Heart of Oceans

Chapter 2:

Something was brewing, some mass of immense magic was readying. With a small thrill, she realized it was the same power she had felt surge through the world earlier that day. Seleine's own magic was churning in reply. Even the humans and their dulled senses could sense something as an expectant hush fell upon the frightened onlookers. The singular, white-sailed ship was only a few minutes away from colliding with the dark fleet. She had no idea why the other five boats in the Pirate Lord's fleet remained in the harbor, contained by that massive raised chain. Over the crash of the waves, Seleine's unnaturally good hearing picked up a shout from that lone ship. She really felt it then. That same alluring power, now coming from the white-sailed ship.

Suddenly, blazing wildfire erupted from the deck and shot upwards in a swirling column of orange, red and gold. It was all Seleine could do but gape as the pillar of magic rose higher, tongues of turquoise and blue interlacing in the flames. Fire magic. She had never seen it before, none of her people had. Fire did not exist in her world. Heat did, but not this raging turret of beauty and chaos. It was all Seleine could do but stare wide-eyed and mouth hanging open. She could not comprehend what, in this crazy world of sky and earth, could create this amount of magic. The entire bay was washed in hues of the golden light as the pillar of flame touched the sky, then shifted, diving straight back down into its source. It was then Seleine knew that it wasn't what, but who. There, standing on the deck of the boat with outstretched arms clad in thick iron chains, was a golden-haired woman, with the power of a god.

The ship looked so small compared to the cloud of darkness that was now so close. But that magic, Thalassa! She was still reeling from the thought of that kind of power. In the face of it, there was nothing that those warships could do. An anchor was thrown off the starboard side of that white-sailed ship and it nimbly swung sideways, readying for attack. But the thrum of burning power that had been emanating from that boat flickered, and... changed somehow. The magic that had felt golden and wild turned into to something icy, something deadly. Something was wrong, very wrong. A boom sounded, and a storm of white fire erupted from the woman. A blinding flash of white light washed over the bay, forcing Seleine to close her eyes. Before, there was a white-sailed boat and the darkness of the eight warships closing in. When she opened her eyes, she beheld the carnage. The ship beneath the woman had exploded, along with the entire left half of the dark fleet as well as the outer edge of the rocky island beyond.

Seleine's ears were ringing, a white noise muffled the cries and screams of dying men and frightened onlookers. She was numb, watching without seeing as men flailed through the water. The baby sea-wyverns had now neared the surface of the reddening waters, feasting on the dead and the dying. A small part of her knew she could help, she should help. But her bones were made of stone, muscles locked, and her mind had abandoned her. She was back to that day that had changed everything. It was her, she was the one who had sent blood and water and splinters of wood flying everywhere, she had lost control. Whatever had happened across the continent that day made her magic come back, and with it came chaos. She had fled back to her home only to find...

A flash of jade scales skimmed the surface of the waters of Skulls Bay. Seleine blinked, regaining control of her own body. What was that? She scanned the surface of the water. The town's people had gone quiet once more, a fresh scent of fear flavored the wind. The waters outside the bay were a cocktail of bodies, blasted wood, and burning canvas. Seleine looked to the left of the carnage and saw the fire-woman standing atop a shallow reef alongside three tall, male figures. Most of the Pirate Lord's crew had managed to make it to the reef on the right, eyes wide with shock and fear. Green flashed again through the carnage and Seleine saw it this time. A plume of mist shot up from a sleek green snout, as a long body adorned with jade scales arched and dove beneath the waves, racing towards the last three converging warships. A sea dragon! She couldn't believe it. Seleine couldn't stop the child within her jumping up and down in excitement. She had never seen a sea dragon before, only drawn depictions and stories from her mother. Legends said they had died out in the great wars of the land-people, like all mer and other sea creatures helping them. No one had seen or heard from them since. But here it was, a living legend right in front of her, now charging right towards those ships made of putrid darkness.