Multiple Settings Greystone

[Twenty below]

Teldoro is a minor nation far up in the frozen North. Minor nations are considered such do to their lack of old world tech and thus do not usually show up on maps. Also due to this minor nations are forced to adopt primitive medieval practices. The Ordus is the royal ship of Teldoro and is making its way to Torntro so that the queen can discuss opening trade routs between Teldoro and Torntro. Teldoro does not have much to offer as most of the island is covered in snow and ice but without some kind of trade the people of Teldoro will die. The other problem is that most major nations wont trade with minor nations or even acknowledge their existence. The world council doesn't even acknowledge minor nations as nations and thus minor nations do not have a KOGS representative. It was very early in the morning, the Ordus was passing through Tastros water when it was flanked by a vessel not flying a nations flag. The Ordus being a minor nation ship did not have guns so the crews only hope was to try and outrun the enemy ship.

Captain Morgono is captain of the royal guard and it's his duty to protect the queen. Captain Morgono is in his mid 30s, clean shaven and lightly muscular build. He was asleep in his chamber when the Ordus got attacked. The sudden blast of cannon fire and the jerking of the ship woke him up with a shock. "whats going on?" he muttered as he jumped out of bed. He was scared for the queen... he was scared for himself but he had to make sure he was safe. He grabbed his uniform and rapier out of his foot locker and quickly got dressed. By this time the Ordus was being boarded, gun shots and sword fights broke out across the deck.

 

[Wind]

It was a rather calm looking day.
Seagulls slowly gliding through the air, the deep blue sky with wisps of white fluffy clouds, the sapphire blue sea below that was glittering from the sun's tender rays.
Such a beautiful day, until he spotted a ship in the distance.
"CAPTAIN," the lad shouted, "there's a vessel in the distance!"

The Captain was a rather young fellow. Not too young mind you, but young enough to be charismatic with his smile alone.

"Well then lads, let's ready for battle and board!" "Yaaaaaaarrrr!" The crew responded with such vigor it may have well shook the boat. The energy coming from the battle hungry crew, or perhaps just hungry crew radiated to even the lad in the crow's nest. He really wasn't one to fight and disliked bloodshed but he would provide as much assistance as he could. He was still a member on the ship and a bloody needed one at that.

The young male's blue orbs were the key. He was blessed with vision a bird of prey would be envious of and was always good at spotting things that others would pass as nothing being there. Those blue eyes of his were the only reason the Captain let him be in the crows nest...well...that and because he was too feminine for those on deck.

"Fire the cannon!" The captain ordered. "Firing cannons!" The crew replied in unison.
The first shot barreled into the side of the opposing ship, not nearly close enough to breach, but enough to stir even the most dead of sleepers. Their ship the Lapis Lazuli collided into the other with a loud thud. "Board their vessel!" "YAAAAAARRRRRR!"
Sounds of metal clashing and people being gunned down shot through the air, as well as, the occasional persons falling prey to the boy's slingshot abilities. It wasn't the most useful thing to do to help, but it occasionally knocked someone out or at least confused his targets/distracted them.

 

[Tamriel]

A sandstorm was hitting Tentra hard. It had been going for about 3 days. Captain Aurora Valentine and her 1st mate Barrent Nandish were walking back to their ship the Valendish. They had just went to town to get some supplies. "Ah damn I can barely see." Barrent says while putting his bandana on. "Quit your complaining." Aurora says. Aurora and Barrent had been together sense they were kids. They had been stealing things from people. Like all pirates do but they did it because they were poor. They stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Then they found a ship, combining their last names they named the ship The Valendish. "We're almost there." Aurora says coveting her eyes from the beaming, hot sun. We haven't even tried to set sail yet." The man replied . "What if it sinks?" "...Then I'd kill myself, but that's not gonna happen so, Be quiet." She responds slapping him on the back of the head. "Ow that hurt!" He yelled then sighs. "I'm gonna get some sleep when we get to the ship." Aurora is genuinely a nice person, but can be really mean if she wants to be. She likes teasing Barrent. She's really dedicated to getting the ship sailing and finding a crew. Barrent on the other hand is lazy. He sleeps most of the time and the only other things he does is smoke and drink. Some people think Aurora should fire him and get someone better, but she loves him to much to let him go. He's the only person she's ever had. Her family abandoned her, but when Aurora and Barrent meet he took care of her. "Haha, we made it." She says smiling and pointing at their ship over the horizon. "Alright get on my back I'll carry you." He responds . Barrent has always been a very fast guy probably one of the fastest. "Haha go go go!" She says as Barrent starts running with her on his back. In a couple of minutes they were there. "Alright, you can go put the supplies in cargo hold while I get the ship started." Aurora smiles as she jumps from Barrent's back. "Sounds like a lot of work but I guess I'll do it." The man replies as he walks down stairs to the cargo hold. "Now then, let's get this ship a going." She says as she starts turning the wheel. "Uh...the ship isn't going." "That's because you have time raise the sails. Barren says as he comes back up the stairs. "You did read the book I bought didn't you?" "Wh...are you questioning me!" She yells "Of course I read it I just...forgot." "Yeah whatever I'll raise the sails" he chuckles. In a couple of minutes all the sails were raised and the ship starts to move. Aurora looks on with a bright smile one her face. Barrent always loved when she smiled it makes his day. He's never told her but he really does love her. "Now we have to go to torntro and get a crew!" She says in excitement. "Yeah...I'm sure it's not gonna be that easy." The man replies. "You shut up! And lets...SET SAIL FOR THE NEW WORLD!" she scream's in joy.

 

[Twenty below]

Captain morgono tried to open the hatch but it wouldn't move, little did he know that a crate had moved over the hatch blocking it. There was another hatch on the other side of the hull. Morgono started moving. He could hear a bell ringing above deck. The bell was to signify trouble. He was moving through the galley. When a hole suddenly blew in the side of the ship. He could see the enemy ship along side theirs.

Below deck was mostly empty. A few people hiding and a few dead bodies but most of then were fighting above. Morgono made his way to the queens chambers but she wasn't there. He took the second hatch to get above deck. The deck of the ship was a blood bath. People were fighting and dying all around him. The people he was in charge of. He still could not see the queen. He stopped a near by guard. "Wheres the queen?" The guard pointed. Morgono looked to see the queen and an unknown assailant in a dinghy headed toward tastros. Morgono quickly grabbed a dinghy of his own to go after her

 

[Wind]

The battle was just at it's climax and the young lad was having a fantastic time hitting people with pebbles from his slingshot. He thought all this violence was senseless but he did owe the captain for saving his life. "Faust!" The captain yelled up to the crow's nest, "how's the situation looking from up there?"
The male scanned the area with his deep blues. It definitely seemed like they were going to win but there was something odd about the battle. It was as if the crew on the other side was making a showy and flashy battle, which usually meant it was a distraction.
It was weird that the other ship hadn't a single cannon and barely any of the crew on the other ship had firearms.
This battle seemed to be too easily won.

"Ah..." he noticed a small boat on a different side leaving with what appeared two people. Another was hastily dropped down and followed the other as fast as it could. On the boat was a lone figure, male from what he could tell, was this perhaps his chance to escape the pirate ship? With the booty on this fancy boat, surely this would be enough of a payback to the Captain.

He would miss the days being merry with the crew on deck, he'd grown accustom to sleeping in the nest, but he still wanted to find his way back home and that was his first and foremost task.

The blonde did the one thing he never did during a battle; he left his nest.
Dodging and weaving the others he made his way toward the captain. "It was fun," he quickly sputtered, "but I've more than paid my debt captain and this is adieu." Surprisingly the captain just smiled widely and gave the lad his blessing. "You weren't ever a creature of the sea like us." The red captain replied back, parrying another soldier in the process. His emerald eyes looked toward the blue, endless sky. "You were always a denizen of the sky." Captain to crew member, non. Red to Faust, he patted him with his free hand, smiled, "go. Fly you little bird."
Fly he did.
Faust dove into the clear waters below and swam toward dinghy with a single form atop it. He wasn't going to let his chance to go towards his homeland go and if the person on board was violent, he supposed he'd just have to take the dinghy for himself. "Almost....there...." he gasped, using a breast-stroke was the easiest way to close their distance.
"Well...hello there." The male smiled up toward the user of the boat. "Mind if I come aboard it's quite cold down here!"

 

[Tamriel]

Their ship had been going for like 1-2 hours. The water was still, the sky beautiful, and the ship was running fine....until it started to fall apart. "Ahhhh we're sinking!" The woman yells frantically running around the ship. "Calm down I'm sure there's just a hole at the bottom of the boat." The male replies going down to check it. That didn't calm the woman down as it just made her even more scared as the ship she spent most of her life making sink. "Ok, well it's sinking at an alarming rate." The man says. "We better start get-" The man was about to finish his sentence when a cannonball is shot into their ship. He turns around to see two ships battling it out. The cannonball probably missed the ship it was targeting and hit them instead. "Shit ok ok we need to get off the ship." The man says frantically while looking for a lifeboat. "Wh- where's the lifeboat?" He asks. The woman sobbing because she was about to lose her ship, couldn't answer. As we know a captain dies with their ship but Barrent wasn't about to let her go down with it. He looked at the other ships and saw lifeboats leaving one of them. Barrent knew he had to get them to one of the lifeboats. It might be hard but it's the only choice they have. Without saying any words to his captain he grabbed the wheel and started going toward the ships. A couple of more cannonballs flew by their ship scaring Aurora even more. Barrent steered the ship toward the other ships until it stopped moving. They were close enough to see everyone running on the other ships.
"Shit!" The man yells while running to his companion. She was just sitting there with teary eyes. "Come on we have to go." He tells his captain. His words were just going in one ear and out the other. He starts shaking her and frantically yelling "Please come on please trust me." He knew he couldn't live without her. Please trust me. Those words kept repeating in her head. She could trust him. She looked up into his eyes, still crying. "There you go sweetheart let's go." The first mate says with a smile on his face "Now come on." He grabbed her hand and they both started running. As soon as they jumped into the water coldness took over them. "Come on let's hurry!" Barrent yells while swimming to the closest lifeboat. They climbed up on the boat only to be meet with two looking at them. A blond boy who is soaking wet and another man who was looking mad. "Why do people keep climbing on my boat." The man says, still looking mad.

 

[Twenty below]

Morgono was started by the young man in the water. He looked at him confused. "What?? Who are you? Are you a pirate? You know what never mind." He had to save the queen but that was no reason to let someone die of hypothermia. He helped the man onto the boat. "I dont know who you are," he scolded. "But I have a job to do so once we get to shore your on your own." No sooner two more people showed up on his boat. Morgono nearly fell overboard when he saw them climbing on. "Why do you people keep keep climbing on my boat? Where are you all coming from?" He looked around. Did he miss something? "Why me...." me muttered as he started rowing. "This boats going to sink..." he couldn't see the queen anymore. Finding her was going to be a lot harder now.

Once the dinghy hit shore morgono got out. He had never been to tastros, he had never been to any major nation but he heard the stories. He didn't have a gas mask so he pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around his nose and mouth. "Good day," he said to his new friends as he started marching toward the city. He got into the city and was amazed by all the remnants of the old world. The giant abandoned buildings, the broken asphalt, trees growing out of rusty automobiles. It was all so fascinating but he had no time for site seeing he had to find the queen the only question was where would he start looking?

 

[Wind]

"Aw. Such a cheery fella aintcha," smirked the young male. He was amused that the big, scary man would let him aboard his tiny vessel without even batting an eye.
If it were up to Faust, Faust would've definitely asked about a million questions while the victim slowly drowned.
He was lifted aboard and promptly stroked his hair back, water glistening off his golden locks. His body and clothes were drenched but they would eventually dry out in the heat of the sun. He had his water resistant pack with his things and he was also in one piece and that was all he needed.

Home was only a small boat ride away and boy was he ever so excited to see it.

He began to wonder if select people were still there and alive when he heard loud swimming noises and sharp breaths.
He looked down to see two people floating in the water below and waved.
The other man grumbled. Something about sinking, something about why him and he also let the other two on the dinghy. Well well if it weren't a few pirates...or at least people who tried to look like pirates.

The blonde burst into fits of giggles and leaned back into the dinghy to let the sun warm his body.
He was amazed that no one else had spotted this vessel slowly drift by. Then again with him not being there and the battle practically won by his old crew there probably wasnt anyone he needed to be worried about.

The boat scraped the bottom of the sea as it came to a complete hault. The older gentleman got up and exited the vessel. He promptly took out a thin handkerchief and bid the others a 'good day'.

Where was this bloke off to then, the lad mused, digging into his belongings for his mask. How could anyone even dream of setting here without one. That handkerchief would only keep the miasma out of his lungs for only so long.

He decided it would be amusing to follow the fairly large man. He looked back to the other two, smiled, waved and began to tail him.

 

[Tamriel]

As the blond haired guy giggled, Barrent lifted Aurora up onto the boat. "Damn that waters cold." Barrent says while putting his coat over the girl. The boat slowly went along as they all set their. Barrent didn't trust the two guys but he didn't really have a choice. He looked over to his companion who was shivering and still sad that the boat that she worked for most of her life was gone. "It'll be okay the sun will dry you off" Barrent says to his companion. He still didn't understand how they weren't spotted. "Why did we spend our life building a ship just for it to be destroyed an hour later?" She asks anyone listening to her. Barrent couldn't find any words to say. He looked back at the two ships fighting. The royal ship was getting destroyed, weird that it wasn't putting up a fight. The pirate ship on the other hand had barely any casualties. He looks to the blond haired boy and ask's him a question "I see that you're wet, what ship did you come from?" The boy looks at him then giggles some more. "You see that I'm wet? Haha well if I were in your shoes I wouldn't have seen that" "Haha." Barrent laughs sarcastically "Are you gonna answer the question?" The boy still giggling and messing with his golden ocks replies. "I came from the pirate ship." Barren looks at him with a raised brow and asks. "But the pirates were barely hurt why did you leave?" The boy smiles and spreads his arms. "I wanted to fly away from the nest." "...ok and you? He says looking at the one who owned the ship. The man sighs and says "The royal ship." Barrent looks down knowing that all of them there have lost something. "I hate war and violence." Aurora says suddenly. "I wish I hadn't become a pirate." The boy starts to laugh once again and says "if you can call yourselves pirates. Well you did sneak up on both our ships but your ship also got destroyed an hour after setting sail so I don't really know." The boat hits land. Barrent didn't even know they were near land, probably because he was focusing on his conversation with the boy. The captain puts his bandana on his face and starts heading off on foot but turns back to them and says "Good day." Then he heads into town. The boy grabs his mask out of his pack and puts it on. As he leaves he waves to them. "We should follow them" Barrent says. "Why" his captain asks. "We don't have anything else to do" he replies "Get the masks." Aurora starts frantically searching for their make so that they could join the others. "Uh barrent...we don't have any masks." She says. "Shit...I have an idea." He says while taking his still wet and cold shirl off. He rips it into and gives one piece to Autora. "Put this over your mouth until we can get masks" the man says. "OK let's go" she replies as they both head off in the same direction of the golden haired boy and the older captain.

 

[Twenty below]

Morgono stops in his tracks. He can feel the gazes of the others upon him. "Why are you following me?" He asks without turning around. He scans the area and spots a couple of thugs shacking down an elderly man in an alley. He holds his arm out to indicate to the others that he will handle this. He then draws his rapier and confronts the thugs. Why was he doing this? Why not just let the guards handle it? It's almost as if hes trying to put on a show for his followers or maybe hes just a little full of himself.

"Unhand that citizen," he demands. The thugs turn to him and draw daggers. "And what are you going to do about it?" The thug challenges. Morgono makes quick work of the thugs, using his rapier to disarm the one and without a second thought they went running with their tails between their legs. "Are you ok?"he asks the elderly man reaching out his hand to help him up. "Thank you stranger," the man replies. "Just doing my duty." Morgono shakes the mans hand and sends him on his way. He then returns to the rest of the group. "What a lawless city," he insults. "I've expected better from the stories I've heard but theirs not a constable in sight." He then turned to go back to searching for the queen. He went and spoke to a fruit veder, Who was selling fruit from his road side stand. He described the queen but the veder didnt see anything. He the asked a trash collector. The trash collector was also not much help he just told him that if anyone know anything about a kidnapping it would be in the upper district.

 

[Wind]

Amusing would be a word that didnt describe the situation lad before him. Faust was ever so bored of this man in front that seemed like he knew how to handle everything. He swiftly took care of the bandit and helped the old man up.

"Tch," a small sound left the young male's lips.

"What a lawless city..." Breathed the older man. Of course his home had its dangers but what city didn't? The town was surrounded by toxins that did not dissipate, glooming heavily as if a fog. Supplies were usually always scarce and there werent many children who graced the streets of the city. Not many elderly either which was another reason he was surprised by the old man getting attacked by dastardly rogues.

Home was still home tho and he was back, somewhat.

He continued to follow the other man. Faust didn't worry about the bigger male attacking him. After all he had the home team advantage and could easily eacape into the shadows. His blue eyes cast behind him as the other two figures were also following their person.

Why were they following along? Were they also looking for some excitement or did they merely believe that after a short boat ride they were all now comrades on the same adventure? A small yawn escaped his tired body and the blonde turned back to the other male once again.

The larger man frantically moved back and forth to vendors in the street. He would ask a question and then turn in disappointment. What was he looking for?

Faust decided he would ask, curiousity piqued. "Mmm," he began lazily, "what is it you are looking for anyway?"

 

[Tamriel]

The city was big with people walking everywhere. There were like 100 Barrent thought as he rubbed his eyes because he was sleepy. Barrent always hated crowds cause he was always nervous around people. Back home Aurora would always talk to the shop keepers so that he wouldn't have to.

Aurora was still a little bit cold but it wasn't enough to hurt her. She was still thinking about how she wasted her life on that ship. She looks foward to the two men they were following. The blond was pretty cute but nothing compared to Barrent in her eyes.

The young blond boy looks back a them then turns back around. What was he looking at barrent thought. He probably going to try and kill us. Barrent keeps walking along until he remembers that they have no where to go. Well, they'll keep following the other two until they get another boat, but who knows when that's gonna be.

"So" Aurora says suddenly as she touches the blonds shoulder. "Do you plan on killing us or not?"

 

[Twenty below]

"I'm looking for the queen," Morgono stared. "She was in the dinghy in front of me but when all you people started climbing on my boat I lost sight of her. I do I know your not with her captures. This might have been all part if your plan I bet." Morgono turned and walked off in a hurry heading into the saloon.

The saloon was filled with drunks, gambling and someone trying to preach to the mass of patrons. Morgono walked over to the bar to speak with the bar tender but his attention was caught by a woman staring at him. He looked over at her and tried to hide his frighteness. Her face was slightly melted off from high levels of toxic exposure. "Your a tall drink of water arnt you?" The lady said to him. Morgono faced away from her "I'm sorry ma'am I'm very busy no time for chitchat." "I'm having a party tonight. To bad you cant come. You wouldn't be allowed in the dead zone." Morgono ignored her instead he was eavesdropping on a couple of people talking about slave trading, they also mentioned the dead zone. "Why can't I go to the dead zone?" He asked her. "Only the infected are allowed there." "That's a shame," morgono walked off toward the blonde boy and the two pirates. "I need to get in the dead zone. How do we get there?"

 

[Wind]

'A queen?' the blonde mused to himself. This man would sacrifice his own boat for a single person? Absurd. It grinded his gears to hear he would throw away so many lives for the sake of a single regent, but it was to be expected of a soldier boy. Faust smirked at the accusation of being an accomplice with the one who kidnapped said regent. It was true he had no way to confirm that he was of no such company but he did come from the toxic region laid before the party.

He turned to the darkened skinned couple and smiled a toothy grin from inside his mask. "Trust me," he began, "I wouldn't need to kill you as the area all around will do that easily enough."

It was hard to discern his demeanor and attitude with the mask and his lazy body language didn't make up for the lack of facial register. They would have to deal with it for the time being as he wouldn't be taking his mask off any time soon. To keep a mask off in this type of place meant irreparable damage or death. He turned back and followed the soldier boy into the tavern a little ways down the road they tred upon. Inside was as a Tavern should be, rowdy with drunks and those who would gamble away their money. It wasn't that late in the afternoon yet there were already those that were plastered enough to not be able to move. In this environment there wasn't much entertainment so he verily understood the want to drink and gamble away what little money one had.

The older man spoke roughly to a woman at a table. Her face melted from the miasma of Tastros.

It was sadly an all too familiar sight for Faust. The woman would have been a beauty if her face had not warped in such a way. It was the price to pay if one didn't have a mask of his caliber. There weren't many stores supplied with such a mask and it would take much money in order to get one's hands on one. He adjusted his mask nervously. He knew that the toxins had long been seeped into her pores for an extended period in order to get that bad but it still made him nervous. At the mention of the "dead zone" his ears perked up. Surely the other wouldn't dare make his way into that area.

The dead zone was a hazardous place filled with those who were too far gone.
Those who inhabited the "dead zone" were as the name stated, left for dead. It was a highly toxic zone that would leave a healthy person coughing up blood for weeks because of the miasma and surely the older gent wasn't going to venture in with just the handkerchief tied on his face.

Said older man turned toward he and the two behind him. "I need to get in the dead zone. How do we get there?"

The blonde shook his platinum blonde hair, disagreeing. He wouldn't lead a person to their untimely demise. An mere hour in there without proper equipment would cause such damage it may be irreversible, at least to those who weren't already used to the environment.
Faust was born and raised here in a less toxic part of the town but after he was sold off and then found himself on the high seas he had time to breath in the wonderfully clean atmosphere a bit too long. He was sure that his immunity was clearly better than the other three but he still wasn't confident about setting foot in the "dead zone".

It was the place of nightmares that mothers and the elderly would threaten their children with if they didn't behave. Those who were discarded would never leave; those who entered would never be seen again.

Cold shivers ran up and down his spine.

"We shouldn't go there..." his form quiet and sullen. It would be quite a sight to see for those who knew Faust. A pale, shaking hand reached out and tugged on the sleeve of the older man. "Y-you really don't wanna go there...it's a really really bad idea..."

 

[Tamriel]

As the older man went into the tavern Barrent and Aurora ran to the store. "Ok let's get everything we need." Barrent says to his captain as she runs to the shelves. She thought about what they needed to get. A gun, ammunition, masks, and food. "Um Barrent, do we have enough money for all this stuff?" she asks her partner. Barrent wasn't paying attention tho as he was thinking about how he was gonna pay for all of it. 'It's ok I'll just have to steal it' he thought as he started shoving a gun and ammunition into his jacket pocket. He looked over to the shopkeeper to see if he was spotted. The shopkeeper was a....ugly man. He was bald and missing an ear. Barrent walked over to Aurora, not wanting to look at the man anymore. "Do you have everything we need?" he asks his captain. "I was able to put the gas masks in my bag, but the food wouldn't fit." she says, frowning. Barrent looks around to see if anyone is near them then says "Go wait at the front of the store. I'll meet you there in a minute." "Ok" she says as she walks away. Ok here comes the hard part barrent thought as he walked to the counter. "Go on kid, get out of here." the man says. "What?" he asks the shopkeeper. "You think I'm stupid, I know your stealing, but...I'm gonna let you steal it. You see, I'm gonna be closing up shop soon, moving somewhere else and I've been trying to get rid of my stock. Also....I see how you look at the girl....so yeah just take what ever you need." the man says. "Th-thanks" barrent replied, genuinely surprised. Barrent starts running out, grabbing food on the way. Barrent and Aurora met up and started walking back to the others. They overheard the two men talking. The older man asked how to get to the dead zone and the blond boy was saying not to go there. Aurora walked up to the two men and asked "What is the dead zone."

 

[Twenty below]

Morgono huffs, why did he even bother? Why would this... this stalker actually be of any help? He left aggravated, determined to get to the dead zone one way or another. It didnt take him long to find the wall that separated the city from the dead zone and their was a checkpoint in between. Morgono entered the checkpoint. It was a small building with a desk, a couple of guards and an elevator on the far side then led down into the crater that was the dead zone.

Morgono walked straight through toward the elevator and pushed the call button but nothing happened. He pushed it again... nothing. "Excuse me," he said to the guard at the desk. "I need to pass." "No," the guard simply said. "No? Why not?" "Your not from around here are you?" The guard asked. Morgono stood in silance. "Your not infected, your not authorized, and you dont have proper equipment." Morgono explained his situation. "You know," the guard started. "A man and a woman did pass through here and the man had the same kind of uniform as you." "The same uniform as me?" How could this be morgono thought. "Well you know why me getting down there is urgent then. Why would you let them pass and not me?" "He had clearance papers." "You must let me in. That woman is the queen of teldoro and she is in grave danger." "No clearance no entry it's the law." Morgono turned around. He did not take failure well

 

[Wind]

Faust was relieved when he heard they didn't have to go in the "dead zone". It was suicide to go in there without proper equipment and looking at the bigger male he definitely did not have any. Faust had the papers from his birth but definitely not papers to enter the "dead zone" or at least not recent ones...

Sure he had ventured out into the "dead zone" in the past but the person he had worked for was probably long dead. He had been gone for a long time. Too long...he didnt even recognize the faces at the guard station much less any that graced the tavern with their presence.

"Look..." He told the other, "it's really better if we don't go in there..." The blonde turned the couple who had followed them to this point. "A little help here?" He waved to get their attention, "seriously, do you two also want to opt in for the fun adventure into certain doom?"

 

[Tamriel]

"Hmm, well I don't want to go to any place called the dead zone.....but at the same time he did save us from that battle." Aurora replied, scratching her
head. "I wouldn't want to put her in harms way so...no." Barrent said while pointing at Aurora. "I'm sticking with blondy over here." The blonde smiled at that comment. "We don't have any life goals at the moment, so we're just gonna follow you." She says while hugging the blonde boy. "Heh she does that to everyone she meets." The man said. "Well except for people who are mean like you." He gestures to the older man. "Aww Barrent look at him. He's adorable. Let's adopt him." The girl says, pulling on the blond checks. "Umm, that would be weird because he's probably the same age as us." Barrent says. "And I think he wants you to stop." "What? No, he doesn't want me to stop." The girl says still pulling on his checks. "Do you?"

 

[Twenty below]

"well how do I get authorized?" Morgono asked. "Their are three main methods," the guard replied. "If you are infected and live in the dead zone. If you are an essential dead zone worker or if you work in the mine." "Work in the mine?" "Yeah, the fire diamond mine. but most of the workers are also dead zone residence." Morgono has heard of fire diamonds. Diamonds forged from the intense heat and mixture of chemicals from a cedar bomb explosion. The diamonds are a valuable and rare jewel this day in age because they are surrounded by extremely high levels of toxins and most of the diamond deposits are underwater. Called the fire diamond because of the chemical components infused with the rock gives it the appearance of having an everlasting flame within it. Tastros is one of the leading nations in diamond distribution. "I don't think you understand," Morgono pleaded. "I already failed once when the queens parents died under my watch. I vowed to them in their passing moment that I would not fail again."

 

[Wind]

It was almost preposterous how the lady was able to pull on his cheeks from through his mask, as well as, painful!
"Ywes pwese...." was all the young lad could muster from under the mask and when the lady had let go he gasped in pain. 'That......was an overwhelming experience....' the blonde thought to himself, distancing away from the caramel couple and closer to the stoic male. Either one was a death trap really. Neither choice would bring him happiness and he thought to himself many a time to just fade away into the background and visit his home.
Well it wasn't actually his home...it was called "The Home". a place where children who didn't have homes gathered. It was a poor house, with not many children due to the noxious air, but still mouths to feed and bodies that would grow. Older kids such as Faust the grew up would go out and make money to send back to the home, not out of any contractual obligation but because they cared for their younger brothers and sisters.

He wasn't completely telling the truth. He knew of a way to get in and the older gent's paltry attempts of currying any type of favor were just void. Faust walked over to the guard, bid him to walk into the station with him and began negotiating. What they were speaking of was unknown to those on the outside of the small cubicle of a guard station.
What could be seen was Faust slowly pulling the neck of his shirt to the left and the wide eyed stare of the guardsmen.
A curt nod was shared by the two and they both came back out to the party.
"Fine," was the only answer he would muster becoming dead silent afterwards. Faust looked to the party and waved to come in, "don't say I didn't warn you...." he shouted from behind his mask.

 

[Tamriel]

Aurora let go of the boy when he asked her to. She didn't want to, but she wasn't about to force him. The thing is.....Aurora really just wants friends. Growing up she didn't have any except for Barrent. She's bad at making friends, hence why she started pulling on the boy's face.

All Barrent could do is chuckle at the boy's response. Then the boy started talking to the guard and all of a sudden they were allowed in. Barrent questioned how he got the guard to do that. Maybe he'll ask him about it later. Barrent moved to the older man and said "We'll help you look for the queen as best as we can."

 

[Twenty below]

They began their decent down the elevator. Morgono coughed, "thank you. All of you. Maybe your not petty criminals after all. My nation doesn't have much but you will all be well compensated." That was about as greatful as morgono got.

Once at the bottom morgono immediately started looking around. Going from door to door and person to person. After a few minutes something caught his eye. He saw someone wearing a guards outfit like his heading into a soup kitchen. He couldn't make out who the person was because they were wearing a mask. He followed them into the kitchen and watched. The person was talking to someone else and handed over what appeared to be money. The other person left. Morgono started walking toward the guardsmen to confront him but the guard turned and saw him and ran off. Morgono chased after him but the other guard ran into the fire diamond mine. Morgono stopped short of the mine entrance to wait for the others to catch up, mostly because he didn't want to get lost in the mine.

 

[Wind]

"Maybe you're not petty criminals after all." This statement made Faust scoff all too loudly. The compensation may be all too welcome, but he wasn't going to be labeled as a criminal. Sure he had come from a pirate ship, but that's not where he had originally come from, nor was it really his decision to have had become a pirate in the first place. As a child, maybe, yes, he had been known as a thief, but there wasn't much work to had been done as a child.

Either he were to become a thief or work for...less...than desirable places.

He knew now in many other countries there were either laws that protected the young, or the same type of establishments. For poorer countries that were swamped in debt and death, there was nothing to be done. Faust would never stooped to that level, he would rather be a thief than one of those and it still stood to his day. Yes most people would find it strange that a person his age would protect his chastity but it was almost sacred to him. After all these years he had kept from that side and was still able to scrape up food for the young ones, he was going to keep it long as he could. Those perverts.
BUT that was beside the point. They were going down the shaft of the mines and deeper into the sick. Miasma becoming thicker and making Faust's body shiver in goosebumps. Years of being in unpolluted air had turned him soft against the poison, but at least better adapted than people who had never been under.
He was glad for his mask. The one thing he had taken with him from the home. A gift from someone who had cared for them and he made sure to take ever such care. Masks were worth so much money in a toxic waste such as this, hard to come by and hard to buy. He wasn't quite sure how the two behind him had procured their masks. Perhaps it was they that the older male was referring to when he had said the words "criminal."

"Oh dear..." Faust gasped as he saw where they had ended up at.

It was the fire diamond mines...why in the world were they going there?
Fire diamonds were one of the one minerals on this planet that were hard to come by. Not only was there the toxicity of the miasma floating about, but also the scorching, unnatural heat of the earth that would cause heat stroke, or practically melt off your face if you hit the wrong spot. It was the only actual source of "currency" that even barely kept his home a country of it's own. No one would invade because of the many cons and not so many pros.

"We seriously aren't going in there, are we?" Faust's jittery feet becoming apparent in fear. He absolutely hated heat. The only reason he was even able to sit in the crow's nest at the ship he had fled was because his nest was covered every so smartly by his commander. It was so Faust had no reason at all to leave the nest, except for the times he needed to...use the privy. "We can't go in there. I have to put my foot down on this. Even if I'm using you for entertainment, I'm not just gonna let you walk in there just to die." He grabbed onto the older man's arm, "it's a no. Solid no. We can't go in there."