On a clear day, Ember and Morgott were quite lonely.
On a windless, clear day, the waves gradually subsided, and the sea surface was as calm as a mirror.
Sunlight spilled upon it, painting it a warm blue, subtly shimmering and sparkling.
The distant Sky and sea reflected each other, like a serene and dreamlike painting. Tiny ripples could be seen on the sea surface, as if the ocean was gently singing its own melody.
Some seabirds soared above the water, their reflections clearly cast upon the sea, like a moving scroll painted by an artist on the tranquil sea.
The entire scene seemed to be Frozen in time, allowing one to feel the peace and serenity that belonged only to a windless ocean.
But it was too serene, so serene that Ember felt like he was about to grow Mushrooms.
"Ah—, I'm so bored!" Ember clung to the railing, counting the patches on the air balloon and letting out a strange cry.
Several days had passed since he was blasted by Skybracer.
At first, Ember was excited, but after gritting his teeth while staring at the unchanging sea for several days, he felt bored.
It seemed Teyvat's shipping routes were all within coastal areas; as for the open sea, few ships would likely venture there.
Not to mention Ember's destination was Inazuma, which had been under the Sakoku Decree for a long time.
In the early days of the Sakoku Decree, some people thought they might try their luck and sneak into Inazuma. After all, a little thought would reveal that Inazuma, after closing its borders, would surely be full of business opportunities.
However, the thunderstorms surrounding the entire territory of Inazuma quickly put an end to these people's ideas of illicit entry.
That level of thunderstorm, if not traversed by specially modified ships, would almost certainly lead to being swallowed by the fish.
All of this meant that Ember simply couldn't find any official ferry service to Inazuma.
Ember had originally planned to enter through legitimate means, but now it seemed he would have to sneak in.
"You won't be bored for long," Morgott said, hearing Ember's complaint and pointing to the swirling thunderstorm in the distance.
The distant Sky seemed to be torn apart, lightning ripping through dark clouds, illuminating the rolling waves.
Thunder roared like a giant's bellow, deafening and echoing across the boundless sea.
The gale and torrential rain brought by the storm made the sea turbulent and restless; giant waves, high as mountains, surged forward, churning up white foam, filling the entire sea with a terrifying aura.
All of this formed a stark contrast with the calm before him, making one wonder if he was dreaming.
"This thunderstorm, why does it look even bigger?" Ember looked from afar, occasionally seeing purple lightning snakes connecting the sea and Sky, dyeing a large expanse of seawater a brilliant purple.
Compared to last time, the thunderstorm not only hadn't weakened but had grown larger.
"Is that Horsetail-head so fiery? Has she been angry for almost a year?" Ember looked at the thunderstorm, feeling a bit impressed by the Raiden Shogun.
He heard from others that this thunderstorm was a manifestation of the Raiden Shogun's will. Judging by its appearance, she had been angry for as long as the thunderstorm had existed.
Thinking of this, Ember suddenly understood why she had inexplicably cut him down before.
Being angry for so long, it was understandable if her mental state was a bit off.
"Such a big thunderstorm? This is a bit troublesome," As he approached the gloomy thunderclouds, the invisible pressure lingering in Morgott's heart grew stronger.
Looking up at the patched air balloon above his head, Morgott felt that if they were accidentally struck, they would definitely have to go for a long-distance swim in the ocean.
"Whoosh—"
A strong wind swept in; in the air of the thunderstorm, the wind was even stronger than on the sea surface. The howling of the gale sounded like a sharp shriek, warning anyone who dared to enter.
But for Ember and Morgott, it was as if it didn't exist.
The patched hot air balloon entered the thunderstorm. Under the ubiquitous gale, the hot air balloon seemed to turn into a withered leaf, swaying precariously in the heavy rain, making one wonder if it would fall apart the next second.
However, it ultimately held on. No matter how the gale tore or the heavy rain lashed, the hot air balloon still carried Ember and Morgott slowly through the thunderstorm.
Of course, all of this came at a small price.
"Front left is broken!"
"No problem!"
"The top is leaking again!"
"Saw it!"
"The fire is low!"
"I'll add more wood!"
...The hot air balloon emitted a faint glow in the gloomy thunderstorm, illuminating the busy Ember and Morgott within.
Morgott was seen gripping the golden tether ropes tightly with both hands, his eyes fixed on the rain curtain ahead.
Pulling down with his left hand, the hot air balloon flew towards the lower left, dodging the lightning striking from the right.
Releasing his hands, the hot air balloon rapidly ascended, soaring over the incoming waves.
Morgott's maneuvering could dodge waves and lightning strikes, but against the fierce gale, it was up to Ember.
The flowing wind, amplified by speed, was like a blade. The leather skin might withstand one or two gusts of wind, but with more, gaps would inevitably appear on the air balloon.
Fortunately, each time a gap appeared, Ember would immediately stick a patch over it, keeping the leaking gas within a manageable range.
With their tacit cooperation, even this seemingly world-destroying gale could not stop their progress.
It seemed that because it couldn't overcome this seemingly fragile little floating object, the thunderstorm appeared even more violent.
Dark clouds swirled above the hot air balloon, purple lightning snakes danced within them, and the waves below crashed even more fiercely, as if responding to the Sky's wrath.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Several lightning bolts descended from the Sky in succession, leaving the two below with no escape.
"Screech!"
The air balloon instantly ignited, and then Ember and Morgott watched themselves plummet uncontrollably downwards.
"You're not playing fair, are you!" At the critical moment, Morgott roared, and the golden chains that had been wrapped around the air balloon rapidly extended and connected, finally transforming into a brand new skin that enveloped the entire air balloon.
"My King, you control it for a bit."
"Holy crap, I don't know how! What if we land in the sea?"
"Just fly straight ahead."
After a brief instruction, Morgott jumped onto the top of the hot air balloon.
The golden skin, molded by his power, was tough enough that even his giant-like body standing on it caused no indentation.
Looking at the still relentless lightning, Morgott took a deep breath. He had originally intended to cross the sea using his skills, but he didn't expect this thunderstorm to be so dishonorable, directly resorting to foul play.
Since that was the case, he had no need to hold back.
"Lightning? I can do that too!"
"Boom!" Gold and purple collided in mid-air, instantly Bloom-ing into a fierce flash of light that brightened the gloomy world by several shades.
Lightning Spear—one of the Prayers of the Royal Capital Ancient Dragon faith. It can summon a lightning spear and hurl it forward. By charging it, it can add a lightning strike upon impact.
In the past, "Golden" Godwyn defeated the Ancient Dragon Fuerssangx, then turned enemy into friend—this was the origin of the Royal Capital Ancient Dragon faith.
The light caused by the lightning had not completely dissipated when an even fiercer golden light appeared before Ember's eyes.
When the light faded, Ember found that all he could see was Morgott.
"Let me see, how much power does your thunderstorm really have!" After one of the Morgotts roared, golden light began to flash in the hands of all the Morgotts.
Then, the lightning storm from below surged irresistibly towards the thick thunderclouds. Golden lightning exploded within it, tearing open one gap after another.
Long-lost sunlight shone onto the sea, the torn gaps grew larger and larger, and the sunlight also smoothed the sea more and more.
Soon, the same calm as before appeared before Ember's eyes.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, playing with clones well is truly powerful," Seeing this, Ember couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
So he pulled forward with both hands gripping the golden rope, and the hot air balloon began to slowly descend towards the sea.
"Morgott—, hurry up and come over—, if we're slow, we'll have to take a bath—"
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