Re: The Grand Battle S2G1! [Round Three: Water...place!]
10-21-2010, 03:57 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.
The ship weighed anchor, and dropped a rope ladder.
"That won't hold him," a familiar voice said. "It won't even carry the anvil. Use the gangplank."
There was an obedient murmuring, and the ramp was lowered to the raft. Arkal noted it was made of the same durable wood. He idly wondered where it grew as he made his way to the ship. He was pretty sure of who would be waiting for him, and was soon proven right, as he was escorted to a green man made of minerals wearing a rather silly-looking hat with a skull and crossbones.
"Hello, Arkal," Kracht said. "I've got something to talk to you about. You're the last one who might listen to reason."
***
Some time earlier...
Kracht found his new situation more annoying than problematic. After all, it wasn't as if the pirates had anything that could harm the mineral that made up his body.
He knocked a half-dozen buccaneers out as they came charging at him, then started walking toward the captain.
"Really, this is tiresome," he said calmly. "There's nothing you can do to me, so you may as well surrender now. I could use this ship, and it will be easier to manage with a crew. And I have no particular quarrel with you."
"Ye want this ship?" the captain snarled. "Then ye'll have ta fight me fer it... ungh!" He fell to the ground with one punch before he could even finish his thought.
"Well, that's settled then," Kracht said, picking up the captain's hat and placing it on his head for effect. "Now, I'd like whoever's in the crow's nest to go and look for a large raft with a muscular old man on it. Or would you prefer to attempt a mutiny?"
There was an awkward pause as the pirates looked at each other nervously. Kracht kicked the unconscious captain in the stomach, and the crew swiftly responded.
A few minutes later, the raft had been spotted; it seemed Kracht hadn't been dropped that far off. Arkal sent a blast of flame into the air as they approached; Kracht ordered his new crew to stop and let the smith on.
***
"So you've gotten yourself a crew now," Arkal commented, keeping his mace out in case of trouble.
"Oh, you needn't worry about them. I doubt they could take you even if you were unarmed. No, I just want them to operate the ship. I can't be everywhere at once, after all. But let's get down to business. Follow me." Kracht headed inside the ship; this conversation would require some privacy.
"Business? What do you want with me?" Arkal reluctantly followed, staying alert. "You've caused me nothing but trouble. The only interest I have in you is getting my hands on some of that fantastic mineral you're made out of."
"Believe me, what I am about to tell you is extremely important. Do you know why I have won this battle every time?"
"I'm not here to listen to your gloating," the smith grunted. "If that's all you've got, maybe I'll take my chances with the shark."
"Listen to me, Arkal." Kracht's tone was somehow different; he almost sounded desperate. "I have won this battle in every previous iteration because I needed to."
Arkal raised an eyebrow, but allowed the animate statue to continue.
"The first iteration - I'm not sure what happened, precisely. I've never dared to allow it to happen again so I can investigate. But it involves Xadrez and the Ovoid. And the consequences were dire. I barely managed to make it back to have a chance at stopping it, but after that I prevented it in every iteration. Except this one. Now that blasted Observer has put everything at risk once again."
Arkal groaned. "What are you even talking about? This sounds an awful lot like a trick."
"Listen to me, Arkal. Xadrez won't listen. The Ovoid won't listen. I'm fairly sure Jen won't listen and that Bio Wyrm won't hold any gratitude to me for saving it. You are the only one I can tell this to who might actually help me."
"Fine. You've got one chance to tell me why I should help you."
"Yes, yes... one moment." Kracht opened the door to the captain's quarters and showed Arkal through before closing it. "Now I can tell you without my men listening in."
"Why does that matter?"
"Because I'm not sure how opposed they would be to the destruction or enslavement of all non-human races in the entire multiverse."
Arkal stared at him in surprise.
"Yes, that is what this is about."
Spoiler
The ship weighed anchor, and dropped a rope ladder.
"That won't hold him," a familiar voice said. "It won't even carry the anvil. Use the gangplank."
There was an obedient murmuring, and the ramp was lowered to the raft. Arkal noted it was made of the same durable wood. He idly wondered where it grew as he made his way to the ship. He was pretty sure of who would be waiting for him, and was soon proven right, as he was escorted to a green man made of minerals wearing a rather silly-looking hat with a skull and crossbones.
"Hello, Arkal," Kracht said. "I've got something to talk to you about. You're the last one who might listen to reason."
***
Some time earlier...
Kracht found his new situation more annoying than problematic. After all, it wasn't as if the pirates had anything that could harm the mineral that made up his body.
He knocked a half-dozen buccaneers out as they came charging at him, then started walking toward the captain.
"Really, this is tiresome," he said calmly. "There's nothing you can do to me, so you may as well surrender now. I could use this ship, and it will be easier to manage with a crew. And I have no particular quarrel with you."
"Ye want this ship?" the captain snarled. "Then ye'll have ta fight me fer it... ungh!" He fell to the ground with one punch before he could even finish his thought.
"Well, that's settled then," Kracht said, picking up the captain's hat and placing it on his head for effect. "Now, I'd like whoever's in the crow's nest to go and look for a large raft with a muscular old man on it. Or would you prefer to attempt a mutiny?"
There was an awkward pause as the pirates looked at each other nervously. Kracht kicked the unconscious captain in the stomach, and the crew swiftly responded.
A few minutes later, the raft had been spotted; it seemed Kracht hadn't been dropped that far off. Arkal sent a blast of flame into the air as they approached; Kracht ordered his new crew to stop and let the smith on.
***
"So you've gotten yourself a crew now," Arkal commented, keeping his mace out in case of trouble.
"Oh, you needn't worry about them. I doubt they could take you even if you were unarmed. No, I just want them to operate the ship. I can't be everywhere at once, after all. But let's get down to business. Follow me." Kracht headed inside the ship; this conversation would require some privacy.
"Business? What do you want with me?" Arkal reluctantly followed, staying alert. "You've caused me nothing but trouble. The only interest I have in you is getting my hands on some of that fantastic mineral you're made out of."
"Believe me, what I am about to tell you is extremely important. Do you know why I have won this battle every time?"
"I'm not here to listen to your gloating," the smith grunted. "If that's all you've got, maybe I'll take my chances with the shark."
"Listen to me, Arkal." Kracht's tone was somehow different; he almost sounded desperate. "I have won this battle in every previous iteration because I needed to."
Arkal raised an eyebrow, but allowed the animate statue to continue.
"The first iteration - I'm not sure what happened, precisely. I've never dared to allow it to happen again so I can investigate. But it involves Xadrez and the Ovoid. And the consequences were dire. I barely managed to make it back to have a chance at stopping it, but after that I prevented it in every iteration. Except this one. Now that blasted Observer has put everything at risk once again."
Arkal groaned. "What are you even talking about? This sounds an awful lot like a trick."
"Listen to me, Arkal. Xadrez won't listen. The Ovoid won't listen. I'm fairly sure Jen won't listen and that Bio Wyrm won't hold any gratitude to me for saving it. You are the only one I can tell this to who might actually help me."
"Fine. You've got one chance to tell me why I should help you."
"Yes, yes... one moment." Kracht opened the door to the captain's quarters and showed Arkal through before closing it. "Now I can tell you without my men listening in."
"Why does that matter?"
"Because I'm not sure how opposed they would be to the destruction or enslavement of all non-human races in the entire multiverse."
Arkal stared at him in surprise.
"Yes, that is what this is about."
There's no reason for this | Or this | Death is inevitable | You can't challenge fate | The smallest change | I'm overwhelmed
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse
I'm serious | It makes perfect sense | Easy as ABC! | I can't even explain it | Cleaning up someone else's mess
I suck | I rule | I've got it made | Really, I'm serious | This bugs me | It's all lies | I want to believe | Beauty is a curse