Asanar

[Ceutinde]

"Just ask someone at the ship to let the rest of the passengers know that we're here, when they get back. I'll be very grateful."

When the wind blew in through the door, she turned and smiled at the sight of the doctor, whose acquaintance she had barely made. "Professor, what a surprise! Come, join us!"

[Dr. Archimedes Steller]

"Greetings, Madam! A fine place for fine people to weather out the storm. I can't say I'm surprised to find you here." The old man said charmingly, like the kind grandfather he was most times. "We had a most exquisite adventure on the Mainland. I would definitely recommend taking the safari tour. Though the guide was a bit of a hack..."

"Is everyone staying here? I mean of our expedition." He inquired, anyone who had been with him in the last couple days might have guessed which one he had meant.

[Silvia Raizer]

Silvia remembered that she was supposed to be asking Ceutinde about the scale, but she decided to wait until the greetings were done with. "Good evening, professor," she said. "It was a good trip for sure."

[The Forgotten God]

Simon passed Archimedes as he entered his bar. “Keep your own count old man,” he said with a laugh. He threw a good over his head to keep out the rain and opened the door, then kicked it violently shut due to the strong winds.

[The Forgotten God]

//

Properly speaking the Battle of Pirate’s Leg starts at ten minutes before twilight, as Simon rushed to the Odyssey. Not ten seconds after he left, Ceutinde’s sensitive ears heard the back entrance to the establishment open and footsteps coming in. It sounded like a fair number of heavy boots.

[Silvia Raizer]

After a moment, Silvia heard it too. She looked to Ceutinde and Doctor Stellar.

"What is that?  I swear I can hear footsteps.  I wonder, is there a party across the island tonight?"

[Dr. Archimedes Steller]

"It's just the storm, darling. It can make us hear things..." Archie said calmly, dismissing her concerns. He had been seating near her, a hot cup of tea before him that he had had Sabrina prepare him while he finished the illustrations for their latest safari. "I was once caught by one of these in the middle of an unmapped jungle. We were in our tents and thought we had heard a herd of Bull Rhino's coming towards us. We left all our bearings at camp and rushed towards an elevated cave we had found in the previous day.. "

"There were no flood Rhino's, alas. But there was a flash flood that would have killed us had we not left camp." The old man was focused on his book, and raised his eyes from the pages only occasionally as he told the story. "We were very lucky that day... Except for the whole part where we were destitute of any supplies and that we found a massive predator in that cave. But, I am still alive, ain't I?"

The same couldn't be said about Farrokh, one of his interns. God bless his soul.

[The Forgotten God]

The sudden crash nearby may clue some party members in to the concept that Archimedes is, in many ways, completely insane. A gun goes off and a man howled from the back room. “God dammit! Shoot them not me!”

[Dr. Archimedes Steller]

The thunder produced by the gun sent Archimedes scrambling from his seat, breaking yet another cup of his porcelain set.

"I guess that wasn't the storm..." Archie cleaned the dust from his khaki outfit as he raised. "Ladies, I recommend you take a step back, if you won't mind. I do believe we may be in danger here."

The professor started digging frantically after a green flask inside his suitcase.

"We might need to run out in the storm, I am afraid..."

[Ceutinde]

Ceutinde whipped around at the crash and the gunshot, saying quietly while she backed away from the door, "Oh no. They must have followed me. Please, there's no time to explain, but help, they're slavers, they'll take me if you don't!"

[Dr. Archimedes Steller]

"Never fear, Madam! Archimedes Steller will protect you from the foul slavers!" The tiny old coot stood before Ceutinde, stuffing his chest and holding the green vial. He remembers the days of his youth, when he was at the peak of his physical capacities... And was much more alike Thornheart than he cares to admit.

"Mss. Melchior and Raizier, make sure we have a clear escape route."

[Tehol Nookington]

“What in the hell is happening over here?” Tehol screams over the sound of the wind and rain, as he walks up to the crew. “Who pissed off the residents?”

[Ceutinde]

"As though they need a reason!" Ceutinde shouted back as she emerged out the front door into the gale. "Let's not get bogged down with who did what to whom!"

[Dr. Archimedes Steller]

"When I say go, we all run to the ship... Ok?" Archie said anxiously, ready to throw the Flubber Flask. "The Flubber is still a bit unstable, and is better if we get as far from it as possible."

[Silvia Raizer]

Silvia had no idea why they were being attacked by slavers but she decided that there was no point asking questions now. That could come later, when she had a ballad to write. As the pre-battle calm descended over her, she checked that her sword was loose enough to draw from her scabbard, and didn't even ask what flubber was. She hoped the daft old coot knew what he was doing, after he had basically told her they were in no danger, right before enemies were announced.

"I'm at your service, ladies and gentlemen," she said. "I'll cover the rear. The rest of you aren't warriors, so run like hell and don't go in a straight line, in case they've got guns.

Ushering the others to the door, she spotted Tehol outside. "Can you control that eight-headed beast yet? I looks like we'll need it."