Chapter 8 ~ Fire Spirits ~ Pt. 1

The boat crept up the island's edge with the grace of a scorpion climbing up dunes of sand, with one smooth burst of wind from the steaming red orbs that lay on the boat's hull, the wooden machine rose upon the coastal sand. I could barely feel a struggle as my vessel climbed ashore the black sand and settled upon the obsidian gravel.

And with that I had landed on my first island since becoming free. My hand rose to my chest, hand clenching as emotion took me. My eyes walked the horizons edge and before I knew it I decided to sum my thoughts in a poem.

I cleared my throat once for good measure and began.

“Great leviathan begins anew

With red balls upon his hull

With a thousand years passing

No way this could be dull. “

“Squeak.”

“Thank you peeps.”

I turned to Lysa , who stared at me with a blank expression. ‘Ah.’ I thought . She must be impressed.

“Good no?” I asked

Her face fell into one of astoundment.

“ That was terrible. Actually terrible. Why did you call the orbs of propulsion , balls. Their priceless. They're not balls, Suver. Their priceless. “

I considered her statement chin in hand. Then a thought dawned on me.

. “Balls are priceless too.”

……… Time went by as Lysa stared at me.

“Squeak.”

“Whadaya mean sexual harassment!”

/ ::::::::::::

As I hefted the anchor over the deck and tossed it unto the waters below, I began actively thinking about what was about to take place.

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Psssssss!

Gas erupting in the distance stopped me. The galvanic smoke on the other side of the island's rim bubbling actively.

Hmm I thought at the activeness of natures cauldron. ‘ That’s perfect. With all that pressure it won’t be too hard to conjure.

I did a small leap over the deck and landed with a slight squish into the gravely sand below. “C’mon Peeps . “ I yelled at the ocean's direction. “It’s time to summon the spirits.”

I heard the gravel behind me thud slightly as Lysa landed behind me. “Ready?” I said, turning my head.

Lysa nodded, her hand patting a pouch that was tied to her side. “I’ve packed for every thing, whatever comes will be prepared.”

I nodded. “Good. It could go any way when dealing with spirits.” I turned my head back to the water where a dolphin sat on the shore. Stubbornly refusing to budge.

I waltzed to the shore and sat on a knee. “C’mon Peeps. It can’t be worse than last time.”

Peeps popped his head up.

“Squeak.”

“Yea yea, that was ages ago. Several of them.”

Peeps still stood still.

The small sound of gravel being pushed out of the way was followed by Lysa’s questioning face.

“What happened last time? “

I scratched my head. “They turned Peeps into a dude.”

“Peeps was a girl?”

“Yea.”

“Squeak.”

Lysa stood astounded. “What in the hells…. Is that a thing? I’ve never heard……”

I scratched my head. “ Not for most creatures but the spirits have their ways. Makes them strangely adept at things like that. Specially when their celestial.”

“… Celestial spirits….you’re not talking about the Emperor spirits are you ?”

“Squeak!”

A short burst of water drenched Lysa. An angry dolphin still glaring from where their head poked out from the water.

“See, you’ve made Peeps mad. C’mon let us speak of adventure. That way.” I turned on my heel and off I began.

It took only ten steps for me to hear an excited, “Wha!!!Whaaaa!!!!”

I smiled . Just what I had been waiting for.

I turned to see pale charcoal sand stained with the surprised figure of a curvaceous human , her eyes locked upon the dolphin who floated past her with an annoyed look upon thier face.

“That’s my Peeps, c’mon let’s go!”

“Peeps floats?”

“Yea , it’s flower magic. “ I replied , my thumb pointed at the dolphin's body where vague outlines of flowers could be seen flickering.

“ You don’t think he ate your flower sword for nothing did you?”

“Squeak.”

Lysa climbed out of the sand and patted her bag with the demeanor of one who knew it wasn’t enough. “I suppose anything could happen in the devil's ocean.” She said withdrawn, with steps that carried the acceptance of the strange she trudged along.

And thus , flying dolphin , leviathan and the former subordinate to a warlord began our trek through the black sanded island, our destination, a volcano.