HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

41. A Symphony of Gunpowder, Pomu, and Gales

The wind gently caresses and encircles your body as you scan the shocked and slightly fearful faces of the surrounding pirate thugs. You stop at the group of Houshou pirates who have practically renounced Marine as their captain, and your anger begins to build and swirl once more. Bringing Shining Comet's blade to eye level, you allow the winds created by yours and Sylph's resonance to dance along its steel. Some of the pirates here don't deserve any mercy, but out of respect for Marine and whatever history her and her former crew had, you'll spare them.

"But that doesn't mean we can't knock 'em around a bit." Sylph finishes your thought with a malicious giggle.

You bring your sword to your side with its tip only a few inches from the ground and will the winds around it to pick up and grow stronger. A grin flashes across your face as you let the free flying power of your spiritual bond surge through you. Your grip around your trusted weapon's handle tightens as you begin your forward motion with a firm step in time with your diagonal upward swing. A blast of wind blows forth from your blade, creating a turbulent tunnel that causes the hair and clothing of your targets to flap back and forth from its force. A second later, a loud boom claps and the true strength of your spell is unleashed, picking up the remnants of Marine's old crew along with a few other fortunate bystanders. They are all carried along the winds and their shocked screams are music to your ears. The next sounds that are heard amidst the commotion are that of bodies splashing into the ocean. You take a relaxed breath after removing one of the sources of your frustration, and the wind fairy alongside your soul giggles with anticipation for what comes next.

"H-He just blew the Houshou pirates away with one slash!"

"What the hell is this kid!? Is he actually on the Houshou bag's side!?"

"He must be some sort of demon! Him and those weird winged girls are freaks!"

"Freaks? Demons?! Who cares!? Just shoot the bastard, he bleeds like anyone else!"

"How dare you?" Pomu then hisses as you watch the light green glow of her mana pulse violently around her being. Her wings flutter to propel her flight after she springs off the ground with a powerful push of her legs. She rockets towards the brash pirate who hurled the last insult and before he can even pull the hammer of his pistol back, Pomu kicks upward and plants the toe of her foot right under the man's jaw. The force of the fae's enraged attack lifts the pirate a few feet off the ground, her eyes narrow with vengeful focus as she aims her flat palm at the man's midsection. A ball of cycling green energy forms at the center of her hand, and she trusts it forward, nailing her built up energy into the body of her target.

Unable to resist the centralized force, the pirate is forced to spin midair and is launched backward, taking several unlucky comrades with him. Pomu's other hand flexes and with another quick call from her mana, she creates a ball of wind that torrents in anger. She raises her hand and lets her spell fly at an angry pair of elven women who hold pointed daggers at her, and they are next to be blown back and disarmed.

Silence then covers the battlefield when Pomu rises to her full height and brushes some of her hair back. Her conviction has never been brighter as she stares down her enemies.

"Whoever wants to be next, just say one more bad thing about Lady Sylph or my friends. I dare ya!" Pomu barks, her voice sharp as thorns. When her threat is met with no response, she huffs in satisfaction, but doesn't lower her guard.

The surrounding crowd takes a few steps backward, not wanting to be in striking range of you or the fae. Although your body itches to explore and use more of your newfound power, your eyes trail to the Houshou captain who is struggling the process the past few exchanges. It's time to snap her back into focus.

"Look alive, Captain. I know you probably got a few questions for me, but we can save all that for later. It's time to show these naysayers that you're no slouch." You say which brings the garnet haired girl out of her brief daze.

"But…without my crew, what kinda captain am I? They were right. I'm not the Senchou my grandmother was…" Marine says downcast, her fighting spirit in danger of going out completely.

"Maybe not, but how can you be? You're not her, you're you. A woman who endured months of being cramped in a dark box because she didn't want to take part in doing the wrong thing. Senchou, Captain, Admiral, none of that defines who you truly are on the inside, or who you want to be. The Marine Houshou I think I know is more than some title. She's got guts, respect, and a pair of sharp eyes that I'm happy to have watching my back. Now are you gonna get crazy with us? Or are you going to let me and a couple of fairies hog all the fun?"

"I'm me? Hmph! That's right!" Marine seems to reason with herself with newfound clarity. "I always looked up to my grandmother and tried to follow the example she set for me when I was just an apprentice on her ship. Even though she helped guide me to who I wanted to be, I still made choices for myself, for what I thought was right, for how I wanted to live. Marine Houshou is a pirate who believes in sailing free, and her crew deserves nothing less than a ship full of people who feel the same! Let's cut our way to freedom, cabin boy!"

"Then allow us to clear the way!" You answer your captain's enthusiasm with your own and strengthen the flow of air around your heels. With your sword raised, you begin to dash forward and the gathered pressure under your feet bursts to propel you forward with blinding speed. Almost faster than your mind can register, you are face to face with a small group of SeaKroc pirates. Your body moves before your mind and your sword glides across the area in front of you, catching each of your enemies in the belly with its sharpened tip. Then with the essence of wind at your command, you guide its forceful touch to send your arms back across your body once more, the strength of your swing enhanced by the unseen element. More anguished cries roar in the night as the bodies fall before you. The sight of blood leaving the bodies of your enemies does not faze you. You have made a choice to protect those in need by any means necessary, just as those who oppress and harm those innocents made their own choice.

As your attack finishes, surrounding pirates begin their own, slashing blades aimed at your neck. The spiraling air along your legs accelerates and with a simple flex of your lower half, you are shot upward like you had just jumped from one of Polka's trampolines. You look down at the gathered crowds and gasp with giddy excitement. A bird's eye view of the battlements is truly something else. Several individuals who sought to take their shot at getting the head of the Houshou captain now lie on the ground with fresh new battle scars, and Pomu had just delivered an elegant spinning kick to another unlucky contestant's face.

Responding to your desire to get back in the fray, Sylph brings her hands up to her face and blows along her palms. A thin white path of shifting wind forms along her breath's path and you bring your leg forward and find that your foot steps firmly against its surface. You bend your knees and ride the magical slide Sylph has made for you all the way back down. You accelerate as you make a heavy drop and use the back of a large wolfman to cushion your landing.

A sword comes into your vision and tries to make its way for your scalp, but its travels are hindered by a swirling gust that forms a protective barrier around your being. The demi-human with a long monkey like tail looks in disbelief and pushes his body more into his swing to correct the late arrival, but despite all his efforts he still moves as though he were underwater. You bring your blade to match his, the windy enchant around your weapon bites through the shoddily made steel and shatters the weapon; its shards ding against the ground in a chorus that marks another foe's defeat. A swift punch to this demi-human's gut comes next, your blow empowered by mana makes his insides converge around your fist.

The tailed man falls to his knees, his hands clutching his stomach in pain. You look around and notice while the crowd is beginning to thin, simply beating these miscreants down one at a time is taking way too long. You need to speed things along and get the Shallahan people back home, and just as importantly, get back to your friends.

"If I may make a suggestion, summoner?" Sylph speaks out as she keeps a vigilant eye on your blind spots. "Why don't we move this party somewhere where we can bring the house down? If you're catching my drift? Oh what am I saying?! We're more connected than ever! Of course you know what I'm thinking."

"You bet I do, Sylph!" You cheer as you eye the open faced entrance of the workshop building. "Let me just grab a small someone and we can check out the venue!"

After giving the group of ragtag pirates in front of you a small knockdown thanks to a pulse of wind that you emanate from your body, you turn and run over to Marine who is currently locking swords with a rather large croc beastkin. You skip forward and are brought to the aid of your ally quicker than the passing breeze. The reptilian biped eyes you nervously when you flash a full toothed smile at him as you creep up along his side.

You gleefully watch his pupils follow your twirling hand as the flow of air accelerates around the croc's boots. A loud snap of your fingers signals your spell to erupt, launching the dumb beast into the air like a leaf lost in a storm. With the ugly lug out of the way, you turn to Marine and give her a smug grin as you sheathe your sword.

"Excuse my reach, captain." You say as you scoop the surprised woman up in your arms and carry her princess style. Her small but somehow extremely curvaceous frame twitches slightly at your handling of her, but she quickly relaxes and gives you a curious look.

"Pomu! Follow me!" You yell behind you as you begin to sprint towards the large wooden building.

Now thinking you are easy prey with your arms full, more pirates begin to make their move on you. With the power of your resonance however, you are able to duck, slide, jump and skip around every strike that comes your way. More than once does Marine deflect an incoming blow with her saber, and she even takes a few potshots at those aiming their own projectile weapons at you. Pomu also does her part in helping secure your escort, hurling balls of wind that expand and entrap whatever they collide with inside a powerful whirlwind. Both yours and Sylph's hearts beam with pride over how far the silly forest fairy has come.

You pick up speed as you watch a man made blockade form to cut you off from where naval weapons of war are being constructed. Without giving your charge any warning, you bend your legs and launch yourself upward, the magic around your feet boosts you straight off the ground, and over the heads of the opposing pirates. Marine begins to scream at you, the sudden change in altitude startling her beyond measure. You can only laugh at how free and light you feel right now, even as the Houshou Captain pounds the top of your chest angrily with her clenched fist.

"What's the matter? You made it sound like you wanted me to sweep you right off your feet earlier." You laugh at your intensely bad joke given the situation, while Sylph's power glides you gently down to land at the workshop's front door.

"THAT WASN'T WHAT I HAD IN MIND." Marine huffs while she catches her breath.

"Really? Guess I just read those signals wrong. Oh well." You shrug before you gently place your slightly shaky captain back on her feet.

"He's still a bit of a work in progress. You will not believe the type of things a girls gotta do to get him to make the right move." Pomu comments as she lands next to you, smugly proud of her own teasing.

"Well it's a good thing I got a wingfairy like you then." You happily play along as you look at the interior of the building that was probably at least a ship or two long.

Stations for sanding and sawing wood, metal smithing, painting, you name it, it's all here. You let out a small whistle at the sheer scale that this place must function at normally. Your mild fascination then turns to hot anger as you remember whose backs are breaking so that this place can operate. Already a few of the pirate shipwrights who had previously chosen to focus on their work in lieu of coming out to greet you are slowly approaching with hammers and other tools as weapons.

"So what do we do now? We got guys wanting to slit our throats on both ends and all that's changed us is now there's a roof over our heads." Marine asks as she readies herself for combat once again. The girl's ability to shift into a battle ready state is to be admired for sure.

"Now? Just watch Sylph and I bring the house down." You reply with your arms stretched out wide, while Sylph floats behind you and begins to giggle with uncontained excitement.

With the wind spirit's silent guidance you begin to conjure more cycling air around you and your party. The wind can be touched and pulled at your very fingertips as if it were made of a thick cloth. You grab and mold the force that is shining brighter with the glow of your mana with every movement. Sylph extends and retracts her hands alongside you, pulling more of the gale force from the natural waves of the sky to you. Together you are conducting a symphonic masterpiece that will astonish all that hear it. So many notes play into what will be a song of freedom; your rage towards your enemies, your desire to brighten the hearts of the mistreated, and the joy you feel fighting alongside your soul bound partner.

The gusts pick up more and more around you, carrying helpless light objects along its swirling path, and impeding the advance of the surrounding pirates. Some begin to back away, unsure of what exactly they are up against. You and Sylph then double your efforts and the storm you create grows fiercer and more wild. The wind begins to howl in your ears and the clanging of tools, the crash of objects being forced from their resting spots, and even the rattling of chains that hold the bottom half of ship hulls to the ceiling bring heightened panic into the room.

"A-Anon!? What are you-How!? Are you doing-Is this safe!?" Marine begins to babble as she slides her feet along the ground to get close behind you, likely afraid she might get suddenly swept up in the brewing storm.

"Woooo! Go Anon! Go Lady Sylph! Rage that storm! BE the wind!" Pomu cheers, jumping up and down with her arms raised high. Marine looks at the excited fae with bewilderment, thinking that maybe her new chosen company is more insane than she was first giving them credit for.

"Time for the last push, summoner! Are ya ready!?" Sylph asks as she basks in the feeling of all eyes being on the two of you.

You give your partner a happy nod and push your magic to its very limit. "O' mighty winds that carry the messages of the heavens, heed our call."

"Engulf and scatter the wicked within your blustering gale! Blow open a path to freedom and parts not yet known!" Sylph continues your chant, both your bodies glowing brightly with her signature green mana as the winds begin to torrent violently.

"Grand Spirit Magic! Fairy Tempest!" You and Sylph shout in unison to unleash your joint spell.

There within the eye of the storm, the wind whistles and howls around you, and the hurricane you have created shows its true form. Frightened screams fill the room as the pirates are plucked from the ground like weeds and sent helplessly around the spiraling torrent. Under the pained yells of bodies forcibly colliding with various solid objects, are the creaks and squeaks of the wooden foundation of the building you stand in struggling to keep itself held together.

The intensity of your spell quickly makes itself known to you. While you are able to accomplish such a remarkable feat of nature thanks to the wind spirit's power, maintaining and controlling the spell is taking all you have and more. Every turn of the wind, every object that flies within its currents, every inch it covers, it all reaches out to you and demands your focus. You hold your hands forward and steady yourself, continuing to pour your mana into the gale force that surrounds you. You're not sure how long you can sustain this level of effort, so you need to step up the gear. Make it bigger, faster, stronger.

Taking a needed breath, you close your eyes and are flooded with the powerful emotions that helped fuel your spell in the first place. You see the pack limping from their lifelong home, only for it to be mangled and have atrocious structures erected over once fertile lands. Those very buildings are not only used to house a power hungry madman and many who share his philosophies, but they are also used to create vessels of war, and weapons that could bring violence to shores you hold dear. The country your dad, uncle, Flare's dad, Noel, all call home. The peaceful shores of Bjornholm could also be a target by the warlord orca. Nene's parents, Harold, Uisce. All of their freedoms could be in danger, and who is to say Blackfin would even stop there? The Talonclaw, Pomu's forest, the elven kingdom along with Lena and Captain Aldren. They might all be targets if you do not put a stop to this mad factory right now.

Ships are meant to bring people to new places, help people experience new things, and more importantly, bring others together. You will NOT stand by and let someone make an armada like this, ESPECIALLY at the expense of a peaceful land like Shallah.

The rage in your belly explodes and with it a mighty yell, your magic surges throughout your body. Sylph responds to your powerful feelings with an extra push of her own, and the cyclone you both control doubles in size, touching the near walls and beginning to drill into the ceiling. The crunching of wood then comes from above along with Marine's frightened screams as she ducks down behind you. Pomu continues to stare in wonderment and focus at how enormous and wild the conjuration of wind had become. The ceiling above begins to break apart, its makings becoming part of the ever spinning cyclone. When you can feel the open breeze blow along the night air above, you know it is time to let your spell complete its journey.

With your hands pointed to the sky and a final roar from you and Sylph, the localized natural disaster pulses outward. A loud boom thunders as the violent winds lash out in all directions away from you, using its cargo to smash the outer walls, support paves, and anything else that managed to stay nailed down. Smoke and dust cover the entire area as the building collapses, you hear more panicked yells and orders being tossed around by the pirates who were lucky enough to not get caught in the storm. The sound of walls falling in the distance puts a grin on your face as you look up at the clearing air. The stars and moon are in full view up above.

"W-W-What the h-h-h-hell just h-h-happened?" Marine stutters as she tugs your sleeve weakly from behind.

You turn your head over your shoulder and give the girl a chipper smile. "We blew the roof off of this place. That's what happened."

"Y-You did more than that you lunatic!" The Houshou captain shrinks as she takes you by the collar and spins you to full face her. She has tears in her eyes and her chest heaves up and down dramatically. "Why did we need to be INSIDE for that!? You could have killed all of us!"

"Nah. No way." Sylph floats to eye level and waves the concern away. "You were perfectly safe by us. I'd never let something happen to a gal who locked lips with my summoner anyway."

"That was AWESOME Lady Sylph!" Pomu then exclaims before Marine can offer a rebuttal. "Would you look at this place!? It's nothing but rubble now."

You look around and admire your work as the smoke clears. The once expansive workshop was now an utter disaster. Piles of broken apart wooden boards, boats, and pirates lay scattered through the immediate area. The walls of the building had been completely blown over and whatever parts of them stayed intact, now rested flatly against the ground. Whatever work had currently been going on in here, you have undone it all and rendered the facility useless in a manner of minutes. You let yourself bask in the pride of your feat while you direct your gaze toward a group of nervously approaching pirates who hold their weapons in front of them defensively.

"Guess it would have been boring if we caught ALL of them in that one go, right Sylph?" You remark as you take a step towards your next opponents, leaving the small circle of wooden flooring that was left untouched by your spell.

"You're darn tootin'! But I say we give 'em a chance. They look pretty scared, huh?" Sylph remarks as she floats along, magically tethered to your side.

"I guess so, what did you have in mind?" You decide to entertain the wind fairy as you continue your stride, which causes your opponents to match your speed as they retreat backwards.

"This should be real easy! Okay you guys!" Sylph calls out the pirates specifically, making them jump as if their pants suddenly caught fire. "If you get this question right, you're free to go: What is my name?"

The group of multi raced men and women stammer and whisper amongst themselves, all while you take one smooth step after another towards them.

"That spooky ghost thing has a name?!"

"Of course she does ya git! Now what is it?!"

"I don't know! S-Something with a P?! She's a pixie right?!"

"Oooo." You spit through your teeth and wince at the assumption that you can feel is making Sylph's blood boil.

"Ten seconds." Sylph tuts with an air of malice that makes the group enter a mild hysteric.

"Definitely not a P then!"

"Oh what the bloody hell did the kid say her name was?!"

"Just start guessing! They're gonna make a scrap heap outta us!"

"Sally!"

"Nine seconds." Sylph announces coldly, her grass green eyebrow twitches slightly.

"Rosy!"

"Joan!"

"Gladys!"

"Five seconds." You say happily as you crack your knuckles loudly.

With every failed answer earning more anger from the wind spirit that spills over into you, the pirates throw down their weapons and turn their backs to you to retreat.

A puff of wind under your feet vaults you up and the world turns as you flip your body midflight to then stick the landing in front of the scurrying pirates. With their line of retreat blocked by you, they step backwards and stammer out pleas of mercy and apologies.

"Sorry. Pissing your pants wasn't the answer we were looking for. Now I'm only going to say this once, so listen up." You threaten joyfully as small cyclones begin to form around your wrists.

"Her name is" you start by taking a long step forward and nailing a human pirate in the cheek with your air propelled fist, knocking him to the ground so hard that he skips twice along its surface.

"The orchestrator of the winds" you continue in your next breath as you do a half turn and kick your foot firmly in the gut of a lizard demi-human, knocking all the wind out of him and hurling him backward.

"Sylph!" You finish as you bring your fist down onto the head of a bearded dwarf shipwright.

"And another thing." You add hold both open hands towards a group of three on the sidelines. "She is not a pixie!"

A heavy stream of wind surges forth form the space between your hands and crashes into the pirates, blowing them back as they skirt along the ground.

"She's a fairy. THE great wind fairy." You huff, and the vindicated spirit at your side gives you an approving nod.

When you make another step towards more of the pirates who have more than lost their nerve, Marine calls to get your attention.

"Cabin boy! We got company skyside!" She shouts, pointing her saber up towards the night skyline further inland.

Thanks to the light of the moon only half obscured by clouds you spot several figures flapping their winged arms as they soar towards your position. You weren't hoping to be met with reinforcements so soon, but between your escape and the commotion you and Marine started here, that might have been wishful thinking. You can't risk them getting close to the Shallahan people.

"It's Captain Alvina!" One of the pirates nearby shouts with relief.

"You're in for it now, kid. You may have a leg up on us, but you're no match for one of the top captains."

You ignore the idle boasting from the people who were just cowering seconds ago and keep your eyes on the skies. A group of seven harpies hover a few stories overhead and seem to be looking over the situation you've caused. Most of their heads point towards the glowing green sore thumb in the crowd: you. You then see the captain's pointed face look towards the sea, and she lets out a sharp shrill gasp.

"Ye bloody morons! The boy has been covering up the escape for all of our workers!" Captain Alvina reprimands the pirates on the ground, while also making a small pit form in your stomach. The window of opportunity for a clean escape was getting more closed by the minute.

"Ya should have just stayed in your cage and let my girls have a bit of fun with ye." She calls down to you next, taunting you as if she had already won. "Ye might think you're saving all this riff raff, but you've sealed the fate of everyone they care about! The second we caught wind of your little jailbreak, we sent word back to the port. Blackfin has contingencies in place for just such an occasion."

The threat the harpy just made makes your blood run cold. With so many women and children still on the mainland, Blackfin has no shortage of potential hostages and ways to punish his workers for trying to escape. You can't even be sure what is going on there right now. For all you know, all your friends might still be at Kukai's waiting for your return. What should you do?

Alvina then flies a little further along until she is just a little past where you stand, and she looks out towards the rows of ships that lay docked along the shore.

"Listen up you bilge rats! If you want your previous families to stay in one piece, you'll get off those ships right now, and go back to your cages like good little slaves." She squawks. "Right now our men are rounding them all up, and if you're good, we MIGHT just let them live and work alongside you."

"Don't listen to her!" Pomu screams, now having flown up to the harpy's level. The fae turns towards the ships and spots the various groups of people who have stopped preparing for their own escape. "Are you really going to trust these pirates after all they've done to you!?"

"We might not have much of a choice…most of us thought our families must have left Shallah by now…if Blackfin has them as hostages…we can't leave." A random member of the escapees voices.

"Most of us only kept holding on because of the hope of seeing our loved ones and home again." Sammy then begins to speak, his voice loud, but weighed with regret. "If we cause them to get hurt, or worse, subject them to a life like this…maybe it will be easier to just go along quietly…"

"No! It won't come to that!" Pomu snaps, her wings start fluttering even faster as her temper rises. "Your families are going to be protected by my friends! They won't let anything bad happen to them, I promise!"

"You're gonna take the word of some brat fairy?! The little sprites are known for their lies and tricks!" Alvina argues, the venom in her voice meant to sow doubt and discord within her targets.

"A real fairy does not play tricks with people's lives! Pomu Rainpuff never makes a promise she can't keep! I gave my word that I would help Anon and everyone else on our journey, and that's just what I'm gonna do! I'm not doing it alone either! I know loads of people who are going to fight for what's right, no matter the odds. Sure, you can call me a tricksy little fairy, and maybe I'm not all that strong on my own, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people need this Pomu to step up, and that's just what she's gonna do!" The fae lets her heart speak as the air around her starts to slowly become visible with a light green tinge and spiral slowly around her being.

"Step up to get knocked down maybe." One of the supporting harpy pirates scoffs. "You'll catch a good price at least on the market. We're gonna make a killing selling the brats we haul in from the mainland too."

"You pirates aren't getting your grubby mitts on any of those kids!" Pomu snaps in heightened anger.

"And who's gonna stop us?" Alvina sneers. "You talk a big game, but you can't prove to any of these poor souls that their loved ones are safe. They KNOW we can back up our threats, so the floor is yours, sprite."

You look up at Pomu in silence, she is struggling with how to argue against that. The truth is, you can't be sure exactly WHAT is happening in Shallah right now. The most you have to go on, is a promise. A promise someone made to you just this morning. You believe Kiara's word full heartedly, but you are not so certain Pomu does right now. She looks out towards Shallah's main port, guided by the lighthouse that shines its beacon so that any at sea can find their way to its shores.

Kiara…What are you doing right now? You probably left already…they're all just dumb mortals to you anyway…The Kiara I know wouldn't abandon people in need though–She wouldn't. Would she?

—-

Kiara continues to wander aimlessly around the port docks, the sun has already gone down, and a blanket of unease hangs in the air. While the spirits of the normal civilians had grown slightly brighter thanks to the actions of Anon and his friends, the wandering warrior's own heart was wrought with worry.

"Where is she?" She mutters to herself as she bites the nail of her thumb. "It's already dark you little shit. Bring Pomu back safely. I'll never forgive you if something happens to her…" Kiara scoffs at her own words and goes back to pacing up and down the darkened dock, with nothing but the ebb and flow of the tide answering her. "I'd never forgive myself either…"

The sun warrior's thoughts are then interrupted by the loud stomping of footsteps coming from the stone streets behind her. She tenses up, ready to defend herself against whatever kind of unlucky bastard was hoping to get the jump on a girl alone at night, but the clattering of boots against pavement don't get closer, they in fact get farther away.

"Are those natives crazy!? They're really trying to escape Blackfin?" A gruff voice asks his compatriot as they run along the main street.

"They said some prisoner; this guy who ain't bad with a sword and spells sprung them out! It doesn't matter though. Blackfin's orders are to round up everyone we can if the slaves ever got uppity. The captain is gonna make them real sorry, that's for true."

"Way to go, Anon. Now the entire fleet is wise to your plan and they got the perfect way to cripple you too. I could have told him that something like this could happen." Kiara mumbles to herself, crossing her arms and unconsciously walking closer to the street where the two men just raced by. "You can't just go barging into someone's base while they still have leverage."

With you watching over the innocents here, I can fight without worrying about them at all. Anon's words from this morning ring inside Kiara's head. Her brow furrows as she holds a hand to her forehead, in an attempt to keep any other intrusive thoughts from making their way into her mind. "How can you just trust me like that? What did I do to earn that kinda faith from you? Is it just because I'm Aska's kid and you're the summoner? You think you OWE me unconditional trust and friendship? You little shit…"

Kiara continues to walk along the cobblestone streets, and the more into the heart of the city she goes, the more clamoring of pirates scrambling to sober up and take in their newest orders fills the air.

"He thinks he knows me. He doesn't know a damn thing about me, but why the hell do I think I know plenty about him already? We've barely talked." The sun warrior muses, trying to work through her inner turmoil. She thinks back on her interactions with the summoner so far and almost every time he has had her questioning this new no risks career path she has set for herself. Every time he has tried to rope her deeper into playing hero for a nation of people, except for when they first met and crossed swords with one another. Kiara slaps her face hard and drags it down its length. As a warrior herself, she knows all too well that when you fight against someone with all you got, you learn of that person's true essence, their very soul can shine through their blade.

She didn't want to admit it then, but it was easy to see why so many people, including Pomu, wanted to fight alongside and support this young man. He also returns every bit of that faith in kind. Why else would he let himself be captured? A hero who leaps without a net, only to find one to catch him every time…it WOULD take someone who can take the leap of faith needed to truly connect with the great wind spirit.

"Our chances of success are easily doubled." Kiara says in a mocking tone to imitate another one of Anon's statements from this morning. "And what if I just don't-"

"Hurry up you slimy snakes. That bundle of urchins be just down this next alley. I bet when we come back with a dozen kids, Blackfin will even give us a nice reward." A crocodile beastmen barks as he and four others cut across Kiara's path and head straight into the narrowing alleyway. She recognizes some from the group that provided the handcuffs that likely made Anon's escape that much more difficult.

"Did he just say they were going after kids?" The sun warrior asks herself. Before she can confirm the thought in her head, her body is already moving in hot pursuit of the pirates.

Trailing behind just enough to keep the tips of their scaled tails in sight, Kiara continues to argue with herself.

If you do this Kiara, you're going to commit.

Of course I'm going to commit! This phoenix sees whatever she does through to the end.

That's why you're a traveling restaurant owner now. You sure were "committed" to being a wandering hero that could shine like the sun for all who felt chilled by shadow. The one with a real chill in their heart is you. You saw how messed up this place is and you were going to just walk away and pretend you didn't see a thing.

Not anymore. I may not have wanted to get involved, but I won't stand by and allow innocent kids to get hurt. I'll keep my promise to Anon.

Just like how you kept your promise to Re-

The cries of a terrified little girl break Kiara's thoughts like lightning splitting a tree in two. She becomes fully conscious of her surroundings; a narrow pathway between two tall buildings that leads to a dead end. Five burly SeaKroc pirates block her view of what lies at the end, but the frightened screams of children tell her all she needs to know.

Kiara pushes her legs to work and she jumps to the side wall to her right. The rubber heels of her shoes bounce against the wooden surface she kicks against to propel her movement, and with a mighty bend of her legs she launches herself through the air. In front of her stands a muscular and blue scaled crocodile man, his claws open to snatch the group of children to stand huddled together against the wall at the alley's end. Kiara touches her broach and a bright orange light shines from it.

The roar of a flame igniting resounds over the desperate cries of children. Both groups of strangers shield their eyes from the bright display that radiates from the sun warrior's sword that is held at shoulder level after she lands. Kiara slowly rises from her crouched stance, and with her ascent, a leathery clawed hand falls to the ground with a thud. The five sets of reptilian eyes meet the sun warrior's icy glare before trailing down to cold dead hand and then to the cauterized nub it came from.

The middle and more brawny of the group lifts up his arm to his face in clear disbelief that its hand had truly been severed. His eyes then widen as the truth finally registers to his senses.

"Mate…your hand." The croc to his side says dumbly, pointing to the smoothened section of charred skin.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" The injured pirate then yells as he grips his wrist.

Kiara turns her back to the stooges who panic amongst themselves to check on her new charges. Five children; three girls, and two boys who stand valiantly in front of them, look up with a mix of shock and fear. Kiara's lips curl as the sight gives her a hit of pleasant nostalgia. She pats the head of one of the boys who shudders at her touch, but quickly seems to realize that this person was not to be feared.

"Good job looking after your friends, I'll take things from here." Kiara says warmly, and for an added gesture she takes off her orange barret and places it on the head of one of the little brunette girls whose hair was in a desperate need of some maintenance. "Hold onto that for me. I'll clear the way and get you guys somewhere safe. Now no moving until I say so. Okay?"

When the children nod in agreement, Kiara gives them another winning smile and turns back to the gang of pirates who seem to have finally controlled themselves. They look at the sun warrior with red in their eyes, their fangs bared and thirsting for blood. Kiara scoffs as she begins a practiced routine of hers. She rests the guard of her sword along her shoulder and looks at her opposition with smug superiority.

"Picking on little kids? I knew you oversized lizards were low, but c'mon. At least TRY to not look like two-bit goons." Kiara mocks, unable to keep mild excitement from showing on her face.

"Nobody takes a cheap shot on the SeaKroc pirates!" The shortest of them barks as he pulls out a sharpened cutlass. "Ye just signed yer death warrant missy."

"The only ones who are gonna get an ass kicking around here are you and all your dipshit scumbag asshat friends who think I'm going to let a single one of you walk away with your bones intact after you threaten innocent children." Kiara retorts with budding aggression. She brings her sword up her face and flames begin to dance elegantly along its aquamarine blade.

A single swing across her body sends a sweltering wave of heat followed by unrelenting flames. The three beastkin attempt to shield themselves with their hands and weapons as the cleansing cascade of fire overtakes them. Kiara then dashes forward, her sword raised over her shoulder and her eyes glint with battle hardened clarity.

In a flash she appears behind her burning opponents and straightens her stance. As she breathes out, the impact of her attack is suddenly felt by the crocs. A single deep gash along each of their chests splatter with cold blood. The fire around them bursts to a popping point before turning into a small trail of gray smoke. All five fall to the ground in silent agony.

Kiara says nothing, but she gives the children a small smile and a jerk of her head towards the alley's exit. The street urchins quickly accept the invitation to freedom and hurry as fast as their underdeveloped legs will take them, making sure to blow raspberries at the bullies who lie writhing on the ground as they pass.

After leading her charges safely through the web of alleys and arriving back on the port main streets, she stops and observes the landscape. In the short time she had been scurrying through the city's inner workings, the port had erupted into an uproar. Pirates hurry in all directions, chasing down civilians, gathering weapons and loading ships with great haste. She turns and kneels down to meet the eyes of the children who look to her for guidance and safety.

"It's pretty dangerous around here, so I'll need you five to really help me out. Do you all want to be heroes?" Kiara asks softly. Eager nods meet her question, causing the sun warrior to soften her expression further. "I'm gonna help as many people as I can, but while I fight I need you all to head towards the beach a little to the north. You should run into more people like me. People that want to help. I'm going to send everyone nice that I find in that way too, so I'm counting on you all to be their guides, okay? Can you all do that?"

"You can count on us, Miss!" One of the boys solutes. "We know where some of the other kids like to hide, so we'll help them out too."

"Good boy. Now wait for my signal. I'm going to make all those mean pirates focus on me." Kiara gives the boy's shoulder a pat and stands back to her full height. Despite the meek protests of the children, she turns and begins to walk forward towards the frantic port. She touches her broach again, making her shield appear in her left hand in a flicker of bright flames.

Kiara points the tip of her sword at the mast of one of the ships docked not too far ahead, and fires a small ball of fire at the half furled sails. The bundled cloth becomes ablaze within seconds and the flames claw and crawl around the wooden pole it is tied to. The light of the crackling fire dances against the sky, and the cries of men and women alike clamor at the sight of the flagship potentially approaching an early decommission.

The children behind the sun warrior let out "ooo"s and "ahh"s at the sudden arson, which more than tickles Kiara's heart. She steps forward out of the shadows and raises her shield to catch the head of an unsuspecting elven pirate who was rushing to help stop the fire from spreading. He flips over and lands flat on his face, letting out only a single groan before falling unconscious. Kiara continues to stride towards the line of ships that float along the dark waters.

A pair of voices then boom, accusing her for the fire, to which she smiles slyly.

"And what if I did? What ya gonna do about it you little shits?"

"You vapid whore! You're dead!" A human points a pistol at Kiara and immediately fires, the loud bang of gunpowder igniting pops the sun warrior's ears. The bullet flies but Kiara does not budge. With experienced and lightning fast reflexes, she raises the corner of her shield to deflect the projectile towards the sea.

Kiara then lunges towards the assailant and thrusts her sword forward as she passes. Her edge strikes true, slicing through both her opponent's raised firearm and his chest, and both fall to the ground. Now the sun warrior had attracted quite the crowd, a dozen pirates now see fit to shift their priorities toward this new enemy.

"You got some nerve lass." A wolf demi-human growls as the encircling of people tightens around Kiara.

"Aren't you that food cart wench that's been trudging about?" Another pirate asks, flipping his glimmering dagger between his two hands.

"My restaurant is my main focus right now, but that doesn't mean I can't mop the decks with you scum part time. Although, you're gonna think I'm a true professional once I get trailblazing!" Kiara declares as she clicks her one heel against the ground and fire sprouts to block the escape of anyone who would wish to retreat from this battle.

"My name is Kiara Takanashi! And I'm here to bring the sun back to Shallah! Anyone who has a problem with that or just wants to get burnt, step right up! There's more than enough of me to go around!"

—-

Pomu looks in the direction of Shallah's main port. Even from down here you can see her battling with uncertainty right now, but that fog of doubt is dashed away by a bright orange fire that sparks within the fae's eyes. A smug smile paints her lips as she stares down the pirate bird woman who seeks to undo all that she's worked for so far.

"A friend of mine is going to protect them all." Pomu starts, her voice soft but still carries along the wind. "She's brave, strong, cool, and has been cleaning the streets of chumps like you for a long time now! With her around, YOU are the ones who are sunk."

"You cocky little bug winged rat." Alvina clicks her tongue, her arms flapping with a bit more force as her temper rises. "If you don't want to follow the rules, fine! We'll just have to show ye what happens then! Girls! Slash the sails of every ship here and then the bellies of some of the slave folk! Show 'em what happens to those who oppose the Harpy Pirates!"

You curse as you watch four of the wing armed demi-humans break formation and dive towards the shoreline. "Marine!"

"Already on it!" The Houshou Captain responds as she runs towards where the boats are anchored. She weaves and cuts through any pirate bold enough to try and stop her.

You turn to join her, but Sylph's firm command within your thoughts stops your feet from moving.

"Let her handle this, summoner. We got a bird in the sky that needs her wings clipped. Are you ready?" The wind spirit then asks.

"I'd really love to, but I can't actually fly like you or Pomu can. Sure I can do these awesome jumps thanks to our resonance, but I can't win a fight in the air like that." You politely argue.

"Sure you can fly, silly! You're joined with the orchestrator of the winds herself. Sure you might not have beautiful wings like me, but we'll just improvise. Don't worry. I'll teach ya." Sylph dismisses your argument and stares at you with bright enthusiasm.

"Now just like how you use the winds to make little pops of air that give you more speed or more hop to your step, you'll do the same to fly. It's all in the legs. Even Pomu and I use a lot of our lower halves to do it. The key for you will be to hop off with one foot, pressing just the right amount of air to send you higher, then just before you start to fall, kick off with the other." Sylph begins to explain as she performs a brief demonstration with her incorporeal body.

You try to replicate the wind spirit's movement, but the act of propelling yourself from a singular point on your body makes you fall face first into the sand.

"Almost." Sylph tries to sound encouraging before she gets lost in her own thoughts. "Maybe we need to go about this a different way…oh! I know!" She then snaps her fingers in revelation. "You're more of a feeler than a thinker, so just feel what it's like to fly, then our magic will do the rest. Think about what makes you feel like you're soaring above the whole world. Think about who makes you feel like you're ten feet off the ground."

You close your eyes and block out the noise of the surrounding chaos to do what your friend suggests. You've known what it feels like to fly along the winds and wings of others, to be carried and feel weightless. The utter rush of freedom and the certainty that there are endless possibilities in this great wide world. The feeling of flight is more than just physically leaving the ground, it's also a reflection of your heart at times. The faces of your loved ones shine within your mind and have their projections plastered against your eyelids. When you share even a simple kiss with Watame or Flare, it feels as though your feet have lost contact with the ground. When you share your very essence with Polka you feel more of the same.

An unconscious tap of your heel against the ground makes you bounce a couple feet into the air, and you are suddenly brought back to the moment. When your feet touch the ground again you hop a few times and marvel at how the wind underneath you feels like a fluffy cushion, springing you upward ever so slightly. Above you in the sky you see Pomu stare down her three adversaries.

"Hang on, Pomu. We got your back." You say, gathering your resolve. You bend your legs and gather more magic around your feet. Then, like a spring being unbound, you jump towards the sky and rocket upward with a soft pop from under your one foot. Gravity fights against you to slow your ascent, but you kick your opposite leg and boost your speed, the magic force you exert growing greater with every jump.

The harpy captain and her two flunkies swoop in and encircle Pomu who raises her hands to defend herself. You quickly unsheath your sword as you make your last push to bring you up to equal level with the avian pirates, right on course to collide with one of them.

The bronze feathered demi-human looks down and sees you approaching from underfoot and questions herself about how a supposed human is approaching her at this altitude. You bring your sword outward and make a reaching slash for the woman before you pass, which is easily dodged by the harpy quickly flapping her feathered arms and flying herself backwards. All eyes fixate on you as you overshoot your ascent and fly above the group by at least twenty feet.

Needing to change your direction, you kick both legs up so that you flip with them pointed at the clouds to then line yourself up with the harpy you just barely missed. A firm push against the air with both your legs sends you hurling downward with your sword ready to take a bite out of the demi-human. The harpy dances to the side again, but not without getting a small graze along her midsection from the tip of your sword. An acceptable outcome since you are now falling face first towards the ground. A desperate shift of your weight brings you feet first as you descend, but your stomach still drops as the sand comes closer and closer.

Sylph takes action and creates a tunnel of forceful wind around you that helps break your fall. You hit the ground with a loud "pomf" against the sand as most of the grainy earth is splashed upward from the force of your landing. When you slowly rise to a full stand again, you are greeted with the sounds of horrendous cackling from above.

"The human thinks that just with a little wind magic, he can actually fight in the skies. What a joke!" The one harpy spits.

"That magic of his is strange, but it don't amount to squat if he can't hit us. Once we pluck the wings off the forest rat, he's next." Captain Alvina adds, setting her sights on Pomu again.

The fae looks down at you and somehow even from down where you are, you can see an encouraging smile stretch across her face and a kindly offered hand. Suddenly you are filled with confidence and a burning reminder of one of your goals. The world needs to see just how amazing fairies are, and you want to help give this particular fae the spotlight she deserves. To pull this off, you're going to need the help of both your favorite fairies.

"One more try." You say to yourself as you sheathe your sword, bend your knees and prepare for liftoff. The air blows and dances around your legs, and with a hard jump you take off for the skies. The wind strings your eyes as you try to keep your gaze fixated on Pomu who gets closer and closer as you accelerate upwards.

The harpies flap themselves backward when they see you rise once more, hoping not to get caught in the crosshairs, but they are not your real target, not yet anyway. You reach out your hand as your ascent begins to slow down. Pomu clasps her hand in yours and gives you a wide grin. Her other hand wraps around your wrist and she begins to pull, swinging you around in a wide circle with intense glee. The light of Pomu's magic begins to spark around her wrists, and you feel a swelling pocket of air forming around them. The fae's ruby eyes narrow and lock onto her target, and at the next full pass of her spin, she unleashes her man sized projectile with a loud pop from her wind spell that gives you an even faster launch.

With blinding speed you are hurled into one of the flanking harpies like a torpedo. You can only close your eyes and brace yourself as you collide headfirst into her midsection, the impact making your world feel like it's rotating in multiple directions. Your minor affliction is worth the blow you must have dealt the avian pirate, as you can hear her gasp for all the air that had been knocked straight out of her. After regaining control of your weight, you snap yourself back upwards and give the air a firm kick to send you backwards and away from your opponents. With one eye open you observe that despite reeling in shock and pain, the harpy keeps herself in flight, while the other two have their eyes focused on you. That was a good start, but this battle is far from done.

Keeping yourself level in the air takes a steady rhythm of kicking against the wind, but you are getting the hang of it as you "stand" idle. You turn slightly and look at Pomu who is beaming with fighting spirit and determination in her eyes. Neither of you have to say anything. While joined with Sylph, you can feel the subtle rage and whimsy of the winds that surround you both. It's time to show the world how you three ignite and how gravity can't even hold you down.

The forest fairy lowers her head and shoulders slightly and flies towards you, her wings strongly beating against the air. She takes your free hand and tugs you along with her, aiming to bring you both up close and personal with the harpy pirates. Captain Alvina takes the front and the plumes of her feathered wings begin to glow with a powerful surge of mana that makes you question charging right into her.

Alvina crosses her arms over one another and from her feathers shoot a cascade of sharpened quills whistling through the air. You jerk yourself forward and pull Pomu back behind you so that you may be her shield. You put up your guard and send out a pulse of wind from your body to hopefully impede the feathery missiles. The magically enhanced plumes collide and graze your body, making it feel as though you are getting pelted with sharp rocks. Your strengthened body stays firm, but you feel parts of your clothes rip and then your skin.

While you sustain Alvina's barrage, Pomu takes the chance you have given her to go on the offensive. She darts around you and flies headlong towards the one pinning you down, hoping to land a strike of her own in the midst of the harpy's spell slinging. Two of the captain's flunkies fly forward and converge upon the fae with alarming speed. Pomu yells as sharp talons slash down and scrape along her raised guard, easily cutting through her arm stockings.

The cry of your friend and the hot pain from your fresh wounds spurs you into reckless action. You urge yours and Sylph's power to surge forth, creating a spiraling tunnel of wind that disperses the harpy captain's assault. Alvina recoils slightly and quickly moves herself out of the line of fire, allowing you to rush to the aid of the forest fairy. A few kicks from your feet have you rocketing to Pomu's side in time to bring out your sword in her defense. The long and pointed talons of one of the lesser harpies claw around your blade and struggle to push you down.

Keeping yourself midair while staying locked in a clash is a losing battle to say the least. The lightest of movements seem to be enough to keep the harpy steady in the air while you have to consciously alternate between kicking the wind beneath you so you don't fall. Before you can land a decisive push or disengagement, you feel someone collide with your back. Pomu screams in pain as you both topple over, causing you to slide clumsily away from your opponent. The green haired demi-human flashes a malicious smile and flaps her arms down hard at you, sending a gust of wind that pushes you and Pomu down towards the sand with no way to recover.

You spin yourself and clutch Pomu within your arms, bracing to take the brunt of the fall. Your back hits the sand with a hard thud and you feel some of the air forced out of your lungs as your entire body shudders with pain. It was likely thanks to Sylph's quick support that you didn't suffer a bone shattering fall, but things are still not looking great. The three harpies above gather and assume a triangular formation in the sky.

"Y-You alright…Pomu?" You breathe, checking the fairy's blond head for any injuries. The cuts she's sustained along her arms are bleeding and already staining her clothes. She nods her head, which gives you a slight relief.

"Sorry Anon." Pomu then groans as she picks herself up slightly and sits on her knees. "These girls are tougher than I thought they'd be…"

"No. If anything I was holding you back up there, I'm not very good at fighting in the air. If only I had my spell book…and someone to read it. I could trap those birds with the Stellberna spell and this battle would be over already." You lament slightly at your poor planning and the disadvantageous situation you're in.

"This isn't time for moping you two!" Sylph pouts, bringing herself between you and her distant offspring. "So we got knocked down once, but we'll just keep getting back up there. I know I make flying look easy, but for a guy with no wings, you're doing alright so far, summoner."

"Lady Sylph is right." Pomu agrees with renewed resolve. She rises to her feet proudly and takes your hand to bring you up to her. "We didn't give up against that mean witch or Grendel, so let's get back up there, Anon. We gotta take care of them now so we can go back up Captain Marine."

"I know but…this sky walking thing is hard to get the hang of. I either overshoot or I'm a sitting duck." You argue, you want to believe in the fae's optimism right now, but with how comfortable in the air your opponents are, you just might not be a match for them.

"Well duh! You're trying to walk when you should be trying to dance." Pomu says oh so matter of factly, as if you would immediately understand your mistake.

"Dance? What the hell do you-" You begin to ask but you are interrupted by the sound of energy crackling in the air above you.

The three harpies above hover in a perfect triangle and you can see bright streaks of mana stretch from each one to the other, forming the three sided shape in the sky. Each harpy holds a ball of magical energy that radiates with pale blue light, and you can spot the flickering tails of lightning jumping off their surfaces. Electricity gathers and sparks at the triangle's center to form a large sphere, growing larger by the second.

"Turn 'em into a glass floor girls!" Captain Alvina commands as the light from their mana matches their increased efforts.

With a loud crack, a beam of thick lightning fires from the center of their formation and rains down upon you. Your body suddenly freezes. The unsettling hiss and crinkling of the static shock waves that dance along the surface of the oncoming attack triggers past memories. The painful recollection of how your body felt when Koyori punished you with wave after wave of overwhelming electricity burns almost as intensely as your insides did that very day. Your mind goes blank, caught in a debilitating paralysis, only able to watch as the blinding light grows closer and threatens to engulf you entirely.

Your world is suddenly thrown sideways as you feel someone tackle you and you fly several feet through the air before being forced back onto the sand. The massive wave of electrical magic crashes into the ground behind you and the sound of lightning striking booms in your eardrums. A firm hand keeps your head down as the resulting explosion covers both your bodies with sand that is almost burning to the touch. With your vision completely dark, your mind starts to catch up and operate normally again. The air around you calms and you will yourself to open your eyes.

On top of you lies Pomu, her arms wrapped over your back protectively. Her hair is disheveled and has a heavy layer of sand covering its locks, and the wounds along her arms continue to bleed. Her face brightens when she sees you look at her.

"You alright, Anon?" She asks.

"Yeah…I'm okay….thank you." You manage to say, and the fae lets out an exhausted sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. What happened? It's not like you to freeze up like that." Pomu says worryingly as she sits up slightly and checks you over a little more.

"Just…just got hit with a bad memory, that's all." You grunt as you force yourself to rise to a stand. "

"Summoner…you shouldn't lie. Not to Pomu." Sylph scolds you softly with her arms crossed. You look at the wind spirit with slight annoyance, it is unfair how she is able to air all that you would keep hidden from the world for all to see. Still, she is not wrong. Pomu has vowed to always tell you the truth, and you should return that in kind.

"Sorry…it's honestly new to me too…it's Koyori…again. And before you ask, I thought I was over it, but I guess when it comes to lightning attacks, I might still have some more work to do." You begrudgingly say as you look down at your quivering hands.

"Hey hey. Being afraid of lightning isn't exactly a bad thing." Pomu says as she takes one of your hands, prompting you to lift up your head and look at her. "We all got things that spook us a little. I don't really like fire ya know. My perfect little wings could get burnt right off!"

"That goes triple for me!" Sylph chirps, joining in on this small comfort huddle.

"Even if the lightning scares you, you don't have to face it on your own. Lady Sylph and I will be right by your side. I think it's time we taught you how we fairies like to deal with our fears sometimes." The fae says with almost overwhelming affection and honesty. The promise alone is enough to lift your spirits, but you are genuinely curious what Pomu has in mind.

"Anon, we're getting back in the air! Nothing cheers a fairy up like a good waltz across the clouds!" Pomu then happily declares, bringing both your attention back to the trio of harpies who are already preparing another shot.

"B-But Pomu! I don't even know how to dance on the ground! I can't even begin to-" You protest, but you are silenced by the fae lacing her fingers tightly around the hand she holds. Pomu then turns and her wings begin to flutter quickly to lift her off the ground. You are forced to follow suit and let the magic of your resonance send you upward along with her.

"You're THE summoner! You made a pact with the girl who invented fairy dancing! It's gotta be in your blood at this point!" Pomu argues gleefully as she stares down the approaching magical tri-canon that is primed to fire again. "You just need three things: A proper dancefloor, a good teacher, and a pretty fairy. Lucky for you we got all three right here!"

A few beats of Pomu's wings and strong kicks from your heels later, you are at sky level with the three harpies once again, who now aim their charged electrical cannon at you. You have a hard standoff with the trio, all the while Pomu does not let go of your hand. The forest fairy's support not only makes you feel more safe somehow, but it also makes you feel stronger, and more like you belong in the skies.

"Blast 'em again girls!" Alvina orders and the ball of lightning at the center of their formation starts to unleash its power. "This time our tri-shock canon will fry ya to a crisp!"

"You missed us before, and you'll miss us again " Pomu teases before looking at you with confidence in her eyes. "Just follow my lead, and you'll be dancing like a handsome fairy in no time!"

While the sight of the budding electrical attack makes your muscles tense, you put your faith in the two fairies who will always have your back. You give Pomu a nod and bring yourself back into battle focus. The three of you will end things with these avian pirates right here. If you bring down their captain, that's one less powerhouse to worry about.

The harpy leader yells "Fire" into the night and the trio let loose their spell, and the raging surge of lightning bursts towards you. Pomu yanks you by the hand and swings you around to end up on her opposite side. You move on instinct and replicate the fae's motion yourself to pull her out of harm's way before the electrical stream can touch her. Pomu then reaches to take your other wrist in her hand and begins to twirl you both in time with moving her feet heel to heel as she shuffles along the air like it were solid ground.

The harpy pirates try to adjust their line of fire, the beam of electrical magic slowly trying to catch up with you, but you pick up the pace of your introductory dance to keep you and Pomu more than a sword's breath away from its crackling edges.

"Now the key is to lightly tap your feet, don't stomp. You wouldn't want to squash a poor lady's toes would you?" Pomu begins to instruct, baffling you slightly how she can manage to be so calm and focused on dancing in the middle of battle. "Keep doing what you gotta to keep yourself in the air, but try to only use JUST what's needed."

You nod and focus hard on doing what the fae asks. With more of a conscious effort you lessen the strength of your midair kicks that sustain your flight. A few more passes and you begin to feel even lighter on your feet, and the air under your boots feels as if it were plush grass.

"Yeah! You're doing it! Just keep your feet moving with mine, and your thoughts breezy!" Pomu cheers as she notices you get the hang of your skyline dancing.

"That's it! Now how about we up our tempo and show these chicks our moves?" Pomu cheers as her eyes dart towards the three pirates who are sluggishly fluttering while they recover from the exertion of their last attack. The fae's eyebrows begin to wiggle up while she waits for your answer. You can't help but let out a laugh at this fairy's ridiculous antics, and the fact that it's become absolutely infectious. Maybe it's because you are joined at the soul with the creator of the fae, or maybe it's because you and Pomu share a deep and fun bond whose trust has been built up to tear castles down. Either way, you relish the idea of beating down some enemies with her, even if it could be considered dancing.

"Yeah! Let's show 'em how it's done!" You eagerly agree.

"By all means, gentlemen first." Pomu says with an impression of a member of high society as she gives you a small bow.

You return the gesture in kind and feel compelled to play along further.

"And a gentleman knows that it is the lady who is first. Please dear, I know you grew up in a forest, but that is no excuse for putting me in a compromising situation. I pride myself on being the utmost gentleman." You do your best rich snobby accent.

"And put myself above the station of a summoner?! Oh my!" Pomu holds a hand over her mouth. "That would be social suicide! You cannot expect me too-What would my cousins think of me!? I would be the target of so many slanderous remarks. The judgemental eyes, the hushed whispers as I walk by. Oh I simply could not bear it!"

"What the FUCK!? Is this swill!? They be actin' like we're just some sideshow! Burn 'em alive girls!" Alvina orders, her temper reaching its peak.

The avians then break their formation and glide towards you with red in their eyes. Each pair of yellow talons cackles with electricity that skips along their owners bright feathers. One harpy then flaps her arms with all her strength and from her wingbeat fires a sizzling crescent of lightning.

The destructive energies break you and Pomu out of your stage play and back into focus. You take the fae by the hand and the two of you lift off to narrowly evade the electrical current. You wipe the sweat from your brow and exhale, but that is all your enemies will give you time for.

Across from you at the higher elevation is the second mate of the harpy pirates who now holds balls of lightning within her large palms like they were simple children's toys. A murderous flurry of tosses sends orb after orb your way with staggering speed. Pomu squeezes your hand and you look at her with the split second you might have before you need to move. She looks at you with a confident glare that makes some of your apprehension drift away.

The two you glide forward towards the spheres of lightning and just before you can feel the first one's sparks along graze your skin, you are spun out of the way by Pomu's graceful guidance. The fae places your other hand just above her waist and gives you a sly smile followed by a wink. You think you should feel slightly nervous about your first ever dance with a girl, for reasons other than the fact your survival is on the line, but for some reason you feel incredibly comfortable. Maybe it's because you're with Pomu, or maybe it's because of the wind spirit you are currently joined with whose eager emotions are simply flooding into yours. It could also very well be both.

A step forward along the air, a quick pivot to the side, then a synchronized jump upward to hop over the next ball of lightning. Your partner turns you slightly and the resulting pivot keeps you a hair away from being shocked. The more "steps" you do with Pomu, the more you start to feel the internal rhythm you both are building. A smaller orb aimed at the back of the fae's head prompts you to take the lead and you twist your body to the side while dipping the blond girl backwards with your hand gliding up to support her back. Pomu let's out an exaggerated "Oh!" at you taking the lead, which you simply roll your eyes at while you pull the girl back to her straightened height.

The harpy in front of you growls in frustration as she begins to gather energy for another shot at you both. When the crackling ball of magic is unleashed from her talons, you and Pomu unexpectedly disconnect and quickly approach the demi-human from her exposed flanks.

A hard push with your right leg sends you forward and you launch your outreached fist into the woman's stomach. She grunts from your blow and lifts her one arm shakily to retaliate, but her internal commands are silenced by a swift kick to her head from the fae. Having suffered hard, sudden blows from high and low, the harpy pirate doubles over and proceeds to fall towards the ground.

Alvina's second subordinate swoops downward to catch her comrade, which puts the two of them in the perfect spot for you to show them who's magic truly runs these skies. Pomu looks to be of the same mind as she begins to breathe in deeply, filling her lungs with as much air as possible. You can hear Sylph internally urging you to do the same, so you begin to suck in the salty night air through your mouth, letting the minor flavor of it spark your taste buds and reinvigorate you.

"That's it, summoner!" Sylph's instruction continues from within your soul. "Now let your mana become one with the air you breathe. Build it further and further from the inside. Feel how it's part of what gives us life! We have such wonderful power laying dormant within us all! Let it out! Shout it proudly! Show everyone what fairy magic is made of!"

The feeling of gathering mana in your throat tickles and almost makes you want to gag, but you clench your fists, steel your resolve, and begin to form the spell that your conjoined souls are wishing for.

"Carried along by dreams and fairy wings." Pomu's voice somehow reaches your ears even though her cheeks and chest are puffed to their capacity.

"Our voices will bring forth a storm that will knock everyone off their feet!" Sylph continues the chant when you feel yourself reach a bursting point.

"Let the winds of freedom surge unending!" You add the final words before you and Pomu exhale with great force.

"Unison Spirit Magic! Wind Fairy's Roar!"

With the shout of your spell's name, a spiraling wind pours out of yours and Pomu's mouths and merges together to create a thick cyclone that rains down on the two harpies. The amazing force collides with the ground and uplifts anything caught in its blast radius; sand, loose boards and tools, even the lingering pirate or two, are helplessly uplifted and caught within your magical torrent.

You breathe heavily as you wait for the dust storm to clear, but are quickly reminded that you still have a dangerous opponent to deal with. Captain Alvina's eyes gleam with unbridled fury as she brings herself to yours and Pomu's levels with a simple flap of her arms.

Your eyes look past her and down towards the shoreline where the ships are anchored, you see the remaining members of the harpy crew tear through sails with their sharp nails. You also see Marine feverishly fighting to subdue one pirate after the next, but more and more rush to try and overwhelm her with sheer numbers. You need to get back to her so you can all escape. The longer you take, the more likely the very ships you want to use will be rendered unseaworthy.

"Anon, you gotta go help our captain. I'll take care of things up here." Pomu orders with soft authority.

You almost want to argue, but the combined effort mentally and magically to keep yourself afloat is starting to take its toll. The verdant green light around your body is considerably dimmer than it was earlier, indicating that your resonance might not last for much longer. The harpy you've yet to deal with might be powerful enough to command a crew of her kin, but Pomu has come through for you at every turn today. This time will be no different.

"Right. I'll go help Marine and see what I can do about getting some of these ships moving." You give the fae a thumbs up, who returns your gesture.

"And what makes you think I'm just gonna let you" Captain Alvina begins to squawk, but the words get caught in her throat when she feels the wind accelerate and blow off your radiating body.

Both you and Sylph stretch your arms wide before bringing them together as fast as you can muster to fill the air with the clap of your palms meeting each other. A whirling zephyr erupts from the force of your hands and washes violently over the avian pirate captain. While she staggers, you give Pomu a nod and kick yourself through the air and down towards the shoreline. By the time your flash storm fades away, you are well on your way to coming to the aid of the Houshou captain.

You quickly scan the rows of ships tied down to the outstretching dock and spot an intense amount of movement atop one of the larger ones in the middle. Thanks to the overcasting spotlights of the shipyard you see Marine's garnet hair flowing behind her from the building sea breeze as she ripostes the three separate blades in front of her. You also spot a few of the more able prisoners helping to get the ship ready for sailing, while a few others do all they can to hinder the invading pirates who attempt to climb up its wooden body. As if that wasn't cause enough for worry, four of Alvina's crew mates were poised to claw through the sails that rest rolled up along the boat's two masts.

"Sylph! Let's put all we got into this! No holding back!"

"Okie dokie!" The wind spirit soaring alongside you confirms your request with her thumb and finger making an "O" shape with her three extra digits pointed upward. "One windy rescue, coming right up!"

Sylph slows down to fly behind you and places her palms flat against your back. You feel a powerful push from behind as a verdant gale wind propels you towards your goal. The salt air stings your eyes slightly but you keep your target in your sights; a lanky red haired harpy looking to catch Marine off guard from above.

As the demi-human dives at her prey, so do you. The wind howls from your approach and forces the avian woman to turn your way just in time for her to get a full view of the bottom of your boot before it collides with her cheek. Your momentum sends you and her hurling into the to where the entrance to the lower decks is, and the harpy crashes through the simple wooden wall next to its frame. After hoping down onto the floor, you let your heels bounce against its wooden surface while you look up at your next target. Yours and Sylph's magic work in tandem to rocket you upward towards the top of the ship's center mast. There you flip yourself above one of the harpy's that had been running her claws through the rolled up sail, and then bring the toe of your foot down on top of her head. A burst of wind strengthens your kick and sends the demi-human down in a flash, her body slams straight through the ship's side railings.

Now pointed at the floor of the deck, you kick the air behind you to send you soaring downward. You unsheathe your sword and bring it high overhead, and as you land you swing downward to send a powerful wall of wind bursting forward to knock one side of the surrounding pirates right off the ship. You rise from your crouched stance and look over your shoulder at Marine.

"I couldn't help but notice things were starting to get dicey, so here I am." You give the Houshou captain a smug greeting.

"Glad to see you're in such a good mood still." Marine clicks her tongue before slashing the sword right out of a pirate's grip and kicking his midsection to send him tumbling away. "We can't set sail like this. Help me get rid of more of these stowaways. What happened to Captain Alvina anyway?"

"Pomu is gonna take care of her." You reply as you thrust out your open palm and send a tunnel of wind to knock a few more combatants off the ship.

"Are you sure about that? The captain of the Harpy Pirates is no pushover. You guys are strong, but she's in a higher league among pirates." Marine asks before her pistol gives off a resounding bang followed by the anguished yell of her target falling backward off the ship's railing.

"Pomu Rainpuff is no pushover either. If that fairy tells me she's gonna do something, she means it. I just know she's gonna give that bird the surprise of her life."

"Ye just dug your own grave, ya little disgusting sprite. I'm gonna slice ya to ribbons." Alvina spits with malice.

"Bring it on you hag! This Pomu has fought things ten times as scary as you." Pomu barks back with conviction, and then her lips curve to a mischievous smile as she thinks of what to say next. "But with how ugly you are, you might look scarier than all those demons put together."

"You little!" The harpy grinds her teeth as the fae's playful insult strikes a nerve. When Pomu giggles at the reaction, the bird demi-human takes action; beating her wings with impressive strength to propel her towards her target.

A swift swoop up and then downwards, Alvina points her taloned feet at the fae, looking to maul her with its nails. Pomu yelps and demands her wings to flutter at an almost breakneck speed to help her just barely evade laceration.

Alvina rebounds from the near miss with predatory precision, bringing her flight to an abrupt halt to then beat her arms to ascend vertically towards the forest fairy. The harpy twists her body with her arms tucked in close and molds herself into a weapon aimed to drill through Pomu's heart.

Pomu stares at the spiraling body coming her way and cocks her arm back whose hand creates a sphere of wind. She slams the verdant orb down with both hands and her heart leaps when it directly connects with what is likely the captain's head, but the pushing force it creates is only a minor hindrance at best. Alvina's flight continues on, and nails Pomu dead in the chest. The fae is sent spinning out of control through the air from the impact, fighting to get her aerial footing back.

By the time Pomu begins to slow herself, her dizzying vision clears just enough to see the captain harpy swooping fast at her. Panicked, the fairy raises her arms over her body and erects a thin green mana coat that only barely covers from her wrist to halfway up her forearm. Alvina's toothed grin widens at the paltry defense as she glides down like a bird of prey about to catch their dinner. Her hind talons scratch and tear through the thin veil of wind mana and clutch Pomu's arms tightly as she bleeds.

"Looks like yer all talk, just like the rest of your wretched kind. Where's that tough gal attitude now? Girlies like you should stick to picking flowers, not fights." The harpy taunts over Pomu's pained screams as the dainty fairy tries to pull and free herself from the clawed cage.

"Sh-Shut up!" Pomu growls through her teeth.

"And after I'm done tearing you apart, I'm gonna take my time working your little pal over. You were gonna take care of me? What a joke. You fairies are all a bunch of liars and pranksters. Ya got no place flying with the big girls. In fact, the world might just be better off without your kind." Alvina spits with dark glee flashing in her eyes. Pomu's struggle suddenly freezes still as the captain makes her stance known, and the harpy giggles at the sign of finding an unexpected weak spot of the fae.

"Awww what's wrong? Don't like the sound of that? I got bad news for ya, ye little winged ant. My next course is gonna be finding all the forests your lot like to play in. Then my girls and I are gonna ransack the place clean! I'm sure some of you daisy pushers have some treasure stashed in some tree. That gold will be better off in my pockets, and the world will be better off without your kind!"

Pomu's eyes, watering and struggling to stay open, look at the chilling gaze of the bloodthirsty pirate with shocked revelation. This hatred, this blind prejudice, is not so unlike the witch that fed the fairy's friends and family to Grendel. This woman would go out of her way to bring pain and unhappiness to people who have never done a single thing to her. Pomu's arms begin to shake with rage and her labored breathing hastens.

"I won't…I won't let that happen." Pomu says in a low voice, and before the avian demi-human can laugh in her face, she continues. "Anon taught me what it means to be a hero. He showed me that even though I'm just Pomu, I can fight for what's right. I've seen people get hurt, disappear, even die, all because of hatred. I won't stand by and let someone like you harm innocent people!"

The magic around Pomu's arms begins to erupt, and chaotic wind bursts from around their length. Alvina fights to keep her grip closed around the fairy's limbs, surprised that she is even being shown resistance. The forest fairy widens her arms, taking each hind talon with her, summoning up strength she never knew she had, but when she looks at the narrow golden eyes of her opponent, it spurs her on.

"You're not just a bully being bossed around by a bigger bully! You're just plain awful! I won't let you continue your evil ways!" Pomu shouts as she turns her body upward and points her feet between the legs of the harpy, whose expression contorts to fear as she registers what is about to happen to her. Pomu thrusts her legs forward, kicking the harpy straight in the cunt.

Alvina releases Pomu and hunches over while keeping herself a flight with only one arm as the other nurses her throbbing pelvis. She sputters out a curse as she coughs, her anger for the fae inflamed even higher as she straightens herself out and prepares to retaliate.

"Just because you keep landing cheap shots, that don't mean ye are doing anything! Ye just be a miserable fairy! Yer nothing compared to a true bird of the skies!" Alvina shouts in rage.

"I'm Pomu! The Fairy hero! Ally to all things good. Nightmare to you!" Pomu declares proudly, her magic having created a breezy aura around her body that makes her golden hair dance behind her.

"Ye be dead in a second!" Alvina retorts as she flies forward, talons raised to rend her foe.

This time, Pomu does not panic. Instead she turns and flies with heightened speed through the night sky. She feels the winds around her weave around her pursuer. When Captain Alvina catches up to launch a strike, Pomu already knows where it will come from and she expertly twists her body to narrowly avoid a costly injury. The fairy descends more and more, leading the harpy down into the thickening woodland that borders the beach. The captain's pure disdain and damaged pride has kept her hot on the fae's tail, eager to maim her from wing to toe.

Alvina makes another clawed swing for Pomu, and catches a nearby tree instead, slashing through bark as if it were paper. The fae yelps and continues her flight onward before she makes a sharp turn that takes her back to the main path that runs through the whole island. The hurried footsteps and clamoring of men along the dirt road reach both Pomu's and Alvina's ears, and the harpy's lips stretch to a malicious smile.

"Now what? Forest rat?" Alvina asks as she and Pomu come to a stop, about ten feet in the air above the path. "Ye can face your fate and fight me in the air, or try your luck with our mates on the ground. It's all just a matter of which way ye prefer to die."

"And what makes you think I didn't want to run into some of your friends?" Pomu fires back with such blinding confidence that it makes the harpy consider what the fae could have possibly meant by this.

While she lets the captain decide if she is bluffing or not, Pomu lowers herself down and lands right in front of the rushing pirate mob, who promptly halt at her arrival. The fae grins with an almost eerie anticipation as she observes the curious onlookers with their blades raised.

"Alright Captain Alverta-Allen-Allvory….whatever your name is!" Pomu shouts into the wind behind her. "You can try and fight me if you want, but you'll have to find me. The real me. Now everyone sayyyyy I'm Pomu!"

Pomu connects her two thumbs and pointer fingers to create a rectangle that she holds up to her one eye so that she can take the perfect snapshot of the murderous group of pirates in front of her. A loud "Poof" echoes in the night as a thick and fluffy cloud of smoke covers everyone that stands on the dirt path. When the white haze clears, the harpy captain is baffled when she sees a group less than thirty sharing the fae's distinct appearance. The blond hair, the bow, even the wings are identical to that of her opponent. The entire group of reinforcements had been transformed into forest fairies!

"What the bloody hell is this!?" One pirate shrieks in Pomu's voice, and then promptly plops their hand over their mouth when the pitch is clearly not their own.

"Ye look like that girl that just landed! Fuck! I sound like her too!"

As the ragtag battalion dives into a panic, Captain Alvina shakes her head and lands to restore order.

"Quiet down you bilge rats!" She screeches, causing the momentary chaos to cease. "This be just some pesky magic. Just find the one among ye that's the fae, and gut her like a fish! Or if ye can't…" The harpy says darkly as she takes one step closer, and her plumes begin to glisten with mana. "I'll just gut ye all and be done with it."

"N-No problem, Captain Alvina!" One Pomu stammers as she looks around to all her like-faced comrades, who all share worried expressions.

"Alright you! C'mon out and fight us like a man!"

"That won't work ya daft bastard!"

"Well where's your bright idea then!?"

"So she can change our looks, but she can't change our swords! Find the one without a sword."

"You idiot! We all have swords!" One Pomu declares as she raises her curved blade high into the sky, causing the rest to do the same.

Captain Alvina taps her foot against the dirt impatiently. She knows the fae had not run away. She was here, hiding, scheming, avoiding true combat like the crafty trickster she is. This magic is strange to the harpy, but like all magic, it has its limits. She will observe her prey and strike when the moment is right. It's all just a matter of time.

As the harpy's eyes scan the group of Pomu, one of them begins to move abnormally. Alvina's sharp eyes catch the very small space between the bottoms of one of their feet and the ground.

"That one." She points with the grin of an executioner. "Kill her."

"Huh!? C-Captain! Wait-I" The Pomu pleads, but their words are cut short by a swift slash down their back from one of the fairies behind them. When the body falls to the ground, a small puff of smoke washes over it and reveals the form of a male goblin pirate. Alvina clicks her tongue in annoyance.

"That fairy is gonna frame all of us!" One of the Pomu shouts.

"Wait a sec lads." Another Pomu interjects. "How do we even know if this is the real Captain Alvina? This could all just be some trick by that fairy girl. If she can make us look like someone else, can't she do the same to herself?"

"Ye fuckin-" Alvina begins, her rage red hot from her identity being pulled into question, but the accusatory faces of the fairies in front of her tell her that is already too late.

"There's no way the real Alvina would be wasting her time with just one little fairy." Another Pomu adds curiously.

"That's right! She must be at the shipyard still!"

"And what if you're the fairy just trying to turn us against the captain!?" Another Pomu says.

"Ye callin' me a liar!?"

"I ain't callin' ye a truther!"

A petty but deadly squabble then ensues right on the main road. Dozens of Pomus swing at each other with intent to kill. Swords trail along and open chests, stab through arms and legs, and fists collide with unguarded faces. Every blow that sends a Pomu down reveals the real identity of the pirate wearing the disguise. In a matter of minutes an intimidating force was reduced to a mere four bodies, and Captain Alvina is seething over how it was all done with pure guile.

"Ye know….the idea that the fairy is actually Captain Alvina is startin' to make more sense to me now." One Pomu remarks as the rest stand just out of sword's reach of each other.

"Ah don't think a little fairy thing could have fought with a sword like us…maybe you're right."

"You heard her though, if we don't find the right one, she'll gut us herself."

"Aw come off it. She can't do shit if she's actually that blond in disguise. I say we give her a run through. Think of it; if we end up killing the real captain anyway, that'll be a big promotion for us. Her crew screwed the pooch anyway, lettin' that one prisoner go. Blackfin won't be too happy if she comes back empty handed anyhow."

"Ye mutinous dogs!" Alvina spits, now readying to defend herself. "Fine! Ye all be dead weight anyway!"

The harpy lunges forward and slashes through three of the swords the Pomus held, and before the steel shards can even hit the ground, blood spurts out of the midsections of the three fairies who led the assault. Three more loud puffs ring in the air to mark more of the fairy's magic being undone. Alvina breathes heavily from her rage and how she is infinitely more frustrated at how men in the fleet actually turned on her. Her mind shocks her back to attention at the fact there is still one girl left. She swiftly turns around and locks eyes with a very smug and superior looking Pomu who now kneels on the ground, her one palm flattened against the earth as a large magic circle lights up from underneath it. Alvina's eyes widen as she connects the events that made up the fae's deadly act. During the initial confusion Pomu must have swiped a sword from one of the crewmembers who was far to stupid to remember they had brought two. How!? How did this actually work?

Pomu's spell materializes, creating another rune bordered circle from underneath the harpy's feet. The harpy launches upward into the sky, fearful of what the circle of magic below her might bring, but as she ascends, multiple wiggly arms sprout up like weeds and overshadow the woman from above. Alvina lets loose heavy slashes with her feathered arms at the encroaching limbs, but for each one she cuts down, another quickly takes its place. The woman's eyes then lock onto Pomu down on the ground, who further funnels her magic into her spell with a weary grin on her face. Alvina throws one of her arms back, her plumes shining with radiant, crackling mana, she aims to cut the spell off at the source. Before she can finish her movement, her arm is locked tight within the coiling grip of one of Pomu's wiggly, magical appendages. Panic begins to build as more of her body is constrained by the fae, keeping the harpy suspended in air without means of escape or retaliation.

"How's it feel? Being trapped? Unable to go where you want?" Pomu asks a simple question loud enough for her opponent to hear. The fae slowly rises and walks to where she is almost completely underneath Alvina who struggles and squirms against the arms that tighten even more. The narrow faced demi-human only looks at Pomu with pure hatred and disgust.

"Now imagine feeling that way all the time, like the people of Shallah do. It's not so great, is it?"

"Shut it you forest rat! It's their fault for being weak! Just like you are! Once I get out of here, yer dead!" Alvina barks, but no matter how much she jerks her body, the hold on her remains steadfast.

"Why!? Why do you want to do things like that!? Don't you care that these people are suffering because of you?! They have friends, families, and lives to live. Are you really okay with what you're all doing!?"

"I couldn't give two shits about what happens to a bunch of ground walkers. The weak exist to feed the strong. I decided I was gonna use me strength to roam the seas and take all I want! Ye won't stop us either! I'll destroy you and pluck your disgusting little wings off! And-"

"You're just like that witch then…Fine with hurting others as long as it feeds the hatred that covers your heart." Pomu cuts the harpy off, her voice cold and heavy. "If you're going to use your strength to bully others, I'm going to use mine to stop you and everyone else like you."

Pomu clenches her fists and lets her determination manifest into power, verdant light envelops over knuckles and crawls all the up to her bicep. A flash of heroic clarity sparks her mana to shift into a powerful storm that spirals around her right arm.

"No matter how strong my opponents are, or how difficult the challenge might be, I'll be a fairy that people can count on! I'm Pomu Rainpuff, the Fairy Hero! And I'm bursting with big PP energy right now!" Pomu roars while bending her knees low to the ground before lifting up with a powerful burst of wind.

Alvina can only watch as the forest fairy she thought was easy prey rockets up toward her, her arm flexed and sporting its own galing torrent. The harpy tries to escape, but her wiggly shackles keep her confined, there is nothing to do but brace for impact.

"Pomuuuuu Lariat!" The fae screams as she brings her bicep straight into the avian woman's neck. Alvina gasps when all the air is forced from her throat and the pressure of Pomu's strike brings her on the brink of blacking out right there. With her arm firmly planted against the harpy's windpipe, Pomu continues to fly upwards, letting her wings and magic drive her blow further home. The magical handed tendrils that kept Alvina in place begin to tear at the seams and disappear from Pomu's excessive force. When she is no longer kept in place, Pomu's ascent is accelerated. She flies upward into the night sky and slows when the full light of the moon peeks through the passing clouds.

Pomu swings our arm in the direction of the ship yard, and the spell that strengthens her arm with the powerful free flowing force of the wind explodes with her movement. The tornado around the fae's arm bursts and sends the harpy flying forward like a rock being fired out of a catapult. Not wanting to miss the results of her actions or her grand reappearance, Pomu takes a deep breath and beats her wings to take her forward. Her smile widens at the self assurance of her victory and her own convictions. She can't wait for Anon to see and to tell the rest of her friends about what she did all on her own.

You clash swords with a charging dwarven pirate and manage to knock the blade out of his grip. A steady pull from your resonating magic sends a wind powerful enough from your open palm to knock the dwarf off his feet and over the back railing of the ship. You and Marine have been pushed to your physical limits repelling the invading pirates as some of the Shallahan prisoners have been scrambling to get the ship ready to sail. You breathe heavily as you find a rare opportunity to assess the situation. The sails are finally unfurled and thankfully only have a few minor tears through their white bodies. All that's left is to untie the boat from the deck, wait for Pomu, and kick this thing to sea. Speaking of…

An object flung across the night sky catches your eye. You follow the speeding trail of what very well might be a body that begins to lose altitude and crash into one of the ships further down the shore. The loud snapping of wood manages to echo across the dwindling battlefield, and a couple of exclaimed gasps clue you into what had just transpired.

"Was that Captain Alvina!?" A woman cries from the shipyard.

"I-Impossible! She's a headlining captain! She couldn't have lost!"

"Get over there! See if she needs help!"

Efforts to board your ship are put on ice as the lower ranked pirates and carpenters rush over to the stationary pirate ship that was well on its way to be added to the impressive armada Blackfin had commissioned to be made. A tug against your own internal compass lifts your head up towards the sky more inland, where you see a small shape quickly get bigger and bigger as it approaches. You and Sylph smile when the waving, flying shape that is certainly Pomu comes more into focus.

"That fairy girl, actually beat the harpy captain?" Marine asks dumbfounded as she sluggishly walks up next to you. You nod to the Houshou captain whose sword arm droops towards the ground with the weight of the blade she holds. The two of you probably look worse for wear right now. The more you had to fight, the more opportunities your enemies had to land their own strikes against you here and there. Even with Sylph's resonance empowering you, you didn't avoid your own share of cuts and bruises.

"Told ya there was nothing to worry about." You say proudly before waving down the fairy flying above. "Hey! Pomu! Down here!"

"Hey Anon! Lady Sylph! Captain Marine!" Pomu chirps as she stumbles onto the ship with her landing, stopping just short of barreling into you. The fae puts her hands on her knees and breathes heavily. "I-I did it, Anon! I beat up that haggy ol' pirate all on my own!"

"I never doubted ya for a second, and now the whole island is gonna know what you did. You're amazing, Pomu!" You congratulate your friend and offer her your hand. Pomu tilts her head up and looks at you with pride in her eyes. When she straightens out, she looks at her hand and gives it a firm slap with her own.

"I feel amazing! At first I was all nervous and a little afraid to fight, but the more I fought, the more I realized how badly I wanted to beat up that girl. She, a lot of these other pirates, are just plain bad people. It might be tough sometimes, but I'm gonna be a fairy who stands up to bullies like that." Pomu begins to ramble, eager to share the results of her self reflection with you. "Phew! I'm still bleeding, I hurt all over, and I got almost no mana left, but I feel incredible! Is this the rush you always feel, Anon?"

"Does the floaty, shocky feeling in your heart stick out to you more than your aching bones? Makes you feel like you can just keep going and take on the world?" You ask the question with one of your own.

"Uh huh! Uh huh!" Pomu nods.

"Yup. That's it then." You chuckle. "It might just be my own interpretation, but I think that means you got the guts of a hero, Pomu."

"Keep this up and you'll be the best Rainpuff in history!" Sylph winks, which makes the fae blush.

"Not to spoil this moment, but the ship's ready to go. We gotta get moving, but then again-" Marine starts, and you can hear the mild concern in her voice. "How far can we really get? We're sailing from one pirate den into another, and I'm not really sure if we even should sail. We got the inner decks filled past capacity."

An overburdened ship trying to outrun other ships meant for naval battles…I'm not thrilled over the sound of that, but we don't have many other options. Commandeering another ship would take too long, if there even is one with working sails left. Even so, I need to give all these people the best chance they got to make it back to Shallah safely.

"We won't know until we try." You shrug while giving an encouraging smile. "Besides, we got no choice but to pull through."

"That's right! Just tell us what to do captain! Anon and I are counting on you to help us get back to the port." Pomu adds with an enthusiastic salute.

"You two are crazy." Marine laughs.

"Two? I think you mean three." Sylph pretends to be insulted, but the bright smile on her face can't fool anyone. "Four if you count my sister too. You can't see her right now, but she's still right there in my summoner's soul with the best seat in the house."

"I think I need to live through this just to hear what exactly that is all about." The Houshou captain mutters to herself as she steels her resolve. "Alright! If we're setting sail, we're gonna do it right! Anon, use some of that magic of yours to cut us loose. Then I'm gonna need you and Pomu to be the wind in our sails. You both got enough magic for that still, right?"

"Enough to give us a head start at least." You answer truthfully as you rush to the ship's side railings and with a quick slash of your sword, you send a small wave of sharpened air to cut the ropes that tether the boat to the dock's support poles.

With your first task done, you turn and run towards the back end of the ship that overlooks the beach. Marine has already taken a position at the helm and relays orders to some of the prisoners to brace for shoving off. She promises it'll be a bumpy ride, but you can't help but feel ecstatic over the situation you find yourself in. Pomu has a similar look on her face that tells you she is having trouble keeping her excitement in check as well.

Side by side, facing the back of the ship's sails, you and Pomu begin to channel your energies. The desire to make the winds flow at your command is brighter than ever, and the tickle of the breeze around your person comes so easily. This gift you have, the skills you worked for, you've learned so many things to finally be able to harness the direction and touch of the winds. To finally be using it in a way that coincides with nature and the people who live within it, fills you with a sense of fulfillment.

You and Pomu raise your arms together and gently pull your magic to the surface, creating a flow of strong winds that the unfurled tapestry gladly catches. The ship creaks and rocks atop the gentle waves as it slowly floats forward. Before you know it, you have floated a good fifty feet from the shoreline before you start hearing the annoyed cries of the pirates you have left there. You start to laugh at how slow they are, but the whistle of a cannonball hurling through the air cuts through your whimsy like how the very projectile blows a chunk of the ship's side hull apart.

"Everybody hold onto something! There's gonna be a lot more where that came from!" Marine shouts, and all over the ship, prisoners made into deckhands scurry to find cover and steady footing.

Three heavy splashes along the sea erupt along the starboard bow of the ship, drizzling you and Pomu as you struggle to keep your balance and your airflow from stopping. Another barrage follows shortly after, one iron ball nails the stern hull, and you can hear the wood from underneath you crumble a few floors below.

"Marine! Any chance for some evasive maneuvers?!" You cry out, not eager to find out how much punishment this ship can take.

"Not yet! We need to get a bit further out before I can turn the ship towards Shallah. On my mark, pump the sails with all you got, but no sooner. Got it!?" Marine orders, her back turned to you as she keeps the ship's wheel from needlessly turning from all the unnatural rocking the cannonfire has created along the ocean's surface. Although she can't see you, you nod at her order and prepare yourself to unleash all the magic you got left on her command.

The sight before you fills you with both uncertainty and inspiration at the same time. The captain of the Houshou Pirates; Marine, steadfast and determined in the face of the darkened seas in front and the threat of canonfire from behind. You hadn't noticed any of her old crew aboard the ship, which tells you that they likely took the opportunity to cut ties with their old captain while also respecting both hers and their own lives enough to not risk further confrontation. Their loss. This woman surely has the pants of a leader.

"Now!" Marine shouts before you can further expand on this thought and you urge Sylph to bring your resonance to its bursting point.

In a flash of bright green mana, the great wind fairy behind you dissipates and unleashes a gale force wind from your entire person. Pomu pushes herself to her limit as well and your combined magic blows a powerful cyclone into your sails. The boat is almost lifted off the water's surface by the sudden burst of speed, and begins to skip along the sea. Amidst the crash of the vessel's underside against the waves, you hear the plops of cannonballs falling into the water growing ever more distant behind you.

With a heavy grunt, Marine turns the ship wheel with all her might, and you and Pomu are tossed to the side like ragdolls with the sudden shift in direction. You roll against the gated siding of the deck and feel the back of your head slam against its wooden surface. You then feel a heavy pressure against your front when Pomu rolls into you next. The ship continues to turn and almost tilt over. You hear the splash of the waters grow ever closer, but you decide it is best to not turn around at this time. Instead, you hold the slightly shell shocked forest fairy close to you, placing a protective hand on her head.

When the ship finally stabilizes and slows down, you slowly bring yourself and Pomu up to your feet. From the portside bow you watch the island you were just on slowly turn as its front face comes into view. Behind you, you can't even see the shore you just dispatched from. Did you really just do it?

"You two…*huff* alright-back-*huff*-there?" Marine asks as she herself seems to be coming down from an adrenaline high.

"Y-Yeah we're alright." Pomu answers for you as she brushes down her skirt and takes a look around.

"You could have warned us to hold onto something." You groan as you place a hand against the tail of your spine and apply a little pressure. "At least warn us the next time you're gonna turn like that."

"Sorry. I needed you both giving this ship all you had. I still don't know if this is gonna be enough either." Marine apologizes.

"What ya mean? I can see the light from the port from here. We're home free!" Pomu cheers, but when you walk to stand next to Marine, you see the apprehension in her eyes.

Without you and Pomu helping to push the ship forward, your sailing slows down to a crawl. Your eyes stay glued to the island that only gets a little farther away with every passing minute. Tensions stay uncomfortably high between you and Marine. The two of you have some inkling for how fast this escape attempt could turn into a shipwreck.

A few minutes later, you curse at what you think you see. Not only a few ships pursuing from around the corner whence you came, but there are two galleon class ships sailing outward from the front face of the island. Marine notices this too and scowls.

"They're gonna make sure we have nowhere to run. Dammit! They're coming up too fast too. We're sunk if they board us." Marine turns to you as she keeps the ship sailing steady.

"By the way you make it sound, I'm guessing a mad dash for the port is out of the question. This ship has a few cannons right? Maybe they won't expect a bunch of fugitives to give them a real blasting back." You scroll through the options in your head, not seeing a particularly ideal course of action.

"One sneak attack is probably all we'll get, but we're not gonna be able to punch a hole big enough to take one of those things down. Still, I don't have any better ideas. Cabin boy, Pomu, there's two mobile artillery on the main deck. Go man those. If we're going down, we're going down fighting!" Marine gives out her next orders and Pomu springs into action and races across the ship to gather anyone still able to help in the fight.

"Hey. Cabin boy." Your captain says to stop you from following after the forest fairy. You meet her gaze and the how clear her heterochromic eyes are right now make it feel as though you have a window into her very soul. "No matter how this ends, I want to thank you for springing me free. It certainly wasn't the rescue I dreamt of, but fighting alongside you for what's right is not a bad way to go. My only regret is that I won't be able to go down on my own ship…"

"Hey. You still might get the chance someday." You wave off the heavy nature of the woman's words with a smile. "I don't know about you, but there's no way I'm letting my journey end here. So you just steer us to the port, and I'll give anyone who wants to try and get in our way a beatdown!"

Without waiting for any additional orders, you run down the steps to the main deck and join Pomu who is currently loading one of the cannons. When you start to prepare your own artillery, you notice something swaying along the darkened waters ahead of the oncoming vessels. Your eyes try to focus to make out what is approaching from the sea, and only when it is too late do you realize that there are several rowboats filled to the limit with pirates. You do an internal check of your mana reserves; not good, you might only have enough for one, maybe two good spells. Your resonance with Sylph ended earlier so that means she is confined to her spiritual state until you can summon her back. Another situation arises where you direly wish you had your spell book on you.

"Pomu, get ready. We got company." You alert the girl next to you of the oncoming threat while you unsheath your sword.

"Huh!? Already!? Geez! Can't someone else take care of these guys for us! This Pomu is pooped!" Pomu whines as she squats down and lifts one of the heavy iron balls with both hands.

To then answer her prayer, several bangs from cannon fire erupt from where the enemy ships cruise from the island. You blink a few times to truly register what you think you saw. Did one of those ships just fire on the other? The galleon that suffered the surprise attack shined like a beacon due to the fires that were set ablaze along its lower decks. You can make out how its middle mast had been completely punched through and was beginning to fall onto the deck. Loud orders then resound from the rowboats in front of you and you watch as their shapes turn to head back towards where you now see three grand ships.

Another volley of cannon fire, not nearly as devastating as the first, makes your ears pop from a few miles away. You watch as the vessel that is possibly betraying its own fleet turns and speeds its travels towards you. Unsure of what exactly is happening you keep your guard up. These pirates could likely turn on each other at any moment, but that doesn't mean you are entirely safe either.

A massive galleon with three strong masts along its decks veers ever closer. When it gets close enough that you can see that its hull is made from a dark red wood of a similar hue to Marine's clothing, it turns to sail alongside you.

"Ahoy! Senchouuuu!" A voice that is unmistakably Roxy's calls from the galleon.

"R-Roxy!?" You and Marine call out at the same time, both equally surprised at the Houshou pirate's appearance.

"Oh hey Anon! Glad you're still in one piece." The pirate girl waves back, clearly having no remorse over what had transpired between you two earlier.

"Roxy? Is that?!" Marine gasps as she abandons her post and leans over the ship's side railing to get as close to the other ship as possible.

"Sure is. I got it back as part of my little trade." Roxy grins while you wear a distinct frown "She's still pretty beat up, but we both know she's more than enough ship to get us back to shore. Hop aboard Senchou, your ship is awaiting your command."