Karamon and Kath were slow to make it up the walkway to the Wanderer, both carrying large, apparently heavy wooden crates. Estress watched them enter, passing the Brightscale Sisters who remained on duty at their posts. The Illithid checked over an invoice, making sure all the materials he purchased an hour back were delivered.
Behind him, back at the dock end of the pier, were two beholders, both resting on strangely-misshaped beholder-kin. Estress knew they were from the director caste of beholders, and while their eyestalks weren't as necessarily as powerful as the 'standard' beholder, they were not to be trusted.
"Everything in order, mind flayer?" one of the directors asked, it's guttural voice not doing a very good job of hiding the hatred it had for Illithids.
*It appears so,* Estress replied. His tendrils waved back and forth constantly, showing to the directors he didn't care about their threats. Although he preferred not to engage in combat, Estress was a formidable enemy.
"Then we leave now," the second director commented. The beholder-kin they were riding turned and made their way back into the city. Kath and Karamon both stepped back outside. The sun, being several spelljamming days from Toram, did little to help warm the dock, and the cool breeze coming in from the lake didn't help matters either.
"Nice place for a retirement community," Kath sarcastically commented. "Maybe I'll move here when I retire."
"A Ssscro, retire?" Sylissia Brightscale said. "I didn't know Sssscro could do sssuch a thing?"
"Scro can do many things, m'dear," Kath replied, looking into the young lizard woman's eyes. "Perhaps, sometime, I can show you."
"Perhapsss," Sylissia said seductively. Iesia, who was behind Kath, winked at her sister.
*I wonder what is keeping the others,* Estress thought to all gathered.
"Do you think we should start looking for 'em?" Karamon replied. The big Giff hated to stand around and wait. He craved action; he needed to be on the move constantly.
"Onestar's orders were to remain here, whoever got back first," Kath reminded Karamon. "He's a big boy. He can take care of himself."
"I know, but the waiting...hold on a second," Karamon looked down the street at three approaching figures. One floating. "It looks like our passengers have arrived."
Normakon floated slightly ahead of Taraq and Sir Fairland. The whole walk down to the pier, Sir Fairland kept asking Taraq questions about where he was born on Oerth, his family, his life in general. Normakon had, the night before, given Taraq a little information about Greyspace, but it didn't help. Instead, Taraq kept turning the tables on Sir Fairland, asking him about his world, his history. It seemed neither man was willing to part with any secrets.
At the end of the pier, the crew looked on as they approached. Kath moved up next to Estress, about halfway up the wooden pier.
"Do you think we should get Hall?" Kath asked. "I mean, Onestar expected to be back here by the time they arrived. I seriously doubt he would want to let them on without him here, no matter what that beholder knows."
*I agree. Perhaps they might like to work on a suntan.*
"Now that's funny," Kath replied. "An Illithid with a sense of humor. Now I know I've seen everything."
The Scro and Illithid were about to greet the new crewmembers when all hell seemed to break loose several blocks away. Shouting could be heard in the distance, as well as the occasional blood-curdling scream. Overhead, a large bird-like creature leapt into the sky, circled the area for seconds, then dove back to the ground. Another cry could be heard after that.
Kath, sword drawn, cut through the mooring ropes with one sword swipe. Karamon removed a matching set of starwheel pistols, with carved pearl handles, and ran down toward the dock. Each step shook the wooden pier so badly, Estress thought he might fall in.
"Sylissia!" Kath yelled back to the ship, "Get Hall to get some backup ready!"
*I already have informed Hall of our problem,* Estress replied, following Kath down the dock. Karamon was already at the end of the pier. *He has weapons crews standing by.*
Karamon ran past Normakon, Taraq and Sir Fairland. The trio watched the Giff run past them toward the activity. Sir Fairland pulled his sword and started to follow when Kath and Estress reached them.
"What's happening?" Taraq asked.
"Sounds like the captain's in trouble," Kath replied. "How well can you handle a blade?"
Taraq removed a steel ax-like blade, attached to an ivory-and-leather grip, from his belt. Slicing the air around him, the light glinted off its blade as he moved with lightning-like reflexes.
"That answers my question. C'mon!" Kath and the others started to join them when the others, Onestar leading the group, ran around the corner.
"Back to the ship!" Onestar yelled. Overhead, Meridian was still making swooping attacks on the advancing troops. Hundreds of demihumans, led by a dozen beholders, were running toward the crew. Kath and Taraq stood their ground, while Normakon and Estress began moving back to the ship. Phantom, looking much like his normal self, the spell's effects gone, was fighting beside the samurai.
"Get ready for take off!" Onestar stopped when he reached Kath and Taraq, turned, and ran his katana through the heart of a bugbear. Other demihumans, bugbears, kobolds, gnolls and the like were pouring out through the various sidestreets toward them.
A loud clap could be heard in front of them. Karamon was shooting at the attackers, taking groups on with his bare hands when his pistols were empty. Sir Fairland joined them, moving back to the ship.
"Greetings, captain! Allow me to introduce myself! I am Sir Fairland of the Order of Shadows!"
"A pleasure, sir knight," Onestar replied, putting his blade through another kobold. "Forgive me for not offering you my hand at the moment, but I am otherwise occupied."
"Understandable, sirrah," Sir Fairland replied, his own blade finding its mark. "Might I ask how this predicament came about?"
"Look up there, and you'll get your answer!" Onestar pointed to Meridian circling above them. As more attackers began to pour out of the sewers, buildings, and sidestreets, the crew just turned and ran back to the ship. Karamon ran up the dock first, nearly taking out several planks. Sir Fairland followed, then Phantom and Taraq boarded. Meridian swooped down into the hatch behind Kath. The Beholder leaders of the attackers moved away from the group, down to another berth on the pier.
Onestar was the last one making his way up the pier, with all the inhabitants of the Free City of Toram behind him. The samurai raised his hand, and hidden panels began to open on the dreadnought. Arrows, ballista bolts and magical missiles began to fly out of the ship, which lifted itself from the water. Onestar dove into the portal just as it lifted off, free from the gravity of Toram.
Below the quickly rising craft, the would-be attackers yelled loud curses at the ship, then, when they got tired of that, slowly began to make their way back to their homes, or perhaps their favorite tavern.
Inside the Eternal Wanderer, all hands were making the ship ready for the jump to Spelljamming speed, once they were clear of the planet's gravitational pull. Since Toram was such a small world, it would only be a matter of minutes before they were clear. Hall sat on the helm, giving them the best possible speed. Blaise sat on the command deck, checking for following ships. The magical image produced by the rose crystal showed no other ships in the area.
Onestar was stretched out on the main deck. Crystal was standing over him, checking to see he was all right. Kath stood near him, as did Normakon and Taraq.
[What in the nine hells happened back there?] Hall asked.
Onestar got up to his knees, shook his head slightly to get his hair out of his face, and looked over at Meridian. The Kenku stood near the helm, arms crossed and the usual scowl adorning his face.
"It seemed," Onestar began, rising to his feet, "my old friend Meridian didn't like one of the comments the local constabulary made concerning his lineage."
"Mother wasn't a pigeon," Meridian replied.
"So he decided to kick the guard at the tax office right in the crotch," Phantom began to chuckle. Onestar kept talking. "The guard didn't like that, so he tried to take a swing at Meridian. Understand the ceilings are very high in the tax office, so Meridian started flying around the room. When the tax officer, a beholder director suggested, quite strongly I might add, that I get my, how did he put it Phantom?"
"'Your refugee from a mutant aviary,' I believe is what he said," Phantom replied, still laughing as he leaned against the hull.
"Thank you. 'Get that refugee from a mutant aviary down here,' he suggested, Meridian decided to defecate upon the beholder's head."
"Nature called," Meridian said in his own defense. Many of the crew began laughing.
"As the tax collector was trying to wipe feces from the top of it's body," Onestar added, "more guards began to arrive. At that point, Phantom sneezed. Have you ever heard an Illithid sneeze?"
Phantom began to bend over from laughter. "HAH! You can't blame me for that! It was dusty, and...and...and...hahhahahah!"
"Everyone in the room stopped. The tax collector looked like he was about to have heart failure. I felt that discretion was the better part of valor at that moment so I motioned for everyone to leave. Phantom sneezed again..." the samurai glared at Phantom, who merely shrugged his shoulders, "...and the illusion faded."
"By that time, backup troops had arrived, Meridian had relieved himself once more, this time on the sergeant-at-arms, and he was not happy about this. We made it back into the street, don't ask how, when we ran into a wedding procession for a pair of bugbears. Drunken bugbears."
The whole ship was filled with laughter. Normakon was laughing so hard he couldn't levitate. Even Meridian began to chuckle.
"Phantom was tossed right into the lap of the bride, who didn't seem quite thrilled with the man she was going to marry. Of course, the fact that she was quite pregnant didn't help matters. The groom was ready to take Phantom's head and use it as a ball, when I finally pulled my sword and ended his life. That's when...nevermind." Onestar refused to finish.
[When what?] Hall said, tears of laughter rolling down his face.
"The bride kissed Onestar, full on the lips!" Phantom cried, laughing and falling to his knees. The samurai crossed his arms over his chest, while his whole crew was laughing and crying at the same time. Crystal was next to Onestar, and put her arms around him.
"Now I see why it took so long for you to admit you loved me," she said, pulling him closer. "You go for those forceful types!" The laughter rose louder and louder.
"I did nothing to warrant her attention," Onestar replied, still as straightlaced as ever. "Of course, the groom's brother and father didn't appreciate my actions. And, since it was quite a large party, everyone decided to join in on the fun of attacking us. I felt that we should get back to the ship. That's when you came in."
"I can see this is going to be quite an interesting experience," Taraq said, laughing.
"We can laugh later," Onestar replied, getting everyone to calm down. "Let's get out of the system before the beholders, who weren't too thrilled with out actions, decide to follow us."
The crew, well trained, began to take up their positions. The ship was clear of Toram's gravity well, and began to move at full speed. Meridian was checking over starmaps, looking for the shortest route to the spherewall. Li T'sing was next to Blaise on the command deck, informing him of the decision. Hall was powering up the helm to full speed, and the Eternal Wanderer quickly moved away from Toram.
