the city of Driftwood

the "market district" was actually the town square. many shop buildings loomed into the street, while some merchants wheeled carts around, Demko and Arrolus went to one of the latter.

Demko started to haggle with the owner about a S&W model 1 revolver, when he saw Arrolus stareing at a particular dagger, a beautiful long fighting knife with am acid etched steel blade. Demko decided to buy it, it might make a nice bribe for her help in geting out of the city.

after buying the knife, pocket revolver, cartridges, and a a few spare cylinder's, he thought he saw the "grim man" ,as he called him, walking by. At that moment he had an idea, he would invite both Arrolus and "grim" to lunch, for many people can be talked into things easyer if they have full stomachs.

The man from the fight walked up to Nicholas and asked if he wanted lunch in exchange for a proposition, since Nicholas had nothing better to he casually agreed.
The man was leading them towards a local oriental restaurant, his companion was really quiet

the green dragon was a restaurant that had great chinese food. Demko was estatic, he had two people that looked like they could work, but he had to make sure.
he also noticed the shaby man in robes slip in and take a seat.

three?, well mabye.

"McMurdo?, where are you yu've got customers", a large Irish man in silk robes his long red sideburns pokeing out of his round silk hat, "What can i do for ya".

At this Demko's two campaions were astonished, Demko loved takeing people to this place, the idea of an Irish man owning a chinese joint was allways a shock to european's.

Haruki hated the green dragon. It was always full of Chinese people and the owner had hair redder than blood. But it did lead to Demko and he was too curious about this man and who he was. Haruki walked in with a straw hat and ordered a table to wait for Demko like a Stalker... Which by now kinda looks like he is. Intent on staying awake and ready to leave if he had to, Haruki ordered Jasmine tea and waited

Arrolus had said little among her new companions, preferring to observe instead. By now she was sure that Demko had had other intentions for asking her help than for a mere bodyguard wile shopping. And he had made a particular show of purchasing the knife she had been admiring, waving it about in extravagant gestures wile he spoke.
Also there was something... different, about Demko's friend. The way he moved, fluidly, with a feral grace that did not seem quite.... human. Arrolus rarely saw this trait in people unlike herself, who lived midst wood and field. And certainly not in common "city-folk".

But now the rich scents of hot food were wafting around her, pushing such thoughts to the back of her mind, and making her mouth water. At the moment there were more urgent matters to tend to. Like that egg drop soup that was coming out of the kitchen....

Captain Gordon Levitt, the Airship Captain of the all famous Titan Ship "The Inception" stood along the shore of The City of Driftwood, hands stuffed in the duster jacket he so carefully wrapped around himself. Sea wind whipped past him as his hazy brown eyes scanned the crashing of the waves. Behind him, his crew was prepping the ship for departure so they can hit the mainlands and possibly set up shop. Business was a'boomin'. "Alright, stop the generator." His deep voice called out to his crew as he turned around and headed for the ship to direct his shipmates to stop. They were all dressed not as pirates, but factory workers. The Inception practically was a factory in and of itself.

"What're ye talking about, cap'n?" One crew member asked him. "We just got the ship afloat!" He complained. "That was before the storm hit. Power it down, we're not going anywhere. I'm not risking Ol' Inception out in the storm clouds." Captain Gordon sternly said in a possitive attitude as well, as if he was confident of his preception. "It took us hours to get it started!" The same crewman continued to gripe. "Another word from you and I'll have you hung from my ship. When you put the ship away safely join me in the market. We'll be here for a couple of more days." Gordon snapped walking down the road that lead back into town. "Crunch-a-tize me, cap'n." The crewman muttered. "What was that?!" Gordon yelled not turning his back to the ship. "Nothin' Cap'n!" he called back. "That's Captain Levitt to you!" He shouted back, he patted his assistant on the back and uttered to him to come with him for a minute. "Tom, get the name of that man and have him whipped until he calls for his mother." He whispered to him, "Yes sir." Tom nodded. "When he does, throw him aboard, make sure he doesn't come back. I don't hire people to be defiant." Tom nodded again, "Good man." Gordon smiled and patted him on his back, gesturing him back to his post.

Captain Gordon walked down the busy streets of the marketplace of Driftwood, he pickpocketed several people, here and there. Just for fun. Gordon looked down shops, and drew mustaches on wanted posters of people he knew personally, even taking some for future reference. Bounties made for good profit. He saw them as lottery tickets, if you're lucky enough to bump into them, you get a grand prize for their head. Gordon eventually grew hungry and began looking around for food, he could easily nab a chicken or two, but with the trouble he'd have to go through to make it look natural, he figured he had pickpocketed enough to actually purchase something. He stood infront of a Chinese Restaurant, merely window shopping. It wasn't terribly as packed as the other food joints he passed by. And thats just the way he wanted it to be. He just hated chinese food, but he hated being squeezed so tight he felt jealous of how much room sardine had in those tiny little cans. He sighed and waltzed in.

" Good now order whatever you want" Demko said as he thought how best to break the ice, well bluntly would probable be best.

"Right", he said after every one had ordered somthing tastey, " now I'm ready to pay you two and whoever you think would also come along a considerable sum of money". "First, you must keep me alive until I deliver a package to the london natural history museum".
"two, we will be chased by assassins that worship a pagan god named marduk, and they could be anybody from a navy boxer to a little old lady so stay on your guard".
"And three, I dont have the money on my person so if i die you will not get a single red cent".

"Hey waitress", Demko said as he hastily wrote a note telling the man in robes to stop lurking in the shadows and come and sit with them, " here give this to that guy in the straw hat and tell him order anything he wants"

Haruki jumped to the occaision "why how modest of you!" Haruki quickly grabbed anything that wasn't held down or inedible and began eating. After all, Who knows when his next meal will be?

Gordon was about to take a seat when he heard the mention of money and London. He assumed because this man was so generous as to let a group order whatever they pleased he had to be more wealthy than others to afford it. He also deduced that if there was a cash prize it wasnt going to be cheap either. The Captain meandered his way to the table. "Lady and gentlemen, did I hear you need a ride to London?" he asked pullinga seat from another table and making room next to the gluttonous samurai. "I've got a ship that can handle waves of enemy fleets that can carry hundreds of men. I've got a crew of 80, and I doubt anyone wants to mess with The Inception. Believe me when I tell you, she has your back like a butt crack." he smiled obviously proud of his ship. Gordon just then looked at Demko eye to eye and realized how young he was. "Oh, youthful aren't you? What re' you in for? Why do these cult members want your head?" he inquired painfully. "And do you want to take me up on my offer?"

"Wait one moment," Arrolus cut in. "Let me get this strait. You want us to act as your body guards, risk our lives, and possibly not even get payed for it?" she asked. Nodding to the newcomer she added, "He is right. What is this all about?"

Nicholas was silent pondering to himself, he was eying the newcomer suspiciously "well I don't care what its about if I get to kill and get payed for it thats all I need to know" he said laying back in his chair.

"see, you all should be like these two", Demko said pointing to "grim" and "the captain".
"they know that they'll get payed, besides Arrolus your now going to be wanted by the brotherhood, and i know that you can get one, mabey even ten". "But your faceing a large group of people that range from beggers to princes".
"And if I were you I would not like to be all alone when they come, because they will most likely try to kill you in your sleep". And you cant be awake all of the time". "here take this", he said as he gave her the dagger he had bought for this purpose, "think of it as a down payment".

"And the rest of you can wait", he said trying to squash any of the hopes of the rest of the men. I cant pay them just yet, Demko thought to himself.

"Captain i shall take your offer, any of you who decide to come, can show up tomorrow morning at ten O'clock at the air docks". "And with that I bid you bid you adieu, captain may I be so bold as to ask to see your fine vessel", Demko said as he stood to leave.

Arrolus was normally quite skilled at feeling one way and showing another when she really wanted, but she could not stop her eyes growing wide as Demko placed the intricately wrought dagger in front of her. It was a thing of sheer beauty, silver vines rapped around both the green leather grip and scabbard, and there were emeralds set into the pommel and cross guard. Etched vines trailed down the length of the blade.
She thought hard. If this was as bad as Demko said than all the ways back home would be watched and guarded. "One good deed and you get a price on your head." she thought bitterly.
"Curse this city and everything to do with it!" she muttered aloud, grabbing the dagger. Looking up she said, "It appears I have no choice."

"The trip will take a while so we'll have to choose lodgings for you men on my ship, I'm sure my crew won't mind letting you take their bunkers." Gordon stated, then in observation of Arrolus, he reconsidered his statement on sleeping arrangements. "Though I wouldn't want the fine lady to sleep in a bunker with one of my men once we do board the ship, that is, if we board the ship tomorrow." The Captain said crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, he ingloriously rested his feet on the table, one boot resting in Haruki's meal. "After all there is a storm that's passing by."

He had to inform his assistant of their arrangements on this matter. They would have to make a huge commitment to the guests of The Inception, it was extremely rare for anyone else, other than the crew and new recruitments to be on board with the Fearless Pirates of the Air. Come to think of it, his ship had no women, and it certainly needed a women's touch. He would have to make note of that next time they land so they could essentially create a recruitment drive, particularly towards the opposite sex.

Haruki stood up and nodded to the idea of heading to adventure. He pardoned himself from the table and spoiled meal and wandered off to the closet pub. A lot of things was going through his mind (which was rare of Haruki to do) and settled to the idea of free-loading off of his new companions with the simple task of protecting this generous stranger.

The next day proved to be interesting, Demko loved airships and today he would be on one of the most infamous. Demko marveled at it as he sat on a public bench at the airdock's.

The S.S. Inception was a large metal war ship that had been retrofitted with military style flight pontoons. thus converting an old warship into an airship capable of holding it's own in any fair fight.
The strength of steel, but light as a feather, my what a marvelous age we live in demko thought to himself.

the pontoon's were it's secret, they were filled with cavorite, a metal that when pumped with electricity would float for day's sometimes week's on end.
Many ships used cavorite in there construction nowadays. Some, like the more traditional zeppelins, had there skeletons made out of a mixture of cavorite and other metals,while others like this one had huge pontoon's filled to the brim with it.
not to say that cavorite was cheap, in fact it was nearly two to three times more valuable than gold, being that it was enormously expensive to produce.

Demko had already had his things put on board. And waited nervously as he sat, trying not to think of an assassin sliping a blade between his second and third vertebrae, he thought he saw arrolus pushing through the dense dense crowd.

Arrolus HATED large crowds. They made her as tense as a bowstring, and she was getting headache from the nauseating myriad of perfumes and people-scents. She wondered idly what some of these prissy, painted-up women would say if she stopped them and asked "I beg your pardon ma'am, but do you have any idea how offensive your odor is?" Then she imagined the inevitable smack in the face and thought it better to keep silent.

Now that the initial shock of the situation was over she had really quite warmed up to the idea of an adventure. The previous night she had written a quick letter to home, and purchased two dozen more arrows which were now wrapped in a bundle lashed to the small, leather duffelbag which was slung across her shoulder.

Finally the docks were in sight, and as she pushed through the edge of the crowd, one massive warship dominated the scene, dwarfing everything around it. Arrolus stood, gazing up at it in awe for a moment before noticing Demko waving at her nervously from his seat on a bench.
"The others are not here yet?" she asked, walking up.

Nicholas was pushing through the crowd, he was sick of being around so many people at once that he just pushed until everyone was getting out of his way. When he saw the airship he slowed down, he hadn't been in a airship in a while.
This better be worth it.

Gordon stood tall at the wheel of his ship, the engines were being fired up as he waiting for his assistant Thomas to report. He looked at his watch. "Feels like a week has went by. What's taking them?" The Captain wondered as he looked back at the ship's door, just then his loyal assistant came through the door. "Are all the men aboard?" Captain Gordon asked. "I'm not sure, but I've come to tell you that the cavorite has been generated. We're ready to set sail." Tom said nervously. "Alright then," Gordon said picking up a loud speaker so everyone could hear him on the ship, "everyone aboard The Inception, this is your captain speaking. We're on our way to London, so this will be a long journey. To my crew, don't throw any other crew members overboard. Thank you." He put away the speaker and turned to his Assistant. "We leave now."

Demko looked at the cabin he was to bunk in. "Could be worse" he said to himself, "things can always be worse".

Demko decided to talk to the captain, but had no idea as to were he was. "Oh well, guess i'll check out the rest of the ship", he said as strode out of the room.

Arrolus was leaning on the rail, watching the city fall away beneath them as Demko came up on deck. "Did you here that?" she said, thoughtfully. "Do you think that that was a jest, or that perhaps someone has actually been thrown overboard before?"

"well", Demko said thoughtfully, "a crew of this kind can always be expected to do something rash".

"so were you from?"

"England," Arrolus replied. "Close to the Scotland border."

"Ah, an Englisher are ya", Demko said looking to the bank of cloud's they were approaching. "well if ya live close to Scotland I can forgive ya of that small defect, me I dont live anywhere, that is to say I live everywhere".

something caught Demko's eye, for a moment he thought he saw another airship in the cloud bank, but he dismised it as a figment of his imagination.
"Have you been on airships before?".

"A few times," she replied, distractedly. She thought she could here a faint humming sound and tried to sift through the jumbled noises of "The Inception", but if the sound had been coming from off ship it had already vanished.