Hidden Currents
You Never Even See Them
The waves in the Sea of Time smashed into the side of the Lemurian ship, forcing the vessel against the rocks.
"Felix!" Sheba cried as she watched the on-rush of water sweep her friend's feet out from under him. Felix was slammed into the side rail of the ship by the power forcing the ship off its path. He had less than a moment to collect himself before another wave smashed into them; the force of which almost sent the Earth Adept over-board.
Garet's hand shot out and grabbed Felix by the scruff of the neck, And steadied his friend as the ship continued to heave in the roiling sea. Ivan and Sheba hung onto the side of the Cabin beside Kraden who was vainly attempting to pull open the door which refused to budge for the old scholar.
Mia, Piers and Jenna were all on the other side and attempting to let the others in. Sheba could here Piers throwing himself at the door repeatedly whilst Mia and Jenna attempted to break the seals that locked the door during storms.
Lightning forked through the sky. Illuminating a rocky shoal in the direction the current was pulling them.
"The wheel!" Felix cried as the rain spattering against his face. Without Felix to stop it, the wheel was spinning madly, allowing the current to gain full control of the ship. The dragonhead carved at the bow of the vessel arched widely; The boat gaining speed with yet another monster wave.
"Rocks ahead in the current!" Sheba cried out over the wind. Yet another wave collided with the ship. The water pouring over the already slick deck made it impossible for Felix to get back to the tiller.
Isaac took advantage of the slick deck to slide down through the water and grab the wheel. The force of the waves and current made it near impossible for Isaac to stop the wheel on his own, so he forced his knee under one of the rungs to help take the load.
"Garet! Felix!" He shouted over the wind. Another wave rammed them again, the ship gaining speed as the frame groaned alarmingly. Isaac's face was white from the strain of keeping the wheel still on his own.
Garet was trying vainly to get to Isaac. But each time he or Felix made it a few steps closer, the vessel would lurch again and send both careening in to the rail again. Kraden, seeing the rocks as well, increased his efforts with the door as Ivan yelled through the window.
"Jenna, Mia, Piers! Forget getting it open! Hack through it if you have to! Just get out here!" The boat heaved again as the hull scraped against smaller rocks. Some peaking through the waves and seemed to close off one side of the current from them. Ivan, unprepared this time, was launched into the air. Sheba flung out her arm without thinking and grabbed his hand.
Ivan landed on the deck with a loud smack and was soaked even more than before as another wave brought water over his head were he lay. Ivan shook his blonde head as he scrambled to his feet and grabbed onto one of the ropes hanging on the side of the cabin.
'Those are just the small rocks that don't even break the water's surface!' Sheba thought franticly as yet another wave rammed them.
Another bolt of lightning showed the shoal much closer than it had been before. Felix and Garet threw themselves at Isaac as the ship leaned to one side in preparation for the next wave. All three had, by now, noticed the shoal and were attempting to free the ship from the current; the waves continuing to force the vessel into the center of the fast water.
Sheba wiped her pale hair from her eyes as the ship slanted dangerously to one side and a wave larger then the previous ones smashed into them. Sheba kept a death-grip on the rope outside the cabin as barrels and supplies not tied down were all thrown into the churning waters and a small pot crashed through the cabin window.
As the ship righted it self, part of Sheba's mind reasoned that they would probably lose half their hearing if they lived through this. But the thought was only half-formed as she got her first good look at the shoal.
The current that they were trapped in seemed to lead straight into the center of the shoal. Rocky spires jutted out in all directions in a horseshoe shape. In the center the waves created churning white foam surrounded by tooth-like spikes. If they got pulled in completely, they'd all drown…
"Enough of this!" She heard Piers shout out as a flash of red blasted through the door before taking the shape of Cannon and then sped back inside.
Piers wasted no time in dashing out the still-smoking door before them though, charging towards the wheel. Aquamarine hair flashed an electric blue in a thunderbolt, the stiff material of his captain's vest snapping around him as his booted feet seemed a part of the deck. There was an unrecognizable intensity which flashed behind his golden eyes before he was already speeding towards the wheel; oblivious of the rain and heaving deck. Mia's arm reached out through the dark doorway and pulled them all in before the ship could lurch itself around again.
Sheba's world was spinning as she found her back against the soaked inner wall of the main cabin. The small room was in shambles and Jenna had a cut on the side of her head that she wasn't paying much attention to.
"Quickly!" Mia shouted over the crash of the waves, "Get ready to use the wings!" Kraden gave her a quizzing look, as though the storm around them were for the moment forgotten.
"We don't even know where we are!" He yelled as the ship lunged forwards in the water. Outside, Garet lost his grip and was washed away from the wheel, his shouts of alarm catching the old scholar's attention, but not before he could look back at Mia. "The last time we came to the Sea of Time that shoal was not on route!" He continued, his voice already hoarse from shouting.
Wind hissed thought the broken window as Mia and Jenna simply glared at him. Just as Jenna was about to say something however, flashes of blue light began to thread through the panels of the ship, something none of them had ever seen before. Piers was already pouring his psynergy into the wings as he grabbed the rungs, and soon there was the noticeable hum of energy in the vessel as the others outside were adding their own strength. Mia's gaze was hard as she met Kraden's
"You may not know were we are, Kraden," She said as Sheba got up and ran to the window to see the others at the wheel. They all started urging their power into the ship to ready the wings.
"But Piers has been sailing these seas for far longer than you." Mia's next words were lost to Sheba as, with another flash of lightning, she was able to see individual spires and hurriedly began forcing even more power into the vessel. There was a loud, protesting creak of wood and metal, the hum picking up to form an aura of energy around the ship, though it provided no protection from the storm.
"I am the master of this ship!" Piers shouted as the blue rings around him grew into a solid wall of psynergy. Sheba could see Garet gapping at the Lemurian as the Fire Adept focused on the wings as well as not being thrown over-board.
Sheba's brow furrowed as she concentrated all her energy on making to wings work. 'It's never been this hard before…' she thought as they refused to budge, the creaks and goans growing louder as though something were batting back their efforts. 'Why isn't it working?'
Sheba gasped as another giant wave came up from behind them, forcing the ship forwards so that even the bed and table were thrown towards the bow. Isaac's strength gave out and he was flung forwards, bringing Felix with him. The two smashed into the wall, leaving Piers to hold the ship on his own.
As if in preparation for their ship, that water drained from the center of the shoal. Nestled in the heart among the sharp spires was a large smooth stone. The rock wasn't what caught her attention though, it was the three spokes perfect for tearing through the wooden hulls of ships that was revealed as the water seeped away. The three spokes that were connected to a trident.
Sheba screamed as the ship slanted even further, the frame groaning loudly so that she was sure they were going to snap in two. As the others were thrown against her, from behind, Sheba heard Piers shout above the waves,
"And Poseidon will not have her yet!" there was a large flash of psynergy, and everything went black for Sheba.
