Falling inside the black(Gladiia's intro)

Weightless, her surroundings void of all light.

The huntress laid motionless in it's space, her wounds coaxing her to remain still. Of course even if she could, she had nowhere to go. The plumed serpent was no more after volley and volley of guilds attacking the tavern, sheer numbers overwhelming their small forces. However most would not settle, as agents of each guild had pursued others either for glory or retribution.

She just wondered why she drew the short straw with the third platoon. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she was caught off guard by them, but she was unprepared for their near suicidal nature in order to strike at her. The grenadiers of their troop venturing so close in order to ensure she didn't escape their range were particularly vicious, even through her incredible constitution she still was worn down and battered from their attacks. Her outfit torn from the blasts with holes in various places from where she was struck with weaponized light, her body bearing the wounds from both acidic blasts and a fire so vicious it seemed to eat at her flesh instead of burning it, she had fallen far from the exquisite huntress she once was.

It seemed her only solace was the fact she was dead, the encroaching darkness that surrounded her sight after being struck from the skies by lightning had to be death. Shame though, their was nowhere to go, not even a light to walk to. Maybe this was her fate from her pursuit of power, having crossed many moral lines to try and achieve her goals. To endlessly drift the black.

Do you wish to remain?

The voice rang out from the darkness all around her, both a whisper and a shout.

Of course not.

What do you have to give?

Not my soul Le Malin.

Gladiia could sense the pause as it considered her response before moving around her. Tendril like fingers swept across her body before it found something of interest right below her collarbone.

This?

Gladiia considered the implication of where she felt pressure. It wasn't the first time a mysterious entity had chosen the spot, and this one clearly wanted what the last had left.

Fine.

Their was a pause as she felt alone once more before something began to pull at the foreign entity inside of her. First gentle, then soon it became a vicious tug as Gladiia felt her body being pulled with it. Finally with a great amount of pain the thing had claimed it's prize; the orb that gave off a soft white glow, the only light in this void. It slowly began to disappear as it was pulled farther and farther away from the mage.

Before Gladiia could ponder if she had been scammed, soon she felt air rush around her as her body felt solid ground around her once more. Not having the strength to adjust herself, she would had laid slump against something from where the entity would had placed her down at. Her eyesight in disarray, she would had tried to view her surroundings to no avail, only spotting faint lights of fire, lanterns maybe?

She would had tried to feel where the entity had pulled away from her, her burnt fingers tracing across blackened flesh from the place on her body. With a sigh that at least their was no hole in her she would had relaxed enough, focusing on gathering her wits and breath. As she did so the vile taste of sea salt hit her, stirring bad memories within the mage. She may had called the entity a devil, but now she had to consider if she had just entered a hell just for her.

Pushing the distracting thought away, she would decide where she was at after her senses were no longer in disarray. As she waited she soon felt raindrops on the brim of her hat, then to the rest of her body. Thunder announced the coming of a storm and she couldn't help but laugh to herself, as much as the pain allowed.

A dark and stormy night? How cliché.

WC: 689

Gladiia had paused upon hearing the stranger's statement. Having some time to gather herself she would had looked up from where she sat, her crimson eyes meeting the man's own scarlet ones.

Huh. Either the priests she grew up with were wrong about devils and demons being ugly creatures or she wasn't dead. As her senses returned she looked behind the shirtless man(In this weather?) spotting barrels and supplies fitting for a frigate. Indeed as she felt the familiar sensation of rocking from beneath her with what she had already known, she was indeed on a ship. A pirate ship at that!

The huntress was not unfamiliar with pirates having dealt with a few in her own career. Usually they had contacted her group with hunting and removing some sea abomination in the way of their preferred routes. She actually found them much more preferable to deal with then the Marquis and their company, straight to the point jobs and usually quite a bit of alcohol was part of the reward. Of course that's when she was wanted, unexpected guests on a ship was a different matter that she was considered now.

Her first thoughts was being captured as a slave, and in her condition she couldn't resist the process too well. Though so as long they didn't kill her she would have the time to break out. However the other option was that they'd put her to work on the ship, which was much more preferable out of the two scenarios. In either case, it was rude to keep the man without a response.

She would had begun to stand up from her position, a slow process as her body informed her that it was still hurting. But if their was one thing she was taught, it was to be strong while weak. So she continued despite the protests echoed in her limbs until she stood straight up looking at the man in the eyes appearing as though she was adjusting to the ship's movements. Her reliable leather coat and armor hid nothing about her athletic build which gave her a slick look as she was now drenched in rain with the stranger.

It was so odd to see his striking red eyes, Gladiia had only seen such a color in her own and her former compatriots gazes. Perhaps that was why it was so easy to meet his gaze, well that and he certainly was as they say, easy on the eyes.

"Well it is certainly a tale. I guess to put it simply, when you make a deal with a void, always be specific." she responded in a polite manner, her Minstrelian accent plain in her tone. "Of course, I wouldn't mind giving more details about the whole ordeal to you and your captain but ah." She fingered a noticeable hole in the collar of her coat before continuing. "I would like a chance to clean up a bit first and get out of this storm. Surely it must be cold for you ser to stand out here?"

Their was more to her query then just concern. She had learned by now that Fiore mages tended to have odd garbs and questionable fashion, and the man before her fit that to at T. Not to mention she had noticed the tattoo of a octopus with a harpoon through it just above the red leather pants, and she was willing to bet that not only he was a mage, but a guild mage. Of what guild if he was with one, she'd have to carefully get out of him without revealing too much.

WC: 605/1294

She noticeably raised a eyebrow at his claim of living for centuries. Not the most outlandish claim she had ever heard, hell she had encountered others who had lived so long. Then again if he knew what her group did with such long lived individuals, he may not have been so forthcoming.

Of course she had bigger problems to be concerned with, a cell. She had no reason to believe he wouldn't had taken her to it, if she were in his shoes it was a reasonable course of action. Still, she had too many stints in prisons to relish a even temporary stay in a cell with a uncertain future. She wouldn't have resisted and followed his directions. Her first step forward ached heavily as her body wished to remain inert, and she lingered a moment too long in the half step before continuing forward.

On the main deck her walk was steady as she moved to below deck. She had long ago gotten use to her appearance drawing the attention of most she came across. The curious gazes and confusion of her appearance onboard was something she expected and tuned out. The whistles and dog calls however were unexpected, though perhaps that was her fault. When her organization was known across Minstrel, few dared issued such insults outward, less the devourer took offense. But it had been apparently a very long time since their name was known. Besides, the crew here were very fortunate the huntress cared about her professional demeanor unlike some of her former compatriots. She did however note the ones she could see out of the corner of her eye.

They traveled downstairs until she was directed into a cell, given the empty neighboring ones and the condition of it she had to guess they hadn't had a prisoner for awhile. She wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not.

She entered as the door closed behind her, sitting down she watched as the man left to another place in the ship she couldn't see, leaving a single crewman that had followed them from above.

"Suicidal? Or wanted to know if the rumors were true?"

She left his question unanswered as she began to go over what she knew. She was definitely right that he was a mage or had magical associations. She recalled that guilds usually only accepted such members, this Abyssal Fleet wouldn't have been too different. She had heard vague rumors of the guild itself, a guild of pirates who terrorize the seas, what made them truly fearsome were that they were a crew of supposed immortals. Or so the rumor goes. It wasn't unheard of rumors to start up that a pirate or mercenary group were unkillable monsters just because they've been quite successful at their jobs without dying. Even her group once upon a time were considered immortals, many of them buying into it.

She was getting distracted, the main point was that she was dealing with a guild and if rumor was correct a dark guild. She probably could bet that they weren't going to turn her in for being a former member of the Plumed Serpent out of respect for the law, but she had no idea if the Third Platoon had put a bounty on her head. Knowing how determined they wanted her dead, they're still probably looking for her..

Her thoughts were interrupted as the shirtless man came back into the room with a spare change of clothing along with a towel. As she caught them after being tossed into the cell with her she confirmed the man's claim about them being far from ideal.

She grabbed the towel and looked over to the crewmate, "A bucket of clean water Ser?" He would had looked at Cillian for any disapproval. Assuming he didn't stop him, he would leave before coming back with such a bucket. He held it inside the cell and she reached for it before he pulled it away. She eyed the man as he looked down on her with a smile. "Neither, here from a deal." Seeming to satisfy the man's question finally, he placed the bucket down, and Gladiia pulled it closer to her.

She tore the towel in half first, which drew a exaggerated disapproval from the crewmate. Seeing that it was not serious, she undid her hair letting it fall to her shoulders before removing her cape. With her shoulders and arms exposed, she soaked one half of the towel with clean water before she tended to the worst of her burns. As she began to rinse the wound near the top of her shoulder she would had began.

"You may call me Gladiia. I am a mercenary from Minstrel who took a job overseas. Apparently one of the guilds that dot the land in Fiore needed some extra muscle for a conflict. Pay was good, and they offered a assortment of benefits that made it quite lucrative." Having the worst of the wounds treated the best she could and dried, she tore the shirt to make makeshift bandages to then fully cover the worst of the wounds on her upper body.

Moving onto her legs she would continue. "Unbeknownst to me they downplayed their opposition, we were told it was a legal guild but assured it would had been easy to dissuade them. However, this guild brought their allies when they assaulted the base and they were many. To say it was a slaughter would had been a understatement." The towels would had been tinted red as she finished her torso and legs. "So with the battle lost we scattered when we could from the siege. I myself was alone being trailed by one of the groups, quite bloodthirsty and were not interested in taking prisoners. They managed to surround me and, well, you can see for yourself. In fact after one of them launched a lightning bolt at me I believed myself dead." Finished with the towels she set them near her as she began seeing to the rest of her.

"I ended up in a black void and before long a voice called out to me. I spoke to her, we made a deal, and she decided to leave me here on your ship. I can only guess the entity knew you or your guild." Now finished, she had covered the worst of the wounds with the remaining ones exposed merely looking like bad sunburns. She eyed the water that she had been rinsing the towel in her dead skin and blood. With a breath she would had picked up the water and began chugging it down, drinking the contents in a rushed but well practiced manner. It had taken a minute before it was all gone, setting the bucket at the ground she first made eye contact with the confused crewmate.

"Fresh water is scarce on a ship, no?" She cleared her throat as she kept the towels on her person. Turning her scarlet gaze to the Abyssal Fleet mage she asked, "Now before you ask any questions, I'd like to know your name ser and how long a while is."

WC: 1173/2467

The skies darkened as the super natural tempest corrupted the once cerulean blue sky into its umbral visage. The raging storm snuffed the sun and it's rays casting its tyrannical shadow over the churning sea. Bolts of crimson plasma illuminated encroaching void as pillars or scarlet lightning descended down to the briny sea. From the heart of this phantasmal squall a leviathan class dreadnought sailed across the blackened heavens. The Andromeda...

A woman pale as a specter cast her crimson gaze at broken mirror, her slender finger extended forth to make contact with said shattered relic. Her reflection gazed back, mimicking her movement perfectly. Her black garbs bore the resemblance of some sort of holy attire as the cloth of her dress swayed like black wisps of smoke. Her pale ashen locks shifted with her sway.

A deep woebegone voice split the silence. The cadence of the said words was laden with command and undisputed authority. "You found another one didn't you?"

"Aye captain... another pretty little bauble for our collection..." the woman chuckled softly as her eyes turned to meet her master.

The man sat upon his throne, returning the gaze from his cold eye. "I imagine that is our current destination?.... To collect... said bauble of ours..." The captain mused as he swirled a glass of amber whiskey.

"Aye captain... you speculation is indeed correct... and what pretty little bauble she is... she currently is conversing with our deathless cuisinier." The woman kept the honeyed smiled upon her lips.

The captain held a moment of silence before letting out a soft chuckle. "So the lass has acquainted herself to one of the kinder souls aboard the fleet.... good for her... I am sure sure Cillian can keep her entertained until we arrive..."

"You need not wait for too long my captain... we have just arrived...." The woman turned back to the broken mirror, as the Andromeda breeched the onyx veil, halting above the Dread Tide. The abyssal dreadnought loomed over the ship like a protective mother sheltering the Dread Tide from the down pour of the storm.

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