middaeg | . summer's play

[Dimitri goes rigid, and his eyes fix on an invisible point somewhere in front of him. He nods, curt, like a man receiving bad news on a war council.

And then he recoils, face scrunched in a flash of confusion as he looks from Hector to the water, and then back to Hector. Slow on the uptake...

But he sorts the joke out in time.] Ah.

I suppose I deserved that, bothering you with the birds. [He tries very, very hard to force a smile, but damn does it fall short. He's not mad, just... embarrassed.]

It will be easier to focus on only one enemy. [Trying to talk himself down from feeling like a total fool, but with only moderate success.] When they do come, what is your plan? [Let's just CHANGE THE SUBJECT maybe that'll help.]

[Oh, the boy looks embarrassed, but really, it's no so bad. There was only a single witness to this joke, and it's a life lesson against blindly trusting everything a stranger tells you.

Hector's not one to coddle, though, so he just leaves it to the young man to sort out his feelings without trying to tack on any meaningless apologies or reassurances.]

Yes, the merrow pirates are legitimately a threat. [And this is where Hector's role in this trip gets less certain. He's...not actually suited for this quest at all.] I...uh...am keeping a watch out for them, and if any try to board the ship, I'll hit them.

[He draws out what looks like a blacksmith's hammer from his waist sash. ~~It's fine if you make fun of Hector's choice of weapons...basically everyone else who's seen it has.~~ They don't need to dwell on how skillful a fighter Hector is. MOVING ON.]

[Hit them...

Dimitri has been accused of lacking battle strategies many times, but he's not sure he's ever diminished to something quite so simple. Honestly, it's refreshing.

He likes that plan, and he tilts his head a bit to consider the quality of Hector's weapon.] A hammer? [It looks as if it's better suited to smithing than fighting, but he's seen bones cleaved by less impressive steel.

With a nod, Dimitri straightens.] I look forward to seeing you in action.

[A gust of wind whips around the ship, cloth of the sails cracking with the sudden shift. It's changed directions, though Dimitri doesn't notice; he smells the quickly growing stench of soured seaweed mingling with dead fish.

There's a crash, and the ship rocks - punctured and taking on enough water to shift its bearings, but not enough to be at risk of sinking.

Dimitri spares his companion a quick glance before he rushes for the door to the lower decks, and when he opens it, he fully rips it off of its hinges, sending splinters flying in his wake.]

[The ship lurches, and Hector has to grab the rails to keep his hooves from slipping out from under him. Fuck.

Hector doesn't have a predator's sharp nose for scents, but even he catches a whiff of ocean-horrors. Welp, the time to hit things might be coming up sooner than he'd hoped.]

Shit, are they here?

[They're far enough from shore that this can't be running aground, right? He steadies himself and draws his hammer from his waist.

Dimitri rips the door open...hopefully they won't need to close it later.]

Are they coming in from below?

[He doesn't expect the kid to know any better than he does, but he follows Dimitri down to where the water is starting to seep into the ship. Time to hit some fish.]

They must be-!

[It's a wonder Dimitri doesn't body any of the crew as he pushes his way through the narrow passage of the ship's underbelly. Some are sent tumbling, bumping shoulders with Hector as he follows towards the cargo hold.

Dimitri's told each of them to flee, because few among them looked truly capable of a fight.

When Dimitri reaches the door to the cargo hold, his boots splash in a thin puddle. Water seeps from under the door, and a cursory attempt to fling it open (inwards, of course) ends with Dimitri - predictably - ripping off the handle.]

It's stuck, likely against high water inside. [Scratching from the other side confirms that there's several somethings behind, and one seems to approach. Dimitri lowers his voice.] I'm going to bash it in-

Be ready. [What could go wrong?]

[Hector follows behind Dimitri and grabs him by the arm as he goes for the final door.]

Stop! Do you want to sink us?

[He doesn't know about the blond, but Hector doesn't want to have to swim back to shore.]

Just...wait a second. We have to think.

[If they break the door, there will be no shutting it again. Hector's mind races. Could they go in from outside...no, the merrows' hole must be under the water, they would have a hard time going that way.]

There might be a hatch from above we can use. [Ships are designed to be able to close off a hatch if they begin taking on water. There must be more than one way into the cargo hold, right?]

[Dimitri's drawn like bowstring, utterly still in Hector's grip. He means to take down the door and drive his spear through a merrow's heart in one push - his body is anchored and ready.

Sinking the ship would defeat the purpose the crew hired them for...

He's so focused on killing the threat, he'd nearly lost sight of the job.

With a deep breath, Dimitri straightens.] If we're not quick, they'll take their haul and flee.

You go, and if you haven't found entry in one minute, I'll force the door.

[Eyes still trained on the doorway, Dimitri isn't leaving room for compromise.]

How good a swimmer are you?

[Hector's not a warrior, but he is even less of a babysitter. He keeps a hold on Dimitri's arm as he turns for the stairs.]

Come on, it's quicker if we both go.

[Well, that's only true if Hector finds a hatch, but he also doesn't trust this idiot warrior to not spear some extra holes in their boat. He's not willing to physically drag Dimitri with him, but he does try to lead him like he would with an untrained dog on a leash.

It's not like it's a long walk to get to one level above, and yes, there's a hatch there that they can open up and use to drop down on the merrow raiders.]

[Another tug, but Dimitri doesn't budge. He pulls his arm away, like some untamed thing that refuses to be led. The water level at his feet has risen, from a shallow puddle to licking the curve of his boot. When the ship lurches again, he slides forward.

There's no more scratching near the door - it sounds as if the intruders have taken solely to looting now.

With that realization, Dimitri turns and jogs to catch up with Hector.

Quietly, he follows, until they come upon the hatch above deck.] I'll jump down first.

Protect the cargo. [He'll focus on ridding the hold of each and every merrow. Without waiting for a response, Dimitri yanks the hatch open and leaps down, spear thrust forward through the chest of the nearest monster.

He pulls it free and charges into the rest, and soon the water runs with streaks of red.]

[Dimitri finally follows after Hector, and Hector's more than happy to let him go into the hatch first. Hector's no warrior.]

Be my guest.

[He's not motivated to risk his life for cargo, but if the merrows sink the ship, they're all fucked.

Hector gives Dimitri a second's head start. When he hears the sounds of murder starting, he hops down and splashes his way to the stacks of boxes. He gets his back to the crates, then raises his hammer into a defensive position.]

[Not too many merrow make it past Dimitri's onslaught. He's taken two down by the time Hector finds his footing, and another three stand ready to attack. Forced into a defensive stance, Dimitri doesn't spare a glance to Hector.

He simply waits for the first slash, and steps aside. With the advantage of distance, he sweeps his lance across the merrow's chest. The other two converge on him, and the chaos of the fight escalates.

One smaller mer slinks by, unnoticed by Dimitri as he presses the pair of merrow back towards the hole in the hull. The monster attempts to wrap its arms around a crate, though not entirely out of Hector's view - seems it prefers to be sneaky than outright engage.]

[Welp, Hector watches as Dimitri tears through the mirror like some sort of ravenous beast. This is...not what he expected from the kid who was trying to feed seagulls earlier.

Hector can't leave all of the merrow for him to deal with on his own, though. He sets his sights on the one sneaking past Dimitri, and splashes over to it and brings his hammer down on its head. Maybe it's not the most elegant weapon, but blunt force trauma to the skull rarely doesn't work. The merrow stumbles, and with another strike, it crumples into the water slowly rising from the floor.]

[Forcing one of the merrow to its knees, Dimitri tramples the beast as he presses the final invader back into the hole they'd created. Water continues to spill through the hull; it's the perfect opportunity for the beast to escape. But it fights-

Struggles until Dimitri forces it out of the breach with the sickening snap of bone.

They're left with the sound of rushing water, standing in a puddle tinged pink, and little else.

Dimitri doesn't speak, instead leaning as close to the broken hull as he can manage without getting a face full of seawater. Looking for more merrow.]

[It's not a merciful fight. It would be bloodier, except that the seawater rushing in washes away the worst of the evidence. When the last merrow goes down, Hector takes a quick look at the leak and silently diagnoses it as 'beyond my skill level'.]

Keep an eye on the hole. I'll find someone who knows how to patch this up.

[There may still be fighting above deck, but not all of the sailors are fighters, and Hector finds one to drag with him into the hold. With a knowledgeable crew-person directing them, Hector is hoping that even two oafs could help get the leak repaired in time to keep the ship afloat.]

. summer's play

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meRROW TIME

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