The five motorboats cut through the dark, choppy waves of the
Tempestamic Ocean, their engines roaring against the sea's raw power. Kain's
group had left Veil Village less than an hour ago, set on reaching the Abyss to
rescue Selya from Yariv's grasp. But the sky, which had seemed merely gloomy
until then, darkened suddenly as if a curtain had dropped. A thunderclap boomed
loud, echoing across the waters, and a storm hit them like a slap. Noisy winds
whistled through the motorboats' ropes, tearing off thick raindrops that
pounded the decks like stones. Kain gripped the helm of the lead motorboat
tight, his fingers nearly white from the effort, his black hair plastered to
his face by saltwater. His soaked jacket clung to his shoulders, and his
muscles tensed, fighting to hold the course as the waves tossed the motorboats
side to side.
"Hold on tight!" he shouted to the others, his voice nearly swallowed by
the wind's noise. Ahead, the High Fractures started to emerge through the thick
fog, a treacherous stretch where jagged rocks tore through the mist like giant
stone teeth. Some were so tall they vanished into the darkness, others barely
peeked above the waves, ready to rip any careless hull apart. The sound of
water crashing against them was a constant roar, blending with the rumble of
the motorboats' engines as they rocked. The storm had pushed them off course
from the Abyss, and Kain cursed under his breath, his narrowed eyes straining
to see past the rain's curtain.
Suddenly, faint lights flickered ahead, trembling in the darkness like
candles about to go out. It was a small village, clinging to wooden platforms
that rocked unstably over the rough waves. Old planks creaked under the weight
of crooked houses, and torn nets dangled between them, swaying in the wind like
ghosts. Before Kain could open his mouth to warn the group, a dark shape sliced
through the fog — Yariv's ship, its black sails stretched tight against the
storm, a monster rising from nowhere. A blue light flared on the deck, cold and
sharp, and the Sapphire in Yariv's hands turned into the Water Chain. He swung
his arm with precision, and a giant wave rose from the sea, a wall of foam
roaring as it charged straight for the village.
"He's crazy!" Toren yelled from the third motorboat, his eyes wide as he
gripped his massive sword, his body already bracing for the hit.
"Not again!" Sira muttered from the fourth motorboat, her bow already in
hand, her fingers steady despite the rain.
"Here comes trouble!" Vael laughed, almost excited, his daggers spinning
in his fingers as the last motorboat rocked.
Lirien, on the second motorboat, clutched her broken spear, her blonde
hair plastered to her face. "Yariv and his waves… what a surprise," she said,
her tone dry, but her eyes locked on the water coming.
"Spread out! Help them!" Kain bellowed, leaping from the motorboat with
an agile jump as the wave struck. The water slammed into the platforms with a
deafening crash, splintering planks and hurling chunks of wood into the air
like toys. Screams rang out as villagers ran for the higher parts of the
village, stumbling over slippery platforms, desperate to escape the chaos.
Kain landed on the main platform, the Ruby Sword glowing red in his
hand, the hot bracelet humming on his wrist. He dashed at super speed, the
world blurring into fog and wood, and slashed a flying plank before it hit a
child clinging to a wet rope. The girl, pale-faced and wide-eyed with fear,
grabbed his hand. Kain pulled her to a safe spot on the platform with a quick
nod. "Stay there!" he said, his voice hoarse from the wind.
Lirien jumped off right behind him, her broken spear spinning in her
hands like part of her body. A pirate with a black tattoo — a crow — tried
climbing onto the platform, his knife glinting, but she landed a solid hit to
his chest with the spear's handle, shoving him back into the dark waves with a
muffled grunt. "They don't give up!" she shouted, her blonde hair whipping in
the wind as she spun to block another attack, the sound of creaking wood mixing
with the rain's noise.
Toren leapt from the third motorboat, his heavy sword swinging through
the air like a storm of its own. He shouted loud, a sound that carried over the
wind, and slammed the blade into the platform's floor, the impact making a
crash that shook the planks. Two crows, their dark tattoos gleaming in the dim
light, stumbled back in fear, tripping and splashing into the waves. "Come on,
you cowards!" he roared, his eyes flashing as he raised the sword again, ready
for anyone daring to climb up.
Sira, still on the fourth motorboat, drew her bow with a cold calm that
stood out in the chaos. An arrow flew, cutting the air with a buzz, and stuck
into the ground near a pirate advancing with a knife. The man dropped his
weapon with a startled yell and ran to hide behind a pile of broken crates, his
boots slipping on the wet wood. "Stay back!" she warned, her voice firm as she
notched another arrow, her narrowed eyes tracking movement in the fog.
Vael jumped from the last motorboat, his daggers twirling in his fingers
like toys. He threw one with precision, hitting a crow's knife mid-air,
knocking it down with a metallic clank that echoed on the platform. The pirate
stared at him, stunned, and Vael laughed loud. "These crows never get tired of
losing!" he said, spinning to dodge a clumsy punch and pushing the enemy back
with his shoulder, sending him staggering to the platform's edge.
Kain's bracelet heated up more, the metal almost burning against his
skin, and the Ruby Sword pulsed in his pocket, as if alive, calling to him. He
spun the blade in his hand, feeling power surge in hot waves up his arm, but
before he could charge at the shadows moving in the fog, a cold wind cut
through the air, sharper than the storm's. A small boat, almost silent, slipped
between the broken platforms, waves lapping gently against its hull. Shimon
appeared on the deck, his dark hair dripping water, the Rough Diamond glowing
faintly in his hand like a useless shine. He blew a light gust at Kain, just
enough to kick up salt and dust that stung his eyes, and ran to an old man
collapsed near a pile of torn nets.
The man, his gray beard soaked and his hands shaking, clutched a hot
ring to his chest, like it was the last thing he had left. He might've been one
of the village elders, maybe a keeper of something old, but now he lay there,
his tunic ripped and eyes shut, beaten by the wave's force. Shimon crouched
fast, his nimble fingers snatching the ring from the old man's frail grip. The
metal glowed red as it passed near the Ruby Sword, a pulsing light that made
Kain's bracelet hum even stronger.
"He's after more relics!" Kain shouted, his eyes narrowing as he aimed
the Ruby Sword at Shimon's boat, the blade slicing through the fog with a low
buzz.
Shimon turned to him, a mocking smile stretching his wet lips. "Think
that sword makes you special? It's nothing compared to what I'll have!" He spun
the Rough Diamond between his fingers, the dull crystal reflecting the faint
light without changing shape, and jumped onto his boat with a light leap. Kain
raced at super speed, the Ruby Sword slashing the air in a red arc, but Shimon
threw another gust of wind full of dust and salt, stronger this time, hitting
Kain's eyes like needles. He stopped, rubbing his face with a grimace, and when
the fog cleared, Shimon's boat was gone, swallowed by the storm's darkness.
"Great, another rat faster than me," Kain grumbled, his tone sharp as he
rubbed his eyes, his fist clenched tight.
Lirien stepped closer, her spear resting on her shoulder, a teasing
smile on her lips despite the rain dripping down her face. "Maybe if you
stopped blinking at the fog, he wouldn't have slipped away, huh, hero?"
Kain shot her a sideways glance, a crooked smile breaking through even
with the anger burning in his chest. "Funny, Lirien. Next time, you chase him
with that broken spear."
She laughed, a short, sharp sound that cut through the storm's noise.
"Only if you lend me that shiny sword to fix mine, what do you say?"
"No chance," Kain shot back, shaking his head as he tucked the Ruby
Sword away, the bracelet still warm on his wrist. "You'd trip over the first
crow and blame the wind."
The village was in pieces. Fire rose from some broken platforms, the
flames fighting the rain to spread black smoke that climbed in thick clouds.
Yariv's ship had vanished into the fog, its black sails fading like a nightmare
Kain couldn't catch. He punched the air, furious at Yariv slipping away again,
the sound muffled by the wind. He ran to help a woman struggling to climb to a
safe part of the platform, her arms trembling as she gripped a frayed rope.
Kain pulled her up with a firm arm, his shoulder feeling her weight. "Hold
here!" he said, pointing to a beam that still looked solid. She nodded, her
pale face smeared with soot, and clung to the wood with a low whimper.
Toren and Lirien tossed buckets of water at the flames, Toren's arm
muscles bulging as he lifted one after another, water splashing onto the
planks. Lirien moved fast, scooping water from the waves with a makeshift
bucket, her blonde hair plastered to her back. Sira and Vael guided villagers
away from the fire, Sira pointing calmly to higher platforms while Vael carried
a kid on his shoulders, laughing to calm them. But the village was nearly lost,
the crooked houses collapsing into piles of smoking planks and ashes floating
on the water.
Kain paused for a moment, his chest heaving, the hot bracelet pulsing
against his skin. He stared at the ruins, fists clenched, his mind spinning
with images of Selya dragged off by Yariv, the golden necklace gleaming in his
hand, and now this hot ring in Shimon's claws. The relics were coming together,
piece by piece, and every one that slipped from his grasp was a step closer to
whatever Yariv was plotting. He could feel the weight of it all, like the sea
squeezing his chest, and the anger burned hotter than the fire touching the
platforms.
A deep roar rumbled from the sea's depths, low and heavy, shaking the
rocks and making the waves crash harder against the broken platforms. Vael
stopped, daggers still in hand, and looked at the group, his smile fading.
"That roar again? What the hell is that?" he complained, wiping sweat from his
forehead with his arm.
Kain tucked the Ruby Sword into his pocket, his eyes fixed on the dark
fog swallowing the horizon. "Whatever it is, Yariv's poking it with those
relics," he said, his voice steady but laced with anger he couldn't hide.
Lirien gripped her spear tighter, her face tense as rain dripped from
her chin. "That cold wind… Shimon's been tracking us since the cove," she
muttered, her narrowed eyes scanning the dark sea, like she could spot his boat
out there.
Kain squeezed the hot bracelet on his wrist, the heat climbing up his
arm like a promise of a fight. "We'll hunt them both down. Yariv and Shimon
won't get away with this," he vowed, his gaze hard and sharp as the motorboats
roared back to life, their engines slicing through the storm's silence, ready
to push on through the treacherous sea.