Arvium

20: Sailor's Ship

Aella yelled as she tumbled to a rough wooden floor that was tilting back and forth. The sky was dark, and the hair on the back of her neck prickled as a rumble of thunder pounded the air. She glanced up, seeing a massive beam rising into the sky, ropes connecting the white sails to the sides of the ship. She brought her attention downward, and saw clusters of people stumbling around, some gripping the sides of the ship, and others appearing out of nowhere and falling to the feet. The sky lit up as a bolt of lightning struck the ship a mile away, illuminating the dark mass of the island in the distance. She shivered as rain began to pelt the deck, a downpour that made it difficult to see far out to sea.

She gasped as cold water splashed over the side of the ship and doused her, and she stood, gripping the railing for support. She slipped and slid as she made her way closer to the stern of the ship, and the slim shelter it offered from the freezing rain.

"Make your way to shore," the mechanical voice told her, as if it was inside of her head. "Use all available tools at your disposal."

You've got to be kidding me. They wouldn't kill us on the first day.

"I need some help," a man shouted from the deck above her. Aella swallowed, her limbs trembling as she climbed the stairs to the helm. A man was gripping the wheel, his muscles straining as he fought to keep it straight. She ran to him, pushing on the wheel.

"Thanks," he shouted. "We have to keep her steady."

She glanced upward, seeing several players on the rigging and sails, moving with the skill of monkeys.

A scream split the air, louder than the thunder and roaring of waves, a sound that seemed to shake the air around them. Aella screamed as a giant winged creature, flew over the ship and grabbed a player in its claws, then took off into the sky.

"Griffins," the man next to her shouted. "Incoming."

She turned, them froze as the massive wave crashed into the ship and rushed over her. There was a giant crack, followed by a roar.

She slammed into the water and below the surface in a spray of white bubbles, debris shooting through the water all around her.

I didn't sign up for this.

She floated there in the current, her head ringing and her vision fuzzy. She gasped as water entered her lungs, and she jerked, choking on water as she clawed her way upward toward the surface. She splashed above a wave, freezing rain pelting her face. She coughed and spluttered as she gulped in air, ducking her head from the force of the rain. She turned around, searching for the ship.

She was fifty feet away from the two halves of the ship, the air filled with screams. Another roar filled the air and she ducked as she saw a griffin speed past her, flying towards the ship.

She gasped as a part of the mast moved toward her with a wave, and she grabbed it, wrapping her arms on one side of it.

"Over here," a voice called to her.

She pulled herself higher, seeing three people hanging on to the the other side. One of them was the man who had been holding on to the wheel.

"Are you ok?" The man yelled.

"Good." He looked back toward the ship. "Are you a good swimmer?"

She nodded.

"We need to rescue as many players as we can and get to the island. The storm is ramping up. My friends will keep the mast here for us." He nodded to the other two, then pushed off from the mast and dove into the water.