Dr Rowan calls cheerily, "Happy Hunting!" and pulls back into the extremely light Sunday evening traffic.
The _Santa Maria_ lies on the Olentangy River in the middle of downtown Columbus, right next to City Hall in fact. A small park lies before City Hall, complete with an large, involved fountain and artificial stream dedicated to the children of Columbus and clearly designed for wading. Statues of real and imagined animals dot the park among carefully groomed trees.
The park ends at a wall which looks down on the river, the _Santa Maria_ docks at the bottom alongside a broad concrete board walk which runs along the river beneath the wall. A broad set of stairs leads down from the park.
In the Dreaming the _Saint Mary_ looks like a pirate ship, sails furled but her ports are open and several broad-snouted cannon poke out from the sides. A large ship's wheel stands on the aft deck, though the _Santa Maria_ has nothing of the sort. A large white banner sails from the top of her main-mast, The standard is emblazoned with the coat of arms of County Buckeye.
Standing on the ship are two figures, one short and plump, the other very tall and very thin. Both are wearing 16th century clothing in both the Autumn realm and the fae world. Seeing the group at the wall both stop and wave for everyone to come down to the ship.
Jubair walks the steps. "I can't wait to set sail!" he says excitedly. "I've heard so much . . ."
"Indeed you have," Rajabal replies. He is seated on Jubair's right shoulder. "It will be a little overwhelming at first but you must remember to keep your wits about you and be highly observant of your surroundings. Though the Dreaming is a place of wonder, it is also highly dangerous. I hope you keep what Master Ishamahal taught you in mind."
"Don't worry, I will," Jubair says. "But there's only so much you can learn from stories and I always like to explore."
Christine carries quite a lot of gear. It seems the local outdoors stores have been raided.
Tess smiles at all the equipment, again shaking her head. "Not sure we really needed all this, but I suppose better safe than sorry."
Bugge grabs Kelia's camp stove and starts down the stairs.
Chris, hefting another not terribly heavy burden, calls out a "Thanks" to Bugge for helping carry.
Mianderr places his right hand above his eyes as he looks out over the ship and studies the two figures in 16th century outfits. While looking at them his free hand digs into his belt pack and he pulls out a handful of jelly beans. He begins walking toward the ship humming the theme song to mission impossible as he goes while snacking on the jelly beans.
Nutiket descends the broad stairs down to the ship, stopping at the foot of the gangplank, looking back to see that his companions have kept up. When he turns back to the ship, he calls out in a voice loud enough to be heard, but still with his customary deepness, "Permission to come aboard, Captain?"
Lisa nudges along the stragglers as they follow the giant down the stairs. Lisa winces a little as Nutiket's voice echoes off the water and waits quietly for the ships reply.
Keighvyn makes his way after his compatriots, a duffel bag swinging against his right hip.
Suddenly, before the figures on the ship can answer the Rock Giant's call, an arrow flies from the wall above and sinks itself into the thigh of the shorter of the two fae sailors. He grabs at his leg and falls over yelling in pain, "FERKING, SKY-BLASTED ADDER-STINGS!"
Meanwhile, above, Keighvyn's warrior instincts save him. Turning quickly he sees a short Nunnehi in doeskin leathers with wielding a tomahawk and knife charging at him from the park...
Keighvyn drops his duffel bag and reaches with his now-free hand for his sword hilt. The pale, silvery blade shimmers with a million small points of light as it clears the sheath.
The Nunnehi brave attempts to dive beneath Keighvyn's swift slash, but the blade still lives a deep cut on his head. The Nunnehi barely escapes with his scalp. His own knife and tomahawk slash upward as he arrives, the knife leaving a small cut on Keighvyn's off-hand and the tomahawk sinking into Keigvyn's thigh.
Mianderr quickly slips his backpack off his back and then spins his body down into a lotus position his arms mimicking someone wrapping a cloak around their body. While he yells, "From Light" and then whispers, "into darkness..."
Mianderr then slips from sight.
Nutiket draws his tomahawk in a flash, whirling first in the direction the arrow came from, then to look up the stairs. "Kelia, Sylvana, get the children aboard!!!" he shouts as he rushes towards the wall from which the arrow was shot.
His foresight is rewarded with interest, two rock giants wielding large clubs come rushing along the bottom of the wall towards him.
Bugge looks around wide eyed until he realizes just what is happening,then he sets down the camp stove on one end, to try to use it as a shield.
Kelia screams and ducks behind the nearest handy object, which happens to be Tess.
"SHIT! GET ON BOARD!" Tess yells as the assault begins. Turning to face the top of the stairs she climbs to the top of the stairs, loosening her heavy load of bags, to get to her sword and swinging the backpack in front of her like an awkward shield.
Rajabal takes off from Jubair's shoulder and flies low over everyone else to head to the ship, he lands on the fore railing. Jubair is also running toward the ship, quickly looking over his shoulder at the attackers. As Jubair runs, he calls to Nutiket. "Come ON! Now is not the time for a fight! We have to go!"
Sylvana and Brighteyes follow Jubair, rushing for the ship.
Sebastian looks up to the top of the stairs and drops his backpack. He quickly reaches into the satchel at his hip, grabs a handful of brightly colored paper, tosses it into the air and shouts a short phrase in Greek. He bends his legs as though about to leap and then springs high. He lands gracefully alongside Keighvyn.
On the ship the two figures can be seen rushing over to one of the cannons. The taller of the figures yells, "Come on mates! Get yeselves aboard!" as he fires a flintlock pistol at the wall above.
More arrows come flying down, shattering along the stone steps behind the running figures of Jubair, Brighteyes, and Sylvana or sinking deep into the wooden rails of the _Saint Mary_.
"I'll hold them off!!" exclaims Nutiket over his shoulder as he dashes towards the two braves.
"Why are you doing this? These people are innocent! They are no threat to us." Nutiket says more softly as he nears his brethren. Putting away his tomahawk, he hurls himself at the nearest one.
The opposing Rock Giants roar with anger as they see Nutiket, but his swift approach gives them little time to react. Nutiket attempts to bodyslam the first, striking as cocks his club back for a blow. The two collide with a sharp CRACK, as if a large boulder had just split in two. The rock giant sways, but holds his ground, he and Nutiket wrapped together in a violent struggle.
The second rock giant rushes past the two struggling titans and charges for the ship's gangplank.
Above, at the top of the stairs...
Tess snarls, "Crap, that worked like a charm. To many, let's get outta here. Finish him Keighvyn." Tess grabs Keighvyn's duffle with her free hand. She holds the packs in a broad shield to keep the arrows off of them.
Sebastian stands beside her.
Keighvyn presses the attack, his expression no longer entirely sane. His pale, silvery blade slashes forward in eerie silence, severing the brave's tomahwak arm at the elbow. For a moment the Nunnhi looks at Keighvyn in shock and amazement, as glamorous blood gushes from the amputation. Then he collapses onto the concrete sidewalk and his fae mien fades away, revealing a dirty teen-aged boy lying unconscious, but whole.
On the steps below...
Kelia looks around frantically from her crouching position. She reaches for Bugge. "Go, run!" she shouts, motioning him down the stairs.
As he runs, Bugge lowers his head towards the boat, and scrapes his right foot along the stair. The golden glow of glamour surrounds him as he reaches the bottom of the stairs.
Kelia follows behind quickly.
Meanwhile, an 'unnoticeable' Mianderr makes his way up the stairs. He slips around Tess and starts walking along the top of the river wall towards the hidden archers.
Jubair pauses long enough for Brighteyes and Sylvana to get ahead of him, then he boards the ship. As Rajabal heads over to him, Jubair spots Kelia and Bugge heading for the ship. "Captain, have you got a spare pistol?" Jubair yells at one of the figures with a flintlock, pointing at Bugge and Kelia.
"Are they not ye mates?" the tall man yells, twirling flamboyantly and drawing a cutlass. He tosses his pistol towards Jubair, who barely manages to catch it.
Sylvana and Brighteyes take cover behind the ship rail and peer back to see how the rest are faring.
More arrows fly from the top of the wall towards the ship but they suddenly stop as one of the ship's cannons roars to life. It sends a full load of chimerical grapeshot slicing through the trees and concrete. Mianderr, moving in that direction along the top of the wall, is missed by mere feet.
Still unnoticed, Mianderr freezes as the cannon blast barely misses him. He turns and runs back toward his pack. When he reaches his backpack he slings it back on.
Down below, the rock giant raises his club as he charges Kelia and Bugge.
Kelia moves ahead of Bugge and stops, trying to keep him behind her. She straightens up and says in a cold, firm voice, "Leave."
Faced with a sidhe in full wrath, power pouring from her like light from the sun, he pulls short in shock.
As soon a he sees a clear path, Bugge lowers his head towards the boat and with a popping sound, he takes off in a literal blur. Before you can say 'Caintreachd' he's on the deck.
"Thanks mat - oh SHIT!" Jubair says when he sees the Rock Giant heading toward the gangplank, Bugge and Kelia. He bobs up, aims the pistol and fires at it. His shot just clips the rock giant's ear, but does no real damage.
At the top of the stairs, the light of reason dawns again in Keighvyn's eyes as his foe falls to the ground.
Tess turns at the sound of the falling body behind her. Seeing Keighvyn standing over the fallen warrior, she says, "Come on, let's...." Her eyes fall upon the Rock Giant closing on Kelia, Brighteyes and Bugge. "My Lord," she says, as she hurls herself down the stairs and the Rock Giant threatening her charges.
Hearing Tess, Keighvyn turns toward where she is heading,trying to see what has attracted her attention. seeing, he calls out, "Mother Scathach! Grant me the power of the Salmon Leap!" With a mighty leap he jumps down and lands gracefully next to Kelia.
Sebastian follows Tess down the stairs.
Seeing the second brave rush past him and realizing from the confused shouts behind him that most of his friends are already aboard ship, Nutiket tries to quickly disengage from the Rock Giant he is with by executing a simple wrestling maneuver, wrapping his left leg behind the legs of the brave he is grappling with and giving him a shove backwards.
Unfortunately, the maneuver doesn't work and the two massive foes continue to sway back and forth as they grapple for advantage with Nutiket shouting "Guhn Achgook, LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!"
Back on the ship, Brighteyes continues to take cover while the shorter of the two sailors works feverishly to reload his cannon. More arrows rain down on the vessel now, concentrating around the cannon but amazingly none hit it's gunner as he curses loudly.
Sylvana rushes over, cursing loudly herself, and starts helping him to reload.
At the top of the gangplank the tall, thin sailor manages to avoid falling after Bugge shot past him in a preternatural blur. He shouts, "Come on, ye lubbers! get yeselves aboard!"
Time: 9:01 pm Sunday, 30 August 1998
Current Weather: Sunny & unseasonably cool Expected Weather: Sunny
Original summary by Paul Westermeyer; converted to HTML by Midori Hirtzel-Church