Rated: PG-13
Language: English
Categories: Humour/Adventure
Title: RoChronicles
Summary: Life was good for Zira, Shujiri, Swift, and Eos where they lived in the division of Rune Midgard known as Void. Then one day, a dark cloud fell over the land and everything they knew fell apart. Will they ever be able to pick up the pieces? More importantly, can they remember who they were along the way?
Author's Note: First and foremost, we need a theme; let's go with Wind of Tragedy which, according to google, is from the PvP arena. (Seeing as how I shy away from PvP unless it's a duel with otouto to test out skills and builds on each other, I wouldn't know.) What will come of Mavrik's concern from the end of the previous chapter? You'll have to read this one to find out. [cheater author is cheating.] I realize that the last chapter seemed a bit ominous and cut off seemingly quickly, but believe you me; if I had combined it with this chapter as I'd originally planned to do, it would have been killer long. So I split it up and, incidentally, added yet another chapter I hadn't counted on having into the story. Thus making it even longer than I'd originally thought it would be. Ah, well...
Misc. Note: (1) 300 feet tall - Considering that, according to Google, the highest tsunami wave on record is around 1,780 feet tall, 300 didn't seem like quite a stretch - just big enough to make it dangerous but not break reality altogether. (Not that there's much reality to the world of Ragnarok Online anyway, that is.) I'm also well aware that the things you've seen so far, and will see in this chapter, done by Drake's crew and our characters alike are big stretches on the abilities and skills they're given in the game. Please bear with me; it's called creative licensing, and it's helping me get more drama into the story. (And I love me some drama.) As far as the weather is concerned, I have no idea how to combat storms; if people knew that, they could probably start trying in real life. Thus, the idea mentioned below was born. (And I'm not sure how they have hail in a hot-cold storm, but there you have it. xD I just wanted to make their lives suck a little bit more.)
RoChronicles
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Raging Tempest
Shujiri stared up at the sky as he took a break from mopping the main deck, his eyes scanning the area for any trace of light. It was an unusually dark night and he didn't like the silence surrounding them. His instincts were telling him that something was wrong, but if Kurt and Vladmir hadn't detected any cause for alarm yet, then perhaps everything was fine. He could just be overreacting...Right?
Speaking of Vladmir, the Stalker landed with almost no sound just to his left, eyes gazing up to the crow's nest for something.
Subtly, Shujiri glanced towards it, his curiosity piqued. It wasn't long before Kurt gave a small wave over the edge of it, and then Vladmir's eyes were back on the ocean ahead of them.
"What's up?" Shujiri asked lamely, not really sure what to say.
Vladmir shrugged. "Mavrik asked us to keep an eye on the weather with him. He is convinced there is a storm coming." he explained. His red eyes seemed a bit wider now than earlier as he watched the gentle waves lapping at the sides of the ship. A flash of lightning in the distance came and he squinted slightly, the pupils of his eyes shrinking down marginally. The flinch at the corners of his eyes were nearly unnoticeable, but the Assassin's training helped him to pick up on it.
"Don't like storms? Zira's not too fond of them, either."
"It is not that; my eyes are sensitive to light of many forms. Daylight can be a painful experience that way, so I learned to hone in my senses to guide me around without bumping into things so that I can be in it without keeping them open for long. Bennett is the same in a way; he is blind in one eye because it is also sensitive to light. He was blinded by a flash trap during a raid. Amune would not leave the medical quarters until Hughes could assure him he would be okay upon recovery. Because it took so long for Hughes to be able to get to him during the raid, though, the damage was permanent."
Shujiri blinked as he processed the information Vladmir had divulged so far. "How do ye know what Bennett's trying to say if he doesn't actually say anything?"
"We do not." Vladmir shrugged again, eyes still watching the horizon. "Amune is the only one that can read him exactly right. The rest of us make guesses and hope that we are right; Bennett has never been one to say much at a time. It is rare that he says anything at all. He stays close to Amune in part because Amune is overlooked by many of us a lot and even was left behind once. Bennett is the only one that remembered to bring him back to the ship before we left; he does not have a memorable personality to most of us. He has become an unspoken protector for Amune, and Amune in turn has become his voice."
"That's nice of him.."
"Yes."
It sounded familiar to how Falcone took care of Ghebriel, to be honest, or to how they were told Xabel acts with Chrnos. Which just served to remind him that they needed to get to Amatsu as quickly as possible to catch up to them. Still, it was unusual for someone to be visually sensitive to the light - especially someone from the Thieve's Guild. The Gunslinger had seemed less responsive to things on his right side, he supposed..but what was it that made them light-sensitive to begin with?
On an unconscious whim, his thoughts traveled to the colour of their eyes and how few people he had seen with it. To his knowledge, the only person he knew of with eyes as eerily blood-red as theirs was Falcone. Every other man or woman he'd encountered with them, their eyes had been less severe - less piercing and calculating. That's when realization struck him.
"So it's something to do with the light sensitivity that makes your eyes that colour of red, right?" he asked.
Vladmir flinched at another flash of lightning, this one much closer than the one before it, and looked at him. "Yes. How do you find this conclusion, though?"
"You're that way; your eyes are red. Bennett's less responsive to things that happen on his right side, which tells me he's got problems seeing out of it. That's the side his red eye is on. Lighter than yours, but I'm guessin' that's because it doesn't, erm, 'work' anymore. Aye?"
The white and gold-clad Stalker nodded. "Yes."
"And my Professor friend, Falcone - the one with the glasses. He has the same colour eyes as you two. I always figured the glasses were from studying too much, but maybe it's just as much because he's light-sensitive, too, as it is that."
"You are very perceptive."
"Assassin Cross. Ye notice things." Shujiri shrugged.
Another flash of lightning, and this time Vladmir visibly winced and stepped back towards the shadows cast by the mast they stood near. "It is getting much closer."
"Or at least we are."
"I need to find Mavrik and inform him."
With this, 'Ghost' took his leave, eyes closing against the lightning that flashed over the horizon and lit up his frame, highlighting his silvery hair in an almost ethereally fashion.
Shujiri wasn't alone for long, however, before Jeliel stepped out to stand beside him. Dark eyes were trained on the sky above as he pondered what to say to voice his thoughts.
"Pretty, eh?" Shujiri chuckled as the lightning struck the water. "Wish Lady Lana were down here to see this."
Silence.
After a few minutes, Jeliel took in a deep breath and, exhaling, said, "Sure, I guess it is. But something's..wrong."
"Wrong?"
"I don't know. Off, maybe. I've seen a lot of storms and they don't really bother me; I got used to their severity in Yuno. Zira, however, is in the cabin clinging to Tyr and Alex for dear life..but...Something doesn't feel right about this storm."
"One; he's sober enough to realize it's storming? Two; I agree."
Jeliel nodded slightly. "He Healed himself sober."
A pause. "He..Healed...?"
"I didn't know that worked or was even possible, either."
"Ye learn something new every day..."
"The price he pays for doing it is being grilled by Falcone and Ghebriel."
Silence again. The two men kept their eyes to the heavens as they neared the storm, feeling rather uneasy about the situation but not sure how to explain why.
There was a few moments of silence until Shujiri felt a hard thunk on the back of his head. He rubbed it gingerly, looking to his side at Jeliel. "Was that necessary?" he murmured.
Jeliel turned his face to look at him, blinking. "Hmm? Was what necessary?"
"Givin' me a good whack on the head."
Jeliel stared at his friend for a moment, silent, before replying. "I haven't yet, but I can if you want me to."
Though confused, Shujiri let the matter drop.
A harsh thump on the back of the High Wizard's head brought him to spin around to face Shujiri, eyes blazing. "What's the big idea? Why did you have to do that? I said I didn't do anything!"
One of Shujiri's brows furrowed. "What?"
Thunk. "Ow!"
"Okay, now I know I didn't do anything. I didn't even touch you."
"Then what the Hel-"
"Ouch!"
"Didn't do it."
Hughes's voice called out towards them from across the deck, earning their attention. "Look up you fucking idiots!"
As the two complied with the unusual Priest's demand, they registered hearing Zira yelling out two rounds of Kyrie Eleison just before the sound of a gunshot filled the air, drowned out almost completely by the clap of thunder following almost immediately after it.
Above them was a large hailstone, inches from landing on their heads when Bennett's bullet pierced and shattered it.
Stunned, Jeliel and Shujiri stood in place for a short time longer before running for the cover of the cabin, calling a thank you over to them over their shoulders.
They stayed in the cabin for a while until Mavrik, drenched and looking worn down, burst in with Kurt at his side. His emerald eyes scanned the faces of the people there - some crew members and Shujiri and Zira's group of friends - for a moment. He seemed to be debating how best to say what he needed to as his eyes finally fell on Jeliel and locked with his.
No words were required, however, and the darker-haired of the two stood with a frown. As he made his way to him, he left the others behind with unasked questions.
Kurt took hold of their shoulders, Cloaking them long enough for the barrel rolling along the deck of the tempest-tossed ship to pass harmlessly through them. Upon removing it, his eyes went to the crow's nest where his brother stood uneasily. He was perfectly aware of how vulnerable the Stalker was alone above them facing the unusually bright flashes of lightning. For the most part, his sibling was trying to stretch out his senses enough to keep tabs on everyone's condition and remain wary to whether or not there were obstacles in the ship's path while keeping his sensitive eyes closed off from the light as much as possible. It was proving to be harder than it should have; Vladmir just wasn't used to spreading himself quite that thin.
"Will you two be okay to get to the masts from here? I must make my way back up to Ghost and see to him." Kurt yelled over the storm.
"I think we can handle this just fine, thanks." Jeliel yelled back.
A large wave rose over the deck and Mavrik cast Cold Bolt over it, freezing the wall of water in place. Jeliel advanced to it and, after inspecting it for a moment, gave the frozen wave a couple of good whacks with his staff. It crumbled and fell back into the ocean.
"Ready to use what I taught you?" Mavrik shouted.
"No, but do I get a choice?"
Mavrik smiled at the reluctant reply. He felt an increase in the charge of the air behind him and threw a few rounds of Lightning Bolts out towards it. They collided with the flash of lightning headed for the mast Kurt was using to reach the crow's nest, re-routing it to the ocean where it sizzled and turned the water near it to steam, but was otherwise harmless.
"Impressive, I hate to admit!" Jeliel yelled, casting Fire Wall to deflect and vaporize a wave headed for Mavrik. "But not quite controlling the weather; that's just manipulating elements!"
"Give me some time; I'm running low on energy right now. This storm is too bad for me to be able to fend it off entirely!"
"So I'll cover you while you recharge and take care of what you can of it."
"Sounds fair to me!"
A Swordfish came flopping up onto the deck angrily, disturbed by the turbulent weather and plucked from its watery home by the ruthless waves. Jeliel moved to push it back into the water but it would have none of that, struggling and swishing its long, sharp nose every which way in a desperate attempt to fend off its attacker-slash-would-be saviour.
The ship tilted violently and it went sliding and skipping down the deck towards Mavrik, who had taken to steeling himself for the coming trials and tribulations of their endeavor. Rather than allow the fish-like monster to skewer any part of the other man, Jeliel frowned and cast a low-level Jupitel Thunder at it, hurling it off the side of the ship and grimacing when the force and power of the elemental attack scattered a few of its scales across the deck, along with a slight trail of blood.
Mavrik shot a thank you smile to the High Wizard and closed his eyes, his palms at the height of his abdomen and facing the sky. A small spark emitted from them as a bolt of lightning crashed through the dark clouds above. The spark grew in size and he held his hands up towards the sky, honing the bolt towards it and away from any of its other potential targets. As the power of the electrical bolt surged and merged with the spark of lightning at his hands he restrained a flinch, knowing the slightest movement outside of his controlled stance could either be fatal or spell disaster for other parts of the ship. Considering some of the cargo they were carrying, they couldn't afford the magnitude of that particular mistake.
"Do as I do!" Mavrik shouted calmly to Jeliel, who nodded and prepared a beginner's level Lightning Bolt of his own to draw away the next flashes.
Thunder rolled and echoed loudly across the ship as the two continued the pattern for a short time, Jeliel deflecting the occasional hail stone with a Fire Bolt to protect himself and Mavrik, while the taller male slowly re-energized his powers to better tackle the severity of the storm.
A wave crashed into the side of the ship as Mavrik went to draw the next bolt of lightning to himself, knocking him from his feet and sliding him down into the cabin wall with a mighty thump that forced the air out of his lungs and temporarily stunned him. The bolt collided with the mast atop which sat the crow's nest, snapping it almost in two with sparks of fire coming to life on the splitting points only to be put out by the torrential downpour of rain.
Thank God for small blessings, Jeliel thought bitterly to himself as he drew the next lightning bolt away, watching the mast sway ever more uneasily. Yards away from him, Mavrik was finally beginning to regain his senses. An outcry from above brought the two men's attention to the crow's nest to see what the commotion was about.
Kurt dangled from the edge, blown about slightly by the fearsome winds that lashed against everyone on and above the deck. He was held up from making the painful fall only by the hand, which was clasped firmly in a terrified Vladmir's grasp. The Stalker seemed to be muttering something to his sibling, and the Assassin Cross nodded. He tugged as hard as possible on the other man's hand, jerking him up a ways before pausing to catch his breath and pump his strength back into the next pull.
"Come down from there!" Mavrik shouted up at them, pointing to the mast. "That won't be standing much longer; you need to get down before-"
Too late; another flash of lightning came, and following it, another wave assaulted the side of the ship. The force turned the ship onto its side for a terrifying three seconds before rocking it upright again, and the mast snapped free of its hold.
Two shouts of surprise reached Mavrik and Jeliel's ears as Kurt and Vladmir plummeted to the deck. Kurt managed to grasp onto the rope to one of the sails, swinging wildly on it for a brief moment before it finally slowed down and he swung down onto the deck. He seemed shaken, but otherwise, unharmed.
His eyes turned frantically to the space behind him where he had hoped to find his brother, also safe and sound, but he felt his blood run cold. As his eyes finally caught sight of his twin, Vladmir's back collided with the deck in a sound so loud it almost drowned out the frightening roar of thunder. He never even had the chance to run and see that the man was even conscious before the mast landed across his middle and lower half.
Mavrik, Jeliel, and Kurt remained rooted to the spot for a few stunned, terrifying seconds before Kurt broke free of the terrible trance and rushed to his sibling's side, tears already welling in his eyes. Finally, the two High Wizards regained themselves and shouted out for their respective team's healers. Once Zira, Lady Lana, and Hughes were present, Mavrik called out to Torq and Felix, the ship's Champion from earlier.
The Champion and Mastersmith placed their arms around as much of the mast as they could and began to hoist it up off of their fallen comrade, but it was too heavy for just the two of them. Frustrated, Jeliel shouted for Shujiri and Alex. The two raced up to where they were needed and were taken aback by what they saw for a moment, but they quickly recovered and ran to help in the effort to remove the heavy object from the red-eyed Stalker's body.
Lana looked away, her stomach turned upside down at the thought of what she would see when it was finally pulled away, and Zira felt just short of wishing he'd chosen another profession. Hughes just looked outright sick. Torq, Alex, Shujiri, and Felix cringed as they tossed the mast the rest of the way off the ship. The healers would have their work cut out for them.
Pulling Kurt away, Mavrik passed the flailing, hysterical Assassin off to the two Mastersmiths, who bodily hauled him away from the scene to allow Zira and the others to do their work in peace. Shujiri and Felix stayed behind to help fend off whatever the storm would throw from their friends as best he could.
"What be goin' on down there 'mates?" Drake shouted from the helm, afraid to look towards his comrades and passengers after the crash of the crow's nest to see that the damage was as bad as he suspected it would be.
"It's Ghost!" Felix shouted back at the captain, keeping his back turned firmly towards the mangled Stalker. Focus, focus, focus..
From the cabin, Bennett watched the Champion's subtle struggle as did Shujiri, although the Assassin wasn't sure what the internal fight was about. The Gunslinger emerged, motioning for Amune to stay put in the safety of being indoors, and quickly turned to Felix. Locking eyes with the man, he said in a soft but firm voice, "Go back."
Felix seemed about ready to protest, but Bennett simply shook his head. "Too much blood."
Understanding, Felix ran off to the cabin and away from the others, allowing the gunman to take his place beside Shujiri in defending their friends. Shujiri shot him a curious look and Bennett said simply, "Reconnaissance raid. Bloody Lust. Permanent."
Having an uneasy feeling he knew what Bennett meant, Shujiri nodded and left it at that. He cast a glance at Zira and the others, flinched as his stomach did sickening somersaults, and turned back away from them. The image was just too terrible - even for him.
While the Priests focused on Vladmir, Mavrik and Jeliel turned back to the task at hand. He shouted to Jeliel, "Start using a controlled Fire Ball to draw the warmth out of the storm system; it should start to die out if we can draw enough out!"
As they set to work on the plan, Lana looked away from the man laying against the deck, unable to watch as they worked at Resurrecting and Healing him. There had been so much damage that it would be a miracle if they could do anything for him. At this point, even Ghebriel's alchemy might have had more luck at bringing the man back than they were; it was just too extensive for anything they had been trained to do. Regardless, they continued and redoubled their efforts, forcing more holy energy into the man and healing some of the major damages before setting to actually reviving him. It would do them no good to bring him back only to have him die again because his injuries were still in place.
Hughes seemed to be getting frustrated as he stared down silently at the motionless male beneath his hands. He'd warned them that he had a bad feeling about the weather, and that Mavrik had, too; the captain had been told about the suspicions and had insisted on continuing towards Alberta anyway. What had possessed the sea captain? Usually, he was much better about heeding their warnings of ill tidings; instincts were such an important, vital part of life away from land! Was their cargo really that important? Or was it because of the passengers..?
He chanced a look up at the two blondes kneeling across from him on the other side of Vladmir. They didn't seem all that special...A look to Shujiri and Jeliel also told him that they seemed more or less normal, just like everyone else. He'd gotten a few weird sensations about them, but nothing to be concerned about. What was it the captain had sensed that made all of this worth the trouble and risks they were being forced to take?
"Fire Ball!" Jeliel and Mavrik chorused, a small flicker of fire sheltered carefully within their hands. The air around them became marginally cooler, but then seemed to be almost reinforced by the storm itself - almost as if it had a mind and will of its own.
Jeliel sneered up at the sky before looking back at Mavrik, who seemed to be running low on energy again. He had been working against the storm for far longer than he had, and it was beginning to show. He wasn't sure how much longer the man could hold up..or how much longer he, himself, could.
Pausing from his task, Zira leaned back to center his energies again. He took a deep breath and faced the High Wizards, shouting rounds of Suffragium, Kyrie Eleison, Magnificat, and Gloria over them to aid in their protection and the regeneration of their powers, then went back to work on Vladmir.
Amune watched from the safety of the cabin as his crew mates and new acquaintances battled the elements and worked to support one another, feeling more or less useless besides casting the occasional Spirit over its respective class member. He would only be a hindrance if he went out and tried to help them bodily; he didn't have the strength or stamina for it, and he was perfectly aware of this.
A part of him worried for the safety of the room's occupants as they watched on, feeling helpless, but the greater portion of him was concerned for the ship's safety in this far less than friendly weather. If it went down, they were all pretty much doomed; with the two men that usually kept an eye out for danger incapacitated (albeit for different reasons,) that left the captain to his own devices. Perhaps he should go try to help in that aspect..?
The Soul Linker began to make his way to the captain but before he could even step out of the door, the fore sail snapped free from its ties and the mast arm it had been connected to swung by. It narrowly avoided colliding with him and instead, Amune watched in paralyzed fear as it collided full-on with the right side of Bennett's head, throwing the man over the port side of the ship as easily as if he were a feather-light rag doll.
"Bennett!" screeched the smaller male, gaining Felix's and Mana, the ship's one Professor's, attention.
While Mana used Lightning Loader to enchant the entire ship with a wind-electrical property to repel against further lightning damages to the structure, Felix wasted no time in running back onto the main deck and diving in after the unconscious Gunslinger. Amune looked on, panicked, as the Champion stayed under for quite a while before finally resurfacing with a desperate gasp for air. He still didn't have Bennett with him, however, and he went back under again. A few tries later, he made his way back over to the rudder and latched onto it, his energy draining quickly and his strength almost completely sapped from battling the waves as he had searched for his friend. He looked up to Amune and the Soul Linker shuddered at the shade of golden-red the normally frost-eyed man's eyes had become, but he was put a bit at ease when he saw that the man had a good, firm grip on Bennett and was signaling to drop a life saver ring down to them.
Torq quickly set to work at throwing it over and, once Bennett had been secured, pulled the Gunslinger up with no difficulty. Once he was laid out beside Amune for the Soul Linker to tend to while Lady Lana came to work on him, he threw it back over the side of the ship to Felix.
The ship gave an uneasy groan as it seemed to shudder and drop a few feet's worth of altitude, and Drake's stomach sank; he knew what that sound meant, and he was more than aware of what was coming. "Ev'rybody, hold on ta something!" he shouted over the force of the storm, earning the attention of everyone on the deck. "Yer about ta see a helluva wave, land lubbers!"
Drake gripped at the helm tightly, knuckles turning a pale white. Understanding what the captain meant, Mavrik and his friends quickly pressed the traveler closest to them against the railing of the ship. Torq and Alex held Bennett and Felix between themselves and the railing, while Amune remained latched tightly to Lady Lana and Bennett. If Felix or Bennett went overboard again, then in the shape they were currently in, they might not be able to be saved - much less save themselves.
Jeliel and Mavrik latched onto the rails as Shujiri, Zira, and Hughes quickly and carefully worked to secure Vladmir to themselves and then themselves to the ship as best as possible, while the others on board, having heard the warning floating through the door, exchanged worried looks and also clung to various, sturdy parts of the ship and one another. Even Tyr was placed snugly between Ghebriel and Jackel, while Sahari latched fearfully onto Dmitri. Ghebriel had already Rested Pharin in the event that things spiraled too far out of his control, not wanting to watch his feathered friend endure more suffering than necessary when he was aware he could easily recall him once the danger had passed.
Falcone stayed at the ready in front of them, casting a worried but determined look over his shoulder at everyone in the cabin. He couldn't be much use to anyone on the main deck, but in at least this small space, he would be able to use Land Protector to keep the ones in the cabin with him safe from what was about to happen. No matter what became of him, whether or not he could make it into the safe haven of the protected area, he didn't care so long as they were safe and sound. He refused to be forced to lose Ghebriel, and he was just as loathe at the idea of saying farewell to any of his other new friends so soon.
Mana hastily made his way back into the cabin and took his place beside Falcone, readying a blue and yellow gemstone as the redheaded Professor did the same. The white-haired man shot a look of warning over his shoulder to the others, silently willing them to stay still where they were. Both men knew they would have to time the casting of Land Protector perfectly in order to be able to ensure it lasted as long through the coming wave as possible. They wanted to be positive it would give their friends the biggest time frame out of harm's way as they were able to; casting it too early could see the spell's end before the danger had passed, while doing it too late negated the point of it to begin with.
Just as Captain Drake had feared, the waters seemed to suck themselves out from beneath the ship and recede as a tide is wont to do on the shores of the beach. His heart lurched as, all at once, it rushed back out at them, the wave gaining height and speed the closer it came. By the time it was about to reach the ship it was well over three hundred feet tall(1).
Seeing the wall of water approaching the ship, Falcone and Mana prepared the stones, focusing their energies into them and moving their hands as the stones began to glow slightly and float from their hands. Right as the wave crashed upon the unfortunate ship, they shouted out the spell's name in unison and the gems vanished and a bright flash lit up the room before the boards beneath their feet began to shimmer and glow, extending back from themselves to the men and women they hoped to protect.
Before anyone had much of a chance to react to the collusion of water and vessel, the force of the wave had already flipped the ship until its hull was on the surface, leaving its passengers underwater. Those above deck were crushed against whatever they clung to until the impact lessened, while the ones below were marginally luckier.
Having suspected the wave would topple the ship, Mana had cast his spell at the ceiling above them. Doing so had provided his friends with two safe spots - the one on the ground, and the one that would become the ground.
Shaken but otherwise fine, Falcone stood back to his feet. He glanced to the port holes to see that they were holding up then looked back to his companions to take stock of their condition. His primary concern was to locate Ghebriel amid the mass of disoriented sailors and travelers. When Jackel surfaced, he heaved off a few Thieves and Merchants, revealing Tyr and Ghebriel, whose falls were somewhat softened by the Gunslinger and other crewmen. Ghebriel, Tyr, and Jackel, check.
Dmitri wasn't long to pop up after them, with a trembling Sahari at his side. They seemed to be startled by the sudden rearrangement of their surroundings, but were unharmed. Check and check. So that left...
Falcone froze upon remembering where the rest of his teammates had been. He and Mana exchanged an alarmed look and raced to the port holes to peer outside.
Sure enough, the majority of those who had been on the main deck were either making their way back to the surface or trying to swim up with a stunned or unconscious form in one arm.
"Damn!" Mana hissed, spotting the captain and Torq a small distance from the window. The white-haired man turned away from the window, frowning.
"We need to go get them!" Ghebriel spoke up, tugging Falcone's sleeve.
"You're right." admitted the bespectacled Professor, turning from the window as well. "But you stay here; if another wave flips the ship back up, you should all be safe in here; above, you might get knocked-"
Falcone didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence. A loud cracking sound reverberated through the cabin just moments before the fallen mast from earlier crashed through the floor-turned-ceiling, breaking it in half and severely damaging the boards barely five feet from the protected areas. It had been thrown onto the hull by the waves.
Water came rushing in from the gaping hole, quickly filling the room but for the Land Protector spots.
Falcone and Mana exchanged another look and smiled. So it worked against the elements after all...
The two Professors cast a fresh couple of Land Protectors ahead of them and stepped forward as the water recoiled from it. Mana turned to motion to the others. "Follow us and keep close." he advised, expression serious.
Outside, Torq reached the surface, the captain at his side. He looked around to find the others, but the only ones he saw were Kurt and the weak, but alive, Vladmir, Lady Lana, Amune, Bennett, and Alex. He cursed his luck and deposited the captain on a nearby piece of driftwood from the ship's wreckage. Once he was sure the man was safe, he took in a deep breath and plunged into the water again.
It wasn't long before he spotted Shujiri, who was on his way back to the surface with an unconscious Zira tucked safely in one arm. Not far behind him was Felix, who had gone back under to find - and was retrieving - Hughes, who he knew couldn't swim. That left the only ones not accounted for to be Mavrik and Jeliel, then.
Shujiri resurfaced near the ship, taking in a big gulp of air as he passed Zira off to Lana. Seeing that Jeliel was nowhere in sight, he took in another breath of air and went under again. The blue Assassin looked around for a few moments until he saw Mavrik being pulled up by the other man. Relieved, he went back to the surface to head for the ship. He had to see if the others were okay, and judging by the hole in the hull, there was no telling for sure.
Once he'd plopped Mavrik beside the captain and Torq, Jeliel took stock of everyone's condition. He, himself, was exhausted and sore from fighting the waves and elements. His leg had a fairly sizable gash across it, and the arm he'd pulled Mavrik up with felt like it was on fire - either broken or severely sprained, if not tugged out of its socket.
Closest to him, Torq seemed a little worse for the wear but by and in large, he was okay. His endurance and strength levels had served him well so far.
Mavrik and Captain Drake both had a bit of blood coming from large cuts and scrapes littering their bodies, but only Drake seemed to be fighting a losing battle with unconsciousness. Mavrik seemed to be struggling a bit to stay awake and help out further, too, but the strain he'd already placed on his body before he'd been injured made it impossible for him to be of further use.
Amune was watching over Bennett as Alex supported Hughes to keep him above the water while the Priest tended to the Gunslinger's concussion. Other than Bennett's initial injury, severe though it was, none of them seemed to be in bad shape. Alex's main injuries, dealt to his chest and abdomen, had already been healed for the most part; what remained would still require a few bandages later in order to preserve the two conscious healers' energy as much as possible to help the others.
Felix, though he was conscious, was being supported by Lana. They, too, were in decent shape, with Felix merely spent from using his energy to help the others. The only visible injury he seemed to have obtained was a black eye. He wanted to help Heal the others, since he had learned the basics of it from the mentors he'd studied under at the abbey before leaving to sail with Captain Drake and the others, but his body was just too spent to allow for it.
Shujiri was clearly as good as ever, having swam off against the waves to try and get to the rest of their friends on the ship. Perhaps the only thing wrong with him was the cut below his eye and the gash across his back, but neither of those things were bad enough to merit immediate attention or to slow him down.
Kurt was busy making sure Vladmir stayed pressed between himself and the plank of wood they were using to stay adrift, eyes carefully hidden from the bright flashes of lightning that still lit up the sky as brightly as if it were daylight at random intervals. The Assassin Cross was ignoring the deep cut over his left eye and the pain in his leg that told him it had been fractured in several places in favour of keeping his slightly older sibling as warm and safe as possible at the moment.
Then, finally, there was Zira. The blonde Priest was being held safely by Alex now that Hughes had settled atop the driftwood to continue his work on Bennett. This left Lana to begin working on the white-winged High Priest's injuries. Though he didn't weigh much, Zira's inability to swim and smaller form made him more vulnerable in circumstances like this. Luckily, too much water taken in seemed to be the only real problem at hand - and it was quickly being taken care of by the dutiful Priestess. Second to that was a bit of head trauma, and although that could also be fixed, he would probably be out for a while; the same could be said of Bennett.
Jeliel shuddered in the howling winds as they lowered their body temperature further because of their saturated clothing. With Mavrik out of commission at the moment, he was the only one left able to fend off most of the elements from the already troubled sea-goers.
He debated for a moment on how to go about this seemingly impossible task until his attention was drawn to the remains of the ship. Another bolt of lightning struck and ignited it even through the terrible force of the rains, and it creaked noisily as another wave crashed in on it, forcing it underwater entirely - and this time, it didn't resurface. It had simply endured too much damage to be salvaged. As it went down, the force of the ocean against its weakened frame splintered off even more pieces; the event went so quickly that it seemed to almost have exploded..and maybe it had. He just wasn't sure why, much less how; the rain and the ocean's cruel waves should have doused the flame quickly.
Everyone held their breath as they waited anxiously for a sign of life to emerge from the spot the wreckage had been; most of the crew had still been on-board, as well as a few of Zira and Shujiri's party members.
They waited for what felt like an eternity until Shujiri, Falcone, and Dmitri finally came up from where the ship had previously been. Held securely in each one's arms were Tyr and Jackel, Ghebriel, and Sahari, respectively. As Falcone fussed frantically over the Biochemist, Ghebriel was busying himself with tearing off a small segment of his cape and wrapping it about his forehead and left eye, while Tyr whimpered at his hind legs; one was cracked, and the other was almost completely crushed. Jackel and Shujiri each had a piece of shrapnel protruding from their arm or leg, and Sahari and Dmitri had more than a few cuts covering them.
Shujiri pulled out the piece in his leg with a bit more care and finesse than Jackel did to the one in his shoulder, then looked around at everyone.
"We have to go down again." Falcone shouted to him, frowning. He cast a couple of rounds of Cold Bolt onto Tyr's injured legs and they froze over, meshing with the ice naturally on his body to mend him fully.
"They'll all die if we don't!" Ghebriel put in. "If we do, we can at least probably save a few. Although the likelihood of that through the explosion-"
Drake's voice, faint but commanding and sure, reached their ears at this. His tone was sad, almost defeated. "There be nothin' ye can do fer 'em now, lads...Goin' down ta get 'em would just be suicide now..."
"How are you so sure?" Dmitri inquired, frown deepening.
"I know what it was what just happened, boy...Th' lightnin' struck me ship's munitions stock..it went off. Th' lot'a ye be lucky ye got out alive as it be. Th' ones what didn't get out 'fore she blew're in Davey Jones's locker now, they won't be seein' th' light o' day e'er again..."
Falcone's brows furrowed at this, but he was interrupted by Shujiri.
"Then," Shujiri took a breath and said, "We need to focus on our survival right now. We're too far from land to swim, and we can't go for long against this storm as it is."
Dmitri nodded in agreement. "Everybody's already pretty washed out as it is."
"So we need to just hang tight until it's over and someone rescues us. Even if it broke right now, there's too many of us for the few that have wings to take to land and come back for. Best bet's to just have yourselves mended by Hughes, Lady Lana, or Zi- uh, or Lady Lana. But no more than necessary - they need their strength, too. Jeliel, ye got any juice left?"
"Not much." the High Wizard confessed bitterly. "And what all I can still do is useless right now. I can't use fire elements to draw out the heat from the storm when I don't have a dry spot on me to keep the flame protected and insulated with, and the cold spells I've got will only add to the cold around us instead of weakening it. All we're left with is pretty much fending off lightning!"
Jeliel frowned at the others as Shujiri sighed and began to explain a new suggestion to them. That's not entirely right, although the basics are there. said a voice in the back of his mind. He blinked, mildly surprised at himself for such a thought. The theory of drawing out the warm air from the storm was a good one, but come to think of it now, it wasn't a logically sound one. If this storm is powered by the warm air colliding with the cold front primarily, it may have worked. But that wasn't the case; the storm only seemed to get stronger when we tried to sap its energy that way. If there's more cold air fueling it than hot, all it would have accomplished is that we would have frozen faster than we are now; in that case, hello, hypothermia.
The waves continued to furiously batter the survivors, making them strain to stay afloat. Some had succumbed to unconsciousness from the stress on their bodies of their injuries although they had already been healed while others clung to consciousness - and one another - desperately. Even with all Hughes and Lana had done to help them and the efforts of Torq and Kurt, Captain Drake and Vladmir still seemed to be fading.
As he took in these details, Jeliel's frustration at their circumstances grew a little more every minute. He turned his face to the sky, glaring at the latest flash of lightning and clap of thunder but thankful that, if nothing else, at least it wasn't still hailing on top of everything else.
Thinking basically, it's just another storm - bad though it is. The mentors in Yuno taught how to create and control our own storms, but none of them were ever as bad as this one is. Just think about it; it could work!
Another part of his mind was telling him something else, however. He wasn't sure what had made him think of it, but he knew it was risky. If it backfires...
Spotting the biggest piece of what remained of the ship, Jeliel swam to it and latched on, pulling himself to his feet uneasily. There were several outcries for his safety, and a couple for his sanity, from the others.
Shujiri started to let go of the driftwood he, Jackel, and Tyr had claimed in favour of going over to the other man, but Mavrik held his arm out to stop him. He was about to argue, but he caught the look of mixed curiosity and distant realization in his serious eyes and instead turned back to watch what happened.
Jeliel lifted his arm from his side, and as he did, several balls of water rose from the ocean below him.
"Water Ball?" Mavrik whispered, confused. What was he going to do with that? And why wasn't he having to speak the name of the spell for its vein of magic to realize it was being called upon? That was one of the basic requirements for all types of spells! Even Priests and Snipers had to use it in some situations!
The teal-haired man moved his arm to cross in front of his chest, and as he did, the balls of water thinned out and became larger and more translucent. When his arm extended over his head, they spun out slowly to the men and women floating in the water. They expanded in size one final time as they came into contact with them, pulling them in and then shrinking around them just enough to comfortably accommodate each person. Once they had been taken in, he summoned a Water Ball for himself and calmly allowed it to 'ingest' him.
Now everyone was truly perplexed. This spell was usually one used to fight, but they were unharmed. More surprisingly still, they could breathe through them!
Their temporary relief was dampened when they saw a large wave headed for them. They might not make it through a second tsunami-like wave! However, before anyone even had the time to panic, it had crashed over them..and they were still perfectly fine. Rather than being crushed by the massive wave, the water seemed to simply sway around their confined area. From inside, it appeared more like a gentle rippling stream than it did the deadly wall of ocean water it really was.
Shujiri and his friends were speechless. None of them had known the man was capable of this; they'd never really seen him put his powers to use at such a grand scale before. One look to Mavrik, however, showed Shujiri that at least he no longer seemed so surprised by it. On the contrary, he was smiling up at the other Wizard. He looked almost as if he were seeing something he'd witnessed once before...The words from his lips puzzled him slightly as well.
"The student surpasses the teacher.." But..was I ever greater than you to begin with, I wonder? I don't think it's possible. You never fail to astound me.
Appearing to have heard these words, Jeliel's gaze turned to him from the corner of his eyes. Other than this, he didn't acknowledge the man further; instead, he turned his attention to the skies again.
Jeliel adjusted his top hat before raising his arms up once again, stretching them out about three feet apart at the height of his face. The winds blew his cloak back, fluttering it violently as they picked up speed.
"Whut in tarnation's that crazy idgit doin'?" Jackel asked softly, nudging Shujiri. As he watched the display, the waves around them intensified and the rain began to fall so hard and heavily that it was hard to see anything.
"It almost looks like he's about to cast Thunder Storm." Lana commented, brows furrowed and head tilted. Wasn't the weather already bad enough without him doing something to make it worse on them?
As if to prove the woman right, Jeliel focused his power into his palms and turned them upward towards the sky, shouting, "Follow at my commands; enough is enough! Thunder Storm!"
If it were possible, the skies grew even more threatening and the rain fell hard enough that it blocked out the line of vision from everyone except those who were used to dealing with darker conditions. Shujiri, Dmitri, Sahari, Vladmir, and Kurt watched on in awe as the waves became more restless, throwing the larger portions of the wreckage as far back as to Izlude in its ruthless motions. Just as before, it was hailing again, now, and through it all, the roar of both storms combined boomed overhead so loudly that Jeliel's next words were drowned out.
The clouds overhead seemed to push and pull at one another for a few moments before a small, barely noticeable glimmer of light broke on the horizon. It flickered, then disappeared. Slowly, the hail and rain began to ease until they had completely stopped. Even the winds gave a last whispering hum before growing calm, and the ocean's fury was quelled with it. Then, for the first time since leaving Izlude, the clouds broke and vanished.
Silence filled the air amid them as everyone's eyes fell on Jeliel, shock and awe and confusion forming an almost tangible layer of emotions around them.
"How did-?" Sahari began, her words dying before she could fully form her question.
"The storm.." Mavrik began, still smiling a bit. "The storm has the same elements we command, but it combines them. On normal occasions, I can manipulate them one at a time and negate it. But with this one, there was too much more behind it for me to cancel it out. But by using Thunder Storm,..."
Ghebriel's visible eye widened at this, understanding sinking in. "He put a storm he could control into the one he couldn't to let them combine. The whole system became one big magic spell he was able to manipulate and, ultimately, stop!"
Turning towards the High Wizard as their protective Water Ball bubbles lowered them gently back onto their planks, Shujiri was poised to ask him and Mavrik if they had known each other in a past life and where he had come up with the idea that, had it failed, could have potentially killed them all. His queries were forgotten, however, when Jeliel's Water Ball popped and, rather than being deposited on the nearby driftwood, he plummeted into the water, motionless and without a sound.
Alarmed, Alex ducked into the water and swam down after him, re-emerging only when he had the High Wizard in his arms. "He's out cold." he explained after a moment of examining the man. "He seems fine - just drained."
"I'm surprised ya aren't out, too." Torq said as he looked to Mavrik.
"No such luck for you, I'm afraid." Mavrik replied coolly, mock glaring at the Mastersmith.
"I guess you're gonna have to find another ship, eh, cap'?"
Silence was the only answer Torq received, and he turned to face Mavrik and Drake, concerned. His words were halted in his throat as he saw the captain slumped motionlessly over the plank they were clinging to. A lump of dreadful suspicion settled within him as he reached over and gently nudged the slightly taller man, trying again. "Cap'?"
Afraid they knew what had happened as well, Hughes and Lana exchanged a glance and motioned to the captain, casting a couple of rounds of Heal apiece. The holy energy at their fingertips didn't lessen, however, signaling that it hadn't been spent. The spell was useless; the man was gone.
Amune gasped and covered his mouth with one hand, tears springing up. He turned his shaky gaze to Hughes, his other hand resting on Bennett's arm as if to unconsciously solidify that at least his best friend was still safe and with them. "Is there anything that can be done? Anything? Resurrection? Or maybe..."
The other suggestion remained unspoken, but it lingered in the air that had become thick with tension and worry. The Soul Linker didn't want anything to happen to his remaining companions, but he had no idea how some of the things Priests did worked; there was no way for him to realize what kind of sacrifice was required for that to happen.
Gazing around at everyone, Hughes sucked in a breath and looked back to the lifeless form of their captain again. Nothing else to lose, that's for damn sure.. he thought bitterly, one hand coming to rest on the edge of the plank he was leaning against. He used it to gently push himself off towards the one on which Drake's body, Mavrik, and Torq rested and latched onto it. Once he was close enough, his hand settled on his shoulder and he frowned. I'm damn sure not about to go crawling back to those fucking bastards, and if this doesn't work,...
Shujiri looked to Lana, whose face had turned pale. They seemed to be thinking along the same lines of what might be going through the foul-mouthed High Priest's mind. Before either one could voice their concern, however, the brunette Priest spoke out.
"Redemptio!"
Seconds passed. A minute. Several minutes. Nothing happened.
Hughes's frown deepened. It hadn't worked, which meant he was too late. None of his deceased comrades could be revived - not even the captain. Too much time had passed between the time of their death and the attempt at bringing them back. Maybe if someone had noticed it earlier, something could have been done; as it stood, further efforts would only waste time and energy.
Silence filled the air now, out of respect for the lives lost to the terrible tempest that had ravaged the ship and its passengers and concern for what would happen next. Would they still die out here? Would anyone think to look for them, or would they be found accidentally by a passing ship on its way to or from Alberta? With such a powerful storm raging for so long, there was no telling how much damage had been done to ships that had already set out ahead of theirs - or to the ones docked as it went on. They could be stuck for days, maybe even weeks, and that was assuming they lasted that long.
"What do we do now?" Sahari asked after a few more minutes of silence had passed by uneventfully, now more clinging to Dmitri than the piece of wood she rested against. "Are we going to be stuck out here?" Her eyes began to fill with tears slowly as the situation fully sunk in on everyone for the first time. There was a real possibility that, even though they had survived the monstrous storm, they could still very well die there.
Dmitri gently shushed her, smoothing back a few strands of her hair from her face. Jackel reached over to her with his good arm, stroking her back reassuringly.
Falcone looked down to Ghebriel as he held the man against him protectively, growing more concerned as he noted the blood stain on the 'Chemist's cloak that served as a makeshift wrap around his eye. He wasn't sure how bad the damage was, or what precisely had happened, but it worried him. He was paler than usual, likely attributed to the blood lost to the injuries he'd sustained and from exhaustion caused by the night's dramatic occurrences, and the two Priests that remained conscious as well as the Champion who could also have otherwise provided assistance were borderline passing out. The whole tragic mess had been draining on everyone - physically and emotionally.
After a time, Tyr's ears perked up and he turned his snout towards the direction of Izlude. He seemed to hear something, although no one could see anything yet.
"What's up?" Shujiri asked, looking down at the icy pup. "Ye hear something?"
Tyr looked to him, silently communicating an affirmative.
Felix looked up from the water he'd been staring at, weary eyes curious. "What's that?" he asked shortly.
"Something's comin' this way." Shujiri replied, blinking. So soon?
Sure enough, a few minutes longer of waiting and a ship came into view. It wasn't as grand or impressive in appearance as The Black Dragon had been, certainly, but it meant salvation was well on its way. It could have been the most disgusting, cramped vessel in existence, and at this point, they still would have been grateful to see it.
"D'you think they'll see us?" Amune questioned hopefully.
"I'd bet they came out looking for us." Hughes quietly replied.
"How would they have known we were even out here, though?" Falcone asked uncertainly.
A familiar voice calling to them from the distance earned their attention, and as they turned their faces towards the approaching ship, a young man was waving down at them excitedly. He turned for a moment, calling over to the crew of the ship, "Over here! I see them; they're over here!" then moved back to face them again.
"The guide from the dock!" Alex exclaimed. "How did-?"
Once the ship had stopped in front of them, the man replied down to them, "I came back to get my books from the shop near the docks just in time to see you all head off on that pirate ship; when the weather took a turn for the worse, I figured you wouldn't have had time to make it to Alberta yet and told Captain Morigan's brother, Captain Morrison of The Sea's Angel, you were probably out here in it. It was too dangerous to go out looking at the time, though, so as soon as the weather broke, we set out to find you!"
It was a short process between the point of The Sea's Angel's crew carefully bringing up the survivors to the ship and getting them to the mending quarters for medical attention, but for everyone involved, it was an unspoken agreement that it wasn't short enough. After the night's tiring events, everyone was spent and wanted nothing more than to rest and forget what had happened.
Life is never as simple and pleasant as that, though; the rest of the trip to Alberta was spent by the travelers and the ex-crew of The Black Dragon in silence, reflecting back on what and who had been lost and how lucky they were to have survived.
To Be Continued..
