Blackbeard; The Legend

Icy Road Trip

The sudden halt jolted Akahana from her slumber, and she awoke groggily, rubbing her eyes. The sun was still in the sky, although it was heading towards the horizon slowly. Asmund was  the only one who had been awake throughout the entire ride, and he stood up and hopped off the wagon. Akahana looked beside her, where Ryota was stretching and yawning loudly, and Takahiro was mumbling incoherently. Looking around at the other passengers, she was glad to see that Stormfeather had been taken care of. Bandages were wrapped around his cuts, and although the bruises still remained, he looked quite better. Sitting beside him was Kanin, watching over him, her eyes fatigued.

"Clear." Asmund voice rang as he walked back to the wagon. "There's a small stream down through the forest. You all can take a short drink and wash yourselves before we have to get going again. Who will go first?"

"Well, if it doesn't bother anyone, I'd prefer to go first." Takahiro spoke up. "I feel awfully clammy, and my clothes smell exceedingly rank..." He trailed off as a few of the passengers turned to him with a look of annoyance. Clearly, there were a few people who were a lot more higher on the priority list, and Takahiro looked down. "Or I can go third or fourth...I don't mind." Asmund nodded, and one by one, the passengers exited the cart and headed into the woods.

"Aren't you gonna go?" Ryota asked. "You've been sitting here for a long time."

"I can go last." Akahana replied. "Besides, I can withstand a little smell, unlike Takahiro." The two chuckled, and soon enough, Ryota went. Once everyone else had gone, Akahana hopped off the wagon and made her way to the river. Shivering, she neared the gently rushing water, and kneeled. She gazed into the crystal clear water, the tide reflecting her own image in perfect clarity. Cupping her hands, she scooped up the cold water and parted her lips, and just like that, her thirst vanished instantly. Sighing with relief, she took a few more handfuls before washing her face, chilling her to the bone.  Wiping her face, she sighed contentedly and looked into the bourn once more, enraptured by the crystal clear flow. However, a tap on the shoulder broke her daydream, and she turned to see Asmund, a quizzical look on his face as his shadow towered over her.

"Ah!" Akahana cried out, startled. 

"Are you alright?" Asmund asked, unfazed by her scream. "You were taking a long time, and I was concerned that you had an accident."

"O-oh..." Akahana blushed an embarrassed red. "How long have I been down here?" She asked.

"About twenty minutes," he said factually. "Everyone else is ready to go, and they're waiting for us." He beckoned. "Come." Akahana nodded, and she followed after the stoic warrior back to the wagon. There, the other passengers surrounded the cart, collective "oohs" and "ahhs," resonating throughout them as something miraculous occurred before their eyes. Kanin was sitting next to Stormfeather, rubbing her hands, before she whispered something beneath her breath. She pressed her palms on Stormfeather's arm, and a green light began emerging from her hands. The captain winced slightly, before he sighed and eased up, allowing the green glow to spread all over his body. Once the jade shine had covered his entire body, Kanin pulled her hands from Stormfeather, and the emerald gleam faded away. The bruises that were once on his face had vanished completely, and his breathing became more lively. The crowd began applauding, and Kanin smiled shyly as they continued clapping.

"Again, I can't thank ye enough." Stormfeather rasped, gazing at Kanin with gratitude. "For a moment back there, when I was lying in the snow, I was worried that ye wouldn't come."

"We were waiting for the right moment to strike." Asmund explained, walking towards the captain. "Although you are right. We could've acted a bit sooner and prevented you from enduring all that pain."