Yora stood against the wall in her captain’s main cabin. The room was filled with all the captains from the other ships. A meeting of the captains is a rare sight and she was excited to be allowed to serve and be present. As the people are milling about, she notices that it’s not just captains in the room. The ships’ stormcallers were present too. What were they doing here?

She lifted the pitcher in her hands and walked to the nearest captain and offered to refill her wine glass. She made a circuit around the room and emptied the pitcher in the glasses of the stormcallers and captains. While she did this, she heard lots of the conversation. The biggest topic of conversation seemed to be centered around Kravos, the Storm God. Apparently, they were not pleased with the number and intensity of the storms lately. Kravos hasn’t been appeased with the sacrifices and offerings lately. Some of the Stormcallers mentioned that Kravos is not pleased with the rise of the Protectors, but Yora thinks that ridiculous. Kravos has always been irritable.

As she was completing her third pitcher Yora overheard some of the Stormcallers talk about a way to deal with Kravos, but that didn’t make any sense because they just said that nothing has been appeasing him. If they knew what would be appease him, why didn’t they just do it?

Qoat turned back to Heix after the serving girl refilled his wine glass. “The ritual will require a great many Stormcallers, are you sure you can convince the others to take part? The risk will be great to them.”

Heix shrugged his shoulders, “I think every one of them understands the importance of doing this. They are putting themselves at greater and greater risk every time they board a ship. Our people live by the sea, if we can’t sail, we will surely perish.”

“But a great many of us may die from this. It is hard for many to see beyond themselves.”

Heix glanced at his lifelong companion and friend, “I hope you can convince them that the Oochalawai will all die if we do nothing. The faith in the great lord to protect the People has been evaporating with every lost ship. Soon none will have the power to sail the sea.”

“You don’t need to convince me my love, I am with you always.” A look of sadness on Qoat’s expression. He knew that this could be the last time they will get to share wine and each other’s company.

Heix and Qoat both turned back to the crowd of captains and Stormcallers, they each had their group to convince, and walked among the people.

Yora had been standing on the deck of the great ship for several hours. The meeting of the captains had had much shouting and heated tempers, but they must have reach a contract because the meeting had ended and everyone had departed for the great ship shortly after. The captains are all pacing on the deck. Fifty captains in all, that is more than any previous meeting of the captains then has ever been held. But the captains are don’t seem to be why everyone is here, after the meeting they have all been on deck just waiting. But the Stormcallers have been below decks since the beginning. Fifty Stormcallers. Why would they need so many?

The winds have been slowly building and the ships that are nearby had to be moved farther away to keep them from safe for the coming storm. At first she didn’t notice and thought the precaution was a little strange. But with how the sky has darkened and the winds have become incessant, she now sees that it was a smart move. The coming storm does seem to be coming from the east like normal, but seems to be building up in all directions. As far as the eye can see there is black clouds and rumbling thunder.

Yora clutched the railing on the side of the ship. The great ship is the largest ship that the Oochalawai have and it is used as a meeting place for great events. Because of its size, it is the safest ship in the sea. During the heaviest storms it barely rocks and some say you can lay in the hold and not even know if a storm is above your head. But the great ship seemed it will not be a match for this storm. The stormwinds whipped in all directions and the other ships, large ships in their own right with three or four masts, seemed to rock and tumble as if they were small canoes.

The great ship has started to rock in earnest and Yora dropped to her knees and clutched the railing. Kravos must be very mad for him to have sent this storm against them. The winds and thunder were so loud that she could no longer hear her own cries of fear. Thunder and lightning warred overhead. While it was high sun, she could no longer see the railing she clutched for dear life. Only the flashes of lightning overhead told her she was not blind.

The storm raged for an eternity.

Yora’s arms grew tired.

Darkness and fear were overwhelming her.

Then a crash of lightning brighter and louder than anything she could ever believe. The flash of light was so bright that the sun would look pale and dreary in comparison, and the booming thunder felt as though all the sound in the world had hit her at once. She felt as though the whole world had turned upside down and that she was falling upwards.

Darkness and silence followed.