Blue Skies

Mid Day Sun

The sweltering heat of the midday sun was over the town of Conwell, a small breeze gingerly gusting through the town, creating small sand dervishes all over the canyon, sails rippling in the breeze. The town was still as busy as ever, new ships docking and others slowly climbing into the turbulent skies, setting sail for adventure. The Land’s Edge bar sat baking in the sun, the bowels of the bar slowly cooking the occupants on the inside to a muggy mess. Patrons bought drinks, paying for the girls’ attention in moments of lustful embraces, bringing money into this more well-known bar which had been slowly stealing clients away from the Plucked Swan on the other end of town. At a table, Alexander sat with his back to the wall, his land octopus companion on the table with a small shot glass of water next to Alexander's glass of whiskey, which was almost the same size of Franklin in comparison. Alexander had just started a new book about a savvy treasure hunter with a nice hat who goes on epic adventures in search of relics he deduces from cryptic clues. So far, the book hadn't let him down. He was trying to clear his mind of the whole waking up in Ruby's bed yesterday due to a large quantity of alcohol. His tab had tripled in its size from that night, but he couldn't remember the reason for drinking so much.

He was wracking his brain over it, especially about Ruby. He felt like she wanted to be more than friends, like in the past, but he wasn’t going to change his ways. Adventure was calling on the open skies and it beat sitting around Conwell all the time. The pages were dusty as he skimmed over the text; the story was getting quite interesting about the hero trying to decipher the clues to unlock the next piece of the puzzle while being pursued by evil men. He was quite enthralled in the book. He didn’t notice Ruby walking up to him from his blind side until Franklin squeaked that she was there, wanting to talk. Alexander tried to pull away from the story since Ruby looked like she had something important to tell him, but it took him a few minutes to pull his eyes from the story. He let out a sigh. He knew he had to give in or she would just escalate things by not selling him alcohol anymore. He placed the book mark in the weathered pages so he could continue reading it later, and then set the book down on his table. He turned his attention to Ruby, trying not to think about waking up next to her yesterday morning.

"How can I help you, my dear," Alexander asked. Ruby was happy she had his attention now.

"I wanted to warn you that a few customers saw Rilain being chased through Conwell. You should do something about that," she said.

"Is that all?" Alexander asked, confused, reaching for his book.

"Is that all? She is you're friend. What happens if something bad happens to her?" Ruby said, making a pouty face.

Alexander had just opened the book. "But I want to read. This book is getting really good..." he said, trying to give her a puppy dog face with one eye.

"You know, that only works with two eyes, and go do something or I'll call in your tab," she said with a look of anger brewing in her eyes.

Alexander let out a sigh of defeat. "You're really twisting my arm, my dear. I just want to read, but I guess I'll go and find her," he said, tucking his book into his satchel. Slowly, he got up, the floor boards creaking as he stood. He let out his hand as Franklin scuttled up his arm to his perch on Alexander's shoulder.

Ruby smiled. "See, now was that so hard to do?" she said, kissing him on the cheek. As he walked out of the bar, he chose not to answer her back to give her more satisfaction of winning another argument with him. The desert sky was crystal clear, like the waters of the more tropical countries of the world. The sun beat down on them, the breeze was less than a gentle gust at the moment.

"It’s fucking hot out today. Let’s go back to the ship," Franklin squeaked.

Alexander smiled. "Sounds like a good idea, but I really don’t want to have to pay Ruby to drink or eat food."

"Hmm, you might have a point... Alright, let’s go see what Rilain got into, but how are we going to find her?" squeaked Franklin.

A shotgun blast rang out in the town from the west just as Franklin finished asking questions. "Well, let’s look over there, I figure," Alexander said with a smirk.

"You're a dick, Nolan," Franklin squeaked.

Alexander chuckled as they started walking towards where the sounds were coming from. The sounds of shouting obscenities and racial slurs were getting louder, quickly. A blur of green and blonde of ran by Alexander and Franklin in a hurry. She turned long enough to see Alexander then ducked behind a corner.

"Found her," squeaked Franklin.

Alexander waited to respond as a group of guys walked towards him, but they didn't notice him slowly approaching them. They were yelling and cursing the fact that they lost her in this stupid town. Alexander noticed that they didn’t look like they were from the town. They wore cleaner clothes and their appearances did not look unkempt. They were walking past him when he slowly drew his pistol, sticking his foot out, causing the last man to fall forward on to his face. He stepped on the man’s neck, pinning him to the ground like someone mounting a live bug with a pin for a display. He pointed a pistol at the other members of the man’s group as they slowly turned around to the sounds of their friend’s cries of distress, giving Rilain a chance to catch her breath.

"Do I need to ask what you are doing in my city?" Alexander asked. The men were angry. They shouted at Alexander and had their weapons drawn. Alexander wasn’t that good to shoot down six people before they shot him.

"Who the hell are you, and why are you crushing my friend’s neck?" the leader said.

Alexander wondered what to say first. "I’m one of the law keeper here and you seem to be chasing my companion. I would like to know why?"

"Your companion has a bounty on her head in Antiford. She matches the description," the leader said.

It took a while for Alexander to process what he just said. "You mean the bounty from the rich family in the Rowe district." The look in the man’s face was that of confusion. He seemed lost.

"Yes...how did you know that?" he asked.

"Because I caught the Vibranni and brought her back dead... My companion is just an average Nakalo. I'd prefer it if you don’t kill her. It would be a bother to replace her," Alexander said.

His anger was seething and starting to boil out. The leader said, “You lie, and who are you, anyway?"

"The name’s Alexander Nolan," he said. The group murmured amongst themselves and it seemed like they knew who he was and what his reputation was.

"You're that Nolan?" the man asked.

"That would be me, so I would prefer you to leave my city," Alexander stated.

The leader squinted. "And what happens if we don’t want to?"

Alexander grinned as he saw Rilain holding a circular object in her hand, motioning to throw it towards the group. Franklin squeaked, "Is that a grenade?"

Alexander muttered under his breath, "I don’t think so."

He nodded for Rilain to throw it. "Well, this will prolly play out badly for both of us cause I'll drop a few of your guys before you shoot me so how about you leave," Alexander stated towards the group of men.

The leader looked like he was thinking it out, his brow furrowing, contemplating the question. There was a sound from behind the group as they turned to see one of their crew was missing and in his place was a small metal ball rolling forward. Just as the realization hit them, it started to belch smoke out, causing a distraction. Alexander fired three shots in a tight group, right into one of the men’s chest, lowering his pistol to run. He pumped one round into the man he was pinning to the ground. His head ruptured like someone kicking a rotted pumpkin, brain matter and blood spewing everywhere.

Alexander turned on his heels to start running. As the smoke cleared, the leader shouted to chase after Alexander as they had forgotten about Rilain; they wanted revenge. Alexander ran like a gazelle sprinting across the open plain. He knew he was outnumbered and the only way of winning would be to slowly whittle them down, since only five were left from the eight. He ducked behind a wall, peering from behind his cover, as he heard footfalls coming faster. He took a deep breath before moving from his cover, trying to aim, squeezing the trigger twice. The bullets hit one man dead center in the chest, dropping him like a bag of rocks into water. The group dispersed like a puff of smoke dissipating in the wind as they dove for cover to return fire. Alexander went back in the alley. He was hiding, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Use a grenade and incinerate those stupid bastards," Franklin squeaked.

Alexander was trying to think over his friend’s words. "No, that’s too much collateral damage. Daniel would throw me in jail for a week with bread and water...again," he whispered.

"You're gonna die, Nolan," one of the men yelled from behind a crate.

A smile creased his lips over his dirt and sweat-streaked face. "Better men have tried to do that and I'm still standing, you ‘kovy cunts," he said, trying to push them into making a stupid move.

He could hear them talking about what to do when he had an idea. He reached into his pocket for some wire and reached around for a rusty nail.

"What are you doing now?" squeaked his companion.

"Making a grenade trap," he said, stringing the wire to the nail along the ground to the grenade on the other side of the small alley. Franklin had a look of confusion.

"Wait...didn’t you say grenades were bad due to the big amount of collateral damage?" he asked.

"I thought about it and this way is more entertaining. Plus, I wanted to show them the reason why I earned my reputation," he said with a grin.

Time was moving in slow motion as the moments passed, Alexander waiting for someone to make a move. "You know, I should just go home ‘cause you guys outnumber me and you haven't even tried to make a move. What are you scared of? One man with a gun?" Alexander yelled over his shoulder.

He heard them arguing about what to do. The more reckless ones said they should charge in and just kill him, since they believed Alexander had half a clip. Alexander got up and ran down the alley and around the building, trying to flank them. Hopefully this trick paid off, he thought to himself. He rounded the corner, directly behind the group. They decided to try and slowly move down the street until one man was brave enough to move out into the alley, pointing his gun out while his friends covered him. The look on his face was priceless as he walked in the alley, cursing that Alexander wasn't there. When he walked into the alley, he did not notice the wire he kicked free, since Alexander had pulled the pin far enough out so that it would fall out easily and not be noticed. The man walked back out of the alley.

"That piece of shit ran away," he said. Not a second later, the grenade erupted, engulfing the man in fire and shrapnel piercing his body like a piece of paper. Surprisingly unaware, he had shielded his friends from the blast. Alexander emerged from cover, firing two more shots into the man’s back. He fell to his knees then face first onto the dirty ground as his life blood slowly drained from his body, staining the ground a dark scarlet red.

"I thought you said you would kill me. I've killed five of your men," Alexander said in a mocking voice as he turned and ran away. The men gave chase, firing hatefully as they followed Alexander through the streets. Bullets skimmed by Alexander as he ran.

"Franklin, get off my shoulder. I don't need you getting hit by a stray bullet," Alexander said, his breath coming is gasps as he pushed himself. Just then, a bullet grazed his rib cage, slicing his shirt and causing arterial floods to seep through the fabric. Another bullet grazed his left right shoulder; his shirt had patches of crimson blurring through.

"Fuck," he exclaimed.

He noticed he was running out of road as the canyon approached. He tried to look around for any way out and spied a rope spanning across the canyon they used to send crates and small packages across the canyon faster, rather than walking all the way across through the middle of the town. He sprinted forward knowing the gap wasn't far, but he still had to clear it.

"What are you doin, ALEX?!" Franklin squeaked in rapid bursts.

Another smile crept across Alexander’s face and Franklin knew there was a bad idea brewing in his skull. "Something incredibly stupid," he said bluntly, putting his gun back in its shoulder holster and reaching for his broadsword in the scabbard clasped to his belt. He slightly unhooked the scabbard from his belt as he ran, another bullet grazing his leg.

"Fuck, God damn, that hurts!" he exclaimed as the ledge was fast approaching with every boot fall.

"Hold on tightly," he ordered Franklin as the last piece of Orr was under his feet. He leapt out into the wide expanse of the canyon and started to descend, desperately trying to reach for the rope cable.

He thought, "I'm going to die with this fucking stupid idea."

Franklin, in protest, squeaked, "I don't approve of this!" At the last minute, he hooked the back end of the scabbard onto the rope and slid recklessly across the giant void with jagged rocks and rushing rapids below. He hoped the scabbard would hold. The trip had only taken a matter of minutes and he had been gaining speed ever so slightly.

"How are we going to stop?" Franklin squeaked, trembling in terror.

Alexander had a sublime look on his face. "Honestly, I haven't thought of that yet. I was winging it," he said. As the other half of the canyon wall approached, Alexander thought of something at the last minute.

"This is going to hurt, hold on tight," he yelled as he let go of one side of the scabbard, dropping to the ledge and trying to use the momentum to roll as his leg hit ground. He lurched forward, leaning his left shoulder in and tucking his head to his chest as he tried to roll forward, causing him to spiral for a few feet, just enough to stop him from hitting the rock wall.

"Can we not do that ever again?" Franklin squeaked. Alexander smiled from the statement.

Alexander felt his body screaming in agony from the cuts the bullets had made and the impact on the ground. He hoped he avoided most of the damage from the fall, but he was bruised and bloodied. He looked up to see the men who had chased him standing on the cliff edge on the other side of the canyon. He could have sworn he could hear the man cursing at the top of his lungs. Alexander just waved, knowing it would piss him off, which he was to no end, and also knowing he was out of bullet range. The two remaining men disappeared for a brief second until he saw them make giant leaps off the cliff with metal pipes in hand, trying to mimic what Alexander had just done.

"Fuck, you can shoot them," Franklin squeaked. Alexander chuckled.

"That would be a great idea, if I had the arm strength to aim and pull the trigger at this moment," he admitted, the action of jumping off the cliff having taken its toll.

"So, we're going to die," the octopus said in a depressing tone.

Alexander looked around and spied his broadsword on the ground lying next to him. "We're not dead yet," he said, reaching for his sword, every fiber of his being crying out in tortured bursts of pain. He drew the sword, a thin evil smile creeping along his face as he anticipated what was going to happen next.

With a flick of his wrist, the blade sliced through the rope like a hot knife carving through chanka meat, causing the rope to slack as it fell. Alexander slumped against the wall as the roped slipped into the void between the canyon walls, causing the men to plummet like stones to the jagged rocks and rushing rapids below. Both men weren’t really that far out when the rope had lost its tether, so falling into the water wasn't the luckiest option. They hit the rocks like rag dolls, one having a jagged rock pierce through his stomach and erupting from his backside like a volcano explosion of blood and organs. The guy’s body slowly slid down the rock, coating it in a film of scarlet plasma, while the other man just crashed upon the rocks, snapping his neck and bones like a glass cup being smashed on the floor.

"I think they’re dead now," Franklin squeaked. Alexander tried propping himself against the wall as he was trying to stand. The task seemed much harder than it was supposed to be. "Let’s go. I could use a drink," he muttered in pained gasps.

The Aftermath

Alexander slowly walked, using the canyon wall to stabilize himself. The pain and blood loss was starting to take its toll. The cuts missed vital areas but blood kept flowing from the gashes the bullet wounds. He was headed to one of the few doctors in Conwell, although he really hated how this doctor lived on the outskirts of the town. He was wary of people and liked his solidarity, but he was a savant with medicine and desert herbs and remedies. On a few occasions, he had stitched Alexander back together, even though without a shirt his chest looked like a mesh of crisscrossing scars, like a patchwork monster. He owed Alexander a few favors when he had to smuggle supplies out of Antiford to Conwell a few times.

He was trying not to collapse from exhaustion; he was moving on sheer will and determination. Death wasn’t going to claim him today. People were staring as he shuffled, putting one foot in front of the other. He didn’t trust the people to ask for help. They would sooner kill him and steal his stuff instead of helping him. The roads seemed to get longer and longer. He didn’t know how far he had walked. He just knew which direction he was going, and to keep walking. If he stopped, he would die. Franklin squeaked out directions every now and then when Alexander was going to turn the wrong direction.

After what seemed like hours, they came to an old house that looked weathered. The outside walls were reinforced with sheets of metal harvested from old Prussian land ship Derelicts, riveted into the frame of the structure. He hobbled up to the door, his energy was quickly draining from him and he knew he wouldn’t last long. He tried to lift his arm but found he didn’t have the strength to. He was running out of options.

"Use your head. It's thick enough for it," squeaked Franklin in a mocking tone.

Alexander sighed. "That’s all I can do now, anyway," he admitted as he slammed his head into the door.

"JAMES! Are you in there, James?! It’s me, Alex," he yelled in a tired voice as he slammed his head on the door a few more times. The spot on the door was starting to splinter from the impacts.

"Told you that you had a thick head. It’s splintering the door," Franklin laughed.

"Shut it, you," Alexander said as sounds came from inside of the bowels of the old house.

Someone was stumbling around in the dark. "Fuck, that hurts. That'll bruise later," a voice shouted as metal sounds crashed on the ground followed by breaking glass. A minute later, the door swung open, revealing a man. James was a tall man with shaggy brown hair, a wispy beard covering his jaw line, and a pair of old wire frame glasses on his face, a crack running down the center of his left lens. His clothes were dusty shades of reds and browns, the red most likely stained from blood.

"WHAT IS IT?! I was taking a nap!" he yelled, his eyes slowly adapting to the bright desert sun. His face shifted in recognition of who was standing in front of him.

"Oh, Alex, it's you. What do you need? And you're covered in blood, betting it’s not yours," he inquired, noticing his appearance. Alexander smiled.

"Well, you would lose that bet. I need some help, doc, and call Ruby," he said, the smile slowly fading from his face as his consciousness finally released him, his body falling forward like a tree falling in the forest.

"ALEX!" James exclaimed, rushing forward, trying to catch his friend. He caught Alexander at the last minute, his dead weight causing James to stagger a bit as he tried to drag Alexander back into his home to see the degree of damage, and what he had to fix.

Waking Moments

His lids were heavy as he pried his eyes open like a crate with a crowbar. It took a couple minutes for his eye to start adjusting and filtering in the surroundings. The air smelled of dust and a metallic taste lingered in his mouth as he took a deep breath, air filling his lungs. As he tried sitting up, sharp pains started echoing thru his body.

"Oh, right, I was shot, " Alexander muttered to himself in the lightless room.

The sun blinders were still drawn shut tightly. Alexander turned his head, looking around for Franklin who was nowhere to be seen. He remembered his companion was with him during the fight. After the fight, he didn’t remember much. His memory was a jumble of foggy clips being played out of order in his head.

"Where am I?" he said to himself after trying to make sense of things. After a few moments of silence, a voice echoed quietly in the darkness of the room.

"You got yourself shot again and came over, expecting me to sew you up again," the voice said as a person emerged from the enveloping shadows, lighting a few of the old kerosene lamps around the room. The candlelight danced on his face as he walked closer to Alexander, a small creature was perched on the man’s head.

A smile creased Alexander’s tired face at the sudden realization of where he was. "James, good to see you again. I don’t remember walking here," Alexander said, laying back and resting his head on the old couch he was laying on. Franklin scuttled down James to where his friend sat, his little tentacles rapping on the dirtied wooden floor over to the couch. He climbed the side with ease to Alexander, to his normal perch.

"You were missing a lot of blood and a few of your ribs are cracked. You're going to want to rest for a while when you return to the Gazelle," James said, sitting down in his arm chair and lighting the tobacco in his pipe as he reclined back, making smoke rings as he talked. Alexander laughed and winced in pain due to the tenderness of his ribs.

Alexander said,"Well, I'll try to sit around, but I doubt I can."

Franklin squeaked, "It’s just more time for you to read."

"You know, I would love that Franklin, but somehow things never turn out how we want them to. I just wanted to read my book and drink today, and look how that turned out," Alexander said, looking at Franklin.

"Okay, you have a point there," the octopus squeaked.

James sat in silence, watching the discussion Alexander was having with the Land Octopus. He had stopped being worried for his friend’s sanity a long time ago when they first met. Now, it just seemed part of the course for Alexander; it all seemed to work out some organized chaos and made him who he was.

"So, James, how long was I out, anyway?" Alexander asked, looking up from his conversation with Franklin. James smiled.

"About a day and a half," he replied.

"Hmm, that’s no good. I need to make sure Rilain hasn’t burned my ship down," Alexander said, thinking about what might have happened to his precious ship. James leaned back, exhaling a smoke ring that slowly expanded as it spread away from his face and lost its shape, dissipating in the air.

"Don’t worry, I sent word to Ruby to check on her," James muttered.

"You told Ruby? I’m not going to live this down," Alexander sighed, preparing for the “I told you so” conversation he would be having about her being right. James laughed, knowing Alexander was right.

"Alright, I should head back to the Gazelle," Alexander said, forcing himself to stand up. He strapped his gun holster on his shoulder and attached his sword back on his belt. He took a step forward, his legs feeling weak, causing him to stumble after his second step. James tapped out the tobacco from his pipe and started to move, lifting himself from his chair to his stumbling friend.

"Alright, you ass, if you insist on going back to the Gazelle, I'll help you there, but you owe me a drink of the good stuff and not the cheap stuff," James said, putting Alexander’s arm over his shoulder as they slowly made their way out of James’s house.

"If you want a drink, why don’t we just go to the Land’s Edge and drink? I think we're closer to that than the Gazelle," Alexander muttered as they walked.

James thought about the idea while they walked. "I like that idea. Ruby usually has my stuff stocked, since no one ever drinks it," he replied.

"Yeah, no one ever drinks it because it can take the rust out of a Prussian derelict," Alexander said in response to his friend’s statement.

James laughed. "You know, next time, I could let you bleed out."

“Fine, fine, your alcohol isn't that bad, James," Alexander said under his breath. They walked for a while until they reached the bar. It was busy and the night was alive. The bar took on a different persona during the night time; the girls were more active with trying to make money, pirate crews drinking before going to do something highly illegal. James and Alexander migrated to the back to his usual table. They sat down and the bar wench came with their drinks in hand. Alexander was glad they were regulars so they didn’t have to wait for drinks. Ruby came by the table later, glad to see that Alexander was still in one piece after all. She got to rub it in his face that she was right to go and save Rilain from the thugs, though she was surprised the damage was only minimal for Alexander since he had a reputation for leaving things in shambles after certain jobs. They all reminisced about old jobs, good memories, and departed friends as they drank. James left earlier in the night and it just ended up being Franklin, Ruby, and Alexander drinking at the table until Ruby closed the bar down for the night. She asked Alexander if he wanted to crash in her bed again tonight, but Alexander decided he didn’t want to push his luck and decided to head back to the Gazelle.

The walk took longer than normal to reach dock seven, the old girl sat there still intact, ready to sail at a moment’s notice. He was glad the Gazelle was safe. He walked onto the ship and heard the faint sounds of someone screaming for help below deck. Alexander made his way down, the screams sounding more male than female. He slowly slid his pistol out of its holster, clicking the hammer back as he entered the cargo bay to see a man in a cage.

"What the fuck is this?" he muttered to himself. As he climbed down the stairs, he looked at the man until he recognized the face of one of the bounty hunters from earlier.

"Let me out, please," the man pleaded.

Alexander was tired and he didn’t want to deal with this mess just yet. "I’m going to go to bed. I'll deal with this in the morning. If you wake me up with your screaming, I will put a bullet in your skull without a hesitation," he said as he walked up to his cabin.

Coin Flip

Alexander awoke in the afternoon from his slumber. He rubbed his eye, knocking out the eye buggers and letting things start to focus from grainy, blurry images. Alexander looked at his watch to see what time it was. Since Franklin wasn't begging him for food, it was around noon time. This was the longest he had slept in a while. Moments passed till he lurched from the bed, reaching for his clothes. They smelled like dirt and sweat. It had been a while since he had taken a shower; if he had to guess, it would have been the last time he was in Kuu.

He yawned as he walked through the Gazelle’s interior, the hallways dimly lit from the light filtering in from the portholes scattered around the inside of the ship. He arrived in the mess hall and started making something to eat from the little food they had onboard. He needed to make a list of supplies to acquire when he had a chance. When he finished eating, he headed back through the ship. He felt like he was forgetting something important, but the reason was eluding him at the moment. As he walked through the cargo hold, he looked for Rilain and Franklin to see where they had disappeared to.

"Hey, are you going to let me out of here?" a voice said to Alexander as he walked by the cages. Alexander turned to see a man locked in one of the cages.

"Who are you again?" Alexander asked with a confused look on his face.

"You don’t remember me? You told me you would set me free in the morning," the man said.

Alexander thought for a moment. "I said that because that doesn't sound like me at all. How did you get there, anyway?" he asked.

"That knife ear bitch put me in here after you stopped my friends from capturing her," the man added with venom in his words. It was as if a light bulb clicked on in his head about why he was here.

"Ah, ok, now I know what’s going on," he said with a smile creasing his lips. He started to tell the man how it was going to work. He would answer every question honestly or Alexander would torture him or kill him. The man reluctantly gave in to his demands, spilling all of his knowledge. Alexander listened for a while until he got bored of listening. The man then started asking when he going to be set free.

"Alright, alright, to tell you the truth, I was most likely going to kill you. But I’m going to play a game with you," Alexander said. The man’s face was priceless as you could see the hope draining from his eyes where it was burning. Now they were just cold, dead eyes, knowing he was going to be killed.

"So what’s the game" the man asked defeated.

"Well, I have a coin in my pocket and I’m going to flip it. You're going to call it and if it lands on the side you chose, I’m going to let you walk out of the bay doors, and if it doesn’t, I’m going to kill you," Alexander said, pulling out a small coin from his dirty pocket.

The man contemplated for a second until he said, "Okay, deal. You promise I can walk out that door?"

"Of course. I’m a man of my word. A deal is a deal," he said as he launched the coin up into the air. The man’s eyes were wide with fear, hoping it would land on the side he was choosing as his mouth voiced the words. He was griping the bars of his confines till his knuckles turned white, his body tense as he watched the silver disk spin in concentric circles in the air before gravity slowly took hold, sending it back down into Alexander’s waiting hand. Alexander held the coin for a minute to let the tension build. To the man, the minutes felt like hours slowly ticking by, his eyes burning holes into Alexander's hand, waiting for it to open.

Alexander decided it was time to see what the verdict was, slowly starting to open his hand to see what side the coin landed on. A smile creased Alexander's face as he unclasped the button holding his revolver in its holster and removing the gun. The man’s heart dropped, seeing this.

"You're free to go," Alexander said.

the man shook his head. "What?"

"I said you're free to walk off the ship. Rilain, go open his cage," he said. The small Vibranni walked closer to the cage. She undid the lock that held the iron bars closed. The man cautiously crept out of his confines.

"Come on, come on, I don’t have all day. This way, follow me," Alexander said, holstering his pistol.

The man hesitantly started to walk. He wanted to fight back, but he knew that small knife ear demon would shoot him down if he tried to make a move. The cargo bay doors started to lower, blue skies peeking through the cracks of the giant door as it opened. With a loud clunk, it locked into place. Alexander stopped near the edge, waiting for the man to walk past him. He slowly walked to the edge, looking around noticing something was wrong.

He turned around to Alexander."Hey, you said I could go home if I chose the right coin flip!"

“Well, I said you could walk off the ship if you won. I never said anything about going home," Alexander replied. The man was fuming, having been lied to. He wanted to fight back but there was a shotgun aimed at him. Alexander smiled.

"Well, if you're not going to walk, I'll just do it for you."

Reaching out and pressing a button marked “release,” the cargo bay door swung down with a loud CHUNK, letting the man drop. He free fell, screaming all the way down as he broke like a rag doll upon the rocks below. Rilain was laughing at the fact he thought he was going to walk off the ship and go home alive. Alexander smiled, telling Rilain he was going to the bar to get a couple of drinks as he started walking. Rilain started walking after him. Maybe there were some new jobs Ruby had received. Alexander emerged from the ship, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with sweet air. He started walking towards the bar; today seemed rather peaceful.

Setting Sail

Alexander walked into The Land's Edge. The air of the bar was different today; it had a quiet and somber atmosphere, strange, to say the least. The usual patrons were quiet. No bar fights, no arguments being shouted. Alexander wandered over to the bar and Rilain went to her normal table. Alexander ordered his usual whiskey and a shot glass for Franklin. He went back to his table to drink and continue his book.

Moments later, one of the girls that worked as a prostitute for The Land’s Edge’s upper floors came up to Alexander, holding his shirt sleeve on his blind side until he managed to tear himself away from the story.

"What is it, Ruby? I'm trying to catch up on my reading," he asked, slowly turning his head.

"Oh…it's you. Sorry, I thought you were someone else. Can I help you? I’m not in need of your talents, my dear," Alexander replied. She still just stood there, holding his sleeve.

Franklin squeaked, "This one is a little off, don't you think?"

Alexander tilted his head with a reply. "Now, that's not a nice thing to say about the lady." Turning his attention back to the lady, he said, "Now, what can I do to make you let go of my sleeve?" His expression slowly changed to something more serious.

The girl let go of his sleeve. "Sorry, I wanted to ask you to go speak to Ruby. She has been holed up in her room and isn’t coming out for anyone," she replied, her face looking sad.

Alexander let out a sigh, standing up. "Man, how come I can never just come in here and read and have a drink in peace?" he said, grudgingly, just wanting to sit back down and read.

"You have shitty luck," Franklin squeaked.

Alexander looked at his companion. "Shut up, I’ll handle this like always," he muttered, picking his glass up and swallowing the contents of the whiskey in one dreadful gulp, trying to get some courage for what he was going to face upstairs.

Franklin climbed up his other arm before he left the table. He was curious to see what had caused Ruby, the social butterfly, to close herself off from the world.

Alexander climbed the aged stairs, each footfall creaking as he approached the top of the stairs. He knocked on her door a few times, waiting for a reply, before he decided to speak.

"Ruby, it's Nolan. Can I come in?" he said. He heard a click of the bolt sliding from the lock as he reached for the knob to gain entry to her chamber.

The shades were drawn and an eerie blackness covered the room, a shard of light piercing through the tattered cloth. His eye slowly adjusted to the new environment as he scanned the room for his friend. He noticed her curled up on the bed, her legs tucked to her chest with a sheet cast over her, hiding her face from view. Franklin climbed off Alexander and scuttled over to Ruby. Alexander slowly approached, trying to gauge the situation.

"Are you alright, my dear?" He asked, his voice almost a whisper. He was uncomfortable. He wasn't good with dealing with women, especially sad ones. He could hear her voice rasp from crying as she looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. The moment she made eye contact, she started crying.

"What did you do to her, you ass?" Franklin squeaked.

Alexander stepped back in shock. "I didn’t do anything. It's not my fault this time. I just asked if she was alright," he replied.

"Just make her stop," his companion replied. Alexander took a deep breath, trying to think of a way to make her stop. He said her name slowly, "Ruby, calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”

Franklin squeaked, "You suck at this, just say her name."

Alexander thought for a couple of seconds until he repeated what he had said, but to no effect. She still cried. He decide he had to say it.

"Eleanor, tell me what’s wrong," he said, his voice slowly rising to get her attention.

The moment her real name was said, she came to her senses, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No one ever calls me that anymore," she said.

"Well, there’s a reason for that. But what’s the reason for all this?" he replied.

She stared at Franklin. "It’s about Arthur. He's in trouble again. He said they might have found him in his last letter," she said meekly.

"So that’s what this is about? Your brother?" He sighed.

Ruby nodded in reply to his statement. Alexander thought about what to say next. "So where is he now?" he asked.

"Thelo," she muttered quietly.

"Come on, Franklin, we have to go," he said. Ruby and Franklin looked at Alexander and asked why as Alexander moved to the exit. "We’re going to find your brother," he said, looking back. Franklin hopped off the bed and climbed back up Alexander to his perch. Ruby was startled by the answer, causing her to move to launch herself at Alexander in a hug. She kept saying “thank you” over and over again.

"No thanks needed. You would have made me go regardless, one way or another," he said with a grin. Ruby had a smile beaming through her tear-streaked face.

“Thank you, still. I'll owe you forever if you can find him alive. Oh, and you also got a package in," she said.

"Wait, I had a package come in? Where is it?" he said. His interest was now piqued.

Ruby motioned to the table in her room. A small box sat on the table. Alexander crossed over to the table, trying to read the box. He asked Ruby to open the shades. Light flooded into the room like a wave hitting a sinking ship. It temporarily blinded his good eye, taking a few minutes for it to adjust to normal before he could read the sender’s address. The package was from Aunt Helen. He pulled out his knife, rushing to find out what the contents were. The lid was stubborn to get off, but after slowly prying at it, the lid came off, revealing the contents. There were jars of jams and other Kuu food that would survive traveling over the ocean, and there was a letter addressed to Nolan that said “From Hanna” on it. He had to think about who he knew was named Hanna.

Franklin squeaked, "It’s from the Queen, you dumbass."

Alexander realized he was right. He opened the letter and started reading the letter. It was about a few people who went missing. She was worried and she needed the case solved, so she needed the Gazelle to help. Alexander closed the note.

"Alright, you ass, looks like we have a lot of work to get to," he said over his shoulder to Franklin.

Ruby was curious about what the letter said because Alexander’s demeanor had changed to a rather serious one as he made his way for the door.

"So was the letter good?" she asked inquisitively.

Alexander looked up with his usual smirk. "Looks like we have a job in Kuu to get to." Ruby was about to speak up when he cut her off.

"Once we try and find your brother. Now, get back to work. This place is too quiet when you’re not around," he said as he walked out of her room. He heard her saying “thank you” one last time, wiping the tears from her eyes again.

Alexander descended from the upper level to where Rilain was sitting. She looked up with a strange curiosity, wondering what had happened upstairs. Alexander grabbed another drink before telling his companion they were setting sail as soon as possible. At least once he had finished his drink. And the next drink.

Something On The Horizon

Alexander stood on the deck as the Gazelle hovered over the ocean. The night sky was clear, which didn’t bode well for sailing vessels without a source of power other than wind. He raised his glass to his mouth, taking a long sip, letting the whisky’s flavor settle on his palate before the intake, feeling its usual burn as it worked its way down his throat. It warmed his body as the night winds started to get cold, the Gazelle drawing nearer to Kuu.

Franklin sat on the railing next to Alexander. He let out a small squeak. “Someone’s behind you.”

Alexander looked over his shoulder to see a thin silhouette emerge from below deck, slowly approaching.

"You finally decided to come up from your cabin," Alexander said as he turned back to stare at the night sky. One of the moons hung bright in the sky with a layer of silver clouds circling it, illuminating it even more than normal.

The shadow spoke up. "I didn't know if I was allowed to, with all that happened in Thelo. It was all just a little overwhelming."

"Don’t worry about it. I was hired by your sister to find you," Alexander said as he turned around, resting on the railing.

The man was startled by sounds of movement somewhere behind him. He turned to see a silhouette with pointy ears standing on the top of the stairs near to the ship’s wheel, just staring at him.

The silence was broken with a squeak. "So what are we going to do with him?"

Alexander decided to say to his companion, "Well, that’s not really our job. Our job was to find him. It's his choice what happens next." They continued to keep arguing while the man watched as Alexander bickered with the tiny octopus, until he finally spoke up.

"So what are my options here?"

Alexander broke off from the conversation with his companion and smiled. "You have a couple of options. You can get off once we make landfall in Kuu, you can die…or, since you have good mechanical skills, you can work for me," he said with a long pause so what he said could sink in.

Moments passed until the man spoke up again. "If I travel with you, what will happen to me?"

"It won’t be easy. We go to a lot of places and deal with a lot of problems. I need someone to keep this girl flying in one piece. Though, on the plus side, you'll get to see your sister more…but you’ll have to act like you're not related because if you put her in danger, I'll feed you to the scuttlekovy alive," he said with a grin creeping across his face.

"And my other option is to get out in Kuu and run," he replied to Alexander who just nodded his head.

Rilain was still stalking around the deck.

Franklin squeaked, "She is acting weird again."

"Well, you were the one who hired her, and when is she not weird?" Alexander chuckled.

Franklin squeaked grumpily, "You're never going to let me live that down, are you? You ass."

The man tried to interrupt with his answer. "Yes, I'll travel with you," he said meekly. A hand slapped the man’s back, causing him to stumble forward. Rilain was standing behind him, a smile plastered on her face.

"That means, ‘welcome aboard’," Alexander said, offering his free hand to the man, helping him up. "From today on, your name will be Timothy Falk. We'll work on a back story later and get you the right papers soon. Now get some rest. We sail for Kuu in the morning," he said.

Tim wandered back down below deck, Rilain following shortly after. She didn’t want to deal with sailing on no sleep like last time in Titania. Alexander finished his drink before trying to catch a few hours of sleep until Franklin would wake him up for food.

The morning had come and the anchor chain slowly started to crank up each portion, retracting into the hull of the Gazelle until the anchor itself finally slid home into its slot, locking tight. The engine roared into life as the turbines slowly shifted into flight as she rose back into the heavens to continue the journey to the frozen island of Kuu.

The Land Of The Ice And Snow

The air currents were changing with the shifting temperatures as they approached Kuu. The Gazelle started to sink below the clouds as they approached the city. Night hadn't fallen yet as the majestic mountain range of Kuu slowly crept into view. Snow was starting to flutter past Alexander's face, Franklin squeaked some obscenities about the cold weather as he scuttled off the deck for something warmer in Alexander's cabin, deciding to bury himself in his nest. Rilain stalked the deck, standing near the bow of the ship, and Timothy came up to see what Kuu looked like. He later said he had never been there and Alexander explained what was going to happen once they made landfall. The Gazelle slowly descended from the heavens to the docks. These docks looked different than the other docks that had ships moored on them. They were sealed off by metal retractable plates, opening to let Alexander’s ship through.

When the Gazelle finished her docking procedure, Alexander walked through the passageways to the engine room. As he entered, he removed two small parts that would make the ship inoperable for flight. He handed one piece to Franklin who scuttled off with the one part, while Alexander left to put the other part in his vault before heading off the ship. The metal shutters started slowly extending around the ship, shielding her from the elements. Alexander walked down the docking plank, the guards slowly approaching.

The head guard stepped out. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Nolan," the man said with an extended hand.

"Thank you. Why are there shutters surrounding my ship?" Nolan asked, shaking the man’s hand and pointing to the metal shutters.

"Ah, those are to protect the airships from the winter," the guard said.

Alexander had an odd look on his face. "Isn't it always winter? What's the difference?"

The guard smiled. "Around this time of year, the winds get cold enough to freeze the bay. We call it the deep winter, so we're protecting the ships’ steam systems from the freezing winds," he said.

"Alright, makes sense to me," Alexander said, walking into the city with his crew.

The streets were unusually busy, more than last time, with the masquerade ball being held. Vendors were selling lanterns everywhere. They turned and stopped for food at a local pub, for Alexander wanted a drink and it was a good way to find out what all of the commotion was about. Timothy looked on as his new captain drank like a sailor on leave. Rilain nursed her drink slowly. She seemed very on edge since they made landfall. Timothy just asked for a water since he didn't really have any money to his name. As his drink came out, Franklin started squeaking, causing Alexander to laugh.

"That's not a drink. If you're gonna travel with us, you better learn to drink," he said, waving his hand for a bar wench to get Tim a real drink.

"But Rilain hasn't even finished one drink yet. I don't have money to drink, so water is fine," Tim said as a beer appeared in front of him. Franklin let out a series of squeaks, causing Alexander to pour more beer into the shot glass sitting in front of his tiny companion. "Listen, Tim, if Franklin out-drinks you, there’s a problem. Now shut up, drink, and have a good time. Besides, Rilain can drink most pirates in Conwell under the table. She just doesn't drink much in Kuu," Alexander said, taking a mouthful of beer.

Hours passed before they left the pub, walking further into the city. Dusk was starting to fall over the winding path. Timothy wondered how his new captain was even standing over the amount he had drunk.

"Why aren't we going back to the ship?" Timothy voiced his nervous opinion, fearing they were lost.

"We're staying at Alex's aunt's house," Franklin squeaked as he faced Timothy and then turned around.

Timothy was confused. "What did he say?"

"We're going to see his Aunt Helen," Rilain muttered, her voice laced with venom and anger.

"You understand him?" Timothy said, surprised.

Rilain broke out a smile at Timothy's remark, followed by a chuckle. "No, I don’t. I was just saying where we are going. No one understands Franklin besides Alexander," she said as Alexander came to a stop outside a tall building. There was a single guard standing outside the building who blocked Alexander as he tried to enter.

"Halt, you cannot enter! State your purpose," the guard stated, reaching for his weapon.

"My name’s Leviah Holt. I'm here to see my aunt. Now get out of my way," Alexander said. His anger was a small ember, waiting to take form.

Franklin squeaked, "Just shoot him."

"This might get messy," Rilain said, unclasping her shotgun from her belt and taking aim.

The guard took a step back, losing his composure as he noticed the small demon pointing a gun at him. He was distracted enough for Alexander to step in and slam a fist into the man's gut, emptying his lungs of air. He winced back in pain, dropping his weapon and looking up to see the one-eyed man drive his knee into his face, causing him to reel back and fall to the ground.

Alexander stepped over the guard. "Next time, show more respect to who you're talking to," he replied as he hammered his fist into the man's skull, which bounced off the stone ground like a rubber ball.

Alexander picked himself up, dusted himself off, and walked up to the door, firmly knocking on it.

"Does this stuff happen all the time?" Timothy asked Rilain as she was holstering her shotgun. A smile cracked her mouth into a mischievous grin.

"No, he usually kills them instead of beating them up," she replied.

"Oh...is that right," he answered back, a look of uneasiness shown in his eyes.

The giant oak door slowly lurched open, revealing a small man. His face looked like it was weathered like the mountains of Kuu.

"Oh, Master Holt, it’s good to see you again. The Lady of the house shall be most pleased to see you," he said as he motioned them inside.

"Thank you, and your guard fell asleep on the job. You might need a new one of those,” Alexander replied as he and the Gazelle crew entered the building.

The butler gestured for them to follow him as he glided through the house to the parlor. Aunt Helen sat in a chair next to the fire place with a fire roaring in the background. Alexander hadn't expected his aunt to move so fast once she noticed his presence. Her face lit up brighter than the fire itself. They hugged and Alexander explained the reason for coming back to Kuu so soon. He introduced her to his newest crew member and she gave her usual scowl at Rilain as the Vibranni and Timothy left, the butler bringing them to their rooms.

Alexander poured himself a glass of whiskey from the small bar in the corner of the room, before walking back over to the comfortable chair next to the cozy fire to continue the conversation with his aunt. Hours passed before his Aunt adjourned to her chambers. Silence echoed through the house with distant murmurs from the outside world. He pulled out his book, finally getting a chance to read without distractions. Franklin had fallen asleep in his jacket, so he was completely alone. Alexander opened the dusty pages to where he had left off.

Morning came as sunlight crept into the parlor, the fire’s embers slowly smoldering in a pile of ash. Alexander sat in the chair, slumped down, his head reclining back as he slept from exhaustion. The time and lack of sleep finally caught up to him, sleep never coming easily to Alexander. The nightmares still came in vivid colors and feelings. He awoke in a shock, reaching for his gun and drawing it as a servant was trying to cross the room silently. She dropped to her knees in pure fright of the man who screamed and pulled a gun on her. It took moments before his eye focused on where he was and what was unfolding in front of him.

"Put the gun down, it was just a nightmare, you idiot," Franklin squeaked.

Alexander holstered his gun. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said as he crossed the short distance to the lady, offering to help the flustered lady. Once she was on her feet, she curtseyed and fled the room. Alexander just scratched his head.

"She was cute and you scared her off. You're hopeless," the small octopus squeaked from the ruffled-up jacket. Alexander just looked at his short limbed companion.

"Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around?" He replied, pouring a new glass of whiskey to help him wake up.

"Because you love me," squeaked Franklin.

Alexander just put his hand to his face. "God dammit, Franklin," he said as he drained the contents of the glass. He picked up the belongings he had with him and dropped them off in his room before starting to search for food, eager to shut Franklin’s incessant whining up. He figured he would follow his nose, the aroma wafting in the breeze subtlety getting stronger as he traced his way through the labyrinth of the first floor of the house. Every now and then he would see a servant slip by like a ghost, and hear rumors of a nasty demon in the house.

Franklin squeaked, "Let’s see what happens if they keep calling her a demon.”

Alexander chuckled at the octopus’s comment. "We both know how that one will turn out: amusing for us, but not for everyone else."

The path he was walking led to the dining room where his aunt was eating breakfast and reading the Kuu Gazette. It mentioned all the up and coming artists, musicians, and doctors. Alexander took a seat as a maid asked him what he wanted. All he could think of was fish for Franklin and something light for him, since he wasn't really that hungry.

Timothy and Rilain scuttled in soon after. They all discussed what was going to happen today: Rilain was to take Timothy and get supplies for the Gazelle. She needed some repairs on the hull.

Rilain had the sound of aggravation edging her words, "So when are you going to see the Queen so we can go back home?"

"I'll head over at noon so we can get more details on the job," he replied with a smile. A loud smack from the sound of his aunt's hands hitting the table echoed in the room. She had a look of displeasure scowling across her weathered face.

"You're NOT going to meet the Queen looking like that! Go clean yourself up and put some good cloths on first!"

"Really... A bath sounds good, but I don’t own clean clothes. The good ones I own are still on the Gazelle." Alexander sighed and she smiled.

"Yes you do. There is a lot of your father’s clothes I had taken in and re-sized, since you're the spitting image of him."

"Oh..yay," he replied, knowing he wasn't going to win.

Franklin squeaked, "Man, you suck at winning arguments with ladies."

A smirk crossed Alexander's face. "You know, you're not helping this, you pain in my ass."

Franklin let out a couple squeaks then continued ripping chunks of meat off the fish as he feasted.

"Fine, I'll take your advice," Alexander muttered as he walked off, his grumpiness emanating as he disappeared through the door way. The others finished their breakfast before departing for their own rooms.

Alexander walked into his room. He removed his eye patch and took out the false eye, the empty socket starring out to the world. It still felt weird having something in the socket. He learned to cope for as long as he could remember. He peeled off the dusty shirt which felt like he carried Conwell around with him. The old door slowly creaked open as Alexander was lost in thought, unable to hear the footsteps entering the room. A loud SLAM of the door caused Alexander to spin around. He wanted to reach for his gun but his hand went straight for his eye. He saw a small figure with short black hair, the locks falling over her hands as she held them over her eyes, saying she was sorry over and over.

"My bad, I didn’t mean to shut the door so hard," a tiny voice squeaked as Franklin climbed up on the bed. Alexander took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He never let anyone see him like that.

"Umm, can I help you miss?" he said, his voice having a hint of vulnerability.

The girl’s hands gradually lowered, her voice shaky as she spoke. "Sorry, sorry, I was told to let you know a hot bath has been drawn and to show you to the clean clothes."

"It's all right, you just caught me by surprise. I'm not used to having people see my eye." He gestured to the eye which was clamped shut.

"You're covered in scars and injuries and you're worried about your eye?" Franklin added to the conversation.

The girl was still blushing, her face was a deep scarlet. "I’m sorry, do you need anything sir?"

Alexander smiled. "You can just call me Alexander. I’m not that fancy to be called a Sir, and what is your name?" he said.

Her voice sounded shaky for some reason. "Vera Mikael,” she muttered.

"That's a cute name, Vera. Thanks for telling me the bath was ready. I might need your help later picking out some nice clothes to meet the Queen, just so my Aunt doesn’t yell at me again. That could be a hassle," Alexander said with a smile.

Vera nodded and hurried out of the room.

"I think you scared her off." As Franklin voiced his opinion, Alexander sighed and put on an undershirt.

"I hate you sometimes, Franklin. Now, time to go take a bath, so that means you're getting one too. Then maybe I might get to see that cute girl again."

Franklin tried to run, but his short limbs weren’t fast enough to get away. He was caught and screamed obscenities all the way to the bathroom. Vera helped Alexander pick out what would look good on him, and after his bath, he headed for the castle.

Hours passed and he finally left the castle. The Queen had personally walked him to the giant arched doorway. With a bow, he departed. As he returned to the house, his aunt was pestering him about how it went with the Queen. She knew about Ms. Dalhberg's infatuation with her nephew. He just wanted to get away. As he climbed the winding staircase, he caught a glimpse of franklin following someone. He decided he should save whoever it was from that little bastard’s stalking. He moved slowly, trying to disperse his weight, creeping on the balls of his feet. He rounded the corner, seeing the little bastard standing behind a familiar silhouetted lady.

"Sorry, Franklin has been stalking you," Alexander said.

Vera spun around, startled by the voice. A faint smile briefly appeared on her face. “It’s no problem. It's usually silent if none of the other family members are here," she replied.

The small octopus scaled Alexander to his perch. "I wasn’t stalking. I was helping you out," came a series of squeaks.

"Oh, really, that’s what you call it?" he replied. Vera just watched the conversation. Alexander decided to change the point. He asked, "Well, I need to get out of here and get a drink. Do you want to get one with me?"

She had a surprised look of confusion on her face, a loss for words affecting her speech. "Um...um I'm still...working. I can’t."

"Well, this is working. You're showing me to a good bar, so put some normal clothes on," he added as he started to walk away, leaving Vera standing there in shock.

Minutes later, Alexander waited by the door for Vera to appear.

"She's not going to show," Franklin squeaked.

A slender figure appeared on the stairs. She was wearing normal clothes with a bag hanging from her shoulder. She looked nervous as Alexander turned his head.

"I win," he murmured to Franklin. He opened the door for the lady and she smiled.

As she started to walk out, one of the butlers said, "Where are you going?"

Vera had an uneasy look on her face. She just stammered her words before Alexander decided to cut in. "Just wait outside for a sec, Vera." He closed the door slowly, his smile gradually morphing into a scowl as he walked towards the butler. "Now, listen here, she is going to show me the town. If you so ever tell my aunt or get Vera in trouble, I will personally murder you, or I will let my partner—the one you people have been making fun of—kill you and skin you like an animal. Do I make myself clear?" As he reached for his gun, the butler backed off.

Alexander walked away. He apologized to Vera for making her wait and they departed for one of the local pubs. They talked for hours. Before they left the pub, he decided it was safer to walk her home and then continue his journey home.

The next morning came quick. He filled Rilain in about what the job was. They had to travel Falinnbannao to meet Lucas Buford for more details. He told Tim to stay with the Gazelle until they returned. He went to gather his gear and met Vera standing in the hall. She gave him a good luck charm. He smiled as walked away.

"She likes you," Franklin squeaked.

"Now’s not the time for that, Franklin. Let’s get to work," Alexander said as they departed for Falinnbannao