In the fresh air, the alcohol made its way out of her system quite fast, and without its sweet dullness each and every ache came back with a vengeance - the bruises blooming in all shades of dark in the places that had taken the worst of the impact of her arrival. Pretty sure one of her ribs was broken, or three and there was a swelling on the side of her knee that made each step pure agony. She would have to bind it at some point.
Taking a deep breath only sent waves of pain that made her see stars which had her leaning against a street lamp until the dizzy spell lapsed. She folded her arms, relying on the post for support, and hoped she looked stoic and badass, rather than like an injured target ready for reaping.
Keeping her breath shallow through her nose, she watched the wretched, bumbling captain who held her entire fate in her hands stroll onto the Omored Dock like he owned the place, despite the unfortunate fact that his ship, the Scarlet Sphynx, was no longer his. Part of her was eager to see what in Eraikai's name he would come up with, part of her was equally filled with trepidation.
The ship sat tethered under heavy guard over in Pier Two, no doubt Uri's posse, its sleek solar sails furled tight. A cruel reminder that she no longer answered to her former captain.
“Loaded dice, huh?” El asked, eyeing the ship with interest.
“A man’s gotta try,” Tam grinned and heaved a deep, mournful sigh. "She is a beaut is she not?"
She was. The Scarlet Sphynx was no ordinary vessel and thus completely at odds with her ownership. A sleek brigantine with a hull reinforced by dark-stained oak and adorned with intricate carvings of celestial patterns, it was built for both speed and resilience. Unlike most pirate ships, her sails shimmered with a faint golden hue that would look spectacular once fully unfurled.
Her jaw dropped as she recognized what they were. ”Solar threads!?”
Tam’s grin grew wider. "Hell yeah, you know it!"
Solar thread was a rare type of silk, prized not just for its beauty but for the way it harnessed wind and sunlight alike. Fabric woven with it didn’t need frost quartz, a hefty mineral from the deep mines of Gio, typically required to sustain enchantments due to its ability to store massive amounts of arcane energy. But it was heavy. Instead, they relied on a far more efficient conduit: shattersteel, a dark crystalline alloy that channeled magic like water through a vein. As Elmira drew closer, she spotted the telltale glimmer of shattersteel laced through the oak hull, pulsing faintly beneath the grain like ink beneath skin.
The Scarlet Sphynx was not just a fast ship on the waves; she could hover, too, though she looked too heavy to fly proper. Elmira wasn't mad about it, this was more than she could ever have hoped for and that small spark of hope began to fire up again. There was a chance. There was still a chance. The figurehead at the bow was an eerie yet beautiful specter, a wraith with outstretched arms as if reaching for the horizon or a hug. The Sphynx's deck was lined with reinforced ballistae, lighter than traditional cannons but deadly in a chase.
She stole a glance at the green-haired bombastic man with the crooked grin and mad look in his eyes and saw him for what he was. A gambler of fate, reckless to the bone, and just foolish enough to believe they’d make it through.
