MasterAndSlaveIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | Master and Slave (Continued from Ramblin' Queen: Banker's Hours)
Niccolo went up on deck, and watched the water slide by for a moment. Then he went into the bow, and looked ahead of the Boat. His hands gripped the railing again, he took a deep breath, and focused. The Queen chugged along at an even pace, going neither fast nor slow, but a middle speed whose forward impetus was only mildly detectable to the passengers within. Zito d'Medici was keenly aware of their forward motion, and while he was tempted to ask the helm to put on more speed, he decided against it. This was Petra's Boat, and while he was eager to see it, and all their people, safely away, he did not want to do so with undue or dangerous haste. Niccolo pressed his Will into the warp and woof of reality, and began to make his plans into reality. A fog rose up at his urging, the wisps rising like smoke from the ocean, swirling against the sides of the boat, and floating across the deck. Moisture condensed upon the railing, and on Niccolo's skin, as the fog bank became more dense, and the Ramblin' Queen kept him just barely ahead of it, as if the fog were loathe to release its glowing, floating prize. In minutes, Niccolo could see across the water, with the fog sometimes swirling ahead, and closing like a gauzy veil, before a gust of wind would reveal the way ahead again. Each time he saw the bay, another vessel disappeared, and then the burning city was no longer part of the horizon. Soon the Queen was alone in the bay, accompanied only by fog, and the sounds of of the great paddle wheel splashing into the water. Niccolo nodded to himself in satisfaction, his purple eyes bright as he continued to make alterations like a cosmic tailor. He began to move them towards Persa; he started with a clear night, after the fog had rolled away, leaving the Queen afloat along the shores of a foreign land. The water was calm, and for a brief moment, mirror smooth. The starry night above, with its swollen moon was reflected in the sea below, and the Queen seemed to cross a field of stars. The lights of settlements along the beach began to appear at intervals along the horizon to starboard. They were small at first, their architecture difficult to discern, but each passing sign of civilization became a bit larger, and a bit more ornate. Niccolo touched upon the threads of probability, and worked an intarsia into the weave of Shadows. His mind formed the desire, and his Will fulfilled it, as he saw to it that a crate that had previously gone unnoticed, would now be found in the cargo hold. It bore the mark of Il Banco, and within it were the most beautiful firearms Persa would ever see, inlaid with silver and gold, with handles of pearl or sandalwood, with barrels engraved and rendered to resemble fanciful beasts of the air and the sea. Vincenzo would be well pleased. Some time later, the sun began to rise, its golden light reflecting of the burnished surfaces of onion domes, and soaring minarets, and a port city whose white-washed stone walls almost glowed in the rising light came into view to the north and east. It was the City of Sidon, and true to the Sultan's word, the air was sweet, and upon the hill there were roses and white houses. Niccolo smiled, and directed the helm towards the quay. He went below to find the Sultan and his retinue, to make certain all was ready, and to inform Vincenzo that a gift awaited him in a crate below. When the Ramblin' Queen finally made its berth, Niccolo was the first to cross the boarding plank, with the Sultan hopefully on his heels. He could see the officials beginning to make their way to the boat at the landward end of the pier, and then he noticed a confusion of people and passers by, and heard a low rumbling sound that almost had him drawing his sword. Niccolo took a few steps along the pier, his eyes widening slightly as they came to rest on the source of the disturbance. It was a Tiger; impressive, graceful, fearsome, arguably the greatest of the hunting cats, and it was coming Niccolo's way. It seemed to have experienced some recent captivity - there was a slightly battered collar around its neck, and a few links of a golden chain dangled from this. Nor had the escape been easy - there were rust smudges around the golden fur at its mouth which suggested that someone had paid a heavy prize for the creatures restraint. And its golden gaze suggested that any who sought to capture it again would be, to say the least, foolish. The beast was trailed by an excited crowd who appeared to be torn between those who wanted the tiger killed immediately - and those who wanted to see the first group rent apart when they tried. Niccolo scowled slightly. The blade at his hip suddenly seemed decidedly frail when compared to the weight and heft of a tiger's paw that was nearly the size of a dinner plate. He eyed the smudges about the Tiger's maw, and debated going back for a firearm. He noticed the crowd and its behavior, and shook his head. Niccolo had an idea, and approached the Tiger carefully. He stood very straight, with his shoulders back, trying to make himself seem a bit larger than he was. Niccolo gestured for his people to stay back, though he kept his gaze on the Tiger as he went. He hoped the creature would try to engage his eyes, before he pounced and tried to devour him. The tiger did not so much meet his eyes as glare at Niccolo with what seemed to be an implacable hatred of all things human ... Niccolo marveled at the set of events that eventually had him precisely where he was, being glared at hatefully by a tiger. He suddenly did not think his standing tall and straight was fooling the beast, considering that he probably made a meal of a fellow not much smaller, or bigger, than Niccolo was. The Cornaran Banker assumed a ready stance, with his knees slightly bent, and balanced lightly on the balls of his feet. Niccolo returned the tiger's glare, seeking to meet the beast's eyes in a stare down. There was something there that made him think of more than simply a rabid beast, something about the hatred in the tiger's eyes. "I cannot let you pass," he said quietly. The tiger gazed at him intently - and Niccolo sensed anger, and confusion ... and a determination to take revenge on those who had used him ill. The tiger roared - a magnificent display of his fangs. Niccolo lifted his arms from his sides slightly, showing his empty hands, and when the tiger roared, he did not flinch. The Banker's nostrils flared slightly, his jaw clenched, and despite the display of fangs that were curved and sharp and nearly the length of his ring finger, these were the only signs that the tiger's roar had any effect on him at all. Niccolo glared back fiercely, at least, as fiercely as a human face could manage. He could sense the creature's confusion, as well as its anger, and as he considered the society of Persa, a part of him felt sympathetic. "I am leaving this place soon. Do not force me to harm you, and do not harm those in my charge, and I will see to it you are allowed to leave this place." He spoke the words quietly, uncertain if he would be understood, so he tried to convey their meaning as best as he could. "Freedom. A predator should not be a slave." A rush of feeling nearly knocked Niccolo off his feet. Whatever nature of creature this tiger was, it understood the concept of freedom - and was determined to have it. If Niccolo could really supply it ... Then there was a glint of golden flashing through the air. Someone had thrown a cunningly contrived metal net, seeking to entangle the tiger in its mesh. Niccolo's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he felt deep sympathy for the creature. He was pleased that he was right about the Tiger, but did not expect such a strong surge of emotion from the beast. It spoke of not only intellect, but of a developed mind as well. He leaned forward slightly, into the powerful outpouring of determination and will. "I will help you, but you must let me --" He noticed the glint of gold, and without thinking about what the Tiger might think of his sudden motion, he reacted. Niccolo leaped forward without restraining his natural gifts, and as he moved, drew his borrowed blade to sweep the net aside, or at the very least, to keep it from entangling the tiger long enough for the great cat to avoid it and move. The cat turned, weaving and swaying with almost unbelievable speed and grasp. Between them, the net was swept aside, rendered useless, its meshes torn apart. And the cat eyed the man who had thrown it and crouched, ready to spring, a lust for revenge driving it that was all too clear to Niccolo. Niccolo's amethyst eyes narrowed dangerously as he faced the man that had thrown the net, his blade at the ready. He risked laying a hand on the tiger's shoulder, and said sharply, "Hold! Basta!" The tiger shook his hand off with a growl, but he did not spring, though he crouched low. Niccolo kept his eyes on the man, but his words and thoughts were for the tiger. "I will help you to freedom, but for now, you must do as I ask." His purple eyes sweep the crowd, "Everyone stay back!" Everyone seemed more than happy to obey this instruction. Indeed, although those on the far side of the crowd seemed willing to watch still, those closer appeared to be discovering an urgent need to depart. Niccolo backed up towards the Boat, and glanced over his shoulder, "Make way! Dammi spazio!" His eyes returned to the crowd and the people that had attempted to capture the great cat. He turned to the Tiger, "Come with me to the end of the pier. Everyone there is with me. Will you let me take you to the ship's hold? It's the only space big enough for you. I will take you by the shortest path. No chains. No cages. But you must follow me and not harm anyone." Niccolo paused a moment as they drew closer to the Queen, "Then I will take you away from here. Show me that you agree." The tiger tossed his head impatiently. The boat was, it seemed, one thing. Being confined below deck was not to his taste at all - and his disinclination for renewed confinement seemed to increase as they approached the ship. Niccolo eyed the Tiger, "Very well. No cargo hold. There is usually a man in the wheelhouse, if you leave him be, you can wait on the upper deck. It is open to the sky." He sheathed his sword, looked ahead to the boarding plank to make sure everyone was out of the way, and then called to the Boat, "Clear a path to the upper deck. Someone should tell Angelo." He turned back to the Tiger, "If that is agreeable to you, follow me. You will not have too long of a wait." The tiger gave an approving rumble and followed. Niccolo took the shortest path to the upper deck, using exterior stairs the entire way. He beckoned people back or out of the way, and stayed close to the Tiger as they went, taking him up two flights to the top. He was careful to keep an eye on the Cat, for all that it seemed intelligent, a predator was a predator. Once on the deck, he turned to face the Tiger fully. "These are good people. They will leave you be, so long as you leave them be." He paused and met the Cat's eyes, "I have business to settle, and then I will be back. You will be free." Niccolo nodded and went back down to find Vincenzo, to see if he had found the firearms, and the Sultan. The Tiger affected indifference, stretching and sharpening his claws on the deck (the same one, incidentally, that Morgan had damaged with his horse two days before.) Despite the vigorous cleaning the deck had undergone, the Tiger seemed to catch a whiff of Horse, for his nostrils flared and he began to look around with covert hope. He found them both in Vincenzo's office, where Vincenzo was stripping and cleaning a rifle, while the Sultan, resting back in an armchair, was describing the joys of hunting lions from camel back. Both seemed to be finding their pursuits mutually agreeable, although they looked up with Nicco came in. Niccolo entered the office with a small smile, "I see you found the firearms. I take you are pleased, and have properly distributed them amongst the men?" He turned to the Sultan and inclined his head. "There was a matter on the pier that I needed to settle. I'm rather hoping public perception will further the Queen's security." Niccolo raised an eyebrow in inquiry, "Have all the arrangements been made then?" He looked to Vincenzo, "If so, our friend here will get a message to the Caliph, and you should be able to resupply before leaving port." "I will need to speak with you and Portia, before I take the next step." He paused, "And there is a full grown Tiger on the upper deck, so if anyone besides Angelo has to go up there, they should do so gingerly." Niccolo turned back to the Sultan, "What manner of currency is most prized here?" "Gold," said the Sultan promptly. "Diamonds. And there are those who trade in pearls - above all ... " His voice lowered reverentially. "The Tears." Niccolo nodded slightly, and eyed the Sultan as he went on. "The Tears? Is that a certain kind of pearl?" He considered his options as he awaited the answer, Carmen would be able to manage the accounts, though she would have to do so through Vincenzo or another man that Zito appointed. He closed his eyes briefly; it would take months to live this day down with the ladies of the Queen. "I may have to purchase a Tiger as well." "More than a Pearl," said the Sultan reverentially. "They are a great treasure of Etrusca and here ins Persa, they are valued above all else. Let me tell you of their legend ... " Tears of the Singers, he explained, are small tear shaped crystals that are the Swan Song of the mountain dwelling creatures known as the Singers. When these shy and elusive creatures are ready to die, they take themselves apart from their pack and sing their farewells. The song is joined by others that hear it and the combined result has been known to drive the weak minded mad with grief. For this reason, the final resting place is never known before the final death, for men will flee the area to escape the haunting, beautiful song. Those rare individuals that have heard it and survived unscathed, never forget it. When the creature lays down to die, a tear, the only tear shed in its lifetime, falls to the ground in the form of these jewels. As jewelry they are singularly beautiful and are highly prized and become heirlooms. Several Tears can be strung together like windchimes, and the sounds they make are music on the wind, otherworldly and haunting. It is said that the iridescent surface of the Tears, when focused on, can bring visions to the bearer and the music of the chimes is believed to produce tranquil dreams. A single Tear can calm a worried mind and turbulent emotional states. Tear hunters scour the mountains of Etrusca at varying times a year searching for one small shining crystal among the rocky crags and caves of the Northern mountain range. Tears are jealously guarded and the methods of finding them a closely kept secret. The Singers themselves are rarely seen alive by others and killing one only results in a treasureless death. "It was the Tears," the Sultan added, "that caused Etrusca - may its name be accursed! - to ally with the forces of Chaos." Niccolo appeared thoughtful throughout the tale. He had decided, about halfway through, that acquiring a Tear would only draw unwanted attention to the Queen, especially since they were so rare and highly sought after. He would stick to gold and pearls, he had plenty of the former, and could add to the latter. In fact, he could add to both. He raised an eyebrow at the Sultan's last, but turned to Vincenzo. "You'll find what you need for payment in my office, Carmen handles the books, she'll disperse what you need." Vincenzo nodded and left as he turned back to the Sultan, "How did these treasures cause the Etruscans to bend their knees to Chaos?" "They claimed they wanted to stay out of the way," said the Sultan - and then gave a short laugh. "As though that lasted long! It quickly turned into a fervent desire to side with the forces of Chaos when Mandor himself appeared before their emergency session bearing a handful of the fabled Tears - an obscene amount of their most treasured and guarded resource to be in one place, held by a stranger who had just walked in. Against someone who could collect more with his Logrus and not leave the room, the Etruscans claimed they dared not stand and they swung their forces behind Chaos." Niccolo tilted his head to one side, "That is a very interesting story." He straightened and inclined his head, "Many thanks for your help Sultan." He nodded and walked out of the office, making his way towards his own. It was time for him to be about his business. He was armed as well as he was going to be, he has what he needed. He flexed his Will as he moved, weaving in a small addition to their coffers. Niccolo headed for the upper deck, catching anyone he passed along the way and asking them to send Portia up to join him. He had to go, and he thought she should hear it from him, rather than Vincenzo. She joined him after only a few minutes, and her expression suggested that she was more than a little unhappy with the state of affairs. Niccolo moved away from the Tiger, and walked up to Portia. He met her eyes for a moment, before he kissed her and took her hand to lead her to the rail that overlooked the water of the bay. "I have to go, Bella. I have set everything in motion here. If everyone is vigilant, you should be safe here in Persa, but I have tasks to complete. Petra is likely to beat me home." A muscle in her jaw twitched, and he recognized it for what it was; trouble. She didn't even notice the large cat. "You are leaving?" she asked flatly. "Are we stuck here pretending to be chattel while you and Petra are off doing Fortuna knows what?" "I will return, but yes." Niccolo pinched the bridge of his nose, and put his hand on Portia's shoulders. "I know that you -- that none of the the ladies aboard are infatuated with this particular charade, bit it is for the best. I do not want you all to be interfered with, and I have taken steps to assure that as much as possible." His lips pressed together, "Portia, Bella, Innamorata ... Petra and I, we are not out having fun, Si? Everything I am doing is to preserve -- everything. Petra too. If Amber suffers, so too Cornaro." Niccolo cupped her face, "Per favore, this is hard enough ... I will come back as soon as I can." "You are not fooling me, Niccolo di Medici," Portia snorted. "Even with the fate of the world in balance, you are having fun. Even if only a little." She turned her eyes to look over his shoulder at the glittering domes of distant palace of the Caliph; gold tinted pink and orange by the setting sun. She was still tense, but that twitch in her jaw had faded. "You had better come back," she stated lowly as her eyes once again found his. "To me." Niccolo slipped his arms around Portia, holding her as he too looked off at the glittering domes. "I am -- pleased-- though that is not the right word for it, really. I have waited a very long time to come to Amber. I might have liked a bit more time to settle in, but try as we might to choose our fate, fate often has its own plans." He sighed softly, "I will come back to you. Things are happening quickly, and decisions are being made, even now, that will have an effect on everything and everyone." Niccolo hugged her close, and stepped back, amethyst eyes troubled for a brief moment. He turned towards the tiger for a moment, and then back to Portia. "Keep them safe, Portia. Keep them on the Boat, and when you are able, keep on the move. I will return." He looked into her eyes, "Tempo e troppo corto, Si?" "Quello mai cambiamenti," she said unhappily. Then she laced the fingers of both hands into his hair and kissed him deeply and possessively; just the way she knew drove him mad. Then as suddenly as she had begun, she stepped back from him. Her eyes glittered but she refused to give in to it. She wasn't stupid; she knew this was much bigger then the other times he had gone off to take care of some business or another. "Vada. Before I make a scene." Niccolo growled softly against her lips, and grit his teeth when she stepped away. "Ciao, Bella." He nearly whispered, then nodded and met her eyes. "I am going. Tell Vincenzo I will send Alex back, provided I can find him. Otherwise, he is safe where he is, the only disadvantage is that he would be useful here." He seemed about to say more, but instead he turned on his heel and walked over to the Tiger. He reached into his pocket, and drew out a Trump. "I am going, Friend. I do not know if I can take you to the home that you remember, but if there is a place along the way that suits you, you will be free to take to it. Will you come with me? Or wait here until I return?" Once Niccolo had his answer, he focused on the card. The tiger stood up and stretched. The look he cast Niccolo suggested he had no intention of being left behind. Niccolo pressed for contact, and then laid a hand on the Tiger's shoulder. The great cat was large enough that the Cornaran Banker could do so easily, even comfortably. "Don't be alarmed," he warned the Tiger, "and stay close when we arrive." Then Tiger and Businessman stepped forward into a shimmer of rainbows, and when the glow of the Trump gate faded, they were gone. (Going to non-public material.)
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