Aether

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sora's Pov

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We eventually managed to find a job to help this construction worker build a dock, seeing as for some reason no one wanted to help him no matter the price. As we walked out to where we saw a crane— where an unfinished dock was at, we saw the guy we had spoken to earlier about this job. He smiled when he saw us, greeting us. "Hey! Glad you five showed up! Even with a hundred coin a head- couldn't find anyone willing to go out and complete the dock." The man said. Kai sounded hesitant based on what he said next. "Uh, I don't know. We have to work over water?" I refrained from making a comment as I rolled my eyes at him.

"Ain't the water you gotta be careful of, it's strangleweed. Grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go. But I could use a good team. How about it?" The guy asked, smiling at us. I looked over his shoulder to see what I could only assume to be the strangleweed, climbing up one of the wooden posts of the incomplete dock, soon tightening around it as if trying to choke someone. I see why they call it strangleweed. Zane then turned to our scared friend and whispered hurriedly to him. "Just remind yourself, after we complete this— we'll be able to buy the scroll." He had a point. As long as we keep the goal we had in mind, we'll be able to achieve it— even if it takes some detours. "We'll do it!"

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In the next few minutes we found ourselves in positions for making the dock. Zane was across the water, directing Kai who was in the crane above us while Jay and Cole stood in place ready to start building the dock. I stood off to the side, preparing the wooden planks I was going to transfer to them while they hammered them in place. "Keep your eyes— on the prize!" Zane exclaimed from his place as he started waving to Kai, indicating he was ready for him to start descending the wooden post to hold up the dock.

I handed two wooden planks to both Jay and Cole as they laid it out towards the post that was just placed and towards Zane. "Come on, guys! One team— one dream!" Zane exclaimed, trying to encourage us to continue. It was actually working as his optimism started rubbing off on us and we yelled. "Hey!" Up at Kai, who started getting the next post while Cole and Jay took over with the planks as they started laying them against the two planks I had given them moments ago. I saw a strangleweed trying to come up and get them, so I took a throwing knife off of my side and threw it, making the weed crawl back down. "Let's do it again!" Zane shouted with a wide grin on his face, Jay and Cole finishing up on hammering the planks in and I brought more to them as Kai repeated the process and placed the wooden posts into the water below us so we could continue forward.

We continued this process for who knows how long, but eventually we had the dock out pretty far and I was starting to wonder how far out we needed it or how far the worker wanted it to be. He never told us how far out it had to be, but I'm assuming this was one of the ones that would be out further for fishing. I continued to help pass down wooden planks to the other two boys who hammered the planks in place. Zane cheered. "Excellent!" But soon he was acting strange on the post he stood on. What was going on with him? Was he okay?

"You want me to swing it? Okay, you're the leader!" I suddenly heard Kai exclaim and soon the wooden post came flying in our direction. "Kai, no!" I shouted up at him, but it was too late because he hit Zane with the wooden post in the crane's hold. "Zane!" We shouted as he held on for his life, but luckily Kai brought him back to his post and he looked okay. He started talking but something was off with his voice. I couldn't tell if he was speaking English, it just didn't sound right. "What's wrong with him?" Cole asked as he looked at me and Jay. I shrugged my shoulders as Jay replied. "I think he's talking backwards. Slow down! We can't understand you!" I frowned as I looked at Zane, but soon my attention was grabbed by something worse. Literally.