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Blog Post 68: The Adventure Shop: Part 35

4/13/25

Sometime before the now, that was previously then:

Aster swam to the surface as another wave crested over them. They had been floating for too long. Soon, they would not have the energy to continue and would sink beneath, and the air would be stolen from their lungs. His mind raced as he tried to think of how to solve their current predicament. 

Brawn’s life was fading. The only way he stayed above the water was through the help of Caridad, who held him fast in her grip. The others held each other by clothes or a hand to try to stay together, but it was not a long-term solution. Any storm would break them apart and drown them. 

He held his breath as another wave passed above his head. Aster barely heard Jubair shout, “How much energy do you have?”

“I am running out. If we are going to do something with magic, it will need to be soon before my energy is pulled.” 

“Concentrate on the base of a basic ship. I will handle the rest,” Jubair shouted as he swam closer. Aster concentrated on the ship base. The creak of the wood, the feel of each splinter. The smell of the sealant to keep it waterproof. 

He heard the resources he needed slowly pull from the ocean as they joined together to create the wood. A far easier technique to create a new object from ‘found’ things than to use energy to create a completely new thing. After all, magic always came from something and in this circumstance, he did not have a lot to give. The expanse of the base continued till there was more than enough room for all to make it aboard with room to spare. That was his goal. 

“Get Brawn on there!” Aster yelled as loud as he could over the waves to Caridad and Pertanix. Once they hoisted him and themselves on board, the next to be pulled up was Ainia, whose head drooped the moment her hooves hit the deck. 

Aster stayed by Jubair as he continued to conjure. The others slowly made it aboard as the form of a ship slowly formed. Aster used his remaining energy to keep the water clear of the forming vessel. No sense in making it if it was going to sink due to water being on board. 

When they completed the task the ship looked like a respectable vessel. 

Jubair began to slip away as he sank below the waves. Aster ducked below and pulled his comrade up and called for help. He felt his own grasp begin to fade as his conscious faded.

“We have you.” He heard Pertanix beside him. “You saved us. Now we save you.” 

Pertanix pulled Jubair and Aster over to the ship as Caridad pulled them up with Borg.

Once aboard, Aster let his mind drift. They were safe for the moment. Finally, he could rest, knowing at least part of his people were safe. He heard the shouts for Brawn to wake up, but his sleep pulled his body and mind to a place that said Dahlia was safe back home at her shop, waiting for him to return.

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“Aster.” He felt a shove on his side as he growled, wanting to stay asleep a little longer.

“Aster.” He felt a poke. “Wake up! We need you again!” 

Aster stirred and opened his eyes slowly, as his brain tried to piece together what had happened. His mind felt muddled and his senses dulled. A headache, like he had had too much ale, persisted in a pounding as he tried to think as he slowly stood.

“Are you alright, man?” Borg asked, clapping him on the back a little too roughly, causing Aster to stumble. As Borg helped him right his footing, Aster assessed the situation. His comrades were standing next to the side of the ship watching something. He assessed them and the others. 

The only two still unconscious were Brawn and Jubair. Kamali sat in the middle of the ship with her knees to her chest, seeming afraid. A fear he would have to discuss later once he gained his bearings. Ainia stood at the helm as she studied the horizon. Aster thought it seemed she was trying to decide on a route, but at the moment it did not matter. 

The pressing issue seemed to be on the side of the ship. He walked wobbly up beside Pertinax as his friend whispered, “There is something in the water.” 

Aster looked out as the sun’s bright, setting light impeded the view and shadowed the creature. 

“What is the plan?” Aster whispered back.

“Wait?” Pertinax shrugged. “We have no weapons, and you and Jubair are out of magic. Our options right now are limited.”

“How long has it been watching us?”

“I would say three to four hours?”

“Is that a question?”

“Yes. At the moment it is. Based on the time we got on the boat and the sun, I would estimate it. The thing hasn’t moved.”

Right as he had spoken those words the creature swam up to the edge of the ship. Revealing a woman–at least the top half of a woman. 

She lifted her arm and pointed to Aster. “It is your power. Though it is gone for the moment. You and another. Curious,” she said aloud as she watched him, “Why did you come this far without a ship in the first place?”

“How do you know that?” Aster asked, wary of the creature.

“This vessel is pure magic. I can feel it in every fiber. You created it from found things, but your magic has forged it together.” She looked at each of them. Observing and smiling. It should have been off-putting, but her smile was playful. Curious. Almost innocent.

“You have been cast off your current ship. You have wounded on board. You have no protection, you are hungry, and you have lost loved ones,” she spoke aloud. The creature looked into every one of their eyes before saying, “I am sorry for your loss. Do not travel far, weary souls. Other creatures less amiable than I are in these waters.”

The creature disappeared and they looked at each confused. Aster looked over the others and he wondered how the creature knew of their injuries. If he had any energy left, he would heal them.

He sighed and went to Brawn’s side. Brawn pallor was fading from his rich tan, slowly paler. His muscles looked less full. Something was happening, but Aster knew very little of Gemini and their abilities. 

Jubair grumbled and slowly woke. He looked like Aster felt, and assumed he looked the same. 

“How long have I been unconscious?” Jubair asked. 

Ainia came over and knelt in the best way she could for a Centaur. “How are you? Do you feel any loss of abilities? Is your magic gone? Do you have any other injuries?” 

Jubair smiled. “I am fine, Ainia. You and Kamali?”

Ainia looked over to Kamali. “We did not like being in the open sea before now, and even less once we were dropped in the middle of it.”

Jubair shook his head. “I am so sorry to have led you here.” His eyes turned dark as he barely spoke. “None of us should have been here.”

“You can not blame yourself for what we all chose. Tadgh died a hero. Something none of us could have ever fathomed,” Ainia told him.

“He should not have died. I should have seen through the pirate. Spoken up about my misgivings.”

You cannot change the past, magical one. You can only make the present better with your knowledge of it, a voice spoke to their minds. Moments later, multiple fish flopped over the side. As they flopped about slowly, they went from raw to cooked whole.

A gift to enter your ship and heal your people, the voice spoke in their minds.

Aster walked over to the edge and saw her. “Come aboard!” he called. To himself, he thought a known fiend was better than the unknown, but that logic did not work the last time and they lost more than they gained.

I will not cause you and yours harm unless you have ill desires against me first! she spoke to his mind. He saw tentacles reach for the sides of the ship and grip. More came over as all eight could be seen before the woman attached on the top of them.

“To sate your curiosity, I am a Cecaelia. A wizard of the sea with features that seem both human and octopus if you must name my parts. I am here as a friendly acquaintance as we do not know each other well enough to be friends… Yet.” She pulled herself fully over before they saw her arms full of bags and what looked like different forms of luggage. 

“Oh! These?” she said holding up her arms, “are all the things I like to travel with. I never travel light.” She gave them a charming smile.

“Let’s get to introductions, shall we?” she asked as she left them all dumbfounded. Slowly, she transformed into a woman with ample curves, dressed in a green dress with a black cloak around her shoulders. 

“I am Corissa. And all of you are?” she asked before holding up a hand. “How rude of me. You are injured and hungry. Eat and I will heal you. Then we can talk.”

“Will we be able to get in a word?” Pertinax joked with Caridad, not as softly as he probably intended and Aster cringed. So far the Cecaelia was willing to help, but he wasn’t sure how far her grace extended.

“I am curious. I talk a lot when I am excited or passionate, I travel with a lot of items, and I am a powerful sea witch. As you all are currently in shock and your spirits weary, I am allowing myself to talk freely as a distraction from your current situation. And considering you do not look so sullen, warrior, it seems to have worked.” She winked as Pertinax blushed.

Aster had never seen his friend turn that shade of red. Maybe when they were fighting in the volcano castle, but now, it was for an entirely new reason. He laughed at his friend’s response. 

“Please! Eat! They are fresh and hot!” She pointed to the fish on the deck that still seemed to be steaming. 

The others watched her warily, but Aster’s curiosity got the better of him. He picked up a steaming, hot fish. The skin was crispy under his fingers and seemed fried like the one vegetable that he had at the start of his adventure with Dahlia.

He bit into it and it burst with flavor as if it had been given a sauce of spices. His hunger seemed to awaken as he took another full bite. A groan of happiness at the tasty fish made the others jump up and pick up one of their own. He grabbed a second and sat next to Kamali. Nudging her arm, he handed out the fish. She looked nervous. “It is really good!” 

Kamali took the fish and sniffed it before popping it into her mouth. The first spark of life came to her eyes. Aster only noted then that Carissa was going around to heal each of his comrades before stopping at Brawn. She knelt beside him before she screamed out in pain.

Aster jumped up and ran next to her with Jubair. 

She looked up at them as she shook. “He cannot be healed. What he has cannot be undone. He is fading. What creature is he?”

“He is a Gemini,” Kamali spoke up and she crawled over. She took out a book from her vest. To any other it would seem like a large book, too heavy to carry, but in her hands, it seemed a small, light read. 

“Where did you get that, Kam?” Jubair asked her with a smirk.

“It was outside at a kiosk. I was looking for a book because I was curious when Brawn told us what he was.” 

“And what did it say?” Carissa held out her hand to beckon Kamali forward. 

“That if a Gemini is severely wounded and the bond is broken, slowly their magic and power will fade, but instead of disappearing, it goes into their twin. However, the other twin is often not able to take on the fading twin’s power due to not being able to withstand the opposite of their ability. If he dies, he will eventually kill his twin if it is not prepared for his power,” Kamali explained. 

“I will not be able to heal him, but I can provide a shell that should slow the process of the transfer?” Corissa asked as I watched her and Kamali. Aster had never seen Kamali speak up in the time that she had adventured, and based on Jubair’s perspective, it seemed he had not either. 

“We must get to the twin as soon as possible if that is the case. We must travel back to the port.”

“How far is that?” 

“Not long. You are roughly four to five days away, depending on the wind,” she noted.

“Why are you helping us?” Jubair asked, watching her cautiously.

“Your magic called to me. As any great power does to the creatures of the sea. You land folk are prey in your current state, but with me, the others will not dare to challenge me.”

“And why is that?” Aster asked.

“Because I am a great sea witch and clever. I dispersed your magic and solidified your craft. And as to why I am helping? Well, I like to travel and adventure. I happened to be in the mood to travel and was leaving for the port when I came across your vessel. Fated timing it would seem. So now, until I decide otherwise, I am on your adventure to experience one of my own.”

Aster looked at Jubair who shrugged. At this timeframe she protected them. Fed them, healed them, and managed to turn their ship in the right direction. 

At the moment it seemed the best and only option. 

And for Brawn, it might be the only one to save him and his twin.

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“AAAAARRRGGGGHH!” Psyche screamed.

“What is wrong with her?” Killian shouted.

“I don’t know! I don’t know how to help her!” Marina cried. 

Psyche felt the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. Every muscle ached, felt strained, and seized. Too deep of a breath and even her lungs caused pain to the point she saw white dots through her closed eyes. “PPPLLLLEEEAAASSSEE HELP ME!” she screamed. Her heart ached with the rapid pace it kept as her body remained in stress and loss overwhelmed her.

Brawn was fading and destroying her in the process.