Hunting the Jörmungandr

[Joseph Goebbels]

Joseph was very happy people took his suggestion of going to the bar easily. Not that he'd expected an altercation over it, but he really needed to be out of the cold. The small fae species with them would also probably appreciate it. "Well then ghoul, lead on." he gestured to Tamreta. He could smell the death on her, that unsavoury appearance. What nasty creatures they were...not something he ever wanted in polite company ever again. At least the demon seemed competent, the fae just seemed pissed off and uncontrollable. That was to be expected, they were mischievious creatures that Joseph hated dearly.

He was lucky they all appeared at least humanoid in appearance, something he could deal with rather than a bunch of outlandish men and women. Besides, it would make the locals easier on them too. Joseph was willing to bet his brace that he was the only one here who spoke a lick of Norwegian. Joseph nodded to Tamreta somewhat impatiently. God knew if this would be enough to get the worm down. He doubted it, but he would bypass judgement until he could see what the fae, the demon, and the reaper could do.

[Tamreta]

Tamreta stared coldly down at Joseph. Every time he spoke, he grated against her vast amounts of patience. Being called a ghoul, however, chipped it considerably. Life-sucker, monster, grim reaper, shinigami, freak. Any of those would have passed over her with very little damage. But a ghoul? Just because she was a reaper did not mean she delighted in feeding, and it certainly did not make her evil.

She tilted her hat slightly to one side to hide her face from the others as she continued to match gazes with the small man. Slowly, she let down the illusion on one half of her face so that he could see what lay beneath. The skeletal jaw twisted as the human half smirked. An empty eye socket stared down blankly at him. "I would ask that you do not make the mistake of believing everyone who is not you to be less intelligent." She spoke low in perfect, if old, Norwegian tongue. "Also, if you ever travel to the Amazon it would be wise not to use the word 'ghoul.' My kind do not take kindly to such slights."

Her face returned to usual as she turned her head to survey the others gathered. "Well then," she said reverting back to English, "please follow me."

With that she proceded out of the alley and turned the corner. She stopped long enough to point out the faded sign almost directly over her head before entering the tavern. The establisment was cozy and heat came from a crackling fire in the hearth on the opposite side of the room. Tamreta chose a table close beside it then waited for the others.

[Zyxyz Golthrum]

Zyxyz frowned at Joseph's remark. It was unwise to create animosity and distrust amongst one's group when going up against something as titanic as the World Snake, Jormungandr. This was a bad way to be starting.
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Tamreta shot something off to Goebbels, turned, and invited them all politely as she led off to the tavern. They arrived just in time. The poor Fae was freezing her little wings off despite Zyxyz' offer against his much-warmer chest inside his coat. The wind had just really started acting up when they crossed the threshhold and a sigh was breathed as the warmth hit them after the door was shot. The smells that are so befitting a Scandinavian tavern fill their senses and Zyxyz was interested. They seated where Tamreta had and Zyxyz raised his hand questioningly and whispered, "This is getting us no where. The Jormungandr will test us to the fullest in every capacity. We should be allying with each other in the short while we can." The barmaid arrived and Zyxyz ordered eight shots of gin with lemon and nodded at everyone else at the table. "On me."

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[Shea Willowglow]

Pushing her head up past the collar of Zyxyz's coat, Shea glanced around at the rustic room with open curiousity. There were next to no one else in the tavern so she was not that worried about being spotted. There was alcohol here, and there was no way she was missing out on that. The problems between the reaper and old coot were unimportant compared with that, but arguments did sour the taste a bit.

"Just let them fight it out," she chirped. "They will get it out of their systems soon enough, and if not it's better that they kill each other now instead of when we're fighting." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, the tiny motion hidden by the coat she was in. There was only two questions worth bothering with.

She looked at the reaper and tilted her head to one side. "Can you even drink? Won't it just go through you?" she asked bluntly. Quickly she reverted her attention to Zyxyz. "And how am I supposed to drink?" she pouted.

[Joseph Goebbels]

The werefalcon pushed a shot glass at Shea. "Get a straw, pipsqueak." Joseph grumbled at the fae. He downed the gin quickly and ordered scotch. He needed something strong for his liver to digest if he was going to be with this bunch. He grabbed the slender straw from his drink and set it down on the table in front of Shea. It was small, black, probably big enough for her to get her mouth around comfortably. "Now then. Introductions, then the game plan." he gestured around at the table. "You all know my name, Joseph, so I want to hear all yours. I don't want to be calling you Ugly, Tiny, and The Cute One for the rest of this excursion." He was forming a plan in his mind. They'd have to talk to a few local fishermen who had experienced something odd. The best way to find that out would be in a bar like this, he just had to keep an eye out for a man who looked likely. Once a comraderie was formed, he could worm information out of the man, and they'd be scot free. He sipped the scotch, noting the water in the liquor. This place would be the type to do that sort of thing to outsiders.
He could practically feel his liver recoiling at the unfamiliar substance.

Joseph looked around while he waited for the others to introduce themselves, noting assets. He at least could fly over the water, he'd done so before. The fae? If she didn't have magic, she'd be swatted like a fly. Same for him if he was forced to change back and fall into the sea. The demon could be useful, he'd be the meat shield of the group. The ghoulish creature? Another meat shield. Something to keep him protected while they fought. Good.

[Tamreta]

Tamreta was thankful for the hat pulled low over her brow for it masked her raised eyebrows when Joseph gave the little fae a straw. With his crotchety attitude she would not have thought that he could actually be kind. It was food for thought. Perhaps there was more to this old man than she had given him credit for. That nice thought shot right out of her head at his next words. Idly spinning her glass of gin first one way then another, she gave him an cold stare from the corner of her eyes. "Careful with the nicknames," she warned coolly. "Some of the locals might believe we are friends if you keep acting like that. After all, they are only able to see my current face. They do not know what you do." Her piece said, she decided to stop playing with her drink and raised the shot glass to her lips. Those who watched could see her throat move as she swallowed and the glass was empty except for a chalky residue that dusted the inside when she set it down. What they did not see was that she had not actually drunk any of the liquid, but the taste was heavy on her tongue. The lemon went untouched.

"Not bad," she said. "Now, down to business. As you were not listening before, Joseph, my name is Tamreta. You will not have heard of me, and I prefer it that way. I only joined this party in order to get a closer look at our target, but you will find me more useful than a mere meat shield. I may end up saving your life." Keeping it discreet, she analyzed the others in the group. Each of these people had their own secrets, and she filed away what she saw for later reference. Because of her size the fae most likely had something to counter beings of larger size. Invisibility combined with one of those could prove t be very useful. The two demons had flight which would make it easier for them to fight since they would not be bound to a ship. Whatever else they brought was just icing on the cake. The werebeast was a wild card. She could not get a read on him except that his thoughts about strategy were similar to hers.

"The fishing boats will be coming in to port in about half an hour. That would make it an hour until the old salts come here. Unlike with foreigners, this place does not skimp on its alcohol with those it knows." She looked pointedly at Joseph. "Since you are older, the fishermen will most likely feel more comfortable with you. Talk to them to get their stories, and if you can, get ahold of something they seem to always carry. A knife or watch will do. I will be at the bar. Give the item to me, and I can see what more information I can glean."

[Shea Willowglow]

"Club foot," Shea muttered, shooting an acid glare towards the old man. She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure, just so he would know she was annoyed. Her mood took a quick one-eighty when he handed her a straw easy for her to use. Giving him her most winning smile, she plucked one of the flowers in her hair and blew on it gently. The tiny blossom floated lazily on the breeze until it came to rest on top of Joseph's head. The fae giggled at the odd sight then picked looked around to see if anyone else was watching. When convinced that the coast was clear she climbed out of Zyxyz's coat, scooted a glass of the gin over to him, grabbed her straw, and was hidden again in a matter of seconds. Who needed to use deception when one had speed?

Armed with the straw, Shea eagerly started to drink. Her face was a picture of relish as she sucked the liquor up through the straw. In no time the glass was empty, and the fae already eyeing another shot of gin. How she was able to drink almost her body weight and still want more was a mystery even to herself. All she knew was that she could not get enough of the stuff, and would drink until she passed out.

"Shea," she replied simply to the question of her name. Her eyes never left the gin. "Can of of ya stop talking strategy and slide me another glass. That gin is muy rico, and I may soon start thinking even you look bonita, oh grouchy senor." She looked at everyone for a second. "Also, locked doors are no problema para mi."

[Zyxyz Golthrum]

Zyxyz raised an eyebrow at Tamreta. "Meat shield?" He chuckled. "No one can serve as a 'meat shield' against something like the Jormungandr. We must all rely on speed and cunning. Unfortunately, if he retreats to the depths, I see no way of pursuit unless one of you has some way to deal with this that I'm unaware of." He looked around questioningly and continued, "Tamreta, you, from the sounds, can tell the history of an item? If so, we shouldn't waste time with knives and watches but go out to a fishing wharf and have you focus on a fishing vessel until you find one that has come across the beast or a telling peculiarity."
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Zyxyz' eyes widened slightly in surprise at the Fae. He'd encountered plenty of drunken Fae in his diplomatic travels but never one that downed gin as fast as her... let alone asked for more. He blinked a couple times and pulled another glass to his chest, placing the straw inside of it and releasing it for the Fae to use. "You can have mine. You say you can unlock doors, Shea? That could be rather useful... maybe get a free room tonight and we could hijack a boat to serve as a sort of base of operations. The Jormungandr would likely not bother with the ship when all of the vessel's passengers taken to the air to attack it. It wouldn't be usable for long, but it may save one or two lives before the Jormungandr shatters it." He let this hang in the air, hoping the danger of it all would sink in for all of them. This was going to be a dangerous venture.

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[Tamreta]

"One of us would be enough to stall the World Snake for the second it would take the beast to swallow if we are not fast enough to avoid its attacks," Tamreta countered. Still, the fact remained that there was no certain way to keep the giant serpent from retreating into the watery depths if they pushed too hard. They would have to rely on old wives' tales and shaky myths, and hope that they worked to keep the beast above the waves long enough for them to slay it. Not to mention that they would be fighting on the open ocean, a place where not all would be able to use their abilities to their fullest. Dangerous did not even begin to decribe the risks involved with this quest.

"You are correct in saying that I have the gift of clairsentience," she continued on. "However, the size of the object I am reading limits my abilities, and I would need a massive amount of energy if I wanted to read the history of every single vessel on the wharfs. I would tire long before I found anything worthy of further inspection." She shrugged in apology. "That I can do nothing about. But...I believe I can read a specific part, the prow for instance, and still obtain the needed information."

Her lips pursed as she thought further, checking every angle to find any catch that would keep her from acting out this plan. There was only one, and that could be countered easily enough with a little help. "I would need Shea to come with me for this to work. She can open any locks we may encounter and it would give us a chance to scout a boat we can use for our mission. We will not, however, be hijacking any of them." She stared sternly over at Zyxyz. "I have some local currency, so we will either buy or rent a vessel. Even a small fishing trawler will fit our needs quite nicely with space enough for us while we wait and stability to withstand larger waves without tipping."

[Joseph Goebbels]

Joseph glared at the fae. He'd killed rats bigger than her with that clubbed foot. He listened to the other two propose reading a ship, frowning slightly. "We can't fight the creature on the open ocean." he said. "Though many of us have flight here, these waters are freezing. If we were knocked into the waves not only do we risk freezing to death in subarctic waters, we risk getting hit by flailing coils or perhaps chunks of ice if we're far out enough. I propose we draw the creature into the shallows, away from places it can dive to avoid us. If we make the same mistake that no doubt the local fishermen have, attacking it on the open sea, we're in his territory. Get him near land, and he's in ours. Not to mention we have somewhere to fall back from far from his reach. Worms like this are graceful in water but on land they're like jellyfish. If we get him to beach himself even better, but its likely we'd have to piss it right the hell off for it to risk getting that close to the shore." he said. "It's a much more intelligent idea than renting a boat that no doubt is going to sustain some damage. Not to mention I don't know any creature that can stay in the air for more than a few hours without tiring...even albatross have to find places to land. Those of us that can fly can go find and annoy the beast, while those landbound can stay on the shore and keep it distracted from realizing its mistake."

He downed the rest of his scotch and eyed the group. "Demon, you and I will go find the beast. Shea will freeze in high winds and she proposes a nice target for sea eagles and smaller species of griffin." he said. "She'll do much better near shore. We play to our strengths, not our weaknesses." he played with the empty glass a moment. "But for now, we have to find out exactly what we're dealing with. It's dangerous, yes, but we can find out so many more details from people than we can the prow of a ship. Besides, Tamreta, you're not going to be able to get anywhere near those ships. Those structures are these peoples' livlihood. I wouldn't allow you to touch one, and neither will they. I'd rather not get the local authorities alerted that some strange girl is running around fondling other people's boats. Not to mention that if you were caught red handed, you'd have no other explaination for what you were doing than 'it was pretty and I wanted to touch it'. Doesn't fly around most of these people...and unlocked locks would just raise more questions. Besides, women and boats are very bad luck. They might think you're cursing the vessel."

He didn't even want to think about the episode he'd had in Japan with his wife. They really did think that women caused trouble on board boats, and he'd had to convince them that Magda wasn't about to call down fire from heaven or curse them to sinking. With two women, especially a fairy and a ghoul? Good fucking luck getting them anywhere near a boat without the locals whinging.

[Tamreta]

Tamreta nodded as Joseph laid out his opinions and observations before those assembled. He became another person when he spoke like this, one she could respect as a colleague of tested mettle. It was much easier to debate strategies until a solid plan developed when there was such an intelligent strategist was present. "I agree that battling the Jormungandr in shallower water would solve many of our problems. For instance it would not be able to escape us so easily and we could have a more solid place to rest, but there is one problem. The reason why all who have gone against it have fought it out at sea is because it can only be found in the deep waters far from shore. It also takes time for it rise during which time it would be difficult for the both of you to keep flying since fatigue, increased by the cold, would tire you. The only way to lure it out would be for both you and Zyxyz to fly far enough out to see, wait, then annoy it enough so it would follow you back. The serpent will have the advantage then. If there are any small speed boats to be found, we could counter this disadvantage."

She glanced at the silent female demon sitting among them with a soft smile. "I know you do not like the idea of a boat," she said to Joseph, "but what if we have the three strong fliers go out to lure the beast? Instead of flying out to meet it, you could take the boat out and preserve yourselves for the flight coming back. Two of you could be in the air at all times annoying the creature while the third is far enough out with the boat to keep away from the roiling water. When one of you becomes tired, switch with the one on the boat. That way everyone would be relatively fresh when the actual battle begins."

Now to solve that other problem. What Joseph had said was true. Sailors, especially the old salts, were wary about women around their vessels, and while the old man could talk to those who came into the bar it was still too large of a job to leave to only one man. There were bound to be several other taverns like this that would contain more informants to question. "How open are sailors when someone wants to publish an article about their adventures with the rumored World Serpent? And would it be better to be a woman in the interview to praise them, or would they be more comfortable with a man?" she asked. Yes, it could work. She had all the neccessary props on her, and a small team of young reporters could cover more ground than a single old man. It would also give her a reason to touch items without raising suspicion or going near the boats.

[Zyxyz Golthrum]

Zyxyz nodded at Tamreta, broad jaw set as he listened to her articulately detail exactly what he had been thinking. He nodded once in her direction. "I agree." A snicker escaped his lips and he slapped (perhaps a bit too hard) Tamreta on the shoulder as his snickering ruptured into a hearty laugh. "You're too much. The thought of publishing like this would shatter the Human world." He shook his head as he wiped a glistening tear from his eye; a product of laughing too hard.
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He stopped for a moment, as if remembering something or striking an epiphany. "Unless, of course, you set up a special speedboat race and gave the winner a certain amount of money. They'd be happy to let a race sponsor near any boat." He turned his attention to the fiery, but handy Goebbels. "What do you think about that? If we have some money we can tap into, we could find a bank to withdraw some funds from through an atm or something. I'm sure they'd have one at the airport and that might be better than going to a bank for keeping attention away from us. We could all just use it at different parts of the day, withdraw some cash, and," Zyxyz offered, "None of us would have to pay too much."He glanced around the table. "Agreeable?"

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