Oh no, they're Goddesses now!

by James Pwyll

Stormy Seas

"Hey! Timber! You sure we've got everything?"

The Captain's words were loud, so it took mere moments for the lad in question to stick his head up from below decks, after which he gave a thumbs up, showing that they did indeed have all the supplies they'd need for this journey. The Captain, an older man, smiled back to him, and so looked out over the edge of his ship. It wasn't the largest vessel out there, but it was good enough to get them where they needed to go. Just a simple charter, from one land to another and then back again. It was a trip this old boat had probably seen a thousand times, and the wear and tear of it was showing, given all the little creaks and cracks of the thing as it gently passed through the waters of the sea. Timber, who at last emerged from below, dusted his hands off after whatever work he'd been dong down there, before strolling right up to the ship's owner.

"So, how long before we make port?"

The Captain considered that, looking out to the horizon, wetting his finger in his mouth before feeling the wind above with it.

"A few hours, maybe more."

Timber nodded, looking out to that same horizon.

"It'll be good to start fresh in a new place."

Picking up an apple from a nearby open barrel, the Captain leaned on the side, looking to the youth with curiosity.

"Say, why'd you wanna leave anyhow? Lad like you could probably do pretty well for himself back home," he asked, taking a bit from his apple.

Timber chuckled, joining the older man in leaning against the side.

"Let's just say things back home got a bit too...hectic for my liking. Wanted to try something new...and hopefully safer."

The Captain knew not to pry too deeply. People coming out to sea for a new land? Yeah, they all had their stories and their secrets, and it wouldn't do to know them. So, finishing his apple, he handed Timber the core.

"Here, be a good land and get rid of that, would ya?"

Timber sighed, but nodded. He didn't want to antagonise the man after all. However, barely a few moments has passed when Timber stopped, looking over his shoulder. The Captain was busy right now, handling a pile of rope on the far end of the ship, and so wasn't paying attention to what Timber was doing. The boy looked to the apple core in his hand, then just shrugged.

"Meh. What's the worst that could happen?"

With that nonchalant attitude, he casually threw the core over the side, watching as it plopped into the salty water and sank down to whatever depths it might reach. Though Timber himself was totally fine with this, it appeared as though certain other pairs of eyes did not agree. And immediately, the boat began to sway slightly. Not dramatically, like a crash, but just enough to let the passengers know that something was off. As if that wasn't enough, there was also a sudden gust of wind, stronger than any they had felt thus far, which caught Timber off-balance slightly. After just a few moments, the guy slumped his shoulders.

"Oh...I'm gonna be paying for that apple with interest, aren't I?"

It would appear that the universe concurred with him on that one, as he looked up to see an entire blanket of dark clouds covering the previously-clear and sunny skies. The winds began to pick up, rocking the boat more than before, and the Captain immediately rushed to the front, shaking his head frantically.

"Oh no...oh nononononono!"

His head snapped to Timber.

"This is bad! I've never seen a storm come in this quick before! She must be truly furious to be doing this!"

Timber looked to him, fearful of his own impending question.

"Who?"

Looking up, the Captain pointed straight for the clouds.

"Her!"

Looking up himself, Timber saw the clouds part right in the middle, revealing what appeared to be, at least from this distance, the outline of a person. A woman specifically. Timber, seeing that, groaned.

"Oooooohhh...this is going to hurt."

A flash of lightning, and the woman's appearance was revealed. She had the look of a warrior, clad in armor as black as night, her face covered with a distinct scar down one side. Her hair, though certainly unconventional for a Goddess, nevertheless spoke of danger, and as she narrowed her eyes to the tiny boat below, her voice mirrored this sentiment.

"Trespasses shall be answered!"

Raising her hand, she summoned forth a bolt of lightning, forged into the shape of a spear, which she threw down to the sea with great strength. It struck the water, sending a massive amount of it bursting upwards and spraying the two mortals on the boat. They clung to the side, doing all they could to keep their grip on the thing, all while timber spat out some stray sea water from his mouth. The Captain, for his part, prostrated himself upon the deck of his boat, especially after greater and greater waves started hitting them.

"O mighty Tempest! Lady of lightning and storms! Tell us what we have done to offend thee!"

His response was a few further bolts of lightning into the water around them. They both knew she could easily crush them like bugs if she wanted, so this display was probably just to terrify them. But even knowing that, it was still a pretty good job of making them afraid, and they grimaced together as they continued to struggle in the storm around them. The Captain was in tears now, holding onto the mast for dear life.

"Calm down! It's okay! Remember what all the other sailors say! If you die at sea you comeback as a dolphin!"

Timber looked to him with incredulity.

"Seriously?! I mean, yeah, it's better than Tartarus, but a dolphin?!"

The Captain looked to him with confusion, at which point Timber explained himself.

"Meh, I've already done the whole 'dying' thing. Not a fan."

The Captain, now truly convinced he was in a situation of utter madness, fell to his knees again and called to the angry Goddess above.

"My Lady! Please! Tell us! What was our trespass?!"

Tempest, showing the first sign of restraint in this whole encounter, stayed her hand and pointed straight down to Timber, her eyes filled with disdain.

"Thou...shalt...not...litter!"

The Captain blinked, then slowly turned to look at Timber.

"What. Did, You. Do?!"

Timber gulped nervously.

"Well, funny thing, you see..."

Before he could actually finish, the two heard a loud "plop" sound, and so turned to see, to their surprise, that the discarded apple core was now flopped back onto the deck of the ship. The Captain, seizing the token, dropped again to his knees before holding it up to the skies, like some meagre offering to the enraged Goddess.

"O mighty Storm Queen! Tell us! What must we do to appease thee?!"

Tempest, aiming her latest bolt to the boat, gave her command.

"Thou...must put it in its proper place!"

Timber, hearing that, looked behind him, to another open barrel, intended for the purpose of containing waste food. He paused, but only briefly, before the grabbing the core from the Captain. He walked over to the aforementioned barrel, looking to the core quickly before finally dropping the thing in. A few moments passed, but then, the rocking of the ship, finally ceased. Light levels began to rise, and Timber looked up to see that the skies were finally clearing. The storm clouds were dissipating, save for the one that Tempest herself now stood on. The Goddess folded her arms, giving a firm nod to the human below.

"Lo, I am appeased. Be on thy way, mortals, and falter not."

The Captain, bowing frantically, gave Timber a quick nudge before looking to him aggressively.

"If you know what's good for you, lad, you'll help me get this boat as far away from here as we can!"

Looking back to him, Timber chuckled.

"Oh...yeah...right."

From high above, Tempest watched as the mortals sailed on, and as they drew further and further from her sight, she slowly descended down to the surface of the water. Once she was certain the humans were gone, she looked down to those calm waters, kneeling down and giving it a quick tap with her finger.

"Alright, Adagio. They're gone. I've paid my due."

In only a second, the surface burst, and out emerged the Goddess of the Seas, Adagio herself. After flipping her hair back in her typical "emerge dramatically from the water" fashion, the redhead bowed her head respectfully to her fellow Goddess.

"Thank you kindly, Tempest."

She then frowned in the direction of the long-gone mortals.

"I simply cannot stand humans who keep throwing their junk into my seas!"

Tempest chuckled, standing tall again before replying.

"I must say, some of those waves were very impressive this time."

Adagio chuckled to that.

"Oh, well, I have been practising lately. I was hoping somebody would notice."

Comments

[Dark Feather]

I dont know wheter to pity him or wounder who he'll met next?

[Scholarly-Cimmerian]

Oh, Timber, you hapless idiot... wonder how many other of the goddesses you'll be running afoul of? XD

[Eroraf86]

Tempest Shadow >> Zeus.
Adagio Dazzle > Poseidon.
Timber Spruce < pirate.

[DavisSentoV5]

What Tempest & Adagio did is, by far the greatest prank to combat against littering

[FanOfMostEverything]

Next time, just say it's an offering. You don't want it? Fine. See if I sacrifice anything else.

... Yeah, I probably wouldn't last long in this world. Especially since my choice of goddess would probably get me killed in such interesting ways. Praise unto the Blessed Fool, She of the Seven Bubbles, Goddess of Weal and Woe.

[Ri2]

Don't throw junk in the seas if there's a trashcan, Timber! Jeez!

[Comickook]

Again, you did a REALLY good job on this latest chapter. Yeah, Tempest and Adagio might have over-reacted concerning the litter, but Timber should have definitely known better. And, I'm guessing that Timber is going to end up cheesing off enough gods where, well, let's just say he will be lucky if he ends up getting stuck rolling a big rock up a hill, only to have the rock end up rolling down the hill every time he gets close to the top.

Wonderful job on the exchanges, action, characterizations, general chapter set-up and future story set-up in all the right places.

[Venerable Ro]

Heh. Messing with the mortals never gets old.

[Greatazuredragon]

"Calm down! It's okay! Remember what all the other sailors say! If you die at sea you comeback as a dolphin!"
Timber looked to him with incredulity.
"Seriously?! I mean, yeah, it's better than Tartarus, but a dolphin?!"
The Captain looked to him with confusion, at which point Timber explained himself.
"Meh, I've already done the whole 'dying' thing. Not a fan."

Timber getting into absurd situations is going to be a thing, isn't it?

[redandready45]

Tempest and Adagio remind me of that lovable litter mascot, Gary the No Trash Cougar.