PARAGON

Paragon tried to calm down by pretending to breathe. Despite her efforts, it didn't work. She anxiously fidgeted, then sank her claws into the bowsprit. Her silver form glowed gold in the sunrise.

She had a captain, but her empty deck and hull made her feel lonely again. It was worse when Travis traveled outside of her telepathic range.

All she could get was vague feelings no stronger than the sensation of a baby spider landing on the railing.

The liveship understood why all of them needed to go. Costasiella was their guide, and Marin and Irisva went because this was their quest. Marin was an excellent fighter if they came into danger, while Myrllen's magic could further help them fight or defend themselves.

She never imagined she would get so lonely so quickly. The insanity and fear were already creating in her mind. What if something happens and they never return? Will I be alone for hundreds of years again!?!? Paragon clung to the bowsprit. If only I wasn't tethered to the ship!

Paragon began to hate her limits as a ship. She couldn't make the vessel suddenly sprout limbs and walk on land. She knew from experience with sandbars that if she tried to carry the hull, the weight would force her to phase through it like a ghost.

The liveship fidgeted again and tried her pretend breathing exercises. They didn't work. She could feel the bond getting slowly stronger but restrained herself. I'm fine; there's no need for anyone to worry. Her thoughts didn't convince anyone.

She focused on the current beating against her hull. The river was so different from the ocean's vast expanse. This water was confined and filled with the sediment of the land.

A stick bumped against her hull, ferried by the opaque water. She used one of her mooring lines to snag it and take it to the bow. The figurehead used her front limbs to hold the lumber while her other four kept her secured to her ship.

The memories the object provided her as she nibbled on it offered a good, though brief, distraction. Memories of a tree standing strong next to a clean stream offered her a calm moment. Then a creature too large for the tree to bear broke a branch. They tumbled into the stream below with a splash.

From there, it tumbled through the rapid stream before it entered the larger river with its calm flow. Fish nibbled on the bark while wildlife rode the stick as a raft. But eventually, the object came into her possession.

Paragon mused within the brief calm and clarity of the primal memories as she finished the wooden sample. She could feel her crew coming, slowed by the flooded terrain.

The liveship looked up to the massive tower-like structure that made up the main part of the city, with the port and merchant areas sprawled in its shadow. The top of the shape flared like a mushroom, and Paragon could not determine if the stone-like construction was biological or constructed. However, she felt it was magical.

Flying creatures flittered in and out of the various openings in the rock.

'Paragon,' Travis's voice broke the figurehead out of her thoughts.

'Travis!' the figurehead nearly spun like a puppy. 'I'm so glad to hear you! I was so worried and lonely!'

Paragon felt the insanity slowly creep away from her mind. 'We're ready to sail once you get here!'

'Make sure you're not so excited you sail without us.' Travis softly joked though the worry hung at the fringes of his thoughts.

'I would never!' The liveship mentally joked.

With her new mental clarity, Paragon checked her magical map. She paused as she noticed the black pin was closer to Iua than she remembered. That's worrying.... She paused, then froze as the black marker disappeared from the map. The figurehead tried to restrain her panic.

'Though, Paragon admitted to her captain, 'it would be better the faster you arrive.'

'Is something wrong?' Travis telepathically called.

Paragon paused, should I tell him?... After a moment of hesitation, the liveship decided she should. 'Black Reaper is near Iua, I fear they will try to block our exit.'

The news immediately troubled the human. He knew the legends of the black ship, and the destruction it could bring. However, he paused. 'You're able to outrun and defeat them, correct?'

Paragon knew she could out-maneuver the pirates as long as she was smarter than the dark ship!s crew. The storm will be an issue.... She admitted to herself. She could hide with her mist, but she knew she would still have to fight the magical storm surrounding the Black Reaper. Paragon fidgeted, 'If they completely block the river, no.'

'I'll tell the group to hurry we'll be there as soon as he can.' Travis promised.

Paragon sent a feeling of relief to her captain. The faster we get out, the better. She paused and debated if she should use her mist to obscure herself from the Black Reaper but decided it was best to wait until after her passengers boarded. Unlike her crew, Irisva and Hibisca would be blind in the white fog.

Thankfully, the group swiftly arrived and boarded. The second they were clear of the gangplank, Paragon withdrew it as she released her moors and raised the anchor. She barely recognized the greetings provided by her crew.

Mist bloomed out of her ports as the river's current pushed her away from the docks, and as soon as she had the space, Paragon turned to face downstream. The wind flowed upstream; she could gain no help from it. Still, she urged herself downstream as swiftly as she could manage.

"Paragon?" Travis ripped her from her urgent concentration like a sudden crack of lightning.

Paragon barely restrained a jump and turned her head straight to Travis. "Yes?" She looked up at his concerned face.

"Are you ok?" The human frowned, his forehead slightly creased above his nose. "You seem strangely nervous."

"You're invincible," Myrllen suddenly piped up, "even if they block the river mouth, you can break their line. It's too wide for some pirates to block."

When did he get up here? The madness is lingering in my stress. They've never trapped me like this....Paragon paused. "It's...." She struggled to find words, "do you know what happens when two equally strong opposing spells collide?"

Myrllen blinked as if he had been asked a question from a book for toddlers. "They cancel out," one of his ears pointed horizontally in his confusion, "but why does that matter?"

Travis's eyes widened as his voice spoke in a volume barely a whisper above the wind, "the Black Reaper...."

Myrllen looked at Travis, confused. "The black pirate ship? The one no one can capture?"

"The seamen say there are two invincible ships: the elusive White Phantom and the deadly Black Reaper..." Travis whispered, fear emanating from him like waves blown out by a storm.

Myrllen's ears drooped as he gazed upon the silver figure with wide eyes. "So if you ram that ship...," he looked out through the white mist and stared at the darkening clouds on the far horizon.

"Both ships will probably go down. I'm hoping to avoid getting that close." Paragon refocused on her rushed journey downstream, passing a smaller boat that moved upstream with a spinning paddle wheel.

Myrllen slowly nodded.

"You'll make it," Travis stated. "How close to the outlet are they?"

"I don't know," Paragon says. "They can summon storms like I can summon mist, and it hides us from the other."

"So they could already be there?" Travis's lips creased.

Paragon slowly nodded and urged herself to go faster with every fiber of her being. They sped past Kira and into the narrow meandering canyon.

The sky darkened as they traveled south and the strengthening winds further limited Paragon's speed. Paragon barely kept herself steady as concentrated storm surges raged up the channel.

"Get below deck before the rain arrives." Paragon glanced at Myrllen and Travis. "I cannot protect you from the wind and rain from this storm."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Myrllen's eyes blazed with a desire to help.

Paragon paused, she knew from their last encounter with pirates her crew would not sit idle. "If they board us, I do not suggest fighting these men. They specialize in attacking in the slick conditions of a storm. Their only desire is for me to be at the bottom of the ocean. I'd rather you safe in my hull than possibly shot by lightning."

Myrllen seemed unaffected by her worry. "We handled the other pirates, and I'm sure we can handle these." He smirked to himself.

Paragon's gaze turned serious. "These are no ordinary pirates; they are immortal, blessed with strength and power by their patron, the realm of darkness. As you are blessed through me by the realm of goodness, they are likewise."

Myrllen looked undeterred, "I have magic," he started.

"Myrllen, please," Paragon begged as her hull lurched as it created a surge, "they will not hesitate to kill you, I do not want to lose anyone else to them." She barely contained her flinch at the sound of a sword clattering against the deck and thick red liquid seeping across her deck. She tried the breathing exercises as she pushed the memory aside. Starport's sword was still at Travis's hip, and the red stain had washed off long ago. That was the past; This is the present. That's all long gone. "No one else will die if I can prevent it." The rocking worsened the closer they got to the river's outlet.

Myrllen moved to interject, but Travis put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go below," dots pocketed his shirt as the sky continually darkened, "a wise sailor once said that's it's not good to fight against the will of a ship."

The Stellan sighed but relented and followed Travis down the steps to leave the foredeck.

Paragon relaxed slightly as Travis and Myrllen disappeared below decks. That was one worry off her mind.

The liveship looked out into the storm. The multitude of heavy raindrops obscured Paragon's vision as effectively as the magical mist hid the liveship from others.

She felt Irisva's fear as the ship's rocking worsened. Paragon knew if what she faced was any other storm, she could remain steady. A magical squall, however, was beyond her capabilities.

Lightning flashed as Paragon exited the walled river, but the sudden light offered no clues to the location of the black ship in the bleak darkness. I hope they can't see me any better than I can see them.

The silver ship hugged the western coast, hoping they were still east of the river. Some of the troughs between waves made her scrape the ocean floor. A large wave crashed against her hull and spilled onto the deck.

The sea foam drained off her deck as Paragon surveyed the visible parameter around the ship. She recognized knew the dark ship was close. The squall was strongest near the epicenter.

The storm rumbled with a cacophony of booms. At first, Paragon believed it was the natural rumble of thunder but jumped as a sudden splash of water sprayed her port side. They're too close for comfort.

Paragon briefly debated getting the cannonball to fire back but decided against it as she struggled against the waves. The swells massively slowed her top speed. They must know by the mist I'm close to them, just like I know they're close based on the storm. Though she tried to spread her magic as far as possible, they could be within it, firing blindly. At least they don't know exactly where I'm going, though they could have thought I saw them coming from the east and turned west. She hated how encounters with the black ship had become a game of strategy.

Paragon readied a few cannons, intensely listening to the surrounding squall. Raindrops and hail hit the decks like an endless swarm of biting insects. An orchestra of rumbles and booms sounded among the storm. The rhythmic beat of the waves crashing against Paragon's hull sounded like war drums that kept the tempo.

CRACK! Paragon jumped and winced in pain as something pierced her aft deck. The burning pain slowly began to fade like the dying embers of a fire.

Gritting her jaw, the figurehead dove into the decking and merged with the planks. She seamlessly traveled through the wooden fibers of the ship, undetectable by observers. Her carved form swiftly emerged from the aftercastle walls as Travis swung open the map room's door.

"What was—" the captain froze as he noticed the circular hole in the ceiling as water dripped from its smooth edges. He looked down at the cannonball lodged in the floor.

Black steam billowed off of it like hot coal. Whisps of white gas seeped from the decking where the cannonball damaged the wood.

"Wait!" Paragon grabbed her captain's hand when he moved to pick up the ball of metal. "Don't touch it when it's smoking." She lowered her hand when the last tendril faded into the air.

Travis lifted the cannonball out of the hole, then frowned at the burnt-looking edges of the hole in the floor.

Paragon fixed the ceiling first. With a puff of grey mist, she purged the dark magic from the edges. The plank fibers built out from the edges like crystals emerging from a rock. In a few seconds, it was good as new.

However, even as the liveship repaired the damaged floor, she didn't relax. "We're in their range." Her tail twitched and her fibers tensed. "Hopefully, they don't notice we're here." She wanted to move faster, but another wave slowed her as it crashed against her side. Paragon barely caught Travis as he staggered from the sudden lurch.

"Hu—" Travis gasped.

"I'm sorry," Paragon tensely spoke as she put her captain back on his feet. "That wave was too powerful."

"Paragon, it's not your fault." Travis gratefully petted Paragon's head, then used her as a support as he barely kept his balance as the ship violently rocked again. Thankfully, the ship's magic held to the walls and floor during the swells, so nothing could fall and hurt anyone aboard. "How fast can we escape them?" Travis glanced at the cannonball in his hand.

"As long as they aren't following, not long," Paragon promised.

"I'll spread the word to the others." Travis nodded, "try to get us out of here as fast as you can." He paused, then offered the cannonball. "Is this safe for you?"

"It's purged of the dark magic by coming in contact with mine." The figurehead accepted it and swallowed the object in one bite. Typically, she would have savored the metal meal, but her stress blocked her senses from the normal deliciousness of the metallic sphere.

Travis nodded to her. "I trust you." He stroked her head, then used the doorframe to stabilize himself in case another wave rocked the white vessel.

Paragon nodded, then paused as she mentally asked the stars for help against the storm that blocked their light.

Author Notes!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, this chapter was longer than I thought it would be! It does not help that I have also been sick for the last week.

To make up for it, the next chapter is one I already have written up, so I will post both today!