Altruism aside, Maelen had also sensed a link between his own future, and Tom’s. After leaving Tom/Edwyrd last night, he’d contacted Johen in Seren. He’d shared his Seeings, and Johen had concurred. Perhaps more disturbingly, Johen had hinted that he already knew something involving this group of travelers. Or at the very least knew something about demons and their involvement in upcoming events. The events in fact, that Johen wanted him to discuss with this sorcerer, Elrose. Maelen hadn’t liked the sound of that, he’d Seen nothing that clear, and Johen had been reticent to reveal more until they were physically together.
Maelen broke his reverie as the pace of the crew increased to a slightly more frenzied level. The Oorstemoth ship was closing relatively quickly. Very soon it would be within ballista range. Maelen looked around again. The young wizard girl was busily sorting through some spell components, Gastropé simply rubbing his arms up and down. On the top of the stern castle, Rupert was pacing in circles, and Edwyrd/Tom was just looking rather seasick. Maelen cleared his mind, trying to prepare for the healing he knew he’d have to do soon.
Crack!
Maelen jumped. He hadn’t expected that. The foremast was falling over! There had been a brilliant flash of light and then the loud crack. He quickly turned his vision to the Oorstemoth ship. Why hadn’t he noticed before! There were two wizards on board. The weaker one was at least as powerful as their own two young wizards. The stronger one’s aura glowed red-hot. pyromancer, Maelen thought. It was times like these he wished he’d studied more pyromastery. That man was definitely a match for their group.
Maelen’s stomach fell a bit more. This choice of paths was not looking hospitable at all. He shook his head as crewmembers began clearing the debris of the fallen mast. The mast was only broken halfway up, even so it had to be cut free lest it help capsize the ship when the damage got more severe.
Crack!
Another bolt of lightning lanced between ships. This one however was apparently from Gastropé. It looked like Jenn was busily rattling off some form of protection spell.
Whoosh!
A ball of flame went scurrying across the deck. Maelen had to back up a little to avoid the trail of flames that swept along beside the ball. Fortunately the ball didn’t hit directly and only lighted some incidental small fires on the deck. The crew rushed buckets of water to put these out. Other crewmembers were madly arming ballistae trying to fire on the other ship, but it was still too far.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack... Slam!
Another volley of lightning between the two ships was exchanged. The third crack belonging to the bolt that slammed into the main mast and split it. The mast, cracked at the base, began to tilt heavily to port, the ship rolling with it. The mast was broken enough to fall over, but by no means broken free of the ship.
Jenn ran up and quickly began doing something to the mast. Maelen couldn’t tell what she was doing, but it seemed to require a lot of effort on her part. Maelen looked back to the other ship. So far they’d only faced the junior most wizard. The stronger one had simply sat back and absorbed the bolts that Gastropé was sending.
Crash... Crack... Boom!
The ship rocked violently. Maelen hadn’t seen anything from the enemy, he glanced over his shoulder. Jenn was covered in wood chips, but the mast had broken free of the deck. She’d apparently caused the remaining mast connections to rot rapidly and come free. Currently she was levitating one end of the mast off the deck of the ship. The top end was in the water already. Jenn was keeping the mast from dragging the rest of the ship with it. Actually rather impressive, Maelen thought, that mast had to be extremely heavy.
Maelen noticed a sailor laying on the deck where he’d fallen from the mast. Maelen quickly ran over to see to the man. As he bent down and began scanning with his mind for injuries, he heard another series of lightning volleys.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Whoosh!
Crack.
Whoosh! Boom!
Maelen couldn’t spare much attention as he willed the sailor’s broken skull to knit back together. He calmly rerouted blood to and from the wound and the head and brain as necessary. Despite this, he was pretty sure that Gastropé had just taken a fireball direct on the forecastle. From the corner of his eye he could see Jenn waving her arms trying to put out flames in that region. He had to stop the swelling in the man’s brain, make a quick patch to a crack in the man’s spinal cord. Accomplishing this, he was able to begin the hard part, repairing the damaged brain tissue.
