Storm Chasing with Captain Moon

[Scarlet Moon]

Dressed in her usual garments, black trousers that were tucked into knee length leather black boots, a frilly white blouse, an aged oxblood suede coat, and of course her floppy, feathered adorned gaudy hat, Scarlet made her way to the same spot she had met Azjah's man servant Dyson, months ago. This time she was the picture of calm, Azjah was coming to her world now. The last time they had met under circumstances like this Scarlet was going on a voyage into the unknown, a trip on a star ship filled with wonders and luxuries she had never imagined. The unfeeling vampire also was a surprise and a mystery to her, but he would have his uses if need be. She was still smirking from visions of terrified crew members, when she heard light footsteps.
Dominik faded into the visible spectrum. "You were expecting Gabriel I believe," he commented without preamble, as though he'd been reading her thoughts prior to his arrival. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Dominik of the Von Schreider lines. I will be accompanying the Marchioness, who, by the way, is currently en route. I am afraid she was detained longer than expected."
The man was tall, around 6'2" tall and maybe 200 pounds. He had neatly trimmed salt and pepper hair with a moustache and finely trimmed goatee, but the thing that set him apart from every other living being were the metallic green eyes that seemed almost to glow with their own internal fires. Startling green they were, not to be missed in any place or time. His attire spoke of an old world elegance that hearkened to a bygone era.
Scarlet looked up at the man with her best poker face. She didn't want him to know that she was uneasy about him, a stranger to her. None the less the pirate extended her hand out to him; a large, white, opal ring glittered on her middle bronzed finger. Already she had put up protections against psychic invasions, in fact before the fellow had arrived. Scarlet waited for the hand shake, as curiosity set in about the nature of his eyes.
Dominik could sense her unease, most humans were very uncomfortable around him, but it served a valuable purpose. He gave Scarlet a slight nod and enough of a smile to expose the elongated canines before taking the offered hand. He knew instantly that the opal was magically imbued, and with the hand to hand contact, his smile grew slightly. “A pleasure to meet you Mistress Scarlet.” He then turned her hand over to brush a formal kiss atop her hand, almost but not quite touching the bronzed skin before releasing her hand.
At that moment, Azjah arrived with a smile and a wave. “I am sorry I am late Scarlet! I had a slight delay for a delivery issue.” She made her way toward the pair.
"Lass!" Scarlet exclaimed, rubbing her hand where Dominik's lips had grazed. Restraining herself from hugging Azjah, due to the knowledge that she wasn't found of physical greetings; Scarlet just smiled and nodded happily.
Scarlet remembered the uselessness of her mind barriers against Gabriel with disgust, and looked up at this new vampire, Dominik. An eyebrow raised she turned and looked at Azjah slightly puzzled. Questions could wait until they were alone.
“Are you ready to depart?" Scarlet asked, adjusting her hat slightly, with a smile showing off her pearly white teeth.
Azjah nodded, “Yes, I believe we are ready when ever you are. I see that you have already met Dominik.” The Dragonseeker gave a brief nod before retrieving Azjah’s bags.
Azjah looked at Scarlet’s ship with awe. “We are going into the stormy seas trusting our fate to the soundness of your ship.” Azjah glanced at Scarlet with a smile. “Adventure indeed!”
Dominik glanced at the sailing vessel, remembering well his travels many centuries ago in such craft, “They are surprising in their resiliency.”
Scarlet smiled as she looked up at the ghost ship, it was her ship in every way except no crew, and wind didn't touch its sails. "Well, let's be off then." The pirate said walking towards the ship, and as she walked she held up her left hand and snapped her fingers. Instantly they all were standing on its wooden deck.
Dominik’s metallic green eyes flashed brilliantly as the magic touched him and he dropped the bags to inscribe a rune of protection around himself and Azjah.
Azjah blinked at Scarlet, “Please warn us before we do any more magic?” It was unnerving to simply be transported with no preparation, and she could feel Dominik’s intense displeasure with the sudden use of magic. “So, now that we are here, where is the crew? When shall we make sail?”
"We are about to be doing a lot of magical workings Lass...ye need to prepare yourself, and trust me." Scarlet said softly with a smile as the ship began to vibrate slightly, and the scenery around them started to melt like wet paint on a canvas. Scarlet looked at the beautiful bizarreness with a look of awe, as they were transported to a different time and place. The old scenery slid into the horizon, as the new dimension pushed it away. The vibrating stopped suddenly, and Scarlet looked up at her guest's reaction to the wonder.
Azjah’s hands wrapped around the closest hand hold, her fingers biting into it as though that would help with the sensation of magical shift of the very horizon. She watched the transformation with the same kind of awe that she watched the swirling clouds of dust and gas as they were pulled inexorably into a black hole. Beautiful, but one never wanted to be too close, and right now, she felt like she’d been pulled into the gravity well and drawn inside.
Dominik’s metallic green eyes watched Scarlet with an un-nameable expression. The magic was something he knew well, but letting someone else control it was something else again.
Scarlet smirked slightly, as she looked away from Azjah and Dominik to the crow's nest. Orange smoke in the shape of a man, began to form in the wooden barrel used for watch. Smoke in many different colors filled the ship's deck, the hues were the aura's of the beings soon to come.
"Don't be frightened lass, they are the crew." Scarlet chimed in, realizing that this could terrify her guests if not explained. The smoke of each entity began to thicken, until a solid human form stood on deck. Each body was still it's original color, with no features. They stood on the deck, frozen in motion as if time was standing still for them. One red man was still on a rope climbing up towards the crow's nest, while the orange lookout was staring off into the distance with a spyglass.
The blonde beauty made her way over to a purple form, who stood about two feet from Azjah. The clay like man, stood with his hands behind his back; he appeared to be observing the crew. Scarlet placed her arm around his shoulders and smiled at Azjah.
"This is my second in command, Laken." The pirate explained, as she leaned her head on his shoulders, the feathers nestled in her hat swayed with her movement.
Dominik’s experienced gaze swept the ship as the orange smoke coalesced into humanoid forms. He did not discern life in any of them and lifted a brow at Scarlet even as she rested her head on the one she labelled Laken. But while life eluded detection, it was not undead that he felt either.
Azjah studied these new arrivals, “Scarlet, you are full of surprises today. I hope they are more substantial than they look when we reach the stormy seas we are hunting.”
"Of course they are..." The pirate's sentence was halted as the first breeze blew in this new place. Laken's purple shell began to crumble to dust, as the wind carried the violet exterior off. Scarlet stepped away from her second in command, and stood next to Azjah.
"Soon you will see." Scarlet said in a soft voice, as the whole lot of multi colored human forms where hit by this wind, and began to change. The once still beings began to move as their flesh became visible. Scarlet gazed off at the horizon as the glittering rainbow dust traveled further from the ship.
The second in command, did not stir however just stood there and eyed the crew. His light brown hair which was tied back with a black leather string, still had a bit of purple dust in it. Laken stood tall at 6 foot with some inches to add, and was just as tan as Scarlet was. He wore a black coat with silver buttons, and matching breeches. His boots where also black, and polished, and reached up to his upper shins. The white shirt he wore under his jacket, extended out from his coat's sleeves, done to his sapphire ring adorned right hand.
"Welcome back Captain Moon." Came a deep Scottish voice from the still unmoving Laken. Scarlet walked up to him and took his hand, and she led him the short distance over to her guests.
"This is Azjah, and Dominik." Scarlet introduced, letting go of his hand.
Dominik gave Laken a nod, but did not offer a hand to the man, if man he
was. The Dragonseeker was uncertain about how to classify Laken and the
magic that brought him into being.
Azjah gave a brief curtsey to Laken, “I hope our presence will not cause
too much of a stir Laken.” Azjah felt the prickle of apprehension at
talking to a man who had only moments before been little more than a
colored fog. However, years of training had taught her how to remain
polite despite her apprehension. She smiled at Scarlet, “So where are
we headed? I have surveyed the oceanic maps, and I am curious to know
where we are bound.”

Laken looked at Azjah and smiled, another wind blew the remaining purple dust from his neat hair. He clicked his heels together and gave a slight bow.
"Tis a pleasure to have a lady on board." Laken said with a smirk as he raised an eyebrow, eyeing his blonde captain. Scarlet pursed her lips together, pulled her silver flask out and took a tiny sip.
"To hell with ye." The pirate mumbled, turning her attention to Azjah, her lips still slightly in a frown.
"We are heading..." Scarlet began before Laken loudly interrupted, as he turned toward Dominik and gave the same slight bow.
"Tis a pleasure to have ye aboard as well sir." He exclaimed loudly, with the same grin, eyes still on his captain.
"That will be all Laken." Scarlet said coldly her face turning red, as she slightly clenched her fists at her side.
"As you wish Captain Moon." He pivoted away from the new arrivals and made his way down to the rest of the crew. Scarlet watched him leave with her eyes narrowed, and when he was out of hearing range turned back to Azjah.
"We are heading to the west, southern seas. Where storms are born." Scarlet said in casual tone, the color returning to her face.
Azjah chuckled to herself and wondered if Laken would truly be pleased
should he know how Dominik fed, but she kept her thoughts to herself,
despite earning a lifted brow from the Dragonseeker.

“The Southwest then it is.” Azjah lifted her face to the wind, “Where
shall we store our things Scarlet? I am ready to begin our adventure.”