YM778.TV Chapter 53: Kaidos
There was a brief silence that was suddenly broken by the cracking sounds of power as the space between the two ships sparked with intense scorching fire and cutting aura, stones as fast as bullet zipped forward.
The dwarf and his companions drove out of the way as the ice cracked and the wood shattered. The second wave of attack ate through the wooden cruise ship like a bullet on wet paper. Some sections caught fire and began to burn.
Jael watched it all and began to laugh. "That\'s what you get for coming after us unprovoked! And tell your King the new owner of the sea is here!"
Jael saw a flash of yellow eyes and brown fur as they passed. The eyes blazed with fury, but no counterattack came after them from the smoking ship as they sped away.
Litha dropped the shield and smiled. "Not bad for my first-ever fight on the sea!"
They put some of the ghosts on the lookout, and then they formed a ring around a cooking pot. The stove was a bronze-rank artifact that was made for cooking by powering it with mana stone.
"I shouldn\'t be the one to do the cooking," Temur grunted as he added more spices to the boiling soup of meat. "I\'m the leader after all."
Everyone pretended as if they didn\'t hear what he said as they sped along the open sea. Jael looked at the spread of blue, feeling comfortable for the first time they entered this cursed zone.
According to the ghost captain, it would take them at least two days before they reached the lands that belonged to the general. And so far they haven\'t encountered another ship even though they knew they were out there, making their way over as well.
When the food was done, Litha served it and they quickly inhaled it, licking the plate clean. Then it was straight to sleeping after Dile volunteered to keep watch together with the ghosts.
They needed the sleep though, so they could recover their spent energy. Jael happily closed his eyes against the disappearing sun as night came.
****
The spirit was getting bored and anxious, they hovered high above the sky, covered by the clouds while the last of the sun warmed them. "Huh! Why are they not fighting? I made it so they\'ll fight each other until at least six ships survive.
"But they\'re avoiding each other. Are they waiting until they reach the other side before they fight it out?" They looked over the sea; their eyes saw each and every ship that dotted the blue water.
"Hummmm... six big ships and then lots of smaller ones from the warriors that steal and then form temporary alliances to buy passage."
"The smaller ones won\'t be able to stand up to the bigger ones. It won\'t be fun. That\'s it! I should do that. There\'s nothing that forbids me from doing as I want!"
With a blue flash, the spirit disappeared and appeared in the middle of the sea. They gestured and all the smaller ships suddenly floated up, appearing in front of them while the warriors held tightly to the rails.
They smiled and said with a voice like honey. "You need not fear me. I can see your struggles, your ships are small and not well made to cross the sea. I can help you."
The Awakeners shot doubtful looks at the spirit and then at each other, there\'s no trust between them. They killed to get the coins and then band together but they knew they\'ll kill each other if need be.
One of the Awakeners, a beastman with dark fur and a head shaped like a raccoon, pushed forward. His eyes glinted red like fresh blood. "You must have brought us here for a reason! And surprisingly, I don\'t see those with the fancy ships among us!"
The spirit looked at the warrior. "What is your name?"
"Kaidos."
"Kaidos. I\'ll tell you something. The General won\'t want unfair play on his grounds. So I\'ll propose this– you smaller ships should come together and hunt the bigger ones. I\'ll assist you by sending you over. What do you think?"
Kaidos grinned. He knew the spirit was lying about unfairness, but he didn\'t care. In as much as he got to one particular ship and completed his mission, everything else can go to dust. "Very well. I agree. What do you think people?"
The Awakeners on his ships jerked up and talked as one, their eyes shining with a red glow. Murmuring spread among the other ships but soon. Everyone agreed to a temporary alliance to take down the bigger ships.
The spirit grinned. They are finally going to have some fun.
*****
Dile hadn\'t seen this many stars in the sky since he entered the Tower, something that was common back home. The cold wind stirred the sea and carried the smell of salt but it was ineffective against his furred body.
His white ear flickered as the snoring of the teammates got to him and he shook his head, muttering. "Don\'t they have any self-awareness? If this was back home, they would have woken up the whole forest and cost their tribe food."
He listened closer, and he nodded, flashing a smile when he heard that Temur was as silent as if he wasn\'t there, and then he frowned.
Dile suddenly heard more sounds below the snoring and he hauled himself up. He straightened and looked over the waters, his inhumane eyes even sharper than that of average Awakeners, and he immediately saw through the dark to the smaller ships that were fast approaching.
"Well, this is troubling. How do I wake them up? I\'m not particularly good at that."