Chapter seventeen: Wolfpac, dead ahead
It's been two days since they set out from the port of Linhir to Wolfpac Island, and the gang was getting restless. Down in the guests quarters, Lina, Naga, and Alexandria were relaxing on their beds and having a meaningful chat. "So," said Lina, "when I get my hands on that gold I'm going to buy a huge company that makes a product that everyone needs like…" "Clothes?" asked Naga. "That's right, clothes," said Lina. "Anyway, I'll just buy a company like that, then buy a whole bunch of other companies and make some kind of monopoly and become even richer." Lina just stared-off into space with a huge smile for what seemed like hours.
"Forget about her," said Naga. "What are you going to do with your handful of gold, Alex?" Alexandria became furious. "DON'T CALL ME ALEX!!!" she yelled. Naga froze and Lina's trip through space was cut short. I don't want anyone to call me "Alex", she thought. That's what HE called me. "Are you alright?" asked Lina. "Why can't we call you that?" Alexandria calmed down a bit. "I…I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that I got out of a serious relationship recently and the guy I was with used to call me 'Alex.'" Alexandria began to tear up. "I'm sorry," she said again and started to cry. This guy must've been really important to her, thought Lina. She's crying harder than I do when I think about that five thousand I could've received if I had a fake marriage to that one rich kid… Lina began to tear up, but didn't cry. Naga walked over Alexandria and sat next to her. "Don't let the past get you down," said Naga, putting an arm around Alexandria's shoulder. "You've got to move on. It was probably for the best." Alexandria slowly stopped crying. "You're right," she said. "I guess it was for the best."
Up on the deck, Gourry and Amelia were enjoying the cool ocean breeze and probably the most beautiful sunset they'd ever seen. "Isn't this wonderful, Mister Gourry?" asked Amelia. "It sure is," he replied. "What more could we possibly ask for than this?" Amelia nodded and watched the sun set a bit more. It was a beautiful mix of crimson and orange-yellow that turned the horizon hot pink and purple. Amelia had never felt so at peace in her life, but that feeling didn't last for long. Far off into the horizon, Amelia saw a small flicker of light. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at it. Just as she did that it disappeared and the ocean began to shine white. Amelia's eyes widened with fear. "Mister Gourry, look out!" she cried. The "white water" moved incredibly fast towards the ship. When it came in contact with the hull the ship halted in the water, shaking everything and everyone onboard.
Amelia looked overboard and was shocked at what she saw. "Mister Gourry!" she said, "that's ice down there." Gourry looked at the water. "Whoa!" he said, "that's a lot of ice." Charles came running up from below. "What happened?" he asked, "Why have we stopped moving?" "It appears that we've struck ice, captain," said the man at he helm. "Ice?" said Charles. "That's impossible. We're all the way out in the tropics." Charles looked over the side of his ship and became pale. "By the unholy had of LON!" cried Charles. "That be Ettenmar Ice. What would Dynast Grausherra have against us?"
Lina, Naga, and Alexandria came up. "What's going on?" asked Naga. Lina gasped. "More Ettenmar Ice!?" she said. "Dynast must really not want us to make it to that galleon. Which means there must be something of extreme importance inside the holds of that ship." Charles walked away from the side of the ship. "Not to worry," he said, "we've got a back-up plan for this kind of situation." Charles snapped his fingers and a dimensional fold opened in front of him. "Just walk through here and you'll be on Wolfpac Island's harbor," said Charles. "Now I'm only allowing you to use this because I want you to get revenge for what Dynast has done to my ship." Lina raised her left eyebrow. "Wait a minute," she said. "If you could've done that all along, why did we have to ride this boat?" "The dimensional fold is only for emergencies," replied Charles, "not going from one point to another at will. Now come on, I don't have all day y'know." Everyone walked inside the dimensional fold and it closed behind them. Finally they're gone, thought Charles. If they stayed on board any longer we would've run completely out of food. "Alright, Hal!" yelled Charles, "hit the ignition switch."
The man at the helm pushed a button next to the wheel. The ship began to shake and slowly rise off the ground. Then, without a breeze, the ship began to move at incredible speed on its original course to Wolfpac Island. All in a day's work for the crew of the "Aqua Tamer™."
It's been two days since they set out from the port of Linhir to Wolfpac Island, and the gang was getting restless. Down in the guests quarters, Lina, Naga, and Alexandria were relaxing on their beds and having a meaningful chat. "So," said Lina, "when I get my hands on that gold I'm going to buy a huge company that makes a product that everyone needs like…" "Clothes?" asked Naga. "That's right, clothes," said Lina. "Anyway, I'll just buy a company like that, then buy a whole bunch of other companies and make some kind of monopoly and become even richer." Lina just stared-off into space with a huge smile for what seemed like hours.
"Forget about her," said Naga. "What are you going to do with your handful of gold, Alex?" Alexandria became furious. "DON'T CALL ME ALEX!!!" she yelled. Naga froze and Lina's trip through space was cut short. I don't want anyone to call me "Alex", she thought. That's what HE called me. "Are you alright?" asked Lina. "Why can't we call you that?" Alexandria calmed down a bit. "I…I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that I got out of a serious relationship recently and the guy I was with used to call me 'Alex.'" Alexandria began to tear up. "I'm sorry," she said again and started to cry. This guy must've been really important to her, thought Lina. She's crying harder than I do when I think about that five thousand I could've received if I had a fake marriage to that one rich kid… Lina began to tear up, but didn't cry. Naga walked over Alexandria and sat next to her. "Don't let the past get you down," said Naga, putting an arm around Alexandria's shoulder. "You've got to move on. It was probably for the best." Alexandria slowly stopped crying. "You're right," she said. "I guess it was for the best."
Up on the deck, Gourry and Amelia were enjoying the cool ocean breeze and probably the most beautiful sunset they'd ever seen. "Isn't this wonderful, Mister Gourry?" asked Amelia. "It sure is," he replied. "What more could we possibly ask for than this?" Amelia nodded and watched the sun set a bit more. It was a beautiful mix of crimson and orange-yellow that turned the horizon hot pink and purple. Amelia had never felt so at peace in her life, but that feeling didn't last for long. Far off into the horizon, Amelia saw a small flicker of light. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at it. Just as she did that it disappeared and the ocean began to shine white. Amelia's eyes widened with fear. "Mister Gourry, look out!" she cried. The "white water" moved incredibly fast towards the ship. When it came in contact with the hull the ship halted in the water, shaking everything and everyone onboard.
Amelia looked overboard and was shocked at what she saw. "Mister Gourry!" she said, "that's ice down there." Gourry looked at the water. "Whoa!" he said, "that's a lot of ice." Charles came running up from below. "What happened?" he asked, "Why have we stopped moving?" "It appears that we've struck ice, captain," said the man at he helm. "Ice?" said Charles. "That's impossible. We're all the way out in the tropics." Charles looked over the side of his ship and became pale. "By the unholy had of LON!" cried Charles. "That be Ettenmar Ice. What would Dynast Grausherra have against us?"
Lina, Naga, and Alexandria came up. "What's going on?" asked Naga. Lina gasped. "More Ettenmar Ice!?" she said. "Dynast must really not want us to make it to that galleon. Which means there must be something of extreme importance inside the holds of that ship." Charles walked away from the side of the ship. "Not to worry," he said, "we've got a back-up plan for this kind of situation." Charles snapped his fingers and a dimensional fold opened in front of him. "Just walk through here and you'll be on Wolfpac Island's harbor," said Charles. "Now I'm only allowing you to use this because I want you to get revenge for what Dynast has done to my ship." Lina raised her left eyebrow. "Wait a minute," she said. "If you could've done that all along, why did we have to ride this boat?" "The dimensional fold is only for emergencies," replied Charles, "not going from one point to another at will. Now come on, I don't have all day y'know." Everyone walked inside the dimensional fold and it closed behind them. Finally they're gone, thought Charles. If they stayed on board any longer we would've run completely out of food. "Alright, Hal!" yelled Charles, "hit the ignition switch."
The man at the helm pushed a button next to the wheel. The ship began to shake and slowly rise off the ground. Then, without a breeze, the ship began to move at incredible speed on its original course to Wolfpac Island. All in a day's work for the crew of the "Aqua Tamer™."