User blog:Leea/The Tale of Voronwe, Chapter 96

Previous Chapters
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th, 75th, 76th, 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 81st, 82nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th, 90th, 91st, 92nd, 93rd, 94th, 95th

4th Era 171, 7th of Second Seed, Abecean Sea
He thought that maybe the wave would stop, since the Maormer was making that sort of gesture to it, but it didn't. The wave's sound drowned out nearly everything else, including the din from the storm over the mainland. He couldn't even hear the wind or thunderclaps or even the roar of the other waves anymore. As Captain Kael held onto the mast for dear life, the wave came down onto the ship. He wanted to close his eyes but couldn't. Something wouldn't let him. The brightly glowing Maormer remained in his position. He was too scared to even open his mouth to scream.

Just as he thought he was going to die, the giant overhead hit a "shell" of purple energy, which radiated pulses of light as the water - and the damaging debris it contained - hit it full force. The water turned to white spray as it pummeled the energy shield before rolling off with a roar towards the not-too-distant shore. It shortly swept back into the sea, carrying all manner of debris and detritus with it.

He should have been drowned. He should have been one of the debris within the waves, along with remains of his crew and ship. Instead, he was still holding on to the main mast, alive but frightened and confused. He and his crew were alive, and his ship, though somewhat battered, was still whole. In fact, the Seagull's Catch bobbed gently on the water as if she were in some sort of protective bubble, while he and his flabbergasted crew watched the utter destructive abilities of the storm outside, like one can watch a thunderstorm through a window in a house and be in perfect safety. He turned to the still glowing Sea Elf.

"What...what did you do?" he asked, letting go of his grip on the mast. His fingers and hands hurt from the pressure he had been exerting in clenching the wood.

The man resumed a normal standing position and faced him, calm white eyes regarding his shocked ones. "I've warded the boat. You'll suffer no longer from the storm...for the time being."

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" he asked, too bewildered to be angry. Also, being angry at a messenger of the gods - even more so one apparently so powerfull - was not a good idea in any case.

"I had to muster my power," came the unruffled answer, like he was talking about the sun glinting on water, not warding an entire vessel against a storm of these proportions. The Maormer shifted to face the shore. "The warding will remain intact until I get back." He turned his head over his shoulder, glowing white eyes regarding his own blown-away expression. "Do you have a place for the rescued to stay?"

He'd have to move the Moon Sugar, but yes. "Yes, I do." He cleared his throat, trying to regain his nerves. "I'll work on that while you're...away."

"Very good." He turned back to the thrashing shoreline, intermittently lit up by lightning flashes. "If all goes well, I shouldn't be gone long, then you can take us and the passenger away from here, and danger."

And with that statement - not even waiting for a reply - he vanished in a flash of light to match the one he appeared in.