The Skies have no Limit

[Piemanlives]

Alex
"That's it, I've had enough of this."

One of the spectators saw him draw a sword and march up to the bank door and push aside the militia man trying to batter it down, it was kind of a surprising sight. Slamming the sword into the door wrenching it open he stormed in and a series of gun shots followed.

--Inside the bank--

Alex
"Alright that's enough, now surrender, I have a withdrawal to make."

For the bank robbers it was a rather menacing sight, one thing was this man was holding a sword, the fact that there was another on his hip was another. The fact that he was facing them was also terrifying. Phillip scurried out and surrendered to the waiting militia, Travis on the other hand quietly laid down his weapon and sat down. Dominic was another thing all together, he was this close to the loot and he wasn't going to give it up that easily.

Dominic
"Screw you buster!"

He took a few pot shots at Alex however his shaking hands caused him to miss all of his shots but one, hitting an unwitting bystander in the chest.

Alex
"Right then time to-"

Just as he was going to make this moment worth while the entire militia unit outside came rushing in. Subduing Dominic and cuffing Travis, they seemed to be ignoring the wounded bystander bleeding out behind them. Alex being the man he his picked him up and began walking to the nearest medical station in the city.

[Mill Wilkinson]

_Plasma
"Alright, let's get this cargo unloaded. I'll see if I can't find a return cargo job. Add a bit to the margins. Mind fueling up the ship."

Wilkinson whistled and helped the others to carry the cargo out. "Why did they attack us back there?" Wilkinson thought, still remembering the small heartstop when the distance-adjustment hadn't worked before he yanked it a little with a spanner. "I mean, seriously, a Junker, heavily armed and with no visible or obvious cargo."
He lit another cigarette and sat on the railing after the last piece was moved. "Could you guys take care of the fueling? I seriously have to check and clean the guns before the dirt and residue sticks in."

[Gryphos]

Gareth
"I'll take care of it."

He went about fuelling the engines while Roc thought it would be a good idea to sit on Gareth's head throughout the entire operation. Although Gareth knew that resistance against the bird would be futile and just continued to fuel the ship, creating what would seem to others to be a slightly hilarious image, and what seemed to Gareth as just another example of bird dominance.

[Plasmarobo]

Plasma walks into a small shack by the edge of the docks as soon as the boxes are unloaded.

He nods at the old man behind the counter, they pass some documents and he glances at the bounty board, casually asking the man about any jobs bound for Cathedral. There are none.

He returns to the dock as the fueling is finished, glances at his crew.

_Plasma
"How 'bouts we grab a drink and a bite while we're here? Might find someone bound for our city."

_Gareth
"Alright."

_Mill
"The guns are clean, why not?"

The little group climbed down from the airdock and found themselves in a quaint little forest town.
Low buildings, trees everywhere. One particular building sports a sign claiming food and lodging. It is this structure they head for.

The group shares a meal, some drinks, and generally is satisfied.
Plasma looks around the tavern. There are very few customers. He sighs.

_Plasma
"Looks like we're going home empty then. Alright folks, let's get back on that airship".

He stands, and starts to head back to the airdock.

[BdrLineAzn]

--Cathedral Merchant District--

Courage and BdrLine watches on as they see Alex drew one of his swords and walk towards and inside the building. A few minutes pass and voices and gunfire can be heard.

Captain
"Shots fired, Leming get your guys in there."

Militia Man
"Yes sir. Move, move, move."

Quickly they entered and out with the two robbers in cuffs. As the scene dies down, a pair of men goes to the crowd and starts to direct them away.

Militia Man
"Alright go on your day people, nothing to see anymore. Move along, Move along."

Courage and BdrLine moves with the leaving crowd, and from the corner of their eyes, they see a transfer truck where the Militia places the three robbers.

BdrLine
"Hmm what a day huh?"

Courage
"Eh Charles and I could have done that better ourselves."

BdrLine
"Like the time you were guarding me and scrambled to get away when i spotted the both of you."

Courage
"You know what, shut up."

This made BdrLine laugh and he pats Courage on the back.

BdrLine
"Just messing with ya, but still you guys weren't that secretive."

Courage
"Or how about the time you went crazy and ran through Anvala and we tackled you down."

Now it was Courage's turn to laugh as NdrLine goes silent as he goes back to that day.

BdrLine
"My defense, it was my sister's doing."

Courage
"Okay, riiight your 'sister'. "

They continue to walk and throw verbal jabs at each other, trying up the other.

[Gryphos]

--Cathedral Merchant District--

Michael
"Well I'll be damned."

Michael watched on as Alex entered the bank.

Michael
"That guy's really eager to withdraw some savings, huh."

He had intended to be speaking to the rest of Griffinheart's crew behind him, but he heard no response, or rather, a response not of a voice he recognised.

"Well it is festival season."

Michael turned round to see, instead of his crew, a brown-cloaked, fairly attractive woman with sharp green eyes. Michael shrugged.

Michael
"Do I know you?"

She removed her hood to reveal long, red hair.

"No, probably not, but we do have a mutual friend. My name's Lyre."

Michael pondered for a second. He had many friends over the course of his time. But then he saw, on a rooftop behind Lyre, an eagle, much lighter in plumage than Roc, sitting still and looking straight at him.

Michael
"How do you know Gareth?"

Lyre
"Long story."

Michael
"It's a long way back to the ship. Come."

They set off from the scene at the bank just as the robbers were being apprehended. While, on the rooftops, the eagle followed.

[Piemanlives]

Despite the distance to the medical station, he managed to keep the wounded man alive long enough to get him there. Of course he had to utilize his basic medical training to make it happen but it was well worth saving the life of a man, who turned out to be a father of three. It helped that the oldest was of working age so that while he was recovering they still had some form of income.

Alex
"You know you don't need to thank me, I was doing my civic duty."

He was assisting the older man back to his residence, the area wasn't half bad, a bit average but there are worse places to live.

Alex
"We'll here we are, I hope you can get inside on your own?"

"I have the key right here, but thank you again, I don't think I would've made it without you."

Alex
"Well when all is said in done, I only did what a sensible person would do, by the way how did they miss a bleeding man anyways?"

"They mean well, they just have a one track mind sometimes but they mean well."

Alex
"I don't think I caught your name."

"Daniel Robertson, I run a trading firm in the city, now listen" he lowered his voice slightly "If you ever need a favor come to me and I'll see what I can do about it."

Alex
"Well that's mighty considerate of you, I have to head back to the bank and make a withdrawal. You'd best recover now, I'll check up on you tomorrow."

Daniel R.
"I'll be fine, now run along I have some paper work to fill out."

Alex
"I don't envy you."

The two shared a quick laugh before Alex ran off to the bank to make the withdrawal.

--Cathedral Port--

Alex was running late again, Richard was having a drink at the parlour just across from the dock yard. They were in the process of replacing the old worn out guns with the ones they scavenged a few days ago which meant, he was useless. He wasn't much of a handyman, he was a pilot and an expert navigator, he was also useless with a hammer. It wasn't that he couldn't use one, but compared to the rest of the crew why bother trying? He was also drinking coffee which is something he wouldn't normally do, frankly he was nervous, someone who he thought was only a past memory had somehow found him and he-

"Well well well, look who's here."

God how he hated his ex-wife Reagan, the women was like a demonic hell hound sometimes, a blond, rambunctious, inconsiderate, arrogant one at that, and this time however the captain wasn't around to bail him out of it.

Reagan
"So what's a man like you doing out in this prissy little city?"

Prissy? There wasn't a prissy thing about this place, well maybe the merchant district to some degree.

Richard
"Alright women, what the hell do you need? I have a schedule to keep and you're keeping me from it."

Reagan
"Aww, is that anyway to talk to a former lover?"

God that voice was so condescending he wanted to punch the source of it so bad.

Richard
"God damn it, do you have business or not?! If you don't get out of my sight!"

Reagan
"Aww, I just wanted to talk."

God this was going to be a long day.

[DMaximus]

--Faberia--

As the crew of the Venusian Might made their way into town they could hear a cry of  "Knives sharpened, fortunes told! Pots mended, goods for sale! The tinkers stuck in this forsaken town!"The cry is followed by a string of curses.

Once they reach the town square, they see a man sitting in front of a horse-drawn, but currently horseless, cart. The man is dressed plainly, but well. Of average height and build with a well trimmed beard, he is mainly distinguished by the large cast on his left leg. The cart is topped by a large sign proclaiming "D. Maximus, Tinker". Underneath is a smaller one, listing services and goods offered. Scattered among the more mundane items the men find some rather unlikely claims, such as "the future", "ancient sciences", "various relics", and "living mechanisms".

When the tinker sees the crew of the Venusian Might, he stops his stream of invectives and starts madly signaling them over. "You!" He shouts, " you're the crew of that junker! I need to get out of here, and you're my ride!"   

[Gryphos]

--Griffinheart--

Michael and Lyre were leaning against a guard rail on which Lyre's eagle was perched. On closer examination by Michael, the bird, as well as being of a very light plumage, had specks of black beneath its eyes and a ribbon tied around one of its legs.

Lyre
"She's called Garuda."

Michael
"Much prettier than Roc."

He stroked Garuda's head, before turning to face Lyre.

Lyre
"Ah, Roc, I remember that bird, always so... bossy."

Michael
"Yeah, anyway, let me get the story straight. You 'adventured' with Gareth years ago, before I met him, and split because... Well?"

Lyre
"We were quite the team, but our 'adventuring' well, wasn't always exactly... smiled upon by governments."

Michael
"Did this 'adventuring' perhaps involve 'liberating' goods from merchant ships."

Lyre
"Maybe. Anyway, one day we were caught, or rather, he was caught by the Yeshans and imprisoned. And I didn't have the ability or means to stage a breakout, so I left him."

Michael
"And haven't seen him since."

Lyre
"It was difficult to leave, but I had to. And now he's back, taking any job that puts fuel in the engines."

Michael
"So what now? You going to go back out 'adventuring' with Gareth when he gets back here, and leave the Griffinheart."

Lyre
"Only if he wants to."

Michael gave out a sigh and checked his watch.

Michael
"Should be back relatively soon, we'll find out then."

[Plasmarobo]

--Faberia--

Plasma stops short with mouth hanging open. His eyes run from the beard, to the cart, to the cast in turn.
The wonder bleeds slowing into a glowering appraisal. He glances at Gareth, then Mill, then Imagine.

After a moment of consideration, a smile twists his lips and he shrugs.

_Plasma
"Well Mr. Maximus, the cart might be a bit much. I'll of course have to charge you an expedited rate base on the weight of your freight."

He startles himself with the rhyme, then shakes his head. He raises a hand, finger pointing to the cart.

_Plasma
"In all seriousness, fuel isn't cheap. I suggest you limit your cargo to whatever you feel you can afford. But we'll take you as far as Cathedral. I'm sure you can make appropriate arrangements there."

[Mill Wilkinson]

Mill nods and walks up to the man in the carriage and tips his hat off. "Well, sir, if you like I will help you with the loading and tying up the cargo." He wasn't sure how the man had gotten there, considering his lack of horses or oxen, but it was a customer, whom was being offered a ride to Cathedral on the Venucian Might. "Anything fragile on board or any 'this side up'-loads?"

[DMaximus]

"Cathedral's perfect! Really, any city larger than this dump will have the parts I need to get everything operational again.  I wouldn't worry too much about the weight or the extra fuel cost. Half the cart's weight is a refined fuel I use for various generators and experiments which is, or course, at your service. The rest is odds and ends, mainly a few casks of ale I'm brewing, some salvaged steel, old tech, and various odds and ends. I saw what was unloaded from your junker, and honestly, it won't be much more than that. It can sit on the top deck safely, the wheels fold flat fairly cleverly to facilitate transfer by airship or barge. My own design, not that I'm bragging."

"As for payment, I can pay in simple coin, if you like," he grinned, producing a large pouch flush with coin from some hidden pocket. "Of course, a tinker always knows his customer, and as a captain you'll find much more appealing some of the other things I've discovered and acquired in my travels. There's plenty of time for bargaining once we're under way."

To Mill: "My cart horse faltered on the outskirts of the *ahem* hills outside of town, taking the cart down on top of my leg. Luckily the local carter happened by, and I traded him the corpse for a tow into town. Could you swing by his stables and tell him I'm calling in that favor for a tow to the docks? I would, but... " he trails off, lifting his leg and shrugging.

"And I'm getting ahead of myself! Introductions are in order, of course! First name's Daedalus and the surname should be obvious", he says, pointing to the sign. "Daedalus Maximus is an old name, but too long for most, so it usually gets shortened or concatenated. You'll come up with something clever, I'm sure..."

[Mill Wilkinson]

Wilkinson looked at his captain, who waved his hand approvingly. Mill nods back to the new passenger. "Will do, master Maximus, just tell me from where to find the carter and I'll do my best to help."
With that, the ship's gunner heard the directions, made sure he understood them and then started jogging towards the carter's location.

It was a nice town, to be sure, albeit a bit hard to get out of if you ended up there without an agreed ride. The countryside seemed less than hospitable, and probably was riddled with tribesmen and criminals. Oh well, at least I get to fly out of here soon, Mill thought and took a turn, ramming himself against a big guy. After getting back up he apologized heavily before trying to move on, only to be grabbed by the collar. "You ain't going anywhere, fancyboy!"
An elbow, a trip and a few select punches later he was on the move again, whistling happily and sliding his brass knuckles back to their pocket.

Some ten minutes later he was back to the ship with the carter and proper pulling power. "There we go, sir! Went without a hitch!"

[Gryphos]

--Faberia--

While Daedalus' wagon was being sorted out Gareth decided to take a look round at the telegram office and see what messages he'd got.

Gareth
"Excuse me, are there any telegrams for a Gareth Qartal?"

The person behind the counter ruffled through a pile of papers before producing one from it.

Messenger
"Why yes, it's from one Michael Deloshi. it states as follows:

Lyre is here STOP
She arrived just now STOP
What's up with your eagles? STOP

That's it."

Gareth
"Thank you."

He then walked out, thoughts filling his head.

Lyre? It can't be. I mean, that's great! But... I can't. I'll just have to see.

He trotted back to the ship and waited on board with Roc for them to leave.

[Plasmarobo]

Plasma's eyes brighten momentarily at the mysterious offer of Daedalus.
Well, we'll see if I can split it. If not, I think I've got some coin saved to buy out the others. Plus the Venucian Might could use a little tune up.

_Plasma
"Alright D-Max, you're welcome aboard the Vencuian Might. I warn you though: If you can't pay, the Wild Winds Trading and Acquisition company has a perfect debt collection record."

He helps load the cleverly folded and configured cart onto the ship. The ropes strain under the weight of the item, but hold as it's hoisted up into the airdock. While working, he notices some blood on Mill's attire.

_Plasma
"You alright, Mill?"

Mill glances at him, surprised then follows his gaze to the crimson spatter. His eyes lift.

_Mill
"Minor scrape captain, it's not my blood."

Plasma blinks, shakes his head, and heaves on the ropes.
They take a short rest after getting the wagon aboard, and then Plasma leaps up to the helm of the Venucian Might.

_Plasma
"Alright boys, cast off and we'll ride the sky once more!"