Kali raised her eyebrow at two things; the word ‘chernika’ and at Misha’s interest in how to smoke. “You can’t get drunk, so can you even get high?” She questions, her eye going from her burning pipe to the Acheronian. “Just askin’. Drugs ain’t cheap, maybe a pill...” The brunette shook her head. “Never mind, here.” She passes the pipe over to Misha. “Remember what I told you before, yeah? What was that word you used, by the way? Chernika or some shit, what’s that mean?”

Grishkar excused himself without a word. In the dusk, he felt a strange connection to the world. The dying of light and passing to darkness felt empowering down to the fiber of his being. He hardly noticed the passing of the deck, the gangplank, and the wharf. The town was still busy, and Grishkar walked it like a too-present shadow of death. His tome held before him, mumbling dark prayers. No one knew the true intent, all they could see was the scarred face, the devout prayers for deliverance, and the jingling pouch around his neck. Blissful ignorance and fearful piety make the lambs so simplistic. This was his favorite game.

A woman passing paused and deposited coins into the man's pouch, stopping him to offer condolences, "Sweet child," the ruined face with milky eyes gave mockery of a smile, "The gods truly have afflicted me with a burden of penitence. For each coin given to this shambling wretch, you bless me with sight once more for a time." Color returns as his eyes flash to a sunny golden. "Please," he takes the woman by the arm, "I wish to show the Gods your generosity and beg them forgiveness with eyes renewed." The woman is speechless with happiness and confusion, "We must hurry! Relief from darkness only lasts so long!" The woman relents and leads Grishkar along. The temple was only a short walk away, after all. When they had gone halfway, the sun had finally sunken to darkness.

The black-robed priest stumbled a moment and fell. When he looked up again, his eyes returned to milky white. "It's the curse. Another, please." The woman fished out a coin and reached for the priest's pouch. Grishkar snapped and grabbed the woman's wrist, "The Gods are the ones who are blind, and my Master reveals the foolish to me, as lambs to the wolf." One of the milky orbs shifted back show an iris as black as the pupil is encircled. "You have given yourself to Nerull. You will see that death is the only truth in this world; the only gift the Gods can give." Another hand darts forth and grabs the woman's throat. Black smoke pours fourth from the hand, the woman convulses for a moment, then falls limp.

In the cool night air, Grishkar makes his way up and down the empty streets, until he reaches the wharf once more. Aboard The Belle, he returns to his sanctum and deposits his tome on the desk. Waving a hand over the iron bands, the heavy book slammed open and black smoke bled from the elf's hand onto the pages. The smoke coalesces into a thick paste which melts into a page, revealing jagged, erratic script, "Reveal yourself to me, Master. Again, I have found myself in strange lands surrounded by heretics and fodder. Make me once again the instrument of your will. That prison robbed me of so much strength, but I'll carve a swath of death in your name once more."

Carrhae turns over in her sleep and giggles. "So strong, and pretty, and blue!" 

Sana gives a brief snort of laughter that she quickly muffles so not to wake Carrhae, and ducks out of the captain's room, heading back up onto the deck, where she sits on the deck railing and watches the goings-ons of the ship as people go about their evening activities.

“Blueberry.” Misha smiled, “It means blueberry.“ Misha sat down and tried to remember what Kali had said. She took a puff and waited a bit. Nothing happened. “Maybe not doing it right? Or perheps cannot..get high..either!” she said, a bit sad.

“Damn,” Kali utters, plucking the pipe from Misha’s hand to get an inhale before speaking further. “Guess you can’t get high by pills neither? Or injections? Wow, Acheron is no fun.” She sits back in her chair, pulling the briefcase with her to set it against the wall near her discarded hat before eyeing Misha carefully. “So on the cube plane, all you guys did was train? What’d you guys do for fun? Let me guess, wrestle? Play boulder, parchment, sheers when that got boring?”

Jeremiah, the addled deckhand, returned to the infirmary as he had every night since his injury. He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. The rigid position made him look more like a corpse on a morgue table. A moment or so passed before a voice came from behind a closed door opposite the entrance, "Jeremiah, could you come here, please?" Inside the office, Grishkar sat writing at his desk. The deckhand entered without a word. "Ah, good. Please dispose of that," he pointed to a something on the wall draped with a sheet, "Throw it overboard, let the fish deal with it."

The deckhand followed direction obediently, taking the covered object from the doctor's office and through the levels of the ship. He passed Sana, tending to cannons, the first mate's quarters where it seemed a small gathering was meeting. The captain's quarters were silent, and singing could be heard from the galley. If you really knew what to look for, a puffball could be seen poking out of the crow's nest from the deck. A few other crewmen spied the man, but gave him way when they saw his burden. Without a word or thought, Jeremiah dropped his load overboard, the cloth falling aside in the water. As it sank, it now seemed to depict a man drowning, rather than one locked in a prison.

Misha startled a tad as Kali snatched the pipe from her suddenly, but she understood. Whatever it was they were smoking, it was expensive, and Kali didn't want to waste any on Misha since it, apparently, had no effect. She listened to Kali speak, only understanding a little, but, she got the jist of the questions.

"My earliest memories seence my creation ees exercise and training. And, school, of course. Everytheeng about life for me was becoming strong, becoming powerful, learning to fight. Was created to serve a purpose, ONE purpose. Eet ees een my code, it ees een my heart, my soul. My home has been at war weeth Hell since the beginning of all creation. Before I started travelling to other worlds on meeshions, eef I hed any free time, it was spent practicing weeth other paladins, leefting heavy theengs to get stronger, or fighting een the front lines battling for my home. Thees is what all Acheronians do. We train and we fight. Eet ees the Will of our Lord Commander, Bane. Eet ees all I know. We are a society forever locked een battle. Always." 

She grew a bit sad for a moment, but quickly composed herself, as if being sad was not allowed. She looked around the room some more, trying to enjoy the colors and the sights. 

"I am proud of who I am, what I am, and who I serve. But my programming deed not allow much room for luxurious theengs. Maybe one day you understand why Misha is always fascinated with everything. Because, een many ways, everything EES new to me."

"Wow, that sounds so incredibly boring." The words came out easily past the barbarians lips as she relaxed and sunk back more into the chair. "No offense. I get it, gotta fight hell n' shit, whatever, but seriously? Not even like... A board or card game? Just training?" She takes one last inhale from the pipe before putting it out and setting it down on the table. "I wouldn't be able to do that, nah, **** that," She says with a laugh. "Though, I get why you're so fascinated by everything, so I hope this trip to Saltmarsh gives you some story to take back to your, uh, friends back home?" The end of the sentence ended more off into a question as she was unsure if Misha actually had any friends back on Acheron. "The way you talk about home makes it seem like you all are robots or somethin'. Why you so happy n shit? Wouldn't you be a hard-ass? Your code wrong?"

Misha was quiet for a long time, held her head down a bit - thinking. Eventually she smiled and kept looking around the room. 

"Ees no time for games when your people, your society, ees literally about to collapse at any moment. We are a society of warriors, conquerors. Bane created Prime Paladins because before us, Acheronian soldiers were barely enough to hold Hell's forces at bay. Barely. Eet was a dark time. Eef not for Genesis Chambers all would be lost. Only now hef we been able to poosh back. But, any moment we let up, they gain advantage. Eet ees impossible to rest. So instead of play, I fight. I work out hard. Exercise. I like being strong. I defend my world and my people, and I serve my God weeth ALL my heart. I Destroy our enemies."

She paused and thought some more, she chuckled to herself, looking off into the distance.

"When I was created, and reached the age when I could start asking questions, the first thing I was taught was: Obey. Then, I was told that I was not allowed to look at my creation specifeecations that determined my exact personality traits. Ever. I do not hef parents, nor the desire to ask why, or feel a loss that I do not hef them. I was made thees way. I do not know why I am happy all the time - I just AM. I serve Bane and His Purpose. I was taught that I am designed to do a few theengs very well. I was created weeth free weel, and eet ees possible that, perheps, something ees wrong or off with my programming - but asking those questions would be me doubting my Creator, and this ees something I weel not do. All I know, ees that I hef a very special purpose, and a special meesion. I know my place een my society, and I do not ask questions. I obey. Bane and Acheron ees my life."

'”Were designed to do a few things very well' include eating *****? Cause ya did that shit just fine I think...” Kali smirked at the red head. She’d just blame it on the fact she was high, maybe a bit buzzed. She chuckles inwardly and waits for Misha to stop speaking. "I don't think I've met a more devoted paladin in my hundred somethin' years o' life, n' I'm surrounded by three of 'em on this ship." She gives a hardy laugh and leans forward in her seat, just enough for her to put both her elbows on the table. "What happens when you paladins die? ... What if you die and you're not in your home plane? I mean, surely, you're not the only Acheronian on missions like this? Gettin' out, enjoying life...? Are you afraid of death, Meesh?"

All soldiers of Acheron are loyal to Bane, The Lord General and Tyrant, and to the Acheronian War Machine. Since time immemorial, the plane has been fighting for it's very survival. The purpose of the Genesis Chambers was twofold: the mass creation of troops, and, later, the birthing of the one thousand Prime Paladins.

Those Prime Paladins created from the Genesis Chambers, starting at a very young age, religious and military creed and dogma is taught and instilled in addition to a daily rigorous martial and physical routine of training. Men and women birthed from the Genesis Chambers have altered genetic engineering that activates or suppresses certain features and traits deemed beneficial to the Acheronian War Machine as first commanded by our Lord and Commander. It is important to note that all creations born of the Chambers have free will.

Activates: pain suppression, increased obedience, heightened and more efficient muscle strength or intelligence, superior accuracy, courage, among others.
Suppresses: emotional concepts of love, family, fear, and doubt. Brotherhood is not suppressed but natural encouraged through war.

Through the miracle of faith, technology, and magic, the Genesis Chambers specifications can be altered or changed per user desire before a creation is birthed from the chambers - thus creating Prime Paladins with slightly different strengths based on final destiny.

Misha startled violently and bust out laughing very hard, not expecting Kali to say that at all. "Well! Misha glad you like how I move tongue! And thankful to Bane to have knowledge on how to DO so." she looked at Kali very slyly and suggestively.

"I am very devoted to Bane. It is, after all, because of Him that I am alive. He is my Lord General and the ruler of my people. I am everything because of Him. They say that the souls of those who hef died een battle go to Acheron, the plane of war, for all eternity to continue to fight battles without end. I eemagine that when I die, I weel have the honor of being one of those peeple. I am Prime Paladin, one of one thousand. We are spread across entire cosmos for deefrent purposes - fighting against the minions of Asmodeus. I am blessed by Bane because while I love my homeland, travelling to deefrent worlds as Prime - which very few of my peeple hef -  has let me experience many theengs I never see at home. Deefrent places, deefrent people..and..deefrent ways to show someone you like them, ya?"

She got up from her chair and silkily sat next to Kali. Very close, and her bright green eyes sparkled. Their foreheads nearly touching, she said, "And I like you very much.."

Carrhae slept well through the night. If she babbled, it didn't matter since no one was there to hear it. She did however have dreams. She dreamt that she was back at Feathergale Spire, but instead of reliving her doomed battle, she was experiencing a more pleasant memory. She was flying high on a hippogriff, with Mercy and Zephyr riding on each side, both of them sticking their tongues out at a woman in armor behind them. She descended upon a manticore, taking two powerful swipes at it with her sword. It retaliated by lashing at her with its scorpion-like tail. Carrhae unable to bring her shield up in front of her face in time to block the attack. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the blow, but instead of feeling the stinging pain of a manticore tail, she felt a dull pain in her head, as she fell out of the bed on to the floor. 

"Ouch." Wait. My bed? Carrhae took a look around and deduced that from her still wearing her clothes from last night and being alone in her room instead of on the deck with Misha and Sana led her to the conclusion that she passed out and was taken here. She'd make it a point to thank them both. Then she set out to get ready for her day.

 Carrhae exited her room and quickly made her way to the kitchen, where Chef would already be awake and ready to prepare breakfast for the crew. She wishes a good morning to Indigo and asks for two cups of coffee, if it's not too inconvenient. Once the coffee has been dispensed, Carrhae thanks the chef and makes her way to Kali's quarters. "Morning, Kali. Were you able to get that package I asked you to get? I would've asked last night, but I was rather indisposed. I also bring coffee, I hope that makes up for me disturbing you this morning."

"Vot der'mo!!" Misha said, opening the door, and seeing Carrhae. "Comrade Kapitan! Good morning!"

Misha did her best to adjust her top, which she was, apparently, in the middle of putting back on when Carrhae came to the door. She quickly fixed her hair in a fast ponytail and adjusted her way too short shorts.

"I was, ah.." she looked around, confused. "Tsk! Seelee Misha!" she said, chastising herself, "Thees ees not my room! Sorry, Kapitan, I must ah, have gotten lost! Yes!" she smacked her head, rolled her eyes, and carefully slipped out of the door. "My meestake! I go now. Queekly." 

With a sheepish grin, Misha left from Kali's room, and Carrhae, heading to her room, and nearly tripping over herself from trying to walk as fast as she could without looking like she was running.

Carrhae was too late to tell Misha that she didn't have to go, but the other Paladin was already down the hall by the time Carrhae had opened her mouth to speak. "She didn't have to leave, it's not like I'd be upset with her. Although, it's does make things easier for me, I only had Indigo whip up coffee for the two of us. But she kind of let me know that you two were intimate, albeit unintentionally. I love Misha, but she's not terribly subtle, although I doubt she knows that I know. I should tell her so that she doesn't feel like she has to lie to me about it. She's not great at that either." Carrhae shrugs and chuckles. "I'm sorry. It's just that I spent four years with Misha, so I know her better than most people would. Although you might have me beat." She hands Kali the other mug of coffee she's holding. "Here you go, fresh from the Chef."    

Kali found no recollection of last night when she thought on it, blaming that on the drugs mainly, since she didn't know why she was on top of Misha when she roused from her slumber or why the paladin was licking her ear? Eventually it clicked that they slept together (being naked would be the dead give away)... again, which was fine, it was just a damn shame she couldn't remember it well enough. Ah well, she'd think, always another time. She sunk into her pillows when she peeled herself off the other woman to free her from beneath her and get redressed to most likely do some weight lifting. However when Misha had addressed the captain, Kali couldn't help but let out a low groan in annoyance. She didn't wanna get up and now she had to.

"Aye, she's... She's somethin' alright... Mornin', by the way," Kali muttered, rubbing her eye at a weak attempt to really wake herself up. With much reluctance she sat up and pushed herself up off the bed, still naked, and if Carrhae chose to take a good look, she didn't say anything about it and instead took the mug from the blonde's hand. "Thank ya much." The brunette took a sip from the coffee, letting the bitter taste and caffeine work itself through her system to give her just enough energy to actually try and get dressed. For now, she'd just thrown on the shirt she wore last night seeing as it was long enough to cover the important parts, not that it mattered, Kali was far from being a prude after all. Soon after, she pulled the brief case from the corner and set it right next to her coffee and opened it up, her body obscuring Carrhae's view of what else was inside other than her package. Before she turned around, she made sure to click the case shut again.

"Here ya are," She handed the packed bag to the captain. "Got a pipe for that or you wanna borrow one of mine?"

Misha returned to her room, nearly somersaulting into it. She closed the door and had her back to it - made a face as if she just got caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing - and looked a little nervous for a second. The emotion soon faded, and she smiled, biting her lip and playing with her belt buckle thinking about the night before with Kali. 

Misha's room was extremely neat, organized, and simple. She had a bed neatly made, and simple. A few end tables. There was a desk with a chair, and an enormous Acheronian cabinet propped against the wall that clearly contained something other than clothing. She opened it and looked over her armor, shield, and hammer. Her armor was hanging inside, and opened up as if someone could walk into it, and it was snap and lock over their frame. She inspected everything inside, made sure it was ready to go. Satisfied, she kneeled in front of it and remained that way for some time, reverent, her head low.

She opened a small drawer and took out some clean clothing, thinking about how in a few days it would time to set sail and head off toward their objective. She went into her washroom and cleaned up and changed into a different athletic shorts and half shirt. Her muscles ached, and began to feel like they were on fire - as if something in her genetic code was telling her that it was time to exercise and she was late - which she was. She finished cleaning up from the night before and went downstairs to the lower level of the ship, there barrels were stacked neatly and various metal bars were stacked against the wall. She leapt up to a long overhead plank and did a large amount of pull ups. She did this for a while until failure, and move on to sit ups, pushing, pulling and other squatting activities until she felt very fatigued and satisfied. She put everything back very neatly. Looking herself over and flexing various body parts, she smiled happily, went back upstairs, bathed again, and went topside wearing an Acheronian two piece swimsuit.

It was a beautiful morning, so she decided to unroll a towel near the edge of the ship, and sunbathe. She loved this worlds sun, so she laid out and closed her eyes, relaxing.

At first, Carrhae was too distracted by Misha's awkward exit to notice the fully naked Kali, but once she actually walked in the room and set the beverage down, it was hard not to notice. Even though Kali gave no objection, Carrhae still didn't want to spend too much time looking at her naked form, but even though she attempted to be quick, she still felt that it was difficult to tear her gaze away from the amazonian beauty. "Sorry." She chuckled. "Now I feel like I owe you a look at mine." Carrhae accepts the package of drugs from Kali and pulls a bag of coins from her belt. "Thank you. I believe that this should be enough to compensate you for what you spent. I'll have to borrow one of yours, but if you like, you can come over later and smoke some too. I find that it's a rather relaxing substance and it smells pleasant as well. And, if I may, I've heard that hanging a sock on the door is a good way to let people know that you're with someone and are not to be disturbed."

Kali scoffs at the offering up to see the captain nude and sock suggestion while she heads to her bed after setting the bag of gold aside. “I’ll try n’ keep that in mind next time.” As much as she wished to hop right back into bed, she instead pulled at one of the drawers underneath. Kali pushes aside some tops that she had stored in there and pulled out a box with some intricate gold designs on the outside. She holds the box in one hand while the other works on opening it and pulling out whichever pipe was the first she laid an eye on. “Yeah, I’ll take you up on that offer, hadn't smoked that in a long while. A good treat, really,” She hands over the pipe and closes the box and puts it away, kicking the drawer shut. “Anythin’ else ya need?”