A Good Old Fashion Treasure Hunt (Closed)

[Deleted]

The woman made it clear she was losing interest in Ephraim. For him it was a sharp blow to his pride but not the first time he had been rejected. But it was the first it had been so outright. Had she read through him so easily. He let off a soft sigh, she won this one. The woman's concerns were on this strange stranger, and so was a bit of Ephraim's annoyance.

Ephraim listened to the man speak. He was odd in a lot of ways now that he examined him. He had odd facial tattoos, an exotic name, and despite his story he was not shaken in the slightest. Rather he was looking for someone else and spoke calmly.

"There are merchant sailors here that may be able to aid you. If not then you may have a hard time getting off this island. But perhaps your 'path' will mean that is not an issue. But, I'll take one no problem, thanks." Ephraim didn't understand him much but hey he offered him food so no harm no fo- "OH MY!!! HOT HOT!!! WHAT KIND OF PEPPER IS THIS!!!?" Ephraim felt a sweat building as he fanned his burning tongue.

Bonnie and First Mate came out the hut looking pleased. "Oi! Ephraim! Ya look like a cat chokin on somtin!"

"Oh, hey, how'd it go?" Ephraim ignored the comments about the cat and looked expectant. Bonnie held up a map shaking it victoriously.

"Din' take much convincin'. He was 'appy to 'elp." Bonnie looked at the two guests. "Name's Bonnie." Then it was back to the boy. "We ought to find what we are looking for today if we start soon." Ephraim smiled at this news. It was actually good news.

First Mate looked the new man over and was surprised. He radiated the same sort of aura as the woman did. This was too odd a meeting to be anything but fate. In turn he made some motions communicating his concerns to Bonnie. The captain was clearly reacting surprised and in her eyes glinted the light of brilliance.

"'Ow 'ould you like ta join us on our merry little excavation?"

"WHAT!?" Ephraim was in disbelief. But maybe then his efforts wouldn't be in vain.

[Ajari]

Ajari turned her attention from the drowned man when she heard the boy shout in pain. A small smile crept onto her lips, as she savored his 'retribution' for his actions. Sometimes the punishment was just a smile for those we had wronged, and she wouldn't have it any other way. A bruised ego was temporary, but still entertaining.

Then, they were joined by the two from before. The larger woman and the scarred man. The woman, at least, seemed plenty personable. Ajari listened to their conversation, interested in the map she held aloft. It likely lead to someplace nearby, someplace that the chief must have been familiar with. So that was it, they were speaking with him to get information on that map they had. But why would anyone have a map if they didn't know what it was of?

Her monastery did not much in the realm of old adventurer tales, so the idea of a treasure map was totally foreign to her.

The woman, introducing herself as Bonnie, sent out the invitation for Ajari to join them on whatever they were doing. "I am Ajari, a pleasure to meet you," she said with a small bow. "My own boat does not leave till the morn, and I do not believe my assistance is required, so I would be happy to assist you. You are... looking for something, I take it? Forgive me, but the concept of having a map but not knowing where it shows seems a bit... counter intuitive to me. Just what is on this map, if I may ask?" she questioned, with an honest naivete.

She was willing to forgive Ephraim his earlier antics. Perhaps he'd just been cautious about speaking of their business here. He clearly wasn't the leader, and he may have thought it unwise to speak of such things without the leave of his senior.

That didn't really excuse his shameless flirting like she was some naive fool he could woo with a few words and winks, but he was just a child. Emotions ran wild at that age, so he couldn't be held responsible for some of the dumb things he did.

[Locke]

Smiling innocently, Locke gave a small chuckle and dropped a few more peppers in his mouth. They were quite delicious. Now, now, what was going on here? Was he already too overwhelmed by the heat? What a shame.

"Well, my people call them Dune Peppers, since they grow in the Nabata desert. They are used widely as a spice in our cooking. They are not as hot as the Cave Peppers, which grow in the darkness of desert caves. Would you like a Cave Pepper?"

Smiling, Locke held out a deep purple pepper, which had small flecks of red coloration. The long, thin pepper was very petite and delicate looking. It seemed delicious, in fact, but the pretty exterior hid a blazing inferno of heat.

"Excavation... You search for what lies hidden underneath the surface. You seek what the earth has covered. I will help you. I hear the earth. It speaks to me, and I listen. When the earth is troubled, I am troubled. And when the earth rejoices, so too do I. If you seek what lies beneath, then you would do well to have my aid. All I ask in return is a way off of Shamrock Isle. I must return to Nabata, or reach a more populous settlement."

Looking at the man, Locke stood still, still holding out the pepper, and analyzed him, his head cocked. It would be interesting to observe this human diversion. Plus, the young woman seemed interesting. Ajari. A unique name, much like his own. What a pleasant ring.

[Deleted]

Ephraim gazed upon the pepper in horror. He could only imagine that beneath the thing's exterior burned a fire within. There was no chance he would be indulging in such agony. "There is no way I am eating that thing!" Bonnie was far less unwilling and indulged in the pepper thanking Locke. She continued about her business after as though it was nothing.

"So long as ya pull ya weight, ya can come wit us ta the docks. Beyond that, there will be some other business that we be addressing."

Ephraim had already been told about it. He would be going to Lycia to hunt down some merchant's daughter. It sounded like a complete drag honestly. But that was for later. Now, they were to compare maps and go for the gold. Heh, literally. Ephraim was surprised at Ajari's ignorance, but it seemed honest enough.

"We have a treasure map. So basically we compare the one we have and the one the locals have created. Then we follow it to wherever the treasure is. Typically marked by an X on the map. Hence the expression of X marks the spot." Ephraim hoped the explanation was easy enough to follow. It was not a difficult concept but it was still foreign to the woman.

First Mate stood aside watching the others not getting involved. He simply watched and analyzed the strangers. They bothered him greatly.

"Well lass and lads, let's not be wastin any time eh? Let's get a move on it." Bonnie compared the maps and instantly began to venture forth leading the way. Ephraim followed close behind hands linked behind his head. First Mate pulled up the rear keeping the two manaketes ahead of him.

"Trust me when I tell you we don't get many opportunities like this one. A real treasure map is rare." Ephraim smiled back at Ajari and First Mate. His gaze became more neutral at the sight of Locke. He did nothing to wrong him but he could not help disliking him under these circumstances.

[Ajari]

Ajari nodded at Ephraim's explanation. It seemed silly, like a game, but she decided against calling it as such. It was likely that these three would nor appreciate something like this being called a game. Apparently someone had put treasure someplace and then made a map for it instead of telling someone. For what reason, Ajari could not imagine.

"After you," Ajari said, allowing Bonnie to lead. She noticed that the scarred man was holding back as well, and she took the hint. They still didn't trust her, which was reasonable. After all, they didn't know her at all. It had occurred to her that this could be some kind of a trap, but it wasn't right of her to think poorly of strangers. They could be completely honest with their plans, just looking for something lost to the annals of history.

Ephraim explained the rarity of what they had with a casual tone, and Ajari had to chuckle. This was just like dealing with the younger monks back at the monastery. One stern rejection of their clumsy advances, and they remembered their manners. Perhaps he was a decent sort, once you got away from the shameless flirting.

"Indeed? I've never heard of something like this, so I suppose you would be right. Still, though, I cannot help but find it strange. The idea of hiding away things of value like that. For what purpose would someone do that? Would not these items of value be better served by they themselves? After all, the hunt for wealth is nearly universal."

Nearly.

[Zerachiel]

A treasure map? He had managed to overhear that bit. Throughout their conversation he had been slowly getting nearer without any of them being the wiser, small things. A step here, a sidle there, not close enough to cause concern but it allowed him to overhear the tail-end of the conversation. Of course by this point he was being a bit conspicuous, in his hand he held a book bound together by frayed and olden binding, the words on the page didn't even enter his mind but he had the tome memorized front to back. From a casual point of view, he was just enjoying the nice breeze and sun while he read a book. Leaning very casually and in a very relaxed pose, it hid the apprehension and tension hiding underneath. Once again he was hiding in plain sight, as that was the best way to go about things such as this, but it was quickly losing it's advantages if they planned to leave. He would instead have to tail them stealthily.

He wasn't concerned about the 'potential for booty' or whatever pirates say (he knew exactly what pirates said, he was being facetious), in fact it was more annoying than anything. He had assumed he would go on this entire mission in plain sight, he wasn't entirely prepared for outright stealth, especially in this environment. He could probably pull it off, but it would be difficult. While he would normally relish the challenge, he didn't feel this situation was worth the trouble. Five separate folk, through a tropical type area, there wasn't a huge amount of cover to hide behind either. He could instead try to inject his self into the situation, and he was entirely sure he could come up with a logical reason, once again it felt like a lot more trouble than it was worth. Who was this woman? Nothing, that's what. Maybe it was a harsh snap judgment, but the fact was that she did little to prove worthy of looking in to. She could be the savior sent to free the land from the tyranny of Kraft, but if she was, she was taking her sweet time.

He let out a sigh. Stashing his book away. He could try one and failing that go for the other. Even if it was pointless, he was nothing if not dedicated to his job. After all, it was all he had anymore. "Excuse me." He said with a affable grin on his face, approaching the man with the face tattoos. He would be his in. "I don't mean to intrude but... was that a Nabatan pepper I spied?" He asked with enthusiasm, his eyes lighting up and a happy smile on his face. "I don't want to be a burden, but I'm more then willing to buy that from you. If you're willing to sell. They're rare, you don't see many caravans from Nabata these days." He has tasted a the pepper before. Vile vile substance, however it had several other uses besides straight eatings. It made for a rather effective pesticide, and could be used to ease aching bones if crushed up and mixed with the right substances, not to mention it could be used to blind someone, the juice was almost acidic in a way and caused intense pain and irritation when applied to the eyes, however most importantly for him was that if used properly it could help remove bloodstains from certain difficult to clean fabrics. As a man who got blood on his clothing often, it could be useful. However, in the end it was mostly worthless to him, and he was buying it to give himself a reason to approach the group. The pepper had a very distinct and powerful appearance that could be recognized even at a distance. He was simply trying to 'justify' his purchase.

He would introduce himself afterwards, doing it right away creates a feeling that he simply approached to do so, which when dealing with pirates on edge it was best to appear as unthreatening as possible. Considering they were hiring these random strangers onto their 'quest' it shouldn't be too much of a difficult journey to get himself involved as well.

[Locke]

Locke fell into the group, allowing his senses to wander as he tuned out the words of the others. The earth was still today, still and quiet. The fire deep within was calm and controlled. There were no pores in this area, either, but he could feel a strange emptiness, as if there was a hole. Something missing, waiting to be put back. Something unnatural. Suddenly, a voice caught his attention.

"You... Wish to buy peppers?"

What a ridiculous man. He wished to buy what grew so plentifully in the sands? A handful could be his for fifteen minutes! All he had to do was simply fly back to Nabata, pluck them, and go about his business. Then again, this man clearly had no wings. What a shame. See, if dragons and humans cooperated, then there would be no need for such finagling.

Dragon-human relations notwithstanding, the manakete wasn't prepared to have someone like his peppers, much less buy them. Well. This was certainly an interesting occurence.

"I... I suppose I can sell you some peppers."

Reaching into his satchel again, the manakete pulled out a skin pouch, and, unlacing it, pulled out a small bunch of cave peppers. He had the fruit of a few more bushes, so he could spare the half-dozen or so he was proffering.

"Name your price, sir, and I'll see what I think. There are... seven here."

Knowing nothing about how business went, the manakete was content to simply wait and see how the deal played out. After all, the peppers were worth more to him as medicine and food then as a source of revenue. The human fixation on gold was ugly and disgusting, a fetish of the worst kind.

[Deleted]

Ephraim was in simple disbelief from this woman. Sure she had a body that could give you whiplash and a sharp eye and mind that could cut a boulder in two but this? It was odd. How could she be so sharp and not understand such simple concepts as this? "Well, to answer that question you have to know that pirates often need places to put their hoards other than the ship's hull. They don't want anyone to steal their treasure and so they hide it away. Plus if there are any say, famous items there, they don't want it to be on hand lest they be discovered at an inopportune time." He spoke from experience, but he would say he just imagines that would be the reason.

As Ephraim was wrapping up his 101 lesson the conspicuous man made a move to become involved. Ephraim watched in annoyance as he interrupted the hunt over those disgusting peppers but he bit his tongue. He hated those enthusiastic collector types. That is how he appeared to him anyway.

First Mate saw through the man. He thought he was an odd sort already and now he was worming his way closer. Appearing to almost float over to Bonnie he expressed his feelings with signs. Bonnie nodded in response as she looked the one armed man over. "How would you like to join us on our little trip?" Bonnie smiled at the new man. She knew this was not going to be a good idea but to keep your enemies close is important.

Ephraim could not believe her, she was inviting another one? It was getting to be completely absurd now. What was she planning? He could not figure it out but First Mate had clearly told her something about him. He ought to keep an eye on him too.

"Hey, Hottie, Armless, and Tattoo. I think I have names for all of you now." Ephraim and all the others on the ship never went by their actual names much and now neither would these others. He thought the names appropriate, after all it captured the essence of their respective looks. Bonnie sighed at the boy but said nothing.

"Oh yeah, so the map probably leads into a cave, anyone have a torch?" Ephraim asked out of courtesy to First Mate. He could produce a ball of flames for them without any issues however the less strangers knew of their capabilities the better.

[Ajari]

Ajari listened quietly as Ephraim explained the concept of treasure maps. Pirates? Ah, criminals. They hid their stolen goods with the intent to come back for them later. Now this made much more sense. This map must have been from a croup of rogues that had never gone back for their hidden treasure, likely due to their misdeeds catching up with them.

She was aware of the drowned man speaking with someone she recognized from her own boat, but the conversation was not hers to intrude on. It seemed that Bonnie was quite welcoming with her company, and that struck Ajari as very odd. Few things corrupted minds faster than wealth, why was she inviting so many people along in her search for treasure? Perhaps she was truly willing to share it? Perhaps she assumed it more dangerous than she'd let on? No way to tell for sure, but something about her openness bothered her. Ephraim may have been the trouble maker, but at least he was easy to read.

And then the child made the decision to open his mouth again. The boy must have been raised among brutes to have developed such a blatant lack of manners or any social graces. How sad. "I will ask you to not call me that," she said curtly. "Such is a disservice both to myself and to your own worth, lest you wish to cultivate the image of a boy who cannot still his own raging inexperience."

Quick, curt and to the point.

[Zerachiel]

Well that was... easy. So how did they magically know who he was already? That was quite honestly the only explanation he could fathom, that they knew who he was before he even said a word. He was just some guy coming up to buy some peppers, but no they invite him on their little whirlwind journey. Maybe he was more famous than he thought, which was a bad thing actually in his line of business. Perhaps he was being paranoid, but it came with the job. He'll just keep selling what he has been, even if they knew him there was no proof and he didn't much care of the pirate's thoughts but rather that of the woman. So when they spoke he scrunched his brow up a little and looked confused. Staring at the pirate woman and the bald man, as if they had just spoken some foreign language. After all he didn't know what they were talking about, well he did, but he wasn't supposed to. For a moment he looked at the young boy with a hurt look on his face when he said 'armless' but tried not to linger for too long. Didn't want to oversell it. He shook his head and turned back to the person whom he was purchasing peppers from. "Anyways..." He started, shifting the topic back to his original intent. "I'm willing to pay up to 15 gold per pepper, you don't get many traders from Nabata these days, and the amount of use these peppers can have are great. So I'm willing to pay a bit extra for this convenience." He smiled. He reached into his cloak, and then frowned.

"I'll buy, um, four. If that's alright with you." He said, as it looked like he was struggling a bit with something. He was trying to retrieve the coins but it was much harder than it looked with only one hand. This was both parts false and true, it was difficult and he wasn't quite used to living without the arm. On the other hand, he was purposely doing it in a way that made it appear more difficult than it actually was, it probably made him quite pathetic looking. Which was the point really, since apparently he was already 'invited' to their group with almost no pretense, which meant he didn't need to sell himself as 'competent' which in turn meant it was far easier to sell himself as much less capable than he truly was. The boy was right, he only had one arm, a fact that was obvious to all of them by this point. It meant that they would underestimate him at a basic level, which was something that worked in his favor if anything went down. People were so eager to believe they were better than someone, it really didn't need a whole lot of coaxing. Of course he was still very much skilled, and so very deadly, but they didn't need to know that. No it was far preferable for them to believe he was a somewhat bumbling man with nary an agile bone in his body.

"Ah, s-sorry. Give me a minute." He let out a nervous chuckle, a pathetic sounding laugh of self-depreciation. After a bit of difficulty, he manage to retrieve sixty gold's worth in coins. He used six larger, more valuable gold pieces that were commonly recognized as worth 10 pieces themselves. He held them in his hand with an awkward grin, holding it out for the strangely tattooed man to see and count. While this was happening, he turned his head to the other folk in this group. "Now what was this about me going with you all?" He asked innocently, but still clearly embarrassed. "Um, I'm Garrett by the way. A cartographer, I was charting the sea routes in the area." He looked at the monk in particular. "I think we took the same ship over here, I've seen you around."

[Deleted]

Bonnie burst into a fit of laughing. It was a hysteric laugh actually, and ended with her wiping tears away from her eyes. Ephraim frowned feeling embarrassed knowing exactly what it was about. "Ajari was it!? I 'ave ta say I like ya!!!?" Bonnie strutted over and laid a hand on the woman's shoulder. It was not threatening or hard, more like just there. For dramatic affect maybe? "It ain't often that someone can go toe to toe with us using words. Let alone make the brat shut himself upright. Give ya some time and I think ya could fit right in 'round us. Hahah."

Ephraim was just SO happy to see that Bonnie was enjoying herself and his face had gone red a tad. This was likely the worst rejection he'd ever had but now he can't just go away and let it all be. In a fit of irritation he rounded on Armless and Tattoo in frustration. How long would they spend selling stupid peppers!? They have treasure to find! How often do you get to hunt for treasure like this!? RARE!!!

"Make the pepper deals later! You can just buy new stuff instead of using them with what we're doing! Sheesh!" Ephraim was irritated now. He did not like teasing and mocking.

"I think the little one is past due for a nap!!!" She laughed harder causing Ephraim to just stop talking and move to the front of the line. "As to your question, we are lookin fer treasure on tha island."

[Locke]

"The deal is satisfactory. Done."

As the man fumbled around for his coins, Locke smiled and broke four peppers off of the bunch, leaving them on their vine as they exchanged their goods. This Garrett was friendly, which was good. But something was amiss. He was missing an arm... Hmm. And it must have been recent, too, given the clumsiness with which he was acting.

"When did you lose your arm, Garrett? And how? It's not often that you find someone alone who can support himself with only one arm. It takes great courage and fortitude. I salute your valiant efforts."

Turning to the impatient young man, Locke let his eyes flash as he answered him briskly.

"I am ready now. If what you have said is accurate, there is no need for concern. A buried object will not go anywhere... The earth is still."

Putting the other peppers away, Locke closed his satchel and straightened up, looking at the boy disdainfully. There was no reason for him to be so hasty... In fact, his lack of tact was extremely dissatisfying to the Earth Dragon, and he felt ill at ease following someone so unfit to lead. Ah, well. The manakete could defend himself, so he felt no real need to be antagonistic or overly curt. He would keep his peace for now, and see where this 'treasure hunt' went. Perhaps he would discover something interesting. It was impossible to tell at this point, anyway. What would the future hold?

[Ajari]

Ajari was still not terribly accustomed to the patterns of those who lived in 'the world below'. Even less did she understand the seafaring types, who seemed to have a culture all their own. Nevertheless, she believed Bonnie's reaction to be one of comradery and kinship, which she would wholeheartedly accept. "Hah, I do believe we will get along quite well," Ajari agree, though still more formal than the others were. It was just in her nature to be so.

"You mentioned that it was within a cave, yes? I lack a torch, but I am quite skilled at navigating in the dark. If someone went through the trouble of hiding something like this, it seems unlikely that they simply left it out in the open. How would people like this safeguard these treasures of theirs? Clearly not with men, so do they use fashioned traps and the like?"

The idea of man-made traps was very familiar to her. Obstacle courses containing them were part of her training at the monastery. She'd repaired and designed a few of them in the course of her many years. It was safe to say that everything that ever needed to be done in the monastery, from sweeping floors to repairing walls, Ajari had done at some point over the last five centuries. It provided her with a unique repertoire of skills that all but the most skilled of the monks could not duplicate. Then again, many of them specialized in one or two disciplines, while she had learned them all. Jack of all trades, but master of none.

Ajari now addressed her questions to Bonnie, since Ephraim seemed to be pouting. Ah, the poor child. She hoped he grew out of this soon. It was always a troublesome phase with the monks...

[Zerachiel]

"M-my arm?" Garrett asked, sounding surprised. He bit his lip looking away with a shameful look. "I... It's..." He started, the words appeared to be painful to say. "I'm sorry, it's... personal." He had a reason but he didn't want to give it. He gave an appreciative smile, or rather tried to give one, he was still shamed and embarrassed from when the man brought up his arm. It was a painful thing to remember, and he didn't want to relive it by telling the story. Garrett the cartographer wasn't particularly tough or assured of himself, but he took the peppers from the man and stashed them away into his things. "Thank you for the peppers." He would use them some way in the future.

"I apologize." He said sorry again. "I didn't mean to keep you guys up." He looked at the agitated younger man apologetically. "Looking for treasure on the island you say?" The one armed man seemed to spark a bit at that. Of course he was still feeling kinda crummy, but he was trying his best to put that behind him. "Sounds exciting, and it'd be a good opportunity to explore the island which would be useful for me. I'm happy to come if you want me to, I'll try to help to the best of my abilities." He said with a smile as he dug into his bag a bit after putting his peppers away, as if he was looking for something. He hummed to his self lightly, looking for something. Brushing away his more... personal affections, he produce a short stubby stick with a head covered in some white fabric. "As for a torch, I have one here." He held it up to show them. "If this suffices." He adds hastily.

While Garrett introduced himself, he hadn't the knowledge of the other's names. Well officially, he already knew her name was Ajari but that was what Zera knew, and he was Garrett now. Not Zerachiel. "Traps?" He mused at her words. "I've dealt with traps before." He admitted, which was true. He had reasons, if someone asked why he had knowledge of such things, but he doubted they would. It was good to have stories and reasons to back up most everything you say. Nothing was more suspicious than someone who seemed to know how to do something for little or no reason. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out. Wouldn't want anyone to lose a limb. Heh." He laughed pathetically.

[Deleted]

First mate stared at Garrett with hard unwavering pits for eyes. This man's movements, his speech patterns, everything was that of a man traumatized but strong to recover. Must have been over the obvious arm however that occurred. Still, while the two had a strange aura it was still the same. This man's was different, it was... like it was held back and could consume the physical world. This Garrett was one that concerned him but perhaps it was something of the past, something to not dwell on any longer. Keep a wary eye but he would trust him.

"So everyone is accustomed to traps then? That is pretty convenient if I do say so myself." Ephraim looked at the torch. "I don't think that will last us more than three hours but that had ought to be long enough." Turning his attention to Ajari, "I doubt your eyes are good enough to guide five others around. Though, I'm willing to believe they will serve you just fine." He held his tongue from adding a comment about how nice her eyes were. He did not particularly desire another verbal lashing. How was she so... resilient? Did she just not like men? Hmm... maybe that was it.

Bonnie decided she would have to be the one to take it upon herself to actually offer her insight to the woman and answer questions. Maybe it was because she was the captain, maybe it was because Mate's tongue was cut out, maybe it was because Ephraim can't seem to keep his focus with women, or maybe it was just all the above?

"On an island like this traps 're unlikely but 'f there are any there shan't be more tan one. Bury 'em. Tha's the secret. Can't steal watcha can't find." Bonnie looked on ahead and back at the village once more. "Well ten, if all our affairs are in order less be off." With that she took the first steps of the hunt.