Storm’s Path Part III

The storm intensified as time passed. Wind picked up speed and it started to shift the vessel sideways while the waves crashed violently against the damaged ship's hull.

Akamui, the giant octopus monster, grew tired of playing with its meal and decided to go on a full assault in order to break the ship to pieces. Unexpected aid came in the form of Leona's previous foe, Kaeli Hawkeye. She was definitely someone that could have killed the tactician in her moment of weakness and yet she chose to show herself only to attack the giant foe.

"Kaeli?!" Leona couldn't understand how she got there, but most importantly why she was helping her. "How did you-?!"

"Now's not the time Leona!" Lightning surged, the air crackled and loose sparks were flying off the arch mage's outstretched right hand. "Fulgent lightning, decimate my enemy into nothingness, Thunderbolt!"

With no warning, she unleashed another lightning spell against the giant cephalopod's head. The ear-splitting thunder and the acrid smell of ozone assaulted Leona's senses as she stumbled backwards. The octopus quickly retreated into the ocean which gave them respite after the continuous attacks from the beast.

At that brief moment of relief, many things went through Leona's mind. Kaeli was an enemy no doubt, but why was she helping them now? Was there anything she could gain by doing so? Dreadful thoughts filled her mind and while her body knew instinctively how to respond to threats at sword distance with the skills of a talented swordmaster, her ever so slightly trembling sword arm betrayed her confidence.

"Before you do anything stupid, know that I am on your side for now." Kaeli uttered calmly. Her voice, though similar in pitch to her younger sister's, carried a more mature tone. "After all, if this ship sinks there is little I can do to survive in the middle of the ocean like this."

"Then…"

Leona held her urge to raise her stance since deep down she was wishing for a peaceful solution before Kaeli herself raised both of her hands.

"Let's call it a temporary truce. I vow that I won't harm you or any of your comrades until this ship lands."

"Can I really trust you?"

"If I wanted you dead…" She replied with a wry smile on her face. "We wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place, don't you think?"

Tension hung in the air. Leona's right thumb rubbed against the hilt of her blade as if she was making a decision until footsteps echoed from the staircase below them. Suddenly the white robbed chirurgeon appeared, seemingly winded from exerting himself.

"Lady Leona! What in the world is happening?! I saw sir Krieg there and-"

"We're under attack, Sylas!" Leona explained as fast as she could while pointing him to his next patient. "We have wounded here. I need you to treat both Cecile and Krieg!"

"At once!"

He rushed on deck and grabbed Cecile underneath her arms before dragging down the staircase. During that moment when Leona's attention was diverted from her, Kaeli seized the tactician's right wrist.

"Huh?!"

Startled, her first reaction was to pull the arm away from her, but Kaeli's grip didn't budge.

'What the…?! She's strong!'

During the brief struggle, Leona felt a gentle tingling sensation running through her body as Kaeli muttered.

"Hold on, you damaged your mana circuits." Her deep blue eyes emitted an experienced gaze reminiscent of Phoebe's during her own teachings. She gently turned her arm in different angles before letting it go. "You won't be able to cast spells like this."

"Wait, how do you even…? More importantly, what do you mean I can't cast spells? I did it just a while ago-"

"Exactly. That attack you unleashed earlier was something similar to my own spell 'Mana Burst', but instead of releasing mana in all directions, you used your own arm as a catalyst to concentrate all of it through the sword thus damaging your own mana circuits." She shook her head slightly. "I commend your bravery but this recklessness has cost you something not easily mended."

Leona stared at her own right arm as she tried to make mana course through it, but something felt off.

'She's right, I can't use magic…!'

Her arm began to shake. Magic was her main source of offensive capabilities; if she wasn't able to make use of spells in their current condition, their chances of surviving was next to none.

"Don't panic." Kaeli reassured her. An unexpected and yet necessary support coming from her. "You still have your other arm, just don't use that same spell again."

The arch mage raised her left open palm and a shield of water erupted from her hand just in time as two loud bang noises happened at Leona's right side. Two bullets entered the water before becoming harmless pieces of deformed metal inside the liquid.

Leona turned and noticed a soaked and tired Charlotte holding her revolver out with Luka right beside her with his saber ready.

"Wait!" The tactician shouted. "She isn't-!"

Kaeli brought her middle finger and thumb together before snapping them. That motion made the water burst forth and release the bullets back at Charlotte which just grazed her cheeks on both sides. The captain tried to pull the trigger again but the revolver harmlessly made a clicking sound, it was out of ammunition.

"Tsk." Luka was about to charge at her but Charlotte extended her left arm, blocking his path. "Wait."

He glanced at her before turning again to Kaeli only to see Leona doing the same in front of the high elf as she reprimanded her.

"You told me you wouldn't harm anyone."

The tactician frowned her brows.

"I didn't say I wouldn't defend myself."

"So let me guess-" Charlotte spoke as she approached them with Luka still holding his saber beside her as if he was ready to strike at the high elf at any moment. "This rat was on board and decided to help now that we are almost sinking. Typical elves."

Her remark hit a nerve, Kaeli raised her left hand with a menacing glare as she warned.

"You better watch your tongue, human."

Leona quickly stepped in between both and pushed each other away while quickly defusing the situation.

"Cecile and Krieg were knocked out. I don't think we can defeat this thing without her help." Despite her wounded arm and the situation at hand, she knew better than anyone that fighting amongst themselves was a pointless endeavor. "I can't cast spells properly thanks to this wound so we'll be depending on her for magic support."

The ship suddenly shook. Leona and Kaeli managed to stop themselves from falling while Luka grabbed on the nearby mast for support.

"What is going on now?!"

Charlotte shouted while she grabbed on Luka's shoulder to keep herself from stumbling backwards. The ship was being attacked from below. Despite the creature's strength it was being oddly careful around its prey now that it had been seriously wounded.

Kaeli quickly ran near the port railings and charged another spell.

"Fulgent lightning, smite my foes-" Sparks crackled from her right palm as she extended her arm towards the waters right below the ship. A vast amount of mana surged from her entire arm as it condensed near her fingertips. "-Chain Lightning!"

Upon uttering those words there was a split second delay where the sparks seemed to fizzle out before the spell suddenly discharged in a devastating thunderstrike that instantly boiled the salt waters below.

"Ah!"

The sudden expansion of steam and other gases beside the ship made the vessel tip to the right, forcing Leona to use her sword and stab it against the wooden deck to keep herself from falling over. At that point Kaeli turned around and shouted.

"Close your eyes and don't breathe this gas!"

Sickly lime green colored fumes started to emerge near from where she stood which made Luka and Charlotte to cover their mouths. The gas was just barely floating above the deck and thanks to the wind, it was now making its way towards the staircase leading down the dining room. Leona didn't know what those fumes could do but hearing Kaeli tell them to shut their eyes and mouth didn't exactly prompt anything in her mind other than harmful things..

"Northern winds hearken to me, freeze those who oppose me, Ice Wall!"

She unleashed the spell against the entrance to the dining hall, closing it off entirely in a ramp of ice. At that point the ship was barely hanging on the tempestuous sea, but thanks to both Leona and Kaeli, Akamui seemed to retreat deep in the waters at least for the time being.

"Release the sails!"

Charlotte shouted to Luka as she hurriedly ran out of the fumes. 

"Yes, captain!"

He grabbed on the rope that was tied on the foot of the mast and released it, revealing the large white sail before rotating around the right side to avoid the incoming fumes. Charlotte climbed the stairs to the helm, luckily for her the lime colored gas was heavier than the air which kept it on the deck. However, Kaeli wasn't so fortunate as she ended up breathing some of said gas as it expanded along the steam. She began to cough violently while grasping her chest.

"Hey what's wrong?!" Leona shouted but the woman didn't reply which made her rush to her side. As she approached her, just merely being near the gas made her eyes feel like they were being stung by bees. "Ack!"

It was painful, but her conviction was stronger as she made a mental note of where Kaeli had fallen before closing her eyes and rushing forward while patting the wooden surface of the deck. Eventually her hand made contact with a piece of cloth and when she grabbed onto it she felt a warmth sensation.

'There!'

She quickly grabbed on with both hands and began to drag her out of the gas cloud. Partway through the process, Leona began to feel the lack of air taking a toll on her lungs as her body was literally screaming for air.

'Nnngh… I can't…!'

She opened her mouth in pain and during that brief period of weakness, she breathed in. All it took was a tiny portion of the concentrated gas to enter her body for her to feel the violent acrid odor of chlorine ravage her lungs.

'It burns!'

It felt like she was being scorched inside out with a fire spell. Her skin began to feel itchy and the tingling sensation was getting worse as more time passed.

"Leona!" She heard a shout coming from somewhere to her left before the weight being carried by her became a bit lighter. She risked opening her eyes a bit and noticed Luka helping her carry the unconscious Kaeli. "Don't breathe in!"

You don't have to tell me! Was what she wanted to say but she couldn't afford to utter any unnecessary words as her lungs were at their limit. Instead, she turned her left hand behind her and concentrated her mana on her fingertips. With a flick of her hand she managed to create a gust of wind just strong enough to push the toxic cloud against the tempest's wind and off the deck; into the sea.

"Haaaaaaa…!"

She fell with her knees on the deck right after it while gasping for air. She coughed a few times in order to get the acrid feeling off her throat.

"Oi! Wake up!"

Luka shouted while holding on to Kaeli by the collar of her uniform. Upon turning around, Leona noticed her skin was beginning to turn blue from the lack of oxygen. Her hand was desperately scratching the wooden deck while trying to cast some sort of spell but she couldn't concentrate as her mind could only think about one thing.

'I can't breathe!'

Without thinking, Leona rushed to her side and raised her left palm just above her face.

"I don't know if this will work!"

She exclaimed while her hand began to faintly glow with mana. By picturing a vortex of wind in her mind, she managed to create a makeshift vacuum that began to pull out part of the gas that was trapped in Kaeli's lungs. The arch mage began to violently cough out lime colored phlegm as she brought her right hand against her chest and shouting.

"Cleanse!" A sudden deep blue light emerged from her palm before engulfing her chest in crystal clear water. What happened after was so bizarre that Leona scratched her eyes to check if she wasn't seeing things. The same water penetrated her body and it didn't take long until Kaeli held her mouth with her left hand. "Blegh!"

She turned to the left side and threw up on the deck. But as opposed to what would usually exit someone's body after a bad meal, it was a mixture of water with a viscous lime green liquid. Thankfully, the tempest's wind was sending the smell the opposite direction from Leona.

"Are you alright?!"

The tactician asked, which prompted a surprised look from Kaeli. Although it was merely a temporary alliance made in their moment of need, she wasn't expecting to be saved, at least not by the person she tried to kill a few days ago.

"Why…?" She coughed a few times before finishing her sentence. "Why did you save me?"

"Does it even need a reason?" Leona helped her sit up. She wore a bittersweet expression on her face, one that said 'she had enough'. "I come to hate killing. There has been too much blood on my hands as it is."

"Your naivety will be your undoing, Princess."

"That may very well be." She stood up with a hint of confidence in her eyes. "But this is who I am and I won't spare any effort to save a life that can yet be redeemed."

She then extended a helping hand for Kaeli who shook her head and stood up by herself.

"Me, redeemed? You tell the funniest of jokes. My sins are too great to be simply forgotten like that."

"Hey! It's nice that you two are getting along and all!" Charlotte shouted from the helm. "But we are still in the storm! Unless you want to backtrack I suggest you use your magic for something rather than standing there doing nothing!"

Kaeli clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"If that's what it takes to shut you up, I'll gladly help!"

She turned to the white sail and pointed at it with her open left palm. Suddenly, an enormous quantity of mana began to flow from her body into her hand as a powerful vortex of wind pushed against the sails with enough force to fight against the storm.

'See? You can still be redeemed.' Leona thought for herself with a faint smile that slowly faded away. 'If it was Alexander on the other hand…'

She tightened her hands into fists with her fingers slowly grinding against the longsword's handle. Her gaze was locked on Kaeli's side profile as she kept the wind spell going strong against the sails, too busy to notice Leona staring at her.

'Why did you join hands with him of all the people?'