Drifter's harsh words rang with severity across the entire hold. The craftsmen all stared at him with shock as Drifter's breathing increased, and a faint glow started to appear from within him.
"What in the sea demon's name - ?!" the blacksmith cried incredulously.
Lost in his raging anger and settling confusion, Drifter momentarily lost his conscious self as everything faded into nothingness around him. As he tried to feel his way, bright light shone high in front of him, followed by the descent of a handsome four-armed man clad in bronze armor, each hand bearing something in it - a lance, a shield that shone with the brightness around him, a laurel branch, and a horn. Drifter's insides tightened, for he was very much familiar with the man now beaming down upon him, familiar from the records that Coral possessed regarding the Anathema.
It was the Unconquered Sun himself!
"Let not your doubts cloud your judgment, my child." the Unconquered Sun said in a booming, yet reassuring voice. "For your steely resolve shall lead you to greatness beyond any that has walked Creation! Let your thirst for knowledge and its unselfish use guide you to the restoration of an age beyond Creation's wildest dreams. Go forth, child of the Twilight!"
The Unconquered Sun extended his arms and searing energy seemed to concentrate at Drifter's forehead, as the mark of the Twilight Castes - the half filled golden circle - appeared and shone brightly on his forehead, followed by a surge of power he had never dreamt existing inside of him.
"He... He..." the sailmaker stuttered, unable to make out what had just happened. Drifter had entered a somewhat-subconscious state as he steadily glowed bright and a queer symbol shone brighter and brighter on his forehead.
"What's happening to him?!" the carpenter cried. "Has he been cursed? Is he possessed by a demon?!"
All of a sudden, a bright flash burst, momentarily blinding the worried craftsmen. When their vision returned, the crates blocking them had scattered across the hold, their chains crushed into small bits. Drifter was on his feet, burning bright with an inexplicable aura, the same mark still on his forehead, and with something worse.
"By the Gods...!" the only words the blacksmith managed to say.
A huge squid circled Drifter ferociously, its long tentacles stretched in a predatory position, burning bright gold in a surrounding aura that seemed to radiate the dark, sinister regions deep in the ocean.
The commotion was broken up though by the intrusion of the Captain and four of his sailors entering the hold.
"What are you fools doing - " the Captain's words were cut short as his eyes automatically sought Drifter, whose glow and anima was more than evident to get attention even from the pirate ship. "Y-YOU!"
Drifter turned towards him, not uttering a word. The Captain let out a slightly nervous laugh.
"Th-this is brilliant!" the Captain replied. "You can help us repel those pirates! Go, go and help us!"
Drifter just stared at him. A vein in the Captain's temple pulsed violently.
"H-hey, look, we weren't seriously going to sell you to the Fair Folk, it's... it's just what we use to scare our captives, really!" the Captain tried to reason, his words failing him as he stared at the glowing man.
"Your actions betray you." Drifter said.
"D-damnit...!" the Captain muttered. "Well, if we can't have you defending us from those pirate scum then I'll just have to deal with you too!"
The captain turned to his sailor companions, most of whom reluctant to even stand up to Drifter.
"SEIZE HIM, YOU FOOLS!" the Captain cried. "He's just one young brat! What can he possibly do?!"
Drifter smiled.
The four sailors all lunged towards Drifter, their hulking figures like huge boulders rolling towards a tree trunk. But Drifter made up for it with his new-found speed, side-stepping past one sailor and, taking him by one hand, used the sailor's momentum to swing him towards the wall, the impact sending the sailor through it and flying out of the ship.
"He's only a BOY, for heaven's sake!" the Captain cried.
Two sailors charged towards Drifter like a pair of raging bulls, but Drifter leapt to their shoulders and pushed them with his feet, causing the two to lose their balance and follow their fallen comrade out of the same hole where he was hurled.
The last sailor leapt towards Drifter with outward, lunging hands, yet none of these scared Drifter in the slightest. He dropped himself to a half-lying position, caught the sailor in mid-air through the front of its shirt, and once again used the momentum on its user, sending him flying out of the same hole in the wall.
"H-h-how can this be?!" the Captain cried.
"Got anymore bright ideas?" Drifter asked, standing up and rounding towards the Captain.
"Th-this is not over yet!" the Captain cried, rushing back to the deck, tripping three times on the stairs that led to it.
"Th-that was amazing..." the sailmaker said. "I... I don't know what to say!"
"Spare it for later." Drifter said, motioning for everyone to follow him. "We need to escape first."
Drifter and the craftsmen headed up to the deck.
"What in the sea demon's name - ?!" the blacksmith cried incredulously.
******
Lost in his raging anger and settling confusion, Drifter momentarily lost his conscious self as everything faded into nothingness around him. As he tried to feel his way, bright light shone high in front of him, followed by the descent of a handsome four-armed man clad in bronze armor, each hand bearing something in it - a lance, a shield that shone with the brightness around him, a laurel branch, and a horn. Drifter's insides tightened, for he was very much familiar with the man now beaming down upon him, familiar from the records that Coral possessed regarding the Anathema.
It was the Unconquered Sun himself!
"Let not your doubts cloud your judgment, my child." the Unconquered Sun said in a booming, yet reassuring voice. "For your steely resolve shall lead you to greatness beyond any that has walked Creation! Let your thirst for knowledge and its unselfish use guide you to the restoration of an age beyond Creation's wildest dreams. Go forth, child of the Twilight!"
The Unconquered Sun extended his arms and searing energy seemed to concentrate at Drifter's forehead, as the mark of the Twilight Castes - the half filled golden circle - appeared and shone brightly on his forehead, followed by a surge of power he had never dreamt existing inside of him.
******
"He... He..." the sailmaker stuttered, unable to make out what had just happened. Drifter had entered a somewhat-subconscious state as he steadily glowed bright and a queer symbol shone brighter and brighter on his forehead.
"What's happening to him?!" the carpenter cried. "Has he been cursed? Is he possessed by a demon?!"
All of a sudden, a bright flash burst, momentarily blinding the worried craftsmen. When their vision returned, the crates blocking them had scattered across the hold, their chains crushed into small bits. Drifter was on his feet, burning bright with an inexplicable aura, the same mark still on his forehead, and with something worse.
"By the Gods...!" the only words the blacksmith managed to say.
A huge squid circled Drifter ferociously, its long tentacles stretched in a predatory position, burning bright gold in a surrounding aura that seemed to radiate the dark, sinister regions deep in the ocean.
The commotion was broken up though by the intrusion of the Captain and four of his sailors entering the hold.
"What are you fools doing - " the Captain's words were cut short as his eyes automatically sought Drifter, whose glow and anima was more than evident to get attention even from the pirate ship. "Y-YOU!"
Drifter turned towards him, not uttering a word. The Captain let out a slightly nervous laugh.
"Th-this is brilliant!" the Captain replied. "You can help us repel those pirates! Go, go and help us!"
Drifter just stared at him. A vein in the Captain's temple pulsed violently.
"H-hey, look, we weren't seriously going to sell you to the Fair Folk, it's... it's just what we use to scare our captives, really!" the Captain tried to reason, his words failing him as he stared at the glowing man.
"Your actions betray you." Drifter said.
"D-damnit...!" the Captain muttered. "Well, if we can't have you defending us from those pirate scum then I'll just have to deal with you too!"
The captain turned to his sailor companions, most of whom reluctant to even stand up to Drifter.
"SEIZE HIM, YOU FOOLS!" the Captain cried. "He's just one young brat! What can he possibly do?!"
Drifter smiled.
The four sailors all lunged towards Drifter, their hulking figures like huge boulders rolling towards a tree trunk. But Drifter made up for it with his new-found speed, side-stepping past one sailor and, taking him by one hand, used the sailor's momentum to swing him towards the wall, the impact sending the sailor through it and flying out of the ship.
"He's only a BOY, for heaven's sake!" the Captain cried.
Two sailors charged towards Drifter like a pair of raging bulls, but Drifter leapt to their shoulders and pushed them with his feet, causing the two to lose their balance and follow their fallen comrade out of the same hole where he was hurled.
The last sailor leapt towards Drifter with outward, lunging hands, yet none of these scared Drifter in the slightest. He dropped himself to a half-lying position, caught the sailor in mid-air through the front of its shirt, and once again used the momentum on its user, sending him flying out of the same hole in the wall.
"H-h-how can this be?!" the Captain cried.
"Got anymore bright ideas?" Drifter asked, standing up and rounding towards the Captain.
"Th-this is not over yet!" the Captain cried, rushing back to the deck, tripping three times on the stairs that led to it.
"Th-that was amazing..." the sailmaker said. "I... I don't know what to say!"
"Spare it for later." Drifter said, motioning for everyone to follow him. "We need to escape first."
Drifter and the craftsmen headed up to the deck.
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