“For such an ominous name as the Storm Crags, it’s not too bad sailing over them,” My-re said to Vomarian Fae as she looked out from the bow’s railing of the flying ship the Unsinkable III. The Rirorni encampment they visited was long behind them. There were no signs of pursuit. The rugged bluffs didn’t have any visible paths and was made mainly of rocks, dirt, and tired looking grass. The only life she saw was the occasional groupings of goats that maneuvered the mountainous terrain.
“Any signs of storms?” Vomarian Fae and captain of the ship shouted to the crow’s nest.
“All clear, sir!” came the call back, which echoed throughout the crags.
My-re looked to the sky and the grey whips of clouds muting the weak sun above. She observed the Shagornan elf crew. Throughout the ship the crew bustled to protect the three main mast lines, adjust the rigging, and tie down any flapping sails. She then heard a melody being sung by two of the elves. It was picked up by a few others nearby, then the rest of the ship all seemingly knowing the song. It had a nice rhythmic and thumping beat. While she didn’t understand the Shagornan language, it seemed like a common work song. The tempo and quickness of the words intensified as they sang, which echoed back in harmony through the chasm, as if the Storm Crags itself enjoyed their company as they sailed through. Her foot even began to tap to the beat. She then spotted the arch-mage Havelock bouncing his head back and forth in tune with the song. He was whittling a small, wooden version of a mere dragon as his knife strokes were also in time with the singing. As the fourth verse started, My-re caught on to the rhythm and began to whistle to the tune. Her whistling blew into the comforting wind, so unfortunately it didn’t echo in the chasm. The elves nearest her stopped their singing immediately. Others also ceased, like a domino effect across the ship.
“What in the nine hells are you doing!?” Vomarian Fae whispered harshly to her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know only elves could participant in the sing-song,” My-re scoffed offended.
“No, the whistling.”
“What about it. I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“No, you don’t understand. Whistling into the wind is a bad omen on a ship. It could call up a storm,” Vomarian explained.
“That doesn’t even make sense,” My-re retorted noticing the eyes of the crew glaring at her.
As the last echoes of the Shagornan elves’ song abruptly ended through the chasm, there was several heartbeats of silence across the ship as eyes looked to the sky in every direction.
There was a collective “whew” across the ship.
“Anything else I should know about?” My-re asked turning her gaze to Vomarian Fae.
“Yes, don’t cut your hair or trim your nails. In fact, no grooming whatsoever,” Vomarian said.
“Must remain haggard looking. Got it,” My-re scoffed. “Can I change clothes, or do I need to stay in what I’m wearing the entire trip?”
“That’s fine. Actually, nude women on a ship are completely welcome.”
“Of course they are. The reason why?”
“They can calm a storm.”
“And there it is. Makes complete sense too,” My-re mocked.
“No more whistling,” Vomarian Fae scolded and left her at the ship’s bow.
An hour passed as an uncomfortable silence traveled across the ship. My-re avoided the crew members who ignored her at best, or shot angry glances at worse. The only one who didn’t seem cross at her was the mere dragon Koma who laid near the forward mast. She stewed at the bow of the ship looking out to the Storm Crag’s barren terrain. “Stupid superstitious crew. Whistling into the wind is a bad omen on a ship,” she mumbled and mocked Vomarian’s voice to herself. “What if I whistled with the wind? Is that okay?”
The breeze blew into My-re’s face. She glanced around. There were no Shagornan elves near. She quietly whistled a note and waited. Nothing. She continued with a few more notes quietly to herself.
A lightning strike and thunderclap reverberated in the distance.
“Secure the ship!” Vomarian Fae ordered. A moment later he came up to My-re, “Were you doing any more whistling?”
“Nope.”
“Where are the two dragon large shield Kildo crafted?” Vomarian asked.
“Below deck,” My-re answered.
“Get them and come to the navigation wheel.”
Retrieving the modified gladiator large shields My-re had to make way as the mere dragon Koma scampered down the ramp to the hull of the ship and disappeared into the darkness. Back on deck, she understood why. Rolling black clouds streaked with a sickly green tinge reached to the heavens. Heading their way.
As My-re stared at the tempest before her, Vomarian Fae took the shields and said, “Stay below with Havelock and the crew. Things are going to get real ugly, real fast.”
“You’re going through that?” My-re said pointing to the wall of storm clouds in front of them.
“The Rirorni are behind us and we aren’t going to outrun that storm. We’re pushing through,” Vomarian said. “And no matter what, stay below.” He then scooted her down the ramp and closed the double hull doors to the deck above behind her. Below the majority of the Shagornan elf crew began lighting lamps to push back the darkness. She spotted the three mere dragons, Koma, Kata, and Kukki, not to be confused with a cookie, as Havelock would put it, at the aft section of the hull huddled together.
My-re heard the howling wind outside. It slammed into the ship and everyone had to catch their balance. She could feel the craft then surge forward.
“You’ll want to get into your hammock,” Havelock said passing her.
Throughout the hull, My-re saw the Shagornan elves also climbing into their hammocks and pulling the netting tight around them. They immediately began to sway back and forth with the movement of the ship. The hard thumping of rain hit the ceiling. After a few minutes, water dripped from a few cracks. She heard shouting above, but it was muffled by the sounds of the storm.
For the next few hours the skeletal crew above battled the ship through the tempest, while the rest remained secured in the hammocks below. It was almost comical how they all swayed in tune and in unison. At first, My-re enjoyed the movement, like swinging as a child. However, as the hours stretched, her stomach wasn’t thanking here for the constant back-and-forth.
By the motion of their hammocks, the ship started to list to the right, as if turning. There was more muted shouting above. This rotating continued and after a few minutes it seemed odd. My-re noted a few puzzled looks on some of the other Shagornan elves’ brows. The sounds of the hull’s wood scrapping against rock echoed throughout the hull. It dissipated.
Sixty seconds. The scrapping returned. Stopped.
Thirty seconds. The sound resumed. Ceased.
Fifteen seconds. The frequency accelerated.
“I wonder if we are caught in a vortex,” Havelock commented.
“That doesn’t sound good,” My-re said to herself.
The air wailed, wood squealed, and the sounds of splintering and snapping followed, like a lamentation of a ship’s death. The port side hull of the ship peeled away like a banana. The ship was hitting ground. Like water, mud, rocks, and debris poured into the ship.
The doors to the deck above flew open. A deluge of rain emptied from a black sky.
Vomarian Fae shouted, “We’re going down!”