It didn’t take long for The Aegeusson to get ready. Barrels of food were gathered in the time the crew was brought together, all paid for by Ma. Once the ramp was pulled off the docks, the crew got in their places to get the ship on its way. Xavier stretched his arms below the sails and Enzo stood at the back where a rudder would normally be attached. Rosemary leaned against the front of the boat, looking as though she had no specific job at the moment. Magnolia climbed up to the crow’s nest. The captain looked over the crew and nodded to himself.
“One last thing and we can leave,” Captain Buttonwillow said. He made his way to the side closest to the dock and leaned over the railing. “Lexington Winchester! Try to make a name for yourself while I am gone! I will be the Mother of the Port’s favorite after I perfectly execute this expedition! You may have to find a new line of work!”
Rep and Zalan looked a little embarrassed on Buttonwillow’s behalf, considering it looked like he was just yelling at an empty ship. Captain Lexington was still in the captain’s quarters. It seemed he was listening, because it only took a few seconds for the door to smash open and the irate captain to emerge.
“Buttonwillow McKittrick!” Captain Lexington screamed. “I would be astounded… No, amazed… No, bewildered… if all of your crew came back in one piece! Soon they will see just how allergic you are to success!”
“Such flowing words from such a stationary captain!” Captain Buttonwillow forced a laugh. “I hope you are prepared to be bewildered!”
“I am prepared for anything but bewilderment!”
Captain Buttonwillow chuckled to himself and turned to his crew.
“We can disembark now. Our heading is west. To the Island of Remains, my good crew,” the captain said in a pleasant mood.
“That is right! Run from confrontations you can not win!” Captain Lexington called, hanging onto a shroud and leaning toward the sea to shout clearer. “Cowering away is what you are best at! And you are not even good at that!”
Captain Buttonwillow held back giggles like he won an argument in a middle school classroom. He raised an arm and waved once to Lexington. The boat had yet to make any moves. Captain Buttonwillow looked back at Enzo and Xavier at the stern of the vessel.
“Enzo,” the captain said knowingly.
“Were they warned about the Island of Remains? That the journey is difficult,” Enzo asked nervously.
“It is irrelevant. They have asked to disembark,” Captain Buttonwillow replied.
“What about monsters of the sea?”
“Get a move on,” the captain ordered, increasing the intensity in his voice. Enzo nodded at once.
The boat lurched as it began to move suddenly. Zalan thought it felt strange, like a motor had suddenly turned on within the boat and propelled them forward. He looked around in interest.
Enzo rolled water under the boat to steer it with Elemental Water Power. Xavier fired Elemental Air at the sails to get the vessel moving at an impressive speed. Zalan found the application amazing. There would be no reliance on the winds of the sea or the currents in the water so long as they had the two Elementally included users to steer.
Turning to look at the dock as they drifted away, Zalan witnessed Captain Lexington sulk his way back to his captain’s quarters. He shied away from having to see Captain Buttonwillow set sail while he was left in Oriton’s docks to await orders.
The Aegeusson’s frame groaned as it rocked back and forth on the calm waters. It sounded old, like it had been through many journeys. The waves were low and the ship handled them well, cutting through without much bobbing. The horizon looked as though it drew no closer while Oriton gradually slid away from the crew. Zalan traced the coast to try and see where the Cliffs of Shadow were and could clearly see a darker portion of the coast, especially dim in the evening sun. With this view, it was no surprise to Zalan that Nightbloom only thrived in that portion of the land near Oriton. He wondered what the Boznoks were up to since having completed their trade. How did they react when Zalan and Rep warped out of existence right in front of their eyes?
He looked around at those on the ship around him, slightly nervous about the journey ahead. He would be stuck with these people whether he liked them or not. His eyes passed over Nold and he frowned, unable to figure his instructor out. The man had too many secrets. And ever since the tournament, it seemed he was growing more demanding of them. Nold caught his gaze and smiled affably. It threw Zalan off and he turned away to speak with Buttonwillow, Rep close behind.
“Hey, captain, how long is this journey going to take?” Zalan asked.
“I am surprised that you did not already know the distance to arrival. It should not be long. I suspect it will take us a week to arrive on the shores of the Island of Remains. Weather permitting, that is. The closer you get to the island, the more tumultuous the white caps become,” the captain said, looking out at the horizon.
“A week, huh?” Zalan looked around the boat, hoping he would be free of any cabin fever.
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“Oh yes, and it should be smooth sailing. Unless, of course, we are swarmed by several dozen monsters at the same time. But that happened to us on my last two treks at sea. That means, statistically, it should not happen this time,” Captain Buttowillow said confidently.
“I am not certain that is how statistics work,” Rep scratched his head.
“I know that’s not how they work,” Zalan said, recalling his university classes. “We can take on the monsters, right?”
“With our numbers? Certainly. Unless one of you has Elemental Fire Power. It works slightly, but it is not particularly powerful against most creatures of the sea. We also cannot permit you to use that power as abundantly as the rest, lest you burn our ship. Err, your ship,” the captain corrected himself.
Rep closed his eyes and breathed, looking annoyed at the immediate limitations to his ability to help.
“Very well,” Rep said. “And what kinds of monsters do you normally find out here?”
“You are in for a treat. We will see all manner of creatures. There are Slaughterfish, Poniwhales, Leviathans, and… Hmmm… I can not think of anything else. We saw a dragon once fly overhead, but it did not pay us any mind. It flew North, which by my understanding means it had no destination. They say that dragons that have no aim end up around Aetheria,” Captain Buttonwillow said smiling.
Rep had gone pale. Zalan gave him a look to ask what was wrong and Rep just shuddered.
“You said you came up against Leviathans? Multiple?” Rep pressed.
“Certainly. Such splendid creatures. Absolutely deadly. On our last expedition, they came very close to the ship and started attacking without warning. They would have swallowed us whole, given the chance,” Captain Buttonwillow said casually, with a grin.
“What prevented that chance?” Rep asked, looking up to Magnolia on the crow’s nest.
“Blind luck,” Captain Buttonwillow said with a broad smile. “A thunderstorm brewed overhead and scared off the creatures. Not that you need worry yourselves. I believe Rosemary has an Artifact that will scare off any Leviathans we see on our journey. Probably. We have not tested it. But it will certainly be fine. Probably.”
The ship’s planks groaned. To Zalan, it didn’t sound like they were old this time. It sounded foreboding, like this ship was barely held together. A single crack from a monster tail might put enough of a hole to sink the whole ship. Zalan didn’t like the thought.
“What happens if the ship sinks?” Zalan asked.
“A riddle?” Captain Buttonwillow said with a curious smile, pondering immediately. “Ah, I know this one. If a ship sinks, you get wet!”
“No, I mean literally. If this ship goes down, then what happens? Are there emergency rafts or something like that?” Zalan asked.
“The Aegeusson has never seen the underside of water, and neither will it,” Captain Buttonwillow said firmly, taking umbrage to the implication.
“Seriously. I mean, in a worst case scenario. What’s the backup plan?”
“Can you not swim?”
“We’re just supposed to swim to an island that’s days away?” Zalan asked, already regretting having left without asking these questions.
“We will not be swimming totally on our own. We will surround Enzo and he will move the water of the sea in a way to take us to the island,” Captain Buttonwillow said assuredly.
“We would drown before we arrived. None of us have the endurance to be on open seas for hours at a time. And no man could carry all of us at Level 7,” Rep shook his head.
“He will certainly try,” Captain Buttonwillow said confidently.
The reply left Rep and Zalan speechless. Captain Buttonwillow assumed it meant he said something profound and winked at them then walked away. Rep and Zalan looked at one another.
“We really should have asked about his plan before we left,” Zalan said.
“Should we turn around?” Rep asked, his old nervousness creeping into his voice.
“Turn around?” Nold asked, clearly having been eavesdropping. “No need, I will keep us safe! I could take us there single handedly, given the need.”
Nold placed a hand on Zalan’s shoulder. Zalan rolled it off.
“Are you actually going to fight the monsters we come up against this time?” Zalan asked, a slight accusation in his tone.
“And miss the opportunity to teach you how to combat new monsters? Why would you want my help when you can instead work alone to enhance your power?” Nold asked. “This would be a fantastic occasion to perfect your ability to summon lightning from the sky!” Nold formed a tight fist as though grasping for a bolt of energy himself.
“Nold,” Zalan said seriously.
“Yes, yes, I will assist you. In the case the creature is too difficult for you to defeat on your own, I will step in and destroy it,” Nold said, sounding bothered by having to say it out loud.
“Are you certain that you can take on the likes of a Leviathan? It is like a Basilisk of the sea,” Rep mentioned, skeptical.
“A Basilisk is no match for me,” Nold said boldly. Zalan couldn’t tell if he was totally delusional or merely confident.
“With Elemental Fire, Water, and Sand, I don’t see how any of these would be particularly effective,” Zalan said.
“If I am forced to unleash my full power, there will be no question of my claim.”
Zalan and Rep looked at one another, trying to communicate with their eyes alone. Zalan pointed to his pocket with his eyes. Rep looked down, then smiled and visibly relaxed. Zalan had the Homeseeker on him. Even in the terrible case that the boat was destroyed, they would be able to warp back home. Even the crew could be saved in the case they all fell into the sea. The worst case scenario was that they would get another opportunity to try in the future. Rep nodded to Zalan, confident that they could keep moving.
“That looks like it could be interesting,” Nold said, looking out to the horizon.
Zalan and Rep tried to see what he was gazing at, but failed no matter how much they squinted. They looked back at him.
“Look how the waves fold there,” Nold pointed. “That is movement. Something is coming toward us. Something large. I suspect it intends to attack.”
“What is?” Zalan asked, nervous as he saw the evidence of the hunter now.
“I have no idea,” Nold shrugged nonchalantly.
“Should we tell the crew?” Rep asked.
“Only if you cannot handle it,” Nold said, raising an eyebrow at the two.
Zalan stared in consternation. A fin breached through the water, as large as a broadsword. It looked to be just as sharp too. Zalan raised a hand and prepared to fire lightning. Red eyes broke through the sea, meeting his gaze and challenging him to take it on.