• Closed • Into the Storm (Graded)

[Ricky]

Ymiden 20th 718, Afternoon

Oi stared hard. We'd no doubt braved a number of turbulent storms an' rollin' waves, but none were greater tan te one before us now. Even wit' all m' tenacity t'ere still lingered apprehension, Oi wasn't honestly sure if te Windrunner could handle a force o' nature this strong. T'erefore Oi watched in suspense, wary of te dark an' heavy clouds t'at loomed menacingly overhead. We truly were bravin' te great unknown...

The massive dark clouds that loomed overhead had unleashed intense amounts of rain, the waves of the sea themselves felt more animistic the further the sloop sailed forth. Enrick honestly wished they had found a place to port since they were only mere trials from the shore before, but now it looked as though the entire sea itself would engulf them once more. There was nothing in terms of land, just the blackened sky that stretched onward for miles. Even the line of the horizon look darkened when it merged with the sea, which only foreshadowed how long this intense storm would continue to pound against the Windrunner.

Even now he felt the ship try to veer off course as he held the wheel in place, his intent to pilot the ship forward and true challenged by both sea and storm alike. The winds were more turbulent than he could have anticipated, and each wave that they rode over felt as though it were about to throw the sloop away. But he wouldn't let it. No they had come this far and he wasn't letting the sea swallow them whole now, he felt fear but that same fear created determination to persevere. While he knew the risk of braving a storm front this intense, he also knew that charting a new course now was even riskier.

The waves were far too unforgiving to attempt a veer into the direction of safety, and even then safety wasn't really something they could see anymore. They were literally caught in the fury of the storm, probably one of Chrien's most nastiest creations yet. Enrick hoped that wasn't the case of course, he didn't wish his sloop to be capsized in the midst of the quaking waves. But Seven hells they were incredibly huge! Each one almost felt mountainous as the sloop scaled them, with every moment at their peak a spacious pause before it finally raced down the summit. The fisherman never felt his own stomach roll so many times in his life, as he became increasingly unsure as to whether or not they'd pull through intact.

Qit was there with him though and if she saw him cowering now, she'd definitely chide him over it in some way later on. The apprehension in his form remained at bay, but naturally the shifting hues of his irides could easily tell all. Bronze with an array of turquoise even orange paletted their scope, as his eyes looked intensely into the storm bearing over them. Thunder blasted with such ferocity that it felt as though his whole body was close, as lightning struck several times within overcast of the darkened sky. "Holy shyte!" Enrick had to blink a few times after witnessing that, his vision dazed just a little as he watched the sails; which erratically tugged every which way in the gales that blasted them.

[Qit'ria]

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The ocean spirits were restless it seemed to Qit. She was there upon the deck of the Windrunner, one hand gripped tight around the rail, knuckles whitened from the strain, her other hand underneath her swollen belly. It was strange, before they'd come upon the storm, or rather, it had come upon them, her daughter had been violently kicking. She was a strong one for sure. Of course she was. Qit was strong, and her red eyed lover was stronger. Still, she would've appreciated a few less bruises on her internal organs. Though as soon as the storm started, her daughter settled down. She was calm, despite the fact the storm was throwing the ship every which way. At least Qit'ria wasn't getting seasick from it. A benefit of being pregnant perhaps, or so she thought.

The ship took a hard turn into a wave, and Qit was slammed into the rail. She didn't cry out in pain, she couldn't let Enrick hear her being weak. Not him, not anyone. More bruising, but at least she'd managed to twist so she struck with her hip and not her belly. At least he didn't notice, busy focusing on driving this boatship. She was getting bored on this journey. She wanted to be off this boatship, free to run, swim, fly. She was in a prison here, in a prison with her pregnancy. Her spark was constantly rebelling against her, demanding she change, and she'd been struggling to sleep thanks to it. Meditation was helping but it could only go so far.

And there was the Thirst within her too. Last night, she'd stirred in her hammock, looking over to see Enrick in his. Her eyes were locked on Enrick's mouth, not caring that he snored like a bear, and her spark had been fluttering. It wanted to flay again. Now that it knew it could, it wanted more. It had enjoyed Rynata's sweet, delicious soul. Qit'ria looked at the crescent scabs formed in her palm from driving her nails deep to fight it back. She was becoming a monster. She'd chosen to become a monster. And now she was losing control. She shook her head. She couldn't let it harm her baby, couldn't let it make her into a killer. She wasn't one. She would never be one of those monsters that had robbed her world of her sisters, shattered her family.

He was a killer. Noth. The name of her baby's father, the name of her lover, the name of her mate. He thought he could get away from her so easily. Once she'd given birth and recovered, she was going to Etzos. She would find Zeepa, and find out where Noth was. She was angry. He'd used her. Hurt her, not physically. But she wanted to hurt him. Make him feel something of what he felt. And to see his shame for being a father that wasn't there for his child. She wanted to see him cry.

Lightning cracked across the sky, revealing the waves in the distance that seemed big enough to swallow their little boatship without even noticing. She heard Enrick yell in alarm and rolled her eyes. It's a storm. There's always lightning, no need to be so dramatic. On this journey, Qit hadn't visited him at night a single time, rebuked his attempts at affection, or getting to know her better. She barely spoke to him, other than when necessary. Cold. She was extremely cold to the man. Because in her mind, he was not enough. Just another tool to get her what she needed. Something to be tolerated. She'd protect him, of course, but not at the cost of her own life.

She continued to watch the sea stoically, immersing herself in the sensation of sounds, battering winds and warming water. This was her meditation of the moment. By listening to the storm, by feeling it, she couldn't hear her spark. And it was wonderful. And so, she smiled.

[Ricky]

Qit'roa held and maintained a tight grip against the guard rail of the sloop, while Enrick himself strained to keep himself at the wheel. With the pegs covered in water as well as his entire form his grip often remained challenged, even when he held onto the inner parts of the wheel a certain way. Water from the splurged over the rail onto the deck as they hit another fierce wave, as if the rains already hadn't drenched the inside of his boat enough. He had hoped water didn't take leak inside the bow or storage by chance, otherwise it would lead to a very bad turn of events for them. Especially if neither of them made plans long term plans to swim to Desnind, not that it would've been too big of an issue really...

But braving the waters in this kind of weather was far more dangerous, ship or not one would find themselves lost within the tumultuous storm. Yet he didn't waver from his course, but rather adjusted the wheel where it seemed most convenient to do so. The boom of the mainsail turned in response to his adjustment, while the fabric of the sails continued to aggressively flap within the wind. He felt the body of the ship pulled into some kind of tilt just shortly after they peaked another wave, the climb met with another rapid descension as saltwater sprayed the both of them hard. Enrick clasped his arms tight at the wheel, hands angled to keep the damned thing from further slipping.

From such an amount of heavy gripping his hands felt icy and hot at the same time, as the surface of his tanned knuckles seemed to lighten also. He'd very likely wind up with a few extra blisters and calluses on his hands, that is if they made it through the thick of this storm in one piece of course. He didn't wish to gamble, let alone tempt, the odds with fate already; therefore focused on weathering the next wave to come upon them. More lightning cracked the sky above them, and the flash appeared much closer to the ship this time compared to before; while the thunder that followed immediately afterwards rattled his very bones.

Somehow Qit was putting on a braver face than he expected her too, lost within her own meditation even though they both had to focus hard. Enrick more so on piloting The Windrunner, while Qit could've very well just sought refuge inside the cabin if she wanted to. He didn't really understand much about her lately, only that she carried something more precious than any cargo Enrick did. Weather like this on a ship much like the sloop definitely wasn't meant for someone in her shoes, yet here she was embracing the sea in one of its most temperamental states. Secretly the fisherman admired that about her, but while he wanted to enjoy the trip the way she did; he definitely needed to keep his mind on the task at hand.

Survival. Making sure that the three of them would reach Desnind together, and hopefully afterwards figure out a way to bridge this immense gap between them. The next wave hit just as hard as the previous one and he growled, his teeth clenched as droplets of rain fell from every part of his form. He looked ahead to gauge the next wave as the wind changed direction suddenly, demanding for the mainsail to bend to it's whim if he didn't comply. A whirlwind gusted from the portside and he quickly responded with a turn towards the left, adjusting the boom so that it rested at a position less compromising. Had he not done so then the risk of capsizing would've been a lot higher on this next wave, but when the sloop reached the waves peak the wind yet again whipped another direction in their descent. Fuck.

He needed to furl the sails at this rate; the winds were getting too chaotic, and sailing with them even more questionable. If they could just brave the waters until the worst subsided, then he could better pilot the ship through the remainder of the storm. The wave that washed aboard his sloop crashed hard, sweeping from the portside all the way across towards the starboard as anything insecure tumbled. The force of the wave knocked over one of the barrels but thankfully the guard rail caught it in time, however some other essentials were potentially bound to be missing from that last wave. "FUCK!!" He cursed a heavy nod as the color red saturated his irides next, while he growled further aggravatedly at the rumbling skies above. "FUCK T'IS!"

He about kicked the base of the wheel for a moment, until he remembered what he needed to next before the next wave hit. Therefore he grabbed the spare rope he kept close to the wheel, and then looped it around the sections needed to give it enough feed. While the wheel would slightly turn depending on the wind, he didn't see it doing anything drastic since the boom would be held in place. Thus he moved almost in a teetered fashion towards the mast, where the rope for the mainsail was as the next wave approached. It was gonna be a big one...

[Qit'ria]

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Qit'ria continued to brace herself against the storm, not afraid of it, but looking out into it. She embraced it, and let it embrace her as well. She let the rain soak her to the bone, let the wind whip around her form, and to her, they combined into a loving caress of the elements. When the lightning flashed again she closed her eyes to it and watched the glow through her eyelids. She stretched her arms out taking in the storm. When the thunder cracked, she opened her eyes once more.

And that's when she saw it. Out there in the middle of the storm. It was some sort of... being or phenomenon in the center of the storm. Qit was amazed by the beauty of it. She didn't know what it was, and yet a part of her did. A primal part of her, something older than her life, knew what it was. A wind spirit. She'd not seen one before, and yet she knew she was right.

While the winds buffeted about in the storm, the spirit was unphased. She watched it, absolutely entranced by it. To her, it was a jewel of nature, a being so pure and primal that it was better than her own people. She wanted it to come closer, for the ship to go to it. But she didn't know how to communicate with spirits. She wondered why it was here. Was it creating the storm? Or did the storm create it? Would it harm her if it came close? Or would her presence offend it?

She wondered what a wind spirit ate. Did it eat wind? Make wind? Both? Neither? She wondered if she created her own wind, if it would notice. Well, it was gonna look weird, but she didn't care. She took a deep breath in through her nose, held the air way down in the bottom of her lungs. Then she blew every ounce of air she had out into the storm, as hard as she could. She continued to blow until she was blue in the face and was getting light headed. Her chest heaving she continued to suck in air, then blow it back out.

But the spirit didn't move.

She wondered how the Wind Talker she'd met made the air move. She assumed they had a spark like she did, just theirs did something different. Maybe she could teach her spark how to do it. She took in another deep breath, and held it there, she then tapped into her own spark, pulling ether out, and flooding her lungs with it as well, just as she would do when undergoing a transformation. But she let the ether sit there, wondering if maybe she could flavor the air within her with it.

She then blew it all out again. But the ether didn't change, it was still in her lungs, and she sighed, putting it back into her spark. Her magic just didn't work that way it seemed. She was disappointed, but continued to watch the beautiful wind spirit while ignoring Enrick's yells and screams, holding onto the rail tight as the ship continued to buck and bounce.

[Ricky]

As the rushing water started to pour over from the rise of the enormous tide, Enrick grabbed onto the mast for dear life shortly before they reached peak. Sure enough the throw from the wave yanked him back as arms locked him in place, and the sudden push against his balance shifted into a pull. Down did the simple sloop descend into the next wave, as an massive otherworldly entity appeared looming within the skies overhead. At the heart of the whirlwind which battered his ship seemed to exist something, what it was however proved far beyond anything Enrick had ever seen. Nobody back in Scalvoris would even likely believe it, were he to return with the story of a colossal entity creating the storm.

But colossal it was and feed into the gales it did, as both water and air swirled in tandem around it. The very proximity cracked as lightning flashed in the vicinity, and Enrick nearly forgotten what exactly it was he was supposed to do. The mast... if he didn't secure the sail then they'd be in a world of trouble, for the winds were proving too wicked to leave them open. Enrick felt the rush of the ship's momentum lessen which meant they'd reached the bottom of another wave, so he had a short window of opportunity before the next climb into another impending wave. He was a fool to think he could've managed it all by himself, sailing out this far into the open waters without any experience or idea with what the sea was like! Quite the fool for thinking he'd be able to handle it, let alone provide safe passage to someone such as Qit with little certainty.

It was too late to regret the decision now however, far too late to kick himself in the ass for it as well. With the knot of the secured line tugged at a few times, the rope loosened as it became entwined around his right forearm. Just as he felt the sloop tilt once again he used the change in balance along with his weight, and hauled with everything he had to coil more of the sheet around his arm. Sluggishly the boom of the mast rose and fell with each pull, until the mainsail finally started to catch just slightly less pull from the wind. The Windrunner met another peak and within moments, shifted into another downward tilt as the sea sprayed aboard his ship. Enrick reached behind him to grapple onto the doorway of his cabin, his fingers pressed hard into the wood so grip wouldn't fail him at this point.

His heart pounded heavily however as it felt like he were close to slipping, until finally the ship leveled out beyond another rolling wave. His eyes still stung from the salty rain, he glanced back over to Qit as she seemed too enraptured by the sight of that thing. Was it a creature? Part of this world even? Regardless the task was only halfway done and just as the next rise came, Enrick's older fishing gear slid across the deck while he continued to haul. The mainsail was finally closed before they reached the top and as he moved forward towards the mast, Enrick his balance tilt forward with the rest of the ship. A wave of water surged across the deck once more as the nose of the ship nearly dipped underwater, which caused the loose gear to wash overboard while the water gushed past his ankles.

Driven to try and salvage what he could he quickly fed the amounts of rope he coiled around the mast. Enrick tried to hurry before the next tide but a slip allowed the rope to free the mainsail a little, therefore he had to yank it in a few more times before tightening the rope. Once the line had been secured enough he started to knot it again, the slippery sheet practically working against him at this rate. After he slipped it into a couple of questionable knots, Enrick looked up to make sure the sail remained secure before letting go. From the looks of it that would manage for the time being, as for the old gear it looked as though the deck had been wiped clean off. "Fek!" He cursed towards the howling sky as he stepped away from the mast, before noticing that the boat seemed to angle in the direction of the entity. If that were the case then....

He needed to get back to the wheel immediately, change their course by using the rudder to pilot away from it. Just as soon as he looked from the mast to the wheel though, he noticed something else moved his way in short notice. The boom. "Qit!" He didn't know why he called out her name, she wasn't even the one in immediate danger at the moment. Maybe because he wanted to alert her that he'd experience trouble soon, or maybe he just hoped that somehow she was away of what he'd soon face. Either way the last thing he saw was the boom shaft of the sail swing towards him, and then he felt the world spin into a darkness as it remained the last thing he saw.

Enrick fell backwards onto the deck from the force of the hit, almost unconscious, as searing pain filled the entirety of his facial area; especially the eyes and forehead which had been the impact zone. The stinging salt from before felt almost like fire now, as Enrick could find the strength within him to open his eyes. He felt the ship rise into another tide and clung onto something, anything, relatively close for fear of being washed overboard; as the color of silver oozed from the gash over his eyes. Impossible for him to tell naturally but for Qit, she'd quickly see the open wound on his forehead. From over his right eyebrow all the way towards the left eyelid, the slanted gash slowly covered his nose and soon after his lips. Enrick could taste the iron in his blood and he knew then, that he'd actually been severely injured from the blow he'd just took.

[Qit'ria]

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Qit turned at the sound of her name only to see Enrick get thrown to the deck by the large wooden piece of the boatship. She didn't know what it was called. He was bleeding instantly, and she saw the gaping wound on his forehead. It didn't look so bad. She'd suffered worse. Though it was curious. Silver blood. She'd only ever seen red blood. She watched as the rain washed it away just as fast as it leaked out. She hoped he was alive, she didn't know how to steer the ship during a storm.

But she was no healer either. The ship was bucking and yawing all over the place, threatening to capsize now that it was out of control. Qit knew she couldn't stop it. Not alone, and Enrick looked down and out for now. She turned to face the spirit once more, one hand keeping her steady against the rail. Desperation called. Qit shouted at the top of her lungs in her native tongue, "Help us! Please! Help us to Desnind!"

The storm continued to rampage, and the boat yawed to the side and Qit'ria slipped, falling on her side. She clutched at her pregnant belly with one arm, the other holding onto the rail, bulging from the strain. The ship deck was nearly perpendicular with the sea, barrels and anything else not completely battened down slid off into the waves. Qit felt her legs begin to dangle.

Another desperate cry, "Help us reach home! Blow our sails the whole way! Be our winds! I will bring life into the world, I will teach her the winds!" The ship fell back into the proper alignment but the storm continued to rage around. A massive wave crashed over the side, soaking Qit. She couldn't even see Enrick anymore, and as far as she knew, he'd been thrown overboard. She knelt against the rail, "Take the ship as sacrifice! I honor you. Please!"

She bowed her head, doing everything to show she wasn't scared, to show subservience to this spirit, to be respectful of it. The ship jerked, tossing her onto her back. She looked up to see that the sails were full of air, and the ship was speeding over the water. Her eyes grew wide. She watched as the sails moved this way and that, to move with the waves, avoiding the worst spots, but continuing onward.

She sat upright, leaning against the rail, taking it in. The spirit floated above the ship and the winds were guiding them from the storm. The dodged around the biggest waves, hopped over crushing drops, and the rains seemed to only be light upon the deck. She looked over, seeing Enrick's arm sticking out from a pile of boxes and nets. He was still here. She crawled over to him, slowly pulling him out of the pile. He was mostly unconscious, head lulling about, silvery in blood. She pulled his head into her lap, and undead her breast straps. She pressed the cloth to his wound, just as Faith had done to her own wounds before. She looked to the sky and watched the spirit work. It was one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen, and for several hours, Qit watched as the spirit guided them out of the massive storm and into smooth waters.

Once sunlight shone through, she could no longer see the helpful spirit, but the winds continued to favor their ship, guiding them southward. And Qit smiled the whole time, thanking the spirit with every breath.

[Pig Boy]

Enrick
Knowledge:
Skill
Seafaring: Handling Rough Waves
Seafaring: Securing Sails From Rough Winds
Strength: Keeping The Wheel From Turning
Strength: Using Limbs To Coil Rope
Acrobatics: Keeping Balance Aboard Ship During A Storm
Endurance: Hitting Your Head On the Boom
General
Personal: An Encounter With A Spirit of Wind
Personal: Blinded From Injury
Spirits: Manifest In Unexpected Ways
Spirits: Can Manipulate Elements
Loot: N/A
Injuries/Overstepping: Gash causing temporary blindness. This was healed in a later thread.
Renown N/A
Wealth Points: N/A
Collaboration: (Yes)
Magic Experience?: (No)

Points: 15


Qit'ria
Knowledge:
Skill
Becoming: Not able to infuse ether into air
Detection: The sight of a wind spirit in a storm
Discipline: Staying calm in the face of a storm at sea
Investigation: Blowing air out to see if a wind spirit notices
Leadership: Some people are just tools to be used
Meditation: Immersing oneself in the storm
Negotiation: Offering sacrifice to a spirit
Strength: Gripping a rail tight
Loot: N/A
Injuries/Overstepping: I don't think so? Anyway, this is an old thread so all those injuries are resolved.
Renown N/A
Wealth Points: N/A
Collaboration: (Yes)
Magic Experience?: (No)

Points: 15

Comments:

I always enjoy a struggle against nature, in this case a very real nature spirit, although it may just have been there by happenstance, it was an interesting subplot to add to the struggle against the storm.

Qit'ria, you listed a gash on the forehead that caused blindness, however I only noticed that Enrick got gashed on the head during this thread, so I'm thinking that was a mistake of copy paste. I got my eye on you...

Otherwise, this was a wonderfully written thread by both of you. I wonder if that wind spirit was just there to feed on the force of the winds, or if it had something to do with causing them. It was interesting to be let into Qit's thought process regarding it.

Enrick handled himself admirably, given the dangerous storm that raged, and thankfully all appears to have resolved itself regardless of their difficulties. As I said I really enjoy these nautical nature vs man plots, and you had a great way of bringing those struggles to life.

Way to go you two, I hope to see more teamups in the future between these pcs.