Private Edge of the Abyss

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Mistral gave a nod of his head to that and they had time to think over a lot of things here. She was certain of a few other things and aspects as well. Mistral was looking it as what they would have to do and less analytical. The people were going to be people and that meant a thousand motivations majority of which had nothing to do with them or would even factor them in. He was checking more of the weapons though and if they were going to trrade or exchange then it could be just as easily used against them as it was against someone else which wasn't exactly what he would have wanted to have the first option be. "Everything there and going in will be important but I am more looking at what they have, if they are more like they were on the other island with mismatched gear and equipment it makes it easier in some ways. Means we could deplete ammo and power cells that might not be universal like some make. Which aids us and blades are something easier to work with in a storm."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened without interrupting, eyes moving from the weapon cases to the dark stretch of water beyond the hull. When she spoke, her tone was calm, measured, grounded in experience rather than bravado.

"That tracks," she said quietly. "Storms level the field fast. Power cells fail, charging ports corrode, targeting goes to hell. Anyone relying on standardized tech is going to feel that first."

She glanced back at the weapons, then shook her head slightly.

"Mismatched gear tells me two things," Ana continued. "They're either scavenging or trading out of necessity. Either way, logistics are fragile. Ammo incompatibility, cell variance, maintenance gaps… those are pressure points we can work around without ever firing a shot."

Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug.

"Blades don't short out. And information weighs less than weapons when you're moving through storms."

She met Mistral's gaze briefly, thoughtful rather than confrontational.

"If we plan for disruption instead of dominance, we stay flexible. I'd rather understand what they can't replace than what they can shoot at us with."

Then she looked back toward the water, expression steady.

"Storm or not, people will still be people. That's the variable I trust most."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"Are we certain they are all people?" Aya asked it as she was looking at it. "We encountered selkath in the water which means even with a storm there is a danger. An aquatic species even one in a sitation where the waterr is brackish enough you can't see in it let alone under it is dangerous. As others learned." She motioned with her head towards the cabin where the sounds of the two could be heard with almost audible shakes. "Grant krakadons are more violent in some cases then selkath in my experience and she is well motivated to get back to her beta's. Makes her more dangerous in some cases but it also is not something we can rely solely on once the storms come around. The islanders will know where we need to go and most might not like or care but that is our benefit."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened, eyes tracking the water for a moment before she answered. The spray, the shifting light, the half-heard sounds from the cabin, it all painted the same picture Aya was warning about.

She tilted her head slightly, thoughtful rather than dismissive.

"Aren't all sentients people?" she said calmly. "At least in the ways that matter."

Her gaze moved back to Aya, steady and practical.

"Different biology, different instincts, different thresholds for violence," Ana continued. "But they still plan. They still protect what's theirs. They still make choices based on fear, loyalty, or survival."

She gave a small shrug.

"Whether it's islanders, Selkath, krakadons, or something worse… assuming they aren't people is how you underestimate them." Her tone stayed even, grounded in experience rather than idealism. "And underestimation gets people killed faster than storms do."

Her eyes flicked briefly toward the dark water again.

"We don't need them to like us," she added. "We just need to understand what they value and what they fear. That's the part that's universal."

Then she looked back at Aya, expression calm, resolved.

"Everything else is just environment and timing."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"SOmetimes, you are looking at it as a formula instead of factoring in the emotions. We are going to have several hours still to look and work on it. I suggest the two of you prepare cause once we get there it is going to make that canyon run we were just in seem like a walk in the park." Aya said it as Mistral was looking over the charts but gave a nod. He slipped a small stone from his belt while he was sitting down and used the spray to wet it a little before he was smearing the moisture over the top of it with his thumb. THen he was using it on his blades and sword. Watching over all of it when he was testing the blade for a time. The sharrpness of it being the more important part as his throwing knives were set out so he could test the weight.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened without interrupting, eyes moving between the charts, the open water beyond them, and Mistral's careful, almost ritual attention to his blades. Aya wasn't wrong. Formulas were comforting. Emotions were not. But pretending one didn't bleed into the other was how plans broke.

She exhaled slowly and nodded once.

"I know," she said, tone even, not defensive. "I default to structure because it's predictable. People aren't. Neither are storms."

Her gaze lingered on the charts for a moment longer, then shifted to the weapons laid out, the deliberate way Mistral tested balance and edge.

"Once we're there, logic won't be enough," Ana continued. "We'll be reacting as much as planning. Reading intent. Fear. Opportunism."

She straightened slightly, resolve settling in.

"I'll prep," she added simply. "Systems, contingencies, fallback comms. But I won't pretend this stays clean."

A faint, wry edge touched her expression.

"If the canyon was the warning," she finished, "then I'd rather be ready for the part where things stop making sense."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He was listened as he sharpened his blades and gave a small nod of his head to that. He wasn't entirely convinced but he didn't have to be. He was prepared for many of the aspects that could happen and they were walking into a place that was overly dangerous, feared and hated by the locals... that was more then enough for him to want to make sure he is prepared. Aya was looking at more while she found a place to sit and check her gear ignoring the sounds from the cabin but laughing all the same for a moment. Once she finished she secured the rest of the weapons and turned the case around in the seat so that it would be hidden.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana watched the quiet ritual of preparation for a moment, the stone on steel, the careful testing of balance and edge. It was familiar in a way that didn't require her to participate to understand.

She gave a small nod, more acknowledgment than agreement.

"Conviction isn't required," she said calmly. "Preparation is."

Her gaze moved briefly to Aya as the weapons were secured and hidden again, then back to Mistral and the blades. There was no judgment in her expression, just assessment.

"Places like this don't punish uncertainty," Ana continued. "They punish assumptions."

She shifted her weight, resting a hand lightly against the bulkhead as the boat hummed on.

"So do what you need to do," she finished evenly. "I'd rather everyone be ready than comfortable."

Then she fell quiet again, content to let the sound of preparation fill the space.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Mistral gave a simple nod of his head as the time continued, stretching out to the first checkpoint... Aya looking as a chrono went off and she looked up from her prep work. The autopilot shifting as the repulsors were alternating extra power... and then he saw it. The waves weren't just getting choppy they were almost falling away in some places and he was glad they had repulsors instead of a regular boat. He was looking as Aya was moving and making adjustments, the railing rising up a little higher anad shielding activating when the first pellets of raain were coming. The crack of thunder could be heard without a flash being seen but the pilots cabin opened as Seastone was remaining inside and the large shark came out before going to the front fo the boat. "Sensors clear and active." She shouted while Aya spoke. "You are both going to want to hold onto something." She said it as they picked up speed and the boat started to rock but they were riding waves between large rocks as they formed before being swallowed by the ocean again.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana braced herself as the boat lurched, the deck tilting beneath her boots in a way that made her instincts flare. Not fear, just the sharp, cold awareness that came from too many years of surviving things that wanted her dead. The wind hit her next, wet and heavy, carrying the metallic tang of a storm that hadn't fully revealed itself yet.

Her hand shot out, fingers curling around the nearest railing as Aya's warning cut through the rising roar of the sea.

"Hold onto something."

Ana did.

Her other hand slid to the edge of the console beside her, anchoring herself as the repulsors groaned and the boat surged forward. The waves weren't waves anymore. They were walls, collapsing and reforming in ways that defied anything she'd seen on open water. The ocean didn't look alive. It looked angry.

Her eyes flicked to Mistral, then to Seastone's massive silhouette at the bow, the shark's presence somehow grounding despite the chaos. If the creature wasn't panicking, Ana sure as hell wasn't going to.

Still, she leaned closer to Mistral, raising her voice just enough to be heard over the thunder that cracked without warning.

"Tell me this is normal," she said, though her tone made it clear she already knew the answer. Her grip tightened as the boat dropped a meter in an instant before the repulsors caught them again. "Because if this is the calm part of the trip, I want advance notice before the ocean tries to eat us."

Another wave slammed against the hull, spraying cold water across her face. She blinked it away, jaw set, eyes fixed on the shifting maze of stone and sea ahead.

"Just tell me where you need me," she added, voice steady despite the chaos. "I can keep my feet. I just need to know what's coming."

Her stance widened instinctively, her knees bending to the boat's rhythm, not fighting the motion but moving with it. A soldier's balance. A survivor's intuition.

Whatever waited beyond those rocks, she wasn't going to face it unprepared.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He was not entirely certain.. well of this. "I do not know, I avoid going there but they don't seem nervous so I am going with yes." he said it as the waves continued to rock and Aya was moving to the side with a slide so she could grasp and swing herself around some of the railing. Going to the repulsors as she kicked it to adjust it and the large shark had managed to finish. The rocks coming towards them like massive teeth for a moment. as Seastone was steering them into it. The large shark moving around in the front but she had the repulsors pushing them back further and further. Aya had found a place on the side as she climbed up to the higher area. "Hold on." her voice came out when the surge sent them through the rocks at the center... then around more. Aya was calling it out to seastone and the shark as they were navigating the repulsors on either side and Mistral got it. His voice raising up enough over the storm while he spoke with partially shielded eyes. "Okay, I get what she meant now." He pointed with his chin to the rocks and different ways they could go through but quickly could just as easily disappear.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana had braced herself against the nearest support bar the moment the first hard surge rolled through the hull, boots planted wide for balance as the repulsor craft lurched and corrected beneath them. The wind whipped at loose strands of her hair, salt spray stinging faintly against her cheeks as the jagged rock formations closed in around them like the teeth of some enormous, patient predator.

For a moment, she didn't speak.

She watched.

Watched the way Seastone threaded them through gaps that barely looked wide enough. Watched Aya shift and compensate with practiced ease. Watched the shark's massive form move in controlled arcs at the bow while the repulsors strained and hummed in protest.

Her grip tightened slightly as another surge rocked them sideways.

Only then did she glance toward Mistral, catching his raised voice over the storm.

A breath of dry, almost incredulous laughter slipped from her.

"Yeah," Ana called back, raising her voice just enough to carry, though she didn't sound panicked. Focused. Alert. "I'm starting to think 'walk in the park' was…wildly optimistic."

She shifted her stance, adjusting her footing the way Ironwraith had drilled into her not long ago. Knees loose. Center low. Let the movement pass through her rather than fight it.

One hand stayed locked on the railing. The other hovered near her belt, instinct more than intention.

Her eyes traced the disappearing channels between the rocks, calculating angles and distances out of habit, even now.

"And this is the part," she added, voice steadier than the situation probably warranted, "where one wrong correction turns into a very bad day for everyone."

She glanced toward Aya's elevated position, then back toward Seastone at the controls, with genuine respect in her expression.

"But…they know what they're doing," Ana continued, more firmly now, as if reminding herself as much as anyone else. "They've read this terrain before. We just have to trust the line and not panic."

Another wave slammed against the hull, spraying mist across the deck.

She tightened her grip and leaned into it, eyes bright, focused, alive with adrenaline.

"…Still," she muttered under her breath, a faint, crooked smile tugging at her lips, "next time someone says 'easy route,' I'm checking the definition first."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He laughed with her at that and one thing came to mind... if this was the easy way. He really didn't want to see the hard way with more risk... or was it less risk. The waves coming in crashed around as the boat navigated through it and the pathways in the rock were channeling them quicker and quicker. Aya shouting. "Hold tight." She said it as the world dropped... he could feel it and there was his stomach as he didn't see it.. he couldn't with part of the boat in the way... but that feeling in his stomach as they plummeted and then rose up again clearing several rising rocks. Aya directed them and the boat was spinning almost when the repulsors went into overdrive holding them suspended in the air before surging forward to clear some and slam into a waave. Riding it down and in between two rocks before it was coming out the other side and the chop starrted to subside. They were in the clear but the seas were less violent. The islands in the distance showing uprooted trees aand they had been made like baarricades.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana hadn't had time to brace properly before the world seemed to drop out from under them.

One moment, she had been gripping the railing with both hands, boots planted as best she could against the slick deck, trying to read the chaos of water and stone rushing past. Next, her stomach lurched violently as the repulsor craft plunged, the sensation so sudden and complete that it felt like the ground had simply vanished.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Wind and spray slammed into her as they dropped, then surged upward again, the boat rising hard enough to make her knees buckle. She barely managed to keep her footing as Aya pushed the engines into overdrive, the hull vibrating beneath her like a living thing fighting to stay intact.

For a heartbeat, they were suspended. Hanging. Weightless. Then they shot forward.

Water exploded over the bow and crashed across the deck in a cold, unforgiving sheet. Ana cried out softly as it hit her full on, soaking her clothes instantly, plastering fabric to skin and stealing her breath. She ducked instinctively, one arm coming up over her face as they slammed down another wave and threaded between jagged rocks with barely a handspan to spare.

By the time the motion finally eased, her hands were trembling slightly on the railing. The roar of water softened. The violent pitching gave way to rolling swells. They were through. Ana stayed where she was for a second longer, breathing hard, heart still racing, before she slowly lowered her arm. She was drenched. Completely.

Her jacket clung to her, heavy with water, and her hair had come loose from its usual neat order, dark strands plastered across her forehead and cheeks, several hanging directly in front of her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, then reached up with shaky fingers to brush it back. It only fell forward again, stubborn and dripping.

She let out a breath that was half laugh, half disbelief. "…Okay," Ana muttered quietly, pushing her hair aside once more and glancing toward the calmer water ahead. "That definitely counts as…a hard way."

She wiped water from her face with the back of her hand, still catching her breath, eyes wide but bright with adrenaline.

Then, soaked, windblown, and very much alive, she looked toward the others.

"Next time," she added dryly, "I'm requesting the scenic route."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He wanted to both burst out laughing but was just as much in the same state.... only glad he didn't have long hair. The vest good since it wouldn't retain the water nearly as long. "It may be the better choice. I don't know if I could stomach doing that again or several times." He said it and was more honest with himself.. his stomach was the least of his worries... the navigational aspects alone were not something he wanted to think about as they had been so close to the rocks and even then he was guessing there were others below the water that could have been a danger at other times. Aya was looking at them and down as she stood there and her outfit clung to her. "Careful with the water, it is better now at concealing any threats." She said it as Mistral looked over at it and the brackish water was almost looking like oil but it was normal water. "That isn't unsettling."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana pushed wet hair back from her face with the back of her hand, blinking away a few stubborn droplets that had gathered in her lashes. Her jacket clung to her shoulders now, darkened by seawater, and she gave it an experimental tug as if considering whether it was even worth trying to straighten it out.

She followed Mistral's gaze toward the murky, oil-dark water and let out a quiet huff of a laugh.

"Unsettling is one word for it," she agreed lightly. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'actively hostile.'"

Her eyes flicked briefly over the rest of the group, taking in soaked clothing, plastered hair, and the general aftermath of having just cheated death at high speed. Then her gaze returned to Mistral, a small, crooked smile forming despite the tension still lingering in the air.

"On the bright side," Ana added, tone dry but amused, "if there's ever going to be a wet shirt competition, I'd really prefer it not happen while we're dodging rocks and predators."

She gave him a quick wink, just playful enough to cut the edge of the moment without undercutting it.

"Let's save that for a day when our biggest problem is bad music and overpriced drinks," she finished, glancing back out at the dark water. "Not…whatever this is."

Her smile softened, and she rolled her shoulders once, settling back into readiness as the boat continued forward.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He could agree with that as Aya was getting down and the waves were still large but so where near as bad. They could relax and the weather was lightening up a little. "The storm is all around but the eye is massive in some cases... ringing everything within the islands. The water though only looks bad.. it is normal as far as anyone knows." She said it and Mistral was looking at the water but also the islands thaat were around them where they were headed to. "Do we have an idea of where we are going to look?" He said it and she gave a nod of her head. "Yeaah we do, the coordinates are a start but the islands around it will be much bettert to learn about things. They would have noticed outsiders coming through."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana had been gripping the railing without really realizing it, knuckles still pale from the last stretch of chaos. When the boat finally leveled out and the worst of the chop eased, she let out a slow breath and loosened her hold, shaking some of the tension out of her hands.

She followed Aya's gaze toward the ring of islands, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the uneven silhouettes against the lighter sky. Uprooted trees. Barricade-like formations. Natural cover mixed with signs of past conflict. None of it looked accidental.

At Mistral's question, she tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Coordinates are useful," she said, voice steady, pragmatic, "but they're never the whole story. Not in places like this."

Her eyes drifted back to the water, still dark and opaque despite Aya's reassurance.

"Anyone living out here long-term learns their terrain better than any map ever will," Ana continued. "If outsiders have been moving through, someone noticed. Maybe not right away. But patterns show up eventually. Changed routes. Abandoned docks. Extra watch posts. Even rumors."

She shifted her weight as the boat rolled gently beneath her.

"So yeah," she added, glancing between Aya and Mistral, "starting with the surrounding islands makes sense. We listen first. Observe. Let them tell us where not to go."

A faint, wry smile touched her lips.

"And usually," she finished, "that's where the real answers are hiding."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He offered a nod as Aya was directing Seastone who was of all of them dry and grinning. "You look like you had fun." She said it looking at Ana as her four lekku practically vibrated with laughter. "Did it meet all of your expectations and data?" She said it as a joke but was bringing the ship towards the largest of the visible islands. The docks visible long before the locals came out but they were there. Standing in a mixed attire as it looked like sarongs and loin cloths for working in the sun but there were also tops and pants or shorts where needed. Aya speaking. "Careful what you do and say, they don't like anyone, woman especially but I have an in... mostly."

She said it as the ship docked and a large man walked forward with a look on his face. He was bigger like Kono and he moved forward as Aya and Seastone pulled one of the cases of weapons out with a look on their face. He barely looked at her but pulled the case as it was opened and the weapons checked over. "We're looking for newcomers, outsiders who would have set up recently and are using this to go to the mainland." Aya spoke as Mistral remained quiet and the man looked at her for a moment. "They are upriver, trying to find your auntie." Mistral raised an eyebrow and Aya hung her head. "Great... thanks." She held a hand up and Seastone was moving to get them away from the docks as the weapons were going to the others.

"Get us towards the cluterr, upriver is not going to be fun."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana was still standing near the railing when they finally eased into the docks, soaked through and windswept, her jacket clinging stubbornly to her shoulders and her hair plastered across her face in damp, uneven strands. She pushed a few of them aside with the back of her hand, blinking saltwater from her lashes as she took in the scene unfolding in front of them.

The islands rose out of the mist like dark silhouettes, dense with tangled growth and jagged stone, and the dock itself looked barely more than a reinforced platform lashed together with weathered planks and old durasteel brackets. The people waiting there were just as rough-hewn as the place itself—sun-darkened skin, wary eyes, clothing chosen for function over comfort. Nothing about them suggested hospitality.

When Aya joked at her expense, Ana let out a weak, breathy laugh, half exhausted, half incredulous, and glanced down at herself.

"Define 'fun,'" she replied dryly, brushing wet hair out of her eyes again. "Because I'm pretty sure my internal organs are still rearranging themselves."

She watched the exchange with the large dockhand closely, her posture relaxed on the surface, but her attention sharp. Years of working in volatile environments had taught her how quickly a neutral interaction could turn hostile, especially in places where outsiders were tolerated at best. When the weapons were inspected and taken, she shifted her weight slightly, staying close enough to the others to move quickly if needed.

At the mention of "upriver" and "your auntie," her brows lifted just a fraction.

That…sounded complicated.

When Aya gave the order to move, Ana exhaled quietly through her nose and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, mentally cataloging what little she knew: hostile locals, unknown terrain, people already looking for someone important, and a route that had just been labeled "not going to be fun."

Of course.

"So," she said softly as they started away from the docks, pitching her voice low so only the group could hear, "we're heading into dense terrain, limited visibility, and a social situation that's already tense… to find people who don't want to be found."

She glanced toward the darkened river path and the looming greenery beyond it.

"I'm guessing this is the part where things get worse before they get better?"

Despite the words, there was no panic in her tone. Just quiet realism, and a steady resolve settling back into place as she fell into step with the others, ready for whatever "upriver" was about to throw at them.

Mistral