we have a problem." Sith' responded.
She was explaining everything, from the point where they shot the deer, to the point where Ray stormed out of the house and left. The two reacted shocked, they hadn't known of this side of him, and they were quite certain that there was something wrong if he reacted that way. "We need to go and find him!" Brynn shouted out, in a clear state of distress about her crewmember. "Calm down Brynn, what if he loses it or something like that?" Hicca added. The arguing lasted for a good while, "How will we even find him?" Brynn added. "Toby gave me a map of the isle, he said to we'd find him here." Sithera responded while she laid her finger on the map she got from Ray's old neighbor.
The three looked at each other for a second before directly hurrying of towards the marked location. They told all the dragons, except for Blitz, to stay and guard the ship. On their way to the Roamers farm, as it was marked on the map, they passed Toby's cottage. The man was currently carrying some large honey filled bottles and was moving them into his house. "Be sure to stop by when you leave!" he yelled after the three. "We will!" Hicca quickly yelled back, before they dissepeared into the forest, following the muddy road that connected the various locations on the small island. The forest was light and colorful, but it didn't brighten the mood of the crew. One of them was in trouble, and they would help him. Or at least try as best as they could.
The forest started to clear and made way for a large field of green. Flowers dotted the grass and the endless field waved gently with the wind. On the side of the road they could see the remains of a stone wall, about half a meter high, which would probably surround the courtyard of the farm. The group scanned the area, to find their crewmate sitting next to a tree, staring to a thick stone jutting out of the ground. His rifle was next to him, leaning against the strong and sturdy oak tree. At the wooden stock of his rifle was his bag, with the contents clearly visible as they almost spilled from it. He was holding his knife in his hands, still in its sheath. They approached him carefully. Blitz, who had been following them from the air for a while now, landed gently next to them. "I never told you how I got this knife did I?" Ray then suddenly asked. Brynn was the first to respond. "Ray, are you okay? We heard what happened. Are you?" She asked with worry. Ray just unsheathed the knife and carefully inspected the blade. "My father gave it to me." He began. "On the day that I graduated my training as master gunner." He took a last glance at the blade before carefully sheathing it again. Then he quietly said. "He told me it was the proudest day of his life." The rest didn't know what to say, so Hicca decided to try something. "It wasn't your fault. The military did it." She said, hoping to reassure her friend before he did something that he would regret. They all sat down next to him, Blitz gently nudging his leg, which was outstretched and pointing at the thick stone marker. "After I escaped I ran for a long time. And from what I heard the military presumed me dead. Seeing as I was taken by dragons." The group was awfully quiet, except for some soft crooning of Blitz, who was worried about her rider. "When I finally decided to check back home I found this." He swung his arm around to gesture to their surroundings. "However the fields were still ashes and the ruins stood a bit higher." "The man who did this were monsters!" Hicca quickly added. He grabbed his knife again, tossing it around in his hand, inspecting the weight. "What makes a man a monster?" He asked. Sithera could guess where this was going. "You're not a monster Ray." Ray had his gaze still focused on his knife. "Do they enjoy killing?" Brynn was growing annoyed by his depressed state. "Yes. Monster kill without mercy, without conscious." Sithera saw the look on his face change and remembered what Toby had said before she left. "What happened after the raid?"
Ray looked up from his knife to look her straight in the eyes, she could now see that he was on the edge of crying. "I killed them." He said. "All of them." The group looked down, this explained a lot. Ray had quite a big moral complex, he even said a few prayers for the men who killed on the mule a day ago. Blitz crooned sadly and hung his head. "Was she there?" Hicca asked while pointing at the female Skrill. Ray looked at his dragon and swung a hand around her head. "No, but she found me afterwards though." The group was thinking about it, when Brynn asked. "How many were there?" "The full group, about twenty to 30 men. They set up camp in a valley, I had been waiting for them for a good hour." The crew was quietly listening to his story by now. "I picked some of from range first. Scared the horsed to run wild and scatter into the woods. Then I finished the rest, only to leave two." Hicca was the one to ask this time. "Who?" "Some messenger and the officer who ordered the raid. Only one of them left the place, you can guess who." "You killed the officer that we have been trying to track down?" Hicca asked. Ray merely nodded, before adding with a sorrow filled voice. "And I enjoyed every second of it." Brynn shuffled next to him and swung her arm around him, he tried to shove it off at first, but accepted it shortly after. She let her head rest on his shoulder before saying. "You're a good man Ray, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not even yourself." He froze for a second, like he was paralyzed by her Flightmare, before swinging his arm around her and enveloping her in a deep hug. The hug lasted quite a while, but it was interrupted by a jealous Blitz, who also wanted some attention. Ray hugged his dragon back. "I promise you, you will never find me like that again. Ever." He whispered into the dragons ear, referring to the broken shell of a men he was after the slaughter that he created. He then stood up, patted his dragon on his head and swung his gear back on himself. "Finding revenge might not have given me my family back." He said with a sad tone. But then, with a glad and happy smile he added. "But it gave me a darn good new one." As he swung his arms around Sithera and Blitz.
They walked back over the muddy path, slowly making their way to Toby's cottage. They had promised to visit before they left after all. When they reached the cottage they were greeted by a sweet scent. Which Ray and Blitz immediately recognized. He turned his head to Blitz, who was staring back at him. "He wouldn't." He said, before being greeted by a jovial old man, carrying a crate filled with bottles. "Can't get ya leaving with a dry throat now can I!" He said with a big grin on his face. Ray rushed towards the man to take the heavy crate from his arms. "You need to stop carrying these yourself." He said. "You're back isn't what it used to be." "But mah brewin' is still the same!" Toby added. The rest had now caught up and saw that the crate was filled with bottles, bottles containing honey mead. Ray set the crate down next to him and noticed that Toby's face was one of sorrow now. "What the matter Toby?" He asked. Toby pulled out a watch from his pocket. It was a metal pocket watch, suspended by a steel chain. "The day ya' finished was the proudest day of his life." The group was shocked, why was he brining this up again, they had just got him out of depression! Then Toby continued. "But when he heard that you left. He said he couldn't be any prouder. And that you made the best choice." Ray felt his heart rise. Even though his decision got them killed, his father felt pride for him. "He had this made, as a gift for when you returned." Toby said as he handed over the watch. Ray Inspected it with a keen eye, he opened it and saw the inscription on the inside. "Ray the Reckless." He spoke aloud. "Keep Roaming." A while ago he was on the verge of tears, and now his dam broke. He took Toby in a crushing hug, holding him so tight that he thought that he might never let go. "If those crates won't break ma back, you will!" He laughed out. Ray took a step back and stared at Toby. "Thank you." He said. "Just don't wait so many years ago for your next visit. And drink one on yer old man will ya." He said as he pointed to the crate of mead. "Ah will!" Ray said as he picked it up. And they continued their walk to the airship.
When they were close, Hicca took the crate from Ray, saying that he had carried enough burdens today. She was just afraid that he might drop it when he saw the Typhon. They breached the tree line, and Ray had his back to the ship, talking furiously about good old times he had with Toby when he was a child. He had never talked much about his past, but the gates were open now. He was currently telling about the first time they went hunting. "So then I dropped the rifle and it fired, but it still hit the deer!" He said as he tried not to trip over the many roots in the forest ground. Hicca decided to cut him short. "Ray, notice anything different?" She asked. "About what?" Ray responded, still oblivious that he was about to be like a boy on Snoggletog morning. "About the ship." Sith answered for her. Ray turned around to inspect the ship, everything looked the same to him until he saw the front. Instead of the small scoped cannon that was used to be fixed on the spot, there the big, dual barreled gun of his dreams. "No way!" He yelled. He turned around to the group, making hand gestures and trying to say something, but he was speechless. "It's from that military cargo ship." Hicca said. "What do you think?" Ray had finally regained his ability to talk again. "I think it's like a beach." He said, earning him confused looks from his crewmates. "All it needs are some nice and beautiful shells!" This earned him a punch from Brynn. Sith', who had heard from Hicca that Brynn was indeed falling for the gunner then teased her with. "Wow, what happened. You were cuddling a moment ago." Creating a very red Brynn.
"Stop it guys. We need to eat." Hicca then added. "We leave in the evening, we got a linkup to get to." Sithera made a small fire on the edge of the cove, safely away from trees and dry materials, she roasted the meat till it was well cooked. Hicca was looking what route to take to the linkup location. While Ray and Brynn were talking about the new gun. When Sithera was done she brought everyone their meal. She ate with Hicca while overlooking the map, while also overlooking Ray and Brynn, who were eating together next to the gun, Brynn sitting in the seat and Ray sitting on top of the gun itself.
Hicca looked at her ship. She had the best fighters of the world, the best mechanic at her disposal, a master gunner and a her own personal spy. And not to mention the three friends that came with it and along with their dragons, they could take on anything.
AN :
Well there it is! Another chapter. I probably wasn't too emotionally because I suck at that so yea...
Anyway I have a list of roles that I need for the next chapter. I have an A and a B to fill, and the best would be both of them.
A : Plane crew 2-3 persons
Pilot
Mechanic
Gunner
B : Submarine crew 3+ persons
Captain
Gunner(s)
Mechanic(s)
These will be part of Hicca's little force. I already have some on my eye from the OC's I've got so far. I hope you enjoy the story!
Take care everyone!