[SO-Sylira] What Will Be, Will Be.

[Orion Michaels]

50th of Summer, 514 AV
Sebekam Ocean aboard The Green Marauder
18th Bell

The storm came without warning.

The ocean-faring vessel would have sought respite by the coast, but by the time it was upon them, it was far too late. Retreat was futile, and prayers were much the same. There was no fury like that of unbridled nature. Unlike the denizens of Mizahar, nature cared not for age. There was no sexism. There was no racism. It's power was unleashed without regard for the concerns of mortals. Life was created, and lives were brought to a close. Many found themselves at a new beginning this evening.

The ocean spray relentlessly beat against the side of The Green Marauder, seeking to break through the obstacle on it's path across the waves. She was a sturdy ship, however, and never at danger of faltering b'neath the storm. The crew and passengers lacked that knowledge, and other than the barking of orders by captain and first mate alike, a nervous quiet rest upon them. The claps of thunder and violent flashes of lightning spoke volumes more than any could hope to convey.

The passengers and animals had been put below deck, for their safety, and for that of the deck hands as well. It was far too dangerous to have the entirety of the ship's current population on the deck. Thanks to the abrupt appearance of the storm, the crew were rushing about trying to save what they could. Orion was amongst them.

He still regretted signing that crew manifest

Offering his varying talents as a means to secure passage seemed a logical choice at the time. He knew nothing about sailing, but he was strong enough to help move ropes and supplies, he could cook, and he was a physician. While he and Hadyn both had a fair bit of coin saved up, he couldn't guarantee they'd be able to find work. Anywhere he could make a bit of money was a coin stopped from exiting his coffers. If his words could soothe a storm then he'd surely have that coffer overflowing.

The ex-squire had sent Hadyn and his two children below deck at the first sign of trouble, while he and the other deckhands worked to try to save the sails and tie down whatever they could. For a moment he wondered if they were wasting their time.

It had been a brilliantly sunny day what felt like only ticks before. Now they stared down a darkness rivaled by the depths of Stormhold Keep. The torches that were still lit fought against the encroaching night, reinforced by brilliant strokes of lightning illuminating the sky for miles. Each powerful show brought forth a moment of fear, but at the same time offered a flash of clarity needed to work.

Winds and rains crashed against Orion's face as he stepped uneasily across the deck. As each wave met The Green Marauder, it threatened to upend the blue eyed man. Salty waters ran across the deck and added to the growing pile of hazards they faced. Slip and pray that the railings caught you. A watery grave awaited those with the misfortune of meeting its depths.

Orion gritted his teeth as a rope was shoved in his hands. Instructions to pull were shouted in his ear. All he could do was acquiesce with the instruction. If he'd tried to reply, Orion worried that all his resolve would escape when his own voice was inaudible beneath the howling storm. The ex-squire would have felt much more useful had he any real sailing experience, but if all they needed him to do was pull, then pull he would. Orion turned his back to the rope and brought it over his shoulder for leverage. His muscles engaged, his arms locked in place, and he stepped away with the rope in tow. They were turning the sail into the wind so they could take it down. At this point they had no hope of outrunning the storm. The only option was to hunker down and hope that fate spared them. The worst of the storm was yet to come.

The winds threatened to whip the mast and sail around; Orion could feel himself losing ground to the strength of nature. He opened his mouth to shout something, anything, to a passing sailor. He'd never remember his words, but the message was clear. Help. The unknown man soon had a grasp on the rope and was helping him stabilize and immobilize the rope. A few ticks later, the sail was dropping. If it had ripped, they would be at the mercies of the ocean. If they survived the storm.

A loud crash of thunder announced its presence over top the ship, a bolt of lightning preceding its arrival by a cat's whisker. Only a few dozen feet away, everyone seemed to pause a moment to respect what they'd just seen. Then the chaos began again, the handful of workers scurrying around the ship like ants on their hills. The crashes, booms, and flashes were more frequent. Harsher winds and waves began to extinguish torches, only allowing the storm's power to give sight.

The ship rocked violently as the waves intensified in size and strength. Orion's sea legs failed him, sending the physician sprawling to the ship's deck. Now at the mercy of the unpredictable shuddering of the vessel, he grasped frantically for one of the many ropes that lined the wooden floor. Any sailor worth their weight would have tied themselves down, but Orion couldn't have been anymore out of his element. Soaked the the bone, he was forcibly dragged across the deck with each shift of the ship in the waters. Most of the sailors had sought refuge within the belly of their vessel. With the sail secured, all they could do was ride it out. Orion would have much preferred to do so with shelter over his head.

Again and again The Green Marauder met crest and trough of the waves. The distance between the two extremes were expanding, sending a rush of adrenaline each time the ship met one or the other. Orion closed his eyes and held on, hoping with all he could that Emily and the others were safe below the deck.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion had lost count of the days they'd been at sea. Zeltiva to Sunberth was not to be that long of a trip. A third a season at most. The hardest part had been actually finding someone that would take them, their supplies, and their horses. The first two hadn't been an issue, but three horses? The beasts hadn't been intended for sea travel, but Orion wasn't about to drag Hadyn and two children across the wilderness of Sylira, either. He was none too keen on leaving their mounts behind. If he could go back in time, they'd be in the wild lands, rather than thrashing about on their gods forsaken boat.

The rocking was becoming worse. Even though the captain had turned the ship into the waves, it still quivered beneath the great force of the ocean. They surely would have capsized if it had been hitting the broadside, but that brought the ex-squire little comfort. All he could do was lay there. The dagger and sword strapped to his side would do him no good here. A blade was useless against a storm. He had nothing else on him but the clothing on his back, and those stuck to him tightly. Not a fiber was left un-soaked.

Rains went from a downpour to a torrent. Visibility became non-existent, forcing the ex-squire to look downward to shield his face. The waves were only getting higher, beginning to invade the upper deck of the ship with increasing frequency. Deafening thunder continued its roar overhead, and despite Orion's attempts to guard his eyes, the unyielding lightning would not be denied. Exhaustion gripped at him, tighter than he could grip the rope. Surely the storm couldn't go on like this for long?

Suddenly, in a dazzling show of lights, dozens of bolts brightened the sky, revealing the area around the boat as though it were the middle of the day. The sight that met the few clinging for life on the deck was harrowing, to say the least. A wave was approaching rapidly, one which towered over The Green Marauder. If it didn't turn the boat over, it was at the very least going to clear the deck of anything not tied down. Orion holding onto a rope was hardly considered tied down. Act or die, those were his options.

The breath was sucked out of Orion's lungs as he immediately reacted by trying to scramble to his feet. Panicked, he was less than successful. His plant foot slid as soon as he added weight, sending the blue eyed man unceremoniously back to the ground, only now having released the rope. His one hope at safety rolled away with the movement of the waters.

The ship shifted once again, and in a moment of levelness, the ex-squire was able to rise to his feet, knees bent to help stabilize himself on the deck of the ship. He was on his feet. If only he could make it to one of the hatches...if he could seek protection beneath deck...

Another flash of lightning told him he was too late.

The wave was bearing down on the Marauder, and he had precious few ticks before water and flesh would meet in a one sided battle.

It wasn't fair. Emily, Hadyn, and Liam had all packed up their lives to follow him. They put their trust in him, and risked it all. This was their reward. Hadyn, for all her efforts to include him, would be left alone with Liam, and now with Emily? Would Liam never know his father? Would Emily ever forgive her foolish father for abandoning her now that they'd finally found the love that father and daughter should share? It was all part of the cruel joke that his life had been.

This is how he would perish? On a journey that the fucking god of righteousness personally condoned? Where was that asshole now? Testing your faith, Orion. He could hear it in his head, and he had no idea if it was his imagination or Yahal himself. Laughter would have been more appropriate than anything else.

Orion sucked in a deep breath and let out a ferocious stream of curses, not only breaking his no swear agreement with Emily, but angrily defying the storm with what he expected were his last words.

"THIS. IS. BULLSHIIIIII-""

The crushing wave collided with Orion, sweeping him into its embrace, cradling him harshly as it guided him from his relative safety atop The Green Marauder and into the dangers of the ocean. He couldn't scream anymore, nor could fight the useless fight. His fate was not his own.

The blue eyed doctor disappeared beneath the ferocious waves.

[Orion Michaels]

It was a surreal feeling. It wasn't the first time he'd found himself fighting for his life beneath the waters, but the previous times he'd been in the care of others. Now he was left to his own to survive the oceans long enough to get rescued? Those on the ship wouldn't even know he was gone for the time being.

Orion began kicking his feet and waving his arms through the water as he swam towards the flashes of light to seek the surface. There was no time to think, but he wasn't sure what to do other than seek the air. Never before had the physician found himself in such rough waters. Momentarily his head broke the waters, just long enough to get a breath of precious air before another wave smashed into his face, driving him back below the depths.

The burning of the salty waters on his eyes was nearly unbearable. How anyone made a living dealing with salt waters was beyond him.

Kicking and flailing his arms, Orion once again propelled himself skyward, He would rapidly run out of energy at this rate. He'd already exhausted precious energy hanging on for dear life. Now he had to swim in this? He cut slowly through the waters, and once again surfaced, only to be smacked in the face by a barrel which had been washed overboard in the same wave that he'd been so forcefully dumped. He dipped below the waters once again, but instinctively reached up and grabbed a hold of the edge of the barrel. There was no chance that he would let go of the wooden container, not so long as his grip remained faithful.

Coughing and sputtering, the ex-squire pulled himself up against the barrel, letting it guard him from the cruel waves. And occasional mouthful of ocean water nearly made him throw up, the saltiness nearly too much for his body to handle. The storm raged on all around him. Orion glanced around with each strike of lightning, trying to locate The Green Marauder, and was distraught when his blurred vision finally settled on it. The grand ship was only moving further and further away. It was anchored. Orion and his barrel were, unfortunately, not.

All he could do was cling harder to the container and hope he could ride it out. Maybe the storm would pass before he got too far away and they could rescue him. Judging by how quickly he was moving away, it was a fleeting dream. He rested his head against the barrel and was rewarded with a spray of ocean water in his face. It burned more than normal, causing him to recoil and bring one hand to his face. He could feel a substance coating his fingers. Even in this disoriented state, the doctor knew blood when he felt it. This fucking barrel...

He tried to blink the tears from his eyes, while the rain continued its ceaseless onslaught. If he were to touch land again, it would either be at the bottom of the ocean or because the current took him there. The Green Marauder was a thing of the past.

It wasn't clear how much time passed, but the boat grew smaller and smaller. At least the horizon was lighter, as much good as that would do him.