The weather turned without warning.
North Blue didn't always announce its moods the way calmer seas did. There were no gentle shifts of wind or slow build of clouds on the horizon this time. One moment the sky was a pale sheet of drifting grey — the next, darker masses rolled in from the northwest like advancing walls.
Aira noticed first.
Her hands tightened slightly on the helm as she watched the distant cloud line thicken unnaturally fast.
"…That's not normal," she murmured.
Ryu, standing at the bow, followed her gaze.
The horizon ahead had darkened into layered bands of charcoal and deep blue. Lightning flickered faintly inside the cloud mass, silent for now but growing stronger with each passing second.
Kenji looked up from where he sat sharpening his blade.
"…Storm?" he asked.
"Not just a storm," Aira replied quietly. "A bad one."
Soren rose from his seated position near the mast and studied the shifting sky with calm attention. The wind had begun to change direction — subtle at first, then more pronounced. It no longer moved in steady lines. It twisted.
Unstable.
"Pressure drop," he said.
Aira nodded once. "Yeah."
Ryu remained at the bow a moment longer, letting Observation stretch outward across the air and sea. The storm felt dense — not just heavy rain, but violent currents and unpredictable winds.
They could try to outrun it.
But North Blue storms weren't so easily avoided.
"…We go through," he said calmly.
Kenji stood and sheathed his blade. "Of course we do."
Aira exhaled slowly but didn't argue. Running would likely put them into worse currents anyway.
"Then we prepare now," she said.
---
The deck shifted into motion.
Soren secured extra ammunition and equipment in waterproof wraps, tying them down in compact bundles near the mast. Kenji checked rope tension along the sail lines, reinforcing knots and adjusting angles for better control under heavy wind.
Ryu moved across the deck methodically, inspecting structural points and reinforcing where needed. He didn't rush. Each action was precise, deliberate. Experience from earlier storms — and battles — showed in every movement.
Aira adjusted sail height and angle carefully, preparing for sudden gusts rather than steady wind. Her expression remained focused, calm beneath the growing tension in the air.
The sky darkened further.
Wind rose.
The first distant thunder rolled across the water like a low warning.
Kenji finished securing the last rope and stepped back, rolling his shoulders once. "Feels like the sea wants to kill us again."
Aira didn't look away from the helm. "The sea always wants to kill us."
Soren secured his rifle across his back and moved toward a mid-deck position where he could assist quickly if needed. "Visibility will drop once rain hits."
Ryu nodded. "We stay coordinated."
Lightning flashed again — closer now.
A cold gust slammed into the sail, making the entire ship shudder.
Then the rain began.
Not gentle.
Sheets.
Heavy drops struck the deck like thrown gravel, instantly soaking wood and rope. Within seconds, visibility dropped as grey water filled the space between sea and sky.
Aira tightened her grip on the helm and adjusted course slightly into the incoming wind. "Hold positions!"
Another gust hit harder than the first.
The mast creaked.
The sail snapped violently before settling under controlled tension.
Kenji grabbed a support rope and braced himself. "Okay. That's a real storm."
Ryu stepped toward the bow and planted his feet firmly, one hand gripping the railing as waves began to rise. Already the sea shifted beneath them, no longer calm but rolling with growing intensity.
Lightning split the sky.
Thunder followed immediately this time.
The storm was on top of them.
---
Waves rose higher with each passing minute, lifting the ship sharply before dropping it into deep troughs. Rain blurred the horizon completely now. Only the immediate deck remained visible through sheets of water.
Aira guided the helm with full focus, adjusting constantly to keep them angled properly against the wind rather than broadside to it.
"Left pressure incoming!" she called.
Ryu felt it through the ship a split second before the wave struck. He shifted weight and braced as a heavy surge slammed into the port side, sending spray exploding across the deck.
Kenji laughed despite the chaos. "This sea has personality!"
"Less talking," Aira snapped.
Soren moved across the slick deck with careful balance, checking secured cargo and ropes between waves. His movements were steady, efficient, never panicked even as thunder cracked overhead.
Another lightning flash illuminated the sea briefly—
And revealed something massive moving beneath the surface nearby.
Ryu saw it.
Aira felt it.
Soren noticed the shift in water pattern immediately.
"…Movement below," he said.
Kenji blinked rain out of his eyes. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
A shadow passed beneath the ship.
Large.
Fast.
Not a wave.
A sea creature.
Drawn by the storm.
Aira's jaw tightened. "Of course."
The ship lurched again as another wave struck, but this time the motion beneath them wasn't just water.
It circled once.
Then again.
Ryu stepped forward slightly, eyes scanning the turbulent surface through sheets of rain. "Stay steady," he said calmly.
Kenji drew his blade slowly, rain running down the steel. "…If it jumps, I'm cutting it."
Soren adjusted his footing near the mast, hand resting lightly on his rifle though firing in this storm would be nearly impossible.
Lightning flashed again.
For a split second, the creature surfaced beside them—
A massive scaled head, eyes pale and predatory, body long enough to dwarf their ship if fully revealed.
Then it vanished beneath the waves once more.
Aira exhaled sharply. "…Great."
Kenji grinned.
Ryu didn't smile.
The storm roared louder.
The sea churned.
And now—
Something beneath the water had taken interest in them.
___