Ed looks up from the cards, eyeing the other players as he takes another sip of his wine. It is his second glass, or fourth, hard to keep track at this point of the game. All he knows is, he feels pretty damn good right now. He might not be winning much, or anything, but he had these suckers right where he wanted them. For this little excursion he left his fine clothes behind, opting instead for the rough second hand clothes he had picked up recently. The dark pants, light tunic, sturdy boots. His overcoat lies draped over the back of his chair, along with the belt holding the rapier he still had no idea how to use. But he was trying for a certain look, to blend in with these people, and he needed to be armed for that. He let the hand play out, not caring too much about the outcome. It wasn't individual hands he was aiming for, he wanted to win the whole game.

Less than an hour later and he was stumbling out of the tavern, cursing under his breath. He thought he had had them that last time, but it seemed there was some cheating afoot! There went a sizable chunk of his funds, but he still had enough left in his pocket to see him through for a few more days. He needed to take a job, and soon, otherwise things might begin to look desperate. As he pulls on his overcoat, slipping the belt on and his dagger into place, he hears footsteps approaching from behind him. A quick glance over his shoulder confirms it is his manservant, Peabody, who takes the sword Ed holds out for him and attaches it to his own belt.

"Did the game go well, sir?" 

Peabody's voice is deep and rich, the upper class accent strong. Ed still cannot recall the exact circumstances that led to his hiring of Peabody, but recently he had become extremely valuable. Dedicated, professional, full of expert advice. The man had once been a sailor, a war hero decorated with many honors, able to retire with a healthy pension. Still, he chose to continue service in this way, even now. He was human, getting on in years though still looking strong and healthy. Of average height, he was thick across the shoulders and walked with a strangely rolling gait from his many years at sea. He kept his hair cropped short and his face cleanly shaven save for a stiff, steel grey mustache. Everything about him screamed professional soldier. Ed chose to ignore his comment and continue walking, also choosing to ignore the faint quiver at the corner of Peabody's mouth that on anyone else would have been considered the beginning of a smile. The manservant fell into step, just behind and to the side of the captain, keeping perfect step with him.

The stroll back to the docks took them past a number of stores and stalls, and Ed found himself getting distracted. During his time as captain of the Zephyr he had collected a lot of items he had considered necessities, and all those had been taken from him. He ran his hand over the stubble on his scalp and cursed quietly under his breath. The very next thing he would need to buy would be a grooming kit. It was essential. How would anyone take him seriously if his hair grew out much longer? Unthinkable. Inconceivable. He would die first! So the next thing on his shopping list? A high quality grooming kit. Until then he would need to make a quick stop and get himself cleaned up. Then back to the boat, into his clean clothes and back out into the city to find a mark. After losing that silver he would need to make it back fast.

Some time later and they were back on their way. Ed ran his hands over his nice, clean scalp and let out a sigh of relief.

"Better, sir?"

Ed laughed and turn to face Peabody, a grin plastered to his face and his eyes lighting up.

"Peabody, my friend, I have a fantastic feeling about today!"

He then turned and made his way onto the docks, his boat not far away.

Kamri was never one to cause trouble. She often watched her tongue and kept to herself. She was of the quiet sort, not wanting to draw much attention to herself. So it was rather odd to see her bolting down the street with an angry gambler on her heels. He cursed at her, waving a dagger above his head in a theatric manner, drawing attention. Though his speech wasn’t one Kamri was familiar with, it was obvious he was livid. “I’m sorry! I don’t understand what you want from me!” Kamri called over her shoulder. She huffed as she began to feel tired. You would think a Street gambler with a bad leg would be slower, but you would be wrong; at least, assuming Kamri wasn’t horribly sluggish herself. She had been lured to a simple game. The gambler had previously explained the rules, but she was only able to pick out bits of the common tongue. The gathering crowd made her too nervous to walk away, and as such she bet some money. She was sure by their expressions that she had won whatever game it was- though when she took all the money she had ‘earned’ and left, she found she was being pursued a little while later. She would be an idiot to stop now! They wouldn’t let her go if she only gave back their money! They were thugs! Gamblers! Ruthless creatures!  She hurried down the street, desperately searching to try to find a way to lose the man. After the third turn, she heard him angrily pass her by when he turned down the wrong alleyway. She leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Lesson learned. Don’t try and bet money unless you understand the rules- it seemed obvious. Well, he was probably cheating anyway. It wasn’t completely her fault. Right? She shook her head, forgetting about the ordeal. Back to her original task at hand! She had a mission; a very important one! She pulled a book from her robes. It was black with a leather cover. A red seal in the middle depicted a feather standing vertically. The rim of the seal had intricate marks that swirled and curved. Removing the books’ band, she opened the book to a page near the beginning. The notes inside where scribbled quickly and were hard to decipher. “Where did you go? Hopefully somewhere to learn better handwriting…” She murmured to herself. All she knew was that she had to go out to sea. Her destination was unknown, but she was confident she could figure it out along the way. Besides, she didn’t really have the option to stick around too long. She walked back out onto the street, making her way into the docks. She placed her book back in her robe. She found her way to the docks without further issue. Some boats where clean and new, with enough room to fit a crew. Some were old and weather worn. Many where for sale, while others were merely parked as their owners went about town. She frowned as she reached into her pocket; she was near broke despite her recent- ah… ‘funds’. She turned around, she would have to find another way. It would have to wait. The journal felt heavy in her robe. She turned back to look at the boats, eyes landing on a small beat up skiff. Kamri was never one to cause trouble. She often watched her tongue and kept to herself. She was of the quiet sort, not wanting to draw much attention to herself. So it was rather odd to witness her stealing a boat.

As Ed turned onto the docks he found himself colliding with another person. Instinct had his arms moving up to push the man away from him, while a few too many glasses of wine had him stumbling backwards. The combined effect had him backing up a step or two, waving his hands around in front of his body. It did not make for a very heroic display, but considering the way the man he had stumbled into was falling backwards too. Perfect. It would have been plain embarrassing to be the only one caught off guard. His hand drops to the hit of the knife at his belt, as he prepares himself.

The man is short, scruffy and clearly has missed out on the opportunity to bathe for the last… Well, it looked to be a while. His lank, greasy hair could probably pass for a dark blonde, and a scar on his cheek, starting at the corner of his mouth, tugs it up into a slight sneer. The man is wearing simple clothes, the tunic's showing off forearms thick with muscle. Ed takes note of the dagger held loosely in the man's hand, before also registering the fact he seemed to favor one leg. If they had run into each other while the man had been taking a step with the other foot, then the man would most likely have gone down hard. Finally, and worryingly, he seemed to have a group of followers. Two for sure, though a small crowd already seemed to be forming, following the man maybe?

Well, this could certainly have gone better. Weighing the situation as quickly as he could, which even while slightly addled turned out to be fast enough. He dropped his hand from the dagger and instead set about quickly straightening his overcoat, pulling it closer about himself in an attempt to hide his own cheap clothing that he is wearing. He had to hope his companion would be fast enough to play along, and that Peabody's own impeccable clothing would do to sell it.

"Peabody!" He exclaims, feigning outrage and raising his voice to carry across the crowd that is quickly picking up numbers. "This man," A pause for effect, along with his own sneer at the man across from him, "has struck me! I demand satisfaction!"

To his credit, Peabody did not miss a beat. Stepping in between Ed and the stranger, he had his glove off in the blink of an eye and was using it to strike the increasingly confused man across the face.

"Have your man leave word for mine at the Salty Barrel. I will see you at dawn!"

Without waiting for any kind of response, he continues on his way down the docks. The key to selling this would be confidence, something Ed plenty of. Enough to spare. Perhaps a little too much. No, never that. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of Peabody catching up puling his glove back on, his face a mask of professionalism. That is when he caught sight of someone, a little someone, leaping into his boat.

"Peabody? Is that dwarf boarding our vessel?"

A pause. "I believe it to be a child, sir."

As ropes are loosened, the sail flaps absently.

"Peabody? Is that dwarf child trying to steal our vessel?"

Another pause. "I do believe so, sir."

The thought floats around his mind for a moment as he tries to understand why anyone would even try to steal the boat. But then he saw that it was beginning to move, ever so slightly. Eyes widening, Ed gives himself a small boost of agility using magic and takes off down the dock, doing a quick calculation to work out where the ship would be so he could leap in and take control of the situation. He tears past the ship, feet carrying him for seven more steps before he realises the boat has not moved any further. He stops, wondering what could possibly be going on as he spins in place to look back and see Peabody, rapier in hand, standing at the edge of the boat. The tip of the blade is hovering in pace, ready to strike. If only Ed could be that… Well, words failed him then. He makes his way back to the boat and looks at the would be thief.

"Now, dwarf child, I do believe you owe us an explanation. As do you." He turns a stern gaze to the mage bundled up in her robes at the back of the boat, still in the exact position he had left her in earlier. Was she going to let this child steal their boat, with her on it?!

Having a rapier pointed at her throat was not something Kamri thought would happen today. Then again, she also didn't think she would be stealing a boat. Against her better judgement though, here she was. Her eyes darted up to the man standing before her with the mustache. He looked rather stern and bold. Great, she wasn't getting out of this one.
She raised her hands defensively. “I was just- I was going to-!” She had been caught red handed. She didn’t expect the owners of the dingy boat to come outside in the thirty seconds it should have taken to set sail. She glanced down the street, as if watching for something. She turned her attention back to the cold grey man, standing in front of her. She felt her face turn red from embarrassment and guilt. She muttered something under her breath, hanging her head. “Don’t tell the guardsmen.” What a pathetic thing to ask. A thief caught red handed, asking for total freedom. “I have my reasons! I’m usually not a trouble maker! I just had a lapse in judgment. I don’t have much money and I need a way to get to the ocean.” Her argument wasn’t very strong, and she was openly admitted to being guilty.

“I really don’t have money on me but I’ll give what I have if you just keep quiet!” She recalled having six, maybe seven silver coins on her person.
Two men on horses came trotting down the path towards the docks. Their insignias obviously stated they were guardsmen. She looked up at the man with a beard, hoping he was a little less scary than his friend. “Money and… I’ll even throw in some gems I found on my way here.”
It wasn’t much. She was offering little more than the lint in her pocket. But as the guardsmen grew closer and the rapier stood unmoving from her neck, her hope began to diminish and panic started to set in.“Name the price, I’ll figure it out!”
Her eyes darted to the rope holding the boat to the dock. If worst came to worst, she could maybe untie it fast enough to get out. She had a few spells to help if she had to.The sounds of the hooves walking down the cobble street grew louder. She felt like it was ringing in her ears. “It’s even a crummy boat, I figured you wouldn’t miss it. I’m sorry. Just what do I have to do to keep you both from turning me in?” Her glance shifted from one to the other, trying to read their expressions. She quietly wished to herself to be unharmed by the end of the day. The man would probably cut her down without a single thought. 
Then again, she also didn't think she would be stealing a boat. Against her better judgement though, here she was. Her eyes darted up to the man standing before her w“I really don’t have money on me but I’ll give what I have if you just keep quiet!” She recalled having six, maybe seven silver coins on her person. ith the mustache. He looked rather stern and bold. Great, she wasn't getting out of this one.

As he approaches the boat, Ed spares a look at Peabody. While he himself had gone running down the docks like a madman, a feat that had left him embarrassingly short of breath at this moment, the older man had remained fully in control of the situation. Well, he supposed, that is what he was paying him for. It was really a credit to himself that his manservant was so adept. His ego thus stroked, he stands silently, face a stern mask as he attempts to slow his breathing and play it cool. Like Peabody.

The intruder turned out to be a human girl. Small, young, but not nearly hairy enough to be a dwarf. He had been hoping for a dwarf, no idea why, but seeing the human features was a little disappointing. That was a thought and feeling he did not want to explore any further. She began babbling, whether that was due to her being truly upset and scared or her feigning innocence to lure Ed and Peabody into a trap he could not immediately tell. He lets her continue, while he examines her. She is pale, with grey eyes that remind him of storm clouds. Long brown hair that could do with a lot more attention than it seemed to receive. A burn upon her cheek. He half expected her blue robes to be stained and messy, but it looked like she kept them well enough. All in all, she did not cut a very imposing figure, and did not look like the average thief to Ed.

Now he had his breathing under control, Ed could hear hooves approaching behind him. Nothing particularly special about there, plenty of horses in the area. The way the girl was growing more and more agitated, however, and mentioning the guards made it obvious to him who was coming up behind them. Now it was decision time. The girl was offering a lot, but then what exactly did she have to offer? She didn't exactly have the look about her of someone rich or influential. He didn't get a sense of any great power about her. Was there really any good reason not to hand her over to the guards? He scratches his beard, thinking this through as she asks her final question. Then realises what he is considering. Blasphemy!

Ed hops into the boat, glancing at the bundle of robes in back of the boat. From under the hood he can make out the gentle green glow of Twinkle's eyes, but he still hadn't noticed her make any movements. If she didn't spend so much of her time that way, he might be worried. He returns to ignoring his little mage and instead focuses on the approaching guards. He makes a move to place his hand on the human girl's shoulder but then thinks better of it, instead raising his hand to wave at the approaching guardsmen.

"Hello there, gentlemen!" He calls out to them. He can see from their bearing they were already heading this way, probably something to do with seeing Peabody with sword drawn at the edge of the boat. To his credit, Peabody had already returned the sword to his belt. He now stood at formal attention, turned to the side so he could keep his own eyes on the approaching guards. Such a professional.

One of the guards hands his reigns to his companion, then dismounts his horse and walks over to the boat. Ed sees him taking in the whole scene, slowly looking from Ed, to the human girl then Peabody. Finally, he lands back on Ed.

"What is going on her, son?" The guard asks. He has a common accent, with years of experience behind it. This wasn't some rookie guardsmen, it seemed.

"Ah, well, I spotted a large rat on my boat so I had to vacate it momentarily!" Ed begins to explain. "My man here was just about to skewer the thing when it jumped overboard. How strange!" Ed looked the guard dead in the eye throughout. He isn't trying especially hard to sell the story. There was nothing the guard could do, really, other than apprehend the criminal stood in the boat next to Ed.

The guard looks unconvinced, and turns his attention instead to the girl.  "Are you okay there lass? Everything okay?" He looks sincerely worried for her.

It took a second to notice that the Guards where looking at Kamri. Their gaze snapped Kamri’s attention to them, looking frozen and pale. 


The Guard lifted an eyebrow, growing more suspicious of Ed. He grabbed the hilt of the sword on his hip. “Miss if he’s giving you trouble-“ 


“No! No, no! It was… the Rat! Dreadful rodent. You should have seen it! It had massive teeth! And and… its claws! The size of the beast was… m..massive? Massive! I’m so glad our… good ol’ sword man here was there to scare it off!” 


Her fingers curled around her robes, clutching them nervously. The Guard surveyed the scene for a moment before letting his fingers unwrap from the hilt of the sword. It wasn’t a believable excuse by any means, but his shift would be over soon and he had just had to deal with a drunken gambler in a brawl. He just wanted to go home and have a nice drink.


“Well, then I suppose we’ll be on our way. Charles, let’s go finish our route.” He turned around and hopped back on his horse. The two guardsmen turned and started to trot away, chatting idly among themselves. 


Kamri let out a deep sigh, the color slowly returning to her face. She placed her face in her hands. 


“I’m not a thief. I’m not. What am I doing?” 


 She looked back up at Ed. “Thank you. Really, truly thank you. Any other person in their right mind would have turned me in.”
Ah, right. Her promised reward for keeping quiet. 

Yes, that.

Well. 

That was indeed an issue. 


Maybe they didn’t want money. Maybe it could be a favor done like helping repair this obviously damaged boat. Or maybe even a simple ‘I.O.U.’  


She brushed off her robes, trying to free the wrinkles from her nervous grasp. She thought of running. That might be good. After all, she didn’t know if they would spear her the moment those guards where completely out of sight. As a matter of fact, why was she even wasting time thinking? They might spear her in a second! 
‘Keep talking.’ She thought, ‘If you distract them, maybe they’ll forget about killing you for trying to steal their boat in broad daylight!’


“Well, I suppose if you spared me I should at least be honest with you. Again I don’t have too much money on my person but I have a small sum plus a few interesting gems. Or maybe you’re looking for some sort of item? I could maybe help with that. I’m a mage, too. So spells could also be on the table, granted I can figure them out and cast them correctly.” 


After a moment of silence, she deflated a little, hanging her head. “And, sorry… for stealing your boat…” 


Ah, right. Her promised reward for keeping quiet.
‘Keep talking.’ She thought, ‘If you distract them, maybe they’ll forget about killing you for trying to steal their boat in broad daylight!’

For just one moment, the situation looked like it might be getting away from him. The guard looked for a second as if he might be doubting not only Ed's story, but Ed himself! This. This is why it always confused Ed when people had the deluded misconception that guards were actually people.

To the girl's credit, she recovered… Well, slowly. Then compounded this with a lie told in such an unbelievable fashion that he was cringing inside with embarrassment for her. Unless that was her plan. Play along with his story so that he would not strike at her, but in such a way as to convince the guards to strike at him! The sheer genius behind it… Remaining perfectly still, his eyes shot to her, narrowing with suspicion. Hopeless fool or devious mastermind? Which was she?

The question ended up being moot. The guard's interest in this whole interaction seemed to have been based solely on killing time, and anything that would require too much investigating was not worth it for him. Laziness in guards, the friend to all criminals. Ed swiveled slowly in place to turn his gaze to the girl once he was sure the guards were on their merry way. She certainly needed to make her explanation good. Otherwise… Well, how hard would it be, really, to tie something heavy to a child and throw them overboard?

He wasn't sure whether she was trying to convince herself or him that she wasn't a thief, but she was obviously intent on looking upset about the whole thing. His foot tapped as he waited for her to say her piece. His heart sped up for a moment at the mention of her being a mage. They could certainly do with one, what with the ship's current mage being so inept. And possibly broken. Could golems break down? That was a question for another time, as he heart sank again to it's usual miserable depths as the girl revealed through her words that she wasn't going to be much more help than Twinkle.

The girl seemed to run out of steam, deflating as she finished begging for her life. Ed let out an explosive breath that turned into a long, weary sigh, ending with him dropping onto a bench on the boat. While having a mage owe him a favor sounded useful, the mage in question did not. Examining her, his mind pushes through the haze of alcohol, speeding off on a dozen different trails.

Peabody steps down into the boat, clearing his throat to get the girl's attention.

"This might be a moment. Drink?"

Without waiting for a response, he begins digging through bags and heads over to check on the golem. He whispers encouragement to her in an attempt to coax her out of her catatonic state. A movement, ever so slight as it was, gives him cause to hope for her. He nods to himself and busies himself with preparing three glasses. His master would surely want wine, but instead Peabody chooses to serve a sweet pear juice he had purchased while Ed had been in the bar earlier. It would be refreshing, and more alcohol was not likely to him any good. One glass he sets before the golem, one beside his master and the third he holds out to the girl.

"A-ha!" Ed exclaims, shooting to his feet. The sudden motion elicits a squeak from Twinkle, but he misses it. A plan had formed, one in which this strange mage girl might come in handy.

As far as plans went, it really was a sign of how far Ed had fallen. It was time that he left this city, though, and to do that he would need some coin in his pocket. He had been considering a number of different enterprises that could accomplish this, from low income schemes like gambling to complex heists that would net him a major score. A part of him knew that he had been stagnating since losing his airship, but it was time to change that! A job, no matter how small, would be just the thing to dust off the cobwebs and get him back in the game. A lot would depend on the new mage's abilities, but he could adapt.

"Girl, to pay for your attempt to steal my boat, I'm conscripting you into my crew!"

He then begins to outline his plan to her. A simple smash and grab job, under cover of darkness. He knows of a dockside warehouse, the headquarters of an infamous gangster who runs all kinds of gambling rings within the city. Using her skills to conceal themselves and cause distractions they could sneak in, grab as much silver as they could carry and then flee into the night on the Pride. Foolproof.

Once he finishes sharing the details of his plan, he raises his glass.

"To our good fortune!" 

Kamri carefully took the glass of liquid. It wasn’t poisoned, she was sure. The solider gave some to his friend. Or captain? Probably some sort of underling. Too brash to be of much importance.

She took a sip, trying to calm down a bit. This was the stupidest thing she had ever attempted!She noticed the golem that sat, almost unmoving. It was small, but it looked rather interesting, made of a beautiful sort of stone. It seemed petrified, though; Its fear only increased when the boat suddenly started to rock. Kamri snapped back to look towards the bearded man, who was now standing in the boat. He didn’t seem too skilled in boating, judging by the sudden gesture. The man seemed excited, his face suddenly lighting up with hope. "Girl, to pay for your attempt to steal my boat, I'm conscripting you into my crew!"Kamri’s heart sank into the pit of her stomach. “W-Wait? What?!” He seemed to ignore her outburst, suddenly bubbling to life and explaining his daring plans and frivolous ideas. Once he got started, it seemed, he didn’t stop. She tried at multiple points to get a word in edgewise but he was too passionate about this new crime he was devising. Where were those guards when you needed them?  The plan at its core seemed simple. Break in, grab the money, and go. Saying it like that, it sounded easy. But taking a closer look, the more impossible it seemed to be. She knew nothing of this famous smuggler and as such didn’t know how powerful he was or if he had bodyguards. She didn’t know about the warehouse or if it was trapped. Were there people there? What does the headquarters look like? What kind of items do they need to bring? What’s their survival rate? The questions swam around inside her head. “Wait, wait, wait! Woah! Hey hold on!” She stood up too, instantly regretting it when she nearly lost balance, rocking the boat. She took a moment to steady herself against the pier’s support beam.“Don’t you think that’s a little hasty? Besides! I don’t even know your names! How do I know you’ll be honest enough to not leave me there for be picked off while you two run with the money?”Then again, what choice did she have? If he hurried, she was sure rather Beardy or the general could catch up to those guards. Hell! that was if they decided not to kill her and dump her body in the ocean. She had to rather become a quick criminal, or a dead criminal. Putting it like that, the choice seemed rather easy. She ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s just this one heist? Fine. What’s the plan?”

The silence stretched, glass held out in the captain's head ready to toast, when he realised the new girl was getting flustered. For the life of him he just could not understand her hesitation. With one breath she had been offering anything and everything to him, and when the solution presented itself for her to clear herself of a terrible debt, she balks?! Her idea of leaving her behind to take the fall, while it had not crossed Ed's mind, did bear some thinking about. It would be an elegant solution to the matter. Gets him what he wants and punishes someone for daring to attempt to steal another of his ships. If he did that, though, it would make him no better than his own traitorous crew. No, it would not do. He had already inducted her, and now as her captain he had a duty to stand by her until she was no longer a member of his crew.

"What's the plan? What's the plan?!" Ed chuckles confidently, striking a pose, one foot on a bench, fists on his hips, staring off into the distance. The moment is ruined somewhat by a drunk vomiting noisily into the water behind the boat. Ignoring this, Ed leans in close to the girl and whispers to her conspiratorially, "Let me tell you what the plan is."

Paper and quill appear in his hands as if by magic, and he begins the process of illustrating his plans with diagrams, to make them easier to understand.

"Now, while I haven't had a chance to take a peek at the place myself yet, this is what I believe the building will look like." What follows is a crooked box, drawn messily. Next to the box is a wavy line with a crude picture of a boat drawn in it, helpfully labeled 'Water'. It is extremely unlikely, from the size of the boat, that this is drawn to scale.

"Wearing a disguise, I will talk my way past the guards," Two stick figure men, overly large and wearing comical scowls appear between the box and the 'Water', "I will claim to be a new criminal in town, looking to start a gambling racket and offering to pay my respects to the main man. You, girl, will accompany me as my bodyguard."

Ed begins muttering to himself as he adds a few more doodles to the paper. One is a stick figure that he has tried to make look handsome and cunning, how you would make a stick figure look like that only he knows, and the other is a tiny stick figure next to him.

"Once inside," he continues, "You will use your magic to cause darkness in the whole warehouse, throwing everyone into confusion. Peabody there will release a bear through the door we hope is located here" A quick arrow, stick man and a fairly decent depiction of a bear "and Twinkle will release a swarm of bees through this window!" Another arrow, a flattering stick Twinkle and a number of bees that have no right to be that big in this picture.

"During the darkness and panic caused by the bear and the bees, we shall use magic to see in the dark and then have the run of the place! It will be a simple matter at that point for us to find where he keeps all his money, load it up into bags and take off with it into the night. By this time tomorrow we could be far East of here in a new airship."

As Ed surveys his work of art and genius tactical mastery, he can't help but feel pride. It was just like old times with his old crew.

Peabody, on the other hand, can feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on. "Sir, perhaps we might benefit from a little scouting. Just to make sure everything is accurate, so that any revisions to the plan, if necessary, could be made ahead of time?" Truth be told. Peabody had swung by that area already, and had his own diagram and ideas drawn up. He had been meaning to present them to the captain earlier, but time had gotten away from them.

The diagram grew more and more ridiculous as his ludicrous scheme was sketched out. Kamri followed along for the most part, but it did seem absolutely fantastical.  
"Well, I suppose I could cast an illusion spell to darken the room. Not to mention a better disguise then what I would assume you could scrounge up…" She looked Ed up and down. Yes. Her illusion magic would indeed be needed. 


He kept unraveling his plan, barreling on and on about the bear and the bees and something about a new airship. 
Was… Was he even sure that there was a bear? 
…Should she ask? 


Probably.


To her relief, it seemed that the solider suggested that they would do well to go take a look first. Kamri wondered just what she had gotten herself into. This 'flawless' plan was- well, flawed.  And she was right in the middle of it! Maybe it would have been better if she was skewered after all. 


"I think this gentleman here is right. If you don't know what it even looks like then it has 'failure' written all over it. And, just while I have your attention, my head is not that big!" She pointed to the smaller stick figure. "And what about him?"  She pointed to Peabody. "He seems like the most competent out of our entire team and you haven't given him a role."  


She glanced up from the paper. "I know of children who have more tact then this."  She sat back, folding her arms. 
This was suicidal, at best. Hell, a swift death might be the best case scenario. 
But, if she did get through this… 

The book lay heavy within her pocket. She needed to start sailing. And it just so happens that she is now in ties with a Sailor who hasn't killed her on sight. The predicament was rough but if it played out alright, she could very well come out a lot better than when she started. If she survived this, then maybe it could really work in her favor. 
The man seemed excited about his plan. More than that, he seemed rather childish. Maybe she should alter her phrasing so it didn't sound so harsh. She didn't want to discourage her one way out to sea, after all. 
Sure, it was for selfish reasons, but no one could really prove otherwise. 
"…It's a start. We'll go have a look at the building, and then just maybe alter it a little." 
She took a deep breath, trying to let her panic subside. 

"Now then. Is there anything we should be doing before we take a look? If we want to attack tonight we should probably get a move on."
She climbed out of the boat and onto the pier. 
She must have been insane to go along with this. She probably was. But what other choice did she have? 
Well, on the bright side, it had been a long time since she had been out on an adventure. It would be refreshing.