The Victoria Den

Apr 30 2027 - Day 2373

After the celebrations of the living winning the Second World War. The members of the houses departed ways. Once they have James, goes to look to find his house leader, Sablearadia, seeing her he tries to start a conversation.
James: [Whisphers]When can we discuss the Message from The Leader of House Meles?
Sable: [exasterbated]Captain, we won the war. We have to ensure our future with an alliance with the Chiropterans to the north of us.
Sable: I’m going with Siobhan to ensure this, I will be protected by DMStretch.

At that moment DMStretch joins the three and salutes James and Sable.
Sable: James I am sending you to Victoria, our Provincial Capital, for both parts of British Columbia.

James looks down for a moment and looks disappointed but then looks up with new vigour.
James: As you wish, House Leader.

James salutes out of habit shakes hands with Siobhan and salutes DMStretch. James turns into a tiger and runs up the stairs to his Owsla Quarters. Once he gets there he turns back into human form and locks the message away and takes a pack, that has not been dealt with since the start of the war.
James returns to the finance department to withdraw 15 gold pieces.
Putting this on his back, he goes back to the lobby of The Warren.
Sable hands James two scrolls one, labelled as The Warren and the other as Tsawwassen
James: Thank you house leader I presume you want me to get a ferry across to Vancouver Island?
Sable: Not just that James, The legislature building there does not permit me the location runes to got there.
James: I understand house leader, I wish you well for your journey north.

James and Sable depart and go their separate ways seeing as James needs to teleport to Tsawwassen, he goes to collect the equipment he needs to make a large circle of runes. James comes back to the looby with the necessary equipment and draws a square and then a circle, within. Then a spiral with another tool. Filling that spiral with runes. The Litreomancy runes crackle and a portal open up at some docklands.

May 01 2027 - Day 2374

James checks he has the other scroll to get back and walks through the portal and it closes behind him.
James walks along the docks and finds a sign advertising, a ferry to Victoria.
James: Is this the ferry to Victoria?
Mike: Of course, its 5 Gold for the return journey

James nods and hands Mike 6 gold and he hands James a cardboard slip.
Mike: You know you gave me 6 and not 5 don’t you.

James nods.
James: Yes, I need a nap.

James stretches his arms over his head to imply he is more tired than he actually is. Mike nods and looks at the pin on James’ jumper.
Mike: Enjoy the Voyage, Captain!

James nods back and boards the ship. Once there he finds a spot, in a corner, where he can rest and awaits for the ship to leave.
Once James feels the rubble he wakes himself up and looks out the window to see the British Columbian interior, a place he hasn’t seen from the outside, in.
I do live and work in a beautiful place. James thinks to himself. Finding a place to buy a drink he buys something non-alcoholic and finishes the drink. For the remainder of the ferry journey, James stares into the middle distance and thinks about the meeting in the legislature building and how to conduct himself well, since he is representing House Lapin.
James looks over to a screen indicating where on the journey he is on. Noticing that it is close to Victoria, he looks out the window and sees a city in the distance, presuming this to be Victoria. James gets up from his seat adjusts his jumper and goes outside to take in the sea air.
After the announcement that they will be docking in Victoria shortly, James takes his time and ensures that he will be in the crowd who are disembarking and not in front. I don't want it to look like I'm leading a rebellion. James thinks. Leaving himself he sees some people wearing pink, some notice him and shake his hand and thank him for his service and wish him a good time in Victoria.
James leaves the ship, James spots people with a sign with people’s names those people look to see who wants them and go over to them. James spots a person wearing a suit and with a sign saying Captain of The Owsla. James thinks, well so much for saying hidden, rolling his eyes.
People start noticing the sign themselves and the crowd seem pleased to see that on their voyage they have been accompanying the Captain of the Owlsa. The crowd instead carried on as they would normally look around and scan for anyone wearing a pink jumper.
When it becomes obvious, James claps once, to get attention.
James: [announcing]I know you don’t see the Captain every day, but here I am.

James stands awaiting, what the crowd will do. Most people seem pleased that he is with them, a local celebrity among them, others less so. I wonder what I did to annoy you. James thinks.
Only one person tried to harm James but he manages to duck out of the way and twist the man’s arm high enough to cause pain but not dislocate it.
The lady who was holding the sign waves to James and makes a come over here motion. James runs over to them.
Lady: I am here to escort you to The Empress Hotel.
James: [concerned]Lead the way.

She nods and throws away the sign into a nearby recycling bin. The walk south and the buildings go from being suburbs to being built up. Nearing Victoria’s docklands, the buildings return to somewhere in between.
While doing so he is greeted by members of his house, who are on duty or walking to them. Some often saying his honorific title as a matter of respect and James returns a nod back.
Reaching a building on the right of orange and white accented brick, they walk in.
James: I believe I have a room waiting for me.
Hotel Attendant: Your Name please?
James: James Woodwright, Captain of the Owlsa.

The Hotel Attendant looks through a book of reservations for a room and finds his reservation.
Hotel Attendant: Here we go.

They note the key number and take the corresponding key and hand it to James.
James nods and looks at the room number. The lady gets James' attention.
Lady: I will leave you to it, the domed building is where you will be working with us.

James nods and bids her well.
James heads to his hotel and opens the door. In which are a decently furnish room with a desk and fine bed linens.

May 02 2027 - Day 2375

James is sitting in a large rectangular room that has seats on either side, in front of him and others is a table with a name, for James it’s Cpt of the Owsla. On the left are two flags the British Columbian provincial flag and the country flag of Canada. On the right and over the double doors another two flags one for Lapin and the other for Chiroptera.
Speaker: We are here to discuss the alliance of House Lapin and Chiroptera.

James taps his fingers on the table he is at.
Speaker: I will start with you, the Captain of the Owsla.

James stands.
James: Thank you, madam speaker, [James recites]. I am the Captain of the Owlsa. As my great leader started an alliance with the bats as to be strong against the undead horde as well as have important trade deals. [he knocks his fingers importantly against the table.

The speaker nods
James: I don’t know what else you would want to know from me? I used to be a redsmith 7 years ago after all.

As James sits down others stand up.
Speaker: Bennet Rose

The others sit down and a man with a red tie continues to stand.
Bennett Rose: Thank you, Madam Speaker, I'm sure the Captain is aware of the military history of the two-word wars. He is trying to deflect our attention to trade. Can he please talk about the military knowledge, that him being Captain has found out?

Bennett Rose sits down, others stand some with pink or red ties.
Speaker: Captain of The Owlsa.

James: Thank you Madam Speaker, If the member who supports the bats thinks I'm deflecting and being antagonistic, he is mistaken, I was not briefed on why Lapin’s leader would need me to come to this historic city.
James: [Formal]To Answer the gentlemen's question, we found zombie callers laid there by the undead and how to deactivate them. We found that the night monarch can change to another person. We are only aware that the night monarch can choose one victim and that’s it. To spread they need to inflict a word war.
James: [annoyed]Trade is a good form of alliance we can’t harm each other if we are too busy producing items and services for the other.

James sits down, others are standing.
Speaker: Patrick Hayden

Patrick Hayden: Thank you, madam speaker, I am a Lapinite supporter, my father before me and my grandfather before him. Does the Captain of the Owsla, honestly think that an alliance will help our two sides?

Speaker: Captain of the Owlsa

James: We are historically a nation of made up of England and France, which while they have been at war for much of their existence, they are at peace now. So have we had issues but now we are at peace, with each other, with our little squabbles, but that is normal for any nation or nations. Why wouldn’t this continue?

James sits down and looks around to see others stand up.
This continued on up into lunch, at which point James was asked to come back tomorrow. James nodded and walked out of the legislature building and headed across the road to a bronze statue of Captain James Cook and looked out.
While looking out, he thought about what might be going on back in Kelowna, at The Warren.

May 04 2027 - Day 2375

James having had a heated discussion, in the legislative building, leaves the building. He goes to a bench and sits down. The person that escorted him to his hotel sits by him.
Lady: Captain, it is over, don’t worry, you don’t have to come back unless your leader wants you to, or you want to visit Victoria again.
James: I can see why I didn’t want a political life.

The lady nods her understanding, gets up and holds out her hand for James to take.
James takes the hand of the lady and is pulled up and then lead to the hotel James was staying at.
Lady: You better collect your things.

James checks his pockets by padding them externally and then realises that he does need to check his rooms for a few items. James goes up to his room and finds the items he bought and checks out. James leaves the hotel as before the woman is there waiting for him.
James: So let's do this, please take me back to the ferry port.

She nods and they walk there as they do members of House Lapin, nod, salute or address James. As they make their way back James spots a place that sells tourist souvenirs. James jabs his thumb toward the store and she nods awaiting his return.
James returns with a pink t-shirt with the text saying I came to Victoria and survived. both laugh and continue on, they go past several places but James doesn't seem to mind them.
Nearing the ferry port the woman stops and gets James’ attention.
Lady: This is where we part James, it was good to know you.
James: You too, if you ever need safety head to The Warren.
She nods her agreement and they shake hands.
They depart and James looks to see her walk away, nodding to himself, he abords the ferry this time making it obvious that he is the Captain of the Owlsa.
Having an uneventful voyage he returns to The Warren and goes upstairs to see, Sable.
James: I’m back is there anything I should know?
Sable and Gwen: Not that I can think of.
Sable: You ok James, you look a little, dejected?
James: Yes, House Leader, I am it was a little tough at the legislative building.

Sable looks to James with regard, not finding the words that might help James, she changes the subject.
Sable: Do you still have the logbook of that time you saw Greg, in Lemon Grove?

James nods leaves the room and returns with a teal cloth-bound book about one and a half centimetres thick. He hands it to Sable, flipping it though she reads a line.
Sable: I’m always so mean, why am I so mean James?

James chuckles a bit.

This article is a work in progress, and may be subject to changes.

This article is part of a series related to streaming the Game of Tomes. For more information, see Streaming Game of Tomes.