Traveler

Ozwin gave the Admiral a bewildered stare. “Really?” His tone was that of incredulous disbelief. “Pray do tell.” He turned to the Maelstrom officer.

“One of the Company of Heroes?” Merlwyb looked to Ozwin, and back to the officer.

“The details are hazy, Admiral, but we have dispatched one of our own to question the individual.”

“Can I question him Admiral?” Ozwin offered, his gaze sharpened at the thought.

“While I am disinclined to put any store by this claim, and that we have one of the present here who has experienced Leviathan… even should it be true, we should rally all willing members as we can. As Y’shtola mentioned previously, none save the Company of Heroes have bested Leviathan, and we know how they went about it thanks to Master Ozwin’s accounts. If this man is of their number, what could he tell us that we do not know already?”

Azlyn had the sneaking suspicion this was a fraud—but given their dilemma—and with Limsa at stake—maybe more heads working on this would be better in the long run.

“And yet, having wagered Limsa’s survival on two ships, some rope, and a pile of crystals, can we afford to ignore this man? If his testimony could yield us any manner of advantage, should we not hear it? Damn it all.” The Admiral shook her head. 

Mjnt stepped forth, bowing to the Admiral. “Perhaps while we’re waiting for our previous arrangements by Marshal Stalfyrsyn, we can quickly investigate these claims? If it turns out true, we have another lead—if it’s false, we’ll still be waiting for the Marshal to finish.”

Admiral Merlwyb considered the Viera’s words carefully, and loudly sighed. “I see we have little recourse in this. Azlyn, given you are adept to our lands I’ll let you lead this investigation. You are correct Master Mjnt, at least this will spare you all the torment of waiting for the reckoning in idleness.”

Kida thumped her chest proudly. “Always a pleasure, Admiral! We’ll see ourselves out!”

Ozwin glowered down to the carpet, shaking his head. “Which idiot from the Company of Heroes would boast about slaying Leviathan at this time? I’ll strangle the buffoon myself.” His grumblings continued as he followed Kida.

Shortly thereafter they all retreated out, leaving Azlyn as the last. She waved goodbye to Lady Yugiri, smiling. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

The officer who delivered the message turned to her, giving her the information that he had. “The man you are looking for is believed to be a resident of the Grey Fleet, in lower La Noscea. The storm private sent to question him should already be in the vicinity. May your journey be fruitful.”

Azlyn blinked slowly, registering the information. “Grey… Fleet? Like the Mill?”

The officer nodded. “Have you not been there Bloody Princess?”

She loudly sighed, this caught the attention of the Scions and the Admiral.

“What has you worried Azlyn?” Minfillia pondered, and the girl could only shake her head.

“There’s this odd sense of déjà vu. But nothing a small visit can’t fix.” She shrugged.

Thancred gave her a peculiar look. “What, pray tell, are you going to do with that small visit?”

“Education.” Azlyn answered succinctly, thinking of the three by four she used last time. “If it’s the same individual that is.”

She exited the room, following the hall out to the lift where her friends waited for her. Roll gave her a curious glance as Azlyn shook her head.

“Anything we should know?” N’thuzu Tia asked her.

“I might need a three by four.” Azlyn replied, to which Kida squealed in delight.

“Oh?” Roll questioned with the tilt of her head.

“NO WAY! It’s not!” Kida happily tugged on Ozwin’s wet sleeve. “DUDE, I hope it’s him!”

“Calm down you crazy Xaela.” He waved her off.

“It might be.” Azlyn replied, knowing half of their party had no idea what the trio knew. “Sorry, we might know this individual. But we won’t know that until we get to Grey Fleet Mill.”

“The small town in lower La Noscea?” Richiro questioned.

“The very same.” She answered.

“Well let’s not waste any time. The sooner we’re out of the elements of the storm—the better for us all in the long run.” Mjnt suggested.

Roll rummaged through her bags, before pulling out several parasols. “I crafted some for the rain season—but it came a bit early. I’ll just make some new ones for selling later.”

With their new parasols at their side, the party of eight travelled down the lift, and exited the City-State. They traversed the heavy rains and thunder filled skies to walk the long muddy path to Grey Fleet Mill. Given the torrential downpour, not many monsters were out to bother them, but their visibility was poor.

“Hardly see beyond your own hard.” Ozwin commented when they were halfway to the Mill. “So what exactly should we expect when we get there?”

Azlyn hummed, as she shared a parasol with him. “I think it’d be best to wait. I could be completely wrong too. I’d hate to rile everyone up and gang up on a wrong person.”

Richiro and Koroko Koko were under one together. The others paired off similarly by heights.

“Well if he’s full of shit, I want to beat the daylight out of him.”

“You can have him after I take care of him.” She answered back in a sweet tone.

“When you say it like that, I get this weird shivering feeling. Do it again.”

Azlyn laughed. “Shut up Ozwin.”

Another twenty minutes of travel, and the weather seemed to turn even worse. When they finally arrived to Grey Fleet Mill, they were wetter than when they stood in the Admiral’s office. They all ran into the inn, shaking off the heavy rain.

In the corner, they could see a storm private questioning an individual with calf high socks, the same ol’ crusty sandals, the off-putting blue unitard attire with no pants, and the haphazard straw hat upon his head. 

Azlyn’s eyes flared before she very slowly turned to Kida. “Get me a three by four.”

“ROGER THAT BOSS!”

Ozwin started to crack his knuckles, gauging the Roegabyn male. “I don’t recognize him as part of the Company of Heroes. Can I punch him?”

She shook her head. “No. Not yet. Get a drink by the bar. It might be a fun show.” She winked and sweetly smiled, before she snuck nearby the corner.  Azlyn wanted to stay out of sight just in case. 

Roll waved N’thuzu Tia and Ozwin back, shaking her head. “Come on. Just let Azzie take care of it. You’ll have a good show at the very least.” She directed their party to the bar, where the keeper recognized them from before.

“When you both say it, it makes me really curious.” N’thuzu Tia replied, leaning back by the bar. Ozwin took up the spot next to him, watching the scene with narrowed eyes. 

“Four ales. Eight glasses of water, and a large pack of ice.” Roll ordered and the bar keep nodded.

“Should we be drinking before fighting a primal?” Richiro gasped in horror.

“Ales not for us.” Roll explained, “it’s more like a preemptive apology.” 

Mjnt shook her head, seeing Kida re-emerge from outside with a piece of lumber. She happily handed it over to Azlyn who checked the weight. Kida then ran over to their group and hopped upon the bar stool. She was ecstatic by this.

It appeared that the pair, storm private and the man in question, didn’t realize that they were being spied upon. Azlyn, being as close as she was, could hear the questions to Trachtoum and his drunken answers in return. Although he wasn’t trying to mask his voice. It carried throughout the entire bar. 

“Can you absolutely be positive you know how to defeat Leviathan? The fate of Limsa Lominsa could very well call upon your knowledge?”

The heavy downpour of rain could be heard, but Trachtoum’s voice echoed. “Now look here, you! Ye’ll have yer bloody story—right after ye carry those sacks of grain over to the mill!”

“But—but sir! That’s what you said before you had me pick those oranges for you. And before I mucked out the chocobo stables. And before I rolled that millstone over to the mill. And also before—”

Trachtoum got up from his seat, walking away from the private and over to the crowded bar. He must have been too drunk to not recognize Roll and Kida as he moaned aloud. “Gods, man! I’ve worked three days straight without a wink of sleep! Three days! An’ do ye hear me complaints? Even with this rain, I still finished my work and—” He stopped when he noticed Ozwin giving him the darkest look over. “Gods, who the hell are ye to glare at me. Punk ass bitch.”

Ozwin jerked, however N’thuzu Tia grabbed his shoulder to keep him back.

Behind the private Azlyn merely tapped him. He gaped at her presence before she silently shh’ed him. He gave her a tiny nod, fervent nods, and moved out of the way. She took his spot, prepping her three by four lumber for when Trachtoum would turn around. Of course, she’d only swing it dependent upon his answers. Which weren’t going very well on his part. 

Trachtoum snickered, shaking his head. “That’s what I thought.” He took one of the ales they ordered, chugging it down fast. “Bah! I s’ppose some of us just ain’t made for the rougher stuff. All right, all right—I’ll give ye what ye want. Never let it be said that ol’ Trachtoum ain’t a generous soul.” He reached for the second ale that they ordered, downing that too. The seven of them at the bar watched him with keen interest or in Ozwin’s case pure anger.

“Now prick up yer ears, ‘cause I won’t be repeatin’ meself. And that goes fer all ye dumb folks too. Ye’ll be impressed by me epicness.” He noticed Mjnt in that moment, before he leeringly winked to her. She merely rolled her crimson eyes and turned to her water.

Azlyn silently sighed. Now he started to harass women. That was strikes one and two. 

“Ahem! The tale of Trachtoum’s epic victory over the dread primal Leviabeetus!” He didn’t notice the shocked looks on most of their faces, and continued in his story. “Now, Leviabeetus’s huge, make no mistake. To give ye an idea how big, each of his scales is about as wide as me member’s long—and that’s no mean feat, let me tell ye!” 

He used his body language to thrust forward and back toward the girls sitting at the bar, earning them their ire. However they turned away again, rolling their eyes. Even Roll shook her head, surprised that he had yet to place her and Kida. 

Ozwin scoffed. He turned to the bar and grabbed his own water.

Their other party members were trying their best to hold in their laughter—Kida and Richiro failing at that. Mjnt and Koroko Koko remained stoic, while Roll gave a small chuckle.

It was this moment when he turned, and before him stood not the storm private—but Azlyn who sweetly waved to him. He blanched at the sight of her, and the three by four in her hand. His eyes went wide in terror, the memory of her past judgment came to mind before a loud thunderous crack went overhead.

“W-wait, I ca—!”

Azlyn didn’t wait, as she swung as hard as she could. Another cracking sound of thunder blocked the piercing, shrill cry of Trachtoum as he grabbed his nether regions once more. He crumpled to the bar’s floor, gasping for breath. His face, once again, turning a shade purple and in complete misery.

She dropped the lumber piece and walked to the bar. Seeing a glass of water not taken yet, she happily drank from it. “He’s all your Ozwin.”

He looked over his shoulder, to the fallen Roegabyn and shook his head. “I think you prevented him from ever having children.”

N’thuzu Tia winced, looking down to her. “That was pretty brutal.”

“He did it to himself.” She remarked. “And I told him if he ever tried to sexually harass a lady again, I’d be back with a bloody vengeance. Was it justified Mjnt?”

Behind them, they could hear him weazing. “Me balls—me bloody balls—”

Mjnt chuckled, sipping her water. “Totally justified.”

Kida smacked her hands upon the bar. “This is pure gold—I can die happy after this!”

Roll shook her head. “We very well might.” She lifted her cup of water. She toasted to their upcoming fight. “To defeating Leviathan.”

“And not Leviabeetus.” Richiro Wichiro burst out laughing.

Trachtoum from behind crawled over to Azlyn’s feet. As he mercifully bowed to them. He was breathless as he prostrated himself on the floor. “I’m sorry—jus’ enjoyin’ attention—take it back—everythin’ I said.” Despite his breathless, pained tone Azlyn merely glanced down to him.

“Oh?”

“Won’t—happen—again—” He wheezed. 

Azlyn reached over to the large bag of ice prepared, and tossed it on the ground beside the man. She then stepped aside to allow the storm private to take care of the rest. 

The storm private glowered to the man, crumpled on the ground. “Everything was a lie?”

Trachtoum had grabbed the ice gratefully, wincing as he placed it on his injured area. 

“Afraid so private.” Mjnt answered. “He’s been lying the whole time. Never been a part of the Company of Heroes, he’s not a working class guy—he didn’t work three days straight—and he has to lie to women to try and get a tumble with them.” She sighed. “Even his member’s small.”

Kida spat out her drink, looking to the Viera. “Shut up, is that true?!”

“He’s the one who lied about his member being large.” Mjnt replied calmly.

“Well no wonder it’s small—Azlyn sent his balls back to the first umbral era.” Ozwin slammed his pint down before shaking his head. “No wonder they’re smaller than a tack.”

The storm private stamped over to the crouched man, before he angrily yelled his frustrations to him. “Why you worthless, lying whoreson! I can’t believe you made me handle chocobo dung—in this weather!”

After that, the private sighed loudly—and left. He walked out from the bar, probably on his way back to his post. His report would be a long one. Azlyn drank a bit of her water, only for her linkpearl to buzz. She tapped the device on.

“Azlyn speaking.”

“Azlyn, this is Minfillia. Were you able to learn aught of use against Leviathan?”

Azlyn looked over her shoulder to the whimpering man and smelled the vulgar stench of urine. She sighed. “Nope, but we learned all about Leviabeetus.”

The man whimpered loudly beneath them.

“I beg your pardon—? Leviabeetus? I see. That is unfortunate.”

Kida laughed. “Unfortunate for him!”

Ozwin laughed at that one.

“At any rate, I have tidings for you all: the twin vessel is now complete. We await you at the Moraby Drydocks. Pray make your way here as soon as you are able.”

Azlyn nodded, looking to her friends. They nodded back to her. “We’ll be there soon.” The call ended, leaving them to finish the remainder of their drinks.

N’thuzu Tia paid for their tab—even for the two drinks Trachtoum stole—and left the other two for him when he could stand up once more. With their task complete in Grey Fleet Mill, all that was left was to board the twin vessel and fight Leviathan.

Luckily for them, after they dealt with Pharos, and the siren on the isle terrorizing the fleets—their group had been granted the opportunity to attune to their aetheryte. So this trip would be easier given their access. 

One by one their party teleported away, leaving Azlyn behind with Ozwin hanging behind. He watched as she knelt down to Trachtoum, she shifted out her grimoire with the Nymian stone to summon Eos to heal the Roegabyn.

Trachtoum widened his eyes at her, before she shook her head. “Trachtoum, you must become an honest person. If you don’t, there will be nothing more that I can do. Please learn from your mistakes.” 

Ozwin crossed his arms. “You’re being too nice.” 

Azlyn laughed. “I’m annoyed, but we have other things to be worried about. Like Leviathan.” 

Trachtoum stood up, grabbing the bar to aid him. “W-wait—if yer here askin’ after Leviabeetus—it means yer plannin’ to fight him, ain’t ye?” 

She nodded, mimicking Ozwin’s stance as they spoke. “Someone will have to, yes.” 

“T-take care. He really is terrible! Dreadful, I tell ye! If yer not careful, ye’ll end up in his gullet or at the bottom of the sea!” 

The Midlander Hyur raised his eyebrow to the Roegabyn. “You act as if you’d seen him.” 

“Aye, that I have.” He leaned over to grab one of the remaining two goblets of ale. “‘Twas a fair few years back, when I was workin’ as a baker’s hand. I was shirkin’ me duties one day, loiterin’ about the harbor, when I saw it. A great big massive sea serpent some malms off the coast, with a fleet of galleons makin’ straight for it, cannons firin’—I was bloody scared, I soiled meself there an’ then!” 

Azlyn sighed. “Well, I think you soiled yourself again.” 

Ozwin shook his head. “That was probably from before—any road, we’re leaving. The others are waiting. Trachtoum, right?” 

The green skinned Roegabyn nodded at being remembered. 

“If I ever hear you slandering or usin’ the Company of Heroes name again, I personally will come and deliver punishment. This princess’s pain will pale in comparison to what I can do. Understand?” 

Trachtoum nodded fervently. “A-Aye, loud an’ clear!” 

“And do your own goddamned work. This realm can barely stand up after the Calamity.” 

Trachtoum took the verbal abuse from her colleague with poise, but he paled when Ozwin leaned toward him. “And don’t ever call me a punk ass bitch. We clear?” 

“A-aye!” 

Ozwin pleased with this, moved away and opted to teleport. Azlyn gave Trachtoum one last look before waving goodbye. 

“Bye Trachtoum, do your work from now on—okay?” 

Without receiving an answer, she felt the pop of the aether take her—and she found herself in the pouring rain outside at Moraby Drydocks. The others weren’t nearby, save for Ozwin with his parasol ready. She gladly ran under it. 

“What a piece of work.” Ozwin sighed. 

“Yeah, but it’s been handled.” Azlyn smiled, and he just shook his head. 

“I would have left his balls shriveled.” Which earned him a slap on his arm. 

They walked, following the path and around the docks until they found everyone at the twin vessels. Kida had been excitedly peering up and down at the vessels, even pointing to the large tow that looked exactly like a platform. 

The Marshal spotted the pair, walking over to greet them. Azlyn smiled up to the man from under the parasol. 

“I’m told your jaunt to the Grey Fleet proved fruitless. My sympathies, lass. I’ll wager it served to take your mind off the events of recent days. But enough of that nonsense. The moment of truth is upon us.” He pointed to the twin vessels, with the platform being towed behind it. “The twin vessel—the Whorleater—is complete, and she surpasses all my expectations. In addition to her prodigious tonzage, she has been fitted with a platform as Kida suggested, that you and yours might maneuver freely in battle. I would mention also that she is nigh unsinkable, but I’m not one to tempt fate.” 

Mjnt and N’thuzu Tia joined them, they had gotten a good view of their fighting arena. 

“Are we ready to fight on the open seas? Kida’s raring to go.” N’thuzu Tia pointed as Roll stood in one spot holding the parasol as the rain came down, while Kida ran all around ignoring the parasol. 

“The Whorleater and her crew stand ready.” The Marshal commented, as he walked to the platform that would lead onto the ship. “If you all are prepared, we shall bear you to Leviathan.” 

Azlyn looked to the churning seas, seeing the waters rescind more and more. They would need to leave then and there to stop the Tidal Wave. “Send the word Marshal, we’re ready.” 

“Aye Aye.” He saluted, before commanding his fleet to get to their stations. Their party of eight walked abroad before being escorted to the platform behind. The eight paired off, keeping their umbrellas up to protect against some of the elements as the storms raged over them. 

They felt the ships take off, as the jerk of the motion shook the platform that towed behind them. Azlyn had to laugh, given this crazy idea. Granted she also thought of it, but it would be a crazier feat if they actually succeeded. 

“This is crazy.” Ozwin said as the winds picked up the further they were carried out to sea. “Leviathan’s going to have a field day with us.” 

“Chin up Ozwin, it could be worse.” The Au Ra remarked. “Besides, someone has to do it.” 

Kida yelled over the roar of the storm. The thunder crackled overhead. “GUYS! We’re going to fight on the open sea! Let’s smoke this bitch!” 

Roll decided to walk over to them, and Kida followed suit. Shortly after they moved, everyone else gathered to the center. “The Marshal said Nadiq & Vymelli fitted the Whorleater with an elemental converter. Luckily this time we didn’t have to gather the corrupted crystals.” 

N’thuzu Tia chucked. “One less fetch quest.” 

“Thank the Gods for that.” Roll nodded. 

“The corrupted crystals on board should suppress Leviathan’s hold over water—at least similarly to the same effect it had on Garuda.” Azlyn replied, thinking back to their airship fitted with an elemental converter. 

Roll smirked. “This converter can be manually activated, just need to determine when to use it.” 

Ozwin answered confidently. “We all know he’s going to use Tidal Wave on us. So probably then.” 

“Do you know when he’ll use that specific move?” Mjnt asked, curiously staring to the ocean’s churning swells. 

“He’ll dive into the water, and gloat about it—more like. That’s how he was previous. He is prideful for a stubborn primal.” 

There was a change of the currents once again as the waves roared up and over the rails. The eight of them braced for the icy cold salt water as it washed over.

Koroko Koko sputtered water from her mouth. “Blah, that doesn’t taste very good at all.” She shook her head. “But before we get into the thick of things, we should discuss what the Scions told us prior.”

Azlyn quirked her head, she wasn’t aware that Minfillia and the others had given them a proper chat.

Roll explained over the loud crack of thunder. “You hadn’t teleported back from Grey Fleet.”

“Ah, gotcha!”

Mjnt gave a tiny smile, her ears were twitching at the torrential rain streaming upon them. “The Sahagin and their thralls will try to come to Leviathan’s defense. Minfillia suggested the Maelstrom officer’s, alongside Thancred, Y’shtola, and Lady Yugiri to help with the diversions!”

Another small wave coasted over them. Azlyn counted their numbers in her head, making sure she had a total of eight, including herself. “Then those must be the diversionary ships way over yonder!” She pointed to the tiny blips coasting off in the waters.

Ozwin gestured to their warrior Miqo’te. “You ready Thuzu?”

He smirked, his black hair dripping. “Yup, and you?”

“Rarin’ to go. When’s Leviathan going to show his ugly bu—!?”

The Whorleater turned drastically to the port side, and they were yanked in the other direction following their rope connections. The cannons ports opened up before cannon balls were fired out, in several series. Many of the sailors and officers were yelling over the storm—some were screaming, “LEVIATHAN! HE’S OFF THE PORT BOW!”

Azlyn narrowed her eyes, and there she saw him emerge up from the sea. His roar pierced the skies, the thunder loudly cracking overhead. She could see several large water funnels traveling up to the skies creating a sucking vortex in the distance.

There was still quite a bit of space between them, but as Leviathan roared again he dove down into the waters. Ozwin slipped out his long sword with shield. His eyes glued on the sea in front of their platform.

The Whorleater had detached themselves from their platform, retreating away from the chaos the storm brought forth by the primal. The eight of them watched as the officers on the ships saluted to them. 

Their brief interaction had been short lived, as Leviathan leapt up in front of their platform to hiss in anger. The waves surged, rocking the platform and made it hard to stay in one spot. N’thuzu Tia and Ozwin jumped straight to point, where they blocked against Leviathan’s snapping jaw and torrent balls of water. 

Azlyn summoned forth her Ifrit-Egi, commanding it to attack with it’s Inferno or Flaming Claws when possible. Koroko Koko had been doing slightly better in her elemental attacks—as she pulled water blocks from the ocean itself to freeze into giant blocks of ice. She made sure to aim at any of the primal’s volatile spots before sending a series of fire balls at them. 

Kida and Mjnt worked in tandem, where Kida would shoot her poison and wind bite arrows and Mjnt would follow her attacks with a quick jump attack. It was fortunate that Mjnt hadn’t missed, or else she’d be in the ocean. 

Their series of attacks at once led Leviathan to plunge itself back into the waters, and that was when the real test began. Ozwin yelled over the heavy rains and winds to them. “Run to the other side!” 

He had sprinted past N’thuzu Tia who just saw what he was running back from. Along the way, Ozwin grabbed Kida’s arm to pull her with him. Azlyn ran to the back where Roll stood, she had wrapped an arm around the railing just as a giant tail emerged from the north end of the platform. 

“He’s going to destroy the platform!” Azlyn’s voice drowned in the elements as the humongous tail slapped the edge of the platform. Azlyn and Roll hung onto the platform rail for dear life while the others slid towards the edge where Leviathan had severely tipped their platform. As they skidded to a stop prior to the other side of the railing, Leviathan’s tail disappeared.

Clouds formed in concentrated areas, as the lightning began to strike randomly upon the area. A swirling vortex started to spin them around, as Ozwin shouted over to Roll: “Activate the device!”

Mine is the power to cleanse all things! Naught can withstand the relentless onslaught of my waves!

They all struggled to stay on their feet, as the grounds were slippery with water and the haphazard strikes of lightning made them think twice about where they should step. Roll ran over to the device while everyone slowly made their way over to center. The contraption in the middle sprung to life, just as the oceans exploded upwards around them. 

In that moment it looked as if the entire ocean would swallow them whole—the way the gigantic vortex swooped and swirled until it turned upon them. From the swirling chaos of the seawater emerged Leviathan whom roared in triumph. They struggled against his might, but lucky for them the device held strong and prevented them from being flung off into the sea. 

What was unfortunate, however, had been the railings—as they broke under the weight of the seawater twister. 

Anything that could have prevented them from falling in had now been taken away. 

“Over there!” Roll shouted, as she pointed to the east side of the platform. Leviathan emerged  shooting balls fo water at their cluster. This scattered them around—before his grated voice came to their minds. 

You challenge me with trickery? Fools! Your mortal contrivances cannot quell the raging sea!

Three Sahagin jumped upon the platform in that moment, alongside the giant tail as it swatted N’thuzu Tia to the side. The crunch of his axe against his scales had barely been heard over the storm. 

Ozwin held the main head’s attention, using his shield to parry and block any of the water attacks he sent to them. “Stop them! They’re going after the device!” 

Which left the Sahagin to the rest of them. Mjnt attacked the spellcaster, gutting him before he could finish his call. Kida fired a well aimed arrow straight into one of the two Sahagin’s throats before Azlyn came by with a well-timed kick to knock him off the platform. 

Roll blasted the last Sahagin with her Malefic spell, and Koroko froze chunks of the water to immediately sail into their enemy. 

Leviathan growled that his underlings couldn’t get close to the device. 

Four elemental spheres appeared at each corner, as the aether started to drain out from the device. The corrupted energy seemed to slip away with each second those orbs remained. Azlyn looked to Richiro whose eyes were wide with concern. 

“Destroy the orbs Richiro!” 

Koroko Koko had already pummeled one to mush thanks to her black magic—and Mjnt had skewered another with the assistance of Roll’s magic. Kida fired one of her shots at the adjacent one next to the summoner. Azlyn issued a command to her Egi to rake and claw the orb until it was no more. Richiro started to Broil and Miasma the orb, where Mjnt took the last chance to pounce in from above. 

The gyre sphere’s ceased as the group felt their platform shift with the rocking currents underneath. 

Curse you! Leviathan leapt back down into the depths. They knew the signs now, given that the movements of his body would cause a large splash to occur before he would slam down his tail. 

They moved in unison, running to one side of the platform to avoid his leaps—and then his tail slammed upon the edge of their platform. They felt gravity take effect, sliding them downward to the shifting platform. 

The rains refused to let up, even as the waters formed a swirling vortex around them once again. Roll ran over to the device, activating it while everyone braced for impact at the center. Azlyn could see her cousin running over just when Leviathan leapt overhead. 

The Tidal Wave that followed had been worse than the first one—a bit more powerful as the effectiveness of the device gave way. Kida drew one of her special arrows—the dynamite infused combination from their Praetorium days—as she tried to time the shot. 

A large splash drew their attention to the south west side of the platform, where Roll, Richiro, and Azlyn had moved. The pair turned around to see Leviathan emerge from the depths. Her cousin had slung one of her stronger offensive spells at him. He thrashed at the impact, as his tail came up and slammed down upon the platform to make them fall into the ocean. Azlyn wanted to dig her calves and feet downward, hoping it would prevent her from sliding too far—but something made her stop midcast. Roll casted Surecast to steady herself, the same spell Azlyn would have used, and continued slinging more of her offensive spells in the process—but their other healer had not. 

Richiro stumbled, losing his footing as the traction got lost under his boot. 

Azlyn watch in horror. Not knowing what she could do. She wanted to lunge straight to Richiro, as he tumbled down the platform to the menacing ocean… and froze. He was almost at the verge of stumbling off the edge. It all happened at once, as her arm snapped up to call upon Titan-Egi in some vain attempt to extend the platform… She felt the seconds drag into what felt like an eternity. The cold air that surrounded them, the awkward angle that caused most of them to slide down the side as Levithan’s tail smacked down. 

It would be difficult to survive if they fell in, but there was nothing to keep them steady. The broken railings were a testament to that. 

She grimaced, hearing Richiro’s screaming on one side and the pounding of the cold rain on the other. 

And yet she saw Ozwin’s hand had yanked the young lad back just in time. Richiro was safe from falling—only to watch as Ozwin stumbled off in his stead. Despite the chaotic storm overhead all Azlyn could focus on was the splashing noise that shortly followed him. And the fact he had yet to pop back up.