It is extremely rare for turbulent or chaotic storms to suddenly appear out of thin air, but in areas where the barrier between our world and the origin plane of a storm is particularly thin, this occurrence isn’t unusual. Such storms are usually fueled by the unfocused and untamed energies of the element of storm, but for those who walk its path, it can be a boon, as if they survive, they can either grasp or glimpse their origin planes.
Research study on the concept of origin planes
By leading expert Professor Corian Tilinus.
Yildirim, year 2269.
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Aodhán sighed blissfully as clear, crisp air filled his lungs. It had been three days since the Raventhorn had left Warren Harbor, and in all that time, they’d barely stepped out of the cramped room except when they needed to get their food.
Aodhán and Daruk had spent most of their time meditating and learning to harness their willpower. Daruk buried himself in the process, meditating for hours, but Aodhán didn’t blame him, as there was nothing else for him to do.
They’d only seen Eldridge once after the first day, when he’d introduced them to another guild member called Tarion. The boy was only a little older than Aodhán, and although he wasn’t particularly friendly, he politely answered all of their questions.
After several rounds of discussion, they’d found out that Eldridge wasn’t actually part of the adventurer's guild but a part of a group called the Ravens, and their dealings were only about 10% legal.
Now that it was midnight and all the passengers were already in their cabins, Aodhán had come out to the deck, as it was the only time his presence wouldn’t cause any undue attention.
It was at that moment that he realized that he hadn’t seen the girls from Gishan since the first day either, and since they were within the same age range, he suspected they had been smuggled out too.
Aodhán stood by the hull, watching as the ship literally tore through the fabric of the sea as it sped forward. Daruk came out about half an hour later, and he brought a stool to sit next to him.
Aodhán stared at his sour expression and asked with a chuckle. “What's wrong this time?”
Daruk glanced at him and sighed before gesturing to the sea. “I’m just thinking about the limitations of my abilities; it doesn’t even matter that I am awakened; I’m completely useless at sea.”
“And water awakeneds feel the same way on land, Daruk; at some point you have to accept what you’ve been given.”
“It’s a work in progress.” Daruk replied, and with a sigh, Aodhán turned his gaze to the sky, dotted by a multitude of stars. With nothing to hinder his view, he slowly came to appreciate just how large this world was compared to Earth.
The sky spread out like a blanket of stars that made him feel small and insignificant, and the more he stared, the more overwhelmed he felt.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Daruk asked with a grin that reminded him of Aldric.
“You mean scary.”
Daruk laughed, and Aodhán let out a sigh of relief. That was his first genuine laugh in days, and Aodhán was just happy to see him make an expression other than bitterness.
“Grandma Alderman said the sky will teach us humility, and I realize just how much of it I need to learn.”
“Realizing a need to learn is the first step.” Aodhán replied with a smile. They were about to turn their attention back to the sky when the laughter of a few crew members drew their attention.
Aodhán and Daruk moved closer to them, watching as they played a game called Briar. It was a board game that vaguely resembled checkers but required almost as much intelligence as chess.
“Oh, dang it. My luck is really awful tonight.” One of the deckhands said as he lost a round of the game, and another replied.
“It’s not a game of luck, Majid; it’s a game of intelligence.”
“Well, as they always say, every game is a game of luck as long as you play it hard enough.” Tarion replied, and everyone laughed at the man’s expense.
The night passed slowly, but a few hours before dawn, the swirling of the wind began to intensify, blowing as if a storm were gathering.
Aodhán looked up and found the sky completely clear. He stared around in confusion as the intensity of the wind increased, and this time even Daruk and the deckhands noticed, and they all turned their attention to the clear sky.
Aside from the now-raging wind, nothing looked amiss. Still, Aodhán remained terribly disturbed, and his suspicions of oddity were confirmed when his pendant began to emit a faint glow.
“It’s reacting to something.” Daruk murmured as he stared from the glowing necklace to the still-clear sky. It was now obvious that the necklace was indeed magical, but he had no clue what it was reacting to.
The crew members were slowly standing to their feet, and some of the passengers came out of their cabins to stare at the sky in confusion.
A sense of imminent danger began to tickle Aodhán's senses, and as time passed, the feeling grew in his mind, and the necklace glowed brighter against his neck.
“We need to hide that.” Daruk hissed. “It’s beginning to draw attention.”
“There’s no where to hide it.” Aodhán hissed back.
Eldridge suddenly burst out of his room, and as the wind began to rock the ship, he rushed to the wheel and took control of it. The ship settled almost immediately, but a moment later, the ship heaved and tilted to the side, throwing people off their feet and almost into the sea.
It was at this time that people began to panic, and the crew members ran around to help people back into their cabins, where it was safer.
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Aodhán felt the air around them suddenly change, carrying with it a tinge of malevolence, and he slowly turned around, searching for its source, when an overwhelming feeling of belonging and power suddenly tugged at his senses.
Aodhán stumbled, but Daruk caught him before he fell.
“Something‘s coming.” He gasped as the feeling grew, intensifying until he felt like he was drowning in it. He lost touch with reality as the feeling reached its apex, and need warred against the terror rising within him.
The feeling soon took form as a large tear appeared in the sky and enormous storm clouds poured into the night sky like ink on water.
Thunder boomed as the sky shattered and bolts of lightning struck the turbulent sea, agitating it further. Lightning continuously flashed within the clouds, heralding a loud crackle of thunder.
The tear healed itself a minute later, but chaos had already poured through the opening, and Aodhán had glimpsed something unimaginable. An entity made entirely of vicious storms, so large and powerful that his mind trembled just thinking of it.
Lightning struck the sea again, and a massive wave rose, reaching up so high that it felt like it aimed to fight the storm.
Aodhán regained his senses at the sight, and Eldridge shouted. “Stop staring and activate the enchantments, you fools.”
A few crew members rushed to a corner of the ship, and a moment later, a shimmering blue shield appeared around the ship. It was just in time, too, as the wave of water collapsed, creating another that slammed against the shield hard enough to leave cracks in it.
“Return below deck immediately!” A man shouted, and the passengers rushed into their cabins, save for a few who had awakened and decided to stay. Aodhán stayed too, but he had managed to convince Daruk to go along with the others.
The rumbling of thunder intensified as the storm grew at an alarming rate, and before long, it resembled one of his fully charged storm clouds, except on a much wider scale. Lightning of various hues crackled and flashed, rippling across the storm’s surface like millions of serpents.
“How close are we to the next island?” Eldridge asked one of the crew members, and the man shouted in reply.
“Roughly three miles, boss.”
“How can we help?” One of the men who had stayed behind asked, and Eldridge shouted.
“You can help by charging the damned enchantments; if that shield goes down, then we’re doomed.”
Aodhán rushed towards Eldridge, but before he could speak, Eldridge shouted. “What are you doing up here, boy? You should be below deck.”
“I’m a storm awakened; I can help.”
Eldridge’s gaze flicked from him to the glowing pendant on his neck before he nodded. “Fine, stay, but I won’t be held responsible if you die.”
“Yes—” Aodhán responded, but Eldridge cut him off. “And hide that flaming pendant!”
Thunder boomed again, and a downpour began. Large blobs of rain fell, hitting the shield with such force that it constantly cracked before repairing itself.
A group of four gathered around the hull, and we’re trying to steady the turbulent sea. Their efforts had very little effect, but Eldridge encouraged them. “You’re doing amazing, guys; just don’t stop, like never ever stop.”
The ship proceeded about a half mile forward before a particularly large bolt of lightning suddenly descended and struck at the blue shield. A cry of pain echoed out as the shield shattered and lightning arced through the entire hull.
With the loss of the shield, the raging winds rushed into the ship, and a moment later, the entire deck was completely soaked with water.
Air awakeneds instantly rushed to take control, but the wind proved too strong and chaotic for them. The people despaired as the wind raged, threatening to throw them out of the ship, but Aodhán couldn’t let that happen.
Thinking quickly, he created a dome construct around the ship, cutting off the wind and heavy downpour.
Ever since the expedition, Aodhán’s control and mastery over his skills had grown by leaps and bounds, and although he hadn’t created any new skills yet, he was much stronger than before.
Still, the large dome wasn’t strong enough to stand against the wind and heavy rain, so it continuously drained his energy to repair the cracks as they formed on it. The loss of energy was serious, but not enough that he couldn’t manage it. Still, he didn’t see himself lasting for more than a few minutes.
This construct gave the crew more time to recharge the enchantments, but as the blue dome began to reappear, the rune scripts sparked, too damaged to function properly, and the shield collapsed once again.
“Oh, for the love of Raol, what is going on?” Eldridge shouted, and Majid, one of the crew members, replied. “The scripts are too damaged; we can’t recharge the shield.”
“For ascendant sake.” Eldridge swore and asked him. “How long can you keep this construct up?”
“Not long enough.” Aodhán replied through gritted teeth as the draw of energy intensified. “Steady, steady.” He whispered to himself as the wind smashed against the dome with a furious intensity that reminded him of a rabid dog.
After a while, Aodhán noticed that although the storm had become more powerful, its size had reduced, and he realized that the storm was consuming itself to fuel the destruction it rained down.
Like a cornered animal, it lashed out, and numerous bolts of lightning gathered into a single point. When Aodhán realized what was happening, it was already too late.
A beam of lightning descended with a speed that he could hardly follow, and it immediately split apart, arcing out like the branches of a tree.
It struck the next instant, and Aodhán’s dome cracked like it was made out of paper; lightning surged through the entire deck even as the sea rose in agitation and the wind raged mercilessly.
Screams echoed out as lightning surged through people, severely injuring some and outright killing others.
Aodhán managed to create a smaller dome around himself before the lightning struck, but it only held out for a moment before it shattered and lightning struck him.
Rather than kill him as Aodhán had feared, the bolt was absorbed into his core, and he was suddenly reminded of his tribulation and how he’d absorbed the lightning to advance his class.
With a hint of greed driving his decision, Aodhán immediately created a platform beneath his feet and, with a flex of will, rose up to the highest point on the ship.
The wind raged at him, and thunder rumbled as if signaling the storm’s wrath. Lightning gathered once more, but Aodhán raised both hands to the storm and prepared himself for the worst. Terror rose within him as lightning built within the storm, and he knew without doubt that this was its last attack.
Quickly, he focused his mind on the storm above and tried to connect with it. It was surprisingly easy, but the moment he did, he was suddenly filled with an utter loss of control and direction; chaos and destruction filled his mind, and it was a miracle that he managed to keep his footing.
The storm had no sentience or life, but it was driven by an overwhelming will to rain destruction down on the earth, and as he connected to the storm, that will honed in on his position and identified him as the enemy.
Immediately, the beam of lightning shot towards him, and thousands of electrical arcs rushed forward like iron filings to a magnet and struck him with a force that slammed into him like a horde of angry mammoths.
His entire world disappeared as he was slammed into the ship with so much force that his body broke through the deck and into the ship’s belly.
Agony ripped through him as the energy rushed towards his core, pushing it until it was forced to expand. The energy poured into him for what felt like hours, and his core began to strain as pure, untamed energy forcefully rushed into it.
His core ached, and Aodhán desperately pushed the lightning away from him. His core couldn’t take anymore energy, and he ran the risk of shattering it if he absorbed any more.
Agony ripped through him so intensely that he passed out for a moment, and when he finally opened his eyes, all he saw was chaos. He found himself at the bottom of the ship, surrounded by burning and shattered wood. Water rushed into the broken ship, and cries of terror and pain filled the air.
His ears rang and his eyes watered as smoke rose from the burning ship. Slowly, he pulled himself up from the wreckage, covered in welts and injuries too many to count.
Slowly, he turned to take in his surroundings, but the sight that greeted him was one of blood and gore. Broken bodies lay around the ship, and the screams of panicked passengers filled the air.
He watched as a man and his daughter blindly rushed out of their burning cabin and were immediately decimated by falling wood and metal.
Disgust and horror roiled through him, and as he vomited his guts, a voice rose up within him like a whisper.
“This is your fault! You did this! You killed all these people.”