'Damn! Why has the Rank 10 beast locked onto us?!' Everyone thought as they immediately lost all hope. Now that such a monster was focused on them, the chances of escape dropped to near zero.
'Let's see what she's truly made of - time to push The Northern Gale to her limit!' Captain Jorvik thought as he readied the barrier, waiting for the Rank 10 beast to make a move.
Then, in an instant, a giant serpent-like head with shiny blue scales and two jagged horns protruding from its head appeared in front of the ship. It stared at them with its large, green-slitted eyes before its nostrils flared, clearing out all the water surrounding the ship.
Some of the weaker-willed people passed out in fright, while the others wished they could've done so. If they were going to die, they'd rather it be done peacefully in their sleep rather than this!
"What purpose brings thee into my dominion, fox?" The giant head asked in a deep, almost gurgling voice, staring at Mira specifically.
Mira's frown deepened as she had the urge to facepalm.
'Why? Why is it that every time I meet these seemingly ancient beasts, they all ask me the same thing? Can't a fox just wander around? Why do I need to explain it to you?' She thought frustratingly. For some reason, these strong beings always put what they were doing aside to meet her.
"Just passing through," Mira answered.
"Is that indeed the truth? Then, pray tell, why dost thou exhibit such a fierce, sanguineous* aura upon thy entry into my realm?"
Mira tilted her head, looking at it, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Didst thou not, indeed? It appears thou hast yet to acquire even the rudiments of proper decorum."
'It seems you haven't learned how to speak like a living being, either.' Mira inwardly commented but said nothing. She really had no idea what it was talking about.
The water-serpent being sighed, keeping the water from crashing into the boat before it conjured a human hand from the water and extended it toward the boat. The crew freaked out for a moment, closing their eyes, hoping they could go to heaven painlessly.
But a few seconds passed with nothing happening. A few opened their eyes, only to see the makeshift hand pressed against Mira's forehead as a transference of energy passed through it before it went back into the ocean.
"Master this technique and cease thy provocations towards all in thy vicinity. Thou art now permitted to depart." With that said, the beast left, returning the ocean to its normal state. Metric tons of water fell onto the boat, engulfing it but doing no real damage.
Mira still had a skeptical look on her face, but more than anything, she was bewildered about something. 'Why are all these strong, old beasts so nice to me? Every time I meet one, they seem to always give me something nice.'
Unlike humans, who mostly wanted to kill her for some reason. Hell, sometimes, they didn't even have a reason. These beasts, who were nearly at the pinnacle of the world, almost always helped her out in some way.
'Is it because of my race? Maybe those with the blood of mythical beings have a pact in this world not to attack one another for no reason? Perhaps they could even sense that killing me was both the best and worst thing they could do.' She tried to find an answer, but save for it being all of those things, she couldn't think of anything else.
Her luck was as close to negative infinity as one could get. And that bad luck didn't just disappear should she die. It was transferrable.
Of course, the ones who would receive the full brunt of it if they killed her were the ones sent by the FLDIL. But, if she had to guess, a portion of her bad luck would still transfer to her killer, even if they weren't designated by the firmament.
'I don't really have a reason for thinking that, other than that this luck has to go somewhere and can't just disappear into the void. But, all the strong beings in this world seem uncomfortable about killing me, as if it's a last resort.'
'Maybe I really am lucky.' Mira thought before immediately shaking her head. 'Maybe he just had a crush on me and couldn't bear to kill my beautiful form.'
Unable to figure out an answer, she put that aside for now and focused on the information she received.
Rather than a technique, the serpent-dragon thing gave her a way to reign in her bloodline aura, killing intent, and Qi. That may sound impressive, but from what she understood, it didn't serve any purpose other than making her seem less provocative.
It should also make her seem less terrifying to random people while also relieving them of the faint pressure she unconsciously released.
Sighing, Mira studied the technique for a few seconds before she comprehended it and put it into action. In an instant, it was as if a formless pressure was sucked into her body, allowing everyone to unconsciously breathe a sigh of relief.
Looking around, she noticed that people's shoulders were more relaxed, and their breathing wasn't quite as tense. Some even looked like they could use a good sleep.
'I guess I was unconsciously flaring a fierce aura, putting those around me on edge.' Mira presumed, but she didn't even know she was doing such a thing. She thought she had already got all that under control since nobody said anything. 'Maybe only beasts can sense such a thing?'
Mira shrugged and hoped that ancient monsters would stop bothering her now.
After the "water dragon" left, the crew just stood there, staring blankly into space. They had just faced a Rank 10 beast and lived to tell the tale!
"Can't wait to spin this yarn to me missus! She'll be so taken, might just end up with a bigger crew at home!"
"Ha! As if she'd swallow that tall tale. Me, I'm gonna cash in on that water dragon sighting and hang up me hat for good!"
"You're daft, mate! You reckon that'll fly?"
"Why not? It's a creature of legend! Folks'll be lining up to get a peek!"
"Enough!" Captain Jorvik shouted, forcing everyone to quiet down. He stood at the helm and let out a long, relieved breath. "We best be moving on before we tempt fate any further."
The crew seemed to awaken from his words and resumed their tasks with renewed vigor, albeit with frequent glances at Mira. Though her presence seemed less imposing, they all understood that a terrifying monster lay beneath the surface.
Below the deck, Dominique and Hana discussed the recent events in hushed tones.
"Why didn't that Dragon talk to me? I might not be as strong as Mother, but I want to be touched by a dragon too." Dominique whispered, a little downcast
"I don't think that's what you should be worrying about…" Hana replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "The real question is, why do all these powerful beings keep searching for us?"
Mira overheard their conversation and chimed in, "Don't worry about it too much. As long as I'm here, nothing too bad will happen."
Linnea, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement. "With Mira's strength, we're probably safer than anywhere else."
Everyone nodded, but they were all inwardly thinking that things might be a lot less painful if Mira wasn't here.
"Enough of that. Back to training, everyone!" Mira shouted, proving them right.
The training resumed, with Mira's watchful eyes guiding the youngsters. Despite the constant threats of the sea, their progress was steady.
Above deck, Elenei and Rhydian continued their cultivation, drawing in the unique energies of the deep sea. The recent events had not deterred them; if anything, they seemed more focused than ever.
As The Northern Gale sailed on, Coralia's efforts in warding off the sea beasts became increasingly crucial. Her presence in the waters acted as the perfect deterrent, and now that Mira wasn't sending out provocative signals, fewer beasts were interested in the ship.
The ship progressed smoothly, making its way through the waters with fewer incidents. The crew's morale was high, their trust in Mira and the mysterious mermaid solidifying with each passing day.
***
Further north up the World Sea, around the Frostbite Channel, a never-before-seen event was happening.
The Frostbite Channel was known for its icy waters and dangerous ice formations, making it a usually treacherous but navigable path for experienced sailors like Captain Jorvik. However, what was happening now was beyond the realm of normal.
Far ahead of The Northern Gale, the skies above the Frostbite Channel were darkening, a scene that, while not common, happened enough that it wasn't uncommon. Thick, black clouds rolled in, converging in a swirling mass that blotted out the sun. The air grew colder, and the sea beneath churned violently as if agitated by some unseen force.
From the depths of the channel, a towering column of ice began to form, rising high into the sky. It was as if the very sea itself was freezing over, creating a massive barrier that would be impossible to navigate through.
Seafaring birds were seen fleeing en masse, crying out like they had been possessed.
On a nearby ship, a grizzled sailor peered out at the unfolding chaos. "I've sailed these waters for forty years, but never have I seen the likes of this," he muttered. "Something's not right. This ain't just a natural storm."
