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Chapter 678: The Fool and the Siren against the Storm
🕑 Added 2023-09-20 20:18:43 +0000 UTCAlex didn’t know which was the bigger shock; finding Gel-Dor in the middle of a storm at sea, or seeing the crewman wash overboard. Whichever it was, the lost sailor took priority.
“One of your crew fell overboard!” he shouted, immediately feeling stupid.
‘Of course he knows that, you fool!’ he thought. ‘Why else would he be half- way over the side?’
“I sent him some help!” he shouted again. “But I don’t know how fast it’ll find him!”
Gel-Dor peered through the storm at the crimson-illuminated wizard. “Wait…Alex?” he cried. “What are you doing her—”
A massive waterspout erupted; the ocean swelled as the greater water elemental surfaced with the sailor wrapped in its tentacles. Forceballs drifted to the pair, shining on the man’s face.
He wasn’t moving.
“I don’t think he’s breathing!” the young wizard cried, teleporting to the water elemental, quickly touching it and the sailor. In a blink, they were behind Gel-Dor on the deck of the Red Siren.
Alex—his flight magic stopping him from pitching over the railing—watched the greater water elemental wrap tentacles around a mast, securing itself to the rolling deck.
“Lay him down, but hold him in place!” he called, startling Gel-Dor. The first mate whirled, gaping at the young wizard. “…you were just…” His eyes shifted from Alex to the sailor. “Nevermind! Fan-Dor! Berlamir’s not breathing!”
The first mate crouched by the sailor’s side, as a loud voice came from the ship's stern.
Captain Fan-Dor—shirtless and with every thick muscle bulging—gripped the helm for dear life. His voice was strained. “I can’t let go, brother!” He roared over the storm. “This wind’ll take the ship and we’ll all be in the drink before—”
Pausing, he noticed the newcomers.
“What th—” he shouted. “Arms up! We have—Wait—”
“Brother, it’s Alex Roth!” Gel-Dor was on his knees, rocking back and forth beside the crewman’s still form.
“Have you lost your mind? How could Alex possibly be out here in this storm? Anyway, nevermind that for now, I can’t let go of the helm!” the captain ordered. “You’ll have to help Berlamir as best you can!”
“By the blackest trench!” Gel-Dor pressed both hands to the man’s chest. “Don’t you die on me!”
“Hold on!” Alex knelt beside the sailors. “I might be able to help!” He spoke to the greater water elemental. “Can you suck the sea water out of his lungs? Not the other liquids in his body, just the salt water in his lungs. We just need his airway cleared!”
The elemental gurgled, reaching out with a tentacle, sliding it into Berlamir’s nose and mouth. Letting out another gurgle, the tentacle expanded, swelling in size as it syphoned ocean water from the unconscious sailor’s chest.
“What’s it doing?” Gel-Dor shouted above the wind. “I caught some of your words—they were from an elemental water tongue, right? I understood something about ‘water’ and ‘body’!”
“Yeah,” Alex watched Berlamir’s chest closely. “I’m having my friend here suck the water out of his lungs to revive him—there, all done!”
The tentacle slid from the sailor’s still face.
“Dammit! Check his heart, see if it’s beating!”
Gel-Dor leaned forward, pressing his ear to the crewman’s chest. His face fell. “I don’t hear anything—”
A loud boom exploded, the ship struck a wave, sea water cascaded over the deck, nearly sweeping Alex, Gel-Dor, and Berlamir into the sea. The greater water elemental gripped the unconscious sailor, holding him down as the ship strained. Alex raised his staff, calling a lesser air elemental.
“I need your help. Can you blow fresh air into his lungs?” The young wizard pointed the aeld at the sailor, feeling his power surge, blood magic connecting them as his mana entered Berlamir’s motionless form.
With Mana to Life, Alex shared his energy with the sailor while the lesser elemental gently eased air into his nose and throat.
All around them the wind screamed and sheets of rain pounded the deck.
Berlamir lay stone still…
Until…
He took a deep rasping breath.
His face contorted and his chest heaved.
“What happened?” he croaked, clawing at the lesser water elemental.
“Berlamir!” Gel-Dor shouted, taking hold of the frantic man. “You’re alive!”
Alex sighed. “Thank the Traveller, now we’ve got to keep him and the rest of you that way!”
Black clouds swirled above the ship, moving faster.
He’d been outside the storm; he’d seen how bad it was. He knew there was little chance of it ending soon. If anything, the wind seemed to be picking up.
Time was short, he had to act now.
“We’re gonna ride out this storm!” Fan-Dor’s voice boomed across the ship. “No storm has ever sunk the Red Siren yet, and this one won’t be the end of her or us! Hold tight! We’re gonna make it!”
Another wave crashed across the deck, battering the ship.
Alex didn’t know if Fan-Dor was right—he was the experienced sailor, after all—but the young wizard decided to increase the odds that he would be. Raising his staff, he called on its internal energies, connecting to the elemental plane of air.
Mana raged through him as he thrust the aeld to the sky—lightning cracked across the sea at his back—and the air began to ripple.
Four hulking greater air elementals—shaped like cumulonimbus clouds— appeared in quick succession, crackling with their own internal lightning, swimming through the air around him, murmuring in voices of wind.
“What do you wish of us?”
“Why have you called us?”
“What a wondrous storm!”
“The wind is howling with us!”
“Elemental kindred!” he called. “Those who Sweep Across the Sky, heed my call. Surround this ship with a current of winds to ease the burden on its sails! Help it sail to where I guide you!”
The greater air elementals whispered.
“It will be done,” they said together, rising through the air, encircling the ship.
As one, they seemed to exhale, releasing a tremendous breath, blowing gusts into the storm’s teeth—lessening the impact of the gale battering the Red Siren.
“By Ek-u-Dari!” Captain Fan-Dor sounded amazed. “I can’t believe this! There’s much less pressure on the helm!”
Alex spoke to the greater water elemental. “My friend, I need you to go beneath the ship and control the keel. Hold it steady, keep it pointing forward.”
The greater air elemental gurgled in acknowledgement.
“I know you won’t be able to do it by yourself, but you won’t be alone! I’ll be right back!”
‘Buddy, I’m coming to get you. We’re going to have a lot of work to do in about five seconds!’ Alex informed Claygon through their link.
‘Yes…father…I will be ready…’ the golem answered.
The greater water elemental released Berlamir and slid toward the ship’s port side.
“Wait—” Gel-Dor began, but Alex was already gone.
He appeared in the kitchen, startling Selina, who was doing her homework at the table.
Claygon was already marching toward him.
Outside, thunder boomed as rain lashed the windows.
“Alex! You scared me!” his sister cried. “What’s going on? Claygon said you were coming to get him?”
“Captain Fan-Dor and Gel-Dor are out in that storm!” the young wizard told her. “I’ll be back!”
“O-okay!” her eyes went wide as her brother cast flight magic on Claygon then reached for his arm.
Instantly, they vanished.
“By Ek-u-Dari!” Gel-Dor jumped when they reappeared. “What’s happening?”
“We’re getting you out of this storm, that’s what’s happening!” Alex called back.
The ship was already steadier; the elementals were doing their work.
“Buddy, we’re going to get this ship to safety,” he said. “I’m going need you to pull it. You think you can do that?”
Claygon looked down at the ship for a long moment.
“Father…I could have done it one evolution ago…”
“Perfect, I’ll get you something to pull it with. Come on, let’s get to the front of the ship!” Alex led the golem toward the Red Siren’s forecastle.
“The front’s called the bow!” Gel-Dor informed them.
“We can take a bow after we’re out of this storm!” Alex called back.
“No, that’s—wait, was that on purpose?” the first mate demanded, but the wizard was already focused on the monster he was conjuring.
His inner power—combined with the aeld staff’s energies—reached down to the lower planes, calling a familiar evil spirit.
There came a sound of metal clinking against metal, and suddenly, the hellchainer sprang onto the forecastle, hissing at Alex.
“What do you desire?”
“I need you to conjure a chain!” the wizard shouted over the storm. “As thick as you can make it!”
The hellchainer raised its arms and a massive chain burst from metal links enveloping its body, thick enough to anchor the Siren. Alex cast body enhancement magic on himself then wrapped the chain around the ship’s nearest mast.
His muscles strained with effort.
Claygon took a hold of the chain and flew straight ahead, keeping the links taut.
Alex concentrated, reaching for the last place he’d teleported to. He thrust the staff in that direction, toward home.
“That way, Claygon.”
“Yes…father!”
And he pulled, taking the ship toward Generasi, adjusting direction as it crashed through churning waves.
The Red Siren stabilised, rocking quieted, the sound of groaning and straining planks grew faint. The ship was an island of calm in a terrible storm, being pulled by Claygon, protected by greater air elementals, and stabilised by the greater water elemental below the sea.
Captain Fan-Dor laughed, his muscles relaxing as the helm eased in his hands. “It feels like we’re sailing through a light wind right now! What a difference! This is incredible!”
“It won’t last forever!” Alex called back. “I’m going to keep the summoned monsters here as long as I can, but my staff’s eventually going to run out of power.”
“Can’t be having that!” the captain barked, eyeing the air elementals. “Can those pet clouds of yours blow wind into our sails?”
“Sure!” Alex floated to the main mast. “I can summon another one and have it blow air directly into the sails, if that’s what you need?”
“We’d be much obliged if you did!” The captain suddenly glowered, noticing his crew still clinging to ropes, railings and rigging. “Well don’t just stand there you limp armed bastards! Unless your name is Berlamir, and you just nearly drowned, I want you up and unfurling those sails! We’ve got ourselves a private wind, and by Ek-u-Dari, we’re not wasting it! Up, you lazy bastards, up!”
“Get to work!” Gel-Dor roared, helping Berlamir below deck. “Or I’ll make sure you wished the storm took ya!”
Shoulder to shoulder, the crew of the Red Siren sprang to life, rushing around, unfurling storm sails, raising them up the masts until they were wide and billowing in the wind.
As promised, Alex conjured a fifth greater air elemental, instructing it to fill the sails with wind so the ship could cut through the Prinean faster. With Claygon’s tremendous strength, the five greater air elemental’s wind power, and the water elemental’s guidance below the surface, the Red Siren skimmed the waves, riding them toward Generasi and safety.
They sailed along with Alex repeatedly calling on fresh allies to help as others disappeared back to their home planes. He offered his strength where it was needed, flying from crewman to crewman, helping with rigging, pulleys and sails, helping the ship and its crew get to shore.
In a voice that was like music to everyone’s ears, a sailor announced: “There! In the distance! I see the lighthouse! We’re almost to shore!”
That welcoming beacon; the blue light of Generasi’s lighthouse beckoned to them, calling them to land.
Claygon, Alex, and his summoned monsters took the Red Siren through the worst of the storm, its peak lessening the closer they came to shore. Through lashing rain, the lighthouse’s light grew ever brighter, until—finally, the shadow of Generasi’s walls rose on the horizon.
Shore neared.
Safety lay ahead.
When, at last, the Red Siren reached the port of the city of wizard’s, Captain Fan-Dor heaved a heavy sigh of relief. “Brother, the next time you hear me say I want to go back to Generasi for some excitement? Remind me of this. This wasn’t exactly the kind of excitement I was thinking about!”
###
Author's Note
Hello THIRTY-TWO cool fools, almighty chosen, wise sages, and mighty champio ns! Thank you for your support!
Heeeyyyyy everybody! Guess who's back? Back again?
That's right, it's me!
All in all I had a good trip, but I can tell you more about that in the coming days.
Today, though?
Which you like to see an article that has the first public preview of the Mark of the Fool comic art work?
Check this out: https://aiptcomics.com/2023/09/18/webcomics-aethon-books/
Hehehe I'm getting hyped!
Good to be back, and cya tomorrow!
Comments
George R
Thanks for the chapter
Catherine
I wasn’t sure if he was clawing at the lesser air elemental or the greater water elemental
Logan
What happened?” he croaked, clawing at the lesser (supposed to be 'greater') water elemental.
Woo!! Return of the Red Siren! And the web comic looks amazing!!
