Seed of War

, the morning of th

r preparation. Her gut had told her today was going to be an excellent day to fish. She only awaited her uncle as she watched the moon kiss the Cliffs of Ophine and the

s boarded his boat, The Dawnracer, with the help of his niece. They now just waited as the Devout of Ophine blessed each boat. They always were blessed last. Both Cha

lf on the seat near the tiller. Draping his jack

he chatted freely with Charles, "My plan is to get back in time to set out twice. We will fill our nets, our tank, and

l and unloop their boat from the pier. He began

, she unfurled her sails as the rest of the other boats struggled to keep up, "I'm going to make you fish stew

pulled the lines adjusting the sail as they cleared the breakers past the docks. Before them

hat if I meet a handsome, young sailor a

to have ya! I've been trying to get rid of you for year

k charm." She retorted. He tapped a pendant

hile, perched on the gunwale peering down at the sleeping girl. She couldn't have been older than her early teens. He would have been well within his rights to toss her overboar

r from the orphanage as a domestic maid. He believed the story, even without the battered bruises and lashes. Charles first t

temple proper. He had been here plenty of times, in fact the fishermen of Capesford were among the most devout to make the steep journey up the hill to worship the Goddess of Water. He moved past the pi

hing, he found her, and he named her there and then. The High Priest knew they looked nothing alike. The High Priest knew Charles had no surviving family. The High Priest knew what the ma

enn, in turn, did all she could to care for and repay the kindness Charles had shown her. She first cleaned the small two-room shack they occupied. She made it a home. She soon prepared hot meals for he

an old man. Eventually Wrenn found herself doing many of the tasks to prepare him for his journey, and then ultimately accompanying him. This was met with indignant and superstitious out

The Dawnracer consistently out fished every other craft at Capesford. Rare fish, unusual fish, abundant fish, deep water fish that shouldn't be as close to shore, the Dawnracer caught them all. More rema

on the horizon as the sun threatened to crest. They stopped in the open water near the Cliffs of Ophine, where the Temple was situated atop. Beneath the cliffs the sea had carved away large overhangs and caverns. Usually, t

nny strength. The water was clear and beneath them reve

d and lowered the nets

h. Between the casts the pair would swiftly dress the fish as much as they could. As early morning drifted on, the pair alr

't let that stop her. It didn't matter how, she was set to get the fish. As they settled with their poles, nestled somewhere between the shore and the atolls, Charles began eating the fresh bread an

s of clouds. The noon sun shone clearly, reflecting and refracting around and through the mass. The wave was so large Wrenn had no way to de

s no sound. The colossal swell ate the atolls. It simply pulled them straight up and into the wall of water rushing inland. It would easily engulf thei

self between Wrenn and the oncoming power of the ocean. He turned his back to the sea and grabbed her shoulders. The roar started, like rolling thunder. It on

with spray. The Dawnracer eased itself and attempted it's way up the vertical incline, then the anchor snapped

settled on the determination as the man before her protected

e she knew, it felt familiar. The power she felt was infinite. Wrenn latched onto this and allowed it to empower her temperament to match, and overpower the sea. The emotion whipped out from her first in a tentacle then in pulsing waves. The entire wave s

pulled hard and attempted to correct the boat as it limped down the wave

d through each droplet of

Wrenn begged Charles to sail away from this place. He attempted to do just that, fighting the unyielding current as it pushed in the opposite direction. The boat limped all