Both Ways (20181228)

CH26

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    After several more hours of meticulously coordinated logistics, the entire Canim population in Alera was once again at sea. The towering transport ships approached and began to find their place amongst the even taller warships in the AAF fleet, forming up into a loose circular formation, with the aircraft carrier at it center. The massive anchor chains slowly wrenched up, freeing the ships from their mooring at sea. As the last of the Canim laden vessels was set in its place, the hundreds of ships came to life in an instant, setting out on their course in unison, while respecting their position in formation.
    As the midday sun slowly began to sink to the west, the already mild seas began to shrink down to a still, and the wind soon died altogether. It was a serene scene, a glimpse of the peace of nature. Varg and Nasaug returned to their quarters for the evening, both recognizing the victories and defeat that the day and wrought. Tavi and Marcus explored a bit more of the entwining halls of the Indominable Will. They eventually ran into Salazar once more, who was surprised to see his Alerans friends aboard an AAF warship once again. He greeted them, and invited them to a fine dinner and a showing of the 'movie' he had promised just a short few days ago. Tavi knew that, in a way, Salazar was right. The war was over! But Tavi also knew that many more battles would lay ahead, for the Canim, Alerans, and AAF. He only hoped that the power of the AAF could destroy the enemy that managed to elude him, the one that now had its sword drawn against Canea.
    But for now, there was nothing he could do. He let himself relax, and enjoyed the epic space opera that played before him. It was entertaining enough, the picture having been roughly translated to Aleran so he could understand it was a nice courtesy. Salazar sat next to him in the theatre, pointing out the songs they had used for the parade against the Canim a few days ago. They finished watching the prequels, as Salazar called it, and set out for dinner, and returned to their cabins soon thereafter.  As the day drew to a close, and as the fleet sailed into the sunset, the wind began to pick up again, blowing cold sea air over the bows of mighty warships. A sign of things to come. A sign of an approaching storm.
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    Tavi awoke to the unsteadiness natural of a ship rolling at sea. He rolled off his bed, and tried to find the floor, but the swaying of the ship made him lose his balance, and he fell against the adjacent wall. The rocking was not particularly violent, but it was enough to make a more land based Aleran such as Tavi quesy. He waited for a moment to allow himself to become adjusted to the movement before stumbling out into the suite. There, he found Marcus, who seemed to be faring much better.
    "Good morning, Captain!" He stood and greeted Tavi, who barely kept his balance enough to find a seat.
    "Hello there, Marcus." Tavi greeted. "I've been up hardly a minute, yet I can clearly see that I am not cut out for a life at sea. I'll gladly take solid ground any day."
    "Oh it isn't that bad. You get used to it." Marcus dismissed.
    "What, and you used to be a sailor?" Tavi questioned with a smile.
    "Not at all. I've just spent a little time at sea, for traveling." Marcus explained. "Another way to help avoid sickness is to not think about it too much."
    "How can I not think about it when I'm nearly being thrown off my feet?" Tavi laughed.
    "Simple! Hold onto something!" Marcus replied. "The furniture in here is bolted to the floor!"
    "Is it really?" Tavi asked, lowering himself to the floor so that he could peer under the drapery that hung from the chairs in the room. Sure enough, they were entirely secured by think bolts. They would surely remain in place in even the roughest of seas. "Interesting." Tavi admired the thoughtfulness of the AAF shipbuilders. "Anyway, shall we go find ourselves breakfast?"
    "Sure. Let's see if we can find something rather light, so you don't lose it later." Marcus agreed. The two wound their way through the maze of the Indominable Will, hunting down the dining room, this time without Salazar's guidance. After several minutes of errant turns and dead ends, they finally found their destination. The room was rather empty, with only a handful of scattered AAF soldiers quietly sitting about. The room itself was far more modest than their suite, serving functionality far more than form. Tavi and Marcus sat themselves near a small window that offered a tiny view of the storm outside.
    The waves crashing against and rolling over the window revealed a furious weather that felt far less violent than it really was. More often than not, the window was completely submerged under the towering waves, the prospect of being underwater giving an eerie feeling to Tavi. Despite the power of the storm, the mighty hull of the Indomitable Will held firm, offering no groans or noticeable compromise. This sort of weather would surely shatter even the most structurally sound Aleran ship, should it sail through such swells. The two sat and watched for quite a while, observing the high seas with passing admiration, instead of the fear it would otherwise instill in them.