I think I procrastinated with this series for too long, gotta lock in
Part 9: The Sentinels Of Harvest
(The Silver Guardian continues its journey north. The situation is grim - another threat has joined those that already loomed over the crew)
Kassata: You, sisters,.. feeling alright?
Queen: This went so wrong. What Proculus has concluded is a mistake. We must find him and convince him to change his opinion!
Gaze Sister: What is more important, is to establish the identity of the wingie who, supposedly, led Argos to their puny town. I can’t stand the possibility of me getting framed!
Herca: An island is ahead.
Walter: Wow, it sure has changed… What are these forticifations? Harvest Island looks totally different.
(The rocky coastline and the steep cliffs of Harvest were covered in makeshift walls and barricades, made out of wood and metal rubble. Silhouettes of mortars and cannons are poking out of every possible hole, and endless wrecks of Atlantean ships litter the sea below. A signal flare pierces the fog, indicating that whoever is inside the fortress has spotted the Silver Guardian)
Queen: Someone is there! I will talk to them.
Walter: Be careful, we don’t know their intentions.
(On her wings, the Queen crosses the distance in a blink. The man operating the flare gun was clearly surprised by such sudden appearance)
Man: Woah, stand back, creature of the Dark Sea!
Queen: Apologies, I did not mean to startle you. I saw the flare and went over to talk. The fog tonight doesn’t allow distant communication.
Man: This thing can talk? What the?..
Queen: You really should not judge my kin only by those wingies who live closer to the Bright, still holding onto the old beliefs of hunting your kin.
Man: I understood nothing. You are still deemed a threat. Get away, or deal with lead.
(He reaches for his revolver and prepares to draw)
Queen: I see you are afraid. Do not be. If my words cannot be trusted, then I can invite my friend here, he knows how to talk.
Man: Bring them here. Name’s Arthur, by the way. Just in case your “friend” would need it. Hit the road now, poultry, don’t just stare at me while tangling in the air!
(The Queen returns to the ship. Herca is already standing at the steering wheel, awaiting orders)
Queen: I met someone at the fortress. He is suspicious of us. Walter, may you speak to him? He calls himself Arthur.
Walter: Sure, can do. Were we given a permission to dock near the island?
Queen: We were.
(Herca circles around the island and anchors the ship on its north northwestern edge. Arthur was waiting on a nearby cliff, observing the actions of the sirens. Walter Marshall jumps onto the island first)
Arthur: You look funny, friend. Laundry day?
Walter: Hey, that bucket isn’t half bad at its job! And the funny look is one of its many advantages!
Arthur: Weren’t you about to explain to me, why these things who came with you don’t deserve a bullet?
Walter: Quite rash, aren’t you? Long story short, the lady before you saw the Atlanteans invading the seas, decided that this is some wrong stuff, and gathered some followers to resolve the Atlantean-shaped issues.
Arthur: Me? Rash? Heh, pal…
Kassata: The walls look interesting. Can you tell more about them?
Arthur: I have a much more interesting thing in my pocket, and the old one who is in process of sabotaging a wall right now can meet it real soon.
(Gaze Sister turns away from one of the walls and stares at Arthur with disgust)
Gaze Sister: What insolence! I merely inspected the architecture and graded its stopping power!
Herca: I ask you to not mind Gaze Sister.
Arthur: Budget was too low for a better name or what?
(Gaze Sister spawns a pillar of Ice right beneath Arthur. With a dodge, he evades the spike and draws his lever-action. The shot gets blocked by a Frostmetal barries)
Arthur: Whoa there, don’t go out there slinging spells while having skill issues this severe!
Gaze Sister: You annoy me.
(A fire charge hits her face. An unknown woman jumps down onto the group)
Woman: You look like your head needs some bashing, oldie! Pay more respect to one of the Sentinels!
Arthur: Charlie, that is a siren, and they don’t seem aggressive, besides that one.
Charlotte: Don’t call me that! Charlotte for strangers! Also, what does the Dark Sea’s spawn do here? Atlanteans are invading us, and decided to pick up some of these on their way?
Kassata: Hey, we got here on our own! We also lost a sister[1] to the monsters, so we got some scores to settle as well!
Queen: Charlotte, you named Arthur the Sentinel. Can I know what does that mean?
Arthur: Nuh uh.
Charlotte: Just a cool title to be known as on this island. The people depend on us for their survival, after all! And you bet I am about to keep watch on the five of you!
Walter: I am not even a siren! And the four with me aren’t gonna start eating people, don’t worry!
Gaze Sister: How will you be able to keep sight on us, when you couldn’t even look after your hands properly? Those gloves don’t hide much from the wise, after all…
Charlotte: Do not mention my hands! Galleon, show her some hospitality!
Kassata: Are we going to interfere?
Walter: Nah.
Queen: Apologies, dear hosts, my sister doesn’t get along well with others! Don’t hold malice against her!
Arthur: I am not holding malice, I am holding my finger on the trigger, and I think I am failing.
Herca: Wildmen incoming. Take defensive positions.
Charlotte: Why are you commanding?! Oh, wait, there really are Atlanteans. Well, rally up, another siege is here!
(Roars of infected mix with gunshots and crackling of flames. The Sentinels hold the entrances, while sirens provide aerial support. Amidst the chaos of battle, a hooded man slams into a crowd of Atlanteans. Walter recognises the familiar figure)
Walter: Oh hey, Sarloveze! Good to see you alive.
Sarloveze: You again, hm. Already met the other Sentinels, I see.
Arthur: Yep, old Sarlo and us, all three.
Charlotte: You guys talk too much! Get crushing!
Walter: The axe is sure efficient, but the way you wield it, you really lack a grabbing tool in its place. Maybe a sickle or something?
Charlotte: What a dumb idea, bucket. Stand aside!
(She draws her double-barrel shotgun and clears a particularly dense wave of Atlanteans. The Queen notices it)
Queen: I am capable of this too!
(A blast from the Brightbringer knocks down one of the barricades, but demolishes the entire row behind it. Arthur seems impressed)
Arthur: Quite a relic you got there. Still packs a mean punch, I could tell. Where did you get it?
Queen: On a remote island, it costed the lives of many sisters.
Sarloveze: This should be over, for now. The beasts will return.
Kassata: Phew, this was tough! How are the inhabitants of this island handling these battles so calmly?!
Arthur: We had plenty of time to get used to it.
(The night sky, that was supposed to give way to the sunrise soon, darkens and turns red, but something is odd. The shade of red is more menacing, as if the sky is covered in blood. A narrow beam of teal light smites a cluster of makeshift shelters, panic arises among the survivors. The Sentinels rush over to provide help)
Queen: What… was that?
Gaze Sister: (closely inspects the crater that was left after the beam)
Walter: The accursed teal light…
Kassata: You know something about that? Tell us!
Walter: A long story. Just know, that a certain Rackham Clyde has already warned me about it before. But, why did it strike here?
(Charlotte returns to the group. Her eyes don’t mean anything good)
Charlotte: Listen here, things! Why, the exact night you showed up, our people get smited by this weird light? Are you connected? We just lost three people!
Walter: We are just as confused. Why would the Chaos bother doing this?
Arthur: Chaos? Now hold on, partner, what are you about?
Walter: Eh, fine, gather here, I will explain. Queen, could you show the page about Chaos and Creation?
Charlotte: Queen? Pages? Chaos and Creation? I am lost!
Thela ↩︎
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Part 10: The Wise Man.
(Sarloveze has held a meeting in the morning. The Queen, accompanied by the rest of her crew, has explained the cause of the teal light to the survivors of Harvest Island. Walter even showed the journal he has obtained from Captain Rackham at Akursius Keep)
The crowd: So, why have we been smited? Who is responsible? This is unnatural! I am scared!
Walter: Hey, we haven’t figured out that part ourselves yet! All I understand, is that nobody here has been a valid target for Chaos, and we didn’t experience any side symptoms like the crew of Akursius did.
Arthur: This is very curious…
Walter: This implies, that there was a certain someone, who called in a strike, while we were fending off Atlanteans. And I only know one person who is capable of that. He is known as Cazal the Ghost.
Charlotte: Wait, I heard that name! The mysterious man with the highest bounty in all of the War Seas!
Gaze Sister: So what is his business on this island?
Walter: I assume, none at all. This… thing… I can’t even call him a “man” anymore, is so far down the path of Chaos, he has started a cult named Seekers of Sight - he calls the Chaos the Sight, for whatever reason, despite me being certain he knows the entity’s real name. Cazal is a monster with no humanity left in him. Any Atlantean has a far more pure soul than his. He probably smited Harvest for the love of it - he doesn’t care, he just wants to have fun in the anarchy.
Arthur: A man of such reputaion could have indeed survived the invasion. The highest bounty does speak about his traits.
Charlotte: And how in the world are we supposed to fend off a jerk like that?
Kassata: Make the place too boring to smite, obviously. If he is doing it for the love of the game, then let’s ruin that game for him!
Queen: I am not certain about how can we accomplish that…
Sarloveze: We decrease the amount of people on the island. Siren lady, you were just passing by Harvest Island, right? Then go on your way!
Walter: That is correct, we were aiming towards the Stepstones. We need to get to a certain someone on the sky islands.
Charlotte: Then you have a problem! The monsters covered the mountain with their bodies, there is something within it that attacks them, but the Atlanteans can’t find it. Notably, none went and visited Cirrus Island, they’re too interested in the mountain itself.
Sarloveze: Legends speak about a Crystal Curse user who went insane, and was sealed within the Stepstones. His name became Ormolu. I believe the rumors were true, and it is the aura of a curse user that attracts the fish-people.
(Suddenly, the sky darkens. Another beam of teal light strikes the island. However, it vanishes soon after, and Walter is spotted holding shards of a gemstone)
Walter: Heh, got you! I knew, Cazal, that you would attempt this! You are pathetic!
(Walter crouches to talk more privately with the Queen and the Sentinels)
Walter: I knew an another blast is coming, therefore I used a gem to absorb it. Learned that from one of the Seekers. Now, I taunted Cazal, so he will follow us to the sky islands, and not stay at Harvest.
Charlotte: So, how are you getting up the mountain?
Kassata: Oh no, a tall scary mountain! What do we do?!
Gaze Sister: You, youngster, are talking to those blessed by the nature to own a pair of wings.
Queen: Sisters, rise into the air! Course set to “up”!
(The crew flies off to the sky islands, ignoring the horde that is looking for Ormolu)
Arthur: Heh, I saw that one coming…
Charlotte: No, you didn’t! You’re just pretending to look cooler!
Arthur: No, I did!
(The flock skipped Cirrus Town, as the Djin Ruins are located right above Harvest Island. Quiet and empty as they always were, there still appeared a change Walter noticed. A gravestone was installed among the rocks and grass, but the crew was too busy to stop by and see who lies there)
Queen: Where do we head now?
Walter: …Ah, right, the Myriad. It is the overgrown building over there. Don’t make much noise while inside, the owner prefers solitude.
(Entering the library, eyes of Gaze Sister light up. She couldn’t imagine just how many knowledge is stored there)
Herca: Do not touch. It is not yours.
Randal: Herca is right, don’t do that, please.
(Everybody turns around. The voice echoes from every part of the Myriad, but they can’t find the source of it)
Walter: Greetings, Randal. We apologise for bothering you. We need help from someone wise. But, how could you know my companion’s name?
Randal: I am afraid I will have to withhold information, for I want to prevent the damage to my books, that would be dealt by the one who alerted me of your arrival. His Chaos powers could be deflected, but I don’t want to risk losing my collection.
Queen: Cazal the Ghost?
Randal: Ask me about what you came here for.
Walter: You know about the situation below the clouds. How can we stop it?
(Randal concentrates, and the sirens feel a familiar change in the surrounding air. Magic levels began to rise, the room became foggy, and the rays of sun, leaking through the broken roof, were cut off. A note appears in the hands of the Queen, and the room returns to its original state)
Randal: I just simulated the Dark Sea for your adversary to reach you once again. Read what she wrote, then aim to return to the beginning of it all. I can say nothing more, for he forbids it. Now, leave me to my rest.
(After leaving the library, the Queen gathers her crew to read the obtained note)
Queen: “The Fate of the World”. “A fact about the Dark Sea that only few know - Randal and Cazal - is that it is actually expanding, rather than dissipating. The large portions of Hecate’s soul, which reside at the center of the five sea clusters, can only hold it back for so long, and their power is waning over time. Once they give, the Dark Sea will sweep over all inhabitable lands, bringing agony and madness to all remaining creatures. This fate, without the powers of the gods to stop it, is inevitable”. Oh, no…
Kassata: So, was this whole journey hopeless from the start?
Gaze Sister: Fascinating…
Herca: (speechless)
Queen: “The only chance that the world has is if the powers of the gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Pan were combined to restore the sky, the sea, and the wilderness back to normal. One group in the War Seas, the Reclaimers, is already working towards this. As it stands, they alone will not be enough to find the three god souls, but I sense that you will help them in this”. We must find the Reclaimers, for it is our only hope!
Walter: Not really. We do have one piece of the three, after all. I remember that time you used my Eagle Patrimony. You still need to be a god’s descendant for that. You are Zeus’s daughter, Siren Queen.
Gaze Sister: From what I’ve read about this Zeus, being his descendant is a completely unremarkable feat!
Walter: I may not know how we can reach Poseidon, but I do know a way to Pan. How are your relationships with the Satyrs of the Dark Sea? Pan is their god of sorts.
Kassata: Who?
Walter: Goat-like legs, wand-looking relics.
Gaze Sister: Those be Hornmen, I suppose. We avoid those animals.
Queen: It is a mutual agreement of our kins. One doesn’t interfere into the life of the other. We know very little about them.
Kassata: We need to return to that island, our ship is still there!
(Gaze Sister falls on the grass in pain, trying to cover her eyes with her hands. When everybody tried to help her, they felt an approaching pain from looking down. Only Kassata barely noticed a thing, standing there confused)
Kassata: What happened to all of you?
Gaze Sister: Something… Powerful… Below… Hurts to look at…
Walter: Something below us has an aura so strong, it hurts our eyes when we try to focus on it. Gaze Sister’s sensing abilities are enhanced, therefore she is in a bigger pain!
Herca: It is leaving.
(The sensation has faded. Whatever threat that was, it has passed. A second later, the crew noticed two of the Southern Jaws’ spires collapsing, as if something has knocked them over by pure accident)
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Really cool to use the gems absorbing chaos energy as a dramatic device!!1!11’nqnq
Well, the scene uses somebody else’s characters, I have to come up with a plot armour that is mildly less crappy than all the other options. Let’s be real here, against actual Cazal this would NOT have worked, but I can’t just kill off the entirety of Harvest - they aren’t mine.
(also, it wasn’t directly Cazal who called in the strikes, but he did push in the idea of them)