Davy never found anything on his trip with Dirty Bronze crew. The now sober crew assured him there was always going to be another sunset and another night for him to search for his Reflected map. Otherwise, he was always welcomed to join them, Rik invited.
After long pondering and brooding into the ocean, Davy requested they returned him to Hela. But of course, Adonna and the others were gone by the time he got back.
Something else was happening in Hela that got everyone rushing to the cliffs.
He followed the herd to a cliffside.
Everyone there raring and cheering at someone that at first seemed to be standing on water in the sea.
Davy protracted his spyglass, recognising that very tricorn hat of the pirate whose treasure they took.
Louis IV riding the back of a bridled Sharke. He glided swiftly across the tides near the port, scanning people around.
His presence riding a Sharke inspired Hela's Riders, they rushed to prepare their own Sharke.
At the top of the port's plateau island,
A stone hatchway opened and a lift from the cavern inside carried the Sharke in a glass tank.
Davy raced across the bridge from mainland to top of the plateau island like many others there to behold.
Folks of Hela, so rejoiced seeing someone riding a Sharke once again took it as sure sign to hold their cultural Games that evening. No one even cared about Marblemen airships that steered towards there.
A ladder was placed against the Sharke tank, two men stripped and climbed into the water to bridle the Astrid for riding.
Plenty old riders bickered who would take the first race against the Rider down there while pulling off their boots. Their bickering even brewed to cussing and shoving.
It all happened so fast for Davy.
With airships looming above their heads,
Louis IV down there making Sharke riding look effortless,
And fuelled by desperation to reach his friends quick,
He shoved away the regulator and raced up the ladder into the glass tank as if he had some assurance the Astrid inside wouldn't devour him.
Right after taking control of the Sharkes reins, he shattered the glass with shots of his pistol, and so got flushed out, and down into the sea they plunged.
He held hard grip on the reins as he tossed underwater; maintained hard grip when the Sharke dragged him along.
Louis IV recognised him and pursued.
Marblemen airships bombarded the sea with cannon fire, just like they bombarded the spectators at the cape and atop the plateau.
Davy finally managed to pull himself onto the Sharke's back and assumed control. Vision blurred by splashing waves, soaked wet clothes clasping his skin; he only moved the reins slightly for the Sharke to veer hard it nearly fell him off its back again. But at least it swam fast enough that cannon fire from above only caused splashes every time they missed; fast enough to elude his pursuer.
Next time he glanced over his shoulder, Louis IV was gone.
Then suddenly,
Louis IV launched out of water from below, his Sharke snapping the tail of Davy's.
But Davy's mount was built bulkier. Even though injured, when it came to snapping jaws at each other, it scared back the enemy Sharke before cannon fire further separated them.
Davy steered his Sharke gentle enough to direct it east against the encroaching sunset.
He'd lost Louis IV under the evening while airships could never keep up with the Sharke's swiftness in water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He reached the cove where they hid their ship.
It was gone.
Cold eating at his nerves in the deep of night, still he steered for the direction of Ana.
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Somewhere in open sea, his Sharke suddenly submerged. Against all reining, it dived deeper and deeper. What little moonlight penetrated the sea was swallowed to pitch blackness as it got quieter underwater. Breathless, he released the reins, fighting to swim back up.
However,
He had been dragged so deep in, it was pointless. Painful breathlessness smothered his lungs 'til he gave up finally.
The Sharke still prowled about like the predator it was. As if waiting for him to die.
It had a pouch on a side of its belly with gauzy blue hair. Unlike similar filament along its back to tail, this had a beautiful glow in the darkness.
It could've just been survival instinct that he grabbed the Sharke by this belly pouch. But once he did, breath suddenly filled his lungs.
He could breathe underwater.
At that moment he remembered how the riders back in Hela took off their boots in preparation to ride. He did the same underwater and got back on its back with a foot in its pouch.
Turned out the Astrid had another pouch at the other side of its belly for both his feet.
Both feet slotted in, the pouch felt warm inside, whereas the luminous filament clasped his ankles. He could breathe much easier now as if in open air. What's more, his vision in the deep became clear. Cold didn't bother him even. Like he'd become one with the Astrid.
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19th December
At daybreak, Tom remained at the Hangpole's helm. Eyes bloodshot from sleeplessness – yet was rather lost in the ocean of his thoughts than in drowsiness.
"Didn't wake me up for my shift. No fair." Adonna approached with a yawn. Little Bear sprung up after her.
"I couldn't sleep anyway." He admitted.
She joined him by the helm. "We'll make it in time and stop them, Tom. Your friends are going to be safe… they all will be."
"Thanks, Adonna. Truly I've never met anyone like you. There're things I wouldn't even attempt on my own, but with you I feel nothing is impossible. Thank you for rescuing all of us back then, and thank you for this."
Her cheeks flushed. "Beating Marblemen might prove impossible though if our Thunderhoof Rider collapses from lack of sleep."
"Yeah yeah, I get it." He chuckled.
As the morning light kissed the sea's surface, Tom's piercing blue eyes forced her to look away. He shifted in closer, his voice fell low. "Adonna, I need to tell you something… it's probably not the best time or condition, but I don't know what will happen once we get to Ana. I…" his voice broke as if searching for the right words. "Adonna, you're brave and inspiring… and beautiful. Enough of me deceiving myself that I didn't join this crew to remain close to you. What I'm trying to say is… I… have feelings for you."
She was left speechless.
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Sometime during the day of the 19th, Pale and shrivelled Davy finally sighted their Hangpole somewhere past the island razed by volcano.
They tethered the Sharke to their vessel to swim alongside while Davy shivered uncontrollably once off the Astrid.
The others huddled around him. Questions from Klein, blanket from Rwby… a fixed glared from Adonna.
"So did you find it?" She groaned.
For a moment, he hesitated. "I came back." He replied.
She left coldly, saying it was nice having extra pair of hands on board.
"AIRSHIP!"
Then and there, they all looked skywards.
The airship sighted them back.
"The hovering island!" Adonna pointed.
It might be within view, yet so far away like a speck across the horizon. If they could reach there though, it would provide them cover from the enemy.
"Take the helm!" Davy directed Adonna. "Engine room, Rwby. Full speed ahead! Tom, with her. Klein, let's figure out how to fight back!"
They scattered; to each their positions.
Rwby returned dragging a crate of special ammunition for their cannons. Two cannonballs she explained would explode on timing into clouds of smokescreen, while the other one triggered impact explosion.
"Perfect, Rube. That's genius!"
However limited.
She'd also made modifications to one of the Hangpole's cannons to be used for vertical fire – made rightfully for battling an airship.
Boom went the first shot, splashing buoyant green gas that clung in the air to obscure the enemy's view.
Klein reloaded another ball into the bore.
Davy aimed ahead.
Boom! Another cloud of gas clouded the sky towards the Levitating Island.
The enemy hailed down shots after shots even while blindsided. Most splashed into the waters around.
Then,
One smashed a straight line through the Hangpole's deck. The whole vessel quaked.
Klein and Davy looked each other, knowing one of them had to go check out the damage to the hull, meanwhile it required more than one person to operate the cannon.
"I got it!" Squealed Adonna as she left the helm with the ship on direct course for the Levitating Island. "Come, boy." She prompted little Bear along.
Below deck,
She located the breach. Water gushing from a hole in the floor had already begun overflowing the cabins.
At heel level, she rushed to the storage, gathered planks, nails and mallet.
At ankle level, her feet were soggy in her boots, causing heavier steps as she trudged ahead.
Bear transformed. His heavy paw held down the plank over the breach for her to drive the nails.
Sea waves slapped the rudder. The ship's unsteadiness caused her to strike her hand so hard, she threw the hammer in a shrieking recoil.
No one at the helm, tides steered the Hangpole and tossed her away abruptly.
Big Bear left his crucial position after her.
Gushing water from the breach spat away that plank. More seawater continued rolling in.
Above deck,
Klein ran for the helm. He returned the ship on course. Meanwhile, Davy missed his shot by a margin, so the ball arched backwards and plunged into sea.
Below deck,
Big Bear was back in position. Adonna soaked wet on all four, groping around for the hammer in the rising flood.
Then,
Another Marblemen fire blasted through right over her head.
Water splashed. Her already racing heartbeats skipped as the shot blasted right in front of her.
Another hole,
More seawater flooding in,
She caught glimpses of the hammer through gurgling bubbles.
Above deck,
Sunlight poured brighter as the Hangpole exceeded the expanse of the artificial green cloud. Now in clear view of the airship, its artilleries targeted precisely.
"Oh no!" Gasped Davy, eyes skyward.
The air darkened at once before the enemy could unleash fire.
They'd made it under the cover of the Levitating Island… finally.
The airship simply flew higher over the island.
The Hangpole's engine panted a loud puff of steam as it came to rest.
Adonna crawled out from below deck. Leaking and huffing, she and little Bear regrouped with the others. "How do we destroy it?" She grumbled to Davy.
What they didn't know however,
Up on the Levitating Island, in a vast clearing in its jungle lay a fleet of grounded Marblemen airships. They were only lucky their first time there as this Levitating island was itself the enemy's airbase.
They thought themselves safe, strategising how to fight that one airship.
Their jaws dropped when many more came hovering at the sides of the island.