Adventures abroad part 3 - Pirate's Nest - BACKDATED
Who: trueltning_fury and pirate_sigurd
When: BACKDATED to April 20, or thereabouts
Where: The Pirate's Nest
What: Sigurd shows Geddoe what's left of the place in the Islands that means the most to him
Geddoe's main thought, while methodically pulling at the oars with his full strength, was that at least by doing some of the work, he didn't feel as seasick as on the bigger boat. That had remained docked beyond the high, craggy walls of the atoll, too large to slip through the opening and navigate the shallow bay inside. The crew thought them crazy for wanting to land, so they were making their way across the bay alone. Geddoe did not object to rowing, he needed the exercise anyway. It only meant that he had his back to the view of the sun sparkling on the blue waters and white sand.
Sigurd, however, had whole view of the Nest as the details came into view. He couldn't help but let out a reverent sigh. Gone were the old speed freighters and war gallies that had once spent their days here. He couldn't even hear the sounds of the soirees and loud music that once filled the air. It was like a ghost of his past...
"It's quiet," Geddoe remarked needlessly, keeping up his steady pace. He expected Sigurd to warn him when to stop. "But new crops of pirates aren't what the crew was worried about, is it?"
"No. The water around here is generally dangerous. In fact, you're going to want to veer to your left a bit," Sigurd said with a sudden smile. "And I suppose it's quiet because Bernadette was right... no one uses the Nest any longer."
Geddoe raised an eyebrow, figured out which oar to pull up in order to correct, and patiently did so. "I see why it makes a good hideout. Difficult to approach without being seen. That chain of islands outside. Why wouldn't they be using it, now?" He smirked, then, remembering something Bernadette had said. "Too stupid?"
"Part of it might be out of respect... but more likely you're right. It was the great Pirate King Edgar who originally thought to use this place," Sigurd explained, drawing in a breath of the familiar air. It lacked the scent of gunpowder and rum, though...
Feeling the tip of the oar-blade scrape something in the water, Geddoe raised the right one a little more and peered over as some rocks glided by underneath them. "Water's so clear," he murmured. "Hm. Shame, then, to let such a perfect hideout go to waste. Though, I suppose in this modern age it isn't very secret either."
"It's not, but it's still rather difficult to even get to.... The rumor is that Lady Kika was buried here in a plot next to King Edgar's. I guess we'll see if that's true," Sigurd spoke softly, the smile fading from him as they finally reached the sandy shores.
"Hmm." Geddoe felt the thump of the boat sliding into the shore and stopped rowing, looking over his shoulder. They had made it safely to the sandy quay, and the mouth of the cave he had been told to expect. He quieted appropriately; this was as much Sigurd's personal journey as his to the Flame Temple last summer. "Here we are," he said calmly. "Lead the way, sailor."
Sigurd was the first to hop out of the boat, offering a hand to Geddoe so that he mught be able to steady himself in the moist sand without falling. The shore, usually covered with various bits of debris, as now completely barren. Picked dry by antique dealers, he figured.
Geddoe willingly relied on the help, not because he feared the wet sand, more because his sea-to-land adjustment was still fairly unsteady. He took a moment to drag the small boat up a little higher on the sand so it wouldn't float away, and then nodded to Sigurd. "Thanks." He lifted his head and gazed at the weather-worn rocks, the smooth spit of sand, and the tiny waves lapping near their feet. "It's been abandoned for a long time, I see. Who knows how many storms it took to erase all signs of human passage..."
"Or how many people it took to completely empty it out... Most of the relics here are probably in the hands of museums or privateers," he shrugged. Pirates raiding the nest... the thought was too real and a little sickening. But as Bern had said, it was a different world in her time. No doubt about it... the Nest had come a long way. "Let's go."
Nodding, Geddoe followed right behind Sigurd, placing a hand on his shoulder for guidance as they went from day to night inside the cave. His single eye would take a few extra minutes to cope. There may not have been any relics to see, but the well-worn passageway itself was testament to all the pirate feet that had trodden the path.
"We're going to need a light. No doubt the torches are no longer any good," Sigurd remarked, trying to peer further in to no avail.
Geddoe patted himself down, sure he might have had a flint or something in a pocket somewhere. "Is there anything that would suffice?" He sniffed a short chuckle. "And neither of us Fire-types. Hmm." He would have taken a chunk of driftwood, even, if there was one to be had. "Would there be a supply of something in the lifeboat?"
"Maybe, hmmm...," he said, feeling about for something on the surface of the wall. Was it still there, he wondered... And for that matter, did it still work. He let out a confirming sound and pressed on something hidden. "Maybe this will help...," he chuckled as the sounds of stone, wood, and rope moving sounded through the cavern.
Ever wary for things like Sindarin traps, Geddoe recoiled slightly, although he trusted Sigurd fully. "What did you do...?"
"Just seeing if the ventilation roof still works," Sigurd said with something of a smug grin. Sure enough, light began to flood in from several points above them, each one opening after another until the system came to a stop. "These were installed to allow circulation of the smoke in the cave, but closable when it rains."
"Ahh..." There was just enough light now to see by, at least for Geddoe's eye to adjust. He blinked a few times and then looked up. "That's pretty remarkable. And smart, if all your cooking fires were inside the cave." He shot Sigurd a proud smile, even though he knew Sigurd probably wasn't the one to actually build such a thing.
"They said King Edgar was an exceptional engineer on top of everything else," Sigurd remarked as he began to walk forward. "Though he had already been killed before I joined."
Geddoe fell back into step behind, intensely curious. "Such would be the fate of anyone called a king in this line of work," he sighed. "Same for bandits. It's the equivalent of a shiny target on your head."
"Well, King Edgar was generally well liked and respected by most anyone in this field. Lady Kika was both his lover and subordinate. However, all it takes is one rival willing to do whatever it takes to destroy you...," he said with a small, bitter chuckle. "The man that ended my career in the navy and almost my life also killed Edward that same day... the Dread Pirate Steele."
Geddoe's brow raised in surprise. "Let me guess. You've been saving all your most dramatic stories for this trip." He paused there, though, because they had come into the first wide-open chamber of the cave. Obviously, a lot of activity had taken place here, judging by the scorch-marks of torches on the walls and the fine nature of the grit underfoot. "...huh."
"The bar," Sigurd responded simply, giving a slow wave of his arm to where the actual bar itself used to be. There were still some evidence of it once being there, but none of the conrete things remained. Not even any bottles could be seen.
"Figures." Geddoe stepped over to peer into the space, just to make sure. It couldn't hurt to check for random bottles of extremely aged rum and wine. "And probably the first place cleaned out by ransackers in later ages. Unless there were rumors of great treasures buried inside the caves."
"The rumors would be true, though if anyone actually reached them is a mystery. I wouldn't be able to tell you where they are, only Lady Kika could," he laughed, leaning against a smoothed wall. "Hervey and I used to sit riiiight there," he pointed "while the reverie went on about us. Good times."
Satisfied that there weren't any leavings he could scrounge from the bar, Geddoe stepped away and joined his partner. "And even then, you didn't join in," he teased. "Sometimes I really wonder how you and Hervey ended up such close friends. You're nothing alike."
"Because we almost died together. And we somehow found our way here through that partnership..."
"Mm..." Geddoe knew all too well how that worked. "Going to tell me that story, then?"
"When the attack on Steele went sour, our ships were destroyed. Somehow we both survived, but we're without any means of maintaining ourselves. Hervey's idea to claim an abandoned shoreliner, while short sighted, actually managed us to provide a means to sail. I had insisted we returned to Middleport. He, being a pirate, obviously had other ideas in mind."
The thought made Geddoe smirk to himself. "The two of you, having to rely on each other? I can only imagine."
"It wasn't easy, but in the weeks it took for us to finally arrive at the Nest, we'd developed the sort of bond that could only come from that experience. We became like brothers, really... right down to the sibling rivalry," he chuckled, brushing his hair back idly.
"Sounds familiar." Geddoe stood gazing at his straight-laced pirate with affection. "Although Wyatt and I weren't thrown together in a life-or-death situation like that. He just wore me down with time and patience." He reached to pat Sigurd's shoulder. "And such is fate, really."
"Heh... makes me feel guilty that we've grown so distant lately... I guess our lives are finally beginning to pull in different directions," he sighed.
"You can always change that, you know." Geddoe squeezed his shoulder lightly. "You don't have to spend all your time with me. Though..." He sighed as well. "Drift is one of those things that happens to all of us, at some point."
"Which is precisely why I am not afraid of it happening. It was bound to happen as we both grew older and wiser... besides, I don't think there's any way I could have a stable life with someone and expect him to be around for it. He's a wanderer to the core," Sigurd gave a melancholy chuckle.
"So is your partner." Geddoe cupped the side of Sigurd's face and smiled for him, hoping he was being encouraging. "At least you two are still together, even if it's in another time and place." He drew back slowly. "So. There's more to this cave system. I'm sure you didn't come all this way to gaze at the bar."
"Heh... Yeah. Lots more. Far more than even Lazlo could explore when he was here. Lemme show you around a bit more," Sigurd spoke, pushing off from the wall and walking past where the bar once was.
Geddoe stepped out of the way to let him lead, and tagged along, curious how the sound of waves faded and then vanished the further in they went. The echoes seemed to only linger near the mouth. It was pleasantly cool in here, too.
The lights lead them to a dead end. Or at least what appeared to be a dead end. Sigurd let out a sort of frustrated sigh, seeing as the trap door had been visibly forced not only open, but closed as well. The mechanism was likely completely busted. "Care to give me a hand with this? We'll need both of us to get it open."
"Sure. Just tell me where to push." Geddoe stepped alongside him, feeling along the wall with his gloves.
"Pull, actually, right here," Sigurd poited to what looked as if it were a natural seperation in the rocks
Geddoe probed his fingers into the crevice and found a handhold. He grabbed on with both hands and prepared to put his back into it. This side-trip was going to be his toughest workout of the entire vacation. "Ready."
With a heave, Sigurd began to pull at the rock facing. After some effort, it slowly began to slide forward and to the side as if it were a door. Pieces of ancient and rotted wood fell to the floor below as they did so. Yup,the opening mechanism has definitely been broken. "We used to have a button for this."
"At least...it isn't caved in," Geddoe grunted, hauling with all his might. He decided to add a mental curse for whichever pirate, navy sailor, or treasure seeker broke the mechanism. Seriously.
"True... enough!" Sigurd said through clenched teeth, finally moving the stone out of the way enough for them to both fit through. "Most anyone who knew the location of the switch was probably dead by the time it was broken," he sighed, stepping through. This area seemed far more open than before...
Geddoe took a moment to wipe the sweat off the back of his neck before following Sigurd through the doorway. "So it wasn't done to protect whatever is back here," he said simply.
"Well, contrary to popular belief, pirates don't die with their treasure buried if they can help it. This used to be our storehouse...," he motions to the area now visible past the passageway... a massive expanse that could have held entire ships were they so inclined.
"I always wondered about that," Geddoe said wryly as he followed. "As a bandit, I figured the wiser course of action was to spend and enjoy your treasure, not bury it." He lifted his head, gauging the expanse of the cave with his other senses. It felt large, the air was not at all stifling.
"This room used to be stacked with loot from here to the roof and as far as you could see. Obviously it's all been cleared out," Sigurd chuckled, walking further out onto the floor. His voice echoed heavily as he spoke, giving a clearer idea of just how expansive it was. "This was the realy secret of the Nest. Had Lazlo chosen to become the new Pirate King, it would have fallen into his hands."
Geddoe knew vaguely of Lazlo - they'd only met a couple of times, mainly through the Sun Rune incident, but he only really retained two bits of knowledge about the kid: he was a friend of Sigurd's, and he had a True Rune. "He had a choice? What, Kika offered him?" he wondered, moving towards Sigurd at a slow pace. "I haven't talked to him much, I don't even know what he was up to before he got yanked to our time."
"Well, as far as I can remember, he had enough respect amongts the pirates of these seas that he could have taken the crown if he so chose. Lady Kika didn't seem comfortable with the idea of holding it herself..."
"And yet." Geddoe gave his partner a keen look. "That's the way it turned out, hm?"
"Well, Lazlo was a man who seemed to prefer a simple life... and be it the King of Obel or the King of the Pirates, he wouldn't have it. In the end, I respect him for choosing neither," Sigurd chuckled.
Geddoe made an impressed face - well, impressed for him. "I see." He looked away, into the semi-dark, with a light sigh. "Looks like the centuries haven't been kind. It's all plundered, is it?"
"Yep. Like I said, museums, antique shops, and private collections are where you'll find the treasures of the Nest now."
"Pity." Geddoe shrugged. "Though I suppose museums aren't so bad." He tilted his head slightly. "You just wanted to see it for yourself? Verify it?"
"Pretty much... kind of feels liberating to know that I no longer have any burdens left here," he sighed, stepping bout in a circle to view the entirety of the expanse.
When Sigurd's back was to him, Geddoe stepped up behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "That's what I like to hear. There are burdens enough in this world without adding the past to it."
"Yeah... I guess we can head back to the boat then. There's really nothing else to see here," Sigurd spoke in a whisper, lifting a hand to be placed on Geddoe's. He let out one last sigh of contentment. It really was holy ground for him... perhaps now more than ever that it was completely empty, save for the dusty memories of a time long gone.
Geddoe murmured directly in his ear. "As long as there's nothing else you want to see. No other hidden stops to make. There's no hurry." He breathed a deep chuckle at some thought. "The ship won't put off without us. If they do, I'll hit them with a spell so hard they'll swear the heavens themselves are splitting apart to punish them."
"Let's not stir up old superstitions of storm gods, eh?" Sigurd chuckled, turning to face Geddoe. He paused a moment, looking fondly at the other. "You've seen my life and my history. I've nothing more left to tell you."
The old mercenary smiled a genuine smile. "Then, we're even. It's all future from here forward, instead of the past." He brushed his gloved fingertips down Sigurd's cheek and then gestured with a nod of his head. "Let's go, then. I've got some seashells to pick up for Aila."
When: BACKDATED to April 20, or thereabouts
Where: The Pirate's Nest
What: Sigurd shows Geddoe what's left of the place in the Islands that means the most to him
Geddoe's main thought, while methodically pulling at the oars with his full strength, was that at least by doing some of the work, he didn't feel as seasick as on the bigger boat. That had remained docked beyond the high, craggy walls of the atoll, too large to slip through the opening and navigate the shallow bay inside. The crew thought them crazy for wanting to land, so they were making their way across the bay alone. Geddoe did not object to rowing, he needed the exercise anyway. It only meant that he had his back to the view of the sun sparkling on the blue waters and white sand.
Sigurd, however, had whole view of the Nest as the details came into view. He couldn't help but let out a reverent sigh. Gone were the old speed freighters and war gallies that had once spent their days here. He couldn't even hear the sounds of the soirees and loud music that once filled the air. It was like a ghost of his past...
"It's quiet," Geddoe remarked needlessly, keeping up his steady pace. He expected Sigurd to warn him when to stop. "But new crops of pirates aren't what the crew was worried about, is it?"
"No. The water around here is generally dangerous. In fact, you're going to want to veer to your left a bit," Sigurd said with a sudden smile. "And I suppose it's quiet because Bernadette was right... no one uses the Nest any longer."
Geddoe raised an eyebrow, figured out which oar to pull up in order to correct, and patiently did so. "I see why it makes a good hideout. Difficult to approach without being seen. That chain of islands outside. Why wouldn't they be using it, now?" He smirked, then, remembering something Bernadette had said. "Too stupid?"
"Part of it might be out of respect... but more likely you're right. It was the great Pirate King Edgar who originally thought to use this place," Sigurd explained, drawing in a breath of the familiar air. It lacked the scent of gunpowder and rum, though...
Feeling the tip of the oar-blade scrape something in the water, Geddoe raised the right one a little more and peered over as some rocks glided by underneath them. "Water's so clear," he murmured. "Hm. Shame, then, to let such a perfect hideout go to waste. Though, I suppose in this modern age it isn't very secret either."
"It's not, but it's still rather difficult to even get to.... The rumor is that Lady Kika was buried here in a plot next to King Edgar's. I guess we'll see if that's true," Sigurd spoke softly, the smile fading from him as they finally reached the sandy shores.
"Hmm." Geddoe felt the thump of the boat sliding into the shore and stopped rowing, looking over his shoulder. They had made it safely to the sandy quay, and the mouth of the cave he had been told to expect. He quieted appropriately; this was as much Sigurd's personal journey as his to the Flame Temple last summer. "Here we are," he said calmly. "Lead the way, sailor."
Sigurd was the first to hop out of the boat, offering a hand to Geddoe so that he mught be able to steady himself in the moist sand without falling. The shore, usually covered with various bits of debris, as now completely barren. Picked dry by antique dealers, he figured.
Geddoe willingly relied on the help, not because he feared the wet sand, more because his sea-to-land adjustment was still fairly unsteady. He took a moment to drag the small boat up a little higher on the sand so it wouldn't float away, and then nodded to Sigurd. "Thanks." He lifted his head and gazed at the weather-worn rocks, the smooth spit of sand, and the tiny waves lapping near their feet. "It's been abandoned for a long time, I see. Who knows how many storms it took to erase all signs of human passage..."
"Or how many people it took to completely empty it out... Most of the relics here are probably in the hands of museums or privateers," he shrugged. Pirates raiding the nest... the thought was too real and a little sickening. But as Bern had said, it was a different world in her time. No doubt about it... the Nest had come a long way. "Let's go."
Nodding, Geddoe followed right behind Sigurd, placing a hand on his shoulder for guidance as they went from day to night inside the cave. His single eye would take a few extra minutes to cope. There may not have been any relics to see, but the well-worn passageway itself was testament to all the pirate feet that had trodden the path.
"We're going to need a light. No doubt the torches are no longer any good," Sigurd remarked, trying to peer further in to no avail.
Geddoe patted himself down, sure he might have had a flint or something in a pocket somewhere. "Is there anything that would suffice?" He sniffed a short chuckle. "And neither of us Fire-types. Hmm." He would have taken a chunk of driftwood, even, if there was one to be had. "Would there be a supply of something in the lifeboat?"
"Maybe, hmmm...," he said, feeling about for something on the surface of the wall. Was it still there, he wondered... And for that matter, did it still work. He let out a confirming sound and pressed on something hidden. "Maybe this will help...," he chuckled as the sounds of stone, wood, and rope moving sounded through the cavern.
Ever wary for things like Sindarin traps, Geddoe recoiled slightly, although he trusted Sigurd fully. "What did you do...?"
"Just seeing if the ventilation roof still works," Sigurd said with something of a smug grin. Sure enough, light began to flood in from several points above them, each one opening after another until the system came to a stop. "These were installed to allow circulation of the smoke in the cave, but closable when it rains."
"Ahh..." There was just enough light now to see by, at least for Geddoe's eye to adjust. He blinked a few times and then looked up. "That's pretty remarkable. And smart, if all your cooking fires were inside the cave." He shot Sigurd a proud smile, even though he knew Sigurd probably wasn't the one to actually build such a thing.
"They said King Edgar was an exceptional engineer on top of everything else," Sigurd remarked as he began to walk forward. "Though he had already been killed before I joined."
Geddoe fell back into step behind, intensely curious. "Such would be the fate of anyone called a king in this line of work," he sighed. "Same for bandits. It's the equivalent of a shiny target on your head."
"Well, King Edgar was generally well liked and respected by most anyone in this field. Lady Kika was both his lover and subordinate. However, all it takes is one rival willing to do whatever it takes to destroy you...," he said with a small, bitter chuckle. "The man that ended my career in the navy and almost my life also killed Edward that same day... the Dread Pirate Steele."
Geddoe's brow raised in surprise. "Let me guess. You've been saving all your most dramatic stories for this trip." He paused there, though, because they had come into the first wide-open chamber of the cave. Obviously, a lot of activity had taken place here, judging by the scorch-marks of torches on the walls and the fine nature of the grit underfoot. "...huh."
"The bar," Sigurd responded simply, giving a slow wave of his arm to where the actual bar itself used to be. There were still some evidence of it once being there, but none of the conrete things remained. Not even any bottles could be seen.
"Figures." Geddoe stepped over to peer into the space, just to make sure. It couldn't hurt to check for random bottles of extremely aged rum and wine. "And probably the first place cleaned out by ransackers in later ages. Unless there were rumors of great treasures buried inside the caves."
"The rumors would be true, though if anyone actually reached them is a mystery. I wouldn't be able to tell you where they are, only Lady Kika could," he laughed, leaning against a smoothed wall. "Hervey and I used to sit riiiight there," he pointed "while the reverie went on about us. Good times."
Satisfied that there weren't any leavings he could scrounge from the bar, Geddoe stepped away and joined his partner. "And even then, you didn't join in," he teased. "Sometimes I really wonder how you and Hervey ended up such close friends. You're nothing alike."
"Because we almost died together. And we somehow found our way here through that partnership..."
"Mm..." Geddoe knew all too well how that worked. "Going to tell me that story, then?"
"When the attack on Steele went sour, our ships were destroyed. Somehow we both survived, but we're without any means of maintaining ourselves. Hervey's idea to claim an abandoned shoreliner, while short sighted, actually managed us to provide a means to sail. I had insisted we returned to Middleport. He, being a pirate, obviously had other ideas in mind."
The thought made Geddoe smirk to himself. "The two of you, having to rely on each other? I can only imagine."
"It wasn't easy, but in the weeks it took for us to finally arrive at the Nest, we'd developed the sort of bond that could only come from that experience. We became like brothers, really... right down to the sibling rivalry," he chuckled, brushing his hair back idly.
"Sounds familiar." Geddoe stood gazing at his straight-laced pirate with affection. "Although Wyatt and I weren't thrown together in a life-or-death situation like that. He just wore me down with time and patience." He reached to pat Sigurd's shoulder. "And such is fate, really."
"Heh... makes me feel guilty that we've grown so distant lately... I guess our lives are finally beginning to pull in different directions," he sighed.
"You can always change that, you know." Geddoe squeezed his shoulder lightly. "You don't have to spend all your time with me. Though..." He sighed as well. "Drift is one of those things that happens to all of us, at some point."
"Which is precisely why I am not afraid of it happening. It was bound to happen as we both grew older and wiser... besides, I don't think there's any way I could have a stable life with someone and expect him to be around for it. He's a wanderer to the core," Sigurd gave a melancholy chuckle.
"So is your partner." Geddoe cupped the side of Sigurd's face and smiled for him, hoping he was being encouraging. "At least you two are still together, even if it's in another time and place." He drew back slowly. "So. There's more to this cave system. I'm sure you didn't come all this way to gaze at the bar."
"Heh... Yeah. Lots more. Far more than even Lazlo could explore when he was here. Lemme show you around a bit more," Sigurd spoke, pushing off from the wall and walking past where the bar once was.
Geddoe stepped out of the way to let him lead, and tagged along, curious how the sound of waves faded and then vanished the further in they went. The echoes seemed to only linger near the mouth. It was pleasantly cool in here, too.
The lights lead them to a dead end. Or at least what appeared to be a dead end. Sigurd let out a sort of frustrated sigh, seeing as the trap door had been visibly forced not only open, but closed as well. The mechanism was likely completely busted. "Care to give me a hand with this? We'll need both of us to get it open."
"Sure. Just tell me where to push." Geddoe stepped alongside him, feeling along the wall with his gloves.
"Pull, actually, right here," Sigurd poited to what looked as if it were a natural seperation in the rocks
Geddoe probed his fingers into the crevice and found a handhold. He grabbed on with both hands and prepared to put his back into it. This side-trip was going to be his toughest workout of the entire vacation. "Ready."
With a heave, Sigurd began to pull at the rock facing. After some effort, it slowly began to slide forward and to the side as if it were a door. Pieces of ancient and rotted wood fell to the floor below as they did so. Yup,the opening mechanism has definitely been broken. "We used to have a button for this."
"At least...it isn't caved in," Geddoe grunted, hauling with all his might. He decided to add a mental curse for whichever pirate, navy sailor, or treasure seeker broke the mechanism. Seriously.
"True... enough!" Sigurd said through clenched teeth, finally moving the stone out of the way enough for them to both fit through. "Most anyone who knew the location of the switch was probably dead by the time it was broken," he sighed, stepping through. This area seemed far more open than before...
Geddoe took a moment to wipe the sweat off the back of his neck before following Sigurd through the doorway. "So it wasn't done to protect whatever is back here," he said simply.
"Well, contrary to popular belief, pirates don't die with their treasure buried if they can help it. This used to be our storehouse...," he motions to the area now visible past the passageway... a massive expanse that could have held entire ships were they so inclined.
"I always wondered about that," Geddoe said wryly as he followed. "As a bandit, I figured the wiser course of action was to spend and enjoy your treasure, not bury it." He lifted his head, gauging the expanse of the cave with his other senses. It felt large, the air was not at all stifling.
"This room used to be stacked with loot from here to the roof and as far as you could see. Obviously it's all been cleared out," Sigurd chuckled, walking further out onto the floor. His voice echoed heavily as he spoke, giving a clearer idea of just how expansive it was. "This was the realy secret of the Nest. Had Lazlo chosen to become the new Pirate King, it would have fallen into his hands."
Geddoe knew vaguely of Lazlo - they'd only met a couple of times, mainly through the Sun Rune incident, but he only really retained two bits of knowledge about the kid: he was a friend of Sigurd's, and he had a True Rune. "He had a choice? What, Kika offered him?" he wondered, moving towards Sigurd at a slow pace. "I haven't talked to him much, I don't even know what he was up to before he got yanked to our time."
"Well, as far as I can remember, he had enough respect amongts the pirates of these seas that he could have taken the crown if he so chose. Lady Kika didn't seem comfortable with the idea of holding it herself..."
"And yet." Geddoe gave his partner a keen look. "That's the way it turned out, hm?"
"Well, Lazlo was a man who seemed to prefer a simple life... and be it the King of Obel or the King of the Pirates, he wouldn't have it. In the end, I respect him for choosing neither," Sigurd chuckled.
Geddoe made an impressed face - well, impressed for him. "I see." He looked away, into the semi-dark, with a light sigh. "Looks like the centuries haven't been kind. It's all plundered, is it?"
"Yep. Like I said, museums, antique shops, and private collections are where you'll find the treasures of the Nest now."
"Pity." Geddoe shrugged. "Though I suppose museums aren't so bad." He tilted his head slightly. "You just wanted to see it for yourself? Verify it?"
"Pretty much... kind of feels liberating to know that I no longer have any burdens left here," he sighed, stepping bout in a circle to view the entirety of the expanse.
When Sigurd's back was to him, Geddoe stepped up behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "That's what I like to hear. There are burdens enough in this world without adding the past to it."
"Yeah... I guess we can head back to the boat then. There's really nothing else to see here," Sigurd spoke in a whisper, lifting a hand to be placed on Geddoe's. He let out one last sigh of contentment. It really was holy ground for him... perhaps now more than ever that it was completely empty, save for the dusty memories of a time long gone.
Geddoe murmured directly in his ear. "As long as there's nothing else you want to see. No other hidden stops to make. There's no hurry." He breathed a deep chuckle at some thought. "The ship won't put off without us. If they do, I'll hit them with a spell so hard they'll swear the heavens themselves are splitting apart to punish them."
"Let's not stir up old superstitions of storm gods, eh?" Sigurd chuckled, turning to face Geddoe. He paused a moment, looking fondly at the other. "You've seen my life and my history. I've nothing more left to tell you."
The old mercenary smiled a genuine smile. "Then, we're even. It's all future from here forward, instead of the past." He brushed his gloved fingertips down Sigurd's cheek and then gestured with a nod of his head. "Let's go, then. I've got some seashells to pick up for Aila."