User blog:Leea/The Tale of Voronwe, Chapter 95

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4th Era 171, 7th of Second Seed, Abecean Sea
Even with the anchor dropped, she was still being sucked toward the mainland, inch by agonizing inch. He'd never seen anything like it. Storms - normal ones, that is - never sucked objects into them, like a tornado. This was definitely manufactured weather, if there had been any doubt about it in the first place.

The chain on the anchor was more than taut, and was injuring the wood to which it was secured, chipping and splintering it. Somehow, even from this distance, the storm was sucking them in, he thought dismally. It was like a thirsty mouth on a glass of water, the way it acted. Over the shriek and roar of the wind before and somewhat behind them, he heard the crash of the giant waves as they slammed into the ship, breaking on her shell yet soaking the deck and sails. The waves that didn't hit the Seagull's Catch rolled on westward, towards Summerset, and...somehow...evaporated as soon as they touched the shoreline, feeding the menace overhead. Others that didn't became tidal waves and roared over the land before being sucked back into the sea, taking with them trees and lots of other...debris...before rushing forward again for another blow. With weather like this, there would be hardly any Summerset left before the night was over...or when the storm finally abated.

Aside from the lightning, which lit up the area and angry sky overhead with disorienting purple and white flashes, it was so dark, he had trouble seeing his crew scramble about on deck. He also had trouble making himself be heard over the storm's din; shouting and screaming orders until he knew that afterwards he'd either need a healing potion or a healer for his rough throat...perhaps both, the way this was going.

Kael's attention was instantly drawn to the anchor's chain by a heart-rending crack: he rushed over and saw that the beam holding the chain had cracked badly due to the strain it was under. A glance up revealed that - at the very least - a few more minutes and the sails would be no better off: they were already straining on the masts and rigging. Any moment they appeared they could rip off and fly away like giant, untended kites.

Suddenly, the Maormer appeared by his side and startled him by the glow that he emitted in the darkness: he shone with the brightness of the moons on a clear night. He even thought he saw his own shadow in the light the man gave off, but...perhaps that was the effects of the lightning. Maybe.

"My ship can't stand much more of this!" he screamed over the roar and waves at the mysteriously glowing Sea Elf. "You need to do what you came here to do, before my ship is turned into driftwood!"

In response, the man reached out past him and touched the beam underneath the anchor's chain, and a miracle happened: the pulling and straining stopped instantly. In fact, the chain was loose, like the ship was in calm waters. Before he could be grateful for that, a monstrous roar came from behind and overhead, and he looked up fearfully, afraid at what he might see. His eyes felt like they'd pop out of their sockets at what he saw.

Towering overhead was the biggest wave he'd ever seen...even conpared against the tidal waves he'd watched so far. The straining beats of his heart told him that it was too late to turn the ship or move it, even if he could have. As he was about to scream for his crew - who were standing slack jawed, staring at their approaching doom - to head below deck, the glowing Maormer glowed brighter still and, still touching the wooden beam on the side of the ship, reached up with his other hand as if he could tell the wave to stop.

Captain Kael clutched the main mast behind him with an iron grip as he stared in horror at the roaring wave, coming after them like a moving mountain. Its surface was lit by the lurid lightning, letting him see the violent ripples of tension across its surface. He couldn't seem to shut his eyes against the horror, even though he wanted to. He stared at both the glowing Elf and wave helplessly, awaiting what he now knew would happen to him: he would die today, drowned and beaten by the vengeance of the Maormer.