New Years Crossover: Chapter 1

Skit felt the shifting of the currents and, like other Aquiron, was headed to deeper water to weather the storm. When he saw strange ships flying below the darkening clouds he swam upon a side to watch, intrigued. His curiosity turned to surprise and horror as a bolt of lightning, almost impossibly long, struck one of the ships. A resounding crack caused him to duck under the water instinctively, but he resurfaced to see fire racing along the sails of the ship and hear the distant shouts of the crew. One ship flew closer, to get within boarding range he assumed, while others were pulling away. It became obvious why they wouldn’t try to help save the passengers when the cargo of the ship caught fire. The second ship began to pull away. Several individuals attempted to make the leap despite the growing distance and plummeted, screaming, to break upon the waves near Skit. He watched one of them fail the jump, watched them hit the water, and saw blood staining the blue to red when an explosion rocked the sky above them. Skit looked back to see the first ship engulfed in a thick growing cloud of fire. From the inferno, flaming debris came raining down accompanied by smaller cracks and booms and showers of multicolored sparks which then in turn exploded into bright flowering starbursts. The second ship was still in range of the deadly rain and Skit watched, paralyzed, as fire bloomed on its sails, the cycle repeating. Around him, other Aquiron were surfacing to see what the commotion was about. 

From the city walls Fujiwara watched the shadows beneath the oncoming storm with a swarm of other Stryx, all of them waiting for Seadog to appear to lead the way. Upon her back, Kwame was securing the headdress that normally sat upon Fuji’s head in a box which was then moved to an oilskin bag tied under a flap of the saddle. Fuji twisted her head back to bump Kwame’s knee in affection who, in turn, stroked the Gryph’s soft head in reassurance.

The signal sounded and Fuji snapped to attention, spreading her wings in preparation. To either side of her, smaller stryx ducked their heads even as they dropped down the cliff face. Halfway down they spread their wings and caught the wind, flapping to regain altitude and push away from the safety of land. Once she had the space Fuji too plummeted down, and when the wind caught beneath her wings and she began to rise again, Kwame lifted her spear above her head in both hands to whoop encouragement. Fuji joined in with a fierce screech, the cry taken up by others down the line of stryx as they sped out to the rescue. 

As Fuji pumped her wings, pushing herself to fly faster, a leaping form below them caught Fuji’s eye and she tilted her head for a better look. Skit raced in the shadow of the great Gryph, calling out to her as they travelled further out, the storm growing closer. Finally, Fuji looked down and Skit leaped higher than before so she could see his almost glowing pink tail, the pink stripe down his side flashing once just as the shadow of the storm swallowed them all. Kwame too waved, having noticed his antics.

Flying into the rain was like flying into falling rocks. The screaming wind tried to twist Fuji every which way while battering her with liquid bullets. To protect herself from the lightning arcing around them wildly, she curved her neck into an S shape and pulled her legs tight beneath her belly to present a smaller target. Kwame held on, squinting her eyes against the rain and sea spray. Below them, Skit leaped between the waves, keeping the Stryx above him until he reached a group of other Aquirion with rafts. He stopped to take the lead rope of one before trailing after Fuji and Kwame. The leading airships came speeding ahead, trying to escape intact. Behind them a few ships were burning, cargo falling from them to be swallowed by the sea. As Fujiwara watched, a shape fell from the farthest ship, human shaped and silent. She blinked as Kwame shouted, her voice lost to the wind before anyone else could hear. 

Fuji flew toward a ship where fire had just been ignited in the sails by a fork of lightning. She and a couple of other Stryx took a few humans and supplies aboard their backs. Fuji dove quickly, seeking the Aquiron that had followed them, and was rewarded by Skit leaping clear of the churning waves and crying out to catch her attention. In his teeth was gripped a strong rope secured to a makeshift raft that was riding the waves. She wasted no time in positioning herself over it as Kwame dropped a heavy rope over Fuji’s side. The human woman secured one end to the saddle before gripping the braided rope with gloved hands and leaping clear to go sliding down the length of it to land on the deck below. Kwame secured the other end to the raft, and once anchored, Skit swam a little ways off to pull in the opposite direction to keep it from drifting. 

The sailors aboard Fuji, unfazed by the storm and aware that time was precious, copied Kwame’s method of descent. They were unloading supplies to the raft, Skit returning from grabbing a crate that had fallen into the water, when the ship exploded behind them. More bursts of fireworks bloomed in the storm darkened sky even as the trailing edge of the squall passed over them. The moon began to peek through the tearing curtains of black clouds, illuminating the scene around them. Debris floated on the tossing waves and Aquirons worked to keep rafts in place. As the water lapped over Skit, he could taste blood in the water. Sharks would be drawn here soon, so he swam faster with the crate to warn Fuji and the others. Once the humans and supplies were secured, she and Skit worked together to guide the raft to the city. Everyone watched the Squall meet land and exhaust itself upon the rising peaks that marched up from the ocean floor and away into the distance.