On Stranger Tides

[MadEmperor]

"Not remotely that strong, babe," Thrax said, slightly rolling his eyes. "And I still haven't figured out how that sword demon used my lightning to cut."

The ship lurched as the rusty, barnacled chains grew taut. As they pulled, the smell of elemental death grew steadily stronger. The crew began to gather on deck as if hypnotized, still reciting the dark lyrics.

The bard watched them worriedly. "This isn't looking good. Do you see anything yet?"

[DragonSong]

"Can you break the wood around it?" Hana asked desperately, trying to come up with some semblance of a plan.

It seemed they were under attack from another ship. And all but three hand in the Adamant Lady were essentially useless.

...She didn't know what to do with that.

"It's...a galleon," she called back in response to Thrax, squinting and leaning further over the rail. "But it—it's hard to make out. I thought it was the fog, but...I think the ship is the fog!"

[MadEmperor]

"Like, the ship itself is a ghost? Fantastic," Thrax replied sarcastically.

The bard looked closer at where the harpoon pierced the deck. He could try, but he doubted he would have time to hack both of them free before the ghost ship was on them. And he needed that energy to fight. Unless...

"I can't cut us free in time, but if the ship is a manifestation, then so are the chains. Maybe between the three of us, we can disrupt the magic."

[DragonSong]

"Maybe?" Hana was struggling to keep her voice even--she'd never seen anything like this. She was still squinting out into the fog, then suddenly her eyes widened and she threw herself back from the rail, yelling, "Down!"

A boom echoed through the damp air, and another harpoon embedded itself in the deck not far from where she'd just been standing.

Scrambling back to her feet, the kitsune turned and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Lars! Get over here, we need you!"

[MadEmperor]

Thrax braced himself against the first phantasmal harpoon. When the third one landed where Hana had just been, he rushed to her side as if he could retroactively protect her. "Storm, are you okay?! That thing almost..." He had tried to play it cool, but he choked up a little as the reality of the near miss set in. Telling his pride to sod off, he embraced her.

Lars interrupted the impending emotional detour with a cough. "What do you need? The wheel is useless right now anyway."

[DragonSong]

"I'm alright, I'm alright," Hana hurried to reassure Thrax as he wrapped her up in a tight hug. Her tone was soft and even, but she was trembling slightly--that had been close.

When Lars answered her call, she ducked out from under Thrax's arm--giving his wrist a brief squeeze as she did--and explained as best she could, "We think the attacking ship is...some sort of manifestation of the fog. If we pool our magic, Thrax thinks we might be able to disrupt it."

[MadEmperor]

"The chains, at least," Thrax said. "It would give us a chance to get away before we learn firsthand what it wants with us."

Lars stroked his beard in thought. "That... might be doable. But if the manifestation has any kind of will behind it, it will fight back."

"We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," the bard responded.

"Yes. That we shall." The mage nodded, studying the chains. "Perhaps if we throw our best offensive spells at the same spot, we'll break up the spectral energy enough to sever the chain."

[DragonSong]

"Ahh—" They didn't actually have time to argue about this, but Hana couldn't stop herself from asking, "Thrax and I tend to work in fire and lighting—is your magic gonna interact with that in a weird way?"

She glanced out into the fog, saw how close the misty ship was, and decided quickly, "Y'know what, never mind! Let's see how this goes!"

[MadEmperor]

Thrax readied Stormsong for musical casting and nodded. "Then let's do this."

"Agreed." Lars aimed his staff at the chain, gathering magical energy for the attack.

"On three," Thrax said, "two... one!" He strummed Stormsong, sending a steady lightning bolt at a link in the thick chain. Lars' stream of magic joined up with it, making the form of the chain waver.

[DragonSong]

Hana curled one hand into a claw, summoning a ball of bright blue flame to her palm, then hurled it at the same link the other two mages were targeting.

The whole chain flickered as magic washed over it.

"I think it's working!" She looked out over the water, trying to judge the distance of the other ship. "Hit it again!"

[MadEmperor]

The ship was dangerously close; they would have to figure out how to break the chains faster if they were not going to get away without a fight.

Thrax strummed again, focusing all of his mind on drawing as much of Stormsong's power as he could handle. The second volley burst the chain like fog before a sudden gale. The ghost ship released a ghastly howl and the mesmerized crew suddenly fell silent as they drew their weapons.

[DragonSong]

For a moment, Hana thought the rest of the crew might have come to their senses, and a relieved smile started to spread across her face.

"Well, it's better odds than just the three of us, eh?"

[MadEmperor]

The blank stares the crew returned as they stepped forward said otherwise.

"Uhh, babe?" Thrax said nervously as he stepped between her and the crew. "I don't think they're in control."

[DragonSong]

"...Shiiiiiit."

Hana took a step forward, turning slightly so her should was pressed tight to Thrax's, forming them into a phalanx against the evidently possessed crew. "Hey, uh, Lars? Don't suppose you have any incapacitate-type spells handy?"

She glanced up at Thrax questioningly as she asked the other mage; maybe a sleep spell?

[MadEmperor]

"I can entangle them, but I have to actively maintain it," Lars answered uncertainly. "I won't be able to help with the chains."

Thrax nodded once. "Do it. We'll figure something out."

Lars stepped forward, staff raised and shining green. Over his shoulder, he said, "Good luck," before speaking an incantation. Glowing vines erupted from the deck to bind the crew.

[DragonSong]

Hoping Lars could keep the ensorcelled crew off their back, Hana turned back to the second harpoon. She looked out at the foggy ship, then to Thrax, and nodded firmly.

"Again?"

The ship would be on them soon, but if they could break the chains, they had a better chance of getting out of the damned fog, even if they did have to fight whatever was on that damned ship while they did it.

[MadEmperor]

"Again." Thrax nodded, rushing to the second chain for the next volley.

"I have an idea. Launch a fireball, big as you can make it, and I'll blast it against the chain with a force wave. If I'm right, we'll blow the fog away in one strike."

[DragonSong]

Hana nodded quickly, already summoning fire between her palms as she hurried after him. "Okay."

Her brow furrowed as she drew on her magic--more than she ever had before for this particular spell. The ball of blue and white flame that could normally be cupped in her palm grew so large that she had to hold it over her head with both hands.

"Ready...and...now!"

She hurled the fire at the ghostly chain, gasping and swaying with the effort as the magic drained from her body in one abrupt swoop.

[MadEmperor]

Thrax fired off a thunderclap spell strong enough to knock him on his ass. The wave of force carried the fireball to the target and the combined spell exploded, blowing away the phantom chain and sending out a shockwave that took out the other remaining one. The ghost ship, or something on it, shrieked in fury.

The crew found itself released from the entity's control and was clearly confused by suddenly finding themselves entangled. "Lars? What... Oh dear gods, what is that?" Gracia asked.

"Ghost ship!" Thrax exclaimed as he sat up, laughing, despite the dire situation.

[DragonSong]

When the spell knocked him backward, Hana darted forward to help Thrax sit up, glancing up with a soft exhale of relief when Gracia seemed to come back to her senses.

"They don't have chains in the hull anymore, but I doubt that's enough to stop them," she shouted, before looking Thrax over quickly. "You okay?"