Chapter 9: The Torrential Ocean Stirs
Balthazar stumbled about as he tried regaining his footing, the ship rocking back and forth. He tried holding up Locke’s arming sword as his friend had instructed him, but he found himself far too occupied trying not to be thrown off by the ship being rocked about in the stormy weather. “How are you standing like nothing’s going on?”
Locke kept making his motions in practice, as if nothing were wrong. “I got used to serving on airships back in the Knights’ Academia. It’s not quite the same as this, but you learn to keep your footing all the same so you’re not falling down mid-deployment. Remember, your footwork matters just as much as your upper body.”
“And you’re sure about me using this sword?”
“Well, you’ve used it before, and we didn’t exactly have the time to find one your size back in Port Royale. Again, the broadsword is a bit too large for your build.”
Balthazar sighed. He wasn’t weak, but he was by far the shortest member of the party, and frankly, even the arming sword was just a bit too awkward for his short stature. He could use it, sure, but it was obvious to any onlookers that it wasn’t the right size for him. Still, he insisted on trying to hone his swordsmanship, after dueling Locke and Atma proved how much he needed to work on his defenses for close combat. Certainly, under normal circumstances he’d have Locke and the others helping him on that end, but if he wasn’t fully able to fend for himself, he was dead weight. He tried stancing back up, as Locke had shown him, only to stumble again, as it felt as though the ship had rammed into something. “Seriously, what was that?! I knew we hit some rough weather, but nothing this crazy!” He carefully sheathed the blade at his hip, about to make his way to the door.
Normally, Balthazar might have found the sound of rain soothing, but not as the ship rocked back and forth, as sailors cried out on deck, or thunder cracked around them. The Daybreaker couldn’t be in more opposing weather to its name. Balthazar scrambled about the cabin, trying not to be thrown to his feet as the ocean threw the ship about. A week aboard the ship, and there hadn’t been much to hint at the storm, deckhands seeing a storm far off, but the wind’s course ought to have taken it elsewhere. The storm had well and truly crept out of nowhere, striking before dawn as if it had been in pursuit of the ship. Balthazar nearly hit the floor, as the waves throttled the ship, Locke catching him before he did. The two moved to the door leading to the deck, the pounding rain and thunder a deafening cacophony.
“Keep your arms out, be ready to catch yourself!” He had to yell over the roar of the storm outside. Thunder crashed again, followed by a scream. “Follow me, we should make sure people are safe!” He opened the door to the deck, a burst of cold wind and rain showering Locke as he carefully trudged outside, minding his step in the water that washed over the deck. A mast and the deck it was connected to were scorched black by lightning that crashed into it, a few sailors twitching on the ground, on the receiving end of a violent shock. A part of the sails had been set ablaze, miraculously extinguished by the same storm that had lit it on fire. Locke pointed out to a few wayward passengers, startled and frozen in place. “You, you, and you! Help these sailors inside!” Atma burst out from below deck to see how bad the situation was. “Prince Atma, I need you to find Alice and get her to those sailors!”
Atma didn’t question Locke for a moment, heading off with a much better familiarity with the shaking than Balthazar. “You can count on me!”
Balthazar could barely stand, if anything, he felt as though he might vomit from how violently he was getting tossed about. He nearly fell to the ground, when it felt as though the ship had rammed into something, but kept going. “What about me?”
“Can you do anything about any stray bolts of lightning?”
Balthazar grimaced, unsure at first, he eyed the sword at his belt. “Yeah, but I really don’t like the idea I’ve got. What about you?”
“If this is anything like one of our airships back home, I’ll do what I can to help the crew get us out of the storm, but we need some form of damage control.”
Balthazar nodded. “This is going to be really stupid, or pure genius, and I don’t think I want to start second guessing myself right now.” He readied to draw the blade from its sheath as Locke turned to help a crewmate struggling with a mastline snapped loose by the howling winds. Slowly, Balthazar trudged towards the front of the ship, finding a heavy crate to prop himself again, so he could focus on his idiotic plan. He drew Locke’s arming sword once more, holding the blade out in front of him, double handed. Lightning crashed once more, singeing one of the masts, again, a sail lighting aflame even in the torrential downpour. He had to act fast before the ship took any more hits.
Redirection of the elements around a caster was a basic skill that was taught to young mages who couldn’t fully conjure up their own magical energy, and a skill refined as they got older since it was such a cost effective skill. Balthazar was more than proficient in lightning magic, but even he knew that what he was attempting was incredibly stupid and dangerous. Lightning was infamously difficult to redirect, it was far too fast and volatile, not something a mage could redirect with their hands safely unless they’d truly mastered the element. He charged the blade with a touch of Lightning magic, the blade sparking with the tiny charge he gave it, the principle was simple enough, he had to provide a miniscule amount of energy, which would serve as a guide. It smelled of ozone, as when another bolt came down, again headed for a mast, it curved away, heading for Balthazar’s blade, and charging it further to expand the blade similar to how a fire enchantment might. The Dark Mage could feel his body shake with the raw power he had just redirected, and contained. It wasn’t like his own magic, fighting him, wild, and trying to wrestle free of his guidance. As it stood, he couldn’t maintain the energy blade, if he didn’t release it right away, it would more than likely explode in his face. He stabbed the blade out to the open water, guiding the stored power to arc out away from the ship, the kick of it pushing him back into the crate he’d braced against. He was amazed he’d pulled it off, but he knew it wouldn’t be the last bolt he had to stop, the storm relentless.
Locke didn’t panic, as much as he felt like screaming behind his gritted teeth. Even for his experience with heavy turbulence on airships, he was nearly knocked to the deck with the heavy waves, the taste of salt filling his mouth, and burning his eyes as he struggled to the helm of the Daybreaker. As his eyes cleared, for a moment, he could have sworn he’d seen some great mass beneath the waves, as if just below the surface, but he didn’t have the time to worry about it, as the helmsman cried out for help with the wheel, as it fought him and another sailor against the pressure of the ocean. The young knight took to the wheel with them, wrestling for control against the mighty waters.
“Engine’s burnt out from the strain!” A sailor scrambled out from below deck, yelling at the top of his lungs in an effort to be heard.
“We’ve toughed out worse storms than this!”
Lightning struck again, and again the bolt was redirected towards Balthazar, Locke swearing under his breath at his friend’s recklessness. “I don’t think those felt so intent on sinking this ship!”
Balthazar’s heart was pounding as he released the next bolt, and his breathing heavy. He could feel his body tensing in preparation to catch another, but containing the bolt long enough to swing it away was taking a toll on him. It was more like having to cast spells on par with natural lightning, on top of having to contain them. At the rate he was going, he’d burn through his stamina long before they were out of the storm. He braced himself, but nothing came. The tension in his body built and piled on top of itself, until he was sure he would collapse.
When the first note hit his ears, Balthazar could feel his body relax, nearly to the point of going limp. When the second hit him, he was struggling to keep his footing. The unmistakable noise of a harp filled his ears, piercing past the sound of the rain and waves. At that moment, the thunder and lightning seemed to cease, even as the rain continued to pour.
Her voice was smoother than silk, the playing of her harp more elegant than even the richest kings’ finest regalia. Balthazar felt his mind drifting away as he turned to face the figure out at sea. It was hard to tell her size with how far off she was, perched upon a black island jutting out of the sea. The siren seemed to pay them no mind as waves parted away from her. The mermaid’s tail was a warmer shade of blue, even among the darkness of the waves, matched in color by the knightly armor she wore, down to gauntlets which did nothing to obstruct her playing. Her face was entirely obscured by a knight’s helmet, though her beautiful long hair, a deep green in color, flowed all the same, quite literally, as if she were underwater.
The ship careened towards her, bit by bit. Locke grew weaker at the helm, unable to fight against the wheel any more as the ship drew closer and closer. Most were thrown to the ground as the ship came to a sudden stop, not as though they were run aground. As if they were caught by something. Balthazar was flung back, rolling past the crate he’d braced against prior, and landing closer to the mid-deck.
The ship creaked under heavy strain, as something began squeezing it. Balthazar groaned, trying to force himself back up, as he saw the ‘island’ the giant siren sat upon rise up from the water. Among even the most experienced sailors, the thing was considered a myth, or more accurately, a nightmare. According to some, it only appeared during torrential storms, according to others, it brought the storm with it. They’d been stalked by the great ship sinker, Kraken. The ship shuddered, as the beast tightened its grip with its massive tentacles, and more of its body emerged from the water. It was easily twice the size of the Daybreaker, quite possibly bigger still with much of its body beneath the sea. The mermaid perched on its head was indifferent to its actions and continued her playing, as its tentacles teached onto the deck, grabbing hold of the masts.
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Balthazar propped himself up on the handrail of the ship, barely. He could make out a great beak, and rows of teeth in the water, coming closer as the Kraken dragged the ship closer. Faintly, he could hear the rumble of thunder beyond the siren’s song. He struggled to hold Locke’s sword up, his whole body shuddering, wanting to give out and fall. As he was about to falter, he felt a second set of hands on his, Locke at his side, hardly any stronger than he was. Weakly, they nodded to each other, as Balthazar charged the blade, ever so slightly, and lightning burst down from above, with an intensity like nothing before, the two nearly buckling as the blade lit up with blue lighting. They cried out together as they swung the blade, lightning arcing forward, and blasting the Kraken, which bellowed in what felt like a noise that would blast their eardrums, a smell of burnt fish filling the air. The clap of thunder roared out, a reprieve to the siren’s song. The siren atop the creature stopped her singing, though it seemed as if she were unharmed. Balthazar fell first, flat on his chest, nearly unable to move, even as the siren stopped her singing. Locke was next, falling to his knees. Slowly, he turned, as the sound of louder creaking, and an even louder snap! The masts gave way, toppling over, nearly crushing the two, Locke pulling Balthazar out of the way in the nick of time. The Kraken began sinking below the depths once more, the siren leaving its head, and coming closer, her full size apparent once she was up close. She loomed over the ship, eyeing the scattered passengers, with eyes that glowed a cold blue beneath her helmet. She was easily eight meters from head to the tip of her tail. Her gaze was slow, and methodical, tracing the people above deck she could see. As Balthazar’s eyes fell shut, he could see the mermaid dive back under the sea to join the Kraken.
***
It was cold at first, senses fading away to a void, everything except a feeling of cold air, and the scent of salt water. Even those faded, however, as a different sensation crept over, warm, familiar, and gentle. “You’ve always had such a loving heart. I hope that never changes about you.” His mental image was that of someone smiling down at him, an impression so strong, he could almost see them without opening his eyes. There was the feeling of a kiss on the forehead. Balthazar tried to see who it was, only for his eyes to gently be kept closed by the soft touch of their fingers. “Be strong enough to be kind. Be kind enough to have faith in others.”
He opened his mouth to speak, only silence as he tried forming words.
“It’s okay. You can sleep for now, Balthazar.” Once more, he felt the gentle touch of the person who held him, their fingertip running along the back of his hand, as if writing something. It struck him how real it felt, it was completely unlike a dream in how vividly he could feel contact with their finger. He felt himself fading again, any sense of the world blanking, except the feeling of warmth.
***
“Oi, oi! You going to wake up or not?” A man crouched over him, uncomfortably close, his breath smelling of booze, repeatedly tapping Balthazar’s cheek with his fingers. The Dark Mage groggily opened his eyes. “Goddess above, we just about thought you’d kicked it.”
“What?” Balthazar tried recollecting his thoughts, sitting up a bit too quickly, and his head aching.
“Easy there, you took a nasty hit to the noggin.” Balthazar felt up his head, finding himself bandaged. He was inside one of the cabins, a few other sailors and Locke holed up in the same place, standing by the door. Locke waved to him, smiling at seeing his friend okay. “The prince and lass you were with were worried sick ‘bout you both. Cap’n would be thanking you both if he were in better shape. I ‘ave no clue how you two did it, but you saved all of our hides, and you’d better be damn sure we’re grateful.”
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t have a clue either. Where are the others?”
“Another cabin, tending to a few others.”
Balthazar stretched a bit, his body still tingling a bit. He hadn’t taken any hits from the lightning, but guiding it left his body feeling as if he’d rolled across shag carpeting, even hours later. “Locke, you doing alright over there?”
“I’m alright, I wasn’t the one who fell on their face. Is my body supposed to tingle like this?”
“Give it a bit. I’m still staticy too.” It was a bit cold as he sat up, he found himself wearing a sleeveless shirt, his magician’s robe and other clothes folded neatly beside his cot.
The sailor seemed a bit surprised on seeing Balthazar’s arm. “Wasn’t expecting a man your age to be all inked up.”
Balthazar, still half asleep, nodded. “Yeah, most mages get one of these. Two marks can happen here and there, but it's really rare.” He tapped at his right shoulder, and a black, circular mark, in the same style the face of Faust’s core. “It’s an old tradition, an identifier. Up top is our family name.” Avelus. “The center and bottom are what really make it special. The Seers are the one who give the mark to us, and these marks are like a personal prophecy of what could be. They’re never clear, and some people go their whole lives without ever figuring it out. Hell, I’m not sure if mine’s a tree, or crossroads, or what.” He pointed to a black shape in the circle, shaped like a Y. Then to the bottom, representing a tarot the Seer had given him. I; The Magician.
“Then what’s the one on your hand?”
Balthazar paused, waking himself up a bit more, his eyes widening as he stared down at his hand, a new, black mark traced onto it. “That… would be the symbol for Mercury.” He traced it with his finger, his body remembering before his mind that it was what that gentle hand has drawn on his hand. He was quick to stand up, still eyeing the mark.
“Hey, you alright?”
Balthazar refocused on the sailor before him. “Yeah, yeah I’m alright, I just need to get up and get moving a bit.”
Locke frowned, recognizing the subtle confusion in his face. “Since when have you had that?”
Balthazar shrugged. “How long have I been out?”
“I don’t know, maybe a couple hours?”
“Somewhere between a couple hours and now.”
Locke raised an eyebrow curiously. “Come again?”
“I’ve got no clue either.” Balthazar started dressing himself into the fresh clothes left for him. “I’ve got no clue if Alice has done it already, but I should probably set off a signal flare in either case, try and signal anyone out there for help.”
“I’m sure she has, why don’t you just lie down for a bit longer and-” Locke touched Balthazar, trying to stop him, the both of them feeling a static pop that stung a bit as they made contact. “Ow.”
Balthazar stepped past Locke, finding the sky outside still darkened by storm clouds, though far from the heavy storm it had been before. He wasn’t sure how long exactly it had been, the sun before and after he’d woken up was blotted out by the storm. Locke trailed him, making sure he was alright, as Balthazar worked his way to the deck, finding it just as beaten and trashed as before, the masts having crashed through the guardrails, and into a few cabins. Balthazar grimaced, as he faced the open sea. He still felt drained, but as disoriented as he was, he knew he had enough in him for such a simple task. He pointed his finger up into the sky, a ball of crimson flame shooting into the sky, and popping up high in the air, hovering and flickering as it slowly descended down towards the water. “One of those every few hours is standard protocol, unless I’m forgetting?”
“No, that’s right.” Locke sighed. “I just wish you’d ease up a bit, you nearly got struck by lightning, three times. And you tried fighting off one of the scariest sea monsters known to man.”
“Well so did you, and you don’t hear me getting grumpy with you.”
“Well, I’m more worried about what Alice will do if she catches you out of bed.”
“I’ll go lie back down, alright?” Balthazar glanced back over to Locke, before returning his gaze to the open sea. It was still a gray emptiness. The rain reduced to a sprinkle, and the wind bitter against his skin. He shivered, staring out a moment longer. He reached out with his hand, observing the new mark. “Seriously, Locke, I know I like gloves and all, but this is new.”
“You don’t have to tell me, but how? When?”
“You’re asking what I am…” Balthazar’s eyes traced the mark on his hand once more. Out of his focus, starkly contrasted to all of the gray, another red light shot into the air. His eyes moved from the mark to the sea once more watching the flare descend. “You see that?!” Balthazar giddily pointed out where the flare had been. “I think our luck’s turning around!”
“Well I’ll be. Your timing couldn’t have been any better.” Locke smiled. He turned back to the cabins, and the entrance to below deck, calling out excitedly. “We have a flare back! There’s another ship out there, someone get me a pair of binoculars!”
Balthazar followed the protocol that had been drilled into him back in the Academia, shooting off another flare to signal that he had seen them. It didn’t take long for the crew members who could stand on their feet, and other passengers to scramble up top to try and spot the incoming ship. Balthazar sighed as he saw Alice emerge from below deck, an obvious look of disappointment on her face that quickly melted into relief. “Sorry, I know I shouldn’t be up, but-”
“Stop.” She raised her hand. “I’m just glad you can get up and move around at all.” She smiled warmly and hugged him. “You’re going back to bed though.”
“Okay,” he answered meekly, smiling all the same.
“And will you calm down with the heroics? You’re making me look bad,” she teased, and hugged him.
“Easy on the celebrations,” Locke called out. He looked out to the ship, still far in the distance, chewing his lip slightly. He lowered a pair of binoculars a sailor had passed to him, slowly. “That’s not a merchant ship. It’s too small, and it’s not flying a guild banner either.”
“So? Could be an independent ship. Point is, they saw our flare, and are coming to help us.”
“What are they flyin’ then?” The sailor from before looked to Locke, curious, but clearly on edge.
“It’s hard to make out, it blends in with the clouds behind it.”
“Could be the Mist Alliance’s flag. Ye’ got anything a little more for me?”
Balthazar could see the ship now, drawing closer. It would have been harder not to, seeing as the ship was painted a very proud red, that he could make out rather easily, even as far away as it was. A few sailors took note, and started mumbling to themselves. “What? Is red bad?”
“More and more likely to be.” The sailor looked back to Locke. “Son, can ye’ tell me the anything else, before I start thinking ye’ lot are nothin’ but bad luck?”
Locke was silent before answering, waiting as the ship drew nearer. “I can almost make out the name on the bow. The… Vermillion Bird?”
Balthazar glanced about to the sailors, who looked sheepishly at their feet. “That’s really bad, isn’t it?”
“Son, that’s a pirate ship.”