deercountry | December Catch-All

[ obi-wan reaches for his lightsaber, turning it on. ]

I can handle the zealots.

Woah.

[Blue light reflects off the deck, as mesmerizing as the sun catching against the cool waters of a clear river. He opens his mouth to say something, but then—

"Vyng!" shouts a five-foot-wide, seven-foot-tall giant of a man with a small halfling child strapped to his chest. "Who the fuck is that?"

"It's fine!" Vyng calls back. "Can you and Billie find Perell, please? He's probably below deck. We'll take care of things up here."

"Oh shit, Perell—" The man looks around at the chaos, as if suddenly realizing they're down one person. "—ugh, yeah, okay. We'll find him." And without another word, Tuck and Billie push their way through the crowd of panicked sailors.]

Okay. [Vyng lets out a breath.] I've got the ship. And you'll take care of anybody who might break through the line.

[ obi-wan nods, before taking up his position. soresu, the ultimate defense. the others eye him warily. he won't make the first move. it's not in his nature to do so unless the battle has fully begun. in which case, he won't hold back. ]

I'd advise you not to interfere. For your own sake.

["Hey man!" shouts one of the sailors over the gale. "I just want don't wanna drown. Or burn to death. Or lose my head, or—Ahhh!"

Bolts of lightning — along with a deafening clap of thunder — erupt from the darkness ahead. Amid the roaring waves, a second large ship emerges from the vicious storm's foaming depths. In hot pursuit of the ship Obi-Wan and Vyng are riding, the vessel pushes defiantly against nature itself. At the enemy ship's prow, a steady bonfire rages...and if Obi-Wan looks close enough, he might see the faint, eerie outline of a man standing upright among the flames.]

That's them. [Even with his wet hair whipping against his face, Vyng can sense the approaching fire...and, by extension, the man who commands it.] They're after our friend.

[But the Purifier, it seems, has other concerns too. A vortex of dark clouds converges over the bonfire, trying to smother it in a blanket of malice and hatred.]

[ he has a bad feeling about this. but obi-wan nods grimly, approaching the man cautiously. he can feel the miasma in the air, muffling his senses. ]

Stand down.

[For a second, Vyng considers asking the bird if he'd be willing to take Obi-Wan closer to the Torch. Because, if he knows anything about that man, he won't stand down until Perell is dead, and he's made a brutal example out of anyone who knowingly aided and abetted a wizard.

Actually...getting Obi-Wan closer would have been wayyy more sensible than dropping a living storm onto their pursuers. Why the hell didn't he think of that earlier? ...No, wait. Was Obi-Wan even here 5 minutes ago? How did Vyng know they were about to crash into a pillar? This is a memory, right? But the approaching bonfire is getting swallowed by darkness, the waves are roaring louder, and he's still holding onto the ship with everything he's got. This never happened before. It's—

An alarmed shriek from the thunderbird (still stubbornly clutching to the side of the ship) pulls Vyng's mind back to the storm.

That's the only warning they get.

Vyng looks up in time to see a bright flash. An ear-splitting crack, and the sound of splintering wood pierces through both the howling wind and scattered sailors' screams. With a horrifying groan, the ship's main topmast breaks apart — and a large wooden pole drops toward the two of them.]

[ obi-wan grits his teeth, raising a hand to stop the pole from falling on them. if it fell, it would do huge damage to the ship. it halts in mid-air, stilled, but obi-wan couldn't hold it there forever. and the strange man was advancing.

with momentous effort, obi-wan managed to toss the pole over to the side of the ship, letting it fall into the water before taking up his stance once more. ]

[Ship still cradled in his hands, Vyng could only close his eyes and brace himself for impact. If he drops concentration to roll out of the way, then the ship goes down. And if the pole pierces through the deck, then a dead Druid will be the least of everyone's problems.

But nothing happens.

He opens one eye. The pole hovers mid-air, as if propped up by an invisible barrier — and then it's being hurled into the churning water below. Another flash of lightning in the background illuminates Obi-Wan's form, his hand outstretched and...manipulating the spiritual energy around the debris? The debris itself? He can't quite tell—

"Holy shit!" shouts a nearby sailor. In the distance, Kingsley barks new orders for everyone to clear the deck.]

Nice save, pal. [He grins.] Thanks!

[ obi-wan waves it off. ]

Save it for later.

We've got this.

[He has no reason to believe it — the storm is still raging, and the Torch of Makaal is no joke. But Vyng chooses to believe it anyway, and he's still smiling, even when gouts of flame shoot into the roiling, angry clouds crowding the Purfier. (Not at their ship, thankfully. Still, it's a stark reminder that there are technically three sides to this confrontation.)

But the ozone in the air tells a different story. Along with the metallic taste in Vyng's mouth. Aaaaand the sweat forming on the back of his neck, as the heat from a growing electrical current builds in his body.

The storm is about to strike him.

Voice picking up in both volume and urgency, he shouts:]

Just kidding! We don't got this!

Get back, get back, get back—!

Edited 2022-01-05 05:03 (UTC)

[ obi-wan looks around. go back where? they're on a ship, it's not as though there are plenty of places to run or hide. he twirls his saber, eyeing those clouds. maybe he can deflect some of the blasts, but he can't do that and fight someone at the same time. ]

We need a plan!

[Anywhere that isn't near Vyng will do, but their options are limited. His next words — muffled and distant to his own ears — are nearly drowned out by the bird's warning shriek.]

We'll need to improvise!

[Another blinding flash engulfs the deck. The ship lurches to one side, completely unmoored by the sudden loss of Vyng's guidance.

But no wood splinters. No masts crack. And no singed body lies in the deafening thunder's wake. Instead, a single bolt of lightning writhes and squirms mid-air...caught, like a snake, between the amethyst spurs coating Vyng's outstretched fingers. With a strangely calm gaze, he looks at the crackling electricity, and then at the menacing clouds swirling above them.]

[ obi-wan eyes the bolt before calling out to vyng. ]

Throw it at me!

[The lightning crackling in his hand and the wind beating against his face both remind him of one simple fact: The world — this storm — doesn't have to be their obstacle.

Obi-Wan's voice reaches him through the din. Plenty of people would probably do a double-take or question him, but not Vyng. Without missing a beat, he grins and hurls the bolt toward him.]

Order up!

[ it's not the easiest thing, handling lightning. but obi-wan has experience in this and raises his lightsaber to catch the lightning, letting it be absorbed into his lightsaber. ]

Nice catch!

[It definitely gives Vyng room to scoop the ship up into his hands again. But he purses his lips when a stark realization dawns on him: They're going to be stuck in this stalemate. Between themselves and the Purifier, the Purifier and the storm, and the storm and themselves. Something's gotta give, sooner or later.

Vyng shouts over the howling wind.]

I've got an idea! I'm gonna need your help, though!

[ obi-wan twirls his lightsaber, keeping an eye out. ]

Fine, but make it quick!

[One breath in. One breath out.

They've got this.

For a moment, Vyng considers moving closer. Usually when he gets aid from another person like this, it requires a shoulder grab or hand clasp. But even he knows he shouldn't get too cozy with someone wielding a lightsaber.

Instead, he leaves the ball in Obi-Wan's court by simply responding:]

Toss me some of those calming vibes! I'll amplify them!

[ calming vibes? in a storm like that? even obi-wan looked incredulous at such a request. ]

I'll do my best!

[ reaching deep into his core, he recites the mantra, hoping the force will guide his way. ]

[Vyng closes his eyes. His attention shifts to the rain stinging his face. The thunderbird's reassuring presence faithfully latched to the side of the deck. And the miasma of hatred and malice swirling above them.

Spiritual threads connect them all together, weaving one small part of a beautiful web that's both delicate and eternal. And in that moment, when he allows himself to connect with the storm, becoming an extension of it, that Vyng touches something startlingly familiar in those roiling clouds. An emotion that strikes at the center of his being.

Grief.

On the other side of him, he senses Obi-Wan's aura — powerful like a river gushing with melted snow, and yet as peaceful and tranquil as the pristine lake it feeds.

Grief and peace. Two contradictory states that still somehow fit together like a hand inside a glove. One is the journey, the other a destination. The true test is interweaving those threads together. A gift that, unfortunately, Vyng can't offer the storm. Acceptance must come from within, and the storm is too far gone to be reasoned with.

But understanding? Empathy? Respite? Right now, Vyng's heart is wellspring of those things. And Obi-Wan's aura is a measure of how deeply they can run, if given the chance.

The epiphany manifests as a purple glow inside Vyng's chest. Ribbons of light cascade from the folds his wool shirt. Suddenly, he extends both arms toward the sky...relinquishing all control of the ship.

"It hurts." His soul opens itself up, despite the danger. "We know. And you're not alone. You're never alone."]

[ obi-wan hears it. like a song, loud and powerful, sweet and tender. a voice of many facets, carrying the echoes of the past and the future. the song of the force. what will be, will be, but never is it the end of all things. his throat tightens, despite himself.

but he adds his voice to it, silent but open, "there are voices all around you." ]

[And then something miraculous happens: Sunlight, breaking through the clouds overhead. Sails go still. Instead of rain pelting against their faces, light showers ebb and flow with the same gentle rhythm as the calming waves. A protective bubble is forming around their vessel, and their vessel alone.

Vyng exhales and lowers his arms to his sides. The grief, the anger still lingers within the storm. But right here, right now? There is simply relief by being understood.

Far beyond the calm space they've created here, however, lighting continues to crackle and strike at their foes on the other ship. Churning water beats the enemy back, and a thick wall of clouds smother the Torch's flames. Their pursuers won't intercept them. No ship will be sinking today. My family is safe, Vyng realizes.

With the immediate danger gone, he pushes himself to a stand and slowly makes his way toward Obi-Wan.]

[ obi-wan combs the damp hair from his face. he's not entirely sure what happened. he's reached out to the force before, to living creatures and they've answered his call easily, willingly. the gift of the living force came much easier to him since qui-gon passed on.

but this . . . this was a nexus of the cosmic force. with entities he did not know or recognize. obi-wan wants to decipher it, to understand. and yet . . . the ways of the force are mysterious. sometimes it is not for him to know. ]

[People of this world referred to it as a "living storm". But few could have guessed it was fueled by grief. Vyng certainly didn't know. And he was the person who dropped it onto their pursuers in the first place — an act of desperation that came at a catastrophic cost. But not this time.

By turning the situation on its head, by fostering a sense of shared understanding, they changed the narrative and rewrote the ending.

He stops next to Obi-Wan...and raises a clenched fist.]

Fist bump?

Edited 2022-02-04 01:47 (UTC)

That seems very undignified.

[ so he pats the fist instead. ]

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spiritwalks - 2022-02-04 12:18 (UTC) - Expand

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