Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
The odd man froze at Ivy's words, the cards he shuffled also stopped in midair. He looked at her as if studying her soul. Then, seemingly at random, he tapped three cards with his index finger. Each card chimed at the touch, the tune increasing in pitch. The three cards floated down like feathers into a line upon the tabletop, faced up. The other cards simply vanished.
Ivy noticed that each card laid out before her was blank, totally white. But when the man began to speak again, he waved a hand over the cards and they began to reveal their secrets. One by one a picture came into existence.
"A trio of cards I place on the table, Your choice is not hard Pick one if you're able.
The first is a rat Choose this if you dare, It's as mean as a cat And has slick dark brown hair.
The second is chilling A skull, as you see, An adventure most thrilling? What could it be?
A rose is the last, So beautifully rouge, But thorns does it mask? Which one will you choose?"
Ivy was less surprised then she should have been, to see the cards blank and then him creating a picture on it. Her eyes darted to each picture, and then back again. She wanted to chose them all, but instead looked over at the strange and annoying man. "I hope I get the chance to go on the other two adventures." she said, looking back down and her eyes focused on the one she chose. Reaching out, she placed her finger above the skull card. "I chose this one." she looked up at the man. "Oh, whats your name?" she realised she didnt know it yet.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
"Beware what you wish for It may just come true, You should deal with the one before Taking on two."
The strange man clicked his fingers and the card Ivy had chosen suddenly appeared in his hand, the Skull image facing the half mer. The other two cards disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Ah, so you've chosen, This card is your choice, Let's get this door open And let us rejoice.
But let it be known, Before we depart, That my name is Unknown, Which is only the start.
The story is long So let me just say That nothing is wrong I just haven't a real name."
Ivy frowned. His rhyming was getting on her nerves; why couldn't he just tell her he didn't have a name normally? "So Ill call you Mr. A." she decided. The A stood for annoying, and it worked for her. She watched the card in the air and gave Mr. A a confused look. "I dont see a door." she wondered if she was supposed to walk through the card, and shook her head in disbelief at her own thoughts. Maybe she had gone crazy now.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Mr. A, as he had been dubbed, smiled with amusement as he sauntered past the table to stand behind Ivy. The bizarre rhyming man seemed happily content with his new name. The A must stand for Alpha...or Amazing...or Awesome...or all three! He thought cheerily to himself.
With a flick of the wrist, Mr. A cast the girl's chosen card forward where a mysterious wind picked it up, carried it for about ten feet before WHOOOOOSH! The card transformed into a white door, big enough for little Ivy to walk through, and was decorated with the same haunting skull as the card had.
Mr. A skipped over to the door, took off his top hat and passed it beside him in a sweeping motion that said 'Come this way!' Placing himself beside the door and returning his hat to his head, the odd man faced Ivy like a doorman to a fancy hotel.
"Step this way, young miss, You adventure awaits! On the other side exists You mysterious fate."
A golden doorknob appeared on the door. Looked simple enough; turn and open.
Ivy blinked at the door when it appeared, and looked at Mr. A and the silly way he stood. Deciding to ignore it, she stood slowly and grinned. What an adventure this would be! She was a little nervous though, as she had no idea how she would get back from...wherever she was going. She walked slowly, glansing at Mr. A as she got closer. "How will I get back?" she asked, a few feet before she reached the door. Once when she did, she paused and looked at the skull that had been on the card before reaching out and grasping the doorknob in her hand. She gave it a sharp twist to open the door and after giving the odd man a small wave, she went through.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Before Ivy had reached the door, Mr. A felt obligated to answer her question on getting back.
"Don't worry, my dear, I'll be adventuring too. So have not a fear I'll be somewhere near you."
When the little blonde girl turned the knob and pulled the door open, a bright white light flooded her vision. A gust of wind whistled past her ears as the ground vanished from beneath her and her body began to fall and fall and fall and...
*POP*
The light went out, but the wind grew stronger, making it very difficult to hear anything. The temperature dropped and Ivy was pelted with cold rain. She was outside, in late afternoon darkest, standing on wooden boards. The floor rocked and swayed as a crack of lightning ripped across the sky, temporarily illuminating the mast she was now standing next to and the large sails above.
She was on a ship!
It was difficult to make anything out through the near-darkness, but Ivy could just about see hooded figures moving about the vessel, and possibly even hear someone shouting orders over the wind.
Ivy's jaw dropped. How on earth did she manage to wind up on a ship? And what would the people think of some girl just showing up on the ship? She looked around quickly, grateful she had water around her if she needed to use it. She found it odd, as she had never been on a ship before, though she also found it was very enjoyable. She walked to the edge of the boat and looked down over the railing, taking a deep breath before turning and peering into the night in the direction she thought she saw some people. She began to walk in the general direction and started waving and calling out, hoping they wouldnt try and throw her overboard. "Hello? Excuse me? Can you tell me where this ship is going, please?"
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Ivy may have been a little startled to find that when she looked over the ship's rail that there was no sea sloshing about the vessel. There was water, yes, but only in the form of the cold rain. The blonde girl in the white dress actually saw nothing but dark clouds and open air beneath the mighty ship.
Another streak of lightning broke across the night sky, followed quickly by a burst of thunder that cut off her words and sent a shock through every inch of wood. In that short space of time when she was granted some natural illumination, Ivy could see that she was in the midsection of the vessel, moving towards a set of steps going up to the raised level of the rear. Another set of steps ran parallel with the first, on the other side of the ship, and a door was set in the wall between them; a dim light shining through its small window. On the level above, behind the rail above the door, was the slim, dark silhouette of a figure dancing wildly behind the sheep's wheel.
Ivy was stunned. How could she be on a ship and not be in the water? What was going on? She shoved her hair away from her face, as the wind was making it whip around. It didnt obey, and she gave up on it, peering through the blonde strands to the figure. Why on earth was there someone dancing during suuch a bad storm? Head whirling with questions, and ignoring the noise, Ivy made her way to the person behind the wheel, figuring it could be Mr. A. She would go to the door when she found out what was going on. "EXCUSE ME! WHERE AM I?" she yelled, hoping her voice would be heard over the noise of the storm.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
Ivy was now close enough to the figure at the helm to see that they were wearing a waterproof hooded cloak and a three-cornered captain's hat. Beneath the darkness of the hat and hood, she could just about make out that the person's face was rather pale-looking. He, she or it also seemed to be singing a jolly tune...until lightning flashed once again and they caught sight of the blond girl.
The figure behind the wheel gave an audible shriek that rivaled the boom of thunder that followed.
"We've been boarded! Somebody stop it! We've been boarded!"
Whoever this person was it was clear that Mr. A was not the one underneath that hood. In response to the captain's cries for help, five figures dressed in similar waterproof cloaks closed in around Ivy from all sides.
Ivy frowned at the figure began yelling. What was someone supposed to stop, exactly? She had been about to ask, to move closer and see if the figure was man or woman when the five people appeared. Her eyes widened and she spun, wondering what was going on. After turning in a full circle, she stopped and looked at the figure who had yelled. Unsure of what to say, she decided with the basics. "Excuse me, where am I? And why is this ship not on water? Where is it going?" she was so confused and really hoped they wouldnt throw her off the ship now; not when she didnt know what was under it.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
"It's casting a spell! Don't just stand there, you skellywags, grab it before it turns us into Floovian chickens!"
The Captain desperately ordered, his voice entering the realms of shrillness. Two of the five figures surrounding the girl advanced toward her, arms reaching out to restrain her. Another flash of lightning gave Ivy the briefest of glances at what she was facing...
Ivy's eyes went wide and had to press her lips together to keep herself from laughing. A spell? To turn them into chickens? Oh goodness! And what a strange looking man the one giving orders was! He reminded her of Mr. A, and as she reached for her bow on her back, she spun and ducked, hoping to get a bit away from the cloaked people and get to a sopt where she could actually use her beloved bow. "Im not casting any spells, you fools!" she exclaimed loudly.
Tauer [M:150:160:][D3v:http://rpgmenagerie.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=cs&thread=540&page=1#18960][b]While the Light's away, the Shadows will play.[/b]
The five crewmen leaped and reached for Ivy as she attempted to evade capture, but since her Agility was not nearly high enough one of the jesters was able to wrap his arms around her legs, forcing her to the wooden ground. In that split second, Ivy had to decide whether to keep ahold of her bow and suffer an awkward fall OR release her grip on the bow and save herself using both her hands.