The vast waters of the sea were calm and uniform with the midday sun shining over everything. It was harmonic in a way. The Conquistador cut through the water like an axe through wood. The water parted before its scarred hull. The sailors sang different shanties, whistling as they went about the deck.
In the captain's bridge, Captain Ramirez stood over the control panel. He peered through the windscreen. The beautiful blue reflected in the waters they cut through. The sound of the waves dancing were soothing to his ears.
The first few hours of the trip were uneventful at best. Except for the constant sparring between the two Ushari tribe members. The sound of the colliding bodies had been disrupting his peace.
'Good thing its over. Now its just me and my baby' he gently patted the control panel, a wistful smile on his face.
Making sure all was in order, he stepped back for a moment and turned towards the coffee machine at the back of the room. The glass jar was already half filled with brewed coffee. Steam rising from its surface.
Pouring the coffee in a mug, he took a sip. The warm liquid wash down his throat with a deep satisfaction. Bitter and hot. Just how he liked it.
Ramirez took another sip and turned towards the control panel once more. A look of regret came on his face.
'I really shouldn't have looked at that' he lamented.
The readings on the barometer had spiked. The wind had changed directions as well. And as though the universe wanted to make a point, the lad from before came rushing into the bridge.
"Captain!" he called out from the doorway. He stopped in front of him his breath slightly uneven. The boy must have ran all the way here. "Dark clouds are gathering. A storm's coming"
"Yeah…" Ramirez took one more sip then placing the mug down he said: "…a big one"
"Orders?"
"The usual preparations! On the double! Can't be losing any cargo today, you got that!"
"Yes sir!" the lad ran off to relay instructions.
He watched him go before looking forward once more. "Now then guess its time to show the world why this baby's called the Conquistador"
…
Indeed the storm was big and the waves were harsh and unforgiving. They slammed against the hull of the ship. The waves that had danced so freely before now struck with aggression.
The tranquility was gone.
In the bridge, captain Ramirez felt the Conquistador tilt to one side before it was thrown to the other. No matter how much the waters raged and struck, the ship would always find a way to regain its balance.
Thunder struck from above and rain fell in a curtain, spilling on the deck.
The storm was big indeed, but the Conquistador had nothing to fear. The vessel had survived the titanic monster called the Kraken in the depths of the Atlantic. It had been dreadful but they had prevailed nonetheless. Coming out with nothing but dents and scratches.
This storm was nothing.
The only thing he had to worry about though was the cargo.
The invisible hand of Poseidon lifted the ship up. For a few precarious moments the propeller beneath the stern was exposed to the world.
The sea men were terrified. It really felt like they would meet Davy Jones at the bottom of the ocean.
Captain Ramirez lost his balance, his feet almost failing him.
His grip tightened against the wheel. He couldn't let go else all would be lost.
"Dammit the bolts are getting loose!" he heard a horrified cry come from the deck.
The captain gritted his teeth. Straining with a hand, he grabbed the radio and quickly brought it to his lips.
"Keep the cargo aboard you seadogs!" he yelled before dropping it. He left it dangling from its cord attached to the roof. He grabbed onto the wheel. He could aready feel his arms as he wrestled with the wheel.
Perhaps...This storm wasn't nothing.
***
At the same time as the captain fought to control the ship's wheel...
Ushanti was fighting to keep her feet on the floors of the lower deck. She wanted to curse at somebody, all she got in return was the floor disappearing beneath her feet. It tilted to the side, throwing her into the wall.
She landed in the small corridor between cabin beds. She rubbed against the back of her head attempting to dull the pain.
'Curses! What in the world?'
Shay on the other hand, stood as still as a statue with her arms crossed. Her feet glued to the floor.
"What…how…?" Ushanti couldn't keep her mouth from hanging open.
Shay gave her a look. "Have you been keeping up with you Aether control practice?"
Ushanti grit her teeth and looked away in embarrassment. "I just haven't gotten to it yet"
Shay laughed. "Still having trouble huh"
"Shut up!"
"Keep the cargo aboard you seadogs!" the captain's boisterous voice suddenly tore through the atmosphere.
Both Ushanti and Shay looked up at the speaker in the top left corner of the room.
"Stay here princess. Phay and I will make sure the goods are secured" Shay said.
"What! But I can help!" Ushanti shot to her feet only for the ship to tilt once more. She fell again.
"You can barely keep yourself steady" Shay twisted the door to the chamber and stepped out. The door shut behind her.
Ushanti's shoulders slumped. Her fists balled to her side. It was in moments like these that she remembered just how useless she could be sometimes. Among her peers she was the most talented when it came to the use of the spear. However, when it came to Aether control...she was the worst.
Ushanti looked at her hand for a moment. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. Soon she felt a torrent of Aether flowing within her body. It was as thick and free. No different from a speeding river travelling down rapids.
She tried to take control of it but the river of Aether was disobedient. It wouldn't listen. It never listened no matter how much she tried.
"Dammit" her eyes stung with unshed tears. How was she supposed to lead the people of Quescue as the future queen if things continued to be like this?
…
The large ship tilted.
Up on the main deck several containers were cut loose. The straps that had held them in place too strained to hold out in this storm. Several much smaller boxes of cargo had already flown overboard.
The sailors were up and about, trying their best to savage what ever was left. It was easier said than done.
The floors of the deck were flooded. Water almost reaching their ankles. The floors were slippery. Keeping a steady foot would have already been difficult. And the constant tilting of the ship made it an absolute nightmare.
There were fifteen sailors and over 6 large containers that had to be transported. Of the 6, 2 had their bindings loose in this pelting weather. Fortunately, though not all was lost. In fact despite the raging seas- the angry clouds and the pelting rain, the sailors were putting up quite a fight.
The bindings of the two cargo boxes had completely snapped, the sailors had managed to grab on to them. They pulled upon them, holding them in place. That kept them from going overboard. Yet, they were not quite able to lock them back in place. Not with the unsteady footing.
Instead they were locked in an all-out tug of war against that very seas.
"Pull men! PULL! Or the cap'tain's gonna throw you over!" a burly, muscular man with a grey bread as thick as a mop yelled above the thunderstorm. The wind billowed, pushing them forward and causing their feet to slide across the deck.
And yet none of the sailors who were with him let go. Seven sailors held onto the shipment he was pulling while the rest were holding onto the second one.
Shay rushed over to the deck. Along the way she met her sister, Phay who had already been heading for the upper deck. The two didn't say a word to each other and honestly there was no need. Still Shay felt as if her younger sister had grown a little distant. Ever since she was assigned to work with the Alchemist.
Shaking off her stray thoughts. Shay decided it was better to focus on the task at hand.
The two moved with practiced ease. The soft patter of their leather boots being the only sound between them. Despite the constant tilting of the floor, the two of them never swayed or wavered. It was almost as though while the rest of the world was turning upside down, they weren't affected in the slightest.
It wasn't until they were at the doorway that opened to the main deck- and heard the struggling grunts of the sailors, that they finally stopped. Barely a second had passed since they stepped onto the deck and yet they were already soaked from head to toe.
Shay resisted the urge to shiver with the cold wind. She took a look around. Further ahead, the crew was struggled to keep the cargo afloat. They also had trouble keeping themselves upright. And yet no matter how many times they fell, they refused to let go.
"You have to admit. For mainlanders, they are quite resilient" Shay said to her sister.
Phay didn't reply instead she kept her eyes forward for a little bit and then her eyes widened slightly. She rushed forward.
A small pocket of air and rain exploded behind her.
At the same time, the grey bearded man was too focused on his task when he heard someone shout.
"OLD MAN GREY! THE USHARI CARGO!"
'What?' the grey bearded man, Grey looked in alarm. The metal box that the Ushari had ordered was placed at the very tail of the deck. It had been in a good spot sitting very close to the railing but now, it was a perilous position.
Grey froze.
What were they supposed to do now? The captain had clearly stated that the Ushari took great importance in their cargo. They runes carved into it were testament to that.
And now they were about to lose it.
Grey's jaw set.
As an experienced sailor he took great pride in his work and now to lose even a single shipment...it was unpleasant.
This put him on the spot.
The metal box etched with runes groaned and groaned some more. And then the bindings finally snapped.
The box toppled. It flipped and rolled towards the railing. A few more seconds and the cargo would be lost at see.