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As the crew travelled beyond the island, which slowly disappeared beyond the horizon, life began to normalize much as they were since leaving Angla. The sailors returned to their own routines, along with the passengers and the rest of the crew. Some stayed the way they were, while others started newer activities to pass time. Two fine additions to the crew, Azureath and Keeshar, quickly accommodated themselves with the rest of the ship, even if there was a slight problem due to Azureath's size.

The problem was obvious; Azureath was the largest member of the crew, with length somewhere in the range of 27 feet and more from head to the base of her tail, with height of about 8 feet. Her wings, when fully extended, was around 36 feet. Though the ship itself was big enough for her, she still occupied one-fourth of the top deck and was obviously too big to fit into the lower decks. Asking her to stay airborne was unrealistic, and neither was asking her to swim along with the ship.

Jamie and the crew made a space for her by clearing most of the ship's bow deck for her to land and rest. While it obstructed the view from the bridge, it was only a temporary obstruction, for she would either fly or simply swim beside the ship and only land on the deck to rest. To conserve fuel and maritime law in unknown territories, the ship moved slow enough for Azureath to keep up while swimming or, alternatively, creating ice under her to walk on. The sight of her forming ice platforms was an awe to many of the passengers, especially the younger ones.

Supply was the next problem. Azureath knew the way to her lands, but she wasn't sure of the distance. The crew was worried that they would need to ration their supplies. At first, they were worried that Azureath's addition to the crew would cause them to eat through their supplies, but she proved to be a great fisher and caught several big fish, both for her and the rest of the Blackjack.

Other than those initial problems, the travel proved uneventful to a degree. The sea was calm, and the weather was nice. The passengers even got to see many aquatic animals that they never saw before, such as a giant blue whale and a group of black-and-white smaller whales swimming in groups (orcas). Azureath, despite of her own earlier travel through the sea, did not notice them before and was equally as amazed as the humans and werewolves on the ship. She was the one who pointed out many of these sights by calling the passengers. This also made them more comfortable around her and found that, despite her ice-based abilities, she was heartwarming and kind, albeit with a hint of sadness she tried not to make too apparent.

The three young werewolves, whose efforts made it possible for them to continue, were interested in knowing more about Azureath and her native land. So, they spent most of their time on deck and talking to her . Adeline was interested in talking with the dragon, while Ulster was interested in learning about draconic culture and magic, which he previously called a 'gift' following the Raptor's term of it. Hans had a newfound interest in flying ever since the first exhilarating flight from Azureath's cave. He was the one who frequently asked Azureath permission to ride on her, which she always gave. He could appreciate the seemingly endless, dark blue sea that stretched as far as the horizon. Flying made the view even better, even if it was just the same big lonely ocean with aquatic animals swimming about.

As the two flew around, Hans found that there were more to riding on a dragon's back than he initially thought. It required more than just the dragon's permission and personality. Not only that, but a flying dragon was also considerably different than a galloping horse.

"Some dragons do not want to be ridden for practical reasons other than pride," explained Azureath when Hans asked about experienced dragon riders while she was swimming by the ship. "The added wight might severely impact their mobility."

"Does that mean there are more dragons of all sizes and shapes out there?" asked Hans.

"There are dragons the size of a bird and dragons far bigger than I am. The Far East Region of Main has serpentine dragons. Some are flightless. Others use their front limbs for flight instead of having a separate pair of wings. They all have their own names. Dragonets, wyverns, wyrm, and many others I do not bother to learn. Well, I do want to learn, but...everything happened."

"About your past...is it okay if I ask about it?"

"It is a painful past, but I chose to let it go and share it, to alleviate the pain. Ask away, little one."

"I noticed the symbols on your limb and how they were shaped. It is...not a marking, and more like scars. Were you tortured?"

"Something like that," said Azureath. "Those runes are anti-draconic magic that, when it is completed, we will lose what it means for us to be dragons and become slaves. It is a fate...I wish to avoid."

"So, you got away?"

"After being tortured, as you have surmised. I...lost everything because of them. My mate, my young...I couldn't do anything as they were slaughtered while I was restrained by magical shackles. They laughed at my predicament, mocked me as I could do nothing. It was useless to struggle, and it was all a lost cause. Fortunately, my rage overcame my grief, even if it was only for a moment, and after exacting my revenge, I ran, intending to leave behind everything. They may had died, but I had lost everything I dear. In the end, I could feel they were mocking me from hell, reminding me that, even if I killed them, they already won."

"How revolting," said Hans. "Now, I see why you refuse to let us continue. Either we got ourselves in a war, or we ended up becoming entangled with your land's politics."

"Politics have nothing to do with utter contempt, Hans. Yes, the kings and queens can be manipulative and cruel, but those who dedicated their whole life to eradicate one kind are the worst kind. They believed they are right, and they will continue in doing so until they draw their last breaths."

"Are we going to be at odds with them, then?"

"No doubt about it. Which is why be ready for anything."

"With more than half of the ship being beasts, we are more than ready against dragon haters. Isn't that right, laddie?"

They turned to see Jamie, who listened to the two while smoking his pipe. Both Azureath and Hans were flying aside the ship, gliding close to the sea.

"We promised not to make the same mistake with her, right?" said Hans with a smile.

"Then again, unfortunately, it isn't that simple," said Azureath.

"Aye. Wolfmen, like humans, can act more like animals. The humans' fears are justifiable. But don't worry, Azureath. That means your land is normal enough for me. To be honest with ya, I prefer a flawed reality than a dream of a better life. Seen how bad war was, so that might have changed my perspective."

Azureath was pleased by Jamie's remarks. She was smiling, acknowledging that fact. Hans was also satisfied to see how much she changed since leaving the island.

"But nature's not like people. I noticed a dark, looming cloud on the distance. What can you tell about it?"

"To prepare yourself," said Azureath. "Have you noticed that there is no wind?"

"Aye. Storm's approaching."

"This ship is hardier than sailing ships but stay cautious. The sea will be rougher than what you know, and we are far from any civilizations. The sea rages like a monster's tongue, and it will consume everything, dragon and ship alike."

"I can't say it's an over exaggeration." Jamie took a long, deep breath out of his pipe. "You know the seas far better than this old sailor, Azureath."

"I will ensure that you complete this journey," said Azureath. "I do not wish to be alone, not after everything you did."

Jamie nodded and quickly returned to the bridge.

"I know this ship is the first all-metal ship I have seen," said Azureath to Hans. "But the sea won't be so light on it. Tell your passengers to stay below deck and calm yourselves. The last thing you need is panic."

She then flew out of the water and landed on the deck, with Hans telling Adeline and some of the crews on what to expect. As Azureath saw the passengers going inside and the crews preparing for a storm by locking all the windows, doors, and everything that could potentially let water in, she growled and said, "The season of the storms is nigh upon us. Keep your hearts strong, little ones. This is your first trial."

***

The first sign of the oncoming storm was felt by the passengers. The wave rocked the ship more than it should, causing unsecured objects such as chairs to start moving from their positions. Hans started to have a hard time walking on the ship and once even bumped onto Adeline when he lost his balance. On top of that, the violent sway caused by the strong waves caused many, especially those not accustomed to sea travel, to become seasick. Hans was one of them.

Then, rain poured over them and soaked everyone who were not wearing raincoats, especially members of the crew working outside the ship. They had tied themselves to a winch specifically used for such situations, but the waves crashing on the top deck made it harder for them to work. One even got swept away, only saved by the strong knot he used for the rope around his waist.

Jamie, wearing a bright yellow raincoat, walked out of the bridge into the strong violent wind, with Azureath struggling to fly. Even she was forced to land on the deck when it fatigued her.

"This is more than violent, Azureath!" said Jamie. "It's like we've passed the line and into the sea god's domain!"

"Do not falter yet, Jamie!" said Azureath. "Ride the waves and stay your course!"

"We don't know where we're going! The ship compass's going wild in there!"

"I am your compass now, so believe my sense of direction!" She looked forward, noticed something, and said, "Brace yourselves!"

The ship rode a giant wave and came crashing down, shaking everyone off and causing some objects to break. There was another wave that crashed the ship from the side, strong enough to cause the ship to list severely. Some of the unsecured objects started to move, causing a severe imbalance that threatened to capsize the ship.

"We really should've sail around the storm!" exclaimed Jamie.

"I got this!"

Azureath quickly jumped into the sea and dived. Jamie wondered what she was planning until he saw ice starting to freeze the ship's side, forming an elaborate structure that looked almost like a floater. It was repeated on the other side of the ship. The ship's list suddenly corrected itself, with Azureath using a gradually forming ice to push the ship back upright. Soon, the area around the ship suddenly froze and the rain flash-frozen into ice. The temperature also dropped.

"W-what?" said Jamie. He saw the floaters and remembered seeing the same thing on the Raptor's fishing boats. However, it was made out of crystallized ice and maintained by the sudden drop in temperature.

Azureath climbed on top of the ice and broke the one that kept the ship upright. She flew in front of the ship and said, "I stabilized this ship, but we are not out of it yet. I will do my best to maintain those floaters and break the waves, but I must rely on your judgement, Jamie. You are the leader of this ship, after all."

Jamie saw what Azureath meant. As soon as another big wave came, she simply froze the portion of the water around the ship with the ship's bow breaking it apart. She looked so confident and full of energy, making even Jamie proud of having her as part of the crew.

He quickly got into the bridge and, using the PA system, said, "Attention, passengers. We are experiencing turbulent weathers and a possible gain of speed. I advise great caution."

Adeline and Ulster, hearing the announcement, wondered what he meant about a 'possible gain of speed' when they looked through the porthole and saw ice forming around the ship.

"Azureath," said Adeline. She then gasped. "But that's pure wickedness."

"What? What is she trying to do?"

Soon, both found themselves holding onto one of the bolted tables as the ship suddenly gained speed.

Outside, the ship rode over the wave when Azureath froze the area around the ship just as they rode a high wave. The ship lost its traction and quickly slid over the ice Azureath formed around the ship in such speed that was beyond the ship's own capabilities. Henrietta, down at engineering, noticed the speed increase, but she did not know what happened. Adeline and everyone who had a window saw the greatest moment they would be a part of.

"That dragon is far more resourceful than I thought," said Adeline with a chuckle.

Ulster realized what she meant when he saw the big floaters, which had a sharp edge much like the tip of an ice skater's shoe.

"Oh my god," he said as he gasped. "She turned the bloody ocean into an ice rink!"

_ _ Outside, Jamie could see that Azureath seemed to enjoy it as she skated along with the ship, forming ice as they went down a 'hill' created by frozen waves. She looked so fearless amidst the storm, and also very excited.

"You are one crazy dragon, Azureath!" exclaimed Jamie as the ship skidded over the ice she made.

"One must be crazy enough to sail through deadly weathers such as this!" replied Azureath as she broke off the ice. "Don't you agree, Jamie?"

Jamie shook his head and chuckled. "A woman of me own heart. Never thought she'd be a dragon."

Azureath repeatedly used her ice to let the Blackjack 'skate' over it using the floaters on each end. Like Jamie, she knew the two floaters added more stability to the ship, especially in stormy weathers and dangerous rough seas. The Raptors called it a trimaran because it looked like three boats as one.

The dragon kept guiding them through the storm using her sense of direction. She was correct when she said that she would be their compass, as she was the only one on that ship to be aware of the unknown's seas unusual properties; it had thick mana particles that could interfere with navigation. While it was dangerous for ships like the_Blackjack_, it was beneficial for a dragon because of her natural use of magic. Aside from better control of her ice magic, it also helped her find where her land was like a pigeon knowing where its nest was. That way, they would not get lost in the sea.

However, she soon realized that the ordeal of guiding the ship and making it skate over a frozen wave was straining her. Azureath started to lose her tempo in freezing the waves and breaking them when the wind slowed, and the sea became calmer. The dark, foreboding cloud over them were gone, replaced with a reddish sky signifying sunset.

"We got out of it," said Jamie with a sigh. "Thank the heavens."

He soon noticed Azureath slowly landing on the deck, looking rather exhausted. Jamie was worried that the dragon overexerted herself, especially when she lowered her head and was preparing to rest.

"I will be fine," she said, weakly. "I have not actively used my ice magic so extensively. I am simply out of touch, that's all."

"Azureath, dear, everyone on this ship owes you a deal," said Jamie. "We...cannot thank you enough."

Azureath weakly nodded. "I must rest. Just keep going west at your own pace. Oh, and a word of advice. Do avoid a storm next time, even if it means burning out your supplies."

"After what we've been through? You bet."

Jamie wondered if everyone in the Main continent would be as crazy or as proficient with magic as her. He hoped it was the latter. Otherwise, the whole continent would be filled with daredevils and people (or dragons) with nothing to lose.

He simply shook his head and returned to the bridge, letting Azureath rest.