Ozzy gazed up at the cyclones dropping down into the smoke. "Can you fill me in on why rain is such a terrible thing? Assume I grew up somewhere else and use small words."

Woodrat started to speak, paused, and then said. "Rain is wet, wet and heat make steam, and steam is death. Small enough words?"

"Yeah, that will do it. Next question, is this shit common? Not death. Death seems way too common where ever I am. But how often do you get rain, and is it always big blue cyclones?"

Mariah landed on the deck next to them. "They're called Thunderheads. They normally live high in the Skye as things start to get wet. The legends speak of an endless sea of pure water as big as the seas of smoke, with ships and islands in some strange parody of the smoke. The Thunderheads guard the Ocean and reside there. For one to come to the smoke is rare. They create havoc, and only some have that capacity for cruel amusement."

"This is something far different. Those are all mature creatures. Such a host appearing here would only happen if Evergreen requested it."

Woodrat started cursing. "Oh, hell. Someone sent a prayer to Evergreen, and she answered it. Most likely, some of the Queens got involved. She summoned Thunderheads to cool down the smoke. Most of the creatures in this area have fled or are dead. We will be too if we stay here. Those blue bastards will sweep the seas and dump rain as they go."

As if hearing his words, and wanting to make the captain's statement true, one of the smaller and quicker Thunderheads broke away and moved towards them, coming lower and lower until it was almost down to the smoke. Maria said something horrible in a language none of them understood. "The bastard saw us. We're hot and fast. It thinks we're a challenge."

Woodrat laughed and shook his fist at the Thunderhead. "Does it now? They haven't seen fast. I want all the sail we can get. Ozzy! Heat those two staysails and have the crew set up a third. I'm going to shift all the heat I can from the hull to the sails, then suck more out of the sea. Plenty of heat to draw on." Ozzy ran to follow orders, as did Mariah. Woodrat concentrated on the auric hull, commanding his ship to pull heat from the smoke and send it to the sails. The Thunderhead was gaining, but the Splinter was picking up speed!

Every sail was on fire and fully loaded with heat, and still, the cyclone gained on them. It was getting faster as it dumped the heavy water into the ocean. Behind the thunderhead was a wall of superheated steam carrying heat and moisture up into the cooler Skye. Woodrat yelled to the crew. "Get below decks in the forward compartment. Seal it as best you can, and there's a chance you all survive." Most of the crew started moving. Derek didn't budge from the crow's nest. Mariah hesitated as well. "That's an order, Mr. Derek. You too, Mariah. I've seen what happens when cyclones fight. That thing will strip your wind from you in a heartbeat. And no sense you dying either, Mr. Ozzy. If the ship doesn't sink, wait a day and then take over the Splinter as Captain."

Ozzy didn't move. "You might need me up here, I'm thinking. And I can take a little steam. I'm not allergic to water like Butterbelly or the rest of you that were raised in smoke and fire."

Woodrat nodded. "Have it your way. But don't think I can't see you're planning something. You get that innocent, stupid look when you have a clever idea in that head of yours." Ozzy just smiled at him. He stood on the deck next to Woodrat, staring at the oncoming stormcloud. With a burst of speed, the Thunderhead dropped even lower and tried to pass over the ship. Ozzy was clutching the ship's back rail and concentrating.

A shimmering bubble of grey force surrounded the Splinter, as tall as her mast and reaching out all around. The winds screamed and circled the dome, trying to shatter it, but the Thunderhead hadn't been expecting such a move, and it was moving too fast. Steam rose around the ship, but not next to it where the dome extended down to the smoke.

Woodrat was laughing at the cyclone. "HA! I knew you had Shielding. It was the only way the two of us survived that first day of the eruption." The shield grew brighter. "It gets even better when another captain can add his aura to it. It's the only way to shield the larger ships."

Ozzy felt the strain of holding the shield lessen as they moved past the area of steam but then doubled over in pain as a bolt of lightning arced through the air and struck at the ship. Most of it was reflected by his shield, but he and Woodrat both felt the strain. Woodrat laughed again. "That should have hurt a lot more! If you can resist storm damage, you have strong shields, Mr. Ozzy, nearly as strong as my not inconsiderable Aura."

Ozzy was happy about that, too but confused. "I'm just learning as I go. Do you mind explaining how this works?"

Glad to help, and congratulations on using Shielding for the first time in defense of your ship. A captain's shields will reflect damage taken by his ship in the event of collisions or damage from beasts or storms. The mitigation of the Captain's Hull and his aura both add to the strength of the ship's hull to protect it from harm, along with any strange resistances he might have. If multiple Captains are present, each Captain's Shielding will protect the ship and be added together. The highest Aura will be used, and half of the Aura of lesser Captains. The damage will be spread among the Captains involved in shielding the ship.

The following shields protect the Splinter:

Physical Damage = 270 (LV 4 Shield: +80, Monstrosity +60, Mitigation +60, Armored Hull +70)

Energy Damage = 300 (LV 4 Shield: + 80, LV 8 Aura +160, Monstrosity +60)

A Thunderbolt has struck the Splinter for 500 points of Damage. Because you absorbed the remaining damage yourself, the ship has taken no harm. If you save yourself, your ship and the crew will suffer.

Woodrat shook his head. "No clue, actually. I've seen it done before but never done it myself. I was hoping you could explain it to me once you figured it out. Without all your cheating conjunction tricks, a poor, hardworking captain like myself has to earn his Shielding the hard way. But I'll get there!"

The cyclone was angry, lightning growing inside of it for another thunderbolt. It slowed to catch the Splinter again, but Woodrat moved the ship to a different course. The cyclone had to arrest its momentum to start after them again. Ozzy braced for another attack when the sea below the Thunderhead began to bubble and boil.

Out of the smoke came the beak of a giant Kraken, so close that Ozzy could see the barnacles on its beak and the bent harpoons stuck into its hide. The thunderhead was halfway down the Kraken's maw before it tried to escape. Dozens of tentacles enveloped the whirlwind and forced it down the Kraken's throat until there was a horrible wailing, and the winds died, releasing a large amount of water that exploded into steam.

Ozzy felt his shields nearly shatter from the force of the explosion, and he was half killed as he tried to absorb the physical damage himself. The Kraken didn't get away unharmed; parts of it were blown off, the evidence being a twenty-foot-long chunk of tentacle that landed on the deck.

The heat moved around his shields and was absorbed into the ship's hull and sails. Behind the Splinter, Thunderheads took to the sky, cautious now that the predators of the smoke had eaten some of their number. Two others had died, based on the explosions he saw in the distance. Now they hovered above the smoke, out of reach of the hungry Kraken. The line of Thunderheads reformed, high enough to be safe, and a gentle rain began to fall, turning into steam as it hit the smoke. Across the smoke, they marched, leaving behind cool and lifeless seas, with only a few hungry Kraken hoping for a chance to fill their stomachs with a rare delicacy.

Unharmed and her sails whole, Splinter moved away from rain and Kraken both, moving faster than the march of the Thunderheads. Far ahead and leagues away, a flare went off. Woodrat steered toward it. "I don't know if I should hope that is the Dauntless or not. A sign of life is good, but they are in a horrible spot to keep living. We'll do what we can."

Woodrat yelled loudly, his voice echoing into the hold. "Wake up! Nap time is over. The first mate and I have seen off a Thunderbolt and went fishing for Kraken. It gave me an appetite. It's time to put your cooking to the test, Mr. Butterbelly."

The crew came up from the hold to find a chunk of Kraken as thick as a barrel lying on the deck. They'd heard the thunderhead's explosion and death scream, yet the ship was unharmed, and the captain was smiling as if nothing had happened—just another day on the Good Ship Splinter.

Your Shield has held in battle with Deep Kraken and Cyclones. You have gained the Perk: Shields are Holding! (Shielding +1)

You have gained an ability that will manifest in the Conjunction.

Ozzy turned to Woodrat, and noticed the smaller man was standing straighter, hands on the ship's wheel, and looking out over his ship. He seemed to be thinking hard. Ozzy stood next to him, watching the seas all around them, not seeing any danger. "Anything wrong?"

Woodrat grinned at him. "No, nothing I can put my finger on, and quite good in many ways. But with as much time as I've spent adrift, you learn to judge the currents. We're moving fast now, you and I, and someone needs us to get somewhere. I can feel it. I'm also not going to complain too much. I risked my life every day I spent adrift on the smoke. At least now, the crap we get thrown into is interesting and rewarding. On the other hand, having something means I have something to lose."

"But I'll ride this current as long as I can and dream some big dreams."

With luck and daring, you have risen fast and can now claim the title of Captain by virtue of your rank and not just by right of command of your ship!

Welcome to level 11, Captain Woodrat.

For bringing your ship through a battle with Cyclones and Ancient Terrors of the Deep, you have been rewarded with Shielding (3)