Woolbeard the Pirate IV

The Dino Medal of her second newly revived vivosaur, a krona she aptly christened Glyph, dropped out of the slot for pick-up. While originally she thought him to be derived from the crocodilian mosasaur, perhaps a Tylosaurus, Felic had stated otherwise. Apparently he was derived from a kronosaurus, meaning 'lizard of Kronos', and was actually a short necked pliosaur, an offshoot of the plesiosaur family known for their resemblance to land saurpods like the brachiosaurus. The word 'pliosaur' meant 'More Lizard', probably because they resembled saurians, crocodilians in particular, more so than their cousins the plesiosaurs.

From what Felic had said, the krona were nicknamed the "T-Rex of the Sea" due to their ferocious power. A title that should have been a blatant warning for what happened next.

Fingers wrapped around cool edges—

—and she was dragged down into icy depths.

An ocean current, powerful, constant, directing. A lazily spiraling depth of dark red. Restless, faintly agitated.

Can't keep something like that contained… was the bleary thought. Something could break.

Push and pull, push and pull.

Like floating in a swimming pool…relaxing…

Come, the water seemed to say, come and rest, you don't have to be alone.

Alone? A frown tugged. I'm not alone…I have—

A sharp jolt of ice yanked. You are alone, drifting helplessly. Come, we will grieve together, triumph together.

That sounds l—NO!

Like grasping at a river's bank, Creed tore from the center of that drowning current. She was dragged and yanked, but she didn't let go. Bracing, she pulled and finally 'saw' what had pulled her under.

A dark ocean, deceptively calm, a ruthless beast of a current just under the surface. An abyss of rolling blacks rimmed an ocean of potent dark reds. Out, out, OUT!

Now aware of what she was dealing with, Creed stopped resisting, at least outright. Rather than digging in like Firma would do, she danced around the edge, gradually pulling herself free like Aero when he was evading a goyo. This was why wind beat water.

Water struck like a flexible whip, beating away at enduring rock, or a rogue wave, dousing a flame that gets to near, it struck from the sides. Wind, on the other hand, simply did not get caught in the force, it struck from behind. It scattered water and could either form currents or cancel them out.

How fortunate that Creed's first vivosaur was wind.

You can't take me. She taunted, going with the flow yet not being sucked under again. You can try all you like, but I won't submit.

A rogue wave shot out, a spear-point starburst of aggressive red-orange. You do not listen?

Creed relaxed her grip as the wave washed over her, and then used the momentary surge to slide further out of the current. You do not command me.

Water welled up and surged in enraged reds.

There we go. With that push, Creed fully separated from the current, and the numbing pull faded to waves lapping at her toes.

She felt the current thrash and surge in anger, frothing like white-capped rapids.

If you act like that, you will never be let out.

Surging current spluttered, starbursts of shocked pale blue and rapid streaks of fearful greens drowned out the angry reds, though the anger remained. Never? Impossible! Cannot be contained!

Were you fire, I'd believe you. Creed jeered. But you are water in a bowl. Bound by the walls containing you. I do not ever have to release you if this is how you will act. And you are helpless to rebel against me. You will be left until your strength wanes and you become like stagnant water. The rapid series of blows were too much, and the current scattered in shock.

The mighty current yielded and receded into pleading splashes of pleading greens. No, please no, do not…please.

Let me control the flow. Creed sent, softening from the harsh bite she had used moments before. Let us learn to flow together. Trial and error, we will find your push to my pull. Will you give your consent?

Water lapped thoughtfully, a thoughtful mix of intrigued pale orange and submissive greens. …I concede.

Creed blinked slowly as the world faded back into focus. This is becoming something of a habit… "Hello Dr. Diggins." She rasped softly.

"Are you alright? When I heard you had found a krona skull I tried to get here to warn you…" he trailed off helplessly.

"It's my fault." Creed groaned, sitting up. "I didn't think, didn't make the connection between Glyph's title and your story about the T-Rex." A grimace. "I'm sorry I worried you."

A somewhat awkward silence, and then—

"Did you—"

"We made a deal."

"What?"

"Water is strongest when working for a single goal. Scattered it is harmless. Glyph has agreed to try and let me direct his power. My pull to his push as the case may be…I can't really explain it beyond that I'm afraid."

Diggins straightened up, thoughtful. Creed took his extended hand and wobbly stood up.

"That's amazing, only a couple people have managed to acquire a kronos, and they could only control them because the fossils weren't very well cleaned." A considerate hum. "Will you be trying for a T-Rex—?"

"Not if I can help it." Creed cut him off. "It is hard enough to tame the water-aligned kronos, and that was only because I know how to strike like wind vivosaurs do." She shook her head. "And after Ferno managed to influence me so easily…no, I'd rather not risk it."

/\/\

Something's looming, something troublesome. Creed thought, shoulders rigid as she and Rosie re-entered Woolbeard's cabin. As soon as they stepped through the shattered door, Creed's suspicions were proven correct.

"Ah, that looks perfect on you, Captain Woolbeard." Vivian flattered, tying a ribbon around the now tamed beard. "Very dapper!"

Oh this isn't going to end well. Creed grimaced as the captain swirled around blissfully.

"I'm free!" Was the almost whispery cheer. "After all these long years, I can finally rest with my weary bones…"

"Woolbeard! Don't be fooled!" Rosie shouted. "That's not—!"

An ominous growl filled the cabin as the captain froze and stared down intently at the ribbon. "This isn't it!" he roared. "This be not my ribbon, ye scurvy scalawag! This won't lay my spirit to rest!"

Light flashed and the recognizable rip of tearing fabric sounded. The calm gray-blues that made up the captain's form roared into despicable violet-reds and his formerly cheerful, if melancholy, blue eye bled into a furious red. Clawed hand flashed and Vivian had to leap back as lightning-like ectoplasm struck the floorboards, leaving a blackened hole.

Woolbeard wailed loudly. "Ye thought ye could deceive me? Ye shall pay, ye turncoats!" He flung clawed fingers up high.

…are those Dino Medals?

"My ghost dinosaurs of the depths will teach ye not to play false with me! Arise spirits of dinosaurs past!"

Floorboards creaked and shattered as geysers of water suddenly gushed into the cabin.

"Quick! Get out!" Vivian spun and shot past the two Fossil Fighters.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Snivels and Rex spun and fled hot on her tail, just narrowly avoiding more blasts of ectoplasm.

"The water is flooding in!" Rosie cried as they suddenly found themselves chest deep in water.

"Get your helmet on, quick!"

"Destroy them: Elasmo, Plesio!"

"Hey! You've got the wrong guys!" Rosie screamed.

There's not enough room here for Glyph… Creed threw two Dino Medals. Torrent, Delta: front and center!

Push and pull, small waves lapping harmlessly at sand's edge. A friendly expanse of yellow-greens, broken only by faint wisps of warning reds.

Just under seven meters long, Delta was one of the vivosaurs Creed had revived earlier. Distantly related to the spinosaur family, the theropod was built like an aggressive heron, long thin legs and a long neck topped by an angular head. While her variations of vivosaur were called deltas, Creed found it too beautiful a name for her to choose another. And so Delta she remained.

Watch out for their long reach. Creed cautioned, eyeing the two enemy vivosaur.

The larger of the two, called an elasmo was almost as long as Glyph, though most of that length was its flexible neck. The smaller, plesio, was only two meters long at the most. Both were derived from the plesiosaurus family and both looked mad.

"Elasmo Fury on Delta! Darting Blur on Alectro!"

"Delta: Snapping Bite! Torrent: Blue Fang!"

Both vivosaurs dived to opposite sides to confront the attacking enemies. Creed focused on Delta and the elasmo, as they were the largest and the biggest threat to Rosie and she.

A side step, snapping snake head over reached. White teeth flashed towards vulnerable neck—

—missed as the elasmo recoiled out of reach. Delta darted forward, teeth bared, twisted, and lashed out with a lightning-fast kick. While the neck evaded the blow, the elasmo's body wasn't nearly so swift. Sea water bubbled and frothed in a submerged hiss as the near lizard struck wooden wall.

Recede and surge! "Delta Blitz!"

Angular jaws gaped and a geyser of water surged out. Bubbling water blocked the elasmo from sight in a manner similar to a dust cloud. When the bubbles dispersed it was to the sight of a lone medal on submerged floorboards.

Water reeled and distressed ripples sent apprehensive wisps of green across a sea of pained grays and other washed out colors.

Creed's head jerked, eyes widened.

Torrent was barely upright, countless bite marks, many oozing with poison, marred his frame. Snake-like head darted in and out repeatedly, landing more and more blows ruthlessly. The theropod sent a pleading look in Creed's direction.

"Poison Breath!" Give it a taste of its own medicine, or poison as the case may be.

Red eyes sharpened, maw widened, and a cloud of green stained into the water surrounding the theropod. The plesio darted right into it. It took mere moments for the toxins to take hold and for the near lizard to lurch and spasm violently.

Blue Fang. Creed sent, panting slightly.

A flash of white teeth and a Medal sunk to the floorboards.

And then, just like that, the water submerging the room drained away.

Recalling her vivosaurs, Creed and Rosie warily approached the fallen form of the Captain Woolbeard. Enraged hot colors faded to calmer cool colors as the captain blinked up at them owlishly. "Wha—What just happened?"

"Oh thank goodness you've regained your senses!" Rosie twirled victoriously.

"Regained…my senses?" confused glowing blue blinked.

"You sort of…" Rosie hesitated. "Lost your cool when the BB Bandits tried to trick you with a fake beard ribbon."

Woolbeard gave a distracted nod. "Aye, it's comin' back to me now…Those land-lubbing dogs! Why, I—"

Fearing another berserk rage, Rosie quickly leapt forward. "Wait! Before you fly off the handle again, let me tie on your REAL beard ribbon."

Quick as a whip, Rosie gathered all the wild beard hairs and locked them in place with the real ribbon. The ghost blinked, a little startled, before eyeing the ribbon intently. A laugh escaped him. "Aye! It fits just right! This is… This is my beard ribbon!"

He gave them a bright grin. "Many thanks to ye, sailors! Now I can return to me physical form." A sudden flash of rememberance. "Of course, for your reward, some o' me valued treasure!" A poof of smoke, and he was gone again.

"Yaaaayyy! Real treasure!" Rosie darted forward into the smoke eagerly. A startled hum sounded from inside the gradually dissipating smoke cloud, then an angry growl. "Again? Another one of these…these…tacky idols?" A howl. "Do you realize how hard we worked for that beard ribbon?"

Rosie reappeared and stormed past Creed. "You can keep it, Creed. I don't want it!"

Blinking after her, Creed turned back to where the smoke cloud had originated.

Indeed it is, yet another idol. She hummed softly, picking it up. It was taller and thinner than the other two, with blue highlights. Creed frowned. There's something funny about these things. A pause, and then she shrugged and slipped it haphazardly into her backpack before hurrying after Rosie.

/\/\/\

Next Time:

Why didn't she just use the VMM?

A flash of movement. Water surged. Sharp teeth sunk into fragile flesh.

Creed cried out in pain and alarm she was grabbed and flung into an underwater boulder.