A Kingdom of Conscience: Ravens take Flight! [V/F]

[Flame]

It moved, with one swish of the tail, it moved, closer to her. So had it noticed her? The obvious answer to the question was no, otherwise why would it swim towards her. The other answer was yes, it just did not care, did not think her someone who was dangerous to it. Why should it? Its mouth could probably stretch to a size to be nearly as large as her, its body was long probably well muscled. If she didn't fight back most likely it could tear her to shreds in seconds. But that was only IF she did not. Underestimating fishman was never a good idea.

Shifting slightly Merle hefted a harpoon in her hand. The large panda shark was probably ten meters away from her. Slowly it rolled in closer, drifting casually through the waters. She tensed, drawing the harpoon backwards with her arm she got ready and then shot her arm forward. Swinging into it, she hurled the weapon through the water. Piercing through the water it hit the skin the tip breaking through and making a small puncture hole lodging itself in the shark's left fin. Reacting the shark swung its fin wildly back and forth trying to dislodge the harpoon but it was to no avail, it was firmly placed. Barbs on the end of the harpoon made it hard for it to become lost. Merle laughed to herself throwing off some of the dust that had been picked up by moving water and laid itself upon her. It always amused her how animals fought such bindings, amused at how stupid they were. Now was her time.

Pushing off the seas floor, she emerged from her semi-camouflaged position, sand and what not rolled off her skin as it was pushed around by small currents. With a kick of her legs her body shot through the water, it propelled her forward toward the panda shark. Her streamlined form allowed her to quickly close the gap quickly, the shark if it had not already also noticed her. Recognizing its enemy its jaw flung open baring multiple layers of sharpened teeth at her. She did not stop her charge, the rows of teeth were no surprise, it did not phase her the slightest. Instead as she kicked her legs to send her faster towards the sea beast she twisted slightly belly facing up in the water. Her trajectory changing slightly she aimed below the shark's path.

Five meters, three meters, one meter, the shark's eyes widened slightly as Merle's body sped under him. Twisting once more one foot swung through the water and crashed headlong into the shark's side just below the damaged left fin. With one of her open hands she grabbed the shaft of the harpoon pulling on it as she kicked. Not that she could see but shark's eyes bulged as she said "Yonhyakumaigawara Mawashigeri" Finishing her kick's swing she launched the large shark sideways through the water, the harpoon tearing its way through the shark's fin. Merle's keen eyes watched the shark as it nursed its wound for a moment after recovering. Now maybe it would know its place, she was the hunter not it.

Still annoyed as it was it swam towards her, teeth out and ready to attack. Well it swam to her as best it could with one broken fin. While it could get speed its accuracy was bad, and its swam horribly drafting off towards the right. Merle laughed for a moment, her high pitched voice echoing for only a short distance through the water, dropping the harpoon onto the ocean's floor for a moment. As the shark constantly tried to correct its heading she swam toward it too now. If she was not before then now she was definitely the more agile in the water. As they met she stretched her arms out to full width turning sideways she put one hand on each side of the shark's mouth and held the two parts apart. It took much of her arm strength but she kept its mouth from closing. Now with its only weapon neutered, she went to work with her feet beating into its side with her feet.

She rained kick after kick into the shark's side. After a barrage of kicks she finally knocked it unconscious, its body went limp and finally she pulled it slowly to the sea floor. Pulling it along she went to gather the stuff she had left upon the ground when she started the hunt. There was her rope that would allow her to tie up her catch along with the other catches she had stored. Then she could bring them into town to sell to a nearby restaurant. Yep that was the plan, this was her life in the blues, nothing special, nothing at all.

[Vio]

Shwick! ...Shwick! ...Shwick! The sound of arrows whistling through the salty air was followed by the distinctive sound of steel heads piercing the wooden target. A raised circle of timber and cloth upon which concentric circles of varying colour had been painted, defined by a vivid red dot in the centre. The Bullseye. Said mark was now impaled by three identical projectiles; sleek arrows with sharpened steel tips and black feathery tails, all now protruding from what could only be the very middle of the target. Several hundred yards away, a tall and medium-built Marine officer stood, light green eyes focused down the length of an outstretched arm and - clutched in his left hand - was a carven piece of ebon black wood. A bow of most interesting design, tall like a longbow, but compact and curved like a composite. The most interesting thing was not the bow, however, but the man who held it...

A little off to the left, this time... Hawkish green eyes analysed the trio of arrows from across the courtyard, a light sea breeze brushing the chalky locks of his head against his cheek. Marlus Caine, Marine Captain of the Battleship Zophiel, was presently stationed back at B-1, the North Blue's chief base of operations for all World Government military activity. For now, the peculiar commanding officer was more than happy to continue practising his archery skills and had spent most of the last week honing his abilities while awaiting news of his ship's status. Normally in command of a mobile force, the meticulous gentleman with violet hair was finding life on dry land quite comforting. If not for extensive damage to his vessel's rear masts during his last battle at sea with pirates, he and the men and women under his charge would be out on the cold and stormy seas right about now. Needless to say, he was glad to spend time on an island where the weather was a lot less vicious. Actually, it was quite a nice day. The sky was cloudy, but by no means did that cast gloomy shadows down to earth. Warm, but not unbearably so.

"Great shootin', Cap'n!" A voice called from his left as he walked across the paved floor towards the target. Another man approached him; one of medium stature, yet well built, with a sword at his side and a matchlock pistol on his belt. One of the lieutenants who served underneath him aboard the Zophiel, an Aran Clerk, now walked beside him and gave a brief salute. The man was just an inch shorter than the Captain himself, with fuzzy blond hair, a hearty complexion and sky blue eyes that sparkled in the light of the sun.

"Lieutenant Clerk," Marlus identified, returning the salute with a tad less gusto than his comrade had given, bow now held at his side as the two men continued to walk the distance, "How are the Zophiel's repairs coming along?"

"Heh. Slowly. They're talkin' about replacing the whole damn mast!" Clerk stressed, huffing to himself as he eyed his Captain, aware of his thoughts on the matter. While it was nice for the crew to spend some time on land, many of the Seamen and even the Ensigns were becoming angsty about being cooped up at the fort for so long. Still, they had little choice in the matter and, unfortunately, neither did Marlus. It was not as if the Vice Admiral was present to give him official command of another ship, anyway, and he much preferred sailing aboard the Zophiel than any other vessel. Not that it was particularly different - it was just a standard Battleship, but still. It was a vessel he had sailed on many times over his career.

"That's going to hold us here for at least another week, I take it?" He replied with a sigh, closing his eyes and allowing his head to lower for a moment as they finally approached the target. He knew all too well that his crew would not be very fond of such an idea, but at least they were diligent. Manning a battleship was a constant affair, to be sure, and it amazed him that such men and women put so much of their time into keeping everything running so smoothly. Hopefully this extensive break would not dull them?

"Yeah, definitely. Those damn Fishmen really did a number on it with their cannons. Buggers got away, too! ...Captain?" Clerk stared at him for a moment, having missed the brief glare that the bowman had cast his way. It was true that it had been a crew of Fishmen that had attacked their ship, toppling the rear mast and slowing the Zophiel down dramatically. They had been able to sail out of range of the cannons, at that, but not without their own smaller ship (a Carrack, the Captain had assumed) taking some hits. Still, sinking a ship under the command of Fishmen was not exactly going to stop them, but it did mean that they would have had to make port somewhere nearby for repairs if they were to progress further on their villainous journey. For Marlus, however, it was not so much that that had bothered him. It was the insults shouted at them from the enemy vessel. Every word had carried hatred for the human race, a hatred which so many Fishmen seemed to share. But, while others looked at them as if they were monsters, the Captain knew that was not always the case. It was unlikely that every Fishman in the world was a pirate, but alas the World Government and all who served it seemed to brand them as such. That couldn't have been right, could it?

"Sorry, Clerk." The Captain apologised, dragging his gloomy head out of conflicted daydreams of right and wrong and instead focusing upon the three arrows that had been lodged in the target before him. Each had struck within half and inch of one another but, true to his initial judgment, not a one of the of the three was in the middle of the Bullseye. One had struck just above dead centre, while the other two missiles had embedded themselves slightly to the left of it. He frowned as he wrapped his fingers around the shaft of one arrow and, with a little persuasive wiggling, pulled it free of the circle. Holding the head up to the light to check for any denting of the steel tip, he spoke once more, "I'm just trying to keep improving my shooting. I was off about half an inch..."

"Pshaw!" The blond Lieutenant chuckled, patting the gloomier of the officers on the shoulder in reassurance, "Half an inch!? I'd understand if you're a rifleman, but you're using a bow for cryin' out loud! That's a six hundred yard shot you just made with a Goddamn headwind!"

"...Yes? Is that really that great?" The veteran seemed rather unimpressed with such a feat, provoking a queer look from his comrade who most definitely saw it as something worthy of praise and pride. It was no secret that Clerk was a lot more optimistic than Caine but, then again, most were. The Captain was grim and depressing at times. Ever the critic about his own ability and rarely looking on the bright side of things, he was a pessimist, through and through. From the way his hair flopped around his face to the sable hues of his most trusted weapon, he certainly looked as cold and as dark as the deep blue sea...

SPOILER: Click to show

Cpt. Marlus Caine (3b003b)
Lt. Aran Clerk (ffff33)

[Flame]

Her hands worked their usual patterns with the rope as she netted all her catches in. Each was held by a binding to a main rope that she could pull along beside her. They were all dead, preserved by the sea water. At least they would be preserved for long enough for her to bring them into harbor. Anything else she used to cook her own meals while she was out hunting. It was her life, she now did these tasks with such ease that her mind would wander as she tied knots around her catch.

Finally they stopped moving, that complex dance that they did every time completed. Merle looked down inspecting her work with a keen eye. Darting up and down the winding rope she nodded to herself happy with her own work. Then grabbing both ends of the rope in her hands she pulled on them, her strength strained upon the rope but it did not budge, it was nice and tight. Had to be otherwise it might just float away as she swam. That would not be good, finding the end of the rope she grabbed the handle which she had created by forming a small loop. Walking along the sea floor she grabbed together the rest of her stuff, all together they fit into a decently sized bag, which she slung over her back. Finally she picked up the harpoon, waving it in the water a little to clean off what blood was stuck upon it. With a puff of her chest she said to no one in particular "Off to civilization!"

Then pausing she looked around, she was not actually sure where the closest island was. Kicking off the ocean floor she floated up slightly in the water turning around as she churned the water to find any signs of land. As she whirled in place her eyes noted something in the distance. A rising ridge off the sea floor, one that generally was for islands, where coral reefs generally made their home. Seemed like a good enough promise of land. With a kick of her feet she was off, slowly but surely she made her way through the water. Progress was slow, with so many things weighing her down she could not fight so much drag in the water. But this was expected, laxly Merle pushed her way through the waters. Her eyes were firmly stuck upon growing cliff before her. As the distance closed she was finally able to note a colorful coral reef building out of the ridge. Not only colorful it rose high up nearly to the surface. She squinted there was something odd near the top of the reef. Closing in, she suddenly recognized what seemed to be stone and wooden boarding sitting atop the reef. There was no mistaking it, man-made constructions were sitting atop the reef.

Now only perhaps a hundred meters away she kicked upwards, body and stuff both rose to the surface. Racing upwards she looks skywards, passing upwards more and more light rained down upon her. Embracing her, she continued to rise, it warmed her, and she continued upwards, towards the air filled skies above the sea. Though her baggage dragged upon her she still gathered speed, forcing a hard pull upon it. First her hair, then her face broke the surface as she found herself looking upon an island floating upon the coral reef. Upon the island she could make out the customary building of a marine base in the back of the island towering over the other buildings. A marine base, she paused, they caused troubles at times, the marines never had the best relations with fishmen. No matter, this was probably the closest island for some time if the marines had a base here. Certainly in the surrounding town she could find a place to sell her catch. Eating fish was normal across the seas, it was the bounty of the ocean and it was a very easy food source. There was no doubt they would take it.

With her head bobbing on the surface Merle headed to the island. She kicked, her hands occupied, it was a steady pace, her eyes watching around her for any sign of marine ships. She had no love of being run over by ships, she could always dive beneath again but the food could get caught up in the stupid waves and be sent adrift. Besides diving down would be too much trouble at this point. The swim over was rather uneventful. Still she was cautious unprecedentedly so for herself but then it was a marine base. They were never very happy to see her. She gave a little sigh to herself Marines really do need to let go of their petty stereotypes, this is a new world ... Fishman Island is already part of the Reverie ... It was humanity that really bothered her at times, most humans were rather nice. But especially among the marines they were excessively troublesome towards her and the nicer of her kin.

As she finally drew up next to the island she came to the docks. With a toss she threw her bag, harpoon and catch out of the water and upon the dock. Then easily climbed up the ladder nearby and made her way up onto the dock herself. No one seemed to notice her, which was nice, grabbing her stuff once again she moved onward. Every now and then she would elicit a glance but it seemed most people would rather just avoid her. Now to find a restaurant ...

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of cocking guns behind her. "Hands up fishman scum!" Came a voice from behind her. Merle sighed and dropped her stuff, raising her hands into the air and began to turn around. Before her stood five marines, the middle one held a small pistol towards her, the other four held rifles. Really? This ... So much for civilization ... Merle could almost laugh at the incredulity of what was happening. She held it back, lest they actually shoot her. While the stifling took some of her strength she was able to ask as harmlessly as she could.

"What seems to be the matter, Marine?"

[Vio]

"Well. Yeah, Cap'n, it is!" Clerk exclaimed as he looked at Marlus' less enthusiastic visage. "Nobody else in North Blue could make that kind of shot." He was right, for sure. Captain Caine's skills with a bow were second to none when it came to the marines of the North Blue divisions, but the archer himself knew all too well that others surpassed him. If Ewan was anything to go by, such skills with a bow were not unique to him. Archery itself was a centuries old, possible even millenia old form of hunting. In all that time it had changed to a form of combat and then, replaced by firearms, descended to little more than a sport. But that did not make it ineffective. As outdated as it seemed when compared to the modern rifle, the bow and arrow was still an efficient weapon in the right hands. As all of his comrades had seen, Marlus possessed such hands, and it was both frightening and inspiring to them that he could be capable of such things. "Geez, I wish you'd brighten up a bit. You're a great Captain an' all, but you always seem so out of it..."

If only you understood... The moody marine contained a sigh as he thought to himself, considering all the events that had made such an impact on his state of mind. In his youth, as a Seaman, Marlus had shared similar liveliness and determination to that of Clerk and the others who served with them. Now, with much more experience under his belt, he saw things differently. The world was no longer seen through rose-tinted glasses, and because of that it all seemed so much gloomier. The Lieutenant had never been in the presence of a Tenryuubito, nor anywhere near one, for that matter. They were criminals. Above the law. That wasn't right.

"I apologise if that's how I seem, Clerk," the Captain commented, pausing for a moment before cracking a small smile. A light chuckled escaped his mouth as his eyes moved between the arrows in his hand and the man whom he was currently conversing with. Sometimes things were more simple and more obvious than they first seemed. "Hah. It seems like I've been focusing too much on my bowmanship, and not enough on my leadership..."

"Clerk," Marlus said as the two started to walk back across the courtyard and towards the main tower, drawing out a curious 'yessir' for the blond Lieutenant as a platoon of new recruits and their leading Ensign began running laps around the perimeter. "Do you think I should take a few steps back, for today?"

"What d'you mean by that, Sir?" An honest question, given that Mister Caine's words were not entirely clear. Sometimes he had a habit of speaking in a way not too dissimilar from making a riddle.

"Well, until the Zophiel's repairs are completed, we can't do much. Even as a Captain, I am lower on the chain of command for this base than either Captain's Barton or Captain Wills. And," he continued, "you said it yourself. I seem 'out of it', so I should do what I can to get back into it."

The two men now approached the open doors that connected the paved rooftop expanse to the central build of the structure, entering into a finely built hallway that joined to the main staircase - a grandiose construct that allowed the many men and women in the base to ascend and descend the innumerable stories of their home. A near identical stairway existed in the neighbouring tower. In fact, the two parts of the base shared almost identical architectural design, with a few necessary alterations to accommodate for the different units they housed. The only thing that prevented people from looking down the many flights was the giant white support column in the centre. Apparently, this massive stone beast was like a stake driven into the ground; only instead of soil, it had been carved into the expanse of coral that formed Jreum itself.

"I still don't get you, Cap'n. You're speakin' riddles again!" Aran retorted calmly, shrugging his shoulders as they walked about the balcony toward the descending stairs, ready to head deeper into the fortress to where the bulk of the operations took place. The archer's bow was now strung over his back, the three arrows returned to the confines of his quiver as they started down the steps, footsteps echoing slightly as boots clapped against stone slabs.

"Hm. What I mean is, I'm essentially going to drop my rank for a little while. For now, you're in charge of the Zophiel's crew while I work amongst their ranks, rather than above them. Is that okay with you?" Questioned the violet-haired Captain as they descended a third flight, leaving the stairs behind and beginning their movements through the winding corridors of the fortress. A gentle cascade of sunlight poured in through the windows, overlooking the endless blue seas that stretched for countless miles toward the horizon. Blue of the sea blended with blue of the sky, the silhouettes of ships riding the trade winds present on the calm waters that surrounded the island.

"Uh. Y-yes, Sir!" Clerk saluted him with vigour, clicking his heels together and taking on the most formal of stances the Captain ever saw him make. Formality was one thing, but when battling the waves of the North Blue's more difficult waters, such things were not important. Besides that, Marlus valued a man's ability more than formality. As long as their respect for their superiors and their duty was clear, he cared little about how they acted. None of the crew put a toe out of line under his watch. At least, not to his knowledge, as he commanded a determined and noble lot. Well, now it was Lieutenant Aran Clerk who commanded them. Temporarily.

"Dismissed, Lieutenant." Returning the salute with equal energy, albeit still a little less flamboyantly, Caine and Clerk parted ways and headed in differing directions. Now, the Captain's next course of action was to return to his office, located further down the hallway. It was one of the many box-like protrusions that decorated the exterior walls of the base, though it was only temporary accommodation while the Zophiel was in for repairs. It had everything he needed. No more and no less. It was really just like a small hotel room, albeit plastered with Marine and World Government frippery. It was an office for a Marine Captain, not some barracks for aspiring recruits. Such decorations were not a necessity, in his honest opinion. Heck, he kept his own uniform as simple as possible, more for convenience than anything else...

[Flame]

A sharp voice came in return, her harmless question was not being taken well it seemed. "Not another word you monster!" Looking to his left and right he gestured with his head to the marines at his side. There was a moment of hesitation among the two marines who were gestured to. Fear? Probably actually they would probably prefer to shoot her right here and now, but they did not have good reason to do that. Not yet at least. Still their fear brought laughter to her throat once more and this time she could not hold it back. A chortle came out of her throat, bringing a smile to her face. The laughter broke out of her mouth causing her to begin to double over in amusement. That was all together the worst timing to start to laugh.

BANG

The sound of a rifle echoed through the buildings around them causing heads to turn all over the place. A piercing pain ran up her left leg as the bullet went clean through just grazing her bone. This time she did fall to the ground, Merle's hands grasped at her leg putting pressure against the hole. On instinct she went for the medical kit in her bag. A voice stopped her "Don't you dare go for the bag." The officer's voice rang out stopping her as she moved. Worse than leaving this wound was incurring more damage. The first shot was definitely their fault the others would probably also be but she'd be stupid to try and provoke them by doing something stupid. "I need to bind the wound, there is a medical kit in the bag. Its in a box with a red cross on it. Since I obviously can not grab it." Merle voice went icy for a second before regaining its lighter tone. "If you would grab it for me that would be excellent." Merle tried to ask as nicely as possible. Hopefully she could garner some sympathy from them.

"Don't bother with your distractions fishman scum. Take it in." The officer said with a cold stern voice. Merle's face fell slightly, the marines now seeing that they had brought down the fishman a little gained some confidence and two of them walked towards her, one with cuffs at the ready. Merle knew better than to fight this, if she did it would only cause more trouble than good. She should easily be able to get out of this situation in a court of law. They had nothing to hold her on, unfortunately she had been through stuff like this before. She would get through it, she always did. It was unfortunate, even the marines were normally not this bad to her. For a moment she wondered what had happened to cause this level of hatred towards her kind.

Without a fight she allowed the two marines to handcuff her. With her arms bound behind her back and a bad leg they still forced her to her feet. "Come on fishman. Walk!" she was prodded with the butt of a rifle to her feet. Even with her limp they showed no sympathy forcing her forwards towards the marine base itself. Behind her she could vaguely hear the officer order the confiscation of all of her belongings. The only thing that belonged to her now was the clothes on her body and well her body. Such was the injustice of the world it seemed, Merle sighed continuing to limp her way through the island. The people of the town around the base watched her as she was paraded through it.

The faces she saw were mixed, some had disgust, some had ambivalence and a select few seemed sympathetic. Those were the faces she remembered, the sympathetic ones, generally they were the faces of the young, who knew naught of the histories and the hatreds of the more elder of the race. Merle had been told once, that it was the next generation that would change the cycle of hatred. It was a small hope that was given to her when she saw these faces. It would hold her through whatever troubles would be given to her here at this marine base. It was a little while but finally she and the marines passed through the gate into the hold of the Marine base grounds. One of the marines spoke up "This is B-1 fishman. Take a look around, this'll be your home till you are dead." His voice was angry and dangerous. Of course Merle did not take it too seriously, it was unlikely that they would actually be able to hold her here.

The prods continued and ahead Merle finally saw where they were heading. Apart from the marine building there was a large stone building, it was square and plain, no color, no life. It was a jail. The marine walked her in, nodding to the warden on the way before throwing her in a cell. It was a man-sized cell and if not for the fact that Merle was a small fishman it might have seemed a little cramped. Her farewell was as nice as the treatment she had gotten all day. "Rot and die here scum." With that the marine left her, leaving the building after depositing a key with the warden.

Her cell was dark and damp, a small light down the hallway was the only form of heat it seemed here. Today was rough, the wound on her leg was not looking good she poked at it carefully hoping that it would not get infected here. It was definitely a place where people rotted, but it was not for her. Walking up to the bars at the front of her cell, she called out down the empty hallways hoping a guard or warden might hear her. "I need to see a doctor!" Her voice echoed through the halls, then as an afterthought she put in, seeing as the call was pretty much hopeless she figured she might as well do something a little more ridiculous. "Also the leader of this damned marine base."

[Vio]

Closing the door behind him, Marlus Caine entered his quarters, pulling the bow and quiver from his back and resting them neatly upon the furnished wooden desk that sat near the window. Pale green hues gazed absently through the glass as the Captain considered his choice, his office overlooking a spread of stony coral upon which the fortress had been built. He sighed deeply, allowing his eyes to close as he leaned upon his desk with the palms of his hands, attempting to banish his worries and sorrows and think of his duties as a Marine. It was certainly not that easy for him, but alas he was able to swallow his concerns down as he ran his fingers across the bowstring to check the tension. Still perfect. There was something to be said about his trusted bow, Mørk Vinge, and its finely crafted form. However, it was his own skill that made the weapon truly potent.

"It would be nice... If I could just forget it all and start over..." he muttered beneath his breath, glancing at his hand before brushing a few stray strands of violet from in front of his eyes. Casting his hand down to his pocket, the archer withdrew a small bronze key and slid its teeth within the lock of the topmost desk drawer, turning it steadily. It clicked back at him in acceptance, the simply tumbler within pulling free the locking mechanism and allowing him to pull open the compartment. Within it was an assortment of documents and envelopes from various sources, many of which had come from Marine Headquarters or from his parents back on Lyneel. They were in their early sixties now, retiring from their original places of work and instead running a small toy store. It was nice to know that they were still going strong, the officer even chuckling slightly as his eyes settled upon a letter from his mother and the familiar scrawl of his father's hand at the bottom. The old man had always been a bit of a joker and his wit had never dulled with his age. In fact, it was probably sharper than ever. Reminiscence aside, Marlus pulled out the copy of the Zophiel's damage report, giving it a quick once over. That was when a sound caught his ear.

Was that a rifle? I didn't think there was any rifle drills scheduled for today... Shifting around his desk and approaching the window, paper still grasped within his hand, Mister Caine looked down from his lofty position in an attempt to identify the source. The sound had been faint, but he recognised it anywhere. A standard issue matchlock used by any rifleman or woman serving, especially popular for its effective range and relative accuracy compared to its cost. Easy to mass produce with current technology, even in the farthest reaches of the Blues, and any gunsmith worth his salt was more than capable of crafted such a simple and effective weapon. Waving the paper in front of his face, the bowman tried to blow away the excessively long train of thought, unable to find any traces of unwarranted action as he scanned the area below.

"Hmph. Now I'm hearing things... Ah, well. I'd best-" His mumblings to himself were interrupted, the sound of a Den Den Mushi ringing drew his gaze to his desk where the once sleeping mollusc sat, babbling away in an attempt to draw the attention of the Captain. Again, the violet-haired gentleman sighed aloud, expecting this call to be something of little importance. Regardless, he needed to answer it. If they were calling this particular snail then it meant they needed him. Slapping the ship's damage report down on the desk, he reached over and wrapped his fingers around the receiver, pulling the unnatural attachment free of the painted shell and holding it to his mouth.

"Captain Marlus Caine, speaking," he answered, slightly curious as to what features of his where being portrayed by the gastropod at the other end of the line, if any at all. The one whose eyes he currently stared at was rather bland, having shown little to no obvious signs of adaptation as it started to mimic the incoming words.

"Captain Caine. Warden Stephens reporting, Sir. I have news regarding a potential pirate that has just been jailed. We request your presence as you may want to see this, Sir." The warden rattled off his words with a sort of contained shout, as if he were trying to keep his words out of earshot while remaining formal and respectful. The Captain himself frowned slightly before replying.

"Affirmative, Warden. I'm on my way." Putting down the transceiver, he put a hand to his face and muttered to himself once again. "Potential pirate? What's that supposed to mean... I wish they'd think before they act!"

~~~~~

Approximately five minutes later and the Captain was already at the jail cells of B-1, entering the rather gloomy block of brickwork and iron that connected to the foot of the base. It was a depressing old place, but it was also a necessity; he just silently wished that they'd actually keep it clean. Pretty much as soon as he entered the building, the Warden popped up from behind his desk and saluted, provoking yet another more casual salute from the commanding officer. With little more than a 'right this way, sir', the Warden escorted him down the dank hallway towards a standard cell a little farther down. Standard iron bars laced with Kairouseki - typical of a large scale base's jail - cordoned off a small cell in which a most peculiar form rested. A Fishman. Or, a Fishwoman, judging by the build. Even if they did share traits of sea creatures, one could still determine sex. What concerned him most, however, was the fact that the rather small person's leg was bloodied. Immediately he coined it; that was why he had heard gun fire earlier.

"Warden Stephens, may I ask as to why this prisoner has not received medical attention?" A sterm gaze was cast toward the warden who seemed to shudder slightly at Marlus' words. There was no denying that the Captain had a point. Criminal or not, Fishman or not, medical attention was always important. Besides, this was an 'alleged' criminal, not a confirmed one, and that in itself had Caine feeling rather foul inside. He understood why they'd locked her up in one way, but had she actually done anything? This was what he was going to attempt to find out.

"Also, Warden. May I ask what offence this young lady is accused of?" the Captain added, honestly curious as to what events had led up to the imprisonment of a Fishwoman. "Is she related to the crew that attacked the Zophiel?"

Highly unlikely. But why shoot her? From what I gather, it's unusual to see Fishwomen outside of Fishman Island... He looked at the girl, taking note of her appearance; the blue and shiny skin, the fins, the turquoise hair. She had the strangest build, lengthy and very much human. Then again, he'd never actually a Fishwoman before. It was a new experience for the Captain, and that actually brightened up his day somewhat. It was nice to discover new things, but it was a shame that he had to do so in such a time as this.

SPOILER: Click to show

Gah, this got really hard to write after about 600 words. Sorry.

[Flame]

Resting her head back against the cold stone wall of the jail Merle wondered why this was happening to her. Well she knew why, but she wanted to know why, this was rather unexpected even for the marines. Looking down at her leg again her face turned a sickened look, the wound was not healing well and she did not have anything to even bind it. The longer she let it sit the more likely it would get infected it was unfortunate given the situation she was in. Merle sighed her head swung back slamming into the wall with a dull thunk. It stung, but it was nothing compared to the ache that was coming from her leg so she bore with it.

As she laid back thinking about her circumstances she suddenly heard the soft din of feet clashing against the floors. She ignored them, who would be here for her? There was no one who knew she was here apart from the marines. And the marines, well they did not seem all too happy with her even though she had done nothing for them. They were treating her no better than a pirate, as if they were attacked by ... She paused her thoughts, as if they were attacked by fishman pirates. In that case given their predisposition towards fishmen it seemed all too obvious now. She counted in her head the crews of fishmen in the area, there were three that she knew of, two of them had actually approached her in the past. She tapped her fingers trying to remember what the names of those captains were. There was that stingray fishman Ibrahm and there was ... she could not remember the name for the life of her. Unconsciously her mouth began to move in her head she could picture the marlin fishman. But what was his name ... in a soft barely perceptible voice she said "Ciel ... that sounds right."

She of course heard her voice and froze for a moment looking ahead of her to see two figures standing before her cell. One of course was the warden, but the other she did not recognize. He wore a marine uniform of sorts, it was slightly different from the ones she had seen upon the usual marine grunts. Which meant this was an officer of some sort, the leader of the marine base perhaps? Seemed unlikely to her which means this was probably just some guy. The two were talking between each other about her. She caught the end of a sentence which had something to do with 'medical attention'. Perhaps for herself? That was unlikely, he was a marine as well. The man asked the warden two more questions, both of which she could answer herself. But she looked to the warden first watching him for a moment. The warden was hesitating, so annoyed enough by what was happening Merle decided to take her fate into her own hands.

Putting her hands on the ground she pushed up slightly coming to her feet. Limping across the cell before stumbling slightly until she caught herself on the cell bars. Hopefully that got their attention so she composed herself for a second and then answered the more important question first. "I am part of no crew of any type." She nodded her face vigorously. Then pausing slightly she considered what she was about to say.

"And ... I am accused of nothing but being a fishman." Her voice was lacking in emotion as she was trying her best to keep herself composed. But the idea of marines who so strongly called to the purpose of justice would commit such a racist act. She could not hold herself and thus began to laugh amused at the stupidity of it all. The smile on her face was wiped away slightly "Its laughable, really." Merle didn't particularly like where her mood was going but given the situation she could not really help it. Still the laughing was a decent sign. She gave off a smile, she was still chuckling to herself at the stupidity and incredulity of it all. Like this would happen to a human after a marine crew was attacked by a pirate crew of humans.

Relaxing a little she looked at the two of them wondering what would happen to her. Given what she said, it could not have not come off as even a little bit icy. After a second of thought she broke out into laughter once again, she had probably gotten herself into more trouble than before. Her laughter continued, it was a light laughter as it tried to protect her from her own stupidity. Merle fell backwards landing on her butt. But then it really did not seem to matter to her.

[Vio]

"Well, Captain, I-" Warden Stephens began to explain, but the two men's awkward conversation was caught short by a sudden interruption. Marlus Caine's own eyes had watched carefully as the girl had clambered to her feet, hobbling over to this side of the cell upon a wounded and bloodied leg. It was clearly a bullet wound now that he could see it, and it seemed that the round itself had cut clean through her flesh. Not the largest of wounds, for sure, but she was steadily loosing blood as the red liquid trickled free of the narrow piercing in her shimmering skin. Red. Again, it reminded the Captain of the similarities between human and fishman, more so than the differences. Body shape. Language. Even blood. They were not truly fish, in a sense, but fish-like mammals. At least, that is what he thought as he analysed this 'criminal' from the corner of his vision.

"I am part of no crew of any type," the young woman exclaimed, her hands suddenly wrapped around the bars of her cell and causing a dull metallic clank. She had easily overheard their conversation and, in an attempt to prove her innocence, seemed to be more than willing to draw in the attention she believed she deserved. She paused for a moment, though whether it was to plan her words or add a sense of drama to the event was unknown. The latter would have been very much the pirate sort of thing, but as Mister Caine's gaze swept across her face, his light green eyes caught the glimmer of thought inside the girl's own. The way they looked slightly downward, unbeknownst to the owner herself. It was a very human thing; to move one's eyes unconsciously while you considered your next course of action. That was a tell tale sign of higher intelligence, rather than bestial instinct.

Is that so... The archer's eyes narrowed slightly, his brow furrowed gently at what the young lady followed with. It was just as he had thought upon first seeing her locked inside that cell. What she seemed to call 'laughable' was, in the honest opinion of the Captain himself, thoroughly disgusting. He felt his pulse quicken slightly, but he did his best to retain his calm and collected composure as he and the warden stared at the person. There was an unusual sense about her, it seemed; the way she presented herself and the way she spoke. Even the way she chuckled between voicing her thoughts. Even in such dire circumstances as these, how could she seem so free of worry? Marlus himself allowed a subtle frown to form upon his lips, raising an eyebrow in curious confusion as he looked through the bars.

Why the hell is she laughing like that? What a strange young woman... Shaking his head slightly, the commanding officer looked back towards the warden. Stephens himself looked rather infuriated at the fact that this 'pirate', as she had been discriminately branded as, could find such serious things so amusing. It was plain as the sun rising. Resting a hand upon the man's shoulder, Marlus gave him a stern look and shook his head, watching the warden's expression switch between angry, worried and then a little stroppy.

"Captain," the Warden whispered to him, turning about so that they were facing away from the near-hysterical fishwoman. "It doesn't sit right with me, at all. She's probably lying through her teeth at us! It's better to be safe than sorry. Their crew was brave enough to attack the Zophiel, right? What's to say they aren't planning an attack on B-1!?"

"Stephens, this is one fishwoman in a fortress of several thousand marines. Besides, have you even seen a fishwoman for yourself? I know I haven't, until today," he whispered back, adjusting the strap that held his quiver and bow upon his back. The archer's primary weapon itself was in full splendor, its two peculiar blades now attached to the arms once more, but currently sheathed by sleeves of black leather that matched the ebon hue of quiver and bow. Sighing to himself once again, he turned to face the warden properly, raising his voice to the point where it actually seemed like an order. "Warden, please go and retrieve a first aid kit. I wish for this woman's medical needs to be seen to, as soon as possible!"

"Yessir," Stephens saluted, the obvious look of dissatisfaction upon his face as he marched his way past the Captain and down the short hallway. Once he was out of earshot, Marlus turned to the girl, taking a moment or two to confirm his own thoughts and considerations.

It's unfortunate that all this had to happen. But, I can't exactly do anything to help her, aside from get medical attention... I can't set her free without word from Captain Barton or the Vice Admiral... Biting his lip, the violet-haired man could not help but feel as useless as a chore boy. He was sound in his belief that this woman had done nothing truly criminal, other than laugh at a few marines, but that was hardly worthy of anything more than a quick telling off. Now the man's conscience was weighing heavily upon him. It was the same feeling he had experienced back at Sabaody, knowing about the slaves and being unable to do a damn thing about it. But, this was just completely wrong. To imprison an innocent based on suspicion was one thing, but this was due to little more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I'm sorry, young lady," Marlus began, stepping closer to the bars, "but there's nothing much else I can do at this moment in time. I'm a Captain, yes, but I'm not in any way in charge of this base. I'll do what I can to try and get in touch with the person in charge, but I can't promise anything. Until then, I advise you to stay put.

"Also," he continued, brushing some loose strands of hair out of his eyes again, "may I ask your name? What were you doing here? Hmm... This probably sounds like some sort of interrogation, doesn't it?"

The bowman smiled slightly, though the grin on his face was only brief. It was then that the warden returned, now carrying a bag with a cross upon it. It was not a standard first aid kit, it seemed. Curious. However, his curiosity soon subsided when Stephens muttered to him that said kit belonged to the girl herself. That probably meant she had some medical knowledge. The prepared type? Though she did not seem it at first glance, more the happy-go-lucky type. Accepting the medical equipment from the warden, Marlus watched as the officer unlocked the barred door of the cell with rattling keys, holding the doorway open and allowing the Captain to step inside.

"Here, I'll assume if this is yours, you'd know more about what to do that I would..."

[Flame]

Merle's eyes shifted back to the two, or more specifically the man standing with the warden. She knew the warden had no power to do anything, but perhaps this person could. She watched his eyes narrow and his brows furrow as if full of thought. A good thing? That had yet to be seen, he'd either found her input annoying or there was something of more favorable consequence on his mind. She hoped for the second, wished for it even, as that would probably be the best for her leg if she got he attention of some officer of the marines as she guessed he was. His eyebrows moved and a frown formed on his face then finally he shook his head as if having come to some decision that there was something forlorn about the situation. She was being judged and for a moment she thought to make a bold statement to sway him but then the warden began to whisper to the captain.

Though she strained she could not hear what the warden had to say. Of course there was a decent amount to say, and knowing humans it was probably not to her benefit. She chuckled to herself amused at the situation she was in. Her life was in the balance and it was being held by some humans, what a laugh the fishmen at home would get out of this. A smile was held gently upon her face and she closed her eyes for a moment. Then a slightly different mumble crossed her ears, it was also indiscernible but it was obviously not the warden's voice. Her life in the balance a decision seemed to be made, the man shifted something causing a quiver and bow to come into more prominent view. It was an ancient weapon, rarely did she see those used anymore. Was this to be the method of her death, now that was laughable. A punishment fit to reward a grudge more ancient than the two races could remember. She let out a laugh but was quickly silenced by the officer as she referred to him in her head.

Her silence was bought by his own voice barking out a command that startled her a little. A first aid kid was to be gotten for her and her leg was to be repaired. Well that was a start, Merle's eyes were wide with surprise and she held a wide smile across her face. Laughter erupted from her mouth now for a completely different reason, her life seemed to be safe in this man's hands for now. She had doubted him and he had come through, she laughed at her own naivety in believing all men were the same. Was she not also an exception to the all fishmen are vicious rule. Looking at the man in a new light she gave a genuine smile to him. Quickly and with as much gratitude as she could give she said "Thank you."

The warden had left in this time, though she had no doubt his face would be lacking in a smile. That of course was hilarious to her, the misfortune of those who thought less of her. Anyone could find that funny and for her who found most everything amusing to some degree that gave her a good laugh as well. How weird she must seem to the man having laughed through the whole ordeal. Certainly she must at least seem different from the fishmen he had experienced in the past, that at least should be good for her. The officer walked up to the bars placing his hands where hers had once been. Looking in and down at her he did something just as incredulous as the previous acts though it probably should have been less so. He apologized for what had happened and though she was correct that he was an officer that he had no ability to get her free. Though the promise to see someone who could help her was good. If what he said was truthful and she was beginning to have a strong feeling that it was then the situation was definitely looking up. Here was a man of principle it seemed, one whose moralities went above the petty differences of race.

He continued with a question, her name and her purpose. Almost like an interrogation, had he been honeycombing her? But then he put in one last comment with a slight grin and smile. Merle on the other hand laughed at the little jest, no he most likely was not. She figured she would answer his questions truthfully, not that she would not have anyways. Taking a moment to stifle her laughter she breathed in and out calming herself down. "My name is Merle(OOC: Mer-lay). And as for why I'm here, I was here to sell some fish I caught to the restaurants around here. I'd cook it all myself but I do need money for other things in life." The last comment came off with a grin to match the one the captain had given her. It was then that the warden came back, carrying rather than a first aid kit her bag. That was a relief, her stuff was safe, at least most likely, who knew what the marines had done with her bag in the short time she'd been locked up.

The captain took the bag from the warden before having him unlock the cage to step inside with her bag offering it to her along with a few kind words. Gratefully she said it again. "Thank you." He had earned the second thank you, though it was probably unnecessary. Taking the bag from him she reached inside with one arm and pulled out a roll of white material as well as a small box. Placing both on the ground before her she opened the box first revealing to the two marines the contents so that they would not be surprised. Grabbing a small circular container she pulled off the top revealing a white cream. Picking some up with her fingers she smeared it across both sides of the bullet hole that went clean through her leg. Rubbing it in she winced slightly as it stung slightly.

Having applied it thoroughly she closed the container put it back in the box and put the box back in the bag. The white cream would help stop infections now all she had to do was bind the wound. The roll of white material would suffice for that, taking the end of it she held the end to her leg and wrapped it in a quick and easy motion. Once around, twice around, and a third time just for luck was all it took. Ripping the piece from the roll she tucked the end in and placed the white roll down. Looking back up at the captain she gave a gracious smile and a small laugh. Amused she made one last comment "You can't just break me out of here can you?" It was meant as a joke and she was laughing as she said it. She knew he could do no such thing.

[Vio]

Merle? How odd that we'd have such similar names... The Captain thought for a moment, musing over the near-identical spelling of his own first name. Three letters' difference was not all that much given the pronunciation of such words, but he shoved his musings free of his thoughts as the young lady accepted her first aid kit. All that Marlus Caine's medical knowledge consisted off was basic use of splints and dressings, such as when dealing with a sprained wrist or ankle, or cleaning up cuts and scrapes. A bullet wound was an entirely different type of injury, he knew, having sustained a couple of glancing hits during his time. Nothing as serious as a through and through wound at what was very likely point blank range, but he only had to take a gander at the hole in the girl's leg to understand that this was far more serious a wound than anything he'd sustained in recent years.

"Thank you," Merle said, taking the medical kit from the officer and quickly getting to work in treating her wounds. He watched cautiously, but also with a sense of curiosity, paying attention to every little thing that this Fishwoman did as she took care of herself. What he observed was rather basic stuff, but no doubt such things would be useful to learn. Supposedly you learned of something new each and every day, though the experienced officer was not entirely sure whether or not he had possessed such a privilege for a long time. He had seen a lot of things, but his life as a commissioned officer often meant that such events came in waves. Sometimes it was hard for him to take it all in, others it left him questioning all the little things. He was good at that. Questioning. Perhaps that was why he expressed such an interest in finding out exactly what had happened to this woman?

"You really don't need to thank me. I'm just trying to be a little more... civil," Marlus explained, waving off her gratitude in the humblest of manners. To be fair, being thanked was something that didn't occur all that often when you were a marine. You took orders from your superiors and dished them out to your subordinates. That was it. Manners were far more physical, 'please' and 'thank you' were little more than giving an order and offering a salute once it was done. It didn't mean the World Navy was impolite, it simply meant that the violet-haired gentleman was not entirely used to hearing such gratitude. It was a strange feeling, to be sure. It provoked another small smile to form upon his lips, though it soon faded as he noticed her wincing in pain. She'd applied some sort of salve to the entry and exit wounds, which explained her reaction. Disinfecting a wound was a familiarly painful process, the Captain himself very nearly mimicking her motion just from watching.

"My name is Marlus... Ah, and all of your belongings will be returned to you once this is over and done with, Merle. I assure you," Mister Caine added, making sure that the lithe Fishwoman understood that he was going to make sure she got out of here. In his mind, he wondered whether or not this was the right thing to do, but everything he had been brought up with screamed at him. There was no denying the conscience, it seemed. To get his answers, however, he needed to speak directly with Captain Barton. The problem was that she was in a meeting and was not exactly the type who liked to be disturbed for what may have been such a trivial matter. However, it was what the girl said next that struck him as unusual. Breaking out? That was a criminal offence. It was obvious she was joking by the childish laughter emanating from her mouth, but an odd feeling welled up with the archer's chest at the thought of such an act. What worried him most was not the act itself, but the fact that his thoughts did not seem to say it was wrong.

"Hm. Maybe not, but I can at least try and do the next best thing," he replied, standing up and stepping out of the cell, leaving Merle's medical kit with her. It wasn't like it contained some chemical concoction for busting through walls. That and she seemed like the trustworthy sort, which was what pained him the most about her imprisonment. With that, he turned to the warden, whose face displayed a look of dissatisfaction at the exchange of mild humour. "Warden Stephens, would you be so kind as to put a call through to Captain Barton?"

"Huh... Yes, Captain," the warden saluted, seemingly rather peeved at the consistent work he was being forced to do. This was by no means Impel Down, where the wardens were always busy doing the rounds. In fact, it seemed that all Stephens did was sit at his desk by the jail entrance, reading newspapers or magazines. Not the most inspiring of individuals. As he walked back down the hallway, Marlus heard him grumble something about 'she's not going to like it', a comment which summed up the second-in-command of the base quite well.

"Right, Merle. I'm going to try and persuade my superior to grant permission for your early release. I'm not sure if she will agree to it or not, given the circumstances. I believe you're innocent, though, and I'll do my best to make Captain Barton see eye to eye," he said, explaining the situation to the fisherwoman. It was quite ironic that a person who was part fish would hunt such creatures, but it was not entirely different from humans hunting mammals. Closing the cell door, he turned the key and locked it, though not before frowning to himself and sighing. Was this really a necessity? Again his conscience hammered at his skull. "According to our ruling, those detained under suspicious circumstances are to be kept to more than twenty four hours without additional evidence. Unfortunately, they'll likely want to keep you in for the full duration..."

My only concern is... It's entirely possible that they'll want to keep her in indefinitely, until evidence to the contrary surfaces... My word isn't anywhere near enough... His mind silently stewing over such troublesome thoughts, he paused for a moment and awaited any response the fishwoman might have had. He could only imagine the disappointment, but of all the people he had met, Merle was perhaps the single most cheerful character to walk (or swim) the planet. It had been quite a while since he had actually felt someone's cheeriness pass into him. It was nice. But it was also saddening. Looking at the blue-skinned girl, he nodded, now able to hear the subtle ringing of a Den Den Mushi from down the corridor...

SPOILER: Click to show

Alright. My next post will be Marlus talking with Captain Barton, then I'll probably do a short time skip...

[Flame]

The officer returned the favor she gave by giving her name by returning it with his, Marlus. Along with an assurance that she would be given her stuff back at the end of this ordeal, whenever it did end. If he was a captain then she believed him, she figured him a man of his word. For a second her mind ranged back to his name, it was curious, she knew a few Marius' and some Marcus' but Marlus was a new one for her. Was he sure he did not misread Marius those two in particular looked very similar. That thought was quickly thrown aside, how could he not know his own name, inside her mind she laughed to herself. These were very inane things to be worrying about given her situation she gathered her mind and applied it back to Marlus as he began to talk once again. This time in response to her joking request.

She figured she had made it obvious enough that it was a joke but based on Marlus' response he seemed to be taking it somewhat seriously. He was going to try and get something done to get her out of here. For a moment she thought about insisting he did not, it was not his place, she would have her due process but something stopped her. Marlus stepped out of the cell leaving her and her medical kit inside, it was odd that he left it with her. Raising an eyebrow at him as he walked out and started saying something to the Warden who was still standing outside the cell probably slightly incredulous at what was going on right now. He told the warden to put in a call to another captain, he was actually going to go through with this wasn't he. Merle thought about stopping him but once again stopped, she wanted to see how far this went. It was rather off protocol, it was kind of amusing causing her to giggle for a moment until she got the evil eye from the warden and promptly shut her mouth.

The warden shuffled off to go make the call, and Merle once again broke into laughter. This whole event seemed to be annoying the warden to no end, how he looked, how he muttered to himself, it all was rather hilarious. So as she sat there Merle laughed, clutching her belly before she began to convulse or something. Stopping as Marlus had turned back to her and began to talk. He said something about convincing his superior officer to let her off earlier even though they could only legally keep her for twenty four hours. Well even twenty four hours was not too bad, it was not like they had anything to keep her on in the first place. She was neither affiliated with pirates nor doing anything illegal in the first place, at least as far as she knew. "I really cannot thank you enough ... for everything. You must let me return the favor some day Marlus."

Merle made that last statement with a smile which was slowly cracking from laughter. The giggles from before were coming back, but over them she could vaguely hear another sound. It was the soft 'biri-biri' of a den den mushi ringing down the hallway. Making an overzealous gesture she said "Looks like someone is calling for you, you should get that. I'll patiently await the good news." Merle had grown a fair amount of confidence in this marine captain Marlus. He had given her faith that there was at least some good in humanity. Pushing herself back against a wall of the cell she laid her leg carefully out in front of her before beginning to poke her way through the bag of her medical supplies that was brought to her. The call would probably take a little while so she needed to find a way to amuse herself.

Reaching in she felt around curiously, first there was scissors. No she wouldn't take those out, that would be asking to be held in here for longer for some inane reason. In her mind she passed through the objects in her bag and then remembered that she was pretty sure she had a stress ball in there. Her hand shuffled around before finding the soft ball and pulling it out. Holding it in her hand she threw it into the air watching it arc back down towards her before catching it with her hand once again. She continued this procedure, every time her throw went wide, bounced off the ceiling too hard, or in general she missed the catch Merle broke down into laughter. This was life for her, even dreary situations did not seem too bad, easily amused as she was the simple things kept her busy. The simple things were all she needed, right?

[Vio]

"I'll patiently await the good news," Merle commented, performing a rather exaggerated gesture that was likely for little more than comedic effect. In this short period of time, the fishwoman had laughed and giggled far more than any man, woman or child that the Captain had ever known. For Marlus, that was the most unusual feature about her; not the fact that she was from the sea, but the fact that she seemed to be able to get a laugh out of nearly everything. Even the most negative of situations, it seemed, did little to faze her. Nodding and smiling a little, he turned and began to walk away, heading for the Warden's desk and the Den Den Mushi that would soon have another captain on the other end.

Ugh... Now I'm starting to wonder whether or not I am doing the right thing... Once this is over, I may take some time off and head back home... Considering the option of taking a well deserved leave of absence, Mister Caine stared blankly at Stephens as he came to the end of the hallway, a standard white and blue transponder snail with oddly narrow eyes sitting upon his desk and ringing away. With the Vice Admiral away, the vast majority of the workload in and around the base had been shifted to Battleship Captain Maria Barton, and she was likely to be stern about such a situation as this. Though she did not seem to be the type to bark orders, she definitely was the type to take charge when necessary and could be chillingly ruthless when there was a threat potential to the civilian populace. That was what made the violet-haired man worry most.

Gatcha!

"Captain Barton speaking," came a woman's voice from the mouth of the mollusc, her tone quiet and calm. Typical of the lady herself, who always seemed the aloof sort, professional to the extreme and yet still quite warm and compassionate towards others. She seemed in a good mood, the snail itself mimicking the soft smile upon her face, which meant that there was a good chance she would see Marlus' point of view. Offered the receiver of the communications system, the archer took it up and began to speak.

"This is Captain Caine reporting," he said, maintaining a professional tone to the way in which he spoke, so as to remain on the good side of the female officer. Indeed, he had witnessed her ferocity before. Quite simply, she was not the type one would want to disrespect in any way. However, he was also well aware of the various duties she had to attend to and, out of respect for her workload, decided it best to keep the conversation straight and to the point. "My apologies for interrupting you, ma'am, but a matter was recently brought to my attention which I would like to be dealt with swiftly."

"Oh. Is that so? In that case, what seems to be the matter, Captain?" She asked.

"As you are aware my Battleship, the Zophiel, was damaged in a bold attack by a group of Fishman pirates. Not too long ago, a Fishwoman was discovered by forces patrolling the docks," Marlus explained, listening to the grunts of confirmation that his superior provided. She was definitely aware of the situation at hand, it seemed, which was not entirely surprising. It was likely that all the higher ranking officers of Jreum had been informed, but he and Maria were definitely the most prominent figures given recent events. "I am not entirely sure of the events that occurred during the incident, but it seems that the altercation was nothing more than an overzealous and inexperienced officer taking a step to far."

"I understand your concerns, Marlus," the Captain replied, this time using his forename. Her manner of speaking was still very formal, but she was also trying to show some degree of care. "This Fishwoman may not be linked in any way to the pirates that attacked the Zophiel, but it is a factor that we must take into account. I assume you've questioned the suspect?"

"Yes, I have. She denies any association with pirates, whatsoever. I'm inclined to believe her, given her behaviour. I'll be honest with you, I think she's innocent, and I request permission for her release from custody, ma'am," the bowman stared at the snail, and it stared back in silence for a second or two. A very short period of time, but it very nearly seemed like an eternity.

"I'm sorry to say it, but I cannot permit this," Barton explained, a disgruntled frown appearing on the male officers face as he listened to her words. "The suspect is to remain in our custody until further notice. It would be most unfortunate for our reputation, and potentially costly to many civilian lives, if she was indeed linked to any pirate crew. Therefore, I-"

"But, Captain, this is-"

"That is a direct order, Captain Caine!" the officer barked, her voice stern. He had expected this. The last thing that the Captain herself would want to do was release a potential criminal when civilians were near. That was completely against her code of conduct, understandably, but that did not stop Marlus from seething inside. He was sure that Merle was the 'innocent civilian' in all this, so surely Barton would understand that? Apparently not. He held his breath for a moment, stifling his urges to protest, instead opting to end the conversation there and then.

"Very well, Captain Barton. I'm sorry to have troubled you. Over and out."

Gatcha!

~~~~~
...later that evening...
~~~~~

"Alright ladies and gents, settle down! Warden Harper will be here shortly for night watch... Then maybe I can do something actually worth my time..." Mumbled Stephens, walking up and down the hallway of the jail, occasionally rattling the bars of the odd cell with his baton. Probably just to rile up the prisoners kept here and provoke unrest, just to get on the nerves of his comrade. As per usual, the night watch for the cell would consist of Warden Harper and no less than a dozen armed guards. Night was a time when pirates liked to strike and busting others out of jail was always good for causing more difficulties for Marine forces. Stephens himself approached the cell in which the Fishwoman was being kept, banging on the bars to purposefully try and annoy her. Indeed, he was about to voice his own distaste of her kind when a cold wind swept through him.

"Huh? Harper, is that you?" He turned to face down the dimly lit corridor, taking note of the fact that the door had just been opened, the cold wind of the northern ocean's night sweeping in through the half-ajar entrance. Stephens stepped back a little, peering down the hall before something cold pressed against the back of his neck. He froze.

"Warden Stephens," whispered the familiar voice of Captain Marlus Caine, his bow held in his outstretched arm, an arrow set in the drawn string and its tip resting against the warden's flesh. Blink and you would have missed it, though the unwary eye could easily have missed it anyway. The archer had moved swiftly and silently, his motions presented as little more than a light gust as he had whizzed straight past Stephens and drawn his bow. Such was the speed of a practitioner of Soru, one of the six forms of Rokushiki and the only style that he was truly proficient in. "Would you kindly hand over the key to this cell?"

"Ca-captain? What the hell do y-you think you're doing!?" Stephens stammered, trying to turn about to face the green-eyed officer, but a noticeable increase in pressure made him think otherwise. The Captain was going to make it clear to the warden that any attempts to retaliating would only be futile, and it seemed that he already knew that. With his left hand, the jailer slowly reached down to his belt and wrapped his fingers around the key ring.

"What am I doing? Stephens, I'll be quite honest. I've had enough of all this. So, I'm doing what I think is right," answered the taller of the two men, still holding bow and arrow at the ready. He was not going to shoot him. That would get him nowhere in a hurry and only make things worse for the man who had already decided to rebel against everything he had known. It was painful to him, really, but nowhere near as agonising as the thought of the innocent being discriminated against. This act would definitely cost him everything but his life, but maybe it would also help him find the answers to those all important questions?

"You think letting out some scum of the sea is-" Stephens was not allowed to finish his sentence, Caine's eyes narrowing at the horrific choice of wording. In a single swift motion, he pulled the notched arrow free of the string, the bow humming as the tense wire flicked back into position and trembled. Raising his arm, the rebelling officer brought his elbow down upon the warden's head before he could turn, knocking the man out cold. His body slumped to the floor, the keys rattling as they landed on the cold and hard ground. Wasting no time, he slipped the arrow back into the quiver on his back and took up the keys, well aware that the night shift warden would arrive within a matter of minutes. Bow in his left hand, keys in his right, he quickly cycled through them and found the one for the lock, sliding it in and twisting it. Clunk, went the locking mechanism, and he wrenched open the cell door.

"Merle," he muttered, looking towards the blue-skinned girl within and wondering if her leg had healed enough for her to walk properly. Probably not, but she had not seemed the type to let something as trivial as a small wound get the better of her. At least, that was his conclusion based on how she had acted earlier. "Come on. The rest of your equipment is in the crate behind the warden's desk. We're getting out of this place..."

[Flame]

It had not taken too long, slowly but surely throwing that stress ball up and down began to get boring. Which was odd, especially for Merle, she knew herself pretty well. It was odd for such a simple thing to not be amusing her. She was all for the simple pleasures in the end, so why was this getting so boring. Was it the cell, was this dreary and dark atmosphere that surrounded her finally bringing her down. No that could not be, Merle had always been a very happy person, this was not the kind of thing that could bring her down. Could it? How long had it been since Marlus had left to try and vie for her freedom. One hour? Two? There was no way to tell time down in here and no warden to ask for an update.

Had he tricked her? No, she was a good read of character as far as she knew. She had yet to misjudge a person so that was unlikely. Then perhaps he had failed to secure her safety and thus had no reason to come back. It was getting pretty late, probably must be getting towards the evening time. She could at least tell that much because her stomach had started to grumble a little while ago. And though the marines had given her some gruel, it was not much especially after the day she'd been through. Placing her hand over her stomach she scratched it softly as if trying to calm the upset stomach. But in the end that did little to calm it down. At this point she doubted Marlus would come, it seemed she would have to spend the night in here. She had already come to that realization a few minutes ago but she had not wanted to accept it. Laughing at her naivety she was quickly silenced by the sound of a rapping walking down the halls. It grew louder and louder until the figure of the warden appeared at her cell door.

His baton swung back and forth between the bars creating an annoying racket of a sound. Which honestly should have been just as annoying for him as for her, it was not as if she had amazing hearing or something. She thought about making a spunky response to such actions. They were annoying and filled with malice. The line passed through in her head in a few different forms. You really should take music lessons ... you need to work on your sense of rhythm ... you need better taste in music They were all funny to her that just the thought of them caused even a few giggles, which might have meant they were cool if not for the fact that everything was funny to her. Then just as she was about to say something she was silenced by the warden's own voice.

He was looking down the hallway asking for someone who she assumed was the nighttime warden. But suddenly something caught her eye and before she knew it she could see Marlus standing next to the warden. His bow was in hand, strung and drawn with an arrow tip sitting gently upon the warden's neck. It was instant death if Marlus let go now. Merle looked on with confusion for a moment and then laughter the next. Now this was an interesting situation, standing up she stepped gingerly on her leg limping towards the cell door to have a better view of what was happening. Marlus asked the warden for the keys to her cell, was he actually breaking her out? That was unexpected to say the least, she had joked but she did not think he would do it. This was a serious offense.

The warden started with some choice words but was quickly silenced as Marlus pretended to loose his arrow and then quickly knocked him out with an elbow straight to the back of the man's head. The man instantly fell unconscious his body slumped to the floor and Marlus casually picked up the keys off the ground and moved to unlock Merle's cell door. There was a clunk and the cell door was wrenched open, her freedom. Marlus said something about grabbing her stuff and getting out of there. Merle looked at him, her eyes were still rather wide with surprise at what was happening. Both hands grabbed at her sides and she doubled over in laughter what madness was happening here, it was pretty great. What was happening in front of her. Looking at Marlus then to the warden and finally back to Marlus she put on a grand smile. "Sounds like a grand plan Marl. Mind if I call you Marl?"

Her nickname for him ended up being too funny and she broke into laughter again. Medical bag in hand she began to head down the hallway towards the warden's room to obtain her stuff. As she passed by the warden she said to him "Your definition of 'scum' should really be amended if I am one and you are not." It was definitely not a funny comment but it caused Merle to giggle sightly as she gave the unconscious body a quick kick to the side. Walking by the cells she found her fellow inmates reaching their arms out to her pleading for her to release them as well. Raising her eyebrow at them she laughed a little, what a stupid proposal, why would she they had done something wrong not her. Coming to the warden's room she put her hand on the door and pushed it open. Still limping slightly she made the trip a little slower than usual, biting her lip she bore with the pain. It needed to be fixed properly later. Going behind the warden's desk she found the rest of her stuff picking it up before returning to Marlus.

With a smile she put to him two questions, one more in jest and the other fairly serious. "So whats your plan to get out of here? ... Also should we let some of these guys out? A diversion could not be such a bad idea ... I'd completely understand if you were against it." She looked up and down the cell block, pirates and felons, fishman and humans sat in the cells. It was an idea though a jest at that it suddenly had some worth to her. It would assure an easier escape though less stealthy.

[Vio]

For a moment, the young Fishwoman simply stared at Marlus, giving him the sense that she did not quite understand what was happening. Indeed, it was a shock to his own system that he had chosen to turn his back on the World Government, but the obvious reality was that they had turned their back on him long ago. Now it was the Captain's turn to make a stand and fight for what he thought was right, starting with Merle's right to freedom. Of course, he already understood her well enough to expect her to find something about this whole ordeal rather humorous, perhaps provoking a giggle? No. Instead, much to his surprise, the girl practically toppled over in a burst of hysterical laughter. How could anybody in their right mind find thus funny? This was utterly serious, for the both of them, and so it struck him a little. Maybe he had made the wrong choice? No. Neither her state of mind, nor her race, affected her rights as a person.

"Sounds like a grand plan, Marl," the young woman said to him, a wide and friendly smile upon her face. Now that was a little nostalgic for the rebelling officer; the use of the nickname 'Marl'. The serious look on his face faded a little, replaced by a light smile for a second as the girl broke down laughing once again. That had been the nickname his father had used for him, adopted by his archery tutor and then even one of his best friends. It was difficult to shorten his name, unlike others whose names could easily be abbreviated or altered, and so the more unusual choice of name was oddly welcomed by him in his youth. It was even more unusual that Merle had also cottoned onto the moniker, but why did she find it so funny? A silly question, he thought, shaking his head slightly as he and the girl progressed towards the entrance of the jailhouse. However, he at least agreed with her comment directed at the unconscious Warden Stephens. He got what he deserved, if nothing else.

This is going to be tricky... Mister Caine pondered, bow at the ready and his gaze trained upon the doorway as he waited for the crippled girl to return to his side. The night shift warden, Harper, was a much tougher customer than Stephens. He was a proficient swordsman, a quick thinker and extremely devout. There was no messing with him if you were a criminal, something which the archer knew he would now be defined as. What worried him the most, however, was what would happen outside of Harper's influence. Captain Barton. Captain Wills. They were both stronger than himself, even if the former did not seem it at first glance. Surrendering himself for Merle's sake was not an option he was willing to take, but a direct fight against a full fortress of marines? That was something altogether more frightening. He needed to get himself and the Fishwoman out of here, as soon as possible, and leave all of Jreum Island behind. The longer they lingered, the harder it would be for them to escape.

"So what's your plan to get out of here?" Asked the familiar voice of Merle, limping back to him with all of her gear in tow, including a harpoon. A fishing tool, but also a viable weapon. That coupled with the superhuman strength that most, if not all Fishfolk possessed and this otherwise lighthearted lady was a force to be reckoned with. He inhaled, ready to explain, but then she posed another question. Given the circumstances, he decided it best to get the latter query out of the way.

"No. Unlike you, they earned their place here. Now, follow me. I'll explain on the move, but Harper will show up in a minute and I don't want to be caught by him," Marlus explained, shifting the doorway open wide enough for the girl to slip through and into the cool night air, following close behind her and pulling the door shut. Several of the felons within were already shouting and cursing something fierce, drawing attention to themselves in a desperate and pitiful attempt to escape their own confines. Criminals were not on his list of people to free, however, and so the purple-haired man dismissed their cries and calls. Through the twilight they moved, Marlus intentionally following a lesser known path and remaining vigilant, lest they be spotted. As far as he was concerned, sundown was the best time to operate, the point between the hustle and bustle of daily routine and the cautious patrols of night. It took a minute or two, but they managed to reach a safe area were the stony corals of the island protruded from the seas and offered some cover. Entirely off the beaten track, this little area was as good as any to slow down a little and explain himself, though such refuge would not last long as they progressed towards the harbour area.

"Merle. May I ask you a question?" Quizzed the rogue bowman as he followed the exposed coral path around the exterior of the base, the enormous castle-like tower looming over them like a demon, its peak illuminated by the faint amber light of the setting sun. Night would be truly upon them in less than half an hour, but the frigid winds of the Northern seas were already starting to pick up. "What do you think defines right from wrong?"

Listening carefully to what she had to say, if anything worth taking in, the archer considered it all among his own thoughts and opinions. Slavery. Discrimination. Murder. Destruction. All of it was considered wrong by the normal person, no? It was what he had fought against for so long, first as a soldier and then as an officer of the World Navy. But, all of those things seemed trivial when it came to the men and women who called themselves the Tenryuubito. They could get away with murder in plain sight. They walked around the Sabaody Archipelago, and other places even, with slaves in tow. None of what they were doing was right, and yet the marines did nothing. That was wrong, yes? By now the coral path was fading back into the ocean, swallowed by the inky blackness, and ahead the silhouette of a forest of ship masts was filling the skies. They were now at their destination, but things were not going to be so easy from this point on.

"Alright," Marlus whispered, checking the coast was clear as they progressed. This port was shared by both marines and commercial fisheries and the like, almost always bustling with activity, and this evening was no exception. Lanterns lit the wooden docks as men went about their business, getting ready to embark upon a new voyage or bringing in their catches ready to sell. Isn't that what Merle herself had been trying to do? Regardless, it would not be easy to progress too much farther without drawing in some degree of attention to the Marine Captain and the hobbling fishwoman. "There's a sail boat a little further down that we can use to get off Jreum and away from the base. It's not big, but it's not exactly a tiny thing, either. The two of us could pilot it easily enough, though.

The issue is getting to it with all these people about, especially as there will be at least one patrol coming through here soon enough. You're not exactly in a state to run for it, are you?" Glancing at Merle, the traitor brushed some strands of violet from his face, blown in his eyes by the strengthening winds. The good news was that this was an easterly breeze, one which could easily carry their ship away from the island at good speed. The bad news was that half of B-1 was likely already aware of what had happened just a few minutes passed, scrambling into positions and informing every man and woman on duty. To be honest, he was rather surprised that they had not heard anything just yet...

SPOILER: Click to show

Now the action will start to take place! There's no way we're getting off this island without a struggle.

[Flame]

Listening to Marlus talk Merle nodded sidling her bags on her shoulder. With harpoon in hand she grasped it tightly wincing as she placed pressure on her injured leg again. There had not been enough time for the wound to heal and though it would get there eventually for now it still pained her to put too much pressure upon it. But as time was of the essence she figured she could handle it. It would've been nice if she had a numbing agent, but here given the situation she would have to do without. The detour into the Marine Base to a infirmary would be wrought with danger and definitely not worth the risks. So she put that thought aside and went out the door when Marlus held it open for her.

Her departure and Marlus' were followed by the jeers and calls of the felons inside. In the end it had been decided that they would not free the other prisoners from their cages. Marlus had given the simplest reason why not too, though it did hold its own upsides. The felons inside were actually felons, held in the cells because they had earned it unlike Merle. She respected such a decision and though the scorn of the inmates could be heard in some of the more vile things they were named she laughed them off as the words of those who need not be heard. Their fate was very much earned, and it would probably be given. There was one amusing call she heard, something about Marlus enjoying to cavort with fishwomen, that one caused her to burst into laughter as the door shut behind them. A laughable idea, actually it was quite funny to Merle, it was such a stupid idea, honestly a marine officer doing that?

Marlus led their little getaway. Unlike her entrance to the base, this time she limped through a different path. Based on the state of it, this path was definitely less well trodden, probably some shortcut that Marlus had found to get out of the base unnoticed. Confident in that idea Merle smiled a little limping with some pep in her step. During the short walk Marlus didn't say much of anything so Merle trotted along looking around as she went, she was without the keen watchfulness that Marlus was displaying. Instead, though she did not whistle or make any sounds apart from the padding of her feet she enjoyed the views of the coral beneath her feet and more so when it rose out of the water. The walk continued for a little while until they came to a small clearing masked by stony corals which rose out from the sea. It was there that Marlus turned back to her and asked a question.

Actually it was two questions and the pause was only for a moment as Marlus began to continue down the path. It was two questions, and yet one, as the question kind of led to the second one. In essence, 'what distinguishes right from wrong' it was a rather philosophical question. Which caused Merle to think for a moment, think hard, this was not exactly her specialty. The concentration it required ended up causing Merle to begin to laugh, she stifled the laughter as best she could so that no one would notice her. Then thinking for a second longer she came to the decision that she might as well just speak from the heart, in other words just go for it. "Right from wrong ehh? Well Marl the difference between right and wrong is something that only you can decide for yourself. The difference between right and wrong is the ability to live with yourself if you do something. Or at least that is how I think of it." Merle added that last part with a little chuckle. It was an answer that was basically, such a thing is subjective. Some might argue that right and wrong are decided by the general opinion of the public. But that did not sit right with her. In any case, if today had been a sign of anything it was that the public was not in the right for her.

The walk continued for a little while longer until finally the path ended and before her she saw the docks. With shadows falling over the area she could see the lanterns moving across the docks. They were quite busy, with both commercial, private, and marine activity, which honestly did not bode well for a Marine Captain with a limping fishwoman with him. Marlus stopped for a moment to explain to her the gist of the plan. And by gist he meant, borrow a sailboat, a viable mode of transportation for two people. Not that she particularly needed it, she could swim, well once her leg fully healed. She nodded as Marlus also explained the issue, which was one she had already thought of. Pausing for a moment, she felt a little confidence in herself and then decided to tell Marlus her idea for how to get there. It was spunky, it was confident, and most likely it was gosh darn stupid. "You know Marl, if we walk through there like we belong. Then they probably won't stop us. Besides what marine grunt is going to question a marine captain walking around the docks."

Merle gave a sweet smile and a laugh. Though she was not kidding, she still looked to be having a good time. She believed foolhardily in her 'plan'. Without waiting for Marlus to agree to the plan she took her first steps from the path toward the docks and eventually the sailboat.