Elegy of the Leaves

VII | Wild Core

The Valkyrie screamed in agony.

Evan and Tahlia felt the floor fall from under them once more before Evan was thrown into the portside wall.

"What does it mean for a core to go wild? What core?" Tahlia grabbed onto the bars as the ship began to cant back toward the starboard side. She flapped her wings to keep from having to rely on the stability of the ship to stay upright.

"The cores are what allow the ship to fly," Evan said while sliding across the floor. "We don't know how, but we can harness the energy contained within them, much like the Cartographer crystals, to create propulsion that lets us sail through the air." He crashed into the starboard wall. "When one goes wild—" Evan through his arms over his face as the stool slammed into him.

"So, they're magic," Tahlia said while Evan pulled himself off the wall.

"Sort of. They have... personalities. All I know is when one goes wild, it's a death sentence for the ship." The ship rocked back toward the port side, this time with more control. "Claire must've managed to stabilize our flight. That's good. We have to evacuate to the gliders and pray to the gods an isle is close enough to soar too." He grabbed his sword as it slid back along the deck.

"No, I know what they are! I can stop them! They're fighting!"

"What? We don't have time! We have to leave the ship!"

"Evan! Let me out! I can save the ship!"

Evan stopped and looked at Tahlia. She'd already proved many things he was told were impossible to be true in the few brief moments he'd known her. Watching the power she'd wielded should've been enough for him to take her at her word without question.

"It's impossible, Tahlia, no one can stop a wild core!"

"I can! Either you let me do this or you all die anyways. You said it yourself, if there isn't an isle within reach of your gliders, then this wild core is a death sentence! What is there to lose?" Tahlia reached through her cell and grabbed Evan's hand.

Evan looked into her eyes. Her brows lifted from them, and he could see her conviction. It looked as if something was tearing her apart inside.

"Alright," Evan said as he reached for the cell keys on his belt. When he didn't feel his fingers hook them, he began patting himself down in desperation. "Crap! I lost the keys!"

"Stand back!" Tahlia ordered.

Evan moved away from her as she thrust her right hand, palm opened, toward the cell door. The ship shook violently around them, and Evan could hear the Leaves rushing to evacuate the ship on the decks above.

"Ellias, I have need of your soul. May you find peace in knowing your part in the greater work of our goddess," Tahlia whispered as she closed her eyes.

Evan watched as one of the jewels disappeared from her wrist and a crystalline shard of the same color appeared just in front of her palm. The shard hung suspended in the air for a moment before firing from her hand into the door and tearing through the iron like paper. The door was then ripped open on its hinges as the ship jerked.

"Take me to these cores!" Tahlia's brows pinched together as she faced Evan.

Evan firmed his face and nodded. He led her to a door that was directly across from her cell. "The engine room is through here. The cores will be in there!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Evan tore the door open, grabbing onto the frame to keep himself upright as the ship tossed about in its fit. Red light flooded his face as him and Tahlia entered the room. Metal pipes were strewn all about the room, snaking between one another along the walls and across the floor. All of them led to two singular points—one of two massive red orbs that rested in the center of the room.