A Song of Crystal & Fire! The Battle of Dermit’s Landing!

[Vio]

_{Edith #11}

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“It’s my father,” Newton responded, holding forth a piece of paper — a parchment which Edith looked at but otherwise left in the man’s hands — upon which the shaded face of a horned man could be seen. She blinked, a little confused about why the World Navy would print a picture of a man that barely showed any detail and tag such a massive number to it. More than that, the sheer value upon the head of the ‘Horned God’ was far beyond anything she had ever comprehended.

To hold more than a couple of million beri to one’s name was something of an accomplishment for the average, working class citizen, and bounties ranging into the tens of millions were not unheard of in the South Blue. Big numbers meant big threats, but to actually see somebody with a bounty of over three hundred million? Doubt lingered in her mind as to the reality of such a thing.

“Are you sure that’s real? Kinda looks fake to me,” Miss Wieliczka commented, cerulean eyes analysing both the poster and Newton’s own face. There was no intentional disrespect in her words, though whether or not Newt would recognise that was an unknown factor that she didn’t particularly care for. Rather, honest disbelief that such a thing could exist in the world permeated her thoughts, at least until Tia sprang into action and ‘found’ an escape route for the three of them.

“Everyone still intact?” Tia questioned. Despite its age and wear, the vessel wreckage had made for a good platform, holding steady even with the Giantess’ exertions. Once again, they were beneath the scorching sun on this fiery wreck of an island, yet the heat seemed a lot less bothersome than it previously had done. Perhaps she hadn’t noticed it due to the rush of recent events? All the same, Tia’s query was met with a cursory glance into the distance, where scurrying ants and enormous salamanders continued their frenzy.

Ede squinted.

“No… I don’t,” the Salt Woman replied, spying the morose scenery. Rampaging wildlife had torn to shreds any and all caught in its multitude of jaws, with burning wreckages of wooden structures and the sort strewn about. Countless carapaces lay curled and dead, while the bodies of at least a couple of the salamanders lay lifeless amongst them. To think, a battle started by people had been continued by nature itself; like a wildfire that had spiralled out of control. To hell and back, yet they’d survived it where Turk had not.

“Anyway, uh,” Ede grumbled, turning to look at Newt and Tia and feeling rather embarrassed that she had to ask them. “Where are you headed…? I wanna leave this place, too, but, my way off the island high-tailed it out of here when you showed up,” she clarified, focusing a little more on the regal redhead whose arrival had been responsible for a certain sailor vanishing over the horizon as fast as his boat could have carried him…

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SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:}
As Edith questions Newton’s father’s bounty poster before Tia carries them out of the cavern. Edith sees no signs of Turk, and instead asks Tia and Newton where they’re headed to!

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NOTES:— N/A

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Wieliczka Edith ❘ #007ba7
Tia Dreki ❘ #ff6347
Newton ❘ #19e6ad
Gate [NPC] ❘ #8b67e7
Jaspier [NPC] ❘ #c57207
Mal [NPC] ❘ #0a6b39
Tourmin [NPC] ❘ #e660d5
Citri [NPC] ❘ #e6d160
Turk [NPC] ❘ #60d6e6
Miscellaneous [NPC] ❘ #eeeeee ❘ #bbbbbb ❘ #888888 ❘ #555555

[Sam]

-- CHAPTER 2 // Battle of Dermit's Landing

Newton turned to Tia, he had a pained frown on his face. Almost as if he were soured by his statement.

"My father, this... man is my father."

He turned back to look at the parchment with Ede now looking in on it. His eyes scrutinized the image, facial features barely visible from the terrible image. But even with the terrible lighting, he could see his father there, if just barely.

"I wish it were fake."

Newton replied he eyes had a dreary look on them as he slightly turned them toward Ede.

"But why make a poster like this? Why go through the trouble of attracting attention from people like her?"

He motioned toward Tia.

"Bounty Hunters... sounds like more trouble than it's worth to me. Whatever, let's hope it's fake."

Frankly, he wished he'd never found that piece of paper. As much as he had disgust for his father, he still felt the urge to find him. He wanted answers for so many questions he had! Why did he leave? What was the whole purpose of having kids and just letting someone else take care of them like it wasn't your problem?

"Yes, ma'am... I'm ready to leave this dump."

He answered clearly, jumping onto the deck and taking cover in a safe place. Along with Ede, he was pushed through the hole, leaving Tia to lift them back into the cloudy skies of the volcanic island. Outside things seemed to have calmed down, dead ants and salamanders littered much of the landscape.

The smell of ash and death permeated through much of what once was Dermit's Landing, the only outpost in this land forsaken by the very devil. His eyes looked across the horizon searching for Turk, a part of him keeping hope that he was still alive. Wishing death upon someone... even if that someone was a good-for-nothing ruffian was below Newton.

"I see nothing, I think he is dead... they left nothing."

At the very least Turk's views of the world had been challenged before his death. Devil Fruits proven real... giants proven real... if these things were what permeated the Grand Line? Then perhaps his Father's bounty poster had some validity to it. Slumping against the ship's railing Newton cocked his head to the grey skies above. He asked himself a question in a hushed voice.

"So, where to next?"

-- NAME // Newton M. Icarus

-- CLASS // E

-- TECHS USED // None.

[Fox]

Tia rolled her shoulders in a useless shrug. Maybe she could still claim a bounty on Turk without a body. With his captain in hand, she could probably lie or tell the office something that wasn’t too far from the truth. It wasn’t as if they were going to give a giant any backtalk. Plus, she’d gotten a hefty little bonus from this whole adventure. With a spring in her step and gentle humming, Tia walked away and into the waters not too far away. It got up to her knees very rarely in the deeper spots, so Edith and Newton could both rest easy.

“Somewhere with a bounty hunting office,” Tia responded simply to Edith, “I’d like to offload former Captain Gate and his cronies as fast as possible. After that, it’s really wherever you two darlings would like to go in the South Blue. It’s no trouble.”

It wasn’t long before Tia’s longboat came into view. It was parked a ways offshore. A few steps for Tia, but a battle against the tides for anyone else. Not that Edith or Newton could swim anymore. It was a longboat made for one. Still, it was large enough to comfortably house her. Setting the shipwreck down inside of the ship, Tia made an enormous leap into the boat, raining sprinkles of saltwater down on her two friends.

“Here we are! Make yourselves comfortable. I just have to make a few preparations before we get underway.”

Tia promptly went over to a cage hanging from the ceiling in the singular room on the longboat, emptying her pouch of its very disgruntled and likely unconscious captives before locking it shut. Prisoners put away, Tia took off her gauntlets and tossed them on her bed with a sigh. She shook the dirt and sand from her hair before heading back out and readying the sails. She looked down at her little companions and smiled.

“Shall we? To the sea!”

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Tia | Tomato #ff6347 | Post Count: 11