CHAPTER 13: THE ENDLESS OCEAN, THE BIRTH OF SEAFARES🐙🌌🌊
With supplies secured and preparations complete, the ship finally slipped away from the shore and into the vast open sea. The land slowly faded behind them, swallowed by mist and distance. Erik stood at the helm, eyes fixed on the endless horizon, while Arden remained on deck, the glowing trident resting firmly in his grasp. Rocky anchored his immense weight against the ship's hull, stabilizing it as the first strong waves rolled beneath them. 🪨⛵
The wind filled their sail of hardened animal hide, pulling the ship forward with a deep, resonant snap. The ocean greeted them with rhythmic waves striking the wooden hull, a raw and ancient song of water and wood. "We've truly left the land behind," Erik said quietly, glancing at the map. "Aetheria lies far above… and this sea shows no mercy to the careless." 🌬️
The first day was spent learning the language of the ship. They tightened ropes, adjusted the sail, and marked the stars for night navigation. Rocky carefully secured the supply chests, lifting even the heaviest with ease, while Arden traced glowing lines across the magical map, preparing protective spells should danger arise. 🌟
Night descended, and darkness swallowed the horizon whole. Above them, stars burned cold and distant. Erik stood at the bow, navigating by constellations like a true sailor, humming an old seafaring chant he barely remembered where he learned. Arden sat on the deck, Sword of Soul resting beside him, its soft blue glow pushing back the darkness. Rocky lay at the stern, his stone body acting as a living anchor against wind and tide. 🌙✨
Several days later, the ocean tested them.
The sky darkened without warning. Thunder roared. Waves rose like towering walls, crashing violently against the ship as rain lashed the deck. Erik shouted orders through the storm, gripping the helm with iron resolve. "Hold steady!" he roared. "This is the ocean's first trial!" ⚡🌊
Rocky braced the rear of the ship, his massive arms gripping the hull as if holding the sea itself at bay. Arden fought the wind, reinforcing the sail with magic as ropes snapped and water flooded the deck.
Then—
something moved beneath the waves.
A massive shadow circled below, its shape twisting through the storm-lit water. A sea dragon emerged, scales dark as the abyss, eyes glowing with ancient hunger. 🐉🌊
Arden raised the trident, its runes blazing bright. Erik drew Sword of Soul, its aura cutting through rain and darkness. "Don't let it breach the hull!" Erik shouted.
Arden summoned the sea itself, hurling walls of water toward the beast. Erik struck with precision, his blade releasing arcs of soul-light that sliced through the storm. Rocky slammed his fists into the waves, sending shockwaves rippling across the surface.
The sea dragon roared once—then vanished back into the depths, unwilling to face their combined will. 🌊🔥
When the storm finally passed, silence returned.
The sail was torn, the deck scarred, but the ship still floated. Still lived. Erik cleaned his weapons in silence. Arden steadied the trident, its glow slowly calming. Rocky gazed into the ocean, unmoving, ever watchful. 🌊⚓
That night, beneath a calm sky, they sat together on the deck. Arden lit a small magical flame and marked their progress on the map. "Aetheria is still far away," he said softly. "But we'll reach it."
Erik allowed himself a thin smile, starlight reflecting in his eyes. "Then let history remember us," he said. "As the first who dared cross this endless sea."
Rocky stood behind them, moonlight gleaming across his stone form. Silent. Unbreakable. The ocean stretched endlessly ahead—vast, dangerous, and alive.
And their journey as true seafarers had only just begun. ⛵⛵