S:5 Train well, Eat well, Rest Well, Live Well

The scorching star in the sky found a home over the crisp blue of the scenic Merian Sea. The horizon littered with shadowed visions of islands and fellow ships as the crew of the infamous Hive travel past them. Waves crash against the well worn trireme ship, while above it, the last remnants of seagulls from the floating city of Io search it for scraps. The screeching, the crashing waves, and the endless chatter from the small green crew rowing the ship would normally hold or distract a particular crewmate, but not when she was navigating. The quartermaster, or little demi-human warrior, lost herself in this task and dove straight into it, especially since this course would lead them to a battle, or so her crewmates promised. This was a common tactic from them to keep her focused.
 
An outside observer would see the Hive's navigation table and see what might have been Tressenia after the Calamity war, but to Morrigan "The Wayfinding Warrior" it was a methodical and well polished process. Papers and maps cascaded across the table, some pierced in place by a series of forks and seamstress pins. The process was made tricky due to her troubling curse of not being able to use swords and some knives. A curse that has lead to her style of fighting, with fist and foot. Some would interject and ask, "Well why would you hold the pages in with knives in the first place?" For those that know the sweet Morrigan remember she hails from the Silver Seas, a land of strange cultures and pirates. Pinning a sheet of paper or a proclamation with a knife was a must.
 
Surveying her work space she Lifted some maps up the table, she threw two fork into the corners locking it in place, she takes a glance upward judging the suns placement. Navigating was quite the lengthy endeavor and took most of her time up, for three whole days. Performing her job with a fair impressive amount of prowess lead to her nights being free and clear, "Ok Fennel! Stay the course for this many leagues and we are good for the night." She smiled warmly to the goblin nearby. Fennel and Garlic, two little goblins, helped Morrigan with navigation from time to time and would run back and forth to the kitchen keeping the navigating martial artist well fed. The mess hall was just what it sounded like, so many goblins created a massive amount of chaos, disorder, and a burned out high elf cook. Poor Zephyra was always on her feet cooking endlessly for a seemingly constant increasing crew. A nervous Garlic approached the elf for the eleventh time that day. "AGAIN?!" The exhausted elf boomed at the poor goblin, "SHE IS HUNGRY AGAIN?! It's bad enough cooking for what seems like hundreds of goblins, but that sheltered woman is an insatiable whirlpool of hunger! Did Demeter confuse her for Erysichthon!!!" The little Goblin Garlic stood there as Zephyra continued her frustrated rant, this was the fourth time today that she went into an old epic Merian tale, so he simply waited for his moment to interject. A moment that came much later as Garlic finally made his way back to Morrigan handing her the food and running off, "THANKS GARLIC! hmm so hungry, I can finally stop with all this for the day, OH a note!" She unfolded the fine parchment roll and saw Zephyra's handwriting. There were only two words, "Kitchen's Closed!"
 
A day of setting courses could pause for now as Morrigan felt the fatigue approach, even then she wanted to train and spar. Her main partner, Anaxa, was busy with her moon cycle, which was still astounding that it would really impede a warrior like her. A large muscular woman like the hoplite would be brought down by her own body made Orri wish she could help more, but their Captain was with her. She was in good hands and should be fine. A good spar could wait a little while, "Resting is important as well." She quietly told herself, taking a bite of her delivered meal. The words left her mouth and hung in the air triggering a memory. It broke through Morrigan's mind as her muscles let out a wave of weariness. A darkening sky invaded her imagination replacing the current view and she thought back to her uncle. A top a small hill sat two unique individuals silhouetted by the odd purple colour of the sky. A large flat field lay before them as they snacked and hydrated themselves. One towered over the other looking upon her with a affectionate fondness, "Alright kiddo, I think that's enough for today. You are really improving faster than I imagined." He reached down and tussles the bright crimson hair between the young girls horns. The child like wonder and charm that carried over into Orri's adult hood showed brightly as she smiled with excitement, "YEAH?! Then can we go again? I was getting close to getting through your reach! That quick spear can't stop me!" Smothered in childish and endearing bravado she jumps up to her feet, bouncing up and down in front of him, "Come on Uncle ChuChu!" Even standing she barely reaches eye level. His eyes followed her up and down, letting out a raucous laugh, "HAHA oh did you my little champion, you think so?" He quickly moves his elbow to embrace his spear in the crook and his muscles move the weapon into a lightning fast arch right into the young girls legs. She noticed it right away and moved her hands to use it as a platform to jump the attack. The spear came so quickly she stood no chance and it knocked her swiftly to the ground, "HAHA Well you saw it coming that is one thing, but seeing it means nothing if you are exhausted from training all day." He reaches down to grab his little niece by the scruff and placed her back beside him, "Listen close little champion, rest is sometimes even more important than training. Remember it! Train well, sleep well, live well." Uncle ChuChu looked down triumphantly down to her, only to see she was just drifting off to sleep against him. The sweet little voice murmuring, "Yes...uncle chuchu...rest well...." He scoffed to himself and smiled, "Alright, let's get you back to your moms."
 
The sun sprinted with haste over the horizon behind the ocean leaving the Hive in a curious silhouette. On top of Orri's makeshift crows nest sat a full hut, a cozy comfortable house with a tired occupant. As if a living fairy tale gliding across the Merian Sea. The high elf Zephyra summoned her home with ease on the main mast of the ship and set herself up for a cozy night of reading and eating scraps from the kitchen. The mighty witch could grab any scrap of food, random item, or whatever was nearby and turn it into a sweet candy or pastry. It was an incredible ability to save what would be tossed or wasted from the mess hall, her spoiled spoils if you will. She laid down her scroll on the small table beside her and spun it enough to continue reading, and she reached over the pile of discarded food. Grabbing the top most scrap, a chewed corner of bread, mere moments away from her lips it became a lovely square of baklava. She sunk her teeth into the sweet confection and sighed to herself in satisfaction when a voice came from nowhere, "Can I have one Zephy?" Quite like a feline being surprised, Zephyra nearly jumped from her seat as her hair bristled all over. She searched the warm room only to find a horned smiling woman sitting on her floor plainly looking up to the elf. This woman sat silently leaning against a massive fur covered behemoth as if she had been there for hours. She was waiting patiently looking away from her book into Zephyra's eyes, seeing that she took the elf by surprise attempted to explain, "Hi, I like being in high up places. It's nice and well you put a house on the crow's nest." Morrigan still looking at the baklava in Zephyra's fingers. The elf shrugged into a smile, quickly placing the pastry in her mouth and creating another to throw at Morrigan. She easily caught it with her mouth and the two spent the night in soft warmth reading their books, occasionally remarking on the story and tossing more candy at Orri. It was a serene and well spent evening. The soft fire and large dog creating a comfortable warmth which slowly lead the two to drift off to sleep.
 
The following days and nights went along the same vane, Orri would take a single leap onto the front porch of Zephyra's home nearly forty plus feet up, and during the day she made sure the Hive stayed on course. Upon the second night Morrigan felt the urge to let her voice ring out and sooth the witch of sweets and pastries. Unlike Edea the heavy metal wolf, Morrigan was taught a more traditional way of singing. Her songs were soothing, old fashioned, and almost ethereal. Orri found that her songs could charm Anaxa's large constrictor snake, Zephyra the high elf was no different, "That is just what I needed." Zephyra sighed and sank into her couch after getting lost in Orri's music. Spending their nights like this were a welcome serenity before the hopeful upcoming battles. Orri would stretch her legs a little around the comfy room, but understood Zephyra's need for quite reflection and relaxation. So she would return to her own books and just enjoy the simple pleasures of friends spending time together. The high elf has been kind to Orri and has complimented her finer qualities, and Orri wished nothing more than to prove her friend right by keeping her rested after her cooking duties. The martial artist saw the healing witch as a kind and good friend, it seemed Zephyra was beginning to feel the same toward Orri and on one night saw the little demi-human fidget a little. Zephyra held up a particular dramtic scroll, cleared her throat, and started to read it out loud to her friend. The sweet witch proclaimed and put on a dramatic flair as her voice brought her scrolls to life. She read aloud while listen with enthusiasm, standing with a smile as she began to act out the story. Stifling a laugh as Orri jumped and waved her arms to give the story a flair, only getting the gist of the tale as Zephyra sang out the tale, Orri whispered to herself unable to hide a smile, "..Rest well, live well."
 
The past three days left the martial artist refreshed and ready to take on any challenger for what she had forgotten was under the water. Riches and treasure were distant thoughts as she imagined tough crews meeting them there and ready to battle. Who knew maybe one particular rival crew might have a mysterious, heroic, and ready to fight handsome man aboard! Dreaming of such an event brought her attention to the sun and her maps, they were there! Finally reaching the coordinates she double checked and confirmed. Excitement filling her lungs she leapt straight up in the air landing on the bow of the ship to see....no one. They were the only ones here, a sad discovery to her and no one else. To the port a commotion arose as the impatient green muscled captain held the forge master Hephane over the edge to find the "shinies." Hephane pleaded with Captain Squeenifer that she could not simply sense treasure. The Captain would hear none of it, she noticed Orri approach, "She will find the treasure, the quicker that happens the sooner we can challenge the strong Ifrit's Blade guy!" Morrigan's disappointment turned into panicked desperation, the heavy disappointment she felt was still weighing her down and she simply acted without thought. The demi-human's brain saw only one solution, and it was get to Serpent's Row to fight Ifrit's Blade, with all her feeling Morrigan found herself speeding forward and launching Hephane over the rails of the ship into the sea. Well if she was in the water she could find the sunken ship quicker right?
 
Coming to her senses after being spurred on by the Captain, even Orri realized that was a stupid thing to do. The world of Gaia discovered long ago that a good way to stop sharp weapons from damaging flesh and bone was covering ones self in metal. Orri missed such lessons and found being weighed down by metal and weapons makes it harder to move and fight, so she did without. Hephane on the other hand was encased in layers upon layers of it. The moment she started to panic in the water in the heavy material yelling, "I can't swim." Really cemented the idea of kicking her into the ocean was a bad plan. As if to confirm Morrigan's realization of her bad idea, the universe opened a giant whirlpool and suddenly turned Callipoe the terran sorcerer into a squid.
 
A few yards behind the panicking Hephane formed a violent whirlpool which threatening to eat up the armoured smith. Simultaneously Calliope came up on the deck next to Morrigan, as she witnessed the vortex in the water her body began to convulse. She looked as if in pain and her body seemed to take on a wet sheen as her arms separated and formed tentacles. Completely surprised by this sudden transformation Orri grabbed the now tiny sorceress and jumped into the sea with her, pulling up her hood to help her breath the water. As the two jumped into the sea the whirlpool seemed to react and let out a massive amount of water directly into the ship in the form of a jet stream. The Hive was hit dead center and pushed back a few feet on the water, the damage was clear. The Captain ordered the ship away and Orri's thoughts immediately went on the offensive, "Fighting a vortex in the water, how awesome." She thought to herself with excitement. Her face determined and eager to really test her new technique, she swam closer, faced the whirlpool and began to summon up her very own life energy into her palms. Under the water was a different experience building up her ki energy, but she charged it all into her palms brought it in front of her and aimed, "Ha I can do the same as you whirlpool. BLAZING GOD IMPACT!" Morrigan let loose her powerful technique and from within the whirlpool came a groan of pain. "A living whirlpool!?" Orri exclaimed with surprise. She noticed Anaxa making her way below the whirlpool to attack it from beneath. Her voice echoed through the water to the others, "It's a dragon in the whirlpool!" Anaxa yelled out after stabbing the watery vortex with her spear. On the other side of the fray Morrigan's face turned to worry as she repeated Anaxa's words, "Oh no, she being dragged into the whirlpool?!"
 
Only after exchanging blow after blow did Orri break through the illusion the dragon had around itself, and she saw the dragon for what it was much after everyone else. Seeing the creature of heavy malevolence the martial artist swam at full speed to the creature and slammed her feet and elbows into the monsters neck. Her legs and fists wreathed in pure energy as she struck the dragon along with her crewmates, it cried out and ran to it's lair. It was weakened and hiding in it's keep slowly being surrounded by the crew of the Hive. Morrigan followed them into the lair and knew it must be stopped, her lessons on malevolence were stamped into her early in life, and she was well aware it can effect things around it. Swimming past her comrades and straight to the dragon Orri began to charge another Blazing God Impact. She raised herself above the Captains new form to get a good shot at the monster, building the energy into her hands once more she started the motions and then saw the dragon smile. It opened it's horrible maw and let out another massive water attack beam down the narrow hallway at nearly everyone. It slammed into The Captain, Orri, Anaxa, and narrowly missed Calliope's new squid form. The energy built up in Morrigan's hands dissipated as the cave went dark, the pain was severe yet quick. Echoed voiced carried through the hall as she faded, and then her eyes sprung open, it seemed like an instant. Zephyra floated in the water above her, "Hey Orri, I killed it with words." She said in a mocking tone. Orri looked down the cave to see the creature slain, she sighed in relief and subdued excitement.
 
She floated while tending to her wounds and looked at her hands. So this was her current ability, her limit. Her fists closed swiftly and a smile formed on her face, "I can't wait to break through this limit." Morrigan already set plans to train herself past this plateau toward the next level. To her core, this was the very reason she trained and looked to the horizon. There was always someone stronger, and challenging them was worth it's weight in training. The lessons of her Mother ringing true each time she broke past a new limit. This failure only stemmed to fuel the fire in Morrigan's soul, a new excitement building in her heart of flame and battle. Now this renewed beautiful feeling was demolished now that the Captain ordered everyone to carry these heavy slabs of copper back to the surface of the water to the Hive. She wanted to go and train to get better and refine her style after getting bettered by the dragon. She relented and tried to make carrying these heavy bits of metal to the ship a form of training.
 
More than half the day passed by the time they brought all that metal onto the ship. Some of the crew collapsed with exhaustion on the deck after the laborious task. Orri did her best to see it as training, but after the hundred and twentieth copper ingot she was bored as hell. She laid there on the deck staring at the starry sky finding her favorite one and smiling at it, only looking away as Zephyra looked for volunteers to purify the skin they cut off the dragon. Taking another glance at the star Orri stood up raising her hand, "I know a little bit, hang on I'll get the good beer!!" Zephyra placed the items to be purified on the bow of the deck as Morrigan approached with a tankard full of good beer. The image of how her Mom did some rituals swimming in Orri's thoughts, she felt some comfort in the idea of being a part of the process. Like many things in this insane part of the world Merians took things like this to the extreme. Like the oracle Morrigan met some time ago, Zephyra's eyes rolled back and she convulsed like a possessed creature. Orri sighed and followed the steps she knew and poured some of the beer onto the tainted skins and bones. With time the dark energy on the materials began to lift and dissipate into the air, Morrigan smiled thinking she can't wait to tell Mom what she did, and her amazing healing friend who made it possible. Seeing her face beam with pride that her daughter could dissipate malevolence, standing straight with her chest out pridefully she looked forward to talking with Mom.
 
The Captain rung her hands watching the dignified Artemis walk with his four paws around the copper studying each piece. His highly developed nose taking in the aroma of the patina and oxidation of the pure metal. Taking his paw and letting his claws scrape portions of the ingots with care, circling back and around once or twice of the pile. His left eye covered by a specialized lens which magnified many times to see how the surface of the prized booty faired. Hepahne had retro fitted the lens especially for him to study gems and treasure they found. Appraising was a serious business for the canine and he took it seriously, studying the ingots for nearly an hour and a half. He perused and made sure the quality of what they dug from the wreckage down below. He nodded his large head backwards, causing the lens to spring back away from his face. Slowly he approached the Captain who stood there shivering with anticipation. Artemis sat before her with the air of a regal jewel merchant opened his tooth filled mouth and simply laid bare his findings, "Bark!" Captain Squeenifer jumped up in triumph and exclaimed, "One hundred and fifty drachma woth!? WOOHOO. Time to go shopping." She smiled evily wringing her hands once more.