Lost Shadow

[Ceodore Wolfgang]

*Komo shook his head then shrug.*

"Depends on what happens from here on out, or atleast until my training is over which hasn't started yet so....It's to be determined."

[Tixxi Eldixac]

Tixxi: I see . . . Well, I said that I'll see you south. I will, and we'll go from there. Is there something else?

{T: It looks like the coast is clear, then. Let the others know that we're savvy. Len did just that, and everyone relaxed.}

[Ceodore Wolfgang]

"No, not at all. Sorry for making your worry when you really should be resting. Hmm well I'll try to get some rest before we head off, oh and thanks, for everything I really appreciate it."

*Ceodore would smile before he laid on his back and looked at the ceiling with much thought in his head. Even though this was evident he would knock out in the next minute or so.*

[Tixxi Eldixac]

Tixxi: No problem.

{Tixxi left and shut the door. T: Tell them to get some rest and have whoever else is waking up take a turn. You and I can discuss what to do in my chamber. Once again, Len used his telepathy just as the captain ordered. Tixxi walked back toward her room to talk things over with Len. After some time, she got there and sat on the nearest bed, where Len was sitting.}

Tixxi: Self-control is here taught from the ground up, so we learn it in school. Do you think that we could tell Komo to attend some classes in the Shallows?

Len: Maybe. Maybe someone at the Atyipical Institution could help him.

Tixxi: Should we just let him go to Xuten and let them tell him where he should go?

Len: That would probably depend on who he gets. Our mages have had thoughts on the capabilities of some of its members, which would help them to know the issue and guide him, but they've also thought of how some of the members seemed to be far more interested in studying and growing than morals or what to do with said growth.

Tixxi: Sounds risky . . . This is tough. I mean, my first instinct would be to say that he won't be my problem once we separate, but, then, if he's headed to Xuten, there's a chance that we'll be together for a while. What's more, if he's right and he does become so dangerous if he loses control, he could be a problem to anyone.

Len: Yeah. He needs guidance.

Tixxi: We don't know the land very well, but we know it better than him . . . If we wait to travel with him and see first-hand what to recommend, we may get separated prematurely.

Len: Right, and our other option would be to turn around and head to the Shallows, which isn't much of a choice if he doesn't appreciate the notion.

Tixxi: This is frustrating.

Len: Very much so. How about we play out possible scenarios in our heads for a while, then speak of the results?

Tixxi: I knew that I kept you around for something, Len.

{Tixxi nudged her friend playfully, then they sat, leaned back, paced, stood, stared, lay down, and sat some more while following Len's suggestion.}

[Ceodore Wolfgang]

*Ceo slept soundly this time dreaming of the time back home with his family. He was at peace and continued to be at peace until the time to head out was at hand.*

[Tixxi Eldixac]

{After a while, Len had come to a conclusion.}

Len: I don't think that it could hurt to give him suggestions immediately. He doesn't seem to be so harmful, and he is on the same level as you. If he does lash out or do whatever people of his world may do, we still have the advantage of being in our ship. I can run the CCP to help you while you fight, and we can get the rest of the crew to help. We can tell him that he should go to the Atypical Institution if he doesn't go to the Shallows, then drop it. If we're still together after the thickets, we can suggest it again, and we'll see from there.

Tixxi: Yeah, I think so, too. How long has he been asleep?

Len: About seven hours, excluding the time that we woke him up. He was quite tired when he got here, so he'll probably be at least another couple hours. Fishing?

Tixxi: Yup.

{They left Tixxi's room and walked silently toward the prow. This time, Weak Veek was on their way, heading aft.}

Tixxi: Ahoy. Nothing happening?

Veeken: Hoy, skipper and first mate! Not a thing, kupo. Hey, why isn't the boat under way to pluck some goods, kupo?

Tixxi: Great Jobe probably didn't give the order to be outward bound because he knew that Pegshot and he would be sleeping so hard. That, and no one knows what may happen with the guest, so it may be best to stay ashore in case he needs to leave immediately.

Veeken: Oh, that explains it, kupo! Thank you, kupo! Are you going out to fish while you wait for him to awaken, kupo?

Tixxi: Welcome. Of course.

Veeken: Good luck to ya', then, kupo!

Tixxi: Thanks. I don't have another jack to close the prow once we're out, though; wanna' lend a hand?

Veeken: Aye, aye, kupo!

{Eventually, the company made it to the bow, where they opened the ship with the prow's control panel. Weak Veek waved as he closed the prow after Len and Tixxi hopped out. They jumped into the water where it was deep enough, and they went swimming around for fish without going too far away from the ship.}

[NPA]

_For a while, they caught simple enough fish. There was 100 rainbow fish, 52 catfish, and eventually one tuna. The area that the tuna was in was pretty barren, oddly . . . That wasn't so odd when they realized what was coming up from the side. This dragon was somehow immune to Tixxi's Hypersonar, which explains why she didn't know about it before seeing it. Its appearance was that of a bulky, purple barracuda with fourteen small, tyrannosaurus rex-like arms and three tails, each of which was a cross formation with the bottom fin being of half the size as the others. It had small fins on the shoulders of each of those fourteen arms, and it had five rather large dorsal fins. Its mouth was huge and opened with both jaws, like that of a shark, and it had four sets of great white-like teeth. It eventually swam up to the tasty-looking Tixxi ((Yeah, I know.)) and tried to chomp her._

[Tixxi Eldixac]

{No level. Let's hope that it's below level 1! Len informed. Tixxi used some chakra to give herself Rapidsburst while applying some chakra to start hindering the foe via Leviath Reign. She readied the Jigiat Idtado Vhejk and waited until the foe came within range. Once it was, she cast Eskufij Flashfreeze and shot fins from her arms as edged boomerangs. Once it was close enough, she thrust her spear upward into the foe's mouth as it tried to bite her, so the Rapidsburst would hopefully push the foe back fairly far. If so, she swam backward a bit so that she was still closer to the boat, and Len maintained a tiny distance behind her and some distance to her right. Meanwhile, the fins would come from behind and to its sides, slashing it for a bit more pain. If the foe wasn't knocked back, she tried another stab to whatever body part was closest.}

[NPA]

_The dragon was pushed back a good distance by the Rapidsburst, and it didn't much like getting stabbed, either. The Eskufij Flashfreeze wore it down, too, so it lost that bout. An orb of ice magic formed in the creature's mouth, then shot forth toward Tixxi. It would have been too fast if this happened on the land, but it was of average speed, so Tixxi would have little trouble avoiding it here. It then went in for another bite, hoping that the ice shot would be a distraction. Len would be able to see that the dragon took pretty low damage from the spell, but the physical hits dealt enough to bother with. Well, Tixxi's strength wasn't very good, but, given that, they were enough to bother with._

[Tixxi Eldixac]

{Len mentally relayed the information on the foe's health. Tixxi easily avoided the blast by swimming to her left. She still applied chakra to the foe to hinder it, but that wasn't enough, likely. She spent some chakra for Waterfallburst, then slashed downward with her Frostcrack (ice-elemental attack). Presuming that the dragon hadn't learned, or its concentration was thrown enough because of the Eskufij Flashfreeze, this would send the target downward, which Tixxi followed with by casting Bhubod with mana directly under the foe. If Bhubod caught the dragon, once it returned to its original position, Tixxi cast Colaukxud Shards with chakra to smash the foe some more.}

[NPA]

_STABPAINOWCHHURT. Tixxi's plan worked to a T, and the dragon was a little too slow, distracted, hindered by control, and in pain to get out of the way of all four Colaukxud Shards hits. The chilling factor didn't bother it, but that was a bit more pain and distraction. At this point, Tixxi's control over it was making some good progress, but it still had a chance to use another trick. Small orbs of light magic formed in its claws, then the monster tossed said light orbs at Tixxi. They had a slight homing effect and were just fast enough to all catch her, since getting hit by one would inflict a good enough flinch factor to let them all come in, though they were't particularly powerful. After that, it shot another ice orb at her._

[Tixxi Eldixac]

{Bhubod took an eighth; there's no water problem with it, Len let Tixxi know. Tixxi tried to outswim the light orbs, but they were a tad faster than her and homed in well enough that one hit her halfway through, so the rest homed in and struck her. That was no big deal to her RES, though. The last hit also made her flinch enough for the ice orb to hit her for laughable damage. Tixxi cast Imx on herself, then caused some water that was around the foe to freeze into spikes, which she then metaphysically shot into it. This was also done with a little chakra, but was just a test for ice damage, so it wasn't meant to be a strong attack. Meanwhile, Tixxi gave herself Geyserburst with some more chakra and started to dive toward her target.}

[NPA]

_The dragon took the ice shots for normal damage without Imx wearing off, so ice damage always dealt normal damage to it. Since its meal was being so gracious as to come near to it, the dragon instinctively swam up to meet Tixxi with its teeth._

[Tixxi Eldixac]

{Tixxi was glad that the dragon wasn't figuring this out: She was armed, and she was capable of making her strikes send her foes away. Her facing made "up" = "toward the ship," so a slash to the nearest jaw meant damage for the dragon and a deterrence for its attack. She followed this with Bhubod (mana) again, this time with the dragon getting smashed into the bottom of the ship. Don't worry: It's soundproof. Once it was back to where it met Bhubod, Tixxi swam toward it and gave herself Geyserburst with some chakra again. It's not long for this world. Another attack or two will do it, Len encouraged. Tixxi kept applying her chakra to the dragon steadily, keeping it from reacting too quickly.}

[NPA]

_Now that it was in critical health, the dragon was capable of charging up an ice ball in just half a second, so it began rapid-firing them at Tixxi. This would make them a bit harder to totally get away from, but they didn't really get any faster, so Tixxi could still dodge them all. The dragon wasn't smart enough to predict swimming paths and shoot ahead for moving targets, at least not with the distractions that Tixxi had caused. It flapped its fins to go slowly backward in the process, hoping to get away from Tixxi's attacks._