The shopping for the ingredients went well, though it wrinkled his pouch, Ewan gathered a few sets for the feedback version of the Hunter’s Worth potion. The shutdown of the hub had enriched the inventory of the shops on the ground, and it even reflected in the normalizing price across the board. The diversion of the focus towards the ground shops stabilized the market economy and the inflated costs came down. Yet, the assortment of the products still couldn’t reach the hub’s level, especially the items that concerned a niche group of patrons. And it included Ewan’s need for the Warship’s parts.
The search for the replacements led them around the clamorous market as they threaded through the crowd, getting a headshake or an apologetic smile wherever they went to enquire. Finally, when the streets thinned and the hawkers wetted their hoarse throats, a towering shop with glass walls by the fish market gave them a nod; albeit the stench wafting around was harrowing. Their catalogue was barely satisfactory, even the Ryvia module they offered only reached a theoretical peak of Step-1, but they held their own in the haggling war. In the end, Ewan paid a premium, lost most of the Novas he had on hand, and gained the replacement parts.
At least Stormfalcon could see now, they wouldn’t sail blind anymore, he appeased his shriveled pocket.
“Where to next, Boss?” Kidd said with a nasal voice, pinching his nose.
“Almost done,” Ewan said, walking towards the central market area that had the ‘genius’ pillar blaring its existence with slight distortions in the light around it, dimming the surroundings. “We just need to restock on food and water, and we can leave.”
“What do you think it’ll be this time Boss? Astylinds? Pirates? Earthquake? Waves?” Kidd asked.
“What did Stefan say?” Ewan asked with a chuckle.
“He bet on a whirlpool,” Kidd said.
“I’ll bet on same then,” Ewan said.
“We can't win against his black tongue.” Kidd sighed and made a nasal hum.
“You grew up coast side, aren’t you already numb to this smell?” Ewan asked.
“I’ve become very sensitive since I merged with Willy and started the meditation,” Kidd said.
“If you worked on your Ryvia and your defense shield, you wouldn’t have to suffer then, would you,” Ewan said, letting his Varos keep the atrocity of a stench away from him.
“But it doesn’t help much for my style,” Kidd said.
“Still do it, Ryvia will help in short distance bursts. You’ll need it especially when you break through to Step-1,” Ewan said. “You can mix it with your melee style too if you wish.”
“Will I be able to fly too, Boss?” Kidd asked. “I want to fly like you.”
“You can, either practice the flight spell or use Ryvia,” Ewan said. “I would recommend the flight spell. Your dark element would do wonders for it under the right conditions.”
“Will it make me stealthier?”
Ewan chuckled. “It’ll make you faster at night.”
…..
Stormfalcon turned about in the docks, its thrusters roaring with life, and made its way against the incoming current when the doors opened wide. Blane waved them ta-ta from the port, Ewan returned a nod from the deck, and they sped away along the canal.
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“Last chance to make your bets,” Kidd hollered inside the bridge, the wide screens lighting up with the view of the world outside. The Ryvia module worked for its price and gave the Stormfalcon its own set of eyes.
“I bet on storm,” Lance said.
“Mine’s still on whirlpool,” Stefan said.
“Boss also bet on whirlpool,” Kidd said. “He believes in your black tongue, don’t let him down.”
“What’s yours?” Lance asked.
“I want to say whirlpool too…but I’ll go with tornado,” Kidd said.
“Settle down fuckers, we’re about to leave the canal.” The gate slid open, and Ewan came in, plopping on the captain’s chair.
“No one’s betting on the colony attacking us?” Stefan asked.
“We were sitting ducks in the port, if they wanted to attack, that was their chance,” Ewan said. “But if they were that myopic, they couldn’t have built their own oligarchy. When you have roots like that, long term reputation weighs heavier than any immediate interest.”
“We still got attacked in Vestal though,” Kidd said.
“They had an excuse for that,” Ewan said. “We broke their law.”
“We’re leaving the canal, sir,” Lance said, and the forests on the sides narrowing the view on the screen opened wide to the endless waters.
“Sit in your chairs and hold tight,” Ewan said, glancing at Stefan. “Just in case.”
The incoming current and the outgoing waves collided at the intersection, and where the island ended, ocean spun the waters. And Morinfair gave birth to a behemoth of a whirlpool, roaring with hunger as it guzzled everything around it.
“You bitch! You really have a black tongue!” Kidd yelled, clutching the chair’s arms.
“Sir…” Lance gulped, gaping at the screen.
“Nyte, take off, we’re flying past it,” Ewan said.
“Affirmative, sir,” Nyte said. And before the behemoth could suck them in, the Stormfalcon’s
“Are they attacking us?” Kidd asked.
Ewan squinted his eyes. “No, that’s their golden goose that just keeps on giving.”
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Status: Healthy
Step-1 Severynth [Spirit-Nebula: Zeroth Surge]
Subtype: Step-0 Elementalist
Name: Ewan Ayres
Species: Human
Vitality: 7.0
Spirit: 25.4
Anima: [Fire – 25.4 | Ice – 25.4 | Blood – 25.4 | Mystic: 25.4]
Astylinds: 4 [Potential: 1]
Rolling Cat [Toast]: Step-1 Severynth [Spirit-Nebula: Zeroth Surge]
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Fire Monkey [Orange]: Step-1 [Level-10] [Grade-B]
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Imp [Frost]: Step-1 [Level-10] [Grade-B]
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Bloodthorn-Lotus [Iris]: Step-1 [Level-10] [Grade-D]
Equipment: Common Clothes; Yurn [Neck Gaiter]; Moonkeeper [Crystal-Ball]; Rainwarden [Staff]; Blackfeather [Overcoat].
Storage: Journal; Elementalist—The Path of Anima [Subtype-Book]; Spellbook; Bloodlust [Spell]; Transmute [Spell]; Unknown Book [Radon’s Legacy]; Anima-Crystals [Novas Coins]; Hub-Connector; Ingredients.
Novas: 19,154
Crelith: 801