The Maelstrom

As the large ship beat against the tides, the planks beneath Lucian's feat swayed and shifted.

All around him in every direction was water, larger than any lake he had seen before.

Standing at the side of the large ship bearing the Grasping Hand of Demia, he leaned against the railings to peer out at the endless sea.

It was so empty and foreign that he couldn't help feeling a hint of trepidation as he took in that liquid expanse. At least the shifting of the boat did not make him sick. A little queasy, but not sick. And his feet held firm even at it's worst, his balance never lacking.

When he looked past that small feeling of trepidation, he could almost see it as beautiful. If it weren't for Takis leaning over the railing beside him, ejecting vomit over the side of the ship.

Rubbing the prince's back with a grimacing face, he hoped the man could get over it soon.

"You alright now?"

He straightened and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he groaned.

"I'm fine. It's just hard to get used to, having no ground beneath my feet."

They'd talked about it before and Takis described the feeling, like a tree with no earth to plant it's roots. It seemed to Lucian that he suffered more than just sea sickness, as Captain Stone had called it, and the prince agreed, stating that ever since his ascendance he always felt more comfortable standing atop soil than hardwood floors or carpets.

Perhaps that played a role.

They'd been at sea for three days now, and Princess Irina refused to approach Takis throughout the whole journey on account of his apparent bad breath.

He felt bad for the prince, but… she wasn't entirely wrong. Most of the time it was David Ballas who stuck to the prince's side while Lucian curiously observed the crew working the ship. He'd once been taught the absolute basics of what ships were and how they worked, but it was something taught briefly and only once.

Perhaps Theo could remember stuff like that, he was always good at recalling everything they were taught, but as far his own memory went, Lucian could not name any working part on the boat aside from the sails.

The ship rocked and without thinking, his stance adapted to maintain balance. He thought that sparring or fighting on a ship deck might be fun, but there was no room with the crew always about doing one thing or another.

Peering off into the distance, he could see the faint silhouette of another ship running parallel to them. Everyone going to The Maelstrom took their own transport, and when he first saw the docks of the Capital—or one of them at least—there were quite a few ships bearing insignia's of the various sects and clans.

All in all, the journey would take roughly a week. Having traveled for three days already, he was almost half way there.

**

Within the streets of Demia's capital city, Karnath, a plain looking Nalduri woman followed the crowds away from the center of the city, towards it's southern reaches.

This was the first time she'd stepped into the capital city, but she knew exactly where to go and who to meet. She had just received orders that should shock her, but instead her mind dwelled on another matter.

'That was definitely him. What was he doing cultivating on a rooftop? What if someone attacked or tried to sabotage him? He was wide open, the fool.'

Despite scolding thoughts, a smile spread on her forgettable face.

'We can't reunite yet, but I'm back. For now at least, I'm back.'

The plain faced woman had slightly slanted eyes, light brown skin, a tall stature, and brown, almost black hair. If Lucian saw her he would have no idea who the girl was. Her long black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin were gone, and she carried no badges of rank, but the woman was none other than Tess.

'Why did they call me back anyway? I was doing wonders in the south. I managed to expand the tools of our Restful Haven Inn by so much in my time there, but before I get to reap the rewards of my work I'm called back?'

She had waited in Karnath for days before receiving her next order. A Naldurian delegation would be making their way to Karnath to further talks of an allied war with Toubia. One among their numbers would prove troublesome during the negotiations to come.

The delegation had been conveniently attacked by a small group of Toubian forces before crossing the Nalduri border, and that individual had been struck by a poisoned arrow.

The poison had been neutralized, but the man was in bad condition, and her job was to see that his condition turned for the worse.

All the way from Toubia she traveled just to get this order in person and be sent back through half of Demia to lay in wait for the group.

'I swear, if Helene ruins any of my plans while I'm gone, I'll discipline her myself.'

Originally, as a Knight and Fist Of The King, she was subordinate to only one other agent in the Restful Haven, their base of operations, and above many others. But she had held no managerial authority until months later when her superior had an unfortunate accident.

It was his own fault really. He would put his own investments before the mission, screw up her plans, and then blame her whenever he ruined their missions.

After months of this, she had rallied the others into excluding their highest superior from the briefings—given that it was not he, but Helene who receive the orders—and performing their job without him.

Well, when he learned of this he was mad to say the least. If he hadn't overreacted the way he did she wouldn't have concluded things that way. But, he was no one's problem now.

As things were now, Tess had total control over her branch of Demian agents with Helene as her second.

With a lightness in her step, almost a skip, she continued down the streets wondering who else she may see in the capital.

'I hope we can all meet again sometime soon.'

**

Thunder cracked as lightning filled the skies and the ship beneath Lucian's feet rocked back and forth.

Everything within a few hours sail of The Maelstrom was battered by perpetual storms. For hours rain had pelted the deck and the crew had worked overtime to maintain control of the ship.

"This is as far as we can go!" The ship's captain called out over the sound of rain and thunder.

"We'll return when you order, but we need to back out now!"

Lucian blew water from his face and ran a hand through his wet hair to keep it out of his way. In the far distance he could see it. A whirlpool larger than the huge ship they stood upon. He doubted anything in nature created a whirlpool that large, though he knew little of the sea.

"Thank you Captain." Takis yelled as the ship swayed once more. "We will go on alone from here. Lucian, Irina, David, get ready! Captain Stone, are your men prepared?"

"We're ready Your Highness." The armored captain called in response as a man and woman, Sir Richard Hunt and Stella Moore, nodded from his side. They each were highly capable cultivators of the 4th stage.

Lucian looked to the princess and when she nodded, he mirrored Captain Stone's words.

"Then let's go" With a bend of his legs, Takis jumped and launched himself forward off the deck of the ship, shooting above the water.

Captain Stone and his few elite guards followed along with David while Lucian hung back until the princess went ahead. Takis had been very explicit that he was to ensure Irina's safety throughout this trip.

As Lucian launched himself overboard following the others, he employed the Waterskipping Step, a minor technique for creating momentary platforms on a water surface, named for skipping stones across water, and launched himself across the surface, every kick of his foot sending him stretches ahead.

Like this, their group of a dozen or so people including guards shot across the water surface and closed in on the incredibly large disruption in the water.

The perpetual storm grew fiercer as rain hit harder and winds blew faster, all the way until, as if having passed through some invisible barrier, the storm stopped. No rain fell, no harsh winds blew, and even the sound storms softened to near silence.

Warm sunlight and calm air met his cheeks as he strode across the water, and Lucian looked up to see clear skies. He'd not seen any clearing in the dark, heavy clouds earlier, but looking back, those storm clouds were still there. There was no transition between storm clouds and blue sky, just a sudden, jarring change.

The others had all stopped momentarily as he, Irina, and some of the guards marvelled at the phenomena. Those that didn't, Takis and David included had obviously been here before.

The waters below were still rapid, but they somehow seemed peaceful at the same time. As if only the surface was calm while the water directly below it remained fierce. The flat platform he'd created beneath his feet was undisturbed either way.

Taking a few steps to stand beside Takis, he peered at the gargantuan whirlpool still quite distant from them and realized just how vastly he had underestimated it's size. The thing must be huge.

He heard a peal of thunder and lightning flashed behind him, but they both seemed so subdued now that he stood in this domain of calm.

"Incredible." He muttered softly.

"It is. You can release your footholds now."

He looked at the prince doubtfully, but received only a humorous smile and a nod in response.

Looking down at the waters that somehow maintained a calm surface despite rapid speeds, he swallowed, and then released the platforms beneath his feet.

He dropped about two centimetres, but then found something solid beneath his feet again.

"What on earth?"

The two centimetres of water that brushed past his boots moved slowly and calmly. As if an invisible film separated it from the rapids beneath.

At the edge of his vision, Princess Irina suddenly dropped a few centimetres as well, followed by a few guards.

"Welcome to the Maelstrom." Takis said as he started slow steps towards the distant whirlpool.

Travels continued slowly from there, one step at a time as they walked and enjoyed the feeling of this place. As if the grand whirlpool was pulling in all things, the qi of the world was richer, the sunlight denser, the air cleaner.

In the water beneath their feet, soft flashes and streams of energy ran through the currents of water towards the maelstrom. Warm orange colors, soothing greens, fiery reds, bright cyans, and even an occasional vibrant purple. All sort of colors, and what Lucian suspected to be all sorts of energies.

A faint fog began to build at their feet as qi became so dense it was visible to the naked eye, and then soon thereafter, Lucian was shocked to realize that among the two centimetre surface of water, was liquid qi! Not all of it was, but some, and more with every step closer to the whirlpool he took.

'How was this thing created? It's an inheritance ground, so it had to have been made by someone.'

"Remember" Takis abruptly started in a grave voice. "Deaths within the Maelstrom are dangerous to more than yourself. A lesser monarch than my Father might consider it treason to die within.

"Take care to protect your lives over all else."

Those words were meant for the guards, but it put a shroud over the warm mood this place had coaxed them into.

Lucian shivered at the thought.