Master Of None

"Water mages! Cool the hull again!" Scylla ordered the water mages to make their moves yet again. The hull of the ship was being monitored by the blacksmiths and ship builders that had come to along carefully. They were ensuring that every single spot that was too hot was identified and cooled.

The burst of steam caused many to cringe away because it blocked their vision, however, some of the dragonkin were uncaring. They faced the leaping river snappers without fear no matter what they saw. The steam was nothing to them. They could use their instincts to attack through it as if it wasn't even there.

Remey was much the same. Between the bursts of flames that Midnight and Walker worked together to create, she got some good punches in here and there. She was grinning like a mad fool the entire time.

The bursts of golden flames that Walker and Midnight manipulated were extremely hot, but they were incredibly effective. The largest of the river snappers were barely able to withstand the heat. Only the hungriest ones were brave enough to leap from the water and attempt to snap up anything they landed on.

One river snapper in particular leaped out of the water and flopped on the top deck of the ship. The only reward it got before its jaws snapped shut for the last time was Leon's spear stabbing it through the heart. He only clicked his tongue at the easy prey that had delivered itself to his spearhead.

"Remey, this is the last bend. Protect the ship with your flames once more!" Walker could tell that Remey was running on the last of her mana. Even the mana that her partner had saved up on the spirit mark was dwindling. Controlling the large amounts of alchemy flames to redirect heat was not an easy task. In such a large amount to cover the entire front of the ship, it caused a lot of mental strain that Remey was powering through like a champion in her own rite.

"This is the last bend! Stay strong and grab yourself some food for the straight away!" Scylla's battle cry received a roar from everyone defending the railings. A few people were injured from burns or the river snappers but the number was few.

Alice and Su were the leaders in healing. Those that received minor burns were healed but potions and a few bandages from Su. Those that were bitten by leaping river snappers were placed beside Alice who was singing a song that created a healing ring around her.

Originally, Alice would have used a wider range healing skill, but through her song writing she had realized she could save mana by keeping the song in shorter verses and also keeping the area of effect smaller. It also concentrated the healing efforts on the parts of the body that were damaged the most. Overall, it was impressive to see someone being healed immediately.

This came at a cost though. The body had to shoulder the burden of so many small injuries being healed all at once. The body needed the nutrition stored up to heal right then and there. If it didn't have it there was a negative effect on the entire body. Instead of stored nutrients, the body could break down muscle to heal a wound. It was a risky procedure which explained why someone should always look for an experienced healer.

Rounding the last bend made the morale skyrocket. Everyone seemed to be able to put in even more effort. Especially since there were fewer and fewer river snappers that were jumping up. The heated water that the fire mages and Walker had guided was drifting along with the ship. The ship itself had even been heated to a degree and the metal transferred the heat right to the water.

Midnight ran out of breath and was forced to take another deep breath. But she had never breathed such strong flames all at once before. Now she was running thin and could not instantly start another flame. This gave a river snapper the perfect chance to leap up at her.

Remey was slowed because of her own mental and physical fatigue. This left Walker undefended as he was busy guiding the flames that were still burning over the water.

The sudden whistle of wind as Onyx whipped his tail over Walker's head and slammed the river snapper back in to the water made the entire ship shake slightly. Everyone who was not battling or just finishing their last attacks heard it and felt it. It was the unintended signal for a final cheer from every warrior and mage.

The last bend had been the smallest but it was the bend that had nearly gotten Walker hurt. Of all the turns they had just been through, this had been the shortest and the final send off for the river snappers that had been caught or defeated in the water.

"Those who did not fight, catch the river snappers floating hereby. They ate our food source for the open waters. Get the cooks up here to start breaking them down and drying the meat. Healers, get over here and examine every single warrior and mage before they attempt to rest. I want perfect health in every single one!"

"Keep the ship cooling! The warmer waters will drift with us for some time. Do not allow the archers to stand down. They must watch the waters for the next hour. This is still very deep water!" Leon and Scylla were going back and forth with orders. It was amazing to see them working so well together even though this was their first joint expedition.

"Brother, I will always be there when you need me," Onyx reassured Walker as Walker caught Remey. She had collapsed due to mana usage and mental stress. Out of everyone, she had used the most unfamiliar skill during this trouble.

Controlling the alchemy flames in a way that was not at all alchemy was a major stressor. Especially since she was redirecting heat on a large scale. A much larger scale than a single cauldron. Remey could even work three cauldrons at the same time, yet this was much larger than that.

"Thank you for that last defense Onyx. It was exactly what we needed. Midnight, good job with your flames. I can tell that your training has more than paid off. Now help me get Remey to Alice. I know she is fine but she needs to rest." Walker was very impressed with everyone.

The shop was minorly damaged but even more, he had seen everyone working very well with together. He had also seen Remey show off what she was actually capable of. The alchemy flames might not be a central fighting power but they could be used in certain situations. Flames were flames and they could still burn. But Alchemy flames were unique. They could touch things and leave them without a single bit of a burn.

"Is Remey alright!?" Su was understandably worried when she saw that Walker, Midnight, and Onyx were coming with an unconscious Remey.

"She used all her mana while making that curtain of alchemy fire. I wasn't sure it would actually work but it was very impressive." There was no hiding how he felt about what Remey had managed to do.

"The flames that you and Midnight moved around were also something that caught a lot of attention. The dragonkin warriors have been looking at you for a while now. Even Mordant and Rise watched from the skies. They did not intervene but they watched every single movement." Scylla had been aware of this the entire time. She had also just joined them because she was helping someone else over to the healing area.

"Saving their mana for when we really need it is more important. Who knows what might be at the mouth of the river or in the ocean? I have a feeling we will see them fight something much more dangerous than we will see in this river." Walker was sure that this was the case. But it seemed like everyone else was listening but for Midnight who had just plopped on the ground to fall asleep.

"Go and rest." Alice stopped singing for just a moment to tell them all they should rest. Su and her would have everything covered. Scylla even looked at Alice a little wondering if she had also been ordered to sleep. The demanding tone that Alice had managed to achieve was that of a healer that refused to let her patient worsen. It was a healer that would gladly tell you exactly where your faults lay if you were missing a lesson after becoming hurt. But that means she cared. And, everyone needed the rest after the river snapper battles.

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