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Deimos was burning.

It was a cool night, almost refreshing. Both moons were out among the stars, but neither was full. However, their light paled compared to the blazing flames in the city before them. They were close enough to smell the smoke now and in the quiet of the night, screams of pain and fear could be heard faintly.

For a moment, nobody spoke or move. Only the creaking of the ship and the beating of the waves against the hull broke the silence. It was Elisa who broke the reverie by speaking first. "Looks like things have gotten worse than we thought."

Saren stood next to her, by the wheel, staring out at the fire. The orange and red light of the inferno flashed off his glasses, which he slowly pushed up his nose as they were sliding off. He spoke calmly and clearly. "Red alert. All crew are to report for duty. I want eight groups of five, plus two marines and one bridge officer in each group; so eight total in each group. Groups 1, 3, 5 and 7 will form a bucket brigade and help in putting out fires. Groups 2, 4, 6 and 8 will search for wounded and offer assistance. That leaves one officer and four marines to remain here to protect the ship. Bring us in for docking. I assume the dockmaster won't be available to make us sign paperwork, so we'll ignore standard docking procedures for the moment."

As he speaks, the crew immediately begins carrying out his orders. A number run below deck to wake any sleeping sailors or marines. The officers start organizing their groups.

Elisa steers the ship toward the docks. They are deserted.

During the trip, Ouragana had tried to befriend the ship's storm sorcerer, to exchange knowledge. She suggested that they sleep in shifts, to avoid having to share a bunk, and she whiled away the time studying weather and wave patterns.

As they approach the burning town, she comes closer to Baeros. "This is your home island, isn't it? it must be terrible for you to see it burn."

Val stares. She hasn't seen such devastation in years. After hearing the orders, she approaches Saren. "What would you have us do Saren?"

"You are not my crew and are therefore not under my authority," Saren points out. "You know your own strengths and weaknesses better than I do. You can remain here and protect the ship, if you wish. Or form your own group and enter the city."

Jocelyn was in a state of shock as she watched the city burn, but she snapped out of it upon hearing Val speak. "We'll help where we can," she says. "If anything, we can help take the wounded to a safer place. Though, I don't know this place very well, but I assume a temple or something would be a safe place."

"Of course, a temple is a safe place......by default" Val says. and just to be a pain she adds "I wonder who might pay for some weapons and armor"

Baeros stares at the flames. Ouragana speech echoing his own concerns. In his imaginations he can see the same inferno attacking the woods he grew up in.
"I think the temple is too far. We should bring wounded back here. Saren? Who is going to treat the wounded? You? Elisa? Jocelyn? Maybe all of you, or you take shifts. Anyway, instead on stumbling in the city we don't know well which is now full with black smoke, it would be faster to bring them back here." Baeros looks to the city already searching for targets to save. He quickly takes a rope and ties Hopper to the ship. "You stay here kid. You are too young for this mess. Don't worry we will be back in no time." he smiles and rubs Hoppers head. Then he sees in Takit's eyes and behavior the tension and awareness of troubles coming and he crouches towards him, pet his head and neck and tell him, "Keep close to me. Guard my back." he looks back at Saren, "Should we prepare wet blankets or coats to use while running into the fire?"

"I could give you something so you can see even in smoke" Ouragana offers. She takes out a silver coin, places it on deck in a quiet spot and casts Continual Light on it. she picks it up and brings it to Bearos. "Here" she offers it. You could tie a cloth around your head and place this in the folds, to shine before you." If he accepts, she helps him get the device set up.

This done, she talks to the healers. "What I could do for you is prepare bandages or do all kinds of auxiliary stuff, you tell me. And if there are people in great pain, maybe it helps them if I give them magic sleep."

Jocelyn wrote:"I assume a temple or something would be a safe place."

Val wrote:"Of course, a temple is a safe place...by default."

"Whether a temple would be safe or not would depend on who the temple is dedicated to, no?" asks Areilon. "If I remember right, the people of Mond are mostly worshipers of Crizza, a capricious and chaotic god who will just as likely smite you for no reason than to answer your prayers, depending on his mood."

Baeros wrote:"Saren? Who is going to treat the wounded? You? Elisa? Jocelyn?"

"Each group will have a healer with them, and if you form your own group, I assume Jocelyn will be your healer," Saren says. "It may not be practical to bring all of the wounded back here, though. It's not that big of a ship, some wounded may not be capable of being moved, and it might be time consuming to return here every time you find one person in need. Still, I'll leave one healer here on the ship, as well, if you should decide to do that."

Ouragana casts a spell on a silver piece in her hand, and instantly the coin starts to emit a bright light, as bright as daylight, with a range of sixty feet. This encompasses nearly the entire upper deck of the ship, turning the caravel into a beacon of light on the sea. Were anyone standing on the harbor now, it might appear to them that sunrise was coming several hours early.

"Part of our cargo consists of blankets and bandages," Saren says, blinking in the sudden light. "The crew is already preparing them as we speak."

The ship pulls into the harbor, alone. Through the light of Ouragana's spell, it is now visible that the dock isn't entirely empty. There are a couple of smaller ships that appear to have been set on fire and burned down, their charred remains jutting out of the water.

Once the Seleya is settled, the boarding plank is dropped and the groups begin disembarking.

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Ouragana casts Continual Light on a silver piece and offers it to Baeros.

"I don't know enough about this place to know if there is a temple dedicated to Octhanus or not," Jocelyn admits. "The docks don't seem like the safest place to bring hurt people either, but it might be the best that we can do on such short notice. Baeros, Andar, you two lead the way for the rest of us through the city as we try to find people to help."

(OOC: I guess I wasn't plain enough about Ouragana casting the spell in a secluded corner and taking the coin up in her hand to conceal most of the light. I didn't mean to announce the ship's presence to all and sundry. Well, what is done is done.)

"I would like to remain on the ship, because I don't see where else I could be of use" Ouragana says as the plank is lowered. "Unless anyone can tell me what I should do?"

Andar quickly dons the new leather armor that Areilon purchased for him back in Tu'Valie and readies his cutlass. Areilon draws her sabre and gives it a few practice swings. "Do you think you'll be okay here without us?" she asks Ouragana.

The rest of the crew departs, the groups splitting up and entering the city. Soon all that remains is the party and the five crewmen left behind to protect the ship.

Val readies herself for departure. She leaves her Battle Axe behind, planning on the Bow and Trident. "I am ready to go, what is our mission? Do we have a plan?"

"The plan is to help people that need it, Val," Jocelyn points out. "This city seems pretty big, so I'm sure there isn't a shortage of people in danger right now."

"As you know, I can't really fight. But I might help to protect people, so I guess I will come with you after all, if that's our mission." Ouragna seems to have taken some resolve now.

(OOC: I am correct in thinking that the magical compass will guide her back to the ship even on land, am I not?)