"Dammit!" Grey cursed. The moment he saw the metal box roll, he knew it was over. There was nothing he could do.
It hurt his pride but there wasn't anything else he could do. He already had his hands full, the whole crew had their hands full.
Just as he turned his head away to focus on what he could save, a figure moved by. They were fast and with the way the low light in the storm and the blinding rain all he could see was a shadowy figure.
But only when the figure finally stopped before the metal box and grabbed onto one of the bindings he saw who it was. It was one of the Ushari, the one who appeared to be slightly younger than the oldest. Her hair was wet and her clothes were soaked through.
Phay grabbed onto the snipped piece of rope. She threw it over her shoulder and then her shoulders tensed and she pulled. The rolling box was forced to a halt.
Grey's eyes widened. Was he seeing this right?
That box had been so heavy that even the crane that had brought it on board had broken down one of its hinges. That very box was being held back by a single person. It was unbelievable.
'Can a human being even do that?' Grey questioned.
Grey had met a few awakened while working on the coast. He doubted if many of them would be capable of such a feat. At such a sight Grey felt a competitive fire light up in the centre of his gut.
"Come on you landlobbers! Don't let the woman show us up!" he laughed and the men pulled harder. Their grunts deafened by the clash of the storm. It was almost as though they had gotten an extra bout of energy from some unknown source.
Shay stood in the rain for a moment. She looked at her sister with a slight frown.
"Phay what has gotten into you?" her whisper went unheard in the loud company of the storm.
Shay sighed and then she stepped forward. Three heartbeats later, she was standing right beside her sister. She latched onto the other loose rope.
"Phay. Together!" she shouted.
At once the two Ushari sisters stomped onto the deck. The sound echoed above the storm. They pivoted their hips and over their shoulders, they pulled the ropes.
Shay felt her muscles strain against her rope. The box was heavy. She circulated her Aether and its power flowed through her muscles, nourishing them. She felt the warmth of it throughout her body. From the top of her head to the muscles in her arms to the soles of her feet.
"Ah!" the two pulled as one and the metal box was stopped completely. And then it rolled back, away from the railing. With a loud thud, everyone felt the wet deck tremble beneath them.
It was set in place once more. Shay brought the piece of rope she held onto down to the wet deck of the ship. There the locket was embedded into the floor. With a final push she brought the rope down and then tied it down as tight as she could.
On the other side, Phay did the same.
Shay took deep breaths. The box was heavier than she thought.
'What the hell did that Alchemist order anyway?' she wonder.
"Hey uh...A little help here would be much appreciated!"
Shay turned to the source of the voice only to find Grey smiling at them somewhat nervously. Shay turned to Phay.
"Do what you want" Phay waved her off.
Shay gave a tired smile then she walked across the wet deck and headed in the direction of the crew. The struggling sailors who cheered at her approach.
***
The storm was loud and the downpour was only getting heavier but the cheers of the men were louder. Hearing the cheers of his crew, Captain Ramirez felt energized.
"Loud as ever those seadogs" he smiled. He spun the wheel. The steel fortress obeyed. The bow took a turn and the waves crushed against the hull. The ship shook and the floors trembled. The men must have been struggling to stay on their feet by now.
Captain and ship fought as one. They moved through the angry waves of the sea as one. Captain turned his head towards the radar for a moment.
"Almost there" he blinked the droplets of sweat out of his eyes. His arms trembled. The wheel had gotten much harder to turn. The under currents must have been just as strong
The rudder must have been under a lot of pressure. He just hoped that it held out just a little more. The dark sky flashed with a blue light.
Several tense moments passed with the captain holding his position. The muscles in his arms screamed like never before. He even heard an ominous metallic groan accompanied by the ship's shudder.
The rudder wouldn't hold for much longer.
'Good enough' he freed the wheel and its spun towards the left like a spring let loose. A large wall of water rose some distance away. It spanned over 50 meters in height and was as wide as his eye could see. There was no evading it but that was alright.
The bow of the ship pointed forward, aiming directly for the approaching wall. He brought the radio to his mouth once more. "Hold fast men!"
And then it pierced the wall. The ship tilted upwards, threatening to be overturned. Captain Ramirez held his breath and kept the wheel straight.
"Come on! You haven't failed me yet baby!" he muttered. For a moment the ship rose dangerously, almost threatening to stand perpendicular with the sea and then...
"Conquer"
The bow tore right through the veil of water and the Conquistador burst through. For a moment the ship was flying almost two meters from the surface of the water and then it dove right back down. The impact against the water caused captain to almost stumble to the floor. Swaths of water were displaced causing a secondary wave of rainfall.
Then there was silence and a light shining from above. Having regained his silence Ramirez looked ahead and laughed. The waters were calm and steady like the surface of a tranquil lake. Sunlight pierced through and chased away the dark clouds.
There was no rain. No thunder and no storm.
He had done it.
He had reached the eye of the storm.
The ship glided forward calm and undaunted. The crew men sprawled on the deck as they took heavy breaths. Their faces painted with grins.
As for Shay and Phay? They both leaned against the metal crate. They too were catching their breaths. Shay in particular shared a glance with Grey who gave her a smile so contagious she smiled right back.
And just like that, true to its name, the Conquistador had conquered the sea once more.