Letting out a breath that became visible to him due to condensation, Alec wiped it away and clenched his palm while pointing it upward. A little distance from where he performed this gesture a large number of falling snow bunched up together.
This made a larger mass of snow that fell much more quickly, almost landing on the floorboard of the boat before Alec stopped it. Carefully examining this black snow from a distance, he soon determined that it was safe. No different from regular snow despite it's color.
Despite that Alec did not take the danger of this cold lightly, though it did signify to him that he was reaching close to the next island. Sailing for a few more hours after that, the ringing from the string phone got really loud when pointed slightly left from forward.
The source of that danger quickly became clear to Alec when a loud, bestial roar sounded from a distance. Not giving up on his resolve he sailed forward, while the roars became louder and more snow fell.
He shovelled it off board to not let it increase the weight too much, Alec then saw the second real island in his journey. One that was hard to look at, due to most of it being either covered in pitch-black snow or blanketed by a thick curtain of fog. Even the sea surrounding closest to the island seemed to be frozen solid.
-Roar!
From this distance the roars were loud enough to cause shaking in the boat itself. Regardless of all that Alec soon safely passed by the dangerous island. The loud inhabitant of which did not cause any great trouble for Alec. His mind was still on that, leading him to have this thought.
'Would I ever become strong enough to face such dangers instead of just trying to avoid them?'
Alec knew that there was no lack of courage or cowardness involved in someone just trying to live. Instead this question of his was more of an open-ended one, leading to a possibility that Alec wished to someday make come true.
Shifting his focus away from that and back on the sea, he allowed the boat to sail boat to move faster. A small pile of snow had accumulated on his boat, that he did not felt like throwing away.
So instead he allowed himself to have some fun, by making a large snow snowman. On which he even fixed a carrot as nose, and sticks for arms. During this his ears were on both string-phones, prepared to listen for any signs of incoming danger.
In due to time the cold weather passed by, and the snow stopped falling as well. The snowman on board soon started falling apart, so Alec kept it at place with the help of Invocation. Keeping it there until the shape was no longer recognisable, and only then did he threw it away.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Having done that he controlled the tides with the ocean drum, lifting the sail boat up with a big one. Using the momentum generated from it he sailed forward at faster speeds, which he couldn't do earlier due to even worse weather condition.
Taking his boat to sail forward meanwhile avoiding a number of violent encounter Alec sailed across the sea. Only coming to an abrupt halt when he was left no option, as he saw a long line of glowing jellyfish like monsters just swimming by.
Due to their sheer numbers and no sign of agression, Alec chose to stay put. Keeping a safe distance, he observed the swarm of these sea creatures for any sign of danger and also for the gorgeous sight it was.
Bringing out an armchair, Alec proceeded to relax for the first time in few days. One that did not involve taking a break for eating or sleeping. Sailing like this constantly had gotten tiresome, especially after the last dream where he had to fight as well.
Just sitting like this for a while and not doing anything was soothing. Meanwhile, he watched all the glowing jellyfish pass by. With a massive one that seemed to be herding them from the very end. As they crossed the area in the path that Alec had to go through.
Opening the sails he allowed the boat carry forward, sailing ahead with a fresh mind and relaxed posture. Until some time later when the string-phone that was facing down, rang extremely loudly far more than it had ever till now.
Recognising the danger Alec made a split second decision, and made the sail boat to instantly break apart and be pushed away into seperate pieces. Right under from there a massive sea serpent like creature jumped upward. Intending to take away a part of the sail boat which Alec had broke down.
Recognizing the giant sea monster as what he called Leviathan after listening to Myr, Alec knew how severely outmatched he was. The only chance he had to live was to split its attention and get away.
In order to do that, he brought the ocean drum out and used his knee to completely smash it. It created a wave that carried away all the separated parts of the sailboat, including the one where Alec was on and had kept most of his stuff. Picking up all the many white flags he then tied each of them to a ply wood, and threw them in the direction of the sea monster with great force.
White flags in terms of warfare is used as understood as sign of peace. Using that logic and the flag as a means to channel the Invocation as a medium, Alec saps the fighting will away of his sea born enemies that cannot verbally reject this. The only means they have for this is to destroy the flag, that is why he always made distance while raising this flag.
On the other hand if he were to raise this flag and move in the direction of these monster they would take it as a sign of fighting. Creating a notion that he was breaking the peace while using it as a shield. Thus engaging them even further, leading them to attack with even more ferocity.
Hopefully having bought some time to himself, Alec then shifted section of the boat he was on to make it more buoyant. Doing this rather quickly it started to look quite like a small rowing boat. With a box full of Alec's stuff, our of which he took out a couple handkerchief to throw away. Then he looked to see if there was anyway he could salvage the item, which sadly there was none.
All the spare parts that he could use make another one of this out of, was in the compartment under the mast of the boat. That Alec could vaguely sense and recall back, but not doing so out of caution as it might cause the giant sea serpent to follow.
The chance to do that would arrive when Alec reached the third and final island. Sailing much more quickly than before due to less overall mass, he encountered a large whale shark like monster that, while being a little smaller than the Leviathan, was still much larger than many he encouraged earlier. Having a large horn like protrusion, which split apart the waters while moving forward.
This time though Alec did not turn his boat, or raised any white flags, or make an escape in any such manner.
He simply attached two axes to both ends of the rope he called Gordian, and used the rest of the ropes on his person to launch himself in air. In mid-air he then tied the rope to it's large horn, after fixing himself on the slippery body he then used the two axe to hit its rather small eyes. Causing the sea monster to thrash in pain, that Alec took advantage by creating more tears in it's tough hide.
The sea creature then in a desperate attempt dived down, that Alec responded by leaving it alone and going back to his boat. From there he moved forward and even made makeshift oars which he used to move the boat further. With a large number of green vegetation soon appearing in his sight.